Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Ascended
The Unknown arrived at the bridge of Apophis's new mothership, where he was seated on his grand golden throne, being praised and revered by about six handmaidens. He delighted in watching the debris displayed on the windows and screens.
"Nut, welcome," Apophis said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Is my lord pleased?" asked the illusion the Unknown created for Apophis.
Apophis chuckled, and his closest lords joined the Unknown in revering him. They were all invited to this battle… No, it was an absolute victory. The folly of Herur-ur had been his downfall.
"My lord, you truly are a god," praised Zipacma, one of Apophis's most loyal servants.
The Unknown had been observing him, as he was one of the few Goa'uld who retained sanity among Apophis's followers. He planned to make him one of his commanders, but he was only a mid-ranking Goa'uld, not worthy of being his spokesman among the system lords when the time came to reveal themselves. And now that the Tok'ra had interfered with his plans, the Unknown also needed to advance them, and for that, he needed allies.
"Nut, you will have the honor of announcing my victory over Herur-ur and summoning my forces for the battle against Korr. Soon, that little larva will fall, and a new supreme lord will rise. The Tok'ra, the Tau'ri, and the rebel Jaffa will accompany him in his downfall," Apophis decreed, and his court and the Jaffa praised and knelt before him. The Unknown smiled.
…
"What! How?" Daniel asked in alarm after Jacob, who had arrived a few minutes ago, told them that Herur-ur had been killed by Apophis and that he now led his armies and lords.
"Apophis has presented himself on Herur-ur's main planet, demanding his surrender. He arrived there on his new mothership, while Herur-ur's fleet was focused on conquering territories on its borders."
"Herur-ur had a personal guard of twenty Ha'taks, but Apophis's new ship easily surpassed them, and Herur-ur fell," Jacob explained.
"New ship? The same one we destroyed a couple of months ago, just to prevent something like this?" Jack asked angrily.
"Apparently, Apophis had anticipated our attack and had two shipyards prepared, one of which we have not yet located. He is a system lord, with hundreds of planets to hide whatever he wants, and there are thousands of other free planets in his territory, and that's just counting habitable worlds. The number reaches millions if we count the rest," Jacob explained.
In conclusion, if a system lord wanted to hide something from them, there was no way to find out.
"Jacob, what consequences could we expect from this?" General Hammond asked.
"Apophis has spared us from having to predict his movements, as he has finished with Herur-ur, has summoned his forces, and has set his sights on Korr. He has also sent an ultimatum to the other system lords, demanding their surrender," Jacob reported.
"He seems very confident," Daniel said sadly.
Considering that Apophis already had Sokar's fleet, superior to that of the system lords, and now he had also added Herur-ur's, the second most powerful system lord, his self-confidence could be understood.
"You don't understand the gravity of this. Apophis has called his lesser lords to battle, and according to our preliminary reports, his fleet could exceed five hundred motherships, not to mention the Al'kesh and ground troops. Korr could be overwhelmed, and if the system lord falls, Apophis will have no rival. He will command the forces of the system lords, and he will come for us, Earth, and the rebel Jaffa," Jacob explained.
"Five hundred Ha'taks?" Maybourne asked incredulously. "Didn't Sokar only have around seventy or so?" he asked. Jacob grimaced.
"Apophis has built more, but they wouldn't surpass about a hundred in his personal fleet, adding another fifty from Herur-ur's fleet. The rest of the fleet belongs to some of his lesser lords," Jacob said. Daniel was stunned.
"Sorry, weren't the system lords the Goa'uld with the most ships?" Jack asked.
"Sir, each system lord is served by hundreds of lesser lords, and with Ra's death, there's no one to control the production of Ha'taks anymore. It's logical to think that each lesser lord has been organizing their forces since Ra's death. The strange thing is that the number isn't higher," Sam said, looking at Jacob.
"It's much higher, but Apophis won't leave his territories unguarded, and we assume the forces he leaves behind will form a second fleet, in case the system lords join the battle," Jacob explained.
"So, we have a formal war for power," General Hammond said.
"We can't allow this war to take place. The Jaffa rebellion relies on the weakness of the Goa'uld; if they act forcefully, our momentum will be weakened," Teal'c said.
"We can't do anything; Apophis's surprise attack on Herur-ur was too sudden, and now Apophis doesn't leave his mothership, which we can't access in any way," Jacob explained.
"That means the bracelets won't be usable," Daniel said, and Jacob nodded.
"The Tok'ra didn't send you to propose plans, but to find them," Sam said, and Jacob nodded again.
"Well, there's no better time to call our allies," Jack said, looking at General Hammond.
…
"Father, Earth asks for our help to stop Apophis's war plans," 02 reported, while Korr watched as Apophis's fleet organized against him.
