P7X-843
Milky Way Galaxy

It was strange, how 'alien' worlds could simultaneously feel so odd, but still like home. Well, occasionally at least. P7X-843 was the 201stworld that Major Hailey had been on since she first set foot through the Stargate all those years ago. Here she was, trudging through a forest of trees, just like home. But unlike home, these particular trees had unusual, triangular shaped leaves that while green on the top, like home, were purple underneath.

Not like home.

Gravity was slightly higher, which improved things no end. The light of the system's star just enough of a difference to Earth's Sun as to be noticeable, what sounded like bird song echoed through the forest, but none of the team had seen the slightest hint of a bird since they got here.

Of course, it could have been worse, a lot worse. The Ancients had done a thorough job preparing the galaxy for everything a species like theirs would need, which was a plus for the Humans who came later, strange leaves and unsettling phantom bird calls aside.

SG-28 had been on this world for two days now, having slipped through the Gate with a group of travellers and traders they had managed to avoid the attentions of the Alliance thugs who had been guarding it, before disappearing into these trees rather than the well-worn path towards the nearest settlement.

Better to get there slowly than not at all had been the Colonel's decision, and she agreed, or at least she had before they'd discovered how humid the nights where on this planet. Not ideal for an undercover hike.

The team where carefully picking their way through the undergrowth among the trees, dressed in the relatively tattered rags and shawls that traders within Lucian territory tended to favour, over more functional, combat orientated leathers that hinted at the garb favoured by Alliance members themselves, but not quite. Jennifer's standard issues SG uniform would have been preferable, but likely less useful once their destination was reached.

Ahead of her, Colonel Elliot led the way, picking the safest route with a mixture of instinct and, more likely, the sensor system he carried, linked to a micro drone they'd dispatched above them, feeding data on the terrain to a display built into a contact lens. The Lucians had gotten good at spotting the more 'traditional' Tau'ri equipment, but the new generation stuff was beyond them, they'd never think to look for a contact lens. Hopefully, anyway.

Glancing behind her, she caught the eyes of Zach, the team's 'nerd' as General O'Neill had been known to call the role. General Carter had assured him that the General meant it as a term of endearment, after Dr Jackson, but he wasn't a fan of it nonetheless. Dr Stevens was an expert on various aspects of history, archaeology and linguistics, as well as being their field medic. Behind him, Lieutenant Xiu was bringing up the rear, on loan from the People's Liberation Army, she represented one of the first attempts at creating truly mixed nationality SG teams, rather than the previous approach of giving different nations their own, individual squads. Hailey figured this was the brass laying the groundwork for any future public disclosure of the Program, plus it prevented any individual country's forces going 'off piste' as had happened once or twice in the past.

SG-28 was one of the last of the 'traditional' style SG Teams; modelled after the legendary SG-1; (mostly) US Air Force personnel, someone with a science background, someone with a knowledge of history and so on. The newer teams were almost exclusively drawn from various nation's special forces; SAS, Delta Force, Spetsnaz and the like. While the SGC had largely been in a war of one kind or another since it had begun, it reflected the differing nature of the Lucian conflict, the kind of work those specialists could do on the ground was vital, and though well trained, wasn't something the regular Teams were as capable of.

Not that SG-28 wasn't capable, far from it she thought. Their mission was strictly recon, head to the town and observe. P7X-843, or Odessia, as the locals called it, was just inside the boundary of the territory the Alliance claimed. It was fairly unremarkable really, lightly populated by a people held in check by the Lucians boot. Their standard MO; control the Gate, control the people. Most world's lacked self-sufficiency in the wake of the Goa'uld Empire and were dependent on trade for survival. The Lucians would arrive in a show of strength, landing Ha'tacks, blow up a few buildings to make their point, leave a garrison behind to secure the Gate, then move on, maybe taking any of the locals who seemed useful as they did so.

It certainly didn't seem like this place had anything of particular value as they finally emerged from the treeline. Around 300m ahead was the beginnings of the town, it was typical of an ex Goa'uld world, simple stone buildings where the height of architectural technology here, further in the distance, beyond the settlement, all she could make out were farmlands, relatively freshly ploughed. This world hadn't been claimed by the Lucians for that long, a year or two at most, perhaps they'd been using the locals to clear away trees for that purpose thought Hailey.

The Alliance were no better than the Goa'uld when it came to treating the people under their rule. The Snakes were evil by their very nature, Humans doing it to other Humans was somehow worse, though, given Earth's history, not a shocking surprise reasoned Hailey. There didn't appear to be much in the way of technology here, but that was what they were here to determine. Along with territory and ships, the Lucians had captured large numbers of individuals, both Goa'uld and Human, who had built and maintained the technology that underpinned the now fallen System Lords. If all they had was the Goa'uld fleet, the Alliance would have been tricky, but ultimately simple foe to deal with; Earth's vessels, equipped with their Asgard technology were almost hilariously overmatched against a Ha'tack, their beam cannons capable of ripping through shields like they weren't even there, would have meant that, in time, it would have been possible to cripple or outright destroy the fleet, and drive the Alliance back to Lucia itself, but no, with the knowledge they had captured, they were, somehow, managing to improve upon the Goa'uld designs.

It had been theorised that the System Lords had deliberately kept their technology relatively stagnant, not that the Goa'uld as a species didn't understand the technology they wielded. While they had stolen it from the Alterans after their departure, it was obvious they understood it. The SGC's assumption was that, somewhere within the Alliance, there were a number of Goa'uld's, or possibly former Human slaves, who understood the technology, and were 'helping' the Alliance close the gap on the ships of the Tau'ri.

Therefore, one of the priorities was to determine whether this was true, and if it was, to put a stop to it.

