Disclaimer:
Stargate does not belong to me, nor do any of the images shown. This fic was created by me for entertainment purposes.
NA: I have translated this chapter using Chat GPT.
Stargate Korr 14
"Who's Luran?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at Daniel, but Daniel was just as confused as the rest of those present in General Hammond's briefing room.
Narin, a Tollan who brought them the news that this Luran needed their help in a trial, looked at them oddly as everyone stared at him.
"We don't know him," Jack said. Daniel nodded to confirm, as did Sam and Teal'c.
"I think this situation is strange," General Hammond said, looking at Narin. "Narin, has this man mentioned how he knows SG-1?"
"Luran said that SG-1 rescued him from certain death at the hands of the Goa'uld known as Apophis, after they took him to Chulak," Narin explained.
"Apophis wasn't dead? How is he now setting a trap for us?" Jack asked.
"Well, it could be some other Goa'uld," Daniel said, also thinking this was a trap.
"I assure you..." General Hammond raised his hand.
"Narin, we're not accusing you of anything, but it's evident that the Goa'uld are planning something, and I believe the Tollan might be in danger too," General Hammond said.
"That's not possible," Narin said confidently. "Goa'uld ships can't approach our planet because our defense systems prevent it," he added when they seemed doubtful.
Daniel wasn't convinced at all, and from the expressions of the others, they weren't trusting what they were hearing either.
"If you don't want to die, don't go there. We don't need them," Maybourne said, who had been hostile towards Narin since they entered the briefing room.
"Colonel Maybourne, stay calm," General Hammond said.
Maybourne, who didn't like the Tollan, grumbled, but he seemed to share the opinion of the rest...
Daniel cleared his throat, as they might be able to get out of this trap relatively easily and help the Tollan at the same time.
"Narin, is there any issue if we bring someone else with us? They're reasonable people and also possess advanced technology, like you do. Perhaps you'd like to meet them," Daniel said.
"Excellent idea," Jack supported. "Wait until you meet 00, you'll get along wonderfully," Jack said with a bit too much excitement. It was evident he'd enjoy having the Tollan meet 00.
"Maybe we should just invite 03," Sam said diplomatically.
"Carter, you don't want to offend our most reliable allies by telling them we don't want one of them to accompany us," Jack complained.
Narin, who hadn't spoken yet, blinked.
"I suppose there won't be a problem with that," Narin said. "I can meet these people," he added.
"Sir?" Jack asked, looking at General Hammond. General Hammond nodded.
"I'll give them a call," Jack said.
...
Three minutes later, 00 and 03 appeared in the room. 00 took his position in front of General Hammond, while 03 stood beside him. 03 looked like his subordinate, but Daniel knew they held the same position.
According to what Sam had told them, they weren't just diplomatic envoys; one could consider them as having authority just below their emperor within their empire. Jack grinned as Narin looked somewhat surprised.
"Our allies like our way of living, so they're always around," Jack teased.
General Hammond cleared his throat.
"Narin, allow me to introduce you to 00 and 03, close allies who have helped us out of tight situations in the past," General Hammond introduced. "00, 03, this is Narin of the Tollan, whom SG-1 rescued once along with a group of his people," he added, looking at 00 and 03.
"A pleasure to meet you," 03 said, and 00 merely nodded with his typical indifference.
"A pleasure to meet you," Narin said, looking into 00's eyes.
"We're not humans," 00 clarified.
"My apologies," Narin said, somewhat alarmed by the indifferent tone of his voice.
"It seems my tone of voice bothers you. I apologize, I always speak like this," 00 said, making Narin even more uncomfortable.
Jack and Maybourne were grinning from ear to ear, but Sam hastened to intervene and ease the situation.
…
Daniel, along with his team, Narin, 00, and 03, stepped through the Stargate to the Tollan's new planet.
"So, you've built your own Stargate," Sam said in astonishment, looking at the Stargate they arrived through, which wasn't like the others they'd seen, as it was slimmer and more stylized. Narin nodded with a smile.
"It's flawed, an explosion could destroy it. Plus, why is everything here gray, even people's clothing? It looks machine-made," 00 asked, looking around with evident disappointment. Narin blinked.
"Well, we've just settled here. It'll take some time to adjust our society," Narin explained.
"They were already wearing gray when we first met them," Jack said, adopting 00's critical stance. 00 looked at Narin.
"They were protective suits," Narin defended.
"Your people seem to lack visually pleasing culture and traditions. It's strange; humans on Earth place great importance on these things. Has your people experienced some emotional disturbance that might explain this apparent lack of vibrancy?" 00 asked, observing Narin as if he were a peculiar creature.
"That's an interesting question," Jack chimed in. Narin looked at him. "What?" Jack innocently asked.
