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Chapter 28 Part 1

=SBS=

Jade Palace, Second Heaven,

Lord Yu's throne world, Milky Way galaxy

My strategic situation was less than ideal when all was said and done. As far as virtually all sane-ish Goa'uld were concerned, and most of the insane ones, I was among the people in the galaxy who wanted to see Ra dead the least. Through his political stunts, he maneuvered me in such a place that Kali had to make an example of me; otherwise, her minions could get ideas to go over her head to advance their station and eventually supplant her. It was no secret that Ra positioned me as his dagger aimed at Kali's back. Suppose things turned out differently, and I had the time. In that case, I might have moved against Kali at Ra's behest a few centuries after he built me up to be a credible contender for her position. Thanks to the Sarcophagus, I wouldn't be dying of old age anytime soon, if at all. It was darkly ironic that I technically had all the time in the world, yet I was running out of time.

Killing Kali wasn't that complicated – I only had to get into a striking distance of her. When all was said and done, I could simply walk into her court desiring an audience, pretending to be Ra's messenger. No one would bat an eye at something like it – such a stunt would be a petty poking at Kali by the Supreme System Lord, who everyone knew wasn't her greatest fan.

Things would get complicated after I dealt with Kali one way or another. I simply didn't have the standing to directly take over. I lacked the military force to do it as well. In practice, I would be kicking the civil war, and Kali's chief minions would be vying for the throne. Some would want to kill me to gain legitimacy. Others would move against me because I was a minor upstart who dared upstage them.

A sufficiently deadly sucker punch against the Goa'uld near my small domain could buy me time and give me more resources to work with. However, from then on, securing as many valuable systems as possible would be a race I had to win. At the same time, Kali's realm will tear itself apart in a civil war. Bastet and Ba'al would devour as much of it as possible. Lord Yu was liable to bite a chunk at the border to better position himself for the conflicts to come while focusing on the inevitable free-for-all to take as much of Ra's military and industry as possible.

I had sixteen capital ships, including the Death Dealer as my new flagship. Five of them were brand new Ha'tak. Within the week, I would have six more Cheops cruisers, giving me eleven of them to work with. Ra's yacht above Earth would remain there – it was more useful that way. Besides, I couldn't reveal anytime soon I got Ra's pimp-moble. Doing so would raise all kinds of awkward questions.

My navy was tiny compared to Kali's, her more powerful vassals, and much less the other System Lords. Even increasing it by an order of magnitude through capturing enemy ships would still leave me in a vulnerable position, made worse with every new critical world I might secure.

The calculus could change rapidly if I had a few more years to prepare, especially considering the interesting technologies my Jaffa might still recover from Altair. The technologies I got from Ra would be game-changers, but only if I could deploy them throughout a large enough navy would they matter.

Unfortunately, I was out of time. Every time I meditated, I got more and more ominous premonitions through the Force, which was telling. That was why I decided to roll the dice when I went to meet Lord Yu. At worst, I might have to fight my way out, take my new ship and most essential minions, then kriff-off to some corner of the galaxy to build up my power, while everyone else was too busy murdering each other.

At best, I might gain Lord Yu's effective protection and gratitude. Considering our relative stations, I couldn't be acknowledged as a peer or proper ally. Such a move on Yu's part would cause him endless headaches with his court. While he was practically a saint by Goa'uld standards, and his court was the most reasonable among the System Lords, too many of his chief minions were still Goa'uld.

However, becoming a valued vassal who might rise in the ranks during the coming war? That much was in the cards, and frankly, my best shot in the short to medium term. That was why I decided that showing some of my true nature to Yu was the prudent course of action, no matter the danger.

=SBS=

The Force flowed through me like a river of raw energy. It was entertaining and telling to sense the devotion, outrage, and now hope among Yu's guards and his first Prime. The System Lord was very interesting as well. If I didn't know better, I would say that he was a Tok'ra – his host was nothing like the ones of any other Goa'uld I've met to date. The humans tended to be utterly insane, and often their minds were shattered, empty husks if they'd been hosts for too long.

