From the Ashes

[Akren Garkos]

N.B.:[/i] This post takes place in the days following the episode 'Origin', & is set between that time & 'The Powers That Be'.

“They come!” Someone shouted into the din, bombs raining all around them as the night lit up all around them, revealing the young man whom had shouted those frightened, fearful words; the bright lights of war illuminating the dense forest in which the young man found himself.

“Zarubbabel!” Someone called, the youth turning to see one of his fellows nearby, along with three more of his men off to his left. His friend came rushing up to him as fast he could - no small feat when one was being assaulted from all angles. “Zarubbabel! They are almost upon us!”

“I can see that Xenith” The blond haired, blue eyed youth replied, his dark skin stained with a mixture of dirt, sweat, & his own blood. “How many?”

When his friend did not reply, Zarubabbel shook him violently, snapping him out of his daze.

“Xenith : How many?” Zarubabbel asked again.

“A full battalion, plus their flying war machines & ground support from many warriors; we are truly outnumbered!”

“We are always outnumbered my friend, we fight on for; for our people, so they can go on, so our way of life can go on. The invader might be strong, but they underestimate our resolve. This may be their home, but it is not world. They do not belong here, we do! Trust in the goddess, & we may yet prevail!”

“I wish that I had your strength, the goddess truly has blessed you!” Xenith replied.

“They wish to enslave us, make us less than we know we are” Zarubabbel said, “But so long as some of our people remain free, we can fight. And so long as we can fight, we have a chance. One day we shall free all our people & beat back the invaders, but we must choose our battles & fight only the ones we can win, & pray that the goddess is kind in handing us victory.”

Turning to face the on-coming hordes, Zarubabbel shouted over the din :

“We shall never serve the like of you! We shall die before we become your slaves! Come men, to war!!”

Screaming a battle cry as raw as the hatred welling up inside him, he charged at the advancing enemy; his men following close behind. The battle lasted mere hours. Greatly outnumbered, out-gunned & out-classed by an enemy possessing technology far superior to their own; they eventually succumbed to the ravages of war as the tide of enemy advancement pressed ever onward.

As Zarubabbel gave the order to retreat - he himself fleeing as best he could through the thick woodland forest - he wondered for the umpteenth time how long these wars could go for, & how long he would have to wait to see the enemy defeated. They had invaded their world & enslaved his people, & yet he pressed on. He had to, else all hope was lost. As the leader of his people, he could do nothing less. They had to have hope, they had to survive. But first, he had to get out of the current battle alive, & stay alive long enough in order to mount an effective counter-strike against the enemy in a time & place of his choosing; not as it was now, not when they currently held the advantage.

He was making good his escape when his friend & bodyguard, Xenith, was shot in the back by a stray energy bolt; falling face-first in the dirt, skidding to a holt nearby at the base of a tree, & lay very limp & still.

“Xenith!” Zarubabbel cried, rushing over to his fallen comrade.

And in that moment of compassion & weakness, Zarubabbel was surrounded; a prisoner of the enemy. He cried out in paid as his hand was shot as he attempted to go for his knife. Then, he cried out once more as both his knee caps were blown away; ensuring that he could not escape.

“Well well, what do we have here?”

An all-too-familiar voice asked, stepping around the green-&-brown drab of the common solider, it’s owner coming into view. Dressed from head to toe in a black uniform, black quarter-length booths & matching visor; the young man standing before Zarubabbel was not much older than he himself was. A small winged Death‘s Head badge, neatly polished, was pinned above his right breast pocket; & a red, black & white arm band decorated the upper sleeve of his left arm; proudly displaying the swastika for all to see.

“Hello Zarubabbel, it is a pleasure to see you again”

“Hans Schrek” Zarubabbel replied, spitting the name out of his mouth - along with more of his own blood - as if it were a poison. “I should of known you would be leading this pathetic assault on the rightful occupants & owners of these lands”

“This land rightfully belongs to the Fuhrer & the Third Reich” Hans replied, “Just as you Himmelites were born to serve us, as servants of the one true master race”

“Lies! Nazi scum, that’s all you are! It’s all lies!!” Zarubabbel replied, infuriated like never before.

