Well, it has been a looooong time, but a new chapter is finally out. My muse was very uncooperative on this one, and it is also shorter than the last few, but it still sets a number of important matters for the future. So, read and enjoy.
Chapter 31
Buffy's funeral was a massive, if somber affair. Countless Imperial servants crowded the Sunnydale complex, all mourning her loss, while in the chapel, her closest friends and subordinates paid their respects along with representatives of all worlds tied to the Imperium. Even the President appeared for about thirty minutes, blaming his busy schedule for the short appearance. Of course, the very front was reserved for Buffy's family and closest friends, all of whom sat, their heads bowed low and tears marring their cheeks.
Faith and Kendra stood to the side, both of them inwardly hoping for a miracle that would bring their friend back, but as the time passed, that hope became fainter and fainter.
In the midst of this scene, Harry Maybourne sat silently, his face set in a grim expression as he contemplated the future. Buffy's death was a major blow to their efforts, one that would take him a lot of time and effort to offset, and he could already feel the headache the work would cause him.
After three days of mourning, Imperial operations began to resume, and one of the first things Harry did was arrange a meeting with Buffy's top advisors.
"So, how are things now that Buffy is gone? Any major issue from the demonic side?" Harry asked.
"The death of Glorificus has demons running scared, actually. Sunnydale is almost completely demon-free. Only the most stubborn still linger, but they are not an issue. Things are so calm here actually, we've had to ship the Sisters to Pylea and New Cadia to give them some combat experience." Giles began. "The Council has also forwarded a message from a group called the Knights of Byzantium. They were sworn enemies of Glory and have pledged their allegiance to our cause. We are currently negotiating with them about supplying equipment and providing them with targets. All in all, we're looking at more than a hundred well trained and dedicated men."
"That is good news. Once they've gotten a hang of our equipment, they'll be a real asset. What about Buffy's successor?" Harry nodded.
"Well, since the Council has been keeping a closer eye on the potentials for our recruitment needs, we determined the next Slayer quickly. Her name is Chloe Winter, a fourteen-year old from Detroit. The Watchers have approached her, but for now it has been decided to leave her where she is as she is reluctant to leave her family." Giles replied.
"Very well. Having the Slayer here is not a priority anyway. Xander, per Buffy's wishes, you'll take command of all demon-oriented tasks here." Xander simply nodded. "Has anyone explained Dawn's nature to her?"
The look on the group's faces gave Harry his answer. "We're not doing that girl any favors by withholding it from her. Considering her ability, we cannot allow her to go rogue. I trust you will handle the issue?" Harry paused until Giles and Xander nodded. "Alright. I need to speak with Willow and Novak before I return to New Cadia."
"Magos Novak, how are you today?" Harry grinned at the woman as he walked in the lab.
"I am fine, Inquisitor. You are no doubt here for an update on the Libertas project?" Novak asked.
"Yes, actually. I also need to invite Willow to New Cadia." Harry replied.
"I will pass the message to the Archmagos. As for the Libertas, I am happy to say that the final round of testing is complete, and we can safely introduce the drug to the Jaffa population. We have already setup a production line capable of producing ten thousand doses a day and we plan to build five more factories for its manufacture." Novak explained.
"You have truly exceeded expectations with your work, Magos. I will inform the SGC and the rebel Jafa leaders of this and invite them for a demonstration soon." Harry informed her and walked away to arrange for transport back to the SGC and New Cadia.
"Thank you for arriving on such short notice. The issue we have to discuss is of the utmost importance." Harry stood before a room full of people. There were representatives of all the advanced worlds with ties to the New Imperium and all the priests and missionaries responsible for the less advanced worlds were there as well.
"The recent demise of Inquisitor Summers demonstrated a critical flaw in our organization. The chain of command was too centralized. If she hadn't appointed me as an Inquisitor, the command structure of the Imperium would have been in total chaos right now. That is why I have invited you here for a difficult task. We must establish the relevant sections of the Adeptus Terra to prevent the decapitation of the Imperium with a single strike." Harry's words were met with nods and murmurs by the assembled crowd.
