Star Granger Season 5 - Chapter 2

Thoughts

"speech"

"Goa'uld speech"

SG SG SG SG SG SG SG

April 18th 2002 - Furling Homeworld

We don't even have a name for this planet. The Nox and Asgard have just called it 'The Furling Homeworld'. The Goblins, on the other hand, didn't even remember they were actually the Furlings, nevermind that they had a homeplanet once, and whether or not it had a significant name. Might have even been called something trivial and daft.

Like 'Earth'

The Goblins were more than patient with us. They do understand our limited resources. They also appreciate both the fact that our focus must stay with the effort to protect strategic planets within the Milky Way galaxy and to support our new allies with their own struggles. They are also more than thankful for our help in their education effort. Patience has run out at some point, though. Not that we weren't interested in this visit ourselves, mind you. Who knows what can be found around here.

Certainly not Merlin.

Gringott is here, disregarding the fact that an unknown planet during times of war, is the last place for a leader of a people to be at. I think he feels a tad inadequate, what with the accelerated education of the younger generations, the advanced modern warfare training some of his security and exploration teams are undergoing with the British marine commando's tutelage, and the turning of the 'curse breaking' wing into a tech savvy research arm of the nation. Hell, even banking stopped being the nation's main focus.

Obviously, Goldpick and about 30 of his newly trained goblins are also here. Discovering what was and is hidden, or just left to crumble over time, is the definition of his job.

With the added addendum of bringing riches to the nation.

Naturally, Beatrix and Luna are here to explore and go where no human has gone - for a very long time, at the least. This is their job definition. Bill and Fleur too, as our experts in discovering hidden ZPE based technologies and to support their trainees, formerly their employer's efforts.

We are not alone here, though. Both the Asgard and the Nox have each sent a ship here to support their renewed allies.

Yes, the Nox are an advanced race - obviously they have ships. Rather well armed as well.

Sappho is also here as a guest on the Nox ship. She takes her being the last and only Alteran very seriously. The Tria crew have sent a representative as well, as a show of support, and to try and familiarise themselves with the current politics of the Milky Way. Sappho and them are giving each other very cold shoulders, what with the Lanteans calling Sappho a relic, and she calling them 'the cowards'. At one stage I saw Lya standing between the two and taking a deep breath. She then rolled her eyes at Harry, who couldn't stop himself and chuckled.

Sadly, it is all for naught.

First thing we noticed, couldn't ignore actually, were the Dragons. Hundreds of thousands of them, swarming the planet. Have you seen those ridiculous Jurassic films, a few years back? It's like that, but the T-Rexes are all able to fly and breathe fire. Many more than the actual numbers of T-Rexes once living on Earth at one time.

Evan the Bugblatter Beast would have been reluctant to step on this planet.

I can see Gringott shrug in exasperation and disappointment. It's clear to us all that going down there will require much more planning and resources, and will sadly need to wait for peacetimes. Shame though. This planet is so rich with ZPE it's humbling. Oh well…

We can maybe try and cure all blood cancer cases on Earth for a year.

I can see Luna giving me an evil eye.

As if she knows what I'm thinking about...


May 2nd 2002 - Jaffa planet

With so many people around, this is more of a conference than a meeting. The Jaffa freedom movement has grown greatly ever since a year and a half ago when I sent Bel'dun here with that first Ha'tak ship we commandeered from dear Apophis. Immensely so, since Teal'c has left the service of said Apophis and he and his mentor Bra'tac started to openly speak about the 'false gods', some five years back. Bel'dun and Ishta are clearly marked as the leaders of their people, ever since that rather public show at Moloc's.

Some, like Gerrak (two 'R's - Apparently there's a certain low-level twit named Gerak - 'one R', trying to reinvent himself as some sort of a leader), are happy with it. Bra'tac, on the other hand, is a bit miffed about being left in the shadows. Maybe rightly so in his case. Meanwhile, that one-R twit, and many other Jaffa in various levels of former seniority positions are struggling for some limelight as well.

Gerrak has his division of three Ha'tak and a flotilla of al'kesh to command, and does his best to bring in even more ships to the fold.

