They stopped above the small moon that the meeting was supposed to take place on, hovering in an orbit that would allow them to use the sensors on the Gateship to look for any kind of possible Goa'uld ambush before they actually landed. Ian knew that Hailey was doing the same thing above them, and that if the more powerful equipment on the Cassandra found something Jennifer would let him know about it.

"I don't see anything," McKay said, checking the readings. "He probably isn't going to show."

"He's just being fashionably late," Ian told him. "You know a Goa'uld would rather chop his arm than be seen waiting for anyone. He'll want us to be in place first so he can arrive in suitably impressive and intimidating fashion."

Rodney wanted to argue that, but he knew Ian was probably right.

"So we just land and wait?"

"Just like the plan says."

Of course, they were going to land the Gateship and stand just outside the cloaking field, so Frenush would be able to see them but they would have cover if something went awry. They'd seen plenty of things go wrong, after all, even in the best-laid plans, so they weren't taking any chances.

McKay grumbled about how much room a million Jaffa would take up while Ian found his landing spot, and then shut the Gateship down and opened the back hatch.

"You ready?" he asked McKay, who was fiddling with the tie down on his holster – not something he was used to wearing every day by any means.

"Yeah. You got the ZedPM?"

"Yeah."

The ZPM was the power source they were 'selling' to Frenush. It was a perfect lure, since they were using one that had just enough juice in it to be able to make an impressive display of power if they needed to, but since it was completely alien to the Goa'uld Frenush wouldn't know that. They also didn't have to worry about it falling into the wrong hands, since there was no way it could be integrated with Goa'uld technology, since Ian had added a failsafe – just in case something very bad happened.

The outfits they were wearing had been prepared carefully, making sure they looked appropriately successful but just a little shabby – working on the assumption that Frenush would be less wary if they didn't look too dangerous. The outfits had also been based on clothing from other worlds and the people who had put them together had made sure not to use any of the cloths that were found almost exclusively on Earth. As a result, Ian found himself wearing loose-fitting black leather pants with a white linen shirt tucked into them and boots that looked far more worn than they really were. The holster hung low on his hip, rather like it would look in a Western movie, but Ian had made sure he'd be able to reach it if he needed it. Slung on his other hip, criss-crossing the holster, was a small leather fanny pack that held one of the two devices he'd need. The other was hidden in the palm of his left hand.

Rodney's outfit was similar to Ian's, although his pants were buff colored and his shirt was a bright blue. It had been a bright red shirt, but he'd taken one look at it and said the last thing that he was going to wear on an away mission was a bright red shirt. Ian hadn't caught the reference, but everyone else in the room had, and they'd changed the color without further comment. McKay was also carrying the case that held the ZPM. Both of them had stopped shaving a couple of days before and were suitably stubbled, now.

"Look alive," Hailey's voice came over the earpieces that they were both wearing. "We have a Goa'uld ship coming into the area."

"Just one?"

"So far."

They waited outside the cloaking range of the Gateship standing out in the open like they had agreed on.

"I'm assuming they'll ring in," Rodney told him. "So we won't have to worry about them trying anything like landing their ship on us and just taking the case."

"That's a relief," Ian replied, with only a trace of sarcasm. "I think we can be-"

He was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a ring device being activated, and his hand strayed to his Glock without actually touching it. Beside him, Rodney took a deep breath, but otherwise looked fairly calm. A moment later, the population of the moon was doubled as Frenush arrived with a Jaffa – presumably his first prime – towering beside him, watching both Ian and McKay without a change in his expression.

"You are Korbos?" Frenush asked, not moving toward them.

Ian nodded, but didn't reply. He turned his attention to the Jaffa, who had rightly pegged Ian as the dangerous one of the two and watching him intently, waiting for him to do something stupid. The Jaffa was carrying a staff weapon, and Ian saw his grip tighten just a little on the haft when he noticed Ian watching him.

"Show me the device." Frenush said, looking at McKay since it was obvious that Ian wasn't carrying it.

