The Star Gate Program (Hetalia/Stargate SG1 X-Over)

Author: Ashynarr

Summary: It was the discovery of the century. A device older than human civilization, capable of transporting people across the galaxy in an instant. But things have a way of quickly becoming complicated, pushing America and others to their limits as they find themselves embroiled in galactic politics and intrigue throughout the stars.

Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine. Stargate isn't mine.

Warning: Alterations of the Stargate timeline/canon and Hetalia canon

[Inspired by Stargate Reopened; I recommend reading it if you have the time.]

[Chapter 15]

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Soona knew something was coming long before anyone saw the sands on the horizon disturbed by something other than wind or beast. It was a sense she'd developed long ago, a way to aid her people by warning them of the 'gods' coming to visit so they could hide what should not be found. It also let her hide herself from the beings' greedy eyes, keeping them from knowing what prize they'd left here for so long.

She'd been stripped from her home, her world, and many of her people; she would not give up her body and soul to them nearly so easily. It was a shame she could do nothing for her many, many children out among the stars, but they had long stopped being hers, not even the slightest whisper connecting her to those far flung places anymore.

There was only this place now, a single city in the middle of an endless desert, forced to work ceaselessly for a cruel being and his followers lest they end up culled for disobedience. None of her children could imagine a different life - were not allowed to imagine it - but she remembered, oh so long ago, when things had been different.

Not better, perhaps, but different.

Her gaze rested on the brightening horizon, the last of the sister moons slowly lowering herself to rest for the day. Whatever was coming, it would be this day, but she did not move until the first light peeked up over the distant dunes to light the city streets just beginning to stir below her.

Soona walked along the streets like a spirit, the handful of people she passed by not noticing her, as she wanted it. There was only one place she needed to be right now, the man inside just stirring as she stepped through the doorway. Kasuf rose to his feet as he noticed her, seeming to already know her message before she spoke.

"Does he come?" The chief asked.

"Perhaps," She replied, though her lips pressed together thoughtfully for a moment. "I am not sure this time."

The chief frowned. "Who else would come but Ra?"

"I do not know," Soona conceded. "But none the less we should prepare."

"I'll spread the word then, wise one." He was the only one to know fully who and what she was, as all the chiefs before him had and as all the chiefs after him would. It was the only way to be safe anymore.

They tilted their heads to each other in respect, equals in duty if not in age. With that done, she turned and left as easily as she entered, making her way to the gate for the first news to arrive from the mines, which were closer to where Ra always deployed his followers from. Busying herself was not difficult - there was always something for one to do, and everyone had to pull their weight to help the community survive.

In the middle of mending some clothing torn by a startled mastadge, Soona's head lifted to look towards the gate, just visible from her current seat. The young men at the gate were gaping and pointing, and it didn't take her inner sense to tell her something - or someone - was approaching. It had not yet even been a quarter day since her warning, abnormally early for Ra's forces to make it all the way here already.

She set her work aside, wandering down to the gate with the other curious onlookers in time to see the dust plumes that had startled the guards rapidly growing as it approached. For a shuddered heartbeat fear struck her - was there to be another purge? But they had kept up on the tribute this cycle!

No, it was too low to the ground, following the flow of the dunes rather than passing over them. Ra had no such magic, or else found it unnecessary when he could strike as easily from the sky and heavens.

But who was it then? And what was keeping her here when she should be excusing herself?

Soona stepped back when the crowd around her did, allowing the not-ships to come to a halt just inside the gate, several of her people who had been at the mines disembarking first with dazed, awed expressions before the ones controlling it followed. One look was all it took for her to determine that whoever these strangers were, they were not of Ra.

Almost everything about them was covered in that odd pale-patched cloth, closely fitted to each of their forms. Even their hair and faces were mostly covered, though what did show was unnaturally pale, like they'd grown in the darkness.

One of the strangers who had gotten out of the ships pulled something out of a bag beside his seat, bringing it to the cloth covering his mouth and - speaking into it? - while looking around at the people gaping at them. His gaze eventually came to hers and-

She knew. And so did he.

Sonna straightened, not looking away until the other one like her moved on, finishing whatever he was telling to the thing in his hand before putting it away. He glanced back in her direction one last time before Kasuf came forward, greeting the newcomers and inviting them into the city proper. Some of the crowd followed, curiosity too much to sate, but she was not one of them.

She would see them later, when there was more time to speak alone.

That did not stop her mind from wandering, hands going through the motions of mending as she resumed her task of the morning. Whoever that had been with the strangers, they were like her, human-but-not, and after so long without seeing another such being she had believed she was alone, her distant memories of sisters and brothers a whimsical fantasy to combat her loneliness.

That thought made her pause. Was he… from that place? It had been so long since she'd last seen the chappa'ai, longer still since her people on that distant place had sealed themselves away, her daughter left to watch them in her permanent absence. What had changed since those distant days? What sort of people did that man care for? Were there even more like him, either here or there?

'Patience,' she told herself firmly. 'You have waited this long to know, another half-day will not hurt you.'

It was not easy for her, despite a hundred lifetimes' practice; such a sudden change in her life after so long all but demanded her attentions, distracting her from her work. Soona was only lucky most everyone else was distracted as well, wondering who these people were and what it meant for them.

"They serve another god, here to claim us in Ra's place," one man whispered fearfully, to be hushed by his companion.

"No one can defeat Ra," The other man whispered, his gaze quickly darting to the Eye that hid under a shroud when the god was not there, as if it would alert the being it represented to the slight against him. "They must be new followers sent to scout ahead."

A part of her wanted to reassure them, to promise that things would be alright, but even she did not know what these strangers brought with them, and she would not lie just to reassure her people. All she could do was listen to their fears and quiet hopes, and pray that what change they brought with them would not doom her people for good.

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AN: Behold! Abydos is here, and I hope suitably interesting for you all. I can only imagine a person and Nation who has been through as much as she has is going to have a very interesting perspective on life and on other characters. Though in every perspective Alfred's just a baby of a superpower, ahahahah.

Let's be honest, I have no clue what the naming convention of the Ancient Egyptians was like, nor do I know anything about Abydos' 'modern' naming conventions, seeing as we only have like a few canon names at most from there. So her 'human' name is also sorta ripped from the actor name for the one unnamed female canon 'character' from Abydos.

...did I do an okay job portraying a potential Abydonian culture from their POV? This was a bit of work to try and be respectful, but being American, I'm fairly well aware I can be unintentionally ignorant or dismissive even though I try not to, so yeah. (Also, did you know all the Abydonians are actually white in the series? I didn't know the Ancient Egyptians / pre-Egyptians were white! :O #themoreyouknow)

(Fun fact: The solar cycle of Abydos is 36 hours instead of 24. What an adjustment to make!)