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

[Lightxdarkwing]

Speaking as a Brit I'm surprised no-one mentioned the obvious when Gaia using magical weapons to empower her chosen was being considered.

Also I'm imagining that whilst most of the world (and especially the US) is freaking out the British are calmly sipping their tea and going about business as usual whilst occasionally checking to see if Merlin and Arthur have shown up yet.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 191: The Election Campaign Part 13

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, August 28th 2000

"...and I have to say it again: You cannot compare guns to magic! Guns are a tool - mundane and safe, provided you know how to use them. Magic is an unnatural, alien power that corrupts its users and allows them to threaten countless people!"

"Safe? Guns kill tens of thousands of people every year in the United States alone! Magic hasn't killed even a dozen! If anything has to be regulated more strictly - far more strictly - it's guns!"

"'Unnatural' and 'alien'? Magic is part of Earth! Aliens stole it a thousand years ago, and it was only recently returned! Magic is the soul of the Earth!"

"Earth has no soul - only humans have souls!"

"That's your opinion."

"That's god's truth!"

"Your god's claim."

"There's only one god!"

"That's blas…"

"This is pointless garbage!" Adora blinked as Catra switched channels.

"...and when we take a closer look at the confirmed acts of magic committed in the United States in the name of Gaia, you can see that the vast majority of them are illegal. Vandalism, assault, destruction of property, outright murder - magic is used to break the law all over the country. The destruction of a national landmark beloved by the people is just the most heinous act we know of!"

"A national landmark that was carved into a mountain considered holy by the Native Americans. Some would say the landmark's creation was an act of vandalism and religious oppression, and magic was used to set it right."

"That's for the courts to decide, not for any individual! America is beholden to the rule of law!"

"What if the law is unjust?"

"That's no excuse for such violence!"

"I'm sure the Founding Fathers would disagree with that stance."

"You cannot compare these terrorists to the Founding Fathers!"

"Why not?"

"That's… The Founding Fathers fought for freedom from an oppressive regime! They didn't try to force their views on the majority of the population!"

"I think you didn't pay attention during your history lessons."

"I was taught history, not communist propaganda!"

Adroa raised her eyebrows at her lover, who pouted. "That was supposed to be a serious discussion, not some Day TV garbage," she complained.

"I think it shows that Gaia's summoning is a very divisive topic which incites a very emotional reaction on all sides," Daniel said.

"It shows that they still pick the craziest nutcases for TV," Jack grumbled. He had been in a bad mood for the entire day. Adora knew he didn't like magic, but she hadn't expected him to be so stressed by the situation.

"Well, the conservatives are using this to push their claims that the government ignores the danger magic presents. They are radicalising their base as a result. Though I agree that the broadcasting and cable companies did pick a few very belligerent people to represent the other side," Daniel said. "However, the crucial question is how the moderates and centrists see this. The latest polls we saw have them leaning towards the conservative viewpoints."

"Erasing Mount Rushmore didn't do them any favour," Jack said.

"Well, it galvanised the conservatives," Daniel said.

Adora scowled. Those were the people who wanted to outlaw her and Catra's relationship. And magic.

"Approval for magic has tanked according to the news poll," Daniel went on. "It seems to be shaping up as the crucial issue in this election."

"All thanks to some spirit in a tree!" Jack muttered.

"Not just some spirit," Glimmer said. "It's the guardian spirit for Earth as far as we know. And, according to the latest hypothesis, the return of the stolen magic might have made it more powerful than it was in the past."

Oh! That… made kinda sense. Adora knew best how much power she had returned to Earth, and the surge of magic she felt and had channelled…

"Does that mean that the spirit will grow weaker?" Sha're asked.

"We don't know," Glimmer said. "We need to know more about Gaia to answer that question."

"Well, the government would love to run with that theory," Jack said. "Anything to calm down the people."

"If they do, the conservatives will blame us for Gaia's actions," Glimmer said with a scowl.

"They already do," Catra cut in. "I think the second talk show idiots were talking about suing Etheria for returning magic to Earth and causing all this."

What? Adora blinked. Were they insane?

Glimmer scoffed. "And those idiots might win the election?"

"They are currently leading in the polls," Daniel said with a grimace.

"There are still two months until November," Jack said. "A lot can happen in that time."

"Are you hoping there'll be an October surprise?" Daniel asked.