Rodney looked at Ian, who nodded, and then opened the case without stepping toward the Goa'uld. Since the ZPM didn't look very impressive when it wasn't playing power source, they'd actually installed just a couple of blinking lights inside the case, and the black interior made it look even more impressive. Frenush took half a step forward to get a better look, and McKay closed the case just as the two had discussed. The Goa'uld scowled and looked at Ian, who gave him an unwavering stare.

"You have the payment?"

They had thought long and hard about what kind of payment Ian and McKay should demand for the power source they were offering. Again, it had to be something that would fit in with the role Ian was playing. And it had to be something that Frenush would be able to get hold of. They needed to make it as easy as they could without making it look easy for him. So they'd decided on weapons. The amount demanded was crazy, but that was all going to be part of the negotiations. Negotiations that Ian had no intention of getting into if he could avoid it.

"Perhaps. If I am satisfied that the power source is worth what you are requesting."

"It's worth twice that," Ian told him. "But I'm feeling generous."

Frenush made a noise that Ian couldn't interpret, but the New Yorker looked over at McKay and nodded again. Rodney opened the case once more to allow the Goa'uld a chance to look at the ZPM.

"What will it do?" Frenush asked, stepping over to get a better look at it.

"If you hook it into your weapons system it will increase your output by 1000 percent," Rodney told him, speaking for the first time. "Hook it into your shields and nothing will ever touch you. The others will fall in front of you before they even know what happened."

Rodney's arrogant tone was just right for what he was playing, and the confidence he had in the ZPM came through as well. The best thing, however, was the turn of phrase, because everyone knew that the way to get a Goa'uld's attention was to tell him he was going to be able to kill his enemies. Of course, Rodney knew the Goa'uld well enough to know that and work the angle. Sure enough, Frenush stepped right up to the case, his eyes glued to the ZPM and not paying attention to much else.

"I want-"

Ian coughed, which was the signal that Cassandra had been waiting for. An instant later a beam shot down from nowhere, and the Jaffa bodyguard vanished. Frenush turned, but it was too late. Ian triggered the device in his left hand and the Goa'uld froze. A moment later he had the other device in his right hand and was already snooping through Frenush's mind, looking for the memory that he needed. The other device seemed to know what he was looking for, because he had no trouble finding it, and the moment he realized what he was seeing it was gone, erased as if it had never been there.

"Got it," he said, drawing the device back and then 'watching' as it also destroyed the last two minutes of short-term memory as well. Frenush twitched, shaking his head much like a wet dog will shake itself, and Ian slipped both devices into the fanny pack at his side just as the Jaffa reappeared beside them, rematerialized by the Wraith device that Cassandra had been fitted with.

"I want…" Frenush frowned, his expression confused. Just like that of the Jaffa, who wouldn't remember that he'd been gabbed and held suspended while Ian had done what he needed to do but seemed to know that something had happened. "I want to see it in action."

"We can arrange something," Ian told him. "I'll call you when I have it ready."

"I want it now."

Which was somewhat expected. Goa'uld weren't used being told they have to wait for something they wanted. Ian bit back the automatic response he would normally give someone and shrugged with feigned nonchalance.

"I'm not ready right now, Lord Frenush," he said, deferentially. "I want to impress you, so you can see that this is worth everything I am asking for it. If you give me a few days, you won't be disappointed, I promise."

Frenush hesitated, but he was clearly pleased at the way he'd been addressed, and he stepped back to stand beside his Jaffa once more. The arrogance returned almost immediately, though.

"You have three days to contact me. Otherwise I will take my dealings elsewhere."

Which was designed to be a threat, but couldn't have worked out better for Ian and McKay.

"Thank you."

The Goa'uld nodded curtly to his Jaffa, and a moment later the two of them vanished as the ring device activated. Ian and Rodney stayed where they were, still tense, until they finally heard Hailey tell them that the Goa'uld ship had left the area. Only then did they both take a deep breath.

"Did it work?" Rodney asked.

"As far as I can tell it did."

"Let's get home, then."

"What's the rush?" Ian asked. "He's not coming back."

"It's not him," McKay told him, turning and heading unerringly toward the still cloaked Gateship. "These pants are chafing something terrible."