CHAPTER 1

As the klaxons sounded General Landry gave a silent prayer for it to be SG-1. He looked across his desk, nodding to General O'Neill as they both took off at a near run to the control room.

"Unscheduled off-world activation. Receiving IDC. It's SG-1 sir."

"Open the iris." General Landry tipped his head back in a silent prayer of gratitude. "Security to the embarkation room."

SG-1 was three days overdue from their trip to P3X-718. Ancient writing and a large hill that could possibly hold a room were found not too far from a village by the gate which had resulted in SG-1 being assigned to investigate. When SG-1 had failed to check in on time the general had sent SG-12, who returned stating that the only thing they'd been able to get from the villagers was that there had been some sort of attack. It sounded like a Go'uld attack.

After they had been missing for two days General O'Neill had arrived at the SGC with documents that needed to be signed. Landry knew that the real reason O'Neill was there was because he was worried about his friends and needed to be where he felt he could help them.

SG-1 entered the gate room and stopped. They didn't look injured, but from the looks on their faces Landry knew something was wrong. There was someone else with them.

Colonel Mitchell looked up to the general and spoke first. "Sir, may I introduce you to Anise of the Tok'ra."

O'Neill got to the microphone first. "Hello, Anise." He still hadn't completely forgiven her for the armband incident.

"It is good to see you again, General O'Neill. I only wish that it were possible for us to meet under nicer circumstances for a change."

Yep, she still likes me. O'Neill thought to himself. His didn't dwell on the thought long as he looked over his friends and saw that none of them would look at him. He took in the sight and realized that none of them were standing near each other, and the distance seemed to be the greatest between Daniel and the rest. Shit, was all he could manage as he suddenly became more worried than he had been at any point while they were missing.

Both Generals went down to the embarkation room. Landry told the security to stand down but kept them in the room. He liked SG-1, but he wasn't a fool. They had been missing quite some time and it was possible that they were somehow compromised.

"Anything I need to know immediately or can it wait until the debriefing." Landry wanted to hear it all now. He had a thousand questions, but he also had a teleconference with the president and a few other world leaders in about fifteen minutes that he had to get ready for.

"It can wait for the debriefing sir," Col Mitchell said.

"OK then. To the infirmary."

Anise felt as though the last comment had somehow been an insult to her abilities and the Tok'ra's even though that was not how Landry had meant it. She felt compelled to defend her presence. "They are fine General Landry. The Tok'ra have seen to their injuries. Though it is likely that Daniel Jackson will continue to experience flashes of memories from the Go'uld who took him as host for some time."

All eyes in the room seemed to fall on Daniel, who just kind of stood there, not saying anything. He refused to look at anyone. Then Jack noticed that not all eyes were on Daniel. Out of everyone who had just come through the gate, only Mitchell seemed to be willing to meet anyone's gaze. Daniel had been taken as a host and his friends weren't rallying behind him to make him feel better. Teal'c wouldn't even look at Jack. Jack could feel himself getting colder with dread.

Jack wanted to accompany the group to the infirmary hoping to learn more, but he was supposed to be in the same conference call as Landry. He watched them leave the embarkation room with a few guards who were trying their damnedest to remain unobtrusive while "escorting" SG-1 to the infirmary. Still none of the rest of SG-1 were standing near Daniel. He'd known Samantha Carter long enough to know that if Daniel was recovering from being a host to a Go'uld, Sam should have been standing next to him telling him that everything was fine and none of whatever had happened had been his fault. She wasn't.

As they went down the hall Jack could hear Mitchell start to make some light hearted comments trying to lighten the mood. No one responded to him. Jack knew his people. There was something going on that even Cameron Mitchell didn't know about.