"I'm sure there'll be an October surprise. The question is, what kind of surprise will it be?" Jack replied.

"Well… if we extrapolate from the various incidents where people claiming to be Gaia's champions claimed responsibility, the odds of another incident like Mount Rushmore are quite decent, I think," Daniel said. "Even if you do that PR campaign the government asked for," he added.

Right. Adora nodded. "We can't do much about the election, but we can do that." If they could convince enough people that magic wasn't evil, they could win this election. Well, the current government would win.

"Are you sure that you want Swift Wind involved with that?" Glimmer asked. "He's a bit… controversial."

"He's also a magical flying unicorn. If little girls could vote, he'd decide the election by himself," Jack said. He grinned, but he still looked stressed.

Adora was a bit worried. Maybe he needed some time off to relax? Maybe they could have another movie night or BBQ?

*****​

Royal Palace, Bright Moon, Etheria, August 29th 2000 (Earth Time)

Samantha Carter felt a bit guilty as she stepped into the private yard. She had a lot of tasks to finish - her backlog was terrible, and the latest report from the Constitution II's most recent mission had just added another day or two of work to it. But Adora and the others had been correct - the General needed to relax. He was a lot more stressed than usual - Sam could tell. His jokes were darker, his remarks a bit more cutting, than in the middle of an invasion of Earth. Sam didn't think that the recent crisis with Gaia's Chosen warranted that, even taking into account the General's distaste for magic, but she wasn't the one dealing with Washington's pressure; the General was, due to his friendship with the leaders of Etheria.

So, when said leaders suggested a 'Movie-BBQ-Evening' to relax for a bit, she had agreed at once. A few hours less overtime was a small price to pay to help her… well, the General.

Although, she thought as she looked around in the yard, in hindsight, I should have thought a bit more about what such an event would look like in Bright Moon.

As it turned out, Glimmer's BBQ was more like a state dinner - Sam could see about a dozen servants just finishing setting up a buffet alongside the wall next to the door.

"So much for a 'small, private gathering'," the General muttered next to her.

"Oh, the servants will leave before we start," Catra spoke up behind them - Sam hadn't noticed her, but the General didn't jump, so he must have. "Trust me, you don't want Glimmer to do the cooking," she added in a stage whisper.

"Catra!" Adora hissed.

"What? It's true! She never learned to cook. Remember the potato salad debacle?"

"That was just a mix-up with the Earth recipe!"

"Sure, sure." Catra smirked, and Melog changed colours.

And Sam eyed the potato salad placed next to the other side dishes. It looked perfectly fine, but that didn't mean anything.

"Part of the fun is to grill your own food," the General said.

"You can burn your meat - they prepared a grill," Catra said. "And they even ensured it's burning coal instead of using magic." She pointed at what Sam recognised as the same model that the General used at home.

"That's better!" The General nodded approvingly and walked over to check the thing.

"Did you have time to remove the price tag?" Sam asked as soon as he was out of earshot.

Catra shrugged. "I didn't buy it. Melog and I were busy keeping Double Trouble from inviting themselves to this party using your face. They claimed they knew best how to help Jack relax."

Sam clenched her teeth. That shapeshifter had used her body and face again? When the General was already stressed? Maybe she should have a talk with them. A very private talk without any recording devices… no, she was better than that.

"I am sure they didn't mean, ah, that," Adora added with a blush.

"I'm sure they did," Catra said. "Anyway, let's check the fish. Sea Hawk said that there were a few troubles with the latest batch." She strode off towards the section of the buffet with the magical coolers.

"He meant pirates harassing fishers," Adora said.

"Can't be too careful with fish! Oh, sushi!" Catra yelled back.

"Catra! We haven't started yet!"

And there was Glimmer, frowning at Catra - who had one piece of sushi in her mouth and another in hand - with Bow behind her, carrying what looked like a high-end sound system. Both were wearing casual clothes, Sam noted with a bit of relief. She didn't care too much about fashion, but she didn't want to be underdressed, either. Even - or especially - if her friends didn't care.

"Oh! Nice!" Daniel and Sha're had arrived. She must have managed to drag him from the archives - he had travelled to Etheria a few hours early to check out the Royal records.

"Indeed." And there was Teal'c, who had also arrived early to train with the palace guard. Apparently, they gave him more of a challenge in melee than Earth forces. And without even counting the Scorpion people, or the Minotaurs. Well, melee weapons were still in general use on Etheria, which would explain it.

