++++ This was one of those chapters that simply didn't want to take form. After a bit of difficulty it's done, but I can't decide if I'm entirely satisfied with it. I'll leave the final decision in your hands, so let me know what you think. Thanks for all the overwhelmingly kind reviews. Those reviews are what keeps me writing away. Several of you have had suggestions and I did my best to work a few of those in on this chapter. Enjoy!++++

Shambhala

On a mission handed down twenty four hours before from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis stood in the growing city of Shambhala. Standing beside Davis was a young First Lieutenant who had accompanied him on this task. As the two men waited before the gate in the receiving chamber of the city, they laughed quietly while they chatted. One thing the two agreed on was that this would be an interesting if not entertaining task that awaited them.

"You do understand what kind of a problem this guy was right" asked the Lieutenant.

"I remember all too well. A few times I wanted to shoot him myself. He'll be happy to see you I'm sure" replied Davis with a chuckle.

"Oh I bet sir. He and I go way back" sighed the Lieutenant.

"It's really creepy when you call me sir. Well, coming from you I mean" offered Davis.

Seconds later the stargate activated with a flourish. As the event horizon formed and transferred from unstable to a stable wormhole security protocols around the gate engaged. Any time a wormhole engaged without an IDC indentified by Gaia's sensors an interlocking field of barriers around, above, and below the gate was activated. This system alleviated the need for an iris, with the secondary side effect of allowing the unknown traveler a chance at life that an iris would have denied them on reaching their destination.

Stepping through the active wormhole were two men with heralds trumpets in their hands. Walking forward exactly five feet before turning to face one another, the two men raised their trumpets. Those in close proximity to the gate turned and looked as the trumpets rang out a two note heralding.

"King Arkhan arrives" said the two men in unison before dropping to a single knee.

Stepping through the energy vortex was a man of average height, with a closely cropped beard and a massive smile on his face. Touching his two subjects on their shoulders as he passed, the King Arkhan who was once known on Earth as Colonel Harry Maybourne looked towards the two men looking at him in the distance. He and his entourage approached as the protective energy barrier deactivated.

"Colonel Maybourne, welcome to Shambhala" began Davis in greeting.

"They finally promoted you I see. Took them long enough but that's Washington for you. This all is new" said Maybourne waving his hands at his surroundings.

"Much has changed in the time you've been gone Colonel. Your presence here was requested to discuss a few matters" replied Davis.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Colonel Maybourne, former commanding officer of the NID. I see your nametag says O'Neill Lieutenant. That's a big name to live up to in this command. Hope you're up to it" stated Maybourne.

"Heya Harry. It's been a long time, but not as long as I would have liked" replied the Lieutenant.

"Have we met" asked Harry.

"In a matter of speaking Harry. I'm Lieutenant Jonathan O'Neill, but you used to call me Jack" replied Lieutenant O'Neill.

"The long and short of it is that the Lieutenant is General O'Neill's clone. You missed that little situation during your time away" added Davis.

"Two Jack's? Isn't that interesting" Harry mused.

"Maybourne, I swear to God if you start with me it's not going to be fun" scowled Lt. O'Neill.

'Relax Jack. Just having a laugh is all" offered Harry.

"If you can follow me Colonel, we need to speak with you in private. Please, follow me" requested Davis.

Leaving the two heralds in the care of city staff, Maybourne and the two officers quickly made their way to a transporter to begin their journey across the city. Exiting the transporter on the other side of the city, the three men entered a private series of offices. Stepping through the automated door, the men quickly took their seats in the as yet office of the city's military liaison. On the wall mounted data screen a series of images of a modern city much like one that might have been found on Earth were displayed.

"What's all this about" inquired Harry.

"We've got a bit of a request for you Harry" replied Lt. O'Neill.

"These images were taken on BP6-3Q1" began Davis.

"I know this address! Svoriin I believe was the planet's name" interjected Harry.

"I thought you might remember it" sneered Lt. O'Neill.

"What do you mean by that Jack" asked Harry innocently.

"Don't even try it! I know that you are very aware that this is the planet with the contagious super mosquito that bit Teal'c that you wanted to weaponize" spat the Lieutenant.

"At the hands of our off world allies, this world is now free of this insect. Sadly, the indigenous population was wiped out to the last man by this plague. They left behind a world of infrastructure in the form of this city and three others around it. All told, these cities can house and support a population numbering in the millions. This planet also has the benefit of being a named body in the Protected Planets Treaty, which is how it originally came to be populated with the assistance of the Asgard" stated Davis.

"I'm not seeing what this has to do with me" countered Maybourne.

"We're getting to that part Harry, be patient" muttered Lt. O'Neill.

"After the fall of the System Lords, the human populations of former Goa'uld controlled worlds fell under the purview of the Free Jaffa Nation" began Davis.

