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"The design and color of the clothing substantiates the origin. That purple dye was a favorite and valued very highly." Daniel Jackson's voice rose excitedly as he swept away the dust coating the painting on the wall. "This is definitely Phoeni-- Ah-- Phoeni-- Ah-- Ah-choo!".
The sneeze erupted with force, swirling the dust into a cloud which encircled his head and elicited a whole series of follow-up sneezes.
"Gesundheit," rumbled a calm voice once the sneezing had subsided.
"Thank you," Daniel sniffed, blowing vigorously into a tissue. Suddenly he blinked watering eyes and peered incredulously at his companion. "Did you say 'gesundheit?"
"I did." A gracious nod accompanied the admission.
"Teal'c, where did you learn a word like that?"
"Is it not the appropriate response to your sneeze, Daniel Jackson?"
"Well, yes, but that's not the point. It's just surprising to hear coming from you."
"I am endeavoring to learn more of your colloquial expressions. I have been told my manner of speaking is somewhat formal."
"Who'd have the nerve...? Oh. Jack," he deduced just as Teal'c confirmed his guess with a solemn, "O'Neill."
Stuffing the damp tissue into his jacket pocket, Daniel was assailed by a vision of the Jaffa's decorous speech interlaced with some of Jack's more colorful phrases. "Uh-huh. And are you undertaking this little self-improvement project under Jack's guidance?"
"I am paying careful heed whenever I hear base personnel shooting the wind."
Daniel automatically corrected, "That's shooting the breeze. It's too bad Jack's not here to get the benefit of your practice in modern slang. Wonder how far they've gotten."
"He and Captain Carter should be several miles from the city ruins by now."
"They're missing all the fun. I'm just glad they let me stay behind to study this." He waved at the decaying traces of their once grand surroundings. "I don't know why they insisted on your staying on guard with me. This place has obviously been deserted for years."
"Nevertheless, it would be unwise for anyone to venture alone into unknown territory. Colonel O'Neill made the correct decision."
"I suppose," Daniel murmured, turning back to the clues to their identity and history the departed community had left on the wall. "I'm even more sure now this was the city's center of commerce. The Phoenicians on Earth were traders, traveling the known world in pursuit of exotic goods to barter. This must've been a thriving center when the city was populated. I wonder what happened to the inhabitants?"
"They may have been removed by a Goa'uld or fled, seeking escape from one," Teal'c conjectured.
"Do you know what Goa'uld might have ruled here?" Daniel asked.
"I do not."
"The Phoenicians pretty much invented the alphabet, and their writing was completely different from Egyptian or Goa'uld... at least any we know about." He pointed out examples as Teal'c leaned closer to examine the lettering.
"Shol-vah!"
The new voice caused them both to spin around in alarm.
Daniel found himself staring into the business end of a powered staff weapon. His startled gaze traveled the length of the weapon past the hands holding it, up the muscular arms to the sinuous metal curves of a serpent helmet, its ruby eyes glowing ominously. "Oh boy, this isn't good."
As Teal'c moved to bring his own weapon to bear, the already armed staff spit fire at him. He desisted, coolly watching the charge flare and die in the stone floor at his feet. Grudgingly, he allowed his staff to drop to the floor.
The re-armed weapon swung back menacingly towards Daniel, who withdrew the handgun strapped to his leg and tossed it down as well.
The helmet retracted, revealing a Jaffa bearing the serpent tattoo of Apophis. "You are Teal'c, the shol-vah," he repeated.
"I do not know you," Teal'c responded.
The warrior laughed. "Nor should you. I am Voc'tel, but a minor guard in the service of our lord Apophis. But all Chulak knows the traitor who was once First Prime." His eyes moved to Daniel. "This must be one of the Tau'ri you have joined. And to think I was cursing my fortune at being posted to survey this remote, useless world our master recently annexed. I will not return empty-handed after all." Greedily he smacked his lips. "Two million sheshka -- one million for you, Teal'c, and another million for your accomplices. That is the price Apophis has placed on your heads. And it will be mine." He frowned and looked about. "Or at least part of it will. Where are the other Tau'ri who fight at your side?"
Teal'c smiled complacently. "They are here. No doubt they will kill you at the earliest opportunity."
Voc'tel considered this gambit. "No," he decided. "You would try to conceal them if that were so. They are not here." He shrugged. "I will content myself with a partial reward. More than one million sheshka will make me very content indeed." He gestured curtly with the weapon. "Out."
With a glance at Teal'c, Daniel complied, walking slowly towards the entrance. It appeared that their best option was to go along peacefully for the time being. He could only hope Jack and Sam would return and extricate them from this predicament.
Hesitating only briefly, Teal'c wordlessly joined him.
Voc'tel followed them out of the building and guided them onto the path back to the Stargate.
***
"It's an ugly, honkin' statue of a snakehead is what it is. The woman is holding snakes in her hands, for crying out loud, and there are more snakes climbing onto her. It's probably a Goa'uld queen and her... offspring." Jack shuddered, balking at using the term children for those... things.
"It could be, Colonel, but it could also be a representation of a human woman battling the Goa'uld, maybe even defeating them," Carter speculated as she walked beside her CO through the lengthening shadows in the abandoned streets. "Daniel might be able to interpret it correctly when we show him the tape."
"Let's hope he's satisfied with the video and doesn't want to get a look at it up close and personal," Jack grumbled without much expectation of having his wish fulfilled. "Save us all a hike in the morning." He crossed a plaza choked with weeds to the site where they'd parted from their companions earlier in the day.
"Just think what it could mean if the people here did succeed in overcoming the Goa'uld." The excitement in Carter's voice grew as she outlined the possibilities of their discovery. "We might have found something very valuable if Daniel can extrapolate what happened."
"Everybody's gone, that's what happened. The whole place has obviously been deserted for a very, very long time. Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building." Switching on his flashlight, Jack strode through the corridors of the commerce center, calling his teammates' names. "Allee, allee, ump free! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Silence was his only answer.
"Don't tell me they've tucked in for the night this early," Jack said. "It's barely gotten dark."
"It has been a tiring day, sir," Carter replied uneasily.
Rounding a corner, Jack paused as his flash illuminated a dust-smeared patch of faded color on the wall. The painting had obviously been recently cleaned, at least partially. "Teal'c? Daniel!" Jack experimentally called again as his light played over the other walls, showing him only a vacant room.
"Maybe they moved to another building," Carter ventured.
"Oh shit." Jack's light froze on two objects lying abandoned on the floor... objects he knew very well his team would never have left behind of their own accord.
Turning, Carter followed the path of light with widening eyes. "Oh no." The staff weapon and handgun told their own deadly tale.
Acknowledging to himself the precaution was too late after all the commotion they'd made on entering, Jack nevertheless switched to hand signals as he and Carter moved out, collecting the discarded weapons on the way. Like dancers in a ballet, the teammates swept through the standard choreography of their search pattern. After thoroughly combing every room, they proceeded to the neighboring structures, eliminating them one by one until Jack was satisfied no enemies lurked in the vicinity. Wearily they returned to their starting point.
Sam's voice sounded hollow in the vast, empty room. "Colonel, we've got to find them."
"We will, Captain," Jack agreed grimly, "but we can't track them in the dark. We'll start at first light."
"Sir, you said it yourself, this is a deserted world. Any hostiles would have to come from the Stargate. That must be where they've been taken."
