Ancient Legacy
by DennyJ
Part 2

Back to Part 1

Daniel was back in the chair, only this time it was reclined slightly so he was looking at the ceiling.  And he was restrained again, although he hadn't even had the energy to walk here on his own, much less put up a fight.  His arms and legs were still burning, as though they had been pushed to their limits, and his head throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

Apparently, he'd been allowed to sleep for awhile.  He had awakened to find Anise waiting with the 'morning meal', as she called it.  But he hadn't had an appetite, and only managed to take a couple of bites and a few sips of water.

Two guards had half-carried, half-dragged him back to the chair room.  Again, he had pleaded with them to reconsider; had reminded them of the damage they were doing to their alliance.  He had been ignored, even by Anise, and had fallen silent, trying to conserve his energy for what was to come.

Anise moved into his line of sight.  "We are ready to begin.  Remember what I told you.  This will be much easier on you if you do not fight it."

"This is a mistake.  You can still stop it," he whispered.

Once again Anise reached out and placed a hand on his cheek.  Her lips parted as though she was going to speak, but then they closed and she looked away.  The hand left his cheek and she moved away.

Paresh moved close to him and Daniel felt a hand on his arm, followed by something cold and smooth being pressed against his forearm and then strapped to it.  There was a small prick of his skin and he began to feel something warm slowly seep into his arm.

Oh, God!  They were drugging him.  What were they giving him?  He had no strength to protest, so he lay still, waiting to feel the effects of whatever they'd given him.

The warmth spread up his arm and slowly began inching its way across his chest.  Lightheaded, he closed his eyes, unable to hold them open, feeling the last of his strength fading.  He didn't think he could continue to resist, which was probably the purpose of the drug.

A faint, tingling sensation filled his limbs and he felt like he was floating.  It would be so easy to give in to the pleasant feeling, but a small part of him told him to resist it.

"Are we ready?"  Gairven's voice drifted into his cocoon.

Daniel felt the memory device being pressed to his temple again, but he didn't flinch this time.

"Doctor Jackson?  Can you hear me?"

"Mmmm... "  Don't answer.  Don't let them in.

"Good.  Now, tell us about the replicator ship you were taken to."

Images of the interior of the ship drifted into Daniel's mind—angled walls made of steel-colored replicator blocks.

"What happened when the Carter replicator confronted you?"

Sam's face appeared—but not really Sam.  Same hair, same face, but the eyes were different—these were cold and unfeeling.  Suddenly, he could feel the replicator blocks surrounding his ankles and wrists, securing him to the wall.  The blocks on either side of his head began to move, extending until they encased his entire head except for his face, assuring that he could only look forward—at her.  "Shall we begin?" not Carter said.

"His heart rate is increasing," Anise stated.

"Is it within acceptable levels?" Gairven asked.

"Yes."

"Then continue to monitor it," Gairven instructed.  "What did the replicator do?" he asked Daniel.

The images shifted, and, instead of Replicator Carter's face, he was looking into the eyes of Oma Desala.  "Daniel, I did not take your memories from you."

They were getting too close.  Could he keep them from finding the knowledge the replicator had tapped into?  Maybe there was a way.

Daniel ceased fighting the drug and relaxed into the floating sensation.  He began to clear his mind, tuning out the questions that were being asked, searching.  Searching for a place that was safe.

"What is happening?  Why are we not receiving images?"  Gairven's voice was agitated.

Daniel let the sounds flow over him, around him, through him.

"I... I don't know," Trovahn answered Gairven's urgent question as he checked the monitors in front of him.

"Is the drug still being administered?"

"Yes, the proper doses are being administered," Anise replied.  She looked at Daniel, then back at Gairven.  "I think he might be trying to attain a meditative state again."

"But how?  The drug should keep him from being able to resist."

"I don't know," Anise replied.

Daniel no longer heard the words as he continued to pull into himself.  The voices muted and blended into the quiet hum that now surrounded him.

"We must regain control," Gairven said, his agitation increasing.  "Attach the stimulators."

"No!" Anise grabbed Trovahn's arm before he could place the disks on Daniel's skin.

"We are too close to stop now, Anise," Gairven stated.  "Do not interfere.  Either help, or I will have you confined."  Two guards stepped further into the room.

"We do not know if they will work properly this time," she tried to reason.

"I believe it is worth the risk."  Gairven nodded to Trovahn who pulled his arm from Anise's now lax grip.  He attached the disks to Daniel as before and stepped back.

"Begin," Gairven ordered.

Daniel's body reacted to the stimulators, jerking in its restraints before becoming still once again.

"It has had no effect," Gairven observed.  "Increase the intensity one level."

The pain being inflicted didn't register in his consciousness, so close was he to the sanctuary he sought.  The second shock, however, threatened to pull him back, but Daniel pushed forward with renewed effort.  The humming grew, obscuring the voices and the beeping of the machines.

"You're saying that a bunch of your scientists were missing and you didn't even notice?"

Jack was trying hard—oh, so hard—not to reach across the table and strangle Norvel, the Tok'ra High Council Representative.  But he was the base commander—he was supposed to keep his cool and discuss things calmly. Be a good example and all that.  Of course, the fact that the IOA representatives who had come for the previously scheduled meeting were also seated around the table, along with Hammond and a couple of other Pentagon people, including Major Davis, had some influence on his behavior—but not much.  He was glad Carter and Teal'c were there also, because he knew they felt the same way he did.

"Their absence was covered for awhile by some of their subordinates, all of whom have been put under guard.  Two of them were uncomfortable with the deception and came forward, giving us all of the information they had," Novel explained.

"Uncomfortable?  Uncomfortable?"  Jack's voice rose as he repeated the word.  "Kidnapping an important member of the SGC—an ally—made them uncomfortable?"

Hammond clearing his throat diverted Jack's attention to him and they locked gazes.  Message received. 

"Why did they take Daniel?" Jack asked in a calmer voice, returning his attention to Norvel.

"After reading of the events with the replicators, several of the scientists believed it might be possible to access the Ancient knowledge in Doctor Jackson's mind."

The room remained silent, but concerned looks passed between many of those at the table.

"Just how are they planning to gain access to that knowledge?  Daniel says he doesn't remember any of it," Sam asked.

Of course, Jack had wondered about this himself.  Replicator Carter had gained access, and, by Daniel's own account, he had reciprocated by gaining access to her mind with the help of the Ancient knowledge she had tapped into.  Daniel had never said that his memories had been erased a second time, and had come back to them with all of his other memories intact.

Once Area 51 had gotten wind of it, they had 'requested' time with Daniel to find out what he remembered.  There was no way Jack was going to let them—or anyone else—mess with Daniel's mind.  He had refused, and, backed by the President, Area 51 had backed down.  It shouldn't surprise him that others, including the Tok'ra, would want a chance at tapping into the Ancient knowledge, if there was any there to tap into.  A little voice was telling him they probably weren't the only ones who'd like a chance to dig around in Daniel's head and he mentally kicked himself for allowing Daniel to go offworld.

"If simply questioning him proved to be unproductive, they were prepared to use the memory device on him," Norvel answered.

That didn't sound too bad, Jack thought, not that Daniel would go for it.  But Jack had a feeling this little renegade group wouldn't have gone to these lengths if they hadn't been prepared to go even further.

"And if that didn't work?" Jack asked, not really sure he wanted to know.

Norvel glanced at the faces gathered around the table before taking a deep breath.  "They have developed two other procedures. One involves the placement of electrical stimulators, and the other involves the use of a new drug they have developed."

Jack's rage quickly rose to the boiling point.  He wanted to open a wormhole and toss the Tok'ra into it.  He wanted to take a zat and fire it once, twice, three times, at those responsible.  He wanted to lock the Tok'ra in a room with Teal'c.  But none of that would do Daniel any good.  And right now, they needed to focus on finding their friend.

"Do you have any information on where they might be holding Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, the tightness of his jaw telling Jack how much the big guy would like a chance to be alone in a room with the Tok'ra.

"Yes, one of those in collusion with the scientists revealed the coordinates to us.  I can give them to your technician."

Jack sprang from his chair, placed his palms on the table, and leaned closer to Norvel.  "Why didn't you say so when you came through the gate?  We're wasting time with chit-chat while Daniel's out there being subjected to who knows what!"

Norvel looked remorseful as he replied.  "Because we wanted to request that a contingent of Tok'ra be allowed to accompany you.  We wish to take those responsible into custody."

Oh, it was all clear now.  The High Council wanted to make sure the Tau'ri didn't kill the rebellious scientists.  And Jack figured that wasn't all.

"You want to get your hands on whatever they're able to get from Daniel, don't you?  Your first priority is the Ancient knowledge, isn't it?"

"General O'Neill, this group has acted without the knowledge or sanction of the High Council.  We would never condone what they have done.  However, if they have managed to access that knowledge, we feel that information should be preserved."

"And what about Daniel?  Just another casualty of our 'alliance'?  Well, forget it.  The SGC can handle the situation without your help."

"General O'Neill," the IOA Representative, Russell Chapman, interrupted.  "If they have managed to obtain Ancient knowledge, it should be retrieved."

"My first priority is Daniel.  Everything else is secondary," Jack stated.  He turned to Major McKenna.  "Major, have SG-7 geared up and ready to go in fifteen."

"Yes, sir," McKenna replied eagerly, grateful for the chance to help get Doctor Jackson back.

"O'Neill, I request permission to accompany SG-7," Teal'c stated.

"I'd like to go, too, sir," Sam added.

"Oh, you both will, except you'll be going with me," Jack replied.

"General O'Neill," Chapman interjected, "the IOA would prefer you remain at the SGC and let—"

"I don't give a damn what you prefer; I'm going to accompany SG-1 on the Search and Rescue."  This guy was almost as annoying as Woolsey, and Jack was glad the other IOA member wasn't present or he'd have his voice to contend with, too, he was sure.  "General Hammond can take over for me until I get back."  He pinned Norvel with a look that brooked no argument.  "We need those coordinates now."

"General, we must insist you allow some of our people to accompany you."  Norvel wasn't ready to back down just yet.

