Jaffa never used timepieces. They were trained from an early age to measure time by feel, by listening to their heart, to their life’s blood.
Teal’c pressed the lower left button. The numbers switched, showing it had indeed been fifteen minutes since he’d last checked in. As the Jaffa’s footsteps faded down the corridor, he clicked the radio twice to indicate all was well.
Another door opened and closed. The Jaffa were gone.
“More of O’Neill’s Morse code?” asked Bra’tac with a frown.
Teal’c knew this was not the time or place to discuss Master Bra’tac’s misgivings. Instead, he replied, “Simpler, but with the same purpose.”
He peered out into the corridor. It remained empty. “We must hurry. Once Major Carter has turned off the photon emitter, there is every possibility Lord Yu will be made aware of our presence.”
Bra’tac grasped his forearm. “You are sure this Oshu can be swayed to our cause? As First Prime of Apophis, I battled long against Yu’s Jaffa. We were sworn mortal enemies, and yet, I had never met this Oshu until today in battle.”
Teal’c bowed his head. “I can only be certain that our path is just. Oshu is amongst the most honorable Jaffa I have known. He will hear our case and act fairly. Of this, I am sure. We must also find out what he knows of Ambassador Huang.”
When Bra’tac did not release his arm, Teal’c raised an eyebrow in consternation. “You have your doubts?”
“Of a fellow Jaffa, no. I trust your heart to know what our brothers feel.” Bra’tac stepped closer, his eyes searching Teal’c’s. “My concerns lie elsewhere.” He glanced down at the watch.
Teal’c sighed. He had hoped Bra’tac would know this was not the time for such a discussion. “Was it not you that once said that we should learn from those differences we have with the Tau’ri? That those differences bond us together, make us stronger.”
“And so I did.” Bra’tac dropped his hand. “But while these differences have given each side much strength, I cannot wonder if the side effect of such a bond has caused weakness as well. I know that O’Neill is your friend — ”
“He is more than friend. We are as brothers.”
“O’Neill may be brother to your heart, Teal’c, but the Jaffa are brothers of your flesh. The flesh that gave you life.”
“My heart and flesh remain dedicated to freeing all Jaffa from the Goa’uld. This has not changed.”
Bra’tac shrugged. “I do not doubt your words, though you must recognize… your time with the Tau’ri will come to an end one day. You know this to be true.”
Indeed, Teal’c had considered this often. He said as much.
“When that day comes,” Bra’tac countered, “you must be prepared to put aside such things as timepieces and foolish codes, or empty ceremonies such as this master chief sergeant honor bestowed upon you.”
“Chief Master Sergeant — ”
“Do not play at words with me,” Bra’tac said with a scowl.
“I do not,” Teal’c insisted. “My time amongst the Tau’ri has strengthened my resolve, not weakened it. I do not dispute the Tau’ri’s imperfections. They rarely live up to their ideals and yet… they dare to dream. To hope. It is what makes them strong.”
Teal’c searched his old friend’s eyes, trusting that the depth of his feelings would be clear. “Can we ask no less of ourselves than to dream of a day when timepieces, codes and honors are bestowed amongst our people freely?”
Bra’tac grunted. “First we must show our people the path to freedom, Teal’c. Come, we shall appeal to those warriors amongst Lord Yu’s ranks who dare such a dream.”
A door slammed shut. A single set of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Teal’c leaned out to see their source.
A single Jaffa strode purposefully through the corridor toward the stairwell at the other end. Though Teal’c could not see his face, he recognized the small man’s gait as well as the grey cloak flowing from his shoulders. It was the cloak of a First Prime.
With Bra’tac close behind, Teal’c crept along the corridor. Halfway down the hall, Oshu paused. He tilted his head, as if he’d heard some errant sound. When he turned back, Teal’c and Bra’tac slid within a doorway and waited.
Soon the First Prime resumed his pace. Once the sound of his footsteps confirmed his climb of the staircase and on to the floor above, they hurried to follow. Halfway up, muffled voices drifted downward.
