Turns out having so much dialogue in italics sucks when you have to reformat the text every time I copy it into this website. Complaints aside, this chapter took some time and a little extra help from a friend. However I am still in need of a Beta-reader. My buddy over here cannot assist me on a regular basis and reviewing my previous chapters there are errors galore. If anyone is interested please reach out to me on discord which will be listed at the bottom of the page.
Moving onto more important matters this is looking like what the regular upload schedule will be for the future. I might have more chapters coming out due to the holiday season giving me some much needed time off however if you see uploads increase in frequency please don't expect that to be maintained. Work is picking up in January and that means updates will be slower. I'm just happy to get this chapter out.
Hope you all enjoy chapter 12!
I found Sarpanitum in her garden. Semiramis, her Hanging Gardens, as she called them. The open architecture allowed her to observe the bustle of the city just below. Listening to the calling of street vendors and the smell of freshly cooked meats filled the air as I approached.
"You wished to speak to me, my Queen?" She nodded, gesturing towards a seat next to her on the pavilion. A sampling of exotic fruits filling a bowl and several platters on the table between us.
"Indeed our child. We wish for you to accompany us to another Gala. We do not wish to squander this chance to update Lady Egeria with your progress since your last meeting." While she still spoke with the metallic inflection we often used, this time it seemed softer, almost longing and neither I nor Abdul had the heart to deny our Queen. Not to mention the fact that if we did she would likely kill us but that was besides the point and not the focus of our thoughts when we agreed to her proposal.
I took a moment to nod my head in acknowledgement. "I would be honored to accompany you to the Gala a second time, my Queen. I am most humbled by your offer." Her subtle smirk, making the entire situation more ominous. Something more was at play but even with all my growth and development, I still couldn't fathom the whims of a Goa'uld so ancient.
"Come then, our savant, the Tel'tak awaits." Without so much as a sidelong glance, Sarpanitum glided back into the palace with all the unshakable poise of a queen who knew her place among the stars. Her every step was deliberate, measured, a silent proclamation. The golden embroidery of her flowing silks shimmered with the light of a hundred torches, as if the fabric itself acknowledged her divinity. Jewels decorated her neck and wrists, each one a tribute that whispered of conquered worlds and sundered rivals.
She exuded an arrogance so complete it bordered on art. It was not the empty arrogance of a young Goa'uld. No, this was the arrogance of one who had endured millennia and fought tooth and nail to achieve power beyond petty worship and an army to back her up. She was, a living monument to the ruthless cunning that defined our kind. And yet, beneath the grandeur, there was something uniquely hers, something that no other queen could mimic: an air of possession. Sarpanitum's gaze, sharp and unyielding, regarded everything and everyone as hers by right.
When she turned her attention to me, that possessiveness softened, imperceptibly. Her lips curled faintly, not into a smile, but something close enough to pass for one. It was the kind of expression a mother might give a child who had pleased her, a silent acknowledgment that I was hers in more ways than I might ever admit. The very thought sending shivers down my spine.
"Come, my child," she cooed, the faint metallic resonance in her voice carrying an authority that demanded obedience. "It would be rude to keep us waiting."
The words carrying the sting of condescension, but also a perverse warmth, like an embrace lined with blades. I had grown since last she dragged me to Eden's gilded halls, but in that moment, none of it mattered. In her eyes I would forever and always be her accomplishment. A part of me bristled at that thought, yet another, quieter part took comfort in it. At least with her protectiveness, I would have less to worry about from the machinations of the other Queens. A gilded prison if ever there was one.
As she turned on her heel, the long train of her gown swept the polished floor like a shadow trailing a flame. Servants scattered to clear her path, their heads bowed so low I wondered if they hoped to vanish into the stone. Her movements were slow, confident, the kind of pace only the truly powerful could afford to adopt. A stride I wished to adopt.
I had to take a moment to dismiss Kashif back to Avaris but that distraction only cost me moments before I had returned to the side of my patron.
