"Then there was the time SG-1 got captured by the First Prime Her'ak. They were supposed to be on some covert espionage mission but they got caught and it was up to me and my best friend Coombs to save them."
Felger's mouth hadn't stopped moving for the past half hour as he ate his cake. It seemed like he had finally found someone who didn't mind hearing all his adventures with SG-1, even with him practically spilling crumbs from the cake crust all over the table, jeans, and orange T-shirt. Even the two marines guarding Soren seemed to be getting annoyed but the fierri didn't mind.
The SGC and Atlantis have taken on their share of alien allies and teammates, but they were all human in appearance. The only one that wasn't a human was the jaffa warrior Teal'c but he could still pass as human. Soren, on the other hand, would stand out from the humans like a sore thumb. Shorter, stockier, and with a head that seemed to be fused directly to its body, fierri were obviously not human. But, that didn't stop him from trying on, and fitting in, human clothing. The sweat pants fit Soren just fine, and he had picked out a black shirt and jacket to wear. He had even trimmed his beard so that it simply matted his chin, or rather where his chin would be, and cheeks rather than hang from it.
Their newest alien 'recruit' was on the other side of the mess hall table, taking his time eating his chicken. Instead of the regular knife and fork, Soren used two knives to slowly cut the chicken one strip at a time. While Felger was making a mess, Soren continued at a steady pace. He didn't even seem to be paying attention to Felger. But that didn't stop the scientist from blabbering on.
"Then there was the time me and Samantha Carter, amazing woman by the way, had to hold of an army of jaffa while trying to stop a computer virus from taking over the whole stargate network. Ba'al had the biggest fleet and it looked like the fate of the galaxy was in the balance. Me and her, man, we were a great team; I mean we were like Butch and Sundance, kicking ass, taking names…"
Soren finally stopped cutting into his chicken.
"Doctor Felger," he said in his usual deep gravelly voice. Felger looked up, wondering what the normally silent man had to say. Soren looked up. It was near impossible to figure out what the fierri was thinking or feeling since the only expression he's ever made on his face was a scowl. "Who are Butch and Sundance?"
Felger's face lit up as he prepared to describe the classic.
"Mr. Stavig," a voice called out before Jay could even start. The fierri looked up to see the old man, General William Mercer, approach the table. While the two Marines that guarded Soren stood up at attention, even Felger stood up in respect, Soren remained seated. It seemed rather rude but it didn't seem like the General cared that much. "I believe we had agreed to meet up at this time."
Soren didn't say anything, only keeping his eyes closed and facing the table
"I apologize, General Mercer," he finally said when he spoke. It was obvious he found this rather irritating. He usually had no schedule to follow, doing things at his own leisure whether that be living on his own in the wild or when he was in jail. "You said you wish to discuss my abilities."
"Indeed," Mercer replied. "I would like to get to know you a bit better before I make a decision." Soren put his knives down with a gentle clatter and leaned back in his chair.
"What do you wish to know?" he asked.
"I've been rereading the mission report about our initial encounter with you. The reports were…impressive….to say the least. And no training either." Mercer recalled the mission report to the fierri homeworld. Soren was a notorious serial killer, at least he used to be. Wolf Pack has never seen him in action but they have seen his handy work. Over sixty dead when the team arrived and that number rose over seventy afterwards. Over a third of these deaths were elite warriors of the royal guard killed while out on patrol.
"I was not officially trained," Soren corrected. "However, among the survivors were veteran soldiers, several of them elite warriors, people who trained me in their various…arts. Firearms, hand to hand combat…I simply honed the craft on the local predators. It was their hope that I and a few other survivors could be turned into weapons against Valken and continue the war."
"Interesting," Mercer replied with a friendly smile. "That being said, I would still like to evaluate you for myself either in my office or the briefing room."
Soren fell silent, his eyes closed. Him staying here was an agreement was between him, the fierri government, and the Millennium Expedition. His very presence, especially with his former occupation and the fierri's history, made things very awkward. Should they kill him as punishment for his crimes? He has been doing everything he can to redeem himself. Should they spare him for him being the sole survivor of the Genesis War? Some felt that a killer of so many should be executed for their crimes. Should they simply imprison him? Soren did possess a massive array of skills and has proven himself useful in the past; imprisoning him would be a waste of these talents. This arrangement was far from perfect. Between his reputation and the constant scowl he wears, many members of the expedition did not feel safe. Still, this seemed to be the best arrangement for all parties and Soren was grateful for it. The least he could do is abide by their wishes.
"Very well," Soren finally said. He stood up, his two guards ready to move again.
"Hey," Jay Felger called out as the alien prepared to leave. "You know, we should watch Butch and Sundance when we get the chance." Soren made no response. He only followed the General out of the mess hall. The mess hall they were in wasn't the main mess located in the central tower. It was actually a smaller hall in one of the other buildings in the city. They had to take an ark back to the central tower. They walked up to the door way and one of the guards quickly punched in their destination. The pearly white doors slid open, the briefing room on the other side. Mercer went in first, his guest and hits guards following after.
"What do you intend on doing with me then?" Soren asked.
"I agreed to allow you into our city," Mercer explained. "However, I will not tolerate dead weight. I will evaluate your abilities before I decide how best you can help us. Is that acceptable?"
Soren didn't bother answering, only giving a soft growl. Mercer took this as his way of saying 'yes'.
"Please wait here a moment," the General said, leaving the three behind to head to the control room. As he walked across, he could see Wolf Pack in the gate room waiting to depart.
"Well, Wolf Pack," Mercer announced. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Major Terra Nova announced with a wave. It felt good heading back out. She kept her arms on her P90. The stargate behind her hummed to life, the pearly white ring rumbling as the inner track began to spin. The milky white opal locked each symbol in place. She could not wait to head out to explore the galaxy once more.
-.-
The cool wind whistled through the pine forest. It was incredible that these alien pine trees could grow out of a mostly rocky ground.
"So that's two…" Flight Lieutenant Charles Martin remarked. "That's two boring planets."
"For the love of God, don't jinx it," Doctor Steven Chen remarked.
"I'm with Chen on this one," Nova, chirped. "I just got out of the infirmary last week. I actually like the quiet."
"I think he means it's the boring quiet," Corin Nevec translated. "We haven't even found an alien civilization in a while. Honestly, this planet doesn't seem anything special"
The ground was mostly mulch and grass so their footsteps made next to no noise as they made their way through the forest. Nova had decided that they had wasted enough time walking through empty wilderness. It didn't look like any of the races in the Alliance of Four Great Races had put anything here at all.
"Exactly!" Martin exclaimed, waving around his ion rifle. "I didn't come to this galaxy for a nature hike. How come we can't come across something friendly and exciting? Either everything wants to kill us or…"
Martin's voice trailed off. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes squinting ahead. He readied his rifle, as if he wasn't sure what he was looking at.
"Martin?" Nova asked. It was obvious something had caught his attention. Charles quickly shushed her. He kept his gaze, making sure he knew what he saw.
"Ror'char troopers," he muttered to his team. Nova looked ahead in the direction Martin was staring. His former role as a sniper on the Australian Royal Air Force still pays off, his keen eye picking up more than most people.
The alien warriors' black metal suits of armor had made them seem to blend into their surroundings. Large rectangular spaulders hung off their upper arms like metal shields. Their faces were covered with metal helmet and gray faceplate, green veins of energy running through the helmet as if it was powering some sort of HUD inside.
