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[Akren Garkos]

N.B.: This post is set in the days immediately following the events of Into the Fold.

The planet Tollan, approximately 9 years ago. . .[/b]

Fire. Lava. Ash. The scene was a nightmare Hell-vision seemingly inspired by Dante's Inferno. A world on the brink of collapse, a once pristine & beautiful world consumed in the fires of it's own imminate destruction. Noxeous gas & toxic fumes suffused the atmosphere & all that was not already dead, buried &/or destroyed would soon follow their fellows into oblivion. Olaf looked around him as burning debray & potentially lethal protectiles where sent this way & that, as lava scortched the earth & made barren his once idealic home; as chaos, death & destruction burned, torched & laid waste to what he once called home. Then, as the toxic fuses built to near-leathal levels & overcame both he & his fellows, he succumbed to the embrace of death; knowing that they had failed, knowing that Tollan - a once beautiful & lush world now laid to waste - would still be accessible to innocent bystanders, to explorers from through the Stargate. For it was not buried, nor destroyed, & they had failed.

But then they came. SG-1. Then consisting of Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill, Samantha 'Sam' Carter, the rebel Jaffa Teal'c, & one Dr. Daniel Jackson; they had saved Olaf & the others, taking them back to the SGC on their own homeworld, the planet of the Tauri - a planet called Earth. It was there that they learned about their would-be saviors & how primitive they were. How they lusted after Tollan technology in their quest for learning & exploration - & to help they battle the Goa'uuld - & how their leader, Omac, had explained the diaster that had befallen their people, how they had destroyed not only their world; but that of their neighbour, Sarrita, by sharing their advanced technology with another, primitve species, that was not yet ready for the burden, nor the responsibility, that great power could bring. How others in the United States government, spurred by greed & afraid for the safety of their people & their planet, had tried to coerse the Tollan into capulating to their demands; & how Dr. Jackson had helped them to get into contact with the Nox - another advanced species & one-time allies of the Ancients, the original builders of the Stargates - & how they had feld Earth in search of their new homeworld, located outside the known network of Stargates & thus out of the influence of the Goa'uuld & their ilk.

The planet Tollana, 8 years ago. . .[/i]

Narrim had called SG-1 to the new homeworld ofor the Triad of Klorell/Shaakra, about which there was much whisperings & quite rumors - not that anyone would voice such opinions aloud unless they felt necessary. During the Triad, the Goa'uuld had tried to attack Tollana & it's people, & they were summilarily destroyed for their arrogence & follishness. Relations between Tollana & Earth continued at a measured pace, the Tollan's ever-mindful of the devistation caused by their interactions with the Sarritans.Those were good days, back before trajedy struck. . . .

The planet Tollana, 4 years ago. . .

The Goa'uuld mothership had not been destroyed by the Tollan's autmoated planetary defense system : Tollana & it's people were now at risk to enemy attack, for the first time in living memory, they were vunerable. Acquising to the Goa'uuld's demands, the Tollan had built weapons of mass destruction for the rouge System Lord Anubis in the hopes he would spare the Tollan people; only to have the tyrannical being demand they test the first of their new weapons on their old friends from Earth! With the help of SG-1, Narrim had opposed the vile System Lord & led a resistence moment against the tyranny of the Goa'uuld; only to seal Tollana's fate as they rained death & destruction from their mothership in orbit above. Ships that tried to flee where shot down as soon as they reached orbit, but the mothership could not attack the planet's surface & the fleeing ships at the same time, & many escaped; fleeing the destruction of their planet & their people. Like Olaf, Narrim stayed planet-side to assist his fellows as the Goa'uuld invaded in force; taking the captial & laying waste to their new homeworld. Unlike Olaf, Narrim did not survive to see the fruits of labour, the success of the Tollan resistance, nor the rebuilding of their homeworld. He died a hero, leading those surviving Tollan whom dwelt within the ruined shells of their former homes to victory voer the Goa'uuld, eventually taking back their homeworld from the agressors whom would defile & destroy all whom opposed them.

But not before Olaf was rescued by a returning Tollan spaceship, combing the surface for any survivors of the Goa'uuld's mascare, searching for those whom ight yet still live after Anubis viceous & calicous assualt on their homeworld. They had fled then, retreating & leaving their ruined & devistated homeworld to the Goa'uuld; seeking the aide of the Tok'Ra whilst they planned to reclaim their lost home & regain all that was once lost. That was were Olaf had come face-to-face with his destiny, where he had met - & blended - with Verak, his new life-partner, his new symbiote. One of the youngest Tok'Ra only recently matured from the first batch of successful spawnings of the recently re-dsicovered Queen Egeria, mother of the Tok'Ra; Verak was as new to the whole blending thing as Olaf. Things had worked out in the end, & now the pair were firmly commited to their goals, & had become not only great individuals working toward a common goal, byt great operatives & life-long friends as well. With the help of the Tok'Ra, Olaf/Verak & the Tollan had liberated Tollana from the grip of the Goa'uuld, & had finally reclaimed their lost homeworld.

