Punctuation Key
"…dialogue…" – Character is speaking aloud, in English.
*…dialogue…* - Character is speaking mentally to their host/symbiote.
[…dialogue…] - Character is speaking aloud, in Goa'uld.
'word or phrase' – Other uses of quotation marks, or character is directly quoting someone else.
X X X X
Chapter One
The Mission
[Whose communicator is that?] roared Director Henrick over the sudden, jarring burst of electronic orchestra music.
[Sorry, sir, it's mine!] I blurted, leaping off the stage. I darted over to the seat in the front row of the theater where I'd left my things, and snatched the frantically singing communicator out of my bag. I flicked it open with the thumb of my left hand, and silence fell. [Kel shak?]
[Ni'khyria, it's Aqqara Tai'lani.] The deep voice coming through my communicator's speaker meant that Tai'lani was the one speaking. [Can you come to my office?]
[I can stop by this afternoon,] I told her. [Right now, I'm in the middle of rehearsal.]
[No, I mean now,] Tai'lani insisted. [President Latasha and Admiral Kalafa – he's the the Chief of Naval Intelligence – are here in my office, and they want to talk to you.]
[Me?] I blurted in disbelief. Luckily, the low register of my voice kept it from squeaking the way a human's voice might have. [Am I in some kind of trouble?]
[No, of course not! But it is urgent. Just come, okay? We'll be waiting for you.]
I sighed. [All right. Tai'lani, this better be good. You're interrupting the first rehearsal for my first major lead role!]
[I know, and I'm sorry about that,] Tai'lani apologized. [We'll try not to take up too much of your time.]
I sighed again. The sooner I found out what Tai'lani – and the president? – wanted, the sooner I could get back to the theater where I belonged. I couldn't imagine what the president or the Navy could possibly want to talk to me about. [Okay, you win, I'm on my way.] I clicked my communicator off and shoved it back into my bag.
Then I hurried over to where Henrick, my harsesis boss, had moved on to discussing blocking with two of my costars, one a pure-human and the other a Jaffa. I cleared my throat.
Henrick looked up, his bushy, gray eyebrows practically disappearing into his receding hairline. [Pardon me?] He was clearly annoyed with me today – first the communicator, and now I had the audacity to interrupt his conversation.
[I apologize for interrupting, Director Henrick, but I just got a call from Ambassador Tai'lani. Apparently, the president wants to talk to me. Right now, for some reason.]
[Well, if you're in some kind of trouble, I don't want to hear about it,] Henrick said, looking as if he were resisting an urge to roll his green eyes. [Just go. We'll work your scenes when you get back. That is, if you don't end up in jail.]
I ignored that last barb. [Thank you, sir.] Clutching my bag, I hurried out of the theater and across the tree-lined avenue. I scurried down the shallow, switch-backed ramp into the Theater District Maglev Station. Tai'lani's office was only about twenty blocks from Capital Playhouse, but I wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
Not even fifteen minutes later, I scurried out of the lift and into Tai'lani's elegantly appointed office in the Interplanetary Relations Building. Much of the white marble flooring was covered by thick, royal blue carpet. About three meters from where the heavy wooden double doors stood propped open, Tai'lani sat behind her huge mahogany desk, wearing a hunter green velvet gown. The gown's gold accents caught the glint in her brown eyes, and her thick, dark blond braid shone in the sunlight pouring through the large, arched window behind her. Three comfortable-looking guest chairs, two of which were occupied, stood facing the desk.
I had barely taken two steps into the office before I stopped in my tracks. It wasn't Tai'lani who rose and turned to greet me, but none other the tall, regal President Latasha herself.
President Latasha was a pure-human female that the Tau'ri would have described as 'Black,' whatever that was supposed to mean. My host, Kris, had tried to explain the Tau'ri concept of race to me, but it still baffled me. I didn't even understand why some people considered pure-humans and the harsesis to be separate races, because they could interbreed without medical assistance.
[Thank you for coming on such short notice.] President Latasha reached out and clasped my forearm firmly, with the practiced ease of an elder stateswoman. The intense, dark-eyed gaze that held my blue eyes looked out of a round face framed by shoulder-length black curls. [I am President Latasha, as I'm sure you already know. And this,] she continued, indicating the uniformed male Jaffa now standing half a step behind her, [is Admiral Kalafa, Chief of Naval Intelligence.]
