"We are ready."

Jack glanced at Daniel before turning his attention back to Rocra, "Ready for...?"

"You have been summoned by the highest, to play the game of course." Rocra smiled, "I have informed them of your knowledge and they wish to know you. Of course, if you are the worthy, you will win, won't you?"

"Ah, right." Jack nodded, "Sure. We'll try our best."

"Where exactly does this game take place?" Sam asked, stepping up, her hands gripping her P-90 tightly. Something didn't feel right about all of this, she'd noticed as soon as she'd entered the chamber. The military was overtaking the scientist in her mind, and she was worried for the safety of her team.

"The game takes place in the lowest chamber of the palace of the Highest. You may choose two of your people to represent you in the game, and of course, you must be unarmed."

Sam's suspicions rose at the last statement, but she nodded, "Anything else?"

"Yes, your eyes must be covered on the way to the palace. I am sorry, but those who are common must not see the way to the palace of the Highest unless otherwise specified."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, "Has anyone in this village seen the palace?"

Rocra shook his head, "Only several, at the request of the Highest, of course."

"Yeah, yeah, the Highest have the control." Jack held up his hand, "I think we get it, Rocra."

"Yes. Now, who will be participating in the game?"

"Give us five minutes to think about it."

"Oh, of course, Colonel." Rocra smiled again--frankly, it was getting on Jack's nerves--and exited the chamber. Jack turned and faced the rest of SG-1, "So...who's it gonna be?"

"I'm sorry Colonel, but I have to say something here." Sam shrugged, "This doesn't feel right."

Jack chewed his bottom lip, "You're gettin' that, too, huh?"

"I believe Major Carter's concern to be valid." Teal'c spoke finally, standing up from his seat at the table, "These people that Rocra refer to as the Highest sound as though they believe themselves to be Gods. I highly doubt that is possible."

Sam nodded, "And the fact that most of these villagers don't even know where this palace is? Something's wrong here."

"But is backing out even an option?" Daniel shrugged, "And even so, I think we should go through with it."

"Of course you do!" Jack smirked, and Daniel narrowed his eyes at the cynical colonel, "And what do you think we should do, Jack?"

Jack shrugged, "Personally? A poker game sounds like fun. But Carter raised a good point--what happens if we lose?"

"They'll probably just drag us back to the 'gate and send us on our way. What's the worst they can do, Jack? "

"Oh, trust me, I'm sure they'll come up with something."

"So what are we gonna do?" Daniel huffed, "These seem like good natured people, Jack. I'm willing to take a chance, here."

Jack nodded as he sat down in his chair, leaning back as he mulled over his options. Granted, he didn't like the fact that they would be blindfolded and unarmed if they took part in this game, but then again, Daniel was right when he pointed out that the people here were good natured--or at least seemed to be. He hated that he didn't know the status of the so-called "Highest" and whether or not they had anything to offer, besides knowledge of their culture. But that was enough to catch Daniel's attention, and Jack knew he'd probably have a hell of a fight on his hands if he said no. Jack sighed, and stared up at Daniel, "Daniel, I swear to God, the first time something feels even the slightest bit squirrely, we're outta there!"

"Yes! Thank you, Jack!" Daniel let out a sigh of relief, "Now, who'll be playing?"

"Wouldn't Major Carter be the most logical choice?" Teal'c asked. Sam shook her head, "No way. Chances are, it'll be up to me to us out of this mess when it hits the fan."

"I would offer my services, but I do not think the villagers would take a Jaffa participating in their game lightly. Even one who has defected from the Goa'uld."

"Well," Jack sighed, "Teal'c just narrowed it down. Guess it's you and me, Danny-boy."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, "No offense, Jack, but I just played several rounds of poker with you and..."

"Daniel."

"Right." Daniel shut his mouth, clearing his throat nervously, "Well, I guess I'll go tell Rocra the verdict."

---

Eyebrow raised, Jack eyed the piece of black cloth he'd just been handed by one of Rocra's servants, "Is this...really necessary?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Rocra nodded, "No one must know the location of the palace of the Highest unless..."