Teal’c stopped and held up his hand for Bra’tac to do the same. Cocking his head, he listened. Four distinct voices could be heard. Barely.
Teal’c removed the modified zat from his holster. Bra’tac did the same and they progressed up the stairs slowly, their steps silent. Once they reached the top platform, the voices became clearer.
“…No good can come of permitting these intruders within our home. This is not right.”
“To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle. Have you neither, Zheng?”
“Do not spout philosophy of which you understand so little,” said the first voice. Zheng, Teal’c presumed.
A stone’s throw beyond their position, the glow of a single flame cast a broken shadow against the left wall. With Bra’tac beside him, he moved in further.
Soon they came in sight of an area marked by slatted wood screens extended from the corridor’s wall to create a room of sorts. Four Jaffa stood within, their backs turned away. Each warrior wore a cloak denoting a high rank though Teal’c had never seen such a variety of colors. Red, green, blue and grey, it was an odd break with Jaffa tradition. The shortest of the four wore the grey cloak. It could only be Oshu.
“I must side with Zheng, brothers,” spoke the Jaffa in the green cloak. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled.”
The Jaffa in red laughed. “Enough quotes of our past. The Tau’ri are already here, Lao Dan. You’ve nothing left to prove.” From the deep timbre of his voice, Teal’c assumed this was the Jaffa who spoke earlier. Zheng.
“Cease your arguments,” Oshu ordered. “Our master requires we follow his instructions. Nothing more, nothing less. Consider this an exercise in patience, for the day Anubis attacks will make this seem as nothing.”
Teal’c pulled Bra’tac behind a brazier. “Swaying these warriors’ minds may prove most difficult.”
“Then we must appeal to their hearts.”
“Allow me to contact O’Neill first, let him know our intentions.” Teal’c reached for his radio.
Bra’tac grabbed his hand. “No,” he whispered. “The sound may alert others.”
“I will send Morse code. A series of clicks.”
“Enough of codes.”
“I know you are driven to free all our brothers, but what of Daniel — ”
“Die free, brothers!” Bra’tac leapt to his feet and strode boldly toward the Jaffa. “Renounce your false god and join our cause of freedom for all Jaffa.”
The metallic clink of four zat’ni’katels instantly reverberated against the stone walls. Before Teal’c could engage his own weapon, Zheng rushed from the chamber and fired.
Bra’tac dropped and rolled sideways, out of the line of fire. As the brazier behind him disappeared, he swung out with his leg to trip Zheng, but Yu’s warrior was too quick. Zheng grabbed his leg and twisted.
Bra’tac was thrown to the floor and his zat skittered across the corridor. In two quick strides, Zheng kicked it out of reach. The Jaffa pointed his weapon at Bra’tac’s head.
Teal’c took aim. “Do not fire. I have one of your modified weapons and am prepared to use it.”
The three other Jaffa approached. Teal’c attempted to catch the eye of the First Prime, but Oshu refused to return the look. It made no sense. Oshu had been an ally in the past.
Why not now?
“Two sholvahs,” Zheng sneered. He planted a foot on Bra’tac’s stomach. “We are more fortunate than first believed, brot
hers. Lord Yu will be most pleased.”
“We offer you freedom,” Bra’tac grunted under the weight of Zheng’s foot. “The chance to shed the chains Lord Yu has placed upon you. Does that not mean anything to you?”
Oshu shut down his zat. Still he would not look at Teal’c.
The blue-cloaked Jaffa followed suit. “We wear no chains in devotion to our lord.”
“Your god is nothing more than a parasite within an old man,” Teal countered. “Help us rescue our Tau’ri friend and then join our alliance.”
Footsteps pounded from the stairwell behind them. Many footsteps.
Teal’c recognized the sound. It was the thud of armored boots. Many of them.
Zheng raised his weapon. “Your words have no meaning here, sholvah.”
The march of footsteps filled the corridor. Teal’c glanced over his shoulder to see a full squadron of Jaffa soldiers run toward them.
Oshu held up a hand. The squadron halted beyond the chamber’s far wall.
Zheng waived his weapon in Bra’tac’s face. “There are four of us and two of you. Shall we see who can shoot the other first?”