Having experienced the trip to Eden before, I wasn't so much filled with awe as I was brimming with tempered concern. With Marduk now among the System Lords, I would represent him when presented among the various Queens that populated the Gala. One wrong move could spell my demise and, while I wasn't so much concerned with Marduk's reputation, it left my thoughts reeling.
Boarding the vast superstructure, Sarpanitum once more led me through the grandiose halls. My eyes, now drawn to the various profane depictions of excessive indulgence. Placing the vanity of the Queens on full display. Even now, as I looked upon these hallowed halls, lost was the awe and wonder that came with my first exposure to the palace of the Queens. Lost was the marked intrigue of what lay in wait for me among the devious machinations of Sarpanitum's ilk. Now I only beheld the gross arrogance of those that saw themselves above all others.
Only after ruling a world and understanding the full importance of locations, such as the Hasara that this is based upon, could I fully grasp the self-importance that Eden represented.
As we approached the central chamber, I couldn't help but notice the subtle flicker of the braziers that lit our path. As if the flames themselves were affected by the tense atmosphere that came with the Gala of the Queens.
The gilded doors of the central chamber glisten in the firelight, the gold embroidery gleaming in the glow as the hall felt somehow darker. The tension, enough to make my hair stand on end. As the door groaned open I was once more presented with the luxurious interior of the chamber. Slaves floating around, barely seen as the Queens within eye Sarpanitum and I.
"Welcoming Lady Sarpanitum and Lord Nabu." Our introduction, now more formal with Marduk's rise to System Lord. No longer a vassal, it would seem I now am allowed to bear the title of Lord among these 'hallowed' halls.
Upon entering the Gala Chamber for the second time, it is as if my eyes had been opened. Just as the halls before were no longer filtered with eyes of awestruck wonder, so too was the chamber seemingly illuminated with glaring clarity. The raised thrones of Egeria and Hathor seating them above all others even among the Queens that saw themselves above the others of my kind. Almost as if our feudal society was matriarchal all along.
Hathor's eyes gleamed with thinly veiled interest at seeing me again. Her change in posture, not the least bit subtle after our introduction. That contrasted with Egeria who seemed rather pleased if the gentle uptick of her lips was any indicator.
The others were less expressive other than Ishtar who was practically jumping out of her seat as she noticed I was accompanying Sarpanitum. Before she seemed almost disinterested.
As for the rest, the only other Queen that I noticed any kind of interaction from was Tiamat, who had an almost smug grin sneak across her features as she regarded us, although I'm not sure if that was strictly directed at me or both Sarpanitum and I. Damkina for her part was the other notable change through her taut features that seemed schooled. It reminded me of training I had to complete with Marduk where he would insult me and beat me senselessly demanding I couldn't express a single emotion or the beatings would continue. It continued for weeks and many a trip to the sarcophagus which still sent chills down my spine.
Stepping into the room, Sarpanitum took her throne as Tiamat shifted her weight with deliberate ease. "Welcome back Lady Sarpanitum. It seems you decided to bring your little reformer with you?"
The silence following the jab caused a weight to settle in the depths of my stomach. Something wasn't right. Shifting my gaze to my patron I couldn't tell what was going through her head but those eyes, cold and statue-esc, seemed to stare into and through the soul of the ancient Queen. The sudden shift silenced any doubts I may have had regarding her control over social settings. A dimwitted doubt to have, she was, after all, a Queen of our kind and the mother of hundreds. In that first laboratory, when I explained the flaws in our technology, she could have and would have killed me on the spot. I had to silently thank Abdul for his assistance in keeping me alive all these years.
Tiamat for her part seemed unfazed, her smug expression unchanged, but something about the atmosphere of the room felt more oppressive, like a knife was at my throat and a single wrong movement could end my life.
"Ladies, my sisters, are we not above such barbs?" Ishtar's voice lilted like a melody, each word cutting through the tension like butter. Her arms lifted with a grace that belied her true intentions, her very presence demanding the room's attention. A smile, coy and sharp as a blade, played across her lips, enhancing the glow of her radiant features.