"Yes, in the interest of our alliance, we insist you allow the Tok'ra to accompany you," Chapman said, evidently abandoning any attempt to get Jack to stay at the SGC in favor of placating the Tok'ra.

In the interest of our alliance—ha!  Jack didn't think their alliance was worth the paper it was written on at this point.  He certainly wouldn't trust them again.  Well, actually, he had never trusted them, so things really hadn't changed much.

"Fine, they can tag along, but I am going to make this clear one more time—our first priority is getting Daniel back, understood?"  His gaze went from Norvel to Chapman, who both nodded their agreement.  "General Hammond, requesting permission to temporarily transfer command of the SGC to you, sir."

"Granted.  I'll be more than happy to oversee the SGC while you're gone.  Bring Doctor Jackson home."

"Thank you, sir.  Norvel, give the coordinates to our gate technician and have your people meet us in the gateroom."

"He is still not responding to the stimulus," Trovahn stated.

"Increase the intensity two more levels," Gairven ordered.

"Gairven, stop," Anise pleaded.  "You will kill him!"

"We will not kill him," Gairven replied.  "However, we must find a level that will pull him out of the meditative state he is in and make him respond to the questions.  You heard what was said—the memories are there.  We are so close."

"I want that knowledge as much as you do, but the price is too high," Anise countered.

"You knew this was a possibility.  Is the life of one human worth more than the knowledge of the Ancients?"

"Yes."  Her response was stern and challenging.

"I do not agree, and neither does the rest of the group.  Now, step aside; we must continue."  Gairven moved around to face Daniel again.  "Everyone clear?  Trovahn, proceed."

The body in the chair jerked sharply in its bindings but the consciousness inside it only felt the pitch of the hum surrounding it raise, waiver, and gradually settle back into its previous tone and frequency.  A sharp flash of bright white light accompanied the disruption, but it too gradually faded from white to yellow to orange, shifting through the spectrum before settling into the soft blues that swirled within the sanctuary.

Anise watched as Daniel's body jerked sharply within the restraints before going limp.  Not a sound escaped from the man in the chair, and for a moment she thought he was dead.  A quick survey of the monitors showed his heart rate and breathing had spiked, but were already settling back to previous levels.  He was still alive.

"That should have some effect," Gairven said.  "Doctor Jackson, can you hear me?  What did the replicator find within your memories?"

There was no response from Daniel and the view screen still showed no images.

"How can this be?"  Stress was apparent in Gairven's voice.

"I do not know," Trovahn replied.  "The stimulus was at level five—it should have had some affect."

"Raise it to level seven and try again."

Without a word, Anise rushed forward and grabbed the device strapped to Daniel's arm, scrabbling to unfasten it.

"Stop her!" Gairven shouted just as Trovahn reached her, pulling her hands away from the device.

"Guards, take her out of here and confine her!"

"You've gone too far, Gairven—you're going to kill him!  Trovahn, Paresh, this is wrong—we do not have the right to take his life.  He and the Tau'ri have done much to help us.  They are our allies.  The knowledge in Doctor Jackson's conscious mind is more valuable than anything you might obtain from the Ancient knowledge; we cannot risk losing that. We can find another way!  We can—"

The rest of her words were lost to those in the room as the guards physically pulled her through the doorway and down the hall.

Gairven focused an intense look on Trovahn.  "Trovahn, level seven."

With a grim look on his face, Trovahn nodded.

The giant ring began to turn, locking on first one chevron, then another.  The Tok'ra guarding it immediately took defensive stances around the base of the platform, holding tightly to their weapons.  The wormhole flared to life and settled.  A couple of seconds later, a silver sphere came flying through it, landing on the gate platform.

"Get—"

The warning was cut off in mid-shout as the sphere flashed a blinding light accompanied by a high pitched whine.  After several more seconds, figures began to emerge through the rippling wormhole.  When it shut down, eleven people—seven Tau'ri and four Tok'ra—stood with weapons raised.  Spread around the base of the platform were three unconscious Tok'ra.

Jack silently signaled for SG-7 to fan out and check the perimeter.  The Tok'ra took care of securing the unconscious men and moving them away from the gate.  After a quick but thorough search, it was determined that no one else was in the vicinity.

The gate sat in a clearing surrounded by rocky hills with a few scattered trees here and there.  A sandy path led away from the gate, heading off between large outcroppings of jagged boulders.  They had been given a gate address, but no information on the lay of the land—only that the secret base was built into the side of one of the rocky hills about half an hour from the gate.

Leaving Carson and Matthews to guard the gate, Jack signaled for the rest of the group to double-time it and headed off down the path.  Jack's gaze shifted from one side of the trail to the other, searching the rocks for hidden threats.  He saw Teal'c do the same as he jogged a few paces in front of him.  He knew their chances of being ambushed were slim—this was a very small group of Tok'ra they were dealing with.  Norvel had said there were about fifteen scientists and assistants, but even he was unsure of the exact number.  Jack still couldn't believe the High Council had been unaware of this covert operation.  Fifteen people had set up a secret base on another planet and no one had noticed?  And on top of that, they had used intel from their allies to plan and execute the kidnapping of an important member of the SGC.  Daniel.  They'd taken him because of his ascended memories and were doing who knows what to him right now.

Damn it!  Jack mentally shook himself.  He had been happy to let his anger take charge for awhile because it had kept him from thinking about what might be happening to his friend. 

They had been jogging for fifteen minutes when Teal'c's voice brought him out of his contemplations.  "O'Neill."  Teal'c had stopped at the crest of a small rise and was staring down the path.

Jack sidled up next to him and followed his line of sight.  The path dropped more sharply here, descending to the base of a tall, rocky hill that curved away, becoming lost behind some boulders  The trees were slightly thicker here, shading the path.

Jack signaled a halt, deciding they were probably getting close to their goal.  The rocky hill on their left rose and became almost a sheer cliff, so he sent Carter, Teal'c, McKenna, and Griffen off through the trees on their right.  The rest of them stayed put, giving Sam's group time to circle around and scout for the entrance from the other side.

"Sir, we've found the entrance," Carter's hushed voice carried through Jack's radio.  "There's only one guard watching from some nearby rocks."

"Can you take him out without raising the alarm?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do it."

"Yes, sir."

The faint sound of a zat firing reached Jack's group, followed by the crackling of his radio.  "All clear, sir."  He could always count on Carter.

"Acknowledged," Jack replied.  To the rest of his group, he said, "Let's move out."

Only one guard.  This was a small operation, which meant most of their manpower was focused on one thing—getting the Ancient knowledge.  Once again, Jack found himself trying not to dwell on what might be happening to Daniel and instead, focus on getting him out.  But he couldn't help it.  This was the same fear he'd felt when Area 51 had tried to get their hands on Daniel.  Fear that they would do irreparable damage to his friend's mind in the process, that they might even lose Daniel—if not physically, then mentally.  He didn't care what arguments they presented, there was no knowledge they could gain that would be worth a person's life—worth Daniel's life.

Daniel didn't deserve that.  The man had already given his life—more than once—to save humanity; he shouldn't be asked to give more.  Fortunately, the President had agreed with him.  It was one reason—the main one, actually—that Jack had decided to support Daniel's request to go to Atlantis.  Daniel had worked so long and hard studying the Ancients; he deserved to have the opportunity to explore their city.  And it would get him away from anyone—like the Trust—who decided a President's order wasn't enough to keep them from their goal.  Jack hadn't figured on the Tok'ra going after Daniel, too.  He wondered if Atlantis was far enough away to keep him safe from this sort of thing.  Who was he kidding?  This was Daniel he was talking about; he could find trouble crossing the street.

The group reached the bottom of the incline and followed the path as it curved around a large boulder.  A few feet away, Sam and Teal'c's group was waiting for them.  As Jack reached them, he could see the entrance to a cave nearly hidden by a thick cluster of trees.

Silently merging back into one group, Jack led the way inside, Carter at his side.  The four Tok'ra followed, McKenna and Griffen behind them, with Teal'c bringing up the rear.

The crystal walls were familiar, though the size of the passage was smaller than previous Tok'ra tunnels Jack had been in.  They were also pretty well deserted.  Arriving at a corner, they cautiously peered around it, seeing a Tok'ra standing at the entrance of a room, apparently guarding something or someone.  Trying not to get his hopes up that they'd found Daniel and this would be over quickly, Jack nodded to Carter who zatted the guard.

Quickly moving down the hall to the door, Jack peered inside, surprised to find Anise and not Daniel in the room.  Carter released the force field and Anise rushed forward.

"General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, I am glad you are here."

"Anise, what are you doing in here?" Sam asked.

"I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen," Anise replied, wiping at a tear track on her cheek.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.  He'd never seen the woman show emotion like this.  He was even more surprised that it was the Tok'ra who was speaking.

"I told them if they didn't stop, they would kill him."

Jack's anger flared, knowing exactly who she was talking about.  "Where is he?"

"I will show you.  We must hurry—I fear we may be too late."

So not what Jack wanted to hear.  The room suddenly shook, a loud boom reverberating through the complex.  Streams of dirt and pebbles briefly rained down on them.

"What was that?" Jack asked, looking at Anise who appeared as surprised as the rest of them.

"I don't know, sir," Sam answered.  "It sounded like—"

"O'Neill!  I believe we are under attack," Teal'c interrupted as he appeared at the room's entrance.  Another boom shook the room again.

"General O'Neill," Matthew's voice came over Jack's radio.  "The gate's being activated and we've spotted several gliders."

Crap.  So much for an easy in and out mission.  There must be a ship in orbit.  Who it belonged to, how they'd found the secret base, and why they were interested in it were questions that would have to wait to be answered.

Jack turned to the Tok'ra leader.  "Kornan, take your men and guard the entrance.  Carter, you and Teal'c take McKenna and Griffen and go help Matthews and Carson at the gate.  I'm going after Daniel."

"Yes, sir," Carter replied.

"I will show you the way," Anise offered.

"I will come also, General," Kornan said.  "The rest of my people will guard the entrance."

"Fine, let's go," Jack agreed.

Carter and Teal'c, along with McKenna and Griffen, ran back the way they had come, the three Tok'ra following close behind.

