Star Granger Season 5 - Chapter 12
Thoughts
"speech"
"Goa'uld speech"
SG SG SG SG SG SG SG
March 3rd 2003 - Moon base
It's like a balm on itching bites. Fizzy water when having a heartburn. Turning off the radio when reception is shady.
R's back!
A bouquet with a hand-written 'welcome back' note from Prime Minister Blair is waiting on her table. A fresh fruit basket from the Ministry of Defence. Cards from both General Hammond and the head of the Joint Chief of Staff. Even a selection of Honeydukes sweets from Luna.
I'm perched in one of the guest armchairs with my feet on the desk that never stopped being R's. That got me a frown from both R and Harry.
Traitor!
But then again, I didn't bring any of them neither tea nor biscuits.
"Don't you have an 'elsewhere' to be?" she finally asks. "I have all these reports to read, so I can be updated ahead of tomorrow's update meeting."
"Wouldn't it be best if we're here to answer any question you might have?" Harry asks her sweetly.
The dirty look R gives my feet on her bureau is probably answer enough.
"Very well," he sighs. "Seems like we'll have to suffer a day off" he gives me a slight smile.
"See if I'm bothered," I mumble.
March 3rd 2003 - Ax-les-Thermes
It feels like the end of the ski season here. The domain is high enough, but too southern to keep its snow fresh for long. Another month and the lower slopes will start closing. It must be said that Ax-les-Thermes is unremarkable in any way, both as a ski station, and as a rural French town, if not for it being the closest town to the world-renowned Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
I had a short spin on the slopes.
To see just how much out of practice I am.
We are now sitting in the sun, enjoying cups of 'vin chaud', watching the spectacular snowy mountain view, and entertaining Gabrielle, who has been asking to meet with us for a couple of months now.
"Merci de venir" she tells us for the umpteenth time. "I need someone to consult with."
"It's alright," Harry answers once more with an easy smile. "We had a day off."
"Right, been kicked out of our office, like" I can't help myself from complaining. This gains me an easy smile as well.
It's Gabrielle's last year now. Top grades, student representative and all. Due to her A-levels, or however our French union partners are calling those, this summer as well. It's the popular 'what should I do next?' question, which made her ask to meet with us and skive classes.
Not sure if I'm proud or shocked.
"What are you interested in?" Harry asks kindly.
Science, what do you mean 'what'?
Gabrielle replies with a perfect French shrug. She's seventeen. Naturally, she has no bleeding idea.
What did we want to do at seventeen?
Well, at seventeen I already knew about Isis, and wanted that spaceship - Badly. To go and explore. Harry was much more at ease with himself and was seriously thinking about taking some time to travel and find out just what he might be interested in, except surviving another year, that is.
At sixteen though, I was so wound up I would have probably tried to learn everything in existence all at once. Might have spent all my life nose deep in books. Could have even found myself married to Ron and raising 6.8 children, if not careful…
Gabrielle, for most part, is interested in exploring the normal world possibilities and still be a witch. Being a veela - free love is a given. Healing? Runes? Curse breaking? Science? She really doesn't know.
"What did your sister say?" I ask lightly.
"To keep the two of you out of this," comes Fleur's dry voice from behind us.
"Ne devrais-tu pas être à l'école?" she then asks her sister.
"Bof" Gabrielle answers with an indifferent teenager shrug.
Harry and I rise for a hug and a kiss. Fleur had sadly distanced herself from us, ever since Praclarush. She's doing work for the BCE Inc. Marketing mostly, but she has not even been to the moon since coming back.
"R's back," I tell her conversationally.
"Asked us to say 'hello' if met," Harry adds softly. Fleur grimaces at this.
But we're not here for Fleur, so Harry turns back to Gabrielle. "Are you willing to continue your studies?" he asks, and Fleur frowns.
"Can you please keep her out of this?" she asks exasperatedly.
What?!
"The world's changing, as you well know," Harry answers Fleur softly.
"And your sister has the opportunity to have a front seat," I add.
"It's dangerous!" Fleur hisses back at us.
Gabrielle is confused now. Also intrigued.
"So is traditional curse breaking," I answer. "Didn't stop you!" I add quite angrily.
Sorry?
"We're sending a team to explore the temple at Dakara," Harry updates her. "What is there, can't be left lying about."
"Culture, history, certainly some treasure - Isn't it what you signed on for?" I ask.
"So did Beatrix, then Praclarush and Anubis happened!" Fleur is on the verge of breaking down and openly crying now.
"A dark lord?" Gabrielle asks surprised, but we ignore her for the moment.
"It happens," I shrug, faking indifference.
