Chapter 20 Summit Meeting

The group of people walked at the edge of the forest when, amidst the howling wind and the thunderous rumble in the darkness of an eternal night, screams of horror and terror from creatures that didn't seem human could be heard.

01, leading his group, clenched his teeth. Osiris snorted with disdain after inspecting his surroundings to ensure that the demonic beasts weren't heading towards them following the screams.

"Those Wraith have no dignity," Osiris muttered with contempt. 01 could only hear him because he was less than a step away.

"Shut up!" Set reprimanded in another even lower whisper.

Set followed them walking backward alongside Hathor and Olokun to watch their rear, while 01 walked forward, and Osiris and Isis walked sideways to guard their flanks.

01 said nothing; the scarce air, concentrated at high temperatures and with little oxygen available, made his sore lungs not feel like exerting themselves to say nonsense. He gestured for them to be quiet, but a sign language fight began when Isis reminded him that she was a queen and didn't take orders from a scrap metal with legs. Everyone's bodies were biological, but she didn't care. Hathor also spoke up to say that she too was a queen and was above any lesser queen like Isis, who hastened to remind Hathor that she was just a trophy of Ra.

01 sighed; he was the leader of this group of fools because none of them would accept the leadership of their enemies, and they wouldn't accept teaming up with lesser Goa'uld. Even though they were in hell, putting themselves on the same level as a lesser Goa'uld was unacceptable to these Goa'uld lords. 01 wouldn't agree to be part of this group that had already betrayed him several times, throwing him to the demonic beasts while they ran away, but the Wraith, who were more united, were xenophobic and didn't hang out with anyone who didn't have a scarab fish face like them; humans were as traitorous as the Goa'uld, but with much less experience in infernal matters than them. The Reetou terrorists considered him responsible for their imprisonment in the place, so to save himself suffering, 01 could only team up with the Goa'uld…

A lightning bolt struck three meters from the group, electrocuting them all and sending them flying several meters. 01 knelt as he struggled with the pain and his numb body. It wasn't the first time a lightning bolt had struck him, although this time they hadn't been lucky, and everyone seemed to still be alive…

"White!" Set shouted, the first to get up, and ran towards the meadows.

"Red," Olokun said and ventured into the forest.

"Blue…" 01's words were interrupted when, getting up and trying to run, he discovered that one of his feet was ensnared by vines.

"They're already here!" Hathor shrieked and ran off without saying anything, because Isis and Osiris were unconscious, so no one would run anymore, and it didn't matter if they knew which way she would run.

"Kill me!" pleaded 01, but Hathor had already run off without looking back. 01 hadn't thought she would help him, but when he was sent flying, he had lost his sword and couldn't end it himself.

01 twisted in a futile attempt to free himself from the vines, which felt like steel cables. While 01 struggled, Isis woke up, and upon seeing the vines covering her body, she drew her sword and used it on Osiris. Then, she was about to wield it against herself, but the vines acted and held her hands, taking away the sword.

The vines released Osiris and enveloped 01 and Isis, while around them, darkness materialized into tentacles, eyes, and teeth. 01 felt a shiver run down his spine, but he clenched his teeth; screaming would attract the surrounding beasts, and that meant those who ran away would be captured.

The agreement was to hold out for at least two hours before starting to scream. Of course, this cosmic horror creature, with which he couldn't imagine fighting or understanding, wouldn't wait that long to give them its attention…

01's body began to dematerialize.

"01, welcome to the City of Light. If you desire anything to make your stay more pleasant, please do not hesitate to notify me," said a soft and friendly voice in his mind, while 01 observed a crystal fountain located in the square of a large city, with buildings and houses that seemed sculpted by the hand of a sculptor.

In front of 01, on the other side of the fountain, were three people who looked at him in surprise and were already walking towards him.

01 recognized them because he had participated in their rescue in the past, which seemed like centuries to him. However, his mind was connecting to the main computer of the simulation matrix, and it informed him that his perception of time had been altered.

01 had been in the simulation for just over four years. The AI also briefed him on everything that had happened so far, since he accidentally got trapped in a suspended animation capsule while conducting research with 00.

00 had notified the Supreme Being, who tasked her with getting him out, but 00 had forgotten. Now there was a war, and they needed everyone, so the attention of the Supreme Being turned back to him.

