The colossal palace of Ra, monumental and majestic, greeted me with its grandeur. Khepri, Ra's capital planet, was strikingly different from other Goa'uld holdings: it was an impenetrable fortress. Its shielded gates led to a distant continent, and the planet itself was guarded by three Hasar-class cruisers and a mighty fleet. I assumed the population reached a billion souls, though I never bothered to check. The shipyards here worked at a furious pace, churning out ships; the Goa'uld population on the planet was simply abnormal—it was a center of Imperial power, just like the palace itself, protected by sophisticated scanners and shields. I spent some time here before escaping, and I can say that this planet was quite vibrant. Every aspect of society was dedicated to the worship of Ra. Millions of farmers prepared food, millions mined naquadah, millions more built ships, and countless legions of artisans provided them with everything they needed.
At the gates, I was scanned down to the smallest detail, thoroughly searched, including the belongings I'd brought with me, and everything was immediately confiscated. Then, once inside the palace, I was subjected to another thorough search with all manner of scanners. All the while, I was constantly accompanied by the Falcon Guard, whose gazes made it clear: make a false move, and you'll be shot.
"You are expected, little lord Szarekh," said one of the Jaffa without removing his helmet.
I was led to a colossal door, which creaked open. Considering it was five stories high, it was clear that antigravity technology was employed. The throne room was striking in its opulence: gold, sapphires, rubies, and other precious stones, skillfully cut, adorned it everywhere. The marble floor, carved stone bas-reliefs, and a gigantic crystal chandelier—all of it testified to unimaginable wealth. If I were asked how much treasure lay here, I would say roughly the entire gold and foreign exchange reserves of the Earth. Perhaps seventeen thousand tons of gold, maybe more. But the opulence that reigned here fully justified my assumption of Ra's love of abundance. The Goa'uld are arrogant creatures, and the Supreme Overlord must be ten times arrogant than anyone else.
Over five hundred Goa'uld were already assembled in the hall, not counting the Falcon Guard and servants. The House of Ra was quite numerous, not to mention the fact that Heruura, a full-fledged System Lord, was counted among its assets. Anyone who opposed Ra always had to consider Heruura's presence. Ra and Heruura, two close allies, even members of the same family, shared the same elite troops. Why then hadn't Apophis been defeated yet, if two powerful enemies were pitted against him? It was all a matter of a complex system of alliances: Heruura, as an ally of Ra, sent reinforcements to his father for the war against Apophis, but Heruura himself was at war with Kronos, while Ra was not waging war against Kronos. These complex dynastic relationships guaranteed constant mayhem and bloody feuds. Courtiers appeared and disappeared like moths in the wind. Within ten years, not a third of those present in this hall will remain alive. They are confident in their importance now, standing here in the opulent palace of Ra, but soon they will be forgotten. My entire brood, ten Goa'uld, is already dead. They were either sent to command troops on the front lines or to govern hostile planets at the forefront of attacks. The others were executed for failure, right at the throne, close to death. This place where the throne stands is a melting pot where only the strongest survive. So I retreated. I am not the strongest, not the most cunning, not a great administrator, only sensible enough to understand my own limitations. For a Goa'uld, this is often an impossible task.
My footsteps echoed loudly through the hall, where hushed whispers echoed. For this occasion, I had donned the standard Goa'uld regalia of pompous silk, embroidered with falcons—a sign of belonging to the House of Ra.
Twenty paces from the throne (I knew this from etiquette, but the majordomo repeated it to me twenty times, reminding me that if I came closer, they would shoot me), I knelt down, bowing my head to the floor.
- May Ra be glorified throughout the ages, may his reign be eternal, like the stars that illuminate the galaxy, may all enemies fall before his feet, begging for mercy, may they writhe in eternal torment just from the thought that they dared to oppose you.
"Little Lord Szarekh, your message was unusual. Report to your master the purpose of your appearance before me." "It was a public performance; Ra knew everything."