Korr shook his fist against the armrest of his throne, his eyes burning with fury. He had been receiving news about Apophis's movements against Herur-ur, realizing that all his plans had been disrupted, so he was angry.
"Anubis!" Korr scolded. There was no way Apophis could disrupt his plans like this.
Korr stood up from his throne on the Leviathan's bridge. There he and 02 were, watching a hologram of Apophis's territories and the forces he was gathering. The lesser lords under his command had five times more ships than Apophis, but they wouldn't dare to confront him, fearing betrayal by their peers. This was a disaster, and Korr hadn't spent almost four years planning for Anubis to take advantage of him.
Korr made a gesture towards the hologram, and it was replaced by another map, but this one was a temporal one.
"Now let's see, little vermin, where you started to disrupt my plans, and then we'll see if being out of existence, you can cause me any trouble!" Korr said angrily.
"Father, he couldn't interfere for over a year," 02 said. Korr nodded in agreement, and the Leviathan prepared for a temporal jump of one year. He would resolve this matter without revealing himself to the Korr of that time…
Korr blinked and looked at 02, who looked just as confused as he did because the temporal jump didn't occur. Korr frowned and after checking everything, he tried again, but once again, there was no jump, not even the slightest temporal effect. Korr thought for a couple of seconds, and then sat back down.
"I understand, my plans aren't to his liking. Anubis is his way of bothering me," Korr said, because that was the only possible explanation, as the other option was that suddenly, physics had gone on vacation, and the temporal jump no longer worked.
"Father, are you talking about the ascended ones?" 02 asked, sounding puzzled. "Didn't you say they wouldn't interfere with us?" she asked. Korr smiled.
"And they haven't, I suspect they merely exerted less effort than they should have with Anubis. So, I must assume I'm not facing a semi-ascended being with some knowledge but something more terrible, and it's very possible they possess the same knowledge I do, or at least the same technological level," explained Korr, moving his hand again, causing the map of Apophis's territories to appear.
He didn't expect the ascended ones to interfere, but with Anubis in their hands, they could do so without breaking their own rules, and that posed many problems for Korr because he didn't know the extent of their interference.
"Anubis, you're just a relic of the past, you have no idea how vast this universe is and the scope of my plans. Do you want a war? There's no way you'll win!" Korr declared. "How many Ha'taks do we currently possess?" Korr asked.
"Father, currently, in the joint fleet, there are six hundred ships," replied 02, who was the supreme commander of his fleet.
"How long will it take for Apophis to arrive?" Korr asked.
"A month to implement the improvements in his fleet, another month to get here once he's done so, as his Ha'taks have only reached fifty percent efficiency in obtaining energy from naquadriah, and they're far from our territory," explained 02, as the galaxy map showed a general view, with Apophis's territory and the deceased Herur-ur more than halfway across the galaxy from each other.
"That's convenient for Anubis, I imagine, so that when Apophis falls, I can't go to claim his territories. If I did, our empire would be divided in two," said Korr.
"Anubis plans to see our strength; we can eliminate Apophis and end his rebellion without a battle occurring," proposed 02.
"And then Anubis will seek out the next system lord who seizes the fleet and his territories and send him against us, as he has done with Apophis," Korr replied. "No, we must assume the worst and rid ourselves of these forces once and for all, so they can't be used against us again, and warn the potential puppets of Anubis."
"That will force him to show his hand, and then we'll see what he's willing to wager…" Korr fell silent and blinked. "Why should he wait for Anubis to make his bet? After all, wouldn't he have to match it later?"
"02, enhance the weapons and shields of our Ha'taks with alteran technology, and warn the system lords that I'll have their heads if I locate more than one of their ships witnessing this battle," ordered Korr.
"Yes, father," said 02, and she transported away to prepare everything.
Korr opened communications because the Asgard had been calling him for several minutes, and in front of him appeared the hologram of Thor on his Asgard throne, on the other side of the map showing the galaxy.
"Greetings, Korr," said Thor.
"Greetings," said Korr, and Thor glanced at the galaxy map with Apophis's forces and his own for a few seconds.
"Strange movement for a Goa'uld lord, and his technological advancement isn't ordinary either," said Thor.
"There's someone else behind him, and I suspect they possess our same technology. This is their move to confirm my strength," explained Korr without hiding anything; the Asgard were now his best card to prevent Anubis from completely thwarting his plans.
"Who could possess such technological level?" Thor asked.
"An ascended being," said Korr sincerely. Thor blinked and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Could a Goa'uld ascend?" he asked after pondering for several seconds.