"I think we should meet Luran," Sam said.
…
"What was that?" Jack asked as they entered the building they were headed to, and scanners greeted them.
"They've disabled your weapons and also scanned for hidden devices," 03 explained.
Jack looked at Narin angrily, as they suspected some Goa'uld had brought them here to set a trap, and now they were unarmed.
"We've also deactivated the weapons of the Goa'uld's envoys," Narin explained. "You're under our protection now…"
Narin's words were interrupted as a group of guards approached them.
"There's been an alert; your scanners yielded no results," the leader of the guards explained.
"Your technology is outdated, and your scanners are rudimentary. We carry a plethora of advanced tools and energy sources. We can't allow them to be randomly inspected by underdeveloped species," 00 explained.
"The Tollan understand that perfectly, don't they, Narin?" Jack asked with a big grin.
It seemed their annoyance at their weapons being disabled quickly dissipated. Narin looked at 00 and 03, stunned.
…
The Tollan didn't insist on searching 00 and 03, and Narin led them to the representative of the Curia, an elderly woman who welcomed them and explained the basis of the trial, where the fate of the called Luran's body, since the Goa'uld named Nut, who possessed him, also claimed it, would be decided.
The trial would consist of three judges: two representing each of the claimants and one neutral. Daniel didn't pay much attention, as he was keeping an eye on 00, who was assessing the room critically.
"They don't look like bonsais," 00 said with disappointment, observing some small ornamental trees adorning the trial room. The representative of the Curia glanced at them.
"Bonsais are small trees cultivated, pruned, and shaped. They're part of the culture of a country on Earth," Daniel explained.
Daniel didn't know that 00 was a fan of bonsais, and if he was, it was clear that these ornamental trees didn't meet his approval. He had heard that bonsais took years to cultivate.
"Earth is an extremely rich place in these kinds of things. It's strange that your people haven't shown interest in it, considering it's your origin," 03 interjected.
"We are interested; we've discussed it in the Curia. But in the end, it was decided that our presence might cause tension or provoke an incident in Earth's political situation," the representative said. 00 looked at 03.
"I've never experienced anything like that. I enjoy visiting the great libraries of SG-1's country. Reading has become a highly appreciated pastime for me," 03 explained.
"I was given a bonsai for taking a photo with a group of humans," 00 said and raised his hand to display a high-definition hologram that looked more like a colorful floating sculpture.
Daniel blinked. Indeed, what 00 held was a bonsai, and it was quite lovely, but the environment in the photo and his companions…
"A Star Wars convention," Colonel O'Neill said.
The photo contained more than just Star Wars enthusiasts. Daniel realized that these people thought 00 was cosplaying.
"There were many colors," 00 explained. Given the surroundings, Daniel supposed that was true… He shook his head.
"Hmmm…" Daniel cleared his throat, as they had completely veered off topic. "And where is our guide?" Daniel asked, referring to the one who had brought them there.
"Certainly, follow me," Narin said and led them to another room in the building adorned with Goa'uld banners and symbols of Earth.
…
"O'Neill!" exclaimed a gigantic figure, almost two meters tall, who caught Jack in a bear hug as soon as he entered the room.
"Ah, now I remember!" Jack said, barely able to breathe.
Daniel smiled because he also remembered their requester, although he had to admit he didn't know his name, as they had barely interacted with him.
Luran was one of the prisoners from their first mission to Chulak when Apophis kidnapped Share and Skaara, turning them into hosts for his queen and son. They helped them escape, although it seemed he was recaptured later. Still, this big guy was hard to forget, even if he was now wearing silk clothes instead of furs…
Daniel's thoughts were interrupted when Luran released Jack and gave him a hug that almost made him faint.
Then he hugged Sam and even Teal'c. He seemed to remember them all, so Daniel guessed they left a lasting impression on him.
"Luran," Jack said with some confusion, as up until that point, they didn't know that man's name. "How did you get here?" Jack asked.
Luran adopted a serious expression and looked at all of them.
"A week ago, the demon visited my planet again and captured me once more, offering me to one of his servants who possessed me. But on a mission for him, I was captured by Herur-ur, and in an escape attempt, the demon crashed in this place, where I was fortunate to find friends," Luran recounted, looking at Narin, who nodded.
"Two Goa'uld motherships pursued Luran to this planet. We warned them not to come any closer, but they didn't listen, and our automated defenses destroyed both ships. Luran's ship crashed on the planet, so we rushed to rescue him," Narin explained.
"Luran, don't worry; we'll get that snake out of your head," Jack reassured. Luran gave him another bear hug. "Narin, do we have another room?" Jack asked, as he could barely breathe.
…
Narin led them to another spacious room with some sofas.
