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?

27. Ties That Bind

Author's note: I have a problem with the story, so maybe some of you might give me an idea on how to solve it. The problem I'm having is with the Destiny story arc. I have no clue where to go with it. It isn't great to leave such a big storyline without a goal; the main reason it's in the story. But on the other hand, since I started it, I'm reluctant to drop it. So, if anyone has any decent idea on how Destiny could contribute to the overall story, and by that, I mean that it somehow adds something to the main plot, the war against the Vargas, please let me know through review or PM. Because I'm simply stuck with no idea how Destiny should contribute or enrich the story instead of feeling more like an irrelevant portion not many would like to read about and going nowhere. I blame the tv show for that since it never explained the whole point of the ship traveling for millions of years except for that elusive background signal, which doesn't help me much in my story.

Random Norwegian: Well, simply put, Earth is progressing. And by that, I mean that progress is a lengthy process, as in, it will take years or even decades for Earth to reach the level of the Tollans. It's not just the gadgets that the people use but also the mentality of an entire world that must change. I'm thinking of something on the line of, let's say that you go back in time to the 1950 and give people smartphones, computers, the internet, and a bunch of other stuff. Since you know all the tech and how it works because you brought with you all the blueprints. A year? Two? Maybe five? But even after that, would you immediately think of the people of the time on the same level as we are today? How many years would it take them to adapt to the internet and smartphones or to change their way of doing things? So, my point is that progress of such magnitude could not happen within a year or two. It is difficult to believe it could be done in a decade, and that's why the Terran Federation gave Earth the basic knowledge in batches so it could safely progress. Also, there are still some countries that are not on board. It's not exactly related, but try searching for Dictatorship Countries 2022, and you'll see there are many candidates to choose from. I'm not saying that all those countries did not join the Terran Federation. I also never wanted to go too deep into Earth's politics because the story must primarily be about what's happening in space. But, yes, some countries still haven't signed the charter.

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

---

After hearing a beep, Jack glanced at his desk. He pushed the virtual button found on a clear section of his otherwise cluttered table to answer the call. "What is it, Walter?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but Master Teal'c is here early. Should he wait?" Walter replied.

"No, let him in," he said, then glanced at the people in the room. "None of you mind, right?"

In turn, Sam, Daniel, and Young shook their heads. It's not like Teal'c was a stranger who shouldn't hear their conversation.

"It's been years since I last saw him," Sam said.

"Two weeks ago, I spent a couple of days in their capital, so I had a chance to exchange a few words with him," Daniel added.

Only Young had nothing to say. He and Teal'c were not acquaintances, and Jack doubted if they had uttered more than a few words between them.

The door opened, and Teal'c stalked inside. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, Teal'c," Sam replied but frowned abruptly. "What happened to your arm?"

Indeed, his left arm had a large burn that was in the process of healing. Upon closer inspection, Jack noticed that his face also had reddish spots. "And your face! What did you do?"

"It's not a matter of great concern. The burns heal nicely," Teal'c replied.

Jaffa have remarkable regenerative abilities, suggesting that these burns could have been much worse the other day.

"But how did you get them? Don't tell me it was another attempt?" Daniel added.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. His face told him that the stoic Jaffa was angry. "I must admit they are persistent."

"How many attempts does that make?" Jack asked.

"Twenty-seven," Teal'c replied. "Although most were so miserable that they died before getting close to me."

"I'd say this one got close enough," Sam added.

"The bomber managed to get ten meters away from me before the guards shot him. Unfortunately, he had a dead man switch. The burns you see result from that explosion," Teal'c said.

"Thank God he didn't use a stronger explosive. I wouldn't put it past them to use a Naquadah bomb, even if they blew up half a city block just to kill you," Jack said, not liking how far these people were willing to go. There were even those prepared to die as long as they managed to kill Teal'c.

"Sensors would have detected a stronger explosive. The attacker used a micro-explosive that was supposed to kill me the moment we got in contact," Teal'c explained. "Fortunately, one of the guards noticed the man was behaving strangely.

"Where did it happen?" Sam asked.

"In the capital," Teal'c added, feeling upset.

The Emperor placed a considerable bounty on Teal'c, leading many to go after his head. Moreover, even if they died, their family would receive the reward if they accomplished the mission. That has resulted in many trying their luck, even if it meant losing their lives.

"But to be a target even in the JFN's capital, you can't say your life isn't exciting, Teal'c," Jack said, but he clearly showed that it wasn't a laughing matter.

"I'd rather live a boring life," Teal'c replied. "But most of all, I'm angry that among those who tried to kill me were my people."

"Your people?" Daniel asked. "Weren't they Jaffa from the Empire?"

"JFN citizens have made several attempts," Teal'c replied. "They were all highly trained warriors, and the latter even had a high enough rank that he could enter the main government building where our Council deliberates."

"Oh, this sounds pretty bad," Jack said. "Perhaps it would be best to spend more time cooped up inside your ship while surrounded exclusively by people you trust."

"It's what I do so often that I'm starting to feel like a prisoner. However, there are cases when I have no choice but to visit the capital," Teal'c said but then looked around at the people in the room and slightly bowed. "I apologize for rudely interrupting your conversation."

"Don't worry about it, T," Jack said, waving his hand. "We were mostly done, and the topic wasn't time sensitive. Captain Young refuses to become an admiral and instead wants to continue serving as a captain aboard the Destiny."

After deploying the supergate, the builder ship crossed and thoroughly repaired the Destiny, in some ways improving the ship even from its original state. But even if it was in top condition and life was more comfortable than ever, it made no sense for the crew to stay on it for three years during its slow voyages between galaxies. Even with improved propulsion, it still took a year to cross to another galaxy. Therefore, they decided that the crew would board the ship only after it left the void between galaxies.

It was going to be Young's fourth time boarding Destiny. However, Jack wanted to promote him to Rear Admiral and send him to the front, where he would oversee a large task force. Although there were signs of improvement in filling their ranks due to the Langarans joining the Terran Federation, they still needed as many experienced officers as possible. Yet, he was not ready to force Young to take a position he would despise. Appointing an unwilling admiral to lead a task force was never a good decision.

"I explained that the Destiny and her crew needed an experienced officer at the helm, just like any task force on the front lines. We have restored Destiny's former splendor, but it is still a lonely ship flying through unknown territory. My place is on the Destiny, at least for now," said Young.

"You see what I must deal with, Teal'c. He's stubborn as a mule," Jack said, whispering the last part, but everyone in the room heard him loud and clear. He faced Young. "Well, let's end the conversation then. Destiny's crew is scheduled to leave in two weeks. I don't foresee any complications, as there haven't been the previous two times, but still be careful. A new galaxy could contain countless threats."

"I'm aware. But we're in a better position than the first time. The ship is fully repaired and stocked, we have three FTL-capable shuttles, and we've added a bunch of upgrades. FTL propulsion is faster than ever, and only a few races use the same propulsion type, making it much harder for them to chase after us. And most importantly, we're not here to look for trouble," Young repeated.

"It all sounds fabulous but remember that you'll be alone and without any support if things go wrong," Jack said.

"We're used to it," Young added.

It was typical for Young to be confident, but Jack thought a little more caution would not be out of place. Destiny had flown through the last two galaxies without encountering a single enemy race. Or it was better to say they had not met any race, be it hostile or friendly. Even the number of planets suitable for life was minuscule. If they didn't have supplies on board, there would have been times when they would have starved. Some even complained that they did not have the opportunity to taste any local dish throughout the trip. That was one of the reasons they decided that the next transition the Destiny had just completed would be five million light-years, reaching a galaxy farther out than initially planned. They hoped the situation in the new galaxy could be different, allowing the crew to taste an unusual steak or some exotic fruit.

"Just don't go around looking for trouble, okay? Do your thing, measure that background noise no matter what it is, try to find signs of why the Ascended asked us to continue exploring these distant places, and then get out of there," Jack said. If asked, he'd say they should put Destiny in a museum, but he wasn't the one who decided on such matters.

"That's my plan," Young replied as he stood up. "I'll leave you to talk about more urgent matters."

"Okay," Jack said, getting up and squeezing Young's outstretched hand. "I'm always busy, so if we don't see each other before you leave, godspeed to you and the rest of your crew."

"Thank you, sir," Young replied. With his job concluded, he turned and left the room.

"He's always so professional," Daniel commented, but he was probably thinking of another word instead. "Even his emotions are tepid."

"Well, for a captain of a ship passing through space without any support, I think that's a good thing," Jack said.

"True enough," Daniel added.

A mission like Destiny's required a prudent person who wouldn't chase adventures at every corner. They would have to spend up to a year in a vast galaxy, trying to find clues that would help them in their war against the Vargas while remaining undetected. Receiving the care that brought her back to the days of her old glory, the Destiny could give them the false impression that they could face any danger and come out unscathed, which could not be further from the truth. One ship was always vulnerable, regardless of its size and strength.

