Stargate Revealed: Power & Politics,
Chapter 25: Apotheosis
by Livi2Jack
Summary: Finale
Rating: Teen+ for some minor language, some violence, big battles, some religious issues.
Pairings: Jack/Other
Category: Action/Adventure, Drama, Humor, Mystery, Point Of View, Romance, Other
Related SG-1 Episode(s): 703 Fragile Balance, 817 Reckoning, Part 2, 901 Origin
Related Atlantis Episode(s): 201 The Siege, Part 3
Featured Characters: Jack O'Neill, Mini-Jack, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, Hammond, and Hayes.
Author's Note: Spoilers for Season 9+. Jack's new job.
Many thanks to all my readers who have stuck with this saga for so long. Your kind comments and many feedbacks were a great gift. Thank you all so very much. Special thanks again to Rionach O'Neill without whom I could never have come up with such a great ending. Thanks for all that research. Thanks to JMA for insights generously offered. Thanks to Layla and the gang at Yahoo's One-oneill group for all their kindnesses. Thanks to my friends Rebecca and Lia for reading my drivel to the end. And thanks to the Husband for his good humour.
Chapter 25: Apotheosis
On the 'O'Neill the Great,' the President's party and the other ambassadors lined up to go through the onboard Stargate. Most of them had never seen the thing. So passing through it was a daunting possibility. For that matter, the President had never passed through it. Mrs. Hayes closed her eyes and exhaled as she had been taught. But she couldn't make herself do it. A tear stole down her face. Admiral Zay saw it and his natural chivalry took over.
"Allow me, My Lady." He held his hand out to her. She looked at him not knowing what to make of it. Admiral Zay smiled at her. After all she was a woman and trying really hard in a strange situation. He admired her composure. But he knew how upsetting the idea of being dematerialized and rematerialized could be. Patiently, he waited while she got her nerve back. Then she took his hand and her husband's arm. They went through. The 0.3 seconds of transit were still not instantaneous. On the other side, she felt shaky and relieved. Everyone laughed nervously.
From there, they entered air cars to travel through the city on the way to the Temple Mount. Babs Hayes had the opportunity to look out the window at the city straight out of a science fiction movie. Tall spires dripping with greenery dotted the cityscape. Many vehicles whizzed in lane to get between points. The city went on endlessly. And it was a riot of vegetation among alien architecture.
Descending at the VIP landing site, the group exited the vehicles and was shown to their seats. Various Commonwealth dignitaries came to make their respects. Ambassadors from other worlds came to make the introductions as well. Everyone was curious about O'Neill the Great's people. The President was impressed at all this protocol and organization. His fears diminished with each gentle greeting and enthusiastic welcome. Refreshments were served beautifully. Comforts and conveniences abounded. But it still rankled that he had been manipulated into coming.
After an hour, the dignitaries lined up for the procession according to rank. The Royal Family took their places on top of the Temple Mount. The members of the Great Council, the Judicial Council, and the Religious Council populated the top of the stairs. A throne under a palanquin sat raised high so all could see. It was a warm summer morning promising an even warmer day ahead. Shade awnings were pitched over most of the seats, but not all.
The crowds along the processional route had been there since the day before. Street vendors hawked their wares to feed the multitudes. The government provided comfort facilities and medical personnel. Tonight, there would be a great feast provided by the Regent. Everyone would participate throughout the Capital. Until then, water was available everywhere. Some picnicked with their own supplies.
President Hayes surveyed the raucous alien scene. The noise was tremendous. People hung out of office buildings, from balconies covered with the ubiquitous greenery even from the highest floors. The embassies along the route were decorated with flags and flowers. The streets were a riot of color and foliage. A carpet of red flowers covered the roadway. All was in readiness for the Anointing Ceremony and the Celebrations afterwards.
Tradition demanded that the processional pass on the Royal Barge down the river to the Royal Pier where the honored ones would come ashore at the beginning of the Grand Concourse. Drummers lined up waiting for the beginning of the triumphal march. The street was triple sided with islands of greenery, monuments, and public seating. But down the center, the main group would pass with security on either side provided by the Intelligence Service and the Palace Guard.
The Admiralty supplied the troops marching behind the Triumph. Many Goa'uld and Jaffa captured in the battle were to be paraded behind the victors. Pieces of enemy ships and weapons followed on automated platforms, attesting to the destruction. Various Earth animals lined up with their trainers to be displayed. There were elephants, tigers, giraffes, buffalo, raccoons, koala bears, kangaroos, monkeys, a three-toed sloth, reindeer, a walrus, seals, a whale in a great transparent tank on an anti-gravity platform, colorful parrots, pink flamingoes, and any number of great beasts no one had ever seen.
On a somber note, a rider-less horse led the banners naming the honored dead. Following afterwards and bringing up the rear, the Ceremonial Swordsmen of the ancient palace Guard came last, covering the parade for the sake of form.
And all throughout the city, giant news screens hovered overhead, broadcasting the events. Noisy celebrations continued throughout the day. The talking heads commented on every nuance. Music filled the squares and along the Grand Concourse in between news screen stations. More screens would be launched once the processional started from the Palace. Until then, entertainments for young and old ruled the morning.
"Sir, we have recovered their data recorders jettisoned during the battle." The Security Officer announced to Captain Jack, the clone, on the ' Enterprise.' "Initial reports detail the Commander's orders."
"Go on. Let's have it." The First Officer sat down after the door closed. "Where is she?"
"She is with another task force on the way to the Capital. They intend to stop the proceedings at the Temple Mount today. She plans another coup d'etat. Apparently, there are enough ships for her to strike."
"What about the 'Moriah' and the 'Jordan?' We were supposed to rendezvous with them here."
"Destroyed, sir."
"Okay. Then we have to get a message to the home office and then get there. Plot a course to the nearest Stargate and proceed at maximum speed."
"If I may suggest, sir." The First Officer began hesitantly. "I would not go to the nearest one. They probably have set a trap there in case we survived. I would go to one a little less obvious."
Jack was impressed with that thinking. This guy was good. "Okay, how many are how close?"
"There are several possibilities. They can't have covered all of them. But sir, why not use our deep space relays?"
"Because we don't know how compromised they may be. I was ordered to do it this way, through the Stargate. So, go to the fourth most convenient planet and dial us up." Jack rose and the others departed.
President Hayes leaned over to General Hammond noting that the whole thing looked like a Roman Triumph. All that was lacking was the Triumphal Arch and the chariot with the little fellow telling the general he was only mortal. Hammond chuckled.
"She really wants to present herself as the victor and savior of her people. This is straight out of a Cecile B. DeMille movie with casts of thousands." The Secretary of State, Peter Soames turned to Mrs. Hayes to explain the meaning of various symbols. She nodded like she cared. The whole matter was overwhelming. All Babs Hayes could repeat to herself was a mantra: 'I'm on an alien planet surrounded by aliens and I'm not on drugs. All those years of just saying 'no.'
Attendants arranged the dignitaries for the start of the proceedings. The members of the SGC sat at the first level of the stairs just where they could see and be seen. Dr. Jackson and Lt. Colonels Mitchell and Carter were given seats with the best views and close to an overhead news screen. Since Teal'c represented the Jaffa High Council, he was seated with other Ambassadors at the very top of the mount under an elaborate awning with personal view screens. What the members of SG-1 saw made their mouths drop open.
Major General Jack O'Neill, Prince of Springfield, Earth Force Advisor to her Imperial Highness Regent Anna (with a whole list of titles), sat on a throne of flowers on the Royal Barge. He was covered in flowers. People were throwing flowers at the barge from overhead bridges and from the riverbanks. Crowds cheered themselves hoarse as he passed. He was the only person on the Royal Barge. And, Jack was stewing over the trick that impossible woman just did to him.
'This is ridiculous. I wanted my team here. They deserved this as much as I did, if I did.'
"Okay, set course to the homeworld. Now they know." Captain Jack ordered. "And, just to be sure, call General Franklin at that base we don't know anything about. Tell him to haul ass for the Capital with anyone and everything he's got there."
The First Officer grinned. No one would have thought to call up the Earth Force barbarians except another one. This could work. Yes, this could work. Those barbarians were a lot closer through the stable wormhole to the Capital than the ' Enterprise.'
