Andari Federation Embassy
Langara Government Council Towers
Kelowna, Langaran System
Ambassador Terence Ovirda, the Kelowna Ambassador to the Langaran Government Council and Earth, stepped briskly into the office of the Andari Federation Embassy that's a couple of floors down. His tan suit was impeccably tailored, the brown tie perfectly knotted, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in his mind. He had just hung up with First Minister Jonas Quinn, discussing the clandestine operations involving Andari fighters and their covert technological advancements.
Without knocking, he barged into Lucia Tarthus's office, the heavy door swinging back with a thud that echoed against the minimalist decor. The office is a throwback to Earth style of the 1940s, with no sign of the high-tech gadgets one might expect in such a place; Lucia preferred the simplicity, perhaps as a silent testament to her no-nonsense approach.
"What's the meaning of this?" Lucia Tarthus, the Andari Federation representative, snapped. She was a petite woman with an imposing presence, her hazel eyes piercing through the dim light, her jawline as sharp as her tone. Her office, with its stark white walls, was barely softened by the presence of a single, struggling plant.
"You've been hiding Goa'uld technology!" Terence accused, his voice sharp as he slammed a tablet onto her desk. Holographic images of Andari death gliders danced above the polished wood, casting eerie shadows across the room.
"You've been using Earth Technology," Lucia retorted, her voice as icy as a rich girl denied her latest luxury. "The audacity to come here and accuse us."
Terence loathed being in this office, the air thick with arrogance and smugness. It was like negotiating with a spoiled brat, but he knew he had to tread carefully. "Your actions are a violation of the Treaty," he said, attempting to keep his voice level. "You know how sensitive military advancements are to the Council!"
"It's not Goa'uld technology," Lucia replied, her tone chilling like the steel walls of her office. "It's our own. We've simply... improved upon it."
"Yeah, I'm sure your country skipped a few hundred years of technological advancement," Terence scoffed, his sarcasm thick in the air. "Do you expect us to believe that?"
"Why do you care?" Lucia sneered, her disdain palpable.
Terence leaned over her desk, his gaze locking onto hers. "Right now, a squadron of your fighters is approaching a Free Alteran Warship. Call them off."
"The Free Alteran? Former Ori army," she spat, her knuckles white from gripping the desk's edge. "They're just as dangerous as the Ori ever were."
"They're not the Ori," Terence insisted, his patience fraying at the edges.
"But their ship is!" Lucia shot back, her voice escalating like a siren's warning.
"Then it's a fool's errand to attack them," Terence retorted, his words cracking like a whip. "You don't think your fighters can outmatch a warship?"
"It's not the fighters they should be worried about," Lucia said, her smugness blooming like a dark flower.
Terence studied her face, reading the hidden layers of her confidence. He straightened up, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"It's the payload," Lucia announced, standing up with a hint of pride in her voice. "We have acquired a new weapon, something even the Ori would envy. We will show them that we are not to be trifled with."
Terence couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Andari scientists creating something formidable enough to concern even the Ori. "Acquired, from who?"
"Who do you think?" Lucia's smugness was almost tangible now.
"The Lucian Alliance," Terence stated, his voice flat as the realization sunk in like a stone in water.
"Who do you think gave us the intel on how to bypass Tau'ri sensors on their home world?" Lucia's smile was wide, revealing her satisfaction. "The Alliance is more than willing to share their toys, for a price, of course."
Terence felt his stomach drop as if he had just stepped into a void. "If I have a say," he began, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a smartphone with a satellite connection. "You and your government will be out of this council faster than you can say 'ascension'."
"You don't have the power to do that," Lucia scoffed, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt.
"Watch me," Terence said with finality, turning on his heel and striding out of her office.
As he walked briskly down the hallway of the Council Towers, his mind raced. He speed-dialed Jonas Quinn, his voice tight with urgency. "Jonas, the Andari have something, a weapon from the Lucian Alliance. We need to act, and fast."
His steps echoed down the corridor, each one a drumbeat to the war that seemed on the brink of erupting. Terence Ovirda left the Andari Embassy with a storm brewing in his mind, his steps echoing down the grand, marble corridors of the Council Towers. He knew the implications of what he had just learned; the balance of power was shifting, and not in a direction that favored peace or stability.
He dialed Jonas Quinn again, this time ensuring he was out of earshot of any potential spies. "Jonas, we need an emergency session of the Council. The Andari have not only escalated their military capabilities but have done so with the Lucian Alliance's help. We can't let this slide."
Jonas's voice, calm yet firm, came through the speaker. "I'll convene the session. Get back here."
Terence nodded, even though Jonas couldn't see him, and ended the call. He quickened his pace, his thoughts racing ahead to the political chessboard he was about to play on.
Aboard the Ganos Lal, Commander Tomin watched the Andari fighters approach with a mixture of caution and regret. He had already fired a warning shot, hoping to convey that his intentions were peaceful. The Andari had suffered enough under the yoke of the Ori, and Tomin is determined not to be the spark that ignited another conflict. His crew looked at him, their expressions a mix of readiness and apprehension, waiting for his next command.
"Sir," called Lieutenant Avi, a blonde woman stationed at the sensors and communications control, her voice cutting through the tension. "Sensors are picking up a buildup of energy coming from the Andari fighters."
