A Legacy of Chaos
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and universes that I am about to mangle around for my own amusement – sadly Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Stargate: SG-1 and EVE Online remain the property of Mutant Enemy Productions, MGM and CCP Games respectively – I am merely borrowing them and make absolutely no profit from their use. As a result, please keep the legal attack dogs – also known as lawyers – firmly muzzled and on a leash as I have no money to give to anyone.
Author Notes: I think I should remind everyone that conversation in italic in this story is either Xander thought speaking to Aura while inside a pod – since he can't well talk aloud since his lungs, throat and so on are completely full of liquid while in the capsule – or represent a Tok'ra host speaking to their symbiote. Conversation in bold represents a Tok'ra or Goa'uld speaking.
Some dialogue in the last part of this chapter has been lifted and adapted from the transcript of the Stargate SG-1 season two episode In The Line of Duty, no copyright infringement is intended as I do not plagiarise so there may be some spoilers ahead though I don't think they can really be spoilers given how old the episode is now lol.
Finally my thanks to Keiran Halcyon for his help as a beta reader and Jace Domon for being an idea sounding board.
Chapter Seven
It didn't take Xander long to reach the Fortizar's operations centre – the high speed turbolifts and transport tubes that ran through the interior of the massive station made getting from A to B quick and easy even if the two locations were dozens of kilometres apart – from the hangar bay where the captured corvette was being stored. In fact, it took less than two minutes for the lift doors to open revealing the secure access corridor to the station's operations centre.
A few seconds later he was stepping into the operations centre and it was both what he had expected, and what he hadn't expected, the station's nerve centre to be. He had expected the room was a huge rectangular space split over two levels with two flights of stairs leading up to a mezzanine level one against the port bulkhead the other on the starboard side. The lower level was dominated by a number of consoles – all with active holographic screens – where, had the station been in New Eden, the stations operations staff would have sat most monitoring and controlling all the Fortizar's systems the rest overseeing the largely automated traffic control systems around the station. That was not a surprise.
What was a surprise however was what was on the upper level.
Instead of the expected consoles for the senior operations staff and station administrator there was something so out of place that for a second, he couldn't believe it. Through the transparent safety banister as while it wouldn't be fatal a fall from that upper level could cause significant injury, he beheld a hydrostatic capsule.
"Aura am I seeing things?" he asked.
"No, you are not," the quasi-female voice of the artificial intelligence replied, not sounding as surprised as he was at the presence of the capsule. "There is a hydrostatic capsule on the upper level of the operations centre. Diagnostics indicate that it is connected to the station's primary command systems much like it is on a ship though the capsule is on its own and not housed in its usual ship. Additional diagnostics indicate that you should be able to interface with it as easily as on a ship."
"I didn't think that Citadels came equipped with capsules in the control centre," Xander pointed out even as he ascended to the upper level and took off his armour. Which was as simple as giving a thought command causing the back of the suit to open allowing him to step out. He then took off the muscle-suite worn underneath the armour which in combat would boost a soldier's speed and strength, which were already at near superhuman levels with modern soldiers.
"You are thinking of the older starbases, Xander. Citadels do come equipped with such control facilities especially when the station's intended owners are capsuleers."
"I see well since he ran cargo in high-sec space almost exclusively after leaving the Gallente Navy it shouldn't surprise me that Alexander didn't know that," Xander commented as he took off the muscle-suit leaving himself just in the standard capsuleer underwear. He walked up to the capsule, noting immediately that while the interior design was the same as a regular capsule – a vaguely egg-shaped suspension chamber constructed of silicate reinforced polycarbonate glass – the access to it was different. Instead of a platform lift at the bottom of the suspension chamber the entire front of the chamber seemed to be hinged. Strange design, he thought as with a hiss the front of the capsule opened and slid aside allowing him to get inside.
"More information on the spell and magic in general would be beneficial," Aura agreed, in a quiet AI way she was extremely interested in learning more about a phenomenon that had long been dismissed as simple illusions and theatrics. To find out that it was real was interesting and she was as eager as an artificial intelligence could be to learn more about it. She watched as Xander sat on the seat inside the pod, prompting her to close the door and engage the seal. "Are you ready to begin the interface process Xander?"
