Heru-ur wasnt looking quite as dapper as he glared at Nekhrun. His ear had been thoroughly mangled by Nekhruns teeth and his cloth of gold pants were torn and stained with dirt and blood. The rest of him wasnt significantly cleaner.
Of course, Nekhrun looked, if anything, even worse. His pants were more or less intact but where the cut on Heru-urs left arm had more or less closed by now, his own arm still hung limp at his side and his nose had been broken in the last tussle. He was also grinning triumphantly.
I dont know what youre smiling about, Heru-ur growled. Youre losing.
Im smiling because I know something.that you dont know, Nekhrun replied.
Heru-ur spat on the ground, the gobbet of spittle noticeably red with blood. Then enlighten me, o once and fallen teacher. What wisdom do you have to impart.
Nekhruns smirk grew truly vicious. Ive got two shields now, he said and held up the projection unit for Heru-urs personal shield device.
Heru-urs eyes bulged and he grabbed at his belt where the projector had been attached. Then he grabbed a second item from his belt and activated it immediately.
Leaving already? Nekhrun asked, recognising the item as a Goauld emergency beacon. They hadnt changed the design in over six thousand years which even Nekhrun, constitutionally attached to taking a long view of things and not fixing what wasnt broken, thought was a bit on the unimaginative side. But parting is such sweet sorrow.
I will return, Heru-ur declared dramatically. And I will have my revenge.
Well youre half-right anyway, Nekhrun told the empty air as the ring transporter carried Heruur away. Then he turned and started walking towards the Jaffa. Time to negotiate a surrender.
Your god has abandoned you, he said in a flat, clear voice that Ayodhya had spent hours practising to ensure that he could be heard from one end of a parade ground to the other without mechanical assistance. You are completely surrounded by my allies. He paused. By my word and my bond, you shall be allowed to leave through the Stargate. Now lay down your weapons.
There was a long pause as if ten thousand men were holding their breath against the decisions being made.
And then a single staff weapon fell onto the ground.
It was followed by another, and then another as the Jaffa admitted defeat.
It was also followed by their tears as they admitted the truth.
Their God had abandoned them.
.oOo.
Prepare to depart, Heru-ur ordered the moment he appeared in the Alkesh. We must join the fleet immediately.
Fleet? Jack said. What fleet is that?
Heru-ur stared around. The only Jaffa visible was not Stross or Ainiur, but a towering black man with the mark of Apophsis tattooed in gold on his brow. The man addressing him was recognition sank in. Tauri!
I know what youre thinking, Jack said, gesturing with the muzzle of his P90. Youre thinking that youre behind that forcefield gizmabob of yours and that our bullets cant hurt you. But maybe if we can find your cloaked ship then maybe we can make bullets that can penetrate your forcefield. So the question is do you feel lucky, punk?
The Goauld stared at him in disbelief and then slowly his shoulders slumped. I hate Nekhrun, he hissed. I hate the Tokra. I hate this forsaken planet. And most of all, you Tauri I truly hate you Tauri more than anything in the entire universe.
You make me feel all warm and fuzzy, Jack said. Now why dont you just step towards the rear hatch so that we can take you into custody. And while youre at it, I wouldnt want you to be using any nasty little devices that might be hidden away, so why dont you keep your hands on top of your head where they wont get up to any mischief.
Ill just call the Leonidas, Sam said from the cockpit. Im sure they have the facilities to keep him in secure confinement.
You do that, Jack agreed, not looking away from Heru-ur as he walked towards the hatch. Outside, Stross and Ainur were kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind their backs and ankles tied together and then to the nearest tree. Ill be sure to pass your compliments on to Nekhrun, he added. Are there any particular messages that I should take to the Tokra?
Tell that bastard Delek that his mother Egeria will suffer for his crimes against me, Heru-ur snarled vengefully. Even if you animals slay me, know that the vengeance of Heru-ur is inescapable. Egerias fate is sealed forever.
Daniel frowned and Jack half-turned his head. Mean anything to you, Da-
He broke off as Heru-ur took advantage of the perceived lack of attention, running for cover behind the Alkesh. Reflexively Jack fired and was surprised to see that rather being halted by a forcefield, the rounds cut Heru-urs legs out from under him, leaving him screaming in agony.
Sonuvabitch, he said in surprise. He wasnt even wearing a forcefield. Wonder how that happened.
