Chapter 17 Tretonin

"Sir, I request to remove Maybourne from this base immediately!" declared Jack. Daniel sighed, unsure if these two were getting along or sworn enemies.

Daniel's thoughts were interrupted when General Hammond, seated at the head of the meeting room table, looked at him. Jack had demanded a court-martial upon arrival without explanation. Maybourne, on the other side of the table, smiled with satisfaction. Daniel sighed again.

"Sir, the Eurondans were not what they claimed to be. Their enemy fought for life, while they wanted to exterminate them for being different and reproducing normally, which offended them. The situation was suspicious, but Maybourne opposed further investigation and provided heavy water to strengthen Eurondans' defenses, initiating negotiations. They offered technology in exchange for help in their war," explained Daniel, and General Hammond frowned at Maybourne.

"Colonel Maybourne, the secrecy of the project does not justify committing war crimes," warned General Hammond. Maybourne nodded.

"Sir, I know the laws. When I requested heavy water, the Eurondans were under attack, and we only had suspicions. We couldn't condemn an entire people for that. I requested supplies while we clarified the situation. Once confirmed they were genocidal, I abandoned negotiations," explained Maybourne.

"The war dragged on, and people died because of you, Maybourne," reproached Jack.

"Perhaps, but I'm not a mind reader and couldn't act differently," excused Maybourne without flinching.

"Colonel Maybourne, please leave. I will write a report on this matter," said General Hammond seriously. Maybourne stood up, saluted, and left without concern.

"What did Maybourne gain from all this?" asked General Hammond in frustration, suspecting he wouldn't face punishment.

"While we were investigating the Eurondans, Maybourne introduced a virus into their database and downloaded all the information, claiming he didn't trust them to tell the truth about the war," explained Daniel.

"The Eurondans' technology can offer significant advances in energy, medical treatments, and computing. Their remote-controlled fighter handling and neural interface could improve our own fighters. Their medical technology is advanced; they showed us a compound capable of regenerating organic tissue in minutes…"

"Carter, calm down," interrupted Jack, while General Hammond grimaced, understanding why Maybourne didn't look worried about being accused of war crimes.

"O'Neill, in this case, I must agree with Colonel Maybourne. The technology he has acquired can be very helpful against the goa'uld, and in war, military tactics must prevail," declared Teal'c, a jaffa warrior accustomed to criminal tactics used by the goa'uld.

"Teal'c, if we're going to act like the goa'uld, what's the point of facing them?" asked Jack.

"O'Neill, Colonel Maybourne is far from acting like a goa'uld. Since our purpose is freedom and our own lives, we cannot compare ourselves to them," replied Teal'c. Jack blinked.

Daniel thought that, indeed, seen in that light, Maybourne was far from acting like a goa'uld, as they brought death and enslavement. Maybourne was greedy and capable of extreme cruelty to achieve his goals, but if he acted like a goa'uld, he wouldn't take risks and would have given the Eurondans what they wanted without worrying about the consequences.

"Teal'c, Maybourne could sell us out at any time for personal gain; that's what should concern us here," explained Jack, and Daniel could only sigh once again, as Maybourne was undoubtedly capable of that and would feel no guilt about it.

"I will file a formal complaint about Colonel Maybourne's attitude," assured General Hammond, but Maybourne was not under his command; he was a representative of the Pentagon, the NID, and various secret agencies. He might even receive an award for obtaining Eurondans' technology.

…

As his team suspected, Maybourne was suspended for a week due to General Hammond's complaint, who currently held significant influence as the leader of the Stargate project. However, that didn't prevent Maybourne from returning a week later, seemingly relaxed as if he had taken a vacation.

He didn't face a court-martial, his uniform showed no rank demotion, escaping unpunished. Daniel and his team could only grimace, asking General Hammond not to assign them to missions with Maybourne. General Hammond said he would do his best, but the next day, Maybourne was back with them in General Hammond's meeting room.

"Doctor Fraiser, are you saying these bracelets would give us superpowers?" asked Jack somewhat stunned.

"For a short period, yes. Then, they would lead to death," explained Dr. Fraiser.

"Maybourne, the Tok'ra, and you must be family," accused Jack.

"Doctor, my people want to know if there's any way to use the nanites to control the effects of this virus," Maybourne asked, ignoring Jack.

