Hi friends,

Thank you for returning to this 5th season of Star Granger. All new readers are very welcomed and appreciated as well.

If you are new readers, though, please note that this is the 5th season of this story, hinting the fact that there were 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even a 4th seasons preceding it. Starting to read from this point and onwards, without reading the preceding seasons, might be quite confusing for you.

For those of you who suffered through this story so far, I can only promise that this 5th 'season' will be the very last of them. For you few strange ones, who actually enjoyed this drivel, I will hint that this one will be longer than former seasons, and will lead the story-arc to its end. I will also add that it is written now in full, so no risk of this story being abandoned.

Also, please, please review - it's what's making all this writing worthwhile for me.

Cheers!

Star Granger Season 5 - Chapter 1

Thoughts

"speech"

"Goa'uld speech"

SG SG SG SG SG SG SG

March 27th 2002 - Hasara space station

"You developed what?" I still remember Seth asking that Tok'ra, Ren'al incredulously. And right he was. Just who in his right mind develops a biological weapon targeted to wipe out his own race?

The Tok'ra, apparently.

I was formerly of the idea that Tok'ra scientists' state of mind is directly related to the length of their shirts. Turns out Dr half-baked is their standard.

"Welcome to the dark side," O'Neill told her, and for once, I could only nod in agreement. Not only biological warfare doesn't even feature in the federation.

Outside the delta quadrant, at the least,

But, the plonkers didn't even take the fact that this serum is also deadly to any of the millions Jaffa out there as a consideration.

Ren'al was sent back with a strong suggestion to not only destroy all serum already produced, but completely erase any reference and details regarding. At least until a day comes and we manage to cure the Jaffa from their dependence on the Goa'uld larva. Then, the Tok'ra are welcome to wipe themselves out, if that is their fancy.

"Unless you have also developed an antidote," Seth remarks dryly. "In which case it will be a good idea to keep full records regarding."

As things usually are with the Tok'ra, it was all part of another convoluted plan. This time they wanted SG1, Daniel particularly, to infiltrate this secret space station where Goa'uld System Lords will be holding a conference, and do them all in at once.

They keep using this word - 'secret'. I do not think it means what they think it means.

Now, killing all the Goa'uld on board is easy - Just jump in with a few ships, destroy the station and all ships in the vicinity, and Bob's your uncle. Having said that, and you may call me arrogant for it - I believe it's time enough to introduce the Goa'uld to the fact that they are no longer the only power in this galaxy.

It was a very hard sell, and raised quite a bit of incredulity, but for once, SGC were an actual huge help. You see, galactically famous such as they are, everyone knows that they are travelling through the Port network, attacking Goa'uld, wreaking havoc, encouraging rebellions, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. But - they don't have the ships to actually project power in the galaxy. If played right, no Goa'uld here on the station will ever imagine that the new power in the galaxy might possibly be the infamous Tau'ri.

Coming here was rather easy. We dropped in with a Brick on the other side of the system's sun and used our Goa'uld cloaks, until close enough to fold and crawl the rest of the way in that way. Obviously, we have backup and both HMS Mermaid and Sphinx are strolling around this neck of the woods, in case Harry or I need a hot cup of Darjeeling, a photon torpedo, or some such.

Harry and I make quite an impression walking into the conference room. I am dressed in a lime green, thigh-long, tailored coat, over an Emma Peel catsuit. All very 60s. Harry is wearing his 'Prince Ali' costume. The clothes maketh the man, and all that rubbish. He is rather overdressed between the other slaves.

I'll just have to punish him for it, when back.

We are followed by inquiring stares all the way to the conference hall, strolling leisurely along the corridors. From time to time, I stop our walk to point to Harry this part of the place's decoration, or another. The sight of Harry rolling his eyes at my antics would have had him probably mobbed by all the other incensed slaves around for his disrespectful conduct, but for me chuckling softly at this.

In chambre we can hear the galaxy's powers bickering like children.

"This has gone on long enough," says Yu. "We must discover who's behind those attacks. The coward refuses to expose himself!"

Hey! Not cowering. Just showing them a face they refuse to believe.

Yu has lost several ships in several attacks on his forces. One of those might have been us. Another incident might have been Bel'dun. Another yet is the advance ship, we have encountered soldier Black upon.

