Imotekh stood at the training ground, watching his cohort hone their skills in anticipation of another battle. The Master had set them a daunting task—mastering new weaponry. He sought to conquer the planet not through brute force, but through cunning and the gradual weakening of his opponents. A tactic borrowed from his divine ancestor, Ra, but aimed not at lesser gods, but at a planet inhabited by slaves. However, the planet had reached a high level of development, and the Master lacked the forces to immediately subjugate it. Therefore, he intended to create slave cells who, fighting for him, would weaken powerful states. In light of this, the Jaffa were not to stand out by resorting to unusual weaponry.
Bullet weapons, while superior to staves in rate of fire and range, still had a voracious appetite for ammunition, devouring it at an alarming rate. In just one routine training session, they expended several tons of ammunition, and some fighters' weapons even overheated and melted. Despite these shortcomings, Imotekh preferred long-range plasma cannons to rapid-fire submachine guns and machine guns. After all, killing a single intelligent enemy often required expending too many rounds. It was far more effective to get in close and incinerate the enemy with plasma blasts. But for now, they had to pretend, so they trained.
The cohort's primary armament consisted of machine guns. Their weight was insignificant, and the built-in aiming system allowed for accurate fire, literally handheld. The main problem remained ammunition—its consumption was enormous, requiring constant reloading.
During tactical exercises, they studied the British plan for conquering "Kenya." With extensive experience managing slave worlds, Imotekh could confidently say that their methods were woefully ineffective. However, he had no intention of lecturing the "British," merely intending to exploit their miscalculations for his own ends. The first attack was to destroy their atmospheric craft. Security was insufficient, and a quick attack in vehicles nicknamed "jeeps" would provide the necessary maneuverability. They had explosives at their disposal, which were to be placed in vulnerable parts of the aircraft. Firing with machine guns would take too long. The second objective, preferably simultaneous with the first, was the elimination of the high command. Then the foolish subordinates would dart about like headless hens. The third was to cut the rail link between "Mombasa" and "Nairobi." The fourth was a simultaneous advance of motorized groups across the entire northern and eastern parts of the country. The reasons? Mountains, deserts, and highlands with sparse populations, where there would be no prying eyes to report an attack. Supplies would be delivered at night by teltaks.
Luring British army units away from the slave population would allow for more open attacks, using grenade launchers, mines, and other weapons. Deprived of air support, the British would be vulnerable. They had to act quickly, as they could bring in reinforcements from other colonies. The operation had to be swift, well-planned, and merciless. These were the demands of his god, and Imotekh intended to fulfill them.
Many commanders in his cohort proposed various attack options. Kenya's population was only five million, making it a relatively minor factor. Given Pharaoh Szarekh's penchant for personally engaging in battle, Imotekh suggested focusing on eliminating the army's high-ranking officers. Other suggestions included attacks on ammunition, fuel, and equipment depots. Each group would act as a single unit, maintaining contact with the others. At night, using teltaks, they would reach their starting positions and, on signal, attack from multiple directions, presenting a spectacle worthy of Jaffa warriors.
While the First Cohort prepared for battle, the Second Cohort trained the Spartans of the First Legion. Imotekh hadn't heard such a torrent of choice abuse, from both men and women, in a long time. The fair sex was particularly indignant. And rightly so. The Spartan women were weak, managing slaves, squabbling all day over some laws, while the slaves did all their work. Of course, this lifestyle weakened them. Although the Spartans, thanks to their nanites, were strong, they complained about the rigorous training. The Jaffa women didn't understand their complaints, as the training was gradual, starting with the basics. They didn't have to shoot upside down, dangling in the air while the target moved. It was just running, push-ups, shooting, swimming rivers, climbing mountains, and so on. Nothing out of the ordinary.
In fact, Imotekh understood the Spartans in a way. However, he was simply accustomed to training eighteen hours a day, training others and making himself and them the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy, capable of conquering hundreds of worlds if necessary. And his mood soured after the Spartans' arrival, because despite the fact that the military forces were highly elite, and the Jaffa instructors' council was already planning to revise many of the training standards, the Spartans arrived and upended everything. Now Szarekh's troops had to bring these "improved" soldiers up to par. It would take them at least a year and a half of eighteen-hour daily training to reach the level of a normal warrior. Some Spartans proved too stupid, and their women were overly fussy.
We need to be tougher with them.
***
"How are you?" Isara asked Egeria.
"Thank you, much better," she replied. "We had some free time, and we decided to spend it here together. Egeria is currently spawning, so to speak. Why is Evgenia so irritated? Giving birth to hundreds of Goa'uld larvae probably isn't the most pleasant experience. Plus, the queen ate enough for four."
"I told you I found Seth. Now there's hemp from Sekhmet somewhere, so we have to invest in finding Nazi war criminals just to keep them company."
- Yes, you already mentioned that.
"Eh..." "It seems I've really started repeating myself, but what can I do? Are there any other options?" "I heard Camelot wanted to join the Tetrarchy?"
