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Daniel was frantic. He couldn't reach her, couldn't feel her. She had been so weak when he had finally reached her, but once again she was 'gone'. Which meant that Nergal had killed her…again.

Methos was talking to the System Lords, demanding to know where the Goa'uld had taken his 'consort'. The consensus was that he had returned to his palace, he would feel safer there, especially since the last battle had cut his fleet in half. Two of the System Lords in the Alliance had been killed, the others had managed to escape their burning ships in escape pods and shuttles.

Because the Persephone had literally saved the day for them, they were willing to meet with the Tau'ri and discuss a treaty, one that would enlist their help fighting Nergal.

"Daniel?"

He looked up, Methos stood awkwardly at the door. "Come on in," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. If I had known-" he broke off at the look on the young man's face. "She knew, didn't she?"

Daniel nodded. He closed his eyes. "She said that whatever was going to happen, had to happen."

"I just wanted to let you know that chances are good that he has her at his palace. Jack is making it a condition of our treaty that Casey be returned to you. When I tell him that Nergal has her, you, and he, are going to demand our help in getting her back. Then you'll take out his compound."

"Think it will work?"

"I hope so."

"So do I."

A  A  A  A  A  A

They were lucky. Methos argued, as was expected, but finally acquiesced when Jack made it clear that it was the 'deal breaker'. The other System Lords had seen what the Tau'ri were capable of, and were anxious to focus their wrath on Nergal. Each secretly harbored the fear of being destroyed by these humans, and each was formulating plans to placate the bothersome Tau'ri until their own armies were strong enough to defeat them.

Ashnan agreed to send Jaffa to help with the rescue effort, and Sam…rather Hathor…did also. When Hathor offered to go along herself, Methos' obvious pleasure had Ashnan demanding to go as well.

Daniel tried once again to reach her. 'Angel?'

'Daniel?' She was weak, she was tired…and she was terrified.

'Oh, god, babe, what is he doing to you?'

'Just…killing me. He has a real thing for knives. Daniel, I love you…please…I don't know how much longer…he's already playing with swords, Daniel.'

His heart stopped beating. 'We're on our way, Casey. Try to keep him…placated. Don't let him get angry enough to…' he couldn't even finish the horrible thought.

'I'll try. I'm so tired. I-" Once again the connection was broken. Once again the bastard had killed her.

Daniel strode to the bridge. "That son of a bitch is threatening her with swords now!"

Jack went pale. "Oh, hell! Colonel Bradshaw, move this damned thing! We're running out of time! Daniel, contact Methos. Tell him that the…hell, tell them that the Tok'ra have a spy among Nergal's people, and that we know he's torturing her. Tell them we're going now, and if they're going to honor that treaty, they'll be right behind us."

With a nod, Daniel went to the communications console. Penatil and Burien insisted that their surviving ships were in no condition to enter battle. Daniel coldly replied that if that was the case, and the treaty was broken, the Persephone would simply wipe out those around them, and take on Nergal alone. All of the al'kesh ships moved into formation behind the Tau'ri ship.

"Okay, we're going in hard and hot," Jack said. "As soon as we're close enough, SG-6 and Marine One and Two will ring down. We're going to try and take out as much of the perimeter and outside defenses as we can before we ring you down. Daniel, Teal'c and I are going to beam directly into the palace. Sam is working on specific coordinates right now, so that she can get us into those torture chambers of his."

"As soon as we find Casey, we'll beam out," Daniel said. "We'll send a signal, and you guys get back to the ship. When we're all on board, we're gonna nuke the bastard."

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey opened her eyes. This time she was sitting in a chair, her arms bound tightly behind her. Strapped to a table in front of her, tilted so that she could see the young woman's face, was Tiesha Taylor. "Oh, my god! Tie?"

The young black woman opened her eyes slowly. "Casey? Is that really you?"

"Oh, dear god, Tiesha! We thought…Colonel Drummond told us you were dead! He was livid…and heartbroken…when he and the team couldn't go back to get you!"

"I was dead, Casey. Some Goa'uld named Geb found me. Put me in his sarcophagus, then started…he killed me so many times, Casey!" She began to sob.

"I'm so sorry! How long has he…Nergal…had you?"

"I don't know. I…I don't even know how much time has passed," was the soft answer.

"Just a little over three and a half years since you were declared dead. Tie, help is on the way. Just hang in there."

Tiesha shook her dark head. "He's going to torture me to get to you. I heard him talking about it. Let him kill me, Casey. Don't you tell him a thing! Don't let all of this…all that I've gone through, be in vain. I want to die, Casey, I can't go back…my mind …I can feel it…I'm…I'm not right anymore. Let him…no…make him kill me! Promise me!"

Every word tore at Casey's heart. Now she understood why she had to allow herself to be captured. "I promise Tie. You have my word…woman to woman."

A smile covered the lovely brown face. "Thanks, girlfriend."

Nergal heard the soft voices, knew that the women were awake. He smiled, the action full of malice. He walked into the room. "Ah, Casey! I believe you know this…human."

"Her name is Tiesha Taylor. One of the toughest SF's that the SGC ever had. I'm not surprised that you haven't been able to kill her, or break her!" Casey said, her voice full of anger.

His hand impacted across her cheek before she realized he had moved closer. "You will answer my questions, tell me all that I wish to know, or you will watch me kill her…slowly!"

Tiesha's brown eyes pleaded with Casey's green ones. The woman wanted release from the hell she had endured for so long. The young Immortal nodded slowly at her friend. "I'm not telling you a damned thing!"

The Goa'uld picked up a knife, plunged it into the young black woman's leg. She screamed in pain. "Where is your base? How big is your army? What are the codes to your Chappa'ai?"