Some ships he managed to take over, mostly by landing upon and seeding havoc. A few came to him. We published a meeting point at some remote, inhabitable, and inconsequential planet for any Jaffa who managed to liberate a ship and wanted to join the knee-up. Mostly, it's a ragtag collection of small ships dropping in, but occasionally a Ha'tak has shown up with a group of people who managed to get organised and take over a capital ship.

Usually, it meant a fierce and tenacious infighting onboard those ships, and heart tearing losses on both sides. This Jaffa fight for freedom is turning into a bloody shame, just as we feared it would be. It even happens within families. Bra'tac tried to convince Teal'c's son to come to our place, only for the kid to try and kill his father, who has, according to him, 'brought shame to the family'. Luckily, he was no match for either Bra'tac or his father, and was stunned and returned to Chulak, to his father's dismay.

Obviously, many such encounters are ambushes or betrayals. For that reason, that planet is constantly monitored by several of our satellites. It took some persuasion, but Gerrak now understands that choosing one's battles is a large part of valour and is willing to disengage and leave his would-be ambushers to the satellite's mercies. One time, control recognised a small fleet waiting a few lightyears away to get a drop on him and called for reinforcements. Let's just say that the great lord Svarog ended up missing four of his invincible ships that day. One of those came back here with Gerrak's fleet after substantial infighting, and some intervention.

But, tactical or strategic development of the Jaffa rebellion movement isn't the reason we are here today. We are gathered to discuss Jaffa dependence on Goa'uld symbiotes, so this meeting is in the hands of the medical teams. This research was mainly handled by Sappho and assisted by Seth and a Nox healer I don't even know the name of. Results were handed in for peer review to Heimdall, the Asgard expert geneticist, and Dr Fraser from SGC. They all agree with the reached conclusions.

"Bottom line," Sappho isn't the one to faff around. "You can choose between two basic options." She tells the assembled Jaffa dignitaries. "The immunity system was engineered out of the Jaffa DNA. You may keep your existing dependence on Goa'uld symbiote. Otherwise, you can regularly take a medication we have synthesised for you. It will kill and eject the symbiote from your body, but then - it will be irreversible, and you will never be able to host one in your body again."

A hologram of a small machine appears in front of the gathered crowd. "This is the device which synthesises the said medication. The design will be available to you once this meeting is over. We will gladly manufacture a few hundreds of those for you, but once you start taking the medication, you will be as dependent on the person holding the machine, as you are now on the person offering you the symbiote you host, or the next symbiote, when the current one matures."

There's a rather loud murmur going through the hall, hearing this. This solution is certainly not perfect, but it's a step forward.

"In addition," Sappho isn't finished with the presentation. "It will mostly correct your DNA to what it should be, so any children of a person taking the medication will be born human," she explains further. "Well, a tad taller, stronger, and faster, but still - human. That includes lifespan and ageing," she shrugs. "On the plus side, those future children will need not worry about symbiotes or medications."

With this, the conference room descends into chaos.

I don't know that I can blame them. If someone came to me, promising to cure me of whatever it was, at the price of no more magical children, and cutting my own lifespan to under a hundred,

Like my parents…

I do not know what my choice would have been.

"Miss Sappho," Teal'c strong and clear voice stops the arguments for a moment. "Can you not find a way to keep us Jaffa as we are?" he asks, and everyone listens.

Yet, Sappho isn't known for her delicate diplomacy. "I'm not in the business of genetically engineering superhumans, luv," she tells him. "If that's your fancy, learn and do it yourselves, so when your new, 'improved' genetics fail - you'll only have yourselves to blame for it."

And the loud argument resumes and goes on for quite some time. Finally, it is Bel'dun who stops the dispute by raising his hand, further cementing his position as a leader. He looks at me with a soft smile and asks. "What says you, not Isis?"

Me? What do I know?

It is really not my place to say. Not that I'm in their shoes. No one is threatening to take my magic away. Nor my children's.

