Star Granger Season 5 - Chapter 17

Thoughts

"speech"

"Goa'uld speech"

SG SG SG SG SG SG SG

April 14th 2004 - Moon base

"At least here, the people working for me can't follow me around anymore," the newly elected President of the United States tells us all in delight.

He's an agreeable bloke. Maybe a tad too excitable, or making a good impression of it at the very least. He's here, visiting our moon base, meaning that he was willing to sign our secrecy agreement. This is indubitably a step forward in our book.

"My first day in the office! Francis here," he tells us and points at the head of the Joint Chief of Staff sitting by his side at the table, "is waiting for me in the Oval and tells me that 'for the past seven years the United States Air Force has been sending teams to other planets by means of an alien device known as a star-gate'. Obviously, I thought he had just developed a very strange sense of humour."

The President is visiting us here accompanied by the JCoS, both Generals Hammond and O'Neill, and that nice Davis bloke - so someone will be able to do the actual work, if the need arises.

The head of the Joint Chief of Staff, apparently 'Francis' to his spouse, close friends, and head-of-state, is doing his best to hide a smile. I can only imagine that being the top uniformed officer in the States doesn't leave much in the way of amusement.

"Then, Francis tells me that the US air force also has several spaceships, although the first one launched has sustained substantial damage, and two more are not fully commissioned yet. Then, he went on and told me that all this is nothing in comparison to what the 'crazy Brits' were doing."

The head of the Joint Chief of Staff keeps his face blank. Jack, on the other hand, rolls his eyes dramatically.

He's less experienced as a General.

"Mad dogs and Englishmen," remarks the Belgian Prime Minister dramatically. His English is excellent, but heavily accented, which, surprisingly enough, helps him make this point perfectly.

On our side of the table Prime Minister Blair smiles at his words with some satisfaction. R's here as the head of our program. Admiral Michael Boyce and Rear Admiral Penrose are present since their American counterparts are our guests.

There is still no love lost between those two.

Last at our distinguished table is the Belgian Prime Minister, who was unlucky enough to be the only head of state, among our allies, who could be present here on a short notice.

The President chuckles at that. He then uses the time to taste some of the treacle tart offered, sips from his cup of tea, and hums in contentment. "Excellent!" he enthuses. "English breakfast?"

Ceylon actually, but it's only to be expected.

The whole Liberty thing started with some local yobs dressing up like natives and throwing perfectly good tea overboard.

"Then," the President picks up the story once more. "Just when I thought that this crazy first day had ended, a picture behind my back…"

And Prime Minister Blair stops him on time with a raised finger, reminding President Hayes that this part of the discussion is not for all the attendee's ears.

President Hayes sobers up from his bout of excitement and uses this turn in the conversation to change the subject. "I understand," he says, looking at Harry and I, then back at Prime Minister Blair, "that there are technologies being withheld from my people?"

Surprisingly enough, once more it's the Belgian Prime Minister who answers this pointed question. "You're barking at the wrong tree here, Henry," he says placatingly. "You have already received most of what we developed ourselves. Then, there are technologies which were developed by, or more commonly in partnership with other races, much more advanced than us. We can't possibly hand those over without their clear consent."

R choses to intervene in the conversation at this stage. "We are constantly asking for their permission," she remarks softly. "Your new ships are propelled by Nox engines, for example. Your latest cannons have quite a bit of Tollan know-how in them. Your people know well and have personal relationships with the races and actual people involved," she adds, looking at General Hammond, who nods in agreement.

"The engines were actually a test, which you have miserably failed," Harry elaborates conversationally. "Nox agreed that we hand you the initial information we have received from them in hope to see the same scientific drive and curiosity they have seen from us."

He doesn't need to explain they were sorely disappointed.

"Then, there is that third type of technologies, we will have to discuss later on during this visit." the Belge summarises.


April 19th 2004 - Moon base

"How did this happen?" Admiral Boyce asks in a quiet levelled tone, which does nothing to hide his clear anger.

They all stand outside this holding cell, which wasn't even here this morning. I, on the other hand, am sitting inside across the small metal table from this disgusting human being named Odai Ventrell. It's all fashioned after that interrogation room I was a guest in at the New Scotland Yard - very cliche and all.

He's looking at me with a very superior and smug leer, not knowing that at the same time I'm ransacking through his mind. Aliens coming to attack Earth don't benefit from due process.

Also, It's not the law he should be worried about.

"Four bounty hunters after the heads of the SG1 team," I tell the gathered crowd. "They have some molecular tagging on them, but the scanners, not in the hands of the hunters on the ground, were destroyed with the ship."