Jack followed Anise through the deserted hallways, more shockwaves rattling the walls sending dirt cascading down.  They only encountered two frightened Tok'ra who quickly surrendered.  Kornan radioed his men to expect company and sent the two towards the entrance.

The group resumed their trek and a couple of minutes later, Anise called a halt.  "Here is the room," she said, pointing a few feet ahead.

"Wait here," Jack instructed her.

"No, I want to come with you," Freya spoke this time.  "We are partly responsible for Doctor Jackson being here.  I'm sorry we could not stop them before they went too far.  Anise and I want to help."

Jack thought it was a little late, but he could see that she was sincere about helping Daniel.  "All right, but Kornan and I are going in first."

Kornan moved to Jack's side, handing Anise a zat.  She took it and moved behind them.

On Jack's signal, he and Kornan burst into the room.  Jack quickly assessed the situation, noting the six Tok'ra and their positions in the room:  four were standing in front of various machines while two were focused on a chair in the center of the room.  What was in the chair made Jack's breath catch in his throat.  Daniel was strapped in, with what appeared to be a memory device on one temple and another smaller disk on the other.  And he wasn't moving.

Another boom shook the room, sending the Tok'ra into a frenzy of activity around the machines.  Still Daniel didn't move or even open his eyes.  Not a good sign.

"Hold it!" Jack shouted, aiming his P-90 at the Tok'ra now giving him their full attention.  "Let him go."

"General O'Neill," Matthews' voice over the radio made several of the Tok'ra jump.  "We've got Jaffa coming through the gate."

Of course we do.  "Hold 'em, Matthews.  Help's on the way."

"Yes, sir."

Jack clicked his radio again.  "Hear that, Carter?"

"Yes, sir, we're almost there."

"Good.  We'll join you ASAP."

Previously frightened faces now registered full-fledged panic.  One of the Tok'ra shouted, "We must save the data—help us!"

"No time," Jack snapped.  "Now, let Daniel go."

"It does not matter, he is gone."

"What?"  Jack moved quickly to Daniel's side and felt for a pulse, keeping his P-90 aimed at the Tok'ra who had spoken.  Anise entered the room, zat raised and trained on the Tok'ra near the machines.  She looked at Jack expectantly as he searched for a pulse.  A slow, faint, but steady beat passed across his fingertips.  "He's still alive."  Jack exchanged a relieved look with Anise.

"He no longer responds to stimulus—his mind is lost," the Tok'ra stated.  "Help us remove our equipment; we must save the data."

"Gairven, what have you done?" Kornan asked.

"Only what the High Council was afraid to do—attempt to gain access to the Ancient knowledge."

Jack grabbed Gairven's tunic and yanked him towards the door.  "Get out if you wanna save your ass.  Go on," he motioned with his gun to the other scientists in the room.

Kornan began moving towards Gairven just as another blast impacted the base, bigger than those previous, and the remaining scientists quickly headed for the door, abandoning their equipment.

Gairven was the only one to resist.  "We cannot leave—"  He was cut off as Kornan shoved him through the doorway.

"General O'Neill, Anise, are you coming?" Kornan asked.

"Not without Daniel.  Go on, we'll catch up."

Anise gave Jack a small smile, grateful she was allowed to stay, and moved to Daniel's side, fingers reaching to release the restraints.

"Stand back," Jack warned as he pulled out his zat and aimed it at the abandoned equipment.

"Wait!" Anise interrupted, quickly removing the memory device, the second disk and a third disk attached to Daniel's chest.  She nodded to Jack and turned back to Daniel, working on the remaining restraints.  Jack was glad she was there now; Daniel could have still been linked to the equipment.

Jack fired repeatedly, making sure each machine had been hit.  Bolts of blue energy danced around the machines, sparks flying and smoke curling from them.  Jack had no idea what information they might have obtained from Daniel, but he had no intention of leaving anything for the goa'uld or anyone else to find.  He briefly wondered who the Jaffa at the gate served. Which goa'uld they were dealing with?

Anise was gently talking to Daniel, her hand continuously smoothing his hair back from his face.  Moving next to her, Jack could see Daniel's eyes were still mostly closed but a small sliver of blue was still visible.

"Daniel, wake up.  It's me," Jack cajoled.

No response, no movement.

"C'mon, buddy, work with me.  We've gotta go."  Jack patted his cheek with no response, then took hold of Daniel's shoulders and shook forcefully; still there was no response.  "Just gotta be stubborn, don't ya?"

Jack swiveled his P-90 around to the back and handed Anise his zat.  He gently pulled Daniel forward, leaned over, and settled his friend's torso over his shoulder.  With a grunt, Jack stood up, holding on to Daniel as he lay draped over Jack's shoulder, arms dangling down his back.

Bright white light flashed a few feet away and Jack found himself staring at a half dozen Jaffa, their staff weapons already taking aim.  Hands full of a limp Daniel, Jack could only stand waiting for their next move.  Anise, however, raised both zats, but before she could fire, a staff blast discharged, hitting her in the stomach and knocking her back to land in a heap at the base of the wall.

Jack braced for the next blast to be aimed at him, but instead, one of the Jaffa approached.

"You are O'Neill.  Our lord will be pleased by this unexpected bonus."

Jack recognized the emblem on the Jaffa's forehead—it belonged to his old buddy, Ba'al.

"Anything to make ole Ba'al happy," he quipped.

The Jaffa sneered at him as he reached for Jack's radio, pulling it off of his vest and then dropping it to the floor where he crushed it with his boot.  He then moved behind Jack and lifted Daniel's head for a better look.

"Excellent.  We have what we came for, plus O'Neill.  However, the equipment has been ruined," he added, scanning the still sparking machines.  "It will be useless to us."  Turning to his men, he ordered, "Jaffa, kree!"

Jack's thoughts processed this information while one of the Jaffa relieved Jack of his P-90, then patted him down, also confiscating his knife.  The Jaffa had come for Daniel? What did they want with him and how had they known he was here?  The situation was going from bad to worse in a hurry.

The leader faced Jack again.  "You may continue to carry Doctor Jackson."

"Actually, I think Daniel and I would rather just stay here."

"One of my Jaffa will carry Doctor Jackson if you do not wish to do so."  An evil smile spread across the Jaffa's face.

"No, no, I'll do it.  Thanks anyway."  He wasn't about to let the Jaffa get their hands on Daniel.  "By the way, where are we going?"

"To be presented to your god."

Of course we are.

The Jaffa formed a circle around their prisoners and Jack gave a last glance to Anise lying still on the floor.  In another flash of light, they were beamed away.

The Jaffa that had come through the gate had taken cover behind it and set up an unending barrage of fire, but not before Teal'c had seen the emblem of Ba'al emblazoned on their foreheads.  Sam, Teal'c, and SG-7 had taken up position behind some boulders and returned fire.

"Teal'c, don't you think it's odd that only a handful came through the gate?" Sam asked between shots.

"Yes, I expected more to follow."

"And they haven't even made a move from behind the gate."

She exchanged a tense look with her teammate, then ceased firing.  Teal'c did the same and Sam signaled SG-7 to stop, also.  They waited to see what, if any, move the Jaffa would make.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed—the unmistakable sign of an Asgard beam.  Several of the Jaffa vanished and a second beam flashed, taking another group of Jaffa with it.  A third beam left the clearing empty of Jaffa.

"They were a diversion."  Sam's anger at being 'had' was evident in her face.

"It would appear so."  Teal'c was equally irritated with the ruse.

Sam quickly clicked her radio.  "Sir, the Jaffa were beamed away.  Have you found Daniel?"

There was no reply to her call.  She looked anxiously to Teal'c, whose forehead was creased with concern.  He quickly got to his feet.  "We must return to the Tok'ra base immediately."

"Let's go," Sam agreed, signaling the others to move out.

When the light faded, Jack wasn't surprised to find they were on a ha'tak.  More specifically, in a large cargo hold on a ha'tak.  He turned slightly, examining the room which held the usual Jaffa with staff weapons aimed in his direction.  What did surprise him was the stargate sitting on a platform at one end of the room.  Good to know.  If it was operational, it was a possible way off the ship.

"Move," the Jaffa in charge barked.

The escort closed in on Jack, urging him forward.  He made sure Daniel was secure across his shoulder and began walking towards the door.  Just as he reached the entrance, he heard the familiar sound of the big ring turning.  Definitely good news.

Jack was guided through the halls, passing continuous gilded panels that typified a goa'uld mothership.  He hoped wherever they were headed wasn't far.  It'd been awhile since he'd had to carry anyone like this and his knees were protesting the added weight.

His concern for his friend continued to mount—he hadn't felt a twitch or heard a peep out of Daniel since he'd found him.  What the hell had the Tok'ra done to him?  Jack needed to get him to a doctor, but instead they were trapped on Ba'al's ship and Jack doubted the goa'uld would be inclined to offer medical attention.  Unless, of course, he put Daniel in a sarcophagus.  Which bought him back to what the Jaffa had said:  'We have what we came for.'  What did Ba'al want with Daniel and how had he known where to find him?

Maybe he was about to find out.  The Jaffa had come to a stop in front of a set of golden double doors and Jack was pretty sure what—who—they would find on the other side.  The Jaffa in charge pushed the doors open and Jack was marched into the room and straight to the throne at the opposite end.  The throne occupied by a very smug-looking Ba'al.

A few feet in front of the throne, the Jaffa stopped.  One of them started to pull Daniel out of Jack's grasp and Jack took a step back.  "I don't think so."

Two more Jaffa moved quickly to grab Jack by the arms, allowing Daniel to be pulled off of his shoulder and laid on his back on the floor.

Ba'al slowly rose from his throne and began to descend the few steps to the floor.  He nonchalantly approached Daniel's prone form, looking down at the unmoving body laid out before him.  He used a booted foot to nudge Daniel and Jack briefly pulled against the arms holding him.  He knew he was wasting his time trying to hide his reaction—Ba'al knew them too well.

Ba'al glanced at Jack, noticing his reaction, a malevolent smile playing across his lips.  His foot struck Daniel again, with more force, causing the body to move.  Still no sign of awareness came from Daniel.  Ba'al watched Jack for another reaction, but Jack controlled his anger and forced himself to stand still.

