Welcome back everyone. Seems one does not simply write and continue writing. At least in my regard but this fanfic is not dead I assure you. No matter the length of time, this brain child of mine keeps coming back and I hope you're ready for a gut wrenching chapter. Life has been hectic which you can probably see within the downward spiral that is this story but I'll let you figure out how as you read.

This chapter is dedicated to qelah22 who reminded me why I write stories like these. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you for all the kind comments everyone else and well, let us venture forth into the 13th chapter of Eclipse: Fall of Nabu.

Chapter 13

"—can you not even obtain a Sarcophagus without the assistance of your patron?"

"Perhaps it is best if he is excused,"

"What would you have done in their place?"

"We do not speak of that which We know nothing."

The words swirled in my mind like a venomous serpent, wrapping itself around my thoughts, tightening its grip with every passing moment. Their mockery. Their arrogance.

My shoulders felt heavier, burdened with the weight of their scorn. It was a struggle just to withhold the snarl that played at the edge of my lips.

Never had I felt more humiliated. That they spoke such words before the Queens of the Empire made the disgrace all the more unbearable. Danu, Tiamat, Damkina; they did not even respect me enough to disguise their contempt.

Even Abdul was silent.

I stalked through the halls of my temple, the walls flickering with golden torchlight, illuminating the servants and guards who scrambled to get out of my way. They were wise to do so. I feared that in my current mood, I might not have been able to stop myself before one of them was a corpse at my feet.

Reaching my chambers, I did not slow my pace before slamming the doors behind me, sealing myself in.

And then I let the rage consume me.

A roar of frustration tore from my throat, reverberating off the gilded walls. I could still hear their laughter, their dismissive words, rattling inside my skull like the echoes of a cruel joke.

I lowered myself into my throne, attempting to steady my breathing, but it was not enough. My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into the metal arms of my seat. When I finally forced myself to let go, there were dents in the gold.

Let them mock me now.

How dare they question me?

How dare Sarpanitum say nothing in my defense?

How dare they not see me for what I am?

I have won wars. I have conquered worlds. And yet they dismiss me like some unworthy prim'ta?

I could feel Abdul stirring at the back of my mind, hesitant. He has been distant since the Gala, watching me carefully, waiting for the moment to speak.

He should have remained silent.

'It's natural for them to look down on those they deem beneath them, my Lord,' Abdul's voice finally murmured, careful, measured. 'It is in their nature, and it is that nature you can exploit. What if—'

'No.'

My voice cut through his words, as sharp as a blade. Abdul stopped, taken aback by the force of my dismissal.

'I will not stand for their patronizing attitude any longer. They think I am beneath them? That I will simply endure their ridicule? I am Nabu. The Lord of Enlightenment. I will prove to them that I am worthy of standing before them.'

I inhaled deeply, forcing my grip to loosen before my throne crumbled under my strength. I had spent years carefully crafting my image, building my empire, expanding my influence—and they still did not respect me.

That would change.

'You have always done things your way, Nabu.' Abdul's voice was softer now, cautious. 'You don't need to prove anything to them. Your success speaks for itself.'

I scoffed, the sound sharp and humorless. 'Spare me your human sentimentality, Abdul. You think words matter more than power?'

There was a pause. I could feel the hesitation in his presence.

Then, finally: 'You're not yourself, Nabu.'

I laughed, bitter and cruel.

'I am more myself than I have ever been. Where once I was blind, now I can finally see.'

Abdul did not reply. He merely retreated to the back of my mind, silent once more.

Leaning my weight against the throne, I allowed myself a moment of reflection. Sure my response to Abdul had been harsh but he had to understand the complexity of the politics of my people.

A single thought from any of the Queens would spell the end for everything I had spent so many years building. Everything for nothing for the simple reason that they 'felt like it'. As asinine as it was, it was the world we lived in and it would do him well to keep that in mind.

A dull thrum drew me from my thoughts as I glanced at the console to the side of my throne. A single blinking light indicated that I had someone trying to contact me.

Opening the message, the signal was encrypted with a special cipher that was created specifically for Marduk and his court.

