Stargate SG-1 Season 11 and Onwards

[Stargatefan99]

Hi, I'm quite new to the site but I've read the 'Continuing Stargate' thread and thought it was awesome, so I thought I might have a go. I'm not going to lie and say it's going to be as good, because the guy who wrote that had incredible stories, but I'm hoping to take Stargate in a brand new equally interesting direction, with new villains and characters to interest fans.

I warn you now that it may not be entirely the Stargate SG-1 you are expecting, but the series picks up in 2016 so it will be a struggle to make it feel like the good ol'show. I'll try super hard to make it like a Stargate show you'd want to watch though.

If you have any suggestions of stories I could tell in my season, be free to mention them as I'll be totally happy to listen if it fits in with my plan. Thank you, and without further ado...

Introducing 'STARGATE SG-1: Season 11'!

11x01 - Embers (1/2)
11x02 - Incendiary, Part 1 (1/2/3)
11x03 - Incendiary, Part 2 (1/2/3)
11x04 - Aqua Telum (1/2)
11x05 - Probe (1/2)
11x06 - Dangerous Influence (1/2/3)
11x07 - The Youngest Generation (1/2/3)
11x08 - Abduction (1/2/3)

And the next episode...
11x09 - Rain

[Stargatefan99]

11x01 - Embers

When a small village on a small world is confronted by what appears to be a small threat, Vala Mal Doran contacts Earth with the hopes that they can investigate and halt another attack before it occurs...

Spoiler:

We open on the shot of the Stargate, chevrons locked as it comes to life and bursts out a gust of blue to leave a puddle behind. Pulling out, it's revealed that the world we are on is very much a farmland, with dark grey skies hovering above and miles of fields spreading out into the distance, inhabited by creatures that look remarkably similar to sheep. The Stargate almost looks out of place standing in the middle of a field with a wooden fence going around it and some stone steps leading down from it.

Suddenly, from the puddle, a figure is revealed... She holds a heavy bag on her back and wears a tight leather suit with several holsters strapped to her body. It's Vala Mal Doran, as beautiful as ever although she's aged a few years. Vala climbs down the steps as the Stargate deactivates, before she turns and begins to walk towards a small village in the distance. Above her, a Tel'tak hovers past, heading towards an unknown location. This planet isn't as uncivilised as we may first assume.

Vala eventually arrives in the outskirts of a village. It's a typical Milky-Way style village - the sorts we've seen in Stargate so many times. Locals look simple as they struggle around market stalls and sell food to neighbours and friends. Vala heads underneath a small arch that acts as the entrance to the village, known as Erabon according to a sign, and buys a loaf of bread off of the locals in her normal pleasant way. Eating the bread, she heads towards the centre of the village.

The village hall is small and unpleasant, but the Tel'tak sitting on its roof serves to tell us that this village is certainly unusual. Casually, as if she has done this many times before, Vala knocks on the door for the hall once before entering. She is immediately confronted by three men, in Lucian Alliance uniform. They hold heavy guns in their hands which are poised for attack, and it is clear that they are unwary about Vala being here. Vala tells the men that if she wanted them dead they would be already, before telling them she is here to see the 'boss'.

They lead her towards a small room in the corner of the village hall - an office - and when she enters Vala is again confronted by an armed figure. We learn from Vala's introduction to the man that his name is Kipper'a, Deputy of the Lucian Alliance and ruler of this world and Erabon. Kipper'a asks Vala what she has brought him today, to which she drops her bag on his table, before taking out the contents, which is revealed to be... an FN-P90!

Kipper'a lifts up the weapon and examines it, before asking Vala whether she has brought ammo, as the weapon will be useless if she hasn't. Vala assures that he has, before promising that she can get hold of many more of these weapons (she does not specify from where). Kipper'a thanks Vala, telling her that this weapon will help the Lucian Alliance to truly infiltrate Earth Operations and learn their fighting style, before he pays her a hefty sum. They exchange some pleasantries before Vala turns and leaves.

She begins to walk through the village when out of the sky emerges a massive Sky Cruiser. The ship is shaped like an efficient bullet, with massive turrets surrounding its exterior and several scars surrounding the bridge window from previous battles. The Sky Cruiser is about the size of a Ha'tak. It swoops down towards the surface of the world and immediately opens fire in rays of blue light! Vala just jumps out of the way in time, clearly surprised by the attack.

She is more surprised by the response... Villagers, young and old included, pull out weapons from below market stools and handle them like experts. As the Sky Cruiser descends back towards the village, Kipper'a launches into the streets with his FN-P90 and addresses a lady who appears to be sweet and old as Captain Terra, ordering her to lead defences. Vala makes a comment about the fact that it appears the whole village is in fact populated by the Lucian Alliance.

The Sky Cruiser rains down blasts of energy at the village hall, colliding with the Tel'tak and causing it to explode into oblivion. Vala now takes her pistols out of her blasters and dual wields them, firing at the ship with the knowledge that there is very little hope of victory. More blazes from the Sky Cruiser kill multiple civilians and homes, yet the Lucian Alliance soldiers fight on. A hut full of Kassa explodes and the Lucian Alliance become even more angered.

Knowing this fight is not winnable, Vala turns and flees the village just as the arch collapses behind her, trapping the Lucian Alliance soldiers inside. About ten Death Gliders emerge from behind her, suggesting that the villagers of Erabon are more prepared for battle than expected. Vala turns to watch the Death Gliders fight, but is unpleasantly surprised to see them gunned down by small Sky Cruiser Turrets. The battle is truly lost and Vala embraces this, running into the fields and edging ever closer towards the Stargate and its DHD.

Not knowing where to 'gate to, Vala quickly enters the address of a casual non-allied world and watches as the Stargate comes to life as Erabon burns behind her, exploding many times as the Sky Cruiser continues attack. Its casual attitude towards the villagers suggests that this attack was not planned but only occurred because the crew of the Sky Cruiser found themselves close by. We see from Vala's face that this is definitely a terrifying new foe.

The familiar puddle of the Stargate reappears and Vala is quick to fling herself inside it, narrowly avoiding the blast of a turret that had been aimed at where she was standing; the Star Destroyer had targeted her. Now all that remains is embers where she once stood and dancing flames, as well as the remains of one of the sheep like creatures that was destroyed in the blast. Looking at Erabon for one last time, we can see the destruction as the last few villagers are slaughtered and Kipper'a cowers in fear with the knowledge this is his end, whilst swearing that the Lucian Alliance will get revenge for this.

When we return, our attention is on a familiar face... Jack O'Neill! Now considerably older and fatter, but Jack O'Neill never the less. He carries that typical face he always wears of both boredom and mockery as it is revealed he is holding a red phone in his hand and is sitting in the head office of Stargate Command. He is on the phone to the President. O'Neill tells the President that when he asked for a reposting from Homeworld Command instead of retiring, he didn't expect to have to take on the Stargate Program. He asks the President whether there are any nice jobs which involve looking after dying operations, any jobs which are easy, to which the President responds that O'Neill is in one. The Stargate operation is dying and being left behind by a generation of space travellers.

Eventually the President hangs up the phone, leaving Jack on his own in the office, who is more than willing to throw some paper work to the floor in disgust that he's tackling this job again - the job he's laughed at General Hank Landry for having for years on end. Now Landry's retired and O'Neill's been left behind. Calling Sergeant Walter Harriman into the office, O'Neill asks Walter what he could do to have some fun 'around here' without breaking any of the protocols, to which Walter responds that Jack could play some golf (as a joke, of course). Jack takes the suggestion seriously.

Moments later, O'Neill is standing in a corridor of the SGC with a golf club in his hand and Walter holding the rest of his clubs. O'Neill takes a swing at a ball on the floor and whacks it hard, only causing the ball to hit a window and shatter it. Turning to Walter, O'Neill smoothly places the golf club back into Walter's hand and tells him that they should probably find somebody to clean up. Never putting a foot wrong, Walter awkwardly agrees; they've retired to the SGC together, and this is home for Walter - he's loving it.

Cutting to the Stargate Room, we watch as the Stargate spins to life and as the chevrons lock in. We know it must be in the future to the last scene because Walter sits in the Control Room, saying that SG-1's I.D.C has come through. O'Neill is standing in the room looking bored, as ever, yet he still finds the time to tell Walter to deactivate the Iris. The massive metal shield that guards the puddle of the Stargate disappears to reveal the blue waters, and then SG-1 travelling through it.

We see Colonel Cameron Mitchell leading the team still, looking practically the same age as he leaves the 'gate wearing the SG-1 black combat uniform and holding an FN-P90 in his hands. Behind him comes Daniel Jackson, having returned to SG-1 after a brief stint working for SGC Intelligence. Those are the two familiars of the team, with Dr Liam Samuels - young, blonde and a nervous wreck - and Major Jennifer Hailey ("Prodigy", "Proving Ground") being the new team members.

Mitchell and Daniel appear to be mid-conversation about some ruins they found on the world when Hailey tells the pair that the ruins had so little text on them that translating them would be a waste of time. This causes an even bigger debate as SG-1 leaves the 'gate room, with Samuels struggling to be involved in the conversation but failing miserably. By the time the team have made it to a corridor outside of the Stargate room, Daniel has convinced Mitchell that the texts might be worth reading; what they find might attract the attention of Homeworld Security and save the Stargate Program from total failure.

Hours later, after having showers, SG-1 is sitting in a debriefing, with Jack sitting at the head of the table. Daniel and Jack at first engage in petty conversation over the fact that O'Neill can't seem to stay away from the Stargate Program before Jack brings up the mission at hand, asking the team about the discoveries on P4B-112. Mitchell tells O'Neill that they found ruins assumed to be written by the Ancients and suggests that they should head back and explore more in order to attract the Pentagon but O'Neill tells the team that there is no worth behind this; if the Stargate Program is going to survive, they need to find something more important; something more exciting.

Just as O'Neill finishes saying this, the alarm signifying the activation of the Stargate is heard, and SG-1 quickly leaves the briefing room to head into the Control room. In the control room, Walter tells the team that they have been sent an I.D.C belonging to... Vala Mal Doran! Daniel seems surprised by this and when Jack asks why, Daniel explains that Vala left the SGC three years ago when SG-1 disbanded for several months; the last they heard she was working for the Lucian Alliance and supplying them with weapons and technology.

O'Neill asks Mitchell whether they should let Vala into the base to which he replies that they have no reason to believe that Vala is coming to the SGC with foul intent - she was with SG-1, after all. Agreeing with Mitchell, O'Neill tells Walter to drop the Iris before warning Mitchell that if Vala is a true threat, the SGC will take a full battering from the Pentagon; they could even be shut down. They watch through the window down at the 'gate as Vala steps through, immediately succumb by Soldiers.