Jack realized he was standing there for a good minute while saying nothing. "What time is it?" he said, glancing at his watch. "A quarter to one. Then we don't have much time. Teal'c, you know why I called you."

"In your message, you stated that you want another party to be present as you meet with the Colonials," Teal'c said.

"Yes, a friendly party ready to tell them the truth about the galaxy without sugarcoating. Now that quarantine has ended, we have no right to stop them from exploring the galaxy, although I know several reasons why they should stay put in their system," Jack added.

"I think it's good that the Colonials want to explore the galaxy. We could find a good ally who can help keep the Milky Way calm even without our direct interference," Daniel added.

Terrans should not be directly involved in the affairs of other races. They were members of the Second Great Alliance, and their technology and military strength were much more advanced than the other inhabitants of their home galaxy. Most races would consider the Terrans' direct involvement in others' affairs as disruptive at best but most likely authoritarian. Whether or not they had the best intentions would not change other races' opinions.

Furthermore, they had to focus on the war with the Vargas they fought in billions of light-years far away galaxies. Any disruption could result in disaster. However, the Milky Way was in turmoil, and if left unattended, it could cause a crisis for many worlds. The solution was to have several races ready to help deal with the more critical concerns without the Terrans having to move a finger. The first such race was the Jaffa Free Nation, but unfortunately, they got stuck in their war against the Jaffa Empire without a quick resolution to the conflict. The other was the Arkhan Empire, led by Maybourne. The man was doing an outstanding job, but he wasn't enough to deal with all the issues in such a vast galaxy.

Jack thought about all these things and felt they needed more races that actively helped maintain the region's stability. But most did not have the necessary prerequisites. The most decisive requirement was a large population and a vital industry. They didn't need superior technology, which could be detrimental because other races might view them as a threat. However, a race with a moderate technological level and a large enough Navy could still cope with galactic pirates and several warlike races without appearing ready for galactic conquest.

Colonials fit into that framework in many ways but fell in many others. Except for the Terrans and the Jaffa, no other race in the Milky Way had ever had contact with them, making them the new kid in the neighborhood. Having them as the main police force keeping the galaxy on the right track seemed like pure daydreaming. It was hard to believe that other races would accept the Colonials immediately after they made their presence known. They also had considerable difficulties at home, mostly with people from Sagittarion and a few other planets. Geminon was highly religious, and many found it difficult to swallow the new truth about the galaxy that the Terrans had introduced in which the Colonials are not put on a pedestal to stand above all other races but rather are a marginal force that some aliens called Lanteans kidnapped and planned to use in their fight against the Goa'uld and the Wraith. From the glorious origins of which their scrolls spoke, they have fallen upon ordinary people in no way different from the innumerable others whose ancestors had been abducted from planet Earth.

Furthermore, they discovered that the Thirteenth Colony mainly consisted of Cylons. But not just them because humans had also joined, which had resulted in giving birth to a hybrid species. Further investigation revealed that many in the Colonies also carried Cylon DNA, indicating that it hadn't been unheard of to have mixed pairs even within the remaining twelve colonies. That discovery caused a sharp rise in homicides of those with traces of impure Cylon DNA. It mainly happened on Sagittarion, but it wasn't exclusive. Such killings took place on other planets as well, but not to the same extent and as openly as on Sagittarion, where they accessed a person's medical file without consent.

The Colonies were still unstable, and only the end of the war and the massive rise in their standard of living kept the people satisfied and calm, thanks to their beloved president's efforts. However, they hated the news that the Cylons with whom they had fought for so long were living happily on Kobol with members of the Expedition. News stations aggravated the situation by further inflaming the circumstances, not caring about the consequences if it increased their number of viewers.

"Bad news everywhere," Jack muttered after mulling about it. "We should indeed leave the Colonials free to explore, and we could use them to ensure the stability of the galaxy, but I don't see that happening any time soon. We should also stop talking about it because we will repeat everything within the meeting when it starts in a few minutes."

"True," Sam added, checking the time. "The Colonials should already be here."

"Walter has already informed me of their arrival. That's why we should go too," Jack said as he got up.

The rest of the original SG-1 stood up, heading from Jack's office to one of the many conference rooms on the massive Starbase One where the Colonials await them.

"Teal'c! How is your plan going? Is there a chance it will happen soon?" Jack asked.

"Planning is going well, but it will take a few more months before we take action," Teal'c said.

"And how sure are you that you can take Dakara back?" Jack asked.

"Success largely depends on whether something of what we plan leaks to the Empire. If that doesn't happen, I'm eighty percent certain we can take over the planet," Teal'c explained.

Given that they were trying to kill him in their capital, it was not surprising that Teal'c was concerned about their operational security. Even a minor leak would be enough for the Empire to prepare adequate countermeasures. Instead of gaining something, they could lose a decent portion of their forces without achieving anything.

"I'm not sure if that's clever," Daniel added. "I understand what you're trying to achieve, but it seems risky and for a dubious gain even if it goes well."

"I'm with Daniel on this," Jack said, "You don't need Dakara."

"But the Jaffa Empire does," Teal'c replied. "The Emperor has not been able to avenge his son's death for three long years, which is a huge stain on his honor. If he also cannot protect Dakara after handing over richer planets for it, many Jaffa in the Empire will begin to doubt their choice to join him."

The news that the JFN had received rich star systems from ceding Dakara spread throughout the Jaffa Empire. It was easy to imagine how their people, whose standard of living was already low, were not thrilled when they heard the news. But the Emperor's propaganda that they got Dakara, the holiest world, for it was enough to appease most disgruntled citizens. But if he also lost Dakara while his son's killer remained alive, the Emperor would then wholly lose face. It would not be strange for influential people in the Empire to hire assassins to get rid of him. The war with the JFN has already cost their people many sorrows, further exacerbating their shaky economy. Even the Jaffa warriors wanted more than pointless battles that resulted in no lasting gains.

"Well, you know best how the Jaffa think, but I don't like how much this plan is double-edged. If you fail to retake Dakara, your reputation will suffer a huge blow," Jack said.

"It just means we must not fail," Teal'c said.

When it came to audacity, there were few people worse than Teal'c. No one could say that the man was not thinking big or was not willing to take risks. The only problem Jack had was that there were better ways to end the conflict. Just by accepting the Terran's help, something they had offered countless times, the Jaffa could achieve supremacy in a short time and with fewer casualties.

But Teal'c feared it would turn out as if the Terrans had ended the war, which no Jaffa would enjoy, not those in the Jaffa Empire nor those in the JFN. So, they dealt with it their way, with the Terrans assisting in the form of intelligence gathering, mostly what was happening within the territory of the Big Whale—a massive collation of planets inhabited by ex-Goa'uld enslaved people—where the Jaffa Empire held several bases out of the JFN's reach. It was a stupid war that made everyone a loser, no matter the result, but then he remembered that most wars were like that. Both sides strained their resources, and their people bore the consequences for years after the conflict ended. The only ones gaining by it were the Reapers, the pirates, and other scum they should have already taken care of, but unfortunately, no one had the resources to do it.

"Okay, we're here," Jack said as he approached the conference room. We can continue this conversation tonight at my house while drinking beer."

"That would be acceptable," Teal'c replied.

"A few beers with the former SG-1 sounds great," Daniel said, sounding delighted. "We can reminisce about the old days."

"Only now did I realize we are all together," Sam added, forgetting that once everyone was a member of the original SG-1 team. "I can't remember the last time that happened."

Jack opened the door and led SG-1 inside the conference room where Nagala, his wife Lira, Adama, and his wife Roslin were waiting. The four people around the table immediately noticed the newcomers and stood up. As they approached the table, Nagala greeted them first.

"Hello," Nagala said.

"After so much time, we meet again," Jack added, squeezing Nagala's outstretched hand. "How long has it been?"

"Almost three years since your last visit to Picon," Nagala said.

"Time surely flies," he said, turning to shake hands with Lira while glancing at her belly, surprised. "I see you two have been busy. How much longer?"

"I'm glad we meet again," Lira said, placing her hand on her stomach and smiling happily. "A little over a month."

"Is it okay to embark on such a journey in your condition?" Sam added when it was her turn to shake hands. It was uncertain how jumps affected a pregnancy, but the Colonials should know best.

"More than fine. In fact, it's better this way. The whole trip seemed like a long-deserved vacation spent away from the usual stress I feel on Picon. As you probably know, there is still a lot to be done in the Colonies before the situation stabilizes," Lira replied.

"I'm aware of that, but I'm also aware that you've made incredible progress," Sam replied.