"Oh, tiny food! Hi, Sam!"

Entrapta zoomed by with a wave, her hair already reaching out for the finger food.

"We haven't started yet!" Glimmer snapped.

"The facts disprove your statement." Hordak apparently had found the time to attend as well. Almost the entire Princess Alliance was present - well, the inner circle.

As if they had read her thoughts, more princesses arrived. Scorpia, Perfuma, Mermista with a beaming Sea Hawk, and there were Spinerella, Netossa and even Frosta had made it. The General wasn't the only one with a private shuttle, it seemed.

Yes, this might be a private gathering - all the servants had left - but it was also like a meeting of the most powerful leaders of the entire planet.

Despite that, Sam felt herself relax. After recovering from having to dodge Swift Wind, who swept down to grab an apple from the buffet before landing next to Adora.

And the General was smiling at the grill.

Yes, she didn't mind coming here.

*****​

"...and Castaspella can't be here because she's keeping an eye on the researchers. Two were ready to duel each other over their hypotheses regarding Gaia."

Sam nodded at Glimmer's explanation. She could see that, easily, based on her own experience.

The General grunted and passed another steak to Teal'c. He had been spending most of his time so far behind the grill, but everyone but Teal'c was pretty full now, at least as far as meat was concerned. Dessert was still waiting in the magically chilled containers at the buffet.

"So! Time for the movie?" Entrapta stood, her hair still holding a plate with tiny burgers and fries so thin, they seemed to be composed of more fried grease than potatoes. "We can try out our new screen!"

"New screen?" Daniel asked, looking up from where he had been talking about old Etherian records with Bow.

"We've built a bigger screen," Entrapta explained. "It can be used for briefings, so the Alliance paid for it, but it's also good for movies. Dual-use, they call it. I wanted to build a holoprojector that would automatically turn a movie into a projection, but we didn't manage to build a bot to control it - and we need more data if we want it to be able to do so without converting it prior to showing it. But we're working on it!"

"In our spare time," Sam added when she felt the General looking at her.

"Yes!"

"Why don't you want to have a computer convert the movie before showing it?" Daniel asked.

"Because it would be perfect for a live broadcast of an event like a play!" Entrapta said. "We could adapt it so we can have a stage performance broadcast to another kingdom! And Sam mentioned sports as another potential application."

"Sports, Carter?" The General was smirking.

She frowned at him. "Having the ability to watch a 3D-projection of a match would change public viewings. And the referees might use it as well."

"Less mistaken calls for sure!" he agreed.

"That might not be as popular as people expect. Some argue that imperfect referees are part of the appeal and draw of certain sports," Daniel said.

"Not in America," the General said with a snort, "we like to do things right." And then he frowned - no, scowled - for a moment.

Was this about Gaia, respectively, the government's response to her appearance? They were downplaying the actions of Gaia's Chosen, as far as Sam could tell, and it didn't seem to be a popular course of action. On the other hand, the General knew best that they didn't really have a better choice.

"Well, you know what Churchill said about America," Daniel spoke up with a grin. "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they've tried everything else."

The General didn't laugh, unlike most others. He merely snorted again, and it sounded forced.

And Sam wasn't the only one who had noticed.

"You seem to be preoccupied with something grave, O'Neill. Do you fear your government is making a mistake?"

"I'm a soldier. Policy isn't my business."

Sam narrowed her eyes. That was a textbook evasive answer - and the General was never shy about giving his opinion on such matters.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow at him, and Daniel blinked, apparently just noticing the issue.

"That never stopped you before," Catra said, leaning forward.

The General scowled in return, glancing around. Everyone was looking at him now.

"Is there a problem with your government?" Adora asked. "Are they pressuring you? They did ask us to help, but if that's wrong…"

"No, no. They don't want me to do anything," he said with another snort. "It's more the opposite," he added before pressing his lips together with a deep frown as if he regretted saying this.

"Are they afraid the Alliance would intervene?" Daniel asked.

"Are they planning something we would want to stop?" Glimmer added with a frown.

"The government isn't planning anything," the General replied. "But they don't want us to meddle with the people calling for witch hunts."

"They asked us to make people like magic," Adora said. "That's meddling with your bigots."

"Indirectly," the General said.

"If the government fears direct action by the Alliance against those people, then they must be aware of a potential reason for the Alliance to do so," Teal'c said.