“Enough!” Oshu strode up to Zheng and pushed down his arm. “Our lord will decide what is best to do with these intruders.”
“Take them,” Oshu ordered the soldiers.
“No.” Teal’c aimed his zat directly at Oshu. “We were once allies. Have you no honor?”
“More than you know,” Oshu said softly. Finally, he met Teal’c’s eyes. “Drop your weapon and you may live to see a new day.”
“Do not!” Bra’tac grabbed hold of Zheng’s ankle and shoved upward. Zheng toppled to the ground.
Between one heartbeat and another, Teal’c recognized he would need to kill Oshu if there was to be any chance of escape. He fingered the zat’s trigger.
The First Prime knocked the weapon from his hand before the next heartbeat could fall.
“Use O’Neill’s code,” Bra’tac shouted. “Do it now.”
As the Jaffa pressed in, Teal’c had barely enough time to thumb the appropriate clicks and dashes for SOS before his radio was taken.
* * *
Dot-dot-dot-dash-dash-dash-dot-dot-dot
Jack listened to his radio, hoping for more. Nothing. Not even static. He glanced at Carter. She’d heard it, too. Meanwhile, the colored shapes kept shifting back and forth along the door panels and Yu got his rocks off by watching them… do absolutely nothing.
Carter turned away from the com ball. “It’s Teal’c, sir,” she whispered. “Sounds like they’re in trouble.”
“Ya think?” Jack whispered back. Of course they were in trouble. Why should any element of this mission go according to plan? He kept his face neutral, searching Yu’s and Daniel’s mugs for any sign they might know what was going down with Teal’c and Bra’tac.
“Sir, we need to help them.” That was Carter, always wanting to jump into the fray. He liked her attitude, but no. Not this time.
“Negative, Major. You said it yourself. The best way to rescue Teal’c, Bra’tac, and Daniel is to shut that emitter down.”
“What about…,” she jerked her chin up toward the com ball.
“Leave it.” Jack dropped his voice. “Short of a radio, it’s the best we’ve got for making sure Daniel’s still in one piece.”
Carter managed a half-smile. “Yes, sir.”
Jack turned toward doors. The colored shapes were damn bright. Enough to make him want to put on his sunglasses. He might need them if what he had planned had any chance of working.
“Any way to open one of these things up? I don’t see any way in.”
“No, sir. No knobs, no handles. At least, not that I can see.”
He pointed toward her scanner. “But you’re sure that photon emitter thingy is behind one of these panels?”
She frowned. “Yes, sir, but — ”
“But nothing. Weren’t you the one who said we needed to even up the odds?” He reached inside a vest pocket. “I’ve got just the ace up my sleeve.”
“I didn’t know you were a betting man, sir.”
“Good gambles pay off, thanks to Siler.” He pulled out a chunk of C4, keeping it out of sight against his chest. Yu had been around the Goa’uld water cooler enough to probably know what it did.
“Colonel, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’ve got a better idea?” From another pocket, he retrieved a detonator and jammed it into the plasticized block. “Teal’c’s in trouble. Daniel’s in trouble. Hell, everyone’s in trouble and we’re holding the cards. Give me another option.”
Carter looked back at the doors. “Sir, if you set that off, the explosive could trigger a cascading effect when combined with photonic energy. It’s a pretty safe bet the result could be catastrophic.”
“Are you sure?” The C4 itched in his hands, begging to do its job. Jack would like nothing more than to oblige. He’d had enough of playing cat-and-mouse with Yu and his minions.
Carter shook her head. “There’s no way to be sure, although…”
She fell silent, staring at the door.
“Well? What?”
“Don’t you see it?” She pointed at the shapes sliding back and forth. “Triangles, rectangles, trapezoids. I don’t think these are merely decorations.”
Jack glanced back at the com ball. Daniel looked like hell warmed over. They needed to get to him before there was nothing left to get.
Still… Carter was right. Their best chance at breaking out of this snake nest was shutting down the emitter. Otherwise, the chances of ending up zatted into oblivion were too high.
