(Bastet)

Jack paced at the foot of the ramp leading up to the Stargate. "For crying out loud, I thought we had a go here."

"General Hammond said we were to wait until he got back, sir." Carter said, glancing nervously up at the control room. "You don't think--."

"Major," O'Neill's sharp voice cut her off.

"Right, sir."

This was just supposed to be a standard recon to P3J-951, otherwise know as Centra. Other than fact they might take a little detour along the way to...see if they could steal a Goa'uld attack vessel...break into Nirti's stronghold...rescue Daniel, this was just a run of the mill standard mission.

"SG-1, there's been a minor change to your mission." A voice boomed down from the Gate Room speakers.

Sam looked up and saw General Hammond standing at the mic in the Control Room. The blast door from the corridor ground open and she turned to look.

"Doctor Peterson from SG-4 will be will be standing in for Doctor Jackson on this mission."

Peterson gave them a wane smile and tucked a loose strand of red hair back under her helmet. "Peterson, reporting," she said. "My team is on stand-down for the time being until Major Andros gets out of the infirmary."

O'Neill gave her a cursory glance and then glared up at the Control Room. "With no disrespect but, sir, we don't need an anthropologist for this mission. We're just going for mineral samples."

"Those are my order, Colonel O'Neill," Hammand's voice took on the firm command of authority. "Understood?"

Sam could see the frustration on her CO face, but he simply said, "Understood, Sir."

The Stargate whirled to life behind them and O'Neill turned to Anderson. "After you, Doctor."

She smiled. "Yes, sir."

O'Neill hit the hard packed earth of P3J-951 and frowned. This was not working out the way he had planned. Not at all. He glanced over at Peterson. Crap.

The young woman turned to look at him. "Okay, what's the plan?"

His eyebrows arched in surprise. "Plan?"

She signed. "Come on, Colonel O'Neill. What's the plan to find Daniel?"

"How did-" Carter started and then shut her mouth abruptly.

Peterson laughed. "Please, why do you think General Hammond picked me to come with you and not Rothman? At least I've got some field experience."

"That son of a gun," Jack said quietly.

Suddenly, the Stargate started to dial behind him.

"Now what?" O'Neill said in exasperation as SG-3 filed out the 'Gate.

"Why it's SG-1," Conner said in a Salto voice, walked over to the DHD. "I think somebody dialed us to the wrong planet. Hello, Colonel O'Neill."

Booker wandered over toward the DHD and deftly pulled out one of the crystals from under side. "Oh, my," he dead panned. "It seems the DHD is broken. I guess we'll just have to find another way home."

Jack opened his mouth to respond and abruptly he wasn't standing on P3J-951 any more. He was on a ship....a space ship....a Goa'uld space ship.

"Oneer!"

He whipped his head around and felt his jaw hit the floor. "Skaara?"

He was engulfed in a rib-cracked hug by the young Abydonian man. "Oneer, I was hoping to be seeing you. Your General Hammond informed the Tok'ra that you and your team would be here in case we would need you, but seeing as how this ship was not needed at the moment." His face sobered. "I have heard of Danier's capture by Nirti. We must free him."

Jack couldn't help but smile. "We will Skaare. We'll find him."

Rain poured down in blinding sheets obscuring Daniel already wavering vision. He tried to keep the path in front of him in focus as he doggedly kept putting one foot in front of the other. He had to keep moving. They had to be looking for him by now. Heru'Ur wouldn't let him get much of a head start.

His foot caught on a stray root and he stumbled. The jerk sent daggers of pain shooting up his spine. He ground his teeth and kept his feet moving through the slippery mud. He knew he wasn't going to be able to stay on his feet much longer but he had to try to keep moving. He had to get away.

Suddenly, the ground disappeared out from under his feet and he found himself plunging down an embankment. He felt his shoulders slam into the cold ground as he tumbled and fire erupted in his back in agonizing blaze of crimson.