"You, O Great One, sent me to rule the remote planet of Urvashi, for which I will be eternally grateful for your favors and generosity. On the fringes of human population, there was a small group of slaves who refused to accept my rule and rejected my divinity. I set out to investigate this flagrant case of disobedience. And I learned that in that remote wilderness, inhabited only by filthy peasants and shepherds, even without naquadah deposits, the faith of Setesh flourished. I led my Jaffa to deal with the heretics. We did not use gliders or Teltaks, but traveled for months overland, but it paid off. The cult was shocked by our arrival, as was their leader. He called himself Set and wielded a golden Kara Kesh. Despite distributing Goa'uld weapons to his slaves, I managed to crush him under the cover of night. I personally entered the chambers of the rebel god and crushed him. Having explored his abode, I discovered vast reserves of nishta, which he used to control his slaves. As a gift to you, my lord, I bring his Kara Kesh and his corpse. Forgive me, lord, for not being able to bring him in chains—I lacked a sarcophagus. Contact was impossible, as I was attacked by two of Apophis's ships.
There was a whisper behind me. Ra chuckled:
"You are modest, my child. You did not say what you did to the followers of Set."
"I executed them all, impaling them. My slaves must know their place, and any disobedience to the House of Ra will have consequences." I said this with such contempt that even Stanislavsky would have awarded me a medal for acting.
Ra signaled someone, and a huge hologram showed my perspective: I'm flying through a building's window and see a bed with four bodies lying on it. Set throws a naked woman at me, and I fight her off. He tries to run and gets telekinetically charged. Many laughed at the sight of Set slammed naked into the wall. Then came footage of our executions. Unit 731, and a sadistic smile blossomed on my face. Naturally, they resisted, so the Jaffa bearing Ra's symbols beat them and impaled them anyway. No mercy for the bastards!
I sense even the Goa'uld were shocked by this. We usually shoot people, or cut them up, or perhaps burn them. My method clearly brought something new to the science of torture. I hope no one uses it.
"They were under the influence, you could have simply converted them," Ra said with obvious provocation.
"It doesn't matter. They were setting a bad example for my slaves. No matter their reason for not believing in the House of Ra, disobedience can spread like wildfire and must be nipped in the bud."
"You have served me well by discovering a long-time enemy of the House of Ra and the other System Lords. There is a reward for the former System Lord Set, and it will be paid to you."
"Your generosity knows no bounds, my lord." And another bow, and most importantly, eyes on the floor.
"However, this is not your last victory. You said that two Apophis ships arrived. Is that true?"
"Yes, my lord. They entered House Ra space without warning and were immediately attacked. I was able to detect them because I had deployed automated hyperspace tracking stations within a hundred light-year radius, and I was prepared. I pinpointed the point where they would exit hyperspace and took a risk. My ship was no match for theirs, but if I had caught them without their shields, it would have been a victory. A ship is most vulnerable when exiting hyperspace—that was its only chance. I took it. The Teltaks I converted became landing craft: instead of rings, they had laser cutters that sliced through the hull and let in the landing force. Your warriors killed the Jaffa Apophis, with your name on their lips. Two of the ship's commanders died in the battle; I brought back their corpses and their Kara Keshi. As well as all the data from the Huttaks' computers.
Even the enemy ships' sensors would have noted that they were under attack by a small force. By transmitting such unedited data, I was more credible.
Apophis learned of Urvashi and wanted to take over the planet for himself. But he failed, and his armies perished.
Then whoever was in charge of the holographic videos produced a recording: the Jaffa emerge from the gate and fall off the cliff.
"I managed to lure them into a trap with the chapa'ai. Five thousand of his troops experienced all the vicissitudes of gravity.
Ra even smiled in response, especially as he watched the endless stream of Jaffa falling downwards. There was a camera below, too, so everyone could see the endless stream of bloody spray. We're all typical Goa'uld. Blood is great fun for us, especially when it literally humiliates enemy troops.
- All these victories were in your name, my lord.
"I am pleased, my son." It was a good omen to hear this from Ra. "You have won, and therefore I will favor you. Tell me, what do you wish?"
"My lord, despite my victory over Apophis's forces, he may harbor a grudge against me. If he didn't know my name before, then defeating his forces will make it known to him. I fear that a large force may be sent after me simply out of spite. Of course, my lord, if the large forces of the House of Ra's enemy are diverted from the front lines to conquer such a distant planet, that will be a success for you, my lord. Therefore, my lord, will the reward for Seth's capture allow you to purchase a khattak?"