"Anubis could, and he's had a thousand years to learn many things. Now I'm his target, but I suspect they'll soon have similar problems, so I hope they're not gloating in their victory against the replicators and are taking the reinforcement of their fleet seriously," said Korr.
"Do you think Anubis possesses replicator technology?" Thor asked, ignoring his comment and setting priorities.
"It's possible, I would say it's a fact, but not even Anubis would be so crazy as to use replicators in a war," said Korr.
"He could do it, if we corner him," said Thor, who apparently had little confidence in the sanity of the Goa'uld. Korr pondered on it.
"It's possible," he said after several minutes. "Then we must capture him before he feels desperate," Korr proposed.
"Can you locate him?" Thor asked.
"I haven't met any ascended beings, but over time, he will gain confidence and reveal himself," said Korr confidently.
A Goa'uld wouldn't stand hiding; they were too proud and needed to boast. As soon as Anubis felt secure, he would show himself.
"Then it's better not to give him reasons to remain hidden," Thor concluded.
"Well, but I hope you understand that the spoils in this war will be distributed according to participation," warned Korr, because these guys were shirking the conflict. Korr suspected they didn't trust him much and feared an ambush.
"We wouldn't expect anything else," said Thor. "And we'll certainly be prepared," he warned.
"Well, I hope you are, because I plan to enhance my ships with Alteran shields and weapons, and if I'm correct, Anubis will make a move after that to add his own advantages in this war. Although if he has the replicators with him, he'll never create anything that can surpass him," said Korr.
"That would be the same for us as well," said Thor.
Korr had to agree and nodded. Sending his top technology against an adversary suspected of having access to replicators was like putting a noose around his own neck. His most advanced technology had to be used with surgical precision to ensure the capture of Anubis.
Korr grimaced as he gestured towards the galactic map, which in just a few seconds, only showed his own territory.
"My satellites contain the most advanced technology I have; I can't leave them in enemy territory without risking them falling into Anubis's hands," explained Korr. Thor nodded.
"We'll withdraw our own probes; I'm afraid our information will depend on the Tok'ra," said Thor.
"Anubis already knows about them and managed to outwit them; don't rely too much on what they say," warned Korr. If they fell into an ambush due to false information, it would be a disaster.
"Understood, I'll be monitoring the battle," said Thor.
"My ships will be enhanced; beware of friendly fire," warned Korr.
"My new flagship, the O'Neill, possesses capabilities superior to any Asgard combat ship, and recently, we've added some upgrades.
"It's almost a pity we can't test it against the replicators," boasted Thor.
Korr rolled his eyes; these guys couldn't sit still and were always improving their technology, which is why the replicators had latched onto them like candy, and yet they still didn't learn.
"Well, I suppose reminding the system lords of their existence will prevent them from wanting to be left without ships to defend themselves by risking everything in a war," said Korr. Thor nodded.
…
Daniel was in a meeting discussing their next mission when they were interrupted by Thor, whose hologram appeared in the room. Also present were Jacob and Anise from the Tok'ra, along with 03, because the mission they were discussing had to do with the imminent battle between Apophis and Korr.
"Greetings, General Hammond, SG1, Jacob," said Thor, nodding to the rest of those present.
"Thor, at last…"
"I'm afraid, O'Neill, that we cannot interfere in an internal conflict among the Goa'uld," Thor interrupted, knowing what Jack was going to say. Jack grimaced.
"I think we're taking this non-interference thing too far," said Jack. "We're starting to sound like the Tollan," he complained.
"This conflict shouldn't concern you too much," Thor said, looking at 03. Daniel didn't understand the hint, but what he said directly was also important.
"If we shouldn't worry about this conflict, shouldn't that be good news for us?" Daniel asked. Sam nodded in agreement.
"I'm afraid this war has been orchestrated from the shadows by another Goa'uld, one more dangerous than Apophis. We believe he has been operating in the shadows for some time, but with the growing Jaffa rebellion, he has decided to act before allowing the rebellion to progress," explained Thor.
Daniel understood; this Goa'uld intended to reunify the Goa'uld by naming himself supreme lord and then dealing with the Jaffa rebellion.
"If the Asgard won't interfere, why are you here?" Sam asked.
"I suppose they are considering joining the battlefield using one of their ships," said Thor, and General Hammond nodded.
"The president believes this is a good opportunity to assess the extent of the Goa'uld threat, the capability of their ships, and their battle strategies and tactics," explained General Hammond.
"That's what we thought, but as I've told you before, there's someone in the shadows with a plan similar to yours, so I can't allow you to use your ships to try to infiltrate; that could put Earth at risk, and we don't know the extent of this new enemy's forces, so provoking a confrontation for Earth is unadvisable," Thor explained.
