Chapter Thirteen – The Continuation of Politics

Oval Office, White House

Washington DC

September 29, 2004

When he'd first contemplated running for office, Henry Hayes had known that should he be elected he'd have the weight of the country on his shoulders. He'd entered the race believing that he was ready for the responsibility of being the 'Leader of the Free World'; the most powerful person on the planet. He'd served his country as a member of the Air Force, served four terms in Congress and he had the drive, the experience and the determination to serve in the highest office in the land.

However being the leader of the Terran Stargate Alliance and having responsibility for the fate of two galaxies on his conscience was something that certainly hadn't been in the brochure. So every morning since that fateful day almost a year earlier, he'd stop himself on the West Colonnade just outside the Oval Office and taken a deep breath, psyching himself up for the coming flood of bad news that was his Presidential Daily Brief. His body man Charlie Wilson had long since learned not to ask if he was alright.

He already knew the answer.

With a final deep sigh, Hayes entered the office, greeted by his usual assortment of advisors and secretaries. By the looks on their faces the news wasn't much better than it had been the day before.

"So I take it the world is going to hell in a handbasket as usual?" commented Hayes as he practically flopped into one of the armchairs in the centre of the room.

"Pretty much sir," replied Nancy Alexander, National Security Advisor as the room sat down. "Where do you want to start?"

"China," replied Hayes as usual.

"They're doing pretty much the same as they've done for the past few months," replied his liaison to the State Department, Jason Barrows. "According to our sources they took at least seven hundred more protestors into custody overnight; mainly from Shanghai and Beijing."

"What's that make; a hundred and seventy thousand in six months?" asked Hayes in disbelief.

"One eighty actually," replied Nancy with a grimace. That was a lot of innocent people sent to the 're-education' camps, many who wouldn't be returning home. "They Chinese people aren't happy with the colossal miscalculation the central party made when it came to disclosure." Indeed the People's Republic's handling of the aftermath of Anubis' attack had been nothing short of a political and public relations disaster. Almost before the dust had settled, China had all but demanded, publicly on international television no less, that the Stargate and all alien technology be handed over to them, citing the 'incompetence' of America preventing the attack.

Initially the Russian Federation had used its far greater influence over the Stargate Program to backup China's demands but it hadn't proven enough. Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Israel, Canada and the executive council of the European Union had put their considerable political weight behind the United States and two weeks later the Russians had withdrawn their support to pursue closer relations with the newly formed alliance. Abandoned by their erstwhile allies and out of diplomatic capital, the Chinese had found themselves out in the cold and all but expelled from the increasingly irrelevant Gate Alliance Treaty.

"That's not the only problem China's facing," continued Barrows. "General Motors will be announcing on Friday that they're beginning a phased withdrawal of their manufacturing from China and Southeast Asia."

That brought a round of shock to room. China was GM's second most important market behind the US. "Why would they do that?" asked Hayes is disbelief. It had been widely accepted within the political circles he'd been a part of that the opening up of trade with China by the Nixon Administration had been one of the worst mistakes of the twentieth century, costing millions of Americans their jobs to outsourcing. That a major corporation like GM would pull out of China, a situation that saved them hundreds of millions of dollars a year in manufacturing costs pushed the boundaries of what the president could accept. Idly he considered that his staff were pulling a prank on him.

"They're afraid that the rising political instability in the region could lead to major supply problems down the road. It's important to note that this is the first major American corporation to take such a drastic step but they certainly didn't start the precedent given that many smaller businesses have been doing much the same for months now. Also one has to consider that the Chinese are making it increasingly difficult to do business over there as payback for the disclosure fiasco, regardless of how much damage it's doing to their economy."

"How many jobs is that going to cost them?" asked Joshua Roberts, Hayes' Chief of Staff.

"Over the next year China will lose an estimated two hundred thousand manufacturing jobs either from GM plants directly or their suppliers. The ripple impact on other industries is next to impossible to predict. In addition the region wide impact is expected to be another hundred thousand jobs lost, most of which are in Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. The up side is that most of those jobs will be coming back to North America and the impact on both Japan and South Korea is expected to be minimal, at least for the foreseeable future."

"Well at least there's a silver lining," commented Hayes. "I take it our release of improved robotics technology was responsible for that decision."

"Yes sir," replied Barrows with a satisfied smirk. He himself was a native of Detroit and had personally born witness to the economic devastation outsourcing had caused to both his friends and his father. "A factory manned by fifteen people here can replace a factory employing hundreds in China with the new tech and if it's made here then they don't have to pay for their goods to be shipped over; which is getting pretty expensive in and of itself. What's more is that robots don't strike, can work twenty-four seven and don't need to be paid or given health benefits."

"Good," replied Hayes. Personally he couldn't care less if China sunk into the sea after the shit they'd pulled. "However I am concerned that if China's economic problems continue to worsen we might have another Germany circa 1933 on our hands."

"It's not inconceivable," commented Alexander. "A radical government takes power, which isn't too far from who leads that country already, and orders a massive increase in military spending. It would certainly boost them out of their economic problems, at least in the short term and once they have that kind of force projection capability, they'll feel increasingly tempted to use it."

"They couldn't be stupid enough to go up against us, could they?" asked Roberts.

"No, but there are other nations in the region not so well defended," replied Hayes grimly. The notion of an expansionistic China conquering Southeast Asia wasn't something he wanted to think about. "And don't forget, China's communist leaders have never taken criticism well; criticism that will be plentiful from their neighbours as the economic situation in the region continues to deteriorate."

"Jesus, can we do anything to prevent that?" asked Roberts.

"I'm not sure that we should," offered Alexander with a frown. "We've spent the last five and a half decades playing 'world police' and we haven't exactly seen a good return on our investments. We've become reviled in almost every country we've tried to help, it's cost us a fortune and Arlington is filled with soldiers who died protecting people who didn't want them there in the first place and would've gladly shot them in the back given half a chance. China and the rest of Asia have made their own beds and now they have to lie in them. While I don't like the idea of the entire region falling under Beijing's control the fact is that anything we might attempt would probably backfire on us. Besides we have more important things to worry about."

"I agree," said Hayes, bringing that debate to an end. "Let's move on. India."

"Secretary Hutchinson yesterday obtained a firm commitment from India for one hundred special forces operators from their Naval MARCOs for the upcoming reinforcements to Atlantis," announced Tim Waters, the Department of Defence's liaison.

"Well it's about time," enthused the president. "And what did Miles have to promise them in return?"

"The Indians were primarily interested in trading with us for a steady supply of trinium sir."

"For what purpose?" asked Hayes.

"According to the Indians they want it for construction of mega-structures," replied Waters with a shrug. "It makes sense in the abstract sir. India has a population of one billion crammed into a piece of land a third the size of the US. They need to begin constructing archolgies to house their people if they want to bring their standard of living up to anywhere near the same levels we enjoy. They also want trinium for several civilian projects relating to energy production and transportation and have agreed to a rigorous monitoring regime to ensure they don't misuse what they receive."

Hayes thought that over for a moment before nodding in agreement. As long as they didn't begin plating their tanks with the stuff he could deal with the political fallout internationally. Still, China and Pakistan would scream bloody murder. "That seems acceptable. The Middle East," continued the president.

"Afghanistan is proceeding as expected," began Commander Kate Harper, liaison to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Our new strategy is working and we've all but crushed the insurgency and the Taliban. That said sir, there's the insurgency and then there's stabilizing the country."

"And the difference is commander?" asked Hayes with an amused smile. While she was new to the building, Harper was someone he already respected for her directness and bluntness.

"Put simply, Afghanistan was mishandled by the previous administration. Even after the recent round of arrests, corruption is still rife everywhere. The Afghan National Army is under equipped and poorly trained and the national police are as likely as the criminals they're supposed to catch to break the law. While we might've drastically improved the infrastructure and security situation over the past year, Afghanistan is still a long way from being able to function on its own."

"How long do the Joint Chiefs anticipate we need before we can begin a drawdown in troop levels?" asked Roberts, dreading the answer.

"If everything goes according to plans, which is to say unlikely, then we can begin withdrawing a limited number of troops in mid to late 2005, maybe early 2006. That said no plan survives contact with the enemy so the Chiefs have instructed me to make it clear that in their professional opinion, the US will probably be in Afghanistan into early 2007."

Hayes let out a long sigh at that news, his head falling back on the headrest. Those troops were needed elsewhere and public opinion was turning against the war. "What about Iraq?" inquired Hayes of the 'other' war.

"The situation is both more complex and simpler at the same time," began Harper. "It's simpler as that war was better managed by the Bush Administration and therefore Iraq is less of a mess. Infrastructure construction is proceeding apace and we've employed similar tactics as those used in Afghanistan to cripple the insurgency and the remnants of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party. However unlike Afghanistan, Iraq is not tribal by nature, at least not the extent the Afghans are. The nation is separated into several very powerful factions that were united in their hatred of the previous administration. With the Ba'athists gone, old grudges have resurfaced…"

"And we're looking at the beginnings of what could become a civil war," concluded the president with another long sigh. "So our troops have become glorified peacekeepers then?"

