CHAPTER SIX

Passage to the New World

"Men of strange appearance have come across the great water. They have landed on our island. Their skins are white like snow, and on their faces long hair grows. These people have come across the great water in wonderfully large canoes which have great white wings like those of a giant bird. The men have long and sharp knives, and they have long black tubes which they point at birds and animals. The tubes make a smoke that rises into the air just like the smoke from our pipes. From them come fire and such terrific noise that I was frightened, even in my dream."

Ojibwa prophet

P7R-188

Major Edward Graves had a dirty little secret, one that he had studiously kept to himself for many years. It wasn't out of fear of retaliation or social embarrassment but out of the lack of interest in explaining himself. He was a devout fan of American westerns. As a child he had watched many old movies on BBC. He had always been drawn to westerns like High Noon, which starred Gary Cooper, or the many John Wayne greats like The Searchers and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. His parents, the educated London professionals that they were, were both a little bemused and horrified by their son's movie tastes. They would have preferred a little more in taste, like Henry V or Lawrence of Arabia. As he had tried pointing out to them on numerous occasions and failing, it wasn't that he didn't like other genres, it was that he really enjoyed American westerns. His protestations fell on biased ears. His affection for that certain part of American culture was akin to coming home from college to announce he was converting to Catholicism from his Anglican roots. Some things just didn't change.

This interesting bit of information is offered because at this very moment Major Graves was having a distinct feeling of deja vu related to those movies of his youth. The very thought that he was in a similar situation as Gary Cooper's character actually gave him an internal chuckle which combined with his training was helping to keep him calm in what was expected to be a rather tense situation. Graves and the others in his party had received immense amounts of training dealing with a first contact situation, but until one was in the moment, that training was theoretical at best, as General O'Neill liked to remind his teams on a regular basis. Normally, soldiers might blow off a General when they feel the need to pontificate. However, on this issue everyone at the SGC listened to him on this matter. He'd done it enough.

Graves and his men stood like Old West gunslingers as the newcomers approached. The silence was disconcerting. Most of the villagers were out in their fields along with most of the civil affairs team who were teaching them newer farming methods. Graves had already radioed the American major in charge of the team to let him know what was happening. He needed that eight man team back in the village soon. He knew he might need the additional firepower. He had to work hard to keep it from coming to that though. Things were bad enough.

The history of humanity on Earth was actually littered with tales of first contact situations gone badly. The very first foreigners to wash up on the shores of feudal Japan had generally been shipwrecked sailors. They were summarily executed. It took a United States Navy task force led by Admiral Matthew Perry in 1853 to put an end to that through the sheer power of persuasion and trained cannons. The first English settlers to the New World hadn't only brought Christianity and a fervor to proselytize, but smallpox, to which the native population had no immunity. Estimates are that by the 18th century, 90 of New England's Native American population had been wiped out by disease and war. Graves also new that in many cases the Ancient Romans' idea of first contact involved the sword, shield and spear, along with the rapid appropriation of real estate. If these men were somehow connected, then they had to play it safe. Graves had to weigh those thoughts against the reports of the village elder, who spoke glowingly of the previous visits by the Latin-speakers. Let's play this smooth.

Graves, Granville and the translator, Dr. Timothy Falls, stood at the entrance to the village as the visitors approached. As soon as the saw the party, the newcomers began scanning the area for other threats and readied themselves for an ambush. Graves was impressed. These guys are professionals. They're not overreacting and yet they are not taking chances or assuming anything. Good.

Douglas Granville turned to Dr. Falls, who looked somewhat anxious at the moment. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, this is my first time." Falls was a professor of history at the American University of Rome and a contracted consultant to the Department of Defense. It was only his second time off-world. He was nervously tugging at his pants. It was his way of dealing with stress. Falls had never been a soldier or diplomat. All that he knew of soldiering he'd learned seeing Saving Private Ryan.

"Just take your time and do it right. You'll be fine. Don't make any sudden movements however." You fuck this up and I'll have one of the SAS lads shoot you.

Graves interrupted Granville's internal thoughts. "Here we go."

The lead soldier approached and stopped approximately 15 feet directly in front of the Earth contingent. The seven other men were arrayed in a wedge formation and staggered behind him. The leader's eyes were not as disciplined as the rest of his movements. The soldier looked at the group as if to say: Who the hell are you guys?

Granville wasted no time and spoke. As he spoke he stood resolute and proud, as he knew he was representing a proud and ancient power. British pride and diplomacy was still a matter of standing. "My name is Douglas Granville, a representative of Her Majesty's Britannic Government of the United Kingdom, one nation among many of the planet known as Earth. I bring you greetings on behalf of the people of Earth." Dr. Falls wasted no time in translating into classic Latin.