Finally, the processional could begin. The Royal Barge docked at the far end of the Grand Concourse some three miles away. All the dignitaries stood up, as the Regent appeared in the traditional regalia. All the ambassadors as well as the rest of the crowd had to kneel as she entered the high plaza. By previous arrangement, President Hayes and the other heads of state did not have to kneel.
The crowds below began to call out angrily. They were shocked and outraged that not everyone, even if they were the heads of state, did not bow in homage to the Regent. The troops assigned to protect the Regent were barely restrained by her hand. But the crowd was getting ugly. The Regent took her place and extended her hand to the President asking him to come and greet her officially. They shook hands. Regent Anna made a speech welcoming the representatives of the Holy Mother Planet. Then President Hayes made an impromptu speech thanking her for her efforts to defend his world.
The Regent responded by saying that all was done in an act of good faith without the benefit of any treaty. On that comment, she commanded that the Earth Treaty be brought and shown. More elaborately robed officials solemnly paraded two large tablets of stone high above their heads on an anti-gravity pallet draped in gold cloth.The High Priest read it to the crowd.
"We shall do unto each other as we would have the other to do unto us. And we shall not do unto each other that which is evil in our own sight."
The tablets were placed on the table.
'The Golden Rule?' Hayes was floored. He never expected that for a Treaty.
Silently, everyone waited for the President to do something. He was on the spot. If he refused, he would look like the biggest jerk in history. These people had just spilled their blood to defend his world. But, his legal mind was spinning. Parsing out words was a lawyer's lifeblood. These words were so open ended yet so meaningful. He could imagine many ways they could be used to justify anything. They would do unto Earth what they would want done to them. So if they would want to join the Commonwealth, then doing it to Earth would be ok? They didn't think having everyone join was a bad thing. So it wasn't evil in their sight. But it was the 'Golden Rule.' How do you argue with that? He couldn't ask for clarification, could he? The moments were ticking by.
He was either here to represent Earth or he wasn't. If he consulted with the other ambassadors would it look weak? He began to sweat. Rivulets ran down his face. It was warm but not that hot. Drums were starting to roll and horns began to blow down at the river. The cacophony could be heard even here at the end of the route. He shot a glance at the ambassadors. A few nodded their heads. Others shook them no. He was stumped. And then he decided it didn't matter. The Commonwealth would do whatever they wanted anyway. So he could just as well refuse and make a stand for Earth's independence.
"On behalf of the peoples of Earth, we respectfully thank you for this great gesture of goodwill. We shall bring it back with us to our world that all may consider it. And as is our custom of allowing all peoples their own self-determination, we shall consult at length with our many nations. Your generosity is beyond our wildest dreams." There, he gave a slight head nod, and backed up.
'Wow, I did it. Now let's see what she'll do.'
Clearly no one expected him to refuse. Regent Anna kept her smile plastered on without flinching. But the others, including Admiral Zay were clearly outraged. Even the guards were tense. The crowd rumbled with fury. But the Regent recovered and subdued the rising voices of anger in the assembly.
"Truly, the leader of our Lord General Prince Jack O'Neill's people is wise and eloquent." Some of the murmurings quieted. Then the Regent gave the signal to begin the processional. Everyone sat down. Commonwealth persons gave hard looks to the President. Hayes looked around thinking this was going to be a long day and a longer night. He caught the looks of thanks from most of the ambassadors and his own staff. It had been a close call.
In space above the ceremonies, fleets of ships arrived from all points. Some were carrying delegates to the ceremonies. Some were carrying pilgrims. Some were carrying supplies. Some were carrying tourists. And more than a few out by the Wormhole were squaring off for a fight.
Retired Lt. General Robert Franklin of the United States Army never imagined he would command a fleet in a space battle. For the past three months, he had been sequestered on a secret Commonwealth military base with any number of Earth Force Advisors sent by the President to help Lady Anna in her fight against the Goa'uld. Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter lead the scientific teams to relate advanced equipment to Earth battle tactics. She reported to Franklin as his chief science officer until she was recalled to Earth by O'Neill. The result was a huge success.
In a bid to rise again, the New System Lords were building a massive fleet in gargantuan shipyards. Lady Anna needed to buy some time before the Goa'uld shipyards could deliver the next generation of ships. Finally convinced of the magnitude of the threat, O'Neill sent to the President for help, He had to try to explain war to a people who had never fought a war. President Hayes responded by sending retired Lt. General Robert Franklin and dozens of specialists to orchestrate the war and explain battle tactics. These specialists were paid handsomely, knowing the job was a big risk. In response, Lady Anna was generous to Earth.
The Goa'uld were short on everything. Working with SG-1, General Franklin's team made sure the shortages became acute. He spent the last three months on the Commonwealth base teaching those folks how to perform WWII style commerce raiding. Their goal was to suck up as many resources as the Goa'uld still had. So the Earth Force Advisors made taking out cargo ships the first priority to dry up supplies. The Goa'uld response was to protect their convoys. That tactic forced the last remaining capital ships into performing escort duty on the smaller ships. It was a brilliant maneuver the Goa'uld had never encountered. By the time they adjusted, they were running low on ships.
More to the point, the shipyards couldn't work for lack of supplies. Lady Anna knew that those shipyards had to be destroyed. But blowing up the shipyards only meant that the building effort would relocate. Possibly the System Lords would put them where she couldn't find them in time. By listening to O'Neill's specialists, she gained three months. That extra time allowed her to finish the last bits of her plan. Anna put in Commonwealth defenses inside Earth's solar system. With them, she could confidently lure the arrogant enemy to a place where she could mount a defense.
Those extra three months made all the difference.
Sure enough, Ba'al got tired of her and O'Neill. He sent the combined forces of the New System Lords against Earth that week. To Anna's credit, she had listened to O'Neill's people and adapted their knowledge to fit her capabilities. Then she took it to a whole new level of effort. In truth, the hero on parade should have been her, not O'Neill. Now, the shipyards were useless. Lady Anna's forces could concentrate on destroying nearly all that was left in the Goa'uld fleet. Before the System Lords could receive replacement ships, the Commonwealth came to finish them off.
Even with all that success, Lady Anna faced opposition from within her own ranks. Her own cousin had betrayed her in a plot to replace her. Anna beat the opposition by staging a coup and assuming power as Regent. She 'retired' the King and sent him off to a monastery. She executed many and exiled those too royal to be executed. Now Lady Janelle, the betrayer, had escaped and was leading an assault force to kill her. Since Anna was pressing the advantage her victories created, most of her commanders were not present for the ceremony. The greatest portion of the fleet was still at Earth or stuck elsewhere too far away. Anna did it to be certain that no officers with other loyalties had a ship which could disrupt the proceedings. However, the Commonwealth was a big empire. Lady Janelle's forces had ships of their own.
So Anna contacted the one ship's captain in her fleet with no other allegiances but to her. She contacted O'Neill's clone. Today he was Captain Jack O'Neill of the Starship ' Enterprise.' Anna had discovered him on Earth. In a moment of weakness, she made him her lover for a diversion during the stressful days before the battle.
That O'Neill had figured out who she was during their affair on Maui. And in true O'Neill style, he pounced on the opportunity. As a 54 yr old man in an 18 yr old body he was out of place on Earth. But everyone in the Commonwealth lived a long time in youthful bodies. Anna was 74 yrs old and looked to be 20 yrs old. So he made her a proposal that made sense for both of them. She made him a captain of a minor vessel and he agreed to be loyal to her alone. In time, he would acquire the technical knowledge necessary to progress through the ranks. And she got a brilliant commander with the cachet of being a Jack O'Neill. Their little dalliance worked out fine for both. Today she entrusted him with the essential task of neutralizing the approaching hostile fleet.
As Anna sat watching the proceedings around her on the Temple Mount, she was listening to developments via devices implanted in her brain and on her clothing. She was also directing many efforts to neutralize the enemy. So it was with complete surprise that she learned retired Lt. General Robert Franklin of the U.S. Army had brought every ship still at the remote secret base to help her. In the fight of her life, O'Neill's people would play a pivotal role. O'Neill's people had rallied for her. If this worked out, she would never forget it. So she gave her okay to General Franklin and briefed him what to expect. To add to the urgency, she informed him that the life of his commander-in-chief was on the line. She let Franklin know the President was sitting right next to her at the ceremonies. Truly, they had a common enemy.
