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 25: Adjustments
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Part 1
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Lord Perun will leave his ship behind to keep an eye on Earth. Officially, it is to provide protection in case rival Goa'uld Ha'tak arrives in the aftermath of Ra's death. It is also an insurance backing the Stargate Alliance Treaty.
Associated Press
Earth's nations sign formal surrender and submission to Lord Perun. The only surprise was the subdued response worldwide. Most ongoing protests and riots are against the coming war or aimed at governments whose actions ensured Earth would receive access to advanced medical technology later than it could have. After Abydos, only people directly working for Lord Perun on his own, critical scientific personnel on Earth, and their families will gain access to the sarcophagus.
After presiding over the US Congress voting on the Stargate Alliance Treat, enshrining it in law, Lord Perun brought his ship to Colorado Springs, leaving boons for Lady Lyda to use as she deems best. This includes a sarcophagus, the only one on Earth for the time being, and the old cargo ship he recovered from under the sands in Giza, Egypt.
CNN
Congress ratified America's surrender! Everyone who did so is a traitor who needs to go!
Rick Trent, founder of Humanity First, the most wanted person in the United States
Lord Perun's last action before leaving Earth was to confiscate the DHD recovered by Russia, claiming that Earth can not be trusted to explore the galaxy on its own after the disastrous Abydos mission. Instead, the Stargate currently in US custody must be used to develop Abydos and deliver everything Lord Perun requires to the rest of his domain.
BBC World News
A second expedition to Abydos is to occur before the month's end. The purpose is simple – to scout the area, establish contact with the locals, and gain intelligence on what uplifting them and developing the mining sites near the Stargate would require.
Associated Press
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30 January 1997
Abydos, Lord Perun's domain
Milky Way Galaxy
Kawalsky raced through a sea of stars before landing on the stone platform holding Abydo's Stargate. Before him was a group of Perun's Jaffa, meaning business. Large cousins of the aliens' weapons mounted on tripods and surrounded by metal shields pointed at the Stargate. Low metal walls offered cover and firing slits for more alien soldiers to use. A sleek gray hover vehicle blocked the corridor leading out of the chamber. It had a turret with a cannon, with dual-linked smaller weapons on each side.
That was how Goa'uld IFVs looked like, Charles noted. He carefully observed the vehicle while slowly raising his eyes.
"I am Major Charles Kawalsky from Earth," He said in Goa'uld, taking care to pronounce the words correctly. The last thing he wanted was to offend Perun's people. Now that they all technically worked for Perun, the consequences of such a misstep might be grave. "in service of our Lord Perun," The Major added with a sigh.
"I am Prime Ranbir, humble servant of our Lord Perun. Welcome to Abydos," An old bearded Jaffa saluted with a fist to the chest.
Charles awkwardly mirrored the gesture.
"Getting used to saluting differently will take some time, Prime Ranbir. Am I cleared to bring my people through the Stargate?" Kawalsky asked.
"You are. Three vehicles await you outside the pyramid, ready to bring you to the mine and settlement. I don't envy your task. I've seen what entails educating primitive humans," The Jaffa shook his head. "Our God is new here. They will be stuck in their ways and resist change like many of my foolish brothers and sisters on Ujjain do."
"I see…" Charles slowly nodded. That was good to know, even if the information wouldn't be immediately useful. He pressed the transmit button on the radio secured to his rigging. "This is Major Kawalsky. The site remains secured and held by Lord Perun's Jaffa. We are clear to proceed."
Kawalsky jogged down the steps, getting out of the way. One after another, the members of the second, much smaller expedition walked through. Dr. Jackson was with them again to act as a translator and expert on the local culture. The security detail was small – just a detachment of Delta Force, whose primary job was keeping civilians out of trouble. This included a handpicked CNN crew, who were expected to record the conditions at the mine and settlement for the world to see. The rest were a group of combat engineers attached to SGC. After the disastrous first expedition, the appetite of other nations for sending personnel here was relatively low at this time.
