Feudal Lies
Part 2
After a third cup of water, Daniel felt his dehydration-induced headache starting to recede, and his murky vision was almost back to normal. Of course, having found his glasses close by had improved the situation tenfold. Still, no matter which way he looked at it, a prison was still a prison. Escape was looking less likely as well. Having moved towards the door earlier, he found his way blocked by XunMei, indicating the door was being guarded. Daniel was concerned, not only for his fate but for hers as well. She'd managed to slip into the room before the guards started their watch and he had no idea what would happen if she was caught.
Looking down at the courtyard, Daniel crossed that option off his mental list as well. Abuzz with the lively activities of palace life, he knew there was no way to scale the wall undetected. Sagging against the window frame, defeated and alone, Daniel closed his eyes and sighed. No weapons and no obvious means of escape, he could only hope for rescue from the outside.
"Master Daniel," XunMei called softly, her eyes darting towards the door, "someone comes!"
Hearing the muffled sounds of footfalls approaching, Daniel quickly ushered XunMei into the servant's quarters, and made his way back to the bed just as the main door swung open. With nowhere to run, Daniel could only look on as Master Tang entered the room, followed by several Jaffa all bearing the 'zhong' symbol tattooed on their foreheads, leaving no doubt that Yu had arrived.
There was a crushing grip on his shoulder and Daniel felt his knees start to buckle, one of the Jaffa snapping, "Kneel before your God," as he pushed him towards the ground.
"Enough!" Yu bellowed, commanding the Jaffa to step back. "You have served your god well, Master Tang." he sneered, his eyes never leaving Daniel once. "I am most pleased." Dismissing Tang, Yu raised a hand in the air, two fingers pointing towards the ceiling. "Mirel, Kree!"
Daniel caught movement at the back of the room as a woman strode forward. Dressed atypically for a Goa'uld, she was tall and dark featured, her long black hair pulled tightly away from her face.
"My Lord," the woman responded, her high-pitched voice accentuated by the gravely tones of her symbiote.
"You will administer the Hok'Tei and remain with the prisoner until he is ready for my attention. No one is to enter this room."
"Yes, my Lord."
Just as quickly as she scuttled forward clutching a small box, two of Yu's Jaffa lunged at Daniel. Caught off-guard, Daniel struck out with both arms, hitting each of the Jaffa in the chest as he tried to make himself a moving target. Jack would be so proud he thought lamely as both Jaffa staggered backwards, only to recover and move on him again. Daniel was no match for their combined strength, and within moments he was pinned to the bed.
Pulling an ampule and plunger from the box, the Goa'uld held Daniel's arm tightly against her thigh and grunted, "This will be less painful for you, Tau'ri, if you cease your struggles." Ampule attached, she pressed it firmly against Daniel's upper arm.
"This would be less painful for me if you just stopped," Daniel hissed through clenched teeth as the plunger released its contents into his bloodstream. The reaction was immediate, and Daniel felt like his body had just combusted. Sweat poured from every pore trying to douse the flames coursing through his blood. He twisted violently on the bed, still pinned down by Yu's Jaffa, as seizures took over his body, arching his back and legs off the mattress. Vision distorted, the world took on a curiously red hue before fading away as Daniel's mind shut down from the physical overload it was being subjected to.
"He will sleep now," Mirel announced, stepping back and packing the plunger back in the box.
Turning towards the door, Yu took a long look over his shoulder at Daniel, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I will return in two hours. Be sure that he is ready."
Nodding, Mirel turned her attention back to the unconscious man, his body still quivering with the after-effects of the seizures. Waiting till Yu and his escorts left the room, she knelt down beside the bed, and pushing back Daniel's sweat-soaked hair, whispered; "Now how do I get you out of here, Doctor Jackson?"
"This is fun, Carter?"
"I think so, sir."
"And I'm thinking performance evaluation," Jack quipped good-naturedly.
"Initiative under fire?" Sam suggested hopefully.
"This is not a good time to bring up fire, Carter."
"Ah no, sir, probably not."
To the casual observer they looked like a family group heading to market to sell their hay, but to the skilled eye they were in fact nine highly trained solders on a covert operation. With SG2 and 3 buried under bales of hay permeated with livestock manure, Sam pursed her lips tight trying to bite back a snort of laughter as she and Jack rode atop a large, horse-drawn wagon, pulled along on wheels that seemed to have ceased being round.
"We passed the farm on our initial trip to the city and it was the best idea I could come up with on the fly, sir."
"Oh yes, Carter," Jack muttered, waving his hand about his face, "there are definitely flies."
"Ow," came a muffled cry from somewhere underneath the hay.
"Suck it up, marine."
"I'm trying not to, sir."
Jack pulled at the front of his robe and winced as he touched the irritated red skin on his chest. "Remind me to kill Daniel if we get him out of this alive."
"On the upside, sir, you do look good in... um... shades of brown."
"Yes, Carter, well, desert cammo was always a must-have in my wardrobe," Jack sneered.
"I'll just shut up and drive now."
"Doctor Jackson?"
Daniel tried his best to ignore the voice, the sense of urgency it conveyed drawing him farther and farther away.
"Doctor Jackson, please!"
Oh, pleading now. Well, that won't help.