Following the reclaimation of their home, they had renamed it New Tollana, in memory of the honored dead, & as a reminder that their planet, their home, their people; would never be the same again. Then the reuibling had started : long, ardueous years of rebuilding from scratch, replenishing the population & strengthening their defenses had slowly taken it's toll on the Tollan people' but they were committed to the cause, dedicated to pereverence as opposed to simple existence. That was when they had resumed contact the people of Earth - almost eight years to the day after the Tollan & the people of Earth had first met amidst the ruins of Tollan, in fact - as well as establishing cordial relations with other advanced species & cultures, such as the Tok'Ra, the Asgard, the Nox, the Jaffa - & most recently - the Gadmeer.

And now, almost nine years later; after travelling on missions which had taken him to various world spanning three different galaxies, Olaf was finally returning home. After relaying all the data he had collected from Atlantis to the Tok'Ra operatives on-base at the SGC during the talks with the Gadmeer, Olaf had made his way to his homeworld; & after a brief step through the Stargate, he was home. Olaf looked around him as he emerged from the event horizon, looking back over his shoulder as the Tollan Stargate - smaller & less flashy-looking than the Ancient-made Stargate possessed by Earth, yet signifigantly more powerful - disengauged, marvelling at how such a important piece of technology could of survived unscathed through all that had happened to his planet.

Turing back the way he had come, Olaf looked about, his eyes sweeping over the surrounding parklands & the nearby Plaza of Ministries, & felt tears well up in his eyes as he spotted the Wall of Rememberance - the very first structure rebuilt after the reclaimation of Tollana from the Goa'uuld - as memories came flooding back, the years of struggle & hardship, all the lives lost, all the death & destruction. Olaf felt Verak comfort him as he began to walk towards the Plaza of Ministries, his symbiote & long-time friend offering his support & understanding as the pair made their way to the Office of the Curia to give the ruling body of the Tollan their full report after their many months spent on Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy.

As they passed by the Wall of Rememberance, Olaf stopped along the Wall at the closest point to the Office of the Curia; paying his respects to the honored dead. Waving his hand over a section of the Wall, Olaf holographically enhanced the names etched there, bringing up four names of particular signifigance - not just to the Tollan people, but to himself, personally, as well : Omac, Narrim, Travell & Debnal. Bowing his head & closing his eyes, he offered a small prayer in memory of the four Tollans that had had the biggest impact upon his life thusfar :

"Omac, you led us bravely to finish what we could not do, even though we had to try. During uncertain times, you were a voice of guidence & reason; & for that, we thankyou. Narrim, your penache for life & love for others shined through even the darkest storm, & even when we fell under attack from the Goa'uuld & world lay in ruins; you never gave up hope. I wish you were here to see how far we have come, how we have risen from the ashes; because of you & people like you, Colonel Carter says you're a hero, & I happen to agree; thankyou. Travell, I know you only did what you felt was right & in the best interest of Tollana & it's people; but your duplicity & concern almost doomed us all. Thankyou for opening our eyes, & showing us that sometimes you must endure great hardship before you can begin anew. Debnal; you were my best friend, the closest thing I had to a family after my real parents died on Tollan. You were there for me through it all, & you gave your life to save mine; so that I could continue on to free our people. I wish you were here now, to see how we survived, that we are strong & will carry on as best we can, & that I will do all in my power to keep our people safe. I miss & love you all; thankyou"

Opening his eyes, he raised his head & shook it from side to side, shaking loose the tears that had welled up during his prayer, waving his hand over the holographic image of the names of Omac, Narrim, Travell & Debnal; shrinking the hologram & returning the Wall back to normal before continuing on to the Office of the Curia to give his report. As he passed through the halls of the Office, he remembered back to his intial meeting with New Tollana's highest governmental body; & his assignment to the Atlantis expidition on both behalf the Tollan & the Tok'Ra. Through one of the windows overlooking the Plaza, he could see one of the many Tollan ion cannons placed strategically all over the planet; designed to protect New Tollana from incursions from space. He did not know how effective they might be against the likes of the Orii or the Wraith, should either race make their way to the Milkyway & find his homeworld; but that was why he was relaying information, data & technological research back to both the Tok'Ra & the Tollan; to ensure that their species, their way of life, was to continue. Finally, he passed through the weapons-disabling section of the halls leading to the central chamber where the Curia held it's meetings, past the gaurds stationed at the door - giving them a slight nod as he did so - & entered into the inner sanctum of his peoples' government, taking the floor as the members of the Curia stood around him.

