Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate or Gundam SEED Destiny
PS. Grammar Purists get lost!
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Chapter 6
Politics
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SGC NORAD
As the Wisconsin limps for home port at asteroid AC195 under Mirage Colloid because their cloaking device damage from the battle, while SG-1 and the rest of the expeditionary forces that was sent to retrieve the repository, have return home to Earth via Stargate without leaving one person behind.
General Hank Landry is heading for the Infirmary after he reported to the president of the mission to retrieve another ancient repository and the loss of one of their precious starships. He sees SG-1 leader lying on the bed being check up by Dr. Frasier
"That was really stupid Jack" General Landry remark
"Stupid is right, but please don't shout" General O'Neill pleads while groaning in pain in the SGC infirmary, after getting another ancient repository downloaded in his head.
"What the hell you were thinking putting your head to where you know well enough to stay away from!"
"Sir, General O'Neill thought that there was no choice, General Landry," O'Neill groans again while Col. Carter explains
"Six of Anubis Ha'tak showed up right after we arrive on the planet. There was no time to remove the repository" the nodded
"Everett gave me a report…we lost the Santa Cruz, but most of the crew is safe but Captain Johnston was killed when he crash the ship at a Ha'tak destroying it and two more"
"Damn!" O'Neill cursed
"Everett nuked the site, destroying everything, which is better than Anubis having the repository" he said approving of the repository destroyed. He sigh at O'Neill's condition "Still Jack, getting another download is risky as it is, especially to you" the General said
"I hope it's worth it"
For a couple of days O'Neill is continuously being observed for any signs of change and just as before, O'Neill shows all of the symptoms of the repository rewriting his brain again like before.
In one of the rooms of SGC base, O'Neill started typing on keyboards and writing on touch screen pads like a man possessed. The SGC Quantum Computer is using advanced crystal control technology they reverse engineered from the Goa'uld and these computers are the most powerful computers in the world and it is perfect for a guy who got ancient knowledge downloaded into his head.
At another room are cabinet size data storage systems are being filled to capacity, which seemed next to impossible because the storage systems are crystal tech based and yet it has happened.
So O'Neill opens lines to other data storage systems in the base and it's still, it's not enough.
"What do you mean it's not enough" the General said "We have seven QC's in the base and all are designed to hold vast amount of data, far beyond anything the world currently have, thanks to alien tech"
"Sir, our QC here is incapable of holding the massive amount of data from the ancient repository so Colonel O'Neill just open a line of communication to all the other QC… throughout the country" she said" Sir, we counted 200 QC are now link to ours and are transferring data in massive amounts to all of them" Carter said surprising the general of the revelation of how truly massive the amount of data stored in O'Neill head
"It's that BIG?!"
"Maybe even bigger sir and I don't think that, 200 QC's may be enough to hold 30 million years worth of knowledge, sir" Carter answered
"Dear God" the general slumps down on his chair and pulls a bottle of Maalox from his cabinet "Has O'Neill found out where the lost city of the ancients?"
"He has sir; at least I think he does" Carter did not sound confident
"You think he does, that's not exactly helping Col." The General said "What is he doing now?"
"Sir, Colonel O'Neill is at the hanger bay modifying the hyperdrive of a Tel'tak cargo ship in order to go faster and long range"
"Why take only the Tel'tak?"
"The Colonel thinks that we can't afford anymore losses, so just SG-1, Master Bra'tac and one other will go along this time, also," she shows the General a 'PC Tablet' "the Colonel is also building a device to disable Anubis ability to track our offworld travel and also upgrades and modifications for our shields and city shields were installing in all our major cities"
"I see" The said nodded in understanding "So when can you leave"
"In three days sir"
Three days later, a Tel'tak left Earth in cloak and headed straight for deep space
Aprillius colony
At that same day, Ezalia returned to the Plants and she immediately went straight to the Plants Supreme Council Hall where every member of council is there to greet her and congratulate her on her successful mission
"All right the greetings is over, all of you get out, NOW!" she shouted
"Ezalia" the chairman and the rest was shock the sudden change of attitude
"This is now a private meeting that the chairman needs to know first" she said "And he really needs to this first" she insisted
"Ezalia, whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad"
"MY MISSION…well I got me more that I bargained, but if you to know now, well fine" she growled "get some food in here and crank up the coffee makers" she ordered
'This is going to be a long day' she muttered
The Plants Supreme Council is now on lockdown, which means no one is to disturb them less it was an emergency, and for the next 10 hours, the council lock themselves in their supposedly shielded council chamber, arguing and screaming at each other after Ezalia drop a bomb shell on their laps.