Lord Yu and his bodysuit were different. In the Force, they appeared to be a near-perfect blend. I've seen something similar enough in symbiotic species, which were admittedly rare. While some Sith researchers were interested in such beings, they were simply curiosity for me.

There wasn't much I knew of Lord Yu from my previous life when I was aware of this universe as fiction. It had been too long, and I obviously didn't have the Force back then. I had more memories concerning Yu from my agents and the brain-dead symbiot in my neck. Taking a deep look into Yu with the Force explained much. He's been in this host for ages. He might not have had a different human host, meaning thousands of years spent in this body. From what I could perceive, Lord Yu had worked with the human he inhabited, or at least they shared similar mindsets and goals to such an extent that the point was moot. This was unlike the Tok'ra I've met, where a symbiote and host were distinct. In the Force, there were hints of a difference between the human and the Goa'uld.

I was unsure if Yu could take a different host if he tried. And, at the end of the day, despite all its power, the Sarcophagus did have limits. It might take thousands of years, but eventually, the device will become less and less effective. The original Ancient technology it was reverse-engineered from might lack such limitations, but what we had available was inferior knock-offs with clear unfortunate side effects.

Looking even more deeply into Yu's body, I could perceive something clinging to him below his fascinating Force signature. It was the same type of odd energy I knew the Sarcophagus used.

"Heal me?" my host finally recovered from the shock of me offering him something he believed impossible.

Now, things got very dangerous and interesting.

"Like you've surmised, I am something else. The original Perun chose poorly when he wanted a new, superior host." I chose my words carefully. In my experience, the best lies and deceptions were those either based on as much of the truth as possible or so outrageous that they had to be true, for no one sane would otherwise spout such things. "Do you know what happened to the Ancients, my Lord Yu?"

Yu's thin mustache and beard twitched. "You are surely not claiming to be an Ancient?!" His legendary composure finally cracked.

"No. A plague the Ancients couldn't heal at the time ended their civilization in this galaxy. Many of them died, and most Ascended. The rest left for Pegasus galaxy, where their people had a few outposts. The disease hadn't spread there. The Ancients rebuilt and prospered for a time, if in a diminished fashion, calling themselves Lantean. This continued for a long while until they ran into an unexpected enemy. Those who were left were no soldiers, much less warriors. Scholars, scientists, and engineers? Sure. They were uniquely unsuited to war. Despite their technological superiority, they lost after a hundred years of conflict. The survivors fled back to this galaxy. They eventually died out or Ascended, but before that, a group of them were busy working on a weapon to face the Wraith. These scientists were aware of their people's deficiencies in warfare and strove to find a way around it. They used a human baseline, then altered it in the best weapon they could before Ascending. Perun found me and tried to take me as a host. He both succeeded and failed most spectacularly."

I weaved grains of truth and educated guesses into something plausible.

"Hok'taur," Lord Yu muttered reverently.

"The Ancients ensured that my kind can't be hosts," I didn't quite lie. A Goa'uld trying to take over a Force Adept with any meaningful amount of training would, at best, end with a mutual kill. At worst, the snake would end like Perun the Goa'uld – as a brain-dead puppet as an experiment for an enterprising Sith researcher.

"Perun," Lord Yu concluded while staring at me with fascination. "I am possibly the only Goa'uld who wouldn't do everything in their power to take your body as theirs."

"What makes you think it would end better for them than it did for the original Perun?" I smiled thinly at him. "I know that my creators put counter-measures in my DNA to ensure anyone trying won't get a viable weapon or host as the case may be to use against them."

"You are nothing like the legends about the enlightened Ancients who led a great alliance in the distant past," Lord Yu looked expectantly at me.

So far, I have felt no sense of imminent danger. Instead, boundless fascination and curiosity spread in the Force around Lord Yu. His guards were on edge, suspicious yet earnestly hopeful.

