Chapter 5: The Widening Gyre
Mistra rushed down the hall of the Thessalika outpost, feeling the swish of the heavy robes expected of all servants of Kronus, as alarms blared throughout the complex. Mistra knew from their past year of undercover work, following blending with the mortally wounded MI6 Agent Robin Jackson, Planet Lord(1) Mephistopheles did not tolerate tardiness when a general call was put out. Mistra was not surprised by the casual brutality the planetary governor dished out to his subordinates for even the most minor of infractions, having seen similar behavior from other Planet Lords and Underlords on previous assignments. Agent Jackson, on the other hand, was stunned and flabbergasted by such a regime. In their eyes Mephistopheles was a demanding, unforgiving martinet desperate to maintain control, keep his underlings in line, and impress his superiors. Only the most brutal dictators would have subjected soldiers to public flogging for not polishing their equipment to a mirror finish at general callup or execute officers for minor lapses in security protocol. The unrestrained sadism of the Goa'uld was one of many things Jackson was still getting used to following her joining with Mistra.
Mistra skidded to a stop just before walking into the main hall, taking a few deep breaths and readying their best regal posture. As they strode in they heard the booming voice of Mephistopheles calling the assembled Goa'uld functionaries and Jaffa officers to attention. "Now that we are assembled just barely on time," bellowed the arrogant petty tyrant, "I would like to introduce all of you to a very important visitor from the court of our Lord Kronus." Mephistopheles gestured to a cloaked figure directly to his right as they drew back their hood saying, "Welcome Setesh, a most favored advisor of Kronus, to Thessalika. It is my hope you find everything to our master's satisfaction here."
Mistra stiffened as they heard the name. According to Tok'ra intelligence Setesh, also known as Seth, had disappeared following the Earth uprising and the attempted coup by Isis and Osiris. The SGC suspected the missing Goa'uld was connected with a First Contact mass suicide in Montana based on post-facto research but all they had was speculation to support this conclusion. His sudden appearance as an advisor of Kronus would be a shock to the IOC and the Tok'ra High Council. "You are all to assist Setesh," droned Mephistopheles, "as if he were me. If I hear of any failure to meet his expectations you will answer to me."
Setesh laughed an easy languid chuckle before saying, "I'm sure everything will be to our master's satisfaction. This is nothing more than a routine inspection of a key support base for our Lord Kronus' operations against that rogue Sokar. Please carry on as normal, I'm certain we have nothing to worry about here." Mephistopheles, clearly more on edge than Setesh, barked out, "You heard him! You are all dismissed, return to your posts immediately!" Mistra exhaled slowly, heading out of the main hall to his regular duty post in the communications section of the temple. As he headed out a hand reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder followed by a shout of, "You there!" Mistra turned around to see Setesh glaring into his eyes. "You are new here, aren't you?" he said as that piercing gaze searched Mistra's face. "Yes my lord, I was transferred here from service for Underlord Telakun." Setesh lingered a moment longer before saying, "Carry on with your duties."
Mistra didn't draw breath until Setesh was out of sight. This new visitor was going to complicate things. Kronus liked sending his trusted advisors on surprise inspection tours to keep his underlings on their toes. With the sudden return of Sokar, Apophis' collapse, and the increasing number of Jaffa rebellions across Goa'uld space Kronus was more on edge than ever. Every surprise inspection brought with it additional security, changes in protocol and passcodes, and increased nervousness from every Planet and Underlord receiving an unwanted inspector. That it was Setesh, a long-sought after fugitive with centuries of direct experience with Earth and a total unknown, would make the operation even trickier to pull off.
Mistra rushed back to the communications center hurriedly entering the latest passcode into the crystal matrix. They didn't have much time until the op went into motion and the intel they'd recovered would be vital to the alliance's war against the System Lords. Even though Thessalika wasn't a frontline world it did have a Stargate, making it a critical link in Kronus' supply chains. Everything on the front with Heru'ur was funneled through the system whether it consisted of weapons and supplies bound for action or damaged equipment and wounded Jaffa in need of immediate assistance. As much as Thessalika would be a perfect target for sabotage what Mistra was after would be of even greater significance than throwing a wrench into Kronus' vast war machine.
As the code sequence finished processing Mistra placed their hand onto the ID pad and waited for the scan to finish. Every moment it took for the scanner to complete its work Mistra was silently hoping they wouldn't be interrupted. Extracting the central data crystal from this part of the temple was far from what one would call a routine operation. All it would take for the better part of a year's hard work to go right down the drain was one unlucky visit by any of the other personnel in the temple along with Mistra's neck. Jackson was just as on edge as her symbiont. She always got this edgy during tough operations, loathing the waiting knowing full well everything could explode at any moment without warning. In her experience an operation like this never went according to plan and even when everything went smoothly, as it was in spite of Setesh's surprise visit, chaos was always lurking around the corner one small step away.
The long wait, in truth only lasting a few seconds but feeling like an eternity, snapped to an end when the palm scanner beeped. A small panel opened as the glowing white central data crystal they'd waited so long to take slid out from inside the machine. Mistra felt their breath catch a moment before reaching out and very slowly, carefully removing the crystal and palming a fake crystal into the slot. Just as they finished removing their prize and slipping the ringer into place they heard the blare of an alarm hooting through the complex. Almost in a panic Mistra quickly tucked the data crystal into their robes and rushed out of the room, silently cursing under their breath. They weren't supposed to be here yet, thought Mistra before Robin Jackson responded, And since when has any plan gone ahead without any hiccups? Mistra sighed internally replying, I know you are used to Tau'ri operations where you are always making it up as you go along but Tok'ra missions are never this messy. Jackson laughed dryly before saying, Are you going to stay on that answer? You know I've seen inside your head Mistra, don't try to tell me the Tok'ra have NEVER had to fly by the seat of their pants before. We'll be just fine and the people at the SGC know what they are doing. Mistra groaned inwardly before replying, I hope you're right.