"So the Goa'uld are gone are they" interrupted Harry.

"That they are. The Free Jaffa Nation has devolved into a set of warring states, and is currently engaged in a rather brutal civil war for control of their domain. In exchange for material support for the Progressive faction of the Jaffa and their war effort, they have agreed to turn over their human populations along with a number of planets. You are the one asset we have that has enjoyed a high level of success in interacting with off world human populations for long durations. You've had your vacation, but as a serving officer of the United States Air Force it's time to get back to work" explained Davis.

"One little problem gentlemen; I'm still technically a fugitive and wanted for Treason. The Air Force typically doesn't entrust special missions to people like that" countered Maybourne.

"That's been taken care of. By order of the President, you have been cleared of all charges and reinstated at your former rank. You are too assume command of Svoriin and the population as it is transported to the planet. You are further authorized to bring with you the people you currently rule over on your planet. Unfortunately, you will have to lay down your current mantle as King and settle for Colonel" explained Davis.

"How many people are we talking about here" asked Maybourne.

"Millions" replied Davis.

"And they will all be under your care. That should play nicely to that ego of yours" added Lt. O'Neill with a smile.

"I need a yes or no answer Colonel" requested Davis.

"If the President authorized this I'm guessing that Kennsey didn't manage to get himself elected yet" said Maybourne.

"Vice President Kennsey, after being removed from office, was taken host by a Goa'uld and later died with a rogue NID cell operating under Trust command" stated Davis.

"Then how can I refuse my President? Count me in" said Maybourne with a broad smile on his face.

"I was afraid that is what you would say" added Lt. O'Neill.

"Relax Jack! What's the worst that could happen" asked Maybourne.

"Don't even get me started" replied Lt. O'Neill while rolling his eyes in semi-disgust.

Elsewhere in the great city members of the people of Novus were being interviewed. At the suggestion of Doctor Rush, candidates for the upcoming redeployment of Destiny were being considered from the available pool of descendents of the once lost crew of the ancient vessel. It was hoped that a number of selectee's could be found among them.

Talus

Long ago, the planet of Talus was an Ancient occupied world. Pieces of their technology remained in their wake, namely the Shrine of Talus used by humans throughout Pegasus to combat the effects of the parasite induced Second Childhood that Rodney McKay had once suffered. The onset of the Tauri/Wraith/Asuran War had brought about reutilization of this planet.

Talus was now home to one of the larger Wraith garrisons within the Pegasus galaxy. At any given time upwards of ten thousand Wraith were present, along with several Hive ships. Having extinguished the human population of Talus long ago little interfered with the day to day goings on of the Wraith on this mountainous world. It was for this reason when factored in with the number of Wraith present at any one time that was the driving factor for Talus's selection as a target.

What had started as a hypothetical discussion between Colonel Carter and Thor had quickly scaled up into operational planning and preparation. Several years earlier, Colonel Carter had born witness to the effectiveness of the Asgard time dilation device. At that time it had been employed in the hopes of containing the replicator threat then rampaging through the Ida galaxy. In this instance it was being used to remove a large chunk of Wraith manpower from the field of play in one fell swoop, while also allowing for future options which were being developed.

Creating the device had been done with ease aboard the Iskr, utilizing the matter creation technology aboard all vessels of the Asgard and Tauri fleet. The completed device now rested in one of the cavernous holds of the Iskr, awaiting its deployment against the enemy of the Five Great Races. Thor was highly aware of how necessary the mission to deliver the device truly was. That mission was one he refused to see fail.

Being a mission of great importance to the anti Wraith war effort, a number of vessels were currently speeding towards the world of Talus through hyperspace. The Iskr, Hammond, and Hermes closed in on the world, along with one of the recently arrived Ori mothership's. Lacking the ability to cloak, the Ori mothership was participating simply as a baptism by fire for the newly arrived vessel. Left unsaid about their participation was the fact that the effectiveness of the Ori main weapon would be judged by both the Asgard and Tauri. That information would play a large role in generating deployment orders to the new contingent among the allied fleet in the future.

The order of arrival of the four ships was highly choreographed. First to arrive was both the Hermes and Hammond. Engaging their cloaks, the two Tauri vessels began to immediately scan the planet and Hives in orbit of Talus while also forwarding their findings to the approaching Ori mothership as well as the Iskr. Opening a subspace channel between their two ships, Mitchell and Carter spoke while their sensors peered into the darkness for any unforeseen danger that might be lurking in the darkness.

"Ok Sam, this is more your show than mine. What are you thinking" asked Cam.

"Nothing pointing towards the Wraith having detected us so far, but that's to be expected. Keep in mind that we are just here to standby and stand guard over the Iskr while she approaches the planet. The two Hives are the responsibility of the Ori vessel" pointed out Carter.