"You know how religious nutcases are. It's just a matter of time before they'll try to burn a 'witch'," the General said.

Sam winced. It had happened before, though in other countries. To see such a lynching happen in the USA… She shook her head.

"Well, let's hope the government is more willing to stop them than they were when people lynched African-Americans," Daniel said. "But shouldn't they be more concerned about retaliation by Gaia's Chosen? And by other sorceresses?"

The General nodded. "And they also don't want the Alliance to be involved."

"Do they have the people to handle magic attacks?" Glimmer asked.

He shrugged. "They seem to be confident that they can handle it."

Something wasn't adding up. These were obvious and already known facts. Sam didn't think the General would be upset about this - not like he was, at least. Something else must be bothering him.

And she had no idea what it could be. And that was bothering her.

*****​

White House, Washington D.C., United States of America, August 31st 2000

"...his campaign is still reeling from the discovery that one of the leading supporters of his candidacy has been arrested for child abuse. The church itself declined to comment, and his lawyers stated that their client was innocent and that they expected the charges to be dropped 'once an unbiased jury looks at them', though usually informed sources claim that the material the police found during the raid on the church…"

"...and we stand here, facing depravity and blasphemy with the quiet strength of our faith, unbowing and unmoving in the face of adversity! Others may cave before witches, afraid of their unnatural powers, but the Lord is with us, and He shall protect us! We will stay until our community is again free of those heathens threatening to corrupt our children, and we…"

"...tragedy struck Texas today when the helicopter carrying Harry Brown lost control shortly after takeoff and crashed into his private residence, killing Mr Brown and the helicopter's pilot. Harry Brown rose to prominence following his election into the House of Representatives and has been a vocal supporter of the anti-witchcraft movement in the country. The Governor has already called on the FBI to investigate the crash for signs of magical interference, and…"

"...did propose a bill that would outlaw any 'unlicensed magic', though as critics noted, the bill did not specify who would license magic nor what criteria would be applied to that process, prompting the opposition to label this as a 'performative act trying to cater to bigots afraid of magic, and…"

"...raid following the arrest of a drug dealer, two so far unnamed members of congress and one underage woman were found intoxicated in a hotel room, and…"

"...the firm has been promoting the exploration of new oil fields despite the accelerated development of advanced power plants, citing the need to diversify the country's power supply, so this change in plans comes as a surprise, especially following the retirement of the CEO who led the firm for eight years, and…"

"...the bishop reiterated the church's stance that magic was not inherently evil nor of divine nature, but merely a facet of God's creation, as any other tool, subject to the freedom of will of men. This statement was seen as an indirect rebuttal to the growing number of calls for a stricter stance on magic and claims that divine grace expressed itself through magic, though it remains dubious whether or not this will be enough to handle the growing split in the church between the conservative and progressive faction, a development also visible in the Catholic Church, although less pronounced after the Pope's recent declaration, and…"

"...and regarding the recent disappearance of a teenage couple near Dublin, the police announced that the couple had been found in London under unclear circumstances, rejecting rumours of a kidnapping, whether mundane or related to the Fae, so…"

"...concerns about unregulated magic use remain high and keep growing in key states as the latest polls show…"

"...the Emperor reportedly assured the Prime Minister that the kami's appearance at the shrine presented no harm to the Japanese people, and the Tokyo police announced that they have taken all necessary measures to handle the expected number of attendants for the next ceremony at the shrine, so…"

"..and people are asking, and rightfully so, who will protect them from those witches? When someone can use magic to wreck your home, who can be safe? What mother wants their children to risk waking up trapped under a tree's roots? Even leaving aside the threat to their souls, the sheer danger magic presents to everyone in the country cannot be underestimated, and our government is doing nothing! We demand…"

"...and another magical attack was reported from Tehran, targeting a mosque this time, and…"

"...the relief from a years-long drought brought in Ethiopia by a series of short rains usually common in the first part of the year was marred by several violent incidents involving what observers called 'witch-hunts' acerbated by recent rumours of 'Gaia's Chosen' being responsible for the rains, so…"

"...and the rain forest's growth, started shortly after Princess She-Ra restored magic to Earth, has picked up its pace following what is known as 'Gaia's Summoning', prompting concerns about Brazil's agricultural sector and export business should the forest claim more agricultural land. The logging industry is already calling for support, though in contrasting news, many local farmers report record crops, and…"

Catra shook her head as she switched channels on her tablet while she waited for the President. The news was dominated by magic, and while that was no surprise given recent events, there was a certain slant to it, at least in how the American media reported it. "Kill a few ten thousand people with guns and no one cares, wreck a few eyesores with magic, and people call for witch hunts."

