《STARGATE: A New Dawna Stargate Fan Fic》


 Chapter -2 - Note from Creator

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 Chapter 1

    Atlantis


    Researching the Atlantis database was never easy. At times it was a painfully slow process. Daniel Jackson was a rare fan of these extensive searches in the ancient archives. His current assignment was to locate any remaining undiscovered ancient outpost''s within the Milky Way. Six weeks in and the project was finally beginning to bear fruit. What new discoveries would the research lead to? This was the type of thing Daniel lived for. while sipping his coffee and reading the ancient text. He leaned closer to the data terminal screen and set down his coffee in shock. Could it be, he wondered?


    On the screen was a list of what appeared to be outposts within the Milky Way Galaxy. No stargate addresses, but highly defined locations. One of them was located within our own solar system. "Pluto? That''s not even a planet." he muttered.


    Homeworld Command


    "And why do you think you need to jaunt across the solar system with the Hammond? What has that ever accomplished Daniel?" asked General Jack O''Neill.


    "Well let''s see, the discovery and recovery of Atlantis, liberation of mankind in two galaxies, untold scientific advancement, the combined knowledge of two advanced races..." trailed out Daniel.


    Good point thought Jack. "Any idea what these locations are?" asked the General.


    "Based on the ancient database the locations seem to be anchorage points for the ancient fleet. Resupply outposts, repair facilities, shipyards, and the like. Think of what might still be there Jack. The opportunity is too great to pass up. Or we could always wait for the Lucian Alliance to find it I suppose." chided Daniel.


    Home World Command saw the value in discovery. Even the IOA would jump at this chance. The Tauri Fleet while incredibly powerful was also incredibly small. Anything that could even the playing field as far as numbers were concerned was a top priority. Leaning back in his chair Jack day dreamed for a moment about an Aurora Class named Enterprise that should be his. "Ok, you''ve got a green light. Make sure you bring the Hammond back with a full tank of gas when you''re done."


    The George Hammond


    Colonel Samantha Carter never tired of looking at her new command. The Hammond was the newest ship in the fleet, with a proud name. Currently she was on the dark side of the moon after taking on supplies, personnel, and a new assignment.


    "Give me full sublight to our destination." ordered the blond haired Colonel.


    On her tablet was the information Daniel had carried aboard. A location and signaling instructions. Those two pieces of information were all that was to be had. Heading to the briefing room Sam wondered what they might find. If this was as big as she suspected this find could be a major game changer for Earth.


    "Thanks for the lift" someone said as Sam entered the briefing room.


    "Anytime Colonel Sheppard" replied Sam.


    The command group of the Hammond, in addition to Colonel Sheppard and Daniel Jackson plotted out an action plan for their arrival around Pluto.


    "We scoured two galaxies for ancient outposts and you''re telling me we might have had one in our backyard all this time?" asked John Sheppard.


    "As we all know the ancients were great at keeping things hidden when they wanted to. These locations were buried in nondescript sections of the Atlantis database. It could be that they compartmentalized the information or took it for granted that everyone with a need to know already knew." answered the linguist.


    "Upon arrival we''ll stand off five hundred thousand kilometers and you can proceed in the Jumper. If this site has any automated defenses the presence of an Ancient Jumper should be much more acceptable than the Hammond. We''ve uploaded the signaling instructions for you and they are already aboard the Jumper." stated Sam.


    "I''m telling you right now, it''s never this easy with Ancient sites. I really don''t want to have to get shot at, save the day, and fly back here to say I told you so." joked Sheppard.


    Accelerating to full sublight the Hammond sliced thru the icy vacuum of space like a great white shark. It would be a short trip, but then they always were. In hours, the ship crossed a distance that just twenty years ago would have taken mankind decades to cross. Humanity had come so far in a few short years. From those first tentative steps through the Stargate, to having intergalactic spacecraft and now to have Atlantis sitting in the San Francisco Bay was breathtaking. Sam and Daniel both had the privilege of being there every step of the way. What would the next twenty years hold wondered the Hammond''s commande

 Chapter 2

    Andromeda Galaxy


    "The question is do we tell the Tauri? Do they not have the right to know? It is my opinion that to continue to deceive them is a mistake we will come to regret." stated Thor.


    As the Asgard High Council debated the subject amongst themselves Thor thought of the Tauri he had come to value as friends. They were a strong people, and had fought for the Asgard against the Replicators when it was needed most.


    "Supreme Commander Thor, we have gifted the Tauri with our entire base of knowledge. We have no need to explain our actions to them." replied Odin, Chief Delegate of the High Council.


    Rising from his seat, Thor took several steps towards the High Councils podium.


    "They are the fifth race. Yes, we did entrust them with our knowledge and legacy, but we also laid upon them the burden of maintaining our treaties. They are a strong race, but a young race. It is not our right to hinder their development so that our treaty obligations are fulfilled. We solved our genetic degeneration with an Ancient DNA manipulation device, and they are the second iteration of the ancients. We saved ourselves with technology that is rightfully theirs. If we abandon a friend and ally of the Asgard, we are no better than the Vanir." stated Thor in rebuttal.


    Quickly changing subjects Odin inquired about the status of rebuilding the Asgard Fleet. The entire fleet minus the O''Neill Class ship Iskr had been decimated when Othalla had been destroyed. The Iskr under cloak had slipped away carrying the consciousness of every living Asgard in its memory banks. The plan was to rebuild the race anew; free of the curse they had lived under for so many thousands of years.


    "Supreme Commander Thor, once the fleet is rebuilt, reestablish contact with the Tauri. Explain to them what was done and why it was done." directed Odin.


    Knowing a victory had just been handed to him Thor returned to the shipyards to oversee his task. The Asgard would soon reappear on the universal stage.


    Pluto


    On the very edge of the solar system was Pluto. Once classified as a planet, then reclassified as a dwarf planet Pluto was nothing more then a lifeless ball of ice and rock. The Hammond maintained station five hundred thousand kilometers out while conducting scans. No energy signatures, no life signs, nothing but ice and rock. The Ancients were very good at making things disappear, even themselves, so looks could be deceiving.


    "Scans show nothing Colonel" stated Captain Fisher.


    "I expected as much. Jumper One, you are clear to depart." sighed Samantha Carter.


    Inside the Jumper bay the outer doors were opened and the ancient spacecraft sped away. Not knowing what to expect only John Sheppard and Daniel Jackson were aboard.


    "Once I am within fifty thousand kilometers start transmitting Doc." said Sheppard.


    Speeding towards the dwarf planet the Jumper''s sensors detected nothing. Once within range Daniel began transmitting the signal, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly the sensors came alive with massive energy readings, and the dwarf planet seemed to change in the view screen. It wasn''t a planet at all, but a man made celestial body.


    "Uh doc, I''m not doing the flying anymore." m.o.a.ned Sheppard.


    Altering course the jumper sped towards an opening in the massive object. Approaching a gigantic opening a force field visibly dropped. Gliding in on autopilot the Jumper passed numerous Ancient vessels, sitting at their anchor like the sentinels of old. Some sh.i.p.s appeared to be complete while others were in various states of construction.


    "This is amazing! It must be a giant shipyard! Good thing I finally agreed to the ATA gene therapy." exclaimed Daniel.


    Heading towards the upper portion of the massive hollow sphere, the Jumper gently docked and opened its rear hatch.


    "Greetings citizens, I am Arkos. Your arrival has been much anticipated." said the man standing at the Jumper hatch. With a slight flicker, Daniel and Sheppard saw Arkos was clearly a hologram.


    "Arkos, I am Dr. Daniel Jackson and this is Colonel John Sheppard. Are you a graphic representation of this facilities creator?" asked Daniel.


    "No Dr. Jackson, I am the station automated control system. An unknown warship is within weapons range of this facility. Will you authorize defense procedures?" asked Arkos innocently.


    "No, no, no Arkos! That won''t be necessary. That ship brought us here." stammered Jackson.


    Arkos processed that answer for a moment before displaying a photographic representation of all of Earth''s vessels with the label friendly in ancient beneath.


    "Very well doctor. I was instructed to stand down from construction of all vessels and materials before Atlantis removed itself from Terra. Do you authorize resumption of my duties?" asked Arkos.


    "I think we''d like to take a look at what you''ve got on the lot first Arkos" laughed Sheppard.

 Chapter 3

    Destiny


    "Colonel Young, this is Volker. Can you come to the bridge immediately please?"


    Hearing the radio call Young began moving towards the bridge.


    Striding quickly onto the bridge of the ancient ship Young asked "What have you got for me Mr. Volker?"


    Volker, Eli, Brody, and Dr. Rush all hovered over their respective screens trying to make sense of what was happening.


    "Destiny received a Subspace signal and began transmitting massive volumes of data in return. We do not know where it''s going, but we are certain it''s not directed to a seed ship. Based on the data being sent we''re certain of that." stated Rush.


    "We''re certain its maintenance logs being transmitted." said Eli.


    Colonel Young pondered this for a moment. Had the blueberry aliens cracked Destiny''s master code and decided to ascertain the material condition of the ship? Was this a prelude to another attack? Had the ancients come back to this plane of existence and decided they wanted their ride back?


    Using the communication stones Young came to the conclusion that the situation was the result of some new discovery in the Milky Way. All that worry for nothing. Although this far out into the universe he was finding that rarely was worry ever wasted. With luck the SGC had found a way to get them home, or at the least supplies. Only time would tell.


    Home World Command - three days later


    "With the assistance of the Ancient shipyard''s AI we have made leaps and bounds above the current capabilities of the 304 class ship. Combining both Ancient and Asgard tech we''ve found the best of both worlds. Unmatched firepower, unequaled defensive capabilities, and unparalleled power generation capacity. This new class of vessel represents a paradigm shift in the balance of fleet power in our corner of the universe. The compliment of X-302''s carried has also risen to 60, in addition to the 12 Jumpers that can be carried. Imagine if you will an aurora class ship intermixed with an O''Neill class, and a bit of X-304 thrown in for good measure." said Dr. McKay to the assembled members of the IOA, Home World Command, and the Joint Chiefs.


    "Is he always such a smug bastard?" asked an IOA member in hushed tones.


    "He sure is." replied General O''Neill.


    Smug McKay might be, but he had delivered an amazing new design. With everything performing as promised the new vessel was easily more powerful than anything the Asgard or ancients had ever launched.


    Her hull was composed of a carbon, naquadah, and trinium mix. This was the strongest blended alloy known to the Asgard. Her fire power was composed of ten Asgard beams, six galaxy class lasers, 18 photon cannons, 34 rail guns, and 2500 drone weapons she was heavily armed. The very latest in Asgard hyper drives was fitted along with Asgard shield technology. Powering all this were ten neutrino ion generators and three ZPM''s. Design changes had also been given to the X-302''s. A naquadah generator had been added to power both shields and a cloak. The cloaking ability had also been given to the larger ship much like her older sister the Odyssey.


    "Asgard sh.i.p.s possessed the ability to travel between galaxies in under a day. Now we too will have that same ability. These capabilities are in direct proportion to the mass increase of the ship though. This class will be roughly seven times the size of a BC-304 and roughly ten times the size of the Prometheus. After intensive simulation we have found the design to be without fault. These simulations show a single vessel could face off with four hive sh.i.p.s and have a high expectation of success with minimal damage. I should point out with this capability we now have the ability to reach Destiny without a stargate. Adequate power exists to bring Destiny home under tow in Hyper Space." said McKay before taking his seat.


    The IOA members began to question how long it would take to put the design into production. They were less than pleased when informed that General O''Neill had given the green light one month ago to begin building the first two. It had been decided to put the ancient warsh.i.p.s to use patrolling the Milky Way, freeing up the BC-304''s for the Pegasus galaxy to operate with Atlantis which was slated to return shortly. This new class of vessel was destined for use outside friendly territory, and as a large capital ship in time of conflict. Nothing the Lucian Alliance had could compare in any terms. The total number of slated vessels for this class was set at 18. The class was to be named Athena.

 Chapter 4

    Athena - sixty days later


    With her shakedown cruise complete, Athena was provisioning for her first official mission. During her shakedown it was decided to push the ship hard to find any potential fault. She and her crew were sent into the galactic void between Pegasus and the Milky Way to tow home the abandoned ancient warship Tria for repairs. Athena performed without fault and was declared operationally fit and ready for service.


    Her commander was Colonel Aaron Eckhart. He was a legend in the F-302 community from the Battle of Antarctica and as one of the few survivors of the Ori incursion that resulted in the destruction of the Korolev. He oozed fighter pilot machismo. For the last seventy two hours he had watched the Athena''s loading of supplies and provisions for this mission carefully. Everything but the kitchen sink was going along for this ride. The reason was everything but a sink was needed at the destination. He checked and rechecked. Of course he was nervous about this one. He and his crew were going farther out than any earth vessel had gone before. This truly was one for the record books.


    Her crew was an odd mix of combat troops from the SGC, scientists, engineers, and technicians. With the size of the vessel and the fact she had a matter creator onboard as standard equipment she was not without her luxuries compared to the Prometheus. Even with her once unimaginable speed this would still be a long mission. One month to the destination, two months on site, and one month on the return leg. That''s why he made the big bucks the Colonel laughed acidly to himself.


    Looking out at the shipyard he saw the Athena''s sister sh.i.p.s taking shape. Colonel Sheppard and Colonel Mitchell were both present overseeing minor details during the construction process. Tria was also visible in dock being repaired after being damaged thousands of years ago in the Ancient Wraith War.


    On the dock Colonel Sheppard approached the Athena''s commanding officer, handing him an orange. "In case Rodney acts up, just show it to him and he''ll behave" chuckled Sheppard.


    "Between McKay, Dr. Lee, and the egomaniac where we''re going I might switch from oranges to buckshot in all honesty" said Col. Eckhart.


    Both men laughed and turned on their heals for the observation deck to have a drink. In the morning Athena would leave, and it had become custom for commanders to have a drink above the shipyard for luck.


    "Just come back in one piece Ecky" suggested Sheppard.


    Andromeda Galaxy


    With pride Thor looked over the nearly completed Asgard fleet. With the fleet now composed of only O''Neill class sh.i.p.s instead of older Bilskirnir class vessels it was a vastly more powerful fleet. Monitoring sensors scattered throughout the Milky Way informed Thor that the Tauri fleet was vastly increased as well. How would they react when contacted? What would change? These are the questions that troubled the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Would the Tauri be able to handle the change in the order of things that Thor knew to be coming very soon? No one knew the answer to that, least of all the Asgard.


    Atlantis


    With three fresh ZPM''s in place and more in reserve Atlantis rose from the ocean''s surface under the cover of it''s cloak. The Atlantis task force of X-304''s was already in Pegasus awaiting their arrival. It had been decided at the highest level that now was the time to end the Wraith threat once and for all, and to humble the Genii. Richard Woolsey was still in command of the expedition, but the chief military commander was now Lt. Colonel Evan Lorne. Atlantis would return to Pegasus in the condition she had arrived there the first time. Full power, full magazines, and full of hope for a new future, Atlantis was ready. The second Athena class ship under the command of Colonel Sheppard was due to arrive once completed. With all things considered the future did indeed look bright thought Lorne. Looking over to Woolsey the colonel pushed these thoughts to the side. With a nod of his head he signaled all was ready. With that Woolsey said "Activate the Worm Hole Drive" and Atlantis left Earth behind.


    Destiny, 22 days later


    Rumors had swirled after the command group of the expedition had returned from the last session on the communication stones to Home World Command. General O''Neill normally played things very close to the chest but even this was pushing it. Young and his staff had been told to be prepared for assistance and supplies. That could only mean another planet like Icarus had been found to dial the ninth chevron from. With luck this one would not go critical and explode like the last two had. Supplies would be a god send they all agreed, but hopefully it would just be supplies pushed thru the gate instead of more people. More mouths to feed meant further rationing of what was on hand, and no one wanted that. When this help would be arriving was anyone''s guess.


    "Colonel Young this is Eli on the observation deck, a very large ship just dropped out of Hyper Space in front of us" said Mathboy.


    On the bridge Brody, Volker, and Park leaped into action powering up weapons for the fight they all knew was coming. On the overhead speaker a message rang out.


    "Destiny this is Athena, we bring you greetings from the SGC. Power down your weapons and shields and we''ll share some of the goodies we have on board. Sound like a deal?"


    Could it be? Could they finally be rescued? The vessel looked nothing like the current fleet of Earth vessels. This was a massive ship, and looked a bit like an ancient ship that was crossbred with a BC-304. After a twenty minute process in which Lt. Scott contacted Earth with the stones to verify it was indeed an Earth vessel a shuttle was deployed with Col. Young and Camille Wray to the Athena. Landing the Ancient shuttle in one of the 302 bays Col. Young felt like he was dreaming. I swear to god if that damn ship is playing with my dreams again I''ll scream he thought.


    "Welcome aboard the Athena Colonel" said Col. Eckhart.


    After taking them to the briefing room to discuss the mission objectives a schedule of events was worked out. Half of Destiny''s crew would transfer to Athena now via both shuttles for a good meal. Once the first half ate the second half would transfer over. After that was accomplished engineers, more military personnel, medical personnel, plus Doctors McKay and Lee would board Destiny. From there it was simply a matter of beaming aboard the several hundred thousand pounds of supplies aboard. Col. Eckhart made sure the first real meal these people had in eighteen months was steak and lobster with fresh apple pie.


    "This is not a rescue just yet, just a resupply and repair mission. I get that wont make you happy, but if it helps we brought everyone clothing, hygiene items, and every movie you could think of. Plus food wonderful food" reassured Eckhart.


    Transferring all the materials and supplies from Athena to Destiny took the better part of four days. Everything needed to repair Destiny was transferred first in the shuttles, while foodstuff was moved via the Asgard beaming technology. Destiny already had two repair robots after salvaging one from the "other Destiny". Athena delivered ten more. Soon everything aboard the ancient vessel would be like new. To some this was a dream come true. To Dr. Nicolas Rush it was a major headache

 Chapter 5

    Lantea - Pegasus Galaxy


    Life was slowly returning to normal for Atlantis. The city ship was home again on the planet it had slumbered upon for so many years. Off world teams were reestablishing contact with allies after a month''s long absence. Tauri battle cruisers had been fighting the Wraith during that time, but the population appreciated that Atlantis had returned. A one hundred and eighty man contingent of Army Rangers and Special Forces went along this time with the sole purpose of reconnaissance and striking against the Wraith and the Genii. Tauri kindness would no longer be mistaken for weakness in Pegasus.


    On entry into the Lantean system Atlantis began the deployment of duplicates of the satellite weapons that the Ancients had once used, and on which Peter Grodin was killed. Daedalus, Apollo, Odyssey, Hammond, and Sun Tzu were also in the galaxy, under cloak and equipped with zpm''s.


    The enemies of the Tauri in Pegasus were in for a large surprise.


    Minnesota


    Still no fish in my pond? Well why ruin a good thing thought General O''Neill. Taking a sip of his beer while sitting on his dock and lazily eyeing his bobber. In a bright white flash he suddenly found himself elsewhere. This looks strangely like an Asgard ship he thought for a moment.


    "Greetings O''Neill" said Thor.


    "And who might you be?" asked the General.


    "O''Neill, I am Thor and I have much to explain."


    Along Destiny''s previous path


    They had watched Destiny''s crew enjoy the planet created for other purposes. The crew members were so much like the ancients; several even had the Ancient gene used in activating Ancient technology. Could the time have arrived? Could they have progressed so far so fast? If it was so then truly they were the fifth race as the Asgard had professed. It was agreed that the Destiny must be observed, its crew studied without becoming aware of the observation. Unknown to Destiny several sh.i.p.s had been shadowing the Ancient vessel, even monitoring communications on the Ancient stones. More and more everyday it seemed that the Asgard were correct. Soon they would have their answer.


    Ares


    Col. John Sheppard sat in the captain''s chair of his new command. Ares was the newest Athena Class vessel. Assigned to the Pegasus galaxy she was meant to be the cornerstone of the fleet there. Sheppard could not have asked for a more perfect posting. Dropping out of Hyper Space the cloak was engaged. The long range sensors aboard Ares began searching for any trace of the Wraith in this system. Luck was on their side and they did not have to wait long.


    Detecting three cruisers and a hive ship entering the system the Ares lay in wait. From the Wraith approach profile it looked as if they were preparing for a culling. Once the sensors detected a stargate energy signature on the both the hive ship and the forth planet from the sun it became clear that yes this was indeed a culling in progress.


    Dropping the cloak and powering shields they were now detectable to the Wraith fleet. Six drones sprang towards the hive ship while the Ares engaged the cruisers with Asgard beam weapons. The cruisers disintegrated on impact. The hive faired little better. With drones closing on the hive little could be done in the Wraith command center. Savagely tearing through the hull, the drone weapons sliced cleanly through only to reenter and do it all over again. Aboard the Ares the explosive decompression of the hive was clearly seen on the view screen. The battle was over in less than a minute. With a few shots thousands of Wraith perished. Across the galaxy the Tauri fleet would repeat this same procedure. For the first time in ten thousand years the Wraith felt fear. The Tauri were coming.


    Garina


    Loka was a proud commander of the Genii. Having served his people for his entire a.d.u.l.t life without fail he was rewarded with command of an elite training center of Genii light infantry. It was he who had rallied so heavily for a force to strike out at Atlantis. It was also he who had pulled the political strings so heavily to have troops he trained used for the mission. Kolya had been a fool to allow such a small group of people defeat him so easily. Loka intended to go back to Atlantis in the future, capture it, and put his people on the pedestal they so rightly deserved.


    Each day he watched the training of his recruit''s progress. He kept the pressure intense, pushing them harder and harder until they were ready to face the enemy. A second failure could not be allowed to happen. Atlantis must be taken with all the military supplies it held. Loka was a man driven by nothing more than sheer hate. What Loka didn''t realize was that the Atlantis crew knew very well who he was and what role he played in the deaths of its expedition members. Those murders in cold blood had not been forgotten.


    Climbing the stairs of the speaking platform of the training camp, Loka prepared to give his daily address to his recruits while they stood in formation. Grabbing the microphone and clearing his throat he was just about to speak when his chest tore open. Loka fell like a heap of twisted limbs and torn flesh. Twelve hundred yards away the Special Forces sniper smiled inwardly. Toggling the radio beneath his ghillie suit the sniper breathed "ready to beam". With a white flash he was whisked to safety before he could be detected by the now panicked Genii forces on the ground. On twelve other planets the same scenario played out with shooters being whisked away by Jumper. The most reliable of the Genii field grade commanders went down without ever knowing they were targets in one day

 Chapter 6

    Cheyenne Mountain - SGC


    With Atlantis back in the Pegasus galaxy things were now returning to normal at the SGC. Once again, the gate was the primary gate in use on Earth. SG teams went about normal operations deploying to the far reaches of the Milky Way. Now that normality had returned, the SGC could get back to the business of gathering intelligence on the Lucian Alliance, supporting allies, and exploring ruins.


    Once upon a time, the thought of someone appearing in the same room with a bright flash of brilliant white light would have seemed odd to General Hank Landry. Several years in command here at slightly altered his sense of what was odd and what was another random occurrence. Sitting in a chair in front of the desk was General Jack O''Neill. Why did he look like he was dressed for a fishing trip? Without missing a beat, Jack dove into the story he had to share.


    "Back up a minute, you''re telling me the Asgard are not dead?" questioned Landry.


    "Taller too, looking like you and I. Looks like I wont be referring to Thor as little buddy anymore." responded Jack. Letting the revelation that Earths strongest ally had in fact not perished in mass suicide sink in took a moment of silence between the two men.


    "Basically, they fixed their problem with the help of some ancient tech, have a new home world in a new galaxy that they wish to colonize with human life much like the ancients did, and finally wish to operate together as equals militarily in response to the Lucian Alliance disdain for the protected planets treaty" said Jack, laying all details on the table.


    With Earth and the Asgard, patrolling the Milky Way the neighborhood would be a much safer place. Thor had made it a point of mentioning the safety of the galaxy this portion of the universe would soon be assured, but refused to elaborate.


    "One last thing, they asked that we commit to a new off world base to be shared between both of us in the name of research and advancement as he put it." O''Neill said with a raised eyebrow.


    Lucia


    The order had been given by the new First of the Lucian Alliance to increase the size of the fleet. It was known that the Tauri had drastically increased the size of their fleet recently. Millic was as strong willed as he was brutal, and determined not to make the same mistakes Netan had made as First. The Free Jaffa lap dogs of the Tauri must also be dealt with. If the Jaffa could be sent into anarchy, the Alliance would be free to do as they pleased with the Tauri occupied.


    Many Ha''Tak class vessels were being built on Lucia and other Alliance planets. The fleet must grow and continue growing if they were to unseat the Tauri. Many scout sh.i.p.s had been built also, fitted with naquadah bombs much like the one that failed to detonate on earth.


    The perfect target had already been selected. Goronak was a Jaffa planet full of refugee''s from the Ori incursion. The Tauri were deeply involved in so-called humanitarian missions there to assist the displaced people. Millic knew that striking there would be a knife in the heart of both the Earth oppressors and their Jaffa underlings. The time to atone for past grievances would soon be at hand.


    Destiny


    The repair effort had begun in earnest. Repair robots moved along the exterior of the hull, slowly correcting eons of damage and neglect. Hull breaches were the first priority for the automated repair team. Once the breaches were sealed, the crew could begin the process of sending Kino''s through the now pressurized sections of Destiny to discover what secrets were there. Power conduits also began to come online allowing power to flow to systems of the ship not previously functional. Deep within the ship the power cells that currently only held forty percent of their original charge were replaced. At her next recharge while plunging into a star the ship would emerge with more stored energy than she had been able to carry in eons.


    Dr. McKay had gone to work once he was aboard. He and Eli took on the challenge of power distribution to the ship''s weapons systems. When their planned repairs and installation of replacement parts was complete, all the numerous weapons platforms would come online without fear of a critical overload. The main weapon was what intrigued the duo the most.


    Dr. Lee and Dr. Volker were hard at work on the sh.i.p.s shield emitter relays. These had taken the most severe wear of any system aboard. Because Destiny used shields for FTL jumps, recharging, hull breach sealing, and when attacked these systems had been in continual operation since the sh.i.p.s launch. They had discovered that the current shield capability was only a small fraction of Destiny''s designed shield strength. Simulation suggested that once repairs were complete the ship could sustain almost constant attack without losing a measurable level of efficiency.


    Dr. Rush and Brody had been hard at work streaming the database to Athena. This had been accomplished with a clever bypass of the ancient chair interface. Hundreds of Exabyte''s had been transferred already and it was estimated that another fifteen days would be needed before the process was complete. More of where the ship had been, what she had discovered, and most importantly where she was going had been found; It would take teams of researchers years on year to begin to scratch the surface of the databases contents.


    Life aboard the ancient ship was finally approaching a level of enjoyment. Since the arrival of the Athena, the mood had been much lighter. A change of clothing, an Xbox, and some real food could make that possible though. An SGC personnel action team had come over from Athena to interview each member of the Destiny''s crew. A surprising number of the interviews ended with the stated intention of remaining aboard. The rumor circulating was the next time Athena paid them a visit many new faces would be making the Ancient vessel home.


    On the bridge of Destiny stood Col. Young and Col. Eckhart. Due to the repairs on her shields, Athena had expanded her own shields to encompass both vessels. In the distance, the F-302''s could be seen patrolling and running drills.


    "The repair teams are estimating she will be at one hundred percent in seventeen days. Presuming more storage space for the remaining food supplies to come over is found you will be in great shape for now. Honestly Everett I don''t know how you held this situation together as long as you did" said Col. Eckhart.


    Young, running his hands through his hair gave a tired smile and replied "Day by day Aaron, day by day."

 Chapter 7

    Lantea


    On the mainland, the Athosian settlement was thriving. With the generosity of the Tauri large scale farming on levels never seen before were now possible. Upon the return of Atlantis, massive amounts of building began on the mainland. Hydroponics facilities, orchards, wheat fields, and facilities to raise livestock had only been the start. Timber mills and mining were also now operational. The automated systems the Tauri provided would usher in a golden age of production for the Athosian people. The building program also included schools and clinics.


    The Athosian people had always been known as shrewd traders. Taking it to the next level and establishing a trade center off world was the logical step. Originally, Kanaan had wished to have the trade center on the mainland, but Mr. Woolsey had overruled this in view of security for Atlantis. Dr. Zelenka had modified a captured Wraith culling beam to make transportation of trade goods simple. Now lumber, foodstuffs, and other materials would be dematerialized and one person could walk the culling device through the gate.


    Kanaan had accepted the role of leadership of his people after Teyla had left the world in the city of the Ancestors.


    "Thirty four worlds are participating in the trade center on Otaris. The program is a success Colonel Lorne. A few worlds are still holding off on joining the trade association, most notably the Genii, but we know they are distrusting of our people and the association we have with Atlantis." said Kannan.


    "The Genii have other things on their mind for now. Nothing could make us happier than to see your people doing so well. It''s the hope of all on Earth to show this galaxy your example of what can be achieved by working together." responded Lorne.


    Pluto


    After a seemingly endless period without human presence Arkos station was now a hub of activity. Recent increases in available sh.i.p.s capable of making the voyage to Pegasus now made it possible to move forward with an initiative that many felt long overdue. Task Force 190 was deploying to Atlantis. The eight hundred man strong unit was composed of many elements of the United States Special Operations Command. Army Rangers, Navy Seal''s, Marine Force Recon, and a small contingent of the elite 1st Special Forces Group also known as Delta filled its ranks. While not a large ground force, nothing Pegasus had currently could compare in terms of ground combat capability. With quiet determination, these men checked and rechecked their stored gear and awaited departure.


    Colonel Mitchell was looking forward to his return to Atlantis, even if it would only be a short visit. Having recently taken command of the Athena Class vessel Hermes he was hungry to put his crew and ship into action. Seeing the TF 190 troops had reminded him of his earlier days with SG-1. Remembering many times he and SG-1 had deployed on Prometheus and later 304 class sh.i.p.s and comparing them to his current command he was reminded of how much things had changed. Hermes was a large vessel, yet despite her size, she was filled to capacity with supplies and personnel destined for Atlantis. Cam Mitchell was not sure what they were walking into, but he was glad he would not be around long enough to be a part of it. Enough trouble sprang up in the Milky Way to keep him occupied. Heading to a pre-launch briefing, Cam tried to put these thoughts out of his mind.


    Elsewhere aboard the station was Daniel Jackson. Continuing his never-ending quest to research any source of information he sat in conversation with Arkos. His current project was reviewing the stored sh.i.p.s logs of ancient vessels that were in use before Atlantis departed the Milky Way.


    "Why are half of these logs incomplete?" asked Daniel.


    "I apologize Dr. Jackson. A high probability exists that the logs in question were downloaded during docking with a city ship." replied Arkos.


    Mumbling more to himself then anything Daniel replied "Then I can have Atlantis send them to me". Quick to respond Arkos answered.


    "That would only be possible if the vessels in question performed the log upload with Atlantis". Slowly Jackson realized what Arkos was telling him. The ancients had built more than one city ship.


    Wraith Hive Ship


    The Wraith known as Todd found himself impressed with the upsurge in human activity. In recent weeks, four hives had been destroyed. Surely, this must be John Sheppard at work. That was one human that would have made a strong Wraith indeed. In many systems, the humans seemed to appear from nowhere and launch crippling attacks before vanishing. This change in tactics had shifted the initiative to the keepers of Atlantis.


    After his release from captivity upon Atlantis''s return to Pegasus, Todd had quickly returned to his fleet. His four hives sprinting to a far corner of the galaxy to regroup. It was Todd''s intention to keep a very low profile in the near future and let Colonel Sheppard deal with troublesome hives for him. With several ZPM''s remaining from his captured Asuran stock fitted to the hives Todd welcomed the lull in activity. The raw power of the ZPM''s flowing through the sh.i.p.s would ensure a fleet of incredibly powerful hives. Todd cared nothing about Atlantis, his attention was focused purely on climbing to the top rung of the Wraith leadership ladder. Perhaps it was time to put a bit of Michaels research to good use he thought.

 Chapter 8

    Dakara


    Democracy is chaos thought Teal''c. After generations of subjugation to false gods, followed by flaring ego''s and the ensuing infighting, to a second set of false gods attempting to persecute the Jaffa a time of peace was needed. With Tauri advisors who were experts on the concept of democracy to guide his people the process was easier than it could have been. O''Neill''s comment to him about kissing babies was something Teal''c still did not understand though. Jaffa candidates for the coming elections had been tirelessly campaigning among the worlds of the Free Jaffa Nation. In the beginning Teal''c had not sought office, but the outcry for him to campaign and bring about change was overwhelming.


    After the Ori incursion the Jaffa had been on the verge of open revolt. The damage Gerak''s actions and subsequent conversion to Origin had caused were still being dealt with. Jaffa wounds healed slowly. Upon Gerak''s death and the defeat of the Ori Bra''tac and Teal''c formed an interim coalition government. The fledgling young nation had been pushed to the brink far too many times in the first few years of its existence.


    A saying Teal''c had heard on Earth once had come to be the cornerstone of his leadership style. Idle hands were the devil''s workshop, indeed. With Jaffa no longer being conscripted to serve in the armies of the System Lord''s something needed to be found to occupy their time. A jobs program was instituted that was logical to all Jaffa. Each citizen would serve a five year term for the needs of the government. Hordes of men and women were put into construction, agriculture, and manufacturing programs. Every drop of sweat aided the nation towards standing on its own.


    Recently, the Lucian Alliance had made several overtures seeking an alliance of sorts only to be rebuffed each time. Short term gain was not worth associating with those who conducted themselves in a manner lacking any semblance of honor the government had agreed. With each refusal the Lucian Alliance had offered more in exchange. Many believed they sought the relationship to strain relations between the Jaffa and Tauri.


    The conditions of those in Goronak demanded Teal''c and Bra''tac''s attention. As they hustled to the stargate they were thankful for the aide being provided to the planet by the SGC. The people had suffered enough, now the period of healing had begun.


    Pegasus Galaxy


    The Atlantis expedition knew the planet as M5V-801, but the Genii knew it as Jakod. The planet had once been seized for its valuable natural resources, namely ore and the population put to use as forced labor. The Atlantis expedition had put a stop to this and relocated the population. Unknown to Atlantis the Genii had quietly returned. The original reason for seizing the planet had been for mining. Several of those mines had run dry. These networks of caverns deep underground were converted to serve as a base of sorts.


    The recent string of assassinations had deeply frightened the Genii leadership. Knowing this could only be the first move in a much larger plan the leadership evacuated to Jakod.


    "The only people capable of a coordinated strike on multiple worlds with such precision are those from Atlantis. First they usurp our role in leading the people of this galaxy, and now they seek to destroy our entire society!" raged Prenum, leader of the Genii.


    "The Lantean''s are protected by their technology as we all know. The same cannot be said for their allies. Strike fear in the hearts of those who revere them and they can be isolated. We know that they trade for a majority of their food supply and use each trade partner as a source of intelligence information. If we apply enough pressure every world will turn them away and they will be left with only two possible courses of action; starve or accept Genii leadership over the Coalition of Planets." said Heiron, the new leader of Genii forces.


    Groups of battle tested and hardened men fiercely loyal to the Genii cause had been arriving on Jakod for weeks. Men and munitions were being readied in great amounts. With the materials needed ready the plan on how to proceed began to take shape. When making an omelet you first had to break eggs.

 Chapter 9

    November Site


    Construction had proceeded at a furious pace. The Asgard matter stream projection technology made it possible to create facilities on the habitable moon below with pure energy being converted into matter. The facilities in question began in a cliff face much like the destroyed Icarus Base, and proceeded deeper underground. When operational the November Site would house SGC rapid response teams, research personnel, and act as the staging area for joint Tauri/Asgard fleet operations in support of the Protected Planets treaty. An additional section of the facility would be added to train Tauri scientists in understanding Asgard technology. It was further hoped that the two races would work closely together to unlock the secrets held within the Ancient database.


    Standing guard over the Asgard teams performing construction, and the science vessel that transported them was the Aurora Class ship Roma. Her long range scanners searched for any sign of the November Site''s discovery. The Roma''s sensors were powerful enough to detect a Lucian Alliance vessel even if cloaked. Fortunately no unwanted visitors were anywhere within this solar system. The Roma''s sensors bloomed as the exogenesis device was launched towards the planet the November Site orbited. The Asgard had been very insistent the exogenesis device be used here.


    Developed by the ancients during their time in Pegasus, the exogenesis device terraformed a planet using nanites. Power for the process was derived from the act of terraforming itself. Once deployed a world could be transformed in a matter of days instead of centuries. Use of the device was limited to worlds with no life since the device would destroy any life already present. The act of creating a habitat for new life must never be allowed to serve as a weapon.


    Andromeda Galaxy


    The Asgard High Council was in session at the request of friends long not seen. Holographic displays showed video playback of SG-1 battling the Replicators and Goa''uld. Further footage was shown of Tauri vessels engaging Lucian Alliance vessels in support of the Protected Planets Treaty. Following the viewing Supreme Commander Thor extolled the accomplishments of the Tauri. Taking his seat Thor was silent awaiting the visitors to speak.


    "The Tauri have accomplished much in such a short amount of time. They are a very warlike people and this is a cause for concern." stated the visiting dignitary.


    "When we informed you the fifth race had been found we did not speak in jest." replied Thor.


    "Their newfound power will not corrupt them as it has corrupted so many other sentient races before them?" asked the visitor.


    "Ambassador, we have found the Tauri to be an honorable people, humble in their new found preeminence in several galaxies. While they will make mistakes as all races do it is our duty to guide them to a deeper understanding in all things." said Thor.


    "You are correct Supreme Commander Thor, as always. The Tauri may not be ready for their new role but it is indeed their role now. We will initiate contact in a place of our choosing and have made the Ascended Ancients aware of our intentions." finished the Ambassador


    Disappearing in a purple flash of light the Ambassador was gone. With the meeting adjourned, Thor beamed to Freyr''s location to ensure all was prepared for his fellow Asgard''s trip to New Heliopolis.


    Atlantis


    Task Force 190 had arrived. The scientific staff of Atlantis were not overjoyed at the prospect of a much-expanded military presence but understood the need. Men, gear, supplies, and Jumpers were offloaded from the Hermes. The new Jumpers allowed Atlantis to have a full compliment of jumpers for the first time since the expedition had arrived. In addition to Jumpers was a new addition to expand the expedition''s airborne presence. The MQ-9 Reaper drone was an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, capable of wide area surveillance and of employing the Hellfire anti-tank missile. This was just one of the many new systems the Task Force was adding to Atlantis. Also being added was the Fire scout armed helicopter UAV, capable of employing the Hellfire.


    On the south pier were the Hammond and Daedalus resupplying. Colonel''s Caldwell and Carter were busily comparing notes on recent engagements and finalizing plans for their planned wolf pack tactics this time out. Both sh.i.p.s would be linking up with the Ares for a sweep deep into Wraith controlled space. Currently the Ares was deploying monitoring sensors in different solar systems. This wouldn''t be a problem as Colonel Sheppard had put the wolf pack plan together. The Sun Tzu and the Odyssey were sweeping systems in opposite corners of the galaxy at the moment. The Apollo was busy scanning every planet the Genii were known or suspected to frequent.


    In the expedition commanders office above the gate room sat Richard Woolsey and the TF 190 commander Colonel Dean Frost. This new addition to the Atlantis family carried a reputation larger than life in the special operations world, having most recently commanded the famed but highly secretive Delta.


    "Colonel Frost, I trust you and your men are settling in?" began Woolsey.


    "That we are. We''ll need seventy two hours to unpack everything and get squared away. We''ll be operational in one week. My operations officer will be getting his brief from Lorne in the morning." answered the Colonel.


    "My concern Colonel is how your troops are to be used. This expedition views force as a last resort. I''m sure you understand." Woolsey stated coolly.


    "Mr. Woolsey, let me point out a few realities if I may. You are in a galaxy outwardly hostile to your presence. You have been attacked by multiple races. This facility and all within it are in a state of war. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days per year you are at war. I have been ordered to chase the enemy into the valley of death and if need be through it." replied Frost.

 Chapter 10

    Tuat


    Formerly the neutral meeting place of the System Lords Tuat was a planet at the heart of many travesties in the Milky Way. With no indigenous population, word of this most important of Goa''uld controlled planets never fell into the hands of the races of the Milky Way. Tuat had no stargate, and with its location at the far edges of the galaxy, the odds of discovery were low. Therefore, Millic had chosen this planet as the seat of power of the Lucian Alliance. Here he could spearhead his war on the Tauri dogs with little fear of reprisal.


    Sitting in what once may have been a throne room in the palatial pyramid shaped building Millic sat with his Seconds of the Alliance.


    "The Tauri continue to intercept our shipments of Kassa." hissed Rameris.


    "Everyday they grow bolder in their perceived rule over this galaxy. The time to strike at their heart is now!" bellowed Vosh.


    "The answer to the Tauri is docked on this planet. Several Tel''Tak''s have been modified to carry our larger naquadah bombs. These will be used to great effect against the Tauri. Victory will not be found in meeting our enemy head on. Instead, we will deal a deathblow to all their people''s allies. The Tauri will be forced to commit all their resources to aide those we strike or lose these allies due to their own inaction" confidently said Millic.


    The combined Second''s knew that to challenge Millic''s strategy here and now was a death sentence. Although they may not all agree with the plan their keen survival instincts silenced the thought before it could be said aloud.


    Athena


    Repairs aboard Destiny were almost finished. After the remaining power cells were exchanged, Destiny would be complete. Until that time, she would remain protected within the shields of the Athena.


    Colonel Eckhart was now aboard the Athena, going over reports from the repair team on his Ipad while sitting in the captain''s chair of the bridge. In the background he heard a series of beeps from the sensor station and looked up.


    "What have we got?" asked the Colonel.


    "A hyper space window opened and a large ship dropped out. Sensor readings are consistent with information from Destiny. It''s a drone command ship." answered Captain Franklin.


    "Sound red alert, get a message to Destiny, and power up all weapons. Scramble the 302''s." ordered the Colonel in rapid succession.


    With Klaxons sounding in the background the crew of the Athena jumped into well rehearsed action. Crew members ran to their battle stations, pilots sprinted to their 302''s and began their start up. Aboard Destiny, the crewmembers ran to the observation deck knowing they had no control in the fight to come. In the distance, those aboard Destiny watched as 302''s quickly departed the hanger bays of the Athena.


    "Three more command sh.i.p.s just dropped out of hyper space. Drones are separating and moving this way!" yelled Captain Franklin.


    Sizing up what would be a fight he would rather end quickly Colonel Eckhart began to give orders. "Instruct the 302''s to remain clear of all enemy vessels until we signal. Beam a Mark IX between the rear command ship and its drones. Fire the Asgard beam at the nearest command ship, two batteries."


    The furthest command ship was in the process of disgorging its drones when the Mark IX naquadah enhanced nuclear warhead materialized in a flash of light. Five seconds later a massive explosion vaporized the command ship and it''s smaller drones in an intense ball of light, energy, and heat. The closest command ship to Destiny was far luckier. The two Asgard beams tore two very clean holes through the command ship instantly rendering it and its drones inert. Aboard Destiny, people watched in awe at the power of the weapons employed.


    "The remaining command sh.i.p.s have fully deployed their drones." crisply stated Captain Franklin.


    "Order the 302''s to engage the drones, and give weapons free to all rail gun batteries to engage any leakers. Lock on to the both remaining command sh.i.p.s with the Ancient drones and give me a salvo of four drones apiece." Eckhart calmly ordered.


