Stargate: Immortal

by Seraphin2011

Book III: The Ori gone, Aschen imprisoned, Wraith changed and pacified, yet the Alliance is threatened once more. The Vargas are coming and no one knows how they are going to survive an enemy that spans throughout the known universe and had done so for billions of years. By closing the anomalies, they have postponed the invasion by more than two years, but will that be enough?

24. Troubles in Jaffa Land

Author's note: Well, a new chapter is up, and it didn't take the usual six months to a year. Just three months. I call that progress.

Random Norwegian: The idea of Shrike came to me from Dan's stories, but I didn't go any further than just taking the Shrike character and molding it to suit my story. And yes, the Aklarians of the future are on bad terms with the Terrans. It went badly for the Aklarians, but it still changed the past in some ways. Still, none of it will be affecting the main story, other than Jack having lived a couple of hundred years more. Now the original Jack and the Jack from five minutes from the future are quite different individuals.

Ah, art! When it comes to writing, I'm at least confident enough to say that my writing is not making people grind their teeth in pain. I'm not sure I could say the same for my drawing, even with all the help modern apps might give me. So, no art, I'm sorry. Actually, you should thank me. Otherwise, you might have nightmares! For the ship, I do think it is a melding of an O'Neill and Daedalus.

Hehe, you catch up quick. That was a hint of something... higher, just like it was Lya's hint in the second book about that mysterious signal having prophetic properties. More clues are coming up in this chapter. I only hope I won't forget about all of them before finishing the story, messing it all up. It's been too long already. I only played Halo a few times, and it's been years. So, no clue what Halo is about.

I saw many of your reviews, but it's challenging to reply through the story. If you want answers faster, send me a PM or review through a registered account. I'll answer sooner.

Albino87: No, Jack didn't have any direct involvement in his own conception. But his time traveling did attract a few ascended beings to the lower plane :D

As far as fallout goes, in my youth (five years ago), I decided there would be a fourth book, if not more of them. Hence some plots are meant to be long-term. Unfortunately, I'm not as confident there will be a sequel to Liam's saga. Some plots might remain a mystery.

Thanks to my beta, and I hope you'll like this chapter.

---

The Jaffa barely evaded the Crab's pincer from severing his arm. He quickly rolled on the side and trained his rifle. A burst of plasma bolts riddles the monster, finally killing it.

"Why were you unaware of the crab behind you?" Teal'c spoke in an admonishing tone while approaching.

"I apologize, Master Teal'c. I could not sense its presence," the young Jaffa replied remorsefully.

Many worlds in the Milky Way had Crabs crawling on their surface, and this planet wasn't any different. It made it an ideal site where to train their young warriors. The Crabs were hideous creatures engineered to evolve rapidly into a more efficient killing machine depending on the adversaries. Since the type of opponent they faced here were Jaffa soldiers, each new generation mutated to fight foot soldiers better. They rapidly became faster and stronger, making it increasingly challenging for the Jaffa in training to take them down. With no shortage of targets, the Jaffa chose to place a base near the edge of the infested forest. They could fight to their heart's content yet could retreat inside their base if necessary. It was training in which no one should die.

"Unlike this variant, Crabs on many planets can turn completely invisible. If you're unable to sense even this variant approaching, how do you intend to sense the sneaking of those others?" he concluded.

The Jaffa looked mortified, not knowing what else to do except to keep apologizing. "I will do better next time, Master."

The other Jaffa ended the remaining Crab. He ran to join them. "The Crab is dead, Master."

"You are supposed to watch your teammate's back. Instead, you ran to fight a Crab too far away to be an immediate threat. Why?" he asked.

"I believed it vital to kill it before it could join the other Crab, Master," the Jaffa said. "I thought my teammate could handle his opponent."

"His opponent turned into two, forcing him to fight off a pincer attack. We are supposed to be the intelligent species. How come the Crabs manage to employ a tactic that you could not. Even if there was only one Crab, you should have made a pincer move on it. Instead, you separated and became prey," he said, dissatisfied.

The two juniors said nothing. They had messed up what should have been a straightforward exercise. Through monitoring equipment, Teal'c knew only three Crabs were in the vicinity. Furthermore, no matter how impressive the Crabs were, the Jaffa held ranged weapons—indeed, an unfair advantage.

It should have been a simple matter, but the two Jaffa went too deep into the forest without detecting the enemies. Then, they made another series of mistakes that almost forced him to intervene. The Jaffa were strong, and the latest armor gave them excellent protection. Still, the Crabs were dangerous, especially at close range. A small mistake could mean losing a limb.

Teal'c motioned for the two Jaffa to follow. With the exercise over, they were returning to base where the two Jaffa could study more.

As they moved on the ravine, with the fortified base already in sight, Teal'c heard a craft approaching. The sound grew louder, with the craft soon becoming visible. He quickly recognized the Terran corvette as it passed over. From its rough exterior, it clearly belonged to the TIA, their intelligence agency.

He increased his pace. It was unusual for one of their spy ships to come here so openly.

As he approached the base, the corvette settled just outside. It powered down just as he came near it. Soon, a man came out.

"Agent David, what brings you to this planet?" he asked. He motioned for the two Jaffa to continue inside the base.

The agent stopped in front of him. "Master Teal'c, I have an urgent matter to discuss."

"What matter?" he asked.

"Yesterday, slavers kidnapped my partner, Peter. I am mounting a rescue mission, and I need your help," David said.

"Help?" he replied, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know what assets the Terrans had in the region. Still, he knew they could muster sufficient firepower to deal with mere slave traders, what the TIA's preferred targets these days.

"Yes, the situation is a little problematic. My partner fell into the hands of a slave trader. From what I've gathered, Jaffa were involved," David said.

"Jaffa?" he asked, fearing the direction this conversation was going.

"We know the Empire has worked with less reputable people. The Jaffa Empire will sell ships, components, or small arms to drug dealers, pirates, and slave traders. Peter's mission was to watch Silan, a mid-level bad guy, buying small arms. A witness said three Jaffa took him at gunpoint to the slave trader," David explained.

Teal'c didn't like it. The Empire's dealings with the galaxy's shadiest elements were a regrettable but well-known fact. Furthermore, the relationship between the Empire and FJN was terrible. Even space skirmishes had started occurring in recent months. Thankfully, it never escalated into anything too serious. Those in charge knew when to stop evaluating their shields, engage their hyperdrive, and skedaddle. However, it clearly showed how terrible things were between them.

Truthfully, he didn't want to get involved in David's troubles. But he also knew he couldn't leave him dry. Thanks to their work, he learned Bre'lac killed the engineers he had sent to help build their Ha'tils.

Sending David away now would make him look ungrateful. "How can I help?"

"If it were the slave trader alone, I could manage on my own. But I fear Jaffa from the Empire will be present," David explained.

"What situation are you expecting?" Teal'c asked.

"Difficult to say. The Jaffa often come to trade with one Ha'tak," David explained.

"That is a problem. I only have a Ha'til here. I am uncertain if it would be enough to discourage the captain of a Ha'tak from attacking," Teal'c replied.

"Wouldn't they stand down after learning you are aboard?" David said.

Justifiably, David had made the wrong assumption. He would have agreed if it were a year ago. But, as things were now, the Empire could open fire even with him aboard the other vessel.

"I can not be certain. They might fire to protect their interests," Teal'c answered, still thoughtful. "However, we can only discover the truth in one way. Will your vessel be able to follow mine?"

"We recently upgraded the corvette's hyperdrive. It will be able to sustain your ship's speed for the short trip. We are less than a day from the slave trader's planet."

"Then, give me half an hour to prepare," Teal'c replied. He needed to choose a few good warriors in case the battle shifted to the surface.

"Very well. I'll be waiting inside my ship," David replied before moving inside the corvette.

The best case would be for no Jaffa ship to be present. It would make his job easier, even allowing him to have an active role in the rescue mission on the surface. But, somehow, he thought his wish wouldn't be fulfilled. He could also guess the planet's location, a lawless region ruled by people once slaves to the Goa'uld. Their feeble union attracted the worst the galaxy had to offer. They could barely keep their coalition alive, much less enforce laws. It gave less reputable people a place to do illegal business away from the regions ruled by advanced civilizations. The territory's poor economy allowed such individuals to bribe those in a position of power. Even gaining protection wasn't out of the question if paid handsomely.

In short, the region was a nightmarish territory the JFN and Terrans preferred to avoid.

It also meant the slave trader and Jaffa might not be the only hostile people present. The ex-slaves also hated the Jaffa. They had been the instrument the Goa'uld used to oppress them for thousands of years. However, they were willing to tolerate the Empire's Jaffa intruding if the money was good.

The JFN quickly found reasons why not to meddle. The most prominent one was the situation spiraling out of control. They would then have no choice but to openly fight the Empire and the ex-slaves that allowed illegal dealings in their territory. At least, that was how the council explained their lack of action. It was one reason he left the Council, wishing to pass such vexing job to those with more patience. He then took the job to train aspiring warriors. Something he knew how to do well and knew would give him satisfaction.

To help David, he would have to travel into a dangerous zone and possibly cause an incident with the Empire without notifying the council first. Honestly, he could not care less. If he asked them for permission, the council would begin bickering. By the time they reached a decision, Peter would be dead. Hence, he did not feel guilty.

Still, without the council's support, he could only rely on one Ha'til. Not the best ship to bring against an unknown number of hostile Ha'taks and whatever the slave trader also had.

Teal'c took a deep breath before walking inside the base. He needed to prepare for departure before the higher-ups received a whiff of what he planned.

---

"I'm telling you. I had fun despite being a tiny bit lonely," Jack explained to his audience.

He entertained those who liked to hear stories of his voyages into the past. Right now, he had Klaus, Daniel, and Sam inside a modest conference room in the tallest spire on Heliopolis, the Second Great Alliance's meeting place. More people needed to join, making it an excellent time to retell one of his epic stories.

However, Klaus got needlessly stuck on an insignificant point, obstructing his storytelling.

"A tiny bit?" Klaus said, not believing it. "We are talking about two hundred years spent alone!"

"It's not like I haven't met anyone!" Jack replied.

Klaus was adamant two hundred years spent as the only person from modern times was too lonely. It would have been impossible to find anyone able to relate.

"It must be in the genes," Klaus said.

"What do genes have to do with anything?" Jack said.

"You're an Alterran," Klaus replied flatly.

"Meaning what?" Jack asked.

"Oh, come on! From what we know, the Alterrans don't mind spending years in solitude. Liam, for example. He went around the galaxy on his huge ship with only William around for years, and he doesn't count since they are the same," Klaus explained.

"You can't judge an entire race from one individual," Daniel interjected.

"No, Klaus is right," Aenea said while entering the room. "My people are known for often practicing seclusion. We don't have the same need for socializing as younger races do. It might have to do with our near immortality. The Asgard are also known for enjoying spending time alone."

"You're here!" Sam said, excited. She tapped on the chair next to hers repeatedly. "Come sit next to me."

