Author's Note:

The reason of the birth of this story is simply that I don't like wars, I don't like how the governments cannot make ethical decisions, and it really pissed me off sometimes how SG-1 and especially Jack handled certain situations so badly that it only made everything worse – not for the American heroes, of course, but for the innocent, non-Tau'ri characters. (It goes without saying, that only a really good TV-show can pull you in so much that it can piss you off – to cut is short, don't misunderstand me, I genuinely love this series.) So I decided that I put one of my characters from our original fantasy universe with Mirarwa into the SG universe. In my point of view this is not a Mary Sue, but a genuine crossover. Of course, in our world there is magic, therefore I had to change basic things, and I have to be frank, there's no real challenge for my character – it's just not well-balanced. That is, only at the beginning of the series. But I won't deny it: my character is a freaking deus ex machina. Yup.

This is just the first chapter. I have notes through all the SG-1 ten seasons, and the SG:A and SG:U seasons, too. My main characters are the SG-1 teammates, and my OC is just a side-character. Ish. I tried to make it even, so my character won't pop up every minute to solve every problem – no, the SG-1 members have to cope on their own; they just have a little help, and landed in a new world order. But no further spoilers.

My plan is to make a complete rewritten version of the original series. Therefore my chapters will be like episodes, and I work from the TV-show, often quoting from it. It's a fun project to see when I make a small difference in the beginning, how it will affect the following parts and then completely change the outcome. :)

As you can see, I start with the series' second season – everything that happened in the first season is canon. (I assume, dear reader, that you know this series pretty well.) My story begins in 1998. Oh, and because I put my characters in the SG universe, and that is the base of my writing, that's why I will adopt all the technobabble and not-so-coherent thing in the show. I won't try to explain all the unreasonable parts like why everybody speaks English in different planets. This was a B-category TV-show from the nineties – you can't take it seriously, and truthfully, that's all part of its charm.

The title came from the song "Radioactive" from Imagine Dragons. That was my inspiration music.

Last but not least, I'd like to announce that this chapter is just a test-run. Usually I don't have time to write, and it's totally possible that not one person will like this story. I wrote it simply because I liked to toy with the characters, and because I wanted to practice my English, since it's not my native language. Sorry about that. My point is, maybe I won't continue this little fanfic/crossover project, and leave it just a messed-up one-shot. Maybe in time I will continue. Positive feedback will help, of course, but I won't ask you to review feverishly – frankly, I myself don't like writing reviews, I just read the stories. So, *shrug* there you are. After this awfully long AN, I present you my… debatably reading-worthy story.

Disclaimer: By the power invested in me, I hereby disclaim the Stargate universe.

S02E01 In The Serpent's Lair There Is A King

Yup, this was a pretty bad day.

Jack glared at Apophis with his hands on the back of his neck, while he slowly knelt down before the Goa'uld. His teammates reluctantly followed him, discarding their weapons and kneeling beside him in total surrender. Sam glanced at him silently asking for instructions, and Jack nodded her to wait. Don't do anything rash. He could see in Daniel's eyes and in his sagging poise that the archaeologist has already abandoned all hope. He had seen the destruction of Earth once, and fought with everything he had to prevent it from happening again – and it seemed that they had failed. Jack wanted to shake Daniel, to snap him out of his stupor, because damn himself if he had given up fighting!

On the other side Teal'c warily eyed the four Jaffa, who pointed their staff weapons at them from the four corners of the room. They were in superior positions, just out of their reach. No point in fighting now; it would be suicide. That was why Jack surrendered. At the moment. After all, he would think of something soon, for Sam, for Daniel and for the others. A shining New Plan. Not that there was anything wrong with the old plan; this was just not their day, apparently. Monday probably. Or Wednesday. Definitely Wednesday. Jack hated Wednesdays.

A few hours earlier everything had been going smoothly, just according to plan. They surprised the two Jaffa who had come to their cell to kill them. After everything they did, killing Klorel (once), and sabotaging their ship, Apophis sent only two Jaffa to dispose of them? It was an insult in itself. Jack would have been very offended if not for the fact that it made their escape really easy. Bless the Goa'uld's immense arrogance!

After that they had gone to the cargo bay once again to arm themselves. Unfortunately, a small Jaffa patrol had spotted them, and they had been ensnared in a gunfight… or Zat-fight in their case. One of the wild shots had blown up the DHD, rendering the ship's Stargate useless. A small glitch in their plan. But if anything, Jack was a glass-half-full kind of guy; they could always try to escape with the Death Gliders if push came to shove. But at that moment the plan had been to recapture Klorel and use him as a hostage to force Apophis to come over to this ship – because the C4 could only blow up one Ha'tak. Well, then they would make it that both Goa'uld would be on that one. After that – as the plan said – if they couldn't negotiate, then they could lock up the two snakeheads on the bridge and make their way out as the ship blew into oblivion. Losing their leaders and gods, the remaining Jaffa wouldn't attack but would withdraw. So, that was The Plan.

It had held up good when they attacked the bridge with the Goa'uld's own shock grenade, and when they contacted Apophis with their demands. And it had gone spectacularly sideways when Apophis showed up by the transportation rings not alone but with six other Jaffa. The SG-1 team had been disarmed immediately and Klorel was sent to the other Ha'tak to continue the descend into Earth's atmosphere.

In retrospect, Jack thought, you really shouldn't threaten someone to kill his son when said son can be and had been brought back to life with a nice piece of technology. That somehow took the edge off of the threat.

Jack watched with raising alarm as the Earth grew closer and closer in the big glassy-forcefieldy window behind Apophis. They were in position to attack, and the Goa'uld turned from the controlling device to them with a smug and condescending smile on his face. Jack's hands were tingling to smash that annoying face in. It was just a reflex, really.

"Now, humans and the Shol'va, you can all watch as I destroy your world for your insolence. Witness as a true god smites down on your little planet with his full wrath!" Apophis' eyes glowed white as he spread his arms in a truly theatrical fashion, his voice going deeper. "Tremble before my presence and maybe I grant you a swift death after that!"