"Essentially yes sir," said Barrows. "Until a functional democratic government can convene in Baghdad, one that has the power to not only make but also enforce their decisions, the factions have no recourse to settle their disputes other than armed conflict. Until that can happen, Iraq will need a foreign presence or it will collapse."

"And Iran will hoover up the pieces," added Roberts with a grimace.

"Them and Saudi Arabia," replied Barrows.

"What about the rest of the Middle East?" asked Hayes.

"They mainly have two problems at the moment," replied Nancy, reasserting her general authority over the meeting's advisers. "The first is the announcement of the New America Energy Project."

Hayes grinned at that. The NAEP was something he was exceedingly proud of and had personally shepherded through Congress. The plan, put simply, was to take advantage of new, off-world technologies available following disclosure to finally free the United States from its reliance of petroleum. It called for a radical retrofit to the nation's energy grids, both urban and rural, the construction of deuterium fusion and neutrino-ion reactors and the drastic expansion in the use of solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and low-impact hydroelectric energy production to replace all coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fission plants by 2015. In concert the plan also included the release of advanced hydrogen production, storage, transport and fuel cell technologies, wireless energy transmission techniques and advanced energy storage mediums to automotive, aerospace and agricultural equipment manufacturers to make hydrogen and electric vehicles a true alternative to propane, gasoline, diesel and kerosene.

"And what possible problem could they have with that?" asked the president of the relatively junior state department liaison with a shit eating grin.

"Well sir," replied Barrows with an uncomfortable shuffle, knowing he was being baited but seeing no way out. "Their economies are primarily reliant on the oil industry for income. If we start using less oil then…," he trailed off.

"Tough shit," replied Hayes. "They're been extorting us for decades and the gravy train is about to derail," he said, taking a moment before continuing, "I think there was a badly mixed metaphor in there somewhere."

"Yes sir," said the diplomat, clearly eager to move on. "Their second concern is our inclusion of Israel in the alliance while we've excluded any Arab nation. They're afraid of what an Israel armed with advanced technology might do to them."

"You mean what the nation they tried to destroy the day after its founding might do?" countered the president. "Relay to them that I've already discussed this with Prime Minister Zahavy and he's agreed to take no action against any of Israel's neighbours using the advanced technologies provided through the alliance, including Israel's new Saratoga class mothership, without provocation." Hayes knew that response would do absolutely nothing to quiet Damascus, Tehran or Riyadh but he was past the point of caring. The pettiness coming out of the Middle East continued to astonish him, especially after disclosure, and he refused to be a party to it anymore.

"Understood sir," continued Barrows. "There's also Iran to consider. Though officially they're continuing their policy of decrying Israel and the United States as 'western, Zionist, evil, corrupt…' etcetera, privately they've begun putting out feelers to see if it's possible to improve relations with us."

Hayes was surprised by that. China hadn't been the only nation to make unrealistic requests in the wake of disclosure. Iran had joined North Korea and Myanmar in demanding full access to the Prometheus and the Normandy three weeks after Anubis' attack. The sheer arrogance they put forward in their official communiqués was staggering to the then new president. Henry wasn't proud to admit that he might've overreacted a bit and was caught on record spewing a stream of curse word riddled vitriol towards the three 'rogue' nations. Needless to say relations with the countries in question were quite tense at the moment. "Iran has approached us to what… apologize for invading our embassy and holding our people hostage for a more than a year? Or for all the subsequent insults and baseless acquisitions they've levelled against us? Or how about their aid to the insurgency in both Iraq and Afghanistan that has led to the deaths of dozens of our soldiers?"

"Their motives aren't exactly a secret sir," replied Roberts. "The Ayatollah is scared to death that we'll turn our focus from the stabilizing situations in Iraq and Afghanistan and onto them. He knows that a few out dated Tomcats and whatever else makes up the Iranian military isn't going to be worth jack against Scimitars and Hammerheads. Most of the Middle Eastern powers are probably thinking along the same lines. They're concerned about Israel and potential economic problems sure, but they're really afraid that we'll turn on them in the near future and there isn't much they could do to stop us."

"Good," replied Hayes, drawing looks of surprise from the rest of the room. "Look I'm not about to declare war and conquer the Middle East or anything. In fact I'm actually going to spend most of my first term looking for ways to expedite our departure from the region. But if their fear is what keeps them from doing anything truly idiotic, let the Arab nations continue to live under that misconception. It'll only make our lives easier. Next."

"The European Union is beginning to show signs of instability," replied Barrows. "Newly inducted members such as Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are concerned about their being left out of the alliance while their Western European cousins are granted free access to off world technologies."

"I suppose we could agree to back those nations for provisional membership," decided Hayes after a moment of thought. "We have been trying to bring the former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO since the fall of the Soviet Union and the alliance is primarily composed of NATO nations anyway. So long as we leave the Balkans out of it for now. They're not stable enough to be granted access to off-world technology. We should also probably approach Turkey and some of the Central Asian nations like Kazakhstan and Georgia in the near future. Better they're on our side than China's."

"Yes sir," agreed Barrows with a nod. "Well that pretty much covers earthbound concerns for today."

"Good, let's move on."

"Yes sir. Ba'al attacked another one of Amaterasu's worlds last night," began Colonel Davis. He'd more or less become the Pentagon's briefer on all off-world matters and in his opinion it was a hell of a lot better gig than being the one that everyone turned to for disaster management. "The Jaffa Rebellion reported the conflict to us at 0223 Zulu. Apparently it was only a minor attack by a small task force but it was successful in capturing the world in question, designated M2X-893. It was only a minor mining colony but these days any source of raw materials is vital to the System Lords."

"It looks as if they may finally be coming to their twilight," commented Hayes in an amused tone. "Still, Ba'al remains a fairly major threat to us and if those posturing egomaniacs are finally done away with then he could and most likely would turn his attention to our protectorates."

"Plans are already being made for such an eventuality. With the awakening of the Wraith in Pegasus we're accelerating development of field deployable orbital defence platforms," reported Davis. "They're calling the first ones the 'Firefly' class," he grinned. Geeks. "Designs should be finalized within three weeks and we should have a fully ready design within six. They won't be able to take much of a pounding but their manoeuvrability and stealth will make them a nightmare to eliminate and they're designed to be deployed in large numbers so even the loss of a few dozen in rapid succession won't compromise a planet's defences."

Hayes was relieved to hear that. Protecting Earth was of course his primary concern but the news that they'd be able to field defence platforms as far away as Lantea with minimal difficulty was promising. At the moment the biggest problems lay not in the first phases of Earth's own orbital defence grid but in the latter segments that called for medium sized automated platforms, heavy battle and strike craft base stations and even orbital fortresses; all armed with nuclear weaponry. This to say nothing of the rapidly growing spaceborne naval forces, plans for military bases on Luna, Mars and the Galilean Moons and even strategically placed nuclear minefields coving likely intra-system approaches. The Chinese were making his life hell in regards to the Outer Space Treaty's nuclear non-proliferation provisions. Personally Hayes believed it was payback for their exclusion and he was close to withdrawing the US from the treaty entirely.

"Well that covers everything of note today. Has Secretary Clinton finished her plans for the upcoming summit?" asked Hayes, referring to the first of what would hopefully be many interplanetary diplomatic exchanges.

"Yes sir," replied Barrows. "We've received confirmation that the Jaffa Rebellion, the Tok'ra and the Asgard will be sending representatives and we know who those attendees will be. Also we've received confirmation that three of our allies, the Langarans, Hebridans and Galarans will be sending delegates to the summit as well."

"Ok," asked Hayes with more than a touch of excitement, rubbing his hands together. "Who's sending who?"

"The Jaffa will be represented by Masters Bra'tac, Rak'nor and a newcomer named Gerak," replied Barrows, handing out copies of each man's dossier around the room.

"I'm not familiar with Gerak," replied Hayes. He liked to know his enemies, and allies, well.

"He came relatively late to the Rebellion, joining only a few months ago," briefed Barrows. "He rose to power quickly however because of what he brought with him when he joined. As former First Prime of the Minor Goa'uld Montu, he had almost complete authority over his military and Gerak used that to his advantage, placing those loyal to him in key positions. When he killed Montu, he brought a Ha'tak, seventeen Al'kesh and almost six hundred Death Gliders over to the rebellion. By our own standards that doesn't amount to much but to the Jaffa Rebellion that represents a significant portion of their total spaceborne strength. He also represents a more… conservative constituency within the Rebellion."

"How do you mean?"

"Many of the Jaffa don't like us sir," replied Barrows with a shrug. "Members like Bra'tac and Teal'c are a minority; a large one to be sure but a minority none the less. For thousands of years the Goa'uld have taught the Jaffa that they were above humans, better than us. That kind of indoctrination doesn't go away overnight. Some Jaffa fear us as a rising power that in less than a decade has brought the millenniums old Goa'uld Empire to its knees. Some hate us for our increasing power in the galaxy. Some look down on us as an 'inferior' species that isn't worthy to wield what we wield. And some just don't like us on spec. Regardless of their reasons these groups collectively represent a majority within the Rebellion and Bra'tac had to give them a voice at this summit or risk undermining his own powerbase."

"And that voice is Gerak," replied Hayes with a sigh. Politics were truly universal it seemed.