"You must wake up, Doctor Jackson; we are running out of time."
"Ngh." Oh yes, we're back to that language again.
"Lord Yu will return, and if we do not leave soon, there will be nothing I can do to help you."
Okay, well, when it was put that way Daniel could definitely see the advantages to being awake. He tried, unsuccessfully at first, to force his tired eyes to open, but the light in the room caused them to snap closed almost instantly.
"Yes, that's it," the voice urged, "I have water for you."
"XunMei?"
"I am sorry, I do not understand."
He licked his lips, and within moments, a cup was pressed against them, its cool contents sliding into his appreciative mouth. "Thank you, XunMei," he gasped, reaching out blindly to grab the cup.
"I am not XunMei, Doctor Jackson. My name is Mirel and I am an associate of Jacob Carter."
"Tok'ra?" Daniel croaked.
"Yes. Now I really need you awake. We have just over an hour until Lord Yu returns for you."
Pushing past the pain, Daniel finally managed to open his eyes, groaning as his distorted vision increased his growing nausea. Blinking furiously, he could just make out the hazy outline of a vaguely familiar face. "You drugged me," he said accusingly, blinking to bring the features of the Tok'ra operative into focus.
"I am sorry." Mirel reached forward, grabbing Daniel under the arms and eased him upright. "I had no choice but to inject you with the Hok'Tei. If I had not, Lord Yu would have instantly known of my deceit, and I would be powerless to help you." Taking a damp cloth, she began wiping down his face and arms, and Daniel leaned into the coolness. "The dose you received was not the full amount, so I diluted it to avoid suspicion. Fortunately it produced the desired side-effects to fool Lord Yu, but was not enough to achieve the desired effect for his purposes."
"He wants me as a host," Daniel mumbled, trying to bat the wash-cloth away.
"Yes. A full dose of the Hok'Tei, given to you before implantation, would have not only helped hasten the blending process, but assisted in lengthening the life of the symbiote."
"Why?"
"We really don't have time to be discussing this, Doctor Jackson. Do you think you can stand?" Mirel placed the cloth to one side and moved to help him up.
Sliding towards the edge of the bed, Daniel palmed his eyes and bit back a groan. "I said why?"
She grabbed him once again under the arms as he swung his legs off the bed.
"Lord Yu is seeking information on ascension. Information he is convinced you have locked in your subconscious."
Nausea beating a path to his mouth, Daniel swallowed deeply. "He plans on ascending?" he asked, leaning into Mirel's shoulder for support as he tried to rise from the bed.
"He does. Lord Yu has been taking doses of the Hok'Tei which has not only prolonged his life, but has also given him the strength to switch hosts one last time. That host was to be you, in the hope he could access your subconscious and gain the information that he requires. In essence, his symbiote has become accustomed to the Hok'Tei, which was also part of the reason it had to be given to you."
Leaning heavily against Mirel, Daniel finally found his feet, listing to one side and grabbing hold of the bedpost for support, he tried to control his racing heart as he took a cautious step.
"So, you're saying this drug-"
"Hok'Tei."
Daniel nodded, "Would help him live in me long enough to access my memories for information that, I hasten to add, he couldn't use without the retribution of the Ancients, then allow us both to die in the hope he would ascend. Am I anywhere near close?"
"Simply put. But yes, you are correct."
"You do know how ridiculous all this is, don't you?" he hissed, panting heavily.
"There is more to this conversation, but now is not the time. The immediate need is to get you stable enough so we can escape."
"Yes, well, getting drugged twice in one day is not doing my normally even temper and sunny disposition any good at the moment. Just what is that stuff?"
"This is not the time for a lecture on comparative pharmacology, Doctor Jackson."
"Nope, it never is the right time with the Tok'ra, is it?"
"Look, Doctor..."
Daniel stopped in his tracks, face pale as he collapsed to his knees. "XunMei," He breathed through clenched teeth as Mirel looked at him in confusion.
"She's in the servant's quarters." He tilted his head towards the door. "She's been my personal servant for the last few days. I hid her in there when Yu came. She can help us."
"Let me get you sitting back down."
Guiding Daniel back to the bed, Mirel eased him down and left to fetch XunMei.
The girl was distraught when the Tok'ra led her back into the room. Falling to her knees at Daniel's feet, head held low, she keened, "I am sorry, Master Daniel, I heard you scream and could not help you."
"No, no, XunMei," Daniel placated, "you did the right thing. Right now, though, we need your help." Reaching forward, Daniel tilted her chin upwards. "We need to get out of here, and we need to go now."
Shivering, her eyes darting between Mirel and himself, Daniel could tell the girl was terrified.
"If we can get past the guards, there is a way through the palace used only by servants. It is longer than the path you have taken but far safer."
Arms wrapped around his torso, Daniel tried to hold back the tremors coursing through his body. Time was running out and they'd already wasted so much trying to get him mobile.
"I have this," Mirel offered, taking a small device from a fold in her vest. "It works on the same principle as a zatnikatel, but lighter and easier to conceal. Unfortunately, we need to be in closer proximity to deliver the charge." Placing the device over the middle and ring fingers on her right hand, Mirel ushered XunMei back to the servant's room. "Hide in here; I will call you when we are done."
