AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Please review and comment! I have been suffering writer's block for a while and been busy with college. But I finally sat down and finished what I have written for months. I look forward to reading the reviews, and I hope to have another update for this soon. I will answer reviews and questions either on here or via PM. It will not be long before we start seeing an Alesian perspective or introduced to a major Alesian character! :)

I sadly do not own the Stargate franchise.


Golden Dawn

Chapter 3: Skirmish


The drums of war sound

Echoing across the plains

Blasted to the heavens

All the way and beyond

The men hear the call

These soldiers of Alesia

Battle ready and strong

For home and Empire

We march together as one

With fire in our hearts

- Translated Alesian war hymn


O'Neill stepped through the Stargate first, exiting a few seconds later on the other side. The Jaffa on the other side had no chance, being dazed and confused from the stun grenades. They were quickly gunned down as the SG team members materialized through the gate. The radio crackled.

"Stargate Command to Colonel O'Neill, reading multiple signatures closing on your position. Deploying Predator missiles. Danger close." O'Neill winced.

"Get down!" He yelled, ducking just in time as a hail of Predator missiles fired down from the UAV. The explosions rocked the area, bathing the area in an awesome display of fire and noise.

"Stargate Command to Colonel O'Neill. UAV is bingo ammo, but will continue to provide overwatch."

"Roger that." O'Neill said as he peeked his head above the rock he fell behind. He turned around and waved toward the crouched team.

"Let's move people!" He barked as they began to run from the area, attempting to evade any surviving patrols. Running through the woods, he felt the familiar burn in his legs as they moved swiftly, Stargate Command relaying orders on the encrypted channel in order to evade patrols.

It was nearly a half hour later of ducking past the numerous patrols of Jaffa that they came to the crest of a rocky hill. It overlooked the valley below, where the golden pyramid structure that housed P'tah's lab was located. O'Neill whipped out his binoculars and gazed down. There were many guards around the pyramid, and only one entrance from what he could see.

"Teal'c, is there any other way into the pyramid?"

"There are usually two entrances as well as several ring platforms. The Goa'uld typically do not have less than two entrances." Teal'c replied, scanning with his own binoculars. He pointed toward the side.

"Why?" Daniel asked.

"Because it would leave them no escape route if an enemy attacked." Teal'c said. O'Neill studied the terrain, his eyes missing nothing.

"If we go along the ridgeline and down, we could get inside the outer line of patrols. Straight shot to the entrance." He said after a moment. The rest of the team nodded.

"Makepeace, you stay here with SG-3, provide fire support if things go to hell in a handbasket." Makepeace nodded and passed along orders of his own. A few members rose and moved away, going to new positions. SG-1 crawled along the ridgeline, careful to keep out of sight of the enemy.

It took them roughly an hour to make it down into the valley undetected. The majority of the Jaffa were busy searching the gate, as the reports from the UAV indicated. O'Neill halted in his tracks, ducking down as another patrol appeared, passing by them without looking in their direction. They were almost to the pyramid. O'Neill knew that the next part would be tricky, requiring a fast assault before they could radio for reinforcements.

They moved through the forest, careful to not make any noise and avoiding sticks and leaves. After a few minutes, they came up to the entrance of the pyramid. O'Neill looked carefully from their hidden positions behind a rock. There were four Jaffa guarding the entrance.

"Carter. Grenades." He said quietly. Carter nodded, shouldering her P90 and pulling two fragmentation grenades off her belt. She pulled the pins on both and lobbed them into the entrance. The Jaffa noticed this and readied their staff weapons, but it was too late as the grenades exploded, killing three of the Jaffa as the fourth was wounded severely. A burst from Teal'c's staff weapon ended his life as SG-1 ran forward into the entrance.

They moved forward cautiously, taking cover where it was available. The Jaffa were at a disadvantage in ranged combat, but close quarters was when they were strongest. O'Neill held a hand up as he spotted the doorway to the lab up ahead.

Carter went first, her P90 raised as she checked the corners. It was empty.

"Clear, sir."

The team entered the lab. The lab was very much like most standard labs that SG-1 had come across in recent years, with data pads and computer consoles scattered around the room, with one unique difference. The black pod that was hung on the wall seemed out of place, bands of runes littering the surface of the object. Daniel approached the pod cautiously, leaning down to read the runes.

"Daniel?"

"It's Goa'uld. Very obscure dialect." Dr. Jackson murmured. "But readable." He ran his finger along one line.

" 'Here lies the Red Demon. Do not disturb or your life is forfeit.' Odd. That is the seal of Ra."

A voice cut in from behind them.

"Of course it is."

The team spun around as Jaffa spilled into the lab, pointing their weapons at the intruders. P'tah entered the chamber and chuckled.

"Ra himself put the Red Demon in stasis. It was a duel between gods, one that is told in Jaffa legend." Teal'c narrowed his eyes at that as P'tah continued.