"Yes sir," continued Barrows. "It should also be known that Gerak has been on record for some fairly abrasive anti-Earth rhetoric. My advice sir, if you'll take it, is to watch your back. He's only there to cause problems between us and our real allies."

"Understood," nodded Hayes. It wasn't his first rodeo but he was grateful for whatever intelligence he could get. "What about the Tok'ra?"

"This is their first real diplomatic contact with us since they broke off relations last year sir," replied Davis. "According to their forwarded itinerary, they will be represented by Garshaw of Belote, Selmak-Jacob Cater and Thoran. All of them reside on the High Council and can speak on behalf of Supreme High Councillor Per'sus. Quite frankly sir I'm surprised we're getting members this high up in the Tok'ra hierarchy to participate in this summit. They haven't exactly been playing nice of late."

"What do we know of them?"

"Well Mr. President, Selmak-Jacob Carter is definitely pro-Earth. However from what we've learned his support of us has led General Carter to be ostracized by most of the Tok'ra and Selmak along with him. He's still 'respected'," said Davis, making quotation marks with his fingers, "but we get the feeling he's been pushed out of the decision making process."

"Garshaw is also someone we've had relations with in the past. She's a fair and just negotiator and most likely is being sent as a moderator between the other members of her own delegation as well as the other parties at the summit. That said don't underestimate her. She has one of the largest bounties in Goa'uld history on her head for a good reason."

"Good to know," chuckled Hayes.

"Yes sir," replied Davis with a smile. "The final member is someone we've only had minimal contact with: Thoran. He's most definitely anti-Earth and is most likely there as a Tok'ra counterpart to Gerak. He doesn't like us period."

"Great, why do I get the feeling that this 'peaceful' diplomatic conference will be anything but?" asked the President rhetorically.

"Most likely your experience and wisdom sir," replied Davis.

"And you get an A in brown-nosing Colonel," replied Hayes with a laugh. "Moving on…"

"Yes sir. The Asgard will be sending High Council Leader Penegal, Supreme Commander Thor and their leading geneticist Heimdall. Unlike the Jaffa or Tok'ra delegations, all of the Asgard representatives are definitely pro-Earth. They've also informed us that they will join us at the conference site directly by ship and won't be participating in the pre-summit events."

"That's a shame," interjected Barrows, sarcasm dripping from his words. "I can just see the press salivating at the chance to interview a real live 'Grey' on international television."

"I think that's exactly what they're hoping to avoid," replied Davis with an agreeing nod. "The Asgard have also requested a private meeting with the alliance leadership after the summit. We're not sure what it's about but…"

"I don't see a problem with that," said Hayes. "They're our only real allies out there. I think I can find the time to meet with them and I'm sure the other twenty three Alliance leaders and the President of Russia can also make time in their busy schedule."

"Yes sir," nodded Barrows. He'd relay this to Secretary Clinton immediately and let the fallout of this particular unilateral decision land on her shoulders.

"Continuing on," said Davis. "Langara will be represented by Jonas Quinn. He's recently assumed a position high in the Kelownan government and therefore high within the tripartite planetary council. He is respected by all three governments despite his nationality and we can be sure that any agreements he makes will be given great weight by the governments he represents."

"Hebridan will be represented by Miles Hagan. He recently retired from his position at the head of one of Hebridan's largest conglomerates, Tech Con Group and the Hebridan government more or less drafted him into becoming their only real off-world ambassador. Of note is that he is most definitely not a politician or professional diplomat but a businessman."

"Which makes him in all likelihood the most ruthless man in the room," concluded Hayes. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"Yes sir," said Barrows, cutting into Davis' briefing. "We also believe that this summit is seen by the Hebridan government as an opportunity to broach trade negotiations with Earth. Hebridan has made several entreaties of late in an attempt to gain access to Earth's markets."

"Something we were more or less prepared for," replied Hayes. "So long as they follow our laws and don't put our own corporations out of business I don't have a problem with a limited Hebridan presence on Earth. Hell with most of our efforts in space being put towards developing our military forces, corporations like Tech Con could pick up a lot of the slack in providing ships and equipment to the civilian sector."

"It's a good idea," commented Roberts. "But I'd like to see companies like Lockheed and Microsoft granted access to Hebridan's markets too."

"That may prove difficult," replied Barrows. "From everything I've read, their domestic markets are extremely competitive. Most likely beyond trade in food and other cultural items; getting into business on that planet will require some sort of miracle."

"There's always the Loop of Kon Garat," said Davis offhandedly. "They use the event to prove new and upcoming technologies. It's put on every year by Tech Con but it's open to participants from other corporations and non-corporate entities."

"Neither of which we are," replied Hayes with a raised eyebrow.

"But they did allow Colonel Carter to participate sir," countered Davis. "That sets a precedent that we can exploit. If the Alliance enters a ship in the race and wins, or even comes close to winning we'll prove our technology to the local population and once we have a foot in the door…"

"Nice," replied Barrows. "Colonel, if you ever decide to leave the service you'd make one hell of a lawyer," he continued, chuckling at the look of disgust that crossed the Air Force officer's face. "I think we should make access to the race a condition of any trade agreement."

"So ordered. Now what about this third planet… um Galor was it?"

"Galar Mr. President or Galara," corrected Davis. "The planet falls under the auspice of the Asgard Protected Planets Treaty. With our increasing involvement in enforcing the treaty, which was part of our agreement with the System Lords, we've been gathering data on the various worlds we are now partially responsible for. Galar was once a Goa'uld slave world that was liberated by the Asgard roughly forty-eight hundred years ago. In that time they've managed to advance to a point roughly fifteen to twenty years beyond where Earth is now, not including our recent technological acquisitions."

"The planet has a population of roughly eight hundred million and unlike Earth they've been unified politically, economically and militarily for almost fifty years. While most of their tech isn't all that remarkable, they have made major leaps forward recently in the field of memory engram research, based on their study of recovered Goa'uld recall devices. It's allowed them to develop the technology to extract, modify and implant whole memories within a person's mind."

"Wait," interrupted Hayes, "are you saying they can manipulate a person's memories like files on a computer?"

"It's more complicated than that sir but in essence yes," replied Davis. "Needless to say this technology has the Pentagon and our allies salivating. With it we could train a pilot or an engineer or anyone in a technically challenging position in weeks instead of years."

"Jesus, no wonder we're inviting them to this conference," commented Roberts. "The question is what do they want in return?"

"Most likely the same as the Langarans," shrugged Barrows, "technology and a signed treaty. We've received similar requests from several other worlds as word of our newfound military strength has spread. There are a lot of worlds out there that are interested in making nice with us now that they believe we can protect them. Langara, Galar and Hebridan are just the most important to us at the moment; Langara for its Naquadria, Hebridan for their technological expertise and trade opportunities and Galar for their memory technology."

"Sounds like we're seeing the beginnings of something like a coalition forming here," commented Hayes.

"Or a federation," added Davis with a grin. Man oh man he was spending too much time with the geeks. "Regardless they are important worlds to us and letting them in on what may prove to be a pivotal diplomatic meeting is a cheap way of currying favour with them."

"I agree but you still haven't told me who'll be representing Galar," grinned Hayes. Most of his meetings managed to get off track rather quickly. Sometimes he wondered if it has his doing…

"Yes sir. Galar will be represented by Doctor Reya Varrick. She's the leading developer of their memory technology and one of their brightest minds."

"An interesting choice," observed the president. "It clearly shows what their goal is at this summit. My guess is that the Galarans are presenting their greatest asset up front, hoping a direct approach will earn our respect."

"A smart if somewhat unconventional tactic," commented Barrows.

"Only a professional diplomat would say something like that," jested Davis, earning a glare from the State Department representative.

"Ok people focus," said Hayes. "As the chairman of this summit, I assume I can bring more than two others?"

"Yes sir but we don't want to overwhelm them. I suggest bringing at most three people with you."

"Then I'll bring Colonel Carter as my technological consultant, Doctor Jackson for his understanding of cultural matters and Commander Shepard as… well as someone I've come to rely on for everything military of late."

That surprised the assembled aids. It was true that Commander Jade Shepard had become a pivotal part of Earth's emerging spaceborne military forces but she and her ship were for all intents and purposes mercenaries in the employ of the USAF. "May I ask why sir? Surely there are other members of the military that are more appropriate."

"I understand your concerns Colonel Davis," replied Hayes. "But Commander Shepard hasn't steered me wrong yet. We trusted her during the negotiations with the Goa'uld. The alliance has trusted her to guide the development of our space going military and I trust her as part of this conference. Besides it's not as if people like Generals Hammond or O'Neill won't be there. They just won't be sitting in on the actual conference itself."

Davis was going to argue before an image of Jack O'Neill sitting in a room full of diplomats crossed his mind, a smile coming unbidden to his face. "No sir, I agree. General Jack O'Neill and diplomacy do not mix."

"Good. Now where exactly are we going to be hosting this little shindig?"

"Plans call for two parts to this sir," began Barrows. "The delegates will arrive through the Stargate in three days. They'll be flown to New York for the usual diplomatic BS and a tour. In the evening they'll arrive in Washington for a formal state dinner. This'll be a big one so we'll be hosting it in the Capital Building, not the White House. The leaders of the Stargate Alliance and the Russian Federation will be in attendance along with their retinues. That'll conclude the first day."

