Continuing Stargate

[Elitenova]

I am loving it

[s09119]

I am loving it

And it will only get better

For those that are wondering, by the way, the search for Pandora's Box will continue in Season 14, but will not be as much of a focal point as the quest for Merlin's weapon was in Season 10. This is mainly because the Box is not an end-all device; it allows for great, terrible power, but it can't wipe out all our enemies at once.

Some people are a little confused, so I'll try and explain it. The Box taps energy via an Arcturus device from several different universes, with no exotic particle transfer (Pandora perfected the technology). It stores it in a buffer system and creates an almost-invisible hyperspace window to a point in space nearby... then transmits all the stored energy to the desired location, effectively creating a "Wave of Death" that obliterates everything in the area.

[Crazy Tom]

And it will only get better

For those that are wondering, by the way, the search for Pandora's Box will continue in Season 14, but will not be as much of a focal point as the quest for Merlin's weapon was in Season 10. This is mainly because the Box is not an end-all device; it allows for great, terrible power, but it can't wipe out all our enemies at once.

Some people are a little confused, so I'll try and explain it. The Box taps energy via an Arcturus device from several different universes, with no exotic particle transfer (Pandora perfected the technology). It stores it in a buffer system and creates an almost-invisible hyperspace window to a point in space nearby... then transmits all the stored energy to the desired location, effectively creating a "Wave of Death" that obliterates everything in the area.

Ermmm....how exatly is it transmited without a conductor?

I think it would make more sense if it simply focused the energy into some kind of uber beam.

[s09119]

Ermmm....how exatly is it transmited without a conductor?

I think it would make more sense if it simply focused the energy into some kind of uber beam.

Beams are over-done. I am, however, considering a wave.

[s09119]

Sorry, I'm getting a bit backed up with schoolwork this week, so "Blue Zone" is going to be pushed back a few days :/

However, to compensate, I have a new treat! I spent a while completely re-doing my "Milky Way Map," and this one is far cooler:

Well, what dost thou think?

[Jezzalinko99au]

Sorry, I'm getting a bit backed up with schoolwork this week, so "Blue Zone" is going to be pushed back a few days :/

However, to compensate, I have a new treat! I spent a while completely re-doing my "Milky Way Map," and this one is far cooler:

Well, what dost thou think?

Sweet, much better.

Aww..... oh well. Cannot wait for "Blue Zone". School & real life is more important.

[cuttingedgex23]

yea, that map is a little bit better!! lol and this week has been hectic in school for me too: FINALS FINALS FINALS!!!!!!!

[ussrelativity]

The map is impressive.

With all the stories from other members, I really should get back on my own works.

[Crazy Tom]

Beams are over-done. I am, however, considering a wave.

Like the Asgard ARG? 'Cuz those were cool.

[Rudy Pena]

God damm man, Its just as good no its better than Stargate:Avalon.

[s09119]

13x17 "Blue Zone"
Synopsis: The team is called to the Nox homeworld after an attack leaves thousands of Jaffa and human refugees dead. Meanwhile, Vala attempts to reconcile with Tomin after a three year separation.

Spoiler:

A wormhole welcomes SG-1 as they step through the stargate on Earth and are hurtled millions of light-years away in an instant, arriving on a world they've not seen in some time; Velieris, the homeworld of the Nox. Lya, their oldest friend in the galaxy, gives her traditional greetings to the team (minues Vala, who Cameron explains is on Earth attending to personal matters). As usual, an endless forest stretches on into the distance, making it seem as though the planet is completely uninhabited.

Mitchell, this being his first visit to Velieris, asks where the Nox live and build their starships. As far as he can tell, after all, everything looks rather primitive. Smiling, Lya waves her hand at the sky nearby, clasping her wrist as she does so. A moment later, a massive floating metropolis shimmers into view, with several others drifting lazily in the distance. Amazed, Cameron asks just how many such cities the Nox have, to which Lya replies she isn't actually sure. She believes there are at least a hundred, but she doesn't have an exact figure. This shocks even Carter and Daniel, who had no idea there were that many of her people. They had always believed the Nox were a small group, but Lya explains that there are several million of her kind... but only a select few reveal themselves to younger races.

