PART ELEVEN "The Longest Night"
�Colonel O�Neill, you have plagued me for far too long. I condemn you to the tender mercies of the Pellans. In their care you will discover new worlds of pain and endless misery, as they revel in your agony. They will fill your every moment with darkness, they will pose endless fruitless inquiries, and you will answer because it is who you are. You will answer, and the sessions will begin anew. May your body not fail you for many weeks, months, years to come!�
The voice echoed hollowly through the narrow cobbled alleys of the city. He writhed and cursed in the steel arms of his captors, staring wildly from face to face. With a lunge, he was able to pull an arm free and spin away from them. They clung to one wrist, growling their rage, wrenching his captured limb until the shoulder popped in a blaze of agony. He bit his tongue, fighting the urge to scream in pain. They cackled as his face contorted, and he crumpled beneath a stunning blow to his already throbbing skull. Through bleary eyes, he watched the uneven blocks of stone pass by as they dragged him towards the center of the city and the citadel. Sunlight glared off the gray and brown blocks, abruptly engulfed by the thick shadow of the wall. He twisted weakly in their arms and spied a slim figure dressed in red and gold. The Being turned, and he gasped in horror.
Osiris!
She/he smiled, eyes flashing. As he watched his mouth agape, her body began to morph. The slender curves thickened and the skin lost its golden glow, turning pasty gray. The red and gold darkened to navy blue and the tangles of curly, blond hair shortened to coarse silver. Her face broadened and her red lips thinned, twisting viciously.
Kinsey!
�A promise.�
�No��
Jack sat bolt upright.
A dream�
He clambered to his feet and stumbled to the railing. Just making the edge before he lost the contents of his stomach into the darkness below. Retching painfully, he leaned on the wood. The dull thud of his pulse a counterpoint to the flashes of red that painted his vision with each gasping breath.
Only a dream�
With a last dry heave, he stepped back from the edge and fell heavily onto the deck. His elbow glanced off the arm of the lounge, as his legs splayed out before him in a tangled heap. Beer cans scattered noisily across the floor. Some of them rolled beneath the lowest rail, landing with a muffled, metallic scratch in the bushes below.
Jack coughed thickly and wiped his lips with trembling fingers as he crawled into the chair. A humid breeze fanned the sweat from his cheeks, bringing the scent of new mown grass and pine to his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, clearing his throat and spitting the taste of vomit from his mouth with a groan.
A dream�
He rubbed his freshly bruised elbow, and looked around the starlit deck. The remains of a case of beer sat in a cardboard box by the French doors. A grease coated paper bag perched atop a plate beside it. Jack licked his lips, tasting salt and bile as memory gradually returned.
The meeting with Kinsey ended abruptly. Without waiting to be dismissed by a flustered General Hammond, he had fled the mountain with nary a backward glance. Space was all he could think of, as he jammed his truck keys into the lock and heard the familiar creak of the door.
The drive from the complex to Colorado Springs was a blur of orange tinted pines as the sun gradually set behind the mountain. He stopped at the intersection at the bottom, and dredged the name of a Chinese take-out place from memory. Dialing his cell phone with one hand, Jack navigated his way across town. He arrived at his destination, barely aware of the drive. The discovery of a small store next door to the restaurant gave new meaning to the word convenience. One stop shopping he noted with a weary sigh. He picked out the beer and a bag of nachos, smirking at the combination of Chinese and Mexican. The cashier had given him an odd look when he pulled out a twenty and told her to keep the change.
God only knows what she saw in my eyes�
He pulled into his driveway, knocking over the trashcans with the bumper of the truck. The neighbor�s dog began to bark at the noise and he cursed it quietly beneath his breath. Hoping that the old lady across the road wouldn�t come out and start screaming, like she usually did. Inside he grabbed a plate and a fork, and stalked upstairs to the deck off the master bedroom.
The food was still warm and he inhaled it between long gulps of frothy beer. He finished two cans before tossing the remnants of his meal back into the paper bag and setting them down by the door.
The stars.
Jack swallowed and got shakily to his feet. The shaft of his telescope gleamed softly in the feeble light. He crossed to it, caressing the metal with chilled fingers.