01 shuddered from head to toe and fell to his knees, bursting into tears and ignoring the Alterans who asked if he was okay. 01 accessed his own mind, erased ninety percent of his memories in the past few decades, altered his neural connections, and rebooted his brain to erase all data stored in his body from experiences lived in the past few decades.

Then, 01, without waiting for the process to finish, jumped out of the simulation, waking up in a capsule and hurriedly breaking it to get out. He fell to his knees on the ground, suffering from an anxiety attack, feeling like he couldn't breathe and his chest hurt, although he had no lungs, and his pain receptors were turned off.

"Welcome back, 01!" said an indifferent voice in front of him, but upon hearing it, 01 jumped and fell on his butt as he desperately tried to crawl backward.

The person speaking was a very young girl, with light blue hair, slightly bright scarlet iris eyes, and faint Asian features. In 01's eyes, there was no creature more terrifying in all of existence.

"01, are you okay?" asked 00 with a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize your capsule had connected to the simulation," she added, approaching him slowly. "Can you forgive me? It was a small mistake," 00 said.

01 jumped up and stood, adopting a serene expression.

"There's nothing to forgive! It was a mistake," said 01, swallowing hard, wondering what she would do to him if he contradicted her.

"Well, if you say so, then there's no problem," said 00, stopping three steps away from him. 01 felt his whole body light, as light as a feather. "Anubis has begun his attack against the system lords, and because of their technology, they believe it's the Creator who's attacking them. That's why the Creator has agreed to meet with them and expose Anubis. This will have the system lords on our side, but it's dangerous because Anubis can act and kill them all, creating more chaos."

"The Creator sends us to secure the meeting site, along with the other envoys from the system lords, and also to provide them with a safe return to their territories," explained 00.

01 felt crushed to the ground again, and his body couldn't move due to terror.

…

Maybourne crossed the Stargate to reach the SGC. He looked around.

Maybourne was at the back of a large room, fifteen meters high, two hundred meters long, and fifty meters wide. The entire room was armored by eighteen layers of a trinium and naquadah alloy, which scientists ensured would withstand several direct nuclear explosions, and plasma weapons like cannons would barely leave a blackened mark; naquadah bombs would hardly be more effective than nuclear ones, and more powerful plasma cannons would barely leave a few holes.

This armor wasn't the only protection; the room also had Alteran shield generators, powered by naquadriah generators, and many other secondary defense systems.

Maybourne looked at the Stargate, which also showed some changes, surrounded by armor that was the protection of various artifacts bought from their allies, with the condition not to try to study them. These artifacts were a phase shield, to prevent Tollan technology from making its way through their gate, a caller ID, to get the coordinates of any Stargate connecting to theirs, and an emergency override mechanism that would forcefully close the Stargate no matter what.

Maybourne smiled; although they didn't expect any attack, the Stargate remained the biggest weak point in Earth's defenses, and extra security wouldn't hurt…

"Maybourne, stop boasting and move forward already!" Jack reprimanded, and Maybourne rolled his eyes, but he advanced, and with a thought of his own, a ring platform activated and transported him to the entrance of the gate room, which was a door ten meters in diameter and ten wide. Only a two-by-two door opened, and two guards inspected him up and down before saluting him.

This visual inspection was just protocol because as soon as he arrived, tens of thousands of sensors studied his body at an atomic level to detect any abnormalities.

Maybourne nodded to the guards and walked through the command corridors, which were still being remodeled. The gate room was a priority, and modifications to the base started there; the rest of the command was the secondary part of the project. Fortunately, all construction materials came from Base Planet, and waste also went there, using the Stargate as a means of transportation, so this project had no repercussions on the surface.

Maybourne arrived at the Stargate control room, which now looked like the bridge of one of their new spaceships, and General Hammond was in command, sitting in his captain's chair, while about twenty officers, technicians, and operators were in charge of operating the entire base under his command. Whether activating defenses, weapons, or personnel, everything was managed from there.

"Colonel Maybourne, please, come to my office," said General Hammond upon seeing him.

Maybourne saluted, and General Hammond got up to lead the way.

In the meeting room, the SG1 and some envoys from the Pentagon and the White House were present. They all stood up when they entered.