"People, Apophis is still alive. Teal'c, I think you need to inform Chulak's Jaffa. That should be one of their main objectives now that he's returned. Although it seems he has a greater interest in the Tollan, he also doesn't seem to have forgotten about us. Any idea what he wants, apart from capturing Teal'c?" Jack asked, while Narin looked at them in confusion.
"Search for Share's baby," Daniel said with a sigh.
"It is very likely," Teal'c confirmed.
"The snake is persistent," Jack said, looking at 00.
"The child lives in the imperial palace. We have cleansed his memories of the Goa'uld recollections, although his physical development is remarkable," 00 said.
"Alright, what's the snake plotting now? How do you think it plans to attack the Tollan?" Jack asked. Narin looked at him angrily because he had already told them multiple times that the Goa'uld couldn't attack the Tollan.
"Colonel O'Neill, you can remain calm. I believe we can wait for the Goa'uld's plans to reveal themselves," 03 said with a smile, intervening in the discussion that was forming.
Jack thought for a few seconds, but ultimately nodded, as 03's smile warned them that there was no need to worry.
…
Daniel and Jack were called to the trial, while 03 and 00 explored around, and Teal'c and Sam kept an eye on the Goa'uld delegation, led by a Goa'uld named Zipacna, who according to Teal'c served Apophis and acted as the second judge.
…
"Lya?" Daniel asked in surprise upon seeing the Nox woman there, as they usually didn't leave their planet.
"We've established a good friendship with the Nox. She will be the third arbiter for this trial," the representative of the Curia explained.
Daniel elbowed Jack to prevent him from making his usual joke about asking Lya for space cannons every time he saw her. Jack made a face and merely greeted her appropriately.
"Daniel, it's good to see you all well," Lya greeted, but didn't say more, as the trial was about to begin.
…
As Daniel expected, the trial made no sense, and the arguments presented would only lead to a verdict in their favor. It was clear that the Goa'uld were scheming.
…
"Have the Tollan defense cannons been marked?" Jack asked after receiving Teal'c and Sam's report following the trial session. They nodded.
"Sir, we've been tracking them, and they've covered the locations of the defense cannons. I can't think of what else they might be doing," Sam confirmed, supporting Teal'c's report.
"The Tollan defense cannons don't seem to have any kind of shields and are in plain sight. Marking them as targets wouldn't be difficult," 03 said, already in the room, reading a tablet he apparently obtained from a Tollan library. 00 wasn't around.
"Sir, the Tollan are quite confident in their defenses, but I don't think they possess other means of defense besides these defensive cannons," Sam explained.
Jack sighed and brought his hand to his face in frustration.
"03, do you know anything about this?" Jack asked.
"There's a Ha'tak ship whose hyperspace trajectory matches this planet's. If what Major Carter and Teal'c observed is accurate, they might attempt to destroy the defense cannons with a single strike; then, the invasion will begin," 03 said.
"It is very likely," Teal'c confirmed.
"Alright, let's warn the Tollan," Jack said, leading the way to speak with the representative of the Curia.
…
"I suspect these people have intelligence problems," Jack said while holding his head an hour later. Daniel was just as bewildered.
All arguments put forth were rejected after the Tollan examined their defense cannons and found no markings on them. Daniel could only blink and think that Jack was right. Even the argument about the Ha'tak ship approaching was dismissed, because Zipacna and his associates said it had nothing to do with them and that the ship was merely passing by.
"03, can you do anything to help these people? Narin and his people are good folks," Sam asked 03, who hadn't gone with them but stayed in the room reading.
Before Sam finished speaking, 03 lowered his reading tablet, and a light glowed in his hand.
"Place this on one of their cannons. It will activate the moment I calculate the ship to reach its firing position, moving the cannon to another location. Since the cannons haven't been marked with any visible sign, I assume the mark is in their position and coordinates, so by moving it elsewhere, they will lose their target," 03 explained.
"Excellent!" Jack exclaimed, hurrying to take the device and hand it to Teal'c and Sam.
"Carter, Teal'c, pick the cannon that looks most lethal and place this thing on it," Jack ordered.
"Thanks, 03. We know the Tollan aren't your concern," Sam said.
"You're mistaken, Major Carter. My god sent me here to secure Tollan support for you, although it seems they are unwilling to interfere in external matters," 03 said with a sigh.
"Yes, they're a bit stubborn, but we're not going to let the Goa'uld bombard them for it. Besides, they must have something good… somewhere," Jack said, searching for something in the room. Daniel guessed he was looking for a television.
"They have interesting books," 03 said, showing his reading tablet, but Jack didn't seem impressed.
"Daniel, let's get back to that trial. We need to get that snake out of Luran's head. It was because of us that he was captured in the first place," Jack said.
That was true. Apophis wanted to capture them and also destroy the Tollan. This had nothing to do with Luran; he just had bad luck, so Daniel nodded.
