Chulak, Apophis' Mothership.
Egeria walked out of her quarters and stood next to Teal'c as four other Jaffa flanked either side of them; all for the protection of the Queen. Egeria then nodded at the dark-skinned Jaffa before the man walked in front of her, and she a few steps behind him while being surrounded by the Jaffa; some of whom Egeria glanced at and then smiled. It wasn't long before they reached a T-Junction where the left hallway would lead to Apophis' throne room, and the right hallway led to a large room that contained a Stargate.
"Teal'c," said Egeria just as he was about to make the left turn. The First Prime stopped and then turned to face the queen who looked towards the right hallway, and then at Teal'c once again before ordering him to take her to the right hallway. Egeria remembered the schematics of this same ship from the mind of Colonel Carter, it was the same one that Apophis in her timeline had used to try and destroy Earth with his son, Klorel.
So Egeria knew what was to be expected if she took the hallway to her right. She then told Teal'c that she would like to explore the ship, and when Teal'c was about to say something… Egeria told him that she was sure that Apophis would be willing to wait for a few more minutes.
"After all," said Egeria with a smile at Teal'c, "what sense is there in me being a queen if I am not allowed to, at least, see the subjects who are under my control; do you not believe that to be so, Teal'c?"
"Apophis will not be pleased," said Teal'c.
"As I said," replied Egeria nodding her head towards the right side hallway, "he killed my husband, and I believe it is patient for a man to wait for someone as unique as I. Now, do as I say, Teal'c. Do you wish for your lord to be angry that you have insulted me by not ceding to my request?"
"No, my queen," said Teal'c as he bowed his head before ordering the Jaffa to change direction and head to the right hallway. Teal'c walked ahead of Egeria past several patrols of Jaffa who stood to one side and bowed their heads at the new queen. IN the meantime, Egeria was glancing at the four Jaffa on either side of her, with three on each side meeting her eyes and nodding their heads; and then they discretely placed their hands on their zats while continuing to walk. It was a few minutes later that they walked past a door, a door that Egeria stopped and stood while asking Teal'c what was behind it.
"A Chappa'ai, my queen," said Teal'c as he looked back at her, "come… it is time we return to the throne room, and…"
"I wish to see what is beyond this door," said Egeria as she looked at the First Prime, and then at the door. It was when Teal'c looked at Egeria, that he noticed that four of the other Jaffa were putting their hands on their Zats. It was then that he sensed something was wrong as he stepped back and raised his staff weapon at the four Jaffa, and told them that they were traitors for trying to harm the queen; at that accusation, the two Jaffa who were not members of the Tok'ra, two of the ones that were part of the Tok'ra, turned to looked at their companions and raised their staff weapons at the four Jaffa.
"My queen," said Teal'c as he put out his hand, "come with me… these are shol'va for even thinking about…"
"They are not shol'va," said Egeria as she took a step forward and looked at Teal'c, and at the two Jaffa who were standing next to Teal'c, and then at the two Tok'ra who were pointing their weapons at the four Jaffa, "Queen Egeria is not the property of Apophis."
"My Queen," said Teal'c.
"Tell your Lord Apophis," said Egeria as she raised her hand that had the ribbon device, while Teal'c and the other two Jaffa looked on in surprise, "tell him that I am not just a queen, I am the Queen of the Tok'ra."
"No," said Teal'c as he stepped back and was about to fire, as were the other two Jaffa standing next to him, while the two Tok'ra raised their weapons and prepared to fire, when Egeria fired a force blast from the ribbon device. The blast threw back the two Jaffa and Teal'c onto the floor. Once the three of them had fallen, Egeria told two of the Tok'ra who had their weapons pointed at her previously, which were now aimed away from the woman, to grab Teal'c while the other two Tok'ra pressed some buttons and got the door open. Egeria then told the final two Tok'ra who had aimed the weapons at her as a show that they would be zatted. When they were woken up, or found by other Jaffa, they would be taken to Apophis' throne room to tell him who Egeria really was, and with witnesses who were loyal to Apophis present during her escape… the two Tok'ra would be able to convince the false god that they were taken by surprise; and that she had taken Teal'c as a prisoner.
"Tell him I will contact him after he finishes fighting the Wraith. That I would like to re-negotiate the terms of our alliance," said Egeria as the doors opened and two of the Jaffa pulled Teal'c into the room, followed by two of the other Jaffa. The last two who were supposed to remain in the ship stood outside the door and nodded their heads, "once you come to and have told Apophis what I have done, go down to the surface. Find Teal'c's wife and son, and bring them to Torallia; the Tollan colony world that we have negotiated access to for our ship building. The both of them will find shelter, and safety, there until we have done what we need to do. Understood?"
