Another chapter done and with it, we're finally done with season 4 of Stargate and Buffy. The next chapter will start season 5 and also cover some highlights from Angel, since I feel I've been neglecting that part of of the fic. For those of you who feel I've been focusing too much on Stargate, the next chapters will have more from Buffy as Glory steps to the plate. While I admit there is little action here, I am quite proud of what I've setup for the future with this one. So, read and enjoy.
Chapter 27
"You are certain about her, Major? Her record speaks against her." Hammond frowned.
"I am, sir. If she could get even a glimpse of what we do here, she will become someone we want here at the SGC." Carter replied.
"You'll have to wait a bit before you can get her through the gate, though. The Techpriests are doing a maintenance of one of the power couplings for the gate." Hammond informed her.
"We'll wait for them in the gate room if it's alright with you." Carter asked. Once Hammond nodded, Carter walked out of the room and caught the reason for her discussion, Cadet Jennifer Hailey examining the large banner hanging on the wall of the briefing room.
"1st Terran Regiment?" Hailey asked when she noticed Carter.
"A gift from one of our allies. Follow me." Carter led the girl to the outfitters.
"This looks like Imperial Guard armor. And is that a lasgun?" Hailey frowned when she looked at the equipment the quartermaster handed her although she was not issued a weapon.
"Yes it is. One of our allies makes them." The rest of the time was spent putting on the equipment, and Hailey didn't get a chance to speak until they were standing at the door to the gate room.
"You're allied with the Imperium of Man or something?"
"They're called the New Imperium of Man here." Carter grinned as a strong scent of incense and machine oil washed over them as soon as they walked in. Felger was standing by the gate, his mechadendrites flailing around one of the large superconductor couplings bringing power to the gate, with his right hand pressed against the metal, using his electoos to speak with the gate's spirit directly while his left swung a censer wafting thick clouds of incense.
Meanwhile, Angstrom was busy doing maintenance on Kendra's assault cannon, with her mechadendrites working on the various components, her right hand smearing holy oils on it while her left was also swinging a censer. A rapid stream of strange sounds could be heard coming from her throat.
"That's a dreadnought. A working dreadnought." Hailey turned to Carter in awe at the sight before her.
"Her name is Kendra. I'd introduce you to her but she is sleeping at the moment." Carter grinned at the excited cadet.
"I am done, general. You may resume operations." Felger stepped away from the gate and turned towards the control room.
"Major, a pleasure. Who is your young friend?" Felger turned to the two women.
"Cadet Jennifer Hailey." She introduced herself.
"Senior Techpriest Jay Felger. Omnisiah's blessings be with you." The man smiled.
"What were you working on?" Hailey asked.
"Just routine maintenance. That's all we usually do here. All the exciting stuff happens in the primary manufactorum in Sunnydale or the shipyards above Tollana." Felger grinned.
"I'd like to see some of that one day." Hailey asked.
"The Mechanicus is always looking for talented adepts, but it is not for everyone. Our rules are much stricter and many cannot adapt to our protocols or accept our restrictions. I can give you some info if you'd like, but if you feel that it's not for you, I would encourage you to pursue a posting at this facility. It is the only non-Imperial facility on this planet with Imperial technology." Felger informed her and walked away to aid his colleague just as the Stargate began to spin.
Even though Carter tried her best to impress the cadet during their time off-world, she was a bit shocked when she was informed that the girl quit the academy, and even further shocked when she learned from Felger that she had joined the Mechanicus.
While Carter was a bit angry, she accepted that it was Hailey's choice and that there was nothing she could do.
"What are your estimates, Felger?" Hammond was talking to the Techpriest after the latest bit of excitement. Their latest attempt to explore an unknown address resulted in a signal of sorts to be sent to their computers which caused them to overload.
"Many components will have to be replaced completely, and I would like to examine the cause of this incident more carefully, but I believe we should be back to full operational status by tomorrow." The man replied.
"Carry on, then." Hammond grinned. Even though he only had two Techpriests in his base, they did about as much work as ten technicians and most of the time when they were through working on something it actually worked better than before.
True to Felger's estimate, he and the engineering crews finished the repairs early that morning and the SGC was once again open for business.
"Repairs are complete General, although I am still trying to determine the cause for the…" Felger paused in his report when he noticed that Kendra was stirring. "Kendra is not supposed to activate without our input."
The man rushed out and the general watched cautiously as the large war machine took a few steps out of her enclosure and turned towards the control room.
"Get down." The General exclaimed as suddenly the assault cannon on her right began to spin and he and the others dove for cover, but the expected gunfire never came. He took a cautious look and saw that the dreadnought was shaking as if having a seizure. The two Techpriests rushed in at that time and quickly stepped up to Kendra, using their mechadendrites to access concealed data ports on her torso.