An irritated sigh ripped from my lips as I allowed the communication through.

What could my Lord want with me now? Had he heard from Lady Sarpanitum what had transpired at the Gala? Had he come to gloat or was there some other underlying purpose for his remote contact?
So many thoughts swirling through my mind, mixing and combining with the ever present memories of the Gala's events, all of which clouded my mind and only left me more irritated. Whatever Marduk wanted, I doubt it would change my mood for the better.

Steeling myself, I waited as a large, grey sphere lowered from the ceiling to hover before my throne. I stood and knelt before the orb as the face of my master materialized on the surface of the sphere.

"Rise, Nabu." It was difficult to keep the look of disgust out of my eyes. The irritation at what I saw, only served to make the self-control that much more tenuous.

Marduk was adorned in his usual resplendent armor, the golden engravings catching the dim light of the chamber. His expression was unreadable, as it always was, I had long learned to decipher the undercurrents of expectation, disappointment, and veiled contempt in his gaze.

"What is it that you require of me my Lord?"

There was a shift in his eyes, imperceptible to most others but my being his progeny made the recognition a half-thought. I knew he had an idea of what had transpired. Hardly the full story but my mood would have been more than an indicator to confirm his suspicions. I had all but fallen into his trap already.

"Why is it that you have yet to expand your borders beyond the domain of the long conquered Min? I hope that you do not require additional motivation to grow the Empire that your Queen and I have so readily provided the foundation for?"

"That is not the case my Lord?" I needed to quickly shoot down his suspicions but that only closed his grip on my mind. The frustrating thing about the politics of my people is if you angered the wrong person, your progenitor especially, you were doomed to fail. With Marduk being a System Lord now, it only cemented my obligation to appease his requirements.

Whatever he asked of me, it was going to be accomplished or everything that was, would be no more. Marduk surely would ensure that personally.

"I should hope not Nabu, it would be unbecoming for a Lieutenant of a System Lord to not proactively grow his Lord's empire. I should not have to remind you of the consequences of failure in that regard." His eyes pierced through my soul as the smile playing at the edges of his lips burned into my soul.
I hated this, I was being toyed with and I could do nothing about it. First the Queens ridicule me for being the best of my time at the age that I am and now Marduk toys with me like some kind of Prim'ta.
The rage seethed just beneath my skin, biting my tongue to keep those heretical thoughts in my throat as I barely maintained my composure before my lord.

"You do not, my Lord, expansion will continue shortly-"

"You will expand into the systems recently abandoned by the betrayers Isis and Osiris. I have transmitted the systems without a God and you will take them with haste. You will take the remainder of the systems before another does." He decreed, leaving no room for debate or discussion. "I do not care for delays. The strength of our domain must be solidified before vultures circle."

I straightened in my seat. This was it. My chance. My vindication.

"It will be done, my Lord," I vowed. "Swiftly."

Marduk's expression remained neutral, but there was something in his gaze—something that told me he was testing me. There was a pause in his words that caused my whole body to tense. This was where the trap would be sprung, this was the moment he would hammer the final nail in my coffin. This would be his test.

"Use your own fleet," he said suddenly.

I blinked, the words taking a moment to settle. "My own fleet?"

Marduk gave a slow nod. "Mine is occupied elsewhere. If you are as capable as you claim, this should not be an issue."

I felt the trap the moment it was set, but I could not refuse. Not now. Not after the humiliation I had suffered.

The hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second, but I knew Marduk had seen it. I forced a smirk onto my lips, feigning confidence.

"It will be more than enough," I assured him.

The projection flickered.

"Then do not fail me." And with that, the communication was severed.

I could only bow as the transmission ended and the sphere returned to the ceiling as my mind raced with a mix of irritation and excitement.

I had been giving everything to achieve my goal and prove both Marduk and the Queens wrong as well as step out of Sarpanitum's shadow. No more would they be able to claim my strength as hers but rather the strength would be mine alone. And yet…

'Use your own fleet.'