"Grandma didn't really have a saying for this one. Ok, we'll keep our sensors peeled while the Ori deal with the Hives. I'm thinking that big gun of theirs is going to make a mess of anything the Wraith throw at them" replied Cam.

"Remember to keep your vessel clear of the planet. When the time dilation device goes active you don't want to be caught in the field" advised Sam.

"This thing slows time down how much exactly" asked Cam.

"It's on the order of ten to the forth power" replied Sam.

"English carter" protested Cam.

"It works out to an hour inside the field equals a year outside of the field, so for every year someone is inside the field ten thousand would pass outside of it" replied Sam with a smile.

"Ori vessel is exiting hyperspace in twenty seconds, followed by Thor. Its show time" said Cam, finishing off the conversation.

Seconds later the imposing mass of the Ori mothership exited hyperspace. Detecting the intruder automatically, the two Hives began to maneuver to meet the unknown threat. Having never encountered an Ori vessel before, the Wraith had little fear of the vessel but were impressed with the size as it dwarfed even the massive Hives. Knowing they faced an enemy to all humanity in the universe, the Ori sparred little time in combating the threat directly.

Firing from a distance as they closed in on the intruder, the two Hives hurled bolts of blue energy at the gargantuan vessel before them. Like the many races that had followed in the Wraith's current footsteps, they too saw that their weapons impacted the ultra powerful shields to little effect. Blossoming from the impact, the mothership's shields held firm under the assault.

On the curving face of the Ori vessel, energy began to build in the power conduits leading to the inwardly curving weapons bowl. Two tenths of a second later the building flow of energy passed through the resonance chamber and into the energy exciter before discharging. Belching forth a vicious and highly lethal beam of destructive energy, the mothership unleashed it's most potent weapon at the first of the approaching Hives.

As the beam lanced out towards the mothership the Wraith had little fear, knowing their vessel could regenerate from any damage sustained. Impacting four meters from the pointed nose of the Hive, the main weapon tore into the biopolymer armor. Tearing through level after level and bulkhead after bulkhead, the destructive energy of the beam was unexpectedly channeled into the organic power conduits of the doomed vessel. Throughout the Hive the living tissue of the ship surrounding the internal power conduits disintegrated and died. As this happened, the Hive snapped in two at its midpoint.

Seeing the fate of their comrades, the second Hive began to maneuver away from the predator in their midst. Accelerating with their sublight engines, the Hive banked in a sixty degree turn away from their assailant. Enacting a minor course correction of their own, the Ori mothership easily countered the Wraith move.

Discharging the main weapon once again, the fearsome Ori weapon lanced towards its target. A small collection of Dart's deployed before the destruction of the first hive attempted sacrifice themselves to the terrifying beam weapon in place of their Hive. The efforts of the Darts while heroic did little to alter the inevitable outcome. Since the Hive was attempting to maneuver away from its pursuer, the juggernaut of dynamic energy sliced through the belly of the Hive. Slicing through the organic armor, the beam punched through deck after deck. The bridge crew of the Hive dematerialized as the beam eviscerated the compartment around them before erupting back into space as it exited the domed roof above the bridge, rendering the Hive helpless.

"Now that's what I'm talking about" exclaimed Mitchell more to himself than anything.

As this battle was transpiring, the Iskr exited hyperspace close to the atmosphere of Talus. The deceleration drive activated, bringing the O'Neill class vessel into a controlled decent. Repeating a tactic much used against the Goa'uld, dense black clouds boiling over with lightning began to form around the enormous mass of the Iskr. To Wraith on the planets surface it looked as if the weather patterns building might rip anything in its path apart. Coming in low over a towering snow capped peak, Thor activated his onboard transport beaming system to deposit the time dilation device in a location difficult to access by any that might attempt to make the trek.

Having accomplished his given mission and fully aware of the unique time constraints he faced, Thor piloted the Iskr back into the heavens with the ease of moving a control stone four inches to the left.

On the ground below within a Wraith command and control center, urgent messages were being sent. As subspace messages flew in multiple directions, Wraith telepathy also came into play. The Wraith Hive mind was alive with surprise and panic from those aboard the stricken Hive beyond the planet, while thoughts of incredulous wonder emanated from those on the ground. In distant corners of the Pegasus galaxy the panicked shrieks of the gathered collection of Wraith minds on Talus was heard.

Hearing these cries from their fellow Wraith, distant Hives began to communicate amongst themselves to coordinate a relief effort. For several minutes these pleas were heard, until they ceased altogether without warning. Unknown to the distant Wraith, the time dilation device had activated, entombing the Wraith on Talus in a prison they could neither see nor feel nor touch.