"Alright, back up slowly," Nova ordered. The troopers were still a decent distance away and they probably wouldn't hear her, but if they decide to look their direction and see movement they might notice them. There were only three of them too, but even one Ror'char trooper has proven to be a serious threat. They clearly didn't seem to be on guard, their rifles hanging from their hips like swords.
"They're walking this way," Chen growled, not liking that they had to move so slowly.
"You think they see us?" Corin asked worriedly. Even he could see the armored figures walking through the forest. And if he can see them then they could probably see him.
"Nah," Martin said, shaking his head. He could see the troopers clearly. They were talking to each other, none of them not seeming to notice anything…until one of the troopers looked their direction. The troopers called out to his comrades and pointed in the direction of the team. "Yeah," Martin immediately corrected.
"You really gotta stop jinxing it!" Nova exclaimed. "Run!"
"Hostiles!" a Ror'char trooper roared. The first energy bolt left the ion rifle with a violent electric crack. The bolt hit a nearby tree, which exploded into a plume of ash and splinters. The massive tree toppled over falling right between Martin and the rest of the team. He gave a surprised yell, stopping in his tracks right before the wood his the ground. A storm of ion bolts were flying overhead, smoke and dirt kicked up upon impact, the entire landscape covered in a cloud of dust and debris. Another bolt hit another nearby tree, the towering plant hitting the ground and kicking up a plume of dirt in Martin's face. He couldn't see where the rest of his team was past the clouds of dirt and smoke but he couldn't just stay there and wait for the Ror'char to approach. Cursing loudly, he rushed into the cloud of smoke, his hand shielding his eyes from the dirt and splinters flying through the air.
Ahead of him, Nova glanced back and realized she only saw Corin behind her.
"Martin!" she yelled in panic. "Chen!" She looked around wildly. The ion rifles had three firing modes, the last two made to maximize impact and chaos. With all the dust and dirt in the air, either of them could've been only a few meters away and she wouldn't know. She wanted to shoot in the direction of the Ror'char but feared one of them would be in her line of fire.
"Terra, we have to go!" Corin yelled as another bolt of energy flew overhead. Nova looked back one more time. She didn't want to leave Chen and Martin behind but it didn't look like she had a choice. They were lost within the chaos and going back to find them was suicide. More trees toppled over as their roots were blown out of the ground in a fiery explosion that launched wood and dirt in all directions.
The Ror'char troopers entered the cloud of dirt, weapons drawn and ready. The smoke cloud may have been too thick for the human eye to see through but the visors in their helmets could see right through it. And they saw three of the humans making a break for it. But where was the fourth?
"Sir," one of them said, pointing at the ground. The rest immediately spotted the unconscious figure that lay sprawled on the ground. The explosions had dropped a tree directly on Chen's head and there he lay, fallen behind and helpless to do anything.
"Go," one of the troopers ordered. "I'll watch this one." His two companions nodded and took off in either direction after their prey.
-.-
Martin knew he had become separated from the rest of his team. He was alone and, for all he knew, chased by the Ror'char troopers. He couldn't win in a head to head fight. Even with the ion rifle, Ror'char troopers have proven themselves to be far more dangerous than a regular Earth soldier. He found himself quickly climbing a tree, trying to get as far off the ground as possible. He vanished among the leaves. He could feel the random twigs poking him through his clothes but it was something he could take. Once on a sturdy branch near the top, he carefully lay back, distributing his weight the best he could, and aimed down the V-notch sight on the ion rifle. He was an Australian Royal Air Force sniper and used to love hunting. Trees made great sniper's nest and, hopefully, he could snipe the troopers as they ran under him.
Sure enough, the alien warrior came charging out of the brush, stopping just for a moment and raising his rifle raised to search for his target. That human seemed to have mysteriously vanished. The trooper had come a complete stop and was in the optimal position.
It was now or never. Martin trained his rifle onto the trooper. He was just about to pull the trigger when the trooper suddenly walked up to the base of the tree that he sat in.
"Bugger me," Martin grumbled irritably. He hadn't tried to cover his tracks and the trooper could see the trail in the broken underbrush. The trooper followed the clear cut trail with his eyes to the base of the tree, where it stopped. The trooper didn't even bother looking up, immediately putting together what had happened. Directly below the tree, the trooper was not in a good place to be shot. Still, Martin had no choice. He adjusted the dial to maximum yield.
The Ror'char trooper held his rifle with his left hand as his right hand flew to his waist and gripped the metal handle of his buzz blade. With the push of a button, the handle tripled in length and he whipped the handle out, the blade extending out of the handle and turning it into a sword, slicing through the tree as it was drawn.
Martin gave a startled cry as the wood began to cave in to the weight. He managed to fire a single blind shot at the ground at the trooper. The bolt hit the dirt, a pressure wave of flame erupting from the impact. The trooper yelled in shock as the explosion knocked him back, wood instantly disintegrating into splinter and ash. The three had already had a decent chunk cut out by the sword and the explosion from the ion rifle finished the job. Charles gripped the tree branch that he sat upon, yelling panic as the tree base finally gave in and he was sent tumbling to the ground. He hit the dirt with a loud 'oof' as the tree toppled over.
It felt as if the world had been put on the spin cycle. He was lucky he wasn't smashed in the head on the way down, but Martin could still feel the whiplash. He groaned and sat up, looking for the enemy trooper. He had lost his ion rifle in the fall and it was nowhere in sight. Luckily, so was the trooper.
His relief was short lived. The crunch of leaves came from the leaves of the fallen tree. Twigs snapped as a black figure emerged from the underbrush. Martin felt his heart drop when he realized that the Ror'char trooper had survived. The trooper looked at his smashed ion rifle, which had been crushed under a nearby tree. He reached down and picked his sword out of the grass, its edge slicing through every blade of grass at a mere touch.
"You gotta be kidding me," Martin yelled in frustration, his hand yanking his Beretta from its holster. The trooper gave a yell, a battle cry that echoed through the forest, gripping the sword with both his hands. Martin aimed his pistol and began pulling the trigger as fast as possible.
"Please die, PLEASE DIE!" he yelled desperately, emptying a magazine into the trooper, who had to slowly wade his way through the branches in his way. Martin ran a few paces back as he reloaded before opening fire again and emptying a second magazine. "For the love of God, die!" Martin knew running would only bring him back to square one with the trooper running after him. He had to end it there and then. "Why won't you die?!"
The trooper gave a final hack as he cut through the last of the branches separating him from his opponent. Martin reloaded his third mag and had begun firing as the trooper gave another battle cry and rushed at him.
-.-
Nova had reached the stargate with Corin in tow. She glanced behind her, hoping Martin or Chen would be behind them.
"Get back to Millennium," Nova ordered, prepping your gun. "I'm going back for them."
"Terra," Corin argued, grabbing her by the shoulder. It was just a few missions ago they were in a similar situation, half the team missing and the question of whether or not they should go back. He couldn't believe it was happening again.
"Go!" Terra ordered again, shoving his hand off. "You don't have much time."
"Correction," a voice boomed. Nova shoved Corin behind her as a massive figure stepped from behind the stargate. "You are actually out of time."
Nova recognized the race of the figure that stepped out. With its massive figure and four eyes, Nova knew she was looking at an antenok. The only other time she had ever seen an antenok was on the planet Elora, and he was covered head to toe in armor. She could finally see his brown leather-like skin on his face. What little hair grew out of his skin, which almost looked like that on an rhino, was pale white hair was hardly noticeable.
Unlike the humans or the sireen, which had been left by the Ancients and the Asgard respectively, the antenok evolved naturally in this galaxy. It was as if a rhino and a triceratops decided to have a child and that child decided to take on a humanoid appearance. This was the result: a seven foot tall, four-eyed figure with arms so thick it looked like he had thighs coming out of his shoulders. All four eyes looked reptilian but his skin was leathery.