The officers saluted, and the civilians hastened to shake hands with General Hammond and him. Maybourne returned their greetings and compliments with a smile, setting aside some occasional invitations to private dinners. Since he returned from the Goa'uld System Lord Korr's planet five months ago and gave his report, his promotion was already a reality, but it was just a formality because now any general, except for General Hammond, was beneath him. If he approved a project, promotion, or any matter, it would start to be executed immediately, and the heads of those who stood in the way would roll. On the other hand, if he rejected a project, not even the president could approve it…

Well, General Hammond and SG1 could object, but Maybourne already considered them part of his own team.

After the greetings and proper flattery, Maybourne took his place opposite General Hammond, and despite having five high-ranking members there, none of them said anything about it.

"Gentlemen, the Goa'uld are at war," declared Maybourne. He connected his mind to the base computer, and a hologram of the galaxy appeared among them, dividing it into several parts. These parts had markings of the Goa'uld System Lords.

"These divisions are the territories of the System Lords, as they were before this war. As you can see, Apophis's territory occupied the largest extent, due to his conquest over Herur-ur. Our own solar system is also in this territory.

"Following Apophis are Lord Yu, Baal, Korr, Morrigan, and Cronos," said Maybourne, pointing to the largest territories. "These are the System Lords who managed to obtain the most resources after the death of Ra, and their power and fleets have only grown since then.

"The situation among the System Lords was tense, but a relative peace was maintained until the appearance of Anubis, who has begun a stealthy assault on the System Lords, using technology as advanced as what we possess thanks to our allies.

"With this superior technology, despite his inferior numbers and the few resources at his disposal, Anubis is seizing large amounts of resources and ships, attacking all the territories of the System Lords and assimilating their forces. The System Lords have exacerbated this by responding to what they believe are their rivals…

Maybourne continued to explain the current situation of the war, providing some information provided by the Tok'ra and his own investigations, although much of it was sensitive information, and he wouldn't disclose it.

"In summary, our snake allies are facing a total war with the snake System Lords," said Jack.

"Sir, considering that the System Lords know about the technology possessed by Korr, he is the most suspicious to them regarding these stealthy attacks," said Major Carter, whose promotion was also pending. Maybourne nodded at her assessment of their situation.

"Because of this, the System Lord has called for a meeting. This will escalate the war because defined sides will be created, increasing its scope, and it's possible that this conflict will soon involve us because Anubis doesn't seem to be behind our allies in terms of technology, and we don't want him to escalate," explained Maybourne, but few understood what he meant.

"Does the NID believe that Anubis also has access to Replicator technology?" Major Carter asked. Maybourne nodded.

"I don't have to explain how disastrous and dangerous it would be if this technology were employed in this war," said Maybourne, and the rest of the people, who were already aware of Replicator technology, understood the stakes in this war.

"Colonel Maybourne, are you proposing that we actively join this war?" General Hammond asked. Maybourne shook his head.

"If the System Lords find out that one of them is our ally and has granted us technology, all the Goa'uld will unite against them, as they are now against the Tok'ra.

"However, we cannot allow Anubis to win this war or to become so desperate as to use the Replicators," explained Maybourne.

"So, you're planning a forced disappearance operation," said Jack with a smile, which made everyone look at him. Jack blinked as he realized what he had said.

"I don't agree with him; in fact, it's Maybourne who's copying from us; disappearing snakes has always been our department," complained Jack.

General Hammond cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Colonel Maybourne, if Anubis possesses the same technology as our allies, what makes you think we can infiltrate his ranks enough to execute your plan?" asked General Hammond.

"Sir, we assume that Anubis possesses the same technology, but he is of the more traditional Goa'uld type. From what we have seen so far, he will not put his knowledge into the hands of his servants, whom he still considers slaves. Therefore, it is unlikely that he will have the same security measures as our allies, leaving him vulnerable to a surprise attack.

"However, in case of failure, we must prepare for the worst, and that's why I request approval from everyone to begin the transfer of military and scientific personnel to the base planet. The release of information about the Stargate project is also urgent," Maybourne reported; if they were to reach the point of facing a direct war, with their current personnel, they would lose in the first attack.

…

The meeting continued for another three hours, during which the president's team finally agreed to release the requested military resources and set a time frame of no more than a year to inform the rest of the planet about the Stargate project; politicians still needed to prepare everything for future negotiations and establish the best strategies.

Maybourne wasn't interested in their plans; he was content to have gained access to the military resources. So, as soon as he left the meeting room, he went to his own office and sent out several requests that his team had been preparing for months.

