Welcome back! I'm trying to post at least one chapter a week. This one comes in at day 5. :0) I know there's a lot of talking going on, but I promise lots of action and whump in the very near future.

I want to thank everyone for your wonderful reviews. They make me smile. I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to all of them yet. I do truly appreciate the time you take to send me your thoughts and support.

I hope you like this chapter. It was a labor of love and the cause of my seemingly never-ending bought of writer's block. I am sooooo happy to be over that.

Thanks again to sbz for being the beta reading queen.

Here we go...

Warning! You can pick your nose and you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

Once the Twilight

Chapter Three

Sam fought the urge to turn and leave the room. She stared across the table at a man she thought – hoped – she'd never see again. He was shorter than she remembered and the khaki BDUs hid his bulk. She'd never forget what it felt like to be assaulted by his fists and feet.

Colonel O'Neill stiffened beside her. He took a step closer, though she knew he did so unconsciously. His eyes hardened. "What is he doing here?" he asked. He glanced quickly to General Hammond, who stood in the doorway to his office.

"Stand down, Colonel," Hammond said calmly. He stepped fully into the room and past Galek to take his seat at the head of the table.

"You realize who this is, don't you, sir?"

"He cannot be trusted." Teal'c came up behind Sam. His large presence was so close she could feel the heat from his chest on her back. She took a look to her other side and saw that Daniel had positioned himself very close as well. Whether her team's actions were intentional or not, she fought through mixed emotions: annoyance, gratefulness, anger… and the most unwelcome of all, a little fear.

"I understand the history here, SG-1. I appreciate your discomfort, but Mr. Galek has come to seek our help on behalf of his people. I have already heard what he has to say and I think you will find it quite interesting as well."

Sam's eyes darted from Galek to Hammond again and she purposely relaxed her shoulders. It appeared their guest wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Still, every single self-preserving instinct was on edge.

"I don't understand," Jacob said, a look of confusion on his face. "What history?"

"Don't worry about it, dad," Sam said. She shifted past Daniel to take a seat at the table. The rest of the team followed suit, their guard still up. They flanked her at the table, Daniel and the Colonel in the chairs on either side. Teal'c, on the other hand, sat directly beside Galek.

"So, Galek," Jack said with a roll of his hand, now deceptively relaxed, "We're listening."

Sam could tell Galek was not fooled by the Colonel's demeanor. His eyes narrowed and his shoulders remained stiff. "I see that hostilities remain high where I am concerned," he said. "I had hoped over time your hatred would have diminished."

"Hostility is a good word," Jack said. He steepled his fingers atop the table and a sarcastic smile touched his mouth. "I have a couple more if you'd like to hear them."

"You had to know this would be our reaction," Daniel said, "after what you did to Sam—"

"I saved your woman." His eyes fell on Sam and she fought the urge to shift in her chair. Instead, she met his gaze straight on.

"One single act of kindness completed out of duty to your leader does not redeem the choices that came before," Teal'c said evenly.

"Would someone please tell me what you're all talking about?"

"Galek here doesn't like women in combat, Jacob," Jack said. "He nearly killed Major Carter as punishment for it."

Jacob's face showed first shock, and then anger.

"This is counterproductive," Sam interrupted. She appreciated her team's support, but their antagonism wasn't helping the situation. It was putting her on edge. "Where is Kailan, Galek? Why didn't he come?"

At the mention of his leader's name, Galek's posture changed. The difference was slight, but Sam caught it. "I believe he may be dead," he said.

Sam's stomach fell. Kailan was the real reason she'd survived on their planet.

"The situation grew worse every day after you left," Galek explained calmly. He crossed his arms on top of the conference table, his back straight. "Kailan and I gathered up as many warriors as we could." He shook his head. "There were not many left after our attack on the king's castle."

Jack nodded, his expression grim.

Sam had read the mission brief. Her memories of their time spent inside the castle were hit and miss. There were moments of great clarity and then others that were less than complete. She knew the planet's king had taken SG-1 prisoner in order to trade them to Apophis for the power a couple Ha'tak and some Jaffa could bring him. A Goa'uld in hiding, he'd decided it was time to reveal his true identity and kill off the people who were evidence of what Apophis would consider his weakness… namely, the villagers who knew him as a kind king.

