DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions.  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.  Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).

Part Ten: by Jmas

Jack motioned for Teal’c to watch the door, tempted to indulge himself with the sight of their bounty hunter striving to make his however-many-times-removed cousin a permanent part of the architecture.

Cantor was flailing his arms wildly…the hold Aris had on him was inexorably driving him toward unconsciousness….

"Aris! We don’t have time for this!" Jack whispered urgently. "Find out where he left Daniel and let’s go."

Aris relaxed his grip…slightly…allowing Cantor a breath as he looked at his relative expectantly.

Cantor shrugged off-handedly, "Too late, cuz. Doc’s already on his way.

"Delmak?" Aris barked the question.

Cantor tried to nod around the restraining hand at his throat. "Yeah, he’s been collared and taken to a transport….."

Aris tightened his grip. "Collared? Nobody uses those anymore."

Cantor could only open and close his mouth, unable to draw breath to speak. Jack knew they were wasting precious time, time that took Daniel further away from them…further into danger. He motioned for Teal’c and Makepeace to intervene.

Cantor’s bravado reasserted itself as soon as the pressure on his throat was removed. "Guys..guys…can’t we talk about this?"

Makepeace twisted Cantor’s arm back and around, exerting painful pressure. "Talk? You just sold our friend like a piece of meat and you want to talk?"

Jack had closed in on Cantor at Makepeace’s words. "I don’t have time to play games with you, Boch. I don’t understand what you are and Daniel hasn’t got time for me to stick around trying to figure it out." Jack leaned forward, his expression growing cold and hot at once. "Just know this…If something happens to Daniel before we get to him…I’ll kill you.."

Cantor swallowed hard, obviously taking the threat for what it was…a statement of unshakable fact. "Listen, he’s a gutsy kid, he’ll do okay…"

Makepeace pushed Cantor away from him, wiping his hands together as if they were dirty. Teal’c guided Aris toward the door.

Aris took one last disgusted look at his cousin. " You just don’t get it Cantor." Jack was shocked to see a look of pity on the big bounty hunter’s scarred face. "Some things are worth more than money…"

Jack traded surprised glances with Carter as they slipped out the door.

Apophis was well-pleased.

Lo’wn had been successful. Within the day, Daniel Jackson would stand before him and beg for mercy.

‘No’, Apophis thought grimly. ‘That stubborn Tau’ri will not bow his head willingly.’

Apophis remembered well the sullen anger and defiance exhibited by the young human on Netu. The open hatred and lack of remorse had haunted him in his dreams. That this human should live, having been the cause of Amaunet’s death, sent waves of blood-tinged rage through Apophis.

O’Neill was a somewhat worthy adversary, a warrior at least…something Apophis could understand. But this Daniel Jackson was a scholar…a man of books and gentle ways according to Amaunet’s interpretation of her host’s memories. Apophis had accused Daniel Jackson of lacking will and strength to kill him. At the time, Apophis had believed that to be so..

But the Daniel Jackson who had kneeled before him on Netu…had openly defied him and taken pleasure in imparting the news of Amaunet’s death….

That Daniel Jackson was harder, colder….possessed of an edge that had taken root there since Apophis’ ‘death’. From his own host’s memories Apophis recognized that the human scholar also possessed a great deal of compassion. Daniel had, after all, tried to comfort his dying host…

Apophis smiled coldly.

Such strange enigmas these Tau’ri. Stubborn, strong-minded, inventive…and yet ruled by their weaker emotions….

Apophis vowed that he would take great pleasure in breaking Daniel Jackson’s will. He would see Sha’re’s husband beg for his life…just before he took the human as his new host….

Teal’c checked the Teltac’s instrumentation one last time before leaving the controls to join his friends in the cargo bay. Aris Boch and Colonel Makepeace were narrowly avoiding collision as they paced the floor, Major Carter was re-checking their equipment for the third time that Teal’c was aware of, and Colonel O’Neill…was completely still.