"Thank you for saying that. I agree with that, but my husband is a workaholic and is never completely satisfied, so no matter how much things improve, we always have work to do," Lira said, casting her husband a reproachful look. "I wouldn't mind going on vacation sometimes, even when it's not related to traveling to Earth."

"Oh, please! While coming here, you thought of a million things we still need to do instead of relaxing. I had to cut off your access to all materials in any way related to our work," Nagala replied to his wife's bold statement.

"It's because you didn't pay attention to me during the trip!" Lira replied.

"What are you talking about? When didn't I pay attention to you?" Nagala asked his lovely wife.

"When we were halfway through the journey, I barely saw you at lunch or ten minutes before bed!" reproached Lira.

"We were attacked at the time! Of course, I'd run to the bridge to monitor the situation!" Nagala replied in astonishment.

"Why? You're not the admiral in charge of the fleet; you're the president!" Lira replied.

"There's no way I'm staying in my room in a situation like that," Nagala retorted.

Jack thought the two would continue for at least another hour, something he couldn't allow. If for no other reason than to preserve his mental health. He also just heard something quite intriguing. "Wait, wait. Who attacked you?"

"We don't know. It happened a thousand light-years away from Earth," Adama interjected. Judging by the expression on his face and the speed with which he jumped into the conversation, he certainly did not want Nagala and Lira to continue with their argument. "We stopped at the system to stock up on consumables but soon discovered a large fleet of unknown origin. They immediately set out to intercept and opened fire as soon as they entered within weapons range. There was no attempt to contact us, and they completely ignored our hails."

"Just one thousand light-years from Earth?" Jack asked in astonishment. In galactic terms, this was a close neighbor of Earth. The solar system and dozens of surrounding systems contained long-range sensors that made it extremely difficult for anyone to approach Earth without the Terrans knowing. The sensor arrays quickly detected every jump the Colonials made over the past week. Still, the systems did not register any other ship traveling, much less an entire fleet transiting through hyperspace.

Nagala kept explaining. "We were surprised as we know how advanced Earth is, and we thought it was impossible to encounter an enemy fleet during the last stage of our voyage. Encounters with unknown aliens were more worrying as we approached Kobol because you said there are races in the region and even pirates who own capital ships of considerable strength, which Admiral Adama can confirm from experience."

"Why don't we sit down first?" Daniel said since everyone was still standing.

Eight people sat around the oval table.

"What did the ships look like?" Sam asked.

Adama began explaining. "There were seventeen carrier ships that launched many vessels as soon as they discovered us. Most of them were small, even smaller than our vipers. Honestly, I immediately doubted a pilot could fit inside them. Two other larger models were much stronger but less maneuverable."

Sam immediately started tapping on her datapad. Soon, a hologram appeared above the table, showing various ships. "Did they look like this?"

"That's it!" Lira was the first to answer, and the others simply nodded in confirmation.

"Reapers," Jack said, thinking deeply. "That explains why our sensors didn't detect them."

"It does?" Adama asked.

"Reapers are machines the Vargas created. They use an incredibly advanced stealth system that allows undetected travel through hyperspace even while moving at top speed," Sam replied.

"Machines?" Adama asked, focused on that part.

"Vargas?" Roslin held more interest in the name of the race that created them.

Sam looked at Adama before answering his question. "They are not like the Cylons or some other conscious inorganic beings. They are reprogrammed machines that follow two main directives. Increase the number of units and attack anyone who has developed a technology with an energy density of more than two watt-hours per cubic centimeter."

"I don't know if it's a lot or a little," Adama asked.

"Well, a normal lithium battery has a third of that energy density. They won't react to something so weak, but there's no source with a military application with a lower density. The energy capacitors in our plasma rifles have hundreds of times that energy density," Sam replied.

"Which means that the moment you turn on even a hand-held energy weapon, they will detect it," Nagala added.

"Yes, and there is no need to mention the energy produced inside nuclear power plants, the energy that passes through high-energy lines or high-power machines. Their range of detection is also pervasive," Sam added. "They won't skip any race that has entered the industrial age as long as they are within the same star system."

"So, the moment we jumped inside the system, they detected us and determined we are a target for extermination," Adama said.

"How was the battle? Being here means you won," Daniel added.

"Not exactly. Our vipers were inferior in maneuverability, so it was difficult for them to dodge their smallest fighters. We quickly realized that their ships didn't have to worry about a pilot's safety because they didn't have a pilot inside. They could perform maneuvers that would make our pilots faint. The bigger Reapers weren't as agile, but they were strong enough to threaten even the Defenders. The Warstar and Galactica batteries managed to chew their numbers before they became a real threat, but then Nagala ordered our withdrawal," Adama said.

"Why?" Jack asked Nagala.

"It was pointless to fight a battle with an enemy we knew nothing about. While we could have won, we would have suffered damage if we continued fighting; we might even have lost people. Even a few hits from those Reapers could incapacitate a viper," said Nagala.

Terrans have become accustomed to the Asgard beaming system that could rescue pilots even under challenging conditions. The beaming system has reduced the number of fighter pilots' deaths by ninety-eight percent!

However, this was not the case with the Colonials. A Viper pilot always lived on the edge, knowing that being hit often meant death. So, Jack thought it was wise of them to retreat and ask the Terrans who or what those spacecraft were the first chance they got. "You made the right choice. If you had continued fighting, the Reapers would have started committing suicide attacks. They often do that when their situation becomes unfavorable."

The Colonials formed a small task force of three Defenders to support Nagala's Warstar and Adama's Galactica they later picked up at Kobol. It could be said that the Warstar and Galactica followed the other three ships as the difference in firepower was in favor of the two larger vessels. The heaviest of the Reapers could have damaged or even crippled a Defender, even after it became standard for Colonial ships to have shielding. Although, according to readings made by the Terrans after arriving in Sol, the Defenders had trouble maintaining the shield even during lighter battles. But Jack also realized that they had brought these three ships primarily to train the new crews during a voyage they thought would end without conflict. Unfortunately, they encountered an opponent who did not stop without opening fire. Seventeen mother ships could launch many spacecraft of diverse sizes, all crewless and ruthless in their pursuit, sometimes even ready to carry out suicide attacks. The Reapers didn't care as long as they could knock down their target.

"And who are those Vargas you mentioned?" Roslin repeated the same question because no one answered her the first time.

"It's a complicated question, mostly because we don't know as much about them as we would like, and some of what we do know is pure speculation," Daniel was the one to answer. "We know the Vargas race is at least a billion years old, and they have a network of hubs located in millions of galaxies that allows them to travel through space quickly. They also conquered an unspeakable number of races, several of which later joined them, willingly or not, and helped eradicate all species that had reached a certain technological level."

"Are you saying they are spread all over the universe and constantly waging wars against anyone who can travel through space?" Roslin asked in disbelief. "And you fight them?"

"Well, we are trying," said Daniel. "Five years ago, they came to the Milky Way galaxy to destroy the Earth. We have successfully repelled their main force, but the Reapers you recently fought and several other races under their control are still roaming our galaxy, causing chaos. We are trying to eradicate them, but with most of our forces redirected towards our offensive campaign in a distant galaxy, we do not have the means to do so correctly."

"Two years ago, you said you ended most of the wars in the Milky Way, but it seems our galaxy is still not safe," Roslin said. Her expression made it clear that she hoped that was not the case.

"I'm not sure the Milky Way will ever see the kind of peace we wish for," Jack said. "But I hope that we will at least achieve a certain level of stability, and not just concerning invaders coming from outside our galaxy, but about domestic disputes as well."

"You say there are still conflicts between the native races? But you must have enough strength to deal with them. Isn't your technology at a much higher level than of the other races present in our galaxy?" Nagala asked. "Besides enough ships to defend your homeworld and colonies, you at least must have a small fleet that you can deploy wherever needed."

Jack didn't know if Nagala had asked the question solely out of curiosity or if Nagala had eagerly hoped the situation was just that. If the other Milky Way races were like the Terrans, the Colonials would be in big trouble. The best they could hope for was to stay unnoticed in the Cyrannus system.

"No, the Milky Way does not have any race at our technological level that isn't also our ally. So, you don't have to worry about someone dangerous knocking on your door and demanding your unconditional surrender," Jack explained, predicting why the Colonials were apprehensive. "And it is also true that we have the power to impose our will on other races. But is that something you would want us to do? Do you want us to visit races that do not share our point of view and force them to behave the way we want?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, even if you've only done it against troubled races, we'd see you as tyrants trying to control the galaxy. And I believe that very few races would have a positive attitude towards you. At the very least, most races would be afraid of you, even those you didn't directly threaten," Roslin said.

"That's exactly the problem," Daniel said. "Not to mention how difficult it is to draw the line in which conflicts we have the right to interfere and in which we do not. Warfare is also one viable way of solving a dispute. Do we Terrans have the right to prevent races that have nothing to do with us from using weapons instead of words? Disputes between races are not always black and white, where you know for certain who the bad guy is."