The Goa'uld turned back towards the control device and put his hand into it to send out his command through all two ships. To launch the attack. Daniel's breath hitched, and next to him Sam's whole body tensed up. Teal'c was ready to fight or die trying from moment one.

Any second now, brain, begged Jack in his mind. Come on, come up with something! Anything! Say a joke to distract him! Just do something!

Both Apophis and Jack opened their mouth in the same moment to speak – one to order the termination of a whole planet, and one to desperately buy time. But then the moment dragged on and not a word came out. Everybody in the room was deadly silent with their mouths hanging open. What stopped every one of them and reduced the two speechless was the strange, out of blue appearance of a new person.

Jack really didn't know what to think. In the past year he had seen many strange things and technologies beyond his imagination (which was, let's face it, not a hard thing to achieve), but this was new. The stranger appeared from thin air, without using the rings or any other visible device. There wasn't any sound or visual effect which would have indicated that he was being transported somehow. A blink of an eye, and he was just… there.

In the shocked stillness of the situation Jack's military sense kicked in, and with a few glances he sized up the newcomer. The man – and Jack needed a confusing moment to short that out – had an androgynous face. He looked really young, maybe in his early twenties, but Jack wasn't sure – he had some kind of agelessness in himself. His jaw-line and nose were finely shaped giving him a handsome, almost womanly soft look. His skin was slightly tan, and his features were Caucasian with an undertone of Asian complexion. He had thick, raven-black hair, the like you can only see on far-eastern people. His front locks were loose, falling into his eyes and long enough to reach below his chin. The rest of his hair was pulled back in a bun, held up by a hairpin, where the ends of his locks were standing up stragglingly.

Aside from all these, Jack had to admit, the stranger's most peculiar feature was his eyes. They were an odd mixture of brown and the red of fresh blood. The color was so specific and alien that Jack involuntarily shivered at the sight – he knew no Tau'ri human could produce this kind of pigmentation.

The man was five-point-sevenish feet tall, and had a feminine built. His body was lean, lithe, and more sinewy than muscular. His all-black clothes were like second skins on him, lining out his form. On top he wore a high-necked and sleeveless bolero-like garment ornamented with fine, elaborated embroideries, their design nothing like Jack had ever seen before. Under that was a tight-fitting shirt with long sleeves, which reached down to his fingers. From the hip down the shirt didn't end, but continued as a tail, or more like half of a swallow-tail of a dress-coat – it fall upon his right leg and was tapering until its point touched the ground. His trousers were slinkily covering his legs, and from the knees below he wore lace-up boots.

On his right forearm, above the clothes, he had a wide bracelet, and there were thin rings on all of his ten fingers.

All in all, he really didn't look intimidating or dangerous at all; more like a stray fashion model who took a wrong turn towards the catwalk.

That is, until the whimsical moment passed, and everyone started to think and move again. The four Jaffa, overcoming their dumbfounded state, quickly aimed their Ma'Tok staff at the intruder. The man simply looked at them with emotionless eyes, and waved his hand. Before the Jaffa could activate their weapons, a clear slash appeared on their stomachs, ripping through armor, skin and symbiote. Blood splashed across the place, tainting the walls, the floor and even Jack's clothes as the big warriors tumbled to the ground lifelessly, next to their previously fallen comrades. It effectively stunned the SG-1 team back into shocked stillness.

The new and from this moment on very scary man then turned to Apophis. The Goa'uld in his first cowardly reflex stumbled backwards a few steps, then quickly activated his personal energy shield. With fresh confidence he raised his arm with the hand device on it to kill the intruder. His eyes glowed white while the gem in the Kara kesh flashed red. Jack expected the man to fly backward as the energy wave hit him, or fall to his knees as Apophis places his palm on his forehead. He expected the Goa'uld to say something theatrical and roisterous again. He expected Teal'c and the others to be ready to act. Although the stranger could be either friend or foe, at the moment he was playing to their hands. He gave them an opening, and Jack intended to use it. But then none of the aforementioned things he expected happened. Wednesday, remember?

The man swiftly grabbed the System Lord's wrist, twisted it, and then kicked him in the chest with so much force that Apophis flew to the opposite wall. The Goa'uld crumbled to the floor, panting and cursing, and then started to scream for guards.

Nothing happened. No reinforcement came through the doors kicking and screaming. Jack finally allowed himself a gloating smile.

"Let's talk face to face," said the man looking down at the Goa'uld impassively. This was the first time he spoke; his voice wasn't masculine deep, but it was pleasantly calm and collected. He didn't move from his spot next to the controlling device where Apophis was a second ago. He just lifted his arm and at that moment the Goa'uld System Lord, archenemy of the humans (and many other species), fall over. Dead. Jack's chin hit the floor, and the SG-1 team was rendered speechless again.

The man kept his hand in front of himself and in his grip there was Apophis in his true, naked reality: the symbiote itself. The man held the Goa'uld's head between his thumb, index- and middle finger, while the body of the parasite wrapped itself around his forearm. The man faced the Goa'uld who hissed at him with its quadripartite mouth like an agitated snake.

"It's inconvenient," continued the stranger as he turned the symbiote from side to side studying it, unbothered by the fact that a larva-like creature was screeching at him angrily, "that in your host's body you can hide your thoughts behind your host's mind, and in your true form you don't have a concrete mind that I can read. So let's try plan C."

The next move of the man stunned the sobering company again. Jack really should have been used to it by now. Expect the unexpected – that was his motto. From now on, anyway. Considering the recent events, he knew he wouldn't have a chance to come to his senses for a good time.

Jack watched with open horror and disgust as the man lifted the Goa'uld to his mouth, then without hesitation he swallowed the parasite. The SG-1 team gaped at him as he forcibly gulped down the symbiote with his eyes closed and his face turning upwards. Then his hands feebly fell next to his body, and he stood still and silent. For a second or two everybody waited with bated breath. Jack didn't know what the hell the man planed or hoped for, but he knew he failed when the stranger's mouth twisted in a malevolent smile. He started laughing, but his voice was deeper and doubled now. When he lowered his head to stare at them, his eyes glowed white.

