• SPOILERS: Anything up to Menace
• Content Warnings: Violence and mistreatment of main characters, OC death, mention of major amounts of blood.
• SUMMARY: Is evil defined in actions or intents?
• R [Hc] [A] [D]

"I'm getting too old for this crap. Ow! Easy there Major Nightingale, I'd like to have a working limb when you're through. Have I mentioned I'm too old for this?"

"Once or twice, sir," the blue eyed major mumbled as she continued to poke at the complaining man's knee. It was very swollen, but she couldn't feel anything broken or out of place. Major Samantha Carter leaned back on her heels to give her assessment to her commanding officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill.

"So?" He was giving her an expectant look, like she could wave a magic wand and fix it. She was well aware of the nickname she had around the SGC, Super Sam the Fix-it Ma'am. At first, it had ruffled her feathers and she stomped around base looking for a way to put the rumor mill out of business. After a while she decided it was actually kind of amusing and it certainly beat some of the alternatives she could think of being called. If only the man in front of her was a computer, she'd have him leaping buildings in no time. Unfortunately, flesh and blood was not in her 'fix-it' area of expertise.

Sam pulled in a deep breath and gave him her best guess, "I think you just twisted it, there doesn't seem to be any indication of serious damage."

"That's it?"

"That's it, sir."

"Then can you tell me why you're looking at me like I get the honor of being your first amputation?"

Sam could feel the blush creeping up her face and she looked everywhere but in the colonel's eyes. She blurted the words out as quickly as possible, hoping he would get the implication. "I need to wrap the knee."

"So?"

He was really going to make her say it. Fine, she was a grown up. "So, the cuff of your pant leg won't go up far enough. You'll need to... You're going to have to…" Sam gestured loosely at the man's waist, going from blush to beet red. "Sir, you're going to have to…"

"Drop trou, Major?"

Okay, him saying it didn't make it any better. She still wanted to disappear. "Ah, yes. Sir. Yes." Sam suddenly found the stone floor amazingly intriguing. Oh my, look at that, the alien version of ants running all over down here. Maybe they should bring a few back with them for study?

"Don't worry, Carter. You're not the first person to try to get me out of my pants."

If she looked up she would see the smirk that always went with that tone. Just for that she was going to occupy herself with finding the ace bandages instead of helping the man, in his words, drop trou. After a few minutes of pretending to search for the item she had in her hand, she heard the colonel clear his throat.

"All set, Major."

Sam studiously kept her eyes locked on the man's knee. It was swollen and looked a little off color, but she thought her initial diagnosis was correct. She set about wrapping the injury, determined to keep the idea she was kneeling next to a very attractive man in his boxers at bay. Finally satisfied with her handiwork, she gave a nod to O'Neill as this time she legitimately scrounged around her med-pack.

Fishing the small packet out, she looked up to find the colonel dressed and handed him the two small tablets and a canteen of water. "Ibuprofen for the swelling."

He accepted and swallowed them without complaint. After making sure his leg was elevated, Sam grabbed her flashlight and figured it was time to find a way out of this lovely little area they had detoured into. She tried once more in vain to hail Daniel or Teal'c on the radio, hoping it was only the stone walls they were surrounded by blocking the signal. A worried frown marred her face as she asked herself, how do we always get into these messes?

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Two days prior

SG-1 stepped out onto the raised wooden platform that held the Stargate, Daniel Jackson heading directly for the DHD. He called out a confirmation, assuring them the MALP transmission had been accurate,

everything looked in working order and all the glyphs to get home were visible. Sam was impressed with his considerable restraint as he managed to stay silent and look expectantly to the team lead. For once, there would be no dissension on where to go or for how long. The UAV had sent back very precise information. The weather on the planet was not the most desirable but tolerable, with temperatures in the lower sixties during the day, dropping to a near freezing low thirties at night. The lunar cycle provided an equal split with eight hours of daylight to the eight of darkness. One small moon made nighttime travel pretty much out of the question. The terrain was a mixture of wooded and open areas, the Stargate located in one of the clearings. The most intriguing aspects were shown in the UAV transmissions, two visible previously inhabited areas.

The first one looked to be the older of the two. It was a little less than two days walk from the gate. There were no signs of life, dilapidated buildings and nothing to indicate the who, what or when of the place.

From a technology standpoint, the colonel hadn't been too optimistic, but he admitted previous experience had proven appearances could be deceiving. The second area was about equal distance but in the opposite direction. This had looked more promising on the somewhat grainy UAV transmission. The buildings were less rundown and there were markers that clearly held writing. Daniel and Teal'c were able to identify Goa'uld and a second language both were unfamiliar with. Daniel and Sam believed one of the areas might lead to another with inhabitants, but the UAV wasn't equipped to go any further than it had.

The plan was simple – they had a go and seven days to work with. They would walk one day out together then split, Sam and Jack going to the older area, Daniel and Teal'c heading to the other. It should have

taken about half a day to reach their respective areas, the rest of the day to explore. Depending on what they found, they would regroup a day or two later at the spot deemed most worthy of being explored, keeping two days aside to make it back to the gate. Radio contact would be made every three hours after they separated.

And so they had walked, slept, broke camp and separated without a hitch, the colonel and her setting a comfortable pace to their destination. Check-ins had been regular and uneventful, that is if you didn't count Goa'uld suddenly spouting from your shoulder. They both had spun around, weapons at the ready at the sound of the all too familiar dialect before they realized it was Daniel. He had obviously been so swept up in reading some of the markings, he kept on with the language when reporting in. Sam had smiled as she watched the colonel close his eyes and rub his forehead, utilizing all his self-control to very politely thank Daniel for remembering to report in and, if it wasn't too much bother, to let Teal'c do all future radio checks, preferably in English. She could picture Daniel's face as he stammered, 'Ah, sure,' more likely than not unaware of what he had done and confused by the odd request. True to form, however, Teal'c had initiated the next report.

Sam and Jack were slowly making their way from building to building. Most were made of stone and rotting wood and stood one or two stories tall. Some had basements and some were a few more stories, but all were barren. To paraphrase the colonel, they had found 'a whole lot of nothing.' Sam was inclined to agree. The structures were completely void of anything, no writing, no artifacts, not even the simplest of

objects to give some clue about the people who had lived there. They had three left to go through before they would head back towards Daniel and Teal'c. They had found no reason here to justify pulling the two

men away from the linguist smorgasbord Daniel was currently feasting on.

Sam stepped through the doorway of one of the last buildings on Jack's heels, shining her flashlight around in the slim hope of finding anything to have made the walk worthwhile.

"Well, well Carter, imagine this, an empty building. After the wonderland of discovery we've seen so far, this is a bit of a letdown, don't you think?"

"Absolutely, sir. Very disappointing." Sam hoped the colonel's sarcasm signified his desire to skip the last two buildings and head straight to meeting up with their teammates.

"What do you say we get the heck out of Dodge, Major?"

Sam was about to agree wholeheartedly when they both heard the ominous creaking emanating from below their feet. Less than a heartbeat later, they were plummeting into darkness.

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Pain. It was the blanket folded around him and the bed on which he lay. It radiated through every vein and stabbed into his body and soul with each breath. His senses told him he was mostly unconscious and

completely in pain. There was a thought nagging in the back of his brain telling him there was a reason to wake, but it escaped him. He began to let go of his tenuous grip on reality, slipping back into blissful nothingness when it came to him.

DanielJackson! He could hear the alarmed young man's voice calling out his name as hot agony tore Teal'c in two. He could see him being violently manhandled to the ground as the others came at them, just before the blackness overcame him.

The disturbing visions assaulted him, forcing Teal'c to rejoin the living. Recognition of his body crept back, bringing along with it even more pain he would not have believed possible had he not been

experiencing it first hand. He was lying on his wounded stomach, face pressed into the chilled earth. Unsure if he was alone or in the midst of the enemy, he 'played possum' as O'Neill had once called it.. He kept his breathing slow and shallow to give the appearance of death and listened closely for any signs of nearby danger. Stillness surrounded him. He could hear no trace of his assailants and disturbingly, no sound of the breathing of his young friend. It was time to move.

He concentrated every once of his energy into forcing his eyes open only to find himself enveloped in cocoon of shadowy images. Once he was confident he would be able to stay alert, he slowly brought his hands up to shoulder level. With one gigantic breath and push, he was able to log roll himself onto his back and away from the ground drenched with his own blood. Everything grayed around the edges and Teal'c clenched his jaw and hands, staying conscious by sheer force of will. He let his eyes close and schooled his breathing, knowing his next move may take more than his body had to offer. No matter what the cost, he would find his teammate and punish those that had brought them harm. The promise to himself was still echoing in his head as he lost the battle and was carried over the edge and into the abyss.

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Dark eyes watched the Evil ones from the safety of above. It had been six moon cycles since they had been banished to the place of the cursed and nearly three since they had first felt the faint rumble signifying the arrival of the beings that claim to be of the Gods. The first time the Evil had come was well before Shomas's life had begun. The story had been passed from father to son many times over. It told the sad tale of long ago when the Great Ring had sprung to life and spewed out an army of servants and two of the Evil. They spoke a language none could understand, but their weapons were powerful and caused great harm to their people.

Two of the town's men were taken away and when they returned, they were no longer of clean spirit. They were now able to speak the tongue of the Evil and declared themselves Gods. Shomas's people knew this to be untrue. It took a generation times two for the people to find a way to chase the Evil from their land, but they had been victorious. Those who had not perished had fled through the Great Ring and had never returned, until now. The time in between had been spent mostly carefree, the only harm to the people came from the curse the Evil had left behind.

Twice each generation, a plague befell the population. First a small rash would form along the smooth skin inside the forearm near the elbow of the cursed. It would be followed by the fever, the waking dreams and finally, death. Some it took within ten cycles of the moon, other it took over twenty cycles. It seemed to take the youngest first, but that was irrelevant; all would succumb in the end. As soon as the rash would appear, all the people where checked and the ones deemed cursed would be sent to the place the people had lived when the Evil had first come. They would die in isolation, protecting their brothers and sisters by their absence, allowing the un-cursed to live on in safety. This is what had brought Shomas, the man beside him and twenty others to this place. Had they not been there, they may never have felt the signal from the Great Ring. They waited, knowing the Evil would soon be drawn to them.

When it had, the people of the cursed had met to decide the fate of the Evil. The stories told of their great power and magic. There was a structure in the old place that was said to hold their secrets. One in each generation was charged with unlocking the mystery, all had failed. Shomas convinced the cursed the Evil could be made to free the magic and use it to cure them. Once done, they would force the being to stop the spread of the curse, allowing them to live without fear, as was the will of their real God. The ten men, six women and six children knew this to be their only hope and agreed it was wise. Now Shomas and Kaid watched from the tree above as the Evil and the one that wore the mark of the servant moved from area to area. Eight others were places in a circle around the two, waiting for the signal from him to strike.

It was said the Evil had the strength of five men and the servants nearly so. They needed surprise on their side as well as weapons. To defeat the one that wore the mark, a spear to the belly killing the Evil within was the only way they knew of. The Evil itself needed to be taken alive. Kaid was, at times, a man of great anger and during those moments, cruelty would flow from him. Normally Shomas tried to curb these tendencies in his younger brother but today they would be used to benefit his people. It would be a difficult task, but doomed men know no fear. They will capture the magic or die trying.

Shomas's breath quickened when he saw the two approach the structure of magic. The Evil spoke rapidly in its vile tongue while the one of the mark appeared to be on guard. With reverence, the Evil ran its hands along the words etched into the wall next to the entrance to the place where magic was held. Shomas was surprised by the wonder he saw in its eyes. He had believed from the tales to see hatred alone lying there. He was beginning to worry that they had misjudged this one when it called out excitedly to the one of the mark and made a series of motions on the door of the structure. He could hear the faint rubbing as the door slid open, providing an inlet to the magic it held. Only the Evil could have the knowledge needed to accomplish that and it was confirmation that these were indeed of the Evil ones.