"We're here to change that," Adora, using her tablet for work next to her, said. "Show the Americans - and the world - that magic is not evil."

"And that they shouldn't elect a bigot out of fear," Catra added. That was the point of this, after all. Though whether they would succeed with that remained in doubt. At least, according to the polls.

Glimmer grumbled something about elections, but Catra ignored it in favour of checking her tablet again, but before she could return to her channel surfing, the door opened.

"Princess She-Ra? Queen Glimmer? Techmaster Bow? Catra?" A flunky in a suit smiled at them. "The President will now see you."

Catra rose and followed the others to the so-called 'Oval Office'. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long.

*****​

Washington D.C., United States of America, August 31st 2000

"...and it is with great pleasure that we welcome She-Ra, Princess of Power, Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon, and their consorts to our great country!"

Politicians - well, everyone - always went overboard with the rhetoric during campaign season, Jack O'Neill knew that, but listening to the President's introduction was still annoying. It was almost as if the President were running for a third term instead of the actual candidate - who was present as well, of course, on the President's right side, slightly behind Adora so he'd be in every picture.

Though, to be fair, most of his annoyance was aimed at the other prominent politician present. Kinsey was standing on the other side of the President, his fake smile - Jack could see it from his own position a bit more to the side - pasted on his face, as if he hadn't been busy undermining the constitution and the rule of law.

And Jack had let him. Because the other party was running on a crazy platform that would see the US reduced to a nuthouse full of witch hunts and retaliation from sorceresses, isolated by everyone sane.

Kinda like Iran writ large - no day seemed to pass in that country without another magical attack on the mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. But there, the majority of the people hated and feared magic, according to the briefing Jack had read, and so the regime's grip on the country had been strengthened.

If that happened in the USA… He suppressed a shudder. They had to prevent that, but did the ends justify the means? Could you really save America by destroying the very principles that made it great?

His gut said no. But his mind also said that if the majority of Americans voted for those bigots, America was beyond saving anyway.

Adora stepped up. Her smile was wide and warm, but Jack could see she was nervous - her hands did clench just a little, as if she wanted to grip her sword. But those who didn't know her as well as Jack wouldn't notice. They would only see the tall, almost giant woman in literally shining armour beaming at them. Hell, she had such a presence, Jack almost missed how Catra, now slightly behind Adora, looked like she was scanning for snipers - which she probably was.

"Hello, everyone!" Adora's voice rang out over the packed crowd. "Thank you for having me! I'm happy to be here."

That sounded a bit too canned for Adora. Had someone gone over her speech?

"And so are my friends, Glimmer, Bow and Catra!" she went on, turning to smile at Catra, Glimmer and Bow, who waved and smiled at the crowd as well. Jack was a little surprised by how non-threatening Catra managed to look, knowing what she thought about this dog and pony show.

Or a cat and pony show, Jack corrected herself as Adora looked up at the sky. Arranging this stunt must have taken a lot and probably sent some air traffic controller into early retirement.

"And Swift Wind!"

And there was the horse, swooping down from the sky on white wings, flying over the crowd and turning around to land next to Adora. "Did someone say Swift Wind?"

The probably strategically placed crowds of little to teenage girls cheered so loudly, Jack's ears started to hurt.

*****​

"...and I know many are afraid of magic. I understand that - magic can be scary. The magic stolen from the Galaxy almost destroyed Etheria. But many things are scary if abused."

Adora raised her hand and called her sword, still smiling. "My sword. I wield it in battle." She changed it into a shield, then a shovel and had to wait a second for the gasps to pass. "But it's also a tool to protect and help people. Magic is the same. It can do wonderful things for you. It can help and heal you and your family - and your land." She sent a ray of magic into the sky, and people gasped again. Some even fell to their knees, and she suppressed a wince. That shouldn't happen - the President's staff had said they had screened for that. If they had let some of the weirdos who were crazy for 'catgirls' through, then Catra better not get too close to the crowd…

But she had to finish her speech. "Magic is neither good nor evil; what matters is how you use it. Don't fear it - but don't be careless, either. And if you have the talent for magic, use it responsibly. Don't abuse it, don't use it for selfish reasons. Use it to help people."

