Continuing Stargate

[Krothic]

You forgot about the Ori on the evolution chart.

[Aewon]

I seriously can't wait for Interludes. It's going to be awesome! I really love those big revelation episodes.

[s09119]

You forgot about the Ori on the evolution chart.

Nope. "Alterans" is the name of the species from which both the Ori and Ancients arose.

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

No, it isn't. "Altera" is Latin for "the others (out of two groups)." Ergo, it's what the Ori called the dissenters. "Ori" is probably also related to the Latin for "Founder."

[Crazy Tom]

No, it isn't. "Altera" is Latin for "the others (out of two groups)." Ergo, it's what the Ori called the dissenters. "Ori" is probably also related to the Latin for "Founder."

Dang... I never throught of that.

[s09119]

No, it isn't. "Altera" is Latin for "the others (out of two groups)." Ergo, it's what the Ori called the dissenters. "Ori" is probably also related to the Latin for "Founder."

...well according to the StargateWiki, the Omnipedia, and my own memory of the show, the Alterans were the species that eventually split into the Ancients and Ori.

[Crazy Tom]

...well according to the StargateWiki, the Omnipedia, and my own memory of the show, the Alterans were the species that eventually split into the Ancients and Ori.

I was under the impression the Altera were the ones who came to "Avalon" and made it their home...

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

Well, I have a very low opinion of that wiki, but at any rate, the fact that Latin "Alter" or "Altera" means "the other(s)" is indisputable. It's where the word "other' came from.

[s09119]

Well, I have a very low opinion of that wiki, but at any rate, the fact that Latin "Alter" or "Altera" means "the other(s)" is indisputable. It's where the word "other' came from.

We've seen Latin twisted in Stargate to mean something other than what it really means... just close. In this case, they could have just used "Altera" to mean "the others," as in the other society that existed before the Ancients. Either way, I don't really care, so I'm going to go back to finishing "Loyalties."

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

Oh, I certainly don't mean to draw you away from the episode!! I was just commenting on a little detail.

[Dark lord me]

Oh, I certainly don't mean to draw you away from the episode!!

*Gasp* he made the great master stop working. We must "deal" with this traitor

[s09119]

15x04 "Loyalties"
Synopsis: Dozens of personnel turn traitor in order to remove Colonels Carter and Taylor from power at the Beta Site. With no one else to turn to, the other members of the command staff unite in an attempt to restore order.

Spoiler:

((60 second recap of "Star By Star," "Severed Dreams," and "Acts of Contrition"))

It's been a week since the group of Chinese survivors arrived ("Acts of Contrition"), and things are still settling down; reports continue to stream in of violence against the newly-arrived refugees every day, and no one seems to want to stop it. Carter is doing her best to reign it in, locking up anyone who participates in such action, but she can't catch them all. And what's worse, over half of the offenders are soldiers that she needs to keep things stable. She can't just throw them all in a cell without seriously draining security all around the settlement.

Huddled inside someone's quarters aboard the Jupiter, a small group of seven soldiers are discussing their plans to take over the ship. They mention that there are many others willing to join their cause, if only they make the first moves and prove that they can do this. The man who seems to be acting as the leader of the conspiracy (and will be known only as Number One) tells his companions that he has his men in place to take out Carter, and once it's done, he can give the signal to their fellows on the ground to incapacitate Taylor, as well. He expects to have full control of the command structure inside of an hour, and once he does, they can begin the work of setting the right course for humanity once again.

Walking onto the bridge unawares, Carter she asks for someone to contact Colonel Taylor and set up a line of communication ASAP. As the pilot moves to follow through, two of the marines in the rear of the chamber glance and nod at one another, unholstering their zats and moving forward. Everyone else is preoccupied, and none of the crew notices what's happening; they don't even notice when one of the soldiers touches the zat to the pilots head and orders her to cease immediately and get up from her console. Tensing up, the young woman goes as if to grab her sidearm, but finally relents and stands, slowly backing away from her seat and staring worriedly at Colonel Carter, who is staring out into space just a few feet away.