Abruptly, he slammed into a tree, crushing the breath from his lungs. He lay there a few moments gasping like a landed fish trying to force oxygen back into his burning lungs. He rolled on to his back and froze. The blinding pain in his back was gone.

He twisted to reach around and touched his back.

No! It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

He tried to move his legs but nothing happened. He couldn't feel them at all.

NO!

(Yum@)

Daniel wondered if he should laugh now and let the hysteria out or should he just bite down on his tongue out of frustration.

'This can't be happening. Not now. Okay...calm down...calm down...you just have to stay put somewhere and wait for Jack to come rushing through the Stargate with the cavalry.'

The lightning crackled above and the rain seemed to pounded harder as if suggesting neither idea would be plausible. The wind picked up, blowing against his shivering body, scolding him to move on.

'And maybe you can figure out how now? Daniel continued to think, waving at his numb legs, trying to keep the panic down. The first moment of discovery when his legs refused to move made him tense, and attempt to shout out in a mixture of shock and fear- an unwise move considering there was a Jaffa guard on his trail. Luckily, he ruefully admitted, the effects of the Taldor device continued to silence him.

Now if he could only conceal himself.

'It may only be temporary,' Jackson told himself as he dragged with his hands, pulling his body across the muddy bank to the river raging besides it. Panting from the effort of dragging himself a few feet, the archeologist splashed some water on his face before taking a sip, too tired to care about bacteria, germs and God knows what may be lurking in the brown streaked water. He pushed up, clawing the nearby sagging sapling, until he was sitting.

Big mistake.

A shock skewered his body like a hot poker, going from the base of his spine straight to his head. Clenching his teeth, Daniel double over, clutching his head.

'Damn that hurt,' Jackson seethed. 'But at least I feel something' He ran his hands up and down his legs, trying to coax some feeling back into his legs.

His legs tingled as if someone was poking little needles up and down his calves, as if they fell asleep for too long. But when he tried flexing them, there wasn't enough of a reaction to get himself moving again.

'Come on, come on,' Daniel seethed, pounding a fist on the muddy ground, frustrated. He can't stay here. He simply can't. Despite the stormy background, he could swear he could hear the enemy pounding close by.

Then again, it could be his head or his heart making all that noise.

Lightning crackled again as if screaming to him to hurry up and the river churned, lapping up higher the bank to where he was.

The river.

Studying the river, biting his lower lip, Daniel could see the white froth writhing on the surface like snakes. He shivered, but not from the cold this time. It wasn't wide, just fast. But if he could get across, to the thicket of trees and perhaps to the range of cliffs he could barely make out in the rain, Daniel would have a fighting chance. He would just have to swim across-

Daniel dropped his head in his hands. 'Swim. I would like to see how that is going to happen.' He pounded at his legs with a fist. He didn't even feel an ache from where his hand impacted.

He leaned against the sapling, staring at the rain hoping for some answers, dully noting that a tree wasn't really a good place to be near right now in a stormy like this.

After a moment, watching droplets splash against his face and body, Daniel straightened up, hissing as the heat of his wound flared up once more. He felt the rough bark of the sapling, barely surviving the onslaught of mother nature. Daniel gave it a shake.

It leaned closer to the ground.

Pursing his lips, he noted it was taller than he, wider than the river by just enough, but barely thicker than his torso.

Chancy.

Iffy.

Or as Jack would say it "Are you nuts?"

'Probably,' Daniel mouthed as he shook the sapling once more, pulling his hands back with a start when lightning boomed overhead. Warily staring at the sky, he frantically shook the tree with both hands, spurred on by the impeding feeling of danger crawling up his back. He had to get across that river. He had to!

