"So where are they?" Jack whispered, peeking through the grate to the empty cells below them.

"Maybe Uneg didn't bring them to the ship," Daniel suggested.

"Casper, you're sure they left the castle?"

The apparition nodded. "Uneg had Corfy escort them to the courtyard, forced him to act like they're best buddies. He was definitely ringing up."

"I believe we have arrived first," Teal'c concluded, not questioning the redhead's report.

"That's new," Daniel said dryly. "Arriving for a rescue before the captive."

"Well, I wish they'd hurry up," the general groused. "We've got a schedule to keep."

"Want me to zip back to the rings and see if they're close?" Annika offered.

He gave a nod and she floated back through the ventilation shaft the way they had come.

Jack had grinned widely at the empty room, that in any normal Goa'uld complex would have been guarded. "Oh, I love rookies. They make so many lovely mistakes."

"Let's hope our luck holds." Daniel had taken a moment to identify the activation button on the wall control panel.

However, Teal'c had given a disgusted shake of his head. "My Jaffa would have been severely reprimanded for leaving the transporter unattended."

"Now, T, don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"It is the principle, O'Neill. These Seekers," he made the name sound like a dirty word, "give true Jaffa a bad name."

Abner's eyes had widened at the revelation that Teal'c had been a warrior of the Goa'uld, but from the glower on the man's face, kept his mouth shut.

A few seconds later and they'd ringed up to the ha'tak. There had been two Seekers stationed in the room, which had mollified the former First Prime somewhat. At least it had for a second, until the Seekers only gave them a nod of acknowledgement and let them pass without question.

The Seekers had assumed that since they had ringed up from the monastery and for all intents and purposes looked like their comrades, that the four men had every right to be there. Only Seekers knew the secrets of the inner chamber set behind the temple and of the ring transporter. And because the men had moved so quickly, there hadn't been time for the command to filter through the ranks to be on the lookout for infiltrators. But that hadn't been any kind of excuse for Teal'c, who had helped train thousands of 'true' Jaffa. He'd given another scowl as they headed for the elevator.

With most ha'taks being built from the same schematic, they had a pretty good idea of where their intended destination was. Expecting to arrive just after Sam and the Princess were put in the cells, and to avoid running into the Seekers transporting them, they had exited the elevator one level below the holding cells, which was traditionally used for storage, and had snuck into the ventilation shaft to travel the rest of the way. Only they arrived to find the cells completely empty.

Casper had waited with the lonely Goa'uld queen so that her cries wouldn't draw attention to them, until she received the double tug on her bond with Daniel that they were onboard, then had followed alongside them, using the walls and shafts to hide her ghostly state. She did the same thing now, rather than blink directly back to the primary ring room so that she could hear any signs of movement that Uneg had arrived. When she reached the elevator shaft she saw that it was on its way down to them. Cautiously, making sure she didn't accidentally poke an arm or leg through into the carriage, she moved to the top and peeked in from the corner. The occupants were not who she was hoping they'd be. Kinsey, dressed in just a loin cloth, which gave her a view of the man's body Annika never wanted to see, was being held up between two Seekers. Two weeks of torture had taken its toll on the former senator. There was a deadening of his spirit that not even the life-restoring sarcophagus could heal. She wondered just how many times he had died since his captivity. Had to shake off the feeling of compassion. Hardened her heart as she blinked back to the others to give them a heads up. Kinsey had only himself to blame for his current circumstances.

Waiting for the 'guests of honor' to arrive, Jack voiced a nagging that had been growing since they'd waltzed onto the ship, directly into the level designated for the Jaffa barracks no less. Despite his quips, it had been way too easy. "Not to jinx our good fortune, but, Abner, how is it that the Seekers are so green?"

"'Green'?" Abner whispered back, unfamiliar with the context.

"Inexperienced," Daniel translated, glad that Jack voiced the query, for it concerned him as well. From the corner of his eye he saw Teal'c had also tilted his head so that he could hear the answer. "Your society has been at war for generations, wouldn't military service be part of your culture?"

"The last hundred years or so there have only been border skirmishes rather than actual battles. There was no need to maintain a large army. I don't know how it is with your people, but our armed services have their own way of dealing with...life. There's little need to seek 'guidance', which is what the Seekers preached up until a year ago."

"But you joined them for a short time," Daniel frowned, trying to tarry up the loose ends.

"That was at the King's request," Abner grimaced. "To tell the truth I never understood their way of thinking, too much mystical nonsense for me. Any soul searching I did for that year was more thanks to my nightly strolls than anything they taught. I remained what I thought was a suitable length of time to convince the King that I could return to duty and left." He paused finishing off his original thought. "As the former Lord Captain and now Master Trainer, I helped pick the King's Guards from the recruits and I don't forget a face. Of the Seekers I've seen, not one of them have been through even the most basic training."

Just outside the grate Jack saw the familiar ghostly figure appear. "Our favorite rat is being brought down. Looks bloody awful," she reported, then immediately blinked away to continue her original assignment.

"Kinsey's not the prisoner I want to see right now," Jack scowled.

"I suppose we should try to take him with us," Daniel sighed.