With Anubis's stealthy attacks, the NID had a lot of pending work, and he needed to ensure that Earth received the greatest benefits in this war among the Goa'uld, but for that, Maybourne needed much more personnel than he currently had.

…

A week later, and as expected, politicians and military officials from other countries were outraged by the movement of troops and scientific personnel across their territory and beyond. Maybourne assumed that a war had not started because all this movement was towards their own territory.

Other countries didn't understand why their fleets were leaving international waters and returning home. Videos had also leaked on the internet showing entire fleets being disarmed, and their personnel being transported away in vehicles with unknown destinations. These videos had been leaked by themselves to inform people of what was happening, making it easier to give explanations later on.

Maybourne had moved the navy personnel because they would be the most unnecessary in the future; a simple drone could take care of all the surveillance in the oceans. For those who wanted to take advantage of the lack of surveillance, the Asgard had lent them their transport technology.

They couldn't transport weapons with it, but they could transport troops, as long as it was in response to an unprovoked attack. They weren't allowed to use this technology to conquer, maintain, or exert pressure on any territory that didn't belong to them, and these favorable conditions were only because they understood the current situation of the planet.

So far, countries were more confused than angry, and they were more interested in the situation in the African continent and the African Empire, which had declared all its borders open and offered housing, jobs, and social security to anyone willing to move there. This had put their Asian neighbors on edge, including Europe and Oceania, who couldn't comprehend what the hell was going on there, and how in four years, entire cities had been built, and the largest empire on the planet established, with absurd figures of one percent unemployment, zero percent illiteracy, public health, free and mandatory education up to high school level, and most absurdly, an army with a 0 national budget, meaning that the new empire had nothing to defend itself with, only public security forces.

Maybourne looked over the latest reports coming in and sighed because people on his planet were still as idiotic as ever, and there were countries willing to test how an empire with a 0 army would defend itself.

Maybourne picked up the red phone.

"Mr. President, good afternoon, I'm sending you a report on the current situation at the African Empire's border; as we thought, they'll have a war on their hands in a few more days," Maybourne reported.

"Colonel Maybourne, are you sure about this?" asked the president after a few seconds; he, like Maybourne, had an integrated digital synapse that allowed him to handle large volumes of information in seconds.

"Mr. President, these people can make entire industrial complexes appear in a couple of weeks; not even we can do that with the technology we handle on Earth. It's evident that, like us, the African Empire has struck a good deal with our allies, although that deal doesn't seem to include weapons. This could change if they face a war," Maybourne explained.

Their allies left no clues they could follow, but as Maybourne didn't believe in magic or miracles, it was evident to him that the African continent was a form of control for his own country, insurance in case they themselves broke their alliance. And in Maybourne's opinion, the African Empire should remain just that, insurance; the moment they allowed them to wield weapons to defend the planet too, the United States would lose all its leadership gained with luck but also much effort.

"And do you recommend a preemptive strike? Doesn't that violate our agreement with our allies, whether Goa'uld or Asgard?" Maybourne asked.

"Mr. President, do you think there's any chance that these countries won't declare war on the African Empire? Or that this war won't affect the interests of Earth, and ours too?" Maybourne asked.

"Colonel Maybourne, even if you are mistaken, and the African Empire is not allied with the Asgard or the Goa'uld, the consequences of a war in the region would be terrible for future collaboration to defend the planet," said the president.

"Then we have nothing to fear; our deal does not obligate us to stand idly by while others try to trip us up," said Maybourne, and the president thought for several seconds.

"Colonel Maybourne, we will act decisively, but we will wait twenty-four hours before taking any military action," said the president, although his tone was one of doubt, more a request for approval.

"Mr. President, it will be twenty-four hours then, but remember, no army should set foot on those borders," said Maybourne and hung up the call.

An hour later, the president went on national television, announcing a free trade agreement with the African Empire and a mutual defense treaty, where any attack on the African Empire's soil would be considered an attack on their own country.

Maybourne could only laugh at the worldwide reactions of disbelief and the accusations at the UN about a global conspiracy between the United States and the African Empire, which in recent years had completely ignored the UN.

Maybourne left this situation in the hands of politicians, although he was prepared to intervene if their negotiations failed.

…

In the dark room, its center illuminated, were eight thrones of black marble, arranged in a circle. These thrones were occupied by eight individuals, whose physical appearance resembled Greek gods, with the exception of one of them.