Franklin acknowledged.
"Okay people, we have a bigger situation than we realized. Our own people are down there including the President of the United States and dozens of Earth Ambassadors along with the President's cabinet and the Air Force Chief of Staff. Whatever firing solutions we have, we use. If firing destroys them, then, so much the better. Now, battle stations."
"Sir, we detect various ships, but it isn't obvious which ones are ours or theirs. Your orders?" The XO stood patiently waiting. What could this barbarian understand about their capabilities? He had studied some of it, but understanding strategic implementation would not come easily.
The XO was wrong.
"Got any gizmos that can penetrate inside and do some data mining? We should be able to figure it out." Franklin decided to break this down piece by piece. He didn't have to know everything. He just needed to know he could get what he wanted. "And got any doohickeys that can screw up their communications from the inside if we choose to use them?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do we have enough to mine all the other ships?"
"All those are in proximity, so yes, sir."
"Good. Now, can those devices work even with our electronic countermeasures?"
"To a point, sir and then no. May I suggest that we contact Commander Michael and see how he wants to form up?"
"Go ahead but don't proceed before I'm ready." The XO motioned to the Com Officer. She went to work. "And, can those data mining or other items tag a ship as a friendly or not?"
"Yes sir. I see where you are going. May I suggest that we assume any ship firing on us is an enemy and any one near it not firing on it is also an enemy?"
Franklin gave him a dirty look.
"You may. How many ships out there already docked as friendlies are not?"
"Hard to say sir. But we can assume a few. Space Dock has scanned as much as they can, but there are too many ships today and more arriving in the queue." He paused. 'What could this man be thinking? No one understands how these barbarians think. But they did come up with some surprisingly good ideas.'
"Unless you think the bad guys would nuke the proceedings in the Capital, let's think smaller."
The XO thought about it and answered, "Probably won't nuke it because the ceremonies are on Holy Ground. No one would destroy the Temple on purpose. And it isn't necessary with all the microdevices we have."
"Would any of the large ships enter the atmosphere for a strafing run at the proceedings?"
"Most of our very large ships don't have the configurations to enter the atmosphere. They would launch smaller more aerodynamic ships." The XO paused to add, "and planetary defenses would certainly hit a larger ship."
"Ok, let's assume that if someone wanted to disrupt the ceremony they would send a smaller ship or ships into the atmosphere. They would be less noticeable and quicker. But, if the enemy wants to be certain that they can kill Lady Anna, then someone would have to be on the ground directing the effort and to paint the target." He sat there for another moment, "and we need to identify what kind of equipment would be used, so we can figure out which ships might fit that profile. Then profile larger ships that could maneuver sufficiently well and quickly from orbit or Space Dock or in line to dock. Pick the ones which could cover the smaller craft and add their own barrage of microdevices. Send that information to Commander Michael and tell him to keep narrowing down the criteria, as he knows your capabilities. It should give us a place to start. Tell him to contact Lady Anna's security and have them scanning people for devices."
"Yes sir, we already have some of that going on. But I'll make sure they coordinate with us." The XO motioned to the Com Officer and she continued with her assistants. Of course they knew enough to do that much. The XO felt like a schoolteacher with a slow learner.
"Can those ships cloak themselves or can there be others who may be already cloaked?"
"Yes, sir. But not many. It would take serious power to do it and such ships are few. You can believe that we are searching for them."
"Well, let's do it too. You never know. Look for gravity differences and light being bent funny. Any sort of EM emissions, and anything else Deets and the boys can imagine. They watch plenty of science fiction. Get Deets on the com system."
"Deets. Who's calling?"
"Me, Franklin." The XO and the rest of the bridge couldn't believe the familiar way these people addressed the General. "You guys watch sci fi, right? Well, try and remember how they are always finding cloaked ships. Tachyon emissions, whatever."
The XO's eyebrows shot up. These primitives knew about tachyon emissions as a cloaking weakness? His respect rose.
"Then work with engineering to come up with a way to scan the area. We have to assume that the other guys know how regular equipment would search and have countermeasures. Find another way. Franklin out." He looked around at the shocked faces. "Look, we don't have time for all this protocol. Get over it. Now, can they project a false reading for a cloaked ship?"
"Yes, sir. I am aware of some prototype equipment we have onboard this vessel, which can help. It's state of the art. No other ships have these countermeasures yet, unless espionage has revealed them." The XO made some adjustments. "If they make false readings we can narrow down the choices. But, sir, we can also send out false ship readings."
"Ok, advise our ships that have that capability to use it at their own discretion. Let the bad guys think we have many more assets than we do. Send out a few of our own smaller ships with the cloaks on. Have them lurk near an entry point where someone would try something. And have a few lurk above and below Space Dock. Have them look for atmospheric disturbances consistent with an attack. Now, send out some of those FTL sensor platforms of the new variety we used at Earth toward the wormhole and toward the planet and a couple of its moons. I'm guessing those aren't widely available. And launch a few missile pod platforms to go in orbit and between here and the wormhole on a most likely intercept course. Then plot a second and third possible course and lay in some pods. Then send a bunch of remote sensor platforms between the sun and the planet. And shoot one to the other side of that sun. They might try to blindside us. Place any missile pods you can spare in the way of such an approach."
Franklin watched his Commonwealth XO act swiftly to implement his orders. A change had come over the man from amused disdain to fully functioning professional. Franklin approved. Well, what could you expect? Everyone still had to get used to each other, just not during a battle.
And so it went on for an hour while they maneuvered closer to the Capital Planet but still in line with the exit from the nearby natural wormhole.
"Sir, Commander Michael requesting a conference." The Com Officer announced.
"Put him on." Franklin watched the hologram form just in front of him. He had gotten used to it in the simulations they'd been running now for three months. "Commander."
"General. We have noted your preparations. But be advised that we may face our own hardware. Do you have enough of our officers with you to help?"
"I think we're fine. Thanks. Do we know the enemy's strength?"
"No. But it won't take an armada to do the job. They just have to kill the Regent and her closest advisors. So Prince O'Neill is at risk as well. We have orders from the Imperial Regent to protect Prince O'Neill even at the expense of her life. She made us swear. So I am advising you of the situation."
"What the hell? Why would she care if they get O'Neill?" Prince O'Neill? Yikes!
"General Franklin, Regent Anna considers his life to be more important. She says that once the ceremony is complete, this attack would be useless. The masses would never follow anyone who killed Prince O'Neill. So we must believe it is underway somehow right now. I believe any attack by ships is simply a diversion to let the real assassins complete their mission. Therefore, I would like your fleet to continue to monitor the outer system and the traffic from the Wormhole and let us work the threat closer in. Will you comply?"
General Franklin had to think about that one. 'If Commander Michael was compromised, then agreeing meant certain success for the rebels. What was so special about O'Neill? This hero worship made no sense at a time when the government could fall. What did O'Neill have to do with keeping the government from falling simply by surviving the Regent? Okay, the King was still around. Was there some agreement for O'Neill to affect the Regency? No, that would be too weird. But these folks specialized in weird.'
"No sir. We can't do that. I am not ordered to be your subordinate. We work directly for General O'Neill and were ordered here by O'Neill."
Franklin played his trump card because he really thought O'Neill had ordered him to bring the fleet. Captain Jack O'Neill had signed the communiqué only as Jack O'Neill. Franklin didn't even know that O'Neill had a clone. The look on Commander Michael's face attested to that announcement being the right way to approach the problem.
"And I don't really know who you are. I was told that I should work with you. So, whatever seems to make sense we shall do."
"Then we defer to our Lord General Prince O'Neill." Commander Michael said it with a tone bordering on spiritual.
General Franklin thought these people had lost their minds with this almost religious awe they had for Jack.