I fully understand that every ship is essential to counter Apophis, and I request your mediation in purchasing one from House Yu. According to protocol, the bounty on the former System Lord Seth has been placed not only by House Ra, but by all System Lords. These resources, with your blessing, sir, may be used for trade with another House.
Yes, there was a similar clause in numerous treaties between the Goa'uld. If these were my own funds, I'd have to build my own ships or get in line. And if I don't diligently curry favor with my master, my turn gets pushed further and further back. But when payments are made by other System Lords for an international criminal like Seth or the Tok'ra, gratitude implies that you can spend the money with any System Lord. It's gratitude for ridding the Empire of its enemies.
"However, my lord, I never forget thanks to whom I enjoy my power. All thanks go to you, O great Ra! Were it not for your favors and the warriors you bestowed upon me, a sad fate would await me. Like every member of the House of Ra, I desire the swift defeat of the traitorous Apophis. Therefore, I dare not even consider devoting even a drop of precious resources to my pitiful needs; they must serve the entire House of Ra. I voluntarily renounce the reward due for Set, which you, my lord, should have paid. Let these resources serve the speedy victory over Apophis. If you, my lord, demand it, I will immediately send the two captured hattak to your forces as a loyal servant."
From sycophantic to normal language: "Ra won't pay his share, but Apophis will. He will pay the one who humiliated him, thereby experiencing greater humiliation. Please be satisfied with this and don't take away the hattaki."
"You are loyal to the House of Ra, Szarekh." "Yeah, just like every other idiot here. As soon as you die, everyone will be at each other's throats. And after Heruur's death, they'll defect to Apophis, and after his death, to various System Lords." "And you've won two victories; success should be rewarded commensurate with its deeds. From now on, you're no longer a minor lord, but a junior lord. I forgive half your debt to the House of Ra, for you care so deeply about your House's success. I'll speak with Senior System Lord Yu on your behalf. You may also keep the captured hattaki, for I would be a poor ruler if I deprived my most loyal vassals of their successes. But remember, from now on and forever, you are Apophis's enemy; he will never forgive such humiliation."
I can't even imagine the Goa'uld who spent days bashing Jaffa heads in the diaphragm instead of sending some kind of probe, he's clearly not going to let this slide. That video of flying Jaffa will spread throughout the Empire, and the number of jokes about Apophis will increase exponentially, just like the jokes about Apophis supplying the House of Ra with ships practically as fast as their own shipyards. He'll clearly want to get even, any day now. On the other hand, Ra will have fewer questions for me. He keeps everyone at arm's length, especially after Egeria, and here there's a 100% guarantee I won't defect to his enemy. Apophis will never forgive me, and everyone in the galaxy knows it. Never. Anubis tried to overthrow the System Lords twenty thousand years ago, ten thousand years ago, and he's still remembered for it. The Goa'uld, with their memories, are more terrifying than those in Westeros, where all the lords have known each other's grievances for eight thousand years. The scale of Apophis's humiliation is immeasurable, so there will be fewer questions for me. Plus, I've faithfully supplied all the increased quotas of naquadah, and I've demonstrated extreme cruelty by executing "innocent" people simply for worshiping another deity, even under duress. I also don't ask for a place at court; that reduces the risks for me. Better to pretend to be a loyal and obtuse servant who doesn't even realize he's become the System Lord's personal enemy.
"I am Ra's faithful servant and am ready to fight any enemy you may face, my lord." And we bow. It never hurts to bow a couple more times.
Ra nodded and left. The courtiers began to disperse. As I was told later, there would be a feast in honor of such a victory, honoring a number of other military leaders who had triumphed in their battles. And there would also be executions of the losers. The usual routine. Today I found myself among the victors. Two ships and five thousand Jaffa—that's an average result. I think those I overtook will be "especially" pleased. Another thing is, I'm not a military commander; I was literally "lucky," while they can enjoy a full-fledged celebration next time. If they survive, of course. On the other hand, I "found" the rebel System Lord. A greater celebration would have been for finding Jolinar if Malkshur or Garshau if Belot. But those are a whole other category of beings. Overall, my status at the celebration is dubious. On the one hand, I'm the triumphant one, but the other triumphant ones want me to return to my planet as soon as possible. I wonder if I can bribe them for this? No, deceiving my peers is one thing, but experienced courtiers... Bad business. Better to continue pretending to be a dumb functionary on the outskirts, with little tactical talent and absolutely no desire to undermine anyone.