"Yes, your highness," said the two Jaffa as Egeria smiled.
"My children," said Egeria as she looked at the Jaffa, "find Master Bra'tac, inform him of what has happened. We may need his assistance in the coming war."
The two Jaffa nodded their heads before the third and fourth Jaffa raised their Zats and fired a beam of blue light each. They watched the two Tok'ra agents fall to the ground before another Tok'ra Jaffa started to dial the Stargate to a buffer world. Once the Stargate activated, the two Jaffa pulled Teal'c through first... and then the next two Jaffa walked through; finally followed by Egeria.
It was three minutes later, after travelling through four other Stargates as a safety precaution, did Egeria and her four Jaffa who were dragging the still unconscious Teal'c behind them arrived on Vorash. They walked down the pedestal stairs, with Teal'c's feet hitting each stair as he was dragged. It was just then that the man started to groan, and the Jaffa who were carrying him let him go, turned around and watched him fall onto the ground, while the other two Jaffa pulled back Egeria as they took out their Zats and aimed it at Teal'c.
"Do not fire," said Egeria as she took a step forward just as six figures rose up from the surrounding sands of the dessert all around them, and pointed staff weapons at the new comers. The four Jaffa who were with Egeria, raised their weapons at the six strangers in defence of their Queen.
"Halt," said one of the figures as he walked towards Egeria, her Jaffa, and Teal'c who had already opened his eyes and was trying to get up. He was just about to sit up when he found a staff weapon pointed at him, and then looked back over his shoulder and found staff weapons being aimed at Egeria, and the four Jaffa, "Identify yourself."
"Lower your weapons," said Egeria gently to her own Jaffa who were really Tok'ra agents, and they did lower their weapons.. although the Tok'ra heading towards them did not, at least not yet.
"You do not recognize me?" asked Egeria as she looked at the man standing in front of her with a young woman by his side, a woman whose eyes went suddenly wide open before she put her staff down on the ground and kneeled.
"My queen," said the woman as the others all opened their eyes wide in surprise and knelt down, all except the one who was aiming his weapon at Teal'c, who was looking around him and then at the strangers who were kneeling down, and then back up at the man who was aiming the weapon at his chest.
"Please, rise," said the Queen as she rushed to the young woman who knelt down first, and pulled her up gently before asking the others to rise; that they need not kneel to her, "hello, Jolinar."
"My Queen," said Jolinar as she bowed her head in respect. Egeria then looked to her left at the familiar man from Colonel Carter's memories, "greetings, Lantesh."
"My queen," said Lantesh, the Tok'ra symbiote that shared the body of the man known as Martouf, "this is an honour, and a surprise."
"Assemble the Council, Lantesh," said Egeria, "it is time for the Tok'ra to rise… war has come, and we will go out and face it head on."
"Your highness," said the Tok'ra who was aiming his weapon at Teal'c, "he is Apophis' First Prime, he has to be killed or he will bring the wraith of the System Lord upon us and…"
"Put the staff weapon down, Gonal," said Egeria as the man looked back at the woman, "this man, deep down he seeks the very thing that all of us seek; the end of the Goa'uld."
"I am not a Shol'va," said Teal'c calmly as he looked at Egeria with, what the queen and Colonel Carter recognized as, betrayal in his eyes, "I…"
"Leave us," said Egeria as she looked at the other Tok'ra.
"Your highness," said Lantesh, "he may not be able to handle the truth."
"You have my host's memories, her knowledge, as well as my own," said Egeria as she looked at Lantesh, and then at Jolinar, "as do all my children. You know what he is capable of… you know what she has experienced with him, all he needs is hope."
"I do not know what you are referring to," said Teal'c as he looked over his shoulder at Egeria, "I am the First Prime of Apophis… he is a god and…"
"Leave us," said Egeria as she looked at every one of the Tok'ra, "go… assemble the Council."
As the Tok'ra reluctantly left Egeria and Teal'c all alone, and walked towards a set of transportation rings in the distance; Egeria asked Teal'c to stand up.. that he wouldn't be harmed.
"If this is a trick to bring Apophis to the base of the Tok'ra, and…" said Teal'c as he looked at Egeria who closed her eyes and then hung her head. When she raised her head again, Teal'c noticed something very different in the woman's facial expression.
"Teal'c," said the woman in a softer, less harsh voice; it was something that surprised the First Prime. He had heard rumours and whispers about the Tok'ra, an offshoot of the Goa'uld who share the host's body; but he never thought that they really existed, not until right at this moment. He saw the woman put her hands by her side as she took a step forward, and then stopped, "I know this is going to be hard to believe. My name is Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, and I'm from an alternate timeline."