While the Kawalsky's people transitioned through the Stargate, Ranbir barked an order to the IFV. It slowly moved backward, with the only noise being a quiet hum. Charles decided that thing could practically sneak up on you if there was any background noise to mask its approach.
As soon as Jackson arrived, he started sneezing. Kawalsky sighed, pulled out a tissue packet from one of his pockets, then offered it to the VIP. The Archaeologist mumbled a thanks before taking out a tissue and burying his fade in it. The noise that followed was impressive. Even the Jaffa thought so.
"That was weird. Great, but weird!" One of the reporters declared. He was busy patting himself to check if everything was still in one place and looking curiously around.
"First time through the Chapa'ai?" The Prime asked.
"That's true for most of them," Kawalsky confirmed. "What is the proper form to address you, Prime?" He asked. "Lord Perun had other things to deal with than ensuring we knew the proper protocol."
"Our Lord is a busy deity," Ranbir nodded sagely. "Prime or Master Jaffa are customary. Lord Perun will eventually overhaul rank structure as his armies grow vaster and more sophisticated. Until then, we will continue using the traditional ways."
"Prime it is then," Kawalsky nodded.
"Go. You have work to do in service of our Lord."
"That we do," Charles agreed, trying to sound as enthusiastic as the Jaffa and failed miserably. Fortunately, that only earned him an amused snort. The alien soldier moved out of the way and waved at them to head out.
"Form up, and follow me!" Kawalsky ordered. He glared at the corridor where he died. Charles was glad he didn't remember it. He could only recall the flash of the shock grenade that knocked him out. From what he learned later, he had been collateral damage from the fighting between the soldiers trying to hold the Stargate and Ra's personal guard. If anything, dying that way felt insulting.
The interior of the pyramid was quite different from what Kawalsky remembered. First, there was all the damage. Second, crystal tunnels replaced various walls, ensuring larger vehicles than the Wiesels could move through the pyramid. Third, there were a lot of Jaffa and metal crates with equipment and supplies lying around.
Earth's party received various curious looks. Some were condescending, but fortunately, there was no open hostility. The Major noted that some of the equipment the first expedition brought in was still here, or at least its crates, which were stacked in corners of the chambers, barely visible behind what the Jaffa had brought in.
What the aliens had was a fascinating and confusing mix of things that were out of this world, literally, and primitive, including fur blankets, sleeping bags, and such. The contrast between their support equipment, advanced weapons, armor, and vehicles was incredible.
When they exited the pyramid, the sight of the devastation from enemy air strikes hammered down the point. Blackened sand, often fused in clumps of jagged glass, was everywhere. There were craters full of solid glass. Pieces of shattered equipment and the burned-out remains of tents were spread all over the area.
To the left, Charles could see stacked battered crates and damaged equipment thrown in a heap, waiting for disposal. Not far away, on a patch of desert that had weathered the fighting intact, the Jaffa had set up a series of tents with rolled-up sides. Before them, some aliens were busy cooking over fires, and a single odd stove sat on a folding table. Jaffa cooked creatures Kawalsky had never seen before on splits over open fires. Others were busy making stews or soups and peeling or chopping vegetables that the Major couldn't recognize.
They were on another world, surrounded by aliens, all right. What he saw made some twisted sense, yet his brain refused to fully accept it.
"Major, orders?" Kawalsky's XO asked. Those words brought him out of his funk. Charles took a deep breath, inhaling the dry scent of the desert mixed with that of exotic cooking.
"Let us get this over with," the Major told himself as much as the Captain beside him. He headed for the waiting vehicles, and the expedition members followed.
At a closer inspection, they were similar in design to the one they saw within the pyramid. The only difference was the weaponry on their turrets. One had a much larger cannon and a single, dual weapon below it. The other two had four of the dual-linked guns, surrounding a fifth.
That was a less efficient design compared to a machine gun or autocannon to do the same thing. However, it might be a limitation and requirement of the plasma technology used by the aliens. Besides, those things likely had more firepower than anything but an Abrams, and from the look of it, neither was a proper tank.