Heru-ur managed to focus his eyes on Jack. You you didnt have shield-breaking weapons? I suppose that we are both liars then, Colonel Jack ONeill. But your trap has not just caught me it has caught you. Did you think I would not share my knowledge of Nekhruns whereabouts with the other System Lords?
Jack frowned and looked at Daniel. Have the Leonidas hurry up bringing Heru-ur aboard, he said. I think their intelligence people will want a word with him.
.oOo.
Hours later, with the mopping up still taking place on the ground, SG-1 were ushered into the observation deck of the Leonidas. The room was more crowded than they remembered it, with a grand U of tables taking up the bulk of the room. Around it sat a dozen officers in Confederate uniforms, including von Pinn, Fumizuki and, with his arm in a sling, Ayodhya. There were almost as many Angrezi at the table, along with perhaps half as many civilians that Jack recognised from the reception as being members of the Confederate diplomatic corps.
Welcome aboard again, Ayodhya said and gestured towards four empty chairs. Please seat yourselves. I would value your input on the current situation.
He tapped a small control panel sitting on the table and a holographic display appeared in the middle of the U, displaying the familiar map of Angrezis Stargate Island. As you are all aware, the situation on Angrezi has been contained. While some Jaffa continue to fight, organised resistance has ceased. The sealing of the Stargate and the capture of Heru-ur have essentially settled the matter. With that dealt with, it is time to look at the bigger picture.
Another tap of the controls caused the map to shrink suddenly, reducing the scale until all Angrezi was visible, and then shrinking down until the entire star system was only a glowing dot among dozens of others. On the interstellar scale, this shows the immediate area of the Confederacy. Obviously it would not be practical to patrol all of it, but the key issue is these locations. Fourteen points of light went crimson, two of them quite close to Angrezi.
May I ask their significance? General Soor asked from where he was sitting on the opposite side of the U from SG-1.
These worlds, Ayodhya said grimly, Are all under the control of the System Lords. And while a Stargate may not care how far away a destination does, a fleet would. Any of these worlds would be a viable staging ground for the System Lords to mount an attack upon the Confederacy and the only world that they know the location of is Angrezi.
You expect us to come under attack then? asked a young woman wearing an Angrezi uniform. Sam blinked and then smiled as she saw that it was Princess Shakuntala.
Ayodhya nodded. When our Tauri friends captured Heru-ur he was talking about making a rendevous with a fleet. That suggests that his fleet, at the least, is on its way here. He tapped his fingers together for a moment, the tension rising. Which, with things as they stand, is about as good as we could hope for.
You want Angrezi to be attacked? Soor asked in surprise.
If it means that we know where and approximately when the blow will fall, then yes, the Admiral said unflinchingly. Shortly after the first reports of the Jaffa attack through the Stargate, I ordered a courier to make for Heinessen recommending immediate execution of Operation Mount Niitaka, the Confederacys primary scenario for war with the System Lords. Given that we are currently significantly outnumbered by the System Lords, the plan calls for the use of every advantage that we have to even the odds as far as is possible. And a defensive victory over Angrezi will bleed them severely.
He indicated the display. Operation Mount Niitaka has the primary goal of eliminating likely staging grounds for the Goauld in this sector of the Galaxy. If approved, each of these worlds will come under attack in the next forty-eight hours by an CFSF Battle Group. A sweep of the sector will also remove every Stargate that we have been able to locate from a broad swathe of space around the Confederacy. The only gates that remain will be those that are under tight control. In the short term, this commits the bulk of the Fleet to offensive operations, on the assumption, a hazardous one, I admit, that the Goauld have only a limited knowledge of where the Confederacy is located.
But they do know where Angrezi lies, Soor snapped.
And Angrezi is part of the Confederacy now, Ayodhya advised confidently. The Confederacy does not abandon its own. I admit that the forces available are not as large as I would like but has anyone ever known a military commander to admit he has too many troops at his disposal?
There were chuckles from several places around the table.
In the short term, my own battle group will remain here, along with whatever forces can be sent from the reserve, Ayodhya continued. Part of the forces employed for the offensive arm of the Operation will also return here rather than to their usual bases, as this is the most likely place for the System Lords to attack.
Jack considered. What will your Fleet do if a large fleet is already at one of those worlds when they arrive? he asked.
Establish a picket and report in, Ayodhya admitted. If they stay there then a fleet will be massed to deal with them, if not then there should be at least some warning from the pickets before they arrive our hyperdrives are a little faster than theirs. And raid the planet once theyre gone of course.