The time had come. Kaid was pushing at his arm, eager to attack the Evil below. Shomas made the quiet call and his group moved into action as one. The Marked One came aware of their presence just a fraction too late. As he bore his weapon down, the spear was launched, hitting its goal and driving deep into his flesh. The dark man lost his grip on his weapon, clutching at the spear that quickly became stained with blood. He let out a cry of agony and rage, calling the Evil back into the open. As soon as it cleared the doorway, a sleep dart was directed at its back. It too found its mark, causing the beast to stumble slightly as it called out to the dark one in a tone of undeniable anguish.

Kaid jumped forward and drove the spear nearly through the Marked, wrenching it free with fierce abandon, causing another cry of misery to fill the air. The wounded man, having now lost the ability to make sound, looked to the Evil. Shomas watched as another dart made its way to the Evil's shoulder followed by two of his men roughly knocking it to the ground, using a stinger to shock it into submission. The dark one finally succumbed to the injury and fell forward, landing in a lifeless heap, hand stretching out towards the Evil with his dying act. The combination of the stinger and sleep darts had had the desired effect on the Evil as it also fell to their will.

He heard a cry of triumph rise up and saw Vaile duck into the shelter of their last hope. He was out again within moments with the realization of their dreams clutched to his chest, causing another cry to ring out from the men. Vaile walked to him, placing the small, ornate golden box in his hands as gently as he would a newborn babe. Shomas looked down at their salvation. His life, his son's life, his friends' lives all lay within his hands, but they had not found victory yet. They were still at the mercy of the creature that lay at his feet.

Shomas looked down at the still form of the Evil one, unconscious and being bound for transport to the prepared area.. He had not expected it to be taken so easily. He had not expected to see fear in its eyes. He had not expected to see concern for its servant. Most of all he had not expected to feel the twinge of guilt as it was flung carelessly over Kaid's shoulder. He put their treasure in his pack and looked over at the body of the dead servant, left out for the forest creatures to clean up like so much trash. May the real God forgive us he prayed, hoping they had done the right thing.

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Sam had made it all the way around the cellar they had fallen into, unfortunately finding nothing to aid in a quick exit. She only saw one possible solution and the colonel wasn't going to like it. It was that or wait for Teal'c and Daniel to find them, which she was willing to bet he'd like even less. She dropped back down at his side, reaching over to check his injury.

"How's the knee, sir?"

He gave her a warning look and pointedly declared, "It'll be fine as long as you don't go poking at it again."

She ignored him and wondered, not for the first time, how a full-grown colonel in the United States Air Force could be such a big baby sometimes. "I need to check the swelling."

"How the hell can you tell if it's swollen when it's all wrapped up like that?"

"Mostly by poking at it, sir," she managed with a straight face.

He scowled at her in response and tried one of his diversionary tactics that all three of his teammates were on to and vary rarely worked. "What'd you find?"

Sam stayed silent until she had finished her prodding before finally laying out her plan. "Well, sir, there doesn't appear to be a way out except the way we came in. There are no other entries and nothing much to use to get us back up to ground level. There is the wood from the floor, or ceiling in this case. I was thinking we could cut a few footholds into it and lean it up against the wall, like a ladder to the doorway above."

His face clearly held the response she had been expecting. Total and complete disbelief. "You want to take the rotted wood that just dropped us fifteen feet onto a solid stone floor, cut even more holes into it and climb it?"

"Exactly."

"That, Major, is NOT a good plan."

"I agree, sir."

"Alternatives?"

"We wait here until Daniel and Teal'c notice the radio silence and become concerned. They'll either hike the two and a half days here and work through the buildings until they find us or they take the two days to head back to the Stargate, get help and hike the two days back here and work through until they find us." She waited patiently to for the coin to drop.

"So, Carter. How are you at making ladders?"

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Daniel was cold. He'd been walking through the white snow laden landscape for hours. He couldn't remember why he wasn't dressed for the cold or where his teammates were. He stopped for a moment, the sharp wind cutting him to the bone. He shivered and called out for Sam and Jack. Something was wrong. Something was missing. Someone was missing. He turned and suddenly knew what it was. Who it was.

Teal'c.

The Jaffa lay face down in the snow. Unmoving and slowing being covered with the fresh powder that fell. Daniel took a step towards his friend before he remembered, Teal'c was dying. He could see each drop of precious life that ebbed from him as it tinted the snow a deep crimson, creating a macabre halo of death around him. He cried out to his teammate and took another step in his direction. He heard the crack beneath his feet as he was suddenly sucked into the frigid waters below.

Daniel sat bolt upright, sputtering out water as he went. He tried to bring his hands to his face and found he could only raise them waist high. He shook his head and looked down to find heavy metal shackles circling each wrist. A solid looking chain about six inches long connected them to each other with another chain in the middle connecting them to a metal ring in the floor. This gave him about a foot and a half to maneuver in. He'd been stripped down to only a short sleeved tee shirt and boxers that were at the moment, dripping wet. And he was cold.

He looked up to see two men watching him. One had light brown hair and eyes and was holding a dripping bucket, directing a look laced with contempt at him. The other was darker and had the bearing of a leader, strong, decisive and oddly hopeful. Daniel had no idea what these two wanted with him, but he guessed it wasn't good. He stole a quick glance around him. He was shackled to a stone floor in the middle of a cell with thick metal bars to keep him in. There were two guards with spears outside of the cell on top of the two in with him. He wondered if overkill meant anything to these people.

Kill. Oh, Teal'c. He assumed these were the men who had killed him. They had done it with no warning and no apparent reason. Daniel would never understand the mindset of murder and he would never get over losing a dear friend to senseless violence. He could only hope Sam and Jack were someplace safe and that he could find a way out of this. Not just for his own life, although he admitted he wasn't ready to die yet, but for Teal'c. He deserved a descent burial and his friends and family should have the chance to say goodbye, having peace in at least knowing his fate. The thought of him lying out there somewhere made Daniel sick and he felt a surge of hate for the men standing before him.

He forced himself to look at them again. They had moved so they were standing directly in front of him, the lighter one practically bouncing with nervous energy. Showing anger wouldn't really help anything and maybe Teal'c wasn't out there, cold and alone. Maybe he was being held here in a different cell. Alive. A tiny sliver of hope showed itself and he grabbed at it with all his might. He had to try to communicate, maybe this was just a misunderstanding. He pulled in a deep breath and began his 'nice to meet you' spiel.

"My name is Dan…"

The lighter one used all his strength to deliver a brutal backhand, crushing the inside of his cheek into his teeth and rocking Daniel nearly to the point of falling over. He could taste the sharp tang of blood filling his mouth and figured the bruise would already be visible. No misunderstanding that, talking was allowed on an 'as requested' basis. He noticed the darker man give the briefest of disapproving looks to the other and filed the information away.

He stayed silent, waiting to see what was expected of him. Bruiser, as he now thought of him, looked pleased with himself over the apparent ease of his submission. Chief showed no emotion one way or the other, but reached into a pouch he was carrying and drew out a small gold box. He kneeled down in front of Daniel and placed the item next to him, close enough for him to reach it while still in the chains. Eyeing the Chief, Daniel hesitantly reached for the box, pulling it onto his lap. He tried to ignore the fact that he was shaking from the cold, hoping they didn't read it as weakness and turned his attention to the object. It was obviously Goa'uld and had all the pretentiousness that went with that. He turned it over a few times, not sure what they wanted him to do with it. He had started reading the inscription when Bruiser became

impatient, yelling at him and pointing to the box.

He assumed the man was speaking in the language they had found in the abandoned city. Too bad he had no idea how to translate it. He looked back and forth between the two men, mild panic building in his chest. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you want."

He heard the air whooshing just before he felt the second backhand make contact, impossibly harder than the first time. Everything blurred for a moment, the chains being the only things that kept him upright. He could feel blood trickling down his face from his nose and split bottom lip. When his vision cleared, he pulled his knees up for protection and balance. He kept his eyes downcast, not wanting to provoke his captors any more than he had. He picked the cube up from where he had dropped it and held it between his knees and chest. He could do this. It was really pretty simple once he concentrated, your basic 'to open press here and here' kind of thing. There was a near silent popping sound when he pressed, allowing him to pull the cover off and reveal a Goa'uld healing device inside.

Please be what they want, he thought as he drew it out and held it up for them to see. Chief looked pleased and took the item from him while Bruiser puffed up, looking every inch the smug little killer he was. Teal'c died for this? So they could get their hands on a piece of Goa'uld technology they couldn't even use? Daniel was instantly back to angry and openly glared at the two men, causing Bruiser to spout a few angry words at him and pull his hand back for another blow. Chief stepped in muttering and nodding to the cell door. Daniel thought the lighter man was going to ignore the instructions and whack him anyway when he finally backed down and headed to the doorway.

Chief gave him a long look before joining the man at the door. The two were let out, door clanging and locking solidly behind them, leaving the armed guards to watch over him. Daniel worked his arms around his bare legs and dropped his head to his knees, hoping to generate or at least conserve a little warmth. He tried not to think about Teal'c or where Jack and Sam were and if they were okay. Unfortunately that left him open to think about the two men that had just left. Somehow, he had the feeling they would be back, soon. And he wasn't going to like it when they were.

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Teal'c heard someone calling his name, urging him to wake. He didn't want to, wasn't ready to, but knew he must. The voice faded away as his eyes opened to find only darkness with him. Moonlight filtered through the tree limbs above as they swayed lightly in the breeze. It had been dark last time he woke and he wondered if it was still dark or dark again? It did not matter. Getting up mattered. His hands slowly climbed up his sides, feeling around his middle. His clothing was still tacky with blood, drier near the edges, freshly wetted near the wound. Teal'c closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. The pain that sliced through him was powerful, but he believed there to be slight improvement over his last attempt.

He braced himself and, with one great surge of power, pushed his shoulders off the ground and pulled himself into a sitting position. A muted scream escaped from between clenched teeth. He sucked in a few gulps of air, wrestling the torment into submission. He would not bow to it any more than he would bow to a false god. Slowly, his resolve quickened and he was able to push past the agony raging in his body. His assailants had damaged well, but they had missed their objective. He felt the slight stirring of the symbiote within assuring him though the injury was grave, he would not be taken by it.

Teal'c spotted a nearby boulder that would do for his purpose. With another determined breath, he brought his knees up and dug his heels into the soft earth below, pushing back with pained tenacity. Scooting backwards this way, he traveled the distance until he was able to lean back in rest against the outcropping. The journey had cost him dearly, but he knew to win this battle, he must stop the blood loss completely. >From this vantage point, he could also clearly see the area he and DanielJackson had made camp and it allowed him to confirm his suspicion that the other man had been moved from this location.

After a few moments rest, he was able to bring his hand up and carefully lower the zipper on his jacket. The night temperature could reach bitter, but a blood soaked covering was hardly protection. With slow, measured movements, he managed to get the jacket and tee shirt off, using the discarded clothing to create a makeshift bandage. It was apparent their attackers were not interested in any of the items they possessed. Teal'c could see the tent still standing and their packs where they had left them. He needed to be well and he needed to find his missing friends. All of them. With no clear idea of how long he had been out, he could not be sure of O'Neill and MajorCarter's safety.

He slid his jacket back onto his lap and pulled the radio from its nest near the shoulder pad. The wires and handset had completely separated. They must have been dislodged in the assault or subsequent struggles. The useless item dropped to the ground at his side. He was on his own. Teal'c steeled himself in preparation of his next goal. Once again he slid himself backward across the terrain. It seemed an eternity before his hand inched back and bumped against the tent line. How much had changed in the span of a day that this small act would bring him such great joy.

A little more fumbling and he had found his way inside the tent, bringing relief from the burn of the cold outside. There were so many things he needed to do but only one he actually could. He allowed himself to fall back, slinging an errant sleeping bag over him for added warmth. I am coming my friends, he vowed before giving himself over to the healing hands of sleep.

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One billion.

"Hey, Carter! How's it coming?"

One billion and one.

"Fine, sir." Sam plunged the knife in again, gouging out a few more inches of wood, creating a small, hopefully foot sized, hole. Deciding it looked good, she moved a few feet down and started the process over.

"Carter!"

One billion and two.

"Yes, sir?"

"How much longer do you think it'll take?"

Sam fell back onto her heels, wiping an arm across her forehead, smearing dirt and sweat up into her hair. She successfully resisted the urge to scream 'five minutes less than the last time you asked!'