"Now that she mentioned it, having a longer lifespan might influence one's perspective," Daniel interjected.

"Genesis added centuries to your lifespan. Do you feel the need to spend ten years on an archeological dig all alone?" Jack asked.

"I wouldn't mind spending time on a dig, but no, I wouldn't like being alone even for a month. I still prefer to meet people. It's more fun doing things together, even digging, but making a study about what has changed on Earth since Genesis might be a good idea. Do people spend more time doing nothing, or are they more active now that they have a longer life expectancy? Do they like spending time alone or in groups? We could also check if the number of divorces has increased," Daniel said.

"Daniel, don't start proposing new studies for no good reason," Jack said.

"I'm quite fascinated with V-Earth. We Alterra never made a virtual world in which to experiment with social changes caused by pioneering recent technologies," Aenea said.

"It became quite the marvelous thing. Between V-Earth and Nexus, people spend six hours every day inside them, which equals to 24 hours of experienced time," Sam said.

"Well, since it's virtual, everything's possible. That has to appeal to many people," Daniel added.

"I'm more interested in the ability to know if a technology will positively or negatively impact your world before introducing it," Aenea said. "It would have helped my people back when we were still a young race if we had it."

They could try anything inside the V-Earth. Teleportation, new types of vehicles, new businesses, and whatever else anyone imagined could become a reality. In time, they would see what introducing such technologies would cause. Would it benefit or adversely affect their planet? Still, the best part was that people could try them in the virtual world.

"But it can't help us foresee every eventuality," Daniel said.

"No, but there are many benefits, even some unrelated to testing recent technologies. Having people experience them while still unavailable in the real world is a great boon. Plus, Nexus allows a person to go through countless worlds, do battles, perform quests, or build a thriving community on worlds, unlike Earth. Schools also love how the system presents educational materials like, for example, key historical events," Sam explained at length. "I still remember when I went to school. Back then, we only had pen and paper to copy what the teacher scribbled on the chalkboard. Instead, today's kids can relive events within the virtual world."

"For a moment there, you seemed a little annoyed," Jack argued.

"Well, I would have enjoyed playing with today's toys while in school," Sam said, miffed.

"Ah, you're one of those who think schools are for learning," Jack said. "But let me ask you this. How much do our kids spend socializing these days? Or are they just stuck inside the virtual world, spending little to no time talking to actual people made of flesh and blood? You know, people you can touch and can slap you back? For all the virtual world offers, there's at least one bad aspect to it."

"Which is?" Sam asked.

"Many might find it difficult to differentiate between the virtual and real world. You know, if you hit a guy inside v-Earth, you won't hurt him. You can even run a person over, and they still won't die. But what happens when people start forgetting the virtual and real worlds are not the same? What happens when they start hitting people in the real world, thinking there are no consequences?"

"We should make a study about that too," Daniel added promptly. "I mean, people often spend time in Nexus shooting at virtual people while playing a scenario. I wouldn't want for some to get the same idea after returning to the real world," Daniel added.

"There's already a study for it. V-Earth also has a system for punishing those who commit crimes. The system enforces it very harshly by sending a person to v-jail. Sometimes it's just for one day, but it could last for months or even longer, and you can't serve a sentence while disconnected. The system forces you to sit in a cell until you've served your sentence. Until then, you can't play v-Earth or Nexus," Sam explained.

Jack had heard it before, but it had been two hundred years ago. While it was a recent memory for others, it had become blurry to him.

"That's harsh," Aenea said with a smile. "I like it! You should make the punishment in the virtual world ten times harsher than in the real one. But aren't we deviating from the reason we've gathered? Not that I mind. I don't find talking about the war entertaining."

"I thought we were waiting for Odin and someone from the Nox to join us," Sam said.

"Odin is busy. Half of their council is one billion light-years away. He won't attend our meetings if there's nothing urgent to discuss," Aenea said.

"I haven't seen the Nox in ages," Daniel said.

"They said we should start without them, whatever that means," Aenea said.

"Well, we can start with the war. We know the Nox like to skip that part," Jack said.

"Then Jack, please begin," Aenea said.

"Alrighty then. Let's talk about the IC1001 galaxy," Jack said while tapping on a pad. He began reading the crucial points. "All anomalies have been closed, with no Vargas activity detected in two months. It's excellent news. With this, we have completed Phase One. Sadly, there's unwelcome news too. Our people are getting tired of the Dinos' constant harassment, with no definitive solution to the problem."

"They are trying to regain control over their lost infrastructure. They are hopeless without it, even more so now that we cut access to their masters," Aenea added. "But projections show they can still keep going like this for maybe two more months before their resources start dwindling."

"We have made a similar prediction. Although, the margin of error is larger in our case, mainly because we don't know if they have supplies stashed somewhere," Klaus added.

Numbering in the trillions and having the largest fleet in the galaxy made the Dinos the biggest threat in the IC1001. The galaxy was so vast it made it impractical to search for all their assets. Canvasing a four million light-years spherical region simply wasn't doable in an acceptable amount of time.

They could only hope the Dinos would soon run out of fuel, having no choice but to slow down with their offensive. No one wished for a prolonged war. The Second Great Alliance needed to solidify its position quickly before continuing onto the next target. The IC1001 galaxy was only the start. It was essential to block the Vargas from reaching the Milky Way while using the IC1001 as a springboard for further expansion. Conquering the galaxy was never crucial to the point where spending a decade was acceptable. The Vargas would find a way to retaliate if they dallied needlessly.

"We took their infrastructure. They will soon start feeling the aftereffects," Jack said.

"Maybe, or maybe they'll start stealing supplies from their allies. That could prolong the war," Klaus said.

He didn't think of that. The Dinos were not the only race in the Vargas' pocket. Also, none were as numerous or aggressive as the Dinos. However, if the Dinos began stealing from them, the war could be prolonged. For how long, it was anyone's guess.

"I didn't think of that! There are dozens of races under the Vargas control. They must have considerable resources stashed somewhere," Jack said.

"How's the mapping going?" Aenea asked.

"At a snail's pace," Jack answered. It wasn't strictly his job; it was Yevgeny's, the Office of Naval Intelligence chief. However, today Jack had to do his work since he wasn't present. "It's just too huge. There are a hundred trillion stars in it. The only way to learn of their assets is if one of our long-range sensor arrays picks up an energy signature. But for that, the signature must be powerful enough, like a hyperdrive window opening. Or it must be near the sensor array, which is unlikely given the size of the galaxy. I don't have to tell you how little intel that gives us in a galaxy with a diameter of four million light-years."

"What about the Minians? I get the feeling they're not telling us everything," Klaus said.

"Of course, they aren't! Would we?" Jack said. "They are afraid we will leave once we get what we need. It doesn't matter. We will get more from them, but it doesn't solve our problem, not entirely. The Minians don't know where the enemy keeps their movable assets. Just like they moved their starbases, other races did as well."

After the Minians rebelled, both sides swiftly moved their movable assets in fear the other side would target them. Even though the Minians had control of ninety percent of the starbases, the rest remained in the hands of others. Even a single starbase could supply a large fleet for months. Hence, it was paramount to remove as many from the Dinos' grasp as possible. Hopefully, a lack of resources would cripple their strongest opponent in the IC1001 galaxy, shortening the time before achieving victory.

"But they are not as united anymore. Dozens of races broke apart because we spread the nanites capable of disabling the Vargas' neural implant. Other races who joined the Vargas of their free will are changing their allegiance," Aenea said. "Those should be the Dinos' primary targets."

A galaxy with a hundred trillion stars was something Jack could not wrap his mind around. Suppose a person tried to count to a billion. It would be impossible to reach that number even if they did it every waking moment of their entire life for the next hundred years. And that was just counting. Their task was to canvas trillions of star systems, checking if they had anyone living in them or if a space station was there. There was also the chance of placing a starbase in-between stars.

Frankly, he felt the war in the IC1001 would last longer than anyone liked to admit.

He just wanted Liam to regain his memories. He was sure somewhere deep inside Liam's consciousness, there were tons of helpful information. Then, with the IC1001 secured, they'd start hitting vital targets.

"Does that mean we keep increasing our presence in the IC1001, or do we start planning our next big target?"

"You mean entering the Perseus-Pisces supercluster," Sam added. "Isn't it a little too fast to go there?"

"It is, but it's the other place from where the Vargas can reach us," Jack said.

"It will take the Vargas years to reach us if they go through the Perseus-Pisces Supercluster. Years in hyperspace to enter Laniakea and more years to reach the Milky Way galaxy through the closest anomaly," Aenea said while shaking her head. "It would be great for us if the Vargas attempted such a foolish undertaking."

The Perseus-Pisces supercluster was as vast a Laniakea—a billion light-years long and three hundred million light-years across. It also had Hubs the Vargas flagged as unusable, meaning they found enemies capable of opposing them.

"True, but we could find more allies there," Jack said.

"Or enemies," Daniel added.

"Daniel's right. Not everyone we meet will become our friends. We picked so many only because Liam vetted them beforehand," Sam said.

"We know from the recovered data Liam met races reluctant to join. He sometimes even met openly hostile ones," Klaus said.

"I'm interested in the report regarding one race he met at the border between Laniakea and the Perseus-Pisces supercluster, the one 250 million light-years from here," Jack said.

"You mean, the incident in which he had to run away?" Aenea said.

"Yep, that one," Jack said. "Even from the fragmented report, one gets the impression the opposing ship was completely badass."

"Yes, a race that rivals our own, and it's probably more numerous than us," Aenea said pensively. The SGA was negligible compared to the size of the First Great alliance at the time when the Alterrans, Asgard, Furlings, and the Nox were at their peak. Other races in the universe should also have greater numbers than the SGA. "A great ally, but we could invite needless trouble. A follow-up encounter might induce them to turn hostile. I think it's too risky."

"But we must make more allies," Jack said. "And the more powerful they are, the better, right?"

"Not necessarily. This war might last an exceedingly long time and heavily relying on allies during prolonged periods isn't always the best policy," Aenea countered. "We've closed the shortest path leading to here; we are safe for the moment. Our priority should now be to clean the Vargas forces still present in the Milky Way. We must increase our fleet while solving the Reapers problem."

What she said made sense. Right now, they were too reliant on others. If the Aklarians pulled out, they would be in trouble. Their fleet's current size troubled him. "Our ships are powerful, capable of going toe-to-toe against the strongest Vargas ships. But our numbers are low. What can we do to change that?"

Aenea remained pensive for a moment. "The ratio of three Defiants for one Damocles and three Damocles for one Armageddon is best. Suppose you change it, favoring smaller ships more. You would get more out faster, which is fine for fighting the Dinos, but you might regret it later when confronting a different foe. Your largest long-range attack ships—although ugly—are highly effective at supporting your forward elements. The only improvement you might consider should be to reduce their fragility."