"Or didn't you hear about that Goblin team at the Cusco excavation, a couple of months back," Harry adds.
"Might have even been there yourself, if not working with us," I remark coldly.
Poor dear doesn't deserve us ganging up on her like this.
Gabrielle is sitting there, quietly, looking between the three of us shocked, and rather curious as well.
"I don't want her to die out there, alone, in the cold and the dark!" Fleur snaps at us.
"Right," Harry, quite cruelly agrees. "Better be cushy in her ignorance and keep trying to hide behind those Notice-Me-Not and Repelling Wards."
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
Finally, I get up and go to hug Fleur for comfort. She truly doesn't deserve this. I can certainly understand her fear too.
"We're not talking about fieldwork here, Luv," I tell her softly. "We're talking about the best educational opportunity on Earth these days, which can be open to Gabrielle here."
"Unless you mind studying for three to four years with Goblins and Centaurs, that is," Harry tells the girl dryly.
March 4th 2003 - The Battersea Power Station
This conference hall hasn't been in existence for more than a year now. It was smaller back then too.
"Welcome back, Wren," Prime Minister Blair smiles easily at her. "Sorry for cutting your leave short, but the galaxy needs saving."
"Nevermind my sanity," Harry mumbles and makes the Prime Minister smile thinly.
"Updates first?" R asks, and leads the meeting on tracks.
We start with the BCE Inc - This year has been the best yet, once more.
The stars are made of latinum, you know.
Unsurprisingly, competition starts emerging:
First and foremost are crystal computing. Once the core science and technology were published, the tech world exploded and new developments and implementations flourished all over the world. Naturally, NEC, partnering with us, keeps itself at the forefront of new tech development in this field. Calvin himself is treated as a guru of sort in some circles.
The twit enjoys every moment of it.
But, we can't claim to be the leading manufacturers in this vertical any more. Certainly not the largest one.
Obviously, WIB keeps itself leagues ahead of any such technology manufactured or even theorised on Earth, what with us having access to Tollan, Nox, and Asgard know-how. Nevermind the Alteran repository and manufacturing floor. Keira, Calvin, Kazuko, and Jeremy are holding quarterly meetings to decide what new snippets of science and technology they are ready to release to the general public, to keep Earth constant and safe advancement going.
Sadly, and quite predictably, many new tech and implementations of those technologies are of the military kind and some new arms race development was unavoidable.
"Surely we can keep a clear advantage for our armed forces in this regard," Admiral Boyce argues once more. The President was much more vocal and blunt, regarding. But there isn't real heat,
Nor real hope,
Behind his argument. Our allies and us are certainly securing our advantage, what with our people having a much better and intimate understanding of any such technologies, but we all know and generally speaking - agree, that if the US and European militaries will suddenly develop new and largely unparalleled capabilities - the world's order might destabilise.
And there is no 'good way' for it.
It helped that with our tight control over energy productions, most of said military implementations are of the defensive type. Better control systems at best.
This brings us nicely to our core business - Power plants.
Well, our reactors still sell like hot cakes, but both the US and France are now developing and distributing their own reactors and relating power plants. Keira will be reluctant to agree - but they are doing quite well. It doesn't really hurt our business since only our partnering countries and the US have access to the needed Naquadah charges. Our partners are only happy for the BCE to make profits and save them the need to actively cover the costs of our space adventures. Meanwhile, the US military still doesn't show any willingness to release any of its Naquadah reserves for civilian use.
Grand.
Bottom line - the BCE Inc. is earning enough money to cover most WIB operations, given that our ore needs are either donated by the goa'uld, or mined by the Goblins in exchange for education, and ship building is mostly robotic. Meanwhile, personnel are kept limited, and about half of it are the few secret military units directly involved in our operations, which are naturally paid for by the armed forces. It helps that while an ocean going type 45 destroyer, now in the build for the Royal Navy, will cost the exchequer upward of a billion pounds (with every constructor in the chain of supply making a decent penny) and will have a complement of about two hundred, our space-going destroyers cost us a fraction of that, built at cost, carry a full crew of thirty, and can be fully operated by five.
Honestly, WIB's whole staff is about a fifth of that of the US Stargate program, and that includes the mostly unnecessary Marines Brigade, which we now have under our command.
"Brilliant!" is all the Chancellor of the Exchequer - A Mr Gordon Brown, had to say regarding. That made the Prime Minister chuckle softly.
The result of all this new tech and business success is that for the first time since London's Great Smog of 1952, and the following Clean Air Act of 1956, world's emissions came down a fraction.
Just hope it will be more substantial and will last longer than the last time.