"A little under an hour, sir. Why don't you get some rest, you'll need your energy for the trip out of here."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbled. Sam went back to her task, pointedly turning her back to the colonel. She had made it through one more foothold before one billion and three.

"Hey, Carter!"

She had never hated her name more then she did right now. "What!" she spun around unaware the knife was still in her hand until the stunned raise of her CO's eyebrows alerted her. Oh yeah, this'll look great in

my personnel file. She closed her eyes, lowered the knife and managed, 'I mean, what, sir?' in a much more composed tone.

The man sheepishly held up a protein bar, softly asking, "Want a snack? You know, keep up your strength?"

"No. Thank you, sir. I'd like to get this done and get us out of here." What she really wanted to say is, 'to get this done and get you anyplace but stuck here with me.' She had come to believe hell would be having to spend eternity stuck in a confined space with a bored and helpless feeling colonel. The man was amazingly adept at driving her nuts.

Sam turned back to her work. She made it about five more steps on the ladder before the colonel's considerable restraint gave out.

"Cart..er..Sam?"

The major took a deep breath before turning to her CO. "Sir?"

"How's it coming?"

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Daniel wasn't sure how long it had taken to doze off, but his new 'friends' were back way too quickly for his taste. This time it was Bruiser and a shorter, muscle bound man he dubbed Popeye on sight. They were each carrying a small gray handheld thing that resembled a curved walkie-talkie, only these had a shinny metallic tip at the end that made him more than a little nervous. They didn't look like they were there to chat and he tensed, pulling against the cuffs as the cell door clanged open.

They wasted no time, Popeye coming up behind Daniel and Bruiser crouching down by his feet. Daniel felt the brush of metal at the back of his neck followed by a light tingling sensation. Before he could finish trying to figure out what it was supposed to do, pain exploded along his spine. It tore through each nerve ending, stealing any chance for breath as it made it way to the base of his skull. There it culminated in a burst of eye watering agony that left him flat on his back, unaware of how he got there. As a wave of nausea crashed over him, he felt the cold clamp of steel make its way around one ankle. In an instant, he found himself yanked to his feet, Popeye now holding a chain attached to the ring around his ankle, Bruiser tightly gripping the chain that was now free from the floor.

The sensation of pain had receded, leaving a faint impression of itself behind, like a lover's whisper before you drift off to sleep. You remember the feeling it gave you if not the content. Daniel nearly laughed out loud at the inappropriateness of that particular comparison to his current situation and hoped he wasn't losing it already. He had a feeling he was only at the beginning of his time with these people. Popeye moved behind him causing him to tense in anticipation of another jolt and making him more than a little relieved to instead feel the brush of a blindfold being tied securely around his head.

Daniel tried not to trip as he was deliberately jostled from his cell. He was completely disoriented by the time he was finally forcibly shoved to his knees, chains pulled taunt just for good measure. He heard what sounded like an unfriendly exchange going on over his head when the blindfold was suddenly pulled away, revealing Chief standing in front of him glaring at Bruiser. He got the distinct impression he was the cause of the exchange but didn't have a clue as to why.

After a few tense moments, Chief turned his attention to their captive. Daniel suddenly realized he was kneeling down next to a mat that held a very young, very unwell boy. He looked to be about twelve years old, pale and sweating with a bright red rash covering the inner part of his arm. He was semi-consious, moving his head about and mumbling in that unfamiliar language. Daniel had seen death before and had no question that he was staring at it now. He pulled his eyes from the dying child and looked around the room. There were several more mats with obviously ill individuals on them. There were a couple more children, two women and a man he thought had been one of his guards the first time he had woken. He looked at the Chief in question. The man reached out and took custody of the chains from Bruiser, giving him some slack as he crouched down next to Daniel.

Daniel instinctively took the healing device when Chief held it out to him. He stared at in with incomprehension until the implication finally settled in. He let his eyes close, hoping to stop time by refusing to acknowledge its existence. They think I'm a Goa'uld. These people are dying and they want me to heal them. He could suddenly hear Jack, sarcasm dripping from each syllable. 'Well gee, Danny Boy. You read Goa'uld, speak Goa'uld, can open all their cool Goa'uld places and Goa'uld toys and travel with a Jaffa. Why on Earth, no pun intended, would they think that?'

Daniel took in a faltering breath before opening his eyes to look at the man before him. No, even Jack wouldn't have been able to humor this one away. They were obviously clutching at a last hope. Him. With millions of words to choose from, only one worked. Bad. This was very, very bad. The desperation mixed with hope he saw lying in Chief's eyes made sense now.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to use this." Daniel held the object out to the man, praying he would understand. Dark eyes grew colder as he pushed Daniel's hands back into the direction of the boy. He pointed at the child and directed the same type of angry words at Daniel had had spouted to Bruiser just a few moments before. Daniel's breathing had quickened and he felt a coldness wash over him that had nothing to do with his lack of dress or the weather. It was a mixture of fear and helplessness that stemmed from the knowledge no one would be the winner in this. This boy and these people would most likely die, Teal'c was dead and Daniel suspected he was going to die for not being the one thing in this universe he would gladly see dead.

With one last look at the doomed child, he looked to Chief and held the healing device out to him in a surrendering open palmed pose. "I can't use this. I don't know how."

Bruiser stepped between him and Chief, pulling the device from his hands and grabbing the chains that held him away from the man. Daniel watched the exchange with bated breath, somehow knowing he should be very concerned with the outcome. After what seemed an eternity, Chief gave Daniel one lingering look, letting his eyes finally settle on the boy that lay between them. He gave an almost imperceptible nod of acquiescence that Daniel understood had sealed his fate. Instantly, he felt the blindfold fall back into place as he was hauled to his feet and dragged towards whatever destiny Bruiser had in mind. God help me, he thought, I can't even hate them.

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"Carter!"

Yes, yes, yes! This was finally the Carter she had been waiting for. "Yes, sir?"

"How's it coming?"

"Colonel, what would you say to getting out of here?"

"I'd say, let's get this show on the road, Major." He was already trying to climb to his feet with the words.

Sam made it over to his side just in time to help him straighten up and test the knee out. He leaned on it cautiously at first, adding a little more weight when pain apparently didn't come crashing in on him.

"How's it feel, sir?'

"Not bad, Major. Need a hand getting this thing upright?" Jack was eyeing the 'ladder' skeptically. Sam wasn't overconfident herself, but wasn't going to let the colonel see that.

"I think I can handle it." Sam grabbed the top of the makeshift stairway and slowly 'climbed' the rungs with her hands, pushing the top part up and closer to the doorway as she went. Towards the end, Jack had come up beside her to give it that extra push needed to get it against the threshold to freedom hanging tauntingly above them. They both stood back for a moment taking in the rickety means of escape.

"First or second, sir?" There was very little choice, so they may as well get this over with. The colonel seemed to weigh the options well before responding.

"Second. I may need a hand on that last bit."

With no question, Sam grabbed hold and headed up. Wasting no time, she was half way up before she felt the first sign of danger beneath her right foot. She felt the 'rung' giving way just in time to pull free and put all her weight on her left side. Not the best idea. The wood gave way under her just as she landed on the other foot, the act causing the unsteady at best, ladder to sway suddenly to the left. Sam closed her eyes and tried to maintain her center of balance.

"I gotcha, Carter!" rang out from below. She felt the movement steady and glanced down to see Jack holding the ladder in place as best he could. It wasn't so much that it was a big drop, it was more that breaking the ladder would leave them trapped again and landing squarely on her CO's head wasn't high on her to do list. She carefully testing the next rung and, satisfied, continued her climb. She made short work of getting to the top and in no time, was pushed herself up over the ledge onto solid ground. With a quiet sigh of relief, she turned and lay on her stomach, grabbing hold of the ladder to steady it.

"Come on up, sir. The water's fine."

Jack's ascent was quite a bit slower and wrung a lot more complaints out of the abused wood. Sam heard a few muffled curses float up as his knee was forced to work in a fashion it was not particularly comfortable with at the moment, but overall, their climb to freedom had gone unquestionably well. She grabbed the colonel's hand as he neared the last step and pulled, leaving them both sitting in the doorway, exhausted and thrilled at the same time.

"Well that was fun. Let's do it again sometime. How long, Major?"

Sam looked at her watch. "About five hours." She reached for the mike at her shoulder and hailed Daniel and Teal'c. She got no response, her brow creasing in concern. She tried twice more before Jack suggested they clear the building completely. Sam gave him a hand getting on his feet and took a few steps away from the building before the colonel gave it a try.

"Maybe they went for help?" Sam offered. Jack didn't look convinced.

"Five hours wouldn't put them here or to the gate yet." She watched options play behind those brown eyes she had come to trust implicitly over the last few years. When he looked to her, she knew the words before they were spoken. "Let's break camp and head out. Keep the load light, only the vitals. We've got some teammates to hunt down."

He said the words with levity, but she heard the concern creeping through clear as day. Both were caught up in thoughts of their friends as they quickly packed and headed off to find them.

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Reality settled in much more gently this time around. Teal'c could feel the air had warmed and assumed that had come along with the sunlight he could see filtering in via the tent flap. The sun would make his tasks easier to accomplish, however it also was a visual reminder of the passage of time. Time in which he did not know the fate of his friends. With that in mind, he flung the sleeping bag away from his body, clearing access to his wound.

The makeshift bandage was still tacky, but lacked the feel of fresh blood. This was good. He decided it was time to take advantage of daylight and do a visual inspection of his injury and the area surrounding where the attack had taken place. Movement succeeding in bringing pain back to the forefront, but Teal'c decided it could no longer be his master. A low rumble in the back of his throat accompanied his lift into a sitting position. It took several minutes for his muscles to stop quivering in tension and allow him to once again breathe in anything close to a normal fashion.

Teal'c found if he moved very deliberately he was able to do so without aggravating his injury. He removed the bandage and pulled over one of the packs that had been left in the tent. The surface of the wound was dark and angry looking, going from a point very near the opening of his symbiote pouch across his midsection to his side, ending near the back of his right hip. It seemed to be at least superficially beginning to close, but there was no question of internal damage and bleeding. This was one time Teal'c would have been grateful to have the aid of DoctorFraiser. Alone, his symbiote would need several days of constant kel'no'reem to even begin to truly heal him.

He did not believe DanielJackson had that much time, if he was even still alive now. He checked his watch and tried to estimate the amount of time that had passed. O'Neill and MajorCarter assuredly must have noticed their lack of communication by now and were either coming to help or were heading for the Stargate for assistance. Either way, he feared they would arrive too late if he were to wait for them. Pulling the pack to his side, he found both fresh bandages to dress the wound and a clean long sleeve tee shirt. Since his coat was a lost cause, the shirt was a welcome find and he pulled it on as quickly as his abused body was able. He also stowed the MREs, a canteen of water and a pocketknife in his BDUs.

Now would come the real test; getting out of the tent and onto his feet. Sliding out went considerably easier than sliding in had gone, but standing was a different story. Teal'c looked around, hoping to find something closer than the boulder to use for leverage. He spotted a solid looking tree just beyond the tent and emulated the cross terrain slide he had used the night before to make it over to it. Once there, he found himself out of breath and nearly incapacitated by daggers of hot pain shooting through his midsection. The Jaffa was used to having the upper hand when it came to matters of the body. His frustration mounted, almost to the point of madness at the slowness of his body's response to command. To calm himself, he visualized tearing his assailants limb from limb when he caught up to them. Especially if DanielJackson was indeed dead.

The resolve of this new goal was the fuel he needed to get himself to his feet. Victorious, he stood propped against the tree for support, clutching his midsection and panting. The coolness of the light breeze whisking away the sweat of the effort made him shiver slightly and he was again grateful to have procured the minimal covering. Teal'c moved to lean his back against the coarse bark and got his first really good look at the area since his fall in battle. Not much was different than before the attack. A huge patch of dirt where he had fallen had been stained dark with his life force and he saw the unused staff weapon lying cast off nearby. The weapon would not bring him much benefit and if he were truthful, he was uncertain he could retrieve it without falling over on his face in the attempt. He looked towards the building DanielJackson had been exploring just before being taken. It was a lifetime away, but it had been sealed by the Goa'uld and may hold something to aid him in his search for his friend.

He knew if he was not able to search for an adequate weapon, he would not be much good to his missing teammate either. He steeled himself and very cautiously began the journey across the open area to the abandoned shelter.

