2

First Assault

Ramonet, Mil'tan, and I lead the Jaffa to the entrance of Temen-the ruined city. The first to die were the gate guards. Both turned toward us, charged their staff weapons, and asked our allegiance. Ramonet and Mil'tan fired on the left guard, while I fired on the right, providing all the answer they would ever get. We swarmed into the ruins. A soldier of Ra ran towards me, charging his weapon. Mine was already charged. Two staff blasts caught his chest in quick succession, and a third found his face on his way down. I rounded a corner. A Jaffa stepped out of a collapsed building two feet to my right, staff weapon raised. I swung my staff weapon in an arc, intercepting his staff and knocking it aside. The blast went wild, gouging a sizable hole in a building across the street. I took a step backward and reverse-swept my staff at his legs, hoping to trip him. He easily blocked the blow and then jabbed the end of his staff weapon into my face. I remembered by master's words: Stay balanced in combat, and you may live to achieve balance in life. I recover in time to block a quick high-low combo. He swings his staff in an arc, fast and heavy, but I see it coming. I barely duck under the blow. While he is off-balance, I rotate my staff end-over-end and deal him a devastating blow to the chin. He falls to the dust of the street and I finish him off with a quick blast. Advancing more cautiously, I make my way to the city's square. There the remains of the garrison are being cut to pieces. The forces of Apophis have surprise and numbers on their side, and, most importantly, they have not just been awakened to a pre-dawn surprise attack. I take up a firing position behind an overturned cart, marked already by multiple staff blasts. Mil'tan is battling staff to staff with-I assume due to his armor markings-the first prime of the garrison. I fired off five quick shots at some Jaffa peeking over a shattered stone fountain, then duck away from the return fire. I don't think I hit anything. A few of Ra's Jaffa charge across the square. One is cut down immediately. Ramonet lifts a hand and sends one sprawling to the pavement and another flying into a wall. The one who had merely been knocked down got up and charged Ramonet, firing as he came. His staff blasts merely dissipated against an energy shield Ramonet was projecting. Ramonet raised and fired his staff one-handed, cutting down the Jaffa. That casualty signaled the end of enemy resistance in the city. Mil'tan and I took a quick count. Only seven casualties sustained, but this was the easy part.

"Reform the line! We march onward to greater glory!" shouted Ramonet.

Mil'tan and I organized the Jaffa. The sun had just barely begun to rise behind us. Its scattered rays transformed the landscape from a dismal gray expanse to a gilded wonder. I snapped myself from my reverie back to the task at hand. This seen of early morning would soon be transformed into a killing ground. And that sun which was so beautifully illuminating the landscape would burn off the fog, denying us any remaining cover for our charge. As I looked across the plain, I noted a small, wrecked structure at the base of the Ra-held ridge. Perhaps the sun would also serve Apophis. I jogged over to Ramonet.

"My lord, I have a suggestion."

"Speak, any idea is welcome."

"I suggest that we attempt to make for that ruin at the base of the ridge. It will provide some cover and reduce the distance we must travel under fire." My words made a definite impression on him. The forces of Ra were now alerted to our presence. Even halfway across the valley we could hear their great staff cannons powering up.

"Excellent thought. It will be done," he replied. I was tempted, briefly and stupidly, to ask Ramonet if he was feeling well. It was a rare Goa'uld who took suggestions well.

