After a bloodied and weak Cam managed to relay the critical information to Sam about the shutdown command, the Colonel turned in the corridor to see Merek still following him. Cam groaned in exasperation. "Ah, hell." There was no way that he could fight him hand-to-hand. He had enough trouble remaining conscious as it was. He realised that he still held the C-4 detonator. Quickly throwing back the safety cover, he flicked the switch, and within seconds, a huge explosion ripped through the cargo bay and the corridor that they were currently in, engulfing the IOA representative. Cam attempted to run down the corridor, away from the blast as he pressed the talk button on his radio, hoping to tell Sam something, knowing that he was running out of time. However, the shock wave from the blast sent him crashing into the side of the corridor, against a wall, and he lost consciousness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In his cell, Daniel tried to pull himself together as Teal'c helped him to his feet. Teal'c asked, still concerned by his friend's wellbeing, "DanielJackson, are you able to see?"

Daniel nodded, replying as he grimaced when he moved his arm, feeling something which he hoped wasn't a fracture or a breakage, "Uh, yeah... I can see enough. Sam's got my spare pair. Have you managed to contact the Odyssey?"

Teal'c supported Daniel as he took his first steps. "I have not. I believe that they may have come under attack and were forced to escape into hyperspace." When Daniel looked upset, Teal'c continued as they slowly left the cell, the Jaffa picking up his Ori staff again, "They will return."

Daniel looked at his friend again, memories returning of events directly prior to his torture. "What happened to you? You were shot." He closed his eyes as he remembered more, worried for his friends' welfare.

"We were ambushed and you, ValaMalDoran and Tomin were seized. They left me behind. I..." Teal'c paused. He didn't know how he had miraculously healed as he lay exhausted in sight of Celestis. He had no wounds or scars on his body from where he had been shot, and he had woken up with a renewed vigour to find his friends. He looked perturbed as he considered the possibility that an Ancient may have helped him.

Daniel looked at Teal'c, troubled. "What happened? Are you okay? I think I've got some bandages left in my pocket."

"I am fine."

"Teal'c..."

"Really." Teal'c looked at where they were walking as he finally let go of Daniel, the Archaeologist appearing to be strong enough to walk unaided. "May I enquire as to your welfare?"

Daniel replied, feeling relieved despite his weariness that he was no longer in that cell, no longer at the mercy of the Doci, "I'm fine too, Teal'c." He looked at Teal'c with a shared understanding of the SG-1 definition of 'fine', and the Jaffa nodded. Daniel exhaled. "We need to find the Ark. It's important. I think I might know how to work it."

Teal'c glanced at him. "Have you had any more visions?"

"Not... exactly."

"Explain."

Daniel glanced at Teal'c, looking thoughtful. "Let's just say that we weren't alone in this fight after all." He looked around himself and said, "We need to find Vala and Tomin first."

"That is my intention, DanielJackson."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Having utilised skills acquired from her previous life, Vala stole a set of keys that a soldier had carelessly left on a table after a meal. Striding purposefully towards the cells, she peeked into each one, looking for Tomin. She needed to find Daniel to tell him about the Ark lighting up, and she would need Tomin's help to do that as he was more familiar with the layout of Ori prisons. Eventually finding Tomin, she struggled to find the right key before unlocking his cell door.

She found him lying on a stone bench, his back to her. On surmising his general condition, her stomach felt heavy with dread. Hoping that he hadn't given up the fight already, she called his name as she entered the cell. Scared when he didn't answer, yet trying to remain hopeful and strong, she patted his shoulder, trying to get him to get up, or at least move.

"Tomin, it's Vala."

She felt relieved when he at last moved, but he didn't get up or speak. What had they done to him? She wasn't going to let him give up. "No, come on, come on." She helped him to sit up, dismayed to see that he looked tired and ill, his eyes red-rimmed. She could only imagine what he must have been through. It appeared to have been a lot worse than her earlier torture. "Come here." He nodded, and she touched his face, hoping that he was still in there somewhere.

"Listen, everything's going to be okay. I promise."

He closed his eyes, looking ready to give up then and there, but she touched his face more firmly than she had done previously. He opened his eyes again and she asked, "Good. Can you pull yourself together?" He nodded once again but closed his eyes not long afterwards. Feeling the urgency of the situation, the imperative to find Daniel, she gently slapped Tomin's face.

"I know you want to give up, but I am not letting you." She held his gaze. "Good. Now I want you to help me find Daniel."

She looked up in surprise on hearing Daniel's voice. "I'm right here."

Seeing Daniel and Teal'c grounded her, re-establishing her connection with the rest of SG-1 and more importantly her fiancé. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty with her hand on Tomin's face so she moved her hand away quickly, looking at the two new arrivals in surprise. She also couldn't help feeling relieved and happy that while she was thinking of looking for Daniel at least, they were looking for her. In that moment she realised where she belonged although she had to wonder why Teal'c was dressed as a Prior albeit without any of the facial markings.

Daniel asked, looking optimistic about things in general, "Are you guys okay?"

Tomin replied wearily, "I don't feel very good."

He and Daniel smiled weakly, a shared understanding between them of having experienced absolutely dreadful torture at the hands of envoys of false gods. Daniel, hoping that they were coming to the end of this adventure, said, "Let's go find the Ark."

He and Vala helped Tomin up, escorting him from the cell as Teal'c kept an eye out for soldiers or Priors. Vala looked across at Daniel, concerned on seeing blood on his cheek and lower lip, and noticing that he didn't have his glasses. "Daniel?"

Daniel replied, frowning to block out the pain radiating from most of his body as he focussed on getting to the Ark, "I'm fine." Vala looked increasingly worried, knowing that he was lying.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Once Cam had narrowly escaped an attack from the Replicator skeleton of Merek, who had suddenly disassembled along with the rest of the Replicators, he staggered onto the bridge of the Odyssey, which was dark, illuminated only by the weapons fire from the four Ori ships that were attacking the vessel. Knowing that Sam didn't have enough time to get the hyperdrive back online, he reluctantly pressed a button on the command chair, calling,

"This is Colonel Mitchell of the Earth ship Odyssey. We surrender! Please, cease fire! Repeat, we surrender!"

He didn't want to have to do that, but he would do anything if it bought more time for Sam to do something; if it gave her a fighting chance. As the ships continued to fire, the Odyssey rocked by several blasts, Cam called into his radio, "Sam? I don't think they're gonna stop."

She called back, "I'm not going to get the hyperdrive back in time! We can't take much more."

Cam exhaled, knowing that there was nothing more that he could do. He closed his eyes as weariness took hold and he suddenly had a strong urge to just give up altogether.