Cheers from Denver and Happy October to everyone! I can't believe how fast days move of late. They seem to get away from me consistently. Before I know it I'll be singing Christmas carols. :0) I was truly ecstatic when I saw the response to my last chapter. You guys are the best! And thanks to the person/people who nominated "Do Not Go Gentle" for a Gatefic award. It was a wonderful surprise. Also, thanks to anyone who voted.

I also appreciate your patience with me. I know a lot of people are reluctant to dig into a work in progress because chapters can sometimes come slowly. Some chapters come more easily than others and real life can get in the way, too. I know sbz and I have both had some pretty busy patches in the past few weeks, but I promise I finish writing as quickly as I possibly can and she continually amazes me with her willingness to tackle each chapter despite her grueling schedule. All of this is to say that I am deeply grateful for your willingness to stick with the story. :0)

I hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: Characters that are not mine walk and talk here. Too bad they don't walk and talk in my living room. Well... a couple of them, anyway.

Warning! Never take the red pill. Denial is always more comfortable.

Once the Twilight

Chapter Six

"You have a report for me?" The Goa'uld sat straight-backed on her golden throne, her many tightly curled blonde tresses piled atop her head and wrapped with bands of metal and gemstones. The silken cream-colored dress she wore was form-fitting and low cut. Before she had taken this host she knew men had considered her desirable. She'd decided that there was an advantage to finding herself resurrected inside a woman. She'd never been one before, so she hadn't realized how satisfying it was to see how she could use her wiles to get in and play with the big players.

Take, for example, her current alliance. Much like her, he was an old player made new again… much stronger than she, but when one attaches oneself to the power, one can't help but reap the rewards. And if her "master" was right about what was hidden here on this sad little planet, it would be a sure way for both of them to become quite influential.

Not typically one to play it safe and hide in the background, the past few months of deception left her feeling less than satisfied. She knew the one she served felt the same. Still, she had a bit of pleasure knowing that even those who considered themselves his most trusted servants were not aware of her allegiance. Soon, they'd both be ready to announce to the System Lords that they were back in the game, and she would be asked to call upon her acting skills. If her naïve allies knew of their master's loyalty to her, it would be quite awkward. They didn't have time to worry about such things.

She looked down at the three Jaffa who knelt before her. The one in the center nodded. "We have destroyed the renegade Tel'tak. It never made it to ground."

The Goa'uld narrowed her eyes. "I sense there is more."

The Jaffa cleared his throat and nodded. "Two of the pursuing pilots report that they saw at least two escape pods jettisoned from the craft before it exploded, your Majesty."

She felt a hiss rise up within her. She stood calmly, though, and fought to keep her face serene. She took the steps at the foot of her throne as if there were no hurry. "I fail to see as of yet why Apophis appointed you head of his forces here, Ta'gul."

She stepped in front of him and motioned with a finger for him to rise. When standing at full height he was a good foot taller than she. Still, there was fear in his eyes.

"You have failed me far too many times," she said. "First, you allowed that local to steal one of our ships and run to who knows where, then you allowed our prisoner to escape from his prison aboard the Ha'tak, and now this." She raised her hand and he flinched. The golden fingertips of her hand device were no doubt cold against his skin as she ran her two longest fingers down his cheek and jaw-line. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. "I don't believe you will fail me again," she said.

"No, Majesty," he almost whispered.

"Good," she said. Her fingers continued downward across his chest and further. She walked them now, tiptoeing across his abdominal muscles. "Because if you do…" She pushed her hand roughly through his stomach pouch and wrapped her fingers around his symbiote. He sucked in his breath in instant pain and panic. His eyes widened.

The Goa'uld felt the creature writhe within her grasp and smiled wider. "If you fail me again, your guest here will have to find a new home." She twisted its body, tightening her grip. She had to bend a bit when his knees hit the ground.

"Yes, my Queen," he rasped.

"I'm so glad we have an understanding," she said. She kissed him lightly on the forehead and released the symbiote.

He let out a sigh of relief and fought to remain upright. The symbiote would take a few moments to recover.

She turned her back on the three and put her hands on her hips. "Do we know who was aboard the Tel'tak?"

"No," Ta'gul answered. His breath rasped past his lips. "But we have narrowed down the possible crash sites. We should be able to complete our search within three days. "

"Make it two. Considering what we seek in the mines, it is vital we capture the intruders," she said. "If they are Tok'ra, they could cause more trouble than you can live through." She turned and met his eyes with a warning gaze. Her eyes flashed bright for a moment.

He nodded and stood. "They will be found and if alive, captured," he said.

"See that they are." She walked back up the stairs and retook her throne. She watched the backs of the three Jaffa leave the room and leaned back against the cold metal. It was so hard to find good help these days.

OoOoOoOoO

"Carter. Teal'c," Jack said into the radio for the fifth time since he'd crawled out of his busted escape pod. "Come in."

Daniel shook his head from where he sat on top of a large rock nearby. "They're not going to answer, Jack." His pant leg was hiked up so he could clean the long gash that ran from his ankle to his knee.

