Starscream 2.0: No, why are you saying that? They have just met a band of religious fanatics who see them as Satan worshipers whom they believed to have exterminated (along with all the Milky Way inhabitants) a million years earlier. What could go wrong? They will probably light a big bonfire to celebrate their reunion... sorry? ...What? ...It's called a pyre? Really? ... if you say so...
The Book of Origin
Altera Galaxy, on the bridge of the Aurora-class Battleship Sirius.
"Oh oh... that doesn't sound very good," said Sheppard, grimacing while facing the bow bay, looking towards the Ori Motherships.
Just a few steps away, having connected his tablet to the input socket of an Ancient Control Panel, Rodney Mc Kay raised his eyes to heaven.
"John, their weapons are online, and they are locked on our starship. They're ready to fire."
The lieutenant colonel turned to the irritating scientist and answered him while smiling ironically.
"Rodney, what I love about you is your gift for reassuring me."
"That's what friends are for."
Despite the tense situation, Teyla smiled briefly.
But the other people on the bridge remained focused, including the hologram of the Asgard Fenrir and their new ally, the Wraith Todd, scrutinizing the situation from his Hive Ship's bridge.
As the Asurans put their ship on red alert, raised shields, and energized their weapons, Hakuno Kishinami watched the scene while silently questioning the computer.
The strange teenager seemed passive, but she wasn't. Like a sponge, she eagerly drank all the information about the hostile ships surrounding them, looking for a weak point to exploit.
Suddenly, a glimmer of energy appeared in the middle of the room. A blurred shape became slowly visible, the translucent silhouette of an old man dressed in a sort of grey-blue monk's robe with a gray hooded chasuble. In the shadow of the hood, the man's face was marked with burns and his eyes were very pale blue. He was leaning on a large stick adorned with a blue gem almost as big as a child's head.
Fenrir blinked slowly.
"This apparition is not the result of a technological feat. It is an astral projection."
Hakuno nodded, which explained how the image had crossed their shield.
At this very moment, the hooded man began to speak.
"I'm Damaris, humble Prior of the Ori."
Huko tilted her head.
"Prior?"
"I'm one of the envoys of the Ori, I teach the Book of Origin."
Prior Damaris tucked his hand under his chasuble and the old man took out a small book with a cover in brown leather adorned with the same symbol that the man had on his clothes. He paused briefly and held the book.
"The Book of Origin spoke of Ortus Mallum, the birthplace of all evil. The Holy Book said it was a mountain that erupts and buries the place where all evil once sprang forth. Your ship bears the mark of evil. Are you the ones who call themselves 'Alteran'?"
Hakuno shook her head.
"Ship crew: Asurans."
The Prior struck the ground with his staff.
"As the Book of Origin says: 'Blessed are the true believers, for only they shall walk the Path, and they shall be welcomed unto the realm of the Ori and made as one with Them'. But the Holy Book also says: 'It is we who must seek the truth of the universe in order to achieve enlightenment.' Nothing you say changes that you are on a ship bearing the mark of evil."
"Drifting ship found in orbit of a Black Hole."
"And you're asking us to take your word for it? As the Book of Origin says: ' From the smallest seed of doubt springs forth a mighty poisonous tree of evil'."
Again, Hakuno tilted.
"You have sensors, right? You can say the age of this ship."
There was a brief pause and the appearance of the Prior became blurred for a few seconds. They guessed that he was checking out Hakuno's statement. When his image became more stable, Damaris hesitated for the first time.
"You have told the truth. This vessel is over twelve thousand years old."
The Prior seemed to meditate. At this point, Todd spoke.
"You have no doubt understood that my people have nothing to do with those you call 'Alteran'. Like the Sirius, my ship has arrived in your galaxy due to a malfunction of our hyperspace propulsion. We are eager to return home as soon as possible and have no desire to disturb the Ori."
Damaris stood up and wanted to answer, but suddenly the gem crowning his staff lit up. A ray of light came out and hit the Prior's face. Immediately, his expression changed to reflect a mystical ecstasy.
The Ori had just taken matters into their own hands, dictating their instructions to Damaris.
The blue gem faded and the Prior paused to think before turning to them.
"The Ori have honored me with their wisdom. Everything is clear now. You are not the evil of Ortus Mallum. And we have no desire to prevent you from returning to your galaxy. Nevertheless... You certainly don't know the story of Markon. This story enriches the listener. Let me read it to you."
