Stargate Hastings

Chapter Seventeen: A new strategy and purpose

Tok'ra base, Tok'ra unnamed safe world.

Upon learning of the Ashrak, the planet was thoroughly scanned for cloaking devices. The sensors used for detecting cloaking technology, required a more focused scan from specialist equipment. As cloaked vessels could not be detected by conventional methods. They concentrated on the area around the Stargate and the Tok'ra base, eventually finding the Ashrak's vessel. It was not the usual class of vessel used by his kind, and after careful investigation found it to be a cargo vessel, once used by the Tok'ra.

The cargo vessel had been used by one of their operatives. To undertake a mission that he had failed to return from, over half a century ago. His name was Panko, with his Hosts name being Myka. The Tok'ra had never found the truth of Panko and Myka's fate, but the Ashrak had kept a trophy. Panko had been made into a decoration for the walls of the vessel. The Ashrak had also drawn pictures of a woman who looked like Malkshur had, only with grotesque expressions on her face. They were everywhere in the Ashrak's sleeping quarters, and they were in two distinct styles.

One style concentrated on the twisted expressions of the faces, with the other capturing the subject in more detail. Malkshur's beauty shone through in the latter images, but they were far more disturbing than the more gruesome ones. Anise did not claim to be a psychologist, but she told them that the Host was probably responsible for the more gruesome images, with the Symbiote being more detailed in his depictions. She also explained to them what made the Ashrak special, when compared to others of their kind.

The Symbiote itself did not use the Sarcophagi like the other Gau'auld, as the effects of the device altered a persons reasoning capacity. Unlike the egotistical Gau'auld, the Ashrak were trained for a single purpose, and would change Host once every century, on average. Each new Host was trained with a specific Symbiote in mind, with that Host being as deadly as the Ashrak Symbiote itself. They were as different to the other Gau'auld as the Tok'ra were, but they were still as twisted as their brethren. Possibly even more so.

The people who were chosen to be Ashrak Hosts, were taken from across the entire Gau'auld domain. With only the finest human specimens whose genomes were tested, and intelligence verified to be of a very high standard selected. Those humans were then trained to the highest standards of physical and military training. With those not taken as Hosts, becoming undercover operatives sent back to live among the human slaves. Selket was their leader, and would also change Hosts, instead of using the Sarcophagi.

She was currently in a female Host but would also take male Hosts. Selket was devoted to Ra. With the Tok'ra believing Ra encourages Selket, and some others to not use the Sarcophagi. In order to ensure that he had Gau'auld that were not power hungry maniacs, who were also fiercely loyal to him. She was the most dangerous of all the System Lords, although technically she was not a System Lord. All required her Ashrak's, but she had no great throne world. Only the various worlds that were used to train the Ashrak Hosts. Worlds that were unknown to other Gau'auld, except Ra. There was a world where the System Lords would request the Ashrak's services, but she was very rarely stationed on that world.

The Ashrak Hosts are taught the truth of who the Gau'auld are, and are still devoted to them. They are not religious fanatics, who can easily be manipulated like the Jaffa. They are simply fanatics, both the Symbiote and the Host. They had never taken one captive or even had a body to study before, and would share their findings with the Tau'ri. Once a full autopsy had been carried out, on the obsessed Ashrak.

Normally they would have evacuated the base immediately, but the Ashrak could have called in their location, without revealing himself. So they had simply called in several small vessels to patrol the system, in order to alert them to any approaching ships or even fleets of vessels. They were prepared to evacuate if they needed to. With the Stargate connected to another safe-world, in case the Gau'auld dialled into this one to prevent their escape. They would have enough time to evacuate this world if it was required.

They had concluded that the Ashrak had a personal vendetta with Malkshur, with Jolinar all but confirming this. The Ashrak that had almost caught them a little over half a century ago, had underestimated the human Host and not secured Malkshur. He had used a form of nerve gas, that was specifically designed to incapacitate the Symbiote and render the host unconscious. He had not taken into account Malkshur's shear force of will and absolute stubbornness. The gas itself was in a compressed air canister, that could be sprayed into a victim's face.

The Ashrak had dropped his personal cloaking field, and taunted them as they fell into unconsciousness. Malkshur had returned the favour, but waited until he had reported his mission a success, before using the same gas canister to incapacitate the Ashrak. She then taunted him about his certain death, at the hands of his then former brothers. She could have killed him but the gas had made her unhinged a little. So instead she left him to a far worse fate, one without purpose. A fate worse than death for any Ashrak.

