Unification: The Anunnaki Unification Book 5

by Michele Briere

  “That bad?”

  “A few more hours, maybe,” Enki said. Jonas Quinn was at the table, his hands wrapped around a mug.

  “Jonas.”

  “Jack.”

  The usually amiable Quinn wasn't in a mood for small-talk, either.

  “Where’s Teal’c?” Jack asked.

  “Inside,” Enki said, pointing his beard toward the stairs. Jack went up, glanced at the guards, personal students of Bre’tac, he thought, recognizing a few, and went into the room. The window was open, a light breeze blowing the curtains. Teal’c stood at Jack’s entrance. The big guy’s face was drawn into a sorrow Jack hadn’t seen since Teal’c wife had died. Jack took his forearm and then went to the side of the bed. Jack thought he was asleep, but Bre’tac opened his eyes. He wasn’t able to focus very well, but he knew Jack’s voice. Jack sat gently on the side of the bed.

  “Master Bre’tac,” Jack said softly.

  “Hhh…uman,” Bre’tac whispered. Jack smiled; what was once an insult, had turned into a running joke between them long ago.

  “Will ya stop calling me that?” he begged. “What is this I hear about you leaving us? Who’s going to kick my ass, if you’re not here?”

  Bre’tac’s hand twitched and Jack took it, locking the weakened fingers around his arm. The old man tried to say something.

  “Master Bre’tac has left a request of you, O’Neill,” Teal’c rumbled. “He wishes for you to join me as nar’roog.” Jack looked at him. “It is a place reserved for close family members. To set the funeral fire and assist in the freeing of his spirit.”

  Jack looked into the old man’s face. “I would be honored, Master Bre’tac.”

  The gnarled hand on his arm twitched again and Jack found his hand being drawn upward. Not knowing what Bre’tac wanted, he let his muscles relax and his hand be taken until it rested on Bre’tac’s chest.

  “I don’t….. do you need me to hear you?” Jack guessed. “Inside?” Bre’tac gave a small grunt which sounded like an assent. Inside, Jack found waves of anger and disgust. Behind them fear was being fought. Fear at losing a battle. Fear of the unknown.

  “There’s nothing to fear,” Jack leaned in and whispered. “Remember Daniel? Remember all that he told us? All that we’ve learned? You can still fight, but you’ll be doing it someplace else. Your enemy is gone. You die free, Jaffa; you die in victory as the greatest warrior who ever lived.”

  Some of Bre’tac’s pride seemed to resurface and he looked in Teal’c direction. Teal’c bowed deeply. “You will be remembered for all eternity as the warrior who conquered the Goa’uld and freed his people and the galaxy of enslavement, Master,” Teal’c promised.

  Several hours later, people in the house looked up when the door opened. Teal’c and Jack stood at the top of the walkway.

  “Master Bre’tac is gone from us,” Teal’c announced. “He died free, as we all may now die free.”

  Jaffa left the house to spread the word as several women went upstairs to prepare Bre’tac’s body. “We will attend him,” Teal’c said, putting a hand out to stop them. The women hesitated; it was unusual for the warriors to deal with the cleansing. Rak’nor and Rya’c directed their brothers to gather the supplies from the women and went into the room. Jack joined them.

  There was no preservation of the body on Chulak. When non-Tau’ri heard about the custom of pumping the body full of chemicals, most didn’t believe it. Teal’c was horrified when he learned about it. There wasn’t much that horrified Teal’c. Jack had already changed his Living Will to prevent that from happening to him. When he was dead, he wanted to be cremated right away. Although, if he Ascends, that part of the Will will be null and void.

  He wasn’t sure what to do, so he followed the instructions of the warriors while Teal’c, Rak’nor, and Rya’c dealt with Bre’tac’s body directly. All the bedding was gathered and set aside, all signs of illness taken away. Jack looked at Bre’tac’s bared stomach. The symbiote pouch was still visible, but the edges had begun to knit together. At his age, Bre’tac’s pouch would never have completely closed like Teal’c’s was doing. Jack stepped up to the bed and reached out his hand. After years of listening to the doctors in his life, he knew some of the body’s cells continued to function for a time after death. He concentrated and the warriors stepped back, watching. When Jack lifted his hand, the pouch was sealed shut and the tattoo on Bre’tac’s forehead was gone. All signs of Bre’tac’s former slavery had disappeared. Teal’c inclined his head in gratitude while the other warriors around the room looked at O’Neill with a strange light in their eyes.