"You dare!" Felger shouted a second later, his face livid with rage as he pressed his hands on Kendra's shell and Hammond could actually see small sparks around his fingers while wondering what set off the usually calm man. On the other side, an angry stream of binary was heard coming from Angstrom, and from the look on her face, she was just as angry as her comrade.
On the interior of Kendra's computer systems, the scene looked a bit different. On an infinite field of grass, Kendra faced a large amorphous blob of energy, its tendrils lashing at the large war machine that she saw herself as even in her subconscious now, using her weapons to blast away pieces of the intruder. The fight was going poorly for her until the two Techpriests arrived. Felger appeared on top of a massive Baneblade tank, its many cannons spewing death at the intruder. Behind them, Angstrom appeared with five Basilisk howitzers, their heavy Earthshaker shells pounding the virus in Kendra's systems without mercy. Against the three-pronged attack, the intruding AI program didn't stand a chance.
Five minutes later, the Techpriests finally separated from Kendra and she walked back to her alcove.
"Dr. Felger, what the hell just happened?" Hammond asked as the two stumbled back to the control room.
"An Abominable Intelligence dared intrude in the holy machine and assume control. It has been obliterated, and we shall work through the other systems to ensure no trace of its vile presence remains." Felger replied.
"You destroyed it without even bothering to ask why it was here?" Carter exclaimed.
"They are anathema, an affront to the Omnissiah and are to be destroyed the moment they are discovered." Felger snapped at her. "I shall have to inform the Archmagos of this. She will decide how to proceed on this issue."
Carter seemed like she wanted to argue the issue , but a look from Hammond silenced her. Despite what she told herself and others, she was angry at Felger at seducing away what she hoped would become her protégé. Still, the day passed without any further incident and life continued at the SGC until once again that peace was disturbed.
"Sir, we're receiving a message on the IDC frequency." The tech informed Hammond. "It says comtraya."
"What does it mean?" Hammond frowned as O'Neill groaned. "It's like 'shalom' or 'aloha'. That kind of stuff."
"It was a greeting used by the artificial life form Harlan on PX3-989." Teal'c added.
"Artificial life form?" Felger suddenly emerged from behind a computer tower. "I would like to know more of this construct."
"Not much to tell. We went there, he duplicated us, end of story." O'Neill snapped off a reply.
"He duplicated you?" Felger's eyes widened. "Identical copies in an artificial body?"
"Yes. Our copies didn't even realize they were robots." Carter answered him.
"Allow it passage. I must speak with the Archmagos immediately." Felger rushed away. Hammond was a bit confused but allowed Harlan to arrive.
"I have no weapons." Harlan exclaimed when he saw the soldiers aiming their weapons at him.
"Stand down." Hammond walked in just as Willow arrived in a flash of light. Felger approached her quickly and spent a few moments in silent conversation with her.
"You are Harlan?" She approached the confused android who could only nod at the strange woman before him.
"I wish to perform a little test on you. It won't cause you any harm." Willow continued and Harlan nodded once again. Willow placed her hands on his face and her electoo gauntlets sparked to life. A few moments later, she let him go.
"It is as you suspected, Felger. You have done well to inform me of this discovery." Willow grinned at her subordinate.
"You're going to destroy him now?" Carter snapped, and Harlan took a nervous step back.
"Destroy him? Why would I destroy such a wonder of the Omnissiah?" Willow exclaimed.
"I thought you hated AI." Carter frowned.
"Artificial sentience is most abhorrent to us, but a human mind in full control of an artificial body is something that the Mechanicus has long since strived to achieve." Willow replied. "With your permission Harlan, we would like to study your technologies in great detail."
"Before that, perhaps we should discuss why Harlan contacted us in the first place?" Hammond joined the discussion.
"Well, you must help you." Harlan turned towards SG-1.
After a short explanation on how the duplicate SG-1 began going on missions through the Stargate, Harlan gave them the coordinates which SG-1 recognized.
"That is Juna, we helped them fight off the forces of Heru-ur a while ago." Carter recognized the coordinates.
"Send a MALP." Hammond ordered and watched the sleek machine roll through the gate. Unlike the older versions, the MALPs used nowadays were only half as big while still retaining their full capability and were even equipped with a multi-laser.
Moments after its arrival, the copy of O'Neill contacted them, informing them that Cronus had arrived on the planet, and while the robot Daniel was dead, the copies of Carter and Teal'c were held aboard his ship.
While they were still processing the info, Buffy suddenly appeared in the room.
"Inquisitor, this is a surprise." Hammond exclaimed.
"I contacted her. I felt she would want to know about this." Willow informed him.
"Indeed I do. General, I believe it would be a good idea to send some forces to this world. It is in our best interest to keep Cronus on that planet." Buffy told Hammond.