The Asgard feared their ships being discovered and Earth being exposed, with the Goa'uld attacking, and they would have to intervene. Daniel knew the Asgard were recovering from the war against the replicators and couldn't count on having a fleet ready for total war.
"Thor, we need that information," said Jack, and Thor nodded.
"The Asgard council assumed you wouldn't agree to stay behind, so I offer to take you on the O'Neill and provide you with a copy of what your sensors collect," Thor proposed.
"That would be a great help," Sam supported.
"The Tok'ra would also appreciate such collaboration," said Jacob, and Thor nodded.
"Wouldn't it be a problem for the Asgard if your ship were to be located in a Goa'uld battlefield?" Daniel asked. If they were at risk of being discovered, so were the Asgard.
"We won't be there incognito; we have already spoken with the involved System Lords in the battle and warned of our presence, which they have accepted. The other System Lords will also send a ship to represent them and witness the battle," explained Thor.
"You can always count on the Goa'uld to be arrogant," thought Daniel.
"Well, when do we leave?" Jack asked.
…
"Seems like we're worrying too much; this Lord Korr really has quite a fleet," Colonel O'Neill said, looking at his god's fleet as the Asgard ship exited hyperspace.
03 also observed everything from the bridge of the O'Neill, capturing the entire battlefield while the Asgard ship scanned everything. It took him a second to create a projection of the fleet in his mind, though he only used his eyes.
His god had brought more than ninety percent of the imperial fleet, led by 02, who occupied the center of the vanguard with her flagship. The fleet was already deployed a few thousand kilometers from one of their border planets. There were six hundred ha'taks and eight hundred Al'kesh. The fighters had not been deployed yet.
The fleet was divided Into three lines of ha'taks, two in the front and one in the rear. Behind the first line of Ha'taks, led by 02's flagship, was half of the Al'kesh, and behind the second line, the other half. There were no reserve Al'kesh; his god would go all out. He planned for a swift battle; it was clear he was angry because this battle was not supposed to happen, and Herur-ur had died.
His god planned for all the System Lords to serve him in the future, and he also intended to take power, forcing the Goa'uld to grovel at his feet to see him as the savior of the species.
Now, Anubis had appeared and disrupted all their plans, posing a war their god didn't want. But he couldn't avoid it because behind Anubis's miraculous ascent were the Ascended, who apparently preferred to hand over the galaxy to Anubis rather than see God's plans come to fruition. To their eyes, Anubis was the lesser evil, and they had no trust whatsoever in their God.
03 clenched his fists in anger, for this meant that, to the Ascended, the lives of the inhabitants of this galaxy were mere numbers. The Alterans were a species that wouldn't be to their liking, and most of the Ascended in this galaxy were of this species, retaining most of their ideas and customs. His god's existence in this world was a threat to them, and to 03, it was clear that their concern for their god's plans was just a façade.
"Does your empire have any enmity with the Goa'uld?" Major Carter asked, and 03 realized his anger was evident, but he blinked at the question.
03 looked at the group of observers, composed of Thor, seated on his Asgard throne, SG1, Colonel Maybourne, and two Tok'ra, Anise and Jacob. In the midst of them, a hologram was forming with the situation of the ships, as his sight couldn't capture the entire battlefield like 03's.
"No, I have no enmity against the Goa'uld," said 03, looking at the two Tok'ra.
Anise hurried to put her hand on Jacob's shoulder, whose symbiote refused to accept the name of their species. An interesting behavior in 03's opinion, but it wasn't the time to study the issue, nor was he interested, given the current situation.
03 looked at the hologram that was forming.
"This is a battle that should not have happened, and neither should this war. Everything is the product of external intervention," explained 03.
"03, we think alike. I believe we'll agree to capture this snake called Anubis and teach him a lesson," said Colonel O'Neill. 03 sighed.
"I'm afraid, Colonel O'Neill, that those responsible for this war are beyond our reach, and Anubis is just the result of their intervention," 03 explained helplessly.
Thor gave him a meaningful look, but 03 didn't feel like hiding what had happened, nor did he see any relevance to it.
"Hey, I thought we were friends!" complained Colonel O'Neill, who like the rest of the group, realized Thor's implication not to speak of the matter.
"Is there someone else behind Anubis?" Jacob asked seriously.
"No," Thor said.
"No," said 03.
"Well, now I'm really confused," said Colonel O'Neill.
"He said that Anubis is the result of someone else's intervention; that doesn't have to mean there's someone behind him, just that someone has intervened to cause us problems now, and that someone doesn't even have to be our enemy.
"Still, they would be responsible for everything. In short, we've been deemed an acceptable casualty," Colonel Maybourne intervened, and 03 nodded in agreement.