He had grabbed another beer and perched on a chair in front of the telescope. The alcohol was starting to take affect at this point, bringing false warmth to his unsteady frame. He tossed his coat across the deck and leaned forward a second time. The view was blurry, but he couldn�t be sure if it was out of focus or he was simply drunk.
Three beers? Can�t be�
He finished the can and yanked another free, tearing the box as he did so. The view did not improve and finally he sat back heavily in the seat.
Sam�
Jack scrubbed a hand across his face. In his drunken state he had sought the stars and their comforting brilliance as a distraction. The beer had only veiled his confusion, however, the intensity remained. Tearing at his subconscious, forcing him to examine the strained conversation they had in his quarters.
She had run.
The recollection raised the twin specters of fear and rage, adding to the insistent throb of his blossoming hangover. Jack groaned and leaned on the rail, feeling his stomach turn rebelliously before settling.
Alone.
For the first time since his return from the Pellan homeworld, there had been no one to watch over him. The air was filled with the sounds of the summer night. The croak of bullfrogs and the high- pitched chirp of crickets, the sigh of the wind rushing through the trees, and the intermittent rumble of passing cars. Nature and the reality of his suburban home had replaced the frequently surreal hum and babble of the SGC complex. He should have been happy. For once there was no one knocking on his door, calling him to a meeting, or prodding him physically or emotionally. Being alone had always been a comforting respite from the world at large. Now it brought disquiet and a numbing sense of dread.
He had lain back on the lounge. Drowsed to a near stupor by the beer, his thoughts turned inward. Racing along channels that caused him to pound the alcohol into his body at a near frantic pace.
Two nights�
Somehow he had grown to rely on Sam�s presence in a way he never had before. Jack O�Neill, Mr. Independence, was suddenly terrified at the prospect of being alone. The cell loomed large in the darkness that shadowed the corners of the deck. Emptiness and futility rode the hazy waves of inebriation. The horror of feeling abandoned by his friends, and ultimately himself, crowded out the comforting buzz. The warmth of her presence, even the silence that so often lay between them, could have shielded him from the smoky darkness.
But she had run�
He was gripped alternately by the fear that he had finally driven her away for good, and the anger that she had chosen to run from him when he needed her most. The two emotions had ridden his subconscious into fitful slumber, and no doubt stirred the demons that flared into nightmare.
Jack released a hitching sigh into the darkness. Finally his feelings were clear to his fractured mind, the one useful by-product of an otherwise ill-advised bender.
She had run, and it hurt more than anything Baal, or First or the Pellans had done. There was no denying the need that simmered at the back of his thoughts. The suffocating loneliness that manifested itself in waves of emotion that caught in his throat until he could hardly breath.
Sam, why?
More importantly�
Why did it take me so long to understand what is so blatantly obvious?
Jack gingerly shook his head and rose to his feet. The world tilted dangerously, and he swallowed the fresh nausea with a low moan. Awash in cold sweat, he stumbled to the doors and pushed them open. The fresh breeze wafted into the dark bedroom, driving out the musty, closed in odors. Smells which had gone unnoticed in his earlier haste to get to the balcony and begin his private party. He left the doors ajar, unmindful of the evening chill, and walked to the bathroom. Jack stuck his head beneath the spray nozzle and allowed the powerful jets to pummel his skull. Anesthetizing the throbbing headache with icy pinpricks. He leaned on the frosted door, bathing his head and neck until the flesh tingled painfully. When his head had numbed he stepped back and threw a towel across his shoulders. The phone rang as he was walking stiffly from the bathroom to the bed. Cutting through the silence and sending his racing heart into his throat.