Jack read the worry on Daniel's face and fought his own back. "Yeah," he said. He ran his light around the area and pursed his lips. There were few trees to speak of, but rocks everywhere. The ground slanted at a pretty sharp angle, and he thought he saw the shadows of a thicker tree-line not far away down the hill.

Their escape pod lay flat on the ground, a wide hole in it to match the one in Daniel's leg. Jack had walked away with nary an injury, but he was concerned Daniel would struggle with any climbing they may need to do to get down this mountain. Add to that his worry for their teammates and it called for a pretty grumpy mood.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Daniel declared. He finished up on his leg and reached for the medical gauze he'd pulled from his pack.

"It needs stitches," Jack said. Another glance at their broken pod and he shook his head. He raised the radio to his mouth one last time. "Carter."

Only the crackle of static answered him.

"They could have landed within 100 miles of the drop site," Daniel said. "Our radios don't have that kind of range."

"I know that." It wasn't the distance that sent his stomach churning. It was the not knowing. Had they gotten away before the Tel'tak exploded? Had they avoided being shot from the sky? Had they survived the rough landing?

And if they had?

He pictured Carter alone with Galek and wondered if he'd made the right decision. A few drops of rain fell on his face. He looked up and his mood darkened further.

Daniel pulled the leg of his pants down and stood. "Your poker face is slipping," he said. He limped over to Jack and crossed his arms.

Jack shook his head. "It's this planet," he said.

Daniel nodded and stared at the ground a moment. "Bad memories." He glanced up at the starless sky and pursed his lips. "But that's all they are. Things are different now."

Jack met his friend's eyes. "Then why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Uh," Daniel said with a slight smirk, "Could it be that we were shot from the sky? The impending long walk to the mine? My leg? The radio?"

Jack smiled. "Alright, Daniel. I get it." He turned and headed downhill toward the tree line.

Daniel followed closely behind. "The fact that Teal'c said, 'I do not feel this mission will end well,' right after Jacob left with the Tok'ra?"

"I said, I get it," Jack grunted. He would never tell Daniel, but he thought his impression was dead on.

"How about the fact that there's a woman Goa'uld out there somewhere and she's probably got all her bad-guy Jaffa searching for us by now? Or that it's about to rain on our parade?"

"Daniel."

"Yes, Jack?"

"Shut up."

The clouds opened up and rain began to pour.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Sam rubbed her hand across her face to brush off the water that streamed over her. She hadn't seen weather this angry in a long time. The wind pushed at her; forced her back against the tall dirt bank that shielded her from sight. "I count six," Sam said loudly enough to be heard in the downpour. She glanced over to Galek who looked out over the top of the shelf. It was hard to see through the rain, but a few of the Jaffa they spied carried lights on them. Their silhouettes stood out against the swaying backdrop of the trees.

"There are three more in the distance," Galek said. She thought she heard a frown in his voice, but she couldn't see his features.

"How do you know that?" She poked her head up long enough to get another look and blinked to get rid of the fat drops of rain that rested in her lashes.

"You did not?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if they come any closer, we'll be able to tell what aftershave they use."

"What is aftershave?"

"Nevermind," Sam said. She ducked down again to avoid the sweep of the enemy's light as its owner came closer to their position. The Jaffa used his staff weapon to brush aside bushes and low braches just in front of the shelf. A rough gust of wind blew through and took her breath away.

Sam gripped her P90 tighter. The rain made it slippery in her hands.

The Jaffa got as close as the bush – a little less than a foot away – and shone his light in their direction. He must not have seen that the ground took a sudden drop, though, because he turned and walked back to the others. "There is nothing here," he said. "Move on."

The group trudged through the trees to their left. Sam felt her shoulders relax and she turned to sit with her back against the dirt wall. While they'd hidden, a small puddle of muddy water had gathered beneath them. She ignored it and leaned her head back. The pain of her headache was less than when she'd first awakened inside their escape pod, but she allowed herself to give in to the dull throbbing for an instant.

"We must find shelter until morning," Galek said. He stood above her and she heard him switch his light on.

Sam nodded. "I know." She opened her eyes and heaved herself to her feet. "Got any idea where we can go?" She turned on her own light and let it shine into the trees in front of her. She couldn't feel her face or fingers anymore.

"I do not know precisely where we are," he answered. He grimaced and shook his head. "We move in the right direction, though. The slope of the mountain is clear."

"At least there's that. Up and at 'em it is, then." Sam attached her gun to her vest and reached up to the top of the dirt shelf. The mud oozed between her fingers, but it was packed solid enough to allow her to pull her body up. Her boots found purchase on the slant of the dirt wall and she was able to heave herself to the top of the shelf. She rolled and came up to a crouching position immediately, weapon in hand.

Her scope light bounced off the reflective surface of the trees, though muted by the heavy rain. Nothing was there that shouldn't be. Galek came up beside her, also ready for trouble. He quickly scanned the area and stood to his full height.

Sam followed suit and eyed the bushes around them. There had to be somewhere to bunk down for the night. She moved in the opposite direction than the Jaffa had gone, and resolutely pushed the weather and her chattering teeth out of her mind.

