Title: Abilities

Author: Annette Griessman

Category: action/adventure

Spoilers: Very slight spoilers for "Serpent's Lair" and "Thor's Hammer" Season: Sometime after the start of season two.

Contents: PG. Mild language

Summary: The SG-1 team is ambushed after stepping through the gate onto a new world. Sam, Jack and Teal' c are captured, and Daniel is left to rescue them. If only he can figure out how to do it....

Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of

Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Abilities

Daniel knew SG-1 was in trouble the moment they stepped through the gate. He caught a glimpse of a rust-colored sky filled with angry indigo clouds before focusing on the group of seven men clustered around the DHD. At least they resembled men, thought Daniel. What little of them could be seen through their matted hair and beards and long-furred hides they wore wrapped loosely around their bodies. Their eyes were human enough though. And at present, those eyes glittered coldly at the members of SG-1.

Beside him, Sam bit back a gasp of surprise and whipped her weapon around in front of her, keeping its aim just short of the group. Jack didn't react as visibly, but Daniel could sense his tension as he took one careful step backwards. "Uh, Carter...I thought you said there was no signs of people on this planet."

"There wasn't, sir. Our probes showed only sand and those pyramid structures." Her expression changed from wary to one of concern. "What are they doing to the DHD?

It was Teal'c who answered. "They appear to be beating it with those clubs, Captain Carter." Only his eyes showed any sign of his agitation as they shifted nervously from one of the men to the other. Daniel frowned. He could indeed see that each man held a crude club. Two of the men held their clubs above the DHD as if frozen in the act of trying to smash the thing to pieces.

Jack nodded once, sharply. "Well, that's a bad thing, gang." He raised his voice slightly. "Daniel, what do you think? Can you talk to these guys?"

Daniel had been trying to assess that very thing. He was used to making contact with people that were descendents of Earth's ancient civilizations—people who still held on to remnants of their heritage. People who behaved and spoke in a familiar way. Egyptians. Minoans. Greeks. Romans. Even Native Americans such as the Salesh. But these people were not familiar. They didn't even appear to be civilized. They seemed closer to the Neanderthals than anything else, although he couldn't be sure until he got a closer look at their facial features. He shifted uncomfortably, sensing the others waiting on his opinion.

He felt a growing sense of unease. This was supposed to be his ability, after all; the ability to deal with unfamiliar people. The others counted on him to know what to do, what to say. He had the history degrees. Knew the languages. Yet, he blinked in dismay as the furred men began to mutter softly amongst themselves. Right now, he felt like an ignorant freshman being grilled by old Professor Stevens. Then and now he felt about two feet high.

A roll of thunder rumbled in the dark clouds and a cold gust of wind blew fine grains of sand against his face. A storm was brewing, and not just in the sky. He licked his lips and stepped forward slowly, holding his hands spread wide, palms up in the age-old gesture of friendship, showing that he came to them unarmed. "Hello. I'm Daniel Jackson. We," he waved a hand back to his team, "mean you no harm." He paused, waiting to see what effect his words would have. He didn't expect them to speak English, but he at least hoped they would understand his tone. They reacted all right, but Daniel wasn't at all reassured by their reaction.

The furred group broke away from the DHD with a slow, carefulness that reminded Daniel of a cat stalking its prey. They formed themselves into a solid line between the team and the dial home device. All of their muttering had stopped the moment Daniel spoke, but a couple of them flicked their fingers in the air in what looked like hand-signs. From their concerted movements, he had no doubt they were communicating. A flash of lightning played along the horizon over the matted heads. In spite of the gusting wind, the air felt heavy, charged.

Jack moved forward past Carter and Teal'c, to stand shoulder to shoulder with Daniel. "1 don't think that went well, do you?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, not well at all." His sense of nervousness was growing by the moment. The furred men definitely looked hostile now. Three of them had raised their clubs and started to move forward, and the other four were splitting off to the team's left and right. In a few moments, SG-1 would be surrounded.

"Carter, Teal'c. Zat guns only. Let's put these guys to sleep before they can cause any trouble, okay? Daniel, fall back."

Daniel winced in spite of himself. He heard the click-whine of Carter and Teal'c's zat guns and stepped back behind Jack. It was at times like these that he felt he was the team's weak link. Sam, Teal'c and Jack could all handle themselves in a fight. He, on the other hand, couldn't. He remembered how Jack had left him on guard outside the control room on Klorel's ship, and how at the first sign of trouble, he had yelled for Jack. And then got shot. Sam and Teal'c would've taken out the three serpent guards without a peep. Jack could've probably handled a whole battalion of them without breaking a sweat. Daniel couldn't handle one, let alone three. And so, his job was to fall back.

Jack sighed and pulled his zat gun out with his right hand. With his left, he lifted his sunglasses lazily toward his face. Daniel felt his embarrassment at his own lack of fighting skills grow. That was Jack. Calm. Controlled. Confident. "Okay, kiddies. Let's take care of this and go home. Next planet is sure to be friendlier."

