Chapter 14 The Siege Part II

"General we have a security alert in the gate room." A technician advised, "Someone's dialing in."

"Our Stargate is overriding that of imperial city." Adama explained over the holo relay, still launching drones, "Two men meant to arrive at imperial city are coming through, we'd best detain them."

"Major, the two travelers arrest." Yoda ordered, "To here at once they must be brought, someone familiar one of them is.

"Comm relay from home one." The technician advised, "They are approaching the Death star and requesting an audience."

"Looks like we stumbled into a trophy room." Han remarked as they entered a hallways full of alcoves. In each alcove was a frozen figure. "Who are these jokers?"

"These are system lords." Sheppard remarked amazed, "I recognize ball, Nirrti Apophis, even Yu…"

"Han opened his mouth but Sheppard silenced him "Nah, we've used up like… every joke. Back in the day these guys caused quite a ruckus for my people."

"The question is did Anubis capture them, or did Thrawn" Madine commented. He studied each face intently for a moment but looked up at Sheppard's exhalation.

"Well who the hell is this?" Lando remarked, near the end, a beautiful woman wearing a deeply saddened expression,

Sheppard stepped over, "She's wearing Lantean robes!"

"An ancient?" Han speculated, "maybe a prisoner?"

"We need to thaw her." Sheppard decided, he began pressing controls."

"What are you doing! We don't have time for this?" hissed Madine, "We've got to keep moving!"

"No wait, I have a feeling about this. Sheppard said, We definitely need her. She may be able to help us." his work done the chamber opened and the woman tottered out. She appeared disoriented for a moment. "Try to take it easy." Sheppard said, "That thing, its disorienting, it takes a bit of time to…" She fixed him with alert eyes.

"My name is Athena, where am I? Who are you?" She asked.

"You're safe." Sheppard assured her, earning a snort from Han, "Well for the time being. My name is Colonel John Sheppard, I'm a Jedi. How did you get in that… thing…"

"I cant…" she began, she furrowed her brow in thought, "I was on Kobol, and iw as drugged… then… she looked up in fear, "It was inside me, a thing.. crawling inside, and it began to speak to me… control me.."

"Was it a Goa'uld?" Lando demanded, she nodded, "Yeah they're a nasty piece of work."

"I… resisted… people were screaming, I tried to lead them to safety, to Atlas but the Goa'uld… it was so strong, and I was still drugged… It made me still, I tried to hurl myself from the gates of Hera, the city was cloaked, they would have seen, but I couldn't move!" She began to shake as she remembered more, "Then the Goa'uld, there were others, Ra, Anubis… They took the city, watched my children die below…."

"Easy…. easy." Said Sheppard trying at once to console her and to quiet her, she had a shrill voice! Madine was motioning towards his blaster, it was set to stun, Sheppard shook his head, the general threw up his hands in exasperation. "Listen, Athena, we're kind of in a bind here, we need your help, do you know your way around here?"

She nodded, "I think so, I was here, long long ago…"

"Ah first things first." Han said, "What happened to the Goa'uld?

"It couldn't hold onto me, I drove it out." Athena replied, "Once the drug wore off, I was much too advanced for it to control, Ra entombed me in a device called a sarcophagus believing it would corrupt my will, but I simply went into a trance. When I awoke there were… doctors, and a man with blue skin and red eyes…"

"Thrawn…" Madine said perking up, "he must have studied her, I'd heard a rumor they had captured an ancient…"

"Ok, Ok, there's no time!" Han hissed, "There are guards coming, I think the detected your little stunt Sheppard, we need to get out of here."

"Hold on…" said Sheppard, his eyes lighting up, "Why don't we create a little distraction…."

"What is this? Where Am I?" The augmented voice of an enraged Goa'uld was hard to miss. Apophis grasped blindly around him as his symbiote sluggishly tried to rebalance his hosts body."

"Silence you mewling fool" hissed Baal beside him, "We were captured, and now we are free, but we must escape. We must work together."

"You propose an alliance?" Nirrti asked doubtfully as the other Goa'uld stumbled out of their chambers.

"After a fashion," Baal replied shoving her into the hall way as storm troopers cleared the bend. Her screams of rage were drowned out by blaster fire as the troopers advanced.

"We must get weapons!" Apophis shouted, using a struggling LordYu as a shield. Several blaster bolts burned into the ancient Goa'uld and he slumped still dragged by Apophis.

"This way!" Baal shouted from further down the hall

The storm troopers pursued the fleeing system lords, stepping over the bodies off those that had been mowed down at the onset. A final trooper followed up the line checking to ensure all were dead.