Ba'al left Daniel and moved to stand in front of Jack.  "We expected the pleasure of Doctor Jackson's company, but not that of General O'Neill."

"Believe me, it wasn't my idea," Jack quipped.

"This is indeed fortuitous.  I have been informed that all of the Tok'ra equipment was destroyed.  Perhaps you can be of assistance, first by telling us what is wrong with Doctor Jackson."

"He did mention he was a little tired," Jack offered.  Ba'al knew about the Tok'ra's attempts to gain access to Daniel's memories, which meant the snake was undoubtedly after the same thing.  This was bad.

"Ah, so you suggest he is merely sleeping?  Or perhaps he is—what is the Tau'ri expression—'playing possum'?"  Ba'al nodded to his first Prime who walked over to a nearby wall and removed a metal rod from a holder.

Crap.  That had backfired.  Jack was all too familiar with a goa'uld pain stick and the last thing he wanted was for Daniel to have a repeat experience with it—especially not knowing what had already been done to him.

"Now wait a minute.  Why don't you let me try waking him up?  He can be pretty grumpy when he wakes up."

Ba'al's smile grew.  "I'll take my chances."  He looked at the First Prime.  "Dreg'nor, please awaken Doctor Jackson."

The First Prime stepped up to Daniel's limp form and reached out with the pain stick.  Jack started to dart forward, but the two Jaffa holding him tightened their grips.  Dreg'nor touched the stick to Daniel's arm.  Daniel's body stiffened as shafts of light poured from his mouth, but the only sound was the buzzing of the stick's energy.  Dreg'nor removed the pain stick but Daniel didn't move or make a sound.  The First Prime looked to Ba'al.

"Again," the goa'uld ordered.

"Stop it!"  Jack shouted, no longer trying to hide his feelings.  He was ignored while Dreg'nor touched the stick to Daniel's stomach.  Again the body stiffened and light poured from his mouth and around edges of his eyes, but once again Daniel remained unmoving and silent.  Dreg'nor removed the stick, confusion evident on his face.

Jack pulled even harder and was pushed to his knees, the Jaffa gripping his arms painfully tight.

Ba'al's forehead wrinkled and he moved closer, examining Daniel.  "Does he live?"

Dreg'nor bent down and checked for a pulse and then to see if Daniel was breathing.  Jack held his breath—afraid to hear the reply.

"He lives, my lord."

Relief washed over Jack and he quit pulling against his captors.  He's alive for now, but something's seriously wrong if a pain stick doesn't have any affect.

"How curious," Ba'al continued, turning towards Jack.  "What has happened to him, O'Neill?"

"Not a clue."  Which was the truth.

"Come now, you were with him.  You must know how he can be revived."

"I wouldn't tell you even if I knew.  The Tok'ra did something to him before I got there."

"Forgive me if I don't take your word for it."

"I don't care if you believe me or not—I can't tell you what I don't know."

"You took great pleasure in taunting me at our last meeting."

"Hey, it's what I do."

Ba'al moved closer until he was standing over Jack who was still on his knees.  "Our situations are now reversed and when I finish with you, we shall see what is left of your pride."

Someday, Jack decided, he was going to have to learn not to bait the bad guys—it usually came back to bite him in the butt.  Like now.

Ba'al gave a slight nod to his First Prime who moved from Daniel to Jack, extending the pain stick.  The two Jaffa restraining him let go just before the stick made contact with Jack's shoulder.

Jack knew what was coming and also knew there was nothing he could do to prepare for it.  Fire erupted in his shoulder and quickly spread to the rest of his body.  He couldn't hold back voicing his pain as fiery light spilled out of his mouth and eyes.  The stick was removed and he collapsed to the floor, panting.

"Now that I have your attention," Ba'al gloated, "tell me what has been done to Doctor Jackson and what information the Tok'ra were able to obtain from him."

"I... told you... don't know," Jack continued to pant between words.

"Don't make this unpleasant.  Tell me what I want to know."

"Go... to... hell."  So much for not baiting.

Daggers of fire attacked his body once again and another cry escaped as the light spilled out of him.  The pain suddenly eased and he lay in a haze, limbs trembling.  Damn, I'm getting too old for this. 

"Shall I have Dreg'nor continue or are you ready to answer my questions?"

Jack continued to lie on the floor, eyes tightly shut, breathing hard.  He didn't bother to answer.  He was aware of Ba'al moving back to sit on his throne.

"Dreg'nor, take General O'Neill to a place where he can spend some time considering my questions.  Have Doctor Jackson taken to our scientists.  Perhaps they will be able to revive him and extract the knowledge we desire."

"Yes, my lord."  Dreg'nor signaled to several of his men and they moved towards Jack and Daniel.

"Wait," Ba'al halted them, moving down from his throne once again.  He bent down next to Jack and grabbed his arm, running his fingers from elbow to wrist.  "Here."  His fingers stopped on spot on Jack's forearm.

Ba'al moved back, allowing the Jaffa to take his place.  Another Jaffa flipped Jack onto his stomach and pressed his face into the floor while another Jaffa held Jack's arm securely. Dreg'nor pulled out his knife and proceeded to make a slit in Jack's arm.

"Gah!"  Jack grunted as he tried unsuccessfully to twist away.

He was released and rolled to his side, clutching his bleeding arm.  His eyes came to rest on Daniel, the First Prime cutting out his locator chip while the other Jaffa stood ready to restrain Daniel if he woke.  He didn't.  He didn't flinch or make a sound as Dreg'nor cut his arm and removed the chip.

Dreg'nor carried both locators to Ba'al, offering them in his outstretched hand.  "They have been removed, my lord."

Ba'al stood and looked over the bloody chips in the First Prime's hand.  "Very good.  Now, set them on the floor."

Dreg'nor obeyed, placing the locators on the floor at Ba'al's feet.  With a smirking glance at Jack, Ba'al placed his boot on one, pressing until a crack could be heard.  He did the same with the second chip.

"We wouldn't want any unexpected company, now would we?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jack gasped, still clutching his arm as he struggled to bring his breathing under control.  "I always enjoy having company drop in."

Ba'al laughed.  "Actually, I think some time by yourself would be beneficial."

Jack really didn't want to be separated from Daniel.  His eyes darted to his friend still motionless on the floor.

Ba'al saw Jack's gaze pass to his friend.  "Don't worry, we will keep Doctor Jackson occupied in your absence."

As the two Jaffa pulled Jack to his feet, he lunged forward, anger overriding everything else, and was brought up short by the hands like vises on his arms.  "If you hurt him, so help me, I'll kill you myself."

Dreg'nor moved quickly, swinging the end of his staff weapon to impact with Jack's stomach.  Jack began to double over, a grunt escaping, but was kept from hitting the floor by the two Jaffa holding his arms.

"You are in no position to make threats," Ba'al replied, all trace of a smile gone.  "Take him away."

Jack continued to fight the Jaffa holding him but their grips remained firm as they dragged him from the room.  Jack's last glimpse of Daniel showed Ba'al standing over him, brows pinched in thought.

Teal'c's feet hit the ramp as he exited the wormhole and he shifted to maintain his balance as he carried his burden into the gateroom.  Armed SFs kept their weapons trained on the group as more people poured through the gate behind him. Colonel Carter and Major McKenna were already at the base of the ramp speaking to General Hammond and the Tok'ra Council member, Norvel.

The rebel Tok'ra exited the gate, surrounded by Kornan and his men.  A medical team stood ready with a couple of gurneys.  Teal'c walked up to one and carefully laid Anise on it, letting the medics move in to check the staff weapon wound in her chest.

Anise had barely been alive when they had discovered her in the Tok'ra lab. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were no where to be found.  Barely clinging to life, she had been unable to tell them what had happened to the men.

Teal'c watched as they rushed her from the gateroom, hoping the doctors—and her symbiote—would be able to save her.  She might be their only link to finding O'Neill and Daniel Jackson.  He turned back to the activity in the gateroom, joining Colonel Carter as she informed General Hammond and Norvel of the events that had transpired.

The Tok'ra prisoners stood with hands bound in Tok'ra designed metal restraints, looking nervously at the SFs guarding them.

"Let's take this to the briefing room," General Hammond was saying.  "Norvel, your prisoners will be taken to holding cells until this can be sorted out."

"Very well," the council member agreed.

"Excuse me," Kornan interrupted, "but I believe Gairven and Trovahn should be present at the briefing.  They were in charge of the operation and may be able to give us more information."

"All right," Hammond said, "bring them."  Turning to Major McKenna, he directed, "Have your men escort the prisoners to the holding cells."

"Yes, sir."  Orders were given and the prisoners were led from the room.

General Hammond and Norvel led the way to the stairs and Teal'c walked beside Colonel Carter as they followed.  Major McKenna and Kornan brought up the rear, herding the two Tok'ra scientists in front of them.

A short time later, everyone was seated around the briefing room table.  Gairven and Trovahn, hands still bound, sat between Norvel and Kornan on one side, while Teal'c, Colonel Carter, and Major McKenna sat on the other.

Hammond had taken his place in his old familiar spot at the head of the table and was addressing Colonel Carter.  "Colonel, please tell us what happened."

"Yes, sir."

While Colonel Carter began relating the events on the planet, Teal'c looked carefully at each of the Tok'ra seated across from him.  Norvel looked upset but was maintaining an air of calmness.  Kornan was slightly agitated but holding his anger in check.  Trovahn was nervous, fear evident in his face.  Teal'c's gaze stopped on Gairven, assessing the man.  His demeanor was in contrast to Trovahn's; instead of nervous and fearful, he appeared tense and angry.  Was it because his work had been interrupted?  Because they had been caught?  The subject of Teal'c's scrutiny turned and locked gazes with him, and Teal'c immediately recognized the haughty look of disdain—like that a goa'uld would use with a servant or slave.  A couple of seconds ticked by before Gairven averted his gaze.

Kornan was relating his story.  "General O'Neill and Anise were going to release Doctor Jackson from the chair.  General O'Neill said they would catch up.  That is the last I saw of them."

"Sir," Colonel Carter interjected, "The Jaffa at the gate were beamed away.  There's a good chance that's what happened to General O'Neill and Daniel."

