aurora_novarum | DVD Commentary: Vanquishing Demons

Original Version of Vanquishing Demons

Title: Vanquishing Demons
Category: Gen; Team friendship; Action/Adventure; Angst/Drama; Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Teal'c; SG-1 and some other canon friends and enemies
Word Count: Approx. 17,000 words (I know, I know, I can't shut up)
Rating: Teen/PG-13
Warnings: Violence (including whumpage); minor language
Season/Spoilers: Season 4, set immediately after the events in "Serpent's Venom"

Summary: Teal'c is still recovering from the ordeal he suffered during Serpent's Venom when SG-1 is sent on a mission more dangerous than they realized.

This story is special for two different reasons. One, it was my first ever ficathon story, and thus I was panicking of "would my recipient like this?" I eventually learned this would be my standard reaction to exchange-athons. The second reason is it's my first "non-missing scene" fic. Granted it's kind of a sequel fic since it's directly related to a particular episode, but I created a new world, with new stuff and went outside the box a bit in describing Goa'uld politics. This was the first time I stretched beyond I wonder what happened in those missing moments.

Prompt:

lovellama for the

tealc_ficathon wanted "Hurt! Comfort! Action!" and did not want "Kid Fic, PWP, or Not going off world."

I panicked when I first saw this prompt. Because how do you do hurt/comfort for a guy who's got a built-in recovery system? (I honestly wasn't looking to do an ep fic when I was brainstorming). Then I thought of emotional impacts and happened to catch a rerun of Serpent's Venom and it all came together. Teal'c is not quite himself here–lost his mojo, but I thought there should be *some* repercussions for him and all the team after that experience. *poor Teal'c*

Part One: Haunted Memories

Teal'c breathed deeply, the slight odor of the candle wax wafting by him. Attuned to his senses, he could hear the more erratic breathing of Daniel Jackson meditating across from him, and Airman Roberts flirting with Carrie Mason in the hall outside his door. Just a bit of mundane color to juxtapose ordinary SGC life going on against Teal'c's unusual disquiet. His symbiote, still agitated from the torture they had endured, was settling. Teal'c breathed even deeper.

He focused on his kel'no'reem. He needed this to recuperate, to heal, to be strong again and serve by the side of comrades. By doing this, he would be that much closer to meeting that goal, that much farther in putting the past behind him. Teal'c's recites this to himself as a rote here more than describing for audience. But it's not really working out for him. I may have gotten a bit too description focused through here, including being oblique as to what's bugging him.

But whether it was from the trauma to his symbiote, to himself, or some other reason, the past did not yet let him go. His memories took him back to that dark chamber where he lived days of unending torture, with barely a sip of water to cross his lips. The echoing voice mocked him, ridiculing, offering false hope to end his torment–serving up lies and truths intermingled in an attempt to break him, to which all Teal'c could do was stay conscious and defy the parasite who pretended to be a god. The Goa'uld's name was a curse that haunted him, as he could still feel the memory of the pain stick and the hot breath so close to his face.

"Terok!" I like the transition of Teal'c thinking he's hearing the name in his dream, but it's really what he called out (or at least what he was hearing over Daniel's calling his name). A common trick, but still...effective.

Teal'c's eyes snapped open, and he gradually became aware that the voice he was hearing was not the hated Goa'uld's, but that of Daniel Jackson calling his name. His friend had moved from his own seat and was now next to Teal'c, feeling the pulse at his neck. Teal'c himself was lying on his side.

"Teal'c. Talk to me." He heard Daniel sigh and begin to move to the phone. "I'm calling the infirmary."

"I am fine."

Daniel Jackson blinked at him in surprise. "Teal'c." He smiled in relief. "You weren't answering me, and your pulse was skyrocketing. I really think Janet should check you out."

"It is unnecessary, a side effect of my symbiote's recuperation." Teal'c's voice brooked no argument, and he gave his friend his most intimidating glare. He knew the glare would not affect the stubborn human, but he hoped the confidence he was acting out would assuage any of Daniel Jackson's fears.

Daniel helped him sit up again, his gaze clearly assessing the Jaffa.

"I apologize for alarming you, Daniel Jackson. I was unaware that the reaction would do so."

"Teal'c, you were practically in a seizure, and you weren't answering me."

"As I have said, I apologize for having alarmed you." In truth, the reaction and the memories had frightened Teal'c as well, but he did not wish to display such weakness to anyone, not even his closest friends. They already had seen him in this weakened state for far too long. He knew they relied on his strength, and he could not disappoint them. "The injuries to my symbiote were severe. I would have warned you if I had anticipated the reaction."

"So, this was expected by you?" Daniel's eyebrows raised above his glasses in a skeptical manner.

"I am unable to reach the deep state of kel'no'reem to allow the proper healing to take place."

Daniel Jackson frowned at him, clearly deep in thought. "Are you saying I'm a distraction to you, Teal'c?"

Teal'c hesitated. He did not want to admit that Daniel Jackson's presence was actually a comfort to him. However, if he had any more incidents like this one, he knew his friend would not hesitate to call Doctor Fraiser, and Teal'c knew this was a weakness of his own mind, not his body. He had to work through it himself. He realized Daniel was still awaiting an answer. "I have told you that you are always welcome, Daniel Jackson."

"But sometimes more welcome than others?", Daniel Jackson's mouth quirked in a small smile, an indication he was not offended by the perceived implication. "I'm sorry, Teal'c. All you had to do was say something."

"I..."

"It's all right." Daniel's mouth set in a thin line. Perhaps his friend was more offended than he let on, but Teal'c's own emotions were in such an addled state, he dared not explain further for fear of alienating Daniel Jackson even more. Besides, this turn of events may be for the best.

Not sure how effective this came out, but Teal'c is unusally focused on his own weakness, and thinking everyone else is judging him as harshly as he judges himself...viewing all their actions in that lens. I was trying to set up even at this point how unreliable a narrator Teal'c is in his own story. He sees Daniel being offended, but Daniel's actually very worried but knowing with Teal'c it's a time to pick stubbornness battles (and I have a lot more fic to write), he takes a more laid back approach, testing how Teal'c responds. Of course, being Daniel, we'll soon see he can't stick to that strategy very long. Talking is too instinctual for Daniel, just as taciturnity (that's a word, right?) is for Teal'c.

Instead, Teal'c could tell from the human's body language that he was still not ready to end this conversation. Daniel Jackson took one of those intuitive leaps Teal'c had observed on many missions, as if he could read the Jaffa's mind.

"You know, it may help to talk about things. If you explain what happened, it could help you work through things."

"I did explain what occurred, Daniel Jackson. Doctor Fraiser is aware of my injuries. I see no need to discuss the matter further."

"I'm not talking about the bullet point report you provided when you debriefed. I'm talking about what happened to you: how you feel, what you're thinking. Teal'c, I'm your friend. I just want to help you. You went through a terrible ordeal. I'm not saying you have to talk to me, maybe you'd feel better talking to Jack or Sam. It's not a weakness to ask for help, you know. We're your friends. All you have to do is say the word."

Teal'c scowled. Of course he would help his friends with no thought of dishonor. But for him, it was different. There was nothing anyone else could do. Orpheus and Threshold were as big an influence as Serpent's Venom on this story. Teal'c always holds himself to a different (higher) standard than others, be they human or Jaffa. These demons were only a weakness in his mind. The best thing was to forget them. They had no meaning outside his memories. If Daniel Jackson kept chipping away at his weakened outer stoicism, he would reveal this weakness to his friend, and the scientist would know his shame.

"I appreciate your concern, Daniel Jackson, but several hours of kel'no'reem should be sufficient. Perhaps it would be best if I see you in the morning."

Daniel sighed and got up from Teal'c's side. He paused by the door.

"What's 'terok'?" Daniel knows he's lost this battle, but still fighting the war at knowing what's wrong with Teal'c.

"What?" Only Teal'c's years of discipline as a First Prime kept him from reacting more to his friend calmly stating the name of his enemy.

"Terok. You said it right before you collapsed."

"It means nothing." Teal'c stated the words forcefully. At this point, I already planned to bookend the fic coming back to this theme.

Daniel Jackson looked at him, his expression clearly skeptical. "Right. I'll see you in the morning, then." Before he closed the door behind him, he paused again. "Teal'c? It's pretty late. I figure I'll just stay here in my quarters on base."

The "in case you change your mind" remained unstated. I liked this additional communication, and that deep down, Teal'c recognized the overture of friendship for what it was, even though he couldn't bring himself to outwardly acknowledge it. Teal'c merely nodded in response, but his soul was slightly more at peace by the overture.

"Well, your pouch is still a bit tender, and I'd like to give you an antibiotic to just help Junior out a bit more and prevent infection, but you're still making progress, considering the numerous injuries your symbiote has to heal." Dr. Fraiser nodded to a nurse and ordered the medication. not-exactly-gratuitous Janet appearance! Hi Janet!

Teal'c refrained from telling her that his recuperation was actually taking longer than usual. Perhaps the Tau'ri medicine would help heal where his inability to properly meditate could not. His kel'no'reem was not as deep as it should have been; unwanted memories continued to intrude long after Daniel Jackson took his leave. Still, over several hours, Teal'c was able to concentrate enough to focus on the physical state. It was pure determination, not proper technique, that allowed the focus for his symbiote to repair his damaged body. Yeah, I'm kinda making up the techniques of kel'no'reem with a bit of help from "Holiday", but...it seemed to make sense.

He withstood the sting of the injection with equanimity and nodded at Doctor Fraiser's easy smile. If the SGC healer was not detecting his infirmity, he would not correct her.

The klaxons began to blare and Sergeant Harriman's voice rang out over the intercom. "Unscheduled offworld activation."

"If you will excuse me, Doctor Fraiser."

He barely heard her response before he was out of the infirmary. He did not remember the voyage along the corridors, and could not even tell if he took the stairs or the elevator to Level 28. He moved automatically and swiftly, and before he knew it, he was at the door to the control room.

Two steps took Teal'c to the top of the small stairwell, and he was by Sergeant Harriman's side. As the man twisted in his chair to report to Hammond, he jumped at how close Teal'c was hovering. I'm not sure how well I described Teal'c's mental state here. I was trying to convey that zone you get when you're doing stuff by rote but not consciously aware of it. Even kinda blacking out with blankness when under high stress. Additionally, I was juxtaposing his unconscious pleasure at still being adept enough to surprise Harriman, but still thrown off by Sam surprising him without meaning to. I may have just muddied it by trying to do too much.

"Um, it's SG-5, sir. They're requesting more materials for their survey."

General Hammond leaned forward to study the display. Disappointed in the mundane alert, Teal'c turned to go, but was startled to find Major Carter next to him. He had been so focused on the Stargate transmission, he was unaware of his surroundings. He vowed to himself not to become so preoccupied.

"Major Carter." He nodded and began to leave.

"Teal'c." Major Carter gave him a hopeful smile. Despite his attempt to move away, she doggedly followed. "Nothing needing us after all, huh?"

"Apparently not."

Teal'c was aware at how she brushed against his arm. She had been doing that since they had rendezvoused on the moon. Did his weakness show so much that Major Carter felt she must hover and protect him? He again vowed to himself to prove his self reliance before their next mission. Another instance that Teal'c's perception is not reality, and hopefully one more obvious than with Daniel. As pointed out later, Sam's reasons for acting this way are not what Teal'c perceives.

Daniel Jackson's words came back to him. "It's not a weakness to ask for help, you know. We're your friends. All you have to do is say the word." Was his pride exacerbating this situation? His kel'no'reem had been fitful, and he would not be able to proclaim himself ready to serve on SG-1 if he did not get some answers. His recent experiences had weakened his mental barriers. Teal'c prided himself on his compartmentalization; it was something Master Bra'tac had taught him. Thinking of Bra'tac brought a fresh pain to his heart. Though his mind and his soul said Bra'tac's death must be one of Terok's many lies, his heart still feared the worst.

At least some of his trust in his team, and their influence on him breaks through his stubborness and currently warped sense of self. Also, I can't *believe* they never followed up on Teal'c hearing Bra'tac was dead. That was definitely the deepest cut in "Serpent's Venom." *pets Teal'c*

With great reluctance, Teal'c allowed a small confession. "I had hoped it was Master Bra'tac. I wished to speak with him about some matters."

"Oh. You couldn't reach him on Chulak?"

"He was not there, and had not been seen in some time. No doubt he is recruiting more warriors to the rebel cause."

"No doubt." Sam gave a small smile. "You know, Dad's making a scheduled contact shortly for a shared intelligence briefing. If you want, I could ask him if he's heard any word about Bra'tac?"

Teal'c gazed down at her. She was watching him carefully. He kept his expression neutral, though his thoughts roiled at the possibility of finding out definitely that Terok's lies may actually have a kernel of truth. But living like this, not knowing, was becoming impossible. Sam knows he's really worried about Bra'tac, but doesn't exactly know why. It doesn't matter to her.

Decision made, he nodded. "I would appreciate that, Major Carter."

Major Carter squeezed his arm. "Of course, Teal'c. What are friends for?"

The klaxons began to blare again. "This is probably him now. You want to stick around, ask him yourself?"

"I am sure you will explain it adequately Major Carter. Please...convey my regards to your father."

Major Carter flashed one of her blinding smiles. "Sure thing, Teal'c. Save me a seat at breakfast."

Teal'c nodded and walked towards the elevator. He had to admit, sharing a bit of his burden, even if not fully explaining the whole, had relieved a bit of the pain in his heart.