Nova took aim at the antenok, unfazed by his presence.
"Put that down," he said in mild irritation, his voice full of authority and pride. "We both know your weapon is ineffective against Ror'char armor."
"Your face isn't armored," Nova pointed out, her iron sight aimed right at it. The antenok bobbed his head to the side, as if he was silently acknowledging her point.
"True," he said. "But my skill is still greater than yours. I will put a prong into your chest before you can pull that trigger." Nova noticed his hand floating over his holstered carnifex pistol, an absurdly large black revolver-shaped handgun that could put a thirty centimeter prong into a target using a modified Asgard transporter to store the ammo.
Nova looked at the antenok. He wore and Overlord's uniform, the black armor underneath an even darker long coat, the shield-like spaulders attached to the outside of the coat instead of the inside, a peaked officer's cap resting on his head. In the past, they had gone against Ror'char troopers and 'won' only because of some severe tactical advantages. This was the first time they had actually gone head to head on an even playing field and they got annihilated.
Nova gave a sigh and lowered her weapon, gently putting the gun on the ground and raising her hands. The antenok smiled and walked forward, picking her gun off the ground. She looked at Corin almost apologetically.
It was over…
Stargate Millennium
Nova could not help but wonder what became of the rest of her team. She surrendered but she could only pray Chen and Martin were not shot on sight. Corin was taken away and she had no idea what became of him. She was stripped of her uniform and equipment and given a white jumpsuit to wear instead. She shouldn't be surprised by this considering the SGC often gave prisoners blue uniforms to wear to make sure there were no hidden weapons.
She didn't remember what planet she was taken to, only that upon arrival, the Ror'char troopers handed her off to some Black Watch guards, the militant enforcers of their society. While the Ror'char troopers wore elaborate body armor, the Black Watch's armor was more similar to modern ballistic armor that could be seen in Special Forces with gray helmets that concealed their faces. Their pulse rifles were not as advanced or dangerous as the ion rifles but they get the job done. Black Watch took her with a bow, escorting her onto a small transport bus. Nova was honestly surprised by her treatment thus far. She had expected the Ror'char to be absolutely horrid to her. But, aside from a firm hand on her shoulder to occasionally tell her which direction to go, they were quite gentle.
She was in for a bigger surprise when she reached the 'prison'. She was waiting for the worst, waiting for some hell hole where she would be tortured for information. They did already say they will extract everything she knew. She was confident this was the case as she approached a wall guarded by over a dozen Black Watch snipers. But as the transport drove into the prison she was greeted by a rather awe inspiring sight. The walls were high and heavily guarded but the grounds were clean and well furnished. The floor and walls were made of some sort of concrete brick but it looked a recreation of a medieval castle. Her cell was equally surprising, well-lit and well furnished. There was a nice carpet on the floor and the bed looked quite comfortable. It even came with a desk and chair.
"In," the Black Watch guard grunted. Nova stepped in and watched as the guard closed the cell door and locked it with a click.
Nova remembered the horror stories of Goa'uld and Wraith holding cells and what they do to prisoners. This was…unexpected.
As she stepped into her new home for the next who-know-how-long, she noticed a metal plaque on the back wall, engraved into the stone so it couldn't be taken off and used as a weapon. As she approached, she quietly read the plaque to herself:
"For honor in service, for valor in battle…"
-.-
Nova was technically a prisoner of war, something the Ror'char military honored. Corin, on the other hand, was a traitor. Corin was still skeptical of his civil treatment as the Ror'char troopers led him into a cold cement cell. They were fairly gentle, only making sure he obeyed their commands.
"Sit," one of the troopers ordered, pointing at the empty chair at the center of the room. Corin reluctantly sat down, knowing he didn't really have any other choice. The two troopers went to their positions by the door, their weapons on their hips ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. The only light in the room was directly above his head and everything else was hidden in shadows. He glanced at the tiny window in the door, hoping to see what was happening outside.
"Overlord," someone outside greeted. "I'm glad you came."
"The meeting took longer than anticipated," a second voice said. "Why is it you called me here, Overlord Azoth?"
"I hear this one's an old friend of yours. He might be able to help you with your latest assignment."
Corin heard the door behind him open and someone walk in. There was a pause as the second person thought about the situation before him.
"I'll talk to him in private."
Corin's eyes widened, a flood of pain and anger streaming through his body as he held back the tears in his eyes. He knew that voice. He knew it too well. He watched as the shadowy figure stepped in front of him and into the light.
"Good to see you again, Professor Nevec."
It took Corin all his self-control to not leap out of the chair and attack Overlord Exodan Krell but he knew the Ror'char troopers would stop him.
"Really funny how we keep running into each other," Corin remarked as the gray-skinned alien paced around the room.
"Not this time," Krell said flatly. "I was on assignment elsewhere. The Azoth thought you could be of help and called for me." Corin didn't say anything, not even looking at Krell's face. Corin had left Andrea's locket on his dresser since he was always afraid of losing it on a mission. But, even without the picture he could still see her face as if she was standing in front of him. But it was just him remembering. He didn't want to remember. He wanted to see her face, to run his fingers through her hair. He wanted a chance to talk to her, to see her smile. He wanted her back.
"I'll never help you," he said stubbornly.
"You may want to," Krell remarked pacing around the chair. "A man of unbreakable morals like you…even stories of wrongdoing will convince you to take action."
"And what wrongdoings are you trying to stop?" Corin barked. Krell gave a bored sigh. This was feeling less like an interrogation and more like a daycare.
"You see, after the annexation of Elora, I was assigned to exterminate the slavers in the area."
"Slavers," Corin mocked. "I'd thought you'd be busy with the civil war."
Krell's face almost lit up as he realized that Corin was still oblivious. The Ror'char Sovereignty had told its citizens a lot of lies for their own good and Corin hadn't even heard the latest news.
"The civil war is over, Professor," Krell explained. Corin's head whipped up upon hearing this.
"That's not possible," he said. "That was a war that encompassed this galaxy."
Krell gave a slight chuckle.
"Perhaps we may have exaggerated the scope of the war," Krell stated, walking up to Corin. "You teach history, Professor. Perhaps you are familiar with this story. Long ago, the Ror'char came from their home galaxy and brought the blueprints for creating a utopia. They started it and left so we can continue their work."
"I know," Corin stated impatiently. "And they brought their civil war with them. Power corrupts, Krell."
Exodan Krell paced around for a bit as if he wanted to wait until Corin was finished talking.
"The civil war did not start until after they arrived," Krell corrected. "You are correct, power can corrupt. The process of picking individuals who would use their powers, and not abuse them, was not as clean as they hoped. Unfortunately, some of the new government officials were weak. They were willing to take the power but unwilling to take the responsibility. That is how the civil war started. We had to lie and exaggerate the scope to the populace in the hopes that we could garner more support and end the war sooner. Did you never wonder why you never ran into these other Ror'char factions you taught about? But it is over. We can now resume protecting the people."
"By killing everyone who disagrees with you."
Krell could tell that Corin still hated him for killing his wife. He could not blame Professor Nevec for this but there was more he did not know. Krell had hoped that time would show Corin the reality of the universe, that time would wake him up. If time could not wake Corin up, perhaps the truth will, the truth that Exodan Krell has always wanted to leave behind. This time, the memories even made Krell hang his head in sorrow.