XunMei safely concealed, Mirel urged Daniel to lie back on the bed. Not that it took a lot of persuasion. His pale complexion told of a body in urgent need of sleep and fluids.
"Close your eyes and follow my lead."
Opening the door, Mirel urged the two Jaffa inside. "I need assistance immediately," she demanded, and pausing to allow them entry, raised her hand and fired at the closest Jaffa. As if not sparing the man's twitching body a thought she moved quickly on to the next one, bringing him down before the first had even hit the floor. Swiftly retrieving their weapons, she called for XunMei. "We are nearly out of time, help me move them." Between the two women, they made short work of relocating the two Jaffa and tying them up with sheets from the cots.
"Not your usual mild-mannered Tok'ra then?" Daniel commented dryly as they helped him up from the bed.
"Only when the moment warrants it, Doctor Jackson," Mirel muttered, wrapping one of Daniel's arms around her shoulder.
"Daniel. My name is Daniel."
"Daniel," Mirel responded with a smile. "My host's name is Theya. Hopefully you two can meet later in a more pleasant environment."
"This not pleasant enough for you?" he asked.
"No, not really. Shall we leave?"
Jack tugged the hood of his robe down further, grateful it concealed the look of horror he was sure his face was projecting. The city was poor. Many of the vendors they passed along the narrow streets were selling food that looked days old, and the children they saw were far too thin. Urging his teams forward, he tried to remember they weren't here to pass judgement on these people.
After an hour navigating a maze of cobbled streets and busy market places, the towering, red-plastered walls of the palace complex loomed ahead. Pulling his hood back, Jack shielded his eyes against the glare of the rapidly setting sun, and could just make out guards shuffling their way along the tops of the walls.
"There," Teal'c whispered, pointing at an over-grown garden nestled between the palace wall and a seemingly abandoned building. Looking around, Jack nodded his head approvingly. The thick bamboo bushes would provide excellent cover.
Perimeter established, Jack ordered the men to rest while he gathered his team leaders around. "Reynolds, contact Harper and relay our position. We've got a little over four hours and my original order stands. If we're not back by the deadline he's to grab Escobar and head back to Earth."
Nodding, Reynolds reached for his radio and moved off.
"Feretti, I want you to take your team and head east along the wall. See if you can find another way in."
"Yes, sir."
Watching until SG-2 had faded from sight, Jack pulled his binoculars out from under his robe, and adjusting the lenses, brought the sentries into view.
"I see nothing that resembles Goa'uld armament, O'Neill," Teal'c observed.
"I get the feeling these people are stuck in the dark ages. Odd, considering the company ol' Yu usually keeps."
"Daniel believed this planet had been abandoned or forgotten about by Yu." Sam said, lowering her binoculars. "It could explain the lack of any advanced technologies and their reluctance to allow the equipment we had with us into the palace grounds."
"It could also be a ploy, Carter."
Sam went to reply but was interrupted when Jack's radio squawked softly.
Tugging the device out from his concealed vest, Jack keyed the mike. "Lou, found anything?"
"A service access about four hundred feet past the main entrance. Single gate with only one guard," Feretti reported.
"Jaffa?"
"No, looks like a regular palace guard. Same type of uniforms as the ones we encountered at the Gate."
"Is your position safe?"
"About as safe as yours, General."
"Okay, hold at your location, we're coming to you."
"Holding location. SG-2 out."
"Okay, people, you heard the man. Pack up your gear, let's move out. Reynolds, what's Harper's position?"
"Gates clear. No sign of unfriendlies. He and Escobar are holding at the tree line."
Daniel was growing weaker. Face pale and sweaty, his breathing was becoming more and more labored with every step.
'Not much farther, Master Daniel, and you can rest," XunMei urged, as they turned down a deserted corridor.
"Not master," Daniel grunted through clenched teeth. "I'm no one's master."
XunMei nodded, a deep blush spreading down her cheeks and neck. "There is a... um... I do not know the word." She glanced at Daniel hopefully. "YiMaoJian?"
"YiMaoJian... a wardrobe? No, a cloak room," Daniel replied weakly.
"Yes, a cloak room. There will no one there in the evening. We can rest."
Coming up to an intersection, Mirel withdrew her arm from Daniel's waist and shuffled him closer to a wall for support. Peering down the adjoining corridor, she pulled back quickly as an elderly servant walked towards her and then turned down a side hall.
"We've been lucky, Mirel," Theya cautioned, allowing her thoughts to rise to the surface.
"Too lucky, my friend, but he needs to rest."
"The side effects of the drug are stronger than you anticipated."
Mirel sighed mentally, allowing her host to share her feeling of exasperation. "We weren't to know he had been drugged with another compound. We could not have anticipated this development."
"The two hours are nearly up, Mirel, we must move more quickly."
"I know, Theya."
Returning to Daniel, Mirel wrapped her arm around his shoulder, taking up his weight before he pulled XunMei down. "We are safe to proceed."
Part-way down the corridor, XunMei slowed. "Two doors down," she said, pointing at a small rust-colored door. "There!"
Struggling with their burden, they squeezed Daniel through the door and into the room beyond. Door closed and shrouded in complete darkness, XunMei freed herself from Daniel. "Hold him, I will find some light."
