Author's Note: I am finally back from my writer's block. I had been unsure of how to proceed, but a friend of mine named Hiei1011 began writing with me again. We both decided to restart our stories. Check out his story "Darkest Before Dawn". It takes place in the same universe as my Golden Dawn AU, and is from the viewpoint of General Hiel. Our stories will tie in together, and I am helping him co-write it as well. His story is Favorited in my profile and his name is Hiei1011. You may find his profile in my author favorites as well for easy access. I urge you to check it out and also review it. It is a strong supplement to Golden Dawn if you would like to get more of an experience :).
-Amann0407
Stargate: Golden Dawn
Chapter 4: Crossroads
"Hard and brutal war is the quickest way to true peace."
-General Nex Ado of Alesia, also known as Hiel the Merciless
Colonel O'Neill walked along to the briefing room, musing to himself as he walked along. It was never a dull moment in the SGC, and the last several months had seen interesting developments since their mission to Inoxis. The Tok'ra had been shocked to hear that Chi You was alive and loose once more; they seemed almost optimistic about a possible alliance with the former System Lord.
"You are certain it was Chi You?" Martouf said with astonishment.
"Yeah, it's hard to mistake him when he shouted his name to P'tah right before he killed him." O'Neill quipped.
"This is astonishing. The mate of our progenitor is alive."
"Wait…what?" Jackson said, glancing up from his notes.
"Chi You was Egeria's mate." Martouf explained. "While he was still very much a Goa'uld in terms of his ruthlessness, he did not believe that he or the System Lords were gods."
"Ah." O'Neill said.
"Yes, if he is back, he could prove to be an invaluable ally in our fight with the System Lords. He was reputed to hate the System Lords above all others."
O'Neill reached the briefing room, the rest of SG-1 were sitting down at the table already as he took his seat. Hammond walked in a few minutes later.
"Glad to see you all here. I've got a new assignment for you." Hammond said as he sat at the head of the table. The lights dimmed as the screen turned on to show a map.
"Antarctica?" Daniel asked.
"Correct. According to recent radar scans, there is more to the site where the Stargate was found. It is believed that this was possibly a staging point for the Ancients, given what we know of them. The scientists stationed there have asked for SG-1's assistance, given how Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill were stranded there four years ago."
"Sir, with all due respect, we were frozen there. I doubt we could be of much help." O'Neill replied.
"I would normally agree. But SG-1 has no currently scheduled missions for the next two weeks, and the scientists just want you to observe and offer suggestions. Jackson's expertise on the Ancients would help in anything they find as well."
"Swell. Antarctica in March." O'Neill quipped.
Several days later….
Cold. Teeth chattering, mind numbing, bone piercing cold. For miles, there was nothing but ice and snow. However that only makes an average March in Antarctica. O'Neill stood over a group of scientists, shivering slightly as they were scanning the ice around the Stargate.
"Don't I take you to the most wonderful places?" O'Neill said to Major Carter sarcastically.
"All the time sir," Carter shot back with a smile, "Like that time on Chu'lak where we were imprisoned."
Colonel O'Neill approached an older scientist with a receding hair line who was poking through some ice and asked, "So how are you eggheads doing?"
"Well we still can't figure out what the Ancients were even doing out here in the middle of Antarctica," Dr. Bill Lee replied.
"It probably wasn't frozen when they were using it." Carter said, looking over his shoulder at the screen.
Just then Rodney Mckay yelled from across the room, "I found someone."
"Something," Jack corrected him, "The only people dumb enough to be out here are us."
"No someone," Rodney replied, "And if we're stupid then what does that make the frozen guy?"
"Wait, what frozen guy?" Jack asked now actually interested.
They approached the block of ice as people worked to free the block from the surrounding ice. A man was inside, appearing to be about 5'9 with jet black hair and shining white armor. The armor had some sort of gold eagle on the front of the armor, with some sort of white cape draped around the man's shoulders. The man appeared to be clutching a black staff in his hands. As they looked the man over, suddenly his eyes opened behind the ice, revealing deep red eyes. Jack felt uneasy as he took a step back.
"Woah." Jack said after a moment.
"That is strange. I am reading very faint lifesigns. He's alive!" Dr. Lee said excitedly.
"Alright, pack it up. Usual containment procedures." He ordered as the team of scientists worked to excavate the block from the hole. A few hours later, they were on their way back to the SGC with their prize in tow.
Elsewhere in the world, a short man with blonde hair and green eyes sat in his house watching TV as usual. He was a successful businessman and was all alone despite appearing to be in his late forties. The program continued to play though he wasn't really paying attention. Something was scaring him and he didn't know why. It was as though someone he knew very well had come back. Someone that he had assumed was long dead. The man stroked his short goatee, frowning in thought as he looked at the screen.
The news had mentioned that a scientific expedition to Antarctica was returning. He really paid no attention to it as when the Lanteans had returned to Earth, Atlantis was still in the Pegasus galaxy and as such he didn't have to worry too much about the Humans, as they liked to call themselves finding anything too useful. Yet something was bothering him. He knew for years now that the humans were keeping the Stargate in Cheyenne Mountain. It had led to his decision to live in Colorado Springs to keep a discreet eye on them just in case. Deciding not to let it go he grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door. Once in his car he headed towards the old military base.
