As Martin stood there, about a dozen pirates coming out of the buildings to see what was going on, a strange sense of nervous awkwardness fell upon him. Half of them knew he was a Millennium Outlaw and half the people that did know hated him for it. Now it looked like he just blew up a building. Worse, it looked like he blew up the haven's local doctor. He could already hear the small crowd whispering amongst each other.
Lok Dod stepped out from the crowd, his revolver trained on him and Arcturus.
"You know, I had half a mind leaving that thing to finish you two off," Dod said, fingering the trigger as if he was now considering to do the job the Harvester wasn't able to.
"Take it easy," Charles barked, holding his hand out in front of him to show he was not a threat.
Arcturus was not the least bit nervous, on the other hand.
"I would not recommend that," she said, taking a step forward, the sword gleaming in the moonlight. "If you recall, your weapon's ammunition cannot penetrate my shield." There was a gentle clatter as she pointed her sword at the icthyan. "Now is not a good time to lose one's head."
"That was before," Lok Dod barked. "I was using plasma rounds. I've switched them out for feedback rounds, designed specifically to deal with shielded enemies. Upon impact with any shield, it will send a charge right back into the fuel cell. The more energy used by the shield, the worse the feedback is. Can even do a number to the wearer."
"My hardened shield does not function like a regular defense shield. Do you really think it will perform as intended?"
The icthyan just shrugged with a smile.
"Guess there's only one way to find out."
Martin could cut the tension in the air with his knife. Arcturus was waiting for the perfect opportunity to charge in and cut the icthyan down. Lok Dod was waiting for the opportunity to blow her away. Charles kept thinking about Arcturus's defense shield. All the other personal shields he's seen before would form a shimmering bubble of energy the moment it was hit by something. Arcturus's shield only formed a few panels of energy to block whatever was coming. The only reason he could think it would do that would be to use less energy. He couldn't really be sure if those feedback rounds would work. Still, he couldn't have the two of them fight.
"Alright, break it up!" he called out, leaping between the two. "What do you want, Dod?"
"I want answers," Lok Dod barked. "What the hell was that? I think you know."
Martin eased up a bit at this response. At least he wasn't hellbent on killing them.
"Hey, I want answers too," Charles said. "How 'bout we put our guns down and we can talk this out?" Lok Dod didn't move at first, but after a moment he lowered his gun slightly. He was still waiting for Arcturus to do the same. "Gun swords too," Charles insisted. Arcturus gave Martin an uncertain glance before finally lowering her weapon, Lok Dod doing the same.
"Come on," she said flatly, marching off. Martin could only gape as she left. Just a moment ago they were pointing guns at each other, now she was just walking off.
"Wait up!" he called, finally chasing after her with Lok Dod behind him. Arcturus was marching right for the tavern. Charles couldn't imagine why. She stormed through the door, past the dining area, and headed down the hall to the left of the front desk.
As if the tavern wasn't barren last time he was here, it was empty now. Even Ashr wasn't there. It was just the three of them with Arcturus leading them to the guest room.
"In here," Arcturus said, walking up to one of the doors. She took out a key form her uniform and unlocked the door. Martin was about to walk in but Dod stopped in front of the door.
"Just hold on a second," he barked. "I thought you were going to tell us what's going on here." His irritated glare was met by Arcturus's impatient one. She needed him to do what she said. But after a moment, she glanced at the ground as she rethought the situation. After giving a sigh, she finally spoke.
"I swear upon my honor that I will reveal everything," Arcturus said solemnly. "I need you to trust me."
Lok Dod maintained his glare, his hand drifting over his holstered revolver. He wondered if he fired his gun at point blank, could he bypass the personal shield entirely? He could risk his life and give it a shot. But, he still wanted to know what was happening and this woman was his only source of information. After an irritated groan, he finally stepped in with Martin, Arcturus closing the door behind them.
Taking a look at the room they stepped in, Martin figured this must've been where she was staying. But, it didn't look like she made herself at home in the slightest. Hell, aside from a single crate under the bed beneath the window at the far end of the room, it didn't look like she had any personal belongings at all.
The alcove that would serve as the coat rack was empty, and the desk was barren.
Charles had just stepped into the center of the room when something else caught his attention.
"Bugger me. What is that smell?!"
Arcturus walked past Martin and opened the window to let some fresh air in. She knew the smell better than anyone else. After quickly pressing a button in her gauntlet Martin watched as Arcturus's shield formed around her, a shimmering wall of energy encasing her body. This wasn't a regular personal shield though. It wasn't a single bubble of energy but a barrier made of hundreds of hexagonal plates of energy. And just as quickly as it formed, it flickered and vanished.
"It's a shame, really," she said. "Our scholars speculate that during the time of the Sillerens, they were able to maintain use of technology like their shields indefinitely using their powers. Unfortunately, our technology pales in comparison. We are only able to keep the shield active for short periods of time."
"So, what, was that the smell of your fuel cell overheating or something?" Martin remarked.
"That is exactly what it is."
She walked away, reaching into a small compartment in the chest section of her armor and took out a small crystal. The glass-like gem was steaming from the sheer heat it was emanating. Arcturus gently placed the crystal into a glass of water that was sitting on the bed stand. Immediately, the water sizzled as it took in the heated crystal.
"So right now your shield is down," Lok Dod interpreted. Arcturus glanced back at him, unfazed by this remark. Even with her shield down, she was clearly confident that she could take him on.
"Do you intend on shooting me then?" she asked. She didn't say it but Martin could tell by the tone of her voice, she was daring him to attack. Martin wasn't much of a face reader but that didn't stop him from trying to read Arcturus's face in the meantime. Her face was stiff as stone, her only expression being a solemn stare as if to say 'attack me and see what happens'.
"Just tell us what's going on here," Lok Dod finally huffed impatiently. Arcturus gave a satisfied nod.
"I will start at the beginning then," she said with a tired sigh. "My full name is Samanya Arcturus. I apologize for the secrecy but everything I have done up to this point is because I need your help," she said to Martin.
"You know you could've just asked," Charles pointed out. "We've been working together for a while now. You could've just told me."
"Considering the nature of what I need your help for, I was doubtful you would agree," she explained. "Would either of you like a seat?" she asked, gesturing toward the chair. Martin glanced at her before glancing at Dod. The fish man seemed very content with just leaning against the door.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Martin muttered as he took a seat in the chair next to the desk though Samanya stayed standing. He glanced out the open window. The stench of the burning metal was beginning to clear and he could hear the clattering of scavengers picking through the demolished house like maggots at a corpse.