Seated on the marble thrones were two blonde goddesses wearing white tunics, sandals, and golden bracelets. Their names were 05 and 06. They were followed by a man with dark skin, a face shaped like an inverted triangle, and golden eyes, dressed in an executive suit with a jacket and tie. This was 04.

Next was a man with black hair and blue eyes, wearing casual attire. His name is 03. Following 03 was 01 with green eyes and white hair, wearing a black suit fitted to his body; its thickness hinted at some technological equipment.

Beside 01 was 00, with light blue hair, petite and slender, with slightly Asian-featured soft features and eyes with somewhat bright red irises. Her body figure was like that of a teenager and did not stand out among the other women present. Next to 00 was Korr, whose appearance was that of a Greek god with hair whiter than gray and white eyes, wearing an Egyptian skirt, semicircular chest plate, sandals, bracelets, leg guards, and a crown of golden scorpions. Following Korr was 02, a woman with blue eyes and long black hair, wearing the same attire.

"00 and 01 will be in charge of our security and intelligence in this war. 02 will command the fleet, 05 and 06 will handle logistics, planning, modernization, and ship construction. Finally, 03 and 04 will stay on Earth and ensure that our plans there continue to progress," said their god. 03 grimaced.

"My god, I would like to work with 00 in this war," replied 03, but both 00 and their god denied him at the same time.

"03, there's no room for good intentions in this war," said their god.

"Our enemy matches us in technology; your mercy will be our downfall," said 00.

Both spoke with different words, but their meaning was the same: they believed he couldn't fight a war.

"I believe…" 00 looked at 01 with interest, and he lowered his head.

03 assumed that 01 didn't want to work alongside 00, but 01, despite his skills, was the most carefree of them all, and 03 didn't expect him to confront 00.

03 looked at the rest. 04 shrugged to indicate he had nothing to say. 05 and 06 smiled kindly at him, and 02 looked at him with indifference.

"You're not made for war, and our enemy won't hesitate to take advantage of your good intentions," said 02.

03 understood that the decision was unanimous, so he could only clench his fists.

"03, your work on Earth is very important to our plans," 05 consoled with a smile. "Leave the war to us; we won't make unnecessary sacrifices," she added. 03 said no more for the rest of the meeting.

When it ended, 03 was seated on the throne of his bionave, looking at the expansive bridge that offered a view of Earth. He disappeared from his throne and appeared on the hull of his bionave, observing the blue planet.

"Am I weak?" 03 asked himself, but in space, the sound of his words was nonexistent.

"Why have they done this?!" 03 reprimanded angrily, but again, his words were silent.

03 didn't give up and took a step to appear in front of a small temple, halfway across the galaxy. He had used Alteran hyperdrive technology for instant hyperspace.

A man in monk's robes hurried out, but 03 passed through him and closed the doors, which didn't open to let the man in.

"Will you ignore me too?" asked 03, looking towards the back of the room, where a creature made of light was, which upon seeing him, took the form of a woman with black hair and looked at him with surprise.

"Can you see me?" the woman asked.

"Oma Desala, I have been reading and listening to stories about you from the Jaffa. Among the ascended, you seem willing to listen to reason," said 03.

"Among the ascended, it is I whom you should blame for the impending war," said Oma Desala sadly.

"Have you been the one to set Anubis free?" asked 03. Oma Desala shook her head.

"I have been the one to help Anubis ascend because I was willing to believe in him, and I have been deceived," explained Oma Desala.

"That may have been your mistake, but it is not the reason Anubis is free now, and it is not your hands that step aside to let him free."

"Why have they done this?" asked 03, looking to the side, where two other light creatures appeared. Oma Desala recoiled and did not continue speaking. 03 clenched his fists.

"We are not here to reprimand her. Come with us, and your doubts will be resolved; creatures of the material plane can never comprehend your way of thinking," said one of the ascended.

"No, you do not understand my way of thinking. If you did, you would not have released a genocidal maniac into this galaxy, giving him the opportunity to cause billions of deaths," retorted 03.

"Is there life beyond this galaxy? Do they not matter just the same?" asked the ascended.

"Everyone matters," said 03 without hesitation.

"Then you understand our decision; your plans are a threat," said the ascended.

"Threat? Can you not see the future? Is that also forbidden?" asked 03.

"Can time affect you?" asked the ascended. 03 blinked. "Indeed, for you, time is a tool in your hands. It is also for those you plan to confront. 03, there are no differences between our way of thinking and yours. You are different from the other parts that make up your soul, and the fact that you can see us means you are also one of us; you should have understood that already. You just need to take a step forward," concluded the ascended.