"This is a sanctuary, our Eden, where secrets are shared, and wisdom is exchanged. Not a battlefield for petty quarrels." Her gaze swept over the room like a caress, landing on each Queen with an intensity that held both admiration and scrutiny. "We are not like them," she continued, her tone dripping with sweet condescension. "Let us not stoop to the graceless infighting of our counterparts. Surely, we can rise above such trivialities."
As she stepped into the center of the encircled thrones, her luminous eyes locked onto mine, and I felt the weight of her attention as if it were a vice. It took all my will to resist the pull of her gaze. Her voice softened, honeyed but sharp. "Instead, let us turn our focus to something of true significance. After all, we are graced with an honored guest worthy of our collective attention."
Ishtar's words cut, like a knife, through the tension that exuded from Sarpanitum and Tiamat, if only marginally. Now, however, all eyes drifted to me and the sweat that beaded at the nape of my neck only showcased how small that made me feel. In a room with many of the most influential Goa'uld in the empire, I couldn't help but feel smaller than I have ever felt. That was one of the few things I doubted would ever change with each appearance within these grand halls. For the first time in years, I felt humbled. Exceedingly, humbled.
"Yes, pray, do tell what compelled you to bring your spawn with you Lady Sarpanitum." Damkina was one of the few that could refer to me without proper titles without so much as a reaction from me. She was above even Marduk, although equals now that Marduk had joined the ranks of the System Lords, Damkina was the Queen that had spawned Marduk and was his patron when he was my age. Even considering that I was already an Underlord, I was still less than 500 which meant that I was less than a child in the eyes of most present at this meeting. I was an anomaly. Most others at my status were several thousand years old at the youngest. Good for me, not so great when trying to form alliances that were worth the effort.
Leaving my thoughts behind, I allowed myself to return to the present as Sarpanitum stood from her throne and took calculated steps towards the center of the encircled thrones to replace Ishtar.
"As you are all aware, Lord Marduk has risen to the rank of System Lord, and with that ascension, Our cherished child has been named his first Lieutenant." Sarpanitum's voice carried with it a tone that I could have mistaken for pride. "For most, such an appointment might be seen as expected" She paused in a manner that mirrored Marduk's dramatics. "A mere continuation of tradition. But Nabu is and has been no ordinary child."
Her gaze swept the room, daring any to challenge her. "One so young, yet already walking among his elders as an equal. When last you saw him, he was but a seed of potential, barely scratching the surface of his own brilliance. Yet today, he stands before you, not as a Prim'ta, but as a God worthy of interest."
With a graceful flourish, she lifted her arms, and the chamber's light dimmed as a hologram materialized before her. A galaxy sector shimmered into view, suspended between the territories of Marduk and Balor. "Behold the fruits of his ambition," she said, her tone softening into something almost reverential. "A first step, perhaps, but one that heralds the greatness to come."
As the hologram grew in detail I could make out Avaris, my current base of operations and the territory of Min which I had recently absorbed.
"Our child has taken a world all his own through the greatness of Our strength-" She was cut off as Tiamat stood with tempered aggression.
"What of it?" Tiamat's voice cut through the chamber like a blade, sharp and deliberate. Rising with measured precision, she fixed Sarpanitum with a pointed glare. "You hand him a fleet, and he takes a single world? Shall we shower him with praise for doing what any underling could achieve with such resources?"
Her lips curled into a faint smirk, her tone dripping with condescension. "Impressive, perhaps, if he had done so with his own strength; without leaning on the crutch of your favor."
"Your words ring with truth. But let us not overlook what came after. A feat truly worth noting." Sarpanitum's voice carried a sharpened edge, a challenge that caused my gaze to flicker between the two Queens with bated breath. I knew Sarpanitum held a rather obsessive interest in my ambitions but these scathing remarks could mean war and that was something I did not want or need. I watched as my 'mother's' gaze flicked back towards Tiamat. "His ambition surged, and his initiative proved itself, as he conquered Min, a former underlord of Lady Isis herself. A conquest achieved by his own design, against unfavorable odds."
