Chapter Eighteen
Peltac
Lord Yu's Mothership
A Few Moments Before
Lord Yu Hang Shang Ti – the oldest of the Goa'uld System Lords now that Cronus and Apophis were dead – studied the tactical display that filled his bridge view port. They had been passing through this area on an aggressive inspection/patrol of the boarders of his domain – hoping to get a hint on who their mysterious new Goa'uld adversary was – when their sensors had picked up a large concentration of motherships whose energy emissions matched those of their new enemies. They'd immediately altered course to investigate when abruptly they'd picked up high-energy discharges consistent with a battle along with low level subspace shockwaves consistent with space-based explosions.
They'd immediately dropped out of hyperspace outside the system and observed from a distance under cloak and taking advantage of the powerful sensors of a Rashka-class mothership, sensors that had a range greater than what was normal for Goa'uld scanners. They'd arrived in time to see a single unknown alien warship rip apart a massive swarm of gliders, destroy a Hatac and cripple a Shalkra without suffering any damage in return, its shields contemptuously brushing aside their immense firepower.
After considering for a moment Yu had ordered his First Prime to take them in on attack course and to bring all weapons systems to full power. He wanted to know who this new race was. Whoever they were it was obvious that they were extremely powerful, powerful enough to rip the enhanced motherships of the System Lords unknown antagonist apart without even breaking a sweat.
Now his ships closed on the alien warship which had turned to meet them yet was making no move to escape. Sensors were unable to penetrate its shields they could only get very simple readings on it, readings like its energy levels, which were incredibly high approaching Asgard levels.
[Hail them,] Yu ordered his First Prime a young Jaffa named Sumkai. He was very young to hold such a high rank – just thirty-three – but Sumkai was a gifted strategist and a very loyal Jaffa. Traits that had impressed Yu and had convinced him to name the young Jaffa as First Prime replacing the one who had been killed during his last battle with Apophis before Apophis himself had died at Tau'ri hands, permanently this time since not even Goa'uld could withstand getting vaporised.
"Yes my lord," Sumkai replied his hands dancing across the console.
Almost instantly the tactical display vanished to be replaced by the face of a young but powerfully built Human male sitting in the centre chair of the alien ships bridge.
[I am Lord Yu Hang Shang Ti of the Goa'uld System Lords,] Yu said in his most imperious tone of voice. [Who are you and why have you attacked one of our ships? Speak and speak quickly or be destroyed.]
Yu expected the Human to cower back at the threat, but to his shock he didn't. If anything the Human looked a little amused by the threat as if he knew something, something that made the threat irrelevant.
"Lord Yu," the Human replied after a moment and for the life of him Yu could not place his accent and he had heard any number of Human accents and could remember them all. But he couldn't place this mans. "I am Captain Darien Parker of the Federation starship Resolution."
Though he kept his hosts face composed inwardly Yu frowned to himself. He knew of no organisation called the Federation plus Darien Parker was a Tau'ri style name in fact so was the name of his ship. And yet somehow Yu doubted that he was a Tau'ri – one big thing that leant credence to the idea that Captain Parker wasn't a Tau'ri and that was that he was on a starship – the Tau'ri didn't yet have starships – let alone ones as advanced as the one hovering in space before him – and could only get to other worlds through the Stargate network. As for the Resolution itself she was clearly a very advanced ship he could tell that even though his sensors couldn't even manage partial scans through her defensive shielding.
[I know of no Federation,] Yu replied at last. [Yet you have a Tau'ri style name, as does your ship. Explain this? And why did you attack a group of motherships? Answer me at once?] Darien Parker simply raised an eyebrow in a gesture that Humans in his universe had picked up during their long association with the Vulcans.
"I owe you no answers," Darien replied. "Nevertheless I will give you one. I attacked the ships in this system because they stole something of ours. I offered them the chance to peacefully return it they refused and most of them have not lived to regret the mistake."
[That is still an act of war against the Goa'uld,] Yu growled.