Breakfast seemed to relax Teal'c more than any kel'no'reem session could. It was a bustle of common, everyday activity with several personnel milling around, some greeting Teal'c by name or with a wave. He acknowledged them with a nod before placing his loaded tray on a table being vacated by some of the science staff. This breakfast scene was really pretty extraneous to the plot and even the characterizations, but I could never bring myself to cut it because I adored the team banter. The advantage of not having to fit "fanfic" into 44 minute episodes.

He finished his juice and pancakes and was about to start on his fruit when Major Carter arrived. He watched her get some yogurt and granola before joining him at the table.

"The eggs look more powdered than usual this morning. I decided to avoid the hot meals." She gestured to his empty plate. "Waffles?"

"Pancakes. I believe O'Neill would call them 'rubbery'." I think "Fourth Horseman" and snarking at the commissary food was happening around when I wrote this.

"Ah."

"It appears your choice not to partake was wise, Major Carter."

She grinned. "Indeed." She crumbled some of the granola over her yogurt and took a sip of tea.

"So, I spoke with Dad..." Her explanation was interrupted by two very familiar voices loudly talking over each other as they entered the room.

"Jack, you're missing the point entirely."

"No, I don't think I am, Daniel."

Teal'c stiffened for a moment. Were they arguing about him? Then he realized he was being paranoid. Daniel Jackson would never betray a confidence. This seemed more likely to be one of the pair's numerous arguments. Sometimes, Tea'lc believed the two men enjoyed the verbal sparring as a recreational sport. Daniel Jackson had a report in his hand that looked to be a photograph of some toppled buildings. He looked over at Major Carter. This came out awkward, and even Teal'c realizes he's getting ridiculous with his hyperawareness.

"They're at it again, aren't they?" She was smiling at him.

Teal'c bowed his head. "Indeed."

The two men's voices still carried across the commissary as they got their food, oblivious to the looks they were getting from some of personnel, including their other teammates.

"The civilization on P5X-428 shows indication of an Mayan society dating back almost one thousand years earlier than any findings here on Earth. The ruins found there could be a key in discovering more about..."

O'Neill interrupted. "Daniel, you know SG-1 is a field unit. We can't go hopping around to study the ruins of every dead ancient civilization."

"I'm not talking about every ruins, Jack. I'm talking about these ruins."

"And I've already told you, no. You'll see the reports by SG-14."

"But..."

"Daniel, Hammond has already got our next three missions scheduled, two of them for planets you put on the priority list."

"I know, Jack. But this planet..."

"I know, Daniel. Yadda yadda, meaning of life."

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"That mission to P7K-956 is scheduled for Sam's minerals, and there's no evidence of civilization there. I could join SG-14 while you're on that one."

"N. O. No."

Teal'c noted the change in tone in O'Neill's voice. He glanced over Major Carter's shoulder to watch his teammates approach. O'Neill's expression was steeled and closed as he looked over at the table, his mouth a thin line.

O'Neill continued, "I'm not letting any members of my team go play with others, Daniel. You guys get into too much trouble on your own. May I remind you of Chaka? Or the snakeheads' light show?"

"That last one's not fair, you guys became just as infected on that pleasure planet."

Daniel Jackson's arguments had no force behind them now. Teal'c knew the two men were no longer discussing the archeologist being separated from the team, but himself. He had been captured by Rak'nor while alone. He could not be trusted on his own. He had shamed O'Neill and SG-1 by his weakness. Here's where he's reading Jack wrong...thinking Jack was ashamed of him, rather than Jack having his own guilt issues. Jack and Teal'c are such peas in a pod. Also, I think I may have mucked around a bit with canon chronology of when some of these events happened, but...eh, close enough.

"SG-1 stays together." O'Neill stated firmly.

Not facing the others, Major Carter also appeared to sense the tonal change in the overheard argument, as well as Teal'c's reaction, because she placed a soothing hand on his arm and tried to redirect his attention. She may not understand all of why Teal'c's reacting to, but it's pretty clear she'd know as well as Teal'c that Jack was referencing Teal'c's kidnapping as much as things with Daniel (as would Daniel).

"As I was saying, from what Dad told me, he hasn't heard anything about Bra'tac officially, but the Tok'ra have observed an increase in Jaffa leaving the ranks of a couple of the weaker system lords and not joining any other Goa'ulds. He promised to put some feelers out, specifically for Bra'tac."

Teal'c tamped down his anger and processed her words. More Free Jaffa meant Bra'tac was still spreading word of the rebellion. Terok must have been lying. He would not be satisfied until he could speak with the Jaffa Master himself, but for now, Major Carter's words comforted. Without worrying about Bra'tac, he could focus on his own state and no longer give O'Neill and the others reason for concern. He let out a slow breath to calm himself.

"I appreciate your assistance, Major Carter."

She smiled back at him. "Anytime, Teal'c."

The conversation between the two other members of SG-1 continued behind her.

"Carter's got to be dragged along to study your rocks, it's only fair you have to be dragged along for hers."

Daniel Jackson and O'Neill had arrived at the table by now. O'Neill came around the table and sat beside Teal'c as Daniel Jackson took the vacant seat beside Major Carter. Daniel Jackson had apparently overhead the last exchange between himself and Major Carter, because he was looking between them both before breaking out in a smile. He did not even rise to O'Neill's last teasing challenge.

"Morning, Sam, Teal'c. Doing okay?"

Although the question was directed at them both, Teal'c felt himself being studied like one of Daniel Jackson's artifacts. However, the smile his friend was flashing at him seemed to indicate something had met with Daniel Jackson's approval. Thinking about the end of the conversation with Major Carter, Teal'c realized that perhaps Daniel Jackson believed Teal'c had confided in her. If it kept his friend from worrying about him more, Teal'c would do nothing to alter that interpretation. I really wish in retrospect I'd deleted this paragraph, or at least rewrote it. It always makes me squirm at being anvilly and/or awkward.

Major Carter appeared oblivious to any subtext. She responded normally. "Fine, Daniel. Sleep well?"

"Me? Oh, yeah. Kinda hung around here late, so decided to crash on base." Daniel glanced at Teal'c before looking at his plate and playing with the syrup on his waffles.

Teal'c was startled by what was on his commander's tray. "O'Neill, did you not instruct me to harm you if you ever ingested that food again?"

Everyone glanced down at the multicolored circles beginning to float as O'Neill poured milk into his cereal. "What? Yeah, I needed a change for a while, after that whole time loop thing, but you know a breakfast favorite never completely goes off the menu. Man does not live on oatmeal alone."

"No, apparently he also lives on sugar."

"You're one to talk, Daniel. How much syrup do you have on those waffles?"

Daniel Jackson glowered before cutting a bite of his food and chewing it slowly. Teal'c next watched O'Neill's hand flash over to his own tray and snatch a couple of grapes.

"What? You weren't going to eat all of them were you?" O'Neill raised his eyebrows innocently. Teal'c noted peripherally that Daniel Jackson's eyes twinkled at Teal'c, and Major Carter took a quick spoonful of her granola filled yogurt to cover her own laughter. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow. Perhaps by participating in this banter, he would convince his friends that he was fine...and maybe even convince himself.

"Doctor Fraiser insisted that I eat a balanced meal."

"She didn't mean for you to weight lift a fruit basket and loaf of bread on a tray, Teal'c. Come on, you're hogging all the grapes."

As O'Neill reached over again, Teal'c grabbed his hand. "You have your Froot Loops, O'Neill. No one else is eating off another's tray."

"He's got you there, sir."

"No insubordination, Major. And I don't need further commentary from the peanut gallery." O'Neill waved his spoon around at his teammates. "I see how it is. Three against one. Just you wait." I admit, the frootloops/waffles/grapes discussion is what made me keep this scene.

Their meal was interrupted by an airman approaching them. "Sir, General Hammond has requested your team in the briefing room at 0930."

"Thank you, Airman." O'Neill dismissed the man and glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes, kids. Hurry up and finish. I think I'll scout ahead." O'Neill got up with his tray, snagging a few more grapes to take with him before leaving the rest of his team at the table. Teal'c exchanged puzzled looks with his other teammates. None of them knew what this unexpected briefing could mean.

The three members of SG-1 joined their commander in the briefing room and found SG-7 already there. That team's linguist was nervously fiddling with the audio visual remote as Hammond finished a phone call in his office. Everyone took seats around the conference table. Wow, I spent a bit trying to get to the point in this scene. Oh well, I get there...eventually. Also, I purposefully chose to create my own made up SG team to play with my own interactions. But I never did end up using them as much as I first intended outside of this scene.

"So, what's up?" Daniel Jackson asked as he took a seat.

"Seems SG-7 has been playing in Goa'uld land and needs some backup." O'Neill picked absently at the edge of the table.

As Teal'c frowned, he noted Major Carter looking at SG-7. "Trouble?", she questioned.

"More like an opportunity, Major." Lieutenant Colonel Lewis smiled. "You're going to love this."

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Let's wait for the General before you get my team drooling, shall we, Lewis?"

Colonel Lewis returned an unabashed grin at the higher ranked officer. Teal'c's curiosity was piqued, and by the expressions on Daniel Jackson's and Major Carter's faces, so were theirs.

It seemed they would not have to wait long, because at that moment, General Hammond entered the briefing room. The military members of both teams stood up.

"Be seated, people. As you may or may not be aware, SG-1, after you reported from the Tobin system of Heru'ur's demise, the Pentagon took advantage of the opportunity to order reconnaissance of some of the planets known to be in his territory. SG-7 here had a particularly interesting mission. Colonel Lewis?"

"Sir." In the General's presence, Lt. Colonel Lewis adopted a more professional manner. "We traveled to M4X-589. After careful reconnaissance, we discovered a small Jaffa presence and an human population of a few thousand. The village was only about five clicks from the Stargate. Much further along in the other direction were the temple and mines, which were where most of the Jaffa were stationed. We went undetected by the Jaffa, and the humans were very friendly, if a bit confused by our presence. We had a bit of a difficulty in translation."

Daniel Jackson shifted in his seat, Teal'c noticed his fingers twirling the pen in his hand distractedly. "What do you mean?"

"The natives did not speak English."

Everyone became a bit more interested. Daniel Jackson stopped twirling his pen and leaned forward. "That's unusual in and of itself. Most planets we've visited have spoken English, even when the written languages have varied dramatically."

Major Carter spoke up. "We've been theorizing that it's a factor of the Stargate itself that allows universal communication, storing the language of whoever may have traveled through it, but we've never been able to isolate any specific characteristics to prove the theory." Yes, my own throwaway fanwank at Stargate's babelfish problem. It's such a choose your own theory, isn't it? Not quite sure I even buy my explanation, but wanted something.

Daniel Jackson nodded. "Still, SG-7 is one of the teams that has an experienced linguist. Captain Collins here has a Masters in Classical Languages on top of training in Goa'uld." He turned, puzzled, to Captain Collins. "Could you at least determine the root derivation, Craig?"

Captain Collins shook his head. "This was where I hoped you would be able to help. The culture was actually predominantly Greek, which surprised me as a world run by Horus. Between that and Goa'uld, we were able to communicate in a rudimentary manner, but there was a lot that became confused." Captain Collins pressed the button to the audio-visual display.

The screen displayed was a videotape one of the members of SG-7 must have made while they were off world. It was unclear who was holding the camera, but Captain Collins appeared onscreen. He was hesitantly speaking to a group of elderly men in a stone columned building. Both Teal'c and Daniel Jackson leaned further to catch the conversations coming through the speakers. Yay for SGC other linguists! And I admit it was fun Teal'c and Daniel tag team translating. I used to love that in the show.

Teal'c frowned. "It is a little used dialect. I have not spoken it more than half a dozen times. It was preferred by Cronus."

"Which would explain the Greek roots," Daniel Jackson murmured. "Can you rerun that last minute, Craig?"

Captain Collins nodded and complied. Daniel Jackson's brow furrowed in concentration. "Some of the words are Greek, but the pronunciation and accent is similar to Abydonian. I can see why you had trouble. There's also a mixture of Minoan and another Goa'uld dialect I've only learned from Teal'c and for which I haven't been able to trace a root as of yet." Yes, I was completely making shit up, but figured it could work with the cross-contamination of cultures SG-1 is known for.

Teal'c was able to contribute to the discussion. "It is possible Goa'uld transported the people there by ships. They were likely a gift of negotiation between Heru'ur and other system lords, possibly Cronus."

"Yes, we've noticed the little gifts they like to give each other," said O'Neill.

Teal'c looked over at his team commander. The man was a study in fury, but his face softened as he saw Teal'c watching him. For a moment, Teal'c had been able to forget about the past month; he had spoken of things in the abstract, but now he realized O'Neill was still remembering the conversation his team had overheard in the tel'tak, when Heru'ur was offering Teal'c's own battered body as a gift to Apophis. O'Neill was feeling rage on his behalf. Teal'c both appreciated O'Neill's concern and balked at the reminder he had been a helpless pawn in the Goa'ulds' game not long ago. Teal'c getting caught up in the current mission made him react more like his old self, including the savvy insights that I think are more common to Teal'c's character.

Wanting to turn the attention away from himself, Teal'c continued. "I am unaware of such an alliance between these system lords in my lifetime. The people most likely have been on that planet for several centuries."

Daniel Jackson nodded quickly. "It would also explain how the disparate language bases have intermingled into one fluid core."

"The people seem to have been there for a long time, and are getting tired of toiling for these gods. That was one thing that did come through." Captain Collins appeared pleased to contribute. "They certainly didn't find Heru'ur a benevolent god. When we hinted it may very well be that Heru'ur would never return, a few seemed overjoyed. They referred to him as heelk'sha."

