Ten Jaffa, like shadows, condensed in the echoing gloom of one of Cheops's conference rooms. My "first warrior," Krel, stood out among them—a gem of intelligence among this, admittedly, rabble of uncouth blockheads assigned to me forever. Thirty years of battles he had yet to experience, yet every Ra garrison had seen him pass through its walls. Inexperienced, like everyone else here, they had become masters of close combat in two years, proving themselves in the hellish crucible of the attacks on Lubyanka. But still, like uncut diamonds, they remained green recruits. And this greenness was my primary task, one that must be washed away. The battle for Prakith was not for conquest, for the planet yearned for Indra, and without a flagship, I lacked the strength for occupation. Manpower was the only value, but for that, polytheism would have to be introduced into their primitive culture. A whisper like the sea whispering of new gods: "Yes, Indra is your goddess, but Szarekh is also a god, he is a friend of your goddess."
"Phaeron!" a new greeting, like a petal unfurling in the wind, flew from their lips. They jumped to their feet, greeting me. I graciously allowed them to sit, and immediately, like a pulsing heart, a holographic map, captured by the satellite, shimmered. This same satellite, incidentally, had become the center of a whirlwind of unrest. I learned from a simple shepherd that night on the planet is the time when the entire operation of assembling and disassembling the glider can be carried out. He, like a ghostly bird, carried the satellite into orbit, disguising it as an ordinary space rock. The glider, like a shadow, returned. Numerous plans, like a web, were woven for every possible outcome, but the pilot returned like a bullet, without alerting anyone. And only the satellite's eyes, piercing the darkness, told me: there are 100 gliders on the planet, and perhaps a sensor network deployed there. Not noticing the takeoff would be a miracle, nothing less. On the other hand, why would the local contingent need gliders? In the first moments of the invasion, they were scourge, hunting down Indra's loyal warriors. And now... now everything has become simpler. Vritra has reigned over the planet for 20 years.
"This is the planet Prakiti, or rather, its inhabited part. There's only one city here—Saravad, also the capital. Population: 10 million. A million of them are the city's inhabitants, nine million are the agricultural settlements that feed the city. There are 70,000 Jaffa of Vritra on the planet, called Asuras. Twenty thousand are the guards of twenty castles, vigilantly guarding Prakiti's fields and its population. And 50,000 are in the capital, imprisoned in a mine dug by local slaves. There's an airfield with a hundred gliders on the planet, but, according to the agent, they're rarely used. The airfield is a fortress, guarded by a thousand soldiers.
I couched my entire narrative in words, touching the map like a virtuoso with a brush, painting a picture of the situation. Villages as dots, castles as crosses, the airfield as stars. The map legend was a detailed scroll, written by me as soon as the orbital scan revealed its secrets.
"Under normal conditions, we don't stand a chance. But we're not under normal conditions. Their first mistake is the lack of total control over the gate. The second is the lack of constant glider patrols. Third, the small population supports Vritra, so recruiting spies will be easy. The key to any victory is surprise. The airfield must be neutralized. If it remains intact, the operation is doomed. So, the first stage is to transport a disassemblable teltak to this planet. It will become the cradle of a landing force that will strike the airfield. The goal is to capture or destroy all the gliders. I would prefer capture—a priceless resource. A local agent pointed to secluded caves where teltak can be secretly collected. Rare plants grow there, and even shepherds don't wander there. There is no water. It's an isolated place. At the same time, the agent will dismantle a network of video surveillance devices disguised as ordinary bricks. We must know the asuras' every move: their garrison, their shifts, their weak points. Preparation takes months.
"Sir, how are we supposed to fight 70,000 enemy Jaffa?" Krel asked, his voice steely. "Aircraft will give us the advantage, but if they fire salvos from the walls, they'll be able to shoot down the glider."
"Why would I use the glider cannons?" I retorted, and immediately the glider, like a bomber bird, dropped a bomb on the castle. The explosion, like a clap of thunder, shook the earth. A glider has a lifting capacity of nine tons. British 8,000-pound bombs are capable of destroying castles. One pair of gliders will drop two heavy bombs, the other four napalm bombs. A napalm bombardment is what we need. "All this time, the glider support company will practice passing through the gate and deploying aircraft. The others will practice bombing. We will spend as much time on this as necessary. Haste is the enemy. With Teltak, the gate will become mobile, not a static object to defend. Armored vehicles are your wings. Retreat when necessary. Keep a reasonable distance from the advancing troops. They will tire out, you will move on without wasting your strength." 200 kilometers away lies a rock formation with sheer walls. An ideal defensive location, inaccessible without air power or antigravity.
It looked like Masada—exactly the kind of place I was looking for. A million Jaffa couldn't take it. Although, if they kept firing their staves... Without air power, they're cannon fodder, doomed to destruction. Whoever controls the gate controls the supplies. You can block any entrance by constantly recruiting your planet.
"How are we supposed to capture the airfield if there are a thousand soldiers there?" Krel asked again.
I showed the blueprint for a cluster bomb packed with stun grenades. The first strike is on the barracks. Kill those sleeping. Those on guard duty with grenades. I'll have to invest in production. Then a glider lands, and Jaffa run out. The goal is to activate the gliders and steal them. Teltak can't transport 100 people, but it has rings. Connect them with the others, and voila, a new base. Teltak will have embrasures for heavy plasma cannons. It will become a mini-fortress. How many gliders should I deploy? Two in the initial deployment? Or more? The risk is increasing. If I fail, I'll lose a Teltak and two gliders. The risk is proportional. The first strike is to catch the asuras off guard. I need to create an accurate mockup of the airfield, at least out of wood. And train my subordinates until they bleed.
