9 Chapter 9 Egeria, Thor

Samantha Carter was a prisoner in her own body, watching as the Goa'uld that had taken over her body was taken to the infirmary, examined, and then captured and caged. In another situation, she would be terrified by what had happened, but at this moment, the Stargate Command had allies who could easily extract a symbiote. She had seen 00 put his hand into Skaara's head and then remove his symbiote Klorel without harming the boy who called Colonel O'Neill "father."

In the worst case, the Stargate Command had two sarcophagi. It was chilling to think they might open her head, kill her, extract the symbiote, and then place her in the sarcophagus, but it was better than spending her life as a host to a Goa'uld symbiote.

"Wait, I'm not a Goa'uld; we can negotiate my release," said an alarmed voice in her mind. Samantha Carter somehow felt an undeniable sense of truth in that voice.

"You're not a Goa'uld?" Samantha asked, not understanding.

"I am a symbiote, but I am not a Goa'uld. My name is Jolinar, and I am from the Tok'ra," the symbiote told Sam a long story and released her body for Samantha to handle negotiations.

"I want to talk to General Hammond," Samantha Carter told the guard watching her.

…

General Hammond didn't come, but members of his team did.

"Speak, snake. But I warn you, you have nothing to negotiate with; our allies will be here soon, and as they told us last time, your fate is a stasis pod after they lobotomize your brain to rid you of that silly belief that you're a god," Colonel O'Neill said. His tone was playful but filled with threats, and it even seemed intimidating to the frightened symbiote.

"Sir, it's me. The symbiote says it's not a Goa'uld and belongs to a resistance group called the Tok'ra. She's willing to negotiate her release," explained Samantha Carter. Now that Sam had heard they wouldn't crack her skull open to remove the symbiote, she was more at ease, but she felt some pity for the frightened symbiote and thought she might be telling the truth. Colonel O'Neill looked at Teal'c.

"I've heard of them before. They're a legendary race among the Goa'uld, but the System Lords know little about them. I also have no method to determine the truthfulness of the information provided by this symbiote. Goa'uld often say anything to escape danger," Teal'c added.

Colonel O'Neill squinted at her, seemingly trying to peer into her brain, which made Samantha smile. He would never change. Colonel O'Neill nodded.

"Carter, we need to talk about this; we'll be back later," said Colonel O'Neill.

…

Twenty minutes later, Captain Samantha Carter was sitting in an interrogation room, with Maybourne in front of her, looking unfriendly, and Colonel O'Neill staring at him threateningly from behind his seat, backed by the rest of his team, to open the box he had in front of him.

By Maybourne's attitude, Samantha understood that this box contained advanced technology entrusted to the NID, and with it, intelligence agencies had discovered a significant number of spies and traitors in her country.

"Maybourne, don't be petty. I assure you we won't say anything about what we see here; it will be absolute secrecy. As for the snake, it's likely to have something similar to this in its hands," reassured General O'Neill. Maybourne gritted his teeth but reluctantly opened the box.

Inside the box was a rectangular artifact about forty by thirty centimeters and ten centimeters thick, with a red gem in the center. The only thing Samantha recognized were the two small circular sensors, the same ones used by the computer that 03 had given her to link with her mind.

Maybourne took the two small sensor disks from the side and stuck one to his temple, passing the other to her. As she put it on, Samantha felt as if someone suddenly screamed terribly in her ear and clenched her teeth in shock and pain. This was not the same effect as the sensor on her computer. She looked at Colonel Maybourne, who had not reacted.

"Over time, the effect is not as dramatic," he explained. "Now answer my questions honestly, and don't try to hide anything. This artifact goes straight to your subconscious; there's no point in trying to lie," Maybourne warned, and Samantha nodded. "Are you Captain Samantha Carter?" Maybourne asked.

"Yes," Samantha replied.

"Are you being controlled by a Goa'uld or Tok'ra symbiote?" he asked.

"At the moment, no," Samantha replied.

"Can we talk to the symbiote?" Maybourne asked, and Samantha allowed the symbiote, who was watching the interrogation with disbelief, to take over.

"Are you the symbiote?" Maybourne asked.

"Yes," Jolinar replied.

Colonel Maybourne continued asking questions, and Jolinar answered most of them, telling them how she fell into an ambush and was pursued by assassins sent by the System Lord Cronos, whose goal was to eliminate all Tok'ra. She would never take a host by force, but she had vital information to deliver to the Tok'ra and couldn't die.