"If anyone's committed an act of war Lord Yu it is your kind. The moment we first met one of your people he opened fire on us. By all rights I should destroy you here and now and do not think that the size and firepower of your ships would save you. My weapons and defences are far in advance of yours."
[You dare to threaten a god!]
"I am merely stating a fact," Darien replied. "And you are not a god."
[Heshak,] Yu snarled a Goa'uld insult his eyes glowing brightly in anger. [I will make you suffer for such insolence.]
"Oh really and how are you going to do that? Your weapons cannot harm this ship whereas I can blow both your ships out of existence in an instant if I wanted to."
[You Lie.]
"Oh really," Darien Parker replied with a faint hint of irritation and anger in his voice. "If you want a little proof I will provide it. Mr Beech fire three photon torpedoes across Lord Yu's bow."
"Aye sir." Yu heard a voice not directly in line with the screen say.
A second later three powerful concussive blasts rocked Yu's ship as three brilliant reddish orange spheres launched from the Resolution to shoot through space and explode in dazzling blasts just off the bow of Yu's flagship the force of the blasts washing against the shields making them glow brightly with cherenkov radiation but doing no real damage since ninety percent of the blast energy was directed away from the shields. Nevertheless the subspace shockwaves from the antimatter denotations were powerful enough to shake the mothership violently.
Yu held on to the armrests of his throne as the peltac shuddered around him.
[Report Jaffa,] Yu demanded in Goa'uld of Sumkai.
"My lord those torpedoes were equipped with some kind of antimatter warheads," Sumkai reported also in Goa'uld. "Starboard shields down to ninety percent. The bulk of the torpedoes energy was directed away from us. My lord if those torpedoes had struck us directly they would have crippled us."
"And those were just the lowest yield torpedoes that I have," Darien Parker added and Yu realised with a jolt of shock that the Human understood Goa'uld. Either that or his people had some kind of translator technology.
Yu studied the Federation captain thoughtfully. Many of his kind would immediately open fire on Captain Parker for doing that even though they would promptly just get themselves blasted out of space but not him. Over the centuries Yu had perfected the arts of diplomacy – as much as a Goa'uld could – and he was also a realist. He had no desire to fight a battle that he could not win. If he fired on the Resolution he would be signing his death warrant and he knew it and like all his kind he feared death. There was also the possibility that if he attacked the Resolution that he could be committing the System Lords to a war with this Federation, a war that they might not have any chance of winning.
[What do you want Captain Parker,] he said at last in a more conciliatory, civilised tone of voice. [Why are you hear?] The change in his tone of voice clearly caught the Federation captain by surprise.
"What we want is to be left alone Lord Yu," Captain Parker responded at last. "I want your kind to stop harassing us and our ships. Any Goa'uld mothership that continues to do so will be destroyed. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone. Surely that is a better option than continuing to send thousands of Jaffa to their deaths." Yu looked thoughtfully at the Federation captain.
[If I ensure that the System Lords do not bother you what assurance do I have that you will keep your word to leave us be?]
"I am a Starfleet officer Lord Yu," Darien replied. "We do not lie."
[I will need more concrete proof than that to convince my fellow System Lords that you can be trusted. Perhaps we could both sign a non-aggression pact and I will personally assure the System Lords compliance.]
"One moment," Captain Parker said and he made a hand gesture and disappeared from the screen. Lord Yu settled back on his throne to wait while the Federation captain considered his proposal.
*****
Bridge
USS Resolution
Daniel Jackson listened without surprise to the exchange between Captain Parker and Lord Yu who was arguably one of the 'nicer' Goa'uld around. That wasn't to say that Lord Yu was any less evil than his fellow System Lords but he was much shrewder than normal. Yu also unusually for a Goa'uld seemed to have a sense of honour, when he gave his word about something Yu could generally be trusted to keep it. That wasn't to say you should trust him any further than you could throw him but he could be reasonable. Consequently when Yu's demeanour had changed after his ship was violently shaken by the shockwaves from the detonations of the three high yield photon torpedoes fired across his bow Daniel had not been especially surprised. Lord Yu unlike most Goa'uld was a realist he knew full well from those blasts that he would not survive a battle with the Resolution.