"And where will the actual summit be held?"

"We've put a lot of thought into that question Mr. President," said Barrows. "In the end we've come to the decision that we should go all out for this meeting. As such we've decided that we should hold it on the Citadel."

"I trust we'll not be giving the coordinates to any of the participants," replied Hayes with a frown. "Excepting the Asgard of course."

"That's actually the whole point sir," said Barrows with a grin. "It'll make it clear just what kind of relationship with have with the Asgard when one of their warships shows up. We'll transport the delegates aboard the Nautilus, escorted by the Normandy, Ptolemaeus and Tyco, now that both ships have completed their shakedowns. We'll also make a close pass by our orbital defence fleet of captured Goa'uld motherships, and the view during approach to the Citadel should make it abundantly clear just what kind of power we now possess. We will not be using the Mass Relays for this journey however as we want to keep the network a secret for as long as possible. Neither will we reveal that the Citadel has a Stargate operational to prevent the delegates from getting any 'ideas'."

"Well then it should be one hell of a summit. Let's hope nothing goes wrong," declared Roberts as the meeting began to break up.

"Joshua, you just tempted the Dark Lord Murphy," replied Hayes in an amused tone. "And you know what that means…"

"Damn it sir, I had dinner reservations on the fourth. It's our anniversary and everything."

"Too bad, you're coming. Besides, I hear that there are already some pretty nice restaurants opening on Zakera Ward. I'm sure Shirley will love them."

"I can't believe you're telling me to bring my wife thousands of light years to a massive space station."

"I'm not telling you Joshua. That's an order."

"Why did I ever utter the words 'Hayes for President'?"

"Maybe somebody slipped you something in your Nescafé?" posited the Leader of the Free World.

"That must've been it."

Stargate Command

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs

October 2, 2004

Once the gloried frontline command of all things off-world, the facilities within Cheyenne Mountain were slowly fading into unimportance. With a new purpose built facility under construction deep beneath the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, one that had already attracted the nickname 'Black Mesa', Cheyenne Mountain was slowly being pulled apart; the decommissioning scheduled for just over a year into the future.

However, at least for now and to casual inspection the facility hadn't changed all that much. Such a storied place was destined to receive a special honour. Once the new Stargate Complex was operational Cheyenne Mountain, the entire facility, was to become a museum. From the famed NORAD facilities occupying the upper levels to the current home of the Stargate deep below, the whole facility would soon ring with the laughter of school children and the dour lectures of historians who fancied themselves experts on the true motivations of the men and women who had served here.

While there had been some consideration as to making the Stargate available for public use, the powers that be within the alliance had come to the conclusion that the gate would remain under military control indefinitely. It was simply too much of a hazard for the general public to be granted access and even with its ability to transport personnel and cargo over vast distances instantaneously, it would soon become a logistical bottleneck that would made JFK Airport in New York look like a sideshow by comparison. Put simply, a single, three and a half story tall metal ring could not service the transportation needs of an emerging interstellar empire, civilian or military.

Still these thoughts barely intruded upon the mind of General Jack O'Neill. Standing at the base of the Stargate he took the time to admire the true beauty of the machine before him. More and more his opinion of the Alterans had diminished over the years. One only had to look at the disaster they'd left in Pegasus to begin to think badly of them. But their technological prowess couldn't be faulted, even if they hadn't had a clue how to use what they had to its fullest potential.

The familiar grinding of the gate began, the chevrons around its circumference lighting one by one. A blue explosion followed, halted by the trinium/titanium iris and then by both an energy shield and a kinetic barrier. Security was at an all-time high these days and every possible measure was being taken to keep the planet safe from any possible off-world threat. 'An enemy fleet showing up in orbit has that effect apparently,' snarked the general to himself.

"We're receiving the Tok'ra IDC sir," announced Walter over the intercom.

Sighing, Jack nodded, "Open the iris and lower the shields."

A shimmer dispersed the dual energy barriers and the iris retracted. Jack, even after all these years still could not figure out where the iris panels actually went when retracted. Shaking his head at that thought, and the long winded explanation Sam had given him the last time he'd made the mistake of asking, he turned his attention to the people exiting the event horizon. Smiling at the sight of Jacob, and even more at Anise, his expression sobered a bit at their fellows. Garshaw wasn't someone he trusted but at the same time he didn't exactly distrust her either. She had used them and they had used her; a relationship of mutual exploitation.

His expression darkened at the fourth member of the Tok'ra delegation. He'd not had pleasant dealings with Thoran in the past. He was an agitator and a perfect example of how similar the Tok'ra were to the Goa'uld, no matter how much they themselves denied it. While they preached equality between host and symbiote the truth was far less balanced and the Tok'ra ultimately used their hosts to their own ends. And like the Goa'uld the Tok'ra moved quickly to isolate those among them that didn't conform to the norm of their society, irrespective of experience, accomplishments or their so-called honour. Selmak, supposedly one of the 'oldest and wisest' of the Tok'ra, was a perfect example of that policy. And according to their intelligence Thoran, more than anyone else, had been behind Selmak's fall from grace.

"Welcome to Earth," greeted Jack neutrally. This was his fifth such welcome speech in the past hour and a half. If nothing else, this summit had set a record for scheduling over interstellar distances. Everyone had been on time and in order with no mess-ups, emergencies, disasters or any number of other catastrophic events that had dogged this command over the years. "On behalf of the United States of America and the Terran Stargate Alliance, it is our hope that this summit will further the goal of a peaceful galaxy for us all."

"Thank you general," replied Garshaw with a slight smirk. She could almost smell the discomfort wafting off the man before her as he fulfilled his assigned role of diplomat. Jack O'Neill was most certainly the kind of man who preferred to approach a problem with high explosives rather than a kind word and it showed. Still she had to give him credit; he'd performed exceptionally well. "We share such hopes as well."

"Well now that that's over, how was your trip?" continued Jack in a more casual tone. The formalities had been completed and he could let his shoulders down a bit.

"Short as always," replied Jacob with a slight snort. "Is everyone here?"

"Yeah, the Jaffa arrived about an hour and a half ago followed by the delegations from Hebridan, Langara and Galar."

"And the Asgard?" asked Thoran. Personally he found the whole concept of a 'summit' with this primitive world distasteful but any opportunity to treat with one of the four great races was not something to be squandered.

"They'll arrive at the summit site tomorrow. I trust you've all reviewed your itineraries?"

"Indeed," replied Garshaw. She was actually looking forward to seeing something of this world beyond a concrete bunker for once. "A tour of this 'New York' should prove interesting. Jacob has told me much of it."

"It's a beautiful city," replied the general. "But I'm going to skip the tour."

"Why is that?" asked Thoran in a suspicious, aggravated tone.

"Not that it's any of your business Thoran," replied Jacob with an equal amount a distaste in his voice towards his 'colleague', "but I'm going to take this opportunity to spend some time with my kids and grandchildren rather than take a scripted tour of the city I grew up in from a bunch of politicians."

"I understand," replied Garshaw, attempting to defuse the situation. She'd known that she would spend most of this trip interdicting such verbal battles. Thoran hated Jacob for his 'contamination' of Selmak and Jacob Carter was not one to take being talked down to or patronized lightly. Neither was Selmak and the symbiote was a dangerous enemy to make; something that Thoran had apparently forgotten. "I trust we will see you for dinner?"

"I'm only gone for the afternoon," answered the general, the disrespect absent from his voice when addressing Garshaw. "One doesn't miss a state dinner, especially when your commander in chief invites you," he continued, subtly reminding them that while he'd lived with the Tok'ra for years, he was still a commissioned officer in the Air Force, on detached duty to a foreign power.

"Well now that's all settled, if you could follow me," interjected Jack, not missing his friend's snub, however diplomatically he'd put it. He wanted them gone so he could finish up some paperwork before heading home to get ready for the dinner and catching the transporter to DC.

The group followed, approaching an elevator that would take them to the surface. There had been a decision made not to advertise the Arklight system for the duration of this summit. So rather, the delegations would each be transported by an assault shuttle, specially modified for diplomatic use. It was as much to show off the large shuttlecraft design to the delegates as to hide their access to advanced matter teleportation. And while the Tok'ra already knew about their abilities, they had to treat the various delegations equally. Plus the view on approach to New York should impress upon their 'allies' just who they were dealing with.

"An impressive vessel," said Anise as they approached the helipad. "Clearly not of Goa'uld manufacture or design."

"No, what you're looking at is the Lockheed-Sarif Industries UT-53B-DV Ursus Assault Dropship. We're using the special diplomatic variant for transport during this summit because of security concerns. While it may be rather luxurious inside, it's also heavily armed, armoured and shielded and will be escorted by two F-302B Scimitar Aerospace Superiority Fighters. We're not taking any chances with you," replied Jack. Judging by the look that crossed both Thoran and Garshaw's faces, they'd both understood the double meaning in that statement. No, they were not trusted here.

"We're honoured," said the Tok'ra leader neutrally. This was going to be more difficult than she'd anticipated. Clearly Earth wasn't about to fall in line like addle sheep.