"In that case, Ba'al has them," Teal'c stated solemnly.

"And that would also mean there's a spy in the Tok'ra ranks," Sam added.

Norvel turned to Gairven and Trovahn.  "What do you know of this?"

Trovahn's voice wavered as he spoke.  "Nothing, I swear.  We simply wanted to gain access to the Ancient knowledge.  I do not know of anyone who would associate with Ba'al or any other goa'uld."

Gairven spoke with firmness. "We were only working to aid the Tok'ra in defeating the remaining goa'uld.  We would not be working for one of them."

Norvel was having trouble containing his anger.  "General Hammond, we would like to take the prisoners back to our base for questioning."

"Councilor, two of our people are missing and the responsibility for that rests squarely on the shoulders of the Tok'ra.  You may take the prisoners wherever you want after we have finished questioning them.  They may know where Ba'al has taken our people."

"General, I insist on being present when they are questioned."

"I agree."  Russell Chapman's voice carried from the doorway.  He strode into the room and stood at the opposite end of the table from General Hammond.  "Why was I not informed of this meeting?"

"You were occupied elsewhere and we couldn't postpone it.  Two of our people are missing and I'm afraid time is of the essence.  I will consent to Councilor Norvel being present at the questioning."

"General Hammond," Teal'c interrupted, "I request permission to escort the prisoners to the brig and participate in their questioning."  His gaze settled on Gairven once again, who continued to return the look with restrained anger.

"Very well.  Make sure they are questioned separately."

Teal'c rose and walked around the table, stopping behind Gairven.  He placed a hand on the Tok'ra's shoulder.  "You will come with me."

Gairven reacted by jumping up and pulling away from Teal'c's hand.  "Do not touch me!"

Teal'c let his hand drop as SFs moved in with weapons raised.  Gairven began walking towards the door and Teal'c fell in beside him.

Once in the hall, Teal'c spoke to the scientist in a low voice.  "If you were a goa'uld and not a Tok'ra, I would break your neck for what you did to Daniel Jackson."

Gairven whirled and faced Teal'c, all control gone.  "Do not speak to me in that manner, Shol'va."

A small smile played at the corner of Teal'c's lips.  "Only a goa'uld would call me Shol'va.  You are no Tok'ra."

Gairven lunged at him, but Teal'c was quicker, grabbing his bound hands with one hand and placing his other hand around the man's throat, pushing him up against the wall.  SFs once again trained their weapons on the Tok'ra.

Those in the briefing room filed out into the hall looking for the source of the commotion.

"What's going on, Teal'c?" General Hammond asked.

"Here is your spy, Councilor Norvel.  This man is a goa'uld."

"What? But he is one of our leading scientists!"

Teal'c loosened his hold on Gairven's throat but kept him securely against the wall.  "I only worked with the Tok'ra so that I could gain access to the Ancient knowledge in Doctor Jackson's mind."  He looked from Teal'c to Colonel Carter to General Hammond, the haughtiness returning to his features.  "And now, Ba'al will no doubt have tapped into those memories himself.  He will have taken our equipment and the data we recorded from Doctor Jackson."

"I wouldn't count on that," Carter said.  "We found Anise on the floor of the lab.  All of the equipment had been destroyed."

Shock flashed across Gairven's face and for the first time he looked unsure of himself.  "You lie."

"We do not.  O'Neill would not allow that information to fall into enemy hands.  He would most certainly have destroyed the equipment."

Gairven was silent, processing the information.  "Take him away," General Hammond ordered.  Teal'c released his hold and the SFs herded the two scientists towards the elevators.

"How did you know?" Colonel Carter asked Teal'c.

"During the briefing he was not fearful of what would happen to him, only angry.  And he did not like having a Jaffa in a position over him.  In the hall he called me 'Shol'va'; a Tok'ra would not do such a thing."

"Good work," General Hammond added.  "Why don't you go see if you can get him to tell you where Ba'al would take General O'Neill and Doctor Jackson?"

"It will be my pleasure, General Hammond."  Teal'c gave a bow before striding towards the elevators, anticipating the coming interrogation.

Jack glanced at his watch again—surprised he'd been allowed to keep it since they'd taken pretty much everything else—and noted that a little over four hours had passed.  He had paced, sat, and paced some more, worrying over what the snaky bastard was doing to Daniel.  Of course, that was probably the point; to let him sit and worry and know exactly how much time he'd been separated from his teammate.

Images of what Jack had gone through the last time he was in Ba'al's company kept worming their way into his thoughts.  Knives, acid, dying, the sarcophagus.  The last time he had had Daniel for company.  This time he was alone and so was Daniel.  He couldn't go to his friend and offer support.  He didn't know if Daniel would even hear him if he did.  Gairven's words kept eating at him:  His mind is gone.  Was it?  What would be the consequences of not getting Daniel medical attention?  Because that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.

The clanging of Jaffa boots rang down the hall.  Jack looked up as four Jaffa appeared at the door to his cell.  The force field covering the entrance disappeared and the First Prime addressed him.  "You will come with us."

A sarcastic remark died on Jack's lips as he remembered his earlier vow to stop baiting the bad guys.  Silently, he left the cell, ensconced within the tight enclosure of his escort.

Several twists and turns later, they stopped at a door where Dreg'nor punched in a code on the door's keypad.  Entering, Jack saw that he was in a large room with electronic equipment along one wall.  The back of the large room was dark and Jack couldn't tell how large it was or what else was in there.  Two people were checking readings on the machines while another stood next to a table in the center of the room.  Standing next to him was Ba'al, and both men were focused on the person lying on the table—Daniel.

Jack's gaze quickly assessed his friend; his wrists and ankles were secured to the table by leather straps, as was his neck.  Outwardly, Jack couldn't see any injuries, but Daniel's eyes were still closed and Jack assumed he still hadn't woke up.

"Ah, O'Neill, you are just in time," Ba'al's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Jack resisted the urge to taunt and played along.  "For what?"

"Doctor Jackson has had quite a long nap.  He even slept through the tests our scientists performed and their attempts to rouse him.  I believe it is time to use stronger methods to wake him."

"Haven't you heard the expression, 'Let sleeping dogs lie'?"

"Again, I think I will take my chances."  Turning to the scientist next to him, Ba'al ordered, "Begin."

The scientist dipped his head to the goa'uld and motioned to one of the other scientists.  The second man picked up something from a table and brought it over to where Daniel lay.  He bent and set it on Daniel's head, making some kind of adjustments, while Jack strained to see what it was.  The scientist stepped back and Jack saw that it consisted of two metal bands, each about two inches wide, one stretching from ear to ear across Daniel's forehead and the other across the top of his head, connecting just above the ears where it also made contact with the skin.

Jack realized his hands were clenched into fists, palms sweating as he waited to see what they were going to do to Daniel.  He stole a look at Ba'al, who returned his gaze with that annoying lopsided smirk.

At a signal from the first scientist, the second touched a control panel and then they all turned their focus to Daniel.  Jack watched as a blue light came on in the center of the headpiece and a faint humming filled the air.

Ba'al stood watching intently with the first scientist while the others alternated checking the readouts and looking back at Daniel.

After a few seconds, Ba'al turned to the man next to him.  "Well?"

"It is set at a low level.  I am sure we will get a response when it is increased."  He signaled one of the other scientists who nodded and adjusted a dial.

Jack had no idea what the contraption was doing to his friend, but he watched as the light shifted from blue to green.  Again, the scientists busied themselves checking their equipment while the first man nervously looked from Daniel to Ba'al and back.

Whatever it was, Jack decided it must not be working as planned.  He had no clue if that was a good thing or a bad thing for Daniel.  More seconds passed and Jack caught himself holding his breath.

"I grow impatient, Rezant," Ba'al stated, scowling at the scientist.

"Rest assured, my lord, we will be successful."  Rezant walked over to the controls and made an adjustment.  Again Jack observed the light on the headpiece change color, this time from green to yellow and on to orange.  He didn't need Carter to explain things to know this was not good.  He couldn't just stand here and watch.  He took a step forward, but was quickly grabbed by the arms and held in place.

"You won't get anything out of him if you kill him."  His words were wrapped in a threat and aimed at the goa'uld.

"We have no intention of killing him—yet."  Ba'al gave him another smug smile before returning his attention to Daniel.

Alarms began to sound, sending the scientists into a frenzy of activity around their equipment.  At the same moment Daniel began to seize, his body pulling against its restraints, and Jack was sure he was going to choke on the strap at his neck.  Jack pulled harder against the Jaffa holding him, but suddenly changed tactics, picking up his foot and kicking backwards into the groin of the Jaffa on his right.  The guard groaned, bending in pain, at the same time loosening his grip on Jack's arm.  It was enough to allow Jack to pull his right arm free and he swung it around to smash into the face of the Jaffa on his left, ramming his nose and releasing a flow of blood.

Taking advantage of the Jaffa's surprise and pain, Jack freed his other arm and used both hands to hit the big man again.  The Jaffa dropped to his knees and Jack lurched for his fallen staff weapon, swinging it up to aim at Ba'al.  The first Jaffa, obviously still in pain, weakly lifted his staff weapon to aim at Jack.

"Back off or I'll shoot your 'god'."

"O'Neill—"

"Shut up and let Daniel go."

"Do you really think you will be able to leave here with your friend in his current condition?"  Ba'al didn't seem fazed by the staff weapon aimed in his direction.

The alarms continued to sound and Jack looked at his friend, whose body had finally stilled.

"What's wrong with him?" Jack directed his question to Rezant who was nervously looking from Daniel to the beeping equipment.

"His heart has stopped, we must—"

Ba'al cut off the scientist's words.  "No."

Rezant looked from Daniel to Ba'al, obviously surprised by the order.  "My lord?"

"Put down your weapon, O'Neill, if you want to save him."

Alarms continued to toll their harsh death knell.  Ba'al would let Daniel die unless Jack surrendered.  If he had gone to all this trouble to get Daniel, would he really let him die?  Jack couldn't let that happen, couldn't take the chance, even though he knew Ba'al might  just put Daniel in the sarcophagus.  Could he risk it?

"All right!  Here."  Jack dropped the staff weapon and raised his hands.  "Now help him!"

