The Snake and the Moon
"Moonbase Alpha status report, Dr. Helena Russell-Koenig recording, we have our first soldier contingent up on Alpha. Feelings are mixed about them, but with the budget not available for the installation of an iris like SGC has, a guard for gateroom is a prudent precaution. Due the nature of the base, and its location up on the moon, worries of bullets, penetration and explosive decompression are being addressed by reinforcing the gateroom. What is on some minds are if any incoming threat gets past the gate."
Major Louis Ferretti felt ten feet tall. He was finally -on- the moon. Smiling he still remembered teasing the then Captain Carter about her playing with Major Matt Mason toys, when of course he knew about them as he was one of the many who played with the action figure growing up after it was introduced in the 1966. Now like that action figure's fictional world, he was on the moon.
He'll miss SG-2, as well as catching up with his old CO Jack O'Neill, as well as the rest of SG-1. Dr. Jackson, who he still remembers doubting Daniel with their first trip to Abydos, then denying it after Daniel figured their way home again. He was glad Sha're had been rescued, he wasn't as close as Jack had been, but he knew her since that first trip too.
"So I suppose we'll coordinate on when your people are stationed for gate duty," the voice of his technical superior, Tony Verdeschi, brought him back to the meeting he was attending in the huge Command office, which is often sealed from Main mission by a sliding large doors, though Lou would describe them as sliding walls. He agreed for the need of it, allowing Commander Koenig both privacy and used for command level meetings and discussions with members of staff.
Unspoken is the other reason for the large double sliding door that separate the Command office and Main mission, the ability to protect the Commander in case of an attack. Lou didn't add mentally, in case he failed.
"Tony, how about the ADS, is it installed and ready yet?" John asked Tony as he and Paul were the others around the table in addition to Lou.
"Keep in mind its still under development back on Earth, John," Tony replied, "If it wasn't for the extra insights the Stargate program has with technology a working model would be years before it saw any use. Still will be outside the program..."
"Is that a 'not available' or 'available' Tony?" Paul asked somewhat aggressively, he was both the stereotypical Brit from the others point of view and a quite belligerent one breaking the stoic archetype.
"Available," Tony didn't try to take offense at the pressure. Limited budgets aside, militarization of the base had to be handled carefully now that it's been revealed it functioned as a diplomatic outpost.
"Then let's get that installed as soon as possible. I want that as top priority Tony, and Paul if you can free up anyone in the technical section, do so. We're sitting on a diplomatic stop over point to Earth, and just in case not all of the visitors are friendly, I'd like to discourage any prolonged stays," John paused and looked at each of the men around the table, and nodded once to himself, "Okay people. Let's get to it."
Turning in his seat John pointed his comlock towards the double doors signaling them to part and opening up Main mission for direct access. He joined the others walking up the steps from the 'meeting pit' as he recalled seeing labeled unofficially on a blueprint during construction.
He paused as the others walked past him and his desk, taking the steps down to Main mission where Victor was looking off to the left forward corner below the observational walkway where it was decided Keeper would 'grow' a communications...clamshell, that was all John or anyone could think of it. Paul was trying to discourage the use of the term 'clamcom' in Main mission.
"How does it look, Victor? This will really work?" John asked after strolling down the steps and over to his friend and mentor.
"Hmm? Oh yes John. Biomechanical, not on principles we can understand yet, but it should work. We were able to get a clear passage for Keeper to grow this and the others around the base," Victor replied only some times looking at John.
John was thinking of the placements, and noticed the one for Command office hadn't been grown out of the spot set aside for it, though the one for the Medical center had. From the last report he remembered reading he should get one grown in his office before the one is grown in what others were referring to 'Alan's garage'.
Not a proper hangar yet, nothing in the way of ships, but with the 301 program there are hopes that will change. Of course, Alan still has hopes to get his Eagle design developed enough to put forward for funding. Amazingly enough his studies had come to the attention of Keeper and she had invited him down to her den to talk about an option and possible assistance.