"Unless you tell me exactly what you intend to do, you're on your own." Hammond countered.
"I'm going to replace Cronus and assume control of his assets." This shocked everyone present. "Well, not me directly, but you get the idea."
"How?" Hammond frowned. That was a strategy they never even considered, since they had no means to pull it off.
"Leave that to me, but we must act quickly. Teal'c, I need a hundred Jaffa on this world. You think you can get them there in an hour?" Buffy turned to the large Jaffa who simply nodded.
"Willow, they'll need patches. Colonel, you'll go ahead and ensure Cronus doesn't leave. Take some camo cloaks with you, you'll be outnumbered until the rest of our forces arrive." Buffy turned to O'Neill who left together with Carter once Hammond gave his approval.
"Once they leave, I need to contact New Cadia and speak with Harry. While we're dealing with Cronus, his forces will eliminate the more troublesome underlords in Cronus' forces, thus allowing our agent a smooth transition of power and preventing the other System Lords from attacking." Buffy informed Hammond.
"And who do you intend to put in Cronus's place?" Hammond was still trying to wrap his head around what they intended to do.
"Osiris." Buffy shocked him once again.
"I thought she managed to escape." Hammond didn't like it when crucial information was kept from him, and this was one such moment.
"We managed to catch her just as her ship was about to enter hyperspace. We have dealt with the parasite in such a way as to allow Dr. Gardner full access to its abilities without her being controlled or corrupted by its personality." Buffy explained.
"I don't like it that you kept this from the US government." Hammond told her.
"Dr. Gardner asked me not to. Since she is now an Imperial citizen, she is no longer the concern of the US." Buffy replied curtly. She had a feeling that this action would lead to some friction with the US government later, but the opportunity was too good to pass up, even if it was risky.
An hour later, Buffy walked out of the Stargate on Juna to find the area around the gate full of Jaffa, all of them bearing the mark of Osiris.
"I see the patches work well." She grinned as she examined the nearest Jaffa. Even up-close, it was impossible to see that the mark was a fake. The patch was a new device based on Imperial stealth materials that was designed for Jaffa. Placed on their forehead, it matched their skin tone and covered the tattoo mark while at the same time, displaying a different, preprogrammed mark.
"It is an excellent tactic to sow dissent among the System Lords." Bra'tac, who had joined the hundred warriors Teal'c brought nodded with approval at the devices.
"And the guest of honor arrives." Buffy grinned as the gate activated once more and Dr. Gardner walked out, dressed in a rather lavish outfit with a hand device standing prominently on her hand. As she stood before the Jaffa, her eyes flashed in excitement.
"You're ready for this?" Buffy turned towards the archeologist and noticed that despite her excitement and curiosity, there was a strong sense of apprehension in her stance.
"No, but I can handle it." She replied in a normal voice.
"Free Jaffa warriors, today Cronus meets his end. March on and let none stand in your way." She shouted, and the Jaffa cheered and rushed away.
"She plays her role well." Bra'tac commented as he, along with Teal'c and Buffy followed at the back of the mob. The trio would not participate directly in the fighting, and were merely there to observe the operation. The two Jaffa with Buffy were not that happy about that, but Buffy reminded them that there would be plenty of battles in the future.
"Killing Cronus is the easy part. The difficult tasks lie ahead of her. We will have to bribe Yu and Ba'al in order to prevent any System Lords from acting against this takeover. Harry is already dealing with the more troublesome of Cronus' underlords. Once we are certain that Osiris's position is secure, we can begin to enlighten Cronus's Jaffa." Buffy began.
"When the forces of Cronus join our own, we will become a serious threat to the Goa'uld." Teal'c grinned, looking forward to the sight of Cronus's lifeless body.
"Our first ships are almost complete, and more will follow soon after. The end of the Goa'uld is within sight. We simply must work carefully unless we wish to lose all our progress." Buffy warned them.
The Jaffa rebels caught the forces of Cronus by surprise as he had minimal forces on the ground, so Osiris had no trouble reaching the central pyramid and with the help of SG-1 who had managed to get aboard the ship with the help of the captured robots were there to allow them passage. Pretty soon, Cronus was trapped on the bridge, held at staff-point by a dozen Jaffa while a rather smug Osiris sat on his throne.
"You will pay for this." He spat.
"You really think you will live past this day? Truly the arrogance of the Goa'uld is limitless. Teal'c, he's all yours." Cronus' eyes widened at the sight of the traitorous Jaffa walking casually amongst Osiris's troops, but his angry snarl was turned to a scream of pain as Teal'c pressed a pain stick in his chest.
"Bring him. He does not deserve a quick death. I swear to you on my father's name, you will beg me to kill you before I allow you to die." Teal'c spat at Cronus as several Jaffa dragged the defiant Goa'uld behind him.