Yu was really built, unlike most other Goa'uld.

"I am not an Ancient. They made me a weapon, yet they haven't been around for thousands of years. For all intents and purposes that matter, I am Perun, God of War," I proclaimed.

"You know we are no gods. I've never claimed to be one," concern spiked from Yu's direction.

"My creators as they are now are, if not gods, then the next best things. Besides, depending on what someone believes to be a god, we both could qualify," I raised a hand and levitated the data crystal on the table before slowly placing it before my host.

"Hok'taur indeed," Lord Yu hummed. "We have much to discuss, including the enemy of the Ancients you spoke of, these Wraith. But first, you made a most important claim."

"These things are related," I hedged. "Some of my powers are similar to what my creators could as they evolved closer to Ascension. Others they engineered inspired by the Wraith. Those things are humanoids who feed on living creatures' life force, leaving desiccated husks behind. That way, they can heal virtually any injury that doesn't kill them and might be virtually immortal. If there was a limit to how much they could prolong their existence that way, my creators couldn't find it. The Wraith could also share the life force they absorb to heal their soldiers or to keep someone alive longer for interrogation. Somehow, my creators gave me a similar ability if the means to utilize it are not purely biological," I explained. "From what I've been taught, my ability to heal should be nowhere as good as that of the Wraith or the Ancients with a talent for it. However, at the very least, I should be able to buy you time, Lord Yu. Given enough time, we might find an alternative solution to preserve your life and mind."

"What do you need?" Lord Yu asked. While his voice was level, his emotions betrayed him. He was afraid, yet cautiously hopeful.

"A donor for the life force I'll use. Ideally, someone you wouldn't miss. A prisoner or a few would be ideal," I noted while pointedly looking around. "I am sure that your guards would eagerly lay down their lives for you, my Lord, if it means you'll recover. However, unnecessary death would be a poor reward for such loyalty."

Lord Yu's guard within hearing preened at my words.

Meanwhile, the System Lord gave me a thoughtful look.

"Whatever you are, you are nothing like most Goa'uld," Lord Yu concluded.

"Like I said, I can see you, my Lord. You are nothing like most Goa'uld," I sent back his words at him.

"Sun Kun, bring us a few convicted prisoners," Lord Yu ordered. "Be quick about it, my son. And call the servants. Have them bring us a proper meal and tea. We have much to discuss. Can you use Ancient technology if we run into it?" he asked, looking intensely at me.

"My creator's technology uses a genetic lock to prevent unauthorized personnel from using it. They pointedly didn't make me with the necessary genetic markers out of security concerns. From the knowledge they gave me before Ascending, some scientists believed that the Wraith themselves were a weapon or other projects Ancients worked on in Pegasus, which went rogue and out of control. As a security precaution, I can't use Ancient technology unless authorized by one of them or someone with the right credentials and genetic markers."

Frankly, I didn't know if I could use Ancient tech. Either way, it was safer for people to believe I couldn't. At worst, that might give me an unexpected edge in the future; otherwise, it would be of no consequence.

=SBS=

Chapter 28 Part 2

=SBS=

Jade Palace, Second Heaven,

Lord Yu's throne world, Milky Way galaxy

"Why didn't these Wraith follow the Ancients here?" Lord Yu shrewdly inquired.

"Two reasons. Their hyperdrives are much slower than the Ancients had available, or ours right now. Second, they use organic technology. Due to some weapon systems the Ancient developed, the Wraith didn't bother with shields, relying on thick armor. The hull of their living ships required an extensive regeneration period after spending hours in hyperspace," I frowned. "I must note that the tactical data I have in my head is incomplete. Perun messed up the upload process when he got me out of the stasis pod my makers left me in. The bastard also destroyed what he couldn't use out of spite," I spat. It simply wouldn't do for Lord Yu to "request" I hand him Ancient tech I didn't have. "I am certain that there were all kinds of useful devices and knowledge he wasted when he threw that temper tantrum," I shook my head in a show of exasperation.

