Chapter 36: Spooks Part 1
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, United States of America, Earth, September 20th, 1998
"...and we need to do this again! Bye!"
"Bye! Drive… fly responsibly!"
"Of course!"
Samantha Carter watched as the shuttle lifted off and flew into orbit, suppressing the slight envy she felt at the reminder that for the Etherians, flying into space was as easy - or easier - than driving home after work.
"Well, that's it." The Colonel sighed and turned back to look at Sam and her friends. "Mission accomplished. I guess."
"Mission?" Daniel blinked.
"To keep Adora from causing chaos by offering magical healing to Earth," the Colonel reminded him.
"Ah, yes." Daniel nodded. "I was more concerned with their reactions to Star Wars."
"We noticed," Sam told him.
He smiled a little sheepishly. "It's fascinating. An advanced civilisation, reacting to Earth's pop culture. I mean… we haven't seen that before. Even contact with Abydos wasn't like… well, we didn't have much in the way of pop culture to show. I did tell a lot of stories, but telling the plot of Star Wars isn't the same as watching the movie." His smile turned both sad and wistful.
Sam suppressed a wince. He would be thinking of his wife.
"The visuals are striking, even for someone used to space flight, but the story itself is its strength," Teal'c said.
"Not everyone agrees, Teal'c," the Colonel told him. "For many critics, as soon as people have ray guns, it's just cheap entertainment, not cultured."
"It seems those people value appearances over substance," Teal'c said. "Therefore, their opinions are highly suspect."
"Yeah, I'd say so too. Many of them would probably claim Hockey isn't the best sport ever, either." The Colonel grinned.
"Jack…" Daniel sighed. "Well, they liked Star Wars. I don't think they were just being polite."
Sam nodded. She didn't think Catra would even consider lying just to be polite. "Yes."
"But we kind of screwed up as well," the Colonel went on. "We forgot that for them, Star Wars is like watching a war movie for veterans. A contemporary war movie."
Sam winced. They should have considered that.
Daniel nodded, but Teal'c frowned. "What do you mean, O'Neill?"
"The movies made them think of things they didn't want to think about. A number of those scenes were probably a little too close to what they lived through," he explained.
"Yes," Daniel agreed. "No one triggered, but… we should have considered that an evil Lord of the Sith in a suit of armour that doubles as a life support system would remind Hordak about, well, himself."
"Well, I was more concerned about the whole betrayal thing in the movies," the Colonel said. "Hordak is a big former warlord and can handle himself."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sir," Sam objected. "He was raised in very… unique circumstances. They all were, compared to the average American soldier."
"And they are stronger for it," Teal'c said, nodding slowly but firmly. "They faced the worst and were not broken. And those of them who served a false god refuted him. Like Vader ultimately refuted the Emperor."
Just like Teal'c.
"Well, yeah, but they didn't die like Vader," the Colonel said. "And even if they won, not many want to be reminded of what they did and lived through in a war."
Sam nodded again and suppressed a sigh at Teal'c's expression. For all their friendship, and his interest in Earth culture and customs, Teal'c still was a Jaffa, with all that entailed.
"Why wouldn't they want to remember their deeds? They fought a tyrant and won. This is something to be proud of - and to tell others to teach and inspire them."
"Well, they're still kids," the Colonel said. "And yes, Entrapta isn't a kid, but she's… Entrapta. So, we can't treat them like Jaffa."
"I think they could do with some therapy," Daniel said. "Especially if the war with the Goa'uld starts for real."
"Yeah, getting them therapy might be a tad difficult," the Colonel said, grimacing. "You don't send your absolute monarch to a shrink. And you absolutely don't send an absolute monarch of a foreign country to a shrink."
"Well, they're an advanced society; I think they have their own… therapists," Daniel said.
"You think? Or you hope?" The Colonel raised his eyebrows.
"It's not a topic that came up so far in our talks," Daniel replied. "But I'll have to ask them about it. This could have consequences for the war efforts."
