SG1-16 Four Dragons (13 page)

“Not if we want to keep our distance from those gliders,” she replied.

“I see…”

Sam traded concerned glances with Teal’c, neither of them used to hearing the Jaffa Master be anything less than certain. He was the bravest hundred and thirty-nine year-old she’d ever known.

Heck, he was braver than most twenty-year olds.

“It’s just a maze,” the colonel said. “Piece of cake.”

“Our path will be obscured, O’Neill.”

“We’ll be fine. Carter, take her down behind that hill on the far side of the wood-maze-thing.”

“Yes, sir.” She eased off the throttle, bringing the ship just beyond a sixty, maybe seventy-feet high hill. It stretched several hundred feet in either direction and was covered in the same wild grasses that grew behind Yu’s fortress. A forest of silver-needled coniferous trees, reminiscent of Colorado pines, graced the hilltop.

As she set the cargo ship down, Colonel O’Neill, Teal’c and Bra’tac headed aft. Locking down the controls, she followed. Teal’c tossed her a tactical vest and she slipped it on, re-rigging the communication ball off to the side of her radio pocket. By stretching Siler’s bit of webbing across the device, she managed to keep it from swaying back and forth.

With the exception of Bra’tac, everyone donned black ski hats. When she reached for the packs, Colonel O’Neil’s long arm shot out, snatching his before she could reach it.

“I got it, Carter,” he said, his voice strained. Flinging his pack over his shoulder, the colonel managed to snap the pack on himself.

It was moments like these when Sam could almost predict the outcome of a mission by the way the team geared up. If it was a ‘walk in the park’ as the colonel would say, they’d help each other strap on gear and load weapons. The banter would be non-stop. If the mission included possible combat, that banter softened although… it was still present, especially since Daniel had returned to them. If anything, their archaeologist teammate talked more now than he had before he’d ascended.

Sam swallowed hard as she zipped up her vest. Daniel wasn’t there, and this was no ordinary mission. No one spoke as they geared up. Bra’tac’s eyes never strayed from the forward compartment while Teal’c withdrew off to one side, checking and rechecking every buckle and clasp. Colonel O’Neill shifted on his feet like he was about to run a marathon.

The only other time the team had been this tense and this silent as they ran through mission prep was when the Stargate was about to be shut down and Daniel had convinced them to gate through to the mysterious coordinates he’d retrieved in the alternate reality. SG-1 had no idea what they were getting into back then, and even though they’d successfully thwarted the attack on Earth, the idea of gating to a completely unknown location had spooked all of them.

Going into Goa’uld occupied territory with only zat weapons to defend themselves… the situation gave a whole new meaning to the word ‘spook.’

Still, zats were better than nothing at all. Unlocking the weapons locker, Sam handed a zat to Teal’c and then one to Bra’tac. “Remember our orders. Shoot to stun, not kill.” Handing a zat to the colonel, she reminded him, “That means one shot per combatant, sir.”

Colonel O’Neill stared at her a moment and then down at the com ball on her vest. “I’m belaying that order, Major.” He grabbed the zat. “Do what’s necessary to stay alive. All of you.”

STARGATE COMMAND

STATUS: GATE OPERATIONS SUSPENDED

3 JUL 03/0720 HRS BASE TIME

“That was not our agreement, General.” Huang slapped a hand down on the briefing table. “Does your country truly wish the world to know the truth about the Stargate?”

“Please keep your voice down, Ambassador,” George replied as softly as he could. He chose his next words carefully. “I assure you, the mission will go as planned.”

A vertical line of static raced across the Goa’uld communication ball, breaking up Colonel O’Neill’s image. When the display coalesced once more, he’d turned his back, zat in leg holster, and stormed off. George recognized that stride. He’d seen it too many times over the years. Times when Jack’s otherwise cool head was being shouted down by the anger in his veins, justified or not.

Whether SG-1’s leader knew it or not, one thing was clear. The parameters of this mission had gotten under his skin. Of course it bothered him, considering what and who was at stake. Dr. Jackson wasn’t only a fellow member of the colonel’s team, the two were friends, close friends.

That wasn’t true, either, reflected George.

SG-1 was family, each member an integral part of a whole far greater than each individual. Daniel Jackson’s departure had weighed heavily on everyone, George included. When he’d returned, it had been nothing short of a miracle. That miracle had revived an apparent weariness in Teal’c, Major Carter, and most especially, the colonel.