As she rushed through the hall he saw Jaffa soldiers running towards him. Mistra breathed in deep, carefully reaching for a hidden zat'nik'tel while silently preparing what would be the most desperate fight of both their lives, when much to their surprise the Jaffa rushed right past them. Mistra relaxed their grip on the hidden weapon, silently more thankful than they ever had been at any other time in their life, realizing the alarm was not for them. Thinking quickly they shouted at the lead warrior, "Jaffa kree?" The line skidded to a halt as the warrior replied, "Tau'ri intruders have broken through the outer perimeter." Mistra nodded, barking, "Lead me to them." The Jaffa file leader nodded, moving his men down the hall as he gestured the rest forward.
Mistra heard the rattle of gunfire off in the distance and contrary to all of Agent Jackson's MI-6 training and Mistra's Tok'ra experience rushed towards the lead hailstorm. The Jaffa charged down the hall and were swiftly blasted to pieces in a storm of bullets as German voices echoed through the corridor. Mistra turned the corner and threw up their hands shouting "I surrender!" Four masked, armed soldiers advanced cautiously with G-36s raised before the lead soldier said in accented English, "Throw down your weapon and turn around." Mistra dropped their zat and offered their arms as the lead officer put them in cuffs. The soldiers of SG-8 pulled Mistra in closer just as another troop of Jaffa turned the corner lead by Setesh himself. Setesh locked eyes with Mistra just before the air shimmered around them as Mistra felt the indescribable rush of instantaneous teleportation.
1. Planet Lord is the title awarded to a Goa'uld responsible for the activities, operations, and governance of a single planet, comparable to a baron in feudal Europe. Multiple Planet Lords report to specific Underlords who are in turn under the rule of specific System Lords.
"One of the key developments during the post-Contact period was in the field of energy generation and distribution. The new innovations in this field were as much thanks to the Orion Patents as they were to major changes in global policy. Technological developments made it possible for far greater volumes of energy to be generated and transmitted over longer distances. The growing trend towards regional consolidation laid the foundation for massive power grids and increased efficiency of use.
In the field of renewable power solar energy would experience a new surge. This field was in its infancy prior to Contact and the reverse engineering of superconductors led to a surge in energy generation and efficiency of capture. One of the main drawbacks of pre-Contact solar power was the limited efficiency of photovoltaic cells. This limited how widely solar power could be installed and how much of a return on energy could be expected. Post-Contact solar cells surged forward in efficiency resulting in far greater rates of capture. By 4 M12 the average efficiency rate for the new solar cells exceeded 53% with researchers predicting even greater improvements by the end of the decade. This made it possible for solar power to be used for powering vehicles, homes, and in space all of which could be stored in bulk by more sophisticated batteries developed care of Prometheus Station.
Fusion power was another field that would surge forward following Contact. The capture of Goa'uld ships and weaponry provided multiple working examples of naquadah generators, all of which were based on the principles of fusion power. The combination of captured generators, the reverse engineering of superconducting materials, more powerful computers, and more sophisticated electromagnets paved the way for native development of fusion power. These first leaps forward were all thanks to the steady flow of new discoveries from the numerous research outposts and installations sponsored by the SGC and the SCO.
The two main types of fusion generators developed during the post-Contact period were naquadah and thorium fueled reactors. Naquadah powered fusion reactors were a more direct re-engineering of Goa'uld technology and required very little in the way of naquadah for fuel. The first prototypes of these systems came online in 1 M12 and rapidly came into use on bases and to power the first System Defense Ships. These highly limited military applications for early naquadah generators were thanks to how little naquadah was available for Earth-based forces. All in-system sources of naquadah, as geologists would confirm, had been mined out centuries before during the Goa'uld occupation of the planet limiting sourcing to what could be mined offworld or taken from the Goa'uld.
The 3 M12 patenting of the new thorium reactor was the solution to this problem. Thorium was far more readily available on Terra than naquadah, was relatively safe to handle, and offered many of the necessary qualities for power generation. Thorium plants, with the first coming online in 6 M12, rapidly put all fossil-fuel driven sources of power generation out of business in a very short span of time. Already compatible with pre-existing power grid systems the thorium plants became the bedrock for planetside energy production with virtually no waste and enormous returns on energy.
The increased power production was made even more potent with the development of superconducting power transmission cables. These cables made it possible for energy with far greater efficiency than ever before.
The lack of resistance for power transmission greatly increased the efficiency and distance energy could be moved. These advantages increased grid capacity and, when coupled with new storage systems, reduced how much fuel it took to keep everything running. Alone these new superconducting materials would have presented a major surge forward for electrical generation. When combined with the greater push towards new continent-spanning trade blocs and federations these inventions resulted in a quantum leap worldwide, pushing Earth to a 1.1 on Sagan's Kardashev Scale for energy production in 6 M12.
Worldwide the growing trend towards regional federations, trade blocs, and international organizations paved the way for international and continental integrations of national power grids. This push predates First Contact by just a year with the first European projects and following Contact the growth of the many transnational federations made such projects far more attractive. The European projects received a major boost following the early 1 M12 invention of the superconducting power cable. This pioneering effort would be the first in many continental grid synchronization projects.
The first regional bloc to follow the EU's example was UNASUR. This relatively new continental federation and its supporters saw building a continental grid linking all of South America would be the perfect testbed for large-scale projects and shoring up UNASUR's legitimacy. In 2 M12 in Quito the Council of Ministers formally announced the new project. The planners set the year 8 M12 as their target for bringing every national grid into synchronization and 11 M12 for bringing electricity to 95% of all South Americans. A year after the project was announced the first new superconductor lines connecting the Brazilian and Argentinian grids went online with all indicators arguing the goal of total synchronization by 8 M12 goal was well on its way to happening.