03 thought of his God. He did not want to ascend because he was attached to this world. So were the others. As for him, this world and all existence seemed beautiful and wonderful… But.

"We do not think alike," said 03 firmly. "I disagree with people who believe that only they are capable of ruling, but setting everything aside is not improving things. Living without interfering is not the same as looking on and not interfering. Your inaction is also an action; if you were to do what you preach, you would truly step aside," said 03 and turned away.

"The path you have chosen will only bring you pain," warned the ascended.

"I do not fear pain; I fear indifference because to me, it is no different from cruelty," said 03 without looking back.

03 took a step and now he was on Earth, in front of a large library. He sat on a bench in a small square and watched people pass by.

The ascended had said that he, his siblings, and Korr were all the same. 03 already knew this; he felt it himself. A past life, his pain, joy, even part of his memories. They were not something planted in him; they were part of him. Was it the same for the others? 03 was sure it was, yet at the same time not, because none of them were like him. So, they were all a part of himself. 03 supposed he would be the human part, and undoubtedly 00 and 01 would be his Goa'uld part; they, indeed, were ruthless and selfish. 04… he certainly loved living beyond the limits. 02, 05, and 06 seemed to be the embodiment of excellence, and that would make Korr what was left behind, less than all, more than one.

"No, I cannot see how this passes without doing anything about it," 03 declared and disappeared from his place.

03 transported himself to Maybourne's office, setting off alarms at the SGC command, but Maybourne hurried to override them and notified that it was an acceptable visit.

…

Korr saw the space station where the system lords' meeting was taking place, approaching in a small cargo ship, which was barely out of hyperspace when it was inspected, and its control taken by the station, which directed it to one of the docks. Upon arrival, a human servant awaited him, leading him to a large meeting room.

In the room, most of the system lords he had invited were waiting: Ba'al, Cronos, Morrigan, Amaterasu, Camulus, Ares, Bastet, Moloc, and Kali. Yu had not arrived, Nirrti was exiled, and Apophis and Heru-ur were space dust.

There were fourteen thrones in the room, each marked with the emblem of a system lord, arranged in circles. The present system lords were standing and holding their own conversations with each other and their human slaves. There were no Jaffa, as no one could bring troops or weapons.

Ba'al was the first to approach Korr, frowning at his companion, who was a young man with dark skin and short hair. He wore attire similar to Korr's.

"Harcesis," Ba'al called out, drawing everyone's attention, while his eyes gleamed.

"Heresy!" Yu rebuked as he entered the room, his eyes glowing with anger.

"I suppose, but this is an Apophis Heresy; you can go and claim it from him," said Korr, sitting on his own throne and indicating the rest to take a seat.

Korr's words could not be contradicted because Long, as Korr had called Apophis's son, resembled the latter.

"The harcesis must die," Yu declared.

"Long is one of my most trusted servants, and having Apophis's memories has helped me; his opinions on the matter are irrelevant to me, and I do not share his traditions because he is not a threat to me," Korr said nonchalantly.

"So, you believe you have the right to change our traditions and laws," Yu said. Korr simply nodded and looked at each of the system lords present.

Long was his declaration of intentions; in the future, laws would be remade, and traditions could be changed. However, everything else was a theater, because Anubis was about to interrupt this meeting; he would not allow Korr to name himself supreme lord.

Ba'al and Morrigan smiled at him. Cronos, Ares, Amaterasu, and Kali glared at him. Camulus, Bastet, and Moloc said nothing; they hardly had anything left; being the weakest, they were Anubis's first prey, and now they were fugitives in their own territories. Ares and Cronos were about to fall too; they were only retreating further and further.

"What sense do your covert attacks on our fleets make if your goal was to name yourself supreme lord?" Yu asked.

"My goal was never to name myself supreme lord. This enemy attacking us now and their own inability to defend their territories against his assault forced me to do so," explained Korr.

"Of course, it's a matter of necessity," said Ba'al. "And who is this Goa'uld lord who has your same technology? Nirrti?" he asked.

"Interesting," said Korr, looking to one of the entrances of the room, where after a few seconds, Nirrti appeared without any escort.

"Nirrti, your head has a price!" said Cronos, whom Nirrti had attempted to assassinate, but she was exiled not for that, but because her assassination attempt was in a meeting with the Asgard.