"Unless it's at the request of the Highest, Rocra--we get it." Jack sighed, "And our weapons?"

"You must be unarmed." Rocra waved his hands forward and several of his servants approached, "Give these your weapons. You will receive them when you leave the palace."

"Well, he said when not if." Daniel whispered to Sam, "That's a good sign, right?"

"Yeah. I'll still be on the edge of my seat, Daniel." Sam sighed as she reluctantly handed over her P-90 and her spare to Rocra's servant, "And I still have a bad feeling."

Unarmed and blindfolded, SG-1 was lead by Rocra and his servants all the way through the village and into what, from what Jack could tell by listening, was the wooded area that surrounded the village. They walked for at least twenty minutes, and finally stopped. Rocra quite literally herded them to a certain area, and a familiar sound rang in all of SG-1 ears.

"Alright, you may remove the eye covers now." Rocra spoke, and Jack ripped his blindfold off, along with the rest of the team, "Follow me." As Rocra lead the team down a long hallway, Jack purposely strayed behind. The rest of the team caught on, and followed his lead.

"Did that sound like what I think it sounded like?" Jack asked in a low voice. Sam nodded, "Yes, sir. Those were definitely transport rings."

"Then would it not be accurate to assume that we are on a ship?" Teal'c asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. It's probably been orbiting the planet the entire time we were there." Jack looked around, eyeing the interior of the ship he assumed they were on, "Anything stand out to you, Teal'c?"

"No." Teal'c replied.

Jack nodded, "Well then. If we're walking into a Goa'uld ambush here, it's all on Daniel."

"Gee, thanks." Daniel mumbled, also studying what little he could see of the walls and ceiling around him. It was relatively dark, and as far as he could see, he could detect no hieroglyphs or pictographs that would suggest as to what kind of ship they were on. Lips pursed in thought, he silently followed the rest of SG-1 and Rocra until they stopped at a large bulkhead door.

"Will the two who will represent the team of SG-1 please step forward." Rocra beckoned. Jack and Daniel eyed each other, before stepping forward, "Ah, the colonel and the one with funny eyes."

"They're called glasses." Daniel mumbled under his breath, and tried to ignore Jack's smarmy grin.

Rocra stood in front of the door, waved his hand in front of it, and it opened into a large room with a large table in the center of the floor.

"The two of you, take a seat at the table. Your friends must stay away from the table at all times, staying close to the wall in order to observe your actions. Nothing more."

Jack turned around, smirking at Sam and Teal'c, "You heard the man--get to observing."

"Yes, sir."

"And keep your eyes peeled." Jack added quietly. Nodding at Rocra as he passed him, Jack entered the room, followed closely by Daniel, and the two of them took the two seats closest to the end of the table. Looking around, Daniel leaned in closer to Jack, "Where is everyone else? Are we the only ones participating, or...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, on the other side of the room, another bulkhead door opened, and in walked six people. Analyzing them, Daniel assumed from a first impression that they were all from other planets. They all looked as though they were, for lack of a better word, important. He leaned over, nudging Jack, "Am I the only one feeling a little underdressed?"

Eyebrow raised, Jack looked at the extravagantly-dressed woman who took the seat next to him, and then looked at Daniel, "Nope."

Suddenly, a bright light appeared over the center of the room, lighting up all of the table and it's players. Jack and Daniel looked up just as Rocra stepped up at the end of the table.

"Today, there are eight people. Four teams of two who will compete in the game of the Highest, in order to be granted access to the chamber of the Highest. The ones who are defeated will immediately be requested to leave. The ones who succeed in winning the game will immediately be ushered into the chamber. Any questions?"

Everyone at the table remained silent. Daniel raised an eyebrow, looking at Jack, "Shouldn't he explain the rules or somethin'?"

"Hush, young Daniel," Jack smirked, "If these fine folks don't know how to play the game, than we have an ever bigger advantage than we thought."

Daniel nodded. He had a point there.

With no questions from the players at the table, Rocra raised his hands in the air, "Begin."