�Son of a bitch,� he snatched the receiver from its cradle midway through the second piercing ring. �Hello?�
�Jack��
�What?� he coughed against the hoarseness in his voice. �Daniel?�
�Yeah.�
�What?�
�General Hammond was trying to reach you��
�And he called you?� Jack slumped onto the end of the bed, straining the phone cord to the limit. The base slipped from the bedside table and landed with a dull thump on the carpet, nearly pulling the receiver from his weak fingers. �Crap��
�Jack?�
�For cryin� out loud, Daniel! What?�
�You okay?�
�No!� he snapped irritably. The headache was creeping back to life as his head slowly defrosted. �I just went multiple rounds with a case of Budweiser if you must know. Now I�m not going to ask you again��
�Okay, I get the point.� Daniel paused. �Jacob arrived at Andrews about an hour ago. General Hammond called Sam, and she said she was going to call you and let you know. She called a little while ago and said you weren�t answering your phone�I guess I know why��
�Yeah, great.� Jack leaned carefully towards the floor, swallowing hard as acid boiled into his throat. He grasped the phone with slippery fingers and tossed it onto the bed. �What time?�
�Huh?�
�When does Hammond want me?�
�Mission briefing at 0800.�
�Fine�� he trailed off, listening to Daniel breathing heavily into the phone. �Something else or are you practicing for a second job at 1-800 DIALSEX?�
�Nice to see you still have your sense of humor,� Daniel countered softly. �Are you sure��
�Don�t hover, Daniel. It pisses me off,� Jack snapped.
Daniel gasped and swallowed audibly, clearly stung by his rebuke. �I�ll see you in the morning.�
The phone went dead.
Jack threw the humming receiver across the room. The cord stretched until the base was wrenched from its place in the center of the rumpled spread, and flung into the leg of the chair by the window. Pieces of plastic skittered across the carpet as the unit shattered against the wood.
�Son of a bitch!� Jack stared into the darkened bedroom, feeling drained by the brief conversation. He cast a weary eye towards the bed and shook his head. Frustration and the steady pounding in his head eliminated sleep as an option. He rose to his feet, riding out the wave of dizziness that rolled over him before walking from the bedroom.
The hallway was bathed in the soft orange glow of the streetlight, filling the corners with an inky blackness. He navigated the stairs on shaky legs, pushing the brisk, painful exchange with Daniel to the back of his mind with effort. There was no excuse for his behavior. Shooting the messenger never helped. Never mind that he wasn�t really angry with Daniel or anyone else.
He reached the living room and found his jacket on the floor by the door. Bile rose in his throat as he bent to retrieve it and his sneakers. �Damm,� he panted through the nausea, and slumped onto the couch. When his heart had slowed its frantic hammering, Jack snugged on his shoes and headed out into the early morning darkness.
His knees began to ache after the first few minutes, but he pushed on. Choosing to ignore the discomfort of his tired body as he walked into the waning night. He covered miles of deserted streets. The low moan of the wind dogged his weighted steps. Filled with the distant sounds of traffic and the nocturnal rustlings of hidden creatures, fleeing through the brush on wing and paw.
There had always been comfort in nature, peace in solitude. The scent of pine, heavy on the humid air, reminded him of the cabin and the pond. The call of a hunting owl and the piteous shriek of fallen pray, while startling, offered a certain comfort. The reality that life continued, for good or ill.
Now there was only darkness.
Voices and emotions haunted his tumultuous thoughts. Guilt for the anger and hurt he heard in Daniel�s voice. Resentment and fear for the sadness that darkened Sam�s large, blue eyes. Rage and frustration directed inwardly, harping at his tattered psyche.
I was weak�
I should have been able to resist them�
I should never have let her get so close�
I should never have let myself believe�
Exhaustion finally turned his steps homeward. Jack plodded wearily down the hill in front of his house. The threatened hangover had manifested into a full-blown headache, barely salved by the sudden rise of a dawn wind. He reached the front steps and sank onto the damp wood, cradling his head in his hands.
I can�t�
I have to�
Jack kneaded his pounding skull with shaking fingers.
I can�t�
I don�t want to�
No choice�
The eastern sky was ablaze with gold and lavender as Jack drove into the SGC lot and parked in his customary space. He shut off the engine and sat for a moment, his arm dangling out the open window. The air had turned unusually sharp for mid July. Dew glistened on the grass and hung in pearl-like drops from the needles of the towering pines. Spattering to the asphalt in weighty showers whenever the breeze stirred the treetops.
The walk had exhausted him, but sleep refused to come. An hour of restless tossing and turning only brought additional frustration. After swallowing a handful of aspirin to dull the hangover, he jammed his sweaty body into his BDUs and paced the floor. Telling himself it was simply normal pre-mission nerves. Just another day saving the world�
Yeah, right.