"It's possible, but not for us. We barely managed to configure the current system for knowledge transfer, and it's a technology we barely understand. It's beyond our knowledge, and so is this virus. We would need decades just to study it," explained Dr. Fraiser.

"That's a great idea. Who came up with using the nanites that way?" asked Sam.

"Maybourne, don't answer," said Jack, looking at Sam. "Carter, we don't want to know what kind of psychopaths Maybourne works with," Jack reprimanded.

"Sir, theoretically, nanites could be used at a genetic level, and the possibilities for use, both in biology and all kinds of technologies, can only be imagined," explained Sam, trying to make Jack understand the importance of her point.

"Carter, did you forget the part where this same technology has decimated entire galaxies?" asked Jack. Daniel nodded in support; that was truly chilling. Sam thought for a few seconds, but she didn't seem convinced.

"I understand the position of the Asgard, but if we discard technological progress for fear of the possible consequences, all physics and biology would be discarded," contributed Dr. Fraiser. Jack grimaced.

"People, we're not talking about nuclear weapons capable of destroying a city; we're talking about galaxy-level exterminations," Jack complained with a sigh.

"Jack, we'll take proper precautions. Plus, we already know the weakness of the so-called replicators; we'll just use a hammer to smash them if the situation gets complicated. Let's see if they can adapt to that," Maybourne declared. Jack looked at General Hammond.

"Sir, if we don't get this guy out of here, we're going to end up in trouble," said Jack. General Hammond shook his head.

"Colonel O'Neill, I share your concerns regarding nanite technology and where it could lead, but our scientific team has assured that they are taking proper precautions, and the military is already preparing a contingency plan in case things go wrong.

"Understand that the greatest advantage we have so far is the knowledge transfer technology, and its foundation is the nanites, so the higher-ups find it very difficult to give it up," explained General Hammond with a tone of helplessness.

"Jack, we're not here to argue about the nanites but about the Tok'ra. If we could figure out that these bracelets could kill them, they can too. So now your job is to find out what they wanted to do with this," Maybourne intervened. Daniel was surprised, as was the rest of the team. Maybourne grimaced.

"Did you really think that woman was telling the truth?" Maybourne asked with disappointment.

"Well, we're allies…"

"Would only the Goa'uld be so treacherous?" Maybourne completed.

"I've always said they're nothing but snakes," Jack declared angrily.

"Is it possible that Colonel Maybourne is right?" General Hammond asked Dr. Fraiser.

"It's very possible," said Dr. Fraiser. "It's impossible for them not to know the effects of the bracelets and the virus they carry if we, with our barely adapted Goa'uld technology, could figure it out," she added.

"Treacherous snakes!" declared Jack, standing up; it was evident he was going to interrogate Anise, the Tok'ra who requested their help with the experiment.

"Hold on!" ordered Maybourne, and everyone looked at him. "Can someone explain how you plan to justify what we know?" Maybourne asked, looking at them threateningly. Jack blinked and looked at Dr. Fraiser.

"The moment I tell them what we know, they can determine that our medical technology is more advanced than it appears," explained Dr. Fraiser.

"So? Do we just kick them out without giving explanations?" asked Jack.

"That would end our alliance with the Tok'ra," Daniel rushed to intervene because that would be like slapping them in the face.

"Daniel, they're the ones who have acted treacherously in this matter; they even planned to kill us," Jack complained.

"But we can't tell them that without revealing the technology we've obtained, which would put us in a diplomatically compromised situation," explained Daniel.

"We no longer need an alliance with the Tok'ra," Maybourne contributed.

They already had resources; they didn't need to steal from the Goa'uld. What might interest them would be their ships, but they couldn't steal them without drawing attention to Earth, so Maybourne no longer saw any utility in the Tok'ra.

"Colonel Maybourne, our alliance with the Tok'ra is not solely based on gaining benefits," said General Hammond. "I will talk to the president; I don't think they'll risk a diplomatic standoff without having good reasons behind it," explained General Hammond. Maybourne grimaced.

"That's a bad idea; the Tok'ra's position is not secure, and Earth's safety depends on the Goa'uld not finding out that we possess part of their technology," Maybourne complained.

"Sir, I'm afraid I agree with this snake," said Jack in frustration.

"Colonel, I understand your distrust, but the higher-ups are already deciding when to reveal the Stargate project; this could expedite that process and increase resources for Earth's defense," said General Hammond, and Jack and Maybourne looked at him surprised.