"I do not understand…" said Teal'c as he narrowed his eyes at the woman while thinking to himself, 'alternate timeline?'
"How it happened doesn't matter," said the Colonel, "what matters is that I know you. We worked together in something called the Stargate Program in my timeline. The first time we met was on Chulak… we were taken prisoner and you were one of the Jaffa who were going to execute me and my team, SG-1. But my commanding officer, Jack… Jack O'Neill told you that we could help you… he gave you faith that we could help you free the Jaffa and…"
"The gods control the Jaffa and…"
"They are not gods," said Colonel Carter, "you know that… you once told me that you had doubts about who the Goa'uld really were, and for a while you believed that they were gods, but Bra'tac sent your head straight during a sparring session in the snow on Chulak. You told me that it was on a hill, and Bra'tac beat you every time. He told you to imagine the pain that others were going through… told you to imagine what you were going through every time you fired on innocents. You told him that you were angry, that you hated the Goa'uld but you didn't see any other choice but to follow them."
"How did you know?" asked Teal'c as he looked at the woman facing him in surprise, "I have not spoken of that moment to anyone.. not even my wife."
"Because I know you… I've known you for eight years," said the Colonel, "we fought together, we bled together. We helped you and the Jaffa earn their freedom. We saved the galaxy so many times, Teal'c."
"That is not possible," said Teal'c as he stepped back.
"The Tau'ri exist, Teal'c," said the Colonel, "a world from which the humans were taken.. humans who eventually were made into slaves, and the Jaffa. That planet is Earth; Ra went to Earth to kidnap human beings, the same humans who rose up against him five thousand years ago. Every human in the galaxy is descended from those early souls. Teal'c, I am one of the Tau'ri."
"The... the Tau'ri are a myth," said Teal'c.
"That's the lie that the System Lords have spread," said the Colonel, "now Earth… my home… your ancestral home is under attack by the Wraith. And once the Wraith are gone, the Goa'uld will raze it to the ground so that the Jaffa never know the truth. In my timeline, the Jaffa had many losses losses during their rebellion, and it wasn't easy. But you won freedom after many sacrifices, the Tau'ri played a role… but the Jaffa, under yours and Bra'tac's leadership were the ones who fought and died for freedom, Teal'c. Rya'ac got married and became a leader in the free Jaffa. But we… me and my friends… all of us changed things. Something happened in this timeline that even I'm not sure. With my knowledge, the Tok'ra's primary mission has been to sabotage the Goa'uld, to steal technology designs from Anubis, and to eventually help free the Jaffa. In my timeline, we even broke the Jaffa's dependence on symbiotes using a chemical known as tretonin. I know that everything I'm telling you sounds impossible… I know it's going to be hard to believe. But if you're the same man that I've had fight by my side for eight years, I know that deep down in your heart… you know I'm telling the truth. Please, Teal'c… when Ra revived me, he wanted to know everything. And he nearly did, but I fought thanks to a dear friend who taught me certain tricks that can protect the mind. Even when he told me that all of my friends were killed after he revived me on Abydos; my friends… Jack, Daniel, Tara, Willow, Buffy, and Teal'c of Chulak, I never revealed anything to him. All he told me was that they were all dead. I'm the only one who knows the truth about Earth… about you. I know the man you are meant to become, I have seen that man, and I want the Jaffa to be free. I want us all to survive, Teal'c. Help me fight, be the man I know you really are.. the honourable man, the protector."
"You are really one of the Tau'ri?" asked Teal'c, "everything you are saying is the truth?"
"I know you have this uncanny ability to know if any of us were lying," smiled the Colonel, "do you think I'm lying?"
"No," said Teal'c as he stood still and looked at Colonel Carter.
"You and Jack were blood brothers," said the Colonel as she wiped her eyes while she thought about her own Teal'c and General O'Neill, "as were you and Daniel. You were close with Tara… even trained her personally in hand to hand combat. The Teal'c I knew loved sparring with Buffy, and having sparring sessions with Willow. But now, the versions I knew are gone… I don't know if their versions in this timeline exists. But here you are, the catalyst for the Jaffa rebellion. I can help you, Teal'c… I need for you to trust me. Trust the Tok'ra. Please."
"Very well, my queen," said Teal'c.
"You always called me Colonel Carter," she said with a smile, "I think once you just called me Samantha."
"If that is what you wish, Colonel Carter," said Teal'c as the Colonel nodded her head before she handed control to Egeria.