Casey winced from the whimpers of pain that came from the woman's throat. She knew that chances were, even if he killed her, Nergal would simply toss her into a sarcophagus to revive her. This was going to be a very long night…or day… whichever it was now. She shook her head wearily. "Go to hell, motherfucker."

Nergal's dark eyes blazed with anger, glowing from within. With a roar of frustration, he plunged the knife deep into Tiesha's chest. Further angered that he had lost his temper and killed the woman, he threw another knife at Casey. It lodged in her throat.

Furious at this point, the Goa'uld left the chamber and entered another. The screams of a man in extreme agony filled the air.

A  A  A  A  A  A

She was awake, again. Back in her cell. She stood up. Her clothes were stiff, so much blood had spilled onto them, soaking the fabric. She reached to her throat, felt nothing but smooth, unblemished skin. She sighed in relief. She didn't need a scar to remind her of this. The scars on her mind…her soul…her heart, would be more than enough.

There was a blanket on the floor of the cell. With a sigh, she stripped off the blood-encrusted clothes, and wrapped the blanket around her slender frame. 'Daniel?'

'Casey? Oh, god, babe, it's been hours since you talked to me! Are you all right?'

She bit back a smile. 'I'm alive, my head is still on my shoulders, no scars or wounds. I'm so tired, though. And hungry. He hasn't…I haven't been fed since I arrived. I'm really thirsty, too.'

Daniel cringed as she told him of her condition. The bastard was killing her slowly, torturing her to death over and over while doing so. 'We're on our way babe, we'll be there soon.'

Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. Three of the al'kesh suffered engine problems. The armada that made its way to Nergal's home planet came to a halt. Even the Phoenix was reporting problems. It would take at least two days for all of the ships to be battle ready. Jack swore vehemently. There was no way the Persephone could take on what was left of Nergal's fleet alone. There was nothing to do but wait.

A  A  A  A  A  A

After days of torture, she had been bathed, given a beautiful silk gown to wear, and was taken to his private quarters. Her heart began to pound against her ribs, and she wished desperately for a ring filled with Sectonin. Anything that happened, she would have to deal with on her own. She began to repeat the meditation mantra that Gwenyth Blackstone had taught her just before they had embarked on the mission to take out Zinder. She would not leave Daniel, and her children! She would survive this, intact…her mind whole!

He smiled when she entered the room. "It was brought to my attention that you haven't had food or drink since you arrived. I offer my sincerest apologies." He waved a hand toward a table laden with food. "Please, eat, drink."

She looked at the table, so hungry and thirsty that her stomach gave a lurch of queasiness. She wanted nothing more than to tell the bastard to go to hell, but she knew that she had lost a great deal of blood during the days of torture he had inflicted upon her. If she wanted to get through all of this, she would need all of her strength. "Thank you," she said softly. She found water, drank several chalices full of the cool liquid before choosing several pieces of fruit, and a few vegetables to eat. She knew she needed the carbs as well, so picked two soft rolls to have with her meal.

He nodded approvingly. He gathered food on a plate for himself, then sat down at the table opposite of her. "So, Casey, tell me how you came to be with Lord Methos."

She looked at him. He had suspicions. He had already tried to claim that Sam was…Sam. "We were on a routine mission. Heard a distress call," she said, reciting the story that Methos had concocted to explain his presence, and his capture of the Phoenix. "We were running with a small crew, and when we found a disabled freighter, we moved in to offer assistance. That rat bastard and his Jaffa surprised us, overpowered us, and took the Phoenix. I thought he had killed Daniel, I should have known he was lying. He had some bitch with him, Sam shot her…he…he captured Sam…and that…" she looked away and shuddered. "Anyway, she took off once the freighter was repaired."

He studied her, watched her eyes. She wouldn't look at him, but he didn't know if it was because she was lying, or simply because she didn't want to look at him. She hadn't looked at him, especially directly, since entering the room. His intelligence sources told him one thing…this woman, and other System Lords, told him another. He frowned. Perhaps his 'sources' had been infiltrated by spies of one of the others. His frown deepened. He had no illusions that he could defeat the other System Lords if they banded together against him. The last battle had left him with less than half of his fleet, and several of the ships that remained were badly damaged. The Tau'ri weapons had proven most effective, and his spies told him that the new 'Alliance' had somehow managed to include the Tau'ri in their battle against him. He was already making preparations to leave his palace. He would miss it, he thought, looking around at the beautiful artwork, the rich furnishings.

The food wasn't sitting well on her stomach. It had been at least four days now, since she had eaten last. She was terrified, the man sitting across from her evil incarnate. She continued to eat, willing herself to remain calm, trying to relax enough to keep the food on her stomach.

"I know that you are weary. Please, there is a bed in the other room. When you have finished, sleep." His voice was full of kindness, concern.

She glanced up at him. He was so damned good looking! Of course, with the exception of Geb, before he tried to take Wade as a host, she hadn't seen an ugly Goa'uld! She didn’t trust him, but knew that she had no other options at the moment. She decided to play along with him, to see where he was going. Anything to stop the torture, if just for awhile! "Thank you. I am rather…tired."

He reached across the table, cupped her cheek with his hand. "You will be perfectly safe here, I assure you."

She wanted to jerk away from his touch, forced herself to remain still. She didn't believe him for one second. "Thank you."

He emptied his chalice. "I have other matters to attend to. Please, eat your fill, drink as much as you like, and then rest. I will return later."

She barely suppressed the shudder that went through her. She said nothing, but nodded slightly. He left the room, and she heard the distinct sound of a lock engaging. She sighed. She ate until she could eat no more, drank more water, then found the bed. Exhausted, she fell down onto it, asleep before her head hit the satin pillow.

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