That had Washington happy as so far helpful aliens, those willing to actually assist humanity were few and far in-between.
Satisfied Victor was satisfied, John checked the main screen where on it, SG-10 and 11 were outside working on the Keck III telescope. Victor noticed where John's attention went to and smiled as he went into lecture mode, "Of course, back on Earth, officially there are only Keck I and II, but with the Asgard obelisk and some connections with your NASA, plus the desire to 'spot the enemy' at a distance and we get one of the largest telescopes on Earth, and off it now, to have in our own backyard. What a triumph John."
A special triumph for Victor, John knew as he had brokered for Robert A. Day, W. M. Keck's grandson and current chairman and president of the W. M. Keck Foundation, to be brought in on the know about Moon base Alpha. Disclosure documents later, Robert was able to work out how his foundation could contribute, though it was going to be tricky to keep it hidden. Yet not impossible, as ultimately Keck III would be just the sort of project this American charitable foundation supporting scientific, engineering, and medical research in the United States would do. They just wouldn't say -where- the third Keck telescope was being placed.
Despite having heard it again, like many others around John smiled with Victor's enthusiasm. It continued to be infectious. John just privately wished the same Powers-That-Be that arranged for Keck III would do so with getting an iris on the gate. At least one nice side benefit, getting the adapted construction equipment to assemble an eight story telescope up to Alpha will make the planned expansion to house up to 300 personnel easier.
"Incoming wormhole," Sandra's accented voice broke through John's musings and he found himself pausing as orders were anticipated. The main viewer switched to the Gateroom, the doors separating the Gateroom from Main mission closed and Lou's people were getting into position. Though he really should think of them as Tony's people. After all he really had to push the boys back at Washington to keep let someone from the Italian Air force essentially command soldiers in the US Air Force.
Staff blast came through the event horizon first. Lou deploying his men knowing it was just them between whatever was coming through and Alpha. "Tony, what people you can, get them over here for back up," John ordered, then turned to the others, "On my command, be ready to evacuate Main mission."
He turned to the Burmese woman, "Sandra let the SG teams know we're under attack and to start them back inside, then let the SGC know. Kano..." and John didn't even consider why he was on first name basis for some, but others like David Kano he wasn't, "Have Selene ready to decompress the Gateroom...IF and I mean if Lou and his men don't make it."
There was maybe two Zat'nik'tels, Zats as they were affectionately called, on Alpha, and from the last report at least one was disassembled for study. "Tony...the two Zats either in anything like a working order?"
"Maybe..." he thought back to the research he was conducting, as Doctor Verdeschi, astrophysicist. It was how he got involved up here through Victor who had been his teacher as well. Joining his country's air force indulged his other passion of flying and sense of national pride. That and following family tradition, his older brother Guido was now a Colonnello, their father a Generale di Divisione Aerea (Major General).
He didn't follow so much the piloting fast track, though he was a fair pilot, than he did the R&D portion. His country already has one of the most powerful air forces in Europe, Tony wanted to keep them on top with several cutting edge weapon systems.
Right now he hoped his work hadn't deprived Alpha of an alternative weapon to use on the base. Taking off in a dash, he used the right of the two open exits flanking the Gateroom door under the main monitor. If both Zats were disassembled, maybe he could put one back together again in time to be useful.
Lou saw one, two, three men go down as Horus guards came walking into the Gateroom, a staff blast catching him in the shoulder and spinning him around. He was the last to go down and while he knew two of his people took out two of the four guards, they were down. Lou couldn't account for the continued staff blast before consciousness slipped from him…likely the Gateroom door leading back up to Main mission.
What John saw were his men going down and felt on his lips the order to decompress the Gateroom when he saw more staff blast and a robbed Jaffa, like what John had seen Teal'c sometime wear or Master Bra'tac. However he wore no armor like Bra'tac had, he was just robbed and carrying a staff weapon.
