Chapter 14
Belial was livid. One of Ba'al's Ha'taks had arrived with a paltry shipment of slaves. They were delivered to the villages and mines as instructed but the attitude of the servants of Ba'al was appalling. There was a message from the great Lord Ba'al. This message, presented as an order, was delivered by not a Goa'uld, some mid ranged associate of Ba'al, but a mere Jaffa, and not a First Prime or one ennobled with age or success in battle. The Jaffa who was sent to communicate with Belial's gracious divinity had the audacity to stand and show the god no deference. He proclaimed Ba'al's ordered was though they were orders coming from the Jaffa himself.
Belial was to care for the slaves he had and to increase their number. There would be no more slaves delivered. The Ha'tak used to ferry slaves was, as of this moment, reassigned to the war effort. Belial could, for the time being, continue to used the one he now inhabited.
Belial was to continue the mining of precious minerals and store them until they were sent for. Belial was to continue fostering agriculture and only send the produce and dressed animal carcasses as requested. When the request came there was to be no delay in shipment.
Belial would not be sent anymore Jaffa to control the planet or man his Ha'tak. If he could recruit more all well and good. If not he would have to make do.
The Goa'uld was so angry he could feel the energy flowing into the hand device he wore. He longed to burn a hole through the forehead of that arrogant Jaffa. He was glad he chose to receive Ba'al's emissary from his modest throne on the Peltec as opposed to the grand throne of the audience hall on an upper deck. It would only have emphasized how few Jaffa and servants he had to wait upon him.
Having delivered his message the Jaffa gave a slight dip of his head in deference to the god and without being dismissed he signaled his troops and they marched off .
While he fumed Belial feared someday Ba'al would need this Ha'tak for his war effort. And if so Belial would be forced to live on the surface among the rabble. He had plans for a palace complex, spacious rooms with elegant fittings, grand baths for himself, utilitarian ones for his attendants, barracks for his Jaffa and perhaps a harem. He could envision a ziggurat, the territory of the priests. One of these temples, rich with carvings and inlaid with gold and precious gems, for worship of Ba'al and of course one just as opulent, although perhaps not as massive, for himself, the god who lived amongst them. He did not have the man power to accomplish this. To start and not be able to finish would cause the slaves to doubt. Doubt leads to insurrection. He did not enough Jaffa. He needed to lure more to his service.
Belial though perhaps a small temple would be a good start, gathering the brightest of the peasants to one central town. Maybe not the brightest but the most devout, gathering those devoted to him was more practical.
For now he chose to keep his distance from the rabble. Except of course when the demands of his service to Ba'al overruled his better judgment. Or when they could satisfy his appetites.