"My sentence only speaks of your weakness and cowardice," said Nirrti, and everyone looked at him.

"Fools, I do not represent him; we should have killed him earlier when he dared to ignore our laws and to release the humans," rebuked Nirrti, but she did not advance toward her seat, but remained standing. "I represent a true Goa'uld, who defends our divine status and does not tolerate the disobedience of those born to be our slaves, Anubis!" declared Nirrti, and Yu pounded the armrest of his throne.

"Anubis is dead!" scolded Yu.

"Anubis is alive, and he is your only hope of getting rid of this impostor," replied Nirrti.

"Anubis has no honor!" reproached Yu. The other system lords fell silent when the elder spoke, but that did not prevent them from making their own plans.

Korr would not intervene in this presentation because he needed to know whom to exert brute force against in this war.

"Honor? We are gods, we are above such things; only our will and the power to exert it matter," replied Nirrti, looking at the other system lords. "Anubis possesses the power to face Korr; he Is not a supreme lord. For this reason, Anubis requests his return to his former position as a system lord," said Nirrti.

"Anubis has already been expelled from the system lords," Yu decreed.

"Since that happened, few lords survive until now," Nirrti said, dismissing Yu's words. "I propose to subject it to a vote," she added, and everyone looked at Korr.

"Anubis possesses technology similar to mine, but he is not my equal. However, I admit I do not possess the dominance to ensure my position as supreme lord.

»Still, as Lord Yu has said, Anubis has no honor or word; he is the absolute decadence of our race. What I offer you is a future of glory," said Korr.

"You only offer us to grovel before slaves and submit to our enemies; you lack the dignity of a god," Nirrti said disdainfully. Korr didn't even look at her, and none of the lords spoke out against or in favor of her words.

"Then, we will vote," grumbled Yu with annoyance and got up from his seat; they had to make a decision and return.

Korr supposed that Anubis would try to bribe several of them to win their votes, so he also retired to his own chambers to give them time to decide.

…

Nirrti gritted her teeth as she walked towards Yu's room. She planned to give all her attention to Cronos as soon as she got her hands on him, but that arrogant larva of Korr would also kiss her feet after this war. What was that little arrogant larva? A newborn who got lucky, daring to look down on her, a goddess who had lived for thousands of years, and that old Yu questioned them about this larva, who bowed to humans…

Nirrti took a deep breath as she reached Yu's room. Somehow, the old man had managed to evade her stealthy attacks on his fleet. Nirrti knew her ships were no less swift than his because that meddling larva had given the technology to exploit the full potential of naquadriah to the system lords. But beyond this, their ships were far superior, able to face numerical disadvantages of five to one, and yet the old man was managing to stand his ground and keep his territories safe, retreating when they amassed ships and advancing when they departed to plunder other territories. It was a tug of war that was depleting their resources and yielding no results.

"Leave, I have nothing to discuss with you," said the old man as soon as Nirrti entered his room.

The old man was seated on a throne while his lo'taur served tea for him.

"Yu, do you support Korr? He is not a Goa'uld, he grovels before humans and begs for their worship. His Jaffa dare to call us false gods, and he is unwilling to follow our laws and traditions; he has brought a Harcesis before us," said Nirrti.

"Speaking ill of your opponents behind their backs does not make you or the one you serve more worthy of my respect," said Yu, dismissing all her words and making a disdainful gesture for her to leave.

Nirrti had to muster all her patience not to go up to the old man and strangle him with her own hands.

"Then, let's talk about our enemies. Threats that current Goa'uld choose to ignore and even submit to, like the Asgard," said Nirrti, hinting at a solution. Yu thought for a few seconds and indicated for her to sit down.

"The Asgard possess great power," said Yu.

"They are not beyond Anubis's reach. Even now, if we gather our fleets, the Asgard cannot harm us; their supposed power is false. They are in worse condition than us, and our fleets and armies are superior. They would be at our mercy if Korr had not dealt with them and intervened in their destruction," said Nirrti. Her words were only a suspicion of Anubis, but that was enough.

"Words," said Yu. Nirrti nodded; nevertheless, it was true.

"What about the Tollan? They have migrated to another planet, and we know they are collaborating with the Asgard and the Tok'ra. How many of ours have fallen into the hands of the Tok'ra?