I felt my pulse quicken. Marduk was testing me. He was watching, waiting for me to fail. He was no different from the Queens, waiting to see if I would crumble under the weight of my own ambition.

No.

I would not fail.

I would take these territories faster than anyone expected.

I would prove to them all that I was more than the child they believed me to be.

I turned my gaze to the strategic display before me. My fleet was still recovering from the last campaign. But I had enough.

More than enough.

I would take what was mine, no matter the cost.

The Queens would see.
Marduk would see.
The galaxy would see.

I allowed myself to revel in this moment of newfound sight. It was as if I was blind but now I can clearly see the path laid out before me. I was a fool not to notice what bounty the universe provided me but now I could not…I would not waste this golden opportunity. I had to seize it with everything I had.

Not even Abdul had anything to say that could make this moment any better. Perhaps I had been too hasty to dismiss him before.

But even the embers of inspiration could burn and the gentle voice of Abdul proved the point rather quickly when I heard his whispers once more.

'Do you not think you are stretching yourself too thin?'

This time I didn't waste effort suppressing the snarl that warped my lips.

'Your forces have yet to truly recov-'

'Do you have anything more useful to contribute other than your doubts about your master? You would do well to remember your place. I seek not counsel from your human mind. I seek simple obedience and compliance.'

The voice of Abdul, so timid and quiet when it spoke back up, now silent once more.

For a brief moment, I thought I had finally crushed his unwelcome meddling. Then, slowly, his presence stirred once more.

'I do not doubt you, my Lord.'

His voice was softer this time, not challenging, not defiant—just… there.

'Then speak nothing further,' I responded coldly, shifting my focus back to how I might accomplish the task before me.

But Abdul did not leave. I could feel his hesitation, his thoughts forming before he dared to voice them.

'I only ask because I have seen what happens to rulers who overreach.' His words came carefully, like a man trying to navigate a minefield. 'You are not them, of course. You are greater than they ever were. But even the mighty must mind their steps, lest they slip.'

I clenched my jaw, biting back a sharper response. He was clever, he had not told me what to do. He had not spoken against me. He had only asked a question. Worse still, it was a question that nestled uncomfortably in the back of my mind, no matter how I tried to ignore it.

'Enough, Abdul,' I said finally, exhaling sharply. 'You speak in circles, but I know what you truly mean. You believe I will fail.'

'No.' His response came without hesitation, firm and honest. 'I believe you will succeed, Nabu. But at what cost?

That was when I truly dismissed him. I turned my attention fully to my plans, shutting him out entirely. Abdul did not push further. But I could feel it, he had not given up yet.

His silence though, it left something foreign to me. An emotion that I just couldn't comprehend. Deciding to meditate on it later, I returned my attention to the task at hand and pulled up a graphic display of the nearby systems that I would be expanding into. Tasking forces to each system accordingly, preparing for what would be my greatest campaign since I conquered Min.

It didn't take long for my thoughts to be torn away from my goal once more as the hum of my communicator reached my ears. The sound caused a mind numbing irritation to claw at the back of my mind, the sensation surreal enough I barely noticed activating the console and answering the communication.

Another call at this hour, was my humiliation not enough. Did they have to micromanage me like a child as well?

I already knew who the originator of the communication was as well which made the message all the more irritating after having just wrapped up with Marduk.

"Our Child, we require something of you." The metallic undertones of Sarpanitum's voice echoed throughout the chamber with subdued tension.

Taking a moment to nod my head in acknowledgement, I hadn't the trust in myself to be verbal without speaking out of turn. The last thing I needed right now was more trouble from her or to give my Lady any further reason to doubt my loyalty to her.

As much as I would have loved to respond as callously as possible and make clear my thoughts on her and Marduk's meddling in my affairs, it just would not do to provide her justification to get any further in my way.

She studied me before responding, the calculating look in her eyes more than enough to tell me her true thoughts. Behind the veil of subdued concern I could tell exactly what she was thinking. She was looking down on me. Judging me, questioning my position now that she had her peers openly challenging my value.