Look at next post for conclusion

[Stargatefan99]

Continued from last post

Spoiler:

Daniel is quick to rush down into the Stargate room, where he tells the soldiers to stand down as they begin to pat down Vala. Vala notices the rest of the new team standing in the doorway and jokingly asks Daniel why they felt the need to replace her. Daniel doesn't answer but instead tells her that they need to head to the briefing room and talk now; if something is up, it is better to get it out of the way rather than dance around it.

In the briefing room, Vala is quick to tell the group the full story of what occurred in Erabon and of the attack of the Sky Cruiser, asking them whether they have ever experienced such a race of aliens before. SG-1 quickly answers with a negative, as the only hostile group they have been fighting recently are the Lucian Alliance and even they have appear to be fading away. Vala sighs, telling the team that she had nowhere to go to, before saying that she wants to return to Earth and seek asylum. Jack asks before turning to leave for his office.

Several days later, we cut to the bridge of the George Hammond, with Colonel Samantha Carter sitting in her Captain's seat speaking to her second, Major Marks. They are heading towards the world designated P4B-116, where Erabon is found, and they are discussing whether the information about the attack given to them by Vala could be accurate. Carter says that she trusts Vala after Vala's time in the SGC but is not sure that the attack Vala has described could be so drastic.

Arriving above P4B-116, SG-1 - who have been travelling on the Hammond, are beamed using Asgard Teleport technology onto the surface of the world, with Vala joining them. They are all in full mission gear and are clearly ready to meet conflict. They arrive just before the fallen arch of Erabon and are immediately shocked by the destruction. Climbing around the remains of the wall that surrounded the arch, SG-1 enters the village to find that there appear to be no bodies remaining with only charred remains, and all of the buildings appear to have been burnt to the ground. Quick searching finds the remains of a small building, and within it the still living Kipper'a.

SG-1 immediately aims their weapons at Kipper'a as they recognise him as the second in the Lucian Alliance but Kipper'a tells them to put their arms down, as they have a different enemy to face. He tells the team the same story as Vala's, only he focuses on Vala being a coward who left the Lucian Alliance to their terrible fate. Vala tells Kipper'a that she had no choice, as staying in Erabon would only mean death, as this destroyed village shows.

Mitchell tells the team that they have seen enough of the destruction, so he contacts the Hammond and they are beamed aboard, with Kipper'a joining them. Now in the Bridge, Mitchell informs Carter that Vala was in fact correct and it does seem that a new threat is emerging in the galaxy to take it by storm. Carter tells Mitchell that they will contact the SGC immediately and inform them, whilst they will return to Earth ready to continue the investigation.

We cut to the Hammond mess hall moments later as Mitchell settles down on a chair with a delicious meal sitting in front of him. He is completely on his own until Samuels sits down besides him, clearly worried. Mitchell asks Samuels what's wrong and after a moment of pause tells Mitchell that he doesn't think he can take the pressure of being in SG-1. Today, seeing all of those bodies, he feels no empathy towards the soldiers but instead only feels fear. Mitchell asks Samuels whether this means he wants to resign, which Samuels responds to with a yes. This causes a sigh from Mitchell before the SG-1 team leader asks Samuels to at least try sticking with the team; he may just need some time to adjust.

Meanwhile, on Chulak, Teal'c - now a high up member in the Jaffa Council - is speaking to his best friend and mentor Bra'tac - now leader of the Jaffa - about a new law that will allow the Jaffa complete choice in the new and upcoming elections for the next leader when alarms sound in their halls informing them of an upcoming ship which has just approached the planet. Both Jaffa are taken by surprise and rush to a control room. In the room, they ask the Jaffa in charge how the ship could get so close to the world without being detected but the Jaffa tells the pair that he does not know; they came quite literally out of nowhere.

Bra'tac immediately orders the Jaffa Fleet to take to space and defend the world from what we now know from footage is a Sky Cruiser and Teal'c offers to take a Ha'tak and join the fight. Bra'tac refuses, telling Teal'c that he is too important to lose in a fire fight; Bra'tac hopes that Teal'c will be voted as the new leader when his term is up. Teal'c reluctantly agrees, although he is not happy to watch other ships leave.

We watch as seven Ha'tak and twenty Tel'tak leave the surface of Chulak and head towards the Sky Cruiser when suddenly two more Sky Cruisers appear out of nowhere! Before the Jaffa ships can respond, the Sky Cruisers open fire on them, immediately destroying two Ha'tak and five Tel'tak. The remaining Tel'tak quickly attempt to flank the Sky Cruisers, travelling behind them and firing at their behinds. Instead of having any success, the Jaffa plasmas simply fade away when they strike what appear to be invincible shields. A second couple of shots destroys the Tel'tak, leaving only the Ha'tak behind.

Teal'c and Bra'tac watch the skies of Chulak in terror as the explosions of the Tel'tak flicker up above. Screams fill the air as Jaffa realize that their brothers are dying. Knowing that there is nothing that the Jaffa can do on their own, Teal'c rushes towards the Stargate and dials Earth. We watch as the 'gate activates and Teal'c quickly speaks into it through a radio, begging for assistance against their new threat. He then deactivates the Stargate and hopes that Earth gets the message, before he returns to watch the fight.

The Ha'tak ships begin to fire all of their fire power against the Sky Cruisers but the Sky Cruisers appear resistant and a few beams of plasma quickly destroy the Jaffa Vessels. Down on the surface, Bra'tac tells Teal'c that the Jaffa may be doomed. Teal'c tells his brother to be positive; they can still win this fight once they deploy more vessels. Bra'tac then responds with dangerous words - if these are just the embers of a new rising threat, the Jaffa cannot in anyway be ready to combat the flames...

((To Be Continued))

[Stargatefan99]

11x02 - Incendiary, Part 1

NOTE: Apologies for the massive error that accompanied "Incendiary, Part 1". It has now been repaired. If you tried to read this story but was confused by the repeating paragraphs, please give it another go as I have removed them.

Chulak is under attack, or was under attack, as it currently waits its coming doom. Meanwhile, Teal'c and Bra'tac struggle to control the Jaffa People when a rebellion begins...

Spoiler:

((60 second recap of "Embers"))

Col. Mitchell stands on the bridge of the George Hammond, worry controlling his features as the rest of SG-1 rushes to join him (Vala included, although Kipper'a is not with her). Sensing that something is very clearly wrong, Major Hailey asks Mitchell to fill her in on the situation. Mitchell doesn't respond but Col. Samantha Carter does, telling Hailey that the Hammond has just received a message from Earth informing them that Chulak has been attacked by the mysterious new threats; they've been ordered to head to the world and help out how they can immediately.

Vala, who has been standing silently with Daniel Jackson and Dr Samuels, soon raises up her voice, telling Mitchell that the Lucian Alliance are likely to want revenge on the threat that attacked Erabon, before saying that if she can convince Kipper'a to contact them, they may be able to call in a Lucian Alliance army that could turn the tide of the battle. After a moment of hesitation, Mitchell tells Vala he would prefer them not to as relations have been bad with the Lucian Alliance and he is worried that bringing them into the situation could end in an even bigger battle. Vala reluctantly backs down.

For a few short moments we watch the Hammond travelling through hyperspace at an immense speed, using their Asgard Hyperdrives (given to the Tau'ri in "Unending"). Then we cut back into the interior of the ship to see that time has clearly passed, as now only Mitchell and Carter are on the bridge once more - although all the needed personal are still there. Mitchell asks Carter whether they are walking into a battle they may not be able to win, but Carter refuses to respond, telling Mitchell that it is their duty to assist the Jaffa as a symbol of their loyalty to the Nation, and if not for that reason then as a confirmation of their prevailing friendship with Teal'c.

Meanwhile, in the mess hall, Daniel is informing Hailey and Samuels of times when Teal'c was in SG-1, and events which he was a major part of. Samuels makes a comment that Teal'c must have been very important to the team, to which Daniel responds to be saying that he was. He then tells them that he worries for Teal'c's safety; the devastation on P4B-116 shows that these new vessels can cause a hell of a lot of damage. Hailey promises Daniel that they'll do all they can to save Teal'c and his people, and Daniel thanks the pair for the reassurance.

On Chulak, the Jaffa Nation Council has assembled. With the battle still raging in the skies above, Bra'tac has called an emergency meeting to decide the fate of the Jaffa. During the meeting, a Jaffa known as Zarlic is quick to advise that the Jaffa should abandon Chulak as quickly as possible so that they can avoid the terrors that are certain to be approaching. Teal'c disagrees, telling Zarlic that the Jaffa cannot simply abandon a place that represents the freedom they have come to accept; they must be willing to fight for it. The other Jaffa leaders agree with him and Bra'tac decides that another wave of vessels will be released in the next hour to join the attack.

After the meeting, Teal'c is heading to his quarters to prepare for the coming battle when he is stopped by Zarlic, who tells Teal'c that the Jaffa cannot continue to fight as it will only mean their own downfall. Teal'c reminds Zarlic of the oppression of the Goa'uld and the power that they imposed over the Jaffa, using the Jaffa as slaves and being controlled in their every actions; he will not allow another race to control him. Zarlic tells Teal'c that he needs to grow up because the future of the Jaffa is in his hands, and his childish actions will only result in deaths. Teal'c ignores him, continuing his journey alone.

In space above Chulak, around 6 Ha'tak, 15 Al'kesh and 30 Tel'tak vessels fire on the Sky Cruisers in desperation to take the ships down, but the ships continue to reflect the blasts. They are no longer firing themselves; it seems that they are enjoying the attack too much to do so. On the bridge of one of the Ha'tak, Admiral Heran makes contact with Zarlic through hologram, and Zarlic tells Admiral Heran that he plans to convince the Jaffa to flee Chulak; all Heran needs to do is stall the Sky Cruisers for as long as possible. Heran responds by telling Zarlic that he shall do as instructed, but it may involve the loss of his own life. Zarlic does not seem to mind this.

After the hologram of Zarlic has faded away, Admiral Heran tells his second to take his Ha'tak behind the Sky Cruisers; they are to fire for as long as possible before the order comes to stall the battle as the Jaffa flee, and then the Ha'tak will throw itself into the side of a Sky Cruiser and hopefully destroy it. The second tells Heran that he is not so willing to die facing this threat when there may be other options available but Heran tells the second to be quiet, informing him that the decision has already been made. The Jaffa on this vessel are destined to die.