"We, the Curia, welcome back one of our most favoured sons, to New Tollana" High Chancellor Ursal said formerly, offering his greetings on behalf of the Curia, which in turn, spoke on behalf of the people; smiling down at one of their most valued citizens. "It is good to see you well, Olaf"

"Thankyou, High Chancellor; the Curia's words are well received" Olaf replied, "I take it the Curia received my encoded transmission from Earth?"

"Yes" The High Chancellor replied, nodding, "The Curia is pleased with the recent developments on Earth, & welcomes news of the Gadmeer's genereous offer to the Tollan people"

"Again, I thankyou" Olaf replied.

"You're welcome Olaf, well done" High Chancellor Ursal replied, smiling down yet again at his friend, scientist & operative amidst the stars. "Now, please tell us of your stay at Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy?"

"Certainly" Olaf smiled, telling them all about Atlantis & it's many wonders which the Ancients had left there; of the massive database the Ancients had accumilated during their stay on Atlantis, & of dangers & potential threat of the Wraith.

"These Wraith are almost as advanced as the Ancients, you say?" Councilwoman Linsensa asked, standing next to High Chancellor Ursal, the pair looking worried. As head of the Curia's scientific department & the Curia's representatives for the Office of Science; it was her job to ensure the Tollan people maintained a level of technology that would help protect them from future agressors. "Elaborate?"

"The Wraith utilize bio-technology as the base for their cultural & technology sophisitcation; & have demonstrated a level of technology to rival the Ancients themselves; although they are still lacking in several key areas, specifically the development of inter-galactic travel - which, couppled with the lack of scientific data about the Milkyway & it's many worlds, in particular Earth & our homeworld - is what has prevented them from spreading their devistation to this galaxy in the same way they have scourged the Pegasus Galaxy" Olaf replied, "Having said this, the Human/Asgard hybrid technologies developed by the Humans, particularly in regards to their superior inter-galactic engines, Asgard transporter beams & Asgard shields on their new Daedalus-class starcraft seem to be effective in helping defend their people from the Wraith threat; although the biggest advantage the Atlantis expidition has is abundence of Ancient technology - such as the Puddle Jumper spacecraft & the drone chair defense weapon - which still is more advanced than anything the Wraith, or Earth & it's allies; including us - currently possess"

"And what of these Orii we had heard about from our recent visitors from Earth?" High Chacellor Ursal asked, "From what we hear, they are even more advanced than the Wraith; & concurrently, present the Tollan people with a more direct & immediate threat than the Wraith"

"That is correct, High Chancellor" Olaf replied grimly, "The Orii & the Ancients were once one race; the Alterrans. For lack of a better explaination, they split over philosphical differences; the Ancients comming to the Milkyway Galaxy, the Orii staying behind. Both learned to Ascend to a higher plane of existence, with the Acnients allowing us free will & self-expression, whilst the Orii demand worship & ascquise or death. The Orii think that they should be venerated becuase their knowledge of the universe is so much greater than those whom are unAscended; knowledge which they use to ensure their place as 'gods' to those whom worship them. Thusfar, they have sent Priors - their version of priests - to many world in the Milkyway Galaxy from their home galaxy to try & convert as many worlds as possible prior to what some are fearing is gearing up for a full-scale galactic invasion. These Priors possess powers & abilities above & beyound the norm, having been genetically enhanced by the Orii. The SGC has thusfar battled both Priors & Orii technology, with limited success"

"And your recommendations in regards to these duel threats which could harm our people?"

That comment came from Chancellor Adrinana, to his right.

"My suggestion to the Curia, Chancellor Adrinana, is to become as prepaired as soon as possible, as much as possible" Reaching into the folds of his robes, Olaf produced a Tollan data sotrage device; holding it up for all in the Curia to see. "This sotrage device contains all the pertiant data - scientific, cultural, medicinal & other relivant information of import - that I was able to obtain whilst I was at Atlantis; including a download of the Ancient database, which contains the addresses & specific data on all worlds in the Pegasus Galaxy to date"

"Well done, Olaf, you & Verak have outdone yourselves; as per usual" High Councilor Ursal replied, smiling & nodding in satification as Olaf handed him the Tollan storage device with the precious data stored upon it. "We shall put this data to use immediately, as per your recomendation"

"Thankyou, High Chancellor. May I suggest the Offices of Science & Space respectively focus their attentions on Ancient shield, hyperdrive & cloaking technologies; as I personally feel that, in my humble estimations, that these would be the areas of interest most likely to benefit the Tollan people at this time. I would also suggesst on finding ways to adapt Ancient military technology to Tollan sciences in preperation for preapring a variety of new defensive technologies for deployment against would-be agressors to the Tollan state" Olaf finished, summerizing his report to the Curia in one effective, conscise statement.