"State of the galaxy?" the Prime Minister Moves the discussion onwards.
"A mad house," Harry gives the short answer.
This, though, needs some elaboration. Our bout of offensive, almost two years back now, turned out to be a greater success than we could have ever dreamt. Goa'uld system lords, well, those that Harry, and later on we left alive, are still locked in a sector-wide war of wasteful space battles and treason.
First, Amaterasu and Bastet joined forces with Camulus to have a bash at Sobek, only to jump on Camulus' ships as soon as their fleets were joined. Sobek didn't even know about it, since the plonker was busy hiding, and sent his own fleet to take on Svarog in what turned into a series of body hits, which bled capital ships and Jaffa from both armies.
Meanwhile, Sokar suddenly found himself free from his two arch enemies, Heru'ur and Apophis, and fancied himself the most powerful Goa'uld left standing. He made his move - first to take over large parts of his former brother-gods' forces, then on to his other brothers and sisters, to position himself as the new supreme system lord, in Ra's place.
Might have even worked, except for a few small caveats:
First was the sad fact that said brothers and sisters were less than ecstatic regarding him ruling supreme over them. So much so, actually, that they were willing to put a hold to their own quibbles and band together to oppose him.
Shock horror!
That led to even more capital ships being destroyed on all sides, much to our delight, and many more Jaffa being killed in a war not theirs.
His second problem was Yu. The old geezer is certainly over the hill. Some will say that he has long lost his marbles. But, he maintains a huge army, and that army is led by some of the most capable and surprisingly enough - loyal Jaffa. All this makes him a tough nut to crack for any Goa'uld. Certainly for the cruel yet unstable Sokar.
His third issue is Anubis, but we'll have to get back to him later.
"If not for Anubis, we could have ordered some tea and scones and sat back to watch the show," remarks Admiral Essenhigh.
"Right," R finds herself surprised to agree. "Things actually went according to plan."
"So," the Prime Minister asks, "The System Lords are no longer a concern?"
"I wouldn't go that far," Admiral Boyce is surprised to disagree.
He certainly learned!
"They are not an immediate threat, and with our new ships and armaments, especially counting Atlantis sitting out in the void, using her long-range sensors to monitor any hyperspace travel in this sector, we are confident that we'll be able to recognise and stop most probable attacks heading here."
"Still, there is no reason to disregard them," Peers elaborates. "Likelihood aside, they might still band together and send hundreds of ships this way, if wrongly motivated."
"And we still can't protect multiple locations from potential direct attacks," R summarises.
"They have larger problems than us, though," Harry remarks and brings the discussion nicely to Anubis.
We watch together both my memory from my encounter with Anubis, and a video brief of the battle over Langara.
Both reassuring and worrying at the same time.
"Do we know how he reached this condition?" the Prime Minister asks.
"Worse," I butt into the discussion. "According to our Lantean friends, to reach this 'condition',"
I can't keep the scorn out of my tone of voice at this word.
"The nutter had to have a bash at ascension, which had either gone pear-shaped, or succeeded and then be pushed back. Either way, some ascended person had to show him how. Also, his soul should have either dissipated, or he should have gone back to being flesh and blood. Him being stuck halfway as he is indicates deliberate ascended intervention.
"Lovely," Prime Minister Blair remarks drily. "Do we know who?"
"Working on it," Harry sighs in response. "Also, now that the inner office is back in safe hands, we can plan my personal meeting with him, so we can discuss his final demise."
Both admiral Boyce and the defence secretary frown at Harry's remark regarding safe hands, but luckily say nothing. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, finds it a tad amusing and smiles thinly.
"Brilliant," Peers agrees. "Just as soon as we locate his hiding hole."
"I'm sorry for having us involved in this Langara mess," Harry then tells the Prime Minister softly. "I just couldn't leave USS Prometheus to engage Anubis' fleet by herself."
All military officers in the room bristle, but it's the Prime Minister who waves his apology. "What did we learn though?" he asks.
"That we can hold our own against his fleet," Victoria states softly. Poor dear lost another flagship, but this is what happens when one puts herself in any unknown's way.
They managed to hit one of those large red buttons in time, at the least.
"Actually," Peers agrees, "unless pressed with our back to,"
"Earth, probably," R remarks drily.
"Or give up tactical control, like we did over Langara,"
"Sorry," Harry whispers again and is waved again by the Prime Minister.
"We currently have a tactical advantage over Anubis' ships."
"The decision to close range and protect USS Prometheus was mine," Victoria tells Harry.
"And the President asked me to convey his thanks to you all," The Prime Minister agrees.