Frowning, Sam asks why the link isn't up yet, and turns to see two of her soldiers standing their with zats raised. Her eyes widening, Carter shouts "Mutiny!" and goes for her pistol. But she scarcely gets it out of its holster before she's stunned, and she falls heavily to the floor. Finally looking up, the crew is horrified, and several of them attempt to go to the aid of their commander. Any who make such a move, however, are quickly stunned, and soon the two marines have completely pacified the bridge. The closest of them goes and shuts the blast doors to keep out any nosy crewmembers, and the other taps his radio to inform the other conspirators that the bridge is secure.

Striding down a hallway now filled with cowering crewmembers, Number One and a few of his marines make sure that no one has any intention of any SG-1-styled heroics. Some of them look as though they're ready to fight, but no one is prepared to go up against a group of soldiers armed to the teeth without a weapon of their own. Satisfied that all resistance is either confined to now-sealed-off decks or taken out, Number One orders that Carter be brought to the brig so they can deal with her personally, then taps his headset and tells his co-conspirators within the Beta Site to make their own move. They need to do this fast, before anyone can realize what's happening.

Meanwhile, Dr. Talbot is coming down an elevator inside the mountain, properly dressed in work attire and far more polished-looking than she was when last seen ("Contagion"). The door opens several floors under the gate room level, and she steps out to find Daniel Jackson waiting for her, a mug of coffee and file folder in hand. Handing the two over, he welcomes her back to the grind and guides her down a hall, explaining that he and Jack have spent the better part of the morning in negotiation with the appointed leaders of various nations here in the refugee camps. Mostly being minor politicians that got off Earth and weren't killed in the process, they represent a rough representation of over fifty countries back home, and the hope is that, together, they can hammer out plans for a new government.

Sipping her coffee and scanning the file, Talbot remarks that they've done pretty well so far, with a few minor errors; for one, they need to stop treating this like a United States dictatorship. It may be the American military holding things together for now, but if they don't write in an all-peoples-equality clause, this charter is just going to be torn to shreds when things get back to normal. As they turn down another hallway, Daniel sighs, muttering that he mentioned just that to Jack, but of course the old man barely listened to him. Then he grins, saying that that is, of course, what makes Jack so much damn fun.

As the two share a moment of laughter, something far more sinister is about to take place high above; Colonel Taylor is wishing a team good luck as they prepare to step through an active stargate for P2X-719, a Jaffa world they hope will agree to trade them an increased portion of their crop in exchange for some of the raw iron they've been able to mine here at the Beta Site. As the team steps through the wormhole and the gate disengages, several of the marines in the chamber glance at one another and cock their weapons, obviously preparing to make their move. But before they can do anything, one of the younger soldiers notices their guns coming up to take aim at Taylor and shouts out a warning, pulling his own pistol and preparing to fire. Moving in complete cold blood, one of the marines shoots the young man, who falls back into one of his co-workers, dead.

Unfortunately for the conspirators, this distraction has given the soldiers in the gate room not in on the coup time to get their rifles up and ready, and the two groups, themselves roughly equal in size, stand in a faceoff. In between them, his own pistol in hand but not raised, Taylor demands to know what's going on here, but none of the conspirators look ready to give up just yet. Instead, their leader (who will be referred to as Number Two) shouts out their ideas to the men still defending the Colonel; he says that the time has come to remove these dictators from their positions and stop this wasting of the precious resources they have left on a war that no longer concerns them. Let the galaxy burn, he cries, and let it fall apart into nothing, so long as they survive... and if these "warmongers" get their way, they won't last long at all.

Taylor shouts back that they need to keep fighting, or else the Der'kal will just overrun them all, but to one of the men on his side of the room, his case has already been lost. Yanking out a zat, the soldier stuns his superior, and in the ensuing shock the conspirators are able to gun down or disable the loyalists. Clasping the traitorous soldier on the back, Number Two says that he did a good thing for humanity today, then shouts for his men to round up the others in the room and put the base into lockdown. The civilians, after all, won't understand just yet, and they need time to arrange things to their liking. Watching Number Two congratulate his men on a job well done, the confused traitor glances down at the unconscious Colonel Taylor, about to be tied up and dragged off to who-knows-where. And for one fleeting moment, real horror at what just transpired flashes in his eyes.