Next to join the regional integration game was, to the surprise of many, North Africa. The new Muslim Brotherhood government following the overthrow of the Mubarak military regime made establishing Egyptian influence across the region as a main priority. The Maghrebi Grid Agency was the perfect example for showcasing Egyptian wealth, modernity, and the potential the Brotherhood offered for the Middle East. The project saw many setbacks making halting steps forward with the first agreements laying the foundation for later work only being approved in 4 M12 and the first construction beginning in 6 M12. In spite of these early problems the MGA succeeded in bringing all the grids of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco into full synchronization by 9 M12."
From Chapter Five: Building the Global Grid, The Interstellar Revolution by Prof. Eduardo Garza, published in 55 M12
"WOLF BLITZER: Anti-police brutality demonstrations continue nationwide for the third straight day. Demonstrators are out in the streets demanding justice for the recent shooting death of Derrick Jackson in an altercation with the police in Oakland, CA. We go now live in the field to Anderson Cooper. Anderson?
*cuts away to the streets of Oakland. Tear gas and smoke is floating freely in the background over a battered Broadway as broken glass, makeshift barricades, rubber bullets, and occasional bloodstains on the street.*
ANDERSON COOPER: Thanks Wolf. Moments ago riot police ordered the dispersal of a crowd of two thousand people gathered in the early morning hours. According to eyewitness reports the crowd refused to budge and the police moved to break up the crowd.
*faint crackle of gunfire and gas launchers in the background*
WOLF BLITZER: Do you think the planned demonstrations for later in the day will be going forward?
ANDERSON COOPER: From everything I'm hearing the local activists are not planning on backing down anytime soon. They are claiming 100,000 will be taking to the streets tonight and they intend to shut the city and the port down until tomorrow morning.
WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Anderson Cooper in Oakland. Ever since the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Lucinda(1) African-American activists across the country have been rallying against what describe as the systemic injustices suffered by their communities. Recently a number of environmental groups and labor unions have rallied in solidarity with the activists, joining in on the nationwide Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Action. Our analysts estimate some two million people have taken to the streets in the past few days.
*Gestures to a map showing the United States. Every area with a population of at least 200,000 people is marked as a site for demonstrations with a red dot. Much of the country is covered in them.*
WOLF BLITZER: Overseas sympathy demonstrations have seen hundreds of thousands come out in the streets across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. The Gore Administration issued a statement yesterday calling for calm saying they are currently reviewing the grievances of the demonstrators."
The Situation Room, CNN, Broadcast January 18th, 7 M12
1. TTL's Hurricane Katrina. The damage is less bad but happening in conjunction with the Kinsey Coup, the growth of street activism across the board, and a few highly public cases of police murders of young Black Americans under dubious conditions made it a major breaking point.
"The impact of the Kinsey Coup on global cultural development was enormous. Prior to the Coup the United States of America was considered to be the single most powerful nation on the planet. Even with First Contact and its immediate upheaval American power on the global stage was largely unchallenged by the other major world powers. In the world of culture American influence in the wake of the Cold War period and First Contact was unchallenged with American movies, television, and music dominating global popular culture.
Kinsey's Coup shattered this status quo. Domestically speaking the usual confidence Americans had in their own country, the phenomenon of American Exceptionalism, took a serious blow. A country that saw itself as the shining beacon of democracy and progress, a city on a hill had undergone something without precedent in their entire history. Even the turmoil during the Vietnam War didn't match the levels of self-doubt that set in following the Coup. Across the social and political spectrum the sense of special destiny was shattered leading to a wave of darkly critical, more introspective works as Americans grappled with the coup's fallout. Many who specialize in this period argue this inward turn laid the foundation for the wave of mass demonstrations, political reform, and domestic upheaval that would follow. The push towards introspection coupled with the growing domination of the Internet in mass media saw American cultural exports decline leaving a broader vacuum for other cultural exports to fill.
Two of the biggest competitors on the world stage for American cultural products, in terms of sales, volume of export, and size and distribution of audience, were those of the increasingly cohesive European Union, the People's Republic of China, and India. During the 990s M11 and the immediate post-Contact period these powers were rising forces culturally and with the Kinsey Coup this dynamic only accelerated. European music, Chinese action films and historical dramas, and Indian Bollywood and fashion exploded worldwide. By 7 M12 American cultural exports, for the first time since the end of the World Wars(1), were no longer number one in the global market sinking to number three overall by year's end.
This environment was the world Terranism as a cohesive ideology came together. The Terranists did not come from a vacuum having been preceded by the proto-Terranist factions, First Contact, and growing economic globalization. Without these factors the Terranist movement would never have emerged in the first place but the period of cultural change and transformation taking place following the Kinsey Coup had a very critical impact on the nature and particulars of Terranism. The name of the movement itself came from a manifesto released by the United Earth Federation, a coalition of political, labor, environmental, and local community groups from around the world, on February 8th 6 M12 titled, "Building the Future for Humanity". The name for the movement itself would be coined years later following the explosion of research and popular interest in the Ancients care of the first publication of the works of Daniel Jackson on this topic, including works on the Ancient language, in 9 M12. These works directly inspired the decision by many in the developing planetary unification movement to use the Ancient word for Earth, Terra, to refer to the homeworld of humanity.
Central to Terranist philosophy and ideas was the importance of global, and later pan-species, unity against the Goa'uld. Formed in reaction to the threat posed by invasion and conquest from the stars this globally shared fear was the foundation the entire ideology would be built on. This shared fear for humanity's survival was the glue yet was far from the only thing making the Terranists a cohesive movement. A number of different ideologies during the proto-Terranist period competed for who would emerge as the dominant strain calling for global unification. The ultimate form of the Terranist movement would be thanks to the ultimate ascendancy of those commonly referred to by historians as the Globalist tendency. The ideals of the movements identified as Globalist played a key role in forming the broader answers the Terranists would offer to the big socio-economic questions facing humanity.