Due to the sun shining from above with oppressive intensity and from behind the vehicles, Kawalsky had to get right beside them to see the Jaffa sitting in the shade of open compartments, waiting for them.
"You are the Earth humans?" One of the aliens asked.
"Major Kawalsky, those are my people," Charles nodded.
"Good. Get in. Do you want to see the mine first or the settlement?"
Kawalsky glanced at Jackson, then the Lieutenant in charge of the engineers.
"The mine first, sir. We need to get it up and running ASAP."
"The mine it is," Charles agreed in Goa'uld.
There was just enough space for everyone and their equipment inside. After Charles boarded and sat on a simple metal bench, he noted this wasn't much different than most APCs he had been packed in back on Earth. This included a raised seat that could move for the gunner to use. A gunner was manning the weapons, who paid them no attention.
Kawalsky couldn't even feel the vehicle accelerating. The humming noise from below his feet was the only sign they were moving. It was the smoothest ride Charles had ever experienced, too, and that was saying something.
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Part 2
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The second Abydos Expedition was successful!
We regret to inform our viewers that Lord Perun didn't lie. Ra's subjects' living and working conditions on that planet are beyond atrocious. Writing had been outlawed thousands of years ago under the penalty of agonizing death. Everyone on Abydos lived in primitive conditions without access to basic necessities since their ancestors were brought there from Earth ages ago… I can say more, yet a picture is worth a thousand words. The footage you are about to see speaks for itself.
CNN
Hard evidence about how the human slaves of the Goa'uld liver shocks the world!
Associated Press
What we saw on Abydos and a report from US personnel working to uplift Lord Perun's subject shows a stark contrast. It appears that Lord Perun's claims about his people are true. Everyone on Earth might be exceptionally fortunate that he was the one to stumble upon us instead of Ra or another Goa'uld.
BBC World News
With survey data from Abydos available, the SAT can begin planning how to best develop the planet and uplift the local human population.
Associated Press
As a part of the discussed reforms of the UN, a new organization will be established: The International Oversight Authority. Its mandate would be to keep all Earth governments in the loop about the galactic situation, oversee and ensure the smooth operation of all Stargate-related activities, and the fair sharing of technology between the members of the SAT.
Euronews
The United States intelligence agency NID: The National Intelligence Directorate will now directly operate in conjunction with the UN, under the aegis of the SAT and oversight from the newly-formed IOA. The eventual goal is for the NID to transform into an international intelligence organization, which would be the eyes and ears of Earth across the galaxy.
Associated Press
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The Biliskner, Thor's flagship
hyperspace
Ida Galaxy
Thor led a raiding party, moving slowly through a shallow layer of hyperspace. The Asgard ships were traveling, giving the impression that they were primitive ships that would hold nothing of interest to the enemy save the potential resources that might be recovered after an engagement. This combination of factors offered a chance to avoid detection, or at least the Replicators' attention. For all their tenacity and ability to absorb new technologies, the machines weren't precisely smart. They kept repeating patterns and mistakes that the Asgard could exploit, a significant factor that allowed them to stalemate an enemy that constantly subverted and replicated the newest technologies deployed against them.
"What do you think?" Thor asked his old disgraced friend.
Tyr blinked twice before his large eyes focused on the Supreme Commander. He raised a hand, and a nutrient bar materialized in his palm. He put it in his mouth and sucked on it, letting out a satisfied sound before deigning to answer.
"We haven't fought in person since before our last war with the Goa'uld. Whenever one of our ships is boarded, we rely on automated defenses, which the Replicators usually manage to subvert or slip past. Unless we have intact ships nearby to provide assistance, we must evacuate and destroy our vessels," Tyr hummed. "You really need to try one of these, Thor," he offered.
"It is inefficient," Thor dismissed. "A distraction as well. You can use your time and focus better, Tyr," he chided.
"Your loss, old friend. This is simply delicious."
"You are a deviant," Thor muttered. "It has been thousands of years, yet you haven't changed."
"You did change, friend. However, I can't say it was for the better," Tyr countered without heat or even a hint of reproach.