"Yes," Xander replied even as he wondered how different the citadel's systems would feel in comparison to those on a starship. In response to his words Aura activated the interface process causing the cables to come to life and begin moving towards his spine while vents in the base of the capsule opened and blue hydrostatic fluid began to be pumped in. I hate this bit, Xander thought as the first cable connected to the interface jack in the small of his back sending a momentary pulse of pain through his nervous system as the first neural relay came to life. The second and third cables connected sending more pulses of pain through him. Ugh, there has got to be something we can do about this, he thought as the hydrostatic fluid level reached his mouth and nose. As always he didn't gag as the fluid started flooding down his airways and filling his lungs, though this was only his fourth time taking it in, it already felt, well, not natural but comfortable for him to have this fluid in his lungs.
The last three cables connected to their ports and he closed his eyes. To suddenly see the world through the station's sensors and external cameras both internally and externally much the same as he could on a ship. In fact the feeling was very much the same though there were some differences as he didn't feel the thrust of engines or the gentle thrumming of the warp drive as it sat in standby mode waiting to accelerate said ship to faster than light velocities. The stations massive reactors also felt different to those on a ship, due in no small part to their scale as each one was larger than a frigate, not even Titans mounted reactors as big as the dozen spread out around the station to provide it with all the power it could ever need. The other big difference was the feeling of being locked in place by the PEG units that anchored the station in its orbit. He could also feel Aura in the system, the AI a faint warm presence at the back of his awareness waiting for directions from him.
He instantly became aware of the fact that the station was being scanned and where the sensor beams were coming from. Following the beams to their source he saw a vessel that made his physical body blink in surprise. It was truly alien, oval in appearance and composed of an opalescent blue material that looked more like an insect than the metallic hull of a spacecraft, pulsing lights – like those on some deep-sea jellyfish rippled around the edges. Since the vessel was scanning his space station, he returned the favour, a thought causing the station's own sensors to reach out and thoroughly scan the vessel.
The results immediately registered on his consciousness. Surprisingly while the vessel was as big as one of the Angel Cartel's Machariel-class battleships it was not at all armed, there were no weapons that the sensors could detect, though the vessel did have shields though they were currently down. Even more surprising was the fact that the hull was organic being made from a bioengineered material similar to coral by infinitely stronger and further reinforced with some kind of silicon nanofiber and carbon nanotube mesh that appeared to be secreted by the organic material beneath it.
"Intriguing," Aura told him.
"I'll say, correct me if I am wrong, Aura, but I don't think organic spacecraft have ever been encountered in New Eden," he thought-spoke back.
"You are correct. While there are theories that it would be possible to create organic ships no current or historical civilization in New Eden have ever been shown to possess the knowledge of science needed to create one."
"I think it's safe to say whoever this is, they're not someone we know. Aura, transmit the standard first contact package to the alien ship."
"Understood transmitting package."
Now we wait, Xander thought as he sensed one of the station's communications arrays power up and begin sending the standard Gallente Federation first contact package to the unknown ship. For a few minutes more nothing happened – well beyond the aliens continuing to scan him and him returning the favour - then to his surprise the alien vessel responded by hailing him. A thought opened a communications screen and simultaneously transmitted a holographic representation of him back to the alien vessel. The alien he saw was humanoid but short, dressed in simple looking purple and brown robes that looked to be made of natural fibres. He – if the alien really was a he as appearances aside the alien could have a completely different gender or no specific gender at all – had pale greyish-white skin and thick grass-like hair that looked completely uncontrollable and which seemed to have plants growing out of it.
"Greetings," the alien said, seemingly speaking perfect Gallentese, surprising him that he'd learned the language so fast as even with the assistance of nanite learning tools not even capsuleers could learn a new skill or new language that quickly. "I am Ohper of the Nox, I apologize if our arrival startled you let me assure you, I mean you no harm."
"My name is Xander," Xander thought-spoke back though as with the quantum communications device he'd left with Giles the system automatically turned his thought-speech into audible words. "And your arrival did startle me as I was not expecting a visitor here in the hinterlands of this system. Might I ask what brings you here Ohper of the Nox?"
