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Chapter 1: Nine months of toil, tears and progress

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Part 1

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Slavna Zemq

Perun's homeworld

Milky Way galaxy

Three months of terror, of no privacy, and constant fear, took their toll on Lyda and Zena. Officially, her promotion as a chief researcher working directly for Perun, came with perks in the form of 'loyal' servants and increased protection. In practice, the Tok'Ra symbiote, and her host, could go nowhere alone. They could do nothing without a Jaffa goon squad looking over their shoulders, or a fanatically loyal minor Goa'uld inspecting their work.

Lyda decided that there was no divinity in Perun. If anything, he was a monster the likes this poor galaxy hadn't seen since the death of Anubis. He wore a thin veneer of sanity, presented a mask of benevolence unseen among his kind, yet the Tok'Ra knew the monster below. Every time she closed her eyes, Lyda could feel it probing her mind, searching for information, and tweaking things. Even death was no salvation. One night, after a particularly grueling session of mental torture, Lyda released her poison, putting both herself and the poor Zena out of their misery.

All they got for their trouble was to amuse Perun. He had been more careful after that. Unfortunately, that only made the violations last longer, and feel even worse.

The worst thing was, that whatever that thing did to them, it worked. Zena was almost a lost cause now. The poor girl was utterly convinced that Perun was a true god, and resisting him was not only futile but foolish in the extreme. Even Lyda found it harder and harder to think about resisting the monster, or sabotaging the projects he had her working on. They were all relatively simple, focused on improving metallurgy and designing melee weapons. Everything from simple daggers with monomolecular blades, to monstrous swords and axes with power sources providing energy for wicked, tritium-fanged, chainsaws.

Lyda saw what those things could do during testing on animal carcasses. She didn't even want to imagine what they would do to people.

The Tok'Ra shivered in disgust, when her attendants entered her room, followed by their Goa'uld mistress. They were all among Perun's most loyal servants in the palace, among the four Jaffa, who kept vigil upon Lyda even in her uneasy sleep.

"My Lady, your presence is required for the ceremony today," Pelinka announced happily. The Goa'uld skipped into the room as if she couldn't contain herself and was ready to begin bouncing off the walls.

"Ceremony?" A bleary-eyed Lyda asked groggily, while her attendants, not too gently pulled her into a sitting position and began untangling her hair.

"Today's the changing and expansion of the guard!" Pelinka announced gleefully.

Inside, Lyda cringed. Seeing the show would be educational, and a source of vital intelligence if she ever managed to run away. At the same time, the Tok'Ra was terrified to see how much Perun had improved his military in the past months of constant work.

A bath and light breakfast later, the attendants did the finishing touches of an extravagant silk dress they shoved Lyda into. Pelinka nodded in approval and gleefully led their small procession to the largely expanded barracks complex beside the palace.

The trip was short and should have been pleasant. In the past months, all buildings in the capital received mandatory renovation, making the place one of the cleanest and brightest Goa'uld controlled cities. Yet, the work was far from over, working parties crawled all over the place putting the finishing touches of an overhauled sewer system built from reverse engineered Tok'Ra crystals. Other building parties were busy setting up a secondary aqueduct system for use by the common citizenry. Banners lazily flapped in the morning's wind, while criers proclaimed Perun's newest edicts for the betterment of all, or at least for those who still couldn't properly read.

They passed by a noisy construction site, surrounded by banners proudly displaying a staff entwined by two serpents. When complete, that was supposed to become the primary hospital of the capital. There were already smaller clinics operational, staffed by at least one Goa'uld able to use a hand device, and local learning how to heal through more mundane methods.

A Death glider patrol lazily flew above the capital, making the odd child on the street point up and wave. The reason was simple. There were many pictures all over the city, each announcing that those children who did best in their lessons would get a chance to train for a limited number of positions. Positions that traditionally were meant only for Jaffa or even the odd minor Goa'uld, not human salves. The chance to rise in prestige and above their stations had parents urging their spawn to study in every passing moment they weren't working or sleeping.