The lead soldier had stared at Granville during his greeting, giving away nothing in terms of understanding. He either did not understand modern English, a rarity apparently in this part of the universe, or he was playing it close to the vest. Upon hearing Dr Falls speak however, an absolute and unmistakable look of shock fell over his face and those of his men. He stared at Falls as if he'd been hit with a cattle prod. Granville was beginning to wonder if Falls had inadvertently called the man's mother a whore. Just as suddenly, the man spoke his first words, not with anger but with sheer surprise and curiosity:

"Quam operor vos teneo nostrum lingua?"

Falls turned to Granville. "He wishes to know how we know his language."

The soldier's bluntness told Granville at least one thing. The man was not a diplomat by training. That could be both good and bad. A diplomat tended to look for ways out of trouble; soldiers didn't always follow that reasoning. "Latin is an ancient and noble language of our planet. It was once the language of a dominant empire on our world. It is still used by the classical scholars of many of our societies." Falls followed through with a crisp translation. He seemed to Graves to be getting a little more relaxed.

The soldier seemed a little confused but recovered quickly and faced Granville. His men continued to watch the area but were half-listening to the conversation. Major Graves listened but kept his eyes on the visiting soldiers. Each side kept checking out the other as if waiting for trouble. They were all professionals. They didn't know it but they were being watched through high power scopes by three Royal Marine snipers. The soldier spoke directly to Granville, his eyes never leaving Granville's. He spoke with the absolute confidence of a highly trained professional soldier.

"Ego sum Centurion Praxis Gaius of Proprius Operations Legio of Romanorum Atrox Exercitus. Meus men quod ego adveho ex orbis terrarium notis ut Romanorum Atrox. Nos saluto vos in nomen of Imperator quod Imperiosus."

Glanville waited for Dr. Falls to convert the languages from memory, not always the easiest task in the world, or in this case, the universe. "I am Centurion Praxis Gaius of the Special Operations Legion of the Roman Terra Army. My men and I come from the world known as Roman Terra. We greet you in the name of the Emperor and the Imperium."

It was now Granville and Graves' turn to look surprised. The soldier noticed it too. Granville's thoughts raced at quite a clip. Roman Terra? Is this what I think it could be? Doctor Jackson and the cultural affairs people are going to go nuts! How the hell do I play this one?

Granville decided to take it slowly, although a thousand questions were burning for answers. "Am I to assume that the title Centurion is a military rank of some sort?" Falls continued with the translating. With this, a steady but wary conversation ensued.

"Yes, it is a rank of authority within our army. We use ranks to differentiate levels of authority within our armed forces."

"Yes, armies on our world do the same. In fact, let me introduce the officer with me. This is Major Edward Graves of the British Army."

The Centurion turned to Graves and using his right arm brought his fist to his heart in the classic Roman salute. Graves returned the gesture with the standard British salute; the right hand to the temple with the palm facing forward. Both soldiers sensed a smile cracking the professional veneer of their faces. Each could see the true soldier in the other. Some things were just universal. This was how good starts could happen. With this the Centurion picked up the conversation. He got to the point.

"It would appear that we both have many questions to ask each other. I will admit that we have never heard of your 'United Kingdom' but 'Earth' is a term we know well. We use it as part of the name of our world and as a generic term for the ground. I will leave the cultural questions for a later time. For now let me ask: what is your business here among these villagers? We have been visiting them of late and would not wish for them to be bothered."

I've seen how you kept the Prior from 'bothering' them. Granville had to put the thought aside. He had no idea what had transpired between them and the Prior. Their treatment of the Prior indicated two factors: advanced technology and a brutal attitude towards one's enemies. He was sure there was more to the story. For now, he needed to keep the soldier talking. Churchill had put it best. Jaw, Jaw, Jaw is better than War, War, War.

"Major Graves and his men have been visiting with these people for some time now. We have come in peace and have offered our assistance to the villagers in agriculture and other areas. The mandate of the governments of Earth is to peacefully explore the universe and make contact with the inhabitants of whatever planets we come across. In many cases we have developed relationships of trade and cultural exchange with various governments and their citizens. May I ask what your purpose here is?" Two can play the questioning game… Glanville wanted a good feel for where these men and their government stood.

"Men of the Special Operations Legion have been tasked with investigating any worlds that we come across. We look for any threats to our world and pave the way for our government to open contact for whatever purpose the Emperor and the Senate deem in our government's interest. Like you, we come in peace to these worlds, though we will defend ourselves."