"Possibly. In that case, they could be off the planet by now." Jack's eyes narrowed as he weighed options. "And if we guess wrong? What happens to Daniel and Teal'c?" He shook his head. "We've been gone all day. We don't know how much of a head start they've got on us. We can't waste time chasing off in the wrong direction or stumbling into an ambush." The decision he'd already made was clawing its way through his gut. Time to spit it out before he choked on it. "No, we'll wait until morning and be sure." Shoving down his worries and taking refuge in routine, he evaluated their location. "This is as good a place as any to set up camp."
Picking a secure corner with a view of the outside door and the interior archways, they made themselves as comfortable as they could.
"I'll take first watch," Jack offered. "Try to get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us."
"Yes, sir. Sir," with a determined lift of her chin, Carter continued, "we'll find them."
Steady brown eyes returned the clear-eyed gaze. "That we will, Captain. Now go to sleep. That's an order."
"Yes, sir."
Jack settled his now bleak scrutiny on the darkness, both without and within as he attempted to infuse himself with the same certainty he'd shown his subordinate.
***
"Pay him!" Apophis dismissed Voc'tel and turned to face his prisoners.
Peripherally, Daniel was aware of the discomfort of the stone floor beneath his knees, of the ornately decorated room calling out to him for study, of the rhythmic march of receding footsteps. They all served as a remote backdrop to the white blaze of hatred searing through his senses at the proximity of the being who had ripped away his love and his life as though tearing the beating heart from his body.
By his side Teal'c managed to retain the aura of a solid rock.
Control. Consciously regulating his breathing, Daniel fought to emulate his teammate's impassivity. Right now, all giving in to his feelings would get him was dead. If he wanted to get out of here alive, if he wanted to get Sha're out of here... He hadn't spent the last two years working with the military without learning something about discipline. He concentrated on the echoing voice.
"So, Teal'c." Apophis eyed his former First Prime appraisingly. "You have returned to me."
"It will not be for long."
The simple statement of fact moved Daniel more than any show of defiance. He believed Teal'c. His friend was a man of few words, none of which he ever broke.
"Do not defy me, shol'vah." Apparently Apophis did not share Daniel's opinion. "You will serve me once again, along with this Tau'ri slave." He gestured superciliously at Daniel.
"I will escape, or I will die," Teal'c said fearlessly. "Either way, I will soon be free again."
"I have other plans for you." Apophis' eyes glowed at the declaration. "You will bow before the might of your god. A newly acquired tool will ensure your loyalty. Jaffa, kree!"
At the command, his guards advanced on the two captives, prodding them to their feet with threatening staff weapons and herding them out of the chamber.
Daniel resisted, trying furiously to think of a way to gain information about Sha're. "Do you grant prisoners no appeal? I call upon the mercy of your queen!"
An answer was surprised from the Goa'uld. "My queen is offworld, and she is no concern of yours." He waved them away.
Desolation overwhelming him, Daniel was shoved none too gently from the room.
***
"One good thing, it doesn't look like they made any effort at hiding their tracks," Carter observed as she and O'Neill followed clear signs of recent passage leading away from the city.
After a restless night, they'd forced down something to eat and hit the trail as soon as there was light enough to see.
"All the more reason to be on your guard, Captain." With a deceptively casual swing of his MP-5 towards a flutter of movement, Jack watched something that looked like a cross between a raccoon and a ferret slip through the underbrush. Resuming their course, he noticed something familiar about the particular trees they were passing. They'd been through this way before, upon their arrival. "Looks like you were right. They headed for the Stargate."
"If that's the case, they could've gone anywhere. How will we follow them with a whole galaxy of possible addresses to choose from?" Carter wondered.
"Where's a yellow brick road when you need one?" Jack muttered. With firm conviction he declared, "We'll figure something out."
They trudged along without further conversation until they reached the open meadow where the Gate was situated. The only visible occupants were a few insects, humming among the profusion of wildflowers and tall grass.
Jack reflected if anyone had been looking to ambush them, they'd had plenty of opportunity. Chances were, whoever'd attacked his team was long gone.
Carter spotted the fluttering white against the green shrubbery. Eagerly she plucked it from the bush where it was tangled, turning it over in her hands. "Colonel, it's a tissue."
"A good indication Daniel was here," Jack agreed. "I don't suppose it has a note written on it or anything convenient like that."
"Not on it, but..." Carter stooped to peer at the earth protected from the elements under the bush. "Here, sir," she pointed.
Jack bent to take a closer look. Scratched into the ground was a glyph. One that even he recognized since it was almost as familiar to them as the ones for Earth or Abydos. He straightened, brown eyes looking soberly into blue. "Chulak," he identified the symbol.
"At least we know the address," Carter said unhappily.
Jack shared her gloom. "Great. Our favorite snakehead. This has to mean our old buddy Apophis has got them."
"Do you think the general will authorize a rescue mission?"
"He might," Jack slowly admitted, "if he knew the situation."
"Sir, aren't we going back to the base for reinforcements?" Carter asked in surprise.
Jack didn't hesitate. "That will take time, Captain. We've already wasted too much of it. Who knows what Apophis will do to Daniel and Teal'c while we're briefing command and mobilizing rescue teams? That's if the general decides to send a rescue party. And if he doesn't?" Challenge and steely determination colored his voice. "Are you willing to accept that decision?"
Carter didn't answer.
"I'm not," Jack answered for her. "Besides, taking a force to Chulak would only be a liability. We know the lay of the land. Stealth is the better tactic. This scenario calls for covert ops. A small team -- I'd say two sounds about right. Are you game?"
Carter returned his resolute gaze and nodded. "Yes, sir, I am."
"Right. Let's do it. Dial it up, Captain."
Advancing to the DHD, Sam entered the address for Chulak.
Solemnly they watched the wormhole kawhoosh out and settle back into the event horizon. They approached the towering circle and paused.
"A little insurance," Jack said, activating a gas grenade and tossing it into the silvery blue ripples.
Waiting until it had time to take effect on anyone who might be waiting on the other side, and then to dissipate so they wouldn't be incapacitated themselves, they leaped through the Gate.
***
Daniel watched helplessly as the red crystal pulsed, shedding a bloody light over Teal'c's recumbent body.
The Jaffa's head turned from side to side as if seeking escape from the energy washing relentlessly over him. A moan was wrung from the normally placid lips.
"Stop it!" Pulling away from the guard at his side, Daniel started forward, only to be dragged back almost effortlessly by a heavy hand. His distraught gaze lifted from where Teal'c lay on the medical style examining table to the crystal mounted overhead. What new form of Goa'uld torture was this? He looked imploringly at his captor. "What're you doing to him?"
Apophis spared him a haughty glance. "As I informed you earlier, I am returning him to my service. He will once again be mine."
"How?"
A gloating smile curved the Goa'uld's lips as he watched his former First Prime writhing under the rays' assault. "By taking his memories, I will take his mind."
"His memories?" came the horrified whisper. Stealing his memories was akin to stealing his soul. He would no longer be the person he was. Daniel could imagine few fates worse than such a mental crippling.
"Know the power of the Goa'uld, Tau'ri," Apophis declared. "With this device, I take back that which is mine. I am cleansing Teal'c's mind of all his traitorous deeds, of all that has befallen him since he betrayed me to join you. His memory of that time will be gone. When he awakens, it will be as it was before he met the Tau'ri. He will be my loyal servant, fighting as I command... dying as I choose."