With a nod, she took a step back as applause rose from the crowd and subtly sighed with relief. That had gone pretty well.

"And now, please welcome Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon!"

Glimmer smiled confidently as she stepped up to give her own speech, staff in hand.

"Hello, Washington. I'm Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon, and I am a sorceress!" She raised her staff and shot a beam of colourful magic through the sky. "I was trained by my aunt at Mystacor, and I know firsthand how useful and how dangerous magic can be. I've used it in war and peace."

Adora thought that the crowd was a bit less enthusiastic than before, but that might just be her impression. But the people did cheer when Glimmer started demonstrating a few spells - harmless ones, mostly for entertainment. Stuff you learned when you started training, Glimmer had called them.

It was a bit shady, in Adora's opinion, to show Etherian magic when Earth magic was noticeably different, but they couldn't help that - they hadn't found an Earth sorceress yet whom the US government trusted. Or so they claimed. It was a bit too convenient, according to Catra, that none had been found. Then again, Adora didn't know how all those people would react if someone summoned a spirit to bless them. Or those who were watching on television. Some of those 'pundits' had been quite vocal about how magic corrupted those who came into contact with it, despite that being obviously wrong.

Well, her friends and Adora were here to help correct those mistaken assumptions. And, at least in her opinion, they were doing a good job.

*****​

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Manhattan, New York City, September 1st 2000

"...and this device can do medical scans in a few seconds. It was made for the Alliance forces, based on a Horde magitech prototype that was never approved for mass production because it was too costly and would have cut into the weapon production schedule, and before the new factories could be built the war was over, but that meant it could be enhanced with the most advanced magitech technology, which we did. You can also use it to project projections of the patient's body with highlights of where they need help. Let me demonstrate!"

Samantha Carter gasped when she heard Entrapta and took a step forward, but Entrapta had already pointed the handscanner at a man in the first row and triggered it.

"Ah…" The man grimaced and seemed frozen.

"Did you stun him?"

"No, no! That's just a psychological reaction to vaguely pistol-shaped devices pointed at you," Entrapta replied without taking her eyes off the device's tiny screen. "It helps with making patients hold still for the examination, though it's not very effective. I suggested a stunning function add-on, but that was not accepted on the - frankly illogical - reason that multifunctionality shouldn't include weapons. Oh! You have major trouble with your arteries! And your heart! And your intestines! Let me show you!"

"I think we can skip the holoprojection," Sam said. Especially since, being a medical device, it would show the patient nude without any pixelation.

"But that's the best part! You can see your body and even zoom in!" Entrapta turned to beam at the man. "Don't you want to see how your insides look without having to insert a camera?"

"Ah…"

"We can show it with prepared data," Sam said.

"But that's not as impressive as a live presentation!" Entrapta objected. "They told us that!"

"That's meant for the next devices, not the medical ones," Sam explained.

"Ah. But in an emergency, we can use the devices, right?"

"Of course." Sam turned to address the crowd of investors, businessmen and scientists gathered here to see what magic would add to their field. "As you can see, this is a magitech device. Usable by anyone, but based on magic."

"You don't need a witch for that, though," a man from the back row called out.

"Not to use it, no. But to develop it and improve on it, you need sorceresses," Sam replied. That was not quite correct; you could construct magitech devices as long as you had a solid grounding in the principles and experience with advanced technology, but it was inefficient compared to working with sorceresses.

"So, if you kick out your sorceresses, your magitech devices will lag behind," Entrapta said. "So, people will buy from your competition."

Sam's friend wasn't supposed to say that out loud either, but it was probably better to be blunt, Sam thought. They were addressing people who were torn between supporting the conservative campaign and the current government, after all. Obviously, they didn't realise just how crucial magic would be in the future. Unlike the Europeans, whose governments were not afraid of brushing aside religious concerns. Then again, with the Vatican on board, and the Protestants not nearly as fanatical as the Evangelicals in the US, there simply weren't any significant religious concerns in Europe over magic.

Though Sam had to admit that she was a little biased - she had read the conservatives' views on women as well, after all. But she had a task to do, and she would accomplish it.