She paused, allowing her words to sink in, her tone softening into something akin to reverence. "Now, Our child commands no fewer than four worlds. An accomplishment that speaks not to luck, but to the makings of greatness. Quite remarkable for one so newly risen, wouldn't you agree?"
The room, though silent, was deafening as all eyes, critical and intrigued alike, fixed upon me. Hathor stirred from her throne, her movements deliberate and fluid, each step exuding an air of predatory grace as she approached Sarpanitum, or rather, me.
"Let us hear from this 'Prim'ta' ourselves," she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed disdain. "Surely, Lady Sarpanitum, you would not deny your child the chance to speak before us? It is not as if your child has not done so before and in a much more bold manner."
Her eyes, alight with a brilliant white glow, locked onto mine, daring me to falter. With a languid gesture, her arm extended, beckoning me forward like a moth to the flame.
"Come now," she cooed, the edges of her smile sharp, her teeth like fangs bared in masked amusement.
She was playing with me, the worst part of that being that there was nothing I could do to stop her. "Enlighten us with the tale of your so-called accomplishments, 'Prim'ta.' Let us see if your deeds hold the weight your patron claims."
I could feel the room shift, subtle movements drawing my attention. Tiamat leaned forward, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along the edge of her throne, her eyes glinting with amusement. Damkina's gaze was sharper, her lips twitching as if she held back a comment, while Ishtar simply smiled, her eyes flickering with the promise of mischief. As I took a first tentative step forward, I had to take a moment and turn inward.
'What do you make of this Abdul?'
'...' I couldn't help but feel ignored. That couldn't be it though could it? Abdul was at least vocal, even in moments of disdain…right?
'Abdul, I need your guidance, this is not a field of my followers, this is a deathtrap and it has already been sprung.'
Still, nothing. My pulse quickened, and the sweat pooling at my brow threatened to slip down my face. Desperation tinged my inner voice. 'I know we've had our differences but please…right now I need you.'
Silence. Deafening, all-encompassing, silence.
'Understood.' My chest tightened, but I knew I would have to sort this out later. For now, I had bigger things to worry about.
Stepping into the center of the circle of faux smiles and barely restrained malice. All I could feel was incredibly inadequate. The first comment was from a voice that had not spoken up before.
"Nabu, you have had your host all of what? A few decades?" Lady Danu, consort of Lord Balor leaned forward. Her posture relaxed but poised.
"Indeed Lady Danu. It has served me well in such a time." The words left my mouth automatically, but I couldn't reason why she would ask such a question. It seemed irrelevant considering the previous topics of discussion, or perhaps it wasn't. I felt the weight of the room shift as other Queens waited, expectant.
"Then explain to me," Her tone conveyed an emotion I couldn't understand. It felt like a set-up. "why your host bears a resemblance to that of Abzu. One of the eldest of our empire. Why do I see those deplorable wrinkles that the Tau'ri get with age? Do you not use the glorious gift that Telchak had taken so much valuable time to improve? Or can you not even obtain a Sarcophagus without the assistance of your patron?"
Her words came like blows, calculated and unrelenting. Tiamat let out a low chuckle, her fingers idly tracing the gold-trim engraving of her raised throne. "A curious observation, Lady Danu. Perhaps our young Lord of Enlightenment wishes to hide his inexperience behind the age of his host?" The room erupted into a cacophony of murmurs, cutting through the oppressive silence. Daring to shift my gaze to Lady Sarpanitum, my heart sank when her own doubts reflected in her eyes.
I could feel my pulse quicken. My mind ablaze as I fought to suppress the flush creeping up my neck. Abdul's silence continued to gnaw at me, an unyielding reminder of how alone I was. My mind scrambled to formulate a response as Damkina's nails tapped rhythmically against her throne, her gaze narrowing as though dissecting me. The others remained silent, but the weight of their judgment pressed down like a vice.