Everyone saw him shoot one, then the other Horus guards that preceded him, then spin his staff to strike first one then another guard that had followed him, the Gate closing down a moment later.
"Si'nu!" he shouted and slowly laid down his staff weapon onto the floor, then raised his hands up into the air, "Cal mah! Cal mah!"
Heads turned to Sandra, John's wasn't one of them, but she had his ear, "Wait...and sanctuary." He knew she had studied what the SGC sent up about the Goa'uld-Jaffa language that Drs. Jackson, both Daniel and Claire, as well as Sara Kozak had gathered in the last two years. "Sir, I think he's asking for sanctuary."
Tony was back without a Zat, but he and two of his men were armed with ARWEN 37's, Tony and his man Dreese pouring out of the right northern entrance to Main mission, his other man Getchell whipping around out of the left. Dreese was at the unenviable position of right in front of the doors leading to the Gateroom, albeit looking down the shallow amount of steps that lead down to it. Tony and Getchell, to the right and left, were aiming down at the door as well.
"I think it's alright Tony..." though John hadn't said for him to stand down, "I think we have a Jaffa defector."
Once Helena and her team were done, the aftermath were two dead, three wounded counting Louis Ferretti. One Jaffa -priest-, that was a new one, in what approximated as a holding cell for now, and six dead Horus guards.
"I'm sorry to have to ask so soon," and letting his eyes apologize for pulling her away from the wounded to get the answers he now asked of her, "How is our Jaffa priest?"
"If you're worried about a booby trap like SGC had encountered before, I didn't find anything like what had been encountered," she did understand, and it wasn't as if Bob or Ben couldn't handle the three survivors of the attack while she made sure Alpha wasn't threatened.
"How was the scanner I sent up, Dr. Russell?" the face of the Keeper appeared between the open clamshell communicator that stuck out of one corner in the medical center. Helena was grateful she had convinced Keeper to use a shortened version of her hyphenated name.
Ben smiled even as he finished attending to one soldier, it had been his chance to go down and see the Keeper, a real live alien life form. When the Keeper had called earlier, the Californian was quite 'eloquent' with stating how she was too busy with important work to spare the time and stressed delegation was a hallmark of a good leader.
Spotting Ben's smile, she first returned it then raised an eyebrow in silent near reproach. Ben quickly focused back on the task at hand.
"It works wonderfully, thank you for it and the help with the analysis," Helena formally thanked her.
"If I may see the Jaffa once you have a moment, I would like to ask him why he no-longer wishes to follow the Goa'uld," the Keeper requested, "Chandra is also curious and we'd like to satisfy our curiosity if it presents no difficulties on your part Commander."
"No Keeper, that shouldn't be a problem at all," John replied arranging the logistics in his mind. He'd received a 'Thank you Commander' before Keeper's image vanished from the clamshell.
It was only a turn in place to see the make-shift holding cell. Medical center's sealed observation room would not have been his first choice, but choices were not many at the moment. Alpha still had much on the blueprints that hadn't made it to reality yet. So off to their right stood a guard, Victor and Tony, the latter having heard, unlike the Professor who kept talking with the man beyond the transparent thick plastic window taking up half the wall.
"So you want me to arrange escort, John? A formal debrief is likely to take place back on Earth. SGC or Area 51," Tony bit off the 'your' part of listing Area 51 from tumbling out from his lips. They were all in this together, it wasn't right to throw it in John's face that the US military had jurisdiction.
"Yes, Tony, you do that," John answered hoping that Tony had reassembled at least one Zat. Right now the only other weapon to use beyond the Gateroom were the Anti Riot Weapon ENfields that were shipped up. The 'less-lethal' launchers fire 37 mm less-lethal rounds of foam or wooden or tear gas payload. Tony had them loaded with foam, with tear gas as the next rounds to go in.
Tony's dream of an Earth-made Zat'nik'tel was still that...a dream at the moment. Yet like the amateur brewer's beer, John knew he would just keep at it until he got it right.