Teal'c translated aloud. "An evil god. Then the people are ready to be freed from their slavery."

Colonel Lewis nodded. "Well, they won't mind losing the workload. They've been working for Heru'ur for generations, which brings us to the other reason M4X-589 is so interesting."

He nodded to Captain Collins, who fast-forwarded the tape for a few minutes. Once it was cued to the correct spot, he hit play. The scene that now appeared on the screen was shot from a distance. There was a group of buildings of varying architecture Teal'c recognized as a temple pyramid surrounded by outbuildings, and several hundred yards to the left...

"A naquadah mine."

"Not just any naquadah mine." Colonel Lewis placed a sample of the material on the briefing table. "Weapons grade naquadah. About the purest sampling we've ever come across according to initial readings. One of the younger villagers smuggled us a few samples of it."

"Really." Teal'c noticed Major Carter's eyes almost seemed dance as she turned to General Hammond. "Sir, such a pure ore could contribute in many of our ongoing applications of alien technology."

"Did you also notice the Jaffa hanging around the mine entrance and the temple?" O'Neill noted.

"Actually, that's one thing Captain Collins was able to glean from the elders." Daniel Jackson spoke distractedly, then blinked and looked sheepish. "Sorry, Craig. I jumped in from what I heard on the tape." Trying to break up (and move along) the exposition. Writing this scene made me sympathize with why TPTB find briefing room scenes so annoying.

"No, actually, I couldn't quite understand what they were saying about the Jaffa. Something about the patrols changing. If you were able to translate..."

"The numbers of the Jaffa were in fact diminishing," Teal'c responded.

Daniel Jackson nodded. "Teal'c's right. What the one elder was saying in the early section of the tape was that the ships of the god has been making frequent visits in recent weeks and more and more of the Jaffa have been transported away to prepare for a battle."

"Probably the battle Heru'ur was planning to wage against the system lords at Apophis's side." Teal'c heard Major Carter mutter under her breath.

For his part Teal'c was anxious to partake of this mission. A chance to free more people from their enslavement, perhaps even convince the remaining Jaffa that the Goa'uld were not gods. Taking the naquadah could fuel the Tau'ri's efforts and equally thwart the system lords. Teal'c was going to enjoy this mission. All of these were worthy efforts, and it would be a way to prove to his team, and himself, that he was again fit for duty. His continued lethargy was just a mental weakness to be shaken off. Teal'c became aware of O'Neill studying him. With a snort, the SG-1 commander spun in his chair to face Lieutenant Colonel Lewis. See, Teal'c recognizes the therapy for getting himself out of his funk is to go stick it to the ~~man~~ snake.

"All right, well, you've got Teal'c all happy to work on his freedom crusade, Daniel anxious to play mix and match with your smorgasbord of languages, and Carter salivating over the super naquadah you discovered. So, you got a prize for me?" Okay, I admit I was anal about having something for everyone, but I loved Jack summing up the situation. And how he only gets squat.

"Just the pleasure of our company, Colonel." Lieutenant Colonel Lewis grinned. "And of course the drinks will be on me when we get back."

O'Neill chuckled, and the rest of the group at the table suppressed grins, including General Hammond. Teal'c's own eyebrow raised and his heart lightened at the banter of warriors before battle. He almost forgot his concerns in the camaraderie around him.

O'Neill finished laughing. "Sold. When do we leave, General?"

"One hour, Colonel. As per SG-7's recommendation, both teams are going undercover dressed as temple priests. Dismissed."

Teal'c's movements were slow and methodical as he and his team geared up in the locker room. He waited until the others were preoccupied before raising his arms to let the robes fall down his body, turning away so that noone would notice his wince of pain. The days of being manacled to the ceiling still caused his muscles to be sore. His symbiote had been busy repairing worse damage. Man, I could've used an edit or two more on that paragraph, just to tighten the language.

Behind him, O'Neill was grousing. "There's not enough freedom of movement in these robes."

"You've worn them before."

"More times than I care to remember. That doesn't mean I like them."

"They're advantageous in the desert climates, Jack. Not to mention ceremonial. In fact..."

"Ah. No history lesson today, Daniel."

"I was about to say, they can be quite advantageous in hiding much of our gear without question, as you should remember."

Teal'c turned back around. O'Neill was scowling at Daniel Jackson, who returned the look with a bland, innocent expression on his own face. Shoutout to when they snuck onto Ra's ship. But wonder if these couple paragraphs were too much a distraction from the Teal'c focus. That might just be my "team focus" twitch. But probably could've skipped right to Teal'c zoning out until realizing only he and Jack were left. (I did want to note Sam got C-4. Because explosives are very important. Hee).

Teal'c continued to move methodically as the banter continued to play out behind him. His teammates were reminiscing about various other undercover missions, O'Neill and Daniel Jackson made comments about their first mission on Abydos. There was only the briefest catch to his voice when Daniel Jackson recalled Sha're, so brief it might have only been in Teal'c's imagination. He still continued to bear the guilt he had caused Daniel Jackson long after his friend had forgiven him.

Teal'c must have been moving more slowly than he realized. Lost in his own thoughts, he was startled to hear Daniel Jackson and Major Carter were fully kitted and ready to go to armory.

"Meet you two in the Gate Room, sir?"

"Yep. Zats only for sidearms. If we're getting too close to Jaffa, zat charges should draw less attention than bullet holes."

"What about C-4 in the hem, sir?"

O'Neill smirked. "As Daniel pointed out, we should take advantage of those gear hiding qualities. If we need C-4, keeping our identity secret will be the least of our troubles."

Teal'c nodded and watched his two teammates leave. When he turned again, he realized O'Neill had moved closer and was leaning against the lockers closest to him.

"So, T. You ready to go?"

"I will soon be fully dressed, O'Neill."

"Teal'c."

Teal'c belted his robes. He knew he was acting as Rya'c did when he avoided facing his parents, but he needed a moment to school his emotions. He hated them being so close to the surface anymore. Another result of improper kel'no'reem. He needed to have control again, or he may lash out at O'Neill.

"How you doing?"

"I will be able to perform my duties."

"Teal'c, I know you'd kill yourself before you let any harm come to Daniel or Carter."

"Or you, O'Ne–"

"Or me. I know. But you will wear yourself out before admitting you have any problems. I need your honest assessment, not bravado."

"I am fine."

"Teal'c, you know Fraiser's only okayed you for light duty so far. Going for a jaunt on a Goa'uld occupied world is likely not what she had in mind."

Teal'c started to respond but O'Neill waved a finger in his face.

"Ah ah! As you once pointed out, 'Doctor Fraiser is usually correct in such matters.' Hey big guy, don't kid a kidder. We both know you're still not firing on all cylinders." O'Neill continued before Teal'c could question the expression. "Never mind. You know what I'm asking you, Teal'c. You and I both know we can't have problems in the field."

Jack foreshadoing/echo of "Orpheus" here. I also. The cylinder idiom just came out as I was writing before realizing Teal'c may not get the reference.

"I will not let you down, O'Neill."

O'Neill looked at him closely. They stood like that for a few moments.

"Okay. Good enough. I'll see you in the Gate room."

Part 2: The Mission

Teal'c took a deep breath after he exited the Stargate. The fresh air of the moon they arrived on was a surprising palliative. The rest of the group were cautiously spreading out around the area, trying to act inconspicuous while forming a protective barrier. Heh, undercover operatives looking to kick some goa'uld ass. Actually this description is kinda awkward.

Two of SG-7 were to remain at the gate; they also retained standard military gear under their robes. Although SG-1 was going to move undercover close to the temple and mine, General Hammond was taking no chances on a planet with Jaffa, even one with a dead Goa'uld. He ordered at least half of SG-7 fully kitted out with full ordinance, and Teal'c suspected Lt. Col Lewis was also packing additional weaponry. Lieutenant Colonel Lewis and Captain Collins led SG-1 towards the village. As they walked, Daniel Jackson took the opportunity to ask more about the area.

"Why is the village so far from the mine?"

Captain Collins shrugged under his robes. "I think they said there used to be another mine close to the village. For this most recent vein, Heru'ur only built the pyramid temple before ordering all the villagers to work the mine. I think he was worried more about getting the ore than a long commute."

Teal'c nodded at the captain's assessment. "The comfort of their slaves would be a minor consideration. The temple would be the priority."

"Especially if they're transporting the naquadah directly onto ha'taks instead of the Stargate." Major Carter added.

"As for the commute, they also had these." Colonel Lewis pointed to the distance, where a group of men could be seen traveling down the road from the direction of the village. They were not moving by foot, but by some kind of gold colored large vehicle that moved swiftly towards them.

Teal' c raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A transport."

Major Carter turned towards him, her features hidden by the heavy hood. "How come we haven't seen these before, Teal'c?"

"They are not often used. Most Goa'uld do not want their magic...their technology in the hands of slaves. They also are not very maneuverable. They cannot turn or handle uneven terrain. They are mostly used for straight passages on flat surfaces."

"So a kind of Goa'uld train?" O'Neill stated. "It looks Engine No. 9 is arriving now."

I thought it would be cool since fic doesn't need a scifi budget to make up something new. And they would need a way to transport some of htis naquadah aside from Jaffa just carting it around.

The transport slowed as it approached the group. Several on board began to prostrate themselves before the "priests." But one raised his head defiantly and regarded the group with skepticism. He hopped off the transport, and it continued on its way, presumably towards the mines. Captain Collins lowered his hood. Once the young man recognized him, his face lit up with a smile.

Sandide was even more rebellious than Skarra. In a way it's surprising the Goa'uld let him be get away with it, but with the war and only leaving a few people left, they really had bigger fish to fry than a couple annoying slaves. I think that emboldened Sandide a bit more. At least that's how I justified him being so defiant to the priests. And yes, I made up his name just so Jack could call him "Sandy" later. One of the few times I actually remembered one of my original character's names from the get go. I'm *terrible* at names.

Captain Collins turned to the others. "It's Sandide. He's the son of the leader of the village, and someone very anxious to see the evil gods disappear."

He began to speak to Sandide in halting tones. Sandide returned the greeting and began to speak rapidly. "We began to fear you would not return. Even more of the Jaffa have gone, taking some of the villagers with them. Only a few still working the mines and the women and children remain."

Teal'c exchanged grim looks with Daniel Jackson. They both knew human slaves were used as battle fodder in a last ditch tactic of the Goa'uld. Daniel turned and explained what Sandide said to the group. And yes, here's the part where the author conveniently gets rid of large groups of plot issues. But it is canon how the Goa'uld use humans as cannon fodder, and it foreshadowed how desperate and confused the battle going on "overhead" was getting.

Captain Collins's eyes widened in concern for the young man. "Your father?"

"He was considered too elderly to go."

Captain Collins nodded, relieved, and introduced the rest of the party to Sandide. Daniel Jackson took over most of the communication at that point, with occasional help from Teal'c. While they walked the rest of the way to the village. Sandide further explained what had happened. How more rumors of Heru'ur's demise had trickled through the village after SG-7 departed. A few villagers remained in denial, and volunteered to join Heru'ur's army, but more and more people began to believe the movement Sandide and others had started several months before SG-7 arrived, that Heru'ur was an evil god.

When SG-7 arrived with their own magic and different language, many dared to imagine that Heru'ur was not a god at all. Several refused to go the mines anymore, and there were not enough Jaffa to force them. Many of the priests from Heru'ur's temple left in the gods' vessels in despair to see to the spiritual needs of the faithful. Only a few hundred were left from the few thousand that had inhabited the planet even a week ago.

By this point they had arrived at the village. Sandide's father and the village elders joined them. They looked to the SG teams as if they were their saviors and confirmed Sandide's story. "But now, you will help us, will you not?"

"Yes." Teal'c answered confidently as Daniel Jackson hesitated. His friend shot him a glare, then expanded on Teal'c's statement. Hee. Teal'c has no qualms about committing everyone to this battle. After all, this is Teal'c's purpose for being. I enjoyed that unspoken banter mid-translation, and how Teal'c didn't even react. Actually, this whole rhythm of conversation amongst all of them just seemed to flow.

"Well, that depends. We can tell you for a fact that Heru'ur is gone. But our forces are limited against a number of Jaffa. Though not magic, their weapons are powerful."

"The soldiers are so few, they no longer guard the village. Two-tens remain in the protection of the temple with the remaining priests, taking our daily tribute of the holy rock."

Daniel Jackson translated for the others.

"Twenty Jaffa left. They're sure that's all there is?", O'Neill looked rightly skeptical.

Teal'c confirmed the translation. "If we are to believe these elders, O'Neill, that is correct."

"Well, that and a handful of priests," Daniel added.

Teal'c dismissed this. "Priests would not carry weapons."

O'Neill patted his robes. "We do."

"We are not priests, O'Neill."

Teal'c could see O'Neill shifting impatiently under his robes. "What about the naquadah. Any word on that?"

Daniel Jackson turned back to Sandide and his father. "The substance you mined for Heru'ur, our people would make use of it to fight the false gods, but only with your permission."

"If you help us remove the last of the invaders, you are free to have as much as you would wish. We would mine it for you."

One of the other elders spoke up. "So free to give our labor away again? Are we trading one false god for another?"

"No." Daniel Jackson hastened to explain, slipping into English again accidentally. "No. We would never ask you to do something against your will. If we are able to help your people remove the remaining Jaffa, we would accept whatever you give us. Or if you allow us, our people would mine the substance ourselves." I wonder what the rest of the team thought when hearing Daniel suddenly say "No" in English before blatting on in the combo of languages. Handy Teal'c understood everything so we could listen in, right?