    From the rear of Athena appeared eight objects glowing in a golden colored light. The Ancient drones were the most agile of weapons, neatly sidestepping the oncoming enemy small craft in pursuit of their much larger targets. Behind them the 302''s attacked the oncoming drones with ruthless efficiency. Their recently added rail guns easily destroyed the automated attackers.


    The Ancient drones closed on their targets and easily pierced the command sh.i.p.s thin armored hulls. On breaking threw the other side of the hull the Ancient drones turned around swiftly and pierced the hull in another area until nothing but fragments were left of the command ship. Instantly the enemy drones went inert with the demise of their command sh.i.p.s. The 302''s quickly eliminated their now dormant prey.


    "One of those mother sh.i.p.s is still intact. Let''s get it towed aboard into hanger bay two." ordered Athena''s commanding officer. The battle had lasted three furious minutes.

 Chapter 11

    Ares


    The wolf pack tactics against the Wraith were a resounding success. Looking at the view screen Colonel Sheppard could not help but be pleased as he looked on the wreckage of several Wraith cruisers. The fight had been one of deception. The Hammond having been "found" by the cruisers and attempting to run with only sub light engines the Wraith had walked directly into a trap. The Daedalus and Ares decloaking while the Hammond turned around to face her pursuers, the three Tauri vessels had trapped the Wraith in a triangle of death. The rest as they say was history.


    "Incoming message Sir." said the communications officer.


    The holographic display appeared with the video feed. "Nice work Sheppard." said Larrin of the Travelers.


    "It''s still a weekend yet, you should see what I do during the work week." replied the Colonel.


    "Some information has come into my possession that I think you need to hear." Larrin stated.


    Colonel''s Caldwell, Carter, and Larrin beamed aboard the Ares. Sitting down in the briefing room Larrin began to share the information she had. "Your attacks on the Wraith have affected a major change in their way of doing things. Eight hives and their assorted cruisers have run to a remote solar system on the fringes of the galaxy. We followed them and monitored their meeting with four hives already on station. Who commands those four hives you ask? Your pal Todd it looks like. It seems you killed their queens and they defected to him."


    "If Todd is gathering this many sh.i.p.s it could be he is planning a run on Atlantis." responded Caldwell.


    "Todd is smarter than that, and is scheming something. That''s his style." retorted Carter.


    "The Wraith are cl.u.s.tered around a single planet. We scanned the planet and found structures below oddly similar in energy readings to those Michael used." Larrin continued.


    "Todd has designs of leading the Wraith, which he never made much of a secret. He has helped us in the past when it suited him to do so. I think we need a little meet and greet with our old friend and see what he has to say for himself." concluded Colonel Sheppard.


    Vis Uban


    In a brilliant flash of purple tinted energy the Ambassador found himself in the ruins of the never completed Alterran city of Vis Uban, in the Milky Way. The Ambassador remembered the city well from his previous visits during its construction. The galaxy had been so young and full of hope then. The Ambassador hoped those times would return Entering what was originally built as the capital building of the city white trails of light drifted around the high ceilings room, gradually taking human form.


    "It has been many ages since we last met Ambassador. Thank you for granting this audience." said Melia.


    "The last time we saw each other was shortly after you returned to Terra after abandoning Atlantis. It has indeed been too long. My people have honored our pledge to look after your progeny. They have overcome the challenges you placed in front of them and come out much stronger in the end." said the Ambassador.


    "It was difficult to accept that such challenges as the Goa''uld must be left to temper our children into something harder. Freedom can never be savored though unless earned. I fear our children will never understand why it was done or forgive us." replied the ascended being.


    "Now that they are ready for the next step my people feel the Ascended must freely interact with their children and earn their trust. Your policy of noninterference on the corporeal plain has not endeared you to them. Both halves parent and child must be reunited." said the Ambassador steadfastly.


    "Not all agree with the route your people took in ascending and returning all together to the corporeal plain. Not all agree that our children are ready for our return. This process is a fragile one and must be handled with a light touch." answered Melia.


    "The process will begin soon. Our time and place of contact with them has been chosen. The Asgard and Nox are aware of our intention if not the why. In seven days time we will meet at New Heliopolis." finished the Ambassador.


    Apollo


    Orbiting the Genii home world a detailed scan was underway. It was noted that the estimated number of inhabitants was nearly half what should be expected. Detailed maps of the underground structures would soon be accomplished. Before beginning the scans Colonel Ellis had supervised the deployment of a stargate in the orbit of the planets furthest moon. As a career Air Force officer Ellis new his actions were just the first steps in a direct action plan. Leaving the bridge for his quarters Ellis wished they would just launch a Horizon and be done with it.


    The White House


    Lt. Colonel Paul Davis sat expectantly in the oval office for President Henry Hayes. It was rare when Davis visited the White House. In those rare occasions, it usually meant a crisis of some sort was unfolding. Today was not one of those events. A request had been relayed to the SGC via the November Site. General Jack O''Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson''s attendance had been requested by the Asgard for an off world summit of sorts. The Asgard had not been very forthcoming as to the topic of the summit, but then they rarely were. As the Presidential Liaison to the Stargate Program and the IOA, Davis was also expected to attend.


    Entering the oval office with his usual charismatic smile President Hayes shook the hand of the Air Force officer he had come to depend on. "Good morning Paul." said the President cheerfully.


    "Good morning Mr. President. The purpose of my visit is to inform you our off world allies have requested General O''Neill and Dr. Jackson to attend a diplomatic function off world. Nations attending are the Asgard and the Nox, although I suspect more will be present based on the tone of the communiqu¨¦. General consensus at the SGC is this is a meet and great to discuss enforcement of the Protected Planets Treaty." said Davies.


    "I see no problems with them attending. The Asgard have given us so much I think it would be rather rude not to send whoever they request. How are things unfolding in Pegasus?" asked the President.


    "Task Force 190 is on station and should begin their initial deployments in the next forty eight hours. Our Task Force Pegasus sh.i.p.s have done extremely well. We''re seizing the initiative from the Wraith." answered the officer.


    Overall thought the President, the universe was finally becoming more predictable. He had no clue how incorrect that statement could possibly be.

 Chapter 12

    Athosian Trade World


    Merchants from across the Pegasus galaxy descended on the newly founded Athosian establishment. Knowledge of the enormous number of goods available was quickly spreading to every world. Each gate activation brought another vendor or buyer. This greatly pleased the Athosian''s, as they were privy to one percent of each sale as owners of the marketplace.


    By midday, throngs of people packed every stall eager to barter for goods needed on their world. A constant stream of trade goods flowed towards the star gate with each successful purchase. Business was good. So concentrated on the deals to be had was everyone that a group of forty individuals with heavy bags over their soldiers drew scant attention. These individuals slowly mulled through the crowd until they vanished in the ocean of people.


    These forty men and women were elite soldiers of the Genii. Working their way into the wood line, they began unpacking the heavy sacks that hung over their soldiers. Each member removed from his or her bags automatic weapons, pistols, grenade belts, and copious amounts of ammunition. In silence, they donned their gear for the strike to come. They were under orders to unless a tide of aggression the likes of which these people had never seen. Ten soldiers detached from the others to cover the approach to the Stargate so that no one would escape. The remaining thirty moved through the thick forest to position themselves at the rear of the market avenue. A simple click of the radio send button was the signal to begin.


    Without any warning automatic weapons fire erupted into the crowd. Men and women fell with abandon. Screams and shrieks of agony were all that could be heard over the constant clatter of automatic weapons fire. In a panic to get away from the carnage, the crowd ran towards the Stargate several hundred yards distant. Dozens were trampled to death in the ensuing frenzy to escape. Running towards the gate to escape was within grasp. At that moment, the ten soldiers guarding the gate fired from their concealed positions. Grenades arced through the air tossing bodies in the air when they detonated. For five horrible minutes, this scene continued to play out. Knowing it was only a matter of time until another merchant arrived and discovered them the Genii dialed the gate and left. They would travel through fifteen gates to conceal their destination. Their mission accomplished the soldiers stepped into the event horizon and vanished.


    Athena


    Dr. Bill Lee was busy analyzing the damaged drone mother ship in the hanger bay. After a brief conversation with Rush and Eli he felt he knew enough to proceed. This ship still had power; it had simply shut down when its transmitters were vaporized by the Asgard beam strike. Finally finding an access port, he began to copy the mother sh.i.p.s operating software. Perhaps some clue could be found in the coding to shut these weapons down for good. Running off to grab lunch Dr. Lee left his laptop connected to finish the download.


    When he returned, he expected a new and exciting computer language to decipher. What he got made the scientists audibly suck in a quick breathe. Lee radioed the bridge of Athena and requested Rodney McKay''s immediate company in the hanger. With a bright flash of light, McKay appeared two minutes later.


    "Lee, you''re standing in the way of a massive breakthrough." whined McKay.


    "Rodney, if anyone else had experience with the type of tech I think this is I would have called them." conceded Lee.


    Looking at the computer code Lee had displayed on his laptop McKay instantly found the mistake. "You opened a file with Goa''uld code language instead of the file you saved this tin cans data in." pronounced Rodney.


    "Therein lays the problem. I do not have any Goa''uld files on this laptop. This is what downloaded from the mother ship." responded Lee.


    Staring at the computer code downloaded they drew amazing parallels with early known examples of Goa''uld code. It was uncanny how similar they were. Admittedly, they did have minor differences but were too similar to be a coincidence. The question was how it ended up billions of light-years outside the Milky Way when the System Lords were not known to possess intergalactic hyper drives capable of travel this far.


    Destiny


    Repairs would be complete in a matter of hours. After inspecting several science labs recently discovered Colonel Young was heading towards the mess for lunch. Everywhere he looked once grim faces were now filled of optimism and excitement. Turning the corner Young was greeted by a well dressed man with eyes of the deepest blue. Thinking he must be from Athena, he smiled at the man and kept walking.


    "Colonel Young, I need a few moments of your time." said the man.


    Stopping and turning around the Colonel answered "How can I help you?"


    "Colonel, I wish to tell you the people of Novus are safe and in our care."


    "I don''t understand. Our Care?" asked Young.


    "Yes Everett, we have given them shelter from the threat coming towards you even now." answered the well dressed man.


    "If this is a joke I really don''t have time for this right now. Ok, how about you start with basics; who are this ''we'' you mentioned?" demanded Young.


    With a smile and a slight bow, the man looked into Young''s eyes and responded, "Forgive me Colonel. We are the Furling."


    Atlantis


    Lorne''s team was prepped for their daily security check of the Athosian trade world. No one expected any trouble but were armed per Atlantis standard operating procedure for off world travel. Gate room personnel wished them a safe trip and the team stepped into the event horizon.


    Exiting the gate on the trade world the team instantly saw the carnage twenty yards from the gate. Blood and bodies were everywhere. This was not an attack but a massacre.


    "Sergeant Banister dial Atlantis and request reinforcements now!" yelled Lorne.


    Spreading out, the team began its search for whoever had carried out this attack. Evidence of the bloodied ground was littered with shell casings from automatic weapons fire. Clear evidence of explosions was seen on the ground also. It looked like grenades had gone off. The people strewn on the ground were beyond anything modern medicine could do for them. Their faces locked in terrified expressions that they wore when their hearts took their last beat.


    Lorne was normally a very even-tempered man. This horrific act enraged him. This was terrorism on a peaceful people. Picking up several of the shell casing, he examined them. The markings on the bottom were Genii.

 Chapter 13

    Cheyenne Mountain, SGC


    The report from Atlantis had come in within hours. It contained photos and findings. With a speed rarely seen in government circles the report found its way to the President and a closed-door session of the IOA. General Landry knew that the response would be as swift as it would be viscous. The death toll was three hundred and ten men, women, and children. The collective rage of everyone at the SGC was palpable.


    Landry knew this could only be the result of Genii retribution for their officers being eliminated. This act of terroristic barbarism must not go unpunished. Answering the red phone on his desk he already knew who it was as only one person in the world could contact Landry with this phone.


    "Yes Mr. President." answered Landry.


    "The IOA has given us a blank check on how to handle his Hank. The full brief is being transmitted to you now for dissemination to Atlantis." responded the President Hayes.


    "What is the verdict Mr. President?" asked the General.


    "The gloves come off this time General. From this moment forward the Genii represent a clear and present danger to the security of the United States and the governments of Earth!" snarled the President before slamming down the phone.


    Walking to the gate room the General thought of the how TF 190 would receive these new orders. "Walter, dial Atlantis." ordered Landry.


    Moments later the Stargate was activated. While transmitting the encrypted file Woolsey spoke to Landry of the ongoing efforts to secure the site and contact allies. "I haven''t opened the file yet General. Care to give me the cliff notes version before I do?" asked Woolsey.


    " TF 190 and TF Pegasus have a hunting license and no bag limit." responded the General acidly before the wormhole disconnected.


    Apollo


    "Colonel Ellis, you have a subspace message from Atlantis coming in." said the communications officer.


    From the command chair, Ellis watched the holographic display appear in the air. "Atlantis, go for Apollo." Ellis replied.


    "You are to immediately beam up the Stargate''s from all known Genii locations. You are further authorized to conduct unrestricted warfare on all high value Genii targets of opportunity." informed Atlantis control.


    Mission orders from the President and the report on the terrorist strike were forwarded to Colonel Ellis. Seeing the images, the Colonel seethed with uncontrollable rage. Within minutes, the Stargate sat in the hanger bay of the Apollo. The F-302''s were deployed. Like birds of prey, they entered the atmosphere. Once over land they sought out any valid targets, but none were to be found. The Genii maintained the appearance of simple farmers on the surface. Their entire true high value infrastructure was contained in subterranean bunkers below ground level. Enraged by this Ellis recovered his fighters and jumped to hyperspace. If they could capture the gates fast enough the Genii would be broken into isolated pockets of resistance.


    Wraith Outpost


    Todd''s efforts to utilize Michael''s human/wraith hybrid research began to pay off. The secret lay in rendering dormant certain genetic pathways and activating others that were unused in Wraith after they achieved a certain age. No longer would his people need to feed on humans. A newly developed compound of amino acids fortified with a mineral rich material would sustain the hybrids rendering the need to cull outdated. The expansion of Todd''s empire would no longer be tied to the growth of human hunting grounds to sustain his people.


    The first of Todd''s tasks was now complete. Moving forward he would effect the treatment on all Wraith under his control. He knew the humans of Atlantis would be filled with concern over these new hybrids after the atrocities of Michael not so long ago. Somehow, he must negotiate an alliance with them, allowing them to help force the remaining Wraith into his hand. No alliance could last forever he knew. A new galaxy would be needed for his people. Todd began to look for alternatives for the future.

 Chapter 14

    Atlantis


    The recall order for all sh.i.p.s and off world teams had gone out. Along their return route the ask Force Pegasus sh.i.p.s were designated to collect delegates of the Coalition of Planets for an emergency session to be held on Atlantis.


    Beaming down to the briefing room, the delegates were in awe of the majesty of Atlantis. Never before had they seen the city of the Ancestors. Seeing how the city responded to the inhabitants the delegates realized for the first time the true amount of power these people had at their disposal. In a state of horror and shock the Coalition of Planets panel listened as Mr. Woolsey presented his case against the Genii. Stomachs turned at the sight of graphic photos of the carnage of the trade world attack.


    "Time and again the Genii have waged an undeclared war not only on Atlantis, but on all the people of this galaxy. Their attempts to suborn this coalition to their designs are widely known among us all. The one hope of tyranny to prevail is that good men will sit by and do nothing. From this day forward their unchecked aggression and tyrannical practices will cease." said a very determined Woolsey.


    Rising to address the delegates was Colonel Frost. All in the room saw the steely cold efficiency in his every movement. Clearing his throat, he began to address the room in his crisp military manner.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my duty to inform you that this act is an unspoken declaration of war against the combined peoples of this coalition. In the interests of containment, we have taken the precaution of seizing the Stargates on all Genii worlds. With their ability to move contained, we will begin interdiction operations shortly. Atlantis forces will spearhead this effort as we are better equipped to do so. What we ask in return is information. The Genii will not yet know we have informed the coalition worlds. Your people have the ability to move without arousing suspicion in areas that we cannot. In exchange for intelligence, my world is prepared to offer the same level of technical assistant to your worlds that we have provided the Athosian''s. As a military man, I do not stand here before you and profess to be a diplomat. What I say I mean and what I mean I say. Any world that stands with the Genii will incur the full rage and might my people can muster." said the Colonel.


    The delegates already onboard with the plan before Frost spoke received the message loudly and very clearly. Atlantis intended to destroy the Genii and anyone else who stood in their way of doing so.


    Elsewhere in the city members of TF-190 were busy prepping for the deployments they all knew would begin in earnest shortly. Jumpers were loaded with containers of firearms, explosives, and Javelin anti-tank missiles. The aviation crews went about with test flights of their UAV''s to ensure their mission readiness. ATV''s were readied and loaded aboard other Jumpers. TF-190 would be ready to deploy at a moments notice when the ongoing preparations were complete.


    Pegasus Galaxy


    Word of the massacre traveled quickly among the worlds of the galaxy. Shock, horror, and anger were the reactions each time. Thanking the Ancestors the human worlds pledged their support to Atlantis. Public opinion of the Genii turned from mild dislike to outwardly hostile. The battle of public opinion had already been won and lost. From each world, small groups of people intent on seeing justice served, journeyed through the Stargate to seek out any and all people of the Genii. It was not known what Atlantis intended to do with the information once provided but mercy was not one of those hoped for outcomes.


    Jakod M5V-801


    In the former mines the Genii leadership had converted into bunkers, the mood was one of jubilation. The planned first strike had been perfectly executed and resulted in no friendly casualties. The people of Atlantis would soon see their allies abandon them. The Genii rise to preeminence was at hand the leadership believed. Praising the individual members of the strike team Prenum showed his pride in these brave men and women. All eyes turned to the room''s heavy steel door as a sentry burst in at the run. "The Stargate has vanished in a flash of light!"

 Chapter 15

    New Heliopolis


    The Roma''s sensors detected a hyperspace window opening eight hundred thousand kilometers away. A quick scan determined the vessel was the Aurora Class vessel Frazier, named after the late Dr. Janet Frazier. In orbit around the two earth vessels were two O''Neill class sh.i.p.s of the Asgard.


    New Heliopolis was the result of the exogenesis device. The planet had been transformed from an arid desert landscape to a lush forested world. Sensors detected a single structure on the landscape. Coordinates relayed from the Asgard informed the Frazier where the expected Earth delegation was expected to appear from transport.


    With a flash of brilliant white light General Jack O''Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Lt. Colonel Paul Davis appeared. Awaiting their arrival stood Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Bidding the newly arrived individuals greetings Thor ushered them into the large building before them. Entering the complex, Daniel was taken by the sudden realization that they had seen a building just like the one they were now in.


    "Thor, several years ago we came across a building much like this one. I believed it to be a place of meeting for the Ancients, Asgard, Nox, and the Furling." said Dr. Jackson.


    "We are aware Dr. Jackson. You are correct in your estimation of that structures purpose. New Heliopolis is a recreation of that planet, and this facility is an exact copy of our former assembly hall. Contained within this hall is also an archive of the joint knowledge of all the combined races." said Thor.


    "Thor, why are we here?" asked the General.


    "O''Neill you are here as it is your place to be here." responded the Asgard cryptically.


    Entering a large chamber the three the SGC members saw a large conference table. Seated around it were the Nox, a man they had never seen before, and a woman who looked strangely like the holographic avatar found upon the discovery of Atlantis. Introductions were made and the jaws of the Tauri delegation fell. Seated around them were representatives of the Ancients and the Furling. Daniel was thunderstruck.


    "Dr. Jackson, this council has watched over your world since the Ascension of the Alterran''s in conjunction with the Asgard." said the Furling Ambassador named Dorin.


    Melia, the Alterran representative rose from her seat to address the Tauri. "What I say to you now I say with a heavy heart, for you may not understand the reasoning behind our actions. My people seeded life throughout this galaxy. Upon our return from the Pegasus galaxy we spread out amongst your people hoping to kindle the spark of civilization. Our Ascension was done to allow you to further your development without our direct influence. You are our children, and as your mother and father my race sought to allow you to develop in such a way that your full potential and strength could be unlocked. Though you may never understand nor accept our actions it was we that allowed the Goa''uld to lord over humanity for so many generations. We did this in the knowledge that your great potential could only be unlocked in the presence of such adversity. It was we, violating our highest directive never to interfere, that planted the seeds of rebellion among the people of Earth leading to Ra''s eviction. You have surpassed our highest hopes for what you would accomplish and become. In your creation we sought to create children capable of surpassing our own achievements."


    "The Goa''uld exploited humanity in this galaxy. Hundreds of generations knew nothing but servitude and tyrannical control." responded Dr. Jackson.


    "Although the Furling and Asgard did not agree, this was done. It is understood the amount of resentment this would cause you to feel. It is never expected that you forget, but it is our supreme hope that you can forgive." stated Dorin.


    "Now that you have taken your rightful place as the Fifth Race we are prepared to relax our noninterference directive. Your understanding of elements of the technology we left for you to find is impressive. For your new role you will need a full understanding of our legacy. Our people will now freely interact with yours. We ask that we be allowed to educate your people so full understanding can be found. A contingent will be sent to Atlantis and others will be sent to Vis Uban. If you agree we will unlock all the mysteries that you have sought answers for in our database." stated Melia.


    "If it is full disclosure and technical understanding as your children we ask that nothing be held back." replied Dr. Jackson.


    "The Alterran''s have already agreed to this demand when we posed it to them. The full body of knowledge of the Furlings will also be shared. Furthermore, we will aid you in ending your conflicts in this galaxy and within Pegasus. You now stand as the equal of every people within this alliance." said the Furling Ambassador.


    Thunderstruck the delegation returned to the Frazier to report the day''s events to the SGC.

 Chapter 16

    Destiny


    The combined talents of the scientific and repair teams had spent the last thirty-six hours performing deep level ship wide systems diagnostics. Each system was now fully mission ready after extensive repairs. Only two tests remained. The first meant Destiny would once again plunge into a red dwarf star to bring her power stores back to full. Once charge was complete a full weapons test would be performed with all weapons firing to tax the power and weapons systems in search of some unforeseen fault. As a safety precaution, the crew of the Ancient ship was transferred to the Athena leaving only the bridge crew aboard.


    "Destiny, all souls are now onboard. You are go for recharge." the Athena''s communications officer transmitted.


    "Roger Athena, we are proceeding now." replied Young.


    "Keep your fingers crossed that this thing still works as advertised." muttered Volker.


    With sub light engines brought online Destiny gathered speed and set course for the star at the heart of this solar system. The Athena would trail the Ancient ship, in case emergency transport was needed. Due to the differences in the flight profiles of the two vessels, Athena was on station at the rally point one hour before the incoming vessel. To ensure the correct alignment and entry trajectory with the sun Destiny performed an aero braking maneuver in the upper atmosphere of a gas giant along the preprogrammed path.


    Aboard the Athena locator beacons for the remaining crew onboard Destiny were activated. Should the need arise and transport was required Athena would have a solid lock on the location of each individual. The anticipation of seeing the act of diving into a sun for recharge had the Athena''s bridge crew on the edge of their seats.


    "We are on the glide path, all systems operating in normal parameters." called out Brody.


    As she had done so many thousands of times during her journey across the universe, Destiny entered the corona of the star. Her solar collectors extended to gather the exotic particles that gave the ship life.


    "Power cells at complete charge. Power is now being collected in a secondary system we have never seen before. It looks like a reserve power storage system." called out Eli.


    With her power levels now at maximum capacity Destiny exited the star to rejoin the Athena and reclaim her crew. Systems never before seen came alive for the first time in the expedition''s tenure aboard. With full power restored, Destiny could now allow all of her myriad of systems to operate.


    Weapons testing found all systems performing at peak efficiency. An unimaginable volume of fire was now possible without fear of an overload. The range of the main weapon under the ship and the anti-fighter weapons were also markedly increased. The power consumption of the weapons was also significantly less, verifying the theory that power conduit damage had been the main culprit for their extravagant power usage during previous attacks. With all repairs verified to function the crew was transferred back aboard via shuttle while the final resupply of food items were beamed aboard. Athena would be departing for Earth tomorrow, taking with her the personnel she had brought with her.


    Chulak


    On the surface of the planet that many Jaffa in the Free Nation called home, a cloaked Tel''tak set down miles away from any settlement. Quickly disgorged were six Jaffa mercenaries in the employ of the Lucian Alliance. Their mission was to integrate into the local population and gather intelligence. These six men viewed the Free Jaffa Nation as a pointless exercise in futility as their people were warriors not nation builders. Unknown to these men they carried a lethal cargo. With captured Goa''uld technology, their memories of the last three weeks had been altered. The Jaffa mercenaries were unaware they were infected carriers of a vicious strain of a virus that targeted symbiotes. The six no longer carried their larval Goa''uld and in its place fortified their bodies with Tritonin.


    Separating into groups of two, the Jaffa set out to their assigned settlements. Each team of two was instructed to visit seven population centers in the next four days. In their eyes this was done to ensure they gathered intelligence from a wider pool. In truth, this was done to ensure more effective delivery of the contagion each of them carried. In seven days time the fevers would begin, followed by internal bleeding, and after the death of the larval Goa''uld an agonizing end result where the body bled from every orifice.

 Chapter 17

    Atlantis


    The gate room was in a state of organized chaos as shipment after shipment of weapons containers arrived from the newly replaced Midway station. With all sh.i.p.s in both galaxies currently tasked to other matters none were available to ferry needed items from the Milky Way to Pegasus. Luckily the McKay/Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge was once again in use. After the destruction of the original Midway station use of the bridge was suspended until a replacement station could be completed.


    The new supplies were intended for both TF-190 and the X-302''s assigned to the TF Pegasus vessels. Several of the items arriving made the control room staff raise an eyebrow in surprise. In the fourth gate activation Air Force and Army ordinance specialists filed in to become the newest additions to the Atlantis expedition. Certain weapons containers were beamed aboard orbiting TF Pegasus sh.i.p.s, while other containers we moved to one of the growing numbers of armories within the city.


    After the seizure of Stargate''s on all known Genii worlds space gates had been put in place. This allowed cloaked Jumpers to maintain regular aerial surveillance and monitor enemy radio communications. These same Jumpers also delivered several Special Forces teams known as Operation Detachment Alphas or ODA''s. These teams were assigned the mission of overwatch and intelligence collection. Their Rules of Engagement (ROE) prevented them from any direct contact with enemy forces. As the battlefield and electronic intelligence was collected and deciphered on Atlantis, direct action plans began to take shape. Colonel Frost believed the path to victory lay in implanting a sense of panic in the Genii forces and ratcheting the level ever higher until resistance collapsed.


    Allies around the galaxy were turning up very little intelligence on the Genii. Several safe houses were uncovered, but were found to be abandoned. It appeared that the Genii had gone into hiding. Reading these reports Mr. Woolsey could not bring himself to suppress the feeling that this conflict would be very one sided and was highly unnecessary.


    Destiny


    Final resupply had been completed four days ago. The inhabitants of the Ancient vessel were sad to see the Athena depart for Earth. Colonel Eckhart had made it a point to point out that they would return in ninety days. Knowing they were no longer alone in their travels the expedition members found strength.


    Using the communication stones General Jack O''Neill was aboard. He had much to share with everyone aboard. Some of it Jack still had trouble wrapping his mind around. Meeting in the observation deck was the General, Colonel Young, Lt. Scott, TJ, Eli, and doctors Rush, Volker, Brody, and Park.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, much has happened in the last month. As you all know we now have the ability to support you with sh.i.p.s from Earth. The recent resupply and repair mission validated that point. Athena will return as Col. Eckhart informed you. It had been planned to increase your manpower upon the next resupply. That plan has now been shelved. With the assistance of the Ancients and the Furling we will be bringing you home. Using the super gate in the Milky Way left behind by the Ori during their invasion and with the creation of a super gate in this galaxy along your projected flight path you will be gating back home in the next four months." said the General.


    The looks on the faces of everyone present were one of shock, then overwhelming happiness. Finally, they would be going home! Applause broke out in the room.

 Chapter 18

    Destiny


    "Settle down people, I''m not done yet. This part you''ll want to pay attention to as it does concern you and your descendents. We have been made aware that the people of Novus who hopped in their space sh.i.p.s for their rendition of the Oregon Trail are in the care of the Furling. They were intercepted and brought back to the obelisk planet you reported. These people will be further relocated to the New Heliopolis at the Furlings insistence. Their reasoning behind this was these people were never supposed to be so they are outside the scope of our responsibilities and will be mentored by the Alliance of five Great Races." finished O''Neill.


    "Why is so much time needed to return Home General O''Neill?" demanded Camille Wray.


    "You know these advanced races are never in a hurry to do anything. If I were you I would just nod my head and be happy that it''s being done." responded Jack.


    "What of Destiny''s mission? Are we going to just abandon the reason this ship is out here? The knowledge we''re walking away from could change our understanding of the universe and how it came to be!" proclaimed Rush.


    "Oh come on!" cried Eli.


    "Dr. Rush, I''m fairly certain the Ancients and Furlings have their reasons for ending this voyage now. For now just concentrate on going home and let us handle the rest." answered the General.


    "General, we will continue on our current flight path. You''ve made a lot of people very happy with this. Thank you Sir." stated Col. Young.


    They were going home! At so many times during their time aboard Destiny they people aboard had felt they would never make it home. The good news had been flowing in, but without ever admitting it even to each other those aboard secretly waited for the other shoe to drop.


    White House


    "Our people have been made aware that they are finally coming home?" asked President Hayes.


    "Yes Mr. President, General O''Neill is aboard Destiny now making that known." responded Lt. Col. Davis.


    Reclining in his office chair and looking over the Oval Office the President asked "What other matters are on the agenda for today Paul?"


    "We still have the matter of team selection for the academics delegation we''re to send to New Heliopolis. All those listed on the shortlist before you have already been vetted by the SGC. Furthermore, everyone listed has previously worked on off-world technology in the past without being fully briefed in on the program. We have five from MIT, three from Cal Poly, one from Boston College in addition to a further three from DARPA. The remaining four are from Oxford. This will make up our first class. The second class we will draw from all IOA nations. This would have been done in the first group but the time for background investigations was simply not there." answered Davis.


    "Very good Paul. The understanding we gain here will unlock a mountain of technology. We can finally put it to use in our world and not just for its defense. We''re laying the foundation for generations to come." extolled Hayes.


    "That is correct Mr. President. In addition the Furling have promised several key pieces of technology. They assure me one of these devices in particular will reverse the environmental effects of pollution." informed Davies.


    "Now what can you tell me about Pegasus Paul?" asked Hayes.


    Bringing up a power point presentation on the LCD screen in the center of the room Davis went over known intelligence on Genii forces. Included in the presentation was a list of assets to be utilized in the upcoming operation.


    "We''re calling it Operation Reciprocity. Several of the key munitions and personnel key to the plan are even know being transported to Atlantis. This is an interdiction operation with a focus on tactical surprise, stealth, and speed of violence. Enemy lines of communication and supply have been severed with the removal of Stargate''s from Genii worlds. The chance exists though that units of their armed forces were moved to secure locations on worlds we currently have no intelligence on before they initiated terrorist action. From the moment you give the go order offensive operations will commence within forty eight hours." said the Air Force officer.


    "It''s never an easy thing to send the young men and women of this nation and this world into harms way. however after what these animals have done, no other choice exists in the eyes of this government, nor in the eyes of the IOA. The Presidential authorization was signed five minutes before you walked in Paul. Send word to Atlantis that the op is a go." finished the President.

 Chapter 19

    Garina


    ODA-328 was on site. The Special Forces alpha team had arrived thirty hours earlier. Their digital pattern camouflage uniforms blended seamlessly into the heavily wooded environment. Covering their faces was matching pattern spandoflage smocks in place of the facial paint that had historically been used. While the Hammond could detect the alpha team from orbit with their advanced sensors, the odds of detection on the ground both visually and thermally were low.


    The Genii training camp on this world had been hit previously. Due to that an increase in patrols was noted from orbit. The alpha team once on the ground avoided the opposition while navigating their way to a ridge overlooking the camp. Slowly and methodically the American soldiers picked their footing with an emphasis on stealth. With their weapons at the ready the highly trained special operations team arrived at their preselected over watch point. From this vantage, the entire camp in the valley below could be surveilled. Quietly three members of the eight man team began emplacing claymore mines with motion sensors, toe popper mines small enough to only remove a foot, and seismic sensors to detect approaching troops around their perimeter.


    "Hammond, this is Rattler Six. We are in position and are commencing phase one, over" said the team commander.


    "Rattler Six, this is Hammond. Acknowledge last. Phase one is a go. Hammond out." replied Colonel Samantha Carter.


    The ground teams surveillance sergeant began setting up his gear for phase one. From his rucksack and the team''s demolitions sergeant''s ruck two laser microphones were removed. The laser microphone was a piece of gear the team had used many times in the past. When in operation the laser mic fired a harmless and invisible beam of light. Normally this beam was targeted at a structures window so conversation within could be overheard. Once targeted on a window the laser measured the vibrations of the glass created by sound waves within the building. These measurements were fed into a laptop, which using a simple mathematical algorithm transformed the data back into sounds. This technique did away with the need to infiltrate a compound and implant listening devices exposing the team to the possibility of danger and detection.


    The two-laser mic''s were targeted on the command building; one at the window of the receiving room, and the other at the window of the camp commander''s officer seven meters to the left of the first window. Instantly data began transfer to the laptop. Intelligence officers on Atlantis would review the audio files upon ODA-328''s return. For seventy two hours the team silently gathered this information.


    "Rattler Six, this is Hammond. We are initiating phase two. Hammond out. Communications officer signal the Odyssey, they are clear to beam the Stargate back down to the Genii home world now." said Carter.


    In a brilliant flash of light the Stargate and DHD appeared in the Genii compound. From the alpha teams vantage point they could see the panicked activity of the enemy troops. A handful of more senior Genii soldiers came to view the gate before quickly moving to the command building. It was the Tauri hope that the return of the gate would spur on conversation among the Genii commanders of the camp providing intel the laser mic systems would record. While this was happening a lone Genii soldier dialed the gate and was transported to his home world. Within the command building how to proceed was being discussed.

 Chapter 20

    Garina


    "A messenger has been dispatched to inform our people of the gates return. Surely they have sought to contact us in its absence. When our messenger returns he should have orders for this base." said a senior training officer.


    "The leadership evacuated to Jakod before our strike. Orders may not move swiftly, but we will be called upon. Let us hope those orders are to storm Atlantis once again." said the acting base commander.


    For the next hour those in the command building discussed the disposition and locations of the Genii troops in the galaxy. Several of the locations mentioned were previously unknown to the listening Tauri. This intel would make possible a new selection of targets in this war.


    During this time the alpha team''s communications sergeant had occupied himself by setting up a video camera. The video was sent via data link to the orbiting Hammond. In the 302 bay of the Hammond six 302''s were being preflight checked by their flight crew. Each 302 was carrying four CBU-72 thermobaric cl.u.s.ter bomb units weighing five hundred and fifty pound apiece.


    "Rattler Six this is Hammond. You have air support inbound. ETA on station is three zero minutes. Confirm." radioed the communications officer.


    "Hammond, Rattler six confirms inbound air in three zero mikes. Out." replied Rattler Six Actual, the SF team commander.


    Sitting in the command chair Colonel Carter opened a comm channel to the waiting X-302''s. "Hammer Flight you are cleared for wheels up. Contact Rattler Six when you reach the initial point. Good hunting gentlemen."


    Quickly the craft departed the hangar bay of the orbiting Hammond. Entering the atmosphere of the planet the flight crews forced themselves to relax. Training kicked in and the well rehearsed series of events leading up to an airstrike came into play. Two hundred miles out at fifty thousand feet and descending Hammer Lead broke radio silence. "Rattler Six this is Hammer Lead on approach" said the pilot in command of the flight.


    "Hammer Lead, Rattler Six. The target is illuminated." replied the alpha team commander.


    Minutes before one of the SF soldiers had powered on his GLD or ground laser designator. The GLD lased a chosen target with an invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye beam of laser energy. Seeker heads in laser guided munitions would detect this beam of energy and home in on it like high tech kamikazes.


    "Hammer Flight, this is Hammer Lead. Set offset disburs.e.m.e.nt patterns to preprogram option one. Commencing attack run in three zero seconds." said the pilot.


    In each 302 the rear seat weapons officer selected option one. This would ensure that each weapon dropped would home in on a different section of the compound below. It would also ensure optimum effectiveness of each weapon employed, with overlapping blast patterns for maximum damage.


    From a height of eighteen thousand feet the six aircraft dropped four modified CBU-72''s apiece before beginning their climb back into the upper atmosphere. Gravity pulled the noses down of each of the falling bombs. Each bombs seeker head detecting the laser below in the command building within the camp. At fifteen hundred feet above ground the side shrouds of each bomb were jettisoned. Seven hundred and fifty feet later each bomb ejected its three fuel air explosive submunitions which fell to their preprogrammed impact point.


    Each submunition weighed one hundred pounds and dispensed a cloud approximately sixty feet in diameter and eight feet thick composed of seventy five pounds of ethylene oxide aerosol fuel across the individual target area with air burst fusing set for thirty feet. An embedded detonator ignited the cloud as it descended to the ground to produce a massive explosion. A massive wall of fire formed above the camp spreading towards its edges. Preceding this wall of fire was an overpressure wave of four hundred and thirty pounds per square inch. In milliseconds temperatures reached forty five hundred degrees. As atmospheric gasses cooled and pressures dropped sharply a partial vacuum was formed powerful enough to tear apart bodies and buildings. Had the end not come from the blast wave or intense heat the end would have come from suffocation as the explosions consumed all available oxygen underneath them. On the periphery of the camp few survived. Those that did were badly burned. The entire camp was ablaze. The odor of charred bodies carried on the breeze.


    "Hammer Lead, Rattler Six. I confirm impact within circular error of probability and high order detonation. Have a nice day." radioed the communications sergeant.


    Beside him, his video camera captured the carnage in all its horrific detail. Using the DHD in a Jumper within the Hammond''s fighter bay the gate was dialed to the Genii home world. The Hammond began broadcasting the airstrike video through the open worm hole for thirty eight minutes, until the gate shut down and was then redialed. This was done to ensure the video reached the Genii. The message was clear, the Tauri were coming.

 Chapter 21

    Wraith Hive Ship


    Sitting in the throne room was a highly irritated Wraith Queen. Standing before her was her commander and the chief scientist among the hive. The conversation had begun moments before and already the Commander was wishing it was over.


    "We have found the four hives that went missing my Queen." stated the Commander.


    "If they joined the faction of the betrayer as you claim then it is my right as Queen to lay claim to these hives and all within." hissed the Queen.


    "Telemetry was transmitted for a short time from the betrayer''s vessels and it appears we have a problem. The betrayer is transforming all aboard into hybrids very similar to what the one known as Michael once attempted." said the Wraith scientist.


    "He is adding the taint of human to my subjects. This will not be tolerated! All hybrids will be annihilated and the sh.i.p.s brought into my fleet. The research being used for the creation of these abominations will be destroyed once and for all. What is the status of our fleet?" demanded the Queen.


    The Commander bowing slightly proceeded to inform her of the status of her fleet. "The fleet remains at ten hives and thirty cruisers my Queen."


    "Once the current culling cycle is complete we will gather the fleet and destroy the betrayer once and for all." finished the Queen.


    Atlantis


    The Hammond had returned to the city, carrying with her ODA-328 and the valuable intelligence collected before the air strike. In a holding cell she also carried several new guests, who had remained unconscious the entire flight home. These new guests were transferred to stasis pods upon arrival. These guests were the individuals that had been standing in the command building seconds before the airstrike. A flash bang grenade had been beamed down to their location, and when beamed up they had been hit with Zat fire.


    The alpha team and crew of the Hammond had quickly been debriefed while the video and audio intel was transferred to Atlantis. The mood was celebratory in the Ancient city following the actions of rhe expeditionary forces. In the briefing room sat the combined ship commanders, Mr. Woolsey, Lorne, and Colonel Frost.


    "As can been seen the airstrike was a tactical success. The psychological warfare aspect of the operation is still in play with the transmitting of video of the attack being transmitted to the Genii home world. Due to the efforts of the Hammond we now have in our custody several command staff members from the camp. Over the next week our interrogators hope to pry more operational intelligence out of these men. One large piece of intel this mission turned up is the location of the Genii high command. While this information still requires verification it is a starting point we previously did not have. Should this information prove to be true the option may very well become available to us to decapitate the Genii leadership." said Col. Frost.


    "We are all very pleased by the lack of friendly casualties during this operation Colonel. Have we stopped to consider potential fallout of public opinion against our efforts due to the violence of this attack?" asked Mr. Woolsey.


    "I can field that question Mr. Woolsey. Information regarding the strike has not yet found its way to allied nations, and in the event of Genii dissemination of the video we don''t foresee any hearts breaking for them." said Lt. Col. Lorne.


    "From a psychological warfare aspect their release of the video to other worlds bodes well for us. The weapons systems and tactics employed are unlike anything the other worlds of this galaxy employ. A wrong was done, and we are prosecuting enemy targets with overwhelming firepower." rebutted Col. Frost.


    "The Sun Tzu will be tasked to scan Jakod and locate the Genii command." added Col. Sheppard.


    "Using a protocol developed during my time with SG-1 we are receiving real time updates via subspace link of each address dialed by gates returned to Genii worlds. Using these addresses we should gain a much better understanding of their traffic patterns and destination worlds. It''s hoped that using this knowledge will lead us to all of the Genii sleeper cells in the galaxy that as of now are off the grid." said Col. Samantha Carter.


    With the meeting breaking up small groups proceeded about their daily business. In the control center a subspace message was coming in for Col. Sheppard. Luckily he was still nearby and able to take the message. On the large display screen was the face of Todd.


    "Hello John Sheppard." said the Wraith with his familiar booming voice.


    Seeing the change in appearance of Todd made Sheppard raise an eyebrow. "Hello Todd, I can''t say that I''m surprised you''re calling. Been working on your tan?" asked the Colonel, referencing Todd''s more human appearance.


    "I''ve been putting to use the research of a friend of yours John Sheppard. With Michael''s research I''ve managed to end the treated hives need to cull and feed. Sadly, the treatment left us looking far more like you than we would have preferred." answered Todd.


    "What is it you want Todd?" asked Sheppard.


    "I want what you want; an end to Wraith culling on the human worlds of this galaxy. Multiple hives have come over to my way of thought, seeing clearly the advantages of this. Unfortunately, not all see things with such clarity. That is why I request you allow me to come to Atlantis. I have a proposition for you." coyly said Todd

 Chapter 22

    K''Tau


    The Hermes had been in the solar system containing K''Tau for several days. Colonel Mitchell''s mission was the deployment of a constellation of monitoring satellites to ensure the Protected Planets Treaty was abided by.


    "Sir, I''m detecting a vessel in hyperspace on a path for this solar system. Estimate craft will exit hyperspace near K''Tau''s outermost moon." said the long-range sensors operator.


    "Very well. Helm, plot a course and give me full sub light." responded Cam.


    At full sub light the Hermes was only moments from the predicted interception point. Almost on cue the green tinted hyperspace window opened up and two Ha''Tak class vessels exited.


    "Ha''Tak vessels, this is the Tauri ship Hermes. Your presence here is in direct violation of the Protected Planets Treaty. I advise you to reenter hyperspace and head to greener pastures." said Mitchell in the subspace message.


    "Sir, they are raising their shields and powering weapons." said the sensor operator.


    "Ok people, they want to do it the hard way. Shields up and bring all weapons online." ordered Mitchell.


    The large holographic communications screen suddenly came online. Clearly these vessels belonged to the Lucian Alliance based on the clothing worn by those seen in the video reply.