George said a silent prayer. God willing, Jack would follow through and obey orders. Otherwise, Ambassador Huang wouldn’t be the only one breathing down their necks. Vice Presidential candidate Kinsey would lap up any opportunity to shut SG-1 down. Permanently.

* * *

“Wake up. You cannot sleep all day.”

Something hard nudged against Daniel’s side. Opening bleary eyes, he discovered its source: A Jaffa poked him with a staff weapon. Daniel groped around for his glasses, finding them attached to his t-shirt. Without a word, the Jaffa frowned and stepped back.

Daniel sat up from the cushion he’d slept on, stuck his glasses on and looked around. This wasn’t Yu’s throne room. Smaller, darker, four bunks lined the one solid wall in the room. The other three walls were slatted screens, partitioning the area from what appeared to be a hallway. Incense burned from a single brazier on top of a mahogany table at the center. Four simple wooden stools surrounded the table, each a different color; gray, green, blue and red.

Daniel peered back at the Jaffa. “Where am I?”

“Where you should not be,” the Jaffa said with a scowl.

Not a good start to what Daniel hoped could be a sympathetic relationship. He needed to get out of here and he’d need help. At the very least, he’d need someone to get word to the Tok’ra or the Jaffa Fifth Column so they could pass along his location to the S.G.C.

So far, luck hadn’t been on his side, but maybe this Jaffa would be different. He certainly looked different. Shorter than most, squat like a fireplug. Broad shouldered, but equally wide in the torso. From the red cloak and jade brooch at his shoulder, Daniel could only assume he was another member of Yu’s Royal Guard. A bronze tattoo on his forehead punctuated an otherwise jowly face. Above the Jaffa’s upper lip, a narrow black mustache made him look like an Asian version of Hitler.

Daniel winced. He’d have to overlook that last comparison if he hoped to sway this Jaffa to help him. He tried the Jaffa rebel passphrase.

The Jaffa barked out a short laugh. “You’ll have no luck here, Tau’ri. Come, Lord Yu has risen from his sarcophagus and awaits your return.”

He reached out to grab Daniel’s arm, but Daniel jumped sideways. “Wait a minute, don’t you
want
freedom? Don’t you understand what Lord Yu really is? He’s a parasitic creature, a Goa’uld. They’ve enslaved your people and people like you all over the galaxy.”

The Jaffa seized Daniel’s elbow and shoved him toward the door. “Do not try your empty words of freedom with me, Tau’ri.”

Daniel wrenched his arm free. The Jaffa leveled his staff weapon directly at him.

Daniel raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll go, but at least hear me out first.”

“You say nothing I do not know,” the Jaffa said. “Nor do I care to listen. Freedom is a falsehood. A lie told to children who have not the stomach to recognize greatness.”

“Greatness. Is that what you think of Lord Yu?” Daniel couldn’t believe his ears. Was Yu’s brainwashing so solid that even his highest ranked warriors couldn’t recognize the truth?

“Enough.” The Jaffa thumbed his staff weapon. The head split in four as an arc of energy announced the weapon charged and ready to fire.

Daniel dropped his hands to his side and headed toward the door. He’d failed again. Still, he couldn’t help but try and get through to this man, this Jaffa whose whole life was about playing incubator to a growing maniacal monster.

As he passed through the door with the Jaffa right behind him, Daniel couldn’t help himself. “You have no idea what it’s like to have the freedom to live your life as you see fit. To control your own destiny. To live in peace.”

“Do not waste my time, Tau’ri.” The Jaffa pushed him forward. “Peace is a modern Earth idea, unworthy of my master’s legacy. Or my own.”

* * *

Surrendering to the inevitable, Daniel plunked down another stone. Yu placed a black beside it, cutting off any attempt on Daniel’s part to get a line longer than three stones going in any direction. It was only a matter of one or two moves before Yu would once again scoop up ten or so of Daniel’s playing pieces.

Outside, the sun had started its descent. Another few hours and dusk would hit. Again. Sticking a hand into his bowl of stones, Daniel sighed. He wasn’t sure how much longer he had before the game would end or Yu would grow bored and just kill him. That was the scary part, the not knowing.