The alien gave a small smile. "You do Xander Harris," he replied.
Xander was sure his physical body's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know my name?" he asked.
"It is an exceedingly long and complex story," Ohper answered, "I am informed that you are somewhat aware of the true history of your planet, that it was once dominated by demons."
"Yes. You know something about what happened with the chaos spell cast upon Sunnydale on Halloween?"
"Indeed, I do. It would be preferable to discuss this with you face-to-face. Is it possible for myself and a small delegation to come aboard?"
Xander considered for a few moments. "I agree you may come aboard," he said, "I will have a shuttle bay prepared for you as I assume you do not wish to dock your ship."
"A shuttle bay will not be necessary, we have other methods of transport over such distances. All you need to do is provide me with the coordinates where you wish to meet with me once you've lowered your shields."
Is he saying that they have real life transporters? Xander thought his inner sci-fi nerd squeaking in delight at the thought of seeing something like that in real life but at the same time the part of him that was still, and probably always would be, Alexander urged him to exercise caution in regards to allowing the Nox to come aboard in that fashion. After all, while the Nox looked harmless it did not mean that they were.
"I would prefer it if you came aboard via a shuttle. At least until we get to know one another better," he replied at last.
"I understand. Myself and my colleagues will come aboard by shuttle," Ohper replied after thinking about it for a few moments. "We will proceed to the shuttle now and come over as soon as possible."
"Thank you. When you get within a hundred kilometres of the station stop and send a signal on this frequency," a thought sent the frequencies for the automated docking system to them, "it will initiate the docking sequence and trigger the tractor beams that will bring your shuttle into the station."
"Understood. We will begin our preparations immediately and contact you again when we are about to launch."
"I will eagerly await your message and I look forward to meeting you."
"We will be there soon."
The communications link closed prompting the image of the Nox to disappear from Xander's mind. With a thought Xander gave the command to the system to lower the station's defensive shields, there was no danger here after all, and was about to begin the delinking process when Aura spoke up.
"Xander might I make a suggestion?"
"Of course, Aura what is it?"
"I suggest that you activate another clone and operate it remotely from your current location," the artificial intelligence replied. "That way it will allow, a far faster reaction should these Nox betray us and attempt to inflict harm upon us."
Xander frowned thoughtfully at that even as he remembered that it was possible for a capsuleer to control multiple clones of themselves though it was generally not recommended to do so for an extended period of time as if the capsuleer wasn't mentally strong enough it could essentially drive them mad. Controlling a single additional clone, which could be returned to the tank and its memories reintegrated into his own when its task was done, was more manageable. Plus, it would be good practice for when everything was in place in Sunnydale for him to leave a jump clone there.
"Alright," he agreed at last. "Is there any particular clone you would recommend I use?"
"No just choose one as at current they are all the same."
Hmm at some time in the future I am going to have to biosculpt a few of them, he thought. "Aura remind me later to do something about that."
"As you wish Xander."
As Aura finished speaking Xander focused his attention on the numerous clones of his that were in stasis in the station's cloning bays. I really must set up another facility somewhere just in case someone destroys the station as dying permanently would majorly suck, he thought, it was a common thing for capsuleers in New Eden to leave clones of themselves in numerous locations around the galaxy. There was wisdom after all in not putting all your eggs in one basket. He would have to look around the system afterwards to locate a place where he could build a fallback facility to house some clones and a ship or two. Maybe out in the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud an asteroid or dwarf planet would do nicely for such a facility, he thought before dismissing it from his mind for now.
Instead he began playing a mental game of rock, paper, scissors to choose which clone to activate.
Nox Mothership
Ohper allowed a small smile to grace his face as the communications link with the space station closed and the image of the massive space station reappeared on the bridge viewers. Despite himself he couldn't help but be slightly amazed at the sheer size of the station. It was much larger than anything he had ever seen before in his centuries of life. He was however pleased that Xander had agreed to allow them to come aboard and talk with him, the transformed Tau'ri would need their help if he was to face the destiny that had been dumped in his lap a Tau'ri day or so ago.