Prior Damaris leafed through the Book of Origin, opened it to a passage, and began to recite:
"So it came to pass that Ver Omesh was gripped by a great famine. So Markon went to the Prophet Articus and asked to go to the forest for food. The prophet bade him be patient, for the Ori provides for all who have faith. But Markon did not believe. So the prophet drew a line in the sand and told him, 'Step across and you may do as you wish.' So Markon did and left the village and feasted on wild berries. The fruit was bitter. It did not satisfy him. He longed to return to the village but found that the line had widened to a great chasm. He called out to the Prophet in fear, but the Prophet said, 'The line has not changed; it is you who have changed. Step across if you truly believe.' So Markon prayed for forgiveness and took the first step. And the hands of the Ori enveloped all those who welcomed him back."
Ronon Dex chuckled.
"What does that mean?"
"It's a parable..." said Rodney. " And a most transparent one. Damaris wants us to choose which side of the line we stand on."
The Prior had heard the Canadian and nodded.
"That is exactly what it is. Ignorance is not a crime, no one can be held responsible for ignoring the Book of Origin if nobody has come to teach you. But we have to convert you."
"Why," questioned Hakuno.
"To save your souls."
"To save our souls?"
"At the beginning of the world, there was the rift, the first imperfection. Because of this first imperfection, all living beings are condemned to suffering and to stray into the ways of evil. Fortunately, the Ori have come to guide us. They have taken upon themselves the task of teaching the living beings the way of good to deliver them from temptation, and to bring them peace (1)."
Prior Damaris looked at a crewman sitting in front of the Ancient Control Panel and took up the Book of Origin.
"This vessel is the work of evil. Every partition and every device bears the mark of evil and corruption. Your first step for redemption will be to abandon this ship so that we can destroy her."
Sheppard straightened up.
"Wait, we need her to get home."
"When the time comes, when you will be purified, you will return to the galaxy from which you came. You will then have the sacred task of spreading the cult of Origin to save your fellow citizens who remain ignorant. The most deserving of you will become Prior."
"Great... we are recruited to evangelize a galaxy," murmured Rodney. "I am a scientist, I believe in numbers and the laws of physics."
Fortunately for him, Hakuno spoke, sparing a sermon to the Canadian unbeliever.
Kishinami had listened carefully to the Prior. And one thing the old man had just said worried her very much.
"Does every system in the spaceship bear the mark of corruption?"
"All that was built by the hands who built Ortus Mallum is evil and must be purified."
"Purified?"
"Destroyed by fire!"
Like all the Asurans (the Pegasus Replicator), Hakuno was made up of billions of nanobots... and each of these microscopic robots had been created by the Lanteans... that is to say, the direct descendants and inheritors of those who had built Ortus Malum.
She looked at the other Asurans on the bridge, issuing her orders using the subspace link that linked all the nanobots together. Then she turned to the Prior.
"No."
And then, the Sirius accelerated at full power.
Several thick rays of golden light, fired by the 'bezel' of the Ori's ring-like Mothership, cut through the wake of the Aurora-class Lantean Battleship without touching her. Although piloted by an organic crew, Todd's Hive Ship had also accelerated to the maximum and succeeded in staying behind the Sirius.
On the bridge, the image of Damaris was still there. He seemed stunned.
"Why? Why this madness?"
"We are nanomorphs." She showed her hand, which took on a consistency similar to mercury. "We were created by those you called 'Evil'."
The Prior's face turned into a mask of fury.
"Ortus Mallum's toys... evil puppets imitating the appearance of the living creatures created by the Ori. Be cursed, the wrath of the Ori will destroy you all!"
The image of Damaris disappeared.
Todd sighed.
"I guess I should have told this... Prior... that our two nations were at war. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to speak, and now any statement may be met with suspicion."
Sheppard smiled with a sneer.
"Regret nothing, Todd. I don't think you're cut out for a clerical career. Besides, the blue-grey monk outfit would not go well with your complexion."
Milky Way, Earth (Tau'ri), Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Level 27
Sitting at one end of the long table in the briefing room, General George S. Hammond listened to Samantha Carter's explanation. The latter used a laptop to interact with a Vo'cume, a Goa'uld holoprojector.
Currently, the 3D image shows a spaceship resembling a sort of stylized representation of the sun, a starship with a pitch-black exterior hull. This black sun was Anubis' flagship.
"Thanks to the help of the Tok'ra, we now have complete plans for the Anubis' Mothership." She smiled at the four members of the High Council sitting opposite SG-1, especially to her father. "This vessel was designed by the Goa'uld Thoth, a mighty inventor who is also the creator of the Ha'tak. At first glance, Anubis' Mothership is a kind of super Ha'tak, bigger and more powerfully armed, improved thanks to the Ancient technology. Shields, Staff Weapons, hyperdrive, and mainframe are upgraded."
