• Brief spoilers for Brief Candle, Into the Fire.
• Is SG-1 in for a herd of trouble stranded on an unknown world?
• PG-13, [Hc], [Hu], [D].

How did this go so wrong? wondered Colonel Jack O'Neill as he crashed through the thick forest, abandoning all pretense of stealth. Four pissed off Jaffa were on his six, trying to fry him with their staff weapons. The blasts tore through the verdant vegetation, searing and shriveling. This was one of the few times he was happy for trees, his zigzag pattern through the pines prevented the Jaffa from scoring a direct hit. It was difficult to return fire in full retreat but he did manage to turn and squeeze off a few rounds. That action allowed him a few paces of safe passage as the Jaffa ducked for cover.

Beyond the tree line in a small clearing, he could see the Stargate and Daniel's slim figure hunched behind the DHD. Carter and Teal'c were on either side of the portal, weapons ready. As he burst through the trees, Carter and Teal'c laid down cover fire. And it was working! Weapons fire no longer followed him, then in a moment he realized why.

Daniel had become the prime target. In an attempt to prevent them from gating off world, the Jaffa were concentrating their firepower on the young archeologist. He could see Daniel reaching up, trying to dial Earth's 'address' between the blasts. Jack continued to run toward the gate. Glancing upward he saw the sixth chevron had engaged. Once the seventh chevron locked, the wormhole would open and safely deposit them back on Earth. He joined Carter and Teal'c in firing upon the Jaffa, who were now using the trees as cover. Damn trees, he thought.

The last chevron locked and Daniel placed his hand on the orange center of the DHD. The brilliant blue of the wormhole gushed through the ring and then coalesced into the familiar shimmering azure ripples. Then the DHD took a direct hit and Daniel was thrown backward.

"Go, go!" Jack yelled at Teal'c and Carter as he made his way over to Daniel, who had by now struggled to his feet. Jack grabbed him, hauled him up the steps, and shoved him into the wormhole. The Jaffa had now emerged from the forest and Jack sprayed them with automatic weapons fire as he backed into the wormhole. The usual coldness permeated his body and the customary seconds of disorientation followed. In just a few moments they would be back home, safe at the SGC...

He landed. On his back. Hard. The impact took his breath away and for just a moment he let his eyes go closed.

"Sir, are you all right?" Carter's voice came to him.

"Just peachy, Major." He opened his eyes. The ceiling of the gate room was not above him; instead there was lilac blue sky. His fingers brushed a carpet of lush grass, not the hard metal of the embarkation ramp. It was intensely quiet, the usual sounds of the SCG absent.

"Let me help you O'Neill," Teal'c extended his massive dark hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Major, are we secure?" he asked.

"We seem to be alone, sir," she answered.

Jack took quick stock of his charges, "Everyone okay?" Carter and Teal'c nodded. Daniel was busy cleaning dirt off his glasses. It was obvious that he had landed face first after coming out of the wormhole. "Sooo, Daniel, where are we?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled and quiet.

Daniel adjusted his somewhat bent glasses on his nose and did a slow pan of the area. "Well, I guess we're not in Kansas anymore," he said.

Jack sighed.

Teal'c frowned. "Where is this Kansas? Were we not on P3X954?"

Jack was in no mood to explain. He turned his attention back to Daniel. "Why aren't we back at the SGC?"

"I'm not sure. I'm almost positive I dialed Earth's address."

"You're almost positive?" Jack's voice went up almost an octave.

"I was a little busy getting shot at, remember?" Daniel retorted. "I was having trouble seeing the symbols between the blasts."

"What about the confirmation from the SGC?" Jack asked.

Daniel crossed his arms and looked down. "Didn't exactly hear the reply," he mumbled.

"Just great," Jack said.

Carter spoke, "Sir, if an incorrect symbol was selected or if a staff blast hit the DHD, it is possible that a malfunction could have occurred, sending us here instead of Earth." She did a slow three sixty. "Speaking of the DHD, where is the one for this place?"

The rest of them turned to survey the world. They were in a meadow, surrounded by (big surprise) trees. The air seemed pure and fresh and in the distance, snow-covered mountains could be seen. A thorough search of the area revealed a stone pedestal hidden by tall grass, where a DHD possibly once stood.

"I don't know why anyone would remove the device from a functioning gate or only want one-way travel," Daniel sighed. "And a missing DHD isn't our only problem."

Jack cocked an eyebrow.

"We don't know the symbol for this planet. We have no point of origin."

Unbidden the lyrics of the Eagles, 'Hotel California' came to Jack. "You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave." He cringed. It would be forty-eight hours before General Hammond would list them as missing. The search and rescue team would gate back to P3X954, their last known position and possibly into a Jaffa ambush. He rubbed his eyes and felt a headache coming on.

"Sir!"

Carter's voice snapped him to attention.

"Look." She gestured towards the far end of the meadow. A herd of horses slowly approached, their pace deliberate.

"Where'd they come from?" asked Daniel.

"They're beautiful," remarked Carter.

"Yeah, yeah," said O'Neill as he watched their slow advance. He counted ten wheat-colored beasts that had now stopped about ten yards from SG1, tails swishing and hooves pawing the turf. He saw the movement a millisecond after the little voice in his head told him to be careful. From the center of the herd came a hooded form whose robes fluttered ghostlike in the breeze. Instantly he hefted his gun to firing position and heard Carter and Teal'c do the same. The figure's head lifted and the eyes flashed.

Jack's finger put pressure on the trigger.

The figure raised its arms in front of its face and spoke in a decidedly feminine voice, "I am not Go'auld. I and my friends mean you no harm."

"Get your hands out to the side. Don't make any sudden moves," Jack barked.

The stranger complied. "Carter? Teal'c? Getting anything?" he demanded.

"I'm not sensing a Go'auld presence," answered the Major.

"I concur," came Teal'c deep voice.

Jack moved forward with Carter and Teal'c until they had surrounded the petite figure. He reached out and yanked the hood back from the face. Her head snapped back and light brown hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Her eyes sparked green.

"Carter," he ordered.

The Major immediately stepped forward and began searching the woman. Expertly she ran her hands over the woman's body. She pushed back the loose sleeves of the robe to reveal opalescent pulsating bands around both of the woman's wrists.

O'Neill instantly took a tighter grip on his gun. "All right, what are those?" He directed his question more to Carter than the woman.

The Major dug an instrument from her pack and held it up to the glowing bands. "I'm not reading any naquadah. But it definitely is alien."

Jack repeated, "What are those?" This time he fixed his stare upon the woman. He started as her eyes went from green to rosy pink.

Her voice was soft, "They are not weapons."

Jack's always-limited patience was at an end. "I want to know right now. What are they?"

"Jewelry," she replied.

Jack heard the muffled snort behind him and knew it had come from Daniel.

"May I put my arms down now?" the alien asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Put 'em down, just keep your hands where we can see them," he said. "Daniel, get up here."

Daniel shouldered his way in front of him and put on his best 'first contact' persona. "You'll have to excuse my friend. He gets a little paranoid around people he doesn't know. I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson; this is Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c and our commanding officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill. We are from a planet called Earth."

The eyes changed from pink to deep blue. "I am called Orion."

Just once, thought Jack, I'd like to meet an alien with a first and last name.

"My given name is Shalaar," she continued.

"While we're happy to meet you, Shalaar, we actually gated here by mistake. We need to get back to Earth right away," Daniel said.

The eyes went gray, "That may not be possible."

Jack yelled, "What?" and stepped in front of Daniel and toward the alien.

"O Neill," Teal'c's low voice warned.

He diverted his attention from the woman and realized that the herd had now encircled them, the animals tossing their heads, definitely agitated. He backed down just a bit.

"Look, we can't stay here. There has to be a way off this planet."

"The dialing device was removed," Orion stated.

"Who's in charge around here?" he demanded.

"In charge?" the alien repeated, her eyes now yellow.

It was Carter's turn to try. "What the Colonel means is, is there someone else we can talk to? Someone who might know more about the gate?"

"There is no one else to ask."

Teal'c asked, "You are alone here?"

The answer was matter of fact, "I am in exile."

Jack could feel the collective inhalation among his team and instinctively grasped his P90 tighter. He knew they all remembered their last encounter with an exile or more precisely a prisoner, Linea, the killer of worlds. They wouldn't be making the same mistake twice.

Daniel spoke, "And the DHD was removed so you can't leave."

"Yes."

"Shit," Jack said and was certain he spoke for his entire team. They were trapped on an alien world with god-knows who or what, no way to communicate with the SGC and the possibility of rescue, slim.

"Carter spoke, "This is not your home world, then."

"No, I am Kendarran." The eyes were now mahogany.

Jack waved his hand in the air. "What's with that eye thing?"

"I am sorry if it distresses you. Is this more pleasing?" The irises of her eyes became multi-colored with patterns radiating from the pupil, like a kaleidoscope.

"Oh yeah, big improvement," he said.

The skies were darkening and the air was turning colder. The woman drew her robes more tightly around herself. "I have a place for rest and nourishment, you are welcome." As she turned, the circle of animals parted and followed her out of the meadow.

Daniel started after her.

"Just hold your horses, Daniel," Jack commanded.

"Wouldn't you rather keep an eye on her? Right now she's our only source of information on this planet."

Jack hated to admit that the archeologist was right. "Grab your gear. Teal'c, you've got point, I'll take the six."

SG1 moved out behind the woman and the herd.

The well-trod lane meandered through the heavily canopied forest. The pace of the group in front of them forced SG1 to break into a trot. Jack tried to figure out how the small alien could have such a long stride. Eventually they came to a clearing that held a small cabin that reminded Jack of his granddad's resort in Minnesota.

The horses scattered, allowing the team to ascend the steps of the porch behind the woman, then turned their attention to grazing. Jack motioned to Teal'c who took up position on the opposite side of the door. With their weapons ready, they moved through the doorway and into the structure. His eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness, Jack took quick stock of the single room. A fire glowed in the hearth, a cot was pushed up against the far wall, some kind of loom stood in a corner and a table with a single chair occupied the center.

"I told you, there is no one else here with the exception of my friends," Orion said.

"Friends?" Jack repeated. "Where are they?" His gaze flew around the room, seeking anything he may have missed.

"You have already met them. They are outside." She indicated the horses that could be seen through the still open door.

Jack cleared his throat and ordered the team to stand down.

Orion touched a lamp on the table and a warm and powerful light illuminated the place.

"What kind of technology..." Carter started to ask.

