DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; all the powers that be, not me; This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended. The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent.
SPOILERS: Big one for Stargate, the movie.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Now I know the shafts of the Khufu pyramid are too small and too steep to actually climb through, but hey, it was a great escape route. And have you actually seen a huge naquadah ring people just jump through to travel to other planets? Nah… didn't think so…
Many, many thanks to Tanya, Mary and Margo, for their patience, support, offered ideas and suggestions to make this better. Also thanks to Leanne and Sandra, for their help, you also made this better.

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FLASHBACK… (The first Abydos mission)
=======================================

"Send the bomb to Earth," with a steady, firm voice, Ra gave a determined nod into the direction of his Prime Horus guard.

The guard slowly nodded. "I will see to it personally," he said, then turned around and left the room.

*****

Colonel Jack O'Neill, leader of the team that had been sent on the first mission through the Stargate to a planet called Abydos, ran through the corridors of the temple with a staff weapon in his right hand. He headed straight towards the Stargate. The nuclear bomb was located in this room, close to the dominating structure. The Colonel instinctively knew there was no other way. His orders had been clear and he had accepted them without hesitation. Having his own personal reasons for that, he had been the perfect officer for the job. Why else would General West have selected him? The General needed a man who was willing to sacrifice his life in order to save Earth from another Goa'uld attack and O'Neill had been ready to end his own life after the loss of his son. It was only logical that he had been selected. Now it was time to finish his job, to make sure these snakeheads wouldn't be a threat to Earth anymore. He lifted the bomb from the cart and placed it carefully against the Stargate, ready to set it off.

Doctor Daniel Jackson, the only civilian of the team, only allowed to join the mission because of his translating skills, ran through the temple. His new Abydonian wife, Sha're, ran beside him, holding on to his hand as if afraid to lose him. Daniel noticed the Colonel's actions.

"What are you doing?" Daniel Jackson asked, fear evident in his voice. During this mission, he'd already come to terms with the Colonel's lack of will to survive. The memory of the devastated man back in that cave telling him that no parent ought to be forced to outlive his kid had given him an idea of the cause. Although he had used several occasions to talk some sense into the depressed man, he wasn't sure if they had had any effect. He also had some ideas of what the Colonel was trying to achieve right now.

Colonel O'Neill looked briefly over his shoulder. His face blank, his voice lacking every emotion, he answered, "completing this mission."

"I thought we were just going to dismantle the Gate on the other side?" Daniel raised his hand in the air, confusion crossing his face.

"And you will. That's your job now." O'Neill looked him straight in the eye, trying to make sure the young linguist understood every word he said. "I'm gonna stay here. To make sure this goes off."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes widened and his mouth fell wide open. Not able to say anything, he saw how the Colonel enabled the bomb, his movements deft, precise. Switching the red handle, O'Neill informed him: "You've got seven minutes."

A brief movement from behind made Sha're look over her shoulder. A large Horus guard entered the room, aiming his weapon at the three people. She cried out, "Dan'iel!" The guard fired, hitting her in her chest and she slid motionless to the floor. Daniel and O'Neill returned fire immediately and managed to kill the guard before he could do anymore damage.

Daniel kneeled beside his wife, frantically feeling for a pulse. Shocked, he realized that she was dead.

As Ra's First Prime made his way from the ship to the temple, Daniel noticed the appearing transport rings. That was it! Knowing it was the only way to save his wife, Daniel lifted Sha're and walked over to the rings.

"What are you doing?" O'Neill asked, having no idea what the young man had in mind, "Jackson?"

Daniel entered the rings. "Wait for me," he pleaded, his blue eyes looking desperately into the brown eyes of O'Neill. With a flash, the transport rings took Daniel and Sha're up to the Goa'uld vessel.

The First Prime stepped out of the rings, surprising the Colonel and knocking him down with one hard blow.

*****

Daniel had been in the Goa'uld ship before and knew his way. He tried not to think of his own death and how he was brought back to life. That was a memory that would probably haunt him for a while. He walked through the ship, straight towards the sarcophagus. Opening it, he carefully placed Sha're into it. It wouldn't take long; he knew that from his own experience. It would work; it had to work…

*****

Outside the temple, Major Louis Ferretti, Major Charlie Kawalski, Sha're's younger brother Skaa'ra and the other children of Abydos who had joined the soldiers, were desperately fighting against the death gliders. There were too many death gliders and Major Ferretti realized they were about to lose the battle. "Kawalski, we've got to do something!" he yelled.

Kawalski knew too that there was no way they could win this lopsided fight. He could not willingly sacrifice the lives of the young children of Abydos. He started yelling at the death gliders, ready to surrender and hoping to catch the attention of the Horus guards.

His actions were noticed; the death gliders stopped firing as a bunch of Horus guards marched in their direction, staff weapons aimed at the soldiers and children. Sighing heavily, the soldiers surrendered and raised their hands in the air.

*****

Knowing the sarcophagus had done its job, Daniel opened it up and lifted Sha're out of there. He quickly carried her back to the rings, when Ra stopped him. The Goa'uld was furious at the brazenness of the Tau'ri. How dare he come to his ship and use his sarcophagus? His eyes glowing with rage, Ra placed his hand device on Daniel's head, in an effort to try to pull him apart. The pain in Daniel's head was immense and he struggled to stay on his feet. His face contorted, he gasped for air, unable to fight back.

*****

Colonel O'Neill struggled to his feet, only to be knocked down by the angry guard once more. The guard attacked him viciously, trying to place solid blows on his head and chest. Unwilling to give up, the Colonel managed landing some blows on the guard's head. The guard hit him hard with his staff weapon, sending him backward against the wall. Determined, the Colonel fought back, kicking and hitting the guard until he managed to knock him down.

"Give my regards to King Tut, asshole." O'Neill hissed angrily, pinning him down with one knee. He quickly pressed the blue button of the device on the guard's hand, which activated the transport rings. The guard screamed out, realizing what was about to happen. He desperately tried to get away, but the Colonel held him securely in place. The transport rings appeared, crushing the still screaming Horus guard underneath them.

*****

The transport rings temporarily distracted Ra. Looking furiously over his shoulder for a brief moment; Daniel took advantage of the situation and pulled with all the strength that he had left. He managed to set himself free. Staggering back, he angrily grabbed the amulet that Ra had stolen from him earlier that day and tugged it from Ra's neck. With Sha're still in his arms, he stepped into the rings and was on his way down, leaving Ra outraged, cursing out loud.

Relief floated across O'Neill's face when Daniel and Sha're stepped out of the transport rings.

One minute and fifty-three seconds…

He rushed over to the bomb, switching the red handle to turn it off. It didn't stop…

One minute, forty-four seconds...

O'Neill dropped on his knees next to the bomb, frantically trying different ways to stop it. Nothing worked.

One minute, thirty-eight seconds…

*****

As Major Kawalski, Major Ferretti and the children were waiting for the approaching Horus guards, Kasuf appeared over the hills, yelling out loud. He wasn't alone; all the men of Abydos were running behind him, ready to fight. Knowing what the children of Abydos had started, they were determined to help them out and put an end to their enslavement by the false Gods.

Ra was watching the scene through the view screen of his ship, knowing his guards were outnumbered and would definitely lose the battle. There was just no way to stop those people. Furiously accepting his loss, Ra turned on the engines of his ship, ready to leave the place.

*****

"How much time do we have left?" Almost too scared to ask, Daniel approached the Colonel, worry evident on his face.

O'Neill was still trying to shut the bomb down, but wasn't succeeding. "Forty-five seconds," he hissed.

"He's leaving. Turn it off!" Daniel was almost panicking now.

Forty seconds…

"I'm trying to! I can't disarm it!"

"WHAT?"

"I can't stop it! They've got it rigged!" The Colonel was really, really pissed.

Thirty-five seconds…

Sha're regained consciousness and struggled to get up. O'Neill and Daniel briefly looked over their shoulders at her. Then they both switched their attention from the woman to the beaten Horus guard, to his hand with the transport device and the transport rings. That was it! It had to work!

Thirty seconds…

"I've got an idea!" they yelled at each other at the same time.

*****

The Goa'uld vessel had left the temple and was now up in the air. Ra still expected the bomb to go off on the planet and was anxiously waiting for this. At least he would have that pleasure. The transport rings came to life again … his eyes were glowing in outrage… he saw how the bomb appeared …

'Tau'ri!!! You're going to pay for this!!!'

Four seconds…

He had only one chance to survive now. He'd already lost his world. He would lose his ship too.

Three seconds…

There was no other way… He took out a dark gray panel that had been hanging around his neck, under his clothes. There were only two buttons on it. One button was red and one was green.

Two seconds…

He would have to build a whole new empire. Start all over again. It would take him two years at the most. He would be back soon to take revenge. He pressed the red button.

One second…

The bomb exploded, taking out the Goa'uld vessel in the air, creating a huge cloud of fire and smoke. On Abydos, everybody cheered in satisfaction, excitement and relief. They were convinced the false God had been destroyed. They were free, at last. Unfortunately, nobody noticed the beam of energy that had left the Goa'uld vessel only a fraction of a second before the explosion…

END OF FLASHBACK
=====================

"Chevron 7 encoded. Wormhole established!" The voice of Lt. Simmons sounded somehow like an automated voice response system over the intercom.

In the Gateroom, SG-1, the SGC's first off world exploration team stood, all geared up, ready to go on their next mission. Colonel O'Neill, Commanding Officer of the team, looked over his shoulder for a final approval. General Hammond nodded at him and saluted.

"SG-1, you have a go."

Colonel O'Neill briefly responded with a quick salute.

"Okay, kids, ready? Let's go." He walked up the ramp and stepped through the wormhole. Although he knew what to expect, the effects of traveling at great speed through the wormhole surprised him time after time. He was thrown hard out of the Gate on PXR488 and rolled over his shoulder three times before stopping himself. He quickly rose to his feet, slapped the dust of his clothes, all the while scanning his surroundings to determine any sign of danger.

Captain Samantha Carter, his 2IC with too many brains, stepped out behind him easily, immediately scanning the area as he had done. He pulled a face. Was he ever glad she hadn't witnessed him tumbling out of the wormhole! She would have joked about that the whole day.

A brief sadistic smile appeared on his face as Doctor Daniel Jackson, SG-1's only civilian, rolled down almost the same way he had done. Gently, he held out his hand, to help the linguist up.

"Daniel, Daniel. We're barely here and you managed to hurt yourself already. Doctor Fraiser's gonna kill me if I return you in less than one piece… So watch yourself, okay?"

Daniel got up, gladly taking the offered hand. Shifting slightly, he made sure his backpack was still where it belonged. With one hand, he tried to straighten his clothes; with the other, he pushed the glasses back on his nose.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Jack… ATCHOE!!!" The dust in his nose had been tickling him and he couldn't hold it back anymore.

Jack turned his head away, his hands already searching through his pockets to hand Daniel a tissue. Shifting his own backpack, Jack threw a glance in the direction of Sam and the Jaffa, Teal'c, to make sure they were ready.

"Okay, campers. Let's move out. Carter, lead the way. Teal'c, bring up the rear. Daniel, you okay?" He looked worriedly at the still sneezing member of his team.

Daniel wiped his nose, took a deep breath, straightened his back and stepped in Sam's direction. "Yeah, Jack. I'm fine. Let's go."

O'Neill shrugged his shoulders and followed. It was only now that he noticed something different on this planet. "Err, Carter? Where are the trees?"

Carter sniggered. "I've sent SG-5 to this planet last week, Sir. To remove them all, especially for you." She didn't look back to watch his face but started marching them to the south.

**********

They'd hiked across the planet for four hours when they spotted a settlement in the valley behind the sand dunes. The leader of SG-1 motioned for them to stay low and crawled flat on his stomach towards the edge of the dune, his binoculars ready. The others followed and for a while, they studied the settlement and the people in it.

The inhabitants were living in huge, oval tents. The women were gathered at some type of fireplace, kneeling down, stirring and cutting, like they were preparing dinner. There were a couple of men working in what looked like a plantation; others were fussing with one of the tents.

Spotting no signs of danger, O'Neill looked back at his team, pulling a questioning face. "So, campers, what do ya think? Wanna go talk to those people?"

"Well, yeah, Jack. They don't look violent or aggressive, so it's a great opportunity to meet them; learn about their culture, religion…" Daniel Jackson, SG-1's archaeologist and linguist sounded excited already.

"Teal'c?"

"I do not think there is any danger in meeting these natives, O'Neill."

He glanced at his Second and she nodded in approval. "Okay, kids. Let's go and meet those nice folks… Daniel, you do the talking. Let's take it easy, don't wanna scare them…" with that, he stood up straight and motioned them to follow.

Slowly, the team walked down the hill. The men in the fields spotted them first. They yelled, to get each other's attention, pointing into the direction of the approaching team. They ran back to the settlement, warning the others. Soon, they were all gathered in front of the first line of tents, the women behind the men. The women were outnumbering the men; it appeared there were at least four times more women than men. They all glanced at the strangers with surprised, excited and frightened looks on their faces.

One of the elder men stepped forward.

"Err, hello… I'm Daniel Jackson." Daniel slowly pointed at his own chest before turning to the others. "We mean no harm. We're just explorers…"

The man bowed his head slightly, than looked at Daniel again. "Greetings. Me Hazan. This my people."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Hazan. This is Teal'c, Sam and this is Jack." Daniel introduced the others. This time all the men bowed their heads slightly.

Daniel faced Jack and whispered, "I think they just said hello."

The Colonel nodded, removed his glasses and replaced the cap on his head. He was vaguely aware of the women giggling. "Daniel? What is that all about?"

Daniel had already spotted the women were exchanging looks, laughing nervously, touching each other's faces. When one of them looked back at him and touched her nose while sniggering, he understood. "I don't think they've ever seen glasses, Jack. See, nobody's wearing glasses…"

"You're right, Daniel. Can you imagine that?" Sam couldn't hide her surprise.

Daniel took the glasses out of Jack's breast pocket and offered them to Hazan. "Take a look. They're for protection. Against the sun." He pointed to the sky.

Hazan carefully examined the glasses and finally held them in front of his eyes. He staggered back, shaken by the dark vision. With a frown on his face, he handed them back to Jack.

"Come. We eat. You join us." With that, he turned and the team followed him.

**********

The team was settled. They had joined the natives for dinner, talked about habits and rituals, exchanging information… Daniel seemed to enjoy his time with those natives very much. Jack was rather bored, but had decided to spend the night.

Teal'c stood guard, the Colonel could depend on that. While Sam and Daniel were having a wonderful conversation, he just sat down on a small bench, staring at the stars and soon, he was lost in his thoughts.

A shocked Daniel got his attention. "Jack! I think you'll have to come and take a look at something!" The young archaeologist sounded really upset.

Jack rose to his feet. "What is it, Daniel?" He exchanged looks with Teal'c, silently telling him he was going with Daniel. Teal'c understood and remained at his position.

"Well, one of the women told me how a major part of their people were taken away by a God… The God took all the men who were present at the time, plus all of the children. You've noticed there are no children in this settlement. There are also many more women then men… She remembered a sign this God wore and drew it for me in the sand… over here…"

Jack followed Daniel, thinking about what he just heard. He looked down at the drawing in the sand and immediately recognized the too familiar shape of an eye, the Udjat.

"Oh, for crying out loud… "

Daniel wrapped his arms around his chest, looking worriedly at his friend. "Do you think it is possible Ra has been here?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "How long ago did this happen? I mean, we DID blow up a nuclear bomb under the snakehead's nose, didn't we?"

"Well… yeah… but this woman said this happened less than two years ago…"

"This could all just be a coincidence, Daniel… Who knows how many Goa'uld in the whole galaxy carry a sign similar to Ra's…" Jack tried to reason.

"No, I don't think so." Daniel protested. "Every Goa'uld has his own name, status and symbol, Jack. I think it is very unlikely some other Goa'uld carries Ra's…"

"It is also very unlikely to survive an explosion like that, Daniel!" Jack interrupted him slightly irritated.

"I know…" Daniel didn't sound convinced. They exchanged looks for a while.

Jack noticed the hesitation in his friend's eyes. Could Daniel be right? Oh, man… he was sure Ra was dead, and now Daniel was telling him the snakehead might still be alive? He sighed.

"Did they tell you if this God had returned here since then?"

"No. They're still afraid he'll come back for the remaining men… They were hunting that day, that's why the God couldn't take them."

"Let's inform Sam and Teal'c. Chances are slim the God will choose now to visit, but I think we should leave first thing in the morning anyway. Don't wanna run into Ra or any other freaking Goa'uld… I'm really not in the mood…"

Daniel nodded in agreement. This place suddenly gave him the creeps and the sooner they left the better. They made arrangements about the night watch shifts and headed to bed.

**********

In the morning, the native women were preparing some sort of breakfast. Jack walked up to Teal'c, who'd had the last watch.

"Morning… anything happened?" Jack asked, noticing the concerned expression of the Jaffa.

"I do not know, O'Neill. I detect no immediate danger, but I do think something is about to happen."

Trusting on his friend's instinct as his instinct had proven to be right on more than a couple of occasions, Jack pointed tentatively at Teal'c's pouch.

"Err, is Junior nervous?"

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed, my symbiote is very restless…" he looked awkwardly over his shoulders.

The Colonel made his decision easily. "We're heading back after breakfast." Glancing at the sand dunes, his eyes widened. He spotted a couple of approaching Horus guards. "Oh, shit…"

"O'Neill…" Teal'c's alarmed voice told him the Jaffa saw them too.

"Let's go!" He ran back to where Sam and Daniel were waiting for breakfast. "Grab your stuff," he yelled, stopping abruptly in his outburst as he saw another group of Horus guards approaching from the other side. "Damn-it!" he cursed out loud.

Sam and Daniel snapped to attention and immediately grabbed their gear. From each side, a group of twelve Horus guards approached the settlement. The natives also had spotted the danger and they were gathering in a circle. Some of the women were crying already.

Sam glanced at her CO. "Sir. The natives don't have any weapons. We are outnumbered badly. There's no way we can fight them…"

"Ya think?" he hissed in response. His mind was racing; weighing options and calculating risks. The guards were still a couple of yards away. "Carter, drop the jacket. Grab a dress from someone and blend in with the women…" he ordered his Second.

She looked at him in surprise and he clarified, "hopefully they're not after the women… I need somebody to get back to the SGC… Go!"

With a short "Yes, Sir," Sam turned on her heels and ran towards one of the tents.

Jack tossed his cap at Teal'c. "Cover your tattoo… Let's join the others. We're not going to put up a fight and risk their lives…"

The Horus guards marched the last part towards the waiting group of people; their staff weapons ready to fire. They surrounded the silent group completely and stood motionless, waiting. The image of the falcon on the mask of one guard had a different color. This guard spoke to the crowd, his voice like metal, lacking emotion.