"At first, we were talking to Captain Carter, and the symbiote is also telling the truth," Maybourne said grumpily, picking up the two small disks and stowing the lie detector artifact with a look of loss.

"Where did you get an artifact like this? Is there any chance of sharing your technology?" Jolinar asked with interest, making Maybourne's expression change from sad to furious as he gritted his teeth and walked away angrily.

"Well, at least we know the truth, that's the most important thing," Colonel O'Neill said as Maybourne slammed the door.

"He'll get over it when we get some other alien technology," Colonel O'Neill said. Daniel wore an expression that suggested he didn't believe that would happen, and Teal'c remained calmly expressionless.

"Well, we want to talk to Carter. Anything you want to say, you can tell us through her," Colonel O'Neill told Jolinar.

Half an hour later, Captain Carter had been taken to a room. She wasn't restrained, but she wasn't free to move without supervision either, with two soldiers guarding her door at all times. Jolinar had given them an address where they could contact the Tok'ra and negotiate her release.

Captain Carter heard a noise outside and rushed to open the door. She found one of the soldiers knocked out next to an unknown man, and Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c holding zat guns on the other side of her door. They had hidden in the room when Jolinar told them the type of assassin pursuing her.

"I think Maybourne will be happy if we hand over this camouflage device," Colonel O'Neill said, holding the artifact that the assassin Ashrak used to hide.

"Jolinar says that technology only works on those who are symbiote carriers," Samantha told them. Colonel O'Neill grimaced.

"Well, Maybourne doesn't need to know that part," Colonel O'Neill said, looking at the infiltrated Goa'uld. "I don't think this one will object to having the symbiote extracted," Colonel O'Neill said. Samantha nodded.

Two hours later, the Tok'ra envoys arrived, just after 03 had left, having extracted the symbiote from the Goa'uld assassin. The Tok'ra envoys consisted of a blond man in his twenties, an older man, and a blond woman with shoulder-length hair. The Tok'ra wore tight-fitting, seemingly padded clothing in a sandy white color.

"As Jolinar has told you, we prefer to work alone, but we are willing to offer an alliance in our fight against the Goa'uld in exchange for the technology used by the artifact you call a lie detector," said the Tok'ra leader, a middle-aged woman wearing a scarlet black dress, long and tight-fitting, adorned at the collar.

They were in General Hammond's meeting room, with him presiding over the negotiations, his team overseeing everything, Maybourne keeping an eye on his new enemies, and Daniel playing the role of negotiator.

Samantha, being the affected party, had a meeting with the Tok'ra so they could communicate with Jolinar. The first thing Jolinar did was warn them about the presence of a traitor, and then, much to Samantha's dismay, she told them about the lie detector artifact. Since it was already done, Samantha could only sigh and await the imminent shock Maybourne would experience when he found out.

Now, just minutes later, the Tok'ra had dropped the bomb in their first intervention in the negotiation. Maybourne's reaction was immediate; his face started turning purple, and he seemed to be considering pulling out his weapon to silence the Tok'ra.

"Maybourne, calm down," Colonel O'Neill said with a serious tone, raising an eyebrow as a sign of both questioning and reprimand for the leak.

"I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't do anything," Samantha apologized.

Daniel intervened hastily because Maybourne was already preparing to stand up.

"Please, let's keep calm. I think this is just a misunderstanding…" Daniel explained to the Tok'ra, that this information was a secret, explaining what an intelligence agency was and the importance they attached to information considered confidential or ultra-secret.

"We do not possess such things. The relationships among our members are based on mutual trust, and we do not use items like lie detectors to isolate ourselves from each other," replied the Tok'ra leader.

Samantha had to confess that she didn't like intelligence agencies, but she was stunned by such a response, which she considered at the level of a five-year-old. Maybourne blinked in a dazed state, and then made the intention to leave.

"Maybourne, don't be dramatic. Sit down; it's not the end of the world," Colonel O'Neill said.

"Colonel O'Neill, let's keep things calm. Colonel Maybourne, please sit, and let our diplomatic representative do his job," General Hammond said diplomatically, looking at Daniel, who responded with a bewildered blink. Even he, who took little time to trust people, was stunned by the Tok'ra's statement.

"Well… It's better not to argue about this point for now. Let's focus on the negotiations.

"With what I've explained before, I believe I've made clear what an intelligence agency is and the importance this artifact holds for them. If you want to negotiate for it, you'll have to offer something of equal value," said Daniel, avoiding any discussion and his opinion on trust between the Tok'ra.

The Tok'ra leader pondered for a few seconds and exchanged glances with her companions.