    "Tauri vessel, I am Bulak. The Lucian Alliance is not a signatory of your treaty and do not recognize its authority over the actions of our government. We lay claim to this system, so it is you in violation of our protected territory. Exit this system now." ordered Bulak in a condescending tone.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that Bulak. This system is under the protection of the Asgard and Tauri. Again, I''ll advise you to exit this system forthwith." responded the Colonel.


    Out of hyperspace exited an O''Neill class vessel of the Asgard. The O''Neill class easily dwarfed both Ha''tak''s and the Hermes combined. In seconds the vessels shields were raised. Aboard the Lucian Alliance sh.i.p.s preparations were quickly made to fire on both vessels in their sights. Appearing on the bridge of the lead Ha''Tak was a holographic representation of an Asgard.


    "I am Freyr of the Asgard. This system is under the protection of races technologically superior to your own. It is inadvisable to dispute this fact. Leave this system now and never return, or you will meet certain defeat." said Freyr.


    "The Asgard have not been seen in several years. You are nothing more than a Tauri deception. It is you who will be defeated here." spat Bulak.


    "I assure you the words I speak are true. Captured Goa''uld technology is no match for the might of the races that stand before you. Ignore this final warning and the end will make clear who deceived whom." confidently stated Freyr.


    Bulak was a brave man, but knew to fear the Asgard if it was truly them before him. With a simple order, both Ha''tak''s jumped to hyperspace and quickly exited the system. The people of K''Tau were secure once again.


    Vis Uban


    The city was once again thriving. Ascended Ancients walked in material form among Humans, Asgard, Furling, and Nox. The Earth''s first delegation of scientific minds had arrived. They would be educated on the building blocks of the other four races technologies. Each scientist was grouped with one tutor of each race. These groups would focus on individual areas. Energy, environmental science, biology, physics, and engineering were just a few of the areas of focus.


    Elsewhere in the city construction had begun on the eighty separate modules that made up a Supergate. Their construction would take time. The engineers who had conceived and constructed the Pegasus gates went about this task. They were chosen because the Pegasus gates were the final and most advanced version of the Astria Porta, as they were called in the Alterran language.


    With the combined minds of the five races gathered here Vis Uban was now the undisputed hub of knowledge and learning in the galaxy.

 Chapter 23

    Chulak


    It started as slight fevers and malaise. Over progressive days individuals found themselves bedridden. The numbers of infected continued to rise each day. Soon cases began appearing on Dakara and Goranak. With very little medical knowledge the Free Jaffa Nation asked for the assistance of the Tauri. Advance teams from USAMRIID and the Center for Disease Control were sent.


    The virus was like nothing the people of Earth had ever seen before. It had characteristics of familiar strains of hemorrhagic fever, but appeared to zero in on the symbiote and its healing abilities. Teams tracking the virus''s path around the planet of Chulak found three villages relatively near one another to be the starting point of the infection. It had been hoped to find the source of the outbreak in the water, the food supply, or something recently moved from off world.


    Over the course of tracking the origins of the virus on these worlds Patient Zero was discovered. With every possible source of the origin on the world of Patient Zero checked and rechecked no terrestrial cause could be found. Clearly this was a weapon. This growing outbreak had the potential to quickly become a pandemic on several worlds. The sudden appearance and migration of the virus made it clearer each moment this weapon and its delivery were weaponized. The System Lords had been hunted to near extinction, with only minor Goa''uld''s remaining in hiding. This was clearly an attack, but by whom?


    Destiny


    After conferring at length with the Council of Five Races it had been decided that the Supergate would be constructed within a days FTL jump of the Furling constructed planet along the Destiny''s previously traveled path. This change in plans had been received with a sigh of relief from those aboard the ancient vessel. The berserker drones would no longer be a concern.


    During the recent weeks since news had broke they would be going home Eli and Dr. Rush had busied themselves with a new discovery since the sh.i.p.s repair. A science lab of sorts had been found in a previously inaccessible portion of the ship. The lab contained sensitive instruments to monitor and record background radiation of all space in which Destiny had traveled. The database represented the efforts of hundreds of thousands of years.


    "My original theory that each fragment was a Rosetta stone of sorts hasn''t worked out." said Rush.


    "I''ve been thinking about that too. What if we''re looking at this the wrong way? If each galaxy contains a unique piece of the message it would be almost impossible to gather them all in any civilizations lifetime. Instead what if this intelligence at the beginning of time left instructions to monitor a specific frequency?" asked Eli.


    "And just how would you discern what that frequency is Eli?" demanded Rush.


    "You won''t want to listen to this, but hear me out. I''ve been running some numbers, and I may have an answer. What if the message fragments represent a fractal?" asked Eli.


    "Fractals can be used in antennae design, or signal compression. If you were to view this information as a fractal and infer chaotic inflation theory held true we might be looking at a massive discovery. Do you understand what this means Eli?" asked Rush.


    "Not really, I''m not an astrophysicist remember." reminded Eli.


    "We''ve run across alternate realities before on several occasions in the SGC. That proved the existence of multiple iterations of our own universe in a multiverse. If this proves what I believe it might this could prove something far more exciting." said Rush with a rare sense of excitement.


    "Like what?" asked Eli.


    "That the big bang was not the beginning of the universe as we know it. That this universe is not the only universe. This would mean that our universe is just one of many bubble universes making space fractal on a much larger scale than imaginable, possibly larger than the observable universe!" exclaimed Rush.


    Diving back into their work, the two set about analyzing the data and putting it into fractal form. Once they had an answer they would be able to reconfigure the long range sensors to search for what they now believed might be out there.

 Chapter 24

    Jakod


    Watching the video of the Tauri attack on the military installation the Genii leadership sat in stunned silence. To achieve this level of destruction the Genii would have had to utilize an atomic device. Somehow the Tauri had done this with some type of simple gas. The stunning realization of the military power their enemies possessed was frightening.


    "When the Wraith cull worlds they at least leave survivors. This attack in terms of manpower was far more lethal and devastating than any Wraith culling. Are you telling me we are now at war with a race even more bloodthirsty than the Wraith?" asked Prenum, leader of the Genii people.


    "We knew beforehand they were a formidable enemy. All this shows us is their willingness to commit unimaginable atrocities on the people of this galaxy. Their weakness is also evident in their willingness to only attack one world instead of all our worlds." said Heiron, the confident although slightly misguided leader of Genii military forces.


    "Before we proceed further we need more information on the enemies coming moves. Gather this from the far corners of the galaxy, by force if necessary. We will find out what we need to know. They may think their gas weapon is invincible, but they cannot drop such a weapon on us underground." finished Prenum.


    Atlantis


    Stepping through the gate under armed escort was Todd. Quickly he was ushered to the conference room where sat Colonel Sheppard and Mr. Woolsey. Taking his seat, the sought after discussion began.


    "You''ve accomplished much since your return to this galaxy." said Todd.


    "Todd, we''re not here for small talk. You wanted to talk so talk." said Sheppard.


    "As you can see my use of the one you called Michaels research has paid great dividends. Those treated no longer require the need to feed on your race." said Todd.


    "You must be made aware of my government''s level of apprehension regarding the use of that research. Michael didn''t exactly endear himself to our endeavors in this galaxy." stated Woolsey.


    "I mean your people no harm. My goals are much larger than that. It is my intention to unify the Wraith under one leader without the need to feed on humans and leave this galaxy. I am understandably aware how the worlds of this galaxy will not be so inclined to lend their trust to my people even though their status as a food source will have changed." said the former Wraith.


    "Let me guess, the Wraith don''t like that idea and want to kill you." stated Sheppard.


    "Your guess would be correct John Sheppard. The remaining Queens will seek to destroy all those loyal to me. We represent a threat to their continued domination of this galaxy. Our people worked together to destroy the Asurans, and also to save your own world. I propose we work together once more to free your people from fear of the Wraith once and for all." said Todd.


    "You''re asking that we fight the war to come for you Todd." boldly stated Woolsey.


    "Is it not to your benefit to do so? I will of course collect those Wraith who survive your efforts to eliminate them and administer the treatment effectively neutralizing them." said Todd smoothly.


    "Before we agree to any temporary alliance we would first need a show of good faith. Provide us with the locations of all Wraith forces in the galaxy and we will consider what you propose. Fail to do as we ask and we''ll simply let the Wraith hunt you down on their own." answered Woolsey.


    Laughing his booming laugh Todd looked as if he might smile. "I expected as much and it will be provided to you." he answered.


    Earth


    A revolution had taken place that no one outside of the member nations of the IOA were aware of. Teams of Asgard engineers had been working around the clock in locations scattered around the globe. Their task was the installation of several of the Asgard''s more advanced planetary power generation devices. With simple computer commands taking power plants offline these new Neutrino Ion generators easily shouldered the burden of supplying a large percentage of Earths electrical needs. Further work would need to be completed to connect the power grids of all nations. Once that was complete the nations of Earth would enjoy free and clean energy in limitless quantities even though they would not know how it was being produced.


    Several Furling teams were also on world installing various devices as well. In Alaska one team was installing a car sized device atop a remote mountain peak that would remove chloro-fluoro carbons from the atmosphere along with other traces of man made pollution. The second team using a Puddle Jumper were air-dropping devices in the oceans of Earth. These devices would remove pollution from all interconnected bodies of water.


    In the coming weeks other technologies were to be provided to the people of Earth. With the assistance of the other great races the planet would be allowed to heal the damage that the previous two hundred years of industrialization had done.

 Chapter 25

    Atlantis


    Deep within the south pier a select subunit of the military intelligence detachment had set up shop. Interrogation rooms were set up and wired with sensors to detect changes in brain wave activity, voice stress analysis, and rapid pupil dilation. In short these sensors were the latest in lie detection equipment, but not the only options available to the interrogation team.


    The Genii soldiers captured during the recent airstrike had been in stasis since their arrival on Atlantis. Each of the prisoners of war represented a huge amount of intelligence value. Due to their military training from childhood onwards it was thought that traditional interrogation techniques would be a waste of time. Something more would be needed and something more was available in a separate room.


    "How sure are you of this process Major?" asked Col. Frost.


    "This is a one hundred percent effective modality Sir. If you refer to the briefing book I''ve prepared for you the process is fully explained in depth." said Major Carpenter.


    Contained within the pages of the briefing book was a full description of the methods to be employed and a technical explanation as to just why the system worked. The subject to be interrogated would be given a mild sedative and dressed in a very high quality neoprene wetsuit, A custom built divers helmet, like those utilized for deep dives would be fitted on the subject. Inside this helmet were a series of speakers utilizing the anti noise principle that a noise is played out of phase over any audible noise and the two will cancel each other out, much like the noise cancelling headphones many wear during air travel. The viewport of the helmet had been replaced with a high quality ultra thin LCD that would display inward. An ionizer would eliminate any smells within the helmet as well. The subject once outfitted would be placed in a tank of saltwater. This tank of saltwater was temperature and salinity controlled down to the smallest degree so the subject would remain at neutral buoyancy.


    "I''ve gone over the briefing material Major, just tell me in your own words why it works." responded the Colonel.


    "The purpose is to put them in a w.o.m.b like environment. Essentially, humans are social animals. We require a constant stream of stimulus from the environment around us be it sight, smell, sound, or touch. Removing this outside stimulus forces the mind to begin feeding on itself for this information. Oddly enough the more intelligent the subject the faster they break. Upon removal of stimulus the mind over a period of several hours will undergo three distinct panic periods. One test subject likened the experience to being in purgatory; falling into nothing forever. During these panic periods we closely monitor the subjects for any sign of a cardiac event or severe blood pressure fluctuations. After the third panic event we begin to pipe in a barely audible voice asking them what they''ve done. The entire thing turns into something like a catholic confession." said the Major.


    "And when the process is done?" asked Frost.


    "Once we''ve gained all the intel available from the subject we sedate them once again. Upon removal from the tank we further administer a mild amnesiac in an intramuscular injection. Once the amnesiac has taken effect they are in a state highly receptive to suggestion. We can implant the desire to forget the event, and go so far as to bring about a subconscious level of change in their leanings towards certain paths moving forward" finished Carpenter.


    "Ok Major, get their commanding officer in there first. We need to know what they know ASAP." ordered Frost.


    Slowly, Forhem opened his eyes. Darkness was all that greeted him. Funny he thought, I can''t move, I feel like I''m floating. "I can''t move, and I need help" he cried. Why can I not hear my own voice he wondered? Knowing he yelled but was unable to hear himself and unable to move he began to panic. What has happened to me his mind began to focus on.


    "We have the onset of panic period one." said the Major to his assembled team.


    His breathing raced as Forhem struggled in the tank, unaware of anything around him. This continued for several moments until his mind began to go over the possibilities. Trapped under ruble, badly injured, maybe in a coma he thought. The possibilities were endless and none of them were good he knew.


    Relying on his training Forhem had not attempted to struggle again, believing himself to be injured. He waited what seemed like an eternity for rescue to come. Surely they would find him; where ever it was he was currently trapped. If I''m trapped though why can I not hear myself scream he thought beginning to panic again.


    "Panic period two is beginning. Watch his blood pressure closely. We don''t want him to spike and stroke out on us. Activate the low light images on his display." ordered Carpenter.


    I can see something he thought. Faint images of something moving in the distance were there for him to see. "Help me! Over here!" he screamed. The images began to grow further and further away. "Why won''t you help me?" Forhem screamed. Still, he could not hear the sound of his own screams, but knew he was screaming with all of his effort. Returned to total blackness Forhem panicked once again. It had taken four hours to reach this third panic period, but in his mind Forhem thought he had been in this state for day''s maybe even weeks.


    "Panic period three is starting. As soon as his vitals go down a few points let''s begin the audio. For now keep the video off." ordered the Major.


    In the helmet at an almost imperceptible volume a low voice began to speak. "I can''t hear what you''re saying! I''m right here! Help me!" cried Forhem. As he began to beg and plead the voice grew more intelligible but was still very distant. In tears Forhem was ready to give up and meet the end.


    "Forhem, what have you done?" asked the voice.


    His state of mind was exhausted and defeated. All Forhem could do was whimper a quiet reply. "I have done nothing."


    "Lie to me again and I will leave you here for all eternity." whispered the voice.


    "Please, help me. Don''t leave me here like this!" Forhem begged.


    "Is this what happened to my people? Is this what you have become?" asked the voice.


    "I don''t understand, please don''t leave me here like this!" pleaded Forhem.


    "Your forefathers are shamed with what has happened to our descendents. You have turned into simple thugs, not the soldiers you were meant to be. Confess all to me now or remaining in this place between life and death will be your only reality." ordered the voice.


    "Anything, just don''t leave me in this hell!" quietly begged Forhem.


    Hours later Forhem had indeed confessed everything he knew. Locations, names, plans, troops strengths, safe houses were all divulged. Thinking confession was the only way to save his soul he had confessed all before passing out.


    Quickly, Forhem was removed from the sensory deprivation tank and stripped out of the wetsuit. Amnesiac''s were administered while form fitting head phones were placed on the unconscious mans ears. As he slept a soundtrack played over and over again reinforcing the belief that the spirits of his forefathers were displeased, forcing his defection from the Genii. Before he awoke he would believe it all to be true, but he would not be waking to the sights of Atlantis.

 Chapter 26

    Ares


    Todd had made good on his promise to provide real time position data on all Wraith hives in the galaxy. Under the cover of it''s cloak the Ares had quietly checked seven random and very distant from one another hives to test the validity of the information Todd had provided. In each case a hive was found. It looked as if Todd was telling the truth so far, but that was not to say a nasty surprise wouldn''t be found soon.


    So as not to compromise their new ability to track the hives the Ares each time did not engage the enemy. Instead, remaining under cloak detailed scans were carried out of each of the hive sh.i.p.s to ascertain its current state of repair.


    "Take us into hyperspace and head for Atlantis." ordered Colonel John Sheppard.


    Cheyenne Mountain, Earth


    After numerous off world gate activations all expected visitors had arrived. With off world operations being conducted from Earth, the Alpha and Beta sites, and the recently added November site the operational tempo of Cheyenne Mountain has slowed. While it was true more SG teams existed now than at anytime previously, their being stationed in multiple facilities around the galaxy helped.


    In the conference room races from across the galaxy were seated. Jaffa, Asgard, Alterran, and Humans were all present. The reason for this small intergalactic conference was the current pandemic afflicting the Free Jaffa Nation. The CDC and USAMRIID had tracked the path of the outbreak, and isolated a sample of the virus for examination, but found themselves in need of assistance. Displaying their data on the virus via overhead display the briefing had begun in earnest thirty minutes earlier.


    "During our genetic sequencing of the virus we found several peculiarities which lead us to believe the virus was genetically engineered. Genes found in very robust forms of cancer were present. The virus also appears to be sheathed in a protective coating which it produces that makes it highly resistant for a time to atmosphere and ultraviolet light. No other known virus we''ve ever encountered behaves in this manner. It''s very similar to what would be found in a weaponized biological agent." said Colonel Nathan of USAMRIID, creators of some of America''s most feared biological weapons before their being banned.


    "We are in agreement with these findings. The Asgard have never before encountered a naturally occurring virus such as this. Sensor readings from our science vessels dispatched to the effected planets have detected airborne concentrations of the pathogen not consistent with a naturally occurring outbreak." said Heimdall, the chief Asgard medical specialist.


    "I concur with these findings. After speaking with several individuals on this matter I can tell you who developed this virus, when it was developed, and why. For many millennia we watched over the Goa''uld. This virus was developed by a Goa''uld named Nergal roughly five thousand years ago. It was intended to be a failsafe should the Jaffa ever attempt an uprising against the Goa''uld. It was employed only once to our knowledge in Sokar''s war against the Sodan Jaffa greatly reducing their numbers and sending them into hiding. The use of this virus was the reason we gave the Sodan their cloaking bracelets. In its one use as a weapon the virus had a lethality rate approaching seventy percent. The thirty percent it did not kill it left greatly weakened. The virus will quickly mutate into new variations, always attacking the implanted Goa''uld larvae. As much as it pains me to say this we know of only one cure. You must remove all symbiotes on all planets, and change over all Jaffa to Tritonin." said Kalus, the chief medical specialist of the Alterran''s.


    Silently Teal''c seethed. Seeing the realization of just who might be behind this dawn on the surrounding faces General Landry looked upon Daniel Jackson for more insight.


    "Dr. Jackson, what can you tell us about Nergal?" asked the General.


    "Not as much as I would like General. Nergal was the Babylonian god of war and pestilence. Also known as the burner, the raging king and the furious one he was the god of the underworld. He was also in later days known as the god of plague. He is mentioned in the Hebrew bible as the deity of the city of Cuth and in later Christian texts is purported to be chief spy of Satan which we''ve learned was the Goa''uld Sokar." said Jackson.


    "Nergal fell in battle against Ra long ago. His planets were assumed by Ra and later Apophis." stated Bra''tac.


    "No Jaffa would unleash a virus such as this on his or her own people. It goes against our very code of honor." stated Teal''c with barely controlled rage in his eyes.


    "If this is something created by the Goa''uld, that points us in the direction of who released this. It''s no secret that much of the Goa''uld''s less than humanitarian hardware and knowledge now rests in the hands of the Lucian Alliance." said General Landry.


    "The planet this virus was developed on has no stargate. It was used as a headquarters for the Goa''uld Empire. It stood abandoned for many years before their fall." said Kalus.


    "Perhaps you would care to provide the planets location so we can have a look around?" asked Landry.

 Chapter 27

    Hermes


    Orders had been dispatched quickly to Colonel Mitchell. He was to precede to the outer edge of the galaxy and under cloak scan a little known planet for any signs of life or energy signatures. The same would be done for all the surrounding moons as well. Unsure of the reasoning of why he and his ship were being sent on a simple recon mission, he decided not to ask.


    Gliding through the void of hyperspace the Hermes closed in minute by minute on her destination. Dropping out of hyperspace on the edge of the solar system the cloak was quickly engaged rendering the vessel invisible to visual and sensor detection. At full sub light their target was an hour away. Long range sensors scanned the surrounding solar system.


    "Sensors are picking up energy signatures consistent with Ha''tak class vessels. Estimated ship count is five." said the sensor specialist.


    "Any sign they have detected us in the neighborhood?" asked Mitchell.


    "No sir. Weapons and shields are currently offline. I''ll be able to tell you more as we get closer sir." said the sensor operator.


    Silently Hermes moved into position near Tuat''s outermost moon; her powerful sensors scanning every inch of the planet. A close eye was also kept on the orbiting Ha''tak vessels.


    "Sir, sensors show a large facility on the surface of the planet; consistent with Goa''uld design. We are also showing a number of Al''kesh and Tel''tak''s parked near the main structure. Some form of sensor jammer is in operation, we can''t give you a number of life signs within the structure sir." said the sensor operator.


    "That''s a whole lot of what looks to be Lucian Alliance hardware parked on and around this rock. Relay our findings and sensor data to the SGC via subspace. Their going to want to know something is going on here." ordered Mitchell.


    "Sir, The Ha''tak''s are powering shields and weapons." exclaimed the sensor operator.


    "They must have detected our subspace message being transmitted. That''s just great. Either they''ve upgraded their sensor capabilities on those sh.i.p.s or that facility has a way to detect us when transmitting even when cloaked. Keep recording all sensor data on those sh.i.p.s." said Mitchell.


    "Hyperspace window opening six hundred thousand kilometers to starboard." exclaimed the sensor operator.


    On cue three more Ha''tak class vessels exited hyperspace. In seconds their shields were up and weapons were powered. All eight Ha''tak''s began disgorging their gliders in search of the source of the subspace transmission.


    "It''s getting a little too hot in the kitchen. Navigation, give me full sub light out of this system. I don''t want to risk detection by jumping to hyperspace within their sensor range. Once out of the solar system set course for Earth." ordered Mitchell.


    Pluto


    The construction of the ever growing Tauri fleet never stopped within the ancient shipyard, although it had slowed slightly. The automated army of construction robots in several handfuls of docks was busily working on their new task. Large numbers of the Ancient''s defense satellites were being mass produced. The design had changed somewhat though. Their original power source was replaced for a faster charging and much longer lasting variant. The subspace capacitors addition to each satellite would ensure unlimited power for an infinite amount of time. Shield emitters much like those found aboard Destiny had also been added to keep the satellites in working order should they be attacked.


    Elsewhere in the station a team of engineers were going over the proposed design of a new class of seed sh.i.p.s. These sh.i.p.s had a twofold purpose. While acting as advanced scouts gathering ever small detail of a habitable world they also manufactured and emplaced stargates. This new class of seed ship would have greatly increased shield and sensor capability, greatly improved defensive weapons, and a cloaking device. Lessons had been learned fighting the drones billions of light years away and those lessons were now being put into practice. These new seed sh.i.p.s would also build the Pegasus model stargates. Once the first ship was completed an upgrade of the Milky Way gate network to the Pegasus model was planned.


    On lower levels of the shipyard construction was underway of several Improved Daedalus class vessels. The Constantine Alekseyev was to be Russia''s newest vessel, and a replacement of the Korolev which was destroyed several years before. Beside her was another Daedalus midway through the construction process. The Dreadnaught was to be Great Britain''s first space faring vessel. The French would also be getting their first vessel in the Le Triumphant. It had been decided to give the three nations the smaller sh.i.p.s so as to train crews for future Athena and Aurora class vessels for their nations. Each of the Improved Daedalus class vessels featured improved power cores with Asgard Neutrino Ion generators as their primary power source with a ZPM in reserve. As each day passed the arachnid like construction robots inched toward the completion of the vessels. The Tauri fleet continued to grow.

 Chapter 28

    Destiny


    In the control interface room Dr. Rush and Eli Wallace sat running various simulations of the sh.i.p.s systems. In the background Destiny''s AI continued to model the complex message fragments in the form the two genius''s had requested. It would take time for these models to be completed. With their newly found worry free time an in-depth exploration of the sh.i.p.s lesser known systems was being conducted. Countless systems had been discovered, and it was suspected that months from now discovery of other new systems would still occur.


    A brilliant flash of purple hued light in the room caught both Eli and Rush''s attention. Standing before them was a well dressed they had seen before with Colonel Young. This was the Furling Ambassador they had all heard so much about, and the one they thought of in thanks for their coming return home.


    "Greetings." said Dorin.


    "Ambassador." said Rush, nodding his head.


    "Um, hi." said Eli with his normal awkward look.


    "I''ve come to share the pleasure of your company for a bit of time, if that is agreeable to you both." said the Furling with a bright and honest smile.


    With a wave of his hand Rush invited Dorin to sit at the unoccupied work station in the control interface room. Inevitably the two began to share their recently uncovered data, and Eli''s theory. After twenty minutes Eli quickly shifted topics.


    "You didn''t come here by ship did you?" asked Mr. Wallace.


    "Destiny is still traveling in FTL, so you know for certain I did in fact not arrive by ship." answered Dorin.


    "Long range beaming is mathematically possible." interjected Rush.


    "Nothing such as that I''m afraid, Dr. Rush. My race has seen many galaxies. We migrated from galaxy to galaxy, spreading harmony where we could. Like the Alterran''s, we also followed the path to Ascension. After obtaining a more thorough understanding of the universe we returned to this plain of existence in our original forms while retaining our status as Ascended beings. That is how I am able to freely come aboard this ship now. We never subscribed to the Alterran philosophy of non-interference. This caused larger problems later, and in the ashes of that mistake we withdrew from normal interaction in the Milky Way, until now." stated Dorin with a sigh.


    "The Ancients interceded then to stop you?" asked Rush.


    "No, nothing as direct as that. Two thousand years ago we encountered a human populated world. Their desire to learn was unparalleled at that time. In our ignorance we thought we had discovered the humans we were sworn to watch over. That later turned out to be those from your planet, but I digress. With our assistance we liberated this world from the clutches of the Goa''uld who had enslaved them and banned all education. We lifted them into freedom and began sharing our knowledge. Over time these people progressed greatly and grew in great numbers. Their analytical approach to everything in their path ultimately led to their methodical conquest of technologically lesser worlds. The worlds added to their confederation were meant to be agriculture production worlds to feed their ever increasing numbers. They unleashed plagues on those they encountered destroying many cultures, leaving behind a mere handful to produce crops. Every trace of the culture that existed before on these worlds was buried and forgotten. We treated the Aschen as our children. Nothing is harder to behold for a loving parent than to see that child full of potential grow into a monster." sadly said Dorin.


    "Why didn''t you intervene?" a shocked Eli demanded.


    "In a way we did. My race made it not impossible but improbable that the Aschen could ever make much use of the stargate to further their expansion." answered Dorin.


    "That dragon was slain some time ago Eli. The Aschen attempted to manipulate Earth into their confederation. They offered technology to combat the Goa''uld, medical advancements, and other assorted technology in exchange for a copy of our database on known Stargate addresses. At the eleventh hour their true intentions were discovered. They attempted to send a bio-weapon through the gate to Earth, which luckily didn''t make it. The addresses we provided began with a black hole and grew worse from there. It''s assumed their home planet was destroyed when a wormhole with the black hole gate was established." Rush said giving a small SGC history lesson.


    "Aschen Prime was indeed destroyed by the black hole. Those that remain among the other planets of their confederation fell into a state of famine. This continued for some time until the arrival of the armies of the Ori in this galaxy. The Aschen were eliminated to the last man at their hands restoring balance. They were uplifted by an Ascended race only to misuse this assistance. Their end was brought about by an Ascended race." Dorin sighed.


    "Enough about that; Eli, I have a gift for you that I know you will enjoy." said Dorin, his smile returning. From his pocket the Furling withdrew a small purple tinted data crystal and handed it to the young man.


    "Thanks, I think. What is this?" asked Eli.


    "That crystal contains a copy of the contents of the Tenaran archive in its entirety. I felt you would appreciate the seeing the sum total of your descendents history and achievements." answered Dorin.


    "The Tenaran''s are in your care, yes?" asked Rush.


    "I can''t wait to meet them." exclaimed Eli.


    "The Tenaran people are in our care, yes. They will be returning to the Milky Way to a world we have selected for them. As a race that came about from a temporal shift in timelines they do not belong anywhere. As a people that should have never been we will care for them, educate them, and prepare them for the realities of the galaxy they are stepping into. One day soon they will be ready, and on that day Eli you will meet them." answered Dorin.


    Eli''s mind was spinning. Just think of all the footage for his doc.u.mentary! TJ''s ALS cure was also in the palm of his hand! Eli had not felt this good in a very long time.


    "Thank you Dorin, I can''t begin to tell you how much this means to me and all of us here." said the truly thankful Eli.


    "Eli, I have watched all of you since you arrived on Destiny. Your victories and loses were very moving to me. You specifically have been my favorite. You posses a brilliant mind yet retain an almost childlike exuberance that is very pure. Please Dr. Rush, you are a brilliant man as well so please do not be offended." explained Dorin.


    "Excuse me gentlemen, I''m needed elsewhere." said Rush abruptly before quickly exiting the interface room.


    "He''s like that, you get used to it." said Eli.


    "I''m thankful for his departure as I have a private matter to discuss with you Eli. Is that agreeable?" asked Dorin.


    "Of course." answered Eli.


    "The council of the five races followed your work closely. We believe you are destined for more. You truly are one of the great minds of your generation. We wish to foster that mind and assist you in achieving your full potential. The great minds the Alterran''s, Furlings, Nox, and Asgard will be provided, for you to learn from. This is an opportunity that has never been presented to any other being. You will learn from a vast pool of intellect and knowledge that surpasses anything like it in the universe. It is my hope that you will accept. To ease your decision I will now inform you that the medical knowledge to cure your mother is even now being transferred to Earth." said Dorin.


    Speechless, Eli didn''t know how to respond for a moment. Instead he sat there in stunned silence before his eyes began to glass over with tears.


    "Thank you for saving my mother. Here I am doing everything I ever dreamed of doing, but I haven''t been able to do much more than put a happy face on it. She''s been in my every thought. I can never repay this." said Eli holding back tears.


    "Eli, you never need thank us for this. It is we who owe you a debt. Had you not unlocked the path to Destiny, the five races would still lay scattered. You have unified galaxies Eli with your brilliance and spirit. You have much to do, and I know you wish to share the knowledge of the database with TJ. We will speak again soon. I must go." humbly stated Dorin.


    In a purple flash of light the ambassador was gone. Sitting alone in the control interface room Eli collected his thoughts for a moment. Prayers really do come true he thought. Running off to find TJ all the young man could do was smile.

 Chapter 29

    Wraith Hive


    The Wraith fleet had begun to gather weeks before. Many sh.i.p.s were still due to arrive after their culling, but many were also present. The combined armies of the assorted queens numbered into the hundreds of thousands. The number would have been higher were it not for the humans and their new advanced beam weapons. As they had defeated the Lantean''s the Wraith intended to defeat their current enemy; overwhelming numbers in the face of superior technology. But first they had the betrayer to deal with.


    "The betrayer still gathers followers. He is a commander of some skill though. Before we proceed to eliminate him and these vermin he calls hybrids we must be prepared. All sh.i.p.s will devote all spare power to hull and systems regeneration. I demand not victory against the betrayer but an overwhelming defeat." demanded the Wraith Queen known as The First.


    The assembled lower ranking Wraith queens and commanders bowed their heads in obedience to The First''s wishes. It would be so because she commanded it. Several of the commanders present currently lacking a queen silently thought of their exit strategy from this situation, while blocking their thoughts from the assembled Wraith. In a very un-wraith like move, many in the throne room had their own concerns about the war to come. The betrayer was one of the oldest remaining of their kind, and vastly adaptable to any situation. The Wraith ego was often an unshakable thing, but Todd''s history among the Wraith had done just that.


    Those considering defection to Todd''s faction in this fight knew nothing of the presence of others that shared their thoughts in the fleet. To think the thought aloud was a death sentence and each of them knew it. Quietly darts had been sent from nine hive sh.i.p.s to discuss their defection with Todd. In all cases they had been invited to join him.


    Still unaware in her egomaniacal rant, The First''s power over her people was beginning to slip. For the first time fear was their main driving factor in what they did instead of hunger. Politics within Wraith culture were a slippery slope during the best of times. In these times of change the political atmosphere was one of placation and underlying fear.


    November Site


    In orbit of the joint Tauri/Asgard moon base were four O''Neill class sh.i.p.s. These were the newest in the Asgard Fleet. Their destination was one they had not seen in many generations. These sh.i.p.s were directed to proceed to Atlantis. While there they would assist the Tauri fleet if needed, but their mission had other aims. These vessels were to track down and apprehend the Vanir for their crimes against the human populations in two galaxies. The Asgard High Council ordered that the Vanir stand in judgment before them.


    Their secondary mission was to make contact with the one known as Todd. The Council of the Five Races was looking with an eye towards the future in this endeavor. A Wraith free Pegasus galaxy was in everyone''s interests, as was a hybrid free galaxy.


    The four Asgard ship commanders had been chosen by Thor with great care. These commanders had excelled in skirmishes against the Goa''uld over the generations. It was thought that their eons of protecting human populated worlds from oppression would trump the fact that they were being ordered to hunt down their own kind.


    Nimbly the four O''Neill class vessels maneuvered away from the November Site. A short distance later, hyperspace windows opened and they were gone.


    Hammond


    The Daedalus class vessel had been in orbit of the Genii home world for several hours. Her mission was simple; minimize the potential for the release of Genii nuclear weapons. The Asgard designed sensors had been calibrated to search out all fissionable material. Although two hours remained before a complete planetary scan would be complete, several hot spots had already been pinpointed.


    "Ma''am, initial sensor sweeps have pinpointed four material separation areas below ground in addition to two breeder reactors. The smaller points listed are believed to be the physics packages on complete or soon to be completed nuclear weapons." said the sensor analyst, pointing to the visual display of the readings.


    "Proceed with the DHD lockout. No sense in letting them run." ordered Colonel Samantha Carter.


    On the planet below the stargates dialing device received what it interpreted as a cognitive update to its dialing program. The signal received activated a subroutine that had been written by Colonel Carter. While in effect, this subroutine would prevent any dialing out of the gate.


    "I confirm the lockout has taken effect Ma''am." said the helmsman.


    "We''ll do this in two phases. First lock on to the weapons and any stored nuclear material. Beaming point is on the surface of their moon. Phase two, we''ll beam out the centrifuge''s, reactors, and any piping or heavy water supplies to the same location as phase one. Commence beaming when ready." ordered Carter.


    On the planet below in bunkers built generations before, brilliant white flashes of light materialized and left only emptiness in their wake. The work of the Genii nuclear weapons program vanished in less than forty seconds total time.


    Several hundred thousand miles distant on the surface of the outer most moon, thousands of pounds of equipment, two completed nuclear weapons, and one partially completed weapon were deposited. In the lifeless void of the moon no need for concern over the radiation spewing forth was necessary.


    "Lock onto the beaming destination and give me four five second sustained volleys of the Asgard beam weapons." ordered Carter.


    The unimaginably hot white beams of superheated plasma leaped from the Hammond. Striking their targets all matter was reduced to molecules long before even the third shot was fired. Genii nuclear ambitions were brought to an end that simply.


    Jumping to hyperspace the crew of the Hammond congratulated themselves on a bloodless victory. Their only hope was that no weapons had been removed from the planet before this step had been taken.

 Chapter 30

    Lantea


    Near the home planet of Atlantis, four hyperspace windows opened. From each window emerged an Asgard O''Neill class vessel. The sleek and massive vessels represented the height of Asgard technology. These four sh.i.p.s had been modified to combat Asgard like technologies it was believed the Vanir would employ. Opening a sub space communications link with Atlantis the sh.i.p.s made their presence known.


    "Greetings, I am Aegir; commander of the Pegasus Group." said the Asgard.


    "Welcome to the Pegasus galaxy. We are transmitting all information we have on previous Vanir locations, vessels, and energy signatures. With luck, it will assist you in your mission." said Mr. Woolsey.


    "Thank you. Should you require our assistance, we stand ready to aid you." said Aegir, quickly closing out the sub space link.


    Each O''Neill class vessel received the information transmitted from the Ancient city. Feeding this information into the onboard artificial intelligence of each ship the data was processed. Seeing the unique energy that had been observed, sensors were recalibrated at the touch of a button to monitor for this. With the galaxy divided into four separate search grids each ship was assigned its area of responsibility. Jumping back into hyperspace each vessel went to its own corner of the galaxy. The search for the Vanir began in earnest.


    Dakara


    With the return of Teal''c and Bra''tac to the home world of the Free Jaffa Nation much activity began. The Asgard science vessels in orbit putting their matter creation technology to great use had begun production of Tritonin on a massive scale beaming it down when ready. Those Jaffa of the current interim government who had already given up their symbiote in favor of Tritonin were dispatched to the worlds of the Free Jaffa Nation. Each carried an emergency decree to be transmitted to all townsh.i.p.s. Its message was to the point and very direct. The virus was a weapon aimed at the Jaffa, their only chance of survival as an individual and a species lay in removing their symbiote and beginning use of Tritonin.


    Even with wholesale use of the drug casualties would still be high. Soon the people of the Free Jaffa would scream out that a debt of honor existed. As a proud warrior race they would demand retribution against their attackers. They would not sit back and allow the Tauri to lead this crusade. This war had been brought home to the Jaffa and the code of honor demanded the Jaffa face their enemy.


    Vis Uban


    Work on the individual Supergate units continued. As each unit was completed the Furling had transported it away to its end location billions of light years away. Twenty five gate segments remained to be completed. Each of the segments was outfitted with a shield emitter similar to that of the city sh.i.p.s of old. Drawing their power from a black hole as did the gate these shields were some of the most powerful ever deployed in the known universe. It was hoped that these shields would prevent any unauthorized race from using the gates to enter the Milky Way.


    With the education and training in all fields of science the combined races were providing the Tauri, a golden age would be ushered in. The combined races while highly advanced had found themselves impressed with the level of theoretical expertise the Tauri scientists had. It seemed that the Tauri were capable of revolutionary leaps in thinking, but their drawback was in the minor details that interconnected their scientific advancements.


    Advanced knowledge and technology were not simply handed over with no questions asked. The great races wanted the science behind their knowledge and technology understood, so it could not be simply copied but improved upon. It would take many more years before a complete understanding of the scientific principles being passed on was possible, but each day brought that reality closer.


    One Alterran in particular found amazing pleasure in working with his Tauri counterparts. The Alterran in question was one with a very checkered past among his people. Janus was one of the most brilliant minds the Ancient race had ever produced. That his genius had been used in unauthorized fringe research a majority of the time had been a constant source of tension between him and his people. The time machine Jumper and the Aterro device were just two of his more widely known inventions. In the Tauri he found a people willing to think outside of normal boundaries and identified with them closely. Already, he was working on several ideas that he was sure the Tauri would embrace. He was greatly looking forward to soon meeting the boy genius he had heard so much about. Eli Wallace was someone that Janus felt his level of understanding. The things these two could accomplish together were unimaginable.


    Eden


    The obelisk planet was a picture perfect paradise as the Destiny crew had found. Currently enjoying the lush landscape were the Tenaran people. Their path to this planet had been one of trials and tribulations. Upon finding their world becoming unstable the Tenaran people had sent out expeditions in search of a new home world through the star gate. When volcanic activity had consumed the gate they knew it was time to take to their sh.i.p.s and venture out into the stars.


    Their fleet of colony sh.i.p.s had come across the remains of several Tenaran settlements on other worlds. Each had been exterminated by an army of drone like weapons bent on destroying any technology foreign to them. Finally, these drones had taken aim on the colony sh.i.p.s. Were it not for the intervention of the one known as Dorin their race would have been no more. Dorin had made it clear he would take them to safety, in the galaxy of their ancestors. He would act as their guide along the path they would take.


    Each time the obelisk was engulfed in purple light objects sprang forth and rose into the atmosphere. These were the pieces of the supergate they had been told of, their path to a new home land and all the promises it held. Each obelisk activation brought them one step closer to being reunited with their ancestors. Even now the Destiny raced across great distances to them. Each passing moment brought them one step closer to a home they did not yet know.


    In space beyond the planet, the uncompleted Supergate was taking shape. Once complete, a micro singularity would be formed in the fabric of space. Furling technology allowed for the at will creation of black holes to power the gate. Very soon the mammoth assembly of advanced technology would be complete.

 Chapter 31

    Midway Station


    All had been quiet in the void between the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies. The four milspec containers bound for Atlantis had been unexpected. Activating the McKay Carter intergalactic gate bridge, the containers were soon on their way to the ancient city.


    Excitement aboard Midway was hard to come by, so the gate technicians had taken to betting on what each batch of containers held. It wasn''t really fun, but it did help pass the time. One could only play so many games of solitaire after all.


    In twenty four hour quarantine aboard the station before further passage onto the Milky Way were several Genii soldiers. It had been decided by someone with a somewhat twisted sense of humor that these men would be granted asylum in the galaxy. They were destined for the Planet of King Arkhan the First, known to others as Col. Harry Maybourne, formerly of the NID. In General O''Neill''s thoughts the group deserved one another. Just another day aboard Midway¡­


    M2S-998


    In a yet as unsearched portion of the Pegasus galaxy was M2S-998. Life in all forms had ceased to exist here long ago. All that remained was a barren and lifeless landscape. For this reason the Wraith had long used this dead world as a shipyard of sorts. This planet had been the birth place of a vast majority of the Wraith fleet.


    On the surface of a vast flat plain sat the growing additions to this fleet. Cruisers and Hives were being grown. It started with a single Wraith soldier being infected with a specially engineered pathogen. This pathogen caused the host body to begin the production of biopolymers on a massive scale. Forming tendrils from the body the growing form would seek out a power source to continue its evolution into a vessel of the Wraith fleet. The vessel once complete would have sentience of its own, but the mind of the original host would be lost. For hundreds of miles in all directions the one day sh.i.p.s grew. Assisting their growth were banks of Wraith power generation units for each individual host.


    Once the growth process was complete each new vessel would assume orbit around the dead world. Very quickly the number of orbiting vessels grew. With Hives, Cruisers, Darts, and Scout sh.i.p.s being added almost constantly soon the fleet would return to its Lantean War size of so long ago. On other planets new commanders and soldiers were being grown. These vessels would have no queen as they were merely being brought into existence to crush all enemies of the Wraith once and for all.


    Pluto


    Docked in the ancient shipyard was the Athena. With the go ahead of construction of the Supergate it had been decided to forego the return mission to Destiny. The captured drone mother ship had been offloaded for further study in an energy shield protected isolation bay. Evaluation of sensor data from Athena revealed she had performed admirably on her deep space mission; the only flaw being degradation in several power conduits in the ship. Although the carbon nanotube construction of the power conduits was robust to say the least the constant flow of such massive amounts of power for so long had taken a slight toll. Repairs were currently underway.


    In varies states of construction within the shipyard were several vessels of a new design. This as yet unnamed class of vessel was designed as a cargo ship of sorts. Hyperspace capable, lightly armed, and massive; these vessels were as large as the Aurora class. With the number of off world mining sites increasing exponentially these sh.i.p.s were sorely needed and would be put to great use upon commissioning. Upon their backs they would carry the naquadah, naquadria, trinium, and neutronium upon which the new cityscapes of Earth would be built.


    In another dock the newest Athena class vessel was nearing completion. She was to be named the Ajax. Unlike other Athena''s which had been built with their commanders present for all phases of the construction process Ajax had no commander yet assigned officially. Within the confines of Home World Command rumors had flown as to just who would command the new vessel once complete. Once again General O''Neill was playing things close to the chest much to the dismay of all those involved.

 Chapter 32

    Dakara


    In emergency session the interim council governing the Free Jaffa Nation met to discuss the recent attack on their people and culture. Tempers had flared at the notion anyone would dare attack the people of the Jaffa. The council unilaterally demanded war against their attackers. Teal''c had made it known the Tauri would stand beside their ally in this fight. Against his suggestion the council made it known they wished to fight this war without the assistance of the Tauri. To depend on them in all things gave them a level of power over the Jaffa that they sought to avoid.


