A Hydra agent was deployed to the planet Vorsini by order of Szarekh. Following secret orders, other planets in the vicinity of Ashen Prime, which had been assigned the highest threat level, exceeding even the God'uld threat, were searched. The agent's task was to find evidence of the information provided by Szarekh and transmit it to their allies.
Urvashi's intelligence service, though distinguished by its multifaceted capabilities, kept its true objective secret even from the highest echelons. This objective was the overthrow of all system Lords. Unlike the early Tok'ra, Hydra operated through agents implanted among the God'uld human slaves, possessing extensive knowledge. However, out of caution, operational symbionts were deployed only in exceptional cases: when the state's existence was threatened or for in-depth study of the population by infiltrating their environment.
A typical example of such an implantation would be Earth, but it would require the implantation of a symbiont, which was never the preferred option for the children of Egeria. Suppressing a person's personality was contrary to the entire philosophy of the Tok'ra, and therefore this method of implantation was only justified in exceptional circumstances.
Intelligence established that the Aschen were extremely cautious and did not seek active interstellar expansion. This allowed them to discover planets within their Confederation, particularly Vorsini. The planet's inhabitants primarily used it for agriculture, which, from the agent's perspective, was irrational given the potential for food synthesis. Using specialized equipment, the agent infiltrated one of the combines, continuously scanning the area.
The planet's security system was average, but the Aschen, like many other civilizations, allowed for vulnerabilities in surveillance systems by neglecting restrooms. If the installation of cameras raised concerns, three-dimensional echographic imaging was an option. However, restrooms remained invariably vulnerable. The agent, of course, possessed a stealth system, which was currently a relic of Urvashi. Thus, after a successful infiltration, the Hydra agent's host would simply abandon the location. Separation from the host was extremely unpleasant, but necessary for the mission.
A man in a gray suit entered the restroom, greatly irritating the agent. After waiting for the man to finish his business, the agent swiftly attacked him, applying a quick choke hold, then opened his mouth and advanced on his target.
The symbiont transferred to a new body, while the previous host, having placed the body in the cabin, disappeared. This certainly posed a certain risk, but it was carefully calculated and well-thought-out. Szarekh needed knowledge of the Aschen, as he had information about their absolute threat. The agent had to confirm or deny this information.
A fully grown, fully functional God'uld, with the appropriate training and knowledge of working with the human mind, was capable of quickly subduing any human. Therefore, symbionts using cloned bodies were unsuitable for this mission. Three minutes later, the man's eyes lit up, he stood up, adjusted his suit, and headed to the control room.
"You've been there a long time," said the colleague.
"That's right, there were some difficulties," the agent replied emotionlessly.
"Take your medicine, a decrease in productivity is unacceptable."
"Right".
The Hydra agent suppressed the consciousness of its unwitting host, but still utilized its knowledge. The host possessed extensive mental discipline, like the symbionts in Urvashi's service. Perhaps Szarekh truly could be called a "god of training." The amount of training was extraordinary. To prevent the Jaffa from noticing his alliance with the Tok'ra, Szarekh transformed them into a powerful army. Intelligence agents trained with the same rigor. Hydra had access to Egeria's own memories, as well as to scenarios played out on Earth during their bloodiest war. Agents of the Abwehr and NKVD (as well as MI6) generously shared their knowledge without even realizing it.
After several hours of work and memory analysis, the agent could confidently declare: the threat was confirmed. Szareh was right. The Aschen threat level was Absolute. He would continue his infiltration, but Egeria, Szareh, and Isara needed to be aware of this threat.
The Aschen were truly terrifying; imitating them would be extremely difficult, surpassing even the God'uld. However, an agent could manage; all he had to do was avoid displaying strong emotions. Hydra agents mastered this skill to perfection, much like the Lernaean Hydra, after which they were named. They possessed colossal patience, as well as sophisticated networks of agents whose members were unaware of each other, eliminating the impact of one agent's death on the others. The first thing all agents learned was to create intelligence networks. They did this almost instinctively and loved their networks so much that no one knew their true size. Thanks to the partial autonomy of each task force, agents did not communicate even within the same planet. Thus, the exposure of one cell would not damage the entire network. Overall, viewed from above, the system seemed unnecessarily complex, yet extremely effective.