AN: An obligatory reminder: any refferenced potential future events are precisely that - potential. The future is not set in stone, no matter what someone might foresee, or glean as a possibility.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Star Wars, or Stargate movies, TV shows, games, books, or comics. This story features elements inspired by Warhammer 40K. They all belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not for sale or rent.

Chapter 20: Chaos creates opportunities

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Part 5

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Chapa'ai Command, Krepost

Perun's Domain

Milky Way Galaxy

My First Prime was back at Chapa'ai Command, preparing teams for possible missions. Meanwhile, I was staring at one copy of the addresses my people found on Abydos, trying to recall which ones were trouble for sure. In that regard, I had to rely on Perun's memories. Odd Stargate addresses that weren't usually used were buried deep within his genetic memories, and digging them out wasn't a trivial or seamless procedure. His mind would have acted as an interface, and with it destroyed, it was like a flowing through a river of data, grasping for anything of use.

Using the Goa'uld custom dialing interface, we could check the actual space coordinates of an address, which, if nothing else, told us if the place was supposed to be a part of someone's realm or not. As a bonus, known dangers like supernovas and black holes could be accounted for that way. That procedure was a slog because, for the time being, I had just a handful of people besides myself who could do that.

Under most circumstances, the safeties built into the Stargate and DHD would prevent a wormhole from forming if there was a clear danger on the other side. This, in practice, meant things like black holes, supernovas, and such. That was the kind of thing the Stargates had to account for when forming the wormhole.

A few of those worlds were forbidden addresses that were easy to recall – like those of worlds part of the Protected Planets Treaty. Even with the Asgard presumably on the ropes, I was eager to avoid that can of worms. Then we had Reetou worlds, and I could very well do without having to deal with alien suicide bombers that were partially out of phase with the universe. In the long run, capturing and then studying some of them to replicate their ability would be useful. However, even thinking about that would require robust R&D capabilities I wouldn't have for years to come.

The address of Tolana and the Tolan's other known colonies were here, too. The plan I cooked up for Ra was still viable in that regard. I would wait until their planet becomes uninhabitable, then send in Jaffa with environmentally sealed armor to loot anything and everything useful left behind… then put it in storage for study later.

If my vague recollections of the original timeline were correct, without Abyods' addresses, Earth was stuck as far as exploration went. That and offering them access to Abydos for a price should keep their content on the exploration front after their disastrous operation.

Thinking of Earth, now that my anger is under better control, it was time to begin seriously thinking about what to do during my visit. That would be a special performance and an irritating balancing act. I didn't want to push too many of my potential allies against me in the long run. However, Earth had to be educated about its place in the universe and the mess their stumbling in the dark caused.

A lot would depend on how much of the place was on fire when I arrived there. Lyda's last report was fascinating and certainly not what I expected.

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The Biliskner, Biliskner class cruiser
Ivaldi, Asgard industrial system
Ida Galaxy

Space rippled with the side effects of weapons discharging. Shields glowed like suns, struggling to reflect and absorb energy. Spears made of replicator blocks moving at relativistic velocities hammered defensive fields, seeking a weakness and trying to match rotating frequencies.

Defense emplacements opened fire and decloaked, bringing their shields fully online.

This was the fifth attack wave of the latest Replicator assault upon the system. It was attrition at its finest, pursued with cold machine logic. The implacable enemy didn't even bother to build their expendable forces from advanced materials. Instead, they relied on mass-produced inferior ships to weaken the system's defenses. At the same time, vessels built from consumed Asgard ships and worlds waited for an opportunity to pounce.

Supreme Commander Thor couldn't ignore the bait offered by the enemy. Every sacrificial vessel throwing itself against his ships had a few Replicators made of advanced materials. At least a handful of each spear salvo shot at the Asgard defenders contained in its core enough blocks made with advanced materials to start replicating in case they penetrated the shields and compromised the hull. That wasn't a weapon that could be ignored. Shooting them costs energy and thermal debt and slowly but inevitably increased the maintenance cost of the ongoing battle.

The same was true for the debris field forming around the outer defensive perimeter of the system. They had to be annihilated to eliminate any traps potentially hiding there.