Kali had an outpost attacked. This one most certainly wasn't us. She points an accusing finger at Olokun. The sod is forced to admit that he lost a ship to a sneak attack. Apparently the lowly slaves onboard dishonoured themselves and especially their god, by surrendering to whoever that sneak was.

This one also seems to correlate with one of Shipyard's advanced Ha'tak documented outings.

Then there were the personal attacks on both Moloch and Ba'al. The gathered company are doing their best to hide it, but it has shaken them to the bone.

Harry can't help but smile thinly when Ba'al's name is mentioned, which attracts Yu's attention to us.

Marauder much?

Right then - showtime! I walk purposefully into the hall, as if it is the most natural place for me to be at. "Hiya!" I tell them all, and flash my eyes for the show of it. Naturally, there isn't a free seat ready for me here. Behind me, Harry takes a device out of his pocket. It's clearly too big to be in there in the first place. A press of a button emits some sparkly bluish light, and a well padded and elaborately decorated Damascus chair appears in front of us. He dutifully helps me out of my coat and helps me to my seat.

Silence around the hall is deafening, while Harry is keeping himself busy. My coat is hanged on thin air to the side. He then opens up my bag again and hands me a chilled bottle of London Pride.

I know. A shame to all true Londoners out there, but I much prefer my beer chilled.

I take a sip and sigh in exaggerated content, looking at those mighty System Lords around me, staring back at me with distrust, worry, and quite a bit of hate.

"How inconsiderate of me," I tell the gathered group of Goa'uld elite and raise my hand up. Harry dutifully places another bottle in it. "Do any of you like a cold one too?" I ask, offering the bottle.

The silence is still deafening, and I'm looking around at the assembled gods, to their people. The rulers of this galaxy.

Mark me disappointed.

"Did I interrupt something important?" I ask innocently. "I'm so sorry!"

Conversation deteriorates for a while, and once more, I'm not the most popular person in the room. The fact that I was obviously not invited, yet am present at this secret and very secured station worries them.

And rightly so!

Congratulating them on their secrets being just as secure as the Tok'ra ones, or the Tollan planet's location, doesn't endear me to them, yet I think Yu finds this remark a tad amusing. Harry certainly does, and his rather loud snort from behind my back makes all the actual slaves in the hall apoplectic.

"Thought this was a meeting between this galaxy's powers?" I ask them as an answer for the reason for us being here uninvited. "Should have invited Bel'dun though," I offer, and anger them even more. "Asgard, send their regards as well," I add. "Didn't know if they were invited, being from outside of this galaxy and all."

It's at this time that a cocky new Goa'uld struts into the hall and greets us.

"Girls!" I tell them. "Even the Tollana planet's location is a better kept secret."

Surprisingly enough, this upstart is none other than Klorel.

His lord must be really scraping the bottom of the cauldron.

As soon as the twit is in the centre of the hall, he starts monologuing. "You'll find I have much to offer," says he. "Recognises weakness with the system lords. Put aside differences and individual strive for power." He only gains some semblance of attention when he admits being here to represent Anubis.

"Lord of the underworld? Patron of mummification? Guide of the souls? Weighter of the hearts?" I ask.

Turns out he was such a despicable person, even his Goa'uld brothers joined forces to turn on him.

"Anubis is long dead," Yu remarks dismissively. Lets just say the report of his death has been grossly exaggerated.

"He was banished long ago, and only two system lords remain from that time," Klorel goes on with his speech and asks in Anubis' name to be accepted back as a system lord. "Or place yourselves at his mercy," Klorel concludes with a threat.

"Or else Anubis will do to them what he tried to do to the Tollans?" I ask tarsly.

The disgruntled look on Klorel's face pushes the discussion towards further negotiations. His promise to destroy Earth raises some interest, but his offer to do the Tok'ra in gets the biscuit.

"Today," Klorel states dramatically, "will henceforth be known as the day the blood of the Tok'ra runs free, and their rebellion ended for good."

I feel Harry's hand touching my shoulder softly and turn to see him walk out of the hall with my bag in hand. In the hall, a vote is held, and all but Lord Yu vote 'aye'.

Not that they love Anubis, but they hate the Tok'ra more…

I look pointedly at Yu and roll my eyes dramatically. He stares at me back with a blank face, but I get the notion that had he had the Tok'ra's poison underhand - he'd use it gladly himself, at this point in time.

"Arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient," I tell them, and earn another round of scowls.