Daniel thought that, indeed, this would put pressure on the higher-ups, who just wanted to live hidden for as long as possible. Notifying the entire planet about the Goa'uld would be a major shock they would want to avoid at all costs. If it were up to their higher-ups, Daniel was sure they would prefer to wait and hope that the situation with the Goa'uld would be resolved by some miracle. Maybourne and Jack frowned. Then they looked at each other.

"Maybourne, stop imitating me," reprimanded Jack. Maybourne grimaced and saluted to bid farewell. Daniel supposed he was eager to go talk to his sponsors.

…

Half a day later, Anise was informed that they were already aware of their plans, but she just blinked, not understanding anything. Jack told her they wouldn't buy her stories, and her goddess-like appearance didn't affect them. Anise called the Tok'ra, assuring them that she didn't understand their accusations.

Now, there was a new Tok'ra in the base, whom everyone eyed suspiciously.

"Jacop?" Jack asked with doubt, looking at the man in the meeting room, sitting next to Anise.

Jacop Carter, Sam's father, and the host of Selmak of the Tok'ra, was a man in his sixties, half bald due to age, with hair more white than gray or brown, and wrinkles on his face. But now, before them was a man with features similar to Jacop's but seemingly in his twenties, with lively brown hair and no sign of baldness, his appearance also stood out.

"Carter, do you have younger siblings?" asked Jack because Jacop grimaced, and it was evident he had no plans to explain anything. He rolled his eyes.

"You already know the difficulty Tok'ra face in obtaining hosts. Due to this, we made a deal with their allies to get treatment for our hosts. Tok'ra also age, and without a sarcophagus, many of us are in the final stage of our lives," explained Selmak, taking control. Daniel understood why he refused to explain anything. General Hammond cleared his throat.

"We understand. Let's continue with this meeting now," ordered General Hammond to break the uncomfortable atmosphere. Jacop nodded.

"Actually, we already suspected that your allies had placed Goa'uld technology in your hands. Still, since you didn't say it, we felt compelled to act and see what your level of trust in our alliance was," explained Jacop. Jack looked at him incredulously.

"Jacop, I remind you that we are not the Goa'uld here," complained Jack.

"Neither are we!" rebuked Selmak, the Tok'ra sharing the body with Jacop. His tone was one of indignation.

The Tok'ra got upset if their Goa'uld origin was mentioned, and that was something Jack knew but didn't care about, which always gave him trouble.

"Jack, don't make my life difficult; let's just move on from this topic. Our queen believes that the situation with the Goa'uld could become unstable, and a new Supreme Lord will be appointed, which would be a serious problem for everyone, especially Earth," warned Jacop.

"Queen?" asked Daniel. As far as he knew, the Tok'ra had lost their queen a long time ago.

"Our queen Egeria was found a couple of years ago by her allies and returned to us, so the organization of the Tok'ra and our future plans have changed with it; now we want to know what and who we are dealing with," explained Jacop. Anise looked at him incredulously; Daniel supposed the return of Egeria was a big secret.

"It's good that we have trust. Now, what suicide mission were you planning to send us on to prove our loyalty?" asked Jack accusingly.

"As I mentioned before, the current situation is very dangerous. As you know, Apophis has returned and commands Sokar's army," said Jacop.

"Yes, we heard about it; he already tried to kill us a few months ago," explained Jack.

"His return was a severe blow to the cause of the Free Jaffa," explained Teal'c. Jacop nodded.

"We believe that currently Apophis's fleet surpasses all the System Lords combined, except for the System Lord Korr, which is what has prevented Apophis from launching a conquest campaign and naming himself Supreme Lord," said Jacop.

"Excuse me, who is Korr?" asked Daniel. "Among the System Lords who served Ra, this one is not mentioned," he added.

"Korr was a minor Lord in Ra's service; he had only been in his position for five years, but after Ra's death, he seized a powerful mothership that Ra apparently built to solidify his rule. When Ra died, everything fell into Korr's hands; we suspect he was the Goa'uld in charge of this project, so he gained great power quickly, conquering Olokun and taking over its territories," explained Jacop.

"And why aren't we worried about a Goa'uld who has a larger fleet than Apophis?" asked Jack reproachfully. Maybourne was in the meeting, but so far, he only listened, like the others.