"She is correct, Teal'c," said Egeria in her gravelly voice, "the Jaffa have earned their freedom in Samantha's timeline. And we will fight to ensure that something similar happens here; but given that the Tau'ri are key… we must help save Earth. And then… then we will fight back. I have notified my Tok'ra operatives to secure your wife and son, as well as notify Bra'tac of what is happening."
"Thank you," said Teal'c as Egeria nodded her head.
"Now come, Teal'c," said Egeria as the both of them headed away from the Stargate, "we were going to bide our time in rising up against the System Lords; but with Earth in danger, intervention is required soon, rather than later. We must meet the Council, and then we will launch our ships."
"Ships?" asked Teal'c as he walked alongside Egeria towards the ring transporters.
"Samantha is, by all accounts in her memories, one of the more brilliant Tau'ri scientists, and a fine officer in the military," said Egeria, "her memories and knowledge on all things from ship designs, weapon specifications, to her military training and combat experiences, to her scientific knowledge, and memories have been spread through my children once I entered her body and created new symbiotes. In her timeline, I am dead… which is why I have changed the way I have done my work. Using her experiences, and knowledge of a possible future, and combined with my own knowledge… we have enabled my children to sabotage Goa'uld ships and production facilities, stolen advanced shield and weapons designs from Anubis without him knowing about it. For the past few centuries we have been secretly building a force on worlds that were allied to the Tau'ri in her timeline. While I was not able to directly instruct my children, they had known enough to build alliances in secret. We have built production facilities underground on various planets, and we have been building weapons and ships; all underground. We have built training facilities for Tok'ra to crew those ships using Samantha's training… some of those training which includes techniques in hand to hand combat that you have taught her."
"This is… interesting," said Teal'c as they neared the transportation rings, "how do you know that I will not kill you, my queen?"
"MY personal shield is lowered, Teal'c," said Egeria with a smirk, "if you wanted to kill me, you had every chance."
"Indeed," said Teal'c as he and Egeria stepped into the ring platform and faced each other.
"The trust that Colonel Carter has for you goes deep," said Egeria, "when I took over her body, I was privy to her memories… her knowledge. It is vast.. of course nothing compared to the genetic knowledge of the Tok'ra, but it is amazing still; technologies of the Ancients, the Goa'uld… it is simply amazing that she was able to experiment with all of that technology; the Tau'ri would have become a superpower within the Galaxy. She was even host to one of my children in her timeline… Jolinar of Malkshur. Her father was saved by another child of mine, Selmak. I have seen your heroism, Teal'c… I can see it in my mind. I believe she is correct; you are every bit the man she believes you to be. But if you wish to kill me, then I leave myself open to you… if you do not believe her… than this is your chance; whether now, or in battle… I choose to die free."
"I wish to fight," said Teal'c as he stood up straight while Egeria smiled, and the Colonel mentally told Egeria 'I told you so'.
"I believe that now, as Colonel Carter's Earth expression goes, it is time for us to kick some major ass," said Egeria as she pressed a button on her ribbon device.
Teal'c just looked at Egeria with an eyebrow raised, and the Tok'ra queen sighed as the rings came up and covered them.
"Don't tell anyone I said that," said Egeria as Teal'c nodded his head before they were awash in a white light.
Atlantis Pegasus, Galaxy, four hours later.
With the majority of the humans taking a break by exploring the city, it was only Spike, Daniel and Tara left in the control room; the vampire occasionally looking at Tara who was helping Daniel search the Atlantis database for the information on the Anti-Replicator weapon. So far, they had managed to narrow the search to weapons that emitted energy waves after Daniel described the effect as much he could to Thor, who he had been communicating with over the sub-space channels.
"Spike," said Tara as she glanced at the vampire who was leaning against the railing that looked out down to the Gateroom while facing the two of them, "you all right?"
"First I was caught up on something the nibblet said," replied Spike who, for the past four hours had been standing looking out at the ocean while standing under the Lantean sun before he walked in to find that Daniel and Tara had insisted that the others got some rest a couple of hours ago, that they needed to be refreshed for the coming war.
"Which is?" asked Tara as Daniel moved to another console.
"Dawn said something," said Spike shaking his head, "something she whispered about Willow loving Xander…. She said that her sister loved Xander, and I was gonna ask about that but then you lot came through and… and I've a lot of things over my years but this really tops them all."
"More than seeing Atlantis?" asked Daniel as he walked back to the Console where he and Tara were working.
"More than knowing the truth about the Ancients? About the Alterra?" asked Tara, "I mean we guessed that Dawn told you about them."