Daniel flinched at that realization. Knowledge was the core of his life’s work, or rather, the
pursuit
of knowledge. He shouldn’t give up asking questions, even if it meant risking another outburst from Yu or his guards.

Daniel stuck another stone down on the outside of Yu’s latest grouping. As Yu once again cut him off, Daniel raised his hand like an eager student. “I have a question.”

The Goa’uld’s eyes flashed white but only briefly. “Ask.”

“Why am I prisoner? You know I’m not going to reveal how to access — ”

“I am not interested in attacking Earth.”

Daniel jerked his head up, shocked. “Then… then why?”Yu’s eyes grew distant for a moment, as if some internal struggle took place. He opened his mouth, and then closed it just as quickly. Gesturing toward Daniel’s bowl of stones, the Goa’uld said, “Place your next stone.”

Daniel dropped a stone on the board, his mind racing over this latest piece of information. Since when does a Goa’uld not want to occupy Earth? Yesterday, Yu’s host had spoken. Or at least, he’d sounded like the host without any boom to his voice. Since then, the Goa’uld had made reference after reference to China, from saving the country from a flood to quoting its philosophers.

He had to ask. “Why am I here if you don’t want to attack Earth?”

“Victory is what I want,” Yu said, his hand hovering over the board. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Not surprised by his answer — victory was pretty much every Goa’uld’s endgame — Daniel waited for Yu’s next move.

Yu held his stone out toward Daniel. “Do you know the first rule of winning, Daniel Jackson?”

Daniel chanced a smile. “Knowing how to play the game?”

With a shake of his head, Yu sank back in his seat. Hands in his lap, he gazed out toward the mountains to the east. The room became still, with only the crackle of the braziers sparking every now and then.

Finally, Yu turned back to Daniel and said, “The first rule of winning is to know when to attack and when to avoid a battle.”

He plunked his piece down, far from the current round of play.

PLANET DESIGNATION: LORD YU’S

HOMEWORLD (P3X-042)

STATUS: SAR MISSION ARRIVAL

APPROX 1850 HRS LOCAL TIME

3 JUL 03/0810 HRS BASE TIME

Belly down behind the solitary tree on the hill, Jack used his periscope to take a good long view of Yu’s fortress. Beyond all the other problems this mission had going for it, one thing troubled him. Neither Jacob nor Teal’c had mentioned the ever-present squadron of gliders circling above Lord Snakehead’s little nest.

Which meant Yu either knew they were coming, or at the very least, had something or someone, guarded closely.

Jack tossed Carter the scope to see for herself. “One thing’s for sure. We’re gonna have to wait till sundown.”

“That’s a few hours away, sir.”

“Teal’c and Bra’tac ought to be back from a perimeter scout before then.” Jack slid down the hill a few feet and sat up. For a snake-infested planet, he had to admit it was a damn nice one. Lots of snow, but not too cold. Would be a helluva place to ski.

Carter crawled down beside him, handing back his scope.

Stowing it away, he gave her a nod. “If we’ve got a few hours to kill, you might as well send some pretty pictures to the folks at home.”

“Sir?”

He eyed the dreaded thing, hating every moment it was around. Still, if he didn’t at least appear cooperative, Hammond would fry his bacon for breakfast. “You can take that thing out of its webbing, right?”

Freeing the ball, she held it out to him.

He waved it away. “Not toward me, Carter. Stick it up over the hill. Let Huang get a gander.”

“The ambassador will probably appreciate the gesture.” Carter reached up and stuck the ball on top of the hill, left of the tree. Sitting back down, she brushed some dirt from her vest.

Checking his own vest, Jack could see plenty of the same, but didn’t bother to dust off. “The ball works fine without you holding it, right?”

“It’s been activated, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Jack snorted. ‘No problems’ would be a first when it came to how this mission was going down. He shrugged his shoulders up and down, uncomfortable under his pack. Under normal conditions, he rarely wore one, though there was no telling how long it would take to get in, grab Daniel and get the hell out.

Beside him, Carter looked down toward the deceptively blank ground at the base of the hill. Her furrowed brows told Jack she was thinking too much, as usual.

“What’s on your mind, Carter?”

She flashed one of those toothy grins his way, the kind that made him relax even while sitting knee-deep in enemy territory. “I’d love the chance to take apart a cargo ship some day, sir.”