I stood on the bridge of the captured ship, a smile of anticipation playing across my face. My joy was simple: this wasn't my ship, but I was in orbit of an enemy world, home to yet another Elder Lord, whose name I hadn't even bothered to remember, so insignificant was it. By methodically exterminating some of Apophis's senior vassals, I was fulfilling my mission. This was due to their collective order to destroy my planet—a fact known throughout the galaxy. The galaxy also knew that Ra had sanctioned this, ensuring the safety of House Apophis's ships during their transit. Now I had come for vengeance, methodically exterminating them, even enlisting the help of my intelligence.
The destruction of the Goa'uld's core planets is a violation of the Code. Yes, the System Lords can bend the rules, for there's little they can do. But they failed to prevent it, so, according to that same Code, my hands are free. I could even technically blow up their planets, which, of course, I won't do. I'd rather end their lives. The Empire, in principle, suspects who began the industrial-scale extermination of the High Lords of Apophis. I've always refused assassination missions, for that's the path of the Selket ashraks, and I didn't want to step on their toes. However, that doesn't mean I'm incapable of sabotage. I certainly am.
This ship we captured was supposed to be sent to reinforce the Elder Lord's central world. Everything was there as it should be: two Hasar stations, over a thousand orbital cannons, numerous Alkesh and Teltaks. A shield over the palace, a Stargate guarded by an entire legion of Jaffa, complete with minefields, armored vehicles, multiple shields, and so on. Basically, as they say, "I learned the hard way." But that's not the funniest part. The security fleet was forbidden from approaching the planet. They could have figured out who was responsible for killing the Elder Lord with a weapon from his own ship, and they suspected the mechanism used. So this idiot even feared his own ships. And anyway, many System Lords have begun to rethink their security. Soon they'll have something else to rethink.
We stormed a Hattak that was about to be sent to guard the central planet. We answered all the codes, because I'd briefly interrogated the captain with my new toys. We ended up as part of a security squadron stationed three thousand kilometers from the planet. The shields around the palace were visible even from here on scanners. The High Lord used planetary reactors to power everything. There were no obvious vulnerabilities either. The reactor was shielded, and there were thousands of air and air defense systems stationed around the capital city. It's clear they take me seriously here. But it's time to make the Goa'uld not just respect me, but fear me. Fear me so much that the next idiot who goes to destroy Urvashi will think twice before asking for an answer.
I left the robot on the bridge. It was mostly manned by robotic personnel, as we all had to retreat. I stood with my guards at the teleportation platform. Thanks to the Ashen, their platforms are much smaller, eliminating the need for massive rings, which allows them to weigh less. This will be very helpful in future attacks.
Suddenly, the Hattak turned, and thousands of drop pods erupted from its underside, traveling at a remarkable speed. They passed the orbital cannons in less than a second. Upon entering the atmosphere, they slowed to maintain structural integrity, but this was clearly very unexpected. The AA and anti-aircraft gunners were likely manned by intelligent people, so they began firing at the objects entering the atmosphere while the fleet was still in shock. Especially when the ship began firing at their cannons. Their shields weren't always up, so some ships suffered significant damage from the unexpected attack. However, more than half the drop pods landed, and a silver light enveloped us. Teleportation had occurred. We will now be on the planet, along with the gate we captured for evacuation.
The Elder Lord's central city consisted of large buildings, four- and five-story high-rises, and wide streets. People panicked when they saw the enemy and began to flee. Meanwhile, the Golden Legion fighters quickly rushed toward the palace, shooting down any Jaffa who tried to block their path. Walkers ran through the streets, one of them with a gate mounted on its back. I joined them. I didn't look particularly special: standard Golden Legion armor with a few modifications.
Plasma rifles fired incessantly. The palace, however, was walled off from the rest of the city, 500 meters away, which offered an additional military advantage in defending against the crowd. Although the heavy mounted guns could have been a deterrent. Only then did a missile with a small nuclear warhead land, reducing them to dust very quickly. The troops, along with me, rushed to the entrance the Elder Lord had left for logistics (he could have used the teleporter; all Goa'uld need training).
Only two minutes had passed since the attack began, and we were already fighting under the shield, and we activated the gate to prevent the Goa'uld from doing the same. We fought in the park. The Elder Lord apparently had similar views, as did Louis... I don't remember the number. The one who built Versailles. This palace resembled Versailles, and was protected by an energy field.
