Stargate: Genesis
Written By: The Ascended Ancient
Chapter XI: "Discoveries and Decisions"

To The Wandering Azn: I know the weapon probably shouldn't have been able to reach the center of the sun. Then again, this is Science Fiction, so anything's possible.

As for a sequel, I'm really not planning one right now, but with me, that means absolutely nothing. Most of the good stuff I come up with for my stories weren't in the outline I wrote beforehand.

"So, did it work?" Jack O'Neill asked Samantha Carter. They were in his office discussing the outcome of the battle at P2A-115.

"Completely, sir," Sam replied. "Everything in that solar system, including the Zetharian ships, was destroyed."

"Well, that's good," Jack said. "But we can't just keep blowing up stars to keep this thing in check."

"That's true, sir," Sam said. "We just have to hope that McKay and Daniel can come up with something."

"Well, then, maybe you should go and work with them," Jack told her, getting out of his chair. "Seeing as how you're the smartest person on the planet and all."

"What about the fleet, sir?" Carter asked. "Someone has to keep it moving so the Zetharian can't corner it."

"I got it covered," Jack replied. "I called up Hammond this morning, and he said he'd be delighted to come in on this for a little while."

"Wow," Sam said, surprise etched on her face. "When is he arriving?"

"Tonight," Jack told her. "I figured you'd want to say hi before heading off to the S.G.C." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "And I thought that maybe we could have one brief afternoon together before you headed off to Colorado." He leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back.

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In the S.G.C., Captain Daryl Reynolds walked down one of the base's many curved corridors. Though his expression was calm, within him was a great deal of emotional turmoil. It'd been that way ever since Leslie was attacked by the Zetharian, and it would continue until she got better.

"Hey!" Major Hailey called out as she passed him in the corridor. "Where are you off to?"

"Storage room three," Daryl replied. Hailey's cheerful expression changed to one of concern.

"You're going to see her, aren't you?" she asked.

"Why shouldn't I?" he responded. "She's still our commanding officer, and she's still our friend."

"Daryl, Leslie is dead," Jennifer told him softly.

"Then what's locked up in storage room three?" he asked her angrily.

"A creature that serves the Zetharain," Jennifer replied. "Whatever parts of Leslie that haven't been destroyed are just skin deep. Who she was, that's gone. You have to accept that." Daryl stared at her, his brown eyes filled with sadness.

"I can't do that," he told her. "I just can't."

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Daryl Reynolds walked into what had been a storage room for alien technology brought back through the Stargate. Now, though it had been converted to hold Leslie captive. The anti-gravity device Doctor Jackson and Doctor McKay had brought back with them from Atlantis was set up on top of a crate as it maintained the field that prevented Leslie from touching everything. Sallium had the capability of converting anything it came into contact with into more Sallium. Since Leslie's internal structure was filled with this substance, they couldn't let her touch anything. Hence, the anti-gravity device.

"Oh, great," Leslie said sarcastically as she saw Daryl walking towards her. "You again. When are you just going to give up? Leslie's dead. Accept it." Daryl shook his head.

"I don't believe that," he told her. "And you don't, either. I know you don't. If it were true, you wouldn't have to spend so much time trying to convince me otherwise." Leslie groaned with frustration.

"You stupid human!" she snarled. "Maybe I'm telling you it so many times because it's true?" Daryl didn't say anything. He just stared at her. She stared back. Slowly, the fierce, angry expression on her face began to change, and she let out a gasp.

"D-Daryl?" she said weakly. "H-Help..."

"Leslie?" Daryl asked desperately.

"Leslie is dead!" the creature within the colonel's body shouted, the fierce, anger returning to her face. "Accept it!" Daryl just stared at her in shock before he turned around and left the room.

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Leslie Crawford, a part of the greater Zetharian whole, watched as Daryl walked out of the room. She had been stuck on Earth, too far away to communicate via the Zetharian subspace network, for three months now. Each day, that fool had come in to visit her. So, she had decided to use his feelings for the former owner of her body to her advantage. Oh, yes, he was putty in her hands.

Not quite, she realized. Leslie's memories of him indicated that he was a strong individual. At the first sign that she might be manipulating him, he'd turn on her.

So, that ruled out using him as a pawn. And she didn't think he'd free her without knowing that the Zetharian had truly been removed from her body and her mind. So, I'll just screw with him, she thought. At least it'll give me something to do.

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In a research lab in the S.G.C., Major Hailey and Doctors Jackson and McKay were hard at work analyzing data from every single battle fought over the past three months. So far, the only lead they had on a potential weakness in Zetharian technology was that their fighters were very rarely able to repair themselves. The trio of scientists were busy running an analysis computer program they'd spent months fine-tuning to find out why.

"So, how are the wedding preparations?" Daniel asked Hailey in an attempt to make small talk.

"They're pretty much done," Hailey replied. "The ceremony is scheduled for two weeks from Saturday." She turned to face him. "You're invited, by the way."

"I am?" Daniel asked, somewhat surprised.

"Of course," she told him. "S.G.-1 introduced me to the Stargate Program. You guys changed my life, and that merits a wedding invitation."

"Ah," Daniel said. "I see."

"What about me?" McKay asked. "Don't I get a, uh, invitation?"

"Sorry, Rodney," she said. "But the wedding is for close friends and family." Rodney looks flabbergasted.

"Well, I thought that after working together for three months we'd developed some sort of rapport, a, uh, connection of sorts," Rodney told her. "So to not be invited..." Before he could finish his sentence, the computer began to beep. All three scientists turned towards it and read the screen.