"So, what you want to say is that you won't get involved in conflicts between other races," Nagala said, skeptical at the bold assertion.

"That's right, but that is not an absolute rule we must follow religiously. There are always exceptions," Daniel explained. "That's why we've created a separate organization from our Navy called the Peace Corps, whose mandate is to help the less fortunate races in our galaxy, regardless of race or technological level. The Peace Corps assists planets affected by a pandemic or natural disaster or brings minimal knowledge needed for any race to begin thriving. Our philosophy is that all races should be able to provide their people with the basic necessities. Of course, that's the Peace Corps' mandate, but only on the surface."

"Only on the surface?" Lira was the first to ask.

Jack smiled, but everyone could feel the coldness emanating from it. It was like watching a shark showing its sharp teeth. "Everyone knows who's behind the Peace Corps. So, if, for example, our people land on a planet to help the injured, hopefully, the attacking side is not so stupid as to continue fighting and risk injuring a member of the Peace Corps. That would be equivalent to attacking the Terran Federation."

"Once your Peace Corps is deployed on a planet, the place de facto becomes a neutral zone," Roslin added, realizing how important the Peace Corps was. Since they were never the ones to strike first, no one could accuse the Terrans of being the aggressor that came to impose their will with force. However, their arrival would also stop the conflict, giving time to resolve the dispute peacefully. If nothing else, they could keep their people stationed on the planet for months until the invaders decided it wasn't worth keeping their fleet and troops in the system without knowing how long the Peace Corps would remain.

"That's their main purpose," Jack said. "But the Peace Corps can't solve everything. Pirates roam free, and the Peace Corps can only react after the damage has already been done. What is most needed is for all races to participate in achieving stability for the region. We can only do part of the work, while most of it must be done by all the inhabitants of the Milky Way."

"And that applies to you as well," Daniel said. "You must find a way to coexist with the other human races, with the Jaffa, and other alien lifeforms who look and think entirely differently from us. Whether they are comprised of carbon, silicon, metal, crystals, or are extradimensional in nature, there must be a way to coexist with them in such a vast galaxy. It's not like we lack resources to live comfortably."

"Which means that humans are not the only species in our galaxy," Roslin said.

"Humans are the predominant species, largely thanks to the Goa'uld who were not against committing genocide if they had no purpose for that race," Daniel added. "But we've met other species, and many are coming out of hiding now that the Goa'uld are gone."

"So, what do you have planned for us," Nagala said, trying to understand why they were here.

"We don't have a specific one," Daniel began explaining. "As an independent race and out of the quarantine, we don't have the right to impose our will."

"We also know that if we told you that staying cooped up in your system is the safest choice you can make right now, you wouldn't like that very much, would you?" Jack added.

"We have the right to explore the galaxy, and I believe the more we wait, the worst it would be for us," Nagala said.

"I can't foresee the future, so I also can't tell you what's the right choice. I can only tell you that the situation isn't peaceful now and that we don't have the assets to canvas the hundreds of billions of star systems of which we only explored a small fraction," Jack said.

The Terrans mostly knew what the situation was on planets holding stargates. They did have knowledge from the Ancients from when they lived in the Milky Way, but that information was more than five million years old. The Ancients also didn't spend their time needlessly exploring the galaxy after colonizing so many systems because there was simply no need for it. The Goa'uld also did not possess the necessary level of hyperdrive technology to explore many of the galaxy's systems because their drives were too slow. They knew only the planets on the Cartouche, which wasn't even a third of the worlds with a stargate. The rest they learned after he stuck his head where he shouldn't have and downloaded the knowledge stored inside the Repository into his brain.

There were many unknowns in the Milky Way. Even if hundreds of thousands of exploration vessels were ready to investigate it, it would still take thousands of years before they could confidently say they canvased every corner of the galaxy. It wasn't strange that even though the Vargas had been at it for billions of years, they still needed to employ other races if they wished to control the millions of galaxies they had thus far conquered.

"We don't expect you to help us," replied Nagala.

"You should," Teal'c said.

"What do you mean?" asked Adama first.

"Your attitude should be to seek allies; the best is the Terrans. If you continue to explore without knowing anything about the galaxy, hoping that you can handle everything that comes your way, it can end in disaster," Teal'c replied. "The Jaffa are stronger than you, but we also often seek advice from the Terrans, which has prevented us from making several fatal mistakes."

"Your words certainly contain wisdom. Only a fool would do everything on their own if they didn't have to," Roslin said. "But I'm also aware that there's no free meal. We must contribute if we want a lasting relationship with the Terrans."

"Yeah, symbiotic relationships are the best," Daniel said. "The bird cleans the rhino's back, which helps it stay healthy. At the same time, the bird gets food and protection because the rhino keeps predators away. Such a symbiotic relationship can last forever because both parties benefit from it. Something that would never last if only one side gives and the other only takes."

"But what can we offer the Terrans?" Adama asked.

"We know you've made significant strides with your jump technology and can now canvas a large area. We believe that humans inhabit a dozen planets within your reach, most of them at a low technological level; too low to be safe against space pirates," Jack said.

That is why the number of ships and developed industry was more important than a high technological level. The Colonials could only be of help if they had enough ships to place pickets in every system of interest and enough patrols nearby to jump in at a moment's notice, and the Colonials were the right race for the job.

"You think we can handle space pirates?" asked Nagala. "We know from Admiral Adama that the pirates have quite powerful vessels at their disposal that possess advanced Goa'uld technology."

"They do, but most pirates float around in space with a Tel'tak or an Al'kesh, which are small cargo or assault ships that yours shouldn't struggle too much with. Even the few pirates' Goa'uld motherships are the oldest model, and those have seen better days. Most pirates have no idea how to maintain a ship like that, and in the last three years, they've decayed," Jack said. "After their fall, the Goa'uld left a lot of hardware lying around. The quick-witted ones eagerly appropriated any decent ships they could find, but what happens after that? They needed to repair any damage, refuel with Naquadah of the highest purity—which isn't easy to find—and had to replace burnt parts with new ones. But where could pirates get the components or have the expertise to repair a ship like a Ha'tak? "The last time we encountered pirates on board an Al'kesh, the ship couldn't even raise its shields, and the propulsion showed sub-optimal performance. One of our space fighters was enough to disable the craft in a short amount of time without even getting a scratch."

"But there's still a chance we'll run into a Ha'tak with proper shields and weaponry," Roslin asked.

"It is a valid concern. There's no guarantee you'll always have an easy adversary who just came to be blown away," Jack said, thinking that some pirates were still getting spare parts from the Jaffa Empire. Fortunately, they were nowhere near the Cyrannus system, so the pirates the Colonials would have to deal with would mostly be third-rate. But there was no certainty. "But even if that happens, you are not obligated to lay down your lives if the situation is too dangerous. You have FTL jump capability that no other race has, and that alone should guarantee an easy escape if the situation turns difficult. You've also made incredible advances with your shield and weapon technology. Your Warstar and Galactica now have plasma weapons that can take down Type I Ha'tak shields, and soon you will bring all ships in your Navy to the same standards. Your ships are no longer so weak that you must fear pirates."

The Asgard repaired the Galactica before towing it to Kobol three years ago. Afterward, the Expeditionary Fleet re-established contact with the Cyrannus system thanks to the Terrans setting up subspace relays in both systems. From there, the exchange of technology between them began. Today's Galactica cannot be compared to the Galactica that President Adar sent to search for Earth more than four years ago.

"That's doable, but is that all you need from us?" Nagala asked.

"For now, yes," Jack said. "Start researching, get to know the races in your neighborhood, and only later expand further. We can advise you when you meet with an advanced race, so there is no unnecessary conflict, like a mediator on good terms with both sides.

"But none of that will happen in a month or two. It will take time for you to expand in your region and then enter another's. You might find some suitable planets to colonize, but that all should come after you deal with the concerns you still have at home. I think you should resolve those as soon as possible, preferably before you meet other advanced races. You can also run into Reapers or other enemies, so expanding too early could hurt you more than bring you benefits."

Jack still believed that the Colonials should not rush with their exploration of the galaxy, at least not until they solved their domestic problems, of which they had quite a few.

"How many races, pirates, and other enemies do you think there are within a radius of five thousand light-years?" Roslin asked.

"You are in a quiet region of our galaxy, but we don't know how quiet it really is. The Lanteans who took you there wanted you to be able to progress without the Goa'uld running into Kobol and ruining their plans," Sam was the one to explain. "However, about twenty thousand stars can still support life in that region alone, but we don't know how many contain planets within the habitable zone. Still, that should be enough to attract some renegade elements, mostly those who ran away looking for a place to hide."

"Ran away? Why did they run away?" Roslin asked.