“If you think that we will simply kill you & be done with it; then you are very much mistaken; my dear Zarubabbel” Hans Schrek replied, “As much as nothing would give me more pleasure, you are far more valuable to us alive. Take him back to Neuberlin, kill the rest”

“Yes Reichsstatthalter!’ The commander of the unit replied, he & his men scrambling to follow Han’s orders as if they were an edict from God on high himself.

As Hans went to leave, his radio clicked on & the person on the other end spoke :

“Reichsstatthalter; the Doorway to Heaven just activated & someone has stepped through”

Hans’ breathe caught in his throat : there had been no contact with the Fatherland for over 60 years. To have the doorway - Stargate, he corrected himself - activate now could only mean one of two things :

“Can it be true? The Fuhrer has won the war & has finally sent us an envoy to inform us of our glorious victory back on Earth?”

“No Reichsstatthalter. This man is a stranger. He is dressed most peculiarly, & speaks of strange & wondrous things”

“No-one else has stepped through the doorway?” Hans asked via his two-way, a frown playing across his face.

“No Reichsstatthalter!” Came the reply.

“Detain this strange visitor & have him ready to meet me once I return to Neuberlin. I want the Gestapo & SS to interrogate this man; & I want answers, & soon” Hans replied, “We must learn where he has come from, & if he posses a threat to the Fuhrer, or to the colony”

“Understood Reichsstatthalter!”

Hans went to join his men & leave, before stopping to radio back to home base.
“Did the stranger say his name, or how he got here? Anything we can use for nows?”

“Yes, Reichsstatthalter!” Came the reply, “He called himself a Prior of the Orii. He says he has come from a far-off place to spread the word about the one true faith; something he calls Origin”

“Never heard of it.” Hans replied, “Do we know whom may have sent him?”

“Yes, Reichsstatthalter. He claims he was sent by beings he calls ‘the one true gods’. He calls them the Orii. . .”

[Akren Garkos]

Later on that evening. . [/I]

Hans Schrek, Reichsstatthalter & the youngest serving member of the Himmel Governing Council now opposite the rest of his brethren - including Field Marshall Heirich von Blucher, leader of the Governing Council & head of the Nazi colony here on Himmel - as they debated the fate of the some 200 native rebels they had captured in the offensive earlier on in the evening in the forests surrounding the colony’s capital city of Neuberlin; as well as what do with their mysterious visitor whom had arrived through the Doorway to Heaven - the Stargate.

“I say we put the captive rebels in the work camps & execute their traitorous leader at once” Hans was saying, “We have sought out Zarubbabel & his rabble-rousers for years. They have caused us trouble ever since we arrived here to claim Himmel for the Reich from the aliens whom occupied it. His execution will serve as a reminder to the rest of the free natives that we will tolerate their dissent no longer. After that, it will only be a matter of time before we bring the rest of the Himmelites to heel; & then they shall trouble us no further”

“All good & well Hans, but we do want to make a martyr of this man; his death could incite more rebellion & unrest - & although the colony has thrived beyond our intital expectations, we are still limited in our resources. We have precious little to spare, & hunting rouge Himmelities is difficult at best; they know the local terrain far better than we do, they have mad many years to adapt to Himmel’s environment. We have only been here 66 years, & in spite of our successes, still find it difficult to cope at times” Neinrich replied.