The celebration in the Goa'uld palace is similar to Roman festivities: first everyone eats, then they start having sex with the slaves, and then with each other. Basically, it's the height of decadence.
"A good plan with boarding and chappai," the man said to me, handing me the cup. "But you're lucky."
I nodded and bowed slightly to him.
"I never denied it, Lord Akhnur." Akhnur was Ra's military leader, and he was celebrated for one of his victories in the war. It seems he managed to route a superior force in a battle of 10 against 15 Khattaks. So he is the star and the favorite. I am no threat to him; he is thousands of years old, a renowned military leader of Ra, and makes full use of his power.
"That's good. Many people start to think highly of themselves after their first victories. But our master was right: Apophis will not forget this."
"What other option did I have? I was going to be killed anyway, so I had to seize every chance of survival. Right now, even if this makes the System Lord my enemy in the future, I'm still too insignificant to send a fleet capable of defeating my already strengthened forces in battle in the midst of a war. It would mean snatching at least four or five Hattaks from the war for two years. And even if Apophis did that, it would be advantageous for the House of Ra: somewhere in the battle, those four or five Hattaks would be missing, and with your skills, Lord Akhnoor, that could mean the difference between victory and defeat."
"You're good at flattery. However, sooner or later the war will end, a truce will be established, and nothing will stop Apophyse from wiping you off the face of the galaxy."
"However, when the war ends, I can leave Urvashi, preserving my forces, and move to the court of Ra. Three Hattakas and a Cheops are not a large force. But they are sufficient to ask our master for even a naquadah planet. The whole point of the Urvashi plan is to have a planet beyond the reach of Apophis, and one that doesn't require a large garrison to defend."
"You're not as stupid as they think you are," Akhnur sipped his wine, and I followed his example. "But pretending to be a fool saves you."
"I'm bad at politics and I admit it. That's why I survive by being needed for some minor job."
"Talking about politics at a military celebration is blasphemous. I'd like to hear your thoughts on space combat. Any cutting-edge ideas?"
"I'm not an experienced military commander and I don't know what already exists and what doesn't. But I think it's best to use a range of primitive technologies to circumvent enemy advantages. Despite the sophistication of scanners, we often learn about the enemy's force composition when we engage in combat. Why not approach within daylight hours of the target and deploy primitive telescopes? Yes, we'll receive data from a day ago, and in the time it took for the light to reach the telescope, the enemy could have received reinforcements. But this is an increase in reconnaissance capabilities."
Akhnur nodded patronizingly and began telling his army tales. Naturally, the first question was purely along the lines of "stupid youth, these days." I didn't object; it would have been more difficult if he'd actually been interested in my opinion. I had no intention of strengthening the Goa'uld. Akhnur talked a lot and touched the slave girl sitting next to us, refilling our wine, in every possible way. I wondered if they wanted to get me drunk? And even if they did, what was the goal? To loosen my tongue? That was entirely possible.
"How is the war progressing in a general strategic sense, and how far from over is it?" I managed to ask. "After all, my survival depends on it. Or how much longer I have left to live."
"Ha, usually such wars can last up to ten years, five of which have been successfully completed. Soon, Apophis's forces will be reduced enough for him to sue for peace." Akhnur, a seasoned politician, neglected to mention that this also applies to Ra. "After all, here we not only honor the victors, but also punish the losers. I'm sure Apophis has similar feasts. Though, I want to see him when he's informed of the 'flight of the snakes.'"
- Five years is a long time.
- Actually, it's not enough, you should hurry.
- Thank you for the advice.
Then a man of about thirty walked towards me with a determined look.
"You earthworm! You have no right to be here at all! I won the planet for Ra in direct combat, without resorting to tricks. In direct combat! Pathetic nothing!"
