Welcome back everyone. I got guess it's only a couple days this time. Still pushing these out as I finish them and hope you enjoy the chapter. Still looking for a beta reader if anyone is interested. If you are please reach out. My discord is at the bottom of Chapter 1. Also if you have any questions let me know in the reviews and I'll do my best to answer them without spoiling the story for you.
Stay tuned at the end of the story for a major question!
Anyways, on with the story!
The planet Avaris was a well maintained world. Originally run by the powerful God, Setesh. It was a former mining world however the layout of the planet and the conditions I found it in were not in line with the baseline of others of our kind. The people were well fed and the work was slow at best. While the planet could produce many hundred tons of Naquadah a month, it was only producing a scant couple dozen.
This would require further investigation. Deciding to shelve the investigation till I had full control of the planet, I requested the Jaffa that was placed in charge of the world.
"My Lord." That led to the Jaffa now, bowed before me as I sat on the throne of the world. My arms crossed as I quietly took a moment to take in the Jaffa's features. The subtle twitch in his eyes, the creasing of his brow. He was unhappy. That much I could tell simply from the way he held himself. The subtle flexing of his fingers. The funny thing, I knew exactly why and it had nothing to do with how much I knew of this Jaffa or the people of this world and everything to do with how well I knew my own species.
"Lishtir. Am I to understand correctly that the maximum mining product of this world is only a measly few dozen shipments of Naquadah?" Lishtir's face rose in subtle confusion before he nodded his head. From my throne, it was hard to see but something told me the hint of a smile was working its way onto the old Jaffa's face. Indeed, this would be a good world if Marduk decided to gift it to me. I would hate to have made such a ruse without being able to ensure it kept appearances.
"That it is my Lord. The Naquadah vein has begun to run dry." I try and fail to keep the twist in my lips from forming. The smirk maintained its dominion across my lips.
"That is most unfortunate. Leave me and carry my name and the name of my lord across this world. Ensure there are none who don't know the name Nabu. Begone and accomplish your task." I stood from the throne to make my way to the Chaapa'ai and report but as Lishtir made his exit, he stopped momentarily in the doorway. His eyes turned to keep me in his peripherals.
"Ral tora ke my Lord." His peace made, Lishtir left. The words rolled around my mind as I digested them. I have to have this world, no matter the cost.
Turns out, obtaining the world was a much simpler affair than I thought.
After reporting the decrepit state of the mines, that combined with my part in taking the world caused Marduk to give me the world. Perhaps he wanted me to use this as a test to see if I was fit to gain a dominion or he had other reasons for this but I cared little for his machinations. This world would serve me well in my plans and having it was all I needed to stay out of Marduk's way.
"Nabu, I will also be gifting unto you 2 Ha'tak. The one you made your own among my fleet and the single remaining Ha'tak that you bade surrender. I trust you to ensure that it never does such a thing again and that the Jaffa on the planet know who they serve."
"Of course my Lord. I will not fail you. The world has already been told of your rulership, I will ensure they do not falter in their beliefs." With that he bid me farewell and left his throne room on Tau'ri. Returning to Avaris by ship, I began preparations to make it my new home. This would act as my base of operations for the foreseeable future and that was worth making sure this planet did not fall.
Being so far from Marduk's borders was both a boon and fault. It would aid me in keeping my own machinations hidden from my Lord, however, it would also serve to make me an easier target to power hungry minor lords. Those not of the system lords but not belonging to the peerage or court of another more powerful Goa'uld. Lords such as Setesh fell into this category. These Minor Lords could have fleets of several Ha'tak reaching up, sometimes, into the dozens. I needed to build up my fleet and build it fast if I was to ensure the safety of my world. My Avaris.
"Lishtir, do you have the shipment we need?" Finding the notes of Setesh was one thing. Deciphering them was a whole other. It was beginning to wreak havoc on my mind and while Abdul could find amusement in it, it wasn't as if he was left unaffected either. The cypher used to encrypt the writings was a tough one that seemed to also have an affect on the mind.
"Indeed my Lord. It arrived not a day after we sent this month's tribute through the Chaapa'ai." I had chosen to not use the metallic inflection that being a Goa'uld gave me when around the people of Avaris. After my time on Tau'ri, it showed me that getting the population to respect me was a lot more effective than forcing their worship through the use of fear. I still held authority but at least making my motivations clear to them would save me time and pain later and allow me to better focus my studies without worry of any uprisings. My Jaffa and the priests would handle any dissidence.
"Very good, tell Jaris that I appreciate his swift delivery. Reward him appropriately and have him send for another delivery of the isotope we keep generating during the purification process. I need another two shipments to complete my studies."
"Understood, my Lord, it shall be done. Tel sha Nabu" Turning as Lishtir, my new First Prime, left. I had yet to discern my symbol among the Gods but I had a good idea, it would go into use when I had a larger domain but for now wasn't a concern. Right now my concern was the schematics I had drawn up based off of Ptah's. I compacted and simplified the design. It served the same function but would, instead of being one massive mechanism, be split into multiple smaller machines. It would allow for swifter production of ships as well as decrease the likelihood of mishaps in installation.
