Title: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I don't own or have any rights to Stargate SG-1 and its characters.

Summary: Mitchell gets caught in the middle of a sibling rivalry gone bad.

"Hey Mitchell, your shadow's back."

"Ah hell," Cam non-too-gently dropped the equipment case he'd just hauled out of the temple.

Carter looked up at the dull thud, "hey, just because you're annoyed doesn't mean you can take it out on my equipment." She quickly flipped open the lid to check the contents of the case.

"Sorry Sam, but I was annoyed two days ago." He cut off his sigh of frustration as a young man approached the group, a young man who just happened to be the oldest son of the village Chieftain. He'd basically attached himself to Cam's hip as soon as they'd stepped through the gate nearly four days ago. "Hey Kitchny, what's going on?"

The young man suppressed his urge to focus all his attention on his new idol, and remembered his manners. "Col Carter, Dr Jackson, Teal'c, well afternoon to you all. Col Mitchell, may I have a word with you, alone please?"

Cameron raised an eyebrow that would have made Teal'c proud. In all the time they'd spent together, Kitchny had never been so reserved; his naturally energetic and inquisitive nature would have made a three year old jealous. Sam and Teal'c had compared him to Jonas Quinn on more than one occasion. "Ah yeah sure, just give me a second here." He turned back to his team and continued in a low tone, "guys, I'm getting the impression something is up here. Why don't you take this stuff to the gate, but be sure to keep an eye out."

Sam frowned slightly, "you sure?" She eyed Kitchny as he fidgeted nervously.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I don't think it's anything dangerous, I'm just being cautious- for once. I'll meet you at the gate." He took a deep breath and turned back to the future village leader, "lets go for a walk." He waited until they'd left the team behind before speaking again, "Ok, so what has you so worked up?"

Kitchny obviously didn't understand Cam's phrasing, but he got the point. "I wish to thank you for tolerating my behavior the last few days."

Mitchell eyed him for a second, "you could have done that in front of my team; what's really going on?" He continued on for a few steps before realizing that Kitchny had stopped.

The younger man hesitated slightly before answering. "I do not know how to lead my people. My father rules by fear, until your team visited our village I never knew there was any other way to lead. In addition to questioning you at every opportunity, I have observed your interactions with the team; they do not fear you, yet they follow your commands without hesitation."

Cameron scoffed, "yeah, about ten percent of the time. I'm guessing you're telling me this because you don't want to lead by intimidation?" He waited for a nod of assent before continuing, "then lead by respect, it'll get you a hell of a lot further in this life than fear will." They continued through the woods as Cam explained what he meant. "Look, from what I've seen, you would have made a very conscientious leader without my advice, so what's the problem?"

"I do not believe that my father or brother will approve of my methods, but I will not allow my people to live in fear any longer; they did for long enough under the Goa'uld." There was genuine fear in his eyes.

Mitchell stopped walking at Kitchny's hesitant tone. "Let me make sure I understand you right, you want us to have your back in case they try to depose you?"

"Than you are smarter than I thought brother."

Cam and Kitchny both turned to face the new arrival. Zaka, Kitchny's younger brother, stepped from behind a tree twenty feet to their left, holding an armed staff weapon.

Cameron was glad that he'd raised his weapon immediately upon hearing the new voice, he unconsciously moved in front of Kitchny. So much for this walk not being dangerous. "You're a little early; he won't be Chieftain for another month."

"No," Zaka corrected, "he will never be Chieftain."

Mitchell barreled into Kitchny a half-second before a blast erupted from a staff weapon to their right. He let out a yell at the intense burning sensation in his thigh. They landed in a heap at the base of another tree, Kitchny striking his head on a large root. Cam was able to think through the pain long enough to let loose a burst of rounds at the villager that had fired on them. He felt a momentary stab of satisfaction as his direct hit just before the blunt end of a staff weapon collided with the side of his face.

Zaka smiled with glee as he shoved the off-worlder off his brother, now he could claim his right as lord over his people. He reached down to pull the small gun from Mitchell's leg, the Col would make the perfect scape-goat for Kitchny's murder.

Cam tried not to groan aloud as he squinted, waiting for his vision to clear. This was so his luck. When he was finally able to see more than just fuzzy shapes, the sight that greeted him was not a comforting one; Zaka and another villager stood over them with his sidearm aimed at Kitchny's chest. Moving as quickly as his muddled brain would allow, he kicked at Zaka just as the man fired. He was knocked flat again as a blast struck his chest, consciousness instantly leaving his body.

Zaka growled in frustration as he surveyed the two unresponsive men at his feet. Cameron's kick had barely been forceful enough to register, but it had been enough to disrupt him aim. He re-adjusted his grip on the unfamiliar weapon and aimed for his brother's heart again.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Zaka and the villager turned to see the rest of SG-1 top the rise of the hill with their weapons drawn.

Thinking quickly Zaka switched his aim to the advancing team, but made no move to explain the situation. He kept the pistol trained on Teal'c as Sam and Daniel dropped to their knees at Mitchell's side. He quietly instructed the villager to go find his father.

Sam winced outwardly as she took in his condition, blood flowed freely from both staff blast wounds and a cut high on his cheek bone. His breathing became more ragged as she and Jackson increased the pressure on his wounds, but she breathed a small sigh of relief when his eyes fluttered open. "Shh, clam down Cam, we're going to get you some help."

"Sam-" his speech was cut off by a painful bout of coughing. "Kitchny," he asked after catching his breath slightly.

"He'll be fine," Daniel laid a hand on his good shoulder, trying to comfort the agitated man. "We're going to give you some morphine to help with the pain then get you back to the SGC so Dr Lam can fuss over you."

"I'm afraid that will not be possible; Col Mitchell must face tribunal for the attempted murder of my son."