Back on the Hammond, Carter informs SG-1 (who have once again gathered on the Bridge) that they are approaching Chulak and will arrive shortly. Mitchell asks Carter whether they have attempted to contact Teal'c, to which she replies that in a recent check-in with the SGC her conversation was disturbed by Chulak dialling in. She assumes that the Jaffa are currently talking with General O'Neill and that they are keeping him informed of the situation; they are sure to receive an update sooner or later. Carter then asks Mitchell how SG-1 is coming along, to which he replies that it feels like it's missing something - hinting that he wants her back on the team. Carter picks up on this and so she tells Mitchell that although she would love to join the team again, she has a responsibility to the crew of the Hammond and she feels that she cannot simply leave them behind.

Whilst the conversation between Carter and Mitchell occurs, Vala and Daniel sit in Daniel's assigned room on his bed reading an old document he found recently on another world. Vala jokingly mocks him for spending his personal time reading so Daniel brings up the fact that Vala, before the attack on Erabon, had been spending her 'personal time' stealing and smuggling weapons for the Lucian Alliance. Vala becomes defensive, explaining that she had no choice as she had no access to money and needed all she could get. Daniel then tells her that the SGC knows that she has been stealing weapons from the abandoned Alpha-Site but are allowing it to happen out of a favour towards her hard work for the SGC. Vala is slightly taken aback by this, but she is more taken aback when Daniel tells her that she needs to settle down and grow up again; if she's going to seek asylum on Earth, she needs to treat the matter seriously. Vala promises Daniel that she will.

And as that conversation is going on, yet another conversation is occurring... Samuels is still sitting in the mess hall, with Hailey sitting besides him playing an app on her phone. Samuels is telling Hailey of how he would feel more suited in Area 51, where he could use his brain to develop new technology instead of having to fear drowning every time he steps through the 'gate. Hailey looks up from her phone and tells Samuels that he needs to 'grow a pair' as the threat they are currently facing could threaten even his little dream job in Area 51; Samuels is important to the cause and Hailey is not going to let him bail because he is feeling some pre-battle nerves.

Meanwhile, in the SGC, General Jack O'Neill talks through a MALP cam that has travelled to Chulak - he is having a conversation with Teal'c. Teal'c tells O'Neill of the fact that there a protests on Chulak about staying to fight this new threat but O'Neill says that this is understandable; all beings are scared of anything that can end its life. Teal'c agrees, before informing O'Neill that he has yet another meeting in the next hour where he will hopefully sway the Jaffa into deciding to stay and fight. O'Neill wishes the Jaffa luck, before telling his friend that the Hammond, the Odyssey and the Daedalus will be over Chulak as soon as possible.

Back on Chulak, the hour has passed and a new wave of Jaffa Cruisers have been released, with another 5 Ha'tak having been prepared for the battle, over a hundred Death Gliders released and 13 Al'kesh following closely behind. The ships continue to strike against the invincible ship that still refuses to fight back, but some are losing hope and are backing away towards Chulak in order to protect the planet in the case of the Sky Cruisers deciding to open fire on the world below.

On Chulak, the Council meetings have begun once more at Zarlic's request. Zarlic is again begging the Jaffa to evacuate the world whilst they still have the chance and Teal'c is still refusing to stand down. In the end, Bra'tac agrees that the young should evacuate as they are the future of the Jaffa and the Jaffa Nation cannot afford losing them. Teal'c disagrees, telling the Council that these men are their strongest warriors and have the greatest chance of bringing victory if warfare on the surface comes about. Zarlic assures Teal'c that this would not happen but Teal'c suggests that this attack was well prepared; he believes that the threat is likely here to look for something. He suggests that they must hold out.

Once the meeting is over, Zarlic sneaks out into the courtyard and contacts Heran, telling him that despite the wishes of the Council he is going to send word of evacuation and take control of spaceports in order to take ships. Heran promises that he will dispatch several Tel'tak to assist in the take over and in the general evacuation efforts, and if need be these men can deal with Teal'c. Zarlic promises Heran that this will be unnecessary; he plans on dealing with the foolish Teal'c himself.

Zarlic ends the call with Heran, and we join Heran as he is on his Bridge in his Ha'tak. He contacts three Tel'tak and tells them that they are to head to the surface and assist in the taking of the spaceport in order to assist with evacuations. Once he has finished the call, he orders his men to continue firing on a Sky Cruiser as he does not want to have to cause a rebellion on the world below and is hoping to destroy the Sky Cruisers before it comes to that.

Back in the Bridge of the Hammond, Carter has opened up communications with the Daedalus, which is also heading to the battle and is near their location. Carter asks Colonel Caldwell - Captain of the vessel - whether he has any plans of attack but Caldwell responds by telling Carter that it would be impossible to have one since they know very little of the ships. They must simply try everything to take them out, whatever the cost. Carter agrees with no hesitation...

In the Chulak spaceport, four guards are on duty and are searching Ha'tak, Tel'tak and Al'kesh vessels as part of their general cycle of maintenance when the sky roof of the building - built to represent ancient Greek temples - peels back to reveal the night sky and the ever blazing blasts of Ha'tak, Al'kesh and Tel'tak attacking the Sky Cruiser. Slightly suspicious, the guards raise their staff weapons ready for action but are quickly taken out by the blasts of three Tel'tak ships. The ships land and the hull doors open to reveal Jaffa warriors, ready for the evacuation.

Continues in next post...

[Stargatefan99]

The second part to "Incendiary, Part 1"...

Spoiler:

The Jaffa warriors flee from their ships with staff weapons aimed, firing at the new guards that storm into the room firing their own weapons. A battle ensues, in which many of the guards are shot down by the Jaffa warriors, who have taken guard behind old ships that are falling apart. As more guards fall, a Jaffa warrior calls out that this does not need to end in annihilation; if the guards would just be willing to assist in the evacuation of Chulak, no more slaughter will be needed. After a moment of hesitation, the guards stand down as asked.

Meanwhile, whilst in his quarters, Teal'c is both shocked and angered to hear the calls of evacuation ringing from the alarms rigged into ever quarter and building on Jaffa. A voice calls out - Zarlic's - ordering all Jaffa to evacuate by heading to either the spaceport or the Stargate. He tells them that time is short and defeat is immanent; the evacuation must be quick. Zarlic's voice fades away but the alarm continues as we watch Teal'c face, reflecting anger and frustration we have not seen on the features of the Jaffa for the longest of times. Picking up his staff weapon from his weapons rack, Teal'c storms out of his quarters into a busy corridor.

The corridor is filled with hundreds of Jaffa fleeing in terror as they struggle to keep hold of their possessions, but Teal'c slips around them, heading to the alarm control centre with an ever increasing pace in his steps. He only stops walking when he collides with a running Bra'tac - he also holds a staff weapon and a face of anger. Teal'c asks Bra'tac whether he gave Zarlic permission to order to evacuation of Chulak, to which Bra'tac replies to by saying he did not. Zarlic has taken things too far and according to Bra'tac he must be stopped.

The pair continue to run through the maze-like corridors, avoiding more and more Jaffa who pay very little attention to them, until they are suddenly shot at by blasts of a staff weapon coming around the corner leading to the entrance of the alarm control room! Teal'c and Bra'tac throw themselves out of the way, avoiding the blasts, before they begin to fire their own weapons. Plasma is spit throughout the corridor as old stone is thrown away in chunks. Soon Teal'c is able to spot the foes and he recognises them as loyalists of Zarlic; they had, according to Teal'c, already announced that they would be voting for Zarlic as leader in the next election.

Storming forwards, Teal'c uses Bra'tac's blasts of fire as cover, before reaching three of the loyalists and taking them out with precise swings of his staff. Looking carefully as he takes cover behind a broken wall, Teal'c counts ten loyalists guarding the alarm control room, where we assume Zarlic will be. Bra'tac quickly runs up to join Teal'c, telling the Jaffa that he must make it to the room to end the evacuation. He says that he will make a distraction, but Teal'c will have to act with speed. Teal'c nods in agreement to his mentor and leader.

Suddenly, Bra'tac launches up onto his feat and flings a Goa'uld designed grenade in the direction of the ten loyalists. Instead of exploding it releases a massive amount of smoke, stunning the Jaffa warriors. Immediately, Bra'tac opens fire with his staff weapon, sending an enormous amount of blasts into the enemy who are still struggling to respond. Taking the opportunity at hand, Teal'c launches towards the alarm control room and throws himself inside, shutting the door behind him. To no surprise, Zarlic stands above a console, informing Teal'c that he has made a mistake trying to end the evacuation. Zarlic will end Bra'tac's petty reign once and for all.

Just as the pair run towards each other to fight, we cut to the Bridge of the Hammond as Marks informs Carter that they are pulling out of hyperspace. Carter tells everybody through the intercom that they should be ready for battle the moment they arrive outside of Chulak and the personnel nod with agreement. SG-1 stand in the bridge once more, watching the events unfolding with great interest. Mitchell makes a comment that this battle could be very interesting, especially due to the fact that the Sky Cruisers are not defending themselves.

Back on Chulak - in the alarm room - Teal'c and Zarlic clash staffs as they aggressively fight. Zarlic throws wild kicks in Teal'c direction but Teal'c is able to avoid most of them, telling the fellow Jaffa that he fights with little honour, yet another reason he cannot be leader. Zarlic, whilst fighting, tells Teal'c that he practically is leader, as even Admiral Heran listens to him and will do as commanded. Teal'c tells Zarlic that this petty grab for power will not last long. And with that, as both men fight hand to hand, Teal'c aims his staff and fires, sending a blast of energy through Zarlic's chest, killing the Jaffa.

Teal'c quickly types in a command on the control panel and the alarm stops ringing. Speaking into the comm, Teal'c tells the Jaffa to halt their evacuation; they are a proud people and will fight to the end in order to maintain the freedom they have fought hard to earn. He then deactivates the comm, and although he does not hear a response he knows the Jaffa will have heard. However, just as Teal'c turns to leave the alarm control room, Bra'tac is pushed through the door by four Zarlic loyalists. Pushing him besides Teal'c, they aim their weapons ready to shoot. Bra'tac congratulates Teal'c on their victory of stopping the evacuation as they prepare for their deaths.

Continued next post...

[Stargatefan99]

The final post of "Incendiary, Part 1"...

Spoiler:

Above Chulak, a hyperspace window opens to reveal the Hammond, shooting out and firing weapons on the Sky Cruiser almost immediately. It is closely followed by two other hyperspace windows, which allow the Odyssey and Daedalus access to the battle. The three ships are quick to be at the side of the Jaffa vessels as they travel in the direction of Chulak; if we look carefully we can see Heran's vessel behind a Sky Cruiser.