"You are all here as delegates by the various worlds and organizations that are a part or are allied to us. All appointments will be made by majority vote. First, I nominate Archmagos Willow Rosenberg to the position of Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus." Harry's words surprised the girl.
"I second the nomination." Travell of Tolana spoke up.
"Let us vote then. Raise your hand if you vote yes." Harry continued the process. "Anyone opposed? By unanimous vote, Willow Rosenberg is the new Fabricator General."
"Next, I nominate Cardinal Larry Blaisdell for the position of Ecclesiarch." Several priests seconded the nomination, and once again, the voting was unanimous.
"Next, I nominate General Orim of Optrisia as Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard." Harry continued and once again the appointment proceeded without trouble.
"Next, I nominate Captain Parcy as Lord Commander of the Imperial Fleet." Again, the appointment was made without issue.
"Finally, I'd like to address two positions in the High Lords. The position of Grand Provost Marshall of the Adeptus Arbites will be appointed at a later date once the New Imperium is more stable and the Imperial Law is enforced on its worlds. Also, until the issue with the Goa'uld is resolved and the New Imperium remains under external threat, I propose that the duties of the Administratum remain under Inquisitorial control." Harry concluded. Since everyone present knew about the various agencies of the Imperium, they had no trouble in following his explanation. Again, a vote supporting his decision was made quickly.
"Then I would like to ask the new High Lords of the New Imperium to follow me." Harry led the group to a separate room where a woman wearing a skintight bodysuit was waiting for them.
"This is C-001, who has accepted the position of Grand Master of the Officio Assassinorum. For security reasons, the existence of this organization is restricted to the highest echelons of the Imperium." Harry introduced the woman.
"Our first order of business is to organize our territory. That means the acknowledgement or appointment of planetary leaders, the appointment of local religious leaders and the assessment of all assets under our control. That means the evaluation of resources provided, the number of PDF forces present on each world, and later, the number of people drafted into the Imperial Guard." Harry began the meeting.
"Larry, go through the list of all priests and missionaries and determine the ones most suitable for leadership positions. I want you to get things organized with a clear chain of command and succession." Harry turned to the new Ecclesiarch who simply nodded. "I trust the Adeptus Mechanicus will have no issue organizing their assets?"
"Currently, our assets are concentrated in the Manufactorum on Terra, Tollana and the new research facility on Altair. All other assets and either mining or processing facilities, and we have a good oversight on all of them." Willow replied.
"Excellent. Other than the organization of our assets, we have only two major issues to discuss. With the establishment of this Council, the deployment of one of the assassin temples or the use of Exterminatus grade weaponry can only be permitted by the unanimous vote of this Council. In an extreme emergency the Inquisition may circumvent this restriction, but only if the action can be justified to the Council afterwards. The second is the distribution of the Libertas drug to the Jaffa rebels. With this, we can expect a massive influx of Jaffa willing to fight in the Emperor's name. I propose we invite the leaders of the Jaffa rebellion here for a demonstration of the drug." Harry concluded the meeting and everyone left to perform their assigned duties.
"An asteroid? You are certain that it will impact Earth?" Harry frowned. A surprise call from the SGC gave him some rather unexpected news.
"Our calculations show that is the most likely scenario. However, since we have ships at our disposal now, we're not so helpless in this matter." Carter replied.
"Fortunately, the Wings of Liberty is currently in orbit. They can be in Sol in a few hours. Do you want to come through or should they pick you up from Earth?" Harry asked.
"We'll come through. We shouldn't risk a ship that size coming too close to Earth." Carter said and closed the connection.
True enough, a few hours later the frigate was moving into position on the asteroid that was currently threatening Earth.
"Scan the asteroid and determine the optimal target location." Colonel Ronson ordered.
"So, how's life with the Imperials, Ronson?" O'Neill grinned at his colleague.
"Not so bad. If there's one thing I can say about them, it's that they know how to build a solid ship. The one thing that creeps me out is the damn servitors. We have around fifteen thousand of them aboard, and you can't go anywhere without bumping into one." Ronson sighed.
"Yeah, I see what you mean." O'Neill commented as he watched the silent androids roam across the bridge deck.
"Sir, our scans show that the asteroid is almost ninety percent naquadah ore." Ronson frowned at the report.