"Later Carter," Jack interrupted. "Unless it has something to do with us getting out of here."

He gave the alien his best 'Officer-in-charge look'. "I want to know what you know about the Go'auld and why you're stranded here."

Orion spoke, "The Go'auld are a plague upon the universe, capable of great evil. They survive by taking others lives away from them."

Well at least they agreed on one thing, thought Jack.

"And they are the reason why I am here," she continued.

"The Go'auld don't usually exile people, they eliminate them," Daniel stated.

"The Go'auld did not send me here, the Kendarran government did."

"You're talking in circles," Jack complained.

The woman looked supremely confused. "I am speaking in geometric forms?"

It was all Jack could do not to hit his forehead with his palm. Another alien taking everything he said literally. Teal'c was finally getting better at not doing that.

"I mean, just tell us what happened in its proper order," he groused.

The alien's voice was emotionless as she spoke, like she had told the story a million times before. "The Go'auld came to Kendarr through the Gate. When they found we were unsuitable hosts, they endeavored to find another use for us. I advised the council to resist the Go'auld. I do not believe they understood the true nature of them." She paused a moment.

"But you did," Carter said.

"I was considered a rebel, a risk, if you will, to the beliefs and practices of Kendarr. My people are devout pacifists. The idea of any resistance was abhorrent to them. In order to preserve the peace, I was sent here."

"No prophet is accepted in his own country," murmured Daniel.

Jack asked, "So they tried to reason with the Go'auld?"

"I am not certain. I was told that when the situation was resolved, I would be allowed to return. But I have been here a long time." The alien's voice trailed off.

"Poor bastards," Jack said. SG1 had seen it before. You were either useful to the Go'auld or not. Those that weren't, were destroyed. He removed his green baseball cap and ran his hand through his already standing up gray hair. "Look, we're sorry for what's happened. We know all about the Go'auld, we spend our time figuring out ways to defeat them. And we can't do that here. We need to get back to Earth."

"I do not know if that is possible," Orion replied.

"Were there any other people here when you came?" Daniel asked.

"There were no people but there is a place where structures still stand," Orion replied.

"What are you getting at, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Maybe there's a second gate, like on Earth. Or something that will get us off of this planet. He turned to Orion. "Could you take us there?" the eagerness unmistakable in his voice.

The alien's eyes flashed bright blue. "It will not be an easy journey."

SG1 claimed a corner of the cabin as their own, unpacking what gear they had managed to salvage in their hasty departure from P3X954. Carter still had most of the scientific equipment she always hauled around with her, Daniel had, as usual, saved the rocks he had collected, there were MRE's, some small arms, and the first aid kit. They were short a bedroll, since Jack had been forced to jettison his pack on his flight through the forest.

They sat on the floor, talking in hushed tones.

"Think she's telling the truth?" Jack asked. He already knew he wasn't giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Daniel spoke, "It's interesting that she speaks English, especially since she doesn't appear to be quite human."

"The Go' auld speak our language," Jack said.

"But they inhabit human bodies and would have access to human speech patterns," Daniel answered.

"So you think, what?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure," Daniel said. "She said the Go'auld came to her world through a Gate and that her people were unsuitable for hosts. It's been our experience that the Go' auld concentrate on planets that harbor suitable human hosts."

"Unless her people were not the original dwellers of Kendaar," Carter speculated. "It's possible that the Go'auld gated there expecting to find potential hosts." She paused then said, "I wonder if she's made any attempt to energize the gate."

"Looks to me like she lives simply here." Daniel contributed.

"But that light source on the table. That's something we've never seen before." Carter persisted. "And feel the wall." She placed her hand on it and urged the others to do the same.

"It is warm." Teal'c said.

"You think that maybe there's something we could use to activate the gate?" Jack asked.

"There's technology here, I'm just not sure if we'll be able to utilize it." Carter answered.

Jack watched the woman seated at the table, eating what appeared to be a stew of some kind. She had invited them to dine with her but they had refused. Actually he had refused for all of them. No telling what was in the food around here. He had had some bad experiences with alien cuisine, some simply gastronomic, others more far-reaching, like Kinthia's cake. MRE's would have to suffice although they didn't have many of them. He did have to admit that whatever she was eating did smell good. As she bent her head to sip from the spoon, her long, brown sugar colored hair moved forward, threatening to drown its ends in the bowl. She grabbed a handful of the offending locks and threw them back over her shoulder. He couldn't help but smile.

Her face turned toward him, the light washing over her delicate features. He immediately dipped his head and covered his lips with his hand, pretending to clear his throat. "Daniel, you've got first watch, Carter, second, Teal'c third." And as was his custom, he would take last watch, when the night was at its darkest and coldest.

Orion came forward with a thick blanket in her arms. "I apologize for the lack of accommodations. I was never meant to entertain guests."

"We won't need that." Jack said.

"But you do not have enough covering for all of you."

"One of us will be standing watch at all times, we only need three bedrolls," he replied.

To his left he heard Daniel say something about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Orion lifted an eyebrow. "You will be safe in here. My friends outside will warn us if there is a need."

"We'll just make sure of that. If you don't mind," he said.

"As you wish." The alien turned toward the table. "Perhaps you would like the light left on? It will be difficult to *watch* in the dark."

He did try to be gracious. "No, you can turn it out."

It was very dark. He could hear everyone settling in and he could just see the outline of Daniel to his right. And with the expertise of one dependent on quick sleeps, he closed his eyes and slept.

He awoke a second before Teal'c touched his shoulder. He was instantly alert and reaching for his weapon even as Teal'c said his name.

"Anything up?" he asked quietly.

"All is well," Teal'c whispered, at least what passed for a whisper from the big man.

O'Neill moved to one of the windows and scanned the yard. A moon had risen, he guessed since the horses cast shadows as they slept. It was weird that they did that standing up. He positioned himself to have a good view of both the door and the windows. Ordinarily he'd have coffee to help keep him awake but their canteens were running low and soon he'd have to make a decision about drinking the water on this planet.

He checked his watch for about the hundredth time. He hated doing nothing, sitting on his hands, waiting for something to happen. He was used to making things happen. Idle time made his mind drift, back to things he didn't want to think about. Charlie.

The alien sat bolt up-right on her cot, her eyes reflective like a cat. He sprang out of the chair, knocking it backwards.

"What?" he yelled. His sidearm materialized in his hand and brought the gun to bear on some unseen menace. He succeeded in waking everyone else up and heard the scramble for weapons behind him.

To his right, Carter touched the lamp and flooded the room with light.

Orion rocked, holding her head in her hands.

"What's wrong? What can we do to help you?" Daniel asked.

The boy was always at his sympathetic best Jack had to admit. SG1 gathered in a semi-circle around the cot.

"It will pass," she said, her voice muffled by her hands. When she finally lifted her face Jack swore there was a trickle of a tear coursing down her cheek. "I did not mean to frighten you."

"I wasn't scared-just being cautious," Jack began. The looks from the others made him shut up.

"It just has been such a long time since I have been around others, I must learn to control..." she paused.

"Control?" Teal'c repeated.

"Control my imagination. I dreamt that you were not real, that I was finally losing my mind."

Jack looked at Orion, trying to figure out how long she really had been stuck here. Damn, it was hard with aliens. Her face was relatively youthful but there were definitely 'lines of experience' as he liked to refer to them, on her brow. She could be about his age. Or not, for all he knew she could be a thousand. Hell, Teal'c was in his nineties.

"Well, we're very real and still very tired," Daniel said.

"I promise not to wake you again," her voice contrite.

"Don't worry about it," Carter said. "We've all had our share of bad dreams."

Amen to that, thought Jack.

They all settled in. This time Jack straddled the chair, sitting with the back in front of him, no way was he going to knock it over again.

The dawn grew, its gentle light illuminating the world outside the cabin. Jack turned from the window and debated how much longer to let his charges sleep. Orion stirred on the cot and he could see her stretch beneath the covers. Although he knew she had slept fully clothed, he still averted his eyes as she threw back the blankets and swung her feet to the floor. He never heard her pad across the floor until...

"Your watching went well?"

"Geez!" he jumped back and no longer had to worry about whether to wake his team.

"I am sorry to startle you, again."?

"Stop sneaking up on me!" he chastised, looking down at her. He hadn't realized how small she truly was; her head barely came up to the middle of his chest.

"I thought you were watching."

"Just never mind." Turning, he addressed his team. "Okay campers, rise and shine. We've got some terrain to cover today."

Orion slipped something on her feet and picked up a wooden bucket.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"To get water."

O'Neill looked at Teal'c. "You keep on eye on things in here, I'll go with her."

Teal'c gave him that little tip of his head thing and O'Neill knew his team would be in good hands.

"All right, let's go." He prepared to follow her out of the door, his P90 ready.

She opened the door and exited. He paused a moment in the doorway, checking right and left before venturing out on the porch.

The herd moved forward toward the woman and briefly surrounded her. For a moment he lost sight of her and his finger tightened on the trigger. Then the animals parted, she reappeared and just one of the horses followed her. He jumped off the porch and started after them.

Jack only knew two things about horses; that in Chicago you could skip school to see them race at Arlington and secondly, that you didn't want to be behind them in a parade. He didn't appreciate the view in front of him. The swishing silver tail was really beginning to annoy him. When he tried to pass the animal on its right it stopped, tossed its head and rolled its eyes white at him.

"Taelan!" Orion admonished.

The horse lowered its head and allowed him to pass. He gave it wide berth.

"You do not like my friends," Orion said.

"You mean horses."

"Horses?" The alien looked puzzled.

"That's what we call them on Earth."

The woman perked up. "I did not realize you had friends where you came from."

Par for the course, he spoke before he thought, "Well, on Earth they were pretty much used as beasts of burden."

Her expression indicated she doubted the civility of the human race. Her tone was frosty and the eyes matched. "How do feel about other creatures?"

This time he thought. He didn't like bugs and he really, really hated 'snakes'. "I like dogs." he replied.

"Dogs?"

"Hounds, pooches, mutts, man's best friend." He motioned with his hands. "Long snout, pointed ears. They howl and bark."

"The alien's eyes widened and her voice bordered on a gasp. "Predators?"

Great, he thought. Couldn't he say anything right here? Diplomacy definitely wasn't his forte. "Nice predators," he mumbled.

She turned and continued down the path. Now Jack wasn't sure he liked being in front of the horse. He was certain the animal was deliberately clearing its nasal passages every few feet. He didn't even want to think of what the back of his jacket looked like.

