The Star Gate Program (Hetalia/Stargate SG1 X-Over)
Author: Ashynarr
Summary: It was the discovery of the century. A devise older than human civilization, capable of transporting people across the galaxy in an instant. But things have a way of quickly becoming complicated, pushing America and others to their limits as they find themselves embroiled in galactic politics and intrigue throughout the stars.
Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine. Stargate isn't mine.
Warning: Alterations of the Stargate timeline/canon and Hetalia canon
[Inspired by Stargate Reopened; I recommend reading it if you have the time.]
[Chapter 25]
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Daniel Jackson was not a stupid man - easily distracted, sure, and also stubborn to a fault once he'd made up his mind (one had to be to defend their papers, especially as insane as his own), but not stupid. He knew where he was qualified to speak up and where he wasn't; if it had to do with the cultures of the middle-east or their offshoots, he was your man. Head an archaeology team in the deserts of another world? Sure, why not?
He was not qualified, on the other hand, to be the figurehead of an entire culture's revolution, especially against an alien posing as an ancient god.
As he and what felt to be most of the city made their way towards the pyramid, his mastadge just behind and to the left of Sha're and Skaara's own plodding duo, he was at the least grateful he wasn't being expected to actually lead this, because he knew next to nothing of military command and leadership aside from the basic lessons back at Command in case of basewide emergency. The colonels, on the other hand…
Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, because whatever combination of things he's said had spurred on this rebellious wave in the native population and had them marching to an almost certain defeat. He was supposed to know better than to claim a people's way of life was wrong just because they faced different circumstances - he'd worked in a dozen digs in Egypt and Asia Minor and managed to keep a clear head - but when they'd been attacked by the very being who was supposed to look after them, he'd just been so shocked and outraged that he hadn't really stopped to think before speaking his mind.
Daniel sighed, head drooping from the exhaustion catching up after a long, long night. Had it really only been a single night? It felt like a month had passed since the sandstorm had ended and Colonel Jones had left with the squad to go after the team.
...that reminded him, actually - how had he known something was wrong before they'd even had a chance to check in again? If it had just been a bad feeling, that'd be one thing, but he had very clearly turned in what, based on his calculations, had been the exact direction of the pyramid, like he could actually see what was going on there. And he'd picked up the local language… surprisingly fast for someone who wasn't specialized in the old dialects of the region these people had come from.
He exhaled again, shaking his head to wake himself up some more. He didn't want to start seeing things that weren't there, or else the people he was working with now might start thinking him crazy like the rest of the archaeological community did right now… if they remembered his name at this point.
"Daniel," He heard Sha're call from beside him, her face lit oddly by the triad of moons hanging above them in the pre-dawn. "Are you well?"
"I'm alright," He replied, nudging his beast on from where it had started to fall behind from the others and watching as the chief's daughter urged hers to match his pace. "Just...thinking."
"It seems to be a time for it, does it not?" She smiled, and he found himself smiling back before he realized it.
"It does," He agreed, thinking over his next words carefully before he continued. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Leading your people here instead of letting me go alone, I mean."
Sha're took a moment to think as well. "My people need this, even if it does not end well. You and your people have given them sight of a future other than serving Ra, and they desire that more than anything now."
"How can you be sure we are strong enough to help?" Daniel asked. "We only have a handful of warriors against him, and his ship is far beyond us."
"Because you have heart," She replied. "Your leader more than any other."
"I suppose he does," He agreed. "Will that be enough?"
"It will be," Sha're vowed, more to herself than anyone, and then they crested the hill overlooking the pyramid.
Some of the people had gotten nervous when the massive shape that had overlaid the pyramid started looming over the horizon, but the strength of numbers kept everyone going, and their leader's relative confidence bolstered their own, returning the pace to normal after only a few minutes. This time they all came to a stop, though, because Ra's men were already waiting on the platform in front of the main door.
Between them all, the two Colonels and the rest of the combined away teams were held at guard, standing together against the desert chill and the light breeze blowing sand into their bare faces.
One of the guards shouted, drawing the others to attention and also putting some energy back into the captives. Colonel Jones, still standing straight despite what looked like burn marks in his uniform and bruises on his face, turned from his group to look up at them, unbowed by the treated he'd gotten. Even the clamps around his wrists did not take away from the strange image that he still had some control over the whole situation.
When his gaze settled onto Daniel, the archaeologist straightened himself, feeling some of his exhaustion fall off his shoulders even as the local sun just started to peek over the sands, casting long shadows over the land. Jones moved on shortly after, pausing at some face in the crowd before nodding and turning back to the guards near him.
The first guard to notice them stepped forward, starting to shout about the glory of Ra and how he would slay those who would not bow to him, so as to prove his might forever. If the god had hoped this would dispel the courage of the people here, he severely underestimated them, for all Daniel could see were anger and determination.
Sha're stepped forward, having slid off her mount, her chin raised high and looking every inch a queen in the dawn's light as she proclaimed, very simply, "We do not bow to Ra anymore."
Her people raised up a battlecry, startling the guards who had expected passive acceptance, all of them stepping forward with their staff weapons at the ready, entirely focused on now putting down the rebellion even as the first people started to follow Skaara and Sha're down the dune.
Of course, that gave the people they were guarding the perfect opportunity to strike from behind, the colonels in unison kicking two of the guards from behind and sending them sprawling on the sands below, nabbing their abandoned weapons and using them to blast the wrist clamps open.
Daniel, who had not joined the initial charge, felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the wise woman who had been with Colonel Jones earlier smiling at him.
"Thank you, Daniel Jackson," She told him, lingering just a moment before passing by, helping the people who had been caught in the initial volleys from the guards before the numbers had overwhelmed them. It seemed that between the now-free soldiers and the large numbers of locals with improvised weaponry, the battle had turned in their favor.
Then the ship above them started to glow and hum, drawing everyone's attention briefly as the panels on it started to shift back into tight formation.
It seemed Ra had seen the tide turn as well, and was now making his escape while he still could.
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AN: Whelp, you managed to get someone suspicious, Alfred, but at least he's the trustworthy type. And there ya go, a bit more for the shippers without like being too obnoxious about it, because these things need to build up over time.
And yes, though it seems like things have happened over a huge period of time, everything from the party onwards was just one night. Talk about a wild night, huh?