"The goal of the operation is to obtain battle-hardened Jaffa. The planet is isolated, and help from space won't arrive anytime soon. Your mistakes won't be as critical. During this time, you'll need to train pilots who can transport the gliders back to base."
The situation was risky. Extremely risky. But using napalm and bombs, we could obtain a significant number of Matoks, Zetas, and gliders. If the operation is successful, we'll have 124 gliders instead of 24. This is a colossal increase, requiring no expenditure of naquadah or technology. We could form eight additional squadrons. By assessing their effectiveness, we'll understand how to formulate future tactics.
"I'm entrusting the preparations to Krel. Three directions: me – stockpiling all-terrain vehicles, Krel – reconnaissance and personnel training. We're going to war."
"Yes, sir!" they cried enthusiastically. The Jaffa, raised in a culture of war, saw it as their destiny. Although I have the tool to create a Jaffa, I wasn't a big fan of it: firstly, I don't have access to the larvae, and secondly, I'm not a fan of offshoots from the human race.
Now it was time to figure everything out. Twenty-four gliders—each with two transport trucks, plus bomb trucks. Several hundred cars, rebuilt over the course of these months. Teaching a Jaffa to drive wasn't the hardest task. Engineers—to dismantle a hundred gliders, transport them to the ship, where they would be rebuilt according to my plan. Months of preparation. During that time, they could do other things, like explore the next planet.
"Phaeron." The man bowed low. I nodded, offering to sit. His name was Kuran Galen, a merchant from Urvashi, not the smallest, not the largest—just right.
"I'm not one for long introductions. I'll put it bluntly: I need an intermediary between me and another planet for trade operations. The goal is to mine naquadah. Your job is to convince people to work through economic incentives. Trade goods. If they have problems, subsidies are possible. Essentially, you'll be my trade representative."
Your job is to be my confidant, my trade ambassador, skillfully directing economic incentives to revive these mines. If difficulties arise, I will provide subsidies—you will be my shield and sword throughout the galaxy.
"Nakdah... the same one they're mining now?" Kuran asked cautiously, as if testing the waters.
"Exactly," I confirmed. "There are worlds in the universe abounding in it, but there are also those bereft of this treasure. This planet is valuable not for the riches of its depths, but for the craftsmanship of its inhabitants. It is protected by Asgard and is part of the Protected Planets Treaty. System Lords are forbidden from setting foot on these lands under penalty of death. This is done to prevent a repeat of tragedies like yours."
The man looked at me with curiosity.
"I was given an order, and I carried it out without shedding a drop of blood. The miners, it seems, are pleased with the improved working conditions; their burden has become much lighter. And, unlike many other worlds, I don't have to force people to work. I prefer economic incentives. You will become not just a link between me and these people, but also the foundation of a trade network that will stretch across the galaxy. This, in my opinion, is a very tempting offer."
— What powers will I have?
— What do you wish?
— The ability to independently purchase various goods, regardless of your approval. Constantly waiting for your decision will slow down the entire process, like rust on a machine.
"Interesting," I said, placing my palms to my chin, lost in thought. "Essentially, I'm handing him a trade monopoly, but he's working for me. For now, that power remains in my hands. But for that, we need to sign supply contracts. The bulk of these 'unusual' goods come through Earth, which hasn't been under Imperial control for five thousand years. "Thanks to the gate, you'll be able to understand their speech, but you won't be able to read it. You'll have to learn the language, understand their history, and grasp the intricacies of network development. They consider themselves the only intelligent species on the planet, and we shouldn't disappoint them. Therefore, the secrecy of the supply chain is paramount."
"I understand, but I still insist on a certain amount of autonomy.
"Okay. Your cover story: you're a free trader, aware of the value of naquadah and willing to offer favorable terms for its extraction. Present gifts to the local chieftains, throw a feast, tell captivating stories. And explain that you can pay them with far more interesting goods for their labor, using your knowledge. Become their friend and convince them. Pay for the establishment of an outpost where you can trade your goods. But, I repeat, be extremely diplomatic. The Asgard will ignore you if these are simply trade operations between equal partners. But if they see slavery, their wrath will be terrible. Much will depend on how you handle this, including your tenure in this position. The better you do, the higher your salary will be. And one more thing, I'll say it bluntly and without equivocation: I'm only interested in naquadah. If you negotiate the sale of furs, amber, or any other resources valuable to your planets, you can trade." This can become your additional income.
"You are very generous, Phaeron. Tell me, what are the terms of sale for Urvashi's products?"
"Over time, make it a priority. Goods from Earth are a temporary solution, for the sake of our planet's economy. Soon, we must replicate and surpass all of Earth's technological advances. And become suppliers of a wide range of goods to many worlds. However, I'm considering a supply agreement for exotic fruits—coffee, bananas, pineapples, and others. Your civilization is located above the growing zone for such fruits, so establishing plantations will be difficult and unprofitable, diverting resources from the population and requiring significant investment."
- However, sir, I must ask about logistics operations, will they be tied to ground self-propelled transport?
- Right. Is that a problem?
- The gate is located on the territory of your ship, which greatly complicates many logistical operations.
"Kuran was frank, but on the other hand, I could not allow myself to lose control of the gate, from a purely military point of view.
"My plans include building a multi-level fortress in the rocky massif. It will be jointly exploited by both military and commercial forces. Besides the fact that the gates
- this is a very convenient trading tool
This is the point from which an invasion can originate. To meet both security and trade needs, you'll need to build elevators to move gates from the military to the trade level. To support trade, you'll need to build a railroad. But this will take a significant amount of time, so you'll have to work with what you have.
He just nodded.