Ba'al nodded to Rezant who quickly grabbed a small device from a tray and reached inside Daniel's t-shirt, placing it against his chest.  The other two scientists continued to turn dials and within seconds the alarms went silent.

Jack stepped closer to Daniel, needing to see for himself that his teammate was breathing.  The rise and fall of his chest confirmed that Daniel was still alive.

"Since Doctor Jackson is being uncooperative, it is up to you, O'Neill, to give us the information that we seek."

"I already told you, I don't—"

Jack's protest was cut off by a blow to his back from a staff weapon, which sent him sprawling on the floor.

"Perhaps you need some persuasion," Ba'al stated.

A hand grabbed Jack's collar and hauled him to his feet.  A shove pushed him forward towards the far side of the room.  Lights sprang on illuminating a small raised platform that held a high-backed, gilded chair.  Ba'al stepped up on the platform and seated himself.

Jack was guided to a tarp-covered object sitting about twenty feet across from the throne.  One of the Jaffa pulled the cover off, revealing a large metal frame.  For an instant, the image of a spider web flashed through his mind and his chest tightened in near panic.  Taking a deep breath, he shook off the feeling of dread it brought.  This wasn't it—wasn't the same device where he'd been tortured and killed over and over.  Oh, he was still in deep trouble—from each corner hung short chains with manacles dangling from the ends.

The two Jaffa each grabbed one of Jack's arms, bringing it up where they could fasten a manacle around it.  His boots and socks were yanked off and a manacle was secured around each ankle.  One of the Jaffa leaned in, inches from his face, and Jack saw it was the man he had kicked in the groin.  Not good.  With a sneer, the Jaffa grasped Jack's t-shirt and pulled, ripping it off of him.  He continued to look Jack in the eye, pure hatred radiating from him.  "You will pay for that," he spat just before he pounded a beefy fist into Jack's abdomen.

Jack would have bent double if he hadn't been stretched and held by the manacles.  He gasped and tried to pull in a breath, pain burning in his stomach, radiating up to his chest and through his limbs.

"Sur'ac is eager to begin," Ba'al said pleasantly.

Jack didn't even try to respond, dragging in sharp breaths that continued to shoot spikes of pain throughout his body.  Bile rose in his throat and he fought to keep it down.

"Now, I am sure you remember how this is done," Ba'al continued.  "I will ask a question and you will give me an answer."

"You're... wasting... your... time," Jack panted.  "I... told you... I don't... know anything."

"Perhaps."  Ba'al got up and stepped down from the throne, pacing a couple of times before turning to Jack again.  "I want to know what the Tok'ra were able to learn from Doctor Jackson's memories.  I want to know if there is another ancient weapon like the one on Dakara hidden somewhere."

Jack had figured that's what Ba'al was after—another weapon he could get his hands on and use for his own purpose.  One that wasn't under the control of the Jaffa—one that Ba'al's severely depleted forces could take without much of a fight.  Jack didn't have a clue if the Tok'ra had found out anything from Daniel, so Ba'al was wasting his time.  Jack thought the only good thing about the situation was that Ba'al had shifted his attention from Daniel to him; he was glad they were leaving his friend alone, at least temporarily.

"Don't know.  Wouldn't tell you if I did."  Jack met Ba'al's gaze defiantly.

Fire raced from Jack's back to every part of his body, bright light pouring from his mouth as he tried to stifle a scream.  The pain stick was evidently pulled away, because the pain began to subside, except for a dull throbbing that continued in the area of his stomach where Sur'ac had punched him.

"Let us try again."  Ba'al's voice had hardened, no longer carrying the false pleasantness it had earlier.  "What did the Tok'ra learn from Doctor Jackson?"

Jack's eyes were tightly shut, but he opened them to glare at Ba'al.  "They learned just how much Daniel hates you pompous snakes.  That and he gave them a couple of really good recipes."

More fire, more pain, burning all the way out to his fingertips which curled into his palms as his body shook.  This time the pain lasted longer, Sur'ac apparently making good on his vow to make Jack pay for kicking him.  When it finally ended, Jack's head hung down, chin touching chest, sweat dripping, as he tried to drag in ragged breaths.  The pain in his stomach throbbed again, burning with more intensity, and he knew that was not a good thing, that there was a good chance he had some serious damage there.

"My lord," Rezant approached Ba'al and bowed.

"What is so important that you interrupt my interrogation?"

"Forgive me, my lord, but Doctor Jackson's brain waves are changing.  I believe he may revive soon."

Jack never thought he'd be unhappy to hear Daniel was recovering, but he was now.  If he woke up, Jack knew Ba'al would go after his friend mercilessly to get the information he wanted.

"That is good news.  Perhaps we will be able to question him after all."  Ba'al, on the other hand, was extremely pleased with the news.

A Jaffa entered the room, walking up to Ba'al's throne and bowing on one knee.  "My lord, we approach Saphon."

"More good news."  Ba'al's voice reflected his pleasure.  "I think we will continue this later.  Dreg'nor, take General O'Neill and Doctor Jackson to their room.  Have them transported to Saphon on my order."

"Yes, my lord," Dreg'nor replied, bowing.

Dreg'nor and Sur'ac moved to either side of Jack, preparing to release him from the manacles.  Sur'ac leaned into Jack's face, his hot, foul breath making Jack gag.  "I have not finished with you, Tau'ri.  We will continue this later."  Once again, the big man's fist buried itself in Jack's midsection.  Pain exploded in his stomach and he couldn't hold back the bile, vomit spraying across the floor and the Jaffa's boots.

Sur'ac pulled his arm back for another blow, but was stopped by Dreg'nor.  "Enough.  Lord Ba'al does not wish them permanently damaged.  He will decide what is to be done with them."

Glaring at Jack, Sur'ac refrained from landing another blow.  The pain in Jack's stomach burned more fiercely and he found his vision beginning to gray.  At least he'd been granted a temporary respite.

Both of Jack's arms were released from the manacles and he collapsed to the floor, curling into a ball as he fought the pain in his gut.  In his haze of pain, he held on to one thing:  Daniel.  Rezant said Daniel would wake up and Ba'al had said to put them in 'their' room.  Maybe if he stayed conscious he would get to talk to his friend.  That plan disappeared as strong hands pulled him up off the floor and the gray haze turned to black.

Time had no meaning deep within the sanctuary.  Whatever was happening to his body didn't register here.  Sounds like chimes gently stirred by a breeze or a brook quietly spilling over smooth stones filled the sanctuary, occasionally wavering but always returning to their original tones.  Azure, indigo, and turquoise blended in the swirling wisps of clouds around him.

Drifting within the swirling blues, Daniel became aware of a pinpoint of silver shining steadily through the cerulean cloud around him.  He was drawn to it and moved closer until it became the size of an orange, its tendrils of silver light illuminating a corner of the sanctuary as they reached out to him.  It was familiar, like a memory that drifted just out of the mind's grasp.  He reached out, and as he touched its surface, an image flashed in his consciousness.  He pulled away, a tingling sensation filling him, and processed what he'd seen.  He remembered.  He had had this information before, when the universe had been at his fingertips.  And it was intoxicating—he had to have more.  He knew it would overwhelm him if he tried to accept it all at once.  But maybe—just maybe—he could take a little at a time.

Daniel continued to absorb knowledge from the silver sphere, taking small amounts at a time.  Gradually, he became aware of a sound penetrating the sanctuary, rippling the sonorous chiming.  He tried to push it away, shut it out, but it was familiar.  It was a voice, and the voice was in pain.  He wanted to ignore it, to protect himself, not wanting anything to pull him away from the safety of his sanctuary.  But the voice continued to call to him and he knew he had to help, had to leave his cocoon of safety.

Jack needed him.

Heat.  Something was spreading warmth around the pain in his gut.  Where was he?  What were they doing to him?  Where was Daniel?  A bright white light shone behind his closed eyelids and he suddenly knew where he was.  The sarcophagus.  He wanted to kick and scream but he had no strength; he couldn't even open his eyes. God! He didn't want to go through this again. Gradually the pain in his stomach began to fade and he felt himself drifting off.  That was fine with him; he just didn't want to wake up in this box again.  Daniel? 

Sam looked across at Teal'c who was sitting against the bulkhead of the Al'Kesh with his eyes closed in meditation.  Preparing himself.

She had been surprised at how quickly he'd been able to obtain the information they needed from Gairven. She didn't think she wanted to know what kind of persuasion Teal'c had used to gain Gairven's 'cooperation'.  Within half an hour of entering the Tok'ra scientist's cell, they had learned that Ba'al was building a new base and also the star system where it was located.  Gairven hadn't been able to give them a specific planet, but Norvel had determined there was a Tok'ra base in a nearby system with a ship available to transport them.  Sam, Teal'c, along with SG-3 and SG-7, had gated to the Tok'ra base and now, four hours later, were about to enter the system where they hoped Ba'al was headed.

There were a dozen habitable planets in this system and Sam was worried about how long it would take them to find Ba'al's base.  She hoped their teammates' transmitters would help them locate their friends when they did.

"We are entering the system," Kornan stated.  He had insisted on accompanying them on their mission to retrieve the missing SGC personnel.  Sam knew he felt guilty for having left the general and Anise in the lab with Daniel.

Sam began scanning the nearest planet as Teal'c rose and took the seat next to her.  She found no ships in orbit and there were no large concentrations of life signs or indications of technology.

"I don't think this is it," she announced.

"Then let us continue our search," Teal'c said.

The ship pulled away and headed to the next world in the system.

This is going to take too much time, Sam thought.  Time the general and Daniel might not have.  Frustrated, she looked across at her teammate.  Teal'c looked calm and confident.  Teal'c always looked calm and confident.

"We will find them, Colonel Carter."

Sam struggled to give him a small smile.  "I know."

Jack gradually realized he was lying on something hard, except for his head which had something soft underneath it.  He carefully pried his eyes open, half expecting to see the inside of the sarcophagus.  The ceiling was far above him, so, not in the sarcophagus.  He felt something lying against his chest and lifted his head slightly to look down at himself.