"He has six hours. Sarah, deal with the rest of the Jaffa on this ship and then head towards Cronus's capitol planet and announce your takeover. Deal with any opposition and then arrange for a meeting with Yu and Ba'al. If they back you, the others won't dare to attack you." Buffy turned to the archeologist who simply nodded. With that, Buffy walked out and headed towards the ring room, accompanied by Cronus's screams.
Two days later, Sarah sat nervously in the meeting room of the Hasara space station for Ba'al and Yu to arrive. Occasionally she would finger the two rings on her hands, containing digital needlers that the station's scanners failed to detect. She hoped that she wouldn't have to use them since it would mean her death even if she took the two System Lords with her. Behind her, posing as her slave stood one of the former Initiative soldiers, chosen for this mission for his skill in unarmed combat.
When the two System Lords walked in, Sarah stood as a sign of respect while she put on an annoyed face at having to do so. Ba'al seemed to greatly enjoy his position of authority over Osiris.
"Lord Yu, Lord Ba'al, I thank you for agreeing to this meeting." Sarah began.
"Your sudden strike against Cronus was well executed and from your rapid consolidation of his territory well planned as well. Not bad for someone we thought long dead. And where is that lovely mate of yours?" Ba'al asked.
"Isis is dead. But I have not called you here to speak about the old days. I am here to speak about the future." Sarah snapped.
"No doubt you want us to give you back the title of System Lord. Why should we?" Yu asked coldly.
"With the assets at my current disposal, I could strike out independently like Sokar, but I know better than him that when one surrounds himself with enemies death comes swiftly. If I want to make my rule a long one, I must not make the System Lords my enemy. I am not asking for your support without offering anything back, of course. Lord Ba'al, I pledge the support of my forces in your fights against Heru-ur. Against our combined might, he will fall and you can have him and two-thirds of his territory once he is defeated." Sarah replied.
"You make a valid point, and Heru-ur's territory would make a good addition to my own. Very well, you can count on my support." Ba'al smirked.
"Lord Yu, I offer you a sixth of my mineral productions for the next year." Sarah turned to her other guest next.
"A third." Yu demanded quickly.
"A fifth. I will need resources if I am to fulfill my obligation to Lord Ba'al." Sarah countered. Yu spent a few moments considering her words but eventually nodded his assent.
"We will send word to all the other System Lords that Osiris is once more counted amongst our ranks. Now my friend, I believe we have a war to plan." Ba'al grinned at Sarah and gestured for her to follow him to his quarters, while Yu simply walked away towards his docked ship.
At the same time on Altair, Willow and the twenty Techpriests and adepts that accompanied her were staring at the vast complex with a mixed sense of awe and shock. While the technology was pretty advanced, it was so badly maintained that only the most essential systems were in any usable state.
"Let us ease the machine's pain." The enthusiastic cry of one of the Tollan adepts broke them of their stupor and they rushed towards the machines, eager to repair the ancient machinery.
In minutes, the air was thick with the scent of incense, holy oils and binary cants as the group did their best to fix everything in sight.
While her subordinates were busy with their work, Willow was taken to the duplication machine, where she would spend some time examining it in great detail. For such an important discovery, she would take no chances and would subject the machine to all the tests she knew to ensure it functioned properly.
Free from the risk of Chaos-taint in new inventions or discoveries, the Mechanicus was experiencing a renaissance of sorts in this new galaxy, with adepts finally being able to explore how and why things worked without worry that such inquiries would damn them and everyone around them. Usually, it could take even centuries of testing to be completely certain that a technology or production pattern was free of taint. While Willow wasn't about to be that thorough in her examinations, she wasn't going to stop with a cursory glance either. And, she hoped that the examination would also help her get a better understanding in how the device functioned as well.
"It is indeed a most intriguing machine. We will have to combine the neural circuitry of your android bodies with our own technology to utilize this properly, but I foresee no problems arising." Willow spoke with the Carter replica. She and O'Neill's copy were the only ones still active, with Teal'c copy having perished helping SG-1 get aboard Cronus's ship.
"What exactly do you intend to use this for?" Robo-Carter asked.
"We will use it to allow valuable members of the Mechanicus to continue to serve the Machine God after their flesh has become too weak to carry on, or for those who have the spirit and dedication but are simply too old or weak to fully embrace the gifts of the Omnissiah. We may venerate the machines as holy, but we are still human and we must never forget or abandon that." Willow answered.
"So, when do think you're going to start?" Robo-Carter continued.
"Two Tollan volunteers have already begun constructing their bodies. I have sent them all the necessary data and they will be here tomorrow to undergo the process. Tell me, have you ever thought about upgrading yourself?" With that, the two women walked away, discussing various topics.