"That can really upset people. Who are these people?" Colonel O'Neill asked Thor, who pondered for a couple of seconds before responding.
"It's possible. The current situation is dangerous, and their analysis of the situation may disagree with our views, so they may have decided not to take the risk," Thor said, looking at him in the end.
"My god desires peace. If their methods don't seem appropriate to them, he's willing to listen to reason. But this," 03 said, looking at the hologram. "It's an act of war, and its results could be devastating for hundreds of billions of intelligent beings," 03 said.
He was truly angry about this matter and didn't understand the Asgard's position, as they, like him, should be able to see what lies behind all this, no more than indifference.
"We understand that. But before, our opinions have also differed. And the path we've taken as a species has too. They chose to ascend, we chose to preserve our existence.
"For them, free will was paramount; for us, life is paramount, and although the Asgard do not share this decision, we believe their intervention may not be what we think, and it's also possible they didn't act as a whole, as there hasn't been direct intervention," Thor replied.
"Wouldn't that be indifference?" asked 03.
"That's possible," Thor admitted.
03 sighed because if the Asgard took sides easily, they would have another war on their hands right now.
"Hmm…" Colonel O'Neill cleared his throat. "We're not psychics here," he complained.
"The Tok'ra would also like to know the identity of these individuals," Jacob said, and from his tone of voice, it was Selmak speaking, the Tok'ra sharing his body.
"You know them as the Ancients, but they are no longer part of the material plane and have reached what some know as ascension…" 03 briefly explained what the Ascended were.
The present ones looked at him with some disbelief, and in the end, they looked at Thor, who nodded to indicate his agreement with him.
"This is incredible," Daniel said in amazement.
"Among Jaffa legends, ascension is spoken of," Teal'c interjected.
"The Ancients were not pacifists; how come they're now throwing a Goa'uld at us?" Colonel O'Neill asked, looking at Daniel.
"We barely have hints of their civilization," Daniel said, looking at Thor.
"The Ancients were peaceful, but unlike the Nox, they were willing to intervene in certain situations. Now that they have ascended, they don't interfere in any way; we haven't spoken with them since then," Thor explained.
"Excuse me?" Jack asked to point out that they had just intervened.
03 explained that Anubis was also an Ascended, and he suspected that the Ascended had let him retain some of his memories.
"Seriously, people, we need some more diplomacy in this galaxy; I feel like everyone here is too willing to push the red button," Colonel O'Neill complained bitterly.
"The Emperor's plan is not a simple matter, O'Neill," Thor said. "The Asgard have also seen the great danger it represents, especially when it rests on the shoulders of one person," he added.
It seemed that no one could change the Asgard's opinion about the Alterans, so 03 decided it was a futile conversation and turned back to observing the fleet; this time, he watched the hologram created by the Asgard ship, as their sensors were better than his own eyes.
The others continued to Inquire about the Alterans for a few more minutes.
…
"It seems this lord has different fleets," Maybourne commented a while later, pointing out several Ha'tak ships with the symbols of various minor lords embossed on their pyramids, and by their position, they seemed to lead groups of them.
"The system lord Korr doesn't allow his minor or middle lords to build weapons or ships; even the Jaffa belong to a central army. Fleet commanders are appointed from among the lords ruling the border. As for Korr's fleet commander, he is a Jaffa," Thor explained. Maybourne frowned.
"A modern army and fleet, this Goa'uld lord is a real threat," Colonel Maybourne declared.
"How come we hadn't heard of this guy before?" Colonel O'Neill asked his team.
"O'Neill, I'm afraid I hadn't heard of him," Teal'c said.
"Sir, your territories seem to be far from our galaxy's zone, but that doesn't explain why none of our teams have reached your territory. I'll conduct a review as soon as we return from this mission," Major Carter proposed, and Colonel O'Neill nodded as a solitary ship emerged from hyperspace a few hundred kilometers away from them, and the group focused their attention on it, as it also bore the mark of a system lord.
"It belongs to Lord Yu, one of the oldest and most powerful system lords," explained Teal'c.
"And what's it doing here?" Colonel O'Neill asked.
"They are summoning us," said Thor, and with a wave of his hand, a screen appeared in front of them.
On the screen appeared a Jaffa with Asian features, bearing Yu's mark on his forehead.
"Lord Yu sends his greetings to the Asgard fleet commander," said the Jaffa, who by his mark was Yu's first prime, and as the throne behind him was empty, that meant Lord Yu was not there.
Thor responded with a nod and closed the communication. Colonel O'Neill raised an eyebrow, but another hyperspace window appeared, and this time it was a Ha'tak with the mark of the system lord Cronus.