"As I mentioned before, I am former leader of the Order of Aurox," Arcturus said.
"Earlier, you called Aurox 'The Pariah of the Nox'," Martin remarked. "What does that mean?" Samanya paused for a moment. It was clear she was hesitant to explain it. After pacing around the room for a moment, she finally answered.
"What do you know about the Nox?" Samanya asked, walking over and closing the window.
Martin thought back to what he was told. Though Arcturus didn't know it, he had once encountered the pacifistic race. They had explained to him their history and the reason for their devotion to peace.
"From what I was told, there used to be a warrior race called the Sillerens. They fought each other to the point of extinction. But one of them, named Nox, went on a pilgrimage. When he came back, he wanted to spread peace. Those who followed him called themselves 'Nox' to honor him. The Sillerens wiped themselves out and the Nox survived."
"What you weren't told was that Nox didn't make the pilgrimage alone. He was accompanied by his brother, Aurox. They both saw and experienced the same things. But Aurox felt that violence would still be required to protect and maintain peace. He and his followers used their powers to shield the Nox until the Sillerens had wiped themselves to extinction."
"I can't imagine that would go well," Charles remarked. He remembered the mission report. When SG-1 encountered the Nox, they detested violence even if it was used to protect them. But, the Goa'uld were nothing compared to the might of the Nox. The Sillerens, on the other hand, were on par with them.
"Right after the Great War was over, the Aurox were exiled and the Nox erased all reference to him and his followers from their scriptures. But the Aurox left their own scriptures behind for us to follow." Samanya walked to the center of the room, taking out her sword and holding it out as if to show Martin. "It was the duty of our order to restore order in this galaxy."
"And they've done a fine job of that," Lok Dod snarked. "The entire galaxy's been in a state of chaos for as long as anyone can remember. Every nation is at war is somebody and space pirates still infest the place."
"News flash, mate," Martin barked. "You're also a space pirate." This guy really couldn't make up his mind. First he gets mad about them working with the Ror'char to fight slavers since slavers were still space pirates and now he's spitting on the name like it was a disease.
"I'm referring to the slavers, raiders, head hunters, gangs, and guilds," Lok Dod clarified. "They're half the reason this galaxy is the way it is. No nation dares to expand out of fear of their cities being raided. When they're not looting isolated colonies, raiders and slavers are especially adept at showing up out of nowhere around a planet, bombing a random city, and hyperspace jumping out of there before the planet's military can retaliate, and that's assuming they aren't using the stargate.
"Uh...the Ror'char are seen as pirate hunters. I'm pretty sure the space pirates piss their pants at the idea of fighting them."
"Out of all the nations in this galaxy, the Ror'char may have had the most success fighting the space pirates but they are not immune to the chaos," Samanya said. "And even if a nation did somehow manage to shield themselves from pirate raids, none have been able to fend off the Harvesters. Not even the Order."
Martin could not help but feel a chill run down his spine. So many planets and so many people harvested and no one knew why or what happens to them. Anywhere from hundreds to billions of people vanishing from a planet without a trace all at once.
"Is that what happened?" he asked. Samanya gave a single solemn nod.
"All I will say is that my men tricked me so I would not be present when it happened. That is why I am here. Charles Martin, you are going to help me wipe out the Harvesters into extinction."
Charles stared at Arcturus in shock. His jaw dropped at this suggestion. He could hear Lok Dod snickering when he heard this.
"You need me to help you wipe out the harvesters?" Charles repeated. "Sorry, but you're batshit insane if you think I can somehow pull that off."
"I concur," Lok Dod said. "Forget his aid; how do you intend on wiping the entire harvester race?"
"As former head of the Order, I had access to all intel gathered on the Harvesters," she explained. "All across the galaxy, there are scientists who dedicate themselves to studying the Harvesters and their origins to try to find a way to counter them. Strangely, the leading scientists always vanish with little to no trace. According to the intel gathered, several of them were last seen on this planet. I will put an end to what is happening here. We must first capture that monster we saw earlier but I will need help doing so. It may be our only hope of finding more about the harvesters."
"How do you know that?" Lok Dod asked.
"I spoke to the assistant of one of the scientist that disappeared. That harvester we saw is a mutation of the human we found, his body used as a vessel to morph into something more suited for its task. If we manage to capture it and find a way to revert it to its human form, the host should have access to some of the creature's memories and thoughts."
Hearing this, Martin immediately thought about McFree. Isaac McFree was once implanted with a harvester parasite that caused him to mutate between human and harvester. Any time McFree was human, he would talk about hearing whispers in the back of his mind. Now that Sam mentioned this, the hospital bed the human used to be was empty. And when they found the man, he was exactly how McFree was when he reverted to his human form.
"Are you with me?" Arcturus asked.
Samanya stared at the human and icthyan. The fact that she was even going with this plan was killing her. Everything about it betrayed everything she believed. Still, she had to do it for her men, her people.
"Alright," Martin said. Samanya looked at him in surprise.
"You are ok with this, risking your life for someone you hardly know and owe nothing to?" she asked. "Did you not have your own priorities?" She was stunned that he would agree to this so soon. She, a stranger, was asking him to help her in an endeavor most would consider tantamount to suicide and without any reward.
"Well yeah, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Besides, you shouldn't need a reason to help people." Samanya's face wasn't completely emotionless. Even as they talked it still showed some of what she felt: anger, determination, surprise. But, even when it showed these emotions her face remained stiff. But when he said this, for the first time, he watched as her expression soften.
"I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this," she said, looking down to the side. She looked up again when she saw Martin stand up from his chair and hold his hand out. After a moment, she took it and gave a single firm shake.
"What about you, fish face?" Martin barked. Lok Dod could tell the human was intentionally calling him fish to piss him off.
"If I really wanted to die, I'd eat the barrel of my gun," he replied.
"Is that the reason you were perturbed when I mentioned how the scientists vanished on this planet?" Samanya asked. Martin didn't even notice any expression change in fish face before. But when Arcturus mentioned this, his discomfort was obvious. He tried to stay calm and pretend he wasn't affected. Finally, he gave an exasperated sigh.
"I think it's easier if I showed you," he replied. He gestured toward the door. Charles and Sam exchanged glances at Lok Dod's sudden change in attitude. His snide attitude was replaced by what seemed like genuine worry. And, they needed someplace to start other than chasing a random monster.
"Alright," Samanya said. "We're on board."
-.-
It's been a while since Chen was on the Fierri homeworld. The moment he stepped through the gate, it was obvious they moved it to a more secure location. It looks like they had it in some bunker judging from the cement room and row of fierri vanguards in front of them.
