Writing > Alliance (Stargate SG-1)

Chapter 47

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Daen:
"After Hargrove returned to us, he began to plan more attacks on the Goa’uld." Suna continued her explanation slowly. Her voice had become more contemplative. "Then, after a few months, everything began to change. The Jaffa rebellion began, and the fighting between the System Lords worsened. It became obvious that the Goa’uld would fall, sooner rather than later.

"Then, one night he came to me and told me that he’d finally decoded the message the Ancients left for him." She tapped a finger on her temple. "Remember, the words the Soma Voco placed in his mind? He translated them. He never told me what they’d said to him, but all of our operations against the Goa’uld ceased, right then and there. He began to focus on recruiting more and more people, and educating them."

"Why did he fake his own death?" Nelson asked insistently. "Why didn’t he just disappear? We certainly wouldn’t have gone after him."

Tony answered quietly. "The SGC would have, Nelson. Anyone with knowledge of the Program is too dangerous for them to just ignore. They would have to make sure he wasn’t telling anyone all about the Stargates."

Suna nodded as she gently caressed her son’s hair. "By then, Cayo had just been born. Hargrove was concerned for his safety, given what we did for a living. He wanted to send someone to Earth, to organize better education for our people, and I was the obvious choice."

David began fumbling through his pack, suddenly. "Would that be these people?" He asked, holding out one of his pads for her to see. Tony glanced at it, and could see the list of names that David had downloaded from the ship’s computer. He also belatedly remembered seeing the sleeping bags in the rear compartment of the ship.

Suna nodded. "Those were the first people who came with me in the ship. We intentionally chose people you wouldn’t know, just in case. Pierson used his connections to hide us, get us new identities, and get them into some of your better colleges. Once they were all educated, Pierson and I shuttled them back out to Hargrove, where they could begin teaching others what they’d learned."

On the horizon, Tony could see the moon setting. He focused on it as he backtracked through her story. "We always wondered how the Alliance knew enough about Goa’uld technology to become such a threat, so quickly after the System Lords fell. Are you saying we educated them?"

"Unintentionally, yes."

"Well, we educated half our own planet’s terrorists, boss." Nelson grumbled. "Why not the interstellar ones, too?"

Suna gave him a nasty look.

"But college is expensive. How did you afford it, for so many people?" Tony persisted. "And why didn’t you go back with the others? You had to know it was risky, staying here on Earth."

"Yes, but it was much more risky out there. Hargrove’s rivals within the Alliance would not hesitate to use Cayo or me against him. He and I agreed that Earth would be the best place for us to hide. We’d both known that eventually one of us would need to become a full-time parent, and Earth is a much safer place for a child than, say, Zau. He let me keep the ship here, in case Earth suffered another global attack." She trailed off, her eyes looking back through the years. "Akou may have left his wife behind, but the love between them never died." She whispered to herself.

Tony and the others exchanged curious looks.

"As for the money," she went on, "Pierson never told me how he got it all. Perhaps he holds patents based on Goa’uld technology, or maybe he invested wisely. Regardless of the how, eventually we were able to start academies on many worlds for our people. It wasn’t long before Hargrove convinced those worlds to form the Lucian Alliance."

Tony started shaking his head. "Netan’s in charge of the Alliance. Everything we know about him suggests he’d never take orders from someone else, even in secret."

Suna snorted. "I remember Netan. He’s a fool; easily manipulated. He wanted more power, right from the start, and Hargrove let him take charge. As long as Netan’s in command, no one looks past him for the real leader."

"That is Hargrove’s MO, Tony." David agreed. "He’s all about manipulating things from the shadows."

Suna squinted out at the brightening horizon. "All I know for sure is, this attack on Plenios is nothing more than a distraction for him; a completion of the vow he took so long ago. Hargrove has spent years preparing the Alliance for something. I don’t know what, exactly, but it has to do with the Soma Voco’s message. Whatever it said to him, it’s all that drives him, now."

-.-

It was David’s turn behind the wheel by the time they finally got back into Colorado Springs. By then, it was almost ten in the morning.

They picked up Avery on the way, and Nelson quietly filled him in as they approached Cheyenne Mountain. He seemed to take it well. He was surprised, of course, but quickly agreed to go with them offworld.

Little Cayo was awake by then, wondering where they were going. Suna quietly reassured him. She’d had time to pack a few of their things before leaving Montana, but the kid would be in for a rough time when he found out they were leaving for good.

David flashed his credentials at the gate guard and then drove past the checkpoint. To the surprise of the others, he didn’t turn into the underground parking lot, but took a left around the structure. He slowly began to wind his way up the mountain. He’d never actually been this way before, but he had a good notion of which way to head. When they finally ran out of road, he parked the car and got out.

"We’re on foot for about an hour, now, people." He announced.

Tony gave him a curious look, but nodded and everyone got out as well. Avery and Nelson carried the bags while Suna led her son by the hand. There was no longer any need for security on her. David had given her an injection of nanites on the road, confirming everything she’d told them. When she’d sworn that she only wanted what was best for her son, and that she’d stay away from the Alliance, he’d deactivated them. Whatever she’d done for the Alliance before, she had a higher purpose now.