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He and Sam had been walking for well over half a day when they finally reached the split mark. The walk had taken longer than he had hoped due to the slower pace his abused knee dictated. So far, they had been unsuccessful at raising their two teammates via radio and had seen no sign of them. Jack could see his concern mirrored in the worry lines that were etched in his 2IC's forehead. It was command decision time. They were at the point were they would have to choose, go forward and look for their friends alone or head back to the gate and get help.

Jack knew two things for sure: One, if Teal'c and Daniel weren't checking in, they were in trouble. Two, if they went back now, no way was Janet letting him come back no matter how minor his injury was. Delay his friends getting help by two days and be left out of a rescue attempt or get there sooner but with less able bodies? Sometimes command really bit.

Pausing for a moment to assess the options, Jack looked over to his remaining team member. There he saw the usual trust behind those shimmering blue eyes and made his decision; he would not leave this planet without ALL of his team present and accounted for. "We go on, Major."

"Yes sir," she replied with no hesitation. He had obviously made the right choice by her standards and he admitted it helped bolster confidence in his decision. Without so much as a water break, they continued on in the direction they hoped to find their friends in.

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Shomas was trying to calm the young boy, Cal, as he fought against unseen monsters and fears. This was the youngest child of a dear friend and the first to succumb to the waking dreams of the curse. The woman, Maya, helped him soothe the boy back into sleep. Looking into the fevered face, he was reminded of his own son, blessedly uninfected in this curse cycle. The Evil had not healed Cal. If it would not, they would all die and he would never know the fate of his family. Would they die of old age surrounded by grandchildren after leading a joyful life or be taken before their time in the next flow of the curse?

Five of the six children had now fallen to the fever, as had three of the women and Vaile, his trusted neighbor of many years. Soon they would become as Cal, who Shomas believed was, at most, two moon cycles from being taken to the place beyond.

He stood and rested his hand briefly on Maya's shoulder, entrusting her to comfort the fallen while she was still able. Powerless to resist the draw, he found his feet had brought him to the cell that contained the Evil. Shomas had been accidentally subjected to a stinger once. It had caused a blaze of unbelievable pain. It had passed quickly and had done no real damage, but headache and nausea had plagued him for several moon cycles and his muscles fought to disobey his will for nearly as long, leaving him weak and unsteady. He had no desire to repeat the experience in his lifetime.

It was said stingers had an amazing effect on the Evil. It would cause the strange reverberating voice to quiet and the unholy glow to be cast off their eyes. In this state, they became vulnerable; it was said it was the key to their victory. Shomas was not feeling very victorious now. He felt it his duty to stay while Kaid and Elden used force to gain the cooperation of the beast. They would use the stinger repeatedly until the Evil would lose consciousness, then douse it with water to bring it back, only to start the process over. Shomas had watched intently, looking for signs of the changes promised. He saw only suffering and despair. The stinger generally stole the ability to speak from its victim but no change in tone was heard in the small gasps and moans that came from it. He also saw no glow in the eyes, other than the strange color, and this did not change throughout the process. Though he knew the Evil did not deserve it, he found himself clenching his jaw in sympathy as the session wore on and on. After an agonizing amount of time, they were unable to wake the demon and he had called the two men from their duty. He saw in Kaid's face that he enjoyed his task a bit too much, but he could not fault the man for carrying out what he himself had dictated.

Shomas motioned to the two guards and moved into the cell with the sleeping Evil. Although it had been nearly a moon cycle since the session had ended, it was still wet and visible shivers were coursing though it. Kneeling down by its side, he noted the broken skin around its ankle. The stories told the Evil would heal in nearly an instant and no stinger took them down for long. Both were proving to be untrue. Sensing the Evil was waking, he turned to find those peculiar eyes open and locked on him. It shrank away from him and struggled vainly to pull itself up to a sitting position. The session with Kaid and Elden had obviously seriously weakened it and he again felt another twinge of guilt for his role in its pain.

A noise of hurt came from it when trying to use the chains around its wrists to pull up. It was then Shomas noticed the fresh blood seeping from beneath the metal shackles, proving again this one did not heal as the stories told. Dark red streaks covered both hands and arms, apparently caused in the struggles for freedom from the two men and their torturous intents. Without thought, he reached over to inspect the condition of the bruising on its face, halting when it flinched back at the motion. Shomas stilled, leaving his hand suspended in mid air until the Evil seemed to push back its fear and tensed, waiting to see what he would do. He very cautiously continued his reach, taking hold of its chin and turning its head so he could evaluate the wounds.

Something was very, very wrong. He let his hand fall back down and looked at the being in front of him. It seemed less a monster and more a flesh and blood man like himself, a very battered and frightened one at that. The stories were true, the marked servant and the golden box that contained the magic proved that, yet this creature fit none of the lore in actions or body. He pulled his water pouch from around his neck and placed it in its hands. The Evil looked down at the bound and bleeding wrists, making Shomas realize there was no way for it to drink unless it lay back down on the cold stone floor. He retrieved the pouch and held it up, allowing it a small drink. He took it back after a short time, knowing he would be doing no favor by letting it drink itself sick.

He leaned back and wondered, if they were wrong and this was not one of the Evil, what was it? It was still eyeing him with trepidation and it seemed to be having trouble staying upright due to the tremors that continued to flow through it. Making a decision, he put his hand to his own chest and said his name very clearly.

"Show moss," the other repeated back, voice hoarse with fatigue and abuse. Shomas nodded, hoping the motion meant something to it. In turn, it put its bound hands as close to its chest as the chain would allow. "Dan-yel," it stated clearly. Shomas repeated the strange word and got a matching head nod in return. So, it had a name. He reached into his pack and pulled the Evil magic item out, handing it to Dan-yel. At first it just stared at the item, still seemingly suffering the confusion of the stinger. Finally, it slipped the device on its hand and held it out.

Nothing happened. It took it back off and held it out to him, shaking its head no. It spoke words Shomas could not understand, but he had gotten the point, Dan-yel could work the magic no more than he could. It…HE was not one of the Evil. Shomas knew it as certainly as he now knew his people were well and truly lost. He held the pouch out, giving him another drink and stood to leave. Changing his mind, he yelled a request to the guard and knelt back down. Removing a key from his pocket, he undid the chain that held the man to the floor, leaving the wrist restraints in place for safety's sake. He had been convinced this had been one of the Evil and though he now believed differently, he would not endanger his people more by being wrong a second time.

The guard looked unhappy, but handed Shomas a blanket through the bars. He helped Dan-yel move away from the puddle of water he had been restrained in and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. It was small comfort for what had been done to him, but it was the best he could do for now. With that he left, knowing he would now have to go convince the same people he had told there was, that hope was no more.

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Teal'c could remember no time he had ever felt so exposed. He stood just steps from the doorway of his goal, unarmed and fairly certain a strong gust of wind would bring him to his knees. Time was slipping by with amazing speed and he could feel the desperation gnawing away at him. He took a deep breath and lurched forward, the momentum carrying him the last two steps landing him against the doorframe at long last. The adrenaline rush of achievement gave him the boost he needed to stand upright, braced by one arm against the door, and give a quick look around the room. What was left of the daylight flowed in, revealing a sight better then he could have possibly imagined. DanielJackson had opened the door to a virtual Goa'uld armory.

He could see shelves lined with zat'nikatels, a wall of staff weapons, several boxes he believed held hand devices and more that held healing devices. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed meaning their assailants had not needed the weapons or did not know they were weapons. It was to his benefit regardless. When outnumbered, the better choice would be a zat'nikatels. Teal'c carefully made his way over to the shelves and pulled one off. He turned, aimed and discharged it at a spot across the room, confirming it was still in working order. Tucking it securely in his belt loop, he took a second one and repeated the action. Confident he was now adequately armed, he made his way back out into the fading sunlight.

Torn, he looked for signs leading in the direction DanielJackson had been taken. He knew rushing in when he was injured could be disastrous, but was also afraid to delay his pursuit any longer than he had. With only the slightest hesitation, he began his precarious pursuit with an unsteady gait, but a resolve of steel.

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>From the UAV images they had received, Sam knew they were fast approaching the area Teal'c and Daniel should be. The colonel knew it, too, and they both unconsciously slowed, scanning the area with a watchful eye. She wanted to see her friends, but her hand was on her weapon in case they should find something else. Catching the colonel's eye, he signaled to her to enter the area from the left, he took the right. Sam tuned an ear to the area. She heard nothing she would expect to hear from her two teammates, no Daniel excitedly babbling, no Teal'c offering his assistance on a word or two, just nothing. Looking over, she saw the same disappointed look reflected on her team leader's face.

Colonel O'Neill motioned to the deserted looking campsite he'd spotted not far from the small grouping of buildings Daniel had been excited about. Assured her side was clear, Sam headed over to him, stopping in her tracks midway, a cold fist wrapping itself around her middle and squeezing the air out of her.. The ground was bleeding. That was the only way to account for the small lake of blood she could see in the middle of the clearing. She forced breath into her lungs and took a tentative step closer. It had to be something else. She drew nearer, crouching down and lightly touching a shaking hand to the scarlet surface.

"Carter!"

The booming call made her jump back, bringing her face to face with her CO across the blood soaked soil. He was holding a battered, blood tinged SGC jacket in his hand and his eyes were locked on the tips of her brightly stained fingers. When their eyes met, she saw a flash of absolute horror behind the brown, frightening her more than anything else she had seen. She couldn't hold his eye and moved her attention to the jacket. "Sir?" she asked, knowing either way the answer would hurt.

"Looks like Teal'c's," he stated, tone flat. "There's a blood trail all the way from here to the tent and in the tent itself. No bodies."

She was right, it hurt. All of this blood couldn't be Teal'c's. Not even he could survive this much of a loss. He wasn't dead, she would not allow him to be dead, so it couldn't be all his, not that the alternative gave her anymore hope. The word scratched her throat as it grated out. "Daniel?"

"It looks like it was only one person." He looked around them, eyes scanning over the abandoned staff weapon before settling back on her. "Let's check the buildings."

They had made their way through three buildings with no signs of their missing teammates or their assailants. Near the entrance of the fourth, she saw the colonel retrieve something off the ground that made him frown, but the fading light made it impossible to see what he stuffed into his pocket before signaling her inside. She stepped through the doorway, taken slightly aback by what was held within; row after row of all things Goa'uld. They made sure the building was clear before taking a closer look at the items.

Sam noticed two clean spots amongst the dust on the first shelf. "Colonel? I think someone removed two zats from over here."

"Yeah, something's missing over here too." He grabbed a zat and gave it a test shot. Sam did the same, both of them stowing one and taking another for good measure. They stepped out in time to see the sun give off its last wisps of light before ducking behind the horizon. "Let's finish the buildings and settle in, we'll continue on at first light."

Sam wanted to argue, but knew as well as the colonel that he was right. They couldn't track what they couldn't see. "Yes, sir," she whispered as she followed him into the dark.

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Daniel hurt. On a physical level, the steady pounding behind his eyes was fierce enough to make moving more trouble than it was worth. Besides, moving so much as a pinky finger sent his empty stomach into a tailspin, ending with it lodged in the back of his throat, begging to be let out. Being subjected to a few dozen zat blasts and a round or two with the ribbon device added in with a skinny dip in one of the Minnesota lakes Jack loved during the frigid winter months and spending a night in a cement mixer wouldn't even come close to how bad he felt right now. The worst part was, it still hurt less than losing Teal'c. Or knowing the sick child in the next room would never grow up, never find his true love, never finish just being a kid.

He would cry for these things if his body would let him, but it just didn't have the ability right now. He could feel the smooth icy cold stone beneath him, the thin covering Shomas had given him providing about as much warmth as a newspaper would. Not that he wasn't grateful for the small kindness. The man seemed to understand what Daniel was trying to tell him, yet it obviously wasn't enough for him to have been set free. At least his captors hadn't come back for a repeat performance of the Popeye and Bruiser show.

His thoughts drifted to Jack and Sam. He wanted them to come charging in and take him home, but equally wanted them to stay far away and safe. Aside from the abysmal way strangers were greeted, something was killing these people. A violent tremor caused him to move involuntarily, sending a spike of pain through his brain making him wonder if that 'something' hadn't already taken hold of him.