"We believe that due to his youth, Korr has not been affected by the sarcophagus, so upon freeing himself from Ra, he has decided to take a different path than other Goa'uld," explained Jacop.

"Like the Tok'ra?" asked Daniel in surprise. Jacop sighed and shook his head.

"Certainly, he is different from other Goa'uld, but he is still a Goa'uld and sees no benefit in waging war against other System Lords. Our queen has tried to negotiate, but it has been futile; he will not fight a war for us, and no System Lord dares to provoke him," explained Jacop.

"We can do that," suggested Jack, looking at Maybourne.

"I wouldn't advise it; as I've said, Korr is not like other Goa'uld. If you attack his territory, he will thoroughly investigate and come after you," warned Jacop. "Now, regarding Apophis, the System Lords remain calm due to the pressure Korr exerts on them. Still, we believe Apophis has found the same technology as Korr and is currently building a mothership similar to his flagship while gathering his forces. We believe he plans an attack on Korr," explained Jacop.

"And you wanted to use the bracelets to send us on a suicide mission against this new ship," said Jack, looking at General Hammond, who looked at Maybourne because he had been right; the Tok'ra wanted to use the bracelets in some risky operation.

"What defenses does this shipyard have?" asked Maybourne.

"There are ten Ha'taks in orbit, and we know that Apophis has managed to stabilize a new energy source for his ships, giving him an advantage in speed, but their combat effectiveness is not much superior to other System Lords' Ha'taks," explained Jacop.

"We are aware of naquadriah; our allies have provided us with a stable energy source based on it. What is the efficiency of Apophis's Ha'taks?" asked Sam.

"At least fifty percent, but we believe it will be much higher for his new mothership," explained Jacop, and Sam looked at General Hammond.

"Sir, we would still have a significant speed advantage, but if we face such a number of Ha'taks, we would suffer severe losses," explained Sam. Jacop raised an eyebrow.

"Our allies have retrofitted three Ha'tak ships for us, and we've added some toys of our own design," said Jack. They also had five Prometheus-class ships, but if the Goa'uld saw those ships, it would be war for Earth. Jacop nodded.

"Perhaps we should ask for some help," suggested Jacop. General Hammond frowned.

"Jacop, weren't the Tok'ra familiar with our allies?" asked General Hammond.

"As I've mentioned in the past, we had some disagreements, and relations are somewhat tense, but not the same with Earth; I understand that two of the emperor's envoys live on this planet," said Jacop.

"We also have other guests," said Jack.

"We've already consulted the Tollan on this matter," said Jacop, shaking his head. Jack made a face.

"Well, let's call in 03 and 00," said Jack with a sigh.

"Isn't it enough that we are here?" asked Jacop.

"We've improved our security," said Jack proudly.

With all the knowledge they possessed now, they had already discovered how their computers were infiltrated and closed the communication; 03 even nodded in acknowledgment of the improvement.

"So, a call?" asked Jacop.

…

An hour later, 03 examined the bracelet in Dr. Fraiser's infirmary, under her watchful eye, his team, and Anise from the Tok'ra, who was intrigued that 03 didn't need any tools to examine the artifact.

"It's a unique artifact, and this virus is an impressive piece of genetic engineering," said 03, raising an eyebrow.

"The artifact belonged to a civilization called the Atanik, who apparently became extinct a few hundred or thousand years ago," explained Daniel. 03 nodded solemnly.

"I would like to read records you have of your civilization, if possible; I've never seen such ingenious technology, though I don't believe you need to worry about your lives. According to the virus's characteristics, your body wouldn't take more than a few days to become immune to it, so its effects wouldn't pose a serious threat to your lives," explained 03.

"That's a quite accurate conclusion," interjected Anise.

"We have detailed knowledge of human biology, discovered on an ancient world where a Goa'uld used nanites to study the human evolutionary process. His experiment was abominable, but the genetic and biological records of his research have various applications," explained 03, and Anise's eyes gleamed.

"That's it; we won't discuss this topic any further," declared Jack.

"Don't worry, Colonel O'Neill; we understand that Earth is not prepared for this knowledge," said 03. Dr. Fraiser and Sam seemed somewhat disappointed, but Jack appeared relieved.

"So, can we use the bracelets to infiltrate and destroy Apophis's ship?" asked Jack.

"You can, but the virus will alter your nervous system, so you might experience an increase in personal ego, fits of rage, intense emotions, schizophrenia… you wouldn't be reliable individuals," concluded 03. He thought it would be a disaster.

