Stargate Etheria (Stargate SG-1/She-Ra crossover)

[Starfox5]

I suspect they have far too much faith in Daniel.

The princess alliance may be a wonderful tray of cinnamon rolls, but they are very bad about the low key near misses with horrific scifi nightmare scenarios...

For example glimmers mom is still stuck in a interdimesional null space due to Catras .. issues .

Click to shrink...

Indeed. But Daniel has the most experience with first contact, and he's good at talking to other species.

 

[Transreal Clouden]

Best of luck to Daniel.... he's gonna need it.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 116: The Asgard Question Part 3

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, November 21st, 1999

Daniel and Sha're shouldn't have come. They should have stayed in their retreat in the desert until Sha're was over her ordeal. They had been separated for years; it was only fair that they could be together, just the two of them, as long as they wanted now.

And yet, Adora couldn't say this. It would make her a hypocrite - she hadn't said anything when Jack had announced that he would go and ask Daniel to help them. Well, she had voiced some concern, but she hadn't stopped him.

So she smiled at the two when they entered the meeting room. "Hi, Daniel! Hi, Sha're! Jack!"

Catra just waved from where she was sitting - and she had once again propped her feet on the table!

"Hi, Adora." Daniel smiled and nodded at them.

"Hello." Sha're sounded a little shy. And she was avoiding Adora's eyes - no, she was looking around in the room. "This is your office?"

"Ah, no, that's a meeting room. I was just doing some work here while waiting for you," Adora explained. And then wanted to wince - this sounded like Daniel and Sha're should have hurried.

"It's her second office, actually," Jack said. "Not officially, but she's so often in here, they stopped using it for anything else."

Adora winced at that. She had noticed that the minibar had been stocked with all the drinks she and the others preferred, and this was the meeting room they always used for, well, meetings with their friends, but… "Really? Shouldn't I have been told that?" Or asked, actually?

"It's the mark of a good staff and aide that such things are done without bothering the commander. It's not your job to worry about your office," Jack said.

"Yeah." Catra agreed. "Let people do their job and do yours." She flashed her fangs and added: "Unless they screw up, of course. Then, you need to straighten them out. But they've been doing well so far."

Adora frowned at her lover. That was… well, not wrong, but the way she said it was not too nice. But they had other things to worry about than their offices. Though if this was her meeting room, then maybe she could get a few things installed that would… Later, she reminded herself. "Anyway, please sit down. And thank you for interrupting your vacation."

Daniel shrugged. "Jack was very persuasive."

What? She glared at Jack. "He said he would ask you if you could help us!"

"Hey! That's what I did!" Jack pouted for a moment, then frowned at Daniel. "I didn't push you!"

Daniel grinned in return. "I didn't say that. But you did lay out our problems with the Asgard quite clearly. And it seems our relations with them are currently strained."

"Well, so it seems," Adora agreed. "We don't actually know what they will do. Or think of us." Though they had some ideas…

"But Thor was pissed when he left, and not without reason," Catra added.

"So I've heard. And I've read the reports on our flight here," Daniel said. He sighed. "I am not sure if things would have gone differently if I had been there. Both Thor and Loki seemed set in their views."

"But they're brothers!" Adora protested. They just needed to realise that! "Thor is biased against Loki because of their past, but both want what's best for their species."

"But they don't agree on what's best for the Asgard," Daniel retorted. "In fact, Thor seems to think that Loki's vision would be a catastrophe even if Loki succeeded. So, it's not just about Loki's past, uh, deeds. Misdeeds."

"You mean his crimes," Catra cut in. "We did catch him trying to fake a Replicator outbreak to fool the rest of the Asgard, remember?"

Yes, Adora knew that. Loki had tried to trick his people. That wasn't very remorseful - but he was desperate to save his species.

"Yes. And Thor and the other Asgard remain unaware of that," Daniel said.

Catra nodded. "If Thor knew about that, he probably would've been angrier."

"I'm not sure it would have mattered - he was already fuming," Jack said.

"You can always get angrier," Catra objected. "He wasn't attacking us or swearing vengeance or anything."

Adora sighed. That was another secret that would cause trouble when it would be revealed. "We should never have hidden that we're working with Loki."

"We don't have a duty to tell the Asgard everything," Catra said. "It's not as if they told us anything."

"But this concerns them," Adora pointed out.

"We don't know what they do that might concern us." Catra shrugged. "They do control planets with humans who were taken from Earth. You could argue that that is not very honest either."

"You could, but pointing out wrongs on the other side doesn't often help with making things right," Daniel said. "Sometimes, not even when you do it to help fix what's wrong. Certainly not when it's used to defend your own faults."

Adora nodded. That was true!

"So, what do you suggest? Sell out Loki?" Catra asked. "That would be breaking our deal with him."

"We won't do that to him! He was dealing in good faith with us!" Adora protested.

"As far as we know," Jack said.

And Catra nodded. As did Sha're, who had been very quiet so far.

Adora frowned. They couldn't assume the worst of everyone!

Daniel cleared his throat. "There's a few things we need to consider - and we need to talk to Loki. I think."

*****​

Research Station Alpha, The First Moon of Enchantment, November 22nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"I fail to see why you should even entertain the notion of contacting the Asgard again before we have finished our project. My stubborn brother has made his opinion clear, and experience proves he will not budge."

Samantha Carter rolled her eyes at Loki's words. It wasn't very diplomatic, but she didn't care any more. He had exhausted her patience.

"His opinion, which was clearly influenced by his personal, ah, issues with you," Daniel said - Loki hadn't exhausted his patience. "We don't know that the High Council shares it."

"He would not dare eat a meal without the permission of the High Council, much less refuse the salvation of our species without the High Council's agreement." Loki sniffed. "I've told you this before."

"Yes, but how can he know what the High Council will think when they have not yet been informed about this project? By now, he will have told them, of course, but back then, he had not yet been able to do that, so he was acting based on assumptions - and you told us yourself that his assumptions were wrong, didn't you?" Daniel smiled.

"I did, but that was about his assumptions about me, not about the High Council." Loki sounded petulant.

"And yet, both are assumptions." Daniel shrugged. "In any case, I doubt that it will do any harm if we contact the Asgard. Any additional harm, at least."

"They might construct this as another attempt to interfere with their precious Asgard destiny and take offence." Loki sneered.

If Sam hadn't already known that he had deeply-rooted issues with his brother and the High Council, and probably the rest of the Asgard as well, this would prove it. Loki was usually at least acting calm and collected, in control of everything. Now, he was showing more emotions in a day than he had during all of her visits before put together.

"That wouldn't make any sense!" Entrapta protested. "We have only talked to you and Thor, so it's just logical that we would want another opinion to ensure we have all the data we need to make a decision about the Asgard."

"Unfortunately, many of those who should be making decisions based on rational thinking seem to lack the capacity for it," Hordak commented.

"Exactly!" Loki nodded sharply. "My former peers are letting their emotions rule them! And base emotions such as fear and pride, at that!"

Look who's talking, Sam thought. Out loud, she said: "They are acting based on past experience. That's not irrational."

"It's science," Entrapta agreed. "Unless you're unwilling to alter your views based on new data. Then you're not acting like a scientist should."

"Exactly!" Loki repeated himself. "In the past, my projects failed due to lack of support. This time, with your support, I will succeed!"

At least you didn't say: 'I cannot fail, only be failed!', Sam thought. But based on Loki's past comments, that was likely what he felt.

"So we hope," Daniel said with a smile.

Sha're, though, who had been silent until now, shook her head. "Failure is always possible. Something that the false gods often fail to accept or understand."

"Do not compare me to those parasites! They are mere scavengers, stealing the technology of their betters to fool the gullible into worshipping them as gods!" Loki hissed.

To Sam's surprise, Sha're didn't flinch. "If you don't want me to compare you to them, do not act in a way that reminds me of them." She looked at Daniel. "The Tau'ri and the Etherians are helping you. They are even risking a conflict with your own people for you. The least you can do to repay them is to show some respect for those not so fortunate. The followers of the false gods are not gullible - they have been raised from childhood to worship them as gods. That is not something you easily overcome."

Loki scoffed. "To mistake mere technology - and often not very impressive technology at that - for supernatural or divine power is the sign of a… naive mind."

"That is not true," Daniel interjected, a bit more sharply than Sam was used to from him. "You cannot expect people who have never been taught science to question their beliefs when they have no reason to do so. The Goa'uld posing as gods act exactly like the gods they pose as are said to act. By now, they have been able to mould their follower's faith. Their dogmas have been entrenched for millennia. This kind of conditioning cannot easily be overcome. You would need to teach them about technology first and show them that what they consider divine power is something they could duplicate with the right tools - and that requires a lot of effort as well."

Loki scoffed. "That may be so, but the High Council has no such excuse. They were not raised in ignorance, yet revel in it anyway."

"Then that is one more reason to contact them," Daniel said. "How can we hope that they will change their opinion if we do not give them the opportunity to learn more?"

Loki glared at him. He really couldn't stand losing, whether an argument or anything else, Sam thought.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, November 23rd, 1999

"...and the police have not yet commented on whether or not they will resume the investigation. While no sign of foul play has been discovered, several relatives of Jones want the authorities to investigate 'curses and other foul magic', claiming that the pile-up near Dallas wasn't caused by Jones' 'brake-checking' a truck but 'evil outside interference'. The new Attorney General of Texas hasn't commented on the case yet, though, with the autopsy results showing that Jones was inebriated at the time of the accident, it seems unlikely that they will resume the investigation."

"Thank you, Carl. While the Dallas case seems like a non-starter, it is not the only case where the police are faced with claims that magic was used in a harmful way. With increasing signs that Earth's magic tradition is not quite as flashy as Etheria's, many people are afraid that what would have been dismissed as mere bad luck or a wrong decision a year ago is actually the result of a witch using magic to curse or beguile someone. According to the latest count, three prominent divorce cases are claiming that the alleged infidelity was actually caused by magic influence, and the number of reports that claim someone was 'roofied with magic' is growing quickly. Some politicians are already calling for literal witch-hunts, despite the…"

Catra rolled her eyes and switched channels. "Took them long enough to find new excuses for their own faults," she muttered as a laundry ad started to play.

"What did you say?" Adora asked, looking up from her magazine.

"They're blaming 'witches' for their problems," Catra said. "If nothing's done about this, we might see witch-hunts in the Alliance." Too many other countries already had those - mainly but not limited to those where religious fanatics were in power.

"What?" Adora frowned. "That would go against all agreements! And their own laws!"

Catra shrugged. "Not if they claim they're just investigating criminals. And it's not completely impossible that someone is using magic to hurt someone." If you had the talent and felt you were hurt, why not strike back?

"But…" Adora blinked. "They don't have the sorceresses to investigate such things. How could they tell if magic was used without someone who can do magic?"

"According to the news, by questioning the suspects until they confess. I don't think they mean torture like in the old witch-hunts, but…" Catra shrugged again. Between the religious fanatics who hated all magic and the idiots who thought this was a great opportunity to blame others for their actions, and the examples from other countries…

"We need to do something about this," Adora said, frowning as she put down her magazine and got up from the couch to get back to her desk.

And now I've ruined your break! Catra thought, pressing her lips together.

"...has voiced concerns about the continued growth of the worship of She-Ra. While the movement is most numerous in India, where a small minority claims she should be part of the Hindu pantheon, calls for her canonisation have also been heard in Europe, even though the Vatican has firmly opposed any such proposals. In the Middle East, several fatwas have been issued that…"

Yeah, no, this wasn't the time to tease Adora about her church. Catra switched channels again.

"...and the latest statistics show a concerning trend that, while currently overshadowed by the shift to a war economy, might lead to significant problems in the future as entire industries are rendered obsolete by advanced technology and magic. But it's not all doom and gloom - many experts think that the vast number of underdeveloped planets that are currently controlled by the Goa'uld represents an untapped potential market that will be a boost to…"

"That's what we need," Catra muttered. "Earth colonising the galaxy." Or was that neo-colonising? Was that a word? She snorted and pushed the button again.

"...have vetoed another resolution that condemned the Etherians for their 'aggressive violation of the sovereignty of other countries in a blatant attempt to enforce their imperialistic values on Earth'. Though the widening gap, both in political values and power, between the countries that joined or are associated with the Alliance and the countries that are not part of it, is a concern that needs to be addressed by the United Nations. If the majority of the countries are effectively at the mercy of the West, then that will have repercussions for the entire world and…"

"We need more sorceresses," Adora interrupted the next ad on the television in her office - Earth had way too many of them, and they were far too repetitive once the novelty had worn off, in Catra's opinion. And it had worn off long ago. "Earth needs to be able to investigate and disprove such claims about curses - and deal with the actual curses."

"Send a memo to Castaspella?" Catra suggested. "They might have some sorceresses who don't want to fight in the war but wouldn't mind police work." Not many, though. Not nearly enough.

"That won't be enough. We need sorceresses from Earth." Adora nodded. "We need a training program that actually works. Sending a few students to Mystacore is not enough."

And that was still just in the start-up phase, anyway. "Tell Glimmer to handle it," Catra told her lover. "Between her, Micah and Castaspella, they should be able to figure things out." She didn't add: 'You have other things to do', but she was sure Adora understood it anyway.

Judging by the way Adora pouted at Catra, she did.

*****​

"Hello, Jack!"

"Hello, Anise." Jack O'Neill nodded at the Tok'ra as he entered the meeting room. "Entrapta."

"Hi, Jack!" Entrapta waved at him with her air, nose buried in a tablet in front of her, with two keyboards held by her hair at her sides.

Anise's stance shifted slightly, and Jack knew she was releasing control before she spoke in Freya's voice: "Hello, Jack."

"And hi, Freya." He nodded again. Polite and friendly. The Tok'ra were allies. And Freya was a lovely woman and not quite as focused on having his baby as her counterpart. Her interest in him would have been flattering - but still not wanted - if she weren't a host to a snake.

"How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Oh, you know - the usual. Kicking Goa'uld ass, dealing with paperwork…"

Freya laughed, but it was Anise who answered. "I see. Entrapta has been filling me in on the progress of her cloning research."

"Yes!" Entrapta looked up. "Unfortunately, it's not very useful for the Tok'ra since they need sapient hosts, not just bodies, and we haven't yet solved how to transfer someone's consciousness into a new body, like the Asgard do. Horde Prime knew how to do it - probably better than the Asgard since he did it so quickly and so often, but we lack data about the Asgard's process, except for some comments from Loki, which seem to indicate that it's not a short or easy process. Unfortunately, Horde Prime's data was lost when Adora turned his flagship into a plant, and the Clones didn't know anything about it. They haven't been interested in restoring it, anyway - which is kinda understandable, but still a loss for science. I could ask Loki, I guess, but if he told us how the Asgard do it, then the Asgard might get more annoyed with us and him for taking their secrets or something. Anyway, that's what we're currently doing!"

Jack blinked and tried to digest all that. "So… you're trying to transfer minds?"

Entrapta nodded. "Well, that would be the goal. Though we probably shouldn't do that unless we're sure it won't have side effects on us. We don't know everything we need to know about a person's consciousness yet. I mean, we know how the brain works, and the memories, but we're not sure if that's all or if there's more. Like, can you copy someone's consciousness into a new body and have a copy of the person? Or would something be missing? Or is your consciousness unique, and you can only transfer it but not copy it?" Entrapta shrugged. "I can think of a few experiments that would help with finding out more about it, but they're kinda… questionable?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Questionable?" Anise asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, what if something goes wrong, and we lose the consciousness we want to copy? Or it suffers data loss during the process? It's a very delicate process. And what about magic? Is that tied to your consciousness, or is it tied to your genes? What if your new body lacks the talent? And what if you can copy a consciousness but not their powers?"

"Or what if you can copy someone?" Jack said, smiling thinly and trying not to show his actual thoughts about the whole idea. "Multiple times?"

"Oh!" Entrapta perked up.

"And what about their friends and lovers?" Jack went on before Entrpata could get carried away.

She blinked again, looking at him with her mouth open. "Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be… weird. And a problem."

"I concur. The implications of duplicating someone, and the effects of such actions on their relationships, and society in general, seems rather complicated," Anise said.

"That's one way to say it," Jack said.

"Maybe we should ask Loki if the Asgard have tried that," Entrapta suggested.

"I think we don't want two or more Lokis," Jack said. He could imagine Thor's reaction.

"But they must have thought about it - it's kind of obvious, isn't it?" Entrapta said.

"It might be a cultural taboo - or there might be, as you speculated, reasons why you cannot copy people," Anise said.

That was above his pay grade. Or should be. Jack shook his head. "Best not to rock the boat. We're still dealing with the problems caused by Loki's research into new bodies for the Asgard." And he didn't want to know how the rest of the Alliance and Earth as a whole, would react to Entrapta's speculation about copying people.

Though he'd have to check with Carter about all of this. She would know just how likely all of this speculation was.

And speak of the devil… Carter, Teal'c, Daniel and Sha're entered the room, interrupting the disturbing discussion. Jack checked his watch as greetings were exchanged. Adora, Catra, Glimmer and Bow were still not here for the meeting with Anise. And while arriving just on time was something Catra did, Adora usually was always early. And overprepared, of course. And Glimmer or Bow were never late when they could help it.

So, something was probably up on Etheria.

*****​

"Hello, everyone!" Adora said. She smiled at the others in the room, feeling slightly embarrassed for almost being late. But their discussion about magical training had gone on for a bit longer than expected. And hadn't been very successful - at least, Glimmer hadn't been very optimistic about recruiting more sorceresses for police work instead of the Alliance forces.

But she had to focus on the task at hand now. She took a deep breath and nodded at Anise. "Thank you for coming, Anise and Freya."

"We're allies - and friends," Anise replied. "Of course, we'll come when you need us."

"And when you need us," Adora heard Catra whisper under her breath.

She didn't react, though. "Yes. Do you have more information about the state of Apophis' court and forces?"

Anise nodded. "Our operatives have reported that he's still conducting a purge of his court. He has culled at least a dozen Goa'uld and triple that number of Jaffa for treachery or incompetence - which he seems to use interchangeably."

"Your god cannot fail. He can only be failed," Jack commented.

"And failure is treachery," Daniel added.

"Yes," Teal'c said, nodding. "That is what the false gods teach their followers."

"The loss of his queen has weakened his position. He has taken steps to hide that fact - he has killed the witnesses - but he cannot conceal it forever. Already rumours are spreading that she was hurt during the attack - or that she was behind it," Anise went on.

Adora looked at Sha're. The woman smiled at that, but she looked more resigned than satisfied. Of course, she would have known the other women in Apophis's harem, who had been murdered just for seeing Amaunet being captured.

"That will greatly weaken his position," Sha're said. "Losing his queen is already a heavy blow, but rumours that she betrayed him? And reports of an attack on his palace, with significant damage? His rivals will probe for more weaknesses. And he will have purged some of his senior commanders and subordinates, in addition to those you killed, while his faith in the remaining ones will be shaken as well - and justly so. Most of the Goa'uld serving him will be looking for an opportunity to betray him, and the rest is only loyal out of fear."

"Yes," Anise confirmed. "Our own assessment concurs. Even worse for Apophis, it seems his hold on his Jaffa is weakening as well."

"It is?" Teal'c leaned forward.

Anise nodded. "Our operatives confirmed that some of the surviving Jaffa who have fought you are questioning their god. In secret, of course."

"Do you know why they are doing this? As a rule, Jaffa have been fanatically loyal to their Goa'uld lords," Daniel said.

Anise lanced at Adora. "We are looking into it. We have heard that some of them talk - or whisper - about a 'golden goddess'."

Adora closed her eyes. Not again! "I am no goddess!" she muttered.

"Ah, yes," Daniel said. "Adora returning magic to the planet, and the effects of this action, especially her healing, would be able to shake even a Jaffa's faith. Though I would have expected Apophis to claim this, ah, deed, for his own."

"He tried, but too many Jaffa had witnessed the event, and killing them made even his followers question why he would heal them in the first place only to execute them afterwards." Anise shrugged. "It's too early to say how this will shake out, but it is another problem for Apophis to deal with when he's already dealing with multiple crises."

"That sounds like Apophis is a prime target for an attack," Jack said. "The only question is who will strike at him first - a rival snake or us."

"He still has a tight hold on his forces on other planets; rumours are spreading through his systems, but slowly. And hearsay will not impress people as much as personal experience or at least the testimony of first-hand witnesses," Anise pointed out.

"And we need to settle our problems with the Asgard before we can launch an attack on Apophis," Adora added.

"Ah, yes," Anise nodded. "We don't know much about the Asgard - but the Goa'uld consider them a peer power, at the very least, and respect the treaty with them. Though last we heard, their goals aligned with ours. What happened to change that?"

"Our goals still align with regard to the Goa'uld Empire," Adora said. "As far as we know."

"We don't know much about the Asgard either," Glimmer added. "We only met two of them, but one of them is Thor, the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet and member of their High Council. And he took offence at us helping Loki, who is trying to find a cure for their genetic degradation."

Anise looked surprised. "They do not want your help?"

"They don't trust Loki," Adora explained.

"Apparently, he violated a lot of their laws in the past," Jack said. "And they think we're the same."

"Ah." Anise nodded. "I can see how that would be a problem."

"Hindsight is always 20/20," Jack said with a shrug.

There wasn't much to add to that. They should have been honest from the start.

"So, what are you planning to do?" Anise asked.

"Talk to them and explain that we only want to help them," Adora said.

"With the entire High Council, not just Thor," Glimmer added.

"What if they do not believe you?" Anise leaned forward a little. "And what if they do not want your help? Or Loki's?"

Andora grimaced. "That's a tricky question. They can't forbid Loki from working on this - well, they can, they did, but it's not right. That would be like ordering him to commit suicide since if their genetic degradation continues, he won't be able to get a new body and die."

"And no kingdom has the right to order people to die," Glimmer added.

"Well, there's the death penalty," Jack cut in. "And sometimes, you have to order soldiers to their deaths in a war."

Adora frowned. The death penalty was barbaric. Brutal, cruel and such a waste. But Jack was correct about soldiers in a war - even though she'd do anything to avoid giving such orders, she would do it if there was no other way.

"And even without Loki's past deeds, ah, mudding the water, it's understandable that the Asgard would resent an outsider interfering with them on such a fundamental level," Daniel said. "Loki is trying to define their future - without their approval."

"If they want to die, then why should he listen to them?" Catra asked. "Once they're gone, it doesn't matter to them any more."

"Well, their legacy obviously matters to them," Daniel retorted. "They might consider this an appropriation or usurpation of their species' identity, history and culture. Imagine if this happened to your kingdom." He looked at Glimmer.

Glimmer frowned in return. "I wouldn't want my kingdom to die rather than change."

"Life means change," Bow added. "Nothing can last without adapting and changing."

"The Asgard tried, in a way at least," Sam said. "They have been transferring their consciousnesses into new bodies." She frowned.

Daniel nodded. "That would make it likely that their society is deeply conservative and inherently opposed to changes. Even at the cost of their own and their species' existence."

"It might be why they are facing extinction in the first place," Sha're spoke up. "On a fundamental level, they stopped changing, stopped adapting - stopped evolving."

Adora nodded. That made sense. She noted that Sam seemed surprised by Sha're's words.

*****​

Sha're is more eloquent than I expected, Samantha Carter thought - and immediately felt ashamed for the assumption. Just because the other woman had been raised on Abydos didn't mean that she would be… simple might be a good word. She had been married and living with Daniel since the first Stargate mission, after all, and Sam knew how prone to lecturing Daniel was. And then Sha're had been possessed by Amaunet for years. Of course, she would have picked up more than just intel while she had been a prisoner in her own body. Sam knew from personal experience that if all you could do was observe, you did that - even though, sometimes, you'd rather not.

That didn't mean she was right, of course. "That seems a bit philosophical," Sam said.

Sha're looked at her, but Daniel replied before she could: "It is - but that doesn't mean we should dismiss the idea."

"It's not a philosophical point," Sha're said, frowning a little. "If you are no longer concerned with evolving, merely with maintaining the current state, you tend to grow lax as familiarity breeds contempt. Without a challenge, you don't rise above your current level."

"That sounds like a description of the Goa'uld," the General cut in. "They've been keeping things the same for thousands of years."

"Not quite," Anise retorted. "While they might not have advanced their technology very much, which would support your assessment, their internal struggles did keep them from growing too complacent. One also has to consider that due to their inherent traitorous nature, any technological advantage gained by one System Lord tends to be quickly stolen and spread to their rivals. So, for extensive research and development to be profitable, a Goa'uld has to not only develop new technology - and advanced enough to render existing technology obsolete - but also build and deploy it in sufficient quantity to overpower their rivals without them noticing that buildup. Sufficient to not only topple the most powerful Goa'uld, namely Ra, but also defeat the coalition of their rivals that would form as soon as their power was revealed. This has been attempted multiple times in the past, with varying degrees of success, but never did it fundamentally change the balance of power under Ra - or Ra himself."

"But Ra's gone for a few years already," the General said.

"And you can be assured that the System Lords have been busy trying to find a decisive advantage over their rivals ever since they didn't have to fear Ra's wrath any more," Anise said. "We have been striking at the research projects that we found - such as that laboratory we sabotaged when we met you."

"But there might be other such projects," the General said. "Wunderwaffen."

"Wunderwaffen?" Anise cocked her head to the side.

"A propaganda term from the Second World War on Earth," Sam told her. "It referred to revolutionary weapons that were meant to change the outcome of the war, although they never were deployed in numbers high enough to actually have a significant effect on the war."

"Ah."

"So, let's hope that whatever the snakes are working on in secret follows that example," the General said.

"The sooner we strike at the Go'auld, the less time they have to develop new weapons," Glimmer said.

"But as soon as we reveal ourselves, they will have a reason to band together against us," Adora cautioned.

"What's Apophis working on?" Anise asked, looking at Sha're.

"He did not share all he was plotting with Amaunet," she replied. "She was privy to some secret troop deployments but not to any such research projects. If she had been, she might have tried to gain control over it to topple him."

"You've received that intel already," the General told Anise with a slight frown.

Sam pressed her lips together at the implications as well. They wouldn't hide that kind of information from their allies - especially not their allies with the best spy network in the Goa'uld Empire.

Anise nodded. "We digress. We were talking about the Asgard."

"Right." Adora nodded. "We'll have to meet with them. Explain our point of view."

"And without Loki there," Catra added.

Sam agreed. Loki wouldn't like that, but as the meeting with Tor had shown, if they wanted the High Council to listen to them, they couldn't have Loki interfere. And his mere presence would escalate matters if Thor's reaction was an example of the general view of the Asgard.

"Is this a meeting between the Alliance and the Asgard? Or Etheria and the Asgard?" Anise asked.

That was a good question. The agreement with Loki was, technically, between the Princess Alliance - or Bright Moon - and Loki, but SG-1 had been present as well, and it wasn't as if representatives of Earth had protested when they had been informed about it. However, they likely wouldn't have realised the consequences of the deal at the time. And while the Tok'ra, Earth and Etheria were in an Alliance against the Goa'uld, Sam doubted that the Asgard would draw that distinction. On the other hand, the Asgard might consider the Tok'ra just another faction of the Goa'uld.

"I think it would be best if you were present as well," Adora said, smiling. "So they won't feel that we're hiding something else."

"Well, we're not going to reveal our military secrets to them, I hope," the General commented in a joking tone that didn't quite hide his concern - at least to Sam.

"Of course not!" Adora said.

"But we would want some representatives of Earth with us as well, then," Daniel said. "I mean, representatives other than us. Elected ones."

"Of course," Glimmer said. Though the way she looked at Adora, Sam couldn't help thinking that they would much prefer to handle this with SG-1 and the Tok'ra.

"Great, more politicians," the General muttered.

"I was thinking more about diplomats," Daniel said.

"Same thing," the General retorted. "They'll mess this up."

"I wouldn't go that far," Daniel said.

"I would," the General insisted.

"I'm sure we can find a reasonable diplomat or two on Earth," Glimmer said.

Catra scoffed. "You remember our tour of the United Nations, do you?"

"That was the United Nations. We're talking about the Alliance countries," Glimmer replied. But she did look a little unsure, in Sam's opinion.

"They will send a delegation, I think," Daniel said. "So every major member of the Alliance is represented."

"So… at least four? With assistants?" Glimmer shook her head. "That won't work."

"Well…" Daniel shrugged. "Etheria's represented by all of you." He nodded at Adora, Glimmer, and the others.

Glimmer had the grace to blush, Sam noted. But she shook her head anyway. "Technically, it's just me for Bright Moon and Adora for the Alliance as a whole."

"Ad me as a science expert," Entrapta said with a smile.

"Then the countries of Earth could claim the same," Daniel said.

"We'll ask them to send a delegation," Adora said. "It's only fair."

"Great," the General muttered.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Best of luck to Daniel.... he's gonna need it.

Click to shrink...

Daniel: If only people would listen!

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 117: The Asgard Question Part 4

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, November 25th, 1999

Catra wasn't impressed by the Alliance delegation from Earth - the official Alliance delegation, at least. Four diplomats, one each from the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, with their assistants. At least they didn't have guards with them - it was already a huge delegation. "A few more, and we would outnumber the Princess Alliance meetings," she muttered as she leaned against the railing leading to the Stargate.

Glimmer, on her left, snorted at that. Adora, on Catra's right, didn't.

"Maybe we could lose them on the way? Have the gate malfunction and send them somewhere else?" Catra suggested.

Glimmer chuckled, and Adora finally reacted: "Catra!"

"I think that would be possible," Entrapta said. "We would have to shut the gate down and then dial to another address. But I don't think we could do that accidentally."

"Catra was joking," Adora told her.

"Ah."

"It's still too many people in the delegation," Glimmer said. "At least they agreed that they couldn't all have a say in the actual talks. But they'll badger us between the meetings."

"And some of them will want to speak up anyway, I bet," Catra said. The US Secretary of State, for one - the man didn't strike her as being content to observe in silence. And if he spoke, the other three diplomats would want to speak as well. They could only hope that the man's assistant would be able to control him - but the woman was an unknown; at least the Princess Alliance had no records of a Dr Weir talking with them, and she hadn't been part of Stargate Command either.

"Well, yes. For all their talk about democracies being different from kingdoms, their leaders have the same egos as princesses," Glimmer said.

"You would know." Catra grinned when Glimmer frowned at her.

"Catra!" Adora hissed again. "They're coming over!"

"About time."

But Catra straightened when the Earth delegation approached them. No need to antagonise them from the start. She could wait until they gave her a reason.

Besides, Jack probably had annoyed them already - at least judging by the way he was trying not to grin, and half the diplomats tried not to show their annoyance. Weir, though, looked perfectly composed, Catra noted as everyone greeted each other.

"Alright. Since everyone's here, we can dial to the temporary base," Adora said.

"From which we will travel to the Asgard planet, right?" the Secretary of State asked.

"Yes, once the Tok'ra delegation has joined us," Glimmer told him. "As you were told at the briefing. And it's not actually an Asgard planet - it's a planet under their control, but nominally free."

"Yes, a Viking planet." The man nodded.

"Actually, it's Norse. They don't call themselves Vikings," Daniel added. "That was a term that originally just described a sea journey - at least according to the latest theory. Unfortunately, unless and until we resolve the current tension with the Asgard, we can't contact the Cimmerians to learn more about this. It's a fascinating opportunity to find out more about our own past."

Most of the diplomats smiled politely at that, Catra noted. They probably didn't like the fact that Daniel would be talking directly to the Asgard. Well, sucked to be them. She trusted Daniel a lot more than she trusted any of them.

"We should have taken a ship there," the American Secretary of State commented. "Show the flag."

"That would take too long. And they might not want to let us visit one of their planets with a spaceship," Jack said.

"And we might not want to show our ships to them at this point," the British diplomat added. "Just in case the negotiations fall through."

"That's why we're not bringing all of our bots with us," Entrapta said. "But we'll take Emily with us - they already saw her. But don't worry; she can keep all of us safe!"

"That didn't seem to reassure the delegation as much as Entrapta thought it would, Catra noticed.

Well, that's not my problem, Catra thought as the Stargate began to dial.

*****​

Gate Area, Cimmeria, November 25th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"As often as we visit here, we might as well ask for an embassy," Jack O'Neill commented as he walked down the Stargate's ramp. "Would save us some trips."

"Shouldn't we wait with such plans until we have straightened things with the Asgard?" Daniel asked as he joined Jack. "I don't think they would want us on one of their protected planets if they think we're trying to subvert their species. Of course, even if we manage to smooth out our relations, they might be concerned about our effect on the Cimmerians - our mere presence would affect them unless we completely isolate ourselves, and I think that wouldn't be realistic. The Asgard would have concerns about our influence here - not unreasonable ones, actually, given our history."

Jack snorted. "I was joking, Daniel."

"Ah." Daniel pouted a little - his friend tended to take Jack a bit too seriously - but when Sha're leaned into his side and whispered something into his ear, he quickly brightened.

Jack didn't make a comment about young love or anything. The couple had gone through too much for that to joke about it. And it would make him sound a bit jealous. Not that he was jealous, of course - he was perfectly happy with his current life. Mostly.

"The Asgard's sensors do not seem to have been upgraded since our last visit, sir," Carter reported.

He nodded. He had expected that - it hadn't been too long, after all. It was still a good sign, though. If the Asgard had upgraded the defences here, despite their war against those killer robots, then that would have meant they were pretty concerned about the Alliance. Or about the Goa'uld. Either possibility would have been bad.

"There's a ship in orbit," Entrapta said. She was looking at the sky, her visor down and slightly glowing.

"Can you spot it from here?" Jack asked.

"Yes. But Emily detected it first and then fed me her sensor data so I knew where to look. I could have spotted it without Emily's help, but it would have taken me longer. And my visor's software isn't as good at getting target data at that range as Emily's - it's mostly optimised for short-range analysis. And, of course, eye protection!"

The bot bringing up the rear of their delegation - which was too big for Jack's taste - beeped.

He nodded. He wasn't happy with revealing such information where they knew the Asgard were listening, but Adora wanted to be as honest as possible to rebuild trust. Jack doubted it would work - Thor probably thought that was an act or misinformation.

Well, Jack could live with that. He glanced at their guests.

The diplomats looked around like tourists, not quite gaping but clearly out of their element. The Secretary of State was bending over to look at a patch of grass. "This looks exactly like grass back home," he commented.

"That is grass from Earth, sir," Carter told him. "Genetic analysis showed that it was taken from Earth - Scandinavia, actually - at roughly the same time as the Cimmerians were moved here. If it had been introduced by the Ancients when they built the Stargate, the genetic drift would have been more significant. It was in the briefing."

The man straightened and frowned at her. Probably annoyed at the implication that he hadn't read through all the files provided to them. Well, Jack hadn't read them in-depth either. He trusted Carter to tell him about stuff like that if it became important.

"It's a reminder that the Goa'uld were not the only ones to operate on Earth in the past," Weir said. "Both them and the Asgard took humans from their homes and settled them on alien planets."

Jack grinned. That was a nice dig at the Asgard. They might complain about Loki's plans, but they didn't have a lily-white vest either when it came to manipulating another species. Weir was sneakier than he had first thought - then again, the US government wouldn't send dull people on this mission. "Well, everybody's here! So…" He cleared his throat. "Earth to Asgard, anyone home?"

"You're early."

That sounded like Thor. Quite a bit ruder than last time, too.

"Hi, Thor! Better early than late. If you're not ready, we can wait." Jack shrugged. "I brought my Game Boy."

The Secretary of State coughed at that, but Jack ignored him as he ignored the snorts and chuckles from his friends.

"That will not be necessary. We require that you allow us to scan you for prohibited and dangerous items."

"We're here to talk to you, not to fight you," Adora said, frowning. "But didn't you scan us as soon as we arrived?"

That was how their anti-snake defence system worked, after all.

"Prepare to be scanned." Apparently, Thor ignored the comment.

Jack looked around, but the gate area hadn't changed. Anise was tense, as expected - they had informed Thor that a Tok'ra would be coming along and had had assurances that she wouldn't be treated as a Goa'uld, but… you could never be sure, could you?

"Oh, the ship's using her scanners!" Entrapta piped up. "Quite powerful ones!"

But were they working at full power? Probably not. They would also be scanned once they arrived at the actual meeting location, before meeting the High Council.

"The machine has to stay behind,"

"Her name is Emily!" Entrapta protested. "And why? She hasn't done anything wrong."

"Her weapon systems make her too dangerous for the meeting."

Jack wondered what Thor would say if he knew how dangerous She-Ra was.

"Emily will guard the gate here," Adora said.

"It's still unfair!" Entrapta pouted. The bot beeped, and she turned to look at it. "You haven't done anything wrong! You aren't able to replicate yourself, so there's no reason to be afraid of you!"

"But we're visiting the Asgard. Their home, their rules," Weir said.

For an assistant, the woman wasn't afraid to speak up. But the rest of the diplomats took that as a sign that they, too, had to comment.

"We can't let this delegation fail merely over a bot," the Secretary of State said.

"And diplomatic meetings are generally conducted without heavy weapons," the German envoy added.

"Generally not, no," the Brit agreed.

"On the other hand, it's also generally understood and accepted that we bring our own security," the French diplomat pointed out.

"We'll leave Emily here," Adora repeated herself.

Entrapta wasn't happy but nodded. Hordak put a hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed a little, Adora saw.

"Good. Stand by for the gate address," Thor announced.

*****​

Gate Area, Undesignated Asgard World, November 25th, 1999 (Earth Time)

This isn't an actual Asgard world, Adora thought as she stepped down the gate ramp. The Stargate was out in the open, not in a building. However, there were defence systems similar to those on Cimmeria - more extensive, though, and not concealed. And two pillars flanked the gate itself - was that an Asgard version of an iris? If they didn't want Emily to come along, they wouldn't risk someone invading the place, either, would they?

As the others arrived behind her, she studied the building ahead of them. It didn't look particularly temporary. Quite sturdy, full stone, but also quite bare. And…

"No trails around the building," Catra commented. "No streets. No landing pads. No sign that anyone used this before."

Exactly. Adora nodded. Of course, with their transporter technology, the Asgard wouldn't need landing pads.

And there was nothing else around them - just an empty plain. Sure, most worlds seemed to avoid settling the area right next to the Stargate - probably to avoid any trouble coming through it - but there usually would be some traces of traffic. In short, as expected, this looked like an empty world that the Asgard had picked for the meeting.

"Any bet how long they'll make us wait?" Jack asked as he joined them.

"Jack! We can't expect an alien culture to have the same customs as Earth - or Etheria," Daniel said. "Rushing a meeting could be a sign of disrespect for the Asgard."

Catra snorted at that. "It would fit Loki's manners," she said. "The way he's always trying to rush things. And he's certainly rude when he thinks he can get away with it."

"Well, you're an expert on rudeness," Glimmer said.

Adora clenched her teeth - this wasn't the time to bicker! - but Catra snorted in return.

"Letting your guests wait at the gate is generally considered rude," Sha're commented. "At least amongst the Goa'uld."

"And the Tok'ra," Anise added.

"We were conducting further scans," a voice sounded from one of the pillars. "Given whom you associate with, it was deemed appropriate to take a cautious approach."

"You could have just talked to us over comms if you're afraid we'll attack you," Entrapta commented. It seemed she was still annoyed at Emily's treatment.

"That would have been rude."

Jack snorted at that. "Well, they haven't lost their humour."

Adora hoped so. They really needed to reach an understanding with the Asgard.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door in the building ahead of them opened, and an Asgard appeared. Thor - or someone who looked more like Thor than Loki. It was a bit hard to tell them apart without closer observation. Or when they weren't together.

"The Asgard High Council welcomes you and bids you to enter." The voice sounded like Thor's.

"Great!" Adora smiled at him.

They entered the building, which was basically one big room with two long tables facing each other and a big screen on the wall. There were two more Asgard sitting behind the table facing the door.

Thor nodded to them. "These are Freyr and Penegal, members of the Asgard High Council."

Adora smiled at them and introduced herself and the others. Though she couldn't help feeling a bit awkward - they outnumbered the Asgard delegation by so many! Maybe they should have limited their numbers…

"Please have a seat," Thor said as he sat down. "We represent the High Council."

As they took their seats, Adora wondered if the rest of the High Council was watching through cameras or if they were trusting the entire meeting to those three. It didn't matter - they were here, and they could finally sort this out.

"Thank you for receiving us," she said, standing up and nodding at them once everyone was seated. "We're here to discuss the situation with Loki and, so we hope, straighten things out between the Asgard and the Alliance. We do not wish any harm on you."

"And yet, you not only shelter a criminal but give him support so he can continue to break our laws," Thor said.

That wasn't a good start. "He asked for help with the genetic degradation you suffer from," Adora said. "Why wouldn't we help him if we can?"

"Because he is a criminal," Thor said.

Freyr raised his hand. "Did you verify his claims?"

Adora nodded. "We did confirm the genetic degradation." Once Loki had arrived on the Third Moon of Enchantment, at least.

"And that was enough for you to trust him?" Penegal asked.

"Yes." Adora nodded again. "Enough to help him."

The Asgard exchanged glances.

"We have him under close observation," Glimmer added. "We're aware of the risks of such experiments."

"Risks such as the creation of Horde Prime," Thor said. He and the others looked at Hordak.

"Yes."

"And yet, you did not contact us." Freyr inclined his head.

"No, we didn't," Adora admitted. Perhaps they should have. But that would have felt like betraying Loki's confidence.

"Why not?" Penegal leaned forward. "Were you aware that he was a wanted criminal?"

Adora raised her chin. "We assumed that. But he asked for help, and we think everyone deserves a chance to change."

"Everyone?" Freyr tilted his head to the side.

"Everyone." Adora nodded firmly.

"Even the Goa'uld?"

"Even them, yes." Adora didn't flinch.

"And yet, according to your claims, you destroyed Horde Prime," Thor cut in.

"We gave him a chance as well," Adora told him.

"And he forced our hand," Glimmer added.

The Asgard exchanged glances again. Adora wished she could read them better.

Freyr turned back to her. "Putting this policy of yours aside for the moment, sheltering a wanted criminal does not seem to be a friendly act. Doubly so if you help him to commit the same actions that made him a wanted criminal in the first place."

That was… Well, it made sense when seen like that from the Asgard's point of view. But it was still wrong!

Daniel spoke up. "I think that depends on what exactly those actions you condemn Loki for are. We haven't been informed about his crimes yet."

Except for the faked Replicator outbreak that Loki had been planning, Adora thought with a pang of guilt.

"You are aware that he created Horde Prime," Thor said. "His reckless, illegal experiments endangered everyone - the Asgard and the entire sector. Dozens of sapient species were rendered extinct as a result of Loki breaking our laws. What more do you need to condemn his actions?"

"But Loki didn't intend to do that!" Entrapta blurted out. "He just made a mistake while experimenting, and his lab security procedures were insufficient!"

"That's why he was banned from such experiments," Thor replied. "Because he had already proven before that debacle that he cannot be trusted to take the necessary safety and security precautions."

"But now we are taking those precautions," Entrapta retorted. "So, it's not the same."

"Indeed," Hordak chimed in. "Loki is under strict supervision, and thorough safety standards are enforced. There will be no repeat of Horde Prime's creation."

The Asgard looked at him, but not for long. The Asgard hadn't really said anything about the Clones since the meeting started, Adora realised. And since the Clones were, technically, descendants of Loki and so closely related to the Asgard that their own systems had been fooled once, that was a little weird.

More than a little, actually.

*****​

The Clones were a sore spot for the Asgard. Samantha Carter had suspected it before, but she was now quite sure. The way they avoided looking at Hordak, the way they had skipped the Clones' creation entirely when focusing on Horde Prime's creation, even though, at least from a purely technical point of view, the Clones also were the result of Loki's attempts to solve their genetic degradation problem… It looked like this was something they didn't want to address. Or face.

"So you claim," Thor shot back.

"You have visited the research station," Sam pointed out. "You've seen the measures we take to ensure there will not be another mishap." Although, unless Thor was a scientist as well as a fleet commander, he might not have sufficient skill to judge the effectiveness of the lab's security procedures.

"It is a research base of the Gate Builders - the Ancients or First Ones, as you call them. Their security procedures have not always been up to the challenge that their experiments presented, to say the least," Penegal retorted.

"Feel free to inspect them yourself if you don't trust us," Glimmer cut in with a scowl.

Daniel leaned forward, smiling widely - though a little forcedly, Sam could tell. "And if you feel that the security precautions are insufficient, any suggestions to improve them are welcome. We understand your concerns."

Adora nodded. "We have faced Horde Prime, after all. We have seen what he did and the results of his actions. We don't take this lightly."

"And we aren't Loki," Hordak added.

Once more, the Asgard glanced at him, acknowledging his point without addressing him.

"That is a generous offer," Freyr said. "Although you did not offer to stop his experiments."

"Why would we?" Entrapta asked. "You're in danger of dying out due to your genetic problems, and Loki's trying to fix that. Why should we stop that? We want to help you!"

"Because this is a matter of the Asgard," Freyr replied. "You are outsiders. It is none of your business."

"But Loki is an Asgard as well," Daniel pointed out.

"One who is breaking our laws by these experiments," Thor said. "With your help."

"Your laws do not apply to our worlds," Glimmer retorted. "We're not your subjects."

"This is true," Freyr said, nodding. "But this is not a mere legal matter. By supporting him and his experiments, even if, as you claim, you have taken sufficient measures to render them safe, you are directly intervening in an Asgard matter against the will of the High Council. This is a direct attack on our sovereignty."

Glimmer frowned at that, Sam noticed.

"But we're trying to help you!" Entrapta repeated herself before anyone else could reply.

"We don't want your help!" Thor snapped. "Nor Loki's. Especially not Loki's."

Entrapta's eyes widened. "But why? You do need help!"

Sam winced. Her friend meant well - and was probably correct - but this wasn't very diplomatic.

"At least, that is our impression," Daniel added. He pushed his glasses up as he looked at the Asgard.

Thor scowled at the implied question. "Our researchers are working on a cure."

"Oh! Can we share data? If we combine our data, we might be able to find a solution together!" Entrapta beamed.

After a glance at Thor and Penegal, Freyr shook his head. "Our efforts are aimed at another solution than Loki's plans."

Sam nodded. "You're working on stopping the degradation. Loki is working on creating a new body." And if they hadn't managed to find a solution yet, it didn't look as if they would succeed in the future.

"A new species," Penegal said with another glance at Hordak. "As he has done before. We wouldn't be Asgard anymore if he succeeded."

"That's debatable," Daniel spoke up again. "What defines you? Your appearance? Your genes? Your history? Your culture? Your values? All of that changes over time. You know that already, thanks to your long history and records."

"It has to," Sha're added. "To live is to change."

That triggered another round of scowls amongst the Asgard, Sam noted.

*****​

Catra caught herself before she nodded in agreement with Sha're, but the woman was correct. If Catra hadn't changed, she doubted she would be alive any more. Or if she were, would want to be. Adapt or die was the rule in war as well. Though, sometimes, you could change for the worse - as Catra had proved in the Horde War.

"It is a matter of degrees," Freyr said after a moment. "Loki's plans are too drastic. They wouldn't make us Asgard anymore. Like the Clones."

He didn't nod at Hordak, Catra noted.

Hordak didn't react to the declaration. Cata had half-expected him to say that the Clones didn't want to be Asgard anyway. Although… was that actually true? She didn't know. The Clones had broken with Horde Prime, arguably their parent, even if he called them brothers, and Loki, who could be considered the Clones' grandparent, genetically at least, hadn't endeared himself to anyone - least of all the Clones; he hadn't really hidden that he lumped them in with Horde Prime.

But would that attitude towards Horde Prime and Loki extend to the rest of the Asgard?

"You can't just deny that your children are your children! That's not how genetics work!" Entrapta, who had been gaping at the Asgard, blurted out.

"The mere fact that Asgard DNA was used in the creation of a life form doesn't make the result an Asgard," Freyr retorted. "Not even if the result is a sapient life form. To be an Asgard means more than mere genetics."

Daniel cocked his head to the side. "But what does it mean, being Asgard? You haven't answered that. And I think that's an important question for this discussion."

"To be an Asgard, you not only have to share our genome but also our culture and values," Thor stated.

"Now, where did I hear that before?" Catra heard Jack mutter.

"Oh, like the Tok'ra and the Go'auld?" Entrapta turned to Anise. "You are biologically the same, well, except for your genetic memory, which is different, but that's different amongst individuals anyway - but you don't consider each other a member of the same species."

Anise frowned but nodded. "Yes. To be Tok'ra is not a matter of mere biology."

"Ah."

The Asgard didn't show any reaction to the comparison. At least not one Catra could spot.

Daniel pushed his glasses up. "Does that mean Loki isn't an Asgard any more? You claim that he doesn't share your values."

Freyr inclined his head. "That has been debated by the High Council."

"But you haven't ruled that he isn't an Asgard any more," Daniel said, nodding. "Does that mean there were such cases in the past?"

Penegal tensed at that, Catra noted, and Thor and Freyr glanced at each other before the former said: "That is not germane to this discussion."

Which meant 'yes' in Catra's book. Interesting. As interesting as the fact that they hadn't expelled Loki from their species.

Daniel nodded. "So, Loki's actions so far were not enough to, ah, remove his Asgard citizenship…"

"His Asgard Club membership," Jack cut in with a grin.

"...but you don't consider the Clones Asgard. Is that based on their genetic makeup? If they shared your culture, would you consider them Asgard?" Daniel asked with a side glance at Jack.

"The question is moot since they don't share our culture, values and heritage," Freyr said.

"We don't know your culture, values and heritage," Hordak said. "Do you know ours?"

"We know Horde Prime didn't share our culture and values," Penegal replied. "And we haven't shared them with you."

"Loki might have," Catra said. When everyone stared at her, she shrugged. "He hasn't, but what if he decides to do that with his next children?"

"Loki is not a representative of the Asgard," Thor snapped.

"Yet you have not purged him from the Asgard," Daniel pointed out.

"He is a criminal. Would you want your criminals to shape your children?" Freyr asked.

Literally, in this case, Catra thought with a soft snort.

"What if you could shape his children?" Daniel asked.

"What do you mean?" Freyr asked.

Daniel smiled. "You don't want Loki to claim Asgard's future. You claim he doesn't respect your culture and values. What if you could instil your values in his, ah, children? By raising them?"

"As long as you haven't forgotten how to raise children," Jack said in a low voice, followed by Sam's hissed "Sir!".

He was right, but in Catra's opinion, pretty much anyone would probably be a better parent than Loki. Well, with the exception of Horde Prime or Shadow Weaver, of course.

The Asgard were looking at each other again. They seemed to be surprised. At least, that was Catra's impression. Hadn't they thought of that? To be fair, she hadn't thought of that either.

"The question of their genetic makeup remains," Freyr said.

"And Loki plans for them to reproduce sexually," Thor added.

"As an option," Sam retorted. "The Asgard did so in the past, didn't they?"

"In the distant past," Penegal said. He didn't quite shudder, but his tone hinted at it.

But they didn't seem to reject Daniel's idea straight away. That was a good sign.

Probably.

Of course, whether Loki would agree with this proposal was up in the air. Shadow Weaver would never have agreed to relinquish control like that. And Catra didn't think Loki was too different.

*****​

Well, Daniel is delivering, Jack O'Neill thought. He got the Asgard thinking about his idea, at least. And that was no mean feat with aliens that made even the Amish look like rabid progressives or something. No, that is unfair to the Amish, he corrected himself. Amish teenagers looked at new things and even experienced them before they returned to their permanent Renaissance Fair-lifestyle. The Asgard, though, seemed stuck in their ways. Superglued and welded to them. And digging in their heels at the hint of the slightest change.

At least, that was his impression. Of course, they had only met four Asgard so far - three members of their government and one renegade - so Jack might be completely wrong about the average Asgard. He didn't think he was, though.

"So, will you entertain the proposal?" Daniel was beaming at the Asgard.

"We will have to discuss this with the High Council," Freyr said.

Jack was reminded of the tone parents used when they didn't want to tell their kids 'no' straight away. He had used it himself, back when… And he shut that line of thought down before it grew painful.

"Of course." Daniel nodded, still smiling.

"Do you need more data? We have the latest data and projections!" Entrapta piped up. She, too, was beaming.

Jack suppressed a sigh. They were too optimistic. Idealistic. Hordak, at least, looked as grouchy as ever. And Sha're seemed to be more pessimistic as well - her smile looked more bland. Polite, rather than heartfelt. Like the diplomats'.

Jack glanced at them. So far, they had been surprisingly silent. He had expected them to try and take over the negotiations, or at least say something just to feel important. But either they knew enough not to break the Alliance's united front in public, or they had been instructed not to make the Etherians mad.

Or, he added when he looked at Weir in particular, who was studying the Asgard with the same expression Entrapta looked at anything dangerous, they were here to gather information for their governments.

Probably a mix of both.

"No, thank you."

Entrapta frowned. "But how can you make an informed decision if you don't have all the data you need?"

"This is a matter of principle," Thor told her. "And, as such, it should not be influenced by details."

Now, that was a weird way to look at things.

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked. "You said this was a crucial matter for your people. Shouldn't you know what you are refusing or accepting?"

Freyr glanced at Hordak before answering: "Before we decide whether or not we would consider the… results of Loki's experiments as potential Asgards, we have to decide if we are open to the basic idea of incorporating new members in the first place."

Jack frowned. That sounded like…

"Does that mean you have stopped reproducing at all?" Carter asked. "Even asexually?"

Once again, the Asgard hesitated, which was answer enough in Jack's book.

"So, you have to decide whether you want to survive in the first place?" Entrapta blinked. "Because if you don't reproduce any more, even if you fix your genetic problems and continue to clone your bodies, you will die out in the long term just from accidents alone. Though, depending on how cautious you are, it might take a long, long time."

The Asgard were fighting a war - a war that, while being won, was fought hard, as far as Jack knew. And people died in war. So, it didn't seem like the Asgard were being as cautious as they could be.

"As we said before, the fate of the Asgard will be decided by the Asgard. Not by anyone else," Thor said.

"But…"

Entrapta was interrupted by Hordak putting his hand on her shoulder. "If they chose to die out, then that is their decision," he said.

All three Asgard seemed surprised by that. Freyr nodded slowly at the clone with what seemed like his first genuine smile.

"But what if some of you dissent?" Glimmer asked. "Will you split then?"

"That is also a decision that will be made by the Asgard and no one else," Freyr said. "Not by outsiders and not by renegades."

And we're back to square one, Jack thought. The Asgard hadn't come out and said that they would force Loki into a collective suicide - if you could call stopping reproduction and waiting for their genes to fail that - but they also hadn't said they wouldn't do it.

On the other hand, at least they hadn't threatened the Alliance with war so far. They hadn't threatened them at all, actually, he realised - and if Loki's experiments were as important for them as they claimed, Jack would have expected some rumbling along those lines.

But did the lack of such sabre rattling mean that the Asgard weren't considering it, or did it mean that they couldn't afford it at this stage of their war with the robots and didn't want to bluff and risk Loki calling them out - or the Alliance calling their bluff?

They had a lot to discuss in the upcoming break.

*****​

Temporary Base, Gate Area, PZ-1875, November 25th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Taking a break from negotiations on another planet is something new, I'll say," the British diplomat said as they stepped down the gate ramp inside their temporary base. "To think we were complaining about long distances at the United Nations in New York!"

Everyone chuckled at that. Adora did so as well - though mostly because she realised that this had become normal for her. If you could travel to another planet more easily and faster than to another city, why not do it?

"It also improves security," the American Secretary of State commented. "We won't have to worry about bugs in our quarters here."

That meant he didn't trust the Asgard not to install listening devices in whatever quarters they might provide for their guests. That was… Well, Adora liked to think the best of potential allies, but she couldn't say it was wrong to be cautious. She glanced at Catra as they approached the quarters that had been prepared in the base for them. Her lover would eavesdrop on others in a heartbeat if she thought it was justified. Or if they weren't careful enough and underestimated how good her ears were.

"Welcome to Forward Base 1875, Ma'am." The officer in charge of the guards saluted her.

Adora returned the salute. "Anything to report?"

"No, Ma'am. Your quarters have been prepared as ordered."

"Hope they didn't forget the fish snacks this time!" Catra commented behind Adora.

The officer didn't react, so either they had prepared Catra's favourite snacks or thought she was joking.

They had prepared the snacks, Adora discovered a moment later when Catra made a beeline to the small buffet waiting for them inside.

"It feels a bit of a waste to erect a temporary base for a single diplomatic mission," the German diplomat, Häckler, commented as the group spread out a bit and sat down at the table in the centre, with a few headed to the bathrooms in the back.

"It's safer this way, sir," Sam told him. "The Asgard know of this world because we travelled here from their meeting place, so if we had a permanent base here, it would be compromised."

"Yes," Glimmer chimed in. "Besides, it's not much of a waste - and good training for the troops who will be setting up such bases during the offensive."

"It's a bit like the Roman Legions," the Secretary of State commented. "They erected a fortified camp every evening on the march."

That had been two thousand years ago, Adora thought while Daniel told them a bit more about this, correcting the diplomat's general statement. It was weird how some things never changed.

"Anyway," Glimmer spoke up again when everyone had grabbed a drink and some snacks. "What are your impressions of the Asgard?"

"They're very conservative," the American Secretary of State said. "It seems they don't want to change, not even if it costs them their lives."

Some nodded in agreement, though not all.

"And their decision-making procedures are suspect," Entrapta complained. "They didn't want more data."

"I think they don't trust us," Sam commented. "Because the data comes from Loki."

"He probably sold them a load of goods before," Jack said, nodding. "Promised them the sky and delivered a turd. A bit like it usually goes with new weapons," he added with a grin.

"They do seem very wary," Daniel agreed. "Unwilling to extend us much, if any, trust."

The American assistant cleared her throat. "Or this could be motivated by internal politics," Weir pointed out. "The High Council might be facing internal opposition who would use such information to push for a change of policy that the High Council doesn't want."

Daniel tilted his head. "We don't know much about their political structure, but according to Loki's information, the High Council is composed of the Asgard with the highest ranks and status - an oligarchy of sorts, possibly meant to be a Council of the Wise."

"They don't look like elves," The British diplomat commented with a smile.

"A reference to Tolkien's works," Daniel explained.

"Ah." Adora nodded, even though it didn't tell her much.

"We don't know if they are facing a popular movement," Daniel went on. "They do seem a very conservative species - understandable, of course, since all of them live for thousands of years."

"They could also have dissenters within the High Council," Weir retorted. "The information Loki provided was a little scant on the makeup of the council."

And quite biased, in Adora's opinion.

"It's all conjecture, though," Häckler said. "We don't know enough to tell. This complicates the negotiations."

"They haven't been very aggressive, though," Weir said. "They seemed to argue more on moral grounds. They didn't raise potential diplomatic or even military consequences. Though that could be based on their experiences with the Alliance representatives."

Adora blinked. What did the woman mean?

"You think they know that we react better to such arguments than we would to threats?" Jack asked with a glance at Adora.

"They are a very old species, and we know they have a treaty with the Goa'uld, so they aren't unused to diplomacy. I think it would be prudent not to underestimate them," Weir said. "They might know more about us than we think - either through deductions from their interactions with us or through other means."

That was a good point, Adora had to admit. She had thought the Asgard didn't trust them because they didn't know them, but if they thought they knew more about the Alliance…

Anise nodded. "They are an old species, and they have met many other species. If they were inexperienced at diplomacy, they would not have maintained their position as a power the Goa'uld do not want to provoke - they would have appeared weak and easily fooled and been considered a source of more advanced technology instead."

"Some of the System Lords might see them as that," Sha're said. "Though they might not have taken actual steps to acquire Asgard technology, many would attempt it if they thought there was an opportunity to do so."

"But as far as you know, they haven't done so despite having met the Asgard thousands of years ago?" Weir asked.

"Not according to Apophis," Sha're replied.

"So, Thor's sneakier than he appeared." Glimmer shrugged. "It doesn't change much. We are here to show them we're not a threat to them."

"But we are a threat to them - at least to some of them," Daniel objected. "We challenge their entire society. Well, Loki does, but we're helping him."

Adora pressed her lips together. This was so frustrating - they just wanted to help the Asgard! "We have to clear this up," she said. They were making plans based on speculation, and that wasn't a good thing.

Honesty was the best policy.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 118: The Asgard Question Part 5

Temporary Base, Gate Area, PZ-1875, November 25th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"If we're exploring options," the Secretary of State spoke up just as Samantha Carter wondered if she could focus on a few calculations on her laptop instead of the talk about diplomacy, "then maybe we should ask why you want to help them."

Sam winced at that.

"What do you mean?" Adora asked. "They need help!"

"But they don't want help," the man went on. "They made that clear. The easiest way to settle things with them would be to honour their wishes."

"That would break our agreement with Loki," Glimmer replied.

The Secretary of State didn't say 'Yes, and?', but his polite expression wasn't quite enough to hide his thoughts.

"It would break our word," Adora added with a frown. "Who would trust us if we would go back on an agreement because someone else demanded it?"

"Unless the other side broke the agreement already," Catra added with a snort.

"Or the deal was made under false pretences?" Dr Weir asked, tilting her head a little.

"Yes," Glimmer said. "Though Loki didn't do that. We knew he wasn't supported by the rulers of Asgard."