"THIS IS CRAP!" shouted in disbelief by one of the council members
"Do you expect us to believe this, that the Atlantic Federation has this…Stargate? that takes them to other star system in a blink of an eye, and this report about Dr. Adon B. Aaynlam, he's an alien using a human as host?"
"I know it's hard to believe but it's all true" Ezalia said
"Believe me; I myself was skeptical of their claims at first, but when they revealed their technological superiority, their knowledge base and the scope of how far they have gone, which by the way, I found myself looking at a Star Forces military base at Proxima" she said still in awe from the experience
"Proxima, as in…Proxima Centauri, they have a base on Proxima Centauri?!" asks in confirmation by councilor Canaver and Ezalia just nods to confirms it
"Yes, I saw it when we, and I mean the delegates visited Proxima via the Prometheus, the Star Forces very first FTL capable starship" Ezalia answered councilwoman Canaver "the travel took less than 30 seconds and we were there, looking at a Wheel type class space colony orbiting Proxima, and there they are mining mineral ores called Trinium, the very rare material primarily used to build their starships and mobile weapons armor"
Ezalia put a flash drive on a computer terminal and showed them of videos Proxima, a Star Forces base and connected underneath it…an orbital elevator (not as grandiose as the one on MSG 00 but big enough)
"That's a Wheel type class colony and it is a heavily armed and heavily fortified battle fortress and was built by several companies in the AF and they are the same people who built that orbital elevator connected underneath it, that brings up resources from the planet below and brings down colonists and delivers supplies from Earth" she pointed
"That Orbital Elevator is just a prototype design for a much more larger one the AF is planning to build one here on Earth, but the serious problem of building one is the Goa'uld coming here has cause a setback, and so, the project building Earth orbital elevator is put on hold" she seated back and continued to talk
"For the past ten years since they have open the Stargate, the AF secret military division known as Stargate Command, have been secretly building up their strength out there, gathering resources, claiming unclaimed territories, establishing colonies and research centers, making trade deals from other planets, alliances and friends from both humans and aliens.
They created an interstellar economy out there and all the gains they made whether it was big or small is now flowing here on Earth, enriching the Atlantic Federation with unimagined technology, knowledge and resources" she took another sip of water to quench her drying throat before continuing
"They kept this secret quite well, weaving a web of disinformation that kept the rest of the world in the dark for ten years, making us all guess as to how the AF is revealing so many advancements which we were led to believe that it came from an alien spaceship they found, out there" she said
"That alien spaceship is real though…but it was a damn distraction, a display piece…a decoy for the real prize" she heaves a sigh
"I would have dismissed all of this as lies and deceit if I wasn't on a starship, travelling beyond the speed of light towards another star system GOD! Everything I have seen over there was overwhelming and intimidating, and that's scares me"
"This will push Zaft to the edge, you know that Ezalia" Chairman Dresden said
"Ezalia, are you aware what this will do to Zaft and to all of us?" he said to her "should this get out of public, it will change everything, and Zaft," the chairman never finish his sentence because Ezalia cut him off
"Oh yeah, Zaft will be livid and asking for more money to build more of their weapons to match the Star Forces or are maybe they plan to building another Genesis Cannon to add the one they just finish building?"
"Genesis…I don't know what you're," Ezalia slams his fist on the table stunning the chairman others
"Oh cut the crap Dresden!" she shouted at him "I don't like being played ignorance!" She then shows images and blue prints of the Genesis Cannon, and this shock everyone, especially the Chairman.
"Where did you,"
"I got it from them Star Forces Intel group, and they have such an amazing scanners that gives them a very detailed scan of Zaft secret project far out at sector 12 where you named it as 'Project Solar Ray' which is a fancy name for a Genesis Cannon!" When Ezalia spoke the word Genesis, one of the council members drop a mug of coffee on the floor "I'm guessing from everyone expression that…you never told them that Zaft was building a new version of the Genesis weapon" she said
"Solar Ray, wait do they have a spy here, in the council?!"