"And this is where you'll help us?" asked Jack. 03 nodded with a smile.

"I can use the nanites to keep your chemical reaction levels in your brains within an acceptable range," explained 03. Sam smiled, seeing her theory that nanites could have applications in biotechnology proven right.

…

The Unknown observed the situation transmitted by his spy bots from one of Ba'al's main computers. He was on the bridge of one of the Ha'taks, which Apophis had given him for his work, in orbit around one of his shipyard worlds.

Ba'al was truly cunning and had at least three times the fleet he showed to the other System Lords. He had even hidden bases in the territories of other lords, although, like all of them, he didn't dare invade Korr's territory; he only bought information from his lords, information that The Unknown was sure Korr himself sent him.

The Unknown looked around on his own bridge. There were a dozen Jaffa there, half for his guard and the other half to operate the Ha'tak. The Ha'tak's designs and even its technology hadn't changed much since he himself was a System Lord. The Jaffa still wore those almost ornamental armors, with their same useless weapons. It was impossible to tell that the Supreme Lord had fallen, and there was a war to take his place; the System Lords just didn't seem to care about it.

For The Unknown, this was another sign of the decline of his species, obsessed with their little glories and pride, unable to progress. There were exceptions, like Sokar and Ba'al, but they were very few, and their plans showed no improvement; they didn't care about advancing. So far, only Korr seemed to have a long-term plan, and The Unknown found traces of his actions everywhere, leading the System Lords by the nose, to take power at the right moment, and have the lords themselves deliver it to him.

It was a plan worthy of a Goa'uld, and it made The Unknown eager to witness its final results. But Korr's rise could mean a setback of thousands of years in his plans, and he already suspected that Korr knew of his existence, so he couldn't let his plans continue; he had to bring chaos and rise as the Supreme Lord, demonstrating his power over Korr and achieving the galaxy's dominion in his hands…

The Unknown's thoughts were interrupted when the sensors of his Ha'tak detected the activation of the Chappa'ai, notified to his mind with the new interface he had created for his ship.

The Unknown raised his hand to his Jaffa, indicating that any reports were unnecessary, and a screen appeared in front of him, displaying a satellite view of the Chappa'ai's location, guarded by several dozen Jaffa, as this was not an unexpected attack. Plasma cannons were also positioned in a defensive perimeter.

The Unknown and his Jaffa, bearing Apophis's mark to avoid suspicion of their return, watched as the Chappa'ai finished activating, and the vortex stabilized. The Unknown saw the ten Ha'taks guarding the shipyard take positions, in case the Earth defenses failed, to initiate a bombardment. There was no scheduled delivery, so if anyone came through the Chappa'ai, they would be an enemy.

When the Chappa'ai finished stabilizing, there was a small splash, and in less than a second, the Jaffa guarding were thrown ten meters from their positions, as if a shockwave hit them. The Unknown couldn't see what was happening and didn't dare to push his psychic power beyond common use to explore the place; such use of abilities would undoubtedly be detected by Korr.

The Unknown was surprised but smiled. This technology was not unknown to him, and it was one of the things he investigated during his ascended time. Unfortunately, the knowledge had been sealed in his memory, and he couldn't access It. He could only begin his quest for this technology across the galaxy, but now his enemies brought it before him, and he knew where to look, or at least whom to interrogate about it.

This was Atanik technology, capable of creating humans with advanced abilities. The Unknown planned to use them as the foundation of his empire, by combining them with nanite technology, but such technology was sealed in his mind, and now he only depended on the Replicators, and he would have to think of something else to give his ground troops an advantage. The Unknown smiled. Before his empire was created, he would have to pay a visit to the Tok'ra.

The Unknown was not afraid that this technology would be used against him because he knew that this technology wouldn't work for the Tok'ra, nor for humans. It was only a temporary enhancement for them.

The Unknown watched as Apophis's shipyard was destroyed in less than a minute, and the Chappa'ai was activated for the human agents to escape. In the time the Chappa'ai activated, The Unknown could see the perpetrators of the attack. He recognized them because these attackers wore uniforms that were easy for the Goa'uld to identify.

"They are Tau'ri," reported one of his Jaffa in astonishment.