"The only way to locate them is to use SG1 as bait?" Jack verifies, and I can only shrug helplessly. He nods and walks out to find a free comm station.

"We need to warn Ishta as well," I add. "There are people after Teal'c too." Harry nods and walks out after Jack.

The Admiral still stares coldly at Peers and R.

"We can't shoot down every unknown coming to visit Earth space. We'll be at war with all non-Goa'uld worlds within a few months," Peers explains what we all, including the Admiral, know.

That Hebridan visit to purchase the broadcasting rights to that ridiculous 'Wormhole X-Treme!' show was certainly unexpected.

"And we won't destabilise hyperspace, for decades, in our own front garden so to speak, when there's no imminent danger," R adds.

It's the old 'one lone ship' scenario, we still don't really have a solution for. If this was a capital ship, there would have been a ship waiting for it at the end of its trajectory line with charged weapons. A fleet would have been stopped hundreds, probably thousands of lightyears away. But, a single small ship? We don't have the capacity to run permanent interceptor coverage for all of Earth's space.

"The Prime Minister will hear about it," Boyce states gravely, and R nods in agreement.

"The Prime Minister had already heard about it as soon as the incident was handled," R updates him lightly.

"The more I get to know him, the more I wish I didn't," I remark behind his parting back, and earn a scowl from R.

"Still," she says, "We will need to do something about this. Ideas?"

Might ask SGC to assist. Give all those F302s something to actually do…


April 26th 2004 - Very unfashionable end of the galaxy

"I'm fine, Hermione Granger. Thank you." Teal'c answers my question, with a serene smile and a slight bow of his head.

He was jumped on and wounded by three bounty hunters on Moloc's former throne planet. Luckily, Ishta's security team was just around the corner, and they were able to bring him in for treatment promptly. There was not enough left from his assailants for visual recognition.

"Come," I tell him with a deviant smile, "I had something prepared for you."

In the hangar is a medium size chest. Inside, is a cube device which mainly encases a large switch on the side and a holographic emitter on top.

"You need to be careful with this," I caution him, before switching it on. "This device can be dangerous. Always have someone with you, able to switch it off as needed!"

Switching it on cast a familiar, old-fashioned sword, set in a block of stone, into the hall. As soon as it's pulled out, an also familiar black knight pops out as well. We didn't have time to tweak much with the system, so the only change made was making both swords glow - one green and one red. There were also some sound effects added. Calvin is looking into it, but honestly, any thorough adaptation will have to be done by Kazuko, or someone on her team, and they're all quite occupied.

Teal'c doesn't seem to mind and moves swiftly to engage with a small smile. I watch him for about ten minutes. He's moving around with steady steps and clean swings of his sword. Harry and I weren't this practised when we had a dab at it. Harry got tagged a few times and I had to clear out a couple of times in a hurry. We both used our personal shields naturally, so no worries.

A short while later, I use a lull in the fight to switch the device off. "Thought you would like this," I tell Teal'c coyly.

"Indeed!" he answers with a wider smile than before.

Might be the time for a new start-up.


April 27th 2004 - Lucia

We drop out of hyperspace about a dozen light seconds away from the planet. Close enough to be scanned and recognised, yet far enough to have a bash at communications, before local ships can reach us and potential gunfire starts.

It's a true show of force. HMS Dragon, Swan, and Falcon are grouped under the command of the German destroyer Manticore. SGC has sent the Odyssey with us, for support and to show themselves as a power. Ishta sent Improved under Garrek's command. This directly concerns her people too. The uninformed will probably reckon our ships are support to the much larger ships in our company. Also, Improved, in her unfinished state looks much less impressive than she really is, but the locals might have already crossed beams with it, to know better.

In orbit is a ragtag fleet of seven capital ships and a few more Al'kesh bombers and cargo ships. None look to be new or even well maintained. We can easily clear the orbit of this fleet, but that's not our objective here.

Well, not today…

It took about half an hour for five more ships to join the do and attack us at once. Not a word aired in response to our greetings. We take all their fire for a long minute, ordering Improved and the Odyssey to disengage. Those are the only two ships present not able to take the heat for long without actively manoeuvring and retaliating in some way.

Finally, Jane points at a random Ha'tak, which telemetry shows to not be the local flagship. A single regular torpedo turns it first into a ball of fire, and a second later into a twisted, broken chunk of molten and charred metal.

=Parlay?= we messaged them again.

Meeting with the Lucians goes as well as expected. We walk onboard their flagship, as if we don't have a worry in the world.

"Evans," Jane presents herself with a warm smile, disregarding us being attacked by their whole fleet. "Jane Evans - diplomatic and cultural attaché to the WIB."