"Now, that was a medical scanner which will make diagnosing illnesses much, much easier. However, there are also treatments improved by magic and magitech, such as this skin regenerator device." As she held it up, she was relieved that Entrapta didn't try to share that it was based on the healing device prototype that had created a short-lived zombie plague, as the General had dubbed the incident, in Honduras.

Sam was a scientist, not a saleswoman - and she had protested this mission, to no avail - but she was well aware that revealing that would not help with persuading the audience here that supporting the conservatives would be economic suicide.

*****​

Austin, Texas, United States of America, September 2nd 2000

"...and this blatant propaganda cannot be tolerated! The Government is abusing its power to push its godless agenda in a partisan attempt to influence the elections! Heathen religions are forced on our children! Unnatural abominations corrupt our youth! But we will stand fast and not give ground! We may march through hell itself to defend what's right and just! Follow me to…"

"...this marks the third prominent supporter who has been arrested for sexual abuse of minors, adding yet another scandal to the flagging election campaign that, as experts point out, was based too much on anti-magic and anti-gay messaging without offering anything positive in exchange…"

"...the police have yet to name any suspect for the magical murder of the central executive officer of the firm, though the recent leaked documents that have shown how he deliberately ordered the illegal disposal of toxic, carcinogenic waste near a settlement have already assured that the suspect, should they ever be arrested, will have a solid defender, and…"

"...and the poll can be summed up that tax cuts don't cut it if the other side can offer magic healing and flying ponies."

Catra snorted at the last line and looked up. In the sky, high above the park in this city, Swift Wind was circling, a cheering girl on his back. And below, a pair of parents was trying not to grimace while looking up. They probably would wince even more when their girl asked for donations to Swift Wind's 'Free the Horses' fund.

And behind them, the line crossed the entire park, excited kids - mostly girls for some reason - and more or less smiling parents waiting for their turn with Swift Wind.

The line with sick kids waiting to get healed by Adora was separate and not as long, fortunately.

And the line of cops keeping the protesting bigots out of the park was pretty thin. Well, if the line broke, or if the cops decided to 'break' - Catra had read up on the attitude of the local cops here, and she trusted them about as far as she could throw Darla - then the bots currently serving as climbing castles for the kids who had their ride already would step in with their projected shields and lightning cannons.

It seemed the 'cat-and-pony' show, as Jack called it, was working. Still, Catra wasn't very optimistic. One public magic attack might be enough for the mood to switch again. Even with the continuing exposure of scandal after scandal amongst the bigots, they still had a decent chunk of the population supporting them.

Catra could only hope that the current government won in the end; Glimmer would never stop bitching about elections otherwise.

*****​

Alliance Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, September 4th 2000

"Thanks for coming!" Jack O'Neill smiled at his team - his friends - when they entered his office.

"You said you had something important to talk about," Daniel said while he made a beeline for Jack's second-best coffeemaker, the first being in his office in Germany.

Jack exchanged a glance with Sha're, who smiled wryly before joining her husband, nodded at Teal'c, who had stepped inside the office without making a sound, then smiled at Carter.

She looked a bit warily at him, one hand holding her computer - and Jack knew without having to check that she had been working on the way here, even odds if she had tried to work while walking; one of those days, he expected her to get the same hair as Entrapta if only so she could walk while working on a computer…

But this wasn't the time to prod her about working too hard. He nodded, checked on his computer that the anti-eavesdropping gizmos were working - with certain topics you didn't take even the slightest risk - and then waited until everyone was seated and, in Dnaiel's case, supplied with coffee. "So!" He got up and started pacing.

Carter tensed at once - she knew him. Teal'c showed no reaction, and Daniel's eyes widened belatedly.

"I'm sure everyone has been following the election campaign," Jack went on. No need to explain which one.

"Of course," Daniel said. "And I still say it's a bit dubious for the government to be involved so closely; they have barely hidden the fact they've had us campaign for their candidate."

Jack nodded, though it was pretty much normal for the party in power to use the president's office to support their candidate, be it the incumbent or a new one. "Yeah. Though as far as dubious practices go, you haven't seen anything yet."

That made everyone tense. Even Teal'c.

Jack faced them, standing at parade rest behind his desk. "Our friend Kinsey has been interfering with the election."

"Oh." Daniel blinked. "All those scandals…?"

Jack nodded. "I don't know if they are framing people, but the police usually aren't that quick or successful in such cases." Certainly not in states where that kind of crime usually got quietly buried if the right kind of people were involved. Sometimes even if it meant literally burying a witness as well.