On the bridge of the Hammond, Carter orders her personnel to fire, and SG-1 watches with amazement as Asgard weapon fire is flung out of the ship, crashing into the Sky Cruiser and actually causing slight damage. Finally aware that they could be under threat, the Sky Cruisers begin to move towards Chulak, before they open fire with small blasts of energy, destroying multiple Tel'tak and a Ha'tak. Carter orders the Hammond to engage a Sky Cruiser head on whilst the Daedalus and Odyssey engage the ships from behind.

As the Hammond travels forwards, Marks informs Carter that the Sky Cruiser they are approaching appears to be powering some sort of weapon. Carter orders Marks to manoeuvre the Hammond out of the way but the order comes too late...

We watch as a massive beam of white energy radiates from the ship, crunching up multiple Jaffa Vessels as it travels through them. The Hammond almost escapes the enormous radius of the white beam but it is not fast enough, instead being hit by it. For a moment, the shields hold back against the force, but soon the Hammond begins to hurtle down towards Chulak. The beam - now no longer in contact with the Hammond - hurtles down towards the surface, hitting a city and causing it to explode in a blast of white light!

The Hammond continues to travel ever closer towards the surface of the world, and ever closer to its end. On the bridge, sparks fly everywhere as Carter screams orders to divert all power to the shields and as Samuels struggles with a console to complete the command. Mitchell turns to the others in SG-1 and gives them his most sincere smile, telling them that if this is the last time he ever gets to serve with them, it's been an honour. Then we fade to black...

((To Be Continued...))

[Stargatefan99]

11x03 - Incendiary, Part 2

The Hammond descends ever closer towards the surface of Chulak as SG-1 embraces the fact that this might be their end... Meanwhile, the annihilation of the Jaffa at the hands of the Sky Cruisers continues.

Spoiler:

((60 second recap of "Embers" and "Incendiary, Part 1"))

Teal'c and Bra'tac stand side by side as the loyalists of Zarlic aim their weapons at the pair, and we realize we have opened moments after seeing them say their goodbyes as the loyalists forced Bra'tac into the room. They both now stand with eyes wide open - fear not controlling them as they refuse to say goodbye to their freedom in their final moments. However, just as one of the loyalists is about to fire a staff and kill Teal'c, Teal'c kicks out, knocking over the loyalist and taking him to the ground. The other loyalists fire their staffs but they are too late to kill Teal'c or Bra'tac; both men have taken cover behind consoles.

One of the loyalists steps forwards, encouraging the Jaffa to surrender immediately or face certain death, but Teal'c tells the loyalists that the fight should end now as Zarlic is dead and his rule is over. The loyalist tells Teal'c that in this case, Admiral Heran will take control of the evacuation of Chulak before any damage is done to the world and civilians. Bra'tac exclaims that Heran would never be traitorous to the Jaffa but from Teal'c's expression, it is clear that the ex-SG-1 member is very unsure. Teal'c instead tells the loyalists that refusing to work together will only insure destruction but the other Jaffa ignore him.

Launching out from behind the console, Teal'c grabs the staff of one of the loyalists and fires, killing its holder. He then spins the staff around - whilst ducking to avoid loyalist blasts - before firing his staff at other staffs in order to disable them. Taking a chance, Bra'tac also swings out from behind the console and takes a weapon, causing a conflict to begin again. This time it is clear that Bra'tac and Teal'c are by far superior as the loyalists are easily eliminated; Teal'c and Bra'tac are careful to not kill both of them. Bra'tac begins to tell them that they support the wrong cause when--

--an explosion ratters the building, coming from a location near by! The roof begins to wobble above the Jaffa for a few short moments and we are led to believe that it will collapse, but somehow it stabilises. No longer concentrating on the Zarlic loyalists, Teal'c points out that the size of the explosion suggests that it has come from the spaceport, meaning that many fleeing Jaffa may have been slaughtered. This is the first proper strike of the Sky Cruisers and the Jaffa must be united in battle.

Turning to face Teal'c, Bra'tac tells his friend to care for the Jaffa loyalists who have been injured and insure they receive medical attention whilst Bra'tac contacts all allies in order to beg for assistance in the fight. The blast of the Sky Cruiser proves that the Jaffa cannot beat the new threat with just the assistance of the Tau'ri. Both men give each other a grave handshake of honour before Bra'tac turns and leaves the room in order to achieve his own task.

Teal'c calls through the comm ordering a medic to assist with the treatment of the injured Jaffa, but the medic tells Teal'c that no one can be scared; the explosion was bigger than it could ever be imagined to be... The whole spaceport was destroyed by the explosion, as was the complex holding the Stargate. All means of escape - and contact with other worlds - has been destroyed. Teal'c looks at the enclosed room around him, realizing that it hides the true terrors of the explosion that has just occurred outside.

Meanwhile, above Chulak, the Hammond spirals down towards the surface, spitting flames and sparks as it does so. We can also see the true devastation of the world below, and the medic was right - it is terrifying and enormous, and possibly the new home for the Hammond when it eventually crashes. The remaining Ha'tak continue to battle the Sky Cruisers, which are firing blue blasts again, whilst the Daedalus attempts to assist the Hammond by beaming out personnel and the Odyssey releases Asgard beams on the threat.

On the bridge of the Hammond, Col. Carter screams for all power to be sent to the shields, as Dr Samuels struggles to fulfil her request, fiddling with controls. The rest of SG-1 struggles to assist with injured scientists and soldiers who were thrown about by the ship being hit. Col. Mitchell himself, as well as Major Hailey, are also quite bloodied, but they ignore their injuries in order to help others. We realize this is the moment we left the team in the last episode as Mitchell makes his speech about his 'last service' with SG-1, before we move forwards in time to see Marks asking Carter whether they should attempt manoeuvre. Carter responds by saying statistics suggest that the ship will crash whatever they do; there is no point wasting energy on such a move.

Meanwhile, Dr Samuels informs the team that he has done as requested, saying that the Hammond is shielded stronger than it is has ever been before, although he states he does not believe it will save them from their impending doom. Hailey tells Samuels to stop being such a pessimist, and is expecting a response before Samuels asks Daniel Jackson where Vala is rushing off to - she is running towards a corridor. Daniel tells Samuels that Vala is going to check up on Kipper'a ("Embers") in the medical bay to try and get him to contact the Lucian Alliance in their last moments; Chulak needs all the help it could get.

As this conversation occurs, Heran stands on his bridge of his Ha'tak ordering his Jaffa to open fire on the Sky Cruiser they are stalking; his ship sensors have discovered that when their weapons fire, they appear to have weaker shields. His Jaffa oblige and quickly open fire, shooting out rays of plasma. However, the plasma simply hits the shield and causes it to shimmer slightly - it is not as effective as wished. Heran turns to his Jaffa First Prime and gives him his greatest smile, telling him that their suicide plan will go ahead; this ship must be stopped.

Heran's Ha'tak quickly shoots towards the Sky Cruiser but just before it can make impact, the Sky Cruiser is destroyed by the Odyssey Asgard weapons! The beam strikes the side of the ship, which is revealed to be a surprisingly weak material, and the metal explodes like a wave, sending shrapnel everywhere. Heran's Ha'tak moves out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by the wave but the Odyssey is not so fortunate... The wave just strikes the BC-304, causing minimal damage as the ship swerves towards the planet.

Heran watches from his bridge in awe before turning to his Jaffa Prime and telling him that they have a chance to win this battle. He then has his ship moved to approach the two remaining Sky Cruisers. These Sky Cruisers have finally reacted to the destruction of one of their own and have begun to move towards the Ha'tak's, Tel'tak and Al'kesh ships that are fighting. The Sky Cruisers, no longer willing to be sitting ducks, fire light weapons, eliminating many ships, but the ships continue to fight back.

As this occurs, Vala sits in the medical suit of the ever falling Hammond, next to Kipper'a (clearly battered from the fight in "Embers") who lies in a hospital bed. Vala begs Kipper'a to contact the Lucian Alliance and demand assistance, but Kipper'a tells Vala that they would never come as they would believe he swore allegiance to the Tau'ri. Vala tries to beg him but Kipper'a refuses, so Vala reluctantly backs down. Kipper'a then asks Vala how SG-1 is planning to get them out of their latest predicament involving the fact that they are crashing towards the surface of Chulak, to which Vala responds that they are not... They're hoping the shields will withstand and they'll survive the crash. We see all of Kipper'a's hope fade away as Vala tells him this terrible news of the ship's impending doom.

On the Hammond bridge, Marks informs Carter that they are entering the atmosphere of Chulak now, with the shields beginning to burst into flames as it travels closer and closer towards the surface. Ensuring that her seatbelt is securely strapped in, Carter turns to the members of SG-1 on the bridge, wishing them luck in the end that is soon approaching - hopefully some of them may make it out of here alive. Hailey returns the gesture, saying it is not often that she comes to a point of feeling confident around people, but SG-1 has helped her to achieve this. Samuels stays awkwardly silent.

Back on Chulak, Teal'c stands outside of the Jaffa Council Temple - where his quarters are found - looking at the destruction of the world around him. Flames and smoke burst out as small fragments of ships rain down on homes, destroying them. Jaffa Troops are randomly firing into the air, hoping they will strike a target, and a BC-304 can be seen falling ever closer towards the surface of the world. From Teal'c's saddened expression, we can tell that he knows SG-1 - his closest friends - are on that ship.

Continues in next post...

[Stargatefan99]

Part 2 of "Incendiary, Part 2"...

Spoiler:

Deciding that he cannot watch his friends die, Teal'c goes to turn away but decides that it will be without honour to not treat them to the right of always being remembered in their final moments of their brave sacrifice for the Jaffa. He remains watching the ship as it gets ever closer, and he mutters a few words for the heroes aboard, remembering all they have done in the war against the Goa'uld (Season 1 - 8) and the Ori (Season 9 + 10). It is then that he notices Bra'tac in the corner of his eyes, also standing bravely in due respect. Once silence has fallen once more, Bra'tac informs Teal'c that he was unable to get hold of any allies except for the Hak'tyl Rebellion through Ka'lel (first appearance - "Birthright"), but even they were not able to send ships to defend the world.

((How Bra'tac contacted the Hak'tyl Rebellion after the destruction of the Stargate and spaceport is not specified, although it is assumed that the Jaffa have other means of communication.))

Teal'c quietly accepts these new facts, before telling Bra'tac that perhaps Zarlic, despite being insane, was right, and that they should have left Chulak whilst they had a chance and before the Tau'ri had to sacrifice themselves to the fight. Bra'tac disagrees with Teal'c, telling his old friend that the Tau'ri joined in the battle not due to an obligation to the Jaffa but out of choice; they believed that the Jaffa were right to defend themselves against this threat. Teal'c reluctantly agrees.