Lord Yu stared at me for endless seconds before he nodded.

"That sounds more like the Perun I remember," the System Lord allowed.

"As I was saying, the Wraith drives were effectively slower, but I can't recall if that was thanks to the required downtime between jumps in hyperspace or in general. I recall that they used powerful direct energy weapons and swarms of small craft. Their warriors and most of the ship crews were cloned drones – utterly loyal and expendable. Due to their mastery of biological sciences, as far as I know, any attempts on biological warfare failed spectacularly," I concluded my explanation.

Memories without the Force were vexing in how vague and fragmented they were after decades. One might think that after becoming a Sith, I could clearly recall everything from before, but for some reason, the Force didn't work that way. The earliest memories I could use it to recall clearly were from my first days at the Sith Academy on Korriban.

Lord Yu frowned. "That would be a weakness of clones. Tailoring a biological agent at clones would be one of the few safe ways to deploy such weapons."

The issue with bioweapons was simple—they were either not effective enough to bother with or so effective that you had to worry about your bioweapon killing you and your population. The "good" ones also had a rapid mutation rate, quickly making vaccines obsolete. That was why even most Goa'uld never bothered with such things. Raw firepower got the job done and was safer for everyone involved.

Nirrti was a notable exception.

A small army of servants descended into the garden where we sat, bringing refreshments and food, which they served with commendable efficiency, before leaving as quickly as they arrived.

I sipped the tea offered, doing my best to mimic Lord Yu's technique. His technique, so to speak, was similar to some of the cultures I've interacted with, but it clearly had its own touches I was unaware of. The blend was interesting and novel. For better words, it tasted green with a hint of unfamiliar fruit and sweetener.

"You are surprisingly unconcerned by being at my mercy," Lord Yu fished for information.

"In some regards, I believe the Ancients succeeded beyond their wildest dreams when they made me," I offered. "It might be arrogance speaking, but I believe I have a fair chance of fighting my way out if needed. While I don't know your security precautions, my Lord, I am confident they weren't made with someone like me in mind."

More than a few of the guards listening in bristled at my statement. If anything, Lord Yu felt amused and even more curious than before.

"One day, I might want a demonstration," the Goa'uld noted.

"I would prefer not to have all the Goa'uld crawling after me, trying their luck in snatching my body. It would end badly for them, though I have better ways to spend my time instead of dealing with incompetent assassins and body-snatchers."

"That would be inconvenient," a small smile tugged Lord Yu's lips.

He was enjoying the banter, I realized. A closer look at his emotions confirmed it. There was an almost childish delight below his worry, cautious hope, and burning curiosity. When was the last time he got to speak with someone without all the posturing Goa'uld couldn't live without? Lord Yu clasped his hands before his chest and idly toyed with his beard, visibly relaxing.

"With or without a deal, you are going after Kali," the System Lord stated.

"I have no acceptable alternative," I agreed.

"Even with my official protection, she will have to move against you," Lord Yu confirmed my conclusions. "She has to. Ra turned your very existence into a danger and weakness for Kali. That way, he denies her a valuable asset and turns it against her. Dividing and conquering have been his preferred ways of doing things. Ra perfected his skills in it over thousands of years, and he knows how almost all Goa'uld think, which makes it even easier for someone like him," he sipped his tea before continuing. "I look forward to seeing how you'll handle the trap you've found yourself in." Yu's tone was light and conversational, almost relaxed, for the first time since the meeting began.

If his emotions were anything to judge by, this wasn't a gambit to put me at ease, so he could stab me in the back when I least expected it. Either way, it was nice to confirm that my reading on Kali and my general situation were correct. While I could access Perun's memories, it didn't mean I had lived and internalized them all. No matter how slim, there was always the danger that I'd misread Goa'uld society in general, or Kali in particular, in a catastrophic way.