As they hiked up through the trees, David caught sight of more glances between the others. He admired their restraint, and trust. To them, this must seem like a complete waste of time.

As he neared the place, David pulled out his scanner and used it to zero in on his target. Finally, he knelt and began shifting leaves and dirt around.

Revealing the edge of a ring platform.

Suna’s eyes widened, and Tony gave a short laugh. "I guess I should be surprised, but I’m not, not with the week I’ve been having."

"How long has this been here?" Nelson asked, helping him clear off the rest of it.

"Years. Since just before the Tok’ra/Tau’ri treaty."

"But these things need naquadah to work!" Avery exclaimed. "We would have detected it from orbit, sir!" A trace of doubt entered his voice. "Wouldn’t we?"

"I get it now." Tony waved an arm at the surrounding trees. "Look at where we are, Avery. I’d bet anything that we’re directly above the Stargate here. You and I scanned this area, and detected the naquadah, but we assumed it was just the ‘gate. Where better to hide a ring platform than right on top of where we’d expect to find naquadah?"

David smiled at his quick deduction. As he opened the crystal tray on the platform and began powering it up, he let Alvesh explain. [In the early days of our… partnership, the Tok’ra had very little trust in the tau’ri. You may remember. We needed a way to keep watch on your planet, so we brought this here so that we could come and go in secret.] He felt himself sigh. [Eventually, after the treaty, the Council determined that you were trustworthy and we stopped using it. We left it here, though, just in case.]

"Clever." Tony complimented. "Where does it go?"

[That… is something you should see for yourselves.] Alvesh beckoned to them, and stood inside.

"Hold on a second." Avery spoke up. "Whenever two rings connect over a long distance, there’s a visible burst of light! Odyssey will see us if we use this!"

[They will not.] Alvesh assured him. [This platform has been modified from the original version.]

Avery still looked uncertain, and Nelson put a hand on his shoulder. "The Tok’ra know how to be sneaky, Avery. Come on."

Finally, everyone stood within, and saw the familiar set of rings rise up and fall around them.

Internal lighting activated automatically on their arrival, and they could see the crystalline lattice of Tok’ra tunnel walls around them.

They were in a large enclosed room, with a Tok’ra computer on one wall. Opposite the rings, within the same large room, stood a Stargate and DHD.

Nelson whistled loudly. "Something tells me we’re not in Kansas anymore."

"No kidding." Tony added. "But I didn’t think rings were powerful enough to send us to another solar system!"

"They aren’t." David said, grinning. "Wait for it." He tapped a few keys on the computer, and spherical monitors rose on several walls and activated, showing a dusty red landscape.

As one, they all slowly moved towards the screens. Nelson reached his hand out to one of them. "We’re on Mars??"

"That’s right."

David stood back and enjoyed their collective wonderment. For Alvesh, this was just another environment, but the human part of him could share in their awe. After all, as far as most people knew, no humans had ever been to Mars.

"We’re actually underground right now," he explained. "At first, the Tok’ra would keep a ship here to pick up or drop off observers to Earth. Later, after we got ships big enough to haul Stargates around, we brought one here for our own use."

"The closest planet where you could set up a ‘gate and not have it interfere with ours on Earth." Tony said softly. He stared at the monitors for a few more seconds before tearing his gaze away. "Why didn’t you tell the SGC about this?"

David shrugged. "Would you?" He remembered that very question being rolled around the Tok’ra, back in the day. In the end, they’d decided that telling Earth about it would do more harm than good.

Eventually, Tony seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Point taken."

Stepping over to the DHD, David paused. He then ran over to the ‘gate and located the small control on its left side. Pressing in a short combination, he stepped back and a shimmering oval flashed around it for a second. "I just shut down the forcefield protecting this ‘gate. Think of it like the SGC’s iris. Now I can dial out safely."

As he began pressing symbols, Tony spoke up behind him. "Remember, people. Wherever we’re going, we’re not there on behalf of the SGC. As far as anyone else knows, we’re just visitors from another planet. If word of this gets back to Earth, we’re done for. Let’s just get the job done and go home."

"Ahh, that brings back memories." Nelson stretched luxuriously. "We all gear up for a mission. The boss gives one of his semi-inspiring speeches, hinting at our impending doom, and we all ignore it and succeed anyway." He gave Tony a mischievous smile. "What? We’re off the clock, boss. What are you gonna do? You can’t exactly court-martial me or anything."

Tony stared at him for a moment. "Sometimes that’s the only protection you’ve got…" He trailed off, smiling in turn. "Full circle, huh?"

David shook his head as he completed the dialing sequence and the wormhole formed. Whatever they were talking about, he hoped it would keep them in good spirits. They were all most probably about to face off against old friends.

"Sure feels that way." Nelson moved towards the ‘gate. "Come on. Let’s get it done!"

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