Daniel was jolted from his reverie by a set of bickering voices that seemed to be moving towards him. The appearance of a red faced, very angry looking Bruiser prompted him to attempt to sit upright. He couldn't stop the moan that came from him as he struggled upward, finally coming to rest breathlessly with his back against the wall. He swallowed, fighting the nausea as shivers shook his body. He put his arms back around his knees to steady himself and watched helplessly as Bruiser unlocked his cell and came charging at him. An angry voice from behind caught both of their attention as Shomas and a man Daniel hadn't seen before entered the cell on Bruiser's heels.

Daniel finally noticed there was only one guard on duty as that man joined the other three, giving him an up close look at the bunch. Bruiser wasn't just red with anger, he looked flushed from fever. Actually, all of them looked fevered to varying degrees. Whatever this was, it was getting worse. Harsh words kept flowing between the two men as Daniel and the other two men observed. Finally, Shomas lowered his voice and put a hand on each of Bruiser's shoulders. A calm statement and a wave in Daniel's direction caused the lighter man to turn towards him. For the first time since this began, Daniel felt like the man was really looking at him. Anger dissipated into a series of emotions that played across his features, disbelief, sorrow, remorse and finally, sad acceptance.

Looking into the stricken face that had previously displayed only scorn, Daniel was reminded he was far from the only loser in this. The man looked down at the key lying in his hand before looking to the blood encrusted cuffs still binding Daniel's wrists. As he turned and held the keys out to Shomas, blue talons enveloped him, moving in turn over each man, dropping them to the floor before the familiar whine had even made its way to Daniel' ears.

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Teal'c had been following the trail of his attackers for several hours, gaining confidence if not strength along the way. His senses allowed him to keep moving through the darkness where his human counterparts could not. Having stayed on his feet heartened him, though he should have been able to traverse the distance in a quarter of the time it had taken even taking the lack of light into account. Approximately three miles from the area he had been working with DanielJackson stood a series of buildings. Most were as dilapidated as those they had seen in the clearing and appeared to be abandoned.

His attention was drawn to one near the outskirts of the area. It was slightly larger then the others and despite the growing illumination as the sun crept from beyond the horizon, he could still see a faint glow drifting out of the window and door openings. He tuned his hearing and believed he heard voices emanating from the dwelling. He crept closer, injury forgotten momentarily in the hopes of finding his teammate. With stealth one would not attribute to a man his size, he stole silently into the building. He saw lights and heard the soft murmur of voices from an area to his left. To the right, he could hear the distinct reverberation of disagreement. Cautiously, he moved in that direction finding himself outside a room were an unquestionable argument was taking place. The words were nonsensical to him, but there was no mistaking the tone.

Teal'c waited a few beats before slowly peering in the doorway. The room held a cell area at its rear.. There he saw four men standing, two of them engaged in a verbal battle while the other two stood clear. The next sight to greet him caused his spirits to soar and his blood to boil. Just beyond the men, barely visible between the bars of the cell sat the very battered form of DanielJackson. The young man was in a state of undress not suited to either the weather or his modesty. He appeared to be covered in bruises and abrasions, was convulsively shaking hard enough to be noticeable at this great a distance and his arms and hands were tracked with blood, fresh and old, originating from his bound wrists.

Hatred and rage flowed from Teal'c in waves as his hand tightened around the base of the zat'nikatel. He bit back an irate howl, clenching his jaw and steadying himself. In a smooth motion, he raised the weapon and swung into the room, discharging the weapon in swift succession, dropping the men quickly. He stole into the cell and took a closer look at his stunned teammate. The confirmation of his friend's condition motivated him to turn and raise his weapon for the fatal second shot.

"Teal'c?" The haggard voice was barely a whisper, but it compelled him to give his attention back to the linguist. He was staring at Teal'c in awe, round eyes a bit too bright with fever. "Teal'c. You're here. You're alive." A smile graced DanielJackson's face for a moment of apparent joy in discovering Teal'c lived. It was immediately replaces with concern and confusion. "Wait, Teal'c. Don't kill them. It's…They were only… Just don't kill them. Please."

The last part was an out and out plea. Coming from the notoriously peaceful man, it did not really surprise him, but he was not sure he could accommodate his wish this time. These cowards had attacked from the shadows and without provocation. They had abducted and grossly mistreated a relatively defenseless man and would have denied both himself and DanielJackson an honorable death and burial. He glared at the pitiful excuse for men at his feet.

"Teal'c. Please. I'll explain, I promise."

Teal'c knew he was choiceless when it came to his friend, as much as he wanted to, he could not refuse him. With a deep frown, he bent down and retrieved a set of keys he saw lying between two of the soon to be awakening men. He moved over and reached down to grasp his teammate by his forearms. Trying to help him to his feet, he was reminded of his own weakened state. With great effort, they were standing, leaning on each other as much for support as to reassure themselves the other was truly there and living. Together they made their way around the men and out of the cell. Teal'c helped the younger man to a bench along the wall opposite the cell then found the correct key, locking the door before the men should rouse.

Suddenly, overwhelming weariness came over him and he seated himself on the floor very near his friend. He knew there were others in the building; he'd heard them when he first entered. Sitting was unwise, but he needed to assess his Tau'ri companion's condition and truthfully, did not think he would be able to successfully walk to the next room. Reaching out, he pulled the shackled hands to rest on his chest as he searched for the right key to free him. Teal'c tried his best to be gentle but still caused the man to grimace and let a small gasp escape as the metal bindings were removed. Daniel kept his hand resting on his chest for a few moments and Teal'c saw him looking at the once tan colored BDU's that were stained with blood and dirt from his waist to knees. He looked into Teal'c's eyes before speaking.

"Teal'c, I thought… I was sure you were…I…" He pulled his arms back, wrapping them around himself as the Jaffa had seen him do so many times before. He averted his eyes and focused on the ground. "I'm glad you're here, Teal'c"

For once, he allowed himself a smile. "I am pleased to see you again as well, DanielJackson." He reached around and pulled a thin blanket he had found with Daniel more tightly around the shivering form. "There are others here. I need to contain them and then you must explain all that has transpired."

"There are others here, Teal'c, but they're sick. I don't think anyone else will come in here for a while."

"Are you certain of this?"

"Certain they're sick, not sure about the other. What about Jack and Sam?"

"I have been unable to contact them. I am uncertain of their location at this time. DanielJackson, it would appear you are unable to move of your own volition. You rest and I shall secure this location."

"Thanks Teal'c, but you don't look so hot yourself. Are you able to listen for movement around you while doing Kel'no'reem?"

"I am."

"Good. We rest and then try to figure out what to do."

DanielJackson seemed confident the plan was acceptable. Teal'c was not convinced. He wanted nothing more than to eliminate the possibility of threat, treat his friend's injuries and fill him with food and water that had very apparently been denied. Unfortunately, he did not have the energy reserves to argue with the stubborn minded man. Conceding defeat, he helped Daniel lie down on the bench and allowed his own eyes to close. They would rest and then they would find their friends and a way home.

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Jack's knee was complaining. Loudly. He turned a deaf ear, deeming it insignificant until his team was found. He and Carter had been on the move since the second the sun had breached the edge of the sky. Setting a fast pace, they moved in silence each absorbed in thoughts of their missing teammates. Jack wished Teal'c was with them, he could track better than any man he'd ever known. Luckily, whoever left the trail didn't seem overly concerned about being followed. It never took more than a few minutes of rooting around to find which way to go but Jack had this nagging suspicion they were minutes they couldn't spare.

He sensed Sam slowing. Falling into step beside her, he saw what had caught the major's attention. They were approaching a clearing that held several buildings, very similar to the ones they had swept at Daniel and Teal'c's campsite. On automatic pilot, they began the long-established pattern, working through each building in turn and finding no signs of life. As they neared the largest structure, Jack thought he heard soft voices coming from inside. They followed it to a room off to the right of the entrance. He ticked of the countdown and on his mark, they swung into the room, zats at the ready.

Jack stopped cold. The room was filled with wall to wall bodies. It took him a moment to realize most seemed to be alive, some if barely. A middle aged, exhausted looking woman was kneeling between two very ill children. Whispering and stroking their heads, presumably comforting them as they tossed and turned, yelling and fighting at the air. A small flash of fear crossed her face as she took in Jack and Sam, but almost immediately dismissed them. She turned back to her charges and acknowledged the strangers no longer. No one else seemed aware enough to care about their presence.

A quick head count came up with six children, six women counting the one still partially functional and six men. None of them part of his team. Two of the less incapacitated men raised their heads long enough to glare at them as they went by, but no one showed any inclination of making a move against them. Jack caught Sam's eye and motioned her towards the woman. She lowered her weapon and crouched down along the side of one of the sick children.

"Hello. Do you understand me?" The woman shot her an annoyed glance and continued soothing the ill. "We're looking for friends of ours. Have you seen anyone around here?" This time she didn't even spare Sam a glance. Sam surveyed the young boy before rejoining him. "I don't think they can understand us, sir. Daniel did say he didn't recognize some of the writings." Jack knew the military mind of his 2IC was level, but he could see her heart clearly on her sleeve as she looked at the suffering around them.

"What do we do, sir?"

"We find Daniel and Teal'c."

He could see the struggle going on in her head and reached out, putting his hand on her arm. "Look Carter, we're not doctors, we don't know what's wrong with them and we have minimal supplies. We find our missing team first. Maybe then we can see if there is anything we can do here. Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

He didn't like walking away from this either, but had to put his team first. They moved past the group, finding several deserted rooms along the way. They crept up to one the last doorways and rounded, finding his zat directly pointed at a Jaffa with a zat aimed at him. Just as his finger tightened, the Jaffa image resolved into Teal'c. He heard Sam make a little gasping noise and understood why; his teammates looked like hell. Both he and Teal'c lowered their weapons and stared at each other. He could see Daniel sitting on a bench just behind Teal'c.

The younger man lowered the zat he'd been holding out unsteadily. He was shivering, no doubt due in part to his advanced state of undress. A thin blanket was lying on the bench next to him, leaving him mostly uncovered. Along with the shaking, all his showing parts were covered in a variety of colors mottling his skin, the most spectacular being a vibrant display of the rainbow covering his right cheek and jaw. A split lip and an obvious fever rounded out his face allowing Jack to move his assessment down to the man's arms. He tried not to think about what would have caused the mangled state of his wrists and the large amount of dried blood coating his hands and forearms.

Jack looked back to the Jaffa, standing but swaying lightly since he had lowered his zat. His normally richly colored skin had gone completely ashen and was dampened by perspiration from exertion or fever, he couldn't tell which. His BDUs were tinted rust the whole way down with what could only have been blood, confirming his theory Teal'c had been the source of the carnage they had found earlier. Though he still held his usual determined look, Jack figured even a yutz like Maybourne could have taken Teal'c out about now without even breaking a sweat. Jack really wanted to pound the crap out of someone and knew his rage at finding the two in this shape had to be written all over his face.

Four men were locked in a cell in the back of the room and Jack focused his intense loathing there. Three of them were watching the scene with interest while the last looked to be in the same shape as the group they had found in the other room. Jack felt himself coiling, ready to spring and tear them apart piece by piece with his bare hands. Out of nowhere, Sam appeared at his side, laying a hand on his arm and diverting his attention by a nod in Daniel and Teal'c's direction.

He was at a loss as to what to say. Where ya been? What'cha been up to? How's that massive blood loss and thrashing you appear to have taken working out for you? He stared at his teammates, silence straining the air, deafening in its completeness. After what felt like decades, Daniel finally broke the spell.

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?"

Massive relief tore through him. Where there is humor, even bad Daniel humor, there is hope. He felt his shoulders drop infinitesimally. "Funny. Nice outfit."

Daniel looked down at himself, seemingly just now noticing he was sitting there in his underwear. He reached a shaking arm out and pulled the blanket over his legs as he turned even redder and shot an embarrassed look at Sam.

"We are pleased to see you, O'Neill and MajorCarter. I believe DanielJackson requires immediate medical attention."

The weakness of Teal'c's voice startled Jack even more then the men's appearance had. "Yeah, I got that. I don't think it'd be too bad an idea if you were to join him. Let's say you have a seat, big guy."