Central to the vision of Terranism was the firm belief that Earth's diversity, conflict, and broad range of cultural expression was key to the planet's ability to resist the Goa'uld. They argued it was this history that made it possible for Terrans to advance to a technological level and develop effective forms of social organization that the rediscovery of the Stargate put them in the ideal position to resist the Goa'uld. They further claimed celebrating and preserving this diversity would be key to continuing to resist the Goa'uld effectively and achieve ultimate victory.
This commitment to diversity manifested not just in the propaganda and messaging of the UEF but also in their platform. The UEF advocated for reforming the UN to a global parliament representing all people on a planetary level with substantial regional autonomy for day to day policy implementation. They claimed that unity could not lead to one size fits all solutions. Some claim this position was not, as many UEF stalwarts argued, a purely ideological one. Any attempt at forging a single planetary government would have to give room to established, powerful nations in Earth politics. Forcing them to submit to a more unitary approach would have been doomed from the start. One can also say the same of their stance on heavy investment in interstellar technologies and reverse engineering.
The main place where the UEF truly stood out was on the question of human rights. Using the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Conventions as the foundation of their theories and arguments the UEF called for the recognition and protection of universal human rights for all humans in the known universe. The UEF position was the commitment to genuine human rights was what set Terra apart from the brutal Goa'uld and was as central to Terran identity as the human form. To abandon this commitment, they reasoned, was a price too high to pay in pursuit of victory over the Goa'uld. Many would use this rallying call for human rights in later years as justification for war with the crumbling Goa'uld Empire."
1. A period of near-constant conflict encompassing multiple conflicts on a global scale beginning in 915 M11 with the outbreak of fighting in Europe over the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and ending in 950 M11 with the end of the Chinese Civil War. This was a period of intense turmoil, warfare, and revolution. The most intense periods of conflict raged from 915-919 M11 and 937-946 M11 with the years between 919 and 937 M11 commonly referred to as the Interbellum years.
From Chapter 4: Upheaval and Revolt, The Future is Out There: A Cultural History of the Turn of the Millennium by Prof. Travis Wingate, published in 59 M12
"SHAHIRA AMIN: Earlier today King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia formally rejected President Muhammad al-Din's offer to join the roundtable discussions for a new framework for regional economic integration. King Abdullah made the following statement:
KING ABDULLAH: We refuse to submit to the encroaching power of Egyptian imperialism in the Middle East. The Muslim Brotherhood presents a false understanding of the Will of the Prophet and the wrong way forward for the Arab world.
AMIN: Saudi Arabia is the most prominent but not the first Arab League member to reject participation in the proposed negotiations. In spite of this President al-Din has vowed to press forward with the new trade agreement.
PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD AL-DIN: Only through unity across the Muslim and Arab world can we hope to keep up in the modern world. Allah has given us the test of the Goa'uld and we must not shy away from it. By following the example of the European Union we hope to build a future for the Muslim World.
AMIN: In spite of this setback the proposed trade reforms, modeled on the EU's example including the Schengen Area, have garnered considerable support. The governments of Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Oman, Jordan, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates have all agreed to participate in the talks hosted in al-Iskandriya taking place in October. Many analysts express hope these discussions will benefit the entire region in spite of the abstinence of the majority of the Gulf States, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia."
From Egypt Today, broadcast on July 18th, 6 M12 on Nile TV.
"One of the most critical elements of the Contact period was the steady decline of American power. Many students of history in the present day often express surprise at the sudden decline of US power internationally considering only a little over a decade before it stood as the most powerful nation on Earth. Historians have come to understand the causes of this decline is thanks to a combination of factors. The first was the Kinsey Coup and the intense domestic turmoil in its aftermath. The resulting upheaval left the United States in a position where there was little, if any, domestic support for foreign adventurism and kept the focus of policymakers on the demands of a now roused and angry public. The second was the growth and consolidation of the first regional superstates like the EU, UNASUR, the African Union, and the Arab League. These rising powers became a potent counterweight to the US in international affairs, forcing changes to the international situation. By the end of this period the framework for global unification was in place.
The unprecedented Kinsey Coup triggered a series of revealing investigations into the inner workings of the US government unseen since the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The most famous was the Feingold Commission on Anti-Constitutional Activities. The Feingold Commission investigated was given a broad mandate by Congress to investigate how it was possible that key elements of the US government all the way up to the Vice President were involved in a coup plot against President Gore. The Feingold Commission's famous televised hearings and investigation took over a year to complete digging into all aspects of US government. Very little remained outside of the commission's scrutiny with the SGC being one of the few exceptions to this rule. The Feingold Commission's final report would implicate thousands of US government officials, corporate officers, and a number of highly influential Occidentalist think tanks. By the time the dust settled generals, admirals, FBI supervisors, CIA section heads and assistant directors, the head of the NSA, and numerous corporate executives would be ousted and convicted to life terms in prison for treason.
This was far from the only effect of the Feingold Commission's report. Much of it exposed numerous other violations of the law and Constitutional principles putting many examples of hidden corruption in the public eye in a way that could not be ignored. This was further fueled by the mass demonstrations that helped halt the coup attempt leading to several instances of excessive force by police officers and the National Guard. Coupled with steadily growing grievances in America's minority communities against law enforcement violence, the swelling environmental movement, and calls for global social justice from the Globalist movement and evidence of corruption reaching the highest levels of policy implementation triggered an explosion of popular outrage. The worsening economic situation for many Americans only added to the list of reasons to take to the street.
The firestorm of demonstrations, direct action, and political activism caught many in positions of power off-guard and in a defensive position leading to many local and regional officials to fall back on their usual habits of confrontation and co-optation. This time, thanks to the massive collective experience of mobilizing against the Kinsey Coup, such tactics failed. Many of the street movements involved were in no mood to accept anything less than substantive, lasting changes instead of variations on business as usual and tactics of direct confrontation, like deploying riot police armed with less than lethal munitions, only inspired more fervent action. At the national level the cleanup from the fallout of the Feingold Report had many in positions of power scrambling to re-establish their legitimacy however possible. Regardless of specific policy decisions and actions the aggregate result was a United States with zero interest or bandwidth to effectively exert its influence in the world.