The whole situation was teeth-grindingly irritating. I had to do something to solidify my position before her and Marduk started actively inhibiting my plans and it had to be fast. Perhaps using the expansion to showcase my power…?

Before my thoughts could go further down the tangent, my Lady continued her thought.

"Regardless of current beliefs, We came to assure you that you are still of value to Us. We, however, do not wish for you to allow yourself to make mistakes you might regret. It is not uncommon for the unorthodox to be misunderstood or shunned and We wish to remind you of your position and that We do not wish for that position to be compromised by hasty action."

Each of her words were a hammer to a nail. Only serving to drive home just how incompetent she thought I was. She may have never said it but I knew what was on her mind.

'Don't mess up' 'We expect better' 'You embarrassed Us'
The words in their true form swirled through my mind, joining the words of Danu and Tiamat. The heat of Hathors dismissal and the disdain from the only Goa'uld that actually put faith in me. I failed Sarpanitum and this was her way of letting me know that I had made her look bad in front of all the other Queens.
The sting of being a disappointment only serving to flush the anger to bubble and boil under my skin. Maybe I was a failed experiment. A risk Sapanitum and Marduk invested in only for it to be more trouble for them politically than it was worth. A waste of resources.

Was that all I was to them? A resource to be used and discarded when no longer relevant? At one time I had thought I was more than that. That, maybe I was different. That they were different. That perhaps, we could change how things were done…

"I understand my Queen. I will not fail you again." My words however only seemed to upset her as I watched the gentle features of Sarpanitum turn downward. I truly was at a loss on how to please her and ensure my place was secure.

"You misunderstand Our child. We wish for you to continue and grow. We wish for you to stand among the System Lords one day. Give Us time and We will provide you even a Queen to stand beside you. To aid you in your pursuit. Give Us time."
Her words seemed so filled with compassion that I almost failed to recognize her as the Goa'uld she was. For a moment, she sounded almost human.

'Maybe… she means it,' Abdul murmured at the edge of my mind. His voice was gentle, as though trying not to provoke. 'She's never given you cause to doubt her before, not truly. She's stood by you when others would have ended you.'

I clenched my jaw.

'And now you defend her?' I shot back, the venom in my thoughts laced with disbelief. 'You think I should lay down and wait like a loyal dog for her favor? Is that your advice?'

Abdul didn't answer right away. When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

'No. I just don't want to see you burn down everything you've built because you can't believe someone might actually care.'

I shut him out. The words struck deeper than I wanted to admit.

Another trap it would seem. There was no possible way she would suggest such a thing after the humiliation I had brought her. Not after the Gala, this had to be some kind of trick to make me relax so she could strike like the viper I knew her to be.

They were all the same.

"Then it shall be so my Queen." With a subtle nod, she ended the transmission and I sank into the seat of my throne. The seat of my power on Avaris and yet it felt so hollow. The painfully loud silence of the chamber only served to be the perfect backdrop for the worthlessness of everything I had built. The fact that I was just recognizing it made it all the more painful. How could I have been so blind to the truth of it all. Now able to see it for what it was, all the grandeur just seemed so worthless. All the effort and planning, tactical execution of plans laid out years in advance. All of it for nothing.

Marduk would have me extend my borders but Sarpanitum wanted me to be patient. Follow one and forsake the other. The ships were already being prepped and yet now I was left with a choice. Obey Marduk and suffer the wrath of my Queen or obey my Queen and suffer the pain of a System Lord.

They had to have planned this and all so that no matter which course I followed I would suffer for my failures.

No.
I would do neither and instead follow my own path. If I was just a waste of resources. A waste of time for them or a pet project that had overstayed its usefulness then I would do both.

Choosing not to call off the ship preps for the expansion project was an easy choice since all it called for was a lack of action but now to consider the words of Sarpanitum.

I could not remove from my mind that she thought so little of me. That she would think me naive enough to wait for her and not account for Marduk's test.

I shook my head, clearing it of those unnecessary thoughts. It would only serve to weaken me further. I had to be strong, to prove to them that I was capable and I knew just how to do that.