Granville wanted to smile but stifled it quickly. Thank you for the opening Centurion Gaius! The soldier had just given him the conversational 'in' he had been waiting for. "I understand from the village elder that some of your men had to defend themselves from a staff-wielding man peddling a religious belief. Is that correct?" For now Granville would not reveal that the SGC had the body of the Prior or previous dealing with the Ori. He wanted their reaction first.

The Centurion seemed both remarkably unfazed by Granville's knowledge of the incident and at the same time bitter about the Prior. "Yes, we had an unfortunate encounter with the scum. We were willing to part ways and not interfere but the villagers did not want him here. He refused our entreaties to leave and attacked us with his powerful staff. We were forced to defend ourselves. He committed a high crime by harming one of the Emperor's soldiers. We dealt with his crime in the prescribed manner as a warning to his cohorts."The Centurion showed as much sympathy for the now-deceased Prior as a ten year old would for the ant he'd just stepped on.

Fort Carson, Colorado

It was probably the most secure auditorium in the world at the moment. The building, along with all the others, was swept regularly for listening devices. It wasn't a matter of trust or lack there of. The stakes were just too high. On the walls hung the crests of some of America's most elite and honored infantry units. Regiments and battalions that traced their lineage back to the Revolution or the early years of the United States and had fought through the worst of major battles. Places such as Saratoga, New Orleans, Fredericksburg, San Juan Hill, Bastogne, Ia Drang and Fallujah were more than names to these men. They were part of an unbroken chain of tradition and service. It's something the average civilian never really understands or appreciates.

"ROOM, ATTENHUT!"

The command pierced the room and every single soldier rose out of sheer muscle memory as if they'd been poked with a stick. More than anything else, they were a disciplined group. That discipline would be needed in the coming days. Most of the men in the room had done at least one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan and understood the implications and risks of their current assignment. Each was a volunteer who'd devoted countless months and hours into crafting themselves into expert soldiers and warriors. They would now be called to a new conflict, one that knew no borders, mercy or rules. It was a conflict fueled by hatred and religious fervor and would be waged against the closest thing these men would ever see to gods. Lesser men would have buckled under the knowledge of the scale of the threat; not these men however. They were Rangers.

Lt. Col. Terry McNulty made his way down the side aisle of the auditorium at his usual pace, meaning a full trot. He was followed by the battalion's operations staff. Arrayed in the seats were the men of Alpha and Bravo Companies, 7th Ranger Battalion and their commanding officers, Captain Curtis Miller and Captain Sean Delahunt. Charlie Company had just come off alert status and was in stand-down mode. The 7th had been waiting for this day since its formation. Formed to be the SGC's rapid response force, the 7th would now be called upon to take the fight directly to Earth's enemies. For years the United States and other nations had been reacting, now they would be acting. Many in the military, including McNulty and his men could only say one thing: Finally! If the average American citizen knew what was about to transpire in the auditorium, they would have been shocked. A new day was about to dawn for humanity and only 250 men in Colorado would know about it. The 7th Rangers would fight the first battle of the Earth-Ori War.

"At ease Rangers! Take your seats." McNulty took a moment to survey the room like a proud father. He'd handpicked most of these men personally; interviewed every non-commissioned officer and platoon leader. He had complete faith in these men and their abilities. The men in this room were the recipients of some of the best training and equipment ever devised. They were some of America's best and would be giving the Ori the shock of their so-called ascended lives. They knew it wouldn't be easy but that it had to be done.

"Gentlemen, the day has come for us to get into the action. It is now official. The President signed an official finding as of yesterday declaring the Ori to be a clear and present danger to the United States and the Earth at large. What does this mean? Simply put, if the Ori want the after-life so bad, it'll be our job to arrange their passage to whatever shithole they 'ascend' to. Hoo-ah!" McNulty referred to the Ori's concept of ascension the way some people described their one year old's bowel movements.

"HOO-AH!" The assembled Rangers let out a booming Army war cry. Some of the men in the room had family who were sickened by the Ori plague. They didn't need any help with the motivation. There would be blood and it wouldn't be human.

"Major Alderman and Captain Miller will be conducting the full briefing and delivering the op order in a few moments. I'll just give you a general overview of what has transpired and what we're going to accomplish. Now that we have been authorized, along with our allies, to conduct offensive operations, we're going to start hitting the Ori at the tactical level. We're going to be the biggest pains in the ass they've ever come across. We've started to develop good intelligence on their methods of operation and on their foot soldiers. You've all been studying that information the last week for a good reason. The Ori have begun to fan out from a central base of operations on the far side of the galaxy to convert the 'non-believers' to their way. One advantage for us is that they're going out in groups of fifty men with a Prior. That's a mistake we are going to capitalize on."