"Your wife always did believe in a free society, even when we were kids," Krell remarked. Corin immediately looked up, staring at Krell in confusion at this sentence. "Your wife and I grew up together, Professor."
"No, shut up, shut up!" Corin snapped, refusing to believe what he heard. In his mind this was even worse. That would mean Krell betrayed someone he knew since childhood.
"Denial changes nothing," Krell stated as he crouched in front of Corin to explain. "Your wife and I were close friends ever since we were children."
"Andrea wasn't originally a Ror'har citizen."
"She grew up in the Leerian Empire. We both did. The government rule was absolute and its officials corrupt and we both lost loved ones, friends and family, because the politicians were more concerned with fattening themselves and executed anyone who was unhappy with this. My brother starved himself to give us more food. My family was executed for disagreeing."
"Then you understand just how horrible an absolute dictatorship is," Corin said. "They killed your family. How do you still support the Ror'char after all this?"
"I'll admit I blamed the system of government for what happened. But the Ror'char showed me a strong government can protect its people so long as it is not corrupt. And I soon saw the failing of freedom as well."
"You're talking about Undora," Corin breathed. "The Leerian dictatorship was overthrown by Undora before the Ror'char took over. But Undora was a respectable democracy, a free society that gave the people the power." Krell scoffed at this comment
"That power the people had was the reason I lost my arm," Krell said as he removed the leather glove off his left hand, revealing the prosthetic underneath. "The government was more concerned with their so called 'rights', even if those rights left entire cities in flames. Rioters were branded as mere victims, the law enforcement that stopped them branded mere monsters. My building was engulfed in flames and fell down on me. It was up to my friends to remove my arm with a kitchen knife and a hammer. The Ror'char soon came and ended the chaos. It was thanks to the Ror'char I saw the cost of peace."
"You don't have to sacrifice freedom for peace!" Corin argued.
"Prove it," Krell said darkly. "Show me a nation, a sovereignty, something that has achieved the utopia we have while maintaining their so called freedoms. I've seen plenty of 'free nations' created and all of them fail. Perhaps not immediately, but they all inevitably tear themselves apart. Corrupt officials climb the ladder and soon the people will be choosing least dirty out of the lineup of scum. I wonder how many 'free nations' your friends have made in the past? And I wonder if your friends know they have unwittingly condemned those people to inevitable chaos and division. Most of all, when that 'free nation' does descend into chaos, are your friends willing to take responsibility for what happened?"
"If it descends into chaos," Corin corrected.
"Regardless, whatever 'free nations' your friends have created, if or when they descend into chaos, will your friends be willing to take the blame, say that they are partially at fault for what has happened? Or do they think they can go around the galaxy and do whatever they want without taking responsibility for their own actions?"
"If I'm a car salesman, it's not my fault if the driver crashes it."
"But they are not selling cars. They are overthrowing one government and replacing it with another. If I replace the current driver with an inept one then I am responsible for the fate of the vehicle's passengers."
"At least those 'free nations' don't regularly kill their own citizens."
"And sometimes sacrifices are made; sacrifices that weigh not only on you but the people who commit them. You are not the only one who suffers from Andrea's death. I had to kill my childhood friend."
"You betrayed her," Corin snarled. He had hated Krell for what he did to the woman he loved but to learn that he was once her friend and still killed her.
"I had to make a choice between the few and the many. You condemn me for betraying her, but I had to choose between letting her live and saving countless lives. Which is the greater evil? Betraying a loved one to save countless others? Or letting countless die for the sake of a single person you care for?"
"You mean betraying a loved one to stay in power."
"The Ror'char do not abuse their power. Yes, they may be in power but all of that power is dedicated to the people. The Ror'char do not shirk responsibility of what we've done. We're responsible for the deaths of countless and that burden weighs heavily on every trooper, but for every million sacrificed, tens of millions live in a utopia once thought to be impossible."
"So is that your excuse then? You killed her because it was your duty?"
"It was my duty…and my burden. I can't tally up the dead if I tried and I could probably fill an ocean with the tears I've forced others to shed. What you fail to understand, Professor, is that the dead and the tears are inevitable, no matter what you do. All a person of power can do is take the route that results in the least amount. That is the difference between your friends the Ror'char. We take the route that produces the best result regardless of how it sounds while your friends take the route that sounds best regardless of its results. Your friends have probably forced others to shed plenty of tears, or did they conveniently gloss over that fact?"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Corin said, refusing to listen to this. He would even cover his ears of his hands were cuffed behind his back.
"I don't?" Krell asked almost mockingly. "Are you telling me you never once dreamed of a perfect world of peace and prosperity? It was the goal many have come to view as always chased but never reached. But that goal has been reached. You were once a Ror'char citizen; you know that what I say is true. You once lived in a world where the notion of locking your door or car was considered an act of paranoia, where more people have gotten struck by lightening than faced unemployment. Your only complaint was the government's demand for absolute obedience. It's not perfect but it's the closest any civilization has ever gotten. Or did were you really so naïve as to think that this perfect world could be accomplished without sacrifice?"
Corin was silent for a bit, just staring at the ground. He didn't want to acknowledge the Ror'char as anything more the monsters and tyrants.
"So want do you want?" Corin asked, changing the subject. "You wanted my help to take out some slavers? The field units are always hunting slavers. Why did they suddenly decide to hire an Overlord for this job? I still think there's more that you aren't telling me. Why now?"
Krell took a step back. Corin was right; there was one more part to the mission.
"Very well then," he said. "The whole story. With the end of the civil war, it was decided that the Ror'char temporarily hold their conquest. We would focus inward, ensure the corruption that caused the civil war never happen again. I was reassigned from the vanguard unit to help purge all corrupt elements. We have a single rule for the corrupt: they either forfeit their position or forfeit their life. A single Ror'char officer has absolute control over millions of citizens. Corruption is not tolerated. Unfortunately, two corrupt officials realized they had been caught and fled. They've taken refuge amongst some slavers, described to them our methods of operation. Now, every time we get close, every time they realize the Ror'char are coming for them, they disappear. I am now working with the overwatch unit to take out these slavers and bring the corrupt officials to justice. That is why I seek your help."
"Overwatch unit?" Corin repeated skeptically. "Why would the Ror'char be so interested in slavers? They're terrified of the Ror'char. Lands in the Ror'char Sovereignty are safe."
"Is it really so hard to believe that we aren't the villains? Even if the slavers pose no threat to us, they have kidnapped unsuspecting victims from every other sovereignty and nation in this galaxy. We will see them exterminated like the vermin they are. Help us and we will stop these slavers."
Corin looked at Krell, torn between whether or not to help. Krell was the one who killed his wife, murdered her for not agreeing with the government. They ruled with an iron fist and suppressed every freedom possible. The mere notion of even regarding him and the Ror'char as 'good guys'…
But, if they were telling the truth he would be saving hundreds of victims kidnapped by the slavers. But he would be acknowledging the Ror'char as not being pure evil.
"Are you really so blinded by hate you will not even help liberate slaves languishing in capture?" Krell asked. "Perhaps, this will help," he said, reaching into his pocket and tossing something onto the floor. His eyes suddenly widened when he realized it was a Millennium Expedition patch. Every exploration team had a patch on the shoulder of their uniform, identifying themselves as members of the Millennium Expedition and which team that person was on. Somehow Krell had gotten a torn patch.
"Where'd you get that?" Corin asked suspiciously.
"We found it during our latest raid against a slaver camp. This was found in one of the tents."
Corin felt a chill go down his spine. One of the exploration teams had gone missing and were nowhere to be found. He could only imagine the horror of being kidnapped by the slavers.