Almost on cue, a small hovercraft shimmers into view nearby, and Lya beckons the team onboard (it apparently drives itself). The small ship takes off and begins ascending towards the closest city, which, according to the Nox, always stays by the stargate to watch for incoming travelers. In recent days, many thousands of refugees from the Jaffa Nation and human worlds have begun calling on the Nox for sanctuary, so many that they now have to keep the cities uncloaked most of the time so that the displaced know there is aid close-at-hand. While this is a dangerous practice, Lya says that her people know that cloaking technology cannot truly protect them, as they are still vulnerable to attack even if they cannot be seen.

Carter and Daniel stand up and look out the window, gasping for breath at the amazing sight of so many flying cities. Then Mitchell points to one of the closer ones, asking why so many hovercraft are suddenly banking away... and then a brilliant flash blinds everyone as a massive explosion rips through the entire platform. A moment later, the floating wonder crashes to the ground, causing a second explosion that completely destroys the nearby forest.

Apalled and shocked through they are, SG-1 has no time to stand in amazement; a shockwave from the crash is already spreading outwards toward them, and Carter guesses it will hit them any second now. Everyone grabs ahold of something just moments ahead of the blast, which sends the hovercraft into a spin as it approaches the nearest still-flying city. The small ship twirls, out of control, through the tall spires and eventually slams into a reflecting pool with a giant splash. But already, the sky has been darkened with smoke from the wrecked platform, and hundreds of horrified Nox and refugees alike look on at the newly-created mass grave.

Some time later, Daniel comes to inside what appears to be an infirmary. Dozens of injured humans and Jaffa can be seen lying in beds or being guided by Nox attendants, and sitting nearby chatting is the rest of SG-1. Sam is holding her arm, wincing slightly, but she and Mitchell seem to have escaped the crash largely unscathed. Sitting up, Jackson asks what, exactly, happened to them. Sam explains that their hovercraft was knocked off its gyroscope and therefore plowed into the city, but everyone got out okay (Lya is with her peoples' leaders, discussing the destruction of one of their platforms). It looks like the Der'kal were responsible for the attacks, as a downed alien fighter was found a few miles from their current location.

This, of course, has profound implications for the war effort at large. If the enemy can strike this far into Alliance space (Velieris is on the opposite side of the galaxy from the incursion point), even just for small strikes like this, they'll have the ability to seriously destabilize a number of worlds. Either way, Mitchell contacted Earth and informed the ISGC of the situation; Dr. Talbot feels that it would be best if they investigated the attack, if only to see how the enemy can be prevented from doing something like this again on other planets.

Daniel quickly dresses and the team collects their combat gear from the infirmary staff, then head outside. About a hundred wounded, newly arrived through the stargate, are being herded to various other medical facilities, some with grotesque injuries such as bloodied, half-torn limbs and severe body scarring. After pausing for a suitable moment of silence, SG-1 continues on their way, heading to the area Mitchell says services the hovercraft. According to Lya, they have diplomatic status here as allies of the Nox, and therefore have free reign to go anywhere they like on the planet. In this case, though, they won't be going very far, only a few miles away. Carter quickly signs out a small ship to take them to the wreckage of the downed city, and they soon depart.

Meanwhile, far, far away, a BC-303 drops out of hyperspace in a remote region of space filled with old debris from a previous battle. As the small Earth transport glides forward, it soon becomes clear just where it is; the Ori Supergate can be seen just ahead, making this star system P3Y-229. On the bridge of this 303 (revealed to be a newly-built British vessel dubbed the Churchill), Vala Mal Doran is pacing somewhat anxiously, appearing quite stressed. The ship's commander informs her that an incoming wormhole is detected, and the SG-1 member calms herself and tries to look poised as the Supergate comes online.

Almost by instinct, the officers on the bridge flinch as though targeting an enemy vessel, then relax. Obviously, not all the tensions caused by the war with the Ori have been released, but at least this time it doesn't appear like a foe is arriving. In fact, when an Ori warship comes out of the wormhole, Vala breathes a sigh of relief, asking the communications officer to establish a stable channel. As soon as the link is established, the face of Tomin, now the leader of the former Ori soldiers, appears onscreen. He says how glad he is to see that Vala is alright, and that she doesn't harbor any ill feelings towards him, then smiles and asks if he can ring onboard, a request the Churchill's commander grants at once.