"You didn't know what he had done in the past, though," Dr Weir pointed out.

"We still don't know what he did," Glimmer said. "The Asgard didn't want to tell us."

"They might be a very secretive species. Loki didn't share much about his culture and history," Daniel speculated. "Or they might be ashamed of their past - both the High Council and Loki, I mean. Bringing up shameful deeds from the past might be taboo in Asgard society."

"Or they simply don't want to risk information that could hurt them get out," Sha're said. "They know the Goa'uld, and so they know that any information showing a weakness of theirs would be exploited against them."

"We aren't the Goa'uld," Entrapta protested.

"But they don't know us - and they don't trust us, as they clearly demonstrated today," Daniel said.

"That's why we need to show them we are trustworthy." Adora nodded. "Once they know us, they will know they can trust us."

"And that's why breaking our word to Loki could backfire," Glimmer added. "You don't trust people who break their word."

Catra mumbled something that Sam couldn't make out. It made Adora frown at her, though, and say: "That's not applicable here."

"But if the choice came down between honouring your agreement with Loki and peace with the Asgard…" The Secretary of State began.

"We aren't at war with the Asgard," Adora interrupted him. "We're talking with the Asgard to settle our differences and clear up misunderstandings so we both understand each other."

"They haven't even threatened to war over this," the General added. "Of course, they're already fighting a war of their own."

"Yes. They would be foolish to engage in another war," Sha're agreed. "And as far as we know, the war against the Replicators won't finish soon."

"According to Loki. He's not exactly privy to their strategic situation," the General pointed out, "being a wanted criminal, and all."

"We lack confirmed data about the war against the Replicators," Entrapta said.

"If we send spy bots to the front, the Asgard might see that as a threat," Bow cautioned.

Sam didn't think it was very likely - but they didn't know enough about the Asgard to tell. "And we would have to find the system they are fighting in first."

"Good point. If the spy bot network were spreading exponentially, we would have a good chance of stumbling upon it," Entrapta said. "But that would probably make the Asgard think we're a threat."

"Probably, yes." The General's sarcasm was obvious to everyone except Entrapta, who nodded with a smile.

"Exactly!"

Sam made a mental note to have a talk with him about it - he looked a little guilty already.

"Anyway, we're not going to break our deal with Loki," Glimmer said. "Because even if the Asgard decide to die out, he disagrees - and they don't have the right to force him to join them."

"Not the moral right, at least." Daniel nodded. "They might have the formal right according to their laws and customs."

"They said he broke their laws with his experiments," the British envoy said. "But we have no treaty with them that would recognise their laws."

"And we won't as long as they act like that." Adora shook her head.

"We would have to know their laws first anyway, before making a treaty," Glimmer added.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be a good idea to make a deal without knowing more about the other side," the General said with an innocent expression.

The Etherians frowned at him. "We knew enough to make the agreement with Loki, and his information has been confirmed by everything we learned since then," Glimmer said.

"So far, yes."

The General had a point, of course. But even if they learned more about Loki's crimes, Sam didn't think the Etherians would go back on their word. That wasn't how they did things.

Unless Loki went back on his word first. Or committed a crime or otherwise betrayed their trust.

She couldn't help wondering if Loki was aware of that - or if he thought the Etherians would forgive future deeds as easily as they did past deeds. If he did, he might be in for a rude awakening.

As would be anyone else who didn't understand that the Etherians gave second chances to everyone but expected you to change and stay changed once you took them, she added to herself with a glance at the diplomats in the room.

*****​

"...and I do think we need to consider the fact that the Asgard don't want the Alliance's help more strongly if we want to come to an accommodation with them to secure our, ah, flanks." The American diplomat nodded.

Catra sighed. Those diplomats didn't get it. If someone needed help, Adora and the other princesses would help them. Whether they wanted the help or not. Heh, if Adora had managed to capture Catra in Thaymor, they would have probably done their best to help her. And she would have needed the help. But whether they would have succeeded… Bah, there was no sense in dwelling on the past.

She finished her last fish snack and looked at the diplomats, all lined up on one side of the largest table facing the princesses and SG-1. "What we need is more information," she said. "We can't really make plans without knowing more about the Asgard."

"We can make contingency plans," Adora objected - as Catra had expected; her lover was fond of planning. And overplanning. The stories she had heard from Bow and Glimmer about her plans for the Princess Prom…

"Waste of time," Catra retorted.

"It would be helpful to know more so we can correctly interpret the Asgard's statements," Daniel said. "We can't solve this misunderstanding if we create more misunderstandings. And we can't avoid provoking them -. Or pushing them into an action both sides will regret - if we don't know where they draw their lines."

"Well, we don't know that because they don't tell us that," Glimmer said.

"Unless we already crossed those lines by helping Loki," Sha're pointed out.

That was a good point, Catra had to admit. If the Asgard wouldn't budge on that and were just trying to use diplomacy before they resorted to force… Well, then it would end badly since the Princess Alliance wouldn't back down.

"Being unwilling to compromise wouldn't be very diplomatic," the British envoy said.

"Everyone has some things they won't abandon or compromise about." Jack shrugged.

"Of course," Daniel said. "And the Asgard have been very close-lipped about such things."

"Which is also a diplomatic tactic. Like our stance towards Taiwan. We keep China guessing how we would respond to an attack on the island so they won't attack," the American said.

"That sounds weird," Glimmer said.

Catra nodded. She would have said 'stupid', but if it was working, who was she to judge?

"It has worked well."

"So far," Jack added. "And it also means that we can't support Taiwan as much as we might want to."

"We have an agreement with Loki," Glimmer repeated herself.

"But would the Alliance go to war over it?" the German diplomat asked.

"As we were told, technically, the agreement is between the Kingdom of Bright Moon and Loki," the American assistant, Weir, pointed out. "And the Asgard aren't the Goa'uld. That is why we are merely observing here."

"Yes," Glimmer said, narrowing her eyes.

She didn't deny that an attack by the Asgard wasn't covered by the Alliance against the Goa'uld. But Catra knew that if Earth wanted to stay out of such a conflict using technicalities, the Alliance was dead anyway - the Princesses didn't do things like that. Not the ones of the Princess Alliance. No matter what the Alliance treaty said. "I don't think the Asgard would bother with sorting out which of our forces would defend Etheria and which wouldn't if they go to war," Catra said.

"Nevertheless, fighting a war to protect a criminal - someone who has, as we know, admitted to breaking the laws of his species - wouldn't be very popular on Earth," the American said.

"The Asgard haven't even hinted at the threat of war so far," Daniel said. "They have been appealing at our, well, morality. Or common sense, if you want to interpret their warnings about Loki like that. We shouldn't assume the worst."

"But we can't assume everything will be fine," Jack objected.

"That's why we need data!" Entrpata repeated her earlier words. "And why the Asgard need data. Even if they don't want it."

"We know that we know nothing." Daniel nodded. "The question is: Do the Asgard?"

"They are an old species," Sha're said. "They should be aware that they don't know enough about Earth and the Alliance. However…" She glanced at Adora and Jack. "They have a history with the Gate Builders, or so they claimed. And you are the descendants of the Gate Builders."

"But would they consider us Ancients? We don't share their culture or claim that heritage," Daniel said. "We don't know very much about the Ancients' culture to begin with."

"And what we know about the First Ones isn't good," Catra added. Bunch of ruthless imperialistic bastards.

"If they think we are like the First Ones…" Adora winced.

"The way we showed Thor Alpha might have given the impression that we kind of succeeded the First Ones," Bow said.

Jack snorted. "And if their impression of Earth's culture is a tribe of Vikings, they might expect us to raid and plunder them."

"I think that's another misunderstanding to deal with. A potential misunderstanding," Glimmer said. "Once the talks resume, we should focus on getting to know each other."

Catra snorted at the unintended double-entendre, but Daniel nodded eagerly. "Yes! A cultural exchange. Or something like that. Provided they are willing, of course."

"Earth has been asking for such exchanges for quite some time," Weir pointed out.

And Etheria had stalled them. For a variety of reasons. Good reasons. As their movies and TV shows and everything else showed, too many humans were crazy. And dangerous. But if they could have a cultural exchange with the Asgard, they wouldn't be able to deny Earth one. Still…

"Best have that exchange with Etheria," Catra said with a snort. "I don't know if they would trust us any better if they visited Earth."

The others laughed at that, but Catra wasn't completely joking.

*****​

Gate Area, Undesignated Asgard World, November 25th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and we will discuss your proposal in the High Council," Thor told them. "Such a decision necessitates careful deliberation."

"And all the data," Entrapta mumbled, though the Asgard didn't react to that, Jack O'Neill noticed.

Thor hasn't mentioned the rest of the Asgard, Jack thought. It seemed that the council would decide this, not the entire population. Not too unexpected - that was how things were run in the USA as well - but at least back home, the government was elected by the people. Indirectly, as Daniel would point out, but that was a technicality. Still, having your government decide whether your species lived or died - which this came down to, in his opinion - didn't sit right with Jack.

Glimmer nodded in response. "Of course. However, we have another proposal for you that shouldn't need a lengthy discussion and could influence your decision. We invite you to visit Etheria and study us - our culture, our people - to better understand us and our friends."

Once more, the Asgard seemed surprised, judging by the glances they exchanged.

"You've seen the research station of the first ones, but you haven't seen our world," Glimmer went on. "You don't know us. We understand that without knowing more about us, you cannot trust us, and we want to change that."

"We have nothing to hide," Adora added, smiling brightly.

"Except for military secrets, of course," Catra added.

Adora nodded. "Yes, that goes without saying."

For all her idealism, she had been raised as an officer in the Horde, Jack reminded himself. She was familiar with information security.

"You already know about our base technology anyway," Entrapta added, "since you knew Horde Prime."

"Yes." Thor nodded after a moment, which might mean he didn't know as much about Horde technology as Entrapta assumed. But if he didn't, he probably was too proud to admit it. Or he was just a little distracted by their offer of a cultural exchange.

"And how much access to your world would we have?" Freyr asked.

"That depends on the individual kingdoms, but you will have full access outside the military areas to Bright Moon and Dryl, and I can't see our friends in the Princess Alliance refusing you access either," Glimmer said. "I can't speak for the kingdoms not associated with us, though."

"Like Earth, your planet has no unified government but is dominated by an alliance of the strongest countries?" Freyr tilted his head.

"Yes." Glimmer nodded.

Jack could see that the diplomats stirred a little at that. Probably took offence at Glimmer being so blunt about it even if she was correct - the NATO countries dominated Earth, now more than ever, with the Alliance technology spreading amongst them.

"Although said dominance is limited by treaties and international law," Daniel pointed out. "Neither world is a dictatorship."

Freyr looked at Anise next.

"The Tok'ra do not have a home world," she said. "Our fight against the Goa'uld necessitates constant moving of our bases to avoid detection. At this point, we are not willing to compromise our security by revealing our bases to outsiders."

"We wouldn't expect you to," Thor commented.

"This is about our agreement with Loki, anyway," Glimmer said. "Earth and the Tok'ra are our allies against the Goa'uld, which is why they are present, but the only countries directly concerned are Bright Moon and the Princess Alliance of Etheria."

"And the Asgard," Penegal added.

"Of course," Glimmer didn't quite frown, but her smile grew a bit strained.

"So, will you visit?" Entrapt leaned forward.

"We will have to discuss this with the High Council," Freyr said.

"Ah." Entrapta pouted, but Glimmer nodded before she could comment further. "Of course. So, will you contact us when you've made a decision?"

"Yes."

And that was it. A few polite goodbyes later, they were back on PZ-1875. Catra made a point of stretching her arms over her head as they walked down the gate ramp. "Now, that was a long meeting with nothing to show for it," she complained.

"We learned more about the Asgard, and we made two important offers," Glimmer disagreed.

"We mostly learned that we don't know anything about them," Catra said.

"Which is generally an important lesson," Daniel said. "Being aware of such ignorance prevents decisions made in ignorance. Or it should," he added.

"Let's hope the Asgard share that view," Jack said.

"They didn't seem to want all the data they could have," Entrapta pointed out. "That's not a good sign."

"Well, that's not really that unique. A lot of politicians don't like data that contradicts them either," Jack said.

"They're not very good politicians, then," Entrapta commented.

The diplomats laughed at that together with the others, but they didn't sound too honest about it. Probably struck too close to home, in Jack's opinion.

Not that he cared. He was a soldier, not a politician or a diplomat. The politicking he had to do as a general was already bad enough.

He just wanted to fight the snakes without having to fight half the generals on his side. Well, except for the admirals, maybe.

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, November 26th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and so we hope that the High Council of the Asgard will accept our invitation and send a delegation to Etheria," Glimmer finished.

Adora nodded in agreement, but not everyone in the Princess Alliance seemed to share her views. Perfuma, of course, was beaming with obvious enthusiasm, which meant Scorpia would be on board as well, but Mermista seemed more sceptical, as did Frosta. Netossa and Spinnerella seemed interested, but they weren't ruling princesses.

"So, we need to convince the Asgard that they should let us save their species?" Frosta asked with a frown.

"We would settle for convincing them that they shouldn't start a war with us over this," Glimmer replied.

"They're currently fighting those Replicators," Memista chimed in. "Since they're slowly winning, they can't be ready to fight another war. And last we heard, it'll take them a while to finish the robots - if all goes according to plan."

"Yes." Frosta nodded. "They can't do anything to us, and they can't help us in the war either, so why should we go to such lengths to placate them?"

"Because we don't want them as enemies only held back from attacking us by the demands of their current war," Glimmer said.

"The War against the Goa'uld will take a long time," Catra pointed out. "And even if we finish the snakes before the Asgard finish the Replicators, do you want to fight another war?" She scoffed, and Frosta glared at her.

"And we want to be friends with them," Entrapta added. "Loki's a great scientist! The Asgard have great technology - we could learn a lot from each other!"

"As long as you don't learn everything from Loki," Catra mumbled next to Adora.

Adora wanted to frown at her lover, but Catra was right. Loki wasn't the best role model for ethical science. Quite the contrary.

Frosta pouted at that. "I still don't like it."

Mermista shrugged. "Meh. If they want a tour of Salineas, they can have one. But we won't put on a show for them."

"Oh!" Sea Hawk piped up. "But think of all the shanties they have never heard! And we can show them the thrills of…" He jumped on the table and raised his sword. "...ADVENTURE!"

"Sit down!" Glimmer snapped.

"We won't show them an adventure!" Mermista hissed. "We don't want them to think we're trying to kill them!"

"But nothing invigorates you more and makes you appreciate your life than a harrowing brush with death!" Sea Hawk protested. "This could convince them to accept our help!"

"Or convince them that we're dangerous lunatics," Mermista retorted.

"My love!"

As the two bickered, and Glimmer fumed, Adora sighed. At least, it seemed as if Mermista had been convinced to allow this. And Frosta might still change her opinion once everyone else agreed. But that left another issue.

*****​

"Alright. Now that that's settled, there's another related issue," Glimmer continued ten minutes later. "Our allies on Earth have indicated that they, too, would like to open cultural exchanges with Etheria. More than we already have," she added.

"Didn't we host enough of their diplomats to fill a frigate?" Mermista asked. "And half my people are addicted to their 'shows'."

Adora frowned. That was hyperbole. Mostly.

"Don't tell me they want to talk about embassies again!" Frosta groaned. "I won't let them take part of my kingdom!"

"Technically, an embassy is still part of your kingdom," Bow spoke up. "It just has certain protections according to their treaty."

"A treaty which we didn't sign," Frosta retorted. "And won't sign."

"They have ambassadors at our courts; they don't need an enclave for diplomacy," Mermista said.

"It's not about embassies," Adora told them. "And it's not about tourism either," she added before anyone could bring that up - the documentaries about the effects of mass tourism on Earth had certainly had an impact on her friends. "It's about cultural exchange - artists and scholars - to show us more about Earth and to learn more about Etheria."

"We already know their culture," Mermista said. "Earth TV shows are spreading everywhere."

"Indeed!" Sea Hawk nodded. "Even in kingdoms where they are banned, smugglers will carry them."

"Viewers that can display Earth media are one of our biggest exports," Scorpia added. "Thank you again for sharing the design." She nodded at Entrapta.

"But we don't have such shows," Glimmer said. "Earth doesn't know as much about us as we do about them. They want to change that."

"You mean they want to make TV shows about us." Mermista closed her eyes. "Ugh."

"Yes." Adora nodded. It was no secret that many journalists and TV companies had been asking for the opportunity to do that.

"We'll need a lot of guards to ensure they don't cause trouble," Netossa said. "Or run into trouble."

"Yes." Glimmer nodded with a frown.

Adora understood her friend. There were security concerns. Smuggling, spying. Recruiting. And getting eaten by monsters. But they could be dealt with. "We can handle it," she said. "And this will help us build more trust with Earth as well."

Something, as the latest news had shown, they still needed - many on Earth didn't like or trust them.

*****​

Alliance Base Lübtheen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, November 26th, 1999

"So, the brass is unhappy with Earth being sidelined in the Alliance negotiations with the Asgard," the General said as he refilled his cup of coffee.

Sipping from her own cup - not quite as good as the coffee in her lab, if she were honest, but good nonetheless - Samantha Carter nodded. The Secretary of State had made a few comments expressing that sentiment on the way back to Earth.

"I thought they agreed that this was a matter between Etheria and the Asgard?" Daniel asked.

"That's their official stance," the General replied with a slight snort. "Unofficially, they're still smarting about the fact that they're not top dog any more, and some people think this mess with the Asgard is a great way to gain some influence or leverage."

Daniel frowned as he pushed his glasses up, Sha're mirrored his expression, and Teal'c didn't show any reaction, as usual. Sam tried not to wince. "I don't think the Etherians will like this - it's sending conflicted messages."

"Call it lying to their faces, Carter." The General shrugged. "Or politics. Or diplomacy. Same things."

Sha're nodded in apparent agreement. Sam wasn't surprised - Sha're's idea of politics and diplomacy had been formed by observing Amaunet.

Daniel, of course, didn't. "The Etherians - the princesses in the Alliance, at least - prize honesty. Especially amongst their allies. I thought the government would have realised that - we've been working with the Princess Alliance for a long time by now."

"The President surely knows that," the General replied. "But not everyone in the government agrees that this means we should imitate Adora's approach to diplomacy." He shrugged again. "Anyway, that's just office politics. Officially, our orders haven't changed."

"Since Adora is the Supreme Commander of the Alliance, changing orders against her will would be treason," Teal'c commented.

"The American definition of treason is a bit stricter," the General retorted, "but the sentiment is the same."

Teal'c nodded.

"So… what do we do?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing. It's all unofficial talk so far." The General finished his cup.

"Shouldn't we tell the Etherians?" Daniel frowned again.

"You mean leak internal information, Daniel?" The General's eyebrows rose.

Sam rolled her eyes at his innocent act. He wouldn't have told them if he weren't planning to do something about it.

"To reveal dishonourable actions is not dishonourable," Teal'c stated.

"But if we do this, we expose ourselves as well," Sha're objected. "This could be a loyalty test."

"Oh." Daniel blinked. "You think this is a trap?"

The General shrugged. "It's a bit low-key for a trap. Nothing solid, nothing big, just rumours and sour grapes talk at the water cooler. But it could be a test to see where we stand."

"And where do we stand, Jack?" Daniel stared at him.

"We've sworn an oath to defend our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

"That's not an answer," Daniel complained. "And the Etherians aren't our enemies."

"Yep." The General was far too smug about such a delicate subject, in Sam's opinion. For all his complaints and comments about politics, he liked being clever a bit too much.

"I don't think we can classify our own government as a domestic enemy of our country," she commented.

"Of course not," the General agreed. "So, currently, we don't have enemies, foreign or domestic - except for the snakes, of course."

"And except for your rival countries on Earth, chiefly Russia and China," Sha're added.

"Ah… they aren't exactly enemies," the General told her. "Mostly because if they were our enemies, it wouldn't end well for them. Anyway, our job is to ensure that things stay like this. Except for the snakes, of course - there, our job is to defeat them."

Daniel frowned once more. "And what does that mean here?"

"Why, Daniel, something right up your alley: Promoting understanding between everyone!"

Sam smiled thinly. So, that was the reason the General had called them to his base to 'discuss the latest mission'. "Are you referring to the planned cultural exchange between the Asgard and Etheria, sir?"

"And to Earth's part in it."

"You want us to take part in that?" Daniel seemed surprised.

"Do you know anyone who knows more about this? It's sort of your thing, isn't it, Daniel? And you can show Sha're Etheria at the same time."

Or use that as a cover, Sam finished the thought. And she would be expected to do her part as well - even though her best friend on Etheria was about the worst princess for this sort of thing she could think of.

"I guess so," Daniel said, glancing at Sha're.

Sha're nodded at him. "We can do this."

"Great!" The General clapped his hands. "Now, about our last mission…"

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, November 27th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Still no reply from the Asgard…"

Catra snorted at the sigh from her lover. "Did you expect them to make such a decision - any decision - quickly?" She shifted on the chair in Adora's office to curl up a bit more on the cushion and let her tail dangle down over the armrest that was not serving as her headrest until she had the perfect position to read things on her tablet.

"Well…" Adora turned her head to look at her. "...yes?"

"The same people who are currently debating whether dying out is better than trying something new?"

Adora frowned at her. "That's a bit unfair, isn't it? We're asking them to change their culture and genes."

Of course, it was a bit unfair. But it was also, technically, correct. Catra flashed her fangs in a grin. "Everyone else has to do that as well. It's called evolution and progress." Or progress and evolution. Whatever.

"Not as drastically," her lover retorted.

Carta frowned. "Did you change your opinion about helping them?"

"What? No! They need help, so of course we should help them! But I realised that they're… like the Horde."

"Like the Horde?" Catra blinked. How were the Asgard like the Horde?

"Not like that!" Adora frowned again. "I mean, they've been raised in their culture and don't know anything else, so change is hard for them."

Catra gave her a flat stare. "Everyone was raised in their culture - or a culture." Like Adora and herself had been raised in the Horde as orphans.

"Yes, but the Asgard seem to be more conservative than… pretty much anyone we know."

"Except for half of Earth," Catra pointed out. "The half that hates our guts for being different. Or because they think their stupid god tells them so. And like the Asgard, they don't want actual data to make decisions."

"It's not quite that bad…" Adora's frown changed into a pout. "And Earth is changing - we know that."

Catra nodded. Daniel had told them so, and Entrapta got the data. "They are still worse than the Asgard - and hate change even more." Unless the Asgard were better at hiding things than they thought.

"Anyway, it's a big step for them. We have to consider that." Adora nodded. "But they're not hurting anyone. Or trying to colonise planets."

"That we know of," Catra pointed out.

"They didn't colonise Cimmeria," Adora said.

"Unlike Earth." Catra grinned. "At least they would if we let them."

"Earth hates colonialism."

"They say so," Catra corrected her. Adora's frown grew deeper, so she'd better not overdo it. "Anyway, we can't do anything but wait until they call us."

"I know…" Adora sighed again. "But we can prepare the cultural exchange. Even if the Asgard turn our invitation down, Earth is going to send a delegation to visit us."

Catra was tempted to say 'another delegation' - they had had diplomats over - but that would be too much needling Adora. So, change of topic! "Do you think they'll send actors over as well?"

"Actors?" Adora blinked. "Daniel said we'd get scholars and artists."

"Actors are artists," Catra said. "Though I guess we are already familiar with their art thanks to their movies and TV shows. Well, many of us, at least."

Adora blinked again. "Oh…"

It was Catra's turn to frown. "What?"

"We should ask them to send some actors - I think their fans here would love to meet them!" Adora beamed.

That was… well, not a bad idea. Still… Catra shrugged. "As long as it's not one working on one of those catgirl shows, I don't care. And if it is, I'll claw them!"

"Catra! And those are cartoons, anyway." Adora shook her head. "But I think this is a good idea. I'll talk to Glimmer about this. Though we need to find out which actors are the most popular here."

"And vet them," Catra added.

Adora snorted. "I don't think actors are going to be a threat."

"Don't let Double Trouble hear that," Catra retorted. They were damned dangerous.

"That's different. Earth doesn't have anyone like them."

Catra sure hoped so.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, November 29th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Hi, Jack. You wanted another meet… You're watching the Simpsons?"

Jack O'Neill snorted as he turned towards Daniel - and Sha're - who had just entered his office. "It's for work."

His friend blinked while Sha're moved to get a better look at the screen. "Work?"

"Cultural exchange, remember? The Etherians had a 'suggestion' about our delegation." Jack pointed at the screen where Homer was making another mess. "They wanted actors to visit."

"Oh." Daniel tilted his head slightly to the side. "That makes sense, I guess - movies and TV shows are a cornerstone of our culture. But that's a cartoon series."

"Voice actors count," Jack defended himself. "And they mentioned the Simpsons being popular on Etheria."

"Oh? I wouldn't have expected that. They have theatres, so live-action movies and shows seem to be a logical step, while they don't seem to have anything similar to cartoons. On the other hand, that might make them more appealing."

"Oh, it's not just cartoons," Jack admitted. "They also have a slew of other shows and movies they like. But I wanted to familiarise myself with the Simpsons," he added with a grin.

"Don't you know the series by heart?" Daniel asked, looking from Jack to the screen, then at Sha're, who was softly laughing at Bart's antics.

"I watched the series. I didn't study it." Jack shrugged. "But if that's part of how the Etherians have experienced our culture so far, I thought I should take a closer look." And rewatch some of the classics on the government's dime.

"Ah, yes." His friend nodded. "That is going to be very interesting - finding out what preconceptions the Etherians have after experiencing our culture mostly through media. And Western media, at that. Although most of their contact with Earth has been limited to Western countries anyway."

"Let's hope they don't take the Simpsons as an example of our culture," Jack joked.

Daniel didn't laugh - he frowned. "That is a danger. Probably not as much with cartoons, but the live-action shows might be mistaken to be closer to documentaries than fiction. And the various cultural references and assumptions won't be understood at all, of course, without the background of having grown up in our culture. When Japanese animation started becoming popular in the West, they often had additional material with the videos that explained Japanese culture so the viewers would have the context to understand the references. It's quite a challenge for translations."

Great. If the Etherians thought that the way families in sitcoms behaved was normal… Jack shook his head.

"Yes. It is often confusing," Sha're chimed in. "But it's still funny."

"Some humour is universal," Daniel agreed.

"And you always explain things to me, so I'm learning more about Earth."

"Of course!" Daniel beamed at her. "And you teach me more about the Goa'uld. Though we should check what shows and movies are popular on Etheria. And maybe introduce them to a few choice examples they might have missed."

"Sounds good. And Hollywood can start getting royalties from the Etherians." Jack chuckled.

Once again, Daniel winced. "Ah… that's actually a problem. The Etherians have no concept of trademarks or intellectual property laws. Quite understandable given their society and culture, of course - it's far more artisan in nature than Earth's industry. They value the work of creating something as much as the idea behind it - sometimes even more."

"They have factories."

"Yes - remnants of the Horde military-industrial complex, as far as I know. And the effects of those being turned to civilian production might be interesting." Daniel nodded. "But they have no concept of intellectual properties. If they can copy something, they do it. Whether that's an idea for a new product or a media."

"They've been pirating Hollywood movies and shows?" Jack asked. Of course, they had - he had known they were copying and recording whatever media and news they could get, and their ships in orbit had full coverage. And soldiers would smuggle things back home, but there weren't that many Etherians on Earth… "How bad is it?"

Daniel winced. "I don't know exact numbers - the Etherians don't know either; I asked. But since it's all data, digitalised copies, it's easy to copy without any loss of quality. The limiting factor seems to be the electronics to view the media. And such viewers, or tablets, apparently are amongst the most popular products of the former Horde lands. And since there are only about fifty million people on the planet, they can probably cover the entire market quite quickly." He shrugged. "I think a lot of people still don't understand that the Etherians aren't a medieval culture just because some of their kingdoms have, ah, 'fantasy aesthetics'. It's probably just a question of time before they start producing their own movies and shows."

Jack snorted. "Hollywood won't like it. They want their cut."

"And that's another issue. In order to pay royalties, the Etherians would need to trade with Earth. Otherwise, their money would not be worth anything on Earth except for collectors and visitors to Etheria. Fungible goods could be a substitute, but that's trading," Daniel said. "And the Etherians probably won't open their countries to Earth's industry since we would flood their markets with our goods. The economic consequences would be… drastic."

"So Wall Street won't like it either," Jack said. But what could they do? And even if the Etherians agreed on cracking down on pirating - the electronic kind - could they stop it? Earth hadn't had a lot of success with that.

This cultural exchange thing was looking to be a lot more complicated than he had thought. And he had been quite pessimistic about it in the first place.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 119: Cultural Exchange Part 1

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, November 30th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and so we have accepted your offer. We will send a delegation consisting of three representatives of the Asgard High Council to visit your planet and examine your civilisation in depth at your earliest convenience."

Adora smiled as she listened to the recording of Thor's voice. This was great! "They've accepted our offer!"

"Yes." Glimmer's reaction was a bit more subdued than Adora had expected. Although she probably had seen the recording before - Adora had just returned from an inspection of the Alliance training camp in the Scorpion Kingdom.

Still, she better made sure everything was alright. "Is something wrong?" Something she could fix?

"No." Glimmer shook her head.

"Not wrong per se," Bow added. "But we're not quite as ready for their visit as we hoped to be."

"I thought everything was being prepared," Adora said, frowning.

"That was the plan, yes," Bow said. "But it's taking longer than we planned."

Catra cocked her head to the side. "Really? What's the problem? Is Princess Sweet Bee making noises about her lack of relevance again? Or are your people striking?"

"No." Glimmer shook her head with a snort. "Sweet Bee hasn't contacted us since her last complaint." With a frown aimed at Catra, she added: "Although once she hears about this, she'll show up at once. And Prince Peekablue will notice this. Also, my people aren't striking - quite the opposite."

Huh? "What do you mean?" Adora asked.

"They are very enthusiastic," Bow explained while Glimmer grimaced. "We have far too many volunteers - and from outside Bright Moon as well. A lot of people want to meet the humans."

"And that is the problem. Part of it, at least - it seems everyone is fired up about meeting the humans." Glimmer pouted. "We don't have as many volunteers for the Asgard visit."

"So?" Catra shrugged. "As long as they are still doing what you tell them to do, where's the problem?"

"We want to make the best impression on the Asgard," Glimmer replied. "But if everyone is talking about the humans when the Asgard are here, that won't leave a good impression."

"That seems a bit far-fetched," Catra objected. "Besides, you don't need a lot of servants to handle three Asgard."

"It's not about the servants. It's about the scholars, musicians, artisans and sorceresses of Etheria," Glimmer said. "Most of them are eager to meet their human counterparts."

"Well, my Dads also want to meet the Asgard." Bow smiled.

But Glimmer didn't. "Because they want to ask them about the First Ones they might have met."

"Well, yes - but that's not any worse than wanting to meet the humans behind your favourite TV show," Bow retorted.

"Which your Dads also want." Glimmer sighed. "And Mermista and Frosta are still not fully on board. They'll receive the Asgard, but I don't know if they'll be very welcoming."

Adora winced. Frosta had a temper, and Mermista could be very mean when she didn't like you. "We need to talk to them."

"And to several scholars and artists," Glimmer said. "And we need to do it quickly, or the Asgard will get impatient."

"And we need to prepare for the visit from Earth as well - people are getting impatient already about meeting their favourite actors and musicians," Bow added.

Oh. Adora grimaced. She shouldn't have gone inspect a training camp - she should have worked on this!

"It's not your fault, you idiot," Catra said with a scoff as if she had read Adora's thoughts. "You didn't suggest this."

"But I didn't contradict Daniel, either," Adora objected. And she had agreed with his plan. It was a good plan, anyway, even if they had hit a bit of snag. They just needed a plan to pull this off. "Let's make a plan!"

"How to hype the Asgard?" Catra asked.

"Yes?" Adora smiled when Catra grumbled. "We need to make people enthusiastic about meeting the Asgard. Honestly enthusiastic."

"We know nothing about the culture of the Asgard," Glimmer pointed out.

"We can ask Loki about that. He probably has a huge collection of Asgard movies, songs and TV shows," Adora said."There's bound to be things that will interest people!"

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 1st, 1999 (Earth Time)

Adora stared at the screen for a few seconds after the recording had ended. "How many were those?" she asked.

"That was the fifteenth," Bow replied. He sounded far too happy for what they were doing.

"Don't tell me you actually like that stuff. Watching paint dry would be more interesting," Catra complained from Adora's lap, where she had rested her head halfway through the recording.

"It's… interesting. It offers us insight into a completely different culture," Bow replied.

"A completely boring culture," Catra retorted. "I think we should reconsider saving the Asgard. The universe won't miss them."

Adora frowned at her lover. She knew Catra was joking, but that wasn't a laughing matter. "They have great scientific knowledge," she said.

"And the worst entertainment I've ever seen. Don't tell me you liked any of the recordings we checked."

Adora winced. Finding anything about the Asgard to catch the interest of the Etherian people was a bit harder than she had thought. Though this was probably Loki's fault - they only had his favourite media to examine, after all. And he was hardly a representative member of his species.

*****​

Space Lab, Earth Orbit, Solar System, December 1st, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...so, apparently, Asgard culture is boring. At least the things Loki likes. I don't understand it - I didn't enjoy the songs or the epics, as he called them, but I also don't enjoy some of the Earth media we collected, yet others like them. Very much, actually, so much they really want to meet the creators and actors, which actually is the problem we have with the Asgard since people don't want to see the Asgard creators. Which would be a little hard, anyway, since even with their cloning technology, most of the creators are dead, so that would be a dead end anyway."

Samantha Carter nodded as Entrapta rambled while her hair manipulated the latest experiment. So, the Etherians found the Asgard culture boring but were fans of Earth media.

"I do not think Loki is a good example for the taste of the average Asgard," Hordak added, looking up from his console. "He is, according to their High Council and himself, a renegade. As such, he obviously doesn't share the opinions of the majority of his people, or he would have mentioned that in an attempt to get Earth to support him in a potential populist coup against the High Council."

That was… a very peculiar view of Loki's motivations. But Sam couldn't honestly claim that Hordak was completely off base - painting the High Council of the Asgard as some oligarchy oppressing the common people would have rang a note with certain human politicians. Although Loki might not have realised that since he primarily interacted with Etherians, who had a quite different take on ruling systems, and his contact with humans hadn't been entirely positive.

She sighed. As Daniel had often mentioned in the last few days, they simply didn't know enough about the Asgard to tell. "He might have lied about that anyway," she pointed out. Most revolutionaries tended to overestimate their popular support.

"Which supports my deduction," Hordak said in a smug voice.

"But you can't assume that a difference in political views also means a difference in entertainment," Sam retorted.

"In a society as hide-bound as the Asgard's?" Hordak shook his head. "I do not think I am wrong."

You don't think that often anyway, Sam added silently.

"So, it could be that the Asgard have other media that would appeal to us!" Entrapta smiled. "Although that's not helpful to getting a better welcome for the delegation since we can't get their media until we have decent relations. Unless we manage to get a spy bot into the range of their transmissions and can download their media that way," she added with a smile.

That idea was problematic on several levels, Sam knew that. "I think they would see an attempt by us to find and infiltrate their systems as a hostile act," she pointed out. "And copying their media is also a bit questionable." Not to mention illegal in many places on Earth.

"Copying freely broadcasted transmissions is not illegal on Earth," Hordak retorted.

"But redistributing them is," Sam told him.

"On Earth." Hordak's mouth twisted into a thin smile.

"It's stupid anyway," Entrapta chimed in. "Information should be free!"

"Within limits," Hordak disagreed. "Military information is obviously exempt from that, but certain scientific knowledge is also best kept from those who would abuse it."

Sam nodded. She didn't like it, but she had to agree with Hordak. "Yes. But there's also the problem of reimbursing the creator of copied media. They spent time and effort, and often money, on their work. Others should not be able to take it for free."

"But didn't they get paid for it already?" Entrapta looked confused. "Most of the artists - and the scientists - on Earth are employed, right? So, they got paid for their work already."

"Yes, but their employer wasn't," Sam said.

"But they're not the actual creator!" Entrapta protested. "They're just the sponsor."

"Patron," Hordak added. "And often, it's the government financing the work, like at your universities."

Sam winced. Trying to explain how Earth copyright and patent law worked wasn't something she wanted to do any more than she wanted to go into the details of academic research.

"And for science, sharing of research is essential! We can achieve a lot more working together and building upon each other's results than working alone in secret!" Entrapta nodded emphatically. "We've proven that on Etheria!"

But Etheria wasn't Earth. "A lot of research on Earth is privately funded," Sam explained. "As is most of the entertainment. And those who grant the funding want to make a profit from their investment."

"That doesn't sound like a very effective way to do science," Entrapta said, frowning. "And if they don't want to share their entertainment media, why broadcast it where everyone with a receiver can pick it up?"

Sam sighed again."They usually only do that once they have shown the media in theatres. Or they get reimbursed by subscription payments or advertising money."

"That doesn't sound like they care a lot about their work," Entrapta said. "And that doesn't work for science anyway."

"I have to concur," Hordak said. "This system seems prone to abuses and unintended consequences through the incentives it creates."

Daniel would love debating this, Sam thought. And he would love talking about what such debates reveal about us - and to us. But she wasn't Daniel. She was a scientist and wanted to focus on that. "So far, it has worked on Earth," she said. Not perfectly, but well enough. No system was perfect.

"Well, we do things differently on Etheria," Entrapta said. "And it has worked for us."

But would they be able to work together? That was the question. And Sam didn't think she had an answer.

*****​

Gate Area, Near Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"We should have waited another day. Prepared some more. Maybe we would have found a song or epic that isn't boring, weird, or both."

Catra rolled her eyes at Adora's fretting. "Do you really believe that? We went through far too many of Loki's recordings, and they were all bad. Even Bow admitted that." And Bow was far too nice to say that lightly, even if it was true.

"Well…" Adora trailed off, pouting. "I just think we could have done more."

"You always think that." Catra snorted. "You'd think you could have done more, done better, no matter how well something went."

"Complacency breeds failure," Adora replied - and froze a moment later, looking guilty.

Catra clenched her teeth together for a second. That had been one of Shadow Weaver's lessons. Adora was still suffering from the effects of having been raised by that woman. So was Catra, of course, but she was handling it. And ignoring it. "I think we did what we could, given what we know," she said.

Adora slowly nodded. "Hopefully." Then she checked the time. "Shouldn't be long now. They already arrived at the temporary base."

It wouldn't be long, indeed - unless the scans at the base detected something amongst the Asgard delegation. That would delay things. And probably cause a diplomatic crisis or a war, depending on what it was.

But no alert came from the comm nearby, connected to the spy bot network. Catra still checked the comm personally when the request to open the gate arrived - trust, but verify. That lesson hadn't been one of Shadow Weaver's; the woman had never trusted anyone. Or deserved any trust herself.

But the signs, countersigns and codes matched. "It checks out," Catra told Adora - and Glimmer, who was hurrying over to their spot from where she had been checking the uniforms of the gate guards.

"Raise the Gate!" Glimmer ordered, and the Gate smoothly rose out of its pit into a standing position.

As soon as it was ready, Catra gave the all-clear on the comm. A moment later, the Stargate activated. Cutting it a bit close, she thought - they would have started dialling before they got her message to be that fast. Were they trying to impress the Asgard with speed and efficiency? She wouldn't put it past the soldiers stationed there, but Netossa and Spinnerella should be less reckless.

The vortex collapsed, and the wormhole stabilised. A few seconds passed, then two guards in Bright Moon uniform stepped through, followed by three Asgard. Thor, Freyr and Penegal. She briefly wondered if the fact that they were meeting with the same three Asgard would tell them something about the species's culture. Focus, she reminded herself as she followed Adora to meet the Asgard at the foot of the ramp.

"Welcome to Bright Moon." Gimmer nodded at them.

"And Welcome to Etheria!" Adora added with a bright smile.

Catra had to suppress the urge to add a smart-ass comment. This was an important diplomatic meeting.

The Asgard looked around. "Are there no representatives from Earth?" Freyr asked.

"They'll join us later," Glimmer told them with a diplomatic smile. "This is about showing you Etherian culture."

Alliance culture, Catra silently corrected her. If they showed the Asgard the culture of the Crimson Waste, they would probably consider it an act of war. Both the Asgard and the Crimson Waste.

She had to suppress a snort at that thought as they walked past the lines of guards standing at attention to the skiffs that would take them to Glimmer's palace.

"Are those ceremonial weapons?" Penegal asked, eyeing the spears with open curiosity.

"No," Glimmer told them. "They are also still in use where melee combat is expected."

Or crowd control, but that worked out the same, Catra added to herself. They were pretty useless, though - and the less said about the proposal to replace them with an Etherian version of the Goa'uld staff weapons, the better. Catra would have expected better sense from the Princess Alliance - they had used any Horde laser rifles they could get their hands on quite effectively during the war.

Freyr nodded, though it wasn't clear what he thought about that. Well, he'd see different soldiers when they visited the Scorpion Kingdom.

Thor and Penegal looked at the skiffs with interest as well. "Magitech," Penegal said. "Is that in common use?"

"Etheria never lost its magic," Glimmer reminded them. "The skiff itself is relatively common, but most people use at least some magitech in their daily lives."

"Ah." Thor nodded. "You said that you are descendants of the Gate Builders - the Ancients - who used Etheria for their experiments."

Glimmer kept smiling. Very diplomatic. "Yes."

"Yet, your technology is not very similar to theirs." Penegal cocked his head sideways.

"We built our own," Glimmer said.

"George - my Dad, one of my Dads - wrote an essay about the development of magitech on Etheria, if you're interested," Bow added.

"I am." Penegal nodded.

Bow beamed at him and started fiddling with his tablet while the Asgard climbed into the first skiff, together with Glimmer and Adora.

Catra followed them. That was pushing the skiff's carrying capacity a bit, but they'd be fine - the Asgard didn't weigh too much.

Besides, someone had to pilot it, and having the Queen of Bright Moon or the Supreme Commander of the Alliance doing it probably wouldn't really impress their guests - it would look far too forced. At least in Catra's opinion.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"I would have never expected to be able to travel to another planet in my lifetime!"

"What? Not even after First Contact? It won't cost a lot to step through a portal!"

"It's called a Stargate, not a portal."

"What's the difference?

"A portal is science fiction or fantasy; a Stargate is real!"

Jack O'Neill glanced at Carter and grinned. His second-in-command had the expression she usually showed when she was struggling not to correct a superior who was using imprecise or plain wrong technical terms. All polite, but her eyes just had that 'why me?' expression shining through.

Granted, none of the actors and artists gathered in the room next door - unaware that they could observe them - was actually her superior. No matter what some of the arrogant idiots clearly thought. But their orders were to be polite to their guests anyway. At least until they found an excuse to boot the worst of them.

"Anyway, I expected space tourism to start much sooner."

"Really? We're at war with a galactic empire, and you want to play tourist?"

"We didn't stop travel on Earth so why shouldn't we travel the galaxy?

"Because the Stargate is vital for the war effort?"

Someone amongst the bunch has a little common sense, Jack thought.

"It's not a spaceship - you just step through it, and whoosh! You're on another planet. That's not going to take a lot of time at all."

"Besides, if it were so vital, they wouldn't let us travel to another planet, would they? Back in World War II, they had rationing. We don't have that now, so things can't really be that bad."

"They still won't let me buy a space shuttle!"

I got a personal stealth shuttle, Jack thought with a grin.

"Why would they let you have a shuttle?"

"I've got money."

"Shuttles are vital for the war effort."

"One shuttle more or less won't make a difference."

"And we're also vital for the war effort, or we wouldn't be here!"

"Someone has a high opinion of themselves," Jack commented.

"All of them are famous artists, Jack." Daniel shook his head. "And they've just been told that they are so popular on Etheria that the Alliance requested their participation in the upcoming cultural exchange program. Of course, they'll feel important - they are important."

"But not as important as they think they are," Jack retorted with a snort.

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded.

His friend was hard to read, but Jack thought Teal'c was a bit annoyed as well - and he should be. He should be with his family, not meeting a bunch of overpaid actors and musicians so the shrinks and spooks could judge how they would react to Etherians.

"Well, I think we've let them wait long enough to spot the first problem children," Jack said.

"Yes." Daniel pointed at the most arrogant actor in the next room. "I don't think the Etherians will react well to his sense of entitlement and his lack of care about the war, but I'll still need to talk to him in person."

"And try to find out if his sense of entitlement extends to sex," Jack reminded him. The last thing they needed was an actor hitting on a princess and not taking no for an answer. No, he corrected himself a moment later, the last thing we need is an asshole seducing a princess and ending up their prince-consort or whatever the term was. "Yeah, let's go and talk to our future cultural ambassadors. Try not to murder them, folks!"

"Jack!" Daniel exclaimed, but Jack was already moving to the door to the meeting room.

"Hello, everyone!" he said as soon as he stepped inside. "I am General Jack O'Neill, and this is my team. Dr Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c. We're going to brief you about Etheria."

"Finally!" Mr 'I want a personal space shuttle' cried out, almost spilling his drink. "We've been waiting for hours!"

Half an hour, tops. But Jack smiled anyway. "Sorry about that," he lied. "Things came up. We're fighting a war. Anyway, you're here because we're going to launch a cultural exchange program with Etheria, and you're potential members of our delegation."

"I thought the Etherians specifically requested us?" a singer asked. Jack didn't know her or her music, but according to Daniel, she was one of the artists who wrote their own songs, which was supposed to vibe well with the Etherians.

She was polite as well, so Jack nodded. "They gave us a list of artists who are popular on their world. But we still have to vet all of you."

"'Vet'?" Another guy, already a bit into his cups, or so it looked, asked.

"Check if you are a security risk," Jack told him with a toothy smile. "We don't want a diplomatic incident. You're going to meet and greet a lot of powerful people, and we'd rather not have to smooth out things if you end up in a duel after insulting a princess. Or dead." He shrugged.

"Dead?" The man blinked, lowering his drink. "But… they're our allies, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. They are also a totally different culture, and they've been through a decades-long war that only ended a year or two ago." Jack grinned again.

"But… duels?"

They were paying attention now, Jack noted with satisfaction. He nodded at Daniel.

His friend took a step forward and cleared his throat. "Well, it's not as if Etheria has a formal duelling culture, like Earth had in the past, but it's a world divided into individual kingdoms ruled by absolute monarchs - who all have magic powers and are generally expected to personally fight in a war to defend their people, so their first impulse is not to call for the police, but to settle matters personally. That doesn't mean they'll react violently to a misunderstanding, but depending on the situation, things could escalate rather quickly, and so …"

*****​

Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and this is Bright Moon."

Adora watched the Asgard's reaction to Glimmer's announcement. There was no awe, no wonder, just polite - probably - interest as they studied the city ahead of them. It was completely unlike her own reaction years ago. Or SG-1's.

"What purpose serves the artificial waterfall?" Freyr asked.

"It is nice to look at," Glimmer replied in her 'I am being polite but I wish I didn't have to' voice.

"Ah." Freyr nodded as if that was a profound piece of knowledge. Maybe it was for the Asgard - they would have been raised very differently than Adora or anyone else she knew.

"You mentioned a war on this planet before the invasion by Horde Prime. Was the city ever attacked?" Thor looked around as they entered the gate.

Was he trying to spot defences? Or battle damage? And was she starting to think a bit too much like Catra - or Jack?

"Yes, a few times, but the shield held," Glimmer explained.

Although only barely, Adora knew. Catra's first attack had almost shattered it, and Horde Prime could have destroyed it from orbit easily if he had focused on it.

"Is it a magitech shield?" Penegal asked.

"Yes." Glimmer didn't add 'of course', but Adora heard it anyway.

"You have an eclectic mix of technologies," the Asgard went on as they passed a floating wagon drawn by a horse.

Oh - Ketro and Jesa were on the wagon, probably transporting their produce to the market. She waved at them, and the two farmers waved back.

"It works for us," Glimmer said. "And people are used to it."

"So, it's tradition? And not a result of your war?" Freyr cut in.

"Mostly tradition," Glimmer admitted. "The Horde War caused a lot of changes, but most of them were limited to the military."

"And horses are great," Adora added. "A skiff doesn't have a personality."

"According to the tech pool in the Horde, some vehicles had a nasty personality," Catra cut in as she steered the skiff towards the palace gates. "Not as bad as Swift Wind, of course."

"Catra!" Adora frowned at her lover. Swift Wind was a great friend!

"Did someone say Swift Wind?" And there he was, swooping down from the sky to land next to them. "Hello!"

The Asgard stared. "Hello," Freyr said after a moment.

"Are you flying thanks to an innate magical power, or do you have anti-gravity implants?" Penegal asked. "Your wings are not large enough to lift your body - unless it's much lighter than a horse's."

That sounded a little rude to Adora. But they were obviously surprised by her friend, so that excused it. Partially, at least. Or maybe that wasn't rude by their standards - Loki acted the same if something interested him, after all.

And Swift Wind wasn't offended. "Oh, it's magic! When Adora created me, she granted me a part of her power! A sign of the sacred bond that links us!"

And now all of the Asgard were staring at her, Adora noticed. "Uh… I was new to my power and was experimenting," she explained.

They were still staring. Harder, even, or so it seemed. Oh! She blushed. "I wasn't trying to create Swift Wind, or anything - I was just trying to, ah, unlock my sword's power."

"And you accidentally created a new sapient life form?" Adora could clearly hear Thor's sarcasm.

She still nodded. "Yes." That was the truth, after all.

"That's Adora for you," Catra added. "Creating flying unicorns and space plants by accident."

"Space plants?" Penegal cocked his head to the side.

"I turned Horde Prime's flagship into a plant. In space," Adora explained. "There was the power of the Heart of Ethera, all the magic the First Ones had been collecting, and I had to send it somewhere…"

The three Asgard didn't look like they believed her. Even if it was the truth again.

"You can see it from here when its orbit takes it above Bright Moon," Glimmer said. "We can also take you up in a shuttle if you want a closer look."

"I think we would like a closer look at this 'space plant', yes," Thor said.

"Does it grow in space? Spread?" Freyr asked.

Oh, no. "It's harmless," Adora assured them. "Perfuma checked, and she is the greatest expert on plants on Etheria - she can control any plant. Even cactuses. The space plant just absorbs sunlight and, well, exists."

Unfortunately, it didn't seem as if the Asgard believed her about that either.

The cultural exchange wasn't up to a good start, and it was all her fault.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and that's a brief overview of the Etherian social and economic structure."

Samantha Carter suppressed a smile when Daniel finished his lecture. Her friend was an academic at heart, and it always showed when he was briefing people. And, she added to herself when she looked at the assembled actors and artists in the room, those people are, by and large, not academics, and it shows.

"So… basically medieval kings and queens?" an actor Sam wouldn't have recognised without her own briefing since she wasn't a fan of his movies asked.

Daniel blinked. "No, as I just said, the similarities are only superficial. There is no feudal system, for one. The absolute monarchs of the Renaissance would be a better comparison, especially those championing Enlightenment, but even there, we have critical differences in the social and political structure, for example, the general lack of an entrenched noble class. In fact, the princesses, despite being defined so by their inherited power, both magical and legal, are remarkably free of class or caste biases when choosing their partners or consorts."

"So, they're like Walt Disney princesses," an actress who had played in Disney movies joked, and most of the room chuckled.

"Walt Disney princesses in a Tarantino movie," the General's remark cut through the fading laughter. "They went through a bloody war against a literal evil Horde, and they fought in the trenches." He pointed at the group picture of the Princess Alliance displayed on the screen behind Daniel. "See that little girl in front? She can freeze you into a solid block of ice. And she isn't some comic superhero who won't kill - she's fought and killed enemies despite her age."

The actors looked quite taken aback at that. "But she's a teenager!" another actress protested. "She looks like she's barely in high school!"

"Etheria doesn't have the same values and customs as we have," Daniel spoke up again. "They are more liberal than most countries on Earth in some areas, such as gay marriage, but that doesn't mean that they share everything that we Americans would consider liberal values."

"Aren't they all about forgiveness and rehabilitating? Even their former enemies." An actor with the biggest ego of anyone Sam had ever met, and that included both generals and politicians of the highest ranks, shook his head. "That sounds very liberal to me. We would have nailed those bastards to the wall."

Daniel frowned and pushed his glasses up. "That's another misconception. This Etherian policy - custom would be more precise - is rooted as much or more in what we would call pragmatism or realpolitik as it is in personal views and ideals. By sparing the leaders of an enemy kingdom, they ensure that wars aren't prolonged unnecessarily because the losing side is fighting for their ranks, freedom or even life - which also means they can expect the same should they lose."

"They aren't some naive girls who only see the good in people," the General added. "They are veterans."

Sam nodded in agreement. Of course, some of them might seem a bit naive, such as Perfuma and Scorpia. But for all their sweet tempers, they were terrifying in combat.

"They are honourable warriors," Teal'c said.

"Does that mean they will challenge us to a duel if they feel their honour was insulted?" That came from an actor who had a reputation as a womaniser. Although he, like everyone else present, had already passed a background check, so there was nothing unsavoury about it. Or shouldn't be - nobody was perfect. And the way he had checked out Sam when they had introduced themselves had felt uncomfortably familiar.

"They might do that - or they might just attack you or punish you," Daniel said. "Remember: They have a different culture, and they are absolute rulers of their country."

"And the US government won't be able to bail you out if you piss them off too badly." The General grinned.

A few of the actors and singers seemed to have second thoughts about this 'tour'. Unfortunately, the ones with the biggest egos didn't seem to be amongst them.

*****​

Fifteen minutes later, they were 'mingling' with their guests, and what fear of Etheria Daniel inadvertently and the General deliberately had induced in the artists was fading again.

"So, Major Carter - Carter was it, right? - You've been talking about princesses all day. Aren't there any princes?" The lead actress of a sitcom Sam was not familiar with asked.

"There are princes - like Prince Peekablue," she replied, "but the majority of the rulers are female, and when people say 'princesses' on Etheria, they mean both female and male rulers."

"Sounds like a feminist dreamland!" The arrogant actor that they had listened to before entering the room chuckled.

"They have a remarkably egalitarian view of genders," Sam said with a slight frown.

"For absolute monarchs, I suppose." The man shrugged. "People in power always have more privileges.

The actress frowned. "Is that true?"

"It permeates their entire society," Sam reassured her. "Men and women are equal on Etheria - at least in the kingdoms we visited."

"Ah."

"And yet, there are more princesses than princes!" The man snorted. "That doesn't sound very equal to me."

Sam schooled her features. "That might be a result of how magic powers are inherited. We don't know too much about how their society came to be and how magic talents are passed on."

"Speaking of magic talents…" An actress who played teenagers in TV shows smiled at Sam over a drink she wouldn't be allowed to have in the USA. "Can we get a test for magic talent on Etheria?"

Sam blinked. They hadn't thought about that. "I am not sure," she said. "Magic is generally handled by Mystacor, and they are a bit isolationist."

"What? We can't visit the flying magic academy?" The woman looked shocked.

"You will meet sorceresses," Sam told her. "Both male and female ones," she added with a side glance at the arrogant actor.

The man snorted again, and Sam made a mental note to bring up his attitude at the debriefing - he might be a potential problem on Etheria.

Unfortunately, he was not the only one with such an attitude by far.

*****​

Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Say… are there horses on your planet?"

Catra was really tempted to 'accidentally' steer the skiff into Swift Wind. The stupid horse was about to ruin this event with his thoughtless chatter.

"No. We don't have horses. We stopped using draft animals long before we achieved faster-than-light travel," Freyr explained - in a tone that told Catra that he wasn't impressed with the fact that Etheria still used them.

At least, that was her impression. They might just be wary of what they saw as another biological experiment. It was hard to read the Asgard, even with her experience working under Hordak. The Asgard were not like the clones. Fortunately, they also were nothing like Horde Prime. Though Loki had some similarities, if you thought about it…

"Oh? That's a very enlightened attitude!" Swift Wind beamed at them. "I'm still working on freeing my fellow horses from bondage - here and on Earth. Could you tell me how you managed to convince your species to stop using draft animals?"

"Ah…" Adora winced. She must have picked up on the implications of Freyr's comment.

"They were too inefficient compared to more advanced technology," Freyr said.

"Oh. Then I don't understand why Etheria and Earth are still forcing horses to work - both planets have advanced transport technology!" Swift Wind complained. "And they aren't as traditional as you are."

"I am sorry to say that we cannot be of any help here - we do not know much about either planet's culture," Thor said. "We are here to learn more about Etheria's culture."

And that was a polite 'get lost' if Catra had heard any before.

"Oh. That's too bad."

Not that Swift Wind would get it, of course.

Catra glanced at Glimmer - Adora wouldn't send Swift Wind away, and the Asgard couldn't - but it seemed that the queen didn't mind their guests being bothered by a pushy horse. Probably still annoyed at their attitude and being petty about it.

Whatever, it was no skin off Catra's butt. Thanks to excellent timing, they had reached the palace gates, so she focused on parking the skiff while more guards lined up to welcome the queen and her friends and guests.

Swift Wind flew off with some cheery goodbye as they disembarked. Catra used the opportunity to check a suspicion. "You don't have former draft animals living free on your planet, do you?" she asked, bending slightly towards the three Asgard.

Thor looked at her. "You are correct."

Catra nodded.

Adora frowned. "How did that happen?"

"They had long since domesticated and had lost the ability to survive in the wild. Once the Asgard stopped caring for them, they logically died out," Freyr said.

"But…" Adora shook her head. "Couldn't you have kept them alive?"

"We could have, but why should we have? Their time had passed." Freyr tilted his head slightly to the left.

"Couldn't you have… bred them back into wild animals?" Adora asked.

"Why would we have done that? Their wild ancestors had died out already, and their ecological niche had been filled again." Freyr shook his head. "It was much more appropriate to let them die out."

"I take it you're not very sentimental about pets," Catra said in a dry voice.

"I'm not gonna let them near Luna," she heard Adora mutter.

Catra snorted. She didn't think the Asgard would hurt Luna. But their attitude was… weird. She was tempted to ask if they ever thought that the Asgard's time was passing as well, but that would have been rude. Probably.

It would explain their stance towards Loki's experiments, though.

"Welcome to the Royal Palace!" Glimmer interrupted her thoughts. "These are my father, King Micah, and my aunt, Castaspella, the Head Sorceress of Mystacore."

If the Asgard had cat ears, they would have twitched with excitement, Catra was sure. They focused on Castaspella.

And wasn't that interesting?

*****​

 

[Transreal Clouden]

You have such an interesting take on the Asgard, they feel a lot more alien than the sorta magical gift givers of canon.

 

[MacShimi]

Besides, someone had to pilot it, and having the Quee of Bright Moon or the Supreme Commander of the Alliance doing it probably wouldn't really impress their guests - it would look far too forced.

Click to shrink...

Typo, you used "Quee" rather than "Queen."

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 120: Cultural Exchange Part 2

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"So, you're an alien. But you're human." The actor peered at Teal'c like he were in a zoo, in Jack O'Neill's impression.

Teal'c, of course, was stoically ignoring that. "I am a Jaffa. The false gods altered the human slaves they brought with them from Earth to create us as warriors for their armies," he explained.

"So, you're human." The actor nodded as if he were an actual scientist instead of having played such roles.

"I am a Jaffa."

"But you are descended from humans. Can you breed with humans?"

Jack pressed his lips together. That wasn't a question you asked a stranger you had just met. He made a quick note on his Bow-made tablet - that actor wouldn't be on the delegation; Jack would rather not find out how the princesses reacted to such rude questions.

"We are too different to produce viable offspring," Teal'c replied.

Jack thought his friend had way too much self-control as he finished his note.

"But can you have sex with humans? I mean, do you find humans attractive? Or do we smell alien to you?"

OK, that was enough!

"It depends," Teal'c replied in the same polite voice. "I do not find you attractive, but that is not because of your hygiene."

The actor stared at him with his mouth half-open while Jack and Teal'c left to head to the buffet. His friend also had a very dry sense of humour, Jack reminded himself.

"Sorry about that," Jack said in a low voice while picking up some sandwiches.

"It is better if such fools reveal themselves here instead of Etheria."

"Well, yes, but it's still not nice to deal with them." Jack glanced around. One singer was staring at them and keeping her distance. That wasn't a good sign, either.

"Compared to being shot at?" Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

"Well, at least you can shoot back there. Of course, we could…" Jack trailed off as he saw one of the more famous actors approaching them.

"Ah, General O'Neill!" The man smiled at him, then nodded at Teal'c. "I was wondering about something…"

Jack smiled politely. "Yes? We're here to answer questions."

"Will we have access to magical healing on Etheria?"

"They take good care of their guests, don't worry," Jack replied. "And they won't charge you for it, either."

"Ah."

"But unless you do something stupid, you won't have to fear getting hurt any more than you have on a promo tour on Earth," Jack added.

"And if we had a lingering issue?" The man took a sip from his drink.

Something in the way he said it made Jack want to frown. He didn't recall reading about any serious health issues when he checked the candidates' files - they had screened for that. "Are you currently sick?" They wouldn't send sick people to Etheria, either.

"No, no, just wondering if, say, Etheria has a magical cure for hangovers." The man chuckled at his own joke - if it was a joke.