Jack snorted at his vain attempts at self delusion. Not since SG-1�s early days as a green, inexperienced unit had he felt so much trepidation. They needed to work together if they expected to succeed. Whether through fear, rage or old-fashioned stupidity, he had managed to throw a wrench into the well-oiled works of his team. They could forgive his illness, support him through his recovery, but they were struggling to live with his internal confusion.
It wasn�t fair.
He climbed from his truck and walked across the damp lot. Trying not to think about the wariness and resentment that would no doubt set the undertone for the upcoming briefing. With a muttered �hello� to the OD, Jack signed in and proceeded towards the bank of elevators.
Daniel.
The younger man was rubbing tiredly at his forehead, glasses dangling from limp fingers as he waited for a car.
Jack stopped in his tracks. It was early, too early for any of SG-1 to be on base. If sleep had been forthcoming, he would still be rolled up in his own comforter, happily oblivious. Had their harsh conversation prevented Daniel from sleeping? Jack swallowed hard, feeling lower than ever as he stepped hesitantly forward.
Daniel replaced his glasses, acknowledging him with a nod, before stepping into the car and holding the door.
�You sure?� Jack murmured softly.
�I don�t even like my company right now.�
The long ago phrase rose unbidden to his tired brain. Laira, who had wanted the one thing he could not give, had elicited that cryptic response from him in a moment of vulnerability. His barriers had been down, allowing feelings to tumble from his cracked lips and lay raw and open between them. Daniel with his simple, acquiescent nod was doing the same. His silence a clear declaration of the friendship that was so rarely spoken of, and at the moment Jack noted, so undeserved.
Daniel nodded a second time, folding his arms across his chest as the car lurched into motion.
They passed through the Level 11 checkpoint. Both of them offered a curt good morning to the OD before boarding the elevator that would deposit them on the lower levels of the SGC. Jack was wandering, at a loss for something to do. It was 0600, two hours before the mission briefing. For the first time in memory he didn�t have paperwork to file or reports to read. He exited the elevator when Daniel did, following his friend in uneasy silence as they walked down the empty halls to his office. He didn�t know what he expected, and was mildly surprised when Daniel pointed him to a seat, before busying himself with the compact coffeemaker that sat on the end of a crowded countertop.
Jack gestured his ascent when Daniel nodded meaningfully at a pair of coffee mugs next to the empty pot.
I need to say something, anything!
After a few moments, the low burble of perking coffee filled the silence. Daniel turned to his computer and booted it up, wiping off the screen with a disgusted snort. Dust floated in the heavy air and he waved it clear, casting an impatient glance over his shoulder.
�Daniel��
�Jack��
He grimaced. �Okay, cut that out��
Daniel laughed softly and sat down on his stool with a groan. �You don�t have to say anything��
�I wasn�t�.�
The younger man shook his head. �Please��
I�m sorry. The words tingled on the tip of his tongue, fighting for release. He sighed deeply. �I was drunk��
�I know.� Daniel turned to the coffee and poured them both a cup. �I recognized the signs,� he said quietly as he handed Jack his mug. �I guess the question is�why? Why last night, when there is so much at stake��
�I don�t need reminding,� he warned tightly.
Shut up!
The subconscious order flashed white hot through his mind. Jack swallowed a hasty sip of coffee, ignoring the scalding heat that filled his mouth and burned down his throat.
Daniel sat down, regarding him pensively over the rim of his cup. �I think you do. I think we�ve been patient, and we�ve tried to help. Instead of coming to one of us, and talking about what happened, you chose to hide� In the bottom of a bottle�again.�
�Daniel��
�I know you�ve been talking to McKenzie, but it�s not the same,� Daniel protested, a note of frustration creeping into his voice. �We�re your friends and you�ve been running from us ever since you got back, at least some of us�� he trailed off, staring into his coffee with a deep frown.
�Meaning?� Jack prodded, as a chilly knot tightened in the pit of his stomach.