Meanwhile, above Chulak, the two Star Cruisers split and head in two separate directions, splitting the Jaffa and Earth forces. Once apart, the Star Cruisers quickly force downwards, going below the ships and then firing up with their turrets. Several more Al'kesh and Ha'tak are struck, immediately exploding upon doing so. The Star Cruisers then spin around to face each other and begin to travel so that eventually they could collide. As they do so, they fire more turrets, eliminating more and more ships. In the midst of these strikes, plasma blasts strike the hull of the Odyssey, and the already damaged ship takes even more damage, causing it to be helpless.

On the bridge of the Daedalus, Colonel Caldwell is contacted by Lt. Colonel Tessa Day - Captain of the Odyssey - who informs Caldwell that the ship will have to fall back as they have taken too much damage to be any support. Caldwell asks for a favour, requesting that Day use the Asgard Teleport beam to rescue Carter and SG-1, who may be crucial to this battle against the Star Cruisers in the long run, although he tells her to not rescue anyone else (excluding Vala and Kipper'a, who Caldwell believes could also be useful for information) as the Odyssey will not be able to hold them. Day reluctantly agrees to this order, although she makes it clear that she is not happy that other personnel will be dying.

Day moves the Odyssey so that it is flying side by side with the Hammond, which is now incredibly close to the surface. She radios through the comm requesting for Carter to take down the shields, but Carter responds that she cannot. Day tells Carter that letting down the shields will in fact save the lives of multiple crew members, as it is clear that nobody will be surviving the crash. After a moments hesitation, Carter responds through saying that she will deactivate the shields.

On the bridge in the Hammond, Mitchell asks Carter whether she is certain of this decision, telling her that it will be a certainty that they will die as they will not be able to raise the shields in time. Carter responds to this by telling Mitchell that if her life ends in order to save the lives of her people, she will be more than willing to take that. Mitchell tells her that SG-1 agrees whole heartedly and are ready for the sacrifice, although we hear Samuels take a big gulp in the background. Carter then deactivates the shields, wishes Marks luck in the future, and then--

--herself and SG-1 suddenly disappear in a fade of white light! Marks looks around in horror before going to activate the shields, but finds that the system has malfunctioned due to the ship damage... He cannot raise the shields any more, and everyone on the ship is certain to die. He screams in horror as he takes command of the ship and begs the Technicians to get the shields back up, but in shock of what has just happened, they ignore him, simply watching as the ship gets closer to Chulak.

The Hammond makes contact with the surface of Chulak; buildings, mud and dust are immediately thrown upwards in bursts of flames as the ship explodes and showers down metal! We hear the screams of death as Teal'c remains standing by the temple, bowing his head down in sadness as the fact that his friends are dead (or so he believes). He then turns to Bra'tac, telling the Jaffa that now is the time to take their final stand, before heading towards a small hangar in the Jaffa Council Temple in order to take a Ha'tak an join the battle. Bra'tac tells Teal'c to wait; he will join his Jaffa Friend and they will die with honour. They look at the burning embers of wreckage that once was the Hammond for a final time before turning to leave.

Meanwhile, Carter opens her eyes and is shocked to see the bridge of the Odyssey, with Lt. Colonel Day giving her brightest smile as the ship jumps into hyperspace, likely returning to Earth. She looks around and sees SG-1, with Vala and Kipper'a also standing with them. To say they look confused is an understatement, although Carter is incredibly outraged. Storming towards Day, Carter asks her how she could save them when there were so many others deserving of saving. She gives Marks as an example, telling Day that Marks had a daughter, and now the daughter will have to grow up without a father since he is dead because of her decisions.

Mitchell steps in, telling Carter to calm down and consider her actions. Although he believes that Day should have saved others on the ship, it must be accepted that she didn't and they must go onwards in remembrance and respect for those who died. Carter is about to snap at Mitchell but Daniel steps forwards, telling her that Mitchell is right; there is nothing that can be done now. They must simply accept the fact that they have survived and are on the way back to Earth, and pray that Chulak will survive the strike being made against it.

Ends in next post...

[Stargatefan99]

And the final post of "Incendiary, Part 2"...

Spoiler:

So, as the Odyssey - damaged yet somehow alive - travels back to Earth, the Daedalus and Jaffa vessels continue their strikes. We join Heran as his Ha'tak narrowly avoids yet another blast from the Sky Cruiser, before noting to his First Prime that it appears that apart from the Daedalus, Earth appears to be abandoning this battle. Heran suggests that this may be wise; capture will be better than death. The First Prime disagrees, stating that they cannot be allowed to lose freedom. Heran informs his First Prime that he has grown frustrated with these talks of 'freedom' before ordering him to contact the other Jaffa vessels an tell them to retreat to the world. The First Prime does as ordered, speaking through his comm system to his fellow Jaffa.

Meanwhile, Col. Caldwell orders his pilot to wait for the next Sky Cruiser to open fire before spitting down plasma upon them, hoping that the enhanced Asgard rays will break through the weak shields and abolish the ship. The pilot does as ordered, and when the next Sky Cruiser opens fire on an Al'kesh, the Daedalus spins above it and activates all weapons. A beam of death shoots downwards towards the world, hitting the side of the Sky Cruiser and causing it to explode. Caldwell screams in light of this new victory, but this feeling soon fades as he watches Jaffa vessels begin to return to Chulak.

He speaks through his comm, contacting Teal'c and asking him what is happening. Teal'c tells Caldwell that he is currently leaving Chulak's atmosphere in a Ha'tak but that he can see ships retreating. He assumes that Heran has made an uncalled for order of retreat, and that the Jaffa vessels are being cowardly and are escaping from the battle. Caldwell tells Teal'c that perhaps they should follow the other Jaffa vessels' leads and get out of here before the Sky Cruiser lands on Chulak or even possibly destroys it. Teal'c responds to this comment by telling Caldwell that he would never leave his people, and neither would Bra'tac...

However, as this conversation begins to become heated, Caldwell's pilot alerts Caldwell of some incredibly shocking news... The Sky Cruiser has disappeared just like it appeared! Caldwell orders his pilot to scan again for the ship - he cannot believe the news - but his pilot tells him that there is no need as she saw it with her naked eye through the bridge window. The Sky Cruiser is gone! Teal'c hears this, and suspicious yet pleased asks Caldwell how this is possible and why the Sky Cruiser would do this, to which Caldwell replies by saying that until today he did not believe it was possible. There is one frightening fact, though... This confirms the fact that these Star Cruisers do have technology beyond the understanding of anyone on Earth. He then tells Teal'c that he will be landing the Daedalus on Chulak to check out the damage, so the Jaffa should be ready for this. Teal'c tells Caldwell that he will make the preparations, before ending the comm-versation.

Back on Earth, and in the SGC, Mitchell is walking besides General Jack O'Neill, and both men seem alarmed. From their conversation we discover that they have just received the news that the final Sky Cruiser mysteriously disappeared, and they are preparing for their briefing to the Pentagon about this new threat. O'Neill makes a comment to Mitchell about the fact that this new threat will certainly make life at the SGC interesting again, to which Mitchell replies that it's 'about time'. Both men agree with that, although they are uncertain of why the Sky Cruiser left when it did. Mitchell makes the suggestion that perhaps the Cruisers were there to test the defences of the Jaffa and the Tau'ri, and after proving they could be destroyed, it left. O'Neill admits that this is a very real possibility, before telling Mitchell that he's not looking forwards to the paperwork for this mission.

Meanwhile, in the deep dark depths of unknown space, a Sky Cruiser appears out on nowhere. The scars that cover it reveals that it has been through much damage (it is possibly the ship from the battle above Chulak) although it still carries its casual nature. As the ship continues onwards, we pan out to reveal... thousands of Sky Cruisers! They vary in size and nature, but it is clear they are all built for war. And off of this new revelation, we slowly fade out back into the darkness of space once more...

[Stargatefan99]

11x04 - Aqua Telum

Daniel Jackson delves deep into a file detailing an experiment in 1946 whilst Colonel Mitchell and Major Hailey head to Chulak to assist in the world's recovery.

Spoiler:

((60 second recap of "Incendiary, Part 2"))

We open on Daniel Jackson, sitting in front of an old text reading. He's in his office in the SGC, and we can see that the door is shut; he doesn't want visitors and he certainly doesn't want to be disturbed. He turns the page of the book and adjusts his glasses. He's tired and it's getting late, according to the clock on his wall that says it's one in the morning. Standing up, Daniel takes his glasses off and heads for the door, but not before shutting the book. He quickly leaves his office and finds himself in a corridor.

He begins to walk down it when he bumps into General Jack O'Neill, who appears to be in a rush. Confused as to where O'Neill is going, Daniel asks him what's up but O'Neill only answers with a grunt, suggesting that he is not currently happy. Daniel follows O'Neill all the way to the elevator before O'Neill tells him that he's just had a call from the I.O.A... A whole ton of new files believed to be related to the Stargate Project have been sent and O'Neill must read or sign all of them before documenting them. Noticing that his friend is obviously too busy for this, Daniel asks whether the I.O.A. would mind someone else signing a few. O'Neill picks up the hint, telling Daniel that he's sure they wouldn't.

Both men enter the elevator together, and the door for the elevator shuts just as Vala Mal Doran walks past. She is guarded by two Marines, who seem to be always by her side. Vala has learnt to ignore them, although their presence does very clearly annoy her. She continues to walk down the corridors, taking multiple turns, and as she does so, we realize she is in Stargate Command overalls. Eventually, she reaches the Mess Hall, which she enters with speed. The Marines stop and stand by the doorway, respecting her privacy politely.

Sitting on a chair is Kipper'a, also in Stargate Command uniform, and a cast covering his left arm after the injuries he gained in the battle of Erabon ("Embers"). Vala takes a seat opposite of Kipper'a, tucking herself in and then giving Kipper'a her greatest smile. Kipper'a immediately asks Vala whether she's been able to learn the Tau'ri plans for the pair, to which she responds that General O'Neill has been able to avoid having the pair shipped off to Area 51 for a while now, and that a decision must be made about joining Stargate Command or leaving. Kipper'a tells Vala that his situation is difficult, as he cannot leave the SGC and rejoin the Lucian Alliance; they would never join him after his dependence on the Tau'ri as a rescue from death. Vala tells Kipper'a that he is unlikely to have much choice in the matter, as he will no doubt not be allowed a place in the SGC. Vala, on the other hand, might just have a chance...