"Not that I know of" she answered "But then, they have a lot people spying and observing us, as much as we have spies observing them, except they have a better espionage and counterespionage group than we do and they are far better in keeping their secrets than we do" she said
"The Star Forces knew that Zaft was building that damn cannon you are disguising as a cylinder type colony"
"If they knew about this then why," she answered before the chairman finishes his question
"They want it to be added to the defense of Earth, that's why" she said and then pulled a letter envelope with the AF President Seal and handed over to the Chairman
"What's this?"
"A request from the Atlantic Federation President" she answered
"President Henry Hayes request that Zaft and Orb and every able space military power on Earth, to fight by their side with the Star Forces, so that they can oppose the Goa'uld threat"
It took them a moment to digest that detail and then one member of council broke the silence
"Is that man out of his mind?!" councilwoman Kari Lester said in outrage "does he expect us and Zaft to roll over for him and do what he wants? Does he think he could blackmail us to," Ezalia cuts her off
"This is a request, not a blackmail, stupid!" Ezalia yelled at the councilwoman which she's taken aback in surprise at Ezalia calling her stupid
"Hayes expects us to have some common sense if we are to survive when the Goa'uld come and they will come!" and then she adds
"President Hayes is offering us a wealth of knowledge, resources and cooperation in return for our participation. It can help the Plants and all of our people tremendously in the long run"
"No disrespect but, the last time they have allies, they detonated a Cyclops bomb underneath them, in Alaska" said one of the councilors who is rejecting the offer "I am against this"
"So noted" Ezalia replied back "But that was a different time, and the people who did that are all dead and gone and their ashes cast into the winds" Ezalia said defending and said
"We can negotiate with them for a better deal" Ezalia said "they are willing to make compromises, but they won't ask us again if we say no, and if we reveal this to the rest of the world, it would not matter to them, as they have contingency plans to protect their country should everyone start to become hostile at them again"
"We also have to consider the other countries like Orb, Eurasia, East Asia and others invited to Artemis" she pointed out "I talk to Orb representative Argyle, and he is going to advise Lady Cagalli to cooperate with the AF," she said and seriously tells them
"We don't act now we will be left behind"
"Ezalia" Eileen spoke up and asks "don't you think that this is a bit strange for the AF to act this nice to us" said by Eileen Canaver as she is a bit suspicious of the AF motives
"I ask the same thing myself the same question Eileen, and believe me, seeing them playing nice with us, with our history with them is giving me shivers to my bones" Ezalia heaves a sigh as she leans back into her seat and looking up the ceiling
"They made no secret of their distaste of us and yet, despite all that, they are willing themselves to work with us, cooperate with us and that shows how afraid they are of the alien threat called the Goa'uld, especially this Goa'uld called Anubis" she looks towards the others
"Can we afford to say no, and if we did, what will that cost us?" he asks them all and one member of council spoke up Yuri Amalfi
"The Opportunity to have the universe at our finger tips, lost" then the chairman spoke up somber
"This is the reason why so many of the Earth Sphere brightest minds are heading to the AF… because the AF can offer them what we can't…at least, we once did"
"The PLANTS once stands for, the Productive Location Ally on Nexus Technology, supposedly the manufacturing of new products and resources and the development of new technology for the benefit of humanity" Eileen said solemn "After the first war, we renamed ourselves as the People Liberation Acting Nation of Technology to affirm that we are an independent nation"
"Ten years" the chairman mutters "after the second war, we focus too much on our industry to produce employment, resources to sell or trade for the needs of the people and lastly, security." The last one brought a bad aftertaste.
"We have built one massive armed forces, with a budget that's out of control, in order to protect us against an enemy we can't stop and its bankrupting us!" And with that, it sobers all of them to the reality of what the Plants have become nowadays.
The Plants colonies whose goal is to expand the fields of science, research and development for mankind benefit… were now a shadow of they once were, as they primarily focus on the immediate needs of their people as they feel confident of their high standing in the Earth Sphere.
However, in the years after the AF reveals Artemis to the world, the Plants is experiencing a steady rise in unemployment, due to declining orders and demands for their products on Earth. Their people, either naturals or coordinators with specialized skill sets, have started leaving the colonies to find jobs and opportunities elsewhere while the rest are living in government welfare for the past four years.
The highest in demand for their skill set is ironically, the least place a coordinator would want to go, and that's the Atlantic Federation. Coordinators currently living and working there is not exactly safe, discrimination is still there but not tolerated, human rights watch dogs continues to observe and finds few violations, compared to the other countries including the Plants, where it is the exact opposite.