Even though Galek's people had been in conflict with the king — had been enslaved by him in the nearby naquadah mine — they had been more than willing to team up with SG-1 to overthrow him once they'd become aware of what was happening. But it had been too little too late. Apophis was already on his way. It was only with Kailan and a reluctant Galek's help that SG-1 was able to escape through the stargate.

"Apophis was too powerful to fight openly."

Galek turned his eyes to Teal'c. "Most of us were rounded up within weeks and imprisoned or put to death," he confirmed quietly. "All of our people and those who had once followed the king were taken and enslaved in the mines by Apophis."

Sam shook her head. "Apophis is dead. Has been for a while now."

Galek's face lit with surprise. "Are you certain?" he asked Daniel.

Daniel nodded. "He was killed by an enemy Goa'uld."

"I do not understand. The Goa'uld's hold on us has strengthened in recent months." His jaw tightened. "The woman he sent has been especially cruel—"

"Woman?" Sam asked.

"She arrived several weeks ago and now my people suffer." Again, Galek chose to address one of the men in the group… the Colonel this time. Sam ignored her irritation and tried to imagine what woman would have reason to take over operations in the mines. Was it someone they knew, or a new player?

"Does this woman have a name?" the Colonel asked.

Galek shook his head. "We do not know who she is. I have never seen her, though people describe her as beautiful… and her eyes glow when she is angered."

"Goa'uld," Teal'c said.

Jacob leaned back into his chair and folded his arms. "If this mine is a rich one," he said, "there are a number of Goa'uld with female hosts who could benefit from its acquisition. Kali, Amaterasu, Niirti—"

"No. I believe it to be something else." Galek stood and began to pace slowly behind his chair. "The moment she arrived, the woman took many men away from their assignments and sent them into an old part of the mine. She had them begin to dig a new shaft deeper than it is safe to dig. Kailan believed she is looking for something."

"What?" Daniel asked.

"Kailan said it was important to find out. We managed to sneak into the castle. We used the ring in the floor of the bottom level to travel up into her ship in the sky. We did not know how to use her computers, but we were able to find a smaller device that held within it an image; a large machine that reminded me of some Goa'uld devices I've seen, but made of stone rather than metal. Not long after we found it, we were surrounded and Kailan was taken with the others. I managed to slip away and escape in one of their small ships." He stopped pacing and looked at Jack. "What could she want with such a device?"

Sam shrugged. "It's impossible to tell until we know what the device is."

"What is your peoples' next step?" Daniel asked.

"We have none. Our rebellion is crushed. As long as Kailan was there to lead, the people had hope. They would do anything. Now that he is gone—"

"They've given up."

Galek nodded at Daniel. "That is why I left to find you."

"Should we be successful in freeing the Garund from the Goa'uld," Teal'c added, "it is likely another would soon attempt to claim the mines."

"You must help," Galek said to the Colonel. "It is partly your actions that have brought this on my people."

Sam recognized the look that lit the Colonel's face. It fell somewhere between disbelief and anger. "No," he said. "You're in this situation because your people chose to follow a king who was willing to sell them out for a few ships and a little notoriety." He pointed a finger at Galek. "It's not our fault you dragged us into it when you decided to assault and kidnap one of my officers."

"Could you draw the machine you saw?" Sam asked quickly. She pushed some paper and a pen across the table toward his empty seat.

Galek restrained himself from saying whatever it was he was about to say. Instead, he addressed General Hammond. "Is this what you wish me to do?"

Jack pursed his lips angrily. "If this thing you saw really is a machine of some sort, then it's Major Carter who is going to save the day. I suggest you get down off your high horse and do what she says."

Galek narrowed his eyes and glanced at Sam, who waited patiently next to the Colonel, and then took his seat. He reached for the paper, looked quizzically at the pen and tried out a couple scratches on the paper. Seemingly satisfied with the markings it made, he set out to recreate the image he'd seen.

This time he met Sam's gaze when he slid the paper back in her direction.

Sam glanced down at the picture and felt her heart leap.

The Colonel looked over her shoulder and she sensed his surprise. "Is that what I think it is?"

"You know this machine?" Galek asked.

Sam nodded and couldn't keep the smile off her face.

The Colonel sat back with a sigh. "What a coincidence," he said with a grimace. "Didn't you just add one of those to your Christmas list, Carter?"

"What is it?" Galek asked.