Hearing more focused on movement in the corridor, Mirel could just make out the rustling of fabric, and a cupboard being opened. Trying to adjust her vision to the dark, she blinked furiously when XunMei fired up a lantern, bathing the room in an eerie glow.
Lined ceiling to floor with racks of robes, the room lived up to its design. "Bring him this way." XunMei gestured towards one of the racks. "I come here to hide sometimes." Pulling the robes apart, she pointed to a pile of cushions.
"Hide?" Mirel inquired breathlessly as she manhandled the now unconscious Daniel down on the bed of cushions.
"Sometimes my Master can be demanding."
"You mean he—?"
"It is best not discussed." Ending the topic abruptly, XunMei moved to a nearby table, pouring a cup of water from a stone pitcher. "Here, he needs to drink."
"Daniel." Mirel shook his shoulders gently. "Please, we have water." Frowning when he didn't respond, she set the cup aside and tapped his cheek. Not getting a response she set the cup down.
"He is asleep," XunMei whispered as she pushed a cushion under Daniel's feet, "and we are safe here for a time."
"XunMei, the two hour deadline is up. We are not safe anywhere."
"Nice!" Jack took a moment to assess the small shack Feretti had acquired as a temporary hide-out for the teams.
"Thanks, sir. I think it belongs to a local vendor during the day, but as it was empty, I thought we could liven the place up."
"I don't think we're going to be here long enough to liven up anything," Jack replied as he pulled out his binoculars. "Anything to report?"
"Still only one guard and I don't see how we can get past him without taking him out." Feretti pulled his vision away from the guard and turned it towards the top of the wall. "No sign of movement at the ridge line this far down." He moved the binoculars steadily along the length of the wall until he reached the servants' gate. "Perhaps they don't think the servants' entrance is important."
"Could be our lucky day," Jack murmured.
"Think he's still in there, sir?"
Jack sighed and lowered his binoculars; it was something he'd being trying not to think about since they'd stepped through the gate. "How many times have we lost him, Lou, and then he just pops right back up?"
"Too many to count?"
"Too many to remember." And a few I don't want to remember, he thought. "We've had no gate activity and no ships on the ground, which only leaves rings. Not a damn thing we can do about those anyway. So, yeah, I'm going for him still being here." Jack rolled his shoulders and rubbed at the back of his neck. If they were going to do this it had to be now.
"Reynolds, I want you and Carrolan to take care of the gate guard. Make it quick and stow him somewhere nice and quiet. Key the radio when you're done. The rest of us will wait for your signal before entering the comlex and heading for the nearest door. Stick together, and I'd rather not compound the situation with civilian casualties if we can avoid it, but remember, primitive weapons don't mean that's all they've got. Once we're in, we need to work our way to the guest quarters and that's where Carter and Teal'c take over." He paused, turning to the remaining members of SG1. "It'll be up to you two to guide us when you've got your bearings. Robes on for now but if this turns nasty I want them off. No accidentally picking off one of our own in a crossfire. Carter, you got the med kit? Good. I know we're low on supplies without our packs but we'll just have to make do. Oh yeah, and one last point," Jack sucked in a shaky breath and held it, hating every word he was about to say. "When we find Daniel, until we can prove otherwise..." He threw a pointed look at Sam and Teal'c. "We treat him as though he's been compromised. Get in, find him, and get out, sort the detail out later. Understood?"
Everyone muttered acknowledgement. "Okay then. Reynolds, you're up."
"Yes, sir," Reynolds pulled the hood over his head and concealed his P90. "Carrolan, let's go."
The guard ruthlessly dispatched, Reynolds and Carrolan slipped in behind the rest of the teams as they passed through the gate. Gaze fixed and alert for trouble, Jack urged the teams through the nearest door, breathing a sigh of relief as they passed through unnoticed.
Leaning against the closed door, Jack sucked in a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow. This was going better than he expected. The room they'd entered appeared to be a bunk-house of sorts, beds and furniture lined up neatly against the walls.
"Guards' quarters?" Sam asked standing over the first bed in a line of many, each with a pillow and blanket piled neatly at the end.
Knowing she was right, Jack reckoned they couldn't stay here long, and motioned for Reynolds to press forward into a corridor at the far end of the room. Barely reaching safety, Jack cursed their luck when the wail of a siren filled the air. "Find cover now!" Damn, Jack thought, surely they couldn't have been discovered already.
"This way!" Carrolan yelled above the noise, as he waved towards a nearby door.
Their speed hampered by the bulky robes they were wearing, the teams made it to the room just as a patrol of guards exited the sleeping quarters and moved past the spot they'd just vacated.
Leaning against the closed door, Jack rested his hand on his knees. "Reynolds, how securely did you hide the guard?" he asked breathlessly. "And what is that smell?"
Throwing back the hood of her robe, and looking like she was going to gag, Sam muttered, "I think we found the latrine block, sir."
"Oh. Good choice, Carrolan."
The clanking sound of Jaffa boots could just be heard over the din of a siren, echoing off the corridor walls. Closing the door quickly, Mirel moved back behind the robe rack and sat on the floor next to Daniel.