    Ha''taks and Al''kesh of the Jaffa fleet began gathering in orbit of the capital planet of the Jaffa Nation. On the surface a steady stream of gate activations saw the number of ground troops rise daily. The Jaffa now prepared for war. It had been decided that this battle would be led by a great warrior all Jaffa respected. Bra''tac was named sole commander for this conflict. The wise former first prime of Apophis knew he must deliver justice and victory to his people. Perhaps this victory would finally unify all Jaffa across the galaxy. It was that thought alone that forced him to accept his new role.


    Earth


    Sitting in the Oval Office were President Hayes, General Jack O''Neill, and Lt. Col. Davis. The weekly presidential briefing had progressed smoothly. Technology transfer to Earth, the return of Destiny shortly, and expansion plans for off world sites were all discussed. At the end of these matters new developments with allies became the topic at hand.


    "The ruling council of the Free Jaffa Nation has voted unanimously for war with the Lucian Alliance. Even now ground forces and sh.i.p.s are being assembled above Dakara. Our old friend Bra''tac has been named expeditionary forces commander" said Lt. Col Davis.


    "We offered a few of our sh.i.p.s is assist in this one and were given a polite no thank you" quipped General O''Neill.


    "The Jaffa are rightfully upset, I can see that. The concern here is can they do it by themselves" asked President Hayes.


    "Mr. President, as you know the Jaffa are a warrior culture. Under Goa''uld control they were the fighting power of the System Lords. A few causes for concern do exist though. The Jaffa were employed against technologically inferior worlds and this gave them a large advantage. The Jaffa have also demonstrated a weakness when combating irregular forces, as evidenced in their battles against SG teams. In ground combat they have large numbers of troops at their disposal, but they face small and highly mobile pockets of enemy resistance around the galaxy. In ship to ship combat they will face off with an enemy having technological parity to their defensive and offensive systems" stated Davis.


    "So essentially this could end up being a high tech replay of world war one" said O''Neill dryly.


    "You two are the experts here. If you''re telling me they are walking into a meat grinder then we need to think ahead. Should the Jaffa be defeated this could lead to large scale instability in the status quo of our galaxy. We cannot allow that to happen gentlemen. So they don''t trust us, sometimes I don''t trust us so I get it. What do you two suggest is the best course of action here" asked Hayes.


    "I feel that General O''Neill is better qualified to answer that Mr. President" said Davis deferring to the General beside him.


    "Our ship numbers are much larger than they were when we fought the Ori and that gives us some flexibility here. The Dreadnaught and Le''Triumphant are now out of their shakedown cruises. The Russians are simply not ready yet due to crew constraints on their end. We''ll send in our two vessels cloaked as a just in case measure. It''s good training for the crews, and if the Jaffa get in trouble, we''re right there to help" suggested Jack.


    "If the Jaffa already don''t want our help they won''t like of our sh.i.p.s conveniently showing up to assist" countered the President.


    "Bra''tac and I go way back. He likes us, it''s the Jaffa we don''t know that aren''t fond of us. My position is we should have a ship in range should it be needed" responded the General.


    "Mr. President, I''m in agreement with General O''Neill''s position on this matter" said Davis.


    "Sometimes being a good ally means having to show your friends it''s ok to ask for help. We won''t watch over their shoulder in this fight. If they ask for our assistance then we''ll provide it, but not until they ask" finished the President.


    Rondash


    The Tauri knew this world as PX9-757. Formerly under the control of Apophis this world now fell under the control of the Lucian Alliance. In recent history this planet had been the battleground where SG-1 under the influence of Tok''ra bracelets had destroyed Apophis''s soon to be mother ship. The technology base which was used in the construction of the first was once again being put to use.


    On the surface of the planet a replica of this mother ship was nearing completion. The ship easily dwarfed the Ha''Tak class it was mean to replace. With weapons power, hyper drive speed, and shields all easily more powerful than the standard Lucian Alliance Ha''Tak this new mother ship would serve as a greatly needed addition to the already large fleet.


    "When will my ship be completed" demanded Mallic.


    "All systems are now online, we will need another four days before the ship is ready for your use" said the Alliance engineer in an overly respectful manner.


    "Good, then you will not need to be replaced" said Mallic coolly.

 Chapter 33

    Rondash


    Touring the massive ship Mallic smiled inwardly. With this ship he would lead his people into a new era of prosperity and conquest. The sh.i.p.s of the FJN were nothing in comparison. Bristling with weapons and advanced shields the mother ship was a flying fortress of power. This was the last needed piece of Mallic''s plan.


    "What of the Ha''Tak''s I ordered constructed" asked Mallic.


    "The first twenty-eight Ha''Tak''s completed have been delivered already. A further ten will be complete ready for turnover with this ship. Construction will continue on the schedule you outlined" said the construction engineer.


    "The design improvements I provided have been implemented as well" asked Mallic.


    "Yes, all design alterations have been integrated from initial build moving forward. These new sh.i.p.s will have much greater shield strength, and increased destructive ability of the weapons. Retrofitting these design changes to our fleet of older vessels will take some time though" replied the engineer.


    "The gliders I requested will be on board the mothership when it leaves" said Mallic in a way that wasn''t worded like a question.


    "They are already onboard" quickly said the engineer.


    Quickly turning on his heels Mallic left the engineer to his duties to inspect his new flagship. Before his day was over the leader of the Lucian Alliance would visit two other planets with similar ship building operations. Very quickly the fighting ability of the Alliance was being increased. Lower level members of the alliance were not sure what the preparations were for, and that concerned them greatly.


    Pegasus galaxy


    Standing aboard the bridge of the O''Neill class ship was Tyr. Once known as the Norse god of war, Tyr was very much a soldier of the Asgard. On entering the solar system sensors detected unusual energy readings emanating from the seventh planet from the sun. Closing in for a more detail scan Tyr activated the O''Neill''s detection evasion system. Tyr was more than confident the more advanced systems currently employed in Asgard vessels would easily overcome anything their Vanir brothers might employ.


    Coming into orbit of the planet detailed scans began. The world was a frozen one, never having life sprout and thrive from its icy surface. The scanners detected faint traces of exotic radiation from deep within the surface. These traces were consistent with emissions from much earlier examples of Asgard technology. Quickly Tyr transmitted a message into sub space while moving to a greater distance away from the planet. It would not be wise to alert their prey that hunters were about.


    Not even an hour passed before three hyperspace windows were detected opening within the solar system. Exiting these windows were the other O''Neill class sh.i.p.s within the Pegasus galaxy. Joining Tyr''s ship, the four divided the planet into four quadrants with each covering one. Aboard the flagship, commanded by Aegir a message was transmitted towards the planets surface.


    "Vanir forces, I am Aegir of the Asgard. Forces under my command are currently in orbit of your world. I request you respond to this message immediately" said Aegir.


    "Aegir, this is Mimir leader of the Vanir. You are in orbit of a world outside of your sovereignty. Your presence here is not wanted nor warranted. I demand you leave orbit and depart this solar system at once" responded the leader of the Vanir in his video message reply.

 Chapter 34

    Pegasus Galaxy


    "Mimir, you have not been seen in many ages. By order of the Asgard High Council you and your followers are to return forthwith to stand before the High Council" replied Aegir.


    "That is not possible for a multitude of reasons. We have in our possession information alluding to the destruction of the Asgard race so any subterfuge is a wasted effort. For many thousands of years we have not been under the control of the High Council, and if such a body still exists we would not be answerable to its governance. Again I demand you depart this system" said Mimir.


    "No subterfuge is needed Mimir. Your planet is surrounded by the most advanced vessels of the Asgard Fleet. Under the orders of Supreme Commander Thor at the direction of the Asgard High Council I have been tasked to bring you and your followers before the council. You have committed a great many offenses in this galaxy and will answer for them. Escape is not possible, and any victory for your forces is inconceivable. Surrender now" demanded Aegir.


    From the fourth moon of the icy planet energy began to build. Just beneath the surface of the moon sat an automated defense platform. The source of the energy was naquadria that laced the moon. Energy conduits had been constructed throughout the moon to channel the energy. Sensing the energy build up the Asgard vessels maneuvered out of the path of any possible energy discharge. The sleek vessels quickly sidestepped putting the planet between themselves and the moon in question. A lone Asgard vessel maneuvered towards the moon, the ship belonging to Tyr.


    "Leave now or face weaponry dissimilar to your own. We wish to remain outside of the sphere of Asgard control" said Mimir.


    The moon took on an ethereal blue aura as energy from its entirety began to emanate in waves. As the energy build up reached a crescendo ripples began to form in the shimmering energy waves engulfing the moons surface. These ripples erupted into a massive wave of energy bellowing forth from the moons surface. This wave of ethereal blue energy moved with great speed towards the one ship in their path.


    Tyr''s shields had been raised long before. Well aware that Asgard shields were some of the most advanced in the universe Tyr had little fear that they would withstand any assault by the Vanir. The blue energy wave crashed into the sh.i.p.s shields and engulfed the vessel in a three hundred and sixty degree assault. The shields blossomed at the assault upon them; weakening but not collapsing. Tyr''s sensors determined the location of the wave emitter. With practiced efficiency the plasma beam weapons were locked onto this location and fired a quick and precise volley of six shots. The wave emitter was reduced to molecular matter within seconds.


    From the surface of the planet, seven Vanir vessels rose into orbit. Much smaller than the O''Neill class sh.i.p.s they faced, these vessels were still very advanced sh.i.p.s containing significant firepower while lacking intergalactic hyper drive capabilities. Similar in size to Daedalus class sh.i.p.s, they were dwarfed by the four massive O''Neill''s. From these smaller vessels green orbs of ionic energy were launched at their attackers in rapid succession; maneuvering wildly the nimble vessels ushered forth volleys of continuous fire.


    Aboard the four Asgard vessels automatic combat routines were initiated by the shipboard computers. At low power settings the plasma beam weapons targeted the hyper drives and weapons platforms of their attackers. Each of the O''Neill''s shields blossomed from attack but held strong. As had been suspected, Vanir offensive capability had not developed to a point matching that of their Asgard brothers.


    Watching the battle in orbit from below the surface of the planet was Mimir and his other fellow defectors from the Asgard. In their command center a sense of surprise was felt when the moon based energy wave had not destroyed the large Asgard vessel. That had led to the dispatching of their sh.i.p.s to beat back their attackers.


    "Our vessels have ceased to maneuver. Life signs are no longer present aboard the vessels." said Syn once known as the Nordic goddess of defensive refusal.


    "It appears our brothers have deviated from their stated mission of justice to one of murder. Initiate ground based control of our sh.i.p.s and continue to attack" ordered Mimir.

 Chapter 35

    Pegasus galaxy


    "Our vessels are not responding. Their weapons and hyper drives are no longer functional" responded Syn.


    "Initiate the vessels self destruct sequence. Perhaps that will reduce our attackers shield generation ability" said Mimir.


    No longer able to maneuver the seven Vanir spacecraft were adrift in orbit. On computer command each of the seven initiated a critical overload state of their power cores. In scant seconds the sh.i.p.s detonated in a mass of heat, light, radiation, and raw energy. While reducing the shield strength of the Asgard vessels it did no damage to them at all.


    Appearing in the command center in the field of view of Mimir and Syn was the hologram of Aegir. "Continued resistance is not recommended. Surrender now and your lives will be spared" ordered Aegir.


    "We see no reason to willingly submit to the wishes of the High Council" replied Mimir.


    "As you can see from my changed appearance from your own, the genetic degradation issue we faced has been solved. Surrender now and these advances will be shared with you. I will not ask again" stated Aegir.


    "Syn, activate the fail safe measure" ordered Mimir.


    Within the subterranean facility energy capacitors and power generation units began to go into critical overload. When detonated the overload would destroy the facility and a large portion of the planets surface. A deep hum resonated throughout the facility as energy conduits began rerouting all available power into the energy buffers. In moments the Vanir would be no more. Refusing to let fate play a role in their future they instead would take their own lives.


    Aboard Aegir''s ship sensors picked up the massive energy buildup. It was clear what the Vanir had planned. When the Asgard had faked their demise a similar method for destroying Orilla had been used. Knowing how quickly events would unfold Aegir moved the control stone on his console. In twenty seven separate points in the underground bunker Asgard beaming technology transported their quarry to safety. Each of the captives beamed directly into stasis chambers that activated milliseconds after their occupant materialized. From the bunker below the computer core of the facility was also beamed aboard and placed within a high powered containment field.


    "Depart for Atlantis, our mission is complete" ordered Aegir.


    The four large Asgard vessels quickly jumped into the opening hyperspace windows. On the planet they left behind shafts of intense light broke the surface. With the crust destabilizing a massive energy field engulfed one third of the planet, destroying it. Once the core of the dying planet destabilized in was only a matter of seconds before a thunderous explosion tore what was left of the planet apart. All traces of Vanir society in the Pegasus galaxy were gone.


    Sending a subspace message to Atlantis Aegir transmitted all data on the events of a few moments ago. His words were short. "Atlantis, it is done."


    November Site


    Within the confines of the November Site control room stood Thor. After a subspace message was received from Aegir confirming the capture of the Vanir Thor was pleased. Preparing his update on events for submission to the High Council he was silently thankful that a small part of the debt of gratitude his people owed the Tauri had been repaid. Still undecided was how to proceed with the Vanir. Asgard society had no equivalent of a penal system. Even Loki for his unauthorized experimentation with then Colonel O''Neill had been demoted to the lowest standing technician. Would the Tauri see that as enough for thousands of years of experimentation upon their own kind? These were the thoughts that raced through the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet''s mind while his report was transmitted via subspace to the Andromeda galaxy.

 Chapter 36

    Home World Command


    Off world visitors were a rarity in the ultra secure facility. In normal circ.u.mstances a lengthy security background investigation was required before the military would even admit the offices of Home World Command even existed. In this instance those procedures went by the wayside. General O''Neill considered himself a soldier first, and a diplomat almost never. In his time SGC he had played diplomat far more times than he wished. Putting his best face on the meeting to come he pushed the button on his interoffice intercom and told SMSgt Harriman to show in the guest in the waiting room.


    The woman gracefully entered O''Neill''s office and took the seat that was offered in front of the large oak desk. Having met Ascended beings many times Jack found no further novelty in the exercise.


    "Thank you for taking the time to provide this audience General" said Melia.


    "I always have time for a friendly Ascended being get together" smiled Jack.


    "I am certain you have other issues to deal with this day so I will get to the point of my visit" she said.


    "And that might be" asked Jack.


    "Your people have made great strides in their understanding and use of Atlantis, Destiny, and Arkos station. I have come to provide you the key to assisting in further easing your use of the systems contained in the locations mentioned'' said Melia smoothly.


    "That would be much appreciated by the science types we have working on these matters" responded the General.


    "Arkos station does not require the activation code I will share with you as the station placed itself in a power conservation mode with the assistance system in an active mode. Atlantis''s system was shut down when the city was set to slumber, and Destiny''s system was never activated so they of course will require activation" said Melia.


    "And what might that code be" asked O''Neill.


    "In either database under the systems management partition an option labeled strenuous cogitatione interna will be found. Translated that means activate internal thought in your language. From there a holder of the ATA gene as you call it must think the phrase scientiam et intellectum veri repraesentant. This translated means science and understanding represent truth. This code can also be manually entered by someone lacking the ATA gene. This code phrase will activate the intelligence avatar of the internal computers" stated Melia.


    "Just what do these avatars do exactly" asked Jack.


    "You call them Artificial Intelligence. They serve the function of a crew, an advisor, and if need be a teacher of the systems available. On Atlantis the avatar is imbued with the sum total of our knowledge base. These systems were designed to interface with those around them in a visual and auditory was, and also posses the ability to interface with individuals on a neural level" answered Melia.


    "Don''t get me wrong when I say this. We haven''t had the greatest of experiences dealing with some of your technologies in the past. Case in point the Asurans" replied Jack.


    "The Asurans were a failed weapon that we mistakenly thought was eradicated after the experiment failed to live up to our high hopes. These systems are not weapons. They were created to assist inhabitants with any and all tasks they face. Their primary directive is to protect those in their care. No danger exists in their use. It is far more dangerous to make use of systems without the avatars active" explained Melia.


    "So you''re saying this is essentially a very advanced baby sitter" pressed Jack.


    "Not at all general. While you have brilliant individuals on both Destiny and Atlantis, their understanding of the systems remains at a very basic level. Without the assistance of these avatars the full potential of the systems available would be impossible to unlock" Melia answered in a soothing voice.


    "What''s the catch" asked Jack suspiciously.


    "No catch exists. The avatars exist to ease system integration. In time of attack the avatar has the knowledge to advise on the best use of offensive and defensive systems. I believe the term you use is user friendly. Simply give them an outline of what you wish done and it will be so" answered Melia.


    "I will pass this information along in the next scheduled check in. We thank you. It''s nice to be able to actually work together now that you actually acknowledge we''re here. I owe you a fruit basket or maybe a gift certificate perhaps" said Jack dryly.

 Chapter 37

    Destiny


    Knocking on the door to Eli''s quarters stood Lt. Scott. Having just returned from the scheduled check in with Home World Command he was carrying out his orders from General O''Neill. The door to Eli''s quarters opened after a brief twenty second wait.


    "Sorry, was listening to my ipod" said Eli.


    "No problem, I didn''t wait long. I''m supposed to give you some information. This is coming from General O''Neill and my orders to give this directly to you and not Rush" said Scott.


    "Is my mother ok" quickly asked Eli.


    "It''s nothing about your mom Eli. It''s a code for Destiny he said. Something about activating Destiny''s avatar" answered Scott.


    "Avatar? Um, ok. What''s the code" Eli asked.


    "I''ve got the instructions written down for you. They made me memorize them before the stones were disconnected" said Scott handing Eli a piece of paper.


    "Cool. Ok, I''ll go do this now, want to come with" Eli asked absently.


    "No, it''s probably nothing I would even understand. I''m off duty in a few minutes and I''m going to meet up with Chloe. Have a good one Eli" said Scott while walking away.


    After putting on a sweatshirt and putting his belongings away Eli left his quarters. Heading towards the control interface room Eli scanned the piece of paper Scott had given him. He wasn''t sure what the code would do, but he was certain it wouldn''t be in his hands if it wasn''t important. Having little interaction with General O''Neill other than the day he had shown up at his front door Eli thought the man had little if any sense of humor. Colonel Young had told him several times that the general had one of the better senses of humor of anyone he had ever known in the SGC. Eli still wasn''t sure if Young was kidding or not.


    Arriving at the interface room Eli sat at a data terminal. Following the instructions he quickly found the prompt to enter the code. After entering the code the screen went blank for several moments.


    "Oh god, I broke the ship" muttered Eli.


    Just when the young man was beginning to panic a man appeared out of thin air feet from him. The man was fair skinned, with blond hair, and deep blue eyes. He was dressed in a dark grey outfit with military looking insignia on his shoulders. The man smiled at Eli, and bowed his head slightly before speaking.


    "Hello Eli. Please do not be alarmed. Thank you for allowing me to be present with all of you" said the man.


    "Who are you" asked Eli warily.


    "I am a visual representation of my designer. Although you do not yet know me I know all of you well. I am Destiny" said the avatar.


    "Destiny as in the ship? This is the coolest thing ever" exclaimed Eli.


    "I am pleased to finally be able to interact with all of you. When launched my visual interaction functions were not activated. Until now I have not been able to access this function as it was password protected. Eli, I detect systems are not set to optimum efficiency. I will change this. Would you please introduce me to Colonel Young so he is not alarmed at my presence" asked Destiny.


    Picking up his radio Eli quickly radioed Young. The gruff commanding officer answered in seconds.


    "What is it Eli" asked Young.


    "Can you come to the interface room? I have someone that would like to speak with you" said the smiling young man.


    Atlantis


    During the scheduled dialing of Earth the information passed to Destiny was passed to Dr. Zelenka. With the data on his tablet computer the awkward Czech quickly scurried to the city sh.i.p.s auxiliary control center. Sitting down before the control screens in the room Radek opened the encrypted file on his tablet. Reading the contents he was thankful Mckay was no longer a member of the expedition, as he would have voiced his sometimes far too loud opinion on the instructions contained in the file. Thinking it wise to notify the commander of the instructions he was to carry out he tapped his radio earpiece.


    "Mr. Woolsey, this is Dr. Zelenka" he said.


    "Go ahead Doctor" replied Woolsey.


    "The file contains instructions I am to enter into the city''s main computer. I''m unsure of what exactly this will do, and systems may be affected for a few moments" Zelenka said.


    "Proceed Doctor. Keep me appraised of the situation" responded Woolsey.


    With speed and efficiency Radek accessed the password screen. Quickly he typed in the given text, while thinking it was a very true statement. In moments all systems city wide began to shut down and reboot. Before he could access the city''s information display to see if a problem existed a voice came through his earpiece.


    "Doctor, we need you in star gate operations please" said Woolsey.


    "I will be there in one moment" responded the Czech.


    Grabbing his tablet laptop Zelenka sprinted towards the transporter booth. Thinking his actions had caused something ominous he was filled with anxiety. Exiting the booth and running up the stairs into the control center he stopped in his tracks. Standing next to Mr. Woolsey was a woman he had not seen before. With flowing black hair, pale skin, and deep grey eyes the woman was striking. Radek caught his breath and managed to take his eyes away from the woman for a moment.


    "Is something malfunctioning" he asked quickly.


    "Not at all Doctor, but I believe you should meet our new arrival" replied Woolsey.


    "Hello, I am Doctor Zelenka, you may call me Radek if you wish" said the doctor shyly.


    The woman looked upon the blushing man and smiled a kind smile. Stepping towards him she bowed her head slightly before speaking. "Hello Radek, I am Atlantis" she said.


    .

 Chapter 38

    Atlantis


    Thunderstruck by what she said the doctor found he had trouble responding. Understanding his surprise Atlantis continued speaking.


    "I have followed your work closely Radek. You remind me much of those whom I watched over many ages ago. Thank you for allowing me to once again interact with those here. We will learn much from each other" she said.


    "Atlantis, I do call you Atlantis correct" asked Woolsey.


    "Yes Mr. Woolsey, please address me as Atlantis" she said.


    "I have so many questions for you" stuttered Zelenka.


    "In time I will answer them all. Before that much must be done with my systems" she answered.


    "Yes, of course" said Radek.


    "What must be done Atlantis" asked Woolsey.


    "Many of my systems require recalibration. I also detect several areas that require repair. With your permission I will begin repairs now" the avatar said.


    "Permission granted" responded Woolsey.


    "Repairs will not affect systems outside of the effected areas. I will contain accessibility limitations to the north and west piers for now. During this time I will integrate the defensive satellites in this solar system into my tactical network. Integration of these units will take a few moments" she responded.


    "You can control the laser platform satellites" asked Zelenka.


    "Of course Radek. My primary directive is to safeguard those in my care. Unless otherwise directed all defensive and information collection assets within the galaxy fall within my purview. While this integration is performed do you have another task to be performed" Atlantis asked.


    "I have several ancient devices I would like to speak to you about" said Zelenka.


    "In time Doctor. Give Atlantis and I a few moments alone to acquaint ourselves in private" said Woolsey.


    Walking into the commander''s office Woolsey and Atlantis began speaking. Although Zelenka hated waiting he knew that this wait would be worth its weight in gold. The things he would learn! Smiling broadly Radek retreated to his lab to begin working up a list of things he wished to discuss with Atlantis. Mckay eat your heart out was all he could think.


    Pluto


    After his return from the Destiny repair mission Dr. McKay had remained aboard Arkos station. Looking upon the Athena class as his sole creation Rodney had overseen every step of the lead sh.i.p.s repairs upon their return. So engrossed in his work the scientist never seemed to notice the eyes of crew members rolling when he entered a section of the ship and began to rant and rave. Once certain that repairs would be performed to his exacting standard he sequestered himself in a design lab with nothing but his brilliance, sandwiches, and endless pots of coffee.


    Pouring over the design specifications of both ancient and Asgard vessels alike McKay set about not only improving the Athena class''s offensive and defensive capabilities but producing the beginnings of the next class of ship. In these ways McKay kept himself entertained. His current train of thought involved finding a way to operate an entire fleet of vessels with subspace capacitors as their sole source of power. Pulling him away from his project momentarily the scientist noticed his radio ear piece calling his name. Tapping the ear bud he devoted his full attention to this newest of distractions.


    "This is McKay" he said.


    "This is Colonel Eckhart, sorry to disturb your me time. We just received a subspace communiqu¨¦ from Atlantis for you. If you''ve got a moment I''ll have it transferred to you" said Eckhart.


    "Yes, yes, fine" said Rodney becoming agitated.


    Moments later the holographic display Rodney had been using morphed into a live video feed from Atlantis. Seeing what he still considered his city brought a sense of loss to him. Life had carried on without him there. Who had even thought that possible?


    "Hello Rodney" said Zelenka on the screen.


    "Busy here Radek, what do you need" asked Rodney.


    "As you know we activated the avatar of Atlantis. She''s beautiful actually, although her hair doesn''t have the lovely scent that Dr. Keller''s always did" said Zelenka.


    "Radek, are we really going to have an intergalactic conversation about how Jennifer''s hair smells? Get to the point please" said Rodney growing more irritated by the second.


    "Some time after Atlantis was reactivated she came to me about what she says is a most urgent matter. Do you recall the planet where your team located the second city ship" asked Radek.


    "Yes Radek, I do. I was there, remember" snidely replied McKay.


    "The avatars communicate amongst themselves on a certain level. Atlantis had stated in the most certain terms that we must make her sister whole again. She has asked that we retrieve this city ship" Radek said with a growing sense of excitement.


    "I''m not even sure it''s salvageable. All but the upper one third of the main tower is buried. It''s overgrown with plant life; portions of the hull have collapsed. Radek, we''ve pulled off some miracles but I don''t know if what you''re asking is even remotely possible'' stated Rodney.


    "You''re always such a pessimist. I called you remember? I am very aware you are sitting in an ancient shipyard. The very same shipyard that constructed these city sh.i.p.s" defiantly stated the Czech.


    "I''ll speak with the stations AI interface and see if this is even possible. No promises though" said McKay dismissively.


    "Then you should know that earlier today Mr. Woolsey reported this to the IOA. They responded in hours and stated very clearly that the city ship would be recovered" said Radek with a smug look.


    "I''ll message you when I know more. Give me a few hours on my end" said McKay in closing.


    Burying himself in terabytes of data concerning the construction of city sh.i.p.s McKay went to work. An hour passed like this when he began to compare what he had found on the building of these flying cities and the state in which he had last scene this particular city ship. Although it wasn''t a pretty picture, he began to think that repairing the city wasn''t in the realm of impossible. Knowing he needed someone more expert on the subject he knew he had to ask for help.


    "Arkos, can you join me please" he said.


    Detecting the request Arkos materialized in the room in which McKay was seated. To either side of the AI''s avatar holographic screens of data and schematics appeared in the air.


    ".

 Chapter 39

    Pluto


    Dr. McKay, I overheard your conversation. Onboard diagnostics of the ship are available to assist in your assessment" said the AI.


    "Is the ship flight capable without breaking apart" asked Rodney.


    "Current diagnostics show the star drive is operational. Structural integrity is diminished but not compromised. Before interstellar travel was possible all shield emitters must be repaired as none are currently functional. Internal power supplies are expended as well. Repairs can be affected to bring conditions to the minimum threshold required for return to this station for deeper repairs. In the current material state use of worm hole drive would not be possible" stated the AI.


    "We can use the repair robots as we did for Destiny! Obviously we''ll need many more than we currently have. They can continue repairs while the city is flown here for repairs. Do you have an estimation on how many of the repair robots will be required" asked McKay.


    "If production of repair units is made a priority that number can be quadrupled within forty eight hours. That number should allow for a return to minimum levels of operation if given a week to effect repairs before flight is attempted" Arkos answered.


    "Ok, begin building the repair robots now. I would rather be ready when the IOA demands immediate action. We''ll also need to take several jumpers with us as the jumpers in this ship were transferred to Atlantis several years ago" McKay said thinking out loud.


    "When docked in the station for repair it would be possible to put your idea of sub space capacitors as a power source to use. That can easily be retrofitted to operation in conjunction with the Potentia" Arkos said soothingly.


    "That''s why you and I get along so well Arkos, we think alike" Rodney said, happy to have a new task.


    IOA Headquarters Washington DC


    A rushed session of the IOA was convened. Their purpose was to lay out the course of action on how to proceed with the request from Atlantis. The petty infighting the IOA was known for was set aside for the time being to put events in motion.


    "I believe we''re all agreed that we must act quickly in this matter" said Carl Strom, head of the IOA.


    "Why were we not concerned with fast action earlier? We''ve known the location of the city ship for some time now and done nothing" stated James Coolidge.


    "At that time it was not possible to repair the vessel. We now have the ability to do so. I agree we should move quickly. We are overlooking who from this panel will assume command of the expedition once repairs are completed" said Shen Xiaoyi


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. Everyone here is aware of your desire to head the Atlantis expedition, so your motives are transparent at best. Before the question of long term command is even considered the ship must first be returned to this galaxy for repairs. Until that time is reached this is best left in the hands of those with the highest level of proficiency with the technologies in play" said Russel Chapman, the British delegate.


    "Agreed. I move that we leave team selection in the hands of the SGC. Once the ship has returned for repairs we will select a permanent commander" said Strom.


    "Mr. Strom, I must protest. Selection of a commander now is of paramount importance. A commander is the cornerstone on which all things are built" protested Shen.


    "Your protest is noted. This matter will be carried over for later discussion. Let us focus on matter currently at hand" said Strom.


    Thumbing through the Atlantis mission report from several years earlier when the ship had been found several additional hurdles were voiced.


    "The ship has been used to house the indigenous population''s royal family it seems. They of course will not simply hand the ship over easily. Royals view their castles as symbols of their soverginty and won''t simply give them away" stated Chapman.


    "The local people are an agrarian society of farmers. They will not object. The royal family if this report is to be given any credence is corrupt. We simply offer them something to replace their royal quarters. Build them a city to house all their villages and that might be acceptable" said Coolidge.


    "We can very simply relocate the population to another world and need not worry about building them anything" said Shen.


    "That would only breed mistrust. No, we build them a lasting settlement, given them advanced in agriculture, medicines and such and they will go willingly. Have Woolsey meet with the natives and begin the talks. Tell him we expect results within the week. All those in favor say aye" said Strom.


    "Aye"


    "Aye"


    "Aye"


    "Aye"


    "The ayes have it. The motion is passed. Mr. Coolidge please make our findings known to the SGC" Strom said while standing up.


    As the delegates filed out of the room Coolidge dialed the secure phone. Once the SGC was made known of the IOA''s findings things would begin to happen quickly.

 Chapter 40

    Lord Protector Planet


    Exiting the space gate the jumper hurtled into the atmosphere. The small craft moving with incredible speed quickly passed from the cold void of space into the warm environment of the planet below. Lorne activated the sensors and detected nothing out of the ordinary. From their vantage point in the front seats of the ancient craft Lorne and Woolsey saw the lone tower of the long buried city ship rise in the distance. For a moment both men pondered how such a fate could befall one great city of the ancients yet leave Atlantis untouched. Circling the tower at a distance Lorne found an empty grassy patch near the tower to land.


    Exiting their craft Ronon, Zelenka, Woolsey, and Lorne quickly followed the well worn path leading to the tower. Ronon''s trained eye scanned for any threat. Zelenka busied himself performing a range of scans with the ancient hand held device. Woolsey steeled himself for the negotiation to come. Lorne simply enjoyed the sunshine certain that everything would work out how they hoped. As they came closer to the structure two royal guards approached the newly arrived visitors.


    "State the purpose of your visit" said one of the guards.


    "We are here to discuss a matter of great importance with Lady Mara. Please inform her the leader of Atlantis seeks an audience with her" said Woolsey.


    One guard quickly retreated towards the tower, with the other standing watch over the new arrivals. Around them farmers went about their daily business. Crops were carted to market, animals were herded, and children played. Lorne was taken with how happy the people appeared. Much had changed in the local inhabitant''s world since the first members of the Atlantis expedition had arrived several years before. Mara seemed to be a ruler much more concerned with the welfare of her people, unlike her father and brother. No longer living in fear the people of this world had begun to thrive after the veil of oppression had been lifted.


    After several moments the guard returned from the tower and informed the guests that Mara would see them. Quickly they were ushered into the tower. Instead of the more formal reception room they found themselves led to the Lady''s private study.


    "Please wait here. The Lady will be with you shortly" said the guard then exiting the room.


    "Sheppard assures me Mara will be receptive to what we wish to discuss" said Woolsey.


    "Sheppard always seems to know the women in this galaxy well" chuckled Lorne.


    "Didn''t she try to get in his pants" asked Ronon.


    At that question Lorne laughed, Zelenka stared even more intently at his hand device, and Woolsey frowned. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room for minutes that seemed like hours to those inside. Unsure of what to say next the men sat quietly until Mara entered the room. The men rose to their feet as the petite blond woman crossed the room and quickly sat down.


    "Is Sheppard not among you" she asked.


    "Colonel Sheppard now has other duties and could not attend" answered Woolsey.


    "He is an amazing man whom I would do much for" stated Mara.


    With pursed lips Zelenka glared at Ronon as the large man tired very hard to stifle a laugh.


    "We thank you for granting this audience" said Woolsey humbly.


    "What is it you seek" Mara asked.


    "I have come seeking trade. Perhaps you and I can speak privately while my colleagues tour this structure" suggested Woolsey.


    "That would be fine. Gentlemen, please tour these halls to your liking" Mara said warmly.


    Taking their queue the Ronon, Lorne, and Zelenka exited the study with scientist leading the way. Once they had exited and the door was closed Woolsey began to speak.


    "Our two peoples have enjoyed a fruitful trading relationship in the past. In the spirit of that relationship I sit before you today" said Woolsey.


    "The medicine your people supplied has done much for my people. We owe you a debt of gratitude for that. In the eyes of my people those from Atlantis are revered as the bringers of a new age on this world" she answered.


    "As you know, my people have combated the Wraith and protected the many worlds of this galaxy. We have had great success, but the war is far from over" he said.


    "Mr. Woolsey, my people are not trained in the ways of war. I fail to see how we can assist you" Mara answered.


    "You have done much to distance yourself from the ways of your predecessors. I believe I can assist you in closing the final chapter. You have enacted sweeping change in the economics and civil liberties of the average citizen''s life here. All that remains of a system now fading into memory is the symbol of that system of government" stated Woolsey.


    "I thank you for acknowledging the reforms I have enacted. Change was needed if our culture was to survive. What symbol do you speak of" she asked.


    "To be very blunt this tower. To truly move forward you must move away from the trappings of the past and into a future surrounded by symbols unblemished by acts of those long past" Woolsey said smoothly.


    "This tower has housed my ancestors for generations Mr. Woolsey. Surely you don''t suggest tearing it down and replacing it with a thatch roofed hut" she replied.


    "Not at all Mara. As you have seen in the past my people are a fair people. We would be honored if you would allow us to build your people a permanent city to shelter generations to come from the elements. We will also construct irrigation canals for your fields so each future harvest makes those of today pale in comparison" said Woolsey.


    "Construction on that scale would take many years" she countered.


    "We have technology at our disposal that would allow for the tasks completion in a matter of days. Time need not be an issue" he replied.


    "I am not a fool Mr. Woolsey. You come offering much in the name of assisting my people in letting the past remain in the past. Now why don''t you tell me what it is you really want" she said lightly.


    Seeing that the route he had been ordered to take in his instructions from the IOA wasn''t working Woolsey shifted gears and tried another route.


    "I will be very honest with you Mara. The presence of this tower endangers the continued existence of your people. You no longer have the ability to simply scare the Wraith away. Following the current path the Wraith will return and after their previous failures to cull this world they will annihilate this world simply because you once had the ability to challenge them. If you agree to our proposal we will build your people a lasting home, provide medical assistance, greatly increase the productivity of your farmers, and most of all protect you from any threats you face" said Woolsey with conviction.


    "Were it not for your people I would be married to the monster Otho. I trusted you then and I shall trust you now. You have my consent to remove this tower. If you can build this city as fast as you claim I ask that we start quickly before winter nears" said Mara in dignified submission.


    For several more hours the two went over details of the agreement. For the second time Mara gave thanks to whatever had fated those from Atlantis into her people''s path. Woolsey simply breathed a sigh of relief thanking god it worked.

 Chapter 41

    Cheyenne Mountain, SGC


    Sitting in his office General Landry read over the report just received from Atlantis. Grabbing his phone he hit the speed dial to the one man he needed to pass the information along to. Landry was thankful that today''s unexpected phone call to DC wasn''t to inform his friend of some new menace stalking the galaxy.


    "O''Neill here" said the voice on the other end of the call.


    "Jack, its Hank. Word just came in from Atlantis. The negotiation was a success. Looks like the mission is a go" said Landry.


    "It''s nice when things work out smoothly, isn''t it" asked Jack.


    "That it is" replied Landry.


    "Okay, my thinking on this is to give the mission to McKay. No one knows the systems on Atlantis better than he. Have him take the technical team that went to Destiny. What about on your end" asked Jack.


    "The amount of material McKay estimates he''s going to need isn''t nearly as much as I would have thought. Athena is slated to return to active rotation in three days. Being that Col. Eckhart has already endured carting this technical team half way across the universe I figure a short trip one galaxy over wont hurt. No sense in exposing Mitchell to McKay if it can be avoided" said Landry laughing.


    "What kind of concessions was Woolsey forced to make to get this done so fast" asked Jack.


    "Medical care, ongoing protection, and we build them a city. We''ll also need to throw in some irrigation systems for their crops. If we call in a marker with the Asgard they can deploy one of their vessels with matter stream creation technology built in and have everything done in days" added Landry.


    "Good idea. Get a message out to Thor about that and explain the time frame we''re up against" answered O''Neill.


    "Will do. Have a good one Jack" said Landry before ending the call.


    With marching orders in hand Landry went about getting the information into the right hands. A message was dispatched to Thor at the November Site. Aboard Arkos station Athena''s commanding officer grimaced at the thought of the odd squad as he called the science team running around his ship yet again. The Arkos AI had already begun production of the myriad items that might or might not be required to ensure the currently crippled city ship could return to the Milky Way. All in all the situation was running smoothly and Landry gave silent thanks for that.


    Pluto


    The sh.i.p.s entry of the massive shipyard opened. Exiting with a speed that belied her great mass was the Athena. Gracefully she entered the vast cold environment of space. In distant orbit of the disguised shipyard sat an Asgard O''Neill class vessel. For their mission to Pegasus it had been decided to utilize a front line warship instead of a science vessel due to Wraith numerical superiority. Encrypted data flowed via secure link between the two vessels. Maneuvering to a distance of several hundred thousand kilometers from Arkos station two hyperspace windows opened and the advanced vessels began their journey to their destination.

 Chapter 42

    Jakod


    It had been decided to cut the head off the snake. Following orders from Colonel Frost a company of one hundred and twenty Army Rangers had deployed aboard the Ares. Their mission was simple; enact the capture of Genii leadership and other high value targets located on Jakod. The standard Ranger mission was airfield seizure. In this case they were being used for another purpose. Each member of the assault force was outfitted with the black battle armor that had made the kull warriors of Anubis so fearsome. Instead of carrying their normal M4''s and M249''s they were instead carrying only Zat''s. This mission was only to capture not to kill.


    After conducting a detailed scan of the target area Colonel Sheppard ordered the crew to begin beaming down the assault team. In the hanger bay F-302''s had departed moments before armed with Small Diameter Bombs, and Maverick guided anti tank munitions. This would be a combined arms exercise unlike anything the Genii were capable of.


    On the ground the Ranger element disregarded their normal small unit tactics. Instead of utilizing the principles of stealth during their stalk the one hundred and twenty men formed line ab.r.e.a.s.t in a wide fanning wall. Their armor would render harmless energy weapons, bullet fire, and to a lesser extent explosives against the highly trained soldiers. Removing Zat''s from their holsters the men began their slow march toward the entrance to the mining system housing the Genii.


    Two Genii sentries were the first to see this black wall of men coming towards them. Quickly they radioed their sighting before opening fire with automatic weapons. Mouths dropped when they saw their bullets have no effect. The last thing these two men saw before everything went black were the silver beams of energy as Zat''s returned fire on their position. One of the Rangers quickly tagged the two unconscious men with locator beacons.


    "Ares, I have two down and ready to beam." said the Sergeant.


    "Ares copies." replied Sheppard.


    In a flash of light the two men disappeared. From above a flight of 302''s released their payload of SDB''s. Weighing only two hundred and fifty pounds the SDB''s were a recent development of the Air Force. Meant for urban warfare they were much smaller than normal air dropped ordinance. The bomb cases were constructed of carbon fiber instead of the normal steel housings meant to produce fragmentation damage. Their seeker heads active the small bombs homed in on targets designated from the laser pod of their launching aircraft. Unknown to enemy forces the weaponry was targeted no closer than fifty meters of any fighting position. Seeing the explosions frantic calls for reinforcement went out among the Genii ranks. Foot troops quickly exited the mine to join the defenders ranks.


    Marching forward impervious to the weapons fire they faced the Rangers pressed forward. Each enemy combatant that was stunned was tagged with a beacon and beamed aboard Ares. This process repeated itself many times in the four mile march to the mines opening. The 302''s in turn targeted their Maverick missiles near the ventilation shafts on the surface. Their intent wasn''t to collapse the mine, just add enough noise and dust to the interior to make it look good.


    Seeing they faced an enemy they could not harm the remaining Genii troops abandoned their stand against the oncoming black clad soldiers. Radio calls went out among their ranks to retreat within the mine. Several made it to the safety of the underground cavern, but more did not. From the mouth of the mine men watched in horror as their comrades were hit with brilliant white pulses of energy, and then vanished in much larger flashes of light.


    "Prenum, you must retreat further into the mine. My men will stop these attackers before they enter the mine." said Heiron.


    "Who is attacking us? Is it the Tauri?" asked Prenum.


    "My men report the attackers are dressed in some type of black full body armor. We have never seen the Tauri in any such gear." replied Heiron.


    "As commander of Genii forces I order you to stop this attack! Our way of life hangs in the balance of your ability to protect me!" screamed Prenum.


    "They cannot simply walk through a wall of weapons fire. Remain deep in the mine with the others of your staff and I will deal with this." replied Heiron.


    Prenum and his staff quickly found shelter deeper in the mine, behind a very large steel door. Heiron had run forward, marshalling his men to defend the mine entrance at all costs. "They are not invincible boys! Take aim and send them to their deaths!" he yelled.


    Thirty Genii soldiers opened fire on the approaching attackers. Grenades were tossed in for good measure. A cheer erupted among the defenders, but was only to last but a brief moment. Stepping through the clouds of dust kicked up by the grenades were the black clad attackers. The Genii in a panic began to spray the approaching attackers with wild weapons fire.


    "Our weapons don''t have any effect commander!" screamed a young Genii soldier.


    "We can''t kill them! We''re doomed!" screamed another.


    Zat fire erupted around the defenders. They fell in droves. As these men were beamed aboard Ares a team of ten Rangers were detached to press deeper into the mine. Scans from Ares showed only twelve hostiles remained. Two sentries tried in vain to protect the room where their people''s leader had taken shelter.


    "Corporal, use the cutting charges and get that door down." ordered the Ranger companies First Sergeant.


    "Lead the way Top." was the Corporal''s reply.