The elders spoke low to each other. Teal'c could tell the one man was still suspicious and resisting, but finally all agreed.

"We accept your proposal, and freely give you what we can. The god's rocks have no meaning to us. We only harvested them to serve him."

Daniel Jackson bowed his head in a gesture of gratitude. "By allowing this, you help us not only fight the Goa'uld here, but on many worlds like this."

Daniel Jackson and Teal'c continued to converse with the elders, explaining that they needed more samples and a better sense of the Jaffa that were left. The elders agreed that Sandide should lead them past the temples to the mines. O'Neill ordered the two members of SG-7 to return to the Stargate and report to Hammond on their progress while SG-1 performed reconnaissance of the mines and temple.

"Besides, I've still got a bad feeling about this with all the Jaffa leaving town. I'd feel better if there was more a presence at the 'Gate in case they decide to come back."

"A bad feeling, Colonel?

"That's why they pay me the big bucks, Lewis."

Lieutenant Colonel Lewis saluted. "Gotta love the American taxpayers, Colonel. Collins, move out." This dialogue came out a bit more awkward than I intended.

They traveled by foot. They adjusted their robes as they approached the temple to hide their features better, but no one challenged them as they passed. A few Horus guards could be seen by the temple entrance, but they gave it wide berth and continued to the mines.

The group arrived at the mine entrance. A man came out of the mine, questioning Sandide and looking suspiciously at the four priests flanking him. After Sandide explained why they were there, the young man smiled and nodded, welcoming them further into the mine. They found about thirty men leisurely tossing ore onto the transport who greeted SG-1 with open arms.

Teal'c listened to the miners' stories, feeling confident at this information and pleased he could contribute. He interpreted the probable Goa'uld tactics from their descriptions for the benefit of his teammates. "The Jaffa guard the harvested ore at the temple so as to be within easy reach of the rings in case recalled. It is a desperate measure. Whatever Goa'uld is trying to retain Heru'ur's empire, he is facing defeat at the hands of Apophis or other rival."

The miners' transport was half filled with naquadah, and Major Carter smiled as she took her readings. "SG-7's initial analysis was correct, sir. This vein of naquadah is about the purest of weapons grade we've come across."

"Sandide, Sandide!" A young girl breathlessly tore into the mines. "They have returned. The evil ones!" Yes, I admit, blatant pulling on heart strings by introducing a little girl, but I needed someone that the Jaffa wouldn't care about running away to send the message.

Sandide frowned at the intrusion. "What has happened? Speak clearly."

"It was the unnamed one. He returned to the village with new warriors like the cobra, and told everyone Apophis is our new true god." The girl broke down into tears.

"Daniel?" O'Neill waited impatiently.

Daniel spoke almost as quickly as the girl, translating almost without comprehension. "She's saying a Goa'uld called the unnamed one has arrived with Serpent guards and told the people they must now worship Apophis."

"The unnamed one?"

Daniel Jackson shrugged. "Apparently, he's some underlord of Heru'ur's that switched sides to join Apophis, but there's no way I can figure out which one." Dun dun dun. Our villain arrives, but no one, not even Teal'c, or the audience, realizes the import!

Daniel Jackson looked at Teal'c for further elucidation. Teal'c also shook his head. "I am unable to determine which Goa'uld it could be from this little information."

While they had been speaking, the girl finally was able to stop her sobs long enough to speak further.

Daniel Jackson continued to translate, his face paling as he spoke. "He says that after SG-7 returned to the Stargate, this unnamed Goa'uld arrived by some kind of smaller Goa'uld ship, probably an al'kesh from the description. The village elders defied the Goa'uld, they said they knew Heru'ur was dead and they would not follow any more false gods." Daniel Jackson paused and gasped before continuing. "They were executed in front of everyone." Okay, this was blatant heart pulling and easy way to get rid of the older villagers. But it also changed the tone and urgency of the situation.

"Oh, God." Major Carter turned away.

"Another ship arrived and started firing. The Goa'uld and Jaffa gave a final warning to obey their new god, then...ringed back aboard their ship and flew off, the other one, sounds like a death glider, gave chase."

Teal'c tensed. "Apophis cannot be allowed to take this planet." These people should see enslavement no more, and if Apophis obtained this naquadah, he would become even more a threat to the system lords. Teal'c facing down Apophis *again* makes this mission even more personal, and he was already taking things too personally as it was. Jack recognizes the stakes too, which is why he's sounding calmer than normal. It jolts Teal'c more than Jack's usual laugh in the face of danger style. Although I could've described it a bit better in the paragraph below. This looks clunky to me.

"I know, Teal'c." O'Neill's voice held a deceptive calm. Teal'c understood the hidden meaning. He needed to follow his leader's guidance. It was hard, he felt responsible for these people, these freed slaves. Teal'c wanted to take action, but he would follow O'Neill's leadership.

Sandide was rocking back and forth, muttering. Major Carter watched the young man, concerned. "What's he saying?"

Daniel Jackson shook his head. "He's saying they should have followed the signs."

O'Neill became instantly alert. "What signs?"

Daniel Jackson got Sandide's attention and asked him to explain. Still upset, the young native began to speak rapidly. Daniel Jackson blinked and frowned, turning to Teal'c with a furrowed brow. "He said the stars foretold this in their fall?"

Teal'c more awesome than Daniel in translating Goa'uld! Of course.

Teal'c clarified. "He said their future was determined by the stars falling from the heavens the last few nights. It appears he has observed space battles in this system in the night sky."

"Oh, for crying out loud. He couldn't have mentioned this before?"

"Jack, he didn't know it was important."

"Knowing the Goa'uld are fighting on their doorstep is what I consider 'need to know' information, Daniel." O'Neill threw back his hood and ruffled his hair in frustration. "All right, we can't do much with this naquadah now if we're going to have Apophis's Jaffa on our ass. See if the villagers are willing to leave." I was pleased at Jack's voice in this section. I was still a bit skittish in writing him at this point.

Teal'c explained. "We do not have the numbers currently to fight this new evil god. You are now leader in your father's stead. If you are willing, we could take you to another world, one safe from the Goa'uld, where you could no longer be enslaved."

Sandide hesitated, clearly fearful at the prospect of leaving his home. "We will be free of the evil gods?"

"We'll send you somewhere they cannot harm you." Daniel Jackson said with confidence.

"Then we will go with you before the evil ones can take more of our numbers." Sandide nodded his head with resolve. "My father will not have died in vain."

Daniel turned back to O'Neill and nodded his head.

"Okay, campers. Let's get a move on." O'Neill keyed his radio and ordered Lieutenant Colonel Lewis's team to get the people still in the village through the Stargate as soon as possible. He then turned to Major Carter. I could never figure out how formal Teal'c would spell out names for light colonels. I probably overdid it.

"Carter, you and Daniel lead Sandy and his buddies back." Yes, I had this line in mind ever since I started thinking up the offworld village. I don't know why I got so enamored of the name "Sandy"...the planet's not even a desert.

"What about you, sir?"

"If Apophis is here, he can't get his hands on that naquadah. Give me your C-4. Teal'c and I will set charges to blow the mine. If we can't have it, the snakes can't either."

"Jack..."

"You've got your orders. Teal'c and I will be right behind you. Understood?"

Daniel Jackson set his mouth in a thin line and Major Carter nodded grimly. The pair exchanged one more somber look with them before herding Sandide and the rest of his men onto the transport, still half filled with naquadah, and leaving.

"Come on, T. The sooner we do this, the sooner we get out of here." They set to work.

Aside from plotline, I found this split up a good excuse to start breaking the point of view apart. Up to this point, we've been following the team from Teal'c's unnaturally skewed perspective. From this point on, it alternates between all the SG-1 members, giving a broader view of what everyone's been thinking post Serpent's Venom and how off Teal'c has been, even where he didn't recognize it. Perhaps I committed a writerly sin by going this long without altering it, but it was important to me to stay following Teal'c's journey up to this point and it felt "wrong" to try and go with Sam or Daniel or Jack's view sooner than this.

It also signifies the point where the action becomes faster, and the switching point of view amplifies that sense of urgency.

Daniel watched as Sam and Sandide adjusted the controls, trying to milk that much more speed out of the transport. The sounds of explosions became louder all the time, and the miners cringed in fear. Daniel tried to reassure them, explaining they would join their families soon.

Further discussion was limited as an errant blast tore open the ground in front of them. Sandide struggled to maintain control of the transport, but Daniel realized Teal'c was being a master of understatement when he said this contraption didn't maneuver well. The transport tipped forward, everyone jostled together while some of the naquadah spilled over into the road.

"Incoming!" Sam shouted. Daniel ordered the men to get down before cringing himself, instinctively trying to cover Sam as well. Dirt peppered his back and hair as the bouncing transport moved past another explosion. I assume Sam was able to see something on a monitor. Otherwise, any all of them could tell something was happening. But I liked how Sam and Daniel instantly started working together.

"The Jaffa are as bad a shot as ever," Daniel shouted to Sam over the percussion of the blasts.

"They're not firing at us." Sam pointed to the sky, and Daniel saw two death gliders firing at each other. The transport was caught in errant crossfire.

"In that case, we should be worried." Daniel shot his teammate a weak smile, which she returned. Sandide adjusted the controls. The vehicle's engine whined at the added stress as they sped out of the battle zone. I'm still never certain if that joke worked or was too flat.

After an eternity, the Stargate was visible, the event horizon shimmering like a beacon. SG-7 could be seen under the limited cover of two empty transports by the DHD, protecting the Stargate and exchanging fire with some Jaffa in the tree line several yards away. Daniel saw an al'kesh skimming away, its ring system sealing. SG-7 must not have been under fire long, and if they were not concerned about the open Gate, that hopefully meant it was dialed someplace friendly. He pointed the situation out to Sam, who nodded. Because this story would really suck if the Jaffa controlled the Stargate. I hope I described the setup plausibly.

She gestured to Sandide in easy to understand sign language, and with one nervous glance at Daniel, the young man relinquished the controls.

Carter flipped some controls. "You know how to work this?", Daniel asked. Sam's good, but even Daniel worries that she picked it up *that* fast. But she is a pilot. I bet she'd been chomping at the bit to be in control of the thing (and watching how to work it since they stepped aboard.

"There aren't many options. Forward, stop, turn." Sam's expression was grim. "When I give the signal, tell everyone to jump ship to the right."

"Sam?" Daniel's eyes widened. He did not like the implications of her order.

She just shot him a glance before concentrating on the controls. Taking a deep breath, Daniel did as she bid. A few minutes later he could make out the individual members of SG-7 crouched behind their cover. Daniel was beginning to feel nauseous. Their transport was weaving erratically, Daniel could see Sam's knuckles on the steering column, barely holding control...if she was keeping control.

He didn't want to break her concentration, but she was getting dangerously close to colliding with the other team. "Sam?"

Sam's voice was barely audible over the whine of the firefight. "Five...four...three...two..."

"Jump!", Daniel shouted, only waiting to see that Sam was coming too before leaping free of the shuddering vehicle. He tumbled into the dirt, continuing to roll for a few moments as pieces of naquadah scattered across the ground around him.

When he got his equilibrium back, Daniel crouched, zat at ready, and looked around. All of the men were scattered across the clearing in front of the Stargate. Some looked stunned. One was vomiting, but none were seriously injured. When he looked in front of him, he could see the transport lying on its side perpendicular to the ground. It had skidded to a stop in the dirt, perfectly aligned between the two other transports to give a continuous area of coverage. A few feet away from him, Sam was struggling to rise, her robes twisted around her in her fall.

Yes, okay, that was a bit too neat, but I tend to think that ended up happening by accident more than design (hinted by Sam's surprised smile). I think her plan was for it to ditch in a different way and didn't realize how difficult it really was to control. But yay for Sam getting to drive! It was hard to describe the crazy scatterings of the people in this section.

Daniel immediately moved to her and checked her for injuries, noting that she was doing the same to him. Aside from a few scrapes, she appeared fine. I tend to do this "check each other for damage" a lot with Daniel and Sam. Don't know if it's my partiality to the wonder twins, or just the messes I get them into. He smiled and nodded his head towards the transport. "Damn, Sam. You must have aced parallel parking in driver's ed."

She coughed, her movement suppressing a smile, and he realized she was just as surprised it worked as he was. Daniel hoped this meant SG-1's luck was with them–the good "beating the odds to save the day" luck; Daniel tried not to think of the other kind of luck which usually ended up with one or more of them captured, tortured, and/or killed. Foreshadowing...and also just general SG-1 truisms.

Sam said, "You okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

She barely had time to nod before Lt. Col. Lewis came up from Sam's right and clapped her on the back. "Quite an entrance, Major."

"Thank you, sir. The Stargate?"

"Leading to home."

Lewis was already waving the miners to go through. Fearful, they were hesitating, but Capt. Collins was yelling to them, trying to reassure them between firing shots of cover fire. At Col. Lewis's nod, Collins moved to the event horizon and stepped through. After a few more moments of indecision, Sandide appeared to steel himself and leapt through after him. The other miners followed suit.

All their lives they've sent things through the Stargate, but none have ever crossed through. I didn't want to dwell, but did want a little moment acknowledging what a leap of faith and novelty this would be to the natives (especially since I was basically getting rid of them to move along to the real point of the story....Teal'c). A better writer probably would've integrated the villagers struggle against the Goa'uld to Teal'c's internal struggle. With me, it just became a plausible backdrop, but hopefully it served that role well.

Col. Lewis was still exchanging situational information with Sam. "Where's Col. O'Neill?"

"Sabotaging the mine, sir."