Becoming pilots was one such position, with incredibly high acclaim, after Perun held an air show a month ago, complete with getting children to experience flight in various craft.

Lyda found it very hard to admit it, but that show and the day-long celebration surrounding it, was nice, and the only time since Perun became the monster he was now, she could relax a bit.

Soon, her minders corralled the Tok'Ra into a large open plaza, where a few hundred dignitaries from Perun's court already waited to attend the ceremony. Four blocks of a hundred Jaffa in radically different armor stood at attention, waiting for review, with a small group of fifty standing in front of them in a position of honor. Only the last group was familiar – they wore more or less familiar armor and typical staff weapons. They were also the only ones clad in Perun's typical colors.

Speaking about the devil, he strode from among the crowd of minions, as he put it, clad in a form-fitting black armor.

The monster looked over his goons for a few long, tense seconds, and smiled. A moment later, his voice thundered all over the plaza.

"My faithful warriors! Today is a glorious day of change and growth! For months, we have all toiled to better ourselves, to become the best warriors this galaxy has ever seen!" Perun looked at the small group of regular Jaffa. "You are my Thunder-Warriors. You were my first chosen, my personal guard, and more importantly, you were and are, now and forever, my Heralds! When you take the battlefield, everyone will know that Perun's finest have come to carry the day and take victory!"

"Perun! Perun! Perun!" The Jaffa thundered.

"We're fast approaching a new age of war. While we will never forget, or let go of our traditions, we need to learn new ways of war or be left behind by our enemies. Thus, this day heralds the point of our evolution! We grow today, my Jaffa! While the Thunder Guard are my Heralds and representatives, we need to be more! We need specialists, excelling in different ways of combat, who will succeed where regular Jaffa are not equipped and trained to achieve a task without suffering unacceptable casualties." Perun paused. "You are my finest, my Jaffa, you are not expendable!"

More cheers echoed over the plaza. With every passing moment, Lyda's stomach sunk lower and lower. She wasn't sure exactly what she was watching, yet she could sense it in her bones, this was a herald of something too terrible to behold.

"First, I raise you, my Lightning Legion! You are to strike fast, like lighting, before an enemy even knows you're there. You are to win battles, or take critical objectives before my Heralds lead our regular forces in the field of battle!"

The Jaffa to the far left took a step forward, and as one pressed a button on the wrist of their sleek light armors. The paint-job quickly shifted, taking the hue of the background. Within seconds, it was almost impossible to see the Jaffa, even if they were just a hundred meters away, standing in the open. Whatever that was, it was no cloaking device, yet it was nevertheless, effective. They all had one of the new rifles strapped to their chest, and at least one Zat on their waists.

The Prime of the Lighting Legion raised a banner, depicting a fist, holding three lighting bolts, and thumped its butt on the ground three times.

"We're the lighting in the sky!" The whole legion roared.
"You'll make me proud!" Perun declared, and deafening cheers carried over the plaza.

The second group of Jaffa was the oddest. They all carried very large bulky armors, and to Lyda's horror, every single one of them she could see had one of those monstrous chainsaw weapons on their belts. They had a crazy mix of other weapons – rifles, so-called shotguns, even small staff cannons, ready for use.

"You are my wolves, prowling the endless night in the abyss between the stars! You are my space marines! You will defend my ships! When the opportunity arises, you will fall upon the crews of any enemy ship in reach as a pack, paint the walls in red, and capture those craft to increase the power of our navy! You are my armored fist, my Space Wolves!"

A second banner unfurled, showing the snarling maw of an angry beast.

"Wolves! We are the terror of the deep dark! We are your Angels of Death, Lord Perun!" The Wolves' Prime roared, all but foaming at the mouth like the beast he was.

In contrast to all other Jaffa on display, the third group wore no armor or rifle. They were all clad in simple black uniforms, with golden insignia on the neck-cuffs and shoulders.