Thor opened another communication, and a Jaffa who was Cronus's high priest conveyed his greetings on his behalf. Thor nodded again and closed the communication, while more Ha'taks from the system lords arrived, one for each of them, and they all opened communication to greet.
The last Ha'tak to arrive was from the system lord Ba'al, but upon opening communications, it wasn't his first prime who greeted them, but Ba'al himself, although this was a transmission, he wasn't on that ship.
"Greetings, Commander Thor," said Ba'al, and without waiting for Thor to nod, he smiled upon seeing SG-1 and the Tok'ra.
"SG-1," Ba'al said with a smile. "I've missed you in my territories, stealing my weapons and plundering my resources. Did the Tok'ra gift you another ship recently?" Ba'al asked with a suggestive tone.
"Ba'al, right?" Colonel O'Neill asked.
Ba'al wasn't bothered by him ignoring his title; to him, humans were colorful monkeys, he had no respect for them, and he wouldn't be bothered by their disrespect, he would only be surprised if they called him lord.
"Well, Ba'al, it seems that since the last time you tried to frame Earth and the Asgard threatened to kick your butt, no more assaults have occurred," Colonel O'Neill said accusingly.
"Yes, it's strange; since then, the attacks seem to come from other system lords, but they're still odd because I haven't managed to capture any of these alleged Jaffa," replied Ba'al, using the same accusing tone and making it clear that he was convinced that humans were still raiding Goa'uld territories, only they had changed their methods.
"Ba'al, your incompetence in handling raiders in your territory is not our concern; we are peaceful explorers and only explore in search of friends," said Colonel O'Neill.
"That's interesting, why don't you come to my planet and pay me a visit, I assure you that your stay will be quite unforgettable. I really enjoy having guests," offered Ba'al, and Thor cut the communication.
"I could handle him," Colonel O'Neill said.
"O'Neill, it's preferable not to speak with the system lord Ba'al, as your words may reveal more than you'd like," Thor advised.
"Were the other system lords also aware of our presence here?" asked Daniel Jackson, and everyone looked at him.
"I really dislike those snakes," Colonel O'Neill remarked upon realizing that all the other system lords had ignored them.
…
"The fleet of the system lord Apophis is arriving," said Thor, and a large hyperspace window opened.
From the hyperspace window, hundreds of Ha'tak ships emerged a few thousand kilometers away from them and from the fleet guarding the planet, entering formation.
With the enemy fleet, a large number of al'kesh arrived, and their ha'taks deployed death gliders. At the rear of the fleet emerged a large ship of at least three kilometers, which had been the downfall of Herur-ur, and was the new flagship of the system lord Apophis.
SG-1 and the Tok'ra looked alarmed at the number of Ha'tak ships. Thor, who must have seen their numbers long before their arrival, nodded.
"There are over a thousand ha'taks and three thousand al'kesh," confirmed Thor.
"Should we be alarmed? I remind you that Apophis has a special hatred for us," Colonel O'Neill said, as a communication window appeared, and Apophis was on it.
Apophis didn't ignore SG-1, and immediately his expression of superiority turned wrathful.
"Humans, Tok'ra, the Asgard will not be able to protect you this time!" reprimanded Apophis, and he closed the communication himself.
"I think we might be in some trouble," said Daniel Jackson.
…
Korr watched the arrival of Apophis's fleet from his throne on the bridge of the Leviathan. As he suspected, Anubis had sent Apophis with all his forces, including the forces of the middle lords and minor lords in his territory.
This seemed somewhat counterproductive for Anubis himself because these would be ships he could no longer steal, but Korr found it logical, as he already imagined that Anubis had the Replicators with him and surely had already seen the threat posed by the minor lords building ships without any control, and now he planned to get rid of them. This way, he could occupy their territories later and prevent these ships from being used against him, although his main objective remained to test the capabilities of his fleet.
"Father, the enemy fleet is approaching firing distance," a hologram of 02 reported at his side.
In front of Korr was a hologram showing both fleets in battle and beyond, the lords who served him as commanders.
"Begin the battle; I don't want any of those ships to escape," Korr ordered.
"Activate the inhibitors!" ordered 02, and a powerful signal interrupted communications for a second.
Then, his fleet fired, and the ships began to advance and fire with their shield overload cannons. 02's ship took the lead, and only one of its shots collapsed the enemy shields, while the other ships took two to three shots.
In just the first charge, over a hundred enemy ha'taks were left unprotected, and some were destroyed by the fire of their own allies.
Due to their initial attack, which had already disabled a hundred ha'taks, Apophis realized that his ships were no longer on the same level, and just seconds after arriving, he activated his hyperspace engines to flee; he didn't even have time to threaten them.
02's ship opened a hyperspace window, leaving the battle and appearing in the rear of Apophis.