"No... How is that possible?"
"It is not for such as you to understand," Apophis said scornfully. "It is a simple enough matter for a god. Of course I must place his Goa'uld larva into a deep slumber, so it will neither be affected nor have a healing effect on him, but it will not be harmed. Neither will Teal'c be damaged physically... unless I so choose. But his traitorous memories will not surface as long as I control him." He examined the beam critically. "It is time." Reaching a slender hand upward, he touched the crystal, and the energy died.
Teal'c's body went limp. His ragged breathing calmed. Slowly his eyes fluttered and opened. Traces of uncertainty in the liquid depths faded as they swept curiously across Daniel and the guards, coming to rest on the Goa'uld. He sat up immediately. "My lord Apophis."
A chill slithered up Daniel's spine at the words.
"Teal'c. Are you well?" The glowing eyes sparked calculatingly.
"Yes, my lord, but... confused. As though I have been in a deep sleep."
"You have been... wounded. It was more severe than your symbiote alone could heal. It was necessary to assist it with my power. Your larva will sleep now until the healing process is completed. It may require further assistance, but I am pleased with your response."
Pushing himself carefully off the table, Teal'c stood at attention.
"Teal'c," Daniel called, the worry in his voice a sharp contrast to the satisfaction in the Goa'uld's.
His friend looked his way, dark eyes measuring him as though taking stock of a stranger. "Who is this human?" The question was directed at Apophis.
"A slave who has defied us."
Taking a menacing step towards Daniel, the Jaffa growled, "You wish him punished, my lord?"
A quick intake of breath marked Daniel's shock at hearing these words from the man who'd been his protector. He'd seen the fearsome damage the Jaffa could inflict, but had never expected to be the one damaged. His sick dismay at the impending brutality expanded as he wondered what this would do to Teal'c when his friend came to himself and realized what he'd done.
"I will see to his punishment," the Goa'uld purred silkily, granting the friends a partial reprieve. "I have other tasks for you once you are fully recovered. Go to your quarters and await my orders."
"Yes, my lord." Bowing his head obediently, Teal'c strode from the room without a backward glance at his teammate.
"Teal'c! Stop! Don't leave me. He's lying. Don't you remember? Help me!" Struggling in the grip of the brawny guards, Daniel was wrestled inexorably onto the vacated table. "No!" He tried frantically to pull away, but his wrists and ankles were held firmly, pinning him in place. In mounting dread, he saw Apophis smile and reach languidly for the crystal above.
They were going to invade his mind. They were going to take away his memories. His thoughts, his dreams, his discoveries, his desires, his questions, his feelings, his defenses... years of living, stripped away as though they had never been. How many years would they steal from him? Two as with Teal'c, or more? Would they take the knowledge he'd striven his lifetime to gain? Not satisfied with stealing his wife, would they deprive him even of his memories of her, of their life together, of their love? Unable to tear his eyes from the crystal that signaled his coming mental rape, Daniel stared mesmerized as the red beam lanced towards his head.
"Noooooo!" He gasped at the burning pain. How had Teal'c withstood it with barely a sound? He bit down on his lip, but was unable to stifle the groans wrenched from his thrashing body. Dimly he felt the guards let go of him, but he no longer had the capability to flee. It was all he could do to keep himself from flying apart under the onslaught of the crimson energy. It filled his mind with red-hot light, blinding him to the sights and sounds around him until there was only the red darkening into black as he fell.
He tried to cling to a hope of rescue as he plummeted through the darkness. Jack... Jack would save him. But Jack wasn't here. Jack was back on P4L-whatever-it-was with Sam. But Daniel had left them a clue. They'd know he was on Chulak. Jack would come after him. He had to believe that. He believed in Jack. Jack...
Suddenly it was very quiet. Daniel fought his way up from the enveloping blackness and tried to focus his thoughts. Funny he couldn't remember what he'd been thinking. A name? It eluded him now. That was often the way of dreams. He must have been dreaming.
He stirred experimentally and realized he felt a bit sore. Licking dry lips, he encountered the salty taste of blood. Opening his eyes, he blinked at the light and the unfamiliar surroundings. "Sha're?" He turned his head, seeking his wife.
Instead he saw a man in Egyptian dress standing by his bedside observing him closely.
He blinked again, but the vision did not disappear so it must not be part of the dream. What was going on? Raising a hand to his aching head, he hesitantly inquired, "Where am I?"
"You are in my home," was the man's answer. "Can you tell me your name?"
"My name?" Slipping his fingers beneath his long hair he massaged his throbbing temple. "My name is Daniel Jackson."
A sudden taut stillness greeted this simple revelation. "Of course." The stranger regarded him with a curious intensity. "You called a name. What was it... Sha're?"
"Yes, my wife," Daniel answered slowly. "Is she here?"
"Ah, yes, your wife," the man murmured. "Yes, she is here. What do you remember?"
"Remember?" Daniel frowned in concentration. Why couldn't he remember? Everything was fuzzy. Had he had an accident? "I remember... The last thing I remember is helping Skaara with the new baby mastadge. I was going to get Sha're to bring her back to the stable to see it... then... I don't know." Closing his eyes, he tried to call up an image past that point, but a sharp stab of pain put an abrupt stop to the effort. He fought his quickened breathing back to an even rate. "It's just... gone. What happened?"
"You work for me. I am your master now. Do you not remember that? Has the sickness taken your mind?"
Startled, he sat up. "What? No! How...?" He trailed off as he looked wildly around the room, taking in the serpent-helmeted guards, their weapons and armor. They reminded him of...
He thought back, jumbled recollections spilling through his mind. Apparently his older memories were immune from the injury blocking the more recent ones. Flashing across his inner vision were figures strikingly similar to the ones now standing before him. They were like Ra's warriors. Oh no. His eyes jerked back to the man who'd spoken. In a daze he stared at the glowing eyes and listened to the echoing voice.
"You have been ill. Sick slaves are no use to me. I have treated you and will continue to do so until you are healed of your malady, but I expect unquestioning service in return."
Hugging his arms across his body, Daniel felt the room spin dizzily around him, then settle into an uneasy simulation of reality. This couldn't be happening. Ra was dead. He had to be. Evidently, however, he wasn't the last of his kind after all. This character must be the same... species, commanding the same sorts of powers. Clearly Daniel wasn't in a position to challenge that power, at least for the moment, but he hastened to clear up a misconception.
"I thank you for your help, but I'm nobody's slave."
The Ra-like alien's deep voice resounded through the chamber. "I am making allowances for your illness, but do not make me sorry I did not let you die like the dog you are. Know me. I am Apophis, henceforth your god." The arrogance became coldly persuasive. "Do not forget I hold your Sha're."
Sha're? How could he have forgotten when he first woke up the alien said she was here. Wherever here was. It was conceivable they were no longer even on Abydos. Could they be on a spaceship like Ra's? Were they on another world? Why couldn't he remember what had happened to them? A fresh pang shot through his head at the thought, spurring him to focus on the present. "Where is she?"
"She is safe." A pause. "For now," the being calling himself Apophis amended. "I have not yet determined the manner in which she may best serve me. There are many choices. Slaves are needed to labor in the kitchen, the fields, the mines. She is strong and healthy." He looked speculatively at the guards standing stiffly at attention. "She may provide excellent breeding stock for my Jaffa."