Small, automated older ships that weren't economically worth upgrading or necessarily recycling for material flew in packs beyond the engagement zone. They were vaporizing the edges of the debris field before it could spread beyond the defensive perimeter.

The sixth assault wave came out of hyperspace just out of range of the Asgard weapons while they were still busy annihilating the last of the fifth. Thor knew that the staggered nature of the assault had a purpose – it pinned elements of the Asgard Fleet in place while testing for weak spots that could be exploited.

Ivaldi wasn't the only system under attack, merely the most important. The sector Thor's ship was engaged in wasn't the only ongoing battle around the system.

The Replicator fleet lying in wait suddenly accelerated, converging towards the heart of Ivaldi's defenses from multiple vectors. Spikes of silver and segmented metal tore through the crude-looking ships in the sixth wave, revealing they were not the inferior vessels they pretended to be.

Automated combat systems reacted immediately, bringing weapons to full power, though it was too late. The incoming ships fired first. Ion beams and neutronium spikes slipping through space at a high percentage of the speed of light were first to strike at defenses straining after hours of combat. A third of the rapidly approaching Replicator fleet came straight at Thor's ships, seeking collision vectors. The rest had much more valuable targets.

Deep within the system, six stations emanated more power than most stars. They "hardened" subspace, making it impossible to open a hyperspace window closer to the industrial centers that made Ivaldi's strategic value absolute.

"Decloack and engage," Thor spoke aloud for the record while his mind swimming within the battle network issued more precise orders.

Bomber squadrons decloaked and dumped all the energy in their oversized capacitor banks into a wide burst meant to blind even Replicator sensors briefly. A second later, they released two torpedoes with anti-matter warheads, surrounded by decoys. All munitions accelerated at a pace that would burn out their engines within seconds. Defensive fire from the advancing Replicator vessels scythed through a third of the incoming weapons, hitting the more dangerous appearing decoys. Decoys vaporized, slamming into shields. The torpedoes detonated right before the collision, annihilating themselves in the process. A stream of antiprotons slashed into the Replicator vessels with the kind of firepower unrivaled since the fall of the Lanteans ten thousand years ago.

Shields specialized to stop Ion weaponry of all stripes collapsed. Anti-matter pierced and washed over the neutronium hull, causing nuclear annihilation.

Thor's reserves – all newly built ships courtesy of the system's industrial might, left their positions around the stations and raced to annihilate the scattered debris that, until a moment ago, represented a large Replicator fleet.

The enemy ships fighting over the perimeter recoiled, and those who could decelerate and run did so. The rest did their best to take some of the Asgard defenders with them.

The Asgard fleet moved as fast as possible. At the same time, the defensive emplacements focused on the Replicator vessels flying on a collision course. Ten seconds later, it was all over except for the clean-up operation.

Five more Asgard cruisers joined the long list of lost ships and, more importantly, irrecoverably lost Asgard.

Yet, Ivaldi stood intact, and because of it, Thor still had the flexibility to carry out offensive operations. Losing this system would put Asgard on the defensive permanently and ensure that, barring a technological miracle, it would be only a matter of time before the enemy ground them down to dust. Instead, Thor could still go after Replicator mining operations and maintain the bloody stalemate until one side faltered.

Thor relaxed and slowly extracted his mind from the battle network. His commanders seamlessly took over and continued to coordinate the clean-up operation. The ships with combat damage moved within designated clusters of defenses and sensor probes, which began scanning them for Replicator infestation. Small groups of ships, which had deferred maintenance for the longest, headed for the shipyards near the star.

Soon, floods from the whole region of space reached the Biliskner, confirming that the current Replicator onslaught was over. Scouts were already on their way, seeking opportunity targets and hiding follow-up attack forces.

For Thor, the respite meant he had time to catch up on the latest news and dispatches from the Council. Most of it was standard correspondence he received every day as the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. However, this time, there was a file his ship's computer marked as particularly interesting. Thor checked on all Fleet-related news, issued relevant orders, and opened the flagged file only then.