"Sir, I realize you do not know whom to trust. You don't know our players or our clan affiliations. Let me explain that I am Regent Anna's cousin by her mother's cousin's cousin. I am a member of the Royal Clan. I cannot rise to the throne if that is what you are wondering. And my entire family will be exiled if Lady Janelle succeeds today. I hope that clarifies matters for you."
"Somewhat. Of course I have to believe you first. Not that I have reason to doubt you, I just have no reason to believe everything. And isn't Lady Janelle her cousin too? Didn't she just betray Lady Anna? But I'll keep it in mind." Franklin frowned at the problem. Not knowing the players would be limiting. "Now, let's think this through. How would they get close enough to kill the Regent and destroy the ceremony without destroying the Temple? And how do we stop any reinforcements from getting through? And do those folks have any gadgets to counter our gadgets, like the micro-missiles?"
"All the very advanced equipment went to Earth. Janelle's forces are using older model dreadnaughts and their usual suite of armaments, unless she's managed to snag a few toys. But I doubt it." Commander Michael sent a transmission of the older ship schematics so they could talk about the same things.
"Establish a transponder code that our defender ships can use to prevent Planetary Defenses from firing on them. Let me confirm it with Anna. And make sure it is sent on the new tight beam transmission FTL links." Commander Michael seemed to gag when Franklin referred to his Regent as simply 'Anna.' Franklin saw it and used her title when he connected again with her. Regent Anna immediately approved the plan.
The next half hour set the stage. And in that time, another deadly fleet of five dreadnaughts appeared through the local Wormhole. General Franklin and Commander Michael watched the FTL sensor platforms do their jobs. The data relayed indicated that these ships showed up with weapons online. Their course and speed was set for the planet. Considering planetary defenses, there were too few to make a really good attack. Both the General and the Commander knew this was the decoy fleet.
"Fleet separating and maneuvering to decelerate, sir. Bogey's three and five will pass by two pods. Three will pass one and then the other two are still clear." The Tac Officer continued to update the holoscreens.
"Let the platforms make the initial attack, but hail them just for form's sake." Franklin turned to his counterpart's holoimage and shrugged. "Anything near you?"
"Still watching for any signs that a ship around the dock is lighting up." Commander Michael turned away and then back. "Got something. There's an atmospheric disturbance on the other side of the planet. Your guys were right to look for it. We think they have begun the air raid. Launching our fighters." He turned away and disappeared.
"Okay let me talk to the fool leading this attack." Franklin sat watching his screen until a hologram appeared before him. "And you are?"
"Commander Ari. Who are you? And why do you lock weapons on us? We are Commonwealth forces just as you are though I don't recognize your uniform."
"It's not a uniform, pal. And the jig is up. I'm Lt. General Robert Franklin of the United States Army, Earth, er Holy Mother Planet. General O'Neill sent us to tell you not to come any closer. We know what you want. This is your only warning. Stand down before we blow you to hell."
"What? So, you're one of Lady Anna's pet barbarians? Go home before you get hurt. You might shoot off your own foot. We are on official business. And we shall not hesitate to fire if you get in the way." The arrogant man ended the communication.
"Okay, have it his way. Fire."
Thousands of micro-missiles with miniature hyperdrives launched from multiple pods. They reappeared inside the ships and began to go to work. Some reconfigured to become destructive machines. Some uploaded virus program equivalents and overrode the command and control computers. Engines flickered and died. Three of the ships simply floated dead in space. Simultaneously, the micro-machines initiated a lockdown program and changed all the passwords. When they were done, they initiated a little known protocol to subdue invading boarding parties. They gassed the entire crew into unconsciousness.
But two more ships made it through. With inertia working for the enemy, an intercept course was problematic for Franklin's fleet, which was nearly at zero acceleration. General Franklin commed them to stop. They disgorged their smaller fighters and bombers. Franklin let Commander Michael know.
"General, we have detected the ships approaching as you predicted from the blind spot. Several vessels of dreadnaught and Super-dreadnaught sizes are on an approach vector to the planet. They have launched Small Attack Craft. There are hundreds of them. I have initiated planetary defenses. We can hold most of them off. But there's always the possibility one or two can get through. Launch your bombers and get them over here."
"Negative. It's a decoy too. They know they can't get through planetary defenses. Something else is happening. Re-check the atmospheric disturbances and the ships supposedly docked." While Franklin was waiting a thought occurred to him. "Get me Lady Anna on the line."
The XO was horrified. "She's conducting the Anointing Ceremony, sir. You can't interrupt her now."
"Do it or I'll remove you." Reluctantly, the XO complied. He was met with resistance. "Put me on. This is Lt. General Franklin of the United States Army, one of General O'Neill's generals. Do you understand who I am?" He knew his hologram was standing before the little shit impeding this effort. "If you are the imbecile who causes Lord O'Neill's death by defying me, you will go to hell for all eternity."
Now where did I learn to say stuff like that? But it hit home. This religious crap works. The next thing he knew he was speaking to Regent Anna but not as a hologram.
"General, for security reasons, I can't make a hologram. Speak quickly."
"Ma'am, I hope this really is you. Just to test this, what did you eat for dinner with me and General O'Neill the first time we met?"
"You gave me a box of Godiva chocolates from Earth, and indigestion."
Yep it was she.
"Now hurry."
"The bad guys have started a planetary assault using small attack craft. But we know those are no match for planetary defenses. We nailed three dreadnaughts out of the wormhole. Two are on approach but we can probably get them. Michael is working on another force from the sun side of the system. They have dreadnaughts and Super-dreadnaughts. But they are too far away. Probably a diversion to suck away planetary defenders. We think something else is going on. Someone has to get close enough to kill you. Got any ideas what's really coming at you?"
"SACs, dreadnaughts, SD's, you're right, there has to be more. Those are too obvious. Janelle can't have much in the way of micro-missiles but she may have her own version. She could launch a few small missiles from the planet's surface to take out the leadership attending today. Some of our stuff doesn't have to explode. There are 'other' possibilities inside them. Launch electronic counter measures (ECM) and missile counter measures (MCM) over this area on the planet. They may reveal something hidden and confuse their tracking system. We'll say they are fireworks. But I think you are on the right track. And General, how did you know to come?"
"O'Neill sent for me. He said get every ship I could staffed and launched for here. So we did." Anna watched Jack approaching up the stairs. That man had no idea any of this would happen nor had he the opportunity to make that call. "Are you sure it was O'Neill who sent you?"
"Positive. A transmission came through the Stargate and his voice was verified. We called him back to send him something to put his DNA on. And he threw back fresh blood. It was he." Anna smiled. It was Captain Jack. He was still O'Neill after all, thinking out of the box.
"Who's your XO?" Franklin told her. "He's ok. Can you take out the rest of that task force?" Franklin said possibly using drones. "Ok, do what you can to limit the enemy's forces in system. Tell Commander Michael to keep watching for something special. Then make your way towards the planet. Anna out."
Well, well, this just got a lot more evenly matched. The XO knew a few tricks. And he had worked on special project development. If there was a way to spot the real attack, that guy could do it. From just in front of her retina, Anna watched various people among the crowd near her. Who was the traitor?
At the far end of the Grand Concourse, the parade began. The High Priest said the opening prayers. And the bands began to play. On the view screen a lone rider on a great white horse led the armies of marchers. He looked stoic. He looked heroic. He looked every inch a military man. Why not? It was the Lord General Jack O'Neill, Prince of Springfield. And he was thinking he was going to kill Lady Anna when he got up close and personal.
'Can you ride a horse, Jack.' Oh boy, it seemed so innocent. 'It's traditional, Jack.' Crap, she would do something like this. 'You'll join me.' Right and then I'll strangle your chicken neck. 'It's important to reassure the people.' I'll reassure them you are a dead woman. 'All you have to do is stand there and look glorious.' All I want to do is twist your head right off your neck, woman. 'You can stand there and look glorious, can't you, Jack?' I'm going to shove that headpiece right up her...anyway I'll take out the guards, zat the High Priest, use a P-90 on the rest of them...
And so his thoughts turned around and around down the Grand Concourse, though his face never betrayed a thing.
At the top of the Temple Mount, Admiral Zay was stewing.
