The conference chamber aboard the Asgard vessel Biliskner shimmered in silvery tones, its crystalline panels humming with soft power. Towering columns of luminescent quartz lined the walls, curving inward toward a dome etched with stars. At its centre stood a floating dais — a translucent disc held aloft by repulsor fields — upon which sat seven of the Asgard High Council. Wise, ancient beings with vast minds and serene expressions, they presided over Asgardian interstellar policy with meticulous precision.
Harry stood on the far end of the chamber, dressed in the standard-issue sleek black tactical suit. A stylised golden phoenix insignia gleamed on his left shoulder, the emblem of the Elysian fleet. The eight-pointed star insignia of the Elysium Federation was etched right above his chest. Next to him stood Captain Rivers, now head of the diplomatic mission and Elysian embassy in Cimmeria. They were directly beamed into the bridge of the Biliskner from Cimmeria. Only Thor was physically present at the conference from the Asgard side. The rest of the Asgardians were communicating from their home planet.
It had been a week since the Goa'uld attack on Cimmeria. The scars on the planet's surface were still visible from orbit. Entire forests turned to ash. Villages once protected by Thor's Hammer lay in ruins. Though the Asgard had managed to repel the invaders, the death toll had been staggering. Thousands of Cimmerians had perished under the initial assault of Her'ur.
It was the latest in a string of assaults that signalled a dangerous shift: the Goa'uld were growing bold again, testing the limits of the Protected Planets Treaty enforced by Asgard as they waged war amongst themselves in the absence of Ra.
A voice, smooth as silk yet resonant, spoke.
"You are welcome among us, Harry Potter of Elysium," said the Chief Archon of the Asgard High Council, Ygrun.
His large black eyes locked onto Harry's with thoughtful clarity.
"We are aware of your efforts in helping the Cimmerians recover from the Goa'uld attack."
Harry bowed slightly. "Thank you, Councillor. I come not only as a leader of Elysium, but as a friend to Cimmeria and a partner to Asgard. The Goa'uld's aggression must be checked. We are prepared to act together."
Another Asgard, Councillor Freyr, leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "You propose joint action — a patrol of contested systems, perhaps even the enforcement of a no-expansion doctrine within certain star clusters in the galaxy. Yet I understand Elysium's fleet is young and few. You have yet to reach parity with the Goa'uld Empire, and yet to possess the strength to outperform them with lesser numbers."
Harry exchanged a glance with Captain Rivers, then stepped forward.
"You are correct, Councillor Freyr. Elysium's starships are few. But we have what the Goa'uld do not — unity and the will to free the galaxy from their tyranny. Between the scientific advancements and the inherent genetic powers inherited by our civilisation, we've created cloaked outposts, safer and faster hyperspace lanes, and defensive grids on our allied planets. What we need now is a legitimate ally with enough power to collaborate across star systems. We can fight side by side to push the Goa'uld out of all their throne worlds."
Ygrun looked at him, then at Thor. The Asgard engaged in a silent communication with each other for a moment before they turned their attention on Harry.
"We have been informed you're the descendants of the Alterans. What can you tell us about this claim?" Thor asked from his seat.
"We are descendants of Merlin. You might know him by the name of Moros. He served as the High Counsellor of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy. He, along with many Alterans, returned from Pegasus to the Tau'ri homeworld to work on Ascension. Some managed to attain this state while others chose to settle in with the Tau'ri tribes on the planet."
"You believe Moros became your progenitor by coupling with the Tau'ri." Penegel asked sceptically.
"According to our records, Moros ascended, but he returned to his physical form when he realised he needed to help the galaxy acquire the tools to fight an ancient enemy should the need ever arise. For this reason, he created many failsafes. One of those failsafes happened to be the race of Magi, my people." Harry explained.
"Magi?" Assir, one of the Asgard counsellors, asked curiously.
"A Magi is a generic term we use to describe beings capable of using Ascended-level powers but not essentially crossing over the threshold to become a full-fledged Ascended being." Captain Rivers explained. "This includes the races like Elves, Dwarves, Merpeople, Sorcerers and many other races too many to invoke in this forum."