…
Two hours later, the trial was interrupted by a guard who entered to speak with the representative of the Curia and provided some coordinates, causing her to check her computer. The computer displayed a Goa'uld mothership at the specified coordinates, and the guard stated that it had invaded Tollan space a few minutes ago.
"What does this mean?" the representative of the Curia asked Zipacna.
"That ship is here to collect us. We found out about it thanks to the Tau'ri, so I've summoned it to pick us up after our victory in this trial," Zipacna explained brazenly.
"Please!" Jack complained at his obvious lie. The representative of the Curia didn't believe him this time either.
"Lord Zipacna, this is unacceptable! Furthermore, the trial is not yet over," the representative of the Curia reprimanded.
"We disagree. We will vote now," Zipacna replied.
"Then we will vote as well," Jack declared.
"Very well, let the voting begin," the representative of the Curia said, her attitude making it evident that with a Ha'tak ship approaching her planet, she had better things to do than lead this trial.
"I vote for Nut," Zipacma said.
"We vote for Luran," Jack said, and everyone looked at Lya.
The Nox stood up and calmly looked at them all. She seemed to be the only one maintaining her composure in the room.
"Honorable archons, seekers, after evaluating the arguments from both sides, which I find reasonable, I must conclude that between Luran and Nut, control of the disputed body should be in the possession of the one who was born with it in the first place. And that person is Luran," Lya concluded.
"Snake, your end is near," Jack retorted to the Goa'uld controlling Luran.
"Following the vote, from this moment on, Luran shall retain control of the body, and Nut shall be sent to a Goa'uld planet of his choice, alongside Lord Zipacna," the representative of the Curia pronounced.
Luran took control of his own body through a Tollan artifact he wore on his chest, and the Goa'uld couldn't do anything to prevent it. The representative looked at Zipacna.
"Lord Zipacna, instruct your ship to leave Tollan space, or we will be forced to destroy it," the representative of the Curia threatened.
"Of course, no need to ask twice," Zipacna said, and produced a gray sphere as Jack lunged at him, given the blatant foolishness of allowing this Goa'uld to communicate with his ship.
Jack crashed into Zipacna, but he had already managed to utter a few words, and a few seconds later, the building shook.
Daniel sighed. If Sam and Teal'c hadn't managed to save one of the Tollan cannons, a lot of people were going to die there. Daniel didn't fear for his life because 00 and 03 were there; they could rescue them if needed, but dealing with a Goa'uld ship without access to transport to it was asking too much of them.
"Let's go," Jack urged, running towards the exit after leaving Zipacna on the floor. Daniel followed him.
…
As they exited the building, the first thing they saw was death gliders descending and smoke rising from the locations where the Tollan cannons had been.
"Guys, tell me we managed to save one of those cannons," Jack urged Sam and Teal'c.
03 appeared by their side after a flash, and with another flash, one of the cannons materialized. It activated instantly and aimed at the descending death gliders, hitting them with millimetric precision despite their agility.
The cannon took out five of their death gliders in just about three seconds. Then it pointed at the sky and fired just once more, but from the explosion in the sky, it was clear it had hit the target again with absolute precision.
"Carter, mark one of these as my Christmas gift," Jack said after blinking several times at the effectiveness of the Tollan cannon shot.
Daniel thought the same. The Tollan were pacifists, but these cannons were incredible and extremely effective. While they talked, 03 moved towards the Tollan cannon and removed the small disk he had given to Sam and Teal'c to place on the cannon, making it disappear in a flash.
The representative of the Curia, who probably wasn't very used to running, arrived as the Goa'uld ship exploded, and with evident relief, she nodded at 03, understanding that he had moved the cannon there.
"Carter, Teal'c, nice job," Jack praised, looking at Sam and Teal'c, then he looked at the representative of the Curia. "I think in the future, it would be wise to conceal your defense weapons and not have them exposed for anyone to know their locations. Some good extra shields wouldn't hurt either," Jack advised. The representative of the Curia nodded, still trying to wipe the fear from her expression in the face of an almost inevitable disaster.
…
"Colonel O'Neill, on behalf of all the Tollan, I would like to thank you for your actions in this matter, even after we asked you not to intervene," the representative of the Curia said a few hours later, when things had calmed down and they were invited back to the hearing room.
"You're welcome, it's always a pleasure to spoil the snakes' plans. By the way, have you seen our allies?" Jack asked.
"00 is sharing some construction designs and traditional Earth models, as well as how to create bonsai trees," the representative of the Curia said with a smile.
"Well, they really appreciate our culture," Jack said with satisfaction.
"We do too, and the Curia hopes that we will be allowed to visit your planet for a 'cultural exchange'," the representative of the Curia proposed.