Hans gave the Field Marshall a cold stare, the pair often butted heads; what with Hans fanatical belief in the Nazi ideology & his dreams of one day leading the colony as a de-facto Fuhrer on behalf of the real Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, back on Earth; was well known to many. Fortunately, his ambitions had been curbed for the most part; although his recent capture of Zarubbabel & a substantial number of the native Himmelite resistance fighters had seen his popularity soar, both within the ranks of the military & the common people; & now that the majority of the Sa were backing him, hailing him as a hero & a prime example of the Nazi regime & a shining example of the colony’s leadership - a fact which had not gone unnoticed to the rest of the Governing Council members, none more so than the Field Marshall himself. Hans was now in position to seize power if he so desired, & with the support of both the common people & the SA; it was now only a matter of when he would attempt his coupe, not if.

“I still think caution is the wisest course of action. Sending him to the labour camps will help break his spirit & teach him the proper respect for this Governing Council & the colony. He will soon learn whom his rightful masters are, or die learning the lesson” Adolf Gordinger replied.

As the oldest serving member on the Council & a member of the Nazi regime from the outset, he was wiser & more contained in his views; but ruthless nonetheless. His moves were subtle & deliberate, & no one whom knew him well trusted the man as far as they could throw him (which wasn’t far in Hans opinion, although he respect the mans efficient drive & teachings, even if he was a deluded old man clinging to what little power he had left).

“I agree” Heinrich replied, “He needs to be taught a lesson. A lifetime of servitude will teach him the error of his ways”

“I disagree” Hans retorted, face contorting in anger, “He has personally caused both myself & this Council considerable grief over the course of our stay here on Himmel. He is dangerous & needs to be eliminated immediately. He is a threat to the freedom & security of this great colony & if left alive could jeopardize all we have worked so hard for. We cannot fail the Fuhrer, nor the Reich, by being complacent & showing compassion nows; he will only use it to his advantage later on & attack us again when our back are turned. He is simply waiting for the right moment to exact his vengeance upon us for smashing his pathetic rebellion into the dust where it belongs”

“Hans, I appreciate your position in this matter, &the Council recognises your valuable contributions in bringing this fugitive to justice, but we cannot afford another rebellious outburst at present, plain & simple. We should concentrate all our efforts on subduing the remaining Himmelite rebels & ensuring this gorilla war does not trouble us again; if not for our sakes, then for future generations of colonists” Heinrich replied, making his position clear on the matter; the other Council members swinging between incarcerating the rebel leader & sentencing to death. This would be a contentious issue, of that the Field Marshall was certain.

“I think you are a coward. You are letting your personal feelings for this rebel scum get in the way of doing what needs to be done” Hans retorted, Heinrich & other members of the Council getting to their feet in uproar. “It is well know that he is more than likely your bastard son by one of the Himmel rebels - & I will prove it!”

At that, the Council erupted in a stream of violence, curses & heated exchanges, the other Council members having to pull the pair apart from clouting each other; some siding with Hans, the others - mostly older, long-serving members of the Council - siding with Heinrich.

“Why you ignorant, self-absorbed pup! I shall have your commission for this; your traitorous bastard!” Heinrich roared, going a unhealthy shade of scarlet as he anger he felt welled up to show on his face.

“It is you who are the traitor!” Hans roared back, face going as equally as dark, the veins standing out in his neck, straining to get at his hated foe, the Field Marshall barely in control of his own faculties, he was so enraged. “You are a traitor to the Fuhrer, the Reich & this colony! You should be executed for your crimes, you dithering old fool!”

Amongst all this confusion & uproar, the doors to the Council chambers opened & in walk their strange visitor, calmly striding amongst the chaos & confusion, escorted by two SS; whom seemed more to following him than restraining him.

“Blessed are those whom walk the path in unison” The stranger said claming, his voice carrying to all in the Council chambers; breaking through the din to grab everyone’s attention, as if the Fuhrer himself had suddenly walked in on the disturbing turn of events in the Governing Council’s chambers.

“Whom the hell is this?” Heinrich roared, still bristling with anger, “I thought I told you to detain the stranger whom came through the Stargate?!?”