"That fool!" Apophis, in the body of the strange man, cried out triumphantly, a superior and contemptuous look on his face. "He had no idea who he was dealing with!" He surveyed himself with bright eyes. "All this power! I can be the new Supreme System Lord with this much power! I will conquer the universe! And I will start by killing you, filthy humans, and your little planet!"

Apophis raised his arm to wave it just like the man did when he arrived. Jack braced himself for the pain – in his mind he could already see a slash appearing on their stomachs, bisecting them. He could feel the momentary agony, hear the scream of Sam and Daniel, and taste the bitterness in his mouth, because he let them down. He couldn't protect them, because he didn't know how to; didn't know what kind of weapon the guy – and now Apophis – used. But it was no use now. He would die, any second now… any second… any… second…

Jack carefully opened one eye. The man/Apophis was standing still on the same spot, arm stretched out. He was glassy-eyed, but then his face became emotionless, and finally the corners of his mouth twisted into a cruel smile. The hair stood up on the back of Jack's neck. Now, that was an intimidating grin! It outclassed all of Apophis' annoying ones, showing just how small a fish was the Goa'uld compared to the newcomer.

"Did you really think it would be this easy," asked the man in his normal, slightly unimpressed voice. He spoke aloud, but addressed the Goa'uld in his head. "While you were busy playing the main villain, I've read your memories. You are a nasty little piece of gruga." He lowered his hand while his features hardened and his eyes turned darker. "In the name of the Regis, ruler of four galaxies and forty-three hundred sixty-six worlds, I condemn you to death for your sins."

The verdict was given, complete and final. The man sighed, and then began picking his nails in a blasé manner. "You are in denial." After a short silence he nodded. "Now you are angry." He halted, then quirked one of his eyebrows. "Now you are negotiating." A little break and he returned to examine his nails. "Now you are scared… And now you are dead."

Daniel was the first who regained his wits.

"But– What– How?"

Okay, maybe that was an overstatement.

"I'm a mage," answered the man with a shrug, as if that statement explained everything; but he only met with blank looks. "I can control everything in my body. I simply disassembled the Goa'uld into useful molecules. I think I will skip dinner today."

Jack blinked at him and after an awkward minute he finally found his jaw (on the floor) and remembered how to use it.

"Who– What are you?" His voice was a little high-pitched, but he attributed it to tiredness. Too many unexpected events and new and shocking experiences. Not that he wanted to look a gift-horse in the mouth, after all the stranger killed Apophis and stopped the attack on Earth. But he started to get fed up with the situation, and he wanted answers. And explanations. Or just a name, really, to know whom to address the thank you card.

The man ignored him. He busied himself with the controlling device then turned back towards the door and started to casually walk out of the room. "Come with me. Ask stupid questions later."

Nobody moved. At the door he looked back over his shoulder. "Do you want to go home or remain here forever?"

Daniel was the first to act. He stood up and cast a peculiar glare at Jack which said something like: 'he helped us so far, it might be worth to follow him.'

"That's just great," sighed Jack. He considered staying there just out of spite, but then reluctantly gave in. He got on his feet and lent a hand to Sam. They took the weapons of the dead Jaffa – better safe than sorry – then went after their rescuer in a much slower and cautious pace. Ahead of them the stranger stalked confidently through the corridors. He moved like a feline, with light and graceful steps, almost as if he was dancing. Definitely a model on a catwalk.

The SG-1 team followed him from corner to corner, sneaking behind the pillars, weapons ready, awaiting a group of Jaffa coming down the hallway in every minute. Unlike their guide who walked forth without a worry. It only took two minutes to discovered why their rescuer was so relaxed. They could spot many patrolling Jaffa – lying on the ground, unconscious.

Sam checked the nearest warrior, feeling his pulse. "What happened here?"

"I put them into sleep," stated the man without wasting a glance. "All of them."

Daniel looked around with astonishment. "But how could you do this? And when?"

"I'm good at multitasking." The guy's smile was sharp and mildly smug. Jack and Teal'c looked at each other with mutually raised eyebrows, and Jack wanted to ask further but Sam purposefully cleared her throat. "Where are we going?"

"To your homeplanet."

"I hate to be a party crusher," started Jack, "but the Stargate is useless. How do you plan to get us out of here? Do you have a ship? Or can you–" he waved his hand in a nonfigurative way "beam us out of here?"

"Sir, we can use the Gliders," noted Sam standing up next from the sleeping Jaffa.

"I don't think it's possible, Captain Carter." Teal'c was calm and polite as ever when delivering the bad news. "A Glider can only hold two persons and I am the only one who can pilot them."

Jack stepped closer like he couldn't hear him – or couldn't believe him. "You say we wouldn't fit? Why didn't you tell me this earlier!?"

"You didn't ask."

"Because– Ah, never mind!" Jack holstered his weapon. "After we get home, you and I will have a little talk about sharing information."

"You mean after you survive the court-marshal, get striped of your ranks and kicked out of the SGC?" interjected Daniel.

"That's exactly what I meant," nodded Jack back eagerly.

"You just can't wait to say them 'I told you so'" added Sam with a smile. "Sir."

Jack turned and pointed at her. "That's exactly what I meant." Then he turned back to their freakish savior. "Sorry. You were saying something about getting us home?"

The man just tipped his head to one side while listening to their banter. He waited patiently, almost curiously for them to finish their conversation. "Just follow me." Without further ado he started to walk away again.

Well, he wasn't a talkative guy that was for sure. Jack muttered something under his breath, but obeyed. He wanted to ask more questions, like how the man did his pop-up-out-of-nowhere thing, or how did he separate the Goa'uld from his host, or how did he disintegrate the parasite inside of his body – he bet Carter already had several possible scientific explanations – or who the hell was he? But if his inner clock was right, then they had only minutes before the C4 detonated, and then bye-bye court-marshal, bye-bye monthly bills and noisy neighbors! Hm. In this light staying wasn't such a bad idea after all. But then again, he hadn't completed his bucket list yet.

It was a shame he didn't had a bucket list; if he arrived home safely, he would write one, promise.

The odd company silently made its way through the ship – Jack didn't know where to. How did the man want to go to Earth? Fly? Teleport? Use magic?