Harry showed the imagery of the different races, Captain Rivers mentioned, using the projector function on his crystal console for Asgard's benefit.
"You claim you have near-ascension powers." Counsellor Geir said sceptically.
"Yes." Harry said with an emphatic nod.
"Can you demonstrate?" Geir requested.
Harry raised the palm of his hand before the Asgard's High Council and summoned a torrent of fire without any aid of technology. The red-hot flames swirled above his head until, with a thought, he transformed the fire into water. A flick of his wrist made the water converge above his head into a solid sphere of ice. Then, with a snap of his finger, he blasted away the ice into tiny shards with a concentrated blast of destructive energy.
"The dominance over the elements is the most basic power we have in our arsenal." Harry said while his fingers sparkled with electric arcs jumping between his fingers.
He was laying it on a bit thick, considering most wizards and witches never mastered elemental magic. The magical creatures were in the same boat, except for a few with a natural affinity towards a particular element. But this was flashy enough to get the point across to the Asgardians.
Besides, he was here to impress the Asgard High Council into considering an alliance with the Elysian Federation. So, a little showmanship was warranted.
If the Asgard's High Council was impressed or surprised, they didn't show it. So, Harry picked up the conversation.
"We can't allow the Goa'uld Empire to go unchecked." Harry said. "I'm not here to beg for aid, nor am I advocating for an immediate war. Elysium has resources, warriors, and the will to fight, but we are also pragmatic enough to see that our goals will take time to achieve fruition."
"We offer our technology and power to help better protect the planets already under the Protected Planets Treaty. We can help build defence grids to not just help protect planets but also safeguard hyperspace lanes. If we stand alone, we all lose. But if we unite, we can isolate Goa'uld-controlled systems, disrupt their supply lines during infighting, diminish their military capacity and protect what remains of free space."
For a moment, silence reigned in the chamber.
Then Ygrun extended a spindly hand. A three-dimensional holographic projection appeared in midair — a starchart. Dozens of planets flickered red. Goa'uld-held systems. Others glowed green — Asgard protectorates. The Cimmerian system pulsed yellow.
"Let us speak of mutual interests," Chief Archon Ygrun said. "We propose the formation of an Accord: a joint fleet staffed by Elysians and Asgard. Patrol routes will be shared. Stargate access protocols will be updated. Elysium will be given access to Asgard deep-space sensor networks, and we will, in turn, gain access to Elysian communications and intelligence."
Harry carefully considered the proposal in his mind before nodding. Intelligence sharing and combined patrols of certain star systems were doable in his book.
"The Asgard cannot risk our technology falling into Goa'uld hands. So, we shall hold back on sharing any military technology with Elysium until mutual trust is established." Penegal added.
Harry nodded.
"Agreed."
Freyr looked to his fellow counsellors.
"This alliance must also enshrine defence guarantees for Cimmeria. They are not soldiers. They believed in the protection of Thor. They must not suffer again." Freyr said.
Ygrun's eyes softened as much as an Asgard could given the circumstances.
"We shall rebuild Cimmeria. Construction vessels will be dispatched today." Ygrun promised.
"Elysium also shall help in reconstructing the lost homes of the Cimmerians. We have already supplied them with a year's worth of sustenance. Our diplomatic mission based out of the embassy in Cimmeria shall work closely with the people here to rebuild their society and heal the wounds of invasion." Harry parroted the word-for-word statement crafted by his very capable staff.
"We also request permission for Elysium's Expeditionary Force to establish a forward base near the Cimmerian moon. It will serve as a logistics point for defence and relief. We were hoping the Asgard might be interested in this venture. It'll serve as a learning experience for both our peoples." Captain Rivers suggested.
"Granted, so long as the Cimmerians are informed and are in agreement." Thor said. "But do not use this base to deploy your military assets to attack the Goa'uld Empire. The Goa'uld must be drawn into the fight at a later time when we're both ready, not provoked blindly. They test the ambit of the treaty every time, and we know it's flawed, but this is the best we can do now, given the problems we face in our home galaxy."
"If you do not mind me asking, what has threatened Asgard enough to inhibit your ability to project power in this galaxy?" Captain Rivers asked.