The man's smile was open and friendly, but it raised Jack's hackles. Half the crowd here were actors - professional liars, in a way, he reminded himself. He shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I am usually on duty when I am on Etheria."

The man frowned for a moment, then leaned a bit closer with a toothier smile. "And even if you indulged, I doubt you'd suffer - you look like you're twenty years younger."

Oh, hell! Jack didn't look twenty years younger - but he felt like it. At least when he wasn't dealing with the current generation. But that effect of Adora's healing was classified. So, why did this damn civilian know about it? "You flatter me," he told the man. He had to get to the bottom of this - they couldn't afford leaks. It had been bad enough when people had rioted about magical healing. If they thought they could grow young again with magic…

"I'm just telling the truth."

Jack wanted to have the man dragged out by two guards and thrown into an interrogation room, but that would ruin the event at the least - and probably cause a lot of problems. Especially if the man blurted out what he knew to the rest of the room. "Sounds more like a rumour," he said.

"Sometimes rumours are truthful."

Wasn't that a line from a movie? "Well, I just have to look into a mirror to know it's not true."

"Age is not just your appearance."

"Don't let Hollywood's plastic surgeons hear that!" Jack quipped. "They'd lose all clients if that were true."

The man smiled thinly. "Age is also how you move. How your body feels. Good actors - like me - know the difference between a young body and an old body moving."

Yeah, the bastard definitely knew more than he should. "I wouldn't know; I am no actor," Jack said with a shrug.

"I find that hard to believe. Soldiering is hard on a body, isn't it?"

Jack looked around. "Maybe we should talk about this later."

The man's smile made Jack want to smash his teeth in.

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"So, the talent necessary to work magic as a sorceress is genetic - you and your brother both have inherited it, and King Micah passed it on to his daughter," Freyr said.

"Yes," Castaspella replied. She didn't look annoyed at the question even though she had been telling their guests exactly that just a minute ago, Adora noted.

"And yet, all Gate Builders were able to use magic," Freyr went on, "while this is not the case on Etheria, despite you being descendants of them."

"We don't count as First Ones," Catra said. "With or without magic."

"The genetic drift is probably too much," Bow said. "It's the same for the humans from Earth. Only some amongst them are recognised as First Ones - Ancients - by Alpha's scanners."

Thor frowned. Probably because he knew Alpha was working with Loki.

"You have not researched this?" Penegal sounded surprised. "Even though you have access to the Gate Builder's research station?"

"Why would we care what kind of genes you must have to be considered a First One by an ancient laboratory?" Glimmer made a point of shrugging - quite Catra-like, Adora realised. "What matters aren't your genes but your character."

"But with a modicum of research, you could determine what makes someone a sorceress," Penegal retorted. He almost sounded scandalised.

"We probably could, yes," Micah said. "But why would we want to? We're not going to breed people like animals."

"Someone tell Anise that," Catra muttered with a snort.

"Besides," Castaspella said, "it's usually passed on to your children."

"You said usually."

"Sometimes, children of a sorceress don't have the talent. Sometimes, it skips a generation." Castaspella shrugged. "It's not like a princess's lineage."

"Have you examined those bloodlines?" Freyr asked.

"No," Glimmer said. "If any princess wants to know more, they can have their genes analysed, but so far, none have asked."

"Very curious," Freyr said.

"And dangerous. If you are breeding out those talents, you might not realise it until it's too late," Penegal added.

Catra snorted again, and Adora didn't have to glance at her lover to know she was rolling her eyes.

Glimmer shook her head. "If that should happen, we have Alpha's databanks to go back to."

"Backed up," Bow added with a smile.

The Asgard frowned again. Were they disappointed that Etheria didn't have such records?

"And does Loki have access to this data?" Thor asked.

"No," Glimmer told him. "We won't let him use our genes to experiment."

"And yet, you let him use our genes," Thor shot back.

"His genes," Glimmer's smile grew a bit toothier. "He can experiment with his own genetics as much as he wants - they're his and his alone."

Uh-oh. Adora winced. They had planned to avoid that topic.

Bow smiled widely - and a bit forcedly, if you knew him. "But that's a different topic. You're here to experience our culture. So… how about we start with the palace? It's one of the oldest structures still used for their original purpose on Etheria, dating back to the founding of the kingdom." He gestured at the main corridor behind them. "And that leads directly to the throne room, where Glimmer holds court. Or Micah, if Glimmer is away."

The Asgard nodded - less reluctantly, or so it seemed, than Glimmer's own agreement.

Micah, though, beamed at them. "Oh, yes. However, it's a bit large for daily business, so that's usually done in our offices - unless we want to make a point.

They led the Asgard through the wide corridor, but their guests didn't look impressed. They hadn't been impressed by anything at all so far, in Adora's impression. Even though the palace was one of the most beautiful buildings she had ever seen.

Of course, she might be a bit biased since she was living here, and she would never tell the other princesses that she thought Glimmer's palace was the best.

They reached the throne room. Glimmer must have noticed the Asgard's lack of a reaction as well since she opened the doors herself with a flourish. "We've gathered a delegation of Etherian's best scholars and artists and most of the members of the Princess Alliance."

The Throne room held a decent crowd. Partially because they had decided to recruit for both cultural exchanges together, Adora knew, but even so, now that the Asgard had arrived, the smiles and curious looks of the people in the room seemed genuine. At least to Adora.

George and Lance, standing in the front row next to the princesses, certainly were enthusiastic. Mainly because the Asgards were contemporaries of the First Ones, but it still counted. Or should.

As Glimmer started introducing the various people to the Asgard, who were quickly surrounded by the crowd, Adora let herself relax. Things were looking up.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Where did he get classified information? And who is backing him? I need answers, folks!"

The General was furious. Samantha Carter could see that in his tight expression. The clipped sentences confirmed it. He wasn't cracking dark jokes, but that was usually a mixed sign. And he wasn't pacing in his office.

"Do you really think this is a plot, Jack?" Daniel asked. "He could just have heard a rumour and decided he wanted this for himself as well."

"Would a mere actor really challenge the military leadership like that without someone more powerful backing him?" Sha're asked.

Sam pressed her lips together for a moment. Daniel's wife had not yet fully acclimated to Earth society or she wouldn't ask that question.

"In a heartbeat," the General told her. "Those actors are all full of themselves - they think they're above everyone!"

"Not everyone, Jack!" Daniel objected. "But a fair amount of them do have a bit overblown egos, yes." He frowned. "One of them tried to argue with my thesis based on an article he read in the Rolling Stone. Not even Popular Science!"

Sam had to smile at her friend's outraged expression. She was pretty sure she knew which actor had done that - one had been asking her quite the questions, but the man had at least not tried to argue physics with her.

"See?" The General nodded sharply.

Sha're didn't look convinced, though. "You also impressed upon them that they would be under your authority during this mission, and they didn't disagree."

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded slowly.

"That's because they know we won't let them go to Etheria if they don't play nice," the General said. "But once they're there? Or back? Some of them will already be talking to a ghostwriter for their 'The Truth about Etheria' book."

"But that's why you had this meeting - to weed out those untrustworthy," Sha're pointed out.

"Yes. But we won't get all of them. At least one will have to find out the hard way that we're not joking." The General shook his head. "But that's not as serious as this. We're dealing with a leak here!" He turned to her. "Have you checked our data security?"

"I would need a thorough evaluation of the entire data traffic to find proof of illegitimate access," Sam explained. "And that wouldn't detect someone with the necessary clearance showing his screen to someone else - or just telling someone after work." Of course, if they had been sloppy, one could check if the time of access of the classified data correlated with a visitor in that office, but she doubted that anyone with the clearance for his would be that careless.

The General frowned at that, and Sam suppressed the slight guilt she felt for disappointing him. It wasn't her fault that reality worked that way.

"So, we need to start with Mr Self-Important and work backwards." He nodded. "But that will take a while. And we have to deal with the bastard soon."

"He has shown he knows classified information," Sha're said. "Can't you imprison him?" She looked at Daniel. "This seems to be a case of this 'national security' excuse you mentioned."

Daniel winced a little, but the General chuckled. "I wish! But he's very prominent and has given himself enough cover, so a decent lawyer would demolish us if we locked him up. And no, we can't just vanish him either - even if we wanted to, and I am sure the NID would love to, and even if we managed to fool the press and the cops, the Etherians would ask questions. The bastard is really popular on their planet, or so it seems."

"Well, he's the lead of a very successful TV show," Daniel pointed out. "And he plays a very nice and charming character. He's not at all like his character, of course, but…" He shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe we can vanish him after the Etherians discover what he's like, but that won't help us now."

"What does he want?" Sha're asked.

"Access to magical healing," Sam replied.

"If he is as well-liked as you say on Etheria, couldn't he just ask for healing during his visit?"

"He could. But he'll discover that the magical treatment he might receive on Etheria won't duplicate She-Ra's healing," Sam explained.

"And then he'll want the real thing," the General finished. "And I don't like giving in to this kind of underhanded pressure. If you let them get away with this, they'll try to get more next time. So, we need to shut him down - and plug that leak."

Sam suppressed a sigh. He was right, anyway. "I'll look into his communications, sir." That was illegal, but between her advanced technology and some help from Entrapta, it was unlikely that she would be caught. And even if she did, that kind of thing could be swept under the rug, given the circumstances.

And if it couldn't, she could move to Etheria and do science with less paperwork and more freedom, a small voice in the back of her head whispered.

She ignored it.

"Good!" The General nodded. "And I'll need everyone else on the meeting with the bastard. Anything, any hint, any insight."

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"So, you actually met the First Ones - I mean, the Ancients, oh, you call them the Gate Builders, right?"

Catra had to give credit to the Asgard - they didn't react much to Lance getting so close in their face, even the French would remind him to respect personal space. On the other hand, the man's enthusiasm and cheer were obvious, and the Asgard might like that. Especially after the somewhat lukewarm reception by most of the artists in the room - they didn't think much of Asgard epics and music, although they were very polite about it. And most of the princesses weren't much better, either - though Scorpia and Perfuma were talking animatedly with Penegal right now at the buffet.

"Dear…" George put his hand on Lance's arm with a wry smile.

"Oh, I'm really sorry!" Lance bowed his head - no, his entire upper body - in apology. "The First Ones are a passion of ours, and when I heard that we would be meeting people who had actually met them…" He sighed.

Adora's a First One, too. Catra didn't say that, of course. They could use any honest enthusiasm for this visit. And it was kind of interesting to see where Bow got some of his mannerisms from. He was a bit of a mix of his two dads.

"We did not meet the Gate Builders at their peak, but we do remember them, yes," Thor said. "Though not the ones who did build the research base here, I don't think so."

Yeah, Catra didn't think the First Ones would have ignored the Asgard if they had known them during their war with the Horde - they should have known about the connection between the Horde and the Asgard once they had analysed a clone's genes. Which they had - Alpha had mentioned bioweapon research. Although… "Well, they were busy building an Empire of their own and colonising planets, so they might have hidden from you as well."

Thor frowned at that. Adora as well, of course - even if it wasn't her fault.

"That might have influenced them to keep hidden, though it seems a bit odd that they didn't reach out to us once they started losing the war against Horde Prime," the Asgard commented.

Catra shrugged. "They might have been too proud to ask for help."

"Or they feared your reaction," Glimmer added.

"But this meeting is not about Horde Prime but about a cultural exchange between Etheria and the Asgard!" Adora cut in with a wide and forced smile.

Right. No reminding, even indirectly, the Asgard of their unwanted grandkids.

"Yes!" Lance nodded enthusiastically. Very enthusiastically - Bow was wincing, Catra noted with a smirk. "And the First Ones are a very important part of Etherian culture - quite natural, of course, since they were responsible for creating so many of our ancestors."

"And are our ancestors," George added.

"Yes, yes, of course." Lance nodded again. "Their structures might lie in ruins, but their influence remains - although often in a subtle way."

"And how strong is this influence?" Freyr asked.

"That varies from kingdom to kingdom," Lance replied. "Different princesses took different aspects of the First One's culture, from what we can tell - though we are still researching this complex topic."

"And how much of their influence remains in Bright Moon?" Freyr asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Bright Moon's a special case since its founder, Queen Angella, was a direct, ah, result of the First One's genetic engineering program on Alpha and ruled the kingdom for so long. And yet, she never mentioned meeting the First Ones. So, we don't know her views of the First Ones culture. But Bright Moon doesn't share many aspects of known First Ones culture," Lance said.

"We didn't even know about the Stargate network," Glimmer added. "Mum would have told us that if she had known."

Adora nodded at that. "And she would have told me more about She-Ra if she had met Mara - my predecessor, and also a First One," she explained.

"Ah." Freyr nodded.

"And yet, you control the research base they left," Thor said.

"Yes, because we have a claim on the Moons of Enchantment," Glimmer replied a little testily.

"Even though until recently, you had no means to reach them?" Freyr looked curious.

"Yes." Glimmer looked as if she dared him to question her claim.

Which could be seen as a bit questionable from a certain point of view, Catra had to admit. Not that she cared about it - as long as Adora was fine with it, it was OK.

"This claim could be influenced by Queen Angella's history with the First Ones," Lance speculated. "We just don't know enough about her - or the First Ones. It was such a boon when Bow introduced Adora to us. We were not even able to read their language before she translated it for us!"

Adora blushed a little.

"That's why I have this tattoo," George said, pulling his left sleeve back. "I thought it meant 'love'," he explained with a wry expression.

"It means 'lunch', I believe," Freyr said.

"Yes, it does." Adora looked embarrassed, and Catra snickered with everyone else at George's expense - he took it good-naturedly.

Didn't they have a saying on Earth? That love went through your stomach or something?

"So, does your view of what are safe experiments contain some of the Gate Builder's influence?" Thor asked, and everyone grew serious again. Well, everyone who was paying attention and not raiding the buffet, like most of the others in the Throne Room were doing.

"No, they stem from our experience with dangerous experiments," Glimmer told him. "We're very familiar with such - Etheria was almost destroyed because of a First One project."

"Our culture is very safety-conscious," Adora said - with a smile that wouldn't have fooled Emily.

Catra sighed. Her love was trying way too hard.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"So, any new intel?" Jack O'Neill asked a last time as he checked his computer for any possible notices.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I haven't been able to find any electronic leak so far."

"Sorry, Jack, celebrities aren't exactly my, ah, speciality. I've been going over the available material, but it's a bit limited - tabloids rarely report what people celebrities talk to at parties and mixers. Unless it's about a new affair."

"Are you sure that some of this isn't deliberate disinformation, my love?."

Great. He had to go into that meeting with the bastard without intel to back him up. He didn't like that at all, but it wasn't the fault of his team. Or would that be friends now? They weren't exactly his team any more, not formally.

He pushed that thought, and also the small voice in the back of his mind that wanted to point out what not being in the same chain of command would mean, away and nodded. "It was always a slim chance," he said.

"Yes, sir." Carter pressed her lips together as she nodded, and Jack felt a bit guilty - she would still feel as if she had failed him, even though it wasn't her fault at all; not even Carter could work miracles all the time.

But the bastard was waiting, and short of an actual crisis, Jack couldn't let him wait any longer - the arrogant actor had the vibe of someone who'd take petty revenge no matter the cost if he felt slighted, and they had to assume he had contacts in the Alliance. "Alright, let's see what exactly the bastard wants. Did anyone start a betting pool?"

Daniel chuckled at that, and even Carter smiled a little. Sha're looked confused, but Daniel would explain.
Jack left his office and went to the meeting room where the blackmailing bastard was waiting.

"Sorry for the wait," he said as he entered the room. "But we're in the middle of a war, you know."

"I heard war was ninety-five per cent waiting and five per cent action," the actor replied before taking a sip from his soda. He didn't get up from his seat at the table, of course.

"It's mostly training, actually," Jack told him as he sat down opposite the bastard. "For the soldiers, anyway. Analysts and staff rarely have to wait a lot - we're buried in work."

The man shrugged, obviously not caring about any soldier or other people actually doing their thing to defend Earth. Or that was what he wanted Jack to think - he was a skilled actor, after all, Jack reminded himself. He couldn't trust anything the man said or did.

Of course, his team was watching over the cameras, and he was wearing a bud in his ear in case they found something, but Jack didn't expect them to have more success at analysing the actor.

"So… what do you want?" Jack asked, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table.

He couldn't tell If his direct question rattled the bastard. The man smiled at him. "Direct and to the point - just as your reputation claims!"

Flattery - or had someone told him about Jack as well? Anyone who knew Jack knew he could be sneaky when he wanted to. Although most would also know that but for the Alliance with Etheria, Jack wouldn't have gotten his current rank - he had made too many enemies, and saving Earth against orders could only make up for so much in the shark pool of staff politics. But this might be an attempt at deception, to make him underestimate the man's knowledge. So Jack shrugged. "I have to. So much to do, and a day only has so many hours, so why waste it on chitchat?"

The actor chuckled. "Oh, don't I know it! Whenever I am on a set, it's always like that!"

Now, that was a lie - Daniel had discovered and confirmed that the man wasn't exactly the most stressed actor. He did his scenes and then fucked off to his trailer - or home - at the first opportunity. Sometimes with a starlet. The last thing he did was working too much. But Jack nodded as if he believed him. "So, let's not beat around the bush. What do you want?"

The man nodded. "I'm not getting any younger, and there's no cure for age. Or there wasn't until magic appeared."

Ah. So, it seemed that the man wasn't hiding some serious illness from his employers and the military doctors. He simply wanted to be twenty again - as he had hinted at during their first meeting. And without makeup, he looked his age, Jack noticed.

"The Etherians didn't find a fountain of Eternal Youth either," Jack told him. "Magic can't do everything."

The man snorted. "That's a nice story - good to keep the masses from realising what they can do - but I know better." He leaned forward as well. "You've got the body of a twenty-year-old."

Jack's classified medical report actually said 'peak health for a man his age' and 'healthy as a twenty-year-old', but this was too close to be a mere guess. The man wouldn't have gotten this from analysing She-Ra's mass-healing in India. Someone had read Jack's medical files and revealed it to a damn actor. And once Jack found out who had done it, he would nail the bastard to the wall!

But while this was bad enough, anyone who could get his medical file could also access other classified data. Even if they were limited to medical data, that was a lot. This was about as bad as Jack had feared. But it still wasn't solid enough to arrest the bastard.

He smiled, showing his teeth, and didn't try to hide his disdain. "And you want that."

The other man nodded, smiling without any shame. "Yes. Who wouldn't? Eternal youth has been a dream of humanity since forever," he added. "If this got out, it would make the First Contact riots like a kindergarten spat over the last slice of birthday cake."

"I've heard worse rumours about what magic can do," Jack replied.

"Rumours, yes. But this is the truth." The man flashed his teeth at Jack. "It can be proven."

And that was the threat. "If someone slipped, you mean."

"Or something happened to me." The man shrugged. "You have a certain reputation."

Jack nodded - and hid his grim satisfaction. The number of people who had access to his medical data and his black ops past was far smaller than those who had access to either but not both. Carter was probably already running an analysis. And Jack had a list of people who he had clashed with during his career in that field.

But that would take time. So, for now, he had to play along. But not too eagerly. "If such a magical cure for ageing existed, it would be in the hands of the Etherians."

"In the hands of She-Ra, who is your close friend - so close, she made you a general." The actor shook his head. "She'd do you a small favour like this without question."

The leak definitely was someone with a grudge against Jack, then. And either a fellow general - or someone who didn't get promoted as fast.

Good.

"It's not exactly a small favour, though…" Jack continued the act, thinking about how he would enjoy bringing down both this bastard and the leaker.

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 2nd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and that was the first All-Princess Ball - which ended the Age of War. Well, Etheria still saw wars, but never again on the scale of that epoch until the Horde War, which dwarfed every other conflict. The All-Princess Ball…"

"Or Princess Prom."

Adora wasn't sure if Glimmer was being helpful or not, but Lance nodded at her before he smoothly continued: "...also known as Princess Prom - remains the most prestigious and most important diplomatic event of Etheria, where all Princesses, no matter if they rule a kingdom or not, are allowed entry, with strict neutrality guaranteed by their host. This tradition was upheld over centuries, even during the Horde War. In fact, except for a violent incident between the then-rulers of Plumeria and the Kingdom of Snows over a shared lover, which was, by all accounts, a private affair and only escalated to a conflict between the realms after the near-strangling respectively freezing of the involved princesses, the Horde was the only power ever to break the ancient rules of hospitality of the event."

"It seemed a good idea at the time," Catra commented with a shrug.

"You broke centuries of tradition during?" Freyr asked. He seemed more concerned about that than the fact that Catra had been a Force Captain in the Horde at the time.

"I'm not a princess, so technically, it was Scorpia, but I gave the order, yes." Catra met the Asgard's eyes.

"And we've all moved past that," Adora cut in. "The Horde War is over, and we're all friends now."

"Try telling Frosta that," Catra muttered under her breath, but the Asgard nodded.

"This event seems to have influenced your diplomatic traditions - namely, that you are willing to forge alliances with former enemies," Freyr commented.

"Yes," Lance said. "Although it was but one element of several, being able to meet other princesses in a neutral setting and socialise with them would have helped foster a culture of limited conflict where peace didn't require the complete defeat of the enemy."

"And yet, the Horde War ended with the complete defeat of Horde Prime."

Thor sounded a tad smug. At least, that was Adora's impression.

"Well…" Bow spoke up. "It depends if you consider the Horde War one conflict or two. There are arguments for both views. But even so, the only one who suffered total defeat was Horde Prime - the Clones and the Horde Soldiers were welcomed into the Princess Alliance even if they didn't defect during the conflict."

That was, perhaps, a bit generous. Technically correct, since the Horde Soldiers were pretty much all living in the reformed Scorpion Kingdom, which was a member of the Princess Alliance, but not many other kingdoms except for Plumeria had welcomed them within their borders. And the Clones pretty much stuck to their own. Except for Third Fleet's missionaries, of course.

"But do you expect to treat the Goa'uld the same?" Freyr asked. "Offer them the chance to change sides and retain their positions?"

"If they change, yes," Adora said. "They cannot keep slaves or oppress anyone. And they can't take unwilling hosts. And they have to be honest." Hadn't they told the Asgard that before?

"And, of course, if they break their word, we aren't bound to ours any more either," Glimmer added, showing her teeth. "And the same goes for Loki."

"Ah." Freyr nodded.

"We're not naive," Glimmer told him. "But we give people a chance to change."

"Laudable," Thor said. "And yet, you ignore that Loki has failed to change despite having had many such chances."

"It's never too late to change," Adora said.

"That seems to contradict Queen Glimmer's claim," Freyr pointed out.

"It doesn't." Catra was tense - her ears were laid back a little, and her tail twitched a lot - and she had crossed her arms over her chest - as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You can give people more chances if you can keep them from being a danger to you and others."

"And if you can't?" Thor asked.

"Then you do what you can to neutralise them as a threat."

"But we're talking politics again," Adora stepped in. "We're here to show our culture and traditions."

"The point of this visit is to build trust," Thor retorted. "And the biggest issue is my brother. And his plan to alter the very heart of our culture."

She pressed her lips together. Did he have to insist on this?

"You've heard about our traditions. Some of them," Glimmer said. "You know how they came to be," she added with a nod and a smile at Lance and George. "But we're a long way from finished. There are many kingdoms with their own cultures and traditions, even if we limit this visit to the Alliance."

"But you didn't come here for Etherian traditions anyway, did you?" Catra spoke. "You came here for Etherian magic."

Adora frowned. What was Catra saying? The Asgard looked… not guilty, but not surprised either, she noticed.

"It is unique to Etheria," Freyr said.

Penegal nodded. "We never used magitech much, lacking the ability to use magic, so we developed our technology without it, but the Gate Builders relied on it."

"Are you looking for a magic cure for your problems?" Bow asked, then blushed and glanced around. "Sorry."

Catra snickered, and Glimmer groaned, but Adora didn't think it was bad. They were surrounded by friends. And except for Bow's dads, the other guests didn't seem to be paying them much attention, anyway.

"We don't know if this is a feasible option," Freyr said.

"In other words: Yes, you are." Catra smirked.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 3rd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"You didn't pull an all-nighter, did you, Carter?"

Samantha Carter suppressed a frown at the General's question. He couldn't know from seeing her that she had worked through the night on this - she had checked in the mirror before this meeting. And she had had a nap before this. She had done worse before, anyway. And before She-Ra had healed her during the mission on Saqqara. "I finished before bedtime, sir," she replied, a little sharper than usual. It was true, anyway - depending on which day you were talking about. And she'd had to do this - it was important. For the Alliance and for the General.

He didn't seem to believe her, but he didn't press her on this either. She had expected that, of course.

As she took her seat at the table, Daniel leaned over and whispered. "You did, didn't you?"

She rolled her eyes at him in return and took a sip from the coffee he handed her. Good.

"So!" The General sat down as well. "Now, let's see what we can do about our blackmailing problem. You've said you had something for me, Carter."

"Yes, sir." Sam switched her laptop on - this kind of thing was best done off the main computer system. "I've correlated the data Daniel and Sha're gathered through the news and the known schedules of the various people with access to our medical files." Which was technically illegal, but this wasn't a criminal investigation. And she had access to the databanks for technical reasons, so one could argue the legality of this.

"Our suspects." The General nodded.

"Yes, sir." She opened the charts she had prepared, her laptop's holoprojector displaying them floating above the table. "There's no direct correlation between them, and their itineraries - their offical ones; I haven't had access to private ones - don't match up."

"I sense a 'but' coming." The General grinned.

"Yes, sir. There are several flights of his private jet logged between Los Angeles and Washington D.C. that do not match up with any publicly known events of our… main suspect."

"I think, seeing as he admitted to blackmailing us, we can call the bastard 'culprit,' Carter."

"And those dates line up with the vacation days logged by General Smith." A four-star general. Short of the leak being a member of the Alliance High Command, this was the worst case situation. "Not all of them, but three in the time span of five years," Sam finished, highlighting the six flights. "None of them during regular holidays."

"And given how difficult it is to get leave even during major holidays as a general, as I found out…" The General bared his teeth. "That would be quite a coincidence."

"It's not proof, though," Daniel pointed out.

"It's proof enough," Sha're disagreed.

"Not for a court, my love. Or to arrest anyone."

"But it's proof enough to, ah, take a closer look at what my dear fellow general has been doing in Hollywood. It wasn't negotiating Air Force support for 'Top Gun 2 - The Air Force Strikes Back', that's for sure."

"They're making a sequel?" Daniel blinked. "And I thought Top Gun was about the Navy…?"

"That's 'No, they aren't', and 'Exactly', Daniel." The General grinned. "Which is my point. We've got our suspect. Now we just need to find enough proof to nail him."

Sam nodded. Enough proof to deal with the man. Not necessarily enough to charge him. "We should inform the Etherians, sir."

He frowned at her. "The idea is to keep this under wraps until we've dealt with it, Carter."

"They have resources that would help with this," she pointed out. And they had diplomatic immunity.

"Adora also can't act worth a damn, and Glimmer's got a temper," he objected. "We'd be blowing this wide open if we involve them. Can you imagine them playing nice with Smith while they're in a meeting that's already annoying?"

"I wasn't thinking about Adora and Glimmer, sir," she explained. "I was thinking about Catra. And Melog."

"Ah!" He smiled widely. "Yeah, that's different."

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

You have such an interesting take on the Asgard, they feel a lot more alien than the sorta magical gift givers of canon.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I think they should be more alien than humans - especially to explain why they would in canon rather die out than save themselves.

Typo, you used "Quee" rather than "Queen."

Click to shrink...

Thanks, fixed!

 

[Transreal Clouden]

Yeah, I think they should be more alien than humans - especially to explain why they would in canon rather die out than save themselves.

Click to shrink...

Yeah definitely, I think the other explanations would be that they're just not good at genetics or that something weirder is going on. In one fic the ascended were intentionally sabotaging the Asgard.

I've also seen stories where they only pretended to be dying for real.

 

[I_S]

I'm surprised the actor is asking for magical healing and not just trying to skip the line on the longevity parasites.

In the sha're jack and Carter scenes who is saying my love?

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 121: Cultural Exchange Part 3

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 3rd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and we thought you could help us deal with this. From the Etherian side, so to speak."

"So, you've got a scumbag trying to blackmail you into Adora healing him, and you want me to help you without making Glimmer lose her temper or Adora trying to act innocent?" Catra cocked her head to the side as she looked at Sam and Daniel.

"Err, yes." Daniel blushed a little. Had he really expected she wouldn't figure out why they were coming to her with this instead of to Adora - the Supreme Commander of the Alliance - or Glimmer, Queen of Bright Moon and member of the Alliance Command Council or whatever they called it this week? Catra didn't even have a formal rank in the Alliance.

"Well, that was a good decision." Catra nodded in approval. Judging by the faint smile on Sam's face, that had been her idea, then. "But what do you want done about him?"

"We're working on uncovering the leak," Sam explained.

"And you can't just arrest the guy and interrogate him until he spills his source because that's illegal on Earth, right?" Catra shook her head. Sometimes, she wondered how Earth countries could function with all that red tape. On the other hand, if someone had been able to restrict her more reckless decisions, back in the Horde… Bah. That was the past.

"Yes." Sha're sighed a little as she nodded.

"Err, there are good reasons for that," Daniel said.

"I know, my love, but they are also inconvenient at a time like this."

Catra could agree with that. "Well, I guess we can't really have him disappear on Etheria, either."

Daniel gasped a little. "No, we can't!"

Catra had been joking, anyway. Mostly. A little trip, and he could become 'lost' in the Whispering Woods. If he was as over-confident as some of his roles, no one would question that he wanted to brave the woods alone. But people would wonder why he had been allowed to enter the woods alone and question the competency of the Princess Alliance. Or suspect foul play - Earth media were all about such plots, and from what Catra had learned about Earth's history, their governments were worse. But that wasn't the point here, anyway.

"We just need you to ensure he doesn't cause any trouble," Sam said, "while we handle the Earth part of this."

Catra nodded. "Especially if he wants to cause trouble. Which he would if he suspects something."

"We're hoping he won't," Sam said.

"That's why you came to me." Catra nodded. Slowly. And took a deep breath. They meant well. They just hadn't thought it through. They hadn't considered how this would look from another point of view. Namely, hers. "Yeah, that's a solid plan. Simple goal, clear reason. There's only one problem with it."

"Oh?" Daniel looked surprised. Sam's eyes widened as well. And Sha're was frowning.

"You want me to lie to my friends. To Adora." Her love.

"Ah." Daniel blinked. "Oh."

Sam winced.

And Sha're glanced at Daniel, then met Catra's eyes.

"That's…" Daniel started to say, but Sha're interrupted him. "We're sorry. We should have realised what we were asking of you, but we didn't." She bowed her head for a moment.

Catra let her breath out. "Yeah, it's…" It wasn't OK, but it hadn't been deliberate. "I understand your line of thinking." But to suggest she should betray Adora, hurt her like that… She clenched her teeth at the thought. Never again. She'd rather die.

All three winced at that, and Catra felt a pang of guilt. They still had a pretty serious problem to solve, and their reasons for suggesting to keep this from Adora - and Glimmer, and the others - were not entirely stupid. What Catra had heard of the mission to the Enchanted Grotto didn't fill her with much confidence in the Princess Alliance's capability to conduct undercover operations.

Sighing once more, she said: "So, we'll have to plan this carefully - with the others. And if Her Sparkliness blows her top, I'm not going to intervene."

"That's fair," Sha're said. The other two grimaced.

"Let's hope the Asgard haven't frustrated Glimmer too much today," Catra said as she got up.

"Oh? Are things not going well?" Daniel asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"They haven't threatened war yet," Catra told him. "But they have very different views, and, apparently, they think as little of our art and stuff as we think of theirs." Which was to be expected if the Asgard enjoyed the things Loki had shown them.

"Oh." Daniel frowned for a moment. "Have you tried to show them artwork comparable to the Norse culture's works? They influenced that culture, after all, and so they might enjoy similar art."

Catra snorted. "Yes. But the Asgard apparently thought sea shanties were parodies of their epics." To be fair, Sea Hawk singing them probably hadn't helped. The man had a good voice, but he was just too passionate about it. And turning every second shanty into a love song for Mermista hadn't helped.

Daniel winced again. "And what about rune carvings?"

Catra sighed once more. "Castaspella said most Etherian runes were related to magic and that it wasn't a good idea to try out new runes without proper precautions. The Asgard disagreed. Last I heard, they were still 'discussing' things when you called for me."

"Ah. Well, we didn't hear any explosions on the way in…"

Catra laughed at the weak joke. "Anyway, let's go and see if we can get Adora and Glimmer. If all goes well, they'll probably be happy to be called away."

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 3rd, 1999 (Earth Time)

General Smith had been up to no good. Jack O'Neill was sure of that. And serious no-good stuff, not just the usual things a four-star general did to get promoted if they hadn't saved the world from evil alien body-snatching snakes a few times and were friends with magical princesses who had a huge fleet of spaceships with big honking guns.

Jack leaned back in his seat and dropped the report he had been trying to read on his desk.

The problem was finding enough proof of said no-good stuff. Well, that was one problem. The other problem was finding out what Smith wanted. Why would a four-star general send a bloody Hollywood actor to blackmail Jack? It didn't make much sense. Smith didn't have a reputation for gossiping or drinking, so while it wasn't impossible that he had let slip something classified to a civilian friend at a mixer, it was very unlikely. Smith also wasn't stupid - he would know that Jack wouldn't let some arrogant actor push him around. And he would be aware that, especially now that the United States finally were officially at war, said arrogant actor could end up arrested in a heartbeat.

It wouldn't stick, though. The bastard had used a cover story that was bullshit but just plausible enough to get out of prison as soon as a decent lawyer was brought in. Or, if that didn't work fast enough, the press got a story about the evil Alliance trying to send an actor who had found out too much to a gulag. Which the public would take as proof that the Alliance was keeping magic that made you young again for themselves.

And that would be a catastrophe. Everyone with money and influence would try to get this, and most of them would not baulk at anything to be young again. Even worse, those without influence or money would riot. The First Contact riots had been bad enough, but this would put the worst anti-magic riots in the Middle East to shame. And if the Russians and the Chinese leaders decided that they wanted access to this…

The Alliance would be hard-pressed to handle all of this without the war against the snakes and the current issues with the Asgard.

Was that what Smith was counting on? That Jack would rather ask Adora to heal a puffed-up actor than risk such a catastrophe? But Smith would also know that Jack wouldn't let this go. And neither would the princesses. Was Smith trusting the threat of revealing the healing effects to keep him safe from retaliation? That would be short-sighted. And stupid. Such a threat would have to be neutralised. Not to mention that Jack didn't think the idiot actor would be able to keep quiet once people noticed. No, that scumbag would tell his trusted friends - or people he wanted to impress or get favours off. Or the latest starlet in his bed.

And even if Smith were stupid enough to trust such a scheme, what was he getting out of this? Jack couldn't see how this whole thing benefitted Smith. If they gave in to the blackmail to keep the secret, then that would mean the odds of anyone else getting Adora's healing would be even lower. If Smith wanted to have a young body again, it would have been better to do the blackmail directly. Hell, if he skipped the blackmail and just asked Adora directly, maybe added some sob story about being in pain, she might have healed him anyway.

So, what was Smith's goal? Was he being blackmailed by someone? Had he had some affair with a starlet, courtesy of his 'friend', and now it turned out that his friend had some demands to keep it a secret from Smith's wife? But would Smith go that far? Not for an affair, Jack thought. That sort of stuff still damaged your career, but they were at war now, which meant standards were looser - and Jack wasn't going to dwell on what might mean with regards to other rules that he wouldn't break anyway - and Smith was a decent officer and would know similar secrets of politicians and fellow officers. Enough to keep his post, though it might cost him a future promotion.

So, if Smith was being blackmailed, it had to be something more serious. And it would have a Hollywood connection. Drugs? They regularly tested for that - when you had to check for snake possession or weird alien stuff, scanning for drugs at the same time was just routine. So, if Smith had a secret, it had to be something more serious.

Which brought Jack back to his main problem: Finding out what Smith was hiding. And who was helping the bastard. Maybe he should do some field work himself, check out the man's home… No. He snorted at his own foolishness. If he got caught breaking into Smith's house, not even Adora's influence could save him from getting cashiered or worse. He had made too many enemies to escape such a blunder, both in politics and the general staff. Too many would be happy to see him gone.

He blinked.

Maybe that was Smith's goal.

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 3rd, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and so we would like you to act as if nothing is wrong while we investigate further."

Adora took a deep breath after Sam finished her explanation. So, in the middle of the Asgard visit, they were facing another crisis. This was….

"We've got a scumbag trying to blackmail the Alliance, and we're supposed to do nothing about it?" Glimmer blurted out as she stood, both palms pressed on the table.

…infuriating, yes. "We can't just do nothing," she agreed with her friend, looking at Daniel, Sha're and Sam.

"We're not expecting you to do nothing," Daniel told her - wincing a little. "But until we know what's going on, we don't want to let the, ah, suspects, get spooked - we want them to think their plan is working."

"And Melog and I are going to help find out what's behind this blackmail," Catra added.

Melog glowed briefly in a smattering of colours.

Right. Sam had mentioned that as well. Adora nodded.

"Why you?" Glimmer asked with narrowed eyes.

Catra grinned. "Because we're unlikely to lose our temper and blow up this operation."

Adora winced, already knowing Glimemr wouldn't like that. Especially not when she was already angry.

"Says the woman whose mood can be spotted on Melog!" Glimmer spat, as expected.

Melog did flicker red for a moment before switching back, Adora noticed.

"Not too many people know that," Catra said. She cocked her head to the side, listening to her friend. "And Melog won't be visible often."

Adora bit her lower lip. That was one potential problem handled. "But if you leave, the Asgard will wonder why," she added before Glimmer could say something else to continue the argument.

Catra shrugged. "So? Let them. We're fighting a war. They can't expect us to focus everything on them."

"Well, they could - we don't know much about their culture and customs," Daniel pointed out. "But they have to be aware that both Etheira and Earth have different customs."

"If they want to take offence, they will take offence anyway," Sha're added. "Whether at this or at any other excuse."

That would ruin the entire plan of earning their trust. But if they were not willing to be open-minded, then the plan had been doomed from the start. Still… Adora shook her head. One problem at a time, she reminded herself of the old lesson from cadet training. If she tried to do everything at once, she wouldn't succeed at anything. "So… you'll go to Earth for a while?" she asked Catra.

Her lover shrugged. "I can return through the Stargate anytime I want. But we'll probably need some time to find out what's behind this."

So, they would be separated for a time. Again. Alone. Adora briefly pressed her lips together. She was better than that. And Catra and Melog were needed on Earth, less so on Etheria right now, while Adora had to be here to handle the Asgard's visit. They could do this. It wouldn't be too long, anyway. Either they would find the culprit quickly, or the Asgard visit would end, and Adora would spend more time on Earth in the Alliance Headquarters. At least until the cultural exchange with Earth started. Though if Adora was on Earth, then that would be a good reason not to heal that traitorous actor…

She nodded. "Alright. Anything else?"

Glimmer frowned at her. Had she expected Adora to veto this plan? What was the alternative? Risk having everyone on Earth think she could turn back old age? It was bad enough that so many wanted her to heal them, they were willing to riot. Adora suppressed a shudder when she remembered Paris.

"I can't believe they'd do that," Bow spoke up. "I love that show!"

"They're an actor," Cara told him with a scoff. "They are just playing a role. You can't trust them."

Was she talking about all actors or this one in particular? Or was she talking about Double Trouble? The spy's actions hadn't really left a good impression on, well, anyone, but Catra carried a particular grudge. Adora could understand it, of course.

She wished things were different, though. It was too bad that they couldn't trust Double Trouble. They would be perfect for such a mission. But letting them loose on Earth? That would be a disaster. If they were lucky, Double Trouble would finish the job before going off on their own to cause chaos, but they wouldn't be able to resist stirring up trouble.

And they wouldn't care that Etheria was in the middle of a war or that the situation on Earth could break out in riots or worse with just a slight provocation.

"Well, they're a good actor," Bow defended himself.

"But not a good person," Adora said.

"As far as we know," Daniel cautioned.

Even Sha're rolled her eyes at him at that, Adora saw.

He flushed a little. "I am just pointing out that we don't know what is behind this yet. We shouldn't judge people without all the information."

He was right about that, but things were not looking good for the man, in Adora's opinion.

*****​

Above the Pentagon, Washington D.C., United States of America, December 3rd, 1999

"So, you have checked the 'suspect's' offices in the Alliance headquarters already, and found nothing suspect? That's suspicious."

Samantha Carter nodded at Catra's question and ignored the wording. If her friend wanted to make fun of the correct terms for an investigation, then that was fine as long as it didn't hinder the investigation. "He has not been working in Brussels for long, and he seems not to have made many friends amongst the general staff of the other Alliance members." Something unfortunately quite common for many American officers, as Sam had also found out. It apparently wasn't just because the Stargate had been kept a secret from the other countries, either - many NATO members had long memories. But that was a problem for another day.

"Yeah. He certainly has no friends in our ranks. Acquaintances yes - he did good work on the PZ-921 offensive - but he wasn't really friendly. Juliet thought he might have issues with magic." Catra shrugged and shifted in the copilot seat of the General's stealth shuttle.

Or women, Sam thought with a slight frown. From what information she had gathered, General Smith had never shown open misogyny - he wouldn't have kept his position, much less have been integrated into the Alliance command structure if he had - but he hadn't spoken up for female officers either. Or had had any trouble with the more open misogynist officers in the force. Of course, he might just have had issues with General Juliet's style. The commander of Bright Moon's forces liked to wear her armour when on duty. Which included a cape.

But that was irrelevant right now. They were not investigating Smith's views on women but his potential crimes. "If he is doing anything illegal, it's unlikely he'll do it in his office."

"Which you have bugged already." Her friend grinned.

"Appropriate measures have been taken," Sam confirmed. "We're tracking his electronic communication as well." Including all cell phones used at his home, in case he was using burner phones.

"And you think it won't be enough, or we wouldn't be here." Catra nodded at Melog, who was sitting on the floor next to her seat.

"We haven't found any electronic trace of General Smith being in contact with our primary suspect. So, it was likely done face to face or through an intermediary."

"Like we do things on Etheria." Catra flashed her fangs, and her tail swished, then she turned to frown at Melog. "That was different! That was just regular communication during the war."

A moment later, she frowned again. "It was an undercover operation as part of the war. And that was in the Horde."

It seemed that Melog was disagreeing with her claim. And being pedantic about it - or facetious. Not being able to directly communicate with Melog was a bit frustrating, but it was merely a nuisance. And Sam couldn't really expect Catra to serve as a translator for every quip the other cat made.

The General would, though. And he would probably find it incredibly amusing to banter with Melog through Catra.

She pushed the thought away. "Anyway, I'll continue to monitor his electronic communications."

"And we'll spy on him in person." Catra nodded. "And if we don't find anything, we'll go after the actor."

The man was currently under observation by some of the General's 'acquaintances' who owed him a favour or two, as he had called it. "If you turn up nothing here," Sam told Catra.

"If we don't find anything, we can poke him and see how he reacts." Catra cocked her head to the side, and her ears perked up. "Melog can't read minds, but he can detect emotions. Should give us some clue." Suddenly, she frowned at her friend. "I don't always annoy everyone, so if he is annoyed, that's still a clue!"

Sam couldn't help snorting at that. It was a bit like seeing the General and Daniel banter during a mission.

*****​

Washington D.C., United States of America, December 3rd, 1999

Smith lived in a pretty nice house, in Catra's opinion. It was on the outskirts of Washington, but that was a nice area in America. You wouldn't catch General Juliet living in the countryside instead of in the palace. Or any of Mermista's admirals. But the United States didn't have a palace - the White House came closest, but anyone could see it wasn't a palace; it was much too small to house a court.

No one inside.

She nodded at Melog. That was what the shuttle's scanners had shown them, but it was always good to double-check intel.

"Good," she whispered. "Now, let's take a closer look at his home." She didn't expect to find anything incriminating, but if you could do recon in person, you did it. It would help with finding the best approach to observing the general's home life.

And she was curious how the man lived. She had only visited one Earth general's home before, and Jack hadn't been a general at the time.

Breaking into the man's home was easy. Not suspiciously easy - they had magitech tools to fool his security system, and Catra had been sneaking into restricted areas all the time as a cadet - but she would have expected a bit more from someone apparently trying to blackmail the Alliance. Or taking a shot at a personal friend of She-Ra, if Jack was right.

"Looks a bit… drab," she commented once they were both inside. "Nothing too personal."

Family.

Melog stared at a couple of pictures on the sideboard next to the couch.

"Those are the same pictures he has on his desk." In fact, the living room left a similar impression as the man's office. Tidy. Neat. Like the barracks before an inspection.

Catra wasn't sure what that said about the man, but it was something.

*****​

Above the Pentagon, Washington D.C., United States of America, December 3rd, 1999

Smith is a … workaholic is the Earth term, Catra thought. It was past eight, and he was still in his office in the Pentagon. Which was a weird structure, in her opinion; until the shield generator had been installed after the United States joined the Alliance, it hadn't had any protection from air or orbital attacks. Why would you put most of your military leadership into an easily identifiable and destroyable building? And in the same region as the not-palace of your supreme leader? Sure, they had the bunker where they had first placed the Stargate, but most of the people running the military were in Washington.

Of course, the people in the bunker might be enough to keep the armed forces going just fine, but if that was the case, why would they need the Pentagon in the first place?

Well, they had shield generators now, so the point was probably moot, but she made a note to ask Jack about it anyway. At the least, his answer would be entertaining.

Much more entertaining than tracking Smith. She sighed and stretched her arms over her head, then shifted a bit in the shuttle's seat. "No change?"

No.

Melog was sprawled out on the backrests of the two seas behind her in a very comfy position. She would also have to try that when she wasn't nominally on pilot duty. And they weren't in the middle of an operation.

"You know, with all those millions of soldiers, I would have expected you to have more spies available," she commented, twisting her head a bit to look at Sam, who had installed herself at the comm console in the back. Which, Catra noted, fit her gear perfectly. Jack must have had that installed just for her, but whether he had done so intentionally or not was another question that should have an entertaining answer. Or reaction.

"Smith is a four-star general. We cannot be sure how much influence he has in the various government agencies, so using American assets to investigate him increases the risk that he will become aware of it," Sam replied without taking her eyes off the screen in front of her.

The man would be expecting an investigation anyway since his acting stooge had made contact with SG-1, though it was a fair point. "And so you came to us."

"Yes."

Not to any of America's allied nations. No, Jack trusted Catra and her friends more than anyone else amongst his contacts to handle this crisis. Well, they were his friends, so that was normal. Still, it said something about Earth that…

A beep from the scanner interrupted her thoughts. Smith was moving! Catra twisted and grabbed the shuttle controls, tracking Smith's icon on the holoprojection display in front of her.

Smith was moving through the Pentagon towards the exit. His usual exit, close to his car.

"No change in his routine," Sam reported.

"Yeah," Catra replied.

She checked the sensors in case another shuttle, or one of the old choppers, but those were growing scarce here, was arriving, but the sky was clear. Grinning, she accelerated a bit and started following Smith once he got in his car. "Fancy a car chase?"

"We are invisible to him."

No challenge.

"Spoilports." She chuckled. Still, they had to be pretty close for Melog to sense the man's emotions so she could at least practice some nap-of-the-earth flying. Which would be more fun if the Americans didn't have all those flimsy powerlines crossing the airspace.

Still, she managed to avoid them all - it wasn't hard with how slow those ground cars here were going.

Anticipation.

"Oh?" That was new. "Smith is expecting something," she said for Sam's benefit.

"There's nothing on his schedule," Sam replied.

"He might have planned a romantic evening with his wife." He certainly should, in Catra's opinion, for how much time he was spending at work and not with her.

She felt Melog's amusement clearly. Her friend didn't think Smith would either.

"You did not see any preparations for such an event in his home or office," Sam said.

"You can plan a romantic evening without any of that," Catra pointed out. She had done so herself plenty of times. Though Sam was more like Adora, who couldn't plan anything without at least a whiteboard and three different pens to draw on it.

Anticipation grows.

"Oh! He's growing more excited!" Catra reported.

"He's still driving along the highway," Sam said. "But he's slowing down a little. A few miles, tops."

Catra frowned. There was nothing down there, and the traffic looked normal, so… Wait! There was a truckstop, or whatever those things were called. A big parking lot with a cheap diner. But Smith wasn't driving off the highway - he drove past the exit. And accelerated again to his usual speed.

Disappointment.

"He was checking the parking lot," Catra said. "And whatever he expected wasn't there. Or whomever."

"He didn't call or mail anyone about a meeting here," Sam added.

Catra grinned. "Someone's trying to be clever." But not clever enough for them.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 4th, 1999

"If anyone asks, we are inspecting a potential site for the Alliance base on the Moon," Jack O'Neill said as he entered his stealth shuttle.

"We are supposed to do the Moon survey in two days, sir." Carter frowned at him.

"So we've decided to reschedule because something else came up." Jack grinned - she was always a little peeved when her schedule was changed. "It's even true. And it's not as if we're the actual surveyors, anyway. We're just checking to see if we like the locations."

"So, you've got the final word?" Catra asked. She was sprawled all over the pilot seat in a position that would break Jack's spine if he attempted it. "I wasn't aware we're building a special forces base on your Moon."

"We aren't. It's supposed to host an early warning system and secondary fleet base."

"Why would the Alliance need either?" Catra frowned. "We've got the spy bot network covering the entire system - and the area beyond it - and you've got plenty of secondary bases."

"It's mostly to lay claim to the Moon, I assume." Jack shrugged. "Or prevent that someone else lays claim to it. Like the United Nations."

"OK." Catra nodded.

Her reaction made sense, of course. Others might have commented that the Moon belonged to all of Earth, but Catra came from a planet where Bright Moon laid claim to three moons. Or she just didn't care. Jack was betting on the latter.

"Anyway," he said, "it's mostly Carter who's involved since she's supposed to build the sensors used there. But guarding the station might be part of my command's job - they're still sorting that out - and doing that will allow me to send my folks out on patrols on the moon, which will be good training, so we're involved as well." And they were friends with Princess of Power She-Ra, Supreme Commander of the Alliance, and while Jack wouldn't really abuse that - unless some idiot picked a truly awful place - others would, and the officers responsible for planning this were playing it safe.

Damn, he was starting to think like a politician instead of a soldier! Jack shook his head.

"Sir, if we're supposed to use the survey as a cover, then they will expect us to actually do the survey."

He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Just pick a location you like."

"But there are several important factors that will influence this choice," she protested.

"And I am sure that you've already considered them all." He flushed her a grin.

She actually blushed a little in return. "Yes, but strictly based on the data I had already - I haven't surveyed the actual locations myself."

"Just check the best location, and if it's good enough, pick it. We've got the technology to build a base anywhere anyway. We've got more important things to do."

"Not every decision has to be planned out like a night assault with green troops," Catra commented.

Jack nodded in agreement.

Carter obviously disagreed, but she was in the minority here. Not that this was a democracy, anyway.

He clapped his hands together, then took control of the shuttle from the co-pilot seat. "So, let's head to orbit and go over what we found out about Smith's dead drop!"

"Well, sir," Carter began as Jack took the shuttle up, "we've run the records we recovered from the diner through the Space Lab's main computer, but we didn't get any suspicious matches. Whoever General Smith might be exchanging messages with probably paid in cash. We've analysed the data from a traffic control camera next, and we've placed advanced sensors in the area, and we have a potential hit there, sir."

Jack refrained from commenting on whether or not Carter had acquired this data legally. They couldn't risk Smith or one of the man's unknown backers catching wind of their investigation. That was a good excuse, at least. "A potential hit?" He checked their course and the sensors, then looked over his shoulder at her screen. It showed a particular car. "The FBI?"

"Yes, sir."

*****​

Potential Base Site, Moon, Solar System, December 4th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"So, he's in contact with an FBI spook. Special Agent Wilkinson. Hank Wilkinson."

No one chuckled at Jack O'Neill's Bond impression. Catra probably didn't get the reference, and Carter was staring at her screen, trying to do a complete survey on the sly, but Daniel…

…was gazing at his wife.

Jack cleared his throat. "Focus, people! This whole thing just became a bit more complicated!"

"I would say so," Daniel replied. "It's one thing to investigate a general, it's another to investigate the FBI."

"Why?" Catra asked. "As you told me, you don't have the official authority to do either."

"Ah, well… the FBI is in charge of counter-espionage," Daniel said.

"So is the Alliance Joint Military Intelligence. And they have better stuff," Catra retorted. "Or did you funnel Alliance gear to your local organisations?"

Jack wouldn't be surprised if such a thing had happened, under the table or disguised as 'testing potential uses' or whatever excuse the gang around Kinsey could come up with, but he would have expected that to go to the NID.

"We would have detected any non-registered piece of advanced technology in use in the USA as long as it depended on Naquadah or used hyperspace fields or waves," Carter commented. "They cannot detect this shuttle."

Which was one reason Jack had wanted a stealth shuttle as his private shuttle. No way to track his movements should he have to alter his filed flight path.

"But we'd still be spying on the FBI. That's…"

"...perfectly fine, Daniel," Jack interrupted his friend. "We're going to get to the bottom of this one way or the other. Besides, if there's corruption in the FBI, we best find out as soon as possible." And success generally meant forgiveness, as long as you didn't break too many rules or laws. Or made the wrong people look stupid.

"So, we bug the FBI?" Catra asked.

"Not quite," Jack said. "Or not yet."

"We'll use standard electronic information gathering."

"You can call it hacking, Carter." Jack grinned at her.

"It's not limited to accessing FBI computer systems. We're also going to use advanced sensors to track key suspects."

"So, hacking and stalking." He nodded. "We need to find out if there's a rat in the FBI or if they are used as stooges."

"Stooges?" Catra frowned. "Like in those old movies?"

"Patsies," Daniel explained. "Being used as unwitting tools of the real culprit."

"Ah." Catra nodded, then nodded again at Melog. "Right, shouldn't be too hard - if we can check the suspects' reaction."

"Which brings us back to Hank Wilkinson," Jack said. "Not quite first of his class, but not bad either - you don't make Special Agent if you're stupid or lazy. Good career so far, but he's fallen a bit behind on promotions. Good in the field but 'untested as a leader', according to his file." That could mean he either wasn't good with people - unlikely based on the cases he had solved - or he had stepped on the wrong superior's toes. Or he had simply been in the way of someone's protege. Jack knew how office politics worked. And based on what they knew so far, Wilkinson didn't. He didn't have a patron and didn't know where the right bodies were buried. He seemed to be the stereotypical honest detective in a not-so-honest organisation. Seemed. "I wonder if he's a stooge or player," Jack said.

"We'll find out," Catra said. "Once you put us down on the planet again." She cocked her head at the other cat. "Yes, it's getting late. Tomorrow, then."

By then, they should have a better picture of the situation in the FBI. He looked at Carter. "Carter?"

"A few more minutes, sir," she said without looking up from her screen. "The preliminary scans are done, but a geological survey takes a bit more time."

"Wouldn't want our base to vanish into some sinkhole we missed, yes," Jack said, nodding.

"Given the moon's geology, there is no danger of sinkholes - and we would spot such an anomaly in the early stages of building," Carter replied. "Even if we don't use Tok'ra tunnelling techniques."

"Which we are supposed to use," he reminded her. "To preserve the Moon's environment or something."

"And for camouflage. Like the First Ones did with Alpha," Catra commented. "Too bad you can't completely hide its existence from your people."

Jack sighed. The crazies were already spreading conspiracy theories about secret alien moonbases. This actual hidden base wouldn't help. Too many politicians had access to the Alliance's budget numbers. At least the Ancients' little mad scientist base was still classified somewhat. If people started fearing that they would be turned into animals…

"Apart from the concerns the United Nations have voiced, several groups are protesting the militarisation of the Moon," Daniel said. "And there are concerns about the effects it might have on Earth's magic, given the importance of the moon in myths. To be fair, we don't know much about that."

"It didn't affect Etherian magic," Catra said.

"But Earth magic is different," Daniel retorted. "We don't know if that's the case here as well."

"And it could affect Etherian magic without you being aware of it - the research base has been on the moon since before your kingdoms were founded," Sha're pointed out, "so without older records, you cannot know if there are any differences."

That was a good point, but as long as things worked, Jack was okay with not caring about the details of magic. It was bad enough that even without the Chinese being in the Alliance or having a realistic chance of joining the Alliance, some people wanted Feng Shui consultants to approve of every planned construction.

What was next, sacrificing goats to bless new ships? Jack was almost glad about some good, old-fashioned corruption plot to deal with instead of that nonsense.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Yeah definitely, I think the other explanations would be that they're just not good at genetics or that something weirder is going on. In one fic the ascended were intentionally sabotaging the Asgard.

I've also seen stories where they only pretended to be dying for real.

Click to shrink...

Or they have psychological or cultural hangups that wreck their ability to deal with the problem.

I'm surprised the actor is asking for magical healing and not just trying to skip the line on the longevity parasites.

In the sha're jack and Carter scenes who is saying my love?

Click to shrink...

Sha're and Daniel, generally. Which specifically?

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 122: Cultural Exchange Part 4

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 4th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and it's with great pleasure that I am here, announcing a performance of one of the Asgard's greatest epics, the 'Lost Sons of Vanir', a recording loaned to us by our guests from Asgard."

Adora clapped encouragingly when Glimmer nodded at Thor, Freyr and Penegal, who were sitting next to Adora in the first row of the theatre. She leaned over and whispered: "Thank you again for allowing this."

Thor smiled at her. "When you told us that your only examples of our culture were from Loki's private collection, we had to show you the real culture of Asgard. Even as a child, that rogue had no taste."

Adora kept smiling and nodded. She agreed with Thor's judgement of Loki's taste, but saying so would feel like talking about Loki behind his back. "We've been looking forward to this." Especially after the visit to Ketro and Jesa's farm. The Asgard had overwhelmed the farmers about the magitech they used to till the land with questions that would have been better addressed to the actual creators of the various tools. And she best not think about the Asgard's opinion on using draft animals and magitech together.

But that was over now, and the next day, the Asgard would visit Mystacor, where they could satisfy their curiosity about magitech. That should put them in a good mood, Adora hoped. And make them more receptive to Etheria's culture.

Meanwhile, Glimmer had stepped down from the stage and retook her seat in the front row, next to Bow and Adora, as the lights dimmed and the audience quietened down.

Once the theatre was mostly silent and dark, the stage was suddenly illuminated by a dim blueish glow, which turned into a holoprojection of an Asgard. According to Thor, it was a famous performer, Baldr. A famous dead performer, Adora reminded herself, wincing at how embarrassing it had been when she had asked the Asgard if he would like to visit and perform himself.

Then the holographic projection started to speak, and Adora sat straighter. This was it - genuine Asgard culture. Mainstream culture, as Daniel would say.

"In ages past, when faced with dire news, the Asgard were united, and yet…"

Baldr sounded as if he were half-dead already. Adora pressed her lips together - this was something Catra would have said - and forced herself to focus on the performance.

*****​

"...and so the Vanir left, never to be seen again."

Adora smiled and clapped her hands as the holographic projection on the stage bowed their head. She was genuinely happy - that the performance was now over. If the recordings Loki had given them of the Asgard epics had been bad, then this - Thor's favourite epic, apparently - was worse. The delivery had been just… 'Wooden' would be a compliment. If Jack were here, he'd be making jokes about robot performers. And if the performer had been a bot, Entrapta would have offered to repair it.

But, she noted with a side glance, the Asgard had liked the performance. At least, they looked moved. Especially Thor.

"If we show another such epic, we'll have a rebellion on our hands. Or a lynching," Glimmer whispered.

It was hyperbole, of course. But Adora was glad Catra was on Earth. Her lover wouldn't have been able to keep her tongue in check, Adora was sure.

At least Glimmer was clapping her hands as well, if not very enthusiastically. Only Bow and his Dads showed genuine enthusiasm in the front row, from what Adora could tell.

"That was fascinating!" George said.

"Oh, yes!" Lance was beaming. "It is so very interesting to see a truly alien culture - it seems that humans share similar cultural traits, possibly influenced by our shared First Ones heritage, though we'd have to research this more thoroughly, which would explain why Earth media are so popular on Etheria, while Asgard culture does not resonate nearly as well with us."

"Well, I found the story very interesting - a tribe of Asgard, lost in the galaxy," Bow said.

"From a historical point of view, of course, the story is interesting, but the performance itself utterly failed to entertain humans," Lance retorted. "A quick look at the audience proves that, especially given the circumstances."

"I see," Thor said.

Adora winced while Lance grimaced. Bow's dad was honest, but he probably shouldn't have said that out loud in the presence of their guests.

Though she couldn't really say that he was wrong. On any point.

*****​

Above the J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington D.C., United States of America, December 4th, 1999

"This would be much easier if we simply monitored the FBI's electronic communication," Samantha Carter pointed out. It would also, if you stretched definitions, be covered by the mandate of the Alliance. Of course, no one would believe that they actually feared a Goa'uld plot in this case, but it would be hard to disprove it. She turned her seat to look at the General.

"Yep, but we can't." He grinned. "They're using a dead drop - I doubt they'll be using electronic communications for anything juicy."

Sam pressed her lips together as she nodded. That was a logical deduction. She still didn't like it.