By all rights, I should have been honored with the procession up the Grand Concourse. But Anna is up to something. I know her well enough to know. Look at these folks assembled up top. Very few of them deserved the honor, especially the savages from Earth. If the people only knew what a mess that planet was, no one would be worried about honoring them. They should be punished for letting the Holy Mother Planet contain so much human suffering. Well, it will take a few more decades, and we can put that behind them. The Commonwealth will provide a sure steady hand to direct them and lead them to the correct path, treaty or no.
It galled him to stand there waiting to greet O'Neill.
Look at him, the Big Ego. Anna has to have a plan. And this time she didn't tell me. That is probably the worst part of the insult. Ah, such is life in the royal family with its intrigue and deceptions. And here O'Neill comes now, dismounting at the foot of the staircase. Fine, let's get this over with. Let's receive the People's Hero. Gaaaa!
The crowd roared its approval as Jack climbed the stairs and stopped to recognize and shake hands with Daniel and Sam. They waved together, to frantic cheering. Jack continued up the stairs. Everyone stood up for him as he passed. Coming to Teal'c, Jack embraced him as a brother. The crowd went crazy. Teal'c was genuinely touched. Then Teal'c stepped back with the other ambassadors.
At the top, Jack first came to attention and saluted the President, who returned the salute. And so did the Chief of the Air Force. Then Mrs. Hayes stepped up to give her husband a box. President Hayes waited for the crowd to settle down. After making a speech praising O'Neill to the sky and enumerating all he had done for humanity, the President promoted Jack to a full four-star general. The Chief of the Air Force pinned on the extra two stars. Everyone cheered while the salutes were exchanged and the hands shaken. It was nearly twenty minutes before Jack could proceed to the dais where Anna sat in Imperial Glory.
All the while she was directing the defense of the Temple Mount.
The mission was on schedule, almost. The Ashrak, a Goa'uld assassin of the highest rank, waited among the throngs of watchers below the staircase to the Temple Mount. The precautions these Hak'taur took were impressive. But they were only humans after all. As O'Neill approached the dais where the Hak'taur woman sat, the Ashrak sent his signal to the waiting assassins.
The Ashrak observed his zatarc attack as pre-programmed. From among the attending notables, one of the ambassadors began to make his way toward the pair now facing each other. The Regent was making her speech praising the actions of the target. The Ambassador walked swiftly with purpose. The ambassador raised his hand with the weapon in his ring and fired. Guards leapt to tackle him. He killed a few coming at him and took another shot at O'Neill. Once the guards had him pinned to the ground, he used the device on himself. People were screaming and running. The Ashrak smiled watching the pandemonium caused by the zatarc. He watched patiently, knowing the real assassins had just landed.
"I see it." Franklin sat straighter looking at the hologram of six small fighters heading for the deck. "Get me Lady Anna on the Com." A few moments later, he reported the attack. While he did that, the XO informed Commander Michael. Michael's forces were closer to the planet and had his own scouts and fighters already launched.
The two enemy ships that survived the fight at the Wormhole accelerated with speeds no one thought older ships could achieve. Franklin was caught off guard and so was his XO.
"Can you do anything about that?" Franklin demanded.
"On it."
The XO launched the prototype weapons not even Anna had seen yet. They entered hyperspace and the two ships rolled to avoid the incoming with a set of new countermeasures.
"They have managed to take minimal damage. We are too far to make it ahead of them, but we can catch up a few minutes behind."
"Do it." Franklin ordered. "Got any gizmos that can beam Lady Anna out of the proceedings down there?"
"Sir, there's always the rings. But the shields around the ceremony make beaming her out difficult. Plus she is wearing devices to prevent that very action. Our best bet is to ask her to go to the rings. They go through most force fields." The Sr. Tac Officer looked surprised. "You don't know about the rings on the Temple Mount?" Everyone shook his head. "My great-uncle's cousin by marriage maintains them. Even though we know what they are, no one ever thought of that spot as strategically vital. It's just for ceremonies. So if we ring down and grab her, the rings will get through the force fields."
"If you know about them, then they know about the rings too. Assemble an assault team with plenty of nasty devices. Use whatever body armor you deem necessary. But get her out of there." Franklin got back on the com to alert Anna. "The code word is ' Minnesota.' Then she'll know it's from us."
"Sir, maybe we can use the rings to get Lady Janelle, too." And the XO explained how they had learned to target a transporter beam inside the rings to almost anywhere. "And using her DNA code, we could figure out where she is. I don't think she's on the ships. I think she's hidden on the planet waiting for her moment to beam to the Temple Mount and take charge." Franklin nodded and authorized the search effort. Sure enough, they found her in a mansion not far from the event. And then they sent her to the brig.
"Is our 'guest' secured in the brig?" Franklin wanted to know.
"Yes sir, she is. Our doctor sedated her. We jettisoned her accomplices out the airlocks as ordered." The Security Officer didn't like it but O'Neill made it a standing order, if they ever found Janelle. There was nothing to say about it. Franklin had been told that Janelle was a royal person and could not be executed that way.
Meanwhile, the two ships making the approach run for the planet could not out run hyperdrive missiles in those quantities. The volume of anti-missile counter measures insured that everyone on the two ships in the firefight were so much space garbage. Instead, their SACs and Bombers were still proceeding in sufficient quantities toward the planet. Some of the micro-missiles found their targets. But the shear numbers of attack ships were a problem. Planetary defenses would have to take up the slack. At the moment, those were working on the approaching sun-side force.
"Do we still have any pods in orbit," Franklin inquired?
"Yes, sir. We have several. I have relayed instructions to the FTL sensors already. They have sent the program activators to the pods in orbit. And I have prepared communications for Commander Michael so we can coordinate."
"Belay that last effort. Do not talk to Commander Michael until we wipe out the approaching task force of small attack craft and bombers. They can probably read the transmissions as well. What nasty devices do we have besides missile pods?"
"We have ECM that can jam the ships navigation and communication systems. They are working in concert with the Planetary Defenses." The XO continued to track the feed from the FTL sensors.
"Negative. We operate the ECM not the Planetary Defenses. They could be compromised. Can you manually override or take control?"
"I believe so. And we can take over the pods themselves."
"Do it." Franklin sat there thinking. "Can we lay mines in the skies above the ceremony?"
"Yes, sir. The mines you authorized for the Goa'uld shipping lanes arrived last week here."
"Then launch them around the area of the ceremony up to 2500 miles away. Nothing flies in there, understood? Tell our crews."
"On it, sir." The XO had the bridge crew jumping through hoops. "Sir, we report explosions from 428 miles away from the target area in the atmosphere. And wait, I am getting FTL responses on the drone platforms. They have all launched their drones at something large."
"It's a ruse. They are causing us to deplete our stash of weapons. Can you trace the signals used to implement the launch sequences?"
"Negative, sir." The XO paused to listen. "Commander Michael reports heavy resistance from the Sun-side fleet. The micro-missile pods have all flushed their payloads at the incoming vessels. No, wait, about a third seem to be chasing sensor ghosts."
"This is a helluva way to test our own capabilities, son." Franklin had to think and there was little time as computers activated battle programs that worked faster than the human mind. "What do we have on board that they do not?"
"We have the new Counter Measures and the new materials they are made with. We have body armor they can't have seen yet as they are mostly prototypes. There was only enough for the ships here. The armor can deflect energy weapons and make it impossible to track the wearer using either our systems or the Goa'uld's."
"Fine, use the armor material to camouflage some drones. Then dump ECM and the new counter measures above the Ceremonial area and throughout the upper atmosphere. Send some more to cover Space Dock. The moment we discern atmospheric disturbances, let the armor covered drones do their work. Let's see what they can find that we can't."
It felt like an eternity until the XO announced the hyperspace launch of the new drone pods and the ECM to the planet. It was another few minutes before the FTL sensor platforms indicated explosions high in the atmosphere and a few near the Capital.
Our pilots report no way to reach Lady Anna and O'Neill with all the counter measures and cloaked drones. We are not able to approach the planet any farther. If there's going to be an attack, it has to come from the ground now."
"Fine, then neither can the enemy." Franklin leaned forward to examine his holo-displays. "Finish off everything you can find. Worry about friend or foe later. If it's in the atmosphere, consider it a foe. Tell Commander Michael to pull out his fighters. And keep making those cloaked drones. I want more pods hyper-launched ASAP."