"Prepare a shuttle for departure," he said looking over at the mothership's captain.
"As you wish, Elder."
As the motherships captain began organising the preparation for a shuttle launch Ohper allowed himself to think about the sequence of events that had brought him here this day, by ship no less. A day ago, the Nox had sensed an immense discharge of mystical and ascended energy coming from this part of the galaxy. Using their own knowledge and experience of the reality distorting phenomenon – which they had long since mastered - they had tracked the source of the energy wave to this system and the third planet which they knew to be the Tau'ri homeworld. The Council of Elders had been worried by the development as magical discharges of this scale had not been seen in an exceedingly long time, certainly not since the Alterans fought, defeated and ultimately banished the powerful extradimensional creatures known as the Old Ones.
Fearing that the Tau'ri had found something they shouldn't have, possibly some weapon left over from that war, they had immediately begun making plans to send this ship here to investigate. He had been about to transport aboard when two beings had appeared before him and the rest of the Council of Elders in the capital city floating sedately over the surface of Gaia. One had been a being they had not seen in an exceedingly long time, the other a being whose kind while known about had never been directly encountered by the Nox before.
It was what the two had told them that had prompted them to approach the station that had been created instead of heading straight to Tau'ri itself. The fact that there was a young man on the station who could really use their knowledge and guidance, especially since what had happened to him could not be undone, had also played a role in the decision to approach the station first.
"Elder Ohper?" the ship's captain called from behind him.
"Yes?"
"Your shuttle is prepared."
"Very well I will make my way to the shuttle bay. Contact the station and advise Xander that we will be launching in a few minutes."
"Yes Elder."
Stargate Command
That Same Time
Colonel Jack O'Neill gazed at the monitor showing one of his teammates as she, or rather the snake that had taken control of her, stood motionless on the other side of the bars in one of the brigs cells. He could not believe that this was happening again that another member of the SGC had become infested by one of those egotistical parasites. It brought up some uncomfortable memories of the fate of Major Charles Kowalski a few months ago and how he'd become infested by an immature Goa'uld symbiote during that first mission to Chulak. They'd thought they'd successfully surgically removed the parasite from him, instead the serpentine being had tricked them and they'd failed to remove the whole thing.
Making it worse the fact that they had had to anesthetise Kowalski to carry out the surgery, it had given the immature Goa'uld all the time it had needed to gain absolute control over Kowalski's body. The result had been the now completely possessed man almost destroying the SGC by triggering the bases self-destruct mechanism. Only the fact that himself and General Hammond had also had the codes to the self-destruct device, and in an act of monumental overconfidence the Goa'uld hadn't thought to scramble the codes, had prevented the SGC being destroyed. The Goa'uld itself had been killed, along with Kowalski, when Teal'c had managed to lure it close enough to the Stargate that the initial instability that occurred when the wormhole was first established – the now well-known ka-woosh – had taken off the top of the possessed man's head instantly ending both host and symbiotes lives.
And now it looked like he could be about to lose another friend, and teammate, to Goa'uld infestation.
He continued watching as Teal'c stepped into the room as the Goa'uld controlling Carter had asked to speak with him. I just hope he does better with her than I did as it was so hard to go in there and not see Carter, he thought with an inward wince as he recalled Carter's voice but deepened and distorted by the symbiote as it spoke through her. It had been incredibly hard, especially when the Goa'uld had started speaking with Carter's normal voice desperately trying to convince him to listen to her/it.
He put those thoughts out of his head and watched as the Goa'uld-possessed Carter and the former First Prime of Apophis began speaking.
Teal'c had his hands behind his back, doing his best to keep himself calm when what he really wanted to do was wring the Goa'uld's in retribution for their enslavement of the Jaffa and now this one for taking Captain Carter as a host, as he stepped into the room where the Goa'uld was standing in a cell.
"You wished to see me," he asked calmly, having long ago mastered the art of hiding his true feelings about the Goa'uld from them. He would not have lived so long in the service of Apophis if he had not learned that hardest of skills to learn.