Sam and Teal'c passed Daniel without a glance, their weapons held firmly before them. The furred men barely took notice, continuing their ominous creeping, their cold eyes focused on the group. Probably they didn't recognize the zat guns as weapons, thought Daniel. He tried to keep his attention on the natives' movements and gestures. That way, he could at least give a decent report to General Hammond when they got back. It wouldn't be much, but it was better than nothing.

"Any time you're ready, sir," said Carter. Teal'c nodded his assent.

Jack sighed again. "Hammond's going to hate this. He really wanted us to check out those pyramids."

Daniel looked off to the horizon. The tops of four pyramid-shaped buildings reflected the flashes of lightning streaking from the bruised, boiling clouds that seemed to grow in height as he watched. The buildings looked abandoned even from this distance. The tops of two of the structures were noticeably crumbling. Since they bore a vague resemblance to Goa'uld structures, Hammond was anxious to check them for Goa'uld technology. He hoped this had once been a Goa'uld outpost. "Maybe we can come back later with a bigger team."

"Maybe," said Jack. "A much bigger team." The furred men were too close for comfort now. Jack settled his sunglasses on his face, and pushed them firmly up on his nose, at the same time, raising his zat gun. Its click-whine filled the air as Daniel took another step back toward the gate.

The furred men's attention all focused on Jack with a suddenness that startled them all. For a moment, the area was still as the seven natives looked at Jack with a mixture of terror and fury.

Jack frowned, his zat gun wavering in front of him. "What the....?" He looked up and down the line of men staring at him. "Was it something I said?"

The flippant answer that came to Daniel's mind was forgotten as a bolt of lightning hit the gate. Crack! Daniel felt like a thousand ants crawled along his body. His thoughts whited out for an instant as he lost control of his muscles. He found himself on the ground, staring up at the sky. He turned his head blankly, seeing Jack on his knees not far away. Sam stumbled into view, her hands to her head. Daniel blinked in the silence. Why was there no sound? He opened his eyes to find Teal'c above him, his stony face grim. Daniel frowned. What was Teal'c doing, throwing stones? He tried to roll over, but managed only a twitch of one arm. He blinked again as he tried to make sense of what was happening. This time, when he opened his eyes, a furred man stood over him, holding onto a now-limp Jack. Daniel tried to scream as the furred man leaned close, his rancid breath hot in Daniel's face. The native's eyes narrowed as he focused on Daniel. He raised a gnarled club, his cold eyes glittering with some inner rage. It was the last thing Daniel saw before the world went black.

The first thing that Daniel became aware of was the cold. His arms and legs were numb, and it felt like needles of ice pierced his head and chest. He had never been so cold. He tried to sit up, but found he could only lurch to one side. He tried to make out his surroundings, but something was dripping in his eyes. He wiped away wetness and was able to make out one shaky hand held in front of him, covered with blood. He felt a jolt of awareness as he realized it was his blood. The lightning...the club...the furred man...the fight...Jack, hanging like a sack of potatoes over the arm of a furious native. He remembered it now. He gingerly felt at the large gash on his forehead. Underneath was a large lump. It was messy and his head throbbed with the rapid beat of his heart, but he didn't think it was serious. He tried again to sit up, and this time, succeeded.

The area around the gate and DHD was empty. No sign of natives...but most importantly, no sign of SG-1. Daniel's stomach lurched in reaction. "Sam! Jack! Teal'c!" he called, his voice no louder than a whisper to his own ears. What was wrong with his voice? He was sure he had shouted. Daniel rubbed at one ear and shook his head. He snapped a finger experimentally and heard it only as a muted throb. No, his voice was fine. His hearing was not. The lightning, most likely, he thought. Still, no one moved in his field of vision, and he feared the worst.

He struggled to his feet with a desperate strength, and his field of view expanded past the gate and DHD. He half expected to find his friends lying still on the sand, remembering the brutality of the attack. But only discarded zat guns, rifles and Tealc's staff weapon littered the ground. The weapons and two dead fur-clad men. Daniel swayed with relief. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then moved toward the closest native.

A blast of wind almost blew him over, and he shivered. The temperature had dropped at least forty degrees since they stepped onto this world. Then, it had been cool and dry. Now, it was positively frigid. The deserts on Abydos had been cold at night, but not this cold. He glanced up at the sky, suddenly realizing that he didn't even know how long he had been out. The bloated, red sun was setting in a haze of violent purple. Nightfall. It had been morning when they arrived. From Sam's briefing of this place, he judged he had been out at least twelve hours. Whatever had happened to his team had happened a while ago. He groaned. Terrific.

He turned his attention to the dead native. He obviously hadn't been killed by a zat gun—that would have disintegrated him, leaving no trace. The rifles, perhaps? He leaned closer. Blood streamed from a gaping wound in the native's throat. Daniel forced himself to look closely. The wounds edges sharp-edged and clean. A knife, then. He stepped past the body to the second one not far away. The cause of death for this one was clearly visible, as his head was
bashed in. A large, blood-soaked rock lay nearby.