"Not even five years ago, the galaxy was full of conflicts where we had races like the Ori, Wraith, and Aschen causing chaos. Many then decided it was best to run away and hide in remote areas or settle on a new world and start over. But we don't know how many decided to head to your neighborhood, and you'll have to look it up yourself," Sam replied.

A region of space that contained millions of stars, about twenty thousand of which could have habitable planets, and it was not something that they could verify within a month or two. Even the Colonials, with their sizable fleet, would need years to process the entire area, which was only five thousand light-years in volume—a small fraction of the whole galaxy.

"We could decide to invest in automated drones with jump capabilities, or otherwise we might spend the next decade scanning the entire region and have to employ every last ship to do it," Adama said.

"Well, now that you've finally discovered the Lantean legacy on Kobol, you shouldn't have any trouble making something like remote probes," Jack said with a mischievous grin.

"How do you know what we discovered inside Olympus?" Roslin asked but then paused for a moment to think about it. "Of course, you know. Why am I surprised?"

"We discovered the database when we first visited Kobol," Jack said.

"And you didn't take it?" he asked Adama.

"Why would we take it? The Lanteans left it to you as your legacy. The only thing we did was fix the structural integrity of the place because we didn't know how long it would take you to find it, and it could have collapsed in the meantime," explained Jack.

"Why didn't you tell us about it if you knew? Then it wouldn't have taken us two years to find it," Adama asked, a little annoyed.

"The same reason we didn't take it for ourselves, because the Lanteans wanted it that way. It was up to you to find it—like some test where you must go through the jamming system that's been set up hiding the entire complex," Daniel answered first.

Olympus contained the massive Lantean knowledge, parts of which could quickly increase the military might of the Colonials above most other races in the galaxy, such as the Galarans or Optricans. However, the Lanteans had to be wary of how the Colonials would use it. Therefore, they locked the central database, which portions would be released after the Colonials completed specific trials. The first was the easiest, and it was for them to find the legacy, an achievement that had immediately unlocked the first piece of knowledge.

But no matter how many trials there were, the Colonials would eventually become a powerful race standing above most Milky Way races. That would be the right time for the Terrans to invite them to join the Second Great Alliance. But that's a story for the future that wouldn't come true for at least another ten or more years. The Colonials needed to solve many domestic problems, and the other races in the SGA would not be as willing to accept them as they had been with the Terrans. The other races quickly acknowledged the Terrans because of the dire situation at the time. It also went in their favor that they befriended Thor and the rest of the Asgardians when they helped them fight the replicators, and they had Liam, who was always their supporter. Even the Nox had a positive impression of SG-1 after their first meeting, even though they still considered them a young race.

But the Colonials had no such promotor within the Second Great Alliance to vouch for them. On the contrary, the Asgard had an unfavorable opinion because they had attacked the Terran ship Prometheus while it tried to save them. Thor would take a long time to accept the Colonials, especially since the Colonies didn't appropriately punish the perpetrator of the vile act, Cain. However, it was clear to Jack that they would inevitably become members of the most powerful alliance in the region, of course, only if they did not deviate from the righteous path. Strange political undercurrents could still hamper the Colonials' bright future.

"It will take time to work through the knowledge found within Olympus," Nagala said, giving him a concerned look, "and the Lanteans have created complex challenges for us we must overcome before we can access parts of that knowledge. It may be centuries before we open it all up and understand it."

"I think it will take longer," Sam said. "I've scanned the database, and its sheer size suggests that the Lanteans have left you everything they've been working on since they returned to the Milky Way. Knowing the Lanteans, some of this knowledge is overly complex and will require you to learn entirely new theories before you can even begin understanding them. Your people may need to learn some new math before delving into the inheritance."

Nagala's expression worsened. "We still must deal with what Dr. Desai left us. Our scientists told me that even there, they'll need to learn new math before beginning to understand his inventions fully."

Copying an invention was easy if someone already had a blueprint and a working model. But to improve it, one first needs to understand the underlying theory. The Colonials now had their ships protected by shields that significantly increased their survivability, but that was just the beginning. Shields had to be understood and constantly improved as the enemies upgraded their weapons. Right now, the Colonials also had a problem with low power output as they had to work with fusion reactors. Jack did not doubt that the Colonials would learn about Naquadah during their travels and how they could use it to create vast amounts of energy.

"You've already made incredible progress," Sam said. "Your scientists have greatly improved the fusion reactors in such a brief time, and your latest version is now not much different from the fusion reactors we use on Earth."

"You use fusion reactors?" Nagala asked, clearly unsure why they would. "We learned from Olympus that we can generate more energy using the same material stargates are made of. I think the Lanteans called it Naquadah. So why use nuclear fusion if you have a better alternative?"

"The better question is, why use Naquadah reactors on planets instead? The material is scarce. For example, we didn't originally have it in our solar system. Fusion reactors are also the cleanest form of energy generation, as they create heavier elements from hydrogen, just as stars do. And finally, it's easy to make a powerful bomb with Naquadah, which means you'd have to regulate the material. You wouldn't want a bunch of fanatics to get their hands on it, would you?" Sam explained.

"Now that you say that it would be difficult to monitor every shipment if the use of Naquadah became widespread on our planets. But I still believe Naquadah is more useful regarding power generation on ships. As much as we work on it, we are failing in further miniaturizing fusion reactors," Nagala said.

"True, given the limited space, fusion reactors are not ideal aboard ships. But what you need most right now is still clean energy to power your worlds. As I recall, your tylium supply is running low," Sam said.

"We found several new veins, which helped us reduce the energy crisis, but the widespread use of fusion power plants is what saved us. With Desai's advanced energy crystals capable of storing copious amounts of energy inside such a small package, even smaller spacecraft no longer need to rely entirely on tylium," Nagala said.

Regardless of how excellent tylium was as fuel, the Colonials relied too much on it. If the war with the Cylons had not started and Desai had not introduced a new energy source, the Colonies would have gone through a severe crisis due to the disappearance of their most precious energy source. Jack predicted that in a year or two, they would have no choice but to venture into Cylon-held territory in search of new sites or risk the collapse of their civilization comprised of tens of billions of people without the necessary energy to sustain it.

In a way, the war with the Cylons ushered the Colonies into a prosperous new era. It might be decades before most of the Colonials accepted the new reality of space, but Jack was confident that eventually, it would happen.

"So, you're saying you have your hands full without even adding space exploration to the mix," Jack said.

"Yes, we do, but that won't stop us from venturing into space," Nagala said. "Although, we could do without you giving us additional challenges. We've received enough of those from the Lanteans."

"What are you talking about?" asked Jack.

"No need to play dumb," replied Nagala. "You talk about how you need our help to police our corner of the galaxy because there are human races that cannot protect themselves against pirates. But if they are so helpless against them, they would be just as, if not more, helpless against us, right?"

Jack flashed a devilish grin. "I suppose they would be easy prey for a powerful race like the Colonials."

"Yes, several dozen worlds with people who can't escape the planet's gravity and can defend themselves only with spears and stones. Regardless, these people live on lush planets full of resources that not only pirates would covet, but us as well," Nagala said.

The greatest threat to these planets was not pirates but the Colonials, and Jack thought the old Colonials wouldn't hesitate to subdue them to get the resources. He also doubted the Colonials would treat the natives as if they were born on Picon or Caprica, predicting they would become third-class citizens, exploited to the bone, just like the planets on which they lived.

But Jack didn't want to say it so bluntly because he might be wrong. Besides, today's Colonials were different from those who blindly believed what their holy scrolls told them.

And the Terrans watched them closely like a hawk.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack said again, flashing a devilish grin. "I just asked you to help protect a few planets from some bad guys after you run into them."

"Of course, since we're not bad people, then we just have to take care of the pirates, my fault," Nagala said, smiling as well. "Well, it'll keep us on our toes, that's for sure."

"Does that mean you agree?" Daniel asked.

"Of course, no point in not agreeing," Nagala answered bluntly. "For the price of maintaining friendly relations with the Terrans, we just need to set pickets in a dozen systems and hunt down any pirates we come across. Am I right in assuming that we can call for help if we encounter an enemy we can't handle?"

"Sure," said Jack. "The Terrans and the Free Jaffa Nation stand ready to assist if the need arises. We already have several rapid response units that can jump in quickly, so dealing with even a larger threat will not be a problem."

"Do not think that the assistance you are giving is inconsequential, President Nagala," Teal'c added. "Just as the Terrans are waging war in a distant part of the universe, the Jaffa are fighting a civil war that prevents us from dealing with pirates or the remaining Reapers."

"The Jaffa are in a civil war?" asked Roslin.

"It's been that way for three years," Teal'c replied.

"We helped one of your colonies once when the Aschen attacked it, I believe?" After Teal'c nodded, Roslin continued. "Doesn't that mean we're relatively close to your territory?"