"Super Ha'tak, that sounds good, if we have to choose a class name for this new type of ship, I vote for it," said Colonel O'Neill.
The leader of SG-1 turned his head to seek the approval of the other people present. T'ealc just raised an eyebrow, Daniel Jackson facepalmed with a sigh, and Carter smiled indulgently... the same smile as her father on the other side of the table. The other three Tok'ra remained as unexpressive as marble statues.
"Why not?" replied Hammond in a neutral tone. "But there is more important. Lieutenant-colonel Carter, carry one."
"Yes, sir."
Sam reached for the mouse to click, selecting an option on the screen of the laptop. The still image of the mothership was replaced by a film taken from a spaceship accompanying Anubis'one. Suddenly, the ship transformed, unfolding like an origami. The center of the ship lifted as the dome opened like a flower.
"This recording was taken during a space battle where Anubis confronted the Systemlord Coalition."
The Systemlord Coalition was an alliance of all Systemlords who survived the Replicators Invasion. They have joined forces against Anubis... but they are on the losing end. Each battle ended with the loss of planets and ships, while the territory controlled by Anubis was inexorably expanding.
Plasma fire continually struck the super ha'tak's shield, but without shaking it, simultaneously golden electric arcs rose along one of the triangular 'petals' at the top of the tower in the center of the ship.
A golden lightning gushed from the weapon and struck a Ha'tak of the Systemlord fleet. The ship was instantly transformed into a dazzling sphere of fire. Her armor and shields had not even withstood the blast for a fraction of a second. Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c twitched. They all had heard of this weapon, but it was the first time they saw it in action.
Jacob joined hands in front of him.
"The Kull Warriors allow Anubis to win all the ground battles, and his flagship wins space battles. Ares, Balor, and Olokun are already dead; Camulus has lost almost all of his territory. Amaterasu, Morrigane, Kali, and Bastet have joined forces for a desperate counterattack... although they know that they have little chance of victory."
His daughter selected another option and the space battle film was replaced by a wire frame render of the spaceship.
"When I said that at first glance the Anubis' Mothership was a Super Ha'tak, I meant she had a secret."
On the holographic diagram, the model of the Anubis' Mothership unfolded as she had just done in the film. The central area (the tower, the 'petals', but also the inner well crossing the whole vessel) was colored red.
"The heart of the ship is a super-powerful weapon. Each triangular segment is a lightning transmitter capable in one shot to destroy a Ha'tak. If all the lightning emitters fire simultaneously... especially if they're aimed at a Stargate, they can cause enough impact to devastate a planet." Sam turned to T'ealc and smiled sadly. "That's what happened to Chulak."
The Jaffa's hands twitched briefly but he answered nothing. That said, for his people, revenge was a sacred quest.
Samantha Carter clicked on an icon and a suite of rooms surrounding the well's base began to blink.
"The interesting thing about this superweapon is that it's powered by six small generators, known as the 'Eyes of the Goa'uld'. Despite their name, these generators were created by the Ancients. I'm sure Daniel can tell us more."
The archaeologist straightened and adjusted his glasses.
"Yes, I know that story. Ancient Goa'uld texts tell the story of these Eyes of the Goa'uld. They were found by Anubis when he was a Systemlord. These generators served him in his plans for domination. He made a superweapon that is not described in the ancient accounts but..." Daniel gestured toward the hologram. "... We didn't have to imagine how destructive that weapon could be. At that time Ra was the pharaoh. Anubis showcased his weapon to the leader of all the Goa'uld and explained that this powerful weapon could help them defeat the Asgard. However, Ra did not react as Anubis expected. The pharaoh considered that the weapon threatened his hegemony over the Goa'uld. With the help of the other Systemlords, he went to war against Anubis, defeated him, and exiled him. The weapon was destroyed and the generators were scattered among the victors who put their marks on each of them. After returning from exile, Anubis searched for and found the scattered generators, then rebuilt his weapon."
There was a moment of silence as everyone reflected on what they had just learned. However, Jack moved nervously in his chair, looking at the people sitting around him.
"Well, is that it? We're just here to watch in a devastated mood the big explosions caused by the bad guy in a bathrobe's super-weapon? Or are we going to do something about it?" Jack asked.
Sam turned to the Tok'ra and responded, "Colonel O'Neill's question is rhetorical. He participated in the creation of the plan that we will explain to you and approved it."