"When selected, my host had already lived into his third decade." I spoke, using much strength to keep my voice steady even if my heart continued to pound like demonic drums in my ears. Attempting to ensure my voice carried across the room and over the murmurs which had yet to end.
"Knowing this I have not been using the Sarcophagus anymore than sparsely since. It is my belief that the Sarcophagus developed by the exile, Thoth, and later refined by Lord Telchak still holds some of the same elements that made the original as volatile as it was. I refuse to utilize the resource and risk degrading the most proficient weapon we possess, our minds."
It was these words that silenced the steady rumble of murmurs as the group of Queens refocused their gazes on me. I allowed the faintest hint of a smirk develop across my face as I stared down the elder Goa'uld.
"How can we wage meaningful war against our enemies, the Asgard, or any others, without our minds? Was it not recorded that our once great ruler Apep who showcased the degrading effects of the Sarco-"
"Enough." I was cut off by Hathor who's stony expression nearly stopped my heart. Her voice no longer containing any of the charismatic or sensual undertones it would usually carry. "We have heard enough."
The silence that followed the command of Hathor was no less deafening however the group seemed cowed. Damkina ceased her tapping and the expressions of Damkina and Tiamat lost their previous overt hostility. For the time being, at least, I had made my point.
"There is one thing you will learn to understand, child. We do not speak of that which We know nothing. We will not hear you utter the name of Our forefather again, or you will suffer a fate far worse than death." It wasn't a question and it wasn't to be answered. This much I knew as I bowed deeply and eased my way back behind Sarpanitum. Not a word was spoken as Hathor composed herself and the seductive smirk she usually wore made its home back on your lips.
"Now, onto other matters, Lady Danu, We hear your child, Morrigan, has been quite the rising star herself has she not?"
It was at this point that I decided to start tuning out the rest of the meeting. Simple gloating between the various other Queens about their various children amongst the stars. Most of which having achieved much greater feats across the stars than I. Nothing I couldn't read on Setesh's database or the one supplied to me by Marduk. Perhaps a report was in order from the Sicari. Not that it mattered. For now I had to stop and think about what had just happened and the fact that my life, all 37 years of it, just flashed before my eyes.
I doubted there was an atmosphere as oppressive as the one that was generated when Lady Hathor cut me off. She was pissed and I hoped that I would never see her in such a state again. I doubt I would have been allowed to survive it a second time.
It wasn't long before I heard Hathors tone shift with the mention of a name I knew all too well. Her voice, although calm, carried with it a somber tone that sent a chill down my spine.
"An and Ki have paid the ultimate price for their folly." My breath caught in my thoat, though I forced my expression to remain impassive as Hathor spoke. An and Ki, my great-grandparents, the progenitors of my lineage…were gone? The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic tapping of Damkina's nails against her throne.
"Folly is too kind a word," Tiamat sneered, leaning forward slightly. The flickering brazier light danced across her golden features, making her appear more serpent than queen. "They dared to strike against Abzu and I, a final, desperate gasp from two relics of a bygone era. Did they truly think they could reclaim what they had squandered?"
Tiamat's gaze lingered on me, her eyes narrowing as if she could peel back my very thoughts layer by layer. I held her gaze as best I could, as my palms began to sweat.
"Their loss is ours," Damkina interjected sharply, her voice devoid of the disdain she had reserved for me. "Say what you will, Lady Tiamat, but their deaths will ripple far beyond this chamber. Our son sits among the System Lords now, but even he cannot erase the shadow of their failure from our lineage."
"Failure, yes, but an interesting one." Ishtar traced the embroidered arm of her throne, her tone light but pointed. "A bold attempt, though misguided. Tell me, Nabu…" Her eyes gleamed with mischief as they locked onto mine. "What would you have done in their place?"
My throat tightened. The room had turned its attention to me once again, the weight of generations pressing heavily on my shoulders. I hesitated for a heartbeat too long, earning a soft, derisive chuckle from Tiamat.