"According to what they mention, information is important for this… Intelligence agency. The Tok'ra have been infiltrating among the Goa'uld for hundreds of years; we have information about their resources, troops, ships, strategic sites, planets they use for ship construction, and more. However, this information cannot be shared randomly, as the lives of many of ours depend on it," explained the Tok'ra leader.

Maybourne nodded, loosening his clenched teeth, so Samantha understood that he had already seen something valuable in the Tok'ra. Daniel also noticed it and gave Maybourne the floor with a nod of his head.

"I understand the value of this information, and I understand that you only intend to put it on the table if both parties benefit from it. However, I hope you understand that we cannot surrender strategic technology under those conditions. So, I propose a deal in which both sides benefit from this particular exchange. We give you the artifact, and you make some copies for us," Maybourne offered. The Tok'ra leader hesitated a bit. "If this proves productive for us, we have some other technologies that our allies provided us with and that could be useful to you," Maybourne said, reaching for his forearm…

Samantha was stunned. Maybourne now looked exactly like the Tok'ra leader.

"Sir, this is all; we must talk seriously with our allies about giving technology taken from horror movies to unscrupulous people," complained Colonel O'Neill.

Samantha Carter totally agreed with that comment, and from now on, she could no longer see the people around her, whom she knew, without wondering which of them could be an NID agent. General Hammond did not respond for a couple of seconds; even he understood the implications of such technologies in the hands of the NID.

"These technologies can give us an advantage in our fight against the Goa'uld, but we must talk to our council before formalizing any agreement. We also need to take Jolinar to our base…

…

The meeting didn't go any further, but from the gleam in Maybourne's eyes, it seemed he was satisfied with how things turned out. However, before going to report everything to his bosses, Maybourne urged them not so subtly to keep their mouths shut if they didn't want to end up in a dark room.

…

Korr woke up in a bed in one of the rooms in the imperial palace of his capital world. There were two beautiful beauties beside him, and on the sides of the bed were four others who would help him get ready when he got up.

While being bathed in a tub with warm water, Korr read some reports coming from Earth. First of all, twelfth-generation computers were starting to come out, which meant the game he had invested almost a year in could be launched, eight years earlier than its original version on another world. Korr nodded satisfied and continued with other reports.

The maids couldn't see what he was doing because these reports were part of a telepathic network and required that ability to access. Moreover, it was coded.

Korr moved on to the reports about the SGC, which hadn't asked for his help in some time. Since their alliance with the Tok'ra, and thanks to the Goa'uld being too busy to bother them, things on Earth were peaceful, and they only had to worry about their adventures exploring new worlds.

SG-1 had already encountered Linea, the World Destroyer. That was a random mission, and as always, Korr had no idea in which direction they would encounter her. But anything that reached the SGC would be in the claws of the Goa'uld, and Linea was no exception.

Linea had arrived at the SGC, successfully infiltrating by using the tactic of an elderly helpless and innocent woman. However, after stealing a large amount of information in the SGC and marking the gate to escape with a disdainful smile on her face, she met 02, who, returning the same smile, put her hand into Linea's head and copied all her memories in seconds. Then she brought her to the Leviathan, and now she was in the cargo hold. Korr smiled and searched for the downloaded information.

Linea's technology was incomparable to what he possessed; it was far below. But Korr didn't want the technology; he wanted the knowledge in biology, genetics, biophysics, and molecular engineering that this woman possessed. He would have to investigate on his own if he wanted to obtain them in a conventional way. As always, for him, stealing was better than working.

After the Linea mission, which brought him great benefits, Korr had struck twice because SG-1 arrived on a planet where the inhabitants lived in a virtual reality. When 02 studied their database, she found hundreds of years of data on simulations, a treasure that Korr valued even more than Linea's knowledge because he already possessed Wraith technology.

In the next mission, SG-1 encountered Thor when Herur-ur had the brilliant idea of attacking Cimmeria, a world protected by the Asgard.

Korr was already aware of this because Yu had spent an entire day grumbling because the Asgard not only retaliated against Herur-ur, destroying a couple of his Ha'tak, but also threatened the rest of the System Lords. Korr knew it was a bluff, but the other System Lords didn't, and they spent an entire afternoon shouting at Herur-ur, threatening to expel him and send a fleet to teach him a lesson.

If Herur-ur didn't have a large fleet inherited from Ra in his hands, this would have been his end as a System Lord because the Goa'uld who dared to go against the Asgard treaty were punished by the System Lords themselves, and they imposed brutal punishments.