"Why are you so eager to help?" Corin asked again. Krell felt his irritation rise like boiling water. It was the same question and the same answer; Corin just refused to accept the answer.
"The slavers will pay for the suffering they've caused," Krell replied darkly, his voice turning into a soft hiss. "Hundreds taken from their friends and family and put into a life of servitude; even if they are not Ror'char citizens they are still innocent people who just so happen to be living under a defective government. The slavers will pay for their transgressions in blood. I guess I shall present to you this deal. Help us slay these monsters, and I shall let you and the team we rescue permission to return to Millennium."
-.-
"Twenty two…twenty three…twenty four…twenty five…"
Nova remembered hoping what she was going through was a nightmare. The next morning, she expected to wake up in her bed on Millennium. Instead, the familiar stone walls of the prison cell was all she saw. The thing about prison, there's absolutely nothing to do. She was already bored out of her skull and it seemed like keeping herself in shape was the only thing left to do. She had her feet on her bed as she did pushups off the floor, her body becoming parallel to the ground every time she went up.
"Twenty five," she said as she went back down before pushing herself back up. She felt a bead of sweat drop from her forehead and hit the back of her hand. She was about to go down again when a clank at her cell door caught her attention. She looked up and standing in front of the bars was a Ror'char trooper. Not a Black Watch guard but a Ror'char trooper.
"Major Terra Nova," the trooper greeted. "Your presence is requested." Nova took her feet off the bed and stood up. The trooper wasn't carrying an ion rifle, only a carnifex pistol and buzz blade at his side. She gave a sigh. Guess this was it. She figured she would be tortured for information eventually. There was a clank as the door slid open, the trooper stepping in. He looked at her with a sideways glance. She was covered in a fair amount of sweat and he did just see what she was doing.
"Do you wish to take a shower before we depart?" the trooper asked. Terra's jaw dropped. That was not the question she was expecting.
-.-
As time passed her confusion continued growing. She decided to take the trooper's offer of a shower. She was even more surprised when the trooper gave back her uniform, all washed and folded. It was a little weird having the alien soldier just walk in on her mid-shower to tell her this but he did it and promptly left without much of a reaction. Once she was done, dried, dressed, and had her ponytail back up, she had to be blindfolded and led outside. The trooper kept his hand on her shoulder and guided her through the courtyard. She couldn't see what was happening but she could hear the voices of the people around her. At first she could hear the voices of the other prisoners whispering to each other. Then she could hear the commands of Black Watch discussing things about the prison. Finally, the trooper had her stop and all she could hear was silence.
She had actually begin to wonder whether this was actually an execution. It made sense. They blindfolded her and took her to some remote location. Guess all that was left was to wait for the bang. She gave a saddened sigh. Just a few missions ago she found new reason to live and now it seemed like she was going to get put down immediately after.
Then, another noise filled the air, a deep droning noise, a machine powering up, stone grinding against stone, the hum of energy coursing through their power cells. It was the sound of the stargate. She heard the whoosh of the wormhole forming in the silver ring. She could even see some of the blue glow penetrate her blindfold.
The trooper put his hands back on her shoulder and directed her to walk forward.
"Watch your step," he said as she soon felt her face touch the edge of the wormhole. She stepped in, letting the void consume her. She felt the warmth of the cold nothing fill her body. It felt like she was being sent flying at breakneck speeds through the universe, her body being tossed about like it was on a rollercoaster with no seat.
She took a breath as she stepped out the other side, her foot touching the ground. The trooper still kept his hand on her shoulder as they both stepped out of the giant puddle. She heard the familiar whoosh as the gate shut off. Nova still had no idea what was going on but she felt the trooper take his hand off her back and begin fumbling with the blindfold. As the black cloth came off she had to shield her eyes from the sudden input of light.
She raised her hand to shield her eyes as they adjusted. As she stepped onto the gravel as her eyes fell upon the military base she has been brought to. Several smaller gray buildings dotted the landscape like houses and garages while a single larger building stood at the center. Several troopers marched about the base. The ones on patrol kept their armor but others only had a black uniform on, taking routine jogs around the base. But there were also other workers, not troopers, who wandered about, papers in hand. In the distance she could see a group of Ror'char trooper, all dressed in a white training uniform, practicing their sword techniques. They all swung their wooden training weapons in unison, giving a yell with each swing. Nova didn't know anything about swordplay but seeing the entire group swing and move as one was stunning.
It seemed so strange seeing these alien warriors like this. The only times she's ever seen a Ror'char was in the field so it was odd seeing them otherwise, seeing them walk around and mind their own business. Many of them didn't even keep their helmets on, revealing the faces of dozens of different races. Humans, sireen, icthyan, antenok, even races she's never seen before. They all worked together.
"Come," the trooper grunted, once again putting his hand on Nova's shoulder. He directed her into the big building at the center. The structure had some nice air conditioning; the cold air felt good on her skin after stepping out of the sun. Her eyes adjusted to the new light but the trooper continued directing her down the hall. Nova didn't know where she was being led. She couldn't see through any of the doors in the hallway but was led to the end of the hall. The trooper opened the door, revealing the large auditorium within.
She stepped into the large chamber, her boot stepping onto the soft red carpet that sagged beneath her feet. She looked around the room, looking at each of the sky-blue seats. This was an auditorium built for several dozen people. Perhaps it was a briefing room of sorts where a general would stand at the front and brief the troops on upcoming battle plans. It was then she noticed someone at the front of the auditorium on the stage.
She would swear her heart stopped, her eyes blinking several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. She thought she had led him to his death but here he was standing before her.
"Corin!" she called out. The man at the front stopped his pacing when he heard his name. He whipped around. He didn't know what the Ror'char did with prisoners of war but, considering their reputation, he expected the worst. The Ror'char executed citizens who question the government so he expected Nova to be tortured or even executed. He was relieved to see she was alive.
He leapt off the stage and bolted up the stairs. The trooper let go of Nova and stepped to the side, knowing what was about to happen. Corin practically tackled her but she remained standing as they wrapped their arms around the other.
"You ok?" she asked him, pulling away. Corin's talked about how the Ror'char execute those who dare to question their rule. Corin not only questioned the Ror'char but had even left the Empire and joined a rogue group, their enemy. He was a traitor. She was just as scared for him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said dismissively.
"Corin," Nova said. "I'm sorry. What happened back there, sorry for-"
"It's fine," Corin said. "It was probably the only way to save Steve and Charles." It was at this moment they saw a spark of hope in the other's eye. "Steve, Charles?" Corin asked, hoping that she might have the answer.
"I haven't seen them," Nova said with a shake of her head. She had begun to think that there was no chance she'd ever see them again but her hope has been renewed. "What's going on? Why'd they bring us here?"
Corin thought back to what Krell told him. He knew why the Ror'char were gathering them. Corin hadn't given them a yes or no. He did not even want to entertain the idea of helping the Ror'char. But if the Ror'char were sincere about stopping the slavers, could he really turn away the idea? And he knew this was an opportunity to save his friends.
"I'm sorry, Andrea," Corin muttered under his breath, knowing he had to help his wife's killers.
Nova looked up when she heard heavy footsteps on the stage. She watched as Krell stepped out, his black uniform standing out against the brightly lit yellow background. The flaps of his long coat dangled behind him, his hands in his pockets. Across from him was the antenok she faced earlier, the towering beast standing beside his comrade.
"You know," Nova remarked upon seeing Krell. "I really have to wonder how many Overlords the Ror'char Space Force even has. How come we keep running into you?"