"Well, at least we can bug their offices while we're infiltrating their hideout," Catra commented. "So, you don't have to do that at a later date."

"I don't expect bugging the FBI offices will be necessary after this," Sam retorted. It would also be hideously illegal.

Catra somehow managed to shrug while sprawled over the co-pilot seat's armrest. "If there's one traitor, there could be more. Besides, they're your spy hunters, so they're an obvious target for infiltration."

"Most spies would consider the FBI an obvious organisation to avoid," Sam said.

Catra snorted. "Not the good spies. They would know that they'd be safest pretending to hunt spies - they would be aware of any investigations."

Sam glanced at the General. He was the closest they had to an expert in such undercover operations.

He frowned a little. "Well, it would be a bold strategy but also a high-risk one. Surrounding yourself with people trained to spot spies is not a safe tactic. Could have a great payoff, but the odds of surviving it for long aren't good. Of course, sometimes you don't need to survive undercover for long. But getting inside would be very hard since any new recruit would be vetted."

"By possibly corrupt people. Once you have a foot in the door…" Catra shrugged again. "But it's your decision. Unless it's Goa'uld-related."

"We can't determine whether something is related to a Goa'uld plot without investigating," Sam retorted.

Catra grinned. "Then I guess mission Bug-the-FBI is on."

"Yeah, the logic is flawless," the General said.

Sam didn't roll her eyes at Catra and him. But she huffed under her breath as she turned back to her computer. She really didn't like breaking the law so blatantly. Hacking a computer was just… collecting data. It was a kind of unorthodox research, from a certain point of view.

She blinked. She probably had watched Star Wars too often. Teal'c was to blame for that.

In any case, if this operation failed, she probably would have to emigrate to Etheria. As would the General. Of course, that would also mean that the UCMJ wouldn't apply to them any more, and… She shut down that annoying thought. She was better than that!

"So, how's the hacking of the FBI security going?" Catra asked, craning her neck to look at Sam upside down.

"You shouldn't have any problem bypassing their security system," Sam replied. Not with the advanced technology at their disposal. And with Melog's illusion power, that could effectively render the two cats invisible. No challenge, as Melog supposedly said.

"Yeah. But do you have anything else?" Catra didn't change her position. Sam felt her back hurt just looking at her twisted form.

"Not at this point." Nothing that her preliminary search had flagged. Of course, she might have missed something, but that was why she was running a much more thorough - and slower - search of the FBI data centre she had hacked.

But if Smith and Wilkinson were as careful as they had shown to be so far, this wouldn't get them any actionable intel. At most, Sam was hoping for clues and hints at what Wilkinson was doing - she already knew he wasn't running an official investigation that required contact with Smith; Smith didn't appear in the databanks at all.

And neither did anything connected to Kinsey or the NID so far. That was disappointing but hardly unexpected. They wouldn't have been half as dangerous if they had been incompetent, and their influence on the US government agencies would have only grown after the President had relied on their support to push through crucial policies to secure the Alliance with Etheria.

"Well, let's see what we can find out, then!" Catra got up from her seat with a fluid grace that Sam couldn't have pulled off in her best form, and Melog joined her.

Sam checked the scanner one last time. No sign of any improved security that she wasn't already aware of and had neutralised. Then she nodded. "Go!"

Catra grinned, then turned to her companion. "You heard her!"

Moments later, they faded from view - no, Sam corrected herself; an illusion of an empty shuttle interior covered them. Melog was showing off - they would have to create a different illusion for the building's roof. And for the rappelling down.

Still, they knew what they were doing. "Clear," she announced,

"Gotcha!" The general replied.

A moment later, the ramp was lowered, and Sam barely heard feet - and claws - on the metal surface before the shuttle's system informed her that they had jumped off.

"You know, seeing this makes the CIA look a little less stupid for trying their ESP experiments in the 70s," the General commented. "I wonder if they found a way to make it work this time, with magic returned."

Sam made a noncommittal noise and focused on her screen before he could find a way to make her hack the CIA to search for such programs.

She was sure that they were running more than one, anyway. As would be any other intel agency. Even the FBI, actually.

She frowned. That was the only threat she could imagine to this operation. But they hadn't found any hint of such a program being run here in Washington - all such research was supposed to be conducted in Quantico.

*****​

J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington D.C., United States of America, December 4th, 1999

Catra slid down the rappelling rope and landed lightly on her feet on the roof of the FBI headquarters. Melog didn't bother with the rope at all and simply jumped down the few metres from the shuttle ramp.

"Show off," she whispered and felt their amusement and some smugness in return.

The light's hue showed that they were inside an illusion of an empty roof right now. And above a half-empty building - it was Saturday, and most people didn't work on Saturday or Sunday. At least if they were working for the FBI.

Catra was glad of that - it made her mission easier. Usually, with a building that size, she'd sneak through the air vents - using the hallways and taking out whoever you met before they could sound the alarm was not possible since there could be no sign of their intrusion at all. But with Melog's help, they could just go down the facade and break through a window. No one would see them.

No challenge.

"The challenge is finding proof," she whispered. Any proof useful for stopping this plot.

She peered over the edge of the roof. "Coast's clear."

Melog moved the illusion - Catra could tell from the way the light just changed a little bit in her sight - while she fastened the rope to the roof. She could hear Entrpata's voice in her kind as she used the self-adhesive option of the rope: 'It's the new and improved self-dissolving climbing rope mark II - this one won't dissolve spontaneously; well, it didn't so far in testing without the correct catalyst - and you can use a different catalysator to make it self-adhesive! Either the rope or the material you attach it to will break before the adhesive!' Jack had ordered a cargo container's worth of the rope for his troops. But his expression when Catra had asked what the troops would get up to with the adhesive rope in their spare time…

Focus on the mission, she told herself as she slid over the roof's edge and down the facade. She reached Wilkinson's office in no time and perched on the windowsill while she peered inside. There he was, shuffling papers on his desk. Which was placed so she couldn't see what he was reading from her point of view.

Well, they already knew he was competent. And a workaholic. No partner, no kids, and distant parents - which was a point in his favour, said parents being part of a rather bigoted community according to their research, while Wilkinson himself hadn't visited a church unless it had been for a wedding or a funeral ever since he had left his home town.

Waiting. Busywork.

Oh? Catra's ears perked up. That was interesting. Busywork on a Saturday? And waiting for something or someone? Time to get to work! They weren't here to spy through windows; any drone could have done that.

She quickly climbed up and then over to the next office, resisting the urge to use her claws. Leaving suits and gauges in the facade would be a clear sign she had been there.

This office was empty, as expected, and she quickly had the security disabled and the window opened. Bracing herself, she held out her arms and whispered 'Ready" through her comm.

Coming.

A few moments later, Melog came down the rope, changing forms into a slinkier form before reverting back once they could jump off and into the office.

Catra used the catalysator pen to dissolve the rope before closing the windows, watching for a moment while the rope seemed to fade from view, turning into smoke that blew away in the light breeze.

Messy.

Yeah, the desk was messy. But it was not very interesting - the files belonged to some boring financial case or something. Nothing related to their investigation. They had checked beforehand.

They had picked this office since it was next to Wilkinson's - and because the owner was messy. Which meant they would be very unlikely to notice a few well-hidden changes to their office walls.

She pulled a set of tools out of her belt and started to drill, or 'etch' according to Entrapta, who had made them - through the wall. Silent even to her ears, there was no way Wilkinson would hear that. And since the hole wouldn't go all through, he couldn't spot it either.

A few minutes later, she slid the bug into the hole, plugging it with a battery that would last years and some plaster. "Done!"

Visitor.

Oh? Perfect timing, then! Catra would have hated to wait for hours for whatever Wilkinson was expecting to turn up. Almost as much as she would have hated to sit through an Asgard Epic. Poor Adora.

She grinned and switched her communicator to the bug's frequency. Not even regular Alliance scanners would detect that both Entrapta and Sam had assured her, and since they had created said scanners, they would know.

She heard someone knock on the door, followed by Wilkinson snapping: "Come in!"

"Wilkinson."

"Paris."

A female voice. They and Wilkinson sounded… familiar. But not too friendly.

The door closed. Footsteps. Lighter ones than Wilkinson's.

"You know the brass still isn't convinced we're ready for work. We're still training. And experimenting."

"Consider this training, then."

"I'm saying that I don't have any experience with this. Not a little - none, Wilkinson."

"You already told me that."

"Just clarifying it again."

Wilkinson snorted, but it didn't sound as if he was actually amused. "You don't need to cover your ass with me. The brass isn't convinced your work can be used in court. And they won't be convinced until the Supreme Court approves it. But I won't need this for evidence. All I need is additional security."

Catra heard the woman snort. "I'd say you're paranoid, but… this isn't for your official case, is it?"

"Safer if you don't know. It might damage your career if you knew and were caught."

"Then I'll find something else. In case you missed it, anyone with a talent for magic is currently headhunted by everyone. I could be making the big bucks in no time, Wilkinson."

"And yet, you stayed with the FBI."

Catra hissed. A sorceress? And Wilkinson wanted her for 'security'?

They hadn't planned for that!

Problem.

Definitely a problem, yes. If she could spot illusions… Catra pressed her lips together. They didn't know much about Earth magic - no one did. But two things had been observed so far. Earth magic often dealt with 'spirits' and similar beings or things conjured to do something, like the Wild Hunt. And all the myths about guardian and vengeance spirits. And the other thing was subtle stuff, like curses that brought you bad luck or sickness. Either possibility was bad news.

"Because they won't expect me to fight aliens with my mind."

Wilkinson snorted again. "But they could probably offer better training."

"Not according to what I heard."

"And what did you hear?"

"That the aliens have no idea about what magic we can do, and so can't train us any better than anyone else."

Catra frowned. The Alliance really needed to get their act together and start training sorceresses.

"Well, it's your career. Your decision," Wilkinson said. "I'm just a special agent on a case."

"On an unofficial case where you fear magical interference. Did you go through the X-Files?"

X-Files? Catra frowned. She would have to look those up. This sounded important.

"No. I'm investigating a case of corruption."

Or not, Catra corrected herself.

"And you think magic is involved, or you wouldn't have called me. No - you want additional security. You think someone might use magic to interfere with your investigation!" After a moment, Paris continued: "Oh, don't make such a face! Anyone could have deduced that!"

"It's safer if you don't know the details. I just need some way to keep magic off me."

"'Keep magic off you'? That's a big thing, Wilkinson. Ever since the first news of killing spirits, everyone wants a way to stop them. But no one knows how to do it."

"No one?" Wilkinson sounded sceptical.

"It's hard to test things. We've got several potential ways to block curses, but we don't know anyone who can curse people to test it."

"I'm volunteering. Can't hurt to try, at least."

Paris scoffed. "Oh, you sweet summer child - it very well can hurt. That much we know."

"I trust you."

"I always knew you were an idiot."

Catra snorted softly. She knew that tone. Those two had history.

After another moment of silence, Wilkinson asked: "So, what can the best witch of the FBI do against magic?"

"I'm not a witch. I am a thaumaturgist."

"That's what they're going with?"

"They hope it won't piss off the crazies as much as 'witch' would since it also has religious connotations."

Wilkinson scoffed. "As someone raised by such crazies, trust me when I tell you it won't help."

"I know. But our boss thinks he can have a magic division without the religious right frothing at the mouth about satanic government spooks. Even though we've recruited a priest recently."

"Really? A priest?" Wilkinson laughed.

"An exorcist. As a consultant."

"I'm starting to have doubts about this…"

"He's actually very nice. And he knows a lot that might turn out to be working now that we have magic back."

Wilkinson scoffed. "Don't come crying if he tries to burn you at the stake."

"Oh, stop it! The Pope himself has said that magic was God's creation, so it's not inherently evil. Any good Catholic knows that now."

Wilkinson scoffed again. "So, what can you do for me? Pray for my soul?"

"Do you want my help or not? I can do something more productive on a Saturday than listen to you regurgitate your childhood trauma."

"Sorry." Wilkinson didn't sound sorry. "I need whatever magic you can do."

"And what I can do depends on what we're facing. You mentioned 'interference'. What kind of threat are we talking about? Curses? Spirits?"

Catra cocked her head.

After a second, Wilkinson answered: "I don't know exactly. Any kind is possible."

"Any kind?" Paris sounded annoyed. "Don't give me that bullshit. I know you. You wouldn't have called me if you didn't have something more concrete."

A sigh followed. "I'm investigating a corruption case with an Etherian connection."

"Shit."

Catra suppressed a snort. Well, they already knew that, but it was nice to have confirmation.

"Yeah. So… anything is possible if I get too close. I could trip over a vine and break my neck. Or freeze to death in my bedroom."

"What the hell are you investigating? That sounds like…"

"Yeah. Corruption at the highest level. I've got an informant in the army, and the things he told me…"

"The Etherians all have diplomatic immunity. What do you think you can do?"

"The Etherians might have diplomatic immunity, but their business partners on Earth don't. And those are profiting from the corruption."

"Shit. You really meant the highest levels."

"I told you it would have been better if you didn't know. If you want to back out…"

"You know me better than that."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Catra heard Paris take a deep breath. "Alright. Let's start with basic charms of protection against curses. We haven't been able to test them, but we've got the wording confirmed from different sources - thanks to Father Ryan, actually. So… just relax and let me work."

That sounded like an excellent opportunity to exfiltrate to Catra. Get back to the shuttle while the FBI sorceress was busy casting whatever on Wilkinson.

She turned to look at Melog and nodded. "Time to move."

Yes.

*****​

Above Washington D.C., United States of America, December 4th, 1999

"So, my office is now protected against magic?"

"It's supposed to be protected against evil magic as the ancient Romans considered it. We haven't actually been able to test that since we don't have anyone who can do evil magic."

"You don't?"

"We're the FBI, Wilkinson. Not the CIA."

"Point. And I guess you don't want to ask them for help testing this since that would give away that the FBI is building up a magic division."

"Yes."

"So much for the spirit of cooperation in the face of a shared enemy."

"That didn't work with the USSR, so why would it work with aliens?"

"Right. Anyway, thank you for doing this for me."

"We don't know if what I did is actually working. I did something - I can feel it lingering - but I can't promise it will protect you against Etherian magic."

"It's better than nothing."

"You still know how to make a woman feel appreciated, Wilkinson."

Jack O'Neill snorted. He wished the two FBI spooks would talk about the unofficial investigation Wilkinson was apparently running, but at least their banter was entertaining - and offered insight into the FBI's magic program.

"You know, I thought the whole 'our real enemies are the other American intelligence agencies' was just a TV thing," Catra commented from behind him.

He checked the autopilot - still set on automatic evasion should a plane or shuttle approach - and then headed back to Carter's station. "It's the capitalist way - a healthy competition keeps everyone sharp."

"Having your intel organisations run secret programs without oversight or control doesn't sound healthy to me," Catra retorted.

"It's healthy for certain people," Jack said. "For their bank account and influence, at least."

"That sounds like that corruption the guy was talking about."

"Yep."

Catra rolled her eyes. And Carter was staring a bit too intently at her laptop - even though Jack's shuttle had a holoprojector; it was great for briefings, and Jack was looking forward to movie nights once Hollywood got the hang of actual 3D-movies. Or someone started making games for it. But the FBI agents were still talking.

"So, who are you investigating?"

"Paris! You don't want to get involved in this any more than you are already, trust me."

"I'm already involved too much. You know that the kind of people you were talking about won't really stop with you if things go wrong. And if they find out about you, they'll find out about me as well."

Jack grinned. That was exactly what they were hoping for! "Yeah, Wilkinson, tell her everything about your investigation!" he muttered. "Leave nothing out!"

Catra snorted at that, and he heard Carter chuckle briefly, but he was focused on the two FBI spooks.

Wilkinson sighed. "Alright. I've got a source in the Alliance high command who stumbled upon hints of corruption. Misuse of military assets for private gain, nepotism, illegal operations, both authorised and unauthorised, smuggling and trading favours."

Business as usual, in other words, Jack thought with another snort. But he had thought they had done a decent job keeping that stuff down to trivial levels.

"A source?"

"Yes. An old friend of the old director. They contacted me."

"And asked you to investigate this on your own time?"

"That was my decision."

"And no one who knew you could have ever predicted that, right, Wilkinson?"

"Still my decision."

"It's your career."

"Damn right."

"So, you're investigating corrupt generals and magical princesses."

"Yes."

"And I thought becoming an FBI Thaumaturgist was weird."

"I've investigated Saudi princes and princesses before."

"And that investigation was shut down by the government."

"This one won't."

"And what makes you think that, Wilkinson?"

"The government stepped on too many toes to get into the Alliance. People went along with it because they had to, but they didn't like it. All the new laws, the constitutional amendment, magic and gay marriage… A lot of people are waiting for a chance to strike back."

"I didn't take you for a bigot, Wilkinson."

"I'm not a bigot. What people do in their own bedrooms is their business. And I don't give a damn about the Bible. But I am not blind to the fact that many people do have issues with all the changes that were forced on us."

"And you want to use them? You know how that usually turns out."

"All I want is criminals brought to justice, Paris. And justice is blind."

"And that's the corniest line I've heard in months," Jack commented. "And I work with magical princesses."

"I'll tell Adora you said that," Catra said.

"Do it. I am sure she can need the laughs." The Asgard were proving to be frustrating guests, as Jack had heard.

"Whatever. So, what are you investigating?"

"Smuggling. Earth media are the hottest thing in Etheria, and that means merchandise brings more money than drugs. And Earth is crazy for anything magical."

"But the only way to transfer goods is through the Stargate - or by spaceship, but a trip to Etheria takes weeks."

"Exactly. But if you control the Stargate and the fleet, that's not a problem. And guess who managed to get a personal stealth shuttle for private use? The former second-in-command of Stargate Command!"

Jack blinked. "They think I am smuggling movie merchandise in my shuttle? They think I am corrupt?"

"Well, we're currently using your 'private' shuttle." Catra shrugged at Jack's glare. "The other generals are probably just jealous they can't use a stealth shuttle to make money."

"I am not using the shuttle to make money!" Jack spat.

But some people would think he was.

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 4th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"It seems Asgard and Etherian culture is more different than we expected."

Adora pressed her lips together and reminded herself that honesty was the best policy before she nodded. Thor was right, anyway. "I fear so."

"I wouldn't say that," Bow said. "Etheria has a very diverse culture. Of course, fundamental aspects are shared by every kingdom, but every kingdom has unique cultural expressions and styles. We just haven't found the kingdoms whose people like Asgard epics. I mean, really like - it's not that they are disliked or anything, really!"

He meant well, but he wasn't a good liar - his smile looked as forced as it had when they had visited his dads for the first time, Adora noticed.

And Thor hadn't been there, but he must have noticed something since he tilted his head slightly and stared at Bow with an expression that would likely have included raised eyebrows if Asgard had them. "And yet, according to what we were told, Earth media is 'all the rage' across Etheria. It seems your planet's cultures share this as well."

"Well…" Bow winced.

"We can't be sure that everyone thinks your finest epics are boring until we've got enough data to make such a conclusion!" Entrapta cut in. "Our sample size is not large enough, and the people present today were not chosen at random either, so this is not representative."

Freyr made a snorting sound. "Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume that you picked people you thought would favour us."

"We did?" Entrapta looked at Glimmer, then at Adora.

Adora winced. "Yes, we did." She reminded herself again that honesty was the best policy. "We wouldn't pick people who disliked the Asgard."

"Oh? I thought you might have hoped that if even people who were prejudiced against Asgard were won over, it would have made a great impression." Entrapta nodded. "But even so, we need a larger sample size to draw sufficiently solid conclusions from this. It's not like we have data from past samples to extrapolate from - we're breaking new ground here!"

"And," Freyr went on with a kind of smile, "the reason you invited us to visit your planet wasn't to make your people like our epics but to show us your civilisation and build trust."

Well, he was right, but it would have been a great help if Etherians liked Asgard culture. Adora smiled anyway.

"Well, at least this shows that we're honest," Bow said.

Thor frowned at him. "It has to be weighed against, and judged in light of, the circumstances of your involvement with Loki."

Adora winced again. If they had been honest with the Asgard from the start… But that would have meant breaking their deal with Loki. In hindsight, they should have looked into the whole matter a bit more before making a deal, but… If people needed help, and you could help them, you helped them.

"Anyway," Glimmer spoke up, "thank you for your performance. We learned something about each other."

"Yes, we did." Freyr nodded again.

"And tomorrow, we'll visit the Scorpion Kingdom so you can see a completely different culture!" Entrapta said. "I'm sure you'll like it!"

Adora nodded in agreement even though she wasn't so sure any more.

*****​

Fifteen minutes later, she entered her room, sighing.

"I guess the performance went over as expected."

Catra! Adora beamed at her lover and quickly moved to the bed on which Catra was lounging. "You're back!"

"Obviously."

"You didn't tell me!"

"I didn't want to disturb your diplomatic event. And I arrived only fifteen minutes ago."

"Ah." But she had had enough time to change into her sleepwear.

"You can set me down now, by the way."

"Mhh." Adora held her a bit tighter and took a deep breath with her face pressed against Catra's cheek. And she had taken a shower as well - Adora could smell the shampoo.

"If I have to wriggle out of your arms, your dress might not survive."

Adora was briefly tempted to let her do it. Losing her clothes sounded very attractive right now, with her lover in her arms. But that would be a waste - Glimmer's tailor had worked hard on this dress.

So she released Catra and sat down on the bed. "Yes, things didn't go as we hoped. No one liked the epic."

"Nice to hear Bright Moon's population has good taste."

Adora snorted - weakly - at that, then sighed again. "They know we find them boring."

"They're not dumb."

"How did your day go?"

"Oh, Melog and I had a successful mission. We found out that a rogue FBI agent is investigating Jack for corruption based on General Smith's information."

Adora blinked. "What?"

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, December 5th, 1999

"...and they honestly think you're corrupt?"

Adora sounded incredulous, Samantha Carter noted. Her friend looked like she wanted to pace, but even the General's large office felt a little crowded right now, with 'SG-1 Plus' as he liked to call their old team and Sha're, and the 'Best Friends Squad' and Entrapta present. At least they hadn't tried to get Emily inside - the bot was guarding the parking lot right now. However, Entrapta had assured everyone that she was listening in through her sensor tool.

Sam had already mentally prepared a response to the General's inevitable request to harden his office's anti-eavesdropping protection after that revelation.

"Well, we don't know if Smith honestly thinks I am corrupt," the General replied. "But Wilkinson sure does - unless he's such a good actor, he should replace Mr Blackmail on the next big-ticket movie. But if he were any good at acting, he wouldn't have been sidelined in the FBI and treated like a rogue agent."

"But why?" Adora shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. You haven't done anything."

"And nothing was planted on you," Catra added. "Or in your home. Or as your home."

"How do you plant a home on someone?" Entrapta asked.

"You register them as the owner," Catra explained.

"Oh! Did someone hack your government databases and add your name to some properties?" Entrapta leaned forward. "That would be possible, I think, if they don't check with the owner."

That was a possibility, Sam had to admit. Not something as blatant as adding the General's name, but if someone used a shell company or two and built up a convincing set of layers that made it look as if it was meant to hide the actual owner… It was a common way to cheat on taxes. She would have to look into that.

The General frowned - he would have come to the same conclusion. "If this is a frame-up, then they could have done this. And if they pointed the IRS as well as the FBI at it…"

"Oh! That would be great!" Entrapta beamed, and Sam blinked for a moment. Why would her friend think that? "The lack of a central registry for all land ownership in your country is a bit bothersome - you should really organise such a database, you know, it would be so much more efficient - because we would have to hack so many places, but if the IRS is involved, we can just hack their computers!"

Ah. Sam suppressed another sigh. Her friend's logic was… Well, it wasn't as if Entrapta was wrong, but she tended to see any problem as a technical challenge and ignored the ethical and legal aspects. Or the political dimension.

"Hacking the IRS?" The General raised his eyebrows and glanced at Sam.

"I believe there are alternatives to such a course of action, sir," she told him. Not very efficient ones, though.

"Really?" Entrapta frowned a little.

"Well, we don't know if whoever is behind this would go that far," Daniel said. "Or if they have the resources for that. Although if Kinsey is involved…"

Sha're frowned. "If your rival is moving against you, why would he bother with such a ploy? He would know he needs to kill you to be safe from retaliation as long as you have the backing of the Princess Alliance, and your friends won't be fooled by this plot. If he has to kill you anyway, this plot will only serve as a warning for you to prepare for an assassination attempt, negating any usefulness it might have as a distraction."

"Indeed."

Sam reminded herself that Sha're had, as a helpless passenger while her body had been controlled by Amaunet, been a witness to politics in the highest sphere of the Goa'uld Empire. Obviously, this had left an impression similar to Teal'c's experiences as Aphophis's First Prime.

"Ah, yeah, that sounds like something Kinsey might think," the General said, looking a bit surprised himself at Sha're's thoughts, "but he probably would be wary of the possible consequences if I get killed and he was involved."

"But wouldn't he also be wary of the consequences of framing you for corruption?" Sha're retorted.

"Yes, he would," the General agreed. "Which is why I don't think that's the NIDs work. It just looks a bit too… amateurish to me. They tend to hide their tracks a bit better when they do stuff like this. Unless they set off Smith and let him do the work without realising that he's being manipulated."

"But without fake evidence, Wilkinson won't find anything," Adora said with a frown. "So, why would he do this?"

Sam smiled a little. Her Etherian friends weren't naive, but they had a different view of how things were run.

"Ah, it's not as if there's nothing suspicious if you look at it from the right - or wrong - angle," Daniel said, pushing his glasses up.

"Definitely the wrong angle, Daniel," the General cut in.

"What?" the Etherians were staring at Daniel, then at the General.

"Ah…" Daniel blushed a little. "From the point of view of someone who would abuse their position for personal gain, or someone who is used to dealing with such people, Jack would look suspicious. Not just because he managed to get a Stealth Shuttle for personal use."

"I need it for work," the General retorted. "If I had to go through the Space Force every time I needed one, I'd never get anything done. And it's owned by the Alliance, not me."

Sam refrained from pointing out that he also used the Shuttle as a personal craft when it wasn't used by his command.

"And why shouldn't you have a personal Stealth Shuttle if you wanted one?" Entrapta asked. "It would be a gift from your friends, namely us! And refusing gifts from your friends would be rude!"

The rest of the Etherians looked as if they agreed, with the possible exception of Catra, Sam noted.

"Ah… accepting gifts is actually a bit of a problem for many people in positions of authority or power." Daniel smiled weakly. "Or, well, it should be - and with good reason. Because accepting a gift often implies an obligation to reciprocate, and that could be problematic if they, ah, returned the favour, abusing their power."

"Then you punish them if they do that. Problem solved," Glimmer said. "Why would you punish someone for accepting a gift if there's no actual corruption?"

"It's also, ah, about the appearance of corruption," Daniel said. "If people think you are corrupt, their trust in you and your organisation tends to weaken."

"Wouldn't they trust their princess to check? Or is this another problem with democracy?" Entrapta asked.

Yes, their Etherian friends saw things quite differently, Sam reminded herself as Daniel continued to explain the way corruption worked on Earth. They didn't quite understand how people could think the General was corrupt just because he used a shuttle for private purposes.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 123: Cultural Exchange Part 5

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, December 5th, 1999

"...and we need to counter these accusations. This cannot stand!"

Catra snorted when Glimmer hit the table with her fist to emphasise her words. She was taking this hard, but then, she had been quite concerned about her own reputation, back during the Horde War. Back before - and after - Queen Angella had… sacrificed herself to save the world. From Catra's folly.

She pressed her lips together and tried to ignore the guilt she felt as the others continued to talk.

"They aren't accusations - not in the formal sense. It's just rumours," Daniel said.

"Then we need to counter those rumours!" Glimmer spat.

"Yes!" Adora agreed.

"Why? Let them talk. Soldiers complain about their leaders all the time," Sha're said. "What can they do? You're the Supreme Commander, Adora. Unless you turn against Jack, there is nothing Smith or anyone can do."

"Ah, that's not exactly how this works, dear," Daniel said. "Adora isn't supposed to abuse her power and protect criminals."

"I am not a criminal, Daniel."

"Well, of course not. I'm just saying Adora can't order the Alliance around like that if you were a criminal."

"I think that means you aren't supposed to do that," Catra commented, grinning at her lover. "You totally could do it, and Priest and the entire Third Fleet would follow you." And that was the backbone of the Alliance at the moment.

Adora scowled at her. "I'm not going to abuse my position!" Then she blinked and smiled at Jack. "Not that protecting you from such accusations would be abusing my position since you haven't done anything wrong!"

"Nothing that not everyone else did as well," Catra added.

Everyone frowned at her. "What do you mean?" Glimmer asked. Rather sharply, in Catra's opinion.

"Using the shuttle nominally attached to his command for private purposes," Catra replied. "Apparently, you're not supposed to do that."

"Why not?" Glimmer asked. "He's in charge of the Special Operations Command. He can use the shuttle as he pleases."

"It's more efficient that way," Entrapta added. "Of course, we could give you another shuttle, but then at least one of them would always be standing around and not used since you can't use two of them at the same time. Of course, it would be a spare shuttle for emergencies…"

"Ah, I don't think adding another shuttle for Jack's personal use would help with battling the rumours of corruption," Daniel said. With a glance at Jack, he added: "Sorry."

"Don't worry, one shuttle is enough for me." Jack grinned widely.

Catra snorted, but not everyone found Jack's joke funny - Sam glared at him.

"Wait! You're not supposed to use your equipment?" Adora asked.

"They're not meant for private use," Sam told her. "Although there are exceptions for personal vehicles."

"And a shuttle is a vehicle!" Jack grinned again, but not for long. "Anyway, everyone hops on an Air Force plane if they can - it saves time and money. And if you're a pilot, you also take any stick time you can get. But not everyone has a shuttle they can use for that."

"General Naird was quite unhappy that his command wasn't assigned a shuttle," Sam added.

"And he wasn't the only one, I bet," Jack said. "They're jealous."

"So, should we hand them shuttles as well?" Entrapta asked. "It would set our projected production back a bit, but if that will solve our problem, we can do it!"

"I fear, at this point, it would be seen as an attempted bribe," Sam objected.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Once they start talking about how you shouldn't use a shuttle like that, they can't go back and get one of their own - well, they could, but it would make them the next target."

"Then what can we do?" Adora asked.

"What can Wilkinson do?" Bow asked. "He's in Washington, and Jack's usually here or in Germany. Or in Etheria."

"He can snoop around in Washington and ask all my fellow generals," Jack said. "And he can hop on a plane and travel to Europe as well."

And just dealing with the spy wasn't on the table, Catra knew.

"But he wouldn't have any authority in Europe - or outside the USA in general," Daniel pointed out.

"This isn't an authorised investigation, so he doesn't have any authority to begin with," Jack said.

"Ah, right." Daniel winced. "Still, that means he is limited in what he can do."

"Never underestimate a lone wolf. Whether it's an assassin or a spook." Jack bared his teeth.

Catra nodded. A single spy like Double Trouble could cause a lot of harm.

"So, what can we do?" Daniel asked.

"We could try to speak to him?" Entrapta suggested. "Explain the situation?"

"That would make him even more suspicious; I know the type," Jack said. "He'll already suspect foul play - you've heard him. He probably thinks I'll ask some old Black Ops contacts to silence him."

"Or us," Catra added. She grinned. "But if he suspects foul play, what if he finds something worse than corruption? An attempt to frame a brave hero?"

Jack blinked. "You want to set him on Smith?"

Catra nodded. "We can set up Smith. Give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Yeah, we could. It won't be easy, but we could do that."

"But what if Smith is honestly mistaken?" Adora asked.

"I doubt that," Jack said.

"But we can check that first, I think," Bow said. "Well, you can - we still have to deal with the Asgard."

"Don't remind me," Glimmer muttered.

Catra grinned. She could do something interesting and avoid something boring - perfect.

*****​

Above the Pentagon, Washington D.C., United States of America, December 5th, 1999

This is a waste of time, Jack O'Neill thought as he leaned back in his seat in his stealth shuttle. Smith was a four-star general - you didn't reach that rank by being naive. Or by being so honest and by the book, you couldn't tolerate the usual rules-bending by the brass. Smith's own command would have sabotaged him if he had been that kind of hardass because no one wanted to serve under such a commander.

So, Smith had to know what he was doing. But the Etherians would need more than that to use slightly less-than-honest means to deal with him. Well, most of them - Jack was sure that Catra would be fine with framing Smith for any crime. But they didn't have to go that far, anyway - Smith must have some skeletons in his closet; they only needed to find them.

But still… Jack couldn't help feeling that he was missing something. Smith wasn't dumb. Did he really expect a drummed-up charge of misuse of a service vehicle - which everyone did to some degree - to bring down Jack? Smith was aware that Jack was a close friend of Adora and the other Etherians. Too close to be hurt by such accusations - especially since the Etherians considered using his shuttle for anything perfectly fine and dandy. Hell, the government was counting on Jack and the rest of SG-1 to use their friendship to influence the Etherians, and that cut both ways.

No, even if Jack were corrupt - and he wasn't - this wouldn't be enough to get him cashiered. They needed him too much. Not just because he was friends with Princesses, of course, but also because he had the most experience fighting the snakes. And he was good at it.

So, why was Smith sending a rogue FBI agent after Jack? What did he hope to gain from this? Was he actually counting on the disgruntled conservatives and religious nutcases to push the government into dropping Jack? The government had made it clear that it valued the Alliance far more than what influence those people had left. Even with the presidential election coming up next year, no candidate - none with a serious chance at getting a nomination in either party, at least - was campaigning on a platform that would piss off the Etherians.

Wilkinson was right that a lot of people were unhappy with the changes the Alliance with Etheria brought to the United States, but the country was in the middle of a war, and that meant people were closing ranks and rallying around the flag.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Anything?"

Carter shook her head. "No, sir. Smith hasn't left his office or called anyone since you last asked."

Which had been… fifteen minutes ago. That explained why she looked a little annoyed.

"Alright." He suppressed a sigh. Maybe he should take a nap - Catra and Melog were sleeping in their seats. In such weird positions, Jack's back hurt just from looking at them. They really were like cats in that regard.

But he couldn't sleep. He was missing something, he knew that. Why was Smith doing this? And what was he hoping to gain? A promotion? He was already a four-star general, and even - or especially - if he managed to get Jack cashiered, he wouldn't get a promotion out of it. He would have pissed off the government too much with his meddling. Unless he thought his involvement would remain a secret.

Did he? Jack frowned. Wilkinson might keep the secret. But Wilkinson alone wouldn't be enough to hurt Jack. That would need a lot of influence. So, others would have to get involved. And Smith would have to move very carefully to benefit from this. Too much caution and others would take over. Too little, and he would be sacrificed to appease the Etherians while someone else got promoted.

Would Smith really risk that? He didn't strike Jack as reckless - quite the opposite, actually. Not a coward, but quite a bit more cautious than Jack or the Etherians. Anger or desperation might change that, but envy or spite?

No, there was something else. Someone else was involved. Which, Jack admitted to himself with a grin, means that this isn't a waste of time.

If only Smith would copy Wilkinson and invite a co-conspirator over. Or start monologuing in his office! But it seemed Smith didn't want to cooperate with this investigation.

Well, Jack already knew the guy wasn't an idiot. Then again, Smith was picking a fight with Jack and his friends, and that was a really dumb move.

Something Jack was looking forward to demonstrating.

*****​

Factory Complex, Scorpion Kingdom, Etheria, December 5th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and these are our bot factories. They used to produce bots for the war, then we - well, Entrapta and Hordak - repurposed them for agricultural bots, but now they're producing war bots again. And spy bots." Scorpia pointed with her pincers at a massive and - to Adora, at least - familiar factory complex.

Sure, they had prettied it up - and, more importantly, cleaned it up; it wasn't leaking acid into the water any more, and they had better filters for the exhaust pipes, as Entrapta had explained - but underneath that, it was still the same factory Adora and Catra had climbed as cadets. She could see the very spot they used to watch the Fright Zone from here. Ah… She was smiling widely, she realised, and quickly schooled her features. This was a diplomatic event!

"You switched from agricultural equipment to arms?" Thor asked. "How did that impact your food production?"

"Not at all," Scorpia replied. "Well, not much - Perfuma worked on the plants we use so they produce more for less work." She beamed at Perfuma, who blushed a little, Adora noticed.

"I only changed the rate at which they absorbed sunlight and the efficiency of their chlorophyll. And I made them a bit more resistant to pests - not too much, or that would have meant they couldn't be cooked in the traditional way," Perfuma explained.

"Well, we could have just used them to produce Horde rations, but those factories were dismantled entirely," Scorpia said. "I kind of miss them, from time to time."

Adora stared at her friend. She missed the Horde rations? After tasting real food? Unbelievable!

Glimmer looked like she was feeling sick, and Bow grimaced. Perfuma, though, smiled at her lover.

"You ended your capability to produce rations for your soldiers?" Thor sounded incredulous as well. "In the middle of a war?"

"We did that before we knew about the Goa'uld. And only once we had better food to disperse," Perfuma said, sounding defensive.

"And if we tried to feed those rations to our soldiers, they'd probably revolt!" Scorpia chuckled. "Anyway, that's about it for our kingdom's factories. We mostly rely on Horde designs for weapons, though Entrapta has improved the models since the war."

"Oh, yes!" Entrapta piped up. "I had so many ideas I couldn't try out during the war because Hordak said the loss of production would be worse than the gain of capability, but with the war over, I could implement them. Some of them, at least. And now, they can be field tested!"

Adora winced a bit at the enthusiasm her friend showed at this prospect. She knew Entrapta didn't think that the war against the Goa'uld was a good thing - well, defeating them and liberating their slaves was a very good thing - but the way she talked made her sound like she did.

But the Asgard didn't seem to react to that as they looked at the factories.

"You make heavy use of bots, then?" Thor asked.

"Oh, yes," Scorpia said. "Bots can be repaired and replaced - most of them," she added with a glance at Emily, "while people can't."

The Asard exchanged glances. "But you also field artificial intelligences." Penegal cocked his head. "What do they think of this?" He wasn't looking at Emily directly but glanced in her direction.

Emily beeped.

"Emily knows that we need to free the slaves of the Goa'uld," Entrapta translated. "And she also knows we can replace the dumb bots."

"So, they are willing to risk their existence for the war?" Penegal asked.

"Yes?" Entrapta looked puzzled.

"Everyone is aware of the need to defeat the Goauld," Perfuma said. "Though we won't force people to fight them if they don't want to. But we learned harsh lessons during the Horde War." She looked at the factory complex. "And we're going to do things better in this war. We won't make the same mistakes."

If Catra were here, she'd say that they were going to make all-new mistakes. But she wasn't. Adora cleared her throat in the sudden silence. "Anyway, this is where most of the weapon production on Etheria happens," she said. "We've adapted the former Horde factories." And staffed them with former Horde soldiers.

"And you're showing us your key weapon factories?" Thor turned his head a bit to glance at the factories again.

"Yes?" Entrapta looked confused again. "Why wouldn't we?"

"It's not as if we have something to hide here," Scorpia added.

"Aha." Thor didn't seem very impressed, though. Well, the backbone of Etheria's military in this war were the Horde fleets, and those were built and maintained in space, which the Asgard would know.

Freyr, who hadn't said much so far, suddenly addressed Perfuma. "You mentioned adapting the plants you grow for food. As I understand, you used magic for it. How exactly did you do that?"

Perfuma perked up. "Oh, let me show you!" She spread her hands, and vines grew out of the ground, quickly sprouting colourful fruits. "I altered the fruits, for example, to be more efficient and less appealing to the birds that usually eat them, so we need fewer people to tend to them. Then I spread the plants." She smiled. "I also altered the colour of the fruits, but that was just for variety." As she spoke, the fruits changed colours back and forth.

The Asgard were staring. At the plants and at Perfuma.

"Genetic manipulation on such a level…"

"And at that speed!"

"Without any tools at all. Pure magic."

Adora wasn't quite sure if their reaction was a good thing or not.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, December 5th, 1999

I might be getting a bit too comfortable with this, Samantha Carter thought as she ran another search algorithm on files she officially didn't have access to but could easily download with a bit of effort that could barely be called hacking. Being involved, and in a significant position, with building the Alliance computer network had its perks.

But the General was correct - too much about this case didn't make enough sense to dismiss the possibility of an outside element influencing or manipulating Smith. And since Adora had signed off on the investigation, it was legal anyway. Only technically, though, and only because of the Etherians' influence on the Alliance regulations - NATO regulations wouldn't have allowed such interference on the Supreme Commander's say so. And whether that authorised her to break into civilian databanks without a warrant by a judge was unclear.

She didn't expect much from this particular data analysis, anyway. Smith hadn't been very active in Brussels. The man had done a stint at NATO headquarters, but it hadn't been anything more than another mark in his file to push his career at the Pentagon. And when he got his new post with the Alliance, he hadn't even bothered with getting a flat in Brussels despite having an office here.

With someone else, that might have been explained by caring too much about his home and family in Washington D.C. to bother setting up a new home here, but Smith wasn't spending enough time with his family. Sam wouldn't call him a workaholic, but only because the man still didn't work quite as much as she did, and she wasn't a workaholic either; she merely had a sound sense of priorities.

On the other hand, she would have expected Smith to focus on his career in the Alliance. He should have realised that the most important decisions were being made here, not in the Pentagon or Washington.

Shaking her head at the inconsistencies, she checked the computer. Almost done. And Catra had already finished bugging Smith's office here. Sam didn't expect much from that either, but you had to cover all bases in such an investigation. Literally, in some cases. At least Smith had been posted to the Pentagon for the last few years, or they would have had to investigate even more places. If Sam had to root through another inefficiently organised computer system just to…

A beep interrupted her thoughts. Her algorithm had flagged something… no. It was from the stealth bot monitoring Wilkinson. The man was moving.

"What's happening?" Catra walked over. Apparently, the noise had caught her interest.

"Wilkinson is leaving his office," Sam told her.

"With Paris?"

"No. He seems to be alone. He might be going for a lunch." According to his filed expenses, the man liked to eat out.

"Hm. Good idea. It's lunchtime there - and dinner time here."

Sam raised her eyebrows at her. Catra thought about eating while their suspect was moving?

The other woman flashed her a wide grin. "Do you want something as well?"

"Are you going to Noordzee again?" Sam asked.

"Of course!"

The place didn't have a constant menu, but they always had fresh seafood. And trying to get Catra to go somewhere else was an exercise in futility. And often frustration. "Get me a sandwich."

"Alright." Catra got up and left their office.

Sam checked her computer again. Wilkinson was still driving. He had passed his favourite diner already. She quickly ran a short check on his expenses. There wasn't another restaurant in that direction that he had frequented in the last year. She brought up Smith's data. No, nothing there either - and Smith hadn't left the Pentagon.

A few minutes later, she watched Wilkinson's car park next to an old Italian restaurant. If the General were here, he'd make a joke about the mob, but this didn't have to mean anything. Odds were, the food wasn't even authentic Italian.

The stealth bot flew a bit down to get a better line of sight into the restaurant. Wilkinson didn't take a table at a window - he was headed to the back. If he entered a private room… No, he sat down at the bar, gesturing to the bartender.

The bot's sensors were good but not good enough to listen in from that distance. But the mirror behind the bar meant Wilkinson's face was visible.

Sam wasn't a lip-reader, but she had a program for that. A few clicks got it up and running on the feed from the bot.

"… Pastrami?"

"Yes. And a coke."

Well, that wasn't a very important conversation. Sam shook her head with a smile.

Then another man sat down at the bar, next to Wilkinson. And they looked at each other in the mirror, Sam noticed. She ran a search for a match for his face while he ordered a sandwich as well.

"What do you have for me?"

"You're being used."

"Tell me something new."

"Your source has contacts with us."

"Again, tell me something new."

"The kind of contacts that involve the kind of business you hate."

"Is he involved?"

"Hard to say. But someone's covering up whatever he is involved in."

"Can you uncover it?"

"Not without risking more trouble than this is worth."

"I see."

Sam frowned. What did that mean? Were they talking about the General? Or Smith? Smith was Wilkinson's source, wasn't he?

Her laptop beeped again. She had a match for the other man. Oh. Kevin Miller. CIA.

Things got just a little bit more complicated.

*****​

Langley, Virginia, United States of America, December 5th, 1999

A whole building full of spies! Catra grinned as she studied the CIA headquarters on her screen. "I can't believe that's just one of your spy agencies."

"We're a big country," Jack replied.

"And you spy on everyone. Even yourselves."

"As this mission demonstrates, we got reasons for that."

She snorted at that without taking her eyes off the target. "Now, this is a challenge."

"The FBI wasn't?"

"They're not really spies," she told him. "They're cops who also hunt spies. But the CIA? All spies. And it takes a spy to hunt a spy."

"I think the FBI disagrees."

"Of course they would. But we infiltrated their headquarters easily. This, though…?"

"We do not need to infiltrate their headquarters," Sam commented from her seat. "We just need access to their data."

"For which we need to sneak into the building." Catra grinned again.

Challenge.

"Melog agrees," she added.

"The FBI has a magic program. The CIA undoubtedly has one as well," Sam pointed out. "You will have to deal with this."

Of course, they would. But they weren't facing experienced sorceresses. Hell, the FBI witch hadn't even known what her spells would do. The CIA ones would be a bit better - they would probably not shy away from testing their spells against evil magic, according to everything Catra had heard about the CIA - but they were still beginners. And Catra had spent years fighting princesses and sorceresses trained at Mystacor while Melog was, well, Melog. "We can do this." All they had to do was to sneak in and get into Miller's office and his computer.

"Don't get caught," Jack said. He sounded as if he wanted to sneak in as well.

"I won't."

"Scans still show no advanced technology," Sam reported.

"And that's suspicious," Jack repeated himself. "If anyone should have managed to get some of the good stuff for themselves, it's the CIA."

"They would be aware that we can detect such technology, sir."

"Won't stop them."

They had gone over his before. Catra shook her head. "Let's go. It's almost midnight here." Not that that bothered her - she could nap whenever she wanted on this mission - but close to midnight on a Sunday meant the building would have the least number of spies in it.

"Alright."

She grinned and walked to the shuttle's back, followed by Melog. Just hovering over the building and rappelling down, like they had done with the FBI, was out. The CIA had improved the security on their roof - and on their office windows. Not with advanced technology, and not with magic, according to Melog, but the sensors they had were annoying enough. Unlike the FBI, the CIA had not ignored how they had broken into Iran's prisons. Or the CIA was just more concerned about their own allies breaking into their building than the FBI.

It didn't matter. They were using another way into the building anyway.

Ready.

Catra nodded. "Melog has the illusion up. Drop the ramp."

The ramp started to lower with a very faint hissing sound, and Catra sniffed the air. Langley wasn't as bad as the Fright Zone had been, but it was bad enough. And the sewers - or storm drains, as Sam called them - would be worse.

She pulled a mask on as she stepped out of the shuttle, then quickly rushed over to the grate covering a shaft leading down.

Stinks.

"Yeah, I know."

But she had smelt worse. The Horde hadn't really bothered with environmental regulations. She grabbed the grate and easily lifted it up. A moment later, Melog, changed into a slinkier form, sneaked past her and vanished down the shaft.

Clear.

She followed, closing the grate behind her. With the mask, she could ignore the smell of rotting matter. She would still need a long shower after this - the smell would linger otherwise, and to imagine her fur having even a hint of this…

She shuddered as she quickly followed Melog, back in catform, down the tunnel. A few sensors were easily fooled by illusions, and the sensors covering the exits were not a challenge either if you were used to dealing with Horde and Alliance security. The CIA apparently hadn't gotten around to covering the underground areas as well as they had covered the roof and windows.

And now they were inside the complex. Not yet inside the target building, but close enough. And past the guards who might or might not have been sorceresses and their dogs.

She recalled the layout of the place and quickly made her way over to the building Miller was working in. The security there was a bit trickier, but Sam had her back. All Catra had to do was climb a wall until she could stick a device to the sensor covering the entrance, and Sam would hack the whole system.

Easy. They just had to…

Catra froze for a moment, her ears swivelling as she caught steps headed their way. So close to the last patrol? It seemed the CIA took care to have their guards actually patrol at random.

Dog.

And they had a dog with them! Catra hissed under her breath. "Come on!" she whispered, then quickly climbed the wall again, with Melog hanging on her shoulders.

From a windowsill on the second floor, still covered by an illusion, she watched while a guard with a damn dog walked past on the ground below. The animal even seemed to catch her scent, but a quick illusion of a squirrel dashing past distracted the dog and made the handler curse.

By the time the patrol had gone to the next building - actually random patrol patterns were a pain to deal with - Sam had dealt with the security, and Catra and Melog slipped into the building with no one the wiser.

But halfway to Miller's office, her hackles rose. Someone - no, something - was nearby. She could hear faint steps. Very faint steps. And she felt the temperature drop a little.

Magic.

The CIA seemed to be a bit more ahead of the FBI than Catra had thought.

"Back!" she hissed - even though Melog would already know what she was doing - and whirled around, quickly darting past two closed doors to the corner behind them. Rounding it, she glanced at the rows of doors there, ears twitching. She hadn't heard anything on the way past them, so they should be empty. But if whoever - or whatever - was coming had a magical way to check through doors, they would be spotted anyway. Risk it?

No.

She nodded, and they kept running. She had to remind herself to keep her claws sheathed, so she didn't make any sound - or leave scratches and gouges on the floor. It was much easier to run all out with her claws digging into the ground.

Another corner. She remembered the layout. Stairs to the right, lift to the left. And around the next corner was a little nook with a window that was too small to keep the stench of cigarette smoke from lingering and seeping into the plaster.

But it was big enough for Catra, and Sam had dealt with the sensors covering the windows at the source. She opened it, hopped on the windowsill, then turned around. "Go on!"

Melog flowed past her, changing shape to avoid jostling her, while she fixed a small thread to the window's frame. A moment later, she jumped, grabbing the edge of the roof above them, then pulled the window closed with thread.

Normally, she would have slid onto the roof, but the sensors there were still working. So she had to wait, hanging from the roof, until the coast was clear again.

Melog changed shape again, this time into a snake.

Hold you.

She didn't need his help. Hanging from a branch had been standard training - and punishment - back as a cadet; she could do this all day long. Almost. She slid onto their back anyway.

Magic close.

She shouldn't be doing this, but…

Scoffing, she bent down until she could spy through the window. She heard the steps clearly, coming closer, but there was nothing. Then she felt a cold shiver run down her spine - and saw the small window fog over slightly.

A moment later, she had pulled herself up.

Magic.

"Earth magic," she whispered. "That's not a human patrol."

The CIA had summoned a spirit or something to patrol their headquarters.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, December 6th, 1999

"...and then we waited a bit longer and went back inside. Miller's office is bugged, and Sam is already hacking his data."

Jack O'Neill nodded. Catra might make a point of slouching so much that she looked as if she'd flow off her seat any moment, but her report was concise and to the point - as good or better than he was used to from his own people. And she didn't make him feel guilty for involving them in a slightly illegal mission. "So, the CIA got ahead of the FBI. Probably recruited outside talent."

"To guard their headquarters?" Catra shook her head. "That doesn't sound like a good idea."

"The spooks aren't nearly as smart as they think they are," Jack agreed. That didn't mean they were dumb, of course, even if some were. But recruiting sources and turning spies was one thing, trusting the security of your headquarters to some hired help was another. And God help the spooks if they tried to get some leverage on a sorceress while they were still hurting for magical assets.

"And they're competing with the Alliance for recruitment," Catra added.

"That, too." Jack nodded again. The Alliance needed every sorceress they could get. And while not every sorceress who would get hired by the CIA would be a good fit for the Alliance, Jack knew that the overlap between the requirements for his command and the CIA was considerable.

"So, gonna squeal on them? I bet they kept their magic program hidden from your government." Catra grinned. "Sam would have found it otherwise."

Jack made a noncommittal noise. Of course, Carter would have found it, but admitting even in private that you thought your Second-in-Command hacked the government wasn't something you made a habit of. "Well, I'll think about it. We would have to explain how we found out about the CIA's spooky spirit program." Oh, damn - he missed an opportunity to make a spooky spook joke. Well, Carter wasn't here, so he could use the line on her later. Although it was early morning here in Brussels already, and he had stayed up the entire night…

"Right."

"And the CIA might have kept it off the official records, but I bet the NID knows about it. And that means Kinsey knows about it. And since the man is so tight with the president…"

"Ah, yes. Democracy at work." Catra nodded with a sage expression that was obviously faked.

Jack snorted in return. "Anyway, we need to…"

A beep on his computer interrupted him.

"Huh?" That wasn't a mail announcement. That was… an alert from Carter. "Someone's hacking into Smith's computer. Someone else, I mean."

"Oh?" Catra cocked her head, then grinned.

She probably thought this was getting more interesting. Well, she wasn't wrong. But Jack would prefer things to get boring instead.

*****​

A few coffees - Navy style, but Jack would bite his tongue off before acknowledging that to anyone - later, he was talking to Carter and trying to act as if he had any clue what the stuff on her screen meant. "So, what do you have for us?"

"I'm tracking the intruder. They have tried to obfuscate their location, but their tools, while good, are no match for ours."

"Ah." That was… good. Jack stifled a yawn and took another sip from his coffee. "Any idea who they are?"

"This cannot be said with any certainty at this point, sir."

He grinned. "So, you have a pretty good guess."

For a moment, her mouth twisted into the hint of a pout. "They are using exploits that have been fixed in the Alliance systems and are scheduled to be fixed in the Pentagon systems next week. Highly-classified ones."

"Ah. Definitely the NID, then." Wilkinson didn't have that kind of resources.

"Or any other agency or person with access to this information," Carter pointed out.

He shrugged, then finished his cup of coffee. "And how many of them would hack a general's computer in the Pentagon? That's illegal!"

She frowned at that. Right. Right, they were doing it as well. "The CIA?"

He snorted as he nodded. "Good point. But I still say it's the NID."

She tilted her head in what he knew was cautious agreement.

"So!" he went on, putting his cup down on her desk. "The NID is snooping around. Did you find out what they were looking for?"

"They downloaded the entire content of his private computer, sir."

And Smith was too smart to keep anything classified there, which the NID would know. They weren't going for military secrets, then. Of course, with Kinsey having the president's trust, they didn't need to break the law for that. "Blackmail?"

"It would have been unsuccessful then."

Carter hadn't found anything in Smith's files either. Although, sometimes, innocent information turned into compromising material when combined with something else. He blinked as he had another thought. "Did they plant anything?"

"No, sir."

He caught the unspoken 'I would have noticed and told you that already, sir' clearly despite the late or early hour. "Right."

Her computer decided that the slightly awkward silence that followed was the perfect moment to announce something. The numbers that appeared on the screen meant garbage to Jack, but Carter perked up. "Oh! The trace went through. The hacker is located at…" Her fingers flew over the keyboard, and a map appeared. "...here."

He could read maps in his sleep. "Washington D.C. Not Kinsey's address, though?"

"No, sir. Redirecting the spy bot for a close look."

Right. If they'd had such bots during the Cold War… Real-time recon on demand, without risking anyone, was a game changer. A few minutes later, they were looking at a house so average and devoid of anything unique, it almost seemed to stick out even in its boring suburban neighbourhood.

"I think we found a NID safehouse," Jack said.

"If this is a NID operation, sir. We haven't confirmed that yet."

"No, we haven't." He grinned. "But I'm betting a month's supply of jello that I'm right."

"I'm not taking that bet," Carter replied. She waited just a moment before adding: "I have no interest in jello."

He snorted, then had to stifle another yawn. "Anyway, go to bed now. We've got a long day ahead of us. And it's a Monday to boot."

"Technically, it's already Monday here, sir."

His chuckle turned into a yawn, and he could feel her raised eyebrows on him without having to look at her.

Damn, the Navy pukes couldn't even brew their coffee right any more. No wonder their ship-building program was lagging behind the Limeys' so much.

*****​

Alliance Base Lübtheen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, December 6th, 1999

"Good morning, General!"

Jack O'Neill narrowed his eyes at Lt. Brown's dig. It was past noon, but he had gone to bed at half past six in the morning, and only if you counted napping in a shuttle flying on autopilot. But saying anything would acknowledge a hit. So he nodded at his aide. "Good morning, Brown. Anything urgent?" His communicator would have woken him up if anything had come up, but old habits died slowly.

"Senator Kinsey called, sir."

Jack tensed. Kinsey? "He did? What was it about?"

"He didn't say, sir. Just that it was important but that he could wait until you were in the office."

Jack silently cursed. The NID hacking last night, and now Kinsey was calling him? The timing wasn't suspicious, it was obvious!

And he had a bad feeling about it.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 124: Cultural Exchange Part 6

Royal Palace, Kingdom of Salineas, Etheria, December 6th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Ugh. Giving a demonstration like a trained pet. This is so annoying."

"But think of the opportunity to impress guests from another planet, my love! Another planet that's not Earth, I mean! Anyway, I've prepared a medley of my best sea shanties for this occasion, which will be the perfect accompaniment for your performance!"

"Don't try to steal the spotlight!"

"I would never do that to you, my love!"

Adora couldn't help sighing a little as she watched Mermista and Sea Hawk.

"I don't know why she keeps this up; no one believes her act, anyway," Glimmer muttered next to her. "She loves to show off."

Adora wasn't quite sure about that. Mermista was a bit grumpy at times. And she had a temper - like the sea, Sea Hawk had said once. And that this was one of the countless reasons he loved her and had never given up courting her.

Which was quite romantic, actually. But they were on a schedule. "I think we should proceed with the demonstration of your power," she told Mermista. "Sea Hawk can present his shanties after dinner."

"Oh, yes - when everyone's fed and content!" Sea Hawk nodded with a smile.

And Mermista shrugged, which counted as agreement as well.

"Let's go join our guests, then," Glimmer said.

"Our guests? We're in my kingdom."

"You know what I mean."

"Whatever."

Adora briefly, very briefly, rolled her eyes - it wasn't fair to be annoyed at her friends; this visit was proving to be more stressful than expected, and the whole plot against Jack on Earth wasn't helping. Nor that Catra was so busy with it. She hadn't come back until the morning, shortly before Adora had to get ready for the visit to Salineas, and so they hadn't been able to do much else but kiss and hug.

And then Catra had gone to bed, and Adora had gone to Salienas. Fortunately, they had taken the scenic route in a shuttle, flying at low altitude over the sea, and so the Asgard's reaction to seeing sailing ships plying the ocean's trade routes had not been overheard by Mermista. For a diplomatic delegation from an old species, the Asgard could be rather blunt. Adora didn't think there was anything wrong with using magic and sails together. Or magitech and sails. Weren't the Asgard supposed to be very traditional?

They stepped out of the palace and onto the mole sheltering the private harbour of the queen of Salineas, where the Asgard were waiting with the others.

"...and I had plans for the Horde frigates as well, to make them fly instead of float, but Hordak reminded me that if we wanted flying transport and warships, we might as well go all the way and make spaceships - only, we had a fleet already, and if I constructed a new ship for us, Darla might get jealous," Entrapta explained, hair and arms waving around.

"You won't design new ships because your old ones might get jealous?" Thor sounded doubtful - and a little bit shocked - in Adora's opinion.

"Well… she was abandoned and buried in the Crimson Waste for so long, I don't want her to worry that we would replace her - which we would never do! I can keep her upgraded so she can match any modern ship. Well, any modern ship we know, and in her class. She wouldn't be able to match a battleship, would she?"

"With enough of a technological advantage, yes, she would," Hordak said.

"Oh, right."

It looked like they would have to keep an eye on Entrapta again so she wouldn't neglect either crucial projects or her health so she could build more upgrades for Darla, Adora noted. But that could wait until this visit was over. "Sorry for the wait," she told the group. "Something came up."

"Yeah, yeah," Mermista added, nodding at their guests. "So, you're interested in my magic."

"Yes, we are," Freyr replied.

They were here so the Asgard could enjoy Salineas's culture. Adora almost said something about it, but Mermista had already turned away and was facing the sea.

"So, take a good look." She raised her trident, then gestured with it, and a huge wave suddenly rose from the sea. Higher than the masts of the ships in the main harbour. That was… more than Adora had expected. She knew Mermista could do this, but her friend rarely did that outside emergencies.

"Someone prepared for this," Glimmer mumbled. "And she acts as if she didn't want to show off?"

"Ah, my love - the Queen of the Seven Seas!" Sea Hawk put a hand over his heart and raised his chin as the wave slowly moved closer, then turned around its own axis, barely missing the mole.

Mermista grinned, then jumped into the sea, startling the Asgard - and even more when she emerged, her legs having turned into a fishtail, and rode the wave all across the harbour, then out to the sea.

"Telekinetic control over liquid on such a scale!"

"And the ability to manipulate her own body to transform into a hybrid life form!"

Well, the Asgard were impressed, Adora told herself.

"Now we just have to make sure Sea Hawk's shanties won't mortally insult the Asgard, and this trip wasn't a waste," Glimmer commented while they watched Mermista show off more of her powers.

Adora nodded, though she didn't think that was likely. Not after sitting through their best epic before. Sea Hawk was a master performer compared to that.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 6th, 1999

Being healed by She-Ra when she was channelling the magic of an entire planet wasn't quite a rejuvenation treatment, but it came close. Samantha Carter had felt a lot younger ever since that moment on Saqarra. Although, as she was reminded today again, feeling younger didn't mean she was actually twenty again. At the age of twenty, she had been able to work through the night without feeling it in the morning.