The Unknown was not surprised; the Tok'ra had no pride, and resorting to low races as allies was not beyond his expectations. Without a doubt, the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra had to be destroyed alike; he would not make the mistake of underestimating the damage they could cause.

In a couple more seconds, the Tau'ri disappeared, and the ships in orbit hadn't even targeted his position, as the shipyard's explosion had caught them off guard while searching for their targets in the Chappa'ai area; now they had tracked in the shipyard area, and the enemy had appeared again in the Chappa'ai area.

…

"The Tok'ra and the Tau'ri will be the first to suffer my divine wrath!" declared Apophis, while his cohort trembled.

The Unknown, who brought him the news, chuckled in his mind, while his illusion for Apophis and his followers showed a serene expression. Now that the Tok'ra had the Atanik bracelets, this little parasite could fall at any moment; he didn't have the technology to face such a clash. However, the Tok'ra wouldn't want a new Sokar to rise, and they wouldn't act against Apophis if, as in this case, he had no plans to seize power over the other System Lords.

"Everyone, leave!" ordered Apophis and gestured for him to stay.

"My lord, your ship will be ready in a month, and as I predicted, by using Jaffa and humans, the Tok'ra has not discovered your location. Then, we only have to silence the humans and Jaffa who worked at the site, and the shipyard's location will only be known to my lord and me, but all control will be in your hands," said The Unknown, and he spoke the truth, or part of it. What he hadn't mentioned was that once Apophis died, this shipyard would serve him to build his own flagship; he only needed to make a few modifications.

"Nut, you have served me well; once I conquer the rest of the System Lords, you will serve above all of them, as my right hand," declared Apophis. His eyes still glowed with rage. "But before that, the Tok'ra must be destroyed; their little plans have caused me significant loss," growled Apophis.

That was bad; The Unknown couldn't let this pathetic parasite focus on the Tok'ra. Now that they had the Atanik technology, they could get rid of this useless parasite if they felt cornered. That would prevent it from attacking Korr, and The Unknown wouldn't get any information about his forces by forcing him to reveal part of them. That would be a problem.

"My lord, the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri are allies, and the latter has the support of the Asgard. If my lord attacks, he could easily fall into a trap that will bring the Asgard down upon us. My lord has a great fleet, but the power of the Asgard is not something we can underestimate, and if we engage in a war with them, the conquest of the System Lords and my lord's ascent will be delayed," explained the illusion that The Unknown created for Apophis with humility.

Apophis's eyes glowed, but apparently, his time as Sokar's guest had taught him caution because he took a minute to reflect and calm down.

"My enemies are numerous, but my power is supreme; first, we will go against Korr and take the System Lords. Then it will be the Tok'ra, the Asgard, and those despicable Tau'ri," declared Apophis. The illusion created by The Unknown for Apophis nodded with humility.

Apophis still had to create the foundations that he would later use to face Korr. After that, if he stayed alive, he would kill him himself.

…

"Shan'auc, we do not have a host…" Maybourne coughed, interrupting Daniel's intervention.

Daniel looked at Maybourne, regretting his fate of encountering him at every important meeting with his team. Shan'auc, a priestess of the Goa'uld known as Moloch, who had arrived sent by Bra'tac to request their help, also looked at Maybourne.

"I suggest calling our allies for this matter," said Maybourne with a smile that indicated he had come across something big.

"Colonel Maybourne, are you sure the symbiote is lying?" Teal'c asked. Daniel grimaced when Shan'auc gritted her teeth. Maybourne shrugged.

"It's a Goa'uld, and I see nothing explaining its change of mind," Maybourne said.

"Teal'c, I expected mistrust from others, but never from my own brothers," Shan'auc reproached, placing her hand on her abdomen in a protective gesture, which reminded Daniel of a mother, but thinking that what was there was a Goa'uld, he could only feel a chill, and no empathy. He had the same opinion of Maybourne; there was no way to convince a Goa'uld with words; they were all insane.

"Shan'auc, please understand our situation. The Goa'uld have always proven to be too dangerous not to take certain precautions when dealing with them. As such, it is normal that we take certain precautions. However, I assure you that the symbiote will be treated as a potential ally, and at no time will action be taken against it without firm evidence," explained Daniel, looking at General Hammond, who nodded seriously.

"Shan'auc, our allies possess technology that can undoubtedly do something for your symbiote and for you, in case time runs out," reassured General Hammond.