"Yes, the fact that you didn't shoot anyone with the intar, defeated the knight, and recovered the bodies of their fallen heroes had a profound effect on them, as did the benefits of trading. So congratulations on acquiring another planet, and this time, for a change, peacefully."
"Darling, you're being too sarcastic. It's probably because of the paperwork; it's all in English." A nasty glare pierced me. Yes, that was a problem. Aegis spoke Greek, Urvashi spoke Goa'uldish, Pangar also spoke Goa'uldish, the Tollans spoke their own language, the Land of Light spoke Minoan, and the Treaty Planets spoke Asgardian. While the Gate's built-in translator allowed us to speak different languages, the paperwork... The automatic translator saves the day, but not always. "I didn't invent so many languages."
"I understand that. If you're interested, within ten years, all planets will experience peak food production and enter the industrial age."
— Although there will be no famine, this will allow us to achieve greater results as a result of expansion.
"Are you so keen to expand?" Egeria asked me.
"Actually, it's more a question of labor resources than a blind desire for conquest. Because I have modern mining equipment, I don't even notice Ra's taxes. And by Goa'uld standards, they must be significant, and I'd have to kill almost all the slaves in the mines. The more industrial planets, the more resources. Capable of building a decent fleet. I already receive naquadah from seven planets."
— Congratulations on your lordship.
- What?
"A simple, minor lord can't have seven planets with naquadah, especially with the rate at which you're mining. If I understand correctly, Ra was initially taking 60% of your naquadah, but now he's taking 80%, or rather, he thinks he has. Have you noticed the decline?"
— I give at most 5-6% from Urvashi alone.
"But there's also Geopolis and Icarus, which you and the Tollans are developing together. They give up 35% of their output, but your mining crews also produce. So, your output is comparable to that of a lord or senior lord, who has more planets, slaves, and governors. However, no Imperial governor can match Isara's skills. Without her, you'd have nothing."
"As if I don't know," I say, smiling warmly at my wife. "On the other hand, I haven't been sitting still either..."
- That's what's scary.
"And I acquired a fleet and a station. And also technologies that gave my subjects absolute health, and many other useful technologies. Theoretically, Pelops had technologies that allowed him to implant foreign knowledge into a person. True, it was more about language and social skills, but still."
"Please don't tell me you're going to create thousands of specialists this way," Egeria said.
"Do I look crazy?" The women fell silent awkwardly. "Okay, yes, from the Goa'uld's perspective, I am crazy, but research is more than just implanting knowledge. It's experience. School allows you to think, analyze information, accept it or reject it. You can't just create an engineer or a physicist with a single button. You can create artisans... or soldiers."
- Definitely Jaffa, you use this on them?
— Yes, I don't feel sorry for them... That is, I feel sorry for them as a useful resource that the planets mine for me.
"We understand," Isara said. "Are you planning to implant knowledge into the new recruits? For example, glider control techniques, so all your troops could become pilots."
— As an example. And also the implantation of new tactics, new skills, for example, for operating equipment, and so on. This can be used for military purposes.
— If you scan the mind of that same Imotekh and implant the necessary memories into each of your Jaffa.
We all shuddered collectively. Imotekh, despite his age, was frighteningly competent. And yet he had yet to meet my new addition, Adrian de Wiart. He was undergoing cybernetic enhancement on Altair, and despite my telling him not to agree to any of Harlan's proposals, he was considering the possibility of having an android brother who would be as passionate about war as he was.
"Tactics aren't everything; the ability to use them is also important. Therefore, we will need to organize the extraction of data from the minds of distinguished World War II soldiers and implant their combat experience into my soldiers."
"Like me?" asked Evgenia, who had taken control.
"Yes. Soldiers repeat past mistakes time and time again, just like their generals, losing precious lives trying to learn to fight in a new way. A book, exercises—they're all different from personal experience, and something like that, albeit indirectly, provides significant personal experience. Ultimately, each soldier becomes a library of war, with a vast selection of available tactics."
— Won't they have brain overload?
"It shouldn't be. Plus, I won't be updating every day. You're right about everyone needing to be able to fly gliders; we can create a significant reserve of pilots in case of losses. By the way, I'm finally making some use of the fleet; it's just eating up rations. I've planned the Great Codification for the next few months. Essentially, it's a process where every stellar object in this system must be described and classified. Asteroids will be scanned, and each one will be tagged. Instead of rockets, gliders will be equipped with special installations that will attach to the asteroid and transmit information about its mineral wealth. Or lack thereof."
— Quite ambitious. Are you looking for something?
"Asteroids with naquadah, and there should be some here. Or any naquadah deposits on the moons or elsewhere. I need to figure out what resources I have. I need to prepare for the construction of orbital shipyards where the Hattaki will be manufactured, as well as ground shipyards for the Alkesh and Teltaks. Not to mention fighters. I'm preparing to turn Urawashi into an industrial world where my fleet will be built."
— There are still a huge number of preparations that need to be made.