USS Prometheus is out of commission, as things stand, and casualties mounted to about half its crew. But both the ship itself, and the lives of the other half of its crew were saved, largely due to both HMS Cerberus and Mermaid's timely intervention.
Both Harry and Victoria nod in acceptance.
"Alright, replicators?" Prime Minister Blair concludes this discussion as well.
Nothing much to update. The Ida galaxy is still an attrition war zone over Neutronium sources. Replicators seem to be both more devious and desperate with every day passing.
"According to captain Helia, both probably indicate the development of personalities within their collective, either human-formed, or otherwise." R elaborates.
"The Asgard can hold them at bay for now and have the ships and weapons to keep this going. Thor tells us that trying to push them back, though, is like holding water in bare hands." Jeremy elaborates.
Fitting description, now that many of our Asgard friends actually have fully formed hands.
"So many hyperspace disrupting warheads were used, that navigating the Ida galaxy these days requires some very detailed maps, a capable navigation computer, and lots of patience," Harry reports. "Thor also informed us that the Replicators are making an effort to escape the Ida galaxy. So far they managed to contain them, but he recommended vigilance."
"Not that we know how to be vigilant," Jeremy remarks. "We can probably move Atlantis to the edge of the galaxy and use her to monitor intergalactic travel, but we will lose early warning over this sector and the replicators are the patient sort. They might not travel the shortest way," he shrugs.
"Fleet?" asks the Prime Minister, since there is nothing more to add regarding the replicator threat at this time.
"We're rotating ships through refit." Harry replies. "We would like to see all our ships upgraded to Mermaid's level. First will be the Seahorse and Cerberus - both are little more than empty hulls at this moment."
"By the time we finish this, our new class of ships will be ready for construction," Jeremy updates. "This additional class of a dozen ships will be our last for the time being, so we are taking our time with their design."
Both admirals frown upon hearing this, but it's R who actually pours some cold water on their heads.
"Unless Great Britain is interested in reviving the Grand Fleet, and ruling over the galaxy, that is," she remarks dryly.
It makes the Prime Minister chuckle softly. "Not in this Premiership," he answers.
Grand!
What follows is a detailed discussion of armaments, ship design, and tactical planning. The battle over Langara clearly demonstrated that our existing armaments offer a notable advantage over any Goa'uld capabilities - as long as we follow our own battle plan. Honestly - Our fleet could have picked Anubis' fleet apart, from afar, and out of any of his ships' weapons range. That Battle also painfully demonstrated that we can't trust in our ability to follow our battle plan. Also, while our armaments are certainly capable, many improvements are necessary.
Albeit, there is no 'mark 14' in our arsenal, thankfully.
Our whole arsenal is undergoing extensive upgrades starting the day following Langara. Jeremy has already visited Othalla, and delicately,
As much as the annoying prat can manage,
Yet assertively,
This he can certainly do!
Asked for that assembly-line they had promised us about a year back. Starting next month, we'll be able to manufacture one torpedo a day, and not a couple a month only. Hopefully, next time we cross beams with any Goa'uld, our ships will be much less limited.
"Our main reason for delay," Harry returns to the new ships issue,
Except for Royal Navy intervention, that is.
"Is that we wanted to make sure the new design is as flexible and modular as it can be.
True this - One important thing we learned is that the basic design of our ships was solid enough from the start. It's the systems installed which are in need of constant upgrading. Making the basic ship-design as modular as possible is a key feature.
"That's not rocket science," the Prime Minister agrees, and makes Peers chuckle a little. It gains him another frown from Admiral Boyce.
"Also," Jeremy adds, "We wanted the Asgard to gain some experience with the new hull material, before ditching Naquadah ourselves."
"Forecast?" Asks the Prime Minister.
"Thirty to thirty six months for the refit, four new Destroyers, and the dozen new Frigates," R answers.
"We are also redesigning the Goblins ships," Jeremy adds incidentally.
"Something about some information regarding their homeworld, the Nox came up with," Harry explains.
"We still reckon we should go for a larger class of ships," Admiral Boyce remarks softly, yet for all to hear.
Beside me, Harry takes a deep breath, and I'm about to say something utterly un-diplomatic to the git, but Prime Minister Blair stops it all with a raised finger.
"We've been thoroughly over this several times, Michael," He answers patiently. "The only use for a larger class is to move ground forces and occupy planets. Both are completely alien to our mission statement."
The Admiral doesn't seem to be happy with this reply, though.
"Anything else to discuss?" The Cabinet Secretary tries to move the discussion onwards. We are nearing lunch now. Soon the Americans will wake up and will call to discuss the name of this Iraqi operation they are pushing for.
