Beware of spoilers in the report below!
Cameron Mitchell arrives at a hospital to visit a close friend, Major Bryce Ferguson, who went through flight academy training with him. Charismatic and outgoing, “Fergie” was always the better pilot, and Mitchell believes that he would have been the one in the F-302 fighter program … if he hadn’t taken shrapnel in the head saving Mitchell’s life four years ago.
Now, Ferguson is dying. A piece of shrapnel has caused an inoperable brain aneurism, and he has only days or weeks to live. Bitter and alone, Ferguson turns to his successful friend in his last days — and wants Cameron to breach security regulations and tell him about his top-secret work at Cheyenne Mountain. Carter relates to Mitchell’s dilemma, confessing that even had she not received clearance, she might have eventually told her father Jacob and Pete Shanahan about her work anyway.
On Dakara, the new homeworld of the Free Jaffa Nation, a proposal has been put forth to dissolve the Jaffa High Council and replace it with elected officials, a move that Bra’tac (Tony Amendola) and Teal’c support. They are joined by Maz’rai, an elderly member of the Jaffa High Council who believes strongly in democracy. But he believes that a rival faction, led by the Jaffa Yat’yir, desire to follow the Ori instead.
Learning of his decision to support the vote for democracy, a female Jaffa named Kal’el zats Maz’rai and kidnaps him. The old warrior awakens to find himself in chains — on Baal’s mothership! Maz’rai is stunned that the once powerful Goa’uld is still alive. Baal (Cliff Simon) is now kidnapping members of the council and using torture and mind-control techniques to influence the vote for his own ends.
When the council comes to debate the vote, Maz’rai inexplicably betrays his friend Bra’tac’s cause.
Later, Bra’tac arrives at Stargate Command with dire news: Teal’c has been kidnapped. With Mitchell on personal leave with his friend, Carter, Daniel, and Bra’tac gate to Teal’c’s last known location.
Meanwhile, Ferguson confronts Mitchell with what he knows. He has been doing research — and using his personal contacts in U.S. intelligence — and has concluded that Earth has a fleet of human-built, alien hybrid ships, and at least two interstellar battleships. He has always believed in aliens, and doesn’t buy the government’s cover stories about alien attacks and the strange new “influenza” virus that recently swept the globe (“The Fourth Horseman”).
The team returns to Dakara and finds Maz’rai dead, his symbiote clutched in his hand. Bra’tac believes that his friend attempted to perform the Rite of M’al Sharran (“Threshold”) on himself, because he had been brainwashed by an unknown foe.
Guest characters include Major Bryce Ferguson, Maz’rai, Bra’tac, Kal’el, Til’vak (a Jaffa in Baal’s service), Baal, Yat’yir, U’kin (another brainwashed Jaffa), and Dr. Kelly.
“Stronghold” will air on The SCI FI Channel in the U.S. in early 2006.
Brand new episodes of SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis air every Friday night at 8 p.m. on SCI FI. Learn more about what’s to come in GateWorld’s episode guide!