"Your journey from Kobol to Earth brought you close to the current JFN border. Although the chances are slim, your ship may encounter a Jaffa Empire ship if you approach the border. I'll give you a map of the areas you should avoid," Teal'c retorted.

"We'll also give you a map with safe areas to explore. That should give you a good starting point without worrying about meeting an advanced race before you're ready," Jack said. He paused for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone. "But your internal situation still worries me."

"It worries us too, but there is nothing we can do to solve it in the short term," Nagala said, sounding frustrated by it.

"We are doing the best we can, but people are having trouble digesting the new reality where we should burn the sacred scrolls," Lira said dejectedly. "I have spent so much of my life interpreting them that it is difficult for me to discard them now. We believed in the Gods of Kobol, not some aliens from another galaxy called Lanteans. Should we forget what we've believed in for our whole life?"

"The Lanteans were a very advanced society, but the people believe in deities, not mortals that possess advanced technology," Roslin added.

"From what you said, we both know what you need to do, no matter how little you want it," Daniel said. "People do not believe in mortals, but in supernatural beings who are not like us but on a higher level of existence. Since you now know the truth, the only thing you can choose is how quickly you'll change your society to conform to reality because continuing to believe in lies makes no sense at all."

"Easier said than done," Nagala snorted. "That bunch of lunatics from Sagittarion will never believe it. Even if we had a time machine and went back to meet the Lanteans when they were transporting our ancestors from Earth to Kobol, those Sagittarion freaks would still believe it was just an elaborate hoax. And Geminon is not far behind them."

"At least you can talk to Geminon without constantly feeling like murderous intent is directed at you," Lira said.

"What about your other worlds?" Daniel asked.

"They are accepting the new truth more easily. Most people are too tired of war, death, and recession to bother with the old scriptures and the lies they hold. News channels are also doing an excellent job of informing people about the truth without hidden agendas, unlike on Sagittarion and Geminon where they are grossly distorting the truth," Nagala said.

"Oh, I almost forgot one of the reasons we called you here," Jack exclaimed. "Would you like us to install interdiction devices in your system?"

"What's an interdiction device?" Nagala asked.

"Sam, you explain," Jack said.

Sam seemed angry, but she began to explain anyway. "A race called the Nox created a device capable of blocking any type of FTL travel. Regardless of whether the ship uses hyperdrive or jump-drive, it will not be able to enter a system where the device is active. For example, we placed such a device in our system to block ships from reverting into normal space closer than forty-five light minutes from the Sun."

"Why would we want such a device? Wouldn't that interfere with travel within the system?" Adama asked.

"If no ship can jump in or out of the system, then it would take days to get anywhere," Nagala added, also seemingly unsure why they would even suggest deploying such a device.

"True, traveling within the system becomes a pain compared to FTL travel. Instead of minutes, it could take hours or even days to get anywhere," Jack said. "But there's still a big benefit to it."

"What kind of benefit?" Nagala asked.

"Enemies can't jump into the orbit of a planet and nuke it before you even know what happened," Jack said.

Many worlds in the Cyrannus System had suffered dramatically as the Cylons could jump into their orbits and unleash countless nukes. If they had to crawl for days at sublight speed before reaching their desired objective, the Colonials would certainly have mourned fewer victims. More realistically, the Cylons would have abandoned their plan of attack.

"Now that you're planning to venture into space, you might run into some undesirable races. Who knows, they might learn the location of your planets, and if they can get to them without warning, even we wouldn't be able to assist you in time. No matter how weak, even pirates could still pop out of hyperspace within a planet's atmosphere and drop a few Naquadah-enhanced nukes before cowardly escaping into hyperspace, causing unimaginable destruction. Protecting your home from such attacks is worth more than any inconvenience the device may cause," explained Daniel.

"Keep in mind that most human-inhabited worlds have agreed to use the system ever since the Vargas came along," Jack explained, not too happy about how late they had received the technology or how long it took for the various worlds to adopt it. "It would have been much better if we had that technology while the Ori, Aschen, or Wraith were running amok."

The Colonials looked at each other with apparent hesitation. Jack could understand their dilemma. It was the same as for every other race in the galaxy when they first heard the suggestion. But eventually, they realized that the most important thing was to stop intrusions without warning. With that system active, any race would take at least a day to reach an inhabited planet. Plenty of time to prepare a defense and call for outside help.

"Can we have control over the system to activate it whenever we want?" Nagala spoke first.

"Sure, but it won't help you much because of how the device works," Sam replied. "Simply put, the device erodes the subspace around it — a process that takes days. Worse, once the subspace becomes unusable, it takes months to reform even after deactivating the device."

"So, if you were thinking of turning it off and on every five minutes, forget it," Jack added.

"It is a difficult choice. We have many transport ships transiting between our four stars, and our economy depends on the timely delivery of the goods they carry," Nagala said, not liking it. "Could the device create a smaller area than the 45 light minutes you mentioned?"

"It could, but we place the device inside the sun for safety reasons and because of the high energy requirements. But yes, creating a smaller region shouldn't be a problem," replied Sam, "but keep in mind that the smaller the region, the less effective it is. Forty-five light minutes from the sun gives enough time for you to send a distress signal, for us to assemble a suitably powerful fleet, jump to the edge of the system, and chase after the enemy ships in the hope of catching them before they come within range of any inhabited planet."

"Even if you decide you want to protect a smaller region, I suggest you don't go below 15 light minutes," Jack said.

Earth was eight light minutes from the Sun, right in the middle of the solar system's habitable zone. If the device only worked up to fifteen light minutes from the Sun, that left only seven light minutes for the enemy fleet to reach Earth.

For a race that must rely solely on others for protection, that's too short a distance for comfort, which is why the Terrans have proposed to all races to keep the forty-five light minutes boundary. However, the Colonials had enough forces to keep any fleet at bay for a brief time or even win without calling on the Terrans for help, and it was only vital to them that no one could jump them unaware.

"That sounds more reasonable," Lira said.

"But that's still a lot," Nagala said. "Our transporters are not known for their acceleration."

Jack didn't know exactly how quickly their transport ships could accelerate, but he was confident that they couldn't even come close to the acceleration of their top military ships. Under full thrust, Terran capital ships could exceed one thousand gees of acceleration, which would mean their ships could easily travel seven light minutes in less than two hours, even with a zero-zero approach. However, if the Colonials' transporters could reach fifty gees of acceleration, which would be a miracle, it would take them almost thirty hours for a zero-zero approach.

"It is, but keep in mind that some races could reach your homeworld in as little as two hours," Sam answered the same thing he was thinking. They should not allow the enemies anything less than that.

"Two hours!" Adama shouted. "I'm not good at math, but what level of acceleration do these ships have?"

"We've witnessed many races with ships that can easily exceed accelerations above 500 gees, and some could even push it up to 1000 times Earth's gravity," Sam explained further.

"Gods, now we're going to have to invest in a new propulsion system," Nagala said. "I know we were outclassed in shields and weaponry and that we've barely managed to close the gap with the latest improvements. But now I see we're also falling behind in other areas."

During a battle, such top acceleration was not as significant. That was because ships could not instantly achieve it. Instead, they would have to slowly build up acceleration giving the inertial dampeners time to work their magic. Otherwise, the crew could turn into paste, splattered on the back walls. The same was true during maneuvers. No ship could make sharp turns while pushing at one thousand gees. Otherwise, the inertial dampeners could fail for a fraction of a second, and the acceleration would instantly turn the crew into something unrecognizable.

However, this does not mean that maximum acceleration was not an essential criterion on a military ship. If for nothing else, it could always give a ship the ability to escape if it's greater than the opponent's. Colonial ships had trouble reaching even two hundred gees without their stern risking exploding under strain. Even as defenders in their system, the only thing they could do was hope to destroy the attacking ships on the first try. Otherwise, there was no way to catch up once the hostile fleet overtook them.

"That's why we tell you that even 15 light minutes is risky, and it gives very little time to intervene," said Jack. "But that's your choice, and it's not something you have to decide right now. Take your time, discuss with your strategists, and develop a buffer zone that won't overly interfere with transportation within the system but will still provide a decent level of protection. I would also like to mention that the best way to protect your system is to not share its location with other races you meet. Because the moment you tell that to a race, it's sure to spread like wildfire even to those races you didn't want for the information to reach their ears."

"We will consider it and later let you know," Nagala said. "Taking months to restore subspace will push many to be against the idea. Especially since it's not our system, and we have no clue how it works."

"Many will indeed have a problem with that and might even use it to smear the president, saying he's selling us out to the Terrans," Lira said, clearly annoyed.

"I'm not that worried about that," Nagala said.

"And why aren't you worried?" Lira retorted.

