"Okay, look," a frustrated Daniel told the two other members of SG-1 and Generals Hammond and Carter. "If she wasn't still Sam, then why didn't she let Osiris kill me and be done with it?"

"If she's still Sam, then why didn't she come home and be done with that?" Jack intoned, completely emotionless.

"When I spoke with her--when she came to Yu's quarters the first time Sarah...Osiris tried to kill me, she was almost..." Daniel drifted off, thinking of a way to word his observations. "It's like she thought the two of us were still friends. When I told her that we missed her, she got sort of...pissed."

Jack snorted. "Why?"

"She was fine until I brought that up. She said something about being left behind." Daniel blinked as a theory formed. "I was in recovery for a couple of weeks after we thought she died. Did you go back for her?"

Jack looked uneasy. Even Teal'c allowed some unease to show in his eyes. Jack began slowly, "We did. It was a couple of hours or so, but we did go back. We assumed that a Goa'uld resurrected her--I'm sure you remember me prattling on about that--and that, with all of the sarcophagus's narcotic effects and all, that something might slip. When no one showed any signs of trying to kill us--"

"You let the theory go," Daniel finished. "Well it looks like she was resurrected and turned against us...or at least you, no offense."

"None taken," Jack said dryly.

"How are we gonna get her back?" Jacob asked. They turned to stare at him. "We are going to get her back, aren't we?"

"We can try," Hammond said, determination shining in his eyes.

"General," said Jack harshly, "what if we can't?"

"Jack?" Hammond asked, surprised. He wasn't the only one. Daniel figured it might just be guilt over "abandoning Sam, but he was still shocked that Jack would sound so pessimistic. Teal'c also must have thought it was uncharacteristic of their leader, mainly by the fact that his eyes had slightly widened along with the usual eyebrow raise.

"I think Carter's made it pretty clear who's side she's on."

"Jack," Jacob put in, "Sam was adamant about the fact she would turn against Zeus if need be. Daniel, I think we may be able to put that poison to good use after all."

"Sure, I'll go along with whatever you guys come up with, provided it's not the worst idea I've ever heard," Jack said.

"What if Jack and Daniel let themselves become captured by Zeus's Jaffa?" Jacob asked. "Teal'c and I can wait and help you two escape if it gets nasty."

"The poison kills symbiotes," Daniel said, seeing Jack open his mouth. "We would be the only two who could get in and release the poison unscathed. Although, I'm not so sure it'd be a good idea that Jack get 'captured' with me. Sam, as I said before, wasn't happy when I said we missed her."

"And we know she wasn't pissed at you, how?" Jack asked skeptically.

"As I also said before, she acted like nothing had changed between the two of us--like we were still on the same team."

"So have we got a fully developed plan in mind?" Hammond questioned.

"Okay," Jacob began. "First, we go to Thebes, which is where Zeus is presently located. We know that that's where Sam'll probably be returning to. When her ship lands and she's all settled in, I can ring Jack and Daniel down to get 'captured'."

"I take it we're going by ship," said Jack.

"Yes, hence I'll ring you aboard."

"Just checkin'."

"Anyway, hopefully Daniel can keep the poison hidden from Zeus's guards long enough to be led into Zeus and Maia's" --he spat the word "Maia" out as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth-- "'throneroom'. When they're taken in, Daniel can release the poison without having to worry if something will happen to Sam. You did say she wasn't Goa'uld?" Jacob asked Daniel.

"The others' comments told me she hadn't been lying about missing me or siding with the Tok'ra," Daniel replied.

"When Zeus and the Jaffa are dead, you will probably be able to get Sam out without much of a fight," finished Jacob.

"You sound a bit doubtful," Jack commented.

"She's a lot stronger than she looks and we don't know if she's bothered to stay in shape for the past seven months," Jacob answered wryly. "We have to count on everything going according to plan, though we can improvise if we have to."

"What about the Tok'ra High Counci?" Hammond asked.