He checked his watch. “Five minutes.”
“Sir?”
Jack felt Yu’s eyes follow him as he walked underneath the com ball. “You’ve got five minutes to figure out how to get in there.”
He sat down on the bottom step, the C4 still in his hand. “So help me god, Carter. If I have to, I’ll blow those doors, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.” He glared up at the com ball. “Enough of Yu’s games already.”
* * *
Not for the first time, Daniel wondered if he’d been telepathic when he was ascended. A trick like that would come in handy, especially now as he watched Sam through the communications device. Those colored shapes represented one of the oldest Chinese puzzle games in Earth’s history.
He glanced at his captor. “Those patterns on the doors, those are tanagrams, aren’t they? To solve the puzzle, you have to form a specific shape with all seven pieces.”
“With no overlapping,” Yu said, looking up from the display. “I am disappointed in your great Colonel O’Neill. He gives up too easily.”
Daniel kept his mouth shut. He knew Jack well enough to know he’d never figure it out. But Sam would. She could do this kind of thing in her sleep. Jack would sit back, let her solve the thing and then he’d push on to the next step.
Whatever complaints Daniel might have about Jack, he knew his friend, and even with their recent arguments, he still very much considered Jack a close one. Daniel knew Jack would never give up. If he did, he wouldn’t be here, trying to rescue Daniel. What didn’t make sense, though, was why Yu put up a complex puzzle outside a set of doors in his own fortress. Why go to the trouble?
Yu turned back to the Wéiqí board. He plunked down a black stone in the center. Glimpsing at the board, Daniel realized the Goa’uld was only one stone away from capturing a dragon.
Not that it mattered. He looked back at the com device.
Come on, Sam.
“Play,” ordered Yu.
Daniel watched as Sam walked back and forth, the tanagrams continuing to slide across. Granted, Yu had a near obsession with anything of Chinese origins, but why put something so complex in such a remote place? It wasn’t like Yu went down there. At least, he hadn’t in the past few days while Daniel had been held prisoner.
Unless… he didn’t have those puzzles installed for himself, but for some
one else.
“Do as I say, human. Play your move.”
Daniel picked up his third dragon, its heavily lidded red eyes staring off into some distant point. Looking back at the display, he noticed four Zhenmushou statues affixed above the door panels. They looked exactly like the gargantuan version found on P3Y-702… right next to those graves.
The statue he’d shot at when Jack pushed him too hard.
There’d been four graves, actually. Did Yu have something to do with those graves or was that simply a coincidence?
Daniel placed his dragon on the center of the board, next to its cousin. He turned back to the display. Sam had stopped in front of the far right panel, and yet…
Yu wasn’t watching. He was caught up in the game, a definite frown on his face. It was as if he was disappointed in what was happening — or not happening — on the display.
That’s when Daniel realized what this, all of this, was about. “You’re disappointed in Colonel O’Neill.”
“He does not even try to solve the puzzle!” The Goa’uld waved a hand dismissively at the communications device. He dropped a stone down next to Daniel’s third dragon.
“You expected him to find it, didn’t you? That’s what all this is about.”
“Play your next move.”
“You wanted them to find those doors,” Daniel pushed. “You wanted Jack, you wanted all of us to come here. For some reason. Some purpose.”
“Play!” Yu’s eyes flashed in warning.
“My god… I’m your bait, aren’t I?”
“Be mindful of your dragons,” Yu warned. “In another few moves, they will have all been taken.”
“Why?” Daniel demanded. “What was so important that you — ?”
The doors burst open and Oshu stormed in. He bowed hastily.
The Goa’uld regarded his First Prime bitterly. “You dare interrupt?”
“My lord. We have captured the sholvah.”
Daniel whipped around to see Teal’c and Bra’tac marched in by the rest of Yu’s Royal Guard. He exchanged glances with them both. As much as he was happy to see them, it was clear they’d gone through a lot to reach him. Teal’c’s lower lip was split in two, and Bra’tac was in worse shape. His chain mail skirt had been torn, his cape ripped, and his left eye was swollen shut.
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