A hand was lying palm down on his stomach and he followed the attached arm to his left to find Daniel face down on the floor next to him.  He appeared to still be out of it, but his hand was on Jack's stomach, so maybe he'd been awake at some point.  Jack lifted Daniel's hand from his stomach and turned on his side, laying the hand on the floor next to its owner.

Rising up on one elbow, Jack reached out and took hold of Daniel's shoulder, giving it a shake.  "Daniel?"

His friend remained quiet and Jack let his gaze drift over his friend, searching for injuries.  He didn't see any, but Daniel had lost his t-shirt somewhere along the way.  He glanced back to where his head had been and discovered he'd been using Daniel's t-shirt as a pillow.  Which meant Daniel had been awake at some point because he doubted their Jaffa friends would have cared about their comfort.

"C'mon, Daniel, wakey, wakey."  He shook his friend again and this time received a faint moan.  "That's it, rise and shine."

He received another moan accompanied by an indistinguishable word in response.  As Jack waited for Daniel to get fully awake, he took inventory of his own injuries and wasn't surprised to find them pretty much healed.  There was only a twinge left of the pain in his stomach.  Good 'ole sarcophagus.

A noise from Daniel brought Jack's attention back to him.  He placed a hand on his shoulder again.  "Daniel?"

"J'k?" The name came out in a whisper of air and Jack smiled.  Daniel recognized him.  Maybe his mind was intact after all.

"Yeah, it's me.  You okay?"

"Mmm..."

Jack took hold of Daniel's arm and carefully rolled him onto his back.  Daniel's eyelids fluttered then opened and he squinted at his surroundings.

"Hey there," Jack said leaning over him.

"Jack?"

"The one and only."

"Where?"

"Ba'al's ship, remember?"

"Ba'al?"  Apparently he didn't.

"Yeah.  We came looking for you but Ba'al's Jaffa showed up at the Tok'ra lab and brought us on board his ship."

Jack watched Daniel process that information, his forehead creasing in thought.

"You were hurt."

"All better now.  How are you feeling?"

"Umm... tired.  Sore.  I'm okay."

Sure you are.  "Can you sit up?"

"I think so."

Jack helped Daniel get upright, keeping a steadying hand on him when he swayed.

"Do you remember being awake earlier?"  Jack asked, pointing to the rolled up t-shirt.

Daniel looked at the t-shirt, down at his own bare chest, and then across at Jack's.  Jack hoped Daniel's inability to fire on all cylinders was just temporary, that whatever the Tok'ra and Ba'al had done to him hadn't caused any permanent damage.

Daniel looked up at Jack again.  "You were hurt."

"Uh, yeah, I think we've been over that already.  I'm fine now, Daniel."

"But, your arm."  Daniel's gaze settled on the cut where Jack's locator chip had been.  It was just a faint, jagged, pink line now, surrounded by dried blood.

Jack reached over and lifted Daniel's arm so he could see his own cut, which was still red and angry looking.  Apparently, Daniel hadn't had a turn in the sarcophagus, which Jack found odd.  Daniel stared at it briefly before turning questioning eyes to Jack.

"Ba'al had our locator chips cut out."

Jack could tell that registered with Daniel.  It would make it even more difficult for their teammates to find them.

"What about Sam and Teal'c?"  Okay, so maybe Daniel hadn't pieced it all together yet.

"They're not here, Daniel.  It's just you and me."

Closing his eyes, Daniel dropped his chin to his chest.  Jack placed his hand back on Daniel's shoulder.  "I'm sure they're out looking for us right now."

Daniel lifted his head and gave Jack a small smile.  "I know."

"And we'll be ready when they get here," Jack said.  "Now, are you thirsty?  Looks like they might have left us some water."

Jack got up, first making sure Daniel was going to stay upright on his own, and moved to a tray by the door.  It held a large mug of water and a crusty piece of bread.  He picked up the tray and brought it back to Daniel.

"Look, room service," he quipped as he sat down next to Daniel.

Daniel smiled again.  "I hope they don't expect a tip."

Jack huffed a laugh, glad Daniel was feeling good enough to joke with him.  He tore off a piece of bread and handed it to Daniel along with the mug of water.  Daniel took a couple of gulps and handed it back to Jack.  They sat quietly as they finished the meager meal, each silently considering their situation.

Just as Jack set the empty mug back on the tray, the sound of tromping feet rang down the corridor.  A couple of seconds later four Jaffa appeared at the cell's entrance and Jack found himself facing Sur'ac once again.  The force field disappeared and all four Jaffa stepped into the room.  Two of the Jaffa trained their staff weapons on Jack and Daniel while Sur'ac and the other two guards approached carrying metal bars and chains.

"On your feet, Tau'ri," Sur'ac spat.

"Just lettin' that wonderful meal digest," Jack returned.

Two staff weapons opened, crackling with energy.

"Now."

Jack debated pushing things with Sur'ac but he really didn't want a repeat of his earlier beating and he didn't want Daniel subjected to it, either.  Climbing to his feet, he held out a hand to his friend.  "Let's go, Daniel.  We don't want to keep our host waiting."

Daniel looked up at Jack, understanding the unspoken request for Daniel's trust, knowing Jack would do everything in his power to keep him safe.  Reaching up, he grasped Jack's hand and unsteadily got to his feet.

Sur'ac approached with the bar and chains and Jack took a step in front of Daniel.  "That isn't necessary.  We'll come peacefully."

"I think it is quite necessary."  Sur'ac's expression showed just how much he was enjoying the situation.  He grabbed Jack's arm and spun him around so he was facing Daniel, who looked like he was about to protest.  Jack shook his head and Daniel pursed his lips, biting back whatever he was about to say.

While the second Jaffa pulled Jack's arms behind him, Sur'ac placed the bar at the small of his back and across the crook of his elbows, fastening his wrists in manacles attached by short chains to the ends of the bar.  Another strap was fastened around his neck and connected to the bar by a chain.

The two Jaffa then went to work on Daniel, securing his arms behind his back in the same manner.  When they had finished securing Daniel, Sur'ac held up another set of chains and manacles.  "Let us not forget to keep those feet where they belong," Sur'ac said with a sneer.  The Jaffa bent down and Jack felt the manacles being snapped around his ankles.  He looked at his friend and saw his feet being similarly restrained.

"Move."  Sur'ac punctuated the order with a shove to Jack's back.  Daniel followed his friend out of the room where they were surrounded by the four Jaffa and led off down the hall. 

Moving with his feet chained together was tricky at best.  Jack heard Daniel stumble once, chains rattling, and then a thud and a grunt as his friend landed on his knees.  Jack turned back in time to see two Jaffa grab the ends of the metal bar and lift Daniel back to his feet.  A gasp of pain escaped from his friend, but before Jack could say anything, his own bar was jerked so he was facing forward again.  Another shove had him shuffling down the corridor, the sound of Daniel's chains rattling with his own.

A short time later they entered the cargo hold where they had first arrived.  Humans and Jaffa alike were carrying and placing containers in several places in the large room.  Occasionally a stack would be beamed away.

Their group came to a stop while Sur'ac conferred with another Jaffa who appeared to be supervising the transfers.  Jack turned slightly until he could see Daniel.  His friend looked tired and a little pale, but managed a small smile as their eyes met.  Jack nodded to him.  Hang in there.  Daniel nodded back.  You got it.

Sur'ac came back to stand in front of them and in a flash of light, they were gone.

"Nothing."  Sam's voice reflected her disappointment.

Teal'c turned to her and she could see his jaw tense even though his words were calm.  "Then let us move on to the next."

She wanted to kick something but decided that, even though it would feel good to release her frustration, it wouldn't help anything.  This is taking too long.  She tried not to worry about what was happening to the general and Daniel and focus on scanning each world and the space around it as they made their way through the system.  The second planet had been barren and the third showed scattered small clusters of life forms, but nothing concentrated enough for a base and no technology.

With a tight smile at Teal'c, she turned back to her monitors and began scanning the space near the next planet.

The transport beam deposited them into another large room full of people, some of whom were moving the containers that had been transported from the ship and carrying them out of the room. Looking around, Daniel saw that some of the people were working on the room itself, installing panels, tinkering with light fixtures, and building what looked like storage lockers.  It gave him the impression that this base was still under construction.

Jaffa guards were overseeing the activities, barking orders and occasionally delivering a blow to anyone who wasn't working fast enough.  None of the humans—slaves, Daniel presumed—paid any attention to them, but simply concentrated on their tasks.

Sur'ac conferred with another guard who spoke into a communicator of some kind.  Apparently receiving a confirmation, Sur'ac rejoined the group and led them out into the hallway.

The corridors echoed with the sounds of hammering and they occasionally passed workers carrying what appeared to be building materials.  Daniel tried to shift his arms but they were held fast.  The metal bar continued to rub across the small of his back, irritating his skin.  His knee throbbed where he'd landed on it when he fell and the metal around his ankles was rubbing his skin raw.  And he was tired, so tired.  He wanted to go back to the sanctuary, but knew he couldn't.  What he'd found there had been amazing. He still couldn't believe he'd been able to reach it.  But he couldn't go back, not now—he had to stay alert and help Jack get them out of this.  First, they were going to have to face Ba'al.  As unsettling as that was, it was encouraging to know Sam and Teal'c were looking for them; maybe they had a chance.

A short walk brought them to a set of doors that were also being worked on, two men rubbing a polish into the wood.  They moved aside, bowing, as Sur'ac pushed the doors open and led the group inside.  They came to a stop and Jack and Daniel were positioned side by side and pushed to their knees.

The room was larger than any they had yet been in.  Gold, hieroglyph-covered panels covered every wall.  Braziers blazed at evenly spaced intervals around the room.  Draperies of burgundy-colored diaphanous fabric were draped from ceiling to floor around a raised platform that held a high-backed, ornately carved chair with a plush burgundy cushion.  Seated on the chair—throne—was Ba'al.  The gold emblem identified the man standing next to him as the First Prime.  On the opposite side stood several men who were not Jaffa, and Daniel wondered what their positions were.

But it was the object standing off to one side of the throne that caught Daniel's attention. It looked like a metal spider web, waiting for its prey.  It wasn't something out of his own nightmares, but out of Jack's.  He glanced across at his friend, the picture of calm on the outside, but his eyes—there was fear there that only those closest to him would be able to see.  If it came down to it, Daniel couldn't offer him ascension this time, but he could still offer his support.