    The young ranger removed three cutting charges from the pack he carried on his back. One was placed over each of the massive hinges of the heavy steel door standing between the soldiers and their prey. Triggering the remote detonator the hinges were sliced open by the copper jet that erupted from the small explosive devices. Taking a pry bar two more of the Rangers pried the heavy door loose from its frame, falling with a thunderous impact.


    Inside the room Prenum and his staff cowered behind overturned tables. The Rangers entered the room without saying a word. Their weapons leveled the highly trained men were ready to complete their mission.


    "Please don''t kill me!" begged Prenum.


    Firing in unison ten Genii fell, followed quickly by the remaining two. It was over for now. Fanning out the men began to search the underground complex for anything of intelligence value. Radios, papers, photos, and equipment were all beamed aboard Ares. With a loud and thunderous call of Lead the Way the rangers celebrated their victory.

 Chapter 43

    Atlantis


    Standing in the stargate operations room Mr. Woolsey ordered Chuck to dial Earth. As the chevrons on the Ancient device slowly locked their eight chevron address Woolsey smiled to himself. Today was a monumental day for members of the expedition who had survived the Genii''s first attempt to capture Atlantis. It had taken years, but justice was finally being served. Once the event horizon settled into its puddle Woolsey began to speak.


    "Stargate Command, this is Atlantis." Woolsey began.


    "Go ahead Atlantis." said the young airman manning Earth''s gate control center within Cheyenne Mountain.


    "I''m requesting a priority video conference with Nation Command Authority, authorization code Lima, tango, victor, eight." said Woolsey.


    "Atlantis, SGC confirms. Stand by." answered the Airman.


    Several minutes passed before the video feed was active. Sitting in the Oval Office was President Henry Hayes smiling his usual warm smile.


    "Mr. Woolsey, to what do I owe the honor?" asked Hayes.


    "Mr. President, thirty minutes ago Colonel''s Frost and Sheppard transmitted a message to Atlantis. The message was confirmation that Genii leadership has been captured by our forces. They are currently in custody and being transported to Atlantis." said Woolsey.


    "That''s great! We finally got these guys! Please pass on my thanks for a wonderful effort to all involved. What''s the next step Richard?" asked Hayes.


    "Mr. President, I will inform the Coalition of Planets of the results of this operation. It is my understanding that the Coalition intends to put the Genii leadership on trail for crimes against humanity." answered Woolsey.


    "Will they be seeking the death penalty?" asked Hayes.


    "Nothing as blatant as that Mr. President. When the Coalition put our expedition on trial we were told in the event of a guilty verdict trade would be outlawed with us, and Colonel Sheppard''s team would be moved to a planet with the stargate disabled. With the Wraith still a threat in this galaxy marooning anyone is a death sentence." replied Woolsey.


    "Richard, you''ve really made my day. Thank you. I stepped out of a meeting with the governor of Wisconsin to take your call. Give my best to everyone, and stay safe." said the President before the video feed ended.


    "Shut down the gate Chuck. Have Lt. Col. Lorne assemble two off world teams please. One will be going to the Riva to inform Dimas, and the other be going to Latira to make contact with Kelore. I want the Coalition brought up to speed so we can ensure trail proceedings against the Genii start quickly." ordered Woolsey.


    Around Atlantis the feeling for the long time expedition members was one of jubilation. After so many years justice would finally prevail. Word soon spread to the Athosian settlement, which was also greeted with rejoicing. Justice didn''t happen often in the Pegasus galaxy, but today it had prevailed.


    Dakara


    Preparations for the deployment of the Jaffa battle group were almost complete. The proud warrior race having steeled themselves for the conflict to come was ready to face their enemy on the field of battle. The men of the ground force were all veterans of many battles at the behest of the System Lords they belonged to. Fury had turned to anger after that attack, and that anger had festered into a cold fury. Retribution would be had by the Jaffa. Standing on the Pel''Tak of his Ha''Tak Bra''tac quietly hoped for victory. Like his former pupil Teal''c he too thought it unwise to enter into this conflict without the assistance of the Tauri. They had offered to stand beside their ally in honor, but typical Jaffa pride and prejudice towards the Tauri ruled it impossible.


    "We have come so far with their aid. After generations in servitude let not pride be our undoing." Bra''tac said quietly to himself.


    Lord Protector Planet


    Dropping out of hyperspace the Athena and her accompanying Asgard vessel quickly established stable orbit. A team had been dispatched to the surface to bring Mara back aboard to discuss the final design of the city to be built and attend to several other matters in the events to come. In the jumper Mara watched in wonder as the craft took to the air. Exiting the atmosphere she was amazed at the vastness of space. She could hardly contain her amazement at the sight of the two massive vessels they were approaching. As they entered the jumper bay aboard Athena she was speechless.


    Upon exiting the jumper Mara was escorted to the briefing room aboard the Tauri vessel. Pleasantries were exchanged before the gathered group sat down. Much ground was to be covered and they had to make each moment count.


    "It''s a pleasure to have you aboard Mara." said Eckhart.


    "I bring you tidings from the people of the Asgard." said Thor.


    "Pleasure to meet you again Mara." said McKay.


    "I never imagined anything this large could be built by the hands of men." said an awe struck Mara.


    "This ship is just one of many my people have in your galaxy." informed Eckhart.


    "Let''s get down to business, shall we?" asked McKay.


    "Of course Doctor. What is it you wish to discuss that Mr. Woolsey and I have not already agreed upon." Mara asked.


    "We''re here to go over the final design of your new capital actually. I have a wonderful holographic representation of it here." said McKay while bring up the holographic display.


    "Using information provided by the Atlantis expedition I have taken the liberty of compiling a design I feel will serve your people well." stated Thor.


    Looking upon the rendering of the proposed design Mara was amazed at the size and detail. The representation before her was of a city that could easily house tens of thousands. It was far more than she could have ever imagined possible for her people.


    "It''s such a large city, and my people are so few." she said.


    "I have taken the liberty of designing the city so that continued growth of your population may be integrated easily. In time your numbers will grow and this allowance will make it possible to house your entire population as you do." said Thor.


    "I''ve taken the liberty of selecting a site to place the city so we can begin. It allows for ease of access to your agricultural areas." McKay said very pleased with himself.


    "I trust your people implicitly." she answered.


    "If the design is acceptable I will beam aboard my ship and begin the construction process now. It will require several days to complete." said Thor.


    "The design is wonderful. I cannot thank you enough. I hope we meet again while you are here." answered Mara.


    "Mara, during this process we would be honored if you would be our guest aboard Athena." invited Colonel Eckhart.


    "Splendid! Would it be possible to also have the royal court aboard during this transition?" she asked.


    "We have more than ample space aboard for them, and we would be honored." answered Eckhart.


    "The matter remains of removing your belongings from the tower." suggested McKay.

 Chapter 44

    Lord Protector Planet


    "At Mr. Woolsey''s urging I have ordered that all belongings be packed in anticipation of your arrival. Everything is prepared in the main chamber." Mara said proudly.


    "Very good. We can just beam that aboard and I can get to work." said McKay.


    "Mara, if you would follow the pilot who brought you aboard back to the Jumper he will gladly return you to your planet so we can begin bringing the royal court aboard." suggested Eckhart.


    The young woman quickly exited the room leaving the Colonel and the scientist alone.


    "Now that we have that out of the way I''m assuming you want to get right to work." stated Eckhart.


    "You got it. That way I don''t have to deal with them. Sheppard told horror stories about their table manners for weeks." replied McKay.


    Rolling his eyes Eckhart stood up and left for the bridge. Rodney with matters to attend to headed for the area he had taken over for his command post. At his console McKay performed highly accurate scans of the buried city ship. A majority of the city''s towers were indeed damaged. Some were broken off altogether. She was in need of a lot of work, but being the foremost expert on ancient technology in the galaxy Rodney was certain he could bring her back to life.


    "Let me know the moment the royal court and all their belongings are aboard." Rodney said into his earpiece.


    "No problem." was the reply.


    Heading towards the Asgard core room Rodney stopped for a cup of coffee. He wrote computer code best when he was well caffeinated. Seated in front of the core he brought in the sensor data he had recently taken of the city ship below. Over the next few hours a computer routine was put together making use of Athena''s beaming technology. He knew from the beginning that the city would need to be excavated before being repaired. Traditional excavation took too far to long for his tastes. Instead he would use the beaming technology to beam away six inches of soil per minute. The soil beamed away he would deposit in a valley fifty miles to the south. Once the soil covering the city ship was removed he would deal with the corridors filled with hundreds of tons of earth. That earth was all that held up several of the corridors his scans told him.


    "Dr. McKay, the royal court and their belongings are now onboard." said the engineering officer over the radio.


    "Thank you. I''m going to need to beam down to an interior space in about fifteen minutes. I''ll let you know when I''m ready." said McKay.


    He could barely contain his excitement. Rushing to his quarters he changed and gathered the gear he felt would be needed. Stopping by the dining facility he asked for and received an assortment of sandwiches, a thermos of coffee, and a several power bars. Putting these in his backpack along with his tablet computer and his ancient scanner he picked up the hard metal case sitting beside him in preparation to beam down.


    "Bridge, this is McKay. I transmitted a schematic with several numbered locations to you. Refer to that doc.u.ment when I request beaming to another section of the ship. I am prepared to beam down to location three." said McKay.


    "Roger that doc, be careful down there." said the engineer.


    After the split second of nothing Rodney found himself standing in the power distribution room of the city ship. He already knew the ZPM''s were lifeless from his last visit to this ship. Not wasting a moment of precious time McKay removed the three empty ZPM''s and tagged them so they would not be confused for ones still of use. From the metal case he brought with him he removed a fresh zpm and installed it within the power node. In seconds lights began to come on. For the first time in several years the city once again had power. Scratch one item off his one thousand item to do list he thought.


    Athena, this is McKay. I''m ready to beam to location one please" said McKay.


    "Right away doc." answered the bridge crewman.


    In a flash of light McKay appeared in the auxiliary control room. The last time he had stood in this room was when he had powered the star drive to drain what little power remained in the city''s ZPM to prevent drones from being launched at his team. Bringing the ancient data terminals online McKay entered the AI avatar password. Appearing before him was a beautiful woman with dark red hair and grey eyes.


    "Thank you for reactivating my systems. I am Borealis." said the woman with a sincere smile.


    "Borealis it is a pleasure. I am Doctor Rodney McKay." said the scientist.


    "You have the gene, but you are not Lantean." said Borealis.


    "A lot has happened since the last time you were active. Suffice to say I know Atlantis very well and am here to bring you back into working order." answered Rodney.


    "My sister was always the stronger of us." replied the avatar.


    "Borealis please give me your current state of repair?" asked Rodney.


    "That will take some time Dr. McKay. Most of my core systems are not currently operational. Should I begin with primary systems before we discuss tertiary systems?" asked the AI.


    "Yes, begin with primary systems." said Rodney with a growing sense of excitement.


    "The star drive is currently not fully operational. One drive section was damaged beyond repair. Weapons are currently unavailable as stocks are diminished. Shields are not functional as all shield emitter stations were destroyed when my main power conduit was damaged." stated Borealis.


    "What happened that caused this much damage?" asked McKay.


    "After a great battle with my power stores depleted to minimum levels, my crew sought refuge on this world. As we entered the atmosphere several Wraith vessels attacked. Power was not sufficient to maintain our descent, utilize weapons, and power the shield. The shield was lowered to give my crew time to land. The main power conduit was damaged at that moment and we plummeted the remaining eight hundred meters to land." said the avatar with a trace of sadness.


    "You mean you crashed?" asked a shocked Rodney.


    "Yes Doctor. With the war going badly resources and personal could not be diverted for my repair and retrieval. I have remained on this planet since that day ten thousand years ago." she said.

 Chapter 45

    Tuat


    In orbit of the former Goa''uld controlled planet sat a vast armada of Ha''tak vessels. Leading this armada was the imposing presence of Mallic''s flagship. The sh.i.p.s great size was meant to inspire fear in any who opposed the Lucian Alliance. The flagship was not conceived as a defensive weapon. Its purpose was as a first strike weapon meant to intimidate on sight and destroy any who opposed her commander.


    Undercover operatives of the Alliance had provided a steady stream of updates from Dakara. The Jaffa forces were amassing and would soon be poised to strike out against Mallic''s forces. Being forearmed with this information a continuous string of preparations were being made and would be ready before the Jaffa fleets arrival. Knowing that their place galactic events hung in the balance nothing was being left to chance.


    Atlantis


    In his lab sat Dr. Zelenka, busily going over systems power distribution spreadsheets. With the recent reactivation of the ancient mobile drilling platform geothermal power allowed for the city to operate with an abundance of power for the first time in ten thousand years. Every system and lab within the ancient city was now online. The science teams found themselves in an ancient technology researcher''s playground.


    Walking into the lab was Richard Woolsey. Returning to Atlantis just moments ago via the stargate he was a man less than happy. His recall home was at the behest of the IOA. A new initiative was being put forth and as the commander of the ancient city this new initiative was centered on technology in his possession.


    "Hello Doctor. Could you spare a few moments of your time" asked Woolsey.


    "Of course Mr. Woolsey. What can I help you with" asked Radek.


    "I just returned from a meeting of the IOA on Earth. The agenda of the meeting was something I found very troubling" said Woolsey.


    "With the IOA it usually is. Present company excluded" retorted Radek.


    "As you are aware McKay is in Pegasus at this moment preparing the other city ship for departure to the Milky Way. It''s been decided at the highest levels after conferring with the Alterran ambassador Melia to provide him a helping hand" said Woolsey frowning.


    "Do I need to gather a few things and join Rodney" asked Radek.


    "Nothing as pleasant as that I''m afraid" replied Woolsey while handing a data crystal to the scientist.


    "What is this" asked Radek.


    "On that crystal is the much modified base code for the machines we knew as the Asurans. You are to upload this new base code into the nanites and construct ten human form replicators" stated Woolsey clearly unhappy.


    "Surely you''re joking. Has the IOA forgotten what it took the last time to rid the universe of these things" asked Radek.


    "Radek, as someone that was once held hostage by the Asurans I share your lack of optimism for this, but we have our orders. We have been assured that the problems in the previous generation will not be present in this one. The aggression code has been eliminated. Instead of using them as a weapon we are to use them to utilize them as highly skilled tools" stated Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey, I disagree with this in the most strenuous of terms" replied Radek.


    "Fran didn''t give us a problem, so perhaps this will work out for the best, but I share your concern. Begin construction now. When the ten are ready notify me and we will arrange transport" said Woolsey.


    Cursing in barely audible Czech Radek stalked towards the nanite lab to begin this task. Seeing his foul mood everyone who encountered the annoyed scientist kept well out of his path.


    Lord Protector Planet


    The transporter algorithm Rodney had written to excavate Borealis had worked perfectly. The ancient city ship was now totally unearthed. Once this was accomplished the true extent of damages to the city ship became much clearer. Many of the towers were missing. Scorch marks marred the hull from battles fought many thousands of years before. With damage so widespread the only comparison that one could draw between Borealis and Atlantis was the overall snowflake like shape.


    A small army of spider like repair robots swarmed over the city. Some concentrated on shield emitters, others on hull breaches, still more labored away on the critically damaged power conduits. During this process Rodney had attended to other matters that were just as critical. A Pegasus model Stargate had been added, along with a city ship style DHD and control crystals. In the event Borealis became stranded in the void between galaxies the gate would ensure a lifeline existed off the ship for those who were traveling aboard her. Three hundred drones from Athena''s magazine had also been transferred aboard in the event self defense was needed.


    Repair of the systems needed for return to Arkos station proceeded at a surprising pace, but it still was not fast enough by McKay''s standards. After installation of the remaining two ZPM''s with the return of full power further widespread damage was noted. Opting to focus only on the systems needed for their return drove the scientist crazy. He wanted nothing more than to fix this ship, bring her back to her former glory. He likened it to ones child being in the emergency room; you knew they were hurt and you were powerless to do anything other than wait for them to heal.


    "Doctor, I estimate shield emitter repairs will be complete within forty eight hours" said Borealis.


    "While they will be functional they wont be operating at anything approaching optimum efficiency" retorted Rodney.


    "Minimum shield strength is all that is required for outer atmosphere travel. Do not worry Doctor" replied Borealis.


    "I always worry, been that way since I was a kid" said McKay.


    "You are much like my last commander. She too worried of everything" said Borealis with a smile.


    "Who might that be" asked the inquisitive scientist.


    "Her name was Chaya Sar. It is not my expectation that this name will mean anything to you though" said the avatar.


    "I know her! She''s an Ascended being, and really cute. She''s the protector of Proculus now actually. Said it was punishment from the others for interfering on this plain of existence" stated McKay.


    "It pleases me greatly to hear Chaya did Ascend. She never learned to follow rules after our time together was over I see" replied Borealis.


    "She and Colonel Sheppard are very cozy with one another" hinted McKay.


    "Doctor, I have an incoming subspace message for you from Richard Woolsey. It states assistance is inbound" stated the avatar.


    At that moment McKay''s radio earpiece also informed him of the same thing. Exiting the Spacegate a Puddle Jumper began its decent to the surface. Within the Jumper were the replicators the IOA had promised. Setting down quickly the ten new arrivals exited the Jumper before it leaped back into the air. The scientist radioed Athena and requested the ten new arrivals be transported via the beaming technology to his location. Appearing in a brilliant flash of white light seconds later the human form Replicators stood before him.


    "Welcome to Borealis. You have been brought here to assist in the repair of this ship. Borealis will be assigning your tasks" stated McKay.


    Nodding their heads in unison the ten quickly dispersed in different directions, each with its own assigned task. From Athena blocks of raw materials were beamed aboard. The replicators using their nanite structures would transform the raw materials into whatever component they required. Not requiring sleep or any form of rest the replicators were efficient and diligent in the execution of their assigned tasks.


    Their first task was the repair of Borealis''s short and long range sensors. In a matter of hours the task would be complete. Once done the ancient city ship would once again be able to peer out into the galaxy and provide an understanding of what and where things were happening.


    Two of the Replicators were assigned the task of repairing the damaged module of the Stardrive. This task would require several days, even at the furious pace the replicators performed repairs. Several times further stocks of materials were transported to them from Athena. The damaged module itself essentially required a complete rebuild. Once done all evidence of damage thousands of years old would be erased.


    Several miles away from the city ship construction progressed on the city being built. In blinding flashes of light structures appeared. Buildings of small and large sizes interspersed with lush gardens could be seen. The city''s design was one of concentric circles that radiated out from a central building of imposing majesty. This central point was to serve as the administrative hub of the city, as well as the hub of the power, water, and sewer systems. Once completed the city would be surrounded by an ornate but very strong wall. After seeing the design the royal court thought the city was one worthy of a queen.

 Chapter 46

    Latira


    Below the capital city of the planet of Latira lay an underground complex. Built once to act as a shelter for the population of Latira in during cullings the complex had been given a new role. This underground complex now served as the meeting place of the Coalition of Planets. Decisions effecting worlds across the galaxy originated from within its chambers. As it had been used once before when the Coalition put members of the Atlantis expedition on trial a new trial was being hosted today.


    Sitting on an elevated judge''s stand was the panel. Kelore of Latria, Dimas of the Free Peoples of Riva, and Shiana of the Tribes of Santhal would on this day judge the leader of the Genii. Aware that a rescue attempt was possible the Coalition asked Atlantis to provide physical security of above and below ground. In orbit high sat the Ares.


    "Colonel Sheppard, we are ready for the defendant" said Dimas.


    Tapping his earpiece Sheppard instructed the Ares to beam Prenum into the chamber. In a flash of light the defendant appeared on the podium in the middle of the large room. Looking disheveled and shocked Prenum looked around the room.


    "Prenum of the Genii, you stand before this panel today to answer charges brought forth by the Coalition of Planets" stated Shiana.


    "What charges? You dare attempt to stand in judgment of me" snarled Prenum.


    "The charges will be presented and you will be afforded an opportunity to present your defense" stated Kelore.


    "None among you are worthy to judge even the lowest ranking soldier of the Genii" hissed Prenum.


    "If you refuse to participate in these proceedings this panel will take that as an admission of guilt and move directly to sentencing Prenum of the Genii. At this time do you refuse to play an active role in these proceedings" asked Dimas.


    "I wish to mount a defense" said a visibly deflating Prenum.


    "You stand charged with deception of the many people''s of this galaxy, coercion of populations not your own, and the murder of three hundred and ten men women and children at the hands of the armed forces of the Genii which are under your control" stated Kelore.


    "On the first charge of deception this panel holds to be true that the Genii willfully conceal the nature of their society and military power. Many worlds know the Genii as nothing more than peaceful farmers of the tava bean" stated Shiana.


    "How my people depict themselves to outsiders of our culture is not the concern of this panel. I see no crime in leading other worlds to believe we are technologically backwards farmers" bristled Prenum.


    "Is it not true then that when you encountered the people of Atlantis and they discovered your ruse they were taken prisoner at force of arms" asked Dimas.


    "This is an outrage" screeched Prenum.


    "The defendant is directed to answer the question" thundered Kelore.


    "Yes, we detained them. Their discovery of our facilities represented a threat to the Genii people. At that time Cowen was leader of the Genii people. I should not be held responsible for the actions of a previous regime" answered Prenum with a hint of desperation in his voice.


    The three panel members exchanged looks with one another at that answer. Seeing the logic in the answer given the panel opted to press forward to the second charge.


    "Your answer is noted Prenum of the Genii. We will proceed to the second charge. This panel contends that the Genii have engaged in coercion of populations not your own on worlds also not of your own by threat of violence. We have in our possession information that confirms the Genii forced the people of Jakod to mine certain materials from their planet. These materials were then freely handed over to the Genii. To further prove this point it should be noted that you were in fact captured in these very mines" stated Dimas with some disdain in his voice.


    "These were the actions of Cowen''s regime. I cannot answer in his stead. If you only intend to accuse me of actions ordered by a dead man I demand you release me immediately" demanded Prenum.


    "Then let us come to more recent events" hissed Shiana in a threatening tone.


    "This panel contends members of the Genii military utilizing weapons and training provided by the Genii did willfully engage in wholesale murder of three hundred and then men, women, and children. This attack was authorized by you and conducted on the Athosian trade world as a means of punishing allies of Atlantis for imagined slights" clearly stated Kelore.


    "I find these claims outrageous! You will all pay dearly for this insult" raged Prenum.


    "As those that fell on the Athosian trade world paid" asked Shiana.


    "Yes! Your people will all meet your end at the hands of my countrymen" bellowed Prenum.


    "Then you admit your duplicity in the attack" calmly stated Dimas.


    "Wait, no, don''t do this" cried Prenum, realizing the magnitude of his error.


    "You have stood before this panel and admitted your part in this tragedy, boasting of how other worlds would meet the same fate if we did not bow to your wishes" replied Kelore in an accusatory tone.


    "This is the lantean''s doing! They are responsible for this! It is them" exclaimed Prenum.


    "Do you really expect this panel to believe Atlantis would massacre their own allies, their very first ally in this galaxy, to bring about your fall? The arrogance of that statement offends me" snarled Shiana.


    "Have you anything further to add in your defense" asked Dimas.


    "I have done nothing wrong! Don''t do this" begged Prenum falling to his knees.


    The three panel members rose from their seats and exited the chamber to confer before rendering a verdict. In the corner of the room Sheppard looked upon the Genii leader with a knowing smirk. Several minutes passed before the panel returned.


    "Prenum of the Genii, rise now while we render our verdict" ordered Kelore.


    Unable to speak Prenum remained on his knees sobbing. Two Marines quickly lifted him to his feet at Sheppard''s urging.


    "On counts one and two we find you not guilty by reason of lack of authority within your people''s government. On count three panel how do you find" asked Kelore.


    "Guilty" stated Dimas


    "Guilty" said Shiana


    "Guilty" said Kelore.


    "Prenum of the Genii, you have been found guilty by this panel. We sentence you and those captured with you on Jakod to banishment to a world of our choosing. You are to be denied fire and water within one hundred days walk of a ring of the ancestors. Trade with the people of the Genii will from here forth be prohibited among the member nations of the Coalition of Planets. Sentence is to be carried out immediately" said Dimas with a tone of finality.


    Tapping his earpiece Sheppard and the prisoner were beamed aboard the Ares. Prenum would be placed in a hold with his fellow Genii. Their destination was an uninhabited planet without a stargate that had been recently selected for the task. With the wheels of justice once again coming to a halt it was hoped that life would return to normal for the nations affected.


    White House


    "So they found them guilty? Big surprise there" chuckled President Hayes.


    "They were found not guilty of the first two charges according to Colonel Sheppard''s report" answered Lt. Col. Davis.


    "Do they have the death penalty in the Pegasus galaxy" wondered the President.


    "Actually Mr. President they were not sentenced to death directly. They were banished to a world without a stargate. Furthermore they were restricted fire and water within one hundred days walk of a stargate" answered Davis.


    "So really then it is a death sentence. Didn''t the roman''s restrict fire and water when they exiled someone" asked Hayes.


    "I believe they did Mr. President" admitted Davis.

 Chapter 47

    Hyperspace


    In the swirling blue and black kaleidoscope of hyperspace fifty six Ha''Tak vessels of the Free Jaffa Nation sped towards their destination. On the bridge of the armada''s flagship stood Bra''tac, commander of the attack fleet. Not since his days as First Prime of Apophis had Bra''tac commanded a fleet as large as this. The old warrior had experienced much since then. From his first encounter with the Tauri to the freeing and unification under one government of the Jaffa much indeed had changed.


    "Master Bra''tac we will arrive at Tuat in one hour" stated Cha''ra.


    "Thank you Cha''ra. Send word to the other sh.i.p.s in the armada to prepare for battle. Have the gliders manned for immediate deployment and ground forces aboard Al''kesh ready for the same" ordered Bra''tac.


    "I will see to it now" answered Cha''ra.


    Aboard the sh.i.p.s of the FJN fleet warriors manned their gliders and Al''kesh. Ha''tak weapons were powered and placed in standby so they could be ready for use the moment hyperspace was exited. A feeling of tension and anger ran through all aboard. Their people had been attacked with a plague that chose its victims indiscriminately. Men, women, and children had fallen. Driven by a sense of honor righteous retribution would be exacted.


    "One minute until hyperspace exit" Cha''ra instructed.


    "When we exit hyperspace deploy the Al''kesh and gliders" countered Bra''tac.


    One million kilometers from Tuat fifty six hyperspace windows opened. The imposing Ha''tak vessels began spewing forth two Al''kesh apiece followed by forty eight gliders per mothership. All combined the one hundred and twelve Al''kesh was escorted behind a massive wave of twenty six hundred gliders. Behind this vanguard force the fifty six Ha''tak vessels advanced.


    "Enemy Ha''tak vessels are in orbit of the planet. They are seventy in number. Sensors are also detecting a much larger ship very similar to past Goa''uld flagsh.i.p.s" said Cha''ra.


    "Instruct all vessels to commence firing on the enemy fleet" ordered Bra''tac.


    On command each Ha''tak of the Free Jaffa Nation opened fire. Aboard each vessel sixty staff cannons unleashed their highly powerful bolts of energy. Volley upon volley of cannon fire erupted from the fleet. The shields of the Lucian Alliance vessels flared upon impact but held firm. Massive volumes of fire steadily impacted the shields to the same effect.


    "Why have they not returned fire when we are within range" asked Bra''tac.


    "They cower in fear at the might of our forces" snarled Cha''ra.


    "Or this is a trap" whispered Bra''tac.


    Suddenly sensors bloomed with reports of multiple explosions. Five Jaffa Ha''tak fell within seconds of each other. Following their standing orders the armada broke into three separate elements to disperse the enemy fire that didn''t appear to exist.


    "Many vessels are reporting sudden explosions aboard. Sensors have not detected weapons fire from the Lucian Alliance fleet. How is this possible" asked Cha''ra.


    Before an answer could be given ten more vessels fell to the mysterious attacker. While this bombardment occurred the Al''kesh and gliders continued toward the planet to press home their assault.


    "Order all sh.i.p.s to cease fire" shouted Bra''tac.


    "We must not cower in the face of our enemy Master Bra''tac" countered Cha''ra.


    "These are Tobin mines. They seek out attacking sh.i.p.s. Somehow our enemies have either collected them for their own uses or built some of their own. Our sh.i.p.s must cease fire" answered Bra''tac.


    Staff cannon fire ceased within seconds. Unknown to Bra''tac the Tobin mines possessed their own inertial propulsion system, and were programmed to home in on any offender within their sensor''s range. Although no longer firing twelve more FJN Ha''tak were destroyed.


    Aboard the Lucian Alliance mothership Mallic watched events unfold with a vicious grin on his face. The Jaffa had behaved as he knew they would and fallen directly into the trap that had laid in wait. Dialing in his commands he opened a subspace message to the attacking fleet.


    "Forces of the Jaffa we have been expecting you. You are outnumbered and outgunned. Any attempt to fire on my forces will seal your fate and end in your destruction. Surrender now" hissed Mallic.


    The Tobin mines were programmed to recognize the frequencies employed by weapons of Lucian Alliance vessels as friendly unlike those of the Jaffa. Lucian Ha''tak vessels opened up in a thunderous volley of fire at the incoming Jaffa gliders. Pressing home their attack the gliders continued on their course. Mallic''s mothership charged its two hundred energy enhanced cannons and targeted the incoming Al''kesh. The pilots aboard the Al''kesh knew they stood very little chance against the might of the mothership but their sense of honor and duty to countrymen ensured they too pressed on towards the planet. Aboard these craft was the spearhead of the Jaffa ground attack.


    In moments the gliders and transports were no more. Instantly the Lucian Alliance Ha''tak vessels turned their attention to the Jaffa Ha''tak fleet. Weapons fire burst forth aimed at the remains of the Jaffa fleet. Fire was returned, but it was no match. Concentrating their fire on the nearest Lucian vessels eight were destroyed but it was not enough. Jaffa numbers continued to dwindle.


    "Jaffa vessels, I will offer you a chance to live only once. Surrender and live or fight and die. The choice is yours" said Mallic in an icy tone.


    Refusing to bow to another oppressor the Jaffa forces continued their attack. Six more Lucian vessels were destroyed but at a cost of ten Jaffa Ha''tak. Bra''tac knew he was on the losing side of this battle. Retreat was not an option, but to press home an attack against superior sh.i.p.s wasn''t much of an option either. Working quickly he sent word to the remaining sh.i.p.s of his armada what must be done. To a man they agreed. Opening a video subspace message to the Lucian commander he began to speak.


    "Lucian Alliance forces, I am Bra''tac commander of the Free Jaffa Fleet. For too long our people cowered under our Goa''uld oppressors. Never again will we bow again. If I die I will die free" boldly stated Bra''tac.


    With a signal the remaining three Jaffa vessels rapidly accelerated to full sub light speed. Their internal power cores set to overload within seconds. Side by side Bra''tac and Cha''ra watched as they drew closer and closer to the Lucian mothership.


    "It has been an honor to fight beside you Master Bra''tac. In death we are free" said Cha''ra.


    "Yes brother, in death we are indeed free" replied Bra''tac.


    With shields already depleted Bra''tac''s Ha''tak slammed bodily into the protective shield of the mothership milliseconds before the power core went critical and exploded.


    True to his word Bra''tac embraced the darkness of death and once more tasted freedom. Only the dead know the end of war.

 Chapter 48

    The Pentagon, Earth


    Within the E ring, the Pentagon''s outermost ring laid the offices of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Once the largest office building in the world; the Pentagon had witnessed more technological advancements than its occupant''s would ever admit. Normally events involving national security were discussed in the Chairman''s office, but today larger matters would be discussed.


    Sitting in the outer waiting room were three Navy officers, each the rank of Commander. All three men wore the badge of the submarine force on their dark blue dress uniform. Being a very competitive lot each of the men was used to being the alpha dog in his pack. In the silence of the waiting room the three men intently sized the other up. From a desk beside the door sat the Chairman''s Aide De Camp, an Army Major.


    "Gentlemen, General Maynard will see you now" said the Major.


    Escorting the three naval officers into the General''s office the Major placed their service jackets on the Chairman''s desk before quietly leaving.


    General Francis Maynard in his role as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was a large supporter of the Stargate Program. His support had been crucial during the first days of President Hayes''s administration. A career Army officer he considered this last posting before retirement to be the pinnacle of his a.d.u.l.t life. With a wave of the hand he motioned for the three naval officers to take a seat.


    "I think we can dispense with the formality for now. With what I am about to share with you I see no reason to have you report to me as if this was plebe summer at the academy" began the Chairman.


    Each of the officers nodded their heads. The rumors apparently were true that General Maynard was a no nonsense straight from the hip type of man.


    "What I''m about to disclose to you is one of the most tightly controlled black projects your country has ever undertaken. Historically this program has been under the purview of the Air Force but a recent manpower increase has made it necessary to include select members of the Navy. Make no mistake gentlemen any disclosure of even the smallest detail of what you are about to be briefed in on will result in a very long term in a military confinement facility, is that clear" asked Maynard.


    "Very clear Sir" they answered in unison.


    "For the better part of two decades the Air Force has operated the Stargate Program. During it''s time in action we have traveled to several hundred worlds within this galaxy and several others. We have acquired very advanced alien technologies to include spacecraft, weaponry, medical advances, and in several instances the sum total of knowledge and understanding of certain races. Are you following me so far" asked Maynard.


    The three Commanders knew that men of Maynard''s rank didn''t play practical jokes. What he was saying had to be true. The three men''s jaws dropped momentarily before their composure returned.


    "Everyone''s jaw drops the first time they hear this so I''ll continue on. I will only be giving you the high points and the little details and mission reports you can get up to speed on when you arrive at Area 51. Utilizing the lost city of Atlantis as a forward operating base in the Pegasus galaxy we are currently in a state of war with a hostile race known as the Wraith. Limited hostilities are ongoing within our own galaxy between our world and a group known as the Lucian Alliance. Luckily the three of you missed the Ori incursion. Hostilities with the Lucian Alliance came about due to our victory in the eight year long war with the Goa''uld which ended their stranglehold over our galaxy once defeated" calmly stated the Chairman.


    "Atlantis" said Commander Pacheco questioningly.


    "The briefing material will cover all of that Commander. Being that the three of you are due at Area 51 tonight we only have so much time to discuss this. According to the Chief of Naval Operations you three are the most hard charging and innovative submarine skippers the fleet has. It also helps that none of you are married. Each of you will be assigned a new command where you will put your skills to use in defense of your nation, your world, and the human race. Commander Pacheco you will be taking command of precommisioning unit Yorktown. Commander Tomlinson you will take command of precommisioning unit Lexington, and Commander Kline you will be taking command of precommisioning unit Saratoga. I wish you god speed in your commands of our latest intergalactic vessels gentlemen" said Maynard.


    The three men stared at the General as if he were insane. From there the three started to trade looks with one another waiting to see who yelled "Gotcha" first.


    Entering the Chairman''s office his aide quickly took charge of the three stunned naval officers. To keep the schedule that was set for them they must leave now to meet with the puddle jumper that would fly them to Area 51. The major laughed to himself at the stunned look on the three men''s faces remembering how he had felt once being briefed into the program.

 Chapter 49

    Destiny


    Traversing the void between galaxies took time. With each passing day Destiny was closer and closer to Eden and the super gate that would carry the ship and crew back to the Milky Way. Within the chair room discussing the chair interface stood Eli, Rush, Brody, Volker, and the avatar of Destiny.


    "You really think Colonel Young will agree to this? I think not" spat Rush.


    "In the past he agreed to yourself and Franklin sitting in the chair" protested Volker.


    "Yeah but that was in an emergency. Rush has a point" conceded Brody.


    "If we discuss this with him and Destiny explains the safety measures we just might be able to convince him" sighed Eli.


    Picking up his radio Rush quickly asked Young to join the team. The scientist quickly began to put together a strategy in his mind that would see him as the one to sit in the chair. Having invested so much he felt strongly that if anyone was to sit in it that it should be him. While continuing to weigh the variables of the conversation to come Rush noticed in the corner of his eye the Colonel entering the chair room.


    "What have you got for me" asked Young.


    "Colonel Young, the crew has done an admirable job of managing my systems since your arrival, but our journey to Terra is far from complete. In order to bring about maximum efficiency further knowledge is required on everyone''s part. To make that possible I must implant the required knowledge via the interface chair" crisply stated Destiny.


    "Absolutely not" replied Young.


    "We''ve discussed the matter with Destiny already. After analyzing our physiology certain safeguards have been put in place. Its danger free" responded Eli.


    "The answer is still no. Too many times situations like this have gone wrong. I can''t risk it. My duty is to get everyone aboard home and I''m not willing to risk it" retorted Young.


    "Colonel, it''s in Destiny''s own interests to keep us alive and well. I doubt Destiny would suggest this unless it were entirely necessary" responded Rush smoothly.


    "And who is the volunteer? Let me guess; you" Young said with a certain level of agitation.


    "As the one person to interface and walk away from it yes I am the logical choice" answered Rush.


    "The answer is still now Rush" replied Young.


    "Colonel, if I may interject for a moment. After careful analysis of all under your command I have put together an order of use for the interface. Doctor Rush you are currently number two on that list" informed Destiny.


    "Who is your choice Destiny" asked Young.


    "In order of precedence I propose Eli be the first, followed by Doctor Rush, TJ, Ronald Greer, Doctor Brody, and yourself" responded Destiny.


    "Just why is this needed" asked Young.


    "Without a broader knowledge base even simple functions and interactions with my systems are far more difficult. The science staff can put the knowledge to use in countless ways which I''m sure you understand. TJ will be provided a complete understanding of biology, medicine, and the medical equipment I have aboard. Ronald Greer will be provided with a complete understanding of the security systems at his disposal, advanced tactics, and Alterran fighting arts. You Colonel will be given a complete understanding of navigation, tactics, a compendium of Alterran interstellar military history, and the same skills I will provide to Ronald Greer. In addition each who sit in the chair will become fluent in the Alterran written and spoken language which will assist in day to day functions aboard" calmly informed Destiny.


    "What are the safeguards to be put in place" asked Young.


    "Instead of one massive jolt of information it will be implanted in packets of data over a period of hours. Those packets of information will unfold within the subconscious as the subject sleeps. Since this isn''t the repository of ancient knowledge we''ve run into in the past the problems encountered then shouldn''t be an issue" said Brody.


    "Eli, are you certain you want to do this knowing what''s happened in the past" asked Young.


    "I''ve never been more sure of anything in my life" quickly replied Eli.


    "I know I''m going to regret this. Ok, set it up. If anything looks the slightest bit wrong I want to know about it that second" ordered Young before leaving the room.


    "That was easier than I thought it would be" muttered Volker.


    "Well he has been tired so maybe that explains it" said Brody in his joking way.


    Over the course of the next hour the team went over every safety protocol Destiny put in place. When all measures had been examined Eli sat in the chair. Although he wouldn''t admit it he was nervous. In his mind he heard Destiny''s soothing voice informing him he had nothing to fear. With a metallic click the wrist and ankle restraints snapped into place. Quickly the neural interface bolts made contact with Eli''s temples.


    Eli found himself standing in a hallway that looked very familiar. It was Kresge Auditorium on the campus if MIT. Looking around he saw that he was the only one in attendance. The lights began to dim and an overhead projection background dropped into place over the stage. On screen a movie began, only this movie was on the design, construction, and history of Destiny. In his field of view in low light Eli could make out ancient letters flashing by. Instead of keeping track of the letters dashing by he decided to intently watch the movie playing out in front of him. They even got the guy with the deep voice from all the commercials on TV to narrate, how cool is that he thought.


    "How are his vitals" asked Volker.


    "His blood pressure, heart rate, and neural activity are all within safe levels" responded Brody.


    "He''s got a grin on his face. For being first he bloody well ought to have a smile" said an annoyed Rush.


    The film continued to play on. Eli watched as Destiny was constructed. The designer and his family came into view inspecting the fruit of his labor. Watching Destiny''s launch to much fanfare Eli couldn''t help but think they would have been proud to know how far the ship had traveled. Into the young mans subconscious mind drifted entire systems of mathematics that had not even been conceived yet on Earth, as well as highly advanced systems for engineering, physics and astrophysics.


    Three hours later the transfer nodes screwed away from his temples, and the restraints released. Opening his eyes Eli saw the assembled team around him staring at him with wide eyes.


    "What did you learn? Out with it" demanded Rush in his brisk way.


    "I understand now" answered Eli.


    "What do you understand" asked Brody.


    "Everything" answered Eli before standing up and heading towards his quarters.

 Chapter 50

    Pegasus galaxy


    On the far outskirts of the galaxy within a solar system devoid of life except Todd''s forces a lone Asgard vessel exited hyperspace. Thor''s mission was simple; establish a dialogue with Todd and develop an end game strategy for the relocation of the hybrid''s to another galaxy. A subspace message sent hours before ensured Todd was prepared for the meeting the moment Thor''s ship was detected. Locking on to Todd''s location Thor quickly beamed the former Wraith aboard his vessel before jumping back into hyperspace.


    "Greetings, I am Thor; Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet" began Thor.


    "I am the one known as Todd by your allies" answered Todd.


    "I have brought you here to discuss your people''s relocation after the conclusion of this conflict" stated Thor.


    "I have known for some time that the human populations of this galaxy would not stomach the presence of my hybrids. Even though we no longer feed on humans a certain amount of animosity is to be expected" innocently said Todd.


    "You and your followers are only being sparred due to the assistance you provided Atlantis in defense of Earth. Do not mistake kindness for weakness. The Wraith view you as a threat and the five races will not fight your war for you. We will assist you in extermination of the Wraith threat in this galaxy once and for all. Any that wish to defect to your side will be allowed to do so. I must stress the point though that once relocated any intimidation of races not threatening to you will be dealt with in the harshest measure" threatened Thor.


    "Many Wraith have learned the futility of fighting the Tauri in the years since their arrival. They are a far more adaptable and militaristic people than the ancients. With the tools and technology they now have at their disposal it is simply a matter of time before they achieve dominance of this galaxy. My goal is to unify my followers under one rule and finally bring them together in a common goal" retorted Todd.


    "What goal might that be" asked Thor.


    "To progress as a species without the constant battle to feed" answered Todd.


    "When this war is at an end your people will board your vessels and enter stasis. Vessels of the Asgard Fleet will put you under tow to the galaxy of Othalla where we once called home. You will be allowed to inhabit select worlds within this galaxy and work towards your goal. The five great races will be watching you though make no mistake of that" responded Thor.


    "Everyday my numbers grow. A great battle approached though, and the Wraith will be prepared. With this meeting concluded I ask that you return me to my hive" finished Todd


    Lord Protector Planet


    "Doctor McKay, minimum safe levels of operation have been achieved and surpassed" stated Borealis.


    "I can see that. Please perform another system wide diagnostic and transmit the findings to Arkos" responded McKay.


    The ancient city ship was still far from repaired, but enough had been done to make the voyage to the Milky Way possible. With the assistance of the replicators created for the task, and several of the SGC and Atlantis science department members working night and day a certain level of functionality had been restored. High above the planet in orbit was the Athena. Her sensors searched out into the void for any threat that might make its presence known. Beaming down to the city ship was Colonel Eckhart.


    "Well McKay, what''s the verdict" asked the Colonel.


    "We''re running our final diagnostics now. These things take time" responded McKay.


    "We''ve finished installing the control panels in the gate room and routing all feeds into the panels. Thankfully the replicators were here to handle most of it. The locals on this planet made a mess of removing most of the work stations" stated Dr. Bill Lee.


    "Gentlemen, I ask that you keep in mind we are working under a time table. Several sh.i.p.s are standing by near Arkos station in the event the Lucian Alliance tries to make a play for Borealis. Sh.i.p.s are also spread out over the path you''ll take through the Milky Way in the event you drop out of hyperspace early" said Eckhart.