The tree reluctantly leaned lower and lower until finally it gave up its feeble hold to the moist ground and fell. Daniel wanted to scream out triumphantly, but instead, he leaned over the fallen tree and took a deep breath. Then, sitting up again, he rolled the tree, half with his hands, then with his shoulder before dragging himself along with it. He alternated, pushing the tree away and dragging himself closer to it, inching nearer and nearer to the river until the cold chill of the water bit in his hands on the banks.

'Just let me go across. Please,' Daniel willed to the tree before pushing one end away from himself, swiveling it to the river. The root side of the tree hovered precariously over the river for a moment, swaying as waves crashed over it as the wood interrupted the fast flow of a storm filled river. Daniel held his breath as he pushed the other end with his shoulder, grunting as the weight pulled at his back, his arms trembling as he used them to claw the dirt below, pushing his body against the tree, moving it across the river. He thought at one point, he was going to lose the log all together when a large wave smashed into the tree and he felt it shift away from him. But after a moment, it stilled and he continued on until he could see the roots touch the other shore.

Bowing his head, spent, utterly spent, Daniel could feel the call for sleep washing over him. But he clenched his fists, bit back the sob as his back burned horribly at the one spot he knew the remaining arrow was imbedded in and clawed the log, pulling himself into the river.

Water lapped around his numb legs, dragging, pulling insistently at his lower body as he clung to the log, shuffling across the tree to get to the other side. He didn't pause, even when light slipped away at one point and he thought he was going to pass out. He kept going, forcing himself to wake up and feel every pinch and stab of his back, relying on the agony to keep him awake.

The other side of the shore beckoned, promising sweet escape. There. Over there, he'll be able to keep going, maybe drag himself to the cliffs, find some cave to rest, stay warm and wait for his friends. It was a wild thought. But he knew somehow, somehow, Jack would know where to find him. Despite him being beyond reach, the enemies overflowing Nir'ti's base, Daniel knew somehow O'Neill will come barging in, chiding at Daniel for being a mess and this whole ordeal would be over.

But until then, Daniel needed to keep himself alive, warm would be a nice bonus, and wait.

'Cold and wet are my world,' Daniel thought as he remembered something a fellow colleague said once back in the academia days. God, those were the days. When he could sit up at nights and be let to his devices, books piling high to the walls, sleeping in when exhaustion finally-

Daniel jerked awake, feeling his fingers loosening from its claw-like grip on the tree. He swung his head to the left, then right. He was halfway there. And he nearly fell asleep!

'No good,' Daniel reflected in disgust. He spent enough time in the infirmary much to his friends' and his own dismay, to know what shock was. And he was well past that point. If he didn't get out of this bone-chilling river soon and to some place dry, he'll die of hypothermia before the pursing Jaffa or his back does that for him.

'Cold and wet are my world,' his thoughts repeated as he continued on, clenching his teeth as the river splashed against his makeshift bridge. 'Yeah? Well welcome to planet Jackson then.'

Daniel mentally groaned. It sounded like something Jack would say. The colonel was rubbing off on him.

'Well, let's hope it helps you," Daniel muttered under his breath as he inched closer and closer to the other shore. He yelped when a power wave slammed against him and the log.

It moved.

Daniel jerked his head up, eyes wide as he saw the tree he was clinging to, rolled up then down a little. The storm with the river was beating down on it and the flimsy weight wasn't enough of an anchor to keep it still.

Or hold him much longer.

Daniel kept moving, trying to ignore the moving log under his hands as he pulled himself across. As he felt the ground underneath his hip, the water shallow where the bank rose, he nearly sagged with relief, almost letting go of the log. Just a bit more. Just a little bit more and he can let go and pull himself across to somewhere where he can-

Red fire shot up from his ankles, up his back, rivaling the cold water. His legs came alive with feeling again, something in his back shifting. His body spasming, the sudden feeling of pain ripping up his legs and back made his hands spread open.

And let go.

Daniel felt the pull of the river as his own hands released his hold, dropping him into the water just two feet from shore. He cried out soundlessly, reaching out for the tree, felt numb fingers brushing across the rough bark before a large wave crashed over his head.