It was a summary of recent events at Earth – the homeworld of the latest evolution of the Alteran's descendants. Thor's eyes widened when he read about Ra's alleged death. The cloaked Asgard satellite in orbit of Earth had no issues compromising

the humans' primitive communications, and what passed for encryption they used. That tap into the humans' communications provided substantial supporting evidence. However, only the actions of the Goa'uld System Lords in the coming months and years would prove if Ra was dead for good or not.

An ancient part of Thor regretted he might not be able to face his old opponent across the battlefield one last time. It may be better this way.

The Asgard Fleet was incapable of waging war against the Goa'uld, even if the parasites had stagnated for a long time, while the Asgard kept advancing. The Replicator War ensured the fleet was tasked to capacity, and sending even a single ship to the Milky Way would be a luxury Thor could hardly indulge in.

Of more interest were the actions of the odd Goa'uld pretending to be Perun. Through his actions alone, that one proved he was nothing like the Goa'uld who spent the past few thousand years being utterly unremarkable even by his kind's standards. Thor called up an attachment containing passive scans of the new armor introduced by Perun. He compared it with what used to be the Goa'uld standard in the Milky Way for the past six thousand years.

The changes were more evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Thor critically looked at the two designs as they were side by side. He wondered how much of that was because this was as far as 'Perun' could innovate and how much it was because, by all accounts, until very recently, the Goa'uld in question had minimal access to industry, resources, and scientists to aid in his work.

It was a shame that Asgard didn't have a satellite in Moloc's Throne World orbit to observe the battles they knew occurred there. They now had only second-hand information about how the Goa'uld Empire was evolving, which was not a good position to be in.

Perun's expected arrival was a bright spot, if dangerous, for Earth. That was another point of concern for the Council as a whole. Earth's association with Goa'uld made the Asgard doubt their hopes for these humans. At the same time, 'Perun' wasn't acting like a typical example of his kind and even showed sparks of promise that were practically unheard of among the Goa'uld.

Thor decided that if the war permitted, he would be keeping a close eye on what the humans of Earth and their Goa'uld ally would be up to in the future.

Before retiring for rest, Thor sent the file on Earth to Tyr, flagging the new armor designs as a point of interest. As the war with the Replicators continued to be a tenuous stalemate, Tyr had often been begging to be allowed to revisit some of his old ideas… which were the reason Thor himself had to strip his friend of his position as a Fleet Commander.

Due to his actions, Tyr could only be allowed to command a single ship with a rotating, hand-picked crew shortly after signing the Protected Planets Treaty.

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Part 6

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time: irrelevant

place: the Ascendant Plane

Ganos Lal. Janus and Oma Desala sat on a terrace on the highest tower, a construct shaped like one of the most resplended cities their people ever built. Below and around them, they could hear the bustle of countless Alteran people enjoying their lives.

It was all an illusion, an echo of an era long past. Yet, in this realm, the lines between reality, memory, and fantasy could easily blur until there was no tangible difference.

"Do you think this could be a reality once more?" Oma asked, looking at the metropolis stretching as far as the eye could see. "This is the inheritance we left for our descendants."

"If most humans in this galaxy have all the facts, they will be cursing us for leaving enough things lying around to facilitate the Goa'uld's rise to power," Ganos snorted in an unladylike fashion.

"Speaking of Goa'uld?" Janus looked at the crystal table between them. A vortex formed, showing an armored figure leaning over a crude holographic projector. Stargate addresses were flashed before him as he updated a database with more information. Some flashed red, designating them as leading to forbidden worlds and the reason for it. Others were amber – known Goa'uld holdings. Finally, the green was potentially safe for exploration.

"That wasn't our intention when we made the deal," Oma glared at the figure. "He can be as dangerous as Anubis, perhaps more. The powers he wields…" The Ascended looked around, staring through the illusion surrounding them.

"We get exactly what we bargained for – a path that can unite our descendants. There are multiple potential paths now. Besides, while our friend down there is many things, a Goa'uld he is not. His origin makes him no less human. If anything, he is closer to us than most of our descendants," Janus pointed out.

"There were many paths before as well, and we know how our timeline turned out," Oma grumbled.

"He is not Anubis, you know. We might be fortunate this time around. In that case, you won't need to spend an eternity dealing with that thing," Ganos reminded her accomplice of the silver lining.