The trees began to thin and Jack could see a sizable body of water ahead. The sun was coming over the mountain peaks in the distance and he instinctively grabbed his trademark sunglasses.

Orion turned around to say something to him but instead her hand flew to her lips, obviously frightened.

"What!" he said instantly spinning on his heels and almost kissing the animal behind him. Seeing nothing out of place, he spun back around. "For crying out loud, you've got to stop doing stuff like that!"

Her voice trembled and she reached out toward his face. "Your eyes."

It took him a second to realize she was staring at his sunglasses. "Oh these," and he reached up and pulled them off. "They protect from the sun. My eyes are just fine."

"Oh," she breathed in relief. "I am sorry, again."

"Let's get your water." He led the way to the lapping waves. Just then a large fish jumped into the air about 20 feet in front of him. He had visions wetting a line and hauling one of those babies in. Even the lunkers in northern Minnesota weren't that big.

By this time, Orion was at his side. "Big fish!" he exclaimed, his eyes never leaving the lake.

Just then a dorsal fin and tail crested and he estimated there was about ten feet between them. He took two involuntary steps back from the water's edge.

"Bigger fish," came Orion's solemn reply.

"We don't have to cross that, do we?"

"No."

"Good."

Orion slipped off her shoes, waded ankle deep into the azure water and scooped her bucket full. Jack watched as the horse next to him put its head down to drink but as Orion turned to come back to the beach, the animal plunged its nose further into the lake then brought its head quickly up, showering the alien with crystal drops of water.

Without a second of hesitation, Orion flung the contents of the bucket at the horse, apparently forgetting that Jack was in close proximity. By the time the icy water reached Jack, Taelan had wheeled and galloped off down the beach.

"Don't," he said as he held up a dripping finger, "say you're sorry." The alien looked up at him, her eyes deep deep brown. She may not have known about dogs, but she was giving him a really good imitation of 'puppy eyes'.

"It was an accident?" she asked hopefully.

"Just forget about it. Let's get back to the others and we can get started on this trip." He shook himself and was thankful that his feet had remained dry.

Orion retrieved another bucket of water and together they headed back to the trail. This time they walked abreast with Taelan a few yards behind. When they came to the cabin clearing, the others were waiting outside.

Orion proceeded toward the door lugging the pail with her.

"Wait." Jack commanded.

The alien turned. "I need to bring provisions and change my attire. Would you care to attend?"

O'Neill motioned to Carter, who followed Orion into the cabin.

Jack was drying his weapon when he realized that both Daniel and Teal'c were staring at him. "What?" he asked and went on removing the water droplets from the gun. Neither man responded, but both glanced skyward as if they expected some sudden rain shower.

He sighed and was glad that the women appeared on the porch in record time. Orion had changed from the simple dress she had been wearing into some kind of jumpsuit. Her feet now had more substantial footwear and she shrugged into a wooly jacket. She slung a pack onto her shoulder and proceeded down the steps.

"So, how far are these ruins?" quizzed Daniel.

"It will take us past midday to get there," answered Orion. She set off in a direction opposite from the lake, Taelan joining her on her right. SG1 fell into step behind the duo and the rest of the herd behind them.

Jack looked behind him. "Hey, if these guys are coming along, how 'bout them giving us a ride?"

Both Taelan and Orion turned their heads and their expressions told him he might as well have said 'dine' not ride.

"Or not," he said.

Daniel brushed past him, "Stop antagonizing the natives, Jack."

The sun was high in the sky when the trees had given way to scrub brush and rocky terrain. It had been a steady uphill climb and even SG1, accustomed to the elevation of Cheyenne Mountain, labored in the thinning atmosphere. Jack's uniform never dried out, the wetness of the lake water now replaced with sweat.

They stood at the base of a cliff that Jack estimated to be a hundred feet high.

"Let me guess, up there?" he said, pointing.

"Yes," the alien replied, as she shrugged out of her jacket.

He continued, "The inhabitants of this place were mountain goats, right?"

"No, they were bipedal." She searched along the rocky wall, pock-marked by erosion until she found a vine-like rope almost buried beneath the silt. Jack could see that it reached the summit of the cliff. He watched as the muscles of her shoulders and back bunched beneath the jumpsuit and she gave a mighty tug on the rope. Sand and small stones hailed down upon them as the vine broke and then coiled around the alien's arm like a woody serpent.

Orion spat dust from her mouth. "It has been a long time since I last came here." She shook the arm free from the spiral of twine, strode to her pack and extracted a more substantial braid of rope. She bent and removed her boots, stuffed them into her pack, then straightened and slung the rope over her left shoulder. She went to Taelan and patted the animal's neck. "We will return in two days time." Then she came back to the cliff and proceeded to find her first handhold.

"Wait a minute," Jack said.

Orion kept her face to the wall. "If you could bring my coat and pack, I would be grateful."

Never really known for his chivalry, after all, in today's Air Force he better damn well be treating everyone as equal, he was torn between letting her go or going himself.

"There's no away around this?" he asked.

She turned to face him. "This is the easiest and fastest route." She resumed her position.

"Wait," he said again.

This time her shoulders visibly sagged. "Do you wish to continue or not? This climb requires someone of my experience and size." And to prove her point she reached up, her fingers expertly grasping a tiny ledge that he hadn't even seen.

"Sir, let her go," came Carter's voice. In a quieter tone she said, "Orion, remind me to discuss the term 'macho' with you."

"Very funny, Carter. But if she gets herself killed our odds of getting off this planet go down considerably," he grumbled.

"Thank you for your concern," Orion said dryly and hefted herself up.

They watched as she nimbly ascended the bluff. It was like watching Spiderman, thought Jack, each movement precise, controlled and seemingly without effort. She reached the top and propelled herself over. Her voice drifted down to them. "I must secure the rope."

A moment later, their conveyance to the plateau above swung in front of them.Teal'c grabbed it and tested it with his considerable weight. "It will hold, O'Neill."

Daniel, with the eagerness he reserved for prospective archeological digs, said, "I'll go."

Teal'c stepped aside and let the young man latch unto the rope.

"We'll hold it tight down here and you should be able to walk right up," Jack said.

When Daniel reached the top, an arm appeared, grabbed his belt and pulled him over.

Jack turned. "Okay, Carter, you're next."

That's when the yelp came, a Daniel Jackson cry of surprise and pain.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled and immediately grabbed the rope. Hand over hand he climbed, his speed a product of his training, his strength born from fear. Sonofabitch, this is what she'd been waiting for. God knows what she did to him. He should have gone next. He'd have been ready for anything, but not Daniel.

He threw himself over the ledge, came to his feet and swung his gun from his back in one motion. She was poised over a motionless Daniel, her hand touching him.

"Get the hell away from him," he snarled.

She stood slowly, her hands upraised, and backed away.

He sank on one knee next to Daniel, his hand fumbled for a pulse, but his eyes never left the alien. Scrabbling sounds behind him indicated that another member of SG1 had joined him. It was Teal'c, whose energized staff weapon was also now pointed at Orion. Jack could now turn his full attention to the young man on the ground. Rhythmically Daniel's chest rose and fell and Jack could finally release the breath he'd been holding. He tapped the archeologist's fair complexioned face with the back of his hand. "Hey, Danny, rise and shine."

Carter dropped down beside the two men and immediately dug for the first aid kit. Jack stood up and stalked over to Orion.

"What did you do to him?"

"I did nothing."

He took a step closer to her. "Why is he lying there like that?"

"I do not know. He was behind me. I was waiting for the next of you to arrive when he cried out."

Without turning away from the alien, he yelled, "Carter, how's he doing?"

The answer came back to him, "He seems to be unconscious, sir."

Jack raised his hand. He'd shake it out of her; beat it out of her if he had to.

"For the last time, what did you do to him?"

A moan from behind stopped him. Instantly he was at Daniel's side, so close that even he caught a whiff of the smelling salts that Carter was waving under the young man's nose.

Then Daniel was pawing the air in front of his face. "Enough, enough, already. I'm awake," he said and struggled to rise.

"Take it easy there, kid." Jack said, forcing him back gently to the ground. "What happened?"

Daniel's red-rimmed, teary eyes looked up at him and blinked. "I think I fainted."

"Fainted," Jack repeated.

"I remember coming up over the top and Orion helping me. I stepped away and I started to feel light-headed, maybe it was the heat, the elevation, my allergies."

"But you yelled," Jack insisted.

"Did I? Well, I think I hit my knee on the way down." Daniel looked from his commanding officer to Samantha Carter and then back to Jack. "What did you think happened?" When no one answered, Daniel craned his neck around Jack and saw Teal'c still holding Orion at bay.

"You thought she hurt me? Ah geez, Jack."

Jack motioned to Teal'c who swung his weapon down to an "at ease" position.

"Think you can stand, Daniel?" Sam asked.

He nodded and took the hand that Jack offered.

Jack looked over at Orion. Apologies came hard for Colonel John O'Neill. First, because it went against his Irish nature, and secondly because as a CO, rarely was he wrong and even if he was, no one was going to call him on it. Well, maybe except for Daniel. He pulled his shoulders back, shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over toward Orion.

"I'm..."

She dismissed him with the words, "If you wish to see the city in daylight, we must go on now."

The hike across the arid plateau continued for about another hour with little dialog from any of them except Daniel. He kept a running commentary with his tape recorder and seemed especially excited about the large ruts in the ground that they periodically transversed.

He now appeared at Jack's right." Hey Jack, we need a UAV to do a fly-over. I'm betting that from the air we'll see some of the same large-scale drawings that are present on Earth."

"We need to get home first, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Leave it to Daniel to let a little thing like that to slip his mind.

Judging from the site the city had been abandoned ages ago. Only a handful of structures remained. Most notable was a large statue of a horse surrounded by some monoliths. Daniel, after some strict admonishment from Jack not to touch anything, took Orion in tow and Carter joined them. Jack and Teal'c took advantage of some limited shade offered by one of the more intact buildings. They shared the last bit of water from Teal'c's canteen.

"What is your assessment of our situation, O'Neill?"

"I'm thinking it pretty much sucks. I'm not real convinced Daniel is going to find much here. Even if there is another gate, what would be the odds we'd be able to locate it?"

"Very low indeed, but I am certain the the SGC will continue to search for us."

"They won't have any idea where to look. For all they know, we're still somewhere on P3X954. If we're going to get off this rock, we're going to have to do it ourselves."