Jack turned to Daniel and asked, "What does that mean 'rhetorical'?"
Daniel replied, "Just say 'yes' and give the Tok'ra your best smile."
O'Neill turned to them and smiled. "Yes, I approved this plan..." He then turned to Teal'c. "What plan are we talking about?"
Except for Selmak (Jacob Carter), who seemed to have a lot of fun, the other Tok'ra looked at O'Neill with a mixture of concern and consternation.
Sam smiled... a slightly tense smile.
"We found a weak point that could be exploited."
She clicked on an icon. On the unfolded wireframe model of the Anubis ship, a point started to flash at the base of the central dome.
"As I studied the ship's plans, I discovered here an exhaust vent that is used to release excess heat from the central reactor. A missile fired from this opening could follow the conduit to the central reactor and damage it..."
"... blowing up the whole ship."
All eyes turned to O'Neill, who had just interrupted Carter to finish her explanation for her. Sam smiled, embarrassed.
"The colonel is joking, of course. An explosion would only damage the heat extraction system. But without this system, Anubis will not be able to use his superweapon. Or to be more exact, he would blow up his ship if he tried. Nevertheless, without her superweapon, Anubis' Mothership would be nothing more than a big Ha'tak that our fleet should be able to destroy."
A Tok'ra spoke out.
"Excuse me, but this plan is unworkable. Anubis will raise his ship's shield as soon as your fleet comes out of hyperspace. Your fighters will not be able to shoot through the shield, or even get close enough for the missile to enter this kind of small opening."
"Good point, but you're ignoring some of the F-302s' capacities."
Sam pressed a few keys and the image changed to show the diagram of an F-302. A sector in the back was flashing red.
"Our F-302s are equipped with a compact hyperdrive powered by a naquadria reactor. The instability of the naquadria means that the window is also unstable. The fighter stays in hyperspace only very briefly, but long enough to pass through the shield of Anubis' Mothership."
There was a moment of silence as everyone assimilated the information they had just learned, becoming aware of the plan as a whole. It was O'Neill who took the floor again.
"All I'm saying is, just for the record: this is the wackiest plan we've ever come up with."
Carter answered him.
"Wackier than strapping an active Stargate to the bottom of the X-302?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Wackier than—than blowing up a sun?
" Yep!"
The young scientist reflected for a moment and turned to Teal'c and Daniel.
"He's probably right."
O'Neill looked at the people in the briefing room.
"OK, everyone who thinks this is absolutely an insane idea raise your hands. C'mon be honest."
Everyone in the room, including the Tok'ra and Carter raised their hands. Hammond smiled.
"Keep your hands up people, because the next question is who's going to be the ones to make this happen."
"Okay, so we're going to pretend this crazy plan could succeed," said Daniel. "But to implement it, we still need to know where to find Anubis."
"But we know," replied Selmak. "He has arrived discreetly in the Delmak system. He is watching the clash between Apophis and Ba'al. Anubis intends to intervene when the winner has been decided... to attack the survivor while he is weakened."
"Jacob, do you know what Anubis's goals are?" asked Hammond
"Take Delmak, of course, and the prototype of the new Ha'tak that Apophis is building, an improved ship using stolen Asgard technology. Anubis also wants to eliminate two of his rivals. But his main objective is probably to kill Gilgamesh. He seems to regard the King of Uruk as a threat to his hegemony, or a competitor of some sort."
Milky Way, orbit of Delmak
Apophis' mothership could not accelerate anymore. The immense starship was in a pitiful state. Her exterior hull was blackened, twisted, and shined with glowing craters. The ship left behind debris, frozen bodies, and a trail of frozen atmosphere. Like a dying whale, the large ship was fleeing, pursued by swarms of piranhas.
Around the Montherhip were swarms of Death Gliders. Some attacked the starship, others defended it. The starfighters swirled, chasing each other, shooting golden plasma balls. One after the other, the attackers disappeared in explosions... but the battle continued to attract squadrons of reinforcements converging on Apophis' Mothership.
Yet they constituted only a minor inconvenience, much more dangerous opponents participated in the confrontation. The light Staff Cannons of the titanic Ha'tak-like Mothership focused on Al'kesh squadrons that were zigzagging around the hull, dropping their bombs.
Clinging to the armrests of his throne, Ba'al looked out the window of the Pel'tak almost without blinking.
The helmsman who was manipulating the Command Altar's touchpad spoke to the false god without turning around.
"My Lord, the speed of Apophis' starship has decreased again."
Ba'al did not answer, he looked at the gunner.
"Concentrate the shot, don't stop shooting!"