"We face a self-replicating machine race called the Replicators. They absorb energy and matter to self-replicate infinitely. They're a plague that sweeps life away by consuming all resources." Thor explained.
"We have been at war with the Replicators for thousands of years, diminishing our capacity to keep the Goa'uld at bay." Freyr admitted.
"So, till now, you've been duping the Goa'uld into thinking the Asgard fleet can decimate them, but choose not to." Captain Rivers said with a look of understanding.
"That's correct. Until we achieve a significant advantage over the Replicators, the Goa'uld must never find out the truth. This is why we enforce the Treaty despite our conscience rails against the unjust suffering of people under Goa'uld tyranny." Thor explained.
"We can promise we'll only deploy defensive military assets on this joint venture between Asgard and Elysium." Harry gave his word.
The chamber dimmed slightly as the star map zoomed out, revealing an entire spiral arm of the galaxy. The reach of the Goa'uld territory was spreading like a shadow. But now, where it once encroached unchecked, the territories were in a flux thanks to civil war within the Goa'uld Empire.
Ygrun turned to Harry once more. "You carry with you the promise of your planet's future. If you betray this trust, the Cimmeria Accord will be void. But if you hold firm and persevere... we may yet reshape the stars."
The chamber lights brightened again. The audience was over. Harry and Captain Rivers were beamed back to Cimmeria, but not before they extended an invitation to Asgard to visit Elysium.
As they exited the chamber, Captain Rivers leaned closer to him. "That went well."
Harry gave him a tight smile.
"I hope so. Because we've just declared ourselves protectors of this corner of the galaxy. And I don't think the Goa'uld are going to take it quietly when they find out a new enemy is building strength while they were weakening themselves in their civil war."
"Then, it'll be imperative to be prepared for the time when the Goa'uld learns of our existence."
"Indeed." Harry said with a thoughtful frown.
******
The next couple of days were a hectic time in Elysium. Harry had to inform the High Council of the meeting with Asgard's High Council and the tentative agreement he struck with them. A formal treaty would only be ratified after the Asgard delegation's visit, and the nuances were discussed and written down in legal terms. To that end, the bureaucrats in Elysium were working day and night to draft a formal treaty. There were multiple focus groups in charge of drafting the language of the treaty to ensure certain interests of Elysium are upheld in the draft document.
While this was going on, Harry was focused on another important project.
A vacuum was now left in the fleet due to a lack of trained personnel. The rapid pace of shipbuilding capacity, augmented by revitalised supply chains and the industrial capacity of Svoriin, produced more ships but no trained crew. The signs of Perenelle's earlier stupid policy of stopping recruitment of muggles from Earth's militaries was biting them in the arse. The High Council had reversed that idiotic policy and reinstated the recruitment process anew, but it was too late to man the newly constructed Avalonian.
The Avalonian was the third Merlin-class dreadnought. He barely had the experienced men to man the Hammerhead. Now, he got word from the shipyards of Zoria and Svoriin that two cruisers were flight-ready.
In the coming weeks, Harry expected more cruisers and dreadnoughts to be finished, but with no trained troops to man the stations aboard those ships.
The need for accelerated training became a pressing necessity. Unfortunately, it was not as simple as using the data crystals to transfer information. The fleet officers need flight experience, train their muscle memory under some testing conditions, develop their critical thinking, and teach them the established doctrine of starship warfare.
It was a bit of a conundrum, one that he shared with Daphne when she had time to call.
"So, you have outpaced yourself by building more ships than Elysium needed. I knew a time when we worried we could ever build one properly." she said after he shared his woes with her.
"I remember that well." Harry said with a smile.
"Fortunately, I have a solution." Daphne said with a wink.
"You have." Harry sat up straight in surprise, seeing the smug smile on his betrothed's face.
"You're not the only one with the mastery of runes." Daphne said proudly, flicking her golden locks behind her shoulders. "I developed a new rune matrix building on our work with the memory projector stone we made last year."
On the screen, he saw an uploaded file with the rune combination Daphne created.
"I have taken some inspiration from the data crystals you have us use. My rune matrix should impart instinctual feelings into the body, provided the memory transfer is a smooth process."