"I probably should be helping with restructuring it," admitted Jacob, "but for now, I say screw it."

"And Selmak's okay with this?"

"No, but she wants Sam back as much as I do."

"Think you can have SG-1 ready in one hour, Colonel?"

Jack stood up, some of his former attitude gone. "Yes, sir."

"Let's move people."

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Sam sighed wearily was Kaelyn applied her medical administrations. As a result of her fight with Osiris, Sam now had a lot of bruises, particularly on the wrist that Osiris had grabbed; a cut lip, which she assumed came from when she and Daniel fell; and a shoulder that felt like it could have been dislocated. To her annoyance, her lip had started to swell and her muscles were stiff.

Kaelyn found an ointment jar and rubbed its contents on Sam's lip. She hissed in pain but didn't complain. Kaelyn looked worried. "I can do it if you don't want to," Sam said, but Kaelyn shook her head and resumed.

"My lady," one of her Jaffa said, coming in with a quick bow. "We approach the planet."

"Thanks," said Sam, not really paying attention. Some of Jolinar's memories had been assaulting her since the summit. At the moment, they were vague and she didn't really care about them.

Her thoughts strayed to a different subject. Daniel and her father had probably returned to the SGC by now, which meant that they knew she wasn't still dead. That also meant that a rescue mission would be mounted.

Any thoughts about what the rescue mission would be composed of were soon removed from her concious thought as the ship landed. Zeus was awaiting her a few yards away. She strode over and hugged him.

"Maia." He stood back and held her at arms-length. "What happened?"

"Osiris," she spat.

"I hope it wasn't because you provoked him," Zeus growled.

"Not at that point in time."

Zeus nodded. "Come, Maia. You must tell me of the summit."

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"The traitorous bastard was working for Anubis," Sam said angrily as she got to the point where Osiris announced her master's identity.

"I find it hard to believe Anubis was able to gain so much power in so little time," Zeus mused.

"He did, unless practically every System Lord lied about the casualties their forces suffered," groused Sam.

In some of Jolinar's memories, she saw someone that looked vaguely like Zeus. It wasn't him per se, just someone that highly resembled him.

"My lord, lady," Acamas's appearance brought her out of her short reverie. "There is something that you must attend to."

"Can it not wait?" snarled Zeus.

"My apologies, but it would probably be best if you saw to it now." Sam noticed that he was being excedingly careful not to look directly at her.

As one she and Zeus stood up and followed Acamas to the Thebes version of a throneroom...

Where Daniel and Colonel O'Neill were kneeling, waiting.

Zeus's eyes flashed. "I hope you knew nothing of this," he said, glaring at Sam.

"I don't know how they found out I was here," she lied, "let alone that they would have come here. They're explorers; maybe they came here to explore."

"The sholva was not found," Amacas put in. "My lady."

"I'm sure that Teal'c doesn't always go on the missions," Sam argued. She missed a flash of uneasiness from Zeus and an exchange of curious glances between Jack and Daniel.

Turning back to the two prisoners, she glared coldly at Jack. He actually winced.

A strange scent permeated the room. Zeus, Acamas, and three other guards sank to the ground convulsing.

Suddenly, the Tau'ri's plan clicked in Sam's mind. Teal'c hadn't come because Daniel would be using a poison the Tok'ra invented that killed symbiotes. She had no idea if her father was on the planet, but it was obvious he wouldn't be in there.

She knelt by Zeus's side, tears forming in her eyes.

"Maia," he whispered. His eyes glowed and, for the first time, Sam saw the host.

She grasped his hand as he said, "Please, forgive us. He didn't..." He drifted off and, with a final sigh, died.

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Don't worry, everything (for the most part) will be explain in the next chapter, i.e. the surprising speed at which Daniel and Jack were able to arrive at Thebes.

I have the rest of the story pretty much figured out, unless Thalia decides to become evil, and leave me. Regardless, I'll try to keep submitting every weekend.

R&R