"Stand down, everyone!" Crux ordered when he saw Chen, Felger, and Hailey walk through the gate. Hailey looked around curiously while Felger was practically squeaking with excitement. "It's good to see you guys again. Welcome to the Valgrind Command Center. This is where we run our own valgrind operations. I'm sorry, Stargate operations."
"Call it whatever you want," Chen said, still looking around as the fierri troops filed out. "You got our transmission earlier?"
"And the data package that came with it," Crux added. "Our scientists have already gotten started in gathering the data from our computers." Hailey and Chen both glanced at Felger. This was his idea.
"What're you waiting for?" Hailey asked with a nudge. Felger smiled giddily. It was on. A guard lead the three of them out of the room and to the labs. But, Crux stayed behind to watch them leave. The valgrind chamber fell silent as only he and one other guard remained.
"Sir," the guard said. "I heard a few things about the data they sent over."
"I know," Crux answered, his eyes narrowing. "I think they sent over more than they intended. Not only did we get the files on what they know about the DHD, there were some very detailed documents about things they've done in the Pegasus galaxy."
"According to the files, the creatures feed off the life force of sentient species. Some would consider that reason enough to go to war."
"Perhaps. But I'm not too pleased with the methods." Crux could feel the guard staring at him in confusion. "Our forefathers used alien technology they procured through the valgrind to massacre all foreign races under the notion ours was superior. If we gave them the technology to simply genetically change all of them to become the same as ours, do you think they would use it?"
"Some would consider such a conversion to be better than mass murder," the guard pointed out.
"Perhaps, but at its core, are you not trying eliminate a race because you feel it is impure?" The guard fell silent, understanding what Crux was trying to say. "Tell the security office to keep a close eye on the cameras." The guard gave a nod and walked off to carry out his orders.
-.-
"I hope it is not your intent to lead us into a trap," Arcturus barked. They had been walking through the woods for nearly an hour by this point. Even the crashed ship was not this far. Under the canopy of the trees, not even moonlight made it to the ground. Martin had to shine his light right in front of him to make sure he didn't trip over anything. Lok Dod had a small flashlight in hand to do the same. Samanya, on the other hand, seemed to be able see through the dark. Her eye sight wasn't perfect; her head was pointed straight down practically the entire time.
"Don't worry," Lok Dod replied, stepping through the underbrush and into the open. "We're here." Arcturus and Martin looked past him but could only see darkness. The trees and underbrush had parted to what looked like a cliff overlooking a clearing but the trees surrounding that clearing had grown so massive that it formed a canopy over the entire thing. The plants had formed a dome that completely blocked out moonlight. If there was something in front of them, there was no way to see it. Martin could shine his flashlights on a few oddly shaped objects in front of him but he couldn't tell what he was looking at. It looked like there were cube-shaped rocks stacked all over the place but he couldn't tell why.
"Watch your eyes," the fish man said.
Martin shined his torch on Lok Dod, watching as the fish man took out his revolver. Dod opened the boxlock action revolver, removing one of the blue-tipped bullets in the cylinder and replacing it with one with a red tip and black stripes. He spun the cylinder so that the new bullet would be fired next before closing the gun once more. He aimed the gun toward the sky and fired.
A single bang echoed through the plant chamber as a brilliant blue fire ball was shot into the sky, hitting the top of the canopy near the top and getting stuck in the wood. The round must've been some sort of flare, the flame filling the entire chamber with light.
Charles felt his jaw drop. Even Arcturus was stunned. Those weren't cube rocks. Those were buildings. Before him was an ancient and abandoned town, concrete buildings overgrown by vines and vegetation, bricks paths and stairs weaving between structures, stone bridges connecting the towers. The shadows had covered it like an ocean of darkness but the light had pulled back the black curtains, awakening the city again.
The massive trees growing around the outpost completely covered the outpost like a cave chamber made of trees.
"Bugger me. What is this place?" Charles gawked as Lok Dod opened the gun and put the original bullet back in its place.
"I'm gonna trust the two of you," Dod said. "As much as I think I should kill the Millennium turncoat, it looks like our goals are aligned."
"You are here for the harvesters as well?" Samanya asked.
"I'm an enforcer for the Bukahn Family," Lok Dod explained as he proceeded across the stone bridge before them, his two new allies in tow. "Their business is arms dealing but the boss's little girl decided to take a more honest line of work. She was a historian. But not long ago, she went missing."
"Let me guess," Charles interrupted. "She was studying the harvesters." To Martin's shock, Dod didn't even seem pissed at him anymore. He seemed genuinely worried about what was happening.
"No," the fish man said. "She was studying the Alliance of Four Great Races. Unlike the other historians, who wanted to start at the most recent and work backwards, she wanted to start at the beginning. She wanted to know how they were formed, what circumstances brought them together. All I know is that her work brought her here."
"She was the one who discovered this place?" Arcturus asked, her eyes scanning the entire landscape. "What is this place?"
"According her journal, the research station of a now extinct race that existed after the Alliance but before any of ours. Unlike the members of the Alliance such as the Asgard and Ancients, these people used stone based technology instead of crystal. They too were seeking the truth about the start of the Alliance of Four Great Races."
"So, you think the Harvesters are involved in the woman's disappearance?" Martin concluded.
"Well, originally I thought you were somehow linked to her disappearance," Lok replied. "But, her and an entire research station vanish on this planet while looking into the beginning of the Alliance. And, according to Arcturus, several scientists investigating the Harvesters vanish here too."
"Many scientists research the Harvesters," Arcturus explained. "Most give up, saying they are making no progress. But the ones that claim they are tend to vanish…many of them on this planet."
"It's not just scientists," Charles added. "You guys know about the Andaran homeworld?"
"From what I heard, the entire continent containing the Stargate was harvested," Samanya recited.
"Well, I was there not long ago. Apparently, the government was pretty damn dedicated to researching the Harvesters too. Then suddenly they up and vanish."
"There is something I wish to add," Arcturus said. "A few days before the Order was harvested, our historians were looking into the origins of the Aurox. In particular, they wanted to know why the Aurox did not join the Alliance."
"Probably because of a difference in philosophies," Dod suggested.
"No. The Ancients, the Asgard, and the Furlings all had militaries. It wouldn't make sense that the Aurox would be turned away because they believed in the use of violence."
"What does that have to do with the Harvesters?" Lok Dod asked impatiently.
"It's because they were harvested because they were looking into the Alliance as well," Maritn concluded.
They all paused in their tracks, taking in the new information. Lok Dod reached into his vest and took out a small journal, ribbons of a multitude of colors peeking out the pages. He looked at the book sadly.