The delegation boarded the large shuttlecraft, surprised by the lack of a pilot and settled in for the half hour trip to New York. No this would not be a fun trip at all.

"This place is breath-taking," said Bra'tac in awe. Around him he could feel similar reactions in his fellow Jaffa. They were standing on the 'observation deck' of a structure called the Empire State Building. Beyond they could see a panoramic view of this city that defied belief. Regardless of the direction he looked, there were more of these monoliths the Tau'ri called 'skyscrapers'. Further out was the Hudson River upon which hundreds of ships both large and small sailed, including a truly massive vessel called the Theodore Roosevelt, named for one of the greatest leaders of this nation.

It had never really hit him until now just who he'd been dealing with all these years. From his first introduction to the peoples of this world almost seven years earlier outside the charred remains of Teal'c's home to their defeat of Anubis, his impression of the Tau'ri had been coloured by SG-1 and the bunker in which they worked. He'd only ever been outside of the SGC once, on their aircraft that had flown him from the Kennedy Space Centre to Fort Carson after their first defeat of Apophis.

But looking across the colossal city before him he now knew just how powerful these people truly were. He had thought that the City of Chulak was big but here… here was a city of millions stretching to the horizon. Below he could make out thousands of 'cars' traveling on hundreds of kilometres of perfectly aligned roads, crossing titanic bridges and deep into the myriad of tunnels that connected Manhattan to the rest of New York.

"How is this possible?" asked one of the Jaffa delegation, a young warrior named M'zel. "How can such a place function? Surely this must be the largest city in the galaxy."

"Actually it isn't even the largest city on Earth," answered Colonel Davis, their tour guide. "That honour goes to the city of Shanghai in China which has a population of approximately twenty-two million. By comparison, New York has a population of roughly eighteen million. It's also the first city in Earth's history," he lectured to the fascinated Jaffa, carefully not using the politically incorrect term 'human history', "that achieved the status of being considered a 'megacity' or a city of more than ten million. As of today there are twenty five such metropolitan regions on Earth. New York has also been chosen as the location of Earth's first arcology, to be constructed partially over the Long Island Sound in neighbouring Nassau County."

"Arcology?" asked Rak'nor, turning the unfamiliar word over in his mind. "What is that?"

"It's the mixture of the words 'architecture' and 'ecology'. It's a massive structure, far greater in size than any skyscraper that combines residential, commercial and recreational spaces into one building. A person could live, work, play and shop for months or even years without ever leaving the building, facilitating far greater efficiency of movement."

"The planned arcology is named 'Gotham' in honour of a fictional counterpart to New York. The structure will feature a large indoor tropical garden open to the public, a water-level marina for mooring small boats, complete integration with the city's public transportation network and a powerful dome shield generator that will be able to cover an area almost a hundred kilometres in radius. It will be able to comfortably house an estimated one and a half million people and will occupy an area of land roughly twelve kilometres squared. Barring any major delays, it should be completed around 2012 or eight years from now."

Rak'nor's jaw dropped at that. Having learned how the Tau'ri measure distances over the years he knew that, while the building was going to be a truly epic endeavour and so massive as to dwarf even the largest space going vessels, the fact was Colonel Davis wasn't actually talking about a particularly large piece of land. 'And to comfortably house over a million people…,' his mind supplied, 'never mind shield them and this entire city from orbital bombardment'. Right then and there he knew that these people were not to be underestimated and counted his blessings that they considered him to be a close ally.

"What is that?" asked the final member of the Jaffa delegation, Gerak from behind, pointing out towards the ocean.

Following his gaze, Davis recognized what he was referring to. Located a few miles off Edgemere were dozens construction vessels. Even now he could make out the ships as they repeatedly drove massive, five meter wide trinium reinforced steel rods deep into the continental shelf, each measuring almost four hundred meters long. Divided into fifty meter subsections, the pillars were assembled on the fly as they were driven deeper and deeper using a combination of magnetic, hydraulic and mass effect systems.

"Those ships are laying the foundation pillars of what will become a fifteen kilometre long metallic island upon which the new John F. Kennedy Memorial Spaceport will be constructed," replied Davis with pride. In reality the whole thing was being made up on the fly. He'd made a point of keeping himself informed on any major projects and while everything he'd just said was true; the architects and engineers had only gotten as far as designing the artificial island itself, never mind the structures that were to be built on it.

It was seen by the administration as an important way of generating public support for the on-going operations in space. As the populous had calmed down in the wake of Disclosure, there had been mounting pressure to begin opening up space to civilians. With the United States focusing most of its efforts on military expansion there had been little in the way of resources devoted to promoting civilian expansion beyond the atmosphere.

JFK Spaceport would, it was hoped, make it clear that while the US and the rest of the alliance would be focusing on fighting an interstellar war for the foreseeable future, they weren't ignoring the rest of the world. It was also seen as a way of finally fixing the massive air traffic jams that the original JFK routinely caused and freeing up the land that both it and LaGuardia were built upon for more important uses.

"How will all of this be powered?" asked Rak'nor. "Naquadah?"

"No," replied Davis easily. "As part of the recently enacted New America Energy Project, the nearby Indian Point Energy Centre is to become the subject of a major overhaul. There are two nuclear fission reactors on site providing electricity to the surrounding region including New York City itself."

"How powerful is this facility?" asked Gerak, hoping to gain some information on the local infrastructure if it ever becomes necessary to attack.

Davis saw right through this ploy but given the upgrades he saw no harm in answering. "The reactors output roughly twenty times the electricity of a Death Glider's power plant. Overall it's actually not that much you will agree."

"And the new facility?" continued the militaristic Jaffa.

"When completed Indian Point will play host to six deuterium fusion reactors and a pair of neutrino-ion conversion matrices. Nominal output for all reactors combined will be roughly two hundred and eighty three percent the maximum output of an Asgard O'Neill Class Battlecruiser. The facility will be protected by a dedicated shield dome, anti-air defences and a twelve meter tall armoured wall patrolled by armed sentries at all times. Plasma based power conduits will transport energy produced at the facility into the national energy grid, located in armoured tunnels a half kilometre underground, bored out by a combination of matter teleportation and hydraulic, ultrasonic and laser tunnelling machinery. Needless to say we're taking no chances of the facility being overwhelmed and destroyed, especially during an attack when its output is needed to power the shielding domes of nearby cities."

That was exactly what Gerak was afraid of. When this new system came online it would become almost impossible to destroy any of Earth's cities. Not that he'd ever be able to convince sheep like Bra'tac or Rak'nor to attack the Tau'ri. No, they'd become far too enamoured with this world and were willing to cede power to these upstart humans without thought.

"A most impressive and ambitious undertaking," supplemented Bra'tac.

"Thank you," replied Davis with pride. He'd not missed Gerak's attempts to gather information and was eager to move on. "Shall we continue?"

Miles Hagan was a business man. He'd led Tech Con Group for almost twenty years as CEO, building the consortium into one of the most powerful business concerns on all of Hebridan and her colonies. He was also one of the most respected men in the Hebridan business community for the simple fact that his company had managed to maintain its record profit margins while at the same time performing numerous acts of humanitarian and charitable work. While that was a reward in and of itself; the positive publicity he'd earned for his company hadn't exactly hurt them either. Never mind hosting the Loop of Kon Garat every year.

Still, Hebridan's business world had hit a wall decades ago. There were simply no new prospects to expand to, no new colonies being founded, no new populations desiring their goods. When first contact had been made with Earth it was as if the gods themselves had dropped the greatest gift in history right into their laps. Looking around the advertising that covered every possible surface of Times Square, he knew that in Earth, or at least in the United States of America he'd found a kindred culture for his people to exploit.

Not that he believed it would ever be that easy. Miles hadn't been named as the representative to this summit for nothing. He'd spent many months after their contact with Earth studying their economic systems. By and large he'd come away with the impression of a world far less capitalist that Hebridan. There were far more regulations on business ventures, far more rules and most importantly, a far greater emphasis put on fair competition than back home. Forming a monopoly here wouldn't just be difficult, it would be next to impossible under the current set of laws.

More so Earth, while overall almost a hundred and fifty years behind Hebridan was catching up fast. Really fast. Already he could see the effects of the advanced technology they'd gained access to all around them. Interspersed with the paper billboards and electronic displays were holograms, one hocking something in a narrow bottle called 'Coca-Cola'. Another was showing off the first 'Omni-tool' produced by a company named Sony. And another was advertising an upcoming model of electric vehicle from Mazda.

All of this was small compared to what Hagan's goals were however. Luxury foodstuffs, personal electronics and vehicles were nothing when compared to fighter craft, personal starships and military defence platforms. While Tech Con had a division for almost everything, from capital ship construction to waste disposal bins, they made most of their money supplying the needs of the Hebridan Federal Armed Forces. But here there were numerous defence contractors that were already entrenched both within the militaries and governments of the alliance nations. Corporations like Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Saukoi and EADS wouldn't take kindly to the new guy trying to muscle in on their territory.

So for now he would bide his time, observe his competition and make whatever inroads he could. Earth was the greatest business opportunity since the development of spaceflight.