"Jaffa," the Goa'uld responded, inwardly Teal'c winced at the distorted inhuman voice coming out of Captain Carter's mouth. "Yes, I did wish to speak with you. You must convince the humans to listen to me."
"They will not let you go."
"Not even if I can give them something that they want more than anything? I am aware of the alien space station orbiting the eighth planet of this system, if they let me go I will not only return Samantha Carter to them once I have moved to a more willing host but I will provide them with the means to reach it."
"You would not."
The Goa'uld looked at him sympathetically as it walked up to the bars. "Not all Goa'uld are the same. We are not all monsters like Apophis and the other System Lords, there are a few of us who oppose such ways. Surely you have heard of the Tok'ra."
"Every Goa'uld seeks power and would betray their own brother to achieve it. The Tau'ri will not believe you."
"Not all. Some of us seek power for a greater and nobler purpose. Not all Goa'uld must be an enemy to the people of this planet or any other. The Tok'ra are real, no matter what Apophis has told you."
"I have yet to meet one."
"You have now," the Goa'uld said, straightening up in pride. "I am Jolinar of Malksur."
Teal'c's eyes widened slightly as the Goa'uld spoke. He had heard about the Battle of Malksur, many Jaffa quietly spoke of it amongst themselves when there wasn't a Goa'uld around to overhear and punish them for speaking of something that was forbidden. If he remembered correctly Jolinar, at the time a minor System Lord, had denounced the ways of the System Lords and raised an army to dethrone them. The battle from what Master Bra'tac said had been fierce but had ended in the System Lord's favour when Ra himself joined the battle. The army and fleet assembled by Jolinar had been annihilated with Jolinar disappearing at the end of the battle before he could be dragged before Ra and the High Council of System Lords for execution.
For a moment he considered the possibility that the Goa'uld could be lying about its identity and using the story of the Battle of Malksur to get them to listen to it. But after a moment of thought he decided that was not likely to be the case. He gave the Goa'uld one last look before leaving to report this development to Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond.
United States Air Force Academy Hospital
USAF Academy, Colorado Springs
A Few Minutes Later
Doctor Janet Fraiser, normally the chief medical officer at Stargate Command but currently on loan to the USAF Academy Hospital as they treated the Nasyan refugees many of whom had quite significant injuries from the Goa'uld assault on their planet. Injuries that ranged from broken bones and blunt force injuries to serious burns. It was challenging but rewarding work, though right now she felt irritation more than anything.
The reason being Doctor Jacobs had not met up with her to discuss how their patients were recovering from their injuries. She'd initially assumed that he had been delayed while going about his rounds, several Nasyans were in a very bad way after all so a doctor getting delayed on his rounds by a patient taking a turn for the worst was not unreasonable, but being nearly an hour late and not sending someone to inform her that he was delayed was not that professional and most unlike Jacobs who was a very conscientious individual.
Stepping out of the room where she had been checking on another patient, she couldn't delay her own rounds after all though she would give Jacobs a piece of her mind later, she spotted one of the medical technicians coming the other way holding a pile of blue files.
"Ah Rita have you seen Doctor Jacobs recently," she asked. The younger woman shook her head in a negative, prompting a momentary frown of concern to grace Janet's features. "Okay, ugh do you have the latest bloodwork for the patient in room four one two?"
Rita looked through her folders. "Here it is doctor," she replied.
"Thank you." As Rita walked off to continue her own rounds, collecting and delivering papers and tests results to various parts of the hospital, Janet opened the file and began scanning the contents. Huh this can't be right, she thought immediately noting that the patient's blood type was completely different to what it should be. Thinking Rita had just given her the wrong file by mistake she checked the cover only to see that it was the correct file for the patient in the next room on her list.
Mental alarm bells now ringing Janet hurried to the room in question. Laying there on the bed was a man covered in bandages like she would have expected but as she approached, she noticed more inconsistencies with the body. While still clearly male the body was of a noticeable lighter build than the big Nasyan man who should be there and the bandages – while they looked like they'd been applied correctly at a cursory glance – didn't seem to have been properly applied. Please let me be wrong, she thought as she approached the bed and carefully began peeling back the bandages from the face, mental alarms getting ever louder as more of the bandage was removed.