"And those accidents…" Carter narrowed her eyes.

"Helicopter crash, sailing accident…" Jack nodded. Not too many of those yet, that would be a bit too suspicious, but he expected more of the same as the campaign progressed.

"Do you have proof, Jack?"

"Kinsey visited and all but bragged about it. Told me to keep the Alliance from interfering."

"But the Alliance was asked to… Oh." Daniel nodded. "They're planning to use magic or advanced technology?"

"Or they are concerned about such being used to uncover their actions," Jack said. "Kinsey's aware that the princesses don't really do Realpolitik." The Etherians were idealists, even and especially their leaders. They wouldn't let Kinsey and his friends do this.

"Does… does the President know about this?" Daniel asked.

"He'll have plausible deniability," Jack said. "But he'll suspect something." You'd have to be an idiot not to - and the President was from a state where things were handled quietly and in the family.

"That's…" Daniel shook his head. "That's an attack on everything our country stands for!"

Jack nodded.

"Sir… when did you meet with Kinsey?" Carter asked carefully.

"Some time ago," Jack said.

Daniel blinked. "You were kinda tense lately…"

Teal'c and Sha're were watching without commenting.

"Yes," Jack said.

"You didn't ask for help finding proof," Carter said.

"No, I didn't," Jack admitted. "That would have been illegal. We're soldiers."

Daniel gaped at him, and Jack almost laughed at his expression. "Since when do you care about the legality? This is a blatant attempt to influence democratic elections! With murder and other crimes!"

"Yeah, and we're supposed to do that to other countries, not our own." Jack nodded.

"Jack!" Daniel glared at him. And Carter wasn't looking any more kindly.

He sighed. "I know. The thing is, the constitution isn't a suicide pact." He liked that quote. "If the other side gets elected, they'll ruin our country and break the Constitution as well." They certainly had announced their intentions to go after 'witches' clearly.

"They couldn't!" Daniel objected. "We have checks and balances!"

"And those will prevent a new President from severing our ties with Etheria and banning magic?" Jack cocked his head to the side. "And banning being gay when they are at it."

"We have signed a treaty! And the rights are granted in the constitution."

"They have experience going around that," Jack said. "Jim Crow ring a bell? Lynchings? Civil rights? If the government stops enforcing the law, we'll be back there. And do you think the Alliance will keep working with us if the government stops protecting sorceresses?"

"But…" Daniel shook his head. "You can't protect the Constitution by breaking it!"

"Yes," Jack said. "That's the problem I've been pondering."

"Oh."

"You don't know if the conservatives actually would go that far, sir," Carter said.

"They're pretty vocal about it," Jack retorted. "And it's not about taxes - it's about magic. People are really fired up about it."

"And it involves religion quite heavily," Daniel added. "I don't think this would be seen as politics as usual. These people really think their souls are in danger."

"And if they push, the other side will push back. With magic," Jack said. "And they'll blame the government, too. Northern Ireland will look like a walk in the park." The Americans had far more guns, for starters. And magic was far more dangerous than Semtex.

"But… even so, if you let Kinsey do this, he'll do it again, next election. Just to stay in power. That kind of… Our democracy cannot survive if this is normalised. It would become a sham. Political assassinations would be common!"

"Yes." Jack nodded. "Believe me, I am aware of that. But as you said, you can't save the constitution by breaking it."

"But, Jack…" Daniel trailed off.

"We can't use illegal means." As much as Jack would love to deal with Kinsey as Kinsey dealt with others.

"But he'll keep doing this!" Daniel said.

"Yes." Jack sighed. "But if we want to do this right, we'll have to do this by the book. We need proof, proof gathered legally. Proof that will stand up in court."

Everyone - even Teal'c - stared at him. Even Sha're.

Jack sighed. He wasn't that bad about rules and regulations.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Speaking as a Brit I'm surprised no-one mentioned the obvious when Gaia using magical weapons to empower her chosen was being considered.

Also I'm imagining that whilst most of the world (and especially the US) is freaking out the British are calmly sipping their tea and going about business as usual whilst occasionally checking to see if Merlin and Arthur have shown up yet.

Click to shrink...

Well, they're only supposed to appear when Britain is in great danger, so they can rest some more. Still, the government is certainly keeping an eye on certain islands and lakes.