"I have come to take what belongs to me."

Daniel recognized a necklace around the guard's neck and inhaled sharply. It was a copy of his own necklace, the one he'd torn off Ra's neck two years ago.

The sharp intake of breath drew the guard's attention to him. Cursing out loud in his language, the guard pressed the button of his mask and it folded off his head.

Jack winced when he recognized the young face of the Goa'uld who stood in front of him. Damn, damn, damn! Daniel had been right. This was turning out to be a bad day.

"You! Kneel for your God!" Ra, God of the Sun, Ruler of the day, hollered, his eyes glowing furiously, pointing at Daniel. One of the guards grabbed Daniel by his arm and dragged him in front of Ra, forcing him to kneel.

Ra scanned the area and soon his eyes rested on O'Neill. "My day has come," he said, "my revenge will be great! Kneel!"

When Teal'c was about to interfere, Jack hissed, "don't, Teal'c. He doesn't know you. I need the two of you to get us out of this mess…"

He shrugged off the guard who was coming to get him and stepped forward.

"Now, I was hoping never to have to see your ugly face again…" He was rewarded by a sharp kick at the back of his knees, forcing him into a kneeling position. "Hate it when that happens..." he muttered.

Ra faced the crowd. "I am grateful that you have returned these Tau'ri to me. For that, I will leave you here in peace." He snapped a command at his guards. Two guards stepped closer and smashed the back of their staff weapons on the skulls of both kneeling Tau'ri. Daniel and Jack both slid unconscious to the ground. The guards bowed, picking the two still forms up and the group of guards turned and left with Ra in their midst.

**********

Captain Carter cursed out loud. She had helplessly watched as the Colonel and Daniel were taken prisoner by this Goa'uld, who appeared to be Ra. Although she understood why the Colonel wanted her to remain undiscovered and was counting on her to set up a rescue party, she still felt she failed her friends miserably.

Sam knew she would need to get very lucky to figure out where Ra took them. How many possibilities were there in the whole universe anyway? Being nowhere near the Stargate, they were unable to see the co-ordinates of the world Ra gated out to. Knowing all too well there was no time to lose, she also knew it was next to impossible to find their missing team members.

She threw her dress off and grabbed her own jacket again. "What do we do now, Teal'c?"

Teal'c frowned. "I do not know where this Goa'uld is taking O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. It will be hard to find them."

Sam nodded. He knew it too. Yet, there had to be a way. She couldn't let her friends down. Not without trying.

"I think we'll have to escort those people back to the Stargate and ship them to another safe world. I don't think Ra will leave them alone forever…" she thought out loud. It suddenly occurred to her and her face brightened. "I hope Ra WILL return! We could set up a probe to detect the co-ordinates when he leaves again!"

"Very smart, Captain Carter. This Goa'uld will indeed return to this planet. He will not be able to resist gaining more slaves. I only hope it will not be too late."

"It is our only chance at this moment. I'll talk to Hazan. As soon as his people have gathered their personal belongings; we're out of here." With that, she turned and walked over to Hazan to make the arrangements.

**********

Jack was brutally awakened when one of the guards unceremoniously dropped his limp body into a similar pit they'd been trapped in on the last mission. The fall ended in the familiar water, which was filling up the pit. Not immediately knowing what was happening, he gasped and swallowed a mouth full of dirty water. His reflexes kicked in and he struggled to get his head above the waterline. Managing that, the Colonel noticed his feet could reach the bottom of the pit, the water level reaching up to his chest. Coughing out the remaining water from his lungs, he spotted a commotion in the water next to him.

Daniel!

Jack bent forward, his arms searching the water for the body of his friend. He grabbed him by what appeared to be Daniel's arm and pulled him out of the water.

The young man was almost choking, coughing out loud, water running from his lips. Jack patted him on his back.

"Easy, Danny, easy. Spit it out. That's right, get rid of it… you okay now?"

Daniel inhaled deeply, his eyes scanning the pit they were in.

"Oh…" he muttered as he recognized his surroundings.

"Been there, done that… we'll be okay." Jack tried to reassure him. The archaeologist was not as tall as the Colonel was and the water just reached up to his chin. That must be comfortable, Jack thought as he visually investigated the walls.

"You know, I hate it when you're right…" Jack sighed, spotting no way out of this pit. He ran a steady hand through his gray, wet hair. "Guess this is just another bad day…"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I'd say discovering Ra is still alive, meeting him AND being taken prisoner by him could be described as a bad day. You think Sam and Teal'c are all right?"

"Yeah, I think so. Hopefully Carter gets those people out of there before Ra returns to that planet."

"You think he will?"

"I KNOW he will, Daniel." Jack stared at the wall of the pit, lost in his worries.

"Hey, Sam will get them out…" Daniel soothed, noticing his friend's somber expression. Looking up at the entrance of the pit, he sighed heavily. "Now if they only could get us out too, that would be nice…"

"We're on our own, Daniel. There's no way they can figure out which planet the freaking Goa'uld took us to." Jack decided to be honest, there was no way he could lie to Daniel about their situation.

"They'll set up a search party…" Daniel reasoned.

"I know that. Still, as Carter would calculate more precisely, there's only zero point zero, zero, lots of zeros, zero, one chance they'll discover the right planet. Can't count on that to happen. We need to figure our own way out of this mess."

Daniel sighed again. "This is just great…" he moaned.

**********

Only three hours later, Carter and Teal'c accompanied the group of natives back to the Stargate. Teal'c took point, scanning the area for any signs of the group of Horus guards. Carter stayed with Hazan. It had taken a lot of her imaginative and persuasive powers to convince the natives their only option was to leave the planet. She had explained that the Goa'uld would come back eventually to retrieve the remaining men; that they were able to escort them to a safer place, through the Stargate. Hazan had not understood what she had tried to explain to him about the Stargate, he had never seen the big metal ring. Sam had tried the worm-through-the-apple explanation she'd given her CO once but the way Hazan stared at her she realized he wasn't following her. So she'd left it at that. Hazan trusted her and had motioned for his people to gather their stuff.

Hiking back to the Stargate with a group of this size took them nearly six hours. By that time almost ten hours had passed since Ra took the Colonel and Daniel away. Concerned about their well-being, Carter knew she could do no more than get those people to safety, brief the General and set up a post at this Gate in case Ra would return. She dialed home and used her transmitter to inform the SGC about the situation and her plan.

"Captain Carter. Glad to see you're all right. We understand you want to transport a group of natives to another safe planet. I agree with that. I want maximum safety for those people. Did you have a specific planet in mind?" the General asked.

"Yes, Sir. Based on the conditions of their home planet, the weather patterns, the vegetation, the agriculture… I highly recommend transferring them to PR6320. That's the planet SG-5 visited a couple of weeks ago, Sir. It was deserted, with no indication of visitations by any Goa'uld and the surroundings fit what those people are used to now."

The General was silent for a while then answered her.

"That's an affirmative, Captain Carter. I suggest you dial up directly to PR6320. Lt. Simmons will give you the co-ordinates. Get those people settled and report back ASAP. We can send more help when needed. Meanwhile, I'll send SG-3 to this planet to set up a probe. When Ra returns to that planet, I want to know where he returns to."

"Yes, Sir." The Captain waited for the dialing sequence and aborted the transmission. The wormhole disappeared, leaving a stunned Hazan and group of people behind him.

Reassuring him, she explained to him that she would dial up to another planet and they all would have to step through the Stargate. Hazan gave her a nervous look. Sam dialed the co-ordinates, exchanging the seventh symbol with the point of Origin of PXR488. Everybody watched in silence as the wormhole kawooshed open, filling the ring with light blue sparkling fluid. Sam motioned Hazan to follow her and stepped towards the huge ring.

"Okay, Hazan, we'll go first. Tell your people to follow us. Teal'c, you're last."

Hazan looked over his shoulder, encouraging them to follow him through the wormhole. Sweat drops appeared on his brow as he followed Carter.

**********

They'd been standing in the water for a couple of hours now. The water was cold and they were shivering all over. Daniel was leaning against the wall for support. The trap door opened and a Horus guard appeared, letting down a rope.

"You," he pointed at Daniel, "climb up now."

The younger man looked back at Jack. What should he do? There wasn't really much of a choice.

Jack looked up. "What do you need him for?" he demanded.

The guard simply raised his staff weapon and aimed it at the Colonel.

"You… will… remain…" he stated firmly. Addressing Daniel he added, "and you will climb up now."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders while Jack didn't as much as move a brow. Daniel approached the rope and climbed up, leaving an inwardly cursing O'Neill behind.

The guard grabbed the linguist by his right arm and dragged him up the last part of the pit.

"Hey, careful with him!" the Colonel shouted, knowing it would make no difference, but he was unable to keep his growing anger down. Nobody paid attention to him, as Daniel was led away and the door closed again.

**********

Daniel walked between two guards, leaving a wet trail behind him. He shivered from the cold, wondering what was about to happen. The guards took him through a couple of long corridors, finally reaching a plain room, without any furniture. In the middle of the room, Ra stood, waiting for him with a determined expression on his face.

"You have been returned to me. Kneel!"

The guards stepped closer, but Daniel quickly dropped onto his knees. This was definitely a bad day. He had no idea what the Goa'uld had planned for him, but somehow he knew he wouldn't like it.

"You destroyed my world. You destroyed my ship. You blew up a nuclear bomb in my face. It cost me two years to build a second empire. TWO YEARS!!! You will pay for this!" His eyes glowing furiously, Ra snapped his fingers at the guards.

One of them moved closer, raised his staff weapon and slammed it against Daniel's back, sending him sprawling, landing roughly on his stomach.

Jackson gasped for his breath as the pain raged through his back. The guard grabbed him by his shoulders and hauled him back up. Another guard approached and slammed him on the left side in his neck.

The archaeologist moaned deeply. The end of the staff weapon had scraped his ear and he felt warm blood trickle down his neck. He tried wiping it off with his sleeve as another blow hit him in the stomach, forcing all air out of his lungs. He doubled over in pain, sucking in air through gritted teeth. He sat on hands and knees, trying to regain his composure, but the guards wouldn't let him. One guard kicked him in his side, another against his chin. He rolled over, spitting blood on the floor; not knowing which part of his body hurt the most. He just hurt everywhere. He lost track of time and was unaware of his surroundings. He didn't bother to get up anymore; he just received blow after blow, hoping it would end soon. A sudden blow on his skull sent him into blessed unconsciousness and he didn't hear the Goa'uld swearing out loud.

"This is only the beginning…. Throw him in the Kings Chamber and bring me the other…"

**********

The trap door opened again. Instead of Daniel coming back, a Horus guard with a helmet with the image of a falcon aimed his weapon at Jack.

"Come…" he said.

"What is this, an invitation to the dance?" Jack murmured, deeply concerned about his friend. What had they done to him? Was Daniel still alive? If that Goa'uld had hurt Daniel, he swore he would kill the snake with his bare hands, even if it was the last thing he did. He climbed up.

"Where is my friend? What have you done to him?" he demanded, not really expecting an answer.

The guard just grabbed him firmly by the arm and simply hauled him through the corridors. The Colonel was taken to the same room as Daniel before him. Ra still stood in the middle of the room, his arms crossed and his eyes full of hatred.

"What have you done to my friend?" Jack demanded again.

The guards roughly pushed him forward.

"Kneel for your God." Ra hissed, knowing the proud man in front of him would object. He would see where this game would get him.

The Colonel shook his head stubbornly. "Where is my friend and what have you done to him?" he repeated, looking determined and fearless at the false God of the Sun in front of him.

"Kneel for your God…" Ra hissed angrily, his eyes glowing.

"Well, that's kinda hard, you know… I don't see my God here anywhere. Do you?" Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Now, again. Where … is … my … friend?"

This time, the Goa'uld snapped his fingers and one of the guards slammed his staff weapon in the back of the Colonel's knees, forcing them to bend. O'Neill fell to his knees in an instant but was up on his feet even faster, without blinking an eye. Taking in the glowing eyes of his opponent, he knew he was playing with fire. There was no way out of here. He was alone, unarmed, so there was no way he could beat a whole army of guards. O'Neill knew chances of surviving were slim. He was prepared to die, but not without a fight. If only he knew what had become of Daniel.

"Kneel!!!" Ra yelled.

Ah. The snake was getting impatient and agitated.

"Nope, can't do…"

Another blow forced him down again, sending waves of pain through his legs. He got up.

"Kneel…"

"Never."

The procedure repeated; the guard slammed him, his knees buckled but Jack struggled to get up again. It took him a little longer this time; his legs were trembling from the blows, his knees protesting every movement.

"What have you done to my friend?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Kneel…"

"Not for you, you little RA…t. What have you done to my friend?"

Ra motioned one of his guards. This time, the guard smashed him hard in his ribcage. All air blown out of his lungs, Jack was thrown backward by the force of the jolt and landed with his back against the wall.

The System Lord stepped closer, raising his right hand, which was covered with a jewel that fit against the palm. With a cruel smile, he placed his hand on Jack's forehead and activated the ribbon device. His eyes glowed with satisfaction as he watched how his victim desperately tried to escape his painful grip, but couldn't manage. The human was writhing in pain and although he appeared to be trying not to, a couple of soft moans escaped from his tightened lips. Moving his hand without losing contact, he finally forced the human into a kneeling position. Keeping him securely in place, Ra waited until he felt the body go limp. Noticing that the human's eyes had rolled up in his head, he released him and let him slide to the floor.

**********

Captain Carter and Teal'c had managed to locate a good spot on PR6320 for the natives to rebuild their lives. The SGC had sent the FRED, loaded with large tents and gear for them to use and after some basic instructions, the men were all busy setting up a camp.

When they were sure the natives could manage on their own, Sam walked over to Hazan.

"We must go now. People from our planet will check up on you the next couple of days. If there's anything you need, just tell them, okay?"

Hazan nodded and grabbed her hand. "Thank you. Good luck find friends."

"Yeah. Thank you, Hazan." With that, Carter and Teal'c headed back to the Stargate and dialed home.

An hour later, they were gathered in the briefing room. The General had ordered Major Louis Ferretti to join the briefing. Besides the missing Colonel and Dr. Jackson, the Major was the only person who'd ever met Ra in person.

"Welcome back, Captain Carter and Teal'c. Major, please tell us what happened on PXR488," Hammond opened the briefing.

Sam nodded. "Yes, Sir. We met the natives on PXR488 in a settlement a couple of hours south of the Stargate. They were friendly; we were invited for dinner and offered a place to stay. Daniel talked to one of the women and found out a group of Horus guards had visited the planet about two years ago, taking all the men and children that were present at that time, prisoner. That's why the population we found had so many women. The woman described a necklace she'd seen on the neck of the leader of the Horus guards and according to Daniel, it had to be the eye of Ra." Sam stood and drew the symbol she'd seen on the white board.

Ferretti groaned. "Definitely Ra. I still remember that sign…"

"The Colonel decided we would head back in the morning. But when we were up for breakfast, groups of Horus guards appeared over the hills on all sides. We had nowhere to go and were defenseless…"

Ferretti sighed. "No kidding…" he muttered.

"Colonel O'Neill ordered me to put on a dress and hide amongst the women. While the guards surrounded us, the leader recognized Daniel and the Colonel. He opened his falcon mask. It was Ra, Sir."

"The Colonel must have been eager to break his neck, then," Ferretti stated.

Carter looked at him. "He didn't get a chance. They knocked them out and took them away. Ra said his revenge would be great, Sir…" she turned her head back to the General, guilt and worry all over her face.

"There was nothing you could do, Captain. The Colonel made the right decision. There was no need for you all to be taken away by this Goa'uld."

"Yes, Sir," Sam answered, not completely satisfied.

"We have to find them fast, Sir. Ra's not someone to fool around with and if we don't get the Colonel and Dr. Jackson out soon, it will be too late…" Ferretti said worriedly.

"I know. SG-3 has set up a probe on PXR488. As soon as Ra returns, we'll be able to tell the co-ordinates he might have taken them to. There's nothing more we can do." The General sighed; knowing all too well that the waiting could kill his lost men.

"Sir, with all due respect. We have to do more than that. We don't know if Ra will return to that planet and when. In the meantime, the Colonel and Daniel could be dead…" Sam argued.

"I know that, Captain. I don't see any other possibilities, do you?"

Teal'c spoke up for the first time. "We can contact the Tok'ra. Maybe they know something."

Sam nodded. "Yes, Sir. Maybe they can help. Permission to contact them, Sir?"

Hammond thought it over for a brief second and nodded. "Okay. Captain, you do that. Teal'c, maybe you can contact master Bra'tac as well. Maybe he has some ideas." Noticing the affirmative nods of the two members of SG-1, he addressed Major Ferretti. "I want SG-2 on stand by, Major. I want them ready to gate out whenever necessary."

"Yes, Sir." Ferretti responded; glad he was part of the rescue plan, IF there was going to be one. If the Colonel needed help, he would be more than ready.

**********

Colonel Jack O'Neill slowly came to his senses. He was lying face down on a hard cold floor and he was shivering all over. His clothes were still damp from his former fall in the pit. Groaning softly, he moved his head and opened his eyes. He saw nothing; everything was black.

Silently assessing his condition, Jack took stock of his throbbing head, a dull ache in his side from the blow to his ribcage and his legs… God, his legs. He tried moving them, only to be rewarded with stabs of pain, from his thighs to his calves. Pushing himself to a sitting position, he gently rubbed his knees with his hands. They were already swelling up from the blows.

"Way to go, Jack. Escape is going to be hard without legs to carry you… " he muttered.

Now what? Why was it so dark, was he temporarily blinded? Could the ribbon device have caused that? The snakehead had placed that damn thing on his head, hadn't he? His mind was so fuzzy and his headache didn't help either. Where was he? He decided to examine his surroundings on the touch; he needed to know every single detail. Jack tried to get up, but his trembling legs protested the movement and moaning deeply, he fell back to the ground. The attempt to crawl on hands and knees ended up in another moan; his knees objected to that movement too.

Giving up was not on his list, so O'Neill moved, on his butt, using his arms to push himself backwards. He remembered Charlie 'crawled' this way as an infant, instead of on hands and knees, before learning how to walk. Moving this way, his legs stayed in front of him, slightly stretched. After each move, he examined his surroundings with his hands, sprawling them around him, touching and feeling; implanting every detail in his memory.

He'd reached one wall and estimated it at being five yards. Sliding around the corner, he noticed this wall was longer, maybe even twice as long. Another corner, he was calculating again as his hands felt something, something warmer and softer than the floor but still damp. It didn't take Jack long to discover he was touching somebody's legs. Turning his back to the wall, he maneuvered himself closer to the body, immediately taking a pulse. He found one, albeit weak and rapid.

"Daniel?"

His hands were all over the prone form, trying to detect any proof of the identity. The body was breathing, shallowly, as if it caused some trouble.