"Do we have to?" Jack grumbled half seriously.

"I did say 'try'," Daniel grinned. "Didn't say anything about being successful."

"Who is this Kinsey?" Abner asked, craning his neck a little for a better angle to see the lift when it opened.

"He was a powerful politician on our planet," Daniel explained quietly. "Now we have orders to bring him back to be tried for treason."

"He is also the man responsible for releasing Uneg from captivity," Teal'c added.

The Master Trainer frowned, following through that statement, concluding that Kinsey was the reason his home was now being held hostage. "Could we not say he was a casualty of battle?"

Jack hid a chuckle, very tempted by the idea. "A dead man causes way too much paperwork back home, even a traitorous bastard like Kinsey."

Further conversation broke off with the lift's arrival. They silently watched the Seekers toss the former senator into the cell at the far end, activate the force field and leave without a backwards glance. Kinsey simply remained where he'd landed on the floor.

"Dammit," Daniel muttered under his breath.

"What?" Jack raised an eyebrow at his friend's odd tone.

"I saw the code."

"And?"

"Now we have no excuse not to rescue him."

Snorts of laughter were barely contained.

A second later, Casper was back. "They're coming. Just the Seekers with them. Uneg and the one who seems to be the First Prime detoured up to the bridge. Mentioned something about a ship and base wide announcement to notify him when we give ourselves up."

It was only a few moments later when the elevator doors opened again, revealing three Seekers with Sam and Kara'neenya. The Princess looked remarkably composed, though she was holding tightly to Sam's hand. It was a relief to see that they were not treated as roughly as Kinsey had been.

"Can't the Princess come in with me?" Sam asked, when it became apparent they were intending to put them in separate cells.

The Seekers hesitated, considering the request.

"Oh, come on," Sam pressed. "She's just a little girl. A little girl whom until two weeks ago you cared for and respected to be your future leader."

The guards exchanged looks then shrugged and motioned for the both of them to enter one of the cells. Within a few seconds the force field had been activated and the Seekers started to walk away.

They were passing Kinsey's cell when one of them paused. "Should we not remain to stand watch?"

Jack mentally cursed that the man chose that particular procedure to remember from the Jaffa Handbook.

Sam was obviously thinking along the same lines because she quipped, "What's the point? It's not like we can go anywhere."

The Seekers were oblivious to the fact that every member of SG-1 was waiting with baited breath for their decision.

One of the other Seekers finally shrugged. "We have other duties to attend to."

The second the lift doors closed on the retreating men Sam began to look for some kind of access to the control panel. "Princess, don't touch the force field, okay?"

The little girl nodded, keeping close to the blonde.

"Carter, what took you so long?" Jack whispered through the grate. "We've been sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting to rescue you."

"Sorry, sir." Sam's face broke out into a wide grin. "I'll try to hurry up next time."

"See that you do," he replied, prying the grate free. He climbed down then stepped aside for the others. "Howdy, Princess." He gave a short salute.

Kara'neenya's face lit up at the sight of them, her eyes wide in bewilderment. "How did you get here so fast? Was it magic?"

"Absolutely," Jack replied. "SG-1 magic."

Daniel wriggled out next and headed straight for the control panel of Sam’s cell to enter the sequence to turn off the force field.

Annika drifted out with a cheeky grin. "That's gotta be a new record, huh? Less than a minute to break out."

Kinsey blinked at the familiar voices, rousing from his stupor. When he focused on the faces of SG-1 his expression turned to one of hopeful disbelief. "You've come to rescue me?"

"No, not really," Daniel shrugged, he tapped the last glyph and the force field shimmered then disappeared. "We have more important things to do right now."

The hope drained away, replaced with anger born of disappointment and fear of being left behind. "Don't you dare leave me here!"

"You are in no position to give orders." Teal'c landed lightly on his feet.

"It's your duty to rescue me."

"Oh, so now you conveniently remember duty," Annika snapped. "Funny how that slipped your mind when you stupidly freed Uneg from the Canopic jar."

"Now, kids," Jack interrupted. "Kinsey's right. It is our duty to haul his sorry ass back to Earth so he can be tried for treason and hung."

"I believe King Corfen'esci'que would also like to put this man on trial," Abner added.

"Why should we bother?" Sam asked, accepting the zat' Teal'c passed to her. "I can save the military the expense of a trial if I just triple zat' him right now. We can write it up in our reports as a mercy killing. We couldn't free him and considering he'd already spilled his guts about us, we couldn't risk him revealing top secret intel under torture."

"You wouldn't." Kinsey barely concealed his fear beneath his bravado.

"Actually, we would," Sam contradicted.

"But we won't," Daniel sighed, entering the unlocking sequence to the man's cell.

"If you draw attention to us," Teal'c warned. "I will have no remorse in snapping your neck."

"You think I want to be caught again?" Kinsey hissed. "To be put through the last two weeks again?"

"Abner, things might get hairy," Jack spoke quietly, taking in the man who had picked up the Princess in readiness to move quickly. "Can you shoot with one hand?"

"It's been a while," he admitted.

"I'll take her," Daniel offered. He'd become pretty adept at being ambidextrous with weapons.