Or, she amended her thoughts as she stepped out of the shuttle that had brought her to Stargate Command, maybe she hadn't been old enough to realise that her efficiency had been affected by lack of sleep. It wasn't as if most of the tests at the Air Force Academy had been too challenging.

"Major Carter." General Hammond himself was there in the hangar, greeting her. "We're happy you found the time to come."

Was that a trace of resentment? And if so, was it aimed at her or at the fact that he was stuck at Stargate Command and hadn't been transferred to Alliance headquarters? Sam couldn't tell. "Of course, I'd make the time, sir," she answered, stifling a yawn. She'd had almost five hours of sleep, she reminded herself - she shouldn't be so tired.

"Well, I am glad it's not my command that's keeping you awake until the morning any more," General Hammond flashed her a wry smile.

She returned the smile. Of course, he'd see through her act - he knew her almost as well as the General did. "Needs must," she said. "But I don't make a habit of it."

The General would have made a joke about Sam only doing it every second night, but Hammond merely nodded. "Anyway, we're glad you came. Dr Gregorovich tried his best, but he couldn't solve the issue with the Stargate central computer program."

Sam frowned. She had documented the code and written a user and maintenance manual for the entire system before she had transferred to the Alliance - precisely because she wouldn't have the time to run back to Stargate Command to solve every issue that cropped up. Or shouldn't have the time - the Stargate was crucial for the Alliance, so fixing any issues with it took priority even over the latest problem. She wouldn't have left the General face Kinsey by himself, otherwise. But, still! Iwan could read English perfectly fine, his accent notwithstanding! "And what about the other scientists?"

"They couldn't solve the issue either." General Hammond nodded at the guard at the lift, who stood at attention as they entered. "To their great chagrin, as General Petit put it."

She eyed the general with slightly narrowed eyes. Was that a pun? Or was she imagining things? She focused on the task at hand. "So, none have found the reason why dialling an address suddenly takes longer than it should? Did anyone look for a mechanical defect yet?"

"Yes. The gate itself is not affected."

Of course, they would have checked that. Still, Sam had to ask - sometimes, people overlooked the most simple cause for a problem. She nodded. "So, not a hardware problem."

"Not as far as we know."

Oh. General Hammond was being a bit too… bland. Sam narrowed her eyes again. "Did Iwan ask for my assistance?"

"Yes, he did. General Sidorov and General Li wanted him to keep trying, but he insisted that he had tried everything to fix it."

That sly Russian - a quarter Welsh - scientist! Sam was pretty sure he knew far more about what was wrong with the Stargate Command computer than he had let on. And he wanted her to find it. And that meant this wasn't a computer problem.

This was a security problem. And a political problem.

"I'm a scientist," she muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?" General Hammond turned to look at her right when the doors opened.

"Nothing, sir."

Just an overdose of politics, she heard the General comment in the back of her mind.

*****​

Gate Area, Near Bright Moon, Etheria, December 6th, 1999 (Earth Time)

Catra smiled as she approached the Stargate. It was afternoon, and she had spent the entire day in bed while everyone else was dealing with the Asgard. And with the grumpy water princess. Sure, Catra had worked through the night before, but that had been while infiltrating a spy headquarters and hunting traitors - interesting, not boring. Or annoying.

And now, it was time to head back to Earth and check up on the plot against Jack. And avoid more paperwork.

Work waiting.

She snorted, tilting her head to raise her eyebrows at Melog. "It's not the same."

Same.

She snorted again. "It's not." If it was interesting, it wasn't really work. Earth had a saying about that.

Melog radiated some smugness in return.

The guards at the Stargate didn't even twitch; they were used to them communicating like that. The officer in charge nodded at her while the Stargate started to rise. "To Earth?"

Where else would she be going? She had been doing that trip every day for a while now. She nodded instead of pointing that out; better to stick to procedure than to let the gate crew get used to anticipating any requests. That could really mess up things in the worst moments.

The Stargate started spinning a few moments later, followed by the vortex extending and collapsing. Catra suppressed the slight unease she felt as she approached the stabilised wormhole. If there was a mistake, or sabotage, she would end up splattered against the iris at Stargate command at lightspeed or something. She had to trust that this wouldn't happen. Had to trust the people at Stargate Command. And all the stories she had heard from Jack and the others made that a bit difficult. All those crises…

Well, they hadn't messed up in that way. Not so far. She nodded at the guards and stepped through.

A disturbing but also thrilling moment later, Melog and Catra stepped into Stargate Command on Earth. "Hi, everyone!" She waved with a grin - but narrowed her eyes when she spotted Sam in the control room, bent over the console there, with the Russian scientists next to her and Hammond and the Russian general hovering a bit behind.

"I think something's not right here," she muttered. Sam wasn't assigned to Stargate Command any more. And she had better things to do, many more, than helping out her old command - unless she was urgently needed here for another crisis.

Yes. Problem, Melog agreed.

"Then let's see what the problem is - and what we can do about it," she said. Turning to the Gate guards, she added: "We're going to meet Major Carter." She flashed her fangs to make sure the men knew this wasn't a request.

A minute later, they entered the command room. "Hi, Sam! Hello, General Hammond. Dr Gregorovich. Everyone else."

They were expecting her. "Catra." Hammond nodded at her. "Melog."

"Miss Catra! Melog! Welcome to humble abode!" Gregorovich smiled at her.

Sidorov, of course, glared. The man didn't like to be lumped in with everyone else. Which was why Catra had done it.

"So, what's wrong this time?" she asked, hopping up to sit on the console next to Sam's.

"We're dealing with a computer problem," Sam explained. "The core unit doesn't perform to spec."

"Da! Half as fast as it should be," Gregorovich added.

"It isn't quite that bad," Sam corrected him. "But it's still a noticeable drop in performance."

"Someone messed with your code?" Catra asked. It would have been stupid, but people were stupid. Even the smart ones. Or especially the smart ones. Many of them just couldn't let things be as long as they worked. If someone had tried to improve the computer and messed up…

"The core programs are working fine. We're checking the subroutines now, then the peripherals."

Catra wasn't a computer expert - Entrapta and Bow handled that stuff - but she had kept up with the basics when she had led the Horde. If they were checking every part of the system… "No documented changes, I guess."

"No." Sam frowned.

"And no one admitted extra work." Gregorovich shook his head. "Not even after we say that no gulag waiting for them for mistake."

Catra snorted, though it might not be a joke. Or a mistake. Sidorov hadn't commented yet, she noticed. The Russian was glaring at everyone, especially Gregorovich, though.

And wasn't that interesting? She grinned.

Then her ears twitched when Sam's computer beeped. She knew that kind of alert - it had found something.

Sam dropped all pretence that she had been paying attention to their talk and focused on her screen. "Ah! The peripherals have undocumented activity showing." Her fingers flew over the keyboard. Another beep. Different tone. "And there just was an attempt to access my computer."

"A hacker?" Hammond asked.

"More like a virus, sir." Sam looked up with a grim expression. "Someone infected the Stargate computers with malware."

Catra hissed under her breath. Sabotage. Or spying. Or both. If that virus had gotten to the controls for the iris in mid-transit… She glanced at Sidorov. He was tense, but everyone was.

Afraid.

Catra bared her teeth in a grin. Infecting the Stargate computers wasn't easy. Sam and Entrapta had done the security; the core computer and its peripherals weren't connected to the outside. So, it had to be an inside job.

And Catra was sure she knew who was responsible.

Hammond was still cursing under his breath. "Can you remove the virus?"

"Yes, sir. But it will take a while. And we should shut down the Stargate until we've purged the systems."

"Da. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Catra nodded in agreement. "And we need to find the traitor behind this," she added.

Sidorov tensed up even more.

*****​

Capitol, Washington D.C., United States of America, Earth, December 6th, 1999

"Thank you for coming to see me on such a short notice, General O'Neill. Even for a Senator, getting a flight on short notice so close to the Holidays would have been a hassle, and some things shouldn't be trusted to a phone call."

Jack O'Neill was pretty sure that Kinsey was lying. The first clue was that the man was talking. But Jack was also sure that Kinsey wouldn't have any problems getting a flight, even if it were Christmas Eve. "It was no trouble," he replied, leaning back in his seat.

"Ah, yes - I heard about your personal shuttle." Kinsey smiled almost wistfully. "It's remarkably convenient. I don't think even the President has a shuttle at his disposal like that."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the man as his polite smile faded. "It's assigned to my command. When it's not needed for combat missions or training, it serves as transportation." He managed to close his mouth before he added a comment about Kinsey's office being much nicer than his own. Even if it was true - the scumbag probably had lots of equally corrupt visitors to cater to.

"Of course. I'm sure all the i's are dotted, and the t's are crossed." Kinsey's smile wasn't as patronising as it usually was when the guy thought he had the upper hand, but he couldn't hide his attitude completely.

Jack nodded. "Of course. I've got nothing to hide." He made a point of glancing around the senator's office.

Kinsey was unfazed. "Of course not. Although in politics, appearances matter as much - or more - than facts." He put his elbows on his desk and laced his fingers

Jack shrugged. "You would know. I'm a soldier, not a politician."

"Isn't there a saying that war was just the continuation of politics by other means?" Kinsey asked.

"Clausewitz." His exact quote was a bit different, but that was the gist. "But he didn't mean for soldiers to make politics." Well, maybe he had meant that - there was the old joke about Prussia being an army with a state, which had some grounding in facts.

"You're a member of Alliance High Command, General. At your rank, you are involved in politics whether you admit it or not." Kinsey's smile grew a few teeth. "And, seeing how close you are to the Supreme Commander of the Alliance and key leaders of the senior member in the Alliance, I would say you are doing very well."

And I bet you're envious, Jack thought. He didn't say that, though, but snorted instead. "That's not politics, senator. We're friends."

"And friends help each other."

Oh, for… Jack clenched his teeth for a moment. "What are you insinuating, Senator?"

Kinsey's smile grew just a smidgen. "As I said, appearances matter in politics. You appear to be rising beyond the reach of many of your peers, General, thanks to your friendship with the Etherians."

Jack slightly tilted his head to the side. "My peers, who cultivated the friendships of American politicians to advance their careers?" Such as yourself?

"Precisely." Kinsey's smile didn't falter. "Unfortunately, some of your peers are not quite as skilled in politics as they thought they were and are misjudging their situation."

Jack frowned. "Misjudging their situation?"

Kinsey nodded. "They - and, unfortunately, a number of my esteemed colleagues in Congress - don't seem to understand our Etherian allies, and their actions reflect that."

Jack nodded, wishing the man would get to the point.

Kinsey leaned back. "They act as if the princesses were American politicians, beholden to public opinion and certain standards."

Jack snorted again. "They should attend a lecture or two of Daniel about that topic. He loves talking about the differences between Earth and Etheria."

"Oh, yes. Dr Jackson's lessons were very insightful. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues tend to listen to lobbyists more than to scientists." Kinsey sighed. "Many are also too conservative to adapt to changes, even drastic, fundamental changes. But I digress."

Yes, you do, Jack thought. You didn't call me here to vent about your colleagues.

Kinsey leaned forward. "They don't get that Etherians consider politics a personal affair. And they don't get that the Etherians won't throw a friend to the wolves to maintain appearances because they don't have to care about appearances - at least not as far as the public is concerned."

So that was why Kinsey hadn't moved against him, Jack realised. A great deal made sense now. "Are you talking about General Smith?"

Kinsey nodded, his expression shifting to show satisfaction. "Of course. You've been aware of his attempts to slander you as corrupt for some time now."

Kinsey made it sound as if Jack kept tabs on all potential 'rivals' or something. Like Kinsey surely did. Jack shrugged in response. "Not in any detail."

"You are too modest, General. I know you've been investigating him and his contacts." Kinsey smiled, showing all his teeth. "And so have I."

And now came the offer. Jack tilted his head. "Ah."

"Yes." Kinsey nodded in that smarmy, self-satisfied manner of his. "Smith thinks that if you look like you're abusing your position, you will be relieved of your post. He's wrong, of course - even if you were abusing your position for personal gain, your friends wouldn't care. That's just how leaders in absolute monarchies act, after all. Something anyone with experiences with dictatorships on Earth should have been aware of, of course."

Jack glared at the scumbag. "Are you really comparing Adora and the other princesses to dictators, Senator?"

Kinsey nodded. "They effectively are dictators, General. Absolute monarchs. Friendly, idealistic and, as far as it looks like, benevolent ones, but they aren't beholden to anyone and not bound by any law but, possibly, outside pressure. Pressure which not even a united Earth could bring to bear at the moment."

That was… not as completely wrong as Jack would like. It was still not right, though. "And yet they are more trustworthy than anyone on Earth," he retorted. "They'll keep their word even if it costs them." As their issues with the Asgard proved.

Kinsey shrugged. "You're not exactly unbiased, General. But as long as the interests of Earth and Etheria align, I doubt that the princesses' honour will be put to the test, so to speak."

Jack pressed his lips together. As if Kinsey knew anything about honour! "I doubt that you called me to Washington just to talk about our allies'."

"Not just to talk about our allies, no." Kinsey smiled again. "But your relationship with the Etherians features a great deal in many talks at the highest level, General. And that means you are a person of great interest and importance to our government."

Something you no doubt hate, Jack thought - but he nodded slowly. No point in denying the obvious.

"Should anything happen to you, the repercussions would be grave and unpredictable. And that means many people keep tabs on you."

Jack snorted. "Like the NID."

"Amongst others." Kinsey didn't quite shrug but tilted his head to the side for a moment. "Not just American groups, of course - our NATO allies are aware of your influence as well, and so are Russia and China, especially with their access to Stargate Command's records. Even redacted, they reveal quite a lot about you."

"Only good things, I hope." Jack flashed a grin at Kinsey.

Kinsey's smile twisted for a moment. "That's a matter of opinion. The insights those records allow into your characters are a two-edged sword, so to speak. In more ways than one, actually - you have a history of doing what you think is right, sometimes to the point of insubordination. While your results speak for themselves, that is not a trait everyone considers admirable in a soldier, much less someone with your personal influence on the highest level of politics."

"Mindless obedience is not a trait encouraged in the US Armed Forces," Jack retorted. "That's the Goa'uld way."

"Soldiers acting independently of, or even against the will of the civilian government is not the American way either, General."

Oh, that was rich! "Neither is having secret services running out of control," Jack snapped.

Kinsey smiled in return. "Like having a team investigate General Smith and various civilians?"

Jack clenched his teeth. Can't lose my temper, he reminded himself. "Investigating potential alien infiltrations falls under the mandate of the Alliance."

Kinsey laughed. "Oh, I have no doubt that you ensured your private investigation was authorised by the Supreme Commander. But we both know what you did - and why, General."

You think you know, Jack thought. "What do you want?"

Kinsey leaned back, smiling in that self-satisfied way as if he had just won something. "I want you to be more careful, General."

"What?" What did he mean?

"As I've said before, you are a very important person. With the possible exception of Major Carter, no one else in the Alliance, or on Earth, is as close to the leading Etherian princesses as you are. And most of them are very young, barely out of their teens. Idealistic. Passionate. And absolute monarchs in control of the most powerful member of the Alliance. Who could tell how they would react should anything happen to you?"

Was that a threat? Jack narrowed his eyes. "They're veterans. They fought in a decades-long war. They know the risks." Or should, though She-Ra's ability to heal anyone would skew that.

"Oh, yes. Combat isn't what I - and others, including the president - are worried about. No, it's attacks of a different nature against you, General."

"Like Smith, you mean."

Another smug grin. "Exactly. Appearances matter, General," Kinsey repeated himself. "If you are seen as corrupt, as abusing your position for personal gain - or to sabotage potential rivals - and the Supreme Commander of the Alliance makes it clear that you will not suffer any consequences, how will that look to the public? And to your peers in the Armed Forces?" He shook his head. "It would undermine the support for the Alliance and even the war. Not fatally, of course. Not in the middle of a war for our lives. But it will strain our relations with the Etherians and the public's trust in our soldiers, our allies and our government. And that will affect the war."

And probably your plans, Jack thought. "Unless such detractors were revealed to be corrupt themselves."

Kinsey chuckled. "Indeed, General. Whether they actually are corrupt or not, should they be perceived as such, the whole affair would look very different, wouldn't it? And that's where we come in."

Ah. Jack forced himself not to snarl at him. "You want the NID to handle this."

"What I want is you and your friends to stop meddling in this and focus on the war. The NID is already handling this. You're a very capable officer, General, but this is not your area of expertise. And the more you meddle, the harder you make it for us to handle this and keep your reputation clean."

Jack wanted to deck the bastard. Smash his grinning teeth in. "You've been handling this for a while, have you?" he spat. That would explain why Smith thought he had the support to pull this off. And probably how the damn actor got involved. And Wilkinson… had probably been on the NID's list as a useful crusader for justice or something, perfect for this kind of plot.

Kinsey smiled. "It pays to be proactive in this business. You do your job, General, and we do ours. Everybody wins."

Until those jobs collided with each other, Jack thought. Or Kinsey would attempt to use this as leverage. But he hadn't, so far. If Jack pushed the issue, things would go as Kinsey had mentioned, only worse. And while Jack was tempted to stick it to Kinsey anyway, it wasn't worth it. Not now.

Damn.

*****​

Royal Palace, Kingdom of Snows, Etheria, December 6th, 1999 (Earth Time)

The ice skating show was great, in Adora's opinion - she was clapping with a wide smile when the skaters - or would they be dancers? - showed up at the end to bow to the audience after dazzling them with jumps and stunts, performed to live music, for an hour.

"Encore!" Bow yelled. "Encore!"

"Huh?" Glimmer looked as confused as Adora felt.

"That's what they yell on Earth when they want another song at a concert," he explained.

"And do you think they know that?" Glimmer asked.

"Ah…" Bow winced. "I didn't think of that."

"Duh!"

Adora glanced around. Indeed, no one seemed to have caught Bow's meaning in the audience - and the cast of the show left the stage - or rink to applause without performing another scene.

Sighing, she glanced at the Asgard - the show had been so captivating that she had almost forgotten about them.

They had their heads stuck together and were talking. Had the show fascinated them as well? Adora hoped that was the case. Sea Hawk's shanties hadn't, unfortunately. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"The ice that covered the stage," Freyr said. "Princess Frosta couldn't have produced so much water out of the air; we would have felt the effects. She must have magically created the water."

"Uh… yes?" Adora tilted her head and tried not to look confused.

"How long will it last?" Penegal asked.

"Normally, until it melts?" That was how it had been when Frosta had fought in the war. "But since we're here in the Kingdom of Snows, it won't melt unless someone heats the ice," she added.

"By 'melting', do you mean ice turning into water or disappearing?" Freyr sounded very intently for such a simple question.

"Frosta's Ice turns into water," Glimmer told him. "It's magically created, but otherwise works as normal ice."

"So, she creates matter - water - out of nothing?" Thor shook his head.

"Yes?" Adora answered him anyway.

"But… that means…" Freyr seemed concerned. "You're creating matter from magic. How does that affect the planet over time?"

Adora frowned. That was a good question, actually. Constantly adding water to Etheria over time would probably affect the climate. On the other hand… "I don't think Frosta creates enough ice to affect the entire world," she said.

"But if her successor inherits her power, and if her predecessors had the same power…" Freyr trailed off.

"The whole line would only be a thousand years old," Glimmer said. "That was when the First Ones created the powers."

The Asgard quickly nodded, but Adora was sure they would try to calculate the total amount of water Frosta and the other princesses of the Kingdom of Snows had created since the founding of the line.

She blinked, then sighed a second time. Once more, the Asgard had been focusing on the magic used in and for the show, not on the performance of the artists. "What did you think of the show?" she asked, already suspecting the answer.

"It was rather interesting," Freyr said, but Adora didn't think he sounded honest.

"It was a little light on magic and magitech. I thought this was a core part of your culture," Penegal commented.

Thor nodded. "And it was a little hard to follow the plot."

"And when the performers moved to the back, it was hard to see what they were doing," Penegal added.

"Yes." Freyr nodded. "If you could play the recording as it's being recorded on a big screen, that would probably make it easier to watch the performance."

"It wasn't recorded." Frosta had arrived, and Adora winced - she must have been too distracted to notice the princess's approach. If Catra were here, she would tease her mercilessly about it.

"It wasn't recorded?" Thor looked surprised.

"This was a royal performance in your honour," Frosta explained. "Recording it would have been rude."

"So… the only recording of this performance are our memories?" Freyr shook his head.

"Exactly," Frosta said.

"But you aren't… You will all die one day. And the memory - the memories - will be lost. Your heirs will never know this performance." Penegal looked at them. "Don't you think this is a great loss?"

Bow looked a little torn about it, but Frosta shook her head without showing any doubts. "No. My successor will make their own memories."

"That's part of our culture," Glimmer added. "Not everything is recorded for prosperity."

"But you'll lose so much…" Thor sounded as if this was the weirdest thing he had ever heard during this visit.

"And we won't get weighed down by it," Micah cut in. "We won't have to live up to our predecessors. Our performances won't be compared to those of the distant past. That's rather liberating, I think."

The Asgard didn't look as if they'd agreed, but Adora understood what he meant. And so did the others, judging by the way they smiled at Micah.

Though Adora didn't really feel like smiling - the more of Etheria they showed to the Asgard, the deeper the rift seemed to grow. And the Asgard only seemed to be interested in finding out more about magic and magitech.

She blinked. They really only seemed to care about magic. Much more than they cared about the deal with Loki, even.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 6th, 1999

The full Stargate Command Council had been assembled before Samantha Carter had finished her examination of the last peripherals of the system. Of course, she had expected that - any commander in charge of a military installation would come running if told that their computer systems had been infiltrated.

But it did affect her attempts to complete her scans. General Hammond, of course, knew better than to bother her. And General Haig had merely asked for a short explanation and then let her work, but General Petit had offered both questions and suggestions that were neither new nor helpful and only showed that he wasn't a trained IT specialist. And Sidorov and Li…

"Are you absolutely certain that the system was hacked? After you were reassigned, other specialists took over maintenance. They might have changes you mistook for unauthorised alterations," Li asked. Or suggested - after a few similar questions, his tone and manner had subtly shifted and now implied that Sam should 'carefully consider' this. At least in her impression.

"I can safely discard that possibility, General," she replied.

"Who's to say that you didn't plant those programs yourself? To frame others or sabotage the Stargate program now that you aren't in full control of its systems any more?" Sidorov glared at her, then at General Hammond. "I know NATO is just waiting for a pretext to take over Earth's gateway to the stars!" he blustered.

"Really? Is that the best you could come up with?" Catra burst out laughing before Sam could think of a response that would let her call the Russian a paranoid liar while remaining within the bounds of proper conduct for an officer.

Sidorov rounded on her. "And what are you doing here? This does not concern aliens! This is a highly secret matter for the United Nations Security Council's appointed task force!"

"I'm here because I was passing through when I heard that the facility we use for crucial Alliance tasks was compromised," Catra retorted with a wide grin that showed her fangs. "So, I'm here to find out what happened - and who did try to sabotage the Stargate."

"This is none of your business!" Sidorov snapped. "You do not have any authority here! And neither do you!" he added with a glance at Sam. "Who let an outsider access our computers, anyway?"

"I specifically called Major Carter because of performance issues with our systems which she, as the one most familiar with our computers, would be most likely to solve," General Hammond spoke up. "You were aware of that, General."

"Da!" Iwan nodded. "It was my recommendation - Sam is best specialist for computers here we know."

Judging by the glare Sidorov sent at him, Sam expected Iwan to ask for asylum in the West - or on Etheria - after this so he didn't end up in a gulag. There weren't supposed to be any gulags left in Russia, but Russia also wasn't supposed to bug Stargate Command's system, and while Sam hadn't proof of the latter, she was sure that Sidorov was involved - and Li as well.

And she really doubted that either of the two Generals had done this on their own initiative. The real question was why they had done it.

She pondered this while her programs worked on analysing the code of the last group of peripherals and Catra needled Sidorov. From what she could tell, the programs she had discovered monitored all traffic, both data and Stargate traffic. But Russia and China already had access to Stargate Command's records. They had access to the Stargate as well. They could track any Alliance movement already.

But the Alliance, through the U.N. Security Council, controlled the Stargate. And that must rankle Russia and China. And half the world's nations that had issues with the Etherians, the West or both, she added. Still, what was the point of this software? They already had access to Stargate Command's systems.

She frowned and ran a few more checks while the scan continued. Yes, the programs monitored the data traffic, but that shouldn't lead to performance issues. And wouldn't have necessitated such a complete infiltration of the systems. No, the reason the performance had suffered was that the program effectively ran the entire system, all peripherals, anything connected, through a subsystem of its own. Merely monitoring the data wouldn't be enough of a reason for that, nor for the risks they had taken.

No. She pressed her lips together. Whoever had done this wanted to manipulate the system. But to what point? It wasn't as if they could hide using the Stargate from the Alliance. Not when three-fifths of Stargate Command was staffed by the militaries of allied nations.

Or could they?

Sam ignored Sidorov's yelling in the background - Catra had made him lose his temper entirely - and focused on the subverted systems. If you could manipulate the security system and the database, you would be, in theory, able to manipulate the system so you could sneak strangers through the Stargate by placing trusted people in key positions.

But because of such threats, the Alliance ensured that no matter what, someone trusted kept eyes on the Stargate at all times. And Russia and China already had the opportunity to sneak spies or diplomats on missions by listing them as military personnel; it wasn't as if the Alliance could dispute such claims. So, this was pointless.

Unless, Sam realised with a sinking feeling, some of the trusted staff on Stargate Command had been suborned by Russia or China. Or both.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 125: Spy Games Part 1

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 6th, 1999

Spies.

Catra wouldn't say that she hated spies. They had their uses. All other things equal, the side with the better information won a war. Sometimes, even if things weren't equal. And spies were usually the only way to get the kind of information your scouts and recon missions couldn't get. But spies also worked by earning and then betraying the trust of their targets. Sometimes, that just meant wearing the enemy uniform to sneak into a base. But sometimes, that meant working for the enemy, rising through the ranks, becoming friends with them - and then stabbing them in the back. Occasionally, that kind of betrayal included turning people against their friends. And hurting people just for the heck of it.

She clenched her teeth and forced the memories of that last talk with Double Trouble away. Then she noticed how everyone was glancing at her. Sidorov was looking a bit pale. Oh - Catra's claws were out. And had torn through the edge of the console she was sitting on. She hadn't noticed. That was embarrassing. But also useful.

She flashed her fangs. "So, we don't just have to deal with a spy, but with a potential saboteur. Or an assassin."

"That's a ridiculous accusation!" Sidorov bellowed. "Even if this were a spy program - it could just be a program to monitor the system for faults."

"Bugs, not faults." Gregorovich corrected him. "Mistakes in programs are called bugs in English. Colloquial English."

"Whatever!" the Russian snarled. "There is no assassination!"

"But there could be!" Sam cut in. "If the iris is closed after the wormhole has stabilised and the clearance codes have been sent, the result would be fatal for anyone stepping through the gate. And if the system is thoroughly compromised, the Stargate could be forced to dial to another location than the desired one, leaving a team stranded - or worse."

"But that would be obvious since we could still see the symbols as the chevrons lock," Haig objected.

Sam blinked. "Yes, but that would require someone to check the address visually."

Catra snorted - Sam didn't say it, but Catra had a feeling that few of the current people working at the Stargate were that familiar with the symbols.

Hammond frowned. "We will have to adjust our procedures." Then he shook his head. "But that can wait until we have exposed everything behind this. We need to know who has so completely penetrated our computers - and how."

Well, the answer to the first question was crystal clear: Sidorov and Li were behind that. Probably on orders from their leaders. The answer to the second question was probably something simple, like giving orders to a Russian or Chinese soldier working on or with the computer.

Guilty.

Catra nodded. But while Melog confirmed it for her - and for the Princess Alliance - their Earth allies would want more proof before they would accuse Russia and China of betraying them. Politics at work. "Well, I'm sure Sam will be able to tell us how this was done."

"I'm going through the logs. They will have hidden their manipulations, but there are ways to check for traces. Inconsistencies, buffers that were incompletely cleared, small variables…" Sam was talking without looking up, eyes focused on her screen. "We'll also have to pull the hardware to check."

Catra smiled - and glanced at Li and Sidorov. Next to the snarling Sidorov, Li looked stoic, but she spotted how tense he was. And both of them were glancing around. Checking the guards.

But Hammond had already called SG-3 to the gate and control room; Catra recognised several members of that team from their operation against Seth's compound. And there were British soldiers as well, so the half a dozen Chinese guards next to the Stargate were outnumbered. That should deter any stupidity on the traitors' part.

Should.

If she had been running this spy operation, she would have prepared a backup plan or two. A few distractions ready to be triggered, or something more serious. And she wasn't vain enough to think no one else could have the same idea.

She hopped off the slightly damaged console and walked over to Hammond. "Did you scan for explosives?" she asked in a low voice.

"Every day," he replied.

She nodded. Good. One less worry.

Not too worried.

And that made her worry. If the threat of being exposed didn't worry either of the two traitors, then they must have something planned.

But what? A scapegoat? Maybe they had a subordinate ready to take the blame for this? But that would make them look incompetent. And no one would believe it - not after their reaction to the discovery; both of them had all but outright tried to make Sam say she had made a mistake. The only way they could have looked more guilty would have been by bragging about it.

Or was that their plan? Were they ready to be the scapegoats for their rulers? Catra was sure Sidorov hadn't thought of this himself. The Russian reminded her of a few Force Captains she had known; no initiative at all, just strict adherence to orders no matter how stupid or costly - unless their own lives were in danger.

"If your claim that someone managed to penetrate the Stargate Command computer systems is true, then that would be a grievous failure of the computer security - a system you developed!" Sidorov glared at Sam.

Li nodded. "Indeed. We were assured that the security of the systems was impenetrable."

They were changing tacks, Catra realised. She glanced at Melog.

Less nervous.

"We said it was the most secure system we had developed," Hammond corrected the general.

"And now you claim it was defeated thoroughly?" Sidorov sneered.

"The best technical security cannot prevent an inside job," Sam retorted.

"Inside job?" The Russian blinked.

"Betrayal by the people with the clearance to operate the system," Sam said.

"Yes!" Gregorovich nodded. "KGB was very good at that."

He sounded almost proud - he was a better actor than Catra had thought. Or there was more to this. Both Li and Sidorov had tensed up again, she noticed. So, probably not a frame job, as Jack called it, but a turncoat.

"I'm currently analysing the access logs - and comparing them to the various other logs," Sam said. "Any discrepancy should show up soon."

"Other logs?" Sidorov frowned again. Catra wondered briefly if he ever smiled or simply shifted between frowning, scowling, sneering and glaring.

"There are more logs than the main one," Sam said.

"Da. Is like backup for important data so mistake - or sabotage - not wipe all work." Gregorovich nodded. "And what is unknown cannot be sabotaged. Good KGB rule, da?"

Anger.

Well, Catra could tell that herself. Gregorovich was as blunt as ever. But was he trying to cut ties to Russia, or was that a ploy? If it was an act, it was a bit too blatant, too obvious. On the other hand, that might be what they wanted the Alliance to think…

Maybe I've been thinking a bit too much about spies, Catra thought. I'm sounding like Jack in my head.

Sam's computer beeped again, and she looked at the screen. Catra couldn't see the screen from her spot, but she could see Sam's expression change from surprise to shock.

"What did you find?" Sidorov said.

"I'll have to verify that," Sam replied without looking at the Russian.

Catra didn't need to look at the screen to know it wasn't good news. Still, she needed more information, so she slid around the console and peered over Sam's shoulder at the screen. The screen was full of rows and tables of code and numbers, but that put her face next to Sam's, and Catra whispered: "Who was it?"

"Siler's access codes," Sam replied without moving her lips.

Oh. That was one of the veterans from Stargate Command - Catra had seen him often in the control room back in the mountain. Had they managed to turn him?

"They must have used his codes somehow… Cross-checking the timestamps with the security recordings," Sam went on.

It couldn't be magical compulsion: the Stargate had sorceresses on duty to watch for that.

The computer beeped again. "File not found?" Catra asked.

"What?" Hammond joined them.

"Someone deleted the security recordings of the suspicious access times, sir," Sam reported.

"Suspicious access codes?" Hammond growled more than he asked.

"I am crosschecking their whereabouts during the times in question, sir. But without recordings, we can't prove their innocence."

Smug.

Yeah. So, that was going according to plan.

"There are more ways than security recordings to prove someone's innocence," Haig commented.

"But they take time to gather," Petit retorted. "And people trust recordings more than testimonies."

That, Catra agreed with. She wouldn't trust the word of any Russian or Chinese right now. But they would say the same about the Alliance.

Was that their plan? Discredit the entire Alliance staff? But what would they gain from that? The United States, France and Britain could always outvote the Russians and Chinese. So, what was the point of this?

She glanced at Melog, but her friend didn't have an answer either.

Then Haig spoke up: "In any case, we'll have to suspend Gate travel until further notice - we cannot risk travelling with compromised security."

Catra froze. She was stuck on Earth? Away from Adora?

She was going to kill those spies!

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 6th, 1999

"...and the Stargate has been closed?" Jack O'Neill asked.

"Until we are certain that the system is free of any unauthorised programs, yes, sir."

The consequences of that… He closed his eyes for a moment. "And here I thought my day was bad enough already." He glanced at Catra, who was staring out the window of his office, unsheathing and sheathing her claws, while Melog was sprawled at her feet like an actual cat. That explained her bad mood, at least. "So, someone tried to frame Siler? And by someone, I mean the Russians and the Chinese."

"We have no proof of their involvement, sir," Carter replied. "But yes, someone used Sergeant Siler's access codes." With a frown, she added: "He has been restricted to the base until we can prove he wasn't present during the times the software was manipulated."

"An idea how long that will take?"

"No, sir. The base entrance logs have been tampered with, so they have been compromised and cannot be used to exculpate him. And the secondary logs we're piecing together are not as detailed with regard to individuals as they should be."

"That's not your fault, Major," he told her. "As I understood, those secondary logs are the only thing that will allow us to sort out the entire affair because the Russians didn't know about them."

"Not by design, sir. Those logs are the result of imperfect system architecture resulting in unplanned accumulation of data."

Always the perfectionist. He almost snorted, but that would have been inappropriate. "Well, I'm sure you'll crack this, Major." And the spooks could handle the rest of the investigation - that was basically police work anyway.

"We should just grab Li and Sidorov and make them talk," Catra muttered.

Jack softly whistled. Someone was madder than he had thought. "I don't think the government - governments - would be happy about that. You're not supposed to do that." No matter how much you wanted to teach certain individuals a lesson. "At least not to generals from countries with nukes." The rules were a bit fuzzier about people from countries without nukes. Or had been during Jack's time in that sort of business.

Catra scoffed. "We've got a fleet in orbit. Who cares about nukes that won't reach their targets?"

Jack shook his head. "There are other weapons of mass destruction. The Russians are sneaky." And if the Alliance fleet was used against Russia or China - hell, just actually threatening to use it against a country on Earth, instead of implying that by having ships in orbit, would make many Alliance countries uncomfortable as well.

Catra scoffed again. "We can't let them get away with this."

"We won't," Jack promised. "But we have to be smart about this." If Hammond heard me right now, he'd probably laugh out loud, he thought. "I knew I shouldn't have accepted the promotion," he muttered.

"Sir!" Carter was frowning at him. Couldn't hide anything from her.

"Just an idle thought, Major. Anyway, is there any good news?"

"Iwan has been very helpful," Carter replied. "I am sure he suspected something like this as soon as he noticed the system's performance issues."

Jack slowly nodded and tried not to clench his teeth. 'Iwan' was too damn helpful and too damn friendly in his opinion. And that was based on perfectly rational arguments and wasn't related to Carter being on a first-name base with the half-limey half-Russian scientist! "Can we trust him?"

She frowned at him. "If he was involved, he could probably have prevented the investigation - at the very least, he could have taken steps to avoid my involvement. Instead, he suggested calling me."

"It wouldn't be the first time that the Russians would go to great lengths to insert a spy," Jack pointed out. "If we think Gregorovich burned his bridges with the Russians and take him in, he'd get access to advanced technology research." Entrapta would not suspect a thing, and Carter might not be objective, either. And the Russians would gladly sacrifice a dozen generals to get their hands on the latest Alliance gear or plans. Without such technology, their army was obsolete. The same went for the Chinese, of course.

Carter didn't look convinced. She turned to Catra - and Melog. "Is Iwan a traitor?"

Catra tilted her head to the side, listening to Melog's thoughts or whatever for a moment, Jack knew. "Melog can't actually read thoughts. Gregorovich was nervous, but everyone was nervous," she said. "And he found it funny," she added after a second.

"Funny?" Carter looked surprised.

"Well, he's a Russian; they have a pretty dark sense of humour - if they have one at all," Jack commented.

"Ah." Carter nodded. "I can see that. But he has opposed General Sidorov, and publicly at that."

And Hammond and the others could only do so much. Jack sighed. "I'll see if we can find a spot for him in a safe-ish Alliance program." Somewhere not too close to Carter's crucial research. Maybe set him to analyse Goa'uld entertainment devices. Although the Russians might be able to get valuable information and technology out of that as well. "And we'll have to inform the spooks about this, of course."

Though he suspected that the Alliance spooks had contingency plans for such a situation already. It was the kind of thing they did.

"And what can we do?" Catra asked. "I don't want to sit around and do nothing."

That was a good question. Jack didn't like waiting either.

*****​

Royal Palace, Kingdom of Dryl, Etheria, December 6th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and this is my lab - well, one of my labs since there's also the Spacelab near Earth, though that's mine and Sam's, and I also work in Alpha, the research base, but Glimmer owns the moon there, and Alpha, the bot, answers to Adora, so it doesn't really count I think - I'm not sure, the whole ownership thing is a bit confusing - and my lab in the Fright Zone wasn't destroyed, but I usually only go there if I need to do some work on the factories in the Scorpion Kingdom, and I didn't actually ask Scorpia if she claimed it or not, but this, this here is my first lab! I built my first bots here! And I restored First Ones bots here, too. Unfortunately, almost all of them were destroyed when they were infected by a First Ones computer virus that altered their control matrices and made them attack everyone, and I didn't have the time yet to rebuild most of them, but I still have them in a storage room if you want to see them!"

Adora winced a little at Entrapta's enthusiastic explanation. Some of the details her friend got into would probably not go over well with the Asgard.

"Your bots went out of control following a mishap with technology from the Gate Builders?" Freyr asked a bit sharply.

"Yeah? That's what I said, didn't I?" Entrapta nodded. "It later also infected She-Ra's sword and took over more First Ones tech. For a computer virus, it was really impressive."

"And dangerous," Glimmer added in a flat voice. "Extremely dangerous."

"Have you kept a sample of this technology?" Penegal asked.

"We had to destroy the disc it was installed on to stop the infected bots and other pieces of technology," Entrapta replied with a pout. "I am actually not sure if it was a, technically, a computer virus since it took over tech but it didn't make copies of itself - it was limited to the data carrier it was found on, and given the way it acted - it showed some more advanced decision-making ability - it might have been a sort of bot instead. Technically." She perked up. "I could attempt to reverse-engineer a bot that did that, actually. Since it wouldn't be able to make copies of itself, it wouldn't be self-replicating, which is banned according to Sam, but if we could make it take over Goa'uld tech, that would be useful, wouldn't it?"

"We don't want a bot-virus that can take over technology," Adora firmly said.

"We don't?"

"No. It's too dangerous," she explained.

"Well, if it were limited to Naquadah-base technology… Although if that included bombs, or if it learned how to combine bombs and Naquadah…" Entrapta trailed off, scrunching her nose as she pondered what Adora suspected were terrible things.

The three Asgard were looking very uncomfortable, she noticed.

"Yes. Such technology shouldn't be developed. As our own war proves, the consequences could be dire - they could threaten the entire galaxy," Thor said.

"Well, the First Ones did it," Entrapta countered. "And the galaxy is still around."

"The Gate Builders view of what they considered safe technology is not something anyone should emulate," Freyr said.

"Yes," Glimmer agreed in a clipped voice. "They also built the Heart of Etheria."

"Oh, right." Entrapta nodded. "I forgot about that for a moment - that did threaten a piece of the Galaxy. And did remove magic from the sector. They were really careless there."

"Did you preserve this 'Heart of Etheria' as well?" Penegal asked.

"No. We destroyed it," Adora told him.

"So, that's a piece of magitech you can't study," Glimmer added with a slightly toothy smile. "And it's not a part of our culture, either."

Adora pressed her lips together. Her friend wasn't too subtle about her opinion of the Asgard's obvious interest in magitech and equally obvious disinterest in Etherian culture. Except for the Etherian safety culture in research, Adora added to herself. Or lack thereof, in the Asgard's view. At least Glimmer hadn't openly called them spies. Not yet.

"Anyway," she spoke up to change the topic, "Dryl is the leading kingdom for non-magitech technology on Etheria. So…"

A signal from her communicator interrupted her - a priority signal. It must be an emergency! She thumbed the thing. "Adora."

The voice of a clone answered. "Supreme Commander, We have received a priority transmission from your consort over the spy bot network from Earth. Due to a computer virus, the Stargate has been shut down until further notice."

She gasped. What? Shut down? Catra! Adora's love was stuck on Earth! But she was safe - she better be safe - and this affected the entire Alliance. Adora was its Supreme Commander and had her duty. "A computer virus infected the Stargate?" she snapped.

"Apparently, it infected the Earth-based computer system controlling the Stargate," the Clone replied.

Adora relaxed a little.

Then she noticed how everyone, especially the Asgard, was staring at her.

"The Stargate on Earth was infected by a virus?" Freyr sounded shocked.

"Really?" Entrapta sounded intrigued.

Adora winced. She should have worded her question a bit better, given the circumstances. "No. Well, not the Stargate itself…" she started to explain.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 7th, 1999

Samantha Carter had worked under bad conditions before. On board a Ha'tak, hacking computers to sabotage the entire ship, with Jaffa warriors gunning for her team. Or under direct fire. Cleaning up Stargate Command's computers wasn't quite as dangerous. But she couldn't help feeling on edge anyway as she worked - everything she had discovered so far pointed at an inside job, and while the clues they had implicated Russia and China, that didn't mean everyone else was trustworthy. Almost anyone here could be a traitor, and that made her glad that Catra and Melog were around in case someone got desperate enough to escalate from spying to assassination.

Of course, it was also concerning that she still hadn't found out how exactly they had bypassed all the security protecting the computers. Even if they had had official access, there had been measures in place to prevent the suborning of the entire system. And, as she rooted through the databanks and caches, too often tempted to just condemn the entire machine and replace it with a factory-fresh piece, she found more and more clues that didn't quite fit the assumption that this was a HUMINT infiltration job by the successors of the KGB with Chinese support.

The programs planted in the system to sift through the data and manipulate it were easy to understand, following established principles and using bits and pieces from known sources combined with some usually clever original work. Slightly challenging, but nothing she would consider extraordinary. But the routines that dealt with the interface to the Stargate itself? They were too advanced, and they worked too smoothly with the alien technology. She remembered how much work it had taken her to get the whole system to work, and while she didn't want to sound arrogant, she was one of the most experienced programmers in this area.

Even with the manual and notes she had left, it should have taken a Russian or Chinese programmer longer to subvert the entire system to this degree. Understand, yes - that was the point of the documentation. But to program alternative solutions to hers that wouldn't show up on regular system scans and checks? That was essentially duplicating her work from scratch - and in less time than it had taken her.

She glanced at Iwan, who was running additional checks on a cleared peripheral. Wouldn't he have known about such an individual? She could believe, based on everything she had heard, that the Soviets might have been paranoid enough to keep their research compartmentalised even though that might slow down or cripple some projects, but could Russia have continued such a policy and achieved such results anyway? And would they have worked with China, risking to expose themselves anyway, after taking such extreme measures?

If the alternative was seeing their country, or countries, becoming powerless and irrelevant as the Alliance advanced far beyond them? Probably. The arrival of the Etherians had shaken the entire world to the core and rendered most militaries obsolete.

So, this could be the work of some secret Russian research project. One that had been conveniently easy to adapt to the Stargate project. Too conveniently, actually.

She started another scan, then leaned back. "Hey, Iwan."

"Da?"

"Do you know if yours was the only storage for alien technology?"

She could see him tense for a moment.

"You think this was done using alien technology?" Catra, of course, had heard her - and apparently had deduced Sam's hypothesis straight away. She shifted on her seat as well, still lounging, but Sam knew her well enough that she didn't have to glance at the colour-changing Melog to tell that Catra was ready to jump into action now. Catra's tail was swishing, and her ears were twitching.

But the really interesting reaction was Iwan's. He stopped typing on his keyboard and glanced at the closed door before answering: "Well, there were rumours. But there are always rumours. Would be stupid to separate research, no synergy, no helping each other, da? But then, Russia has history of doing stupid things with very important - or dangerous - things."

That didn't confirm her hypothesis, but neither did it disprove it.

"Wouldn't your scanner have found another hoard of alien technology?" Catra asked.

"Only if it used Naquadah," Sam replied. "Not every alien technology depends on Naquadah." Etheria or the Horde's didn't.

"But the Goa'uld's tech does," Catra pointed out.

"The technology they adapted," Sam corrected her. "They might have studied other alien technology as well." Some of the Goa'uld, at least.

"And you think that the Russians or the Chinese found such technology and kept it hidden?" Catra frowned.

"Russia found Goa'uld technology and kept it hidden," Iwan said. "Keeping secrets from everyone, even themselves, is Russian way."

"If they had access to unknown alien technology, it would explain how they managed to subvert our security so thoroughly," Sam said.

Catra looked a little doubtful, but she nodded and slowly started to grin. "Great!"

"Great?" Iwan sounded as surprised - and wary - as Sam felt.

Catra bared her fangs. "It means we have to find out if your idea is true. And that means we have to go spying!"

Sam winced, but a part of her relished the idea. Turning the tables on whoever had done this to Sam's systems was quite appealing.

*****​

Earth Orbit, Solar System, December 7th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and Sam is sure that the programs used against Stargate Command were based on alien technology because they interface so easily with the Stargate." Catra shrugged. "According to her, the parts that interface with Earth-based programs are 'too clunky' to be made by the same people."

"Oh." On the screen in Catra's cabin on the flagship of the Earth Guard Task Force, Adora frowned in that cute way of hers, with her eyes losing focus for a moment while she pondered this. "So, whoever did this had contact with another species? Or found some relics of theirs and analysed them?"

"Yes." Catra nodded. "And we'll find out who did it - and what technology they hid."

Adora bit her lower lip. "And you want to take the technology."

Catra shrugged again, smiling. Adora knew her so well. "Of course. It was used against Stargate Command - and against the Alliance as a result - so it's a legitimate target. No matter what Russia and China try to claim." Like when Russia tried to claim that only unsecured advanced technology fell under the Security Council's confiscation order and that they would 'donate' the secured technology they had - which was now proven to be a lie. Almost proven.

Adora nodded. "Yes. We can't let such an attack go, or they'll try again."

They would try again anyway, in Catra's opinion. They had no choice if they wanted to remain a military power. Well, unless they found another source of technology, or an ally, out there in the galaxy on one of the Stargate Command's exploration missions. Of course, the odds… Catra's eyes widened. "They might be in contact with another species," she said.

"What?"

"Sam thought - and Gregorovich hinted at it - that Russia recovered old advanced technology that the Goa'uld had collected back before the rebellion and kept that when they handed over the DHS and other stuff," Catra explained. "But what if they managed to hide contact with another species? If they can take over the computers, they could also fool other security and smuggle in any gear."

"Or a visitor acting as an advisor," Adora said. "We're monitoring traffic for Naquadah because that reveals Goa'uld even inside a host, but if they are in contact with an alien species that doesn't use Naquadah, that would be useless."

Catra sighed as she bared her teeth. "And, like every damn Horde soldier, the guards won't really look for that kind of deception - not if they think the scanners will spot any attempted invasion or infiltration by snakes." This was worse than Catra had thought. "We should just bomb them from orbit."

"Yes," Adora nodded, then blinked and gasped. "What? NO!"

Catra chuckled. "Relax. I'm joking."

"Don't joke about that on a ship of the Third Fleet! Priest could take you seriously!" Adora scolded.

"Priest knows better than that," Catra objected. "He should know, at least." You never knew with religious zealots. If he thought Catra being Adora's consort meant she acted on She-Ra's authority… Priest wouldn't try such a ploy unless he thought it would serve his goals, but that wasn't really reassuring either.

Adora sighed. "You know how he is."

"Yes." Priest had learned far too much from religious leaders on Earth. And the wrong lessons. "But I'm not going to make such jokes where he or his men can hear me."

"Good." Adora sighed. "I should be with you."

Well, Catra wasn't going to disagree with that. "It's all the fault of the Russians. And the Chinese."

"Yes. But we need proof before we can move against them."

"We'll get you proof. Jack's working on that." Catra grinned. "He's mad as hell about this." Jack probably still felt as if he was a member of Stargate Command - and there were a lot of his friends serving there.

But Adora didn't grin in return - she frowned. No, she was concerned.

Catra rolled her eyes. "We're going to be fine." She was no princess, but she could take whatever Earth could throw at her. And chew it up and spit it back out.

"But they're now using their magic…"

"Yes. But we'll manage. Ghosts and everything." Catra hoped so, at least. "Jack's working on that." Jack had said he had a plan to do something about that.

"Jack is?" Adora didn't look reassured. "He doesn't like magic."

"Yes. So, he's very motivated to do something about any magic that could be used against him." Catra could understand the feeling. In the Horde, they had been fighting princesses with decades of experience with basically bots and rifles. They would have given everything for a princess of their own.

Adora was still frowning. Damn. She was probably feeling guilty about not being on Earth - and worried about Catra and the others here.

"We're going to be ok," Catra told her, smiling softly. "And I'll be back home soon."

Adora slowly nodded. "It's not the same without you. It feels… empty. Luna misses you as well."

A part of Catra was glad to hear that she was so important for her love. But a bigger part felt guilty for not being with Adora.

But she didn't say anything about either. Instead, she nodded.

And hoped she would be back with Adora soon. Being separated again… No, she wasn't going there.

*****​

Pentagon, Washington D.C., United States of America, Earth, December 8th, 1999

Jack O'Neill had been tempted to hold this meeting in orbit, on board his shuttle, or perhaps a frigate, but given everything that had gone on in the last few days, that would likely have backfired. Less 'be part of the greatest endeavour humanity has ever done before' and more 'watch me show off my private shuttle'. At least with this particular person.

So he straightened and got up, smiling broadly when his visitor arrived. "Good morning, Special Agent Paris."

"General O'Neill." She didn't look like it was a good morning. She looked like she expected a squad of Jaffa warriors to jump out of the filing cabinet and charge her screaming. Of course, with the scandal around Smith breaking - Kinsey had pulled out all the stops; the press was crying for blood - and her involvement in the investigation, she probably had good reason to be wary despite Wilkinson turning against Smith. Or because of that.

Well, he had worked with worse. "Please have a seat."

She sat down with a brief nod, all business-like. Well, that matched what they knew about her.

"Coffee?" Jack gestured at the coffee maker in the corner of his (temporary) office. "It's not Navy coffee, but actually good, I promise."

Paris turned to glance at the pot. "Did you import an Italian coffee maker for your office?"

He didn't wince at the implied accusation. Instead, he grinned. "No need for that. The Pentagon contracted for them a year ago for the general staff. Couldn't stand to be shown up by Alliance headquarters, I guess."

"Fitting." Her smile was tight and thin. "I'll pass, thank you."

He shrugged and took a sip from his own cup. "So, you're probably wondering why you're here."

"I assume you're trying to recruit me for your army, General."

"Not quite." He grinned again. "Though if you feel like volunteering, we'd take you in in a heartbeat, of course. We need every talented sorceress we can get."

"I am a thaumaturgist, not a sorceress."

"Sorceress is the correct term for anyone with the talent to work magic in the form of spells instead of having a magical power," he told her. Smiling, he added: "That's what the leader of Mystacore told me, and as the foremost experts in magic from Etheria, I'll take their word over a feeble attempt by the FBI to placate Bible-thumping politicians."

She snorted, then looked a little surprised, probably as much at her own reaction as at his comment. "The other agents call us witches."

Jack had already known that, but telling her he had been spying on them wouldn't go over well. "That's not the same, as far as I know." Castaspella hadn't gone into detail about the difference, and Jack hadn't asked at the time. "But you'd have to ask the expert herself."

"Are you trying to sell me on attending magic school in Etheria?" She snorted, but Jack thought she hid some interest there.

"I wish!" He shook his head, trying not to grin at her surprise. "They're still sorting out a training program. It seems Earth has unique magic, and they're not sure that training people like you as if you were Etherians is a good idea." Unless, of course, you passed the 'Ancient' test. Then they wanted you very badly.

"I would have expected such an important question to have been settled by now."

"Me too." He sighed. "But that's bureaucracy for you." And politics.

She nodded again, still sitting straight and tense, as if she were facing a court-martial - or an internal investigation, in her position. Hell, she probably was facing one by the FBI. "So, if you don't want to recruit me…"

"Oh, as I said, we'd love to have you!" he cut in.

"...then why did you invite me to this talk? And put enough pressure on my boss to make him order me to attend?"

"I didn't actually put any pressure on your boss," Jack corrected her. "I guess he feels like playing nice with us because the government wasn't too happy about his creative ways to get a secret sorceress training program going." Not as unhappy as they had been about the CIA program, of course. At least publicly.

"It was all covered by current regulations," Paris retorted.

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "All perfectly legal."

She scowled at him in return. "Like your shuttle."

"Exactly." He pondered mentioning Paris's own private investigation with Wilkinson, but that would feel like blackmail.

"So, will you tell me why you called me?" She was glaring at him now. Time to dial back the snark.

Jack nodded. "Sure. We want you to help us hunt a spy."

"What?"

"We've got a spy problem. And we'd like the FBI to help us hunt down the spy - just like you're supposed to do, right? It's an international affair, so the FBI can't take the investigation over, sorry."

"You want my help?" She looked suspicious. Not unlike Daniel when Jack praised his books or something.

"You're the best sorceress the FBI has." Which wasn't as impressive as it sounded, but no small feat either.

"You could call in an army of princesses and sorceresses from Etheria. Why do you want me?"

They couldn't actually call in an army from Etheria right now, what with the Stargate down. But that was a military secret. "They don't have your training as an FBI agent. And we can't depend on them for everything." Not forever.

She slowly nodded. "And you fear magic is involved."

"Well… we don't know for sure, but it's a distinct possibility." He shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, and if we can get a trained investigator at the same time…?"

She snorted again. "I'll agree to help you under one condition."

"Yes?"

"You get Wilkinson on board as well."

Jack blinked. He hadn't expected that. But he should have, he realised, recalling how Paris and Wilkinson had acted. They were certainly closer friends than they admitted. And her loyalty was a point in her favour. "Sure - if he wants to."

"He will." And now she sounded like Carter when she wasn't going to budge no matter what Jack said.

He chuckled. "I'll take your word for it. Welcome to the team!"

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 126: Spy Games Part 2

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, December 9th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"They're just here to learn more about magic and magitech. They don't care about our culture at all. We should send them home!"

Adora winced while she watched Glimmer pace and complain - or rant - in her office. "We invited them," she reminded her friend.

Glimmer scoffed. "So we can rescind the invitation. We don't have to let spies stay."

"Unless they're at Princess Prom," Bow pointed out, then grimaced when Glimmer glared at him. "Just saying."

"We aren't at Princess Prom!" Glimmer shook her head and kept pacing.

Adora bit her lower lip for a moment, then asked: "Well, can you really call them spies if all they do is ask questions of their hosts?" It wasn't really fair to call the Asgard spies, in her opinion. They were giving them tours, after all.

"Are we sure that they are just asking questions?" Glimmer asked back.

"Well… we've got them under permanent surveillance," Entrapta spoke up. She was still working on her multitool, though, and her hair tendrils were typing on a keyboard next to her. "Although that's to keep them safe from any attacks, and to prevent Double Trouble from copying them, as you told me. But! It also means we can be sure that they aren't sneaking out of their quarters at night to break into our data banks. Unless, of course, they managed to fool our security."

"Could they have done this?" Adora asked. First, the Stargate Command computer got taken over, and now this?

"Well… It's possible. In theory. Nothing is impossible, after all." Entrapta smiled as she nodded. "So, yes, they could have done this. That's simple logic."

Adora suppressed a sigh, and even Glimmer looked taken aback for a moment. "Uh, is it likely that they could have done such a thing?"

"Wellll…" Entrpata scrunched her nose. "That's a different question. We don't know everything about their technology, especially their computer technology. I've taken scans of their sensors on Cimmeria, but I don't think that was their best work. And Horde Prime used their technology for his systems, but he had a long time to develop it further, so we can't judge Asgard technology based on Horde technology. Still, there are similarities. Also, since they're fighting bots, they probably have good computer security, so they should also be good at penetrating computer security - you can't have one without the other, you know? You wouldn't be able to test your security measures without having the skill to penetrate it. And as Loki told us, a lot of their technology is heavily automated, especially their ships, so that's another point for them being good at computers - you can't have good bots, and automation is just another term for having bots do the works, without good computer technology. Control matrices with the required complexity for bots, even if they aren't self-learning ones, need good computers. On the other hand, Loki didn't seem to have better computer technology than we do. Then again, he is kind of banned from their research, so he wouldn't have access to their best systems. On the other hand, since Horde technology is based on Asgard technology, the similarities would make it a bit easier to hack a computer than if it were a truly alien system - which is why I so want to take a look at the programs Sam found. Imagine the data we could get from an alien system! Anyway! We don't have enough data to tell what the Asgard could do."

Adora blinked. That had been a lot of words for basically 'we don't know'.

"So, we have to assume the worst," Glimmer said.

"No!" Adora shook her head. "We can't assume the worst of others!"

"Unless we're defining security procedures. At least Hordak said that," Entrapta added. "You need to prepare for the worst mistake you can think of because someone will do that."

Ah, yes. 'Kyle-proofing' was what Catra called it.

"Whatever. We still have to face facts: We can't earn the Asgard's trust by showing them our culture. We're too different from each other," Glimmer said.

"Well, I think just making the attempt has helped us. Showed our good will." Bow smiled.

Adora's smile was a little forced. She didn't want to be a downer, but in her impression, the Asgard's experiences on Etheria so far had hurt their trust in the Alliance as much as they had helped it. At least as much.

"If they dislike our culture as much as dislike theirs, we might have been insulting them for the entire visit so far," Glimmer pointed out. "At least they have been more polite about that than some of us."

Adora winced again, and Bow blushed a little. Lance and George had been enthusiastic about the Asgard but also a bit too honest.

"But back to our security: Entrapta, we need you to double-check our systems. Just in case," Glimmer said. "And we'll have to get more guards, in case our sensors are compromised. Can't fool people the same way you can fool a bot."

"Unless you're Double Trouble," Bow said.

Entrapta nodded. "Or unless you use optical illusions backed with sound. That would fool both people and bots, as long as the bots don't have other sensors. That's why I always build my bots with multi-sensory scanners!"

Glimmer ignored both and looked at Adora. "And we need to decide what to do with the Asgard. It's pointless to show them more of our culture. We need to do something else."

Adora nodded. The question was: What could they do? She had an idea, or at least the start of one, but the others wouldn't like it. Still, they had to do something. And they were her friends. They would hate her for suggesting it.

She cleared her throat. "I had an idea about that…"

*****​

Adora checked her appearance in the mirror, turning her head left and right to get a different angle. She looked presentable and nodded to herself. For a moment, she expected a dry comment about vanity, or a sappy one about being beautiful from every angle, but Catra was stuck on Earth, and her friends here were…

"I still think this is a bad idea."

"We all agreed it was the best idea we had."

"That doesn't make it a good idea."

"Well, that depends on how you define a good idea. Is there an objective or relative good? Or a minimum value you have to reach?"

…still not done with the discussion they had had for an hour. Even though, as Bow had pointed out, they had all agreed that Adora's idea was the best they had. Which wasn't very flattering since it was the only idea they had, not counting Glimmer's muttered wish to deport all Asgard. Or make them sit through a medley of Sea Hawk's worst shanties.

It was kind of weird how the Asgard seemed to annoy Glimmer so much. They hadn't actually done anything to her except for scorning Etherian culture and being curious about magic. Not unlike Catra having made some scathing comments about Bright Moon's traditions, and Entrapta still having some issues with boundaries when she was fascinated by something.

On the other hand, dealing with the Asgard's continuing lack of trust was frustrating. Adora and her friends only wanted to help them! And they would help them, one way or another!

Nodding again, she turned to the others. "Let's go before it's too late to visit them."

"Why would it be too late to visit them? Oh, is that about bedtime? If we want to be sure that they aren't asleep yet, we can call ahead! Although if they didn't set their comm on silent, we'd wake them up that way. Oh. That would kind of explain why people were always awake when I called, wouldn't it?"

This isn't the time to ask Entrapta for an explanation, Adora told herself. Besides, she could guess what happened. And she could imagine Catra's reaction if Entrapta ever called them when they were asleep.