Regretfully, he had to agree. The remodeled dreadnaughts were unsightly. The added long-range antimatter beams changed their role into long-range support vessels. However, as much as their offensive power at extended ranges improved, all other characteristics decreased. Because of these clumsy additions, the ship's maneuverability had dropped, and the shield now had to cover a larger area. Using a tight shield became impractical, forcing them to opt for a spherical one. In the end, the shield lost forty percent efficiency against the Vargas energy-draining weapon.

The ship also had few short-range weapons, primarily due to the attached massive antimatter beams. It had difficulty fending off a vessel at close range. Trying to add more or improve the shielding wasn't a clever idea either. The ship would have to go through another extensive retrofit, which might take years. It might improve some of the vessel's aspects, but at the expense of others, like its size or the time it took to build it increasing.

It would undoubtedly be going in the wrong direction.

"We are attempting to improve our Fortress shield." It was Sam who answered. "If successful, we believe it will increase the survivability of the ships weak at close combat range. But we do have to think of introducing a capital ship that's good against smaller opponents. The Defiant is a capital ship killer. The Damocles and Armageddon are our strongest combatants but are still designed to combat capital ships. They should never be employed to fight swarms of fighters or similarly small vessels."

"Sheppard and other commanders are bugging me about it. Since none of our big ships are good at fighting swarms of Dino fighters, the number of fighters and corvettes we lost is high. Too high, in fact. We are losing a lot of good pilots," Jack explained, not liking the situation. "We also have a shortage of drones because of it."

Fighting fighters with fighters was the worst, and employing drones wasn't a satisfactory answer either. The Lanteans had the same difficulty during their war with the Wraith. A single drone was more costly than the dart it took down, which made it foolish to use them extensively. The Mark III drones were better but were even more expensive. Compared to directional weapons like their plasma lances, a drone's low initial speed was also a limiting factor. In the end, responsibly managing resources was as vital as having good weaponry.

"We are having the same difficulties, which means something needs to change," Aenea said. "Making a new class of ship capable of opposing swarms of fighter is a promising idea, but it wouldn't be good for all three races to start designing the same class. We should introduce more diversity in the classes each race develops. That way, we can be more flexible when something unexpected happens. The Terrans also have the greatest numbers, which means it's much easier for you to increase the variety of your ships than it is for the Asgard or us. I propose you start developing a specialized vessel meant to fight swarms of smaller units."

"We're already making sketches. Its size will be close to that of our Defiant's. That also means it can't house an intergalactic hyperdrive. We will need even more IG-capable transport ships to shuttle them around," Sam said, rolling her eyes. Another logistical nightmare was in front of them, but it was still better than the alternative. "It will be a flak frigate, with many anti-fighter beam lances ready to take entire swarms. Low yield, but fast firing and with a decent range. Combined with the new type of missile we are already developing, it will be the right ship and arsenal against the Dinos."

"How long until you can start production?" Jack asked. He expected it would take up to a year before the blueprints were finished.

"Not long. With the experience we gained in the last decade, we should have the final blueprints in two months. The missiles and the new weapon systems should be ready somewhere before the first batch of ships rolls out of the shipyards," Sam explained.

Once ready, the missiles' production would take a fraction of its time to make a Mark III drone. In mere months, they could easily make millions of such missiles. It wasn't only the new flak frigate that would benefit. Fully automated platforms with Wraith storage technology could hold a considerable number of those missiles. They could place them around planets, further decreasing the burden on their fighters and corvettes.

Jack also liked the time it would take to make the blueprints. With the experience they now had and the advanced technologies they wielded, the Terrans could produce new strategies to fight never before fought enemies in short order.

"Okay. So, we continue securing our position in the IC-1001," Jack said, watching as everyone nodded in agreement. "Then let's get on the second point of today's meeting; the Sphere."

"The Sphere has changed course. It will reach the IC-4762 galaxy in one month. From there, a supergate can connect to Destiny's galaxy 650 million light-years away," Aenea explained. "To achieve that, we do as the Ori did. We send pieces of a supergate through two connected regular stargates. Once we assemble the second supergate near a black hole, we can connect with Destiny's galaxy whenever we want. We can even get the Destiny back home. However, I'm against it. I think it should stay on course."

"Most people on Destiny have demonstrated interest in staying. Knowing we can always make a new supergate wherever they are, reassures them we won't abandon them. While they are near the supergate, we can fix the Destiny, including its stasis chambers, to ease the burden of intergalactic travel. Or we may find a way to get them back home before the Destiny begins its long journey to another galaxy," Sam said.

"The Asgard also wish to send a few scientists," Aenea added.

Jack didn't get it. Why were people so interested in joining a ship billions of light-years away? It wasn't like they would be doing any groundbreaking research either. Sure, there was the strange background signal that piqued the interest of dozens of scientists, but it couldn't be the only reason people wanted to join. Who would even want to spend years cooped up inside a ship that wasn't comfortable? It looked like old junk, and he thought the paint job they did couldn't have increased its appeal by that much.

In short, if he went on Destiny, he would go bonkers in less than a month.

"I'm not going to ask what's so interesting about that ship. I don't think the answer would mean much to me. But regardless of what I would do, if people decide to continue with the ship, we should make a relay station in that galaxy. We should even backtrack with a few seed ships to plant modified gates in galaxies closer to ours," Jack said.

"Oh, I think I understand what you mean," Aenea said. "You want to place gates that react to the nine-chevron dialing sequence so that we could travel from home to Destiny whenever we want. I don't know if it's necessary, though. With the supergate technology, we can send seed ships ahead to seed each galaxy with a supergate."

"That's a must-do, of course, but it doesn't always help. The Destiny still needs to reach wherever we place the supergate. I was thinking more about placing hidden underground bunkers holding a nine-chevron-enabled gate between the Milky Way and Destiny. You travel to the closest gate from Earth, then jump to the next and the next, until you reach the Destiny. This way, we could have people boarding and leaving the Destiny even if the ship is between galaxies. We could reach the ship even with a moderate power source as long as the gates are not more than three hundred million light-years apart," Jack said.

"We planned to do the same when we first sent the Destiny millions of years ago," Aenea said.

"You were?" Sam added.

"Yes. With the increase in distance, the required energy eventually becomes prohibitive. We never intended the gates to work with so much raw power as what it took to connect to the Destiny directly. Instead, the plan was to travel to the Destiny sporadically and upgrade a gate the seed ship left on a suitable planet to accept the nine-chevron address. We would build an underground base meant to last millions of years. It would serve as a relay station, just as you proposed," Aenea explained.

"Wow. I had a clever idea," Jack said, weirded out a little. It was rare for him to give ideas. It was even rarer for others to accept them.

"Almost. We cannot hog the Sphere to piggyback all the way the Destiny went. The Sphere has more important tasks on its list with no time to spare," Aenea said. "But yes. We will lay a gate on a planet in the same galaxy as the closest supergate. We will build a base there. We can gate with a ship through the supergate network to the closest supergate before dialing the Destiny from a regular gate. I think it's a good compromise."

"I think that too," Sam said. "As long as we can always dial the Destiny, no matter where it is, we can ferry people and goods whenever needed."

"It should make the people intent on staying even happier," Jack said. He didn't get these people, but, in the end, it was their life. Who was he to tell them how to live? "On another note, the Destiny bunch managed to pull it off. They boarded an older version of a Reaper mothership and downloaded the ciphers used in their subspace communication network. Preliminary results are encouraging. We may be able to use them against the Reapers here in the Milky Way, but we will have to wait until the supergate connects to the Destiny to get them."

"Why?" Daniel asked.

"Why what?" Jack asked back.

"Why can't we get them right now by using the communication stones?" Daniel asked.

"Those are for swapping people's consciousnesses," Jack said.

"So why can't someone relay the message?" Daniel asked.

"The message? Well, the ciphers, as much as I understand it, aren't long. But they are still a few megabytes." While spending two hundred years in the past, he had a lot of time to fiddle with the Repository of Knowledge. He had learned many terms he didn't much care about. He was still weirded out at hearing his voice mentioning megabytes.

"So?" Daniel.

"Well, even a few megabytes of those ciphers are a lot. It would be like forcing a person to memorize a book the size of the Bible but written by a monkey. Would you ever want to memorize something like that? Or be capable of? Mind you, if you miss even a letter, the ciphers won't work," Jack asked.

"Forget I asked," Daniel said, finally understanding.

They couldn't use the ancient stones for everything. Raw data in megabytes or more was too much for the human brain to absorb. "It doesn't matter. We've had the Reapers roaming our galaxy for years. One more month won't make any difference. We have more urgent matters to worry about right here. Like Felger's latest screw-up!"

"It wasn't his fault! Besides, you already punished him enough," Sam said in Felger's defense.

"I haven't punished him at all!" Jack said.

"You left him inside that escape pod a day longer than necessary," Sam responded.

"I was just giving him time to reflect upon his actions," Jack replied.

"Did it work?" Sam asked.

"No, he's smiling even more often. It's quite unsettling," Jack said. Every time someone asked Felger a tricky question, like, why did the space station turn into a piece of modern art, he'd just smile. "But that's not important right now. What's important is to understand what's happening in the Rosette Nebula. Carter, help me out here. I'm not an expert, but I thought events in normal space could not spread faster than the speed of light. Isn't that like the law of the universe? Only something like tachyons, which are not originally from our spacetime, can travel faster than light. Otherwise, the only choice for FTL travel is to go through hyperspace, right?"

"You're correct—which weirds me out. What's happening there shouldn't be happening," Sam said, puzzled. "At least that's according to the physics I know. Aenea? Did you have time to look at the data I sent you?"

"I spent five days on it and still don't know what's happening. Although, there is one other way to travel faster than light, Sam."

"Which is?" Sam asked.

"The expanding universe," Aenea answered.

"Is space there expanding?" Jack asked. He wasn't sure if his question even made sense. It somehow felt wrong. Where was it expanding? If it was growing, was it pushing something away? So many questions were going through his head, but not a single answer.

"Not exactly. Even the expanding universe isn't expanding in the sense that the universe is a growing sphere. Its size stays the same, but the fabric of spacetime inside it changes density. But for that to happen inside a specific region of the Milky Way galaxy, I just don't know how's that possible. For that to happen, some of its most fundamental laws would have to be altered."

"That is correct," a glowing Lya answered. From above, she slowly descended while taking human form. She then glanced at everyone. "Hello. It is good to see you are in good health."

"Hello, Lya," Daniel said. "We knew the Nox were sending someone, but we didn't think it would be an ascended."

"I took the opportunity to come to explain what's happening with the region of space you call the Rosette Nebula," Lya said.

"Hello, Lya," Sam said. "You know what's happening there?"

"Since we are responsible for it, yes, I do," Lya answered.

"You're doing something in that region?" Aenea said.

"Yes, but let's start from the very beginning, so you can better understand the reason. As you Aenea know, ascended beings are powerful if compared to mortals from this plane. We have vast knowledge and the ability to exert great force in many planes, even the ability to wield the energy inside them.