"Thankyou Olaf, your words shall be taken in consideration & given full weight & due process, as the Curia sees fit. Once again, good god, & welcome home. You are dismissed"

"Thankyou High Chancellor, & thanks be to the Curia; it is always a pleasure & an honor to serve" Olaf replied, bowing before existing the council chambers.

Following his debriefing with the Curia, Olaf made his way back through the Plaza of Ministries to the surrounding private sector, where the individual residences of the Tollan populace had been re-constructed. Making his way through the reconstruction works & other reclaimation & rebuilding projects going on an any given time to arrive at his personal place of residence. As he entered his building & then into the small & modest apartment he had come to call his own, he couldn't help but think of all the hard work his people had put into the reconstruction & reclaimation of their world. Even though New Tollana had only be occupied by Anubis forces for just over a standard Earth year, the untold devistation & destruction they had wrought upon the planet & it's peoples was still very much in evidence; even after more than 3 years of solid & unrelenting rebuilding & reconstruction on behalf of New Tollana & it's people.

Indeed, he remembered the day when they had reclaimed Tollana from the Goa'uuld, for he was there. There had been much fighting & loss of life, but with perservence, dedication & some help from the Tok'Ra; the Tollan people had reclaimed their homeworld after more than a year of wandering & hopelessness. On that day, the people had renamed their planet New Tollana, in rememberance of the honored dead from Tollan & Tollana, & as a reminder that although life carried on, Tollana & it's people would never be the same again.

After the reconstruction of the Wall of Rememberance - adding even more names to the Wall to comemorate those whom had fallen not just on the old homeworld of Tollan, but during the years of Tollana's construction, demise & rebirth from the ashes - they had set about electing a Curia & re-establishing essential services, one of which had been the significant increase in security & defensive measures; both in personelle as well as military technology. There were now more ion cannons protecting the planet than ever before; & a orbital defense shiled could be erected in place at a moments notice, blanketing the entire of New Tollana in it's protective embrace should the need arise. Then there was the array of obrital defense & survillence satellites positioned all around New Tollana & the Tollan star system, something which was repeated on every single one of the colony worlds; ensuring early detection of all but the most advanced & well-cloaked of craft.

The Tollan Stargate, a pincale of Tollan scientific achievment & engineering, was equiped with an energy shield, similar to that protecting the Atlantis Stargate & similar in function to the shield & the Earth's Stargates' iris both - to stop unwanted intruders from gaining access to the planet & it's people - not that the Tollan's themselves had an issues with this, as their phase-shifting technology allowed them to pass through their Stargates' protective shield as easily as it would the Earth's Stargates' iris. Remote dialing from within the secured offices of the Curia meant that they could control access to & from the Stargate, as well as see whom was dialing in form where & take the approperiate actions accordingly. Weapons-diabling devices built into the superstrcture of the Tollan Stargate could automatically detect any unauthorized weapons of virtually any type - technological, biological or a mxiture of both - & disable them if necessary, providing even more security for Tollan & it's people should visitors to their world ever become aggressive or unfriendly.

One thing Olaf was not well pleased about was the retaining of the plans & prototypes for the phase-shifting atmoic weapons of mass destruction which the Curia had originally built under duress from the Goa'uuld System Lord Anubis. Like Omoc & Narrim before him, he had argued venhemently against the retaining of such devices of mass murder; seeing them as little more as a dark legacy of an era in recent Tollan history everyone would rather of forgotten, if they could. To keep such weapons of terror & devistation, Olaf had argued, was akin to revisiting the destruction of Satria all over again, was akin to them becomming little better than the Goa'uuld. Whilst the Curia had overruled him on that one, Olaf & his supporters had managed to gain a few hefty concessions from the Curia, including the monitoring of, & restricting the use of, the weapons; except under exceptional curcumstances as dictated by need, & only then after all other options had been utterly exhuasted. Each of those weapons was under the strictest security & scrunity 24 hours around the clock, & Olaf was confident that should anything ever happen to the wrentched devices, that he would be amongst the first people to know.

Closing the door & plopping himself down on his livingroom chair, Olaf took some time to relax & gather his thoughts for the next few days before he would make his way to Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. With so much going on, & with the Gadmeer delegation arriving in two days time to start work on the ecological reclaimation & reconstruction of New Tollana, Olaf would have a busy schedule, even if did cherish his work; it was still nice to take some time off every once in a whiles. Still, the Wraith & Orii threats were still out there - not to mention the Goa'uuld, the Lucian Alliance & who knew what else - & Olaf & Verak would not rest until their jobs were completed & the peoples of the universe - whether they be from the Milkyway, Pegasus, & Ida Galaxies, or elsewhere - could live in peace; free from the opression of others. It was a long, hard & ardueous road, they knew; but was one definately worth fighting for. . .

[Akren Garkos]

This post continues on directly from Home, & is set the days after the events of Into the Fold, taking place just prior to the episode Off the Grid.