Darien at that moment indicated that the channel be temporarily closed and Lord Yu vanished from the screen. Then Daniel found himself the centre of Darien's attention – and it was immediately obvious from Darien's baring that he was all business. Right now Daniel knew that he wasn't facing Darien Parker the man he was facing Darien Parker the all business starship captain.
"Daniel can Lord Yu do what he says force the other System Lords to accept a non-aggression treaty with us," Darien asked.
"He can," Daniel replied. "Now that Apophis and Cronus are dead Yu is the highest ranking of the System Lords. He can certainly intimidate most of the weaker System Lords into accepting a treaty with you. However some System Lords will probably not accept the treaty just to irritate him."
Before Darien could reply the sensors chimed for attention and a proximity warning sounded.
"Sir," Lieutenant Wu called out, "two Asgard battlecruisers decloaking to port and starboard. Their shields are up and weapons systems are fully charged. They're targeting the Goa'uld ships."
"They've come to help," Daniel said aloud. "They must have detected the weapons discharges from the earlier battle and came to investigate." The incoming signal chirp sounded from the ops console.
"Sir the lead Asgard cruiser is hailing us. They're identifying themselves as the Vanaka under the command of a Commander Freyer," Wu reported.
"On screen," Commander Urlet ordered from the first officer's chair. Darien rotated his command chair to look back at the view screen as the images of the two huge Goa'uld Rashka-class motherships vanished to be replaced by the pale large eyed face of an Asgard back dropped by a pillar of shimmering energy. The Asgard looked identical to Thor. Do all the Asgard look the same, Darien wondered, or are their subtle differences between individuals, differences that we cannot easily spot but which to Asgard are glaringly obvious.
"Greetings Captain Parker," Freyer said in that familiar strange Asgard voice. "I am Freyer commanding the Asgard ship Vanaka. We have monitored the situation might we be of assistance?"
"Greetings to you to Freyer," Darien replied. "Perhaps you can." Quickly he explained about the conversation that had just taken place between him and Lord Yu, and Yu's offer of non-aggression pact between them and the Goa'uld System Lords and Daniels concern that some of the System Lords might ignore the treaty just to annoy Lord Yu.
"Then we can do something about that," Freyer said. "When you re-establish communications with the Goa'uld flagship I will come on the line with you. And make the Goa'uld aware of certain things that will make the System Lords obey the treaty." Darien decided not to ask what Freyer meant by that.
"Very well Freyer thank you."
"It is no trouble," Freyer replied.
"We will re-establish communication with Lord Yu now," Darien said. "The sooner we get this over with the better."
"Very well."
"Lieutenant Wu re-establish the link with Lord Yu."
"Yes sir."
*****
Peltac
Lord Yu's Flagship
Lord Yu was shocked when the two Asgard battlecruisers abruptly decloaked on each side of the Resolution. That shock had swiftly turned to alarm and fear when Sumkai informed him that the Asgard were targeting his ships. At that moment he had expected to die for he knew full well that even though the shields on his ship were strong they would not be able to withstand more than a few strikes by Asgard weaponry. Consequently he had been surprised when the Asgard didn't fire at him and instead simply opened a communications link with the Resolution. He had no way of knowing what the Asgard commander and Captain Parker were discussing the channel between them had been secured somehow to prevent eavesdropping so he had no idea what they were discussing. For all I know they could be discussing whether to destroy me or not, Yu thought.
"My lord the Resolution is hailing us so is the Asgard flagship," Sumkai reported from the main console.
[Put them on the screen,] Yu ordered. The view port shimmered and then once again changed into a holographic viewing screen. This time the display was split in half one side being the face and shoulders of the Resolution's captain the other being the face of the Asgard commander.