Lord Yu's Prime returned, followed by ten armored Jaffa escorting three prisoners in chains. At a glance, the armor and equipment of my host's soldiers subtly differed from what I'd seen before. Unsurprisingly, Yu's people were busy refining everything he traded for. They were likely incorporating lessons learned from training with my people and live combat.

This was why an eventual alliance with Lord Yu and, for now, just becoming one of his vassals would be so valuable. Due to far greater access to industry and trained personnel, almost everyone else could put to good use the ideas and technologies I was busy introducing. Earth could offer me only so much for now, even though the equipment I bought in bulk was a vital power multiplier no one could replace.

"My Lord, the prisoners as ordered," Prime Sun Kun saluted when he joined us.

"What now?" Lord Yu's gaze sharpened.

I slowly stood up.

"Your hand, if you will, my Lord. It might be best if your Jaffa step aside from the prisoners," I suggested.

A stab of suspicion and fear, followed by pained hope, struggled within the Goa'uld. Eventually, Lord Yu made up his mind and stood as well. To his credit, he didn't bother with threats about what would happen if I assassinated him. Instead, he walked around the table, offered me a hand, then nodded to his Prime.

"Step away from the prisoners," Sun Kun barked. The Jaffa obeyed, moving smoothly in a way that implied excellent training and discipline.

I drank deeply from the Dark Side and grasped Lord Yu's hand while raising my other arm. The prisoners appeared smart enough to take a hasty step away from me, radiating confusion and apprehension. I could see their rippling life energy, which was of the Force, yet not. The Dark Side surged, guided by my intent, sending tendrils of vicious energy into my victims. They had a moment to recoil before ravenous tentacles plunged into them, siphoning their very essence.

Within seconds, all that was left were three mummified husks, which collapsed upon themselves. The chains and the fall were enough to crack if not outright shatter, fragile bones.

The Jaffa wisely stepped back, and more than one raised a weapon at me before Sun Kun barked at them.

"Jaffa Kree! Stand down!"

Lord Yu twitched at the display, but instead of recoiling and tearing his hand out of my grasp, he clasped my palm in response. He was determined to try his luck after all.

I took a moment to center myself while all the life energy from the prisoners surged through me, revitalizing my flesh. Through the Force, I guided all that power into Lord Yu, transmuting it into a form that would allow me to heal someone else.

I looked deeply into Goa'uld and host alike, going beyond their Force signature. While I was not a doctor, and my formal medical training focused on battlefield medicine and first aid, the Force offered many options that didn't require a medical degree to put to good use. While a trained and experienced doctor could utilize the Force to heal to a greater effect, I still could do various things, usually beyond the bonds of medical technology. I could perceive areas where things were simply wrong with Yu, and part of the problem was the foreign energy clinging to his every cell. While it wasn't hurting him, it wasn't helping either.

This was the same kind of energy used by the Sarcophagus, and it tended to dissipate quickly after it was done. However, this clearly wasn't the case with Lord Yu. Notably, there was a kind of degradation around his nervous system. The foreign energy was clustered there, possibly subtly disrupting how his neurons worked. That by itself could explain much. And well, he was bloody old. There was a weight of time, or at least that was how I perceived it when I gazed deeply within Lord Yu.

I channeled all the excess life force into the System Lord, guiding it towards his nervous system in particular—both the one of the human host and the Goa'uld. Interestingly enough, at this juncture, they appeared to be fused together instead of being a distinct symbiote or a parasite latched onto the spine and brain of a host.

Lord Yu exhaled sharply before taking in a surprised breath. His relief rang like a crystal chime through the Force. Energy flowed into him, revitalizing old cells and invigorating him. The life force surged over the other foreign energy, washing over it like a wave. The Sarcophagus' signature remained within Yu, undiminished by the life-essence I shoved into him. However, the cells around it felt better, for lack of a better word. They weren't precisely sick and needed healing. Practically speaking, while Yu and his host were ancient, the same couldn't be said about the cells making up their bodies. However, they were diminished compared to what I would expect if examining someone young.

