Jack J. knew instantly where he was. He ignored the thrill he felt at being once again on a spaceship and concentrated on trying to know whose ship he was on. The vessel was of Goa'uld design, no doubt and he was probably at the hands of some enemy, too, as his binds testified. He was only vaguely aware of galactic current events. His SGC contacts were still bound by secrecy, even around him. He knew the system lords had been defeated and that on their ashes, a society of rogue Jaffa/merchants had arisen and taken the name "Lucian alliance". He also knew Baal was still on the run. So the possibilities were many but only a few were plausible. Somehow, he doubted he would be of any commercial value to the Lucian Alliance. He opted for the Baal alternative even though he was not absolutely sure why the defeated system lord would want anything to do with the clone of his nemesis, except to attract O'Neill into a trap. Maybe… Nothing was beyond the bastard anyway…
His musings were interrupted by a familiar clanking of armors. He tried to sit up straight.
The sliding doors opened and an overdressed Baal made his entrance.
"Ah crap!" Jack J. groaned. "What do you want from me?!"
"Your DNA," Baal deadpanned, his lips raised with that familiar smirk Jack J had come to hate.
"Wrong Jack O'Neill, Baal! I'm a clone, a copy, and my DNA's not the same as the original!" Jack J. quipped.
"That is where you are mistaken, O'Neill. Because you are a clone your DNA presents certain interests that the original's doesn't!"
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Your Asgard creator Loki provided us with the most interesting information," Baal resumed.
"He's locked in an Asgard cell!"
"His body is," Baal stated, clearly amused. "I used his research to broaden my possibilities of action."
Jack J. raised his eyebrows inquiringly.
"My own clones," the Goa'uld stated. "Oh but you may not know about this." He chuckled. "However using his research proved inadequate, I needed more. I needed some insight into Asgard research, so I improved one of Anubis's devices…" He produced a small sphere from his robe. "Amazing that the spirit of an Asgard can be kept in such a small device!" he snarled.
Jack J. sighed, clearly not amused. "If you want to keep mine, you'll only need a marble, and I'm not even sure the extent of my knowledge would fit in such a large a space! So go on, be done with it and let me rest. I never asked for this cloning stuff but I had finally made my peace with the situation. Do whatever it is you want with me and then leave me alone."
Baal chuckled. "Oh, have no doubt, I will do whatever I want with you. We still have quite some distance to travel before I can continue with my experiment on you. In the meantime, I'd like to draw some of your blood and start validating a few theories." He smiled evilly.
He stepped aside and a woman followed by a floating device bearing several tubes and syringes came in.
"Ah crap." Jack J. said
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Jack and Sam saw SG-1 through the gate before readjusting their gear and stepping through the shimmering pool in their turn.
They arrived on P7G-RTF, a barren planet where, according to Jack's memories of Kanaan, the System Lord Baal was known to have a base. The facility was subterranean and quite a walk from the gate. Jack and Sam started in that direction. Their trip was silent. They had not done this in a long time and were just enjoying the well oiled routine they had developed after all these years.
They walked several hours before arriving in sight of the cliff underneath which the base was located. Jack crept under a boulder and signaled Sam to do the same, then he produced his mini binoculars and scouted the area. He did not see any activity but that did not mean there was not any. They decided to approach with caution. When they reached the rock wall, Jack felt the surface with his fingertips, looking for some clue.
"Jack?" Sam asked after a moment.
"There should be a small cavity somewhere," he replied.
"There are lots of small cavities," she stated. "You know what it looks like?" she started to examine the wall.
"Well this cavity's not natural, it's carved and you have Goa'uld designs engraved in the rock. It's about this high," he indicated his chest.
Sam nodded and resumed her exploration of the wall. "Found it!" she said triumphantly after a short while.
Jack smiled. "I knew there was a reason I let you tag along with me."
"Smartass," she shook her head.
"Well Colonel Carter, your language lacks variety!" he chuckled, as he reached her position and examined the wall closely.
"Yep, that's the one," he murmured. "Now let's see if Thor's memory enhancement was worth the headache…"
He touched the symbols in a seemingly random pattern and after a short while, rings appeared to transport them underneath the surface.
The base was unlit and dusty. Jack and Sam switched on the lights on their P90s and started exploring the place. Jack took point and they silently walked along the corridors.
They went several levels down before finally reaching a barely lit chamber.
Jack's stomach lurched and Sam turned her head in disgust.
A dead queen floated in a tank, half eaten by the larvae she had apparently given birth to. They were as dead as the queen was and the stench was probably contained by the sealed tank. At least that was what Jack surmised and he had no desire to check it out.
"Sir, I think the base has been long abandoned," Sam stated in a breath.
"I think you're right, Carter." Jack admitted. "There's a chamber we should check out three levels up, that's where he stored his Goa'uld gizmos, there might be some left…"
"Can we go now? This place gives me the creeps…" Sam said uneasily.
"Lead the way, Colonel." Jack agreed, gesturing with his weapon for Sam to retrace their steps.