Locals are much less civilised than the system lords they are pretending to replace. Goa'uld only stared at me with hate and distrust when I waltzed into their secret meeting, uninvited. These nice blokes here are all pointing guns at us.

Jane walks to the chap who seems to be the big cheese around here, though he's a slight and not so tall bloke. He's holding an impressive gun pointed at her. The gun clearly has a right end and a wrong end. Jane, however, seems to ignore the fact that things are supposedly going badly for her. She picks up his gun out of his hands and gives it a curious look, before handing it back.

"Looks more fitting for a woman," she tells him kindly.

"You know much about guns, Miss Evans?" comes his cold answer.

"No, I know a little about women," Jane is still smiling.

Once again, discussion deteriorates. Not actually certain it got better any. Finally someone's itchy finger gives. Not a real worry, though. We all carry well charged personal shields. We also throw a few mobile force shields around our small group. Jane stands in front of that Natan parson, looking him right in the eye, lightly smiling like she doesn't have a worry in the world. She then signals to me with a raised finger.

We truly hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Right, we'll be visiting this nation of smugglers, slavers, head-hunters, and drug dealers, and calmly reach an accord with them. Easy!

But, we certainly came here with a well thought out 'plan-B'. I walk to the largest brute shooting at us, smile coyly, and handle him like I did dear Fenrir, all those years back. Actually, I treat him much better, what with me not blowing a hole through his chest. Harry then rushes immediately to heal his torn shoulder.

Behind our shields colonel Mitchell looks properly gobstruck. Teal'c just raises an eyebrow.

"This ain't personal, mate. Sorry?" Harry tells the downed chap.

"No hard feeling, aya?" I add.

We'll have to kidnap him and clone him a new arm…

The brute looks back at us both in shock and as if we're total space cadets.

Jane keeps looking at Natan with a polite smile, then raises her finger once more.

"Enough!" Natan shouts and the hall quiets down around us.

"Splendid!" Jane enthuses.

She poses an emitter on the floor, casting a star map of this sector of space, and the adjacent ones. In between is a clear red separator.

"You will keep your ships on your side of the border," she explains patiently.

"And if we don't?" one of the smartarses around speaks his predictable line.

Jane hums in satisfaction for this question and pulls a small remote from her pocket. With a press of a button, the display re-focuses to show a Ha'tak ship over a green planet. "This one is your secondary barn planet," Jane explains. It's not far. Only a couple dozens of lightyears away. The grain grown there - you wouldn't want to eat.

"How could you know?" another smartarse speaks his line.

"We are Borg," Harry dismisses his question, giving the local dignitaries no context at all.

Above us, HMS Falcon releases a torpedo, which aligns and disappears into the distance in a streak of a blue light. A counter runs while we all watch patiently. At one point, Natan looks like he's about to say something, but he's stopped by another raised finger.

"Ah!" Jane says, as the counter reaches 2:23. On display a streak of blue light reaches the lone Ha'tak ship and hits it with a huge explosion. It's targeted at its side, so the torpedo crashes its shields without actually damaging the ship itself.

The poor sods did nothing to us, as things stand.

This Natan bloke now looks to be properly intimidated.

"Brilliant!" Jane remarks. "Now, these are your ships, which crossed the border during the last 72 hours." The display changes to show twenty-something ships travelling in neighbouring sectors. Most are painted blue, yet some are red. "The reds are the cloaked ones," Jane explains, much to Natan's disbelief.

"You have…" and she poses for a moment. "Just how long is the day on this planet?" She asks us.

"Twenty seven hours and seventeen minutes." I reply helpfully.

"Well," Jane continues. "You have two local days to call those all back. After that, each time one of your ships will cross the border, one of your capital ships will be destroyed. Do we have an accord?"

Natan can only nod in acceptance.


April 30th 2004 - Moon base

Thor is sitting at the head of R's meeting table and is looking contemplative and quite introversive. It's obviously more his body language than his facial expression.

He came here to update us regarding new developments in the Ida galaxy. Also, for a visit he was invited to some time ago by Gringotts. Truth be told, we are well updated, what with many of our people staying in the Ida galaxy to support the Asgard with research and with tactical and strategic thinking. Also with their health needs - poor dears don't really remember just how one raises a child.

Generally speaking, there are three groups of Asgard people around.

Four like?

First are the Asgard we know and work with: Thor, Heimdal, Freyr - this company. Generally speaking, they will keep on with their cloning cycles, for as long as they are able. They will keep leading the Asgard people and will gradually move the responsibility of leadership to the new generation. There are only a few thousand Asgard children so far, and they are probably a couple of generations from being able to lead the people, mind you.