Suddenly the ship's speakers sprang to life, announcing for all hands to be on the alert for intruders, then began relaying brief descriptions of the unaccounted for members of SG-1.

"Crap," Jack sighed. "Guess our luck had to run out sometime."

"Back to the vents?" Teal'c suggested.

Jack nodded and they made quick work of shimmying back into the shaft. By the time the last of the descriptions were given, the grate was being pulled back into place and they were well on their way up to the pel'tak.

Annika and Keelah waited a few long seconds after Uneg had left before cautiously peeking out into the sitting room. The Seekers had also retreated from the room, acting as extra security for their god, and the King's Guard's were helping their dazed comrades to stand.

Gerino crouched by the man who'd been executed. Gently he closed the lifeless eyes. "Discreetly take him to the Guard's infirmary. I don't want his wife to find out through the rumor mill."

Two of the Guards gave a somber nod and carried away their fallen comrade.

"Xa'bella," Keelah rushed over to the reclining Queen, "are you alright?" It had taken every ounce of her willpower to remain hidden when her sister-in-law had collapsed. "Is it the baby?"

The Queen gave a tight smile, sitting up. "I'm fine. It was an act to distract the Seekers." Her gaze darted to the door her family had just exited. "At least it was."

"The guys already have a plan in motion." Annika made sure she sounded confident. "And Sam won't let anything happen to Kara'neenya."

"Why was Samantha the one to give herself up?" Gerino asked. There was no accusation directed at Annika, just curiousness for the tactical decision.

"She's our gizmo guru," Annika replied. "It was the easiest way to get her on the ship. She's that much closer to disabling the ship's weapons."

"You knew Uneg would take her there?"

Annika considered the other options. The two most obvious were being held elsewhere or shot on the spot. "About a one in three chance."

"Are the rest of your team going to surrender to buy her time to escape and get to the weapon?"

"Not exactly."

"But if they do not, how many of my citizens will die?" Xa'bella's face was creased with worry, not only for her daughter but for everyone under her reign.

"Hopefully no more. You're just going to have to trust us."

"They are good people, Xa'bella," Keelah said quietly. "They won't let anyone get hurt if they can help it."

One of the guards quickly entered. "The King is returning, but he is accompanied by Seekers."

"Use the passageway that we arrived in." Gerino began hustling both Annika and Keelah towards the Royal bedchamber. "It has not been discovered in a millennia."

Keelah held back. "It is wrong that I hide, leaving Corfy and Xa'bella to face Uneg alone."

"Very noble, Your Royal Highness, but in this case you have no choice." Gerino in that moment sounded every inch the protector of the Royal Family that he was.

"Keelah, there are times to fight and times to hide. Right now we need to hide." Annika tugged at her friend's hand, pulling her into the room.

The Lord Captain followed to ensure that his charge did not try to jeopardize her safety by not going into hiding. He had seen that look of defiance on her twin's face many a time and it usually meant trouble. He had only just managed to return to the sitting room when Corfy entered, followed closely by an escort of two Seekers. Gerino caught his king's eye then his gaze flicked to the bedroom, telling him silently that Keelah and Annika had switched to the safer room.

Corfy relaxed fractionally. "Uneg will return before the time limit is up." He took a seat by his wife. He had so much to say, not only regarding his behavior before Uneg's intrusion, but questions about what was happening with SG-1. However he couldn't voice them with the Seekers in the room. He had to settle for simply grasping Xa'bella's hand tenderly. "How are you feeling?"

She gave him a small smile, squeezing his hand. "Better."

He could tell from her eyes that some sort of plan was on the go and found it frustrating to not be able to get the details. To ease the tension of waiting he addressed the Seekers. "Have we not been fair and just rulers over this land? Please explain to us why you are so willing to follow this being who's so ruthless and cruel?"

"Uneg is our god," the first corrected, who was standing off to one side near the wall. The other didn't acknowledge the King, simply kept post by the window, standing watch over the courtyard below. "If you had not dismissed Uneg's existence when we first came to you, the current situation would not be so difficult."

"I did not dismiss his existence," the King rebutted. "I dismissed the demand that all should be forced to worship him. Each person has the right to choose their own beliefs."

"Yet when irrefutable proof of god is presented, it stops being a chosen belief and becomes fact."

"You only have his word that he is a god."

"We also have the sacred texts that were rediscovered. It proclaimed that he would return to claim his land. All he demands of us is obedience. How is Uneg different from yourself as King?"

"This land is governed by laws to which all citizens are held to, including me. If I were to break those laws then I would be held accountable like any other citizen." Corfy gave a shake of his head, appalled that the Seeker was making a comparison to himself and the Goa'uld. "He killed a man in cold blood. You saw him. It wasn't self-defense, not even for revenge or an act of passion, which are understandable if not condoned. He did it because he could, to incite fear. That is tyranny, not divinity."

"It is not our place to question Our Lord's methods."

"Our Lord returns," the Seeker by the window spoke for the first time. There was a touch of warning in his tone and a quick glance at the King told him the warning had been directed at him to stop that topic of conversation.