"I'll admit our first three encounters was though chance," Krell remarked calmly. "However, this time I was called forth by Overlord Azoth." Azoth gave a bow on cue. He was the one who found and captured Wolf Pack. They both looked at the Ror'char trooper standing at the back.
"Do you know what the status is on the others?" Krell asked.
"One is currently being treated in our medical facility," the trooper said. "The other is arriving by ship as we speak."
"Well, I suggest we meet our esteemed guests," Azoth remarked. "Shall we?" He cheerfully strolled out of the room. Corin followed with the trooper close behind. Krell would have followed but noticed Nova had not moved from her spot.
"Major," he said. "Is there something you would like to say?"
Nova kept her eyes on Krell. She still felt that she betrayed Corin by surrendering him back into the hands of the Ror'char. But…
"Thank you," she said to him. "I know what you do to traitors, so thank you for not punishing Corin. And honestly, my treatment was pretty hospitable."
"It's not me who you wish to thank then," Krell replied. "It's obvious what type of people you are; it's a pity we have to be on opposite sides."
"No offense, but our people aren't big fans of conquerors," Terra remarked bluntly, leaning back against the wall behind her with her hands folded over her chest.
"The word 'conqueror' comes with negative connotations," Exodan remarked. "Unless you're saying that your people have never overthrown any governments in your history." He watched Nova tense uncomfortably. He got his answer from this reaction. "Why it is acceptable for your people to overthrow governments but when we do it, we are labeled 'conquerors'?"
"You don't know anything about what we've done?" Nova barked. Krell raised a curious eyebrow at this statement. He had seen the same thing repeat so many times he just assumed that this was the same case.
"Oh? So you have never gone out of your way to overthrow any governments or regimes, reform civilizations you saw as unfit?"
Terra fell silent once more.
"That's different," she replied flatly. "The Goa'uld were tyrants that enslaved countless people."
"I see. In other words, they were unfit and caused meaningless suffering; so you overthrew them and replaced their method of rule with one you saw as better. How very Ror'char of you…"
"There's a difference," Nova spoke up before Krell could leave. "The 'what' is as important as the 'why'. You are replacing the governments with dictatorships."
"We've managed to create a utopia that people can only dream of. A world with next to no poverty or crime, a world without bigotry or corruption, without famine or depression, such a world used to be only a fantasy and we have achieved that!"
"Even if I were to believe you managed this-"
"Why wouldn't you? Professor Nevec has been with you for a while now. Has he ever complained about our poverty levels? Or our corruption? Or our crime rates? Or is his only complaint our iron grip on society?"
Nova fell silent for a moment. He was right; Corin has only ever complained about the Ror'char rule.
"Ok, let's say I believe you; it's not worth it. You control every aspect of their life and control how they think."
"As if your so called 'free societies' don't do the same," Krell scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "All your beliefs and your reasons for holding that belief were fed to you. They say history is written by the victors. Well, morality is written by the strong. Their belief filtered down and taught to you. You accept their truths as the pinnacle of good and open mindedness. And if you dare to challenge those beliefs, you are blacklisted. You are ignorant, narrow minded, evil. You become a societal pariah. Those who don't submit are punished in their own ways. Even in your 'free society', how you think is still controlled; you just don't realize it. You're not free, just oblivious."
"But they still aren't dead. You hunt down the people who disagree and kill them."
"Such disagreement will give rise to violence. The solution to cancer is to remove the infected cells."
"It's not worth it! You can quell violence but you can't bring back the dead. Your solution is not worth the price."
"How interesting. Tell me then, what is worth it then?"
"Excuse me?" Nova asked.
"I don't know where you hail from but if you had the ability to grant your entire planet eternal peace and prosperity for everyone, how much will you be willing to sacrifice? How many lives and how many basic rights would you be willing to sacrifice before saying it is not worth the price? What is the limit?"
Nova felt her lips quiver. She wanted to answer, to shut Krell up and prove her point, but she didn't know what to say.
"I look forward to your answer, Major," Krell said, leaving the auditorium, leaving Nova trying to think of an argument in response. Even if she did think of one, she was still technically their prisoner so she followed him out.
-.-
Even before she got outside she could hear a loud hum coming from something outside the building. She opened the doors and stepped out, immediately feeling the wind on her face. It wasn't a strong gust like standing under a helicopter but was definitely a decently strong breeze. Everyone outside was looking up and she immediately saw why. Above them, a Ror'char stryker had begun to descend. The stryker's wings retracted into its body, the ship coming ever closer to the ground. The bottom of the ship began to retract, a perfect circle forming in the bottom. There was a loud buzz as a set of silver rings descended out of the hole, the rings stopping a few feet above the ground. With a bright flash of light, a group of people appeared inside. The rings rose back up into the ship, which proceeded to fly off into the distance, the howling winds dying away.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here," a familiar voice called out. "Miss me, assholes?"
"Charles!" Corin and Nova called out in unison as the Australian stepped out from the pair of troopers behind him. He held his arms in the air like a celebrity walking down the red carpet, his smile spanning the width of his face.
"That's three of us here," Martin observed as his two escorts walked off. "Where's Chen?"
"We'll take you to him," Krell said from behind the trio. "Trooper," he said to the alien warrior accompanying them. "Thank you for your services." The trooper gave a deep bow before turning and walking off.
"Come," Azoth called, turning and heading for another building. Krell stepped back and gave a bow to let his prisoners walk in front before following behind. They were moving around a lot but Nova didn't care. She was reunited with her family.
-.-
Chen flexed his fingers. He could still feel the metal probes jammed into his right arm but at least he finally could feel his arm in general.
"And for your final test," the Ror'char medic in front of him said. "I would like you to pick up the cup in front of you." Chen reached forward and picked up the plastic cup on the table in front of him. He looked at the doctor, an icthyan in a white lab coat. The purple fish-man wrote something on his clipboard without looking up. An amphibious race, icthyans may be humanoid but they still possess fish-like traits. They had scales on their skin, fins on their head, back, and arms, and even webbed hands and feet.
"How is our patient," a voice asked form the door. Chen turned around to see everyone standing at the door. He closed his eyes and gave a relieved sigh.
"Overlord Azoth," the doctor said, looking at his board. "I have successfully mended his broken bones." The fish-peron walked over to Chen and began plucking the metal rods out of his arm. The man gave a pained yelp every time it happened. He wanted to growl in irritation as the last rod was pulled out and he clung to his arm, but he knew that whatever those rods were for, the Ror'char used them to fix his bones. He still felt tingles up and down his arm but he could use it again without any other pain.
"Thank you, you're dismissed," Krell said, stepping back to watch as Nova and her team went up to check on their friend. The way they crowded around each other, laughed happily that the others were ok… He had to appreciate the sight. He knew how it felt, the relief in finding your loved ones ok. But he knew they had a mission.
-.-
Back in the auditorium, Nova stared at the torn up patch she held in her hand. She remembered hearing from Mercer about Team Loadstone going missing. Caldwell 70 had more advanced races so when the MALP showed what looked like an advanced civilization, Loadstone was more than eager to go check it out to make new allies. Terra knew going through the gate was always a calculated risk but the notion of getting kidnapped by slavers…
She shivered at the thought.
"Hey," Martin hissed to her, interrupting her thought.
"Sorry," she muttered, recomposing herself. Chen and Corin had chosen to stand, Chen leaning against the table near the front while Corin stood right in front of Nova, also staring at the patch.
"How long were your friends missing?" Azoth asked, his arms folded in front of him as he strolled back and forth at the front of the auditorium.