"However, we are also vulnerable. Our energy matrix is stable when we are inside the higher plane, the only place where we can live eternally without our energy dissipating. Like I am doing now, we can visit a lower plane, but we must return to the higher plane at some point. There are also forms of energy that can destabilize our matrix. If its stability falls below a certain level, the matrix breaks down, and we die," Lya explained.

"Yes, I'm aware of it. I remember truly little from my time in the higher plane, but I know that much at least," Aenea said.

"Yes, but what you probably don't remember is that ascended beings everywhere have stopped exploring the universe because we encountered a weapon that can easily kill us. No ascended anywhere in the known universe ventures through new space, fearing they would die without even realizing it," Lya said.

"You're saying the weapon can instantly kill you?" Jack asked.

"Yes, without warning. If there were, we would flee the galaxy in time, just as we did at the Battle of Eden."

"The Battle of Eden?" Jack questioned, trying to recall. "So, the race that has that weapon must be the Vargas."

"As you say," Lya said, nodding. "Every galaxy they control has at least one such weapon in it."

The people in the room fell silent. The Vargas, with the aid of their minions, had conquered countless galaxies. They might have put such weapons in each, firing the weapon the moment an ascended being would pass by.

"Can a weapon work on such long distances? I mean, could placing one inside a galaxy be enough to kill every ascended being in it?" Jack asked.

"It depends on the galaxy. In larger galaxies, multiple devices must be placed. But, as an example, one weapon is enough to kill every ascended being in the Milky Way galaxy. Once before have we almost suffered such cruel fate."

"When?" Aenea said. She couldn't remember any of it.

"The Vargas shortly visited the Milky Way galaxy sixteen thousand years ago. Thankfully, the ascended had forewarning of their arrival, allowing them to flee in the void between galaxies in time. They only returned years later, in fear the Vargas remained," Lya explained.

"Wait, wait," Jack said. "If they fled the moment the Vargas showed up, what about now?"

"When the Vargas came, we fled, knowing that with just a push of a button, they could kill us all," Lya explained.

"But you're here now," Jack said.

"We are certain there is no Vargas ship holding the weapon in the Milky Way," Lya said. "I wouldn't be here if there were."

"Okay. I gather you have a big problem that forces you to flee between galaxies. I also understand it is somehow related to what's happening in the Rosette Nebula," Jack surmised.

"It is related. What we are trying to achieve is only possible due to your scientist successfully creating a Creation Shard," Lya said.

"Um, a what?" Jack asked.

"You call it a Tesseract," Lya explained. "Don't understand why, though."

"Oh, you mean that power source?" Jack said.

"To you, it might seem like a reliable source of energy, but it is much more than that. Many ascended when they heard of his creation, as you human sometimes say, just flipped. Some even went into seclusion to contemplate the meaning of life once again. Others have started paying too much attention to your scientist, Doctor Felger, as they believe he's an anomaly—an existence that shouldn't exist. I belong to that group," Lya concluded, puzzled by the existence of such an entity.

"I do too, but that doesn't help me one bit in understanding what we are talking about," Jack said, frustration rising. "What's going on with that Tesseract thingy? Why do you call it a Creation Shard? By the way, I think it's a very cool name no matter what it is or does. So, kudos to that. Anyway, what is happening in the Rosette Nebula?"

"Young races should learn to be patient. You, who are not so young anymore, should have learned that during your travels through the past," Lya said admonishingly while taking a breath. "But to answer your question, first let me explain a few things about the Creation Shard. A Creation Shard is what remained behind when the Creation Engine was used."

"Okay, now I have two things that need clarification," Jack said.

He received a reproachful glare from everyone in the room. It might be time to shut up and listen.

"The Creation Engine is what we call the device that created the universe," Lya said.

"Wait, wasn't it the Big Bang?" Daniel asked first.

"It was. But what caused the Big Bang to happen?" Lya asked. "The created universe is so marvelous and complex that from containing simple subatomic particles, it grew to have planets, stars, and galaxies, all so that life could spontaneously form and flourish. The only way for such a perfect universe to exist is if intelligence was behind its creation. We call the tool used to cause the Big Bang the Creation Engine. It formed the universe we know today with all the matter, energy, and laws. Besides that, as a byproduct, the Engine also left Creation Shards behind."

"Matter, energy, and the laws," Aenea said pensively. "Are you saying that a Creation Shard can do what the Creation Engine can?"

"On a smaller scale, but yes, it can create matter, energy, and laws inside a region of space. A small region, if compared to the universe, as it is only a Shard. By now, you should have also understood why many in the higher plane flipped when the second Shard was created," Lya said while looking at Aenea.

Jack had started listening intently, but it wasn't like his wisdom had grown. Once again, he wasn't getting anything of what they were discussing.

"It's fixed! The number of Creation Shards must be finite," Aenea exclaimed.

"As you say," Lya confirmed. "Even the Alterra thought creating a Creation Shard was a game of chance. A small probability, but if you try enough times, you'll be able to create one. But since the Shards are remnants of the Creation Engine, there could only be a set number of them, which means that chance plays only a partial role in its creation. Furthermore, from what we know, the universe shouldn't have more than seven Shards."

"Succeeding in creating not one but two Shards in the same galaxy is absurd," Aenea said.

"To think Felger created one with a push of a button, on a project that wasn't his, and on his first try no less," Jack added. The Alterrans at least had the excuse it took them a ridiculous amount of time and effort to create the first one. Felger didn't have that excuse.

"Yes, that is why many ascended are currently following him around, especially those who are stuck on unraveling the meaning of life. After witnessing Felger creating a Shard so effortlessly, some began working on a new theory. They call it 'The Meaninglessness of Life'.

"Who would have thought that Felger would have such an impact even outside of the mortal plane," Jack said. "But, to sum it up, I didn't get much except that creating that Shard should be damn tough. Also, not only energy, but it can create matter and change the laws."

"I wouldn't call it creating the Shard. The Shard always exists. The process your scientist used forces it to fuse and take form in one place, and yes, with it, we are changing the laws in the Rosette Nebula."

"Okay, but why?" Jack asked. He had the clear impression that Lya could have explained everything in fewer sentences, and they could all have gone to lunch by now.

"I've told you. We are very weak against a weapon that disrupts our energy matrix. We are always worried the Vargas or others might activate such a weapon. That is why the ascended decided to make a Sanctuary inside the mortal plane in which the very laws protect us," Lya explained.

"Is such a thing possible?" Aenea asked. "Creating an environment inside the mortal plane suitable for ascended beings seems challenging enough. But making it impervious to such a weapon looks even more so, or maybe even impossible."

"It is a challenge. Many ascended are working tirelessly to achieve it," Lya answered.

"I think I know how Felger got the Tesseract's transfer approved," Jack said while looking accusingly at Lya.

"We indeed facilitated the transfer of the Tesseract," Lya admitted. "But you should not worry. The Ascended will compensate the Terrans for the loss."

"Well, from how I understand it, we wouldn't know how to exploit its full potential anyway. So, if the ascended are prepared to compensate us, I have no issues there," Jack replied. At some point, he was contemplating using the thing as a paperweight. Clearly not the best way to use such a marvelous thing.

"To you, it might have served as a power source, but the Creation Shard is much more. We the ascended will also prove useful in the war against the Vargas. Especially after many learn we have a Sanctuary capable of protecting them," Lya said.

"How does having a Sanctuary help in fighting the Vargas?" Daniel asked.

It was a valid question. Having a safe haven was great, but it shouldn't make a difference to the war fought countless light-years away.

"When other ascended learn the Sanctuary can protect them, many may decide to volunteer as long as those they care about are safe. You might not know this, but hundreds of ascended races tried to fight the Vargas and lost. The Vargas came after them. Many died, and the rest lost their galaxies and became nomads."

"I didn't know the Vargas were such a problem, not only for us mortals but also for ascended beings," Daniel said.

"The Vargas are spread throughout the universe. Not all, but millions of galaxies the Vargas conquered were once inhabited by ascended beings. Like us, they had evolved from the mortal or other planes. Yet, after achieving such a remarkable feat, the Vargas ended their existence without them even realizing it. It is customary practice for the Vargas to use the weapon at once upon entering a new galaxy," Lya explained somberly.

"Quite the ruthless bunch," Jack added.

"Ruthless, yes. Also, very mechanical," Lya said.

"Mechanical? So, the ascended also believe the Vargas are not a species that evolved on its own," Sam said.

"We believe they are someone's minions. We know they have not evolved for at least a billion years from stories heard from others ascended. They are the same as the day they were first noticed," Lya said.

They were machines created to spread throughout the universe. "But with what purpose? It's not like there isn't enough real estate for all of us to live. Why waste a billion years to spread throughout the universe?"

"Whoever sent them wanted to eradicate all the living," Lya said.

"Except those they turn into their servants," Jack said.

"No. It is only out of necessity that they are conscripting or coercing other races. They care little about them, and when they become unnecessary, the Vargas will eradicate them at once," Lya answered, soon after continuing. "But something happened a year ago, two years after Liam departed."

"It did?" Jack said.

"Did you not think it strange how easily you closed the anomalies in the IC1001 galaxy or how little they sent to the Milky Way? The Vargas have considerable numbers. Sending even ten thousand ships should have been easy for them," Lya asked.

"Yes. All our predictions point to a bitter battle to close the seven hubs. We were expecting three to five times the number of Vargas ships waiting for us there. Instead, only two hubs proved any challenge," Jack said. "The same for the Milky Way galaxy. Their attack on Earth was lukewarm at best. For a powerful race such as them to send such a small fleet, it was like we were only an afterthought."

The other anomalies had only the space stations and local forces to protect them. Jack didn't think the Vargas were incompetent, which left him with a sense of wrongness how easily they won. However, since the outcome favored his side, he didn't want to ponder on it too long. The troops the Vargas sent to the Milky Way were also small. The Vargas lost most of their forces on their attack on Earth. While the Crabs, Reapers, and Werewolves were a massive nuisance, they were far from a force that could threaten Earth or its colonies.

If it were Jack, he would have sent several more waves the same or stronger than the Vargas sent. But they sent only one wave, which was strange. The reason might be what Lya just explained. Liam could have done something that forced the Vargas to divert resources elsewhere. One possibility could be for a large force to have threatened something vital the Vargas couldn't afford to lose, leaving them any choice but to retreat. Or, as the second possibility, the Vargas found a more valuable target than the Milky Way galaxy.

"We think the Vargas recalled their forces from all over the universe. We do not know why, though. But it is too coincidental it happened after Liam left for their territory to be completely unrelated," Lya said.

"But Liam alone with only one ship couldn't have threatened the Vargas. Anything less than recalling a hundred thousand ships, and I'm sure they would have had enough ships to send a larger contingent to the Milky Way and IC1001," Jack said.