"This was her journal," he said. "She decided to detail what she discovered about the start of the Alliance."
Martin stared at the tiny book, knowing the secret to the beginning of the Alliance was in there. But he also knew why Lok Dod suddenly looked so nervous. Everyone thus far vanished after discovering too much about the Harvesters. And suddenly the people researching the beginning of the Alliance also vanish.
"You think she was taken because of what is in that journal," he concluded, the same journal Lok Dod already read.
"I think so," Dod said. "The weird part is, I didn't read anything that the Harvesters might want people to not know."
Give it to me," Arcturus said, holding out her hand. Lok Dod and Charles looked at her as if she was insane. Without question, Dod handed her the journal.
"Hey, you want to kill yourself, be my guest," he grunted.
"You can't be serious," Martin said as Samanya quickly flipped through the journal as if to gauge how long it was. She read a few lines, quickly marking where the pertinent entries began. All she cared about were the Harvesters. The history of the individual races in the Alliance was of zero value to her.
"If the Harvesters fear their secret being discovered, then learning it will bring them right to me," she explained. "That creature we saw earlier is still out there but we are still searching for it. This way, it will come right to me."
"Well you'll have plenty of time to read it," Dod replied. "We're in the dead of night so I think we should all take a break. We can continue our business in the morning."
"Agreed," Samanya replied. "You two may sleep. I shall take first watch." Lok Dod and Martin looked at her in protest.
"What I meant was we go back to the haven to sleep," he said. "Nights are pretty long on this planet compared to others."
"It is more efficient to sleep here," Arcturus pointed out. "You've been here before. Do you think there is anything of value in this outpost?"
Martin instinctively glanced behind him at the buildings. He did want to one day take the time to explore this place, this city of interlinked metal structures with interwinding stairs and bridges. But, they had their priorities.
"No," Lok Dod answered. "There's nothing here."
"Then it's settled. We shall rest here for the night and return to the haven in the morning."
Martin watched as Arcturus proceeded to take a seat on the bridge, opening the journal to read. He glanced at Lok Dod, who had begun walking the other direction toward the nearest building.
"Working with a goody two shoes knight and a Millennium traitor," the icthyan muttered. "There must be something wrong with me."
-.-
Hands. That was all Charles Martin felt. Hands. Hundreds of hands and spindly legs were grabbing him, pulling him off the ground. He struggled. He thrashed. Finally, they let go and he fell to the ground. He looked up, hoping to see what had grabbed him. Instead, in the sky, he saw a massive silhouette. Bigger than a skyscraper. Bigger than a starship. Bigger than the planet. It looked down at him, holding the planet in its claw. And it wasn't alone. Two other massive figures looked down upon him.
Martin's eyes fluttered open. It was another dream…
Martin had fallen asleep on what looked like an old countertop. But, his mind kept racing over the events of the past two days. He was still stuck on this planet but he had something he had to do before he left. As much as he disliked Lok Dod, he understood why the fish man hated him. Then there was the Harvester monster.
The SGC's encountered monstrous aliens in the past but nothing like this. They understood the Quinterans better than they understood the Harvesters. But, as far as Martin was concerned, it wasn't anything but a wild animal, no different than the list of monsters and aliens he's seen on TV. Then there was Arcturus. She hellbent on eliminating the Harvesters, willing to practically sacrifice herself as long as she got closer to wiping out the Harvesters.
No longer able to take it, he finally got off the counter. The glowing flare Dod shot had begun to dim but he could still see. He carefully made his way outside the building, his ion rifle slung from his shoulder. He could see Arcturus was still stationed outside, still leaned up against the side of the bridge. She looked up at him, pausing from the journal she was reading.
"I thought you would be resting," she said.
"Eh, thought I'd keep you company," he said, plopping down beside her. He looked at the journal she held, an armored finger from her gauntlet still held between the pages to mark where she left off. Even now, not knowing what was in there, he was terrified of that book yet she wanted to read it.
"You are really willing to go that far?" Martin asked, still staring at the journal. "You know if you read this there's a good chance you'll vanish just like everyone else."
"If the Harvesters want me to vanish, they need to come find me first," Samanya said firmly.
"Yeah but if they were that easy to stop, don't you think someone would've done it by now?" Charles pointed out. "Chances are you'll just vanish like everyone before."
"That is a risk I am willing to take," she responded without hesitation. Martin stared at her, unable to believe his ears. He was a soldier. He knew the concept of sacrificing one's self but this was just pointless suicide to him.
"I owe it to them," Samanya explained. Samanya's face was stiff but Martin could still see the hints of regret in her eyes. And even if he couldn't see it, he could hear it in her voice.
"I get you're trying to avenge your men but this isn't the way. You're not gonna avenge anyone at this rate; you're just gonna get yourself killed."
"As I said before, I am willing to take that chance. They are gone because of me and my failings as a leader. The least I can do is pay for my sins."
"They died so you could live. Killing yourself would be an insult to their sacrifice."
Arcturus didn't respond to this statement. She just stared at the journal in her hand.
"I have no other choice," she said. "I was born into my role. My responsibilities were inherited and my duties are expected."
"Expected by who? They're gone."
"Which is exactly why I must fulfill them: in order to honor their memory. I was born into the role as leader of the Order so it is my duty. I have no choice."
"You do have a choice," Martin argued. "You're defined by your actions, not what you're born into."
Samanya glanced at Martin. She didn't say it but he could tell she was asking how he would know anything about that. He gave a sigh. It wasn't the best example but it was the best he could come up with.
"Back where I came from I grew up in a rich family," he explained. "There's no sugar coating it. If I really wanted I didn't need to work a day in my life. My father was the owner of a decent sized business. My mother, a doctor."
"Sounds like an easy life style," Samanya remarked. Martin couldn't tell if this was her usual sarcasm, just an observation, or whether she was envious.
"I don't deny it had its benefits, but it wasn't as easy as most people thought," Charles replied. "One thing my parents taught me was that money was power and that power is a gift that should be used to help others. It was the duty of anyone who was capable to help those who weren't. That's why I'm here. My sister went on to become a nurse. I joined the Australian Royal Air Force."
"If you truly had such an easy life style, why would you choose such a profession?" she asked.
"Simple: I wanted to help people. You define yourself by how you live, not what type of life you are born into."
"So, you suggest I abandon my responsibilities simply because of what I want?"
"I'm not saying that either. You were the leader. You should fulfill your duties because it was the right thing to do, not because you were just born into it. And right now you should stop throwing your life away just to fill an obligation that doesn't make sense."