With their ears practically pressed against the closed secret entrance, Annika and Keelah strained to hear what was going on in the sitting room.

"I think I preferred the couch," Annika murmured.

"Me too," Keelah whispered. The risk of discovery in the boudoir may have been high, but at least they would have been able to monitor the situation. In the passageway all they could hear were muted voices, none of the words distinguishable. "Any news from the ship?"

"They've freed Sam and Kara'neenya...and Kinsey. So far undetected. They're just waiting for...um...me to give them the signal to move...give me a second." Annika leaned against the wall so that remaining physically upright was one less thing she had to 'think' about. The strength she had regained after the still unexplained reaction of SG-1 to the Cupidian virus had begun to wane, although she hadn't realized that until today. She hadn't had cause to maintain her astral projection for any extended period of time since that rather fun experiment of astral sex. Now after an hour of continual projection she could feel herself tiring.

Though Keelah couldn't see her friend, she sensed something was wrong. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Annika assured. "Just need to concentrate."

From behind them came a soft scuffing sound.

Automatically drawing her gun and pointing it blindly down the stairwell, Annika fought off a dizzy spell from the need to focus on this new threat. She heard the sound of another gun sliding from its holster beside her and surmised Keelah was also aiming into the darkness.

"Who's there?" A man's voice, quiet yet tense, drifted up to them.

Annika fished a small torch, which was part of her standard kit on missions, from her pocket and flicked it on. The beam of light first shone on one of the zat' weapons prevalent on the planet, which was pointed directly at them. Cautiously she lifted it higher and the women heaved a sigh of relief as they recognized the guard who had helped escort them from the prison block. The guard seemed equally relieved when the redhead illuminated her own and Keelah's faces.

Keelah frowned when the light crossed Annika's face. "You're very pale."

"It's just the dim light." Annika hastily dipped the beam down to their feet and changed the subject back to the unexpected visitor. "What are you doing here?"

The guard held up a small snap-lock bag with what looked like a course powder inside. "The Lord Captain and Lady Colonel sent me to fetch this."

"What is it?" Keelah took the bag to examine it more closely.

"Do not open it, Your Royal Highness," the guard warned. "I was told to grind one of the quorite cobbles from the old city, seal it in the bag and make sure no residue remained on my skin or clothes."

Annika recalled the discussion between Sam and Gerino from earlier, but all thought of the proposed use evaporated as images from her astral self clouded her vision. "Uh oh. Trouble on the ship." Sliding down the wall she sat down on the steps, her full attention now on the danger the most important people in her life were in.

Annika drifted ahead through the vent being their eyes and ears. She reported back to her team, who had paused at the last juncture point below the command deck. "Uneg's about to go back down to the planet. There are twelve Seekers in the control room."

Jack frowned. He hadn't counted on there being so many. "Carter, can you do what you need to from a less occupied point?"

The blonde nodded. "But it'll take time to access the system and tap in. Longer than the deadline. We'll be cutting it fine as it is."

"Casper, let us know the second Ugly has left the ship. Make it a loud, distracting signal in there." He pointed to the room above their heads.

With a nod, she blinked out.

"Okay, game plan. Above all we can't let word get back to Ugly that we're up here until the weapon's disabled. When we get Casper's signal, T and Daniel take out the comms unit first. Carter, get to the weapons console. Abner and I will give cover fire. Princess, we need you to be as quiet as a mouse in the vent. Kinsey, you are going to be my shadow. You so much as twitch and my next bullet goes in you. Got it?"

The former senator nodded jerkily.

They crept up the final shaft, taking position at the grates closest to their assigned areas.

"Don't let the face fool ya'," Jack scoffed. "I'm not an idiot."

"I'll be a sitting duck out there," he hissed.

"Yeah, pretty much," Jack agreed. "You better hope the Seekers have really bad aim." He kept his gaze rotating around the room, watching the Seekers as they went about their business, making a risk assessment of which ones to take out first.

"I don't feel very brave," she whispered, with a hint of shame. "I'm very scared."

"I'll let you in on a little secret," he whispered back. "I'm scared too. Even Teal'c's scared, he's just really good at hiding it."

Teal'c looked like he was about to deny it, then he caught the eye gesture from his friend towards the trembling child. "We all experience fear, Your Royal Highness, we just do not let it control our actions."

The little girl's expression turned thoughtful, but then all attention returned to the bridge as a familiar ghostly body appeared in the middle of the room. Annika raised two fingers to her mouth and let loose with a loud whistle. "Elvis has left the building!"

All the Seekers gave a start at the sudden appearance of a ghost in their midst. Which was nothing compared to their surprise when three ventilation grates from three different walls exploded out. All three hit one of the stunned Seekers, but only one was knocked out, the other two were only winded. Before the flying 'debris' had hit their targets, the members of SG-1 were sliding out, firing their weapons.

Four of the Seekers were down before they could draw their zats'.

Daniel shot at the Seeker at the comms unit just as the man was reaching to activate a ship-wide alarm. The Seeker started to fall forward right onto the main control and to stop him from activating it with his unconscious body, Daniel launched himself at him, tackling him so that he fell the other way. Over his head he felt more than saw the pulse of the zat' blast from Teal'c fly by to hit another Seeker also trying to get to the console. Rolling to his feet Daniel fired at the console, hoping to short it out. To his dismay all the lights of the controls remained on.