"Oh my god," Hailey whispered.

"This is it!" Rodney exclaimed, far more excited than the others.

"What's it?" Daniel asked. "Because I'm not the scientist here, I'm just the translator. I have no idea what that stuff means."

"It means that the Zetharian isn't as invincible as we thought," Hailey told him. "It means we actually have a chance."

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Elsewhere in the galaxy, on the Jaffa capital world of Dakara, Ry'ac, son of Teal'c, walked into his home, and into the embrace of his wife, Kar'yn. A former member of the Hak'tyl resistance to the Goa'uld Moloc, Kar'yn and Ry'ac had fallen in love while he and Master Bra'tac were working to coordinate their efforts with the rest of the Jaffa Resistance. Now that the Jaffa Nation had been formed, Kar'yn had moved to Dakara to live with her husband, who commanded a Ha'tak vessel in the Jaffa fleet.

"I am glad you are home, husband," Kar'yn said when the two spouses had separated. "I have heard stories about the power of this Zetharian, and I was afraid for you."

"I am fine, Kar'yn," Ry'ac reassured her. "The Zetharian is truly an enormous threat, but I and the other members of the Council's delegation stayed out of harm's way."

"When are you to report your findings to the High Council?" she asked him after a moment.

"Two hours from now," Ry'ac replied.

"That is good," another voice said from the other side of the room. Ry'ac turned around to find Ishta, his mother-in-law, walking towards him.

"Ishta," Ry'ac greeted. "I wasn't expecting you here."

"I arrived yesterday," Ishta explained, "in the hope of seeing my husband. However, this situation with the Zetharian has kept him at Council Chambers since long before my arrival."

"He is working hard to convince the Council of the threat this entity poses," Ry'ac acknowledged. "Hopefully, what I and the other members of the delegation have seen will help his cause."

"We can only be so fortunate," Ishta replied. "Now, please, if you have the time, I would like to learn what you have discovered about this Zetharian myself."

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"An interesting story," Councilor Vil'mar said when the three members of the delegation sent to determine the danger posed by the Zetharian had finished telling their story. Gathered in the High Council chamber was every single councilor, and they had all listened closely to every word the three Jaffa had spoken.

"It's not a story," Ry'ac protested. "It is the truth."

"And if it is," Vil'mar replied with a smile, "then the Jaffa Nation would be sacrificing many warriors to involve themselves in this fight." Standing next to Ry'ac, Lok'nar smiled at this comment. He, too, opposed getting involved in this conflict, despite what he'd seen.

"Better to fight now than to cower and wait for the Zetharian to come for us!" Ry'ac argued.

From the sidelines, Teal'c watched with pride and apprehension as his son fought to win over the councilor interrogating him. Unfortunately, in this proceeding, only Vil'mar had permission to speak to them, since he was the one given command of the delegation. The floor would be opened to the other councilors once he was done. So all Teal'c could do was watch in silence as his son struggled to make his point.

"The people on the planet the Tau'ri call P2A-115 were peaceful," Ry'ac continued. "They knew nothing of spaceships or the Chapa'ai or war. But the Zetharian still targeted them. It has been expanding steadily outward from its planet of origin for the past three months. At this rate, it will reach a Jaffa world in two weeks."

"So we are supposed to abandon all the civil progress we've made over the past fifteen years and return to our warring nature, is that it?" Vil'mar asked.

"Is that really what this is all about?" Serna asked, cutting off whatever reply Ry'ac might've had. "You lost your wife and all three of your children during the war with the Goa'uld. You lost many of your closest friends during the war with the Orii. It is understandable that you feel that the Jaffa warrior heritage is reprehensible. But that doesn't give you the right to lead us to ruin."

"I am not leading us to ruin," Vil'mar said sharply. "And what would one so young know about my motivations?"

"I know quite a bit, councilor," Serna replied.

From his seat, Teal'c was amazed by Serna's speaking skill. He knew that she was one of the most renowned Jaffa negotiators, responsible for healing many age-old disputes between Jaffa of different System Lords that had resurfaced after the defeat of the Goa'uld. But actually hearing her speak was a true shock. This young woman spoke in a soothing tone, but there was an edge to her voice that commanded attention. And the look in her eyes, the look of wisdom far beyond her years. She knew what she was doing, and Vil'mar was foolish if he was underestimating her.

"For example," Serna continued, "I know that even after the Orii were proven to be false gods, you supported joining them because you wanted to avoid a war. And later, when the Lucian Alliance began stealing from our supply convoys, you voted against taking military action to stop them. And now, the Zetharian threatens not only the Jaffa Nation, but every living being in the galaxy, if not the entire universe. And, once again, you're voting against the war." She turned to face the other councilors. "The question is, what will the rest of you vote? Will you let your passions rule you, or will you do what is best for every single Jaffa?"

Teal'c felt a great urge to laugh. That young woman was really good. She had them, hook, line, and sinker. The pride of the councilors gathered there wouldn't allow them to vote for anything other than war with the Zetharian. Which meant that he'd be able to return to Earth with the full support of the Jaffa Nation behind him, adding their fleet of Ha'taks to Earth's BC-303s in an effort to stop the Zetharian from advancing any further.

End of Chapter XI

A/N: I'll let you guys in on a little secret: what Hailey, Daniel, and McKay found won't end the story. Believe me, we're still hovering somewhere around the halfway point. There's still a lot more to come before these characters take their final bow.