"I do not know that you have much of a choice," I sadly tell him. "We will be taking this fight to the Goa'uld soon. Goa'uld in general, and fertile queens in particular, will not be as common. You might be able to find a queen and imprison her for her larva, but then, you will be just as dependent on the Jaffa controlling her, as you are on the Goa'uld right now. Also, doing that, you will probably lose any sympathy from the other races in this galaxy," I tell him, and can see a collection of representatives clearly in agreement with me. I can also clearly see that most of the Jaffa present aren't.

This isn't gonna be an easy decision for them to make. Sadly, I can see this schism tearing the young Jaffa nation apart.

Sigh.

Standing outside the hall, to let our Jaffa friends handle their differences without interruption, I can't help but notice some tension within our group too. Especially the rather annoyed stares Daniel was giving the Nox representative.

"Will you give it a rest already?" Jack finally asks him in exasperation. "It was a robot, for Christ's sake!"

Apparently dear SG1 had visited a new planet, a few days back, where a clearly technologically advanced race went extinct a yet undefinable time back. The only thing they managed to find there was a beautiful young woman, who turned out to be a robot, but hey - there is no bleeding way this robot has anything to do with that civilization's downfall, right?

Yada, yada, yada, they have not only turned it on, but also tried to bring it back to Earth. Also, since it was looking like a pretty young woman, and programmed to act all innocent, obviously Daniel got all infatuated with it.

Honestly?

Luckily for the human race, probably the whole Milky Way galaxy, the Nox manning the relay station control room was alert and noticed it starting to turn the station's relay room's Trinium walls into active replicators. Do you remember us discussing the daft bugger who removed all safeties from the replicators, and made them all chatty? Enter she-robot.

The Nox was quick to act, too. One moment Daniel was standing there, smiling at it, and dreaming of dark cinema halls, popcorn, and roaming hands. Sam was probably dreaming of all that lovely cybernetic tech to be explored, Jack of those space cannons honking on him, and Teal'c of some rest time to light candles and watch Star Wars.

Again!

Next moment She-robot was turned off and disassembled, and they all found themselves all starkers in the emergency containment room while the relay hall was ejected into space and vanished immediately.

"Thought all Nox were staunch pacifists," Daniel is mumbling under his breath.

"Well, they are, you twit!" Sappho finally had had enough with his winning. "The plonkers will give their lives to save any living being, which your pretty lady droid wasn't."

"Lady Hermione?" Bel'dun's voice pulls me away from Daniel's hopeless love life. I give him an evil eye, but he's just looking back at me impassively. He's calling me this since he knows it annoys me. Also, in a strange way, to show his respect.

God knows why.

He is here with Ishta, Gerrak, and Bra'tac. The real Jaffa leaders if you like. Inside the conference hall the argument is still ongoing.

"We are considering a campaign to take over Dakara," he tells me, with the others looking impassively at us all. "It's where the old temple of the first Prim'ta ritual used to be. A symbol of the Jaffa enslavement. Now, with Ba'al gone, it can be made into a symbol of the free Jaffa as a legitimate power in this galaxy," he concludes. "What say you?"

"Right," I answer hesitantly and look questioningly at Jack.

What do I know? I'm a foot soldier at best. Not a military leader?

Jack answers me with a shrug.

"We'll need to take it to the military leaders. Can set up a planning meeting if you like?" I offer. He is still looking at me and waiting for my personal opinion, though.

"I truly believe that with the right planning you should be successful," I finally answer, and receive an inquiring look from both Jack and Sam. "I fear you'll have a very hard time protecting it from a counterattack once you're in control, though," I add. "Goa'uld lost some of their power, but can still field hundreds of ships. Anubis is also out there, and we know bugger all about the size of his fleet."

"What would you suggest, then?" Bra'tac is asking O'Neill. It's strange how each one of them puts his trust in another between us.

"As Hermione offered, we should meet and plan carefully."

"Better minds can probably devise a plan for you to both have your public success, while not losing tactical advantage?" I offer.

"Listen," Harry tells us all after the Jaffa returned to the conference hall, Sappho and the Nox returned to Vis-Uban, and only our rather subdued group is left behind. "Fancy doing something together to have fun and relax a bit?"

"Right!" I concur with some excitement. "There's this place near home specialising in 9-ball pool. Just the thing for Yanks like you guys!"