"Yea" said Spike as he looked at Tara, "but seeing you again… Red's gonna be so… happy."
"I know and…." said Tara when Daniel raised his hands up into the air and shouted.
"Eureka!" said Daniel as Tara turned and looked at the screen, and saw a very familiar sight; the anti-replicator weapon. Daniel then reached for a button and contacted Thor while pointing at Tara, and signalling her to send the information to him, "Thor, we're sending you a data burst. Can you build it, and then beam me to your ship? I know how to use it, and I recommend that you create a replicator bug behind a force field so that you'll be able to see it working."
"Understood, Dr. Jackson," said Thor, "we have received the data, prepare for beam out."
"See you soon, Tara," said Daniel as he waved at the blonde witch before being transported out to the Belisknir. Now, Tara and Spike were alone in Stargate Operations, with the vampire saying that the flash of light was another thing that he thought would never exist.
"And everything that used to be in our wildest dreams exist," said Spike as Tara walked over to him, and then leaned back against the railing.
"What's she like?" asked Tara as she looked at Spike, "your Willow, I mean."
"I know she loved you," said Spike as Tara nodded her head, "after you died, she went… went off the rails."
"What did she do?" asked Tara.
"She found the one who shot you," said Spike, "and killed him. From what I know, it was pretty gruesome… the guy was flayed alive. Then she tried to kill the other two that were friends with that one bloke. But they weren't involved, so Buffy and the others were protecting them. Then Red, who absorbed all this dark mojo, fought Buffy. Could have actually killed her if Rupert didn't come to the rescue. He had the powers of the Devon coven, and Willow wanted more.."
"Like a drug," said Tara softly.
"Yea," said Spike as he rubbed the back of his head, "the Coven knew that's what she would do.. so they put pure magic into Giles, and Red took that power away from him. She was about to destroy the world and… and Xander was the one who calmed her down. Gotta give props to the guy… don't tell him I told you that."
"I won't," said Tara with a smile, "I understand why Willow did what she did; grief is something powerful."
"You know all about it," said Spike as Tara nodded her head.
"Daniel and I lost everything," said Tara softly, "our friends, our lives… I love my wife. So after we found out that the wife of one of the council members was the cause of her death…. I lashed out. I killed her… part of me regrets what I did. But the other part doesn't; and every Jaffa, or collaborator I killed with Daniel and the other rebels; all of that was in vengeance for what happened to Willow, what happened to our friends. It's easy to say that you won't do something like kill, until you're actually faced with a situation you never expected. So I know what your Willow's been through, and why she did what she did."
"Yeah," said Spike as a light flashed and Daniel appeared with a huge grin on his face.
"It worked," said Daniel nodding his head as he walked over to one of the console and pressed down one of the buttons while Tara and Spike walked over to him, "the test replicator's destroyed. Thor's sending a data burst to the Asgard High Council."
"So the little guys are gonna survive?" asked Spike.
"Yeah," said Daniel as he looked at Spike when there was a beeping sound from behind him on the screen. Tara looked at the screen, and then smiled. Turning to Spike, while Daniel called for Dawn and the others, Tara told the vampire that the engines were already warmed up and they were ready to go.
It was thirty minutes later that Dawn and the others were in the chair room, while only Daniel remained in Stargate Operations. Dawn had asked the man to make sure that the shields, and everything else they needed to head out into space was in working order. As the brunette looked at the chair, something she had never sat on, she was suddenly nervous before she looked at the faces of Xander and the others who wanted to see the technology at work.
Dawn then set her eyes on Tara who smiled at her before walking towards the brunette and putting her hand on her shoulder.
"It's good to be a little nervous," said Tara as Dawn grabbed Tara's hand and held it tight.
"I never used it before," said Dawn softly as she looked back at the chair, and then back at Tara.
"Neither did Willow," said Tara as she looked at Dawn, "she took the entire repository of the Ancients into her mind, and then sat on the chair in the Antarctic Outpost… and destroyed Anubis' entire fleet. All she did to save the world was remaining calm… that's all you need to do, Dawnie. Remain calm, just accept that feeling after you sit on the chair. Willow was Earth's guardian when she sat there… now when you sit on that chair, you're Atlantis' guardian; she'll listen to you. Tell Allantis to launch, she'll launch for home."
"We need to get more ZPM's," said Dawn softly.
"Then we get the ZPM's," said Tara nodding her head.
Dawn held onto Tara's hand as the blonde witch led the brunette to the chair. Dawn then breathed in before turning around and then sat on the Control Chair; and the pedestal lit up blue.