The answer was more profane than that. After one last turn they arrived at the cargo bay where the Stargate stood. The room bore the marks of the Great Battle. Or so Jack wanted to think of it as that. Zat-shots and staff weapon-blasts covered the golden walls and steel boxes, and above all there was a huge hole on the side of the DHD.

"See, it's ruined," pointed out Jack when the man walked up to the Stargate. "You're stuck here with…us…" His words slowly died away on his lips as the man touched the gate and the rim immediately started spinning and locking chevrons. Expect the unexpected, Jack reprimanded himself. It wasn't a motto anymore; it was his new philosophy of life.

"How are you doing that?" Sam was glancing from the DHD to the Stargate and back with utter incomprehension. The second and third chevrons encoded under the man's palm. He wasn't smiling but his features became softer and his eyes kinder as he looked back at the woman. Suddenly he seemed much younger and harmless. If Jack didn't know better, he would have said that this man before him couldn't hurt a fly. The realization was terrifying: any person with a level of acting talent and charisma such as his was more than dangerous. Scratch the helping hand and the trustworthy appearance, they could not afford to let their guard down. The stranger was too powerful and unknown. He was a wild card, a big question mark, not part of the picture. He could be a Venus Flytrap, and humanity could be the fly.

"With the naquadah in my body, thanks to that Goa'uld," answered the man Sam's question. He continued dialing the fourth and fifth chevrons. "I can resonate the mineral in my blood with the ones in the gate and thereby control it. Actually it's very simple; with a lot of practice even you can do it." He looked at Teal'c who just arched his eyebrow in a very teal'cish manner. Meanwhile the sixth and seventh chevrons lodged in place and the event horizon settled. Jack was paying attention but didn't recognize the address. He glanced at Daniel who also watched the Stargate dial, but the archaeologist shook his head. Wherever the man was taking them to then dial back to Earth, it was a place they didn't know.

"And what about this ship?" asked Jack when the man signaled them to go.

"I have programmed it and the other to fly straight back to their homeworld."

"But the detonation– "

"No longer happening. I removed your explosives from the ships."

"But– "

"A-a!" The man wobbled one raised finger before him, as if Jack was just an impudent child, effectively silencing the startled soldier. "I said, ask stupid questions later."

With this final word the man waved them again to go. Daniel obeyed first – he really wanted to get off this blasted ship already. He wanted to go home, fell onto his bed, and just sleep and forget this whole nightmare. Sam followed him but with a more alarmed attitude. She readied her gun before entering the puddle, and Jack silently blessed her for that.

Another bless went for Teal'c, who already adopted the human military's tactics, or more likely, the Colonel's way of thinking. He took up the rear, securing their retreat, protecting Jack's back and watching out for all of them. Jack nodded his thanks to him, and then "politely" let the stranger ahead of him. The man flashed him a knowing grin and went into the gate with Jack and Teal'c in tow. The Stargate closed after them and one minute later the two Ha'taks jumped into hyperspace, and disappeared from the Earth's sky forever.

Hammond eyed the Stargate expectantly behind the Operations Room's window. After the two bombs had harmlessly exploded upon hitting some kind of shield in front of the enemy ships, it seemed all hope was lost. Samuels and the Pentagon vastly underestimated the Goa'uld forces. Hammond didn't have this luxury. They had started to evacuate people through the Stargate and place them at the Alpha Site. Brilliant people, best in their fields of expertise – but so few. What will remain of humankind if Apophis succeeds in his retribution? His own family was out there, unsuspecting and ideally going through their day, unaware of the upcoming destruction. It had been Hammond's hardest choice in all his life not to order some soldier to pick up his family and bring them here, where he could send them off-world to safety. But no; Hammond was staying here, with the rest of the Stargate Command, and he would give hell to the Jaffa when they would try to take over this base. Maybe the Goa'uld had the technological superiority, but these soldiers here had the biggest and strongest hearts to defend their home-planet. They would die fighting.

It was a strangely elevating moment, a silver lining, when he could finally put Samuels in his place. Oh, the face of that man when he had denied his request to go to the Alpha Site…

But then the impossible happened: the two Goa'uld ships had simply left. After a minute of perplexed silence the base had exploded in an uproar. Everybody was celebrating. The situation was confusing, but it was a victory. They had done it!

Hammond's first thought was of SG-1. If there was someone behind the sudden and unexpected retreat of the Goa'uld ships, it had to be them. If he knew anything about the team, it was that they were usually right. Dr. Jackson had spoken the truth about the attack. When Senator Kinsey had shut down the program they didn't let it go. They had taken their chances with the unknown gate address, and probably came across the hostile Goa'uld forces. They tried their best to stop them and succeeded. This was beginning to be a pattern with them. It should have made Hammond nervous, but honestly, he was proud to have this team under his command. They were the best of the best.

And they had the uncanny ability to always come back alive. So Hammond was waiting. Behind him someone opened a bottle of champagne. (How the hell did that get there? Ah, never mind…) Everybody was cheering, hugging and drinking. Hammond let them – he himself could have used a little rest after all that happened. Or a week-long vacation. Or retirement. He had two lovely granddaughters whom he really couldn't have enough time together with.

Fifteen minutes after the ship's disappearance, the base alarm went off with a high-pitched sound.

"Unscheduled off-world activation," announced Walter with an alarmed tone. He was one of the few who stayed at their stations and orchestrated the return of the evacuated scientists. But apparently this wasn't in their plan. The gate started spinning and locking chevrons from an unknown address. Hammond straightened himself, his hand hovering above the keyboard, ready to type in the self-destruct code, as he watched the kawoosh burst forward and the Iris closed. This could be a posterior attack of Apophis – or the very thing he was waiting for.

"It's SG-1, sir," proclaimed the technician, and Hammond let out the breath he was holding. "Open the Iris!"

And there they were. Hammond couldn't stop the relieved smile appearing on his face. Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c stepped out of the event horizon, in their ragged black clothes. They were a little beat-up but altogether fine. The soldiers in the Embarkation Room were applauding loudly and happily. The men in the upper room stood up as a tribute to them. They celebrated SG-1 as heroes. And they were that: damn good heroes.