Before I could continue that line of thought I received a request. From the Sicari, unusual but not uncommon. A request to visit Qift, that there was a situation that required my attention. Spending time and helping my people resolve their problems usually calmed me down and grounded me. Perhaps it was time to do just that and finally do something that would bring me some joy.

For the first time since joining Sarpanitum to the Gala, my lips turned ever so slightly upward. A reason to smile once more. Or so I was naive enough to think.

After taking an Al'kesh to Qift I was met with a most displeasing visage.

The fields, left unattended. The mines collapsed and in disrepair. The people, with jaded gazes. Even as I stepped down the ramp and towards the people of Qift, my people. Not a single eye met my gaze.

'What could I have done to deserve this from them?' I asked without thought, the mental question sitting in the air without an expected response as I pondered why the people I valued and uplifted treated me with such disdain.

I had done so much for them and yet, I cannot erase the scorn that I felt from their guarded eyes. Surely, they must see what I've given them. Why, then, did it feel like rejection?

The streets were busy with people but the world seemed empty, shallow. It was as if rehearsed. Where was the joy the Tau'ri had in such abundance? The peace I had brought them with their freedom from Min should have brought festivals and joy. This wasn't a hard worked world but a place for those too weak to be useful. A haven so they would not have to die.

A gift I had given so that they may yet live out their lives and this was how I was treated on my first visit, requested nonetheless. Like I was being shown how they hated my treatment. As if they failed to understand how much worse it could be for them.

Perhaps…they had grown ungrateful. Perhaps…I had been too kind. I wanted to show them that I was a better ruler than Min. That I could save them from the torment. Isn't that what my advisors suggested? That I invest in the people.

'Yes, my Lord.' There was Abdul again. His voice, almost painful to hear when the world itself seemed to unravel before me.

'Then why does this place feel so broken?' I chose not to listen for the response from Abdul and instead venture forth. Sicari guards on either side of me as I walked the streets of my world.

The more I observed, the deeper the knife was driven. Not a single soul contained the reverence of a liberated people, but where, instead, filled with a deep sadness. What could have happened? Why would they be upset at the providence I provided for them?

There was an itch that bore into my mind more and more with each downcast face I passed, each missed opportunity for reverence. I finally understood once I came across an old face. One that I recalled from years prior.

Hamza. The father of my host and now, quite the elderly gentleman. He was tending the wounds of what appeared to be a worker. Fresh from the mines further along the path. I needed answers and the retired Sicari informant would be the perfect source of the information I required.

Approaching Hamza, I watched as he spotted me. What astounded me was his lack of formality as he continued to dress the wounds of the worker instead of addressing my presence.

Each passing second only served to fuel the anger beneath my skin.

'I would recommend patience, my Lord. Hamza knows and respects you. There must be a reason he wouldn't address you as is proper. He wouldn't disrespect you without proper justification.'

'I am aware.' The curt response was all I could do to keep myself from insulting him. Of course I knew Hamza could not fathom disrespecting me. His God. He was one of the more intelligent servants and what earned him a retirement out, on this world after aiding in the removal of Min as an enemy.

As soon as the dressing was properly placed, Hamza stood and addressed me finally, bowing in respect.

"Welcome to Qift, my Lord. Had I known of your arrival, I would have prepared a proper ceremony…"

His words, swift and to the point. I knew he was worthy of my patience.

"However," The word hung in the air like a dagger, my nerves just about frayed after my humiliation and he dared to put anything above his God. "There was a collapse of the mines and I had to address the situation to ensure stability."

His eyes, so weary and aged. The wisdom of a man beyond his prime. But his voice carried nothing but unrequited disrespect. I simply couldn't fathom how I must have hurt these people to earn such disrespect. Had I not provided for them? Freed them from their chains and they cannot simply express their gratitude? When I arrive they choose to ignore my presence for the sake of people who would not even be alive if not for my patience and grace?

"Hamza…I would ask you, who taught you to disrespect your master? Name them so that I may crush them beneath my boot!?" The concern in his eyes told me all I needed to know.

"My Lord? I do not understand?" For a single moment, his words made me almost reconsider my course of action. That, perhaps, I was mistaken…but that moment passed.