[Pleased to meet you, Madam President, Admiral,] I said, returning her forearm clasp before stepping back. [I'm Kristina Ni'khyria.]
[Please, have a seat,] the president invited, leading us over to a conference area in an alcove of the office where a floor-to-ceiling window overlooked a panorama of Riachi, the capital of the Republic of Beacon. We all sat down on oversized, lushly upholstered armchairs arranged around a polished wooden coffee table with a huge bouquet of fresh yellow and purple flowers and crystal glasses of ice water sitting on it.
[Ambassador Tai'lani, perhaps you can begin by explaining how you and Ni'khyria know each other,] Latasha suggested.
[She lives in the apartment above mine,] Tai'lani replied. She sat back with a relaxed posture, clearly as comfortable at the highest levels of government as I was on a stage with a blinding spotlight following my every move.
[I see.] The president turned her head in my direction. [Kristina, may I ask you a few questions?]
I slid control smoothly over to Kris, sending feelings of calming encouragement along with it. Kris could sing like an angel before a crowd of thousands, her silvery voice soaring effortlessly over mind-blowingly high notes, but she rather disliked conversing with strangers, even though she could be pretty good at it when she had to be.
President Latasha waited until Kris raised our eyes, then said, [I understand from our esteemed ambassador that you're originally from Earth. Is that correct?]
[Yes, ma'am,] Kris replied. [I grew up in the country called the United States of America.]
[What brought you to Beacon?]
[A nice young family started attending my church. They made friends with me. Then they told me they were actually from another planet and invited me to visit. It turned out they were working with the Interplanetary Peace Alliance to start a cultural exchange program with Earth. They wanted to help force the governments' hands and make them admit to the people that life actually exists on other planets.]
[How hard did they have to work to convince you to come here for a visit?] Admiral Kalafa asked. He was a tall, lean man with blue eyes and a shaggy mop of sandy blond hair that hung down over the tops of his ears. He wore his Navy dress uniform, which consisted of a tailored navy blue tunic over black trousers. Gold epaulets sat atop his shoulders; the neck and chest of his tunic were festooned with brocade and military insignia. Red strips about two centimeters thick adorned the side seams of his trousers.
[They didn't,] Kris answered. [I'd always wanted to visit another planet, but I never thought I'd get the chance to, since, officially, we don't have the technology to travel to other planets.]
[Pardon the question,] President Latasha interjected, [but what species was this family?]
[They were pure-human,] Kris said. [They didn't even tell me about the, ah, racial diversity of Beacon until after I got here.]
[Did you freak out?] asked Kalafa.
[A little, at first,] she admitted. [I mean, I'd heard enough horror stories, thanks to certain TV shows. But then I started to get to know people of different races as individuals. That was when I figured out that Beacon really isn't the old Empire.]
[What made you decide to stay?] the president asked.
[It was a bunch of different things. Riachi is the most beautiful city I've ever seen, the people here are so nice… plus, I got intrigued by the language. I wanted to see if I could learn it.]
[Well, clearly, you did,] Kalafa said, blowing an errant lock of that sandy blond hair out of his face. [You have barely any accent at all.]
[Thank you,] Kris said. [But the truth is, I had a lot of help from Ni'khyria with that.]
[Speaking of which, how did you and Ni'khyria meet?] Latasha asked.
[My first job here – after my Goa'uld got good enough for me to get a job – was helping with the little ones in the nursery at University Hospital. Ni'khyria was one of the kids in the juvenile tanks.]
President Latasha's eyebrow arched in a question. [Ni'khyria, if I may, how old are you?]
Relieved, Kris passed control back to me, eager to sit back (figuratively, of course) and relax while I carried on the conversation.
[I'm twelve,] I answered.
The president's forehead creased. [Are you still in college?] she asked, her tone a bit concerned.
[Actually, I'm just out of conservatory,] I replied. [I didn't go to 'regular' college.] I looked over at the tenant of this office. [Tai'lani, I don't mean to be rude, but could you please explain why you called us here? Was it just to interview Kris? Do you think she's some kind of security risk or something? Because, believe me, she's not.]