�I don�t know what you�ve said to Sam, but it�s no secret that you have been spending a lot of time with her in the last few days��
Jack put the coffee cup on the corner of the desk, wincing as it nearly slipped from his trembling fingers. He had no response to the unspoken question that hovered in Daniel�s blue eyes.
It wasn�t the first time they had been the object of the base rumor mill. The ultimately pointless Zaytarc testing had produced its share of innuendo for months. In spite of the fact that Janet and Anise/Freya had both sworn their silence, suspicions had persisted. Jack had chosen to ignore them, knowing from years of experience that rumors could not survive if no one fed them. Sam had followed his example. Careful behavior on their part had quelled further speculation, until now. It was disconcerting to realize that he was responsible for the increasing suspicions of his friends and coworkers.
Was that why you ran, Sam?
No
There had to more to her abrupt departure than fear of military retribution for an inappropriate relationship with her superior. She had to know that he would never allow his actions to jeopardize her career�
�Jack?�
Daniel�s soft query pulled him back to reality with a jolt. Jack swallowed hard and ran a restless hand across the lip of the desk. �What?�
�What�s going on?�
Jesus, I wish I knew, �I didn�t think I was that obvious�� he murmured resignedly.
�Only to those that care what happens to you,� Daniel reassured. �For God�s sake, Jack. Don�t you see how hard we�re all trying?�
�Yes, I do� You don�t understand��
And neither do I.
�Explain it to me!� Daniel demanded with a frustrated click of his tongue. �You were there for me when Sha�re died! When I was dying, you heard me. Told Jacob to let me go, because you understood and accepted that it was what I wanted��
�It�s not the same��
�It is!� Daniel threw up his hands in blatant disgust. �You let me go, you helped free me so that I could take the most incredible journey of my life! I want to repay at least part of the debt I owe��
�Why didn�t you tell me?� Jack challenged quietly, desperate to distract the younger man. �When Kinsey threatened to send you and everyone else away, why didn�t you tell me?� Bitterness rose unbidden, washing through him in waves of unfathomable intensity. You denied me the chance to protect you! The one thing I�ve always been able to do for my friends! �Why?� he repeated, unable to give voice to his feelings.
�Because it was too much, you needed to get better. To get back to some semblance of the man you were before this happened, and because I couldn�t prevent what happened.�
�It wasn�t your fault,� he pointed out.
Daniel cut him off with a sharp gesture of his hand. �No, you�re right, it wasn�t. Any more than it was Sam�s fault for not seeing the Pellan soldier. But she blamed herself. It wasn�t Teal�c�s or Jonas� fault either. You told us to break for it and we did. Teal�c waited to the last possible second before he came through the Gate. A spear and a sword came through with him, nearly caught Jonas in the head! But it wasn�t their fault that Osiris caught you, and not them or me. Stop blaming yourself for what you can�t change, stop hiding from us. We can�t help unless you let us, and we can�t forgive ourselves until you begin to let it go�� He fell silent, staring determinedly into his now empty cup.
Jack licked his lips and sank onto the stool Daniel had offered. How could everything get so twisted out of shape? �I didn�t realize��
�I know that, so does Teal�c and Sam, and so did Jonas. We knew you would take all of this and try to internalize it in order to spare us the horror. But Jack, it�s not working for any of us. You can�t protect the world, and you have to stop trying before it kills you.�
There was no point in denying the truth in Daniel�s words. His friend had voiced the very fears that had nibbled for weeks at the back of his mind
�So, what�s going on between you and Sam?� Daniel prodded gently. He refilled his coffee and sat back on his stool, a bemused glint in his eyes.
Nothing�Jack bit back the reply and shook his head at the younger man�s faint smirk. He was grateful for the change in topic, though it left him no less uncomfortable. �I�m not sure,� he confessed after a moments thought. It was the truth, as much as he hated to admit it.
�You went home with her the night before last�� the statement was a leading one, but Jack refused to bite.
There was no way to explain the quiet car trips down the mountain. Or the oddly disconnected feeling that pervaded Sam�s apartment. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman that had captivated all of them over the years, each in a special way. Beyond the passion that characterized their physical encounters was the overwhelming and welcome sense of peace, indescribable in its intensity and necessity.