Sam looked ahead, thinking about his words. Her hand slowly drifted to her sword on her back. She had always lived by the position she was born in. She never once considered being something else. The moment she was born she had inherited the role of leader. The moment her leadership lead to the death of her people, she vowed to seek revenge. For the first time, she wondered if she should try a different path.
-.-
"Amazing!" Chen heard Felger squeal from behind him. Steven's fingers paused on the keys for a moment. He had been hearing Jay Felger squealing excitement at practically every piece of technology he found in the Fierri's Valgrind Command Center. While he had gotten a brief taste of their technology when they went on a joint mission with the Fierri, that was just a basecamp. That was nothing compared to what this base had.
Chen and Hailey were at the computer, double checking Felger's calculations. He had worked his magic making the blueprints. Now it was time for them to work their magic to make sure he didn't Felger it up. That left Jay wandering the lab, looking at all the cool equipment.
"Dannick says fierri have been around as long as humans on Earth have," Hailey said, describing what she heard from her team's resident archaeologist.
"Don't encourage him," Chen groaned, already imagining all the fawning Felger would do.
"That is so cool!" Felger jittered excitedly. "Even the technology they had before discovering the Stargate was at least a hundred years ahead of us. Their technology is advancing twice as fast as on Earth!"
Chen ignored Felger's comments and continued scanning the code. This simple hand-held device, which looked like a smart phone, was supposed to be able to dial the Stargate remotely. The program needed to work or they might get sent to the wrong planet, a space gate, or worse.
"You seem a lot more excited than the last time we worked with the Fierri," Chen commented. If he had to be absolutely honest with himself, he actually wasn't annoyed by Felger's antics. While he definitely preferred a less-talkative Felger, the overly eager one didn't bother him either. He just didn't want people to think he was getting soft on the former failure.
"Of course I'm excited! These guys are so cool! They're like space dwarves."
Chen finally paused from his work.
"I'm just gonna start keeping a list of everything these guys are called," he muttered. Felger looked at Chen in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when we first met 'em, Charles called them Sorarans."
"Sontarans," Hailey corrected.
"Whatever."
Hailey smiled at Chen's gruff attitude. When they first started, Chen was just the local crank. Only Kara Osborn seemed to get along with him. Now, Wolf Pack, the Dusk Riders, and Felger have all been able to get along with him. She and Felger have been working with him a lot more too.
"I call them thumb-heads," Hailey remarked to Felger. The two held back a stifled laugh. Chen didn't want to show it but he was holding in a chuckle too.
"They look like thumbs!" Hailey laughed. "They look like thumbs with faces on them!"
Finally, Chen's self-control vanished. He put his head on the keyboard, snickering. Now that he took a moment to think about it, the Fierri's head did look like thumbs with faces on them.
His face was still red with laughter when a beep caught his attention. He looked up at the computer screen excitedly.
"That's it…" Chen said in a monotone voice. They had been working on this for a while now. And now, it looked like they had it. "That's it!"
Hailey rushed to Chen's side, looking at the results.
"There were a few mistakes we had to fix," Hailey muttered. "But the simulations work!"
They both looked at Felger to see what his reaction was. But Jay Felger could only stare on in shock. It wasn't long ago that they moved Felger from the design department to the blueprint department. He would draw up designs and turn them into engineers to be built. While the system itself produced results, this was the first time Felger was ever told that his plans would work.
"Well…shouldn't we test it first," he said stiffly.
"Oh, yes we will," Chen chuckled.
-.-
Martin didn't want to wake up. It had been such a nice nap. He was about to sit up but he felt something on his shoulder. Looking over, he realized Samanya had fallen asleep leaning on him.
"So much for keeping watch," he muttered to himself. He gently shrugged his shoulder, hoping it would wake her up, but to no avail.
"Hey," he hissed. "Hey, Sam." He reached over and poked her cheek. That did it. The next thing Charles knew, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Is there something wrong?" Acrturus asked. Charles stared at the barrel. He didn't expect her gauntlets to have guns on them.
"Nothing," he said. Satisfied with that answer, Arcturus lowered her gun. She looked around, stiffening when she saw her surroundings. "Something's wrong." She bolted to her feet, drawing her sword and immediately transforming it into a rifle.
"What's up?" he asked, pulling out his ion rifle.
"It should be light out by now." Arcturus rose to her feet, still looking around. "We should retrieve Lok Dod and return to the haven." She rushed into the ruins before Martin could even get to his feet. He stumbled after her, glancing at the top of the dome. The flare had died so the only light that came in was from the outside. It wasn't moonlight through. It was as if the entire sky had been covered by enormous black clouds, muted sunlight struggling to peep through the holes.
He quickly followed Arcturus into the building where they had left Lok Dod, his hand tight around his revolver.
"Hey," Martin hissed, nudging the amphibian with his boot. The moment he did that, he found himself staring down the barrel of Lok Dod's gun. Dod had bolted upright and pointed it at Martin.
"There a problem?" Dod asked.
"Do you people always point guns at the first thing that wakes you up?"
Dod lowered his weapon and slowly rose to his feet, glancing at the two people standing beside the counter he had used for his bed.
"Why is it so dark?" he asked, glancing out the window.
"There must be a storm," Arcturus said.
"Don't hear any rain," Charles pointed out. He looked outside again. He just couldn't get a glimpse at the sky. Not with all the trees in the way.
"If it's possible, we should still head back," Samanya said, walking off. "We still need to deal with the creature we encountered yesterday." Martin and the fish-man exchanged unsure glances. Even now, she was still hellbent on capturing a harvester.
The walk back to town was shorter than Charles remembered. Being able to see where he was going helped. Though there was some light, the entire land was still blanketed in shadow. Thick black clouds filled the sky. It was as if a thunderstorm was upon them but there was no storm.
As if things weren't creepy enough, as they approached the haven, it was apparent something was wrong.
"Hold up," Martin said, holding his hand out to signal to Lok Dod and Arcturus to stop. They could just barely see the buildings in the distance, but he knew something was up.
"What is it?" Arcturus asked. Martin flipped up the scope on his rifle and looked through it. He didn't tell Lok Dod but the scope was actually a gift from the Ror'char for helping them catch the slavers. Looking through it, he could scan the haven.
"Where is everyone?" he muttered, looking up from his rifle. "The haven…it's empty…" The haven was never densely populated but now it was dead. The streets were empty. Martin could see through the ones with the blinds drawn. But all the rooms were empty. It was as if everyone had left.
Charles was so busy looking down his scope he jumped when he felt something tap his shoulder.
"Guys…" Lok Dod muttered, looking into the distance. "What is that?!"