There are also those Asgard who 'moved', for the lack of a better description, to the newly created bodies. Heimdal and Sappho, with some extensive Nox assistance have created about a thousand genetic variations of those. In a way, Heimdal was right back then on Adara. Those new bodies are not truly Asgardian. Apparently, the last version of viable Asgardian genetics is in no way suitable for the current Asgard consciousnesses. Any body that does, would not be capable of biological reproduction. At best, these new engineered genetics can be seen as a potential evolution of the Asgard race, case the plague and the disaster hadn't occurred. Nevertheless, some twenty five thousands souls made the leap, mostly from the crowd of stored consciousnesses.

Those represent the new hope of the Asgard race. In a few generations of careful inter-procreating, they will represent a diverse and robust basis for the new Asgard race to flourish from, yet they are in no shape to lead anything at all at this point in time, and I'll get back to this.

There were also those who made the choice and moved on. About a hundred thousand souls. Thankfully, not the whole of them as a race, as some suggested a few years back. Jack, Daniel, Beatrix, and Harry did manage to talk some sense into them.

Naturally, most of the Asgard race are still in storage. Some half a million souls altogether, with their matching consciousnesses and memories. They are waiting to see what future the Asgard might now have, albeit many of them are now active - controlling ships, teaching, assisting research, and consulting.

"Thor, mate?" Harry pulls our guest from his introspective thoughts. "You were talking about the replicators?" he prompts him forwards.

"Yes, Harry potter," Thor is back to the conversation. "The Asgard fleet still can't destroy the replicators in our galaxy, but we can now hold them back and contain them," Thor tells us plainly. "We have also some new information regarding the replicator's personalities," he adds and we're certainly interested.

Thor shows us radiation telemetry from a couple of battles. It's a kind of radiation we didn't even know of till we started working with the Asgard. Then, the Tria arrived, and we were told it is typical of Lantean AI. Both battles are completely opposite, yet are telling the same story. In both cases the replicator forces were struggling to reach specific planets. Both show the radiation focus getting more and more intense, while their forces are eroded around them. Then, in one case this radiation source was suddenly snuffed out, leaving the rest of the replicators in the sector unorganised. At the other battle, that radiation spot suddenly left the area through hyperspace, with similar end results.

"Whenever the replicators succeed in procuring any substantial quantity of Neutronium, either existing radiation points are reinforced, or new ones are created. Once we knew what to look for, we recognised seven separate personalities," Thor elaborates. "Four were destroyed in various battles, and two new ones were created."

"Are they all behaving the same?" Calvin asks with some interest.

"No, Mr Calvin," Thore elaborated.

"What are the differences?" R's interested to know.

"Some tend to fight to the end, others tend to flee," Thor shrugs.

Asgards, even the old ones, do have shoulders to shrug.

"Do their tactics differ from each other?" Peers asks the next necessary question.

"They do, Peers Penrose."

Apparently, they are like every other military commander. Generally, doctrines and tools are common to all replicator fleets, yet specific battle tactics vary from personality to personality and from battle to battle.

"Blimey!" Calvin exclaims. "I'd love to meet with one of those buggers!"

"Not so eager myself," I remark drily.

"The Asgard High council approved supplying the Stargate Command with a suit of new technologies," Thor further updates us, and we all nod in approval. We are asking for this move for a while now. "We are transferring hyperspace engine, shield, and torpedo designs, together with production details for them, within the next Earth's week," he elaborates.

It's the torpedoes which are the most important step forward for them. Hyperspace engines they can develop themselves. SGC has the Nox hyperspace basic knowledge and designs available to them for a while now. Our own shield technology, we are freely offering them, is already almost on par with Asgard. Especially since Anubis donated us those precious multi-phasic shield emitters, to learn from, over Tollana, oh-so-long-ago. Having Lantean engineers on hand, to further explain the technology to us certainly helped. Yet, without torpedoes, our American friends are ever forced to engage at close range.

Torpedo technology was never 'ours' to hand over. We, meaning the Star-Trek franchise came up with the idea, but it was developed into an actual weapon by the Asgard, and now has extensive Tollan and ZPE tech built in them as well. Asgard were willing for a while now. Maybe they now see SGC as mature enough. Maybe, having all those Asgard running around the galaxy in their new bodies, they can now understand not being so old - I don't know. The Tollans put their foot down, though, and the President and Magical President still have a too-tense a relationship for us to be comfortable in handing them pure ZPE tech. As such, they will have to do with first-generation, Asgard-made torpedoes for now.