“We did, Field Marshall, but he began preaching to the colonists when we were escorting him to be interrogated at SS headquarters. When we tried to restrain him, he waved his staff & our weapons flew out of our hands as possessed by demons. That was when he insisted on seeing our leaders. We thought it would best if you dealt with him, Sir” One of the SS men replied.

Straightening themselves out & regaining their composure, the Council members assembled in an organized fashion as Hienrich addressed their mysterious visitor.

“I am Field Marshall Heinrich von Blucher, commandant of this colony & head of this colony. On behalf of the Governing Council & the Third Reich, we welcome you to Hummel, & ask you to state your purpose here”

“I am a Prior of the Orii” Their mysterious robed guest replied, brandishing his staff & raising his head so all could see his pallid features : his milky, glassy eyes, his tattooed face, his strange clothes & his air of total confidence & calm demeanour, remaining open but betraying nothing. “I have been sent on behalf of the Gods to guide you back to the True Path & spread the word of Origin. You have been raised by evil, sheltered in darkness. You must be shown the light if you are to be led to salvation”

“We do not need saving” Hans replied, overriding Hienrich before he even had a chance to speak. “And we were not raised by evil. We are the master race, destined to rule over all. It is our birthright, our destiny”

“It is the destiny of all unbelievers to embrace Origin or perish” The Prior replied, “Thos raised by evil cannot be allowed to threaten the followers of light & jeopardise their journey to enlightenment”

“If you attempt to use force or continue to preach your dribble to our colonists; we will have to respond in kind” Heinrich replied, giving Hans a dark look. “Although we would like to ask you how you arrived here on Himmel. As far as we are aware, the Stargate only goes between Earth & Himmel”

“In that, you are incorrect” The Prior replied, “I would be willing to teach you, if would be willing to listen”

“Interesting” Hans replied, rubbing his face as a plan formulated in his mind. “I will deal with this, Field Marshall” Turning to the SS officers, he added: “You shall escort our guest to my offices immediately” Then, to the Prior, he said : “We shall discuss this matter further in my offices”

“I would talk with you later, Hans” Heinrich replied, giving a ‘this is not over’ look, glad to be rid of the hot-headed youth for now. “This Council is adjourned”

So saying, Hans & the SS escorted the Prior to the Reichsstatthalt’s offices hereby as the rest of the Council members talked amongst themselves or left to attend to their own duties. After making the Prior wait for an uncomfortably long period of time, Hans entered into his offices by a side door, dismissing the SS gaurds that had been posted there.

“Leave us” Hans commanded, his orders being obeyed as if they were sent from on-high : just the way he liked it. “Please, take a seat” Hans said to the Prior, the Prior setting his staff aside & taking a seat across the desk from Hans, his window offering a prime view of the main square outside, various Nazi indicia & flags of the Third Reich decorating the walls of Hans private offices.

“You say you came through the Stargate, what we call the Doorway to Heaven; but not from Earth” Hans said, getting straight to the point, “If the Fuhrer did not send you, than whom did & how did you get here?”

“I, along with others of my kind, were dispatched to the place from whence the people of Daniel Jackson of Earth had come. From him did we learn of your need”

“Whom is this Daniel Jackson, & what do you think we need?”

“Daniel Jackson was a visitor to the Holy City of Celetsis, the city of the Gods. From him did we learn of the existence of a great many unbelievers, in desperate need of salvation & guidance to the truth path of Origin. He is from a place call Earth” The Prior replied, struggling slightly with the pronunciation of the foreign name.

“I know of no ‘Daniel Jackson‘, is perhaps an envoy of the Riech; sent to your people to tell them of the glory & supremacy of the master race?”

“He was not dressed as you are, & did not speak as you do” The prior replied matter-of-factly.

“Then it is as I have feared, the Fuhrer has fallen in battle & Reich is no more, then?”

“I do not know of this Reich of which you speak, but the Prior dispatched to Earth did not return. I can only assumed he died in the forefillment of his duty to the gods & now rests with them on the plains of enlightenment”

“Tell me of your religion?”