"How is he?" she asked, watching XunMei wipe a damp cloth across the archeologist's brow.
"He is with fever."
With a hand on his chest, Mirel could feel the heat permeating through the thin robes Daniel was wearing. "The Hok'Tei has produced an adverse reaction most likely related to the drug he was given earlier."
"That I gave him!" XunMei spat. "I served Daniel and his companions' tea laced with the sleep potion." She trailed the cloth down his cheek and neck, and onto his partially exposed chest. "I am ashamed."
"You weren't not to know, XunMei, neither of us was. We need to concern ourselves with bigger issues right now. Like how to get him out of here."
With a pained frown, Daniel groaned and tried to turn onto his side. Reaching up to clutch at his aching head, he found resistance, as strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place. Too weak to resist and too tired to care, he succumbed, letting them guide him onto his back.
"Sam?"
"Shhhh." A cool palm on his cheek got his attention. "Here, you must drink."
The thought of drinking anything sent his stomach into a somersault. Hand rushing up to clamp over his mouth, he bit back an impending retch, his face a picture of misery.
"No drink."
"XunMei, help me sit him up."
Hands once again pulling at his shoulders, he found himself upright and propped against the wall with a cushion, a cup pressed against his parched lips.
"Here, Daniel, drink slowly."
Shaking his head slowly he tried to bat away the cup, missing and slapping his chin instead. "Can't drink."
"You must. We have to move soon and you need your energy."
Forcing his heavy eyelids open, Daniel blinked slowly, letting his eyes get accustomed to the light. "Where are we?" he asked huskily, remnants of sleep still tugging at his mind.
Looking nervously towards the door, Mirel replied, "We are in the cloak room. Yu is aware you are missing and has Jaffa searching the palace grounds." Gripping his chin she held the cup just inches from his mouth. "Drink, please. We really can't stay here any longer. Nowhere is safe."
Nodding, Daniel closed his eyes as Mirel tipped the cup. The water was cool and refreshing, quenching his thirst, but the low grumbling in his stomach told him it was likely to make an appearance soon. "What happened?" he asked, wriggling his butt to sit up further.
"You collapsed," Mirel stated flatly, as XunMei shoved more cushions behind his back. "We have been here for some time, and it will not be long until Yu orders a room by room search."
Holding out his arms, Daniel latched onto Mirel's shoulder. "Help me up." Kicking away the cushions, he rose on shaky legs and looked around the room at the racks of drab colored robes. "What about using theses as disguises?"
"A change of attire could buy us some time," Mirel agreed.
XunMei set to work pulling various articles from the racks. "I believe these will be suitable," she offered, holding several cloaks out for inspection. "The days are quite... hmmm... Lengtian?"
"Cold," Daniel coughed. "Yeah, I noticed that."
"Good. Winter cloaks will cover your faces."
Letting the robe fall down past her waist, Mirel tucked in her hair and pulled the hood forward, just covering her eyes and nose. "These will suffice. Which direction do we go?"
"There is a route through the palace towards the kitchens that will take us away from the guest quarters and main entrances. It is longer, but only used by the servants."
"Agreed," Mirel looked across at Daniel as he tried to wriggle into the ill-fitting robe. "Longer, but probably less obvious."
"This is unacceptable!" Yu roared, his face flushed with seething emotion. "Find Daniel Jackson and the Shol'va, Mirel, and bring them to me immediately!" His voice cold with fury, Yu turned his attention to Tang. "Double your guards, and commence a room by room of search of this entire palace." Hands clenched tightly to the arm rests of his throne, he leaned forward and sneered, "I will have this city torn apart if I have to."
"My Lord, your servant begs your humble apologies, but your own guards were protecting the prisoner," he pleaded.
"You dare to question my orders?"
"N-no, my lord," he stammered, Yu's words stinging his ears.
Berated and dismissed by Yu with an autocratic wave of his hand, Tang beat a hasty retreat from the room and sped down the connecting hallway. Tendrils of anger coursing through his body, fists clenched, he wondered how this had all gone wrong. The Tau'ri man had been left guarded by Yu's own Jaffa, and yet suddenly this was his fault? Adding to his problems was the serving girl. Having not been seen in the palace since drugging the off worlders' tea, Tang was starting to wonder if she had a hand in their escape. No, he thought, she has nowhere near the intelligence to pull a trick like this. It was more likely that she was cowering somewhere.
His anger and frustration growing by the minute, Jack was tired of playing cat and mouse, ducking in and out of rooms like a seventies cartoon character. How many servants does this place need? He asked himself as they exited yet another set of living quarters. "Carter," he whispered, calling for a halt in yet another deserted corridor, "do you have any idea where we are?"
"Not a clue, sir, we never came this way. I get the feeling we must be getting closer though, the hall decorations are becoming more complex."
"How very observant of you, Carter, taking lessons from Daniel, are we?"
"He's starting to-"
"Sir, we've got company," Carrolan reported, the Marine Major having been sent to scout ahead of the rest of the teams. "Two Jaffa heading your way from the south corridor. One hundred feet. "
"Crap!" Jack cursed as he spun around looking around for cover. "Hold your position! Reynolds?"
"Coming up on Carrolan's six now, sir.