Pluto

Over the period of the previous four days a steady stream of ferry pilots from the combined air forces of the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, Japan, France, and Taiwan had flowed in and out of Arkos station. Pilots of the seven nations served the task of ferrying the hangers full of already complete F-302's to Earth. As each of the nations air forces were reequipped with the new craft, other nations would be granted access to the design as well. Refitting the major air forces of the world would take time, but with the incredible industrial capacity found aboard Arkos station the needed time would be greatly diminished from what would otherwise be expected.

Also being transferred to Earth in great numbers were large numbers of jumpers. These jumpers would fill a variety of rolls once delivered. Initial deliveries of jumpers would be placed into a military and government service. Later deliveries of jumpers not equipped with weaponry would find their way into other quasigovernmental use, and be loaned to aerospace researchers for further study.

In the midlevel 304 construction sector of the shipyard a new and unforeseen crew was acquainting themselves with their nation's newest vessel. When construction was begun, this 304 was intended for service with the Chinese government under the name Zhang Sanfeng. The unexpected fall of the communist regime in mainland China had lent itself to a need to restructure off world activities, making possible the Zhang Sanfeng's transfer to another nation.

The nation in question was one that had ship ownership been proposed months earlier would have brought about massive protest from the Chinese government. With that obstacle now a thing of the past Taiwan was being admitted into the so far highly exclusive club of nations in possession of such an advanced vessel. Following in the footsteps of the United States Navy, the nation of Taiwan had opted to assign a crew in whole from one of their few fast attack submarines. The name of this vessel was one revered in the history of the small island democracy. Forevermore she would be known as the Sun Li-Ren, in honor of the famous military commander.

On the lowest level of the construction section of Arkos station, the newest city ship of the Tauri fleet was taking shape. The basic framework of the city ship was complete. Much work remained though before she would be ready to venture out into the stars. Overseeing every step of construction was the future leader of her science department; Doctor Bill Lee. Upon learning of his assignment to the prestigious posting the doctor had taken the time to translate the ships name from Ancient into English. Her name was to be Videum and that directly translated into the word legacy. Once complete and fully integrated with every system planned for her, a legacy she would indeed be.

Vis Uban

After returning from their successful validation in the Pegasus galaxy, Janus and Eli had fallen into the familiar rhythm of brainstorming that the two enjoyed when together. Thoughts of upcoming projects were discussed, and pie in the sky dreams were debated at length. While Janus had his own hopes for what their next project would be, he felt it only fair to see where his young protégé would like to take their combined genius.

Unknown to Eli, high level discussions regarding his future had been taking place for some time. Janus, investing all of his clout and sway with the ascended, had rallied many to his cause. Rarely if ever before had so many ascended beings taken such a keen interest in any mortal like they did young mister Wallace. A consensus had been reached among the ascended beings, and that consensus was one that would have lasting ramifications for the people of Earth.

Sitting down together in a lush garden setting within the city was Eli, Janus, Melia, and Dorin with several other ascended beings nearby. Due to his youth, Eli was under the impression that he might be in trouble but was unsure just what it was he might have done. Despite the assurances of his mentor, this was a feeling Eli had trouble shaking.

"Whatever you think I did, I really didn't do it" began Eli.

"Eli, you're not in any trouble. I keep telling you that" said Janus with a smile and wink.

"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you. Only the moment you reject the burden of fear are you truly free" stated Melia.

"Ok, I was a bit worried that I did something. That clears that up" replied Eli.

"We've asked you here today to discuss the future. More to the point, we wish to discuss your future in particular" stated Dorin.

"I was thinking get married, maybe have some kids someday, that pretty much covers it" replied Eli.

"A longer term view of the future is what we had in mind" said Melia.

"How long are we talking about" asked Eli.

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves" said Melia.

"I'm still not getting what you're throwing down, I'm sorry" stated Eli.

"Eli, you posses a level of innate brilliance that is rarely seen and that gift is something that should be preserved. You're still a young man with much ahead of you, but we see in you and several others of your world minds that should be allowed to transcend the boundaries of life" stated Dorin.

"What my colleague is referring to is ascension" added Janus.

"I don't even know what to say" replied Eli.

"When considering the great path one mustn't think in terms of right and wrong. It is something you must want if you are to follow it" stated Melia.

"Eli, I would like to offer you a deal. We will further our evolution so that you can make full use of the repository of knowledge. This will put you at a point where evolutionary ascension is possible. On that day when a choice is needed on if you wish to follow then we will reach it then. Do you agree" asked Janus.

"I'm just a bit shocked is all. I never really expected this. Turning into a being of pure energy, I mean that's kind of a big step" said Eli.

"Let's get you started on the repository first, and the rest we can talk about later" finished Janus.

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