"We have received and confirmed actionable intelligence from an allied source that an element of Ori ground troops along with their Prior have arrived on P9J-737, a small industrial colony formerly controlled by the Goa'uld. The Asgard were kind enough to over fly the planet and get some high quality images of the area in question. The Asgard also report that their scans showed only the 50 ground troops in the area. In addition, Australian SAS troops are already on the planet and confirm the Asgard intel. They have begun forcing the native inhabitants to worship the Ori or be killed. This will be stopped. Alpha and Bravo Companies will deploy via the stargate from the Alpha Site and eliminate the Ori presence on the planet. At the same time the Odyssey will jump from hyper space and secure the immediate vicinity. At this point the Ori are only using the gate; they have no ships in the area. The Odyssey will also be bringing a reserve force of Air Force, Marine and Allied troops. Air Force F-302's will be providing the air cover and any strike capability we need."

McNulty looked out at the assembled group of men and knew he didn't need to embellish the story. The truth was awful enough. "I won't downplay the danger in this mission. The Ori have shown themselves to be ruthless bastards devoid of any sense of mercy. There are no moral ambiguities involved here. We will follow the laws of war and our Rules of Engagement as set down but be advised; they most likely will not surrender or offer quarter. They intend to convert or butcher us and our families. They intended to kill every one of us with their plague. They've already done it to other planets in multiple galaxies. They make the Taliban look like Berkeley professors. Doctor Jackson spoke to all of you recently about his meeting with them and of the things they plan to do. We cannot fail. The consequences are too dire to contemplate. You're ready for this. This is Earth's first true taste of open warfare in the galaxy and they've selected the best. The Air Force has carried the ball for the better part of the last decade. It's now our time. Do your country proud."

Stargate Command

Elizabeth Weir read the briefing papers with her trademark intensity intact. It was just as Sheppard predicted, plus and minus a few details. Things had changed since September 11th and she could sense it, even if she'd spent a large chunk of time in another galaxy. It was readily apparent to her that there had been a lot going on back on Earth that she hadn't been made privy to. This bothered her, not because of a bruised ego or sense of betrayal, but because the people making decisions weren't fully listening to the people in the field. Some things don't change she mused ruefully. She looked up and stared directly at Richard Woolsey, the United States' representative to the IOA and liaison to the SGC. She'd had some rather good sized rows with Woolsey since coming to the program, but she also knew him to play fair, most of the time anyway.

"These commitments are guaranteed? Have all parties signed off on this?"

Woolsey looked nonplussed. He'd banged his head hard against a wall getting the IOA nations on board. The Europeans, as always it seemed, were skittish. The Russians were bellicose. It would have been funnier to Woolsey but the usual roles were getting more than annoying. The lack of understanding of the true threat by the Europeans was especially annoying. He needed Weir's full support and participation.

"Yes, it was quite an effort mind you. This represents an enormous commitment considering many of these countries just picked up the Afghan mission as well. They've got populations grumbling about that as well. This is as far as many nations can go short of disclosure, which will happen in the near future anyway. It's rapidly coming to a two-front war that we don't have the resources to fight or the international will to conduct at the moment. I can't stress enough how much the military capacity of the European Union has calcified in the last few years. They have a lot of good professionals but the political backbone isn't there. They've got Islamic terrorists attacking them directly but they quibble about fighting the Taliban. We're almost to the point of inviting the Chinese in on a military basis. We go that route and there's no going back. Up until now all the countries involved have been democracies. To invite the Chinese in opens up a whole new angle. To say President Hayes is distressed is an understatement."

Weir merely nodded at Woolsey's observations. She knew full well what needed to happen. Hayes had been direct about it in the past. Milk Atlantis for all it was worth and try not to foment an interstellar war. She and her team were being highly successful at the first part. McKay and the other scientists were advancing human knowledge ten-fold every week. Things were moving so quickly on that front that no one knew how they'd integrate the discoveries back on Earth without disclosure. Luckily, that seemed to be a good problem for the governments of the IOA. As for the second issue, things obviously were not as joyous. Woolsey had even privately told her of it. Many back on Earth were mad as hell over the Wraith issue. You were only out there a day, yet you found an enemy that threatens our existence! It was simply uniformed opinion at best but that's all some needed. Woolsey, Landry and O'Neill had assured her that the President was extremely supportive and was in fact one of her biggest boosters. She took his statements with the required grain of salt. She'd find out how supportive President Hayes was in a couple of days in Washington. But overall, the mood was not good. Coming in conjunction with the Ori threat and the Islamic terrorist menace, many of even the most responsible and articulate were starting to see the possible end of life on Earth.