An hour spent wandering from room to room only to end up in the only corridor so far that offered no place to hide, Jack cursed his luck. Pushing the rest of the teams back to the hall they'd just left wasn't an option either. With the Jaffa closing in, and sounds of movement from behind, he doubted they'd make it back without being spotted.
"We're falling back to your position, sir, they're almost on top of us." No sooner had he heard Reynolds' radio chatter than Jack saw two robed figures rounding the intersection, P90s sitting high in their shoulders.
"Everybody take position," Jack whispered, not knowing what he disliked worse - waiting to attack the enemy or having them attack first. Without a second thought, the choice was taken out of his hands as a staff blast tore into the wall in front of Carrolan, knocking the young marine and his commander to the ground.
With the clanking of heavy Jaffa boots growing louder, Jack and Teal'c scrambled forward dragging the pair to safety as SG2, like a well-oiled machine, went to ground. In perfect synch they rolled, coming up just short of the Jaffa with their P-90s blazing.
Barely registering his surprise, the first Jaffa stood, arms open, as a spray of bullets riddled his chest with enough force to propel him backwards and send him crashing to the ground.
The second Jaffa had the advantage. Positioned behind his fallen comrade he let loose with a volley from his staff weapon. A blast of white-hot super-heated plasma arced through the air just above Captain Peters' head, taking out part of the wall behind him. The second shot landed low between Feretti and Caswell, gouging the floor with enough force to send the two soldiers rolling away from each other. Lining up for another round, the Jaffa tensed as he was bathed from head to toe in the blue electric charge from Sam's zat, before falling bonelessly to the ground.
"There is no way this little foray went unnoticed," Jack grumbled, smoothing out his twisted and bulky robe as he climbed to his feet. "Carter, Teal'c, see what you can do with these guys," he said, indicating the two downed Jaffa.
"Did you hear that?" Daniel stumbled to a halt in front of Mirel and XunMei.
Looking down the corridor in both directions, Mirel raised her eyebrows at Daniel. "Hear what, Daniel?" She asked.
"Weapons fire."
"They are getting close. We must make haste," XunMei urged, tugging at Daniel's sleeve.
"No, that was automatic weapons fire." Nodding his head, Daniel strained to hear the noise again, but the halls were quiet. "It must be my team."
"They were sent back through the TianShenMen, Daniel," XunMei reasoned, "it cannot be them."
A tired smile tugged at his lips, but never reached his eyes. "So, you think my team wouldn't come?" With a weary wave of a hand, he lowered his voice and urged them to follow. "This way, we need to go this way."
Only a few feet down the corridor, Mirel pulled up short, brow furrowed as she turned around, surprise registering on her face. "Jaffa behind us!" she hissed, grabbing Daniel by the waist. "We lingered too long in the hall."
"I did not hear them." Fear shone in XunMei's eyes as she took his right arm over her shoulder.
"I think that was the idea." Mirel tightened her grip on Daniel. "Run!"
Exhaustion leached through every part of Daniel, his body heavy with fatigue and hampered by the constant nausea, every step was harder than the last. He knew without doubt he was slowing their progress down. "Leave me," he begged, barely able to catch his breath.
"No, Daniel."
The tell-tale sound of a staff weapon priming, and metal-on-metal grating of Jaffa armour urged Daniel on. Whatever adrenaline he had left was sent flooding through his system and he knew he'd pay for it later.
"Tau'ri! Kree!"
Blasting up from behind, a barrage of staff weapons fire slammed into the ceiling, sending shards of plaster showering down on their heads. Large chunks bounced off the walls and floor as the firing continued. Stumbling, unable to support himself any longer, Daniel felt the hands holding him up start to slip slightly.
"Shol'va! Ka Kek!"
"I think they've figured you out, Mirel," Daniel said dryly, his face pale and pinched.
"Well, at least they're not aiming to kill," she responded.
"They probably were."
"Where the hell is that staff fire coming from Reynolds?" Jack had one hand on his radio and the other on the trigger guard of his P-90.
"Next corridor over, sir," came Reynolds clipped reply, as he and Carrolan scouted ahead once again.
Who the heck are they firing at? Daniel?
"Reynolds, we're picking up the pace and coming up on your six."
"Copy that."
"You think it could be Daniel, sir?" Sam looked across at Jack, a mixture of worry and hope on her face.
"Whoever it is, Carter, they've got the Jaffa riled enough to be firing at them. Sounds like something Daniel would do."
"Sir, we've got a visual on the target!"
"On our way, Reynolds, what's the situation?"
"Three Jaffa in close pursuit of three civilians. They're heading in our direction now. No, wait! It's Doctor Jackson. Carrolan! Clean targets, clean targets! Take out..."
O'Neill's radio went dead, but he didn't need it anymore.
A staff weapon blast sailed overhead, pocking the wall behind and sending dust and debris into the air. Ducking for cover, Jack crawled his way up to the intersection and slid in behind Reynolds. The corridor beyond was a mass of swirling dust, peppered with sporadic blasts of staff fire. Ears already ringing from the constant barrage, and eyes watering from the dust, he couldn't see a thing.
"Where?' Jack croaked, his throat hoarse and sore from the dust in the air.