"Daniel, come on, is that you?"

There. He had it. SG-1's emblem, on the sleeve of the jacket, he would recognize it with his eyes closed. Oh. They were… well, kind of.

Damn. He needed to check Daniel over, why wasn't he moving? How badly was the young archaeologist hurt? He needed water, he needed his backpack, with his med-kit, he needed light… shit, he needed to sit on his knees, because examining Daniel in this position didn't work and was also pulling on some rather sore spots in his ribcage. Cursing silently, O'Neill turned on his sore knees, and then bent forward to properly examine his friend.

He carefully moved his hands over Daniel's head. Glasses were still there, that was good. Something sticky around his ear, apparently the man had been bleeding. Face probably swollen and bruised, Jack guessed, but without a proper view it was really hard to tell.

His hands moved down, probing and pressing on Daniel's chest, ribcage and abdomen. These movements drew some soft moans, despite Daniel's unconscious state. The Colonel winced in sympathy.

"God, Daniel, what did that bastard do to you?"

He could only hope the injuries inflicted on his friend were not too severe and that Daniel wasn't bleeding internally. Checking his friend's legs, he was glad he couldn't find anything terribly wrong there.

Pondering his next move, Jack decided he would have to wake his friend up. Although his examination had shown no life-threatening damage, in the dark he really couldn't tell how bad Daniel was hurt and he needed to know. Moving his hand to the man's cheek, he patted it softly.

"Daniel, come on, buddy… wake up. Daniel?"

His efforts were rewarded as the man started stirring, slightly first but struggling to get up after.

"Whoa, easy, Danny, easy…" O'Neill pressed his friend gently on the shoulder, to keep him from getting up. Releasing his legs from their awkward position, he sat on his butt again, closing his eyes tightly as the movement sent waves of pain through his swollen legs.

Daniel groaned, moving his arm protectively to his ribcage. "Jack?" he cracked, confused, as he couldn't see anything.

"Yeah, it's me, buddy… What happened to you?" Jack kept his hand on the other man's shoulder for reassurance.

Jackson searched his memory, suddenly remembered the beating and winced. "Guess Ra was a little upset… Kinda kicked me around… that kinda stuff…"

"Where are you hurt?"

The linguist assessed himself in silence. His head was throbbing from the blow in his neck, the muscles in his neck protested every movement of his head, and his chest and side were on fire… Breathing hurt a lot, but could be done, so his ribs were probably just bruised…

He sighed. This was getting really annoying. "It's not that bad, Jack… Where are we anyway? … Why is it so dark in here? … What about you, Jack? What happened to you?" He had a lot of questions. Some of them could wait. Some of them couldn't.

"We're locked in some room. I was examining it when I found you. Found nothing in the room yet, it seems empty."

Of course the Colonel only answered a couple of his questions.

"Jack?" Daniel demanded.

"I'm fine, Daniel. The little snakehead knocked me against the wall and used his ribbon thingy on me. That's all…"

"Oh." Knowing that must have been the short version of what really had happened, Daniel asked no further, although it left him wondering worriedly. Hearing the soft scraping and noticing Jack moving away from him, he asked, "what are you doing?"

"Finishing examining this room…"

A door opened, somebody turned on the lights at that moment and both men closed their eyes, protecting them against the brightness; opening them up a little at the time, giving them time to adjust.

One of the guards had entered the room, two waiting just in the corridor. Pointing his weapon at Daniel, the guard barked his order. "Get up and come."

Daniel pulled a face, not willing to come but knowing there was no other way.

O'Neill didn't give in that easily and struggled to his feet, swaying unsteadily on his painfully swollen legs. Unaware of Daniel's concerned frowns, he steadied himself and faced them. "I don't think so."

The guard snapped his fingers. One of the guards stepped forward, aimed and fired his zat gun, leaving the Colonel writhing in pain on the floor. They didn't give Daniel a chance to look back as they dragged him away, locking the door behind them.

**********

Ra waited; his eyes glowing, a nasty smile on his face. He was enjoying this more than he would have imagined. Two years, it'd taken him two years to build a second empire. Two years wasted, in his fight against the other Goa'uld, his opponents. HE was Ra, God of the Sun, the king and the pharaoh, the only God in the universe.

Now he was given what he had been waiting for, lurking, and longing, all this time: revenge.

The Tau'ri, who'd been responsible for the destruction of his former kingdom, had been returned into his hands. Nobody would ever find them here; nobody knew where he'd retreated. Those fools, thinking that he no longer existed.

He had all the time in the world. He would use it, to make them pay for what they'd done. He would mess a little bit harder with the younger one first. He knew inflicting pain on the younger human would make the older suffer as well. His little act some time ago had proved that. The older one apparently didn't care what happened to himself, but he DID care what happened to the other. He would then allow the younger one time to recover slightly, while he would have fun with the older human.

He was enjoying this little game too much; he knew it, but he'd figured he deserved it. Finally they would die of course, but not before he had his chance for revenge. Meanwhile, it also showed his power to his slaves. This would show them that he was indeed their God and that nobody should be foolish enough to turn his back on him.

He heard his guards approaching. Good. The younger man was with them. Time to make a statement. Time to take revenge. Just a little bit at a time.

**********

This time, they'd left the lights on. Too bad his own lights had been out; he could have examined the room without needing to move on his butt.

Daniel was thrown back into the room, barely conscious, gasping for breath. His body rolled against Jack's, waking the Colonel from his unconscious state.

Stirring, the first thing O'Neill was aware of was his throbbing head and he tried to remember where he was and what had hit him.

"Ah, a zat… this is getting old…" he muttered when his memory fell back in place. He struggled to get up, but something was lying almost on top of him, weighing heavy on his sore chest. A body.

Daniel!

Oh, God, Daniel…

Carefully shifting the weight of his friend off his ribcage, he eased him down on the cold floor, frantically checking for a pulse.

It was there, racing, pounding, and way too fast. Damn.

Jack took in the dark marks across Daniel's swollen left jaw, a visible evidence of some painful blows. Gently touching Daniel's skull, Jack tried to determine any other injuries.

"Danny? Come on, buddy… talk to me…"

Daniel's head shifted, only a little bit, a soft moan escaping from his lips.

"…Hurts, J'ck…"

His jaw tightened, O'Neill continued his examination and prodded on Jackson's chest. The younger man flinched, groaning out loud. He rasped hoarsely, every breath tearing another wave of pain through his body.

Jack lifted Daniel's shirt, cursing inwardly at the sight of the battered chest, black and blue spots marking the damaged area.

"I think they broke a rib or two, Daniel," Jack concluded.

Daniel just nodded; speaking up was too much trouble to him. He tried to get a grip on his breathing, slowly and slightly; that way it hurt less.

Removing his BDU vest first, Jack took off his black shirt. He used his teeth as a knife and tore the shirt into long strips. With that accomplished, he turned back to his friend.

"I'm going to tie up those ribs, Daniel," he announced, lifting the younger man's shirt once more. "Come on, I need you to sit up." Gently placing an arm around Daniel's shoulders, he helped him into a sitting position.

Apologizing for the pain he was about to cause, Jack wrapped some strips tightly around Daniel's chest, to provide support for the broken bones. Taking in the way his friend was sucking in air through gritted teeth, he gently lowered Daniel's shirt and helped him lay down.

O'Neill watched how his friend slowly regained control over his ragged breathing; silently promising himself he would stop Ra, someday, somehow. Before he could kill Daniel, or him.

**********

Carter had called everybody to the briefing room and found them waiting when she came back from her meeting with the Tok'ra.

"Report, Captain." The General kept it brief and to the point.

Sam nodded, a worried expression all over her face.

"Yes, Sir. I've contacted the Tok'ra. They have heard of Ra's existence. Ra is creating a war under the Goa'uld, Sir. They are convinced every other System Lord is looking for him. Seems he's been stealing from their forces, taking over supply planets… According to the Tok'ra, Apophis, Heru'ur, Hathor, they're all preparing to go to war…"

Ferretti frowned. "Well, let them kill each other while they're at it… although it would be nice if we could get the Colonel and Dr. Jackson out before they're getting at that…"

"Exactly."

Teal'c frowned. "Bra'tac is also aware of the upcoming battle. I do not think it is wise to interfere in a Goa'uld battle."

The General agreed. "I'm not sending any team into a Goa'uld conflict. However, we will try to get our men out before it comes to that. Anything on the location of Ra?"

Sam threw her hands in the air. "The Tok'ra were on to it, Sir, but hadn't come up with the complete address yet. I've got a part of it, and will run the computer over it to see if I can determine the missing part."

"How long will it take you to come up with a possible address?" Hammond asked.

"Hopefully within the next four hours, Sir," the Captain said confidently.

"Okay, people. When Captain Carter has a possible address, I want a MALP through A.S.A.P. When it is safe, I want both SG-1 and SG-2 on the rescue mission. Major Ferretti, you're in command. But I'm ordering you to GET back home at the first sight of a Goa'uld war, is that clear?"

Major Ferretti straightened in his chair. "Yes, Sir." He addressed Sam. "Get to that computer, Captain. I'll prepare the teams and we'll be waiting for your signal."

"People, let's get our men out of there before hell breaks loose." General Hammond rose to his feet. With that statement, the briefing had come to an end and they all left.

**********

Jack visually examined the room they were in for the first time. The room was approximately five by ten yards, had nothing in it but…

Oh, damn. Was that a sarcophagus? Please, no…

Not one of those damn things again. Their last experience with one of those things had not been a pleasant one to remember, especially for Daniel.

It was … one of those damn things.

Or at least it looked like one, however it was made of chocolate brown stone and it had no cover. That was strange. The Colonel looked back at his friend. Daniel had his eyes closed, face screwed up from the obvious pain he was in. Struggling to his feet once more, Jack tried to keep his balance and slowly, painfully, made his way towards the stone coffin.

It was empty. Not that he'd expected that somebody or something would be lying in there, but he checked anyway. Knocking with his fist on the sarcophagus, Jack was surprised at the hardness of the material. It would have to be made of some sort of granite. He found no proof of a lid; apparently this sarcophagus hadn't had one. So what was the purpose of the thing? Why was it here?

Daniel was watching him now. He studied the sarcophagus from where he was lying, and then studied the room and walls more closely.

"Jack?" He tried to ignore the itching feeling in his throat, knowing coughing would be a very, very bad idea.

O'Neill looked questioningly at his friend.

"What? You okay?" Dumb question, he knew it, but he had to ask.

Daniel nodded slightly. "That … sarcophagus? Without a lid? Made of?"

"Yeah, Daniel. It's made of some sort of granite, I think. Heavy, hard, thick. Don't see any control buttons, though…"

"Jack… Perfect shape of room… " Daniel rasped, every word a struggle. "Height… is half of diagonal of … floor … see?"

The older man looked up, looked at the floor, drawing an imaginary line from one corner to the opposite one. Could be half, yeah, but what's the point?

He shrugged his shoulders, pulling a face at Daniel.

"They … used Pi constructing … this room. There … are … fifteen stones in floor, right?"

Okay. Now Daniel wanted him to count the large stones that formed the floor. That ought to make sense. Well, he had nothing better to do, so he looked down and counted … fifteen large tiles, made of the same dark granite.

"Daniel?" Jack knew for sure, his friend was on to something now. He moved closer to his friend, rubbed his back as he noticed the harsh breathing. "Easy, Daniel… don't get all too excited over some rock again, okay?"

Shaking his head in frustration, Jackson forced himself to tell his friend what he'd discovered. "Jack… there's another room… with four granite trapdoors… only one of them left… " The archaeologist paused, to catch his breath again.

"There's a gallery going down… they took me down there. Jack, we're inside a pyramid and this is … the Kings chamber…" This time, he couldn't hold it back any longer. He started coughing, soft at first, but hard later, hard, rough, his arms cradling his chest. It hurt, shit, it hurt.

Jack was silently rubbing his back again, holding him steady until after a while, the coughing subsided and Daniel relaxed a little. He had more important news to tell Jack.

"Pyramid of Khufu, Jack. There is a secret … shaft somewhere over there," Daniel raised his arm to point at the wall opposite of the one with the door.

"A shaft?" The military man was getting really interested now.

Daniel nodded weakly. "It goes… up. One shaft from the other room goes up north… one from here goes up south."

"Want me to see if I can find that shaft?" Jack was already getting to his feet, walked over to the wall and started knocking on it with his fists.

"Ouch… feels solid," he muttered. That wouldn't work. Searching the floor for something he could use, he soon had a solid piece of rock and used it to knock carefully on every part of the wall, an anxiously waiting Daniel Jackson looking at him.

It didn't even take him long. Hearing the difference in the sound the knocking made, he'd found the shaft. Incredible. Knocking on the stone that covered the entrance, Jack tried to figure out how to remove it. Carefully examining the way the stone was moving slightly, he knocked harder on the left side, hoping not to draw the attention of any guards in the pyramid. The stone moved, maybe an inch and he tried pulling on it, placing his fingers on the protruding part.

Without paying attention to the damage it was doing to his knuckles and fingers, O'Neill kept digging deeper and deeper, pulling harder, moving it, inch for inch, until it came loose completely and he caught the stone before it fell to the ground.

Jackson was getting excited and struggled to his feet. "What's behind there?" he rasped, taking swaying steps to get closer.

The Colonel was on his knees, bit back a groan when his legs protested, bent his head and tried to determine where the shaft was leading. Sticking his arm in the hole, he tried detecting the state of the walls of the shaft.

"Feels solid… It's narrow, however, and completely dark." He weighed their options. It would be difficult to climb through the shaft; they would barely fit in it. He had no idea where it went; the only thing he did know was that it went up, in an angle less then forty-five degrees. They would need to brace themselves to climb up, something he was not really looking forward to with his swollen knees. He turned to Daniel, wondering.

"Daniel? What do you think?"

Jackson dropped on his knees beside his friend and studied the hole. Damn, that was going to be hard. He shrugged his shoulders.

"We have to try, Jack… Ra is killing us slowly anyway, so…" Daniel was gasping for breath, his ribs aching terribly.

Jack studied his friend's face. It was going to be even harder on Daniel to climb through. "You know where it ends?"

Daniel looked down.

"Da… niel?"

"Uhm, the builders stopped … about five inches before they reached the … outside of the pyramid…"

"For crying out loud, Daniel!" Jack's mind was racing. Was there a chance he could break through, lying flat on his stomach in this narrow shaft?

"I'm going to climb up, see if I can get through. I'll come back to get you…"

He looked at his friend, who was stubbornly shaking his head. "I'm climbing up there … behind you, Jack."

O'Neill was about to protest, but thought the better of it, shrugged his shoulders and moved over to the entrance of the shaft. "Let's see if claustrophobia is going to be the least of our worries…"

**********

Ra looked up as his Prime entered the room, with an alarmed expression over his face.

"A ha'tak vessel is approaching us. It plans to land on Menkau're. What do we do?"

The System Lord cursed and walked over to the view screen. The view screen gave him a perfect view over the valley, where his other two buildings, Kha'fre and Menkau're were located. Indeed, a Goa'uld battle vessel was slowly coming down, planning to land on his property, on the furthest building. His eyes glowing, he barked his orders.

"Guards! Prepare to battle. Line up around Menkau're. Nobody comes to MY world without an invitation!"

He watched in satisfaction as his army of Horus guards took its position around the third building. He'd recognized the vessel and he was ready to talk to the other System Lord. He would send him away before he had his feet on the ground. The Tau'ri would have to wait, until he had settled this.

**********

Luckily the walls of the shaft weren't smooth. While it took time and effort, they could find niches and footholds to place their hands and feet, and by bracing themselves using their backs, shoulders and knees; they managed to climb and crawl, slowly, steadily and not to mention painfully. They didn't talk, saving their strength; Daniel's haggard breathing as an evident proof of the effort it cost him.

Climbing up through the long shaft took them almost forty minutes. By then, Jack's hands reached the end and sighing in relief, he called a halt.

"Think we're there, Daniel," he commented, knocking on the bricks that were blocking his way. They didn't move an inch.

Jack had brought the rock he'd used for the entrance in the pocket of his green BDU pants. Shifting and turning, he made room for his arm to slide down his body to gather the rock from his pocket. Moving his arm back up the same way, he climbed a couple of inches higher, digging his feet in the walls of the shaft for more grip and started knocking on the blocking stones. Sweat was running down his face soon and he was gasping for air.

"Jack? What's happening?" Daniel needed to know.

"Trying to break some artifacts here, Daniel…" Jack hissed. There was some movement, but not enough to break through. If only he could…

"Daniel? I need some help here…" he hated to ask, knowing his friend was suffering from broken ribs, but it beat climbing down and they really needed to get out of this hole; they really needed some fresh air.

"I'm going to push with my shoulders, but I need some grip with my feet," he explained, climbing and shifting until he could bow his head the right way, his neck and shoulders in position. He examined the walls with his feet and placed them as solidly as possible on the best spot he'd found.

Daniel had understood; he climbed as close as he could get, blocked himself as steady as he could manage and grabbed the Colonel's ankles.

"Ready, when you are, Jack…"

Groaning out loud, O'Neill stretched his trembling, hurting legs out, steadying himself with his arms and pushed as hard as he could with his shoulders. Daniel, biting back a scream of agony as the pain flared through his chest, held on to Jack's ankles firmly; it was the only thing he could do to help. The stones moved, but before the Colonel could push them out completely, one of his feet slipped and he lost grip, unable to put more force on the rocks with his shoulders and neck.

Pausing for a moment, he waited until he got his breathing back under control and until the pain in his back and knees ebbed away. He searched his position, knowing they were using up all the remaining air in the shaft and that time was running out. "Again…"

Daniel was ready and blocked his feet again, to prevent them from sliding away. Repeating the procedure, Jack pressed and pushed, using every muscle in his body. This time, he was rewarded for his efforts as at least one of the blocking stones fell out of his way and a vague light shone through the gap.

O'Neill turned, moving his arms and used his already damaged hands to break through the hole, removing more stones, pushing them away, until he could crawl through…

*********

Ra stood in front of the entrance of Menkau're, the smallest of the three buildings with the shape of pyramids. His army of at least four hundred Horus guards was lined up around the building, staff weapons at the ready. Ra placed a golden bowl in front of the entrance, aiming the black circle at the Goa'uld vessel above the building. He stepped back, aimed his hand device at the bowl and pressed some buttons. A dark red glowing beam of light went straight up, from the golden bowl, reaching the bottom of the Goa'uld vessel. The whole army of Horus guards looked up, trying to detect what was happening.

Transport rings appeared and in a split second, Apophis stood in front of Ra, arms crossed, eyes glowing.

"You have taken things that belong to me." Apophis' voice was sharp, demanding and fierce.

Ra examined his opponent for a brief second. "And I will take more as I please…" he threatened.