"No!" The anguished cry burst from him before he could hold back his visceral reaction. Oh God, no; he couldn't let this creature hurt Sha're. To lose her hard-won freedom, to toil at hard labor... these were privations difficult enough to bear. But to see her handed over to these brutes for such a vile purpose... He shuddered at the imagined sound of her screams. Yet, how could he prevent it? If the threat was made to achieve his cooperation, he'd give it. Anything to protect her. Seizing a tight hold on his emotions, he spoke in a more moderate tone. "Please. I'll do what you ask. Just don't hurt my wife."
Apophis took a moment to answer. "There will be no need to hurt anyone if you give me no cause. I command obedience from my slaves, but their service is not without rewards. Now go. The Jaffa will return you to your cell until I decide what further use I have for you." He gestured imperiously to the guards.
"Wait. Can I see my wife? Please," he added as an afterthought.
"Not now. Later... perhaps."
Daniel cast Apophis a doubtful look. How did he know this character really had Sha're if he wouldn't let him see her? Someone named after the serpent god, ruler of the night, could plainly not be trusted.
As if in response to his suspicions, the regal figure remarked, "She is quite lovely, with that golden skin and cascade of dusky hair. Perhaps she would be wasted on the Jaffa." With a nod at the guards, he turned and swept from the room.
Daniel had no choice but to accompany the warriors, his thoughts churning madly through his pounding headache.
***
Jack emerged through the Stargate and stepped over the lone man lying unconscious at its base. He swept his gaze over the area but spotted no other sign of life. "Guess they weren't expecting company."
"Doesn't look like a serpent guard," Carter observed. "Maybe just a sentry or even an unlucky passerby?"
"Whatever. Let's get out of the vicinity before he comes to."
"Yes, sir. Where are we headed?"
"I'd say the city's our best bet. Whoever grabbed them and brought them here was presumably making tracks for Apophis. I think that's where we'll find our boys."
"At least we know the way down the mountain," Carter pointed out in an upbeat tone.
"Oh yeah, this place is turning into my favorite vacation spot. Maybe we can talk the travel agent into a two for one deal on our next trip."
***
"Shall we intercept the intruders, my lord?"
Daniel curiously scrutinized the sphere, which appeared to be some sort of telecommunications device. The warrior speaking at the other end had just reported finding a man passed out by the chaapa'ai, and two strangers they believed responsible making their way down the mountain toward the city. So they did have a Stargate here on Chulak. His location was one of the few answers he'd obtained in response to his many questions. Not that the name enlightened him very much since he had no idea where Chulak was. Still, it backed up his theory that the Stargate went to other places.
Daniel had spent an uncomfortable, interminable night in what he could only describe as a dungeon with a few other prisoners more interested in sleeping than in talking. He'd found an unoccupied corner and huddled there, staring into the darkness, hoping in vain that the morning's light would wake him from this nightmare.
Instead it had brought more guards to march him to their master's presence. He entered the same room as the previous evening where Apophis was finishing employing the healing crystal on one of his own guards. The ruler informed Daniel he was due for a brief session as well. It bothered him that he didn't understand precisely what the alien equipment was doing to him, but he admitted he was still having headaches. He supposed he should accept further treatment despite his discomfort at the process. He awoke with no memory of the session other than having been asleep. Since he hadn't slept all night, that surely must mean the crystal was having a beneficial effect on him.
He had stood, facing Apophis, ready to hear what plans lay in store for him, but they had been interrupted by the transmission about the strangers.
"No. Leave them be," Apophis instructed, gazing into the sphere. "I will take care of the matter. Return to your duty."
The image faded and the transmitter once again became an opaque bronze ball.
Apophis turned back to Daniel with an appraising look, then addressed the guard standing next to him, the one who had been receiving treatment when he'd arrived.
"How are you feeling, Teal'c?"
The imposing man bowed in respect. "Well enough to serve my lord's command."
A gleam of approval shone in the ruler's eyes. "You will not hesitate to undergo the crystal healing again as you did this morning. It is not a weakness to accept that which will strengthen you."
"It shall be as you wish."
"I am pleased. I have a task for you. As you no doubt heard, warriors have come through the chaapa'ai bent on conquest. Two of their number are even now approaching the city. I wish you and this slave to go forth to meet them in battle. They must be shown how foolish it is to challenge the god Apophis!"
"B-battle?" Daniel stammered in apprehension. "I'm not a soldier. I can't fight."
"You will arm yourself and follow Teal'c's orders if you want to see your wife safe." He nodded to a guard who handed staff weapons to the two men.
Daniel accepted his uneasily. He'd been prepared to make a deal with the devil, but he hadn't expected fighting to be part of the bargain. It was one thing to endure being hurt himself; it was quite another for him to hurt someone else.
"Hear me, slave," Apophis said. "This is what befalls those who fail to obey their god." Extending his left hand, he opened it wide to display a crystal in the center of his palm, its metallic setting twining like ribbon up his arm.
Before Daniel could do more than note its similarity to the healing crystal, it emitted a wave of energy aimed at his forehead. Pain blasted through his skull, driving him to his knees. Before he could give voice to the agony, it was over. Straining for each breath, he looked up through tear-drenched eyes at his tormentor.
"That was but a small taste of the power of the gods. I can subject your Sha're to a much greater measure, yet still leave her undamaged enough to fulfill the needs of my Jaffa."
Daniel closed his eyes to shut out the picture painted by the cruel words, but could not shut out the taunting voice.
"Furthermore, if you do not serve me in the manner I desire, I will return to your world for more slaves. Perhaps another there will serve me better."
"No!" Daniel's head whipped up, anguish ringing through the single word. He could not allow such pain or humiliation to Sha're or servitude to other Abydonians. He felt as though he were suffocating, trapped like a scarab in amber. He had no choice but to submit. "I'll do what you ask."
"Very well. Teal'c, you will intercept these invaders and assure they and their kind do not trouble me."
"I understand, my lord."
***
"I can't detect any sign of pursuit," Carter reported, dodging back to the tree where Jack leaned, his sharp-eyed scrutiny locked on the upward slope they'd descended.
"Neither can I now." He scowled thoughtfully. "Maybe we lost them when we doubled back."
"If there was anyone to lose."
His scowl deepened. "Yeah." No matter how secure things appeared at present, a short time earlier all his senses were screaming at him they were being watched. Over the years he'd learned the risks of ignoring those senses. Since there was no question of abandoning their mission, they'd have to incorporate the possibility they'd been spotted into their tactics. He straightened. "Either way, we haven't got much choice. We go on."
"Yes, sir."
"Carter," Jack cautioned. He swept another look around the surrounding woods. "Be doubly on your guard."
Sam nodded, and they moved off down the hill.
***
Daniel endeavored to keep pace with the formidable man with the golden tattoo. He didn't understand why he was being sent into battle if his captor had warriors like this at his disposal. He supposed it was some sort of trial. He hadn't been given matching armor, but his green clothing seemed more suited to the occasion than the robes he was used to wearing. He guessed there must be a certain functional similarity to the military everywhere.
For all he knew, he could have already engaged in some fighting here. He couldn't remember what had preceded his illness, or how he'd gotten sick. Any time he tried to think about that it brought on the pain. As another spiked through his head, he winced and turned his thoughts back to an earlier memory.