These domestic circumstances were further assisted by the rising power of the new superstates. Two of the strongest examples were the Union of South American Nations and the European Union. These two continental blocs united massive populations and commercial networks, creating a pair of very direct competitors for the United States in purely economic terms. Militarily speaking these blocs did not possess the global reach of the US military but in the wake of the PDA this was less important than it would have been in previous periods of human history. The growth of the Euro and Nuevo Peso were one key aspect, providing economic unity and easing the movement of people and good throughout both regions.
Another that was just as critical was the development of genuinely multinational military forces by both power blocs. The EU's Euroforce had its first real test run during the Kosovo Intervention of 999 M11 and was further shaped by experience in the growing UN Peacekeeping Corps. All of this came together in 6 M12 with the establishment of the United European Command headquartered out of Brussels. The UEC consisted of a system of negotiated quotas of contributions of troops, munitions, and equipment from each EU nation into a single, combined military force. At the time of the founding of the UEC the expanded Euroforce had a total of 100,000 personnel ready for action with plans to further integrate the military forces of Europe into a genuinely combined military force. The main purpose of the expanded and reformed Euroforce was to spearhead peacekeeping operations, coordinate the common defense of the EU, and pool resources for development and improvement of military technology and tactics.
UNASUR's Ejército Combinado de América del Sur, founded on April 2nd, 6 M12, was a similar effort and directly inspired by Euroforce. Headquartered out of La Paz, Bolivia. ECAS has the same overall objectives, goals, and structure as Euroforce and the UN Peacekeepers and was aimed at providing cohesion, unity, and a common defense for UNASUR. ECAS received its baptism by fire later that year when the Colombian government requested deploying all of their 50,000 troops to decisively suppress the active, armed forces of the FARC. By the end of 7 M12 most of the FARC's armed strength, cocaine farms, and bases of support were decisively routed and the once-fearsome guerilla army reduced to a decentralized network with only a shadow of their former power. These new superstate forces at this point were a series of broad coalitions with combined command structures as opposed to continental military forces but even still they were a big leap forward in fostering regional and global unity.
Parallel to these developments was the reform and consolidation of the UN Peacekeeping Corps. During the pre-Contact period the Peacekeepers consisted of voluntary troop contributions to UN-approved operations as opposed to a genuine standing body of its own. Thanks to the success of earlier anti-piracy operations, stabilizing Somalia, and the Congo Intervention(1) support for the Peacekeepers was higher than ever. All of this came to a head following the Kinsey Coup and the fears of the damage a prolonged conflict or period of civil unrest could do to maintaining Earth's united defense. Shortly after the Coup's resolution British, French, Brazilian, and Russian representatives to the UN Security Council introduced Security Resolution 1583 concurrently with Assembly Resolution 59/309. S/RES 1583 and A/RES 59/203 called for all UN members to make mandatory contributions for direct funding and military assets for the UN Peacekeepers as a standing force of 500,000 personnel. These troops were to be housed in ten bases scattered around the world and consisted of land, airborne, and maritime transport assets. The Peacekeepers would have its own military hierarchy, standardized training, and could only be deployed by Security Council resolution. The reformed Peacekeeping Corps was a critical step forward for Terra, becoming the first truly global military force in Earth's history.
One of the first operations of the newly reformed Peacekeeping Corps was the Korean Intervention of 7 M12. For years prior to the intervention the ruler of the northern half the peninsula, Kim Jong Il, was increasingly seen as a threat to regional and global stability. Between his constant sabre-rattling, pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and the endless humanitarian crisis that was his government the only thing keeping him in power was support from the People's Republic of China. Unfortunately for him even this support was waning. First Contact, in particular the god-like stature of the Kim family in the region, soured many to governments like his. The turning point came in 4 M12 when President Hu Jintao gave his famous Korea Speech calling for a permanent, lasting resolution to the division plaguing the peninsula. Shortly after secret negotiations began between the People's Republic of China, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. The intent of these negotiations was to reach a mutually agreeable solution to the problem of the Kim regime. After intense negotiations all parties agreed a united, neutral Korea was vastly preferable to a divided one.
On March 8th, 7 M12 their plan was put into action. Elements of the northern military, with covert assistance from the People's Republic of China, placed Kim Jong Il under house arrest and declared the founding of a new provisional government. As one of their first acts in office the provisional authorities requested immediate assistance in stabilizing the domestic situation and humanitarian aid. In response the PRC introduced S/RES 1822 calling for the immediate deployment of 300,000 Peacekeepers to North Korea to stabilize the situation. A low grade civil war broke out between supporters of Kim's overthrow and followers of the old regime until April 16th when the Peacekeepers crossed the border. Better armed, equipped, and supplied than the coup's opponents the Peacekeepers rapidly stabilized the situation. Shortly after peace was established the provisional government requested formal unification with the Republic of Korea and, under A/RES 61/240, the Korea Reunification Agency was established to supervise the recovery and integration of the peninsula. To safeguard the newly united nation China, Japan, the US, and Australia all pledged to guarantee Korea's security and safety on the condition it remain in neutral in regional and global affairs."
From Chapter 3: The Changing Global Order, The Origins of the Modern World by Prof. Andrea Masters, published in 61 M12
"The constant conflict and turmoil dominating the galaxy during the Goa'uld Succession War had a number of lateral consequences unanticipated by the warring System Lords. It is, however, understandable how these unanticipated effects could grow to such massive levels. Galactic warfare on the scale of the Succession War had not been seen since Ra's overthrow of Sokar thousands of years before. Even the periodic skirmishes and battles with the Asgard were fairly minor affairs compared to the mass mobilizations of troops, ships, and worlds by the combatants struggling for the throne. Millions of Jaffa, countless slaves, and thousands of ships would clash across millions of lightyears and hundreds of worlds. The devastation of such warfare was far beyond anything the Goa'uld had ever seen or experienced.