Sam had finally overcome her shock and was circling the two men, frowning at their wounds and digging for supplies while Jack ushered the man to a spot on the bench next to Daniel. He was highly unnerved by Teal'c's lack of protest to the suggestion. He even actually slumped against the wall, apparently having used up whatever inner well he had dipped into that had enabled him to stand. Jack couldn't remember ever seeing the Jaffa in this bad a shape. He really wanted to know what the hell happened to his team. "Somebody want to catch us up with what's going on here?"

"The men of this village attacked DanielJackson and myself while we were surveying the area of our initial camp. I was injured and these men forcibly removed DanielJackson from that location to this one where he was…mistreated. I followed and subdued them. Now that our team is whole again O'Neill, I would suggest we leave this planet immediately."

"Wait, we can't leave yet."

How did he know Daniel was going to say that? Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Injured and mistreated. Jack could see the bloodied campsite as clearly now as he had while still standing there and somehow he thought 'mistreated' was a bit of an understatement to describe how his friend had gotten into his current condition. He opened his eyes and gave the man his one and only chance, "Alright Daniel, I'll bite. Why would that be?"

"Jack, these people are sick. I think they're dying. They grabbed me because they thought I was a Goa'uld. They have a healing device and they wanted me to use it to help them. We can't just leave them without trying to do something to help them."

"See Daniel, that would be where you're wrong. We can leave."

"Jack…"

"Daniel, leave it alone! These people may be dying and I'm sorry, but we sure as hell don't owe them a damn thing! We had to swim across the lake of blood Teal'c left behind and I say it's a pretty safe bet they didn't just ASK you to help them. In my book, that makes them the bad guys!"

The young man focused on his own hands, subdued. Jack now officially felt like a royal ass. He hadn't meant to direct his frustration at Daniel, but he'd be damned if he would let pity for people that were capable of this keep him from getting his team home. The silence grew heavy again. This time, Daniel broke it without looking up from his lap, voice nearly inaudible, "When Cassie was dying, if Nirrti had refused to help, would you have let Janet kill her?"

No.

Jack was sure without a moment's hesitation the answer was no. Janet was by nature a healer. She would never have been able to live with herself if she had shot the Goa'uld in cold blood so the answer was no. He would have done it himself. Daniel finally raised his eyes to Jack's and saw the unspoken answer there. "These people aren't evil Jack, they're desperate. We've both watched people we love die. If there was a chance to save them, can you say we wouldn't have done the same thing?"

The exhilaration of finding his team alive and the nuclear fury at their poor condition suddenly exhausted itself and Jack let the familiar exclamation mutter out, "Damn it, Daniel." They both knew Jack couldn't say he would have played the hand dealt this group any differently. He tried to offer a compromise. "When we get back to base, we can arrange to have a medical team come out and see if they can help."

"Sir?" Sam broke in, startling him after so long a period of quiet. She had laid out all of the medical supplies and seemed to be trying to decide which one to try to patch up first. "There is something else we should think about."

"Go on."

"Since we don't know what's wrong with these people, we can't be sure it's not contagious. Both Daniel and Teal'c are running fevers, which seems to be a symptom common to everyone we've seen. We can't go back through the gate without possibly exposing earth to whatever this is. Helping them may help us know how to treat this if we've been infected."

Thoughts of the 'touched' ran through his head and he wondered if this mission could suck anymore than it did. "Alright, we head to the gate and radio the information through and see what Doc Frasier has to say."

"Jack, there's a little boy I saw over a day ago. He didn't look like he was going to make it much longer. Teal'c and I would slow you way down."

"Daniel, I am NOT leaving you two…"

"Actually sir, with your knee you'd slow us down too."

Annoyed, he tried to shoot her down with a look but as usual, it didn't work.

"It makes the most sense for me to go alone and bring back help."

At the comment, both Daniel and Teal'c's attention went to his legs, concern coloring their faces. He waved away their unspoken query with a hand. "Long story."

"We fell through a rotted floor and the colonel twisted his knee."

When exactly did he lose control of his team? "I may have overstated the length. Daniel, how's this place stocked with food and water?"

Daniel's blank, slightly guilty look confirmed the man had not be treated very hospitably and stoked the embers of his ire again, making his next words a little harsher than was necessary. "Carter, you take a look and see what we have, I'll take over this." He motioned to the medical supplies.

"Yes, sir."

At least she had to good sense to hop to it giving him a grim satisfaction. That was quickly wiped away as he tried to determine which one of his damaged team to try to put back together first. Since Teal'c had junior on his side, he moved over next to Daniel. Up close, his injured wrists looked even worse and he wasn't sure where to start. "Sorry," he mumbled as he slowly started what he knew was going to be a very painful task.

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Shomas had been watching the others with great interest. When he had woken after being hit with the lightning, he found his group to now be imprisoned in the cell that had so recently held one thought to be the Evil. Kaid and the others were slowly coming to as well. He found Dan-yel to have been joined by the Marked One, miraculously still alive. Confusion was rampant in his mind. That the Marked One lived with so grievous an injury once again proved the tales told by their fathers was truth. That they had not been killed where they stood contradicted them.

The two had conversed in their odd words until finally, the Marked One had, with great care, assisted Dan-yel to lie in rest and then closed his eyes as well. They remained this way for a short period of time until the Marked One seemed to go on alert. He stiffened and gently roused Dan-yel, both turning to the doorway with odd objects he assumed to be weapons held out. He paid tribute to the hearing of the Marked One as he heard the entrance of more strangers into the room. The new ones were dressed in the same fashion as the two and, after a brief period of tension, the four came together, making him assume they were all of the same people. The fair colored female seemed to want to tend the injured while he sensed the steel eyed male was their leader.

At one point, Leader looked at them with a bloodlust Shomas knew was inflamed by the injuries they had inflicted on his people. He was scared but appointed no blame, Leader was due his retribution if he desired it. The Marked One and Healer watched as words sparked between the other two. Healer left after a bit and he watched Leader turn gentle well beyond what Shomas would have thought possible as he took over the ministrations to Dan-yel. He wondered if it was between these two as it was between he and Kaid. His younger brother and he were as unalike as land and sky, but the bond between them was deep and rich with love.

It seemed too great a time was needed to clean and bandage the damage that had been done to Dan-yel and a deep cord of regret filled him again. He looked to Kaid and saw the same reflected back ten-fold, they had betrayed their God's will by directing undeserved malice towards another. With their time coming quickly, they could only hope their remorse was enough to allow them peace in the place beyond. He turned his attention back to the others.

Leader had given Dan-yel what looked like a container of water and a small wrapped item Shomas believed to be some type of food. He accepted the water but refused the food, bandage encumbered hands waving it away. He was next given two small and two larger white circles. The continued tremors Shomas knew would plague him for many more moon cycles caused him to drop these on his blanket. Leader picked them up and placed them in Dan-yel's hand, carefully helping guide them to his mouth. Finally he took off his thick, outer covering and helped wrap the shaking man into it.

He turned his tending to the Marked One but was stopped mid-way by a large hand blocking entrance to the area Shomas knew held the wound. More words of angry tone came from the Leader, but the dark man would not permit him access to the injury. Annoyance graced the face of the elder man but he did cease his attempts. He handed another of the round water pouches to him and seemed somewhat satisfied with his efforts to attend to the ailing just as Healer rejoined them. She carried two pails that were kept by the well and a dipper for the water they held.

Taking a seat next to Dan-yel, she seemed to automatically move close to provide warmth to the man. They conversed for a while before something appeared to occur to him. Excited, he motioned to the four imprisoned men and talked rapidly causing Leader to object. Healer shook her head no and soon the three of them raised voice in disagreement while the Marked One observed silently. After several minutes, Dan-yel seemed to lose the ability to verbally battle but began to struggle to his feet.. This sparked another exchange between him and Leader, the latter finally getting up and helping the man to steady on his feet.

They worked their way to the cell as Dan-yel called out to Shomas who rose and joined them at the cell door. He knew he should be fearful, but felt their intentions were not spiteful. There was no trust in Leader's gaze, but he stood back and allowed Dan-yel to lean against the bars as he tried to explain what he wanted. First he made a small circle shape with his hands and then mimicked slipping it on his hand. He wanted the device of the Evil. Shomas reached into his pouch and handed it to the man, wondering to what purpose since he could not make it work.

Dan-yel held the device out to Healer, who refused it. More words were exchanged before she finally, with great hesitation, accepted the device. The three moved out of the room, leaving the captive men with the Marked One. Shomas looked to his friends. Elden was no longer with them in mind, he was losing himself to the fever. Kaid had turned inward, worrying his actions in his soul. Tane was sleeping, his body doing what it could to fight the enemy within. Shomas carefully drew the keys he had from his pocket. The Marked One had his eyes closed, once again giving the appearance of rest. He unlocked the door, letting no sound escape and stepped out, locking the door behind him.

He quickly headed in the direction of the others, stopping when he felt dark eyes on him. Shomas turned to meet the eyes directly and saw the truth there. In spite of his weakened state, Shomas would have been dead before his foot breached the doorway of the cell if this being had so desired it. He bowed his head slightly at the man, acknowledging this. The dark one inclined his head a fraction, permitting him passage. Shomas questioned how he could have not seen it before; this man bore the mark, but he was no one's servant. He pulled his eyes away and followed Dan-yel and his people.

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Sam looked down at the writhing boy. Daniel was right, he wasn't far from death. Actually, many of the people looked like they were slowly losing the battle to live. The woman they had tried to talk to earlier was still doing what she could, but Sam would lay odds she was bedridden before day's end. Daniel and the colonel were sitting on the other side of the mat, Jack seemed transfixed by the boy and Sam guessed this was hitting a little too close to home for him. She looked at Daniel, trying to telegraph how much she was afraid to do this. She wasn't sure if she was more afraid of it working or not working, but either way wouldn't go down smooth.

Daniel gave her an understanding look. "I know, Sam, just do what you can."

Sam heard sound from behind her and turned to see one of the men from the holding cell. Realizing Teal'c must have let him pass calmed her and she let her attention go back to the boy. The man quietly moved over and sat on the other side of Daniel. The colonel never even looked up, unnerving her even more than the new audience member. Sam pulled in a deep breath and let her eyes close. Her hands drew together, holding the healing stone suspended above the boy. Letting her desire to heal flow through her body, she felt the stone respond. She heard a slight gasp of alarm come from the man at Daniel's side but she pushed it away, trying not to let it distract her.

As she felt the power course through her, doubts began assailing her. She was not a Tok'ra, she did not have a symbiote and she did not hold the power to heal. What if she caused more damage than good? Her mind began to whirl, fear reaching out from the darkest corners. Suddenly, she felt the energy change course, snapping back at the stone in some psychically charged feedback loop. The force of it flung her hands up, pushing her back away from the boy. She dropped the stone as if it had become burning coal. The boy let out a cry of distress and swung wildly at the air above him, wrestling an unseen demon in horror.

Sam couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she blurted to no one in particular. Jack had finally pulled his attention from the boy and moved over to comfort her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Carter. You tried, no one expected this to work."

"I'm sorry, Sam. I shouldn't have asked you to do this."

She looked at Daniel and knew he truly meant it. He would never have intentionally caused her pain. The man beside him had calmed the boy and was glaring at her angrily. When their eyes met, anger gave way to confusion. Sam blinked back another round of tears. "I'm so sorry," she told him, knowing he didn't understand her but she needed to say it just the same. He seemed to comprehend the meaning behind her words, finally nodding at her before returning his attention to the boy.

"Let's check in with Teal'c," Jack offered. They rose to rejoin their teammate, Daniel needing quite a bit of help gaining his feet. The colonel tried to catch the attention of the dark eyed man still kneeling near the child. "Daniel, want to tell your friend here it's time to go back to the cage?"

"His name is Shomas, Jack and he's not a threat. He just wants to help his people."

It looked like he was going to argue until Sam saw him take in the appearance of the woman who had been nursing the ill. Dark circles had all but swallowed her eyes and she was barely able to sit upright next to one of the fallen children. He moved his stare to Shomas, holding it there until the man looked up. Pointedly, Jack stared the man down for several minutes before he motioned for her and Daniel to follow, leaving the man to comfort his people alone.