For a moment the air seemed to clear, and Jack could just make out three hooded figures about fifty feet away, stumbling their way through the falling pieces of debris. Spitting yellow bolts of staff fire strafed the ceiling, tearing the plaster-work asunder and sending it raining down on the three as they ran.
Waving at SG2, he watched as Feretti led his team out and down the corridor. Going to ground once again, they fired low at the oncoming Jaffa, as SG-1 settled in behind Reynolds and Carrolan, picking their targets.
Scrunching his eyes tight, Daniel tried to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. Eyes weeping from the dust in the air, and vision still not recovered, he could just see figures crouching down low at the end of the corridor, but he couldn't make out their faces.
There was the crackle of a staff weapon firing and Daniel felt XunMei's grip slide away. He took a quick look over his shoulder. XunMei lay sprawled on the floor, her silken robes singed and burning, smoke curling into the air from a staff blast to her back.
A look of rage flickered in his eyes. No! No! Pulling free from Mirel, he snarled at her to let him go. "We are not leaving her behind! Do you understand me?" he snapped, his voice breaking.
"No, Daniel!" Mirel pleaded, grabbing his arms and pulling him to his feet, "You cannot help her!"
A staff blast ripped into the wall by his shoulder, and Daniel knew he was choiceless. With a steely resolve and a sense of self preservation, he willed himself forward, knowing the time to grieve was later. His goal had to be the defeat of Yu, and closing his mind to his pain, he allowed Mirel to propel him forwards. Survival now meant everything.
Determined to catch their prey, the Jaffa closed quickly. The smell of scorched timber filled the air, and ducking, Daniel felt the heat from a staff blast singe his hair.
The telltale sound of automatic weapons fire caused Daniel to catch his breath. With a side step, he felt the whiz of bullets fly past. "Whoa! Hope that means the cavalry is on their way!"
As quickly as the fire-fight started, it finished. The staff weapons fell silent, and bullets no longer whizzed with expert accuracy past his head. Daniel blinked with confusion, his mind struggling to accept the battle had ended and he'd somehow survived it. Face ashen, and eyes dull, he slumped to the ground, exhaustion and illness taking its final toll.
A strong arm snaked around his waist and hauled him to his feet. With a grunt, Daniel looked into the face of Jack O'Neill.
"J-Jack?"
"Yep, none other. Come on, let's get you out of here." Jack was grinning like a fool.
"Good timing." Daniel leaned into his friend's shoulder and willed his legs to move.
Daniel sagged suddenly and Jack hauled him up, muttering, "Whoa, okay, need help here."
Mirel watched the exchange, and moving quickly, insinuated herself between the general and Daniel. "Please, allow me to help you."
"And you are?" Jack asked, as Teal'c arrived and hefted the unconscious man onto his shoulder.
"I am Mirel of the Tok'ra."
"Ah yes, Jacob has told us all about you. Listen, I have to know. Did Yu... you know?" Jack winced and pointed to the back of his neck.
"No, General, Yu did not take Doctor Jackson as a host. I made quite sure of that."
"Fine. Okay people, move out."
Words failed Tang. Looking down the length of the corridor he sighed, shoulders slumped, at the scene. Sections of the palace had been blasted away, precious murals and art works obliterated, and four of Lord Yu's personal guard lay dead. Stepping over broken timber beams and shards of plaster, he came across the body of XunMei, lying broken amongst the dusty debris. Her face was a picture of surprise and pain, even in death. Tang felt no sense of loss for the girl, her traitorous collaboration with the off worlders added to his very public shame.
With Doctor Jackson's rescue by his companions, and the loss of most of his personal guard and his physician, Lord Yu returned to his ship, the TianTangYuan whisking him away before Tang could plead for his leniency. More Jaffa were on their way. Of that Tang was very sure. Promising that a new ruler for the planet would be found in short order; Yu left Tang's dreams totally shattered when he promoted him to the position of overseer of the new Naqadah mining operation. A position Tang felt sure he was not going to enjoy.
Slamming his eyes closed to block out the harsh glare from the infirmary lights, Daniel moaned softly and turned on to his side. Head pounding in time with his heart, the fading threads of a nightmare played havoc with his nerves as he buried his face deeper into the pillow.
"You okay there?"
Startled, Daniel flinched, the IV in his left arm pulling taut as he turned abruptly onto his other side. "Headache," he croaked, voice thick with the remnants of sleep and exhaustion.
"Want me to get the doc for you?"
Daniel coughed lightly and shook his head, reaching out a shaky hand towards the glass of water on the nightstand next to the infirmary bed.
"Here." Snagging the glass, Jack pressed it into his hands. "Have you got it??"
"Yeah."
Daniel downed the water faster than he knew he should have, his parched throat demanding more than his abused stomach could handle.
"Aht! Not so fast, you'll only-," Jack took a step back but he was too slow, his BDU shirt receiving the last dregs of Daniel's thirst. "... Right...throw it back up."
Running one hand across his mouth, Daniel looked down at his trembling hand and made a fist. "Sorry," he murmured, shoving his hand under the blanket.
"It'll stop soon; it's just the drugs leaving your system."
He knew Jack was right. Daniel had been here before and experienced withdrawal and its nasty side effects, but this time it felt more personal. This time the act was deliberate, and aimed solely at him.