Back on the Nox homeworld, the team has shuttled down to the wreckage of the city-platform, which is still burning quite hotly. Now, though, an energy shield has been erected around the area to protect others from harm, and numerous hovering craft are spraying a water-like liquid through the shield onto the flames, which begin to dissipate. Carter leads the others up a small sensory station that has been established just outside the shield, where two Nox technicians are already working to evaluate the crash. After asking if she can join in, Sam links her laptop into the system and begins compiling raw data to analyze later on.

While they wait for her, Daniel and Mitchell take a walk around the area, looking on at the blackened forest and twisted metal ruins of the once-grand flying city. According to Lya, almost 10,000 people perished when the city crashed down; had it been one of the larger platforms that had been targeted, up to 50,000 could have been killed. As they round a group of trees, the two humans pause to watch a Nox hovercraft tow a heavily-damaged Der'kal fighter back to the nearest cityscape (this being the alien ship mentioned earlier). Cameron says that, according to the Nox, they discovered the enemy craft an hour before the attack, but had no way of tracking whoever came onbaord it.

Finally, Carter jogs up behind them and says that she's finished collecting the data she needs to start trying to figure this all out. The trio heads back to where their hovercraft is parked, but someone in the background is watching them, unseen and unheard. After a moment, the hiding figure pulls out a strange alien device, manipulates it, then hides it inside the folds of a cloak. Whatever this being is up to, it certainly cannot be good...

On the nearest platform, Lya is overlooking the crash site (and, although they cannot be seen, SG-1). She is currently in the tallest tower on the city, and it soon becomes clear that this is a place of great importance. This tower is the home of the Nox Consulate, a council of the most-elder Nox leaders who together govern their people. It is noteworthy that Antaeus (Lya's father) is among the Consulate, though he is clearly not very old for a Nox. Obviously he either wields a great deal of influence or is thought to be extremely intelligent and wise. The council is currently discussing the attack on their world, and most of them seem to agree that the Der'kal must have launched this attack in an attempt to undermine the most advanced of the Alliance powers. But Antaeus has a different opinion, especially considering the lone fighter they recovered. So far the enemy has been very meticulous and purposeful in their actions. Why would they suddenly make such a slip-up?

Lya agrees with her father, pointing out the obviousness of the ship. It was more-than-likely an attempt to make it look like they were the ones responsible, thus shifting blame from another group. The one problem with this theory is that the list of suspects is quite short; the Lucian Alliance has become almost a nonentity following their leader Keflin's death ("My Enemy's Enemy"), and the Aschen continue to gather their forces in their own region of space. One of the Consulate members suggests dissident Jaffa, and Antaeus acknowledges that as a distinct possibility. The council group slowly starts to break up as each member leaves to either meditate or persue other ventures, but Antaeus hangs behind, beckoning to his daughter. He quietly asks her if she would ever suspect SG-1 of launching this attack, explaining that some members of the Consulate have expressed worry about the team. And while he quickly says that he himself doesn't believe their fears have any merit... it is something they should look into.

(Continued in next post due to length.)

[s09119]

(More of "Blue Zone." Begun in previous post due to length.)

Spoiler:

As he watches his daughter leave the chamber, Antaeus hears a beeping from the Consulate's console behind him. He quickly makes his way over to the terminal and brings up a display showing a visual feed from outside the tower, as well as status reports in the Nox language. But then the screen clears, and alien words begin to scroll down the screen. It's still impossible to see what is being said, but Antaeus' face quickly takes on a look of pure horror, and in a moment he turns as if to run from the room. Just as he turns, though, he freezes in place, all color draining from his face. The screen is filled with a bright flash, and then everything fades to black.

After an unknown period of time has passed, the screen clears to reveal this platform's primary medical facility, where Lya and SG-1 (along with several other Nox) stand on an observation balcony above a cleanroom. Inside, three Nox stand above the unmoving body of Antaeus, trying to heal him. There is a deep gash just below his chest, and a great deal of blood has been split on his clothes and torso. The healers have confirmed that the damages was caused by an energy weapon, and the blast marks match Goa'uld staff weapons, indicating a Jaffa. As they watch, Lya quietly explains one of the best-kept secrets of her people; only a select few still retain their ancestral abilities of healing and cloaking. Originally, the Nox were on the cusp of ascension, and gained a great deal of power from it. But now that they have begun to involve themselves in mortal maters once more, the "gifts" they once enjoyed are fading. And with so little technology in areas such as medicine (due to a lack of need), if all of their "gifted" lose their abilities, the Nox will be quite helpless in such situations. Antaeus is one of the last to still hold onto almost all of his advanced "powers," and losing him would be a severe blow to her people, but even moreso to Lya herself.