"Not long," Nova answered, handing the patch back to them. "They disappeared on a reconnaissance mission to a mission we designated PG7-G26."
Krell and Azoth cave Nova a confused look. She wished she could be more descriptive than that but they had no idea what the name of the planet was. Fortunately, Corin was already hard at work, grapping a paper and pen laying on the nearby desk and quickly scribbling something down.
"This," he said, handing them the paper that now had the gate address written on it. "It looked like a town."
"I don't recognize it," Krell said, shaking his head. He looked at his taller comrade, who gave a nod when he saw the address.
"But I do," Azoth remarked. "That's one of the registered pirate havens."
"Pirate havens?!" Chen repeated. "There are pirate havens?!"
"There are elements in this galaxy that do not devote themselves to any one leadership," Azoth explained, giving Corin the paper back. "They move from place to place and serve only themselves. These people have been widely termed as space pirates. Pirate havens are small towns that welcome such elements. It is also the perfect hunting grounds for finding unsuspecting victims."
"And is likely another slaver hangout," Krell added sternly. "My last lead went cold so this is an excellent opportunity."
"You got a plan for us?" Martin asked, leaning back in his chair.
"The chance of the Ror'char getting caught while investigating a pirate haven is high," Krell said. "However, you can go to the planet to investigate the disappearance of your friends. Find the slavers who kidnapped your friends and tell us where they are. We will both reap the rewards of the knowledge. And once this is all over, you will be set free."
Nova looked at the rest of her team. None of them seemed to have any issue with this.
"Alright," she said. "We'll do this after one more thing."
"One more thing?" Krell repeated. "And what is that?"
-.-
Wolf Pack had gone missing and the MALP was destroyed. This was already shaping to be a very irritating day for Mercer. He scanned the report Donavan gave him. They had sent another UAV to comb the planet but there was no sign of them. This meant two teams had gone missing in one week.
"General," Donavan said from his wheelchair. The General looked at this adjutant, handing the papers back.
"We will have to prepare a team to go after them," Mercer said, his hands folding behind him. "After this demonstration, I wish you to prepare the Cloud Jumpers to go to the planet to investigate. They will be accompanied by combat team Ronin for protection." The Cloud Jumpers were an exploration team that could investigate what happened to Wolf Pack but the Ronin were comprised of elite soldiers from five different countries and were made purely for combat purposes. The Ronin, Berserkers, Spartans, War Born, Paladins, these were just some of the combat teams. Once their task here was done, the Ronin would provide military support while the Cloud Jumpers try to figure out what happened.
Donavan nodded in agreement, turning his attention to the monitors in front of them. They had prepped the VR chairs for training. Soren was strapped in. For his training mission, he had to clear a building of jaffa armed with his twin axes, a shotgun, and a submachine gun. Kara Osborn was outside monitoring his vital signs. Computer technicians were busy monitoring the equipment. Mercer and Donavan watched Soren's progress through the monitor, seeing what he saw. He had to clear out fifteen jaffa from the building. And he was by himself.
With a seemingly impossible scenario like this, Soren's killer instincts kicked in. Mercer watched as Soren snuck around the complex. He would always survey a room, gathering intel on how many enemies were present and where they were. He would then burst into the room and unleash a hell storm against his foes. Shotgun, submachine gun, axes, he would light up his enemies with bullets or tear them apart with his axes if they got too close. The moment it was over, he would rush out of the room before reinforcements arrived to investigate the commotion. He did this several times, clearing rooms with frightening efficiency and disappearing like a ghost. The General was beginning to understand what made Soren such an effective killer. Planning, surprise, dynamic entry, speed, violence of action, it all came to Soren naturally. He had to kill quickly and efficiently then escape. That was exactly what he was doing here.
Soren had one last room to go with three jaffa on their guard. Soren had already scanned the room from behind a corner and planned his attack. He burst into the room but the jaffa were waiting for him. They opened fire, orange streaks of pure energy burning through the air and hitting the wall. But Soren had come prepared. He had picked up one of the staff weapons from the jaffa he killed earlier. As he burst into the room he launched the staff at the nearest jaffa like a javelin. It didn't have a sharp point to impale its target but it wasn't meant to kill, only distract and that was exactly what it did. The jaffa covered his head and leaned to the side to let the weapon fly past. One less weapon shooting at him, Soren was able to rush up and press the barrel of his shotgun against the face of that one jaffa, firing point blank into his skull. One down. Soren dove behind a table as the second volley of orange bolts streaked his way. But he had no intention of hunkering down behind cover. He put aside his shotgun and pulled out the MP5, leaping out and raining fire upon the nearest jaffa as he charged at his foe. The bullets were enough to inflict lethal damage but not enough to finish immediately. For that, Soren quickly pulled out his axe. The jaffa adjusted his grip, turning his staff from a ranged energy weapon to a melee weapon to meet Soren head on. But Soren was too skilled. It was up to the last jaffa to finish the fierri off. The final alien warrior aimed his staff weapon but Soren was already aware of this. At the last moment, he hooked his axe around his opponent's neck and flung him at the final enemy just as the staff fired, the energy bolt hitting the jaffa instead. Soren took advantage of the distraction charged at the final enemy. The jaffa had just begun to pull the trigger when Soren hooked his staff weapon with his axe and forced it to the side, the orange energy bolt flying off into a wall. He unhooked his axe and swung it into the face of his foe with enough force to pull the jaffa to the floor in a heap.
Soren stood up, scanning the room. That was the last enemy. All he had to do was wait for the simulation to end. His world faded to white as the chair ejected him back into reality.
"How're you feeling?" Kara asked with an English accent, walking up to him with the scanner in her hand. Soren didn't even bother answering her question. She shined her pen light into his eyes, making sure the pupils behaved as they should. "Awesome," she remarked, acting as if Soren had responded to her. Once again, he had no reaction.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Kara asked, finishing her scans.
"No," Soren grunted. "Though you and Steven Chen make up that difference."
"Guilty as charged," Kara replied with a slight chuckle. "If I have something to say, I just usually come out and say it."
"I know," Soren said hoarsely. "It contrasts to Steven Chen: when he has nothing to say, he'll say something anyways."
"Well, you're saying more now than you used to," she pointed out. "So we're getting somewhere." If Soren reacted to this statement, he did not make it obvious. His expression was still as stiff as before.
"Mister Stavig," Mercer said, walking up to the fierri, looking at the papers Donavan had handed to him. "Most impressive. Your training was clearly top notch."
Soren gave a nod, acknowledging what the General said.
"So what now?" the fierri asked. Mercer raised a curious eyebrow. Soren sure was eager to find out what they intended to do with him.
Donavan suddenly put his hand to his earpiece, listening to the newest update.
"General," he said. "There's something going on in the gate room."
-.-
Even with the barrier covering the gate, the blue hue from the wormhole still glimmered against the walls of the gate and control room, the familiar warble audible even in the hallways. In the control room, technicians all remained at their work stations but had stopped to stare at the thing in the middle.
"Can –can you move me to the left?" the hologram of Nova seemed to ask the air. "I'm half in a wall." The blurry hologram of Terra Nova began to flicker as it began to slide sideways, out of the computer terminals she had appeared in to the center of the control room.
"Alright, we're good," she announced. "Um…" she stuttered, looking around the room. She's never used an Asgard hologram before and this was a bad replica. The entire world looked blurred, almost like she was looking at everything through the glossy surface of a soapy bubble.
There was a hiss as the door at the back of the room opened and Mercer came walking in with Donavan right behind him.
"General," she called out as her commanding officer walked in. Mercer slowly walked up to the hologram, his arms still behind his back.