Teal'c crouched by the crystal drawer and yanked it open. When he fired his zat' directly onto the crystals they barely even sparked. Confused that they hadn't been shorted out instantly, the Jaffa plucked one of the crystals free and examined it. Scratched the butt of his zat' over it to reveal it was coated in a thin clear film of a silicone-type substance. "They have somehow been made shock resistant."

"Are they boot resistant?" Daniel grabbed one of the crystals, dropped it to the floor and stomped hard. The quartz gave a satisfying crunch as it was ground beneath his heel.

Sam took out one Seeker while Jack took care of the one beside him. Shoving the body aside her fingers immediately began to dance over the weapons console. As the holographic screen brought up the routing of the systems she muttered a curse.

Jack fired, taking down a Seeker. Kept half an eye on Abner, who was in the process of stunning his second Seeker. Satisfied the man could take care of himself, Jack yanked on Kinsey's arm to get him out of his line of sight for his next shot. "Carter?"

"Uneg's added a couple of booby traps. I'll have to find a backdoor in."

"Can you do it?" The general dodged a zat' blast from the final Seeker, who had taken cover behind the command chair.

"Yes, sir." She had to duck as the Seeker got off a shot in her general direction.

Seeing that the man had a defendable position Annika zipped behind him and leaned close to his ear. "Hey, we surrender!"

The Seeker gave a cry of fright and shied away from the 'ghost', resulting in him opening himself up as a target for Jack's sights.

The general immediately fired, then scanned the room doing a quick head count of the team and the fallen. All accounted for, he grinned. "Nice."

Daniel and Teal'c finished their destruction of the comms unit and out of habit began to gather up the weapons from the downed Seekers.

"Are you okay in there, Princess?" Daniel peeked through the hole in the wall, giving the girl a smile.

Kara'neenya nodded. "Yes, Sir Daniel. Can we go home now?"

"Soon," he promised. "Sam just has to finish up."

Abner was close to the main door, also gathering weapons from two of the Seekers who had tried to run out, presumably to raise the alarm, when he heard voices just outside. "We've got company."

When the door slid open barely a second later, it revealed half a dozen Seekers who'd arrived for a shift change.

Weapons were fired almost instantly from SG-1 and Abner, and while three of them went down before they could draw their weapons, three of the Seekers had quicker reflexes. They managed to dodge out of the way.

"Don't let them get away!" Jack barked racing for the door. Daniel and Teal'c were right alongside him.

Two of the Seekers took up defensive positions covering the third, who was sprinting down the hall for the elevator.

The team managed to take down all three just as the elevator opened up and the second half of the shift change emerged. This group also had quick reflexes. Five automatically drew their weapons and began firing, taking cover behind the wide pillars in the corridor.

Jack grimaced as the last Seeker remained inside the car, slamming his fist against the buttons inside and the doors slid close. Didn't take a rocket scientist to guess he was going to sound the alarm. "T, Daniel, can either of you jam the elevator?"

"I shall try, O'Neill." Teal'c raced to the console that controlled the ship's general systems.

For a few long moments the only sound heard was the zinging of zats' and the occasional bullet as they fought, waiting anxiously for word from both Teal'c and Sam.

"It is done, O'Neill, but the carriage stopped at the Jaffa quarters level. We should expect more to arrive presently." He studied the schematic he had on screen. "I have access to the ring transporters. I can deactivate them to stop any more from boarding."

"I hear a but coming."

"To reboot them will take ten minutes."

The team leader weighed up what that meant. No quick getaway for themselves if they needed it. Determined that they didn't really have much choice. "Do it."

Within a minute the team were engaged in another battle.

"In case anyone's interested, the time limit is up." Daniel fired his zat' at a Seeker hiding behind a pillar. He didn't have many bullets left and wanted to conserve them for shots that would count.

Jack bit back a curse, firing his own zat'. "Casper, we need you to buy us some time."

"How much?"

"Carter?"

"A couple of minutes." Sam hid her frustration. She'd just disabled one trap and another appeared.

"Okay." Back in the secret passageway Annika quickly relayed the message. She reached for the door lever. "Looks like it's my turn."

"Wait." Keelah placed a hand over the redhead's. "These are my people. I can no longer hide like a coward."

"You're not a coward, Keelah. If you go out there and the guys' plan goes belly up, Uneg will use you to enslave the kingdom."

Kinsey cowered by Jack. He'd tried twice now to arm himself with a weapon from the fallen. However, the general, even in the heat of battle, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and had foiled both attempts. The former senator kept himself hidden and bided his time. He had to escape, both from the ship and SG-1. The team's intent had been made abundantly clear. There would be no sympathy for what he had endured. They were going to take him back to Earth, in pieces if necessary. He had no illusions that even if he survived today, he was living on borrowed time. He'd be tried to make it all official and then executed for treason, no doubt with SG-1 cheering in the bleachers with popcorn.

