5

Chapter 9 – Cimmeria

Jack, Steve Reynolds, Baker, Bosco, and Peterson beam to the platform in front of the Stargate next to Thor's Hammer. They had gotten rid of the SGC uniforms and patches in favor of a plain black uniform. It wasn't SGC, but it felt familiar to the group. They had brought their standard black TAC vests, packed with familiar objects and weapons, and small fanny packs with emergency rations. This was their only gear. Cimmeria was supposed to be a friendly planet and they were here for a short visit. They would not require all the usual gear needed in an away pack.

They let the light of Thor's Hammer flow over them before they greeted a passing villager by with a fully loaded wagon. After a brief exchange, the villager nodded and agreed to pass on a message to Gairwyn when he reached the town. They were welcome to join him to the edge of the village to wait.

Jack thanked him and the Gen'Lup followed the wagon towards the village in the distance.

As they reach the village, Jack thanked the villager once more and motioned to the others to move to one side of the road to wait for Gairwyn. The group didn't have long to wait long as Gairwyn quickly strode towards their group after meeting with the wagon driver.

"O'Neill, it is good to see you again," Gairwyn greeted Jack.

"Gairwyn, I can see how your people have prospered under your leadership here," Jack greeted her in return. "Let me introduce you to the rest of our group. This is Reynolds, Baker, Bosco, and Peterson," he said pointing out each member in turn.

"I greet you," Gairwyn bowed her head formally. "Come, sit, and we can talk."

Gairwyn led them to the center longhouse. This was where the village held all their meetings and gatherings for the community. It would be the perfect spot for their presentation.

Once they settled inside, Gairwyn poured the each a cup of mead and toasted, "To good trade."

"To good trade," Jack echoed and drank. "Gairwyn, we came here to inform your people of our change in status and to see if any of your people would like to join us. We can no longer work with or for those of Midgard, or Earth as we call it. But we still want to ensure that our enemies and those of Midgard are kept on the run. Can we address your people?"

"I am saddened to hear that you are no longer of Midgard. They have done so much for Cimmeria, in large part due to the efforts of yourself and those you were with," Gairwyn stated. "I will gladly allow you to address our people, but I wonder how we can help you. Your people were more advanced than mine. You knew how to contact Thor when we needed his help."

Jack smiled as he remembered his Asgard friend, "Yes, but Midgard needs help too. The way they cast us out is proof of that. You will see how we have changed when we talk to your people and then your people can decide how best to go forward from there."

"Very well. I will gather the people together so you can address them," Gairwyn stood up and went to start gathering her people together. Soon, the whole town had gathered and had settled into seats in the longhouse.

Steve Reynolds began talking, "Good afternoon, I'm Steve Reynolds formerly from Earth, Tau'ri, or Midgard. We…" he made a motion to Jack and the others, "…came to Cimmeria to find out if there is anyone here who would like to join us in fighting the Ori and the Goa'uld…"

"They call them demons, Steve," Jack added.

"…Demons, then, and any other threat to you here or the galaxy at large?" Steve finished.

The crowd started whispering in confusion. A quiet voice in the back spoke up, "Who are the Ori?"

Steve seemed to perk up a bit, since his speech was falling flat, "The Ori are a group of people who want to impose their religion of Origin on all people… to the point of death. Essentially, believe in their religion or die. They usually start nice, then they get really mean. We have battled a plague, a relentless bug parasite, and they have destroyed a planet full of people who didn't agree with them."

Shock swept around the room as the depravities of the Ori sunk in.

"Why?" Gairwyn asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.

"We don't know," Jack answered, sadly. "We just know that they want to get their way and kill anything that opposes them. Thor has endorsed us, the Gen'Lup, and has blessed us with our own Valkyrie."

Gairwyn took in a hesitant breath, "Thor has put trust in you?"

"He has," Jack replied. "I only hope we can be worthy of that trust."

"These Ori sound like a greater evil than even the demons before them. How do you expect us to help?" a man in the middle asked.

Steve picked up the talk again, "You have a great number of skills. Tracking, hunting, scouting are all needed. Your people, if you decide to join us will be in great danger and will experience great changes. These changes will mean that the ones who join us cannot return to Cimmeria permanently, just to visit."

Jack looked at Gairwyn with a smile, "The Gen'Lup are going a-Viking on any and all threats to the human populations in this galaxy. If you join us, you will become like us. Changed"

"I don't understand," a woman said, up front. She appeared to be a mother.

"Bosco, please show the young woman what changes we experience," Jack ordered. The woman blushed to be called a young woman.

"Yes, sir," Bosco replied easily as he strode to the front of the longhouse. He stripped off his boots and shirt. Smirked and then changed into a wolf. He shook himself out of his pants and started to pace slowly around the front so everyone could see him.

The crowd was stunned into silence.