Point A would connect to Point B. That was until I could teach the slaves how to build more complex mechanisms but that was centuries off from now. In order to ensure the slaves subservience I wanted to rule my way for a while before beginning to teach them more advanced subjects. I didn't want any dissenters among those that I would teach and thus it would be best to root out all illness from my ranks before beginning my end goal.
Selective learning would suit my purposes well. I wasn't a paragon of the people nor would I allow myself to act as if everyone would just magically agree and side with me. I was Goa'uld and thus was not going to risk everything for the sake of a few slaves. Even Jaffa didn't deserve that just yet. Not till I was more powerful and could stamp out any who would threaten my rule, especially if they came from within.
'You should take a rest, you've been working late again.' Tilting my head to the ceiling of my new laboratory. A special temple constructed originally for the purposes of Setesh but now served as my personal playground for the various devices and research projects that I had begun moving over from Tau'ri. Abdul was right, loath as I was to admit it.
'I do require a Lo'taur. Perhaps now would be a good time to gather them.' I could feel Abdul's grin but hadn't the energy to humor it at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, I exited the locked room of my laboratory. So far, only my Prime was able to enter without my direct permission. Lishtir had proven useful in ensuring the planet was under my thumb and his closeness was his reward. To be this social with his lord was a special honor that few Jaffa, Primes included, had the opportunity to take advantage of. My kind were often paranoid of their privacy but I cared little. Not like Lishtir could understand what it was I was working on in my lab anyways. He posed no threat.
Nodding towards the Jaffa at the door I took in my first breath of fresh air in several days.
"Thank you for maintaining your vigilance Mor'ak. Your service will not go unrewarded." Mor'ak bowed in response but I could practically feel his surprise that I knew his name.
"I live to serve my Lord." The chuckle that escaped my lips was a tad more cruel and ominous than I had planned as Mor'ak's shoulders tensed with fear.
"That you do, and you perform your duties well. When your shift is over, take some respite and return home for a tenday. Inform Lishtir you have my blessing to do so."
He tried to deny my kindness but I waved it off. Lishtir could figure it out when he returned. For now though, I ventured out into the city. The temple was surrounded by rudimentary buildings, not dissimilar from the structures they had on Tau'ri. Clay buildings and thatch roofing was commonplace among the slave cities my kind were fond of keeping. Breeding grounds for the slaves that would eventually be seeded across the stars. They were simple now, but I knew they would only grow with time.
Humans were something the Goa'uld could never be. Innovative.
As I made my way down the street, there were only a few people that greeted me. It was similar on Tau'ri, the people would need time to learn that I would not kill them from something so trivial as speaking to me. That was a waste of good slaves and I hadn't the territory nor power to simply replace them.
I was doing more than simply walking the streets though, no, I was here for a purpose and definitely not to get a breath of fresh air like Abdul had suggested. No, I was here in search of a Lo'taur. A human who would act as my aid. It was imperative that I find one because in the event that Abdul is wounded beyond repair, I would require a host to be nearby.
'You'd replace me so easily? Hurting my feelings right after listening to my advice. Shame on you Nabu.' The smile that I turned inward seemed to reflect outward as the surrounding people seemed to relax around me. The tense air, that was palpable to even those ignorant to the significance of a God walking among them, simply vanished. For the most part.
'No, I wouldn't replace you so easily, Abdul. As my first host, you are what will shape my personality for millennia to come. You will never truly die. I will never forget.' My answer seemed to only upset him though as the mental huff was any indicator. I wonder if I said something wrong.
Shaking the loose thoughts from my mind, I returned my focus to the task at hand. I needed a Lo'taur and I had just the way to do it. I would alter the developing tradition of using Jaffa as priests to facilitate worship and instead focus on human priests. The temples would be run by Jaffa but the face of the temple would be human while the Jaffa served as administrators. From there, I could develop my Lo'taur to my liking. Make them exactly what I wanted them to be.
Walking the streets of the temperate world gave me plenty of time to think about how I would run worship of myself and my line. If any of my superiors were to come to the world I would need to show proof of worship of them as well. That meant Enki, Damkina, Marduk, and Sarpanitum alongside myself. And the worship would have to incorporate all of us together somehow.
Developing that mythology and teaching it to my people as well as making it replace the system already in place from Setesh would prove a most vexing task.
It was at this point, I had circled around the town and was now on the opposite side of my temple. This entrance was the human and Jaffa entrance. It was where worship took place and the half of the structure that was sectioned off for the preexisting priests.
I shook my head as work and ideas began to already make their way into my mind as I traveled up the many steps leading to the entrance. I'm just going to develop a mythology from scratch. Nothing to worry about, it would be easy! Right?
Howdy and thank you for reading all the way to the end of the chapter. Glad it kept your interest. The question I have is this; if I started intermittently posting chapters about the far future with SG-1 slowly learning about Nabu, would you be interested? If I do, would you rather I post these chapters here or in another story? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the reviews and I look forward to seeing them.
For now though, take care and until next time all of you amazing readers!
Next time on Eclipse - Chapter 8: Mythology