"We will do our best to help with implementation," Calvin promises. Having a weapon underhand and being able to efficiently use it in battle are, sadly, far apart.

"We can help with launch tubes manufacturing and implementation, and can easily upgrade our sensor-suit they are using, but SGC have developed their own targeting systems," Jeremy shrugs.

Next footage Thor shows us contains a familiar face, I haven't seen for quite a while now. She-robot is sitting in an empty hall. Her face is clear of any feeling or other expression and around her many new replicators are being created. Those are different looking from the regular ones, though. Em' being black, for a start.

"Blank replicators," Thor explains. "They only have the code to bond with other replicators and, being made from the replicator repelling material - they disable any replicator connected to a hub they are a part of."

"So basically, they make connected replicators inert?" Calvin asks.

"They do," Thor agrees.

"They won't actually destroy the attacking hives?" R is less than impressed.

"They will not," Thor agrees once more, "but they will give us time to destroy the replicators in other ways."

Thor is back to being introversive while we discuss the wonders and horrors of actual artificial personalities, and the risk of the new 'blank' replicators taking over. Finally, R notices and asks if he's alright.

"Is it truly so pleasurable?" Thor surprises us and asks. "Touching one's reproductive organs," he explains at our bewildered looks. "It's been a long time, and I can not remember."

Reactions around the table are both varied and hilarious. Calvin laughs his head off. Peers coughs on the sip of water he just took. R smirks, looking at me.

Oi!

But it's Harry who actually replies to Thor's question. "Thor, mate!" he says with a huge smile. "It's the most amazing of things!"

"Right," I agree. "So sad you can't remember!"

Now, the 'issue' if you like with Asgard inhabiting the new bodies is well known. Unavoidable, actually, if one is in any kind of contact with Asgardians. Truly, they don't stop, touching themselves, each other, or, err… copulating. It doesn't serve that they, being Asgard and all, don't have the concepts of privacy, or clothes.

The young are like this, sometimes," Peers finally answers.

R's still smirking at me. "Right," she agrees. "A couple of our youngest partners can't practically take their hands off each other."

"We needed to go around and clean after them all the time," Calvin enjoys adding fuel to the fire.

Harry is looking like he's pondering making himself invisible. I, myself, am a tad hot in the face. By the slight smile I now get from everyone around the table - it shows.

"We always clean up after ourselves," I find myself complaining rather loudly, and Harry looks even more chagrined.

Shouldn't have said that…

"Well, except for that time, on the Swallow, when the alarm came up…" I further embarrass myself.

"Good news," R says, smiling indulgently at me, "Is that they grow up and learn restraint and discretion."

"Right!" Calvin agrees gladly. "In a generation, or three, you will all laugh about it round campfires."

I need a vacation away from these people.


April 30th 2004 - Brick Lane

It's another early night in bed. Wasn't such a long day, or a stressful one, for that matter, but recent times have taken a toll on the both of us, and we find ourselves happy for some restful time alone.

I turn in Harry's arms to find him looking at me.

"How damaged are we?" I ask him softly.

What I did to that man on Natan's ship doesn't leave my mind…

"Well, I can't really see myself…" He starts to reply, and I shut him up with a kiss. Quite forcefully, I dare say.

"I'd never imagined myself being this person." I tell him in a whisper. "Doing those horrible things."

"What?" he asks in fake surprise. "Afraid of what might come? There's a device on Atlantis you can use. I'll make sure you won't dissipate."

I shut him up once more. "Smartarse!" I tell him, though I'm shaking a bit in his arms.

"We are all scared," he tells me softly. "You, R, Victoria. Jack actually had me worried for a while, but he's getting better now."

I hug him closer, looking for his warmth.

Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy

"I was worried for you too," he adds in a whisper. "After Beatrix. After the bartender. You got better. Luna helps, every time you see her smile. Lya helps too."

"You help the most," I whisper. Making sure to have as much skin contact with his body as can be. He kisses me.

"I'm only afraid you won't come back to me." I finally tell him what's truly on my mind.

Take your time, hurry up
Choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old

Memory…

We move slowly, tenderly, like we have all the time in the world.

"I'll always come back to you," he lies, and I press myself to his body even more, till I just lay on top of him shivering.

I do have a gun, though, is strangely my last thought before we both drift to sleep.


AN:

Well friends, this was a fun chapter to write, although Hermione herself might have found it a wee embarrassing. I truly hope you have enjoyed it. I f you did (or didn't?) I'll appreciate you dropping me a line and telling me your opinion.

Cheers!


Huge shout, once more, 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.

I am eternally grateful!