One of the most immediate consequences of the conflict was the impact on human and Jaffa populations. The demands of war saw many System Lords throwing vast numbers of personnel into battle on a scale none had ever anticipated. Unlike earlier conflicts between System Lords, which were usually fairly limited by Ra's command, Jaffa were being called up in huge enough numbers that many were fighting for long periods of time without any relief. Once-powerful fighting units like the Falcon Guard were ground to paste in the endless crush of battle. Surrender, usually a standard element of internal Goa'uld warfare, was rarely offered or asked for as System Lords were increasingly unlikely to trust such defectors as they had in the past. This made battle an increasingly dangerous, uncertain proposition for most Jaffa. The uncertainty of success and frequent stalemates added to the growing demoralization as many Jaffa began to question the infallibility of the beings they worshipped as gods.
It was these factors that fueled the growth of the Free Jaffa movement.
As has been discussed previously the Free Jaffa movement was not the first case of rebellion against the Goa'uld. With the exception of groups like the Sodan most of these revolts burned out quickly as the leaders were either killed or exiled and their followers bought off with promises of new privileges and status. The status of loyal opposition Jaffa further discouraged revolt perpetuating the Goa'uld system of symbiont rule over enslaved human populations perpetuated and administered by the Jaffa. The breakdown of the previously long-accepted norms of the Jaffa-Goa'uld relationship ended this somewhat unstable status quo. Now Jaffa were being fed into the cauldron of war without any regard for the cost, dissenters were tarred as traitors and executed along with their families, and even long-serving loyal Jaffa found themselves victims of their masters for even the slightest infractions. Such an environment was a perfect atmosphere for widespread revolt.
Initially, following First Contact, most forms of Jaffa revolt took on the form of isolated or small unit defections. As news of Apophis' defeat at Earth spread many Jaffa began to question if one powerful System Lord could be undone by mere humans then perhaps their claims of divinity were unfounded. Some followed the example of the Sodan by seizing ships, taking up the name, and raiding the possessions of the System Lords for sustenance. Others successfully crossed the proverbial battle lines and willingly accepted offers of asylum from the IOC, the SCO, and other Terran-based interstellar forces becoming researchers, soldiers, and advisors to Terra's growing military might. The rest, like the Hak'tyl Moloc, went into hiding, slowly building networks of dissident Jaffa seeking ways to destroy the power of the Goa'uld. As the wars continued these defections increased and word of an alternative to the status quo, of Jaffa freedom and sovereignty, began to spread.
Side by side with growing Jaffa discontent and dissent was the hardship suffered by the humans enslaved by the Goa'uld. Warfare, in the past, had been somewhat targeted and thanks to the limitations Ra imposed to keep his underlings divided never reached the point of targeting enemy economic assets. The new war threw this assumption out the window. Inconclusive conflicts over vast fronts left worlds across the disintegrating empire devastated. Deliberate raids and assaults aimed at enemy strategic assets with the intent of denying foes the resources for sustaining military operations left other worlds blasted wastes. The number of humans directly slain by Goa'uld forces during the Succession War is unknown with estimates varying wildly thanks to the unreliability, fragmentation, and secrecy of Goa'uld records but many scholars believe the number was in the billions on a galactic scale.
Making all of this even worse were the increasing resource demands for the expanding conflict. System Lords, oblivious to the plight of the enslaved, demanded more and more labor, crops, and goods out of their human property. An estimated fifty million humans across the galaxy would be worked to death building ships, weapons, and bases for their masters from Ra's demise to 10 M12 alone. Countless others starved or succumbed to disease in unprecedented numbers as the demands of war and Goa'uld practices like direct tithing pushed many human populations over the brink. To this day there is no consensus on how many humans died thanks to the secondary consequences of the Goa'uld Succession War but many believe it was as bad, if not worse, as the direct losses of life due to endless conflict. All of these stresses coupled with the growing hopelessness of the general situation pushed many human populations over the edge into outright revolt against the Goa'uld.
Just as was the case with the Jaffa these revolts were not unprecedented but what changed here was the size and scope. In many ways, however, the situation facing humanity was very different. The power of the Jaffa, vastly superior technology, and deliberate segregation of information kept much of the enslaved humans under the Goa'uld lash. A handful became personal slaves, hosts, and trustees for the Goa'uld but their number was tiny compared to the vast, teeming masses who labored in the name of distant, cruel gods. The situation, as described by former slave and renowned Goa'uld scholar Reza al'Derinda, was comparable to a high security prison during the 800s and 900s M11 with the Jaffa as guards and wardens. This meant revolts tended to be less isolated cases of mutiny and more mass revolts inspired by the cruelty of their masters. There were little illusions that such revolts would succeed and many were motivated by a thirst for revenge. The bare handful of successes, like Earth against Ra, illustrate how long the odds were for any would-be rebels.
The growing desperation of humanity across the galaxy meant such revolts became far more common. Inspired by fear, hunger, or even a simple desire to put a halt to the madness humans in huge numbers rose up in rebellion against the Goa'uld. When many overt revolts were crushed the enemies of the Goa'uld fled to the hinterlands of their worlds, continuing the fight against a hated enemy with a vast, sympathetic population to operate in. The increasing number of successes scored by the famous Keystone campaign made matters worse by giving rise to word of mouth tales of Goa'uld driven off by a mysterious, incredibly powerful group of humans. Known by the Goa'uld word Tau'ri Terran military forces took on a larger than life image among the growing human resistance movements. Heralded as long-awaited saviors tales of the exploits of Stargate Command and Interstellar Operations(2) spread like wildfire, inspiring further revolts.