"So, those were pretty scary dreams, want to talk about them?" Jack slid back into his chair at Daniel's bedside pulling his wet shirt away from his chest and frowning. "You don't have to, but if you want to, I guess I can listen."
"Nothing to tell."
"Really? Cause from where I was sitting they looked pretty nasty."
Damn, Daniel thought, how long has he been here?
"All night."
"What?"
Leaning back in his chair, Jack tapped his fingers on the hard plastic armrests and looked up at Daniel, head cocked to the side. "That's what you were thinking. How long have I been here? Well, all night."
"Oh."
"So, are you going to be all right with all of this?"
Daniel shrugged and pulled the blankets up high around his shoulders. "I messed up."
"In what way?"
Closing his eyes to rest them, Daniel let himself drift back over recent events. Days of negotiations and political posturing were interwoven with lies he didn't even recognize. Somewhere along the line he'd lost his edge, his ability to see a situation for what it really was, not what he'd hoped it could be.
"I missed the connection with Yu." Frustrated, Daniel slammed his head against the pillow, the bed rattling beneath him. "So many things didn't make sense, seemed wrong, but I kept telling myself it wasn't the Chinese culture we have on Earth. Not everything is going to be the same."
Shuffling the chair close, Jack leaned in, elbows on knees, and rested his chin in his hands. "It's a fair point, Daniel."
"Fair?" Daniel stammered, his voice thick with emotion, "Tell that to XunMei."
Jack waved a raised finger in the air. "Ah, no, don't do this to yourself. You weren't responsible for her."
"I wasn't?" Suddenly feeling hot, Daniel kicked away the blankets and made to sit up, the motion making him nauseated. "Sh-She only helped because she believed she was responsible for drugging us in the first place."
"Was she?"
"No!" Swallowing hard, Daniel winced and rubbed at his temple, his headache now in full swing. "That was Yu, or-or Tang, god... I don't know!"
"Right! So! Not your fault."
"If I hadn't been there, or if I'd worked out the connection with Yu earlier-,"
"You what?" Jack fired back, "Could have prevented this from happening?" Sighing, Jack rubbed his hands on his thighs and looked up at Daniel. "You are not responsible for everything that goes wrong. This habit you have of blaming yourself when the galaxy throws you a curve ball has got to stop. This girl-,"
"XunMei," Daniel said pointedly, "she had a name, Jack."
"XunMei. Daniel, don't diminish her death by assuming guilt for it. The Jaffa killed her. She died fighting for her own freedom just as much as yours."
Daniel rubbed at his eyes and dragged in a deep breath. Somewhere in his exhausted mind he knew Jack was right. He didn't have a crystal ball, couldn't see trouble every time it stared them in the face. Still, XunMei's loss pained him just as much as all the other losses he'd suffered, and maybe it would do him good to remember that pain for just a while longer.
"Mirel?" He asked, dragging the blankets back up around his waist.
"Jacob came and took her back to Tok'raville, wherever that is now. Apparently they'll tell us when they've finished decorating the place."
"They moved again?"
"Yep, couldn't be sure if their operative had been compromised."
"No, I guess not." Body weary with fatigue, Daniel settled back into his pillows. "How did we get back?" he asked, "I remember running from the Jaffa and XunMei..." Voice trailing off, Daniel closed his eyes again, the memory of her body, her dull, lifeless eyes staring out at nothing, chilling him.
"Your Tok'ra friend left Yu a present before she ringed down."
"She did?"
"She did. Placed a virus in the computer on Yu's Mothership - weapons, communications, propulsion, took out pretty much everything. I personally would have blown it to hell, but, eh!"
"Can't say I don't agree."
"Anyway, Teal'c carried you back to the gate and the rest of us dealt with what little resistance we met along the way. All fuss and very little bother really." Jack rested his elbows on the chair, and with his fingers laced, he tapped at his chin. "You have to know... Yu placed a bounty for your capture."
A brief flicker of surprise crossed Daniel's face before he steeled his emotions. "Do I want to know how much?"
"Well above what the System Lords were asking, and right now, that makes you hot property."
"He wanted me as a host," Daniel whispered, fear gnawing at his senses as he struggled to maintain his composure. "Mirel said he was after information on ascension he believed I had buried in my subconscious."
"We know, Daniel," Jack agreed. "Jacob and Selmak told us as soon as they could, not quick enough though. We got lucky this time with the Tok'ra having one of their own on the inside."
"I'm not going to let this stop me going off world, Jack."
"I know," Jack replied, his features schooled to impassiveness. "We'll just have to take more precautions. Now we know what Yu wants, we'll be more prepared in the field."
"You know that still might not work."
"Yeah, I'm thinking locator chip," Jack countered with a broad smile.
"You want to tag me?" Daniel quipped.
"Carter's working on it as we speak."
"She is?"
"Yeahsureyabetcha." Standing up and shaking his legs, Jack leaned across and clamped a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Get some rest, buddy. When you're back on your feet, we'll discuss our other little problem."
"Problem?" Daniel asked, curiosity tinging his voice.
"Anubis," Jack replied, rolling his eyes skyward as he turned to leave. "I was sure we froze his snaky ass!"
The End