It was that act of cruelty that had sealed her fate, and made her their new obsession, their new purpose. They had made Malkshur their mission in life and only her. He had left Jolinar alive, probably so she would suffer, but Malkshur and her death were all that mattered to him or them. Because they were certain, that both the Host and Symbiote were equally obsessed with her death. They had even scratched the Host must die in Gau'auld, all over the vessel. With two distinct styles of writing, marking them out as being made by two separate people.

The council was sat in session once more, only Egeria was now acting as the head of the Tok'ra. Garshaw was offering her support, and would give her advice when needed, but Yosuf had been prepared by Garshaw, so knew a large portion of the Tok'ra's history already. Richard Hastings did not know of a way to tell them. That the race they knew as the progenitor race, had not only returned, they were in fact before them now. Not only that, but he also wanted all Tok'ra operatives to be withdrawn at the earliest opportunity, and take up the duties of training any freed slaves, both human and Jaffa that wished to live free.

Janus's plan involved the Tok'ra as well as the freed slaves, all working together in order to take down the Gau'auld. When the war was over, many Jaffa would opt to keep the increased strength that a Primta gives them and the Tok'ra, along with any Gau'auld that were willing to alter their ways. Would require both the Jaffa and willing human Hosts. Only by becoming brothers through their fight for freedom, would this become possible. If they did not, then a new conflict would arise in the same way it did in SG1's reality.

It was Egeria, who broached the subject of an alliance first. "The Tok'ra will be eternally grateful to your people Mr. Hastings, but the only thing of value you can offer us is Hosts. Please do not be offended when I say this. Your people are primitive, and your numbers will count for nothing against the Gau'auld's superior technology. It may take centuries before you can challenge them, at your current level of technology. When you have developed to the point where you can, the Tok'ra will indeed form a military alliance with your people, but until then we will continue as we have been". She said with as much tact as possible.

Richard had been struggling with a way to approach the situation, thankfully Egeria had given him an opening. "Are you aware of a species known as the Ancients?". He asked Egeria.

"The progenitor race. Yes we know of them". Egeria replied.

Richard knew they did from the explanation of the scans. Anise had been taking of them earlier. So he asked. "If we had their level of technology, would you consider that less primitive?".

Anise stepped forward and silently asked permission to speak. When Egeria indicated she could, she said. "The Ancients as you call them, were the most advanced species to ever exist. If you have access to their technology, the Gau'auld would not be a threat to your kind, and would easily be defeated. Why would you need the Tok'ra?". She asked Richard.

He was trying to lead them to that exact question, why would we need them? So he said. "We do not need you, you need us. We indeed do have the technology of these Ancients and are descended from those people. We will be arriving at this summit arranged by the Asgard, in one of these vessels. Our intention is to make it clear, that the Asgard are not needed to protect us or even in the war we plan to wage on the Gau'auld". He was intentionally trying to manoeuvre the Tok'ra, into asking the right questions.

Egeria did exactly that, when she asked. "Why do the Tok'ra need you?". Before Richard could answer her, she said. "My children have survived for almost two millennia, and they have done so by not attacking the Gau'auld openly. In time our intention was to grow in numbers, and eventually attack the Gau'auld more directly, but my absence prevented this. Now that I have returned, the Tok'ra will be continuing with the same strategy, until we are strong enough to challenge the Gau'auld. We will not need your help in this, so why do we need you?". She asked.

Richard then replied. "You need us because you will need Jaffa, and you will also require human Hosts. More than this, you require a home world that is completely safe from the System Lords. We do not only have a world, but we have a new purpose for you also". Rachael and Jim had both been as surprised as the Tok'ra, but kept quiet.

"What would that purpose be. Mr. Hastings?". Egeria asked.

"To ensure that the freed slaves, both human and Jaffa. Do not turn on each other and begin a war that would end us all". Richard replied.

Egeria seemed to ponder what Richard had told her, then came to a realisation. "You sound certain of this, is there something you have not yet revealed to us?". She asked him.

Rachael then asked. "Yes cousin, you have seemed a little more sure of yourself since you returned from earth. Even with your wanting to talk with Malkshur. You seemed like you had already made your decision concerning Lantash and getting to know her was just a formality. What happened on earth and who was the man in the painting?". Rachael had her suspicions on who it was, only that was ridiculous. He was legend and had supposedly lived for centuries. It couldn't be him, she thought to herself.

Richard simply replied. "Janus".