Things went so far that every System Lord and their vassals were obliged to show their Jaffas the gate addresses to Asgard-protected planets in their territory to prevent them from setting foot on Asgard-protected planets. Korr only had two of these planets in his territory, but he didn't plan to leave them there when he formed his empire. He would repatriate their inhabitants when he could negotiate with the Asgard.

The next SG-1 missions were like the one on Cimmeria and brought him no benefits.

A sphere from another world inhabited by intelligent microorganisms and the reappearance of Apophis, trying to regain the respect he had lost by destroying Earth and killing Teal'c. He used Teal'c's son, Rya'c, to destroy the SGC, but Teal'c recognized that his son was acting strangely, and his plans failed.

The next mission had no benefits but great relevance for Korr because Dr. Daniel Jackson rescued his wife when he found her again on Abydos while being held accountable to his father-in-law for not finding her. 00 extracted Apophis's queen and sent her to the cargo hold of the Leviathan. Share was taken to Earth to live with Daniel and escape from Apophis.

Korr had no problem with this because 00 contacted Apophis on his behalf to inform him that his queen was now in their hands and demanded service in return. Apophis simply cut off communication, and that would be the end of things with the fallen Goa'uld lord.

The problem in this matter was not Apophis; it was Dr. Daniel Jackson. Korr wondered if this event would prevent Daniel from ascending and how that would change the history he knew. But since they had the sarcophagus, it was already difficult for Daniel Jackson to ascend, and that was something that gave him a headache because if Daniel didn't ascend, the Abydonians wouldn't ascend either. That meant one less power in the galaxy to protect his Goa'uld backside from the unscrupulous and enslaving ascended beings from other galaxies.

That was serious. Korr had to think of a way to fix that problem. The best way to do it was to make sure that Daniel had no choice but to ascend. It wasn't about Korr wanting the story to continue because he didn't care about that. It was about hundreds of other people not being able to ascend if Daniel didn't…

And if they didn't ascend? If the problem was the Ori, why not kill them by creating the weapon Merlin tried to create? The problem with that was the ascended beings wouldn't take kindly to Korr researching how to kill them. They wouldn't trust a Goa'uld to hold such knowledge. How could he hide his research from them? He didn't know. Merlin almost died fleeing from Morgana, and he already knew many tricks because he was once ascended.

Korr shrugged in his mind; he would think of something. There were still several years before the Ori arrived. Besides, he could always delay their arrival if he wasn't ready. He would have to monitor things on Earth; maybe he should secure Merlin's leftover items for safety to ensure he had the trigger for the Ori's appearance and only bring it up when he was ready for their arrival.

The Ori were a galactic-class threat, and he couldn't let them roam freely because these ascended beings surpassed him in technology, and it wouldn't be an easy battle if he faced them, even though his forces were deadly, something he could overcome because his armies didn't depend on their beliefs, and the Ori's did.

The central problem was the Ori. He couldn't kill them using weapons, and the ascended beings wouldn't do anything with them, even if Korr took away the human adoration that gave them power. His only option was to commit genocide to save his own skin. Korr shook his head internally. He decided to wait.

…

Korr closed his reports and enjoyed his bath, a relaxing massage, and a good breakfast. Then he transported to his throne, and the servants on duty entered work mode.

Korr observed the situation in the throne room because someone was looking at him accusingly with a furrowed brow. She was a tall woman, 1.80m, with black hair down to her waist and a goddess-like body. She looked at the children.

"Does harming these defenseless creatures bring you pleasure?" she asked with a tone of disappointment.

Korr made a face. These types didn't understand anything. They didn't understand style, bearing, or even power. Fun slid off their faces, and entertainment was a distant concept. Their lives were empty, living for the sake of living.

"Creatures? They are my servants. Some of them were sent here by their parents, who consider it a privilege to serve me. All of them are here of their own free will. Some were adopted by me since they had no parents or relatives. Tell me, Egeria, how am I hurting them?" Korr asked, shaking his head. He was bothered that she misunderstood the purpose of his beautiful collection of servants. Also, that she called humans creatures.

The Tok'ra didn't have a good opinion of humans who didn't possess advanced technology, and, in her eyes, they were only good to be hosts. Egeria smoothed out her furrowed brow and accusing look.

"I heard you've been named a System Lord," Egeria said in a neutral tone. It had been several months since then. Korr had also given her a host to lure her into negotiating with him, but this woman ignored it, and only now did she show up.