Downstairs, Daniel and Talbot have arrived at the large briefing room in which the various national representatives have been gathered. Men and women in tattered business suits sit around the edges of the space chatting about the plan thus far with one another, though some of them are clearly being sidelined, the Chinese officer standing in for China most of all. Leaning against the doorframe, O'Neill remarks that they've been like this for an hour now, just repeating the same stale talking points over and over again. It's getting rather boring by not, and he's honestly not sure how much he can listen before he needs to shoot someone.

As Daniel opens his mouth to reply, though, the lights suddenly go out, replaced by the dull red glow of emergency bulbs. The blast door leading into the conference room begins to slam closed, and Talbot yanks Jackson and O'Neill back into the hallway just in time to avoid being crushed. Together, the trio stumbles backwards into the wall, gasping for breath and wondering what's going on. Seeing only confused scientists in the corridor, they decide to make their way upstairs to the control room and find out the answers in-person... not that they have much choice, as Daniel quickly discovers their radios are all offline.

As they wind around the halls toward the elevator, Talbot asks if maybe the complex is under attack. After all, they're far enough underground that they couldn't be able to tell themselves if a battle had broken out on the surface. But if that was the case, Jack argues, protocol would dictate that someone announce what was happening, and so far there's been nothing but silence from upstairs. Something's definitely wrong, but just what, no one knows for sure.

Just as they're about to turn into the corridor with the lift, Talbot frowns, listening to the sound of banging. She peeks out around the corner to see a small group of Beta Site workers trying to get into the elevator... but then the doors slide apart, and a squad of marines charge out, assault rifles raised and ready to fire. The workers, shifting from annoyed to terrified almost instantaneously, jump back and shout their shock, but they're all backed against the wall and ordered to remain silent or face a bullet nonetheless. The head of the squad then tells his men to fan out across the level and apprehend anyone with a command rank, then to seal off anyone else to prevent them from getting in the way.

Quickly pulling her head out of sight, Talbot explains that it looks like some members of the military and trying to take control of the base, and Jack immediately moves forward as if to rush the marines. Luckily, Daniel grabs him and pulls him back, hissing that they're useless without any weapons, and if they want to figure out what's happening and put an end to it, they're going to need a plan. Unwilling to leave but knowing there's no other choice, O'Neill sighs and says there's an armory just a few minutes' jog away. If they can get there and arm themselves, they might just have a shot at getting past these soldiers. Nodding, Talbot and Daniel follow him, leaving the elevator and workers in the hands of the conspirators�for now.

Hovering in orbit, the Jupiter floats lazily above the planet, a bastion against any sort of assault the landside trio could hope to launch. In the brig, Colonel Taylor slowly comes to, wincing and rubbing his head to ease what must be an awful headache. When he at last opens his eyes and looks around, he sees Carter standing by the door, lost in thought and completely unaware he's awaken. He takes a moment trying to stand up, then realizes that his hands and feet are still bound, and that he just can't get them off by himself.

(First part of "Loyalties," see next two posts for more.)

[s09119]

(Second part of "Loyalties," see previous post for start and next post for conclusion.)

Spoiler:

Noting that Sam seems to have wriggled out of her bonds just fine, Taylor finally calls out to his fellow inmate. Snapping out of her reverie, Carter breathes a sigh of relief seeing he's alright, then rushes over and tells him to inch his way over to a particularly-sharp piece of metal that juts out under the single bench in the cell. As she helps him slice his bonds, Sam explains what happened to her on the bridge, detailing the surprise attack by her men and what she suspects has happened since. After pulling his arms and legs free, Taylor outlines his own experience in the Beta Site's gate room, pointing out that not everyone is a part of this whole mess, as some of his men stood at their duties to defend him. Whatever the case, it's clear they've lost control of the situation, and they need to find a way to get it back. Sitting down on the bench, Carter asks what he thinks they should do. But Taylor is reluctant to say anything, afraid the conspiracy will be able to listen in via the camera in the cell. Grinning, Sam says she took care of that some time ago, then reaches into her pocket and pulls out the power cords. Satisfied, the two settle down to trying to hammer out a plan.

