As they ran further into the weapons plant, they could see a few beams of light filtering down through cracks in the ceiling far above. Apparently the bay doors were slightly ajar. In the faint light, they could only see more slagged machinery from the original Goa'uld version of an assembly line. At least ten conveyor belts could be seen from their viewpoint, but any devices on them were either in pieces or badly damaged.
While the bay itself was open enough, leading all the way up to the top, they soon found themselves searching through familiar-looking gold and silver corridors. Hargrove did his best to keep them moving quietly, but more than once they'd had to stop and wait as he heard heavy footsteps echoing through nearby corridors. He thought he'd heard a strange sniffling noise as well. For all he knew, the alien was also tracking them by scent.
Haley made a glad noise as they rounded a corner and finally came across a control terminal. It looked completely out of power, but she smoothly pulled a series of wires out of her pack, along with another Goa'uld sphere. Prem helped her attach them one by one.
"Is that thing still working?" Hargrove asked in an undertone.
"That," she grunted with effort as she pushed the sphere into place at the base of the terminal, "is what I'm about to find out."
A low hum sounded as the terminal flickered and slowly lit up.
"Looks like we're in business." Haley gave him a grin and rose to examine the Goa'uld writing on the screen. "Whoa."
"What is it?"
Her hands moved on the console, and map after map flashed by on the screen. "The loading bay, the doors, the assembly line, that's all just the tip of the iceberg. This place is huge! It must extend halfway through the whole mountain. It's much bigger than our base on Hovak."
Hargrove looked around impatiently. "Can you find anything about an exit they may not know about? We can't keep ducking this guy forever."
"Not likely. This is just a secondary terminal. It's not tied into the plant's mainframe. If there is another way out, we'd have to get down to the main control room to find out." She gave him a bleak look. "Looks like it’s in the bowels of the mountain, almost four kilometers away."
"Ok, we don't have time to get all the way down there." He began to run through possibilities. None of them looked very good. "What about a self-destruct? Even an unas would think twice about sticking around if we can set the timer on that!"
"No, that won't work either. We're cut off from the primary systems from here. Unless…"
Hargrove waited, but she didn't continue. "Unless what?"
She began to enter information on the console rapidly, almost frantically. "I've got an idea, but it'll take a few minutes to set up."
He considered asking her to explain, but decided it was best just to let her do whatever she had planned. She'd earned a little trust, after all. He hunkered down next to Cayo and Suna, as they all watched both passageways. There was something about their last encounter with the unas that was nagging at the back of his mind, though, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Suna shuffled close to him. "You called that thing an unas. What… is it?" Cayo leaned a little closer to hear, and Prem hovered within earshot as well.
Keeping his voice low, Hargrove thought back on what little he knew about them as he responded. "They're called the first hosts of the Goa'uld. From what we know, they're originally from the same planet the Goa'uld came from, which is probably why the Goa'uld took them as hosts first. They're tough as nails, and can heal pretty damn fast. I'd bet those cuts you gave him have already sealed up by now, Cayo."
He chuckled as something suddenly occurred to him.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just this situation. Pretty much all I know about the unas is what I read from an SG-1 mission report. Two of our people were trapped, in an underground labyrinth like this one, running from a unas. Who was also a cannibal." He sighed. "SG-1 is Earth's front-line team. They've seen and done things none of us out here have even heard of. I've wanted to face challenges like theirs ever since I first heard about them, but I never thought I'd face exactly the same thing they did."
"Perhaps we can escape the same way they did." Suna looked down the passageway.
Hargrove shook his head. "I doubt it. They used a special asgard weapon to kill that unas. We don't have anything like that here, and our PL90s didn't even leave a mark."
"I noticed that. That… field around him. What was that?" Cayo inquired flatly.
"It's a personal forcefield. We've seen them from time to time, too. Bullets won't get through it, and apparently neither will our plasma shots, but you saw how a person can. I called you back for a reason, though. There's no way we could beat him in close quarters: he's just too strong. Running was our only choice."
Cayo nodded stiffly. He seemed to be taking their retreat personally.
"What about those markings on its neck?" Suna put in. "Did you recognize them?"