"Naquadah is not native to this solar system." Carter stated.
"Which means this is not a natural event. Helmsman, move us into towing position. Divert all available power to the hyperdrive." Ronson ordered.
"You're going to bring it into hyperspace to change its course. Probably how the Goa'uld brought it here in the first place." Carter exclaimed.
"That's right. Helmsman, extend our hyperspace field around the asteroid and set course for Tollana." O'Neill turned towards Ronson in surprise.
"Why Tollana?" Jack asked.
"Have you seen the size of that thing? We're talking about millions of tons of naquadah ore, and that's not something we should waste. We'll move it in orbit of Tollana and setup mining operations." Ronson smirked.
"Yet another Goa'uld epic fail." Jack laughed.
"You sure you brought enough equipment?" Harry grinned at Willow as he watched the chain of servitors moving boxes through the Stargate.
"We want to begin immediate distribution of the drug to as many Jaffa as possible, and we also promised them weapons. I also brought something else as well. I have no idea how I managed to do it, but I managed to complete the first Exitus rifle and pistol. They are calibrated for V-001, so make sure the others don't use them. We don't want their aim to go off once they get their own guns." Willow opened the case with the powerful sniper rifle with pride.
"You've truly outdone yourself, Willow. A true masterpiece." Harry examined the weapon, noticing the insane level of precision on every piece of the gun. In the hands of a Vindicare assassin, this gun could kill anything from vast distances.
"Master Bra'tac, welcome to New Cadia. Allow me to lead you to the conference area." Harry greeted the aging Jaffa personally, as a token of respect towards what was probably one of the most revered Jaffa rebel leaders.
"Inquisitor Maybourne. Today will be a glorious day for the Jaffa. The final shackle of the Goa'uld will be finally broken and our people will be one step closer to freedom." Bra'tac smiled.
"Well said." Harry grinned. As they walked through the complex, Bra'tac noticed a rather unique group training in a field.
"That is a very reckless way to fight." Bra'tac commented as he saw the group of women charge at their targets with massive two-handed chainswords, wearing nothing more than simple robes and a head mask.
"They are our latest addition to the Order of Our Valiant Sister. They are Sisters Repentia. They have marked themselves as unworthy to become full Sisters, and now seek to earn that right through combat. When they slay a hundred foes or die in battle, they will have earned the right to be called Battle Sister." Harry explained.
"They are Jaffa." Bra'tac exclaimed as he noticed that one of the women had a symbiote pouch.
"Most of them come from a resistance group called the Hak'tyl. They were female Jaffa serving Moloc. The younger members were integrated in the Order, but the older ones did not feel like they deserved such an honor and insisted they be given the chance to earn it. Don't worry, they have more protection than just their uniforms. They have a small forcefield generator that allows them to deflect several shots, which is enough to bring them close to the enemy. And once they do…" Harry grinned as one of the Repentia cut a dummy dressed as a Jaffa in two with her Evicerator.
"I daresay they will bring about as much numbers in the rebellion as your drug will." Bra'tac smirked as Harry chuckled. And people said Jaffa had no sense of humor.
Harry had prepared an area for the Jaffa just outside the main complex as there was simply no place to put them all inside, and after a brief inspection, Bra'tac nodded in approval.
"A suitable place. I believe I will get some rest while the others arrive." Bra'tac informed him and walked to his tent.
Soon enough, the representatives of the other rebel cells began to arrive, and as the Jaffa left in small groups from the Stargate room, they were surprised when one of the Sisters yelled "Halt."
In the blink of an eye, twelve servo turrets descended from the ceiling, cycling their heavy bolters and painting the various Jaffa in the room with their targeting lasers while the two heavy combat servitors by the only exit awoke from their slumber, their numerous heavy weapons waiting only for the order to attack.
"What is the meaning of this?" One Jaffa demanded.
"This room is very carefully monitored. Our augurs detected a Goa'uld posing as a Jaffa." The Sister replied and pointed to one of the Jaffa.
"She lies." The man shouted as the Jaffa around him stepped away.
"Show us your stomach. Then we will see who lies." One Jaffa demanded, and the others quickly joined the demands.