"No!" Apophis yelled. He raised his arm up in the sky. "I've come to collect what's mine and to defeat you!" He snapped his fingers and the transport rings surrounded him. While being transported back to his ship, he yelled "Guards! You will serve ONLY me!!!"

A dozen death gliders left the ship and started their battle with the army of Horus guards on the planet. Explosions, shots hitting parts of the buildings and running guards and a couple of death gliders falling apart after being hit tore up the sky. Ra withdrew, barking a bunch of orders at his Prime and searched a safer spot in the middle building called Kha'fre.

***********

"Shit!"

Crawling through the gap he'd created, Colonel O'Neill discovered a couple of most unpleasant things. First of all, still feeling dizzy and nauseous from his pounding headache, he nearly tumbled down the step he climbed on, hastily pressing his back against the wall of the pyramid. Second of all, the step he found himself on was about seventy-five yards above the ground and it made him even dizzier when he looked down, the immense height overwhelming his balance. The third thing was the worst, however. Death gliders were flying all over the valley, shooting and firing down. Jaffa were running and falling down everywhere, others were firing back from their covers. An explosion too close for his liking told him that one of the Jaffa from down below had managed to shoot at least one of the death gliders.

At least now he knew why their escape hadn't been discovered yet. Shaking his aching head, he turned back to the opening of the shaft, giving Daniel a hand climbing out, steadying the younger man when he staggered and positioning him solidly with his back against the wall.

Daniel looked out over the valley for a brief second. "We have to get moving…" he rasped.

"Ya think?" Looking around, there were three possibilities. Climbing down, a long way, which would take them into the middle of a Jaffa battle; climbing up, risking to be seen by the death gliders. Or get to one of the other sides of the pyramid first. "That way!" Jack urged, pointing to his left. "Let's get around that corner, we'll be more out of sight…"

Daniel was already moving, walking unsteadily, and supporting himself with his left hand against the pyramid wall, his right arm protecting his ribcage. 'Don't look down, don't look down…' he desperately told himself over and over; afraid he would roll down the huge steps of the large pyramid.

Always having wanted to climb the largest pyramid on Earth, he realized now that he actually was halfway on one similar to that, he had no time to enjoy it. His mind had registered the other two pyramids, the nearest one placed that a diagonal line would cross through two opposite corners of both pyramids. He'd been right. This was a replica of the great pyramid of Khufu, and the other two pyramids he'd seen were replicas of the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. God, this was so interesting, so very fascinating. Yet, he had to run, sometimes diving for cover from the death gliders and they needed to get to the East Side fast.

Luckily, they reached the East Side safely. Relieved to be out of sight of the bad guys, Jack called for a halt, when they were about five yards away from the corner. They sat down, back against the pyramid, legs bent, arms folded around their knees, trying to catch their breaths.

The Colonel was studying the landscape underneath him, planning their escape route in advance. On their right they saw a couple of structures and they could recognize the shape of the enormous Sphinx, placed in front of some sort of temple. From the middle of this side of the pyramid, a path was leading away, bending a little to the left. Detecting mostly trees on his left, Jack decided that that would be their best shot.

"We climb down and try to head north, Daniel, into the woods." He pointed at it, looking at his friend for acknowledgement. "You think you're up for it?"

Nodding slightly, the younger man hissed through clenched teeth, "let's go…"

Jack went first, rolling over to his stomach, biting back a groan as his ribs told him they didn't like the movement, slid his legs over the edge and moved backwards, reaching with his feet for the step underneath him. He could barely reach it, with his stomach still flat on the upper step. Pushing himself over the edge, he shifted his balance on his feet until it felt solid and slowly, he got to his feet, standing one step lower than Daniel.

He'd only bruised his ribs and it hurt. Daniel would not like this, would not like this at all. He tried to calculate if he could catch Daniel, if Daniel slid off the step on his butt, but he could not risk that. The steps were too high, not wide enough and the gap that was taking his breath away when he looked down was too steep. Besides, with his pounding headache and trembling legs he was really in no shape to be catching anything. Knowing there really was no other way, he motioned Daniel to follow him.

Gasping, groaning and moaning, Daniel rolled to his stomach and repeated the procedure Jack had shown him. The older man guided him, balancing and steadying him and two excruciating painful minutes later, he sat next to his friend.

Not wasting any time, O'Neill was on his stomach again, climbing down another step, not wanting to think about how many steps they had to climb down, not wanting to give up, or giving Daniel the chance to even consider it. He guided his friend every step along the way, wincing in sympathy at the sound of the harsh and labored breathing of the man. Only when they'd climbed down about twenty-five steps, he allowed them a brief rest.

Daniel Jackson was completely out of breath, sweat was rolling down his face and in the dim light as evening fell, Jack noticed the color of his friend's face had turned ashen gray. He rubbed Daniel's back and waited until he breathed more regularly, shallowly.

"How are we doing?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Great… just great, Jack…" Daniel croaked. "Always … wanted to climb … the pyramid of Khufu… " He pointed to the right, "visit the temple… of Khafre… "

Jack smiled; that was his Daniel. Always looking at the bright side.

"Glad you booked a trip with O'Neill's Travel Agency. Too bad we didn't bring our cameras… Ready to get to the next part?" He had estimated there were still about seventy steps left for them and although he hated to push his friend through this, they couldn't stay here forever.

At his friend's nod, he started them on the next part.

**********

Captain Carter triumphantly ran towards the General's office. She abruptly came to a halt in front of the door, regained her breath and knocked on the door, before stepping inside.

The General looked up from his papers. "Have you found the address, Captain?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, Sir. There were two glyphs missing in the address I got from the Tok'ra. The computer has calculated them by randomly filling in a combination of two glyphs, comparing the outcome with the Abydos cartouche. The program came up with three possible addresses. Permission to send a MALP to them, Sir?"

A brief smile of relief appeared on Hammond's face. Although the missing men weren't rescued yet, at least they were getting somewhere.

"Do it, Captain."

"Yes, Sir." Sam turned and left, heading to the Gateroom. It took her only twenty minutes to prepare the MALP and give her instructions to St. Jones. Standing next to him, she ordered "Dial it up, Sergeant."

Anxiously, she listened to the dialing sequence, watching how the huge ring turned and locked the glyphs until the Gate opened. By then, her fingers ran over the keyboard, as the MALP disappeared through the wormhole and she waited for the first images. Teal'c and Major Ferretti were standing behind her, looking over her shoulder at the screen.

The planet they looked at had sand as far as the MALP could see. No trees, no buildings, no signs of life. Just sand. The wind had dragged lines and made sand dunes. Carter ordered the MALP to look down, but she couldn't find any traces, footsteps, anything indicating that somebody had been passing the Stargate lately. Writing down some notes, she looked up at Ferretti, questioningly.

He shrugged. "Hey, Abydos looked like a sand planet, but it at least had a temple near the Gate. Let's check out the other two addresses."

**********

Jack had twice allowed Daniel a brief rest. The last part was the hardest, the steps were high, almost up to his shoulder and it took a lot of effort and caused Daniel a lot of pain to slide off them. Finally, they reached the bottom and the archaeologist just collapsed, shaking all over, gasping for air, his arms protectively wrapped around his body.

Jack sat next to his friend, stretching his long legs in front of him, gently rubbing the younger man's back. Although he was not willing to show it, he was also glad he could sit for a while. His legs were all too shaky, his knees and the back of his thighs and calves hurting from the strain of climbing down.

He listened carefully to the battle sounds coming from behind the pyramid and looking at Daniel, he knew they had to get moving. Knowing they would only be able to move slowly, he wanted to get going.

"Daniel? We've got to move…" he whispered, struggling to his feet. Swaying unsteadily, he waited for a while, and then helped the younger man up. O'Neill threw Daniel's arm around his shoulders, wrapped his own arm around Daniel's waist and supported him, dragging him, almost carrying him as they moved, heading north, away from the pyramid, away from the Goa'uld battle and hopefully away from Ra.

Ignoring the stabs of pain in his own chest, O'Neill concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, keeping his balance and keeping the younger man on his feet. Vaguely, his trained mind also took in their surroundings, looking for signs of danger and possible routes to follow.

Daniel kept quiet. Trying to control his breathing and staying on his feet was about all he could manage right now. He knew he was leaning heavily on his friend. Knowing O'Neill better than anybody else, he had registered his friend was hurt too, but right now, this was all he could do. He had to lean on Jack, or he would collapse and would not be able to get up again. So he just frantically tried to stay on his feet and move.

*********

Ra had watched how his Horus guards were fighting the battle. Both armies were strong and it was impossible to tell which of the two parties held the winning hand.

He walked over to a view screen and pressed a blue button on the black remote control. On the screen, an image of the interior of the King's chamber appeared. Ra cursed when he found the room was empty. Pressing some other buttons, some views from outside the building called Khu'fu were displayed on the screen. On one side, he saw some of his guards, ducking for cover and trying to gain a better position to aim at the death gliders. He saw nothing on the other sides of the square building.

Frantically pressing the buttons once more, the sight of the huge sphinx and the temple lying behind it became visible, followed by a look at the woods on the north side of the building of Khu'fu.

There.

He spotted two stumbling people, one apparently leaning heavily on the other. They seemed to be heading towards the forest.

So they had managed to escape. How interesting.

They wouldn't get far.

He would make sure of that.

*********

A second MALP was ready for its trip to the second address the computer program had come up with. Captain Carter, Teal'c and Major Ferretti were watching how it disappeared through the wormhole.

Five seconds later, the first images were shown on the screen in front of them. A familiar landscape appeared, with trees, bushes, hills and sandy roads.

"This looks more inhabited…" Ferretti murmured.

Teal'c nodded in approval. "Indeed, this world has been visited. There are roads, leading from the Stargate to the forest. This world needs to be examined."

Sam wrote their discoveries down in her report and ordered the MALP to make some turns and allow them views to different sides of the planet. Apparently, the paths just led in one direction, straightforward from the Stargate. Looking down, she found marks or footsteps and wheels on the path, as evidence that at least somebody had been there not too long ago.

Knowing they had another address to check out before reporting back to the General, Carter made arrangements for the MALP to be returned back to Earth.

**********

Up in the Goa'uld battle vessel, Apophis was giving his orders to his Prime Jaffa. The Jaffa was briefing him about the progress of the battle every ten minutes and got lot of his information from the death glider pilots.

This time, he had different information for his God.

Bowing his head slightly he summed up his report. "A couple of Tau'ri have been spotted, my Lord. They seem to have escaped from one of the structures and are heading towards the forest."

Apophis frowned. Which Tau'ri could have been prisoners of Ra? This could be interesting. Thinking the situation over, he gave his orders.

"Transport yourself and four guards into the forest. You will bring me the Tau'ri and bring them to me alive. I also want you to guard the entrances of those buildings and have it reported to me when somebody enters or leaves them. Now go and do not fail me."

The First Prime left to arrange the transportation.

Apophis stood, waiting, eyes glowing. He would find out who those Tau'ri were. They could come in handy as hostages in his battle against Ra. He knew the garrison of Ra was strong and that his Jaffa could eventually lose the battle. He would have to retreat then, so he needed a trump card to turn things into a winning situation. Those Tau'ri could be it. He could set up a trade and get some of his belongings back.

The sooner he had his hands on those Tau'ri, the better.

**********

They reached the forest safely. Jack was mostly carrying Daniel now, moving deeper into the trees, to find a place where he would allow them to rest again. Pushing the branches out of his way with one arm, using the other to drag his friend, Jack concentrated on his surroundings, scanning the area for unforeseen trouble, possible hiding places or directions to go.

He was aware of the harsh breathing of his younger friend and knew they had to stop sometime soon. His instincts running in full motion, he detected the water before it came into view.

"I think we're reaching the river, Daniel," he whispered, "just a little bit further, buddy, come on."

They came to a halt when the river came into view, about twelve yards below them. The edge they stood on, was sharp, steep and with sparing one quick look down, Jack knew there was no way they could climb down here. Cursing silently, he decided they had to search for a better spot to get down, but that it would have to wait until he had allowed Daniel a brief rest. Slowly, carefully, he eased Daniel down and leaned him with his back against the trunk of a tree.

"Easy, Daniel. We're taking a rest for a while." Relieved of his burden, Jack almost collapsed next to his friend, his aching knees unwilling to carry him any longer.

Jackson had his eyes closed, one arm tightly pressed around his chest and drops of sweat were running down his pale face. O'Neill eyed him with concern, knowing how much pain the linguist must be in, but also realizing there was nothing at the moment he could do for him. Nothing, but getting them into safety, so Daniel could receive the proper medical treatment and the rest he needed.

While trying to regain control over his trembling limbs and his ragged breathing, the Colonel visually scanned the area downstream, looking for a possibility to reach the river. The river would provide them the required drinking water and the opportunity to use the stream to make their escape at faster speed. Finding no place to climb down within sight, he decided they would just have to follow the river from the rim, hoping to reach a suitable spot.

His instincts warned him of some approaching guards and stumbling to his feet, he abruptly lifted Daniel, sliding one arm around the younger man's waist, softly apologizing for the hurt his actions may have caused.

Frantically looking for a place to hide, he found none and they didn't stand a chance. Within ten minutes, three Horus guards had surrounded them, aiming their staff weapons at the two members of SG-1 to keep them from moving. While Daniel was just too exhausted to react, Jack softly cursed, "shit…" and lowered his friend to the ground once more.

Ra appeared out of nowhere, looking pleased at his guards.

"You cannot escape me," he hissed at the two Tau'ri and approached Daniel. He placed his foot on Daniel's chest, leaving the injured man gasping for air.

"Hey, damn-it, stop that!"

As he had expected, the other Tau'ri made a move towards him, in an attempt to protect the younger one. He quickly turned, held out his hand, activated the ribbon device and the kinetic shock knocked the older man back several feet, where he crashed against a tree.

"You dare challenge me?" the Goa'uld barked. "You dare?" Snapping his fingers at his guards, he gave his commands.

Jack tried to regain his composure, as he struggled to sit up and catch his breath. The landing against the tree had done his ribcage and back more damage than good and it cost him all of his willpower to hide his discomfort. Two Horus guards approached him and securely bound a rope around his chest, under his arms, with a knot on his chest. One of the guards pulled the rope so tight that it left him almost unable to draw a breath. The other guard bound his wrists behind his back with another smaller rope and took a long one to bind it on the knot on his chest, tightening the other end around the trunk of a tree.

"Hey! Is that really necessary?" he protested, while being dragged to his feet. He eyed Daniel, who was lying in the grass, propped up on one elbow to see what was happening, and smiled encouragingly.

Ra placed his foot on Daniel's chest again and pressed. "Give me the iris code for your world," he demanded.

Closing his eyes, Jackson inhaled sharply and shook his head weakly.

"Your friend is going to dive if you don't. Give me the code," the Goa'uld barked at Daniel.

Gasping, groaning and shaking, Daniel cracked one eye open and glared desperately at his friend. It suddenly made sense; he had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen. Oh, God. He could never betray Earth; he could not give the symbols or code to this Goa'uld, no matter what. Shit, shit, shit!

Stubbornly, he shook his head again, sending a silent apology to his friend. They were in trouble, big trouble. Think, Daniel, think… How the hell were they going to get out of this one?

He watched in horror as the guards pushed Jack backwards to the edge, his friend smiling encouragingly at him; telling him it was okay.

"Tell me…" Ra threatened one more time.

"Nope. He won't. You're wasting your time here, snakehead," O'Neill snapped, nodding approvingly at Daniel, his eyes trying to tell his friend that it was all right, that he had to push on, as long as needed.

The System Lord snapped his fingers. The guards grabbed Jack by the arms and pushed him over the edge, holding him, his feet still touching the edge of the rim. Ra stepped closer, hissing, "the codes!!!"

Without looking down, O'Neill managed to keep his voice steady.

"Ah, always wanted to do a little of bungee jumping…"

With that, Ra kicked his feet off the edge, the guards let go of his arms and the Colonel tumbled down, head over heels twice. The length of the rope broke his fall, as a jerk under his arms stopped him abruptly from falling and the sudden motion caused him to smash against the wall, taking all air out of his lungs. The second time he swayed in the direction of the wall, he was prepared and pulled his legs up. By this action, he avoided another crash by solidly placing his feet between his body and the wall, although he almost screamed out loud by the pain that shot through his already damaged legs.

After swaying and twisting for a while, he came to a halt and was able to look down; he estimated he was hanging about two yards above the water of the river. He then looked up, to see Ra staring at him and asking the same question of Daniel. Knowing Daniel would never answer him, Jack tried to prepare himself for the next part.

The guards let the rope hang out and taking in a deep breath, O'Neill fell down, splashed into the river and went under, kicking with his feet, unable to use his arms, attempting to slow down his fall and swim upwards. He started swimming strongly with his feet, up, to the surface, needing the air. Just as he thought he was about to suffocate, the rope around his chest tightened and he was pulled out of the water.

He just hung there, coughing deeply, spitting out water and sucking in air. Then he was falling again, took in a deep breath, just in time, as he tumbled down, fighting, swimming, kicking, anything to reach the surface. At least Daniel was still holding on, he thought, as the lack of air threatened to choke him. Nearing the point of losing consciousness, they pulled him up once more.

Jackson was forced to look over the edge and watch his friend struggling under water, fighting to reach the surface and then he witnessed how Jack almost choked, hanging limp above the waterline, coughing and spitting water. There was no way he could give Ra what he wanted and he was forced to watch the same procedure over and over again. Biting his lip, he stopped himself from crying out that they had to pull his friend up, that he was drowning. He knew that would only make it worse.

The sixth time, he noticed that Jack wasn't even struggling anymore; he didn't kick with his feet, too exhausted to manage the task. How much water would his friend have swallowed already? Knowing the Colonel couldn't take much more, Daniel frantically kept looking for a way out, hoping for the cavalry to show up, but it was just not happening.

Even Ra seemed to realize he was not gaining much with those stubborn Tau'ri, as he asked one final time for the codes. One look at the younger man told him he had to end this game.

"Chek'na taal pauw!" he snapped at his guards and they started pulling on the rope, lifting the Tau'ri out of the water, attempting to pull him back up at the cliff again. Only they hadn't noticed that scraping against the rocks had damaged the rope, and the weight of the soaking human in combination with the guards pulling suddenly was too much and the rope just snapped. The guards, unpleasantly surprised by the sudden disappearance of their burden, fell backwards on the ground and Ra and Daniel watched how the weakened body fell down, hitting the water again, going deeply under water; this time with the rope falling down after him.

Although the Goa'uld knew there was a small but dangerous waterfall a couple of miles downstream and that the human had no chance of surviving, he was furious he'd lost half of his prey. Hissing angry words at his guards, they hastily got up. Ra pointed into the direction he wanted to go and one guard bent over to grab Daniel. Before he could reach him, the human raised himself up and simply dove over the cliff, in a desperate attempt to stay out of Ra's hands and save Jack at the same time.