To his knowledge, it was at least a year since he'd last been in any kind of a fight. That had been against Ra. The people of Abydos had won their freedom with their blood, and he wouldn't see any of them lose it again if he could prevent it. At least then he'd known their fight against the tyrant who'd enslaved them for so long was just; he couldn't say the same about this current battle. He didn't know who these invaders were he was on his way to confront. In fact, if they were fighting against a tyrant so like Ra, they were most likely on Daniel's side and the last ones he should be opposing.
He told himself he had no choice. But... he didn't have to actually shoot them. Maybe he could put up a show of fighting and see what developed. If it looked like they might be able and willing to help him -- and only if it meant no chance of placing Sha're in danger -- maybe he could help them. He shot a sidelong glance at his companion. If his comrade-in-arms didn't finish them off first.
***
Jack slipped silently along the edge of the treeline, Carter right behind him. The outskirts of the city were in sight. Now the tricky part would begin. Their objective was Apophis' residence. They knew the location, but it might not be a simple route to follow in broad daylight. Jack turned to discuss options with Carter when the decision was taken out of his hands by a staff weapon blast arcing through the empty spot he'd just vacated.
Diving for cover, O'Neill was about to return fire when he recognized the Jaffa who'd shot at them. "Teal'c? What the hell are you doing?"
He was answered by another blast striking the ground next to him. He ducked back behind the sheltering tree.
"Sir? What's wrong with him?" Carter's concern was reflected in her clouded eyes.
"I don't know, Captain." He nodded at the figures partially hidden in the trees before them. "There's someone else with him. Maybe they're coercing him somehow. In any event, we can't fire and take a chance of hitting Teal'c. We'll have to work our way around them, move in from behind, and go for hand to hand."
"Right, sir." Carter followed as O'Neill wove a circuitous path through the dense woods.
Judging his moment, he rushed at Teal'c from behind, knocking the staff weapon to the ground.
Shaking off the hold like an angry bear, Teal'c whirled and grappled with O'Neill.
While focusing his attention on his opponent, Jack kept Carter in sight as she approached the other man.
"Daniel!"
He heard the surprised exclamation and saw her stop in her tracks as though stunned.
A man faced her, wielding a staff weapon, but making no move to power it up. Jack had no trouble recognizing the other missing member of SG-1. Breaking away from Teal'c, he tried to keep his distance while keeping an eye on the rest of his team.
Taking advantage of Carter's manifest confusion, Daniel struck out unopposed, using the weapon as a staff to deal a blow to the side of her head.
Sam crumpled at his feet.
Daniel stood looking down at the woman lying on the forest floor, then transferred his gaze to the two men fighting.
Jack could see he was about to be outnumbered. It was hard enough holding Teal'c at bay. If Daniel joined the Jaffa, he wouldn't stand a chance.
He didn't understand what was happening. Maybe Apophis had brainwashed them somehow like he'd done to Rya'c. Whatever it was, Jack had to overcome them without inflicting any serious damage. If he could get Teal'c out of the way, he shouldn't have too much trouble subduing Daniel. But it would take a lot to put Teal'c out of commission. He couldn't accomplish that by being gentle. Well, Junior would repair any harm he caused. Muttering an apology to his friend, he swung his rifle up and clubbed Teal'c in the jaw, then immediately lowered it and drove it into his chest, taking care to avoid the abdomen with its symbiote's pouch.
His wind knocked out of him, the Jaffa slammed into an outcropping of rock, scraping his side against the jagged rockface and striking his head with force. He dropped unconscious to the ground.
Jack swung around to face a charge by his remaining teammate. "Daniel, it's me!"
For an instant, Daniel paused. The tip of his tongue flicked over his lips as he reached a hand to adjust his glasses. "Jack?" he asked wonderingly. "Jack O'Neill?"
Daniel sounded so unsure of him. Something very snaky was going on here. Jack watched the staff weapon drop as shaking fingers slipped beneath glass lenses to rub at eyes which then squinted at him as though doubting what they saw.
A spasm of pain broke the look of uncertainty on Daniel's face. Shaking his head, he threw himself at Jack in a flying tackle.
The two men went down in a tangle, Jack rolling and attempting to catch his friend in a secure hold, but the man struggled and squirmed out of his grasp. Ducking a wild swing, Jack countered with one of his own that connected solidly with Daniel's chin, snapping his head back. Daniel lay still, sprawled across the thin carpet of trampled leaves and twigs.
Panting, Jack climbed to his feet, staring down at his fallen teammates. He had no time to collect his thoughts before he felt a blow to the back of his head. He fell forward, and everything went dark.
***
Jack awoke in a dungeon. "Oh, this place looks familiar," he groaned.
"It should. This is where we were locked up on our first visit," Carter reminded him.
"How could I forget?" Jack sat up stiffly and took in the view. "A lot less crowded than last time."
From their resting spot against one wall, he could see a few knots of inmates scattered around the large open area, in contrast to the mass of people that filled the prison when they first came to Chulak in search of Sha're and Skaara.
"How's your head, Colonel?" The solicitous question interrupted his reminiscences.
"I'll live." He touched the back of his skull gingerly and quickly pulled his fingers away from the tender area. "One bump more or less at this point doesn't make much difference. How about yours?"
"Pretty much the same. Just a bit of a lingering headache."
"I don't suppose they've neglected to fill in the hole we blasted in the wall," he suggested without any real hope.
"Negative, Colonel. It's been solidly repaired with new stone. And our weapons are gone."
Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door. A prisoner entered, the door clanging shut behind him. He stood wavering unsteadily, his eyes sweeping the room as he searched for something or someone. They came to rest at last, and Jack found himself staring into the blue eyes of his best friend as they stared back with a puzzled concentration.
Moving with care, Daniel approached them. "Jack? Is that really you? I thought I was seeing things." Slowly he sat down next to them.
"Yes, it's really me, and I should be the one seeing things!" Jack barked. "Where's Teal'c? And mind telling me what the devil you two meant by attacking us?"
"Teal'c?" Daniel's voice reflected his astonishment. "The warrior? How do you know his name?"
"How do I--?" Jack's disbelief bereft him of words.
"Daniel, are you feeling all right?" Carter was examining him in concern.
"I'm sorry, miss, I don't believe we've met," Daniel said politely.
"Miss?!" Jack exclaimed. "It's Carter, for crying out loud! What do you mean you haven't met? Come on, Daniel, if you're playing some kind of game, it's not very damn funny."
"I don't think he's joking, sir," Carter frowned. "Maybe a hit in the head during the fighting disoriented him. Or maybe they got to him with one of their Goa'uld ribbon devices."
"Goa'uld?" Daniel questioned. "I don't know what that means, but I have been getting treatment for an injury, and my head does hurt." He lifted his hand to it as if to rub away the pain. "There's some sort of being like Ra in charge here, so I don't know why I should be surprised to see you show up, too, Jack, although I haven't a clue how you could have gotten here. I thought I'd seen the last of you when you left Abydos last year."
"Last year?" Jack repeated, stunned. "Daniel, whatre you talking about? It's been almost three years since we beat Ra, and the last time you and I saw each other was yesterday."
"No, it can't be--"
"Daniel, what's the last thing you remember," Sam asked, "before we met up for that little skirmish in the woods?"
"I... I was home, on Abydos, on my way to bring Sha're to the stable. Then I... I don't know." He winced. "I woke up here. Someone who looked and talked like Ra told me we lived here now and I was a slave." Wincing again, he lowered his head into his hands.
"They've been messing with your head, Daniel." Jack reached out to briefly touch the sandy cap of hair. Damn, why hadn't he gotten here in time to stop Apophis' nasty little games? "It sounds like you've lost a couple of years from your memory."