When a new group of Jaffa emerged, coming from what looked to be a second stairwell, it provided the opportunity Kinsey was desperate for. Jack had to move closer to the entrance, giving his full attention to the fight raging in the corridor. Kinsey scuttled back, snatching up one of the strange zat' weapons and jumped up to the closest ventilation shaft.

His feet banging on the wall as he scrambled up drew Sam's attention. "Kinsey!" Her hand reached for her zat', which she'd laid aside to free up both hands to work on the console, but Daniel reacted instantly to the colonel's cry, swinging one arm around with an already charged zat'.

At the last possible second he remembered the Princess was in that same shaft. He hesitated a moment to take a better aim to be sure he didn't hit the segment she was in, only to see Kinsey's feet disappear safely inside. Thankfully he noted that the man's angle of entry was to the opposite side of the little girl. "He's getting away."

"Leave him," Jack ordered. "We'll get him after."

Daniel gave a nod, but before he resumed his position by the door he called out softly. "Princess, are you okay?"

Tentatively Kara'neenya's face peeked out and she gave a nod. Daniel flashed her a smile of relief and went back to defending the bridge. "At least there's one good thing."

Seeing more Seekers appear, Jack couldn't see an upside. "Which is what, Doctor Optimism?"

"They don't seem to have that speed of light thing happening."

The Seeker's were moving plenty fast enough for the general, but Daniel was right.

"Perhaps the implantation of the prim'tas affected the ability," Teal'c speculated, not pausing in his defense of the corridor.

"Let's just count our blessings." Jack just kept on firing.

"You guys really have to hurry." Annika's astral self hovered anxiously.

"We're trying." Jack fired at one of the Seekers. "Out of curiosity, why?"

"Keelah just announced herself as the Royal Heir."

"And you let her?" Teal'c clipped the firing hand of one Seeker and lined up his next target.

"'Let' didn't come into the equation. She's been hanging around us too long and developed a stubborn streak."

"I need another minute," Sam replied, her brow furrowed in concentration, her fingers flying over the console.

From the safety of the vent Kara'neenya had a good view of both the corridor and the pel'tak. In the corridor she saw two Seekers directly below her, sneaking up on the team. She knew that she was supposed to stay quiet, but the closer they got the more scared she became that her new friends would not see them in time. She had to try to draw their attention to them, so she did the only thing she could. Sucking in a deep breath she let loose with a loud scream.

The two Seekers nearly jumped out of their skins at the unexpected 'alarm' sounding, jerking out into the open corridor.

Daniel, who'd just shot a round at another Seeker coming from the opposite direction, spun around with both the zat' and gun ready to fire. He discharged both weapons the moment he caught sight of the men. As they crumpled to the floor, Daniel called out, "Thank you, Princess."

Then he was ducking behind a pillar to face the next onslaught.

"Kara, no!" Corfy jumped to his feet, but the Seeker closest to him stopped him from moving towards her.

Uneg studied the woman who calmly stepped out with her hands held out slightly to each side showing she held no weapon. She wore the uniform of SG-1, yet she bore no resemblance to anyone Kinsey had described. It was possible she spoke the truth, for the mysterious sixth member of the Tau'ri team had not been identified. "Why were you included in the mission here?"

"This is my birth planet. I was abducted as a child because I was the heir to the throne."

Uneg raised an eyebrow at the startled gasps from the Seekers and the murmurs that started up. "Quiet," he ordered.

"My brother ruled in my place, however, now that I have returned, any negotiation regarding the people of this planet should go through me."

"Your claim seems fantastical to say the least, yet judging by the reactions of those in this room there may be an element of truth. However, SG-1 is known for their inventiveness. This is more likely a trick."

"My resemblance to my brother is not a trick." Keelah slowly moved forward. "The family portrait on the wall, painted a few months before I was taken, is not a trick. Ask anyone in this room, any citizen, any of your loyal Seekers if my claim to the throne is true."

Uneg saw the shock on his men's faces. Even the guard whom he had chosen as his first victim was looking at the woman stunned, the predicament of his imminent execution forgotten by the revelation. But what truly convinced him was the look on the King's face. "King, you concede your farce of a reign to your sister?"

Corfy was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe this was happening. To just be reunited with his sister, and then have her perform such a foolhardy act that could well send the entire kingdom into slavery...he battled to hold down his fear for her and his anger at the entire situation.

"Corfy has no choice in the matter," Keelah said sharply. "The law is the law."

The King met his twin's gaze. Saw her determination and the silent plea for him to trust her. He gave a single nod.

Keelah kept up her approach. "If you swear not to harm another citizen of this land, then I will agree to your terms. You will have a whole planet of worshippers who will bow down and fawn at your feet."

"I do not believe you."

"Understandable," she conceded. "You doubt me because of my association with SG-1. You also doubt my word as monarch due to my brother's actions. It is obvious to me by just walking the streets that the transition period you so graciously allowed has not been used as you demanded, to let the people become accustomed to the idea of your presence. I will change that."

Uneg's eyes narrowed, though he would admit to being intrigued. "You expect me to believe that you, who freely admit to being a part of the blasphemous SG-1 and part of the family who fight my right to rule, would so easily capitulate to my demands?"