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Teal'c had been in a deep state of kel'no'reem during his teammates' absence. He was comforted by the muffled voices coming from the next room, knowing it confirmed that all of his friends lived. He had allowed passage to the dark eyed leader for one reason only - DanielJackson looked at him in trust. The man had proven many times over that his judgement of character was solid. Fear graced his eyes when he looked to the other three, unintentionally telling Teal'c these were the source of his injuries. He also believed he recognized one of them as the face behind the spear that put him down. Should the need arise, Teal'c would gladly repay them in kind.

The familiar footsteps of his team approached and he opened his eyes as they came through the door. MajorCarter appeared distressed, implying she was unsuccessful in the task asked of her by DanielJackson. Both of the men looked like they were at a loss as to how to console her. He wished to tell her not being able to act as a Goa'uld, Tok'ra or otherwise was nothing to mourn over, but he was unsure of the Tau'ri custom in such a situation. Instead, he tried to rise to help the now very notably limping O'Neill and fever wracked DanielJackson.

O'Neill waved him back, "It's okay Teal'c, we're good." The two men dropped down on the bench next to him and he could feel the waves of heat rolling off the young man as he came to rest at his side.

"MajorCarter. I believe DanielJackson's condition is worsening. I would like to accompany you to the Stargate to bring back assistance."

Sam looked up but was cut off by O'Neill who was warily looking him over. "Sorry, Teal'c, Carter's right on this, she'll move a lot faster with none of us slowing her down." He turned his look to the major who had immersed herself in readying a pack for her travel.

"Sam?" He waited until he had her full attention.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're only responsible for getting back to the gate safely, nothing else. Understood?"

He sensed O'Neill was offering an absolution only MajorCarter felt was needed. All three of them watched her struggle for a moment, trying to come to terms with the meaning of the words. Finally, she looked again like the confident warrior and friend he knew.

"Understood, sir." She stood and gave them all a quick goodbye before setting out on her own. The wake of her absence washed over them. Teal'c was about to suggest they find somewhere for DanielJackson to rest when the dark eyed man he had let pass cautiously entered the room. Teal'c prepared himself to defend his team from the man should it become necessary. Instead, he moved towards them, in his hands a bundle of clothing and a lumpy cloth satchel. He kneeled down in front of them and pulled pants and a shirt from the pile and offered them to DanielJackson. The young man tried to take the offered clothes but was unable to steady enough to do so. O'Neill reached over and took them for him.

The same was offered to Teal'c, surprising him with the gesture of friendship. A coat and soft, moccasin type shoes followed for Daniel, allowing O'Neill to take his coat back. The man seemed unhappy at not having a coat for Teal'c, but the Jaffa was impressed with the thought none the less. DanielJackson had been correct in his assessment of his former captor, his actions had been commanded by the needs of his people. He did not approve of their methods, they were too like those of the Goa'uld for his liking, but he understood the motivation. A leader was sometimes called on to undertake the distasteful for the sake of his people.

O'Neill was helping DanielJackson with the garments as Teal'c rose and pulled on his own, making sure to turn away to keep his injury from his own leaders eyes. He would heal and had no desire to add to the man's burdens. Once dressed, he resumed his spot on the bench as the bag was opened and a variety of brightly colored, sweet smelling foods were pulled out. DanielJackson took this time to give name to the man before them. The dark eyed man was Shomas. He in turn said all of their names and Teal'c was pleased they could now call on one another properly.

Shomas turned to check on the men in the cell, frowning with concern that two of them now seemed unable to respond to his call. He looked to the men on the bench with great sadness and Teal'c sent out a silent call to MajorCarter. He willed her great speed and safe passage and hopefully, a swift return.

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Daniel was hot. No, wait, he was freezing, a block of human ice from head to toe. No, he was hot, burning to be exact. Never mind, it didn't matter. All he knew for sure was he was too tired to chew. After Jack had helped him into the clothes Shomas had given them, all three men had tried to coax some of the exotic looking foods into him. His stomach revolted at the idea and he weakly batted away the hands that kept coming at him. He finally agreed to try a bite of an innocuous looking fruit. The minute it had hit his mouth, he'd known it was a mistake.

Now the bite was sitting in his mouth with him too tired to spit it out and way too nauseous to swallow it. He was hoping no one noticed, but Jack was glaring at him so it seemed his cover was blown. He closed his eyes and forced himself to chew the small bit, determinedly NOT gagging. Finally, his throat constricted, pushing the mush down into an unaccommodating stomach. Jack being Jack seemed to know what he needed and held the water dipper up for him. After a few tense moments, he thought the worst was past and opened his eyes to see his CO watching him closely.

"Going with a light supper tonight?"

"How'd you guess," Daniel muttered.

"DanielJackson, perhaps you should abstain from solid food until you are no longer feeling unwell."

"Good idea, Teal'c." Wasn't that what he'd been telling them? He looked across the room to see Shomas had entered the cell and was trying to get some water into Popeye, who appeared to be failing fast. Daniel wanted to be happy, chalking it up to a universal sized display of bad karma, but he couldn't. What he'd said to Jack was true, these were not bad people. "Jack, maybe we should move to the other room. Even Bruiser doesn't look like he's up to doing much of anything and I'm sure they would all want to be together."

"Bruiser?" Jack was now eyeing the men in the cell suspiciously.

"Jack!"

The older man looked annoyed but agreed to move. Teal'c and Daniel used each other for support while Shomas and Jack helped the others all gather in the 'sick room' with everyone else. Once the incapacitated were situated on their mats, Bruiser hesitantly made his way to Daniel's side pulling two mats with him. Daniel couldn't help tensing as the man drew nearer and the action was not lost on him. He stared at the floor for the last part of his approach, pushing the mats ahead of him towards Daniel and Teal'c.

"Wait," Daniel called out, stopping the man just as he was about to scurry away. "Daniel. I'm Daniel," he said gesturing to himself. The man motioned to himself and Bruiser became Kaid. Kaid offered blankets and with great deference, helped Daniel and Teal'c get settled on the mats. He moved off, seating himself next to the young boy they now knew was called Cal.

Jack plunked himself down next to Daniel on the mat. "You know, Daniel, you've got to figure out a better way of making new friends. Personal ads, Internet, serial killer of the month club, anything has to be safer than how you're doing it."

Daniel was working on a cutting reply when Kaid suddenly called out to Shomas and he could see the boy, Cal, had started to convulse. Shomas was instantly on the other side of the mat, both of them laying their hands on the boy to keep him from hurting himself or those around him. Jack lightly grabbed Daniel's arm gently pulling him back against him as he struggled to get up to help the two men.

"Jack, what are you…"

"Daniel. Let them be." The words were softly spoken but absolute. "They need to be alone for this."

He looked at his CO and saw a wisdom and sorrow only first hand experience could bring. He allowed himself to be pulled back, ending shoulder to shoulder with his friend, the contact giving them both small comfort.

They watched silently as the boy's body finally stilled, a soft exhalation into nothingness. Each man placed a hand on one of the small shoulders, letting their heads hang down. Daniel could hear faint words whispering from both in what he assumed to be prayer. Moments later, Kaid reached out using hands Daniel had seen as instruments of torture, now lovingly brush the tousled hair back from the boy's face. He saw the tear tracks that lined their faces as they carefully wrapped a blanket around him for the last time, covering the young face that would grow no older.

He felt hot tears slide down his check, joining theirs in anguish over the loss of a life that could have been. Jack hadn't moved or shown any emotion throughout, the tightly balled fists in his lap the only indication he had witnessed the scene before them. Teal'c's head was bowed, those unfamiliar might think in meditation, but Daniel knew he was paying tribute to the soul that just passed from them. Suddenly weary to the bone, he let his head fall back against the wall, eyes closing out what they could no longer take.

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Jack was getting worried. Carter had been gone nearly three days now and though he knew it was too soon to panic, he was getting antsy anyway. Daniel's fever was now in the molten lava range and he hadn't been able to get more than a few mouthfuls of water into his system in the last day. Shomas and Kaid were nearly unable to sit up let alone help people. Teal'c actually seemed to be improving, but still had to spend the majority of his time doing kel'no'reem. That left Jack as the only semi-able body around and he felt feeling every minute of his 'won't admit to it under torture' years right now. Worst of all, they had lost another little boy, Reed, late the evening before. Kaid had been alone by his side and had needed Jack's help covering and moving the body. He was grateful Daniel slept through it and Teal'c was out getting water, they didn't see him shaking and gritting his teeth against the tears in the aftermath. He knew people died, children died and there was nothing you could do to stop it, he just didn't know why. Why one life could be lived in full and other cut off after only a breath. Usually he left the 'whys' to the Daniel's and the Sam's of the world, but today he really wanted to know.

Deciding everyone seemed to be asleep or at least resting peacefully, he sat down next to Daniel. Teal'c had just returned from getting water again, coming over to place one of the pails at Jack's feet.

"O'Neill, you appear fatigued. Allow me to assist DanielJackson while you rest."

Jack gave the Jaffa a once over. He was looking better but he could tell the trip to the well had pretty much taken everything out of him. "That's okay, Teal'c. I got it." The big man took his place next to Daniel, immediately closing down to meditate. Jack replaced the soft rag on Daniel's head with one dipped in the fresh, cool water. The young man seemed to push up into it, settling back as it pulled a bit of heat away from him.

As unreasonable as it was, Jack wanted his friend to wake up and talk to him. Argue with him, get prickly and scowl at him, try telling him some stupid archeological fact, anything. Teal'c gave great presence when you needed a quiet, solid one. Right now he needed chatter. Mind numbing, inane, non-stop chatter. That was Daniel's job. Sometimes he could get Carter on a roll, but she usually stopped after a few minutes of non-response. Not Daniel. He'd keep rolling along 'til you let him run into a wall and then, he usually tried to explain to the wall why it needed to get out of his way.

"Jack?"

He looked down and realized at least part of his wish came true, alert blue eyes were directed up at him.

"Hey."

"Hey. You okay? Sam back yet?"

"Fine and no, not yet. She'll be here soon." He hoped. Daniel was trying to lift his head up to look around the room. He was frowning in the direction the newest missing mat should have been, observant little bastard. Jack reached out to freshen the cloth, hoping to distract him at the same time. "So Daniel, you never did tell me if you found anything before…" he swirled a finger around the room. "before, this."

"Not really. Obviously, the Goa'uld have been here before. A couple of minor ones Teal'c had never heard of. I think the people here ran them off, but somehow I can't see a Goa'uld leaving a written record of how they were defeated. I was looking for something to help me with the other language when… Well, you know."

Jack wasn't sure if the memory of 'you know' or the illness was the culprit, but it seemed his steamroller had just run out of steam. Daniel flopped his head back down, bouncing it up right away at the faint whirring noise coming from outside. Teal'c joining them in staring at the door confirmed it. He and Jack were on their feet, zats in hand. Daniel was trying to get up but was failing miserably. Jack handed him a zat. "Stay here."

He and Teal'c flanked the doorway, carefully peering out at the finest sight he could ever recall, two of the biggest, dirtiest good old US of A military transport trucks. And one bright and shiny Carter sitting in the cab of the first one. They ground to a halt, Sam out of the door before they had even stopped moving.

"Hey sir, I thought you guys could use a lift."

He had never been happier to see that particular set of white teeth. "Good thinking, Major."

"How are you doing, Teal'c?"

"My symbiote has been able to repair much of the damage. MajorCarter, I am greatly pleased at your safe return." Teal'c even managed a small smile to the obvious delight of the major.

Men in bright yellow protective suits and headgear were swarming around, pushing past them and into the building carrying stretchers. Within minutes, bodies were being rushed past headed for the back of the trucks. Jack figured none of the natives would have a clue what a truck was, but it seemed they were too out of it to care. Sam was watching, frowning when Daniel wasn't one of the first ones out.

"Sir?"

"He's holding on, Major. Probably insisted the 'sick' ones be taken first."

Sam looked relieved, but he knew the dreaded question was coming up. "What about the little boy, sir? How's he doing?"

Making a point not to flinch, Jack met her eye, "We lost him. So far two of the worst cases haven't made it." Stricken, she looked away and Jack could see her fighting to keep it under control. He moved closer and put a hand on each of her arms, making her look at him. "You made it to the gate and you brought back help. You did good, Carter." Waiting until she finally nodded her head, he let her go. "So, what's the plan?"

