Martial Preparations

Posted on Mon Jul 21st, 2025 @ 8:29am by Petty Officer 1st Class Ayol & Mars & Consul Kwaa & Atonu
Edited on on Mon Jul 21st, 2025 @ 9:14am

1,553 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Serpent's Tooth [3]
Location: High Security Brig 2
Timeline: 0920 - MD09

“You know, I don’t think it’s me,” Crewman Prerovsky continued, tapping her stylus against the rim of her mug, still full with her now-lukewarm latté. Her gaze went up to the ceiling of the brig office, as if seeking validation from its sterile lighting. “I really don’t. I mean, he says it’s about me not respecting his boundaries, but the way I’m thinking, if you agree to cohabitation, it should come with a discussion about scheduling. Right?”

“Right,” her partner grunted noncommitally, without looking up from his reading, which was an illustrated guide to toxic flora of Risa. Prerovsky had known Mueller for only three weeks now, and hadn’t figured out whether the man had always been that way, or if something had had happened to him.

“I mean,” she said, rising and pacing away across the small office, “I can’t really tell in advance what’s going to violate his boundaries if he never communicates what he wants. I feel like this boundary thing is just cover for not knowing where this is going. Maybe we just need to sit down and have the conversations we should’ve had six months ago.”

“Maybe, I mean it couldn’t hurt.”

“You’re the worst listener. What is that, anyway?”

Mueller flipped the padd over to show her a vividly colored plant with waving tentacles. “It says here, this one secretes a neurolytic alkaloid that induces coma in under five seconds. Smells like cinnamon. You think they’d let us keep a specimen here in the office? Just for decorative purposes.”

Prerovsky squinted. The comm system chirped, forestalling her reply. The deep, Capellan voice of Chief Taan came over the secure comm channel, audio only. “Brig Two, come in.”

“Two here,” Prerovsky answered, grateful for the distraction.

“I just got word that the prisoner you’re holding, ‘Mars,’ will receive a visit from the Consulate office at 0920. This is a pretrial consultation, so you’ll have to disable all surveillance for the duration and put the block on privacy mode. Embassy Security will be along to monitor. Acknowledge.”

“Acknowleded, sir. We’ll get it prepped.”

Taan signed off. Prerovsky glanced at the time, frowning. “That’s practically right now.”

Mueller grunted, leaving the PADD on the desk. “Showtime.”

When the Harcesis Atonu and the Federation Embassy Consul Kwaa arrived in the brig, the forcefields sealing the other cells had been rendered visually and acoustically opaque, allowing privacy for Mars and his potential defenders. The warrior been contained alongside the three viziers, the leaders of each of the Goa'uld's governments.

Kwaa hovered at chest-height across the faintly visible forcefield from the prisoner, ignoring the sensation of his innards twisting themselves into bowlines over what he was doing. In all his years of service, this was the closest he’d ever come to refusing an assignment. The human before him might have technically originated within another universe, but for all that, Kwaa couldn’t deny that he was human. Homo sapien. And here he was, Tursiops truncatus, about to defend the right of an extraterrestrial parasite to enslave one of his fellow Earthlings. He felt like a traitor, and he knew that no one at the consulate felt any better, especially the other Terrans. But as he’d reminded them, and now once again reminded himself, seeking Federation asylum eventually meant accepting Federation law, and he had no doubt that the protection of that law would apply to both parasite and host, in time. It was just going to take a little patience to get there. Patience and some legal tenacity.
...
“Mr Mars?” he greeted levelly, in auto-translated Atlantic 1. “Good morning. I'm Consulate Officer Kwaa, of the Federation embassy on this station, and my colleague there is Yeoman Ayol. And I believe you know Miss Atonu." He indicated the other ‘Goa’uld’ standing beside him. “She’ll be leading the defence for the Atenist leadership and First Primes. My job is to advise you both on our legal customs. You’re welcome to be represented in their defence, but you do have the choice of independent counsel. What is your preference?”

It was very interesting to be conversing with a being like that of Kwaa. Mars found it a little overwhelming as he sat in his cell. He didn’t resist nor protest about it, as he’d do the same. He smiled. “Greetings Consul, Mister Ayol and Lady Atonu.” He glanced at the table, considering his words. “Ever since my defeat at the hands of Hera, I’ve dreamed of her downfall and gain a few friends along the way who thankfully survived and joined the other Atenists, though one did request to stay by my side. I do hope the Federation can consider this one day.” He returned eye contact.

“I do accept defence representation, thank you.” Mars added after a moment's pause and bowed his head in gratitude.

“Despite your intentions, you will be held responsible for actions taken under her command. The Tau’ri of this reality are no less willing to accept as an excuse that anyone was ‘just following orders’ than those of our own.” Atonu explained. “Tell us, what have you done in her service that may be used against you?”

“I used Zat’nik’tal on,” Mars glanced down as he tried to recall how many he shot, “perhaps five Federation officers, once.” He replied, “One was defenceless in the hall where Hera began her betrayal.”

He returned eye contact again. “Even though I was in command of the troops, Hera rarely let me direct them without her oversight or one of her elite's observing, as our vision of strategies differ.” Mars hands became fists. “A defeated Goa’uld, one such as myself, is merely a trophy to show others that one is weak while their new master is strong.”

Ayol made some notes on his padd quietly. Even the tapping of his fingers was significantly quieter than standard.

“This much is known, but thank you for sharing it. I know we have had little to do with each other Commander, but trust me when I say I know the ways of the Goa’uld as well as my father.” Atonu said. “If that is all, I trust that we can make a workable defence. But if there is anything of distinct severity, even if you do not think it is possible for any other being alive to know of it, you must tell us if you hope for us to have any chance of fighting the charge.”

"What you may not know, my lady," Mars began, he wanted to show respect to leaders of the Atenists by addressing Atonu properly as he leaned back in his chair. “After the brutal war to overthrow my predecessor back in my home system, I learned our ways will not last. I even made peace with my host - somehow, he feels he can forgive me one day for taking his body.” He began.

Patience, Kwaa thought.

“I worked hard to rebuild my territory, but beyond my system there were other conquerors that I had to prepare for. It took all I had to convince the survivors that I was not like their former ruler and a reformed Goa'uld,” Mars explained, and he smiled. “I was lucky some Atenists were amongst them as they helped me. Or so I want to believe, I have no proof, sadly. Unfortunately time had run out, Hera and her forces arrived, and we did put up a fight. It wasn’t enough, and she gave me an offer to serve her or my people would suffer. I accepted.”

Mars pulled out an emblem of his system. “Here is my insignia, and inside is a list of those who witnessed the meeting I just described. They can supply a visual record I had secretly made.” He stared at the emblem, the list of names clearly displayed on its surface, similar to how the communication orbs had showed one's face, and hoped one day he could go back for at least a visit.

Atonu read the names through the forcefield and nodded. “These names are known to me, I will speak to them.”

“Commander,” Kwaa said, “I’m confident, at least, that, we can make the case that the Federation has no right to try you. If these are the ways of your people, our laws tell us we can’t interfere.”

“Have faith in the Aten, Commander. Its wisdom will see justice done, I am sure.” Atonu said, giving a slight bow as she turned to leave.

“I do, truly.” Mars replied with a head bow.

“Good fortune, Commander.” Ayol told the blended being as the defence party departed, and the other cell forcefields lost their opacity.

“I lost that title,” Mars said to no one in particular as he picked up the insignia, and he felt a tear flow down his face, another and another. He began to flip the insignia between the knuckles of his hand, it was enough to focus his control over his homesick emotions, and he found calm. "What will I do now?" He asked himself out loud, wondering all the possibilities.

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