"Just be very… diplomatic," the Colonel told him. "We're already on thin ice with the whole gay marriage thing. If they think we consider them crazy, it might kill the alliance."
"I think you overestimate the problem, O'Neill, and underestimate our friends' strength. Honesty is the best policy, as they said themselves. Just voice your concerns in a straightforward manner." Teal'c nodded at them.
"Easier said than done," Daniel muttered.
Sam resisted the urge to bite her lower lip. She was an officer in the Air Force, not a teenager faced with a row in the family. "I could ask Entrapta about… talking to people," she offered.
"Good idea. I don't think Entrapta will get mad," the Colonel said, nodding. After a moment, he demonstratively yawned. "But we better get home now. It's past midnight, and we'll have a long day tomorrow, what with all the debriefings and reports about tonight."
Oh, yes. Sam clenched her teeth.
"This was a private affair, Jack," Daniel said with a frown. "Our reports should say so." Sam could hear the 'and nothing else' as if he had said it.
"Yeah. I'm not saying we should rat them out. But we have to let Hammond know about the healing thing. And that they like Star Wars. And warn the brass about pushing their buttons." The Colonel snorted. "And that they absolutely hate being lied to."
That was true. But Sam was sure that the Etherians didn't like being spied on, either. And they would see revealing what was said tonight as breaking their confidence.
Earth Orbit, Solar System, September 20th, 1998
Catra leaned back into her cushion - for all her muscles, Adora was quite soft when you knew where to sit and were flexible enough - and sighed as they approached Darla. "So… how much intel do you think did we let slip to SG-1?"
"Catra!" Adora blurted out. "This was a movie night! They didn't spy on us!"
Catra snorted. Adora was great - brave, kind, forgiving, loving, protective, honourable, incredible in bed - but she was trusting to a fault. "They only had to keep their eyes and ears open as we watched the movie." And she was sure neither O'Neill nor Daniel had missed anything.
"But that doesn't mean they would use that against us!" Adora retorted. "They're our friends!"
"Yes," Glimmer chimed in. "But they're also loyal towards their country."
"Well," Bow spoke up, "I don't think they would attempt to use what they know about us against us, but what about using it to, ah, better understand us?"
Catra snorted again. "You mean, use their knowledge of us to help them plan how best to make a deal with us?"
"Err… it sounds bad if you say it like that." Bow pouted.
Glimmer, though, nodded at Catra. "Exactly."
"They know how to make a deal with us!" Adora, predictably, protested. "We told them what we want! Equal rights for everyone!"
"Yes," Glimmer agreed. "But the American president might think that if he knows more about us, we'll compromise on that."
Catra nodded. That would fit what they knew about the American government. Or any Earth government.
"Well, then them knowing more about us is a good thing," Adora said. "So they'll know we won't. Compromise, that is."
"They'll still attempt to find leverage. Even if they manage to fulfil our conditions - or especially if they do and an alliance is formed. They want to have as much influence in the alliance as possible," Hordak said.
Catra nodded again.
And, once more, Glimmer agreed. "That's how it works back home as well."
"But…" Adora frowned at them. She probably would have jumped up and crossed her arms if Catra hadn't occupied her lap. "Our friends don't think like that!"
"Well…" Glimmer took a deep breath. "Not our close friends, I think."
Adora looked at her as if she had been told that she would not be allowed to eat anything but Horde rations for a month. Or a year. "But…"
"Adora," Catra told her. "Yes, our close friends won't stab us in the back or play political games with us. They fought with us, and they know what was and is at stake." And just how powerful She-Ra was. "But the people on Earth? Their rulers? They don't. They don't know us."
"And for them, that's normal. Politics," Glimmer added.
"Yes." Bow nodded. "I've read up on their history, and their alliances were full of power struggles and politics. Sometimes even between people of the same country. Fellow soldiers."