Charles rolled onto his side to see just what had the fish man so shocked. And when he saw it, he felt his jaw drop.
"Bugger me…what is that?"
He couldn't see it clearly at first. It looked just a massive black mass. But as his eyes soon adjusted to the darkness, Martin could see a massive column of black twig-like growths. Looking at them from a distance, he couldn't tell if they looked like black brambles or absurdly long insect legs. It seemed they were both. He looked through his scope at the black column, hoping to get a better look. The ion rifle was a marksman rifle so its scope wasn't as good as a sniper rifle but he could still see the countless interwoven segmented branches, oily webs stretched between each blackened limb, glowing embers gently floating off of it. Looking up from his scope, the three of them watched as the black column slowly rose into the sky, vanishing amongst the dark clouds.
"You know," Lok Dod said. "All of a sudden, I don't want to go back to the haven."
-.-
If things didn't seem fishy before, they certainly did as they entered the completely desolate haven. Not a single light was on and not a single soul was outside.
"I don't like this," Lok Dod said, taking out his revolver. He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and glanced at the gauntlet. "I like this even less."
Arcturus and Martin looked at the fish man in confusion. None of them liked this but Lok Dod seemed more disturbed than normal.
"What is it?" Arcturus asked.
"My gun's a gift given to me by my employers," Lok Dod explained. "It's a projectile weapon and I have to individually reload every shot. But I can choose what shots I fire. When we were fighting the harvester yesterday, the last bullet I put into it was a tracking bullet."
"Let me guess," Martin said. "Your tracker says the thing's close to us."
Lok Dod pointed to the tavern in the distance. It sent chills down Charles's spine to know how close that creature was. The thought of the thing was terrifying enough. But now he learned that it was within walking distance of him.
"Let's go," Arcturus said, immediately marching in the direction of the tavern. Lok Dod twirled his revolver before following. The two barely took a few steps before Martin rushed up and grabbed them by the shoulders.
"Hold up!" he hissed. "Don't either of you watch movies? You put a tracker in big, bloody monster, you follow tracker to some secluded location, then you find out it clawed out the tracker and made a trap with it!"
"I actually do know what the turncoat is saying," Lok Dod said. "The Harvesters are clearly intelligent. There's a good chance that that signal is a trap."
"Then what do we do?" Arcturus asked impatiently. "Even if that is a trap, then the only way to draw it out is to spring it."
"Are you volunteering?" Martin asked. The question was supposed to be facetious. He thought Arcturus would back down the moment she heard it. But instead…
"Yes, I am."
Arcturus marched off in the direction of the tavern, leaving Lok Dod and a gaping Martin behind.
"Smooth," Dod said, quickly rushing to catch up to Arcturus. Charles, meanwhile, was scanning the town with his eyes, trying to find a perfect sniping spot. It was easy to see. A market had a small wall that gave him perfect sight of the largest windows into the tavern and it was a good distance away. Charles quickly went over and set up shop. He set his ion rifle to minimum yield and flipped up his scope. He was just getting comfortable, even pulling up a chair so he could sit, when he spotted Lok Dod jogging up to him.
"I gave Arcturus a communicator," the fish man said, flashing a small black radio in his hand. "You're a sniper? If things go wrong, I'll join her. You will have to provide fire support from a distance."
"That's was the plan," Martin said dismissively. This was what he was good at. When he joined the military, stories of combat in urban areas and civilians killed in the crossfire terrified him. He did not want to cause any innocents to lose their lives. It was this fear that drove him to be as accurate as he could with a weapon. He pushed himself to make the shots no one else could. He could now support his teammates at any range, hitting targets at distances where they can't even see who they're fighting. It was also good for situations like this. He had his friends' backs.
Peering through his scope, he could see Arcturus pull out her sword, pressing herself against the wall as she snuck up to the door.
"Do you see anything?" Arcturus asked through the communicator as Martin peered through the window. Martin shook his head at Dod.
"Nothing," the fish man said back. If the harvester was in there, it was in a blind spot. If only Arcturus could draw it out, he could start pelting it with the ion rifle's bolts.
He glanced back at Arcturus. The woman opened the door and finally entered. Knowing his role was now more crucial than ever, Martin returned to scanning the building. He still couldn't see anything. He began scanning the area around the building too. He was still sure that it was just a giant trap set up by the harvester.
"Charles, Dod," Arcturus said through the communicator. "I believe you two should come see this."
"Uh…You sure?" Charles asked. They were supposed to keep watch to ambush the ambushers. It kinda breaks the point if you just walk out into the open.
"I'm sure," Arcturus said.
Charles exchanged glances with Lok Dod. Finally, they both gave a sigh before finally leaving the sniping post. Even though Arcturus seemed confident that they could come down, Martin was still on edge. He continued scanning the eerie and abandoned buildings, unable to shake the feeling something was watching them.
Lok Dod got the door while he watched their back. He still felt this entire thing was a trap. But, as they stepped inside, he saw why Arcturus wanted them to come. At the center of the bar, laying against a table, covered in sweat, was a human. But it wasn't any human. It was the human that transformed into the harvester.
"Help me…" he panted. The man was completely naked short of a table cloth tied around his waist. His face was red and his eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious the harvester transformation was taking a toll on him.
Lok Dod stared at the human for a moment before taking aim.
"No!" Martin barked, shoving his gun aside. The icthyan looked at Martin in irritated shock.
"That's the man who becomes the harvester!" Lok Dod argued.
"He's not a harvester now! We can find a way to help him!"
Before either of them could say another word, they realized Acturus had placed her sword against Dod's neck.
"You are not killing him," she said coldly. Martin looked at Sam in shock. Even if she was desperate to catch a harvester, she wouldn't kill her teammate. Would she? Looking at her, it was chilling to see how cold those green eyes had become.
"Alright, he gets the point!" Martin said. Arcturus lowered her sword at Martin's reassurance. "So what do we do now?"
The blonde knelt by the sick man, looking at his panicked eyes.
"What do you know?" she asked. Martin stared at Samanya in shock. She wasn't exactly the warmest person but the her voice sounded colder and more distant than usual. She wanted something and she was willing to go to any distance to get it.
"What makes you think he knows anything?" Lok Dod asked, clearly irritated that he had been threatened just a few moments ago.
"Whenever a person is converted into a harvester, they can hear the voices of other harvesters on some sort of psychic network," Arcturus said. "They use some sort of hive-mind to communicate and he is part of the network."
"They are telepathic," a voice said. Everyone turned to face the voice, weapons at the ready. They watched as a familiar bug-man stepped out into the light, no longer wearing his vest but now wearing a long black coat. "Their telepathy is how they deal with anyone with any sort of mind power. But it isn't a hive-mind."