It was evident that they wouldn't share their technology this time either, but they already had the technology to create their own ships, so they wouldn't regret not being given cannons.
"Daniel, this is your part. I'll go see how Luran is doing and how the hell they let that Zipacna escape after having him on the ground ready to capture him. I'll also see if I can find a TV around there," Jack said, leaving all the work to him. Daniel sighed.
…
Maybourne observed the line of ten transport vehicles with equipment and materials getting ready to cross the Stargate.
Maybourne was at the base planet, in an underground base his allies had found, which they deemed suitable for the new location of the gate, which had been in a city before they brought it there.
The people who once inhabited this planet hadn't encountered the Goa'ulds and had no idea how dangerous the Stargate was. Unfortunately for them, they became extinct due to a creature that crossed their Stargate, which was part of some experiment gone wrong on another planet. But the same fate didn't befall their country. Thanks to their allies, they had claimed the planet for themselves and taken everything: secret bases, weapons, factories, plants, space shipyards, vehicles of all kinds, vast cities, and fully equipped and operational military bases.
Regarding the technology of the place, it only took them a month to adapt to it because it wasn't very different from their own, and their allies collaborated with them by providing detailed usage manuals.
So far, they had only claimed one percent of everything on the planet, but they wouldn't need more until the Stargate project was revealed to the public, and millions of people came to live and work there. For now, they had taken three bases, the shipyards, and some factories, as their workforce was limited: only a few thousand people, a few hundred scientists, and three army battalions.
"Sir, we're ready," a soldier reported, interrupting his contemplation of the gate.
Maybourne saw the line of cargo vehicles and nodded.
"Begin the operation," Maybourne ordered, and the soldier made a few signals.
Another soldier dialed the gate using a DHD. This wasn't Earth, and there wasn't a control room there; instead, they were in a kilometer-wide, half-kilometer-wide, and fifteen-meter-tall hangar, a massive military vehicle warehouse. But since it was a good underground location, the vehicles were cleared out, and the Stargate was brought there and positioned at the far end.
The rest of the space was prepared for material transport operations that reached there. So, it was almost a loading zone, though it was constantly guarded by a company of soldiers. The gate also had its own shield for unscheduled visits.
Maybourne watched as the line of vehicles advanced and disappeared into the gate.
The Stargate might seem like a small personal-use device, but it wasn't at all. The ring had a diameter of over six meters, and a loaded truck could easily pass through it, even a tank or a company of soldiers. It wasn't a small object. Nor was it light, weighing over twenty-nine tons.
The Stargate was the hub of all resource operations the Stargate project and the NID currently possessed. They had a small mining base on Abydos, where they extracted naquadah. A mining base on PXY-887 where they extracted trinium in massive amounts, enough to build several ships a week. And numerous automated mines on this planet that provided them with iron and other common materials, although they didn't need them since they had whole reserves already extracted from this material, but as it was free, it didn't matter.
This planet, which its extinct inhabitants called Svorin, and they had named as Base Planet, was their true operations base. And it would likely become humanity's main stronghold when the Stargate project was revealed. Together with PXY-887, where they had the trinium mine, they were Earth's most valuable resources at the moment.
PXY-887, despite being inhabited by an advanced race, had sent indigenous people who knew nothing to negotiate, and they obtained all the trinium they could extract as long as they didn't harm their planet's environment.
With the technology their allies provided, not a leaf would be touched, meaning they could extract as much trinium as they wanted. So far, they didn't need trinium as they had enough to build several ships a month. That made PXY-887 a valuable resource, second only to this Base Planet, Maybourne thought with a smile as he watched the line of cargo vehicles pass by.
These vehicles were not of human construction, but Svorin. All the equipment on this planet was Svorin; their country had only brought people and food. They had been there for just over a year and had conditioned several shipyards for the production of starships, human-designed fighters and goa'uld technology. But for half a year, they had been stuck with the construction of their first ship, the Prometheus, because the Naquadah they extracted from Abydos was not enough.
Stealing it from the goa'uld was also too suspicious, as they already stole it for other projects such as weapons, fuels and generators that powered this planet, since the Svorin's energy sources were deficient and did not give them the required productivity. Naquadah was a thousand times better and safer.
The problem was that naquadah was also vital in the creation of Prometheus, since the hull would be an alloy of trinium and naquadah, and the engines also needed it, as well as almost any circuit or energy conduit, since it was a superconducting element and was vital in all areas of construction.
Maybourne sighed, but then smiled, because this problem was about to be left behind. He watched as the last vehicle advanced and crossed behind the line.