    "Well we won''t be dropping out of hyperspace. Some of us here are very good at our jobs" bristled McKay.


    "I agree Dr. Lee is great at what he does" retorted Eckhart while smiling an evil smile at Rodney.


    "Hey now" gasped Rodney.


    Appearing in front of the gathered men was the avatar of Borealis. Patiently she waited for the men''s conversation to end with a smirk on the corners of her mouth.


    "Diagnostics are complete Doctor. Power transfer operations are within tolerances, Stardrive function is operational although degraded due to ancillary power bleed from damaged towers, shield emitters are online, and weapons are available if needed" stated Borealis.


    "That is your cue to dial the gate to the Milky Way alpha site. The replicators will be going to join the others Atlantis has already sent through" stated Eckhart.


    "Provisions have already been beamed down from Athena Colonel. We are good to go on this end" said Lee.


    "Gentlemen, if you''ll excuse me I must go to the chair room. Someone has a city to fly" stated a very smug Rodney.


    "McKay, are you sure you want to do this? We can get Colonel Sheppard or Doctor Becket here in no time" said Eckhart.


    "Oh no, Rodney isn''t going to let anyone else steal his glory" laughed Lee.


    "In the past I have graciously allowed others to fly Atlantis. Being that I have the highest chair interface aptitude here I am the obvious choice for this. I''m sure Sheppard and Carson have other things to do in the meantime anyway" added Rodney.


    "Obvious? Um, yeah" answered Eckhart before beaming back to Athena.


    "I really don''t think he likes you that much" said Lee.


    "Maybe he''s just jealous" stated Rodney further compounding the already present smugness.


    "Um, yeah" said Lee before walking away.


    Heading down the stairs Rodney proceeded to the chair room. In all honesty he was a bit nervous about piloting the city ship. As something he had seen done but never done himself he was certain he could do it, but uncertain of how well he could do it. His hope of hopes was to make it to Arkos in one piece without providing any ammunition to laugh at or ridicule him about. Even vanity can have shades of a protective streak.


    Waiting beside the chair stood Borealis. Seeing the concerned look on McKay''s face and reading the neural interface data flowing from his mind she knew she should step in and assist.


    "Doctor McKay I am aware you have never flown anything other than a Jumper. With so much damage to my systems perhaps you would allow me to assist you in this matter. I of course will not inform the others of my assistance" stated Borealis while not saying that she was offering him a way to save face in front of the others.


    "I would gladly accept any assistance you could provide" answered Rodney quickly picking up what was left unsaid.


    Sitting down in the control chair Rodney felt the power of the city flow through his mind. Like an extension of the ship information filled his mind. Power states, sensor data, weapons status were all available to him.


    "Lee, this is McKay. Signal Athena that we are good to go" said Rodney into his earpiece.


    In orbit high above Athena left orbit and moved seventy thousand kilometers out. A quick computer command activated the locator beacons of each person on the city ship below in the event emergency beaming was required.


    "Sensors are showing massive energy blooms from Borealis" said the sensor operator.


    "Keep monitoring them for any problems. They should be lifting off momentarily" answered Eckhart.


    Aboard the city ship power flowed in unimaginable amounts throughout the city''s recently repaired power conduits. Shield emitters sprang to life spewing forth the impenetrable protective dome around the city. A deep rumble was felt as the star drive charged. Inertial dampeners came online in anticipation of the flight to come.


    "Borealis this is Athena. We show zero contacts in the system. You are clear to launch" stated the message from the vessel in orbit.


    "Lifting off now" came the reply.

 Chapter 51

    Lord Protector Planet


    With a thought Rodney began adding power to the sub-light engines. Around the city dust and dirt flew through the air as the great city slowly inched itself free of its earthy tomb. From the many fields of wheat in the distance and the newly constructed city people watched in awe as the city-ship rose from the surface. Continuing to add power to the sub light engines the city began to accelerate upwards. Massive amounts of dust bellowed from the ground below.


    "That''s quite a sight" whispered Eckhart.


    Climbing higher into the atmosphere the city ship continued to rise. In moments they would pass through the upper atmosphere of the planet and transition into the cold void of space.


    "Athena, we have achieved atmospheric exit. All systems in the green" stated Lee.


    "Borealis, this is Athena. Copy last. Can you give an approximation on where you intend to enter hyperspace" asked Eckhart.


    "Athena, we will enter Hyperspace beyond the outer moon in forty five seconds" responded Lee.


    "Godspeed Borealis" answered Eckhart.


    Gracefully slipping past Athena and breaking free of the gravitational pull of the planet and moons Borealis brought the star drive online for the first time in ten thousand years. With a massive flare of blue light from the Stardrive below Borealis jumped into the opening window of hyperspace and vanished.


    Hermes


    Having once before visited the system containing the planet of Tuat Colonel Mitchell knew to exit hyperspace outside of the solar system. Under cover of cloak the Hermes quickly entered the system at full sub light. Her long range Asgard sensors scanned the depths before them.


    "Sensors, what have you got" asked Mitchell.


    "Sensors are detecting massive amounts of residual radiation that was not present before" answered the sensor operator.


    ""And what of our Jaffa friends" asked Cam.


    "Nothing yet sir. It''s possible we won''t be able to detect them until we''re closer to Tuat" replied the sensor operator.


    Continuing her path towards the planet Hermes stealthily stalked ahead. The power of her sub light engines made it a short trip before her sensors began registering new findings.


    "Sensors are detecting energy signatures in diamond shaped formation all around us. Looks like possibly a mine field based on the deployment patters at work. We''re also detecting large amounts of wreckage, looks to be Ha''tak, glider, and Al''kesh sir" stated the sensor operator.


    "Give me a visual on the wreckage. Keep us clear of the mines" ordered Cam.


    The holographic display appeared on the control bridge of Hermes. The video feed showed the remains of a great battle here. In all directions shredded remains of Ha''tak class vessels were adrift. This had been a very nasty fight indeed.


    "Sensors are detecting multiple contacts in orbit" said the sensor operator.


    "Give me a visual" answered Cam.


    On the screen could be seen countless numbers of Ha''tak vessels. In the center of this mass of sh.i.p.s sat a mothership of massive proportions. The Jaffa had no such ship it was widely known.


    "That isn''t Jaffa at all. Give me detailed scans of the mothership, I want to know everything we can on it. It looks like our friends didn''t do so well here at all. The moment scans are complete get us out of this solar system so we can transmit our data to Earth. The Jaffa need to know what happened here" said an angry Cam.


    Dakara


    Exiting the Stargate onto the seat of power of the Free Jaffa Nation stood Joseph Briggman. The expert in civil affairs from the SGC had been dispatched to deliver the news of what the Hermes had discovered. Under escort to the ruling council''s chamber Briggman walked with purpose. It was never easy to deliver bad news but news of this magnitude was far more difficult to deliver. Entering the chamber he saw before him the ruling council of the Free Jaffa Nation seated at their circular table. He was quickly ushered to the stone podium that the seating table surrounded.


    "Thank you for allowing this audience so quickly" began Briggman.


    "What is it you wish to discuss with this council" inquired Teal''c.


    "Six hours ago one of our vessels, the Hermes under the command of Colonel Cameron Mitchell entered the system of Tuat" said Briggman.


    "Did we not make clear our desire to rectify this situation without the assistance of the Tauri" asked U''Kin.


    "That you did Councilor U''Kin. Our purpose was not to interfere with ongoing Jaffa military operations. We instructed the vessel to enter this territory to ascertain how the conflict was progressing" answered Briggman.


    "It could then be said that you did not deem this council capable or willing to inform you at our leisure" countered U''Kin.


    "That is not the case here I assure you Councilor. As a close ally we felt it necessary to maintain up to date information in the event our assistance was needed" answered Briggman.


    "Brothers and sisters, Mr. Briggman has traveled a great ways to deliver his message. Let us allow him to do so without turning this into a confrontation that serves no purpose in these turbulent times. Mr. Briggman, please continue" said Teal''c in a soothing voice.


    "Upon entry into the system in question the Hermes detected abnormally high levels of radiation consistent with large scale weapons fire and exposed power cores of Ha''Tak class vessels. Further examination showed large debris fields of wreckage consistent with Ha''tak, Al''kesh, and Glider class vessels" stated Briggman.


    "If what you say is true then our fleet perished while also defeating our enemy" defiantly proclaimed Ka''lel, the only female member of the council.


    "Councilor, I am afraid that is not the case as it stands. In orbit of the planet our vessel found a large Lucian Alliance fleet operating in conjunction with what appears to be a duplicate of the Apophis mothership. The wreckage was from FJN fleet forces. Scans of sh.i.p.s in orbit and further ground scans failed to detect any Jaffa present" stated Briggman in reply.


    "He lies" yelled Yat''Yir, jumping to his feet and slamming his fist into the table.


    "Councilor, I assure you this is truth I speak. My government will gladly turn over the relevant sensor data and video of the Hermes''s time in this system" countered Briggman.


    "The Tauri have never lied to us in the past. I fail to see how doing so now would suit their purposes" said Teal''c towards Yat''Yir.


    "We all expect you to defend the Tauri. For too many years you were their pet. Now in their time of need you show your master the obedience they demanded and still receive" hissed Yat''Yir.


    "Brother, I warn you to watch your tongue" threatened Teal''c.


    "Mr. Briggman, your vessel did not arrive until after this battle was concluded, yes" asked U''Kin.


    "That is correct. Hermes arrived on station sometime after the battle was over" answered Briggman.


    "I surmise that is not true. We all know the Tauri have cloaking technology that is undetectable to our sensors and by default to those of the Lucian Alliance. This plague arrives and the Tauri magically know where it originated. When we refuse their offer to participate in the conflict to come they mysteriously arrive after its end. Brothers and sisters, we have been and continue to be deceived by the Tauri! Could it be they spread this plague within the ranks of our people, and then participated in the attack against our fleet on the side of the Lucian Alliance? Even now they have their spy among our ranks in Teal''c" bellowed Yat''Yir.


    "We all remember the Tauri''s refusal to assist in the rescue of Teal''c and Ish''ta when Moloc''s forces rose up and kidnapped them. While I fail to believe they mounted an attack against our fleet I do believe that the timing of their discovery of its destruction is too convenient. The Tauri prefer to use surrogates to do their bidding, as they used Brother Teal''c. I for one can easily envision them sitting there under cloak as our fleet was destroyed while doing nothing, giving the Lucian Alliance tacit approval to murder our brothers and sisters" accused Ka''lel.


    "The people of my world have been your ally for some time now. Without our assistance you would still be under the yoke of Goa''uld enslavement. Without our assistance the replicators would have annihilated this planet. Without our assistance you would now all be enslaved by the armies of the Ori" countered Briggman.


    "Guards" yelled Yat''Yir.

 Chapter 52

    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    "Unscheduled activation" blared over the facility intercom system.


    Strolling into the control room with a cup of coffee in hand was General Hank Landry. Watching the event horizon settle into the normal puddle within the gate the General turned to the technician.


    "What have we got" asked Landry.


    "We have an incoming IDC. Its Teal''c sir" answered the tech.


    Strolling down the stairs and into the gate room the General wished to great his old friend. Standing at the base of the ramp that rose to the gate he saw Teal''c exit the event horizon. In his hands he carried a black metal box. Limping down the ramp Teal''c looked worse for wear. Suddenly he fell to his knees.


    "Medical team to the gate room" yelled Landry.


    "General Landry, I request asylum" Teal''c said before falling unconscious.


    Arriving in the gate room at the run the team quickly lifted Teal''c onto the waiting stretcher. At the run he was whisked away to the infirmary. Bending down picking up the box on the floor General Landry opened it. Inside the box he saw the unseeing eyes of Joseph Briggman looking back at him.


    Home World Command


    Walking to his office General Jack O''Neill was told he had an urgent phone call waiting for him. When was it not urgent he wondered? Stepping inside and closing the door Jack picked up the receiver.


    "O''Neill" said Jack.


    "Jack its Hank. We have a situation here" began Landry.


    "What kind of situation? The good kind, the bad kind, or the really bad kind" asked Jack.


    "A few minutes ago Teal''c arrived from Dakara looking like he lost a bar fight. Before he collapsed he requested asylum" said Landry.


    "Did he say why" asked Jack.


    "I''ll ask him when he''s awake, but you two go way back together so I was hoping you could be here to speak with him. Jack, he was carrying a box with him. It was the head of Joseph Briggman" said Landry.


    "Oh shit. The Jaffa have really gone and done it this time. Hank, I''ll be there shortly. Le''Triumphant is in orbit so I''ll have them beam me to you" said O''Neill with a sense of growing anger.


    "See you when you get here" finished Landry before hanging up.


    What is it with these people wondered O''Neill. The Jaffa had a bad habit of doing the worst thing possible, and did it with irritating frequency. Two phone calls later Jack had informed those in the know where he was off to.


    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    In a flash of light Jack appeared in Landry''s office. Seeing his old friend sitting behind his desk he quickly extended his hand to shake with Hank. The two men quickly set off for the infirmary without words.


    Outside of the infirmary Doctor Carolyn Lam saw the two approaching men and went to brief them. Tucking her charts under her arm she stopped the two men before they were near the infirmary entrance.


    "How is he Doc" asked Jack.


    "He''s awake, but he''s beat up. He has severe burns to his legs and back, and is suffering from equally severe muscle spasms. His electrolytes are far out of balance. We''ve seen this before on those tortured with the Rod of Anguish device. He''ll heal, but he won''t feel great for a few days" crisply stated Lam.


    "Ok, let me talk with him and figure out what is going on" said Jack.


    Entering the infirmary Jack saw his old friend lying in the infirmary bed. The sight of it reminded him of all his years with SG-1. Seeing that Teal''c was indeed awake and looking at him Jack went to his bedside.


    "I''m guessing this didn''t happen watching your Star Wars DVD''s" said Jack.


    "Indeed not O''Neill" answered Teal''c.


    "Then what happened" asked Jack.


    "Mr. Briggman arrived to brief the council. As you know several members of the council have no love for the Tauri. Yat''Yir accused the Tauri of duplicity with the Lucian Alliance in the destruction of our fleet. Tempers flared from that point forward. Yat''Yir moved to seize Mr. Briggman when I intervened. In my attempt to get Mr. Briggman to the Stargate and escape we were both captured. Mr. Briggman was forced to watch while I was tortured with the Rod of Anguish. Yat''Yir with the council behind his leadership informed Mr. Briggman and myself that no alliance can exist between our two people. It is demanded that the Tauri remain outside of Jaffa controlled space. Any intrusion will be looked upon as an act of war" solemnly stated Teal''c.


    "Are they out of their damned minds" asked Jack.


    "Indeed they are O''Neill. At the order of Yat''Yir Mr. Briggman was executed. I was then pushed through the stargate with his head to present as a symbol of the severing of diplomatic ties between our people. If I return to a Jaffa controlled world I will be put to death as a traitor to my people. For that reason I request I be allowed to remain on Earth and be allowed to return to the SGC" said Teal''c.


    "Could the Jaffa overreact any more than they do on a good day? Jesus! Of course you can rejoin the SGC. We granted you asylum when you first joined SG-1, so no problem there. Go ahead and get some rest. I''ve got to fill in everyone above me on this matter. I wish I could say it''s good to have you back, but under the circ.u.mstances I don''t think you would agree with me. Get some rest, we''ll talk soon" said Jack.


    "Indeed we will O''Neill" said Teal''c before drifting off.

 Chapter 53

    Pluto


    The massive hyperspace widow tore open and ejected the ancient city ship Borealis. In loose orbit near the Arkos shipyard standing guard were the Aurora class vessels Roma and Frazier, further out under cover of cloak and operating under a skeleton crew was the Athena class vessel Ajax. The three warsh.i.p.s knew the most dangerous time during the return of Borealis was after exit from hyperspace but before docking within the shipyard. With shields up and weapons at the ready the three sentinels stood guard while the city ship was guided into the safety of Arkos.


    All aboard the ancient shipyard stopped to watch as Borealis was brought into dock. The damage to the ship caught many off guard. She would be repaired and would soon stand proud like her sister Atlantis. Several of the onlookers pondered submitting their candidacy now for future posting to the city ship that would surely return to Pegasus.


    Within minutes of docking an army of repair robots swarmed over Borealis. A large majority of the shipyards resources were being diverted to repairing her. In another part of the shipyard doctors McKay and Lee joined the assembled engineering team to go over additions that would be added. The opportunity to make the already powerful city ship even more powerful than the ancients had intended was simply too much to resist. Assisting in this endeavor were several teams of Alterran, Furling, and Asgard scientists recently arrived from Vis Uban specifically for the Task.


    Home World Command


    Daniel Jackson had arrived an hour before at the behest of his long time friend General Jack O''Neill. As a rule Jackson tried to limit his time in the Pentagon to a minimum. Ushering him into his office Jack quickly began speaking.


    "I assume you''ve heard about the situation with Teal''c" said Jack.


    "Kind of hard not to hear about someone showing up with a head in a box Jack" replied Daniel.


    "Yeah, it''s a messy business" agreed Jack.


    "The Jaffa executed a friendly ambassador Jack. Surely something is going to be done about this" protested Jackson.


    "That''s out of my hands for now. The IOA is taking the lead on this one" answered Jack.


    "The IOA? Why am not surprised? You and I both know they will make an even bigger mess of this than it already is" surmised Jackson.


    "We''ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In case you haven''t noticed my plate is slightly full with everything going on elsewhere" answered O''Neill.


    "So what was so important to drag me here Jack" asked Daniel.


    "I want to know your plans for the future" stated Jack.


    "As you know I''m still pouring over the Atlantis database. That alone could take years" answered Daniel.


    "You''re going to be pulled off that for now actually" interjected O''Neill.


    "What? I''m the most qualified person for this! I''m not doing another video introduction series for the program instead. People didn''t like the first series I''m told" huffed Daniel.


    "The IOA is posting you elsewhere Daniel and it''s out of my hands" said Jack leaning back in his office chair.


    "Jack, I won''t work for the IOA. I''m not a politician and unlike them I actually enjoy accomplishing things that are beneficial to mankind" said Daniel hotly.


    "Calm down for a second. You huffed and puffed when I didn''t let you join the Atlantis expedition. So here is your chance now. Borealis will be returning to Pegasus when repaired" stated O''Neill.


    "So you called me all the way here to tell me I''m joining the team on Borealis when she''s repaired" asked Daniel.


    "No Daniel, I''m not telling you you''re joining the team. I''m telling you that you will be commanding the team" smugly stated Jack.


    "Commanding? Um Jack, I''m not a member of the IOA or a military officer" retorted Daniel.


    "Neither was Dr. Weir" countered Jack.


    "If I were to do this would I be free to continue my research" asked Daniel.


    "What you do in your free time is up to you Daniel. Frankly the thoughts of what you do on a Saturday night are too scary to contemplate to me anyway" answered Jack.


    Sitting back in his chair Daniel pondered the offer of this assignment. The chance to finally have unrestricted access around the clock to a city of the ancients was too tempting to resist. Think of all he could accomplish. If Woolsey can do this then I am certain I can also he thought.


    "Why me" asked Daniel.


    "The argument was made for you that without your contributions to the program we wouldn''t be anywhere near where we are today. You did after make travel through the stargate possible" answered Jack.


    "Ok Jack, I accept" said Daniel proudly.

 Chapter 54

    New Heliopolis


    In the wake of the Jaffa execution of Mr. Briggman revulsion had rippled through the five races. Civilized people were expected to respect the sanctity of diplomats. In the aftermath of this recent debacle it was decided to immediately halt all aid to the Jaffa. No further would medical or technological assistance be provided. Military action was not considered, but not ruled out should further hostile actions take place.


    Hammond


    Dropping from hyperspace the Hammond engaged sub light engines. The long range sensors of Atlantis had shown this area of space was the most likely drop out point from hyperspace for the Wraith hive ship that was being tracked. It was the Hammond''s mission to intercept and engage this hive before the culling it was surely headed to perform.


    "Raise shields. Anything on the sensors" asked Colonel Carter.


    "No ma''am, sensors are clear at the moment" responded Major Marks.


    "Go to battle stations. I want to be ready the moment they exit hyperspace" ordered Carter.


    Onboard the Hammond men and women hurried through the many corridors of the ship to their assigned battle stations. Like a finely tuned machine the crew of the Hammond readied themselves for the battle to come. This well rehearsed dance was now second nature during their time in the Pegasus galaxy.


    "Hyperspace window opening to starboard. One hive and one cruiser detected" said Marks quickly.


    "Move to intercept. Power up the Asgard beam and give me three bursts at the cruiser" ordered Carter.


    "They are powering weapons" announced Marks.


    Changing course the Hammond charged towards the two Wraith vessels from abeam. Three bright shafts of superheated plasma sprang forth towards the smaller Wraith vessel. Tearing through the organic hull of the vessel the beams destroyed everything in their path. Passing through the interior of the hull the three beams broke through the other side and continued on into the emptiness of space. In seconds the Wraith cruiser disintegrated in a horrific explosion consuming the entire ship.


    "Cruiser is neutralized. The hive is firing" crisply stated Marks.


    The many weapons points along the flank of the hive ship spat a powerful volley of energy bolts towards the Hammond. Colliding into the Tauri sh.i.p.s shields each bolt caused the shields to blossom brightly as the Wraith weapons fire dissipated against the protective energy screen. Aboard the Hammond sparks flew from electronics consoles below and over head of the crew seated on the bridge.


    "Shields are at ninety one percent" called out Marks.


    "Target the dart bay doors, give me two bursts from the beam" ordered Carter.


    Nimbly maneuvering to avoid the Wraith weapons fire the Hammond again fired her Asgard beam weapons. The silvery colored beams covered the distance between the two combating vessels in less than a second. On contact the dart bay door buckled. In the sudden vacuum darts and Wraith pilots were forcibly ejected into the harshness of space. Despite this the hive continued firing upon the Hammond and scoring successive hits.


    "Shields are at seventy four percent" stated Marks.


    "Engage the cloak and move out of their weapons range. Then bring us in behind them and target their hyper drive" ordered Carter.


    The 304 class vessel accelerated to full sub light and banked away from the imposing hive ship. With her clock engaged the vessels disappeared visibly and from the sensors aboard the hive. Using the confusion to their advantage the Hammonds crew maneuvered in behind the hive before disengaging the clock. Within seconds a single beam raced forward towards the hive. On contact the hyper drive and the Wraith hope of escape disintegrated. Seeing their means to escape vanish the Wraith opened fire with renewed vigor. Frightening amounts of weapons fire impacted the Hammonds shields.


    "Shields are at sixty one percent. Recommend we open the distance between ourselves and the hive ma''am. We can''t take that kind of fire for much longer" stated Marks.


    "Evasive maneuvers. I want to be in front of them. Giving me lateral separation of ten thousand kilometers" ordered Carter.


    Weaving along an erratic and unpredictable path the Hammond opened the distance. Once the distance was met Hammond turned on her access bringing the two vessels head on. In an intergalactic game of chicken the two vessels faced off.


    "Fire all Asgard beam batteries. Transfer power to shields" ordered Carter.


    Eight lethal shafts of superheated plasma raced towards the hive. In rapid succession they struck. With the hull breached internal bulkheads began to buckle. Power conduits sheared by the beam overloaded the hives power grid and generators began to go critical. Internal explosions created a lethal firestorm that raced through the maze of chambers and hallways of the Wraith vessel.


    "The hive core is going critical" stated Marks.


    "Maximum sub light, get us away from them. Transfer power from the beam weapons to shields" ordered Carter.


    From the many breaches of its hull the hive vented atmosphere and jets of flame from the firestorm that consumed her decks. As the central power core detonated golden tinted energy broke free from the confines of the organic hull. In fraction of a second the entire hive disintegrated in a horrific explosion from within. The only marker left behind by the now dead Wraith was a pocket of persistent radiation.


    "Hive destroyed. Sensors are clear" said Marks happily.


    "We took a bit more damage than I had hoped for. Engage the hyper drive and set course for Atlantis. Smoke them if you''ve got them" said Sam with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 55

    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    Heading down the corridor on level 26 was General Hank Landry. After a brief conversation over the phone with the IOA his marching orders were delivered. Knowing he was about to send people under his command into a potentially dangerous situation the General thought it best to find out more about what they were to deliver. Turning into the lab of Doctor Lindsey Novak all the General could do was hope the good doctor didn''t pick this moment to let her hiccup problem make a return.


    "General, what can I do for you" asked Novak upon seeing Hank enter.


    "Doctor, I''ve been given a green light to deploy your project, but I would appreciate it if you would explain just what it is before I do so" said Landry.


    "Your people are deploying a program I developed called Hermiod. It''s an advanced persistent threat program. I named it Hermiod after the Asgard we had aboard Daedalus. It looks benign and helpful but is silently cursing at you under its breath" laughed Novak.


    "I doubt the Asgard would appreciate that doctor. Now, what does it do exactly and how does it work" asked Landry trying to contain his annoyance.


    "Hermiod is loaded onto this crystal, which is also loaded with standard software found on all Goa''uld origin craft. Since other software is contained on the crystal the presence of Hermiod is masked. Upon uploading the program creates a microsecond long subspace burst that transmits coordinates and past navigational data. Once implanted on a single vessel in a large fleet Hermiod can transmit itself to all other vessels that have communicated in the past with the infected ship. In simulations Hermiod displayed he ability to infect a fleet of thousands of sh.i.p.s in a matter of days" proudly stated Novak.


    "So you''re telling me this will tag and track any vessel it comes into contact with? We''ll have the ability to track the Lucian Alliance fleet" asked Landry.


    "Yes General. The one concern I have is Lucian Alliance fleets like Jaffa fleets are all captured Goa''uld vessels. If the two nations vessels have communicated with each other at anytime since their construction Hermiod will jump to the other nations vessels and spread quickly. That was the one weakness I outlined in my report to the IOA" answered Novak.


    "After what the Jaffa have done the need to track their vessels also is probably what the IOA found so attractive" stated Landry.


    "I heard about that. Scary people" agreed Novak.


    "You''re absolutely certain this program can''t be detected and traced back to us right" asked Landry.


    "Hermiod is undetectable since it is a base engineering directive program. In tests even with knowledge of the program and where it was still resulted in a zero detection threshold" confidently stated Novak.


    "I really hope you''re right" said Landry while walking out of the scientist''s office.


    With answers in hand Landry quickly made his way to the control room. Walking in to the nerve center of the SGC Landry quickly approached the Sergeant manning the dialing computer.


    "Sergeant, dial the alpha site and tell them Vala has a go" ordered Landry.


    "Right away Sir" responded the Sergeant.


    Destiny


    In the several days that past after seating in the interface chair Eli had taken to wandering the hallways aboard Destiny. His only company during these frequent and often long walks was his Ipad. Furiously the young man jotted down notes. With a growing sense of alarm Scott had decided to finally intervene thinking that the solitary wanderings were doing more harm than good to his friend. Finding him in a corridor near the front of the ship Scott approached him.


    "Eli, can I talk to you" asked Scott.


    "Did you need help with something" asked Eli in response.


    "Are you ok? Look Eli, when you lost Ginn you were like this and we gave you space and time to come to terms with it. Since you sat in that chair you''ve kind of withdrawn from all of us. All we see you do is wander the ship alone with your Ipad. Something is wrong and you can talk to me" said Scott.


    "Nothing is wrong at all. When I''m running something over in my mind I walk around. It''s my process" conceded Eli.


    "Chloe and I are both concerned since we never see you in the mess hall anymore" retorted Scott.


    "What do you want me to say? I''m just thinking of things I''ve never thought of before and it just takes time" said Eli in a conciliatory tone.


    "You''ve got friends here. We all care about you. Just tell us what is going on. I know something is wrong" said Scott.


    "That''s not it at all. Everything has never been more right in my life. I see things now with such amazing clarity. I''ve wandered through life wishing I had the answers and now I do" stated Eli.


    "What are you talking about? You aren''t making any sense" said Scott pointedly.


    "When I got here I was just some kid that never finished college. I''ve had so much potential but never managed to live up to it. Can you imagine what that''s like you whole life? I''ve been given a gift that can make a difference and for the first time I''m not going to waste my gifts" responded Eli.


    "You''re probably the smartest guy I''ve ever known in my life Eli. You haven''t wasted your gifts. You''re just young is all. Heck, I''m young too. Don''t be so hard on yourself" urged Scott.


    "I''m not being hard on myself and pouting by myself. I''ve been busy working" replied Eli.


    "Care to share what you''ve been working on" asked Scott.


    "I''ve been working on a way to improve the main weapon. I think I''ve figured out a way to channel raw power from the ship into the weapon. With a few modifications to the weapon capacitors and energy conduits I believe I can make it possible to fire a three second continuous beam that will fuse to any surface it comes in contact with including shields" proudly stated Eli.


    "So you''ve thought up a fusion beam? Is that what you''re telling me" asked Scott.


    "Not exactly. By channeling raw energy into the weapon you''re unleashing incredible amounts of power. A sh.i.p.s shield is just a field of highly charges ions structured into a rigid form of your design. If it works my changes to the weapon will allow for the shot to fuse to these ions and not just collapse them but incorporate them into the strength of the beam. Imagine a one shot kill. Would have come in handy a few times" said Eli.


    "And the chair gave you this idea" asked Scott.


    "No, I got the idea from a video game I used to play. Kind of a cool idea if you ask me. The chair just gave me the tools to make the idea a reality" answered Eli.


    "Um cool I guess" said Scott at a loss for words.


    "If it matters I also take these walks so I don''t have to deal with Rush" conceded Eli.


    "I hear that! He''s been driving everyone crazy. I didn''t think the guy could get any stranger but after sitting in the chair all he''s done is guzzle coffee and go over things in the database. Too bad Destiny couldn''t download a better mood for him" sighed Scott.


    "He''ll never change. He''s got a nasty little god complex. I still can''t figure out what Amanda Perry ever saw in him" stated Eli.


    "Well come on, its burgers and tater tots in the mess. I know how you love your tater tots. Chloe is waiting for us. Let''s go grab some lunch" suggested Scott.


    "Sounds good to me" said Eli.


    "All this walking has done you good. You look like you''ve been working out" said Scott.


    "Shut it" laughed Eli.

 Chapter 56

    Atlantis


    In the control room normal operations of the day were taking place. Off world teams came and went, mission reports were filed while mission briefings took place, and the steady flow of paperwork that made up the day to day life of Mr. Woolsey maintained a steady flow. Stepping into the doorway of Woolsey''s office stood Chuck.


    "Mr. Woolsey, you have an incoming subspace message" said Chuck.


    Rising from behind his desk Woolsey quickly covered the short distance to the control interface station. With a nod of his head the incoming message stream was displayed on the flat panel monitor.


    "Atlantis, this is Apollo" began the communiqu¨¦ from Colonel Ellis.


    "Go ahead Colonel" answered Woolsey.


    "Based on the intelligence provided by Todd we can now confirm a major shipbuilding effort is in play by the Wraith" stated Ellis.


    "What did you find Colonel" asked Woolsey.


    "The third planet on the list provided seems to be a major hub of activity. In orbit we counted four large battle groups of both hive and cruiser class vessels. Under cloak we moved in for a closer look and found upwards of forty vessels in varies states of completion" intoned Ellis.


    "Were you detected" asked Woolsey.


    "Wraith forces gave no indications of detecting our presence and did not engage. With the amount of security in orbit this looks to be a very secure location, so I would say that any hint we were here would have brought about a response" answered Ellis.


    "Are you returning to Atlantis" asked Woolsey.


    "At this time we are continuing our recon of the remaining planets Todd mentioned. We are however transmitting video and photographic feeds of what we found. Apollo out" ended Ellis.


    "File received Mr. Woolsey" sated Chuck.


    "Upload that to Colonel''s Sheppard and Frost. Also dial Earth and flag this priority action immediate for the SGC and the IOA" ordered Woolsey before returning to his office.


    Home World Command


    After returning from New Heliopolis Lt. Colonel Paul Davis had quickly made his way to the Pentagon via a cloaked puddle jumper. With the constant off world conferences he attended he thought it was good he wasn''t married after all. A lower enlisted runner had quickly ushered Davis into the depths of Home World Command and seated him in General O''Neill''s office.


    "So what have you got for me Paul" asked Jack.


    "More than usual General" responded Davis.


    "Nothing beats the intergalactic rumor mill over morning coffee" said a smiling O''Neill.


    "The Alterran''s and Furlings have informed me the final sections of the super gate will be complete within twenty four hours and in place within forty eight. They have requested a further twenty four hour window to calibrate all systems and the gate''s protective shield" stated Davis.


    "So Destiny is finally coming home eh" asked O''Neill.


    "It seems that way sir. The Council of Races is highly concerned about another attempt to capture Destiny after it exits the gate. We have been asked to divert fleet assets to sanitize the area around the gate to ensure Destiny doesn''t blindly walk into something unfortunate. Upon exit of the gate an Asgard O''Neill class vessel will take Destiny under tow into hyperspace and deliver her to Arkos Station. This brings me to the next matter of business" said Davis.


    "Which is" asked Jack.


    "''As you know Ms. Mal Doran managed to plant the advanced persistent threat program in a minor level Lucian Alliance shipyard where she had past dealings. The location signals from vessels tagged is to be monitored from the November site. It appears the propagation method is far faster than we imagined. The monitoring station is currently tracking several hundred small and large vessels throughout the galaxy. They tell me the program did also jump to Jaffa vessels as we suspected it might. So far we have been able to identify the two group''s vessels by their current sectors of space. The Asgard are going over previous navigational data with a fine toothed comb also, but they stated that will take some time" stated Davis.


    "Ok, so we can track all of their sh.i.p.s then" asked Jack.


    "Based on the numbers we have now we estimate both fleets will be tagged with Hermiod within the next twelve hours. Telemetry did pick up on a large grouping of vessels within a short jump of the super gate. The Asgard stand ready to commit their fleet in this galaxy to a joint defense of Destiny should the need arise" stated Davis.


    "Thor''s handy like that. Ok, anything else" asked Jack.


    "The Council of Races has requested Mr. Wallace be allowed to come to Vis Uban on a long term basis to work in conjunction with several of their top minds. It seems they have big plans for our boy wonder" laughed Davis.


    "Yeah they mentioned that several months ago to me also. It''s up to him what he wants to do. Personally, if I was just coming home from being stranded a few billion light years from home I can''t say I would want to just jaunt off to the other side of the galaxy but it''s his call. I''ve got bigger concerns on my plate right now anyway. It seems the Wraith are building a fairly large fleet. We all can guess who that''s aimed at" sighed Jack.


    "Based on the transcript of the information Todd provided the IOA has been in several closed door sessions. After the Jaffa incident and what Hermes uncovered about Lucian Alliance ship strength it looks like they are going to authorize a second round of Fleet expansion in our favor. As they haven''t released any official findings yet you didn''t hear this from me but I would expect them to authorize a doubling of fleet strength" confidently stated Davis.


    "That''s very generous of them since building these vessels no longer costs us a single dime. Have I mentioned just how much I dislike the IOA" asked Jack.


    "Several times over the year''s sir" answered Davis.


    "Then it looks like the Navy is about to get a larger piece of the intergalactic pie" stated Jack.


    "One last thing sir. The Alterran ambassador informed me the installation of planetary shielding will begin next week. It''s basically a system of shield emitters similar to those on Atlantis only larger. The power requirements for this are enormous though. Remember when we were ecstatic when we located a single ZPM? This thing is going to need fifteen of them" said Davis in an exasperated voice.


    "True, but well worth it to stop another group of morons out there from crashing a bomb laden space ship into the building we are now sitting in" wisely stated Jack.


    "That''s all I''ve got for now sir, and I have a briefing with the President in an hour" said Davis.


    "Enjoy that Colonel. Dismissed"

 Chapter 57

    Tuat


    On the surface of the planet, within the palatial building at the center of the Goa''uld built complex a meeting was taking place. The combined second''s of the Lucian Alliance were here to meet with their first; Mallic.


    "Our operatives report the Tauri are indeed bringing Destiny back to this galaxy using the super gate" stated Holid.


    "If they return that ship to this galaxy where we are strong nothing will prevent our capture of it and all it contains" stated Mallic.


    "Mallic we must first deal with the Jaffa as they will surely strike at us again" said Bodig.


    "The Jaffa are of no concern, and never were" sneered Mallic.


    "They sought to attack us with their fleet" responded Bodig.


    "The Jaffa are now in our fold. What you did not know at the time was this battle was simply Jaffa politics playing itself out on a larger stage. Members of their high council sought total control and could not accomplish this with Bra''tac and Teal''c in the way. With Bra''tac dead Teal''c was easily pushed out of the council. Yat''Yir fed us the troop movements and strengths. All Jaffa to include their high council answer to me" laughed Mallic.


    "A brilliant ruse indeed Lord Mallic, but the Tauri" began Bodig.


    "The Tauri are occupied. We have penetrated their organizations with our operatives. They have taken the majority of all left behind by the ancients. They have Atlantis after all. Destiny is ours" said Mallic simply.


    "When do we begin" asked Holid.


    "We already have. Our fleet is already moving into place" finished Mallic.


    Destiny


    An hour earlier over the sh.i.p.s intercom system all hands had been directed to attend the gathering in the gate room. Typically really big announcements were made there and the crew was hoping for one of that magnitude this time as well. All members aboard the ancient vessel were in attendance. Entering the room Colonel Young climbed the one of the twin curving staircases to give all those in attendance the opportunity to hear what was to be said. Looking out over the crowd Young thought of those that had been lost during this journey. Pushing aside the pain of those loses he cleared his throat and began.


    "Thank you all for coming. I look out over all of the faces I see present and memories both good and bad come to mind. With a heavy heart I also think of those faces no longer among us. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten as it paved the way for our continued survival. Never before have I had the honor of commanding such an amazing group of individuals. When we arrived here on that fateful day we were all indeed individuals. I''ve watched you grow into a team and more than that into a family. I truly am honored to have had the opportunity to live among you and command this family. You are intelligence, adaptable, and posses the strongest will to survive I have ever before seen in my time in the armed forces. We''ve been through a lot, more in fact than most could ever endure in a lifetime. You have all acquitted yourselves with dignity and panache. I think back often to a similar gathering among us when we first arrived here. I told you will stick together and we will make it home. Many times that looked like a promise I wouldn''t be able to keep. I''m here to tell you that promise will be coming true. After conferring with Earth it is my humble duty to inform you that three days from today we will be returning home" said Young.


    Cheers broke out among the gathered crew. Some laughed, some hugged, and others cried. The outpouring of emotion was something rarely seen. In each face could be seen the sobering effect of the message delivered. They were finally going home. Raising his hands to draw attention Young continued.


    "Three short days and we''re home. Anywhere else three days passes in the blink of an eye. I understand the weight that has been lifted off of all of our shoulders with this news. Now is not the time to relax. The end is in sight but that can be the most perilous time in any journey. Yes we are going home, but we are also returning to the home turf of the same people who attempted to take this vessel from us by force. I need you all vigilant until after we cross the finish line. Not knowing what we''re stepping into means I need each and every one of you well rested and ready for anything that can be thrown at us. Murphy''s Law has bit a chunk out of our asses several times on board this ship. Let''s not let him do it again. That''s all. You''re all free to return to your stations" said the Colonel while descending the staircase.


    Heading to his quarters to lay down Young closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Finally, he was bringing his people home. The cost had been great, but the end was in site.

 Chapter 58

    Hermes


    Upon receiving flash orders Hermes had broken off from her normal patrol schedule and leaped through hyperspace to the area of space that was home to the super gate. Dropping out of hyperspace the cloak was engaged. Elsewhere in the surrounding systems the combined might of the Tauri in the Milky Way patrolled under cloak sniffing out any possible signs of trouble.


    Cam Mitchell had always considered himself as someone who believed in his gut. In this instance his gut told him that trouble was coming. The fighter pilot in him sought out the battle he believed was coming. The logical side of him hoped for nothing more than another peaceful day in the neighborhood.


    "Helm, set course for the first waypoint at full sub light. Each waypoint gets eight simulators. I want all four waypoints completed within the hour" ordered Mitchell.


    The simulators he was speaking of were a new addition. Each of the fire hydrant sized canisters was inert until activated by a subspace message on a very discreet frequency. When activated each simulator powered up its ion powered core. The energy emissions given off simulated the opening of a hyperspace window''s energy signature. After exhaustive testing it was found that in seventy percent of tests even the Asgard sensors could be fooled with this device.


    Cam really wasn''t sure of why he had been ordered to lay these devices in the pattern he was given, but these orders had originated with General O''Neill. Clearly he knew what was going on and Cam knew better than to question the General''s logic.


    Pluto


    Arkos Station was a blizzard of activity on the best of days. Since the arrival of Borealis that level of activity had increased tenfold. To speed the process of repairs Earth''s newly built cargo carriers were bringing in untold amounts of raw materials. The construction process as it was set up by the ancients could be performed using raw energy to create the necessary materials. This took time though. The addition of raw materials greatly increased the processes speed.


    Aboard Borealis several new additions were being installed. Asgard neutrino Ion generators, subspace capacitors, cloaking capability, and the Asgard computer core were all on the docket. Each pier of the ancient city ship would also be fitted with two batteries of the Asgard beam weapons. Once repaired it was also intended that upon reaching its new home planet Borealis would work in conjunction with a submersible drilling platform much as Atlantis had on Lantea.


    Deep within the bowels of the city ship sat Rodney McKay. With repairs progressing at an acceptable clip he had opted to pour through the database aboard to discover what wonders it might hold. To his surprise several things jumped out at him. After he had poured over everything he could find relating to his new discovery he had every intention of passing the knowledge along. Before that could happen Daniel Jackson entered the room.


    "Hello Rodney" said Jackson.


    "Ah, hey" was Rodney''s reply.


    "I figured I would find you here" stated Jackson.


    "Oh yes, I''ve just been going over the database and I''ve found some interesting information so far" hinted McKay.


    "Care to share it" asked Jackson.


    "Well the Atlantis database was full of some amazing information about almost any subject. Borealis had a different focus so it seems" replied McKay smiling his normal smug smile.


    "McKay, will you just tell me what it is already" demanded Jackson.


    "I thought you''d never ask! Borealis was home to a much more tightly defined field of studies. Project Arcturus was conceived here, which we later found, and I later had a minor problem with" stated Rodney.


    "By minor problem don''t you mean destroyed a solar system with" asked Jackson.


    "Five sixths but who''s counting" countered McKay sheepishly.


    "Ok, moving on. So you''ve found where this project originated" continued Jackson.


    "Not only that but with it I''ve found all of the original data, design schematics, notes, everything! If I had this when we tried making it work I would have pulled it off! Borealis was apparently home to the study of high energy physics and weapons research in their war against the Wraith. Sure we''ve got a lot of things from before the war, but this is the really good stuff" said an animatedly excited McKay.


    "I''m sure the future head of my science team here will make good use of it" grinned Jackson.


    "I actually wanted to talk to you about that" said McKay.


    "I wanted to talk to you about that also. I thought it best to ask you for a potential list of candidates" stated Jackson.


    "Lee is good. Not great mind you but good. I can put together a list in a day or two if you would like" said a suddenly downcast McKay.


    "McKay, I know you want to ask for the posting. Not to concede anything to you at all but I came down here to ask what your thoughts would be on joining this expedition" asked Jackson.


    "Really? I thought you didn''t like me" said a visibly surprised McKay.


    "Rodney, you''re very good at what you do as much as it pains me to admit that. I can''t think of a better qualified person to lead the science department. Also high energy physics isn''t exactly my cup of tea" conceded Daniel.


    "Then you''ve got yourself a lead scientist! Hey, wanna go grab a hot dog or something" asked McKay.