Apophis's ship had already detected the hyperspace window, and its weapons fired upon 02's ship, hitting its hull without any shields stopping the impacts. There was no explosion, although Apophis's ship left burnt areas and a couple of holes, which, upon closer inspection, revealed organic tissue beneath the hull.
02's ship fired back after receiving the hits, and a particle beam destroyed the central part of Apophis's ship, splitting it in two, piercing through its shields as if they weren't there.
The particle beam didn't stop there and destroyed everything in its path for a few hundred kilometers, taking down dozens of other ships with the same attack, before Apophis's ship, now divided in two, began to separate and explode on all sides.
Apophis's fleet watched as their lord had been turned into atoms, and they immediately tried to flee, but amidst them appeared over eight hundred al'kesh, which had been camouflaged and bombarded the ha'tak's engines, which had been lurking since they arrived there, infiltrating among the enemy fleet.
The ha'tak shields couldn't withstand it, and their engines fell within seconds, while Korr's ha'tak fleet kept advancing, destroying shields and transporting Jaffa, but it was just a formality because with Apophis's fall, this battle had already ended.
Korr opened communication with all ships, and his image was projected onto all of them, on every deck where there was a Jaffa.
…
Daniel still blinked in disbelief at what had happened. In a battle of hundreds of ships, with fleets of over a thousand ships that he expected would last at least half a day, had ended in seconds.
Now Thor informed them that the surviving system lord's flagship was transmitting to the entire fleet. Thor made a small gesture with his hand, and the fleet map turned into a Goa'uld, seated on a golden throne.
The Goa'uld, whose white eyes gleamed, had an expression of contained anger. His host was a tall man, about two meters tall, with grayish hair, more white than gray, with the appearance of being in his thirties. He wore a crown that was a golden scorpion, whose legs fit his face, and the tail hung like a braid over his chest covered by a semicircular breastplate, adorned with blood-colored jewels.
The rest of his attire consisted o" bracelets shaped like a golden scorpion, an Egyptian skirt with an adorned belt, sandals, and shin guards also in the shape of a golden scorpion. Beside him stood a fair-skinned woman with long black hair, wearing a similar outfit but in silver. She stood.
The Goa'uld raised his hand, and a second hologram projected, this time of a bridge where another Goa'uld was seated on a throne.
This Goa'uld was Apophis, and unlike the first Goa'uld, he looked terrified, as a white light erased his bridge and the Jaffa guarding him in slow motion. Daniel, like everyone else, could observe in detail how Apophis was erased from existence, leaving only particles behind.
"Jaffa, I am Emperor Korr. Your god was weak, and he has fallen by the power of my armies. Surrender, and I will accept you as my warriors," declared the Goa'uld, and the communication ceased to switch to the battlefield.
…
The Unknown looked at the remains of Apophis's ship around him. Apophis had been somewhat suspicious of him and had forced him to come on his ship. The Unknown had nothing to fear in this battle, so he decided to board and not interfere with Apophis's mind, as he didn't want Korr to realize his interference because there was still a possibility that he didn't know about his presence in the galaxy. But now…
The Unknown reflected, thinking about how Apophis had been turned into mere elementary particles in front of him, although the weapon that destroyed the ship didn't harm him because his body was not physical. All he had to do was deactivate the psychic shields around him, and he just watched as Apophis's ship was destroyed, and the particle beam passed through him as if he weren't there.
"He knows of my existence," thought the Unknown. What Apophis suffered was an attack of rage. The anger of someone whose carefully laid plans had been thwarted, and now he was being told that he would be pursued to death for it. This was bad and meant that all his plans had to change. If he continued to hide the way he did now, Korr would hunt him down until he killed him.
As the Unknown pondered new plans, he sent a psychic signal to his Jaffa, who were waiting hidden on an al'kesh he had modified himself.
The Unknown watched as Apophis's fleet, without his leadership, fell into Korr's hands, and the Jaffa, frightened by his display of power, hastened to kneel and worship him as their new god. Apophis's minor and middle lords who refused to surrender were being captured by their own Jaffa, and the battle had turned into an easy conquest, where Korr gained almost a thousand ha'tak for his fleet, which couldn't escape. But he didn't get everything because most of the al'kesh activated their camouflage and were escaping the battle zone to enter hyperspace.
The al'kesh that the Unknown had summoned arrived at his position, and the Unknown found himself inside it, appearing on the throne that was its bridge. His Jaffa knelt upon seeing him, and without saying or asking anything, they awaited his orders. Still, the Unknown no longer trusted the loyalty of the Jaffa; he had to create new soldiers for the war he would soon have to wage.