"Agreed, but that's still only speculation, and that is where ascended beings can be useful. Albeit vulnerable, we are extremely fast and can gather valuable information quickly. Our current lack of knowledge is why we want to ask other ascended beings to help us even though it means risking their lives," Lya said. "With their loved ones safe inside the Sanctuary, many could decide to take the risk. They could search for targets capable of hurting the Vargas badly."

It might be a big enough incentive to persuade some, but he somehow thought that many wouldn't care for the Sanctuary. "Are you sure the Sanctuary could be such an incentive?"

"Alone, no, it wouldn't. But you must understand that many ascended have lost everything because of the Vargas. They will want to clean the universe of the scourge that killed so many of their kind, both in the lower and higher plane," Lya said.

"That's true. Revenge is a strong motivator," Jack said. He decided it was time to return to the topic at hand. "So, for the Tesseract, the Ascended will provide us with intel crucial to winning the war."

"No. Us joining the war against the Vargas is unrelated to the compensation we are preparing for you," Lya said.

"Oh, that's even better. What are we getting?" Jack said, eager.

"Ilium will come to discuss the details on Earth later." She wasn't going to discuss the rewards right now, which Jack didn't particularly like hearing. "Instead, let's conclude the matter with the Creation Shard. The strange space around it will stop growing when it reaches one hundred light-years in diameter, at least that is from the outside. You don't have to worry about any inhabited planet because there are none in the affected region."

"Good to hear." It was one of the first things they checked. There were no inhabited planets near the Rosette Nebula, which meant Jack wouldn't have to deal with any planetary-scale evacuations. A hundred light-years weren't much either. No one would care about so little real estate changing.

"I will leave you to continue with your meeting," Lya said.

"Wait!" Aenea said.

"What is it?" Lya asked.

"Do you know anything about Liam?" Aenea asked.

"Not much, but I heard from a wanderer that he's fine," Lya said.

"What about his memories?" Aenea asked.

"He has a lot to remember," Lya said before turning into a being of pure energy and moving towards the ceiling. "You will have to be patient."

Lya didn't say much, but it did give a sense of hope. Liam was fine and, in time, would start remembering.

"I think it's good news, but with the ascended bunch, you simply never know," Jack concluded.

"Yes, we now need to get him home," Aenea said, also hopeful. After a while, she continued. "I think the Rosette Nebula was the last item on today's agenda."

"There's another matter that came to my attention only minutes before coming here," Jack said, reluctant to even continue.

"What matter?" Aenea said.

Jack sighed. "There's trouble in Jaffa land."

---

David's hope for a Jaffa-free system shattered the moment he came out of hyperspace. He would have to do the rescuing alone since Teal'c would be busy blocking the Empire from interfering. Thus, Teal'c Ha'til stopped in front of the orbiting Empire's Ha'tak. It was better this way. His and the Jaffa abilities differed significantly, too much to work together as a cohesive force. They might have provided a diversion, but the task of infiltrating the base would still fall onto him. What was important was for Teal'c to keep the orbiting Ha'tak in check. He couldn't storm the slave trader's base without it. He wasn't sure if a Ha'til could be a strong enough deterrent either. Best it would be if Teal'c convinced whoever was in charge that a confrontation between the Empire and the JFN over a slaver was silly.

Under its cloak, the corvette cautiously descended through the atmosphere. He didn't want to cause any noticeable turbulence. As far as the people in the system were concerned, only a Ha'til entered the system. The corvette, small, cloaked, and imbued with outstanding aerodynamics, landed unnoticed half a mile from the slaver's base.

He was a little apprehensive. Not because of the slaver and his goons, but because of Peter. He didn't know his current state. After his capture, the slavers jammed all subspace communications, effectively cutting off any signal Peter's tracking device broadcasted. He also didn't know if other parties were involved. The planet was part of the ex-slaves' union, a large group that comprised thousands of worlds spread everywhere in the Milky Way. Since it didn't have an official name yet—those in charge might have been too lazy to give it one—the Terrans informally called their loose but large group 'The Whale'.

Calling it that way was appropriate because of its massive size, but unfortunately, it was also very skinny. Even the Jaffa didn't have a tenth of the worlds the whale had. Being so poor had created an ecosystem in which ex-slaves allowed slavers to do business on their soil after receiving proper compensation, just like in Silan's case.

The Jaffa were a problem, and Silan's many goons were a nuisance. However, the possibility of Silan being under the local lord's protection was the worst. The Milky Way was a galaxy full of old weapons, primarily left behind by the Goa'uld. That made it easy for people to get them. David might have to fight the slavers, Empire's Jaffa, and ex-slaves who now ruled the planet. He would need to have a long talk with Peter. The man got kidnapped too often for his taste.

The Terrans did not want to cause an incident with the Union. It wasn't the right time to cause another mess in a galaxy already full of them. The current Terran policy was to put out fires without adding new ones. It was the main reason the TIA couldn't sanction his mission. Klaus gave him a chance to rescue Peter, knowing that if they went through diplomatic channels with 'The Whale', Peter would be long dead before they mounted a rescue. But his boss also ordered him to cause as small a commotion as humanly possible. He didn't know how to achieve that, but he agreed in principle.

David also thought the person in charge of the planet—and others like him—to be the worst. As once a slave, they should be fighting slave traders instead of making deals with them. He refused to contact such a person, knowing it would only worsen the situation.

It would be the same as telling Silan he was coming.

The corvette powered down while he made the last preparations. He had dressed in his armor and grabbed all the gizmos he thought would help him before reaching the planet. There wasn't much more he could do to prepare better. He even took the one device he swore never to use.

The Terrans had begun showing abilities. On Earth, people were already starting a fuss about it, calling such individuals espers or superhumans. The power was still weak, though. So weak, most didn't even realize they had it, and he hadn't been any different. He thought his ability was just a slight increase in his mental capabilities due to Genesis. People's cognitive abilities had increased after the procedure. But what he had wasn't a mere improvement like in other cases. It turned out he had a skill the geeks who tested him had named 'Parallel Thinking'.

He could think of many things at once, which wasn't something humans were good at. Even Einstein said the fastest way for a human to solve a series of problems was to work on one at a time. The whole point behind concentrating was to push all thoughts aside except for one, to focus on a single task entirely.

However, he was different. Tests had shown he could perform a dozen tasks simultaneously with utmost precision and faster than when working them in sequence. It was amazing. When they told him, he was delighted, although still unsure where to use such an ability. In his line of work, it was good to be able to think several things at once. Still, an analyst might appreciate such an ability more than an operative like him. Even worse, the power was often on the fritz.

The geeks had explained it at length, so much so that he had used his ability to think about more entertaining stuff while listening to their never-ending explanation. The gist of it was that his ability was a moody one. If exhausted or even simply sleep-deprived, the ability performed poorly. With such a defect, an operative could never rely on such a skill. It was better to think he didn't have it than to trust in it, only for it to fail him at the worst possible moment, like in the middle of a critical mission.

But the geeks came to the rescue. Based on studies of the Prior's staff and Atlantis' database, they succeeded in developing amplifiers tailored to boost a Terran's unique ability. That way, one of his friends in the Navy could see more clearly events from the immediate future. It had been the happiest day of his life. As a pilot, seeing a clear image of events seconds before they happened was a dream come true. From a great pilot, he became an unrivaled one in the whole Navy. Others also found that using amplifiers would give them an edge. Another friend, a Marine, could boost his reflexes.

However, it wasn't without side effects. What they were doing was pushing the human brain beyond its regular abilities. Rarely could a Terran use their amplifier longer than half an hour. Even then, the aftereffects were exhaustion and a headache lasting for hours. Since his abilities were purely related to the brain, the aftereffects were even worse. If he used it for half an hour, his headaches were such he couldn't open his eyes for the rest of the day. The light would send shooting pain down his optical nerves, sometimes so painful it would almost make him faint.

But he had no choice but to take it. He was alone on this mission, and the base was large and full of hostiles. Even though he wasn't here to fight every individual, he would inevitably have to deal with many people standing in his way. Even Jaffa were inside the building. Tens of thousands of Jaffa left the Empire to become mercenaries for whoever paid the most. The Jaffa were going down a treacherous path, not grasping that the largest group of people in the galaxy were humans. Dozens of human worlds were already making solid coalitions, unions, confederations, or alliances. They didn't appreciate having Jaffa mercenaries flooding the galaxy, mainly if they chose to work for unsavory people. The more Jaffa became mercenaries, the more it gave all the Jaffa a lousy reputation. Unfortunately, it would smear the good reputation of not only the Empire but the JFN as well.

David exited the craft, turning briefly. The door had just closed, making the corvette invisible. He began running towards the slaver's base, soon became invisible as well. It wasn't a considerable distance, and with his suit powered, he pushed through the half-mile in under a minute.

With the base in sight, he quickly figured his best ingress point. He had already taken passive scans while descending through the atmosphere, but, unfortunately, he couldn't have gone active, fearing they would discover his scanning. Because of it, he didn't learn of the base's internal layout. Still, he managed to pinpoint the jamming device's location, the one blocking subspace signals Peter's implant sent.

That would be his priority.

Moving to the west side of the building, he found two people guarding the side entrance. He expected a stronger force. It might have been challenging to enter without raising the alarm if he weren't cloaked, but it should be easy with only two guards as obstacles. Nonetheless, they seemed alert, with rifles trained. He would still need to be cautious.

While sneaking, he closed in. He stopped when he was twenty feet away, reluctant to risk getting closer. Even a tiny sound might alert them, which would complicate matters. He waited for the right moment when the guards lost their concentration. There was a reason. A zat-gun was great. He could fire it quickly with almost complete certainty the discharge would incapacitate a target on the first try. However, it had a significant drawback. The energy caused the victim to spasm. Usually, that wasn't a big deal—he certainly didn't care if he inflicted pain on the guards—but it would be different if they kept their finger on the trigger. A spasm would undoubtedly cause them to tighten the grip, resulting in their weapon firing. It would inevitably alert the others.

He fired when one guard asked the other a question, and the other was about to reply. It was enough to catch them off guard. After being zatted, the two guards fell to the ground unconscious, but no weapon went off. He approached, firing at each guard two more times. If someone came checking, seeing no guards would make them suspicious. However, their reaction would be much worse if they found two unconscious guards lying on the ground. Besides, he didn't want to deal with the same guards if they regained consciousness.

With the guards eliminated, he glimpsed at the building he was about to enter. It was a large metallic structure made of thick walls. It was difficult to understand if it served as a sturdy warehouse or as a bunker. What he was sure of was that a grenade wouldn't be able to dent the walls.

After opening the door, he stepped inside a long corridor. Even inside, the structure was made of the same heavy material. He could try to proceed in many directions. He could continue down the passage or open any of the many doors on either side. For now, he decided to go straight. The jamming device should be a hundred feet ahead and slightly on the right. After reaching the end of the corridor, he had no choice but to choose a door. He leaned on the last door on the right, trying to hear a sound. Unfortunately, the doors were as thick as the walls. Even if people were talking, he would not hear it. He pushed the button on the wall, making the door slide open. He stared at the two humans looking at him. Instantly, he realized that assumption was wrong. They had just reacted to the door opening, but they could not see him since he was invisible.