"Victor, if we can break in," John knew the two men who looked approximately the same age, but likely the Jaffa was far older, seem to get along well. Not that it really surprised John, Victor had that way about him that seems to transcend even alien barriers.
"Certainly John, Tolok is fascinating to talk to," Victor was clearly excited, but for reasons John didn't glean immediately. Presuming his mentor was having a wonderful discussion about philosophies and not what the bombshell Victor dropped on him.
"The priest are not just for religion John," Victor began after telling the Jaffa named Tolok farewell for the moment, "They're the technicians for the Goa'uld!"
John by default of wanting to hear more of what Victor had to say, let Tony and his men escort Tolok to the 'reception hall' of Chandra's and the ring transporter in it.
"You know how Jaffa are taught that what the Goa'uld use is magic," Victor's question John knew was generally rhetorical, a response was appreciated, but not required, fortunately a nod let him continue, "Well that's why the technicians are 'priest'. They do perform a ritual service of course, perform marriages, oversee the implanting of a symbiote, officious things John. However they also act as Technomancers."
Victor could see the word was not a familiar one with his former student, "It is a way of mystifying the technology that some Jaffa have to know about in order to maintain or even repair as needed. Staff weapons, Zat'nik'tels, even their ships, Ha'taks, Tel'taks, they also eventually need tending to and that is what the Technomancers do when not tending to their religious duties."
"You got all of that with only this short chat?" John was awestruck, his humor bubbling up to anchor him back with their conversation, "Maybe you should handle all future interrogations."
"Debriefing John. You interrogate an enemy, debrief a friend and Tolok is a friend. He wants to join Teal'c's cause. He wants freedom for his people, and his family," Victor saw John's surprised look, "Yes family John. Quite a large one. Don't let how old you think he is fool you. He only looks my age, John, he's lived long enough that he's fathered twelve children, has fourteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren."
"They're on Chulak right now," Victor volunteered the answer to what he presumed John's next question was going to be, "But he doesn't think that planet will remain safe, and he chose now to leave Heru-ur's service because he knew he couldn't keep that fact hidden for long. He was actually cut off from joining them, and when he found out about the planned reconnaissance to search for Apophis, he joined this party to hopefully find us, the Tau'ri."
"How would finding Apophis lead him to us?" John asked not quite following his mentor's logic.
"Tolok said that Heru-ur found the address to where Apophis had come from after his escape from his exploding Ha'tak and his priests have a procedure to read addresses off a gate. So this party of Jaffa were to... what is the term, 'recon by fire'?"
"Commander," it was much later when Keeper's face came over the clamshell in John's office, "Chandra and I wish to extend an offer to Tolok for him and his family to stay with us. We're already growing quarters for them as we understand his family is quite extensive."
John just sat there a moment looking at the translucent image. This was not welcomed news, not as far as the Pentagon was concerned. During the time Tolok was down talking with the Keeper, John had to field several calls from the SGC but with the tone of the Pentagon and NID. They wanted Alpha to send down the 'Snakehead', the less-than-precise, if not accurate, nickname for anything with a symbiote, to place him into their care.
'Care' was something John didn't think Tolok would get.
However with the importance of the alien outpost and hopefully finding allies, their goodwill will likely be enough for their request for Tolok to remain is granted. Not that it appeared Chandra was considering it a request if he was already growing quarters. The call from General Hammond relayed the welcomed news. Security would still be an issue, but a precedent had been set by Teal'c, Drey'auc and Rya'c.
He'd let Victor break the news to Tolok, and it didn't surprise John to find the two were already together talking up on the observation walkway above Main mission.
John left the two of them up there, walking slowly down the steps to Main mission. He was looking forward to downtime tonight, pushing aside the two deaths, the threat of Heru-ur sending more Jaffa through the gate, and not knowing when to expect the first alien delegates to arrive now that the diplomatic outpost was 'open for business' again. Right now John just wanted his wife in his arms and to relax as the moon continues its orbit around the Earth.