Goa'uld ceremony of eating living, almost mature Goa'uld symbiote, marks my exit. Raw eel can be a delicacy, but I prefer those to be killed first, then professionally cut into sashimi, with soy and some wasabi. I also prefer them to not be sentient. Apparently, the Goa'uld, like the Damogran Frond Crested Eagles, had heard of survival of the species and want nothing to do with it. Harry is back, giving me a tensed yet reassuring nod. He also helps me back into my coat.

"Alright," I tell the assembled lords, and stop their feast for a moment. "Looks like it's time for me to go." Apparently, they can't wait for me to be gone. It's Harry who surprises me with his parting remark. He flashes his eyes at the assembled people, (Hey, that's my thing!) and gives me his lovable yet infuriating smirk.

§Klorel?§ he hisses, and makes all Goa'uld around the hall shudder. "§You've got dirt on your nose, did you know? Right there,§" he adds and points at the bridge of his own.

Hilarious! I'll need to make him translate this bit of Parselthongue for me.

Watching Klorel rubbing his nose with a finger dirty with dead and bloody Goa'uld, is amusing, but still my eyes promise revenge, and a cold one at that.

Outside the hall Yu's slave is standing, staring daggers at us. "On Anubis ships are soldiers in black armour," I tell him softly. "Tell Yu that Lady Hermione does not recommend sending his Jaffa to frontally face them." He nods reluctantly at that.

We disappear into our brick, which has never actually shown itself, yet is parked in one of this station's hangars. Fifteen minutes later, we are safely back onboard the Mermaid. It's almost half a day before there is any kind of movement around the space station.

Patience is a virtue!

First to leave is Bastet. Her Tel'tak is clearly marked. Then it is Yu's turn to leave. The slight Cheering Charm Harry had hit Klorel with leaves only a slight, 5% of a Merlin strong signature. On the Mermaid's tactical display, at only a handful of light seconds away, this slight signature shows clearly at the otherwise empty area of space. Harry closes his eyes and in a tube at the front of the ship a glowing attack squid turns rigid and intent. A press of a button sends it away. Those do shine throughout their flight.

Shame they're so slow…

It takes the squid 9.3 seconds to reach the ZPE signature and make its pass. On the second pass a small shuttle shows, venting air to space. On the third pass it explodes with an impressive pyrotechnic show. Space around the space station is immediately saturated with hot plasma beams, but we are no longer there, and soon are away in the relative safety of hyperspace.

"We should try it on one of the upgraded Ha'tak ships," Charles remarks conversationally.

"Anubis's" I answer.

"We will need to give it a better charge to penetrate those shields," Harry answers.

"Would you like the Mermaid to test the crystal power system?" I ask Charles. He just smirks.

April 1st 2002 - Aschen city

Borren's flat is located in an upscale residential complex in the fashionable section of town. It has four bedrooms, a large balcony with river view, sophisticated entertainment system and well equipped kitchen. Mid of the former century modern - go figure.

Took about a month for our snooping drones to locate him. About a week to follow him to this place. His wife and two children were delicately persuaded to go and visit the in-laws. The strange, long-legged, rodent-like pet is fast asleep in his padded corner. Jack is standing guard at the door. Teal'c went out with Harry to make sure no one remembers the existence of this flat, till we are ready to leave. Daniel and Sam sit with me in front of Borren, at the dinner table.

Borren is facing us, calm and blank faced, as he usually is. As if armed alien men didn't invade the privacy of his home, on a planet we are not even expected to know the location of. His bloody nose ruins his calm exterior, sadly. It's a shameful behaviour, and very unbecoming for a US officer of her rank, but hey, the woman has just almost been made to choose between having a child, and having her mind and soul damaged. Even Daniel didn't say a word. I mean, it's not like Sam was about to quit fieldwork to fulfil her life's dream of being a mum, but this is a choice to be made by the woman, not some bloody alien, who didn't even know Earth existed, till a few weeks beforehand. He does have a hot cup of tea in front of him.

Mum raised me well.

"Can you please tell us just why we are here, talking with this guy, again?" Daniel is asking me.

Again.