They dove for cover as a crater opened up just on the other side of the three transports, scattering them again with dirt.

Lt. Evans yelled to the SG-7 commander. "Sir, they've set up a cannon."

"Great, just what we need." Col. Lewis grit his teeth, and Daniel realized with three of them only armed with the shorter range zats, only half the group had firepower that could even reach the Jaffa. See what happens when you only pack readily hidden weapons? Those robes could cover so much more.

Daniel's knee rolled over a stone as he shifted position. He picked it up, and realized it was a piece of the naquadah...the naquadah that had scattered all around them. "Uh, guys? Is it a good idea to be holing up surrounded by explosive mineral?"

Confession time. This was the last scene of this story I wrote. I skipped right to Sam and Daniel at the temple, and then did the stuff with Jack and Teal'c. I knew I needed this scene at the Stargate, but wasn't sure what to do. Just having the Jaffa distracted by the Goa'uld fight seemed unreasonable and a copout. Plus this was for a ficathon and the deadline was "now". Then I remembered the ore...and decided why not just blow shit up...and go all the way? Hence Sam inventing the naquadah grenade (a bit too volatile for constant use). It seemed to work with Daniel (at least earlier seasons Daniel) to notice the mortal danger they were all in, and it gave Sam some explosives to play with.

Sam's eyes widened in alarm, then sparked to life. Daniel instantly recognized the look of inspiration. "You've just given me an idea, Daniel."

She grabbed a nearby piece of ore, discarding it before finding a smaller one, barely bigger than a pebble. "Sir, did your packed ordinance come with grenades?"

Lewis beckoned to Lt. Evans, a large man who almost dwarfed Teal'c. "The Major needs a grenade, Lieutenant."

"And tape, sir."

Evans pulled a grenade from his belt and some duct tape from his vest, handing them both to Sam.

Col. Lewis shook his head. "Major, you strapping added firepower is all well and good, but it could easily and quite literally backfire on us."

"I don't think so, sir. It's not refined, and this is not a nuclear weapon. I'm just adding a tad to the explosive force. We've got to take out as many of these Jaffa as we can and hold the Gate for Col. O'Neill." It was at this point, I realized, I am not good at writing technobabble Sam.

Col. Lewis glared, but he nodded.

The Jaffa's staff cannon fired again, causing the crashed transport to teeter slightly before settling back in place. Sam stood, but before she could pull the pin, Lt. Evans interrupted.

"Ma'am? I was all American in college." This ended up clunky...but I wanted to make a point that all the SG teams are made up of good people. SG-1 doesn't have to do everything. I wish I had setup/written it a bit differently though.

Sam blinked for a moment before holding out her hand. Evans took the grenade, pulled the pin and heaved it with all his might. Daniel watched through a small gap in the transports as it landed within a few feet of the staff cannon.

A few seconds later, the grenade exploded, the naquadah enhancing its range and force. The nearby trees shattered. The transports shuddered again, but did not collapse on top of the team members. Suddenly the area was quiet; there were no more enemy Jaffa with whom to exchange fire.

Sam turned to the others, her eyes wide, and smeared a smudge on her face. "Well, guess we've field tested the quality."

"Glad you picked the smaller rock, Major. Else we would've been part of that blast ourselves." Col. Lewis shook his head, and Daniel knew they had just added to SG-1's reputation of being both crazy and "damn lucky sumbitches," as one marine once exclaimed.

I admit this is one of my favorite parts. It parallels Daniel's thoughts of SG-1's record, but gives a hint of the team's reputation (and what they're aware of it) amongst the other teams...because they do have a penchant for getting in AND out of trouble.

Daniel scanned the horizon, but could see no more enemy ships over the rising smoke. "Hopefully, they won't send any more soldiers to the Stargate."

Col. Lewis agreed. "I don't want to stick around here for any longer than necessary. We're going to pick up as much of the ore as we can and send it back home. I don't want to be on the receiving end of a blast like that if more Jaffa come and get lucky."

Sam exchanged a grim look with Daniel before turning to Lewis. "Sir, Col. O'Neill and Teal'c have no transport to get back. They'll have to go on foot. It may take too long."

Daniel studied the leader of SG-7. There was no way Daniel was going to leave his friends here, and he knew Sam felt the same, even if she would have to follow the orders of a superior officer like Lt. Col. Lewis. He unconsciously started backing towards one of the two transports still parallel to the ground instead of Sam's perpendicular one, only arresting his movement when Lewis's eyes tracked to him. Lewis merely quirked a smile and nodded towards the transport.

Not sure this idea of "going after our team whether you like it or not really worked. Daniel's not really a sneak away kind of guy, more like an argue to death, so that's probably one issue, but there wasn't much time (in writing and in character for the argument). If I was rewriting, I'd probably have Daniel start to argue and Lewis interrupt him.

"We'll hold the door open for you, Major, redialing out if we have to. Bring our guys back."

"Yes, sir." Daniel and Sam sprinted aboard the transport and raced back towards the mine.

Teal'c and O'Neill set the last of the charges in the mines, packing them into the walls of the cavern. By doing this, Teal'c felt at peace. Apophis would not use this planet to fuel his quest for more power. No more innocent people would suffer at the hands of a Goa'uld on this world. When finished, Teal'c turned to his friend.

O'Neill said, "Okay that's the last of them. Let's move out, Teal'c, and try and take the short cut."

O'Neill and Teal'c started to move away from the mines at a rapid jog, speed being more advantageous than stealth at this point. Their robes only slightly hampered their movements. They had almost reached the safety of the woods when a harsh voice cried out to them.

"Kree. Tal shal mek."
Yes, yes, I did double check my Goa'uld speak. Is a dork.

"Crap." O'Neill muttered underneath his breath.

Teal'c started, surprised by the voice of the Jaffa so close without him sensing them. Hand on his zat, Teal'c began to turn, about to fire, when the figure standing between the two Serpent Guards caused Teal'c to freeze in shock.

"Terok."

Not sure if it was accidental or on purpose that Teal'c's "viewpoint" is more muted here and it's more a general limited narrator. Could go either way. I know I wanted to wait for the capture to really get into Jack's POV. Also, wanted to establish a "repeating words" to switch pov's within the same scene because I was stuck on using it for Daniel and Sam later when "captured" by Bra'tac (oops, spoiler)

"Crap." Jack muttered again. So close. Hopefully Daniel and Carter had gotten to the Stargate by now with the remaining villagers. Jack bit back the bitterness at what had happened to the village elders. Peripherally, he could see the hint of staff weapons pointing out of the bushes; if Jack or Teal'c resisted, they would be cut down immediately. Jack immediately realizes they're screwed. It's surprising how often SG-1 ends up surrendering because they're outnumbered....or maybe more surprising they still get out of it afterwards.

Jack knew it was a Goa'uld standing between two Serpent Guards by the glow of his eyes. "Jaffa. Chel nok," the Goa'uld snarled.

Two more Jaffa Jack hadn't even seen came forward and grabbed both of them. Surrounded as they were, Jack knew it was hopeless to resist, but he was surprised at how little Teal'c reacted to their capture. He stared straight ahead, straight at the Goa'uld, oblivious to anything else going on around them. Even Apophis usually didn't garner this kind of reaction in his friend. Jack would bet dollars to donuts that this Goa'uld was the one who had put Teal'c through the wringer on the last mission. Crap. Still not sure if this was too much an emo-exposition dump. My Jack voice was very new in writing this tale.

The Goa'uld spoke something unintelligible. Jack glanced over at Teal'c but his friend was still not responsive.

"Sorry, no habla Jaffa," Jack shrugged.

There's a scene in Moebius where Jack keeps going "what" to the Jaffa outside the "DeLorean Puddle Jumper", but in a behind the scenes snippet/sci fi preview special RDA says the line "No habla Goa'uld." I was always disappointed that never made it into the final version and this was my little homage.

The Goa'uld switched to English. "I thought all priests were trained in the languages of the gods, slave." The Goa'uld's eyes flashed once again as he came forward and pulled down Jack's hood, his movement smearing the black tattoo mark that was already smudged from the sweat from working in the mines.

The Goa'uld reared back in puzzlement. "You are no priest! What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know, it just looked so nice in the brochure."

The Goa'uld ignored Jack and pulled down Teal'c's hood. Teal'c still had no reaction. He was not even looking at the Goa'uld, but at the fixed point where Terok had stood when they were first captured. It's a bit of a kink of mine, but I love cloak/hoods. So I liked the visual of this reveal, even if Terok was acting a bit dense.

Jack did not like this reaction in Teal'c at all, and really didn't like it when the Goa'uld's eyes flashed again, his face breaking out in a grin. "Shol'va! I did not expect to see you, Teal'c. This will be a great pleasure to my lord Apophis. He will be greatly pleased with me. Perhaps he will enjoy renewing your acquaintance as much as I?"

Teal'c only blinked, but Jack saw his body shudder. He didn't think the Goa'uld noticed, because his attention was drawn once again to Jack. "I recognize you now. Jackso...no, O'Neill." Heh. SG-1 may be known throughout the galaxy, but all these Tau'ri kinda blur together. At least he knew Jack wasn't Carter.

The Goa'uld slapped Jack's face with such force Jack stumbled before righting himself. The Goa'uld merely laughed. "Apophis should be doubly pleased. The Tau'ri and his shol'va pet."

Jack fumed, but was unable to do much with at least three staff weapons pointed at his head. The Jaffa frisked them both, easily finding their weapons and radios. They passed them to the Goa'uld. Jack held his breath as this Terok fiddled with the detonator to the C-4 before tossing it in a satchel with the other devices. As the Jaffa began to march them towards the temple buildings, Jack hoped the rest of his team would figure out what had happened soon, and hoped Teal'c would snap out of his automaton impression. I wondered if I made Terok "too stupid" here, but he has the arrogance of his kind and a lot of unfamiliarity with Tau'ri weaponry. Anything that didn't look advanced or crystally wouldn't garner too much suspicion...at least how my reasoning went.

As Daniel and Sam approached the mines, they noted a number of Serpent guards beginning to move around the area. All attempts at radio contact with their teammates only met with static. The pair abandoned their transport just outside the temple compound and stealthily moved to one of the outbuildings just beside the pyramid. Daniel absently observed it was likely an abandoned guard post. A few bunks and candles were in one room, a table and chairs in another. A storage room to one side held a broken staff weapon, likely the old armory. There was a second floor leading to observation posts, and he pointed out the stairwell to Sam.

She nodded in instant agreement. "We may get a better look of the area."

They climbed the stairs. There was a corridor and a few rooms. One had a large window facing the mines. Daniel and Sam quickly entered the room and looked outside.

It was from there they saw a disheveled Jack and Teal'c being escorted by six helmeted guards and a bare-headed man. Daniel wondered if this was the Goa'uld that had ordered the village elders' death. At least Jack and Teal'c were alive. The Goa'uld wanted them for some reason. Daniel decided not to dwell on what reason at the moment. As he and Sam watched, the prisoners and their escort moved into the pyramid. Once out of sight, the two team members moved away from their hidden perch and exchanged glum expressions.

Quick and easy way for our other half of heroes to be caught up on "meanwhile back at the mines" without boring the readers.

"Not good."

"No."

Daniel thought quickly, studying their location and the area. It was mostly deserted. Not even many guards except for the ones they saw with Jack and Teal'c and a pair stationed at the other end of the compound. "Well, at least we shouldn't attract too much attention dressed like this."

"You think so? It doesn't seem to have helped the Colonel and Teal'c all that much."

"But they were still in the mines after everyone else had cleared out. It was suspicious. This area's a temple. Priests are common here. We'll be much less conspicuous."

Important exposition or unnecessary technobabble? You decide, and that includes the 'military speak' convo below (although I really veer towards important if dry exposition for the radio conversation. I wanted Daniel to cut her off).

"Okay. Well, we'd better check on the Stargate to know if we still have a line of retreat. Keep your radio tuned to the main frequency in case Col. O'Neill is able to somehow make contact." Samantha fumbled with her robes, and Daniel could hear a brief static in his earpiece as she connected with the unit. There was first a double click, loud, from Sam's radio, then an answering, weaker double click from SG-7. Sam then clicked her radio three times, then twice, then twice again before changing the frequency.

"Sierra Gulf One to Sierra Gulf Seven."

"Sierra Gulf Seven Niner. What's up?"

"Observed Sierra Gulf One Team Alpha apprehended. Status at your location?"

"Remaining refugees have been transported home. We've seen some gliders in a dogfight, but they paid no attention to us. Stargate is still secure. Do you need assistance?"

His ear half tuned to Sam's radio conversation with Colonel Lewis, Daniel became aware of the unmistakable clanking of Jaffa warriors topping the stairwell and headed straight for them. He gripped Sam's arm before she could speak further, his eyes darting in warning to the passage beyond.

"Stand by." Carter whispered into her radio before hiding it back in her robes and grabbing her zat. Daniel was already holding his weapon at ready, priming it before wrapping his arms within his sleeves. Daniel had his hands free, so it made sense he'd move first. Plus it was a ~~subtle~~ counter to the fanon that Daniel's a pacifist who doesn't like to use a weapon. Sam copied his movements a second later. They both bowed their heads as two Horus guards entered their chamber.

"Kree. Kel shek?" Stop. What are you doing here? Daniel automatically translated in his head. How handy Daniel's around to translate. It also means your intrepid author can just write in English (italics) without constantly referencing a Goa'uld to English dictionary or alternatively, making up crap. It's no "I am the great and powerful Oz," but I tend to think Daniel's not *quite* as terrible at running a con as is sometimes portrayed. He's not great either though, but enough to be able to differentiate tone.