********

The remaining half of SG-1 and SG-2 had gathered in the briefing room, to report to the General and make decisions about the next move. They all saluted as the General entered the room and took his place.

"At ease, people," Hammond started and addressed Carter. "Captain, what have you found out?"

"Well, Sir, we've sent a MALP to all of the three planets that the computer program has come up with. One of the planets is a sand planet, with no signs of life, just sand. The other two look more civilized, with paths, bushes, and trees. On one of them we found traces, footsteps, traces of wheels. My suggestion is we start with that planet, Sir."

The General thought it over. Facing Major Ferretti, he asked, "Wasn't Abydos a sandy planet? I thought I've read that in the mission report."

Ferretti nodded affirmatively. "Yes, Sir. There were also temples, and villages, Sir."

"We don't know if there are temples out of sight on that sandy planet, do we?"

"No, Sir." Sam admitted. "We could send the UAV, but that would take a bit longer."

"Teal'c? What do you think?" Hammond wanted to know.

"I have not encountered Ra, General Hammond. But to build a new empire, he would have required a planet with many inhabitants. The sand planet does not seem likely to be one he would choose. I suggest we first start exploring the planet Captain Carter has suggested."

General Hammond nodded. "All right. SG-1 and SG-2, you will leave in one hour. Major, you're in command. Remember, you've got two days. It's a touch and go mission. I do not want to get involved in any Goa'uld slaughterhouse, understood?"

Ferretti sharply responded, "Understood, Sir."

********

It took a while for his instincts to tell him this time was different. O'Neill had lost count of how many times they had dropped him into that cold water, leaving him there, long enough for him to almost choke, suffocate, drown, but each time they'd pulled him out only seconds before he would pass out.

Somewhere along the line he'd lost the ability to fight back, to use his legs to try to save himself, to make his way to the surface. His limbs didn't respond to any command he tried to give them, his body weakened and exhausted from the struggle, the lack of oxygen and the icy water. Jack instinctively knew he couldn't survive much longer; he'd swallowed too much water and had too little energy left to fight anymore.

He fell down for the umpteenth time, hit the water and went under, having taken in a weaker breath, his lungs too tired to inhale deeply. His legs didn't respond to his lame orders. Then he realized this time was different. The rope was coming down with him, over his head, around his shoulders. Shaking the dullness off, he tried to focus. Think, Jack, think. The rope must have been broken. It took him all of what was left of his willpower, but his legs started kicking somehow, swimming. If only he could use his hands. The long rope around him made it even harder, tangling around his legs, making it almost impossible to swim.

Jack couldn't give up. He fought and swam, frantically, kicking his feet free from the rope. He was going up, heading towards the surface, but his lungs burned with the lack of air, his ears were ringing and his head was spinning. The stream had caught him, taking him away from the spot where Ra had dropped him, but he was too busy reaching the surface to notice. His head finally came out of the water long enough for him to suck in a deep breath, but the ropes were pulling him under again.

Fighting hard, O'Neill managed to raise his head out of the water again and he coughed, took in some more water, coughed harder and welcomed another breath. He knew the stream was taking him away, as his body scraped against some underwater rocks and he was being pulled on and on. Knowing he had no strength to fight it, he spotted a platform of rocks in the middle of the river ahead of him. If only he could reach that, he could climb on it to regain some of his strength. His eyes focused on the platform, he struggled, swimming as far as his legs and the rope allowed him. His movements were losing force, as he was almost too exhausted to keep on going, as one of his feet touched solid ground.

The current tried pulling him alongside the platform and his feet slipped away a couple of times, but then he managed to climb out of the water, mostly, his legs still hanging over the edge and collapsed as everything went black.

********

Major Ferretti led his team away from the Stargate; it was the first planet they were investigating, following the trails they had found leading away from the Stargate. Detecting nothing that proved Ra's presence on the planet, they hiked further until the scenery changed and they were completely surrounded by trees.

"I think there is a river that way, Major Ferretti," Teal'c noted. "I suggest we head into that direction."

Ferretti had no idea how the Jaffa knew there was a river, but he never questioned it and followed the suggestion.

The group of six people headed south, breaking their way through the woods, soon reaching the edge, with the river down below. Arranging themselves alongside the cliff, they scanned the area. There was a small drop in the river to their right.

Sam spotted something far to her left and took out her binoculars. Aiming them in the right direction, she found somebody swimming in the river. The person appeared to be attempting to climb on a platform situated in the middle channel.

"There!" she hollered, her arm pointing to the left. "I think that's the Colonel!"

Major Louis Ferretti grabbed his binoculars and searched the river, spotted the rocks in the water and witnessed O'Neill's collapse. "Damn! We've got to get him out of there… wait a minute, who's that?"

Carter had spotted it, too. Another person was in the river, heading for the same platform she had just seen the Colonel climb on. "That's Daniel! We better hurry." Although worried about their well-being; she was relieved to have found them and thankful that they were lucky enough to pick the right planet on their first try.

"Okay, people. Looks like we've found our men. Now let's get them out of that river and then we are SO out of here!" Ferretti ordered and started looking for a spot where they could climb down.

*********

Jackson hit the water, hands first, then his head, in a perfect dive. The knowledge that his friend might die without his help, that Ra would kill him anyway, had driven him to this action. Now thoughts about the danger of his impulsive stunt and that the river might not have been deep enough to dive from that cliff all ran through his head. Under water he immediately spread his arms to stop himself from going too deep and before he reached the bottom, he was able to turn back in the correct direction. Not paying attention to the stabs in his chest as his ribs protested the sudden action, he swam to the surface with forceful strokes.

He was lucky to be such a good swimmer. Reaching the surface, Daniel drew in a deep breath, scanning the river for any sign of his friend.

There. The current was carrying Jack downstream and it looked like he was fighting to keep his head above the water. Daniel immediately swam after him and with the current helping him he made good progress.

He spotted the platform in the river and immediately knew what the Colonel was attempting. Heavens, he could see his friend struggling to reach the rocks, his efforts weak from exhaustion. Please, let him get on there, I'm almost there, he prayed, not even looking back to their attackers to see what they might have been up to.

He sighed in relief as he watched how Jack managed to climb on the rocks before witnessing his collapse. Determined, Daniel increased his strokes, reaching the platform just in time to prevent his friend from sliding off again, grabbing him firmly around the waist while climbing next to him.

Jack was lying on his stomach; his head nearly in the water and after detecting a pulse, Daniel turned the Colonel's head so he wouldn't be forced to swallow more water. His eyes fell on a burn on Jack's forehead. Shit! The ribbon device! He'd been so occupied by his aching ribs; he'd never given a second thought to the fact that Ra had used that damn thing on his friend. Guilt was overwhelming him as he placed his fingers on Jack's neck. At least he was breathing although he had a slow, irregular pulse. Further assessing his friend, the younger man was shocked by the number of cuts and bruises covering Jack's arms, back and legs. His clothes were torn in several places; he must have hit some rocks under water, Daniel figured.

With an anguished face, he realized the impact on Jack's shoulders and back had been even greater because he had not been wearing anything underneath his vest, having torn up his shirt to bind Daniel's ribs. Shit, shit, shit, way to go, Daniel. What now? He didn't have much room to move, but he bent over to check his friend, searching for other possible injuries. The back of his head seemed to be clear, no gashes, no blood and no bumps. That would be one for the record, he thought. Pressing his nails in the rope, he worked his way over the knots that bound O'Neill's hands securely on his back. Ripping a nail, he cursed in every language he knew. The water had made the rope too heavy, too swollen and it was impossible to get the knots loose. Ignoring it for the moment, he quickly continued his examination.

Probing Jack's back, Daniel's lips tightened as it caused a soft moan from his friend. Turning to the legs, his hands easily found the swelling around the knees and calves and he frowned. It wasn't likely that Jack had hurt his legs that way under water. Not having much of a choice, he turned his friend over, leaning the man back against his chest, ignoring his own pain. Rubbing the older man's arms, he scanned the river for an escape route, as Jack started to stir, his actions immediately followed by a coughing fit.

Daniel held his friend up, rubbing his back, watching as Jack spit more and more water from his lungs. When the coughing finally subsided, Jack tiredly leaned back, his breathing harsh and shallow.

"God, that hurt… Daniel?"

"Easy, Jack, easy," he said, rubbing Jack's arms again in an attempt to get him warmer. "Better?"

Another coughing fit, more spitting and finally vomiting the contents of his stomach into the river left Jack exhausted, sore and shivering all over. He nodded weakly. "Think so… happened?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Had enough of Ra's hospitality. Dove after you…"

Jack turned his head to look at his friend, stunned. "Geez, Daniel, you could have been killed…"

Daniel looked sheepishly back. "Would have been killed anyway, Jack."

Ra. His memory slipped back in place. Daniel's broken ribs, the ribbon device and their escape off the pyramid, Ra dropping him in the river. He realized he was leaning against Daniel's chest; that must hurt his friend. He struggled to sit up, wincing as something pulled in his own chest and back. Biting back a groan, he closed his eyes for a second while steadying himself.

Ignoring the concerned looks of the archaeologist, he scanned the area and the riverbanks, trying to detect where the river would take them. How on earth were they ever going to reach the shore? Looking back, he noticed the Horus guards with Ra in their middle, marching on the rim, coming towards them.

Jackson saw it, too. "We have GOT to go…" he said desperately, not knowing how, or where to.

"Ya think?" The Colonel hissed the comment, his mind racing for a solution.

**********

Captain Carter had taken point and suddenly stopped the group, raising one hand as a warning, one finger of her other hand pressed against her lips.

Major Ferretti immediately ordered his team to take cover and, drawing their weapons, all of them slid to the ground, hidden behind the trunk of a tree.

With a slight movement of his head, he silently asked the Captain what she'd seen.

Carter motioned into one direction, pointed four fingers at him and whispered, "Horus guards…"

"Shit!" Ferretti cursed softly. He figured the Colonel and Dr. Jackson must have escaped somehow, with a couple of Horus guards chasing them down the river. Knowing they had to get those men out of the water before they would reach the waterfall, he made his decision.

"Teal'c," he whispered. "Take Captain Johnson and Lieutenant Spikes with you. Try to approach them from behind. We'll have to take those snakes out, people."

Teal'c nodded in approval, he had also realized that rescuing their missing team members was not possible with four Horus guards on their backs. He motioned the two members of SG-2 to follow him and disappeared.

"Ready, Captain?" Ferretti whispered.

Carter nodded. She had her MP-90 at the ready and noticed that Sergeant Winston and Major Ferretti did the same. Ferretti waited, giving Teal'c and his men time to track around the group of Horus guards before giving his order to attack.

**********

Apophis' Prime Jaffa searched the woods with four guards, looking for a trace of the Tau'ri. They marched on, systematically scanning their surroundings without detecting anything.

The First Prime stopped the guards, raising his hand to order them to remain silent. He'd heard something. Listening carefully, a smile appeared on his lips. The river. They were approaching the river and Ra's guards were also there. Those Tau'ri apparently caused Ra's guards more trouble than they'd expected.

He was smarter. Stepping closer to the river, he took in the sight. The Tau'ri had escaped and were swimming downstream. Ordering his guards to stay out of sight, they headed back into the woods and followed the river. He had to be patient. The Tau'ri would have to leave the water somewhere. With Ra's guards on the other side, they would most likely chose this side and then he could make his move…

**********

Colonel O'Neill knew there was only one way out of this mess. They had to go for another swim and they had to get going NOW.

"Come on, Daniel…" he said, sliding forward.

"Jack! You can't swim with your hands bound on your back!" the archaeologist protested, frantically looking at the approaching guards as one stopped to aim his staff weapon.

Jack saw it too, figuring they were still out of reach of the weapon, but having no intention of finding out. "Can't stay here, either, Danny!" he urged and wincing as his whole body protested every movement, he slid off the platform with Daniel close behind.

The current immediately took them away and Daniel struggled to stay close to his friend, pushing one hand under the rope on Jack's back to haul him up every time the weight of the ropes threatened to pull him under.

Not able to use his arms, Jack had to struggle hard to keep his head above the water long enough to take a breath. His legs tangled in the loose end of the rope and he kicked furiously to get them free. Each time when he went under and thought he couldn't make it back to the surface, Daniel managed to pull him out.

Raising his head above the water, he drew in another breath as he heard Daniel yell.

"Damn!!! There's a fall!"

Knowing there was nothing they could do anymore, the current too strong to even try to reach the shore, O'Neill just knew this day couldn't get any worse.

Jackson realized it too. He could only hope for it to be a small drop. He took in a deep breath just before he went over. All he wanted was to scream out loud but he knew he couldn't even do that.

They tumbled down, along with gallons and gallons of water, splashing, tumbling, and turning up side down. Daniel was unable to hold on to his friend. He went under, deep, being sucked along with the falling water, ending up in some sort of whirlpool and then the current grabbed him again, throwing him out of it, away from the vortex. Struggling, kicking and striking out with his arms, he got his head out of the water long enough to draw in the next desperately needed breath.

Too tired to fight anymore, Daniel didn't notice he had drifted into calmer waters. He coughed up water and tried to regain control over his haggard breathing. His ribs aching terribly from the coughing, he groaned, trying to sort out his memories. Had he just survived dropping down a waterfall? A shiver ran over his back and then his memory fell back in place.

Jack!

Damn! Where was he? Jack's hands had been bound behind his back, shit! He would have undoubtedly swallowed more water and Daniel knew he had to find him fast. Feeling the bottom of the river, he frantically got up on his feet, scanning the river for a sign of his friend. Come on, Jack, where are you? He made his way back as fast as he could, fighting against the water, only making a slight progress as the sight of his friend caught his eyes.

There!

Tangled in the ropes, his friend was fighting to get his head above the water, the weight of his burden turning him on his stomach every time he struggled to swim on his back. Daniel walked, swam then dove; forcing himself to break through the water, he needed to reach his friend and he needed to get there fast. Ignoring the stabs in his chest he found some renewed energy and with a final stroke with his arms he reached the twisting body, grabbed it and lifted Jack out of the water.

The Colonel coughed, spit water, gasping and puffing, groaned and then his eyes rolled up in his head.

Daniel felt the body go limp in his arms. "No! Damn-it, Jack! Stay with me…" Apologizing in advance, he forced his arms around Jack's waist and pulled, hard. Another cough and more water came out. Jackson pulled again. Jack needed to get all the water out of his lungs or he would still drown.

"Sorry," he whispered as he pulled again, even harder than before and the Colonel's eyes snapped wide open and he groaned, hard, deep, agony flaring through his abused chest and back. He coughed, almost choking along the process, spitting more water, gasping for air. Daniel held him on his side, hanging just above the water and slapped his back.

Too weak and exhausted to do more, Jack hang motionless in Daniel's arms, fighting to stay conscious. Daniel pulled him closer, one arm around his friend's chest, leaning him backwards against his own chest and swam, on his back, dragging the Colonel with him. The current faded and with some final strokes, Daniel reached shore, his legs too weak to carry him. So the linguist moved, on his butt, dragging his friend away from the waterline. He rolled Jack, who was unconscious now, on his side and checked for a pulse. When he found one, he couldn't hold it back any longer; he collapsed next to his friend and everything just went black.

*********

Major Ferretti knew he couldn't wait any longer. The Horus guards were coming too close for his liking and he just had to count on Teal'c and his two men to have reached their position by now.

He noticed the tension within Captain Carter as well. Apparently the woman had realized the same thing. Silently waving her over, he gave his orders.

The three members of the SGC stood, raised their MP-90's and immediately opened fire at the approaching Horus guards. Although they were surprised by the attack, the guards were fast, too, aiming their staff weapons.

Firing back, one guard hit Ferretti in the right leg and the Major went down with an anguished cry. Ferretti rolled over, aimed and hit the guard twice, taking him out with the last shot.

Teal'c and the two other airmen also opened fire from the opposite direction and managed to get one guard down as well.

When Carter hit the third guard, the fourth Jaffa vanished in front of her eyes after pressing something on his palm, leaving her wondering about what had happened.

Wasting no more time, Sam let Teal'c handle the fallen Horus guards and dropped on her knees next to Major Ferretti. The staff weapon had grazed his thigh and the wound was bleeding profusely. Ferretti clutched the area with his hands, biting back a groan.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" he hissed through clenched teeth. "That was Ra, did you see that?"

Carter nodded, the way the fourth guard had disappeared had told her that it had to be Ra and she hadn't failed noticing the necklace around his neck as well. She grabbed her backpack, searching for her med-kit as Teal'c approached them.

"The Horus guards are all dead. Are you all right?" he asked, looking at the nasty burn on the Major's leg. Having received a blast from a staff weapon before, the Jaffa knew how much it could hurt.

Ferretti sighed in relief; only now he knew that they were safe would he allow himself to take the much-needed rest. He leaned backwards, removing his hands from the bleeding gash so that the Captain could take care of it.

"I'm fine, Teal'c" he stated, the pallor of his face saying otherwise. "Check out the position of the Colonel and Dr. Jackson while the Captain here practices her nursing skills, will yah?"

Teal'c nodded. "I shall return shortly."

Sam gathered a syringe, only to be stopped by one hand; Ferretti shook his head. "Have to stay alert…" he said. "I'm fine."

Sam glanced at him, noticing the determination on the Major's face. She knew how seriously this man took his responsibilities and knew whom he'd learned them from. Grabbing some disinfectant instead, she warned him that it was going to hurt.

The Major closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and moaned softly when she poured the disinfectant over the wound. Drops of sweat appeared on his face and he was clenching and unclenching his fists while he tried to control his breathing.

Not liking that she was hurting him, Sam decided that pushing on was better than loitering and quickly pressed some gauze over the wound, putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding before wrapping a bandage all around his thigh, tightly and securely.

"All done, Sir," she said, taking in the pallor of his face.

"Good. Anyone told you you've missed your true profession?" Ferretti asked through clenched teeth.

"No, Sir," she grinned.

Waving at her, he indicated he wanted to sit up and she rushed forward to help him. He sat breathlessly for a while when Teal'c and the other members of SG-2 returned.

"Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are no longer located on the rocks in the river. I assume they have gone over the falls. I do not see them anymore."

Teal'c's report was short, to the point and stated without any expression shining through, but Carter detected the worry in his frown.

"What?" she asked, stunned. They couldn't have dropped down that waterfall and survive, could they? Throwing a concerned look at Major Ferretti, she figured he was thinking the same thing as he struggled to get up.

Teal'c was already by the Major's side, placing a strong arm around his waist and helped him to his feet. Ferretti limped towards the edge of the cliff to scan the area himself.

"Damn!" he cursed. He peered at the river downstream, weighing the possibilities. "We have to get down there. If they are alive, they'll be needing our help."

"But, Sir. You're hurt. We should get you back to the SGC," one of his men protested.