[No! No, of course not,] Tai'lani assured me. [President Latasha and Admiral Kalafa just wanted to make sure you can do what we're asking you to do.] She looked at Kalafa. [Admiral? Care to explain?]
Kalafa fixed his blue eyes on me. [Ni'khyria, have you ever heard of Atlantis?]
[Uh…] The complete non sequitur threw me. I thought for a moment. [You mean, the Lost City of the Ancients?] I ventured finally.
[Exactly!] Kalafa confirmed. [What you may not know is that the Tau'ri found it about twenty years ago.]
I gaped. [What?]
[Yeah, it's true,] Tai'lani added. [I know some people who've been there.]
[They not only found it,] Kalafa continued, [they moved in – even though it was in the Pegasus Galaxy at the time.]
*That's impossible!* Kris blurted in my head.
I was inclined to agree. Traveling between galaxies was a feat beyond even the most advanced worlds of the late, unlamented Empire. Last I'd heard, the Tau'ri were still technologically behind Beacon. Could they really have pulled ahead of us that quickly? It would certainly explain how they were able to hand the Empire their ass on a platter.
[Okay, wait a minute,] I said. [Are you saying the Tau'ri figured out a way to travel to another galaxy?]
[I wouldn't say they figured it out,] Kalafa replied. [From what we understand, they were using Ancient technology that was given to them by the Asgard. Or something like that. Anyway, after four or five years, they managed to fly Atlantis itself back to Earth. A few years after that, they moved it to another planet in our galaxy and made it the nucleus of a permanent colony.]
I whistled. [That's insane.]
[What I find most unbelievable,] Latasha interjected, [is that the Tau'ri governments are willing to 'disappear' enough people to populate a colony they refuse to admit even exists. Ambassador Tai'lani, since you're our primary liaison to the Tau'ri, what are your thoughts on that?]
Tai'lani sat up straight in her huge chair. [We – along with the Sorrelians and the rest of the IPA members – are working on that. Ambassador Zavia told the Tau'ri straight out that they can't fully join the galactic community without being honest with their people, but they're still convinced going public would cause mass panic.]
[Would it?] asked Kalafa.
Tai'lani shrugged. [Some people would probably freak out. Probably an equal number would jump for joy. But I think it's likely that most people would probably go, 'Oh, okay,' and go on with their lives. There's so much poverty on Earth that most people don't have the energy to think about anything that doesn't directly affect them.]
[How many Tau'ri have you met?] Latasha asked.
Tai'lani thought a moment. [In the year and a half or so since Zavia introduced me to Earth as Beacon's official IPA representative… I'd say about fifty. Most of them have been personnel at U.S. Stargate Command, and most of the others are presidents, diplomats, and other top government officials. On Earth, Aqqara nearly always takes the lead because the Tau'ri are so much more comfortable with her than they are with me, but she never tries to hide the fact that I'm there. Most people only freak out a little bit.]
I glanced impatiently at my chronometer. Were these chatterboxes ever going to get to the point already? Poor Henrick probably thought I'd been arrested or something by now.
Clearing my throat, I sat up straight and slid to the edge of my chair. [Excuse me, but will someone please explain what any of this has to do with me? I have a rehearsal to get back to, and I don't want to get fired!]
[You're right, Ni'khyria,] Latasha acknowledged, [we really should get to the point. It's about Atlantis, and the planet that the Tau'ri have named New Pegasus.
[As I'm sure you're aware, even though the Empire fell over twenty years ago, there are still a few would-be System Lords out there who want to restore the Empire to its former, so-called 'glory.' Because of that, infiltration by ex-Imperial agents is one of the biggest security threats the galaxy faces these days.]
[I've heard a few stories,] I admitted. Beacon was still pretty isolated from the rest of the galaxy, aside from its relationships with Sorrel, Teagan, and other IPA members, but scuttlebutt had a way of getting around.
[Anyway,] the president continued, [Atlantis has had a few incidents involving Imperial spies over the years – once while the city was still in the Pegasus Galaxy – and a couple more times since they moved the city to its current location. In any case, the current commander of Atlantis base, Colonel Jennifer Hailey, has gotten fed up with it. She sent a formal request, through our esteemed ambassador here, to the Beaconite government to send a Beaconite Goa'uld to Atlantis to detect infiltration by possible ex-Imperial agents.]