  By the time they were done, SGC teams had begun to arrive. Sam, Daniel, and General Hammond, were waiting with Inanna. Sam’s eyes and nose were red and Daniel’s eyes were glittering suspiciously. Outside, the courtyard was filled with people, all silently waiting for Bre’tac to be brought out. Ships had begun to crowd the sky. One of the ships was Tau’ri, but it was hard to tell which one at that distance.

  The body of Bre'tac was lifted onto a carrier and hoisted into the air by six men Teal’c, Rya’c, Jack, Rak’nor, and two others, and carried down the stairs as everyone stood silently, making a path for them to walk through. Whispers began as people noticed Bre’tac’s changed appearance. They set him on a table in the middle of the courtyard for people to walk by and view the body. Considering how many people had already gathered, it would take a while.

  Jack felt the presence of people next to him and knew Sam and Daniel had joined him, waiting for the Jaffa to view their leader before off-worlders took their turn. Teal’c stood at the front, near Bre’tac, his strong presence making it known that the Jaffa were not without guidance. All around the village, teams from the SGC and the Prometheus, the Earth ship above, stood honor guard and continued to do so even as Bre’tac was eventually lifted once more and carried for the three-mile hike outside the village to a sacred grove used for funerals.

  A pile of wood had already been formed into a pyre, with Bre’tac’s bedding stuffed in between the timber to be used as kindling. Warriors lifted Bre’tac to the top of the pyre, laying him to rest. Teal’c and Jack took the torches from two warriors and stood at the head and foot of the pyre. As one of the moons arose over the treetops, the pyre was lit.

  One by one, people came forward and tossed small items or spoke words into the fire. Many warriors tossed their old, wooden training staves into the fire, sending them on with Bre’tac for him to use in his afterlife. When Teal’c indicated that it was time to leave, Jack allowed Prometheus to beam him up and he stumbled to his quarters where he crashed onto the bed. Someone came in and undressed him and slid the sheets over him. The comforting feeling told him it was his partners. His hair was stroked and his forehead pecked just as darkness fell.

  A soft stroke at his cheek woke him and he forced one lid open.

  “Hey.”

  “….caffeine.”

  Sam handed him a mug. “I thought I just went to bed,” Jack groaned, leaning back and pulling a pillow over his face.

  “You went to bed ten hours ago,” he heard her say. The pillow moved.

  “I did?”

  “You did,” Sam nodded. “You did a major healing and your energy was sapped with the long day.”

  “Major healing didn’t bring Bre’tac back,” Jack said. She put her mouth in the middle of Jack’s chest.

  “I know. Jack, removing Bre’tac’s tattoo and pouch was a kindness, but you may have started something unexpected.”

  Jack looked at her and sat up, putting the pillow behind his back.

  “Alright, tell me.”

  “The Jaffa are beginning to think you’re come kind of ….. deity.”

  Jack swore.

  Sam nodded. “Yes, that about covers it. The Jaffa who know you are laughing about it. Do you know how much it takes for a Jaffa to laugh?”

  Jack thought about it. “Well, that Teal’c, he’s a crack-up….”

  “Where's Daniel?�
�

  “He's walking around with his camera and recording everything. Once the Jaffa understood the concept of photography and video, they approved of Bre’tac being memorialized. People are lining up to tell him their own ‘Bre’tac’ stories. From what I hear there are some whoppers going on, but he’s getting all of it. Quite a few troops supplied him with digital chips when he ran out of his own. Teal'c approved it.”

  “As long as the Jaffa are okay with it, I’m okay with it,” Jack said. “The records do not go anywhere except my office when he’s done. I will release them after I’ve reviewed them.”

  “He thinks the recordings could be cut into a book and possibly a DVD, if you’ll approve. Not only historical value, but also major interest to anthropologists and sociologists. He said something about never getting to witness a true, uncontaminated pagan rite.”