The bandaged man was not the Nasyan man they'd been treating, instead lying there unconscious to the point that he was barely breathing was the missing Doctor Jacobs. Damn it I hate being right, Janet thought before pressing the alarm button to summon additional medical personnel to tend to the obviously seriously injured doctor. Immediately nurses and other doctors came racing into the room.
"It's Doctor Jacobs tend to him," Janet instructed, "and someone get me a secure phone. I need to talk to General Hammond immediately."
Stargate Command
Ten Minutes Later
It was a very intent Colonel Jack O'Neill who followed Teal'c to an urgent meeting with the Goa'uld possessing Carter. They had just received an extremely puzzling and concerning report from Doctor Fraiser about how one of the most badly injured of the Nasyan men had abruptly got up, attacked and nearly killed Doctor Jacobs who had now been rushed into emergency surgery for a partially collapsed windpipe and left the hospital all without being detected. They needed answers and he suspected that this Goa'uld had them.
"There is an old legend among the Jaffa," Teal'c was telling him as they arrived at the cells. "It concerns a group of Goa'uld who opposed the ways of the System Lords. This group is called the Tok'ra. This Goa'uld, Jolinar of Malkshur, claims to belong to this group."
"Can you be certain he is who he says he is?" Jack questioned as they arrived at the cell and the marine standing guard let them in.
"I cannot."
"Unfortunately, Colonel O'Neill we do not carry identification," Jolinar said as they came in having heard the conversation outside. "Has Teal'c told you of my offer?"
"He has but let us build some trust here by you answering a few questions," Jack replied.
"Very well, what do you wish to know?"
"One of the Nasyans we brought back was very badly burned. But somehow, he got up out of his hospital bed, attacked and nearly killed one of his doctors before disappearing. Who is he?"
Jolinar frowned before suddenly looking worried. "It must be the Ashrak."
Jack glanced over at Teal'c with a raised eyebrow asking for translation.
"It means Hunter," Teal'c replied with a tone in his voice that said, to anyone who knew him at least, that the term Ashrak had sent a wave of fear through the great warrior.
"A Goa'uld?" Jack asked.
"Yes. An assassin of the highest order bred by the Goa'uld Queen Selket. They answer directly to the High Council of the System Lords."
"They have also been known to be employed as saboteurs O'Neill," Teal'c added. "I remember one instance where a single Ashrak killed an entire garrison of my brothers while in service to a rival Goa'uld to Apophis. They are among the deadliest warriors in the galaxy, once unleashed upon a target they do not stop, do not slow down until their target is dead or they are."
"So, whose is he here to kill?" Jack asked, feeling like a river of liquid nitrogen was flowing down his spine and moving into his stomach where it congealed into a frigid knot of dread.
"Me," Jolinar replied. "Colonel O'Neill I amend my offer. If you help me defeat this Ashrak and take me back to the Tok'ra, so that I may transfer to a willing host, then we will not only return Captain Carter to you but we will provide you with a ship and a pilot to take you and a small team to the alien space station orbiting the eighth planet of this system."
Jack frowned. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"
"Trust has to begin somewhere, Colonel O'Neill. I will tell you all I know about the Ashrak, their tactics, training, and weaponry if you are willing to help me."
Jack's frown turned into a grimace. He didn't like the idea of trusting a Goa'uld, any Goa'uld, but given what this Jolinar was offering and Teal'c's fearful reaction to the mention of the Ashrak he guessed that he did not have a choice. "I will have to clear this with General Hammond and our superiors."
"Then I suggest you speak with them at once. We have little time, the Ashrak will be on his way here as we speak and while your bases defences are formidable, they will not be able to do more than slow him down."
Jack, somewhat reluctantly, nodded before turning and leaving the room heading straight for General Hammond's office…
…and what was bound to be a difficult conversation.
Author Notes: Well another chapter bites the metaphorical dust. I hope you all enjoyed it and were suitably surprised by the identity of the alien ship that approached Xander's citadel. Next time I intend to wrap up the SG-1 episode in question though the ending I have planned is completely different to the original ending. Until then everyone stay safe.