The streets were dusty, people either tried to avoid making any eye contact whatsoever, or glared at them as they passed by. Strangers didn't seem particularly welcome, she thought. Nor did it have much of a welcoming atmosphere stranger or not, not least because it seemed fairly apparent that indoor plumbing was a technological innovation that had yet to be discovered here.

As they emerged into a public square, with what appeared to be a tavern of some sort at its centre, a group of Lucians approached them. Dressed head to toe in the black leather garb of the Alliance, they carried a mixture of Jaffa weapons and blades, at least as far as she could tell. Four men and a single female quickly crossed the distance between them, one of the men moved into the lead, just under 6ft tall, wiry and lean, but still with an air of threatening menace, his face ragged and unshaven, unlike his head, which was shaved bald.

"That's a Tau'ri weapon," the man growled, pointing his staff at the machine gun that he had obviously noticed under Colonel Elliot's robes.

Elliot narrowed his eyes and deftly pulled the gun out, the Lucians powering their staffs and charging their Zat'nik'tel's as the Colonel brandished the weapon in the air with a hint of triumph.

"That's what the bastard I took it from told me before I killed him," he boasted, shaking the gun for added effect, starting to laugh. This seemed to amuse the Lucians, who relaxed slightly, though their weapons were still armed. The man who spoke took a few steps further towards them, spinning his staff upright, resting the end of it on the ground.

"Who the hell are you people, and what makes you think you can walk into our town, armed?" His eyes narrowed, "Think carefully about how you respond."

As Elliot began to speak, Hailey stepped forward, by now she'd noticed at least one of the Alliance men eyeing her up, so she figured that could be advantageous in helping to disarm the situation. She smacked the Colonel in the chest as she passed by him, "Put that away, idiot," she snapped. Lucians respected strength, and she knew at least some of the clans had matriarchal structures.

"We are from a world on the other side of the Galaxy," she softened her tone, offering a slight smile, "and as my… associate here," she turned her head slightly, glowering at Elliot, who by now had figured out her game and was playing along, and had returned his weapon to his side. Returning her gaze to the Lucians, softening her tone once again, "we had a run in with the Tau'ri, there was a firefight and we escaped."

She stopped and looked around, taking in their surroundings. "Honestly, I had no idea this was your town, I have no idea what world this is, it's the sixth we've been to since we fled."

Turning back towards the Lucians, "it's said the Tau'ri can track you through the Gates, we had to be sure they weren't on our tail." She smirked, the men certainly seemed more relaxed, but now, the woman with them spoke.

"So you say you're running from the Tau'ri, and there are four of you? We often run into Tau'ri travelling in groups of four, but I suppose that's just a coincidence?" As she spoke the men with her somewhat stiffened up in their postures again, perhaps she was their leader, reasoned Hailey, so she decided to address her directly this time. She was the smallest of the five, lithe, but clearly strong, and confident. Long brownish red hair pulled back gave her face a hard look that matched her tone.

"There were seven of us, actually. There were four Tau'ri, we left them with two after they killed three of us, including my elder sister." Hailey narrowed her eyes and tried to summon as much rage as she could, the Lucian woman picked up on it, appearing to buy her acting.

"Then it is a pity you weren't able to take the lives of all four of those dogs to properly avenge your sisters death." She gave a slight nod, then quickly turned, and started to walk away from them.

"Come, perhaps we can ease your sisters passing with a drink in her honour."

What a drink it was, it took all of Hailey's self-control not to choke as she swigged it down. Some sort of spirit, but may as well have been paint stripper. Clearly, once the war was done, there'd be a hell of a business opportunity selling the galaxy decent booze.

"You're Lucian Alliance, aren't you?" By now things had largely evolved into a discussion between the two women, while the boys glowered at each other and choked down their drinks, and Xiu sat quietly observing. Tanna, as she'd said her name was, raised an eyebrow, sitting back, taking another shot of the liquid, before carefully, though deliberately, placing her empty glass back down on the table, for it to be quickly refilled by the cowering bartender who had been positioned behind her since they had sat down.

"And what makes you say that?"

"We hear stories, even where we're from," Hailey drained her own glass, before eyeballing the bartender to ensure he replenished her glass in as prompt a manner as he had for Tanna. "Stories of a people who had carved an Empire out from the ashes of the fallen Goa'uld." Taking another shot, moving forward, "Stories of a people who could fight the Tau'ri." She summoned her faked rage back as she finished the sentence.

"So you're not from an Alliance world?"

"Not yet, at least." Hailey smirked.

The discussion, and the drinking, went on, the Lucians' tongues loosening, the anti-intoxicant drugs SG-28 had taken doing their best to keep them relatively sober enough to control the direction of travel.

"The Tau'ri are such arrogant fools," snorted Tanna, "They think themselves so high and mighty, yet we Lucians fought and survived the Goa'uld for decades, and they think they can outsmart us?"

"They think they've outsmarted you?" Hailey questioned, sensing an opportunity.

"Of course!" Tanna laughed, "We let them feel as knowledgeable and superior as they believe themselves to be, we let them think they know the size of our fleet, we let them think they know our secrets, we let them think they have destroyed our bases and our shipyards." One of the men to her right made an explosion gesture and an awkward attempt at the noise, much to the laughter of everyone present, either real, or forced.

"We even let them think they've managed to infiltrate our worlds to gather intelligence." Tanna's eyes narrowed, knocking back her glass, just as something struck the back of Hailey's head, her body slamming into the table. She had just enough consciousness left to see a similar fate befall Zach to her right, before the room started to go dark as her body slid off the edge towards the cold stone floor below as the room echoed with more laughter.