And he wouldn't miss out.

Jonas Quinn had spent almost a year on Earth during his 'exile'. He'd become accustomed to this world and the almost miraculous technology they possessed. Still, standing with the other members of the Langaran delegation overlooking the technological marvel that was the New York Stock Exchange, he found that they could still manage to amaze him. He also had no doubt that this presentation was done intentionally; a subtle reminder of the technology that Earth could offer Langara and an equally subtle reminder of their numerous advantages.

"Jonas," began First Minister Dreylock, leader of the Kelownan Republic and one of the four members of the Langaran Union Council. "Why are they showing us this?"

Jonas stood silent for a moment, considering the question. He had been chosen as a member of the council for his scientific knowledge and his experience in off-world matters. "I think it's a way of showing us what they can offer us. Look around you Sheila. In this room is more computing power than our entire world possesses. And they use it simply to regulate their stock exchange. I think they are saying to us that this could be ours if we work with them."

"What could we possibly offer them Jonas?"

"It's not what we can offer them that has them worried," replied the Langaran scientist, "but rather what we could offer others. You've read the intelligence reports. Already the some of the Lucian Cartel factions have begun approaching us for our Naquadria. Earth doesn't need us anymore for that material; they can produce it themselves in large quantities and far purer than anything we could offer. But in the wrong hands even a few grams of Naquadria could threaten cities. And that is what has the Terrans worried."

"Are you implying that the only reason we've been presented with this opportunity is to ensure our loyalty to Earth," asked Dreylock, somewhat stunned and increasingly both worried and offended. "We are not their vassals."

"I didn't mean it that way first minister," replied Jonas placating. "Rather they seek to make us their close allies. I doubt they would try and take control of our world without a very good reason." He sighed before continuing, "Sheila listen to me. What we could gain from an alliance with this world is far more than we could ever hope to develop on our own in our lifetimes or our children's or grandchildren's. I've seen miracles preformed here that we would've almost called magic but that they consider commonplace. And they're offering to share it with us in exchange for us keeping one of the most dangerous substances in the galaxy under lock and key. I think that's a pretty good bargain, don't you?"

First Minister Dreylock turned her gaze back to the teeming floor below her. What it boiled down to was that Earth was asking them to follow their conscience. Did she honestly think she could trust the Lucians with Naquadria?

"Thank you Jonas. You've given me a lot to think about."

Doctor Reya Varrick was distinctly uncomfortable. She was scientist and was more at home in a lab or typing away at her computer than playing diplomat. Still the number of times she had to make nice with politicians to keep the funding for her memory research project flowing meant that she had developed all the requisite skills that would serve her here.

Looking across the Hudson River from the torch of the State of Liberty she reflected on what she had seen here and her thoughts on the other delegations to this summit. Of all the peoples represented here, Galar was the closest to Earth; technologically and culturally. They were at best ten to fifteen years ahead of Earth in most regards and like this world, Galar had until recently been divided among various nations. Many wars had been fought before their world had united.

She had met the other delegations and by and large had already formed her initial opinions on them. The Tok'ra struck her as deceitful and untrustworthy. More so, they'd reminded her immediately of the many politicians she'd met in the past or at least Garshaw and Thoran had. The Jaffa came off as arrogant and savage, drunk on their newfound freedom. As an aficionado of history she gave their new 'nation' a decade, maybe two before it fell into civil war and if she was right, Gerak would be the one leading the conservative movement; if he survived that long.

The Langarans were like looking into Galar's past. In a way she envied them. They had united their world with far less bloodshed than Galar had managed, even if they required a Goa'uld System Lord showing up to do so. The Hebridans were capitalists for both good and bad. They weren't here at this summit for political or military reasons but to form trade relationships. That could be good but at the same time she'd read about the worst aspects of capitalism during both Galar's and Earth's industrial revolutions and wondered what Hebridan society was like for the 'have-nots'.

As for Earth itself; one only had to look at this city. In many ways New York reminded her of the Galaran Capital. Skyscrapers stretched well overhead, subways ran below the streets and there was even a massive park in the middle of the city. Cars filled the streets, their drivers honking at each other when they felt they'd been wronged while aircraft roared overhead. Yachts and freighters filled the waterways, passing below the metal and masonry arches of numerous bridges and out among Earth's oceans. Even their aircraft carrier, which she had no doubt was here for no other reason than for them to view, looked somewhat like the ones that still sailed the oceans of Galar, a relic of the pre-unification era. As their guide led them from the torch of this monument, Reya took one last glance at the city beyond.

She hoped that Earth could unite before this beautiful sight was marred by war.

"Thank god," sighed Jacob as he settled into the passenger seat of his daughter's Ferrari. "I never thought I'd be able to get away from that nightmare."

"You never were any good at diplomacy dad," replied Sam with a grin. She still remembered incidents during her childhood where her father hadn't exactly been 'neighbourly'.

"Yeah well you may be right there kiddo. Still any time away from the Tok'ra is a blessing. The last few months haven't been easy."

"So our sources tell us." At the surprised look that crossed his face she grinned. "What, you think a Tok'ra can't be bought off by the CIA? I never thought of you as naïve dad."

"I guess so," he muttered. "Well what has he or she told you?"

She hesitated for a moment. Technically she was talking to a foreign dignitary and sharing intelligence wasn't exactly kosher. "Well…"

Jacob bowed his head before the resonance of Selmak spoke, "Do not worry Colonel Carter. To quote something your father once heard, 'If I told anyone would they believe me?'"

"I suppose so," she sighed. "We've heard that there's a bit of instability forming among the High Council."

"An understatement," replied the symbiote before taking a deep breath. "The Tok'ra have been focused on the destruction of the Goa'uld Empire for so long that we've never really thought of what would happen next. More so, we've always assumed that we would be the ones responsible for its collapse. Earth's rise to power has shaken our culture to its very foundations."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," replied Sam, accelerating along the South Street Viaduct.

"Me neither kiddo," said her father. "Off the record I think we could be looking at a major split in Tok'ra society. And that scares me."

"I've never seen you scared of anything."

"I'm not worried about the Tok'ra. They're survivors and given our limited population, I doubt they'd be willing to kill each other. What worries me is what they may do to Earth."

"What do you mean?"

"Recently I've been cut out of the loop Sam," replied the old general. "I walk into a room and people stop their conversations or switch to another topic. The few sources I have left within the council have similarly been ostracized. Something major is happening and I fear for Earth."

"How do you know they're planning something against us?"

"Why else would they exclude me? If it was just a strike to further weaken the Goa'uld then they would have no reason to keep me at arm's length. The only reason they would keep me away is if it had something to do with Earth, something I wouldn't like."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. An attack would be out of the question. The Tok'ra don't even have a company's worth of combat trained troops. Whatever they're doing, it will follow Tok'ra form to a tee. Infiltration, sabotage, assassination maybe. It's all they know."

Sam didn't like what she was hearing. At best they'd heard about the developing split in Tok'ra society. If they were actually thinking of turning on their allies than this was a much bigger problem than she or anyone else had imagined.

"Thanks for telling me dad. This could save a lot of lives."

"I've come to realize that in my old age saving, not taking, a life is what's important," said the old warrior. "I've seen enough bloodshed."

"And the Tok'ra?"

"They'll do what they're gonna to do. Nothing I say has any impact on them anymore. For better or worse they've committed to their course, whatever it is. The best I can do is keep them from ploughing anyone over."

As they accelerated towards Mark's house in silence, Jacob and Selmak shared the same thought. 'Please don't let me be wrong.'

Of all the experiences in her life, little had made Shepard as uncomfortable as a formal dinner in the US Capitol. Dressed in her Systems Alliance Navy class A uniform she couldn't help but stand out. The deep blue fabric with gold trimming, replete with service ribbons, medals, her gold wings and the rather prominent N7 badge was certainly an attention getter. Everyone knew who she was and getting lost in the crowd wasn't exactly easy given the glowing red scars that covered her face. That she was a fairly attractive woman didn't help her cause either.

Fortunately the rest of her team was deflecting some of the attention lest she be swamped by the various dignitaries, diplomats, politicians and other curious onlookers. Stopping off at a side table and picking up a glass of champagne, she took the opportunity to observe the crowd. There were three groups that stood out in stark contrast to the others.

First were the Jaffa; dressed in their archaic chainmail armour. They seemed like, to quote her grandmother, 'cats in a room full of rocking chairs'. Clearly none of them had ever been to something even remotely like a formal dinner and their inexperience showed.

The second group were the Tok'ra. They stood out not for their inexperience but rather the fact that they couldn't seem to stop squabbling. The biggest arguments seemed to be between Jacob Carter and Thoran, mostly initiated by the latter. The general had surprised the room by showing up in his Air Force uniform rather than his Tok'ra robes. Personally Jade, having dealt with the Tok'ra in the past, thought it was just the kind of snub that would drive them crazy. Good on him.

Finally there was her crew. As the only 'real' aliens in the room, aside from Miles Hagan, they were receiving plenty of attention. Some like Mordin and Garrus were handling it easily, their pasts as a respected academic and high ranking police officer respectively having furnished them with plenty of experience in handling the public. Others like Thane and Tali were less adept, neither having lived a life that leant itself to public interactions on this kind of scale if at all. Shepard had wisely left Grunt and Jack back on the Normandy with Jacob keeping an eye on them.