Tomin's eyes snapped to her station. "What kind of energy?"
"Unknown, but it's not a standard weapon's charge," she replied, her gaze fixed on the screen, trying to identify the energy signature and its source.
The screen displayed a schematic of the Andari fighter, rotating and zooming in on the unusual energy buildup from what appeared to be the payload. The text on the screen, written in Alteran, blinked red.
"It's nothing the shields can't handle," she concluded.
"We can't take that chance," Tomin said, his gaze never leaving the blinking red text. "Have they responded yet?"
"No, sir," Avi reported, her eyes still glued to the screens.
"Lieutenant Castin," Tomin called out to the young man with brown hair at the weapons station. "Target the lead fighter."
Castin nodded, his focus shifting to the targeting system as the retinal display highlighted the lead Andari fighter. He primed the main weapon, the energy buildup taking a few seconds to complete.
"Weapons are charged, Commander," Castin reported.
"Andari fighter is in weapons range, Commander," Avi updated.
Tomin's hand hovered over the communications panel on his chair. He had given the Andari pilots ample warnings to stand down. Haunted by the memories of the Prior's deceit, he was reluctant to take more lives. Yet, the safety of his ship and his people was paramount.
"Fire at will," he commanded, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of his decision.
The bridge fell into a deeper silence, punctuated only by the life support systems and the soft beeps of operational controls. Castin engaged the weapon; a bright beam of energy burst forth from the Ganos Lal's forward beam array, slicing through the vacuum of space like a blade through silk, aimed directly at the lead Andari fighter.
The fighter, caught in the beam's path, exploded in a brilliant display of light, its debris scattering like a new constellation in the night sky. The remaining Andari fighters, witnessing the destruction of their leader, hesitated, their formations breaking as they banked away in disarray.
"They're retreating." Avi shouted, her fingers dancing across the controls to update the tactical display.
Tomin eyes on the incoming data when Avi alerted him. The Andari fighters had paused in their advance as they scatter and skim the planet atmosphere. The Andari fighter pilots, clearly inexperience, struggled to maintain control as they dipped too close to the atmospheric boundary.
As the five fighters, one by one, succumbed to the harsh reentry, they exploded, leaving behind trails of fiery debris. The people on the ground, looking up, might have mistaken the scene for a meteor shower, a beautiful but deadly dance of light and destruction. The Andari pilots, caught in their inexperience, did not survive their descent, their error a costly lesson to the Andari Federation. They had underestimated their foes and overestimated their own capabilities, biting off more than they could chew.
Lucia Tarthus's Office
Andari Federation Embassy
Langara Government Council Towers
Kelowna, Langara System
Lucia listened intently as the radios of her fighters went silent one by one, each signal drowned in static. She had hoped this demonstration would be the deterrent needed to dissuade the Earthlings and the Free Alteran from interfering in Andari affairs. But as the silence stretched on, it became clear that her strategy had backfired. The Earth government, known as the Tau'ri, showed no signs of backing down. The realization of her failure was like a cold dread seeping into her bones; she had gambled, and now she would have to answer to the Council.
Commander Bruen, her military attaché, entered with a look of sadness that mirrored her own despair. "Ma'am, the fighters have been... neutralized," he reported, his voice heavy.
Lucia felt her heart sink. She had known the risks, but this was a blow. "What about the weapon?" she asked, her voice strained.
"The Naquadria bomb didn't deploy," Commander Bruen replied, his frustration palpable.
"What?" Lucia's eyes widened in shock. The Naquadria bomb was meant to be their ace in the hole, their ultimate deterrent.
"The Lucian Alliance advisor has stated," Bruen began, pausing as the elevator doors opened to reveal Kelowna Security Forces and an unfamiliar figure in Earth uniform, "the weapon will only affect the Tau'ri ships."
"Why didn't you say so?" Lucia's voice rose sharply, her anger flaring.
"Ma'am, I warned you the device was experimental," Bruen countered, his tone firm but respectful. "The Alliance was clear about its limitations."
"Experimental?" Lucia spat the word out, tasting its bitterness. "This is what we paid a fortune for?"
"It was all we could get on such short notice," Bruen responded, his gaze dropping.
Before she could retort, the door to her office swung open again. Two members of the Kelowna Security Forces escorted in a young Tau'ri soldier, his black tactical vest contrasting starkly with his digital fatigues.
"What's the meaning of this?" Lucia demanded, her eyes narrowing at the intrusion.
"Ma'am, you have been summoned to an emergency Council session," the soldier stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
"On what grounds?" Lucia's tone was sharp, slicing through the quiet room.
"On the grounds of a breach in interplanetary security," he replied, unflinching.
"I've never heard of such a thing," Lucia retorted, her voice rising. "We were merely conducting a training exercise."
The soldier's expression didn't change. "Ma'am, the evidence suggests otherwise. We have reports of unidentified aerial vehicles in Andari airspace, and the recent loss of your fighters is... alarming."
Lucia's cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Fine," she snapped, gesturing for him to lead the way. "But know this, any accusations without proof will be met with the full force of the Andari Federation."
As they walked through the Council Towers, each echoing step felt like a march to judgment. Lucia's mind was a storm of strategies and counterarguments. She needed to find a way to turn this situation around, to paint the Andari not as aggressors but as victims of circumstance.