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SG-1 gated to a planet that had recently fallen into Ori's hands, but which was still open to travelers. They had dressed innativeclothing. Teal'c concealed his bulky figure underneath a large poncho, Daniel wore a peasant's outfit. Cameron's was a mix of leather and tan material, and Vala' wore a simple dress, forced to forego her usual flashy wardrobe as she was supposed to be Daniel's wife traveling with their servant and bodyguard.
They came into the village and mingled with the population. The planet used to be a commercial trade post before its conversion to the Ori, so it was not unusual for travelers to come and go on traders' errands. They booked a room at the local Inn and were informed of the prostration hours, a sine qua non condition if they wanted to remain and trade there. It was risky to ask too many questions and talk in the open,so they opted to meet and discuss their options in Daniel and Vala's room.
"We should try and speak with Sandika about how things are," Cameron started, referring to their contact the last time they had been here. "If he's still here, that is…"
"I believe it is better we go to the prostration first and observe if anything is different. It may give us some indication about our research." Teal'c said.
"Vala and I can go to the tavern and listen to what people say there. In my opinion, if the Ori have abducted Jack J., and unless they want to keep it a secret, there will at least be rumors." Daniel suggested.
"So we spilt?" Cameron asked. "I'm not sure I like this…"
"In such a small village, splitting is not too dangerous," Daniel said. "Who knows, Sandika may even be at the tavern…"
"And what if he's a faithful follower of the Ori?" Cameron asked.
"Sandika is a former first prime, and he saw the demise of Gerak. I doubt he will have fallen into the trap. He may be playing along, if he is still on this planet. But not a faithful follower." Teal'c affirmed.
"What time is the prostration?" Vala asked.
"Err…." Daniel started as a single bell started ringing. "Right now?" he winced.
Sg-1 exited Daniel's room and dutifully joined the rest of the village kneeling in the central square.
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Jack J. woke up with a start. His head was pounding, no doubt the effect of the drugs the woman had pumped into his body once she had taken –in his opinion– gallons of his blood. When he had asked what it was, the woman had merely shrugged. He had briefly wondered if she even spoke English but was proven wrong when he heard her talk to the guards outside. He rubbed his neck, a difficult task given that his wrists were still handcuffed and wondered what day it was. His watch had been taken, along with his belt, jacket and pull-over. He was glad not to be dressed as a Tok'Ra this time, but socks, jeans, and a T-shirt were not his dream clothes in such a chilly environment.
A huge "clonk" was heard and the ship shuddered, leading Jack J. to think their journey had ended. As if on cue, the door to his cell slid open and two guards came in to grab him and drag him out.
"Why no Jaffa?!" he smirked. "How's the pay? Because you know, I'm thinking of a new direction for my blossoming career…"
"Silence!" one of the guards cut him off right before the rings activated and transported them into the Goa'uld's domain.
The guards then proceeded along brightly lit corridors that went further down what seemed to be a subterranean base. Jack J. was trying to keep his pants from slipping down to his ankles at the same time as he was trying to keep in pace with his captors. Finally, they reached the prisoners' cells. Jack J. was grateful for his sock clad feet which were starting to hurt between the rough ground and the bruising binds on his ankles.
"Lord Baal will come to see you momentarily!" the same guard announced while releasing Jack J.'s arms and opening the cell door. Without support Jack J. slumped slightly against the second guard. He muttered a soft 'sorry' before he got back to his feet.
"Watch it, human!" the guard growled.
"Well I haven't practiced standing on one leg enough lately, and with those binds that's what I've got as far as I'm concerned!" Jack J. shot back.
"Untie him!" the first one said as he pushed him into the cell.
The second guard grumbled something incomprehensible and bent down to loosen the binds Jack J. had around his ankles.
Jack J. watched calmly as the first guard switched the force field on, snarling. "I hope you will enjoy your stay."
A corner of Jack J.'s mouth curled up ironically. "I'm not sure I'd recommend this hotel, but maybe there's been some improvement since the last time I experienced the hospitality of the host."
The guards turned on their heels and disappeared from sight as Jack J. slid down the wall to a sitting position.
When he was sure he was alone, he winced in pain and slowly retrieved the three inch pin he had stealthily removed from the guard's belt and quickly hidden in his pants leg, managing to stab his thigh in the process.
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SG-1 had barely managed to escape the Prior's magic and were running for the gate as quickly as they could. Upon arriving, Daniel frantically dialed Earth and Cameron sent the GDO code as soon as the shimmering pool sprang to life. The foursome dove into it, piling up clumsily on top of one another on the other side, as Teal'c shouted "Iris!"
The protective device slid in place as SG-1 climbed to their feet and went to meet their CO.
"What happened?" Hank Landry demanded.
"Ask Teal'c!" Cameron said in an aggravated tone.
"Colonel Mitchell, how was I to know that Sandika had been turned into a Prior?"
"I should have trusted my instincts!"
"Colonel!" Landry snapped.
"General, we were all misled," Daniel said to diffuse the tension. "We thought Sandika could provide us with some information, and indeed he did, just not what we were expecting…"
"Go get checked out by medical. We'll debrief in two hours, hopefully General O'Neill and Colonel Carter will be back by then." Landry dismissed them.