"Yes, my lord."
This was of course an unnecessary reminder of the gunner's task. With both hands on the blue half-spheres which allowed orienting Ba'al's Ship's Staff Cannons, the Jaffa was firing as fast as the weapons could. Moreover, the golden plasma spheres constantly crossed the screen, rushing toward the enemy ship.
But Apohis was not ready to die, the Serpent King still counterattacked. The Ha'tak trembled while a shot splashed her shields. As the helmsman turned sharply to distract the enemy gunners, Apophis' Motheship disappeared from their line of sight and briefly, other battle scenes appeared on screen. They were not the only ones chasing Apophis, two other Ha'taks exchanged fire with the huge dying ship.
As Ba'al's Ha'tak resumed her original route, catching up with the Mothership, an alarm sounded. The image on the screen changed, revealing a blurred shape... the silhouette of a Ha'tak as sculpted in purple glass!
"My Lord, one of Apophis' Ha'tak has decloacked!"
Apophis' stealthships continued to harass Ba'al's fleet, appearing to emerge from nothingness for a few shots before disappearing again.
"Do not let this maggot distract us from our main target. The firing priority has not changed, tell our escort to take care of this inconvenience."
"Yes, My Lord!"
As soon as he was visible again, the newcomer opened fire, focusing on the most damaged ship. This Ha'tak had a blow that pierced the shields up to her central pyramid, leaving a melted crater that passed through the shield and sank far into the vital part of the ship. And another shot had damaged her outer superstructures.
The first shots were blocked by the Ha'tak's energy shield... but the ship of Apophis' fleet pursued her target, following every course change without ceasing to fire, deftly dodging the counter-fire.
Finally, after five shots to the goal, the Ha'tak's shields collapsed.
This did not mean the end of the fighting, but the ship of Ba'al's fleet was taking heavy damage with every hit... while her opponent blocked the counterfire with her shields.
Suddenly, the central pyramid of the shield-deprived ship seemed to swell and plasma streams escaped into the cosmic vacuum as the superstructures broke up into several pieces that were repulsed by the explosion. The next moment, the superstructures exploded in turn, fusing into an artificial sun that burned with rage for a few seconds.
Unfortunately for the winner, this victory did not mean the end of the battle. Three ships of the Ba'al fleet had just arrived within firing range and plasma projectiles were already hitting the shields of the lone Ha'tak.
It was her turn to be the prey.
"My Lord, I detect the activation of Transfer Rings aboard the Apophis' Mothership."
Ba'al smiled mockingly.
"What differentiates courage from stupidity is the moment when you run away, right?"
The false Phoenician god was looking at his sworn enemy's ship... she was nothing more than a drifting wreck, unable to maneuver or even fight. A ray of light came out of the central pyramid and disappeared towards the planet.
"Where is the Transfer Ring receiving station?"
"Aboard the orbital station, my lord."
Ba'al nodded as he pointed to the wreck.
"All right, send a boarding unit to take control of the enemy ship."
In the best case, Apophis' Mothership was repairable. Otherwise, emptying the main frame of all its information would certainly be instructive. The diabolical Goa'uld turned to the Jaffa in charge of communications.
"What is the general situation?"
"We have lost two Ha'tak and destroyed three enemy ships, my lord. There must be two remaining opponents, but we are not sure of their exact number. They ambush us, and run away when they lose."
"Um... what else to expect from a snake," mocked Ba'al.
The Goa'uld ponders for a moment.
"All right, it's time to attack the orbital station. This is the last obstacle."
Gilgamesh and the troops Ba'al sent to Delmak had been fighting for too long without his support. Their losses had undoubtedly been very heavy.
At the same time, millions of miles away.
Sitting on his throne in the vast Peltak of his mothership, Anubis watched the screen where the central computer analyzed the battle in real-time.
"He'rak, it's time to intervene."
Kneeling at the foot of the throne, the First Prime raised his head towards the de-ascended Goa'uld, a silhouette in a black monk's robe woven of silver thread, the face invisible behind a mirror glass mask.
"Yes, my lord."
Contrary to what Ba'al believed the most difficult part of the battle of Delmak had not even begun yet.
(1) I noticed something interesting when considering the quotes from the Book of Origin scattered throughout the episodes of Stargate SG-1. The Ori claimed to have created all life in the galaxies. However, the Book of Origin's initial myth describes the 'rift'. The Ori explicitly appeared after the rift, their role was to cure the imperfection which corrupted all living beings, living beings that preexisted both the rift and the Ori. This seems to contradict their claim of creating all life.