Chapter 222: Shockwaves Part 3
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Chapter 222: Shockwaves Part 3
Research Station Alpha, First Moon of Enchantment, February 7th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"No, no - that column needs to stay. It's far too easy to realise that the data has been tampered with if the basics are wrong."
"That's data directly taken from Apophis's experiments, Loki. How could anyone know they have been tampered with without the original data?"
"It is obvious if you have experience with such experiments - and Nirrti will have such experience, Morrison. No, if we want to feed her data that won't be of any use to her but actually sabotage her research, we have to be far more subtle!"
"That presumes that she actually has advanced her research past this point already. And if she did that, why would she care about Apophis's research?"
"If she knew the exact extent of his research, she wouldn't have bothered with sending a ship to steal his data. So, the fact that she tried to raid his laboratory proves that she is still ignorant of his research, Morrison. If she had merely wanted to stop a competitor, she would simply have bombarded the entire installation from orbit."
"Unless she wasn't after the data, but after the resources. She must have had a spy in his court to know about the laboratory in the first place, and a highly-placed spy at that - few knew about the place. So, we cannot exclude the possibility that she actually was behind Apophis in her research - at least in that specific field."
"If Nirrti were still at that level, after dedicating thousands of years to her research, and even risking her position as a System Lord for it, then we wouldn't need to bother with this entire plan since she wouldn't be a threat at all!"
Samantha Carter suppressed a sigh. Watching Dr Morrison and Loki squabble like this was frustrating. Loki's reasoning for why he thought Nirrti would easily see through any tampering with the raw research data from Apophis's lab would have been concerning if Sam weren't already aware of his questionable ethics and history. They had a point - the Alliance had to be very careful with tampering with the data, to avoid giving the game away too easily and avoid giving away actually useful data that wasn't already obsolete. But the way they were going at it wasn't very productive.
"I once again want to state that I question the ethics of tampering with research data as a matter of principle."
The two were still more productive than Alpha, of course. The bot was doing everything short of insubordination - and Sam was pretty certain that Alpha refrained from that merely because the bot couldn't go against the specific orders Adora had given her - to stop the project altogether. Appealing to scientific ethics was one of the milder forms; malicious compliance was far more frustrating.
It figured, of course, that when the bot finally discovered ethical lines it didn't want to cross, after demonstrating a total lack of remorse and care about unethical experimentation as long as it furthered its goals, it would hinder the Alliance's plans.
Not for the first time, she felt as if she were herding cats. Big cats, like tigers, lions, or some genetically engineered combination of both, with alien parts grafted on them. "We're not destroying data - we're ensuring that an enemy cannot use our data to advance their research."
"But information yearns to be free."
Sam narrowed her eyes. Either Alpha had been watching Earth media - and she didn't think the bot was interested in anything not related to genetic engineering and research - or Entrapta had failed to explain a remark. Or the bot was just trying every argument, no matter how nonsensical. "Some information cannot be shared because it's far too dangerous."
"But basic genetic engineering research data isn't that dangerous."
Right. Alpha was a bot created by the Ancients, and Sam was already aware that their definitions of what was safe and what was dangerous left a lot to be desired.
"That still doesn't mean we should freely share it," Loki said.
"Not without a licensing agreement, at least," Morrison added.
"This is a military operation," Sam reminded them.
"Under Bright Moon's supervision," Angella said. Apparently, the ethical issues raised by everyone were not important enough for her to comment, but a reminder of who owned the station was. Then again, Angella was the only other being, next to Alpha, who had been in this base when it was built and used by the Ancients, but she wasn't a scientist.
Sam was, though. And she knew how to tackle the three squabbling biologists. "If it is too difficult to tamper with the raw research data without the results being obvious, we might have to consider alternatives."
"I never said it was too difficult." Loki, as expected, spoke up at once, his substantial pride and ego pricked. "I questioned the need to tamper with the data."
"We're playing it safe," Sam said.
"Risking Nirrti seeing through the deception straight away doesn't sound particularly safe to me," Morrison said.
"If it is too difficult for you to devise a way to sabotage the data that isn't obvious to an expert…"
"I never said it was! I merely pointed out the risks."
The two biologists glared at each other, then started typing on their respective computers and consoles, and Sam sighed softly with relief.
"If we're already poisoning data, wouldn't that mean we could use a poison or other agent to strike at Nirrti as well?"
Sam closed her eyes. Alpha defaulted to war crimes involving bioweapons again. That said a lot of things, and none of them good, about the people who built her. Mostly, though, it was giving her a headache. But as long as they could accomplish their task, it might be worth it.
Nirrti needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Field Base Bra'tac, Saqqara, Saqqara System, February 8th, 2002 (Earth Time)
Catra frowned as she went over the next report. Another Goa'uld scouting force stopped by Alliance ships. Two Al'keshs this time, and one Tel'tak. The crews had tried to blow up their ships, but one Al'kesh had been taken more or less intact - well, still intact enough to have surviving crew members on board after the scuttling charges had been destroyed by precise fire; the Alliance wasn't about to risk their boarding parties against suicidal enemies. The captured Jaffa had been identified as serving Heru'ur, which matched what Analysis had recovered from the debris of the scouting force and fit the location - not too far from the border of Heru'ur's new territory. All pretty much as had been expected.
Although the composition of the force was slightly weird, in her opinion - usually, larger ships were escorted by more numerous smaller vessels. Was that a scratch force, drawn from what was available (and expendable), or was there some method behind it? If Heru'ur was lacking Tel'taks for scouting and recon deployments, which was one of their core missions, then shouldn't a lack of them have been noted by Apophis's spies and battlefield commanders beforehand? Or had Heru'ur been using his Tel'taks overly much, and now too many were either destroyed or down for critical maintenance and repairs at the same time?
She earmarked the report for Analysis and highlighted her remarks. They needed more intel about Heru'ur; both he and Cronus were likely to be the next enemy the Alliance would be focusing on. Though Nirrti might usurp that position if she continued trying to raid Apophis's old territory.
Although the Alliance hadn't encountered another raiding or scouting force sent by Nirrti. Either she was staying out of Alliance-occupied space, wasn't sending any such forces - or she had found a way to escape the Alliance sensor networks. The latter wouldn't be too difficult; space was so big, the spy bot network was struggling just to cover Alliance territory and the known systems of the Goa'uld bordering it. Nirrti would only need a bit of luck to slip through the net.
On the other hand, to actually get close enough to catch actionable intel, she would need advanced stealth technology that could fool Alliance sensors; they were covering the area around Earth for lightyears out to catch any ships trying to pick up radio transmissions after First Contact, and the policy was extended to the rest of Alliance space. No, Catra didn't think Nirrti was somehow sneaking past the Alliance pickets and sensor networks with stealth ships.
But neither did she think Nirrti had given up on looting Apophis's old territory of anything she wanted; the Goa'uld was, according to all accounts, obsessed with her research, and this was an opportunity she wouldn't miss. She could be going after the parts of Apophis's realm that the Alliance hadn't been able to secure (yet), but the spy network coverage was pretty dense there, so they should have noticed something.
But if Nirrti wasn't doing that either, what was she doing? She was a biologist, specialised in genetic engineering. And she had used her speciality to strike at Stargate Command before. Catra wouldn't put it past her to use similar means to spy on the Alliance. She couldn't insert spies on already occupied worlds, but on worlds the Alliance was securing later? It wouldn't be too hard to plant a few prepared agents, whether willing or not, or even ignorant, on such worlds and then wait until the Alliance forces arrived. And it was almost certain that she had placed spies on Saqqara and other worlds during Apophis's reign.
The Alliance was aware of that danger, of course, and was taking precautions - but a spy who had escaped Apophis's guards wouldn't be easy to catch. If they were biding their time and wouldn't attempt to contact Nirrti, they would be almost impossible to catch. And the Alliance could only do so much; sooner or later, there would be slip-ups, people would relax their guard… Catra was well aware of how soon complacency set in, even at the front. It would be much harder for every soldier to keep sharp on supposedly safe planets.
Well, Alliance planning was already taking into account the expectation that they would end up being exposed. Still, the longer they could delay that, the better. Though Nirrti might not cooperate…
"Are you going through with it?"
Catra set the tablet down and looked at Adora. There was no need to ask what she meant. "Yes." Adora frowned at her, so she added: "I'm the obvious choice, and if things go wrong, I have the best chances to escape." She held up her right hand and unsheathed her claws to emphasise the point.
"Glimmer could just teleport out."
"If we're on a world where you released the magic," Catra shot back. "And if you do that, you can't do it again and use the power."
Adora pouted at that, and Catra snorted. But her lover grew serious almost at once. "It's still very dangerous."
Catra shrugged. "I'm used to playing bait." She forced a cocky grin on her face. "And who else would be seen as a perfect host? Everyone else is using magic, and the Goa'uld can't use magic even if they take over someone who can. Me, on the other hand…"
Adora scowled at that. "Still…"
"I volunteered. If you want to veto that, I get to veto your next stunt." Catra bared her teeth; she wasn't budging about that.
"Catra…"
"Someone has to do it. Might as well be me." It wouldn't pay back what she had done before she had come to her senses, but it was a start.
Adora was unhappy, but, maybe, she might stop risking herself so much if the shoe were on the other foot for once.
Field Base Bra'tac, Saqqara, Saqqara System, February 9th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"Hyperspace sensors have detected a single ship headed to the system. Preliminary classification is Al'kesh. Preliminary data shows the exit area outside the planetary orbit."
Jack O'Neill muttered a brief curse as he read the report on his HUD - you really got used to the thing; he had secured a copy of Adora's version for himself so he could use it in his daily duties without having to wear a helmet. He was still trying to find a way to play games on it, though; Sam hadn't been amused at his 'joke' when he had brought it up, and he hadn't been able to get Bow or Entrapta alone yet. "We're getting a visitor," he commented when General Müller, the base commander, looked up from his tablet.
"Yes, sir." After a pause, the man added: "I was under the impression that such small intrusions were not considered a problem by the guard fleet stationed in the system."
"Well, they are dropping out pretty close to the planet, so they might be here for diplomacy. And protocol for such cases means I need to hide my face so there's no risk of exposing the Alliance's ties to Earth," Jack said. "And that means putting on a helmet."
"Ah." The General nodded, but his carefully neutral expression - even for the German - clearly stated that he didn't see a problem. The guy had probably been born with a helmet, or had his first helmet welded to his head in Kindergarten or something, to get used to it.
But Jack didn't like wearing a helmet. The Alliance combat suits were very comfortable - in fact, more comfortable than his regular uniform - and the helmet had been designed by the same team and was lighter than it looked, and far more comfortable, but… Jack still felt isolated and prone to missing stuff when he wore one. There was a reason, well, in addition to 'we don't want to spook the locals looking like we're looking for a fight', that Stargate Command hadn't worn helmets on most missions; wearing a helmet impaired your hearing and field of vision. Not very much, of course, but every little bit counted on some missions, but Jack had spent two decades internalising that, according to Daniel.
So, while he trusted Sam that the new suit's helmet was actually enhancing his senses - and had tested it - his gut still felt half-blind and deaf when he was wearing it.
Hiding his face also made him feel like a sort of stormtrooper, but that was beside the point.
"So… let's find out if that's a stealth mission or if whoever is behind it wants to talk while spying on us," he said.
"Would they send single ships for a stealth recon mission, sir?" Müller asked.
Jack shrugged as he grabbed his helmet, just in case, and checked on his HUD that his shuttle was ready to take him into orbit, also just in case. "They might have decided to reduce their losses." The snakes might not care about the lives of their slaves, both humans and Jaffa, but they didn't like losing ships or warriors for no gain. Hell, Jack wouldn't be surprised if some ambitious underling used such missions to squirrel away ships for their own use and get rid of rivals or subordinates loyal to their System Lord. Analysis was chasing every possible lead about such internal fractures amongst the Goa'uld, without success so far, but that wasn't a surprise either; any snake pulling such a stunt would have to fool whoever the head snake had watching them, and that meant they had to be sneaky even for a snake.
Jack blinked and made a mental note to use that line in the next command meeting; some of the Alliance officers' reactions would be great to watch.
"The Al'kesh has dropped out of Hyperspace. It's broadcasting."
A moment later, the voice of a Goa'uld came through the communicator. "Greetings, warriors of She-Ra. I come in the name of the most supreme genius of the Goa'uld, the System Lord Nirrti, praised be her name! She requests a meeting between her and your leader to establish diplomatic relations."
Jack bared his teeth in a grin. For a Goa'uld, that was almost succinct. So, this was the diplomatic overture Analysis had expected for days. And now it was time to play nice and talk with people who wanted to subjugate or kill you while they (correctly) assumed you wanted to kill them. "Almost feels like a meeting with the soviets, back in the old days," he said with a chuckle.
"Yes, sir. Anonymising protocols are now in effect," Müller replied.
"Good. You've got the base. I'm heading up," Jack told him while he ordered his shuttle to be readied for takeoff through the HUD.
There was no way he was missing this.
He grabbed his helmet on the way; even if he didn't have to hide his face, for a meeting with one of Nirrti's goons, he wanted to be fully suited up, and preferably in an actual vacuum.
Saqqara Orbit, Saqqara System, February 9th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"The Al'kesh has followed instructions and retreated to the edge of the inner system, leaving the planet outside its known sensor range, Your Divine Highness. We have detected no communication with anyone else in the system."
"Thank you." Adora nodded at the Clone officer in charge of the sensor station before the image faded on the screen on the wall, and she turned to address the rest of the room. "What are your thoughts about this offer?"
Jack snorted. "How big are the odds that this is just an attempt to get you with a bioweapon?"
"About even," Catra replied before Adora could say anything. "Depends on whether she thinks she has something that will affect First Ones or not."
"Yes." Anise nodded. "The temptation to take you down and take over your territory, no matter how unlikely it is for her to achieve the latter, will be near irresistible to Nirrti."
Adora didn't glance at Catra, but she was briefly struggling with the temptation. She could be a better bait than Catra, so there was no need to risk her lover!
Catra snorted; she must have realised what Adora was thinking.
"But does she have a bug that would affect First Ones? And would it work against She-Ra?" Jack asked.
"Nirrti has been honing her craft for thousands of years; we have to assume that she has agents that will affect any known organism," Anise said.
"But she must also know that any failure will lead to retaliation against her," Catra said. "That's a risk she has to take into account. You've told us yourself that she didn't cross such lines with other System Lords."
"Or she wasn't caught," Jack said.
"She might also prefer to make a deal with us to get the data she wants," Adora pointed out. "Since it will be cheaper and easier for her. We know that many of her past conflicts with other System Lords came because she raided their territories for slaves and other resources."
"Do you think that the opportunity to achieve the data she wants peacefully will stay her hand?" Anise sounded sceptical.
"The opportunity to get what she wants without having to fight for it, and the threat of retaliation if she does fight us," Adora corrected her.
"She would still expect to pay a price for the data," Catra said. "She might not want to pay it - or think she cannot afford to pay it."
That was a possibility, of course. Adora knew that Nirrti could have already decided to strike at them under the guise of a diplomatic meeting. Goa'uld could be greedy to the point of being shortsighted. "We need to be prepared for treachery on her part anyway. Whether she is planning from the start to attack us or just as a backup plan in case negotiations fail."
"It's not as if we plan to actually sell her the data she wants. Or let her continue to murder people," Catra added.
Adora nodded. Like all System Lords, Nirrti had to go. "But we will not break a truce to get her under the guise of a diplomatic meeting." The consequences of such an act were too grave to make it worth it.
"Unless she breaks it first," Jack said.
"Yes." Adora nodded. If Nirrti struck first, they would strike back. Even though that would allow their enemies to claim they had broken the truce.
"So, you will bet your life on the chance that you have better protections than she estimates?" Anise asked.
Adora nodded. "Yes. Between She-Ra's power and Alpha and Loki's technology, we should be able to neutralise or counter whatever Nirrti might be planning."
"That's still quite a risk you are taking," Jack said.
"That we are taking," Catra grinned. "We can use this meeting to further push our cover story as well. And dangle me in front of her to catch her attention." She might not want to use a bioweapon if she wants to take me alive."
Adora pressed her lips together. Nirrti might just want a sample of Catra's DNA, and she could get that from a corpse as well. Easier than from a living, fighting Catra.
"Do not underestimate her. She will have bioagents that disable people instead of killing them as well," Anise said.
"Well, we're not going to meet her without being all suited up," Jack said.
"Except for me," Adora said. "My power should keep any bioagents away." She could fight without any trouble in the vacuum of space.
"'Should'. We'll need to test that before the meeting," Catra said. "I'm sure Alpha and Loki can prepare a suitable test easily. And eagerly."
Adora would bet that they had already prepared a test, at least Alpha. The bot was obsessed with her research. Though that was a little unfair - Alpha had been built for this purpose. She couldn't go against her core nature. "So, we'll tell Nirrti's envoy that we accept. But we'll meet in a location of our choice."
"She might insist on a meeting on neutral ground," Anise said.
"What do the Goa'uld consider neutral ground?" Jack said. "Unless it means 'where we control the location'."
"Traditionally, the Alliance of Four Great Races could have handled such a meeting upon a request from both sides, but it has been defunct for millennia," Anise said. "Of the four members, only the Asgard remain, and even they are barely active in galactic politics these days. And since Adora is a Gate Builder, the Goa'uld might not consider the Asgard as a neutral arbiter in the first place."
"And they want to arrest Loki, so if we show up with him to a meeting, things will get complicated," Catra said.
"Yeah. Best not involve the little grey men," Jack agreed.
"We will have to find a meeting location that is acceptable for both, then," Adora said.
"I suggest an airless rock floating in space," Jack said.
Despite his flippant tone, that was actually a good suggestion, in Adora's opinion.
Near Asteroid S-1842, Saqqara System, February 12th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"So, were you kidding about picking an asteroid as a meeting location, Jack?"
"Of course not, Daniel! Everyone agreed that it was a good suggestion, remember?"
"I do. That's why I wonder if you mentioned it as a joke."
"Hey!"
Samantha Carter suppressed both a sigh and a smile at hearing her friends banter - her boyfriend and her friend, actually, she reminded herself. And her superior and her teammate, of course, but she didn't need a reminder of that - the rumour mill made sure of that. At least four times, someone had asked when they had gotten together and insinuated that it had happened at Stargate Command. One had said so straight away, even, and Sam still wasn't certain if she should have reported the officer or not. She didn't want to appear guilty or petty, but she also didn't want this rumour - or slander, since they would have broken regulations if it had been true - to continue circulating.
But that was a problem for another day. Today, she had to focus on their upcoming meeting with Nirrti, provided the System Lord showed up in person and didn't send a body double. The Goa'uld envoy certainly had argued long for a meeting spot in a 'neutral system' and guarantees, even though it should have been obvious that if the Alliance wanted to ambush Nirrti, they could just send a fleet wherever they were meeting, since Adora wouldn't be travelling without an escort that could fight whatever fleet Nirrti might gather to attack them.
Catra certainly wouldn't let Adora take anything but a task force with her. Although, in this case, with Catra playing bait, Adora might insist on the fleet herself.
"The meeting location will make it harder for Nirrti to use her weapons," Teal'c commented. "Although we should not assume that she has no access to tools that will allow her to infect her victims even in the absence of an atmosphere."
"We aren't," Jack said. "That's why it's sealed suits only, and full decontamination procedures for everyone in the vicinity of the rock. And no one will leave their ships afterwards for a week or two."
Quarantine, in other words. Part of Sam thought this was a little excessive. Alliance technology had sensors that could track single molecules under certain conditions, and the vacuum of space qualified as such. But another part of her remembered Hanka, and what Sam had read in the reports the Tok'ra had provided. You couldn't be too cautious when dealing with this System Lord. Sam wasn't even certain if deliberately breaking the truce in effect for this meeting wouldn't be worth it if they could eliminate Nirrti in exchange. If Analysis didn't expect the Goa'uld to betray them anyway, she might even have supported the idea when it had been brought up.
Not that it would have gone past Adora either way, of course - she wouldn't break her word like this.
Behind her, she heard Loki snort. "I maintain that you vastly overestimate the threat Nirrti poses to the Alliance. She might be more creative and scientifically inclined than most of her peers, but the Goa'uld are not known for their research and development to begin with. They have stolen their technology from all sources they could access and adapted it rather than developing their own. There is no reason to fear a secret bioweapon that could do what neither my own research nor the Gate Builder's scientists managed."
"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean it's impossible," Jack pointed out.
"I didn't say it was impossible. In fact, I have a possible solution in mind to bridge the gap which vacuum presents!" Loki retorted - his ego must have been pricked by Jack's comment.
"And what would that solution be?" Daniel asked.
"Bioengineer an agent that has a higher-dimensional presence so it can be transported across vacuum through hyperspace to the target organism."
That was… Sam shook her head. "If we can use a transporter, we don't need a special agent as a payload; we can just use any biological agent we have access to."
And now Loki was pouting at her, and Jack was grinning widely. "So, we'll rely on you to spot any snake transporters near us, Colonel," he told her.
"Yes, sir." She nodded curtly. That was why she was on the ship. And part of the reason why she wouldn't be at the actual meeting. The other part was that she, like Jack, was too well-known amongst the Goa'uld. All of SG-1 would be staying on the task force's flagship.
It was logical and made sense. Sam still didn't like it. And she knew Jack didn't like it, even though he had defended the reason in her case.
She didn't like seeing her friends take such risks while staying safe. Relatively safe, of course - she was still on the ship that would drop off the delegation meeting Nirrti on the asteroid, of course. But she needed to be so close to operate the special scanners they had procured for this. If Nirrit tried anything, they needed to know it at once.
Asteroid S-1842, Saqqara System, February 12th, 2002 (Earth Time)
Catra looked around, ears twitching - as much as they could inside the helmet of her suit - as she stepped off the shuttle's ramp. The asteroid didn't have much of a gravity field, barely more than micro-gravity. Enough so you could walk without accidentally launching yourself off - as long as you were careful.
She had the urge to dig her claws into the rock beneath her boots to anchor herself, but resisted it. Entrapta had designed her suit with seals to allow her to slide her claws out, making it quite a bit more expensive than the regular suits for Alliance marines, but she wanted to keep that a secret from the Goa'uld they were about to meet. An ace in the hole, as Jack would say.
Seeing no threat, she activated her communicator. "Did Nirrti try to sneak in a stealth ship?"
"Negative. All ships of Nirrti's force currently in the system are accounted for. No readings on the hyperspace sensors, either."
Catra huffed - with her communicator off, of course. If the snake had tried to have a cloaked ship ambush them, it would have simplified the situation enormously. Catra had been involved in the contingency plans for that situation, after all.
"She might be honestly looking for a deal," Adora commented next to her. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't wearing a spacesuit; She-Ra's power was protecting her from the vacuum and radiation. And, at least according to the tests they had done, any form of airborne agents as well.
Catra snorted. "Even if she got what she wanted, she'd try to stab us in the back." She'd read the files from the Tok'ra quite thoroughly. Nirrti was a treacherous snake even compared to other Goa'uld. Not a bit of loyalty. The only way she'd stick to a deal was if she saw no way to break it without suffering for it. No, the question wasn't whether Nirrti would try to attack them but when. And how.
But, apparently, "now" and "with a stealth ship" weren't the answers. "Let's go meet them," she said.
"Yes." Adora started walking to the designated meeting spot. They hadn't set up any structures, not even folding chairs and tables. It was mostly for show - and pointless; if they wanted to hide bombs or such at the meeting spot, they wouldn't need furniture as a cover; they could bury them in the rock, and do so from afar without leaving any trace. That Nirrti had insisted on that kind of setup meant she had wanted to use that as a bargaining concession to get something else, in Catra's opinion. If she trusted her sensor technology to detect bombs buried in the rock, she would trust it to detect such traps in chairs and tables as well.
Then again, who knew what really went on in a snake's mind that was thousands of years old? Especially if she had used a sarcophagus a few times too often.
Catra had trust in the Alliance sensors, though, and that meant that the Tel'tak, which had brought Nirrti's delegation - Catra still wasn't sure if the Goa'uld had actually come in person - didn't carry any weapons or explosives. Of course, you could rig a ship to turn into a bomb. Overload the rector, set the course on autopilot if necessary; Entrapta, Sam and Bow could do it in their sleep. But that would take a bit of work and some time, and they were watching the enemy's ships, including the unarmed Tel'tak, like hawks. The latest improved beam cannons outranged Goa'uld naval weapons quite a bit, and Catra was positive that they could blow up the Tel'tak before it could blow up by itself.
But while she wasn't sure, she also leaned toward Nirrti knowing or suspecting that, so Catra didn't think Nirrti would attempt such a ploy; it wasn't playing to her strength, either. No, whatever shape the attack would take, it would be based on Nirrti's bioweapon research.
"Three people left the Te'ltak. One Goa'uld host and two Jaffa."
They had stipulated no more than four participants per side. Adora and Catra had no one else with them, so had Nirrti planned to show up with one less than allowed as a show of strength? Or had she left one guard on board her ship so she didn't look afraid but still had two guards or something?
That was for Analysis to puzzle out later. They had reached the meeting spot - Catra double-checked on her HUD - and were now waiting for the Goa'uld.
And here they came. They were wearing space suits that looked like traditional models used by the snakes for thousands of years. Her HUD confirmed, however, that they had been upgraded, sporting more advanced technology. No explosives, though both Jaffa carried staff weapons and zats, as allowed for this meeting, and the Goa'uld carried a shield and a torture device as well as a zat.
Nothing that looked like a delivery device for biological agents, though. So, how was she planning to attack them? Catra wondered while Adora nodded at the three.
"Greetings. I am She-Ra, Princess of Power. This is Catra, my consort."
The Goa'uld smiled. "I am Nirrti, Goddess of Death. I am here to get my due."
"Voice matches what records we have."
That didn't have to mean that this was the real Nirrti, of course. But she had the attitude for it, in Catra's opinion.
Though through the Goa'uld's faceplate, Catra could see the woman's eyes narrow as she looked at Adora standing there in all her glowing glory. "You are no Goa'uld." Had she realised that this was magic? The snakes couldn't use magic, not even when using a host who could, so that would be a definite tell.
Adora nodded. "I have never claimed to be a Goa'uld. I am a Gate Builder."
Nirrti - if it was Nirrti - scoffed. "All of them are long since gone. Only their works remain."
Adora looked at her. "Not all of us are gone. But many fell to Horde Prime, until I slew him."
"And took his armies for yourself."
"They chose to join me. I didn't take them."
For the first time since she had arrived, Nirrti turned to look at Catra, and once more, her eyes narrowed. "Your consort is no sekhmet."
Catra flashed her fangs in return. "You're more perceptive than Apophis was."
The Goa'uld looked angry for a moment before turning back to Adora. "Did he mistake you for Bastet?"
Adora shrugged. "I don't know what he thought. But he spoke about Sekhmet, not Bastet."
Catra felt the urge to add 'the Goa'uld, not the species'. Nirrti seemed to resent her inclusion already, and if she lost her temper, she might spring whatever trap she had prepared. On the other hand, they had barely begun to talk, and Nirrti might simply withdraw at this point, which meant the Alliance would miss out on potential intel. Catra really wanted to annoy her, though.
"I would have heard if Sekhmet had stopped pretending not to care about the fact that her namesakes follow Bastet and acquired some for herself."
Adora shrugged again. "As I said, I don't know what he was thinking. Our encounter was rather brief."
"He didn't last long once he couldn't hide any more," Catra added. "He did survive longer than Sokar, though."
Nirrti kept facing Adora, but, once again, her eyes darted to Catra for a moment. "So, you have defeated two System Lords when they were at their most vulnerable, fighting each other." She added a little sniff.
"Three. Ba'al's machinations angered me," Adora said.
Catra noticed Nirrti twitching slightly at that. Had she really not known, or was this just an act to make her appear less informed than she was and hide the extent of her spy network?
"And you've been fighting the forces of three more System Lords," Nirrti went on.
Catra snorted loudly. "Our forces are fending off spies and scavengers. I wouldn't call that fighting."
"I haven't ordered any retaliatory strikes," Adora added, and Catra heard the unsaid 'yet' as clearly as Nirrti would have. "You're here for the data from Apophis's experiments, right?"
Nirrti shrugged. It looked a bit forced to Catra, but that could just be her bias. "You shot down a ship of mine when it was engaged against Apophis's base."
"I took the planet. I protect my people," Adora retorted.
Once more, Nirrti's eyes narrowed. "Are you laying claim to all of Apophis's former domain?"
"Are you asking whether I will continue his research?" Adora shook her head. "No, I will not."
"Because you have already surpassed his work?" Nirrti smiled, showing her teeth, and made a point of looking at Catra. It seemed she really wasn't interested in Apophis's territory or people, except as research subjects.
"His work was surpassed long before I was born," Adora replied. "Are you still interested in his data?"
"Apophis could never rival my own work, but his data might be based on data stolen from me."
Was that true, or just a cover story? Catra couldn't quite tell. But if it were, then she would have to admit that Loki's insistence on not tampering with the raw research data had been a good thing. Nirrti would indeed have quickly spotted the alterations in such a case.
"And what do you offer in exchange?" Adora asked.
"Information about Cronus and Heru'ur. They will not let you take Apophis's and Sokar's realm without resistance."
"I'm aware of that, and preparations have been made to deal with their interference," Adora replied. "However, information directly taken from their courts might result in reduced casualties."
Catra refrained from wincing; Adora had trouble acting that callously, even though she was telling the truth. They had to hope Nirrti would take this as Adora trying to appear more powerful than she was.
"So, do we have a deal?" Nirrti sounded eager, but this seemed to be a bit too quick for Catra's taste. She hadn't even offered any details.
Then Nirrti held out her hand for Adora to shake, and Catra felt her fur bristle. "That's a trap," she hissed on the private channel.
Adora, the dummy, went and shook Nirrti's hand anyway. "Yes."
A moment later, Sam's voice rang out over the communicator: "Nirrti's gloves have altered their surface!"
Research Station Alpha, First Moon of Enchantment, February 7th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"No, no - that column needs to stay. It's far too easy to realise that the data has been tampered with if the basics are wrong."
"That's data directly taken from Apophis's experiments, Loki. How could anyone know they have been tampered with without the original data?"
"It is obvious if you have experience with such experiments - and Nirrti will have such experience, Morrison. No, if we want to feed her data that won't be of any use to her but actually sabotage her research, we have to be far more subtle!"
"That presumes that she actually has advanced her research past this point already. And if she did that, why would she care about Apophis's research?"
"If she knew the exact extent of his research, she wouldn't have bothered with sending a ship to steal his data. So, the fact that she tried to raid his laboratory proves that she is still ignorant of his research, Morrison. If she had merely wanted to stop a competitor, she would simply have bombarded the entire installation from orbit."
"Unless she wasn't after the data, but after the resources. She must have had a spy in his court to know about the laboratory in the first place, and a highly-placed spy at that - few knew about the place. So, we cannot exclude the possibility that she actually was behind Apophis in her research - at least in that specific field."
"If Nirrti were still at that level, after dedicating thousands of years to her research, and even risking her position as a System Lord for it, then we wouldn't need to bother with this entire plan since she wouldn't be a threat at all!"
Samantha Carter suppressed a sigh. Watching Dr Morrison and Loki squabble like this was frustrating. Loki's reasoning for why he thought Nirrti would easily see through any tampering with the raw research data from Apophis's lab would have been concerning if Sam weren't already aware of his questionable ethics and history. They had a point - the Alliance had to be very careful with tampering with the data, to avoid giving the game away too easily and avoid giving away actually useful data that wasn't already obsolete. But the way they were going at it wasn't very productive.
"I once again want to state that I question the ethics of tampering with research data as a matter of principle."
The two were still more productive than Alpha, of course. The bot was doing everything short of insubordination - and Sam was pretty certain that Alpha refrained from that merely because the bot couldn't go against the specific orders Adora had given her - to stop the project altogether. Appealing to scientific ethics was one of the milder forms; malicious compliance was far more frustrating.
It figured, of course, that when the bot finally discovered ethical lines it didn't want to cross, after demonstrating a total lack of remorse and care about unethical experimentation as long as it furthered its goals, it would hinder the Alliance's plans.
Not for the first time, she felt as if she were herding cats. Big cats, like tigers, lions, or some genetically engineered combination of both, with alien parts grafted on them. "We're not destroying data - we're ensuring that an enemy cannot use our data to advance their research."
"But information yearns to be free."
Sam narrowed her eyes. Either Alpha had been watching Earth media - and she didn't think the bot was interested in anything not related to genetic engineering and research - or Entrapta had failed to explain a remark. Or the bot was just trying every argument, no matter how nonsensical. "Some information cannot be shared because it's far too dangerous."
"But basic genetic engineering research data isn't that dangerous."
Right. Alpha was a bot created by the Ancients, and Sam was already aware that their definitions of what was safe and what was dangerous left a lot to be desired.
"That still doesn't mean we should freely share it," Loki said.
"Not without a licensing agreement, at least," Morrison added.
"This is a military operation," Sam reminded them.
"Under Bright Moon's supervision," Angella said. Apparently, the ethical issues raised by everyone were not important enough for her to comment, but a reminder of who owned the station was. Then again, Angella was the only other being, next to Alpha, who had been in this base when it was built and used by the Ancients, but she wasn't a scientist.
Sam was, though. And she knew how to tackle the three squabbling biologists. "If it is too difficult to tamper with the raw research data without the results being obvious, we might have to consider alternatives."
"I never said it was too difficult." Loki, as expected, spoke up at once, his substantial pride and ego pricked. "I questioned the need to tamper with the data."
"We're playing it safe," Sam said.
"Risking Nirrti seeing through the deception straight away doesn't sound particularly safe to me," Morrison said.
"If it is too difficult for you to devise a way to sabotage the data that isn't obvious to an expert…"
"I never said it was! I merely pointed out the risks."
The two biologists glared at each other, then started typing on their respective computers and consoles, and Sam sighed softly with relief.
"If we're already poisoning data, wouldn't that mean we could use a poison or other agent to strike at Nirrti as well?"
Sam closed her eyes. Alpha defaulted to war crimes involving bioweapons again. That said a lot of things, and none of them good, about the people who built her. Mostly, though, it was giving her a headache. But as long as they could accomplish their task, it might be worth it.
Nirrti needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
*****
Field Base Bra'tac, Saqqara, Saqqara System, February 8th, 2002 (Earth Time)
Catra frowned as she went over the next report. Another Goa'uld scouting force stopped by Alliance ships. Two Al'keshs this time, and one Tel'tak. The crews had tried to blow up their ships, but one Al'kesh had been taken more or less intact - well, still intact enough to have surviving crew members on board after the scuttling charges had been destroyed by precise fire; the Alliance wasn't about to risk their boarding parties against suicidal enemies. The captured Jaffa had been identified as serving Heru'ur, which matched what Analysis had recovered from the debris of the scouting force and fit the location - not too far from the border of Heru'ur's new territory. All pretty much as had been expected.
Although the composition of the force was slightly weird, in her opinion - usually, larger ships were escorted by more numerous smaller vessels. Was that a scratch force, drawn from what was available (and expendable), or was there some method behind it? If Heru'ur was lacking Tel'taks for scouting and recon deployments, which was one of their core missions, then shouldn't a lack of them have been noted by Apophis's spies and battlefield commanders beforehand? Or had Heru'ur been using his Tel'taks overly much, and now too many were either destroyed or down for critical maintenance and repairs at the same time?
She earmarked the report for Analysis and highlighted her remarks. They needed more intel about Heru'ur; both he and Cronus were likely to be the next enemy the Alliance would be focusing on. Though Nirrti might usurp that position if she continued trying to raid Apophis's old territory.
Although the Alliance hadn't encountered another raiding or scouting force sent by Nirrti. Either she was staying out of Alliance-occupied space, wasn't sending any such forces - or she had found a way to escape the Alliance sensor networks. The latter wouldn't be too difficult; space was so big, the spy bot network was struggling just to cover Alliance territory and the known systems of the Goa'uld bordering it. Nirrti would only need a bit of luck to slip through the net.
On the other hand, to actually get close enough to catch actionable intel, she would need advanced stealth technology that could fool Alliance sensors; they were covering the area around Earth for lightyears out to catch any ships trying to pick up radio transmissions after First Contact, and the policy was extended to the rest of Alliance space. No, Catra didn't think Nirrti was somehow sneaking past the Alliance pickets and sensor networks with stealth ships.
But neither did she think Nirrti had given up on looting Apophis's old territory of anything she wanted; the Goa'uld was, according to all accounts, obsessed with her research, and this was an opportunity she wouldn't miss. She could be going after the parts of Apophis's realm that the Alliance hadn't been able to secure (yet), but the spy network coverage was pretty dense there, so they should have noticed something.
But if Nirrti wasn't doing that either, what was she doing? She was a biologist, specialised in genetic engineering. And she had used her speciality to strike at Stargate Command before. Catra wouldn't put it past her to use similar means to spy on the Alliance. She couldn't insert spies on already occupied worlds, but on worlds the Alliance was securing later? It wouldn't be too hard to plant a few prepared agents, whether willing or not, or even ignorant, on such worlds and then wait until the Alliance forces arrived. And it was almost certain that she had placed spies on Saqqara and other worlds during Apophis's reign.
The Alliance was aware of that danger, of course, and was taking precautions - but a spy who had escaped Apophis's guards wouldn't be easy to catch. If they were biding their time and wouldn't attempt to contact Nirrti, they would be almost impossible to catch. And the Alliance could only do so much; sooner or later, there would be slip-ups, people would relax their guard… Catra was well aware of how soon complacency set in, even at the front. It would be much harder for every soldier to keep sharp on supposedly safe planets.
Well, Alliance planning was already taking into account the expectation that they would end up being exposed. Still, the longer they could delay that, the better. Though Nirrti might not cooperate…
"Are you going through with it?"
Catra set the tablet down and looked at Adora. There was no need to ask what she meant. "Yes." Adora frowned at her, so she added: "I'm the obvious choice, and if things go wrong, I have the best chances to escape." She held up her right hand and unsheathed her claws to emphasise the point.
"Glimmer could just teleport out."
"If we're on a world where you released the magic," Catra shot back. "And if you do that, you can't do it again and use the power."
Adora pouted at that, and Catra snorted. But her lover grew serious almost at once. "It's still very dangerous."
Catra shrugged. "I'm used to playing bait." She forced a cocky grin on her face. "And who else would be seen as a perfect host? Everyone else is using magic, and the Goa'uld can't use magic even if they take over someone who can. Me, on the other hand…"
Adora scowled at that. "Still…"
"I volunteered. If you want to veto that, I get to veto your next stunt." Catra bared her teeth; she wasn't budging about that.
"Catra…"
"Someone has to do it. Might as well be me." It wouldn't pay back what she had done before she had come to her senses, but it was a start.
Adora was unhappy, but, maybe, she might stop risking herself so much if the shoe were on the other foot for once.
*****
Field Base Bra'tac, Saqqara, Saqqara System, February 9th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"Hyperspace sensors have detected a single ship headed to the system. Preliminary classification is Al'kesh. Preliminary data shows the exit area outside the planetary orbit."
Jack O'Neill muttered a brief curse as he read the report on his HUD - you really got used to the thing; he had secured a copy of Adora's version for himself so he could use it in his daily duties without having to wear a helmet. He was still trying to find a way to play games on it, though; Sam hadn't been amused at his 'joke' when he had brought it up, and he hadn't been able to get Bow or Entrapta alone yet. "We're getting a visitor," he commented when General Müller, the base commander, looked up from his tablet.
"Yes, sir." After a pause, the man added: "I was under the impression that such small intrusions were not considered a problem by the guard fleet stationed in the system."
"Well, they are dropping out pretty close to the planet, so they might be here for diplomacy. And protocol for such cases means I need to hide my face so there's no risk of exposing the Alliance's ties to Earth," Jack said. "And that means putting on a helmet."
"Ah." The General nodded, but his carefully neutral expression - even for the German - clearly stated that he didn't see a problem. The guy had probably been born with a helmet, or had his first helmet welded to his head in Kindergarten or something, to get used to it.
But Jack didn't like wearing a helmet. The Alliance combat suits were very comfortable - in fact, more comfortable than his regular uniform - and the helmet had been designed by the same team and was lighter than it looked, and far more comfortable, but… Jack still felt isolated and prone to missing stuff when he wore one. There was a reason, well, in addition to 'we don't want to spook the locals looking like we're looking for a fight', that Stargate Command hadn't worn helmets on most missions; wearing a helmet impaired your hearing and field of vision. Not very much, of course, but every little bit counted on some missions, but Jack had spent two decades internalising that, according to Daniel.
So, while he trusted Sam that the new suit's helmet was actually enhancing his senses - and had tested it - his gut still felt half-blind and deaf when he was wearing it.
Hiding his face also made him feel like a sort of stormtrooper, but that was beside the point.
"So… let's find out if that's a stealth mission or if whoever is behind it wants to talk while spying on us," he said.
"Would they send single ships for a stealth recon mission, sir?" Müller asked.
Jack shrugged as he grabbed his helmet, just in case, and checked on his HUD that his shuttle was ready to take him into orbit, also just in case. "They might have decided to reduce their losses." The snakes might not care about the lives of their slaves, both humans and Jaffa, but they didn't like losing ships or warriors for no gain. Hell, Jack wouldn't be surprised if some ambitious underling used such missions to squirrel away ships for their own use and get rid of rivals or subordinates loyal to their System Lord. Analysis was chasing every possible lead about such internal fractures amongst the Goa'uld, without success so far, but that wasn't a surprise either; any snake pulling such a stunt would have to fool whoever the head snake had watching them, and that meant they had to be sneaky even for a snake.
Jack blinked and made a mental note to use that line in the next command meeting; some of the Alliance officers' reactions would be great to watch.
"The Al'kesh has dropped out of Hyperspace. It's broadcasting."
A moment later, the voice of a Goa'uld came through the communicator. "Greetings, warriors of She-Ra. I come in the name of the most supreme genius of the Goa'uld, the System Lord Nirrti, praised be her name! She requests a meeting between her and your leader to establish diplomatic relations."
Jack bared his teeth in a grin. For a Goa'uld, that was almost succinct. So, this was the diplomatic overture Analysis had expected for days. And now it was time to play nice and talk with people who wanted to subjugate or kill you while they (correctly) assumed you wanted to kill them. "Almost feels like a meeting with the soviets, back in the old days," he said with a chuckle.
"Yes, sir. Anonymising protocols are now in effect," Müller replied.
"Good. You've got the base. I'm heading up," Jack told him while he ordered his shuttle to be readied for takeoff through the HUD.
There was no way he was missing this.
He grabbed his helmet on the way; even if he didn't have to hide his face, for a meeting with one of Nirrti's goons, he wanted to be fully suited up, and preferably in an actual vacuum.
*****
Saqqara Orbit, Saqqara System, February 9th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"The Al'kesh has followed instructions and retreated to the edge of the inner system, leaving the planet outside its known sensor range, Your Divine Highness. We have detected no communication with anyone else in the system."
"Thank you." Adora nodded at the Clone officer in charge of the sensor station before the image faded on the screen on the wall, and she turned to address the rest of the room. "What are your thoughts about this offer?"
Jack snorted. "How big are the odds that this is just an attempt to get you with a bioweapon?"
"About even," Catra replied before Adora could say anything. "Depends on whether she thinks she has something that will affect First Ones or not."
"Yes." Anise nodded. "The temptation to take you down and take over your territory, no matter how unlikely it is for her to achieve the latter, will be near irresistible to Nirrti."
Adora didn't glance at Catra, but she was briefly struggling with the temptation. She could be a better bait than Catra, so there was no need to risk her lover!
Catra snorted; she must have realised what Adora was thinking.
"But does she have a bug that would affect First Ones? And would it work against She-Ra?" Jack asked.
"Nirrti has been honing her craft for thousands of years; we have to assume that she has agents that will affect any known organism," Anise said.
"But she must also know that any failure will lead to retaliation against her," Catra said. "That's a risk she has to take into account. You've told us yourself that she didn't cross such lines with other System Lords."
"Or she wasn't caught," Jack said.
"She might also prefer to make a deal with us to get the data she wants," Adora pointed out. "Since it will be cheaper and easier for her. We know that many of her past conflicts with other System Lords came because she raided their territories for slaves and other resources."
"Do you think that the opportunity to achieve the data she wants peacefully will stay her hand?" Anise sounded sceptical.
"The opportunity to get what she wants without having to fight for it, and the threat of retaliation if she does fight us," Adora corrected her.
"She would still expect to pay a price for the data," Catra said. "She might not want to pay it - or think she cannot afford to pay it."
That was a possibility, of course. Adora knew that Nirrti could have already decided to strike at them under the guise of a diplomatic meeting. Goa'uld could be greedy to the point of being shortsighted. "We need to be prepared for treachery on her part anyway. Whether she is planning from the start to attack us or just as a backup plan in case negotiations fail."
"It's not as if we plan to actually sell her the data she wants. Or let her continue to murder people," Catra added.
Adora nodded. Like all System Lords, Nirrti had to go. "But we will not break a truce to get her under the guise of a diplomatic meeting." The consequences of such an act were too grave to make it worth it.
"Unless she breaks it first," Jack said.
"Yes." Adora nodded. If Nirrti struck first, they would strike back. Even though that would allow their enemies to claim they had broken the truce.
"So, you will bet your life on the chance that you have better protections than she estimates?" Anise asked.
Adora nodded. "Yes. Between She-Ra's power and Alpha and Loki's technology, we should be able to neutralise or counter whatever Nirrti might be planning."
"That's still quite a risk you are taking," Jack said.
"That we are taking," Catra grinned. "We can use this meeting to further push our cover story as well. And dangle me in front of her to catch her attention." She might not want to use a bioweapon if she wants to take me alive."
Adora pressed her lips together. Nirrti might just want a sample of Catra's DNA, and she could get that from a corpse as well. Easier than from a living, fighting Catra.
"Do not underestimate her. She will have bioagents that disable people instead of killing them as well," Anise said.
"Well, we're not going to meet her without being all suited up," Jack said.
"Except for me," Adora said. "My power should keep any bioagents away." She could fight without any trouble in the vacuum of space.
"'Should'. We'll need to test that before the meeting," Catra said. "I'm sure Alpha and Loki can prepare a suitable test easily. And eagerly."
Adora would bet that they had already prepared a test, at least Alpha. The bot was obsessed with her research. Though that was a little unfair - Alpha had been built for this purpose. She couldn't go against her core nature. "So, we'll tell Nirrti's envoy that we accept. But we'll meet in a location of our choice."
"She might insist on a meeting on neutral ground," Anise said.
"What do the Goa'uld consider neutral ground?" Jack said. "Unless it means 'where we control the location'."
"Traditionally, the Alliance of Four Great Races could have handled such a meeting upon a request from both sides, but it has been defunct for millennia," Anise said. "Of the four members, only the Asgard remain, and even they are barely active in galactic politics these days. And since Adora is a Gate Builder, the Goa'uld might not consider the Asgard as a neutral arbiter in the first place."
"And they want to arrest Loki, so if we show up with him to a meeting, things will get complicated," Catra said.
"Yeah. Best not involve the little grey men," Jack agreed.
"We will have to find a meeting location that is acceptable for both, then," Adora said.
"I suggest an airless rock floating in space," Jack said.
Despite his flippant tone, that was actually a good suggestion, in Adora's opinion.
*****
Near Asteroid S-1842, Saqqara System, February 12th, 2002 (Earth Time)
"So, were you kidding about picking an asteroid as a meeting location, Jack?"
"Of course not, Daniel! Everyone agreed that it was a good suggestion, remember?"
"I do. That's why I wonder if you mentioned it as a joke."
"Hey!"
Samantha Carter suppressed both a sigh and a smile at hearing her friends banter - her boyfriend and her friend, actually, she reminded herself. And her superior and her teammate, of course, but she didn't need a reminder of that - the rumour mill made sure of that. At least four times, someone had asked when they had gotten together and insinuated that it had happened at Stargate Command. One had said so straight away, even, and Sam still wasn't certain if she should have reported the officer or not. She didn't want to appear guilty or petty, but she also didn't want this rumour - or slander, since they would have broken regulations if it had been true - to continue circulating.
But that was a problem for another day. Today, she had to focus on their upcoming meeting with Nirrti, provided the System Lord showed up in person and didn't send a body double. The Goa'uld envoy certainly had argued long for a meeting spot in a 'neutral system' and guarantees, even though it should have been obvious that if the Alliance wanted to ambush Nirrti, they could just send a fleet wherever they were meeting, since Adora wouldn't be travelling without an escort that could fight whatever fleet Nirrti might gather to attack them.
Catra certainly wouldn't let Adora take anything but a task force with her. Although, in this case, with Catra playing bait, Adora might insist on the fleet herself.
"The meeting location will make it harder for Nirrti to use her weapons," Teal'c commented. "Although we should not assume that she has no access to tools that will allow her to infect her victims even in the absence of an atmosphere."
"We aren't," Jack said. "That's why it's sealed suits only, and full decontamination procedures for everyone in the vicinity of the rock. And no one will leave their ships afterwards for a week or two."
Quarantine, in other words. Part of Sam thought this was a little excessive. Alliance technology had sensors that could track single molecules under certain conditions, and the vacuum of space qualified as such. But another part of her remembered Hanka, and what Sam had read in the reports the Tok'ra had provided. You couldn't be too cautious when dealing with this System Lord. Sam wasn't even certain if deliberately breaking the truce in effect for this meeting wouldn't be worth it if they could eliminate Nirrti in exchange. If Analysis didn't expect the Goa'uld to betray them anyway, she might even have supported the idea when it had been brought up.
Not that it would have gone past Adora either way, of course - she wouldn't break her word like this.
Behind her, she heard Loki snort. "I maintain that you vastly overestimate the threat Nirrti poses to the Alliance. She might be more creative and scientifically inclined than most of her peers, but the Goa'uld are not known for their research and development to begin with. They have stolen their technology from all sources they could access and adapted it rather than developing their own. There is no reason to fear a secret bioweapon that could do what neither my own research nor the Gate Builder's scientists managed."
"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean it's impossible," Jack pointed out.
"I didn't say it was impossible. In fact, I have a possible solution in mind to bridge the gap which vacuum presents!" Loki retorted - his ego must have been pricked by Jack's comment.
"And what would that solution be?" Daniel asked.
"Bioengineer an agent that has a higher-dimensional presence so it can be transported across vacuum through hyperspace to the target organism."
That was… Sam shook her head. "If we can use a transporter, we don't need a special agent as a payload; we can just use any biological agent we have access to."
And now Loki was pouting at her, and Jack was grinning widely. "So, we'll rely on you to spot any snake transporters near us, Colonel," he told her.
"Yes, sir." She nodded curtly. That was why she was on the ship. And part of the reason why she wouldn't be at the actual meeting. The other part was that she, like Jack, was too well-known amongst the Goa'uld. All of SG-1 would be staying on the task force's flagship.
It was logical and made sense. Sam still didn't like it. And she knew Jack didn't like it, even though he had defended the reason in her case.
She didn't like seeing her friends take such risks while staying safe. Relatively safe, of course - she was still on the ship that would drop off the delegation meeting Nirrti on the asteroid, of course. But she needed to be so close to operate the special scanners they had procured for this. If Nirrit tried anything, they needed to know it at once.
*****
Asteroid S-1842, Saqqara System, February 12th, 2002 (Earth Time)
Catra looked around, ears twitching - as much as they could inside the helmet of her suit - as she stepped off the shuttle's ramp. The asteroid didn't have much of a gravity field, barely more than micro-gravity. Enough so you could walk without accidentally launching yourself off - as long as you were careful.
She had the urge to dig her claws into the rock beneath her boots to anchor herself, but resisted it. Entrapta had designed her suit with seals to allow her to slide her claws out, making it quite a bit more expensive than the regular suits for Alliance marines, but she wanted to keep that a secret from the Goa'uld they were about to meet. An ace in the hole, as Jack would say.
Seeing no threat, she activated her communicator. "Did Nirrti try to sneak in a stealth ship?"
"Negative. All ships of Nirrti's force currently in the system are accounted for. No readings on the hyperspace sensors, either."