"Tk515, position secure." He reported, moments before a hand shot out from an alcove and twisted his neck backwards. Heruar stepped out from where he had watched his comrades slaughtered and reached for the downed troopers weapons. A light saber came humming through the air beheading him.

"Wow those guys are… jerks…" Sheppard observed coming out from hiding and glancing at Nirrti's charred remains. Han Lando and Athena followed him and were met by Madine and his men at the opposite wall.

"All clear lets move!" Madine hissed

"Hold on, we can use this." Lando whispered, stooping by a storm troopers body.

"Little tired of the orange are you? Han asked drolly.

"Admiral Ackbar sir, I salute you." Thrawn said, performing the gesture. "Though I admit I have achieved a number of victories, I have found our confrontations rather stimulating."

He stood backed by several legions off strom troopers in a vast landing bay aboard the death star. half a dozen new republic soldiers made up an honor guard that lined the ramp to the admiral's shuttle, upon which he and Mon mothma stood. Thrawn selected one of the new Republicc guards and inspected his weapon. The man handed it over without hesitating looking chagrined after the fact. The admiral returned it to the red faced soldier nodding approvingly and cast an amused glance at Ackbar, "You're men are well trained admiral."

"Indeed." Ackbar replied stiffly, "I will inform the families of the millions of soldiers who died at the hands of your forces that they were stimulating."

"Yes, well war, is a waste of resources isn't it." Thrawn replied smiling tightly, "Yet sometimes a necessary one. That is what you are here to discuss is it not?"

"It is indeed Emperor Thrawn." Interjected Mon Mothma stepping between the two "Our resources are at the moment needed elsewhere are they not?"

"Indeed they are." Thrawn allowed, "I of course have the matter well in hand, but when I received your communiqué I was intrigued. To date, your constituents have been unwilling to so consider submitting to the new order Madame President, even as my forces were, shall we say, barking at their door?"

"Admiral Ackbar's summary of the Ori cannot be ignored." Mothma replied, "it is time for us to work together."

"Very well, let us proceed to my audience chamber where we can discuss this more fully." Thrawn invited her. He extended an elbow to Mothma, which she was forced with an apologetic glance at Ackbar to accept.

"I believe we are on the precipice of a new age." Thrawn declared as theys trolled from the landing bay.

"Grand Admiral Pellaeon." Yoda greeted him, "An unexpected honor this is."

"Quite unexpected." Pellaeon replied, "One would almost think this was planned." He shot an irritated glance at Katarn.

"..And Jedi Katarn, good to see you it is." Yoda addressed Kyle, "Felt you in the force I have, yet shielded yourself you have."

"I wasn't sure I wanted to return." Katarn answered, "I.. left for my own reasons, closed myself off, but when I realized what was happening…" he took a breath at the memory, "Well it was a tragedy by anyone's reckoning, I was shut off enough that I didn't die but I felt a part of me I never knew was there stripped away. The years since have been hard."

"Joined the Empire, you have." Yoda observed.

"Thrawn was not a Sith and I was not a jedi." Katarn asserted, "The Vong were everywhere, the Cylons the Goa'uld…" He shrugged, "The galaxy needed saving."

"You've spoken to him." Adama observed, "He's watching us through you, even now."

Katarn stepped back, "What? Who are you."

"Do you believe Thrawn will bring order to this galaxy?" Adama asked gently, "Do you believe it is your duty to serve him?"

"I follow my conscience, as any good officer must, in the service of the Empire." Katarn replied

"He follows orders." Pellaeon asserted.

"Always approved Thrawn has, of personal initiative." Yoda pointed out, "Famous for this he is, a teacher he is yes?"

"Thrawn encourages his men to use their minds to accomplish their orders." Pellaeon clarified, watching Kyle intently "But he expects his intentions to be honored."

Is that the same thing as free will?" Adama asked.

"I see no point in this philosophical debate." Pellaeon answered stiffly, "We are your prisoners, what do you intend to do with us?"

"Captives you are, as well as prisoners." Yoda replied, "In a prison were we to put you, free will you would have within yourself, have you that now?"

"We choose to obey." Pellaeon replied hotly, "You won't be turning either of us Master Jedi, I've heard of your mind tricks."

:"Oh I assure you this is no trick." Adamareplied, "Thrawn is aware of what I am, he would tell you I wouldn't lie to you. One cannot have free will after all, if one is shackled by lies."

"What has Thrawn ever lied about?" demanded Pellaeon, "He's nothing if not truthful."

"Perhaps to you." Adama replied with a searching gaze, "But is Thrawn honest with himself? With what he is, and what he is trying to do?"