"Actually, no. I've never heard of a Goa'uld with any tattoos. Usually they leave that to their Jaffa. If I had to guess, I'd say they were some kind of brand, though. A way to identify this particular Goa'uld in some way."
"Done!" Haley whispered triumphantly. The rest all looked up at her. Hargrove saw what looked like a countdown on the screen. He wasn't very good with the written form of their language yet, and couldn't tell how long was left.
Haley stepped away from the console. "Uhh, could one of you destroy that thing, please?" She looked at them nervously.
Cayo looked uncertainly towards him, and Hargrove nodded. He then raised his PL90 and peppered the console with fire. Faint outlines of plasma ate away at it, and within moments it was unrecognizable.
Silence pervaded the room, as everyone stared at the mutilated console for a few seconds.
"Want to tell me why we just did that?" Hargrove asked.
"No time to explain. We need to get back to the rings before the program initiates!" Haley grabbed her pack. "Come on!"
-.-
"This is crazy. You're crazy!" Carter complained as Tony led him into the hangar bay, followed closely by Ahardt and SR-2. "You rushed me out here, claiming an emergency, and I figured you had an injury you needed help with, or maybe some kind of computer glitch. This isn't what I had in mind!" He waved an arm at the Goa'uld vessel. "Why didn't you tell me you had a ship down here?"
"Does that really matter right now? I've got five people trapped offworld, a heavily guarded 'gate on the other end, and precious little time to figure out a plan." Tony spread his hands. "I'll do what I have to, to help them."
Carter shook his head. "You have no idea what you're messing with, here, Colonel. This is way beyond the little toys you've been able to get working here; this is an alkesh we're talking about!"
"Which is why we called you."
"Wait… you called me here to fly this thing for you?"
Tony shrugged, as patiently as he could manage. "Who better?" As Hargrove had pointed out, Carter might not be their direct superior anymore, but he was still a General. He deserved respect, despite the urgency of their situation. "Look, I know what you're gonna say. We don't understand this technology, and we're in over our heads. The safest thing we could do right now is head up to the mess and have lunch. And you're probably right, but we don't have a choice, do we?"
He sighed. "I'll make it easy on you. I'll be taking this ship out of here as soon as Blake tells me it's spaceworthy. The only question is whether or not you'll be willing to fly it."
Carter hesitated, and Ahardt jumped in. "Don't forget, we only sent people to Tchosal because the Tok'ra told us it would be safe for at least a few days. And you owe us for what happened on Bisalis! We walked into a trap there, one probably meant for the Tok'ra. How many Tok'ra would have died if we hadn't gone there?"
Tony gave him a stern look. They were all concerned about Hargrove's team, but now was hardly the time to start reaming the Tok'ra. He raised a hand to quiet him, but Carter answered anyway.
"Yeah, Bisalis… you sure did a bang-up job there, didn't you? Millions dead or enslaved, a city shelled from orbit… what do you want, a medal?"
"Hey, it's not our fault the Goa'ulds were waiting for us! In fact, every time the Tok'ra 'help us out' things tend to just go from bad to worse!"
"That's enough, Ahardt!" Tony raised his voice.
Frustration battled with chagrin on Ahardt's face, and he reddened and backed down after a moment.
Carter gave them both a long, evaluating look. He looked… impressed, of all things. Finally, he responded with a grunt. "Well, at least you had the sense to call someone who knows what they're doing." He began moving determinedly towards the ship. "Get two dozen or so of your best people ready to go. I'll help your people with the preflight."
-.-
They made good time through the darkened hallways, despite moving as quietly as they could. When they'd re-entered the loading bay, they could see more light filtering down through the slits in the ceiling. Hargrove turned off his tac light and the others did the same. He stayed about ten feet ahead of the rest through most of the bay, and was finally within sight of the tunnel when he suddenly heard a familiar humming noise.
"Get back!" He shouted, and threw himself to the ground as a compression wave passed just above him. He scrambled to his feet and back under cover near one of the conveyor belts as he heard a voice echoing towards him in the darkness.
[I expected better, human. Trying to escape, instead of facing me like a warrior? Or did you not believe me when I said my Jaffa would kill anyone trying to get out?]