In Rachael's head Jolinar spoke to her. "Interesting, if the stories of him were not exaggerated, as you believed. Then this could get very interesting indeed". She could still feel the part of Malkshur, that was driving Jolinar's interest.

Rachael did not answer her internal companion. Instead she asked Richard. "What is he then, immortal?". With the voice in her head saying to her. "Possible, but I know you believe differently".

Richard simply replied. "Time traveller actually and from our past".

"The past?". Both Anise and Rachael asked.

Richard was not sure how he could explain and silently wished Larry were here. "Yes the past, but it was someone from another future that set all of this in motion. If Larry were here, he could explain in more detail, and I will try but I can barely remember it all. I had that many questions running around my brain. I can tell you roughly what Larry and Janus told me". He said to them.

"Larry is in on this?". Rachael asked.

"Yes, the rebellion was a lie, and we have the Asgard to thank for our liberation. As soon as rebellion began on earth, they stepped in and forbade the Gau'auld from quelling the uprising. It was Janus who built the caves on Abydos, and he did it in the distant past. There were caves there in the original timeline but they were very different. With just the cave in which Donald found the symbols to return home, being the only one there. Janus had built the rest up around it and given the Abydonians their secret to pass down. He changed our history but not major historical events, that is how he kept it from his people". Saying it all out loud, made it seem even more ridiculous, than he already thought it was.

Jim who had sat listening, then asked. "Why don't his people deal with the Gau'auld, why as it been left to us or this Janus, to fix the mess they created?". He did not know a great deal about these people but he knew enough, to know the Gau'auld were their mess.

Anise answered for Richard, with a question of her own. "Because they no longer exist on this plane of existence. I am correct in that assumption?". She seemed to be eagerly awaiting the confirmation of her theory.

"Yes and no, they are governed by laws of non-interference on this plane, and that is why they are now powerless to stop him. Over a century from now, a woman would have used a time machine that Janus had not yet invented, and travelled back ten thousand years into her past. There she met Janus and his people. Janus was intrigued by her, so he helped her and the people she had left behind in the future, avert their certain deaths. He then left the city she now rests in, and returned to the earth with the rest of his people". Richard explained.

He had everyone's attention but it was Anise, who was the most captivated of them all. Richard continued. "When he eventually did build his time machine. He travelled to his future in order to again meet this amazing woman, that had fascinated him so much. Only he claims that he overshot by three centuries, and found an asteroid field where the earth was supposed to be. I personally do not believe everything he has told me, but I do believe he is being sincere in wanting to fix their mess. He says that the earth did indeed remove the System Lords from power, with an alliance involving the Tok'ra and the Jaffa, only there was too much hatred between the human slaves and the Jaffa. With even the Tok'ra being hunted down, in the aftermath of their war".

Anise did not ask permission this time, before saying. "Atlantis?".

Egeria looked to Richard Hastings, for confirmation of what Anise had just asked him. When he nodded to indicate that Anise had guessed correctly. Egeria said. "Atlantis was a city, that was supposedly sunk beneath one of the oceans on the first world, long before the Gau'auld discovered it. The Gau'auld themselves searched the earths oceans and found nothing. Eventually they decided that it was nothing more than legend, and discontinued the search. You wish for the Tok'ra to move to this city but for what purpose?". She asked.

"We want you to first train the Jaffa and former human slaves, alongside our own military experts of course. More importantly we want you to lead them, not send them to their deaths, but actually lead them. The Tok'ra, the Jaffa and the humans, must all fight at each other's sides. You must forge an unbreakable bond between the three peoples. Four peoples with earth, but it was the millennia of hatred between your three peoples, that ignited the conflict. This time we all must become like family. We must bleed, and die together or all will be for nothing". Richard declared to all in the council chamber.

San'kha was the only representative of the Jaffa race, so Egeria asked. "As the only free Jaffa, you are by default the leader of the free Jaffa nation. I would like to hear your thoughts on this San'kha. Do you have anything to say on this matter?". Donald was already speaking for the humans, but San'kha had stayed silent.

He moved over to them with a grace that did not match the Jaffa's size, then spoke with conviction. "There are many among the Jaffa who believe the Gau'auld to be false gods, my wife is one of them. Some have turned over loved ones, for fear of their gods wrath. Although I was devoted to Ra, I could not and I no longer see that as a weakness. My eyes were opened by Jeem. If they have more powerful weapons than the Gau'auld, then others will see the truth. However, if you free them too quickly, they will join forces to ensure that no one ever makes them slaves again. When that is done, former rivalries will ignite between factions within the Jaffa. Until only one remained and they began conquering other races replacing the Gau'auld as gods!".