Weir looked over at General Landry, who'd stayed remarkably quiet throughout most of the meeting so far. She and Landry had a better relationship than the one she enjoyed with Richard Woolsey. Like O'Neill, Landry suffered from no grand ambitions to a higher office. He was content with job he was given. Many would see it as weakness. Weir knew better. "I can see from this that you plan to appoint a task force commander of flag rank for the military component. Where does this leave Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard? He's done a magnificent job under trying circumstances. He shouldn't be just pushed aside or forgotten about. He wants to stay on at Atlantis and he's been invaluable."

"Doctor Weir, you're absolutely correct that Colonel Sheppard has done his best under adverse conditions. As a matter of fact he's being awarded a Defense Meritorious Service Medal this week. I've become one of his biggest fans; however we'll need a more senior commander considering the assets being deployed. Not only is it required but our allies will expect it. We have a plan for him that we hope you'll sign off on." And just how close of a working relationship do the two of you have Doctor? Landry had his suspicions but kept his own counsel.

"And that is?"

"We want to have him command all off-world exploration teams based at Atlantis. That would remove him from having to deal with the defense of the city itself and free him up to focus on the search for technologies and allies in the Pegasus Galaxy, which he's shown himself to be quite adept at. Obviously, he and his teams will fall under the established command structure."

Weir was worried she could see an elaborate trap being laid. A new commander at Atlantis would bring another struggle of personalities and methods. The strain between the warfighters and the scientific and diplomatic personnel was always there, no matter how well Beckett and McKay worked with Sheppard and Colonel Caldwell. Atlantis certainly couldn't afford another Colonel Everett loaded with opinions and preconceived attitudes. The US military had always been highly suspicious of Weir and her leadership of the Atlantis expedition. Her early years had been spent as a frequent critic of the Department of Defense and its policies. The Army in particular was highly antagonized by her presence. The Joint Chiefs had been strong-armed by the White House into accepting her, causing a few bruised egos and a fair amount of concern regarding the future of the SGC. Weir knew, however, that she had no choice but to accept the changes. They needed the troops and the expedition's capabilities would quadruple.

"I understand. Do you have someone in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, we do." General Landry just looked at Weir with a smile.

P7R-188

Douglas Granville was actually pretty surprised with how well the conversation was going. Doctor Falls continued to translate and was having good success, even with some arcane references by the Roman soldiers. The good news was that things had remained relatively calm. After a few minutes of discussion standing at the entrance to the village the two groups had agreed to sit down in the village to talk further. The village elders, who'd dealt with both groups, joined in the conversations. The discussions really hadn't gone farther than generalities, with neither side wishing to be seen as pushy or too inquisitive. There was a delicate line between being curious and being pushy and Granville was staying far away from that line.

"We would like at some point to meet with a representative of your government for the purposes of establishing formal contact between our governments."

The soldier seemed well-versed in the world of diplomatic discussion. He'd so far shown a good aptitude for it. "I will bring your request back to my world and present it to my superiors. I believe that they would wish to initiate contact with your people as well."

Granville could only imagine how curious they might be. The Centurion was keeping things close to the vest, so to speak. Granville only needed to look over at Doctor Falls, who seemed to be a boiling pot of questions, to realize that the folks back on Earth would have thousands of questions. Two unconnected planets using the name Earth? The Roman references and the Latin language? All of it screamed for answers which Granville wasn't going to get from a soldier on a strange world. He needed to move things along.

"I have a suggestion I would hope would be agreeable to you and your superiors. I propose that we agree to have representatives of our worlds meet back here in five days. This would allow us to meet at a location that both sides know well and which is secure. If you wish, both parties could have representatives chosen to travel to each other's world. Would your government be willing to do this?"

"Yes, I am authorized to agree to such a thing. As for traveling to our respective planets, I will convey your idea to my superiors. I am confident that they will be interested in such an arrangement. We will return to this world in five days."

With that the soldier and his compatriots rose. The soldier shook Granville's hand with a strong grip, that of a soldier. He then faced Major Graves and saluted, with the Major returning the gesture. The group then departed for the stargate, leaving as quietly as they'd arrived. They took with them more questions than answers. All Douglas Granville knew was that he had to inform the SGC as soon as possible. He turned to Graves.

"Get everyone together; we need to report back now."

"Yes sir."

Little did British civil servant Douglas Granville know, but his talks with a foreign soldier in a tiny farming village would change lives, governments and ultimately, history.