Sigh, even in a Teal'c fic, I had to give each member their moment to shine. Daniel had his translating/fakeout Jaffa. Sam got to drive and blow up stuff. Jack got to be wise leader (and be whumped a bit, poor boy) and well, of course the whole thing gets back to saving Teal'c (from the Goa'uld...but in a metaphorical way, also from himself.)

Daniel thought quickly. Things were in a large state of flux if Apophis's and Heru'ur's Jaffa were both on the planet. Perhaps answering aggression with aggression would be the best route. The more he acted like he and Sam belonged and the guards were the interlopers, the quicker they may get by.

"We have just delivered homage to our god to give him strength. Should you not be out protecting Heru'ur's holdings from the vile Apophis interlopers?"

The Horus guard stiffened. "Who are you to question our duties?"

"Merely humble priests who wonder if our god will have to smite interlopers himself when his guards lounge while Serpent guards invade our holy sites."

"What invasion? Speak clearly, priest." Both guards became more alert and readied their weapons. Beside him, he felt Sam stiffen but he shook his head slightly. They shouldn't make their move yet.

"Why, we spotted half a dozen Serpent guards through the window just now. How can his loyal guards not know what we can see clearly? Our only hope is that they do not take our lord's holy rock." Daniel gestured at the window with his left hand, careful to keep his right arm holding his zat hidden within his sleeve. "Can you not see? Look there, one still guards the entrance."

The Horus guards clanked over to the window, startled by the appearance of a Serpent guard at a building. Daniel pointed to a building opposite from where they Teal'c and Jack were taken. When certain the guards' attention was focused outside, Daniel nudged Sam towards the door. Hopefully they could use the distraction. While the Horus and Serpent guards fought, they could rescue Jack and Teal'c in the confusion.

Yep, here's where Daniel's plan is a bit...flawed. Oh well, Plan B, or rather "z" as in zat, is always a good backup.

Unfortunately, the guards were not distracted enough. Daniel and Sam's escape did not go unnoticed.

"Wait. Stop. This still does not explain why you are alone here in a restricted area without escort. Priests, you will hold."

Daniel sighed. "Plan B," he whispered to Sam. As one, they drew their zats and fired on the guards. The armor clanked as the guards shuddered under the blue electricity and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Let's get out of here before their friends come along."

"My thoughts exactly."

They once again concealed their weapons and barely made it a few steps before practically slamming into two Serpent guards. The guards immediately charged their staff weapons. Daniel could not believe this coincidence. Well, if the ruse worked once. He backed away to give them room and lowered his head to look meek and unthreatening. Through his lowered gaze he noted Sam doing the same.

The guards were obviously taking in the situation. Two "priests" and two downed enemy Jaffa. Daniel hoped they wouldn't put together this particular two plus two scenario. Maybe, if they were lucky, the ruse would work twice in a row. Daniel just had to watch what he said in this volatile situation. He switched to the dialect used by the locals and took the initiative.

"My lords, forgive your humble servants. We do not know what to do. We have discovered these two fallen warriors. We shall leave them to you and join our people. We only wish to serve the gods."

Daniel thought he may be laying it on a bit thick, but these two were more alert than the Horus guards and he really wanted out of here before anyone else arrived in this Jaffa party. Trying not to be obvious, he tried to back Sam around the pair.

Instead one of the Serpent Guards stepped forward and grabbed Daniel's arm. Luckily Daniel had the wherewithal to release his grip on the zat gun, letting it drop within the folds of his robes.

"Hey." Sam's exclamation cut short. Daniel hoped it was because she realized speaking English was not a good idea, but as he glanced over, he realized unfortunately it was just as likely because of the charged staff weapon pointed at her head.

He tried to mollify the Jaffa closest to Sam before he got too trigger happy. "This young one is not worthy of your attention, lord."

Worried about trying to protect Sam, he wasn't paying attention to his own precarious state until the Jaffa's grasp on his arm hardened, and his hood was roughly pulled off. Perfect. Even if the Jaffa didn't recognize him on sight from the System Lords most wanted list, the makeup on his forehead marked him as a priest of Apophis's rival. Best case scenario, this guard wouldn't be the type to shoot first and ask questions later.

"What are you doing here?!?"

Guard speaking in English! But I loved leaving the cliffhanger here to hold off on the reveal of their "captor."

Part Three: "The Demon"

Ah, the final part coming up to the vanquishing part of our title. The Demon of course on one level is Terok, but really, the whole point was to vanquish the demons of the "haunted memories" of part one. Because some time your own mind can make things worse than the reality. It's so rare I actually think through titles rather than coming up with something halfway decent, I just had to expound on my little theme a bit. Moving on. Where were we? Oh yes, about to start the Jack whumping.

Jack sighed as they were shoved into the small, dank cell. "You know, you guys really should learn a bit more about hospitality." I don't remember what I originally wrote here, but I remember my beta called me on it and helped me transform this into something more "Jacklike" and quippy. Thanks, beta

The Jaffa ignored him and moved back; the Goa'uld gave a cryptic smile, looking back over Jack's shoulder to Teal'c before moving away. Jack really didn't like that expression, and turned back towards his teammate. It was obvious from the snakehead's gloating that there was some really bad blood between this guy and Teal'c. As for his teammate, Teal'c looked pale and in shock. Even though the Goa'uld and Jaffa had moved out of range, his friend remained staring out through the bars. I know Teal'c is often taciturn, but he's not usually uncommunicative. Four years in, his team know the nuances of his body language. Teal'c's utter inaction through all this is really freaking Jack out.

"Teal'c. Hey, buddy." Jack snapped his fingers in front of his friend, but there was no response. Jack did not like this at all. He studied, and touched Teal'c, trying to find any evidence of a wound or puncture, but there was nothing, though with Goa'uld gizmos, you couldn't always tell. Jaffa were immune to nishta, right? He grabbed the Jaffa's face and bent it towards his slightly shorter frame.

"T? Come on. Answer me. Teal'c, that's an order!"

Teal'c blinked and looked at Jack, but his expression did not change. "I am sorry, O'Neill."

"That's okay. Just don't zone out on me like that anymore. What happened? Are you hurt?"

"You misunderstand. I am sorry you are in this situation."

"Oh, don't go all pessimist on me."

Hopefully, by this point, I've conveyed enough of Teal'c's odd downward spiral of self-doubt and guilt that the audience can fill in what Teal'c is actually thinking, even though it's a bit of dramatic irony that Jack doesn't have that insight.

All of Teal'c's words and actions were just confirming Jack's suspicions. This was so not what he needed. He had to snap Teal'c out of the dark place to which he had retreated. Jack knew all about the dark place himself, and it was no place for his friend. He needed Teal'c to be alert if they had a hope of getting out of here.

"Teal'c? Talk to me. I need information. Are you hurt, infected?"

After a delay where it seemed Teal'c was concentrating on processing his words, the Jaffa finally responded. "I am unhurt at this time."

"Well, that's something anyway. We've still got our health, though the amenities aren't great. And knock it off with the apologies. You and I both know it could have been any of us that were captured."

"It is indeed because of me we were captured." Teal'c opened his mouth to say more, then paused.

Not sure how well I conveyed it through Jack's eyes, but Teal'c is specifically remembering the little communication recording ball Terok left in the cell in "Serpent's Venom" and how Teal'c didn't trust it not to be on even when Rak'nor said it wasn't recording. Meantime, Jack is hyperaware Teal'c being imprisoned again for what seemed to be a bad run last time would probably trigger some issues, and is recalling their conversation in the locker room. So juxtaposing perceptions again.

Jack watched cautiously as Teal'c seemed to become more aware of his surroundings and studied the cell carefully. Jack wondered what his friend saw in the small cell and metal door. A hole in the corner represented what was supposed to be their version of a toilet. Yep, typical crappy cell. Jack hoped it wasn't too similar to the one Teal'c had been in before, because it would be that much harder to keep his mind in the here and now. When Teal'c once again met Jack's gaze, his eyes were more focused, and he seemed relieved. Well, actually, Teal'c's expression was just as stoic as it ever was. However, Jack noted Teal'c's muscles relaxed slightly and his posture shifted a fraction. Years of experience with "Teal'c body language" told Jack his friend was relaxing.

"We may speak freely O'Neill."

"Oh, good." So, Teal'c was scoping out for surveillance. Perhaps his friend wasn't as far gone as Jack had feared. See, all Jack needed was a little "tell" from Teal'c, and he's caught up to his buddy's current state, even if we have to give him some backstory.

"Again, I must apologize to you." He glowered sternly as Jack started to interrupt. "I told you I was prepared for the mission, but clearly I was not. My hesitation has allowed your capture as well as mine. It may have even put Major Carter and Daniel Jackson in danger."

Moving from catatonic to a Jaffa guilt trip was not what Jack wanted either. Jack needed to nip that instinct in the bud, before Teal'c got too stubborn about it.

"Oh, no, no, no. Stop it right there. I don't know what you think just happened out there, but we were hosed as soon as we stepped out of the mine. Yeah, I won't deny, you checked out on me, but it would've gone down the same way. We were surrounded by six Jaffa with primed weapons, not to mention ol' glowy eyes and his palm weapon. Teal'c, there was nothing either of us could do. They ambushed us pure and simple, didn't even know who we were until we were caught." Jack may have been a bit more talkative now than he should've (the opposite of the beginning of the fic when Daniel was less talkative). I could sound all smart and say that Teal'c being off his game was affecting all of SG-1 to act a bit out of character, but that would imply it was more planned than just accidental.

"Six guards? I did not recall..." Teal'c's face looked confused and worried. Yeah, whatever bad memories Scarface had conjured up was keeping Teal'c in a bad place. Teal'c was not normally so unaware of his surrounding nor so open with his emotions. Teal'c's remembering how he zoned out earlier and realizing this is not the time or place.

"It's okay, Teal'c. I kinda noticed you were a bit, er, focused, on the Goa'uld. He's the one who did that to you, isn't he?"

Jack gestured to Teal'c's abdomen, both knowing the scars still healing under the robes. Teal'c dropped his head and averted his eyes. That gave Jack the answer he needed, but unfortunately he was steering Teal'c directly into those old memories which was not where he needed to be. He laid his hand on Teal'c's head and steered his cheek, so the Jaffa would continue to meet his eye.

"Okay, so that's established. Not just a regular snakehead, Scarface gets to top our list of assholes we are going to take down."

"O'Neill..."

Jack's voice became steel, full Colonel mode now. "No one messes with my team, Teal'c. I know where your head is trying to take you. Believe me, buddy, I've been there. But you can't give up hope on me. Give me the intel I need. Who is this guy?" It's not like Jack to be this touchy feely...or at least not so "feely", but based on their histories, it seemed appropriate.

Teal'c's voice was flat. "His name is Terok. He is a mercenary Goa'uld who tortures enemies of Heru'ur."

"An ashrak?" See! Jack remembers important things! Like bad things that can infect/try to kill his teammates. Notice he remembered the nishta too. I think stuff that can compromise/kill you goes into Jack's long term memory. Cool flying stuff another, and the rest gets "circular filed" in his brain.

"Ashrak are assassins. Terok revels in the torture and pain he inflicts on those who defy their god."

"Sweet." Jack couldn't bite the sarcasm back this time. Teal'c couldn't just have a grudge with some regular run of the mill megalomaniac Goa'uld, he had to pick the Marquis de Sade of snakes. It was no less than Jack expected after the injuries he had seen on Teal'c from that last mission, but hearing confirmation was another thing entirely. Already he could see Teal'c slipping away from him again, lost in the memories of his previous bout of torture. I'm still a bit proud of that Marquis de Sade line, and this explanation was supposed to help give the motivation for why Jack turned a bit more cheerleader than usual. He's really flying by the seat of his pants to keep Teal'c connected to him and giving him the intel he needs.

"Hey, hey, now. Stay with me, Teal'c. He may not play well with others, but he's just another Goa'uld. We've beaten them before, we'll do it again. I know you just went through some bad shit with this guy before, but you're not alone this time, Teal'c. We're in this together, and we're getting out of this together. We just have to wait for the calvary. It's not going to be long before Carter and Daniel figure out what's what and come blazing in here with SG-7."

"You ordered Daniel Jackson and Major Carter to leave with the refugees."

"And since when has that stopped any of us from making sure the rest are right behind? I seem to recall a few occasions when I've ordered you to leave me behind and you haven't followed them, right?" Jack gave a small, grim smile, forcing his own dark memories back. Because Jack wouldn't be empathizing with Teal'c from his own issues in Eastern Europe and Iraq. Poor messed up team. Plus, there's the whole guilt thing mentioned earlier and below that Jack left a teammate behind (unwittingly). That just has to eat at him.

"Teal'c, the only reason you had to put with Scarface for so long last time was because we didn't know. It's no excuse, but there it is. Do you think I would have left you alone, left you behind if I..." Jack ground his teeth. Trying to prevent Teal'c from going on a guilt trip, and he was burdening his friend with his own. Back to the pep talk.

"You've survived this before. You'll do it again. The only person I know more stubborn than you at defying death is Daniel. And he's got Carter with him, the woman who can piece together a save-the-day-doohickey with a paperclip and piece of gum. With those two at our backs, how can we lose?" Yes, Sam is MacGyver. :-) With her sidekick CorporeallyChallengedDaniel. Wonder twin powers activate!

Jack smiled at Teal'c, and received a weak smile in return. Jack knew his friend was just humoring him, but hopefully some of this stuff was sinking through. What Teal'c needed most right now to get him through this was hope.

Teal'c's voice was low and soft, and Jack could barely hear the words. "He would have killed me if not for Rak'nor."