"That was normal in the Horde - my Horde; not Horde Prime's," Hordak said.
He was glancing at her, Catra noticed. She bared her fangs in a grin in return. They understood each other.
"So, you think SG-1 will tell them… that we liked the movies?" Adora asked. "Or will they tell them how we reacted?"
Catra shrugged. "Hard to say." O'Neill was the kind of man to do what he thought was necessary, no matter what. But what would he think was necessary? That was the big question. Teal'c, though, she was sure wouldn't betray their confidence. Sam and Daniel... Sam would follow O'Neill's lead. Daniel would do what he thought was right. He wouldn't betray them.
"I think they'll be fine," Entrapta said. "And even if they tell them what we thought of the movies, so what? It's not a secret." She beamed. "There were so many neat ideas! I can't wait to start doing science!"
That was… well, not entirely true, but Entrapta was right that even if the Americans got the full records of the evening, they wouldn't really gain much that they hadn't already known. "Well, not so for their magic. It sucked."
Adora nodded.
"Yoda managed to lift the entire X-Wing," Bow pointed out.
"Big deal," Adora said. "I can do the same without magic. And so could Scorpia."
Catra chuckled. "But you'd be all dirty afterwards."
"And anti-gravity generators could do the same as well," Entrapta added. "Luke should have left them on, anyway, when he landed in a swamp."
"Yeah, that was dumb. But that's Luke for you. All brawn, no brains."
"Hey!" Adora pouted at her.
Catra grinned back. "I wasn't talking about you."
"I know what you meant!"
Catra let her tail rub against Adora's nose, and when her lover gripped it and was distracted, Catra leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Mhh."
Cara closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss. That was how a relaxed evening should end.
"Oh, for… at least wait until we're back inside Darla!" Glimmer complained.
Catra ignored her. No one kept Glimmer from kissing Bow.
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, United States of America, Earth, September 20th, 1998
"We need more details, Colonel O'Neill. This is of crucial importance." Smith - if that was the man's real name, Jack O'Neill would eat his service cap - frowned. Jack had the impression he didn't really believe that Jack didn't remember many details.
Well, Jack didn't care. He hated spooks as much as he hated politicians. Perhaps a little bit more since he had worked far more often with spooks than with politicians in the past. "I told you that they seemed to like Star Wars but also that it seemed to remind them of their own war."
"Yes, but which scenes, in particular, did remind them of their own war? We cannot build a dependable psych profile if we can't pinpoint the exact triggers."
Which was part of the reason Jack wasn't going to tell the man any details. Shrinks ranked third on his list, after all. Second on any day that he had a mandatory counselling session scheduled. "I also told you that the revelation that Obi-Wan and Yoda had lied and kept the truth about Luke's family from him struck them hard. That kind of manipulation seemed to rile up all of them."
"Yes, you did. But we need more data."
The guy sounded like a suited version of Entrapta without her charm and innocence. No, like a druggie suffering withdrawal. And Jack didn't want to sell out his friends to get the guy his fix. "Did it occur to you that if you build up your psych profile and then try to 'handle' the Etherians, they will notice that?"
"I doubt that, Colonel." The man's bland smile grew a tad more arrogant.
Jack clenched his teeth. "You're still thinking that the Etherians are kids from a fantasy land, aren't you?"
"We're aware that they have fought a war and have access to advanced technology."
Damn. Jack hoped that the man's superiors were more on the ball. "You don't get it. They aren't young people in over their heads. They aren't traumatised kids you can manipulate with a lollipop and a smile. They rule their own countries." Well, some of them did. "They're leading armies and fleets. And they have experience with politics and war."
"Only two of them are ruling princesses, and Entrapta has shown a marked reluctance to engage in politics which points to a lack of experience - something which was corroborated with information you provided."