As the afternoon wore on, Teal'c joined the others and Jack remained in the shadows, ostensibly on guard duty. He knew from previous experience that he'd just get in the way.

As the sun began to give off its last throes of light, he stood, stretched and headed toward the rest of the group. He found them inside a roofless structure with Daniel still trying to decipher some writing on the well-etched walls.

"Well, Daniel?" he questioned.

Ten minutes later, after hearing about the society's possible link to civilizations on earth, and the reasons for their departure or possible demise, Jack held up his hand. "And this helps us, how?"

"We haven't found anything but we haven't had a chance to look at everything yet."

"I think we're beating a dead horse here, Daniel. We head back tomorrow." When Daniel started to protest he cut him off. "If we can't get back to Earth, you may want to save this place. It could be your life's work."

They set up camp in the shell of the building, its walls affording some protection from the incessant dry wind. Jack was about to search for some firewood when Orion produced a small orb from her pack and tapped its base. It appeared to be a portable lamp of the same type that she had back at the cabin.

SG1 divided its meager supplies and water. Somehow the carbohydrate bars were distinctly unsatisfying after all the physical efforts of the day. Orion ate some kind of dried fruit and apparently noticed their lack of enthusiasm for their food. Again she offered to share. Jack knew that with their supplies so low, they'd have to take their chances with the native food. It also didn't escape his notice that Orion appeared to be vegetarian. Right now he was thinking beef not berries. He spoke, "We need something more substantial, like---"

Daniel, ever the observant diplomat, interceded before he could say meat. "Protein, we need protein."

Orion dug in her bag and extended a square block of something to Daniel. Daniel looked at Jack, who nodded. Daniel broke off a piece and passed it to Carter. By the time it came to Jack, the rest were already enjoying their meal. Jack took a tentative bite and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and the ensuing feeling of satisfaction. "Tastes like chicken," he announced.

Daniel cringed.

"Okay, bad joke," he relented.

Orion stood and exited their shelter.

"Guess she's a little miffed at me," Jack said.

"Ya think?" Daniel replied.

Jack was surprised at the linguist's response; usually Daniel waxed eloquent at every opportunity. He studied the young man who was busying himself with his notes.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Daniel spoke without looking up, "Oh I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the fact you've been acting like a horse's ass since we got here."

Jack immediately stood and said, "Daniel, outside, now."

Daniel joined him a short distance from the building. Jack crossed his arms and regarded the archeologist. If someone had told him a couple of years back that this civilian would become his closest friend, he would have called them crazy. They were so different, so diametrically opposed in their thinking that any kind of relationship seemed impossible. He definitely had not been pleased to be saddled with an archeologist nerd on his team. But the friendship had flourished, built upon mutual respect and trust. Daniel remained the conscience of SG1.

Jack rocked back on his heels. "So, Daniel, don't mince any words, tell me how you really feel."

Daniel had no trouble meeting Jack's eyes. "I'm sorry that I said that in front of Sam and Teal'c, but I'm not sorry I said it."

Jack reflected for a moment. "That bad, huh?"

Daniel nodded.

Jack looked away. He didn't often consider his behavior. He had quite a reputation as irascible and irreverent and there were many who wondered how he had ever made Colonel. Truth be told, without General Hammond's latitude back at the SGC, Jack O'Neill probably would not still be in the military.

He felt the hand on his shoulder. "We'll get out of here. We'll think of something, we always do."

He turned to see Daniel smiling that little boy smile of his.

"Yeah, you and Carter, you'll come up with something," he said. Both of them saw movement and they saw Orion at the base of the horse statue. Jack motioned in her direction and said to Daniel, "I don't suppose you'd care to..."

"Smooth things over for you? No, I don't think so." Daniel pivoted and left Jack standing in the dark.

Jack sighed and willed his feet to walk over to the statue. By that time Orion had crawled onto the base and was seated underneath the belly of the stone beast.

"Mind if I join you?"

She looked down at him and shrugged her shoulders. He took that as a no and climbed up beside her.

"Are you certain you wish to be alone with me?" she asked. "I see you are not carrying your weapon."

He didn't let her know that he was far from being unarmed.

He cleared his throat. "Daniel tells me I've been behaving badly." He studied her profile in the starlight, the small nose, the chin set at almost a defiant angle. The wind blew her hair back from her face and when she turned toward him, her eyes glowed yellow in the darkness.

"There is much to be said for suspicion and cynicism. I understand your frustration. You are responsible for your team, your friends. You will do what you must to protect them and find a way to return to your home." Her voice became quiet in the night air. "Perhaps you will do all those things I was unable to do."

For the first time since they had met, he saw an emotion on her face, misery. "You can't blame yourself. Your people elected not to listen to you. They went as far as to strand you here."

"A fitting punishment for failure, would you not agree? I survived and they did not."

Now Jack had some experience with survivor guilt. "Maybe some of them did make it. They could have escaped through the Stargate."

The alien turned her eyes skyward. "I suppose that could be true," but she said it without conviction.

Jack looked upward also. As was his habit, he searched the sky for familiar constellations. Ironic that Pegasus flew above them here.

Jack woke them at first light. After breakfast Daniel and Carter managed to cajole him into staying for a few hours more. Tired of inaction, he left the rest of SG1 to their information gathering and struck out on his own. He climbed into the higher elevations surrounding the city and surveyed the area. There was certainly nothing here that gave him any hope of rescue. He was turning to go back down and rejoin the group when his right leg gave way beneath him. The ground opened up and he grabbed wildly at the edge as he slipped down into the hole. He swung to the side, his right knee painfully impacting rock. His arms bore the weight of his body and his gear as he tried to dig his boots into the side of the shaft. His left foot found support on something. Sand continued to fall on his head and the brim of his hat did little to prevent silt from filling his mouth each time he tried to yell. Who was he kidding anyway? They'd never hear him in this hole. And he certainly couldn't reach the radio on his shoulder. Maybe it wasn't so deep. He'd be able to survive the fall and figure out how to get out later. He listened as some loose stones fell and counted the seconds until impact. Five seconds, way too long, way too deep. He hung there, his fingers dug into the stony ledge.

Then someone with extreme strength grabbed one wrist and then the other. How had Teal'c managed to find him? He looked up through the dust-filled air expecting to see the Jaffa's huge hands coming to his rescue. Instead, small pale hands grasped his wrists.

"I have you. Climb up," Orion's voice commanded.

"You can't hold me," he argued back. "Go get some help. I'll hang on until then."

"There is no time. Climb up now!"

He took hold of her forearms, above the glowing bands covering her wrists, put his feet to the wall and pushed up. Instead of moving up he felt himself fall back, dragging the alien closer to the hole.

"Orion, let go! I'll get both of us killed." He released his hold on her arm and struggled to do the same on her left. Her grip tightened to the point of pain.

"I will not let you fall."

He wasn't sure why he believed her. He readjusted his handhold and again planted his feet into the side of the shaft. He pushed and she pulled and few seconds later he ended up with his upper body laying across her lower body on the plateau, their chests heaving, their energy spent.

"Well, that was good for me, how about you?" he questioned between gasps of breath. When she did not answer, he said, "Bad joke." When she still did not respond, he raised his head from her stomach and saw her eyes were closed. He pried her fingers from his wrists and rolled off of her. His knee protested as he knelt beside her. Gently he brushed sand and tangled hair from her face. A moment later her eyes opened, flashed bright white once, then settled into a multi-colored pattern.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I am fine," she answered, pulling herself to a sitting position.

"I don't know how you did that, but I'm grateful."

There was almost a smile on her lips, "Mind over matter," she said.

He shifted position to sit beside her, groaning as his knee flexed.

"You are hurt," she said.

"An old injury. Maybe one of these days I'll let Dr. Frasier do that surgery she's been threatening me with. How did you happen to find me?"

"I saw you fall."

"You followed me?" Instantly he was bothered by the fact that he had not even noticed that she had followed him.

"This terrain can be dangerous. There are tunnels beneath the plateau."

"You might have mentioned that."

"You did not ask."

"True." He removed his hat and brushed dirt off of it. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"We should get back to the others." He grunted a little from pain as he stood and offered his hand to her. She accepted it and he pulled her to her feet. She was remarkably close to him and neither of them loosened their grip. He felt an amazing coolness within him in spite of the heat of the day. And then it was gone. She released his hand, took a step and then faltered.

He reached out and grabbed her. "Whoa, sure you're okay?"

"I will be fine," and she wormed out of his grasp. "We must go."

Their disheveled appearance brought obvious questions from SG1. It took some convincing that they were indeed all right and were ready to proceed back to the Stargate. By the time they had reached the cliff, the sun was rose-colored on the horizon and shadows long. Each of them rappelled down and Jack noticed that upon touching the ground, Orion's first move was toward the herd of golden horses, greeting each of them in turn.

Jack decided that they would make camp at the base and get a fresh start in the morning. Darkness came quickly and with it the sounds of the night. Jack noted that the buzzing mosquitoes that invariably spoiled his Minnesota camp-outs were blessedly absent.

They tried to enjoy the warmth and light of Orion's orb except that Carter kept picking it up to examine it.

"For crying out loud, Carter. Give it a rest," Jack complained.

"Sorry, sir. It's just so interesting." And she gave him that look that indicated she wasn't sorry at all. "Orion, are you sure you can't tell me anything about how this works?"

"I am not a scientist. I know only that it is a renewable resource."

Daniel looked up from studying his notes, his brow wrinkled. "The culture that was here is just fascinating. There are a multitude of references to your 'friends', Orion." He waved his hand in the direction of the horses that now encircled their camp.

Jack straightened his long legs. "Any references to another Stargate or DHD?" he asked.

"No. References to the gate are minimal". Daniel shook his head. "But they knew of the Go'auld."

"Can we assume that it was not a pleasant association?" Jack asked.

"They built a series of tunnels for protection."

"Ah, tunnels," Jack affirmed. He glanced over at Orion. She was seated next to Daniel, her back propped against a large rock. Scattered between them was a collection of notebooks and pads. Daniel reached over and began digging through the mess. Jack watched as she wordlessly handed Daniel a leather-bound book.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the book from her. He opened it and began to read, then looked up, his blue eyes wide. "Wait a minute, how did you know I wanted this one?"

"You asked for it," she replied.

"No, I didn't," he said. I didn't say anything, but I thought about wanting this particular one."

Jack watched as Daniel's expression slowly changed from surprise to revelation. "You're a telepath," he said.