"That can't be." Daniel lifted worried eyes to theirs.
"Daniel, you said you were getting some kind of treatment," Sam said. "What exactly were they doing to you?"
"It's some kind of laser or something," Daniel said slowly. "They put me on a table with a red crystal overhead which projects some kind of energy beam over me. The warrior you asked about, Teal'c, was also being treated."
"Great," Jack said. "Then his brain's scrambled, too. That explains the attack on us."
"It sounds like a variation of the Goa'uld ribbon weapons and healing devices," Sam theorized, "but it must affect memory, at least for a limited term. If Teal'c's lost about two years as well, that would take him back to just before he met us."
"So he wouldn't remember rebelling against Apophis," Jack completed her train of thought. "Sweet."
"I don't understand what's going on. This Apophis said he was holding Sha're. He threatened to... to hurt her, and to take more slaves from Abydos unless I did what he asked. I couldn't let that happen. I thought I could fake my way through the fight without anybody getting hurt." Daniel looked miserable. "I even considered asking for help from whomever I was fighting, but I couldn't go through with it. The risk to Sha're and the other Abydonians was too high. I never expected to see you here."
"Take it easy, Daniel," Jack soothed. "That snakehead's been melting your brain, and you're not exactly thinking straight."
God, Daniel had completely forgotten Sha're was now host to a Goa'uld. It was like being sealed in a bubble of past time, but what would happen to Daniel when it burst, as it surely would? Jack's own thoughts strayed briefly into measuring the benefits of turning the brain-melting mechanism on their jailer or snapping the parasite's neck with his bare hands. That he wasn't currently in a position to do either one was a minor detail. He looked up at the sound of the door opening again. The sight that met his eyes was both welcome and forbidding.
Teal'c stood at the top of the short flight of steps by the door, overseeing a servant delivering food to the prisoners. Clad in the armor of a serpent guard, his proud stance and indifferent expression showed no remnant of their erstwhile teammate.
"We've gotta talk to him." Jack clambered to his feet.
"He won't know us," Carter warned.
"Then we'll remind him," Jack responded simply.
"I don't think he fraternizes with the slaves," Daniel said, "and he doesn't seem very talkative."
"Jaffa, kree!" Jack's shout precipitated an abrupt silence throughout the room.
The impassive stare turned in their direction.
"Sir, do you think that was a good idea?"
"It got his attention, didn't it?" Jack waved at his friend. "You heard me. Over here."
Slowly Teal'c descended the stairs, his staff weapon grasped loosely in his hand, and made his stately way over to their group. Stopping before them, he regarded O'Neill solemnly.
Jack launched into the complicated explanation. "Look, I'm sorry about the little tussle we had, and I know this may sound strange, but we have a lot to talk about. We know you; in fact, we came here looking for you. Now we're all together, we can get to work on figuring a way out of this place."
A lifted eyebrow expressing his opinion of this nonsense, the Jaffa began to turn away.
"Teal'c, ya gotta listen to me," Jack began.
Halting, Teal'c aimed a keen glance at Daniel.
"I didn't tell them your name; they already knew," the younger man asserted.
"How can this be?" The deep voice held a grudging note of interest.
"The same way we know you're tired of serving Apophis." Jack wasted no time in taking advantage of that interest, no matter how reluctant. "You know he's a false god, and you want to be free of him. You want all the Jaffa to be free."
"Lies!" Again Teal'c turned his back.
Jack kept talking. "The Goa'uld are the ones who are lying, not us. You know it. Bra'tac knows it."
Teal'c whipped around, his interest no longer reluctant. Fingers tightening around his staff weapon, he stood nose to nose with O'Neill. "What do you know of Tec'ma'tae Bra'tac?"
"I know he taught you the Goa'uld are not gods. I know he also wants your people to be free." Jack paused, meeting Teal'c's glare with straightforward sincerity. "I know he wants Rya'c to grow up free as much as you do."
"How can you know my son's name?" Teal'c hefted his staff weapon as though preparing to power it up.
"I told you. We know you." Jack sawed the air with his hands, frustrated at his inability to get through to this man who was both friend and stranger. "Apophis has been messing with your head, doing something to your memories, or else you'd know us."
"They know things about me, too," Daniel put in. "They say that so-called healing crystal we've been getting dosed with has made us forget the last two years."
"What can you know of Goa'uld magic?" Teal'c asked suspiciously.
"We know because we're from here." Stooping, Sam drew the glyph for Earth in the dirt floor, as she had seen Daniel draw for Teal'c at their first meeting in this very room. "We're the Tau'ri."
As Teal'c surreptitiously scraped the butt of his weapon through the dirt, erasing the crude drawing, Jack jumped forward, extending his arm as he recalled something else from that meeting. "Yeah, we have our own technology, see." He waved his watch under the Jaffa's nose.
Teal'c examined the object without comment. Raising his eyes to O'Neill's, he looked penetratingly into their depths.
"Trust us," Jack urged. "You did before. We can help each other." He strained to read Teal'c's face. Did he see something flicker in the guarded eyes?
Teal'c continued to study him in silence, gripping his staff weapon tightly, until the servant approached them with several bowls of food. Depositing them on the floor before the group, he stood waiting deferentially. At Teal'c's curt command, he bowed and left the cell.
No sooner had the door closed behind him than Teal'c doubled over, a look of pain crossing his stoic features. He continued to support himself with his staff while his other hand clutched his side.
"Here, let us help." Jack reached for his arm and, with Carter's aid, eased him to a sitting position against the wall. "What's wrong?"
A sheen of sweat was the only sign his face displayed of anything out of the ordinary. "It is a minor injury from the fighting earlier. I do not know why my symbiote has not healed me."
Lifting his tunic, Carter loosened the bandage binding his side, exposing a bloody gash.
"Ouch," Jack said in sympathy. "Shouldn't Junior have taken care of that by now?"
Teal'c regarded him blankly. "Junior?"
"It's what I call your worm," Jack shrugged. "Sort of a pet name."
"Indeed." Apparently feeling this unworthy of further comment, Teal'c continued, "It is as though my symbiote still sleeps. I was told it would for a time."
"Well, that would make sense," Carter said, replacing the bandage. "Apophis probably put the larva into some form of suspension to prevent it from counteracting the memory suppression."
"Why didn't you try another round under the healing crystal?" Daniel asked. "Not that it would have done any good if what they say is true."
"I would not show my weakness before my lord Apophis."
"You need to get this taken care of," Carter said. "I think you may have a cracked rib as well."
"Teal'c, I did this to you. I'm sorry." Jack's guilt was plain to be read in his voice. "I never would have been so tough on you if I hadn't thought Junior could take care of you."
"I do not understand your remorse," Teal'c said in puzzlement. "We were adversaries in battle."
"You're under my command," Jack contradicted, "and you're my friend."
Teal'c considered his words. "You say we can help each other. How?"
A slow smile lightened Jack's gloomy countenance. "Now you're talkin'. First order of business is to get us out of here and back through the Stargate... The, uh, chaapa'ai," he amended. "Then we see about getting your memories back."
"The suppression may not be permanent," Carter hypothesized. "Didn't you say you had multiple sessions with that crystal?"
"Yes, two that I can, uh, remember," Daniel replied with a wry twist to his mouth.
"Then it's probably a temporary condition, needing repeated exposure to the energy from the crystal to keep the blocking from fading. With luck, your memories should return by themselves with no further exposure."
