Better to Reign by Liondragon [PG]

[shusu.livejournal.com]

PG for dark themes; gen future; +SG-1. You also have to know your SG-1 and SGA villains. The biblical allusions are thick, but no more than SG-1 itself; still, your mileage may vary. The personality of an SG-1 guest might be a little skewed from canon; please assume there are background plot reasons for it. The Stargates do not belong to me.
I strongly discourage spoilers in comments, or at the least, unlabeled spoilers; this fic is pure speculation and is spoiler-free.
This is a remake of a quick-fic of mine (found at the bottom). It was not beta'd due to limited computer time.

Summary: "It's Atlantis." "Keep the iris up."

Better to Reign
by Liondragon

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" A phrase that was almost routine here in the SGC, but the General strolled out of his office and parked himself behind the Chief Master Sergeant anyway.

"Sir, we're receiving an IDC... it's Atlantis."

"Keep the iris up," said the General. "Ah, Daniel."

Dr. Jackson shifted from toe to toe, hands stuffed in his pockets. "You don't think they'd fire on us, do you?"

"No," admitted the General. "But it's--"

"Standard procedure," interrupted Chairman Chen. "General. Doctor. What is the situation?"

"Receiving communications hail," reported the Chief.

The General set down his coffee cup. "Shut down the network links from the control room and open a channel." He glanced at Daniel, who was standing at a reasonable approximation of parade rest -- trying and failing to seem invisible to Chen. Of all the times for an I.O.A. inspection. Or for that matter, a contact from Atlantis.

The familiar Ancient conference room came on the screens. Everyone strained forward, looking for clues...

"Dr. Weir, Col. Sheppard, Dr. McKay," greeted the General. "To what do we owe the honor?"

"Has Col. Caldwell been reinstated to the Department of Homeworld Security?" said Weir without preamble.

That ancient history? Daniel raised his brows. The General said at last, "No, he has not."

Weir's eyes narrowed, and Sheppard's hands were flexing on the table. So they weren't seeing the clues they wanted. Fair enough. "That's very unfortunate, General. We all owe him a great debt -- if not of gratitude, then at least of honor."

The Chairman said tersely, "Colonel Caldwell and his crew disobeyed a direct order."

"In order to prevent the sudden disappearance of half my command staff," Weir said coldly. Half? Oh yes, the indigenous members.

"Not to mention the destruction of our first line of defense," added McKay.

The General muttered, "If you had just stopped shooting down our ships..."

McKay caught that. "What part of 'line of defense' don't you people get?"

"Built by personnel no longer sanctioned by the I.O.A.," said the Chairman.

"And yet you're still talking to us," Sheppard said, despite Weir's quelling glance.

"If you would be so kind as to loan us one of your ZPMs," said the Chairman, "we might be able to commute your sentences and reinstate you."

Daniel winced.

"A loan," snorted McKay. "You have no idea what this city will give up when it's at full power." He smiled, beatific.

"You're so sure we're going to be sentenced, Madam Chairman?" said Weir with a slight upturning of her lips. "Are there no trials for war crimes?"

Sheppard rocked back in his seat. "They'd have to acknowledge the war first. C'mon, guys, speaking of ZPMs..."

"Yes, yes, draining power," McKay snapped his fingers.

Daniel stepped into the pick-up. "What do you want, Elizabeth?"

"Dr. Jackson," she said more pleasantly. "You might say this is a courtesy call. Have you heard from the Asgard lately?"

Another hard left-turn. "Ah, not recently. Why?"

McKay turned to Weir. "The Asgard don't usually monitor the Milky Way sectors facing Pegasus. So they might not know. Or they could be dead."

"Know about what?" Daniel said.

Sheppard drawled, "A few weeks ago, we had a little Ori infestation."

"We could render assistance," said the General.

"Hah, no," said McKay smugly. "We took care of it."

"So you had a few Priors drop by," said the Chairman impatiently. "What of it?"

"Actually they were here on what you might call a grocery run," said Sheppard.

Daniel's eyes had narrowed, and he was chewing the inside of his lip. "What do you mean?"

"They picked up some Wraith," said McKay. "Renegade Wraith."

"The crazy ones, even better," Sheppard piped up.

The temperature in the control room seemed to dip. "They captured them?"

Weir looked straight into the pick-up. "As far as our intel goes, we believe they formed an alliance."

"What could the Ori have to offer a group of Queen-less Wraith?" asked the General.

McKay waved his hands. "Oh, the usual. Promised them salvation. In the form of a new, richer feeding ground." Oblivious to the horrified looks on the other side of the connection, he continued, "Since most of the larger Pegasus populations are under our protection, and they seem to be personally loyal to us--"

Daniel interjected, "Only because several Pegasus populations seem to think you've got the mandate of the gods."

"Oh, well, that's not our fault, is it?" said McKay cheerfully. "Anyway, there's not much here for them."

"Whereas the Milky Way is easy pickin's," said Sheppard. "Hey, did we mention that our intel also says they have a few sarcophagi? There might also be some biological experimentation going on. Using Ancient technology, no less."

The General caught Daniel's eye and headed for the red phone.

"That's what's headed your way," said Weir. "Super hiveships powered by Ori technology, each hive collective loyal to a Prior as they would be to a Queen. Genetically altered, at that--"

"Who knows what they're like now." McKay had lost interest in the video feed, and was tapping away on his laptop. "They could already regenerate before--"

Sheppard glanced over at McKay's screen. "Beckett did say they might pass for human, but all his research is over here, so--"

"We can offer you a full pardon!" said the Chairman, raising her hands to the pick-up. "We'll return the ZPM, we'll send hostages there..."

Elizabeth smiled. "Your treatment of Colonel Caldwell told us everything we needed to know. I'm sorry, but I can't send anyone or anything to Earth without being 100% certain of a return trip to Atlantis."

"But why," Daniel said. "Why would the Ori need the Wraith?"

"God created the Devil," answered McKay. "What better way to punish unbelievers?"

Weir favored her distant audience with a short nod. "Our courtesy call is at an end. Daniel, I hope you'll convey our sincere regrets to Stephen and his crew." She checked something on her laptop. "Hopefully that's enough advance warning for you to mount some kind of defense."

"All the more reason why you should give us your ZPM!" said the Chairman. "Our only viable defense is next to useless without it!"

"You should have thought of that earlier," said Weir mildly. "Gentlemen, Madam Chairman."

"Wait," said Daniel.

"Good luck," said Sheppard with a wink and a gun-finger flick, "You're gonna need it."

The connection died.









For who can yet beleeve, though after loss,
That all these puissant Legions, whose exile
Hath emptied Heav'n, shall faile to re-ascend
Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat.

*

To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n.

- Milton, Book I, Paradise Lost


remake of Whose Exile Emptied Heaven

This universe/scenario is open for remixes.