I sigh heavily. By now, the whole SG1 team is already signed to our secrets, though none of them was exposed to most of the actual details. Right, Sam knows a few of us have some capabilities, what with my charming personality being able to create temporary, stable, precise micro-wormholes and all. Even she wasn't exposed to the actual width of my abilities, though. I take out my wand to a very surprised raised eyebrow from Daniel. Pointing it, and a murmured incantation, make Borren's neck and head light with a very dull hue. It's nothing to write home about. Less than five percent of a Merlin strong. I repeat the process, first pointing at Sam, having no result at all, then at Daniel, who gains a bit of a stronger hue in his chest, and unsurprisingly, his head too.

"Some people have a genetic access to this chaotic energy." At this moment, Harry and Teal'c return, having secured this floor of the building from, well - existence, for the time being. I point my wand at Harry, and for a moment he shines like a lantern. "Some have enough access to this energy to manipulate existence around them," I continue with my explanation. "It has nothing to do with advancement. The Asgard and the Tollans don't have any access at all. On the other hand, every Nox has full access. On Earth, about a permille of the population does at most, and most of those have only latent access," I point at Daniel saying this. "It's a rare capability," I shrug.

"And the Aschen?" Daniel asks, and already I can see the hundreds of questions running in his head.

"They are an anomaly. Every single Aschen is a latent ZPE user with a tiny access to it. We suspect that they are using this to optimise their mental capabilities, contributing directly to their blindingly fast scientific progress."

"Only, we fear," Harry picks up the narrative, "that they have taken this to such an extreme, they, as a people, have lost their humanity. If they did," he adds, "We would like to understand what they did, and hopefully learn from their mistakes."

I dive into Borren's mind without faffing around with questions. The way I'm planning to handle his mind - whatever questions I might have, I will find the answers to. Diving deep into his mind gives me a pause, though. This is so unlike anything I have ever experienced, that for a moment I'm not certain how to proceed. Have you ever seen this old film 'Tron'? His mind is like that - All black with straight lines leading bright spots from place to place.

How would I even start to find information here?

Turns out his mind is also so suggestible and open, that information is retrieved from the slightest of probes. After just a short while I even start feeling a little sorry for the berk. It's like we suspected - Aschen discovered what we mages call Occlumency, very early in the days, and their tight control over their mind and memories was, and still is, the key for their amazingly fast development as a people. As opposed to us Mages, the last trait one can attribute to the Aschen is laziness, and so they have taken control over their own minds to the fullness of its potential. Nevermind ordering and retention of memories. I can't even describe the way their minds are working as 'thought' - 'Processing' would be a much more accurate description. There is hardly enough freedom of thought in Borren's mind to form an actual personality.

Are you still interested in knowing the big 'why'? You're about to be disappointed. It was more of a 'why not?"

Want, take, have!

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so," I tell my friends, with some exasperation.

"But they're obviously intelligent?" Daniel is surprised.

"Processing isn't a thought," I conclude. "So, do I make him forget our visit, or just stop him from telling others?" I then ask Sam.

"By all means," she answers with a rather ugly smile. "Let him remember."

"It will probably drive him mad," I caution her.

"Sweet!" Jack answers.

There is very little in the way of good will towards the Aschen, between our American friends. Quite understandable, that.

Borren is still sitting at the table across from us. Not saying a word. With a blank expression.

"In a way, I feel sorry for you," I tell him softly. "No Aschen, probably for centuries, has had a choice in what you've collectively decided to do to yourselves. Still, retribution is coming for what you did. Also, for your ways, we have no choice but to isolate you from all other races in this galaxy."

This brings no response from him. Not even when we drop, one after the other, from sight.

April 11th 2002 - Atlantis

Finally?

I mean, everyone has already been here for a visit. Even R found the time to get away from her inner cave and everyone else's reports to visit. Sappho has been here just once. She took a look at her former flat. Also a look at the entertainment library, and returned to Vis-Uban with a huff, but not without a little crystal containing the meagre thousand and seventy three seasons of 'Love and Ascension' made, after she was ditched on Earth by her people. I reckon she feels more comfortable there, in her sister's flat. Sadly, the flowers she had brought her sister have only survived for a couple of days, after the place was opened and the preservation field switched off. We all pitched in to pot various locally found succulents, to decorate her place. Locals have been very helpful in this effort.

"Lethifold? Honestly?!"

"Right," Harry answers. "Poor thing was locked in a lab, inside a power shield and was starved for ten thousand years. Ate through a couple of Bill's Patroni without batting an… Well, without any noticeable influence," He smiles softly. "Firenze helped us to deliver it to their tribe in Central America. They promised to nurse it back to health, before releasing it to the forest."