Rings activated. The first of the assassins made their way from the ancient ring platform on the Temple Mount. It was on the far side of the building so they had to move swiftly. The guards tried to stop them and died defending the holy area. Janelle's troops had some very unusual weapons. With them, the assassins attacked anything in their way. Another set of troops materialized by the rings in time to see the first set of assassins make it half way to the front.
Confusion and screams could be heard coming toward the dais at the top of the stairs. Jack instinctively went for Lady Anna and pulled her down. More screams could be heard close by. Then Jack activated his personal shield. Lady Anna had insisted that he wear a full complement of her special hidden devices. He saw her detach the headdress and reach inside. She assembled a weapon from various items in her hair and on the headpiece. Anna handed it to him. Then she pulled out another weapon from her gown for herself. Pulling off beads from her bodice, she shoved a handful at Jack.
"Explosives." He nodded and searched the area. More items came off Anna's clothing. And then she removed her rings. Jack saw the President being dragged off to safety by General Hammond and the Special Forces assigned to protect the President. Now Jack could concentrate on the assault. Jack activated his special com unit to alert the contingent of Earth Force troops he had standing by. They formed up at the top of the stairs and covered the President and his group. Jack removed his service pistol from his ankle holster and loaded a round in the chamber. Fancy weapons were fine, but more often than not, the old-fashioned kind were more effective. Jack knew he had this weapon in top condition.
Four of the eleven attackers made it to the main staging area of the event. Anna recognized the body armor. It was the new material she had approved for R & D prototypes. The armor would absorb energy blasts. The assassins' personal shields held even more away. Anna's guards used their weapons to no avail. The shielding held for the attackers, who kept advancing killing everyone in their wake.
So Anna used her retinal scanner to activate counter measures beneath the decoy stone pavers. They flew up and disbursed solvents. Next, micro-devices underneath launched at the attackers and within the shielded areas. Jack aimed his weapons. Anna motioned for him to wait until the attackers were thoroughly doused with the liquids. The liquids disabled the special material's properties. Then they both opened fire. The Earth Force troops did too.
Once the atmospheric explosions ceased and the immediate attackers were dead, Anna commed Franklin to ask him what the heck he had done. A conference call with Commander Michael indicated that the remnants of the attacking fleet had fled once they saw the countermeasures and learned that Lady Janelle had been captured.
"Are you ok?" Jack helped Anna up from the ground. She nodded a yes. "Okay, shows over, lets get back to stations. Clean up those bodies. Get them outta here. Yeah, you in the skirt thing. And you," he pointed at the priests, "help them." It was unheard of for a priest to touch a dead body. They tried to refuse. But the Lord General Prince O'Neill ordered it and so the troops formed up to make them. The priests reluctantly did it.
The rescue teams from Franklin's ship had made it to the dais by rings. They simply shot anyone who looked like a problem. Then they formed up around Jack and Anna. She was bewildered how they made it through the all the guards and planetary defenses.
During the chaos, Jack kept Anna covered by holding her hand so she couldn't break free. He put himself and their shields between her and all the rest. But he kept barking orders to get the situation under control. Eventually, everyone just did what he said.Order was restored.
But, Admiral Zay was dying from wounds. Anna looked around and screamed in horror. Once the area was secured, both rushed to the great officer. Anna withdrew from her gear the Ancient hand-healing device. Without considering that the whole thing was broadcast, they both touched the device. The glow from the device became a sun around them. After a few minutes, Zay recovered enough to sit up. He touched his torn apparel with wonder remembering being shot. Not having seen the device work on that level, he was awed. And so was the rest of the crowd who couldn't see the device. They thought Jack and Anna simply did it by laying on their hands.
A great wail went up in the crowd. The staging area had been so packed it was nearly impossible for the entire assembly of people to get out even under fire. Once they saw what looked to them like a miracle happening, every single person went on his knees except for the President, his troops and advisors, andDaniel Jackson, who was wildly waving trying to get to Jack. But he couldn't because he was just too far away and there were too many people in the way. Daniel's voice was drowned out by the noise of songs lead by a priest.
"Captain, we are picking up the feed from the ceremonies through the Stargate as ordered. Recording from live and pre-recorded media transmissions." The Com Officer was efficient. Captain Jack was pleased.
"Put it up on the screen. Let's all watch." And they saw the barge procession, the ride up the Grand Concourse and the march up the staircase. Captain Jack kept his face impassive. In some sense, he was doing those things and he wasn't. He kept reminding himself of the differences and the new opportunities, and relationships. Anna did look good up there. She had done right by him. But he also realized something more was going on. But what?
The Original saluted the Regent. The crowd was calmed to a low roar. The video screens floating above the crowds showed the faces of all the important players. And one was screaming his head off trying to get attention, when the guards made him sit down. It was good old Daniel, jumping around and gesturing wildly. Now what the heck was he on about? And then all hell broke loose. Everyone was running and screaming. A firefight erupted but was short lived. One of the attackers committed suicide. The bits and pieces of him sprayed the crowd. Aw crap, a zatarc, thought Captain Jack. He watched as his Original covered the Regent and commanded the Earth Force troops covering the President. Something shot up from the ground and water seemed to spray up from underneath. But it wasn't water. The attackers were dancing and screaming as Jack and Anna blew them to hell. The bridge crew was appalled and fascinated. Explosions ripped through the skies above the ceremony. People were running and screaming in panic.
But Anna and Jack stayed on the Temple Mount and staged the defense. Then they turned to deal with the fallen and the dead. Captain Jack guessed that Jack Original used some sort of Ancient ability to heal most of them. Curiously, Anna seemed to be involved. Then the hysteria and panic subsided around them. The crowd fixated on the miracles they watched as the severely wounded and maybe some of the dead rose. The prayers and chants started up again. After about an hour of calm, people reassembled to continue. Some of the ambassadors had not returned, but the Regent would not cancel the ceremony. Thankfully, the President stood his ground and returned to his place. At least we aren't running like cowards, Captain Jack noted with approval.
Inside the glow over Zay's body, Jack and Anna's minds met again. It was only momentarily, but it was enough. This time there was understanding. They watched as Zay rose up, looking at them aghast. The crowd saw the close ups of Zay touching his bloody shredded uniform. His fingers came away covered in his own blood. He was dumbstruck. The pair just smiled inwardly not even looking but knowing Zay had recovered. The priests came to examine him and were awed by the glow from Jack and Anna. The pair moved from fallen dignitary to dead guards. One by one, they rose up. Live feed broadcasts covered every nuance for the entire population.
Shutting down the device, the pair rose and turned to go into the inner courtyard. The crowds and the priests prostrated themselves. The President was shocked and the First Lady fainted. Ignoring the reactions of the others on the Mount, Jack led her up to the gate leading into the Temple itself. At the second gate, Anna held back. Jack gave her a questioning look. She just shook her head, whispering that women were not allowed any farther. But he took her arm and moved her inside with him. The crowds below watched in shock.
The High Priest nearly choked in apoplexy. Women were never supposed to go that far. They could be in the Courtyard of the Women but not inside the Temple. Jack didn't care. She was going with him. And that was all there was to it. He wasn't leaving her alone for a second. She had to be with him if he were to protect her. And he was very, very curious about what lay inside.
In front of the door to the Temple, the High Priest blocked his way. The crowd murmured in agitation at the scene on the news screens hovering above their heads. Jack just gave him a look that said, 'don't mess with me.' His look was so ferocious that the High Priest quailed. As they stood there facing off, other priests brought up garments and a golden jug of holy oil, pressed the night before. Anna whispered to him that this was the Anointing Ceremony and he had to do it before he could go in. Jack just sighed at all this mumbo jumbo but relented. In for a penny in for a pound was his attitude. But he never let go of her hand.
The High Priest made him bend down over a large gold bowl. He put embroidered cloths around Jack's neck. The High Priest handed him a towel to cover his face. Jack felt silly. Then someone shoved his head down and Anna spoke to him as she poured something slick and oily and rubbed it all over his short-cropped silver hair. It dripped down into the golden bowl waiting there to catch the residue. All he wanted to do was get this over with and have a shower and a beer and yell at Anna for a while about making him do all this nonsense in public. The High Priest concluded his prayers. Anna wiped her hands on the towels.