Jack took in the room and its furnishings, his gaze briefly moving to the goa'uld on his throne.  Dreg'nor was standing next to him and on the other side were the scientists who had been working on Daniel earlier.  His eyes continued to search until they came to rest on the one thing he hoped never to see again.  A flash of panic burned across his chest and he fought to remain calm.  He would not go through that again and he sure as hell wouldn't let Daniel go through it.  He knew he wasn't in much of a position to prevent it at the moment, but he was hoping for a miracle at this point.  And if anyone could pull off a miracle, it was SG-1.

His eyes were drawn away from the metal web when Ba'al spoke.  "Ah, our guests have arrived and seem to be in better health than when I last saw them."  Ba'al remained seated looking down on his prisoners.

"Yeah, imagine that," Jack returned.  Like he's surprised. 

Ba'al's forehead creased briefly as though he didn't understand Jack's comment, but he quickly returned to his false sweetness.  "Welcome to Saphon."

"I gotta tell ya, your hospitality sucks."  Jack couldn't help himself—this sneering snakehead got under his skin.

"Not happy with your accommodations?" Ba'al continued as he rose from his throne.  "We will have to see what we can do to make you more comfortable."  He glanced to the web-like frame and back to his prisoners.

"What do you want?" Daniel interrupted the exchange, hoping to steer the conversation in a new direction.

Ba'al's attention left Jack and settled on Daniel.  Several seconds ticked by and Daniel began to feel uncomfortable under the former system lord's scrutiny.

"Information, Doctor Jackson.  Information that only you can give me."

Knowing he was wasting his breath, Daniel tried anyway.  "I can't remember anything from when I was ascended.  You're wasting your time."

"Then, let's start with something simple.  Where is the rest of your team?"

"I have no idea."

Blinding pain assaulted him and he cried out. "Ahhhh!" He hadn't seen the Jaffa move up behind him with a pain stick.  He fell forward, face hitting the floor, unable to cushion the impact with his bound hands.  Contact with the pain stick was severed and immediately the pain eased, leaving his nerve endings burning and his muscles twitching.  He was yanked back to his knees, eyes squeezed tightly shut, breathing hard.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, trying to draw attention away from Daniel.  "He's telling the truth.  They weren't with us.  Carter's doing research and Teal'c's offworld."  Hopefully, he could lull Ba'al into thinking a rescue wasn't eminent.

"Sur'ac, is this true?"

"Yes, my lord," the Jaffa replied.  "O'Neill and the Tok'ra woman we killed were the only two in the room."

Daniel's eyes snapped open upon hearing that statement.  He looked across at Jack, searching for the truth.  Jack wanted to reassure him, but the truth was that Jack didn't know if Anise was dead or not.  It hadn't looked good, but there was a slim chance she had survived.  He gave Daniel a slight shake of his head, eyebrows raised, hoping that conveyed his doubt.

"My lord," Dreg'nor interrupted, "the patrol at the gate reported Tau'ri returning fire along with the Tok'ra."

"I see."  Ba'al's gaze hardened as he looked at Sur'ac.  "You were not thorough in your search, Sur'ac."

"My lord, I—"

"I will deal with you later.  We have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment."

"Yes, my lord," Sur'ac said with a bow.

"Now, Doctor Jackson, I think it's time we moved on to more important questions."

"I can't tell you anything.  I don't have any memories from that time."

"That is something that is yet to be determined."  Ba'al held up a small disk—a memory device.  "But I shall enjoy finding the answer.  Dreg'nor, why don't you make Doctor Jackson more comfortable while he answers our questions."

Dreg'nor bowed and walked over to the metal web.  "Bring him."

Sur'ac and the other Jaffa took hold of the ends of Daniel's bar and lifted him to his feet, pulling him towards the dreaded device.  When Daniel was standing in front of it, the two Jaffa began releasing him from his restraints.  Relieved to be rid of the irritating metal bonds, he rubbed the stiff muscles in his arms.  His relief was short-lived as the two Jaffa grabbed his arms, turned him around, and pushed him up against the metal frame.  At the same moment they let go of him, he felt an invisible force take hold of his body, pressing it tightly against the metal.

It wasn't painful, just slightly uncomfortable in that he couldn't move his limbs.  He looked down at Jack, still on his knees, eyes now blazing with fury.  Ba'al seemed to notice, too.

"O'Neill, my scientists have added a new feature to the device that is quite interesting."

Jack didn't respond to the goading, keeping his mouth tightly shut and his eyes on Daniel.  Ba'al seemed disappointed that there had been no sarcastic remark from the general.  "Observe," he said as he pressed a button on the arm of his chair.

Daniel felt something sliding slowly across his right arm, followed by a similar feeling on his left.  They were smooth and rope-like and he tensed, thinking at first they might be symbiotes.  But then he felt more, some thick and others thin, curling around his arms, legs, across his torso and spreading out to his hands, thin sinews spreading his fingers.  They were vine-like, wrapping him in their spiraling threads.  The last ones wound around his head, across his chin, over his cheeks and nose.  Panic rose as his face became criss-crossed with the smallest of the vines.  The only movement left to him now was his voice and the blinking of his eyes.

Jack watched as vine-like tendrils emerged from the web and began winding themselves around Daniel's body.  His own fear was left behind as his anger grew at what was being done to his friend.  He watched as panic flared in Daniel's eyes in response to his face becoming partially covered by the thin vines.  The rise and fall of his chest accelerated with the panic before gradually slowing once again.  Good.  Daniel was taking control of his fear.  Now they both waited to see what was going to happen.

"Now, Doctor Jackson, I want you to search your memories for the locations of any Ancient weapons."

"It doesn't work that way. I can't tell you something I don't remember."

"Try a little harder."  Ba'al pushed another button and Jack watched Daniel's eyes go wide and his breathing speed up once again.  The muscles in his right arm tensed and sweat broke out on his forehead.  Seconds ticked by and Daniel's arm began to quiver.  Ba'al touched another control and Jack heard Daniel let out a heaving breath.

"What do you think, O'Neill?"

"I think you're wasting time.  You've got a memory device, why don't you just use it?"

"Now, where is the fun in that?"

"Fun?  Fun?  Why you bastard, I'm—uhh."

His tirade was cut short by the Jaffa's staff weapon slamming into his back.  Ba'al rose from his chair and descended the steps to stand in front of Jack.  "Let me make this clear, O'Neill.  Because of you I have to start from scratch, build a new palace, gather more Jaffa for my army—which has been harder to do since Dakara.  And I must also find new technology and weapons.  Which is where Doctor Jackson comes in."  He paced back and forth a few steps before stopping in front of his prisoner.  "I will use the memory device in due time, but for now, I will enjoy making you both suffer."

Great.  Ba'al's not just after information, he wants revenge.  Now Jack's problem was how to get Ba'al's attention off of Daniel and on to himself.  But, since Daniel was the one who had been ascended, the chances of that were pretty slim.

"If you push him too far, you won't get anything out of him."

Ba'al sneered again.  "I think I know what I'm doing.  I do have some experience with this. Besides, by torturing him, I am also torturing you."

Jack knew he was right.  Watching Daniel suffer was the worst thing he could do to Jack.

Ba'al turned back towards Daniel.  "Are you ready to try again, Doctor?"

"If it's... all the same... to you... I'd... rather not.."

"Tell me the name of a planet where I can find Ancient technology."

"Dakara."

Ba'al returned to his chair and sat down, cocking his head and smiling.  "Your sense of humor is similar to O'Neill's."

"Thanks."  Daniel looked down at Jack and tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace.  The grimace contorted into a look of agony and Jack realized Ba'al had activated the device again.  Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and a low moan escaped his lips.  His breathing became labored and the moan increased in volume, transforming into a ragged cry of pain.

"Daniel!"  Jack tried to get his attention but his cries of agony continued.  "Daniel!  Look at me!"

Jack saw Daniel's eyes open slightly, tears spilling down his cheeks, mixing with sweat, as they tried to focus on his friend.  "That's it, look at me.  You can get through this."

As Daniel continued to look at Jack, the cries made a decrescendo into moans again.  His entire body seemed to be trembling, held fast within the vines.  Within seconds his breathing began to slow and the moans stopped, telling Jack the device had been turned off.

"I believe he listens to you, O'Neill."

When it counts, Jack thought.  He kept silent, knowing anything he said would just encourage the goa'uld to hurt Daniel more.

Ba'al turned back to Daniel.  "Are you ready to cooperate, Doctor Jackson?"

"I don't... care... what you do... to me... I won't... cooperate."

Jack was proud of Daniel's stubbornness, but knew it would only fuel the snake's desire to hurt him.

"Perhaps not, but maybe you would be motivated by someone else's pain,"  Ba'al taunted.

Jack knew instantly that he had gotten his wish—Ba'al was going to change tactics and make Daniel watch Jack suffer.  And as much as he dreaded what was going to be done to him, he could endure it if it meant Daniel wouldn't have to.

And even enveloped in pain as he was, Daniel realized it, too.  "No! I—"

"Daniel!  Let it go—I can handle it."

His breathing still ragged, Daniel continued to stare at Jack, obviously warring with himself over whether or not to follow that particular order.  "Jack—"

"It's okay, Daniel."  Let me do this.

Daniel's silence told Jack that he would reluctantly follow Jack's lead.  That he knew he couldn't stop Ba'al from doing this.

"Isn't that touching," Ba'al said, rising from his throne again and moving next to Daniel.  He held up the memory device for Daniel to see before pressing it to his temple.  Daniel flinched, but continued to glare at the goa'uld.

"Release him," Ba'al ordered.

Dreg'nor reached over and pressed a button on Ba'al's chair.  Jack watched in morbid fascination as the tendrils began to retract, slithering across Daniel's body until they disappeared back into the frame.  What was revealed had Jack seething with anger again.  Following the paths the vines had taken over Daniel's skin were painful-looking red welts.  If he ever got his hands on Ba'al, Jack vowed, he would literally rip him apart.

Part 3

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