Meanwhile, in yet another corridor of the SGC, Col. Mitchell and Major Hailey are having a late night run, wearing the Stargate Command green overalls. Mitchell appears to be slightly faster, although Hailey stays close behind. As they run, they enjoy a conversation about how simple life has been in the SGC since the battle of Chulak ("Incendiary, Part 2") - apparently the Pentagon didn't give the team such a bad time over the mission after all. Hailey asks Mitchell whether SG-1 will be heading back to Chulak to assist in the repairs of the world, to which Mitchell declares that it would be unlikely, as SG-1 have been specifically given free time by General O'Neill.

Hailey tells Mitchell that she would like to travel to Chulak and assist any way; the Jaffa people are their friends and they deserve all the help they can get. Mitchell agrees with her but tells her that getting to Chulak really depends on whether there is a ship available or not, as the Stargate on Chulak was destroyed in the first big strike of the Sky Cruisers ("Incendiary, Part 1"). However, he does promise Hailey to check with O'Neill the next day, and also to check with Col. Carter to discover whether she would be interested in joining in the effort, as she is struggling after the deaths of her crew. Hailey gives a thankful nod before the pair continues on their run.

Back in the elevator, we watch as the doors open on the ground level to reveal more Marines wearing totally black uniform and six heavy brown boxes between them that all contain files that need to be signed. The Marines are led by Major John Parks. Parks laughs at O'Neill, telling the General that this is going to take months to sort through, but O'Neill ignores the Major, simply ordering the Marines to carry half of the boxes down to his office and the other half down to Daniel's officer. Parks tells O'Neill that that's cheating, but O'Neill tells the Major that he doesn't care.

Parks quickly takes his leave, returning to his vehicle in the military parking of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, whilst O'Neill leads the Marines and Daniel back into the elevator, as they all struggle to keep a grip on their boxes. The door for the elevator shuts and the group find themselves bunched up in a very tight space. O'Neill makes a sarcastic comment about being comfortable, which causes the Marines to get slightly closer to each other, giving O'Neill more space. As O'Neill frowns, the elevator dings and the door opens to reveal a corridor once more.

Cutting forwards later in time, three Marines are carrying three boxes towards Daniel's office, with Daniel leading them at a casual speed. He opens the door for them and leads them in, before allowing them to drop the boxes on his desk. They ask Daniel whether he requires any more assistance, to which Daniel replies that what he really needs is a good nights' sleep. The Marines quickly leave, so Daniel takes one last look at the boxes before he exits his office, switching off the light as he does so.

The next morning arrives with Mitchell striding happily down a corridor with a mug of coffee in his hands. He climbs up some steps into the briefing room, where he arrives outside of O'Neill's office. Without hesitation, Mitchell knocks twice on the door before hearing the voice of Jack O'Neill telling him to come in. Mitchell enters the room and O'Neill asks the Colonel to take a seat, before enquiring on why Mitchell is here. Mitchell gives O'Neill a short smile before asking whether one of the Earth ships will be heading to Chulak in the coming day. O'Neill pulls out a file and checks some information, before confirming that the Labyrinth (BC-304) will be heading to the world in the next three hours.

Mitchell then pauses for a moment, before asking O'Neill for permission to take Major Hailey and join the trip to the world in order to help recovery efforts. Although O'Neill looks unsure, he gives Mitchell the go ahead, telling him that Teal'c is a close friend and he believes that the Jaffa deserve the help of the people of Earth. Mitchell thanks O'Neill and is about to leave when O'Neill asks Mitchell whether he's considered taking Carter with him. Mitchell says that he asked her but that she turned him down, saying she needs a break. Jack audibly sighs as Mitchell leaves the office.

Back in Daniel's office, Daniel is setting down in front of the three boxes. He checks the box and sees dates on them all, before grabbing a random box and pulling out the first folder. He simply has to read the interior and then sign the cover to prove that he has done so. Opening the file, Daniel adjusts his glasses and checks that his glass of water is full, before he begins to read...

Begin Flashback...

An elderly man stands before a massive crate containing what appears to be the Stargate. It is in the back of another crate attached to a car. The man feels the wood, desperate to touch the 'gate and explore the secrets within. Turning to face the road that leads away from the crate room, the elderly man sees a woman standing behind him. The woman approaches the elderly man, who is revealed to be called Jason, who tells him that he must leave the lorry now, as the Stargate is soon to be relocated. The elderly man begs to have another try and getting the Stargate to work, but the woman says it is too dangerous; they lost a man to it only weeks ago ("The Torment of Tantalus") and the project must now be considered dead. The man sighs before climbing out and giving the crate one last look, before yet another worker shuts the back of the crate, hiding the 'gate away from Jason for the rest of his life.

...End Flashback

Daniel shuts the file, having reached the end, before he signs the front in black pen. He makes a comment about the uselessness of reading such a file - it contains nothing of importance for the Stargate Program, before throwing it aside and picking up yet another file. Today is going to be a very long day. Daniel takes yet another gulp of his drink before settling down to read again.

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Labyrinth, Colonel Benjamin Franks watches as the Asgard Beaming technology causes Mitchell and Hailey to arrive in a flash of white. As the white energy fades, we see that the pair are wearing simple black overalls with the Labyrinth logo on their arms. Franks makes a comment to Mitchell that it suits him, to which Mitchell shakes Franks' hand. A small dose of conversation informs us that Franks and Mitchell have served together before and that they get on quite well.

Franks tells Mitchell and Hailey that they will be setting off to Chulak immediately, and that there are quarters that have been assigned to the pair. Hailey thanks Franks for the hospitality before they are led out of the Bridge by a Captain, who is telling the pair the room numbers for their quarters. Now on his own, Franks turns to his crew and tells them to get the Labyrinth to Chulak pronto; they have a job to do.

Back in the SGC, O'Neill is sitting in his office reading a file from one of the many he has to read that day when there is a knock on his door. He says that the knocker can come in, and so the door swings open to reveal Dr Samuels standing behind it. Samuels hovers by the door and looks clearly very nervous, so O'Neill asks the Doctor what's wrong. The Doctor hesitates for a moment, before telling O'Neill that he would like to be moved to Area 51.

O'Neill isn't at all surprised, telling Samuels he isn't surprised that the doctor struggled in the team, and that it has become evident that perhaps he wasn't ready for the action packed life style that comes with being in SG-1. Samuels responds by telling O'Neill that when he saw the bodies of the dead villagers in Erabon ("Embers") it forced him to recognise that he couldn't simply stay in the team and wait for his impending death. O'Neill notes to Samuels that he understands his decision, and that he will contact the Pentagon and Homeworld Security to discuss his relocation. Samuels thanks O'Neill, before turning and leaving the Office.

"Aqua Telum" continues in the next post...

[Stargatefan99]

Second post of "Aqua Telum"...

Spoiler:

As this occurs, we pan to Daniel as he opens yet another file, even more tired than he was before. Again, he begins to read...

Begin Flashback...

Jason stands before a new crate that is sitting in a small storage room. It is significantly smaller in height and thinner than the Stargate, although it is clear that the contents is sturdy. He stands next to the women we saw earlier, now revealed to be Jessica, who asks Jason whether he believes it is wise to experiment on yet another device. Jason tells Jessica that they have no choice; Dr Langford has requested the box be delivered to him in the next hour, so that studies can begin.

An hour later, with the crate sitting in a room for experimentation, Jason stands looking at it through glass as Catherine Langford ("Stargate: The Movie") stands besides him. She seems quiet and clearly quite disturbed by the idea of experimenting on technology yet again, so Jason asks Catherine whether she is okay. Catherine responds by telling the elderly gentleman that the government have gone too far; they should not be experimenting again so soon after Ernest's 'death' (she is many years away from discovering that he is on another world). She tells Jason that discovering a weapon will only end in more casualties. Jason disagrees, before turning to leave the room.

...End Flashback

Daniel sits in front of the file, shocked by the inclusion of Catherine Langford in this latest update - revealed by Daniel's mutterings to have been written by Jason - and the mention of Dr Langford experimenting on more alien technology; he believed that this ended when Ernest was sent through the Stargate and didn't return.

A knock at his door reveals Jack O'Neill, who is quick to rush into the office and ask Daniel how he's doing. Daniel tells Jack that in all honesty, he's shocked by this current file, as it reveals information that he's never even believed could ever exist before this day... He then tells Jack that he believes that the current file he is reading could reveal even more technology to the SGC that they previously had no knowledge about. Jack is clearly surprised by this.

Meanwhile, on the Labyrinth, Hailey is sitting in her quarters throwing a ball against a wall when the intercom in her room goes off, telling her to head to the Bridge immediately; the Labyrinth is about to jump out of hyperspace. Hailey drops the ball and allows it to roll under her bed before she runs and exits the room in time to nearly bump heads with Mitchell, who has also left his quarters.

Only half an hour later, Mitchell and Hailey are standing on the bridge of the Labyrinth wearing full SG-1 uniform, holding FN-P90s in their hands. Franks informs Mitchell that the Labyrinth will be delivering supplies to the surface of the world for the next ten hours, so that is how long Mitchell and Hailey have to catch up with Teal'c and help with the recovery of the world.

Mitchell again thanks Franks for the favour, before Franks orders a technician to beam the pair down to the surface. Mitchell and Hailey are again surrounded in white light before they disappear in a flash. When they reappear, they find themselves in the city of Chulak, in devastation. It is day time, and the ruins of the world are as clear as they will ever be. Mitchell and Hailey look around for a few minutes before they are confronted by three Jaffa Guards. The Guards ask the pair whether they are here to visit Bra'tac and Teal'c, to which the pair reply with a yes. Suddenly, the guards raise up their staff weapons and fire at the pair, forcing the pair to drop to the ground and roll behind ruins to use as cover.

The pair open fire with their FN-P90s, totally obliterating the three Jaffa Guards in moments, but the confusion of the two SG-1 members does not fade away. Hailey asks Mitchell why the Jaffa would willingly open fire on them, to which Mitchell responds that there must be some sort of resistance forming to Bra'tac's rule. Obviously, not all of the Jaffa are very happy to still have him in command of the capital of the Free Jaffa Nation.

Back on Earth, Daniel continues to read the file, and from the expression on his face, it is clear that the new revelations are becoming more and more surprising...

Begin Flashback...

Jason stands in a room, with the glass window who was looking through sitting on the wall behind him. It is not exactly clear what he is looking at until we pan around to reveal that the crate has been opened. Inside sits what is very clearly a Trident! Standing next to Jason is Catherine and Dr Langford - her father. Dr Langford comments on the writing going all the way up the Trident, which Jason takes pictures of with a camera. He says that he cannot read it well but that it appears to be based on very basic Latin. According to the text, this Trident can form water from nothing.