Oh, for crying out loud! "All of them have command experience at the highest level. They have been leaders of a coalition of sovereign rulers. It's all politics at that level." One of the reasons Jack was happy as an officer in the field. "Stop thinking of them as naive kids! Think of them as presidents and four-star generals."
"You're not an analyst, Colonel O'Neill."
"And you're not in charge of US politics," he shot back. "You don't understand the difference between naive and principled. You think because they don't give a damn about the 'realities' of American politics, they are ignorant." The man's glare told him he was on the mark. "They know how the USA works. They know the limits of our system." Daniel certainly had taught them more than enough about that on the way back.
"If they do, they don't really show it," the man fired back.
"They don't have to," Jack spat. "They don't need us. We need them."
"And that is why we need more intelligence about them, Colonel!"
"I think Star Wars has been ruined for me!" Jack O'Neill exclaimed as he sat down at SG-1's table in the cantine.
"Why would that be, O'Neil?" Teal'c asked.
"Didn't you get debriefed about the trilogy?" Jack asked as he poked the 'food' on his tray. Just to check if it was still alive. Not that it looked as if it had ever been alive.
"I was happy to explain the intricacies of Star Wars to the agent," Teal'c said without changing his expression. "At length."
Which meant that he had drowned the interrogator in movie trivia and hadn't said much if anything about the Etherians. Jack snorted.
"I explained the unique opportunity of watching people from a society without movies to that kind of media," Daniel added. "Well, a society without movies but with the cultural background to understand Star Wars."
"I stuck to technical aspects of hypothetical Star Wars technology reproduced with current technology," Carter said in a bland voice.
"I guess I should have stuck to military tactics seen through Star Wars," Jack sighed. His team was learning. Maybe a bit too much.
"Clashed with the interrogator?" Daniel asked.
"He wanted to know too many personal details," Jack replied. "Sounded like a stalker. I told him that the Etherians don't like stalkers." Well, not in so many words.
Daniel chuckled at that, but Carter nodded.
"So!" Jack said, trying some of the side dishes and grimacing. They must have let the Marines help out in the kitchen today. "Let's hope that the head spooks are more reasonable than their underlings."
"Since we haven't burnt any bridges so far, I think that's a safe assumption," Daniel said.
"The Etherians are meeting with the Germans today," Carter commented. "They just passed the new legislation in a special session."
And America was still trying to make half their politicians understand that the times had changed. Jack sighed. Beaten to the goal by the Germans? That was almost insulting. No wonder the spooks were getting pushy - they must be under a lot of pressure.
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, September 20th, 1998 (Earth Time)
"...Bundeskanzler ist in Genf eingetroffen, wo er mit den Etherianern Gespräche über eine Allianz führen wird. Nach der Sondersitzung des Bundestags wird erwartet…"
"...of the Organisation of African Unity harshly condemned the Etherians, citing a colonialist policy and cultural imperialism on par with the worst atrocities…"
"...Canadian Prime Minister released a statement reaffirming the country's firm stance towards equality before the law regardless of race, faith or sexual identity, although the bill's still being debated…"
"...while the European Union's plan to release a statement of joint intent has been stalled. Several member states, notably Italy, criticised France and the United Kingdom for their 'hasty policies' and claimed that…"
"...Russian government once more stated that their economic troubles were due to the arrival of the aliens and the effects on the resource market, not on anything else, and…"
"...and the Chinese government released a strongly worded statement warning the Taiwanese government not to approach the Etherians…"
"...of South Korea stated that the country would have to follow Japan's example if it wanted to remain competitive in a world rapidly adapting to alien technology and societies. Asked about the repercussions on their relationship with North Korea, he claimed that…"
"...and the Pope is still in reclusion. Numerous prominent representatives of the Catholic Church have been vocal in their demands that…"
"...Swedish Riksdag passed a law granting equal rights to gay people, although it's as of yet unclear whether the government will enter negotiations about an alliance with the Etherians. Several politicians claimed that the country's long tradition of neutrality was an obstacle to such a course of action, although others cited the fact that the entire Earth was under attack as sufficient reason to seek allies. Pacifist organisations denounced such arguments as…"
"...and after a long and spirited debate with the pastor of my church, I have come to realise that Jesus's love is unconditional and for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, oppose the proposed constitutional amendment any longer and will…"
Adora switched off the television before Catra could switch channels again. "I think you're becoming a little too… fixated on this." What was the term? News junkie?