(It is also mentioned that the Nox have resorted to physical devices to do similar jobs, and have constructed cloak-field generators to protect their cities and ships.)

Both Daniel and Carter offer their own medical services, though they admit Nox physiology may make helping somewhat beyond their capabilities. And then, quite suddenly, Lya begins to cry. She says that she spent her life dedicated to preserving peace at all costs, and demands to know why this is what the universe gives her for it. For centuries, the Nox turned their backs on a galaxy in turmoil because they believed themselves immune to it and "above" the riggors of war and conflict. But now she is seeing, for the first time, that the Nox are no different from any other race, that they are just as susceptible as the humans or Jaffa. How could they have let the Goa'uld gain so much power in those millennia, and why didn't anyone ever think to question it before now?

Amazingly, it is Mitchell who reaches out and touches Lya's shoulder, pulling her close. The officer reminds her that she and her people did do the right thing in the long run; they came to Earth's aid against the Ori ("Sol, Part 2") and later joined in the war against the Der'kal. The past is the past, and that can never be changed, but the future depends on what you make of it, and the Nox have chosen to try and make it a better place for us all. After realizing that he is right, Lya nods and begins to thank him, only to be thrown to the floor as a massive tremor shakes the city... there's been another attack.

At the supergate, Tomin and Vala are sitting in the otherwise-empty cafeteria onboard the Churchill. Neither of them say anything profound for a long moment, with only the superficial questions of, "How's life?" and "Heard any good jokes lately?" But finally Tomin reaches across the table and pulls his former lover close, asking her what it was that he did to drive her away. Vala tries to explain that he didn't do anything, that she left of her own free will to help defend the galaxy, but then stops short. She stands and walks towards the window, gazing at the gate, then asks how long Tomin worshiped the Ori before he turned against them. He guesses it was all his life, since he never knew anything different, and at that Vala shouts out that that is the reason for her leaving; whether me knew better or not, he killed thousands of people, for most of his life having no remorse for it. She does love him, she admits, but all she can see when she thinks of him now is the day he hit her for denying the godhood of the Ori ("Line in the Sand"). With that so clear in her mind, she simply cannot be with him.

Now standing himself, Tomin begs her to think about all the good he has done. He convinced his soldiers on Dakara to listen to SG-1, he turned his people from worshipers of false gods into an independent people, and he is now the leader of an entire galaxy of humans working together in the name of pennance and peace. Tomin realizes that he can never undo what he did in the Ori's name, but he will never cease trying to make the debt he owes the universe that much smaller, even if it kills him. And although she still keeps her distance, Vala starts to see the conviction and love in his voice, and wonders if maybe he's right.

Meanwhile, SG-1 has run outside of the med center on Velieris, watching as three nearby towers collapse onto one another, sending a fireball rolling towards them. Carter grabs Mitchell and Jackson and yanks them back inside the building, barely getting through the doors before a wave of flames slams into the outer wall. Alarms have begun to blare, and the frightened refugees inside the facility begin to panic (in fact, only the Nox attendants seem calm). Daniel shouts that this is getting rediculous, and that they need to catch whoever's behind these attacks before another platform is brought down, which prompts Carter to explain that so far all the evidence they have continues to point to the Der'kal. Even the explosive was of a kind seen in their plasma grenades, which seems fairly convincing to her. Still, Daniel's point stands, and if they can't find the culprit soon, they might not be alive much longer to do anything at all.

In one corner of the room, two of the Nox demand a Jaffa refugee tell them why one of his people would attack a great leader such as Antaeus, but the Jaffa, not understanding, is speechless. One of the Nox says that now that his people have given up their pacifism, they might as well make use of it, and makes as if to fight (it should be noted that this appalls other Nox in the room, who obviously still feel violence is wrong). Luckily, Daniel is able to rush over and get between the two in time, saying that until they know more, this kind of fighting is useless. But things seem to have reached a boiling point, and pretty soon it could spill into more bloodshed.