Daniel could only stare in bewilderment. What had happened here? It wasn't like Jack or Teal'c to use knives or rocks...and especially not Sam. Not when they had zat guns and rifles. And where had everyone gone? The wind blew sand into his face, and he shivered again. It was definitely getting colder. He moved past the bodies toward the DHD. He would go back through the gate and report to General Hammond. Then they could send a rescue party through to find the rest of the team. He reached out to touch the first of the symbols on the DHD with the nagging thought he was forgetting something. He closed his eyes against the pounding in his head, trying to figure out what it was. He was missing something...and he gasped as he remembered what it was.

Sam had the transmitter. And without it, he would wind up splattered like a bug against their gate's iris. Damn.

Thunder rumbled faintly overhead as the bitter wind blew through his canvas jacket. He felt like throwing something or hitting something, but he did neither. He just stood there in the cold. He stood there a long, long time. He was on his own, and it was up to him, and only him, to find his friends. The muscles along his jaw tightened convulsively. From where he stood, he could see a very faint line of tracks leading away toward the pyramids on the horizon. As he watched, the unforgiving wind was wiping the tracks from view. In another hour or so, they'd be gone.

His fists clenched in frustration. Tracking wasn't one of his abilities—that was Tealc's ability, not his. Just as the ability to make decisions was Jack's and the ability to come up with a plan of action from only a few unspecific facts was Sam's. His ability was reading dead languages and saying to those people he met "Hello. I’m Daniel Jackson and we mean you no harm..." And in this situation, what good was that? Right now, he'd give up all his degrees to have a black belt in karate.

But here he was, alone, the only one in a position to find his friends. General Hammond wouldn't send a search party out until they were over-due, which in this case, was in three days. Daniel lifted his head as his own course of action became clear. Without a second thought, he moved to one of the bodies and pulled a fur-covered hide free. He ignored the blood that matted the fur as its warmth cut off the chill of the wind. He scanned the area for any of their packs, but found only bits and pieces of equipment. The natives must have had time to search them. He did find a flashlight with a cracked lens and an open and almost-empty canteen. He nodded. Good enough. Those were useful things.

Finally, he bent to pick up a zat gun. He had his suspicions about the weapons, but he needed to test his theory. He pointed at a distant rock and fired. Nothing. He picked up Teal'c's staff weapon and fired it. Nothing. He sighed. Apparently, something here interfered with energy weapons. They had seen that kind of thing before when dealing with Thor's hammer. That answered one of his questions. He had a second question though, one that was more troubling. Why hadn't SG-1 used the rifles?

He picked up one of the heavy weapons and checked the clip. It was full, or appeared to be. Maybe it had jammed, he thought But surely both Sam and Jack's gun wouldn't have jammed at the same time. Maybe they had been stunned by the lightning and hadn't had time to fire. That would explain a lot, but it wouldn't explain why he had seen Teal'c throwing rocks. He pressed his lips together and took aim at another rock. He pulled the trigger, not sure of what to expect.

The gun fired as it should, but the bullet hit the cold air and froze in place as if caught on flypaper. It was the strangest thing Daniel had every seen. "What the heck?"

He leaned closer, squinting. No, the bullet was still moving, but slowly, like it was stuck in molasses. Curiosity overcame him. He reached out to pluck the thing from the air without thinking. And jerked back as a flash of energy struck his hand. He stuck his fingers in his mouth as the bullet fell to the ground. Daniel could only shake his head. Obviously, this world was more complicated than they had originally thought. Only some form of technology could stop a bullet like that. And the energy weapons as well. Maybe it was Goa'uld technology, maybe not. Whatever it was, it was effective. He threw the rifle down in disgust and looked around for Jack's knife. The one that had worked so well against the dead native. He finally found it lodged partially under the native's body. He tucked the knife into his belt.

I just hope I don't cut myself with this thing, he thought. That would be typical of me. He took one last look around, then stepped out onto the shifting sand. It was time he found his friends.

Jack woke up slowly, only aware of the swaying motion that rocked him from side to side. And of the cold. And of the smell. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but finally, he was able to figure it out. He was slung gracelessly across the back of some large, hairy beast. A smelly hair beast. One with a gait rougher than a camel.

He raised his head with difficulty, just enough to see a very large man covered with fur walking by the beast's head, pulling it along by a simple halter. A pair of black military boots moved into his field of vision. The feet were attached to a pair familiar-shaped legs. "C-carter?" he managed through a dry throat.

"Here, sir." Carter moved forward until Jack could see her fully. Her arms were pulled behind her back, and Jack realized she was tied. A rope from her waist led to off to the side, and Jack

caught a glimpse of a huge, hairy arm. He grimaced as the events of the day flooded into his mind. He remembered coming through the gate...the group of hostile natives...and then, the lightning striking the gate. Everything had been pretty much a blur after that, but he did remember trying to fire his zat gun, then his rifle, and then when nothing happened, using his knife. He couldn't remember how much damage he had done, though. Obviously, not enough. Otherwise, he wouldn't be tied to this gosh-awful animal. "How do you feel, sir?" Jack's neck hurt from twisting it to look at Sam, but right now, he didn't care.