Catra snorted. "I'm just keeping up with the news."
"By zapping through all channels?"
"Yes!" Catra grinned. "It's not as if I need to watch for long before I know what they'll say."
Adora frowned. She still had some issues understanding Earth people. "And what did they say?"
"Some countries want to get our technology and will pass any law they think will make us like them but don't want to look as greedy as they are, and others think we're the devil and want us dead." Catra shrugged. "Same as yesterday:"
"But that politician at the end wasn't like usual!" Adora protested.
"He suddenly found out that his god loves everyone?" Catra scoffed. "You believe that? He was either bribed or blackmailed, I bet."
"He sounded sincere."
"As sincere as Shadow Weaver," Catra shot back with a sneer. Adora raised her eyebrows, and she sighed. "Sorry, but I don't buy this 'our god suddenly loves you too, and it has nothing to do with the fact you have something we want' story." She grinned. "Not without their god saying anything about it in person."
Adora frowned at her lover. She knew what Catra meant.
"I bet you'd make a much better goddess…"
"Don't you start! I'm no goddess!" Adora hissed. Priest was bad enough. And the people on Earth would really hate her if they thought she claimed to be a goddess. Or, worse, they might revere her!
Catra giggled. "Just yanking your chain." She grinned. "And speaking of… we really need to buy you that outfit."
Adora blushed.
"Are you at it again?" Glimmer scowled at them from where she was reading what data Entrapta had collected on the Bundeskanzler. It wasn't much - Adora had read it twice already.
"Just passing the time. Why, do you want one as well?" Catra's grin widened.
"I want you to focus on our meeting with the German ruler!"
"What's there to focus on?" Catra shrugged. "It's going to be the same as with the French and British: They want our technology, and we want their soldiers."
"They have vastly different cultures," Glimmer retorted. "We can't just treat everyone the same."
"When it comes down to it, they all want the same," Catra shot back.
"Yes, but how they want to get it differs," Glimmer pointed out. "The Germans don't have a princess or king, but they didn't kill their monarchs, either. That makes them different from the French and British."
"Didn't the grandson of their last ruler propose to restore the monarchy in Germany for better relations with us?" Adora asked.
"Great-grandson," Glimmer corrected her. "And that wasn't received well. Not at all."
"They didn't do anything to him, though," Catra pointed out.
"Anyway," Glimmer said, "we can't just half-ass this. Germany is the most powerful economy in Europe, and their industry is very modern. If we can get an alliance with them, then, with the French and British on board, we're set for the time being." She looked at Catra. "So, don't needle them."
"Sure, sure. They don't have a sense of humour anyway, according to what I've read."
"That might be British propaganda," Bow pointed out.
"Well, we'll find out."
"No. We won't find out if they have a sense of humour or not. Not in the middle of our negotiations!"
"Spoilsport."
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, United States of America, Earth, September 20th, 1998
"So, the Goa'uld prisoners have refused to use the keyboard so far?"
Samantha Carter nodded. "Yes. We have installed keyboards in both cells, but other than trying out the keys, they have not attempted to communicate with us," she told Entrapta.
Entrapta frowned and stopped looking around in Sam's lab, presumably for new things. "Are you sure that they can read without a host? They could be relying on a host for higher cognitive feats and only act on instincts until they can get a host. They do access their hosts' memories, after all, don't they?"
"Our intel indicates that this isn't the case," Sam replied.
"But did you check?" Hordak asked.