"Major," Mercer greeted back. "I hope you don't mind telling me what's going on."
-.-
Corin stared at the solid metal doors Krell and taken Nova through. He says that he was going to let her talk to Mercer to discuss the situation as long as he remained in the room to make sure she didn't reveal any information. She was a soldier; everything she does goes through her commanding officer. At least, that's what Krell claimed he was letting her do. He wouldn't be surprised if had secretly executed her.
"Ease up," Azoth said from the side of the door, standing watch like a guard. "You really think we would just kill her for no reason."
"Yes!" Corin barked immediately. Azoth raised a curious eyebrow at this sudden burst of anger.
"Jeez," he groaned. "Even if you don't like us, I would've thought you would at least be able judge us fairly." Corin didn't answer, only giving a huff and looking away. No matter how normal they seemed, he will never stop viewing them as monsters. Even if they did bring about a paradise, they still couldn't tally up the murdered if they tried.
The doors to the room suddenly opened, Krell and Nova walking out. Corin could not help but shift uncomfortably when he saw her walk out with his mortal enemy. He kept having to tell himself that they were doing this for the slaves they would be freeing, not the Ror'char.
Seeing their commanding officer walk back out, Chen and Martin came back and joined the conversation.
"What's the word, Major?" Martin asked. Nova maintained her stern expression as she explained.
"Mercer's given us the green light." She turned to face Krell and Azoth. "We agree to your terms. We will help you find your traitors and free the slaves. Once that is done, you will let us and our friends go."
"Then it is settled," Krell concluded. "We will prepare quarters for you and your friends for the night. Just be advised that you will be under constant surveillance." Krell held out his hand, waiting for Nova to make the next move. Terra stared at the outreached limb. The Milky Way had the Goa'uld, Pegasus had the wraith, Nova knew that there was a good chance the Millennium Expedition would make its own enemy but she never thought she would be working side by side with that enemy. She finally grasped the sireen's outstretched hand and gave a firm shake.
"I had hoped Elora would convince you…" Krell stated. "Perhaps this will convince you that your way is not the only way."
-.-
Day was much longer on this planet than on Earth but time eventually came. The patrols around the base still continued to march regularly workers had all gone in for the night. She was still technically the Ror'char's prisoner and her movements around the base were restricted, but she could at least take a walk outside. She wandered around the base, just looking around. Back on Earth, if she ever needed time to herself to think about what is happening, she would go into the woods near her house. On Millennium, she would simply lock herself in her woodshop. Guess she had to settle with just walking around the base here. What she didn't expect was who she would run into.
"Steven," she called out in mild surprise. Chen was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall of a building. He nearly jumped to his feet when he heard his name called. "Calm down, it's just me." Nova walked up and sat down beside him. The dirt ground wasn't the most comfortable but it worked. Bases didn't exactly put benches everywhere.
"What're you doing out here?" Chen asked.
"I usually take a walk outside when I need time to think about things," Nova explained.
"I thought you go to your woodshop."
"Either or," Nova shrugged. "And there's not exactly a woodshop here. What're you doing out here?"
Chen didn't answer, only making an awkward groaning sound as he thought about how he should respond.
"Making constellations," he mumbled.
"What?"
"I'm making constellations in the stars, alright?" he said louder. "I'm seeing if any of the stars here look like stuff." Instead of laughing, Nova actually looked curious. It seemed childish, something they hadn't done since they were kids, but she was actually interested.
"Find anything cool?"
Chen stared at her, surprised that she didn't think the whole thing was weird. He pointed in a direction in the sky. "Mason symbol," he proclaimed. Nova looked in the direction he pointed but there was one issue. "And the thing right beside it looks like a pentagram."
"Steven, I can't tell which stars you're pointing at."
Chen let his hand fall. She was right. While he can point her in a direction, she could not tell which set of stars he was specifically pointing to.
"I see a wolf though," she added, pointing in a different direction. He looked in the direction but he didn't see anything that looked like a wolf.
"You're making that up."
"No, I really see a wolf."
Chen squinted at the cluster of stars but he couldn't see a wolf.
"Of course you would see a wolf," he finally said, slumping back. Nova gave a light chuckle, also leaning back against the wall and giving a sigh.
"Bet you never thought this is how our mission would go when we stepped through the gate," she remarked.
"As a rule of thumb, I try to not assume we'll get kidnapped by aliens anytime we got on mission," Chen replied snarkily. "He doesn't hold it against you, you know."
"Who?"
"Corin. He doesn't hold it against you that you guys had to surrender."
Nova didn't answer at first, still looking at the stars, staring at the group of stars that looked like a wolf. Alpha males protected their pack, it is their responsibility as leader to make sure every member is cared for.
"He trusted us to protect him when he defected," she pointed out. "And I gave him right to them."
"And he knew the risks when agreed to join the team," Chen added. "I would say he forgives you but he doesn't see anything to forgive."
"How is he holding up then?" she asked. "Him and Martin are in our quarters, right?"
"Last I checked, he hit the bunk. The whole helping-the-guys-who-killed-my-wife thing isn't going well for him."
"He knows we're only doing it to help Loadstone and the slaves, right?"
"Oh, he knows. And that's the only reason he's doing this. His locket's still on his dresser by his bed." Chen paused for a moment before saying, "Charles is also reserved about this. He's fine with what we're doing but he doesn't like that we have to help the Ror'char to do it."
"I know the feel," Terra said, hanging her head. "Krell keeps trying to convince me that the Ror'char are the good guys." Nova fell silent for a moment but she realized they hadn't talked about his opinion yet. "What about you?" she asked.
Chen didn't want to answer at first.
"I know this isn't the most popular opinion," he finally explained. "I know Martin and Corin straight up hate it, and you are on the fence with it, but I don't problem with it." Chen could see the shock on Terra's face.
"I'm actually surprised," she said. "I thought you would the most opposed."
"Why would I?"
"Well, we are helping an absolute dictatorship," Nova pointed out. "Kara told me how much you value innocent lives. This is a government that kill innocent people for questioning the government."
"It's none of our business how the Ror'char do things. I don't approve with how they govern, but do we really have the right to go around dictating how other governments rule? We're complaining how the Ror'char want to dictate how their neighbors govern. But if we fight them because we don't like the way they govern themselves, then we're guilty of the same thing."
"What're you saying?"
"I'm saying that the only reason we even fight the Ror'char is because they are keen on attacking us. That's it. Charles thinks that it's our responsibility to overthrow the Ror'char and replace their government with a democracy but if the Ror'char ever decide to stop expanding and not attack us, do we really have the right to dictate how they govern? So no, I don't have much of an issue helping the Ror'char, especially with who we're going after."
"They say all evil needs to succeed is for good men to do nothing," Terra said. "I mean, that's the reason we overthrew the Goa'uld."
"Yeah, and that's also why the Ror'char are annexing nations. We don't have the right to go around kicking out leaders just because we don't like them. Earth is still made of a bunch of different countries, some of them ruled by less than noble individuals. We have 304's. Shall we use them to overthrow whatever countries we don't like because their leaders are bad? And if we should, why wait until we have 304's? Why didn't we just cruise-missile the crap out of them before? When are we actually stopping evil? And when are we just being arrogant?" Chen sighed and leaned his head back. Nova did the same and stared at the sky.
"I guess it doesn't matter if we like this or not," she concluded. "We have to do it if we want to get out and help our friends." She kept staring at the sky, letting her mind wander. "I see the Blue Bunny logo up there," Terra chirped up, pointing at a collection of stars.
"Ok, now I know you're making stuff up."