Time on the Ascended Plane flowed differently than how the mortals perceived it. For most intents and purposes, past, present, and future were a large ocean where those concepts mixed together, not a stream flowing in one direction. The clash between Oma and Anubis lasted a literal eternity yet was far shorter. Otherwise, Oma wouldn't have been present when making the deal that brought the variable they were observing, who was busy changing everything.

"The Tau'ri's path has been derailed. One day, the Ori will find their way to this corner of the universe. However, it might not happen in a few short Terran years," Janus suggested. "The Replicators fighting our old allies might not evolve as they did," A boyish smile formed on his face. "The future is in flux, and even we can't see it properly! It is a blank canvas now!"

"Is it?" Oma countered. "The Tau'ri went to Abydos. They met Ra, and that led to his death. A Goa'uld civil war is now inevitable. The galaxy will burn. Anubis will take advantage of the resulting chaos and might succeed."

"Your nemesis might fall without one of us intervening," Ganos suggested. "You know as well as we do that otherwise, Earth might fallen after our descendants encountered Ra and failed to kill him."

"That was not the timeline we experienced," Oma countered.

"No. Your friends were luckier than anyone has the right to be. Yet, even their luck eventually ran out," Janus reminded them.

"What about your friend?" Oma shot back.

"She lives. One day, she might even Ascend and join us. And this time, she might not have to watch her home burn while the Ori are at the gates like barbarians out of Terra's past."

"She might never encounter you," Oma reminded him.

"The same is true for your friends as well. I cannot tell if they are better for it or not, and isn't that exciting?" Janus grinned un-repentantly at his accomplices.

"After our deal, Moros won't let any of us intervene. The Others are watching us even now," Oma grumbled.

"Let them watch. Their own rules bind them. We have not intervened in the mortal world, and I, for one, have no intention of doing so," Janus raised a hand, and a tall glass with foaming drink formed within his grasp. He saluted the heavens before drinking deeply. "You can still play your role and guide those with the potential for Ascension. Who knows whom you might meet?"

"As long as you don't try it with our new friend," Ganos spoke in a voice she hadn't used in eons. For a moment, it was Morgan Le Fay staring through her usually kind eyes. "We were warned not to meddle in such a way no matter what else we might do after sealing the deal."

"He can become something more, yet not like us. That power we unwittingly unleashed," Oma shook her head. "You two are not taking the situation seriously enough!"

"We got what we bargained for, my friend," Ganos relaxed a bit, letting the woman who used to be to subsume within her. "Now we have to see if it was worth it."

"Our legacy wasn't meant for someone like him! The path he walks and the society he is building is not what we want our descendants to become!" Oma protested.

"What of it?" Morgan was back and briefly glared at her friend. "We made our choices, both back when we Ascended and then when we made the deal. This is not our time nor for us to decide what path our descendants will walk. We are one side of a coin. The Ori are another. Humans now find their way forward in many galaxies and will walk their own path. They will stumble, they will bleed, and they will raise or fall on their own merit. This is their time, Oma. It is for them to choose what path they will walk."

They all looked at the vortex showing them Perun.

Something looked back. It was formless, yet it had glowing eyes that shifted between soothing bright light and crimson fury. It clung around Perun like a protective blanket and glowered defiantly at them.

The vortex dissolved, and they were at another place, at another time. A figure shrouded in black flames stood facing another, cloaked by the bright fires of the Ori.

"I told you, my dear, that if your masters strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly comprehend," the mocking voice crackled with power.

"Do you really think Ascending would protect you from the Ori's wrath?" A woman's voice cackled from within the flames. They flickered briefly, revealing a pair of eyes that were windows to a never-ending inferno.

"Ascension?" The dark figure laughed. "I am something else, little girl. Gods bleed and die, Orici. I've killed my share of them. "The Force freed me, Ori. Come and die…"

Flames burst forth. The black fire surrounding the other figure solidified, revealing their nature as dancing shadows. Darkness flowed from everywhere, devouring all light.

"Message received! Don't be stupid like the Ori one day might be?" Janus asked warily.

The entity observing them blinked once, then retreated, vanishing without a trace.

A figure materialized beside them and glowered. "What did you three do?" Moros demanded. "What did you cut a deal with?!"