Water flooded his mouth, slammed into his chest, his world becoming dark and numb and all he could do was only think how his friends would feel when they find he couldn't wait for them after all.

"Hey, what do you suppose this do?" Booker whispered to his bunkmate, poking at a crystal on the console. Tapping the amber rock, Booker yelped when the ship leaned to the side before righting itself.

"Booker!"

"Oh for crying out loud! What the hell was that?"

"It would appear the ship was interrupted in its journey." Teal'c said calmly, the only person standing besides the Tok'ra while everyone else had to pick themselves up.

"Anderson! Get Booker away from that thing before I jet him off this ship without his uniform!" Jack bellowed, an impressive echo ringing through the chamber.

Sergeant Anderson ducked his head under Conners' scowl and dragged Booker away from the console, hissing "Great move. I'll like to be alive to help Doctor Jackson if you don't mind!"

"Oops," Booker offered before scurrying back to his other teammates. O'Neill glared from his end of the room, barely able to stand still, looking very much like he was going to follow through with his threat.

"I'm sorry. Booker tends to get like that before a major mission. Eases his tension and all that-" Anderson began as he saw Carter walk over, but she wanly smiled.

"It's okay. Don't mind the colonel. He's a little...restless right now."

The two darted their glances over when they heard a muttered curse after Jack kicked one of the walls and the wall won. Swearing, the colonel hobbled back and forth, the urge to pace coming over him again.

Anderson winced. "I usually eat, Major Carter before a mission. Use to kick walls a lot...til I ran out of toes to break."

Carter smiled tiredly as she watched the monitor shimmer, telling her that the journey to Nir'ti's location was not over yet. "I suppose you wouldn't have anything right now, sergeant?"

"Sorry," Anderson shrugged apologetically. "I just finished the last Twinkie."

Carter laughed, but it didn't sound like she had the heart into it. She sobered, watching the colonel pace.

"Oneer is very upset." Skaara came up to them.

"He's just worried about Daniel," Sam reassured the youth. The Abydosian nodded.

"Ah. As am I. But we will find him. The Tok'ra has learned of Dan-yel's whereabouts. All we need to do is plan how we may approach her base."

"I guess 'ding dong, Avon lady calling' isn't gonna help, huh?" Carter muttered. She flushed when she saw Skaara's strange look.

"Does she order out?" Jack added, coming up behind them. He glared at the monitor. "Aren't we there already?"

"We are going to conceal behind one of the moons so she may not know of our presence," Skaara motioned to the other Tok'ra.

Folding his arms across his chest, Jack grumbled. "You go across the galaxy and it takes a snap, go across the street and it takes a year."

Anderson and Carter exchanged a look. Sam was about to comment when she caught an odd sight.

Booker, head covered with an odd helmet, bounded up to Teal'c. The Jaffa arched his eyebrow at the soldier who boomed dramatically, his voice deepened under the helmet.

"Luke, I am your father."

Anderson groaned, smacking his forehead with his hand. Booker is so dead now. Maybe he should start thinking about requisitioning for a new roommate.

Teal'c's eyebrow went higher. "I am not Luke. And my father is dead."

Booker took off the helmet. He grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry. Was trying to ease the tension here with a joke."

"Ah," the Jaffa said, nodding. He tilted his head, puzzled. "Did you tell the joke yet?"

Booker's smile wavered. "Uh-"

"Lieutenant," Jack called out in a sharp voice. Both Carter and Anderson cringed. The soldier was going to get it now. "Where did you get that thing?"

Skaara faced Jack with a confused frown. "It is from a bounty hunter the Tok'ra have encountered before. He exchanged his uniform for something a while ago."

"Sir?" Carter wondered why O'Neill was suddenly grinning. "What is it?"

"Doesn't that look...familiar?" Jack drawled.

