X2U-238: Shot in the Dark 2
In reply to General Hammond (msg # 32):
"This vessels return was a hard objective, Sir?" Kaspar asks, "I mean, I suppose we could ... the ship doesn't seem to be significantly damaged from its hard landing, but, General, do we even have access to enough refined naquada fuel to make the attempt? We are located in a stellar globular cluster just outside our galaxy - how long would a return trip take?"
"Although, admittedly, if we did fly this Ha'tak back home, we'd have yet another gate to add to the collection - maybe we could put one on Mars?"
"Actually, sir, I think it might be better for The First's cultural psyche if we let them reinstall their own gate, but we offer to supply them with an iris. From what I saw, they are technologically capable of both operating and maintaining such a device."
"The First Elders implied that several Dragon Lords make occasional visits here to mine naquada. I do believe that it was the intention of this Ha'tak's Goa'uld to set up this gate here and set up a more permanent presence."
"The impression I got was that ships could land if their weapon systems were powered down. Other than that, as long as the cities aren't attacked, the global defenses remain inactive. The First Elders weren't specific on how the weapons worked, just that they would stop any Goa'uld attacks."
"Yes, General, we believe the Goa'uld who came through the gate somehow sabotaged this Ha'tak to dump its fuel just prior to landing. I think the slime infestation may have been unplanned - they didn't appear to be prepared for it, when they came through the gate. Last we knew, he had gone up to the pel'taq with his Gator-Jaffa. He should be up there, since we had disabled the DHD when we left the ship, and it didn't look like the dialer had been touched when we repaired it. Of course, I can't discount that he may have alternate means of dialing the gate."
"So either this Dragon Lord is upstairs with his Jaffa, or he snuck off the ship over night. Is there any particular reason you want him alive, General? I thought every effort to interrogate a Goa'uld had failed, so far?"