Jack sat up straighter, hoping to hell that this was a caffeine withdrawal delusion on the part of his coffee-addicted friend. After all, it had been days since Daniel had had a cup.

Daniel continued to look expectantly at the alien.

Her eyes shimmered in the glow of the orb. "Tel-empath is a more precise term. I am able sense your thoughts and participate in your feelings."

Daniel went on excitedly. "This explains why sometimes you knew what we were talking about and other times you didn't."

Orion dropped her head. "I tried to be selective in accessing your minds."

Daniel continued. "You didn't speak English before we got here, did you?"

"The energy of thought is not restricted by language."

Carter spoke, "So you were able to read the minds of the Go'auld and realized what they intended to do to your people. Why didn't your council listen to you?"

"You must understand the history of the Kendarrans. We are an old people," she paused and looked at Daniel. "But we are not the Ancients that you seek. Many years ago when most Kendaarans were capable of tel-empathy, the civilization was brought to the brink of extinction by their uncontrolled use of their talents. The ones that survived adapted a new order, no inter-mind communication and strict pacifism. As time went on, their skill and desire to 'mind-read' as you call it, faded."

"But you possess the talents of the old ones," Teal'c said.

Orion nodded. "I could not keep silent after the Go'auld occupation. The Council feared that I would destroy Kendarran principles of pacifism and that any acknowledgement of my abilities would awaken long-buried desires of others to return to our former state."

Their voices grew distant to Jack. What was wrong with his people? They were conversing with this mind-invader like it was the most natural thing in the world. God! At least when Hathor had put that "snake" inside of him, he'd known what was happening, even as the larval Go'auld possessed his mind and body. What Orion had done was worse. She had infiltrated his mind without his knowledge. He thought about all the classified information he held and the personal experiences that were meant to be his alone. He realized that Daniel was speaking to him.

"Jack, do you know what this means?"

He jumped to his feet and snarled. "I sure as hell do. She's been reading our minds!"

Daniel looked taken aback. "Well, that's true, but..."

"Am I the only one here who feels" Jack paced and searched for the right word. "Violated?"

There was silence, and he took advantage of it. "SG1, ten hut!"

"Now, everyone stop thinking!" he commanded.

"Easy for you," he heard Daniel mutter.

Jack shot him a look. "Do you realize that she could be influencing what we're thinking? Maybe there is a DHD and she's preventing us from seeing it."

Orion's voice came to him. "I sense thoughts. I cannot alter reality."

"Shut up!" he returned.

She stalked over to him. "Shut up what?"

"Can't you read my mind?" he yelled.

"Yes, I can, but I fear that would be a most unpleasant experience now." Her eyes were crystal ice. "This is the very thing which I tried to avoid. If I had told you at the beginning that I was able see into your minds, what would you have done?"

"At least we would have had the truth," he retorted.

"The truth is unaltered by what I have held back from you. When you came through the gate, you had a Jaffa with you and one who carries a Go'auld presence. She looked at Carter. "I had to know who you were. I found you to be a most independent, strong-willed people, but perhaps not tolerant of the telepathy I am capable of. Had I told you at the outset, would you have interacted with me? Had I not been able to access your thoughts, how would we have communicated so easily? I decided to meet you when I realized how important it was for you to return home."

"She's right, Jack," Daniel said.

"Enough, Daniel. The fact is, that she knows what we're thinking."

"I took only what I needed," Orion responded.

"You took it all! What you've done is an invasion of privacy, and it's unethical, he yelled.

"What if I promised not to do it anymore?" the alien asked.

"Yeah, right."

"Sir?" Carter looked at him, her blue eyes very expressive. "I believe her."

"Me, too," came Daniel's answer.

Jack looked at Teal'c's impassive face. "I suppose you're on her side, too?"

"Yes, O'Neill."

He threw up his hands and walked away from all of them.

Jack O'Neill was angry and truth be told, hurt. He couldn't understand his team's reaction to Orion's revelation. He sat at the edge of camp, his back towards the rest. Unfortunately that made him face the horses at the perimeter. One approached, its head low, approximately at his eye level.

"What are you looking at?" he growled.

The animal snapped its head up, snorted and retreated.

Just great, O'Neill, he thought. Now, you're doing the Dr. Doolittle thing. He pulled his knees up to his chest. He could hear the others talking but he deliberately did not concentrate on what they were saying.

"Sir?" Carter's voice came to him.

He did not turn, making her come around to face him. He also made no attempt to look up at her; instead, he traced circles in the dirt with a stick.

"Drew the short straw, heh, Carter?" he said as he continued his artwork.

"Yes, sir."

"Lucky you," he replied, looking up at her for the first time.

"Sir, it's cold out here, why don't you come back?"

"My guess is it'll be pretty damn cold even by the orb."

She crouched in front of him. "We're not choosing her over you. We know there is an inherent risk in trusting Orion."

"Ya think?"

"She's promised not to read our minds without our permission. Right now she's our only hope of getting out of here."

He vented. "She hasn't done one thing to help us, yet. So far all she's succeeded in doing is splitting us apart. Has it occurred to you that she may not want us to leave? She's been alone for a while, supposedly. Maybe she's tired of talking to horses."

"She's the only one around here with any technology. I believe she's committed to helping us."

"Woman's intuition, Carter?"

"Horse sense, sir."

He looked at her, her beautiful face earnest and sincere. This was one of those times when he felt those "forbidden feelings" for his 2IC. "Oh, what the hell," he said. It's not like she'll be bothering me. Your brains are much more interesting than mine."

The night was spent in an uneasy truce. Jack took a double watch. He certainly wasn't feeling tired. Besides he hoped that Orion couldn't "mind read" while she was asleep. At least he felt a little freer with his thoughts. He shifted position and waited for the morning to come.

On the way back to the Orion's home, Jack endeavored to stay out of the alien's way. He took point or the six, making sure he was never paired with Orion. He did see that the others engaged in lively conversation with her.

Daniel appeared at his side, apparently finding something very funny.

"What?" he asked.

"Orion wanted to know if all senior military commanders were named after cereal grains."

Jack just looked at him.

"Colonel-kernel. As in like corn."

"Ha, ha very funny."

"Come on, Jack, lighten up."

"Yeah, I've got a lot to be happy about."

"Seriously, Orion is an amazing find. Think of the applications. She'd be like a universal translator."

"You'd be out of a job," Jack responded.

Daniel ignored him. "It would be fascinating working with her."

"Let's not put the cart before the horse, Daniel. Has she got any ideas to get us home?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I'll just let you three be my eyes and ears."

They arrived back at Orion's home early in the afternoon. Sam and Orion immediately disappeared, indicating they would be looking at the power source that warmed the cabin. That left the men to wait.

Sam burst through the door, her enthusiasm evident. "We may have something here!"

"What is it, Carter?" Jack asked.

"We may be able to adapt the generator to run the gate. Its not naquadah but it does appear to emit neutrinos."

They spent the next two days disconnecting the unit and reinstalling it at the Stargate. Carter was in her usual fine form in adapting the alien technology. Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c alternated getting in her way. As Carter finished her work, they gathered around her.

"We're ready for a test," she said. "I'll engage the power source and you get ready to turn the gate manually."

The men took up positions around the gate and when Carter gave them the signal they spun the inner ring. Although it moved freely, none of the chevrons locked.

"Now what?" asked Jack.

"I'm not sure, sir," Carter said. "What I wouldn't give for the dialing computer right about now."

"Computer?" Orion echoed.

Carter answered. "It's what we use to open our Stargate on Earth. A computer is a unit that consists of processors and microprocessors. It stores data and does complex computations." Orion looked puzzled. "I do not understand."

Carter tried again. "It's a piece of equipment that interprets information and provides answers to questions or performs a function."

The alien still looked extremely confused.

"Too scientific, Carter," Jack said. He looked at the alien. "Like a brain."

Sam immediately protested. "Sir, a computer is not a brain. It doesn't have the capacity to think."

Orion's eyes were turquoise. "Do we not have five of those?"

"Five what?" Jack asked.

"Brains," she replied softly.

There was absolute silence as they all looked at the alien.

Orion continued. "In fact, is not what we have, superior to what you have to open the Gate on your planet?"

Jack was the first to speak. "Let me get this straight. We're going to think the Gate open?" Why don't we just tap our ruby slippers three times and say there's no place like home?"

"It could be possible," Orion said. Her eyes changed to silver.

"Excuse our skepticism, Shalaar," Daniel said, "but I'm not sure we can understand how this could work."

The herd, which had been peacefully grazing in the meadow close to the Gate, suddenly raised their heads in unison. Their attention shifted to the Gate, and they milled nervously about.

Orion grabbed Carter's hand and Daniel's shoulder and started dragging them toward the horses. "Come now!"

"What's going on?" Jack yelled as they followed.

"There is no time to explain."

The horses surrounded them.

"Stay here!" Orion commanded. "No matter what happens, stay here."

The Stargate activated and through the wormhole emerged a lone Jaffa. Jack recognized him as one of the ones who had given chase on P3X954. "Damn," he whispered and he crouched a little lower. The Jaffa circled the Gate several times, apparently not noticing the generator next to the circle. He then took something from beneath his cloak and spoke a few words into it.

Transport rings fell from the sky, depositing several more Jaffa and a Go'auld in the meadow.

"This just keeps on getting better and better. Anybody recognize the snake?" Jack asked quietly.

"I do not," came Teal'c's low voice. "Perhaps a minor System Lord."

Jack ran through his options. If they were captured, there was a good chance that they would be transported off this planet. SG1 was a commodity in the Go'auld world. There would be unpleasantness to be sure, but perhaps an opportunity for escape would present itself. They had done it before. Or if by some miracle they weren't discovered, there was still Orion's crazy idea.

Orion made the decision for him. She slipped out from between the animals and walked toward the Go'auld.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Jack whispered to the rest.

The Jaffa swung their staff weapons up at her approach and the Go'auld raised his hand, displaying his ring device and spoke in his guttural language.

Jack raised his eyebrow at Teal'c, who quietly and rapidly translated. "Bow before your god."

Orion responded and Teal'c continued to translate," I pay homage to no one, especially to one who must steal a body to elevate himself out of the dust."

The Go'auld's eyes flashed white-hot. "You will worship me!"

"It is not possible to bow to one who crawls upon his belly."

A Jaffa cuffed the woman from behind, a blow that would have driven a human to his knees. The Kendarren swayed but did not fall.