"With luck?" Jack asked.
"This is all theory, sir, but I'd say it's a very good chance."
"Fine, then whaddya say we blow this joint?"
Daniel's hand shot out to tug Jack's sleeve. "I can't go anywhere until we find Sha're." Pleading blue eyes bored into brown. "Please. You don't know what he'll d-do to her."
Gently disentangling his jacket, Jack asked, "Teal'c, do you know where Apophis' queen is? And his s-- and Klorel?" The safety of his team came first, and they were not exactly in peak fighting form. Still, if they were this close to Skaara and Sha're... could this be their chance for the rescue they'd failed to accomplish their first time here?
An eyebrow raised inquiringly. "There have been many changes in the time I lost to my injuries... or my memory. Apophis' forces have decreased while his family has increased. I know only that they are not on Chulak, but I have not been told what world they travelled to."
Setting aside plans he'd scarcely allowed to take shape, Jack turned a regretful gaze on Daniel. "Then she's not here. There's nothing we can do."
"You mean she's with this queen? Serving as her slave?" Daniel asked in bewilderment.
"Something like that," Jack answered. If Carter was right, Daniel would remember the truth about Sha're soon enough. There was no point in putting him through a difficult explanation now. "We won't stop searching for her. But before we can do that, we've got to escape from this place. I'll wager these other folks won't object to coming along for the ride." He nodded to the other prisoners.
"How shall we move everyone past the other serpent guards and out of the building?" Teal'c inquired.
"As I recall, this staff weapon blows a pretty mean hole in this wall." He reached for Teal'c's weapon. "May I?"
Teal'c nodded regally.
Picking it up with a flourish, Jack flipped the switch to power it up, aimed, and blasted a hole in the outside wall. As the rubble settled and a hubbub arose around them, he grinned. "Seems like old times. Captain, look after our latest refugees."
"Yes, sir." She began to usher people through the crumbling hole.
Jack helped Teal'c to his feet as Daniel lent a hand. "Help him. I'll watch our backs."
"My injury is not that severe. I can walk unassisted," Teal'c objected.
"Fine, just get moving," Jack instructed. "I'm going to try to delay the pursuit." Running towards the door, he shot at the lock, fusing it together. He heard the swift approach of pounding feet as he turned to follow his team through the wall. Behind him he could hear the door rattling futilely. That ought to hold them for a bit.
He caught up to the others outside, and the ragtag group surged out of the city and up into the hills. It was a much smaller group than the last time they'd made this trip, and they were able to move somewhat faster.
As they climbed, Jack noticed Daniel flinch and stumble, pressing his hands to his temples.
"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.
"My head feels like it's splitting open," Daniel gasped, dropping to his knees.
"I, too, am experiencing some discomfort," Teal'c agreed, head lowered as he breathed heavily.
"It could be past the time for a booster shot from that crystal," Carter guessed. "The memory suppression must be wearing off."
"This is a good thing, right?" Jack was caught between hope and worry.
"Tell that to my head," Daniel managed through gritted teeth as he rocked back onto his heels.
It was obvious to Jack his friends were in acute pain. He was no expert, but it looked to him like they were getting worse, not better. What if Carter's ideas were wrong, and that snake had caused permanent damage... maybe not only to their memories? There was no telling what kinds of physical injuries to their brains that crystal thing had caused.
"I believe my symbiote stirs." Teal'c held a hand to his stomach.
"You mean Junior's waking up?" Jack smiled, hope winning out.
"That's logical," Sam confirmed, "if the larva's coming out of whatever they did to keep it under. It might help Teal'c regain his memories faster than Daniel."
"Hang in there, guys," Jack encouraged them. He wanted them to get well, but the timing really sucked. They had to get out of there. "It's not much farther, and then Doc'll help you with the pain."
"Easy for you to say, Jack. You're not the one feeling like you're back in Nem's mind sifter."
"Yeah, well..." Jack froze as the meaning of Daniel's words sank in. "What did you say?" A wide grin replaced his gape of astonishment. "Daniel, you're remembering!"
"I guess I am, some anyway... ow!" Another spasm crossed the weary face.
"Can you keep going?" Helping Daniel back up, Jack cast a nervous glance behind them. They couldn't have much of a lead on Apophis' men.
The scientist nodded very carefully and resumed the upward trek.
Jack kept an eye on him in between watching out for trouble. Daniel may have started walking on sheer grit, but he seemed to gain a bit in strength and steadiness as they proceeded. Teal'c also appeared a trifle sturdier. Jack breathed a little easier. They really must be improving.
They made it all the way to the ridge where the Stargate stood when they were surprised by staff weapon fire from the woods to their left.
"Carter! Get to the DHD and dial home," O'Neill ordered. "Daniel, Teal'c, get these people to the Stargate. I'll cover you." Not waiting to see his orders carried out, he laid a line of fire along the edge of the woods where the attack had originated.
His fire was returned, but now it concentrated on him. Running from cover to cover, he did his best not to present a stationary target as he kept the enemy occupied. Hearing the kawhoosh of the Gate behind him, he discharged a final series of blasts before turning and running for the metal ring. He saw Carter follow the last of the refugees through as Daniel and Teal'c turned to await his arrival.
"Go!" he yelled and watched them disappear as he dove into the fluctuating blue wall, a bolt of energy sizzling into the ground behind him. He rolled out onto the ramp at the SGC.
"Close the iris!" He looked over his shoulder to watch the shield spiral into place. Then picking himself up, he walked the rest of the way down the ramp to where his team waited with General Hammond. As the medical personnel entered and were directed to Daniel and Teal'c, Jack looked at his friends and softly quoted the general's customary greeting.
"Welcome home, SG-1."
***
Opening the door in response to the invitation to "Enter," Jack stopped on the threshold at the sight of Teal'c seated before the burning candles. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your meditation."
"I am finished, O'Neill. My symbiote and I are once again in harmony."
Advancing into the room, Jack sat stiffly in a chair. "The Kel No Reem stuff worked? Junior's got you back as good as new?"
Teal'c inclined his head. "Both my injuries and my memories have healed. I am whole again."
"That's great." Jack's smile faded as he wondered how to begin. Finally he just plunged ahead. "Look, Teal'c, ya gotta know how sorry I am about those injuries in the first place. Thinking Junior would fix you up was no excuse."
"You took the only action possible in the circumstances."
Jack gave an emphatic shake of his head. "I should've found another way to take you out without causing so much damage."
Maintaining his air of unwavering calm, Teal'c pointed out, "If you had taken time to think of such a course, Daniel Jackson would have joined me, and we would have defeated you."
"And we'd have ended up in exactly the same place we did since those other serpent guards were lurking about and clobbered me anyway." Jack was still disgusted at the ease with which he'd been subdued.
"It was nevertheless the best judgment given the situation."
Standing up abruptly, Jack paced the length of the small room and stared intently into the corner. Finding no answers written there, he turned to meet his friend's eyes. Squaring his shoulders, he acknowledged, "You could've died because I got careless."
"I did not."
Jack waved his hand impatiently. "Look, Teal'c, I'm trying to apologize here."
Tilting his head to the side, Teal'c considered that idea. "Your apology is unnecessary, but accepted."
"Thanks." Retaking his seat, Jack leaned forward, staring fixedly at his loosely clasped hands.
"Something still troubles you."