"In this case, our opinions are not necessary," Teal'c pronounced, who seemed to be an intimate friend of Shan'auc. But upon hearing that she was convinced the Goa'uld in her Jaffa pouch wanted to join her side, Teal'c's trust in Shan'auc disappeared in a second. Shan'auc nodded solemnly.

"Then, call your allies; we have nothing to hide," said Shan'auc.

Daniel thought they did have many things to hide, starting with a lie detector artifact that, once the symbiote had a body, they could use to find out if it was telling the truth. He really wanted to have hope, but the only reformed Goa'uld he knew were the Tok'ra, and they were born that way, as their personality was the work of the queen who created them, Egeria. Still, nothing could be ruled out.

…

Half a day later, Tanith, as the Goa'uld symbiote that 03 had given a human body without any consciousness called himself, was subjected on the floor of the infirmary when they explained how the lie detector artifact they would use on him worked. Maybourne was grinning from ear to ear as he stored the lie detector artifact. Anise, who had come on behalf of the Tok'ra, sighed. She also told them that their hopes were slim.

Shan'auc closed her eyes with sadness and disappointment seeing the results.

"Do not worry; I assure you that this Goa'uld will share everything he knows with us, whether he wants to or not," said Maybourne. General Hammond cleared his throat.

"Colonel Maybourne, I warned you before that even in a war, we have laws to follow," General Hammond cautioned.

"Of course, all relevant laws will be respected," assured Maybourne.

Daniel figured they would never see this Goa'uld named Tanith again. NID agents couldn't extract information from the captured Goa'uld larvae because it was in their blood, and Daniel only understood Maybourne's plan when it was mentioned that their allies could give him a body that was not a host but a puppet with a blank brain.

"Shan'auc, do not despair because although your plan did not yield the results you expected, it gave us something more important in our fight against the Goa'uld," declared Teal'c, looking at Shan'auc, who placed her hand where she had her Jaffa pouch, where there was no longer any larva, and she wasn't dying because of it. This was due to a drug that replaced the symbiote, and whose formula 03 had given them, which meant they could now produce it.

"Today is the day when the Jaffa are finally free," declared Shan'auc, and Teal'c nodded with a solemn expression.

…

Korr smiled as he read the reports presented by his envoys about Earth. They were already experts in ship manufacturing, and they had even managed to decipher their hacking of his main computer, which would save him some trouble in the future. But what made him smile was that he finally had the Atanik technology in his hands, and now he had also taken the first step towards the fall of the System Lords, and soon, all of them would have to crawl to him to beg him to be their supreme lord and save their miserable skins from the enemies they had created themselves.

"Are you satisfied?" asked Egeria, who was a light projection in front of his throne. There were only the two of them; the servants and the Jaffa were dismissed.

"Egeria, this step represents the fall of the System Lords, and humans are already sufficiently prepared to take control of everything," explained Korr. This woman would not understand his plans until everything was done, as her understanding was limited.

"Your faith in the Jaffa is greater than I thought. Tell me, now that you have freed them from their dependence on Goa'uld symbiotes, what will prevent their armies from turning against us? In their eyes, we are also Goa'uld," reprimanded Egeria.

Egeria had arrived after a Jaffa serving Moloch presented herself to SG1, seeking help for her symbiote, which she believed had been convinced to join her cause. As expected, the symbiote was lying, but thanks to its nonsense, 03 could pass tretonin to the Jaffa, and now the System Lords would face a true calamity.

"I trust my Jaffa; they are loyal warriors," said Korr, who had multiple safeguards in place in case they dared to defy him. He would exile them from his territory if they dared betray their oaths. He liked the Jaffa, and they were superior in tactical abilities to an AI-controlled raid clone, but he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of them if they dared to betray their oaths.

"They will also come for us," said Egeria.

"Relax, this will take time, and I can handle the rebellious elements using my own Jaffa. Humans will take care of the rest," informed Korr.

In reality, he hoped Anubis would show up in this rebellion. It was about time, and Korr wanted to catch him without having time to do anything.

Now that he had obtained the Atanik technology and Earth was ready to navigate the galaxy, subduing rebels and troublemakers, he could reap the fruits of his efforts.

NA 1: Korr and the Unknown are planning against each other. Earth already has its own fleet and is ready to reveal the Stargate project to the rest of the planet. Tretonin has been released, and soon the Jaffa will learn of its existence, causing a severe blow to the System Lords.