Jack hissed and he prepared to propel himself out of the herd. He heard the chorus of voices whispered around him: "Jack." "Colonel." "O'Neill." And felt hands upon his shoulders. The horses tightened around them.

Daniel spoke in his ear. "She told us to stay here."

Three of the Jaffa had wrestled Orion to her knees, and the Go'auld circled her with seemingly great interest. "What are you?" he asked.

"I am Orion."

The Go'auld nodded at one of the Jaffa who yanked the alien's head back by her hair.

"I did not ask who you are, I asked what you are." The Go'auld drew his ring device across her cheek, deliberately cutting it. A slash of blue blood obediently followed his hand.

Jack heard Carter's sharp intake of breath behind him.

"I am Kendarran," Orion said.

The Go'auld looked thoughtful, apparently accessing his genetic memory. "The Kendarran were eliminated years ago. They were sheep, allowed themselves to be slaughtered. How is it that you remain?"

Orion did not answer.

The Go'auld spread his fingers, and Jack knew what would come next. The beam shot from the palm of his hand and hit the center of Orion's forehead. Having been a recipient of the "ring device" treatment, Jack knew exactly what she was feeling. To his amazement, Orion did not even cry out.

"That's enough, snakehead!" Jack stood and fired his weapon at the Go'auld. Except that nothing happened. The Go'auld did not respond to his challenge, and his gun did not fire. A horse in front of him swung its hindquarters and knocked him backwards. He landed on top of his team. By the time they regained their positions, the Go'auld had released Orion from her punishment. Her head sagged forward.

"They didn't see or hear us?" Daniel said incredulously.

The Go'auld continued to circle Orion. "I am looking for three Tauri and a traitor Jaffa. Where are they?"

"I am alone here," Orion said.

"Your death will come more mercifully if you tell me where they are."

"I am alone."

The Go'auld ranted. Jack didn't need any translation. The Go'auld's tone and body language said it all. He was really pissed. Even the Jaffa retreated somewhat from their master's wrath. The beam arced out from the Go'auld's hand once more. This time when it ended, Orion slumped to her side.

The Go'auld's eyes flashed. "Kendarran," he said. He motioned to a Jaffa, who hauled Orion back into a kneeling position. "You," he said, pointing at the small alien. "You are the one they sought to hide from us." A smile crossed his face, and Jack found that to be a most unnatural and malevolent look. The Go'auld continued. "We know that the Tauri and the shol'va gated here. I will spare their lives if you can tell me what I am thinking."

Orion looked up. "I would never enter the mind of one so vile, so evil. Or contaminate myself with such perverse thoughts."

The Go'auld went ballistic. He screamed and turned his hand toward Orion. The beam encompassed her head once more.

"Oh god." Jack heard Daniel say.

Then the Go'auld was backing away from Orion. He fumbled with his hand device and activated his personal force field. Then he grabbed his head with both hands, screaming in pain and not fury. He collapsed, convulsed, and then lay still. His Jaffa surrounded him, confused.

Orion struggled to her feet. Jack saw that her eyes were crimson-red, ember-hot. A Jaffa saw her movement and fired his staff weapon directly at her. She crumpled.

The Go'auld's Jaffa lifted him from the ground. The one who had shot Orion separated from the group and approached her. His savage kick to her midsection flipped her onto her back. He kicked her again and apparently satisfied, returned to his master's side. He pulled a communication device from his cloak and he spoke into it. Transport rings appeared, surrounding the Go'auld and his Jaffa, and then they were gone.

Orion lay motionless in the meadow. Jack and SG1 tried to push their way toward her but found it an impossible task. The herd simply would not let them pass. Jack helplessly checked his watch. Ten minutes passed before one of the animals lifted its head toward the sky and the herd opened up. The men rushed to the alien's side while Carter ran for their med kit.

Jack fought to channel his anger and failed. It consumed him as he saw the injuries. Blood flowed freely from the gash on the alien's cheek, blue tinged spittle frothed at her lips. The staff weapon blast had burned her clothing and her flesh. Her eyes, still scarlet, stared skyward. He looked at the rest of his team and saw the grimness in their faces. He gently touched the alien's shoulder.

Her back arched and her arms flailed. They all grabbed her, trying to prevent any further injury. She only bucked harder under their grasp.

"Orion, lay still! We're only trying to help you." Carter begged.

Her words came haltingly through clenched teeth. "I cannot bear your pain." And she continued to struggle.

"Release her," Teal'c commanded and pulled his hands from her body.

"She's going to hurt herself, Teal'c," Daniel said.

"She said, I cannot bear *your* pain, not the pain. We must control ourselves. It would appear that she is feeling what we are feeling."

It took only a second for it to register around the group, and they all released their holds.

Orion's movements ceased and she sighed deeply, once. The color slowly faded from her eyes and they remained open, the dark pupils expanding, the irises becoming black empty pools.

"Carter!" Jack yelled.

Sam frantically searched for a pulse. "I'm not even sure where to look. Her physiology could be so different than ours." She shook her head. "I'm not getting anything."

Orion's body relaxed and her eyelids fluttered, then closed.

Jack found his knife and brought it to Orion's face.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Daniel asked.

He held the shiny blade beneath the alien's nostrils. Two unmistakable spots of condensation formed on the cold steel surface. "She's still with us," he confirmed.

After some debate about moving her, they elected to find shelter. A light drizzle began to fall as they carefully put Orion onto a blanket. They each picked up a corner and keeping her as level as possible, carried her back to the cabin. Placing her on the cot, Sam took stock of her injuries. The gash on her cheek and the marks on her forehead from the ring device were obvious. Carter peeled away some of her burnt clothing and pulled charred skin from the woman's midriff with it. Jack winced.

"I'm going to need some help here," Carter said.

Jack said, "I'll build a fire." Without the generator to heat the cabin, it was cold and damp.

Daniel looked quickly at Jack. "I'll help him."

Teal'c touched Orion. "I will help you, MajorCarter."

Jack and Daniel started a fire in the hearth while Sam and Teal'c attended to the alien. When the fire was going to Jack's satisfaction he left the cabin for the porch outside. He wasn't surprised when Daniel joined him in the hastening twilight. Jack leaned against the railing with both hands, watching the herd of horses mill about in the clearing.

Daniel propped himself against one of the supports. "So, what exactly happened back there?"

"I'm not sure, Daniel," he said.

They both straightened as Sam joined them on the porch.

"She gonna make it?" Jack asked.

Sam ran her hand through her cropped blonde hair. "I don't know, Colonel. We cleaned and dressed her wounds. I'm afraid to give her any antibiotics or painkillers; since I don't know what effect they could have on her. I don't want to make things worse. She didn't seem to have any medications in the cabin, or least nothing we could identify. She probably has internal injuries and broken ribs from the Jaffa's kick."

Jack ran his hand over his face.

Carter continued. "And who knows what damage the ring device did to her brain." She smiled a sad smile. "Teal'c was really great with her. He's so composed, so amazingly tender." Carter looked away and brushed a hand across her eyes. "I don't suppose he'd like me telling about that."

There was silence all around. Jack sighed. You'd think I'd be used to these scenarios by now, he thought. But somehow the actions of the Go'auld never ceased to horrify him. But there were some other things that were equally troubling. Orion had told them that she couldn't alter reality but the Go'auld clearly did not see or hear him when he attempted to fire his gun. He knew that he had pulled the trigger but had no explanation as to why the weapon had not discharged. What exactly had happened to the Go'auld? Orion had saved SG1, but how?

They took turns at her bedside, just as they done countless times for each other in the infirmary at the SGC. In was a known fact that SG1 logged more sick time and recuperation time than any other team. Dr. Frasier had threatened to give them personalized beds in her ICU.

Jack's watch came after Teal'c's.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

Teal'c answered, "She appears to be resting comfortably." The big man stood, stretched and then admonished. "Remember to control your thoughts. MajorCarter thinks it is important to be positive."

"Well, that's me, Mr. Optimistic."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

"I'll be careful," Jack said, taking Teal'c's chair.

Time passed excruciatingly slow through his vigil. He tried to keep his mind focused on pleasant thoughts. He thought about the nights he spent stargazing on his roof, fishing, hockey and the good times he had had with Charlie and Sara.

Orion stirred on the cot.

He leaned forward. "Come on, Orion. Open those beautiful..." He paused. "Multi-colored eyes."

His hand brushed her cheek and he felt the warmth radiating from her.

"Damn," he cursed softly and picked up her hand. She was definitely feverish. He lifted the blankets from her body, leaving only a sheet covering her torso. He found a basin, filled it with water and began sponging her extremities with a wet cloth. When she would shiver he'd stop and cover her again. This cycle went on for the rest of his watch. It was near morning when Carter joined him. He had just started sponging again.

"How long has she been like this?" Sam asked.

"A few hours," he said as he continued to work.

"You should have wakened me."

"I managed. You needed the rest."

"Here, let me." She took the cloth from him.

He sank back into the chair and rubbed his eyes.

"You know, this fever is a good thing," she said.

He looked up, not convinced.

"It shows her body is fighting infection. That's a good sign." Suddenly she stopped working with the cloth. "Sir, did you see this?" indicating the alien's forehead.

"What?" He came out of the chair.

"Look here."

The burn marks from the ring device were barely visible. Sam peeled back the bandage from the alien's cheek. All that remained of the gash was a thin blue line. Sam handed him the cloth and lifted the sheet back from Orion's midsection.

"Colonel, hand me those scissors," she said.

He did and she expertly cut through the bandages circling the trunk of the woman's body. Jack gritted his teeth in preparation for what he knew he was going to see. Except that the blue-black burns had now been replaced by healthy looking skin.

Sam flashed a smile at him. "I think she's going to make it sir. I don't know how or why, but she's going to make it."

The morning passed with Orion sleeping peacefully. Jack had cleaned up and stepped out into the crisp air. Daniel was already on the porch steps, presumably reading his notes. Jack joined him. One of the horses approached and stopped about five feet in front of them. Jack was certain it was Taelan.

The horse continued to stare at them.

"Ah, Jack," Daniel said.

"What?"

"I think it wants something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Why would it be standing here like that?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Daniel continued. "You're on a first name basis, aren't you?"

Jack protested. "You're the linguist."

"For people."

When it was clear that the animal did not intend to move, Jack stood, shoved his hands into the pockets of his BDU's and walked down the stairs. He looked straight into the horse's dark eyes. "Taelan, right?"

The horse appeared to nod. Jack turned to Daniel, who motioned encouragement with his hands.