“Origin is the one true faith. We Priors were sent to bring you out of the darkness of our ignorance & into the light; so that we may all rejoice in the worship of the Gods, as it was meant to be”

“Your ‘gods’?”

“The Orii are all seeing & all powerful. They show us the true nature of the universe - something which has been hide from you - & lead us unto enlightenment. It is by their will that I am here, speaking with you nows”

“And that book you are carrying. What is it’s purpose?”

“The Book of Origin teaches us the nature of the gods & our true purpose in this life. Ours in not to question, but rejoice in their splendour, for they are all powerful & all knowing. You are welcome to read from it‘s page & learn from it‘s wisdom”

“I shall do that” Hans replied, taking the Book of Origin off of the prior & opening it to the first page. “This writing is unfamiliar to me, can you translate it?”

“But of course” The Prior replied, raising a hand as if to wave a fond farewell, the Ancient text of the Book of Origin translating itself into plain-to-read, understandable German.

Hans began to read, not stopping until he had read the Book of Origin cover-to-cover, making copies & sending them off to the Totenkopfverbande - the Gestapo - to for evaluation.
“It says here, in this passage, that a great people were oppressed by an evil serpent, & that they shall be liberated” Hans asked, pointing to the particular passage of the Book of Origin he was quoting from, “When we first arrived on Himmel, the Himmelites were oppressed by strange alien beings whom carried snakes in some form of pouches in their stomaches, & when a man was possessed by one during the fight to liberate Himmel from these aggressors, the creature took him over like a demon from the inside, changing his voice & making his eyes glow. I find it strange that your Book of Origin, which I have not seen nor read before, would mention this”

“It is the will of the gods that you have read this prophecy. It was foretold millennia ago by the Orii; whom in their infinite wisdom & glory, gave it unto the common people. Now you see that what I have told you is not a lie, & that I speak nothing but truth?”

“Perhaps” Hans replied, “I will not doubt that your Book of Origin has it’s merits; & it does[/I] foretell of a chosen people whom will fight injustice & be led to enlightenment, ruling all over all in the name of the gods forever. I am only assume that your gods, these Orii, must be referring to Reich. Whom else but the glorious Arian people could accomplish such a task? We were born for this task, & if you speak truth, I would see that vision - the Fuhrer’s vision - fore filled.”

“You said before you came him via another Stargate - not the Doorway to Heaven, not from Earth?” Hans asked, turning about & clasping his hands behind his back & smelling the fresh evening air burn away as a new day dawned outside.

“That is correct” The Prior replied, “The city of the gods is a long way from here, in a far off place filled with light; & free from the darkness which surrounds you, even now”

“And you know how to contact Earth? How I can send a message back to the Fuhrer, if he still exists?”

“Of course, if it be the will of the Orii”

“Show me” Hans said.

And the Prior did just that. Several hours later, Hans burst into the Governing Council’s chambers - with the Prior & contingent of Gestapo in tow - storming in like he owned the place; which he soon would.

“Hans! I demand to know the meaning of this! What is he - “ Heinrich pointed to the Prior, the Field Marshall stabbing his finger in the air like a knife - “doing here? And why have you brought the Gestapo here, at this hour?”

“I called this emergency meeting of the Governing Council to share with you some startling revelations” Hans replied, smirking smugly at the Field Marshall. “And to show the Governing Council why we need new leadership, & why we should accept the Prior‘s offer to follow his religion”

“This ‘Origin’ you speak of is not the religion of the Third Reich, nor has it been established that this Prior is of good intent. For all we know, he could bean enemy of the Reich sent here to deceive us & subvert the good men & women of our colony.” Hienrich replied, “Besides, the policy of this colony is not dictated on the whims of one man, certainly not one bordering on treason”

“Mark me, it is certainly not I whom is breach of this Governing Body & the mandates of the Reich; if it anything, the traitor here is you[/I]” Hans replied darkly, getting a not dissimilar look from the Field Marshall.

