Chapter 22 summary: Zipacna discovers Jolinar is a Tok'ra, and she flees. 

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[ Chapter 1: Goodbyes | Chapter 2: An Audience | Chapter 3: A Conspiracy | Chapter 4: Promotion | Chapter 5: Minor System Lord | Chapter 6: An Old Acquaintance | Chapter 7: Diversions | Chapter 8: Plans | Chapter 9: Happy Moments | Chapter 10: Culmination | Chapter 11: Complications | Chapter 12: Daily Life | Chapter 13: Exposed | Chapter 14: A New Host - and a New Master | Chapter 15: New Challenges | Chapter 16: A Necessary Sacrifice | Chapter 17: Information Gathering | Chapter 18: A Surprise Visit | Chapter 19: Bad News | Chapter 20: War and Power | Chapter 21: Emergencies | Chapter 22: Found Out | Chapter 23: In the Tunnels | Chapter 24: Undercover at Bastet's Court | Chapter 25: Discovered! | Chapter 26: Rosha | Chapter 27: Host | Chapter 28: Getting Along | Chapter 29: Safe | Chapter 30: Lantash | Chapter 31: Shared Missions | Chapter 32: Taking A Chance | Chapter 33: Danger and Betrayal | Chapter 34: Some Realizations | Chapter 35: Hiding | Chapter 36: Time for the Truth | Chapter 37: Home | Chapter 38: Together | Chapter 39: Martouf ]

The years passed without anyone suspecting Jolinar of anything, until one day when she got a surprise visit.

"Lord Pheta, welcome."

Malek bowed. "My Lord Siwa. I bring important news, which is for your ears alone."

Jolinar turned to her Jaffa. "Leave us."

When they had left, she motioned to Malek to begin speaking.

"Terrible news, Jolinar! Fek'lhr - the Goa'uld who you appointed to rule Nirra - has discovered I am Tok'ra - and that you personally secured my position for me!"

"How?" Jolinar said, feeling fear creep up her spine.

"We have a leak. One of the human couriers we have used for transporting messages was captured and tortured. We must assume Fek'lhr knows that at least the two of us are Tok'ra - and that he perhaps suspects Jalen as well."

"We must get rid of Fek'lhr immediately!"

"I already tried - when he came to gloat. He did not even try to blackmail me. He had brought several Jaffa with him, and I was alone. Had not my Jaffa arrived and Fek'lhr decided fleeing was a better option, I would not be here now."

"So, we must assume Zipacna either already knows or soon will. We must make our escape immediately. I will find Jalen and then remove any evidence of our true identities. You inform the Tok'ra of what has transpired, should we fail to escape. Then we will all leave - hopefully."

Jolinar hurried to contact Jalen, then went straight to the computers. She downloaded the encrypted contents to a data-crystal, then destroyed the computers so nothing could be found.

Malek and Jalen had together taken care of a few other things that could not be allowed to fall in the wrong hands, and then met Jolinar in her private chambers.

"My Jaffa has just told me a large contingent of Jaffa from Zipacna has arrived through the chaapa'ai, together with Lord Fek'lhr. They should be here within 30 minutes. We cannot flee that way, so we will have to go by ship."

Having agreed on a plan, they quickly - though without appearing rushed - went to Jolinar's spaceport where they entered the Alkesh that was standing there. Minutes later they took off before anyone had a chance to stop them.

When they had cleared the opening in the roof, they sped out of the atmosphere. Detecting no other ships, they began to relax a bit. However, it was not until they entered hyperspace they could feel truly safe.

Jolinar activated the autopilot and leaned back.

"I have sent an untraceable message to all our operatives in Zipacna's and Apophis's domains, telling them to hide anything suspicious and be ready to denounce all three of us if anyone should inquire."

Knowing it would only be a matter of time before the entire fleet of Zipacna was on their tail, they hurried towards the nearest other planet with a Stargate. They would have liked to fly on to a place where it was possible to hide the Alkesh and be able to perhaps reuse it one day, but that was not an option.

When they shortly after left hyperspace above one of Zipacna's poorer planets - with a Stargate and a small population, but no permanent Goa'uld presence - they detected a massive signature on the screen. Ships were coming, and fast!

This was not the only surprise. It turned out an Ha'tak was hiding behind the shadow of one of the nearest planets in the system. The Goa'uld had anticipated their move! A lucky shot from the Ha'tak sent the Alkesh spinning, and another shot removed the rest of their shields and caused several explosions. They had to abandon ship, and fast!

They ran for the ring transporters and ringed down to the nearest platform. It turned out to be beside a temple - luckily without any Jaffa nearby. Fortunately, there were a forest nearby, which the small group of Tok'ra hurried to hide in. Hopefully, the Goa'uld would eventually give up the search. However, that was unlikely to happen anytime soon, but perhaps they would be able to sneak past the Jaffa guarding the Stargate.

-----
It was almost a month later when Jolinar and the others managed to overpower the few remaining Jaffa guarding the Stargate, and dial out. After a stop-over on another planet, to throw off anyone that might have seen the coordinates, they arrived on the planet of the Tok'ra base they belonged to.

"There does not seem to be anyone here." Malek said, after they had made a quick sweep.

The place where the ring transporter had been, held no traces of there ever having been an entrance. The same was true for the secret back door.

"No, they must have moved the base while we were out of communications." Jolinar concluded. "Not entirely surprising. As far as they know, we might have been captured and forced to give up the location.

"That is probably the case for all bases and outposts. We also cannot risk making contact to any of the Tok'ra operatives undercover right now. Not when we do not know how compromised we are." Jalen pointed out.

"True. I suggest we go to an Asgard Protected Planet and access the emergency box there. It will contain the coordinates for a Tok'ra base." Jolinar suggested. 

The others agreed, and Malek entered the glyphs. 

After the Asgard entered exceptions for the Tok'ra into all their devices, the Tok'ra had hid data about at least one of their bases or outposts on each of the Protected Planets. The data was updated as soon as it had become obsolete, so lost Tok'ra could always find their way home. 
Of course, no Goa'uld or Jaffa could ever go there because of the Asgard traps. Moreover, a human slave or even a former host could not retrieve the information because a scanner device ensured that only someone with a symbiote could access the data. 

They could send a human slave to fetch the information, if knowledge about it was forced from a Tok'ra, though. To avoid this eventuality, the information was only accessible by someone with a symbiote - there was even a scanner installed to check that there was actually a symbiote present, so a former host would not work. 

They arrived on the planet Paviken shortly after midnight. It was very dark. If the planet had any moons, none were up. All was quiet, and the Tok'ra found their way to the almost invisible door set in the mountainside, which led to the room containing the information they had come for. As soon as Malek touched the opening mechanism, a beam played over him, scanning him. The door opened noiselessly, and they entered the chamber. 

Malek put his hand on a pad on the wall, and a holographic screen appeared, flashing the glyphs for a planet, along with the name of the commander there. 

"We are going to Tehvak's base." He told the others. 



Chapter 23: In the Tunnels