Sam looked at the clone. "If that was the case, then the Goa'uld controlling the animals we encountered should have been more limited in its actions."
"That might have been instinct as well. Or the creatures were more intelligent than you assumed."
That was theoretically possible, but Sam doubted it. "With their genetic memory, and based on previous encounters, it seems implausible that they do not retain their intellect outside a host."
"Well, the small size of their brains means that they have a much more efficient neural structure than humans if they also retain their intelligence," Entrapta said.
"They don't piggyback on human brains." Sam pressed her lips together for a moment, suppressing a shudder at the memories of her own time as a host. "My intellectual capacity wasn't diminished at all while I was puppeted."
"Oh." Entrapta blinked, then bit her lower lip. "I see. But why wouldn't they communicate with us?"
"We don't know. It might be their version of only giving name, rank and serial number," Sam speculated.
"Or they want to force you to provide them with a host to interrogate them, giving them leverage through a hostage - or at least more options to escape," Hordak suggested.
"That has been mentioned as well," Sam admitted. And some of the agents had suggested actually doing it.
"So, they're just being stubborn?" Entrapta frowned.
"Or desperate," Sam said.
"Well, we wouldn't kill them," Entrapta said. "And they could have a more comfortable stay if they cooperated - we don't know too much about their needs outside a host."
Executing the Goa'uld prisoners - or one of them, to 'encourage' the other - had been suggested as well. Sam understood the Colonel's attitude towards 'spooks' a bit better now. "They haven't reacted to such offers either." That was amongst the basics of interrogation. "And yes," she added when Hordak opened his mouth, "we also made the offer using hieroglyphs they would be able to read." One of the Goa'uld had been living in the United States for decades, but the other wouldn't be able to understand or read modern languages.
"I wasn't going to mention that since it was obvious," Hordak said. "Did you remove privileges from the prisoners in response to their refusal to communicate?"
"You mean like… torturing them?" Sam asked.
Hordak tilted his head. "Making their cells less comfortable would probably qualify, yes."
"Hordak! We don't torture prisoners!" Entrapta scolded him.
He seemed unfazed. "But the people on Earth do."
"Not in America. We don't torture prisoners," Sam said. "It's illegal."
"Your history disagrees with that statement," Hordak said.
"Those were crimes. We won't torture our prisoners." Sam shook her head. "That's ingrained into our laws. Anyone who does torture a prisoner will be persecuted by the law." If they caught them - Sam had no doubt that the NID would torture people if they thought it would help their goals.
"If removing amenities is not acceptable, and they do not react to offers of better conditions, then you have few options left to entice them into cooperating with you," Hordak said.
"We're aware of that."
"Appeal to their curiosity?" Entrapta suggested. "Show them something they didn't know before? Offer them to do science? It worked on me!" she added with a smile, then frowned. "Of course, Catra later said it was a dirty trick, but I don't know if she was serious."
"Letting them do science would imply giving them a host," Sam said.
"Not if we make tiny tools for them!" Entrapta smiled.
"I do not think that giving the prisoners access to tools is a good idea," Hordak said.
"And I don't think they're interested in science," Sam added. But they might be interested in information about Etherians. Seth would have known about their arrival, but Osiris wouldn't have known about it. It was a decent enough idea. "But I'll pass it on."
"Pass it on?" Entrapta tilted her head to the side.
"I am not in charge of the prisoners," Sam explained. "I can make suggestions, but no decisions." And she could speak out against questionable ideas such as trying to play one of the Goa'uld against the other based on their supposed animosity.
"Right." Entrapta nodded. "So… what do we do now? Did you work on a lightsaber yet?"
Sam suppressed a chuckle - this was the first time she had entered her lab since last night. "I haven't had the time yet."
"So, let's see what we can come up with!" Entrapta nodded several times and then looked at Sam's desk. "We might need more space, though."
"And a safe way to test prototypes," Hordak added. "Plasma blades tend to be dangerous when they lose containment."