“You lie!” Heinrich spat back, “You have no proof, & until you do, you will be held in contempt of this council. Take him away!”

“Belay that last order” Hans retorted, holding his hand up to stop the SS men from carrying out Hienrich’s command. “You want proof, Field Marshall? Here is it is!”

So saying, he snapped his fingers & the Gestapo officers disappeared, dragging in a badly beaten & half-conscious Zarubbabel moments later.

“Behold!” Hans declaired, as if a holy revelation had taken place. “Zarubbabel, leader of the rebel Himmelites & the son of one Field Marshall Hienrich von Blucher!”

“Lies! Poposterous, filthy lies!” Heinrich spat back, as Hans walked around the table, handing out copies of a document he had been holding in reserve for just this purpose. “What is this?”

“The results of extensive DNA tests confirming the fact that Zarubbabel is your bastard son by a native Himmelite slave” Hans replied, “Consorting with the enemy, diluting the purity of the Arian gene pool, subversive & manipulative behaviour; all to cover up the facts, to hide your shameful secret from the rest of the colony!”

“You are in contempt of this council Hans!” Heinrich replied, going red In the face.

“I think not, Field Marshall. It is you[/I] whom are in contempt of this council, this colony & everything the Third Reich stands for! Your actions speak louder than any words, Field Marshall, & for your part in this. . .disgusting characid, you are hereby relieved of command of this colony; effective immediately”

Turning to look at Zarubbabel, he kicked the Himmelite resistance leader & spat on him before addressing the council.

“As for this traitorous scum, he is too much of a liability to be left alive; the sentence for opposing the Reich & subverting the safety & security of this colony is death; sentence to be carried out immediately”

So saying, he drew his pistol & shot Zarubbabel through the heart with a single energy bolt from his reversed-engineered weapon; killing the poor man instantly.

“Out with one piece of trash, & out with the other” Hans replied, dropping the dead body of Zarubbabel to the floor; point a finger at Henirch, “Seize him! Field Marshall Hienrich von Blucher is under arrest for crimes against this colony, the Reich & the Arian race!”

“You power-hungry bastard!” Henirch screamed, rushing to his dead son’s side & cradling his head in his arms in a loving, if somewhat belated embrace. “I’ll kill you, you conniving little weasel! You’ll pay for what you’ve done!”

So saying, he abandoned all reason & sanity as he leapt toward Hans, intent on choking the life out of the young upstart Reichsstatthalt right there & then. As the SS & Gestapo rushed to stop him - realizing that it would be too little, too late to stop the enraged Field Marshall - he was halted in mid air & held aloft as if caught by the hand of God himself. All eyes turned to the Prior of the Orii as he held his hand, eyes closed, staff glowing with an errie white light; the jewel at it’s centre ablaze with power; holding Heinrich helpless as he struggled to get at his hated foe.

“You will find that that was very ill-advised” Hans said, smirking from ear to ear as the Prior opened his eyes & looked at the Field Marshall, addressing him as if he were the only person in the room :

“It is not too late to save yourself” The Prior intoned, calmly, coolly, as if nothing was wrong. “Embrace Origin & the Orii, & you may yet find enlightenment”

“I will never embrace your phoney religion, & neither will this colony, not as long as I draw breathe!” Heinrich spat, struggling again to no avail.

“Is that your final answer, Field Marshal Heinrich von Blucher?” The Prior asked, Heinrich nodding, his face grave & determined in spite of the fear welling up from his belly. “Then so be it”

At once, the Field Marshall began to choke, hands clasping at his throat as invisible talons crushed his windpipe & cut off the flow of oxygen - first to his lungs, then to his brain - the Field Marshall thrashing & flailing about as his life was slowly, coldly & calmly extinguished by the Prior before him.