"Oh, I'm just great, Sam. Terrific." Sam's lips twisted into a grin in spite of their predicament at Jack's sarcastic tone. Her grin disappeared when the brute holding her leash gave it a hard yank.

She pulled herself back toward Jack with a defiant lift of her head. "You went down pretty hard when that native hit you, sir. And that was after the lightning...."

Jack blinked in remembrance. Yes...the lightning.... "Teal'c? Daniel?"

"I am here, Colonel." Teal'c's voice sounded from somewhere on the other side of the animal. "I am unhurt."

Jack looked at Sam. "Daniel?" he repeated softly.

Sam's mouth firmed. "Daniel went down after the lightning strike. He was nearest to the gate. I think he was coming around when one of the natives clubbed him in the head."

Jack closed his eyes briefly, a wave a nausea washing through him. "What's the situation, Sam? I don't remember much after we came through the gate and met our hairy friends."

"The natives attacked just after the lightning strike. They seemed encouraged by it, somehow. They ran forward, yelling. Our weapons were ineffective...including the rifles." She shook her head and frowned. "Damnedest thing I've ever seen, Colonel. The bullets just...stopped, for lack of a better word, in mid-air. Some technology is at work here that I've never seen."

"Goa'uld?" Jack was getting dizzy from the animal's swaying, but at least his underside was warm. The wind was really cold. Sam and Teal'c must be freezing.

Sam shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe." The native holding her leash yanked again. "I don't think our friends here are going to be much help in telling us, though." She yanked the leash back, her teeth bared. The native growled something that sounded like an obscenity, but left her alone.

"Great," muttered Jack. "That leaves us in a bad way, doesn't it? I don't think these guys are taking us home just to be good neighbors."

"No, sir." Sam's voice quivered. "General Hammond won't send anyone through for 72 hours... and sir?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

I've got the transmitter."

At first, Jack couldn't understand what that one fact had to do with anything, but then he realized what Sam was saying. Even if Daniel was still alive, he couldn't go back through the gate, either for medical help or for reinforcements. "Damn."

"Yes, sir."

Jack was quiet then, considering their options. From the looks of it, the natives were taking them toward the pyramid structures. Well, they were going to have a look at those things for General Hammond, at least, he thought. Next time, though, he'd like to investigate on his own two feet. "How long have we been traveling?"

Teal'c's feet came into view. Jack's neck was too tired to look up, so he focused on Teal'c's legs. "We have been walking for almost 8 hours." Teal'c voice was strong, but Jack could sense the man's weariness. Teal'c might seem to be almost super-human to others, but Jack and Sam and Daniel knew better. The jaffa could wear out just like the rest of them. His thoughts went back to the missing member of his team. Daniel.... He sighed. That boy had irritated the hell out of Jack when they first met, for he was impulsive and disorganized and completely unaware of the dangers in his surroundings most of the time. But something about the kid's trusting nature got under his skin. And despite appearances to the contrary, the archaeologist was very good at getting out of tough scrapes. Unfortunately, it seemed like he got into more scrapes than most. Except this time, it was Sam and Teal'c himself that were in a tough position. And Daniel...

"He's not dead, Carter." Jack refused to think about that possibility. "That kid's died enough to last a lifetime, you know? He's not dead."

Sam's voice took on a lighter note at Jack's poor attempt at humor. "You're right, sir. He's not dead."

"Daniel Jackson is fine, O'Neill. I am certain of it," added Teal'c. Even his monotone voice had a lighter edge. Jack sighed and concentrated on trying to keep his stomach under control as the beast swayed and stank. The wind had died down a little while he talked, but thunder still rolled from the sky, and the clouds had darkened to black. The storm was far from over. From a glance at the horizon, he judged they would reach the pyramids by morning. It was going to be a long, long night.

Daniel's head was hurting. He felt at the lump. It was definitely larger now, even though the bleeding had stopped. And his vision kept blurring around the edges. He ignored it and pressed on. It was full night now, and bitterly cold. The wind had died down at sunset, giving him a chance to follow the trail longer before it disappeared. But now, the wind had, risen again, hitting him with such force that he had trouble keeping his feet at times. The thunder was back, and so was the lightning. As dangerous as it was, he was grateful. He was able to find his way by the almost constant flashes of lightning that streaked the sky. One particularly bright flash lit up the sky almost as bright as day, and Daniel caught a glimpse of the tops of the pyramids. He was closer...much closer. The trail led straight to them, and even if the wind wiped it out, he was sure that the natives were taking SG-1 there. He settled his pace into the slow, steady pace he had learned walking the sands of Abydos. And as he walked, he thought.