Carter squinted her eyes, staring at the half head helmet and its odd greenish tones. Her mouth dropped open when it dawned to her. "Isn't that Ar-"

"Yup." The colonel's grin grew. "Major...what is it collectors love the most?" he suddenly asked.

Puzzled, she furrowed her brow. "Uh...high value, usually something in good condition-"

Jack shook his head, wagging a finger in front of her. He draped an arm around Skaara and drawled. "A match set."

Carter stood there, thinking before her head snapped back up in realization. "You mean-?"

"Skaara..." Jack motioned everyone else to come over. "I think I have an idea on how to get us in." At the surrounding puzzled faces, O'Neill pointed to the helmet Booker held. "Nir'ti is going to...*invite* us in."

(Scribe)

Oh, this was bad, Martouf thought as he quickly recognised the goa'uld beside Nir'ti to be Heru'Ur. The Tok'ra intelligence had really dropped him in it this time. No way could he bluff it out as Apophis in front of this particular system lord. Thinking fast and furious, he stepped away from the gate as though he had every right to be there, conscious of SG-9 at his back. Hopefully they would have the sense to just keep quiet and follow whatever lead he gave. Think. Think!

The words were out of his mouth almost as soon as the idea had formed in his mind. "My Lord Apophis is unable to attend in person. I am here as his ambassador." He bowed low to Nir'ti. "Sen'tesh at your service, my lady."

He straightened up and remained silent as Nir'ti's eyes raked him from head to foot.

"Sen'tesh? I am not familiar with that name."

Martouf inclined his head. "My world is of little significance to one as powerful as you, my lady."

Heru'Ur stepped forward, suspicion clear on his face. His voice was low, the tone sinisterly thoughtful. "Keeper of an insignificant world and a name we have not heard of. Odd then that Apophis entrusts you to run errands for him."

"Sometimes anonymity can serve a purpose," Martouf replied smoothly. "I have proved myself… useful in the past." He held Heru'Ur's gaze with a confidence he didn't feel. "My Lord Apophis has entrusted me with the purchase of the Tau'ri. I will not fail him in this task."

Without warning, Heru'Ur spat his feet. "I have no time for Apophis or his minions." He turned to Nir'ti his face triumphant. "The Tau'ri has escaped."

"What?!" Nir'ti spun towards him her eyes blazing. "Escaped? That cannot be!"

"It seems, my lady, your Jaffa are careless. I was passing his quarters and found the door open. The Tau'ri was gone, but I found this on the floor." He produced the scarlet scarf and handed it to Nir'ti. "I have dispatched my Jaffa to hunt him down."

"To hunt…" Nir'ti's eyes narrowed. "Exactly what orders did you give them?"

Heu'ra smiled. "To return his body here by nightfall."

"Barbarian!" Nir'ti screamed. "He is my property. You will pay for this sport."

Heru'Ur ignored her, his attention on Martouf. "Perhaps you should contact your master. Ask him what price he is willing to pay for Daniel Jackson's body."

Martouf felt the colour drain from his face at Heru'Ur's words. This couldn't be happening. After all they had been through, surely Daniel wasn't destined to die at the hands of Heru'Ur's sadistic Jaffa. He had to get away from this ridiculous audience and attempt to find Daniel himself.

He watched in frustration as Nir'ti called for her first prime. "You will take your Jaffa and find the Tau'ri before the Horus guards reach him. Return him alive or your own life will be forfeit."

The Jaffa bowed low and hurried away, shouting to his men as he went. Well at least he was tasked with keeping Daniel safe, Martouf thought. As Nir'ti turned back to him her voice was calm. "I hope you will still have the opportunity to serve your master as he wished," she said. "For now I will have my servant take you and your retinue to the guest quarters." She snapped her fingers at a young girl standing to one side.

Martouf bowed once again, murmuring his thanks. As he moved towards the door in the company of Nir'ti's servant he heard Heru'Ur's voice call after him mockingly.