"Yes." Sam had been told that all research with the Etherians would be supported by Stargate Command - and the government still desperate for closer ties to the Etherians - but she wasn't sure General Hammond expected them to research lightsabers. Then again, she had her orders, so asking for a lab to test their prototypes would just be doing her duty…
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, September 20th, 1998 (Earth Time)
"Yes, small to medium companies are the backbone of our industry. They aren't famous like our car companies or our arms industry, but they provide the bigger corporations with parts and fill crucial niches in the global economy. So, any agreement about sharing advanced technology will have to keep this in mind."
Catra felt as if her face had frozen in a polite smile as the Chancellor of Germany - the Bundeskanzler - once again went on about Germany's industry. They were here to finalise a military alliance, not a trade agreement. But there were more representatives of businesses with him than military officers. At least it felt that way to her.
"Yes, but you also have to consider the need to keep advanced technology safe from spies," Adora told the man. "Sharing this technology with every little company is too dangerous."
"I trust our companies," the man said with a slight frown. "They have experience with guarding their technological edge against their competition."
"And against spies?" Catra leaned forward and matched the man's frown. "Not just your other k-countries, but what about alien spies?" She had almost said 'kingdoms' - she blamed her boredom. That would've made the Germans think she wasn't aware of how things were done on Earth and thought they had a king. Or Emperor.
"Well, there shouldn't be any alien spies - you checked, didn't you?" one of the people in suits said.
"We did. But there are more alien species than the Goa'uld," Glimmer said. "You can't just trust we'll catch every spy. And your other countries won't show up - and they want this technology."
"You might have to adjust how you do things - or implement better security for your smaller companies," Bow added.
"That would be possible, but troops used for that would be missing on the front," one of the officers retorted.
"I don't think we want to station soldiers in factories," a man in a suit said with a frown. "The optics would be terrible."
"That might be a good thing," another officer spoke up. "Drive home the fact that we're at war. Some people really don't get that."
"Even the Greens are with us," the first suit said. "We can ignore the fringe."
Adora cleared her throat. "So, speaking of the military, what kind of troops can be mobilised?"
"Well, the Bundeswehr is still in the process of being mobilised for war," the Minister of Defence said. "We have had some material stowed away, and getting it ready for deployment will take some more time. As will training up the soldiers we need for this."
"Yes," Catra said, hissing a little. "Can we get numbers?"
They got numbers. Lots of numbers. But all of them would take a while to be reached. The Germans apparently hadn't been ready for a war. They had some troops ready but in very limited numbers. Still… "I think we can work with that," Catra said. "It'll take time sorting out how we move them and deciding which planets we'll attack. And we need to coordinate with the rest of the Alliance. Alliances," she corrected herself - the Princess Alliance had now an alliance with the British and the French and soon with the Germans. That would get confusing.
"Ah, yes." The Chancellor nodded several times. "And speaking of coordinating, have you considered our proposal for increased trade between Germany, I mean the European Union, and Etheria?"
Catra slowly unsheathed her claws under the table and scratched its underside.
"We would have to discuss that with the European Union, and we're not ready to negotiate any trade agreements," Glimmer told him. "We're talking about a military alliance. Trade can be discussed at a later date."
"Yes," Catra nodded emphatically. Her tail was twitching again, but she managed not to flatten her ears.
"Alright!" The Chancellor smiled. "We've had proposals to convert submarine yards to spaceship yards. Would that be feasible?"
If not for Adora's hand on her thigh, Catra would have hissed.
"Such technical details would be best discussed with our experts," Bow said. "We would have to know more about your 'submarines' as well."
One of the aides started pulling sheets out of a suitcase.
"We should've taken Entrapta with us," Catra whispered as Bow studied the first sheets.
"Yes," Adora agreed. "She would love this."