"The New Republic would of course restrict its military field of operations to the territories we agree upon, but as a client state of the Empire we would expect to patrol our own space." Mothma argued, "A complete dismantlement is completely impossible at this point."

"This will be a point of contention between us then." Thrawn replied from his throne. Ackbar and Mon Mothma were seated before him, their security detail stationed outside across from Thrawn's imperial guards. "I detest inefficiency and a redundant military structure is the epitome of such. What you suggest invites misunderstandings and jurisdictional disputes. However this is a preliminary meeting and I do have some rather pressing business." He flicked his eyes out his windows at the wreckage of Imperial and Ori ships.

"I must admit to some curiosity as to why you accepted our proposal in the first palace on such short notice." Mothma replied, "We were given to understand you were reconsidering your impromptu invasion of Ori space."

"You have seen the broadcasts Madame president, I could not politically speaking back out of such a course of action even if my resolve wavered. It has not. We must secure the other side of the gate, however I would prefer not take any steps to ensure tranquility in my absence. Your offer of a ceasefire is desirable, but do not mistake it for necessary, I have very capable commanders in this galaxy who are fully prepared to continue our war in my absence."

"Well we are willing to make at least one major concession." Mothma said at last. "According to our intelligence, the Ori draw power from the devotion of their followers, is this correct?"

"It is." Thrawn allowed cautiously.

"It would stand to reason then, Emperor, that if you intend to enter the home galaxy of such beings, you would do so on equal if not superior footing." Mothma pressed

"I would." Thrawn acknowledged, "And as you are no doubt about to acknowledge, I am able to draw power from the loyalty of my citizens."

Mothma drew a breath, this was the bait for the trap. If Thrawn could be tempted…

"We would be willing to allow you access to our secure Holonet." Mothma replied, "As what we consider the ultimate gesture of good faith, Emperor. While our people are certainly not loyal to you it is our understanding that loyalty to what you are doing is just as sufficient. We would be willing to support a statement you made to rally our peoples attention."

"What do you have in mind? Thrawn asked cagily.

"Much conflict in you I sense." Yoda said to Katarn, who watched the exchange, "much fear."

"Fear is the path to the dark side, I know." Katarn replied, "I remember the teachings Yoda."

"But hope is the way home." Adama replied,

"Hope is for fools." Pellaeon sniffed, "Hope is the new Republic and its idealistic chaos. The Empire brings order. Certainty is better than hope."

""I think I prefer hope." Katarn said, "Hope of understanding, of growth, of something…" he floundered, "New."

"Weary we have all become, of the cycles we have endured." Yoda commented sadly, "Life, and death, construction and destrctruction, Victory and defeat. Predictable this is, orderly. Ertain, this pattern has become."

"Well if you fools would stop fighting…!" Pellaeon exploded, exasperated, "Go back to whatever hole the new Republic dragged you out of Jedi, let this galaxy move on, stop bringing back all of your old wars, this is not Palpatine's Empire!" Katarn shook his head, "No it is not, sir, but perhaps that is the point. Perhaps even Thrawn knows this. He gives us orders and expects us to sue our own free will to follow them, he permits us to question them. Well I question them, Thrawn. He looked deep into pellaeon's eyes, "Perhaps you reach too far, perhaps I can't follow this order, because in trying to save this galaxy, you are dooming it."

Pellaeon blinked once, then twice. "no." He gritted, "You can't be right, Thrawn wishes us to follow him, he demands our loyalty, he has earned it!"

"Has he?" Katarn asked, "Thrawn is not a god, pellaeon, the galaxy is no more peaceful now than it ever was. Every time Thrawn slaughters an enemy a stronger one rises to take its place, how can you be sure Thrawn won't unleash something even worse than the Ori? How can you be sure?"

"You will not speak to me like that Captain." Pellaeon snapped, I am your commanding officer, and I command you to…"

"Stop thinking?" Katarn asked bitterly, "Is that Thrawn speaking?"

Pellaeon wore an expression of equal parts rage and confusion, and then suddenly, finally, sadness. Suddenly and abruptly, he burst into flames, and burned on the spot in an instant."

"What the…" The technician half rose from his position and the comm. Officer gasped.

"There is a fire that burns in us all." Adama said sadly, "In our devotion, we give strength to others, but coaxed to burn too brightly well… It can devour us."

"He was a good man." Katarn said sadly, "he's just been fighting too long."

"Draw life from their followers the Sith could." Yoda replied, "Something similar perhaps does Thrawn?"

"He learned it from the Ori." Adama explained, "Though I don't think he fully understood its ramifications until now."

"No longer are eyes upon us." Yoda replied, "Work to be done there is.