"Of course, since I am a god myself, I command the power he possesses. I will not be denied!" P'tah's eyes flashed.

"Is it just me, or does every Goa'uld we meet always declare their godhood?" O'Neill said to no one in particular. He couldn't resist taking a jab at P'tah.

"Seriously, you guys are like Bond villains. Next, you'll tell us your evil plans." He said, drawing out the word evil theatrically. P'tah narrowed his eyes.

"I will do no such thing. You'll be executed tomorrow."

"See, he told us his plans." O'Neill said before he chucked the grenade at the Jaffa in the room.

"Duck!" He said, diving for the floor as staff blasts narrowly missed him. There was a deafening roar and flash of light as dozens of metal fragments whistled throughout the room, embedding itself in the walls. The roar of gunfire and staff blasts joined the crescendo of battle as O'Neill raised his head and fired on the Jaffa nearby, downing two of them as they tried to pin him down with suppressive fire.

The rest of the team had gotten behind cover, shooting at any enemy in sight. Several more Jaffa fell as their comrades fired back, the staff blasts taking chunks out of the walls and consoles. O'Neill fired at P'tah as the Goa'uld advanced, his shield deflecting the bullets. He knew it was useless as P'tah raised his hand, firing a shockwave that sent O'Neill crashing into the wall behind him.

'That hurt.' O'Neill thought from his position on the floor. He scrambled away, trying to stay alive for a few more seconds.

'Radio must have been knocked out. This is bad.'He thought, listening to the hissing noise in the background. It took him a few seconds to realize it was not coming from his radio. With a crack, he saw a door opening above him. With a start, he realized it was coming from the pod. A voice boomed from above him.

"Ta no Chiyou! Fis ro kek P'tah!" A flash of light burst from the pod at P'tah, slamming into his shields. P'tah's eyes widened as he fired off a shockwave at the new threat. O'Neill could see that the figure was clad in blood red scale armor. The figure gestured, sending the Jaffa flying through the air. P'tah screamed in Goa'uld as he turned and ran, the figure merely raising a hand. P'tah froze, his movements locked.

The figure in red walked over, standing in front of P'tah. O'Neill saw the figure had a demonic helmet, the snarling mask covering his face. He raised a weapon at the figure as he spoke. It was obvious the man was another Goa'uld.

"Goodbye, lackey of Ra." With that, a cracking sound echoed in the chamber as the figure closed his fist in mid-air. P'tah fell limp, his throat crushed inward. More Jaffa rushed in as the figure turned.

"Kree Jaffa! P'tah is dead by my hand! By Goa'uld law, you now serve me!" The figure roared in fury, raising his hand at the Jaffa that pointed weapons at him. With a glance, the Jaffa lowered their weapons and knelt before the figure.

"I am Lord Chi You, of the Jiuli Clan! You will address me by my rank. Bring your commanders before me immediately!" The Goa'uld commanded. The Jaffa scurried away in fear as Chi You turned, noticing the other people in the room.

"Humans. What is your business?" He said through the filters in his voice, the team raising his weapons at him. O'Neill got up from the floor painfully.

"You know, stopping the bad guys. Being a major pain in the ass." O'Neill quipped.

"Greater beings than you have died for their insolence." Chi You remarked coolly, his mask retracting to reveal his features, which were Asiatic in appearance. His eyes were narrowed at the human.

"We aim high." O'Neill said, not caring a whit what the Goa'uld thought. He was surprised when the traces of a smile played about his lips.

"Indeed. You seem to have been an enemy of P'tah. By extension, you are an enemy of Ra. Am I correct in assuming that?" The question echoed in the chamber

"You could say that." O'Neill said warily.

"And where is Ra if his lackey was here? Ra would not send an underling to me if he wasn't here himself!" Chi You barked suspiciously. O'Neill shrugged.

"Dead." Chi You's eyebrows shot up.

"Dead? How?" His eyes glowed white, clearly shocked by the news.

"We killed him." Jackson replied.

"You? You killed Ra?" Chi You crossed his arms. O'Neill was confused as the Goa'uld began to chuckle.

"So Ra was killed by the lowly humans he despises and enslaves! Ha! How ironic!" Chiyou threw his head back and roared with laughter. After a minute, he stopped and regarded the humans.

"You have done me a great service, humans." ChiYou gave a short nod of respect. He glanced around and hissed as his eyes fell upon Teal'c.

"But there is a servant of the Serpent King among you. A First Prime." ChiYou snarled as he studied Teal'c.

"I no longer serve the false god Apophis." Teal'c said, his eyes growing hostile at the mention.

"So you consider the Goa'uld as false gods, do you?" Chi You uncrossed his arms and walked closer to Teal'c. He studied the Jaffa for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"You would be absolutely correct in your assumption….Teal'c. And I see Tauri is now free from the chains of the Goa'uld." SG-1 shot glances at each other, worried about how he knew information they did not tell him.

"How do you know where we come from?"