"Sweet," said Xander.
"Fascinating," said Giles as a lit shone from above down to Dawn.
She then leaned back as the chair got into position before slowly moving thirty degrees while Tara gently asked Dawn to imagine the Pegasus galaxy. Giles and the others looked up as a three dimensional model of the galaxy appeared, and then the image focused on the Lantean star system. Tara then told Dawn to think about the ZPM facilities in the Milky Way, and then to plot a course to any particular planet. Tara looked up as the Milky Way appeared and several planets with the galaxy lit up with their gate addresses above them. Giles and the others could only look on as a line extended on the three dimensional galaxy's just as Tara said, "oh my goddess."
"Tara?" asked Oz when he saw her looked at one particular light. Oz walked over to her while Dawn raised her head and looked at the blonde who shook her head. The group saw Tara then head to a console on her left and press a few buttons, all the while checking on the Stargate address that had gotten her worked up.
"Tara, what's going on?" asked Dawn, "you're making me nervous."
"Daniel," said Tara as she looked at the address again after she asked Dawn to hold off asking questions for a second, "Daniel, listen to me… one planet that has a production facility is one we know… one we've been to."
"Which one?" asked Daniel surprised while he was sitting alone in Stargate Operations.
"Edina," said Tara as Daniel's eyes opened wide.
"Are you sure?" asked Daniel.
"Yeah," said Tara as Dawn and the others looked at each other, and then at Tara, "do you think that…. Do you think that…"
"I'd say we need to check it out," said Daniel, "if there's a production facility there, then I'd like to know why our scanners weren't able to detect them. And at the same time we can confirm whether or not… you know."
"Got it," said Tara as she kept the line open, and then looked at Dawn before walking under the models of the two galaxies and pointing at the Stargate address for Edina, "Dawnie, I need you to plot a course to this planet."
"What's so special about that world?" asked Giles.
"Trust me," said Tara as she looked at Giles, and then at Dawn and the others, "Daniel and I… we don't wanna be wrong. Just trust me... please. Once we get there and we've replenished the drones and ZPM's, me and Daniel will do a quick exploration of something… something important."
"But…" said Dawn as Tara interrupted her.
"Please," said Tara as Dawn nodded her head before looking up at the two models as a line stretched from Lantea, to Edina. It was then that Daniel, and Thor's faces appeared side by side on a three dimension HUD.
"Dr. Jackson," said Dawn, "we ready?"
"Engines are green, shields have been activated, inertial dampeners are at full… we're ready to go," said Daniel.
"Commander Thor," said Dawn as she looked at the alien, "please prepare for departure."
"We are ready, Hera," said Thor as Dawn nodded her head, her mind flying with questions on why Tara and Daniel were insisting on landing on this particular planet out of all others. Shaking her head, and taking a deep breath… Dawn pushed her questions to the back of her mind and closed her eyes.
"You can do it, Dawn," said Xander.
"Stay calm Dawnie," said Tara, "you're the city; now fly."
"Firing up the Stardrive," said Dawn as the city started to shake. Daniel was looking out of the main balcony after making sure that all systems were green, and saw the orange shimmer of the shield as it covered the city. He then felt a shake as the city started to rise out of the ocean. The man felt the city rising, followed by another light jolt, as the Stardrive propelled the city out of the atmosphere and into space.
"I wish you could have seen this, Jack," said Daniel as the city-ship known as Atlantis entered a hyperspace tunnel, "Willow, Buffy, Teal'c, Sam… I wish all of you could see this."
Vorash, Tok'ra homeworld, at that same time.
It had taken hours for the ships that Egeria had asked for to be ready with their crews; all well trained thanks to the genetic memory that they shared. Egeria had talked to the Council with Teal'c by her side and ordered that the agents on Apophis', and Anubis' fleets be activated. One of the Council members also suggested that they increase their sabotaging of Goa'uld production facilities… something that Egeria had agreed with by saying that they were to make sure that the attack appeared as if they were from rival Goa'uld system lords.
"I would have waited longer," said Egeria, "but with the Tau'ri in danger…. We must act now. Our first target must be Ba'al, he has the potential to be a great danger. Have a team in Dakara destroy the Ancient controls to the Dakara Superweapon. When Anubis discovers what is happening, he will most likely attempt to use the weapon to destroy all life in this galaxy.
"It will be done," said Gershaw, one of the council members.
"What do we know about the Kull warriors?" asked Egeria.
"As the Jaffa has not yet risen up against the Goa'uld," said one of the Councillors, "our agents say that Anubis has not seen it fit to crate these Kull Warrior, my queen."