Something about the way the natives had attacked bothered him. They had seemed wary, even hostile once the team came through the gate. They had been trying to destroy the DHD at first glance...or had they? Daniel remembered the size of those hairy arms and the thickness of their clubs. If they had been trying to destroy the DHD, they certainly would have done it with one hit or two. And yet, the DHD appeared untouched. It didn't seem likely that the team had come through the gate at the very moment the natives had started their assault on the device. That meant they had another reason for being there.

He visualized the group as they had appeared when he first noticed them. They had all been turned in toward the DHD, their faces solemn. Almost as if they had been holding some kind of ceremony. They had been wary when SG-1 stepped through the gate, but then, who wouldn't be? Especially primitives like themselves. They had only attacked when Jack brought out his zat gun. Right? Daniel considered that, frowning.

No. Sam and Teal'c had brought up their zat guns, and the natives had ignored them completely. But Jack had definitely gotten their attention about the time he brought up his zat gun. If it wasn't the gun, then what was it? Daniel thought through the chain of events carefully. Jack had done nothing out of the ordinary. He was dressed like the others, and as far as differences went, Teal’c and Sam were much more noticeable in that regard than Jack. A thought struck Daniel...a totally improbable thought. The only thing that Jack had done differently than the others was to put on his sunglasses. The natives had taken notice at that moment, he was sure of it. He shook his head. He had seen a lot of different taboos in his time, but sunglasses? This was a first.

One bolt of lightning struck dangerously close, and Daniel jumped. This place was a regular meteorologist's dream. Well, he had already been struck by lightning once today, so what were the chances he would get struck again? Small, right? Very small, right? He wished he had Sam there to figure the odds for him. Since she wasn't there, he wouldn't worry about it. He was sure the odds were miniscule. They had to be. The lightning continued to flash as he pressed on.

Jack had actually managed to fall asleep by the time they reached the pyramids. Sam bumped into him, almost stumbling to her knees in the effort, to wake him up. "We're here, sir." Her voice was dry as cornhusks. The big hairy brutes that served as their escort had only stopped once all night, and they each had only been given a couple small sips of water.

"Terrific," said Jack. "The vacation spot of PX2399. And 1 must say, it was worth the trip."

Sam didn't answer as she was yanked to a halt. Jack could hear Teal'c from nearby. "These pyramids are Goa'uld. Ra's symbol is carved on the walls and over the doors."

Jack groaned. Ra. He was still a pain in the ass even though he was dead. He turned his head to catch a glimpse of the now familiar eye of Ra carved deeply into one red stone wall. "Lovely." He didn't have the chance to ask more as he was dumped unceremoniously to the ground. Thankfully for him, he landed on his head.

"Are you okay, Colonel?" asked Sam.

Jack moaned as he fought to straighten out. "Oh, just peachy, Carter. Just peachy." He didn't have much of a chance to say more, for two of the natives grabbed his arms and pulled him over to a large pillar. He soon found himself tied again, this time up against the cold stone of the pillar. Jack sighed. This was a very bad day. At least he wasn't tied to that animal anymore. He was grateful at this point for small favors.

The natives moved Teal'c and Sam over to a smaller pillar. They were tied as well, though more loosely than Jack. Jack could see Sam trying to size up the situation. He himself was too busy trying to get feeling back into his legs.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Colonel. I think they've got you in a bad position."

Jack rolled his eyes. "'Ya think?"

"I concur, O'Neill. You are in a place of worship."

Jack twisted to better see behind him. He could see a very large eye of Ra carved on the top of the pillar. This eye of Ra had lightning bolts shooting from it, though, unlike any other rendering Jack had seen. Off to both sides stood large stone blocks that resembled mortuary slabs. Jack felt the blood drain from his face. The stones were dark and stained in the middle. Maybe that's just what they were--mortuary slabs. Except you weren't dead before you were
laid out. "Uh...Teal'c? Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Yes. Apophis had a similar place." He turned a stony face toward Jack, but his eyes were anxious. "It was not a pleasant place."

Jack took a deep breath. "I'll bet."

The native population appeared to be growing. What had once been five was now at least fifteen. It seemed to Jack that they came out of the shadows,..like ghosts. All of them were watchful and silent. Jack saw at least two women and one child. He couldn't tell if the child was a boy or a girl, as wrapped in furs as it was. One by one, the fur-clad people came forward to sit in a semi-circle around Jack's pillar.

"It seems I'm the center of attention," remarked Jack quietly. "Any idea why?"

Sam's face was a mixture of frustration and fear. "No. The wall behind you is covered with writing and pictures. But I can't read it."

Teal'c shook his head. "I can read a couple of the words referring to Ra, but many of the symbols are strange to me." A looked of failure washed across his face. "I am sorry, O'Neill."

Jack nodded. The one who might be able to read the writing wasn't here. And even if he was, Jack wasn't sure it would help. This situation was bad. Jack closed his eyes and tried to think of a way out of this mess. Unfortunately, nothing came to him. Terrific.