In the "emergency room," Lya has made her way down to her father's bedside, and stands in the dim low-power lighting all alone. The healers have apparently given up to attend to the critically wounded from outside, and she is desperately trying to finish the job on her own. Even so, it is clear that she is not enough to bring Antaeus back alone. After a few minutes of attempts, she finally rests, wiping tears from her eyes. But apparently she manages to do enough for him to wake up, as her father's eyes open somewhat and he manages to whisper a greeting. Before Lya can say anything, though, he shushes her and beckons her close, then whispers something that makes her own eyes go wide. And then, just like that, he says his final "good bye" and closes his eyes for good.

Carter, Mitchell, and Jackson are still trying to find some way to solve the crisis when Lya rushes into the entry room, her eyes still wide. She asks Sam if she knows how to reconfigure their cloaking generators to a specific spectrum (she doesn't know herself because her people are still adjusting to using machines to hide objects). Carter says that she can do it, but asks to know why. Lya doesn't give her an answer, though, simply pulling the Colonel outside into the flames toward a small structure across the courtyard. This is dangerous, but there seems to be some idea in Lya's mind besides pure madness. Not seeing another choice, Mitchell and Daniel follow.

When they at last make it inside the next building, Lya activates a nearby control terminal and powers up the city's cloaking systems, then asks Sam to take over and reprogram it. She's able to do it in seconds, then hits the ON panel when Lya nods. At once, the platform shimmers and shifts into invisibility, but the team can clearly see a distortion outside in the middle of the flames, about the size of a human. Carter fine-tunes the cloak's spectrum even more, and the distortion decloaks completely, revealing a Nox! Stepping back to the control terminal, Lya activates a localized shield bubble, trapping the man outside, then calls for others to apprehend him. It's over.

On the Churchill, Tomin pulls out a copy of the Book of Origin, handing it to Vala. He asks her to remember that she read it once, and she knows that it is not an evil thing. Now it serves as the basis for the laws of the Ori galaxy, and all of his people attend daily services where passages are read and debated on. They no longer read the Book religiously, but they do accept that it is a valuable guide for a moral life. Tenderly grasping Vala's hands, he begs for her to understand that he would go to the end of the universe if he knew it would make her love him again, but Vala stops him before he can continue. She explains that she does still love him, but she also loves others just as much. A promise that she will always be there to stand by him is all she can give now, but perhaps, in time, there can be more between them again. She just needs time.

Tomin nods, quietly saying that he suspected three years wouldn't be enough, but he allowed himself to hope otherwise. With that, he stands, gives her a tender kiss on the cheek, then says he's going to ring back to his ship and head home. But just before he leaves the room, Vala calls out to him, asking with a smile, "Same time next year?" Tomin smiles back in reply and nods.

At last, it looks like the man behind the Nox bombings has been caught. Lya and SG-1, along with several members of the Consulate, stand inside a sealed chamber, questioning why he would attack his own people like this. The bomber shouts that they have destroyed the very meaning of what is Nox, that they have turned their backs on thousands of years of work to help such pathetically young races fight their wars. And if they are willing to forego peace, he figured it was only fair that they get their just deserts. One of the Consulate steps forward with a sad sigh, and explains that he also felt that way for sometime. But the galaxy will not simply let the Nox escape destiny. They, too, must face the evil now sweeping across their home, and they, too, must stand and fight it. He tells the bomber how shamefull it was to try and frame the Der'kal for the attacks, and even more shamefull to try and implicate the Jaffa, a people of great honor. He will pay for his crimes by spending the rest of his life in exile from Velieris, and maybe someday he will be deemed ready to return.

[s09119]

(End of "Blue Zone." See two posts up for start.)

Spoiler:

As they leave the chamber, Lya thanks SG-1 for their assistance, even though she was able to solve the problem in the end. But just before they head back to the stargate, Carter asks how Lya knew what to do to reveal the culprit. She explains that Nox bio-cloaking works on a specific spectrum, and they have long known that a cloaked Nox will be revealed while standing inside an artificial cloaking field of the opposite spectrum. It is one reason they never used artificial cloaks on their ships before now; their people could not hide on them if the vessels were boarded.

Speaking of ships, Tomin's warship is preparing to leave through the now-active supergate, with Vala watching from the cafeteria on the Churchill. Just as the once-enemy vessel heads through the wormhole, the smuggler-turned-heroine picks up Tomin's Book of Origin, left on the table, and turns to the first page, signalling that, perhaps, she is ready to try and understand...

[Elitenova]

Why not ask Tomin to help to fight the Der'kel?

[jonos101]

Why not ask Tomin to help to fight the Der'kel?

thats not a bad question, anyway this ep was great