On the other side of the door, SG-1 was waiting for him in a large shed that they had built in a hurry to house the portal in acceptable security conditions. They had installed a shield and a defensive perimeter for this base, although it was not too necessary because the goa'uld did not want this planet and its inhabitants had a technology of the Middle Ages. They were delighted with the Svorin machinery and all the artifacts they gave them for the use of the portal.
At first, they had been interested in the planet because of the huge amounts of naquadah it had. A diplomatic team rushed to the place to negotiate the establishment of some mines.
However, the surprises did not end there, as a few days later, SG-1, who was the initial liaison, discovered that the naquadah on this planet literally fell from the sky. Beyond the orbit of the planet, there were entire chains of naquadah asteroids that rained down on it every hundred and fifty years, and hence its large reserves.
With this information in their hands, they forgot to pick up the crumbs from the ground and now intended to mount a complete space mining operation.
"Maybourne, these are humble people, so we need some rules to not scare them. First of all, don't smile," Jack said with a smile as words of welcome.
"Jack, if they could stand your jokes without grace for a whole month, I doubt anything from me can bother them," Maybourne replied, not entirely annoyed by the jab. He was getting used to this guy and his annoying sense of humor. He even started to find him somewhat funny.
"Maybourne, was that a joke?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow as he watched the technical team unload the trucks.
"Let's meet your peasants. I'm not here to do tourism, but to assess threats," Maybourne said, to end his nonsense.
"Sure, I swear I saw a crustacean yesterday that looked like it had a twenty-two under its shell," Jack said. "I'll take you to see it," he added. Maybourne sighed. This would be a long day.
…
After spending half a day talking to the locals, Maybourne concluded that there was indeed no danger on this planet. The natives, who called themselves Edorans and their planet Edora, adored them. They had saved them from a deadly meteor shower by bringing a shield to protect them.
SG-1 led the population to some caves and that, along with a shield, made them escape from the calamity that fell on their villages after the meteor shower. Then, they rebuilt their houses, gave them food and many Svorin machines. Now they were their saviors and they worshiped them. They did not hesitate to lend them the Stargate, which would be the basis of this space mining operation.
At the end of their safety inspection, the technical team reported that the preparations were ready to start the mining operation. Maybourne returned with SG-1, who had watched him all day so he wouldn't mess with their peasants, to the shed that was their temporary base on this planet.
…
"Are they coming?" Maybourne asked when they were back in the shed.
Maybourne was on one of the ring platforms they had stolen from the Goa'uld system lords in a NID raid.
"We wouldn't miss it for anything in the world" Jack said, and his team joined him.
The group was transported to the planet's orbit, to a cargo bay of one of the three Ha'tak that Earth owned. The cargo bay was clear and in its center there was what looked like a pair of train cars, but these cars were twenty meters long, ten wide and ten high. Around them, there were about twenty people who made up the technical team. On the sides there were about twenty spheres of one meter in diameter next to a control panel, which they approached to see the deep space separated from them by a shield that covered an entrance of fifty meters high, wide and deep.
"SG-1, Colonel Maybourne, we are about to start the operation" said the scientist in charge, Dr. Jay Felger.
The guy was a typical nerd, but thanks to the knowledge downloads they had put in his head using the knowledge transfer technology obtained from the Obanians, this man was now one of the most qualified scientists on the planet, only behind Major Carter, who had free access to all the scientific information of the Stargate project.
Maybourne initially disagreed with giving access to all knowledge to a single person, but over time he came to accept it because these nerds were the basis of all their current projects. Even Dr. Jay Felger, whom Maybourne had previously considered a complete idiot, had come forward and now also contributed brilliant ideas, such as this space mining project that was his team's work.
"A little introduction?" Dr. Felger asked excitedly. Maybourne shrugged at the same time as Jack, which made them both frown.
"Maybourne, don't try to imitate me" Jack scolded and Maybourne rolled his eyes.
"Go ahead, Dr. Felger" Maybourne said refusing to follow suit. After blinking a couple of times, Dr. Felger got down to business.
"Before you is our space mining project, the crusher nicknamed Salamander. As its name implies, it is actually nothing more than that, a rock crusher.
»In the first car, we have the crusher itself, which with Svorin technology and a Naquadah power source, has an autonomy of a couple of years working at full capacity. After that, we will have to do a parts change.
»The second car is a storage space where its load will be deposited" he said touching his control panel, which was a mental interface that did not need to type anything.
At the back of the second car, at the end, a Stargate rose, and once it was out, it activated and then hid back inside the car without deactivating.
"Once the cargo bay is full, the portal will activate and send everything to the base planet, where the material, in this case naquadah, will be processed by tons, which would mean that we will no longer have any supply problems in the future, and we will not need to steal it from the Goa'uld putting our security at risk.