"It's an Ancient device like the one on P4X-639." Sam looked over and saw the confusion in Galek's expression. "It was a device built by people who lived long ago. It malfunctioned and caused us all to repeat the same day for around three months."

The Colonel shuddered.

Galek's eyes widened, but he collected himself quickly. "Coincidence?"

Sam nodded. "The planet we were just on was supposed to have one. It didn't."

"What would a Goa'uld want with a device that loops time?"

Sam shook her head. "What wouldn't a Goa'uld want with one?" she asked. "The device we encountered wasn't intended to loop time, anyway. It was basically a big computer that didn't work right." She picked up the paper to get a better look. "For all we know, this computer could do the same thing, or it could hold information, it could be a weapon—"

"And that would be bad." The Colonel took the drawing from Sam.

"I'm surprised there aren't several Goa'uld fighting over the mine already. They've been scrambling to take as many of Apophis's holdings as they can." Daniel shook his head. "The naquadah alone would make the planet a hot commodity."

"Whoever this woman is," Jacob said from across the table, "she'd want the other Goa'uld to stay out of it. Maybe she's taken steps to hide its true worth."

Daniel nodded. "That would work to our advantage."

"I can do some digging to find out if the other Goa'uld are even aware of the planet." Jacob smiled at Sam. "Make sure there aren't any others ready to get in the way."

The Colonel looked at Hammond. "I'm assuming we're headed back to the planet to check out this thing." He slid the drawing past Sam to Daniel.

Hammond nodded. "I spoke with Washington after Galek's initial debrief. The President is extremely interested in this device no matter what its function turns out to be. If it is of Ancient origin it could answer a lot of questions. Galek has already promised us full access and control if we can help his people."

"That may not be possible, sir," Sam said.

"I understand that, Major." Hammond cleared his throat and directed his attention at the Colonel. "Eyes on the prize first. I want you to go in and figure out what is there. If it's something we could use, you're to try to procure it. If it can't be moved and it's clear this Goa'uld is there to stay, I want it destroyed."

"If it is true and Apophis is dead, as you have said," Galek said, "taking control of what the woman wants may give my people back some of the fire they lost with Kailan's capture. They may be willing to fight again."

"The Garund people need our help, ladies and gentlemen," Hammond said. "Mr. Galek has volunteered to guide you into the mines through a back entrance the Goa'uld are unaware of. He will then escort you to the new shaft—"

"Sir," the Colonel interrupted, "with all due respect…" he leaned over the table and lowered his voice a bit. "… but you're asking us to put all our faith in a man I wouldn't share a cab with."

"This is again about the woman—"

"No," the Colonel said, "It's not. It's about a little something we don't share. Trust. I don't trust you. If I'm going to follow you into that mine, Galek, I'm going to need to know you're not going to turn around and try to attack me in my sleep… or a member of my team." He glanced at Carter.

Galek bowed his head. "I hope that in time I will earn the trust you speak of."

"And I really do hope we can in some way help your people… but don't for one minute think that it's because I feel we owe you anything."

Sam had a sudden thought. "I'd like to request we take a science team in with us. I may not have much time to get a look at the device. The more eyes I have—"

Hammond shook his head. "From what Galek tells me, this won't be easy going."

"Then give me Lieutenant Hailey."

"Major, now's not the time to take on a—"

"Padawan?" Teal'c interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," the Colonel said, "one of those."

"She's been assigned to the team on P4X-639 for the last month and a half," Sam addressed Hammond.

"Not consistently," the Colonel argued.

"She knows the loop device backward and forward, sir. She's a brilliant scientific mind and she's had combat experience."

"One run-in with a few Jaffa her second trip out and an experience with a few over-aggressive lightening bugs do not amount to combat experience."

Hammond shook his head. "I'm going to let you make the call on this one, Colonel."

"Another set of eyes can help us get in and out quickly once we find the device."

"If there even is one."

"And she's dropped the attitude… for the most part."

"Another woman," Galek grumbled.

"I'll keep an eye on her, sir." Sam held the Colonel's gaze for several seconds before he sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"Fine."

She smiled.

"But only because Galek here needs an intervention. Next time we take Siler."

Can you believe that I just now found out that Siler was RDA's stunt double? I didn't have a clue. I love it when I learn something new.

You know I love the feedback! Chapter four will be up soon and I promise action. :0)