"I can read your mind, O'Neill of Tauri." Chi You said, turning toward to face the colonel.

"But I should introduce myself formally. Among my people, it was considered a required rite when among fellow warriors." Chi You said before slamming a fist on his breastplate.

"I am Chi You, Lord over the Jiuli Clan, which is now extinct all but for me. I am now…" Chi You hesitated a bit, unsure of what to call himself.

"I am now a minor Goa'uld Lord, once holding the rank of System Lord. That is, until Ra formed a coalition to overthrow me." The words were said formally, but O'Neill detected a hint of disgust and bitterness when Ra was mentioned.

"I am Colonel O'Neill. Of Earth." O'Neill said. Chi You inclined his head.

"A pleasure. For your service, I shall grant you free passage back to your home planet. It seems you are enemies of the System Lords, and since most of their members sided with Ra, they are my enemies as well." Chi You declared boldly. He gestured to the door.

"You may go. I will contact your world eventually, but for now, I must consolidate my power now that I am free."

O'Neill nodded as he walked out, the rest of his team following him as they walked past the Jaffa outside.


After the last of SG-1 walked out of the room ChiYou walked over to the data console and activated it, scanning the data to familiarize himself with his new domain.

"Mik'ta!" He swore as he read through the information. It was at that moment a Jaffa walked in and knelt.

"My lord. I am Jor'nud, First Prime of P'tah, now your loyal servant." The Jaffa stated, his eyes averted from the god in front of him.

"You may rise, Jor'nud son of Kel'tan." Chiyou said, his eyes still fixed on the screen. Jor'nud stood and walked over as Chiyou gestured to come over.

"As my new First Prime, you must be as familiar with my domain as I am. If I am ever away or missing, it will be you that commands all of my forces. Now pay attention." Chi You said as he pointed toward the holographic image he pulled up.

"You see that dot on the map? That is where we are, right now. I came to this world four thousand years ago to study the remnants of a great civilization that once thrived on this planet. They were called the Alesians. Little was known of them before I came here and discovered the true extent of who and what they are."

"My Lord?" Jor'nud asked, unsure of what he was talking about. Chiyou ignored him as he went on.

"They were a powerful civilization that thrived here nine thousand years ago. I decided to come here to gain a technological advantage over the other Goa'uld, for their technology was far more advanced than our own. I found many items of interest, which pales in comparison to what I discovered afterward." ChiYou zoomed out the map until it showed the entire galaxy. A small section in the galactic north glowed blue, while the vast majority of the galaxy was still gold in color.

"I discovered that the civilization was not extinct. They were trapped in an anomaly that covered the bluish section you see here. We are only a few dozen light years from where the anomaly ends."

"So this world was part of their domain, outside the anomaly." Jor'nud said. Chiyou nodded.

"Yes, and there is heavy signs of orbital bombardment present on this world. There was not much here to begin with, it seemed to be a minor world. What few cities I excavated were destroyed. Even so, I discovered much about them, even recovered portions of their technology and their history before Ra caught up to me and imprisoned me here."

"What did you discover about them?" Jor'nud asked.

"They were an expansionist imperial power, and if they were not trapped in stasis, they would most likely rule the galaxy. We were fortunate, but there is a problem." Chiyou touched another screen that showed a map showing the sector.

"The anomaly has dissipated, and now they are free. We are right on the border of their Empire, and we must relocate our forces and abandon this world, taking what we can. I have several worlds where we can hide and build our forces up."

"So they are likely to come here." The Jaffa queried, catching on to what Chi You was getting at.

"That is correct. It is only a matter of time before they visit and reclaim one of their old colony worlds. I know a great deal about the Alesians, enough to fear them when they decide to expand and conquer what is near them. If they march on the warpath, no one is safe. Come, we go to the fleet in orbit." Chiyou shut off the projector and walked out of the room. Jor'nud followed, their footsteps echoing down the hall as the Jaffa honor guard formed up behind them.


On a hill some distance from the complex, a white armored figure decloaked, staring down into the complex.

"They are leaving." The figure said as another figure appeared next to him.

"Indeed." The newcomer said after a moment of silence.

"What are your orders, Centurion? We could attack and slaughter them all. The Jaffa are pathetically equipped." The first man said, sneering in contempt.

"Possibly, but we lack numbers and heavy firepower for a decisive engagement. They have ships, we have none. We are only a scouting party after all." The centurion said, considering his options.

"Let them go. Our orders still stand. Inform the Valkyrie of the change in enemy activity. We shall continue observation." The first man saluted with a fist to his breastplate.

"Yes, Centurion. It will be done. Ave Imperium."

"Ave Alesia, Legionnaire. Dismissed." The first man turned away as the Alesian centurion glanced down at the camp, a smile playing across his lips. Yes, these Goa'uld were weak. It was only a matter of time before the Goa'uld would soon know what true power really was, and the galaxy under the authority of the Alesian Empire.