Hammond quickly exited the Operations Room and headed down to the Gate Room. He wanted to congratulate them in person. And maybe fuss a little over them, but hey, he had grandfather reflexes; it came with the age. But when he entered the large room from the corridor the clapping had died down and there was an unexpected surprise behind the team.

The new man, also in black clothes, was descending on the ramp to join SG-1. The gate shut down after him and everybody eyed him suspiciously. The newcomer didn't seem offended by it – he walked with a straight back and gave off an air of authority.

"Colonel, should I call security?"

"No, sir. He's friendly," replied O'Neill with a reassuring nod. "I think," he added under his breath. Or he intended, but it was loud enough to hear by everybody. Hammond knew he did that on purpose, but the strange man didn't respond to it. He just looked around the room then turned to him. "Is there some place we can talk privately?"

Hammond frowned and opened his mouth to question this whole… thing, but Jack interrupted. "He saved us, sir. I think we should hear him out."

Hammond looked over them. O'Neill, Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c were all staring at him. They looked tired but absolutely serious. Hammond did not understand the situation fully – who was this newcomer and what did he do – but trusted his men.

"In this case," he turned to the alien man, straightened his back and gave a grateful nod, "words cannot express our gratitude." The man nodded back but remained impassive. Hammond studied him for a moment. He held himself like a soldier, ready to move, jump, fight at any moment, but also seemed relaxed like none of the Airmen in here could do any harm to him. His face was unemotional but his strangely colored eyes held a tone of solemnness. Hammond couldn't pinpoint the man's age. He looked young but looks can be deceiving.

He helped saving the Earth, and anybody who was the enemy of the Goa'uld was a potential friend of theirs. And right now they needed friends more than ever.

"All right." With a final sigh Hammond gave in. Usually he liked his teams well rested and treated at the infirmary before a debriefing, but naturally this was a special occasion. He waved all of them to follow him as he exited the Gate Room. Talking in privacy? The Briefing Room next to his office would do.

On their way up the team gave their gear to a pair of lower ranked soldiers. Jack rolled his shoulder relieved from all that weight, literally and figuratively speaking. They sat down at the long conference table; Hammond took the seat at the head of the table at the side of his office while Jack and Sam sat at his right, Daniel and Teal'c opposite them. The stranger stood at the other end. He didn't sit down just bowed his head to them. Daniel, the anthropologist he always was, mirrored the greeting reflexively. Then the newcomer reached to his leather belt on his waist and unstrapped a sword.

Wait a minute, was there always a sword there? Jack could honestly not tell. He couldn't remember the weapon back at the ship, nor did any other soldier, as protocol dictated, ask the man to hand over it when they arrived at the base. Maybe there was some camouflage technology on the sword? That is if the thing was really a sword. Frankly, Jack was only guessing from the position and the shape of the thing. It looked like a ninjato, similar to a samurai sword but with a straight and shorter blade. Furthermore it didn't have a crossguard after the hilt. However, none of that was what made the weapon so quizzical – the oddest thing was that it wasn't made out of metal, but it seemed to be one piece of gemstone. The whole sword from the grip to the point of the blade was shiny black as onyx, like it was truly carved out of a mineral. It wasn't flintlike but had a smooth and sleek surface. But how could an onyx-weapon be effective against a metal one? How could it cut anything?

The man lifted the strange sword up horizontally, balancing it in his two open palms in a ceremonial gesture, then placed the weapon on the table. Jack wasn't an anthropologist but even he understood the meaning of it: 'I don't want to fight you, I came in peace.'

"I'm the Regis, ruler of four galaxies and forty-three hundred sixty-six worlds."

For introductions this was really straightforward and theatrical. A little too Goa'uld-like for Jack's taste. The Regis? It didn't sound like a name, more like a title. Jack glanced at Daniel if the ex-professor knew anything about this name – more mythology or something – but the archaeologist was silent. Even more, he looked dead tired. For a minute there Jack ignored everything else and studied his friend with concern. He didn't even know when was the last time Daniel slept.

The introduction put a deep frown on Hammond's face, however diplomacy was one of the most important things in his line of work, so he quickly took his turn.

"I'm General George Hammond, the head of the United States Air Force's Stargate Command. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Captain Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. You are currently on planet Earth."

The Colonel, ever the helpful, chipped in. "Four galaxies and forty-something worlds, you said something like that before. But what do you mean by it?"

The man blinked several times at him. "Sorry, I thought your culture knows astronomy. Or do I speak the right language? Because sometimes I slip accidentally."

Hammond glared O'Neill back into submission then turned back to the Regis with a more polite smile. "No, I assure you, you speak the right language. What the Colonel meant is how do you mean it?"

"Well, there are numberless galaxies in the universe, and in them there are many planets," the man began the explanation as he sat slowly down. "A good deal of them are inhabited by various creatures. Humans, too. To simplify the matter, forty-three hundred sixty-six worlds of them form a confederacy, and I'm the head of that."

It was Dr. Jackson's turn to question. "You said ruler – like a king?"

"More like a highest authority." The Regis hummed, contemplating something. "One of the galaxies I control is very close to yours." He continued slowly, carefully choosing his words. "You call it the Large Magellanic Cloud, I believe. I started to wander over this galaxy – the Milky Way, right? The first habituated planet I came across was this. I was curious so I stayed for a few month and studied your cultures and history. Then suddenly two spaceships appeared. I gathered you didn't have any space technology hence I went to help you. Now I know everything about the Goa'uld and the problem they pose."

Daniel immediately perked up. "Wait, you say everything?" He hesitantly licked his lips. "On the ship you said… you said you've read Apophis' mind. Do you know anything about Sha're?"

The Regis looked uncertain. "No, sorry, I don't know her."

"She is the host!" Daniel exclaimed, frustrated. This was his first real lead on finding his wife after a year of dead ends. And after Apophis' death maybe this was his only chance before Sha're would disappear amidst the System Lords' rivalry fights. "The host of Apophis' wife!"

The Regis tilted his head to the side, still frowning unsurely. "The Goa'uld don't know the word: wife. They don't have a marriage system like yours. I'm sorry, but in Apophis' memory nobody fits that description."

"Priem'ka," offered Teal'c in his serene, baritone voice, helping out. He seemed calm but hoped for an answer as much as Daniel. The Jaffa never said but he never stopped blaming himself for what happened to his friend's wife.

Daniel didn't know this word but only needed a second to translate it in his head. "His beloved, yes," he gestured vividly.

The realization drew on the Regis' face. "Ah, Amaunet!" He shook his head. "Sorry about it, Apophis didn't know and didn't care about her host."

"We understand," joined Hammond in, "but do you know where she is?"

"Yes, but you won't like the answer."

Daniel was practically at the edge of his seat with anticipation, however after hearing that he paled. "Is she alright?"

"She's alright. She's pregnant."

"What!?" That was Jack. Sam's eyes doubled, even Hammond looked shocked. But the news hit Daniel the hardest. The archaeologist didn't say anything. Couldn't. Numerous emotions crossed his face in rapid succession. Firstly denial. Then open horror. Dismay. Nausea. Anger. Sorrow. He slowly sat back on his seat, his pose shagging while his expression finally became blank, his eyes glassy.

"Apophis made her pregnant for the purpose of having the child as his new host in the future," the Regis elucidated. The disgust was clear on Jack's and Sam's features. Hammond stared at the man with disbelief. Teal'c scowled, his face darkening.

"I've never known a Goa'uld to father a human child," he commented, disturbed. "This is unheard of even in the Jaffa legends."

"Yeah, he was a sicko, we get it," Jack spit out the words. "No change in there."

"After that," the Regis went on, "he sent her away to protect the baby from the other System Lords. She's on Abydos, where the host's family can look after her; and because that planet is not under of any Goa'uld's rule."

"That's– that's good news!" Sam looked around with a hopeful smile.

"No, it's not," muttered Daniel as he hid his face behind his hands. "You remember, the Abydos gate is buried. We can't go there."

"But Kasuf will unbury it in a few months when the promised one year passes," she pointed out.

Hammond put his hand on the archaeologist shoulder and squeezed it in a fatherly manner. "We will get her, son. Apophis cannot hurt her anymore. But until then…"

Daniel took a shaky breath, and lifted his head. "Until then," he nodded.

After a moment of silence, while everybody gathered themselves, Jack took over the conversation, and turned to the Regis. There was a question that burned him since they escaped from the Ha'taks. "Why did you save the Jaffa and the ships? You killed Apophis but Ska– Klorel is out there. You say you know everything about the Goa'uld now – you surely know that they will be back."

"If anything, the Goa'uld want revenge," Sam agreed.

"I would deal with the Goa'uld but not without speaking with them. Apophis refused to back down, however the Jaffa deserve a second chance. They are enslaved and deceived and I won't kill them for others' sins."

Wow. Just wow. Jack couldn't decide if the Regis was a true saint or just plain naïve. You couldn't stop every time a Jaffa started to shoot at you to ask politely if they could reconsider their allegiances because their gods lied to them from the start. No, you were usually busy fighting for your life in those kind of situations. Of course Daniel could walk out in the middle of a gunfight just to try to negotiate, but Jack knew for a fact that his friend was plain naïve. He wasn't a soldier but a professor.

Next to him Teal'c's expression changed from the usual controlled emotionlessness to something akin to respect. Freeing his people from the Goa'uld was his true and greatest goal, and this new guy just honored all of the Jaffa by offering a second chance – something that nobody did before. Not even the people of Tau'ri, because they were too busy fighting them. Daniel told them that in the alternative universe Jack himself ordered a nuclear attack against Chulak, a planet full of slave Jaffa and their innocent families. They were as much the victims of this war as the humans, nothing more than cannon-fodder. But it was a war, and Jack knew himself – and sometimes hated himself for it – and knew that in the situation Daniel described he would have given the same order. He never considered to ask his enemy if they really wanted to fight them or just followed mindless orders. It wasn't how wars worked.

Daniel sat up, the tiredness and misery on his face switched to curiosity at the Regis' statement. Sam and Hammond mirrored his rising interest. Nobody with the arrogance and megalomaniac tendency of the Goa'uld would say and do something like that. The Nox valued life greatly but not enough to jump inside a raging war to try to save both parties. They just closed themselves off on their planet and minded their own business, occasionally reanimating the wounded they came across.

"If you don't mind me asking," inquired the archaeologist, "how can you defeat the Goa'uld? How did you do what you did on the ship?"

"Like I said, I'm a mage."

"A mage as…" Daniel shook his head quizzically, the question hanging in the air.

The Regis didn't answer just smiled a soft smile. Then he waved his hand around, gently caressing the air with his fingers, until suddenly, on the tip of his fingers there was water. Only a few drops of it, but then these drops melted together into a fist-sized bubble; and this ball of water behaved like there was no gravity. It grew larger and larger on the palm of the man, until it divided into two. Then these water-masses started to take up shapes; one of them formed a miniature panther, the other a wolf, their bodies made out of pure liquid. And then, if that wasn't unbelievable enough, the two animal abruptly came to life and started to chase each other on the surface of the table. They ran in circles, never leaving any drop of water on the wood. "A mage, that is one who wields magic."

Jack snorted. As if. Magic didn't exist, only simple minds confused by advanced science. So this Regis guarded his technology like the snakeheads.

Hammond looked stupefied. Jack could relate; been there, done that. Teal'c remained stoic just like Jack. Sam and Daniel however had unholy sparks in their eyes. Sam poked the wolf fascinated when the kitten-sized animal ran past him. The wolf's water-body passed through her fingers without changing the integrity of its form. Daniel was bolder, he squished the panther. His hand became wet but the puddle of water morphed into a panther again.

"Did you extract the humidity from the air with a device?" Sam voiced Jack's own speculation.

On the table the two animals abruptly stopped running. Their water-bodies started to crystalize, little ice-flakes appeared in them until their form froze completely. Now there was a miniature panther and wolf ice sculpture on the middle of the table, their bodies beautifully carved to the last detail. Jack watched the Regis all along, wanting to catch something that indicated a piece of technology, but the man only danced his fingers through the air just like before.

"No, but I don't expect you to understand it."

Jack's temper flared. "Why? Because we are primitive?" He threw his hands in the air indignantly. "First the Nox, then the Tollans and now you! Why does every advanced culture think we're so primitive that we can't be trusted? Is there a memo about us out there that we don't know about?"

"No-no, you misunderstand me," soothed the Colonel's anger the Regis. "I meant no disrespect. You cannot possibly understand it because your world doesn't have magic. You can't comprehend something you never knew existed. Frankly, the absence of magic in this corner of the universe really frightens me."

Well, crap. Their savor was lunatic. This was just great. The alleged ruler of thousands of worlds was concerned about magic on Earth. Or the absence of it. He slashed up bodies, teleported himself and other things, controlled water and created ice-sculptures with a wave of his hand, and said it was all magic. Just like that.

While Jack cursed inside his mind, Daniel took up a more receptive stand.

"Sorry, but what is it you call magic?"

The Regis blinked at him, then frowned, then blinked again. "It's… not something you can describe with words. Magic is everywhere. Magic is the core of life. It makes the soil fertile, makes water taste sweet. It helps the growing of nature, helps keeping the balance. It is the balance. Magic is the thread that sews everything together, it is the dust dancing in a beam of sunlight. It should be in the earth, in the air, in you and all around you. You cannot feel it, see or touch it unless you are born with the potential." He grimaced as a thought came to him. "Your culture is full of magic. Not the real kind, it has many misconceptions and misinterpretations, but that proves that sometime, in the past, magic existed on your planet. But somehow it had degraded until it vanished completely. And a world without magic is a dying world."

"But that isn't true," pointed out Sam. "Our civilization is expanding. There are more than six billion people on Earth and the numbers are growing. The technological progress we made in the last few decades– "

"You humans are not innately magical creatures, your evolution won't be affected by the lack of magic. Not anytime soon. But this planet is not only yours. Nature needs magic. And you will need it too when you run out of food and your world become a dust-planet. At this rate that would happen at the time of your grandchildren."

"Mr. Regis," cut in Hammond before Sam or Jack could involuntarily offend the man with a comment about the preposterousness of magical powers, "we would love to learn more about your culture if you would form an alliance with us against the Goa'uld System Lords." Hammond glanced at the ice animals before meeting the Regis' eyes. Technology or not, it was damn impressive. He really wanted an official report from SG-1 about what had happened aboard those Goa'uld motherships, as soon as possible.

The Regis looked at each of them, his face wasn't betraying his thoughts.

"Come on," cheered Jack, "join us! We have cookies!"

"We would be honored to fight alongside you," added Teal'c with a respectful bow.

Finally the Regis nodded. "I will help you fight against the Goa'uld…"

Jack punched through the air in victory. Daniel and Sam seemed relieved as well.

"…but only on my terms."

Well, nothing in the world came for free. Hammond was all business again. "Your terms?"

"Yes. First of all, you have an alliance with me, not with my imperium. I won't involve my people in this war – before there can be an alliance between our worlds this war has to end. I will help you with that."

Jack rubbed his ear. Maybe he wasn't hearing clearly.

"You want to fight the Goa'uld alone?" Daniel had a hard time believing it, too.

"Yes."

"But the Goa'uld have armies and big ships. Lots of big ships," Jack reasoned while trying to express the size of the Ha'taks with his spread arms.

"The System Lords have control over numerous planets," agreed Teal'c.

"Your world clearly has a superior technology," Sam joined in. "If you would share some with us, we could make some weapon– "

"No," interrupted the Regis with an annoyed expression. "As I said, I will fight alone. I will do everything I can to liberate all the worlds from under the Goa'uld's rule. I offer my protection and help for the time being. When there's no more threat we can negotiate more."

"Sounds reasonable," acknowledged Hammond. They had the help and alliance of someone who stopped two Goa'uld motherships, possessed some freakish technology and was willing to lend a hand to them and others. For the time being it was enough. For anything more he needed to consult with the President, anyway.

Jack wasn't convinced. "I'm sorry, I just really want to point out the fact, just so it would be clear, that the Goa'uld controls half this galaxy – and you are just one person."

"Yet I control a total of four galaxies." The Regis flashed a toothy grin at him, giving a full view at his carnivorous fangs and sharp teeth. For the second time Jack had the distant feeling that their new ally wasn't completely human – he looked more like a predator that caught its prey and decided to play with it a little more. "I think I can handle myself."

"Also," he went on, "anytime you encounter a conflict between worlds or have a problem with the Goa'uld, you should call me. I will help you anytime, anywhere." He placed a small ring on the table. Again, Jack noted, the Regis didn't took the ring out from his pockets and it definitely wasn't in his hand before. The thing just appeared out of nowhere like the sword and the man himself. "This ring is made out of a special crystal. If you activate it, it will resonate with mine, and I will know you are calling for me."

Daniel was the first who reached for the alien ring. It was a simple, slim ring without any markings on it.

"So, one ring to rule them all," he muttered while flipping and examining it. It didn't seem special. He glanced back at the Regis' hand, noticing his various rings. All of them were unique; they weren't big or fancy, didn't have colorful stones or anything, but more than one were made in the shape of an animal, like a panther, an owl or a dolphin. One of them was especially detailed and skillfully crafted. The ring on his right middle finger looked like a tiny living snake with metal-scales, which was wrapped around his digit in two loops, and was now sleeping peacefully. Daniel couldn't help but to marvel at advanced craftsmanship of the Regis' homeworld. However he didn't see any rings on the man's fingers similar to the crystal-ring. Where was his then?

The Regis, noticing the question on the archaeologist's face, touched his left ear, directing everybody's sight to a plain ear cuff on his upper lobe, which was made out of the same material. "Mine is here."

"And how do you activate it?" asked Jack skeptically.

"Simply put it on. The crystal is special," the Regis explained. "It takes on the distinctive vibration of this planet, thus when it resonates with mine I know where to come."

"Amazing," marveled Sam.

"Captain, do you understand this?" asked Hammond with arched eyebrows.

"Well, sir, Einstein theorized that mass itself is also a form of energy." Sam was really into expounding on this; her eyes were practically shining. "All energy can present itself in many ways, for example vibration. It has its own frequency, wavelength and amplitude. Also, it's capable of resonating with something of the same frequency…

"A-a!" Jack, who as always, didn't get a single word from this science mumbo-jumbo, stopped her with a raised finger. "In English!"

Sam closed her mouth. "Sorry, sir. The point is, every mineral has an individual crystal lattice, as in a unique arrangement of atoms and molecules. Due to this every crystal structure has its own pattern of vibration. The crystal-based technology of the Goa'uld and also the Stargate's DHD are built on this vibrancy. It's not impossible that the hard, crystallized core of a planet, or the overall minerals in the crust of a rocky planet like Earth, gave off a strong, distinct vibration, which can be used to identify said planet."

"Like the music of the spheres!" Daniel had an 'a-ha' moment.

"So, the point is," Jack summarized, "that it's all fine and dandy, but we have an Iris. If you want to come here you need a code. Right, sir?" He turned to the General, who nodded.

"Yes. I need to consult with the Chief of Staff– "

"No need, I don't use the Stargate. I have other methods to travel."

"Ooo~kay." Jack's eyebrows reached his hairline. "What does that mean?"

The Regis politely smiled at him but didn't answer. Daniel quickly took this chance to divert the topic before the Colonel decided to strangle more information out of the man. He knew the inability of gathering superior technology as the military's primary objective dictated, was a sore spot for his friend.

"Um, so… In your home-galaxy you don't have Stargates?" That was actually a very interesting question. It came with many implications and Daniel could see the calculated glint in Sam's, Hammond's and even in Jack's eyes.

The Regis tilted his head slightly to one side, again. Jack began to suspect that it was a reflex when the man was interested but a little confused. Dogs often did the same thing when he grumbled about the hardship of human life to them. "You know," the Regis replied ponderingly, "this is the first time I came across this type of transportation. I think the Stargate system is exclusive in this galaxy."

"Wow," Sam was enthusiastic again. "That means you have spaceships, yes?"

"That, too." The smile the Regis gave her was more warm and friendly then before. "We have our ways."

"Yeah, I bet," Jack grunted under his breath. The guy was so freaking mystical, magic and everything. Without doubt he was a great ally against the Goa'uld, but he kept his cards close to his chest.

Hammond sensed that this was as much an end to their negotiations as it got. "Mr. Regis," the General stood up, signaling to the others that this conversation was over. "Thank you again for helping us." There was no point interrogating the man any further. The basis of their partnership was laid down, he offered help and a way to communicate – frankly, this was much more than any other of their friends with advanced technology did for them. Not that Hammond blamed them, obviously they had their share of problems. But it was a nice change to meet somebody outside of their little corner of the universe, and who saw the Goa'ulds as dangerous threats and was willing to land a hand. "I hope this could be a beginning of a promising friendship."

"I hope, too," replied the Regis. He also stood up and hung his sword back to his belt, ready to leave.

"If…" Everybody looked at Daniel who spoke up tentatively. "If you want to know more about the history of this galaxy, you should visit P3X-972. I mean, Heliopolis."

Jack glared at him. "Daniel– " he started his reprimanding about sharing classified information, but the archaeologist only glared back.

"Jack, we can't reach it via Stargate but maybe he can. It could help him."

Sam agreed, and after Hammond's approval she gave the man the exact coordinates. "A storm destroyed the place where the Stargate stood," she added, "but in the building there was a lower room with a device that had information."

"The combined knowledge of the Alliance of the Four Races," Daniel explained.

The Regis thanked them and bowed. Daniel, Teal'c and even Sam returned the motion while Jack only sunk his hands inside his pockets and balanced on the ball of his feet. Hammond gestured towards the door.

"We can escort you to any destination you want through the Stargate," he offered.

"Thank you, but it's not necessary," declined the Regis. He looked at them one final time, then in a blink of an eye he was gone. He disappeared from the middle of the room, suddenly and inexplicably just like how he emerged in their life, mere hours ago.

If this teleportation-thingy was his so called way of travel, then Jack thought he could never get used to it.

However, all in all, maybe it wasn't really such a bad day.

Several billion light-years away a man appeared at the grim, wet, lifeless planet. He stood on the edge of the high coast, the cliffs reaching deep down beneath him like a massive wall. At its root the ocean feverously assaulted the rocks with wrathful waves, smoothing and burnishing the dark stones. The sharp wind carried the salty spray of seawater and the smell of rain. It wouldn't take long for the tempest to break out. On the sky the murky storm clouds filtered the light of the planet's white dwarf sun, enveloping the shore in an eternal dusk.

There was no green on this world, only grayness.

The Regis looked around. He was at the right coordinates, but where was the ruined building Daniel and Sam talked about? He closed his eyes and simply felt the world around him.

There! Nearly two hundred kilometers on his right there was something made from the same mineral he had temporarily in his system. Naquadah. That had to be the sunk Stargate, which meant that the so called device should be near it.

The Regis turned and headed towards the ruins of the ancient castle at the seashore, which was once the central of this galaxy, just when it started to drizzle around him.

This was a lovely day for a walk on the beach, anyway.

Author's Comment:

I tried to write a full description of the Regis' clothes, but here's a link to a drawing. I'm not a good drawer, sorry, but maybe it will make easier to imagine it: it's my tumblr page (bereshit001, and you know the rest...) /post/130138097392/regis

I mentioned Sha're and her whereabouts, and for avoiding having Daniel running straight to Abydos I had to change some facts. Or more precisely, I remained true to the facts they established in the first season, and seemed to forget at the second. But I will talk about it in more detail in the 'S02E09 Secrets' chapter (if I ever get there).

In the TV-show they never really discuss the technology of the Ancients and the Goa'uld, but there are always crystal-like plates which they place from one cell to another (and that always solves everything). Our world with Mirarwa also has an advanced technology that's based on the crystals' unique frequency and resonance. Therefore I will merge the two, mostly using our rules. (Furthermore, these crystals due to their structures can contain pure energy – at this point I have to say that magic is a type of energy).

Also, the Goa'uld word for "beloved" I made up after browsing through the wikia page's own Goa'uld dictionary.

If anybody wonders how the Regis made water out of thin air, just watch the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode 'S03E08 The Puppetmaster.' :)