The whole ceremony played on the hovering news screens. The crowd was awed. The chanting and the praying were in full swing.
Daniel was frantic, screaming, "NOOOOOOOO! He doesn't understand!"
Teal'c saw Daniel but was too far to hear him. Sam had been separated from him in the panic. She was far down the stairs near the main body of the crowd. Daniel was trying to get up the stairs and was stopped by many guards. No one could hear what he was saying over the singing and chanting. The President wondered aloud what had gotten into Dr. Jackson. He was making a fool of himself.
Hammond watched Jack give the High Priest the business about letting Anna come in. He snorted a laugh. Good old Jack, still bucking authority. The High Priest wanted Anna to stay put. But Jack wasn't letting go. He looked at her and she let him take charge for a change. So Jack gently pushed the old priest aside with his service pistol. The man was horrified. Hammond rubbed his eyes not believing what he was witnessing. Jack could be such a loose cannon. Because of the broadcast, Jack's voice could be heard speaking to Anna.
"Where you go I go. But where you will not go I will not go. So we go together, right, Anna?" She nodded silently. The High Priest was angry but there was nothing he could do about it. Jack had a weapon in his other hand. "Then we blow this popsicle stand and I don't ever do this again for you, ever, understand?" Anna just stared at him. "Right. Now that that's settled, open sesame."
The High Priest muttered a prayer and opened the door. They all walked through. The crowd was hushed hardly daring to breathe. But Daniel was screaming to be let up there. Finally, someone recognized him and came down to hear his request.
"You can't do this to him! He doesn't understand what you are doing! Let me up there so I can explain it. He needs to know what this means!"
Daniel huffed and yelled and tried to call to the President to intervene but the President's attention was transfixed, looking at the screen.
Meanwhile, the news screens broadcast Jack's words and everyone prostrated himself on the ground. The President thought the entire assembly was certifiably mad. He saw Dr. Jackson behaving like a madman. Disturbed, he turned his attention back to the screens to watch the drama unfold. The whole exercise was broadcast as each moment happened like precision clockwork.
The High Priest parted the curtain that led into another smaller chamber. Jack peeked in and was underwhelmed. A large oblong box stood on a podium. Two pairs of winged angels faced outward from either end of the box. They were trimmed in gold. There was a set of rings holding two long poles to carry the thing without touching the box. And there was an empty place for something that should have been on top.
Jack sheathed the weapon in his waistband. Never taking his eyes off the box, Jack walked around it, looking at it from all sides. He shrugged.
"Now what? Let's get this over with. I gotta pee."
Anna almost smiled. The High Priest handed Jack an object and told him to put it into the hole on top and lift the lid. Jack hefted the item and thought about it.
"No. I saw this movie. There is no way I am opening that box."
Jack tossed the object back to the High Priest who caught it like a football. Anna started to object.
"Ack! Don't even go there."
Anna held out her hand for the object and the High Priest reluctantly gave it back to her. Anna offered it to Jack. And he wasn't having it. So she placed the item in the hole. Because they were still holding hands, the effect was the same as if Jack had done it himself. Light blazed forth from every direction. It caused the whole building to glow and then shot a beam right out towards the back wall blowing a hole in it. The High Priest staggered out of the room. The other priests caught him as he fell backwards.
"Cool special effects!" Jack looked up as colored lights played overhead. "Did I mention I like fireworks?" Anna clung to him, shaking. "What?" He held her hand even more firmly. "It's a weapon, right? You knew this. That's why you wanted it in the first place."
Anna nodded unable to speak, so great was her fear. And then she reached behind herself to lift the lid without looking. Jack looked over unable to contain his curiosity. With one eye and then the other he looked. She didn't look. She kept her back to it. The Priests shielded their eyes realizing Jack was looking in the box and nothing was happening to him. Jack started to chuckle. He reached in and touched the contents. Then he lowered the lid and removed the part on top. The light show ended. Anna looked at Jack with wonder. Tears flowed. Real tears came streaming out. He was faintly amused she would have such a reaction.
"Hey, show's over. The weapon is secured." He tossed the top piece to the High Priest. "Aw, it wasn't so bad, Anna. What?"
That was the most emotion other than anger he had seen from her since they met.
Well, the little lady did have a beating heart in there somewhere.
After collecting herself for a moment, Anna separated from him and turned to the door.
"Let's finish the ceremony." Anna marched out. The way parted for her. At the top of the Mount by the Stairs, she waited until the crowd settled down. The High Priest made his blessing. Then Anna turned to Jack and kissed him on both cheeks. She turned back to the crowd.
"My people, hear me. This day, the proof is given. All that was foretold has come to pass. We have been delivered from a great Evil by the Anointed One. And who can doubt it is He? For we all watched and witnessed as he touched and opened and looked inside the Ark of the Covenant. He was not struck down. Others before have tried, and were struck dead in flame. But we have seen the proof with our own eyes. He is the Hamoshiach, anointed by a prophet. For I am a prophet, the Judge of All the People, anointed also, and have done this thing, with holy oil."
"O'Neill is a true descendent of David, by Solomon. We have tested his DNA all the way back. And the results have been conclusive. The O'Neill line is ancient. He is descended from the line of the Irish kings on Earth that goes back to Solomon. Now we know for certain that he is the right line of descent. And so another proof is met."
"For it is written that in every Age there can be an Anointed One. Until now, we have not had one for two thousand three hundred years. Then another hero, also a David, overthrew the Goa'uld Ishtar, to free our people here on this world. Since then a great age of peace came to our people. That peace lasted for those two thousand three hundred years."
"But, a great Evil came a little over seven years ago, killing one out of twelve of us by destroying the world we called, Asher. That Evil One, Apophis, took our peace from us. The Anointed One, O'Neill, killed Apophis. He destroyed the others of that kind. And O'Neill still lives. Another proof is met.
Yet we hope to reclaim our peace. However, we cannot before all humanity is also at peace and safe from every kind of predator. To do that we must all unite. O'Neill has re-united us with the Holy Mother Planet. O'Neill has brought the remnants of humanity together and lived. The proof is there. The test is met."
"As the most advanced human beings in creation, it is our duty to protect those weaker and less fortunate than ourselves. I say again, the human race can no longer afford to be weak, ignorant, backward, or prey for ourselves or for other races. NEVER AGAIN!" A cheer broke out. "NEVER AGAIN!" And the cry became a chant. Eventually, the cries subsided. She continued.
"I never wanted to fight. But no one else would. I never wanted to rule. But I know that we could not continue as we had before. I wasn't sure until just now. I hoped. I prayed. I sought the truth. The proof is unmistakable. There is no question. He slew the Evil Oppressors. He united us. He opened the Ark and looked inside and lived. He has been Anointed. We have been blessed with greatness among us. O'Neill is the One."
"For it is written, 'And he shall stand up from among the House of David doing all that is commanded and he will make all to follow and to strengthen the people to fight holy wars. This one is to be treated as the Anointed One. He will gather the strayed ones together and will mend the people for then the nations will call out clearly our faith and be as one.'"
"I tell you that we, the strayed ones, have found Mother Earth. We have strengthened ourselves to fight for our people. What is more holy that fighting false gods and fighting for our children's survival? We shall mend the rent fabric of the human race. We shall come together. For now that we have found one another we shall unite. And the human race will build a great peace for many more millennia. So let it be written. So let it be done."
Anna let the crowd cheer for quite a long while. But Jack was upset.
This was too much. I'm just a guy, an ordinary guy. What is she trying to make me into?
"I don't understand." Jack said in Anna's ear. "What are you saying?"
"Jack, you are the Hamelek Hamoshiach, the Anointed One, the King. You will lead our people down the right path. And you will assure the future of the human race."
"How am I supposed to do all that? You're crazy. You know that. You are insane. Woman, you are certifiable."
"Maybe. But I'm right." She smiled at him. "I am the Regent. But, you are the Anointed One, the King."
With that she knelt down before him and bowed her head to the ground. Because she did, everyone assembled did the same thing. EVERYONE.