However, the two were alert, at once going for their guns. He fired his zat, hoping to solve the problem in the same way as with the guards outside the building. It didn't go as smoothly. The first guard kept squeezing the trigger until there were no bullets left. He even hit his comrade with a stray bullet. The second guard fired wide, hitting nothing but walls. He promptly shot him with another discharge.

He switched to his grav-rifle, the weapon neatly unfolding in his hands. By now, every person inside the base knew something was afoot. Without the element of surprise, there was no reason to rely on a zat gun. The rifle would give him unmatched precision, range, and rate of fire.

He hoped to reach the jamming device before meeting more hostiles. As he was about to start moving, a strange mist descended from the ceiling. His suit's sensors reacted, informing him it held a nerve toxin. He wasn't worried, knowing the armor was hermetically sealed. However, the released vapor served another purpose besides spreading the poison. It made him easier to spot even though cloaked. Foes needed only to watch the mist move when he did. He wanted to keep the cloak on despite the mist, thinking other rooms might not have it.

He saw the door on the other end open. The person rushing in was a burly man no one would ever want to bump into inside a dark alley. The man held a Goa'uld handheld cannon, ready to fire. No matter how confident he was in his armor, he still needed to avoid taking a hit from something capable of taking down an Al'kesh.

As his opponent fired, he dived sideways, barely evading the deadly payload. Passing by him, the plasma bolt blew a hole in the wall behind him. The gun could demolish even the building's sturdy walls. Glancing at his opponent, he instinctively knew the man would continue firing with reckless abandon, enjoying the destruction he caused. The damn cannon had a decent rate of fire, forcing him to jump repeatedly like a deranged kangaroo, each time barely escaping certain death. It took three more leaps before the right opportunity came. While diving, he trained his weapon and let bullets fly at full auto.

The firing stopped on both sides, with David being the victor. While the other man rested on the floor, motionless, he escaped with only a slight burning sensation in his right shoulder. The bolt barely grazed him, but a small part of its energy went through his suit. The suit's system injected painkillers at once while nanites began healing the damage. His left arm was stiff but still functional.

Even though the Goa'uld had left behind many weapons, stumbling upon a plasma cannon should be rare. He couldn't be sure, but he would bet the Jaffa sold it to the slaver. They were the only race that still produced it.

He began moving again. The cloak was gone, but he could still use the shield. Based on the last encounter, he would need it. After exiting the room, he went down a corridor. It should lead straight to the jamming device. As he was halfway through, the door ahead opened. He feared guards would shower him with bullets, but instead, two Goa'uld stun grenades flew his way. The grenade was great against most foes, but fortunately, the Terrans made their armor impervious against it. It would have been more helpful if they opened fire or barricaded the door. But the grunts couldn't have known a stun grenade wouldn't work.

As the grenades brightened the corridor, he did nothing except speed up towards the door. Rushing inside the next room, he shot the two who had tossed the grenades. The room was large, with a dozen enemies inside. Some were holding the same plasma cannon. They were well-armed, too well to face them alone. Taking a shot from that weapon could end his life.

His suit has pinpointed the jamming device on the room's far end. He pulled the trigger on the rifle's grenade launcher, the deadly payload flying where it needed. The strong detonation blew the device together with a couple of nearby grunts. Others became shellshocked. With the jamming gone, he could finally use his unique ability.

He took a cube out. From it, beaming rays materialized eight flying drones. His 'Parallel Thinking' would now come into play. It would allow him to control the drones with pinpoint accuracy without hindering his movements or other thoughts.

The drones spread in the room, firing at the still disoriented hostiles. Deadly beams struck multiple times, leaving only a few still standing. Those were the quick-witted ones who swiftly found cover. But, in the end, it wouldn't help them much. The drones were fast, could reach any corner, and were hard to hit. In moments, the drones surrounded the few remaining grunts, leaving them with no cover. With his fire added to that of the drones, the hostiles fell one by one.

Checking his suits readings, he finally began receiving Peter's transponder signal. The data showed he was unconscious and hurt but still alive. Even with the nanites in his body healing him, Peter still had ended up in such a sorry state. He must have gone through intense torture.

His suit's sensors were methodically scanning the whole building. Again, he was in awe at the level of technology a slaver like Silan had. The jamming device had been able to block highly advanced scanning techniques. This mission would have been more straightforward if slavers didn't own such tech. He also knew Silan's supplier. It could be no other than the Jaffa Empire who sold the advanced jamming device and whatever else Silan might have wished.

Corridor after corridor, he was making swift progress towards Peter. He met three more opponents, nothing his drones couldn't handle on their own. Most opponents were behind him, with only two guards ahead, protecting Peter's cell. When he reached the place, the drones had already taken care of them.

Opening the cell, he saw Peter lying on the floor. They had beaten him up badly. A quick scan showed the nanites in his body had exhausted their energy. Also, his injuries were on a cellular level. Nanites had a tough time healing him since they were primarily meant to heal bruises, lacerations, and diseases caused by a pathogen. He knew the Goa'uld pain-stick caused such internal injuries.

That thing had nasty effects when used repeatedly.

He placed a small healing cube on Peter's chest. It was the latest Terran innovation. It was based on the Ancient healing cube but altered to be highly portable and working best with Terran physiology. Also, unlike the Goa'uld handheld device, it didn't require an operator.

While the device worked its miracle, he injected Peter with a fresh dose of healing nanites. Together, they should quickly bring Peter back among the living. Still, it would take time before he could run. His drones were doing an excellent job at slowing down the approaching thugs. However, the bad guys were familiar with the drones' capabilities and had already destroyed one. He knew more would soon follow.

Scans showed there were fifty people inside the building. He had trouble understanding why so many were protecting a slaver. Worse, it wasn't only Silan's goons. Jaffa and even humans wearing uniforms of the local forces were present. They should be like the local police, but they were helping slavers. So, he had trouble calling them as such.

The patient was waking up. It was just a grunt. Nonetheless, David was happy to hear it.

"Welcome back," David said after noticing Peter had opened his eyes.

It took time for Peter to focus. He looked straight into David's eyes gravely. "David."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm fed up with getting kidnapped," Peter said.

He understood his sentiment. This last kidnapping wasn't Peter's first. During his time with the Colonials, they mistook him for a Cylon. Consequently, they imprisoned and beat him, trying to extort information he couldn't give. It was just that Baltar's test had reacted with the nanites in his body, resulting in a false positive. That was awful enough, but his lousy luck didn't end there. Thinking he was a Cylon, the real Cylons decided to kidnap him. Peter reported how the weirdo the Cylons called One had wanted to pry open his head and inspect his brain to see what secrets it held.

Those experiences should have been more than enough. However, Peter's troubles seemed to continue. In a twist of fate, the two of them had switched roles, resulting in Peter getting kidnapped in his place. It was a strange feeling, the one David had right now. On the one hand, he couldn't say that he would have been glad if he were the one getting kidnapped and later tortured. On the other, he felt sorry for Peter, who had to go through the same awful ordeal again.

"It would be strange if you weren't. I'll tell you what. Next time it's my turn to get kidnapped," he said.

"It should have been your turn this time," Peter said, frustrated.

Before the mission, they played rock-paper-scissors to see who would tail the slave trader and who would make a boring trip to their hidden base. Peter won, happy he wouldn't have to spend days flying the corvette all alone.

"I bet you don't think flying the corvette alone for a day as boring anymore," he said.

"No, it's still boring, but it tramps torture every time," Peter said.

Knowing his luck, next time, the enemy would target the corvette instead. "I hate to rush you, but we don't have a lot of time. There are a lot of hostiles on the base."

"It's because of the Jaffa. They suspected someone would try to rescue me and told the slaver to make arrangements," Peter said.

"The Jaffa Empire is only six months old, and I'm already fed up with it," he said.

"Wait! Don't tell me you came alone?" Peter asked while trying to get up.

In the beginning, David had the element of surprise on his side. But it was different now. The enemy was fully prepared, and the number of functioning drones was diminishing.

They needed to start moving, or else it would become impossible to escape.

"More or less. I have Teal'c keeping an eye on the Empire's Ha'tak in orbit," he said.

"That's it? Couldn't you have asked a few Jaffa to come with you? You know, as backup?" Peter asked.

"Our way of fighting is just too different," he said. In the end, he had to face the hostiles head-on anyway instead of sneaking in as planned. Maybe bringing a few Jaffa wouldn't have been the worst idea. But there was no point in reminiscing now. "Take these."

He handed over a bracelet and his favorite gun. The pistol was the same as Ronon's, while the bracelet could create a personal shield.

"A gun is just what I need right now. Taking down a few bad guys will do wonders for my mental health," Peter said.

"You just activate the shield and keep moving. I'm hoping we won't have to go through all the people in this place before getting out. Let's hope you won't need to fire a single shot," he said.

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to getting some payback," Peter said.

"Next time. Let's go," he said.

Although slowly, Peter was already able to walk. Seeing that, David took point. He knew where the bad guys were, so there wouldn't be any surprises. Still, they had to hurry, or else the enemy would overwhelm them. The drones had done their job at holding off the bad guys, but so few drones could hold only for so long. Reaching the end of the corridor, they came at an intersection. On the left, Silan's goons were shooting at the two remaining drones. On the right, a short passage led to freedom.

"When the time's right, rush in the room on the right, then provide cover for me," David said before starting to shoot at the people on the left.

Peter didn't argue. He simply waited for the right moment before slipping into the corridor. He was pushing himself to reach the room swiftly even though walking caused him significant discomfort. As Peter entered the room, he turned and began shooting down the corridor. David realized it was time to move. While sprinting through the corridor, several plasma bolts hit him in the back. His already half-depleted shield failed, letting energy from the shots bleed through his armor. Again, pain surged through his body. His suit injected painkillers in the affected areas while the nanites went to work once again. Thankfully, none of the shots came from a handheld cannon, allowing him to reach cover only with light injuries.

"I could be wrong, but isn't trapping us inside a storage room with no exit a terrible plan?" Peter complained.

David was breathing heavily, wincing from the pain. "You forget we have a corvette outside. If there's no door, we just need to create one!" David said while showing the smile someone who enjoyed blowing up things usually made. "Ten seconds!"

Peter understood. He found the best cover in the allotted time, which wasn't much, and waited for the explosion.

Since the jamming was gone, he had instructed the corvette remotely to take off. One of its missiles was enough to blow the storage room's far wall. Debris showered their personal shields.

"Peter, get a move on," he said while running towards the newly created opening.

"Can't I at least shoot a few before we leave!" Peter said while firing.

David stopped once outside, taking cover behind the blown wall. He would now cover for Peter. "No need, just run inside the ship!"

"You're no fun!" Peter said while doing his best at running.

The corvette touched the ground while exposing its inside through the opening door.