Martin couldn't believe his eyes. He had a hunch as to what was going on, but he hoped he was wrong.
"Ashr?" he stuttered.
"Hello, Charles," the bug man greeted. "If I had to be honest, I'm glad you're still here."
"Ashr…where is everyone?"
Arcturus and Lok Dod picked up on what Martin was insinuating, both of them aiming their weapons at the barkeep.
"Gone," Ashr said simply. "It was becoming dangerous for you to be here so I had a little help."
Martin could not get rid of the chills going down his spine.
"What are you talking about?" he asked cautiously. He stared at the bug-man's face. "Ashr…what have you done?"
"I just want to talk," Ashr said, holding his hands in front of him to show he's unarmed. Martin kept turning between the infested human and Ashr, not sure who to train his weapon on. Lok Dod had his revolver aimed at the human while Arcturus had her rifle aimed at Ashr.
"It was becoming dangerous for you to be here," Ashr explained. "And I needed to talk to you." Ashr walked over to the kitchen counter and began pouring himself a drink.
"Ashr," Martin said cautiously. "Where is everyone?" Ashr didn't respond at first, taking the time to finish his drink.
"Gone," Ashr finally said, putting the glass back on the counter. "It was becoming dangerous for you to be here and I needed to talk to you in private."
"Ok…" Martin muttered. "Well, I'm here. What is it you want to talk about?"
"Charles, stop talking," Samanya said. Martin looked at Arcturus in surprise at her sudden statement. "Tell me, Ashr. You said the other pirates are gone. What happened to them?" Ashr didn't answer. He simply maintained his stare at the trio.
"That's what I thought," Arcturus remarked in response to Ashr's silence. Martin looked at Samanya in confusion. And she could see it. "You had them harvested, didn't you?" she asked Ashr.
Charles felt his blood freeze.
Harvested
He knew what this meant. Every soul in the town had been taken by the Harvesters for god knows what.
"Harvested?" Lok Dod repeated. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't get it?" Arcturus asked, transforming her sword into a rifle. "The human on the ground was infested by a harvester parasite. So are you, aren't you? You're a harvester."
"Nope," Ashr laughed, holding out his hands. "I'm a narkoss. I'm just here to talk on behalf of some very big guys upstairs"
"But you aren't denying anything, mate," Martin observed. They were all thinking it but none of them said it, dreading the possibility. "You're not a harvester. You're just working for them!"
Ashr simply smiled at this accusation.
"So close and yet so far from the truth…" he said with a smile. "I don't work for the Harvesters. I'm a Prophet. I work with them."
Martin glanced back at the man huddled on the ground. He was no stranger to danger and confronting enemies. But, there was something different about this. He couldn't get his mind off of his recent nightmares. He kept thinking about the strange mass of black brambles floating in the sky he had seen earlier.
"You looked unnerved, Flight Lieutenant Charles Martin," Ashr remarked, dragging Martin's mind back to reality. It took a moment, but Martin suddenly realized something.
"Wait…what did you call me?" he stuttered. It was one thing for Ashr to call him Lieutenant Martin. But it was another thing for Ashr to call him Flight Lieutenant. When introducing himself, he never bothered mentioning the 'Flight' in his title and yet Ashr somehow knew it.
"That's who you are," Ashr said. "Flight Lieutenant Charles James Martin of the Royal Australian Air Force of the Tau'ri, Fifth Race as declared by the Asgard. Another Fifth Race…the first was bad enough."
Arcturus and Lok Dod stared at Martin, shocked by what they just heard.
"How do you know all that?" Charles asked waveringly. Ashr didn't answer. The bug simply smiled.
"Tell me, what is one thing that all four races in the Alliance say and believe?" Ashr paused to see if any of them could answer. When there was nothing but silence, the bug man spoke up. "The universe is infinite. Just as existence has no border, the mountain has no peak. There is always someone above you. There are forces in this universe that even the Alliance of Four Great Races could not comprehend. Getting Alliance technology just upgraded you from bacteria to insect in their eyes."
"You're telling me the Harvesters are better than the Alliance?" Lok Dod scoffed.
"No, no, no," Ashr chuckled. "Sometimes the easiest way to study insects is to have another insect tell you what you want to know. The prophets, the Harvesters, we are merely tools. The entire Harvester race was created for the sole purpose of serving our masters."
"Masters?" Lok Dod repeated.
"As you can imagine, the title 'Harvesters' was given to the enigmatic race responsible for mass disappearances across the galaxy. Few have ever witnessed the harvests and lived to tell of it but for those who did, these were the creatures they saw. Little did they know, these creatures were just tools to something even greater. They are no more the true face of our masters any more than a nail is a human or icthyan. But in the end, we are both just tools for something greater."
"They already tried and failed to capture one of us," Martin pointed out. "If they're so powerful, why're they having so much trouble?"
"No more trouble than you would have cleaning a kitchen sink," Ashr said in a bored tone. "You just don't get it. Our masters aren't some power-hungry empire that seeks dominance. They want what any species wants: to survive. They just have to harvest us in order to do it."
"I don't see how just because they think they're better than us, they have the right to take our lives!"
"Any more than the insects you crush or rodents you poison can understand why you take theirs. Just because you cannot comprehend something that much greater does not mean you can judge them like you do of other races. They harvest out of necessity, not greed. The countless trillions of people taken were taken because they had to be."
"You still haven't said for what!" Martin barked impatiently. "What could be so important that they have to regularly take lives?!"
"Don't act all high and mighty on taking lives. Whenever people build a house, they don't stop to think about the plants they uproot or the animals they displace. You don't think about the living beings your food used to be, the animals you kill when you eat meat. When you go clearing our house of pests, you don't think about the lives you take in the process. It's just a fact, no sentient creature can live without taking other lives in the process. It just so happens that the lives you take are so beneath you, you don't really care. That doesn't make you evil; it's just how the universe works. Or did it never occur to you that might crush a few bugs when you go about mowing the lawn?"
"We're not bugs!" Lok Dod snapped.
"Maybe not to each other," Ashr said slyly. "But the same thing that makes insects so insignificant that you can crush them without a second thought is the same thing that makes our masters not think twice about you when they come to harvest. You think that because of your Stargates and hyperdrives, and empires, that you are great. You may be vast in your narrow facet, but in proportion to the universe you are nothing but insects, your empires being nothing but a blade of grass in someone's back yard. Technology has made us arrogant; the Harvesters are merely here to humble."