The combination of Jaffa disaffection, human unrest, and Terran intervention greatly depleted the military power of the System Lords. Even as the size of Goa'uld warfleets swelled to meet the needs of conflict the size of Jaffa armies and campaigns began to shrink. The cumulative impact of Jaffa defection and mutiny, human uprising, and the simple stresses of total war rapidly drained the power and capacity of the System Lords. By 7 M12 the power of the Goa'uld Empire and the resurgent Sokar were nearly exhausted. In spite of all of this the System Lords continued their struggle for power and responded to the growing unrest with increasing brutality and incredibly sadistic methods of punishment. Having only known force as a tool for containing rebellion the Goa'uld applied it with increasing frequency, viciousness, brutality, and cruelty. Their victims, in turn, struck back with greater ferocity than ever."
From Chapter 5: The Beginning of the End of Goa'uld Dominance, Political History of Our Galaxy by Prof. Li Feng, published in 59 M12
*Camera pans from overhead across a massive crowd in the streets of Bahrain. Smoke from multiple fires is visible across the screen.*
JEREMY BOWEN, BBC: I am Jeremy Bowen reporting live on the scene from the island nation of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Two days ago massive crowds filled the streets demanding the immediate resignation of the ruling monarchy and the redistribution of their property and assets to the people.
*Low rumbling chants of "Allahu akbar!" and "Thawra! Thawra! Thawra!" fill the air as the camera slowly zooms in on a huge Bahraini flag bursting into flames. Numerous burning effigies can be seen across the crowd.*
BOWEN: The majority of Bahraini security forces have either been driven from the streets or openly sided with the demonstrators. Currently only the royal palace remains untouched by the mob and is besieged by tens of thousands of people. The Bahraini government has begged the Saudis for assistance but in spite of statements of support no military aid, in terms of equipment or troops, has been sent.
*A low, rumbling explosion fills the air as a large pillar of black smoke climbs into the sky.*
BOWEN: According to our sources on the ground those were the main oil storage tanks going up. Similar upheaval has been reported throughout the Persian Gulf and in other major oil exporters like Nigeria and Venezuela but there is nothing like the sheer ferocity of what we are seeing here.
*Rushing sound of a rocket heard in the background*
PILOT: Incoming!
BOWEN: Oh my God is that-
*Sharp crunch, followed by feed cutting to static*
From the March 8th, 7 M12 live broadcast by the BBC from Bahrain
"One of the most tumultuous effects of the ongoing Interstellar Revolution was the transformation of energy production. Beginning with the construction of superconducting lines, continental power grids, and catching up steam with battery banks and new developments in renewable energy these new developments transformed the global energy economy. Dominated by fossil fuels for over two hundred years these new discoveries broke the world's dependence on such energy sources permanently. The cheap, hyperefficient solar panels coupled with new wind farms spread across the globe. By the end of 6 M12 80% of all electricity produced in the wealthier nations of the world came from renewable sources. The construction of the first thorium fusion reactors increased the grid baseload, stabilizing the growing market and completely sidelining the role of the dirty, nonrenewable sources.
The growing grid load brought with it a new revolution in manufacturing and scientific development. With access to, in some cases, virtually limitless sources of energy compared to the past automated production, 3D printing, and high energy scientific experiments saw an enormous boom unrivaled in Terran history. Cheap, massive sources of energy made continuous automated production an easy reality as costs plummeted for producers making it easy to afford the most modern equipment possible accelerating the growing overhaul of Terran manufacturing. In the realm of research and development new experiments became possible like never before. Shrinking costs and higher energy capacity saw previously exotic and rare forms of technology like particle accelerators commonplace in laboratories worldwide. Just as coal and oil made the First and Second Industrial Revolutions possible so too did the cheaper energy made possible by renewable energy and superconducting fibers.
What further broadened and deepened the impact of the ongoing energy revolution was the increasing ubiquity of purely electric vehicles on land, sea, and air. Thanks to highly efficient vehicle batteries, superconducting systems, and the growing total grid capacity worldwide what had once been purely theoretical developments were now spreading worldwide. By 6 M12 an estimated 55% of all land vehicles, from personal transportation to trucking and trains, worldwide had either upgraded their engines or were replaced by newer models. These rapid developments were assisted by generous upgrade programs in the United States, the European Union, Russia, and China as all sought to take advantage of the energy independence and environmental benefits such technology provided. At sea massive container ships were overhauled as POD drives replaced their old oil-fired power plants with newer electric systems and batteries.
These developments, heralded by many as a string of great leaps forward, did not come without consequences. The growth of the new renewable energy economy and electric vehicles had enormous economic consequences of their own. Communities and countries that once depended on fossil fuels found themselves in genuinely dire straits. In the years leading up to First Contact the cost of new oil and coal exploration had grown steadily as known reserves were tapped and new discoveries required increasingly exotic, expensive, and experimental technologies to reach. Such advances were only possible when the price of fossil fuels remained stable or, as was the case near the end of the 11th millennium, continued to grow.
The sudden explosion of renewables and cheap energy suddenly and dramatically reversed this trend. The availability of cheaper, reliable, and higher capacity energy sources sent oil, coal, and natural gas prices plummeting through the floor. What made this situation even worse was the rapidly declining global demand. Not only were oil and coal virtually worthless to extract and refine both had become nearly impossible to sell. In communities dependent on fossil fuel production for their livelihood unemployment and poverty soared. Once prosperous regions found themselves economically destitute entering conditions worse than those experienced during the Great Depression of the 930s M11.
The worst impact was in the Persian Gulf. Major oil exporting nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the various Gulf Monarchies watched as their main source of wealth vanished before their eyes. By 5 M12 these regions were suffering severe economic distress. The successful testing and opening of the first thorium fusion reactors planetside would be the straw that would break the camel's back. On March 8th, 7 M12 following the announcement of the first fusion plant outside of Lyons in the European Union already suffering oil prices collapsed completely in a day known forever as the Oil Crash. On that day the news of the new fusion plant inspired investors to pull what little money was invested in oil markets out dropping the price of oil to roughly $0.01 per barrel. The Crash shattered the economies of the great petro-states completely sending them spiraling into chaos as impoverished Gulf residents and "guest" workers openly rioted in the streets, railing against the opulence of the Gulf monarchies. Later events of the year only added fuel to the fire, setting the stage for events with tremendous consequences for the entire Muslim world."