"Refusal to do so will be considered a confession of guilt." The Sister raised her meltagun. In response, the man roared in anger and raised his staff to fire as his eyes flashed gold. The next second, the top half of his torso simply disappeared as the melta hit him straight in the face.
"Stand down." The Sister commanded and the room's security systems returned to their dormant state.
"Jaffa, hear me. Each and everyone of you is here for one reason. You realized the truth, that the Goa'uld are false gods that have been using us for far too long. The time has come for the Jaffa to be free, but I ask you, how can we be truly free if we are forced to bear the young of our enemies as a constant reminder of our enslavement?" Bra'tac addressed the crowd. "Today, this final shackle will be finally broken."
"This is the Libertas drug. It offers the same benefits of a symbiote although the healing rate is about thirty percent lower. An adult Jaffa will require about three doses a week to remain healthy. After extensive study on Jaffa tissue samples, I have determined three types of the drug depending on certain factors. This device will test your blood and determine your type. Under no circumstances should one use a type that is not your own. At best, you'll suffer a severe allergic reaction, and at worst, you will die as your immune system shuts down. Each vial is clearly marked with rings to make each type distinct and avoid confusion." Novak began her explanation.
"You guarantee this drug works? What if a Jaffa does not match any of the types?" An older Jaffa asked.
"The drug has been tested, and I guarantee it works. I have also anticipated that there might be more than three types of immune system in Jaffa, and the testing machine can determine if a person doesn't match any of the three types. If such a person appears, all I'll need is an examination and some blood samples to tailor a new type." Novak replied.
"The time for words is over, Gerak. Now is the time for action." Teal'c stood up and approached the testing machine.
"You are type two." The machine informed him and Novak took a vial marked with two rings and inserted it into an injection unit. A consequence of several Trekkies in the Mechanicus was the invention of the hypospray, which completely phased out the use of needles in the Imperium and its allies. O'Neill even sent Willow a big giftbasket when he learned that the SGC infirmary no longer used needles.
"Just press it against your neck and push the button." Novak instructed and Teal'c did so. After a few seconds, he reached into his symbiote pouch and pulled out the infant Goa'uld which began to squirm in his grip.
"Freedom." Teal'c raised it high and snapped it in half. Once the dead Goa'uld fell on the ground, the gathered Jaffa erupted in cheer.
The drug was quickly spread throughout the Jaffa, and with each manufacturing plant built, more and more Jaffa would free themselves fully from Goa'uld control. This act was considered by many the biggest step towards the eventual extinction of the Goa'uld race.
"What is your opinion Felger?" Hammond asked the Techpriest as he and his assistant examined the latest find of SG-1. On their latest mission they found an inactive android on an abandoned planet.
"It is very advanced, but not very resilient. The designer obviously intended to emulate a human. I can tell you more once we have extracted its memory files and examined them. Until then, it is my recommendation that it remains inactive." Felger replied. Considering the trouble they've gotten into thanks to advanced technology, Hammond was inclined to agree.
"After detailed examination of the android's memory files, we have determined it is an AI designed to emulate a human. Normally, I would recommend immediate destruction, but we found something very interesting in the files. It contained the designs for this." Felger showed them a very recognizable image.
"A replicator. She's the one that built them?" Carter was surprised. While she entertained many scenarios in her mind about the origin of the creatures, she never expected something like this.
"IT is the origin of the abominations, yes. The android's systems do contain a few useful technologies that can be used to enhance our servitors, but otherwise, it is my recommendation that we deliver it to the Asgard. It is more useful to them then it is to us." Felger concluded.
"How much time do you need to conclude your examinations?" Hammond asked.
"I'll be done by tomorrow." Felger replied.
"Alright. Finish your work and we'll inform the Asgard of our discovery. Dismissed.
Omake
A small omake in remembrance of one of the most epic characters in sci-fi, and one I would really like to see written in an YAHF. So, here we go, and anyone that recognizes the char gets a virtual double chocolate cookie.
Xander spared one last glance at Buffy and Willow as he revved up the bike he had somehow acquired last night. "Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast." And with a final dashing smile raced off into the sunset.
"What a guy." Buffy and Willow sighed.