"That's why this is a strategic plan, not a 'what we'll do tomorrow' plan. I'm not the best administrator, but I'm not stupid either. Right now, the naquadah is accumulating in storage and should be used during ship construction. Hiding under the name of Pelops, I'll be able to place small orders with Kronos for the necessary equipment, but they're just that: small. Pelops is famous for being a recluse, and orders can be placed remotely."
"There's one more problem," Isara said. "You need a proper residence. And I already understand that you're comfortable in a one-room apartment, but that's a matter of prestige."
"Okay, let's build the palace on a vacant site, moving the bureaucratic apparatus away from the people," I agreed with this proposal. "Thanks to the teleportation rings, we can create a relatively isolated bureaucratic paradise that will function without interfering with everyone else's work. Plus, I think it will make construction cheaper, since we won't be buying land from people at high prices to locate all the buildings in the 'center,' but will essentially build a quasi-city for bureaucrats."
"Should I talk to the architects?" Isara asked.
"No, you have too much work to do. Perhaps I'll take care of it; it'll alleviate my boredom. Naturally, the architecture should be based on pyramids—a defining characteristic of the race, so to speak. An architectural ensemble with a central pyramid at the center, and smaller pyramid-shaped structures radiating out from it, and parks—don't forget."
"He wasn't an architect, was he?" Egeria asked Isaru quietly.
— I'm surprised myself.
"Hey, I'm an engineer, architects and I are cousins. True, they're also related to artists."
Of course, I employ professional architects, but only to give existing structures a new look. I experiment with their placement, shape, and add decorative elements. Nothing flashy—just simple pyramids with elegant variations, advanced technology complexes for monitoring officials, and, of course, hidden laboratories that could house artifacts like Merlin's computer or Pelops's nanite research. Essentially, I can create a self-contained complex, connected by a private teleportation ring and protected by a powerful defense system.
My plans required future research centers, and I couldn't think of a better place than a bureaucratic apparatus isolated from the outside world. After all, in just ten years, there would be a multitude of Goa'uld scientists who could be directed toward various projects: from creating nanites for technology to improving reactors and weapons. I instructed Egeria that at least a third of the newly converted Goa'uld become scientists, a third administrators and teachers, and the remaining third soldiers. Soon I would have twenty-five thousand scientists, but where would I find so many hosts for them?
However, that's a concern for my future self. Right now, I'm developing a plasma sniper rifle for a new class of troops—Jaffa snipers. No additional weapons like those found on staffs, no massive protective petals—just a classic design with multiple energy sources. One holds and forms the plasma bolt, while the second creates a magnetic field around it. Such a rifle is more expensive than standard plasma weapons due to the use of non-standard materials, and it can't be constantly slammed against the floor like a spear. Of course, it's a combat weapon, not fragile, but excessive handling can damage it. The effective range is 300-400 meters, although the reload time is about a second and a half. On the other hand, the snipers' job is to eliminate gun operators and officers and sow panic among the enemy ranks, especially at night.
"How is the development of tretonin progressing?" I asked Egeria.
"I'm a little busy with other matters, but yes, I'm thinking about it," the queen replied. "The research is ongoing, and I think it will be completed in a few years. But how will you explain this to your Jaffa?"
"I will say that I have no queen, but I am a merciful god, and my problems should not concern my subjects."
"Work on it some more," the Tok'ra suggested.
My other solution is to retrieve the gate from Pelops's domain, specifically from the volcano planet, and send it back to my domain using a repaired alkesh. This will take some time, approximately 7-8 months. I need the gate to load it onto a ha'tak and send it to Ploklarush Taonas. Its functionality will allow me to quickly evacuate my most valuable resource—the MNT—without having to transport it halfway across the galaxy. This would require bypassing Goa'uld territory, turning the mission into a two-year undertaking. The outpost itself would have to be evacuated by the same ha'tak in the opposite direction. The presence of such a weapon could be the final argument, but I don't yet have an operator, which is a significant disadvantage. The expedition itself is quite dangerous; I could entrust it to the Asgard, but in this case, I must handle it myself.
But I could hand over the Ancients' knowledge repository to the Asgard, although I'd have to quickly find the right planet by brute force. Do I feel bad about handing over the Ancients' knowledge to the Asgard? I do. But let's be honest, it's practically impossible for me to obtain it. I need an Ancient for that. Of course, I could try to find Ayana or Merlin, but it's essentially pointless as long as I'm a Goa'uld. They'll react to me just like the Asgard, who, by the way, had a hard time digesting the knowledge of such an advanced race. This knowledge will be useful to them against the Replicators. And I'll need what they can give me in return. I should start making a list. Oh yeah, a simple drone like a quadcopter would be enough for such a search. If it's not just an empty box, then it's worth it. Maybe I'll find something with a cursory inspection. And I'll smash the drone into a tree or blow it up. True, I should constantly check the list of Goa'uld worlds and not send such primitive scouts there. I think I can handle it in a day or two, maybe even faster—the main thing is to have plenty of quadcopters.