Chapter 38

  Early the next morning, Amos summoned Freyr, Reva, and Sha’re to the open-air terrace at the eastern pier of the city. The Asgard had set up a quaint little eatery there, and the crew of the Skidbladnir was bustling about, enjoying their meals and plotting their next moves.

  “Where do we head next?” Freyr inquired, gazing out at the water.

  “We need to make contact with the Tok'ra. Apophis has always loathed them, and they’ve been known to plant spies among his ranks,” Sha’re replied, savoring her matcha latte with a thoughtful sip.

  “Wait just a minute,” Amos interjected, nearly sputtering on his chicken and waffles. “You can't just reach out to the Tok'ra like that. We need to tread carefully. SG-1 tried to contact them the first time and ended up caught in an ambush, almost landing themselves in a prison cell. If we show up empty-handed at their base, we risk getting locked up—or worse.”

  “What if we approached the leader of the Tok'ra directly instead?” Reva suggested, her eyes scanning the SGC mission reports spread across the table.

  Amos looked over onto Reva’s screen and saw a file on the industrial world of Pangar.

  “Holy shit, Reva you are brilliant!” blurted Amos. “I had almost forgotten that SG-1 found the Queen on the Tok'ra about a year from now, but she died soon afterwards because the Pangarans tortured her in order to make Tretonin.”

  “What is Tretonin?” asked Sha’re.

  “Tretonin is a drug that Pangarans use to live in perfect health. Honestly, if your new medical nanites would have failed, Tretonin would have been our next best option at keeping you alive. In the future, Dr. Frazier of Stargate Command, along with a team of Tok'ra scientists, develop a new type of Tretonin that frees the Jaffa from the need of a symbiote. If we go to Pangar we should get a sample of Tretonin as well; maybe we might be able to add it to our new medical nanite technology to make a better version for the Jaffa.

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  “Having the Queen of the Tok'ra as an ally would be an extreme asset to the Lantean Commonwealth,” stated Freyr, eating his own Asgard prepared meal of triangles, circles and squares.

  “If we have her on our side we should have no problem getting the Tok'ra to join the Commonwealth,” added Sha’re.

  “You’re right!” Amos agreed, finishing up his plate. “We need to be careful dealing with the Pangarans though, getting Queen Egeria won’t be easy. We’ll have to think of a way to swipe the Queen, while still recruiting them as members of the Commonwealth. Still, our next destination regardless should be Pangar.”

  “Wait, before we leave I have something to give everyone,” said Reva.

  Reva printed four badges and made in the likeness of the 9th chevron as well as four sets of wrist matter converters.

  “Here you go,” she said. “These are our new badges as well as your own set of matter conversion bracelets. Each badge has its own holographic emitter and a subspace communicator. The holographic emitter can also serve as a portable DHD and in conjunction with our nanites could serve as a miniature quantum computer. Oh, and one more thing, the badges have a built in personal shield, the same personal shields created by the Ancients. No energy or kinetic weapons should harm you as long as the badge is on.

  Reva had done it. She made the badges foreshadowed in Amos’s dream. Something moved Amos that the mystery of the woman with scarlett hair would soon be solved as well.

  After the crew of the Skidbladnir finished up their meal, and put on their new bracelet synthesizers and holobadges, they made their way back to the ship which was docked comfortably on the eastern pier.

  As they boarded the ship, Amos could spot Karlan running up to them carrying a large bag wearing a red Commonwealth uniform.

  “Wait! Wait!” screamed Karlan. Amos, Freyr and the rest of the crew was taken aback by Karlan running towards them with his life possessions in hand.

  Amos exited the ship’s boarding ramp and walked over to Karlan who was clearly out of breath.

  “Woah, Karlan, what’s the matter bro, slow down and catch your breath,” said Amos, a cautious inflection in his tone.

  Karlan hunched over with his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

  “Amos… I want to come with you,” begged the exhausted Karlan.

  Amos felt the excitement ripple through the crew as their numbers swelled. With Karlan joining their ranks, the crew of the Skidbladnir would reach five. It seemed undeniable that Karlan would bring immense value; he had demonstrated his capabilities on Orban where he led his people with conviction. His ability to connect with influential leaders was a skill that could open doors for them—a vital asset on this journey.

  “Absolutely. We’re thrilled to have you with us,” Amos declared, extending a warm welcome to the Orbanian leader as he stepped aboard their ship.

  Amos and Karlan strode confidently onto the bridge of the Skidbladnir. With a nod, Amos announced to the crew that they would be gaining a new member. Meanwhile, Karlan settled his belongings in one of the spare cabins on Freyr’s vessel. Once he was ready, the group reconvened on the bridge, united in their mission to strategize their upcoming venture to Pangar.