The Unknown had already seen the technology used by Korr in battle, and it was far above what the Goa'uld currently used. In fact, his fleet was already sufficient to threaten the Asgard. The Unknown didn't understand how they had allowed their fleet to become so powerful without doing anything…
"Unless they are no longer at war with the Replicators," thought the Unknown, observing the new model of Asgard battlecruiser examining the battlefield as a representative of the Asgard.
The Unknown felt some frustration at the extent of his rival's plans. Had he put the Asgard on his side? The Unknown never thought of that, nor would it occur to him; it was too dangerous to give an advantage to such an advanced species. The path Korr was taking was a danger to all Goa'uld…
"Anubis," said Korr appearing before him in a psychic communication. "I've found you," he added, and Anubis hesitated for a second before realizing that this was a trick.
"You've found me?" responded Anubis casually, while employing the same trick to spread a weak psychic signal that covered the entire battlefield, exposing Korr's tricks as he was doing the same to try to reveal his position.
"It's a dangerous game, what you've done by ending the Asgard's war with the Replicators," said Anubis. Korr smirked without saying anything.
Korr didn't admit anything, but his smile said it all. His deal with the Asgard harmed Anubis more than Korr. He had already seen humans and Tok'ra on the Asgard's ship, and these were sacrifices he intended to use to win over the other system lords, and now they were out of his reach because he couldn't wage war against both the Asgard and Korr at the same time. For that, he had to use the Replicators, and that was very dangerous; if he lost control of them, the galaxy would be lost, and he would gain nothing.
"Anubis, you're late. I've already established my bases. I even knew of your arrival, although the Ascended have done more than I expected, that doesn't mean you have any chance.
"Anubis, if you wage this war, when I defeat you, your fate in my hands will be an eternity of suffering; I am a very vindictive person. But all is not lost for you because Apophis has already appeased my wrath with his death, and now I offer you a chance. Serve me, and you will share in my glory, along with our entire species," offered Korr.
Anubis didn't speak immediately. He didn't underestimate Korr or his plans, because it had become evident that he already knew of his existence and had even been planning against him. If the Ascended hadn't restrained their actions against him, right now, he wouldn't be aware of anything, and he would be just another puppet in this Goa'uld's plans. Anubis was aware that his chances were slim because he was playing on a stage where his rival had been planning for a long time. Anubis smiled.
"Korr, the battlefield is in your favor, but you can't do anything to me, and you know it. I am beyond life and beyond your understanding. Our war will never end. Even if you were to ascend, you would only make me more powerful.
"Korr, considering this, I make you the same proposition. Serve me, and you will share in glory alongside me and a select few.
"Together, we will lead our species to claim the position that is rightfully ours, as the gods of this galaxy, overthrowing the decadent current lords, and going beyond what any Goa'uld has achieved before," offered Anubis sincerely because what this Goa'uld had achieved so far was something that no one before him had accomplished. Together, no one could oppose them, not even the Ascended.
"You have already made your choice!" said Korr coldly, and the communication was cut.
As Anubis had predicted, he and Korr were not willing to serve each other. So, the only path was war, but this was a possibility he had already foreseen, and thanks to Apophis, he now had several secret bases where the Replicators were producing their ships, which would be upgraded with the same technology Korr used.
Anubis would not go further, and he was sure Korr wouldn't either. He wouldn't risk exposing all his technology, and neither would Anubis, because he was aware of the existence of the Replicators and wouldn't give weapons to his enemies.
Now, Anubis needed his own lords and someone who could bring him closer to the system lords because being one of them would facilitate his conquest over them and prevent their joint forces from uniting against him, supporting Korr. If this happened, and Korr gave them his technology, he would lose the war.
"Nirrti," thought Anubis. She was perfect because she was pursued because of the Asgard; that would be a card in his favor and would demonstrate part of his argument against the current system lords. The middle lords who had escaped from this battle would also be suitable as his commanders.
NA 1: Korr has decided to reveal part of his power, and Anubis has been exposed, but neither of them intends to serve the other, so there will be war.
NA 2: In the next chapter, we will see the current political situation of the Goa'uld empire, the rebel Jaffa, and some of Anubis's countermeasures to confront Korr's Jaffa army. Remember that the capabilities, armors, and weapons they use are far superior to those of the system lords' Jaffa; they even use altered shields.
NA 3: Regarding the altered personal shields, they are better than those of the Goa'uld in that users can move with them, whereas Goa'uld personal shields have to remain in place. However, Jaffa shields are not powered by a subspatial energy source and are weaker than Goa'uld personal shields; although in terms of tactics and strategy, they are a thousand times more useful.
NA 4: I remind you of all this because it will be important in future chapters, and since this information is already in the early chapters of the fic, I won't write much about it again; it will only be mentioned.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone