Aaannd the end...also the beginning.
We get some info on the history of the universe, the importance of the Ancients...Why the Nox kinda stopped giving a shit about them and why humanity is so important to everyone.
Also, a hero's quest should always end with a proper boon...And more questions than answers as the Gods continue to play their games!
@Spartan303 @Harlock @The Whispering Monk @Knowledgeispower and
@adam417 @Luminescence Who enjoy the divergences for canon..I present to you, my rendition of Thor.
I hope I have done him justice!
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Asgard Protected Planet's Zone Hurot
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When they reappeared, Jack wasn’t sure what he was expecting. But a large command center with a bunch of robots scurrying about was probably one of the more mundane possibilities that came to his mind. “Huh I expected rowers for some reason.” He muttered getting a look of incredulity from Makepeace.
O’Neill shrugged. “Look man, you weren’t at Avalon, and you didn’t see Chulak. These old timers are weird with their tech.”
“Goa’uld technology is not weird.” Teal’c muttered.
“Big guy…you had computers that breathed and ran on crystals”
Teal’c gave a shrug as if to say “I suppose that would look weird to a primitive screwhead.” And gestured forward, through the command center where there were braziers burning flames that each represented a color of the rainbow, between computer panels or what Jack assumed were computer panels, half the time the weird sleek robots that looked oddly reptilian themselves were just standing there, their hands merged with the machinery which rippled as if the consoles themselves were made of liquid metal. Like Snake tech, everything was oddly cool and if the room was warmer than sixty degrees he’d have been surprised. Which would have annoyed him since they were all soaking wet from the battle, well were. Everyone was bone dry and Major Ramirez’s eye looked better, and Jack finally noticed the cuts and bruises were starting to heal.
“The gasses emitted by the flames in the brazier are saturated with medical nanites.” Teal’c offered. He’d heard of this, though the sheer amount of dead Ashraks it took to obtain this particular piece of intelligence was something neither he nor Bra’tac had wished to dwell on for very long. -There is something gravely wrong with the Asgardian races- Teal’c thought. But what? He knew that they had changed forms over the eons but not due to evolution, so much as artificial external pressures. Ra, knew that much at least and had shared that much with the Ashrak divisions. But whatever afflicted them, always lay far outside the Imperium’s ability to determine. “You are being healed as we speak, it appears to be standard procedure on Asgardian vessels, Prince Heimdall of the Vanir also possessed such a brazier in his quarters on Dakkara whenever he attended diplomatic functions.”
“You are far more perceptive than many of my brethren give you credit for, War Master Teal’c.” The voice, smooth and somewhat high pitched, echoed through the room with the abruptness of a thunderbolt. They looked ahead towards the end of the long command center to what Jack assumed was the captain’s area. Elevated above the rest of the ship and surrounded by statues of Dragons doing battle with men of metal skin, blades and blood and a hammer wielding fire and lightning rose a crow’s nest with a single chair that loomed over the whole of the rest of the bridge.
The figure that sat in it spoke in perfectly in English and even had a slight American accent which disturbed the hell out of O’Neill. He was a thin creature, naked with no discernable genitalia, about five feet tall with a thick bulbous head and a small mouth and slits for nostrils and eyes as black as pitch and opaque to the point that they reflected almost no light. “Roswell Grey” Jack muttered causing Teal’c to raise an eyebrow at how nervous Carter looked when she heard the word Roswell. In fact, Carter looked very much like a kid caught in the middle of vandalizing something by a cop.
“Actually, I was thinking Alistair Crowley.” Hammond said surprising everyone. He gave a shrug “You’d be surprised how many intelligence people dabble in the occult son.” He remarked to Jackson. “Not that I ever bothered but a lot of the boys out of Langley that I ran missions with in the 80’s were always into something.”
“Grandpa Nick said the CIA and the occult went back to before their founding.” Daniel said.
The alien, seemingly finding this line of dialog amusing responded with what might have been a laugh. “The eccentric Crowley may indeed have been contacted by one of my kin though from what I gleaned the last time I stood over your portion of Midgard was that he grossly misunderstood whatever lesson was attempted to have been imparted.” It paused frowning, then added. “I will admit there are laws about such contacts, they are to be strictly for security purposes and scientific inquiry and never to influence your cultural development.”
“Funny, there was an entire civilization that sprung out of the northern hemisphere of one of our continents that spawned several ethnic groups who waged war in your name..Thor Odinson I presume?” Daniel asked with a tone that was somewhat chiding, somewhat awestruck. “Leanan told me, you might contact us one day.”
The creature nodded its head. “Thor Odinson, High King of the Asgardian races, Master of the armed forces of the Aesir and Supreme Commander of the combined armadas of the Asgardian Nations. At your service Doctor Jackson though I come by way of Prince Horus
not by way of Leanan”
“He told you to watch us huh?” O’Neill asked, suddenly feeling a lot less worried about their prospects. There was an earnestness in his voice and a weight behind it too, one that reminded him of himself only multiplied over a timescale that Jack couldn’t even think of. “Indeed, he did Colonel O’Neill…He places a great deal of respect in you. Something he does not easily give even amongst his equals, and I do consider him a friend.”
“Surprising, considering how long you guys were at war.” Carter muttered, she still seemed to struggle with concepts like that. Jack couldn’t blame her, it was hard for a civilian to understand, but sometimes you spend so much time fighting a guy that they end up knowing a man better than his own family. “Sometimes, you spend so much time at war that all you have left are your enemies.” Hammond answered before Jack could.
Both Teal’c and Thor nodded in agreement, and it struck Jack just how similar the gesture looked between them. “In any case, the Goa’uld have given this section of the universe an era of peace that has lasted longer than any other. Our disagreements aside, when it comes to universal peace, it is preferable to the long, endless, civilization destroying dark ages of epochs passed. The era of the System Lords has been bloody, but it has been prosperous. Still, we do what we can to curb their impulse at what your forefathers called manifest destiny.”
Jack nodded, it was a decision born of pragmatism much as it was mutual respect amongst enemies. They simply couldn’t continue a war so far away from their supply lines and logistical centers or at least that’s what Jack gleamed from the explanation that was as much bullshit as it was the truth. Fighting that far out, when a gilded cage was preferable to, mad max universe edition was understandable. But how the hell did you use softpower against the Snakes? The damn Imperium was like the US on steroids. He tried to imagine someone slapping sanctions on America and yeah, it would hurt the US for as long as it took the country to start growing its own food and building its own shit again, five, maybe ten years of hardship but then from out that comes an independent breadbasket that can just tell the rest of the world to fuck off. The economic consequences of that alone. -What the hell are they holding over the snakes heads that they can just stop them from going to town on the universe like a fat dude at a buffet?-
“Which leads me to my current conundrum as you Americans say it.” Thor began again. “You are buying Trinium from worlds under my protection, roughly two hundred years before I expected your kind to do so. Now, you’re here so that explains that but why are you trying to buy quantities that would only suit a nascent space faring race?”
“Well, because Apophis is apparently gonna send two thousand ships to knock on our door.” Answered O’Neill causing Thor to blink furiously. He turned to Teal’c “He’s not talking out of his ass?”
Okay, Jack might have expected many things, but he did
not expect a little grey man to ask a seven-foot super soldier with a snake in his gut if Misses O’Neill’s baby boy was talking out of his ass. Behind him, his daughter tried to stifle a laugh before she answered in defense of her father that Jack might be many things, but a liar wasn’t one of them.
“He speaks true majestic eminence.” Teal’c responded, using the proper titles afforded to members of the Imperial family. “A fleet comes, though most of it would appear to be Lucian pirates.”
Thor’s tiny mouth sneered in disgust. “Apophis has lost his mind and his dignity if he’s resorting to weaponizing that scum to pursue a vendetta against the Tau’Ri.” Thor sighed. “And I take it you requested access to my hall of hammers from Hethrir the greedy?” Thor asked in a voice that sounded impossibly annoyed and oddly deep from such a tiny figure.
“And he granted it.” Doc Carter responded.
Thor’s eyes narrowed on her, his hands steepling together in his tiny lap. “You, you do not seem surprised to see me.”
Carter did her best to slink behind Admiral Hammond who looked absolutely bewildered at Thor’s remark and trying to bring the conversation back on track added. “Your majesty, if we broke some protocol or rule requesting access to your hall then.”
Thor raised his hand. “Peace Hammond of Texas, you broke no rule except that I intended that Hall to be my gift to the people of Hurot, when they reached a level of technology some hundred years above your current level they would have been able to make as you say..heads or tales of what was inside.”
“So, there are no weapons?” the Admiral asked.
Thor shook his head. “They’d end up blowing themselves up, no a species a century ahead of yours would struggle to understand the basics of how we build our weaponry much less how to use it effectively, attempting it has historically resulted in calamity and more importantly cosmic law binds us in regards to weapons trafficking just as harshly as it binds the Imperium of the System Lords. No, Hammond of Texas, not weaponry just some fabrication and industrial technology, a very rudimentary version of our matter to energy then back to matter conversion system that can be used to make building things easier and metal processing and refining. None of that would help you against a proper fleet of ships from Apophis military, unless you already had the means to build ships that could stand up to the latest generation of System Lord hardware...”
“We don’t from what Teal’c’s told me, but could it maybe expedite ship building capacity?” Carter asked, peeking out from behind the Admiral. Daniel and Teal’c both regarded her with raised eyebrows.
Now that was an odd choice of words.
Thor again regarded her with a stern, oddly paternal look. “This one is a berserker and a skald, a trickster as well. Beauty, genius and madness, that is not a very healthy combination for anyone you call an enemy.”
Carter seemed to turn a slight shade of pink, another day of firsts.
“To answer your question girl yes if that’s what you wish.” Thor shrugged and a holographic screen appeared before him. Reaching out with a slender arm he depressed a button. “There, I’ve dispatched one of my vessels to teleport the proper equipment at your Groom Lake facility.” A small, canny smile appeared on Thor’s face and Carter looked like an animal with a paw caught in a bear trap.
“I threw in some sensor technology as well, nothing that would violate any treaties. But enough that it should improve your odds against the cheap mercenaries Apophis seems to want to debase himself with by hiring. Though, I would advise the President to be very cautious about who he chooses to be warden over.”
“I…I don’t…” Carter tried to make some sort of defense, but Thor waved her off with an “Of course you don’t”
Okay, fuck this…he was going to have a
long talk with Carter after this and more importantly..How the hell did this little grey bastard know so much about the US military?! “Son of....a…HEY YOU GUYS REALLY ARE ABDUCTING US!” Jack cried out in indignant fury.
“Yes, but we don’t put things in your rectums, that’s a calumny my wife Syf has little patience for!” His tone became somewhat higher reminding Jack of the bad guy from Roger Rabbit. (When I killed snakes, I talked like..thiiiiiiiissss!) and O’Neill tried to resist shuddering at how creepy the little guy sounded when joking. So, this Syf was their chief egghead or something? Syf? Sif? The one who was left bald by Loki in a prank? Thor’s eyes narrowed; his playfulness gone as he seemed to prepare himself to tell some grand story.
“The ancients, as we called them before their split into the Alterans, Lanteans and Ori and their allies the Fyryns who were master planetary engineers seeded nearly all life in the known universe. Or stimulated and guided its evolution..In over ten million years of our recorded History we have encountered very little out in the universe that hasn’t been initiated by one of those four races. Much to the eternal rage of the Nox who seem to dislike sentience that doesn’t occur in a vacuum.” He left this gigantic bomb that upended everything everyone knew about existence hanging in the air, after delivering it with a tone that sounded like he was tell’n everyone about the weather not the fact that four dead races ran around acting like Gods making shit out of thin air and creating life.
He was talk’n about the newest Jag not the fact that humanity might have been the science project of a bunch of dead space hippies.
“Only the races that became the Asgard evolved on their own without any interference from these cosmic wanderers save open mentor like guidance from the Nox. The only other species we know of, that evolved on its own to sentience or even semi sentience without any prompting from their dead hands…Indeed whose entire biosphere evolved on its own..Were yours..and one other.”
“The Snakes and their ancestral home.” Jack answered in a whisper, despite having no idea why he came to that conclusion. Part of him was glad that he wasn’t no puppet on invisible strings, created by ancient aliens in a testtube but another part of him suddenly felt a weight put on his metaphorical shoulders. It reminded Jack of what he felt like when he bought his first house, right after marrying Sarah when she told him she was pregnant with the girls and his father told him he was now his own man with all the good and the shit that came with it.
Mankind stood on its own, so far the only other races that had done likewise were either creepy fairy people, a bunch of shitbag precursors who managed to fuck the whole universe up and these little grey ass kickers…Oh and a bunch of body thieving snakes who confused the hell out of Jack and seemed to be the only force in the universe that was paradoxically unfucking it and building a damn gilded cage over everything.
Damn homo-sapiens, we have it easy. As bad as we might eventually shit the bed, we can’t possibly out cockup these ancient bozos! Today was a day that he would struggle to process for years.
“Yes.” Thor answered proud of the self-professed caveman.
Damnit! Jack thought, why am I always right?
“And the Ori’s attempt to harness the Goa’uld caused not only their extinction but the end of all branches of the Ancients and the annihilation of the Fyryns as well. Yes, my queen has dispatched many science teams to monitor your kind and yes, I pay close enough attention to your world to learn your language and watch your TV when I’ve the time. You’re similar enough to them and to us to warrant it.”
“What happened between the Ori and the Goa’uld mighty Thor?” Daniel asked. “The Imperial religion is pretty murky on the details….” Daniel didn’t want to dwell on the fact that he was just compared to Ra and the creature that murdered his Shau’re and stole her body. Not right now at least, even though it explained why Ra reacted with such venom.
“That’s not for me to tell you Daniel Jackson, skald and warrior. But you will learn the truth I think, your qualities have impressed your enemies in good and bad ways, and you should be proud of that.” Thor vanished from his seat reappearing in front of them, the myriad robots all turning from their tasks to stand at attention, toy soldiers all of them.
“Yahata’s body will be returned to his mother; I will deliver it myself.” Thor paused and laughed softly. “Aris Boch will be sore that he didn’t catch Yahata and claim his bounty. But I digress, I thank you for taking up arms in defense of my planets even if it meant protecting them from the consequences of their own actions. The Hall of Hammers will be off limits to you, but as I said you will have what was there plus a tiny bit extra. I will not interfere with your involvement in the politics of these worlds, but I will ask you to limit your involvement in cleaning up their own messes. These…idiots have to learn on their own sometime. My policy of divine intervention has hampered them and I’m trying to wean them off it.”
The Admiral nodded. “I understand your majesty, no involvement in civil wars…or anything of that sort.”
“Correct, but if any Scarrans return to threaten your interests, or that of your allies and you choose to…what’s the term? “Shitkick”? Yes there…do that to them, off Hurot then I won't make any protestations nor would any Asgardian sector patrol.”
He meant his robots, Jack thought. So far, the only Asgardian he saw in this entire fleet was Thor, that was weird.
“What about, I dunno parking one of your big honking warships in orbit over Jupiter and maybe shooting any ships that come through to blow us up?” Jack asked.
Thor smiled or at least Jack thought that was a smile. “What makes you think they’d pass by Jupiter?”
“No idea, the mental image just seemed cool.”
“Having sniped enemy ships from inside a gas giant before I can appreciate that sentiment.” Thor said in a slightly amused tone.
“Indeed.” Teal’c answered wistfully.
“In any case, military intervention on behalf of Tau’Ri would be a…different matter.” Thor added in a tone that seemed to hold tinges of regret. “While there’s nothing, I enjoy more than smashing apart Lucian vermin, a sole Bilskinir cannot repel more than a handful of Hatak battlegroups and I can’t spare any of my more advanced warships and even if I could. Open military action against Apophis of that sort, even if he is breaking the law could be construed as my taking sides in an internal political dispute within the Imperium and that is not something I can permit.”
The Admiral nodded, his mind wandered back to the debriefing months ago and Teal’c’s theory that something was afflicting these mighty people be it a war or some natural disaster but it was seriously impacting their force projection. Beyond that, he understood easily that could turn an amicable cease fire into a disaster… “Still, we owe you a debt for what you’ve done High King Thor.”
“Between us, Admiral, Thor shall suffice. From what I’ve seen of your men today, you have all more than earned it.”
“Huh, I didn’t expect this mess to end this way.” Jack admitted.
“Many things change once you step through that Gate O’Neill.” Thor warned in a tone that might have been teasing. “The absurd and the sensible oft blend together out here.”
“Ooookay…well…I guess in the spirit of absurdity; I should invite you to go fishing or something.” Jack muttered then cringed at how ridiculous that sounded.
“I may take you up on that offer O’Neill the clever.”
“Wait..wha..”
They were gone in a flash deposited back on Hurot, just outside the Wyryn castle as the mighty Asgardian vessels began to depart, leaving skies that cleared giving way to a sunrise that was both beautiful and ominous in what it presaged.
Everything was changing faster than anyone could anticipate. The people of Hurot faced the consequences of their actions and survived, the old King was dead, the young Prince would take his place and with him a new era of growth, prosperity and strength removed (He hoped.) from the cynical trickery of his great grandfather. For Earth, it seemed as if they had gained two new allies in as many days and once again lived up to a reputation, they had garnered for themselves among the stars.
But the Asgard were a different breed than the Nox, less wild and dangerous in their power but no less perilous to cross and Thor raised as many questions for Jack as problems his generosity solved.
He was cavalier about it too, the wily bastard. Planting the seed of doubt in their minds while winning their hearts with sophisticated toys and the very real promise of friendship.
To Jack O’Neill it reminded him too much of his own Government in too many dim parts of his world. Parallels that were as unsettling as the implications of his conversation with Doc Carter..who..had a lot to answer for from both him and the Admiral when they all got home.
But that Thor guy was cool, it was neat having a big ol’alien friend that he was able to win over without being blown up, set on fire or losing his entire team too in combat!
No one died, they saved the day. They got the treasure.
All in all, it was shaping up to be a good ending to this weird hero’s quest.
And in Jack’s mind it finally clicked.
Why all this seemed familiar.
And just like that, he had something to show Daniel when they all got back.
And naturally, even more questions about their past and the snakes emerged damnit all. The revelations of Thor were enough.
I’m too old for this shit.
Jack thought, noting as he thought it that Admiral Hammond didn’t look too old for it all, in fact he looked like he was in his element, as if he would have been right at home on the prow of a Viking ship sailing into the mist to wage war on a serpent man and his legion of doom.
No marine ever had a better commander, even if he was a bargeman.