She chuckled at that thought as she walked to the door. "Let's go!"

"But what if they are asleep?" Entrapta asked.

"They aren't. We have them under surveillance," Glimmer replied.

"Isn't that violating their privacy? Even if it is for their own good?" Entrapta cocked her head to the side.

"It's a security measure." Glimmer scowled a little, Adora noticed.

"Oh. It's for our own good, then?"

"It's to ensure that nothing happens to them or us while they are our guests," Bow explained.

"OK."

At least by the time they reached the guest quarters - which weren't the guest quarters that had been used as cells for prisoners in the past - Entrapta was focusing on her tool again, and Glimmer and Bow were busy keeping her from walking into walls.

If the Asgard saw us right now, they would lose even more trust, Adora thought. But she forced herself to smile and knocked on the door.

Penegal opened the door. "Yes?"

"Hi!" Adora beamed at him. "Can we come in? We have something important to discuss."

"Something to discuss outside a formal meeting," Glimmer added.

"Oh. And what would that be?" Penegal looked wary, in Adora's opinion.

"Magic and magitech," she replied.

"Please come in!"

Adora didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know that Glimmer was giving her the 'told you so' look, even though everyone knew that the Asgard were fascinated by Etherian magic.

Freyr and Thor were sitting on the couch in the living room of their suite, the one sized for their height, and had overheard them - both were staring at Adora and her friends intently.

"You want to talk about your magic? Off the record?" Freyr asked when everyone had sat down.

"We want to talk about it informally, not off the record," Glimmer corrected him.

"Ah."

"Without all the, ah, trappings of a formal diplomatic meeting," Adora explained. "Just a straight talk."

"Ah." Freyr nodded.

"It's kind of obvious that you're not really interested in our culture," Glimmer started. "And that you're very interested in our magic."

"Which is part of our culture," Bow added.

"Yes." Thor sounded a bit… snobby? Or maybe Adora was imagining it. It was hard to read the Asgard.

"You are very interested in magic, but the Asgard can't actually use magic," Glimmer went on. "Loki told us that," she added.

"He would," Thor said.

"Even if he hadn't told us, the fact he didn't ask to be taught magic would have kind of given that away." Adora shrugged. "Not completely, but we would have noticed."

"So, we're wondering why you're so interested in magic," Glimmer continued. "Are you planning to attempt to use magic to fix your genome?"

"It is doubtful that magic could fix it," Freyr said. "Or you would have suggested it already. Right?"

Adora was sure that she didn't imagine the challenge in that question. "We haven't suggested it so far because you seem to have issues with altering your species's genes," she told him. "And if magic can fix your genetic degradation, you would be altered."

"Like reset to an earlier version, if you were a program," Entrapta not so helpfully added. "Probably at a point magic considered 'healthy' - if it works. Which is kinda doubtful since healing magic doesn't change people's species. It does fix genetic disorders, though - we found that out when Adora healed so many people in India. But magic won't fix a Jaffa's genetically engineered missing immune system, even though that is clearly not healthy. But! Those are just theories. We won't know for sure unless Adora tries healing you. So, do you want to try that?" She beamed at the Asgard.

Who were now looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"You talk as if magic possesses a will of its own," Freyr said.

Glimmer frowned. "Well, it does? Magic chose She-Ra, for example. You know that."

The Asgard looked at each other. "We thought this was a… cultural assumption," Freyr said.

"You thought we made that up?" Adora blinked.

"It sounded like a religious belief," Thor replied. "Not a scientific fact."

"It is proven by science." Entrapta nodded. "We have the empirical data and records to prove it. Well, mostly - the records are a bit iffy, being so old. But that's just one example. There are others. Mostly on Mystacore, though. Or in their archives."

The Asgard looked at each other.

"We would like to visit Mystacore," Penegal said.

"Ah." Adora winced. "We can ask them." Again, she added silently.

"If you ask them to let them do the magic healing experiment on you, I am sure they'll invite you!" Entrapta tried to help.

Adora winced again. Technically, this was exactly what she had been thinking of - offering the Asgard magical healing and information about magic. But the way it was shaping up wasn't how she had hoped this would go.

*****​

Pentagon, Washington D.C., United States of America, Earth, December 9th, 1999

"You want me to help you hunt down a suspected alien spy in Russia."

Wilkinson looked wary, Samantha Carter thought. Not very eager to be part of this - though she had expected that, given what they knew about the man. He was a lone wolf, not really a team player. Or, she corrected herself, not a good team player unless he was leading the team.

And this team already had a leader.

"Or China - we're not sure yet." The General grinned. "So, you might get a lot of frequent flyer miles out of this."

Of course, making a roundabout joke about the exact thing he had almost been framed for was exactly what the General would do. Sam suppressed a sigh while Daniel whispered to Sha're, probably explaining what frequent flyer programs were. Catra chuckled, but that was no surprise.

Wilkinson, though, frowned, and Paris rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you had a background in military intelligence, General O'Neill," he said.

"I am a man of many talents." The General shrugged. "Though you're right that I wasn't formally part of military intelligence."

"Your record was heavily redacted."

"Yes." Another grin that showed a bit too many teeth.

Sam wanted to roll her eyes as well. This was posturing, and they had a job to do. "We have no conclusive proof that alien technology was used to infiltrate Stargate Command's systems, but the data we have is quite convincing."

"And Russia and China are the main suspects," Catra cut in. "They have the motive for it and shouldn't have the means."

That earned her a frown from Wilkinson. The man probably loathed pop culture's portrayal of his work. Sam certainly didn't like how most scientists were portrayed in TV shows. Especially most female scientists. Or most female soldiers. That the Etherians seemed to like Earth media despite this common bias… She forced herself to focus on the task at hand and spoke up again: "I've analysed the code of the programs we found, and it contains parts that are too original to be deduced from existing Earth-based tools as well. Combined with the smooth integration of the program with the Stargate technology, the most obvious explanation is that they used alien technology."

Wilkinson kept frowning, but he didn't question her conclusion.

"The question is," the General went on, "did they find some alien relics left on Earth thousands of years ago and kept them secret while they analysed the technology? Or are they in contact with an unknown alien species, and that's where they got the tech from?"

"How would they have kept such contact secret from the rest of Stargate Command if they didn't have the technology that allowed them to infiltrate the system yet?" Wilkinson asked.

"Good question!" The General smiled. "If they got the tech during their first contact, they could have used it after their team returned. That way, they could have kept the next trips a secret. It wouldn't have taken much, anyway, to hide such a contact - they could easily travel to one planet and then dial to another from there, with no one the wiser back home. But they would need more control over the system to smuggle things through the gate. Or people."

"And that's what you are afraid of: a covert alien invasion."

"Concerned, not afraid," the General corrected him. "Any invasion would have to deal with the guard fleet in orbit before making headway. And our anti-body snatching protocols are pretty good - we don't just rely on Carter and Entrapta's magic scanner."

Sha're tensed at that, Sam saw, and Daniel took her hand and held it.

"That seems a bit careless," Wilkinson said. "They managed to hide their infiltration of Stargate Command from the Alliance, didn't they?"

"Not successfully," Catra said. "And they had a big advantage since they were working from the inside."

"I don't think we should dismiss the possibility that we became complacent, though," Daniel commented. "We might have relied a bit too much on established technology and procedures. Even, or especially, since they were working so well." He smiled apologetically at Sam.

But her friend was right - the system should have been protected against such an attempt. It was embarrassing - especially for her; she had been responsible for most of the computer security until her transfer to the Alliance.

"When did this happen?"

"Three months ago at the earliest," the General said. "That's when the programs were inserted. But if they had contact with aliens, it could have happened at any time since they started sending teams through the gate, but probably not too much before that unless they got really lucky and then rushed things. Which doesn't fit either Russia or China."

"Both governments must be under immense pressure," Daniel pointed out. "With NATO building spaceships, they might have felt compelled to take considerable risks to keep up and so moved without the expected caution."

"Or they were manipulated by aliens," Sha're said. "The desperate are easy victims for such ploys."

"Yes." The general nodded. "In any case, handling Russia and China isn't our problem; that's for the politicians. Our job is to catch a bunch of spies. So, now let's talk about how we're going to do that!"

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 9th, 1999

Catra was, once again, very glad that the new Stargate Command location included integrated hangars for shuttles. Just walking over the tarmac - which was covered in snow - would have been a hassle in what was, apparently, 'not even close to a blizzard' according to the Canadians but looked very much like a snowstorm to her.

"This makes me miss Washington in the winter," Paris commented to Wilkinson behind her.

"We're not going to stay here for long," he replied. "Just examining the crime scene."

That seemed a bit optimistic to Catra. She glanced at Melog.

Honest.

So, Wilkinson believed this? She snorted. "Don't jinx it," she said, looking over her shoulder.

"I don't believe in superstition," he replied.

"Like you didn't believe in magic?" Catra retorted, flashing her fangs for a moment.

He frowned at her in return, then glanced at Paris.

"We didn't cover 'jinxing' in the course," the sorceress told him. "But there are theories that common 'superstition' such as this might have a base in reality - or shape reality now that magic was returned."

Wilkinson seemed surprised. And definitely not pleased. "Why am I only hearing this now?"

"It's just a theory," Paris replied. "There are dozens like it. We're still trying to figure out how magic works on Earth. A lot of what we knew once has been distorted during the last thousand years." She glanced at Catra.

Catra shrugged. That wasn't her fault, for once. "Yeah, the First Ones messed up a lot of planets when they redirected their magic."

"Except for Etheria," Paris said.

"Only because they were stopped before they could use all that magic to blow up Etheria to power a superweapon to take out their enemies." Catra smiled grimly. "And their superweapon was still active and ready to fire when we took it out."

"I never heard about those details," Paris echoed Wilkinson's earlier complaint.

Catra shrugged again. "It's classified information."

"And you're telling us?" Wilkinson glared at her. Was he mad that he had been told a secret and didn't have to find it out himself?

"You've got the clearance for such stuff now," Jack cut in, walking down the ramp behind them, followed by Sam, Daniel and Sha're. "Can't investigate Stargate Command without it."

"I don't remember signing anything to that extent," Wilkinson complained. "Or being informed of it."

Jack shrugged. "I've just told you now."

"That's…"

"...perfectly fine in the Alliance," Catra interrupted Wilkinson. For a 'loose cannon', the man cared too much about everyone else following what he thought was proper procedure. At least in her opinion.

Thinks special.

Well, he wasn't alone with that.

Jack clapped his hands together as the special forces they had fetched from Germany on the way here joined them. "Folks! You know your job, so let's get to it! Fan out, we'll meet up again at dinner time!"

And that was her clue. Catra nodded and started walking toward the lift leading down to the main part of the base. The one for people, not the huge one for cargo.

Safe, Melog commented as they approached the guards - French ones - there.

That was good to know. Keeping the team safe was part of her job, after all - you couldn't trust anyone in Stargate Command right now. Not when they might have been compromised. Or manipulated by aliens.

It wasn't a long trip - unlike at Cheyenne Mountain - and Catra's ears caught Isa whispering and Campbell about not liking being so 'hemmed in'. She snorted - the cabin was large enough for scorpion-people, so it was probably just soldiers complaining about everything.

General Hammond was waiting for them when the doors opened. "General O'Neill."

"General Hammond."

Concerned.

Well, Catra could see that. And it was understandable, what with two-fifths of the people on base potential traitors.

"We've brought more help in. Special Agents Paris and Wilkinson, FBI." Jack nodded at them. Special agents, General Hammond."

The three exchanged polite greetings.

"Russia and China have lodged a formal protest against the Alliance investigation," Hammond told them as they walked towards the gate and control rooms.

"So we were told," Jack replied.

"Generals Sidirov and Li also pointed out that the main suspect was Sergeant Siler, a member of the US armed forces, not one of their people."

Catra snorted at that. As if anyone would believe that!

"Clearing him will take a bit more time," Jack said. "But we're working on it."

Well, they were working on investigating and exposing the Russians and Chinese, but it should work out the same. Eventually. But that wasn't really a concern for Catra.

At their destination, Sam split off to check the gate computers, Jack went on to meet with the rest of the Command Council and Catra, followed by Wilkinson and Paris, headed into the gate room.

They had to be sure that the gate was safe before proceeding. And it looked safe - Iris closed, American and British guards present, sorceress on duty.

"A satyr?" she heard Wilkinson mutter behind her.

Right, the man probably hadn't seen goat-people before.

"It's a goat-woman," Paris corrected him. "Not a satyr."

"Looks like a satyr to me. Hooves and horns."

The woman saluted as they approached her. "Commander Catra." She didn't show any resentment or seemed ill at ease, so she probably wasn't a Princess Alliance veteran. "Kira," she introduced herself.

Catra returned the salute, noting that the name matched her tag on her Earth-style uniform - without boots, of course. "These are Special Agent Paris, an Earth sorceress, and Special Agent Wilkinson."

Kira perked up as she extended her hand for Paris to shake. "An Earth sorceress! I've heard a lot about your magic!"

"We're still figuring it out," Paris replied with an apologetic smile.

"She's the best of her class," Wilkinson commented.

That earned him a frown from Paris, but Kira looked even more interested.

Catra would have to keep an eye on them - it wouldn't do for their sorceresses to be distracted by a magic discussion right now.

But the gate room looked safe. For now, at least. And Paris and Wilkinson were staring at the Stargate. Right, they hadn't seen it before. Not in person, Catra reminded herself. When you travelled through the gate almost daily, it quickly stopped being extraordinary.

"It's fascinating, right? To think this device, and without any magic, allows us to travel from one end of the galaxy to another… It's marvellous!" Kira, apparently, hadn't used the Stargate often enough.

"It's hard to believe," Wilkinson replied.

"Doubting Thomas," Paris muttered under her breath.

"Two years ago, this was science fiction," he shot back.

"No, two years ago, it was real, just a secret."

That made Wilkinson pause for a moment. Then he nodded. "You're right."

"Of course I am."

Catra narrowed her eyes slightly at the exchange. So, Wilkinson was one of those people. Well, best to put him to work, then.

*****​

Yeah, Sidorov and Li are guilty as hell, Jack O'Neill thought as he tuned out the loud protestations from the Russian general and the more polite but still fake 'concerns' of his Chinese colleague. Or co-traitor, even though Daniel would probably tell him that it wasn't a real word.

And Carter would probably mention that it was not treason according to the legal definition. But Jack didn't care - if you stabbed your fellow soldiers in the back, you were a traitor. The Russians and Chinese had joined Stargate Command. Their soldiers had been treated as Stargate Command members like everyone else - Jack had trained them. Hell, Jack and his team had risked their lives to save them when things had gone wrong.

And in return, those bastards had sneaked some alien spyware into the base's computers and done who-knew-whatever-else.

Ah, Li had finished 'helpfully' 'reminding' them once more that all the evidence pointed at Sergeant Siler being the culprit, and Sidorov seemed to have run out of steam for now. Time to end this charade. "Your concerns have been noted," Jack told them in his best diplomatic voice - and with his toothiest grin. "And they will be given the attention they deserve while we, in accordance with the decision of the Stargate Command Council, keep investigating the matter."

"Your sham of an investigation! It's clear that you are trying to cover for your people!" Sidirov hadn't run out of steam.

"I must agree - this seems like a highly biased affair." Li shook his head. "And the timing, so close to the scandal involving another of your generals, seems a bit too convenient."

The bastard didn't just go there, did he? Jack swallowed his first response and shrugged as casually as he could manage. "Noted. Do you have anything new to add?" He waited a moment. "Didn't think so." Turning to Hammond and the rest of the Command Council, he added: "So, we're going to continue our investigation." Carter and the others should already be at work.

He left the room, nodding to Campbell and Isa to follow him - Jack wouldn't put it past the Russians or Chinese to try something drastic, whether or not they were under the influence of unknown aliens, and while he knew he was good, having help at hand never hurt. Especially if part of the help was the closest you could get to a walking tank without getting a bot.

His next stop was the gate room. Carter was busy at the main console, as expected - they had to clear the gate for operation as fast as possible. And the soldiers assigned to her were standing close by. But he couldn't see the others.

He walked over. "How's it going, Carter?"

"Slowly, sir," she replied. "We have to be very careful not to miss anything."

Jack clearly heard the 'again' despite Carter not saying it. She was still blaming herself for this, was she? "I trust you to handle it." That sounded a little corny, didn't it? He cleared his throat. "So, where are the others?"

"Catra took them to check the labs and talk to Iwan, sir."

"Ah. I'll head down there myself then." Wilkinson meeting Iwan the Too-Friendly? Jack had to see that!

"Sir."

Getting to the labs didn't take him long - but it took him through two manned checkpoints, one of them with both Chinese and French soldiers, and you'd have to be blind and deaf to miss the tension. Jack would have preferred to remove all Russian and Chinese troops from key parts of Stargate Command, but the Alliance Command Council had disagreed. Well, if things ended with people shooting each other, he knew who would be to blame.

He knocked and entered the lab without waiting for an answer.

"...and this is another weird alien device. Lots of those in the galaxy, da? And all different weird. Oh, hello, General O'Neill." Gregorovich smiled at Jack, apparently not at all unhappy about the interruption.

"I see," Wilkinson said, then turned to glance at Jack.

"It's not magical," Paris added before nodding at him as well. "General."

"We're checking out alien relics," Catra told him. "No luck so far, though."

"I don't recognise any of them," Sha're added. Daniel just muttered something without looking up from staring at a stone table on a side table.

"Would be embarrassing for me if I missed suspicious alien programming technology under own nose." Iwan smiled in that annoying manner of his.

Embarrassing and incriminating. Jack nodded and took a step closer to check what they were doing. "Are those new relics?"

"Recovered by various teams during last few months," Iwan confirmed. "But all under lock and key."

Jack managed not to snort. If Iwan was compromised, then that wouldn't mean a thing since he was working with the relics. He glanced at Wilkinson. The spook had realised that as well, judging by how he stared at the Russian.

Or he didn't like the Columbo act Iwan had going on. Either way, it seemed things were OK here.

Which meant he could go and conduct his own interview. Once he found his target, of course.

Which took a bit longer than expected, even taking the disrupted schedule into account. It seemed that the dear Lieutenant Lenkova was not in her quarters or the training area. According to the log, she was outside.

Which meant Jack also had to go outside. In the middle of December. In damn Newfoundland. And no matter what Daniel and Carter liked to say about the local climate being warmer than in continental Canada and Catra's comments about the place having nothing on Greenland or the Kingdom of Snows, it was still below freezing. "I'm getting too old for this," he muttered when he slipped a parka on in his shuttle.

"Sir?" Campbell asked.

"Nothing." Jack shook his head. He was tempted to tell Campbell and Isa that they didn't have to come with him, but that would be stupid. You couldn't trust anyone from Russia right now. Besides, they had gone through arctic training, so this should be easy for them.

And it wasn't as if they had to trek through the wilderness to find the Lieutenant. Due to having been a Go'auld host, she still had traces of Naquadah in her body - enough for Carter and Entrapta's magic scanner to find her. The magic scanner in Jack's shuttle, of course - he didn't quite trust the base's sensors right now, even though Carter had reported that the sensor net matched the scanner's results. Jack knew the Russians were too experienced at this sort of thing to give the game away by having the sensors permanently ignore their people.

Still, Lenkova was at the very edge of the base area, in the most remote of the training areas, and the ploughs were focusing on more important areas, so Jack and his escort had to hike quite a bit through deep snow and in the middle of heavy snowfall.

"Reminds me of the expedition to the north," Isa commented behind him.

"Oh?" Campbell sounded interested. Anything to distract yourself from the cold, Jack guessed.

"Yeah. We went there to look for some First Ones tech."

"In the Kingdom of Snows?"

"No, not quite that far north. But it was cold enough to feel it even through our uniforms. That was back in the Horde."

"Ah. Was it as cold as here?"

"Colder, I think. But we forgot about that when the Alliance - the Princess Alliance - attacked. Blew up the entire forward base we had built. Not our finest hour."

Campbell made an agreeing sound.

"Didn't even have special training - we just got basic instructions for arctic operations and then we were sent up north. Some had to watch the lessons in the transports."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The Horde was often like that - some stuff you trained every day even though you could do it in your sleep, and some did, and other stuff was rushed like hell." Isa snorted.

"No wonder you lost the war."

"Heh! We were still more organised than the Alliance!"

"Really? That's hard to believe. The Etherian units we've met were well-trained."

"That's because the entire Horde leadership switched sides."

Not quite how Jack had heard it. Technically true, but if the grunts were talking about the Horde War like this, he had to nip that in the bud. "The Horde was organised differently," he said without looking over his shoulder, "because they were preparing to fight a different war than the one the Princess Alliance fought."

"Yes, sir!" Campbell replied with the familiar reflex of a grunt caught by their commander.

"But we were fighting the same war!" Isa protested.

Jack grinned even though they couldn't see it. "And that was the problem for the Horde."

"Oh."

For a moment, the two soldiers behind him fell silent, and then they turned a corner and reached the training area. Where, as Jack could see, Lenkova wasn't training unless it was some Russian kind of 'meditation while standing' thing he wasn't familiar with. But he would place good odds on her just staring at the sea.

"Lieutenant Lenkova."

She jerked, whirling around, then froze as she spotted him. "General O'Neill?"

"In the flesh." He couldn't see her face very well at this distance, and with her all wrapped in winter clothes, but he thought she sounded surprised - and guilty. "I wanted to talk to you."

Even in the thick winter uniform, he could tell that she was tensing up. Of course, soldiers usually did that when they were faced with a general taking an interest in them, doubly so for female soldiers, but… Jack had a feeling that there was more to this.

He signalled to Isa and Campbell to hang back a little and walked up to Lenkova. "Taking in the sights? The snow is really great this time of the year." If he squinted, he could see the shore through the falling snow. Barely.

She hesitated for a moment, then replied: "It's better than Siberia in the winter."

"So I've heard." Despite any rumours to the contrary, he had never operated in Siberia, much less during the winter.

Lekova looked at him with narrowed eyes but didn't say anything.

"So, how's life at the new base?" Jack asked. "Feeling nostalgic yet?" He didn't wait for her to reply and went on: "It wasn't really a consideration when they picked the new location for the Stargate, but Cheyenne Mountain had at least a decent town nearby. One used to the big base. It'll take some time until you have a decent selection of bars here. Well, not without a shuttle ride or at least a personal plough."

She didn't snort at his joke. "Yes."

"It won't take too long, tough - people know what a money-maker a bar near a base is. Especially in the middle of nowhere."

"Yes."

Another short, terse reply. With the snow, and the heavy clothing and hood, he couldn't see too much of Lenkova's face, but what he saw told him enough. She was too tense. "So, how have missions been?"

She hesitated a fraction of a second, then bit out: "Good."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows, though she probably couldn't see that. "According to the reports I read, it was just boring routine stuff. Trips to known worlds."

"Boring is good sometimes."

He nodded, acknowledging the point. Lenkova would know that very well after her ordeal. On the other hand, she hadn't struck him as wanting to withdraw to safe duties, back before he had transferred to the Alliance. "It isn't boring any more, though, is it?"

She stayed silent for another second. "No, General."

"Quite a mess at the base."

"Yes, General."

"The entire security system compromised… Anyone could have been using the Stargate without Earth knowing about it." He shook his head. "If the snakes know about this…"

Even in the breeze, he heard her draw in a sharp breath. For a moment, he felt guilty for pushing her buttons like this. But he was sure that she knew something about the whole affair, something crucial given her position - and this threatened Earth and the entire Alliance. And she was a Russian spook.

Belatedly, she replied: "The snakes couldn't pass through the scanners. Not even I can pass through them without them detecting the… remains inside my body."

He shrugged again. "The snakes are just one species out there. There are lots more, and many of them are quite nasty. And sneaky."

She flinched at that. "You would know that better than me, General," she said in a clipped tone.

Ah! Had she actually met other aliens? And hid it from the official records? Should he push her for more? She still sounded as if she felt guilty to him - and with her background, she should be able to hide that. Unless that was what she wanted him to think so she could feed him misinformation.

But to what point? He snorted softly. Time to push on. "Have you met them?"

She froze for a moment. "Who?" she asked.

"The aliens whose programs were used to hack our computers."

"Aliens hacked the Stargate computers?" She tried to appear confused or surprised but didn't pull off either.

"Yep." Jack nodded. "And you already knew that."

She straightened a little, lifting her chin. It was as good as a confession.

He kept looking at her without saying a word. Were those tears in her eyes? If they were, was it just the cold?

After half a minute, she sighed, and her shoulders slumped as she looked away. "I suspected about the hacking," she said in a low voice that he almost missed in the breeze. "We were told not to worry about being discovered."

He nodded even though she wasn't looking at him.

"I wasn't there when we first met them, but I was told afterwards. When it was my team's turn to meet them."

"Them?"

"They call themselves the Eurondans."

*****​

 

[Transreal Clouden]

Oh right the space Nazis.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 127: Spy Games Part 3

Mystacor, Etheria, December 10th, 1999 (Earth Time)

Adora's idea had been a bad idea. Or had had bad timing, at the least. They just found out that the Russians and Chinese were in contact with unknown aliens - or alien humans; Jack had said that according to Lenkova, they looked and acted human - and Adora and her friends were still going to Mystacore with Asgard.

But Adora knew that even if they had rescheduled the visit - which would have required them to explain to the Asgard why, though that wouldn't have been too bad since they already knew that the computers of Earth's Stargate had been hacked - it wouldn't change that Adora was stuck on Etheria and couldn't travel to Earth. Couldn't do anything about the problem there. Couldn't be with Catra…

"And we've arrived!" Bow announced from the front of their shuttle.

"We have? I don't see anything," Penegal said, peering through the cockpit's windows. "Just an empty cliffside."

"Mystacore is magically hidden. If we want to enter it, we have to do it here," Glimmer said and opened the ramp in the back.

"Ah." Freyr nodded.

Adora had half-expected them to challenge this - ask why they couldn't land directly in the city. Like most humans would have. But the Asgard just accepted it. Or, she couldn't help thinking, they were too polite to voice such questions.

Once everyone was outside, Bow used his tablet to lock up the shuttle, then had it enter stealth mode.

"Mystacore doesn't use the same method to hide, does it?" Penegal asked.

"No. Mystacore is using magical means," Glimmer told him. "The shuttles use magitech."

"Technically, all magitech is a sort of 'magical means'," Bow added. "But traditionally, if it doesn't use any physical tool - like spellcasting - or only glyphs, runes and similar tools, it's called magic. Anything more complicated is called magitech."

Glimmer rolled her eyes, probably annoyed at the interruption, but the Asgard nodded. "So, it's merely a case of traditional yet arbitrary definitions for the same thing?"

"Well, you could say that, yes," Bow said. "But you'd have to ask a sorceress about it - I'm a tech-master."

"Who also can build and use magitech," Thor pointed out.

"Anyone can build magitech if they have access to the right magical resources and know what they are doing," Bow replied with a smile.

Glimmer snorted, and Adora agreed with her friend's sentiment - Bow was too modest; it took a lot of talent and effort to learn how to build magitech, even more to develop it.

"And how would one get access to such resources?" Freyr asked.

"That would be a question best asked to Castaspella," Glimmer replied before Bow could say anything. "And we should hurry - the flying mountain has arrived."

Adora blinked - she had missed that. The sky and the air in front of them, and below the ledge, looked as empty as always, with just a few clouds obscuring part of the view of the ground. Then again, she wasn't a trained sorceress, unlike Glimmer. "Let's go, then," she said.

"Yes. Just follow me." Glimmer stepped to the edge, then jumped off.

The Asgard didn't react to that either - they walked up to the edge themselves just in time to see Glimmer rise, standing on a floating mini-island.

"It's perfectly safe," Bow told them, then stepped on it himself.

"I would say that I assume you wouldn't use it if it weren't safe," Freyr said rather dryly, "but your culture's safety standards have been demonstrated not to match Asgard's."

But despite his words, all three Asgard followed Bow and Glimmer on the island.

Adora smiled at that as she jumped on it as well. Maybe this wasn't going to be a waste of time.

The floating island - it looked far more like an island than a mountain, in her opinion - didn't take long to take them to Mystacor.

Still, it was long enough for Penegal to cock his head at Glimmer and ask: "How are you controlling it?"

"Magic," she replied.

"Yes, I assume that is the case, but are you controlling it with mental commands? Or are you using magic on it to steer it?"

"Both." Glimmer's smile looked a little toothy. But before anyone could answer, the island trembled a little, and then Mystacor appeared before them - they had passed through the barrier hiding the kingdom.

And that sight seemed to shut up the Asgard. At least until they had made landfall where Castaspella and the other leaders of the kingdom were waiting for them.

"Welcome to Mystacor," Castaspella greeted them, slightly bowing her head. "Be welcome and at peace while you are here."

"Thank you," Freyr said.

Adora blinked. That was… "She didn't greet us like that when we visited," she whispered to Glimmer while the Asgard mirrored Castaspella's bow.

"You were there to relax, not as part of a state visit," Glimmer whispered back.

"Ah." That made sense. It still felt weird, especially since Castaspella had met the Agsard before. But no one else seemed to feel like that. Adora blamed her Horde upbringing. If Catra were here, she would at least joke about it.

Castaspella introduced the other sorceresses with her, then led the Asgard on a tour through Mystacor - and, since they were with their visitors, that meant Adora and her friends received the tour as well.

"And here's the Library of the Elements - a relic from an early attempt to categorise magic powers. The theory behind it was disproven after royal lines developed powers that could not be linked to one of the elements, but the library was kept out of tradition." Castaspella gestured at an old-looking building connected by a path lined with pillars to the main entrance.

"And even expanded," Glimmer added.

Bow smiled. "If you don't find anything in the central library, this is your next stop."

"I don't understand… you do not have centralised access to your databanks?" Penegal asked.

"No," Castaspella said. "It's a matter of security. If anyone would gain access to such a centralised databank, they would have access to all our knowledge. As it is, an intruder would have to physically remove a memory crystal to steal the knowledge contained in it, which would take time and a lot more effort than copying a databank."

"But… that means your research will be slowed down as well. If you have to physically search through your data…" Pegenal sounded as if he couldn't believe anyone would have such a system.

"Yes. But while that may seem like a drawback, and often is, sometimes, slowing down a research project can be beneficial."

"Not every research project should have been started," one of the older sorceresses stated. "And none should be rushed. Often, a pause can grant someone insight that would have been missed if they had been able to work without rest."

"Whether that's the researcher - or those who take care of the library, and of Mystacor as a whole," a man with few strands of white hair left on his head added.

Adora winced. They meant Shadow Weaver. Or Light Spinner, as she had been known here before her… last experiment. She wondered what the sorceresses here thought of her. But this wasn't the time to ask such questions - they were here for the Asgard, she told herself with guilty relief.

"It sounds inefficient."

"It's also traditional," Glimmer added with a smile too wide to be honest.

Judging by the way Freyr frowned briefly, the Asgard hadn't missed that.

And neither had Castaspella, who narrowed her eyes at Glimmer before tilting her head and smiling at their guests. "You also have to understand that research here is a personal affair. Our people decide which idea to research without answering to anyone."

"Magic shouldn't be treated as a resource," the older sorceress, whose name Adora still couldn't remember, added. "Nor should magic be treated as if it were a machine."

"And if one were to do that, what would be the consequences?" Freyr asked.

"If you do not respect magic, if you reach too far, or be too greedy or too ambitious, and you might suffer a fate worse than death," the man said. "Magic… is like a dangerous but beautiful, immensely powerful creature."

That sounded… well, like Sea Hawk talked about the sea. Or Mermista, when he had drunk a bit too much. At least, Scorpia claimed that.

And Adora didn't miss the soft snort from Glimmer at hearing this.

But the Asgard nodded. "I see," Penegal said. "So, it's more akin to taming a beast than building a tool - or growing a plant?"

"A not entirely incorrect comparison," Castaspella agreed.

"Is that the case for all magic, or is this a particular aspect of Etheria's magic?" Freyr asked.

"As far as we know - although our knowledge of other planets' magic is still very limited - it's the same for everyone," Castaspella told him. "At least, Earth's magical traditions, or the myths based on them, often contain similar warnings of hubris and its consequences."

Once more, the Asgard exchanged a glance. "And yet, you use magitech," Penegal pointed out.

"Magitech is not magic as we do here," Castaspella said.

"Magitech's magic is… very limited. Constrained," the man said.

"Dead," the older woman added.

"Not dead, I wouldn't say that. But… so limited and bound, it cannot adapt and grow anymore. Cannot live," he retorted.

"If you cannot live, you die," the woman said with a smirk.

"Eventually. I would say that magitech keeps the magic in the moment between life and death. Symbolically, at least."

"Oh, no - they won't stop now," Glimmer muttered.

"Symbolically? We've heard that Earth's magic is centred on symbols," Penegal said. "And that it affects magic."

"Oh, yes!"

"Not at all!"

The others glared at each other.

"So, this is in dispute?" Thor asked.

"Amongst some," Castaspella said. "But some of us do not believe that either excludes the other."

"And there we go," Glimmer whispered. She glanced to Adora, then her eyes widened. "Oh, no!"

Adora turned to the side and saw Bow frowning deeply. Her friend took a step forward. "As a user and creator of magitech, I have to disagree with the claim that magitech abuses magic. That is a very narrow and biased view, based on concepts that are still mere hypotheses, not facts as some claim."

"They might as well be facts!"

"That's not how it works!"

Adora's smile felt frozen on her face as everyone but Glimmer and herself started to debate. Or dispute - it was hard to tell, given how passionate most were. Even the Asgard.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 10th, 1999

"So, according to Lieutenant Lenkova, she has met the Eurondans twice so far under cover of doing routine exploration missions, both times escorting diplomats from Russia and China?" Samantha Carter repeated the General's statement out of ingrained habit - and tried not to feel grimly satisfied, or even vindicated, about the fact that Lenkova had been revealed to have betrayed Stargate Command. Or Earth, depending on your definition.

"Yep." The General nodded.

"Diplomats?" Daniel frowned. "They cannot have been high-ranking diplomats; the Russians and the Chinese might have fooled the electronic system and tampered with the records to make them appear as common soldiers or scientists, but I think we would have recognised anyone with influence in either government on sight."

"I think you might overestimate the intel we have on Russia and China, Daniel," the General told him with a slightly rueful grin. "We kind of cut back on the spying we did in the Cold War when Russia collapsed, and with the chaotic mess Russia was left in after the soviet union collapsed, it's a bit hard to keep track of who's actually in power."

"But… their president…" Daniel frowned.

"...will be replaced at the end of the year, in three weeks, by his elected successor - at least that's the official party line," the General interrupted him. "And from what we know, he's been a figurehead ever since the Etherians arrived, maybe even longer. We don't know yet how much actual power his successor has or will have." He shrugged. "Judging from his background, he could have been the power behind the throne for a while or just a puppet for others."

"Gotta love spies," Catra muttered.

"So much for the CIA," Wilkinson commented. "Can't even find out who rules Russia." The FBI agent looked a bit lost but trying to hide it, in Sam's impression.

Paris, on the other hand, didn't even try to hide that she thought this was above her head.

"I'm not sure the Russians know who rules them at the moment." The General snorted. "Anyway, what is clear is that whoever is running things has control over the faction of their military and spy services that run the Russian side here at Stargate Command. Enough to insert trusted agents into their teams here to do some diplomacy for them under the table. And if what Lenkova said about a resource trade being set up is true, they have the backing of at least some of the rich guys currently controlling the Russian economy."

"What about the Chinese?" Daniel asked.

"Their current leader seems to be entrenched, but that could be a facade so that the Chinese people won't worry about instability - or question their leaders. They are good at concealing power struggles from us either way," the General replied. "Last I heard, the CIA analysts are hit and miss with them."

"For someone who doesn't like politics, you know quite a lot about it," Daniel commented with a grin.

The General scowled at him for the little dig.

"You can't run a war without politics," Catra said. "So, basically, the Russians want to trade resources for technology? Do we know what kind of technology we're talking about?"

"Advanced military and medical technology," the General told her. "But Lenkova claimed not to know how advanced."

Either the Russian 'diplomats' were playing it close to their chest, or Lenkova was lying. Sam pressed her lips together. She couldn't let her… emotions about the Russian officer influence her thoughts about the matter at hand. Lenkova had come clean about the Russian - and Chinese - plans; lying about this wouldn't really serve a purpose.

"Advanced enough to take over our - I mean, Stargate Command's - computers," Daniel said.

Sam frowned a little. That had been her responsibility, and she had let them down.

"Yeah."

"But not too advanced," Sha're pointed out. "If they had technology equal to ours, or even the Goa'uld, they wouldn't need anything that Russia or China could provide that they couldn't get themselves. If it were a Goa'uld, they might need Naquadah, but we know that Earth has no deposits."

"The Russians and Chinese might be trying to swindle them. Wouldn't put it past either," the General said.

"That would be extremely short-sighted," Sha're said. "Like an inexperienced Goauld. Although they might count on any retaliation for such a deception dragging the Alliance into the conflict."

"Wouldn't put that past either country either."

"It's also possible that their technology requires resources that are scarce on their planet but not on Earth," Sam said. "Although I can't think of anything that wouldn't be found on other planets either."

"Well, whatever the answer turns out to be, we're going to find out," the General said. "We can't let the Russians and Chinese jeopardise Earth's safety by making shady secret deals with unknown aliens."

"You said that according to Lenkova, the Eurondans were humans." Wilkinson frowned.

The General grinned. "They looked human. That doesn't mean anything."

"And, as the Etherians and others prove, merely sharing human genes and origins does not mean we are culturally close enough not to count as aliens," Daniel added. "We cannot reduce this to a biological question, or we might be working from faulty assumptions that lead to potentially catastrophically wrong conclusions."

That was correct, but not the General's point. Sam didn't say that, though. Instead, she brought up a few files on her computer. "I've prepared an overview of the planets where Lenkova met with the Eurondans, sir. We might find more clues at those locations."

"Once we can use the Stargate again," the General said. "Until then, this will have to be a local investigation."

Wilkinson straightened at that, Sam noted.

The General bared his teeth. "It's time to show our 'trusted partners' from Russia and China that they're not the only ones able to play spy games."

*****​

Clear.

Catra smiled at Melog's notice and quickly slid around the corner, then dashed forward to the closest door on the right side of the hallway. It was locked, but the override Sam had put together took care of that with the push of a button, and a second later, she was inside the quarters of the Russian's latest 'scientist', Piotr Novikov - an assumed name, of course.

He was asleep, as expected at this time of the night, snoring slightly. She studied him for a few seconds, watching his chest rise and fall and listening to his breathing. If he was faking it, he would be a great actor. Of course, he was probably a spook, or a former spook… Whatever, she could take him.

She looked around. The room was very neat, very organised - almost sterile. The only personal item she could see was a family picture on the side table. She pulled out her camera and took a few images for analysis, then started going through the man's belongings. According to Jack, it was unlikely that a spook would have incriminating data on them - unless they had reached an agreement to be ratified by whoever was in charge in Russia. Or it was data stolen from the aliens. But that would likely have been moved to Russia already - the last suspicious mission had been a few days before this whole mess had started and Stargate Command had been locked down.

And she found nothing. No scraps hidden in the man's gear. No electronic data, according to Sam's scanner. No…

She narrowed her eyes at a suspiciously scratched corner in the locker. Sure, that could have been from boots thrown into the locker without cleaning them beforehand; she had seen that happen back in her cadet days. But she had also learned how to hide stuff in your locker.

It was easy to slip the tip of a claw under the panel's corner there and work it loose. And behind it was a small cylinder. She didn't recognise it, but it looked quite advanced. And it hadn't shown up on the scanner.

As the humans said: Paydirt!

*****​

Five minutes later, she was back in the lab Sam had appropriated, watching her friend study the device.

"It's a sort of data storage. I'm working on how to access it."

"Good." Jack nodded. "He grinned. "Either the Russians aren't as efficient as they used to be, or our spy here kept a copy of the alien data for himself, or for someone else pulling his strings. Anyway, if you can copy the data before our Russian spook wakes up, we can slip it back in, and he'll have no idea we found it."

"I'll try my best, sir. But I can't promise success. This is an alien device with unknown protocols. Though we have samples of their programs, so that should provide us with an advantage."

"Oh, a data storage device!" Entrapta piped up from the screen in the corner. "Neat!" A moment later, she added: "I'll help!" And another moment later: "Yes, that will help us!"

Even with the signal routed through the closest Stargate to Earth in reach of the spy bot network - and only as long that one was open to Etheria - the signal lag to Etheria was still a few seconds long. But that shouldn't be an issue when it came to decrypting. Unlike remote construction or lab work. Or so Entrapta had explained.

Entrapta beamed. "Let's hope this will be easier than the alien cube!"

Right. The thing they had found on their trip to Earth. Which they hadn't managed to decrypt yet. Of course, as far as Catra heard, it wasn't a priority for either Sam or Entrapta, but still - not the most encouraging remark. Then again, Entrapta didn't mean it like that.

"And what do we do if you can't encrypt it until the suspect wakes up?" Paris asked. "Put it back?"

"We don't want to tip them off that we're onto them," Jack said. "We can get the thing tomorrow night again."

Sam tensed at that, Catra saw. She would be working all night to decrypt the device. Well, that was her decision. And the sooner they got more intel about those Eurondans, the better.

She pushed off the table she had been leaning against. "So, let's hit our next target." She looked at Wilkinson.

"We could make a copy, I think," Entrapta chimed in late, interrupting Wilkinson before he could say anything. "A duplicate of the device that looks exactly like it."

"Let's focus on cracking the device," Jack said before looking at Wilkinson.

"Wang Zhen," Wilkinson said with a slight frown. "Which is like a Chinese John Smith. According to the official documentation, he's got a doctorate in anthropology, but his publishing history is rather suspect and not available online."

"Probably majored in propaganda at their spy academy," Jack commented.

"Ok!" Entrapta cut in.

"I don't think they call it…" Daniel trailed off and pouted at the grinning man.

Wilkinson cleared his throat. "He's sharing his room with Captain Li Wei, a legitimate veteran soldier of the People's Liberation Army, so infiltrating his quarters will be more difficult."

Catra snorted. More difficult didn't mean actually difficult. She glanced at Melog. In a pinch, their illusions could probably let her search the room while both were awake.

Ready.

She smiled. "We'll be right back."

Jack nodded. "Don't stay out too late."

She snorted at that as she vanished under Melog's illusion. As if!

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 11th, 1999

"We've done it, sir. Copied the data on the device in a readable form."

Carter had worked through the night. Just as Jack O'Neill had known she would. But as he had also known, she had managed to crack the alien data thing they had taken from the Russians. He still felt guilty for not stopping her and making her get some sleep, but that was the price an officer had to pay for doing what was necessary. Like he had done when he had talked to Lenkova, playing on her obvious guilt to make her crack.

Forcing the guilt away, he downed the last of his latest cup of coffee and got up from the seat where he had not quite been napping for half the night. "Yes?"

"We've done it!" Entrapta chimed in, late due to communication lag.

"Good." Catra stretched, yawning and looking rested as if she had slept in a bed and not curled up with Melog on a blanket on the ground. She probably felt the same either way, Jack suspected with a bit of envy; the woman was more cat than you'd suspect upon first meeting her. "Can I take it back then?" Cocking her head, she added: "Novikov is still asleep. Won't take long. Unless you want to tamper with the data on it beforehand."

Jack shook his head. "Take it back. We've got him under surveillance now and can replace it later if we want to." When they were more rested. Trying to be clever and do stunts like this wasn't a good idea when you were operating on a few hours of sleep and a lot of coffee. Unless you absolutely had to, which wasn't the case here.

She nodded, grabbed the thing and vanished from view. Melog was showing off his illusion power again.

Jack waited, cocking his head and trying to hear the door opening and closing. He missed it, though, when Entrapta exclaimed behind him: "Oh, did you see this? It's a neural interface! Non-invasive! And it probably won't fry the brain if you use it too much, either!"

They were going through the data already? He snorted. Of course they were! Carter would claim that it was a necessary check to ensure they had cracked the encryption, but he knew she wouldn't be able to resist the lure of new technology.

"Yes," Carter said. "Used to remote control drones, as far as I can tell." She looked up from her laptop - or what had been her laptop; Jack wasn't sure what she had turned it into with her tinkering - and nodded at him. "It's more advanced than our own drone technology. The data compression for the sensor feeds surpasses anything we have."

That wasn't good news. "More advanced than Ancient technology?"

Carter frowned. "Not across the band, at least, from what I can tell, sir. They are using radio, not faster than light communication, to transmit data, for example."

That was some good news, at least.

"Oh, did you see the way they do data compression?" Entrapta asked. "That's so clever! But we would have to restructure our entire computer core and crystal matrices to take advantage of it, I think… Oh, you did see it! We really need to do something about the lag."

"We'll have a meeting later today, when we're all rested, so don't geek out too much over this and get some sleep," Jack said with a grin, then made a point of yawning.

"Yes, sir." Carter had the grace to blush a little, which made her look cute, not that Jack would ever say so.

He blinked. He shouldn't be thinking that, either - he must be more tired than he had thought. "Anyway, get some sleep. It's just data, not some bomb. Is it?" Better safe than sorry.

"No, sir, it's not a bomb or a carrier for biological or chemical weapons."

He nodded. "Then we don't have a reason to wake up the others for a meeting right now. Let's get some real sleep."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh! That's a nice drone - it's a fighter drone! And it has energy weapons of a new design! Bulkier than bot blaster cannons, though. And it's not space capable…" Entrapta trailed off, and Carter's eyes darted back to her laptop.

Shaking his head, Jack turned away. What he didn't see, he didn't have to do anything about.

He left the room just in time to spot Catra and Melog fading into view before him. "Done?" he asked.

Catra nodded, flashing her fangs in a grin. "Of course. He slept through it."

Melog was looking smug like a cat that got the canary.

"Good." Jack nodded and stifled a yawn. "Meeting at… eleven," he added. That would give Carter six hours of sleep or so.

Catra eyed the lab door. "I'll send them to bed in a while."

That worked as well. Jack nodded again. "Good work."

"Of course." She grinned and walked into the lab, and Jack headed to his temporary quarters. It was past time to get some sleep. Even with his magically healed body, he wasn't twenty any more.

*****​

Mystacor, Etheria, December 11th, 1999 (Earth Time)

Adora should be happy. Her plan was working out nicely. Everyone - almost everyone - was talking with each other. Connecting. Freely discussing important matters.

"Magic can actually heal genetic conditions. She-Ra proved that when she healed people in India," an older sorceress said.

"That was a special occasion - she had to channel Earth's magic as it returned to the planet."

But the way they were talking about her as if she wasn't present… Even Castaspella seemed to be too caught up in the discussion to realise that Adora was right here while they were discussing what she had done.

"I still say that we should call it undoing a blockade. It's not as if she had to actually send the magic back; she just had to free it." The older man shook his head, the thin remains of his hair moving back and forth.

"That works out the same," the woman retorted.

"Not quite. The general result might be very similar, but how it is achieved is distinctly different. Blowing a dam isn't the same task as carrying water up a slope to fill a river."

"Of course, you'd use water metaphors to make a point!"

"Just because I am from Salineas originally doesn't mean using this metaphor is wrong - water is a great metaphor for magic."

"Can we get back to magic healing genetic conditions?" Penegal asked.

"Oh, sure. Anyway, the healing won't turn you back into an older form of your species. Even if your older form was, ah, healthier," the sorceress went on.

But the older man - Adora really needed to learn his name, but asking at this point would be embarrassing - disagreed. "We don't exactly know that."

"Humans evolved from far sturdier species."

"But magic might not consider them healthier."

"I think it's a question of whether the recipient of the healing would consider an older form healthier."

"That's not how healing works. Magic knows." Castaspella cut in.

"Etherian magic, maybe. But Earth magic works differently," a fourth sorceress added.

Castaspella frowned. "The only differences that have been proven so far is how magic is used, not that magic works differently on Earth."

"But you can't exclude the possibility, can you?" Penegal leaned forward a little.

"We haven't conducted enough experiments to determine the truth of the matter," Castaspeall told him.

"That's because we don't have enough examples to investigate. Magic hasn't been returned to enough different planets yet."

That sounded like they blamed Adora for that. But you couldn't just restore magic to a planet at a whim; that was dangerous. And some people might react badly to that - though, so far, the only example was Earth. She cleared her throat.

But Glimmer was quicker: "Restoring magic to a planet has to be carefully planned. We don't want our enemies to profit from it."

"Even if their oppressed slaves could benefit from magic returning?" the older sorceress asked.

"They could use magic to fight for their freedom!"

"Or they would be fooled into thinking magic was a gift from the Goa'uld." Glimmer scoffed.

That was a good point.

"So…" Bow smiled. "Back to magic healing?"

"Yes. Your magic wouldn't recognise our genome's degradation as a defect to be cured?" Penegal sounded as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yes." Bow nodded. "We've checked Alpha's archives - you can't use magic to 'heal' a genetically engineered person from the genetic engineering."

"That seems like an odd limit," Freyr commented.

Glimmer shrugged. "Well, it's not technically impossible. You could, in theory, create a spell to do that by not relying on magic guiding its power but by doing it yourself. But that would require immense research and experimenting, and the complexities of trying to alter someone genetically…" She winced.

"So, in theory, someone could create a spell that halts our genetic degradation?" Thor spoke up.

"In theory, yes," Castaspella said. "But I don't know anyone who could even come close to achieving such a task. And to make it work on any Asgad, and not just on a specific individual… That's even more challenging."

Which was apparently sorceress-speak for 'impossible'.

"If the task is too difficult, can it be broken down into smaller tasks?" Freyr asked.

"That is also theoretically possible. But in practice, trying to combine two different spells is more complex than creating such a spell from the ground up since every spell is created individually and personally," Castaspella said.

"On Etheria," Penegal said.

"Yes." Castaspella nodded at him. "It might be different on another planet."

The Asgard exchanged glances. Adora wasn't quite sure what they were thinking - they couldn't cast spells themselves, after all.

"So, magitech can reproduce healing magic. And spells can be created for specific tasks. Combine both…" Penegal trailed off.

"...and we might be able to construct a magitech device that halts and even reverse our genetic degradation," Freyr finished for him.

"Oh!" The older sorceress perked up. "That's even more daring!"

"And even if you found trained sorceresses and magitech crafters willing to work with you on this, it would still take you a long, long time. Decades would be my guess - without a guarantee of success to begin with."

The Asgard didn't seem to consider this a problem, Adora noticed.

They are so weird, she couldn't help thinking. But the sorceresses were weird as well. So, was it really surprising that they had finally found people on Etheria that the Asgard seemed to understand and got along with?

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 11th, 1999

Samantha Carter had slept for five hours. It could have been six, but that would have required ignoring the data Entrapta and Sam had decrypted. And that would have meant she couldn't present a proper report.

At least, that was what she told herself when she hid a yawn as she set up her laptop in the briefing room the General had commandeered at Stargate Command for their team. And guarded by the special forces team he had taken with him. A sensible precaution given the scope of this… affair. Even more so after what Entrapta and Sam had discovered. Some prizes were worth a nigh-unthinkable escalation, and this prize was…

She took a deep breath as she straightened and faced the others in the room - the General, Daniel, Sha're, Catra, and Melog, all of them looking attentive. And Wilkinson and Paris, both looking as if they were not sure if they really should be here. Or wanted to be here. Well, they were here. Unlike Teal'c, who was dealing with some of the Jaffa prisoners, now that Adora couldn't visit them on short notice.

Sam nodded. "We've fully decrypted the data storage cylinder we recovered. Entrapta is currently briefing the Alliance leadership on Etheria." If Hordak had let her, at least - the former warlord had been quite firm about the need to sleep when he had cut short their data analysis this morning.

Wilkinson looked around. "And…" He cleared his throat. "What about the Alliance leadership on Earth?"

The General didn't quite smirk, but his smile was far too open to be genuine. "We'll brief High Command once we know what exactly we are facing. And Adora or Glimmer can brief the politicians."

Wilkinson and Paris exchanged a glance at that, and Sam once more had the impression that they would rather be elsewhere right now, having just realised what kind of clearance they had. They were likely imagining how harsh the punishment, should they leak any of this, would be.

But that wasn't any of her concern. She straightened. "First, the data contains descriptions and documentation of Eurondan technology and its uses, but not the schematics and documentation necessary to build or reverse-engineer any of it." The data had given both Sam and Entrapta some ideas of possible research avenues to pursue, but so had, at least in Entrapta's case, watching some Earth SciFi shows.

"Specs, not plans." The General nodded. "Advertisement."

"Bait," Catra added with a snort. "For the Russians and the Chinese."

Sam agreed with the assessment. The cylinder's content was structured like a presentation, even including combat footage, though likely carefully edited.

"So, what kind of technology are we talking about here?" the General asked. "How does it compare to ours?"

"It's generally more advanced than Earth's native technology," Sam replied. "Provided the information is factual, the weapon technology significantly surpasses whatever the Russian and Chinese can produce on every level. Advanced aircraft with energy-based weapons, neural interfaces that allow remote control of said aircraft, communication efficient and secure enough to handle combat, and energy shields that can withstand extensive bombardment. Medical technologies, including cloning and stasis pods. Drugs that rapidly accelerate healing."

The General whistled. "But no spaceships with big honking guns?"

"We've found nothing of the sort in the data available to us," Sam replied. "Generally, the data didn't contain any description or presentation of advanced technology necessary for faster-than-light travel or communication, nor space travel in general. And no magitech as far as we can tell," she added. "Though that is based on our experience with Etherian and Ancient magitech, so it's possible that some of the technology presented uses magitech based on a different magical tradition."

"Would magitech be possible in the first place without Adora restoring magic to their planets?" Daniel asked.

"They could have had relics from the time before the First Ones stole magic," Catra said. "But it's not really likely. Probably."

"And it doesn't really matter," the General said. "As long as it works for them, it would work for the Russians."

That might not be completely correct, but Sam wasn't an expert, and this wasn't the place to discuss magitech. "Compared to Horde technology, the Eurondans have advanced communication protocols. Their neural interfaces are also beyond current Horde technology." Horde Prime had been able to take control of any clone at a moment's notice, beating even what Sam had seen from the Eurondans, but that knowledge had died with him, and the Clones seemed happy to let it stay dead. Sam could understand the feeling - she wouldn't want to pursue a technology that was designed to take over her body and replace her own consciousness with someone else, either. Though she would if she had to develop a defence against it.

But that was neither here nor there right now. "The medical technology seems at least comparable, maybe superior, whereas the cloning technology and stasis pod are harder to judge; the documentation is a little scant there. All in all, Eurondan technology is generally not as advanced as Horde technology except for the aforementioned areas."

"But current NATO technology is left in the dust by this stuff." The General shook his head. "And having it would make the Russians and the Chinese a lot more powerful on Earth. They'd still lose in a standup fight, but if they started passing out such goodies to insurgents and other patsies, as they used to in the Cold War, things could turn ugly. Just the threat of that would give them a lot more influence in politics."

"And it would greatly boost their own research. Even more so if combined with access to technology recovered by Stargate Command," Sam added.

The General nodded. "Yep. They'll do anything to get this. The question is: What are the Eurondans asking for in exchange? Just raw materials, as Lenkova said was being talked about?"

"There was nothing about that in the data, sir," Sam told him. She would have included that in her briefing otherwise.

"Yeah."

Catra suddenly tensed, cocking her head at the door. "There's another question," she said, showing her teeth. "What will the Russians and Chinese do if they suspect we know or might find out about their dealings? Because Lenkova is telling the guards out there that she needs to talk to Jack at once. And Melog says she's feeling both scared and guilty. Very much so."

The General muttered a curse under his breath.

Sam wanted to as well.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Oh right the space Nazis.

Click to shrink...

The space Nazi expies.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 128: Spy Games Part 4

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 11th, 1999

Catra watched Jack tense. Then he sighed and said: "Figures. Anyone wanna bet that this isn't good news?"

She snorted. Of course, it wasn't going to be good news. Lenkova had messed up - messed up more, to be precise.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door was opened, and Campbell peered inside, straightening when he saw Jack. "Sir? Lieutenant Lenkova says she has to speak to you urgently."

"Send her in," Jack told him.

Catra looked the woman over when Lenkova entered. She wasn't carrying a weapon - at least, Catra couldn't spot one. And she looked nervous - even glancing over her shoulder as the door closed behind her. "Is this room safe?"

"It's safe and supposed to be soundproof," Jack said. With a glance at Catra, he added: "Though no soundproofing is ever perfect."

She grinned at him. Her ears were better than the insulation here. Having a bit of warning from Melog helped, of course - she had to listen carefully to catch anything.

Lenkova looked at the others in the room, frowning at Wilkinson and Paris.

Catra lazily waved at her and flashed her fangs. She tried not to show how tense she was. If Lenkova was feeling like this, things must be worse than Catra had expected. And since she had expected the worst…

"So, what's the emergency?" Jack asked.

Lenova straightened. "Sir, I have betrayed you."

Catra shifted on her seat. Lenkova was close enough for her to reach with one leap. And she wasn't armoured - a few swipes with Catra's claws, and she'd be dead.

Jack, though, didn't blink. Nor did he draw a weapon, unlike Sha're, who was aiming a zat straight at Lenkova.

"Where did you get that?" Catra heard Daniel whisper.

"Your Etherian friends," Sha're replied.

"So, how exactly did you betray me? Personally, not the thing about making contact with an unknown alien species," Jack said.

Lenkova straightened, assuming what they called 'parade rest' on Earth. "After I… informed you about my country's actions, I told Vlad… Sergeant Popov about it. About me informing you. He… disapproved."

Popov was the other Goa'uld survivor from Lenkova's team, Catra knew.

"Thought he'd join you, did you?" Jack asked in a soft voice.

Lenkova noded curtly. "Yes, sir. I was wrong."

"And now the Russians know we know." Jack sighed. "So much for surveillance."

Sam was typing furiously on her laptop. "Sergeant Popov met with Major Baburin on the training fields."

"Which we hadn't bugged," Jack said.

"You bugged the base?" For a moment, it seemed as if Lenkova's surprise replaced her guilt.

"Of course we did. Learned that from the KGB," Jack told her with a toothy grin that made the woman blush - probably with embarrassment; Catra wasn't sure. "Did he know about the bugs? Or suspect it? Or was he just trying to find the major right away?" He shrugged before anyone could say anything else. "Anyway, what makes you think this was a betrayal?"

"Because they'll try to kill you, General."

Oh. Catra's eyes widened. So did Jack's. Daniel had his mouth open but wasn't saying anything. Sam looked like she wished she had a death ray powered by the Heart of Etheria at hand. And Sha're looked even more annoyed with Lenkova.

"That would be a murder attempt!" Wilkinson blurted out, then blushed when everyone, Paris and Lenkova included, stared at him. "They wouldn't dare to attack an American general in an Alliance base, would they?" he added. "That would be insane!"

"So is trying to make a deal with an alien species behind the back of the rest of Earth," Jack said. "Didn't stop them."

"Wasn't that what we were trying to do before we met the Etherians?" Daniel asked. "Make a deal, I mean."

Jack frowned at him. "Not the point, Daniel!"

Despite the situation, Catra snickered.

"They won't openly attack you - they will try to assassinate you," Lenkova said.

"Make it look like an accident?" Jack sounded perfectly calm. "Or make it a demonstration?"

Catra snorted. "Everyone would know they did it," she said.

Jack pouted at her. "I made a lot of enemies!"

"Jack!" Daniel protested.

"What?"

"That's not something to be proud of!"

"It is if it's the right sort of enemies," Jack retorted.

Catra also snickered at that. Daniel pouted, and Sam sighed softly under her breath. The others - well, except for Sha're - looked confused. Especially Lenkova. "Do you not think this is a serious threat, General?" she asked.

"Oh, I do," Jack replied, flashing his teeth. "I very much do so."

Catra grinned. It looked like she'd be able to teach the bastards responsible for stranding her on Earth a lesson, and sooner than she had thought she would.

Good, Melog thought at her.

*****​

So, the Russians planned to assassinate him? Jack O'Neill bared his teeth. He wouldn't tempt Murphy by saying, 'Let them try!' but he couldn't help feeling almost glad about this - it meant that the Russians were desperate. Of course, they must have been desperate in the first place to attempt their takeover of Stargate Command. Or stupid, but the Russians Jack knew from the Cold War weren't stupid, and as far as he could tell, the old KGB spooks were calling quite a few shots in Russia. Probably literally as well.

Lenkova, though, still looked like he had just laughed in her face when she had been trying to warn him - and risking pretty much her life for it. Jack almost winced and forced himself to nod at her with a warm smile. "We're not going to underestimate them, Lieutenant. But we'll be ready for them."

"But…" Lenkova glanced at the others. "They have at least a dozen trained former KGB members here."

Including Lenkova. Jack didn't say that. Instead, he nodded. "Yes. But we've got advanced technology and magic. And we've got an edge in experience."

"Yes," Catra said, flashing her fangs. "They won't know what hit them."

Paris looked a little… spooked. Or embarrassed, Jack noted. "I'm not actually that experienced," she said.

"Neither are the sorceresses the Russians could use against us - if they have any," Catra told her.

"And we have Kira here as support," Daniel added.

"Ah." Paris looked reassured.

"Of course, Kira is guarding the Stargate," Catra said. "So, once we leave the base, you're our sorceress."