Jack turned to face the horse. "We think she's going to be ok," he said.

The horse nodded and gave a deep-throated nicker. It backed up and the rest of the herd surrounded it. Then there was head tossing and neighing among the animals.

Jack rejoined Daniel on the steps. "I don't know what is weirder, the fact that I talked to it or that it seemed to understand."

They heard the door open behind them and Teal'c spoke. "O'Neill, DanielJackson, she awakes!"

They joined Sam and the Jaffa at Orion's bedside. The alien's eyelids fluttered and then her eyes opened, the irises cycling through every color of the rainbow until they settled into a multi-colored pattern.

"Hey," Jack said.

Orion's gaze shifted his way and her eyebrows knitted. "My friends need food?"

"Not hay, hey. It's another way of saying hello," he explained.

She shook her head. "Your language is very confusing." She struggled to rise.

Sam spoke. "You better lay back and rest."

When it was clear that Orion did not intend to remain horizontal, four sets of arms assisted her to a sitting position. Carter arranged the bedclothes around the shoulders of the alien.

"Thank you for saving our lives yesterday," Daniel said. The rest of the team added their thanks.

"But you would like an explanation," Orion stated.

"That would be nice," Jack said.

The alien sat, silent.

Daniel prompted. "The Go'auld? What exactly happened to him?"

"Under a specific set of circumstances, the energy of the mind can be a powerful force," Orion said.

"Meaning?" Carter asked.

The alien's voice was soft. "Extreme emotion such as anger in combination with irrational thinking can be very destructive. I amplified the negative energy he was generating. It overloaded his neural synapses."

"Are you saying, you thought him to death?" Daniel asked.

"The Go'auld was responsible for his own death. He has a sarcophagus. By now he certainly has been reanimated," she answered levelly.

Jack really didn't like what he was hearing. He had finally accepted Orion as a possible ally. And now this. The implications of her abilities were frightening.

Orion spoke, "You wonder whether I could kill you like I killed the Go'auld."

He did not try to hide his alarm. "I thought you said you wouldn't be reading our minds any more."

"I do not have to. I see it in your faces. You wonder if you should fear me."

"Should we?" he asked. "Could you lose control and hurt us?"

"It is not simply a matter of control. I seized an opportunity and used the Go'auld's weakness against him. From what I know of you, you do not possess the anger, hatred, or self-absorption that the Go'auld do."

He wasn't sure whether he was reassured or not. "What did he mean when he said, you're the one they sought to hide from us?"

"My people felt that sending me into exile would prevent the Go'auld from using my abilities to further their interests. I should have never agreed to abide by their decision."

Carter asked, "You would have helped the Go'auld?"

"I should have done what was necessary to save Kendaar."

Teal'c spoke, "You would have not saved your people by helping the Go'auld."

Daniel asked, "So is the Go'auld coming back?"

"I do not believe so," Orion answered. "I allowed him to believe that you never gated here and that I had been killed. There is no reason for him to return."

Jack hoped she was right. "Is there anything else you haven't told us about?" he asked. "Like why the Go'auld couldn't see or hear us when he was here."

Orion was quiet once more.

He continued, "You said you can't alter reality."

"I cannot."

"But your 'friends' can," Daniel stated. Everyone's attention shifted to the archeologist. "That's why you told us to stay in the middle of the herd."

Orion nodded. "My 'friends' are an intelligent, indigenous life form with the capability of altering reality for protection."

"How do they do that?" Carter asked.

"I know only that they are able to change one's perception."

"So that's why the Go'auld didn't see us and why you seemed to materialize out of the herd when we first came here," Carter concluded.

"Yes," the alien replied. "They protect me the same way they protected you."

"Why didn't you just stay hidden with us?" Daniel asked.

"The Go'auld and his Jaffa would have searched further. They were convinced that you had come here. I had to act quickly. And now we must get you back to your Earth." She attempted to stand and immediately clutched her midsection.

"I think you need to rest," Jack pronounced. Despite the amazing recuperative powers of the alien, he could see that she was still hurting. "Tomorrow will be soon enough." He gently pushed her back on the bed. When she started to protest, he held up his hand. "That's an order."

SG1 gathered outside.

Daniel was the first to speak. "If we're able to open the gate tomorrow, are we going to ask Orion to come back to Earth with us?"

Jack wasn't ready to answer that question yet. He hadn't given it serious thought until he had seen Orion's remarkable skills. He now had reason to hope that they would be able to return home.

"I am certain the Tok'ra would be interested in meeting her," Teal'c said.

"Her recuperative powers are amazing. Medical science could benefit greatly," Sam added.

Jack spoke, more sharply than he intended. "Yeah, Daniel wants her as a universal translator, and the Tok'ra could use her for a Go'auld detector. She could be a guinea pig for medical science and god knows what the NID could do with her." The implications of what he said silenced the group. "Let's just see how this plays out tomorrow."

Jack sat on the porch steps as the afternoon wore on. The others had gone to the Stargate to check the generator. He elected to stay behind with the resting alien. And reflect upon what exactly had happened over the past five days. He was pretty sure that that first night in the cabin when Orion had awakened, it was because she knew he had been thinking about Charlie. And that it was probably not a coincidence that she had found and rescued him on the plateau.

He heard the door open behind him and a moment later she sat down beside him, her shoulder brushing his.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey, yourself. I ordered you to rest."

"Where are the others?" she said, pointedly ignoring him.

"Trying to fire up the generator at the Gate."

"I understand."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, their attention focused forward.

"What is it you wish to know?" she asked.

He turned toward her and wondered just how transparent he was. "Why did you take us to the ruins? You knew we wouldn't find another gate or a way to get ourselves home."

"I did it because you asked me to. I truly did not know what you would find. I am reliant on thought processes to communicate with those whose language I do not know. The writings that Daniel found meant nothing to me." She paused. "It was also selfish of me, for I have been alone a long time. Your company was welcome. I used the time to learn more about you."

"And what did you learn?"

"I learned that among other things, Major Carter has a fondness for motorcycles, that Teal'c was first prime of Apophis and that Daniel can speak twenty-three languages."

He cleared his throat. "What about me?"

Her eyes turned soft blue. "That you are a warrior and an honorable man who has had a great deal of pain in his life."

He dropped his eyes and studied the back of his hands. "I'm not so sure about the honorable part."

"Jack."

He immediately brought his head up and looked at her. It was the first time she had called him that. He wasn't sure what it was, the resonance of her voice, the way she pronounced it, but she said in a way like he had never heard it said before.

She continued. " I was never taught that warriors could be noble, selfless and loyal. If only my people could have met someone like you."

He tried to keep the anger from his voice, but failed. "Don't put me up on a pedestal, Orion. You know some of the things I've done."

She reached a hand toward his head. "Let me take away your pain."

He grabbed her wrist, hard. "No!" He could see his vehemence startled her and he released his grip. His pain was part of who he had become, for better or worse. He spoke more evenly now. "If someone could take away your pain, would you let them?"

She was silent and then she choked out, "No. It is all I have left."

He knew this to be true. With each passing year, Charlie's voice grew harder to recall. Sometimes he had to pull out old photographs to refresh his memory of his beautiful son. But the pain of loss was never far from him. He could only imagine how she felt. He blamed himself for Charlie's death, while she felt responsible for the loss of an entire civilization.

Orion's head sagged. Her voice shook. "I heard their screams, knew their pain, felt them die."

He moved to put a comforting arm around her shoulder. At first she resisted, then allowed him to draw her closer. She turned her head and buried her face in his chest. Even his body shook with her silent sobs, and he felt his tee shirt grow wet. He wasn't sure how long he held her, but eventually her breathing became regular and he lifted her chin with his right hand. Her eyes were closed, and he realized she was asleep. He gathered her up in his arms and said gruffly, "See, I told you, you needed rest."

Orion slept until the others returned. Now they sat on the floor of the cabin mapping out their strategy for the coming day. Orion had served them some amber liquid that tasted remarkably like beer. A fruit juice experiment gone wrong, she had said.

"So how are we going to do this, 'thinking' the gate open?" Jack asked.

Orion answered. "After the generator is started, we will have to concentrate on each of the symbols in turn. As each chevron is locked, we will think of the next."

"We'll need the symbol of this planet as the point of origin," Daniel said.

"Yes." She drew a symbol on one of Daniel's tablets. "And now you must give me Earth's address." She handed the book back to Daniel, who added the other six symbols.

Jack scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I should just sit this one out. I mean with Carter, Teal'c and Daniel, you should have plenty of brainpower to go around."

Orion crossed her arms. "We will not only require knowledge, but also wisdom and strength. We will not succeed without you."

He grimaced. "Maybe it's this mind reading thing. We won't know what everyone else is thinking, will we?"

"That would require a different technique. Would you like to do that?"

"No!" The response was loud, firm and unanimous among SG1.

"Well I guess that's settled," Jack said. He shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. He noticed that every time he looked Orion's way, she avoided his eyes.

"So, is there a problem?" He directed his question at the alien.

"No." And she dipped her head, almost shyly.

"What!" he exclaimed.

She spoke hesitantly. 'There is something I would ask of you."

Here it comes, he thought, she wants to come back with us. And he didn't have an answer.

She continued. "There is something that you do that I am most interested in."

He sat up straighter, his interest piqued. "Me in particular?"

"Yes," she replied. "I talked with both Teal'c and Daniel, and they said that while they had done it, they admitted that they probably weren't as skilled as you. Samantha said that you have done it hundreds of times and that your reputation is well-deserved." She paused. "Could you jump me?"

All the air left his lungs and he was certain that his jaw was somewhere below his knees. He looked first at his cup. It had to be the alcohol. Why in heaven's name was she talking about this in front of the others? He looked for help from his team. Teal'c was, as usual, inscrutable. Daniel stared at him with those benign, bespectacled, baby blues. Carter simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "I had to tell the truth, sir."

He struggled with what to say. "I can't. No, it's not that I CAN'T. I mean, I wouldn't think of it. Not that I didn't think about it..." The hole he was digging was getting to be a chasm.

Meanwhile, Orion continued. "I understand that you can do it strapped to my back."

He had it. "I shouldn't. Yeah, that's it. I shouldn't. For a whole bunch of reasons."

Daniel interceded. "Yeah, Jack's great at jumping, to conclusions, out of airplanes." Then he lowered his head, failing to hide the smile spreading across his face.

Orion's eyes shone. "Bad joke," she said brightly.

Laughter filled the room, even from Teal'c.