  Jack tugged on Sam’s wrist and she leaned forward to rest against Jack’s chest. “Have Paul take care of the reviewing and editing; he seems to have a talent for it. A memorial would be nice. Our own stock footage can be cut in.”

  “Jack?”

  “Huh.”

  “You need a shower.”

  The SF didn’t blink when Jack emerged with Sam following behind. At least only Jack had damp hair. They beamed down to the village. Most of the visitors had left, only the Prometheus was still in orbit and that was because Jack was off-world and more than a few ships tried to enter the solar system to take advantage of Chulak’s present weakness only to be turned away at the sight of all the allied ships crowding the space.

  “Sir.”

  Jack saw Col. Davis standing a few yards away.

  “Honeymoon over?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Paul said with a nod and a small smile. “The timing sucks a bit, though. Sir.”

  “It sucks big time, Colonel,” Jack agreed as they continued to walk. “I’m glad you’re back, though.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Jack took a piece of fruit from a table as they went into the council building that they were borrowing with permission of the Jaffa council. Many of the locals were looking at Jack and whispering as they passed.

  “What’s that about?” Paul asked. Sam told him what Jack did for Bre’tac.

  “Cat’s out of the bag, now,” Paul said.

  “I know,” Jack grumbled. “Not quite sure what to do about it.”

  “Don’t do anything,” Daniel said as he came within hearing. Jack looked at him. “Just continue to be yourself. No matter what you say or do, people are going to interpret their own way, so you may as well not bother giving them any more ammo.”

  “Daniel, Jack being himself is enough to give people plenty of ammo.”

  They looked at the man lounging in a chair, one leg thrown negligently over the arm. Cigar smoke was blown into the air.

  “I need to talk to you,” Jack said. “After the meeting.”

  “Alright,” Enki shrugged, not acknowledging an order, just the request.

  The room was full. The council representatives sat around the table while their attendants waited around the sides of the room. Jonathan was present as the interm-Tau’ri representative, Inanna, Jonas, Teal’c, and fifteen other worlds who could make the meeting. The sound of hooves sounded on the brick and the Mulakma representative, Atis, trotted in, his beaked head held high and proud.

  “Late as usual, Atis,” someone around the table snorted.

  “When one of my wives wishes my attentions, who am I to refuse her?” Atis said. There were chuckles around the room. “All of Mulakma offers condolences to Chulak.” Atis made a deep bow to Teal’c. The big guy stood and returned the gesture. “And I personally offer my sincerest wishes to the memory of Master Bre’tac. He spoke with me, warrior to warrior, and offered advice on how to speak with….. others.”

  “Thank you, Lord Atis,” Inanna said, bringing the meeting together. “I believe this meeting was called by General O’Neill. Jack?” Inanna sat and offered Jack the floor. He stepped forward and placed a thin box on the far end of the table.

  “Well, folks, I’ll get to the point,” he said. He smacked the box and motioned to Sam. “Bre'tac never stood on ceremony when it was time for duty, so let's follow his example. Between the mines on various planets, a generous gift from the Masharu, and the hoard from Anubis’ warehouse –thank you, Teal’c- the Tau’ri have a large supply of naquadah. Colonel Carter and her team have come up with a proposal for its usage. Sam?”

  Sam got the box to work and presented herself to the room. “Our first priority, to be honestly selfish, is to get our planet’s power supply entirely on naquadah enhanced generators. We have a few cities working on it and the pollution problem is diminishing greatly. The amount of naquadah needed is minimal, however, so there is a great deal sitting around waiting to be made into ships and whatever else we can come up with. It’s the ships I’d like to talk about today.” She tapped on the control for the box and images began to appear in the air above the box.

  “Cool,” Jonathan commented, leaning in closer to look at the holographic images.

  “We took the technology from the Goa’uld communication balls,” she told him, pleased at his reaction. “These are plans for patrol ships,” she told the group. “At the moment, we are thinking three ships per sector, two for military, one for science and medical, with one larger… mothership, as it were… to monitor each sector. The motherships can hold a compliment of five hundred and the patrol ships will hold a crew compliment of two hundred people. Give or take. Both types of ship will have adjustable quarters for non-human crew members. Such as nest-boxes for the Mulakma.” Atis dipped his beak at her.