The planet Gasmeria, a few days ago. . .[/i]

'Thankyou for your prompt response to our communique, Ambassidor; the Curia appericates your understanding in wanting to rebuild our civilization & reclaim our world from the damage done to it by the Goa'uuld" Olaf said, his full-body, life-sized image replicating his features to the Gadmeer in question in minutest detail; even capturing his facial inflections & body language so perfectly it was almost as if he was in the room with the Gadmeer Ambasidor - which, in a manner of speaking, he was. "Your offer is greatly appreciated & most genereous"

"The Gadmeer appreciate & understand the position of the Curia & the Tollan people, & as we have stated before; are willing to go out of our way to help make our savivors from Earth & their allies most comfortable & justly rewarded for helping ensure our own survival." The Gadmeer Ambassidor replied, making a small bow of thaks to show just how sincere & resolute the Gadmeer were on said matter. "The data you gave us in regards to the fauna & flora of New Tollana has prooved most helpful, & we have begun extrapolating the DNA sequences provided as soon as we recieved them. The first specimens should be available to be beamed to the planets surface once we arrive in New Tollana's orbit & have entered the upper atmosphere. You may supply us with any additional DNA samples & requirements once we arrive early tomorrow morning, New Tollanan time"

"Thankyou" Olaf replied, nodding in acknowledgement & thanks of the Gadmeer's efforts; which would soon see New Tollana re-populated by it's native flora & fauna. Even selected species from the original homeworld of Tollan - carefully chosen for their compatability with New Tollana's ecosystem - could be grown from the samples & images stored in the Tollan governments' databse & historical archives. "In return, the Tollan would like to offer the Gadmeer any help they may require in continuing to rebuild their own civilization. The Curia will meet with either yourself, or your representative upon your arrival to New Tollana; & discuss your options with you"

"We thankyou, we are always open to the trading of knowledge & learning between cultures such as ourselves" The Gadmeer Ambassidor replied.

"As are the Tollan, although our highest law prohibits us from sharing our technology with...less sophisicated cultures than our own" Olaf replied, choosing his owrds carefully.

"You disapporve of the Gadmeer decision to provide technology trade, aide & support to the people of Earth; the people whom intially saved us from certain extinction & whom introduced us to the Tollan people - the very people & planet you yourselves have chosen to ally yourselves with?"

"Yes & no" Olaf replied, "Whilst we greatly respect & appericate the Gadmeer position in this matter & respect your decision to provide technological knowledge & cultural exchanges with Earth & it's other allies, we do recommend & ask that you consider what kind of knowledge you will be handing over to the Humans of Earth. They have made some great & startling leaps technologically speaking over the last 9 years that the Tollan have known them, that is true - there can be no denying that! - but it is the opinion of the Curia that we slowly introduce them to more advanced technologies & carefully monitor their use & progress in developing these applications for further & widespread use. Their governments are fractured & are still learning to unite as one & trust one another, & even with the discovery of Atlantis & the secerts it holds; the combined technologies of Earth & it's allies might not be enough to take on both the Wraith & the Orii respectively, let alone if they combined their forces against us"

Olaf shuddered to think of what the two species could accomplish should the Wraith & the Orii ever combine their respective & already devistatingly formidable prowess. Luckly, the Wraith regarded all other living species as nothing but a food source; & the Orii - whilst Ascended - still needed living, breathing worshippers to maintain their power & worship them, & would tolerate outside interference the same way the Wraith would : with brute force & unyielding, uncompromding military retaliation.

"The Gadmeer understand & appericate the concerns of the Curia & the Tollan people, but we do not go around simply giving advanced technology to the first primitive people we meet. We shall strictly monitor & study the Earth's use of the knowledge we give them, & I assure you, the Gadmeer would not allow any technology or information we shared with any[/b][/u] culture or species used for harmful or military purposes unless there was no other choice" The Gadmeer Ambissodr replied, reminding Olaf of the Tollan's own failings in trying to help less advanced races, & of the onus placed upon them to ensure that such knowledge given was used amicably, fairly & responsibly.

"I apologise if I caused any offense, it was not my intention; I was merely expressing the concerns & hopes we all carry with us" Olaf replied, "Shall we move on to more plesant topics?"

"We would, that we had more time" The Gadmeer replied, which Olaf knew was as much as a dismissal as it was based in truth.

"Then I thankyou for time, & anticipate meeting you in person over the next few days before I return to Atlantis" Olaf replied, bowing deeply & smiling to the Gadmeer on the other end of the hologram as they ceased communications & went about their respective business.

During the course of his day, Olaf met with the Curia to discuss the impending arrival of the Gadmeer to help restore New Tollana's ravaged ecosystem & other matters relating to his duties as the Tollan ambassidor to Altantis, as well as acquisitions & trade between the Tollan & their various allies, & other such matters.