Having targeted those about to set up a heavy plasma cannon on the veranda, I immediately fired a missile. It banked and crashed into them, completely obliterating the Jaffa. Meanwhile, hundreds of my men, supported by heavy vehicles, had already broken through into the palace complex. Hundreds of Jaffa rushed out to engage us, but, obeying a signal unheard by all, we lay down and began firing back. The sound of a rotary machine gun could be heard.
A dozen walkers unleashed plasma fire on the guards who rushed out. They began to die. Plasma bolts flew in all directions, destroying the facade, penetrating inside, killing soldiers and servants alike. Unfortunately, this is the price I pay for the freedom of the galaxy. It's impossible to separate civilians from the military. However, there is a way: the servants hide in the cellars, and the Jaffa run towards the rotary plasma throwers. When the walkers' fury subsided, we rose in a single impulse and ran towards the palace, which was simply enormous. It was good that the Elder Lord couldn't escape; he had erected a field, impenetrable on both sides, blocking teleportation. Apparently, he was afraid I would send an assassin if I learned the codes to his palace (that would have been a good operation).
The Golden Legion and I made extensive use of our backpacks to reach the palace more quickly and to launch an assault from all angles: above, below, and to the sides. Every veranda, every balcony, every window was now a point of entry for us. I was accompanied by five of the most experienced guards, who carried dispersion shields with me. We didn't stand out much; many had them. When hundreds of people soar upward in a single burst, it's truly a beautiful and impressive sight, especially when shoulder cannons continue firing at the windows, and then one member of each group tosses stun grenades into the passageways. A flash, and the entire group flies through every possible entrance to the palace, which stretches over 15 floors, including high ceilings. So, searching for the Elder Lord here will be an interesting quest.
I burst through the window third. Two of my comrades had already flown in and begun clearing the place, indicating that all was well. Explosions, screams, and gunshots echoed throughout the palace. The Golden Legion had come for satisfaction. It consisted of Egeria's children, and they had been unleashed. Thousands of years of their mother's imprisonment, thousands of years of her own frustration at not being able to speak out openly against the Goa'uld—all of it had converged in this assault. Here, the Tok'ra were demonstrating how much they hated the Goa'uld and what they wanted to do to them and the Jaffa.
The scanners quickly scanned the palace, and we already had a complete plan of the facility, including the fact that it had extensive catacombs where our enemy's bunker was located. Typical. Even on Earth, this was typical: you always need to leave a safe escape route, even if you're confident of your own safety. Most likely, the High Lord was sent to that well-equipped bunker. Or he escaped on his own.
A squad of three Jaffa rushed at us. They didn't even realize they'd died, as they'd been shot in 0.1 seconds. After finishing off the heads, we headed for the central chamber, where we could control the communications and shields. It was clear the Jaffa's elite troops had undergone some reforms: plasma rifles, which were handy, dispersion shields, ergonomic helmets. But none of this saved them from sheer attack speed. And also because grenades are king. Use grenades more often, or blow up walls and attack the enemy from behind. Oh, how many works of art I've ruined here. But never mind, they'll paint more.
"The upper floors are quickly being captured," my assistant pointed out. "They've decided to hold us off on the second or third floor."
"How stupid."
We simply pelted everything with grenades, eliminating any resistance. Near the throne room, there was a plasma cannon and a detachment of two dozen of the High Lord's elite guards. They still have a long way to go in fighting in three-dimensional space. Therefore, the explosive charges placed above detonated and buried them under stone slabs, completely crushing them. The Golden Legion infiltrated, stunning any servants, and then connected to the central computer located in the throne room.
"Sir, the High Lord has headed to the bunker on the lower levels. We are monitoring the shield deployment and are issuing orders, if necessary, to fire on any ships that breach the quarantine zone. We are pretending to request reinforcements for the palace. The local garrison has begun to flee toward the passage, but we are holding them back for now."
"Got it," he replied. "We didn't use any honorifics in case of a hack, we just remembered the identifiers, and mine was no different from the others."
The group stumbled upon a well-aimed Jaffa ambush. Several shots hit my guard's armor but failed to penetrate it. We managed to drag him into a corridor, where grenades were then thrown. Screams were heard, followed by explosions. The Lych Guard rushed forward, suppressing resistance and eliminating the Jaffa with precise shots to the heart and head. The Jaffa were also surprised by my men's use of tape devices, hastening their deaths. This was our assault on Amin's palace—a daring and, most importantly, effective operation, demonstrating the depth of my dissatisfaction with the House of Apophis.