This makes Teal'c look at us with his stoic raised eyebrow. Daniel is doing his scatty professor imitation. He takes off his clean glasses pretending to clean them up. Sam is smirking at me, but it's Jack who answers. "So, you want to take us on in our own game, buddies?" he asks, smiling.

"Take on? Nooo!" I answer.

"It's all about relaxing and having fun," Harry adds innocently. "We wouldn't dream of putting such pressure on you?"

"Soooo," Daniel asks with a small smile, putting his now just-as-clean-as-before glasses back on. "You are afraid to take us on?"

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions," Harry replies indifferently.

"Didn't jump," Sam is practically leery. "Took a little step, and here conclusions were."

Hey, I'm the Hogwarts slayer!

"No fear," I reply, checking the condition of my nail polish. "I actually have a hundred quid in my bag, whispering in my ear that you don't stand a chance."

"Bring it on!" Jack concludes.

Hook, line, and sinker!

Not this week though, since they're off to visit some planet with a mid-20th-century stage of development, but I'll make reservations for Friday the 10th.

Must make sure Beatrix and Jane are available.


May 5th 2002 - Vis-Uban

"Do you think they're maybe compensating for something?" Siya asks, as we watch the two and some mile long Lantean behemoth slowly entering the spacedock we have prepared for it.

Right, calling it a 'spacedock' is probably a little exaggerated. Especially if you imagine those elaborate Federation ones, where starships are lovingly illuminated for flybys and filming. What Jeremy and Kazuko did is use sixteen small satellites to hide a box of space, five Km long and a couple high and wide, for the Tria to hide in while her crew tries to fix her up. Usually, the power needs for such an undertaking would have required a full coven and seven virgin sacrifices, or some such, but since this space was empty, and no one knew about it, as such - it wasn't as prohibitive.

It was needed since the Tria, any Lantean ship of its class and size as it stands, is not cloaked. Thor blinked when he heard this. Rather certain it was amusement. The Alterans, being the oldest and most advanced of the races, left,

Cough, fled, cough…

this galaxy a few million years ago then came back calling themselves Lanteans and having clearly not advanced much further. Honestly, we had to supply them with a Nox hyperdrive and a fresh power crystal for them to even reach this place to use the manufacturing plant and hold repairs.

Jeremy asked them why they didn't use their wonderful transporters to replicate the parts needed to hold field repairs. Never got a proper answer. It's like they didn't even consider the fact that both their indubitably lovely transporters, and the industrial replicators here on Vis-Uban, are using the same basic technology.

And they had years to make the needed adjustments!

"Bonkers…" Harry summarises.

As it stands, the Tria is about to stay here for a projected four to six months for a substantial refit. New hyperspace and sublight engines need to be created, then precision transported into place. We don't have the facilities to open the hull of such a large vessel. Beam weapons need to be added since we have no way to replenish the Tria's rather depleted banks of squids.

They call those 'drones'.

That also means a new targeting system. Some hull parts were damaged in battle. Also, the crystal power manifold needs to be overhauled. Channelling the amount of energy needed in order to travel at almost the speed of light, in real space, continuously, for years, was not what it was designed to withstand.

"Goblins asked for a few ships," I tell Ted softly. "After visiting their homeworld," I add.

He isn't happy with it. Doesn't lack tasks to deal with, as things stand. "Does R approve?" he asks.

I can just shrug. "They're the ones who mine all this Naquadah for us to build with."


May 6th 2002 - Thames Wharf

The River Café is one of those deceptive places which seems simple and casual, till first the food, then the check comes in and makes you take notice for exactly the opposite reasons. One also needs to make their table reservations weeks in advance, especially for a bank holiday like today. Still, it's rightly considered as one of London's best restaurants, and a spectacular place to be at. Particularly at this time of the year, when the longer days, and warmer weather enables one to enjoy an early dinner on the terrace, watching the setting sun paint the river view all pink and orange.

Naturally, there are some camera flashes on our arrival, but Harry and I are hard pressed to avoid those these days.

Mum will probably have a few new clippings for her growing album.

"Why are you calling her R?" Nolan asks, as soon as we are seated, and our bottle of rosé is served.