Steve looked back at the woman, "That is what we mean by changed. Anyone who joins us, will become like us, which is why they can only visit Cimmeria, not stay. Cimmeria will no longer be home. It will just become the place they were born. A place to protect. Like Midgard has become to me."

Jack added, "This is also one of the reasons why Thor has blessed us with a Valkyrie. So that when we become one of Odin's wolves, we have protection on high."

Several head in the crowd were nodding in agreement.

Jack turned to Gairwyn, "We will let you discuss this among yourselves in private. If you have any more questions, please come and get us outside the longhouse."

"Of course, thank you," Gairwyn replied absently, turning back to her people who were already deeply discussing what they had just seen.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

The Gen'Lup waited outside for the Cimmerians to discuss the offer. Jack watched Reynolds for the first ten minutes. He knew that something was bothering him. But he also knew that Steve would ask when he was ready and no before.

Finally, Reynolds approached Jack, "Don't you think that thing with Thor and Odin was a bit much? Like misrepresentation of their beliefs?"

Jack gave the question serious thought, "Not really." He gave a long pause as he considered his next words carefully, "I talked with Thor a lot before the Asgard finally left this plane of existence. He felt that humans were the Fifth Race and that Earth was quickly taking the place of Asgard in protecting developing planets."

He paused as he thought fondly of his alien friend, "Thor left the Asgard Core to the Tau'ri so that they could 'take up the mantle' of protecting the galaxy in place of the Asgard."

Jack regarded Steve carefully, "He expected the Tau'ri to do that with Honor. They have proven to lack that honor, but WE," Jack motioned to the small group of them, "have maintained it. Odin was one of Thor's teachers. We turn into wolves. I see us doing the honorable thing by being one of Odin's Wolves and protecting the galaxy as Thor would do."

Jack looked away into the distant skyline, "Someday, I'll see Thor in Valhalla and tell him how I honored his gift of the Valkyrie and his legacy of protection."

Steve calmly regarded Jack and thought about his words. No, that wasn't right, Jack's interpretation of the stories and legends to fit the reality they were living. Steve grunted a laugh. Oddly, Jack's interpretation seemed to make more sense than the illogical presentation Steve had been using. Myth and legend versus reality.

Finally, Steve laughed out loud, "You know, you have been around Dr. Jackson for too long,"

"Oh yeah," Jack replied with a laugh, "It has corrupted ALL of my thinking."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Over the next hour, 30 young men and women joined the Gen'Lup. When it looked like no one else would join them, Jack made sure that each and every one of them understood that they would be leaving Cimmeria forever.

For this reason, they could not have families or lovers on Cimmeria. Families came with obligations to the family. A parent must take care of a child. A lover is bound to the other lover. These are not ties that can or should be broken. Two young men changed their minds about going when they discussed how these ties should NOT be broken.

If the only ties they had were to a parent or sibling, then they were free to say goodbyes and gather their things to meet at the Stargate in three hours. The young people dispersed happily to collect their things.

While they waited, Jack sought out Gairwyn again.

"Gairwyn, do you have a moment?" Jack asked quietly as she was talking to another villager.

"Of course," she replied, turning to him.

"The Gen'Lup are going to be out in the galaxy. We will be on other worlds and conducting trade. Because we are from Midgard, we do not have much experience in inter-planetary trade. What trade goods would you and your people be interested in? What would you want us to trade for to get to Cimmeria?" Jack asked.

Gairwyn smiled, "We do not need much. We produce much of our own goods. But I can make a list for you. Both of things to trade, and what we would trade for."

"That would be great," Jack smiled.

Gairwyn went back into the longhouse and came back out a few minutes later with two pieces of paper with the ink still drying.

"Here are the lists," she said. She gave them a quick glace and then stacked them together and handed them to him. "I also put down the quantities we would purchase at one time. So, you would not overbuy." She gave him another grin.

"Then, thanks again," Jack nodded and turned to the Stargate to join the rest of the Gen'Lup and the young people as they started to gather.

When the last of the young recruits had gathered, Jack had the Valkyrie beam them all up. The new people were wide eyed with their new surroundings.

"Welcome aboard, everyone. This is the Valkyrie. First, rooms. Second, the training room. We all train in various combat forms. It is alright if you do not know any yet. We are here to teach you," Jack instructed. "And for you ladies, I want you to know that Sam is my mate and she can kick my ass in most combat forms. Being a woman means that you are twice as tough as a man. That is why you are usually half the size. You can spar with the women, if that makes you more comfortable. Or you can have fun throwing guys around, your choice."

Baker and Bosco got the Cimmerians settled in their rooms and ensured that all the Cimmerians had outfits to use in the training room. Then scheduled four people at a time to begin sparring-training sessions.

It was slow going, but after finally getting everyone through one session, under Teal'c's watchful eyes, they had a good solid understanding of self-defense and offense. They were also infected and felt like family.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG