"Caldwell to Odyssey. Daedalus is ready to receive your attack. You may proceed when ready."

Out the Daedalus's forward viewport Colonel Caldwell watched the Odyssey shift its orientation slightly to bring the new weapon, mounted on the starboard side of the battlecruiser, into view. With barely a second for his eyes to adjust to the presence of the tiny new weapons node, he located the addition just as it opened fire.

The tiny purple orbs impacted the Daedalus's forward shield one after another in ten-blast bursts of rapid fire. Two seconds separated bursts and repeated over and over again. Twenty four seconds later Caldwell got a report from the ring-room…one of the Odyssey's crew had successfully transported over while the ship's shields were raised.

Caldwell hit his command chair's transmit button. "You can stop firing now, Odyssey. You're people are aboard. Congratulations on a successful test, unnerving as it is. I don't suppose you have found a way to adjust our shields against this sort of penetration?"

Carter's picture popped up on a side console. "Not our mission objective, Colonel. If this is going to work our shields will be raised at the same time, purposefully adjusted so as to allow ring transport. Any such modifications would be counterproductive."

"I know that, General. I was referring to future operations. I don't like the idea that people can board my ship at will."

"I understand your feelings, Colonel. Once this is over we should probably look into doing just that. But for the moment we have an operational weapon…and baring any unforeseen complications in the test data, we're ready to move on Atlantis."

"I thought you wanted all three ships armed with the weapon?" Caldwell asked.

Carter nodded. "I do, but according to our research even one will be sufficient to disrupt Atlantis's shield. That said, I want to send over Dr. McKay to start outfitting the Daedalus immediately. If and when we get the address for Atlantis we're going to move on the city immediately, but if we have time I want both the Daedalus and Apollo equipped with the weapon as backup in case the Odyssey is neutralized."

"That's a cheery thought," Caldwell offered. "I suppose we're going to be tied up here a while?"

"Not long," Carter said, shaking her head. "We already have the second weapon's components materialized. All we have to do is transport them and McKay over to the Daedalus and you can be on your way."

"Good to hear," Caldwell said agreeably. "We've got a number of unchecked datamines to attend to, and I'd hate to miss a shot at Atlantis because we delayed here too long."

Carter frowned. "I didn't realize we had anything time-sensitive going on?"

"If any of the hyperspace sensors pick up a contact I want to be close enough to chase it," Caldwell said. "And we can't even get telemetry data out here."

"Last I checked," Carter said almost sarcastically, "they didn't have any ships."

"I know it's a long shot," Caldwell said, "but there's a chance we might catch Atlantis in transit."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "You think they're flying around in the city?"

"They'd have to, if they're serious about attacking the Wraith," Caldwell countered. "Either that or they'd have to acquire new ships. They can't rely on gate travel for everything."

"You may have a point. And who knows, with Captain Stevenson's Ancient knowledge they may be able to build ships of their own."

Now it was Caldwell that raised an eyebrow. "I hope not, or this mission is quickly going to go from improbable to impossible."

"Just thinking out loud, Colonel. I don't really expect they'd have the resources to construct a ship, let alone within a year," Carter tried to assure him. "Either way your point is taken. We might just get lucky."

"That's the idea," Caldwell agreed. "Have you heard anything else from the Apollo on that front?"

Carter nodded. "We did get confirmation from another planet that Atlantis is recruiting. No word on an address yet."

"They're bound to show up at home again sometime," Caldwell said confidently. "Sooner or later we'll catch them going back and forth."

"I hope so," Carter said, feeling the pressure of an extended mission scenario of her own making. "Request permission to start beaming over components into your hangar bay?"

"Give us half an hour, General," Caldwell said, thinking fast. "We need to move a few things around first."

"Will do, Colonel. Call us when you're ready."

Caldwell nodded. "Daedalus out."

On Dakara, in the third of five Ancient-style prefab cities that Bra'tac was using to house the influx of Jaffa, the first of what would become a common ceremony was about to take place.

In the months since Bra'tac had been declared the first of the new System Lords, he'd had the Jaffa coming to Dakara involved in a mass of training drills and tests to determine their worth. The Jaffa that proved himself or herself the strongest, quickest, and wisest of them all would be granted the honor of receiving the first symbiot.

That top spot had been hard fought over, but in the end it was Raknor that knelt before Bra'tac in the center of a large translucent dome in the center of the small settlement. He was dressed in traditional Jaffa armor, which he had brought with him, but neatly folded behind Bra'tac was a new set of garments that awaited him, along with a new set of weapons. Winning the trials definitely had its rewards.

"Raknor," Bra'tac said approvingly. "You have proven yourself against the standards I set forth with ease, and have bested your fellow Jaffa by a slim margin…however, that margin is sufficient to earn you the first prim'tah. With it comes a solemn vow to serve the Alterra as guardians of this galaxy. Your survival cannot be guaranteed. Victory cannot be guaranteed. What I offer you comes with great danger and an awesome responsibility. Think carefully before you answer. Once entered into, this covenant cannot be lightly discarded."

"I have considered this new covenant," Raknor said, still kneeling, "since the day it was announced. I do not take it lightly."

"Very well then," Bra'tac said, fishing a hand inside his armor and into his symbiot pouch. While he didn't require one himself, he had kept the symbiot Stevenson had given him in the safest place he knew. He held it up before him in two hands.

"What was one, will now become two," he said, sliding one hand over the center red stripe. He was careful to ring his fingers around it completely, then slowly constricted the center, as Stevenson had instructed him to do.

Thirty seconds later the two halves pulled apart…and Bra'tac held two new immature symbiots, one in either hand.

He slid one back inside his own pouch then held the other above Raknor's head, clearly visible to all around. "Do you accept this covenant, and all the responsibilities it bears?"

"I do, Master. It is an honor to serve you."

Bra'tac smiled. "And it is my honor to lead. Rise and accept your prim'tah."

Raknor did as bidden and took the small white symbiot from Bra'tac. He opened his symbiot pouch and pushed it in. To his surprise, the technology crawled the rest of the way in and coiled up inside him as a Goa'uld symbiot would have.

Bra'tac held up a small device in front of Raknor's forehead. "With the beginning of a new covenant comes the end of the old." He pressed the device against Raknor's tattoo.

The Jaffa held steady, bracing himself against whatever pain might come, but to his surprise he found it minimal. After a few long seconds Bra'tac removed his hand to reveal a completely blank forehead. The surrounding Jaffa looked confused, murmuring amongst themselves. They had been told that they would receive a new mark, Bra'tac's mark, in replace of the old…but Raknor's head held none.

Their confusion was short lived.

"Within a few hours," he said to Raknor, "your symbiot will alter your vision and the mark upon your crown will become visible to you and any other Jaffa in the service of the System Lords. All others, save for the System Lords themselves, will see nothing. They will know you only as you choose to appear."

Raknor nodded his understanding as Bra'tac turned and brought forth the Jaffa's new accoutrements. "I give two garments. The first is a light robe, in the fashion of a servant of the Alterra. The second is battle armor. It is flexible, yet sturdy, and will offer some protection against the energy of stun weapons. The red color is changeable, offering several more suited to camouflage at the touch of a button."

He handed both garments to Raknor, who accepted them on top of his extended forearms.

"The weapon you know well," Bra'tac said, producing a staff weapon, "but with new functions. The staff weapon has three settings. Standard, stun, and overkill. The first two are what their namesake implies. The overkill setting will offer you a more intense blast at a slower rate of fire. Use it against immobile and heavily armored targets."

"The zat'ni'katel has been replaced with an Alterran stun weapon. It is small, light, and easily concealable." Bra'tac handed it also to Raknor, who had been forced to tuck his garments under each arm to accommodate both them, the staff, and now the new zatna.

"And last of all, an addition to your armor of my own design," Bra'tac said proudly, handing Raknor an equally red skullcap. "In addition from guarding your shaved head from sunburn," he said humorously, "within the head cover is a communications and navigation system. It is difficult to use for the novice, but with sufficient practice it will enhance scout and group maneuvers greatly."

Bra'tac looked directly at Raknor's eyes. "Take these gifts of the Alterra and use them wisely. You are the first of many, but do not take your laurels as a substitute for continued training and vigilance. One can always find improvement within…but one must first seek before they can find."

Bra'tac turned to address the others present. "The young symbiots will grow to maturity in a matter of months…at which time we will repeat the prim'tah ceremony for two other Jaffa. A few months after that…four more. Be diligent, be patient. All those who seek the new covenant and are willing to prove their worth will receive their prim'tah. It is the promise of the Alterra, and the promise of Bra'tac."

Six hours later, after his first training session in his new armor, Raknor retreated to his small private quarters within the second city and grabbed a quick shower. When he emerged and glanced at his appearance in a small wall-mounted mirror he could not help but smile.

In his image, emblazoned on the mirror as if it had been chiseled there, gleamed the first symbol on the Chappa'ai in neon red…Bra'tac's signature color. Raknor rubbed his fingers over it, but the image didn't fade or distort any more than his skin did. He rubbed his hand over it five more times before finally letting himself believe that it was truly there.

Raknor drew himself up to his full height, jutted his jaw out and examined his new visage. In his opinion, he'd never looked better.