"So, are you enjoying yourself Commander?"

Jade turned to see the Russian President and the British Prime Minister behind her with their own glasses of bubbly.

"To be honest I'm more comfortable taking on a company of mercenaries than making small talk at a formal function."

President Medanev just laughed at that, "Me as well. I came up through the Red Army so I can certainly understand your discomfort."

"As for myself I quite enjoy these events," commented Prime Minister Blair.

"Yes but you are British," parlayed the Russian. "You and your comrades love the spotlight."

The Brit just shrugged then grinned. "A legacy of the Empire I'm afraid. So Commander, I haven't had much of a chance to speak with you. I'd like to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of Her Majesty and the British People for all that you've done for us."

"Myself as well, especially considering your affiliations," added Medanev.

"I'm afraid I don't follow," replied the Spectre. "What affiliations?"

"You are an American are you not?" replied the president.

"Ah, I see what you mean," said the Normandy's commander. "I sometimes forget that for you the Cold War was practically yesterday whereas for me it's ancient history."

"I didn't mean to offend," placated the Russian as he tried to walk back his comment. Chyort this diplomacy wasn't his vocation.

"No offense taken Mister President. I suppose that the concept of nationalism has a different meaning for me. In my time most humans just consider themselves as being a part of the Alliance or not and the other powers are the Turians and Asari and the like."

"You mean there are human nations in your reality outside of your Systems Alliance?" asked Blair with a look of surprise.

"The future isn't exactly the kind of utopia that Gene Roddenberry predicted," began Shepard with a sigh. Damn but she wished it was. "Even all of Earth isn't what one would call 'united'." At her companion's gestures, she continued, "For places like America or Europe or Russia the future is pretty good. Those parts of the world are exactly what you would expect: clean, safe and swimming in high technology that makes your life easy and carefree. But for places like the Middle East or Africa things aren't so rosy."

"I remember a story one of my crew told me, Zaeed Massani. He was a mercenary born in Rome way back before the First Contact War. He told me about a mission back in, oh sometime in the early 2170s I think. He and his squad were hired to deal with a major public relations disaster for Eldfell-Ashland Energy in Ghana. One of their reactors had suffered a mechanical breakdown and irradiated a few city blocks. Now you have to understand that most of the Ivory Coast in my time isn't much more advanced than the United States is today and the level of poverty is pretty extreme. Places like that are slums where people work for next to nothing to provide for their families and the Systems Alliance throws billions of credits every year into the region in relief aid. Doesn't make a damned bit of difference given how corrupt their governments are though…"

"Why doesn't the alliance do anything about it?" asked the prime minister.

"'The Systems Alliance is a supranational government that represents humanity to the galaxy'. Or that's what the official reasoning is. Publically the alliance isn't supposed to interfere with the internal matters of its member states. In reality they don't have the resources or the balls to deal with the problem. Between the Batarians, the Citadel and protecting our colonies in the Traverse and the Terminus, well the Alliance military is always stretched thin. We don't have the resources for the kind of peacekeeping operation it would take to clean up the whole world. So the problem just festers," concluded Shepard in disgust. As an N7 she'd been part of her fair share of covert operations in places like Ghana and the Sudan. A band aid on a haemorrhaging wound; still better than letting it bleed openly but not by much.

"So I take it that this is your way of subtly encouraging us not to make the same mistakes that your world did," commented Blair with a grim smile.

"There's an old saying gentlemen," said Shepard. "Those who don't know history…"

"…are destined to repeat it," finished Medanev. "Edmund Burke if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes mister president. But there's another part to that saying that most people don't know. 'Those who fail to learn history correctly, why there are simply doomed.' Good evening gentlemen," finished humanity's first Spectre as she walked away, leaving the two men to contemplate her words.

USS Nautilus

In Hyperspace en-route to the Citadel

ETA 15 Minutes

Daniel Jackson smiled at the looks of wonderment that covered the faces of the Langarans and Galarans. For them this trip was their first exposure to the wonders of space travel and hyperspace. He remembered seeing a similar look on Sam's face during their renegade mission to stop Apophis years earlier. It had been an eye opening experience to say the least.

The various delegations were currently residing in the Nautilus' observation lounge. The space, usually utilized as a place for off-duty officers to relax, was unique. This room was host to the only 'real' windows to be found on the nine hundred meter warship; the rest being simulated through holographic projections. In his opinion the ship's designers had taken the design of this room in a slightly ridiculous direction. The whole room was practically open to space, a partial dome that merged into the hull. During combat a series of shutters would close over the room in a fashion that resembled the hanger doors of the original Starship Enterprise.

He'd asked one of the designers about the idea and had quickly regretted it. Apparently the man in question had been a fan of a show called 'Farscape' and had copied the terrace from the show's principle ship Moya. It represented a vulnerability that ordinarily wouldn't have been allowed on the utilitarian vessels America's armed forces favoured. 'Yet another sign of the changing times,' thought the archaeologist with a grin. The view was certainly spectacular.

From the slight vibrations that passed through the deck plating, Daniel could tell they were decelerating. This was confirmed a moment later as the blue-green tunnel outside flashed to white, replaced by the eerie lavender clouds of the Serpent Nebula. Back in Commander Shepard's universe there had been some speculation that the nebula was actually produced by the Citadel itself; the result of waste matter ejected over millions of years of self-repair. Caretaker, this Citadel's AI had corrected this misconception. The nebula was in fact far older and served as both the station's primary method of defence and concealment as well as its fuel source, the helium-3 rich gasses providing the reaction mass for the five massive fusion reactors housed in the presidium end of each ward.

As the ship cleared the denser portions of the cloud the delegates let out individual gasps. Before them floated perhaps the single largest spaceborne structure in the galaxy. Far from the battered and desolate hulk the Normandy had discovered months earlier, the Citadel had blossomed like the flower it resembled. The wards, once pockmarked with damage from the assault by the indoctrinated followers of the Reapers and the subsequent eons neglect were now lit with millions of lights. Each of the massive, block-like arms was more than twice the length and width of Manhattan Island. Already almost five hundred thousand colonists had emigrated from Earth to the station and soon it would become as its counterpart, a city of millions and a jumping off point for further colonization efforts.

Above and slightly to the side of the station floated another awe inspiring sight, the sleek reflective form of an Asgard O'Neill Class Battlecruiser. In fact it was the penultimate O'Neill II herself, Supreme Commander Thor's flagship. For the Jaffa delegation its form sent chills up their spines. To them the Asgard had a mythic reputation; the race that even their mighty gods feared. While these Jaffa had cast off their deities, the fear of the diminutive grey aliens that had been drilled into them from childhood refused to leave so easily as their false religion.

To either side of the Nautilus flew the SSV Normandy and USS Ptolemaeus, each a twin of the other. Both ships were impressive enough, more than a match for even the most powerful Ha'tak mothership. Above and slightly ahead flew the smaller USS Tyco, the frigate an update of the pioneering SR-1 design. All of what the delegates were seeing was an elaborate show of course. For the Jaffa it was a reminder of just whom they were dealing with, for the Tok'ra a warning to mind their behaviour and to the independent worlds an advertisement of what they could gain through an alliance with Earth.

Daniel took all this in with a barely concealed smirk and a shake of his head. 'Let the games begin.'

As President Hayes took his seat around the meeting table he observed his counterparts from the other worlds. Some were hopeful, some uncomfortable, some belligerent. Fortunately this meeting wasn't strictly 'diplomatic' so the mindless repetition that marked most such events on Earth would be absent, much to his relief.

To his left sat Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson, to his right Commander Shepard. The conference table was in the shape of a pentagon. The sides to his right were occupied by the Jaffa and the 'independent' worlds of Langara, Galar and Hebridan. To his left were the Tok'ra and Asgard. The air was charged with tension thick enough to cut with a knife and the meeting hadn't even begun.

Hayes smiled. This would be fun.

"That you all for agreeing to this summit. The purpose of this initial meeting will focus on the one subject that each and every one of our respective peoples agrees is the most pressing: the war with the Goa'uld Empire. It will be followed by smaller meetings between the individual parties focussing on topics ranging from military matters to trade, science and technology, humanitarian relief and cultural exchange. So without further ado, let's get to it. Does anyone with to speak first regarding the war?"

"I will go first," began Garshaw. "I believe I speak for most of the parties here when I request an explanation of Earth's treaty with the System Lords. From our perspective, this seems to be a massive betrayal."

"Agreed," commented Gerak with a deep frown. Many of the other delegates nodded their agreement with the exception of the Asgard and Jonas Quinn.

"If you would allow me sir," began Daniel, receiving a nod from his commander in chief. "The treaty with the System Lords is not and never was meant to last for more than a few years. We agreed to it because, to be frank, we needed it. At the time we signed it, we were still recovering from Anubis' attack and our resources were stretched to the breaking point. We needed the relief that the treaty offered us to regroup, rebuilt and expand our military forces as well as to deal with the problems disclosure of the Stargate caused on our world."

"And soon you will betray them?" asked M'zel hopefully.