Jim laughed, then asked San'kha. "Do you know a time traveller as well San'kha or have you just, really been thinking about this?".

"My father told me what would happen if the Jaffa, were ever to overthrow the Gau'auld. I was only young at the time, but I have had much time to think over what he was trying to tell me. I believe he knew the Gau'auld were false gods, but he feared what the Jaffa would become if they were freed. That fear is what made him a slave, not the Primta within him. He told me that the Jaffa would have no choice, but to replace the Gau'auld as slave masters. He believed that the human slaves would never accept the Jaffa has brothers, and would turn on them given enough time. My brothers and I have proved that false, but the lion is correct. Our bond was forged in conflict, but it was when I witnessed their determination to be free, that we became brothers". San'kha looked around the room before continuing.

"My people are warriors! They must witness slaves show bravery, that they themselves do not possess. If you do indeed have the technology, to take away the Gau'auld's aerial superiority. Then you must fight a ground battle against the Gau'auld, with freed slaves at the head of that army. Those who already believe the gods to be false will join that fight, and given enough time the rest will be shamed into following them. If their freedom is won too quickly, then what my father believed would happen. Will, come to pass!". San'kha had thought about nothing else, the entire time he had been on the Tok'ra base.

He had found a new brotherhood with the Abydonians but he was still a Jaffa, he wanted them to know freedom as he did. The Tok'ra had confirmed that his wife had escaped Ra's wrath, along with their son. They did not know where she was, only that Ra had not captured them. San'kha would find them in time, he was certain of that. Kendra would be pleased with her husband, although she would probably still try to kill him. He looked forward to that day, and would welcome the beating she gave him, for leaving them behind.

Egeria was moved by the Jaffa's words, they echoed her thoughts concerning the Jaffa. They had been at war with each-other for millennia, and saw the human slaves as Kek, a Jaffa's greatest insult. "I believe as your father did San'kha. The Jaffa while being trained to operate Gau'auld technology, they have no understanding of how to create that technology. Their culture is as primitive, even more so than the Tau'ri. They would indeed become a conquering race, and they would replace the Gau'auld as the new masters of the humans". Egeria told him.

They continued their talks concerning an alliance, between the Tok'ra and the other three factions. With Egeria showing far less scepticism as the talks went on, with San'kha and the Abydonians also giving their opinions. She saw the merit in Janus's plan. With the war against these Wraith that followed, only cementing the bond between the different factions. She had believed that the vast majority of the Jaffa, would have had to be killed to end in a lasting peace. She preferred this time travellers plan, the Jaffa were as much slaves as the humans. Even if they were the ones who did the actual cruel actions, it was the Gau'auld that ordered them to do so.

Before leaving for earth along with both Jim and San'kha. Richard invited the Tok'ra to join them, at the summit to decide the fate of Abydos. They had still not agreed to withdraw their operatives, but would make that decision before the time arrived. If they sent a delegation to this declaration of war or ultimatum. Then the Tok'ra would commence with the withdrawal of their operatives. If they did not, they would not cut off all ties with earth, but they would continue to operate as a fifth column within the Gau'auld domain.

Janus had told Richard that the war would be won far too quickly, with the Tok'ra offering them intel. It must build slowly, lasting at least a decade. With the lesser Gau'auld being given the chance to turn, and then lead their former slaves as their equals in the wars against those Gau'auld, who will have to die. Because some were just too far gone for redemption, but not all. Then there were those who would pretend to alter their ways, while working for their own interests. Janus had a plan for them as well, only it required volunteers to become Hosts to those Gau'auld.

Using a technology he possessed that could subdue the Symbiote, and allow the Host complete control. Those new Hosts would have access to their intentions, and along with training they would receive from James Elden. Would attempt to change the Gau'auld, in the same way that he had managed to. He had made it clear that was the key to everything, and the reason he had decided to take corporeal form once more.

Time had been altered, with the others being alerted to his meddling with time. As soon the Stargate was discovered, forty-five years early. They simply could not find him, and their non-interference laws prevented them from acting on this plane. It was where he had hidden from them, that he recorded the times he had interfered on this plane of existence, and also met with others who had helped him on this plane. He had pledged for those recordings to be used for evidence in his eventual trial. All they had left was to prepare for a summit, the like the Gau'auld were definitely not expecting. One that they would never forget!