He leaned against the pillar and sighed. "Well, kiddies. Ya have an idea of how long we'll have to wait?"

"No, sir."

"I do not, O'Neill."

Jack closed his eyes and hoped inspiration to strike him. Heck, right now, he'd settle for a strike of lightning. If he couldn't kill any of these natives, maybe the lightning could. Right now, though, the sky was clear. The sun even managed to peek through the indigo clouds. "Too bad we're not having a picnic," muttered Jack. "It'd storm for sure." Sam and Teal'c ignored his comment as they all settled in to wait.

Daniel's right eye had swollen shut and his head ached. But his vision was no worse, and his hearing had improved. At least he thought it had. He only sounded slightly muffled when he talked to himself. But he had finished off most of the little bit of water from the canteen, and his mouth was too dry to talk too much. As the sun broke over the dark horizon, the pyramids came into view. Daniel knew now he had to be cautious.

He ducked down behind a sand dune to see what lay ahead. He could see the four pyramid structures clearly. Large open squares filled with tall pillars and statues littered the space in-between them. Daniel squinted and wished he had managed to find some binoculars. Was that the symbol of Ra on one of the pillars? If so, it was a strange one. Lightning bolts seemed to be coming from the eye. He could see writing and other, smaller, symbols on that pillar, and along the walls of the closest pyramid. He scanned the open ground. There was no sign of either the natives or the other members of SG-1 . He had to get closer.

He stood up and hurried toward the pyramid as fast as his tired legs would carry him. He held the borrowed fur as close to him as possible. Maybe if he was sighted by the natives, they would think he was one of their own.

He reached the wall of the pyramid, and sank down behind a block of stone to try and decipher the writing and pictographs. He frowned at the oddness of the writing. It seemed to be a mixture of Egyptian and Latin, with a smattering of a writing that was totally unfamiliar to him. He wished he could videotape this to study later. The Goa'uld had mixed so many cultures together with such varied results. As it was, he did the best he could.

The eye symbol definitely stood for Ra. But this Ra fought with lightning bolts, not rays from the sun. Daniel shrugged. If Ra had come to this place long ago, he might well have chosen to be represented by the most fearsome force on this planet. And Jupiter, the Roman god who threw lightning bolts, or Zeus, as the Greeks called him, would be familiar if any of these people came from the Roman empire.

Daniel was puzzled by a number of the symbols, however. Another eye symbol faced off in two places against Ra. A smaller eye with a dark circle drawn around it. The circle had actually filled with some dark kind of gemstones, like obsidian. The circle deflected Ra's lightning bolts. And the deflected lightning bolts struck the people surrounding Ra instead. A number of figures with heads of the birds of Ra held staff weapons aimed at this circled eye. The jaffa of this place, figured Daniel. But the staff bolts only came out a little ways from each staff, then stopped. The pictographed battle marched down the wall, and Daniel followed. Around the corner, the circled eye rose up above the eye of Ra. The people and jaffa lay on the ground, apparently dead. The next picture showed the eye of Ra entering a large circle with light rays shooting from it. Daniel knew what that symbol was.

The stargate.

And without being able to read all the symbols, he got the gist of what had happened here.

Long ago, Ra had faced an enemy here. One that wasn't affected by Ra's weapons. One that stopped the energy from the weapons of the jaffa. One that had somehow caused the deaths of Ra's subjects, either directly, or through Ra's own wrath at them. An enemy that was represented by the circled eye. The darkly circled eye.... Daniel's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

The natives thought Jack was Ra's ancient enemy because of his sunglasses. His own darkly circled eyes.

"Doesn't that just beat all?" thought Daniel. It was so ludicrous it seemed almost funny. He wondered if Jack would see the humor in it. If Jack was still alive, that was. Probably not. And

Daniel was sure he was still alive. The natives had brought him here for a reason...if he had to guess, he would say it was to face off against Ra.

"Except Ra isn't here," he mumbled to himself "Who then do they have in mind?" A peel of thunder rumbled across the sands. Daniel looked back over his shoulders, away from the rising sun. The sky in that direction was dark and ominous. Suddenly, Daniel thought he knew what the natives had in mind. And if he could find his friends before the storm, he might just know of a way to save them all.

By the time Daniel found the small plaza where SG-1 was being held, the storm was almost upon them. Daniel crouched down behind a pillar to see how his friends were faring. He felt an almost overwhelming surge of relief at seeing them all safe and sound. All of them were tied—with Jack pulled tightly against a wide pillar. Daniel winced at Jack's appearance. His friend was white-faced, which only showed off the dark, purple bruise along his jaw all the more effectively. His eyes were closed wearily, his only movement to shift from one foot to the other once in a while in a futile attempt to find a comfortable position. On the ground, Sam appeared to be sleeping, while Teal'c leaned against a smaller pillar, his body slumped but his eyes trained on Jack. The space around Jack's pillar was filled with quiet natives. They sat and watched Jack as closely as Teal'c.