I didn't even pay attention to him, just giving him a slight glance.
"If you want to challenge me to a duel, then go ahead. There's no need for this Asgardian nonsense. We Goa'uld rule the galaxy because we are strong, I am alive because I was stronger than my brothers, this woman is a slave because the human race is weak, and the Goa'uld are strong."
"You hate me, and I know why. Challenge me! Let the laws of force, let the laws of the Empire judge us!" A nervous tic danced in my opponent's eye. He couldn't attack me; such a thing would have resulted in immediate execution by Ra. In the Empire, only formal duels were permitted, as a response to an insult. He insulted me, hoping I would draw my blade (or staff). In return, he was accused of cowardice. The problem was that the duel had to be approved by Ra, and the challenger had to prove to the Overlord that "the insult was so great that it prevented him from eating or sleeping." But I simply publicly called him a coward, afraid to state his position to Ra, resorting to underhanded tactics.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Akhnur laughed. "Beautifully said!"
Duels among the Goa'uld were commonplace, and everyone present longed to witness a gladiatorial contest. But to avoid the kind of bloodshed that plagued European nobility, permission from the supreme ruler was required. Ra usually approved of such duels, as they helped reduce the number of contenders for power. But when two triumphant champions could kill each other right at the celebration, at the moment of their victory... that would be awkward.
The unknown Goa'uld was literally seething, his eyes flashing, but he couldn't attack me—he would be executed on the spot. If he didn't win a duel with Ra himself, he would be declared a coward who had violated the very laws of Goa'uld power.
"Don't stop me from drinking in pleasant company, you're blocking my view," the Unknown tried to joke, although the ceiling above us clearly hinted at the absurdity of his words.
- "Ha-ha-ha!!!" - Akhnur continued to laugh, and those around him laughed along with him.
The unfamiliar Goa'uld, glaring at me, walked away in the direction of Ra. I hope he stops nineteen paces away and gets shot on the spot.
"He's a good warrior," my box neighbor commented. "The fight with him won't be easy."
- "It is as inevitable as Apophis's persecution of me. All that remains is to win or die."
"You're too fatalistic, for your own good. There was a scenario that would have allowed you to avoid the fight."
- "But you, Lord Akhnur, the likes of you, would be the first to stop respecting me."
- "That's true. You're a worthy Goa'uld. I'll bet on you."
- "Oh, there's a betting site? Where can I bet on myself?"
"I'll bet for you, in honor of our acquaintance," Akhnur raised the cup again and took a sip.
Ra, of course, approved the duel. As the challenger, I had the right to choose the weapon. I chose the staff. My opponent challenged me, implying that he was a greater warrior than I. It was important not only to defeat a specific enemy, but also to dispel any assumptions about my weakness. I was familiar with the staff, having spent a lot of time training with it—it's necessary to master the art of using it to improve technology. And I'd clearly trained with it more than this Goa'uld. A neutral party acted as referee, explaining the rules of the staff duel. First, we must kill the enemy with the staff. The distance is seventy meters, movement is permitted. Second, any other weapons are strictly forbidden. Hand-to-hand combat is permitted, but the enemy must still be killed with the staff.
"Yes, may Ra illuminate this battle!" the judge declared, activating the main shield. "Begin!"
While that idiot was raising his staff, I, on the contrary, plopped down on the ground and began aiming. Shooting from a prone position must have shocked my opponent. Am I an idiot, shooting like Pushkin?
The Matok's center of gravity is shifted toward the rear, so when trying to aim, the staff constantly tilts upward. And aiming at a figure lying on the ground becomes more difficult. He readied the weapon before me, but he had no target, so I fired the first shot.
The plasma bolt flew. He decided to dodge, even though the projectile wasn't even close. Then it became like hunting partridges: he couldn't get a shot off, and my projectiles were getting closer and closer to him. And so he, too, decided to lie down and fire back.
As soon as he lay down, I took a breath and used my hand to adjust the barrel's tilt, firing a couple of shots. Several shells landed near me, showering me with dust. After firing, I jumped out.