"When I was abducted, I was sold into slavery. The influence of SG-1 and my lineage is minimal compared to the decade I spent in bonded servitude to my Master." She twisted slightly to the side and lifted her shirt to reveal the scars on her back as proof of her claim. "I was taught the importance of knowing one's place. A Master is a Master whether they be human or Goa'uld. I can convince the people that we are just humble people who should be grateful to be your servants."

She could see that the Goa'uld was puzzling her out. She could also see from his body language that he did not consider her a threat. He hadn't tried to activate his personal shield despite her being not two feet away from him. Surely it had been more than a couple of minutes by now! With her heart pounding she continued on, hoping for Annika's signal. "Life as a slave is better than no life at all." Slowly she lowered herself to her knees, her hands limp by her sides. "I kneel before you."

"Weapon's disabled!" Sam gave a triumphant grin.

"Casper, send out the word below." Jack shot down one of the last remaining Seekers. For the moment there was no sign that any more units had been dispatched to fight them. It gave them some breathing room...

"Uh, oh."

Jack took full responsibility for jinxing the moment. "What 'uh oh'?"

"Something's wrong."

"The weapon?"

"No. That's deader than a doornail," Sam answered absently, concentrating on trying to find the reason for the red warning signal flashing in the corner of the screen. Sucked in a sharp breath of disbelief. "That's not possible."

"Talk to us, Carter."

"The engine is going into critical overload."

A sharp whistle erupted from the bedroom.

Quick as a flash, Keelah's hand dipped into her pocket and withdrew the bag of ground quorite. Splitting the seal she tossed it directly into the Goa'uld's face.

To have the ore that his brethren so feared, unexpectedly shower over him, had Uneg's genetic memory kicking in. With a howl of complete panic and fear he reeled back, his hands scratching at his face and clothes to rid himself of the fine powder.

Corfy reacted with such speed his movements were a blur. He snatched up the knife that had been taken from Sam, which was still lying on the coffee table. In a fluid move he unsheathed it and plunged the blade beneath the shoulder blades of Uneg. The Goa'uld's frantic yells turned into a gurgle as his lungs filled with blood. The King jerked the knife upwards before yanking it out and stabbing him again. The gurgle cut off when the blade penetrated Uneg's heart and it stopped beating.

The guards had reacted a split second after their King had, drawing their weapons and training them on the Seekers to stop them from trying to interfere.

The sound of Uneg's body falling face down on the floor seemed to echo in the silence that descended over the room.

Annika, who had crept out of the passageway to backup Keelah should she have needed it, stepped out, her gun and the zat' she'd borrowed from the guard aimed at the Goa'uld. "Step away from him, Your Majesty. It's not quite over yet."

"But he's dead," Corfy frowned.

"The host is dead," she explained, her eyes never leaving the body. "If you want to kill a Goa'uld you need to go for the neck, otherwise..." She cut off as there was a distinct ripple along the spine beneath the host's skin. Uneg's mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord and the black eel-like creature that was the Goa'uld slithered out searching for a new host. She fired the zat' twice, killing it. She pointed to the symbiote, speaking to the Seeker's. "That is the thing you call god. No divine power or mystical being, just a snake with an attitude problem."

Any thoughts of vengeance the Seekers may have had withered away. A couple of them looked like they were going to be sick. One hesitantly stepped forward then dropped to his knees in front of the King, who was still clutching the bloody knife in his hand.

"We have no right to ask it, but please forgive us, Your Majesties," he implored of the three Royals.

Corfy rubbed a weary hand over his face, exchanging looks with Xa'bella and Keelah. The decision of what to do with the misguided souls who numbered in the thousands, would have to be deliberated in private, after tempers had cooled and they were able to look at the situation with an ounce of objectivity. "Gerino, have the guards use these men to help gather the rest of the Light Seekers as peacefully as possible. Take them back to the monastery and keep them under guard until we make our decision."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Gerino gave a respectful bow and motioned for the Seekers to be ushered out.

Xa'bella turned anxious eyes to Annika. "What of Kara'neenya and your team?"

The redhead had hoped that that question wouldn't be asked just yet. Briefly considered trying to dodge the answer; couldn't bring herself to do it. "Um...they've run into a little bit of a problem..."

Sam glared at the screen. "The weapons should be an independent system like the hyperdrive and life support, so that if one is damaged the others still function. Somehow the weapons system has been linked to the hyperdrive. When I overloaded the weapon it started an overload of the engines as well."

"Another booby trap?" Daniel asked, helping Kara'neenya down from the shaft. When he would have set her onto her feet, she clung to him, the only outward sign of how scared she still was. Not having the heart to release her, he asked, "Ever ride piggy-back?"

She gave a shake of her head, not understanding the term.

He explained the concept to her, which he also hoped distracted the child from the seriousness of Sam's answer, and in a few seconds she had her arms around his neck and legs wrapped around his waist.

Sam's anger was clear as she scanned the active power relays of the engine room. "I hate amateurs!" She pointed to a real time image of the main console. "The components are mixed up."