"What about the humans? They also collaborate with the Tok'ra. Before his death at the hands of Korr, Apophis fell before them when he wanted to destroy their planet.

"We have more enemies, in human worlds that have escaped our dominion, in the territories of weak system lords who prefer to let threats grow rather than fight for our supremacy.

"Anubis offers us victory over these enemies, and as proof of his words, the Tollan will be one less threat once this meeting ends. Anubis has also set his plans in motion against the Tau'ri," said Nirrti.

"Such threats have always existed, and Anubis is now one of them," said Yu, refusing to listen to reason. Nirrti looked at him coldly.

"Korr is also a threat. Have you not seen how our laws do not matter to him? Why do you choose to ignore him?" Nirrti asked. "He is like the Tok'ra!" reprimanded Nirrti, when the old man only looked at her with indifference.

"No, Korr is a Goa'uld. And he follows the Goa'uld path by imposing his will by force. That is the Goa'uld tradition. Everything else is our own will. It is Anubis who shames us, with his stealthy attacks, acting in the shadows like the cowardly Tok'ra. He has no honor, and that means his will is weak, for a god who is not loyal to his own words lacks will, you follow a coward…"

Nirrti stood up, interrupting Yu's words.

"Old man, I will remember your words!" said Nirrti, and she turned on her heel to go deal with Ba'al.

…

Two hours later, the system lords returned to the meeting room, and this time, Nirrti took her place.

"Let's vote," said Korr.

Korr had no intention of giving political speeches or trying to convince or negotiate with anyone. There was no negotiation possible in his plans, and they would be fulfilled according to what he had established; anything that stood in the way would be removed.

"I vote against," said Korr.

"Anubis possesses great power and is willing to confront our enemies. I vote in favor," said Ba'al with a smile.

"Anubis is a coward, and his followers are too; he will only drag the name of the system lords. I vote against!" reprimanded Cronos, glaring angrily at Ba'al and Nirrti.

"I vote against," said Amaterasu without giving reasons.

"I vote in favor," said Kali.

"I vote against," said Camulus.

"I vote against," said Ares.

"I vote in favor," said Moloc.

"I vote in favor," said Bastet.

Korr knew that Anubis had already put to flight most of those who voted in favor; the rest were about to flee, so Anubis only had to grant them a reprieve to secure their votes, except for Ba'al, who had surely sold them out for some gains…

"I vote against," said Morrigan, interrupting Korr's thoughts, as he expected her to vote in favor, just like Ba'al had been bought.

"I vote against," said Yu, concluding the vote.

Cronos looked at Nirrti with a grim expression.

"Your head and Anubis's will still have a price," said Cronos, looking at Nirrti.

"Fools," said Nirrti and stood up to leave. Korr raised his hand when Cronos pretended to follow her.

"She is here because I have allowed it, and like all of you, she may leave in peace to her territory," Korr declared.

"Korr, as long as you cannot get rid of Anubis, I will not recognize your authority as the supreme lord," grunted Cronos, but he remained in his seat.

"That is reasonable," said Korr. "However, I demand to lead the forces of the System Lords against Anubis," he added.

"You do not possess the necessary experience to face Anubis," Yu objected.

"I disagree, for that is my main advantage. In contrast, Anubis already knows what to expect from each of you," Korr replied, and the rest of the system lords thought for a few seconds.

…

The meeting lasted three more days, and Korr ended up taking control of the fleet and resources of the system lords.

A couple of days later, Morrigan knelt before Anubis.

"My lord, why let Korr win the vote among the system lords?" asked Morrigan.

"Because then, betrayal will be a weapon we can wield against him at any time. He will never know who supports me, unless I decide otherwise," said Anubis, and Morrigan smiled in agreement.

Author's Note 1: In the next chapter, we will see how things unfold on Tollana.

Author's Note 2: For those who wondered why Korr doesn't store everyone in a matter-to-energy conversion device and save space in the cargo holds, you now have your answer.

NA 3: This has been a particularly difficult chapter to translate, because all the human replicators are mentioned, and every time it happens, you have to clarify to the GPT Chat that they are people and not numbers, or quantities. The sex of each person must also be clarified. On the other hand, Isis is mentioned, and that is a forbidden word for GPT Chat, not to mention the issue of the nightmare dream, since everything that is torture is taboo for GPT Chat. For all this, there may be more errors than usual in the translation, if you notice any, please let us know so we can correct them.