The slavers were persistent, forcing David to provide constant cover fire. Thankfully, the building already provided cover for Peter. Now they only needed to enter the corvette.

Sprinting with all his might, David jumped inside the corvette while it took off. Inside, he found Peter seated with a pained expression on his face. He had been watching his vitals the whole time. He wasn't in any danger, but that didn't mean he didn't feel pain.

"Let's give them a nice parting gift," David said, happily inputting the needed commands to launch a pair of missiles.

The missiles flew straight at the newly created opening where the enemies were. The explosion made that side of the building collapse.

"I don't think many could have survived that," Peter said with a happy smile.

"I was going for all of them, but you're right. Maybe a few are still alive, but I don't care right now. Let's leave this godforsaken planet," he said.

"I see both the Ha'tak and Ha'til have their weapons active," Peter said while looking at the console.

"Let's inform Teal'c our mission's over. They might still be able to leave without needlessly spilling any blood,"

"I think it's too late for that," Peter said.

David saw on the monitor as the Ha'tak launched Death Gliders. It was a clear sign the situation was deteriorating. "Yeah, that looks bad."

---

… a few minutes earlier.

Teal'c had been in communication with the Ha'tak for some time now. It began with the usual unpleasantries. While the Ha'tak's captain informed him he had no business being here, Teal'c countered, saying the Empire had no business aiding slavers. He was ardently trying to appeal to the Jaffa pride as warriors. For thousands of years, they had been slaves to the Goa'uld, making it difficult to stomach that they were now working for slavers. The captain could not openly agree with him, but he could see the man wasn't thrilled about his current job. To Teal'c, it seemed the man would shoot slavers rather than aid them.

However, the captain's demeanor changed the moment a person stepped on the bridge. "Master Teal'c, I once again urge you to leave this system."

Teal'c recognized the new arrival as the Emperor's first son, Ro'nel. He met with him a few times. It had never been a pleasant experience. He was as arrogant as his father but had even less wisdom than the old man. At least Bre'lac had lived for a hundred years, a time in which he had accumulated considerable life experiences, enough for his peers to respect him.

In contrast, his son, Ro'nel, only thought he knew everything. He was the type that believed things would always go his way. His only praiseworthy trait was his fighting prowess with the staff weapon. Unfortunately, that had little value in modern days in which all Jaffa carried plasma rifles.

"Captain, hear me. By allying yourself with slavers, you degrade all Jaffa. Instead of others seeing us as proud warriors, they see us as mere thugs ready to do whatever is asked as long as we are paid enough. You should be fighting slavery instead of promoting it," Teal'c said.

Instead of a hesitating captain, Ro'nel replied. "Who looks down on us? Your precious Tau'ri?"

"Many! Not only the Tau'ri, but the ancient races like the Asgard, Nox, the Ancients, and the other human races. But most importantly, our youngest see us as such. What are we teaching them, Ro'nel?" Teal'c said.

"We are teaching them to take what they want. We teach them they shouldn't be satisfied with the crumbs the Tau'ri give while telling them what they can and cannot do," Ro'nel replied.

"You would be more convincing if the Empire had the stronger economy. The purchasing power of a JFN citizen is twice that of an Empire's. Aren't you the ones ending with crumbs, with no choice but to seek jobs from slavers? How many Jaffa from the Empire choose to become mercenaries every day? How many of them are forced to do demeaning jobs to provide for their families?" Teal'c explained.

"The JFN propaganda won't work on me! We are free! We enjoy a level of freedom the Jaffa from the JFN will never experience. You're all just serving a new master, the Tau'ri!" Ro'nel said.

It was the propaganda the Empire was spreading. They knew the JFN's economy was stronger. Trying to convince their people otherwise would be foolish. Instead, they were telling them the JFN sold their freedom for a better standard of living. They were spreading falsehoods, saying the Jaffa in the JFN had to do whatever the Tau'ri ordered them. Millions had joined the Empire because of their dishonesty.

However, Ro'nel knew it was all disinformation to gain supporters. Yet, he put a nice act in front of any audience. Teal'c knew his words wouldn't sway any of the people on the Ha'tak, not in such a brief time, much less convincing Ro'nel. But that wasn't his goal either. He only needed to stall. Ro'nel didn't know a cloaked corvette had descended on the surface.

"Yes, the Jaffa in the JFN will never need to be mercenaries to put food on the table! They will never have to work for slavers, demeaning themselves in the worst conceivable way. If that is the freedom you speak of so passionately, then yes, no Jaffa in the JFN will experience such freedom!" Teal'c retorted.

Ro'nel was about to keep arguing, but the Jaffa next to him interrupted. "Ro'nel! The compound is under attack!"

"What!" Ro'nel said before turning to face Teal'c once again. "You knew! You were stalling us!"

"Did you think I came here because I have nothing better to do? I came to stop Jaffa from helping scum like those on the surface. Why would you help slavers apprehend a Tau'ri agent?" Teal'c said.

"Why would I care what happens to Tau'ri agents who are meddling into matters that should not concern them? I despise the Tau'ri, and the more of their agents die, the happier I will be," Ro'nel said while grinning.

"You may dislike the Tau'ri, but turning them into enemies is the act of a fool! I don't believe your father would have permitted it," Teal'c said.

"You have no idea what my father would approve of," Ro'nel said, angry.

"True, I do not know your father that well, but you not answering with a simple 'yes, he approved' makes me believe he's not aware of what has transpired here," Teal'c said.

Ro'nel's angry face told him everything. Indeed, his father did not know about this incident.

"The Emperor gave me the authority to do as I see fit. He trusts my judgment," Ro'nel said. "This discussion is over. Move your vessel aside so that we can capture more Tau'ri spies!"

Jaffa were above all warriors. It wasn't just to protect the Tau'ri agents, not anymore. If he moved his ship aside, Jaffa would see it as an act of cowardice. The situation was spiraling out of control. With that last sentence, Ro'nel had forced them to act. No side could back down anymore, as it would be the act of a coward to do so. It was why most JFN encounters ended with a lot of bolstering, followed by both sides engaging their hyperdrives and leaving.

However, sometimes it went further than that.

Teal'c questioned how stupid Ro'nel could be. They could have kept talking until the Tau'ri resolved the situation on the planet. Some posturing and yelling at each other, but eventually, they would both leave this inconsequential system without getting hurt. It was the best course for all parties involved.

Even though his opinion of Ro'nel was low from the beginning, he did not believe the man would react in such an excessive way. Ro'nel issuing a challenge even stunned the people on his bridge. The situation was complicated. On one side, Teal'c is a leader among the JFN, blood kin to all Jaffa, and on the other, Ro'nel was the Emperor's son.

"You know I cannot do that," Teal'c replied sternly.

"You think you can stop me with your small ship? Our ships have the same weapons, but our defenses are much stronger," Ro'nel said, smiling.

Bre'lac had waited to gain all the advancements Teal'c's faction had developed before forming the Jaffa Empire. If not, fewer would have followed him. And now his son was bolstering because of it.

"What technology our ships have does not affect my decision," Teal'c replied.

"So be it!" Ro'nel said, grinning. "Launch gliders and ready all systems for battle!"

The connection cut off right after. Teal'c didn't understand why Ro'nel thought this moment was worth smiling. Jaffa should never smile while facing other Jaffa in battle, whether from the JFN or the Empire.

"Master Teal'c, is there a way we can prevent bloodshed?" the Jaffa stationed at the weapons console asked.

At least his crew was smart enough to realize the best outcome was a peaceful departure before any plasma exchange occurred. "I do not believe so. Prepare for battle!"

The ship had already been at high alert ever since they came into the system. The whole crew was at their stations, ready to perform their duties. Teal'c had been collaborating with these fine officers for the past six months, confident they would perform admirably. Still, their competence alone could not sway the battle in their favor. Not when the opponent had a ship of a whole higher class.

The ship shook as the first plasma bolt struck its starboard side. The Ha'til began moving at full trust, circling around the larger Ha'tak like a bird of prey, waiting for the best moment to pounce.

"They did not waste any time," the weapons officer said.

"Indeed," Teal'c said while working on his primary console. He was inputting the plan of action. "Navigation, keep our ship away from the Ha'tak's main cannons. We will follow a hit-and-run tactic. Use the preplanned pattern Gamma Two, but don't rush with our assaults. Our greatest advantage is our higher maneuverability, and our greatest weakness is our weaker defenses. We must maximize the former and minimize the latter."

"As ordered," the pilot at the helm responded.

Even though the same type of shields, a Ha'tak had much greater energy reserves. If they began a slugging match, they would inevitably lose. But higher maneuverability was also a great asset to have. A Ha'til had most weapons facing forward, while a Ha'tak had them spread around. If done correctly, a Ha'til could bring more firepower against a single target than a Ha'tak could. Still, to do so, they must find a solid approach vector—one in which they would find the best ratio between unleashing their full firepower at a single point and evading incoming fire.

Still, it was difficult to believe that could compensate for the difference in ship classes.

The Ha'til made its first pass, firing at the Ha'tak at its top side at a 60 degrees elevation angle. It was the best approach vector against a Ha'tak, in which the ship could retaliate only with its secondary cannons. It also left the best escape vector once it passed the ship. Still, a few plasma bolts slammed into the Ha'til's shields. Teal'c noticed a slight drop in their strength.

"Gliders are on our tail, Master," the weapons officer informed.

"Leave them be," Teal'c said.

The greatest threat was always the Ha'tak. A Ha'til had shields tough enough to survive a Glider's weapons for a long time. Changing tactics because of Gliders would diminish the firepower they could bring down on the capital ship, allowing it to restore part of its shields' strength. To have a chance of winning, they would have to pour everything they had and then add some.

"Weapons! When our ship is outside their cannons' range, activate the subroutine I'm sending you," Teal'c ordered before issuing further instructions. "Helm, work with the weapons officer to give him at least fifteen seconds of minimal interference from the Ha'tak and the Gliders."

"Master Teal'c, I have never seen this subroutine," the weapons officer whispered. No officer would want to activate a subroutine they'd never seen before while in the middle of a battle.

"It is part of a secret project the JFN conducted in preparation for Bre'lac's predicted treachery," Teal'c said. Noticing the crew wanted to know more, he continued. "We knew the Jaffa would eventually break apart and that when that happens, we may be forced to fight against an adversary that wields our own weapons and shields. So, we conducted extensive research to find countermeasures. Bre'lac waited until he gained our latest technology before selfishly splitting from our nation. We needed to take advantage of that," Teal'c said, grinning mischievously.

Since they made them, they knew everything about the opponent's weapons and shields. It meant they knew best what modifications would work best. Of course, there was a risk of the Empire doing the same. Still, he thought the Empire's few competent engineers had inferior skills and were overworked.

If the Empire used the shield's default configuration, the modifications could significantly improve their weapons penetration ability. Furthermore, he was sure the likes of Ro'nel would pay little attention to their shields and weapons settings because of their skewed belief of what it meant to be a true warrior.