"What's the worst that can happen? That I don't get re-elected in the next elections!" Nagala replied with high hopes for such an outcome.

"Ugh, you see what I must deal with. As if it's not enough that the opposition wants to discredit him at every turn, but he doesn't care if they do either!" Lira said, looking at Sam in frustration. Then she turned to her husband. "Do you know my daily effort to keep you on duty?"

"And do you see what I have to put up with regardless of how often I say that I don't want to be president anymore?" replied Nagala, asking for sympathy from Jack. "But no one listens to me. Not my dear wife, not my best friend Norton, not my assistant who simply pretends I didn't say anything whenever I bring up the subject. Even though I mention it at least once a day."

"I understand how you feel!" Jack said, suddenly feeling tired. How often had he told Walter to cut back on the paperwork or Sam and Daniel that it was time for someone else to take over as High Councilor? "No matter how many people I tell, it always falls on deaf ears."

"I understand what you're going through," Sam said as she looked sadly at Lira. She then continued after darting at Jack. "It's so tiring sometimes."

"Sometimes I wonder how he doesn't get tired of every day repeating he's going to give up, even though he must know by now that we will never let him," Daniel added, looking at Jack.

"Enough about who gives up and who doesn't let them!" Jack said dismissively. "The important thing right now is to find the most optimal way to integrate the Colonials with the rest of the galaxy."

"The good thing is that the area of space you live in doesn't have many highly advanced races that could threaten you. At least, in the beginning, you're sure you won't accidentally start any unnecessary conflict," Daniel said.

"But you've also made incredible progress with your jump drives. Even space farther out than Earth is now within your reach," Sam added.

"It is?" Jack asked in surprise. That would mean the Colonials could target an area bigger than five thousand light-years.

"With the improvements in our computing capabilities that Desai accomplished, we can now calculate jumps faster, and with the introduction of subspace communication—no matter how rudimentary compared to yours they are—we can now drop relays wherever we go and later use them to send us spatial coordinates," Lira said.

"And with the latest fusion reactors and high-energy capacitors—again, technology that Dr. Desai developed for us—we can jump more often and for longer distances. If it weren't for the Defender-class ships that we haven't upgraded yet, we could have made it to Earth in a third of the time," Nagala added.

Jack had read something about it in one of the many reports he had received, but since he wasn't too interested in whatever was going on with the Colonials, he didn't pay much attention to the minute details. Those reports were always overly detailed and more than a hundred pages long. Too long for his taste, which often meant skipping through tedious portions. But he had missed an essential piece of information, such as that the Colonials could spread to a far larger area than he previously thought. It wouldn't be impossible for them to spread within a radius of ten thousand light-years in the next few years—a large area where many races resided.

"What bothers me the most is that you'll easily enter the territories of unstable races," Jack said, purposely leaving out the names of the races.

Since they did not share the location of the Cyrannus system with any other race in the galaxy, it was only fair not to divulge the place of those other races' worlds to the Colonials, and it would stay that way at least until the rest of the galaxy learned of their existence. After that, the Terrans would need to introduce them properly to other races and then see how it goes.

The region he liked least was the one ruled by the Great Whale, a union of worlds mostly comprised of former Goa'uld enslaved people. He thought that nothing good could come out of a meeting between them. The region was chaotic, mostly lawless, and worst of all, the people there were in league with the Jaffa Empire. The Terrans were also persona non grata, which meant that mentioning the Terrans as allies would not help the Colonials in the slightest. In fact, it could make the situation worse.

He looked at Daniel and believed that he was thinking the same thing. However, it was not within his right to order the Colonials into which region they could not expand. They were free to do whatever they wanted, and if the Terrans told them not to go in a particular direction, they might want to go there even more. He sighed, thinking there were good and bad sides to their decision not to meddle in the affairs of other races. The worst part was that he felt they were still meddling in other people's affairs too much, yet not decisively enough.

"From what I understand, none of those unstable regions are anywhere near us, which means we won't run into any home system of an advanced race for at least the next year. We can see how things will go during this period. For now, we'll continue to build our Navy, deal with pirates and those Reapers if we are unfortunate enough to encounter them, and help the occasional inhabited planet that we stumble across, which I understand aren't that many. We are always looking for resources that could help us improve our economy, so one of our goals is to find systems to exploit," Nagala said.

"Sounds like an excellent plan. Hopefully, you won't run into the Reapers or those pesky pirates too often. But let me warn you. Since you've already encountered the Reapers, they now know about your unorthodox method of FTL travel. They'll certainly find a way to track your jumps, so don't think that you can run away and that they can't catch you," Jack said. "I believe they may be more of a threat to you than pirates, and there is also a chance they could in time determine the location of the Cyrannus system by tracking the jumps you made."

The pirates were not very sophisticated, and the Goa'uld technology was far beyond their understanding. Commanding a ship like a Ha'tak was already quite an achievement for the average pirate, and such an opponent could not pose a threat to an organized race such as the Colonials. But the Reapers were machines that would mercilessly attack any advanced civilization. Even the faintest signals could give away the whereabouts of the Cyrannus system or Kobol. Although both systems had substantial defenses, keeping their location hidden was far better.

There was a good chance he worried needlessly. The Colonials were not children who could not make correct decisions. Of course, they had problems at home that took away part of their strength that they could otherwise direct towards their exploration efforts. They could also be disadvantaged if they encountered a strong adversary who learned where they were. But the days of recklessness in which they rashly attacked anyone who was not a Colonial were behind them. Even if a dispute arose due to a misunderstanding, the Terrans were always just a simple call away, ready to offer aid.

And in five to ten years, they would become strong enough that only a few races in the Milky Way would dare to make them their enemies, mainly after they digest at least some of the knowledge the Lanteans left them.

"I think we have gone through the most important topics. You will need time to digest what we spoke about today," Daniel said. "Why don't I take you on a tour of the Earth to relax a bit."

"Daniel is right. We can continue our conversation tomorrow; I have another meeting in half an hour that I still need time to prepare for anyway," Jack said, looking at his watch. "I can join you later so we can all get something to eat together."

"Sounds good to me," Nagala said as the other Colonials nodded in agreement. "It will be great to see how your planet has progressed since you became a spacefaring race."

"There's still a lot to do before Earth is in a similar league to the Terran Federation in terms of the technology it possesses," Daniel replied. "But that's why now is the best time to visit the planet. Now the changes are most visible, while you can also see regions where innovation stagnates. Not every place on Earth is eager to accept such quick changes."

"From fossil fuels to clean energy; from poor regions with harsh environments to lush green prairies where farming and ranching thrive; and from a world where prices are constantly rising to a world where all basic necessities are cheap and some even free," added Sam.

A Rolex would never be cheap, but food, simple clothing, and other necessities no human could do without should be affordable. For those who could not live without an expensive watch, it is only fair for them to pay a high price for it.

"To change a society into an advanced intergalactic one in just a few decades seems almost impossible," Roslin said. "These changes usually take multiple generations, and rushing can cause more harm than good to your world."

"Indeed, our progress in the last decade usually happens over several generations, and we still must be careful. The rate at which we are introducing revolutionary technologies to the Earth is increasing, and there are fears that this could cause the collapse of the global economy or other unforeseen difficulties. And older generations are also having problems adapting to a world that changes too quickly.

"All that is why we have introduced a virtual Earth where millions of people connect daily and where we can evaluate risky technologies without fear of permanent damage before releasing any of them into circulation on Earth. That way, we can prevent something bad before it is too late," said Jack.

"For example, by evaluating the introduction of our teleportation technology in the virtual world, we quickly learned that we should not allow people to teleport anywhere they want. People started jumping all over the place, if for no other reason than for fun, creating chaos and increasing the world's energy consumption so much that even if we put twice as many fusion reactors on our planet, it still wouldn't be enough. Not to mention that people have almost forgotten to walk, and we all know that walking is one of the basic forms of exercise to maintain a healthy body and mind. So, we concluded that introducing teleportation booths at stations instead is a better choice that creates order instead of chaos," Sam added.

"In the past, we also introduced a virtual world, but it did not go well," Nagala said. "But that has more to do with the appearance of the Cylons than the technology itself. Our technology might have proven useful if it weren't for them."

"We use it often. Some people even prefer to work on e-Earth than in the real one, especially since a person experiences three times more in the virtual world than in the real world," said Sam.

"Three times more?" asked Roslin.

"Yes, within eight hours, which is also the limit of how long a person can stay inside v-Earth, a person experiences the passage of 24 hours. That way, not only can people get more things done in a day, but with the eight-hour limit, people still have a life outside of the virtual world, which we think is especially important," said Jack.

"And the best part is that we can assess recent technologies much faster because time passes faster, so we can see the changes introduced by the technology much earlier than if we assessed them in the real world," said Sam.