"Yes, thanks to that, the System Lords won't attack my territory anymore. In return, I've given information to the System Lords about a new material that can be used as an energy source. Although it's true, I recommend you don't send your children to try to obtain information about this because it's an unstable material, and the System Lords will pay a huge price to make it work," Korr explained.

On Earth, they hadn't given the Tok'ra information about the ha'taks Korr gave them, and they didn't know about naquadriah.

"You possess superior technology; you can conquer their territories and destroy their fleets. Why don't you attack?" Egeria asked reproachfully.

"If I attack, what will happen next? I don't have an administrative system capable of handling all their worlds…

"You don't have to replace them; you can set all those people free," Egeria interrupted. Korr burst into laughter. He, who knew the original story, knew that would be a disaster.

Bands of mercenary Jaffa, thieves, and even terrorists. The birth of slaver enterprises and criminal alliances, entire planets destroyed. It was chaos and not at all better than what the Goa'uld had now.

"Egeria, I can tolerate others causing disasters and getting their hands dirty. But I won't dirty my hands and be the origin of chaos just to play the hero. Besides, the Goa'uld isn't the only threat in this galaxy; the Tok'ra make a mistake by focusing only on them and trying to destroy them without anything else mattering.

"What are your plans afterward? What will happen to the Jaffa? What will happen to your human slaves who had privileges and held positions of power? And your technology? I remind you that anyone can use it, even build their ships.

"Egeria, did you know that Goa'uld technology was created from another that belonged to an ancient species that inhabited the galaxy? They left, left all their technology lying around, and the Goa'uld took it and created a slaver empire. What makes you think that destroying them and leaving everything lying around without caring about their armies and slaves will have better results?" Korr asked.

Egeria frowned and said nothing. Korr knew it was because she and her idiotic children had no plan. The Tok'ra planned to destroy the Goa'uld and go scratch their balls on a planet far from the disaster that would arise afterward. They were personified irresponsibility.

"Do you have any alternatives?" Egeria asked.

"The Tau'ri. There are billions on their planet, and they are efficient in governing themselves. It's not perfect, but it's better than destroying the Goa'uld empire and leaving everything in chaos. There are also the Tollan if you manage to convince them to get off their arrogant behinds and get their hands dirty.

"The Nox are a lost cause in my opinion, but you can try. There are also all those species that freed themselves from the Goa'uld. You can negotiate with them and show them the opportunities in this and the danger of doing nothing.

"I am willing to collaborate, but I am not willing to pawn all my resources, my life, and those who follow me into a noble cause. It doesn't seem reasonable to me. I'm not a saint, not even such a good person, so don't think I'm going to sacrifice my life and the lives of those who serve me to force them to serve others. I believe I can give the rest of the galaxy a little space of my free time and that of those who serve me, but nothing more," Korr explained.

Egeria thought for a few seconds and then advanced toward the throne. The Jaffa guarding her looked at her threateningly, but Egeria ignored them. Korr shrugged, and they let her pass. Korr already knew what Egeria was planning because he had seen Hathor, another Goa'uld queen, in action.

It seemed he would have to give this queen a little lesson. Korr wasn't afraid of Egeria's pheromones; his bionanites wouldn't be affected by external elements unless he decided to assimilate them. Therefore, as soon as Egeria tried to use her pheromone soup against him, she would spend a year sleeping in his cargo hold. Any hypocritical Tok'ra who came to complain about sending their saintly mother to prison, Korr would put in a capsule next to her. The audacity of these Tok'ra was too much, and Korr now saw that it was a genetic inheritance.

As Egeria advanced, Korr reflected. Egeria was the Goa'uld queen who created the Tok'ra. Using pheromones to control someone's will was something she possibly wouldn't do. "So, what is she planning?" Korr wondered.

Korr could easily find out, but the method was not without risks. The way to find out what she was planning was to use psychic power.

Korr could cover the galaxy with his psychic power if he set his mind to it. However, since gaining psychic abilities, he had always suppressed them because he knew it would make him a beacon for anyone with psychic powers. Hiding made no sense when he was putting a target on his back. If he used his psychic abilities, anyone with access to them would know where his real body was. At the moment, his body was scattered in various parts of the galaxy to ensure his survival.

However, it was clear that this woman was planning something, and a simple application of his psychic power to find out her plans could be easily hidden, unless someone with superior abilities was lurking around.

Korr was thinking about Anubis. Anubis was a semi-ascended being. Although Anubis would be restricted by the ascended, his psychic powers might still be present, even if he couldn't use them directly. Still, if it were Korr emitting the psychic power, Anubis wouldn't be at fault for detecting it, locating him, and making him a target for attack.