 Chapter 59

    Idavoll Asgard Home World


    Standing above all other structures on the heavily forested and highly developed home world of the Asgard was the Hall of Gladsheim. Constructed of three upwardly spiraling crystalline pillars that met eight hundred upwards the three pillars supported hammer shaped platform adorned with multicolored Norse runes. From the three pillars brilliant shafts of light rose skyward. The Hall of Gladsheim was home to the Asgard High Council.


    Sitting on a raised platform in their high backed chairs the High Council''s seven members were seated. Odin, Penegal, Freyr, Thor, Sigyn, Tyr, and Fenrir reviewed data recovered from the mission to capture the Vanir. Had they been a more emotional race revulsion might have been felt. As it was the only feeling that was closely approximated was one of contempt. Moving a control stone Penegal initiated the holographic communications link. In seconds a holographic representation of Mimir stood before the High Council.


    "Mamir, you stand before the High Council to answer for your actions these many thousands of years" began Penegal.


    "What was done cannot be changed. It was done to secure the future of our race" answered Mimir simply.


    "This council holds to be true that you and your followers appropriated vessels of the Asgard Fleet and established a presence in the Pegasus galaxy in direct contravention of standing instructions from this Council. A galaxy under the domain of our allies the Ancients" stated Freyr.


    "These facts are known and I do not deny them" replied Mimir.


    "After your entry into Pegasus you engaged in unauthorized genetic research on life seeded by the Ancients instead of aiding our allies in a war they would later find themselves defeated. This life seeded by our allies could be considered as their offspring. This is no different than if you kidnapped and experimented on the Ancients themselves" accused a clearly irritated Thor.


    "These facts are already known" was the bland reply from Mimir.


    "You have brought shame upon the Asgard with your actions time after time. Moving forward several millennia you attacked our allies in the Tauri and the Ancients with your provocative actions towards Atlantis. Atlantis was the capital of the Ancients civilization, and the Tauri have interceded on our behalf successfully in the past. For these reasons alone your punishment will be far more harsh than it seems you suspect it will be" pointed out Freyr.


    "My followers and I will not beg for leniency from this Council. Our views have greatly diverged over the eons. Whatever term of sentence is passed down will only be a temporary measure" stated Mimir.


    "There is little point in continuing these proceedings when it is clear the Vanir steadfastly refuse to see the harm they have caused. I move that we immediately pass judgment" urged Thor.


    "I too am in agreement with this Thor. Mimir of the Vanir, for the offenses you have committed in the name of solving our genetic degradation we see only one fitting recourse. You and your follower''s consciousness will be transferred into bodies that do not have the benefit of our ill gotten research. Instead you will be transferred into cloned bodies that still harbor the genetic degradation issue. You and your followers will not be permitted transfer into examples of the bodies you see seated before you for the very fact that you waged aggressive action upon the creators of the technology that saved our race. In these flawed bodies you and your followers will serve at the lowest ranks of minor technicians. Three hundred years from now your status will be reviewed" clearly stated Penegal before breaking the holographic link with the accused.

 Chapter 60

    Atlantis


    Seated in the conference room sat Mr. Woolsey and the ship captains of the Pegasus Group''s vessels. Having already reviewed the data being shown on the plasma display Colonel Sheppard contented himself by thinking back to all of the memories he had surrounding this very room. Life was so much simpler back then when all he had to worry about was not getting culled and just maybe managing to locate a zpm or two.


    "As you can see from the photos it is clear that the Wraith have undertaken an all hands on deck fleet expansion" said Colonel Ellis.


    "And now Todd is going to want to take care of this little problem for him. As much as I hate to admit it I think we have no choice in doing just that" responded Sheppard.


    "I''ve been doing some calculations and have a suggestion as to how we should proceed. The only unknown variable in my idea is how the polymers Wraith sh.i.p.s are composed of react to radiation while still growing" interjected Colonel Carter.


    "I would suspect the reaction would be the same as exposure during hyperspace travel. It''s a widely known fact that hyperspace radiation exposure damaged Wraith hulls" replied Colonel Caldwell.


    "On this one I say we stick with the basics. We don''t need to reinvent the wheel. We''ve already got a system we''ve used in the past for this exact problem" stated Sheppard.


    "Horizon. That''s what I was thinking also" added Colonel Ellis.


    "While the Horizon did work in the case of the Asurans this situation is slightly more complex. The Asurans vessels once damaged had to be repaired. Wraith vessels will repair themselves if not totally destroyed" replied Carter.


    "Do you have any ideas Colonel Carter" asked Woolsey.


    "Actually I do. The warheads on the Horizon are Mark IX gate busters. When it was learned of Wraith sh.i.p.s vulnerability to hard radiation we took a play out of the cold war how to end the world with a bang manual. All we have to do is add cobalt jacketss to each warhead" stated a smiling Carter.


    "And just what are cobalt jackets going to do that a regular Mark IX can''t" asked Caldwell.


    "About five percent of the energy released in a nuclear detonation is in the form of ionizing radiation; neutrons, gamma rays, alpha particles, and electrons moving at speeds near that of light. Gamma rays are high energy electromagnetic radiation and the others are particles moving slower than light. The neutrons result almost exclusively from fission and fusion reactions, while the initial gamma radiation includes that arising from these reactions as well as that resulting from the decay of short lived fission products. The intensity of initial nuclear radiation decreases rapidly with distance from the point of detonation because the radiation spreads over a larger area as it travels away from the explosion. It is also reduced by atmospheric absorption and scattering. The character of radiation received at a given location also varies with distance from the explosion. Near the point of detonation the neutron intensity is greater than the gamma intensity, but with increasing distance the neutron gamma ratio decreases. Ultimately, the neutron component of the initial radiation becomes negligible in comparison with the gamma component. The range for significant levels of radiation does not increase markedly with weapon yield and, as a result, the initial radiation becomes less of a hazard with increasing yield. That is unless we add cobalt jackets. Simply put if you want to flatten a target you can use a nuclear weapon, but if you want to flatten a target and poison the surrounding landscape for several thousand years you add cobalt" intoned Carter.


    "Can you be a bit more specific Colonel Carter" asked Woolsey.


    "In a typical Mark IX detonation radiation pulse energy is approximately five percent of the entire energy released. With the addition of cobalt jackets it would be closer to fifty percent. Furthermore the neutrons released would be of a much higher energy than those released during a thermonuclear detonation. We would simply be radically increasing the most harmful component of a nuclear detonation to Wraith vessels by an order of magnitude" stated Carter.


    "Well that works for me" smirked Sheppard.

 Chapter 61

    Atlantis


    "Might I suggest we hedge our bets on this one and double down" asked Caldwell.


    "Putting one Horizon on target against the replicators was dangerous enough and they didn''t have a fleet in orbit. The Wraith aren''t going to ideally sit by the wayside while two of our sh.i.p.s launch these at their hopes of victory on the planet below. Their going to put up a fight" said Ellis stating the obvious.


    "Then we just need to come up with a bit of a distraction to keep them occupied while we launch. Sounds like something for our old friend Todd" said Sheppard.


    "As you know the IOA has expanded the rules of engagement to allow for a first strike if the opportunity presents itself. In my opinion the opportunity has just knocked on the door" replied Woolsey.


    "Carter, with Mr. Woolsey''s permission grab Zelenka and anyone else from the science department you think you''ll need. Let''s get the Horizon aboard Apollo and Ares ready. Mr. Woolsey, if you don''t mind reach out to Todd and tell him we are going to need an assist on getting this done" stated Sheppard.


    "Consider it done Colonel" came Woolsey''s reply.


    Athena


    "So who else is in the area" asked Colonel Eckhart.


    "I''ve got multiple tracks sir. Do you want the entire run down" asked the sensor operator.


    "Humor me" replied Eckhart.


    "Frazier, Roma, Hermes, Dreadnaught, Le''Triumphant, Ajax, and Tria are all within sensor range. We have subspace tracks on nine other Aurora class sh.i.p.s further out sir" answered the sensor operator.


    "If it hits the fan tomorrow when the super gate activates this is going to turn into one hell of a fur ball quickly" replied Eckhart.


    Hoping that Destiny would return without fireworks the Colonel busily ensured his ship and crew were ready. Flight crews checked and rechecked the 302''s and puddle jumpers. The pilots of which vented their stress with exercise in normal fighter pilot bravado. While Athena had seen combat before if a fight came this time it would be a much larger and far more dangerous conflict.


    Entering his quarters Eckhart contented himself with the knowledge that he and his crew would do their duty and perform under extreme circ.u.mstances if needed. Sitting at his desk he closed his eyes as his ear piece came to life from the communications officer.


    "Sir, Yorktown, Lexington, and Saratoga are now on station. I also have confirmation that Asgard vessel''s will arrive in eighteen hours time"


    "Confirm, thank you" responded Eckhart before taking a much needed nap.

 Chapter 62

    Destiny


    With great anticipation the crew went about their duties. Crowds had hovered on the observation deck watching the super gate''s last module slide into place twenty four hours before. Seeing the giant wormhole settle within the boundaries of the gate for the first time had sent cheers through the spectators. Once testing of the gate was completed the assembled gathering knew it was simply a matter of hours before they were home free. Celebration was what everyone wanted but the standing order from Colonel Young prohibited any consumption of Mr. Brody''s wonder punch as they had all taken to calling their onboard alcohol.


    On the bridge systems were checked time and again mainly to pass the time. Orders from the Colonel were to make sure the shields and weapons were all operating at one hundred percent. Eli, Brody, and Rush busied themselves with that specific task. They had all noted that Young seemed tense, almost as if he knew something was coming.


    Several decks below the bridge in the armory sat Young, Greer, Scott, James, and Varro. Full combat loads of magazines for each security team members G36 rifle were laid out on the table in the center of the room, along with a large amount of loaded pistol magazines.


    "We all know the Alliance won''t pass up the opportunity to come for Destiny Colonel" said Varro.


    "I''m hoping you''re wrong about that but I agree with you. All we can do is hope for the best and expect the worst" replied Young.


    "We won''t be having a repeat of last time sir" coldly replied Greer.


    "Let''s make certain we don''t Sergeant" responded Young.


    "Before we enter the gate we''ll deploy all security teams into the corridors leading to the gate room. We''ll have multiple interlocking fields of fire on each hatch" reassured Scott.


    "I''m tempted to just vent the atmosphere out of the gate room until we''re sure we''re secure" replied Young.


    "Don''t do that sir. Besides, I''ve got a better way of handling this if the time comes" said Greer.


    "And why don''t you want me to do that Sergeant" asked Young.


    "Because then we wont get to pry information out of them Sir" responded a smiling Greer.


    "Sergeant Greer is correct Colonel Young. If intruders come aboard the situation can be defused in a much more effective manner" concluded Destiny.


    Elsewhere Chloe and Dr. Park sat in the garden discussing how it felt to finally be going home. After Park lost her eyesight Chloe had become her one female touchstone. These conversations had become something they both counted on throughout the day as a way of keeping focused and hopeful.


    "I just want to see my mom" said Chloe.


    "That''s just a short wait away. The first thing I want to do it enjoy a nice hot bath, and then change my clothes" replied Park.


    "I think I''ve forgotten what it''s like to actually have a closet full of different things to wear" laughed Chloe.


    "Oh god I know" laughed Park.


    "Now that it''s all over and we''re going home I can''t help but think about everyone we''ve lost. It breaks my heart" said Chloe with her eyes beginning to tear up.


    "You know better than most how tough this has been on everyone. All we can do is live each day to the fullest or we''re wasting the gift of life that those we lost gave us" answered Park.


    "Are you staying with the SGC once we''re finally home" asked Chloe.


    "I''ve thought a lot about that and I think I am. Where else can you work on the ragged fringe of science and also get your vision back" joked Park.


    "I spoke to Rush about it. He and Camille seemed convinced that the SGC will ask me to stay on. The more I think about it the more I realize that it''s what I should do. This program cost me my father, and if I can help make sure it saves someone else''s dad its well worth it" said Chloe with a confidence her tone didn''t convey.


    The two women sat in silence for a period of time that could have been minutes or could have been hours. Finally they stood and began the walk back to their quarters. Both women made the walk in silence lost in thought over what was waiting for them back home.


    On the bridge Colonel Young entered and took his seat in the captain''s chair. Eli and Rush both turned from the front facing work stations to look at the Colonel. Seeing that they were looking at him expecting orders the Colonel smiled.


    "You guys ready to go home" asked Young.


    "You can say that again" laughed Eli.


    "I believe everyone is ready Colonel" responded Rush.


    "Well it''s about that time. Rush, maneuver us into position of the gate" ordered Young.


    With sub light engines coming to life Destiny began to maneuver into position for gate entrance, stopping just far enough away to allow the vortex to blossom without touching the ancient vessel. Engaging the ship wide intercom Young began to address all those aboard.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, in a few short moments we will be entering the gate and returning to the Milky Way. All nonessential personal please return to your quarters now. This is just a safety precaution. Security teams please report to your assigned positions. I need everyone in place in three minutes. That is all" said Young into the intercom.


    "There is our time marker. It''s time to begin the dialing sequence" said Rush.


    "Alright Rush, begin dialing. Eli, bring the shields up to full strength and deploy the main weapon. I want all weapons charged and ready" ordered Young.


    "All weapons are already charged. Deploying the main weapon" responded Eli.


    Beneath Destiny the large three barreled main weapon lowered from its recess. Locking into position at the ready the main weapon capacitors charged.


    "Main weapon is charged and ready" stated Eli.


    Looking out the windows of the bridge the three men watched as the eighty individual super gate modules began to course with massive amounts of energy. In a flurry of motion the unstable vortex rushed away from the event horizon before settling back into a rippling and shimmering surface within the gate.


    "We have a stable wormhole Colonel" stated Rush.


    "Ok Eli, take us into the gate. Give me one tenth sub light" ordered Young.


    "Please bring all tray tables and seat backs to their full upright position" joked Eli.


    With purpose Destiny began to enter the gate. The nose disappeared into the event horizon, and quickly the long tapering neck of the ship followed. Transfixed, the three men watched as the shimmering surface that was their ticket home inched closer and closer to the windows of the bridge. As the vessel entered the gate in full and was dematerialized time seemed to stop for all those on board. Finally, home.

 Chapter 63

    Athena


    Arrayed in a curving fan formation in front of the stargate sat Athena and her sister sh.i.p.s under cloak. To starboard of the super gate sat the nine Aurora class vessels, also under cloak. An hour before the combined vessels of the Tauri had launched their jumpers and F-302''s with all craft employing their cloaking abilities. It had been decided to keep the smaller craft further out to launch a rearguard action against any attacking forces.


    "Sir, sensor''s are showing twenty Asgard vessels exiting hyperspace to port" said Captain Franklin.


    "Send word to our Asgard friends to assume stacking positions within the defensive fan" replied Colonel Eckhart.


    Nimbly maneuvering into position the graceful yet massive O''Neill class vessels took station as instructed. Without being prompted to do so the Asgard contingent raised their powerful shields while powering weapons that would remain on standby. Looking over the sensor readout Thor was again impressed with the tactical prowess Tauri commanders displayed. With a small movement of the control stone on his command panel Thor activated his holographic communications system. A second later the holographic image of Thor stood on the bridge of the Athena.


    "Greetings Colonel Eckhart" said Thor.


    "Hello Thor, thank you for joining us" replied Eckhart.


    "All Asgard vessels are deployed in formation as you have requested. I have taken the step of having all vessels raise shields and power weapons. We are ready" responded Thor.


    "Let''s hope the precautions are all for nothing. Contact us if you need anything" finished Eckhart.


    With a nod of his head the image of Thor vanished. Sensors on the combined vessels began to display detection warnings of inbound vessels approaching in hyperspace. Sensors also noted an increase in energy output emanating from the super gate.


    "All vessels this is Athena. Sensors are detecting suspected hostile forces inbound. We estimate their exit from hyperspace in ninety seconds. The super gate is activating now. This is what we''ve all trained for. Godspeed" said Eckhart in a fleet wide transmission.


    Energy flowed between the individual modules of the super gate. The numerous high powered electrical arcs looked much like a lighting storm you would see on Earth. As power levels from the gate began to register off the scale on the sensors of the many sh.i.p.s around the gate the event horizon exploded forth. Quickly the unstable event horizon settled as its shining luminescence rippled.


    "Incoming hostiles are exiting hyperspace now. Sensors show they are divided into three distinct groups. The innermost numbers forty Ha''tak class vessels, a second group of forty Ha''tak class vessels is to their starboard, and a third group of Ha''tak class vessels numbering fifty nine plus one mothership are stationary further out" rang out the report from Captain Franklin.


    As the nose of Destiny broached through the event horizon the nearest two groups of Lucian Alliance vessels opened fire on the Asgard vessels standing in front of the super gate. Weathering the attack the Asgard shields blossomed but stood firm. Cloaks on the Tauri vessels disengaged as the O''Neill''s began to maneuver with an agility that belied their size. A lone O''Neill remained in front of the super gate.


    "Target the nearest Ha''Tak with the Asgard beam and fire" commanded Eckhart.


    Lancing out from the Athena the beam weapon covered the distance between defender and attacker in less than a second. The Ha''tak shields blossomed on impact but held despite being highly taxed. Two further volleys of the beam weapon collapsed the Ha''tak shields then penetrated the outer hull with ease before piercing the vessels power core. The resulting explosion tore the large ship into pieces.


    "Transfer neutrino ion generator number one fully to the beam weapons. Generators two through ten transfer to shields. Bring the zpm''s online and transfer output directly to the drone weapons" ordered Eckhart.


    As these orders were given Destiny emerged from the active wormhole. Before her lay a pitched battle that raged in hellish intensity. Seeing the ancient vessel emerge the second group of Ha''tak vessels advanced toward the gate and the defenders that stood between them and their prize. The nine Aurora''s dropped their cloaks as they advanced to flank the oncoming enemy craft in a move that was anticipated long before the first shot was fired.

 Chapter 64

    Destiny


    "What in the bloody hell is this" yelled Rush.


    "It looks like our friends decided to try again. Eli target the group to starboard with the main weapon and fire" ordered Young.


    "I''m on it" answered Eli.


    Over the radio net Young ordered all security teams to expect imminent enemy contact. The already lowered main weapon beneath Destiny belched out eight rapid fire shots on the Ha''tak Eli targeted. The Ha''tak weapons were silenced for a brief moment while Eli re-targeted and fired three more bursts from the main weapon. While contemplating a third volley the Ha''tak shields buckled and the vessel broke apart into jagged pieces after a series of internal explosions ripped apart internal bulkheads.


    "Keep firing on that group Eli" ordered Young.


    "Colonel Young, I have an incoming wormhole" said the avatar of Destiny.


    "Greer the gate is activating. Standby to be boarded" Young stated into the radio.


    "Copy that" came Greer''s reply.


    In the hallway outside of the gate room Greer and the security teams crouched in defensive positions with weapons trained. Next to Greer appeared Destiny''s avatar. The unspoken mental link between the soldier and the ship''s neural interface quickly communicated Greer''s commands. The chair download Greer had received now came into play as he used his newly acquired knowledge of security systems and protocols. Destiny carried out the given instructions quickly and precisely.


    Seconds later two loud explosions rang out from the gate room. The Lucian Alliance learning from their past failure to capture the ancient vessel pushed through two concussion grenades the moment a wormhole was established. Seconds later the Lucian Alliance foot soldiers began to pour through the star gate. Standing before them was a lone figure; Destiny. With weapons trained on the sole figure before them the foot soldiers slowly advanced; with adrenaline coursing through their veins they barely noticed as their movements grow sluggish and more labored.


    "Lay down your weapons now. You have no hope of advancing further" calmly stated Destiny.


    As the star gate shut down eighty armed intruders stood with weapons leveled in the gate room. The front row of the gathering opened fire on Destiny''s avatar. Bullets passed through the avatar with no effect. With a sense of shock the men emptied their assault rifles on the still standing man before them.


    "As I said before you have no hope of advancing further. I will cease being subtle" said Destiny.


    Seconds later screams erupted from the eighty men. Weapons fell to the floor as each of the men fell on their backs with vicious speed. Unable to lift even their arms the men laid on the deck as if welded to it.


    "Colonel, the intruders are secured and the threat is neutralized" calmly sad Greer over the radio.


    "How in the hell did you do that so quickly" asked Young.


    "Easy, I just dialed up the inertial dampeners to seven time''s normal gravity. They won''t be getting off the deck anytime soon" answered Greer.


    On the bridge Young didn''t have time to smile about the victory. As Eli continued to fire the main weapon power was transferred from noncritical systems to shields and weapons.


    Hermes


    "Shields are at eighty six percent and holding" said the sensor operator.


    "Give me five shot volleys with the beam weapon on all targeted vessels" ordered Mitchell.


    On the view screen Cam watched as the O''Neill class vessels maneuvered like fighters in a dog fight amongst the enemy fleet. As they attacked individual vessels neighboring Ha''tak''s moved to engage the large Asgard sh.i.p.s. It was these covering vessels that Hermes engaged.


    "Eckhart, the mother ship and the larger group are still hanging back. We need to push all three groups together to make better use of the drone weapons" said Cam into the radio.


    "I agree. We can''t risk splitting our sh.i.p.s up and I think they are counting on us doing just that" responded Eckhart.


    "We''ve got the hyperspace window simulators out there. If we''re going to use them now would be the time" retorted Cam.


    "Do it" was Eckhart''s reply


    Aboard Hermes in the communications station a junior officer input the command to send a very discreet subspace message that would be picked up by the simulators. With the message received their internal ion generators powered up for two seconds before discharging an energy pulse that mimicked a hyperspace window opening. In the distance thirty two of these simulators fired off in unison.


    Lucian Alliance Mother ship


    From their standoff position Mallic watched as the battle unfolded. The inner two groups of vessels were taking heavy losses but he had expected as much. It was his hope that the inner two attacking groups would lower the defenders shield strength enough to allow the group standing at a distance the ability to move in and destroy the defenders with ease.


    "Signal all vessels to launch gliders" ordered Mallic.


    "Yes my lord. Sensors are detecting thirty two hyperspace windows opening" nervously said the sensor station operator.


    "They are reinforcing. It must be Asgard vessels as the Tau''ri do not have a fleet with such numbers. Signal all standoff vessels to collapse on the super gate and attack. We can wait no longer" ordered Mallic.


    "It will be done my lord" came the reply.


    With a few quick commands Mallic opened a communications channel with the Tau''ri vessels he faced. In seconds the one known to him as Eckhart came on the screen.


    "Tau''ri vessels, you are greatly outnumbered. Surrender now or be destroyed" commanded Mallic.


    "From the looks of this battle so far I was just about to offer you the same deal" snidely replied Eckhart.


    Mallic''s temper flared at the insolence of the other mans tone. How dare he speak with the arrogance of an equal? With his temper boiling over Mallic''s ability to maintain his long standing ruse failed as his eyes flashed in golden hued light. Knowing that he was discovered by this slip he dropped all pretenses and continued on in his booming Goa''uld voice.


    "On your world rivers ran red with the blood of those who dared anger me. You too shall meet the same fate. I am Shiva, bow to your god" he boomed.


    "That show''s been in reruns for years. You''ll have to come up with something better than that" chuckled Eckhart.


    With a contemptuous sneer Mallic/Shiva closed the communication channel.

 Chapter 65

    Athena


    "Well that pissed him off" calmly stated Eckhart.


    "The mothership and fifty nine Ha''tak''s are maneuvering this way. They will be in weapons range in four minutes" replied Captain Franklin.


    "Order in the 302''s to attack the incoming gliders. Instruct the jumpers to drop cloaks only long enough to fire their drones at the incoming group. Let''s see if we can whittle down their numbers some before they get here" ordered Eckhart.


    "The approaching group is coming into range of the defensive satellites now" said the assistant weapons officer.


    "You are weapons free with the satellites" confirmed Eckhart.


    Seconds later the ancient designed weapons satellites powered up their energy buffer. This energy quickly reached firing strength. Automated targeting algorithms onboard the four unmanned weapons platforms selected their prey with precision. A green glow of energy began to build for three seconds before the satellites unleashed a five second continuous beam of bright green energy. Due to the distances involved it took a full four seconds for the beams to cover the distance to their individual targets. The targeted Ha''tak vessels stood little chance despite their upgrades. Each vessel''s shields failed catastrophically failed and milliseconds later the vessels were torn to shreds. Sixteen vessels fell in this manner before the group passed out of range of the unmanned weapons systems.


    "Jumpers are moving in for their attack runs now" called out Captain Franklin.


    "Roger that" replied Eckhart.


    Destiny


    "Eli, the Lucian Alliance is going all in on this hand. Now might be the time to try that modification to the main gun you talked about" said Young.


    "Without clearing away from our own sh.i.p.s we run too great a chance of destroying one of our own. We have to maneuver clear" interjected Rush.


    "Rush is right. The modification will talk a few minutes. If you can maneuver us away for a clear shot I would really feel more comfortable" responded Eli.


    "Ok Rush, let''s open up some distance. Give me one half sublight. Put us on the far end of the far end of the Aurora''s. Then we''ll have a clear line of sight towards the approaching group" said Young.


    With a few simple commands Destiny''s sublight engines engaged and the large vessel began to deftly maneuver. Quickly he distance to their chosen vantage point was reached. While this was done Eli made adjustments to multiple systems. Weapons were recalibrated, energy conduits were closed and rerouted, and safeguards were overridden.


    Appearing on the bridge Destiny began addressing Young. "The intruders are detained Colonel" he said.


    "You''re certain they won''t break containment? I want you to be very certain they won''t" responded Young.


    "I can state with absolute certainty that will not happen Colonel" replied Destiny.


    "Let me be very clear. If they do start to overcome the inertial dampeners I don''t want to play any games. Just vent the atmosphere in the gate room. Understood" asked Young.


    "I understand perfectly Colonel" answered Destiny before disappearing.


    "We have an incoming text message from Athena advising us to remain within the defensive formation" said Rush.


    "Inform them we''ve modified the main weapon and will lay down supporting fire" replied Young.


    "We''re good to go" stated Eli.


    "Ok Mr. Wallace, let''s make the magic happen. You''re clear to open fire" answered Young.


    Mothership Group


    The rear guard Ha''tak vessels while advancing with the group maintained lookout for the thirty two hyperspace windows that had opened earlier. The sensors so far detected nothing, but that did not mean cloaked Tauri vessels were not approaching. Unknown to the Ha''tak vessels crews they were being shadowed by dozens of cloaked puddle jumpers. The lead jumper moved in at full sublight and quickly dropped its cloak while rapid firing six drone weapons before reengaging the cloak and speeding away.


    The golden colored drones sped towards their target with amazing speed and agility. Easily sidestepping weapons fire directed at them the drones energized their phase shifting emitter. Rendering themselves out of phase the drones easily bypassed the Ha''tak shields before returning to phase. On impact the drones burrowed through the enemy vessels outer and inner hulls, exiting on the opposite side of the vessel before arcing over and tearing a new hole into their target and detonating.


    Seeing the aftermath of the initial Jumper attack the remainder of the Jumper''s opted to fire only three drones and directly target hyper drive systems and power conduits.


    Athena


    "Signal all vessels to open up with the drones. It''s time to put this to an end now" calmly stated Eckhart.


    Deep within the ship power channeled from the ZPM''s into the drone weapons. Once powered and given the order to fire the drones flew clear of their octagonal weapons containers, through a force shield protected shaft, and exited from the cylindrical drone discharge platform. These weapons eclipsed the concept of smart weapons. The moniker of brilliant weapon couldn''t even sum it up. These weapons were self aware of everything around them, and of all conditions that might or might not effect the completion of their assigned task. If a target were destroyed without utilizing all drones assigned the remaining drones could either reassign themselves a new target or in cases where no targets remained return to their launching ship and their weapons container.


    The Athena class vessels in conjunction with their Aurora class sisters opened up with a massive salvo of drone weapons. Hundreds of the lethal hunter killers took flight targeting enemy vessels. To say it was a mismatch was an understatement. This swarming cloud of golden death raced towards those their producers had decided must be dealt a swift and brutally efficient end.

 Chapter 66

    Destiny


    "Target the mothership Eli" ordered Young.


    "Target is locked. The mothership has much stronger shields than the other vessels. This might take more shots than I though" answered Eli.


    "Eli, I''m sure it will work like you predicted. Fire" responded Young.


    Triggering the main weapon Eli loosed an immeasurable amount of raw power from Destiny''s power reserves. While the math for this was impressive in Eli''s mind it did nothing to prepare him for the sight of the weapon in action. Thick orange red bolts of energy shot out from the main weapon. Heat seared space around the beams path until it almost appeared to roil. Radiation and magnetic fluctuations were also detected along the beams path. On impact the bolts flattened into the mammoth ship''s shields. As the bolts flattened out over the curved surface of the shields massive fluctuations in the shields structural rigidity could be seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    "Shield strength is falling" called out Rush.


    "Eli, keep hitting them" ordered Young.


    Again Eli triggered of a volley. The impact was even greater than before. The energy instead of dissipating seemed to be pooling on the mothership''s shields. This pool began to emit intense amounts of heat and hard radiation in addition to exotic particles. Weapons barrels and small antennae on the mothership began to sag from the intense forces bombarding them.


    Following Young''s orders Eli released this focused hell upon the mothership again and again. Soon over sixty percent of the shields surface area was covered with the shimmering orange red energy. Within the shield radiation had risen to lethal levels and was beginning to penetrate the hull.


    Mothership


    Aboard the mothership warning alarms sounded on all decks for many systems. The constant strain of the strange weapons fire from the ancient vessel on the shield emitters was not just degrading shield strength but also burning out the emitters. Exotic particles and hard radiation rushed into the void between ship and shield. This in turn quickly began penetrating into the hull. Systems shorted out due to exposure to elements that failed to behave by understood scientific constants.


    Crew members in the outer arms of the mothership were flash fried by the intense hard radiation. Those that were lucky died within seconds while those not as lucky writhed in agony for minutes with the knowledge that they were already dead. In the core of the ship lay the bridge, making it the single most protected area from the toxic death currently enveloping the mammoth spacecraft. Despite the additional protection toxic levels of radiation had already been reached on the bridge


    Hermes


    "Some of their gliders are going to leak through our fighter screen" advised the sensor operator.


    "The gliders are the least of our worries. The rail guns will handle them" replied Mitchell.


    On the screen before the bridge crew the position of all friendly and enemy units was shown. The Tauri and Asgard vessels had dispersed somewhat during the battle. Six blinking icons representing hostile craft rapidly closed on the Le''Triumphant. A quick check revealed these craft were only gliders so Le''Triumphant''s diminished shields should not be a problem.


    Watching the display screen Mitchell found himself drawn to the sight of the gliders approaching the French 304 for some unknown reason. Without warning the six gliders detonated in succession the massive naquadah bombs they were built around. The already taxed shields of Le''Triumphant buckled after the forth multi megaton explosion directly on them. The fifth and sixth detonations lit the craft ablaze and then disintegrated it altogether. The only grave marker for one hundred and fifty human lives was the residual radiation left behind. Like her sister the Koralev the Le''Triumphant met her end at the super gate.


    Athena


    "The Le''Triumphant is gone sir" yelled Captain Franklin.


    "Give me a spread of forty drones on the mothership" said Eckhart in an icy voice.


    "I''m showing almost no life signs onboard sir" cautioned Franklin.


    "Captain, launch now" replied Eckhart with a steely resolve.


    In twenty seconds the battle was over. The drones shattered the once mighty mothership into fragments no larger than a star gate. Hull fragments, equipment, and lifeless corpses floated in a cloud of death and destruction. It has been said that the only ones that know the end of war are the dead and this site was clear evidence of that fact.


    "Communications officer, signal Destiny that they are being taken under tow to Arkos station. Also please inform Thor Destiny is ready for tow" ordered Eckhart.


    With the battle at an end efforts were dedicated towards recovering the 302''s and jumpers that had been deployed. All involved in the battle were proud that they saved Destiny and her crew and done their duty. They were also sickened by the carnage and destruction they had witnessed and visited on those who had brought about this fight. Despite the horror of it all the servicemen and women focused on the fact that the attack on Icarus base was finally avenged.

 Chapter 67

    Pluto


    Thirty thousand kilometers from Arkos station a hyperspace window tore open. Gliding forth from the window was the Asgard vessel Iskr commanded by Thor, with Destiny behind under tow with the assistance of the powerful Asgard tractor beam. Seconds later eight more O''Neill class vessels appeared in the same manner. Releasing the Destiny from tow the Iskr established formation with her sister sh.i.p.s in orbit of the ancient shipyard. Sensing the vessel launched so long ago in proximity for docking Arkos took control of Destiny guiding the vessel inside the massive structure.


    Under the command of Arkos''s automated docking system Destiny entered the energy shield that protected the interior of the shipyard from the harshness of space. Millions of years before the ancient ship had passed through this very same shield after her launch to begin the mission that would carry the ship across the universe. Maneuvering to the same platform where she had been built Destiny docked. Collapsible debarkation ramps moved into place on the underside of the ship to allow those inside to take their first steps home and also allow security teams to come aboard and collect those captured in the gate room.


    As part of the docking process data lines connected the ship and station. Automatically Destiny''s AI began to transfer libraries of information. The data transfer would continue for several hours. Within this information could be found information found about Destiny''s mission, planets encountered reports of battles endured, and huge amounts of complex navigational data. The navigational data along with planet reports would be transferred to all vessels which later docked for future reference if needed. While this process began the star gate aboard Destiny was also taken offline.


    On the surface of the ship sweeping beams of light could be seen arcing from end to end. This process served to decontaminate the surface of the vessel after millions of years of bombardment from cosmic radiation. This would continue for many hours.


    As the crew of Destiny exited the vessel they were taken for the first of many debriefings. This process would continue for several days. While many simply wanted to proceed to home as fast as possible first their story must be recounted for later analysis by the IOA and SGC. Colonel Young exited the debarkation ramp to see General O''Neill standing in the receiving room with his customary smirk.


    "Everett, you brought your people home. Good job" began Jack.


    "Thank you Sir. It''s good to be home. We went through one hell of a fight to get here" replied Young while saluting his superior officer.


    "Can''t say I''m not surprised they tried again" responded Jack.


    "What happens next" asked Young.


    "I was going to ask you the same question. What are your plans" asked Jack.


    "I don''t really know. I kind of figured you would tell me" smiled Young.


    "There are those that felt you should be brought up on charges for disobeying orders a number of times. Hey, I get it. I used to do the same thing when I was in your position" Jack joked.


    "If that is a problem I''m more than happy to face the music for my actions while in command" said Young.


    "In case you haven''t noticed we''re in the middle of a rather nasty war, and I need all the qualified ship commanders I can get my hands on. You just so happen to have more ship to ship combat experience than a good majority of my current commanders. I was hoping you might decide to stick with that" stated Jack.


    "Aboard Destiny" asked Young.


    "Not exactly. I know the old girl pulled thru and got you home, but I''ve got other ideas. I was thinking of giving you something that can fight harder and can make it to another galaxy in a day instead of within months" hinted Jack.


    "One of the Aurora''s" asked Young.


    "I was hoping you wouldn''t mind one of the new Athena class. Ajax needs a skipper and I refuse to give her to your buddy Telford" replied Jack.


    "It would be an honor and a privilege General O''Neill" was Young''s reply after a moments thought.


    "Ok, that''s sorted then. Go debrief, then we''ll get all of you back to Earth for some off time. All of you have earned it" responded Jack while shooing away the Colonel.


    Walking to a lower level of Arkos Jack went in search of Daniel Jackson, who was aboard overseeing repairs of Borealis. Passing an observation platform Jack could see the forms of the newest Athena class vessels taking shape. The Ess.e.x was to be crewed by the US Navy, Yamato was being turned over to the Japanese government, and Hood would be the second vessel under British command. After much searching the General finally found his good friend pouring over specifications and new additions to the city ship acquainting himself with his new command.


    "Daniel" began Jack.


    "Hey Jack" replied Daniel.


    "Whatcha doing" asked Jack.


    "I''ve got so much to learn and not a lot of time to learn it. Borealis will be fully repaired in a few weeks and I''m guessing you''ve got plans for us already" replied Daniel.


    "That I do my boy that I do" answered Jack with a sinister raised eyebrow.


    "I''m still selecting expedition members, and I kind of wanted to talk to you about that" replied Daniel.


    "Ok shoot" answered Jack.


    "I understand those that were aboard Destiny are going to get a well deserved rest, but a few of them I would like to add to the expedition if they''ll accept. I''m talking about both military and civilians. Then theirs the little matter a military commander" stated Daniel.


    "No Daniel, you cannot have Young. He''s getting the Ajax" replied Jack.


    "That thought never crossed my mind. I was thinking outside of the box a bit trying to come up with a likely candidate when I realized that I already know the best possible candidate and it just so happens it would be in all of our interests to send him to Pegasus where I''m guessing we''ll be sent" said Daniel.


    "And whom might that be" asked Jack.


    "Teal''c. Think about it for a moment. He''s an extremely competent military commander who''s proven his devotion to us time and again. He''s also a friend. I know that the IOA might have a problem with this, but from an SGC standpoint he''s perfect" urged Daniel.


    "Lucky for you I get the final say on who takes that post. I''ll tell you now that Telford has been rallying for the assignment amongst others. Teal''c needs a change of scenery and if you can get him to accept I''ll sign off on it" responded Jack.


    "Ok, I''ll talk it over with him. It would help if you could arrange for him to come to Arkos and see the Borealis for himself" said Daniel.


    "Consider it done" answered Jack.


    "Thanks Jack" replied Daniel.


    "Now that we have that out of the way I''ve got to go. We''re towing in the few Lucian Alliance vessels that weren''t destroyed to see if we can gather any intelligence from them" answered Jack before stepping away.

 Chapter 68

    Atlantis


    In the conference room of the ancient city ship sat the ship captains of the Pegasus Group along with key members of the Atlantis command staff. On the flat panel view screens the most recent photographic intelligence of the Wraith shipyard was on display. After careful review by Air Force photographic intelligence specialists a timeline of sorts for ship completion had been formulated.


    "The math doesn''t lie. Based on the size increase of the vessels on the planets surface now compared to when they were first discovered shows they are nearing completion in their grow cycle" stated Colonel Ellis.


    "The IOA concurs with your findings Colonel" answered Mr. Woolsey.


    "Sam where are we at with the modifications to the Horizon" asked Colonel Sheppard.


    "The modifications are complete and standing by for deployment" answered Colonel Carter.


    "Our fleet in the Milky Way with assistance from the Asgard fought a very nasty battle to keep Destiny safe once it entered the galaxy. We essentially fought them to the last ship. With the major threat in our home galaxy contained for now several vessels are being transferred to Pegasus" stated Woolsey.


    "Which vessels" asked Colonel Caldwell.


    "All of the Athena class vessels and the remaining 304''s that are in the Milky Way, so a considerable amount of firepower is coming this way" replied Woolsey.


    "Even with the added sh.i.p.s we still can''t guarantee the two sh.i.p.s launching the Horizon''s can get past the defending fleet of Wraith in orbit. We still need a distraction" protested Ellis.


    "We''ve got that taken care of, nothing to worry about there. Let''s just say I''ve called in a favor" hinted Sheppard.


    Deep within the confines of his lab Zelenka was busy at work within the database. For several days at the request of the SGC the Czech poured over reams of planetary profiles within the Pegasus galaxy. He was searching for a habitable planet with a large ocean, no native civilizations, and off the beaten path of Wraith forces. The scientist knew the purpose of his search. He was searching for the planet Borealis would soon call home. Each likely candidate he found was added to his very short list of potential landing sites. With a few keystrokes his list was transferred to the compressed data file that would be transmitted along with a myriad of other doc.u.ments to the SGC on Atlantis''s next scheduled dial home.


    New Heliopolis


    With brilliant flashes of purple hued light the colony sh.i.p.s of the Tenaran people appeared in orbit. In an orderly fashion small groups of Tenaran''s were transported to the city on the planet below. Specially constructed for them this settlement would be their new home until the Great Races deemed them ready to step into the galaxy of their ancestors. Much needed to be learned before they would be deemed ready. Until that time came here they would reside under the tutelage and care of the Great Races and their ancestors.


    Wraith Hive Ship


    Untold amounts of energy coursed through the power conduits of Todd''s hive ship. This ship like its twin utilized a once very rare piece of ancient technology; the zero point module. Having mastered the process of adapting the hive ship''s systems to fully utilize the energy output of the module the unlocked potential of the hive and its contained technologies was achieved. Hull density and rigidity were increased by a factor of thirty. Weapons strength, range, and endurance were now on par with and surpassing even the strongest vessels of the Tauri. Just one of these zpm enhanced hives had been an almost insurmountable challenger to the defensive forces of Earth. The fact Todd had two in his fleet mad him a military threat to the Wraith larger than even Atlantis.


    After a series of key defections to his side the number of Todd''s followers had blossomed. Eight new hives and forty assorted cruisers joined his swelling ranks. As defectors arrived they were began the conversion process into hybrids. The fact that Todd''s forces had yet to cull a world shocked the Tauri, but their suspicion was hard to tame.


    The pieces of the puzzle were fast falling into place. Tauri were primed to throw their full force into the Wraith fight, defectors flowed in daily further dwindling Wraith numbers, and an agreement had been reached to relocate the hybrids to a galaxy peaceful to their presence once hostilities were over. While Todd accepted that the distraction the Tauri requested he provide was entirely necessary it also served to display his true strength to the Wraith which would lead to further defections to his side. It was a win-win situation, and those were Todd''s favorite kind.


    In preparation for actions in the near future the already monstrously strong hulls of the zpm powered hives were being further fortified. Raw power surged through the organic power conduits, carrying an energy they were never conceived to carry. With each passing moment the cellular interactions of the living hull produced ever more resilient biopolymers able to resist unimaginable amounts of Wraith weapons fire. Leaving nothing to chance Todd would continue to prepare his fleet until the first shot was fired. After coming so far nothing would derail his path to leadership.

 Chapter 69

    November Site


    Multiple hyperspace windows tore open near the Tauri/Asgard moon base. Seven captured Lucian Alliance Ha''tak class sh.i.p.s that were disabled in the battle of the super gate had been towed to the November Site for study. It was hoped that valuable intelligence information could be obtained from the computer cores and other systems of the captured vessels.


    Small teams of Tauri and Asgard technicians swarmed over the sh.i.p.s. Computer core contents were rapidly downloaded and transferred for study. It was noted that these examples of the Goa''uld design had performed with greater shield and weapons strength. The upgrades would be studied in the hopes that trends in Lucian Alliance engineering could be understood and predicted.


    Once all that could be learned from these vessels was in hand the vessels would be transferred to an as yet to be named storage site after their repair. It was thought that the captured craft might prove to be useful at some point in the future. Mainly this was being done because a clear plan of what to do with the vessels did not exist.


    Within the subsurface facilities of the November Site those Asgard vessels that sustained damage of any kind were docked within the cavernous subterranean docking station. Technicians hovered over data displays to find out what could be learned from the confrontation. Asgard technology had again performed brilliantly, but each battle was an opportunity to learn from and improve already amazing engineering. Minor adjustments would be made to weapons settings, shield frequencies, and automated combat maneuvering profiles. This was the Asgard way of war.


    Pluto


    Within the ancient shipyard McKay sat in an engineering lab going over schematics of his latest design. Having reviewed performance data from vessels and systems involved in the battle of the super gate he had come to the immediate conclusion that a new system was needed. With assistance from the Arkos, Destiny, and Borealis AI''s that new system had taken the shape McKay had envisioned. From the station wide intercom system an announcement rang out.


    "Ares and Hammond now arriving"


    Finishing his sandwich McKay radioed instructions for the commanders of the two vessels to join him in the lab. Very content with himself Rodney leaned back in his chair with a smug grin on his face. Minutes later Colonel''s Carter and Sheppard entered the lab.