I nod absentmindedly at the story, while looking at the strange instrumentations around me. Not touching anything is well beaten into me by R and Keira by now.

"I think mostly he wanted to visit this long time acquaintance of his, and help her with some tail brushing." He adds, and I roll my eyes at him for all his suggestive eyebrow movements. I will gladly help Harry with his tail brushing issues, but not in this dreary lab.

"In any case, this lab was designed to research ascension. They probably held the Lethifold here, to try and understand the way it feeds on soul energies, and can separate the soul from the body."

I rolled my eyes at this as well.

Good thing they didn't have Dementors to research.

"They were rather obsessed with it," Harry goes on with the tour commentary. "In another lab they have an ascension device. Didn't see the process with my own eyes, but the description says it's charging a person's soul to the point it separates itself from the living body. Then it either survives as an entity, or dissipates. Even when it works, I can't imagine how it does without doing some damage, though."

The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
So this is all I have to say

"So the cowards were so afraid of what awaits, that they'd rather be no more than move on?" I ask.

"Suicide is painless," he shrugs.

"Brings on many changes," I agree.

Our last stop for today is the command centre. Or is it the bridge? It's confusing since the control chair is located elsewhere, which is a problem we are looking to rectify. The view of Atlantis from the observation window is quite spectacular and impressive. A true home for a spacefaring race. As a command post it is a bit on the cluttered side and people are working on upgrades, first of which is the installation of a holographic based CIC. The Alterans were certainly advanced, but a warfairing race they were not. Also, the actual space operation of this place is completely dependent on its armchair, so naturally, there isn't a backup one in store.

Bonkers.

Right beside us is the Nox relay station, and when I say 'right beside' I mean 'about a light hour away'. Naturally it's invisible to all of our sensors, except for this Nox developed screen. Obviously, it's invisible to the eye. The Nox have worked with us extensively to find a way to mask their installations from our life signs detectors as well. Since we worked on this together, we know enough to recognise the slight 'haze' this new system puts out. It's not much of a worry, since one needs to have a very intimate knowledge of ZPE use, and deep familiarity with the way the Nox specifically are manipulating it, to be able to even try and scan for it. There is even a thought of using this system on our ships, as a replacement to our quirky, Fidelius based cloaking. Their system doesn't limit the ship's speed in any way, nor its ability to use its weapons.

Yes, Nox ships are rather well armed. Naturally, they won't tell anyone anything about it.

On the other hand the ship is left in regular space, so it's still susceptible to the haphazard of someone shooting through that piece of space, or the risk of collision. Like everything - this system has advantages and disadvantages.

Also in the neighbourhood is this three mile long Naquadah made asteroid. It appeared out of the black, outside the galaxy disk, and headed right towards Earth. Frankly, this is such an infinitesimally improbable event, that none of us believe in it being of natural occurrence. Even so, we are all only too happy to meet with the bugger who sent this towards Earth - so we can thank him dearly. The Goblins were a bit disgruntled though. They have thrown themselves into their re-education effort with passion and determination that makes one green with envy. They are only willing to pay for the efforts of the people helping them - Asgard, Nox, and us, with sweat and silver. This meteorite is so easy to exploit, that the mines on Shipyard are all but abandoned at the moment.

We are here, on the bridge, just in time since a woman's hologram appears right in front of us. She's facing away from us, though.

"Atlantis," she calls. "This is captain Helia from the Lantean ship Tria." She then pauses and looks aside. "Can they hear me?" she's asking someone, who's clearly not shown in the hologram.

"Lantean?" I mouth silently.

Harry waves my question and focuses on the dear captain. "Hi Helia," he answers. "Alright?"

The captain turns and grimaces seeing Harry. Our boy has this influence on people, though it's less common these days. She's a professional, though, and quickly gets a hold on herself.

"Mr. Potter," she acknowledges him courtly. "Can you please send someone to help us out?"

"I hope there will be no repeat of former actions?" he inquires rather tersely. She only shrugs with some clear exasperation.

"I'll ring the Asgard to see what they have available. We have nothing fast and large enough to tow your leviathan in," he promises.

"Alright," he turns back to me. "Elevenses? Caff's this way."

As usual - Huge shout to flyboy38, my beta, who takes the time to make sure the story is a much better read.
Also to Dalwolf For doing Brit-Picking for, well - you all, and help my British characters stay British.