She didn't know how long it took, but finally her eyes fell on a gathering of brush and low-hanging trees clustered tightly together. "This'll have to do," she said. The shrubs would shield them from the brunt of the weather, even if it wasn't ideal cover. She doubted the Jaffa would come back this way since they'd already been through once tonight.

Galek nodded.

Sam moved to the bushes and knelt down. They'd have to crawl inside. The bushes' branches were packed too tightly together to walk through them. She lay down on her belly and pushed forward under the branches. Mud splashed up into her mouth and thorns scratched her arms and face, but when her hand encountered something soft and moving she couldn't prevent the small shout of surprise from escaping her lips.

"What is it?" Galek asked.

"Nothing," she grumbled, pushing aside her annoyance. "Just a snake." She grabbed up the serpent. It hissed its anger at her. "Sorry to intrude on your home, but I'm cold," she told the animal before tossing it out behind her. She crawled further into the brush and found a nice alcove in the center.

Sam sat down and was happy to discover that she didn't even have to hunch. The branches were a good inch above her head. She shrugged out of her pack and set it down beside her.

Galek's head appeared from her vacant crawlspace, followed by his shoulders. The space was much less comfortable once his bulk filled it. He, too, took off his pack and rubbed his hands together to warm them.

Sam wondered if there wasn't another place nearby to spend the night. Instead of entertaining the thought, she placed her gun in her lap, well within reach, and dug into her pack for a meal bar. The wrapper rustled as she opened it.

Galek searched his pack and pulled out his own meal. He unwrapped it quickly and took a large bite. His brow furrowed instantly and his chewing stopped.

"Don't like it?" Sam asked, taking a bite of her own bar.

Galek forced himself to finish the bite in his mouth and swallow it down. Sam heard the audible gulp from where she sat.

"It is fine," Galek said. He took another bite as if to prove a point.

Sam finished her bar in a couple of bites and put the wrapper back into her pack before she reached for the radio attached to her vest. "I think it's time we tried this again."

She depressed the talk button and, conscious of their surroundings, pitched her voice low. "SG-1," she said. "Is anyone out there?"

She let go of the button and listened to the static for a moment before trying again. "SG-1."

Again nothing.

"We cannot be sure they survived," Galek said.

She threw him a dirty look. "They survived." She let go of the radio and shifted her pack behind her so she could lean on it. Her cold fingers tugged the zipper on her jacket up to her neck and she tucked her hands into her pockets. "There are plenty of reasons for them to not answer."

Galek frowned at her, but didn't argue. It was clear that he had less faith in her team than she did. He didn't know them, though.

"You should get some sleep," he said. "I will remain awake to watch for the enemy."

She chuckled humorlessly. "I don't think so," she said, "but thanks for the offer."

"You do not feel I am capable of keeping you safe."

"You are a real piece of work, aren't you?"

"I do not know what this means."

"It means that I will get plenty of sleep once we meet up with the rest of my team." She pulled her hands out of their pockets and rested them on top of her weapon to make her point.

Understanding lit his eyes. "You do not feel you will be safe with me in your sleep," he said. "But it is not the Jaffa you fear."

She shook her head. "Fear has nothing to do with it, Galek," she said. "It's a matter of trust, and you don't have mine."

"Just like your superior, you doubt my loyalty." He frowned and touched his jaw. "I thought we were past that."

"No. We're not past that." She nodded at the bruise that grew under his fingers. "I just promised we'd get along. I never said I'd let my guard down." She sat up straighter and gave him a direct look. "I can't imagine that would surprise you."

He met her eyes for a moment and then sighed. "I suppose that it does not," he admitted. "Were you a Garund woman it would, but I have decided I cannot think of you as if you were." He drew his gaze to her military boots and dirtied BDUs. "But when I think of you as a man of my tribe," he said, "your reactions begin to make sense."

"How nice," Sam said. She really couldn't think of anything else to say.

They fell into silence and Sam tried to distract herself by thinking through the schematics of the time loop device she'd memorized. She tried not to consider her team out there somewhere… she hoped. She really didn't want to entertain the idea that some or all of them hadn't made it safely to the planet's surface.

Galek shifted again in an attempt to make himself more comfortable.

She glanced up and noticed that he'd pulled out another ration bar and was grimacing through it. "Just because I'm not going to sleep doesn't mean you can't."

"I am not opposed to that idea," Galek agreed, "Seeing as how you refuse to see reason and sleep the night." He finished the bar and slipped the wrapper into his pocket.

"Well," she said, "let's not both be unreasonable, then."

Galek nodded and lay down, using his pack as a pillow. "I trust you will alert me should the enemy return."

"If I think of it." She smirked.

She ignored the annoyed frown he threw her before rolling to his side. He was asleep almost immediately.

Sam turned her thoughts back inward and tried to keep her eyes from drifting toward him.

"The devil you know, Sam," she mumbled.

Thanks again for reading! Reviews make me smile, as does watching "Dogs 101" on the Animal Planet. I love hearing your thoughts. :0)