"Have you seen the way she dresses to work?" Harry chuckles.

"We first met in the summer MIB came out. She was introduced as 'agent Rose Smith' and it caught," I shrug.

"Agent Smith?" Nolan asks incredulously.

"It's not like I had a say in the name they gave me?" R smiles softly.

For a while, we occupy ourselves with the menus and ordering. Service here is spectacular. The waiters just float around the tables unnoticed, like it's just natural that one's glass is always mostly full, and there's never a used plate on the table.

"I'm wracking my mind, trying to understand what a MI5 agent is doing for an energy company," Nolan makes another effort to learn what R is actually doing. R just rolls her eyes at him and indulges him a light kiss.

"Sorry mate," Harry answers. "I can tell you, but then R will have to kill me. Then Hermione will seek revenge, and all that rubbish," he adds, with many exaggerated and ridiculous eyebrow movements.

"Bring it on!" R is telling me.

Hey! I'm well trained by now!

"Sorry," Nolan chuckles. "Had to try. Sometimes, she's so secretive it drives me mad. I swear down, she sounds like some '00' agent or something, at times," he tells us, looking at R with a fond smile.

I can't help myself and a loud snort escapes me. It earns me a kick from under the table.

"Wrong service, mate," Harry tries to educate him.

For a while, we sit there, sipping the last of our wine, enjoying the sunset painted Thames view, and waiting to be ready for dessert. Few people pass by our table to say 'hi'. It is one of London's main celebrity's spots, and both Harry and I are indubitably well-known individuals. A young woman comes to our table to offer me to join the new London Women Triathlon. She's disappointed,

And rather shocked,

To learn that I have never ridden a pushbike in my life. I don't think she appreciated my offer to do that part riding a broom.

"Blimey, It's Granger and Potter from the Battersea!" an excited voice carries to us from a couple of tables over and we turn to look. A young couple is sitting there and looking our way. They are about our age. A tad over dressed, so this is a special occasion for them. The girl is all excited to see us, but the blond bloke looks embarrassed. A waiter is on her way to their table to secure our privacy and peace, but I wave her off.

No harm done.

From the corner of my eye, I see Harry with his hand up, wiggling his fingers at the chap. If only, this makes him even more disgruntled. With a soft sigh, Harry gets up, and makes his way to that table. R is looking at me questioningly, but I can only shrug and look at Harry, talking rather amicably with the couple.

"Dudley and his girlfriend," he tells me when back. "Looks good. Lost a lot of weight," he adds mostly to himself.

That's the little monster?!

I'm about to do something nasty to the tosser, but Harry stops me with his hand lightly on my arm. He then turns to R and Nolan to explain. "This chap's my cousin. Used to live with them till I was sixteen and could afford a place of my own. Studies Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey in Guildford," he then tells me. "Said aunt Petunia is home taking care of Vernon. Had a heart attack about a year and a half back. Dudley said something about losing a huge contract."

Now I feel rather guilty. Just a tad, though.

"Did Wren tell you we are expecting?" Nolan asks excitedly, after a short, rather glum silence. By the looks of things, it's him who got kicked under the table this time.

"Congratulations!" Harry smiles and hugs R warmly.

I hug her too. Tightly. "When are you due?" I ask. Mid October. "Jane will be ever so jealous," I tell her coyly, and earn another kick.

Pudding is now extra sweet, and it's finally time for us to head home, and for the parents-to-be to start and build on their much needed sleep time.

"I'll cover that table too," I hear Harry telling the waiter softly and nod.

We are just ready to actually stand up from our table, when three of our mobiles buzz in unison.

Bugger!

We look at each other, and finally R wearily answers.

"Rose?" she says curtly, and listens.

"Daniel," she whispers to us and keeps listening.

"I don't care. Get him to the emergency and Sappho immediately. We'll handle what's needed after the fact." She then orders whoever is there.

"Harry and Hermione are with me. We'll be there as soon," she concludes, and looks at us quite despaired.


As usual - Huge shout to flyboy38, my beta, who takes the time to make sure the story is a much better read.
Also to Dalwolf For doing Brit-Picking for, well - you all, and help my British characters stay British.