Daniel paled, envisaging Confederate Star Destroyers descending upon populations as helpless as those of Abydos or a thousand other worlds. What will happen to the people on those planets?
Theyll become involuntary colonists, Doctor, Captain Fumizuki told him. Several of the worlds that Lord Nekhrun settled refugees from the System Lords on have unexplored continents. The local populations will be removed to them and given the basic tools to rebuild their lives away from the System Lords. From then on, their lives will be in their own hands.
Its not exactly fair, Ayodhya admitted. Well be forcing thousands of people away from their homes. But coldbloodedly, if we leave them where they are then they can be used to rebuild the facilities that we are about to destroy. This way they will have new homes, and their freedom.
Daniel relaxed slightly. I was more concerned that they might be left there, he admitted. Some of the System Lords would likely make reprisals for them not stopping you from destroying their property.
Can your battle group hold of Heru-ur if his fleet arrives before reinforcements? The question came from Soor, who seemed only somewhat relieved by the information thus far made available.
Our best estimates of Heru-urs fleet place him as having perhaps as many as thirty Hatak class vessels in various states of repair. Some of those would be needed to protect his own territory, others would not be fully operational. If he is attacking alone which is likely if he was personally leading the attack since otherwise he would be exposed to the treachery of his allies then it is unlikely that he could deploy more than twenty-three or twenty-four warships. That pushes the extreme limit of what my battle group, even with the assistance of your current orbital defences, can handle without reinforcements.
And if he wasnt acting alone? enquired Shakuntala. If this fleet is made up of the forces of many System Lords?
Then the size of the enemy fleet is impossible to predict, Ayodhya told her. Individually, the System Lords would send smaller proportions of their fleets, but in total the number of Hataks in service among all of them number at least a thousand.
And the Confederate fleet numbers less than a hundred warships, Soor groaned.
Just over that, Ayodhya nodded. The latest production run of Hatak Destroyers was commissioned just before we left Heinessen.
Hatak Destroyers? Jack asked.
Same general class as the Leonidas, Nekhrun said, taking over from Ayodhya. Designed to do exactly what the description says: destroy Hatak-type ships. And those thousand or so Hataks are spread across most of the galaxy, General. Itll take months, perhaps years, to get them all into the same place. If we can deal with whatever Heru-ur had gathered then well have time to reinforce our defenses. This is going to be a long war though.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
Of course, Nekhrun looked, if anything, even worse. His pants were more or less intact but where the cut on Heru-urs left arm had more or less closed by now, his own arm still hung limp at his side and his nose had been broken in the last tussle. He was also grinning triumphantly.
I dont know what youre smiling about, Heru-ur growled. Youre losing.
Im smiling because I know something.that you dont know, Nekhrun replied.
Heru-ur spat on the ground, the gobbet of spittle noticeably red with blood. Then enlighten me, o once and fallen teacher. What wisdom do you have to impart.
Nekhruns smirk grew truly vicious. Ive got two shields now, he said and held up the projection unit for Heru-urs personal shield device.
Heru-urs eyes bulged and he grabbed at his belt where the projector had been attached. Then he grabbed a second item from his belt and activated it immediately.
Leaving already? Nekhrun asked, recognising the item as a Goauld emergency beacon. They hadnt changed the design in over six thousand years which even Nekhrun, constitutionally attached to taking a long view of things and not fixing what wasnt broken, thought was a bit on the unimaginative side. But parting is such sweet sorrow.
I will return, Heru-ur declared dramatically. And I will have my revenge.
Well youre half-right anyway, Nekhrun told the empty air as the ring transporter carried Heruur away. Then he turned and started walking towards the Jaffa. Time to negotiate a surrender.
Your god has abandoned you, he said in a flat, clear voice that Ayodhya had spent hours practising to ensure that he could be heard from one end of a parade ground to the other without mechanical assistance. You are completely surrounded by my allies. He paused. By my word and my bond, you shall be allowed to leave through the Stargate. Now lay down your weapons.
There was a long pause as if ten thousand men were holding their breath against the decisions being made.
And then a single staff weapon fell onto the ground.
It was followed by another, and then another as the Jaffa admitted defeat.
It was also followed by their tears as they admitted the truth.
Their God had abandoned them.
.oOo.
Prepare to depart, Heru-ur ordered the moment he appeared in the Alkesh. We must join the fleet immediately.
Fleet? Jack said. What fleet is that?