Age eventually catches with everyone unless you can get your body correctly rebuilt. Advanced medical technology and healing with the Force could maintain a person's body in good shape for a very long time, but eventually, errors and traumas would take their toll, leading to more and more complications building upon each other. Those issues would gradually weaken the body until it could no longer be sustained. Ironically, due to the quirks of the Force, that timeframe could be shorter for a Force Adept than for a regular human. I knew a few humans who were around for centuries due to the ability to swap failing organs and flesh with cloned tissue and cybernetics. The latter option was an absolute no-go for a Force Adept, for it would weaken us and our ability to sustain us with the Force.

The Force tended to have a vote regarding cloned replacement parts. It intensely disliked it when someone cloned Force Sensitives or even just spare organs and limbs. In that regard, things tended to go wrong, usually sooner rather than later.

Once I was done, I let go of Lord Yu and sighed. By its very nature, the Dark Side was selfish. Healing through was like swimming against a current, even if the Dark Side didn't actively fight you. One of the things that drove scientists to near insanity when trying to codify the Force was that, often, its limitations were inconsistent and arbitrary. I could heal someone I was interrogating and torturing from the brink of death to keep the process going. Yet, to heal someone I loved or didn't care about, just because I otherwise wanted or needed them alive, well then I needed to tear the life force from people and usually sacrifice them, not merely draw just a little bit. Such things were primary reasons why all relevant Force Sects had religious undertones if they weren't outright religious orders.

The Force always got a vote, no matter if you served it like a Jedi or used it like a Sith.

"My thoughts are clearer than they've been in years!" Lord Yu exclaimed happily after a few seconds of contemplation. He stretched himself and even bounced in place.

Beacons of hope ignited in the hearts of the Jaffa around us.

"You're still old, my Lord. There isn't much I can do about that but to, at best, mitigate the side effects," I warned him. "I could also sense energy from the Sarcophagus clinging to your cells. It's still there. What I did had absolutely no effect on it. Physically, you are better. However, I don't believe what I did is a permanent fix," I admitted.

Lord Yu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His elation dampened, though he clearly felt much better than before, which kept his spirits from cratering.

"Is that all?" He asked.

I explained what I could see and feel when looking at him through the Force, including the way he was apparently fused with his host.

"What you speak of makes sense and aligns with my observations. I was aware that the energy from the Sarcophagus clings to me, making it have less and less effect with each use. That is why I haven't been in it for so long," Lord Yu confessed. "My healers and scholars concur with your conclusions," he added, clearly pleased, likely because I didn't feed him bantha fodder to make myself look better. "Most Goa'uld in my position would keep you at hand to heal them on demand," he chuckled, amused by the idea. "I don't want to figure out what you can do to me if I attempted something so foolish."

"There are many less painful ways to die," I decided that honesty was the best course of action. Within reason, of course.

"Sun Kun, dispose of the dead and call one of my scribes. Have him draw and bring the documents for investing a new vassal sworn to the Celestial Throne," Lord Yu ordered. He looked at me. "This might not be a permanent solution, but it might be enough to allow me to deal with the coming storm while in my right mind. That is more than I expected after my best healers and scholars failed to find a cure."

"I can think of a few solutions after I examined you, my Lord. However, most of them require Ancient technologies we don't have and likely can't utilize without reverse engineering them first. The device the Sarcophagus is based on may help. I know that transferring a mind to a computer and then into a new body should be possible, but I have no idea how to achieve something like that."

I chose not to mention what Vahlen found on Altair until I learned more about the technologies involved.

"The neural interfaces we use," Lord Yu said after pondering my words.

"They're a part of the puzzle, but I don't believe would be enough by themselves," I warned.

"We'll see. We have some planning to do," Lord Yu decided.