"Technology has made us arrogant. Knowledge has made us ignorant. We think that because of our technology, our energy weapons, our ships, our stargates we're the dominant force in the galaxy. We made it this far because nature let us. No matter how advanced we become, no matter how far we travel, nature will always be the dominant force in the universe. The Harvesters are just her way of kicking us in the ass as a reminder."
Martin remembered McFree saying that when he had been infested by a Harvester parasite.
A loud scream snapped the three of them out of their trance, reminding them that there was still the harvester host in the room. The man writhed in agony as his body was once again enveloped by the black membrane, the screams subsiding inside.
"Kinda hard to believe your masters are these great benevolent beings when they do stuff like that," Charles said.
"I never called them benevolent," Ashr corrected. "They don't care about the races beneath them. They just do what they need to do to survive."
Lok Dod gave a skeptical nod at this statement as the membrane finally ruptured. A familiar nightmarish creature rose from the sack, black liquid spewing onto the floor. Four spindly insectoid legs held up the humanoid torso, its snake-like head hissing at them, the extra set of mandibles extending from the side of its lower jaw clicking furiously. A long whip-like tail that ended in a sharpened point uncurled across the floor.
"Don't fight it," Ashr said to the three of them. "I came here to talk because I was hoping you could understand. All they're trying to do is survive. You can't fault them for that."
"So the only reason you came to talk is to tell us just to lay down and die," Lok Dod scoffed, his revolver aimed at the newly morphed Harvester.
"The reason I came to talk is to beg of you to stop your searches," Ashr explained in a calm tone, the monster standing beside him baring its fangs. "Two of you are searching for answers on the Harvesters. And one of you is searching for something that will put you on the same path. Normally, the Harvesters would be sent to harvest everyone doing that. But my masters agreed letting me talk to you."
"What would you have us do?" Arcturus asked stiffly.
"I'm just asking you to stop looking into the Harvesters. They don't really care what the lower races do. Just stay out of their business. You're meddling with forces that you can't even fathom." Ashr put up his hands and shook his head. "I'm just asking you to do yourselves a favor and stop digging before the big guys send someone to make you stop. If you don't, I can't help you. Now what's your answer?"
Martin fell silent. He could not help but think about the Goa'uld and the Wraith, two races that viewed humans as insects out of arrogance. He could not help but wonder if these 'masters' were the same, more aliens who thought they were better than everyone else. But another part of him could not help but wonder if what Ashr said was true. He kept thinking about his nightmares, the giant figures he kept seeing. Those couldn't possibly be the 'masters'. Could they?
Martin practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of weapons fire. He looked at Arcturus, who had open fired. A maelstrom of energy bolts tore through the Harvester monsters, shredding it like paper. After about a second of weapons fire, the remains of the creature collapsed to the floor. Arcturus had decided her answer.
Ashr sighed in disappointment as what was left of the smoldering carcass continued to sizzle.
"You've brought this on yourself," he said.
"If you really do serve the Harvesters, maybe you can answer my questions," Arcturus said darkly.
"You mean about your tireless pursuit of the truth about the Harvesters?" Ashr asked in a mocking tone. "A journey you are so determined to see through that you would even take advantage of your own allies?" Lok Dod and Martin looked at Arcturus in confusion. Charles couldn't tell if that was discomfort or anger she was feeling. It looked like a bit of both. "Why don't you tell him? The reason you took such interest in Charles Martin wasn't out of the kindness of your heart. You were using him as bait. The last prophet you ran into told you about the Harvester's interest in the Millennium Outlaws. When you met him, you were hoping it would draw us out."
Charles stared at her in shock. He probably would've agreed to helping but he would've preferred to have been told. But it wasn't that which stung. He trusted Arcturus, given her his trust for helping him. But it turns out she was using him and was just as ready to discard him.
"Congratulate yourself, Samanya Arcturus, Knight of the Aurox! Your plan worked! So many years of betraying every code and rule you swore to follow and it's all finally paid off!"
"ENOUGH!" Arcturus roared, firing burst of energy bolts past Ashr's head. "Mock the deaths of my friends again, and my next shot will be through your leg." Ashr chuckled at this, easing up. "I have questions for you. And I want simple answers."
"Every person who came close to learning too much about the Harvesters vanished. What makes you think that I will tell you anything?"
"You don't have a choice! The creature's dead. There's nothing to protect you."
Charles felt chills at the smile Ashr made.
"What makes you think that I need protection?" the bug man asked, walking to the splattered puddle of black blood on the floor. They all aimed their weapons as the puddle suddenly came to life, vine-like tendrils sliding up Ashr's legs. They grew in length and size, some of them becoming as thick as garden hoses, wrapping themselves around his body. They burrowed into his skin like worms, a dark gelatinous mass forming around him, seeping out of his skin. "The Harvesters brought my family back from the grave. Now it's time I truly repay the favor. You can't stop the Harvesters any more than you can stop the rising sun. And like the sun, it is time for me to rise as well."
They all knew they should open fire but they were too transfixed on what was happening before them. Ashr vanished inside the black cocoon. But it didn't pop or rupture like it did for the man before. It melted. It liquefied and flowed off the body of what emerged forth. With the molted scales that composed its carapace, long spiny hairs on its back, it looked a hybrid of a narkoss and the monster before. It was humanoid with two arms and two legs but a webbed set of insect legs extended over its head like a hood. Its needle-like teeth were so long that they retracted when he closed his mouth and when it opened its mouth it looked like its jaw was being held open by stakes. As he stood up, they saw his now tall, lanky form, arms so long they reached its knees.
"I am Ashr Abaddon, Prophet of the Harvesters. Make peace with your gods for they have forsaken you."
-.-
A/N: Sorry for delay. I hope this chapter is to your liking. I've been busy and sitting on this for a while, mostly revising the final encounter between Ashr and the others. Out of all the factions, I'd say the Harvesters went through the most changes. They started out as a very Wraith-like race that looked like Collectors from Mass Effect. But I then turned them into zerg/tyranid-like animals. But, a combination of reading Call of Cthulu and playing Bloodborn helped me decide what to make them. When the stargate was first created, the galaxy was scary. Now, not so much since we're flying everywhere and kicking the ass of every enemy we come across. Even ascended beings aren't so high and mighty as when they first started out. I wanted to create something that would serve as a way to say 'don't get too cocky, mongrel'. Something not just unknown but unknowable and incomprehensible. Harvesters would be the eldritch abominations that serve the big guys. I kept rewriting the final scene since I wanted to make it clear these aren't like the Ori who are hellbent on power. They just don't care about the insects that get crushed while they're out mowing the lawn.