He parked his car near the main gate as several men with automatic weapons pointed their guns towards him.
"You are on restricted military property. Come out of the car with your hands above your head. Approach the gate slowly!" The loudspeaker barked.
Not bothering to introduce himself he stepped out of the car and raised his hands showing that he was unarmed. He didn't need to be though. He approached the gate and all of the guards fell asleep as they opened it up to arrest the intruder. He grabbed an ID card and went inside. Several more guards awaited him inside, the base going on alert as security cameras spotted him.
They posed no threat as they fell asleep the second they saw him. They hit the floor with a loud thud as he walked by without interruption. Once at the elevator he swiped the ID card and pushed a button on the elevator and descended in to the mountain. Once emerging into a long hallway he was met by another force of guards. They too fell asleep at his mental command. Slowly he made his way down corridors and hallways, into another elevator and to a medical center. He typed fast into the computer mainframe, hacking into the network and pulling up a security camera in the main infirmary.
His fears were confirmed. His old apprentice was there. A man so dangerous that if he escaped, the universe would be forever doomed. Several men appeared behind him and told him to raise his hands. He considered putting them to sleep and running for dear life through the Stargate. But that would only delay his inevitable demise. And it wouldn't help the humans any.
The man decided to raise his hands. Turning around, he told the guards. "There are greater threats to your facility then me."
"I'll decide that." General Hammond said walking around the corner, with SG-1 behind him.
"If that man returns to full consciousness, you will all perish and the galaxy will curse your names for the evil you have unleashed upon it. That is until while they still live." The man said, pointing toward the video of the man thawing out in the infirmary.
"He can only blink and he's still an ice cube," O'Neill retorted.
"Then there is still time to kill him." The man stated.
"No one is killing anyone yet," Hammond said, "Take him to a cell so we can interrogate him."
The man did not resist as two guards came up and grabbed his arm, allowing himself to be led away.
A few hours later...
"What's your name?" Jack asked. The rest of SG-1 crowded behind him, curious to find out more about their visitor.
"Metrinos," the man replied.
"And what makes the popsicle so dangerous," Jack continued his line of questioning.
"He is an Alesian," Metrinos answered, "Have you ever met an Alesian?"
"An Alesian? We've heard of them, never had the chance to mock one though."
"You would mock them?" Metrinos inquired, surprised by the statement.
"Of course I would, it's a job perk," O'Neill stated. Metrinos shook his head.
"When faced with not only your doom, but the destruction of the whole galaxy, you would make jokes?" He asked incredulously.
"It's what I do," Jack replied.
"You are a strange man," Metrinos shook his head again.
"I prefer the term different, but that doesn't explain how you managed to get in here let alone, how you knew about the mansicle, or about the Alesians. We only found out about them recently." Jack said, back to business.
"Yes. I am what you call an Ancient. The Alesians were once as well. Some of them were my pupils in the Lantean fleet forces."
"Lantean Fleet forces? As in Atlantis? The lost city?" Daniel said with amazement.
"Yes. They feared that the Ori would one day return to destroy us all. We feared them more then we feared the Ori. " Metrinos said.
"Ori?" O'Neill said.
"Long story." Metrinos said, crossing his arms. "And not particularly relevant right now in light of the danger here."
"Wait a second, are you saying that the Ancients and the myth of Atlantis are connected?"
"Yes, but we are getting sidetracked from the main issue. I promise I will explain everything later!" Metrinos said, becoming distressed with the humans tendency to interrupt him. 'Don't they understand how much danger they are in? No, of course they don't. Patience Metrinos. Patience' He thought to himself furiously.
Jack and Daniel looked between each other as Metrinos continued.
"We were not wrong in fearing them, what we didn't know was how much support they had amongst the fleet. A fifth of our forces defected when they were banished to a corner of this galaxy. A planet called Alesia. We hoped the high gravity would kill them, but it only made them stronger. Our betrayal of them left them bitter and spiteful. This one especially." Metrinos said, pointing toward the door.
"You are talking about the popsicle, I take it."
"Yes. Our plan seemed to have worked, for the first twelve thousand years or so. Until on a routine exploration mission in this galaxy, one of our scout ships vanished without a trace. Other ships were sent and only managed to get a message out. The message was short. It read 'They are coming'. The Alesians were battle hardened by the brutal landscape and the planets savage gravity. Roughly five times that of Earth, it made them even more dangerous than before."
"I see." O'Neill said.
"However by then we were at war with the Wraith and hoped that the Asgard could keep them contained. And they did. Trapped in a time bubble the Alesians seem to have been contained. Only some of their outlying planets weren't affected. Hiel the Merciless somehow must have escaped and made his way to our old outpost." Metrinos gave a grim smile.
"What are the Wraith?" Daniel asked.
"That is another long story." Metrinos sighed.
"It would take too long to explain. What matters most is the man you are holding right now and the danger he poses to you, your people, and your world." Metrinos looked up, giving a grim sort of smile.