There it was, the words that Jack wouldn't admit to himself. He had almost lost Teal'c. Yep, Teal'c doesn't see, and wouldn't see even if his self-worth wasn't at an all-time low, how much it would upset and hurt his friends to lose him. Jack hates the idea Teal'c almost died, and he's not going to let it happen now. He could still lose Teal'c if he didn't get him out of this despairing funk. Jack knew how much it must have cost the proud warrior to admit that much. Teal'c never betrayed any sign of weakness, and this admission had not been Teal'c's usual matter of fact outlook. Jack had heard the fear in his friend's voice. This Terok had done a bad number on him, and Jack was determined not to let him win this time. Teal'c would do the same for him...had done the same for him.

"Well, there you go. Last time you had Rak'nor. This time you've got me. And I'm not going anywhere."

"I have always been proud to fight by your side, O'Neill." Teal'c spoke as if it was a final farewell. And Jack was not ready for that. Terok has become a nightmarish, larger than life specter in Teal'c's mind (it doesn't help that the guy hasn't had a good night's kel'no'reem in a while). It's very out of character for Teal'c to be this defeatist, true, but hopefully Jack's insights are making you believe what a "boogeyman" the Goa'uld has become for Teal'c.

"Back 'atcha, buddy. But we're not out of this fight yet. It won't be long, but you've got to keep your head in the game for me. Do you hear me?"

Teal'c looked back at him wearily. Jack knew he was still being humored. "Teal'c. Undomesticated equines wouldn't tear me away. You go down, I'm going down with you. Now, you can wallow in your pity party, or you can keep your head and stick with me. Are you with me?"

Jack squinted, tracking the emotions flitting over Teal'c's face in the weak light. There it was, the spark, his eyes were alert. "I am with you, O'Neill." Teal'c may not believe in himself, but he still believes in O'Neill.

Jack rested his hand on the smooth back of his friend's head.

"That's all I need, buddy. That's all I need."

"What are you doing here?!?" Oh yeah, remember poor Sam and Daniel, just held captive? In case you forgot, I couldn't resist recapping a bit from her point of view. Extraneous yes, but was having too much fun playing with seeing the same scene through different eyes.

Sam gaped in shock at the Jaffa who held Daniel. She had tried to gauge from Daniel's demeanor what was happening when they were speaking in the foreign tongues. Unlike the belligerent tone of Goa'uld he had used on the Horus guards, Daniel had spoken more softly in less guttural sounds to the Serpent guards, his whole demeanor screaming subservience. She had taken her cues from him, at least until the one guard grabbed her friend by the arm.

She had moved before thinking, only clamping down on her reaction a moment before a primed staff weapon had been pointed at her face. Daniel had maintained his subservient pose even as she could see his body tensing for action. But all pretense was gone now that Daniel's hood had been torn off. Daniel appeared just as shocked as she was that the Serpent guard spoke in English. A moment later, the helmet lowered, and the features of Master Bra'tac glowered at them. Dun dun dun! The calvary! Bet you were scared, right?

"Bra'tac." Sam whispered. Some of Teal'c's unstated concerns must have rubbed off on her because she was instantly relieved to see their friend. The other Serpent's guard's helmet lowered, and Sam recognized the features of the young Jaffa who had helped Teal'c escape from Heru'ur. See, Sam knew Teal'c was worried Bra'tac was okay, even if not why.

Daniel recognized him as well. "Rak'nor, isn't it? How did you two end up here?"

"I came to report the death of Heru'ur and try and recruit some of my colleagues to turn against the false gods, as Teal'c convinced me. I found Master Bra'tac already here. We have turned a number of our brothers who have now gone among the forces called to the ships above to spread the word that the gods are false." Yep, how convenient they all just happened to be on this planet. I kinda thought the coincidence reasoning came out plausibly, but in any case time to distract with ~~writerly sleight of hand~~ Bra'tac grouching at silly Tau'ri.

"Humans, you have not answered my question. This is a war zone, and dangerous for Tau'ri fools dressed as priests."

Bra'tac released Daniel. Sam noticed her friend wince and unobtrusively try to shake out his upper arm. Old guy's still got a grip.

Sam quickly jumped in to explain. "We came for the naquadah while the Goa'uld were fighting in other parts of the region."

"The battle is being waged here! This is not place for you."

"Yeah, we kinda noticed," Daniel responded. "We never said our timing was great. Teal'c and Jack ran into a few Serpent guards who weren't as friendly as you."

"Fools. It is a wonder the Tau'ri have such a reputation for accomplishment when they place themselves in these situations." Bra'tac continued speaking in rapid Goa'uld that Sam's limited memories from Jolinar could not begin to decipher. Sam turned a puzzled eye to Daniel.

Daniel shook his head. "You don't want to know." i.e. Aurora can't think of cool Goa'uldy insults outside "has'shak". You guys would make up better ones in your imagination anyway.

The pair were startled as the whine of zat blasts sounded behind them. Rak'nor was shooting the Horus guards twice more, causing their bodies to disappear.

"We should leave no trace." Rak'nor solemnly stated. Yeah, Sam and Daniel should've thought of that, but things happened fast.

"Bra'tac, Teal'c's been worried sick about you." She noticed Rak'nor's expression become clouded, but she was too focused on Bra'tac to worry about what that meant.

Bra'tac frowned, his expression curious. "He had no need for concern."

"He did. Teal'c was told you were tortured and killed as a way to break him." Rak'nor's voice was flat as he spoke. Guilt was written all over his face, and Sam wondered how much Rak'nor had witnessed before he helped her friend escape Heru'ur's ha'tak. Here's some jigsaw puzzle pieces coming together. Now Sam's knowledge of Teal'c's offness is exposed, and soon Daniel's will be.

Bra'tac spit out another Goa'uld curse before turning back to Sam and Daniel. "Did you see where they took them?"

Sam explained. "It was six Serpent Guards and an armored man, probably a Goa'uld."

Daniel spoke up, pointing to the building where their friends had been taken. "I didn't recognize any insignia on his outfit. He was shorter than Teal'c, with short cropped hair."

Sam continued, "There was a scar running across one eye and down his cheek. I was surprised to see a Goa'uld in such a disfigured host."

"It cannot be! He should be dead. I don't understand."

Sam turned at Rak'nor's surprised outburst. "You know him."

Bra'tac's face set into a grim expression. "You are describing Terok."

Daniel's face paled. "We have to get them out of there, now." The other puzzle piece! Daniel hasn't forgotten. C'mon tell the linguist a word "doesn't mean anything"? He's put things together, and soon Sam will catch on.

Sam was startled and confused. Everyone seemed to know what was happening but her. "What's going on? Who is this guy? What's he supposed to be god of? Daniel?"

"Um, god of? I don't...I don't know. I've just heard Teal'c mention the name."

Sam blinked, and her eyes widened. Daniel's expression was worried, very worried. He wasn't quite looking at her, and his jaw was set. Sam was starting to put the pieces together, and not liking the answer she was getting.

Rak'nor explained. "Terok is the Goa'uld who tortured Teal'c under Heru'ur." Rak'nor doesn't realize how fast Sam and Daniel's brains work.

Sam was not happy that her own conclusion was now confirmed. "But, shouldn't he have blown up with Heru'ur when Apophis fired on the ha'tak?"

Rak'nor shook his head. "No. We ringed Terok aboard Apophis's ship as a distraction while we made our escape to the glider bay. He was dead though, and Apophis would have no use for the underling of his enemy." Hello fanwank of how I can fit Terok into this story in the first place. It hopefully was plausible enough.

"Perhaps he would." Bra'tac cut in. "Apophis is building an army and reestablishing himself as someone to rival the existing System Lords. He cannot do so without lieutenants."

"And Terok, as someone under Heru'ur, would be the perfect choice to send to one of Heru'ur's former worlds." Daniel responded.

Bra'tac nodded. "He must have used the sarcophagus and received Terok's pledge of fealty."

Sam thought quickly. "Have the Serpent Guards completely taken over the temple?"

"No. There is still a great deal of fighting both in orbit above and near the main settlement. Very few guards remain at this outpost, and they dare not fight too close to the mines for fear of destroying the naquadah."

"As well as a sizeable chunk of the planet." Sam remembered her father's description.

Bra'tac nodded. "Just so."

"So probably not more than the half dozen we saw, and they aren't expecting an attack this close to the mines." Sam's mind continued to race. Daniel's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sam, what are you thinking?"

Sam remembered how helpless they all felt when they thought they were too late to rescue Teal'c by intercepting the rings between Heru'ur's and Apophis's ships. She had caught herself more than once touching Teal'c since they returned to the SGC after that mission, just to reassure herself that her friend was really there. Had this in my head since the control room scene–that I wanted to give Sam's perspective on why she was sticking to Teal'c like glue. Maybe it was too distant to call back now, but hoping combined with Jack's guilt in the scene above, the teamy goodness hurt/comfort is seamlessly getting knitted together without pesky anvils. All of them had suffered too many close calls. Now both Teal'c and the Colonel were prisoners, and Sam was not going to let them remain that way a moment longer than necessary. No one got left behind. Bra'tac and Rak'nor would give her and Daniel the edge they needed.

Sam keyed her radio. "Sierra Gulf One Beta to Sierra Gulf Seven."

"We were starting to get worried, Major. What's your status?"

"We've got some unexpected backup and are planning an extraction. We will meet you at the Stargate." she paused and exchanged a grim look with Daniel. They both remembered what Teal'c looked like when he disembarked from Rak'nor's death glider after escaping Terok. "Look for our transport." Could ask for SG-7, but...hey, Rak'nor and Bra'tac...easy peasy.

"Understood. Sierra Gulf Seven Niner, out."

Teal'c was grateful to his friend. O'Neill's forceful words had brought him back from the abyss of memories to which Teal'c was becoming lost. He trusted O'Neill. O'Neill was with him and needed him. He would not let down his friend. Full circle back to Teal'c POV again.

That newfound strength of purpose was necessary a few moments later. The cell door opened, and Terok entered, flanked by a pair of Jaffa.

"Kneel before your god." A smack to the back of the legs forced Teal'c and O'Neill to the floor.

"You know, you guys really need to get some new material."

Teal'c smiled to himself. He knew O'Neill's antagonizing of the guards was a small reminder to Teal'c to fight. Then Terok's voice echoed through the chamber.

"Insolence from the Tau'ri slave. Is this where you learned it, shol'va?"

"Ah. I'm flattered you think a guy like me could teach Teal'c anything. But I think he was pretty attuned to the crap you guys were shilling long before I crossed his path."

Teal'c watched as O'Neill's head snapped back from the slap Terok slammed across his face. When O'Neill moved upright again, he wiped blood from where the hand device cut his lip.

"Hit a little close to home there, Terok?"

"Apophis will reward me well for bringing to him both the shol'va and his recruiter."

"You know, the last snakehead who called me Teal'c's recruiter ended up in glass jar after the Tok'ra pulled his slimy ass out of a friend of mine." Serpent's Grasp/Lair is my favorite episode ever. Couldn't resist the shoutout/parallel.

Teal'c watched Terok as the Goa'uld clenched his jaw. "Breaking your spirit should be extremely satisfying."

Terok motioned to the guards. One brought forth a harness Teal'c immediately recognized. It was often used by the Goa'uld to hobble their prisoners. Teal'c started to rise to his feet, but Terok anticipated his move. The other Jaffa knocked him off his feet with a swipe of his staff weapon and before he knew it, Terok was smiling down at him.

"As for you, Teal'c, I believe I shall start where we left off in our last meeting."

Teal'c barely fumbled to his knees before Terok's ribbon device burned into his skull. He could not speak; he could not move. Was Terok going to finish him this time? Teal'c would not give him the satisfaction. Dimly, he was aware of O'Neill's struggles as the Jaffa strapped him into the tight bindings, collar around his throat, arms wrapped around a bar before manacles around his wrists. O'Neill was cursing and fighting the whole time, focused not on his own plight, but that of Teal'c's. Poor Jack. Poor Teal'c. I feel bad about the level of violence here, but it fit with Terok's character and Jack being mistreated is what Teal'c needs to snap out of his funk. When it's happening to himself, it just seems to be following what Teal'c's damaged psyche expects via the memories.

Just when Teal'c felt he could stand no more, that he would end up betraying his promise to O'Neill after all, Terok released him from his grasp. Teal'c collapsed to the floor. As he fell, his eyes caught O'Neill's. The colonel was spitting fire still at the Goa'uld, but his eye was on Teal'c. O'Neill had made a vow, every step of the way. Teal'c needed to continue to fight. O'Neill would not face this alone.

Teal'c's mental vow was one thing. His physical ability to follow through was another. Terok's torture had left Teal'c weakened and in pain on top of his own barely healed injuries. It was all Teal'c could do to remain conscious. But the reality of reliving the torture reminded of something he had forgotten in his haunting memories. He remembered his defiance and his will to survive. His determination in fighting Terok was even stronger now. Terok too had diminished from the monster that haunted his nights to merely a man inhabited by a parasite. Even if Teal'c was weakened, even if dead, Terok would not win. Tal shekka mel. Teal'c would die free. This paragraph is the key turning point of the whole fic. Yeah, took forty pages to get here, but hopefully the ride was worth it.

Terok's interest had shifted from Teal'c to his friend. He beat O'Neill a few more times, the Tau'ri cursing and mocking him the whole time. Teal'c knew what O'Neill was doing; it was what he always did–keep the attention on him, and not his team. Teal'c still had not the breath or the strength to object. Inflicting pain on O'Neill was part of Terok's plan to break Teal'c.