"Um, that sounds like our old virtual system, without the time difference, but we eventually discarded it due to the Cylons' ability to take control. Now that the Cylons threat is gone, is there any chance you could sell us yours?" Nagala asked.

"I don't mind if we hand you the basic code and the necessary hardware to connect people to the system. They are mostly based on alien technology, so no company on Earth has a patent on them. But we can't give you the Asgard cores that allow a simulation on a planetary scale. To get the Asgard cores, you'd have to ask the Asgard," Sam replied.

At the heart of the system were the incredible Asgard cores capable of doing the necessary calculations on a planetary scale. Jack somehow thought that the Asgard wouldn't share their technology with the Colonials, no matter how many times they asked.

"I don't think the Asgard like us; not that I blame them for that," Adama said. "But with the new crystal-based computers we now have, we might be able to make a virtual environment the size of a medium-sized city."

"I don't know the specs of your latest computers, but if it was a city below a million people, I believe it's possible," Sam said. "We can add it with the stuff we're already planning to give you in the next batch."

Over the past two years, the Terrans have been sending aid to the Colonials every few months. It would be difficult for the Expeditionary Fleet to start building a civilization on Kobol from scratch. The Colonials in the Cyrannus system needed even more resources to rebuild their devastated worlds. The Terrans were also happy to help, as stable Colonies were better than the alternative. With the rising standard of living, thanks to the efforts put forth by president Nagala, fewer and fewer people were inclined to join an extremist group, and more were inclined to vote for their current president, which was precisely what the Terrans desired.

Jack was convinced that Nagala was the only one in the room who wouldn't mind losing the next election.

With this last bit of good news, the first of dozens of meetings with the Colonials ended, and as promised, Daniel took the guests who looked eager on a tour of Earth.

This left Teal'c, Sam, and Jack alone in the conference room.

"You haven't had many opportunities to speak, but I know you have something on your mind, so why don't you say it now?" Jack asked, looking at Teal'c.

"I have, but I didn't want to stir up the subject until now since it's unrelated to the Colonies," Teal'c said. "There was not much for me to say during the meeting, even if the information would benefit the Colonials."

"That's what I thought. The conversation was going in that direction, but you can talk more during dinner," Jack said. "But now, let's hear what's bothering you."

"It has to do with the incredible ability of the Jaffa Empire to build ships when we all know how distant from skilled engineers they are," Teal'c said.

"It's something we've been thinking about as well, and the results from the Asgard prediction core have also deviated from reality because of it," Jack said.

"Which means there must be something we are unaware of; some factor we don't consider," Sam quickly added. "But I have no idea what that factor might be."

Jack also had no idea what allowed the Jaffa Empire, who despised anything, not in line with their warrior mentality, to build ships at the same pace as the JFN, who had made incredible progress in their education and the filling of various important ranks beside a warrior. They predicted that as the Empire's infrastructure deteriorated, they should have increasing difficulties in building ships and even repairing the existing ones. But contrary to prediction, not only was the Empire building new vessels at an astonishing rate and had excess production capacity, allowing them to sell ships and profit from it.

"Some believe that the Empire kidnapped engineers from across the galaxy and forced them to work for them, but our investigation does not support such a theory," Jaffa said stoically but simultaneously appeared confused.

"Nor ours, and we checked with the more advanced races if any people disappeared or might have made a secret deal with the Empire. But nothing came out of it during the investigation," Jack said but immediately smiled. "But we still found a clue."

"What clue?" Teal'c asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Building ships require a lot of precious materials. So, we put people to follow various transporters inside and outside the Jaffa Empire, which seems to have paid off in the end. From what we've learned, the amount of resources mined within the Empire isn't enough to account for the number of ships they produced, suggesting they're getting more resources from outside. Now we're following those sources to see where they lead us," Jack explained.

"Won't that just take you to one of their shipyards?" Teal'c asked.

"If that were all, we would have completed the task long ago, but what we have discovered so far still does not explain all the new ships we see in the Empire. Some of the resources the Empire is buying must go somewhere outside the Empire, and we must find exactly where. It's perfectly normal for the Jaffa Empire to have hidden production facilities, but I don't understand why they would build them outside their territory. Without any specific reason, there's no point in building them outside their territory where it is harder to protect them," Jack said.

"Then where are they?" Teal'c asked.

"We think they're somewhere inside the Big Whale's territory," Jack said but soon frowned.

"But it still doesn't add up," Sam continued before Jack could say anything more.

"What doesn't add up?" Teal'c asked. It was clear that he knew the least of the three.

"Think about it," Sam began to explain. "First, even though the Big Whale doesn't allow the JFN to enter their territory, it does not guarantee enough security for the Empire to build expensive facilities without worry. And secondly, it's not like the Big Whale is a source of excellent engineers, much less has a clue about how to build interstellar ships. So, the question remains, why would they build facilities there? What's the benefit of that?"

"But on the other hand, we noticed that the Big Whale is also getting a couple of newly minted Ha'taks, which indicates that the Big Whale and the Jaffa Empire are building ships together, and the Big Whale is getting its share," Jack said, still with the same scowl on his face. He had no idea what was going on. "I'm missing something, but damned if I know what it is!"

"I also sense something is off," Teal'c said. "I never thought the Big Whale would cause us so much trouble."

There is no love lost between the Big Whale and the JFN. The problem was that the Big Whale should hate all Jaffa, including those of the Jaffa Empire. They shouldn't have forgotten that the Jaffa were the tool the Goa'uld used to keep them enslaved. But it was not clear to him why the formerly enslaved people were conspiring with their former keepers.

"Well, it doesn't matter. We have people on it, and soon they will find out where these shipments of raw materials are going. That will give us the answers we need," Jack said.

The JFN was against the Terrans openly helping the Jaffa Empire fight. Still, they were okay with gathering intelligence, and no Jaffa would consider that an unwarranted intrusion into their war.

"I hope your agents come up with something soon as many in the JFN fear the Empire is becoming too powerful," Teal'c said.

"I see. We need to find out what's happening before people inside the JFN start getting weird ideas out of fear," Jack said, hoping the JFN Jaffa wouldn't give up. Seeing that no one else wanted to add anything, he decided now was the right time to end the discussion, "I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, and I would like to go over the materials before then."

"And what is the meeting about?" Sam asked.

"Ah, it's about the race that knows a lot about the Vargas," Jack replied, not knowing the name of the race.

"You're going to have to give me more than that," Sam said.

"See, that's why I want ten minutes to go through the materials before the meeting starts," Jack said, frustrated. "I can't remember the name of their race. They're the aliens Weir was talking about the last time we were together."

"Ah, those aliens," Sam said.

"You don't know their name either, do you?" Jack smiled.

"We've met too many races lately to remember all their names," Sam said.

"Same with me. We met dozens of new races, but this one is important because they may have vital information concerning the Vargas."

"I remember now. They are the Ulyssi, a highly advanced race who fought a long war against the Vargas in the distant past but unfortunately lost in the end. They've turned into nomads roaming the universe ever since the Vargas destroyed their home," Sam said.

"Yeah, I remember now, but I'm still unsure if their name is Ulyssi," Jack said, trying to recall if the name was the right one, but somehow it didn't click. "They managed to hide from the Vargas and their minions for so long that I don't think they'll be easy to find. As far as Weir knows about them, they should be at a similar level to the Ancients, which means if they want to hide from us, we can search for years without finding them."

Galaxies were vast, filled with billions of stars and an even greater void that separated them. If the race knew how to hide their energy emissions and didn't mistakenly send out a strong subspace signal that would expose them, it was almost impossible to find them by simply doing a grid search of a galaxy. Finding a needle in a haystack would be much easier, as it was a fairly trivial task to someone possessing a decent magnet and enough free time. On the other hand, if one had Asgardian sensors, the job became ridiculous to the point that the phrase 'finding a needle in a haystack' didn't make sense anymore to describe an arduous task.

His mind wandered again, but it wasn't strange because he was exhausted. Thinking about anything unrelated to the meetings and the paperwork awaiting was more pleasant. He hoped that dinner time would soon be here and that the time he would spend with the Colonials would be relaxing, with no talk of politics or work.

"Teal'c, the two of us should go find something fun to do and leave Jack here to get ready for his next meeting," Sam said.

"Yeah, yeah, go do something fun," Jack growled. He, too, would like to do something fun and do it for days without having to wake up every morning with Walter and a pile of paperwork as the first things he sees.

He sighed, thinking that being a member of a long-lived race might not be good since his retirement prospects were bleak. He didn't have the nerve to bluntly tell them it was time to retire, mostly because he looked like a man in his thirties, and since he was going to look like that for the foreseeable future, a trail of fear-induced sweat began to trickle down his back. Would he stay on as the Terran High Councilor for centuries?

At that moment, he swore he'd find a way to dump this job to someone else.

---

Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you feel like it.