Jack didn't know which way to turn and run.
Kneeling, the President was furious.
Sitting alone finally in the palace garden that evening, Jack remembered the Robert Louis Stevenson story about the "Imp in the Bottle." According to the story, the Devil put an Imp in a bottle and sold it. The Imp would grant the bottle's owner any wish so long as he owned the bottle. But it would never happen the way imagined. And it always involved some terrible trade off. Whoever bought the bottle had to sell it for less than he paid for it and do that before he died or the Devil would take him. Eventually, there would no longer be any currency smaller than the last price paid. And then, someone would be stuck with the bottle.
Thinking back over his many wishes, Jack realized they came true with plenty of terrible trade offs. Jack had wanted to represent the interests of his people to powerful aliens. These events were a high price to pay indeed.
For many years, Jack had wished he could tell Sarah, his ex-wife, what he did and all that had been accomplished. She knew now. The whole world knew. But the entire body politic of the planet was squabbling over the Stargate. And people were dying as a result.
Jack had a special place in his heart for Carter. For a long time, he wanted to speak to her about all this. But he also said he would never ask her to give up her career. She held him to it. Sam had gone back to Earth without him and without even saying good-bye. He wondered if she would ever get over this whole situation. Maybe later they could talk. Probably not. She was really angry.
Since Jack's first encounter with Teal'c, Jack had worked for ten years to see that the Jaffa became free. They did. Now, his friend, Teal'c, was a member of the Jaffa High Council. But, the High Council was preparing for war with the Commonwealth out of ignorance and fear. The fallout would come to Earth, all too soon. A terrible trade-off for a well-intentioned wish.
Jack tried to find the Lost City of Atlantis to retrieve valuable weapons to defend Earth from the Goa'uld. He found it. He sent teams of people there. He even sent new intergalactic human built ships to transport supplies and personnel. Well, he did use some of that equipment to fight the Goa'uld. But he found a new more terrible enemy. Because Jack sent the Atlantis expedition, the Wraith had awakened fifty years too soon. Now, they were rampaging through the Pegasus galaxy to feed on every human planet they could find. Worse, they had attacked Atlantis and would do so again. If they succeeded, then a really powerful predatory race would find its way to the Milky Way and to Earth. These vampire-like beings knew about Earth, now, thanks to Jack O'Neill.
For ten years, Jack had worked to find powerful weapons and a powerful ally to protect his world. He thought he found them in the Asgaard. But they were real aliens with their own agenda, not necessarily one that was good for human beings. The High Council wanted to destroy these advanced humans and withdraw their technical help from their Earth allies. On a personal note of betrayal, Thor, his buddy, used him like a barnyard animal sending him out to stud for the Asgaard without his consent.
At the Ceremony, the Great Council confirmed that the old king had abdicated. Immediately before the crowd, they confirmed O'Neill as the new King. He refused. But, no one was listening. Anna was still the Regent, which meant O'Neill was a figurehead above the politics and beyond the everyday government of the Commonwealth.She was still for all intents and purposes the person in-charge. Anna ordered 'protection' for him since he was now the Anointed King. Which meant he wasn't going anywhere. Even if he wanted to go to Earth, the question would be 'why?' The answer would be 'no.' In some ways it didn't matter. As a King of an empire, he was not welcome on Earth, unless invited... officially. Cut off from Earth, Jack was abandoned, alone. He was here indefinitely. Jack sighed. It was obvious, even to Jack; he was never going home.
In the final years of his military career, he had wanted an off world adventure because he hated being in a desk job. Well, he got an epic adventure which would change the course of Earth's history. But he lost his position as Director of Homeworld Security and was an outcast on Earth. O'Neill had wanted to make general. Well he did, all four stars. Immediately afterwards, when he was made King, the President retired him. The President had no choice. As required by American law, the President stripped Jack of citizenship. Being a member of another country's government nullified Jack's citizenship. Being its ruler was unredeemable.
Oy. To think I will be hanging out with other kings, the likes of King Arkan, aka Harry Maybourne, for all eternity. Sheesh. At least my pension will go to Sara. They had forgotten that little detail when they retired me.
Jack was a special kind of king. He was a holy figurehead, Anointed and Blessed. At the Ceremony, the crowd demanded his blessing, after which, he demanded to leave. Again, no one was listening. Instead, he had to sit through more speeches until he got fed up, stood up, and walked away. Court attendants showed him back to his seat. Anna had Jack publicly command Lady Janelle and all her co-conspirators to live on a remote planet; never leave it; and never again take part in the political or social life of the Commonwealth. After the day's events, there was no way Janelle or any of them could refuse. If they did, the crowds would tear them apart for heresy.
In return, Jack got his wish for Earth to develop and advance significantly with the help of the Commonwealth. As King, he even ordered a permanent Earth Force presence on Admiralty ships with the promise that older models would be given to Earth as soon as enough people qualified to crew them. Among his first acts as King, Jack demanded the Commonwealth's Military Academy be opened to Earth Force students, immediately with extra tutors for each student. But that meant opening the opportunity for all the other nations of Earth, not just the United States. America's edge would soon be eroded as students from every nation would benefit from the new knowledge and opportunity.
Jack wished he could defeat the Goa'uld. He did. But he did it with help from a lovely lady, who was also a consummate Machiavellian politician. No doubt about it, she was after Earth. Eventually, she intended her people to rule all humans everywhere. Anna had her own doctrine of Galactic Manifest Destiny. Her people were well on the way to accomplishing just that ideal. Her plan was to educate every single nasty primitive backwater planet with humans on it. Then bring them into the fold. Earth topped that list. Commonwealth devices, their ships, and their determination surrounded Earth for its "protection." Other planets were next.
Anna's plan to ensure the survival of the species included telling everyone to have as many babies as possible. In her opinion, survival was a numbers game. Thousands of planets filled with advanced human beings could preserve all their advanced knowledge, even if a few were attacked. Anna played to win, starting with herself and Jack as role models. Jack had secretly wished for children and a fresh start. He just never imagined how that would play out given what the Asgaard wanted from him.
Anna came to Jack after the ceremony to calm him down. At that time she told him the news, which didn't calm him at all. She was pregnant. The Asgaard had done to her what the couple wouldn't willingly do themselves. The little grey fellas were just too desperate. Jack wasn't prepared and yet he was. Although he didn't remember anything, those evenings at his cabin must have been when it happened. She didn't remember either. She was dismayed. Anna always used standard medical precautions. At least she understood him enough to leave him alone with his thoughts for the rest of the evening.
On the bright side, he had a chance for a new life. In fact, he would live for an extra hundred years or more. He would have a long life with Anna. A prospect he rather liked to his surprise. Probably the Asgaard's misguided Particle Tags were to blame. At least the tags had been neutralized by the events in the Inner Sanctum. But the doctors were correct. Wanting to be with her was now hard-wired into Jack's head, permanently.
Life with Anna in the Royal Court wasn't without trade offs. He had next to no personal freedom anymore. That life of protocol was the next best thing to a living hell. He vowed to make some changes, after things became official between them. Something had to give, didn't it? He hoped.
Like it or not, O'Neill represented Earth by being the King of the most powerful advanced human society ever, without the possibility of time off for good behavior. This job was forever, which among the long-lived humans here might as well be forever.
According to the story of the 'Imp in the Bottle,' the only way to get rid of the Imp was to sell the bottle for less than you paid for it. Jack couldn't remember buying it.
But, oh well, it was just a story… wasn't it?
And none of this could have happened without me.
THE END.
Sources: Fanfiction will not allow full hyperlinks, so this is the best I can do. You need to add the appropriate first parts or search these words:
http/en.
Wikipedia:
Mashiach#Textual requirements
Messiah
Davidic Line
Y-chromosomal Aaron
Haplotype
History of ancient Israel and Judah#The period of captivity
Lost Ten Tribes
Book of Zephaniah 3:9 King James version.
Book of Judges: 4:8-9 King James version.
The Imp In The Bottle : at Gutenberg on the net a dot org
Disclaimer:"Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis" and their characters are the property of Sony Pictures MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended against this story or any other story in the universe. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.