The best tactic against a prone man with a two-meter staff is to jump, not run. Unlike an assault rifle, where the shooter braces the staff against his shoulder and adjusts the aiming angle for both windage and elevation, a staff has at least another meter of reach, resting on the ground, and the trigger is positioned in the middle. Of course, you can pull the staff up and bring the trigger closer to your face, but then you have to balance the meter on the small triangle of your other hand, which will pull you down. By choosing my tactic, he fell into an easy trap.
Leaping to my feet, I ran two steps and leaped, soaring two meters. Adrenaline was pumping at an industrial rate, allowing me to break some of the limitations of the human body. The fool, instead of predicting my landing spot, had been tracking me in flight and even missed once. As soon as I landed, I immediately lunged forward at a savage speed, rolling away from the plasma blast. I abandoned my staff right where it had been fired.
A couple of seconds later, I was standing over this idiot, who had figured out my plan. He stood up and fired, but missed me. I grabbed his staff, pulled the barrel away from me, and hit the bastard with all my might under the knee. He fell, and I pulled his staff toward me. He held on tightly, forcing me to lift the seventy kilograms. With all the force I had, I hit him in the face, disorienting him, wrenching the staff free and pointing it straight at his face.
- "Stop, I give up!"
Shot.
His head, severed from his body, fell onto the sand. This is a duel to the death, idiot.
"The winner is Junior Lord Sareh!" the judge announced.
I wonder if I should ask his name, or if it doesn't matter? I just missed his name. The only thing I know is: everything he owns is mine now. Hey, we're Goa'uld, that's how we do things. He'd have won, everything I owned would have been his. True, Isara would have poisoned him or Egeria would have shot him, but that's the theory. I remember he was a minor lord, not a governor like me, but an officer. That means he doesn't own any planets, but he does have a ship, not a personal one, but Ra's. A classic hidalgo, only he earns his planet through military service. My achievement was convincing Ra of the soundness of the distant colony plan. So all I'll get from this idiot is his salary, maybe some personal quarters in the city near Ra's palace, and a few slaves. Economically, I was taking the bigger risk: a good holding, plus they reduced my taxes in honor of my new rank and gave me three whole khattaks. So it was worth expecting such hidalgos, because if I had refused the fight, I would have taken a political risk: Ra could have taken my domain and given it to that idiot. And they would have supported it. You can go from favorite to corpse here in one, two, three. I even think Akhnur might have convinced that fool to fight me just for fun.
Returning to the box, I lay down in my place. After a while, that same lord arrived.
- "And what was my winnings?"
- "Significant. Nobody believed in you."
"It's a pleasant surprise. Was he such a good commander that he was worth eliminating?" I asked him.
"He was a lousy commander who littered the Apophis' positions with corpses, and they simply retreated from an unimportant planet. His death did more good than harm."
- "However, he would have become stronger if he had defeated me. By the way, what was his name?"
- "Was this announced at the beginning of the duel?"
- "Honestly, I don't remember at all."
- "If he had defeated you, he would have also left the front line."
"It's nice to be useful. How long do I need to stay here? If I have to get involved in political intrigue every three hours, it could really get tiring."
- "That's enough for today. The vultures need to come up with new plans. So you can relax."
- "I want to live, so no."
"That's right," Akhnur agreed. "We can't relax. Even the slaves here are someone's agents. Some are such masters that they serve five, sometimes even six masters at once. How they don't get confused! So yes, the safest place is the battlefield or remote planets like yours. But it is here that it is decided who will own them."
"That's a lie. The right to rule a planet is determined by strength. The Supreme Overlord won't interfere in petty intrigues, but he will be aware of them. If the outcome of the intrigue is disastrous, but the losing side has a fleet, things get more interesting."
"But the fleet is forged here," Akhnur remarked reasonably.
"I don't argue. But to get it, you need to hold the favorite's position for a long time, at least to get the ship you ordered."
- "That's true."
We chatted for a while longer before many of the Goa'uld rushed off to the orgy. It was impossible to break away from the group: firstly, Isara would kill me even if she understood. We have a sarcophagus, so she'll kill me and resurrect me. Secondly, it's not safe to be without pants near those who lost money because of you.