"I will have your thoughts on the situation," Thor put aside his rising irritation. "Before the heat death of the universe, if you could be so kind."
"We were young when the last of our warriors had to put down their old bodies and replace them with these," Tyr waved a thin arm at his tiny chest. "These can support our minds for now, yet there are more and more trade-offs with each new generation of clones. The oldest of us will run out of time first. This will mean a loss of experience and wisdom that would impact what our people can do during our final decline."
"We can not Ascend. Odin was the last of our people to barely manage it, and he had help. These cloned bodies were both our salvation and will be our doom unless we make a breakthrough," Thor summarized their situation.
The Replicator war made everything worse. Suppose they could have used all the resources it devoured and all the Asgard dying in it, working towards solving the problem. In that case, they might have found a viable way to save themselves. Instead, their whole species was primarily focused on ridding the universe of the Replicators even if it killed them, in no small part because, in the long run, this war almost certainly doomed them to extinction.
"Making ourselves new bodies that are better in combat means bodies that can't support our minds. That is out of the question. We would lose part of ourselves," Tyr continued.
That was a known issue. Otherwise, the Asgard wouldn't be stuck in these weak bodies in the first place.
The only open path they had was that of machine ascension, and that was something no sane Asgard desired. Computers could sustain their minds for some time. That happened time an Asgard transferred into a new clone body. However, its long existence as a digital life form led to inevitable changes in personality. The Asgard began to lose themselves, and their touch with the outside world inevitably frayed. Their morals gradually became less and less important. The end result was madness, not so different from what the Goa'uld did to themselves through the constant use of their imperfect healing devices.
Asgard's best scientists believed the issue wasn't a mere technological limitation to overcome with sufficient research. They knew that souls were real through their interactions with the Alteran and Nox. The few Asgard who managed to Ascend into energy beings were further proof. Entombing a soul into a machine made it fray without a body to anchor it. In that way, the comparison with the Goa'uld was more than apt.
There were worse things than death and extinction. The Asgard decided long ago that they wouldn't fall as low as the Goa'uld.
"There is no need to explain our situation in excruciating detail, Tyr. It is not like I could forget," Thor reminded his friend.
"If you say so, Thor," Tyr looked sadly at him. He summoned another sweetened nutrient bar and looked at it as if it held all the universe's secrets. "If it wasn't for the Replicator threat, I would regret what we did to ourselves," Tyr took the morsel into his mouth and smiled at the taste. "You knew what I might propose before you called me here, Thor. No matter how much you've changed, you are not a fool."
"I need to hear you from your own lips. I need to hear your justification," Thor implored.
"That right here is what is wrong with all our people, Thor. We could have won the war against the Goa'uld. The galaxy would have burned, the casualties would have been horrific, and most of them would have been innocent slaves caught in the crossfire. It would have been the moral thing to do. Instead, we let the Goa'uld reign unchallenged for thousands of years. We were the only ones who could stop them. We were the last to uphold the Alliance's grand legacy!" Tyr was shouting at the end like no Asgard had done in millennia. "Instead, we condemned a whole galaxy to suffer! World burn anyway! Civilizations regularly go extinct for the crime of not being primitive enough!"
"We could have won, yes. The Council wasn't willing to pay the price then. We couldn't procreate at the time, Tyr. Our generation was already one of the last to be born. The price for victory could have been our guaranteed extinction!" Thor countered
"Just like now. This time, when we are gone, there will be no one left to take on the Goa'uld," Tyr chuckled bitterly. "Who knows, we might not have stumbled upon the original Replicators then. This war might have been avoided, and our end might have meant something worth remembering."
Thor closed his eyes and sighed. Tyr was right on that point. It was a catastrophic mistake on their part that allowed the Replicators to become the threat they were today. Ending the machine scourge was both their duty and responsibility.
"Tyr…" Thor glared at his friend. "Stop stalling. You know what I need to hear about."
"The obvious and simplest way to mitigate the losses we face due to boarding actions is deploying internal security. I am not discussing more automated defenses that the replicators can hack or bypass. Living people with the right equipment and training."