Korr couldn't decide, but he also didn't want to fall into Egeria's plan. Therefore, he decided to use his psychic power and then move his body to other hiding places in the galaxy, destroying those where he was at that moment and eliminating any trace of his whereabouts.

Korr looked at Egeria. She was still approaching and even stroked the heads of some children who looked at her with narrowed eyes. They weren't fools and had heard the condescending and disdainful tone when Egeria called them "creatures."

Korr focused his psychic power on Egeria.

…

Korr blinked, and for a second, he was stunned by how cunning this Goa'uld queen was. Korr would like to think that a plan like Egeria's wouldn't work against him, but if the Goa'uld had a weakness, it was precisely desire. Isis was proof of that, as despite knowing that Osiris didn't care about her, she kept him by her side on a whim. The weapon of Goa'uld queens was the pheromone juice, and the Goa'uld also enjoyed strong drugs. In the original series, they built a pleasure house with many lights.

Korr sighed in his mind. He could face torture and even death, but pleasure was his weakness. Therefore, he connected with the hive mind and shared Egeria's morally questionable plans. Egeria noticed the change in his attitude and hurried, but 00 appeared behind her.

"Creator, it seems this leech wants to tame you. Allow me to help," 00 said as he grabbed Egeria by the neck and lifted her, leaving her kicking in the air.

Egeria seemed surprised by the violence unleashed upon her. Surely, like Korr, who did not imagine that Egeria's plan would be to throw herself at him and control him through his base instincts, Egeria also did not imagine that someone would appear behind her and hold her by the neck so easily.

While Egeria flailed for 00 to let her go, and the children booed, Korr took the opportunity to regain his divine demeanor, sitting with a straight back, trying to control the emotion that seeing Egeria's succulent plans had provoked in him.

When 00 finished descending the throne steps, he didn't release Egeria, but let her feet touch the ground.

"How dare you!" Egeria shrieked with indignation as her eyes gleamed with fury, but 00 didn't let her go.

"Creator, do I put her in the cargo hold?" 00 asked indifferently. Korr was tempted, but Egeria didn't try to drug him, only to seduce him. That was immoral but not illegal.

"No, expel her, and next time, assign a Jaffa guard to her," Korr decreed, waving his hand to dismiss Egeria.

"Korr!, wait…" A transporter beam took Egeria away.

"Creator, there are some minor Goa'uld requesting to see you," 00 reported, as if nothing had happened.

Korr, who was ashamed of the kind of plans being schemed against him and somewhat annoyed that they might actually work, also pretended that nothing had happened and nodded solemnly while his eyes gleamed.

Since Korr was named System Lord, there had been a constant stream of minor Goa'uld whose territories were adjacent to his, coming to offer him vassalage.

Korr informed them of his rules and laws, the conditions they must follow to serve him, and if they agreed, he welcomed them. This way, he added dozens of other planets, and he took the opportunity to create additional cities on other planets, connecting them using the Stargates and a security system that involved using his satellites integrated into the portal system to detect any aggression from entry points. Korr had already managed to distribute satellites in at least a tenth of the Goa'uld territories, starting from his own world.

These satellites investigated if the people entering had ill intentions. If they were planning something malicious, the Stargate would disconnect. It was a good system but still incomplete. The galaxy was vast and had hundreds of thousands of worlds with portals to which satellites had to be sent to secure the network. As a secondary security measure, each Stargate had a security system that would deactivate the portal for any unidentified calls beyond its surroundings. Additionally, each portal had a shield in case everything else failed.

Korr took portal security seriously because the Goa'uld had the unhealthy habit of sending Naquadah bombs to worlds that offended them or resisted their conquest attempts.

For those portals, like the capital's, that had a continuous flow of people, they were a target, so it was always protected by an Atlantean shield powered by an energy source based on the Arturo Project, so the Goa'uld could tire of sending bombs and not make a scratch.

"My god, the lesser god Gatahk," Jet introduced, escorting the newcomer, a Goa'uld whose host was a middle-aged man of unkempt appearance.

"Great god, I serve System Lord Morrigan, and she has a proposal, to exchange Naquadah for hosts of your creation," explained the Goa'uld.

"The hosts I create are something exclusive for my servants and vassals," said Korr, raising his hand, so Jet wouldn't kick the Goa'uld. A transporter beam took the Goa'uld away.

Korr thought as Jet gave orders to let the other Goa'uld in.