"Um, the, near the gate, sir. Janet has set up an isolation tent. That way if she needs more resources we have easy access."

"Good idea. Yours?"

"Partially, sir. Janet came up with the trucks. You should have seen the general figuring out how to get them to the gate room."

"I'll bet."

"I believe they are removing DanielJackson now."

As usual, Teal'c was the master of understatement. Phrases like; 'I can walk' and 'where's Sam' were heard well before the archeologist made it through the door. "Sam!" he called out as he was carried towards one of the waiting trucks, his excitement putting a hint of a smile back on the major's face even though Jack knew Daniel looking like a ghost had to upset her.

Jack watched them load Daniel in the back, big sister never leaving his side until he was tucked securely away. Finally, the last of the ill were loaded and ready. "Sir? You two ready to go?"

Jack looked back to the building, sadness touching his eyes at the knowledge there were two more inside who would never be ready to do anything again. He silently said goodbye before turning back to his team. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go see the doc."

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Janet Fraiser was dead on her feet. She hadn't stopped moving since a breathless Sam Carter had breached the shimmering surface of the Stargate well over forty-two hours ago. The ingenuity of the United States Air Force had amazed her yet again as they created a completely isolated, sterile environment millions upon millions of miles away from planet Earth. Now that was something you didn't do everyday. She rechecked her lab results, thinking this had all been too easy but certain she really had the answer right in front of her. Confident, she decided it was time to go face the inquisition.

Janet stepped through one the makeshift doorways to find exactly what she had expected, Colonel O'Neill, Sam and Teal'c all hanging around trying to look nonchalant while waiting on pins and needles to see how Daniel and the others were. She shot Jack a nasty doctor look as he quickly sat down, trying to appear compliant with the directive to stay off that knee. Teal'c had also been ordered off his feet and away from distractions to allow him time to focus on healing.

"Glad to see you two respond so well to verbal command," she testily berated them. Wow, she didn't know a Jaffa could blush, she must be crankier than she thought. Janet hastily reminded herself they'd been all been having a rough time a lot longer than she had. Softening a little, she directed Sam and Teal'c to the other waiting chairs and pulled one up herself.

"As you know, we've already determined that the contagion is not airborne and at this point is not passed through direct contact." They already knew that, hence the banishment of the lovely yellow suits and she could see the impatience in their eyes, prompting her to hurry along.

"General Hammond sent Captain Kettleman through to help work on translating. Between him, Daniel and two of the natives from this planet, they've made pretty good headway with communication. We now also know the twenty people we're dealing with here is a fairly small segment of the population and this illness has been plaguing the inhabitants on this planet on a regular basis since the Goa'uld left."

Colonel O'Neill snorted and looked disgusted. "Figures the Goa'uld would be behind this."

"Ordinarily Colonel, I'd agree with you, but the Goa'uld may not have even known about this. I believe these people have been exposed to something not indigenous to this planet that has a volatile reaction with their DNA, causing a disease-like reaction. It may be something the Goa'uld brought with them or a bacteria that was natural to one of the host's bodies, they would have no idea they were a carrier of something that would be deadly to these people."

A look of impatience and incomprehension was plastered on the colonel's face. Even Sam was looking at her as if she were speaking Swahili and she hadn't started with the technical stuff yet. Her mind wandered, questioning if Daniel could translate Swahili. She'd have to remember to ask him when this was over. Oh boy, were they all too tired to be doing this, she thought as she continued.

"Alright, look at it like this. All water has certain bacteria and chemicals in it that can be unsafe for humans to drink. In the United States, we have water-processing plants that filter the water to what we deem to be suitable levels of these elements. Our bodies grow accustomed to the chemical make up over time and we view it as safe to drink. If we travel to another country, they have similar plants that do the same thing only they have a different standard they use. People who live in that country can drink the water with no ill effects. Americans that travel abroad, however, can become ill from the water since their bodies aren't used to it. Same if someone comes to the US, they may become ill from our water."

"So what exactly is making them sick?" Of course Sam would want the specifics, she thought. Too bad she couldn't give them to her.

"I don't know for sure yet, Sam. Daniel has some theories about rituals the natives perform that may bring certain individuals into contact with items left behind by the Goa'uld, maybe even remains of those that were killed. But truthfully, we're a long way from knowing the 'how'."

As usual, the colonel wanted to get to the bottom line. "I don't care about the 'how'. The question is, can we fix it?"

"Luckily, yes. The condition they have acts very similarly to Malaria on Earth. From the tests I've run, the medications we use to fight that should work here, as long as they aren't allergic to the medication itself. Shomas and Kaid volunteered to be guinea pigs and both have shown a marked improvement in a matter of hours, with no side effects."

"Doc, you're a miracle worker!"

Janet couldn't help but smile at the colonel, he rarely showed his emotions that freely. She couldn't put her finger on it but had a feeling this last week had been particularly hard on him.

Sam still had a worried line creasing her forehead. "Janet, what about Daniel?"

"I'm afraid the medication won't help him, Sam."

"What? Why?" Jack demanded.

Janet tried to hide her smile, losing just a hint of her serious doctor persona. "Well, Colonel, miracle worker or not, I've yet to come up with a cure for the common cold."

"Common…What?" Jack looked totally befuddled, or annoyed, Janet wasn't sure which.

"Colonel, from the little bit of the story I've been able to pry out of Daniel, he's been sitting in a freezing cell, dripping wet in his underwear, not to mention no food and almost nothing to drink for days. He's lucky he doesn't have pneumonia, which I'll be watching for closely over the next few days."

"But, the fever, the not eating. Did you notice his leaf in the wind imitation?"

"Yes, Colonel, I did notice and my theory is it has something to do with the 'shock device' issue he kept skirting around. By the way, I'm going to need you to squeeze the details about that out of him for me. It would help if I could get my hands on one of them to see precisely how they work, actually. I've a pretty good idea he was subjected quite a few times, and I'm attributing the nausea to it as well. I've given him something to calm his stomach and he is currently working his way through a whole box of protein bars. I'm pumping fluids in and even let him have some coffee. If one of you should happen to slip past me with a chocolate bar, I suspect he'll be driving my nurses crazy by week's end."

"You're giving him a whole week? You gave him coffee; my money's on within the day."

Jack was right, of course. She really must be tired. There was no other way to account for Daniel talking her into caffeine on day one of an extended stay.

"Sam, I'd like to start distributing the medication to the others and our staffing is pretty minimal. I could use a hand, if you're up to it?"

Sam was instantly on her feet. "Sure, Janet, just point the way."

"Great, thanks, Sam. Now as for you two," Janet pulled herself up to her full height and faced the two men down. "Five, and I mean five minutes with Daniel, then, Colonel, off to your assigned bed. Rest and elevate your leg and if I see you before the eight hour mark, you'll be off field duty until Cassie's grandchildren are old enough to go with you. Same goes for you, Teal'c. I only allowed you to wiggle your way out of some serious infirmary time with an oath to let your symbiote do its work full time. Are we clear?"

Both men nodded, appearing duly chastised and gave her an earnest 'yes, ma'am' and 'we are clear, DoctorFraiser.' The two men kept their eyes on the floor as the hurried past her to get to Daniel with one openly smirking major hot on their heels. Give me strength, she thought. They were one amazing group of people but she still couldn't help but think SG-1 would be the death of her yet.

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Epilogue

Sam was watching her teammates with a practiced eye. She had found herself doing this pretty much all week. The colonel looked good as new, no limp left, though she did note he took the stairs up to the Stargate platform a little more cautiously than his usual style. Daniel had a ways to go yet. The fading bruising still visible against the pallor of his skin, bandaged wrists and telltale tremor clearly told the story of someone on the mend. But dressed in his fatigues and out in the sunlight, Sam saw he was closer to his old self than he had a right to be. That went quadruple for Teal'c. His color was still not quite and he continued to weaken too quickly, but with the blood loss she had seen proof of, they should be mourning his death rather than wishing his assailants farewell.

Shomas and Kaid had accompanied them to the Stargate to say goodbye. Over the last week, they had managed to communicate on a cursory level. Captain Kettleman, who was, according to Daniel, a fine linguist, had been approved to stay on, going back to the main village where they had learned was a rather large population. The natives were hoping to learn what caused the illness and how to keep it from happening again or at least, how to treat it. In return, the SGC wanted to know how this simple group of people had managed to run off the Goa'uld.

Sam had a sneaking suspicion that wasn't the only reason for Kaid to be at the gate at this moment. The man still seemed to be uncomfortable around Daniel and Teal'c, a guilty look on his face whenever he interacted with them. There was a completely different kind of look whenever Doctor Janet was around. Sam had noticed how he looked at his feet and blushed whenever the diminutive woman was anywhere near, which was a lot since he had taken to following her around like a puppy. Since Shomas had a look of amusement every time the two were around him, she figured crushes were universal. Janet, of course, didn't seem to notice her new found shadow pining for her and had simply put to work the extra hands every chance she got.

Today, Kaid had shyly approached her by the gate, presenting her with a small, hand carved wooden bird. With the help of the Captain, they found out it was a symbol for a healer, meant to be carried to protect its owner from the ills of the land. Sam was surprised when Janet had actually stood on tiptoe and kissed the man on the cheek before saying goodbye. Maybe the doctor hadn't been quite as oblivious as she had pretended to be and they all watched the now scarlet faced man stumble off the dais to stand next to his brother.

"Daniel, why don't you dial us home?" Jack offered. Daniel walked over to the DHD, squinting at the symbols and scratching his head.

"Something wrong?" Sam asked him, worried about any unknown side effects the 'stinger' might have had.

"What, ah, no, Sam. I just wish I had my glasses."

The colonel cleared his throat loudly and sauntered over to stand next to Daniel. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Daniel's perfectly intact glasses, handing them to the stunned man.

"Where… how…why…" surprise gave way to irritation. "Have you had these all week? Do you know how much easier it would have been to work with Shomas if I could have seen the writing he was referencing?"

Sam stood next to Teal'c, both of them trying not to laugh at their outraged friend, while Jack shrugged it off. "Doc said she'd let me back on field duty two days sooner if I didn't give them back. Figured you'd rest more and work less."

"Two days? You sold me out for two days?"

Jack just shrugged at him again.

"I'd a held out for at least three," Daniel told him indignantly.

"I was willing to do it for one."

Sam had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing outright when Daniel put the glasses on, glaring at the colonel and forcefully slapping out the symbols for home. She had also seen the good doctor make a beeline for one of the trucks when the glasses had made their appearance.

The gate pulsed out before settling back into the deceivingly calm façade. It was still a spectacular sight, even after seeing it so many times and Sam could understand the awe she saw on the faces of the surviving natives. She was struck by the awareness not all of them had lived to see this. She was startled to find the colonel had moved next to her, the brush of his arm next to hers calling her attention.

"Carter, we won this one. Those people are going home to their families."

"Not all of them."

"No, not all. But most. Most of them are going home."

Sam looked around her and saw Daniel and Teal'c watching them, the same saddened look reflected on their faces. No one here was unaware of what had been lost.

The trucks slipped past them, swept into oblivion as far as the natives were concerned. Daniel had moved down for a few last minute good-byes and well wishes. Sam noticed the colonel kept looking at the Stargate and back at Daniel, trying to speed the man along with his eyes. Finally able to stand no more, he called out. "Daniel, let's go. You've been saying so long all day."

Daniel just waved an impatient hand at him and continued on. Sam watched the man looking back and forth between the active Stargate and Daniel, seemingly torn between jumping through right then or waiting to make sure his team went through first. Teal'c looked ready to push the man into the surface just to stop his nervous pacing. Sam was about to offer to help Teal'c when the colonel finally reached the end of his patience.

"Daniel now! Let's move!"

"Jack what is your hurry?"

He hesitated for only a moment before 'fessing up, "I have got to see how Hammond gets those trucks out of the gate room."

This is a little heavier than I normally write, so please note the Content Warnings and see special warnings below if you don't care about spoilers.  Thanks so much to Carrie for  keeping this from being a story about a barley eating horse going down a slide and for cracking me up.  All errors are mine and mine alone. This is a team story.  Feedback is always appreciated on or off list.

© August 2002 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.