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It was the third base Jack and Sam had visited and so far, they had not even managed to retrieve working Goa'uld technology. They were getting desperate.
Jack navigated through the streets of the large settlement as if on autopilot. Sam had been surprised at first, not understanding why a Goa'uld lord would want to set a base in such a busy place, but Jack had assured her that this was only one of many entrances to a huge complex. Suddenly, the General entered a small building and disappeared. She was disoriented a moment until she heard his disembodied voice.
"Carter!"
"Jack?"
An arm grabbed her and she found herself in a barely lit chamber, pressed against a hard body.
"You should be more careful, Colonel." His breath tickled her ear.
"You have some talent at disappearing, General…" she replied.
Jack released her. "Okay, watch this." He raised his arms.
"You want to fl…" and suddenly he was gone, "Jack?"
He reappeared. "Cool, huh?"
She sighed. "What did you do?"
"Stay close to me, Carter, and learn."
She stepped to stand in front of him and once again, he raised his arms.
The moment she noticed his arms crossed an invisible beam, they were sent to another chamber in Baal's base. This one was richly lit and buzzing with noise. Jack and Sam crept out of the chamber cautiously and alternated their position, always keeping watch, their weapons at the ready.
Upon hearing an approaching patrol, they slipped into a room and waited for the noise to disappear. As they were about to exit the room, a man entered.
Jack raised his P-90 and pointed it to the man. "Who are you?" he asked softly.
"I could ask you the same question if I didn't know who you are, General Jack O'Neill," the man replied calmly. "I'm Kael of the Tok'Ra. We infiltrated this base when Baal gathered what was left of his forces to flee to Earth."
Jack relaxed a bit, yet not entirely.
"You know where Baal is?" Sam asked.
"Not at present, unfortunately. Come, let us go enjoy some more comfortable settings." He beckoned them outside with a sweep of the arm.
"Wait a minute," Sam demanded "Just how do you intend to prove you really are a Tok'Ra?"
Kael smiled. "Malek is here with me, I was on my way to see him."
"Ah, Malek!" Jack quipped. "If he's here, you won't mind leading us to him?" he smiled falsely.
The Tok'Ra nodded tensely and exited the room. He led them through several corridors, sometimes crossing paths with other people who appeared unarmed. They finally reached a large chamber with a long table in the middle. Several people were gathered at the end of it.
Kael turned toward his guests, smiling.
"Malek is there", he said, pointing to a bald man in the middle of the gathering.
Jack frowned, looking at Kael. "Malek?"
Kael's face darkened. "Malek was kept in Baal's cells for some time. He didn't come out of it unscathed. I'm afraid you will find his appearance changed, but he's still the same inside.
The three approached the group and the one Kael had designated as Malek raised his head. He had lost an eye and half of his face was hidden by a leather mask, but he was indeed the same man who had been among the Tok'ra willing to make the doomed Tok'ra/Jaffa alliance work.
"O'Neill? Colonel Carter?" he asked, surprised.
"Malek! Good to see you!" Jack winced.
The other man nodded. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he stepped forward.
"Can we go some place more private?" Sam asked.
"Of course, follow me," Malek beckoned them to another room on the left of the wide one. They entered thea smaller chamber, where Malek sat down behind a large table made of rock and showed Sam and Jack two seats facing it.
"I hope you will forgive my rude behavior out there, but I really did not expect to see you ever again," Malek started.
"Yeah well, the feeling's mutual," Jack quipped.
"I'm sorry, O'Neill, I didn't mean it that way…".
"Save it, Malek, we're here to find Baal. He's abducted one of our own, and we want to rescue him."
Malek's face fell. "I'm afraid I cannot provide you with any information regarding his location. However, our spies have mentioned a renewed activity and interest in Asgard affairs, and we are certain they all trace back to Baal," he offered. "He's our main target right now, too."
Jack was disappointed but he did not let it show. Sam knew though. She had seen the momentary flash in his dark eyes. She put a hand on his arm. "Sir, this is confirmation that he should be the main focus of our search," she said calmly.
Jack stood up. "Malek, it was good to see you again…"
"Wait, there's more." Malek said. "Have you investigated other bases?"
Jack sat back down. "Why? You wanna' know what's there?"
"No, I know Kanaan was well aware of Baal's plans and bases. I was among those who defined his mission to make an inventory of most of Baal's resources, among other things…" he looked at Jack pointedly.
One corner of Jack's mouth rose. "Not much escapes you, huh?"
"I gave you some information," the Tok'ra replied.
"You did… This is the third base we visited, there are three left on my list of main bases. The other ones are secondary but not our main focus now…"
Malek nodded.
"There's one on P9F-324 that I want to raid next…"
"That one is deserted. We discovered it several months ago," Malek interrupted.
"Sir, maybe you could share your knowledge with Malek and narrow down our searches," Sam suggested.
"All right, but just because I'm desperate," Jack agreed reluctantly, making Malek chuckle.
"You haven't changed much, O'Neill."