  “And pillow rooms?” Ninurta asked.

  “Pipe down in the peanut gallery,” Jack said, waving a finger at him.

  “You can negotiate pillows with the ship’s commander,” Sam told him. Ninurta perked up and she shook her head. “Anyway. We are not suggesting replacing ships belonging to individual worlds; these ships belong specifically to the Unified Worlds. If any members would care to donate their ex-Goa’uld ship for an update, it would help distribute the naquadah further.”

  “Sam?” Jonas raised his hand and she nodded to him. “What about worlds without naquadah? Will they benefit from the supply you are holding?”

  “That will depend on the planet,” she said. She walked slowly as she tried to formulate the words she knew would be needed when the question was asked. “We will assist worlds that are full members. We can help them to advance themselves, but we will not hold their hands. I’m sure you all understand the damage that can happen to a society that is not allowed to grow on its own.” There were reluctant acknowledgments from around the table. “Many worlds are doing fine all by themselves. Look at Langara. Believe me, I understand how frustrating it can be; there are many things that the Asgard …. and others…. are still refusing to tell us about.” She paused to look at Inanna. The queen smiled passively and sipped her drink.

  “We would like to build a ship factory,” Sam said. “We need input from everyone as to a recommendation for a planet to build this factory on. Earth certainly isn’t large enough.” She toggled the computer to begin showing them schematics. People around the room began to wander closer.

  “All the ships will be on exploration patrol,” Sam said. “The science ships will spend their time exploring mostly deserted cities and planets, digging up information on the culture that lived there. They will be the ones who will put together the missing pieces of the Human puzzle and to assist with planet-wide epidemics. We don’t mean to be exclusionary, Lord Atis; our world is missing a great many people. Of course, the ships will be available for anyone who has a need for their services. The military vessels will be patrolling their sector, checking in on member planets and keeping an eye on closed-worlds. Each ship will also have teams specially trained for First Contact missions.”

  “Sam?” Jonathan raised his hand. She nodded at him. “Have you been wa
tching Star Trek reruns?” The few people present who understood the reference chuckled.

  “Hey, they had some great ideas way ahead of their time,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “A lot of military and medical application concepts came from Star Trek. Like Colonel Davis’ idea of the hand-held MRI.”

  “And laser guns,” Jonathan agreed. Jack pointed a zat at him and he quickly ducked under the table.

  “Anyway,” Sam continued. “We considered dividing the galaxy up into quarters, but decided that left too much space for pirates and others to begin occupying out of the way places. By sectioning off five patrol areas, we can cover more territory in less time and be on hand quicker in case of an emergency.” She paused and looked at the room. Everyone was captivated by the ships dancing in the air. “That’s our proposal for the Unified Worlds to approve. Or not.”

  “I’m assuming that the center of this patrol would be…. Earth?” Inanna asked.

  “Not necessarily,” Sam said, shaking her head. “We're pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, so it wouldn't make sense for Earth to be the center. If we can come up with a planet appropriate to our ship-building needs, we can also put in office space for the UW. That would be the center of the pie.”

  “What about Dakkara?”

  They looked at Teal’c.

  “Where humanity was first made into First Primes,” Daniel commented from the peanut gallery.

  “Indeed,” Teal’c said, giving a nod. “I would need to speak with the Jaffa Nations council on this matter; however, I can see no greater tribute to the memory of those that have gone on before. Although the Ancient weapon on Dakkara no longer functions, the rest of the buildings do. There are plenty of rooms for office space and a large gathering auditorium. We are also excavating the sites where the Ancients built their ships. Dakkara is, I believe, made to order.”

  “T, the council will need to understand that the Jaffa won’t be the overseers,” Jack said. “If they agree to allow the Unified Worlds to use the office space, it would be under our own control. They can’t just evict us when we don’t play their game. They will be donating it, in perpetuity, to the Unified Worlds.”