"I have activated the subroutine. Our shield's frequency and modulation have changed. The weapons will be ready to fire in twenty seconds," the weapons officer informed.

The weapons taking longer didn't matter. They didn't take any hits during the shields' cycling, which was especially important. Even a few plasma bolts from a glider could have caused damage to a system if the shields were inoperable.

"Good, begin the next assault," Teal'c ordered.

The ship once again went for the best approach. The Ha'tak was changing its bearings, trying to bring its big guns forth. Still, the Ha'til's higher maneuverability prevented it from succeeding. Once in range, the smaller ship unleashed bolts of destructive energy.

"A part of our weapons energy is bleeding through their shields! They are receiving damage," the weapons officer reported.

"Good, but be ready for any change. They will soon realize our weapons have become more effective. I predict they will make simple changes to their shields when that happens, like shifting their frequency. Be ready to compensate," Teal'c ordered. He turned to the science officer. "Status of our shields?"

"Their efficiency has increased. We are losing twenty percent less energy, and the stress on the emitters has lessened," the officer replied.

"Good, but we still need to evade their main cannons," Teal'c said. They were still facing a ship of a higher class. Even a tiny mistake could turn disastrous.

The battle was going well, with the enemy ship sustaining more damage. The damage to the Ha'til was slight, but ten percent of their shields' strength had already been lost. It was from the few hits received from the Ha'tak's secondary weapons and partly due to the gliders' constant harassment. Thankfully, they hadn't suffered any blows from the Ha'tak's main cannons, primarily due to skillful piloting. Still, a Ha'tak had a sturdy frame, and the energy capable of bleeding through their shield caused only slight damage. The gliders were also a nuisance, constantly shooting at them from the rear. They were highly maneuverable, preventing the Ha'til's rear point defenses from taking down more than one.

He glanced at the side console. Without realizing it, he had received a message from the Tau'ri agents. The rescue mission was over, and they were leaving the planet. The message was five minutes old, which meant they might have already left. If that had happened before the emperor's stupid son challenged him, he could have gone with just a few unpleasant words spat as a parting gift. However, escaping now would be construed as an act of cowardice. Before he could leave, he would need to, at the very least, cripple their vessel.

"Master Teal'c, as you predicted, they have changed their shields' frequency," the weapons officer replied.

"Can you compensate?" Teal'c asked. It should be easy to adapt their weapons if the changes were simple or the new shields' settings were already known.

"Yes, they are using a preset configuration," the weapon officer replied.

"Very well. Target their shield emitters and fire," Teal'c said.

"Master Teal'c, we could target their reactor," the weapons officer said.

The spot they were hitting was close to the reactor's shaft, but Teal'c thought it would be the wrong move. Teal'c looked at the officer with a devilish smile. "Wouldn't it be great if we can make the Emperor's son admit defeat?"

"Master Teal'c!" the weapons officer shouted, stunned. "I would greatly enjoy witnessing that!"

A glance was enough to make him realize that the whole crew shared that sentiment. Their gleeful eyes and nods of complete agreement were as loud as if they were shouting in joy, 'Hell yeah!'. Sometimes Jaffa looked everything else but stoic.

The ship made another pass, unleashing their deadly payload at the same area as previously. This time, though, the targeting was even more precise.

"One shield emitter destroyed, and another is working at half efficiency," the weapons officer said.

"Helm, they will attempt to expose other parts of their ship. I assume you know how to make them fail," Teal'c said.

"Of course, Master Teal'c," the Jaffa on the helm confirmed.

The Ha'til was the ship that pilots enjoyed steering the most. It wasn't as risky as piloting a Death Glider or an Al'kesh. It was larger and with more robust defenses. However, compared to a Ha'tak, it was more maneuverable. That was why few wanted to pilot a Ha'tak, all in agreement it was the most boring piloting job a Jaffa could get. They should start thinking of building a new class of capital ships or improving the Ha'tak's poor maneuverability.

"Sir, I think their shields are worse now than before their modifications," the science officer pitched in.

He, too, had been like that once. It was the problem of not fully understanding how a ship like a Ha'tak worked. He thought being a science officer aboard a vessel amounted to pushing a button to raise the shield. But those shields were usually set at their default settings, meant to protect the ship against a large variety of weapons. However, in time, he learned that shields could be strengthened against a specific type of weapon. He also realized that randomly changing them often led to tragic results.

The Jaffa on the Ha'tak had quickly realized their shields were not as effective as before, deciding that changing their frequency might help. The problem was they didn't know doing that might give the other side a chance to increase the effectiveness of their weapons even further. The JFN had studied their shields for months, running countless simulations to find the best countermeasures.

Teal'c looked at the predictive modeling the computer kept doing ever since the battle started. The data it was crunching was reassuring. They had a greater than eighty percent chance of winning. Their shields were at above sixty percent. It should be enough before the damage to the Ha'tak became severe enough to cause them to capitulate.

"Randomly changing the configuration of something as complex as our shields can often lead to unfavorable results. I'm sure our science officer who spent years learning how things work aboard our ships would never make such a mistake," Teal'c said.

"I would not, Master Teal'c. Their choice was poor," the science officer said.

During his time with SG-1, he saw Carter and Jackson perform miracles. But it was not just through their physical strength, prowess as warriors, or their heart. The correct application of their knowledge allowed them to find a solution even when in a desperate situation. But he wasn't with the SG-1 now; he couldn't rely on them anymore. It meant the Jaffa needed to create their experts capable of performing miracles even in a crisis.

"The shields' efficiency on their starboard side, top quadrant, is at below forty percent. With our current penetration capabilities, we should be able to target other crucial parts," the weapons officer said.

Now more than ever, they could target their reactor—a critical part of the vessel. Even a few well-placed shots could be enough to cause considerable damage. Also, destroying more shield emitters would soon become meaningless. Targeting their weapons would also be foolish, as it would take too long to take them all out. They would have to hit the ship from all sides, risking damage.

As the weapons officer predicted, the next pass blew two more shield emitters, making their shield's efficiency drop below thirty percent in that quadrant. However, it wasn't one-sided. A few hits made their shields fall to below fifty percent. A few more lucky hits and the Ha'til could suffer severe damage.

They would have to resolve this battle soon or else risk losing it. The problem was that blowing their ship wasn't the outcome Teal'c preferred.

"Contact them," Teal'c ordered.

It took only a few seconds before Ro'nel's sad face popped on the main view.

"You cowards! You never shared these weapons with the Empire. You were planning to betray us from the start," Ro'nel spat the word angrily.

"The weapons are the same, Ro'nel, just as our shields. The difference is that, unlike you, we know how to use them properly," Teal'c said. He was enjoying watching the man turn red.

"Lies! Your weapons can phase through shields!" Ro'nel said.

"Yours can phase through them as well if you know how your opponent shields work," Teal'c answered. Leaving the Second Great Alliance's members aside, their weapons were the most complex in the Milky Way, especially after incorporating Aschen technology into them. "But we can leave the debate about our weapons for another day. Ro'nel, what you need to do now is admit defeat so that we can all go home. The Terrans spies have left the planet. There is no one that you can apprehend."

The Emperor's son losing a battle against a smaller ship and being forced to limp back home in shame would cause a massive blow to the Jaffa Empire. This single incident could cause even ten percent of the Jaffa in the Empire to switch sides, and Ro'nel knew it. His bitter expression was proof enough.

Still, Teal'c didn't want to make him feel worse than he already was. He decided not to boast about the flawless victory. He kept a stoic expression, patiently waiting for Ro'nel's reply.

"Even though part of our shield is gone, we are still in a better situation. Our pilot only needs to expose a different part of our ship. Your energy reserves will be gone soon, and then you will be the one to admit defeat!" Ro'nel spoke.

The man was trying to convince his crew they were still the winning side, but in Teal'c's eyes, it was only a feeble attempt. He thought that now was a good moment for a sarcastic comment. "Is it the same way your pilot successfully exposed other sides of your ship until now?"

It wasn't just the weapon. Their side had a better crew. It would be hard to believe their pilot would suddenly be enlightened.

Ro'nel wasn't speaking, and Teal'c could only see the man's angry face. He thought it was time to give him the final push. "We know your tactics, we know how your shields and weapons work, and we also know where to target a Ha'tak to cause maximum damage! Don't think for a minute that we do not have the resolve to target that exposed part with the full power of our weapons!"

"I will never admit defeat against the likes of you!" Ro'nel said before cutting the connection.

Teal'c could not believe what was happening. In the last six months, the Empire and JFN had clashed many times, each time both sides knew when to admit defeat so that everyone could go home to their loved ones. The captains of the JFN vessels received orders not to use the special modifications to their shields and weapons unless necessary. They did not want to tip off the Empire during a simple skirmish. Only if the situation was dire were they to use them. It was also suitable for their warriors who immensely enjoyed winning against the Empire on equal terms, showing that they were the better warriors. That resulted in both wins and losses but always ended with one side admitting defeat before going too far.

It had never escalated. In the last six months, there had been dozens of skirmishes, but not even one Jaffa had died. The worst had been for a ship to limp to the nearest shipyard for repairs. It was like both sides knew that when their shields were below a certain point, it was time to leave, effectively conceding victory.

So, why would Ro'nel, the Emperor's son, make not one but two stupid decisions? Not only did he needlessly push for the confrontation, leaving Teal'c no choice but to engage. But he was now pushing even further, risking his ship for an irrelevant slaver in a godforsaken place.

No matter how much he racked his brain, he could not understand Ro'nel's behavior. The idiot had put him in a terrible position. He could not flee the system, even more so since they were winning. All Jaffa would think of such behavior as unbecoming of a warrior.

However, the other choice wasn't pleasant either, making Teal'c hesitate before giving the order.

"Target their reactor," Teal'c said. It was a short order, but everyone knew what to do.

While the pilot made a large loop to achieve the best approach, the weapons officer overcharged the weapons. He would not fire until they reached optimal range.

Seconds passed. The Ha'tak did not try to hide their exposed side. Instead, it brought their large cannons to bear. If the pilot evaded the incoming fire, the Ha'til would end on a messy approach vector. But the Ha'til still had fifty percent of their shields, and they had changed them to be more effective against their own weapons.

Plasma bolts from two main guns landed on the Ha'til. The ship shook twice, causing the light on the bridge to dim briefly.

"Shields at 28 percent!" the science officer shouted.

"We entered optimal range!" the weapons officer said.

"Fire!" Teal'c ordered.

Four overcharged bolts of destructive plasma flew straight at the Ha'tak, exactly where it hurt the most. The shield blocked the first, letting the other three bolts boldly slam into the ship's hull.

Three explosions smashed the hull's armor.

Another explosion came from the inside.

And lastly, a much larger one split the vessel in two.

"Ship destroyed!" the weapons officer said.

"Yes, we won." Teal'c sighed, shaking his head. He looked gloomy. "But we also started a war with the Empire."

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