"We're supposed to be fighting the bad guys here. I don't like it when things get turned upside down, and I end up fighting my friends."
"Since I left Apophis' service I have had to fight my former comrades."
"How do you do it?"
"I am fighting for my people's freedom. My cause is just. I have had to do worse things at Apophis' command when the cause was far from just. I find I can reconcile the present dilemma with far less trouble than previously."
Jack thought back over his special ops work. He'd believed in what he was doing, even if he hadn't always liked all it involved. "Yeah. I see where you're coming from." He rose to leave.
"O'Neill." Teal'c stood to face him.
Jack waited.
"I, too, owe you an apology for fighting you and for failing you."
"Teal'c, as to the fighting, you were following orders and thought I was an enemy."
"I did."
"So how is that failing?"
"You ordered me to guard Daniel Jackson. It is because I failed that we were taken captive in the first place."
"The guy got the jump on you. It happens."
"Still, I wish to make things right between us. I am trying to apologize to my friend."
O'Neill smiled. "Apology unnecessary, but accepted," he repeated Teal'c's words back to him.
At Teal'c's nod of comprehension, Jack took his leave.
***
"A carnival? This was your great idea?" Daniel looked doubtfully at the brightly lit, noisy cluster of rides and sideshows teeming with people even at this late hour.
Jack shifted the Mustang into park. "Yeah, isn't it cool?" he enthused. "I saw them setting up when I drove by on my way to work the other day, and the sign said they'd be open for two weeks."
"Jack, I'm really not in the mood for something this... rowdy."
"Daniel, you just had your brain scrambled by a snaky alien. Some mindless R&R is exactly what the doctor ordered -- or she should've anyway. If I thought you'd sleep, I'd take you home." He cocked his head interrogatively, but those guileless eyes slid away in embarrassment. "Uh-huh, that's what I figured. Come on, I promise I won't drag you up onto the ferris wheel or anything. We'll play dumb arcade games, eat junk food, and do whatever we want that's fun and bad for us. Are you with me?"
He waited patiently for the answer. Daniel needed a major distraction from the flood of returning memories, particularly the revived sense of Sha're's loss he must be dealing with. This really had seemed like a good idea at the time. Jack hoped it wasn't going to backfire.
With a tired sigh, Daniel stared out the car window at the throngs of laughing people. Finally he nodded half-heartedly. "Why not?"
***
"Jack, that's the goofiest looking duck I've ever seen."
Jack considered the giant ball of yellow and orange fur, turning it this way and that as they strolled down the midway. "Hey, don't make fun of my duck. It was the biggest prize in the shooting gallery."
"I don't think the guy expected to have to part with it."
"He did look kinda surprised when I hit so many targets, after compensating for the rifle pulling to the left." Jack grinned in satisfaction. "And what makes that wooly lamb you won in the ring toss any less goofy, with those floppy ears and silly smile?"
"You got me there." Daniel's attention was caught by one of the refreshment booths. "Hey, cotton candy! I haven't had that in years."
Jack immediately picked up on the wistful tone. "What are we waiting for then? My treat."
Waving his cone of fluffy pink spun sugar like a trophy, stuffed animal tucked under an arm, Jack led the way over to a quiet spot away from the crowds. Leaning on a fence and watching the bumper cars, the two men munched the gooey sweets.
Stretching out his tongue to lap up some of the sticky residue at the corner of his mouth, Daniel said, "This is good. Thanks... and I don't mean just for the cotton candy or the carnival. I'm sorry--"
Jack jabbed the air with the sugar-swirled paper. "Hey, I heard you apologizing to Carter earlier for hitting her, and I'm glad to see you kids are making up and playing nice and all. Teal'c and I just got through apologizing to each other, too, so I think that's enough apologies to go around, don't you? Especially since Apophis is the real cause of what all the apologizing's about."
"I still need to say it," Daniel insisted stubbornly. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through."
Sparks flashed here and there at the bumper car poles' connections to the power grid above. Laughter and squeals floated from the ride's occupants, mingling with the muted bustle around them. Jack flashed on another flow of power which must have produced very different sounds.
He'd read the mission reports. With the return of their lost memories, his team had also recalled the process of losing them. Teal'c and Daniel understood the importance of learning as much about Goa'uld technology as possible. Despite some reluctance, they had accurately described how that crystal had affected them. Once Jack looked past the clinical terminology in Fraiser's medical analysis and Carter's technical one, he'd managed to get a pretty fair picture of the two men's ordeals. That made one more score to settle when they finally caught up with that infernal snakehead. Jack would take great pleasure in settling it personally.
He hadn't been able to prevent harm being done to his team. That didn't sit right, but he'd deal with it. He'd work at not letting it happen again. And he'd help them get through the recovery.
None of them had come through this unscathed, but Jack knew how deeply this friend had been wounded... and not just physically. "It wasn't your fault. What about what you went through?"
Daniel shook his head dismissively. "I gave in so easily."
"There was nothing easy about it," Jack protested. "Teal'c's not exactly a pushover, yet he was influenced in the same way."
"I know I can't match Teal'c's physical strength. I guess what I can't accept is not being stronger mentally. The way Apophis used my own mind against me--"
"Only because that Goa'uld crystal thing short circuited your brain. You heard what Carter and Fraiser said. It's going to take time to feel comfortable in your own head again. Feeling unsure of yourself's a natural reaction, but one thing you can be sure of -- before you got your brain fried you had the presence of mind to leave us that glyph clue or we never would have known where to search for you. That saved a lot of lives -- all those prisoners we freed, as well as you and Teal'c."
Daniel seemed unconvinced. "Still, I should have resisted fighting and tried to enlist your help against Apophis. I was afraid--"
"For Sha're?" Jack asked softly.
Stricken blue eyes met his. "I was willing to hurt you all for her sake, to fight you, to do whatever Apophis wanted... and now it feels like I've lost her all over again."
"She's your wife, Daniel," Jack replied gently, laying a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Naturally you'd fight to protect her. In spite of that, you wouldn't have hurt us... much. You admitted you tried not to."
"I didn't try hard enough. You all got hurt anyway."
"We all got hurt because of that damned snakehead, not because of you."
Daniel's brow puckered uncertainly.
Jack smiled. "I'll say to you what Teal'c said to me. Apology unnecessary, but accepted."
Daniel chewed on his lower lip while he thought that over. At length, he nodded as though coming to terms with it. "Okay. I guess that'll have to do." He finished the last of his candy, smearing his sticky fingers across his shirtfront. "It's funny, but I do feel better. Coming here was a good idea after all."
"The only kind I have," Jack said in relief. The kid'll get through this, a little battered, but intact.
"How's your head, by the way?" Daniel interrupted his musings.
"Thick enough to withstand an occasional knockout. How's yours?"
Daniel smiled. "A slight residual ache, but nothing to speak of."
"Great." Jack slapped him on the back. "Tomorrow we hit the gym. Next time you get into a fight, I don't want to see you knocked out with such an easy punch."
"Easy? Have you ever been on the receiving end of one of your own punches? If you had, you wouldn't call it easy."
"Hm, I'll have to take your word for that."
"You do that." As they headed back to the parking lot, Daniel held up his lamb. "What are we going to do with these toys? Think Cassandra would like some new friends?"
Jack grinned mischievously. "Unless you'd rather give them to Teal'c."
"Ahh, Cassie it is."
The End
© September 1999 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.
The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters
who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,
titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and
solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.