Catra huffed - with her communicator off, of course. If the snake had tried to have a cloaked ship ambush them, it would have simplified the situation enormously. Catra had been involved in the contingency plans for that situation, after all.
"She might be honestly looking for a deal," Adora commented next to her. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't wearing a spacesuit; She-Ra's power was protecting her from the vacuum and radiation. And, at least according to the tests they had done, any form of airborne agents as well.
Catra snorted. "Even if she got what she wanted, she'd try to stab us in the back." She'd read the files from the Tok'ra quite thoroughly. Nirrti was a treacherous snake even compared to other Goa'uld. Not a bit of loyalty. The only way she'd stick to a deal was if she saw no way to break it without suffering for it. No, the question wasn't whether Nirrti would try to attack them but when. And how.
But, apparently, "now" and "with a stealth ship" weren't the answers. "Let's go meet them," she said.
"Yes." Adora started walking to the designated meeting spot. They hadn't set up any structures, not even folding chairs and tables. It was mostly for show - and pointless; if they wanted to hide bombs or such at the meeting spot, they wouldn't need furniture as a cover; they could bury them in the rock, and do so from afar without leaving any trace. That Nirrti had insisted on that kind of setup meant she had wanted to use that as a bargaining concession to get something else, in Catra's opinion. If she trusted her sensor technology to detect bombs buried in the rock, she would trust it to detect such traps in chairs and tables as well.
Then again, who knew what really went on in a snake's mind that was thousands of years old? Especially if she had used a sarcophagus a few times too often.
Catra had trust in the Alliance sensors, though, and that meant that the Tel'tak, which had brought Nirrti's delegation - Catra still wasn't sure if the Goa'uld had actually come in person - didn't carry any weapons or explosives. Of course, you could rig a ship to turn into a bomb. Overload the rector, set the course on autopilot if necessary; Entrapta, Sam and Bow could do it in their sleep. But that would take a bit of work and some time, and they were watching the enemy's ships, including the unarmed Tel'tak, like hawks. The latest improved beam cannons outranged Goa'uld naval weapons quite a bit, and Catra was positive that they could blow up the Tel'tak before it could blow up by itself.
But while she wasn't sure, she also leaned toward Nirrti knowing or suspecting that, so Catra didn't think Nirrti would attempt such a ploy; it wasn't playing to her strength, either. No, whatever shape the attack would take, it would be based on Nirrti's bioweapon research.
"Three people left the Te'ltak. One Goa'uld host and two Jaffa."
They had stipulated no more than four participants per side. Adora and Catra had no one else with them, so had Nirrti planned to show up with one less than allowed as a show of strength? Or had she left one guard on board her ship so she didn't look afraid but still had two guards or something?
That was for Analysis to puzzle out later. They had reached the meeting spot - Catra double-checked on her HUD - and were now waiting for the Goa'uld.
And here they came. They were wearing space suits that looked like traditional models used by the snakes for thousands of years. Her HUD confirmed, however, that they had been upgraded, sporting more advanced technology. No explosives, though both Jaffa carried staff weapons and zats, as allowed for this meeting, and the Goa'uld carried a shield and a torture device as well as a zat.
Nothing that looked like a delivery device for biological agents, though. So, how was she planning to attack them? Catra wondered while Adora nodded at the three.
"Greetings. I am She-Ra, Princess of Power. This is Catra, my consort."
The Goa'uld smiled. "I am Nirrti, Goddess of Death. I am here to get my due."
"Voice matches what records we have."
That didn't have to mean that this was the real Nirrti, of course. But she had the attitude for it, in Catra's opinion.
Though through the Goa'uld's faceplate, Catra could see the woman's eyes narrow as she looked at Adora standing there in all her glowing glory. "You are no Goa'uld." Had she realised that this was magic? The snakes couldn't use magic, not even when using a host who could, so that would be a definite tell.
Adora nodded. "I have never claimed to be a Goa'uld. I am a Gate Builder."
Nirrti - if it was Nirrti - scoffed. "All of them are long since gone. Only their works remain."
Adora looked at her. "Not all of us are gone. But many fell to Horde Prime, until I slew him."
"And took his armies for yourself."
"They chose to join me. I didn't take them."
For the first time since she had arrived, Nirrti turned to look at Catra, and once more, her eyes narrowed. "Your consort is no sekhmet."
Catra flashed her fangs in return. "You're more perceptive than Apophis was."
The Goa'uld looked angry for a moment before turning back to Adora. "Did he mistake you for Bastet?"
Adora shrugged. "I don't know what he thought. But he spoke about Sekhmet, not Bastet."
Catra felt the urge to add 'the Goa'uld, not the species'. Nirrti seemed to resent her inclusion already, and if she lost her temper, she might spring whatever trap she had prepared. On the other hand, they had barely begun to talk, and Nirrti might simply withdraw at this point, which meant the Alliance would miss out on potential intel. Catra really wanted to annoy her, though.
"I would have heard if Sekhmet had stopped pretending not to care about the fact that her namesakes follow Bastet and acquired some for herself."
Adora shrugged again. "As I said, I don't know what he was thinking. Our encounter was rather brief."
"He didn't last long once he couldn't hide any more," Catra added. "He did survive longer than Sokar, though."
Nirrti kept facing Adora, but, once again, her eyes darted to Catra for a moment. "So, you have defeated two System Lords when they were at their most vulnerable, fighting each other." She added a little sniff.
"Three. Ba'al's machinations angered me," Adora said.
Catra noticed Nirrti twitching slightly at that. Had she really not known, or was this just an act to make her appear less informed than she was and hide the extent of her spy network?
"And you've been fighting the forces of three more System Lords," Nirrti went on.
Catra snorted loudly. "Our forces are fending off spies and scavengers. I wouldn't call that fighting."
"I haven't ordered any retaliatory strikes," Adora added, and Catra heard the unsaid 'yet' as clearly as Nirrti would have. "You're here for the data from Apophis's experiments, right?"
Nirrti shrugged. It looked a bit forced to Catra, but that could just be her bias. "You shot down a ship of mine when it was engaged against Apophis's base."
"I took the planet. I protect my people," Adora retorted.
Once more, Nirrti's eyes narrowed. "Are you laying claim to all of Apophis's former domain?"
"Are you asking whether I will continue his research?" Adora shook her head. "No, I will not."
"Because you have already surpassed his work?" Nirrti smiled, showing her teeth, and made a point of looking at Catra. It seemed she really wasn't interested in Apophis's territory or people, except as research subjects.
"His work was surpassed long before I was born," Adora replied. "Are you still interested in his data?"
"Apophis could never rival my own work, but his data might be based on data stolen from me."
Was that true, or just a cover story? Catra couldn't quite tell. But if it were, then she would have to admit that Loki's insistence on not tampering with the raw research data had been a good thing. Nirrti would indeed have quickly spotted the alterations in such a case.
"And what do you offer in exchange?" Adora asked.
"Information about Cronus and Heru'ur. They will not let you take Apophis's and Sokar's realm without resistance."
"I'm aware of that, and preparations have been made to deal with their interference," Adora replied. "However, information directly taken from their courts might result in reduced casualties."
Catra refrained from wincing; Adora had trouble acting that callously, even though she was telling the truth. They had to hope Nirrti would take this as Adora trying to appear more powerful than she was.
"So, do we have a deal?" Nirrti sounded eager, but this seemed to be a bit too quick for Catra's taste. She hadn't even offered any details.
Then Nirrti held out her hand for Adora to shake, and Catra felt her fur bristle. "That's a trap," she hissed on the private channel.
Adora, the dummy, went and shook Nirrti's hand anyway. "Yes."
A moment later, Sam's voice rang out over the communicator: "Nirrti's gloves have altered their surface!"
*****
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