Heru-ur stared around. The only Jaffa visible was not Stross or Ainiur, but a towering black man with the mark of Apophsis tattooed in gold on his brow. The man addressing him was recognition sank in. Tauri!
I know what youre thinking, Jack said, gesturing with the muzzle of his P90. Youre thinking that youre behind that forcefield gizmabob of yours and that our bullets cant hurt you. But maybe if we can find your cloaked ship then maybe we can make bullets that can penetrate your forcefield. So the question is do you feel lucky, punk?
The Goauld stared at him in disbelief and then slowly his shoulders slumped. I hate Nekhrun, he hissed. I hate the Tokra. I hate this forsaken planet. And most of all, you Tauri I truly hate you Tauri more than anything in the entire universe.
You make me feel all warm and fuzzy, Jack said. Now why dont you just step towards the rear hatch so that we can take you into custody. And while youre at it, I wouldnt want you to be using any nasty little devices that might be hidden away, so why dont you keep your hands on top of your head where they wont get up to any mischief.
Ill just call the Leonidas, Sam said from the cockpit. Im sure they have the facilities to keep him in secure confinement.
You do that, Jack agreed, not looking away from Heru-ur as he walked towards the hatch. Outside, Stross and Ainur were kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind their backs and ankles tied together and then to the nearest tree. Ill be sure to pass your compliments on to Nekhrun, he added. Are there any particular messages that I should take to the Tokra?
Tell that bastard Delek that his mother Egeria will suffer for his crimes against me, Heru-ur snarled vengefully. Even if you animals slay me, know that the vengeance of Heru-ur is inescapable. Egerias fate is sealed forever.
Daniel frowned and Jack half-turned his head. Mean anything to you, Da-
He broke off as Heru-ur took advantage of the perceived lack of attention, running for cover behind the Alkesh. Reflexively Jack fired and was surprised to see that rather being halted by a forcefield, the rounds cut Heru-urs legs out from under him, leaving him screaming in agony.
Sonuvabitch, he said in surprise. He wasnt even wearing a forcefield. Wonder how that happened.
Heru-ur managed to focus his eyes on Jack. You you didnt have shield-breaking weapons? I suppose that we are both liars then, Colonel Jack ONeill. But your trap has not just caught me it has caught you. Did you think I would not share my knowledge of Nekhruns whereabouts with the other System Lords?
Jack frowned and looked at Daniel. Have the Leonidas hurry up bringing Heru-ur aboard, he said. I think their intelligence people will want a word with him.
.oOo.
Hours later, with the mopping up still taking place on the ground, SG-1 were ushered into the observation deck of the Leonidas. The room was more crowded than they remembered it, with a grand U of tables taking up the bulk of the room. Around it sat a dozen officers in Confederate uniforms, including von Pinn, Fumizuki and, with his arm in a sling, Ayodhya. There were almost as many Angrezi at the table, along with perhaps half as many civilians that Jack recognised from the reception as being members of the Confederate diplomatic corps.
Welcome aboard again, Ayodhya said and gestured towards four empty chairs. Please seat yourselves. I would value your input on the current situation.
He tapped a small control panel sitting on the table and a holographic display appeared in the middle of the U, displaying the familiar map of Angrezis Stargate Island. As you are all aware, the situation on Angrezi has been contained. While some Jaffa continue to fight, organised resistance has ceased. The sealing of the Stargate and the capture of Heru-ur have essentially settled the matter. With that dealt with, it is time to look at the bigger picture.
Another tap of the controls caused the map to shrink suddenly, reducing the scale until all Angrezi was visible, and then shrinking down until the entire star system was only a glowing dot among dozens of others. On the interstellar scale, this shows the immediate area of the Confederacy. Obviously it would not be practical to patrol all of it, but the key issue is these locations. Fourteen points of light went crimson, two of them quite close to Angrezi.
May I ask their significance? General Soor asked from where he was sitting on the opposite side of the U from SG-1.
These worlds, Ayodhya said grimly, Are all under the control of the System Lords. And while a Stargate may not care how far away a destination does, a fleet would. Any of these worlds would be a viable staging ground for the System Lords to mount an attack upon the Confederacy and the only world that they know the location of is Angrezi.
You expect us to come under attack then? asked a young woman wearing an Angrezi uniform. Sam blinked and then smiled as she saw that it was Princess Shakuntala.
Ayodhya nodded. When our Tauri friends captured Heru-ur he was talking about making a rendevous with a fleet. That suggests that his fleet, at the least, is on its way here. He tapped his fingers together for a moment, the tension rising. Which, with things as they stand, is about as good as we could hope for.