Dr Langford instructs Jason to attempt to figure out how to use the Trident - he will given Jason anything he needs to do so, but he must figure out how to work it as Dr Langford has been ordered by the government to make the Trident form water. As Dr Langford leaves the room, Jason tells Catherine that her father has given him an almost impossible task, as it is clear to him that discovering the workings of this Trident will involve learning this strange language. Catherine then reluctantly agrees to help her friend.

...End Flashback

Daniel is looking at the photos that Jason took, and his face shows an ever increasing interest. As he puts the photo under a light, it becomes clear that the text - the markings - on the Trident are in the language of the Ancients!

On Chulak, Mitchell and Hailey cautiously make their way towards the Jaffa Council Temple, with their weapons always raised as they are ready for yet another attack. They eventually reach a clearing that once travelled past will lead directly to the steps that spiral all the way into the temple, but the clearing is surrounded by about twenty Jaffa Guards, clearly scarred by a recent battle. The Jaffa Guards have collected what appears to be Council officials, although Teal'c and Bra'tac are not among them. Suddenly, the Jaffa Guards turn on the Officials and shoot them all down. Mitchell and Hailey stare on in shock, unsure of what they can do.

Whispering to each other, Hailey tells Mitchell that she suspects there has been a coup with the Free Jaffa Nation and that Bra'tac has been relieved from power. The chances are that Teal'c and Bra'tac are already dead. Mitchell reluctantly agrees, as it is clear he is in despair at the idea that his friend is gone, but he accepts that there is nothing they can do here accept get shot at and eventually killed. Speaking through his radio, Mitchell requests for Franks to have him beamed back to the Labyrinth. In response to this, the pair immediately vanishes in a flash of white.

Back on the bridge of the Labyrinth, Franks informs Mitchell that the F-302s that were delivering supplies to the surface were attacked by Free Jaffa Guards, so he has decided to retreat back to Earth before a bigger attack happens. Hailey informs Franks that they have reason to believe that a coup has occurred on Chulak, and that Bra'tac is no longer in command of the Free Jaffa Nation. Off this worrying information, Franks calls for his pilot to jump the ship into hyperspace.

Begin Flashback...

Jason and a group of Scientists stand in the room with the Trident, as Catherine looks through at them from the other side of the glass window. The Scientists, including Jason, are all wearing hazmat suits; it is clear that the Trident has been experimented on by the Scientists as new cable spews from the Trident and parts of the Trident appear to have been removed. Jason steps forwards and places his hand on the Trident - this is his first test and he is desperate for it to be successful. Suddenly, the trident comes to life, and it begins to glow blue from its head.

Catherine continues to watch on from the glass window, and it is clear from her expression that he is impressed, until... They begin to drown! No water is released from the Trident - instead the water is flowing from the mouths of all of the Scientists, including Jason. The water continues to flow as the Scientists drop to their knees and as their hazmat masks fill up with water. Jason gives one last desperate look at Catherine before he dies, along with the rest of the Scientists.

...End Flashback

As Daniel looks at the file with an expression of sadness radiating off of his features, it becomes clear that this file was written by a different person to Jason. At the end of the file, the report is signed by Catherine Langford herself. Closing the file, Daniel quickly picks up his pen and signs it, before passing it away onto another pile. At that moment, O'Neill walks into the room. Before Jack can ask, Daniel tells his old friend that the Trident killed them all. Jack asks Daniel whether Catherine would 'turn in her grave' if they went searching for the Trident, to which Daniel responds by saying she would. The pair then both agree to never read up on the Trident again...

[Stargatefan99]

Hi, if anyone's read my stories, it would be awesome if you could leave a review so that I could find out whether you are enjoying the episodes or not. Come on, no need to be shy...

[Stargatefan99]

Hi, I realize I haven't really told any specific exploration focused episodes, and I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that "11x05 - Probe" is. However, the story arc I am currently exploring will be reaching a hiatus in the series after this episode for a while so that exploration stories can occur, so please stick with the show. "Probe" is very much designed to close a few necessary story arcs but also open new ones for the future. On the other hand, I do have new story concepts to focus on, some even related to "Aqua Telum", which in my opinion is the best story yet.

If you have any opinions on my show or have any ideas for the season, feel free to post them, as I want to create the most all-round fun and exciting series possible. Even if we're not using the Stargate much yet, I still hope you are enjoying the stories I am telling.

"Probe" will hopefully be up later tonight.

[Stargatefan99]

11x05 - Probe

Vala Mal Doran must go head to head with Richard Woolsey to prove she deserves a place in SG-1, whilst the team faces conflict with the Free Jaffa Nation...

Spoiler:

Vala Mal Doran sits in a quiet room, with a desk sitting in front of her and a small lamp shining at her. She wears the green SGC overalls and an expression of happiness on her features. Tucking herself in - she's sitting on a cold metal chair - Vala asks the unseen figure sitting in the room with her whether they are willing to start the Interview; it's a bit chilly in here and she fancies one hell of a warm bath. The figure remains silent for a minute, before responding in a male voice that this is less of an interview and more of a 'probe'. The I.O.A. are going to leach all information from her regarding the state of the Lucian Alliance before they are willing to decide whether access into the SGC once more would be acceptable.

Panning out, it is revealed that the man Vala is talking to is none other than Richard Woolsey, still representing the I.O.A - even after his stint in Atlantis. It is clear from his expression that he doesn't want to be here, but he still carries a cold demeanour of no attachment, despite having met Vala numerous times. It is at this point that it becomes clear that Vala was wrong about how easy it will be to join the SGC ("Aqua Telum"), and that she may need to come up with a new plan. Vala gulps loudly, before telling Woolsey that she'd certainly be happy to answer any questions he asks.

Meanwhile, in General Jack O'Neill's office, O'Neill stands before Dr Samuels, who is carrying a case in his right hand and is wearing civilian clothes; he's leaving SG-1. Jack thanks Samuels for his stint in SG-1, telling the Doctor that it is always good to have a man he can trust inside Area 51 with all of the new technology they are developing, to which Samuels responds that he hopes he can maintain that trust in the future. Both men shake hands before Samuels turns to leave.

As he walks out of the office, Samuels almost bumps into Major Hailey, who is standing in the briefing room waiting for their next meeting. Hailey stops Samuels as he is walking away, asking him why he is giving up on SG-1 so soon. Samuels responds by telling her that it is none of her business. After all, every one is different and finds different tasks easier than others. Samuels would prefer to be in a lab than on a team. Hailey soon lightens up, giving Samuels a hug and wishing him luck in the future. SG-1 is about to go through a very dark patch and it is a shame that Samuels will not be supporting them through it.

Samuels leaves the control room, possibly for the last time, leaving Hailey on her own. Now she's the only new team member, and we see how lonely and inexperienced she is feeling. A small tear drips from one of her eyes onto her cheek but she gains control and wipes it away, refusing to be defeated. The rest of SG-1 will be here soon, and Hailey is not willing to show weakness.

Back in the interrogation room, Woolsey has handed a file over to Vala and has asked her to read it. Vala does as commanded and reads out the number '21'. Confused, she asks how this number is at all relevant to the investigation into the Lucian Alliance. Woolsey pauses before responding that this is the number of worlds that have become addicted to the drug known as Kassa in the last two years, distributed by the Lucian Alliance. He asks Vala to explain her part in this.

Sighing, Vala explains that she had no part in the dealing of Kassa; in fact, she was never in the Alliance. Instead she provided them weapons from the old abandoned Alpha Site ("Embers") in order to get the money and food she needed to live. Woolsey tells Vala that weapons belonging to Earth were reported to have been used on a number of these '21' worlds to control the population, meaning that Vala did have an input in the Kassa dealings. Vala has no way to respond to this, causing Woolsey to sigh himself and take the file off of her.

In the Briefing Room, Hailey is no longer on her own. She sits on a chair focused around the massive centre table, with O'Neill sitting at the head and Col. Mitchell, Daniel and Carter (invited by Jack to join in the meeting) sitting in their own 'zones'. Sergeant Harriman - Walter - stumbles into the room holding a pile of files, which he quickly dumps onto the table. The group thanks him as he strides out, back to his job in the 'gate room, and as Mitchell hands the files out to everyone.

A conversation begins in which Jack asks how everybody is doing since the battle of Chulak ("Incendiary, Part 2") as the team have not been together with enough time to talk about it yet. Carter is the first to respond, saying that she is angry that the crew of the Odyssey have not been put on trial for the murders of the crew on her ship, but O'Neill tells her to calm down, as they made a decision which did save valuable lives, whether she likes it or not. Daniel pitches in that he feels like Day - the captain of the Odyssey - should at least be spoken to about the events that occurred. Jack tells the team to drop the subject, before going on to mention Teal'c and his supposed passing ("Aqua Telum"). The team unanimously, excluding Hailey, agree that he must still be alive and that Free Jaffa cannot have killed him, but Hailey tells the team that they are in denial. The Free Jaffa Nation have killed an old member of the team and they should be punished greatly for it.

Jack tells Hailey that he will not give up on Teal'c until he sees a body, as he knows that Teal'c would not go down without a big fight, and a big fight would have left the dead bodies of an army. Hailey refuses to respond to this, believing it to be petty, before bringing up the subject of a new team member to replace Dr Samuels. Jack tells SG-1 that if all goes to plan and Vala passes Woolsey's examination, she'll be offered a place. Otherwise, Jack has spoken to the Pentagon and has been given permission to offer Carter a place on the team. Carter is slightly taken back by this, but she only responds with enthusiasm, claiming she would love to join the team again.

Back in the interrogation room, Woolsey has pulled out three pictures secretly taken by SG teams of Vala negotiating with three different high up leaders of the Lucian Alliance, including photos of Kipper'a - who has recently left Earth - and the new leader of the Lucian Alliance, Havocis Crane. Woolsey points his finger at the picture of Kipper'a and asks Vala to tell him more about the Lucian Second, but Vala tells him it is pointless, as it is very likely that Kipper'a will have been executed for involvement with Earth, but Woolsey tells her that he does not care; she simply needs to answer the question.

Vala tells Woolsey that Kipper'a was born as a very poor child on an unknown world, and that his father - once a farmer - began to become impatient of the poor treatment and led a revolution against the King. His father was made successful and Kipper'a was made Prince to the throne. Desperate to prove himself intelligent and worthy, Kipper'a joined the ranks of the Lucian Alliance and with elegance worked his way up, eventually returning to the planet to destroy the village he had grown up in and build Erabon. Woolsey asks Vala how she would know this, to which she responds that she's had, quite awkwardly, 'relative intimacy' with him. Again, Woolsey sighs.