At that moment, Terok turned and looked at Teal'c. Seeing Teal'c was watching, he grinned. Terok reached out and grasped the pain stick held out in readiness.

"Do you remember this, Teal'c? Do you remember the pain from the scars I have tracked on your body?" Terok kicked him in the tender symbiote pouch and pressed the pain stick there a few moments. Teal'c could feel his primta's agitation.

After a few moments, Terok turning his back on Teal'c and shoved the pain stick into O'Neill's side. O'Neill cried out, light forcing through his mouth, his ears. After what seemed like an eternity, but must have been less than a minute, Terok released O'Neill.

"Gah." O'Neill struggled for breath. "Have to use your little toys to get off, do you, Scarface? Is this to make up for inadequacies in other areas?"

Terok snarled as he shoved the pain stick into O'Neill again. The colonel arced and writhed in pain, his movements hampered by the harness encasing him.

"Foolish Tau'ri. You turn the shol'va against us. You mock me. How dare you interfere with the ways of your betters."

Terok only let go long enough to kick O'Neill in his unprotected abdomen, then struck out again with the pain stick.

Watching his friend go through the torture Teal'c had endured for so long caused something to snap inside him. Fueled purely by rage and adrenalin, Teal'c rose to his feet. He caught the Jaffa off-guard, back fisting one and snatching his staff weapon before the other could ready his own weapon. Teal'c fired at the other guard, then blasted the other one as he tried to regain his equilibrium. Here's the badass Teal'c we all know and love...not letting a bit of recovery from life threatening injuries come between him and some asskicking. A bit superhuman, yes, but I figure Teal'c victorious over getting through the nightmares and mamabear like instinct to protect his team would give Teal'c "pick the car off the baby" powers (plus Terok's a bit stupid about his torturees).

The guards were dead before Terok realized what had happened. He spun at the noise, the pain stick still in his hand as Teal'c struck out. Teal'c knocked the pain stick away with the staff weapon and launched himself at Terok with a fury. His hands closed around the Goa'uld's throat. Terok could not concentrate to use his ribbon device; he scratched feebly with his ribboned hand at Teal'c's face. Teal'c felt the skin break, but it only fueled his rage further. He put more pressure, crushing against bone at the Goa'uld's vulnerable throat.

Terok's struggles ceased. His eyes flashed once before dulling forever.

"Oh my God." Your choice whether it was Sam or Daniel or both who said the line. Personally, I'm going with Sam. But it doesn't matter.

Teal'c turned at the noise and spotted the silhouettes of two very familiar figures in the doorway. Before he could respond to the presence of his teammates, he heard a hacking cough behind him emanating from O'Neill. Teal'c was losing his own tenuous ability to remain upright. He started to falter, but strong hands gripped him, helping him retain his balance. Peripherally, he was aware of a blond head passing him, Major Carter, moving towards O'Neill.

"I've got you, Teal'c," the man holding him upright spoke. Sniffle. Okay, I admit, I love the literal metaphor of one of Teal'c's teammates holding him up when he can't do it himself. They've been trying to do it emotionally the whole darn fic, and now here at the end, Daniel can do it physically.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c whispered.

"It's okay. I've got you." Daniel grunted slightly. "Of course, it would be a lot easier to keep hold of you if you let go of the Goa'uld." Yes, a bit of dark humor.

Daniel shifted his grip and tried to pry Teal'c's fingers free of Terok. It was only then that Teal'c realized he was still holding the corpse of his enemy. Daniel's words remained low and soothing. "It's okay, Teal'c. It's over now."

Teal'c released the body, and it folded to the floor. Both Daniel and Teal'c shifted as their center of gravity changed. Teal'c was aware of Daniel's hands moving over his hands, separating his blood from that of his captors. Daniel Jackson was assessing his injuries, and stealing sidelong glances to where Major Carter was tending O'Neill. Teal'c wanted, needed to do something to let Daniel Jackson know he was all right, if not yet physically, at least in spirit. Teamy goodness worry for the win! (And hey, if J/S, J/D and D/T want to read more, whatever space between the lines you see is all good).

Teal'c gripped his friend's arm harder. Daniel Jackson started in surprise and looked at Teal'c's face, clearly trying to determine what pain or problem was getting Teal'c's attention. When Daniel was focused on his face, Teal'c explained.

"When you next join me in kel'no'reem, Daniel Jackson, there will be no 'distractions'." Teal'c's way of saying "Sorry I've been an idiot. And Daniel's response is saying no problem.

Daniel Jackson smiled. "I look forward to it, Teal'c."

From behind them, Teal'c could hear O'Neill's voice, pained, but strong. "Ow, Carter. Your Florence Nightingale routine has not improved since Antarctica."

"Sorry, sir."

Teal'c could hear the relief in Major Carter's voice and caught a spark in Daniel Jackson's eye.

"Jack's feeling well enough to complain." I was trying to show that Jack was really teasing more than Sam was a terrible medic, and the team all recognized it for what it was.

Teal'c nodded. He wished he had been able to prevent O'Neill from any injury. Yes, of course he'd now feel guilty about being useless when he was feeling useless. Sigh. Oh team. At least I soon put any fear to rest that Jack's seriously hurt. Teal'c looked over to where Major Carter struggled to loosen the last of the colonel's bonds. Major Carter seemed to sense Teal'c's stare, because she looked back at that moment and smiled. She suddenly looked past him, but there was no sense of alarm in her features.

"I finally found out what happened to Bra'tac, Teal'c." She gestured with her chin.

Teal'c spun around so fast, Daniel Jackson could not maintain his grasp on his friend. Both lost their balance and began to tumble to the floor, but the very solid, real, and alive presence of Master Bra'tac was at his side, preventing his fall. Aw, Bra'tac there too (although I do always kinda giggle at the visual image of Daniel and Teal'c losing their balance.)

"Tek ma'tek, Teal'c."

"Tek'ma'te, Bra'tac. It is good to see you, old friend." Yeah, I subscribe to the camp Tek'ma'te is a greeting, not a title for Bra'tac.

"And you as well. You have been very busy since our last meeting."

"I believe we have done away with the last of the guards in the area," spoke a new voice.

Teal'c saw Rak'nor standing in the doorway. For a moment, he wondered if this was his imaginings after all, but Daniel Jackson's and Master Bra'tac's firm grasps on his body grounded him to reality. Rak'nor would be surprising to see. I thought it would be natural for Teal'c to have a tiny flicker of doubt after being focused on his past incarceration for so long that the more recent events were not the reality. Rak'nor was here, and Bra'tac, and his teammates. And all were alive. Teal'c's heart sang with joy and relief.

Rak'nor's expression grew shocked as he looked down at the body of Terok.

"He is dead, Rak'nor."

"Let us ensure he stays that way, this time, Teal'c." Rak'nor raised his zat'nik'tel with a determined expression on his face.

Bra'tac and Daniel Jackson backed Teal'c away, and Rak'nor fired his zat'nik'tal three times, banishing Terok to memories alone. Teal'c noted the grim set to Daniel Jackson's mouth as he looked at the empty space, but when Daniel Jackson turned his eyes back to Teal'c, only compassion appeared in its depths. A bond of understanding passed between them.

"A word that means nothing." Daniel said.

Teal'c gave a weak nod.

When first envsioning the fic, I had planned on this bookend of the phrase to be the ending. But I wanted Bra'tac and Rak'nor to have a bit more to do. Originally they were going to help Sam and Daniel find the cell, but that was really superfluous. It didn't add anything to the Teal'c storyline, the villagers were taken care of, and if anything, would detract from the real climax of Teal'c defeating mentally and physically the hold Terok had on him. Maybe the rest is a bit too much frosting on the fic, but it didn't seem quite "finished" without the last bit.

O'Neill needed more assistance moving than Major Carter could provide, and Teal'c was unable to hold himself up for long from the massive pain in his head and weakness of his symbiote. It was decided that Daniel Jackson should support O'Neill, and Rak'nor assist Teal'c. They moved towards the edge of the compound where Major Carter explained they had hidden their transport.

Teal'c shook his head as Rak'nor adjusted his grip around Teal'c. "Once again I owe you my life, Rak'nor."

Rak'nor looked at him, his eyes wide. "It is I who owe you, Teal'c. A debt I can never repay. I have saved your life, but you have saved my soul. You have given me freedom. Kel shek nem ron." See, Teal'c doesn't see the impact he has on others. Go, Rak'nor!

Teal'c smiled. "I too, shall die free, brother."

At one point, O'Neill called to them to pause, gesturing to a satchel. "I think they tossed our gear there. We need the detonator."

Major Carter gathered O'Neill and Teal'c's confiscated equipment, storing several devices into the folds of her robes and keeping a tight hold on the detonator.

O'Neill's voice faltered as he continued to speak while Daniel Jackson half carried him. "Should be on a ten second delay. You'll have to blow it just before going through the Stargate. Will that effect the SGC?"

Major Carter shook her head. "Theoretically, the delay coupled with the time for the blast wave to travel compared to the power shut down on the receiving Stargate..."

"Carter! Please, I have a bad headache."

Major Carter stopped short in her explanation and took a breath, exchanging a look with Teal'c. "Yes, sir. We shut down the Gate as soon as we get home and close the iris, we should be fine." Actually one or the other would probably be sufficient (can you shut down an incoming wormhole?) Your author fell down on the job with your technobabble here, Sam.

"Thank you."

Teal'c overheard Major Carter speaking into her radio, informing Lieutenant Colonel Lewis of their status. Teal'c heard O'Neill fumbling with Daniel Jackson's radio before informing the SG-7 leader that he would be ordering a "double" when they returned home. Does anyone remember that Lewis said the drinks would be on him after the mission thirty pages ago? I always wondered.

Bra'tac returned from where he had scouted ahead. "We must move swiftly. More guards may arrive at any time. There is no telling what message Terok may have sent to Apophis."

They moved quickly and quietly. Bra'tac in the lead, guiding their retreat. Rak'nor and Teal'c followed, Teal'c using a staff weapon as a crutch as well as allowing Rak'nor to support more of his weight than he would admit to even himself. Behind them followed Daniel Jackson and O'Neill. Bringing up the rear was Major Carter, covering their flank.

They were almost to the transport when Major Carter's voice cried out in alarm.

Rak'nor and Teal'c spun around I just realized Teal'c spins around a lot in this fic. He's kinda like Linda Carter Wonder Woman. Oops. I think it was a bit of a crutch to convey surprise and quickness. It's *hard* to write action, y'all! with alacrity just in time to see Daniel Jackson drop O'Neill to the ground an instant before a staff blast would have shot across their chests. Major Carter had already crouched down to make a smaller target of herself and fired her zat towards the temple. A dozen Jaffa were quite close their position, and more were pouring out from the pyramid. Apophis must have ringed some groups down from his ha'tak in orbit.

Rak'nor started firing his staff weapon. Teal'c allowed him to loosen his hold. Both stood, side by side, firing at the approaching Jaffa. I love this mental image. Picture something like climax of Orpheus. And yes, the parallel to the other time Teal'c lost his mojo was intentional. Their aim was true, several Jaffa fell, but one of the enemy blasts hit home, striking Rak'nor in the leg, causing him to stumble to the ground. Teal'c straddled himself to maintain his balance and continued to fire.

He no longer saw any more Jaffa close by, but there were some in the distance, barely within firing range. Teal'c aimed carefully. He had to eradicate these Jaffa who followed Terok. Rak'nor was yelling something to Teal'c about leaving, but the words held no meaning to Teal'c. He had to stop them. He had to stop them all. Now that Teal'c's gotten over his feelings of inadequacy, he's kinda gone the other extreme. Nothing worse than a pissed off Jaffa hungry for revenge. Just ask Tanith.

Bra'tac's voice finally filtered through Teal'c's bloodlust. "We cannot defeat all the false gods in one afternoon, old friend."

Teal'c blinked and looked around. Bra'tac was now supporting him, the wounded Rak'nor already shifted onto the transport. Bra'tac must have moved him there, but Teal'c did not recollect that at all. Teal'c still wanted to fight. He needed to destroy those who had tried to destroy so much of himself, had destroyed the innocent humans who lived here. Then another voice sounded behind him, a voice weary, yet strong.

Of course Bra'tac would be the one to break through the irrational rage. But Teal'c would still feel obligated to act until realizing something more important, a teammate who still needed him. Yay, O'Neill! (Also, I felt guilty for relegating Jack to a peptalk and whumping boy for the story. He needed to have the denouement moment.)

"Teal'c. Let's go home."

O'Neill was by him now, face pale and covered in dirt, still supported by Daniel Jackson. Major Carter was close behind, looking at Teal'c with both compassion and a soldier's eye on their retreat. The three teammates he considered more than colleagues, more than friends, and the man who was almost like a father to Teal'c...his family not of the same blood, but bonded by the blood they had shed together. Teal'c was not alone. waves team SG-1 pom poms a bit more. Sigh, they really are my OTP, aren't they? LOL

Teal'c thought through this day. He had conquered the Goa'uld who haunted his dreams, and this battle by his friends' side would not give Apophis the naquadah he sought. Perhaps Teal'c had vanquished enough demons for one day. Yay gratuitous callback to my title! I tried to do that at least in early fics. He had reclaimed his honor, his family, and his sense of self. O'Neill was right, it was time to return...home.

Teal'c bowed his head, acknowledging Master Bra'tac and the rest of SG-1--his friends, his family.

"Indeed." Of course this is Teal'c's last word. That's probably a trope all its own, no?

Fin.

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Aurora's Stargate fic

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DVD Commentary: Vanquishing Demons

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