She would also have to be supervised so she didn't give out technological secrets for free, but yes, this was a matter best aimed at Entrapta. Bow was a techmaster, but he wasn't experienced with mass production. Or factories - except for knowing how to sabotage them.
Which was tempting, Catra thought with a grin.
"Catra, no!" Adora whispered.
"So," Glimmer spoke up, probably to cover for Adora's scolding, "we should have sorted out all the important points, then."
Like an hour ago, in Catra's opinion.
"Well, the military parts, yes," the Chancellor agreed.
"Good. I think we need to discuss the rest at a later date." Glimmer nodded. "It's getting late."
"It's late afternoon."
"Orbit lag," Glimmer lied.
"Ah, of course! So… same time tomorrow?"
Catra didn't whimper. She had survived worse.
But she wanted to.
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, United States of America, Earth, September 21st, 1998
"...and the Chancellor and the Etherians have been meeting with several representatives of the German arms industry, likely discussing technology transfers, although no details were forthcoming and the government declined to comment on…"
"Figures that the Germans are at the forefront when it comes to getting new technology," Jack O'Neill commented as he shut off the television in the meeting room. "Greedy bastards." He noticed that Daniel was frowning at him. And Carter had that perfectly polite expression on her face that meant she was annoyed at him. "I'm just letting off some steam. No need to mention Operation Paperclip." He grinned when Daniel closed his mouth and pouted.
"I doubt that the Etherians will show such preference to the Germans," Teal'c said. "That would vex the British and the French for no discernable reason."
"They haven't said that there is a deal, just that they're talking about one. It's probably just propaganda for the German public," Jack agreed. "They've got an election coming up."
Daniel frowned again. "You're following German politics?"
Jack snorted in return. "If it's relevant." And it helped when dealing with stupid politicians wanting advice. He was an officer, not a consultant!
"Ah."
"Entrapta didn't mention anything about that," Carter said.
"She might have forgotten about it," Daniel speculated. "You were pretty busy."
Carter didn't blush, but she tensed for a moment. "We were discussing how best to interrogate the Goa'uld."
Jack raised his eyebrows. Entrapta was a sweet girl - woman, he corrected himself; she might act like a teenager, but she was about thirty years old, after all. But she could be very scary when developing new technology. Just thinking about her being interested in interrogation techniques - or tools - was enough to make him feel queasy.
"We didn't discuss torture," Carter said. "Well, Hordak mentioned the possibility, but Entrapta didn't entertain the possibility."
Of course the bastard would have no qualms about torturing people. Or aliens. Jack snorted.
"What did Entrapta suggest?"
"Using their curiosity against them," Carter explained. "But I fear her suggestions would result in a higher risk of escape."
"Ah. On the other hand, our own experts haven't gotten anything out of the Goa'uld so far," Jack said. If not for the Etherians being involved, he was sure they would have attempted torture already. But when your friends were used to locking up prisoners in their palaces' guest rooms, even the worst spooks had to control themselves. They couldn't risk alienating the friendly aliens with more spaceships than the United States had warships.
"The false gods might expect that they will be disposed of once they have no more information to give out," Teal'c said. "A logical assumption."
"We wouldn't murder prisoners!" Daniel protested.
"Of course not," Teal'c agreed. "But given their numerous crimes, the death penalty would be the likely result of a trial."
"I'm sure that our experienced interrogators have mentioned that to our guests," Jack told his friend. "But the Goa'uld probably don't trust them. Not that I'd blame them for it."
Daniel frowned again. He was still a little naive.
But before Jack could point that out to his friend, Hammond entered the room. And his expression told Jack that he didn't have good news.
"SG-1." The general nodded at them. "As of this morning, the Security Council has officially created the International Stargate Command Organisation. The President has agreed to transfer control over the Stargate to the new organisation."
Jack clenched his teeth. He had known this was coming, but it still felt like a punch in the gut. After all their efforts, all the dead, all the money the Air Force had poured into this, the United Nations would now reap the benefits.
Damn.