“And those whom are prideful, & refuse to bow down; shall be laid low & made unto dust!” Hans stated gleefully, quoting from the Book of Origin as the Field Marshall’s lifeless body was released from the Prior’s magical hold & sent crashing to the floor of the council chambers, his lifeless eyes staring coldly into the blackness of space forever.

“My fellow councillors, the Field Marshall is dead; punished for his crimes” Hans replied, “I think it is time I showed you some disturbing evidence our intelligence office has gleaned from our recent contact with Earth - which our friend the Prior has recently shown us how to re-establish contact with - & discuss a few other matters of trivial import”

So saying, he let the SS & Gestapo officers clean up the mess of dead bodies & put on a tape of a recorded radio message they had taped earlier; the council members listening in silence as the voices on the tape proclaimed to be of the United States Air force, &, when asked where the Fuhrer was, told that the Nazis had been defeated at the conclusion of World War II; little realising the implications they would have by telling complete strangers what they thought to be such basic information; & how it would shape their future from this moment on.

“As you can plainly hear with your own ears, we have verbal confirmation that our beloved Fuhrer is not only dead - but the entire Third Reich & the Nazi Party Movement has been successfully defeated by the impure enemies of the Arian peoples” Hans stated flatly, feeling his own feelings of horror, dread, anger & disappointment welling up within him yet again as realized that his beloved Fuhrer & everything the Third Reich stood for was no more, that the home they had left on Earth was now no longer the home many of them had known & loved. “We are in dark times indeed, our beloved Fuhrer is dead, the Third Reich defeated & the Nazi Party smashed & scattered to the winds. But there is hope. We, the last true survivors of the Arian race & the Third Reich, have inherited the mantle of destiny & must ensure that the Fuhrer’s noble work continues to go on as he envisioned it”

Turing to gesture to the Prior at his side, Hans continued his speech :

“We know now that we are not alone in our struggle. Our friend here, the Prior of the Orii; has shown us the light. I have read from the Book of Origin, which speaks of a great people rising up out of the darkness to claim their destiny. That people is our[/I][/u], & our time is now. We know the truth of the universe now, the truth that the Fuhrer grasped in his dreams when he establish the Nazi Party. He saw the corruption al around him & chose to take action, for the betterment & benefit of mankind just as I & others have taken action since. I know now in my heart that Origin is the way, & that embracing this path will help lead us to victory & allow us to forefill the Fuhrer’s vision. What say you?“

The Council members look at one another nervously, some adjusting the collars of their uniforms as they remembered what had happen to the now-deceased Field Marshall & his rebel son only minutes before; & quickly made their decision. . .

[Akren Garkos]

Later on that evening, a triumphant Hans Schrek stood on a balcony overlooking the town square, the Prior of the Orii & the other members of Governing Council as he addressed the multitudes of Himmel colonists; his message being broadcast to all parts of the planet.

“My fellow colonists, today is a dark day for Hummel & law-abiding Nazi‘s everywhere. We have recently received confirmation form Earth that our beloved Fuhrer is dead & the regime which so many have fought & died for no longer exists as we know it. Furthermore, we have exposed a traitor in our midst, a conspiracy that reaches into the upper echelons of the Governing Council; lead by none other than Field Marshall Henirch von Blucher himself“

At these words, the crowd was stunned into silence, no-one daring to say a word; which was good, as Hans had the SA standing by just in case a riot ensued - or worse. After a significant pause, Hans continued :

“Fear not, for although these are dark times; there is still light at the end of the tunnel; & a brave new dawn approaches. Whilst the traitors & subversives to our cause have been dealt with” - by this everyone in the crowd knew exactly what Hans meant, that the relevant obstacles to his rise to power had been removed by violent & somewhat unsavoury means - “We still face the task of regrouping, rebuilding & renewing. We will continue to work as we always have, & life will go on. We are Arians, we are literally living in Heaven, we are the master race of races; & we shall succeed[/I]! I tell you this day that we have received a sign from above”