�We didn�t talk about the cell or Baal or anything along those lines,� he offered, hoping that it would be enough to placate Daniel�s well-intentioned curiosity.
The younger man frowned and sipped his coffee. �And that�s all you�re going to say on the subject,� he surmised.
�Yes,� Jack affirmed as he rose to his feet.
�Don�t let it go, Jack. For your own good, don�t let it go,� Daniel warned solemnly. He walked Jack to the door with a companionable hand resting on his shoulder. �My door��
�Is always open�� Jack finished. He offered his hand and Daniel took it, giving a firm squeeze before letting go. �See you in an hour?�
The younger man glanced at the clock above the door and nodded. �Yeah.�
He walked into the hallway, a mix of emotions tumbling through his mind. Daniel had persisted, just as Jack knew he would. Some things would never change�
Jack was the first to enter the Briefing Room. After leaving Daniel, he had gone to his office and gathered the diagrams and notes he had written two days before. Then detoured to the commissary for a bland bite of toast and a second cup of java before venturing into the hopefully empty room.
Shoving his paper plate aside and draining his cup, Jack poured over the notes. The nightmare of Kinsey/Osiris had provided an odd sort of insulation from the horrors the drawings had previously invoked. He studied them with a clinical eye, considering their best route of access to the citadel, and hoping that Karen could provide a safe path of escape with her greater knowledge of the city.
There was no doubt in Jack�s mind that Osiris had ordered Jonas held in the same cell he had occupied. It was tall, and insulated from the noises of the outside world by thick stone walls. Minimal light from the one high window and even scarcer interaction with any living Beings made the tower the perfect prison. Jonas would stagnate physically and emotionally, suffering a fate far worse than death at the hands of his twisted captors.
Jack pulled out the drawing of the cell and studied it for a long moment. Brilliant visions of pain and longing no longer overwhelmed him. He was grateful for the reprieve and the blessed silence of the Id. Unfortunately, a debilitating numbness had stolen into his conscious mind.
Was there such a thing as being too removed?
Have I lost my edge?
For a soldier there had to be balance, careful consideration of all factors in order to move forward with a safe, logical course of action.
He concentrated on the drawing, forcing his doubts aside with effort. The grate in the floor was the only obvious method of entry or egress. A weakness�Jack patted the front of his uniform until he found the pen shoved into one of the pockets. He jotted a hasty note in the margin of the page, a low hum of excitement running across his tattered nerves. It could work!
The murmur of voices drew his attention from the paper. General Hammond entered the room, followed closely by Jacob Carter, Sam, Teal�c, Daniel, and finally Karen Griffin. The latter looking distinctly nonplussed as she trailed in the wake of their superior and his mysterious guest. Jack rose to his feet and nodded acknowledgement to Hammond, before offering his hand to the Tok�ra with a pale smile of welcome. �Jacob.�
�Jack, good to see you well. Selmak sends his regards,� the older man responded, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Jack ignored the jibe. His gaze flitted over Sam, at a loss. She responded by staring resolutely at the floor, seeming as uncomfortable as he did.
Teal�c bowed his head slightly and proceeded to his customary seat in silence.
�You�ve been busy,� Daniel remarked, gesturing to the drawings as he pulled back his chair.
�Yeah,� he turned to Karen. The Lieutenant Colonel hung back, watching the assembling group with an uncertain expression on her pale face.
�Feel like the new kid on the block,� she murmured sotto voiced. She took a seat next to Sam, diagonally across from him.
Jack settled into his chair. He could feel Sam�s eyes resting on his cheek as he turned his focus to General Hammond. He cleared his throat, struggling to ignore the exhausting cacophony of emotions that her presence had stirred to life. The General�s first words silenced his personal demons with stunning force.