"It's times like these; I wish Lacus was still in council" Eileen remark which made everyone feels uneasy
"Ms. Clyne left this council four years ago…not since we voted to send a fleet to confiscate the Artemis from the AF and she voted against it" said the Chairman
"And I still wonder if we have handled it differently, then none of it would never have happened" Eileen said
"Lacus left this council is because your policy towards the AF were all wrong, and she warns all of you that there will be consequences to pay in the end and sadly, it did, and in the worst possible way for us" said Ezalia remembering the revelation of Zaft's unauthorized Black Ops, have damage the Council credibility as an effective governing body, for many believe that the Council authorized Zaft to destroy the AF Mass Driver project in Hawaii.
"Lacus have tried time and again to convince you all to change your policy towards the Atlantic Federation and yet, none of you even listens to her, to her warnings. Now here we are… we, are over our heads on deciding what do with all of this crap!" gesturing to the files she brought to the council.
"She's living in Orb with her husband Former Admiral Kira Yamato…" Eileen said shaking her head "both of them left the Plants after the Amended Treaty of Aprillius was signed and they move to Orb"
"We should call upon her to,"
"She wants nothing more to do with us" Eileen said cutting of Ezalia "Asking her to come back won't do any good…I tried"
"Well we should try again, because this is too important" Ezalia urged "And this time, maybe, you should listen to her!" she stressed the point
Orb
While the Plants Supreme Council contemplates on their choices, the Lioness of Orb, Lady Cagalli Yula Attha, is in her own meeting with friends and confidant, like the Second Orb Fleet Commander, Admiral Athrun Zala, Homeland Defense Force General Kisaka, Kira Yamato and Military Advisor, Andrew Waltfeld.
They are there to listen to the report of Third Orb Fleet Commander Admiral Murrue Ramius and Orb diplomatic representative to Artemis, Peter Argyle giving a report on their trip to Artemis where Cagalli is not just getting a contract to build ships but also getting a migraine the size of Mt. Everest.
"A distraction" she said in disbelief "You are saying that, all those Intel reports that we've been getting… about the AF Military finding a UFO…a prize spaceship found in Alaska, was nothing more than a decoy to divert our attention to the real treasure that bought them out of their predicament? This…Stargate"
"The Stargate is the real treasure and it literally, reshapes their nation and their perspective of the universe and is now reshaping us" Mr. Argyle said
"We all thought that, the UFO was just a hoax seven years ago, but then, four years ago, they unveiled their technological advances and made us believe that it came from a spaceship we thought it was a hoax. However, that spaceship we were meant to believe did exist but it's an excellent decoy, something to keep prying eyes occupied.
"That's kinda bit of elaborate, don't you think" Waltfeld said
"But it works and it kept us occupied, meanwhile, their interstellar economy that they have set up beyond our solar system seven years ago, is the one bringing all of the new materials, technology and knowledge, fueling their economic recovery, their growth and their return to being a superpower" Murrue said to him
"Everything they have been sharing with us is just a small part but that is not important right now" Murrue said as she lays the file about Anubis, about Dr. Aaynlam a.k.a. Ba'al
"Ba'al" Murrue starts "That snakehead as President Hayes calls him, he's the man who made mobile suits as a weapon, and he has been selling it to other Goa'uld System Lords all across the galaxy which it's making him very rich, and while the mobile suits made the System Lords strong, it also made them weak by wasting their resources as they fight each other with their new toys. God! The man is acting like Logos and like Logos they align themselves with a powerful entity, and that is Anubis"
"Anubis military powers are beyond our abilities to defend against, which probably why the AF President ordered the building of those massive ships with FTL capability. To evacuate as many people off world to planetary colonies far from the Goa'uld reach" Argyle said
"The Jupiter Explorers, the Jupitris class ships…so this is the reason why they are building those ships…to flee the Earth?" Cagalli asks and Murrue nodded
"According to them, Stargate Command is unable to use their Stargate to send people offworld because Anubis is able to track their gate travel and the only way out of the system is by starships"
"Wait wait, if Anubis can track their offworld travel thru their Stargate, would that mean they are watching our solar system?" Kira asks curious
"Probably, but if they are, then they have to watch us as far as 20 light years without being detected by the Star Forces long range scanners, but the problem is, the Star Forces can't detect incoming vessels travelling in hyperspace" answered Murrue
"The Goa'uld could come here any moment, so we-" Cagalli quickly cut her off
"Mr. Argyle could you please stop a moment," she said as she sits down and rubs her forehead due to the migraine
"I don't believe this" she said "I sent you out to get the biggest construction contract since the construction of the Plants and instead, you brought me the biggest secret ever kept in the history of mankind…unbelievable!"