Paris didn't look reassured any more.

"You'll do fine," Wilkinson told her. But he didn't really sound convincing to Jack. And, judging by the frown on her face, Paris agreed with him.

"Why would we leave the base?" Daniel asked.

"Because once we've dealt with whatever assassins and spies they have here," Jack explained, "we'll go after the one in charge of this plot. And that's not Sidorov." Not unless the man was a much better actor than anyone else Jack knew. And a much better spy.

"You want to go to Russia?" Lenkova blurted out.

"Or China. Or both. Depends on what we find out," Jack said. He shrugged.

"You're planning to use yourself as bait, aren't you, sir?"

Jack almost winced at Carter's frown. Right, he should have expected that. "You heard the Lieutenant. They're coming after me, so I can hardly avoid being bait." He shrugged again.

Carter's scowl deepened. "You could move back to the Alliance base - or into orbit - until we finish our investigation."

While you risk your own life? Jack gave her a look, and she had the grace to blush slightly.

Catra snorted, and Daniel sighed. "You know Jack," he said, then blinked. "I mean… I didn't mean… Ah…"

Jack's laugh cut him off. "Anyway, we've got people gunning for me. And you can bet they have all the old tools of the KGB at hand."

"So, be wary of umbrellas," Wilkinson said with a forced grin.

"Those were actually Bulgarian," Jack told him. A spook should know better.

Wilkinson frowned. "I know."

"But we cannot assume that they are limited to those tools and methods," Carter pointed out, still focused on Jack. They might have received some advanced tools from the Eurondans."

Jack nodded. Officially, or through an under-the-table deal - or just from trade between a few grunts. Soldiers always made such deals.

"And they might have some alien relics that they didn't reveal," Daniel added. "They might not have used such to take over the base's computers, but that doesn't mean they have nothing useful in an assassination."

"If it's a tool known to the Goa'uld, I'll be able to spot it," Sha're said.

Right. She had been trapped as a helpless spectator in her own body when it was taken over by Apophis's queen - she probably had seen more assassination plans and attempts than everyone else in the base together, Jack reminded himself. She wasn't the young woman he had met during the trip to Abydos any more. He nodded again. "Good. Now, everyone, stay sharp - we'll continue our work, but we'll have to ensure we don't endanger others." Jack didn't think the Russians would shy away from collateral damage as long as it saved them from the consequences of their plots.

"We're continuously scanning for explosives, both conventional and advanced, sir," Carter said. "Also biological and chemical threats, though those scans are less dependable."

"Less dependable?" Daniel asked.

"Binary poisons are hard to detect. And bioweapons might be mistaken for normal organisms depending on how advanced they are," Carter explained.

Well, Jack hoped that the Russians were not as crazy as to use WMDs against a joint base on Canadian soil. That would… not end well at all for them no matter how it played out. "And that's why I am going to explore the area around the base," he said, "while you root out the last of the alien malware." He rolled his eyes at Daniel's open surprise - Carter hid hers much better - and added: "I do keep up with the times, Daniel."

"Of course!"

"Whatever!" Catra cut in. "Let's hash out who goes with whom. We have a general and a major to guard."

"Yep."

*****​

Mystacor, Etheria, December 11th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"...and yes, in theory, you could probably merge a 'gene scanner' with a magitech device that casts a healing spell and rig it so it uses input from the scanner to guide the spell. But you'd have to develop everything from the ground up - we don't have that kind of magitech device at the moment, nor do we know a healing spell that can affect genetics," Castaspella said.

Adora managed not to sigh out loud. They were still at it! Hours later! And she had thought Alliance meetings were bad!

"But magic can affect genetic conditions," Freyr said.

"She-Ra's magic, when channelling a planet's magic, can," Castaspella retorted. "That's a magic power, like a princess' power, not a spell - at least as far as we know. We haven't really analysed her power that deeply."

"We did come up with a variety of hypotheses, but we couldn't test any of them yet," the balding older man cut in with a frown aimed at Adora.

Adora met his frown. "We're in the middle of a war. Restoring a planet's magic just to run an experiment - on my power - has to wait."

"But it wouldn't take long at all!" the man all but whined. "And it would allow us to form a theory about this crucial aspect of Etherian magic! This could unleash a new age of research!"

"Unless your hypothesis ends up disproven," the oldest sorceress pointed out.

"Then we develop another hypothesis based on the new data!"

It was more than a little eerie how similar to Entrapta the man just sounded.

"And then we test it again," another sorceress chimed in.

Adora pressed her lips together so she wouldn't snap at the sorceresses that she wasn't at their beck and call. That would have been rude. But then, so were they.

"Are you honestly planning to replicate She-Ra's magic?" Glimmer asked with raised eyebrows.

"Duplicate the effects, at best," the man told her. "Replicating magic powers has proven impossible even in cases where the magic power in question seems to conform to the basic principles of spell-based magic since the underlying mechanics are completely different, but the effects often can be approximated with some research."

"A lot of research," the older sorceress added.

"Wait!" Adora refrained from raising her hand as if she were in a cadet training lesson. "If you can't duplicate my power because it's too different from spells, then why would you need to analyse it?"

"Oh, we wouldn't need to analyse it for the project," the man told her with a cheerful smile. "But analysing She-Ra's magic would greatly enhance our general knowledge and understanding of magic!"

Adora glanced around and saw that all sorceresses present were nodding in agreement with him. This was…

"Princesses aren't research subjects!" Glimmer snapped with a scowl.

"Is this a social norm, or are there factual reasons for this restriction?" Penegal asked. "Because it doesn't seem logical to restrict magic research in that manner."

"As I understand it, technically, princesses were research subjects of the Gate Builders - the First Ones - to start," Freyr added.

Once more, the sorceresses nodded, and Glimmer's scowl deepened. "Princesses are sovereigns. You ask for our help; you don't expect it unless you're a subject of the princess in question," she said.

"So… would you help us?" the man asked.

Castaspella frowned at him. "Drogan!"

That was his name! Adora made a mental note.

"What? I'm just asking."

"We shouldn't forget that She-Ra's magic isn't the result of the First Ones' experiments but predates their arrival," Bow pointed out. "There was a She-Ra on Etheria before there were other princesses."

"We don't know if there were no other princesses," the older sorceress disagreed. "There are no records in the First Ones' research base, but we know that there were sorceresses back then, so we cannot exclude the possibility that there were magic-users that used similar principles as today's princesses."

"That's your pet hypothesis. You don't have any proof for it," Drogan said.

"Just because you like to think that sorceresses were rulers back before the royal lines were established doesn't mean you can dismiss my theory without any evidence!"

"It's a hypothesis!"

"And it's irrelevant for the project we're discussing here," Castaspella said. "Creating a magitech device to stop and possibly reverse the genetic degradation of the Asgard doesn't need either." She nodded at Bow. "But you do make a good point. We do need to determine if the effects of She-Ra's healing magic can be duplicated by spells."

You're talking as if this is a done deal, Adora thought. But, seeing how the sorceresses and the Asgard acted, it probably was as good as a done deal. Everyone seemed enthusiastic, which was, of course, understandable in the case of the Asgard, but the sorceresses of Mystacor were also very invested in the idea. Even Bow.

She looked at Glimmer. Her friend probably had realised the same thing since she was frowning in the same way she usually did when Entrapta started talking a bit too enthusiastically about some new project.

Still, it was nice to see that the Asgard had finally found common ground with at least part of Etheria.

"This will be a long undertaking, though," Castaspella went on. "We're breaking entirely new ground here. It is unclear if this will result in success."

"We're aware of that," Freyr said. "But it's the best opportunity to save our species that we've discovered."

"And if it works, we won't have to deal with Loki's scheme," Thor added.

He sounded as if that was almost as important as saving the Asgard in the first place.

And that wasn't nice, in Adora's opinion.

She blinked. They would have to tell Loki about this, and she had no idea how he would react.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 11th, 1999

The General was using himself as bait. Typical. Samantha Carter should have expected it. She had known he'd do it as soon as Lenkova had mentioned the threat of assassination, but the possibility had been clear from the moment she had discovered that Stargate Command had been hacked. It was his style. He might claim it was just leading from the front - she had to remember to call it 'Princess style' to his face next time he did so - but he was not merely leading from the front; he was deliberately exposing himself to draw fire. And he was doing it outside the base proper so that collateral damage would be minimal.

She hoped that the Russians weren't actually as insane as attempting to assassinate a US General, a high-ranking officer in the Alliance forces and personal friend of Etheria's most powerful leaders. Or that, if they were, they did so in a rushed and ill-prepared manner that was easily foiled, at least.

But she couldn't dwell on this - she had a job to do. She had to root out the remnants of the programs infesting the base's computers. They needed the Stargate operational again to transfer people to and from Etheria and other planets. Moving their only ship-mounted Stargate from its current position near the expected area of operations back to Earth would take weeks and significantly reduce the strategic mobility of the Alliance's 'princess squads' and command assets. And special forces, she added after a moment.

Fortunately, she wasn't doing this alone. Entrapta's help was limited since she could only work through remotes, but that didn't affect programming tasks that much. And they were making steady progress. Most peripherals were clear now, their memory scrubbed clean and reformatted or physically replaced where possible before the software was restored from clean backups. The main computer was a bit more complex, but it could be safely taken offline, and all memory purged as well. More or less safely.

The real problem was the security system. Taking it offline would render the base very vulnerable for the duration. And even isolating the different components and scrubbing them one by one would lower the efficiency of the security system as a whole since it was built with the synergy of all elements in mind. Until they had replaced all parts, they would have two partial security systems working simultaneously using different components - and they couldn't be connected or risk reinfection of the clean components. The resulting decrease in efficiency would be significant enough, in Sam's estimation, that a skilled and experienced operator might be able to exploit this to infiltrate critical areas of the base to conduct sabotage - or an assassination. Especially if they were already inside the base, like the Russian and Chinese agents posing as soldiers.

Of course, that would require those agents to know which subsystems were inoperational at any moment, and it wasn't as if Sam and Entrapta would announce their carefully planned schedule, but with the system already compromised, it was not impossible that the Russians and Chinese had the level of access this would require. Sam would only be able to tell after she could analyse all the programs on both the mirrored caches and the removed memory banks, at which point it would be moot one way or the other. And it wouldn't even take that to simply observe their progress and then estimate when they would be about halfway done - probably at the most vulnerable point of the entire operation.

To safely purge the security system, they had to install a temporary replacement. And that would take unacceptably long, as the General had made clear when Sam had mentioned it. Which left the only alternative - except gambling that the Russians and Chinese wouldn't risk doing exactly what Lenkova had warned the General about - trusting guards and other ad-hoc measures to take up the slack.

Sam didn't like it. But the General did. He was actually hoping that the Russians would attempt something - would try to assassinate him! - and expose themselves in the process.

She gritted her teeth at his foolish risk-taking - he was a general now, not a colonel any more, and no matter what Etherian princesses did, generals weren't supposed to 'lead from the front' like this. Hadn't been supposed to since the 19th century!

But she was wasting time, crucial time, again. She had a main computer to purge of all spyware. They had removed the memory banks completely already, but the caches and internal memory of the core remained. Sam would prefer to replace the entire core, but General Hammond had blanched at the cost of the replacement, and even the General had agreed.

Of course, he had agreed by stating that he trusted Sam to clean up the core, she reminded herself, smiling softly for a moment before frowning at her foolishness and focusing again on the task in front of her.

"Anyone want a sandwich?" Catra's voice interrupted her. "The tuna sandwiches are mine, but I got pastrami, cucumber, eggsalad and some 'croque monsieur', which is French for 'cheese sandwich' as far as I can tell."

Sam was about to ignore Cara - who should be guarding the General, not her, no matter what the General thought - but the woman held a plate entirely too close to Sam's face, and the scent of fresh bread and cheese hit her nose and made her stomach remind her that she hadn't eaten in a while.

Which Catra must have been aware of, judging by her smug smile when Sam grabbed a sandwich. Damn her.

"So, how's it going?" Catra asked, munching on a tuna sandwich as she sat down on the table next to Sam's temporary desk, tail and legs dangling.

"As projected," Sam replied.

"That bad, huh?" Catra grinned.

"It's going well," Entrapta chimed in, lagging again.

Catra nodded. "Jack's outside, 'inspecting' the snow still. I don't think…"

Sam looked up. Catra had gone tense, and her ears were twitching as she cocked her head to the door.

No, to Melog, who had gotten up from where they had been sprawled on the floor.

Something was up, and Sam was sure it wasn't anything good.

*****​

Danger.

Yeah, no shit, Catra thought, her ears twitching as she listened to the discussion outside the room between a Chinese scientist and the guards stationed there. The man was claiming that he needed access to the computer for his research, and he was acting as if he wasn't aware of the current tension between the Chinese and Russian contingents and the rest of Stargate Command, but his 'absent-minded, research-focused' manner felt very suspicious.

But he was alone and facing not just a fire team from SG-3 but a team of Jack's special forces as well, and she couldn't really hear anyone else nearby, so even if he was a spy or assassin, what was he planning to do when outnumbered like that? Against alert guards? Even for a princess, that could be tricky.

Hurting.

The man was hurting? "What?" Catra muttered under her breath.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Huh?" Daniel looked up from the book he had been reading, but Sha're had already drawn her zat.

"Trouble?" Wilkinson asked, putting his hand on his gun, like Paris.

"Yes," Catra replied. "But not sure what kind. One Chinese 'scientist' is arguing with the soldiers outside, and he's hurting…" How? And why?

"What's going on?" Entrapta asked, lagging.

Catra ignored her friend - Entrapta's question was answered already.

Others hurting now!

Melog's urgent message came a moment before Catra heard the groans - and the falling bodies. What the… Her eyes widened while she was moving towards the door. "Poison!"

"Poison? We haven't cleared the sensors for…" Sam trailed off. "They must have taken them over! But my scanner should have detected it!"

"Poison gas?" Daniel blurted out.

"Prolly," Catra replied. None of the soldiers outside had managed to get a shot off, so that was some nasty gas.

She was at the door now. It should be airtight, but…

"Gas is more efficient than poisoning the food and drinks unless you are after a single target," Sha're said, joining her.

Catra heard a series of unfamiliar but identical noises outside. "He's shooting the soldiers," she snapped.

"Poison?" Entrapta's gasp was drowned out by the sound of an alarm going off inside the entire base - Sam's work, no doubt. Chemical attack warning, Catra realised.

"That means the door is next," Sha're said in a clipped voice. "And the gas is still outside."

"I shut down the climate controls, but if they sabotaged the system…" Sam trailed off. "The core rooms are compartmentalised, but the main part of the base…" She started typing on the console but drew back after a second. "They shut down the controls!"

"Would they attack the base with gas?" Daniel sounded shocked. "I mean, the entire base?"

"No sign of that," Sam reported, fingers flying over her keyboard.

No hurting outside.

With the alerts still sounding, it was hard to follow the action outside. Catra couldn't track the spy's steps any more. But she knew what he was doing. "Back away from the door!" she snapped, moving to the side.

A moment later, an explosion shattered the door, and Catra's ears rang. She had to stop herself from leaping through the smoking hole - there was gas outside. Coming inside.

Then she felt a breeze from behind - and heard Paris chanting shakily.

Magic wind.

Catra grinned, baring her fangs. That was quick thinking! She looked at Melog. "Do your thing!"

Melog cocked their head to the side for a moment, then Catra saw the room change, people vanishing, replaced by figures writhing on the floor as her friend's illusion took hold.

"Overpressure! Keep the gas out!" Entrapta yelled on the screen. "Reverse flow on the climate controls!"

Oh. Catra's friend hadn't noticed what was going on - this was bad.

But they couldn't stop. Catra loudly groaned, faking pain. The others chimed in, some more, some less convincing.

And then a figure stepped through the fading smoke, holding an unknown weapon in one hand and an alien cylinder in the other.

Sha're's zat dropped him before he could do anything, and Catra quickly secured him - holding her breath just in case. She couldn't hear any hissing noise, so there was no gas being released here, but better safe than sorry.

"No! Get up! Help! Hel… Oh!" Entrapta's frantic, desperate voice trailed off as Melog's illusion faded again.

"It was an illusion," Sam explained. "But the gas is real."

"And I'm not sure how much longer Paris can keep her magic breeze going," Wilkinson commented.

Catra glanced at the FBI sorceress. She looked like she was struggling. Severely struggling.

"We have to get out of here!" Catra yelled. But that would take them through the invisible poison cloud outside.

"I'm clearing the ventilation," Sam said. "The filters cannot be circumvented by remote controls. But I cannot predict if they will work on the gas used. My scanner didn't detect it."

Damn. Catra gritted her teeth. They were trapped inside the room. And Paris wouldn't last much longer.

"Can you build protection gear?" Entrapta asked.

"And I can't raise the General on the radio!" Sam added.

That was bad news, but Catra couldn't really afford to worry about Jack right now.

They had to find a way out of this death trap!

Wait! The assassin - he wasn't wearing a gas mask or a suit. He must have been immunised to the gas - partially, at least. He had been hurting. So, that wouldn't help them either. But… "Can you track the gas with your scanner?"

"I'll need to tweak it, but if I enhance it, it should be able to detect any particles." Sam was already fiddling with her scanner.

"Can you fix the door? With the desk? And using a sealant?" Entrapta suggested, still lagging.

"Done!" Sam announced. "Tracking unknown particles…" She drew hissing breath. "The entire hallway outside is filled with the gas. The other hallways are clear."

No choice. "Use your magic to push the gas into a corner in the hallway," Catra told Paris. "So we can get to the door."

"Can you do it?" Wilkinson asked.

She has to, Catra thought. Or they were done for.

Shakingly, Paris nodded.

*****​

Training Grounds, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 11th, 1999

As soon as he heard the alert, Jack O'Neill reached for his gas mask, reflexes reaching back to boot camp taking over. Chemical Attack! Gas! Mask on!

But he wasn't carrying a gas mask! He wasn't even carrying his full field kit!

Before he could do more than curse, Isa almost slapped him in the face with a mask. "Sir!"

The sergeant had already masked up - as had Campbell. Jack had picked his people well.

So, instead of making a comment about always having known that a desk job would be his death, he slipped the mask on. "Thank you. I somehow doubt that this is a drill."

"Yes, sir." Isa wasn't looking at him. The huge woman had her machine gun shouldered and was scanning for threats together with her partner.

Jack quickly glanced around, but he couldn't spot anything or anyone, and his radio was quiet - jammed? He pulled his communicator out. "Carter?"

"Under attack, sir. Chemical."

Jack drew a sharp breath as he felt his stomach clench. Then rage filled him. If the Russians had gassed Carter - and the base - he'd nuke their country from orbit! Priest would do it, anyway - Catra was with Carter, and killing Her Holyness's Holy Consort or whatever would certainly earn divine retribution!

No! He was better than that. And personally hunting down everyone responsible for this would be far more satisfying, anyway. "Sitrep."

"We're temporarily containing the gas and are moving to a safe area of the base," Carter reported.

Jack let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. They were safe. Safeish.

"There were casualties, though. The guards assigned to us were shot."

Damn. Jack looked at his two guards - now the only survivors of the squad he had taken with him. "Gas attack inside the base. Someone shot Brandis and his team."

The masks hid their expressions, but he could see them tense.

"We've captured the attacker."

Only one attacker? But they had been using gas. Still… Jack would have to review procedures. "Keep me informed. We're returning to base."

"Yes, sir. Passing into a secure area now."

Good. Jack glanced at Isa and Campbell again. "We're going back. Stay sharp. If they attacked the others, they won't be planning to let us be." The Russians would have to be complete fools if they thought they could get away with killing Jack's team without taking him out as well. Of course, the Russians would have to be complete fools to believe they could get away with this attack at all.

This has the scent of a hasty, improvised operation, Jack thought as they started to walk back towards the main entrance to Stargate Command's compound. Someone must have panicked when we started unravelling their plot.

That was both good and bad news. They had to expect anything now, even insane attempts at taking the entire base. Jack froze for a moment. Would the Russians start a war over this? He didn't think so, but he wouldn't have thought they'd use a chemical weapon in Stargate Command, either. Hell, that was already risking a war. So was what he was about to do, but he didn't see any way around it.

Switching channels, he contacted the task force guarding Earth's orbit. "O'Neill here. We're under attack by unknown forces, suspected to be Russian and Chinese in origin. Prepare to repel any military attacks against Alliance countries."

"Yes, General!"

If Jack was wrong, he might have just sunk his career. And possibly started a war. Well, he could always emigrate to Etheria. There was bound to be a nice spot in the mountains somewhere there with room for a hut and a lake for fishing.

Snorting, he pushed the thought away and focused on the area ahead of them. Survival first, future later. The roads and the main paths were clear of snow, but the rest of the area was covered with it. That meant anyone trying to attack or ambush them was either limited in where they moved or had to deal with leaving tracks.

But the Russians had experience with that. Canada wasn't Siberia, but snow was snow. Mostly. And while they were inside the base area, few people were outside at this time, so an assassin wouldn't have to dodge - or deal with - too many people. There were patrols, of course, but they were focused on keeping threats away, not hunting down assassins inside the base. Still, an assassin wouldn't want to get too close to the perimeter. That limited the approaches they could take.

"Watch the small ridge ahead," Jack called out. "Good ambush spot."

"Yes, sir." Isa twisted her upper body a bit and aimed her machine gun at it.

Campbell moved to cover the other side, where a field was currently serving as a snow dumping spot. A decent spot to set up crossfire, but you'd have to climb the mound of snow and expose yourself. Or you'd have to burrow through it…

"Stop!" Jack snapped, dropping to the ground and quickly moving behind a heavy chest full of snow-clearing gear stashed nearby. Using binocs with a gas mask on was annoying but not impossible. And it beat discovering an ambush by walking into it.

He scanned the piled-up snow. This was a hasty attack - they wouldn't have had time to prepare much, if at all. And they would have been under pressure not to miss Jack and his team before they returned to base. So… He studied the upper parts of the mound, hoping that whoever was out there wasn't lining up a shot at him right now. The snow was riddled with sticks and darker stones, which didn't help. But Jack knew someone was there. He just had to find them.

There! That wasn't a stick - that was a barrel! AK-style!

Jack bared his teeth. "Sniper nest. Ten yards to the left from the top of the mound. Isa."

"Got it," Isa replied as she and Campbell switched sectors.

A moment later, she started firing, the machine gun's bursts ripping through the snow. Even densely packed, you needed a lot of snow to stop a heavy machine gun - and Isa was an excellent shot.

"Contact ridge!" Campbell yelled. He was already firing.

Jack ducked down and made a note to start carrying something heavier than a pistol. He still shot back at what looked like two people with assault rifles but didn't think he hit either. Not before Campbell and Isa, who swung her gun around, cut both down.

Almost literally, in her case. No need to check for survivors there.

By the time the first patrol - a squad from SG-3 - arrived a few minutes later, they had found the sniper in the mound as well. A burst from Isa had gone through his torso, showering the snow tunnel he had dug with blood and gore, but the head was intact enough to identify Sergeant Popov.

Damn. Lenkova would blame herself for this. Even if it wasn't her fault at all - she had done the right thing.

His communicator announced an incoming call. "O'Neill!" he snapped, looking around.

"Stand by for Her Divine Highness," a clone told him.

Oh. Of course, Priest would have informed Adora. And, of course, Adora would be calling him at once. From Etheria. With all the delay in communication that caused.

Damn.

"Jack." Adora sounded very tense. "What's going on? Catra said they were safe, but she had Russians to fight. And Priest is asking for permission to prepare an orbital bombardment."

Oh! "It's not like that!" Jack replied. "Russians and Chinese attacked us in Stargate Command, so I asked him to be ready to deal with attacks on the Alliance by either country. Just in case."

Seconds passed.

"Good. They have firing solutions ready for every Russian and Chinese military installation they know of."

Jack was pretty sure they had firing solutions for any known military installation on Earth, including the Alliance bases. But that was just standard procedure. "We're sorting this out here," he told her.

"Get the Stargate open again. I need to come to Earth as soon as possible."

Jack knew better than to argue that. And with Priest sounding so trigger-happy, the sooner they could get Adora to Earth, the better. "Will do."

He left the patrol to deal with the rest and hurried back to the base. He had to check up on his team. And the Russians and Chinese needed to be dealt with.

But when they reached the entrance to the base proper, he could see that things were already, if not in hand, then getting done. A squad of Chinese soldiers - disarmed - was led out of the base under armed guard.

"What's the status of the base?" Jack barked. Stargate Command wasn't under Alliance command, but he was the one with the direct line to the spaceships in orbit with the big honking spaceguns, and members of the Alliance had been killed with a chemical weapon, so he doubted that anyone would try to pull rank on him.

The French Lieutenant straightened. "We're securing the prisoners in a 'angar without direct access to the base, General," he replied in slightly accented English.

"Is the Stargate secure?" Jack asked. The Chinese looked… not mulish but stoic, despite not being dressed for the outside. He couldn't see any wounds or other signs of having fought amongst them or the French soldiers, either.

"Yes, General." The Lieutenant nodded. "The Chinese surrendered without a fight when General Haig ordered them to. The Russians… resisted and had to be subdued."

Jack nodded. He would have to ask Hammond for more information. "Carry on."

"Yes, General."

They stepped into the lift, and Jack used his communicator again. "Carter, we're coming down. Had a little scuffle with Russians trying to stop us. Status?"

"We're in the control centre, sir." Carter sounded relieved. "General Haig ordered the Russian and Chinese troops to lay down their arms and surrender. General Li complied. General Sidorov ordered his soldiers to resist before General Haig stunned him. Some are still holding out in their barracks."

"Not for long, I hope."

"I don't expect them to, sir. Catra and Melog are assisting Stargate Command with securing the base."

"Copy that." Good. It seemed things were under control. At least inside Stargate Command.

The lift arrived, and Isa moved in front of Jack before the doors opened. He didn't argue with her either. Never give an order you know won't be obeyed.

But the hallways were secure - a British squad was covering all doors.

Inside the control centre, Carter was busy at her computer, with Daniel and Sha're standing a bit to the side, whispering to each other, and Wilkinson hovering near Paris, who was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, looking like she had just ran a marathon or two.

That… "Don't tell me that they also attacked you with magic!" Jack blurted out.

"No, Jack," Daniel replied. "But Agent Paris had to use a lot of magic to contain the gas so we could pass through safely."

Paris nodded weakly. "It drained me more than expected."

"It was enough to save us all," Sha're said.

She had saved his team? Jack would have to make sure she joined his command. Or at least the Alliance.

But first, he reminded himself as he turned towards Hammond, he had to sort out this mess. Preferably without starting a war, but he wasn't particularly picky about that right now.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 129: Spy Games Part 5

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 12th, 1999

Adora could barely keep from running down the ramp when she arrived on Earth. Finally! After hours of doing nothing while Sam and Entrapta worked on the Stargate computers, worrying while she waited for the all-clear… But she was the Supreme Commander of the Alliance. She couldn't rush into this like some worried girl.

Jack was there, as were Generals Haig and Hammond, and Isa and… Sergeant Campbell, and that was Kira in the background.

"Supreme Commander." Jack saluted her, followed by the other generals.

She returned the salute.

Before she could say anything, Entapta arrived behind her and rushed down the ramp - and past them. "Hi, everyone! Bye, everyone - I'll be in Sam's lab!" And then she was out the door, leaving everyone else blinking.

"Good to have you back," Jack said with a grin as he lowered his hand.

"Good to be back. Glimmer was held up but will join us in a while." Once she and Bow had explained things to Loki. Adora glanced around. Where was Catra? She hadn't been hurt while taking down the last Russians, Adora knew that, but why wasn't she here? She wouldn't care about proper procedure, either… "So, what did you find out about the attack?"

Jack didn't mention that his latest report had been sent an hour ago and nodded. "We're still interrogating the prisoners. Sidorov is staying silent, as is Li, and most of everyone else is claiming to have merely followed orders."

She snorted at that. "And the assassin you caught alive?"

"Under guard in the infirmary."

Was that where Catra was? Standing guard so the prisoner wouldn't be murdered to silence him?

Jack shrugged and went on: "It looks like he was using some alien drugs to keep the alien gas he was also using from harming him too much. But when Sha're stunned him, he couldn't use the drug any more, and…

"I can heal him," Adora said. "I can heal all wounded."

"That would be appreciated," General Haig said.

Right. This was Stargate Command, not an Alliance base. Adora had been a bit rude by talking to Jack, hadn't she? "It's the least I can do," she told him. She glanced around. They were almost at the door leading out of the gate room, and she couldn't see any sign of Catra. "Let's head to the infirmary first, then. No need to let our wounded suffer any longer."

"This way," Hammond said, gesturing down the hallway.

"Are the Russians and Chinese leaders still claiming that this was done by rogue soldiers?" Adora asked.

"That's their story, and they're sticking to it. For now," Jack replied. "Li hasn't refuted that - he commented that a scheme to smuggle alien goods through the gate would have made him and Sidorov a fortune."

Hammond scoffed at that.

Adora frowned as well. "And Sidorov is staying silent?"

"Probably waiting for orders from Russia," Jack said. "The whole attack smells rushed and improvised. Never a good combination."

Hammond coughed loudly, and Jack pouted at him.

"We can count ourselves lucky that they apparently lacked proper planning and support," Haig said. "Albeit, I assume that they had contingency plans worked out in advance."

"Which Carter and the others wrecked when they started poking around, I bet:" Jack grinned.

Adora nodded - Sam and Entrapta rooting through the compromised computer memory banks would have likely spoilt some plans.

They reached the infirmary. No Catra in sight, but Melog was curled up in front of a room with two guards next to the door. They looked at her, yawned and curled up again.

So, Catra was fine. But still missing.

Adora quickly healed the wounded - about a dozen, ranging from lightly hurt to having caught a few bullets - then headed to the room where the assassin was held.

Two more guards stood to each side of the bed there, and the prisoner was tied down as well. He looked pretty bad - he had tubes running into his mouth and nose, and his skin had a greyish tone.

"Can't have him suicide, should he wake up," Jack said. "But he's stable as far as we can tell. The Doc says they're still analysing the poison gas, but a lot of it broke down already."

She nodded and healed the man. He remained asleep, or so it seemed - but she caught him tense just a bit. "We know you're awake," she said.

He didn't react. Ah, well… She glanced at Jack. "We can start interrogating him."

"I'll inform our specialist."

Their specialist? Did he mean Wilkinson? Probably.

"We've prepared a meeting room," Hammond said. "Unless you have to travel to Brussels immediately."

Without Catra? Adora almost snapped at him. She managed to nod. "No, we've got a few things to discuss."

And a cat to find. She was getting worried again. Even though Melog would have shown if Catra was hurt. Or in danger. But she couldn't help…

"Hey, Adora."

Adora whirled. There, leaning against the wall outside the infirmary, was Catra! Smirking like… well, her.

"Catra!"

"Yeah. Finally made it back here, huh? About…"

"Catra!" Adora's hug cut off her lover's next words. And then her kiss cut off any protests.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 12th, 1999

Samatha Carter cleared her throat as she stepped up to the big holographic screen in the meeting room the Alliance had taken over inside Stargate Command. "Supreme Commander. General. Commander." She nodded at Adora, the General and Glimmer, then at the others present. "We've finished our preliminary analysis of the recovered alien technology." Very preliminary. She wished she was better prepared for this - between the need to clear the base's computers and ensure there were no boobytraps left by saboteurs so they could reopen the Stargate, she hadn't had a lot of time to examine the alien technology they had secured. That wasn't long enough to draw solid conclusions.

Although Entrapta had joined her as soon as they had opened the wormhole again, followed later by Bow, and between them, they had managed at least to get a decent overview of the various pieces. And realise how close we had come to dying, she added in her mind - Entrapta hadn't reacted particularly well to that. Not after having seen her friends dying from the poison gas and communication lag preventing her from realising it was one of Melog's illusions for several seconds. Catra hadn't taken that well - she hadn't realised how her plan would look to Entrapta.

But sorting that out could wait. She had a briefing to do. She pressed a key on her laptop, and the projection of a small cylinder appeared on the screen, slowly rotating around itself. "This is the container that carried the poison gas used against us by Qiang Lee." They hadn't yet found out whether the assassin they had captured was Dr Quiang Lee, a young astrophysicist who had published several works or a soldier impersonating him - the man had refused to answer any questions, last Sam heard. "It is shielded from any conventional sensors we know on Earth, though not from magic or Ancient sensors," she explained.

"Then how could they smuggle it into the base?" Glimmer asked, frowning deeply.

"Because the compound contained inside the cylinder is not poisonous until it reacts with human biochemistry. It's like a binary poison where one component is a part of the human body. The poison so produced acts like a standard poison, but since it is generated upon contact, our scanners didn't pick it up until it started taking effect. And even then, the scanner focused on the poison created, not the compound in the air." Even the magic scanner had been fooled by this, which Sam suspected was accidental, but they couldn't rule out that the Eurondans used magic themselves.

"Which we have corrected now!" Entrapa chimed in. "And we've adjusted the scanner to show any unknown particles - though that will make it probably overly sensitive to many harmless substances on alien planets, so… We might have to be careful about that."

"We'll get false alerts for a while," the General summed up.

"Yes, sir. We suggest that a dedicated crew of technicians and scientists is part of any force landing on a new planet to speed up such adjustments," Sam told him.

"Making the scanner adjust to that automatically is kinda difficult," Entrapta said with a pout. "We'd have to give it the same databanks and sensor capability Alpha has, and that would make it hard to fit into a portable scanner. Though for a fleet action, we could have a special ship with a lab on board to analyse any such data transmitted from the surface!"

"A science vessel in the fleet?" The General snorted. "I guess Star Trek will be vindicated."

Sam narrowed her eyes at him - slightly. "It is the same concept of having scientists as part of an exploration team." That had been her own position in SG-1!

"Right." He looked a little sheepish for a moment before nodding at her.

"The poison is a neural agent attacking the central nervous system of anyone exposed to it. The effect is debilitatingly painful but would take quite some time to kill a victim."

The others in the room looked shocked or grim at the news - and with cause. It was a very cruel way to kill someone. It was almost a mercy that Lee had killed the teams he had used the gas against. Almost.

The General nodded again. "That's the gas. And the gun?"

"It's a direct energy weapon of unknown make," Sam told him as the gun appeared on the screen. "Definitely alien in origin. The gun's velocity is relatively slow, but it can damage both organic and inorganic targets and has a stun setting."

"Like a zat?" Catra asked.

"It follows a similar concept, but it works differently," Sam corrected her. "It causes direct physical or stun damage."

"And it didn't show up on our scanner either?" The General raised his eyebrows.

"The power source was not powerful enough to show up on the general scan," Sam explained.

That had the General snort. "Figures it was something like that."

Sam could see the irony, but they had lost two squads to this weapon and the gas. "We also secured this." She showed another, smaller cylinder. "It's a medical device - it works similar to an autoinjector. We first assumed that the substance was an antidote for the poison, but it's actually a medical compound that very quickly heals the body once administered. Quickly enough that Lee didn't succumb to the gas even though he was exposed to it for a length of time."

"But it hurt him," Catra said, "Melog felt it."

"Yes." Sam nodded. Lee must have been suffering horrible pain throughout the fight.

The General frowned. "That does sound like he was improvising. If he had prepared this beforehand, he probably would have had an antidote ready. And how much of that stuff was the assassin carrying?"

"Half a dozen injectors, sir," Sam replied.

The General looked at her, then at the others. "That wasn't an assassination attempt. He wanted hostages."

That was a likely conclusion, indeed.

"Hostages?" Adora scowled.

"Me." Catra hissed. "To use against you."

"It would make the whole attempt to take over the base a little less insane," the General went on, looking at Catra and Adora. "Still not sane, but if they thought taking you hostage would stay your hand…" He shrugged.

Sam nodded. Everyone knew that the Etherians treated politics as a personal affair. If the Chinese - and the Russians, since they had been working together - thought that meant they would value friends above everything else… Well, they weren't entirely wrong, but they would have completely miscalculated how the Etherians would respond to such a ploy.

And, Sam added with a slight wince when she saw Adora, Catra and the other Etherians' expressions, they might end up finding out exactly how wrong they had been - and how right.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 13th, 1999

Usually, meetings in the Alliance Headquarters were dominated by the military. This time, there were far fewer military uniforms visible than usual, Catra noticed. Instead, more people wore suits. And humans insisted that these weren't civilian uniforms even though every Earth ruler seemed to be wearing them!

She snorted as she sat down next to Adora. Not every ruler was attending, but the most important ones were here - the ones from Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Canada, though the last one's importance was questionable, according to Jack. Still, the Stargate was on their soil. Or surrounded by their soil, depending on how you interpreted the international treaty covering it. Catra wasn't a lawyer, but if you lost the right to rule a piece of your land and other kingdoms had free access to it and could station what troops they wanted there, it wasn't your land any more, was it?

Not that it mattered. This would be decided by the leaders of the Alliance, and that only because Adora was, again, being a goody-two-shoes about the rules.

"Alright," Adora spoke up. "You've all received the preliminary report about the attacks on Stargate Command. Do you have any questions?"

She looked formidable, all serious and angry, and Catra felt a shiver run down her spine. Her love.

Most of the people present shook their heads, and after a moment, Adora went on: "We've lost four Alliance soldiers killed in action. Stargate Command lost ten soldiers killed in action and fifteen wounded. No civilians were hurt or killed during the chemical attack."

"An attack with an alien gas weapon," the Canadian Prime Minister said. "That is a war crime. They attacked us."

"Russia and China are claiming this was the result of actions taken by officers going rogue," the German Bundeskanzler said. "Given the current state of relations with the United Nations, disproving that claim could prove tricky."

"What you mean is that too many countries in the United Nations are ruled by bigots and dictators who fear and resent the Alliance and would never rule in our favour no matter what proof we have," Glimmer said with a slight sneer.

Catra wasn't the only one who snorted at that.

The German nodded, apparently not fazed. "Exactly. Even if Russia and China didn't have veto powers, the odds of achieving support by the United Nations for our response are not good."

"We don't need their support," Glimmer retorted. "We can destroy the Russian and Chinese military from orbit without trouble."

Catra saw the other rulers tense at that. They must have known that, though - the Alliance knew what Horde frigates could do and how good the Alliance scanners were. Their military was planning to use orbital fire support for planetary invasions, even!

"But if we do this, other countries might be driven to similarly desperate actions," the German Bundeskanzler said. "They would remember the intervention in Iran as well. Can we afford such 'distractions' during wartime?"

"And even part of the public in our own countries might not react favourably to what they might see as a disproportionate retaliation," the British Prime Minister pointed out.

Catra overheard the British Admiral muttering something about "another General Belgrano", but she had no idea what he meant.

"We were attacked with chemical weapons! Our soldiers were murdered!" the Canadian Prime Minister retorted. "I doubt that anyone sane will dispute that this requires a reaction."

"The problem is that the whole attack was so insane, many people won't believe that Russia or China could do this," the British Prime Minister said. "And, as the report states, the whole attack seemed to have been an improvised and panicked reaction to the discovery of their takeover of the Stargate Command main computer." He looked around, "Can we really dismiss the possibility that this was decided and executed by officers acting on their own?"

"Russia and China are still responsible for their forces. If they cannot control them, then that's on them," the French Président said.

The US President looked a little doubtful. "We cannot actually tell if the trade deals with the aliens were authorised by the Russian president, much less the escalation to attempted assassination. He will be replaced at the end of the month, and by all accounts, he has not been in control of his government for quite some time, with oligarchs instead struggling for power in the wake of First Contact. What the new president will do is anyone's guess."

"China has no such excuse," the Canadian Prime Minister retorted. "And the attack with chemical weapons was done by a Chinese agent posing as a scientist."

"They are saying that this is proof that the man is a rogue spy and criminal," the Bundeskanzler cut in.

"We have had reports about internal struggles from China, but nothing concrete," the US President said. "But it is unlikely that they were so compromised that rogue elements could infiltrate their troops and scientists at Stargate Command."

Catra nodded in agreement. That was nonsense. Even if a number of countries would claim to believe it.

"But why would they do something so insane?" the Bundeskanzler asked. "They must have known that even if they had taken hostages, they wouldn't have gotten away with it - and if they had made any demands, they would have had to abandon the claim that this wasn't done on the orders of their governments."

"They're paranoid and desperate," Jack spoke up. "The Russians have convinced themselves for decades that NATO wants to attack them. I doubt the Chinese have forgotten the Korean War. And now their military has been rendered obsolete - they know that; don't think they haven't spies in places - and they know what they would do in our place. So, even an insane plan might look better to them than their current situation."

Catra pressed her lips together. She knew about risking everything on a slim chance of victory instead of accepting defeat. She had almost destroyed Etheria as a result. But that didn't excuse it - or her own actions.

"That doesn't excuse their actions," Adora said, repeating Catra's thought.

"And they cannot be allowed to get away with this, or they'll try the same thing again - and so will everyone else," Glimmer added.

"No matter if they're actually guilty or not," Jack said.

"The buck stops with them," the US President added. He seemed to agree with Jack, even if Catra didn't get the reference.

"So," Adora spoke up. "What do you suggest we do?"

Several of the people present tensed up again, Catra noted.

*****​

Jack O'Neill raised his eyebrows a little at the wording. 'Suggest' - Adora didn't make it sound as if she was humouring the politicians present, but he had no doubt that if she didn't like a suggestion, she'd ignore it.

The question was: Were the politicians aware of that? They should; the President had had a lot of briefings from Jack and his team about the Etherians, and Jack was sure that the other leaders had been briefed by their people. And they had been working with the Princesses for over a year now. But the Etherians hadn't really thrown their power around as they could have, and Adora and her friends had been primarily working with the military staff, not the civilian leaders.

"First, we need to know if we have proof that this was an organised attack by Russia and China," the Bundeskanzler said. "Our response has to take into account how much support we have amongst our allies and the public. There's also the question of how NATO is handling this."

Glimmer rolled her eyes. Probably barely holding back a cynical comment about the free press, Jack thought. Or daytime TV.

Catra leaned forward. "The assassin isn't talking. If you want proof, we need to go and capture the Russian and Chinese leadership and see if they talk."

The Bundeskanzler drew back, and his eyes widened at that.

"That would not be received well by many other countries," the French Président said. "Especially not in Africa, Asia and Central America."

"You mean primarily the countries where the former colonial powers continued to topple governments they didn't like?" Daniel asked. "Including the United States."

"Yes." The French Président nodded with a slight smile.

Jack snorted. You could almost admire the way the French shamelessly owned up to it. The President, on the other hand, was wincing, and the British Prime Minister looked like he had bitten into a lemon. He half-expected the Canadians and Germans to claim they weren't involved in any of that, but neither did.

"The Stargate was attacked with a chemical weapon," the Canadian Prime Minister repeated himself instead. "Soldiers of Stargate Command but also Alliance soldiers died as a result. And it was done by Russians and Chinese using technology and weapons from an unknown alien power. I think this will speak for itself, at least in our countries."

"If we present it like that, focus on the brave soldiers uncovering the infiltration and fighting off the insidious attack…" The President nodded. "The media will like it. It's almost a Pearl Harbour moment."

Jack pressed his lips together. Those had been his people who had died, both Special Operations Command and SG-3. They hadn't died for the optics of this. But saying so wouldn't help things right now. Even if he really wanted to.

"So, that covers the support from your people," Glimmer said, not quite rolling her eyes to make sure everyone understood what she thought about the whole thing. "But what do you suggest we should do?"

"What do you suggest?" the Bundeskanzler asked. For a moment, he looked as if he was surprised by his own question, in Jack's impression. It was a fair question, though, even if it would have been sassy coming from someone else - like Jack.

"We need to ensure that they will not launch another such attack against us," Glimmer replied. "We don't know if they have more of the poison gas and the other alien technology the assassin used."

"They wouldn't dare, would they?" The Bundeskanzler said. "Their excuses are already threadbare thin. Another attack with either poison gas or alien technology would be a clear act of war - against the entire Alliance and NATO.."

That was debatable, as far as Jack understood the issue. The Alliance was aimed against the Goa'uld, not other countries on Earth; the Princesses had made it clear that they didn't want to be dragged into internal conflicts on Earth. But Alliance soldiers had been attacked, and aliens were - directly or indirectly - involved, and that made it Alliance business. Of course, an attack against a NATO country could trigger Article Five.

"If they are as desperate - and paranoid - as Jack said, then what do they have to lose?" Catra shrugged. "If they expect us to crush them, we might as well do it before they cobble together another attack. Nukes and gas we can stop, but what if they have biological weapons?"

That was a horrible possibility. Jack had seen the data about Ancient bioweapons. If the Russians and Chinese had something comparable…

"If they had that capability, I'd expect them to threaten us with it," the British Prime Minister said. "At least through diplomatic channels."

"They might not think it would be worth losing the element of surprise in case the Etherians are willing to sacrifice Earth to destroy them," the French Président retorted.

Adora and her friends gasped. "We would never do that!" she blurted out.

Glimmer nodded emphatically. "It would be a betrayal of everything the Alliance stands for!"

Jack grimaced. "We know that. But the Russians and Chinese would do it in your place." At least their leaders, as far as Russia had a leader at the moment. Which was another can of worms - if the Russian leadership was dysfunctional… "Whatever we do, we need to know what technology the Russians and Chinese have at their disposal," he said.

Everyone agreed to that. "But the prisoners aren't talking," Adora said. "The most they say, some of them, is that they were following orders and defending themselves. And as long as they don't talk even Kira's Truth spells won't really help."

There was a solution for getting people to talk, Jack knew, but it wasn't a solution the Etherians would condone. And since they needed their sorceresses for the truth spells, the solution was off the table.

Which was a relief - Jack really didn't want to torture prisoners. And letting others do it wasn't any better - worse, actually.

But that didn't change the fact that they needed more information. He could only hope that his people working on it would come up with something.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 13th, 1999

"Da, following orders is Russian way. If you follow orders of superior, you do no wrong even if you do wrong. Unless, of course, superior or superior's superior disagrees."

Iwan was a good scientist and had quite the charm - Samantha Carter might even consider him a friend, if not a close friend - but his English was really annoying. Doubly so since she was certain that he could speak far better English yet chose to talk like this. The man not only read all relevant science publications in English, he published in them!

"But the Russian government disavowed their actions," Special Agent Wilkinson pointed out. "If they don't want to be tried as criminals - and for capital crimes - they should cooperate."

"They have family in Russia, da?" Iwan shook his head. "They betray Russia, family suffer."

"What about your family?" Special Agent Paris asked. "You've been cooperating."

Iwan shrugged. "No family left. No family I care for, at least."

Sam couldn't tell if he really didn't care or was trying to hide something. For all his boisterous manners, which were often quite stereotypical Russian, as Daniel had pointed out to her in private, the man had a good poker face. That wasn't surprising, of course, since he had grown up in the USSR and had been involved in top-secret research.

"I still can't believe all of them would take the fall." Wilkinson shook his head. "There's always someone who turns."

"Did you offer bribes?" Iwan asked.

Wilkinson frowned at him. "Offering bribes? That would invalidate their testimony!"

"We can point out that cooperation will get them leniency, but we aren't authorised to offer actual deals," Paris added.

Oh. Sam winced. As did Iwan, she noted. "You're following FBI rules and regulations," she said.

"Of course," Wilkinson said.

"This is an Alliance investigation," Sam pointed out. "You don't answer to the FBI here but to the Alliance. To Alliance High Command," she emphasised.

"The legal procedures are the same, at least as far as fundamentals are concerned," Wilkinson retorted. "You can't bribe a witness, and we aren't authorised to offer deals."

Iwan cocked his head, acting as if he was confused. "Legal procedures? This is military and political matter. Result important."

"We're not in Russia!" Wilkinson snapped. "We have a working judicial system! People have rights!"

Sam grimaced. She shouldn't be handling this - she was a scientist, not a lawyer. Or a politician. But the General and the others were meeting with the Alliance leaders. And while the exact chain of command was a little vague, the General had left her in charge here. "We're investigating an attack on the Alliance and Stargate Command," she said. "Our priority is to find out what happened and who is responsible. Whether or not that intel is applicable in a court of law is of secondary importance."

Wilkinson stared at her as if she had threatened to shoot him in the back. "What?"

"Princesses and Generals not care about procedures," Iwan said. "They want results for military and politics."

"You might as well torture the prisoners then!" Wilkinson spat.

"Torture doesn't work," Paris cut in.

"It work for Russia."

"We aren't Russia!" Wilkinson glared at Iwan.

Combining torture with a truth spell would likely work, Sam knew. As long as the victim still knew truth from lies, the spell would detect any falsehood they knowingly said - and they would say something to stop the torture. But that wasn't an option. "The Alliance doesn't torture people," she said. If Wilkinson had met the Princesses for longer than a brief greeting, he would know that.

"Da. Alliance very good about that." Iwan grinned.

"But deals and bribes are allowed," Sam went on. "And Kira can check for lies. Whether or not that would invalidate any testimony is irrelevant."

"Even if it means a war criminal escapes justice?" Wilkinson retorted. "Over a dozen people died because of this attack!"

Sam was tempted to mention Hordak. And Catra. She didn't, though. Instead, she said: "Do you think any of our prisoners were the masterminds behind the attack?"

Wilkinson frowned at her. "Sidorov was in charge of the Russian troops. Li commanded the Chinese contingent. We don't have any records of them contacting their superiors in their home countries."

Absence of evidence wasn't evidence of absence, though. "They could have had orders for such a contingency," Sam pointed out. "But do you really think the soldiers we captured acted independently?"

Wilkinson didn't answer that, but his expression said enough. "We still have no authorisation to offer any plea deals. Or other deals."

"You have it now," Sam told him. "I'll ask Adora to make it an order. In writing."

Both special agents seemed surprised at that.

"Alliance way, this is," Iwan told them. "Princesses are honest like that."

"They aren't naive," Sam added. "But they take their responsibilities as leaders seriously. They won't sacrifice people under their command to save themselves. Or to follow procedures."

Judging by the glances Wilkinson and Paris exchanged, they weren't used to that in the FBI.

To be fair, Sam had not been used to that in the Air Force either. Not until she had started serving at Stargate Command under the General and General Hammond, at least.

She looked at the two agents. "Get them to talk. We need to know who to go after in Russia and China." She smiled at the way Wilkinson and Paris's eyes widened at that. "This is a political and military matter. Not a matter of jurisdiction."

"Da!" Iwan nodded. "Like Iran."

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 14th, 1999

"So, the Chinese government claims that this was all your doing and that your government has had no knowledge about the contact with the Eudondans or the attack on Alliance personnel?"

Wilkinson sounded rather frustrated. Catra could emphasise.

The Chinese general slowly nodded with a polite smile that was just so slightly smug that Catra wanted to slash the mirror glass separating her from the interrogation room and rip it off his face.

"You're not fooling anyone," Wilkinson said, shaking his head. "We know you're lying."

"I have told you no lie," Li retorted.

"True," Kira said next to Catra.

It didn't mean anything, though. Li hadn't actually said anything substantial during the interrogation. Of course, as a member of the Stargate Command Council, Li had been aware of magical truth spells - it wouldn't have made sense to send sorceresses from Etheria to help guard the Stargate and not inform the people in charge of what they could do.

In hindsight, using truth spells on the people in charge would have made more sense, at least in Catra's opinion.

Wilkinson looked even more frustrated on hearing Kira's report through the bud in his ear. "What was the plan, anyway? Take us all hostages?" he snapped.

"Not you. Just the friends of She-Ra," Li replied.

"True." Kira sounded as surprised as Catra felt - was Li suddenly breaking his silence?

Wilkinson's eyes had widened, but he quickly recovered and leaned forward on the table separating him and Li. "Catra, Major Carter, Dr Jackson and his wife?"

"Yes."

"True," Kira whispered.

"And you thought this would give you leverage to make demands to the Alliance?" Wilkinson asked.

Li slowly nodded again. "The Supreme Commander of the Alliance values her friends dearly."

"And yet you tried to murder General O'Neill."

"That was General Sidorov's plan."

"True," Kira reported.

Wilkinson shook his head again. "You had access to the Stargate. You had the freedom to explore the galaxy. Why would you risk all that?"

Li kept smiling without answering.

"He won't say anything that can be proven as a lie," Catra said.

"Earlier, I thought he might, but now…" Kira sighed.

The sorceress had to be tiring; keeping up a spell for so long was exhausting. Catra doubted that Kira would bring it up, though. Not until she was about to collapse. The woman probably felt guilty for missing the entire plot until Sam had come in.

"You knew you wouldn't escape. Hostages or not," Wilkinson tried again.

"A small chance is better than no chance at all." Li sounded as if he was quoting someone.

"Were you planning on letting your superiors 'convince' you to release the hostages and surrender?"

Li's smile didn't change. The man had a great poker face. On the other hand, his refusal to answer was an answer itself.

And, despite Wilkinson's frustration, this was enough. At least for Catra. "So, Li's been planning to take the fall for his leaders. Even though no one's going to believe the story. And he probably set up Sidorov somehow." Maybe to make himself look better in comparison. Or to get back at the Russian - Catra didn't think anyone who had to work with Sidorov liked the man even a little bit. Unfortunately, the Russian general hadn't said a single word. For all his faults, he could shut up perfectly.

"Yes." Kira nodded in agreement.

"Do you think that this would have changed anything? No one believes your story!" Wilkinson repeated himself.

Li, once more, didn't answer.

"What do you think was his plan?" Kira asked.

Catra shrugged. "Trade hostages for concessions, maybe." That was what they usually did in the files she had read. Though that only worked when the kidnappers had managed to get away in the first place and managed to make a deal later, from a safe position. She couldn't remember anyone actually successfully using hostages to escape.

"In the movies, they usually demand a flyer for some reason. Maybe he wanted to use the Stargate?" Kira suggested while Wilkinson repeated himself again in the interrogation room and Li predictably failed to answer.

"And get stranded without supplies on some rock? Or end up eaten by a monster? Not that we would have let him go - he knows too much," Catra replied.

"What do you think would have happened if you had killed us all?" Wilkinson said. "To China."

That was a good question.

"I do not think Princess She-Ra would punish others for my crimes. Or would let anyone else do this."

"True."

"And do you think that extends to your government?"

Once again, Li didn't answer.

Well, they would find out. Once they reported back to the Alliance High Command with the results of the interrogation.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, Earth, December 14th, 1999

"...and in the face of worldwide outrage at the use of chemical weapons against the Alliance, the Russian and Chinese governments both independently released a statement that their representatives at Stargate Command acted on their own and denied any responsibility for the attack. In other words, either the Russians and Chinese are lying, or they have no control at all over their most important forces! And neither the current Russian president nor his elected successor has been seen in public since the attack, prompting speculation about a coup."

"...meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General called upon 'all sides to refrain from hasty actions', and various nations from the Middle East condemned 'unprovoked aggression against sovereign nations for alleged crimes committed by individuals'."

"...while the Secretary General of NATO has released a statement that the organisation is 'closely coordinating with the Alliance' with regard to their response to the attack on the Stargate but refused to comment if Article Five has been brought up so far. With uncertainty whether or not NATO countries in the Alliance have access to space-based weapons, it remains…"

"...in response to the senator's repeated statements that 'another day of infamy' required an 'equally swift and decisive response from the United States', he asked whether or not they consider Newfoundland part of the United States, and what…"

"...the world holds its breath as the Alliance leadership is gathering to decide whether or not they will respond to the Stargate Incident with war."

"...where the peace protesters and the counter-protesters clashed violently, and the police arrested…"

Jack O'Neill sighed and switched the TV off. Yeah, releasing the news about the attack on Stargate Command had gone about as well as he had expected - but they couldn't have let the Russians and Chinese set the narrative or something. As if anyone would believe anything what either country claimed! Well, except for half the world, according to the United Nations.

He got up, checked that he hadn't left anything on his desk that he needed, and walked out of his office, nodding at the additional guards posted in the hallways as he passed them. Security was very tight, with most of the allied countries' leaders present. Two frigates in orbit directly over Brussels, a full regiment of his command ready to drop in combat shuttles, the rest of the special forces on standby… He snorted at the thought that if the Alliance decided to attack Russia and China, they could just change their preplanned deployments and strike at a moment's notice. Or rather, mop up what the frigates above Russia and China would have left standing after Priest opened with orbital bombardment.

Getting into the meeting room took getting scanned - three times. It was a bit of an overreaction, in his opinion, but he hadn't said so out loud.

This time, uniforms and suits had about equal numbers inside the room. Jack nodded at the guards inside the room, then headed to his friends, trying not to catch the attention of the assembled presidents and prime ministers. He wasn't in the mood to make small talk with politicians on a good day, certainly not now when everyone would want to use him to get more information about the Etherians' thoughts on the matter.

Exchanging greetings with his team and the Etherians, he took his seat. "Let's see whether or not we get to do a live-fire invasion exercise in Russia and China."

Catra and Glimmer chuckled, but Adora frowned at him. "Don't give Priest ideas! He already proposed that we have a volunteer 'act on his own and bombard all strategic assets of both countries'."

That would actually be very fitting, in Jack's opinion. Show the Russians and Chinese that if they tried to be clever with 'rogue soldiers acting on their own', they would suffer the same in return. And since it would be a clone acting, they could just have him change his name and claim they had punished him - no one would be able to tell the difference…

"Don't you get any ideas either!" Adora told him.

He gave her his best innocent smile. It didn't work, of course, but Glimmer and Catra laughed again. Then the meeting began, and everyone stopped laughing.

*****​

"...and so while we are almost absolutely certain that the dealing with the Eurondans wasn't an unauthorised action by Generals Sidorov and Li, but a coordinated plot by at least parts of the governments of Russia and China, we don't have sufficient intel to say the same about the actual assassination attempts," Adora finished her report.

"Do we have proof of this?" the German Bundeskanzler asked.

"Not according to your legal standards," Glimmer replied. "But General Li refused to answer any question that could have shed light on that while admitting his own guilt."

"While under the effect of a magic spell," the President pointed out.

"No. Kira cast the spell on herself to detect truth, not on Li," Glimmer corrected him.

Jack had to suppress a snort when the President frowned at her. "It's not going to make a difference for the United Nations. They'll claim you can't trust magic."

"We could have a signed confession, witnesses and a recording of the Russian and Chinese leadership plotting together, and they would claim we made it up!" Glimmer shot back.

She wasn't wrong, of course.

"Besides, neither the UN nor Russia and China pose any military threat to us," Glimmer added. "They cannot stop us from doing what we want."

"Which, according to our analysts, is what prompted the whole thing in the first place," the French Président pointed out.

"Well, that ship has sailed. They did it, and if we don't respond, they or someone else will try it again," the British Prime Minister said.

"We cannot let such an attack go unpunished," his Canadian counterpart added.

"And we won't," Adora said. "But what will we do? Wipe out the Russian and Chinese military and arrest their leaders?"

"That would throw both countries into chaos!" the Bundeskanzler protested. "Millions of civilians would be endangered from the internal strife alone, and other countries would be encouraged to take action against the disarmed nations!"

"And we don't have the forces or the political capital to occupy Russia or China, let alone both of them," the President added. "We would be dragged into an insurrection at once."

"So, they're holding their people hostage?" Glimmer scoffed. "All the more reason to not let them get away with this!"

"We could take out their strategic weapons," Catra suggested. "And their leaders."

"That would still leave them leaderless and with huge armies that will be dragged into the resulting power struggle. A new civil war in either country would be almost certain," the British Prime Minister said. "If we want to take out the leaders responsible for the attack, we need to ensure that a replacement government is ready to take over."

One that will be seen as a puppet regime, Jack thought. With all that entails.

The President nodded. "And we'll still have to be on alert against asymmetrical responses like terrorists sponsored by either country."

"We can handle that with our updated scanners!" Entrpata chimed in. "Unless they have more alien technology like that gas they used."

"We need more information," the British Prime Minister said. "We need to know what is happening in the Russian and Chinese governments. If there are internal divisions that we could exploit. And who is responsible for the whole affair, of course," he added almost as an afterthought.

"So we do that. And we need to release the information we have so we can keep up the pressure on Russia and China," the President agreed with a glance at Adora and Glimmer. "And placate our own public."

Both nodded, although a little reluctantly.

"And we need to find those Eurondans and investigate them," Catra added.

Jack nodded. They hadn't found them yet, but with Lenkova cooperating, that was just a question of time. Sooner or later, the aliens would contact their 'partners' again, but this time, the Alliance would meet them - disguised as Russians and Chinese.

More spying. And no crushing the Russians or Chinese. For the moment, at least.

*****​

 

[Transreal Clouden]

... yeah it's a thorny situation isn't it. Having magic that compelled speech would work but how do you trust that.

 

[Laharn]

Just Kick Russia and China from the SGC.

 

[Starfox5]

... yeah it's a thorny situation isn't it. Having magic that compelled speech would work but how do you trust that.

Click to shrink...

They could have all the proof possible, and a lot of countries would still claim it was not conclusive - or outright made up.

Just Kick Russia and China from the SGC.

Click to shrink...

That's a given. The question is what else should they do.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 130: Spy Games Part 6

Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, December 15th, 1999

"...and that's why the Russian and Chinese forces have been expelled from Stargate Command," the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations finished his explanation.

"You cannot unilaterally decide that!" the Russian ambassador protested - without being invited to speak, Adora noted.