From Chapter 3: The Interstellar Revolution, Globalization and First Contact by Prof. Dipesh Iyer, published in 48 M12
"In Terran military history key developments took place from 6 M12 to 8 M12. Declining American power and increasing technological development was changing the world rapidly and pressing upon the leaders of the world's governments how critical a more cohesive defense was to Terra's safety. Fear of increasing vulnerability thanks to the growing upheaval planetside led to new changes in the coordination of Terran defenses. The two main Stargate operations alliances, the International Oversight Committee and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, grew closer together through technological exchanges, intelligence sharing, and a series of coordinated actions. This was further assisted by the increasing economic ties and closeness brought on by continental trade blocs and global trade.
Easily the most potent example of the increasing cooperation was the passage of UN resolutions A/RES and S/RES on May 24th 6 M12. These resolutions called for the construction of two orbital space stations to be administered by the UN for the purposes of coordinating Earth's defenses in case of Goa'uld attack. Designated Orbital Defense Command Arctic and Antarctic each station was to be positioned in a fixed, geosynchronous orbit with Terra's northern and southern magnetic poles. Construction would begin later that year with the first permanent personnel arriving on June 8th 7 M12. Though Orbital Defense Command Arctic would not be fully complete until 11 M12 and Orbital Defense Command Antarctic wouldn't be finished until 14 M12 these stations represented a vital step forward in building a united Terran defense and would play a vital role in the coming years.
In conjunction with these efforts a network of deep space satellites were deployed by the IOC and SCO from the growing fleet of System Defense Ships throughout the solar system. These satellites carried with them a potent combination of deep space sensors, radio relay systems, and a set of railgun batteries as point defenses. The new network was designed and intended to assist in coordinating the defenses of the system, provide early warning for Terran defense forces, and boost signals system-wide. Known as Stellar Early Warning and Control Satellites, or SEWACS, these would play a vital role militarily and economically in the years to come.
Hand in hand with the growing coordination between the Stargate powers was increasing disclosure to other major powers on Earth. As the war with the Goa'uld grew the IOC and SCO came to the conclusion they barely had the resources to stay on top of the needs of planetary defense. In spite of the growing resources provided by technological advances, growth, and development more information on the sheer size and power of the Goa'uld Empire, even with the fragmentation and destruction wrought by the Succession War, was an intimidating force. Only by recruiting additional assistance and resources would it be possible for Terra to put up an effective resistance.
On June 4th 6 M12 they gathered together every nation in the know along with others who were seen as sufficiently trustworthy to inform of the situation at the epochal Brasilia Conference on Global Defense. Every member of NATO, Sweden, Finland, Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Africa were given all of the facts regarding the Stargate, the Goa'uld, and the circumstances in the galaxy. They were further briefed on the alliance with the Asgard, the existence of offworld human populations, and the current status of the struggle against the Goa'uld Empire. The intelligence agencies of many of these nations had some suspicions something was going on but the full truth was quite a shock to all of them.
Over the course of the next month, after giving the representatives the chance to fully process disclosure, the nations hammered out the terms of their participation in the new planetary order for combined defense and operations against the Goa'uld including technology sharing and participation in the Stargate program. Easily the biggest and most critical change was the change was a major transformation in the nature of Stargate operations. Stargate Command, already a somewhat internationalized force, would now be responsible for all offworld operations involving the Stargate. Parallel to Stargate Command the conference attendees founded Interstellar Command to coordinate all operations involving Earth's small but growing fleet of ships and starfighters. Both would answer to the newly founded Planetary Defense Commission with one representative from every participating government. Earlier coordination in operations like MENGELE helped pave the way for this new arrangement but without the Kinsey Coup, the Tok'ra alliance providing a fuller understanding of the full might of the Goa'uld, and elimination of many Occidentalists from the American military establishment it is highly unlikely such an agreement could have been reached.
Not all was well however in spite of the new unity provided by the PDC. Earth would suffer from a great betrayal at the hands of a once benignly neutral human world. Many years before Stargate Command successfully established friendly relations with a world known as the Tollan after rescuing and ferrying a group of refugees to their homeworld of Tollana. The Tollan, thanks to a traumatic experience with a neighboring planet in their past, were grateful yet in accordance of their laws refused to share technology with the people of Earth even to assist in defending against the Goa'uld. All of this would change dramatically on August 27th 6 M12. On this day a high-ranking Tollan official passed away under mysterious circumstances prompting Stargate Command to send a delegation to attend his funeral. During the funeral Tollana's leaders approached the SGC personnel with an unprecedented offer: military technology to defend Terra against the Goa'uld.
This was met with a great deal of initial skepticism and surprise by Earths' representatives but initially, at the insistence of Jack O'Neill, the offer was accepted. Upon further investigation the initial suspicions of Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson were validated with the discovery of doctored records suggesting a Goa'uld System Lord had figured out an effective countermeasure for the previously impervious defenses of Tollana. SG-1 dug deeper and discovered an even more shocking truth: a Goa'uld double agent known as Tanith was on-planet and supervising the development of a deadly new weapon deployed by Stargate that, if launched, had the means to utterly destroy Earth. The plans were foiled by the members of SG-1 but not before Tanith called for his at the time unknown master's forces. In minutes Goa'uld warships arrived in orbit, laying waste to Tollana as SG-1 fled one step ahead of their enemies. Who this new System Lord was or how they bested the seemingly impervious Tollan people was a mystery to the Terrans and their Tok'ra allies. Many feared this was a portent of worse things yet to come. This close brush with destruction, coupled with prior victories in KEYSTONE and the newfound cooperation under the PDC, would lead to an increased tempo and boldness of operations by the expanded forces of the SGC."
From Chapter 6: Building a Global Military, The History of Stargate Command Volume I: Once More Into the Breach! by Major Kyle Schroeder, SGC, published in 54 M12