Back in the briefing room, Jack tells SG-1 of their coming mission, explaining that the team will travel to a small Jaffa world on the fringes of the Free Jaffa Nation - P2C-122 - and investigate into whether they know the whereabouts of Teal'c or Bra'tac, or to discover whether the locals have any information on the coup that has very clearly occurred. O'Neill tells them to gear up and be at the 'gate by the end of the next hour, and the team says their thanks and gets up to leave. Just as Carter goes to exit, Jack stops her, telling her that she is more than welcome to go with the team even if the formal paperwork has not been sent through.

However, from the look on her face, O'Neill picks up that Carter is not so happy about joining SG-1 again. Carter also notices that Jack is searching through her emotions, so she simply tells him that although she did not want to say it in front of the team, she does not feel ready to join SG-1 yet, as she has recently lost her whole world and is not willing to lose it again. Jack tells her that he understands, before asking her what she would like to do. Carter requests being made head of the Science Department at the SGC for a short while before the need for her to join SG-1 again rises. Jack says he'll pull what strings he needs to, so she gives him a hug before she turns and leaves.

In the interrogation room, Woolsey points his finger at a picture of Havocis Crane, asking Vala whether she has been intimate with him as well. Vala suddenly looks awkward so Woolsey assumes she has been, asking her to tell him all she knows about Crane. As she speaks, he writes notes. Vala tells Woolsey that Crane is the most vile human in the Galaxy, and one of the only men who was not possessed by a symbiote and yet worship the Goa'uld with full knowledge that they were not gods.

When the Goa'uld began to fall, Crane sided with the Trust as an off-world source, providing them with information on potential weapons and technology that could be used in the fight against Earth. However, he soon began to see the Trust as weak, and became interested in the Lucian Alliance. He joined them at the bottom rank and began to climb his way up the system, reaching the very top when he finally executed the ex-Lucian Alliance leader, Kefflin. Vala tells Woolsey that there is nothing she would like to see more than the head of Crane on a spike.

"Probe" continues in the next post...

[Stargatefan99]

The final post of "Probe"...

Spoiler:

Woolsey tells Vala that making aggressive claims against her former allies will not convince him that she is safe to have in the SGC, so Vala tells Woolsey that she does not consider herself an ally of the Lucian Alliance. She was forced into a relationship with them when SG-1 folded for a short time and there was no place in the SGC for her any more. Vala tells Woolsey that he should be begging for Vala to rejoin the SGC, as it was the SGC that let her down, not the other way round. Woolsey is silent at this, so Vala gives him a small grin, asking the little man whether he has any other questions.

Meanwhile, in the 'gate room, SG-1 stands fully geared in their black combat uniform. They all carry FN-P90s, and Mitchell and Hailey wear hats on their heads. Daniel, on the other hand, wears a pair of cool Top Gun sunglasses. Watching from the control room above, O'Neill orders Walter to dial the Stargate and Walter does as asked. The giant ring spins into life, before kawooshing and leaving a puddle of blue behind it.

Mitchell turns to Hailey and Daniel, telling them that it's been quite a few missions since they last stepped through the Stargate, before they all march forwards triumphantly, entering the puddle and disappearing as they go beyond the event-horizon. It's a beautiful sight, and one we've missed for so long (it's almost like the true confirmation that Stargate SG-1 has come back on the air after so many years away). Suddenly, the puddle disappears, leaving a brick wall and cables behind. O'Neill comments to Walter that he'd like to go back through the 'gate someday, to which Walter replies that SG-1 is almost reaching their official seven hundredth trip through the Stargate; perhaps that will be a big enough event to do so. Jack gives Walter a look of both confusion and interest.

The usual spiralling blue effect of the interior of the Stargate wormhole is shown, before we arrive on a world coated in snow. Massive thin trees shoot upwards into the sky, dripping snow down onto the covered floor. A DHD device sits coated in melting slush, and footpaths leading from the Stargate suggests that people use the 'gate on P2C-122 more often than expected. The blue puddle of the Stargate can still be seen as SG-1 steps through, holding their guns tightly to them. As the horizon vanishes, Mitchell notes that this world is colder than they expected.

The team then treks off at a decent pace, with Mitchell leading the way and Hailey and Daniel having a conversation at the back about what they think they will find here. Daniel tells Hailey that he hopes to find peaceful and co-operative allies, but Hailey is uncertain, believing that the arms of the Free Jaffa Nation could theoretically have stretched out to a world this far away. Mitchell pitches in, saying he is not so sure. He's visited this world twice in the last three years and the locals have been nothing but friendly.

Eventually the team reaches a small town, made out of old brick and also coated in snow. Homes and inns sit behind the big gate that acts as an entrance, and smoke from mini-fires in homes lurch out of their respective chimneys. Mitchell reaches the gate and presses his hand on the metal, trying to push it. He comments that this gate is normally unlocked, and that it is unusual to find it locked - like it is in this present moment. Daniel asks Mitchell whether he's supposed to turn a handle or anything but Mitchell is certain that he is doing everything right.

Suddenly, there is a scream from inside the town as a Female Jaffa emerges from her home and points her finger accusingly at SG-1. She declares that these are people from the world that supported the rule of Bra'tac, which led to the near fall of Chulak at the hands of the Sky Cruisers ("Embers" and "Incendiary"). As a result, these Tau'ri must be evil. Mitchell notes that he's not seen this reaction from the Jaffa before, but he tells his team to lower their weapons and try and encourage peaceful relations between the group; hopefully a fight will not break out.

Two Jaffa Guards approach the gate and stick a golden key into a hole, twisting it. The gate opens and Daniel thanks the men, but his words are too soon... The Guards lift up their Staff weapons and point it at SG-1, ready to follow orders. Hailey tells the Guards to lower the weapons if they want to avoid a fire fight, but Mitchell tells her to calm down, as they can make the situation even worse. The Female Jaffa, now clearly the leader of the town, steps forwards as tourists from other worlds leave the inns they are staying in to watch the events that are unfolding.

Approaching SG-1, the Female Jaffa announces herself as Sara'phin, sister of Admiral Heran - now leader of the Jaffa. SG-1 is shocked by the news of Heran's takeover but are quickly silent when Sara'phin orders them to halt their words or taste their own blood after being shot by her Guards. Mitchell tells Sara'phin that there has been a misunderstanding, and that many Tau'ri also lost their lives in the battle of Chulak, including the entire crew of the Odyssey. Sara'phin does not care, telling the team that they must still face the consequences of their actions in their decision to join the battle.

The Guards aim their weapons at Mitchell and Sara'phin orders them to fire... Two blasts of red are launched from the staff towards the SG-1 team leader, but Mitchell is able to duck in time to avoid being hit. Instead the blasts hit a patch of snow, causing it to melt and shoot up steam. Mitchell instinctively aims his FN-P90 upwards, blasting one of the Jaffa Guards to smithereens. Hailey and Daniel follow Mitchell's lead, killing the other guard.

When they look up, they see Sara'phin running to take cover behind a nearby inn, as well as some of the tourists taking aim with guns, as they assume SG-1 to be a threat. Realizing that there is no way out of this scenario without a fire fight, they launch behind a mount of mud - covered by snow - and duck to the ground so that their guns peak over the top. The tourists begin to fire but the blasts cannot find their targets, so they retreat to get help.

Daniel tells Mitchell and Hailey that now would be the best time to retreat and Hailey agrees, but Mitchell is unsure, believing that SG-1 can still get through the the villagers and convince them that Heran and the rest of the Free Jaffa Nation have deceived them. As this conversation occurs, Sara'phin arranges a group of her ten best Jaffa Guards and leads them to battle, with herself and her troops carrying heavy and brutal staff weapons that have been adjusted to shoot extra blasts by having an extra 'barrel' (these will be known as dual-staffs).

The Guards open fire on SG-1, so Hailey fires back with her P90, striking one in the chest and throwing him backwards into the dirt. Mitchell calmly tells Hailey to stop, saying that they must talk to the Sara'phin before any more killings occur. Mitchell shouts over the mound at Sara'phin, telling her that this conflict is meaningless and that they could simply sit down and discuss all that has occurred. Sara'phin responds by telling Mitchell that SG-1 shall die for their foolishness.

Mitchell turns to Daniel and tells his friend that he warned them, before he takes a grenade from his combat vest and launches it! The globe lands at the feet of the guards, exploding and throwing them backwards in all directions; Sara'phin is thrown into the side of a building. Jumping to their feet, SG-1 begin to fire their FN-P90s into the town as cover, as they wonder back further and further into the forest that will hopefully lead to the Stargate.

Moments later, they are sprinting as fast as they can, with Mitchell and Hailey taking the lead and Daniel following close behind, firing his gun at approaching guards as he does so. Reaching the Stargate, Mitchell and Hailey take positions of cover and fire at the guards as Daniel throws himself onto the DHD and dials the address for Earth. The chevrons feel like they take forever to lock as the guards approach at an ever increasing pace, but Mitchell and Hailey fight with persistence.

Eventually the Stargate activates, kawooshing out energy that illuminates the snow blue, before revealing its usual puddle. Without hesitating, Mitchell sends in the I.D.C. with one hand whilst struggling to fire his gun with the other. The moment it is sent through, Daniel lunges forwards and 'drowns' into the gate. Mitchell and Hailey follow closely behind, with guards trailing nearby. Just as the guards reach the Stargate, the 'gate deactivates, stopping them from making it through.

Several hours later (and after the debriefing), SG-1 sits in the mess hall eating sandwiches which are clearly very unpleasant - Carter also sits with them. Mitchell asks everyone how they are recovering from the battle on P2C-122, and whether they think that they will ever be able to return to that world. Hailey jokingly tells Mitchell that she has a date with Sara'phin in the next hour so she'd hope so, causing Daniel to laugh. However, Carter is deadly serious. She looks at the team and asks them what there is to laugh about; this mission has proved that the Free Jaffa Nation has been quickly taken over by an old ally and that Earth no longer has a relationship with the Jaffa. If the Sky Cruisers were to ever return, Carter is certain that Earth would have to face them on their own. SG-1 is clearly disturbed by this.

Meanwhile, Jack O'Neill is sitting in his office signing yet another file - he has still not finished reading and signing off the files sent to him by the Pentagon ("Aqua Telum"). He looks up when there is a knock at his door, so he tells the visitor to come in. The door opens to reveal a slightly frustrated looking Richard Woolsey. Jack is immediately attentive as he asks Woolsey whether Vala passed the test. Smiling, Woolsey says she did. He assumes that she will be joining SG-1, and he hopes she doesn't make a mess of it. Jack asks Woolsey how Vala even passed the test, to which Woolsey replies that Vala can be very 'persuasive'...