»To fulfill its navigation function while crushing space rocks, the Salamander will be equipped with the displacement engine of a Goa'uld cargo ship, and to locate the asteroids and areas of the asteroid belt with more naquadah, we have these specialized sensors that just came out of the production line of the Base Planet" said Dr. Felger touching the sensor again and the twenty spheres floated around.
"These spheres, created by Dr. Samantha Carter to replace the current MAC probes, were modified to locate the asteroids with the highest naquadah content, and occasionally, they will also help production" concluded Dr. Felger.
Maybourne and SG-1 applauded, and Felger and his team bowed.
"Colonels, with the arrival of the spheres, we are ready to start the operation. You can order the ship to move…
"This is Colonel ****, start operation Hungry Salamander" Maybourne and Jack ordered at the same time. Then they looked at each other with narrowed eyes.
"Colonels, I must remind you that this is my ship" a voice said over the radio.
"Of course, Colonel Caldwell, go ahead" Maybourne and Jack said at the same time.
Maybourne looked at Jack with narrowed eyes, wondering if he was doing it on purpose.
…
Korr read the reports of the last months about Earth with a smile as he sat on his throne, being fanned by two servants, and a servant offered him wine. He listened to the monthly report of one of his Goa'uld governors.
It had been five months since he got rid of that little thieving nuisance, who was Sokar, and Apophis took his place. He sent him a death threat every day, demanding his queen back, but he did not dare to attack, nor did he steal from the minor Goa'uld; instead, he attacked directly other System Lords, following the Goa'uld traditions of demonstrating his power by conquering territories, instead of stealing and running away like that coward Sokar, who became a stone in his shoe for his plans and had to be eliminated.
Korr smiled because Earth, again and using the tools he had put in their hands, acted on their own.
Upon finding a system with an asteroid belt rich in naquadah, they did not stand idly by; instead, they managed to set up a space mining operation, thousands of times more efficient than any Goa'uld mine. Now they had plenty of naquadah and, just a month after setting up their operations, they had completed their first starship, Prometheus.
The name was the same as that of Project Prometheus, but the ship was completely different. It had a design similar to that of Dedalus or Apollo, but much more streamlined, as its hull was an alloy of naquadah and trinium, more resistant than the alloy of Ha'tak due to its industrialized manufacture.
There were no antennas, as the sensors were Goa'uld. Still, it was not a Goa'uld design ship, as it had impulse engines that gave it a much higher maneuverability than a Ha'tak ship, despite being several times larger than an Al'kesh.
Its specifications said it could match these ships in maneuverability. Its firepower was also not inferior to that of a Ha'tak and, thanks to a superior weapon system, it was more efficient.
These specifications made these ships the nemesis of the Ha'tak used by the System Lords, although they were not a problem for his own ships, as they had a superior weapon system. Against that, the mobility of Earth's ships would give them no advantage, as their targeting system could shoot down a fighter with a single shot, not to mention a ship that measured more than three hundred meters long.
The design of Prometheus indicated that Earth had created it to defend themselves from the Goa'uld, which meant that his plans were bearing fruit. In addition, Prometheus was only the first ship, and a month later they had launched the second and started production of fighters.
It took a System Lord at least two months to get a Ha'tak out of their shipyards, but humans could do it in a month. They constantly added improvements to their shipyards to increase production. Their ships had incorporated their improvements and were not at all less efficient than the Ha'tak he had designed.
These ships required a crew, and soon much of the army would be involved in this project, which meant that the day when the Stargate Project was revealed was approaching.
Korr moved on to the reports on Apophis. Apophis, as a System Lord, did not act like Sokar.
His first move, as system lord, was to claim Sokar's army. Then he tried to destroy the Tollan to gain glory, but his plans went wrong and he only lost three Ha'tak uselessly.
The Tollan accused him of violating their peace treaty with the Goa'uld, but Apophis blamed Herur-ur. The Goa'uld System Lords did not pay attention. The Tollan were pacifists, they did not act like the Asgard, who punished with blood the violations of their peace treaty. Therefore, this time, no one bothered to reprimand Herur-ur; instead, they mocked his failure and loss.
As for Apophis, he did not fare well from this. Earth learned of his return and rushed to share the information with the rebel Jaffa of Chulak, who quickly left the planet. When Apophis arrived to claim his rebel Jaffa, he only found those who were still loyal to him and the members of the rebellion, who, upon learning that he was alive, rushed to bend the knee, convinced of his divinity.
This was a hard blow for the Jaffa rebellion, which had stagnated again. The supposed dead god had returned, and they lost eighty percent of their followers.
Korr knew that Apophis was a disgrace and would soon find a way to die again. This would make the Jaffa doubt again the divinity of the Goa'uld. Therefore, Korr made sure to clarify to his Jaffa that he was no god. When this rebellion took place, his Jaffa would have nothing to reproach him for.