Uh-oh. There was only one direction this could possibly be going. [So… I'm guessing you decided to honor their request?] I ventured carefully.
[Indeed we have,] Latasha confirmed. [It would be a gesture of good faith on our part – and it would demonstrate that we're serious about formalizing relations between Earth and Beacon; that we really do want a true alliance – trade, cultural exchange. Friendship.
[So the upshot of it is, we need a Beaconite Goa'uld, and we need one fast. You're the only one immediately available who can do it.]
Oh, dear. My jaw nearly hit my chest. I gripped the arms of my chair as my whole world fell out from under me. How in space…?
[But… but… I'm an actress!] I stammered. With an effort – and some help from Kris – I regained my composure. [I mean, with all due respect, Madam President, wouldn't it make more sense to choose someone with a military background? I'm totally unqualified for this.]
[You have the one qualification that matters,] Kalafa insisted firmly. [You speak English.]
Oh, for sunlight's sake, was that what all this was about? [Okay,] I conceded, [thanks to Kris, I speak English. But that doesn't make me a spy-catcher!]
[All you have to do is live in the city and tell the authorities if you sense any unauthorized Goa'uld presence,] Kalafa explained. [There are plenty of military personnel at the base who can apprehend the spy once you've identified the person.]
That actually sounded like it might be sort of doable. Like any Goa'uld, I could easily sense the presence of others of my kind from well over ten meters away. But what about my career? Didn't that matter at all?
[Okay, I see your point, but you do realize you're asking me to give up my career, right? I worked really hard to get through conservatory. If anything, Kris worked even harder than I did! So, why? I'm far from the only Goa'uld on Beacon who speaks English. Tai'lani, you speak English nearly as well as I do!]
[Yes, that's true,] Tai'lani acknowledged. [But I'm not only Beacon's current representative before the General Conclave of the IPA, I'm also our ambassador to Earth and our ambassador to the Free Jaffa Nation! Since there are so few Beaconites – of any race – who speak any English at all, we are all similarly overextended. Everyone, that is, except you. And since you happen to be Goa'uld, well, that makes you the perfect – and only – choice.]
[Besides, we're not asking you, or Kristina, to give up your career, only delay it a bit,] Kalafa added. [You said it yourself; you're only twelve years old. And Kristina is what, thirty-something? You both have lots of time. You can return to acting once your mission is over. Maybe you could even start a theater club in Atlantis. They could probably use one. I don't know how many outlets for creative expression they have there, since their focus has been primarily on science and the military.]
[We won't force you into it,] President Latasha said. [After all, you're not military. But the bottom line is: do you want to serve the Republic of Beacon, or not?]
Oh, for crying out loud – to use one of Kris' favorite expressions. Damn it, right now I felt like crying out loud! When the president put it in those unnecessarily blunt terms, what choice did I have?
Defeated, I slumped back against the plush back of the armchair. The truth was, I was probably only giving up a couple of years of my life. Besides, I'd never left Riachi's city limits before. I had access to Kris' memories of Earth, of course, as well as access to memories of some of my more recent ancestors, but that wasn't the same as actually going somewhere. Who knew? Maybe I should go on an adventure. And why not now, while Kris was here to help me avoid any cultural pitfalls? I might even learn something that would help me as an actress once I got back to Riachi.
Sighing, I concluded that there was really only one decision we could make, under the circumstances.
*Who knows?* Kris asked thoughtfully. *It might be fun. We'll get to meet new people, see another planet, maybe even learn about the Ancients. I'm not crazy about putting our career on hold either, and since you're the one they're asking for, it's your decision. But for what it's worth, I think we should go.*
I already knew how she felt, of course – we lived in the same head, after all – but it was nice to hear her articulate it. *Thank you, I told her. I guess we're going to Atlantis.*
Raising my eyes, I looked at President Latasha. [All right, I'll go.]
The president's face broke into a wide grin. [Thank you, Kristina Ni'khyria,] she said. [I know you will serve the Republic well.]
Yeah, with Kris' help, I probably would. But I still had one major problem to solve:
How in the name of all that was holy was I going to explain to Director Henrick that I was dropping precisely the type of role that I had worked my entire life to get?