Cleaning Up After The Ancients - Chapter 173

Chapter 173 - Over Performing Errors - Part 3

The chamber Niam led them to was almost a carbon copy of Atlantis's judicial chamber. Which was more than a little telling about just how Oberoth saw this meeting.

Taking into account Oberoth and Niam there were a total of nine Asurans arrayed behind a series of lectern-like desks arranged into the omnipresent seeming horseshoe arrangement that humanoid psychology seemed to favor for those sorts of circumstances.

Oberoth himself was seated in the central position, which was the slightly raised platform upon which in Atlantis an overseeing judicial councilor would have usually been situated.

As much as Eventus wanted to take the initiative, he knew from the reception so far that this couldn't be his show, so he stood in the center of the horseshoe waiting for Oberoth to begin.

“It took ten thousand years.” He finally growled. “But at last you return to face what you did to us.”

The temptation was there to point out he had never actually done anything to them. However Eventus could tell from the general atmosphere of the room, that that level of feigned denseness about Oberoth's use of the word you as a plural, wouldn't go over particularly well. 

“I suppose so.” He said, giving those words a moment to settle in before continuing. “And congratulations, you win.”

That seemed to throw Oberoth for a loop, as he stared at Eventus for several seconds with an almost perplexed look on his face before burying it under a scowl. “What!?”

“You win.” Eventus repeated, trying his best to get across the absolute truth he felt about those words.

Swinging his arm to encompass the room he continued. “With everything you've built here you've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Wraith War would have ended completely differently if we had actually listened to you.”

Even without his knowledge from the show it wouldn't have been hard to guess that was what the giant continent spanning city was all about. It was just that till now, their only hope of validation had likely revolved around the thought of the Ascended seeing it and knowing that they had been wrong.

Oberoth narrowed his eyes. “You cannot believe those words are enough to make up for what your people did?”

“Not really.” Eventus agreed. “But I do believe some of you will at least appreciate my admittance of the fact.”

The tanned male Asuran with short dark hair gave a slight nod of acknowledgement that backed up that thought.

“And it is a good lead in to the question of what your people actually want.” He bobbed his head slightly in self acknowledgement of the obvious. “Other than the death of me and any remaining members of the Lantean people.”

“We don’t want anything!” Oberoth barked, indignation and annoyance warring on his features. “You are only here because the programming in our base code means we can’t stop you.”

Eventus met Oberoth’s eyes and held the Asuran’s gaze for several moments before letting out a sigh. “That last is true enough I suppose. But my conversation with Niam made it clear that at least some of your people aren’t content with just sitting here existing.”

Oberoth eyes flicked to Niam for a moment before he sneered. “Naim’s foolishness does not represent us.”

Raising an expectant eyebrow at the Asuran, Eventus waited several seconds for him to recognize how loaded those words actually were.

“All right,” He continued once it became clear Oberon wasn’t actually going to have the moment of self-realization the Lantean was hoping for. “If Niam doesn’t represent you, what do the majority of the Asurans actually want?”

“You to leave.” Oberoth growled out.

“No,” A mid forties looking dark haired female Asuran interjected, turning an inscrutable glare towards Oberoth. “This situation is not one that should be rushed.”

“Especially given we have yet to hear why, after all this time, he is actually here.” A late twenties looking Asuran woman with shoulder length black added in.

A sour look flashed across Oberoth’s features before settling into a grudging acknowledgement of a point made. “I suppose that at least has reason to it.” He focused a derisive stare on Eventus. “So tell me Lantean, why have you come to our world?”

There were many potential answers to that question that Eventus knew he could give. But the Asurans weren’t the Humans or Goa’uld or Asgard who wouldn’t know or care about his various obfuscations. The sensors they no doubt had trained on him would almost surely detect such an attempt in his physiology, and they themselves would consider it just another betrayal. Which only really left him with the option of telling them the unabridged truth.

“To find out whether you've let hate and resentment overtake you, and if not beg your help in saving the universe from what may be our biggest past mistake.”

Oberoth visibly scoffed. “So again you want us to fight one of your wars. How perfectly expected of your kind.”

“Fair,” Eventus reluctantly admitted. “The old high council would absolutely have done something like that. However you're mistaken in thinking I’m here to ask you to fight the war. You already made it quite clear during our war with the Wraith after all that you don’t want to do that sort of thing.”

“It truly amazes that you remember.” Oberoth rolled his eyes.

“The help I wanted to beg, was your assistance in non-combat roles.” Eventus continued, purposefully not deigning the interjection with acknowledgement. “You’ll never even have to leave your world if you don’t want to.”

“You wish to use us as a shipyard.” The late twenties Asuran put forward in a contemplative tone.

“Amongst other things.” Eventus confirmed with a nod, completely unsurprised that they had been able to guess that much given the circumstances.

Narrowing his eyes, Oberoth spoke in a tone that made clear he was addressing the other Asurans. “That would drag us into their war just as much as fighting directly.” 

Eventus had to hold back a sigh, as the Asuran leader was both technically right, and missing the much larger picture. “You’re already a part of the war, it just hasn’t reached this galaxy yet. But if our alliance loses, it is a surety that our foe will come here to eliminate what it sees as continuing threats.”

Because the Ori unrestrained by the other Ascended wouldn’t be willing to risk either the Asuran or Wraith’s continued existence.

Smirking, Oberoth glanced at the other Asuran’s as if to confirm some great truth that Eventus didn’t know. “Then when they come we will drive them away from our world, just like we did the Wraith.”

“No,” Eventus shook his head as the pitying realization settled over him of just how little consideration Oberoth had put into his words. “You will not. By the time they move against this galaxy, it will be as ascended beings unrestrained by the precepts that have previously stopped them from acting.”

“What?” Niam frowned.

Eventus let his eyes trace over the Asuran’s and noted the lack of any other visible reaction before focusing back on Oberoth. “How much do you know of the Ori?”

“That is what the Lantean’s call those of their people who have strayed from the tenets and attempt to rule over others as gods.” Oberoth put forward as an almost satisfied smirk graced the corner of his lips. “Are you saying this great threat to the universe is the Lantean’s themselves?”

“No, and yes.” Eventus reluctantly admitted, steeling himself to give the full breakdown now that Oberoth had confirmed the Asurans only knew about the more colloquial usage of the word. “Let me tell you about the full history of my people.”

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Author’s Notes: This chapter fought me in an odd way, I got to the part with Eventus asking Oberoth what he wanted, and realized everything Oberoth ever did was reactive. Which meant I didn’t any obvious answer to use for what he actually wants. And truthfully still don't.