Daniel glanced at the sky and hoped for the hundredth time that he had read the symbols correctly. And his planned deception would work to fool the natives. He adjusted his recent archaeological finds, ones that he didn't catalogue or even carefully remove from the ground. Normally, his own rough behavior of such ancient artifacts would have given him fits. But not today.

He pushed the heavy gold bowl back on his head. He had found it in a small room that looked like a temple storage room. He was surprised the natives hadn't touched it. The only explanation he could think of was that the items in the room were considered the property of Ra, and hence off limits to such common folk. Or maybe, they just couldn't figure out the door mechanism. He really hoped it was the later, for that might be of use. He didn't think any of the fur-clad people had worn even simple jewelry. Gold bracelets now adorned his wrists. A wide, gold-linked belt hung around his waist. He had turned the fur inside out, to show the smooth side and tried to fasten it around his neck like a robe. He would have liked to have some silk, or even course linen, but this would have to do. And the finishing touches...around his neck hung a huge, and very heavy, symbol of Ra on a golden chain, and in his hand, he held his one and only weapon in his upcoming fight...a battered flashlight.

He waited until the storm was upon them and the sky was almost black. Lightning streaked across the sky overhead, deafening him with its thunder. The natives, once so quiet, had become restless. Many of them stood with their arms raised high, and a couple even shouted wordlessly, asking their god to come take his vengeance.

Daniel tested his flashlight under the cover of his robe. it was one of those powerful halogen beams, and he focused it as tightly as it would go. Perfect. He stood up and looked toward Jack.

The Colonel now stood, his gaze snapping from the sky to the natives and back again. Daniel wished he could have spared Jack his long wait tied to the pillar. None of them would be in the best of shape after their ordeal, and they still had to make it back to the gate. Sam and Teal'c were on their feet, watching as well. They might not know what the natives were waiting for, but they had to have an idea that it was going to happen soon. He only hoped they would be able to play along.

After a particularly large bolt of lightning lit the sky overhead, Daniel stepped firmly into the plaza. He held his head high and held the flashlight out in front of him, like Ra held his own staves of power on Abydos. It took a few moments before the first of the natives noticed him. The fellow gibbered and pointed and generally looked afraid. Daniel's knees trembled in reaction. Soon, they were all jabbering and gesturing, and all of them had back out of his path. Daniel's head felt light and he hoped he wouldn't faint. If the natives figured out what he was up to, then he, and the rest of SG-1, was doomed.

He stopped about twenty feet from Jack's pillar. His friend now stood staring at him with a strange mixture of relief, anger, astonishment, and laughter playing across his face. Daniel couldn't let him give the whole thing away. He took a deep breath and bellowed at the top of his lungs in Egyptian.

"I am Ra! I am god of the sun, whose mighty lightning will destroy my enemies! All will bow before me!" He quickly repeated his message in Latin, Greek, and three other ancient dialects. He had to trust that the natives would understand at least one of those, even in part. Last of all, he repeated it in English.

Jack stared in open-mouth astonishment at the apparition before him. It was obviously Daniel, but what in the world was he doing? Jack took in his friend's appearance. His forehead and the whole right side of his face was dark and bruised. His right eye was swollen shut and a gash across his forehead seeped blood. He truly looked terrible. But here he stood, dripping with gold, and golden bowl on his head and a flashlight held like a weapon in front of him. Jack was never so glad to see anyone in his life. And to further his amazement, the natives appeared to be glad to see him too.

Jack was about to call out a greeting when Daniel started spouting a long stream of nonsense. The natives were immediately quiet, and a few of them even nodded. Jack's eyebrows shot up. Well, well. Whatever Daniel was saying was getting through. Now if Jack only knew what in the hell his friend was saying.

Daniel switched into English. "I am Ra! I am god of the sun, whose mighty lightning will destroy my enemies! All will bow before me." He looked pointedly at Jack. "And tremble in fear!"

Jack still wasn't sure what was going on here, but Sam and Teal'c seemed to have caught on. They were both bowing low to the ground, but with their eyes trained on Daniel. Jack shrugged. He couldn't really bow, now could he? But he tried to look afraid. "Oh, don't hurt me, Mighty Ra! I would be ever so grateful if you would bless me and cast off my bonds!" It was Jack's turn to look pointedly at Daniel. Still trying to look afraid.

Daniel closed his eyes and swayed, and Jack felt a stab of fear. The kid wasn't doing well at all. He tried to will some strength into him so that they might all get out of here. Hopefully alive.

Daniel's eyes opened. His vision had narrowed alarmingly and his head felt too light. He had to act now, or the Mighty Ra was going to fall down in a very ungodlike fashion. He turned on his flashlight, still pointed at the sky. As the narrow beam cut through the gloom, the natives gasped and fell down themselves. Better them than me, thought Daniel. He marched as firmly as he could up to Jack and with his knife, cut the ropes that bound his hands. Jack slumped, but quickly caught himself and tried to cower against the pillar in fear. Daniel almost laughed. Jack didn't look fearful. He looked constipated. The Colonel was going to have to work on his acting skills.