"You want to recreate your Valkyries. You want to uplift humans or others to fight our battles for us. That was why the Council ordered your punishment, Tyr."
"And that is why we are here, having this conversation. You thought the same when you saw what that odd Goa'uld is doing. I was always planning to design proper armor for my Valkyries. You know it, we discussed some ideas about it."
"Then you went and actually began uplifting and arming humans right after we signed the Protected Planets Treaty!" Thor snapped, raising his voice for the first time in a century.
"You can always propose we create armor for ourselves. Even if the Council doesn't authorize anything else, armored suits might keep more of us alive for longer," Tyr suggested. "We do have schematics from long ago. We also see how crude personal armor is very useful to the Goa'uld. That was what gave you the idea to call me Thor. You could make this suggestion by yourself. By consulting me, you are tainting whatever you will bring in front of the Council," Tyr blinked at Thor. "You want to use this as an opportunity to lift my punishment. If the idea has merit and saves even a few precious lives, the Council might listen…. Is that what you are aiming for, old friend?"
"You have been punished for too long, Tyr. You would have been more useful leading a fleet, instead of a single ship, with a crew more interested in watching you for mischief instead of learning what you could offer them," Thor admitted. "I want to also hear your thoughts on what Perun is doing. He is not acting like the other Goa'uld. Even the saner would not consider educating their human slaves as a whole, much less making them more than a source of hosts and manual labor. What he does is illogical for a Goa'uld; simultaneously, we can see he is sane and smart enough."
"The better question would be who Perun is. You haven't found out, have you, Thor?" Tyr inquired.
"It is clear that the original Goa'uld of that name has been supplanted," Thor grimaced. "When speaking with Earth's leaders and diplomats, Perun mentioned an Ascension. You watched that recording, Tyr."
"Yes, I did," Tyr nodded. He raised his head and smiled. "I can't offer anything you haven't thought of already. The original Goa'uld might have tried to take over an Alteran or another human close enough to Ascension. The Perun who recently annexed Earth might not be a Goa'uld at all. Or perhaps he succeeded, yet the experience radically changed him, leading to what we observe. Any other Goa'uld would have bombarded Earth into rubble. Even the sanest among them would have done so after meeting Earth's leaders. To think that some of us had such hopes for that branch of humanity…."
Tyr wasn't among those Asgard. He did his best to uplift a different world, and if given the opportunity, he might do the same with their descendants.
Those humans weren't perfect either, far from it. Yet, the same could be said about each evolution of humanity that Asgard knew. The Nox and Furling were no different. Neither were the Asgard.
"What do you intend to do, Supreme Commander?" Tyr asked. He very slowly and deliberately got yet another treat before making a show of enjoying every moment of devouring it.
"We have a war to win. Unless the Goa'uld moves against one of the worlds under our protection, we will leave them to their own devices. The people of that galaxy have suffered enough. If they are lucky, the coming war will transform the Goa'uld Empire into something less monstrous," Thor decided.
Tyr stared at his friend, though he didn't chide him for such wishful thinking. Once, long ago, the Nox were the most vicious and deadly species the Asgard had encountered up to that point. It was a ruinous war, and the price the Nox paid during it transformed their civilization into the pacifists they are today.
"If you are wrong?" Tyr eventually asked.
"Then taking out Perun as soon as we can spare a few ships might be the best option in the long run," Thor admitted. "However, if he survives the coming war and becomes a System Lord, the other Goa'uld might have to follow up his example and treat their human subjects better to keep up with him," Thor noted. "Depending on his true nature, killing him might not be as straightforward as sending a few ships. We can't spare more at the best of times."
"His Ascension claim," Tyr murmured. A thought called up crude video recordings recovered from human systems.
While it wasn't conclusive, what Perun was recorded doing was either a novel development of Goa'uld technology or something that only people on the cusp of Ascension could do.
"Have you thought about talking with him?" Tyr suggested. He would treasure Thor's incredulous look for a long time to come.