Jack inhaled deeply and looked at each of the conspirators in turn. It was obvious that they had enjoyed putting one on over him. "I knew all the long you guys were pulling my leg," he protested.

"Yeah, right," Daniel said.

Jack directed his attention back to Orion. "The correct term is parachuting." At that moment, he made a decision and acted on it. "Come back to Earth with us, and I'll give you the best damn jump you'll ever have."

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

He tried to recover. "You don't have if you don't want to. Jump, I mean. You could come to Earth and take a look around. You could help us fight the Go'auld. Or you could gate to anywhere you wanted."

Her voice was soft. "Your offer is generous, but I cannot go."

Daniel spoke. "Like Jack said, it doesn't have to be permanent. You could come back here or go home to Kendaar."

"You misunderstand. I would like to see your Earth, but I must remain here." She pushed up the sleeves of her loose-fitting shirt to reveal the glowing bands encircling her wrists. "These are not jewelry. They are devices that will not allow me to pass through the Stargate."

"So, take them off," Jack countered.

"That is not possible without the deactivation device."

Jack leaned forward. "Okay, we know some people who have access to space travel. It might take a while, but we could get a ship to pick you up."

Orion shook her head. "The devices will detonate if they are improperly removed, if I pass through the gate, or if I am removed from this planet."

"Your own people did this to you?" Teal'c's asked.

Jack didn't need the answer to the question. Angrily, he said, "I thought you said they were pacifists. They sure as hell have an odd way of showing it."

Orion answered, "The devices were my idea."

"What?" Jack asked.

"I was honoring my people's ideals. I pledged my noninterference and I needed to convince them that I would not collaborate with the Go'auld in order to save them." She fingered the bracelets. "These gave them the assurance they needed."

The morning air had a decidedly crisp bite to it. SG1 packed up their belongings and had gathered in the cabin's clearing. Orion introduced them to each of her 'friends' and gave them the opportunity to express their gratitude for the part they had played in saving them from the Go'auld.

When Jack came to Taelan, he raised his hand and firmly patted the forehead of the horse. "Well, big fella. Take good care of Orion."

Taelan snorted.

"Actually Taelan is female. And for some reason, she finds you quite interesting," Orion explained.

"Oh, really." Jack's hand stopped mid-pat. He looked over at Orion and knew she wasn't kidding. He looked back into the animal's dark eyes and she gave him a long slow blink.

The procession wound its way through the forest to the meadow. The tall amber grass undulated in the strengthening breeze and brushed their thighs. They stood before the Gate and Carter did a last minute check on the generator.

The small alien spoke. "It will be best to say our goodbyes now. When the Gate opens, you will need to leave quickly. I cannot guarantee how long the generator will function in this capacity." She stepped toward Teal'c. "Thank you for all you did for me during my recovery. I wish you much success with your battle against the Go'auld."

Teal'c bowed to her. "It has been my privilege to meet you, ShalarrOrion."

She moved next to Carter, producing something from the pack she carried. It was the orb they used on their journey to the ruins. She handed it to Carter.

"I can't take this. I already feel bad enough that we've appropriated your generator," Carter protested.

"Take it. Study it and discover its secrets," the alien answered. "I have never met a mind as inquisitive as yours."

Carter blushed at the compliment and accepted the orb. "Thank you, Orion."

Daniel was next, and she lifted his hand and pressed a piece of paper into it. " These are the symbols for Kendarr. If you deem it safe, would it be possible for you to go there?"

Daniel placed the note in his vest pocket. "We'll do our best."

"You will not find weapons there, but perhaps there is other technology that will help you in your fight against the Go'auld."

"Thank you, Shalaar. If it's okay, we have some people that might like to meet you." Daniel threw a glance Jack's way and he knew Daniel was talking about the Tok'ra. "They'd come in ships and we could probably come along with them."

"I would welcome any friends of yours, but I must ask you not to tell anyone about Taelan and the rest. They wish not to be revealed."

Jack was ready for her when she approached him. He crooked his index finger at her. She gave him a questioning look. "Come here," he said.

She took one step closer to him, dubious.

"Closer," he said.

Orion glanced at the rest of SG1 and then hesitantly stepped forward, very close to him. He twirled his finger. "Now turn around."

She slowly turned her back to him. He encircled her waist with his arms. She tensed. "What are we doing?" she asked.

"I going to give you that jump I promised." He rested his cheek against the side of her head. "Read my mind," he said.

He relived one of his best jumps, the one over Hawaii. He knew her wonderment at the breathtaking views, felt her sharp intake of air as the chute deployed, and her exhilaration at the perfect landing on the beach. He released her and she turned, breathless, her face filled with excitement.

"Thank you." And he was rewarded with the first real smile he had ever seen on her face.

He reached out and smoothed the locks of her hair he had mussed. "Nothing too good for my favorite telepathic alien."

Her face flushed. "It is time for you to go," she said. "Samantha, the generator?" Carter complied by switching it on.

Orion stood near the gate and they gathered around her. "Think of the first glyph," she said. Jack did his best and he was certain that everyone else was doing the same.

"Ah, nothing's happening," Daniel said.

"Concentrate," Orion commanded. A few seconds of silence passed. Jack noticed that the alien had closed her eyes. "Now, put your hands on me." Each member of SG1 did as she asked. She reached her left arm toward the gate and firmly grasped the circle.

The inner circle began to move toward the first chevron. After it locked, they thought of each succeeding symbol, until the seventh chevron had engaged. The gate whooshed open and they stepped back. Carter activated the GDO and in a few seconds they had the answer they were waiting for.

"It's the SGC, Sir. We've got confirmation."

"All right. Let's get moving," he said, ushering his team toward the shimmering gate.

The generator began to spark and smoke.

"Move," Jack yelled. He turned to look over his shoulder. Orion staggered back toward the herd. He hesitated. How he hated leaving anyone behind.

The alien threw an arm around Taelan for support. And she mouthed at him, "Go."

He raised his arm and she returned the gesture.

Moments later he walked down the ramp in the Gate room where General Hammond and usual marine contingent were waiting to greet him.

"It's good to have you back, Colonel," the General said.

"Nice to be back, sir. You didn't send anybody else to P3X954, did you?"

"Not after we discovered it was a Go'auld stronghold."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll give you and your team an hour to pull yourselves together, then we'll debrief," Hammond announced.

"Thank you, sir. We'd appreciate that." Jack said as his team filed past them.

The general from Texas wrinkled his nose and drawled, "Do I smell horse?"

Epilogue

Two months passed. Jack was champing at the bit to return the planet. He had lobbied unsuccessfully for earlier contact, but the 'powers that be' had to be convinced that establishing a link with Orion would be beneficial. Assurances were made that the Tok'ra, who were very interested in meeting the telepath, would eventually recover any equipment used. Jack's concern was for the health of the small alien. He couldn't forget that she appeared injured after acting as the conduit to the Gate.

Daniel made the trip to Kendaar and the news was as grim as Orion had led them to believe. There appeared to be no survivors of what was once an advanced civilization. Some salvaged artifacts indicated that perhaps the Kendaaran had originally come from another galaxy.

The okay for the mission finally came. In the control room, Jack bent over the back of Lt. Simmons as they followed the movements of the M.A.L.P. through the gate. The rest of SG1 and General Hammond stood behind them. The camera revealed that the meadow was now covered with drifted snow.

"What exactly are we looking for, Colonel?" the junior officer asked as the herd of horses came into view. Jack was not surprised to see that they now were white rather than gold.

"We're looking for a horse of a different color, Simmons," he replied. The other officer turned to look at him. "And there she is." Simmons spun back around.

Orion walked out from the midst of the herd. With her white cloak and golden-brown hair, she looked almost like an angel.

"My god!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "She's beautiful."

Jack patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, and she's the kind of girl that can really get into your head." Simmons gave him an odd look.

He was relieved to see that she looked well. He introduced General Hammond, and they all took turns talking with her. Daniel had to tell her of their findings on Kendaar. Her face told them that it merely affirmed what she had known for a long time. She was told that the Tok'ra were interested in meeting with her. Arrangements would be made for them to visit.

"You will be coming with them?" she asked.

"Wild horses couldn't keep us away," Jack said. He wouldn't let her face the Tok'ra alone.

"We're sending you some things on a vehicle called a F.R.E.D.," Carter said. "Did you ever get your generator repaired?"

"No. Opening the gate apparently destroyed it."

"I'm sending you a small naquadah reactor. It should serve you well."

"Thank you."

They said their goodbyes and SG1 assembled in the gate room to watch the deployment of the F.R.E.D. Each of them had included something for Orion on the vehicle. Jack put down the box he had been carrying next to his feet and watched as the unit penetrated the event horizon.

Daniel looked down and raised his eyebrows. "What's in the box, Jack?"

"Nothing." He changed the subject. "So, what did you send, Daniel?"

"A few artifacts from Kendaar and some information about Earth. I included a text about idioms, clichés, and homophones. I figured she might want to know what you're talking about next time we meet."

He looked at Daniel. "Hey, wait a minute, I'm a pretty open-minded guy."

Daniel shook his head. "Not homophobes, Jack, homophones. Words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings."

"Yeah, right." He shifted to his 2IC. "What about you, Carter?"

"The generator and some other stuff."

He waited for the Major to clarify.

"Girl stuff, sir." She gave him a look that dared him to ask more.

He didn't. He looked quickly at the Jaffa. "Teal'c?"

"Orion was very interested in kel'no'reem. I sent her some meditation candles."

Daniel spoke. "Jack, your box appears to be moving."

Jack moved to brace the box between his feet. "No, it's not."

"What about you, Colonel? What did you send?" Carter asked.

"Just some things she'll need." He reached into his pocket and palmed the small ball in his right hand.

Daniel looked up at him. "Jack, your box is whining."

"Really," he deadpanned. The lid of the box opened and the head of a puppy popped out. Jack expertly flipped the ball onto the ramp and it bounced toward the wormhole. The dog jumped out of the box, tore up the ramp and disappeared into the blue ripples, right behind the ball.

"Jack!" Daniel admonished. "Orion's not going to appreciate a carnivore."

"I sent her a supply of food and some instructions. She'll have it eating that protein stuff in no time."

"I don't think you should have done it, sir," Carter added.

"He was on his last day at the pound. Besides, it'll be good company for her. Everyone needs a dog."

The PA crackled and General Hammond's voice wafted down. "Colonel, could I see you in my office?"

© 10th March 2003. 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.