But the Secretary-General didn't intervene. Well, it was an emergency session.

"It was not a unilateral decision, but the decision of the majority of the Stargate Command Council," the Canadian retorted.

Adora felt a little bad about having the Canadians defend the decision - they were not part of the Stargate Command Council. But the Stargate was on their territory, and they hadn't refused when asked by the Alliance.

"That is not in the purview of the Stargate Command Council!" the Russian snapped. "The Stargate is under the control of the United Nations!"

A lot of people present in the hall seemed to agree with that - Adora saw them nod, and the murmurs grew louder. And the Russian was correct - the United Nations had officially taken control of Earth's Stargate. Which, Adora reminded herself, had been the right decision since they represented Earth and the Stargate belonged to Earth as a whole.

On the other hand, removing the Russian and Chinese troops from Stargate Command was also the right decision. They had betrayed the trust of everyone else and endangered the entire planet. And they had tried to murder Catra and our friends, she reminded herself, clenching her teeth at the thought.

"Russian and Chinese forces have attempted to take control of the Stargate, engaged in secret dealings with an alien civilisation for unknown reasons and attacked Stargate Command with chemical weapons!" the Canadian replied. "This is not acceptable!"

"Lies and slander!" the Russian protested. "You have no proof of anything!"

"We have caught the culprits in the act!"

The Russian sneered. "You have captured our troops and refused to let our government talk to them - and refused to have the affair investigated by an independent commission! Your claims are baseless - mere lies made up to cover your blatant attempt to control the Stargate for your war!"

Adora managed not to wince at the loud agreement from half - or more - the ambassadors present that filled the hall.

The Canadian ambassador glared at his counterpart. "Your attempts to play the victim won't work. We have proof of your attempts to control the base's system and your attack!"

"Fabrications of your own!" The Russian scoffed, and more ambassadors cheered.

Adora clenched her teeth again. Glimmer had been right - the truth didn't matter. The rulers of those countries ignored the proof presented to them.

But they couldn't ignore reality, either.

The Canadian shook his head, but before he could go on, the Chinese ambassador spoke up - unprompted as the Russian one, which, Adora understood, was very unusual for him. "You do not have the right to take control of the Stargate," he said. "That would require a decision by the United Nations Security Council."

Which the Russians and Chinese would veto, of course.

Adora knew she should be waiting to be given permission to speak, but it seemed no one was following the rules anyway, so she stood up. She was the Supreme Commander of the Alliance, so this fell to her. "The Stargate is of vital importance for the Alliance's war against the Goa'uld. We cannot allow untrustworthy powers control over it - and we certainly cannot allow hostile forces control over it. Russian and Chinese forces have tried to take control of the Stargate and attacked Alliance forces, killing several of our soldiers. They also have made contact with unknown alien forces and used their weapons against us. Russia and China may claim that those were the actions of rogue forces, but even if that were true, it means that both countries sent untrustworthy, hostile forces to Stargate Command. In any case, we cannot and will not allow your forces to remain part of Stargate Command and threaten our forces and the war."

"You cannot do that!" the Russian ambassador yelled.

"We can," Glimmer hissed next to Adora.

"This is a military decision taken by Alliance command," Adora went on, ignoring the man. "The trustworthy elements of Stargate Command remain in control of it, fulfilling the United Nations mandate. It is up to the United Nations Security Council to decide if they wish to add more forces to Stargate Command."

No one had to say out loud that any decision that didn't please the Alliance would be vetoed.

"That's a blatant attempt to conquer Earth!" the Iranian ambassador spat.

Adora sat down as others chimed in despite the Secretary-General's attempts to restore order.

"The Stargate belongs to Earth - you said so yourself!"

"So much for the honour of the aliens!"

"You brought that on yourself!"

"Don't play the victim!"

"Infidels!"

"We won't let you attack us with impunity and then claim it was a rogue soldier!"

"Colonialists! We won't let you take away our sovereignty!"

"Shame on you!"

"Shame on you!"

"Well, we know where everyone stands," Glimmer commented to her.

Adora nodded. Not that it changed anything. Technically, the Stargate was still under nominal UN control. And the United Nations could move to add more countries to the Command Council - like India. But Adora was sure that every country picked would be vetoed by either Russia and China or the United States, France and Britain.

Of course, that also depended on what exactly had been going on with the Russian and Chinese governments.

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 15th, 1999

"Just for record: I would like to ask for asylum. Before being deported back to mother Russia with others."

Samantha Carter looked up from her laptop's screen and at Iwan. "You won't be deported."

He shrugged with a grin. "Never know. Bureaucracy can make mistake. Even Western bureaucracy, as I found out here. And Russia demanded all people here back."

They also protested against the removal of the Russian contingent at Stargate Command, but that was just performative - Sam doubted that even the Russians actually expected the Alliance to leave Russians near the Stargate. They would all go, except, possibly, Lenkova and Iwan, and that only because Adora and the other princesses had made it clear that sending either into 'protective custody' far away from Newfoundland wasn't going to happen.

Sam agreed with that stance. Both Iwan and Lenkova had made it clear where they stood in the conflict between Russia and the Alliance. The odds of either being a spy for Russia were too low to be taken seriously. Of course, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, either could be working for a faction of Russia's rulers that wasn't currently in power. Lenkova had been trained by an intel agency, and Iwan would have had to pass a lot of loyalty tests to be allowed to work with top-secret alien technology…

She pushed the voice away. She wasn't going to become paranoid. And both would be closely observed by people watching out for spies, anyway. People like Wilkinson.

The FBI agent in question looked up from his own - far less advanced - computer. "No one's getting deported until we've finished our investigation. We still haven't found out what everyone involved knew."

"And we probably won't," Agent Paris added. "Most of them aren't talking. And those who do talk are only admitting the bare minimum."

"That's still confirmation for some claims," Wilkinson retorted. "And we have other sources for information to correlate their claims."

Paris raised her eyebrows. "That only works when people talk."

Wilkinson pouted in return. "They'll start talking when they realise that that's the only way they'll get out of a cell."

"Oh, compared to welcome back in Russia, Alliance cell is paradise. Or luxury hotel, at least." Iwan grinned. "Siberia is very cold this time of year. And grave is colder."

Sam glanced at Lenkova. Unlike everyone else in the room, the Lieutenant wasn't working on anything. She was just staring at the TV in the corner. With the volume set as low as it was, Sam doubted that Lenkova was hearing anything.

Then again, it wasn't as if there was any news on the TV - it was just loops of things they already knew, with banners at the bottom adding more 'breaking news' that was anything but breaking.

"They haven't talked even when offered asylum," Wilkinson said with a scowl.

"KGB picked spies well, much experience," Iwan said.

Lenkova tensed, Sam saw. "Some will talk, eventually," the Lieutenant said after a moment - without looking at anyone in the room. "Once they realise that they can get a good deal from the Alliance."

"Wouldn't they know that already?" Paris asked. "They've been working with us for months."

"They take long time to trust, if ever," Iwan said. "West was enemy for decades, so no trust there. And Alliance - Princesses - look too good to be true."

And the Russians and Chinese at Stargate Command hadn't worked with the Alliance except for selected individuals like Kira. "What about the Chinese?" Sam asked after checking that her computer was still working on her analysis.

"Same as Russians, just more secret," Iwan said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't say this. They've been more cooperative," Wilkinson said.

"Marginally," Paris disagreed. "And that could be misinformation."

"We can check their claims." Wilkinson looked at Lenkova. "Once we can contact the Eurondans."

"I've given you all the addresses that I remembered," Lenkova told him. She hadn't looked at the man - or Sam had missed it.

"And we're analysing the data," Iwan said. "But all are empty planets so far."

"The Eurondans should contact us soon." Lenkova turned around. "They seemed very eager to make a trade deal when I saw them. But I didn't have much direct contact."

Eager - or desperate. Lenkova had mentioned that the Eurondans were fighting a war, though they hadn't revealed against whom. Nevertheless, they were potential allies. But with the Russians and Chinese banned from the Stargate, the Alliance would have some explaining to do to gain the Eurondans' trust.

Her computer beeped. Had it finished the analysis already? That would… No. It was a message from the spy bots they had placed around the Stargates used to contact the Eurondans. Oh.

"We've received a message from the Eurondans," she told the others present while she forwarded the message to the General, Adora and the rest of Alliance Command. "They've sent the address for the next meeting."

*****​

Stargate Command, CFB Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, December 16th, 1999

"Finally, progress!" Catra grinned as she approached the Stargate. "No more waiting!"

"We've had diplomatic meetings around the clock," Bow said as he joined her in the ready area. "Adora and Glimmer are still in one. I wouldn't call that waiting."

She shrugged in return. "Might as well be. We need intel, and we won't get it talking to people who know less than we do." Such as the rest of the Alliance leaders.

"Other countries have more sources than the Alliance has, at least in Russia and China," Bow pointed out.

"That doesn't mean their sources are worth any damn," Catra retorted. "None of them had any clue about the Stargate plot, had they?" She cocked her head and flashed her teeth.

"Well, the British sources are mostly focused on that recently surrendered city," Bow said. "Hong Kong."

Probably planning to take it back, Catra thought. With just a single corvette in orbit, the British could take out the entire Chinese military, though it would take a while. And they had already two operational and launched the third and fourth. There were news reports of protests against the Chinese rulers in the streets as well. "I don't think those sources will tell us who is responsible for the attack on us," she said. "And I don't think the Americans are any better off." It seemed no one had any real idea what was going on amongst the Chinese rulers.

She eyed the Stargate. Sam and Entrapta had assured them that the computers were now clean and safe, and Catra trusted them, but… she still felt a bit uneasy about the trip. Not that she would show it, of course. But knowing that the Russians and Chinese had infiltrated the entire base so thoroughly that they had been able to fool everyone wasn't a comforting thought at all.

"We don't know anything about the Eurondans either," Bow went on. "Well, nothing except that they are humans - or look human - and want supplies in exchange for technology because they are fighting a war."

Catra nodded. "Heavy water, food, and other raw materials." That meant that they still had the production capacity to use the resources, so they weren't reduced to fighting a guerilla war with whatever supplies they could scrounge up. But it also meant that they had lost whatever access to resources they had before, so their situation wasn't sustainable.

"But we don't know who they are fighting. They apparently never told Lenkova." Bow glanced at the Russian - or was that ex-Russian? - standing a bit to the side.

She was also staring at the gate. As the only one who had met the Eurondans before who wasn't currently in a cell, she had to come with them, but it didn't seem as if she was looking forward to the trip. Probably still feeling guilty about ratting out the Russian plans. If she had heard them - they were close enough for it, but the gate room was noisy as usual - she didn't show it.

Whatever. "Can't be the snakes," Catra said. "They would have bombed the planet already." And if the Eurondans had spaceships, they could get those resources themselves.

"They could have the technology to hold them off," Bow objected. "They do have energy shields."

That was a possibility. On the other hand… "They didn't mention the Goa'uld, as far as we know," Catra said. "They would have if they were fighting them, if only to check that Earth hadn't any dealings with them. Or to warn us."

Bow nodded in agreement.

Catra was about to comment further when her ears twitched - she knew that voice! "Adora's coming!"

"Yes, she… Oh." Bow blushed a little. "You mean she's arrived."

"Yes!" Catra was already moving towards the main door. "Hey, Adora!" she called out as soon as it opened.

"Catra!" her love beamed at her, and they embraced. And kissed.

Glimmer and Bow greeted each with more restraint, not that Catra cared. They hadn't been separated for days because of a stupid plot by stupid people.

"So, done with the meeting?" Bow tried to make conversation.

Glimmer rolled her eyes, Catra saw as she released Adora. "It's a damn mess with China. The British are 'concerned' about the Hong Kong protests and a possible massacre of the protestors by the Chinese army, and the Americans are worrying about the Taiwanese pushing for independence - or taking over China. They don't seem to be able to settle on either. And we didn't even get to meet the exiled ruler of Tibet."

"Oh?" Catra cocked her head.

Adora sighed. "It's a mess."

"China has a lot of problems that were only kept in check thanks to their military," Jack added as he joined them. "Internal and external. Now that their army has been rendered irrelevant, those problems are growing more urgent."

"Their military was obsolete the moment we arrived," Catra pointed out.

"Yes, was." Jack smiled toothily. "But it wasn't that obvious, that blatant, until we kicked them out of here. China could still claim they were a big boy in politics, powerful enough to get access to the Stargate with us. Same as Russia."

Catra nodded. And now that they had lost both the access and the image of power that went with it, everyone who had been holding back out of fear was… no longer holding back.

"If they lose Tibet and Hong Kong, that's going to have consequences for their government. And if Taiwan declares independence - or starts trying to influence mainland China's politics - and the protest movement from ten years ago starts up again, all bets are off."

Jack didn't seem to be too unhappy about that, Catra noted.

"Whatever!" Glimmer said. "I am sick of hearing about China or Russia. We have a meeting with the Eurondans to make!"

"Right." China and Russia could wait.

*****​

Gate Area, PX-812, December 16th, 1999 (Earth Time)

Jack O'Neill stepped through the wormhole, checked for threats - nothing came up - and took a deep breath. The air smelt just slightly alien but in a familiar way. Oh, he had missed that feeling, that smell, of exploration. Of course, if he commented on that, Carter would claim it was just his imagination since her drone's sensors had not detected anything alien in the air. And she had been rather thorough - after the poison attack by the Chinese, Entrapta and Carter had adjusted their scanner.

But feeling nostalgic for the days when he had been a mere Colonel, going on missions with SG-1, wasn't why they were here. "So, let's check the receiver!" he said.

"Yes, sir." Carter moved to kneel down next to the plain box on the ground at the side of the ramp.

"You left it out in the open like that?" he asked, looking at Lenkova.

"Yes, General. The odds of anyone stumbling over it this gate were considered too low to bother," she replied with a slight frown.

Whether that was aimed at her former superior, who ordered it, or at herself for following the order, Jack couldn't tell. "Well, the Eurondans stumbled on the address here, as did we."

"Yes, General." She grinned briefly.

It was annoyance at her superior, then, Jack decided.

"Perimeter secure," Isa reported.

"Orbital scan clean," Entrapta added from where she was sitting on Emily. The big bot's upper body was rotating back and forth as it kept scanning the sky, but that didn't seem to bother Entrapta.

Catra and Bow were looking at the grass around them - and on the ramp. "It doesn't look like anyone travelled here since the Russians' last visit we know about," Bow said.

"Or they cleaned up after them," Catra added.

Bow nodded in agreement.

Jack saw Carter stand up next to the box. "There is no new message, and the receiver's memory shows no sign of tampering, sir."

That meant that the meeting with the Eurondans was still on.

Jack looked around. PX-812 was deserted. Both literally and figuratively, as Daniel said; the Stargate was in the middle of a sandy steppe, not quite a desert but getting there. "Did you find anything here?" he asked Lenkova.

"No, General. The native flora and fauna is rather primitive. No sign of civilisation."

Jack nodded. That had been in her briefing. "Some planets are a bust like that. Can't always hit the interesting ones."

"There were plans to settle it," she added. "But the lack of large sources of fresh water, especially near the Stargate, made that proposal uneconomical."

"You could drop ice asteroids on the planet," Entrapta chimed in, walking over to them on her hair. "That wouldn't be enough for an ocean, of course, but you could make a great lake. That would sustain a kingdom or two. Maybe three if you use genetically adjusted plants that don't need as much water. Perfuma created some for the former Fright Zone."

"We don't have spaceships in the system," Carter reminded her.

Entrapta nodded. "Oh, right. And it's a bit far for a trip. But still faster than setting up a factory here and building a spaceship to get ice asteroids, I think."

Neither Russia nor China had the technology to build spaceships on Earth, so they wouldn't have been able to build them here either, Jack knew - checking the space programs of the two countries had been the Alliance's first priority back home - but the Alliance could do either. And he didn't doubt that a number of people were already planning to build such projects for after the war.

"Speaking of water," Daniel spoke up. "The Eurondans want heavy water, you said?"

"Yes," Lenkova replied.

"I wonder why they don't set up a production facility off-world," Daniel went on. "This planet is not suitable for that, but there are others."

The Alliance Council had gone over that before the mission. They didn't have enough data to draw conclusions. They could speculate, though.

"They might not know a suitable planet," Carter said.

"Or they lack the resources for such a project," Catra added. "It might take everything they have to stop their enemy from winning the war."

That would make the Eurondans desperate. Something the Russians and Chinese would have exploited or planned to exploit. The Etherians wouldn't do that, of course. And that might help earn the aliens' trust.

Though, in Jack's experience, people who were waging a bloody, lengthy war tended to be a lot more distrustful, even paranoid, than people who were at peace. Of course, as Daniel would say, they couldn't judge other cultures according to their own experiences and biases.

Well, they would see. It was almost the agreed - or announced - time for the meeting.

As if the Stargate had read his mind, the Wormhole started forming.

"Showtime," Jack said, grinning. "Be on your best behaviour - we don't want to spook them!"

He heard several snorts while the wormhole stabilised. Then, everyone grew serious as the first figure stepped through the gate.

*****​

Adora looked at the man who had appeared on the ramp. He was tall - well, taller than her, about the same height as Jack - and wearing a dark green-brownish uniform. And he was armed with one of those Eurondan energy guns - his hand went to its grip as soon as he saw Adora and her friends standing at the bottom of the ramp.

"Tralan." Svetlana took a step forward, nodding at him.

"Lieutenant Lenkova." He didn't draw his weapon. But he was very tense, Adora could tell. Especially when he glanced at her - no, at Catra. And at Emily and Isa. "I expected other people."

That was her cue. Adora smiled widely at him and walked a few steps towards the ramp, past Svetlana. "Hello. I am Adora - She-Ra, Princess of Power. I am the Supreme Commander of the Alliance against the Goa'uld." She gestured at her friends. "This is Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon, Princess Entrapta of Dryl, General Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Tech-master Bow, Dr Daniel Jackson, Sha're, Catra and Teal'c. You already know Svetlana."

"I am Tralan. I represent the Eurondans." He glanced at Svetlana, then back at Adora. "We expected to meet our kindred from Russia and the Chinese."

Adora let her smile slip a little. "We know. But those Russians and Chinese officers who made a deal with you were disavowed by their countries and declared rogues." Which they had, even if Adora didn't believe their claims.

"What?"

"Yes. According to the Russian and Chinese leaders, Generals Sidorov and Li acted on their own, and for their own profit, not for their countries." That was all technically true, Adora knew, but she still felt like a liar presenting it like this.

"They… deceived us? They promised to trade us dearly needed supplies in exchange…" Tralan grew even tenser. No one else had joined him so far - according to Svetlana, the Eurondans usually had a larger group but only followed through once their advance party gave them the go-ahead.

"Apparently, they deceived everyone, including their own soldiers like the Lieutenant here." Jack nodded at Svetlana. "They tried to kill us as well when it came out, but that didn't work out for them."

"I see."

Adora gave him her best smile. "But we heard you were fighting a war and in need of help, so we came to see what we could do for you."

"Without exorting your technology from you," Glimmer added.

"Yes!" Entrapta chimed in, beaming at Tralan. "But if you want to share, we won't turn you down! You've got some nice technology - we got some samples from those who attacked us - and the data compression you managed is impressive. And that poison was quite advanced as well."

"Ah…" Tralan smiled weakly and looked a bit confused. But that was normal when people met Entrapta for the first time.

"Yes." Glimmer nodded. "So, we'd like to meet your leaders to discuss this. We don't know what enemy you're fighting or your circumstances, so we don't know how we can best help you."

"I see. I have to inform our leader about this. You have told us a lot, and he must decide how to proceed." Tralan slowly said.

"At least they don't have to vote on it," Adora heard Glimmer mutter.

"We'll be here all day if you need additional information," Jack said. "Seeing the sights, admiring the view…" He turned his head to look at the sandy dunes around them.

"Jack!" Daniel hissed through clenched teeth.

"Good." Tralan nodded, then pulled out a communicator and whispered into it.

"He's telling them something came up, and he needs to return," Catra said in a low voice.

The wormhole collapsed, and Tralan walked over to the D.H.D. to dial the home address. The wormhole formed soon afterwards. "I'll be back," he said before stepping through.

"Do you think that's their home address? Or a temporary base?" Entrapta asked once the wormhole had collapsed again.

"It is the same address they used in our last meeting," Svetlana said.

"It would be smart of them to route travel through a temporary base on another planet rather than risk revealing their home address," Glimmer said.

Adora nodded in agreement.

"But not everyone always does the smart thing," Catra pointed out.

"See: Russia and China," Jack added. "But we shouldn't assume that this is their home address."

"Well, if we are to help them, we'll have to visit their home world," Catra said. "Can't just act without decent intel."

They could hand over supplies, of course, Adora knew. But they could help much better if they knew more. And it was always best to visit the people you were dealing with. Well, often, at least. "In any case, this went pretty well, I think," she said.

"We'll see," Jack retorted. "He wasn't happy to see us."

"He was very surprised by the presence of Catra and Isa," Daniel said. "It didn't seem as if he had met aliens before."

"He also looked at Emily a lot," Bow added. "But that might just be because he wanted to guess how advanced our technology was."

Adora nodded. That sounded like a good guess.

"He also glanced at me, although covertly," Teal'c commented.

Daniel frowned. "Really? He might have encountered Jaffa before. Or he recognised the symbol of Apophis."

"Well, if they are fighting the Goa'uld, it shouldn't be hard to earn their trust," Glimmer said. "We just have to defeat the Goa'uld attacking them."

While Adora nodded, she couldn't help feeling that it wouldn't be so easy. "Let's build a camp," she said. Just in case.

*****​

Samantha Carter was halfway through a data analysis for a side project when the Stargate activated again. She quickly closed her laptop and got up while Emily placed herself in the middle of the group. Just in case the Eurondans overreacted - they didn't know what the Russians and Chinese had told them about the Alliance. If they attacked through the Stargate, trying to take them hostage…

But when the wormhole stabilised, Tralan stepped through, followed by an older man, a younger woman and several younger men. Probably guards, Sam thought - they stayed back and kept an eye on both the Alliance delegation as well as their surroundings. All Eurondans were wearing the same uniforms, though that wouldn't be unusual for a people at war.

"Greetings," the older man said, smiling as he stepped off the ramp. "I am Alar, the leader of my people. This is Farrell, my second-in-command. You already know Tralan." He didn't introduce the other Eurondans, so Sam had been right - they were guards.

Adora returned the smile and introduced herself and everyone else.

Alar nodded at everyone, then looked at the camp they had erected. "Are you taking possession of the planet?"

"What? No!" Adora blushed. "That's just a temporary camp," she said.

"We didn't want to build an actual base," Entrapta chimed in. "Or we would have built walls and underground shelters. But we had this new design to test, so… An actual meeting room is better than just standing in the open, right?" She beamed at Alar.

'Room' was a bit optimistic. It was meant for temporary bases on safe planets and was more like a tent, just with sturdier walls and roof. It wasn't an actual prefab building, much less a shelter, though they had Emily's shield for protection. All in all, it was, in Sam's opinion, far less impressive than what the Alliance could build and had built for meetings. But it would serve well enough and hopefully not make them appear belligerent.

"Indeed." Alar briefly chuckled. "We've been reduced to staying in our underground defence facility for years, so we're not used to staying in the open any more." He looked at the sky. "Though it is comforting to see a sky above us where we don't have to fear bombers attacking us."

It sounded as if they were in a desperate situation, Sam noted. Alar might be exaggerating their plight, though that would weaken his position in potential negotiations. Unless the Russians and Chinese had let him know how the Etherians felt about helping people in need. Then again, if they had, and if the Eurondans had believed them, wouldn't they have tried to contact the Alliance?

The General would say that I'm starting to think like a spook, Sam thought with a slightly rueful smile as they entered the meeting room.

Farrell's eyes seemed to linger not only on Catra and Isa but also on Teal'c. Like Tralan before. If Teal'c hadn't mentioned it, she might not have noticed that. Oh - Farrell seemed to glance at Bow and Sha're as well. That seemed a little weird.

"Please take a seat!" Adora gestured at the row of chairs lined up on one side of the table in the middle of the room.

"Thank you." Alar smiled at her and took a seat. Farrell and Tralan followed, flanking him, and the guards took up positions at the back.

Adora cleared her throat. "So… We've heard you've been looking for help because you're fighting a war you're losing."

Alar nodded. "Yes. A war against an enemy that already controls the majority of our landmass and has driven us underground with constant bombing attacks. For decades, we have been holding our own thanks to our superior technology, protected by our defence field, but we lost access to the resources we need to keep defending ourselves. Sooner or later, we will be at the mercy of our foes."

That was a very frank opening, Sam noted. And it was pretty much a perfect pitch for the Etherians. For some of them, at least, she amended her thought - Adora, Bow and Entrapta seemed very empathic. Glimmer and Catra, less so.

"Who are you fighting?" Glimmer asked.

Alar winced. "Another nation. We've coexisted with them for centuries, but they kept expanding, breeding indiscriminately. They showed no respect for our culture, our values, our way of life. War became inevitable."

"We call them 'Breeders'," Farrell added.

"That's not what they call themselves, I assume," Daniel spoke up.

Alar winced again. "They call themselves the 'Alliance'."

"Oh." Adora grimaced - as did Glimmer. "That's…"

"...an unfortunate coincidence, as I understand," Alar said with a slight smile. "But when the Russians and Chinese told us about an Alliance taking control over the majority of their world, it sounded familiar - and concerning - to us."

Yes, Sam could understand that. And the Russians and the Chinese would have played that coincidence up.

"And what do you call yourselves?" Daniel asked.

"We're the Eurondan Nation," Alar said. "Though it sounds much grander than it is, now that we have been reduced to sheltering in our underground facility and fending off the attacks of the enemy with our aero-fighters."

"I am the first to say that airpower is key to victory on the battlefield," the General said. "But air power alone generally isn't enough to control significant territory. You need boots on the ground for that."

Farrell shook her head. "The surface of our world has been poisoned since the start of the war. It is so hostile, ground forces cannot operate effectively there and survive - the enemy found that out early on."

Sam drew a sharp breath. The surface of their world was poisoned to that degree? That was horrible.

"How do you survive?" Adora asked with a gasp.

"By rationing our resources and living on hydroponically grown yeast," Farrell replied.

Adora shook her head. "We can change that. We can heal your world."

"Perfuma can create plants that filter out the poison from the soil and the air," Entrapta said. "She did so for the Fright Zone."

Adora nodded. She was probably pondering using a boost from returning the magic to clean up the planet.

"And we should be able to ship in food," Bow added.

"But first, we'll have to end your war," Glimmer said.

"If you are as powerful as we've heard - and as you claim - then the enemy won't be able to stand against you," Alar said. "Please, save us. Please, help us destroy them."

"Destroy them?" Glimmer shook her head. "It sounds like you've already almost destroyed each other and your world."

Sam agreed with that assessment. It sounded like an apocalyptic war.

"We had no choice but to fight if we wanted to survive," Alar said. "The enemy is ruthless. If you leave them be, they'll attack us again as soon as they can."

Sam felt forced to agree. If they had fought for decades, wrecking their world, then it was unlikely that they could make a lasting peace.

Adora and the other Etherians, however, clearly disagreed. Sam could tell.

"We'll make them see reason," Glimmer said.

Alar didn't seem convinced. "All we need are supplies. Even just deuterium oxide to fuel our reactors will be enough to save us," he said. "Everything else, we can source or substitute."

"And then you can defeat your enemy?" the General asked.

"Yes."

"Then why did you lose access to this resource in the first place if having access will be enough to win?" The General tilted his head to the side and spread his hands.

"An unfortunate combination of underestimating the enemy and overestimating our own forces," Alar said with a frown. "A mistake which won't be repeated."

"Because you'll be making new mistakes?" Catra cut in with a snort. "You can't assume everything will go as planned."

"The enemy gets a vote too. That's why he's the enemy," Bow added. "Or so the saying goes."

Sam glanced at the General - he had snorted at that - but he didn't comment any further.

Alar's frown deepened for a moment before he focused on Adora. "All we need are supplies. We can handle our war and do not wish to distract and divert you from your own struggle."

"We can handle the distraction," Glimmer said, a bit flippantly in Sam's opinion.

"And if it serves to end a war and save lives, then it's the right thing to do." Adora nodded and smiled confidently at the Eurondans. "Trust us, we can do it."

"Can you?" Farrell asked. "In order to operate on our world, you would have to use the Stargate to deploy and supply your forces. As we understand it, that would be a significant effort even for your Alliance and hinder you from using the Stargate for much of anything else."

That was true. Sam had run the numbers - any large-scale deployment through a Stargate would require a massive effort to sustain it long-term.

"We don't need to deploy forces through the Stargate. We can send a task force with frigates," Adora retorted. "But we don't need to deploy an army right now. All we need is to talk to your enemy."

Daniel nodded. "A neutral mediator might be all you need to end this war."

They were too optimistic, in Sam's opinion. A bitter war over decades generally couldn't be solved with some mediation. But that didn't mean you shouldn't try. And they needed more data. All they knew about this war was what the Eurondans had told them so far. They didn't even know where Euronda was located or its gate address.

"It would be futile. The enemy cannot be reasoned with. We tried that, to avoid the war, but they would not listen to us." Alar shook his head. "Please. All we need to save our people is fuel for our reactors. You do not need to concern yourselves with our conflict any further. And in exchange, we can offer you our technology. Which is, as I understand, in parts even superior to your advanced technology." He smiled at Adora. "We do not wish to drag you into our war to fight our enemy. We merely wish to trade fairly."

Adora glanced at Glimmer and the General before turning back to Alar. "But we could end the war and help you restore your planet. Save lives! Surely that would be better than just letting you fight on."

"And you wouldn't have to risk underestimating your enemy again," the General said.

"It is a risk we are willing to take," Alar retorted. "It is our world. Our duty."

"And what if we won't help you without at least trying to make peace first?" Glimmer asked.

Alar openly scowled at that. "It seems that the Russians and Chinese told us the truth - you attempt to take control of our world and enforce your own rules on us."

"What? No!" Adora blurted out. Then she blinked. "Not like that, not really. But you can't expect us just to send you supplies for your war!"

"And what about your people?" Glimmer asked. "We offer you peace and a restored world. Why would you want your people to suffer, hiding underground, if they could return to the surface to live in peace?"

"Most of our people aren't suffering," Alar shot back. "They're in stasis, awaiting the end of the war."

Adora gasped. "You've put your people in stasis?"

Sam stared at him.

"Oh! To save on resources? That seems quite a clever solution!" Entrapta nodded. "As long as you don't need more resources to keep them in stasis than supplying them while awake would be, of course. Or if you start running out of resources to keep them in stasis, which I guess is the problem if you are running out of fuel for your reactors. Unless you don't need power for this? And people in stasis cannot help you in your war effort. Though if you're already forced into an underground bunker, I guess that's not an option any more because you lack the production capacity to use the additional manpower."

Sam winced. Entrapta was correct, but the way she said it…

Alar pressed his lips together.

"Do you really want to risk losing the war?" Daniel asked, leaning forward.

"You do not understand," Alar replied. "The Breeders cannot be reasoned with. They will not change their ways."

"Then help us understand!" Adora snapped. "We want to help you, but we won't, can't, just send you fuel."

"Why not? All we ask for is a fair trade," Alar shook his head. "We had a deal with the Russians and Chinese, or so we thought. Will you keep us from looking for other countries on your planet willing to trade with us?"

That was a delicate problem. The Alliance could block such trade deals, but they were supposed to do so only to keep Earth and the Alliance safe. Of course, after the attack by the Russians and the Chinese on Stargate Command, that wasn't as much of a hurdle as it could have been.

"We won't block you from finding trade partners - provided you won't endanger Earth and the Alliance," Glimmer said. "But your technology was used against us once already. Without further information, we can't let you do that."

"Please," Adora said. "We want to help you. Just let us help you."

"Think of your people," Glimmer added.

Alar scowled again but slowly nodded. Farrell drew a sharp breath but, after exchanging a glance with Alar, pressed her lips together and didn't say anything.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 131: Spy Games Part 7

Gate Area, PX-812, December 16th, 1999 (Earth Time)

Catra narrowed her eyes. For someone who had something to hide - and she was sure that the Eurondans had something to hide, even if she didn't know yet what it was - Alar had given in a bit too easily. Was he so desperate for supplies? Or was he confident he could keep them from discovering his secret? Or was he trying to betray them like the Russians and Chinese had done? He had been in contact and about to make a deal with them, after all, and they had been his only sources of information about Earth and the Alliance. Who knew what they had told him?

But Adora was smiling at him. "Thank you! We can help you - we can restore your planet's surface once we know what's wrong with it, trust us!"

"Yes!" Entrapta chimed in. "If plants that filter the poison out of the soil and air won't work - or take too long for you - Adora should be able to use her magic to remove the poison. At the very least, a combination of her power and magitech should achieve that result, I think. Although… You said you would restore the surface once the war was over, so you probably have made plans to deal with the poison already, right?"

Alar blinked, then nodded. "We have some plans, yes. In the worst case, we'll wait it out. Once we are safe from our enemies, we have all the time and resources we need to deal with this."

Entrapta gasped. "You want to wait it out? But you said that it lasted for decades already! Oh, wait - is it close to breaking down naturally?"

"It will take a long time to break down, but with our stasis technology, we have the time to wait until we can reclaim the surface and live in safety and peace again," Alar replied. "It is but a small sacrifice compared to what others have already made for the war."

"But you won't have to make this sacrifice," Adora told him. "Trust us, we can help you. But first, we need to end the war."

"Well, offering to restore the planet's surface should be a great incentive for your enemies - the Eurondan Alliance - to agree to end the war," Glimmer said.

Alar frowned at that. "I doubt that they will agree to make peace. And if they do, I doubt that it will last. Until the Breeders change their ways, they will always threaten us."

"People can change!" Adora said, shaking her head. "We know that - we have fought against the Horde for decades, and then we made peace, and now we are allies!"

Catra winced. Peace on Etheria hadn't come until the Horde had changed - well, dissolved would be a better word - once Horde Prime had arrived. And at that point, they had already been pretty much defeated militarily. Of course, if Horde Prime hadn't arrived, the Horde could have fought on with the forces left even after the core of the Fright Zone had been taken by the Alliance, but they would have lost the initiative and the core of their logistics, so the odds wouldn't have been great… She shook her head. Somehow, she doubted that the Eurondans would settle things like the Princess Alliance had.

"But with the Stargate, you can expand to other worlds," Daniel said. "You do not need to compete for your world - not when many uninhabited worlds are left to be settled!"

"We haven't found a world with the resources we need so far," Farrell said. "And we tried all the addresses we found with the gate."

"And we won't abandon our home. Eurondan is our world; We've been fighting for it for decades. To leave would betray all the sacrifices of our people," Alar added.

"You don't have to leave," Daniel retorted. "But you won't need to compete for resources any more."

"We can find a world for you that's not inhabited," Adora said.

Catra suppressed a snort. That was easier said than done, in her opinion. If they found such a world, without any native civilisation on it, then Earth would also want it.

"Though if you manage to survive underground, then you shouldn't have any trouble once the surface is habitable again," Entrapta said. "Especially if we give you a few plants optimised by Perfuma for your planet. Or improved hydroponic cultures - I am sure we can come up with one that makes tiny food!"

Catra snickered at the expression on the Eurondans' faces. Getting used to Entrapta took a bit.

Adora cleared her throat. "Anyway, let's focus on ending the war and restoring your world!"

"Yes," Alar said with a smile that looked as honest as the Russian ambassador's, in Catra's opinion.

"Good. So, let's visit your planet now?" Jack said.

Catra's ears twitched as she heard Daniel whisper: "Jack! That's not how you make what is a state visit!"

"But it is a good way to prevent a trap," Jack whispered back while smiling toothily at the Eurodans.

Catra agreed; it would make it harder for the Eurondans to lay a trap, at least. Sure, they might scrounge up an attack once they were on their planet, but that could be dealt with. Especially if the Eurondans had no idea what Adora could really do.

Although they hadn't reacted to Entrapta mentioning Adora's magic, she remembered. That wasn't a good sign.

Glimmer, though, smiled. "Yes. Unless you wish to prepare for a bigger visit - we could take a ship to your planet in that case."

"But we…" Entrpata, probably about to say they didn't have Euronda's coordinates, was interrupted by Sam whispering to her.

"That won't be necessary," Alar said. "You are welcome to visit now. Although, as you would expect, we cannot offer much in the way of hospitality due to the demands of the war."

"That's not a problem. We can bring our own food," Jack replied.

"Jack!"

"General!"

Catra snickered.

*****​

Gate Room, Euronda, December 16th, 1999 (Earth Time)

"Seen one underground bunker, seen them all," Jack O'Neill muttered as he stepped down the ramp in - presumably - the gate room of the Eurondans. The Eurondan Nation, he corrected himself. This was just one country on a planet.

"I'm not quite sure that's correct," Daniel objected on Jack's left side. "There are stark differences between the architectural styles of different cultures, even when it comes to utilitarian buildings such as bunkers. And when it comes to the gate area, we're literally talking about the face a world presents to its visitors."

Jack tilted his head sideways, then made a point of looking around. The room was neither large nor well-lit and lacked any decorations. In fact, it looked pretty new. Then again, Alar had said they had recently discovered the Stargate when expanding their bunker.

"We relocated the Stargate to this room after contact with the Russians and Chinese," Farrell said. "They impressed upon us that the gate presented a security risk and should be housed accordingly."

"That explains the guards," Jack said, nodding at the squad of Eurondans forming a half circle at the back. They looked pretty interchangeable, Jack noted. Alert, but their attention seemed split between their leader and Jack's group. Not much experience handling ground combat then - not unlike an airman fresh out of basic. Jack almost snorted at the comparison when he realised that the Eurondans were like an Air Force with a country, according to Alar.

"The main defence of the gate is a defence field we can raise in the case of an unauthorised activation," Farrell explained, pointing at a large device in the corner, with another guard behind a console next to it. "We adapted this after we heard about your iris."

The Russians and Chinese had been talking shop, then - sharing Stargate Command's experience. Jack hadn't expected them to be that forthcoming with knowledge, even if it was knowledge the Air Force had earned before the two countries had forced themselves into Stargate Command. On the other hand, they might not want to risk the Goa'uld taking the planet before they had gotten all the technology they wanted.

"Oh! Is that a projector linked to your main shield generator, or does it form a defence field independently? Is it linked to your main generator, or does it have an autonomous power supply?" Entrapta was halfway to the thing before Carter managed to stop her.

Farrell raised her eyebrows at that but didn't comment. The guards, though, looked a little twitchy. As did Tralan.

Alar, on the other hand, smiled at their group. "Come, I'll show you around!"

The quick tour didn't much to refute Jack's impression; they passed through narrow tunnels that lacked any decor - and were pretty dark. Either the Eurondans were saving power or lacked the resources to add more lightbulbs. Or both.

But the vault Alar showed them - over the silent objection of Farrell; Jack recognised that expression when the Eurondan leader made a detour - was another thing. Huge, quite well lit - and full of thousands of 'stasis pods' stacked on each other. And each contained a Eurondan, waiting in stasis for the war to end.

Jack felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight. His friends looked queasy as well.

"This is what we are fighting for: Our people. For an entire generation, they have been asleep. They trusted us with their lives and future when they went into stasis," Alar said. "Look!" He walked over to a console and hit a few keys, flipping through half a dozen pictures of frozen people.

"Oh! Is this stasis like stopping time? Or slowing it down? Or did you freeze them?" Entrapta peered at the display, then pulled out her tool. "Oh! They are in a sort of suspended animation, I think - right Sam?" She held the tool out to Carter.

Carter flashed a quick, apologetic smile at Alar before glancing at the recorder-scanner-thingie. "Yes, it looks like suspended animation. Like hibernation," she added for those who weren't up to date on the latest technobabble.

Alar nodded. "Yes. Their bodies have slowed down, and they barely age during stasis."

"But they do age," Entrapta said. "It's not perfect stasis. So, you can't fight your war forever."

"We are aware of that," Alar said. His smile slipped a little.

"Oh, shouldn't I have said that? Sorry! It's still a bit hard to know when I'm supposed to talk about facts and when not. It's pretty confusing."

"Confusing?" Alar blinked.

"The social coding about facts and data," Catra explained - or tried to; Alar didn't seem to follow her.

Adora cleared her throat. "Well, that's varies from culture to culture. But let's talk about how we can help you." She glanced at the rows of sleeping people. "Perhaps in a meeting room?"

Alar nodded. "Oh, let me show you our command room first!"

Ah! Jack perked up. Whether that was their actual command centre or just a fake one, this was bound to be interesting!

*****​

Underground Base, Euronda, December 16th, 1999 (Earth Time)

The Eurondan command centre felt pretty packed, in Adora's opinion. A dozen soldiers were staring at screens and brightly lit map tables, barely looking up when Alar entered with Adora and her friends in tow.

"From here, we run the defence of our people!" Alar announced. "Our entire forces are coordinated here."

He didn't seem to mind Entrapta peering at the tables and screens, so Adora took a closer look as well. This was of professional interest, after all. The tables displayed a map of what Adora assumed was the main continent of Euronda. It was easy to see where the territory controlled by the Eurondans was - the entire area, in the centre of the continent, was covered with markers while the surrounding areas had much fewer markers. Their reconnaissance capability must be limited, she thought. They probably had no orbital assets to spy on their enemies' main areas.

Or that's what they want us to think, a small voice in the back of her mind which sounded like Catra's whispered.

But it didn't look staged to her. The people working here seemed genuinely busy and focused - few of them snuck glances at Adora and her friends. Entrapta, her hair lifting her up so she could look over the shoulders of the soldiers at the screens, and Isa, hanging back, her machine gun held loosely, drew the most attention.

"Airstrike detected!" a Eurondan announced.

A jolt seemed to go through the assembled soldiers as the screens flickered and the symbols on the tables changed.

"Bombers incoming."

The enemy symbols were close to their territory - if Adora had guessed the scale of the maps correctly, at least. Another sign that their sensor range was limited. And the poisoned surface would make scouting missions difficult. Surface attacks were impossible, according to Alar. Still, with both sides apparently focusing on the air war, a small surface scouting element might be effective if they had protective suits and the supplies to operate in a poisoned environment.

"Launching interception."

"Come!" Alar said. "Let me show you how we defend us against their bombers!"

He led them to the room next to the command centre - or the other half of the room; there was no clear separation. Several people were sitting in large chairs lining the wall, with some transparent canopies covering their upper bodies and consoles in front of them.

"These are our remote flyers. With them, a single pilot can control an entire formation of aero-fighter," Alar announced.

Adora blinked. So, the command centre wasn't just for the strategic control of their forces - they operated their forces directly from here as well? That was… unique. Not possible for the Alliance forces, though it presented advantages. You could use your best pilots for every attack, shuffling them around. But it also made them vulnerable to a decapitation strike - unless you had alternatives.

"Oh! How do they work? Radio transmitters, no doubt, but the signal density… Look, Sam! That's a magnitude above our own remote controls, even taking the superior data compression into account! That must be a direct neural interface."

"Correct," Alar said. "The aero-fighters are controlled directly by thought. The manual controls are a mere backup. Each pilot controls an entire squadron."

"Oh! And are the aero-fighters able to act autonomously?" Entrapta asked, beaming at him. "Like bots?"

"They cannot execute complex actions such as fighting," Farrell told her. "But they can stay aloft on autopilot. Emergency landings are possible as well, though unnecessary since if the autopilot engages, we can easily have a pilot take control of them for landing." He smiled. "Do you wish to try them out? The controls are intuitive. If you have any piloting experience, you will find them easy to use and effective to fight."

Adora blinked again. "You want us to take control of your craft in the middle of an attack?" He trusted them that much? No, he wanted them to fight their enemy!

Glimmer shook her head and gave Alar her 'I want to tell you what I really think, but I have to be polite right now' smile. "That would be considered an act of war against your enemy. We're here to end the war, not take sides in it."

"Nice try," Adora heard Catra mutter next to her.

Alar remained unfazed. "Of course. I apologise. You seemed so interested in our technology, I merely thought to let you try it out in actual action." His own smile turned rueful. "We've been fighting this war for so long, it seemed normal to me, and I did not think about the political aspects of my offer."

Catra softly snorted, and Adora agreed; she didn't think this had slipped Alar's mind. He was the leader of the Erondans, after all, and used to politics.

"Enemy bombers destroyed," another soldier announced.

"Ollan is one of our best pilots," Alar said, nodding at the soldier sitting in the remote flyer next to them.

"Nice shooting, I guess," Jack said as the canopy rose.

Ollan just stared at him, though, without saying anything. His mouth was half-open, though…

After an awkward moment, Alar spoke up again: "Now, let me invite you to a meal. And, I hope, a fruitful discussion."

*****​

Samantha Carter didn't want to have a meal and a discussion. She wanted to take another look at those 'remote flyer' consoles. She was a scientist, not a diplomat or a politician. But they were guests here, and if they wanted to have a chance at ending the war and helping the planet here, they would need the Eurondans' cooperation.

She still glanced back at Ollan as they left the command centre. The pilot was staring at the wall, his face blank.

Sam had seen soldiers before who had cracked from traumatic experiences, but they didn't look like Ollan. The Eurondan pilot seemed functional, but… empty was probably the best word. He was just sitting there, not showing any reaction or emotion. Burnt out, she thought.

She wouldn't have expected this in a war fought primarily by remote-controlled drone fighters. Was the experience of flying a fighter in combat through a neural interface that much more personal, that much harsher and more terrible? She itched to examine the technology to find out.

But Alar led them into a smallish dining room with elaborately carved chairs lining a long table. If not for the darker lighting, this could have been a formal dinner on Earth.

"Oh! There's no chair for Isa?" Entrapta asked.

Sam glanced down the table. Her friend was correct - she didn't see a chair large enough for Isa to sit in comfortably. Not unexpected since all the Eurondan they had seen so far were of average size.

Alar looked momentarily surprised - and concerned, Sam noted. "I was under the impression that the… woman was your guard."

"Isa is assigned to our security, yes," the General cut in.

Isa nodded with a grunt from where she and Campbell had already taken up guard positions at the wall, facing two Eurondan guards.

Alar smiled, apparently relieved. "Good. Please, sit down!"

The meal was worse than Sam had expected. It was a thin soup and a pudding-like substance that made tofu taste spicy. Seasonings and spices would be very profitable trade goods, Sam couldn't help thinking.

"Yeah, should have taken an MRE," she heard the General mutter.

"I've eaten worse," Catra commented. "Back in the Horde."

"The brown rations," Adora agreed. Both shared a smile.

That would mean they considered the grey rations better than this, Sam knew. Damning with faint praise, indeed.

Daniel, though, showed no revulsion. He dug into the meal - though that was likely more his interest in a new culture and civilisation than the taste. Sam hoped so, at least. "I've never had such a meal before," he said, smiling at Alar.

Sha're nodded. "It's exotic."

Alar smiled at Daniel. "As I said, it's a sacrifice we all make for the war effort. A tiny sacrifice compared to that of our people in stasis, though."

"Earth has several examples of meals that were originally the result of poor resources yet became loved cornerstones of a culture's cuisine," Daniel told him. "Like the Italian cucina povera, literally the 'kitchen of the poor'."

"My people would never waste food as long as it was edible, no matter the taste," Sha're added. Daniel took a little while to get used to that when we lived on Abydos.

Daniel beamed at her. "You made everything taste good, my dear."

Sha're snorted. "Flatterer."

Sam's smile slipped when she saw Alar briefly scowl at the couple. Had Daniel managed to insult the man without meaning to? But he hadn't reacted to the General's far more blunt comment…

"Are you… in a relationship?" Alar asked with a strained smile.

"We're married," Daniel replied, putting his hand over Sha're's.

Sha're nodded. "We were separated for years due to our enemies but were reunited some time ago."

"So, it is true - your culture is a 'melting pot', as the Russians and Chinese called it," Farrell said. The woman's smile was very thin as well, Sam noticed.

What was the issue?

"Well, the United States has been called that," the General said with a casual shrug that Sam knew was entirely faked. "We're a nation built by immigrants from all over the world."

"And the Alliance is formed by many countries working together against a common enemy," Glimmer added. "As was the Princess Alliance on Etheria."

"I see." Alar slowly nodded. Then his eyes widened in obvious surprise.

He was looking at Adora and Catra, Sam realised. The two were also holding hands; Catra probably felt the need to show off after Daniel and Sha're had drawn attention.

Alar shuddered. Sam saw him grab his glass and drink deeply from the watered-down liquor served to the meal, taking deep breaths and still barely managing to smile again - politely - when he set the glass down.

He made a point of focusing on the General - and on Sam, she realised with a sinking feeling.

*****​

Catra was tempted to smirk at Alar. So, the leader of the Eurondans had a problem with Adora's and her love? Too bad for him! Just like the bigots on Earth, they needed the Alliance far more than the Alliance needed them. The Alliance actually didn't need them at all - well, the medical technology could save lives, or so the preliminary analysis told them, and the data compression had Sam and Entrapta excited, but the Eurondans had admitted that they needed heavy water to defend themselves or they'd lose the war.

On the other hand, Adora really wanted to stop the war here to save lives and restore the planet. Catra understood that. From a certain point of view, the Eurondans looked a lot like the Horde. Terrible rations, surrounded by a poisoned environment, everything and everyone focused on the war, and no civilians to worry about. The Eurondans weren't trying to conquer the planet. Instead, they were defending themselves, but the Horde had been on the backfoot a few times during the war as well.

She blinked, not even pouting as Adora withdrew her hand to continue eating. Who actually had started the war on Euronda? Alar had been a little vague about the whole thing, hadn't he? Just like the Horde instructors, he had focused on the current situation in the war, the Alliance's actions and forces, and what to do about them, not the causes of the war itself. Of course, everyone - except for Adora the dummy - had known that the Horde had started it and was trying to conquer Etheria, so that hadn't been necessary or useful, but… The similarities between the Horde and the Eurondans were pretty striking, weren't they?

She looked at Alar. He was talking to Jack and Sam about aero-fighters. Apparently, they used the same principles as the Air Force planes - no anti-gravity technology or magic. And he wasn't looking at anyone else. Even when Bow added something technical or Teal'c commented on the tactical uses of Death Gliders, Alar barely glanced at them.

That was weird.

"Are you a couple?" Farrell suddenly asked Adora. The woman looked tense - her smile was barely there, her lips pressed together, and Catra half-expected to hear her grinding her teeth.

Adora, though, beamed at her and nodded. "Yes, we are!" Catra's lover reached over again and squeezed Catra's hand.

Catra flashed her fangs at Farrell and leaned into Adora's side to rub it in. Bigots hated that!

"Ah." Farrell took a sip from her glass.

Catra hadn't touched hers since the first sip. She had had better from a still in the cadet's barracks.

"I assume when you're not fighting a war for your people's survival, you don't have to care about having children," Farrell went on.

Children? Was that what this was about? Catra glanced at Adora, who looked taken aback. They hadn't talked about children! Not with each other. And they certainly wouldn't start discussing children with the Eurondans! Catra was tempted to mention Luna as their baby. Entrapta probably had a picture of the kitten at hand in her tool.

Bow, though, must have overheard yet missed the context or tension since he leaned over with a smile. "Oh, if you want kids but can't rely on, ah, natural conception or adoption, you can use magitech to combine your genes and have the baby grown in a womb - artificial or natural. My Dads did that."

"Yes! Etheira had had the basic technology since the first royal lines started - a relic of the First Ones genetic engineering, I think," Entrapta chimed in. "And now, with the Horde clone technology and Alpha's data, we can pretty much combine any genes no matter the species! Hordak and I haven't yet decided if we'll have kids, but we've run a few simulations to check possible appearances and designs." She smiled widely as she pushed a few buttons on her multitool, and a small projection of a child-Hordak with long dark purple hair appeared, followed by a child version of Entrapta with Hordak's skin tone and eyes. "See?"

Farrell gasped. She was staring at the projection as if it was the most horrible thing she had ever seen. "This… this…this is…" She shook her head. "How can you do this?"

"Oh, easily with genetic engineering!" Entrapta replied without looking at Farrell. She was smiling at the projections instead. "That's how a lot of Etheria's population was created, you know? By First Ones scientists combining different species! It's kind of a tradition, you might say - and so exciting!"

The whole table was now looking at them, Catra noticed. Her friends looked a bit annoyed or embarrassed, but all of the Eurondans looked horrified. Even the guards back at the wall.

"Ah…" Daniel cleared his throat. "I guess genetic engineering is not practised on your world?" he asked with a forced smile.

"We don't breed uncontrollably!" Farrell spat. "We maintain genetic purity!"

Wait... Catra blinked. Breed? They call their enemies 'Breeders'. "And your enemies don't, right?"

The table was silent.

*****​

Oh, damn! That explained the attitude of the Eurondans that Jack O'Neill had picked up. The way they had glanced at the Etherians. And at Teal'c. And Daniel and Sha're. 'Genetic purity' indeed!

"They breed indiscriminately," Alar said after a moment. "Mixing their genes with no thought! Tainting their own people! Their legacy!" He spat out each word with a sneer. "They are impure!"

Yeah, Jack had heard - or read - that kind of speech before. Just replace 'genes' with 'blood', and it would fit perfectly into the Third Reich.

Daniel had grown pale but was rapidly recovering - and frowning. Sha're looked puzzled. The Etherians looked shocked, but their expressions were changing as well as realisation set in, Jack saw.

Except for Entrapta. "But that makes no sense. That's not how it works. Genetic diversity is a good thing. Otherwise, you get inbreeding."

"Inbreeding?" Farrell scowled at her.

"Yes. That happens when people who are too closely related, genetically related, reproduce. Over a few generations, genetic defects start to accumulate," Entrapta explained. "In extreme cases, you might end up with genetic degradation, like the Asgard, though in their case, it was imperfect cloning that was the source since they had stopped reproducing sexually long ago."

Farrell scoffed. "Such defects are a sign of impurity. Maintaining genetic purity relies on culling any weaknesses to create the perfect people."

Jack wasn't a geneticist, but he had looked into things, a little - after discovering that he had some Ancient genes, Jack would have been a fool not to read up on what it meant - and that sounded even worse.

Entrapta gasped. "But imperfection is beautiful! If everything is perfect, you cannot experiment! Science would be useless!" She shook her head, her hair tendrils flailing. "There is no perfect people; that is not how science works. That's not how life works!"

"What could be considered a weakness in some circumstances might be a strength in others," Daniel added.

The Eurondans were scowling at both.

Jack pressed his lips together and eyed the room. Pissing off their hosts, no matter how much they deserved it, wasn't a good idea when you were in the middle of their base, alone on their world, without a fleet in orbit.

"Yes!" Entrapta nodded. "You need data for science. The more data, the better! And diversity creates more data! If everyone is the same, you won't have any variance to experiment with! Nothing new to discover! No competition!"

Now, that sounded a little concerning as well to Jack. At least it would if it came from, say, Loki or Hordak. He made a mental note that he would have to check up on what exactly they were doing in their lab with Alpha.

"You are wrong! Strength is found in purity. In unity!" Farrell's voice was rising. Not quite screeching, but Entrapta must have hit a nerve. "Impurities weaken a people! Like impurities weaken materials!"

"Actually, many alloys are far stronger than their pure components," Carter cut in, then frowned.

"The whole is often greater than the sum of its parts," Daniel agreed.

They were correct, of course, but they were arguing with fanatics. And Jack might not be a scientist, but he had experience with zealots. Logic didn't work with them.

And it didn't work here either. "We have maintained our genetic purity for generations and have been proven stronger for it!" Alar snapped. "We know the truth!"

Jack couldn't resist. "Yet, you are losing the war to the 'Breeders', aren't you? Seems to me that they're proving to be stronger."

"They have the advantage of numbers and benefitted from a few miscalculations on our side," Alar retorted. "That is not strength. That is mere luck."

"Sounds like you're making up excuses," Catra said with a snort. "Trust me, that's not going to work. You can't win a war by ignoring facts because you don't like them."

"Yes!" Entrapta nodded. "Data doesn't lie!"

"We will prevail! We almost won the war before, and we will finish it with a victory!" Alar spat. "We will not let the Breeders wipe us out!"

"You'd rather destroy the world than let them win, huh?" Catra scoffed again, shaking her head - and then froze for a moment.

Jack felt a cold shiver run down his spine - the Eurondans were nodding. "Just how did the surface end up poisoned?" he asked. It couldn't… but it would fit. "Was that a 'miscalculation'?"

Alar glanced at Farrell for a moment. "We had no choice. They were breeding indiscriminately. Spreading their taint all over the world. We could not let them take over and wipe us out. And they were not listening. They would not listen - they would not change! My father realised that we had only one choice left. Unfortunately, we were too late, and they managed to preserve enough forces and resources to press us hard."

"You started this war?" Glimmer gasped.

"We had no choice. They were breeding and would have wiped us out if we hadn't acted. The longer we waited, the worse our situation would grow," Alar retorted. "We had waited too long already, or we would have won the war with our preemptive strike."

Hell! They were even more like the Nazis than Jack had feared.

He really wanted to shoot Alar right now.

*****​

The Eurondans had started the war? And they had poisoned their own world to kill their enemies? Adora shook her head. She couldn't believe it! It was… monstrous! "How could you do that? Destroy your own world to kill your enemies?"

She saw Catra flinch next to her and winced. Of course, that would remind her lover of the portal that had almost destroyed Etheria! She squeezed Catra's hand but focused on Alar.

"We are facing an existential threat," Alar replied. "If we lose the war, our people will perish. If we had not poisoned the surface, we would have lost the war - and our world with it. Sacrificing what you will lose anyway is not a difficult decision."

Adora shook her head again. Alar made it sound as if wrecking an entire world - poisoning the air and soil - was logical. Rational. Simple. It wasn't! "And you started the war!"

Alar scoffed. "We had no choice. The Breeders were growing stronger and more numerous with every day that passed. What else could we have done but striking as long as there was still a chance of victory instead of assured defeat?"

"Our enemies depended on the resources on the surface much more than we did," Farrell added. "We were prepared for this while they weren't."

"And it still wasn't enough to win," Jack said in a flat voice. "You miscalculated."

"As long as we can get heavy water, we can win this war," Farrell told him. "Our people are in stasis, waiting for us."

"And once you win, you'll wipe out your enemy?" Daniel asked.

"They are trying to eradicate our people. Erase our way of life," Alar said. "If they win this war, they'll do the same to us."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Jack said. He looked at Adora.

She clenched her teeth. She wouldn't let them murder the Breeders - the Eurondan Alliance. But she couldn't let the Eurondans be murdered either. Everyone deserved a second chance. A chance to change. "The war will end," she said. "Without either side winning."

Alar shook his head. "You cannot end the war like that. It has been waged for decades. Too many have died. It's either the Breeders or us."

"Well, you started it," Jack said.

"Jack!" Daniel frowned at him, then turned to look at Alar. "Peace is possible."

"Yes!" Entrapta said. "The Horde and the Princess Alliance also fought for decades, technically, at least, and now we're at peace! And we're cleaning up the environmental damage done to the Fright Zone, working together. Although the Alliance arguably won the war. But we didn't kill the Horde. We're friends now!"

Adora heard Catra softly scoff at that. But Entrapta was right - they were at peace. And while Adora knew that some grudges remained, the majority of both former Horde and Alliance members were working together now. Of course, many former soldiers of Hordak's Horde had switched sides at a point before Horde Prime's defeat, which certainly helped with that.

But even the Clones had joined the Alliance after Horde Prime's end - at least the Clones they knew about - so it was possible for enemies to become allies. They just needed a chance.

She firmly nodded. "We can and will end this war." Even if they had to send a fleet here. Which they hopefully wouldn't have to. "We'll talk to your enemies. And we'll restore your world."

"And then? The Breeders will wipe us out as soon as they have the chance!" Farrell protested.

"We won't let them start a war. Or you," Glimmer said.

"Left alive, they'll overwhelm us sooner or later," Alar said. "They don't need to wage war for this."

Adora frowned. That made no sense. "What do you mean? They'll destroy you by… living?"

"They will destroy us by breeding uncontrollably," Alar explained. "Mixing genes indiscriminately. Rendering our people impure. We'll vanish, our entire way of life fading as they take over Euronda."

"And good riddance," Jack muttered under his breath.

Adora blinked. Was Alar serious? "Are you saying they'll… force you to have children with them?" That would be rape!

"Of course they will!" Farrell spat.

"We won't let them do that to you," Glimmer said. "What do you think we are, monsters?"

Alar exchanged a glance with Farrell before he replied: "Will you force us to allow interbreeding with the Breeders?"

Oh, no! Adora scowled at them. As did her friends. "We won't let you keep people from loving whoever they want," she said. "If one of your people and one of the Eurondan Alliance want to be together, they'll be allowed to."

"Just as we were warned by the Russians and Chinese! You want to destroy our way of life as well!" Alar said.

"If your way of life means keeping people from loving who they want, then it deserves to be destroyed!" Glimmer spat.

"That will destroy our people!" Alar had stood up and was glaring at them. Then he glanced at the guards behind him. "We have no choice."

What did he… Adora's eyes widened. No!

She jumped up, her chair falling down behind her. "Don't…!"

But before she could finish, Catra pounced on Alar, reaching for his hand.

Adora caught a glimpse of a device he held a moment before the alarm went off.

*****​