"You tested this?" Harry asked eagerly while he speedread through the lines of runes Daphne used.
"Not yet. I was looking for a way to test it and see whether there are any flaws and room for improvement."
Harry looked at the rune script and then at Daphne's projected image.
"Do you still want to get out of Hogwarts and work here?" Harry asked suddenly.
"You know I do. I don't like us to remain separated, but my father insists on finishing the NEWTs so…" Daphne shrugged with a huff.
"Say I can facilitate a research lab which allows you to work on this special project without compromising your studies in Hogwarts…"
"I'd jump at the opportunity. If I could get to see you more often, then all the better." Daphne said immediately, not waiting for Harry to finish.
"Well, I'll see what I can do."
Though he was quick to broker an arrangement with McGonagall that allowed Daphne to work in Elysium on the weekends on the project, he was unavailable to pursue it as his attention was required elsewhere.
******
"Are we sure that MALP was properly working when we sent it over?" O'Neill asked with a long-suffering sigh.
"It was working perfectly, sir. The probe relayed to us the imagery of a magnificent city from the other side." Sam said for the umpteenth time.
"Well, if it was working perfectly, how did we end up here?" O'Neill asked, jabbing his thumb at the darkness that surrounded them, not that anyone saw his action.
Everything was dark around them the moment they stepped out of the stargate. The only thing they could feel was each other and the floor beneath them.
"Where exactly is here?" Teal'c asked gruffly.
"An important question." Jack nodded at his friend's general direction before looking expectantly at Sam and Daniel, or at least he assumed he was, since he couldn't see anything.
"It's not the 'where' that is bugging me at the moment. It's the 'how'." said Daniel, his eyebrows scrunched together as he assessed the situation.
"I'm bugged both ways," O'Neill helpfully added, "the 'where' and the 'how'."
Sam and Daniel only rolled their eyes at the usual sass from their leader.
"This is undoubtedly some form of advanced technology, sir." Sam said, though for the life of her, she couldn't wrap her head around how it was possible.
At the moment, she was shooting debris, but something was better than nothing. Eerie silence and the impenetrable darkness were creeping her out.
To prove her point, she switched on a mini torchlight. For a second, it provided light, but the light was snatched away from the torch immediately, and they were plunged back into darkness. It was the same as before. When they were plunged into this unnatural darkness, they tried to switch on lights, but somehow their devices were shut down.
"See. It has to be an automated EMP defence mechanism, sir. Our weapons might've been removed using some form of targeted electromagnetic device. We might be dealing with an advanced civilisation." Sam's eyes lit up with excitement as she formulated her opinion.
"I agree." Teal'c said sharply. "I felt an overwhelming force take hold of my staff once we exited the stargate."
"Could they be one of those infernal snakes?" Jack asked.
"I don't think so. They've so far not harmed us. I believe these people are observing us, studying us, whether we are threats to their world." Daniel said with a hopeful undertone present in his words.
Daniel was not confident of this theory, but he could hope.
"You think they might be friendly?" Sam asked hopefully.
The entire point of the stargate program was to gather resources, technology and find allies to cooperate against the Goa'uld. Having a friendly, advanced civilisation willing to engage with them in any form was a great boost to the stargate program.
"They took my rifle and my sidearm. If these folks so much as nick it, I'm not sending them Christmas cards, friendly or not." O'Neill huffed.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated their surroundings, forcing SG1 to shield their eyes. When the light cleared, they were sitting inside a large hall with bright light pouring down from the roof.
"What the hell?" Jack muttered as he looked around.
The stargate they walked through was nowhere to be seen, and the city they came to was also not in sight. Instead, they were in some large hall which was squeaky clean. Gleaming white tiles covered the entire hall, top to bottom.
"Is anyone here? Can you understand us?" Daniel shouted, but the hall remained eerily silent.
"Look, we're not here to harm you. We are explorers seeking friendship." Sam shouted, but still there was no response.
"I'm really starting to dislike these folks." Jack muttered.
"That's a shame."
The voice came from behind them, making all four of them jump in fright. When they turned around, they found a gruff man standing behind them with striking blue eyes and a red beard.
"Here I thought we were going to be closely acquainted."