"I tended to the people as you-" My voice cut through his. The metallic timbre honed to a callous edge.

"If you do not give me a name then I will be forced to assume you openly chose to disregard my presence and put the people of this world before the GOD that freed them. Is that what you are telling me? I am not in the mood for games."

"My Lord, I assure you this is no game!" Grinding my teeth in frustration, my eyes flashed and the people around, at first passive onlookers, flinched as my voice reverberated across the street.

"Then explain yourself, Hamza. Quickly. Before I decide what punishment your silence demands."

Watching the man before me. Not an ounce of fear in his body, not in his posture, nor his tone. It was his eyes that gave it away. He looked resigned and it wasn't the resignation of a traitor. It was the resignation of a man who had already said everything he could—and knew it wasn't enough.

'Please don't do this…' I could hear Abdul in the background. His voice, a tether that I simply couldn't use. If I allowed such treatment from my subjects it would only validate the doubts that everyone had for me. Tiamat, Marduk, Danu, Sarpanitum. No, I wouldn't stand for it. Even if I had to bring down my own hand. I would restore order. I would prove that I was not simply some pet project, not some weakling like they all thought. I was stronger, better, I was Nabu. The Lord of Enlightenment. And I would not be disrespected in my own domain.

'I will do what I must…' I could feel the hurt but I hadn't the time nor the liberty to humor such opinions. I was a God and thus must act my station. I had to restore order.

'You're better than this…' His words gave me pause. For a moment I considered his words. Perhaps I didn't…

"What would you have done in their place?"

The memory left no more doubt on what I had to do. I knew what the question was asking. I had been nothing but passive, reactive to the world around me and thus was a slave to those that would have commanded me. A servant with no purpose other than what I was told. No more. I would not be a slave to the universe any longer.

I needed to act and this would be my first step to finally doing so. This was the beginning of my new path all my own. This would be my decision and my freedom from the shackles of Marduk and Sarpanitum, from the opinions of those who would try to challenge my legitimacy. I would prove them wrong and it all started here. No longer would the pitiful host of mine dictate my decision as in the past. This was mine and nobody would take it from me.

'I'm sorry my Lord…'

'So am I…'

With no further words from Hamza, I had to make my choice. The old man knew what had to be done. His eyes gleamed with silent prayer as the world grew silent.

The color seeming to fade from the world that once seemed so vibrant. Hamza's mouth moved but I could not hear the words.

Silent tears crawled down his face as my Kara-Kesh wrapped hand lifted on its own.

Time seemed to slow down as I perceived the world around me, cries of pain as the beam of energy connected to Hamza's forehead.

Cries for mercy fell on deaf ears as I watched the life leave the eyes of Hamza. His body falling to the ground in a heap. Blood pooling around his face as it dripped from each orifice. His brain melted and his organs ruptured.

I knelt before the aged man as time seemed to return to normal, his final expression a smile. I couldn't fathom. How could a man who betrayed me so openly feel joy while dying at my hand?

There was another thing I simply couldn't fathom. A feeling that welled up from deep within my soul. A crushing feeling that left my breath caught in my lungs. It was as if a weight rested on my chest as my stomach twisted itself into knots. As if everything in my being was rebelling against me.
My cheek, there was something on my cheek. I reached a hand up to wipe my face and as I looked down upon my fingertips, I was left in complete wonder. Was I crying? I did not understand why my chest ached. Why my breath would not come. These were not the emotions of a god. And yet… I wept.

Thank you for reading.

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I am deeply in need for a beta-reader. Please, anyone, I need someone to kick my ass whenever I leave this story for longer than a week and someone to fangirl about how this story is going to unfold. I wasn't lying when I said I planned this out for till chapter 30 so please. Reach out, my discord is somewhere around in one of these chapters. I cannot receive messages here without something going wrong every time so I'm afraid that's it. I also have a YT channel if you wanna check it out where you can bother me too if you want. Kovert Entertainment if anyone is interested although I upload there about as often as here so don't get your expectations too high.

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