Morrigan was a little-known System Lord in the original history, but she was cunning and treacherous like Baal. She had hidden that she was a queen while accumulating power by stabbing those she served and who were her allies. Morrigan wasn't a Goa'uld who faced others in battle, although her achievements weren't minor in this regard because she was a great strategist.

Korr wondered what Morrigan was plotting by sending one of her servants to deal with him. It was a blatant insult, as he was also a System Lord, and sending someone to deal with him meant she was looking down on him. Another System Lord would have returned her envoy in pieces, or if generous, given them a beating to prove superiority.

Korr was annoyed by these kinds of games, but he supposed Morrigan wanted to test his character and personality. If that was the case, Korr didn't mind being labeled as weak for refusing to be ruthless. If any System Lord thought they could use dark strategies against him, he would send one of his upgraded replicators straight to their capital world, without wasting time in battles, because he truly hated this type of strategy.

…

After a minute, Jet moved on to the next Goa'uld, who controlled a planet and ten thousand human slaves, along with an al'kesh and five hundred Jaffa. He wanted to swear fealty in exchange for a host, the sale of fuel for his ship, assistance in repairs, and the sale of spare parts. Korr gave him his conditions, which included the construction of a city, joining the trade network he was creating with the Stargates, freedom for his slaves, and the implementation of Korr's laws for his territory.

It was a full-scale annexation, except that the Goa'uld would retain his own Jaffa, as long as they wished to continue serving him.

Since Jaffa were known for their loyalty, it was unlikely they would stop serving him. What they had done in these situations was relocate their families to the Jaffa world. Jaffa viewed ordinary humans as weak and disliked mingling with them.

…

In the night, Korr was awakened by an alarm, and upon opening his eyes, some reports were shared with him directly through the hive mind maintained with the upgraded Replicators. The reports indicated that about four hours ago, numerous Asgard probes covered his territory and thoroughly scanned everything. 02 didn't wake him because they were already expecting this.

What they didn't expect was that the Asgard would send an Asgard battle cruiser after their scans, and that's why 02 had awakened him. Korr frowned as he disappeared and reappeared on the Leviathan's bridge, already wearing his full god attire, with the circular breastplate, Egyptian skirt adorned with a belt, sandals, bracelets, and a crown with a golden scorpion design. By his side, 02 materialized, wearing a similar silver-colored outfit.

"Father, do you think they might have detected a replicator?" 02 asked as the Leviathan entered hyperspace to head to where the Asgard ship was.

"If so, we'd have an Asgard fleet here; this is something else," said Korr, thinking for a few seconds.

A minute later, Korr remembered something, and the arrival of the Asgard ship became evident to him.

"The Asgard are concerned about our fleet and the number of ships in it. Besides, the shipyard can build more than a hundred Ha'taks per year. In about a hundred years, I would have a fleet of over twelve thousand ships, and the Asgard wouldn't be able to control me at all," explained Korr.

Korr had been thinking in the short term, but the Goa'uld lived for thousands of years, and the Asgard took this into account when doing calculations. Therefore, his automated Ha'tak shipyard must have alarmed them and posed a serious threat to them. It would also be a concern for them if Korr conquered the Goa'uld territory.

"Looks like we'll have some problems," said Korr, sharing his conclusions about the reason why that Asgard ship was there.

"Father, this problem doesn't seem to have a short-term solution. Maybe we should expedite our contact with the Asgard," 02 suggested. Korr shook his head.

"I don't like negotiating knowing that I would be wasting an opportunity for these guys to owe me a favor in the future. If I give them the anti-Replicator weapon now, it won't have the same effect as if I give it to them when they see the danger in the face.

"On the other hand, they won't want us on Earth because, under current conditions, they won't trust us and will undoubtedly warn Earth about who our ally is. And right now, every Goa'uld is a threat to them. Their perspective isn't enough, and we haven't done them that many favors, so our alliance isn't a relationship of trust," explained Korr.

"Then we receive this ship, as any other System Lord would," said 02.

"No, that would pose a direct threat, and the Asgard would respond with force. Let's simply act as ourselves; that will give us time to reach the right moment for negotiation. The Asgard will see us as a threat right now, but not one they have to deal with in the coming years," said Korr.

02 ran some simulations and nodded in agreement as the Leviathan exited hyperspace a few thousand kilometers away, beyond the reach of the Asgard cruiser's weapons, which came into view on their sensors.

The Asgard ship was a Beliskner-class. This ship didn't have a particle beam yet, so it wasn't a threat to the Leviathan. However, Korr didn't plan to reveal his technology, so he kept up appearances.