�Jacob has informed me that Osiris has developed a weapon of massive proportions. A device capable of exploding a small moon, effectively destroying the ecosystem of any inhabited planet with a natural satellite.�
Jack�s gaze jumped from Hammond�s pasty features to each member of the group in turn. Gauging reaction as he strove to understand the implications in his own mind. Jacob was sitting back in his chair, his face devoid of any trace of his earlier humor. He looked down his hawk-like nose at Jack and nodded ever so slightly. Affirming the severity of the information he offered, and his concerns about the possible repercussions for the world of his birth. Sam fidgeted in her seat, her body leaning towards her father in a gesture of no doubt subconscious desire for his reassurance. Jack could respect that need, a part of him was swelling with fear for the added complications a super weapon presented to the mission at hand. Karen�s normally smooth features were twisted into a mask of stunned disbelief. She locked gazes with him, her mouth slightly agape with unspoken questions. Jack flipped his fingers restlessly on the papers in front of him, indicating his shock with the nervous gesture. Her jaw clicked loudly in the silence, and she dropped her gaze to the tabletop. Teal�c and Daniel were harder to read. Jack watched them out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to be so obvious as to turn his entire body. The Jaffa stared placidly into space, his jaw muscles rippling beneath his heavy features. Daniel�s chair squeaked as he adjusted his weight. Jack was not surprised at the blank expression on his pale face. The object of such sudden and extreme hatred around the table was in part his former lover. How could one juxtapose the emotions of love and hate in the space of a few tense moments?
Jacob broke the silence by tapping one bony finger on the table. �Jack, we were too late to rescue you. I�m sorry about that, but circumstances couldn�t be helped. After we found out Osiris was on the planet we decided to infiltrate the Pellan society, find out what we could learn, since he had been out of the limelight for so long.�
�And?� Jack prompted, allowing for the apology with a tilt of his head.
�Osiris has been on the planet for about a year and three months. The locals say that he came to the city with offers to cure the sick, and with treasures made of a shiny metal they had never seen before.�
�The Pellans aren�t very tolerant of weakness, I�m surprised they would be interested in medicines of any kind,� Daniel interjected.
�They weren�t,� Jacob agreed. �The metal fascinated them, however. Osiris passed himself off as a trader, quite a step down for a Goa�uld System Lord, but then I think he had fallen out of favor with Anubis��
�Lucky to be alive after the Abydos bloodbath,� Sam murmured. �Do the Tok�ra know what happened?�
�With Anubis and Osiris?� Jacob clarified. Sam nodded curtly. �Yes and no. We were able to determine that Osiris threw his loyalties over to one of the other System Lords during the months leading up to the battle. Though we aren�t sure who��
�Nirti?� Teal�c suggested.
�Possibly�� Karen muttered from the end of the table.
�Well that would tie in with what we�ve managed to determine so far,� Sam surmised.
�Pure speculation unfortunately, Major.� Hammond said. �Please continue, Jacob.�
The Tok�ra bowed his head and then looked up with a flash in his deep brown eyes. A chill crawled down Jack�s spine as the echoing rasp of Selmak issued from Jacob�s lips. �It is more than speculation, I fear. Our operative has remained active on the Pellan planet since the capture of Jonas Quinn. Posing as a petitioning merchant, much as Mr. Quinn originally intended. He was able to gain an audience with Osiris. With typical arrogance, the System Lord revealed that he would soon be departing for a distant location to test the new machine that had been developed with the help of the heavy metal mined from the nearby mountains. He told our operative that he would be taking the tower prisoner with him, and that when he returned he would be unrecognizable to anyone in the city.�
�Why would Osiris reveal such sensitive information to a merchant?� Teal�c asked pointedly.
Jacob�s deep set eyes shifted to the Jaffa and glowed briefly. �A good question. The answer is simple. Our operative possessed some of the same metal Osiris used to gain power among the Pellans in the first place. He claimed to be a minor Lord in the service of Lord Yu, an enemy of Anubis and therefore an ally in Osiris� twisted view.�
�So Osiris bought the Pellan�s loyalty with fancy words and shiny trinkets, why does this sound familiar?� Jack quipped acidly.
�The baser instincts of the natives made them a prime target, � Daniel grated in equal disgust.
�When was the last time you heard from your operative?� Karen asked, her mild tones cutting effectively through their mounting ire.
Jacob�s head dipped, and when he spoke again Selmak had retreated. �On my way here, about six hours ago.�
�Did he say when this was going to happen?� Jack pressed.
�Osiris told him soon.�
Continued in Part Twelve Waiting
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