Back inside the mountain, Talbot, O'Neill, and Jackson have arrived at the armory, finding it unguarded and, thankfully, unlocked. Pulling the door open and rushing inside, Jack says that they should thank their lucky stars that the soldiers protecting it were either loyal and ran off to find out what's happening or traitors rushing away to imprison some innocents. Either way, it's given them the window they need to grab a few pistols, P90s, and zats. While Daniel passes out combat vests, Talbot asks what, exactly, they're going to do now that they've got some weaponry of their own. The three of them could probably overpower the soldiers at the elevator and get upstairs, but what then? There could be dozens of men in on this, and there's just no way they could blow through them all. Daniel suggests somehow getting to the gate and escaping to Heliopolis, where they could get the Alliance to intervene, but Jack shoots that down as simply unrealistic; Talbot's right, and there's no way they could get that far.

Snapping her vest on, Talbot asks if the Beta Site was built with any ladder tubes like the ones in the ISGC. If they could find one, they could use it to bypass the lifts altogether and emerge outside the likely-guarded areas. Jack explains that the complex has them, but there's only a single tube, and luckily for them it runs all the way up the far end of the base, where there are very few labs or conference rooms, let alone anything worth protecting from a counter-insurgency. There's a good chance that they could "sneak in the back door" so-to-speak, but they need to get moving. Daniel mutters that he knows the quickest route and rushes back into the hall with the others right behind him, with Jack making sure to shut off the armory lights and shut the door before following to throw off any pursuers.

In the gate room, Number Two is supervising his men as they lock down the stargate and continue sealing off sections off the mountain. Walking over to a monitor linked to the Jupiter, he brings up an image of Number One, who says that they threw Taylor in a cell with Carter as soon as he was beamed up. Frowning, Two points out that they might be able to concoct some sort of escape plan together, but One shoots that idea down, explaining that he has half a dozen armed men waiting just outside. So even if they were able to bust out, they'd just be re-captured instantly. Satisfied, Two outlines what he's done inside the Beta Site, citing his lockdown procedures as proof that he's almost ready to green-light the occupation of the refugee camp to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

On the bridge of the X-305 itself, One smiles, saying that he just needs an hour or so to interrogate the two Colonels and get the information he needs (at this point, the nerve center of the ship has been turned into a conspirator stronghold, with no loyal crewmembers in sight). He promises to contact Number Two once he's finished, and then they can commence their joint takeover of the settlement and the Mao Zedong. Flipping off the monitor, One curses that Carter sent the rest of the fleet to Pegasus in an attempt to apprise Atlantis of their situation after they got the second 305 ("Acts of Contrition"). Now he'll only have two cruisers to defend his people with, versus the nice little battle group he could have had. But regardless, he turns to one of his subordinates and tells him to prepare the vessel for combat, saying he'll be in the brig if he's needed.

A short time later, Carter and Taylor are still going over their situation in their cell when the door is yanked open. The Colonels immediately get to their feet, as if estimating their odds in taking the incoming soldiers down, but as six of them enter, they realize they don't have a real chance by themselves. When Number One strides in, looking as confident as one could be, neither one of the senior officers really reacts, though; they don't recognize him at all. After a moment of silence, Sam gives voice to her thoughts, apologizing for the fact that neither of them have any idea who he is. Sneering, One says he's not surprised, given their "low regard for those under them." Whatever the case, he's a Major hailing from South Africa, not that he really expects or wants them to care much; his name doesn't matter to, in the long run, and all they need to know is that he'll be taking over for them from now on.

Hoping to perhaps win some of the marines over, Taylor tries to explain the need to do what they've been doing yet again, but Number One silences him by pulling out his sidearm and threatening to shoot. He's been told that the British Colonel is a fearsome public speaker, with a great skill at twisting public opinion, and while he doesn't think he could turn any of the conspirators back into loyalists, he doesn't want to give him the chance. Stepping forward, both to confront One and block any possible shot at Taylor, Sam asks why he's doing this. If he has a problem with how they've been handling the fleet and their resources, then he can shoot them on the spot and let their second-in-commands take over for them.