"Lord Yu I have considered your proposal for a non-aggression pact between the Federation and the Goa'uld System Lords," Captain Parker said. "And I agree to it."
"As do we," the Asgard commander added. "But there is also something that you and the other System Lords need to know."
[And that is?] Yu demanded.
"The Asgard High Council has declared the Federation an ally of the Asgard race. Any further attacks on them by any of the System Lords will be regarded as an attack on us and will be responded to accordingly." Freyer said. Inwardly Yu grimaced at that while knowing full well that the threat wasn't an empty one and that it would make sure that all of his fellow System Lords obeyed the non-aggression pact with the Federation less they end up taking on the might of the Asgard.
[I see,] Lord Yu said finally. [Now we must decide where and when we are going to sign the non-aggression treaty.]
"We will sign it here and now," Captain Parker said. "That way there can be no tricks no secretly massing a large force to attack us."
[Are you suggesting that I would deceive you?] Yu demanded.
"Not suggesting I know you would if we gave you half the chance," Darien replied. "From what we know of your kind you Goa'uld double and triple cross each other constantly. Your just as bad as the Romulans when it comes to betrayal but you lack there finesse." Hmm apparently this Federation commander has been doing his homework about my kind, Yu thought, he knows us so well. But who are the Romulans?
"We will all power down our weapons and shields," Freyer said. "Then take up a geostationary orbit of the planet. I will then have a meeting place prepared on the planet. We will meet on the surface in three hours to sign the pact."
[Very well.] Yu agreed.
"I agree. Oh and Lord Yu if I were you I would send over some troops to the disabled mothership you will probably find a clue over their to identify the mysterious forces that have been making life so difficult for you," Darien added and again Yu was shocked by the Humans knowledge. Is there anything these Federation Humans don't know? He wondered.
[I will consider it,] he said at last then gestured to Sumkai to break the communications link with the other ships. The images of Commander Freyer and Captain Parker vanished as the holoscreen at the front of the peltac changed back into a normal window looking out on the star dappled space around the ship. [Sumkai power down our weapons systems and lower our shields,] Yu ordered. [Then put us on course to enter orbit of the planet.]
"Yes my lord. My lord should I prepare a boarding party to go over to the disabled Shalkra?" Sumkai asked. Yu considered for a moment.
[Have it prepared.]
"Yes my lord."
The shields on Lord Yu's two motherships came down and the two massive ships began powering down their weapons systems. Seeing that the Goa'uld were complying the two Asgard battlecruisers also lowered their shields and powered down their weapons systems. Then finally the Resolution did the same, lowering her shields, retracting her armour and powering down her weapons.
From the peltac of his flagship Lord Yu watched in amazement as the armour that had been sheathing the Resolution's hull shimmered blue and seemed to dissolve away to nothing revealing a brilliant silver white hull beneath, a hull full of windows and with the ships name and registry proudly displayed in large black letters on the dorsal side of the saucer. He was astonished at the level of technology that it implied. This Federation wherever it was, was obviously a highly advanced civilisation whose technology had to be even more advanced than any humanoid societies in this galaxy even the Tollan. The Goa'uld would have no chance at all going up against such a power.
[Try and scan the Federation ship now,] Yu ordered. Sumkai's hands danced across his console.
"I cannot my lord scanners are not penetrating the navigational shielding hugging their hull. Either that or there using some sort of sophisticated ECM system to block our scanners, or a combination of the two. They definitely don't want us getting a decent scan of them." Smart move, Yu thought feeling a grudging respect for this Captain Parker the man seemed to want to keep his cards close to his chest as the Tau'ri saying went or at least he thought was how it went. Captain Parker was apparently determined not to let any Goa'uld get a good look at his ships technology.
A couple of moments later Sumkai again spoke up.
"My lord we are entering ring transport range of the damaged Shalkra. Scans identify it as Lord Zipacna's flagship but it has been extensively modified like all of the enemies ships."
[Send over the boarding parties.]
"Yes my lord."