Throwing one look at the man, Ferretti silenced him. "I'm NOT leaving without the Colonel and Dr. Jackson."

Sam nodded, if the Colonel and Daniel had survived the drop, they would find them. She just had to believe that they were still alive.

Teal'c and Lieutenant Spikes supported the Major, Sam took point and with Captain Johnson covering their six they started their trek downstream.

**********

Daniel woke up, shivering from the cold and exhaustion. Wondering how long he'd been out, he struggled to get up, supporting his broken and abused ribs with one arm. Every muscle in his body was screaming in agony and he had been bleeding from several cuts; probably he'd hit some rocks under water, he figured.

He crawled closer to his friend. Jack was still unconscious, lying on his side and Daniel, having more room to move now than back on the rocks in the river, started checking his friend over thoroughly.

Jack's pulse was weak and slow, his breathing labored. His skin was cool and pale, with his lips almost looking somewhat blue. No fever, he was too cold for that. A nasty burn on his forehead; but then Daniel already knew that. Not wanting to think about what Ra must have done to cause a burn like that, he gently let his fingers run over Jack's back, biting on his lips in sympathy as the man moaned softly. More moaning, a little louder, when his fingers checked his chest and ribcage. Damn. Not good, not good at all. At least the gashes and cuts covering Jack's body weren't bleeding anymore. If only he could find a way to cut through those ropes…

Jackson shifted his attention to the Colonel's legs, peering through the torn clothes. His fingers had told him of a problem before; now he saw the colored bruises and swelling on the back of Jack's legs. Someone must have hit him at the back of his knees hard; and more than once, Daniel realized, suddenly remembering the Colonel had been swaying on his feet back in the pyramid. Without waking his friend, he searched for something he could use on those ropes. He needed something solid, and sharp. Crawling all over the place, he finally came back with a piece of rock, sharpened on one end, resembling a dagger. Starting on the rope around the wrists, he tried cutting, gashing, picking through the rope, attempting to loosen or break it.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with one arm and continued. It was difficult to try to cut through the rope without damaging the wrists of his friend any further and he concentrated on working precisely and steadily. His efforts were rewarded when he eventually managed to loosen the rope and he pulled it off Jack's wrists, wincing at the sight of the rope burns that his actions revealed.

After having placed Jack's arms into a more comfortable position, Daniel worked on the rope around his chest. When he was almost through, O'Neill started stirring and Daniel placed one hand gently but solidly on the man's shoulder to keep him from getting up.

"It's okay, lie still, Jack." With a jerk, the linguist broke the rope after cutting it almost through. When he removed the rope, Jack groaned out loud.

"Oh, shit…" attempting to raise his body to get up, Jack coughed again, hard, deep, his lungs hurting and as fast as he could, he got to his hands and knees to empty his lungs and his stomach, his body trembling and shaking all over. Not able to do more than rub his friend's back, Daniel stayed close, concerned, thinking about how on earth they were going to get dry and warm. Hypothermia was something they really didn't need right now, but if they didn't find a way to warm up, that was definitely their next problem.

Too caught up in his friend's misery to be aware of his surroundings, Daniel didn't notice the serpent guards as they surrounded them until it was already too late. Cursing in five different languages, he raised his hands, waited for Jack to finish retching and then said with a soft voice, "err, Jack, I think you need to look up now."

Wiping his mouth with a wet sleeve, O'Neill moaned and sat up straight, staring directly into the faces of two serpent guards. Although they had their weapons aimed at them, the Colonel immediately struggled to his feet, turning towards the water.

"Kree!!! Tok da'ta nau!"

Taking in the other three guards, he helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "Guess you don't want to go for a swim?" Wincing as every muscle in his body protested the movement he raised his arms slightly. "Nah, you're not wearing your swim suits. With that heavy metal stuff on you'll sink so fast you won't even notice. Not that I'd care…"

"Silence!" Apophis' First Prime yelled. Motioning to his Jaffa, the First Prime ordered them to take the Tau'ri in their midst. "We will escort you."

"That's kinda nice, but really, we don't need you. We'll be all right," Jack tried, only to be rewarded with a hard push in his back, shoving him roughly forward. Staggering and stumbling, the Colonel was forced to walk between two serpent guards, while the two other guards guided Daniel Jackson. Following the Prime Jaffa, they set off deeper into the forest.

**********

The team only made a slow progress. Not only the staff weapon blast to the Major's leg hindered their progress but the rough terrain, the ground uneven, ridged, with slippery rocks and fallen trees made it difficult to climb down. While Carter searched for the best trail down to the river, Teal'c assisted Major Ferretti.

It took them a couple of hours, but finally they reached the bottom of the valley and Sam called for a halt, raising a finger when the Major was about to protest.

"Sir, I know you don't need the rest, but I need to check your bandage, so humor me," she said with a grin. Gathering some pain pills from her pack, she handed them over along with a canteen of water before turning her attention to the Major's leg.

The bandage was still securely in place and the wound was not bleeding anymore. Satisfied for the moment, Sam stocked her supplies back in her pack, waiting for the next set of orders.

Ferretti got back to his feet, with Teal'c's help. "Let's keep going, people. Keep your eyes open for any sign of the Colonel and Dr. Jackson."

Pointing in the direction they were going, he limped forward. He addressed Carter. "Captain, lead the way."

Moving on the sandy riverbed was easier. They scanned the riverbanks, searching for any sign of life. It was maybe five miles further from where they'd descended, when Sergeant Winston pointed across the river. "There! Ropes!"

Moving closer on the opposite side, they now all saw it, a bundle of ropes, lying a couple of feet away from the waterside. Ferretti let out a sigh of relief.

"At least one of them is alive, and maybe they both are. We have to cross the river."

Teal'c was already in the river, the water reaching up to his ankles, using the back of his staff weapon to determine the depth of the river closer to the middle. "I think it is safe to wade through. I do not think the river is deep and the current is not strong."

Ferretti investigated the river, the waves and the current, both upstream as downstream, before nodding in approval. Yet, he was not willing to take any risks.

"Okay, let's line up. Teal'c, I want you on this side. Carter, on Teal'c's right." Ferretti positioned Teal'c upstream and stepped next to Carter. "Winston, you're next, then Spikes. Johnson, you're on the other end. Unbutton the waist band of your backpack, hook in on each others arms and let's take this nice and slow."

Step by step, they entered the river, carefully examining the footing under water before putting one foot in front of the other. Teal'c, the strongest of the group, caught the major part of the current and tried to deflect it with his body. By the time they reached the middle of the river, the water only came up to their waists. They reached the other side without any trouble. Now that they were closer, they also spotted trails where bodies had dragged themselves or been dragged out of the water.

Teal'c was already investigating the area further away and soon found more traces. He found footsteps of several large and heavy persons, four at least, around the ropes and leading away into the woods, with lighter footsteps embedded in between.

"I assume Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have been captured by at least four guards. They were taken that way," he stated, pointing towards the woods.

"Damn!" Ferretti cursed. "Let's follow the trail but keep your eyes open."

"Sir, I need to apply a dry dressing to your thigh," Carter suggested, worried the water had not been clean enough to do the wound any good.

"Later, Captain, that can wait. The Colonel needs our help," Ferretti responded briefly, accepting Teal'c's offered arm for support and headed into the forest.

**********

Daniel was trying to keep up with the march. It was hard for him to stay on his feet, between the broken ribs, the exhaustion along with the damage done to his body by the beatings and their little swim in the river plus shivering from the cold. Throwing some concerned glances at his friend, Daniel could tell Jack was barely holding on. O'Neill stumbled, staggered, gasping for breath and unable to keep up with the pace but was being dragged forward, one guard pushing him in the back while a second guard grasped him roughly by the arm, pulling him along. The Colonel coughed hard and often, bending forward to ease the strain but unable to rest.

"Damn-it!" Daniel yelled, stopping when he watched how his friend was almost choking, gasping for air between the coughing fits. "Stop! He's suffocating! I don't think Apophis is going to be happy when you bring him a dead body, do you?"

Angrily shaking the hands of the serpent guards off, he stepped forward, just in time to catch Jack and lower him to the ground as the man's knees buckled. The Colonel's face was ashen gray, his face screwed up from pain and discomfort, one arm pressed around his waist.

Heaves were wracking his body as he choked, coughed and gasped. Without waiting for the heaves to pass completely, the First Prime decided they'd had enough rest. The Jaffa hauled them back to their feet to continue their trek, allowing Daniel to walk next to his friend, one arm around the Colonel's waist for support.

The First Prime finally had enough of their slow progress and snapped his fingers. "Jaffa, ta pola k'no."

One serpent guard simply grabbed Jack and threw him in a fireman's carry over the shoulder, while another guard did the same with Daniel. The sudden impact of his ribs on the shoulders of the Jaffa sent a wave of agony through Daniel's chest and he passed out.

**********

The team was making good progress despite Major Ferretti's thigh wound. He would not allow them to stop and rest for a long time, but Captain Carter kept glancing worriedly at him, noticing he was leaning more and more heavily on Teal'c. She had been around the Colonel long enough to see through the I'm-fine-looks, the stubbornness and the determination to carry on and finish the mission, observant enough to see the pain-filled eyes, clenched fists, the unusual paleness and sweat drops appearing on the Major's forehead. He was NOT fine and they both knew it.

Sam decided to call for a halt, and when Ferretti was about to protest, she threw him one good look and he sighed heavily. Letting Teal'c lower him to the ground, he stretched his injured leg out in front of him, biting back a groan. The wound had been wet from their river crossing and had been throbbing ever since. He knew the bandage had to be replaced, he knew he needed another dose of disinfectant over it and he also knew he needed a strong dose of antibiotics as he could just feel the infection setting in. Also knowing the Colonel and Dr. Jackson had been recaptured had him worried enough to push on, realizing they needed help and it was his job to provide that help.

He would not stop until he'd done everything within his power to get those men out of the Goa'uld's hands, but he also knew he would soon be of no help at all if he didn't pay attention to his injury. Slowly, he allowed his strained muscles to relax, wincing as Carter removed the wet bandage.

"That hurts…" he hissed. Glancing at the wound, he noticed that his feelings were right. The first small signs of inflammation shone through, some tiny but angry red spots around the blast wound.

Carter saw it too and bit on her lip out of frustration. Damn, damn, damn. This was just what they needed. Knowing how fast an infection could develop and the Major's condition deteriorate, she drew out the bottle of disinfectant, cleaned the wound as much as she could, poured another quantity of disinfectant over it and wrapped some new gauze tightly around the thigh.

She knew the Major wouldn't leave this planet before having done everything within his power to rescue their missing team members. Sam respected him deeply for that, but she was also wondering how long this could go on, pondering what time he had left before they would have to carry the stubborn Major back to the Stargate.

Ferretti apparently had guessed what she was thinking as he grabbed her hand, his teeth still gritted as the burning effect of the disinfectant was slowly fading. "Do whatever you can to keep me moving long enough to get to the Colonel. We'll get them out fast and then Dr. Fraiser can patch me up, okay?"

Looking him straight in the eyes, she nodded. She knew Ferretti realized perfectly well what kind of trouble he was in. Now it was her job to calculate how long she could leave him in the thick of things without risking his life. Taking his pulse, she found it a little too rapid. Next, she held the back of her hand against his forehead to check for fever and although she thought he was getting a little warm, it wasn't too bad yet. She gathered a syringe, emptied half of it on the ground and injected the remaining bit into the Major's thigh. "This should be enough to relieve you from some of the pain, but not enough to knock you out, Sir," she informed him. Next, she handed him a couple of antibiotic pills they carried for emergencies. He swallowed them without sounding a protest and lay back down to rest for a while.

The other men had waited patiently for her to finish her ministrations, looking questioningly at her when she turned to them. Knowing the Major was listening to her words too, she informed the others.

"The Major has developed an infection. Although it is still a minor one, it will spread soon without the proper treatment. The medication we carry in our packs is not strong enough to fight it off completely; it will however slow it down a bit. We need to get to the others, get them out fast, and then head back to the Stargate. We don't have much time. If the rescue takes too long, I'll need two of you to take the Major back to the SGC while the rest of us stay on." Looking over her shoulder, she eyed her temporary CO. "No arguments then, Sir."

It sounded fair enough to Ferretti. He knew he could count on her to make the right judgment call and he could also trust her to take over command if necessary. Throwing her an approving nod, he motioned for Teal'c to help him up. "You heard the lady. We'd better get going."

**********

Evening was setting in and it was getting darker as the sun was setting. Ra had returned to the building of Khu'fu, furious he'd lost both the Tau'ri and three of his guards. So more Tau'ri had come through the Chappa'ai to rescue the ones who were his prisoners. How did they find him? Deciding he would have to figure that out later, he turned his attention to the battle in the valley.

His army was stronger than Apophis'. After receiving a full update from his First Prime and having watched the battle from the view screen, he'd been able to ascertain that much. He would just have to change tactics, ordering his guards to use a different approach and different tools. It would work; he could defeat Apophis.

If only he could find a way to catch those Tau'ri again. Walking over to the other view screen, he activated the blue button, pressed in some codes and an image of the forest appeared on the screen. Pressing more buttons, he displayed different parts of the forest, watching patiently. Before long five serpent guards appeared on the screen, two of them were carrying his prisoners. So, Apophis had caught them. They were heading back towards the ha'tak vessel. They wouldn't reach it. He would send his death gliders over the valley, taking out Apophis' Jaffa and then the Tau'ri would be returned to him.

His eyes glowed. He wasn't through with them yet. Oh, no.

He could use them to get his hand on the other Tau'ri, the ones who were trekking through the forest. He needed to know how they'd found him and he already knew how he was going to get someone to tell him the truth. Nobody had ever challenged him and won. None would as long as he lived.

The Goa'uld called for his First Prime and gave his orders. He watched from the view screen as his army took control over the fight once more; Apophis' guards rapidly retreating; overpowered and confused about the sudden change in Ra's attack. He saw how the five serpent guards, along with their burden, approached the valley, heading towards the transport rings. His guards knew their task. He only had to watch.

**********

Apophis' First Prime called for a halt and the two guards unceremoniously dropped the Tau'ri to the ground. The First Prime took in the sight of the valley, knowing something was wrong, different from when he'd left. Somehow, Ra was controlling the fight right now, and this would not be a good moment to cross the valley to reach the transport rings. The First Prime knew Apophis would be regrouping his forces and re-evaluating the fight. Convinced the System Lord had ways to regain control, he decided to wait for that moment to happen.

The two Tau'ri were lying motionless at his feet. He ordered his guards to take cover and watch over their prisoners as he took his position, waiting for the night to fall in.

**********

Jack had regained consciousness after crashing to the ground. It had taken all of his willpower to keep quiet, the fall sending waves of pain through his abused body and he fought hard to suppress another coughing fit. Silently he assessed their situation, glaring through the lashes of his almost closed eyes. They had stopped moving and the serpent guards were taking cover. He heard the sounds of the battle close by and figured the Jaffa were unable to get through at the moment. Good, he had no intention to let Daniel or himself be taken up to Apophis' battle vessel anyway, knowing it would be too hard or just impossible to escape from there. He knew they had to make their move before they reached the ship. Now he just had to wait for the right moment.

Running on instincts only, O'Neill tried to relax his exhausted muscles, allowing them as much rest as possible before he had to force them into action once more. Hopefully Daniel was awake as well, but there was no way of telling without giving himself away. Jack kept quiet, hoping Daniel would do the same.

**********

Ferretti and his men were closing in on the guards. Hearing the sounds of the battle and the sight of the death gliders in the sky in front of them told them they were about to walk into a Goa'uld conflict.

Stopping to assess the situation, they considered their next move.

"Captain?" Ferretti hissed at Carter.

"Could be any Goa'uld against Ra, Sir," she said, remembering the information gained from the Tok'ra. "Hathor, Apophis…"

"Teal'c, do you think you can approach without being discovered and survey the situation?" Ferretti asked.

Teal'c slightly nodded. "I can, Major Ferretti." With that short comment, he left, leaving Captain Carter to check upon her CO. Only five minutes later, Teal'c suddenly appeared out of nowhere, informing them briefly about his discoveries.

"There appears to be a battle going on between Ra and Apophis. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson have been captured by five serpent guards and they are hiding out in the forest, as Ra seems to be in control of the battle."

"What's the condition of the Colonel and Daniel?" Sam asked, concerned.

Teal'c looked at her, frowning. "I do not know. Both appeared to be unconscious."

Ferretti weighed his options and calculated the risks. It was getting dark soon. Knowing time was running out, he made his decision.

"We need to free them before the guards move them further away from us. We need a diversion. Teal'c, take the Lieutenant with you and place some blocks of C-4 north of the serpent guards and set the timer for ten minutes. Captains, you do the same to the south. When they blow, we move in, take the guards down, free our men and run like hell."

"If they are in any shape to run, Sir," Sergeant Winston added, arching his brows.

"They will be," Ferretti snapped, immediately regretting his outburst. He also knew he made it sound easier than it would be, but there really wasn't much of a choice, nor did they have more time to plan a different attack. "It just has to work. Go!"

Watching as four of his team left to set the timers on the C-4, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the heat radiating under the palm of his hand. He mentally prepared himself for the upcoming attack and the running he would have to do afterwards. He could only hope that the Colonel and Dr. Jackson were not severely injured and would be able to make it back to the Stargate. Both remaining airmen checked their weapons one final time, waiting for the explosives to go off. Ferretti threw a glance at his watch and knew it was time. Teal'c and Lieutenant Spikes would approach the serpent guards from the left, the Captains from the right, so he would attack them from behind along with Sergeant Winston. He staggered to his feet. "Let's get this show on the road."

And then all Hell broke loose.

Apophis had launched more death gliders in the air, attacking Ra's guards.

Ra had ordered one of his pilots to fire a shot to the forest, noticing the five serpent guards were not coming out to cross the valley, hoping it would force them out.

The packages of C-4 exploded, setting the fringe of the woods on fire.

The Colonel, although weak and injured, took benefit of the situation, jumping to his feet and knocked one guard out before the Jaffa even knew what happened to him.

Teal'c and Lieutenant Spikes opened fire from one side, Captain Carter and Captain Johnson from the other, taking out two of the remaining serpent guards.

Daniel yelled, "rescue party!" at Jack, while also getting to his feet.

The First Prime lunged forward and grabbed O'Neill, intent on using him as a shield, pulling him backwards towards the valley.

He almost managed to get away as the Colonel's knees buckled and slipped out of his grip. Bending forward, the First Prime tried to haul the human up, as Ferretti took him out with one well-aimed shot before his injured leg gave out and he fell sideways.

Daniel rushed forward, grabbed Jack by the arm and pulled him up and out of the line of fire, having assessed the situation and already knowing where to go.