You want Angrezi to be attacked? Soor asked in surprise.
If it means that we know where and approximately when the blow will fall, then yes, the Admiral said unflinchingly. Shortly after the first reports of the Jaffa attack through the Stargate, I ordered a courier to make for Heinessen recommending immediate execution of Operation Mount Niitaka, the Confederacys primary scenario for war with the System Lords. Given that we are currently significantly outnumbered by the System Lords, the plan calls for the use of every advantage that we have to even the odds as far as is possible. And a defensive victory over Angrezi will bleed them severely.
He indicated the display. Operation Mount Niitaka has the primary goal of eliminating likely staging grounds for the Goauld in this sector of the Galaxy. If approved, each of these worlds will come under attack in the next forty-eight hours by an CFSF Battle Group. A sweep of the sector will also remove every Stargate that we have been able to locate from a broad swathe of space around the Confederacy. The only gates that remain will be those that are under tight control. In the short term, this commits the bulk of the Fleet to offensive operations, on the assumption, a hazardous one, I admit, that the Goauld have only a limited knowledge of where the Confederacy is located.
But they do know where Angrezi lies, Soor snapped.
And Angrezi is part of the Confederacy now, Ayodhya advised confidently. The Confederacy does not abandon its own. I admit that the forces available are not as large as I would like but has anyone ever known a military commander to admit he has too many troops at his disposal?
There were chuckles from several places around the table.
In the short term, my own battle group will remain here, along with whatever forces can be sent from the reserve, Ayodhya continued. Part of the forces employed for the offensive arm of the Operation will also return here rather than to their usual bases, as this is the most likely place for the System Lords to attack.
Jack considered. What will your Fleet do if a large fleet is already at one of those worlds when they arrive? he asked.
Establish a picket and report in, Ayodhya admitted. If they stay there then a fleet will be massed to deal with them, if not then there should be at least some warning from the pickets before they arrive our hyperdrives are a little faster than theirs. And raid the planet once theyre gone of course.
Daniel paled, envisaging Confederate Star Destroyers descending upon populations as helpless as those of Abydos or a thousand other worlds. What will happen to the people on those planets?
Theyll become involuntary colonists, Doctor, Captain Fumizuki told him. Several of the worlds that Lord Nekhrun settled refugees from the System Lords on have unexplored continents. The local populations will be removed to them and given the basic tools to rebuild their lives away from the System Lords. From then on, their lives will be in their own hands.
Its not exactly fair, Ayodhya admitted. Well be forcing thousands of people away from their homes. But coldbloodedly, if we leave them where they are then they can be used to rebuild the facilities that we are about to destroy. This way they will have new homes, and their freedom.
Daniel relaxed slightly. I was more concerned that they might be left there, he admitted. Some of the System Lords would likely make reprisals for them not stopping you from destroying their property.
Can your battle group hold of Heru-ur if his fleet arrives before reinforcements? The question came from Soor, who seemed only somewhat relieved by the information thus far made available.
Our best estimates of Heru-urs fleet place him as having perhaps as many as thirty Hatak class vessels in various states of repair. Some of those would be needed to protect his own territory, others would not be fully operational. If he is attacking alone which is likely if he was personally leading the attack since otherwise he would be exposed to the treachery of his allies then it is unlikely that he could deploy more than twenty-three or twenty-four warships. That pushes the extreme limit of what my battle group, even with the assistance of your current orbital defences, can handle without reinforcements.
And if he wasnt acting alone? enquired Shakuntala. If this fleet is made up of the forces of many System Lords?
Then the size of the enemy fleet is impossible to predict, Ayodhya told her. Individually, the System Lords would send smaller proportions of their fleets, but in total the number of Hataks in service among all of them number at least a thousand.
And the Confederate fleet numbers less than a hundred warships, Soor groaned.
Just over that, Ayodhya nodded. The latest production run of Hatak Destroyers was commissioned just before we left Heinessen.
Hatak Destroyers? Jack asked.
Same general class as the Leonidas, Nekhrun said, taking over from Ayodhya. Designed to do exactly what the description says: destroy Hatak-type ships. And those thousand or so Hataks are spread across most of the galaxy, General. Itll take months, perhaps years, to get them all into the same place. If we can deal with whatever Heru-ur had gathered then well have time to reinforce our defenses. This is going to be a long war though.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.