"Our first class of advanced science is underway," Keira updates us. "Tollans were reluctant, but they can't justify helping educate Goblins and Centaurs, and forbid Humans from participating."
"Also, the Asgard told them they will just do it themselves if the Tollans have an issue with it," I smirk lightly.
For millennia, most of the Asgard consciousnesses were in storage and dormant. Now, most of them are awake and have nothing to really do. It was rather easy to find a few willing to play virtual teachers for us.
"We have about a hundred students, hand picked from among second and third year undergraduates from around the country. We will be expanding on this during the next couple of years." Keira elaborates. "Many deans and head-of-programs around Britain now hate Calvin and I," she sighs.
"We also need to turn WIB into little more than a joke," R says.
This is my turn now - "There are too many people from other worlds, active on Earth with no identities," I explain. "A Lantean bloke had a close call in Tel-Aviv about a month back. An Asgard was almost exposed visiting London. There are also those blokes from the Martian, living on Earth now. We need to have procedures and a work frame for them to act within."
"Then be ready to step in and help when they don't," Harry kinda agrees.
There's some debate, but generally speaking, it is agreed that this is needed, especially with the education effort going on that is bringing in even more people from other worlds to Earth. We will have a detailed offer ready and bring it for approval by the end of the month.
That brings us nicely to the last and rather sensitive point on the agenda today.
"It might be time," I offer the gathered people hesitantly, "to bring the existence of actual aliens to the attention of the residents of Earth."
This buys me a very loud silence.
Our meeting is broken now, into a few separate small conversations.
"We're moving both HMS Ark Royal and Ocean into the Gulf, sir," I hear Admiral Essenhigh telling the Prime Minister, who nods lightly.
"42s?" He asks.
"Four ships," Essenhigh replies and the Prime Minister nods again.
"As many minehunters and supports as we can spare," Admiral Boyce adds softly.
"Flag officer?"
"Rear Admiral David Snelson," Essenhigh replies. "He's a solid bloke, sir!" The Prime Minister nods once more.
"When are you planning to promote Commodore Penrose here." the Prime Minister then asks back. Beside them, both said Commodore and Captain Floyd stand straighter. Admiral Essenhigh looks clearly uncomfortable now, and stills a glance at Admiral Boyce at his side.
"He was just…"
The Prime Minister smiles politely and listens patiently to the Admiral's rather elaborated explanation. Words like 'Experience', 'Seniority', and 'Authority' are frequently used.
"Commodore Penrose here heads the strongest force of the Royal Navy," the Prime Minister finally states, levelly. "Captain Floyd is the flag officer of our largest, indubitably strongest fleet. She has continuously led others, and put herself in danger, saving several planets, including our beloved Earth."
He receives several thin smiles in response. No one in the hall even pretends to not be listening now. There's some grudge in there, working against Peers. Unjustified, if you'll ask me. But, everyone has nothing but admiration and regards towards Victoria.
"We have our strongest arm of the Royal armed forces led by Captains and Commanders," Prime Minister Blair goes on. "Time enough that those fine officers receive their due ranks."
"Yes, Mr Prime Minister," is all Admiral Boyce can say.
"By the end of this year, please," the Prime Minister stresses.
"Did you fix the automated transport system?" Harry asks Jeremy and is answered by a glare.
"Nothing to fix," he answers. "System had just been demonstrated to work perfectly, only a month back."
Harry just ignores it and waits patiently for the actual answer.
One should not cooperate with smartarses, as clever as they might actually be.
"Right," the berk sighs. "Transporting untagged people in Earth space is now targeted at the ring relay stations. Otherwise, it will bring others to an empty storage or some such."
That Columbia fiasco has caught us all with our trousers down. I mean, we are only delighted that the poor sods were saved. Also, the fact that this system worked perfectly, even before going through any kind of testing is a bit of alright.
But!
Was having a bunch of unaware, well - 'astronauts', ones that the whole world has just witnessed die in a horrible accident, appear in our midst, something we planned for?
Not in the slightest.
"Where are they now?" The cabinet secretary is interested to know.
"Most were Americans and are with the SGC now. I think they were stationed at Hideaway, to stop temptation," I answer. "Most had partners and children, who can't even know their loved ones are alive".
"So," I can suddenly hear the Prime Minister behind my back. "Exposing extra-terrestrials to the public?" he asks, and I can only shrug.
"vin chaud" (French) - hot wine. what the French call 'mulled wine'
Merci de venir (French) - Thank you for coming.
Ne devrais-tu pas être à l'école? (French) - shouldn't you be in school?
Huge shout, once more, 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.
I am eternally grateful!