"I'll have my Jaffa deliver the Tau'ri's body to you personally, Sen'tesh. Be sure to give my compliments to Apophis."

Six hours and still no news from her Jaffa. Nir'ti paced angrily in front the of the Stargate. Things were going very badly. The Taldor representative had demanded her presence three times now. She couldn't put off the meeting for much longer. She bit her lip in frustration, aware that the Taldorian would be infuriated by the news that Daniel Jackson had escaped her clutches. This was not the way she had planned things!

Thrusting her hand into a pocket her fingers encountered the silk scarf Heur'Ar had taken such a delight in returning to her. The memory of Daniel Jackson captive and barely decent in black silk came unbidden to her mind. Cursing she paced faster. She had let her greed for weapons and wealth get the better of her desire for pleasure. Yet it was also true that exploring the physical promise of Daniel Jackson would've been a much more satisfying experience once the sale was agreed than taking him immediately. Besides, if he did not survive her… exploration, then the loss would've been to his new owner not to her. A deal once agreed was a deal. Now however, thanks to Heur'Ar, it looked like she wouldn't get the opportunity to discover if Hathor's claims were true…

"My Lady." A servant girl stepped hesitantly from the shadows, bowing low before Nir'ti.

The goa'uld queen spun round, anger blazing white in her eyes. "What is it?"

"A party of strangers have arrived at the north gate, my lady. One of them seeks audience."

"Strangers? I have no time for strangers! Turn them away," Nir'ti snapped.

"My lady," the servant girl paled with fear as she spoke again. "There were two Tau'ri amongst them - a man and a woman. They looked like prisoners."

Nir'ti stopped pacing and turned her full attention on the girl. "Prisoners?"

"Yes my lady."

"Prisoners of whom?"

"He said his name was Aris Boch."

A narrow smile cut across Nir'ti's face. Boch! Perhaps all was not lost after all. Her new found hope did not reflect in her voice however. "What are you waiting for girl!" she snapped. "Show them in."

God! Where was he? Cold. So very cold. As consciouness returned, Daniel raised his head off the damp ground beneath him intending to figure out where exactly he had ended up. Instantly he realised it was a mistake to move. Sky and ground looped around him like a dizzy carousel. Agony seared through him as he pulled his knees beneath him, crouched like a whipped animal as nausea dominated his existence. He barely drew in a breath before the retching started, his stomach rejecting the foul water from the river that had forced itself down his throat. Oh God! Everything hurt. Surely dying couldn't be worse than this hellish existence.

It seemed like hours before his body finally gave up its rebellion. Rolling clear of his own filth, he lay on his back gasping for breath, dimly aware of the heavy rain still splashing down on his bare skin. A small voice at the back of his mind whispered that he had to move. That lying half-naked in the open was suicide. But it was too much effort to do anything more than open his mouth and let the rainwater wash away the bitter taste.

Move, Daniel! The voice wouldn't let him be. Cold. Hurt. Exhausted. Still some part of him clung to survival. Nagging at him. He closed his eyes, summoned up the last vestige of energy left to him and rolled on to his stomach. Fresh pain shot up his back again, his fingers clawing into the soft sand beneath him in reflex.

Long minutes passed as he waited it out, finally managing to lift his head and take in his surroundings. He was on the river bank, lying on a narrow strip of muddy sand. Barely ten yards in front of him was a thick hedge of vegetation. If he could just get himself into it, he would have at least some form of protection from the rain… and from the Jaffa. Oh God! Jaffa! They were hunting him! How could he have forgotten?

Fear gave him a fresh impetus. Inch by painful inch he crawled towards the vegetation, every movement pure torture, until with one last effort he reached for the thick root of a large bush and pulled himself under the cover of its canopy. With a soundless cry he gave himself back up to the blessed relief of unconsciousness.

TBC.....................

Thoughts, suggestions, snide commments?

Click on the cartouche to e-mail me