"You, my Black Legion, are specialists. It is not your duty to face the enemy with a staff, or blade in hand. Your new homes are the very space ships that carry us among the stars. Your weapons can lay to waste whole planets or support Jaffa fighting honorably on the ground. You are my pilots, you are my crew, and Primes commanding my future fleets. Your birthright is the void of space. Go forth, and claim it!"

A third banner unfurled among more cheers. It was black stylized… gear, standing proudly on the near pitch-black banner.

"Last, but certainly not the least," Perun continued when the noise subdued, "stand those of us with the most important task."

A hundred Jaffa in silver-plated armor marched forth.

"You are my best warriors. You are to be my companions when I take the field of battle myself. But more importantly, you are the core of the future legions with the most important task of all. While the rest of us go forth in the galaxy, to vanquish our enemies, and bring divine light to our ignorant brothers and sisters out there, you will stay behind. Yours is not the glory of combat under distant suns. Yours is the burden to stay behind, and protect what is most precious to us – our families and friends! You will guard our backs against treachery. You shall know no fear, and as long as our families are safe and sound, you shall know no defeat! You are my Legion Custodes! You are our Guardian Angels!"

At those words, everyone who listened went wild. Even Lyda couldn't help it by cheering as loud as everyone else.

"You are the core of our future armies! You are the seed that will give birth to our glorious empire!" Perun continued.

Then and there, Lyda couldn't doubt Perun. That man was going to sweep the known order away in an unstoppable wave of bloodshed and war.

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=Historical Note 1=

=The First founding of the Imperial Legions=

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Initially no was aware of the full implications and importance of the First Founding ceremony. For many observers, no matter how loyal and dedicated to the cause, it was little more than standard Goa'uld grandstanding. In fact, the first Founding laid the foundation on which Lord Perun would build up the future Imperial Military.

The First Founding of the Legions, was for all intents and purposes an expansion of the venerable Thunder Guard, which then went through phase one of what would in the future be standard military training, specialized for different branches of the military. Once the training was complete, the lightly expanded Thunder Guard became the foundations for the core military branches of Perun's Empire.

First, and foremost we have one of the two direct descendants of the Thunder Guard. The Heralds, also known as Thunder Warriors, are Perun's personal representatives, military advisers and command staff he dispatches to oversee, or even take command of operations as he deems fit. If a Herald is signed on the battlefield, this means that the Empire is in for the long haul and is ready to expend the necessary resources to win the day.

Second, we have the Lighting Legion – light infantry, special forces, infiltrators. In the Second Founding, they will become the core and training personnel for various special operations commands.

Third, we have the the Space Marines, Void Wolves, a.k.a. Space Wolves. They provide security on Imperial Capital ships, serve as heavy assault infantry specialized in boarding actions, or short shock actions on the ground meant to break enemy strong-points. During the Second Founding, they will further specialize and provide the training cadre for ground shock trooper regiments, Orbital Deployed Shock Troops, and ship-bound assault infantry.

Fourth is the Black Legion – the space naval personnel of the Imperium. During the second founding, the Black Legion, also known as the Black Fleet, will provide command cadre and training personnel for more specialized branches of the navy – Battle Fleet, Aerospace Strike Craft Command, Logistics Fleet, Transport Fleet, etc…

Fifth - Legion Custodes. The second direct descendants of the Thunder Guard. They provide strike teams to act as personal escort for Lord Perun when he takes the field, and provide the core for reconstituted Jaffa forces in planetary defense role. During the Second Founding, the Custodes will provide cadre and personnel for three separate branches - PDF forces, primary consisting by part time human soldiers, augmented by elite Jaffa Custodes formations, regular Imperial Army, meant both for major offensive and defensive deployments, and the Emperor's Own Regiments - Custodes units under the direct command of Lord Perun, who will become his guards and personal retinue when he takes the field.

After the First Founding, seventy percent of the existing Legions are spread throughout the regular Jaffa to provide them with basic training, while the now depleted founding formations first train freshly inducted personnel through Phase I Basic, then, in three months, when the Cadre sent to the regular Jaffa returns, they will all undergo grueling Phase II training and field test new equipment.