Teal’c knew from long experience that the tense posture and staring eyes were dangerous signs in his chosen commander. The cold glint in O’Neill’s brown glare, the lack of distracting banter, the utter stillness of hands that would otherwise be assisting in the preparations told Teal’c that O’Neill was completely focused on the battle ahead. O’Neill was attempting to sublimate the fear and rage that might otherwise prevent him from acting effectively to rescue Daniel Jackson.

Teal’c found it more than a little difficult to control his own mounting concern. He had known…even before Aris Boch had explained to the others…exactly what it meant to hear that Daniel Jackson had been fitted with a restraining collar. Many times Teal’c had seen the devices used to inflict senseless pain on recalcitrant slaves. Their use had dwindled over time due to too many losses…if the devices were used to long or at too high a setting they would cause extreme heart and nervous system damage.

Teal’c knew that Daniel Jackson would not submit to Apophis…the one being in the universe that his young friend truly hated. Teal’c also knew that Apophis was not only capable of causing Daniel Jackson great harm, he would take leisurely pleasure in it. Teal’c knew Apophis well enough to realize that Daniel was more than just an enemy to Apophis, he represented everything Teal’c’s former master despised about the Tau’ri…determination, compassion, devotion, integrity….

Apophis would systematically take everything that made Daniel Jackson who he was, draining the vital energy from the young scholar in slow degrees, before finally killing him…or…unthinkably….take him as a host.

Teal’c had avoided mentioning this to the others, but he doubted the thought was far from their minds either. He knew it was all to clear in O’Neill’s eyes that one day…possibly soon…they might find their friend, only to discover that he had become their greatest enemy…

Daniel awoke to a feeling of tightness all over his body. Remembering the pain that had driven him to lose consciousness, Daniel considered sinking back into the blackness…

"You will awaken now," the cold voice…Lo’wn…commanded.

Daniel opened his eyes to the realization that several things had changed since he’d passed out: he was now on a ship, someone had changed his clothes again, some vest-like thing and sturdy pants…still no shoes, and there was something about his captor’s voice….

Something was missing…

Lo’wn was not a Goa’uld.

Daniel took a long look at the figure standing before him. The robe and hood had been discarded, revealing a had-faced, tall and impressively muscular man…the man was almost as big as Teal’c. As Lo’wn turned to face him completely, Daniel felt his blood run cold. In the middle of his forehead, Lo’wn bore a familiar gold tattoo…the tattoo of the First Prime of Apophis.

Lo’wn smiled, almost sympathetically. "I see I do not have to explain your destination. My master was correct concerning your intelligence. But know this…you will not attempt to escape. The pain you experienced earlier was but a foretaste of what the collar is capable of. My Lord prefers you undamaged, but will accept you in any condition I choose to present you."

Daniel swallowed hard, trying to process this new information. "And what does Apophis want with me?"

Lo’wn smiled, turning to leave the small cell. "Consider the possibilities, Daniel Jackson. Consider the possibilities...."

As the door slid closed Daniel found himself doing exactly that. Every frightening scenario that ran through his mind came down to the simple reality that Apophis hated him…and hadn’t gone to this much trouble and expense on a whim…

Daniel sank back on the hard bunk, rubbing at the persistent ache between his eyes. He knew that Jack and the others would undoubtedly be on his trail, they had heard the announcement and would understand the significance of the destination. Daniel prayed that his friends were following, even as he wished they wouldn’t. As much as he wanted to be rescued, he didn’t want his friends to fall into Apophis’ hands again.

Apophis had always been arrogant, power-hungry and vengeful. The fact that they had delivered him up to his fate with Sokar, the things they had said and done while he was dying, the knowledge that they had killed Amaunet had only seemed to fuel Apophis’ innate cruelty….

Daniel tried to keep his mind on his friends, letting the strength of everything they had become together still his racing heart. But thoughts of SG1…and his ‘home’ with SGC….only underscored the realization that he had never been so alone in his life….

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