"Though I've heard he goes by the name Nex Ado now. A ridiculous name. The Deathbringer. He always had a flair for psychological warfare." The Ancient snorted in derision.
"So what you're saying is, you're over twenty-two thousand years old," Jack asked.
"Older. Much older. But I am surprised that is all you took out of that," Metrinos inquired.
"Yeah. I hope to look as good when I reach that age," Jack replied sarcastically.
"Ridiculous names aside, this is serious. When Hiel awakens, he will rain down death and destruction upon you like you have never seen before. He knows no pity or remorse. If he views you as a threat, he'll eliminate you like you would kill an ant."
Jack shrugged as he asked, "What else can you tell us about these Alesians?"
Metrinos shook his head as he said, "We know little of them after they were banished to Alesia. We always assumed they had died off until the message was sent" Metrinos looked up suddenly as he continued.
"Hiel is growing stronger as we speak. He has almost regained consciousness."
"And that's bad?" Jack said jokingly.
"I can keep his powers suppressed for now, but its only a matter of time before my hold on him breaks," Metrinos suggested urgently.
Jack shrugged his shoulders as he inquired, "Can't you just put him to sleep like you did those guards?"
Metrinos shook his head as he replied, "No. His mind is too strong and his will too powerful. The only thing I can do is suppress his telekinesis. Even then he will find a way to break through that and when he does we are all doomed. The only way to save yourselves is to kill him. Kill him now while he is still frozen."
A voice spoke out from the open doorway as Metrinos froze. It was a voice he recognized from long ago.
"Not as frozen as you might like, you coward," a heavily sedated Nex mumbled as he was wheeled into the cell next to Metrinos.
"You'll have to excuse me. I must keep him suppressed." Metrinos said as he got up.
"Make your decision quickly, O'Neill of Terra. You might not have long to make it before he makes it for you."
As Nex passed out, Metrinos sat in the corner of his cell and began to meditate to focus his power. It would only be a matter of time until Nex broke free, but this might buy him enough time for the humans to execute their greatest threat to date.
The next day…
Nex awoke in his cell and everything around him was quiet. He peered up to see some human sitting in front of Metrinos' cell. O'Neill was saying something he wasn't quite sure what as he was still fairly doped up from before. All he knew was it seemed to be a one sided conversation.
As the drugs slowly wore off Nex felt stronger, and he knew his time of escape was near. He flexed his fingers, itching to get out of this prison. Jack was still talking to Metrinos, although it was obvious that Metrinos wasn't responding to the questions. Standing up Nex also noticed that they stripped him of his armor. Something he wasn't expecting from the lesser beings. Instead he wore some sort of green colored clothing. Something else was odd as well. He thrust his hand at the cell door expecting it be ripped from its hinges and become imbedded in the wall. However, not even a puff of dust whiffed from the ground. Metrinos could be the only answer. A sneer crossed his face.
"How long can you hold me old man? Even now you must feel me slipping from your grasp." Hiel called out tauntingly.
O'Neill peeked around the cell door and casually said, "Oh. Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up and join the world of the living."
"You know nothing of living, primate," Nex retorted, a look of smug superiority crossing his face.
"Yeah well, talking to this guy is like talking to a brick wall," Jack replied., coming into the room and sitting in a chair near the cell
"I find that hard to believe, it's impossible to get him to shut up," Nex snarled.
Jack just shrugged his shoulders and said, "he's kinda just sitting there."
Nex laughed as he called out, "Really old man? You have to resort to meditation to keep me down? Old age must be getting to you." The laughter made hairs on O'Neill's neck stand up. It sounded cold and harsh. Devoid of any warmth or humanity. The possibility crossed his mind that the Alesian was not entirely sane. Hiel paced in front of the cell, like a caged predator. Jack knew that he couldn't show any weakness, so he decided to play unconcerned despite his instincts screaming at him.
Jack leaned back in the chair as he spoke, "So tell me a little bit about yourself, Hiel."
"Hiel? That man is no more," Nex said, absolute rage in his voice.
"According to the guy in cell three, that's your name," Jack replied.
"The Lanteans took everything from me. My years of service meant nothing to them. My dedication meant nothing to them. My life meant nothing to those bastards!" Nex Ado shouted angrily, slamming his fist against the door.
"They stranded us on that forsaken planet. With an environment so harsh that they thought we would die in days. We survived. By the time our supporters arrived we had adapted to the savage gravity and the cold. Only the strongest survived. It was then the Alesian Empire was born, it was then I ceased to be what I was to them. I am now Nex Ado. General of the Imperial Legions of Alesia. You will address me by that name, primate." Hiel snarled at O'Neill.
"So did this Amann Adar change his name as well?"
"No. Amann refused to let them take everything from him. Some of us took on new names, others kept their old. The choice was theirs to make." Nex said, sneering at O'Neill.
"So do you have a death star," Jack asked sarcastically.
"What are you babbling on about?" Nex said, annoyed to no end. This human was actually mocking him, and he didn't even know what the human was mocking him for. This only enraged him further.
'I am going to enjoy killing this one. Slowly.' Hiel promised himself. Yes. Soon enough he will do it.