"I don't think the Curia understands the full scope of the threats presented by the Wraith & the Orii" Olaf was saying as a pair of Tok'Ra entered into the council chambers during the middle of the his threat assessment of the two most signifigant enemies to cross paths with Earth & their allies in some time. Nodding to Tok'Ra as they took their places to either side of him, Olaf continued : "The Wraith are almost as technologically-advanced as the Ancients, & their biological basis of much of their technology makes understanding it that much harder. If not stopped, they will spread throughout the universe like a plague, feasting on the life-force of countless hapless trillions of sentients in their quest to secure rich, new feeding grounds"

"Didn't the Ancients have the power to defeat the Wraith?" One Curia member asked.

Olaf nodded his agreement, re-joining :

"Yes, the Ancients were technologicaly more advanced than the Wraith - as evident by their lack of technological development in certain areas, most signifigantly in the areas of intergalactic travel & shield technologies - but the sheer force of their number & other pros in their favor - such as their frightening ability to regenerate & their near limitless lifespans - outweighs the cons, & ultimately is what helped them win the war. The Ancients could win virtually any enguagement with the Wraith, but saw no way to forestall them for good, & so they sunk Atlantis beneath the waves of their homeplanet in the Pegasus Galaxy & returned back to the Milkyway, fleeing to Earth rather than continue to remain besieged by the Wraith"

"And if Earth & it's allies were to join forces against the Wraith?"

"If we were to side with the people of Earth in commiting to a full-scale assault on the Wraith; we would have to be in it for the long haul. Even if Atlantis should become fully operational again & even with our support & those of it's allies; winnning the war against the Wraith could take longer than we would like; & cost us significantly more in manpower & resources than we could spare for the foreseeable future" Olaf replied, "Besides, with the threat the Orii now pose to this galaxy & others, I would highly recoomend we focus the majority of our attentions to surviving - or at least forestalling - the inventiable confrontation with the Orii & their followers that will eventually make it's way through this sector of space & to the Tollan people"

"You say that now the Orii pose the bigger threat?" High Councilor Ursal asked, seemingly confused.

"Yes & no" Olaf replied, "Whilst it is true the Wraith do pose a significant threat to this galaxy & the wider universe; the Wraith are largely unaware of the other inhabitable planets & the myraid of sentient species they contain in the Milkyway Galaxy as of this moment. Their sole concentration has been to find a way to gain access to Earth & it's substainal Human population, which they believe would supply them with a rich new feeding ground the likes of which they have not seen in the Pegasus Galaxy for generations"

"So they are unware of New Tollana & it's people?"

"That is correct, to the best of my knowledge, the Wraith have no clue that we exist - & I hope to keep it that way, for as long as possible" Olaf replied grimly, well aware of what could potentially happen if the Wraith learnt of the existence of the Tollan & their homeworld - let alone the Unas, the Serakkin & the countless other species & planets populating the Milkyway Galaxy. "The Orii, on the other hand, are already on our doorstep - or at least they soon will be. They have sent Priors - their priests & ambassidors - through the Stargate to numerous plaents within our galaxy already to try & convert as many cultures & races as possible for what they are saying is a fast-approaching 'day of reckoning'. We are lucky in that only Earth & our other trusted allies know the location of New Tollana & the Stargate address to our world. As far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned, our people perished when Tollana was attacked by Anubis' forces four-&-half years ago"

"That could work in our favor, then?"

"To a certain extent & up to a certain point, yes" Olaf replied, "Insofar as, for the moment, we technically don't exist & don't register on their list of planets to conquer & convert to Origin & the ways of the Orii. Eventually, however, they will start to come in force - probably by ship, like the Goa'uuld used to - & they will not be satisified until they have either coverted & conquered, or destroyed, every single sentient on every single planet in this galaxy"

Olaf let that little point sink in for added effect, hoping it would get the scope of the enormous threat they all faced firmly planeted in the minds of each & every member of the Curia; before continuing on with his recommendations :

"Personally, in my humble opinion, would suggest increasing production & R&D of Project Freedom immediately, & would prepare several contingency plans in case the worst comes to pass"

Olaf & all the other Tollan present knew that 'Projecy Freedom' referred to the production & enhancement of existing & new technologies developed by the Tollan military, headed by the Office of Science & Technology. It's manyh projects included the restoration & maintainence of existing Tollan technologies & infrastrcture, as well as development on the Phase Shifting Weapons of Mass Destruction originally undertaken by the Curia for Anubis - which the Curia had kept, much to Olaf & other's protests (even if he personally could see the merit in keeping such destructive & dangerous technology aside, in case the need for last-resort defense became absolutely necessery at times) - & included adaping knowledge gained by Olaf from the Ancient database at Atlantis as apart of the agreement between Earth & the Tollan, as specified in their terms & agreements of trade between the two cultures.

"As for supplying the people of Earth with new items of technological signifgance, may I suggest we augement our trade agreement with Earth by supplying them Weapon Disablers?" Olaf offered, hoping the Curia would agree to his suggestion. "I have been carefully monitoring their use of our generator we supplied for them at Atlantis, & they have put it to good use powering the Ancient control chair & various other systems throughout the Atlantis base"

"They cannot use the generator we supplied them with to power Atlantis in it's entirity?"

"No" Olaf replied, "The Ancients designed Atlantis to be used in conjuction with three Zero Point Modules, or Z.P.M.'s, concurrently; & even with our potential to create near-unlimited, clean energy, the two systems are still somewhat incompatiable; not to mention I don't know how Altantis & it's systems would react to being plugged into one of our generators, so we have left it well alone for now. No sense in causing any more dramas than what the universe can throw us as at any given time"

"Agreed" High Councilor Ursal replied, nodding. "We shall consider your proposial to supply Earth with Weapons Disablement technology & inform you of our decision the next time the Daedalus makes port with Atlantis. As for your other recommendations regarding the Wraith & Orii threats, your advice is well heeded" Turning to the Tok'Ra, whom up until now had been standing stoic as ever, Ursal said : "The Curia welcomes the Tok'Ra to New Tollana"

"Honoured, as always" One of the Tok'Ra replied, both bowing in repsect to their hosts & allies. "Our beloved Queen Egeria has sent us to talk with Verak in regards to his assignment to the Atlantis expidition; & to ask that the Curia consider it's current position on the supply of potential hosts & technological aide to the Tok'Ra"

"We, will, as always, consider the Tok'Ra's request for the requisition of Tollan technology - I understand you make extensive use of our Spacial Phase Communicators? - " The Tok'Ra nodded, before High Councilor Ursal continued : "As for the Tollan supplying you with more potential hosts to house Egeria's growing brood of newly-spawned Tok'Ra, we shall have the results of the latest Census of willing candidates ready for you by the time you leave New Tollana"

"The Curia & the Tollan people are most kind" The Tok'Ra said, bowing before existing the room.

Olaf, finally finished his briefing with the Curia, caught up to them as they existed the halls of the Offices of the Curia, making their way from the Office of Justice, through the neighbouring parklands & back to Olaf's personal qauters - which was wept for bugs & survalience equipment - before getting down to business. Bowing his head, Olaf let Verak, his symbiote, take control of his body; in order to give his report & recieve any updated news from the High Council, as well as obtain his latest assignment in preparation for his eventual return to Atlantis.

"Greetings" Verak replied, his head comming up, his eyes glowing & his voice resonating with the metallic, echoing 'boom box' sound of the the symbiote within. "I trust the information we imparted to the operatives at the Gadmeer diplomatic meeting on Earth reached the High Council without incident?"

His fellows nodded their agreement, before adding :

"The High Council is pleased with the information you & Oalf have obtained during your stay at Atlantis; it has been most helpful. Our scientists are analysing the information gleened from the Ancient database as we speak"

"I hope the information prooves useful to the High Council; Olaf & I had to download the data in stages to prevent from being caught or raising suspicion. The Humans from Earth trust neither the Tok'Ra nor the Tollan, in spite of all we have been through together & what have accomplished as allies & brothers-in-arms. Our access to the more sensative material was intitally restricted, but we managed to download nearly all of the database components from the Ancient database the Humans have managed to access & translate thusfar" Verak replied, remembering all the late nights spent hacking into Earth comupters & copying details from the Ancient database - both in secert & as apart of Olaf & Verak's own offical duties on-base - & the more than often close calls they had nearly had on many occassion thusfar. "Information on the Daedalus was easier to obtain, & was downloaded from the S.G.C.'s computers & records taken from a place they call 'Area 51', where alot of their R&D work into non-Human & advanced technologies apparently takes place; although jugding their natural suspicion of all things different, I would recommend caution in the future"

"The High Council agrees" The other operative replied, "Whilst they Tau'ri have proven to be valuable allies, they make for somewhat interesting hosts & have oft proven to be irrational & overtly agressive at times. It is the High Council's opinion that you continue your efforts as best you can in the current environment. If things fall apart & our newly re-founded alliance deterorates likes last time; then at least we shall be prepared for the comming storm"

"Agreed" Verak replied, nodding in agreement. He too felt, that whilst it was not necessary the best thing to decieve the Tau'ri about all their goings-on; the Humans of Earth had not been so forthecomming with alot of the information they were technically - at least under the terms of their alliance agreement with the Tok'Ra - supposed to share with the Tok'Ra; so they had to make their own plans, backing themselves up in case things went pear-shaped between the two allies (yet again). "I will do as the High Council instructs. What news of our Queen?"