"We won't need to," replied Hayes with a grin. "They'll betray us. It's in their nature. Once their fear of us outweighs their fear of Ba'al, they'll turn on us like a pack of rabid weasels. But by that time our military, especially in space will be powerful enough to engage them on even terms. We won't, and I cannot emphasize this point enough, be the first party to break the agreement we have with the System Lords, at least not overtly. It would damage Earth's credibility in future negotiations and the political fallout back home would be damaging to those of us charged with running our governments. We keep our word ladies and gentlemen, regardless of who we've given it to."

"You said overtly," asked Miles Hagan with a grin. "I take it you haven't exactly been on the level in your dealing with the System Lords."

"No we have not," replied Shepard as the military representative. "We haven't attacked any of the System Lords directly but there are other ways. By providing aid and intelligence to the Jaffa Rebellion and occasionally to Ba'al himself, we've been able to direct the war as we hoped, slowly destroying both sides." Gerak looked offended by that last statement but she continued. "In addition we've hired, well let's say 'outside parties' to attack the System Lords."

"You refer to the Lucian Cartel," commented Thoran. "They are not to be trusted," he continued, ignoring the fact that the Tok'ra frequently did business with the criminal organization.

"Among others," replied the Spectre. "We have certain 'arrangements' with several of their factions, most notably the Matar sect. In exchange for payments of high grade naquadah, weapons and other luxury goods that are hard to procure in Goa'uld space, they focus their raids on the System Lords and agree not to engage in slave trading. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement that has worked out well for us."

"And I assume they also provide you intelligence on other factions within the Cartel," added Garshaw knowingly. "I wasn't aware your intelligence networks were so developed."

"We may be relative newcomers on the galactic scene but we know how things work," replied Hayes coolly. "In many ways the current situation resembles Earth during the second half of the twentieth century."

"What actions have you been taking against Ba'al," asked Bra'tac curiously. Though he had a close personal relationship with the SGC, he was as in the dark as the rest of the Rebellion as to the actions of the Tau'ri. In was this lack of information that had turned many of his brothers slowly against the first world; the perception that they were doing nothing.

"We've been focusing on damaging Ba'al's infrastructure," began Shepard. "This boils down to three areas of focus: resources, manufacturing and research and development. In regards to the first, we've been staging hit and run attacks on Ba'al shipping both through the Stargate and against his cargo vessels. The proper term is commerce raiding. We've managed to destroy or capture a significant amount of resources over the past few months. Intelligence estimates suggest that because of our actions, Ba'al's resourcing is currently operating at less than thirty percent normal efficiency, leading to shortages specifically in naquadah, trinium, cobalt, iridium and copper. This directly impacts his ability to both manufacture new weaponry and vessels as well as repair damage to existing assets. We've also stepped up efforts to encourage slave revolts and have succeeded on more than three dozen worlds, helped along by the fact that Ba'al's armies are increasingly depleted and needed in the war against the System Lords."

That surprised the assembled delegates, the Jaffa especially. Bra'tac had noticed the increasing equipment shortages among Ba'al's forces but had assumed it was simple supply chain problems, not a targeted offensive against Ba'al's infrastructure. "I assume such actions are also responsible for loss of manufacturing efficiency as well?" the old Jaffa continued.

"Correct," replied the commander with a grin. "Without raw materials Ba'al can't build ships and staff weapons and his factories lay idle. We've also launched a series of covert attacks against his factories, destroying several and inciting further revolts on several key industrial worlds. With the loss of Erebus, Ba'al's manufacturing base was heavily reduced. Now we're just rubbing salt in his wounds."

"And his research infrastructure?" asked Jonas with a knowing smile. "I assume you've made some progress?"

"Indeed," commented Carter. "We've eliminated or captured over twenty key scientists that were working for Ba'al. Unfortunately he's since moved most of his R&D either to Dakara or Tartarus, both of which are beyond our reach for the moment. Still we've managed to cripple his efforts to develop new tech for the foreseeable future; not that it makes a real difference as he already had a leg up on the rest of the Goa'uld thanks to Anubis."

"An interesting strategy," commented Garshaw in a respectful tone, "but despite your efforts, Ba'al will still most likely prevail against the remaining System Lords without direct military intervention."

"You are of course correct," replied Hayes with a nod. "Ba'al still possesses superior technology and several other key advantages over his enemies, most notably the Kull Warriors. Which is why we're readying Operation Hades. Commander if you will," gestured the president.

"Yes sir," replied the former Spectre. "Operation Hades, which I will be leading, is a special forces assault with the goal of capturing Tartarus and its orbital defences intact. Without the planet Ba'al will lose access to the Kull production lines and all remaining Kull off-world will cease to function within an estimated one month due to lack of proper maintenance, again something only possible on Tartarus."

That surprised the room. Tartarus, formerly the homeworld of Anubis, was a fortress of considerable power.

"How do you plan to get past the defences?" asked Rak'nor.

"While the facility possesses a sophisticated sensor array, at least by Goa'uld standards, we are confident that it will not be able to penetrate our new cloaking technology," replied Shepard with a grin. "I would like to thank the Asgard for their help in that arena."

That earned her a nod from Penegal. "We are most honoured to help the people of Earth," replied the Asgard politician. "Thus far our relationship with Earth has proven quite fruitful," he continued, noting with satisfaction the uncomfortable looks on the faces of the Jaffa and Tok'ra delegations. He was here to support his allies on Earth, not those his government had been at war with for generations. While the Asgard desired peace above all else, they were a practical species. It was for that reason they had sponsored Earth; as a check against the expansion of the Goa'uld Empire that they no longer had the resources to contain. With the empire falling apart he was equally worried about what would happen if the Jaffa were left unchecked as well.

"What do you plan to do with the world after you capture it, assuming you are successful?" asked Thoran in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"We won't be producing any more Kull," replied Hayes bluntly. "In fact we intend to dismantle the production lines and we welcome inspection teams from any of the powers represented here to oversee the process. Tartarus is to become our first Colonia, or military colony. We're going to use it as a major shipyard, research facility and fleet base once we've established ourselves there. It will also serve as a jumping off point for colonization into the Nemean Abyss of which it borders. The Abyss is one of three regions we intend to claim for colonial ventures after the war along with the Attican Traverse to the galactic north of Goa'uld Territory and of course the Local Cluster in which Earth resides."

That was disturbing to Gerak. If what the Tau'ri leader was saying was true, the humans of the first world would control territory to the north, east and south of what would surely become Jaffa space. And to the west was only the galactic core. "You intend to surround us!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"We are simply laying claim to unclaimed territory," replied Daniel neutrally. "The combined size of the Nemean Abyss, Attican Traverse and Local Cluster is only equal to one tenth of Goa'uld controlled space. Furthermore our preliminary surveys indicate that there are a surprisingly small number of habitable worlds or Stargates within both the Traverse and the Abyss. What they are rich in is resources. Why wouldn't we lay claim to them?"

"The Asgard support Earth's claims to these regions," said Penegal, throwing the Asgard's considerable weight squarely behind the first world. He of course had been briefed on exactly why the humans wanted the three regions.

"As does Langara," added Jonas.

"And Hebridan, with conditions of course," added Hagan with a grin. Business was business.

"And Galar," said Varrick, speaking for the first time during the meeting.

The show of solidarity left Gerak hanging. Looking to his brothers for support he received a cold look from Rak'nor and a frown from Bra'tac. Knowing when he was out-muscled, he sat back down with a frown.

"When will this operation take place?" asked Jacob, acting as a representative of the Tok'ra.

"For security reasons we cannot reveal this information," replied Shepard, earning a knowing nod from the former Air Force general. "All I can say is that it will be soon."

"I understand," replied the general. "The need to maintain OpSec is paramount in this sort of thing."

"I for one would feel better if we could oversee this operation," said Garshaw, "perhaps even participate."

Shepard saw right through that one. The Tok'ra leader wanted to keep an eye on what her teams discovered as they took the planet. Tartarus had been the centre of Anubis' research efforts as well. Deciding to be diplomatic she replied, "I appreciate your offer. However this will be a high risk mission. We're literally going into the heart of the Kull Warriors den, as it were. Only our best people will be coming along, armed with the latest weaponry and wearing our most advanced armour," she reasoned. The last thing she needed was to have to babysit some Tok'ra spy and she sure as hell wasn't letting one of them get their hands on the latest version of the Tristan powered combat hard-suit. Still there was no harm in throwing the Tok'ra a bone. Looking to Hayes she received a brief nod. "However I am willing to allow one representative of each of the powers here to observe the mission from the Normandy. While they will not be participating in the operation itself, they will be able to monitor it via helmet cameras and radios."

Garshaw was surprised she was even getting that much. Their relationship with the Tau'ri wasn't especially cordial anymore and this was more of an olive branch then she'd expected to come out of this summit. "That will be more than sufficient," she replied gracefully, noting the look of distaste on Thoran's face at that comment. She was beginning to see why Jacob disliked him so much.

"I believe it is time for a recess," announced Hayes. "If we could reconvene in an hour…," he suggested, receiving nods from each delegation.

As the various members filed out, Shepard spared a look, noting Gerak nodding to Thoran. That would bear watching.