Ushering forth the Prior, Hans allowed the cameras - as well as the people below - to get a good look of their new found friend & saviour before continuing on with his speech :

“Behold the method of our salvation : this is a Prior of the Orii, the one true gods that inspired the Fuhrer in his dreams; the divine spark which nurtured his creativity & vision! Whilst the impure & the unbelievers may have defeated our beloved Fuhrer & his supporters back home on Earth, we shall not be defeated; for we have the power of the gods on our side! Our new friend, the Prior - or priest if you will - of the Orii has shared with us much knowledge of the true workings of universe; including the amazing revelation that the Doorway to Heaven - the Stargate - cannot only go between Hummel & Earth; but to many other distant place amongst the stars! He is willing to share with us the technology & knowledge to expand the Third Reich further than the Fuhrer himself ever dreamed : to the stars & beyond! Even now, our armies prepare to go forth & capture a new world for the Reich & to expand our empire beyond the boundaries of Himmel; in the day that we will take back Earth - our ancestral home - from the unbeleiver & impure enemies which occupy it & spread the word of Origin to every human in the universe; so that all may know the power & glory of the Orii! Rejoice, for today is the dawning of bright new era for the Third Reich & the colonists of Hummel : today is the day we begin our conquest of the greater galaxy, today is the day we begin to forefill our destiny!”

The crowd, which had been silent up until nows; roared their support & cheered hans on, little realising what they had gotten themselves into.

“Hail Hans Schrek, hail to the new Fuhrer!” People cried, “Long live the Nazi Party!” others screamed.

“Join me now!” Hans cried into the microphone over the near-deafening roar of the crowd below, “Show your reverence to the gods & our new friends & saviours! Hallowed are the Orii!”

“Hallowed are the Orii! Hallowed are the Orii!” The crowd cheered, the chant gaining moment with each passing moment.

After a few mintues of this, Hans decreed a celebration for the colony before retiring to his private qauters; away from the prying eys of the public. The Prior was there waiting for him.

“You have done well Hans Schrek, the Orii shall be pleased” The Prior said.

“It is I whom should be thanking you, dear Prior” Hans replied, sitting down on his chair & relaxing, a smug look of triumph on his face; “Without your help & aide, I could never of convinced the Council to make me the new Fuhrer of the colony. Under my rule, the Third Reich shall sweep across the galaxy. We shall bring order from chaos & liberate all unbelievers form darkness. We shall show them that we are their true rulers, & that the Orii are the one & only true gods; or they shall perish in their attempts to resist us; I swear it”

“It is the will of the Orii that has brought you this far Hans, do not fail them now. You must be strong & push on, it is what your Fuhrer would of wanted” The Prior replied.

“Indeed” Hans replied, “I will need to finish consolidating my power here on Himmel itself, but in the meantime, the amry is in need of much practice. It is time to test their mettle against a true opponent, one worthy of their skills. You mentioned a heavily industrialised world you visited recently; with a substantial population”

“Yes, the world of Lira-Ke”

“And you said this world is home to a group of beings whom call themselves the Ashrak, assassins, I believe you said. You also mentioned that is used to construct star ships capable of space flight; not just to the stars, but to other planets we cannot reach with the Stargate?”

“That is correct, yes”

“Tell me, with our current armed forces & level of technology; would we be able to claim this world for the Reich & the Orii?”

“Acting by yourselves? No” The Prior replied, “But it is the will of the Orii that Origin be spread to all unbelievers”

“Then you shall help us, by supplying the knowledge & technology you promised?”

“Yes”

“Then it is settled, we will being preparations to take Lira-Ke immediately; with your blessing. In the meantime, I will have the Himmelite labourers construct an - what was it you called it? An ari? - in the town square & erect monuments in the name & glory of the gods”

“Hallowed are the Orii” The Prior replied, nodding his approval.

Hans nodded back, clutching a copy of the Book of Origin to his chest & replied in kind :

“Hallowed are the Orii. . .”