"Our beloved Queen Egeria is doing well & in good health. She becomes stronger & more radiant every day, & has managed to adjust to life amongst her children & the larger galaxy quite well considering her long imprisonment by Ra & her experimentation ordeal at the hands of the Pangarians" - Olaf felt a rising tide of anger at the way his beloved Queen & mother had been treated, both by Ra & the Pangarians, even if the Pangarians didn't know she was Tok'Ra at the time; but supressed his feelings. Egeria had taught her children to be responsible & etical creatures whom cared for others & their hosts, a distinction which set them apart from their Goa'uuld cousins - "She continues to spawn at regular intervals, adding to our number & replenishing our ranks as never before. The Jaffa have upheld their part of our agreement in that those whom cannot or will not take tritonin have been rid of their Goa'uuld symbiotes & are now incubating future generations of Tok'Ra. The Humans of Earth & our other allies are helping to provide us with more suitable hosts as our young mature; all in all, things look bright for our race after millenia of hardship"

"The Wraith & the Orii could potentially ruin all we have worked so hard for" Verak replied, adding a touch of soberatity to an otherwise pleasant conversation, "With the Goa'uuld gone, we finally have a chance to become something great, but the Wraith & the Orii threaten to ruin all that. I trust the High Council has a plan to deal with the Orii, just as Atlantis deals with the Wraith?"

"Indeed" Came the reply, "And to better aide you with your duties at Atlantis & in the field against the Wraith, we have brought this token of the High Council's trust & faith in your continued services"

So saying, they unpacked a box - which until recently, Verak had paid little attention to, knowing they had bought it with them from the current Tok'Ra head base of operations, but knowing what was in it - revealing a complete suit of Super Solider armor within.

"I had thought these lost during the last enguagements with Anubis?" Verak asked, surprised the Tok'Ra had managed to procure a fully function, completely intact suit of Super Solider armor; considering the ammount that had disappeared or turned up on the inter-galactic black market since the fall of the Goa'uuld. Those that were for sale on the black market were considerably rare & hard to come by, not to mention quite exspensive.

"We procured it from one of Anubis' old hidden bases in the Tartarus System" One of the operatives replied, "The High Council thought you might be able to use it your duties at Atlantis & on field missions exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. We have included a T.E.R. as well, as we are sure you & Olaf will want to modify the suit for maximum effectiveness & combatability"

"I am honored" Verak replied, not knowing what to make of such a gift.

"Queen Egeria also sends her regards on a job thusfar well done & her expectations on your future successes"

"I am deeply humbled & doubly honored then" Verak replied. As good as a suit of Super Solider armor & a T.E.R. were, praise from his beloved Queen Egeria, Mother of All Tok'Ra was more priceless & worth more to him than any piece of technology or gold. "I shall not fail her, nor shall I fail the High Council or our people"

Nodding in agreement & repsect, the three Tok'Ra bide their goodbyes, the two operatives leaving via the way they had come; attending to offical business on behalf of the High Council before returning back to base.

The next day, Olaf awoke from a restful, pleasant sleep - he was going to miss his Tollan-designed bed - which heated to match the body temperature of the occupant & molded to fit their physiology & physical requirements - Verak's voice inside his mind reminding him that today was the day the Gadmeer would arrive to New Tollana, & of their imminant departure later on that morning to return to Atlantis; before showering & dressing in his preferred all-black Tollan mode of dress, packing up his newly-accquired suit of Super Solider armor & accompanying T.E.R. for transport; & made his way to Remeberance Sqaure - which housed the Wall of Remeberance & the Offices of the government - before meeting with the Gadmeer represenative later that morning, who's ship had arrived in orbit above New Tollana at 10.30am (local standard time) - to hammer out the restoration of New Tollana's ravaged ecosystem with the Curia, before the process of reclaimation & reconstruction could begin later on that day.

Olaf smiled & looked up as the Gadmeer ship entered low over the captial city & made it's way to the outskirts of the city to begin restoring New Tollana's shattered ecosystem & began it's long & important work, as the Stargate engauged & opened a wormhole to Earth; Olaf heading back to the Tau'ri with his newly-accquired prize to rejoin the Deadalus on it's 18-day journey back to Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy.

As Oalf boarded the hybrid Earth/Asgard vessel, bound for Atlantis with new personelle, supplies & valuable technologies & resources for the Altantis expidition; he couldn't help but smile - broader & more happily this time - as he remember the sight of the Gadmeer ship beginning it's vital work. The Wraith & the Orii still posed grave threats to New Tollana, Earth & their allies; but it gave him a small measure of comfort knowing that - at least for the time being - that things were right & well with the universe at large. It gave him hope for the future, & in these uncertain & trying times; hope was a precious & rare gift indeed. . . .