Carter shot the last serpent guard and covered by the forest on fire, they all pulled back. Winston had grabbed a staff weapon from one of the fallen Jaffa and was hauling Ferretti up, dragging him along. Sam quickly ran beside Daniel, supporting the swaying linguist, as Teal'c had taken over assisting the injured Colonel. The remaining members of the rescue party also gathered staff weapons and covered their backs as they moved deeper in the forest.

Their escape had not remained unnoticed. A couple of death gliders had left the fight, flying over the forest, searching for the dodging Tau'ri. A group of Jaffa, or Horus guards were chasing them through the dense forest.

Breaking their own trail through the tangled forest and back to the Stargate, they moved on, non-stop. The darkness of the falling evening made it difficult for them to keep going, but it was also what kept them from being detected by the searching death gliders. They made good progress, but it was difficult to outrun a bunch of healthy guards with three injured men.

Ferretti glanced at Teal'c, exchanging looks of understanding. Calling for a brief halt, he quickly gave his orders.

"Teal'c, take Johnson and Spikes and lead those guards away. Meet us on the other side of the river."

Teal'c nodded, he also had realized that they were not succeeding in their escape. The guards had the advantage to move at greater speed and were gaining. By providing a false trail, he would buy the others time. Teal'c and the other two members of SG-2 quickly disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Carter had taken over Teal'c's role of supporting the Colonel. Winston was still helping Ferretti and Daniel Jackson stumbled along on his own power, with nobody else left to help him. Hindered by darkness and unfamiliar territory, it took twice as long to reach the river. After scanning the sky for death gliders, they crossed the river safely.

Protected by the trees on the other side, the group stopped for a brief rest. They were all completely out of breath and exhausted but relieved to have gotten this far. Apparently, Teal'c had managed to distract the pursuing guards, as they could no longer hear them in the quiet forest.

The Colonel sagged to the ground, moaning and gasping harshly for breath. He glanced approvingly at the rescue team present. "Perfect timing," he said through clenched teeth, one arm clutching his chest, his eyes closed. "Thanks."

Ferretti, sliding down next to the Colonel, smiled tiredly, taking in the features of the man lying next to him. "You don't look so hot, Sir."

O'Neill eyed him, started, "and you…" but then took in the bandage around the Major's right thigh, the sweat covering his forehead and the glaze in his eyes. "You DO look hot yourself, Major." The concerned expression on the Colonel's face took the sting of the sarcasm from his voice.

Meanwhile, Sam had quickly checked Daniel out, taking in his battered chest, knowing he suffered from broken ribs along with the cuts and bruises from who knew what.

"How are you?" she asked, eyeing the archaeologist's pale face.

"I'll live," he answered briefly, staring at Jack from his position. "I'm worried about him. He nearly drowned, Sam. He's got lots of cuts and bruises from hitting rocks under water. He got too cold and has been coughing and vomiting... Probably pneumonia..."

Sam patted his shoulder reassuringly, although she was also concerned. Handing him a canteen of water and some pain pills, she moved over to check on the Colonel.

The stubborn CO of SG-1 waved her off. "I'm fine," he cracked, his appearance proving the opposite. "Take care of Ferretti."

Shaking her head in disbelief, she still did as asked, knowing it wouldn't take her long to check if the Major's leg was bleeding or not. Glad to notice the bandage was still securely in place, she knew she could do nothing more for him than inject another dose of morphine.

She moved again towards O'Neill, waving one finger in front of him before he could utter another protest. Already having noticed the burn of the ribbon device on his forehead and the damaged wrists, she noted the extensive cut and bruising that was becoming visible. She suspected that was not what she would have to be worried about. The Colonel was shivering continuously, his entire body shaking. His skin was cool and clammy and his clothes were still damp.

After helping him up into a more comfortable sitting position, reclining against a tree, Carter took his pulse and it was irregular and weak. Probing his chest, ribcage and back, she felt him brace himself, witnessed him biting on his lip while methodically using his fist to repeatedly hit the ground. Hearing the harsh sound of his breathing, she knew he wasn't fine; in fact he wasn't even close to that.

Exchanging worried glances with Major Ferretti, she realized there wasn't much that she could do for him in the short term, except treat his gashes and rope burns with disinfectant and return him as soon as possible to the capable hands of Dr. Fraiser. She pulled a blanket out of one of the backpacks and draped it carefully over his shoulders for some additional warmth.

Jack soon had enough of her ministrations. "How much longer to the Gate?" he rasped, looking over his shoulder to the river, scanning for possible pursuers.

"In the dark? At least three to four hours, Sir," she said worriedly, noting a wheezing sound in his struggles to breathe. Hopefully, Teal'c would join them soon, so they would have more help in supporting the injured men. Sam wasn't sure how long the Colonel would be able to stay on his feet, let alone move.

"Let's get the hell out of here, then," he croaked, attempting to get up but failing, not strong enough to manage on his own. Sam gently helped him up. Pulling one of O'Neill's arms over her shoulder she placed her arm solidly around the Colonel's waist. Another coughing fit suddenly took all air out of him, forcing him to bend forward, one hand pressed tightly against his mouth. Sam waited patiently, rubbed his back and exchanging a worried look with Daniel she confirmed his earlier suspicions; afraid the younger man was probably right about the pneumonia.

Startled, she almost jumped when she heard some sounds coming from behind. Turning, she was relieved to see Teal'c returning with Captain Johnson and Lieutenant Spikes. Teal'c immediately rushed to her to help her supporting their CO. Johnson softly updated Major Ferretti as they waited for the coughing fit to subside so they could move on.

"Oh, God," Jack cursed, his throat and chest sore from the latest abuse. He was shivering all over as he straightened and nodded at the waiting group. "Let's go."

They moved on, making slow progress in the dark, but unwilling to wait until the next morning. They couldn't risk one of the Goa'uld to reach the Stargate before them and heavily guard it, making it impossible for them to gate out.

Ferretti cursed silently, as he repeatedly tripped over some roots, relying heavily on Sergeant Winston. Winston was barely able to keep the Major from falling over. Ferretti peered over his shoulder and noticed that Carter was supporting Dr. Jackson now and that Teal'c and Johnson were almost carrying the exhausted Colonel.

Carter bit her lip out of frustration. She hated being unable to do more and listened to every harsh and shallow intake of breath from her CO, as she half-carried Daniel along. She knew that although Daniel hadn't complained, he wasn't in good shape either and she hadn't failed to notice the Major's stumbles as well. Hopefully they all managed to stay on their feet long enough to make it back to the Stargate. Sam couldn't think about staying longer on this planet, with an infected blast wound on the Major's thigh, Daniel's broken ribs and the dangerous condition the Colonel was in.

Major Ferretti was about to ask if they had to stop for another rest, when O'Neill's legs buckled, his strength finally gone as he passed out with a soft moan. Teal'c managed to stop him from crashing to the ground, lifted him up and draped the blanket around him. Carter immediately was by his side to check the Colonel's pulse. It was too weak and too rapid for her liking and she motioned the others to carry on. The group silently continued their trek through the dark forest.

It took them another two hours to reach the open field, which led them to the Stargate. The huge ring stood fiercely, lit by the moon above it. The group stopped before crossing the field, looking for signs of trouble or approaching death gliders. In the distance, they could already hear the group of guards approaching them once more.

"We better go," hissed Ferretti, drops of sweat rolling down his face. "Winston, your job is to dial us home. Johnson, Spikes, keep your eyes open and cover us if needed."

The Colonel stirred, awakened by another coughing fit. He struggled weakly until Teal'c gently lowered him to the ground and rubbed his back.

"Almost there, Sir," Carter said, noticing him silently assessing their situation. The Colonel determinedly hooked his eyes on the Gate and gathered his strength for the final part.

"And I SO loved this planet," he panted and dropped the blanket. "Let's not keep the Doc waiting."

They ran, stumbling and staggering the last part, no longer covered by the trees. It was only a couple more yards to the Gate when they were alerted by the sound of the death gliders. Three men turned, aiming their staff weapons at the two approaching aircrafts. The others pushed on, jumping to the left and right to avoid being hit by the firing death gliders.

Carter frantically hauled the Colonel back up after they had stumbled, thankful that Daniel and Ferretti managed to stay on their feet. Teal'c was helping Johnson and Spikes fire on the death gliders when a loud explosion lit the sky as a shot made contact. The other aircraft flew over the Stargate and turned, preparing to fire another round on them again.

The Sergeant dialed frantically and Daniel stumbled on the steps leading to the Stargate as the wormhole opened up. Pausing, Daniel looked over his shoulder, then Ferretti yelled, "Go!"

Daniel jumped through the Gate with Winston on his heels. Carter attempted to assist the Colonel towards safety, but he struggled lose, waiting for the rest of the team to follow. Ferretti limped closer, glancing at O'Neill.

"Go, Sir. I'll make sure they all make it…" he said, knowing why the Colonel was hesitating. Teal'c was still firing; the other airmen were almost there.

O'Neill threw one last look over his shoulder and only when he was satisfied they were all close behind, he allowed Carter to support him through the wormhole. Johnson and Spikes jumped after them. Teal'c grabbed the tumbling Major by the shoulder for support and they closed the line.

**********

The Gateroom appeared to be in complete chaos. The klaxons had gone off and a group of guards ran towards the ramp, guns at the ready.

Up in the Control room, the Sergeant on duty tried to decode the signal the computer had received. His face lit up. "It's SG-2, Sir!"

General Hammond had been pacing his office earlier, unable to sleep with two of his teams out. They were overdue and they were maybe caught in some Goa'uld war. Like a father waiting for his teenage son to return from his first night out driving the family car, he'd been waiting, nervously and impatiently. When the alarm bells went off, he was running towards the Control Room at a speed that surprised even himself.

"Open the iris," he ordered. At least now he would know something. Hopefully Major Ferretti would have some information about the well-being of the two missing members of SG-1. Maybe, he thought idly, the rescue had been successful and his teams would step through in one piece.

He ran down to the Gateroom, knowing that's where he needed to be and immediately ordered a medical team down as well. He knew Doctor Fraiser was playing the role of the mother hen of that same teenage son. He knew she hadn't left the base, although her watch was over a couple of hours ago. A slight smile appeared on his lips as she ran in with her staff close behind.

Daniel Jackson stumbled through the open wormhole first, Sergeant Winston following him. The Sergeant immediately supported the linguist, who was swaying on his feet. Jackson managed to walk down the ramp with his help and they turned around, staring hopefully at the blue liquid as it swirled.

Carter was next, and she was dragging an unsteady Colonel O'Neill with her. Unable to stay on his feet, he fell, while the Captain tried to lower him down as gently as possible. He turned around, facing the Gate. Moving backwards on his butt, the Colonel made room for the still missing members of the team, his eyes glued expectantly on the wormhole.

Johnson and Spikes stepped through, staff weapons still ready in their hands and finally Teal'c appeared, assisting a limping Major Ferretti.

Carter yelled, "Close the iris!"

O'Neill let out a relieved sigh, clutched at his chest and coughed, hard, deep and painfully, unable to stop. Carter lifted him into a sitting position, leaning her CO against her chest.

Doctor Fraiser rushed on the ramp, heading towards the Colonel. She knelt beside him, assessing him.

Major Ferretti saluted tiredly at the General. "Mission accomplished, Sir," he said and slid to the ground, hissing as his leg buckled beneath him.

The General took in his teams and smiled wearily. "Well done, Major. Welcome back, SG-1 and SG-2." He stepped closer to his Second and bent over his CMO to look him into the eyes.

"Colonel, are you all right?" The concern was evident in his voice.

O'Neill had just finished coughing and grinned weakly as he looked up at Hammond. "Just returned…" he paused to gasp for breath, "from a nice… vacation… in Egypt, Sir…. We hiked… climbed on some pyramids… swam… even did… some scuba diving…" His voice was slowly fading and his eyes started drifting.

"Caught some nice fish for me, Colonel?" Fraiser asked, trying to keep him alert while taking his pulse.

"No fish…" he rasped, his breathing labored, while he watched the Gateroom suddenly turning up-side-down. "Just snakes, Doc… ugly… ugly sn…" Without finishing his sentence, his eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out.

Fraiser barked her orders. Teal'c lifted the Colonel onto the stretcher and members of her staff had Ferretti and Daniel on separate ones at the same time. They raced towards the infirmary and Janet knew it was going to be a long and busy night.

**********

Doctor Fraiser ran a tired hand through her short hair. It had been a race against the clock, patching up those men that night. She'd left Major Ferretti with Dr. Warner, after she'd briefly looked at the staff blast and taken in the nasty infection. Dr. Reed took care of Daniel Jackson.

She'd worked on Colonel O'Neill with two members of her staff. He had gone into shock after his arrival. They had stabilized him, put him on IV's and oxygen and managed to warm him up. Then she had the chance to fully check him over.

Looking back at his chart she sighed. As usual, it was a long list. It had been touch and go and he still wasn't out of the woods, she knew that. She headed towards the General's office to give her report, knowing he was waiting for her. He was always concerned, unable to rest, when one of his men was down, she thought. The sooner he knew the status of the situation, the better.

Hammond shortly said, "Come in," when she knocked on his door.

Janet stepped inside, closed the door behind her and faced him.

"Sir, I have details about the condition of the injured men. Daniel Jackson has three broken ribs, but luckily suffered no internal damage. He also has a lot of scratches and bruises. Ferretti informed me that it was caused by some beatings by the Goa'uld, plus their trip through the water and dropping off the waterfall. He's swallowed a lot of water, but got it mostly out of his lungs by himself. I'm not worried about pneumonia, but we're watching him closely just in case. He's clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal and he's sleeping. I don't expect him to wake up within the next ten hours."

Hammond nodded, having heard a little about what had happened already from Captain Carter.

Fraiser replaced the chart on top with another. "Major Ferretti has been shot with a staff weapon in the thigh. Due to some material stuck into the wound, which Captain Carter was unable to detect, the wound is infected. Their hike all over the planet didn't do it any good either. He's running a high fever, but we're treating him with antibiotics and other medication and I'm sure he'll make a complete recovery. Now, the Colonel," she sighed, gathering the last chart.

"The Colonel went into shock when he collapsed on the ramp. Although we haven't been able to figure out what happened exactly, Captain Carter told us that he'd nearly drowned. He was hypothermic, dehydrated and exhausted. The X-rays of his lungs showed a large area of congestion, which means he's developed a full-blown pneumonia. He has a burn on his forehead; my guess is that a ribbon device caused it. I think it will heal nicely with time." She continued reading from her notes. "He has multiple scratches and bruises, as Dr. Jackson has, only more severe, a couple of them had required stitches. He's got nasty rope burns on his wrists, and, surprisingly under his arms. His back is severely bruised as well, just under the shoulder blades. I don't know what has caused that, but these injuries are consistent with someone having a rope tied around his chest. His ribs and back obviously have suffered some hard blows as well. To nicely summarize this, Sir, his whole upper body is one big bruised area and that along with pneumonia is worrying me. Lastly, the Colonel displays bruising and swelling consistent with being repeatedly struck on the back of his legs. The back of his thighs, knees and calves are swollen up, badly bruised and I'll have to do another X-ray after the swelling comes down to determine any permanent damage."

The General ran his hand over his chin and bit on his lip. "He's not out of danger, then?"

Fraiser shook her head. "No, Sir. We have put him in the ICU to monitor him closely. He's on a strong dose of antibiotics, fluids, and oxygen plus respiratory treatments to help him breathe and keep the coughing spells under control. I also gave him pain medication to control the pain from both the pneumonia and his injuries. After warming him up from the hypothermia his temperature started rising, which we expected. However, I'm afraid his fever will rise quite a bit before the antibiotics kick in. We'll have to keep it under control; he's too weak to fight it off by himself."

Hammond nodded. "You'd better go back to the ICU then, Doctor. Thank you. I will stop by in the infirmary later on."

"Yes, Sir," Janet said and left, wishing she'd had better news to tell him.

**********

Captain Sam Carter silently opened the door to the Colonel's room in the ICU. She'd been sitting with Daniel for quite a while and she was sure he was resting peacefully now. She wasn't surprised to find Teal'c positioned at the foot end of the Colonel's bed.

"How is he?" she asked, taking in the deathly pale face of her CO. His eyes were sunken and a small white bandage present on his forehead. The head of the bed was elevated and he was hooked up to the monitors. A nasal cannula provided the needed oxygen and a couple of IV bags were pumping fluids into his veins through one line. His armpits, shoulders and his chest were covered in white gauze. Smaller bandages indicated treatment of his sustained scratches. The Colonel's wrists were also bandaged and some gauze covered his knuckles. His legs were slightly elevated, propped up on some soft pillows.

"O'Neill appears to be unwell," Teal'c stated shortly.

Carter nodded; Janet had already briefed her about his condition, so she knew a little of what to expect. She held the back of her hand against the Colonel's cheeks, checking his temperature by touch. Knowing this was only the start of a long and dreadful night; she grabbed a cloth, rinsed it with lukewarm water and started sponging her CO's face. The coolness of the cloth startled him, waking him and he attempted to move. She watched how he struggled to get up and softly pushed him back.

"Stay put, Sir," she said, wincing in sympathy as she heard his harsh and rapid breathing.

He stopped struggling, groaned and started coughing, the spasms racking through his body. This time, Sam pushed her arm under his neck to help him up, as she waited patiently for the coughing fit to end. Teal'c handed her a glass of water and she held it in front of O'Neill, so he could sip some cold water to ease his throat, then she lowered him back into the pillows.

He gave her a weak smile. "Hi," he said, hoarsely. "How's…" plagued by another rough coughing spell, he was unable to finish his sentence. Carter gently lifted him up again, as he rode it out.

She wiped his sweaty face. "Daniel is sleeping, Sir. He's got three broken ribs but suffered no internal damage. He's going to be fine." She instinctively knew that that had been his question. He was always looking out for them, concerned for their safety. "Major Ferretti has a nasty infected staff weapon burn on his thigh and is fighting the infection off with antibiotics. I think he'll be fine as well, Sir. Don't worry."

He settled back down, satisfied for now. The room was spinning, his ears roaring and exhaustion took its toll as he slowly drifted away.

**********

Daniel Jackson came back to the world of the living, confused and disoriented. He could vaguely remember their run back to the Stargate and how he'd managed to stay on his feet, exhausted and hurt as he was. He couldn't picture the actual stepping through the wormhole and returning to the SGC as he slowly opened his eyes and recognized the room.

The infirmary.

He sighed. Back to where he belonged, he thought wearily. Since he had joined SG-1 he'd spent more time in a hospital room than he had in the total of twenty-eight years before that.

His eyes were heavy and he fought to keep them open. Lifting his head to look through the room sent a wave of pain through his chest.

Oh.

Right.