"That is enough," Sarpanitum cut in, her voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "Nabu is not here to answer for the actions of those who came before him." She rose from her throne, her imposing presence commanding the room's attention. "There is much yet for him to prove, but let us not forget, he is Our child, and We will not have him used as a scapegoat for the sins of the past."
"Perhaps it is best if he is excused," Hathor suggested smoothly, her earlier chill now replaced by the faintest hint of condescension. "This discussion concerns us alone, and it is clear the child has heard enough."
Sarpanitum nodded once, her expression unreadable as she turned to me. The look in her eye suggested that her next words were not a suggestion. "Go. There are matters that require your attention elsewhere."
I bowed deeply, my chest tight as I fought the urge to glance back at the Queens. Even as I exited the chamber, the weight of their words weighed heavy on my mind. An and Ki's deaths were more than a loss, they were a prelude towards challenges I couldn't even begin to fathom.
The doors shut behind me, but the voices within carried faintly through the gilded barrier. Opting to stick around. I decided to test my luck and try to listen to the rest of the conversation even as a vortex of thoughts whirled through my mind.
"Without An and Ki, who now stands to inherit their folly? Their territories will collapse into chaos, vassals grasping at the scraps." Tiamat's voice rang through, confident and self-assured.
"And you will enjoy every moment of it, won't you, Tiamat? Do not think that your victories make you invulnerable. Abzu's triumphs have made him bold, boldness invites overreach." Damkina noted bitterly. I couldn't erase the image of Tiamat's smug smirk from my memory as I envisioned how the Queen looked, practically gloating about her consorts victory.
"Enough." Hathor's voice cut through their bickering, icy and final. "We are not here to debate the worth of dead gods. We are here to ensure this conflict does not upset the balance of power further. Let their deaths serve as a warning to those who think ambition alone can protect them."
I took the finality of Hathor's comment as a cue to leave the opulent entrance in favor of the vast halls that filled a majority of the superstructure. The halls stretched endlessly before me, their silence broken only by the faint hum of distant air-filters. Each step echoed like a countdown, the weight of the Queens' words pressing on my shoulders. In this place of gods and ambition, even the air felt heavier.
Now alone with my thoughts, they drifted back to the words of Tiamat. Was she threatening me by showcasing the deaths of my ancestors? Certainly. However the question would then be; would I allow myself to fall into the same pitfalls? I couldn't. I wouldn't. Perhaps I was expanding too aggressively. Maybe it was time for me to consolidate rather than expand. These questions swirled throughout my mind as I mindlessly wandered the halls of Eden.
Consolidate or expand? The question weighed heavily on my mind. Perhaps Tiamat was right; boldness invited overreach. Yet, what choice did I have? If I stood still, I would be crushed. If I moved too fast, I would fall. Either way, the galaxy would not wait for me to decide.
Mounting problems and little else to do but think. Maybe Abdul had a point. It was all I seemed to be proficient in.
Is it hot in here or are things heating up with these Queens? That went nothing like the last Gala and there is more to come. Thank you for reading and if you're a long time reader of the story I recommend perusing the below for additional context that might help with some previous problems I've had with the writing that have been corrected. Otherwise please ignore, just some boring explanations anyways.
For anyone trying to reach out to me, please friend me on discord, PM's here do not work for me since I barely check them. Here is my username for y'all: mariposa_de_medianoche
Since there is not update on worlds or whatnot in this chapter I won't be putting anything but I do want to mention that when I do the planets will only showcase their primary export that Nabu is either giving as tribute to Marduk and what he's primarily using from the world to construct his fleet. Also for any who just came back to the story I have updated the hyperdrives timeline in the previous chapter (regarding how quickly Nabu got to Avaris) to properly reflect the technology of the time period.
Also of note is the the territory of Marduk and Nabu is within a small sector of the galaxy, those of you who mentioned that the speeds of ships had impact on the territory of each Goa'uld are correct, they can only maintain so far and thus the territory controlled by Marduk and Nabu is close together and bordering that of Balor within a fringe sector of the galaxy.
See you all in the next chapter! Bye Bye!