But One just laughs, pointing out that they'd just stay the course already set. No, this is what's needed, and the conspiracy will bring democracy back to the refugees once and for all—despite the fact that most seem to be supportive of Carter and her attempts to defeat the alien menace. And besides, he says, he couldn't hand over control to Taylor's second-in-command even if he wanted to; Rebbecca Eaton was executed when she and a group of marines resisted arrest in the Beta Site that very morning, just hours ago. Seeing the horror on Taylor's face at the revelation that his fellow soldier and longtime friend is dead, Number One points out that there's no real need to cry. After all, her blood probably isn't even cold yet, all spilled out on the floor of one of the auxiliary armories.

Shoving the two Colonels down onto the cell's bench, Number One says he'd like a few answers... namely the passwords to do things like unlock the nuclear arsenal of the Jupiter or, say, the codes to convince the Alliance that he and his men are now the legitimate face of the Tau'ri. When all he gets is silence in response, he cocks his pistol and warns that he's already seen to the death of one stubborn loyalist today (Rebecca Eaton), and he's in no way above putting another one or two down for the count. Regardless, both Taylor and Sam keep their mouths shut, willing to die to preserve the last shreds of human dignity in the galaxy.

In the Beta Site, Talbot, Daniel, and Jack have finally made it up the ladder tube to the gate room level, and they quietly sneak out of the hatch into a deserted hallway, this one being thankfully flooded with normal lighting. Keeping their weapons raised, they advance down the hall, using cover wherever they can. Just as they reach an intersection of four corridors, an announcement comes over the PA system; it's Number Two, informing his men that in just under an hour, the Jupiter will launch its assault on the Mao Zedong, capturing the ship in the name of democracy and asserting their complete control over the Beta Site, ensuring that the tyranny of the old leaders will never return. A great cheer from the traitorous soldiers goes up from all corners of the base, but it's noticeably little more than an echo in comparison to how many could be shouting their thanks; this just proves that most personnel are still firmly devoted to doing their duty, which can only be good.

Pulling the other two aside, Daniel asks if maybe they should head for the Jupiter instead of the gate room. If the coup plans on attacking the other 305, they could be talking about the loss of some 300-400 innocents, provided they refuse to surrender, and that's got to be the biggest concern now. But Jack doesn't want to risk leaving Carter behind, insisting that she's probably locked up down here with the ringleaders. As Talbot points out, though, they really don't know for sure where the head of the coup is, or where Sam and Taylor are. Either way, Daniel's right, and they need to preserve as many lives as they can, and getting to the Jupiter needs to be their first priority. When O'Neill continues to argue, Danielle finally grabs him by the arm and hisses that this is what she meant earlier when they were discussing a new government. If they want to prove that they have the interests of all humanity at heart, they need to sacrifice the "mine" for the "ours." Finally relenting, Jack says that there's a ring platform one level down that they an use to board the ship, and the trio retreats back to the ladder hatch.

In the cell where the two Colonels are being held, Number One has apparently grown tired of trying to get his prisoners to talk. He places his pistol on Taylor's forehead and says that in a moment, he'll get to join his favorite Major in the afterlife, but a zat blast sparking into the room and stunning one of the marines makes him jolt. In the moment he's confused, Carter kicks up and knocks him back, and Taylor proceeds to latch on top of Number One and beat his face until it's bloody and raw. One by one, the other conspirator marines are stunned, and Talbot, Daniel, and Jack enter, zats at the ready. Sam, pulling Taylor up off of the unconscious Number One, asks how in the world they managed to get on the ship, and Jackson grins, saying that it's a long story. Trying to hurry things alone, Talbot explains the time constraint they have, and warns that they need to get to the bridge before something horrible happens. Carter and Taylor grab pistols off the fallen marines and seal the cell before rushing out of the room with the others.

On the bridge itself, one of Number Ones subordinates has decided that the time has come to implement the third and final phase of the coup. Flipping on the monitor so he can give the go-ahead to Number Two, he orders the Jupiter rotated to face the Mao Zedong, itself floating unawares just a few kilometers away. As the five-strong group of heroes rush down the hallway, zatting conspirators and picking up loyalists as they go, Carter shouts that they're not going to make it, listening to the power buildup in the weapons systems as they approach the control center.

[s09119]

(Conclusion of "Loyalties," see previous two parts for start.)