He looked back at the others and took quick stock of the situation. None of them looked hurt, but from the direction of the blast, the unas was between them and the tunnel entrance. Even at a dead run, it was unlikely any of them would make it.
"Hargrove, we've got less than three minutes to get into that tunnel!" Haley reminded him.
"I know. I'll think of something." He considered for a few moments, and then looked at Suna. "I have an idea, but you won't like it. And the rest of you will have to make it happen."
-.-
"I'm coming out!" Hargrove called, as he stood and stepped out into the half light.
He could see the unas standing about thirty feet ahead, looking at him curiously. It took a step closer, and raised its gloved hand towards him. [Run, human. You may live a little longer.]
He shook his head. "I'm through running from you."
[Then you must be prepared to die.]
"Yeah… about that." He pulled one of the last grenades from Earth from his belt and held it up. "Do you know what this is?" The unas didn't respond, so he explained. "It's called a grenade. It's a powerful explosive."
The unas gave a derisive snort. [I sense no naquadah within it. Even without my shield, it would be no threat to me.]
"Oh, it's not for you." He assured the creature. He took a few more steps, and sure enough, it kept its focus on him and not the others. "There's been something bugging me ever since our last little scuffle, and I think I finally figured it out. You had me by the throat for a good four seconds last time, and from how strong you are, that's about three seconds longer than you needed to break my neck. From your fight with my friend, I could see that you were going all out. One blow would have killed him, but you held back with me. And then there was all that talking you did. I should be dead, and I can only assume you want me alive for some reason." The fanged grin flickered for just an instant, but Hargrove was watching for it, and felt a thrill.
It grunted at him. [You overestimate your own importance.]
"Do I? You're working for Apophis. He's already shown some interest in us 'tau'ri', back on Bisalis, and if he wants me alive, then I think I know why."
[I am Pragon!] It responded fiercely and defensively. [Any service I give is by choice!]
"Yeah, whatever." Hargrove said as dismissively as he could, and the creature growled menacingly as he took another step to the left. He filed that particular interesting fact away for later.
He pulled the pin and held the handle tightly closed to his chest, as he felt cold sweat run down his back. Time was running out. "Here's the deal, unas. You may want to kill and eat my friends, but you need me alive. We'll both go to the surface, where you'll order your boys to stand down while my friends leave. Then I'll go see Apophis with you."
"Hargrove, no!"
Suna ran out from behind cover towards him, but he held up a hand to her and she stopped. "It's all right, Suna. I know what I'm doing."
[You dare dictate terms to me, you insolent worm?] It snarled.
He shrugged in answer. "If I let go of this thing, there won't be enough left of me to fit in an ashtray, much less a sarcophagus. And then you'll have to answer to the Man, won't you? Your choice."
The unas stood stiffly for long seconds, considering, before finally giving a curt nod and gesturing to the tunnel. Hargrove kept the grenade where it was as he stepped on ahead.
It followed, seething audibly.
As it stepped over one of the belts, in truly perfect timing, the conveyor whirred to life. The unas spun in surprise just in time to be hit by one of the slagged machines, probably weighing in excess of two tons. It propelled the unas into the closed grate door before grinding to a stop. Hargrove heard a wet snap and the creature's grunt as the air was forced from its lungs.
He didn't hesitate.
"Now!" He shouted as he lobbed the grenade in its direction.
In the intervening seconds, Haley, Suna, and Cayo all sprinted down into the passage. Hargrove waited until Prem could arrive from the conveyor's control board, and then followed him down as the grenade went off.
In the narrow tunnel, the noise was tremendous, but they were protected from the explosion around the corner. Dust fell everywhere, and Cayo coughed quietly.
"Now what?" Hargrove asked into the silence.
"Just a few more seconds." Haley's voice responded. She'd pulled out her watch and was staring at it.
An enraged roar echoed through the loading bay and tunnel. Metal screeched against stone, before they saw the unas' silhouette appear at the entrance. Its left arm was hanging at an odd angle.
[You will pay dearly for this.] The unas said in a soft voice, and took a step towards them.