Daniel took another deep breath and bellowed. "I am Ra! I will take my enemies away! You have all done well. I am victorious, and you shall prosper!" He went through the various languages again. He wasn't really sure which one they understood. Lastly, he repeated the message in English and marched over to Sam and Teal'c. They were quickly freed, and both had the sense to bow repeatedly. Daniel waved his flashlight at the three of them, and called "Feel the power of Ra! You are mine!" He started out of the plaza, motioning the others to follow, as he repeated the message over and over, in all the languages he could think of. The natives thankfully seemed properly impressed--they even threw tribute. The bloody leg of some animal thudded near his feet. A bunch of long grasses hit his leg. And last, but not at all least, a skin filled with liquid was thrust at him by a child. He grabbed it and hurried on.

His vision was now just a narrow tunnel and a roaring was growing in his ears by the time he led the others to the small temple storage room. He waited until they were inside, then closed the heavy stone door and turned the Goa'uld locking mechanism. A dim light streamed down from a row of slits in the room's roof, enough for Daniel to see his friends’ faces.

Jack leaned against a wall. "Will they find us here?" he whispered. Sam sank down to the floor, while Teal'c paced around the tiny room, probably looking for other doors.

"I don't think so," whispered Daniel back. "I don't think they can work the door. After they leave, we can make our way back to the gate."

Jack reached out and squeezed Daniel's ann. "I have never been so glad to see anyone in my entire life, Danny boy. We all thought you were...," he glanced at Sam and Teal'c, "well, injured." Or dead, Daniel read in his eyes. "And we thought we were goners."

"Not likely," said Daniel. "You'd have figured a way out Jack. Eventually." Jack just shook his head, ready to argue. Daniel found he was too tired to argue. The last of his vision faded, and the Mighty Ra crumpled to the hard stone floor.

Carter leaped forward at the same time as Jack. She caught the heavy golden bowl before it clattered to the ground, and Jack caught Daniel. As soon as Jack settled him to the floor, Sam checked him over. "I think it's just a concussion, sir. And fatigue. He'll be fine."

Jack nodded, the last of his strength draining away with the wash of relief that flooded him. "The kid did good. His abilities never cease to amaze me."

"He is resourceful," added Teal'c. Sam just nodded and smiled.

Jack leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "We've got a few hours until nightfall, gang. Let's get some rest, shall we? And pass me some of that liquid tribute. We can only hope it's water."

"Right now, I'd drink just about anything," commented Sam, and Jack had to agree. He wasn't sure what it was, but the liquid was wet. For the moment, SG-1 was safe.

The next morning as the bloated red sun broke over the dark horizon, four tired and battered figures neared the large circle that was the stargate. Daniel had made enough of a recovery to walk back, although Jack half supported him with an arm around his shoulder. Sam and Teal'c walked slightly ahead of them.

As they neared the gate, and the place of the fight with the natives, Daniel felt all of his anxieties return. He almost hadn't been able to help his friends. It was just a fluke that he had been able to frighten the natives enough to let the others go. If it had gone differently, if he had had to fight or track them further, he would have most certainly failed. He wouldn't be so lucky next time. "Jack?"

Jack's face was grey with exhaustion, but his voice was light. "What, Danny?"

"Could you teach me how to fight better?" Daniel faltered, remembering their last boxing lesson. He had ended up with a broken nose. "Uh...I'll try harder this time, really."

Jack's gaze was quizzical. "You're not really a fighter, Daniel, you know...."

"But I want to be. Those natives...and the fighting...." Daniel sighed. "Well, I wasn't much help there, was I? I'm always a hindrance in a fight. 1 want to improve my ability to help in a pinch, you know?"

Jack patted his shoulder and smiled. "You are more of a help than you know, Daniel. You don't need to improve a thing. Your abilities constantly amaze me."

Daniel fell silent and considered Jack's words. He still wanted to learn to fight better, but those words of confidence warmed his heart. His fatigue lifted ever so slightly.

As Carter dialed home, Jack frowned. "You know, you never did tell me why the natives got so angry with me to tie me up to that pillar. Don't they like tall, good looking guys?"

Daniel grinned. "Gee, they sure liked me, didn't they? So I guess they had some taste." Jack rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. Daniel pointed at Jack's sunglasses, now perched in their familiar place on his nose. "No. They didn't like your sunglasses."

As the gate burst to life, Daniel finished telling the story. Sam laughed outright and even Teal'c smiled. "I keep telling him to switch to a more stylish brand," commented Sam as she stepped through the shimmering wall.

"Indeed. I myself like General Hammond's sunglasses." Teal'c added, stepping through after her.

"My sunglasses? Really?" Jack frowned and tugged at his shades. "But these look so cool!"

Daniel nodded knowingly. "Right, right. Tell that to the natives." He tugged at Jack's arm. "Come on. Let's go home."

Fin