The Tollan were the only ones who continued as if nothing after Apophis' attack. "Miserable pacifists," Korr thought. They did not want to accept his offer of Goa'uld technology in exchange for backing Earth. However, Korr did not worry about this, as the Goa'uld would always seek to gain glory by destroying them. At some point, they would understand that they could not stand aside and would be recruited for his law enforcement forces, along with Earth.
Korr left the reports because his Goa'uld governor was already concluding his report. The Goa'uld, named Svak, was a dark-skinned man, 1.90 m tall and golden eyes. He wore a black cloak and a garment similar to his, although the scorpions on his arms, calves and crown were silver instead of gold. All his governors had adopted this garment; some did it to win his favor, others because they liked it and most to not draw attention to themselves and not contradict the worship norms towards their emperor.
"… Emperor, in summary, our territories enjoy peace. The system lords have not been able to penetrate our defenses on the border, and your servants enjoy the freedom and happiness that your laws provide them. They appreciate your gifts and build temples and statues in your honor" Svak concluded.
Korr nodded and looked at the ten Jaffa who were part of Svak's guard, since his territory was on the border and he was also a military commander. He led a fleet of ten Ha'tak and an army of fifty thousand Jaffa.
"Jaffa, are you satisfied? Have you found any worthy enemy?" Korr asked.
One of the Jaffa removed his helmet, revealing his silver relief mark on his forehead. This was not a tattoo; it indicated that this Jaffa was part of the imperial army under Svak's command and also had a position as first prime.
Korr had reorganized the Jaffa in this way, as the governors of border planets, who led fleets, needed a hierarchy. He would not trust to give them his own Jaffa, as they should always remember that they were part of a larger army.
"My god, our enemies have willpower, but their tactics are obsolete and their weapons mere instruments of terror. They are not worthy opponents for a warrior," replied Svak's first prime.
Korr was satisfied because his plans to show his Jaffa that the others were simply slaves had paid off. This meant that they would use the Zat gun more often.
"Svak, you have done a great job. Let me invite you to have a wine with your emperor" Korr said, getting up.
Svak replied with a bow and indicated to his prime to wait for him while Korr said goodbye to his servants. Then they both disappeared in a flash.
…
Korr appeared sitting on his throne of the Leviathan, while Svak appeared five meters in front of him, next to other prominent Goa'uld lords who served him. Seeing him, they hurried to kneel next to Svak. These were his military governors who ruled his border territories.
"My god!" all the Goa'uld greeted.
In official meetings, they stood up, but in private, they followed the Goa'uld tradition and maintained protocol, just as they demanded from their lower Goa'uld servants. Since Korr's ego was also huge, he did not reproach them for this.
"Svak, start your report" Korr ordered with Goa'uld voice.
"My god, the humans of the territory are satisfied. As my god ordered, the troublemakers have been neutralized politically, reducing their chances of social ascent and exposing their faults and moral shortcomings among their followers" Svak reported". My god, it is certainly an interesting game" Svak added with a smile, while the Goa'uld around him nodded.
"I assumed you would like it" Korr said.
"My god, Earth is an intriguing world" Mot intervened, and the other Goa'uld nodded.
Korr assumed they wanted to go to Earth and participate in the power struggles, but he could not allow that; Earth had to remain stable.
"Mot, Earth is in my plans and must remain stable to ensure our empire in the future" Korr said seriously.
"My god, those foolish system lords have already tried to destroy the Tau'ri on several occasions" Nerul intervened.
"My god, Earth is in danger. We should claim their territory and make sure that the system lords do not have access to it" Mot proposed.
Korr smiled inwardly; all his Goa'uld lords shared the same concern, that the system lords would invade Earth and cut off their internet connection.
"Calm down. If Earth is in danger, I will order to intervene. For now, they manage well against the system lords and do not seem to need help. They are under the protection of the Asgard, so a direct attack is unlikely" Korr reassured.
NA 1: The Goa'uld have become addicted to the Internet after only two years. Earth has secured a stable source of resources and has begun industrial production of ships. Their construction time is one ship per month, three times faster than the system lords due to their industrial process. In addition, their ships consume less resources. However, the system lords have multiple shipyards and thousands of planets to extract resources, so their fleets will continue to grow.
NA 2: In the next chapter, we reach the end of the third season with the arrival of the insectoid replicators and Thor.
NA 3: I have re-uploaded chapter 9 to modify the encounter with Egeria and add explanations. As I did before with chapter 2, I have not altered the plot itself, only adjusted the way events unfold. This change has no impact on the story as a whole.
NA 4: Chat GPT disconnected in the middle of the translation, so the final part is from Bing, comment if it is a good translator or worse than Chat Gpt.
NA: Don't forget to leave your comments, bookmark, follow, and subscribe.