"Good," said Egeria, "Colonel Carter and the SGC had a nightmare of a time dealing with them. Our alliances with the Kelownans? Do we have enough naquadria?"
"Our alliance with the Kelownans, and their alliance with their neighbouring nations are going as well as can be expected from those obstinate people," said one of the Councillors, "and our alliance with the Tollan has improved significantly, especially since the Tok'ra have passed on information in regards to Anubis' upgrades on his shields using the knowledge of the Ancients."
"Our agents have indicated that he will rule the Goa'uld within the next two years," said Selmak as Egeria looked at the symbiote's female host, "and then he will go after the Tollan."
"Things have been changing since Colonel Carter became my host," said Egeria as she looked at the Council, "this is our greatest chance to overturn the Goa'uld, and not only free us of their tyranny."
Egeria then looked at Teal'c who remained standing straight by her side.
"But to also free the Jaffa so that they can carve out their own future," said Egeria as Teal'c looked at her, and bowed his head. When he lifted his head, Egeria continued to speak, "it will be hard, Teal'c. That is one thing I can promise you. Once the Tau'ri are freed, the Tok'ra will offer them an alliance; a chance to work in concert as we free the rest of the Jaffa."
Teal'c nodded his head before she looked at the Council again.
"Have we made contact with the Pangarans?" asked Egeria as a few of the Council nodded their heads before saying that the Pangarans, who were surprised that they were being asked to help develop a drug that would extend life by an advanced society of aliens, were keen to begin working with the Tok'ra.
"And the Orban?"
"They know about the Tok'ra," said Gershaw, "I have personally met with their people, and they have agreed to trade technology in secret.. out of the eyes of the Goa'uld; as have the other advanced races. We only have not been able to contact the Asgard."
"From today," said Egeria nodding her head, "things will change. We will launch our ships based on the designs we have gained from Colonel Carter, we have spent all this time not only sabotaging the Goa'uld when we can; we have also experimented with, and advanced our technology. That is what my children have whispered into my ears when I was with Ra on Abydos, and what I have heard only yesterday when I was with Apophis."
"We have found that device on the planet known as Kheb," said Lantesh as Jolinar approached Egeria and handed her a brown blanket that was covering a cylindrical object. Egeria took the blanket in her hands, and looked at it while Jolinar said that they retrieved that only sixty years ago so that it would be with the Tok'ra for safekeeping. Lantesh said that the Tok'ra were approached by a blonde woman in white, demanding to know why they were there.
"We asked her to read our minds," said Lantesh, "then she realized our goal; that we wanted to keep the device safe."
"Oma," said Egeria as Lantesh nodded his head. Egeria then turned to Gerhsaw, and asked her to select people she trusted to crew the fourteen ships that they would be taking to Earth. Gershaw nodded her head before she said that she would, and in the meantime.. she would select the crew for the other twelves ships that they were holding on four different planets; all out of the eyes of the Goa'uld, as a backup, but they would not launch without orders from the queen.
It was an hour later that Egeria was walking through the familiar, but still alien, hallways of a ship. She walked past several Tok'ra as they stopped and bowed their heads at her.
She had asked her children not to do that, but they didn't listen. She was still their queen.
It was a few minutes later that Egeria reached the bridge with Teal'c by her side. She looked at the familiar configuration of the command chair in the center, with two consoles on either side, and a console in the rear. Egeria closed her eyes and returned control to Colonel Carter. The Colonel looked around the bridge as her mind flowed with memories of her taking a tour of the first 304, the Daedalus; with the first X-305, designed by Willow, being built later that year and then launched six months later.
Now, those days were never going to happen.
"It looks the same, Teal'c," said the Colonel as she brushed her hands over the back of the control chair, "I can see them, you know."
"Who do you see, Colonel Carter?" asked Teal'c.
"Everyone," said the Colonel as her surroundings melted away, and she found herself back on Area 51 a day before they were due to leave for Ancient Egypt in the time machine. The entire SG-1 was there on the bridge as Colonel Paul Emerson took command of the ship, and then took it out of the underground docks. The Colonel remembered the ship flying through the sky and then entering space with everyone around her cheering at the successful launch of the Daedalus. As all of her memories faded back, the Colonel found herself looking at the Tok'ra crew taking their places; all of them looking at her for the order to launch. With Teal'c standing next to her as she headed for the rear console, she pressed a few buttons as a holographic HUD popped up from the console which showed all of the Stargate symbols.
"Prepare to launch," said the Colonel as the Tok'ra moved on those orders, "inform the other ships to begin their system checks, we leave in ten minutes."