The walkers occupying the entrance to the palace complex rained down plasma blasts on the enemy, preventing the Jaffa from interfering with the Necrons' work of eliminating imitators. Just kidding.
"We found the entrance to the bunker complex," one of the fighters told me.
A few minutes later, I reached the transport rings. They weren't working through the shield, but they were functioning properly inside the complex. My troops were already there. Teleporting, I walked to the energy barrier behind which the Elder Lord was located.
"Are you the commander of that bastard Szarekh's forces? You can't reach me," said a man of about forty. "There's a Khattak-level shield here with internal generators."
He spoke as he stood in the hallway with several Jaffa. A powerful energy barrier rose before me. I removed my helmet, and he looked surprised when he saw my face. Goa'uld engaging in combat are rare.
"I command my men, and yes, the bunker is indeed powerful. But you did it? You tried to destroy my planet. According to the Code, I can retaliate. For example, by planting a gigaton bomb here and detonating it. It won't penetrate the shield, of course, but I can plant it lower, causing the entire lower structure to collapse."
His eyes widened and an evil grin lit up my face.
"Give up and you will die quickly."
"My troops will arrive and won't give you time!" my vis-à-vis replied, slightly hysterically.
"Perhaps. Although there is another way."
A flash of teleportation—and a walker with a gate appeared. Its heavy tread shook the foundations, causing vibrations. The Elder Lord didn't understand what was happening, seeing only the gate. He turned, his back to the gate, and almost leaned against the shield. At that moment, an idea occurred to him that greatly frightened him. I sent a pulse to my staff, and the gate began to rapidly gain energy. The Elder Lord retreated in fear. When the stream from the hyperspace tunnel pierced the energy shield, my troops opened fire, since the shield emitter hadn't managed to restore its integrity. They fired not something bad, but good grenades. The Elder Lord tried to say something, but I like shields that prevent interaction from both sides. After five or six grenades exploded, nothing remained of the Goa'uld and its guards. The hyperspace tunnel burst is an extremely effective weapon, disintegrating everything. True, it's a design flaw, but I'm a master at using anything as a weapon. I carefully noted this and headed for the royal hall, ordering the gate to move there and all forces except the blocking ones to begin retreating. There was no point in risking my soldiers.
Once in the throne room, I sat down on the throne of the slain man and began a live broadcast using the communications equipment of the defeated enemy.
"House Apophis decided to violate the Code and attack the planet of a High Lord with the intent of annihilation. Well, I hope you can see how displeased I am. I am currently on the planet Zirgan. I believe you know whose planet this is and whose throne it is. Well, I say – he is dead. A video of his death will be attached. Nothing protected him, I came and killed him. The Fleet Commander of House Apophis claimed to be defending the honor of his House. What honor is there if you can't even defend yourselves? I have already killed six High Lords of House Apophis, and the last five who provided forces for the campaign against me, in the last few weeks. Well, since you haven't thought to seek peace with me, I will tell you straight out what I need: surrender, compensation, and my promotion to the rank of System Lord. Only on these terms will I stop killing you.
Right now, the Jaffa are storming the palace of their former master, which I captured in no time. I can continue to hunt my enemies who wanted to take MINE until the last one is dead. I've never engaged in assassinations, but it seems House Apophis decided I couldn't come and kill their senior members. I can. I can do whatever I want. So for you, the choice is quite simple: surrender or death. There are exactly five of you left, plus System Lord Apophis. Be afraid, build your useless bunkers, protect them with Khattak-class shields and higher, use whatever you want, but every time you go to sleep, remember that the other five also did everything in their power to avoid my retribution. And now they are gone. I will kill you. This is not a promise, this is not a threat. This is a fact. You can go about your business, breathe, lead your armies, but you are dead until I get what I want. Only then will I allow you to live. My actions speak louder than any words."
After which we finished all our business and departed through the gate. Leaving it was unpleasant, but the gate was the lesser sacrifice. I'd taken the first step toward becoming a System Lord, to find my own "home" and a state independent of anyone. When even Ra would become my formal ruler, and I wouldn't have to pay him taxes (not that I pay much in taxes now). So, a civil war had broken out in the five "ducheties" of Apophis. Let him sort it out. He'd better agree to my demands sooner rather than later, or I'll have to fantasize about how to kill five more Elder Lords. It would certainly be quite therapeutic, but the main thing is not to miss my wedding anniversary.