"I know this is hard to take in Lady Cagalli but, all of this is true" Mr. Argyle said
"Oh I believe it!" Cagalli said groaning at the headache she's having now "unbelievable but the truth"
"And they are using that truth to get us to do what they want us to do" Waltfeld said "everything they gave us is all crafted for us to get us motivated to join them"
"I thought so too" Mr. Argyle said agreeing "even though we can negotiate with them if we are uncomfortable with what they are offering, I do feel like they are motivating us to join them"
"If we refuse, then we may end up facing a powerful alien armada in the near future…an enemy we can't defend against let alone reason with" said Murrue
"Could we negotiate with these aliens…I mean, we could reason with them and,"
"President Hayes told me that they have tried that avenue of choice and other choices and it all failed as well, Lady Cagalli" Mr. Argyle said "the Goa'uld see humans as either slaves or host and if they can't do either…then they destroy us"
"So the only choice we have in order to survive is ally ourselves with the Atlantic Federation" Mr. Argyle nodded affirmatively and Cagalli now looks at the schedule for the next meeting with the AF leaders.
"The next meeting is in a few days from now…in Hawaii" she said "at Camp Gerard, near the site of the Gerard K. O'Neill Memorial"
"The AF turns that site into a memorial, to honor the men and women who tried to uplift their country after their defeat in the war, but was cut down by those who wants to keep them down" Kira remarks
"Many people are calling that place as 'the Second 911 site"
"It was a surprise terrorist attack and like the first 911 attack, it was a devastating blow and a turning point for the United States of America that we now know as the Atlantic Federation"
"And like the first 911 it too changed the world" Cagalli added and heaves a sigh
"We are going to Camp Gerard" she declared her decision "I want to personally talk to the President about all of this. Also…" Cagalli look at Kira and he knows that look anywhere.
"No!" Kira exclaim "You can't asks her"
"We need her Kira…so, can you asks her" Cagalli said pleading as Kira heave a sigh and then answered
"Cagalli, the last time Lacus held a public office in the Plants… two events didn't go well and everything fell apart" he said
"The First one, is the day the Atlantic Federation was cornered and forced to sign a treaty that Lacus disapproves. The next is when her fellow councilmen decided to send a fleet of ships to confiscate and if they can't, destroy the new AF Space Base and look what happens." Kira said remembering when the AF President declared their withdrawal of the Treaty of Aprillius, the Plants Supreme council decided to send a fleet to confiscate Artemis Base, to cut off the AF connection to space.
Thinking that it was an easy victory after the huge loss in a recent battle with a rogue fleet a while back, they sent an official fleet with the famed Strike Freedom pilot in command. When they were half way there, they were confronted by the Zaku Hunter himself, Col. Jack O'Neill, who commands three new lines of spaceships, and they are the most powerful ships that flew circles around them.
Kira first fleet command was a total rout, due to his inexperience in commanding a fleet in battle and the somewhat, lack of respect from his fellow senior officers, who most of them either finds him intimidating (for being the Ultimate Coordinator) or too young to have the rank of Admiral thanks to the Plants Council recommendation or just disliking him for some reason. All of that, ads up to problems to his command and this led to the worst defeat in Zaft's history.
His first command in battle was a humiliating defeat, and the next move the AF Star Forces made have pretty much shook the whole Cosmic Era at its foundation as they forced a change that made everyone still feeling shaky.
Kira left Zaft after Lacus decided to resign from the council just after the signing of the amended Treaty of Aprillius, a major blow for the Plants, especially for two people who contributed more to end two brutal wars in the pursuit for peace, are now leaving the Plants.
Four Years on, as the Plants is in a decline, the Atlantic Federation is rising all thanks to the Stargate.
"Lacus name still hold some weight and with recent events, I am pretty sure, everyone will listen to her seriously this time and her wise counsel will no longer be ignored"
Kira could agree to that, lately, there have been clamors for Lacus return as many people in the Plants, sees the current Plants leaders lacking in leadership and blames the continuous decline of the colonies on them.
"I'll talk to her but, I won't make any promises" Kira said
"Thank You"
To be Continued