"Colonel Carter," said Teal'c, "what will you have me do?"
"This console is not only for communication," said Colonel Carter, "but it's for weaponry as well. And we have naquada enhanced missiles, nuclear weapons thanks to the Kelownans enhanced with a material known as Naquadria, Naquadria powered Ancient beam weapons thanks to Egeria's knowledge on far more advanced designs… and a bit of the stuff we stole from Anubis. How'd you like to stick it to Apophis if we meet him out there? We intend to steal as many ships as possible, while you lead the rebels along with the Tau'ri, and the Tok'ra, against the System lords."
Teal'c bowed his head slightly while the Colonel then dialled the Stargate that was on the surface using a remote that she had designed. Or at least the designs of the remote that were passed down to the Tok'ra through the genetic memory. Once she pressed the last symbol, all the pressed symbols on the HUD turned green; with a green word in Goa'uld blinking, stating that there was a connection. The Colonel then closed her eyes and returned control to Egeria, it was time to connect to the President as she input a code; a code which she hoped was active in this timeline. However, she stopped pressing buttons when she noticed some strange readings on the HUD.
"It cannot be," said Egeria as Teal'c looked at the woman, and then at the screen once again, "I should be reading frequencies from Earth but… but these readings are all… no."
"My Queen," said Teal'c as he watched Egeria close her eyes and shake her head in disbelief, "what has happened?"
"Willow," said Colonel Carter as Egeria returned control to her while she was looking at the screen, "she said that when the Wraith attack a planet, they prevent anyone from escaping from by dialing in, and establishing a wormhole. No one can escape… and these reading are alien. They're not Goa'uld, not Asgard, not Ancients, nor is it any Earth languages… these signals are, I think, from the Wraith ship. There's a Stargate on the Wraith ship."
"If I may," said Teal'c as Colonel Carter handed control to Egeria and moved to one side while Teal'c stood in front of the HUD, "I suggest we gather our forces here, out of the limits of the sensor ranges of any Goa'uld ships. I am uncertain of the range that the Wraith have on their vessels, therefore we should gather at a point that we would have to assume the Wraith will not be able to scan us."
"A hundred light years," said Egeria nodding her head as Teal'c pressed some buttons, "give or take."
"Does this vessel contain a Tel'tak?" asked Teal'c as he looked at Egeria, who nodded her head.
"Our plan was to send a cloaked ship and take stock of the situation," said Egeria, "an intelligence gathering mission that would then return, and we would be able to plan our next strike."
Teal' nodded his head as Egeria asked the man to also come up with contingency plans for the inevitable arrival of Anubis', and Apophis', fleets. IT was then that one of the Tok'ra looked back and said that the ship was ready.
"Open the bay doors," said Egeria as she took her seat on the command chair after nodding at Teal'c. She sat down on the command chair and then pressed a button that opened communications with all ships, "this is Queen Egeria, I am ordering all ships be launched."
"My Queen," said the Tok'ra to her left, "the Rosen, the Tara, the Daniel Jackson, and the… well, the Murray; as well as our other ships have launched."
"Launch the O'Neill," said Egeria as she looked out the front window, "set hyperspace coordinates for a hundred and ten light years away from Earth. Launch."
Egeria felt the thrusters on the O'Neil fire as the ship flew out of the docking bay under the sands of Vorash. She saw the ship pass through the clouds of the planet when she noticed movement to her left. Egeria looked at that direction and smiled at the visions of her hosts' friends who died about five thousand years ago.
"Good luck, Carter," said General O'Neill as he saluted Egeria, "take care of her, Egeria. See you soon."
"Sam," said Daniel, "good luck."
"See you on the other side, ma'am" said Willow and Buffy together as they saluted the woman.
"We'll keep the light on for you, Sam," said Tara with a small smile, "but we want you to live."
"Indeed, Colonel Carter," said Teal'c, the one with hair who had accompanied them to the past, "as Spock would say, live long, and prosper."
"You just make a Star Trek reference?" asked the General as Egeria smiled at them.
"We are figments of her imagination after all," said Daniel shrugging his shoulders, "and she did spend a lot of time watching Star Trek and Star Wars."
"Hey, Carter," said the General, "after you're done with this? May I suggest the Death Star."
Egeria smiled as her visions faded away, the last of whom was General O'Neill who looked at her with his hands in his pockets.
"We love you," said Egeria softly as the General smiled and vanished; Egeria then looked out the window as a hyperspace tunnel opened, "we will see you soon, if we die today."
The ships, led by the O'Neill, then flew into the hyperspace windows for their nearly ten-hour journey to their destination.
TBC.