Spoiler:

Staring out at the second MBP-305, the conspirator second-in-command orders the Asgard weapons fired, and a bright beam of blue plasma lances out and slams into the Chinese vessel's shields. Another quickly follows, and another, and another, until finally the other ship starts to fire back. The space between them becomes a maze of sapphire light, with tremendous energy being hurled back and forth. Thinking that their victory must be near, the conspirator opens a channel and prepares to demand surrender... but then a zat blast knocks him down from behind. As the other traitorous marines grab their weapons to engage the loyalists streaming into the chamber, they slowly realize that it's all over, at least here on the Jupiter. At length, they throw down their guns and raise their hands, glaring angrily at Carter as she rushes to the communications console and orders the Mao Zedong to cease fire at once, saying that she'll explain everything in a moment... and after a moment, the other cruiser stands down.

Meanwhile, Number Two is hollering for answers in the gate room, not understanding why he hasn't received confirmation for the phase three go-ahead and threatening to commence anyway if he isn't answered. But the cold, not-at-all-amused voice of Colonel Taylor assures him that he'll get all the answers he wants soon enough, and Number Two turns to find his CO, Carter, Talbot, Jackson, and O'Neill walking into the chamber with a squad of loyalist marines, already disarming the conspirators and taking back the Beta Site's control systems. Hanging his head, Two unholsters his pistol and tosses it at the group's feet, sighing at Taylor and muttering, "Checkmate..."

A few days later, it would seem that the crisis is over; all the conspirators, roughly one-hundred-ten in all, were turned in by loyalist officers and civilians, and full control of the Beta Site and Jupiter have been returned to their respective commanders. A co-military/civilian tribunal is pending to decide the fate of those involved in the coup, though it's unlikely the process will be quick or painless for anyone. This was, perhaps, the darkest chapter of the Tau'ri in all their years of fighting evil in the galaxy.

Sitting in the Beta Site's commissary sipping a mug of coffee and staring off into space, Colonel Taylor fingers a picture of he and his command staff before the Battle of Earth; his thumb hovers just over Rebecca Eaton's picture. Sam walks in carrying a bowl of ice cream, laying it in front of Taylor and telling him that she always eats chocolate mint when she's mourning. Then she reaches into her jacket and pulls out two spoons, sticking them into the mound of brown-green desert. Frowning, Taylor asks if she plans on sharing, but Sam just smiles, whispering that she's not really in the mood... then she nods to the door, and Taylor looks up to see Major Eaton limp in, crutches supporting what looks to be a broken leg.

Shouting in surprise and joy, Taylor runs over and embraces his second-in-command, not knowing quite what to say. So instead Rebbecca explains that the conspirators pinned her and a group of marines returning from offworld putting away their gear in the armory. A shootout ensued and she stumbled down a flight of stairs attempting to get better cover, hence the broken leg and her capture. Confused, Taylor admits that he really did think she was dead, and Eaton laughs sourly, pointing out that it was a lame attempt to push him into enough anger to lose his rational thinking. But whatever the case... she's here now, and doesn't plan on going anywhere. And, what's better, they have ice cream! Smiling at Carter with gratitude in his eyes, he agrees, and the two of them sit down to share the treat while Sam quietly leaves them be.

Downstairs, Talbot, Daniel, and Jack are presenting the "Charter of the Free People of Earth," a provisional government-in-exile that will consist of a true democratic assembly that will operate in conjunction with the military. Given the nature of their situation, of course, Colonel Carter will have the ultimate say on many issues, but it's a first step towards reestablishing an independent face for the Tau'ri.

As the numerous national representatives look over the document with scrutiny, the three heroes step aside to take a breather; they've had a tough couple of days. O'Neill wonders if any sort of democracy can really last when Sam will probably have to overrule them more often than not, but Daniel is keeping hope that it will all work out. They've faced worse than politics before and come out on top, haven't they? As Talbot is quick to point out, though, that "worse force" they faced ended up driving them from their homeworld... and there's no guarantee they have enough left to "come out on top" even once more. Daniel nods, but acknowledges perhaps a greater truth; no matter what, it cannot be said that Earth went quietly into the night. And that, at least, none of them argue.

[Jezzalinko99au]

WOW, once again you produce a great episode.

Typical & effective use of that interrogation technique. Great work once again.

EDIT - btw,how long roughly till you release your next ep? And what was this situation in Pegasus that was mentioned?