Korr opened communications:

"Asgard ship, I am Korr, Goa'uld System Lord and ruler of these territories. What brings the Asgard here, and why have you sent your satellites to spy? This does not comply with our treaty," warned Korr.

The Asgard ship received his communication, and a second later, they sent a response in the form of a video communication, which Korr accepted. On the screen, an Asgard sat on a throne, observing the image that Korr sent in response, showing his own throne and bridge design, which was similar, with ample clear space, though the decoration was Goa'uld, with a predominance of the golden color. The Jaffa were not present.

"Goa'uld, I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. How have you acquired the technology to locate our satellites and ships?" Thor asked directly.

"I am a supreme being, I possess all knowledge," said Korr. "Now, explain what has brought you to my territory in direct violation of our treaty," demanded Korr.

"There has been an attack on one of our protected planets. This is just an inspection of the planets in your territory to ensure that similar events do not happen there again," Thor lied without even blinking.

"Asgard, you lie shamelessly," accused Korr. "Herur-ur has already been reprimanded, and the minor Goa'uld have been warned and reminded of the treaty we have. You have no business here.

"Moreover, the time when you could move through my territory without being seen is over. Do not try it again, because if you have checked my territory, you already know that I have a new power source I took from Ra's downfall.

"I have also obtained biotechnology that you must have seen in my Jaffa. This provides me with eyes beyond your understanding, so your stealth technology is useless against me.

"Continue snooping around my territory, and I'll make sure all this technology reaches the other System Lords. Thus, we'll soon be reassessing our treaty with the Asgard," threatened Korr.

"Goa'uld, your threats are in vain. We already know that the other Goa'uld do not agree with your form of rule. You are only in your position due to your technological superiority. If you give it up, your own will turn against you," Thor mocked, though he didn't smile.

"The System Lords are not a threat to me, and in a hundred years, I will be the supreme System Lord, and all will be ruled by me. It doesn't behoove the Asgard to be my enemies," said Korr, changing his threat to a future warning. He had already made it clear to Thor that he didn't locate their ships through advanced technology but something more. Now he had to get Thor out of his domains for at least a couple more years. Thor thought for a few seconds, confirming that a Goa'uld alliance was unlikely.

"Then, Goa'uld, you can tend to your own affairs. As I said before, the Asgard have no business with you. I am only checking the security of the protected worlds," said Thor, and he cut the communication.

"Father, do you think this means he doesn't consider us a direct threat?" asked 02, watching Thor's ship enter hyperspace.

"02, if he were to attack, he would do it right now because as far as he knows, the Leviathan can't stand against his war cruiser. The Asgard don't bother with theatrics when they're about to attack. They tell you straight to your face, so our goal has been achieved.

"However, just because they won't attack directly doesn't mean they won't do it indirectly. In that case, they won't tell us. I just hope we have enough time to gain Earth's trust before that, so that in their eyes, we are better allies than the Asgard," said Korr.

If Earth broke its alliance with him, the galaxy would be on his shoulders, and that would suck. They would also kick him out of Earth, and that would be a disaster because his video game company would be out of his reach, not to mention the internet.

NA 1: For those who disagree with how Egeria acts, I regret to say that I'm not going to correct it. I believe her actions are consistent with the canon. Egeria is a Goa'uld queen. Although she created the Tok'ra, they are also Goa'uld. They view humans as inferior beings, and the first time they encountered SG-1, they directly told them that their only value was as hosts. The series also made it clear that they had no problem making plans that could sacrifice others. In fact, when Martouf was injured, they let him die to save the symbiote because they considered the symbiote more valuable, and all these values were implanted by Egeria, who was their queen. Therefore, I conclude that Egeria's way of thinking is the same as that of the Tok'ra.

NA 2: My interpretation of Egeria is based on her being a Goa'uld who disapproves of slavery and knows that the sarcophagus alters her mind. She has observed how the use of the sarcophagus affects the sanity of her species and has certain moral standards. This sets her apart from other Goa'uld, but she is still a Goa'uld in essence: proud, egocentric, and willing to take drastic measures, such as using her own larvae for strangers to manufacture tretonin. That episode really disgusted me.

NA 3: I have read the fanfic in which Egeria interacts with Daniel, and although it is interesting and I liked it, I consider that Egeria's personality in that fanfic does not fit the canon. Despite being entertaining, in my own fanfics, I try to follow the canon and adapt the characters' personalities as closely as possible to the canon. Even the personality of the protagonist, despite being a self-insert, is based on Ba'al, as presented in the movie "Stargate: Continuum."