He'd cracked some ribs. Or rather, Ra had done that. Shit. Well, he'd had worse. As long as he didn't move too much the pain was not too bad, just a dull pain, flaring in his chest. He was hooked up to an IV, which explained it. Janet's miracle fluids to ease the pain. He sank back in the pillows, unable to keep his head up any longer. He was surprised he was alone in the room. Usually, Jack, Sam or Teal'c would be keeping him company, even if he slept. That meant they thought he was fast asleep then. Or?

Jack.

Damn, how could he forget? Cursing at his fuzzy memory he attempted to sit up, but he failed. He remembered now. Jack had nearly drowned and had been really bad off. If Sam and Teal'c weren't here with him, they probably were… He had to get out of bed and check on Jack.

No way he was going to sleep while his friend was struggling to stay alive. Daniel pushed himself up to a sitting position, ignoring the stabs of pain his movement caused. He could be as stubborn as Jack could when he had his mind set on something. He was going to find his friend and no stupid ribs were stopping him. He'd run all over that planet with them so a trip to the room Jack was in wasn't going to kill him.

Janet would kill him though, he thought as he removed the IV-line.

He would deal with that later. Swinging his feet off the bed he sat still, gathering his strength to get up. He gasped for breath as he got to his feet, swaying unsteadily and he had to use the bed to keep from falling over. After a minute or two the room stopped spinning and he let go of the bed, heading to the door.

Before he reached it, the door opened and the small doctor stepped inside.

"Daniel! What do you think you're doing?"

He blushed. "I need to see Jack, Janet. Is he all right?"

Taking in the grim expression on her face, he let her guide him back to the bed.

"No, he's not all right. Now sit down, so I can examine you. Then we'll talk about visiting the Colonel." She patted on the bed and he sat down. She did a routine vitals check and probed his chest to check the bandages around his ribs.

"The Colonel has pneumonia, Daniel, along with a bruised ribcage and nasty rope burns. Right now, the coughing spells are not doing him any good. He's got a high fever and we're trying to keep it under control until the antibiotics will do their job." She finished her examination and really wanted Daniel to go back to sleep. The man was just plain exhausted and needed the rest. Knowing the strong bond between him and O'Neill however, she knew that he would not rest before he'd seen his friend and before he was certain that the Colonel would be all right. So she decided to let him off the hook.

"You think you can walk with my help?"

Jackson's face lit up. He'd expected to be forced to go back to bed. He nodded and with her arm around his waist, he stood, wincing silently. He was afraid if the female doctor noticed his pain she would change her mind, so he bit on his lip and started walking. By the time they reached the ICU, he couldn't stop himself from moaning softly, but Janet said nothing. She just helped him inside the Colonel's room, motioned for Sam to gather a chair and they sat him down, on the left side of the bed.

Daniel knew his friend wasn't in a good shape, but he was shocked to see him lying restlessly in that bed. There was a lot of gauze wrapped around him, he was covered in sweat and his cheeks were flushed and burning with the fever.

O'Neill was shifting and twisting in bed, obviously caught in some weird delirious dreams. Daniel looked up at the monitor to check on his temperature, almost a 105. Damn. He grabbed Jack's hand and started whispering soothing words, as Janet worked on O'Neill, sponging and wiping the sweat off his body. Then another coughing fit hit him, forcing Daniel to watch as Sam rushed forward, lifting the weakened body from the bed. Janet rubbed the Colonel's back with one hand and held a tissue in front of his mouth with the other. They were working together as one, telling Daniel that they'd been doing this more than once before.

Finally, the coughing subsided and they lowered the exhausted man back into the pillows. Fraiser checked the monitors and adjusted something on the IV-lines, her face grim and concerned.

"On Chulak we use cold and warm wraps to assist the sick in fighting the burning fever," Teal'c said.

Janet looked up at him, wondering what he meant. She had heard of wraps before, as people in the old days used to use a similar technique but she wasn't sure if that was what he was talking about.

"Wraps? Do you know how to do that?" she asked, willing to try anything at that moment.

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed I do," he said, rising to his feet. He bowed his head. "Allow me to assist you, Doctor Fraiser."

She took in the signs on the monitors. Temp 105.2. They needed to try something or the Colonel could go into shock or start having febrile convulsions. "Tell me what you need," she said.

"Grated onion," he said, without moving a muscle in his face as the three others stared surprised at him. "For his feet."

Carter stood. "I'll get them," she said, not questioning any further and left.

"Do we need to remove the bandages covering his rope burns?" the doctor asked.

Teal'c nodded. "That will be required. The warmth from the wrap will not go through those bandages."

Janet cut the bandages around the Colonel's chest off with her scissors and Daniel gasped in shock as he took in the bruised and damaged area. Especially the rope burns under the arms were marked clearly, the dark red stains in sharp contrast to Jack's pale ashen-gray skin. He examined his friend's back too, as Teal'c lifted the man for Janet to completely remove all gauze.

"Oh, God," he just whispered. He realized he'd completely missed this damage while examining his friend after their little swim. Probably the cold of the water had covered it up, not allowing the bruising to show itself yet, he thought.

He sat back, silent and worried, and watched as Janet and Teal'c used a warm cotton piece of cloth to wrap it around Jack's bare chest. Teal'c lifted the body from the bed again and Janet wrapped it underneath. Teal'c finished the work, making sure the wrap was secure, tight and without bubbles. Then he took a cold piece of cloth, and poured half of the grated onion Sam had brought back on it. He wrapped the package around one of the Colonel's feet and repeated the process with the remaining onion on the other foot.

Nodding approvingly, he sat down. "Drey-auc used to do this when our son Rya'c was sick. It assists the body in sweating and allows it to dispose the remnants of the disease," he explained.

They all waited, Fraiser keeping a close eye on her patient, while Daniel filled them in about what had happened to them on that planet. He told them about their escape through the shafts of the pyramid, their climb down the steep stone slope, their hike through the forest and how Ra and his guards had caught them again.

Sam and Janet gasped in horror when he told them how Ra's guards had dropped the Colonel several times into the river, almost long enough to drown him. Teal'c's expression was stoic as ever, but Daniel swore he spotted real anger in the Jaffa's eyes.

"So maybe the sixth or seventh time, Ra ordered his guards to pull him back up, but the rope snapped and Jack fell down. I just dove off the cliff after him. Guess that pissed Ra off…" he continued, but he was interrupted by another cough from the bed.

The two women were by the Colonel's side immediately, helping him ride it out again. By the time Jack was finished, his eyes were open, but he was too incoherent to recognize anything. A wave of sickness overwhelmed him as he started to gag and Janet grabbed a basin, holding it in front of him just in time as he started vomiting. She wiped him clean afterwards and then they settled him down. Janet checked the monitors. Temp 104.8. She bit on her lip. Hopefully it would come down. For now he was back asleep, restless and still delirious. Sighing heavily, she looked back at Daniel, waiting for him to continue his story.

"Jack managed to climb on a platform in the middle of the river and I reached him just in time to lift him out of the water since he'd lost consciousness by then. He came to pretty soon after and then the Horus guards were approaching us, aiming to shoot. So we went back into the water and the current carried us away."

"The falls!" Sam said, visually shaken by Daniel's story. "You didn't know about the falls! You fell down!"

"Oh, yeah..." Daniel shivered at the memory. "I was SO scared…"

He paused, needing to regain his composure. The others waited patiently. They could only imagine how bad that would have been for them.

"Jack still had all those ropes tied around him. They were soaked and heavy and kept pulling him under. I got to him just in time, I think. I hauled him up, placed my arms around his chest and pulled until he stopped spitting water. I managed to get us on shore somewhere." Daniel stopped, thinking back on how he'd struggled to get them to safety.

"I woke up after blacking out, I suppose, checked Jack over for injuries and he woke up, coughing and vomiting. Then Apophis' guards surrounded us and led us away. Jack was pretty bad off, coughing hard; he just couldn't stop it. He was having a hard time breathing. Then the serpent guards carried us and I lost consciousness. When I came to again, you were there to get us out."

Carter nodded, satisfied to know all the pieces of the puzzle now. Staring at the now silent archaeologist she realized how hard this must have been on him.

"You've done a great job, Daniel. The Colonel is going to be proud of you," she praised him.

Teal'c agreed. "It must have taken great courage to dive off that cliff. Well done, Daniel Jackson."

Janet watched him in silence. She'd seen the younger man develop from an inexperienced, naïve person into a brave and courageous man. One who deserved every credit they gave him, and that's why General Hammond apparently had accepted his primary role in the SGC. He was a civilian, but she'd seen airmen achieving less than he'd done. And now here he was, hurt and tired but determined to stay by his friend's side. She watched as Carter approached the bed and rinsed another cloth. She checked her patient again. His pulse was still rapid, as was his breathing. His temperature did seem to lower bit by little bit. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm going to check on Major Ferretti. Call me if you need me." With that, she headed to the door and left.

**********

A couple of hours, a lot of coughing fits, some feverish nightmares and incoherent moments later, Janet Fraiser sat down next to the Colonel. She was tired to the bone, not having slept in the last 34 hours. Amazingly, Daniel had managed to stay awake the whole time, sitting on the other side of the bed, as he held on to Jack's hand.

Teal'c had assisted her in another change of the wraps, as he called it. They appeared to be working. The Colonel was more quiet now, his temperature around 103.5. It was still high, but not life threatening anymore. He'd been sleeping more peacefully over the last hour and even the coughing spells seemed to be losing their force. For the rest of the time, Teal'c had sat motionless at the foot end of the bed. Someone who didn't know him could think he was sleeping, but Fraiser knew he wasn't.

Sam was slumbering in the corner of the room, exhaustion taking its toll with her. Although she was asleep, Janet also knew she would jump up the minute something happened. The doctor had been pleased to find a recovering Major Ferretti when she went to check on him. His team members took shifts to stay with him and he was getting better already, the antibiotics helping him fighting off the infection.

She must have been dozing slightly too, as she was suddenly startled by some movement from the bed. Lifting her head, she noticed how the Colonel stirred, his face screwed up from the pain this caused on his damaged back and shoulders. She rose to her feet, exchanging looks with Daniel, who'd also been alerted by the movement.

Janet placed her hand on the Colonel's shoulder and he opened his eyes, confusion evident on his face. She smiled encouragingly at him. "Try not to move too much, Sir," she softly said to him. "It will hurt your back and chest."

Daniel was also on his feet, wincing as something pulled in his chest but determined to be there for his friend. He held a glass of water in front of Jack, along with a straw.

"Hi, Jack. How are you feeling?"

O'Neill stared from Janet to Daniel. Gratefully, he sipped from the glass of water and swallowed it. He was surprised how much that hurt. He felt it burning all the way down his chest and it caused a tickling sensation in his throat threatening to cause another coughing spell. He sipped some more and managed to suppress it. Assessing his condition, he felt drained, exhausted and weak. He tried lifting his hand, to make an 'I'm-fine' gesture but he found it too much of an effort.

He grinned weakly. "What have I done this time?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

"Oh," Daniel started, "to say it in your own words: you've had a nice vacation in Egypt. Climbed on some pyramids, did some diving…"

Ah. The snakehead.

He remembered now. Coming to think of it, he remembered a Goa'uld battle between Ra and Apophis and he couldn't decide which side he would be on. If only they could kill each other off completely, he thought. He made a face and wondered why it was so hard for him to breathe.

"Well, THAT was fun. You okay?" O'Neill took in the exhausted features of the linguist, and didn't fail to notice the stiffness in the younger man's movements.

Daniel waved him off. "I'll be fine, now that I know you will be."

Jack frowned. Daniel had been worried about him. Only now he detected Teal'c and Carter too, greeting them with a blink of his eyes. By the way Doc looked at him, fussing all over him, he must have been scaring them quite a bit. Damn, he didn't remember a thing after stepping through that Gate.

Louis! His memory suddenly reminded him that Ferretti had been hurt, a nasty wound on the thigh. Jack forced himself to grab Fraiser's wrist. "How's Ferretti doing?" The fast movement was followed by another coughing spell and Doc hauled him up into a more upright position as she waited patiently for him to finish, softly rubbing his back. It left him weak and exhausted, his chest hurting terribly and Janet gently lowered him down.

"You've got to take it easy, Colonel. You have a severe case of pneumonia, so just relax and let the medicines do their job. Allow your body to heal. Any excitement will only make it worse," she spoke firmly. "Now, Major Ferretti is doing fine, he's been asking about you already. I'll let him in to see you later, okay?"

He nodded and frowned as he realized something. He sniffed. "I'm in the infirmary, right?" His voice was still rasp from the hard and painful coughing, but he just had to ask one more thing.

"Yes, Sir, you're in the ICU," Janet reassured him.

"Then why the hell…" he paused and sniffed again. "Why do I smell onions? You haven't been having a party without me, have you?"

This time, Carter started giggling and a wide smile appeared on Daniel's face as well. Jack arched his brows.

"Actually, Sir," Sam managed to explain, "your feet are wrapped in onions… Sir."

Jack couldn't believe her; his eyes wide open in surprise. "What? For crying out loud, Doc! What have you been up to?" He wiggled his toes, felt something wrapped around his feet and hoped they were joking. He looked at her.

She gave him an amused smile. "Actually, it was Teal'c's idea, Sir."

This time Jack stared at the silent Jaffa, demanding an answer from him.

"It has indeed been by my interference that your feet are wrapped in onion, O'Neill," the big man stated, only bowing his head slightly to confirm his statement.

Jack sighed and shook his head unbelievingly. "And I thought I'd endured it all… What else have you got in mind, Teal'c?"

"You appear to be doing better, O'Neill. There is no need for the garlic paste." The Jaffa bowed without cracking a smile and sat back down, leaving the Colonel wondering whether he was joking or not.

"Oh, now THAT's a shame… Wouldn't have missed it in the world… " he muttered under his breath and tiredly closed his eyes.

Janet Fraiser hadn't failed to notice the conversation had worn the Colonel out. He was gasping for breath and the pain obviously hindered his movements. His temperature was still far from normal and he was fighting to stay focused. Deciding it was time to end the conversation, she clapped her hands. "I'm sorry, but the Colonel still needs to rest. Daniel, so do you. I want you back in your room and asleep. Sam, take him back, please… I don't want to see you back here for another ten hours. That's an order." She didn't bother ordering Teal'c out, knowing he would stay where he was until O'Neill was better.

Watching the others leave, she turned her attention back to the weary Colonel. "Rest, Sir. Somebody will be with you the whole time, in case you have any more coughing spells. We'll talk again the next time you wake up, okay?"

He nodded tiredly at her, his eyes drifting away already and he was unaware of her checking his vitals, adjusting things on his IV and wiping his brow.

**********

Janet Fraiser walked through the corridors of the SGC, a chart in her right hand. She'd just got the results back from their latest examination on Colonel O'Neill's legs and she was pleased to find there would be no permanent damage. His pneumonia had much improved the last couple of days as well. The congestion was almost gone, his temperature was almost back to normal and the rope burns on his chest, back and under his arms were healing well. All in all, she figured he soon could start with some therapy to regain some strength and to get some movement back into those legs.

She headed directly to his room. She wasn't surprised at the laughter that came out of there, knowing that Daniel, Teal'c and Major Ferretti had been spending lots of time together. Sam had left two days ago to visit her father and hadn't returned yet.

The clicking of her heels must have alerted them as she heard them softly whisper and she could swear they muffled something away from her when she stepped into the room.

Daniel and Teal'c were sitting on one side of the bed, Major Ferretti on the other; his right leg propped up on a spare chair. The Colonel was sitting up straight in his bed and a deck of cards lay on his lap.

They were playing poker.

As guilty little boys who'd done something wrong they looked at her, innocently but secretly.

"Hi, Doc," the Colonel greeted her, a slight smile covering his face.

"Colonel," she said, trying to keep her voice stern. "I've got the results back from the tests on your legs. There's no permanent damage, Sir. Since you're improving so fast with the pneumonia as well, I think we can book your first therapy session for tomorrow morning."

"Oh, Doc, come on… Can't I just walk out of here and go home?"

Daniel almost choked in his coffee and Ferretti chuckled. The Colonel had been very sick for some days. He had barely regained some strength, was still unable to stay on his feet without help but wanted to go home already.

The Major pointed at his leg on the chair and challenged him. "We can do a crutch race, Sir. I'm sure I can out-limp you."

Jack threw one look at him. "Don't let my looks fool you, Major. I've got lots of experience with those damn sticks. I can even play hockey with them!"

Janet laughed. "Not in my infirmary, you won't. Sir. And remember we'll have to do this one step at the time. You're still not strong enough to go trekking the country." She sniffed. "Hmm, is that garlic?"

Jack made an innocent looking face. "Oh, yeah. Teal'c wrapped my feet in some of that stuff. I wasn't feeling too well, but I'm much better now."

Teal'c raised his brows.

Daniel stared at the wall, suppressing a smile.

Janet wasn't fooled that easily. "Oh, and he must have poured some mozzarella on your chest then, to stop the coughing, right?"

Jack looked stunned. "They do that on Chulak, too? Teal'c, my man. You still amaze me with your talents!"

Ferretti was laughing out loud now. He pulled the pizza box from under the blankets, held it in front of Fraiser and offered her a piece. "Do you want a slice?"

Janet Fraiser shook her head in disbelief but grabbed a chair, took a slice of pizza and sat down. She enjoyed seeing them all feeling better, relaxing and having fun together. They'd been through a lot and she figured it was only fair that they had these kinds of moments.

Daniel went to get her some coffee and returned with Captain Carter, who'd just come back from visiting the Tok'ra.

"Hi, Sam!" Janet greeted her friend and colleague.

Carter took in the scene in the room; pleased to see her CO was sitting straight up on the bed, looking much better than when she'd left.

"Hi, guys. Having fun without me, huh?"

"Carter. Glad you can join us. How's your dad?" the Colonel questioned, while Ferretti offered her a slice of pizza as well.

"He's fine. I've got some news. The Tok'ra have been informed that Apophis has won the battle with Ra, Sir. The rumor says that Apophis killed Ra himself and that his army has been wiped out."

Daniel's face lightened up. "That's great! So now Ra is really dead!"

Ferretti looked doubtful. "I don't know who I'd rather face. Ra or Apophis. They're both not somebody you want as your best friend…"

Teal'c stated the obvious. "If it is indeed only a rumor, we cannot be sure that Ra is truly dead."

The Colonel snorted. "Oh, but we can be sure, Teal'c. We can be sure he isn't dead at all. He will be back. I know he will," his voice faded and he stared at the wall, lost in his thoughts. Meeting Ra again was not what he was looking forward to, but he knew it was inevitable. He would just have to deal with that when the moment was there.

He was suddenly aware of his friends staring at him, so he tried lightening the mood.

"We'll just have to wrap him in onions and garlic when he shows up. We'll throw him off the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with a rope around his neck. Then we'll let him swim down the rapids of the Colorado River. See how he likes that." He grabbed the deck of cards and started shuffling. "Was it my turn to deal?"

>>> THE END <<<

Chez Corine