Without further ado, our brigade began its charge across the plain. Sunlight glinted off of our armor. Light seemed to stand still as it was refracted through the clearing fog. I marveled at the spectacle, and felt an enormous sense of confidence and solidarity with my comrades. Precisely seven seconds later, this feeling was shattered as the entire ridge line erupted in yellow-gold torrents of staff fire. Jaffa were cut down to the right and left of me. Geysers of earth sprung up wherever enemy staff blasts missed. At this range, they couldn't aim effectively, but the sheer volume of incoming fire was having a hellish effect on our ranks. The enemy's staff cannons joined the battle. Their powerful energy blasts cratered the terrain and catapulted unlucky Jaffa through the air. Gold armor caught my eye. Lord Ramonet was still alive, leading our charge. An orange energy shield surrounded him, absorbing staff blasts as he ran. Thirty yards to go to the ruin. A staff cannon blast impacted behind me. The shockwave sent me flying fifteen feet through the air. I hit the ground and rolled to a kneeling position. As I tried to catch my breath, I watched as a cannon blast engulfed Ramonet. Miraculously, he came running out the other side. His left arm trailed a thin ribbon of smoke. I hauled myself up and half-ran, half-limped the remaining twenty-five yards to the ruin. We could have used a rest, but shouts from inside the structure told us it was occupied. Ramonet walked over to an intact door. He looked around for Mil'tan. Giving up, he beckoned me over. I told the Jaffa near me to follow and jogged over.

"Follow me in; we must eliminate resistance inside before we continue onward."

"Continue on my lord?" I asked in shock. Surprise wiped all fear of the consequences of impertinence from my mind.

"We cannot go back. I believe Mil'tan has fallen. You are now First Prime."

With that pronouncement he kicked in the rotten door and charged inside. Too shellshocked to yet feel grief at my comrade's death, I followed him in. Halfway down a collapsed hallway was a formation of five Jaffa, three kneeling, two standing. All were aiming their staffs at us. Ramonet extended his hand, and I expected to see his shield spring to life: an impenetrable barrier between us and death. Nothing happened.

All five Jaffa fired their staffs, hitting Ramonet four times in the chest and once along the top of his shoulder. Ramonet fell. I flattened myself against the wall and fired as fast as I could. One of the Jaffa behind me was hit and dropped to the ground. Another one flattened himself to the opposite wall and fired. A third Jaffa skidded into the room, dropped to a crouch behind the body of a fallen Jaffa and drew two zatnikatels. A flurry of zatnikatels bolts and staff blasts dropped all five of Ra's Jaffa. I turned to the Jaffa with two zatnikatels.

"You are now my Second Prime. Take the survivors who entered with us and secure the ruin. I will join you outside." He nodded once to me, closed down his weapons, and left. I turned to Ramonet. He was barely alive. His once pristine armor was now scorched and perforated. The ribbon device on his left hand was a charred ruin. Four charred wounds slowly leaked blood. He was very pale, and his eyes glowed faintly. He was obviously in pain and fading fast. He seemed to notice me and turned his head slightly.

"First Prime. You must…carry on…with the assault. Nothing…nothing can be done for me…"

All the pent up grief and confusion and anger flooded out of me now.

"How can this happen? We went forth with the blessing of our God. How can you be dying?" I said.

"The Goa'uld…are…not gods."

"What?"

"I was a…damaged Goa'uld. My…memories… did not transfer intact. That…that is why I am …different. I did what I could against them. If…I had told you...before, they would have killed us all."

"What you say cannot be truth."

"Look into…my eyes…you know it to be true…" The light in Ramonet's eyes faded. I closed his eyes with my hand and stood. I felt a deep anger. Not at Ramonet. He had done what he could. It was anger directed at every other Goa'uld who had deceived the Jaffa. Even my own master, Apophis. I picked up my staff weapon. I didn't remember dropping it. As I looked at it, I realized that its head had been blown off; I hadn't even noticed. I exchanged it for Ramonet's staff. I also picked up another one from a fallen Ra Jaffa on my way out. I exited the structure and walked out. I turned to my left when someone called my name. I turned and saw my Second Prime sprinting toward me.

"First Prime, I have gathered our remaining warriors. One hundred and eleven have fallen in battle, including Mil'tan. Upon searching the outpost, we found a portable staff cannon and a crate of stun grenades."

"What is your name?" I said.

"Ry'chak," he answered.

"Then, Ry'chak, gather the Jaffa. Instruct them to gather any weapons they believe they need. Tell them not to regard the rank of the dead. Arm your best throwers with stun grenades. We must press on, we cannot go back."

"Right away."

The tattered Jaffa brigade prepared for one final assault.