The rest of them stared blankly at the screen taking the blonde's word for it.

"Can you fix it?"

"No, sir. Not in the time we have. There's already been too much of a power build up. It's going to blow in less than six minutes no matter what we do."

"And it takes ten minutes to get the rings operational?" Jack hoped Teal'c had been exaggerating about the time frame.

"It does," Teal'c replied, dashing that smidgen of hope.

"When you say 'blow', you mean crash into the planet?" Abner asked.

"Explode and then crash, but..." Sam's hands flew over the console once again. "We have navigational control. We can fly away on thrusters. In five minutes it should be far enough away that it shouldn't affect the planet."

"Do it," Jack nodded. One problem solved. Now all they had to do was worry about their own asses.

As one they all ran down the corridor, hurdling over the bodies in their path.

Teal'c, the first to the room, muttered a curse. The door panel had tendrils of smoke wafting from it. Concluded it had been damaged during the skirmish. He and Jack tried to pry open the doors with their hands but it was a fruitless effort. They also knew there was no access to the pod room via the shafts; it was one of the few rooms that had only a small duct space.

"Let's try the next level." Jack led the way to the stairwell.

The moment they started running, Annika had a feeling of dread descend over her. On instinct she zipped to the pod room below, which was located directly underneath the one they had just left. Took a moment to make sure of what she was seeing then grimly reported back. "The next level's fried too."

"But there was no fighting there," Abner protested in confusion.

"The circuits must be interconnected," Sam theorized. "Your people's adaption of the zat' is more powerful. The energy discharge must have traveled through all the circuitry."

"So in other words, we're still stuck," Jack summed up dryly.

"Sir Daniel," Kara'neenya rested her chin on the archaeologist's shoulder. "The prisoner who ran away, he was talking to himself when he was climbing into the shaft."

"What did he say?" Daniel twisted his head to look at the girl clinging to his back.

"'Ship, get to the ship.' He kept repeating it over and over."

"But we're on a ship..." Blue eyes went wide as recognition dawned.

Every other member of SG-1 clued in as well, giving a unanimous exclamation. "Glider bay!"

"Let's move!" Jack ordered, the internal clock counting down in his head of how much time remained. "Casper, take point."

The apparition was already zooming down the stairwell.

The team kept their worries to themselves about what they would find in the bay. There had been no mention of any other vessels except for the ha'tak. Yet it would be unusual if there weren't at least an alkesh or a couple of gliders on a mother-ship. Then again nothing about this particular Goa'uld was normal. It was also entirely possible that if there were other craft they were not operational. They clung to the hope that they hadn't used up all of their good luck.

Annika almost breezed right through a small pocket of Seekers, who were looking more confused than aggressive, trying to make their way up to the bridge for some answers. They gave gasps of shock at her appearance; a couple even blessed themselves in an effort to ward off the 'spirit'. She was about to give her guys a warning when she had an idea. "Listen to me. The ship is going to explode and the escape pods aren't working. Whether we're friends or enemies won't matter in a few minutes if we all die."

"Why should we believe you?" The boldest of the group asked.

"If you don't, my friends will shoot you and keep going. We don't have time to convince you."

They could hear the running approach of SG-1 a level above, which only lent credence to Annika's urgent claim. A quick exchange of looks then they nodded.

"You are going to the glider bay?"

"Yep, only way to get off this tub now."

"We haven't learned to fly them yet," one of the other Seekers admitted a little embarrassed.

"We got it covered," she assured, as Teal'c leapt down the last four stairs with weapons poised to fire. "Teal'c, they're coming with us. They don't want to die."

"Let's keep it moving" Jack said, the comment simple approval, and all of them set off again.

They picked up a few more Seekers along the way, who were willing to follow the order of 'Come with us if you want to live' simply because the team exuded authoritative calm in the chaotic situation.

Bursting onto the glider bay, SG-1 heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of gliders, teltaks and alkesh lined up neatly in rows. Jack made a beeline for the closest alkesh, the only vessel large enough to hold the thirty or so people behind him. When he saw the door already standing open, he didn't hesitate. He strode up the ramp with his nine mil aimed ahead of him. Silently he crept up on the man sitting in the navigator's seat, frantically hitting every possible button in an effort to make the ship work. "Can't find the on switch, huh, Kinsey?" he growled placing the barrel of his gun to the senator's head.

Kinsey froze. "Now, General, don't be hasty."

"Save it for someone who gives a shit." Jack raised the butt of his gun and clubbed Kinsey's skull. He then unceremoniously shoved the unconscious man out of the chair.

"I'm jealous," Sam sighed, sliding into the second seat. "I've always wanted to do that."

Teal'c and Daniel seconded the motion as they made sure everyone was aboard.

"Let's blow this soda stand." Jack sealed the doors while Sam guided the alkesh out of the bay. As soon as she had a clear path to the exit she accelerated. They had barely cleared the hanger doors when a deafening boom erupted and the ha'tak exploded. Jack managed to get the shields up before the shock wave hit them, but even so he and Sam struggled to keep control as the bomber was buffeted with the force of the blast. A few seconds later the shuddering stopped and Sam entered a course to take them back to the planet.