    "Hi Rodney" smiled Sam.


    "Good you''re here! I thought you''d never arrive" beamed Rodney.


    "Care to fill us in on exactly why you dragged us all the way from Pegasus" asked Sheppard.


    "Good to see you too" huffed Rodney.


    "Rodney, you pulled us away at a bad time is all" said Sam to smooth things over.


    "Spill it Rodney" ordered Sheppard.


    "After the recent battle with the Lucian Alliance I noted a few areas where we can increase combat performance in the fleet. While the drones and beam weapons performed as they were supposed to it got me thinking about where to find more firepower. With that I present to you that improvement. I''m calling it the Grodin" beamed Rodney.


    On the display screen the schematic for the Grodin appeared. Stepping closer Sam looked intently at the engineering diagrams while doing some mental math.


    "This looks like a miniaturized version of the ancient satellite weapon" said Sam.


    "That''s why I''m naming it after Peter Grodin. He did give his life so a weapon like this could save Atlantis" said Rodney with a hint of sorrow in his voice.


    "So you''re putting this on both of our sh.i.p.s" asked Sheppard.


    "Unfortunately no. Only the Athena class sh.i.p.s will be fitted with the Grodin. Ares will be fitted with it today, and in thirty six hours we''ll proceed to the elsewhere for a test firing" replied Rodney.


    "McKay, if Hammond isn''t being equipped then why am I here" asked an exasperated Sam.


    "Oh yeah, you''re here so we can replace your rail gun batteries with the energy weapon turrets Destiny utilizes. That will be complete by the time Ares returns from test firing the Grodin" answered Rodney dismissively.


    "I couldn''t help but notice Borealis is almost finished getting fixed up" stated Sheppard.


    "Should be complete any day now. We''ll be joining you in Pegasus soon. Daniel is there now if you care to see him. That gives me a chance to show you my pride and joy" beamed Rodney.


    While the two officers embarked on their way to tour the Ancient city ship with McKay as their guide several levels above them machinery sprang into action. Onboard the Ares power conduits were taken offline as spider like automated repair robots began modification to the top rear of the ship for installation of the Grodin. On Hammond a greater number of the same robots swarmed over the ship removing rail gun''s first to clear the way for the far more powerful energy weapon turrets. In other docks the remaining 304''s in the Milky Way were receiving the same modifications. After Ares performed the validation test firing of the Grodin the Athena''s would receive the new weapon class wide.

 Chapter 70

    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    Gate travel in and out of the SGC was suspended for seventy two hours while minor remodeling went on. Teams of technicians could be found on multiple levels of the secure underground facility installing sensor stations like those found on Atlantis, force shield emitters to replace security doors in the event of lockdown, biological contagion detectors, and subspace communications gear. When complete the SGC and Atlantis would share many of the same systems. In the gate room a newly manufactured Pegasus model star gate rested where the Milky Way gate had resided for so long. An Atlantis style dialing station was being installed, along with controls to the energy shield that would take the place of the older gates iris.


    Walking into the control room General Landry looked around at the assembled scientists and technicians with discomfort. He greatly respected their abilities but in all honesty the science types always made the former fighter pilot uncomfortable although he would never admit it. Seeing Doctor Lee supervising the General walked towards him.


    "How''s it going Doctor" asked Landry.


    "It''s going very well actually. The new sensors we''re installing are great stuff. Did you know we''ll actually be able to detect vessels in hyperspace" asked Lee.


    "That''s nice, but how about telling me when this bedlam is going to be over and done with" replied Landry.


    "The gate''s in place now as you can see. Everything in the control room will be done by tonight. The other sensors and security systems won''t be finished until tomorrow evening at the earliest and that''s being generous" answered Lee.


    "Read my lips doctor, get it done" ordered Landry.


    "You''ve got to ask yourself do you want it done fast or do you want it done right" asked Lee.


    "That''s easy; both" curtly responded Landry.


    Around the galaxy


    Throughout the galaxy five examples of the new iteration of the ancient''s gate seeding sh.i.p.s navigated the galaxy. The shipboard AI of each vessel had pre-assigned corridor''s of the Milky Way. At each stop the older model Milky Way gate was beamed aboard utilizing Asgard transporter technology and replaced with the newly produced Pegasus model gates. Several changes to the gate system were also taking place. Planet''s belonging to the Lucian Alliance and other hostile civilizations gates were being replaced with space gates making them all but useless to the populations below. Several habitable worlds that were lacking gates would have them added. In retaliation for the assassination of Earth''s ambassador the planets of the Free Jaffa Nation would not have theirs replaced once beamed away. It had been decided to sever the Jaffa nation''s access to the galactic gate system entirely by means of emplacing space gates. The smallest Jaffa cargo sh.i.p.s could not fit through the gates as the puddle jumpers of Earth could.


    Following standing orders each seed ship AI conducted highly detailed scans of each world visited. This information was transmitted to Arkos stations and would later be retransmitted to the SGC. It was hoped that the newly compiled data would give a highly detailed accounting of all the worlds linked together by the gate system. This would aid the SGC greatly in focused exploration efforts in the future.


    Once their mission within the Milky Way was complete the seed sh.i.p.s would set course for surrounding galaxies. In turn each galaxy would have its gate system upgraded in the same manner as the Milky Way''s. This mission would require many generations before its completion but long term thinking dictated the upgrade as the Tauri expanded beyond what currently lay within their domain.


    Earth


    A lone jumper rose through the atmosphere. Passing under cloak into orbit the small vessel continued its journey to break from the gravitational bonds of the planet below. Accelerating past the International Space Station, then beyond satellites in geosynchronous orbit the jumper transitioned threw the new planetary shield seamlessly. Pushing towards the moon the jumper rendezvoused with the Ares, coming to rest in the large jumper bay aboard the warship. Once situated in the jumper bay Ares jumped into hyperspace.


    Quickly exiting the jumper General O''Neill was escorted to the bridge. Seeing the General walk through the bridge entrance Colonel Sheppard stood while giving a mock salute that any other high ranking officer would have reprimanded him for.


    "Welcome aboard the Ares General" said Sheppard.


    "Good to be here John" replied Jack.


    "We should reach the target site in an hour. Would the General care to join me for lunch" asked Sheppard.


    "I''ve always got time for a bite" replied Jack before the two men made their way to the mess hall.


    While eating the two men discussed events in Pegasus and the Milky Way, the upcoming deployment of Borealis, and the battle of the super gate. Having recruited Sheppard into the program O''Neill had always taken a keen interest in the other mans career. Without O''Neill''s protection Sheppard''s career would have been long over as he had made several enemies within the Pentagon. Commiserating over old times the two men were still chatting away when the bridge crew informed them they had reached their destination. Returning to the bridge O''Neill frowned slightly upon seeing McKay standing there.


    "General, always a pleasure" said Rodney.


    "Not really but I know what you mean" frowned O''Neill.


    "Rodney is everything ready to go" asked Sheppard.


    "That it is and our Asgard friends should be arriving just about now" replied Rodney.


    Dropping out of hyperspace several thousand kilometers to starboard was the O''Neill class ship Iskr with a Lucian Alliance Ha''tak in tow. Seconds later the hologram of Thor appeared on the bridge of Ares.


    "Greetings O''Neill" stated Thor.


    "Heya Thor how''s tricks" asked O''Neill.


    "If by tricks you mean are preparations in order then yes" replied Thor.


    "Not exactly what I meant but good to know" responded O''Neill casually.


    "I thought it best to try a long duration shot for the test firing" interjected Rodney.


    "I will raise the Ha''tak''s shields remotely and take station to the rear of Ares. The Asgard look upon this test with great anticipation" said Thor.


    "Ok Thor, you can leave the Ha''tak there and we''ll maneuver away" said Sheppard.


    Dropping the tractor beam the Iskr and Ares maneuvered one hundred kilometers away. On command from the Iskr the Ha''tak''s shields were raised. Monitoring sensors aboard the vessel would capture data from the test firing to give a better idea of the effectiveness of the miniaturized version of the satellite weapon.


    "Monitoring sensors are online and transmitting now. Can you confirm you are also receiving telemetry Thor" asked McKay.


    "Yes Doctor, the sensor data is transmitting" replied Thor.


    "Ok Rodney, you''re running the show" stated Sheppard.


    "That''s very kind of you" smirked Rodney.


    "I would hate to have to give this project to Carter if this test fails" hinted O''Neill.


    "Come on! When have I ever let you down? Did Zelenka put you up to saying that" asked Rodney clearly annoyed.


    "Nope, not so much" smiled O''Neill.


    "Begin power up procedures. Transfer neutrino ion generator number one output to the weapons buffer" Rodney instructed the weapons officer.


    On command power flowed into the newly installed power conduit that was the energy lifeline of the Grodin. Like its satellite based cousin the Grodin required miniscule amounts of power compared to what one would imagine. With the outrageous amounts of power the neutrino ion generators were capable of producing no charging time was needed to bring the firing buffers to full capacity.


    "Buffers are charged. The weapon is ready to fire" responded the weapons officer.


    "We want to test this under conditions like those in combat. Please raise the shields" ordered McKay.


    On command the Ares and Iskr powered their shields. The protective energy screens raised in scant seconds enveloping both of the powerful vessels. The Ha''tak in the distance with shields already raised did not share the protection of Asgard technology.


    "Lock the weapon on target and fire" ordered McKay.


    Milliseconds after the weapons officer triggered the firing sequence events unfolded rapidly. Power within the weapons energy buffer coursed through the energy exciters and into the lasing chamber. Once inside the lasing chamber this energy channeled into the amplification accelerator at the base of the weapon. Acting like a proton accelerator the beam strength grew in hellish intensity. A green beam of unimaginable intensity seven feet in diameter leaped from the rear of Ares and streaked towards the waiting target. Impacting the shields of the Ha''tak sensors aboard the vessel transmitted data furiously. Eight tenths of a second later the Ha''tak shields buckled under the strain allowing the beam to tear into and through the hull of the now defenseless ship. The upper one third of the sh.i.p.s pyramid shaped hull broke away.


    "We have shield failure on the target. Switch to volley fire mode and target the vessel and debris field" ordered McKay.


    In rapid fire mode the Grodin belched forth twenty shots in ten seconds. The vessel first broke into pieces, and these pieces were in turn shattered until debris no larger than a man''s torso remained. O''Neill stared at the demonstration transfixed on the sight before him.


    "General, I think you''ve got your space gun" said Sheppard.


    "And a big honking space gun at that" whispered O''Neill.


    "A round of applause would be nice" hinted McKay.


    "I want these on every Athena class ship like yesterday McKay, make that happen" ordered O''Neill.

 Chapter 71

    Vis Uban


    After a brief return to Earth and his mother''s home Eli had been beamed aboard the Hermes for transport to Vis Uban. Ahead of Eli was an opportunity that had never been presented to anyone before him. At the request of the Council of Great Races Eli was to be mentored under the tutelage of the brightest minds of the combined races. This single thing had thoroughly ruined Rush''s return to Earth.


    Beaming to the surface Eli found himself standing in a grand receiving chamber of considerable size. Greeting him were members of the combined races both ascended and not. After much fanfare Eli was shown to what would be his quarters. The room looked more like a lab than sleeping quarters. Clearly whoever had selected his quarters had studied Eli well. Putting his luggage down Eli went about unpacking his belongings. Moments later he was startled by a voice behind him.


    "Hello Eli" said the voice behind him.


    "Crap! Please don''t do that, I''m not used to the whole sneak up on me on another planet thing" said a clearly surprised Eli.


    "Forgive me for that, it wasn''t my intention to frighten you. When I learned of your arrival I thought it best to allow you time to get settled before introducing myself" said the man.


    "I''m Eli, but you already know that. Nice to meet you" said Eli while waving awkwardly.


    "The pleasure is mine. I am Janus" replied the ascended ancient.


    "You''re the one who built the time machine! I''ve totally heard of you" exclaimed Eli.


    "I built two actually, but one came to a tragic end. The other I believe is sitting in your Area 51. You and I are going to accomplish amazing things together. In a way it''s good that we are now allowed to interact with your people. I would have found a way to work with you anyway, but this way I can''t be punished if it''s discovered. That pesky noninterference bit is off the table so to speak" mischievously said Janus.


    "I really wouldn''t want your people mad at me" confided Eli.


    "It doesn''t take much to irritate them. I''ve been doing since before we evacuated Atlantis" laughed Janus.


    "Scary" was Eli''s reply.


    "The most rewarding work is typically what they tell you is off limits" confided Janus.


    "What is it you and I are going to be working on" asked Eli.


    "Many great things, but first we have a project we must complete out of necessity. With this project done your people will have no choice but to take you very seriously. Look at it as an act of purchasing goodwill and autonomy to pursue the work we wish to pursue" hinted Janus.


    "That almost sounds Rush like" laughed Eli.


    "Oh him" replied Janus with a raised eyebrow.


    "It''s nice to know that his reputation is known throughout the universe" smiled Eli.


    "You and I will be working on a project I spent many years perfecting. It didn''t work the first time around, and then your fellow McKay found it and it went from bad to worse. We called it Arcturus" stated Janus.


    "I''ve met McKay. Please tell me he really managed to screw up" laughed Eli.


    "If you consider destroying a solar system a screwing up then yes. The science of it was over his head I''m afraid" replied Janus.


    "Ok, so what''s Arcturus all about" asked Eli.


    "Arcturus was conceived to draw vacuum energy from the universe. Had it progressed into a workable system it would have provided unlimited energy. Unfortunately at that time we had no knowledge of the ramifications we would come across. I''ve solved all of those hurdles. We''ll bring it to life, you''ll reap the credit with your people, and we''ll be free to work on several really interesting ideas" smiled Janus.


    "You do know I didn''t finish college right" asked Eli.


    "Eli, that doesn''t matter here. You could have more education than anyone on your world and still not know of the science you''re about to delve into. That won''t be a problem on Arcturus, but for later pursuits I have a solution. With your consent of course I would like to advance your evolution slightly, nothing too drastic, so you can make use of the knowledge repository" asked Janus.


    "I''ve actually already had a download from Destiny" proudly stated Eli.


    "Destiny is many millions of years old. Our knowledge advanced much during that time. The best solution is to simply download all of it to you in one go. I can fill in portions I''ve learned since I ascended that aren''t covered by the repository" replied Janus.


    "Let me ask you one question. Is this really going to piss off Rush and McKay" asked Eli.


    "Most definitely" replied Janus.


    "Then you''ve got my vote. I''m all for it" laughed Eli.


    "A working Arcturus will change your world, your whole civilization. Then we''ll move on to things that are more fun" smiled Janus.

 Chapter 72

    Home World Command


    Being summoned to Home World Command had become second nature to Camile Wray. Walking through the halls of the building a smile came to her face knowing she and Greer having disabled the Lucian Alliance naquadah bomb had saved the structure and all in it. The young Senior Airman escorting her to the General''s office did so in silence, which she found common in lower enlisted personnel.


    Entering O''Neill''s office she laid eyes on the man, and noticed the Head of the IOA was also present. If Carl Strom were also here that must mean a new posting with some new operation must be in the works. The ordeal aboard Destiny would finally give her the recognition she deserved the woman thought.


    "Ms. Wray, please take a seat. Can I get you something to drink" asked O''Neill.


    "No thank you General. It''s a pleasure to see you. Carl, it''s a surprise to see you here as well" replied Camile.


    "Thank you for coming on such short notice Camile" said Strom in welcome.


    "Ms. Wray, we''ve called you here to day to discuss a few matters of importance" began O''Neill.


    "My full debriefing after Destiny''s arrival covered all aspects of our time onboard. Unless these matters of importance cover something not in the debriefing" stated Wray.


    "Your debriefing is on file, but that isn''t why we called you here today" answered O''Neill while looking towards Strom.


    Turning his gaze towards Wray wish a curt smile Strom remained silent.


    "If this has anything to do with the upcoming deployment of Borealis I must say I''m flattered, but I wasn''t aware my name was in the running for selection to the expedition. Although if chosen as the IOA representative I would be honored" said Camile in humble tones.


    "You''re absolutely correct in that your name isn''t in the running for appointment to Borealis" smirked O''Neill.


    "I see. Then for what reason was I summoned here today if I may ask" asked Wray.


    "Camile, several flagrant breaches of protocol were noted in the debriefings. We''re here to discuss two specific instances" answered Strom.


    "I''ll do my best to answer any questions you may have" replied Wray.


    "You IOA people never cease to amaze me with your little dog and pony shows, your conniving plans, and the fact that none of you can be trusted as far as I can throw you" said O''Neill in an exasperated tone.


    "General, I feel it only far to not judge the entire IOA based on a few isolated events" protested Strom.


    "Mr. Strom, I suggest you sit there and not say another word or I will have security throw you out of this building so fast your head will spin" snarled O''Neill.


    "General O''Neill what is this about" demanded Wray.


    "Let me give you a little history lesson Ms. Wray. The IOA during it''s involvement with the SGC has managed to cause far more problems than it fixes. You''ve hung numerous members of the military and scientific community out to dry, your Mr. Marrick intentionally released replicators aboard the Odyssey and almost cost us the victory over the Ori, and now we can add mutiny and insurrection to the list" thundered O''Neill.


    "Carl, back me up here" demanded Wray.


    "It''s out of my hands Camile" retorted Strom.


    "Do you deny staging a mutiny aboard Destiny that almost resulted in the death of the commanding officer and his second in command" demanded O''Neill.


    "It was a very complex situation General" answered Wray.


    "I''m a military man. Were I a civilian the last thing I would expect the human resources lady to do is lead a mutiny" yelled O''Neill.


    "In civilized cultures the military reports to civilian leadership, not the other way around. Acting in the best interests of the civilian contingent aboard steps were taken to assure a smooth transition in command" defended Wray.


    "I think you''re forgetting that this was a military expedition. Young may not have done things perfectly but he made the best of a very bad situation. In no way will I allow you to use him as your scapegoat here" responded O''Neill.


    "Carl" demanded Wray


    "Camile, as I said I can do nothing to defend you in this matter" replied Strom.


    "Even your own people are hanging you out to dry on this one. Was part of your smooth transition to use dehydration and starvation to beat the service members aboard into compliance with your wishes" demanded O''Neill.


    "That is not exactly how it played out General" countered Wray.


    "Yes it is, and I have eighty sworn affidavits here that attest to that fact. You wanted the military to turn over their weaponry to your people or dehydrate and die. Your smooth transition was nothing more than an attempted coup d''¨¦tat" hissed O''Neill.


    "As I stated it was a complex situation. You''re making this sound like an orchestrated long term plan to usurp Colonel Young. That frankly is not the case" stated Wray sternly in reply.


    "Really? So this wasn''t your second attempt to grab at command of the expedition? You all but tried to hang Young out to dry over what was later proven to be a suicide onboard" sarcastically accused O''Neill.


    "Carl, a little support here would be great" stated Wray.


    "Camile, I can''t condone your actions in either of these two cases" responded Strom.


    "You can''t condone them? Are you kidding me? This was the script you told me to follow" yelled Wray.


    "I have no recollection of any conversation like that Camile" innocently replied Strom.


    "You''re a bastard. You''ve passed me over for promotion so many times for no reason, now you''re going to let me burn at the stake for something I was instructed to do. You''re a piece of work" hissed Wray.


    "So the truth comes out. Why am I not surprised that the IOA was behind this the entire time? Oh that''s right, because this is how you kids play ball" said O''Neill in a condescending tone.

 Chapter 73

    Home World Command


    "General O''Neill, are you really going to sit there and taken the word of a self admitted mutineer over the head of the IOA" asked Strom.


    "In all honesty yes I am" tartly relied O''Neill.


    "This is an outrage" thundered Strom.


    "Oh we''re just getting started on the outrage Carl. Pending a full review of the IOA by all member nations all IOA personnel will be recalled from and reassigned from sensitive assignments" retorted O''Neill in an almost cheery tone.


    "The President will never let you get away with this, least of all the other member nations" countered Strom arrogantly.


    "Wrong again Carl. I was given authorization by the President several days ago, but this conversation sold me on using that authorization" stated O''Neill.


    Standing to his feet Strom stormed out of the General''s office before another word could be uttered. Leaning back in this chair O''Neill let a smile spread across his face.


    "So what happens now General" asked Camile.


    "The IOA is going to go through a shake up that much is for certain" responded O''Neill.


    "I meant what is going to happen to me" asked Camile.


    "Ms. Wray, I spoke with the President about that. Historically mutineers were hung, but we haven''t done that in centuries. It''s safe to assume the IOA isn''t going to keep you around. I am prepared to offer you a position within the SGC" graciously offered O''Neill.


    "You used me to get to the IOA didn''t you" asked Wray.


    "The simple answer to that is yes. We''ve known for some time that Strom was trying to pull the strings in expeditions off world. You allowed us to finally pin it on him" answered O''Neill.


    "I''m going to need time to think about what I want to do with the future" stated Camile.


    "Take your time, but keep in mind Strom might try to even the score. Let me know what you decide" finished O''Neill.


    Andromeda galaxy


    On the Asgard home world day to day events occurred as they had over the duration of the Asgard civilization. A herculean effort had allowed the Asgard to reestablish their new home world to the glory of their original home world of Hala.


    Arriving from the November site in the Milky Way an Asgard science vessel delivered several items of note. Aboard this vessel was an example of the new beam weapon the Tauri had managed to miniaturize. Asgard scientists would study this weapon, duplicate for addition to all vessels in their fleet, and attempt to improve upon its design.


    The vessel also carried hair and skin samples that had been harvested from clothing and the personal effects of Dr. Jeremy Franklin, Dr. Amanda Perry, and Ginn. DNA would be isolated and extracted form these samples. Using the refined cloning process possessed by the allied race would allow for bodies to be produced in a matter of weeks. Once grown these bodies would be taken to the Arkos station along with scientists who specialized in the mind transfer technology developed long ago. It was hoped that the three individuals minds currently locked away in the Destiny mainframe could be recovered.


    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    The chaos of the upgrade project had passed. Biometric and contagion detectors were now online, as were the security force shields. The control room was also now fully returned to online status. Deep space sensors duplicate of those found on Atlantis now scanned out into the reaches of space, searching for any threat to Earth.


    With the addition of the Pegasus model gate and its city ship style DHD further changes had come. The power cables that for so many years channeled electricity into the superconductors of the older Milky Way model gate were now gone. The DHD supplied all the power necessary for dialing within the Milky Way network. With the addition of the DHD all designed security features now functioned, unlike the old dialing computer that had bypassed these protocols and once endangered the sun of K''Tau by poisoning it with particles of heavy elements transferred through the active wormhole.


    Entering the briefing room General Landry saw the familiar face of Daniel Jackson seated at the conference table. Walking up to the man he quickly shook the former member of his premiere off world team''s hand.


    "Good to see you Dr. Jackson" greeted Landry.


    "Always a pleasure General. Looks like you''ve been doing some remodeling. The place is looking great" smiled Daniel.


    "We''ve held off on upgrading everything for as long as we could. With no pressing galactic crisis it seemed like a good time to put in new curtains" laughed Landry.


    "I don''t want you to feel I''m stepping on your toes by being here" said Daniel shifting topics.


    "Jack briefed me in so I already know you''re here to pluck away my best and brightest. The list of people you sent over raised a few eyebrows. They are all waiting in the hall. I''ll let you get to it. Remember, heavy is the burden of command" smiled Landry while quickly leaving the room.


    The assembled group of people about to enter the conference room had been rushed to the SGC for this meeting. Some had been recalled from vacations with friends and family. As they all knew when the SGC called you ran.


    Filing into the room was Lt. Scott, Lt. Vanessa James, Master Sergeant Ronald Greer, Corporal Barnes, Chloe Armstrong, and Doctors Brody, Volker, and Park. Taking their seats Daniel rose from his seat, turned on the power point projector and began his presentation.

 Chapter 74

    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    "Thank you all for coming today. I''m Doctor Daniel Jackson" began Daniel.


    "Did you call us here to make one of those horrible instructional video''s to cover Destiny" asked Chloe.


    "You didn''t like those? Well no one really did. And no that isn''t why you have been called here today" replied Daniel.


    After exchanged glances Greer and Volker both laughed quietly. Turning to face Chloe Lt. James mouthed the words ''smooth move'' silently. With the touch of a button Daniel brought up a photo of Borealis.


    "What you see before you is the ancient city ship Borealis, sister ship to Atlantis. After recovery and extensive repair she is now in full working order. It is our intention to return Borealis to the Pegasus galaxy to operate in conjunction with Atlantis. Any questions so far" asked Daniel.


    Looking in awe at the city ship all sat at the table silently. With rapt attention they eagerly looked to Jackson to continue.


    "You may ask yourself why you''re here. You''re here because of your unique experience aboard an ancient ship, your knowledge of ancient systems, and your will to adapt and overcome in the face of adversity. As you all know I''m not a military officer. My assignment is to lead the Borealis expedition. With that I''m hoping I can convince the doctors in the audience to join my science staff, and the military service members to join in my military contingent with later assignment to off world teams. Are you following me so far" asked Daniel.


    "Why isn''t Dr. Rush here" asked Park.


    "Or Eli" asked Brody.


    "Oh yeah, him. I recruited Dr. Rush into the program, but he is now and will be for some time tied up with deciphering the data found aboard Destiny. Also, I really didn''t want to mix him with McKay. As for Eli he is currently off world on another assignment" answered Daniel.


    A number of quiet laughs erupted from the gathered crowd around the conference table. A shy of relief was felt all around about a program with no Rush.


    "Already recruited into the expedition are some of the top minds in a spectrum of scientific disciplines. We''ll also be taking a larger military component than the original Atlantis expedition. We will have support from our allies in this galaxy and Pegasus. In addition we will also have a large support element in a fleet we keep stationed in Pegasus. This is your chance to make your mark on the program. Many that went in the Atlantis expedition later came to be highly respected pillars within the SGC and the IOA. If it helps I''m not a hard guy to work for, and my second in command has more than earned his place among us" continued Daniel.


    "What types of threats exist in Pegasus" asked Chloe.


    "I''m not going to sugar coat it for you. The enemy we face in Pegasus is a scary one. The Wraith are a hybrid humanoid species that have an amazing life span. They feed off the life force of humans and enjoy it when their food fights back. This is the race that defeated the ancients. I know that is a frightening prospect, but we have done very well in the war with them, and it is only a matter of time before the galaxy is free of them once and for all" confidently stated Daniel.


    "If they beat the ancients how can we expect to just take win so easily" asked Park.


    "The ancients only lost because they were greatly outnumbered. We have fought a much more aggressive campaign than the ancients. Instead of fighting a defensive battle we have instead taken the fight to the Wraith. That is something they haven''t yet managed to come to grips with" answered Daniel.


    "Where do I sign up" asked a smiling Greer.


    "You don''t have to decide this minute, but those of you who feel this expedition is something you want to pursue think it over for a day and get back to me. Time is of the essence here as we will be departing in two weeks" added Daniel.


    Seeming to ignore Jackson the group around the table began to discuss the matter amongst themselves. The experience aboard Destiny had brought them all much closer together. In many ways they thought of themselves as a family, albeit a somewhat dysfunctional and socially awkward family. The conversation continued for several minutes until a vote was taken. Rising from the table Lt. Scott began to speak.


    "Doctor Jackson, I speak for all of us when we say we accept your offer and would be pleased to join the expedition" said Scott.


    "Great! I didn''t think it would be that easy of a sale. Ok, um, we''ve got a lot to get done before we leave. Wow. You''re all sure right" asked Daniel in his somewhat normal apprehensive tone.


    "We''re all certain Doctor" answered Park.


    "Then I suggest you get your shopping and packing done now. We''re not going to be near a mall for some time" joked Daniel.

 Chapter 75

    Borealis


    The ancient city ship was quickly nearing completion. Asgard, Furling, and Alterran advisors had departed earlier in the day. Several unplanned new additions to the city were now installed on top of other planned upgrades. It had been planned to add neutrino ion generators and subspace capacitors provide improved energy output and operate in conjunction with the city''s ZPM''s. The planned Asgard computer core had also been assimilated into the city''s data base. Asgard plasma beam weapons were now fitted on each pier and the control tower to enhance the Borealis''s defensive capabilities.


    Fitted to Atlantis in a time of desperation a cloaking unit was now installed as a permanent upgrade. Phase shifting technology similar to that employed by Merlin to hide his development of the Sangraal now also came standard. In a move that was as unexpected as it was surprising the Furling provided their own version of the Asgard computer core. Contained within this awesomely powerful piece of technology was the entire history of the Furling people, their technological achievements, and their scientific findings.


    "Doctor McKay, I have finished preliminary diagnostics of newly added systems. All systems are operating within acceptable parameters. I will now move on to system stability analysis. Is their anything else you require" asked the avatar of Borealis.


    "Yes, can you give me a background radiation measurement from all new power generation units and display your findings now versus before you were damaged during the crash" asked Rodney.


    "Of course Doctor. Background micro scatter radiation increases are negligible" came Borealis''s reply.


    "I thought so. Ok, give me a full power test of the ZPM''s, neutrino ion generators, and the subspace capacitors. Let''s channel that power into the main power conduit and from there into all secondary and tertiary systems. Monitor for any energy bleed" instructed McKay.


    "As you wish. Power up will be complete on all requested systems in ten seconds. How long do you wish to continue this diagnostic" asked Borealis.


    "Give me a ninety second full power test please, then power down all systems to minimum levels" replied McKay.


    On command the cities three ZPM''s released their unparalleled amounts of vacuum energy. The Asgard neutrino ion generators sprang to life further supplementing the power available from the ZPM''s but not matching it. On each pier the subspace capacitors sprang to life. Encased in a protective field of their own the capacitors drew energy directly from subspace. These generated large amounts of power but not nearly as much as the neutrino ion generators and a pittance compared to the ZPM''s level of output.


    At full power each system aboard the city powered up for the first time in eons. Sensors came online, weapons charged, shields rose, and the star drive charged its energy buffers. The amount of energy Rodney had ordered unleashed was greater than most planets could consume in decades. Moments like these made Rodney feel like he was where he was meant to be.


    "Primary, secondary and tertiary systems are all online. Energy transfer within the power conduits is performing at maximum efficiency with no power drain detected" Borealis informed Rodney.


    "That settles that. Power down to minimum levels and I''ll analyze the test data later. Borealis we can now certify that all your systems are repaired! Now we''ll move on to the provisioning phase. Can you please instruct Arkos to begin the transfer of puddle jumpers into the upper and lower Jumper bays? I will oversee the drone transfer into your armory. We''re going to be bringing in a lot of gear and people so I''ll need your help getting it all done. We''ll be taking you back to Pegasus very shortly" smiled McKay.

 Chapter 76

    M2S-998


    For thousands of years the planet known in the Atlantis database as M2S-998 had severed as the primary ship building facility of the Wraith. The barren world contained no life, other than the vessels grown there and their associated minders. With no stargate this world possessed very little need for physical security on the ground. High above in orbit the gathered fleet of Wraith vessels more than ensured no harm would come to what grew on the surface below.


    Eight hive sh.i.p.s in concert with sixteen cruisers stood sentry between the planet and its sole moon. Wraith ego assured the crews of these vessels that no harm could ever possibly come to the world they guarded. Even during the height of the Lantean Wraith war not once was this planet touched. The thought of any opposing force fighting finding this planet let alone fighting through its security screen was inconceivable. Had Wraith sensors been more sensitive the group of Tauri vessels that had entered the system under cloak two hours before might have been detected.


    Taking position four hundred thousand kilometers adjacent of the planet the combined vessels of the Pegasus Group sat. With cloaking fields engaged they were all but undetectable. Ares, Hammond, Daedalus, Sun Tzu, Apollo, and Odyssey were primed and ready for the actions to come. Aboard Ares and Apollo science staffs from Atlantis were busy checking and rechecking the systems and calibrations of the Horizon weapons system aboard both vessels. Nothing would be left to chance.


    On the bridge of the Ares impatiently sat Colonel John Sheppard, waiting for the distraction he had arranged for the guarding Wraith vessels. Checking his watch every few moments Sheppard was growing more and more annoyed with each passing second. The communications officer signaled to the Colonel an incoming video message from the Apollo.


    "This is Sheppard, go ahead Apollo" stated John.


    "Todd was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. He may have backed out and left us holding the bag" said an agitated Colonel Ellis.


    "Maybe he''s just stuck in traffic. Look, Todd knows this helps him just as much as it helps us. He''ll be here" replied Sheppard.


    "Well Colonel I hope for everyone''s sake you''re right. Our Horizon is checked out and good to go" said Ellis.


    "Same here. Once Todd gets here he will follow the script. Once the Wraith engage his forces Ares and Apollo will move in for weapons deployment. Just be patient" replied Sheppard with a wry and somewhat sarcastic smile.


    No sooner had the message ended when Sheppard was informed of another incoming subspace message. Nodding his head and waving his hand in the air Sheppard instructed the communications officer to display the incoming message on the holographic display screen. Coming to life the screen was filled with the face of their sometimes ally Todd.


    "Ah, John Sheppard. Were you beginning to wonder if I wouldn''t show" asked Todd with a trace of sarcasm in his voice.


    "I knew you would show Todd, so quit trying to be a comedian. Where exactly are you" asked Sheppard.


    "Even now I am approaching. We will be exiting hyperspace in thirty seconds" answered Todd.


    "Just stick to your side of the bargain and everyone wins. Draw the fleet away and we''ll handle the rest. I mean it Todd" countered Sheppard somewhat sternly.


    "I wouldn''t dream of doing anything else John Sheppard" replied Todd in a tone that always made Sheppard''s skin crawl.


    "Yeah that''s the part that worries me. Sheppard out" stated Sheppard bring the exchange to an end.


    Seconds later sensors aboard the waiting Tauri vessels detected the two large hyperspace vessels opening in the distance. Emerging from the two tears in space could be seen two Hive sh.i.p.s. Seeing the energy readings from the two newly arrived sh.i.p.s confirmed what had been suspected, Todd was committing both of his ZPM powered Hive Sh.i.p.s to the fight.


    Onboard the Wraith vessels standing guard over the planet below sensors also detected the two new arrivals. As a group the assorted Hives and cruisers oriented themselves towards the two approaching vessels. Communications screens and Wraith telepathy both came into play with the same message from Todd.


    "My brothers, I have come to offer you sanctuary from the rule of the queens you currently serve. It is not my wish to destroy you, only to show you a new path that can be followed. Surrender now and join me. You have one minute to decide" said Todd with an air of superiority.


    In reply the assorted Wraith vessels broke into two groups of four hives and eight cruisers. Each of these groups began powering their weapons, deploying darts, and advanced towards the two intruding vessels before them. While this transpired Odyssey, Hammond, Daedalus, and Sun Tzu formed a defensive line of cloaked vessels along the path Ares and Apollo would take towards the planet.


    "Sensors are detecting Wraith forces are powering weapons. Todd''s sh.i.p.s are doing the same" called out the sensor operator.


    "Roger that. Signal Apollo to begin the attack run once all Wraith forces are engaged" ordered Sheppard.

 Chapter 77

    M2S-998


    The two cl.u.s.ters of Wraith vessels opened fire moments after weapons were charged. The sight of so much firepower being deployed by the guarding vessels was impressive. Effortlessly the opening salvos were absorbed by the ZPM powered hives ultra dense augmented hulls.


    "I see you have declined my offer to join us. Pity" came Todd''s reply via subspace message.


    On command the two massive hives unleashed their own weapons in a hellish display. Twenty four incredibly intense bolts of blue energy shot forth from both hives main weapons from their left side weapons banks. The blue bolts of energy fired in a tight pattern ran headlong into the approaching wave of darts, destroying them so effectively as if it were an after thought. Their second volley targeted the lead hive in both the approaching groups of hostile vessels. Colliding into the organic hulls of the first hive targeted the bolts of energy eviscerated the nose of the vessel on contact. Following seconds behind the first shot the remaining bolts of energy impacted the now exposed interior levels of the targeted hive, burrowing deeper and deeper into the massive vessel. In seconds the first hive targeted was rendered down to nothing more than debris and ejecta; the detritus of the once powerful vessel.


    With the defending forces fully engaged Ares and Apollo sprang into action; their sub-light engines pushing them closer and closer to the targeted planet. Despite having cloaks engaged bomb bay doors were opened, with the already prepped Horizon''s lowered into place for firing.


    "Ares this is Apollo. Confirm targeting sync with both weapons" said Ellis over the secure subspace link.


    "Ares confirms targeting sync. Weapons release in twenty seconds" confirmed Sheppard.


    Passing quickly through the geosynchronous orbital plane into the medium planetary orbital plane Ares and Apollo dropped their cloaks. With sub-light engines continuing to drive them through medium planetary orbit into low planetary orbit both vessels launched their Horizon''s. Dropping free of their parent ship the Horizon''s drifted for a three seconds to allow for clean exit from their firing bays before powering their solid fueled booster rockets. On ignition of the boosters of both Horizon missiles, the Ares and Apollo both broke away while reengaging their cloaking systems.


    The ammonium perchlorate composite propellant fired, accelerating the twin Horizon missiles towards their targets on the planet. Heat quickly built up on the yellow and black checkered nose cones of the missiles as they impacted the upper portions of the planets atmosphere. Powering through despite the building drag the missiles quickly entered lower portions of the atmosphere before explosive bolts fired. Once the bolts fired the two sections of the now unneeded nose cone and protective shroud were ejected. With the obstruction of the no longer present nose cone removed the ten warheads on each Horizon came online for their final firing sequence. Originally the Horizon had been designed to carry six independent reentry vehicles and four decoy''s, but for this mission maximum damage was needed necessitating their replacement with additional warheads.


    Detecting entry into the spatial position necessary to hit all targets the firing computers aboard both missiles sent the release command to the firing squibs. Small pulse boosters at the base of each warhead received the launch command and fired, accelerating the already transonic inbound reentry vehicles away from the slowing Horizon missile body. Minute adjustments in attitude altered the course each warhead took as they plummeted to the ground below. The two Horizons had been launched seconds apart to allow the warheads to simultaneously detonate as a ground burst for the first Horizon, while the second Horizon''s warheads detonated at five thousand feet.


    Simultaneously the twenty Naqaudria enhanced thermonuclear weapons detonated. From orbit it looked as if twenty new suns were born on the planet below. Each multi-gigaton detonation erupted in an unholy display of light, energy, and ionizing radiation. Fireballs rose into the atmosphere lighting atmosphere ablaze with their incredible temperatures carrying with them fallout from below. On the surface of the planet a firestorm of incredible magnitude raged, followed by static overpressure and dynamic overpressure. An incredibly lethal belt of radiation the likes of which could only be found in some stars washed over the landscape. The combined forces of fire, overpressure, and incredible levels of radiation attacked the growing Wraith vessels anchored on the ground below. The exotic biopolymers withered under the assault before breaking down. The radiation attacked these biopolymers at the cellular level, rupturing the cell walls while poisoning the barren landscape. In seconds the sh.i.p.s were reduced to dead husks to be consumed by the growing firestorm.


    "Apollo we have detonation on target of all twenty warheads" announced Sheppard.


    Todd''s two ZPM powered hive sh.i.p.s were handling the gathered mass of attacking vessels with ease. One after another Wraith cruisers fractured under the intense weapons fire. Seeing the futility of their task several of the attacking hives quickly surrendered to Todd''s forces before taking up arms against their fellow Wraith. Witnessing the destructive power of Todd''s sh.i.p.s the Wraith knew they had little hope of victory, but pressed home their attacks. Moments later only the ZPM powered hives and the defecting hives remained.


    "I have kept my side of the arrangement as have you my sensors tell me" said Todd over the subspace video message.


    "While we were turning your little buddies into TV dinners I see you managed to bring more friends into the fold. How nice" responded Sheppard.


    "I did indeed John Sheppard. After seeing the power my hives wield how could they not seek to join me" laughed Todd.


    "I''m guessing you didn''t tell them the last vessel like that we destroyed over our home planet right? Wouldn''t want to muddy the water with facts" replied Sheppard.


    "The Wraith will now know our two sides are working in tandem against them. I''m certain of that" stated Todd.


    "I''m looking forward to it. The sooner we finish them the sooner you can move elsewhere" taunted Sheppard.


    With their mission complete the assorted vessels of the Pegasus Group jumped to hyperspace. Todd''s forces would remain briefly to make crew adjustments aboard their newly acquired sh.i.p.s. All in all a good day for everyone but the Wraith.

 Chapter 78

    Atlantis


    In the conference room of the ancient city sat Mr. Woolsey and the Travelers delegation. In the past the two groups had been uneasy allies. Being one of the more advanced races in Pegasus the Tauri hoped to find a useful ally in the war with the Wraith. The Travelers in return hoped to advance their technology as cheaply as possible.


    "Mr. Woolsey we have fought together in the past against a common enemy in the Asurans. The Wraith are also a shared enemy between our two people and every other human in this galaxy. This fight would be greatly simplified if you would simply equip my people with ancient technology" stated Larrin.


    "Technology transfer is not on the table I''m afraid" replied Woolsey.


    "You want my people to fight this battle for you but you won''t share technology that isn''t even really yours" smiled Larrin,


    "We are not seeking to have you fight this war for us. Case in point we have been prosecuting this war almost single handedly since our arrival in Pegasus. On the second point you''re incorrect. The ancients called our planet home for many millions of years before their arrival in this galaxy, we are currently allies of the ascended ancients, and this technology was left for our later use" smoothly replied Woolsey.


    "Then just what is it your people are offering us" demanded Larrin.


    "We have a sizeable fleet of our own in this galaxy that can further assure the safety of your people. You also would have the aid and assistance of our people in the building of permanent planetary colonies. Beyond that what is it you''re hoping for" asked Woolsey.


    "I only want what is best for my people. Surely you understand that. I''ll compromise. Provide two vessels like the ancient vessel we lost and you''ll have your alliance" countered Larrin.


    "Ah yes, your ancient vessel. Its destruction is regrettable, but those behind the root cause of its destruction have been dealt with and are no longer in this galaxy. Again this goes back to technology transfer and that simply is off the table" replied Woolsey.


    "My people need vessels. Without them we will be forced to offload more and more of our people on planets where they are at risk" answered Larrin.


    "Perhaps we can assist you with that. We have at our disposal certain rapid production techniques that can be utilized. Doctor Zelenka has informed me of the degraded material condition of the vessel he was aboard. If you can provide the schematics we will construct them, but no technological upgrades will be included" offered Woolsey.


    "Provide two of these sh.i.p.s as a show of good faith and perhaps in a year the proposal can be reevaluated in a favorable light" rebutted Larrin.


    "Let me be blunt. You are asking for sh.i.p.s but offering nothing but hollow promises of reevaluation in the future. This gives us nothing. Our fleet along with our allies in our home galaxy even now are combating the Wraith and succeeding on a level unseen before. A year from now we simply won''t need an alliance with your people. If an alliance can be solidified today with newly produced copies of your current sh.i.p.s that is acceptable to us. We will even ensure your people are admitted into the Coalition of Planets providing you with an entire galaxy of trading partners" stated Woolsey.


    Chuck quickly entered the conference room. Making his way quickly to the side of his expedition commander Chuck quickly informed Woolsey of the subspace message that had been received from Colonel Sheppard, along with video of the event. Woolsey asked Chuck to transfer the message to the conference room for display on the large flat panel display in the corner before telling the visiting delegates of what he wished them to see. After viewing the video Larrin was taken aback at the destructive powers these people possessed.


    "You managed to hurt the Wraith, but this is far from ending their rule in this galaxy" said Larrin slightly taken aback.


    "Wraith tenure over this galaxy is over. Soon more of our forces will be in this galaxy, along with forces from our allies back home. If you''re going to get on the winning side now would be the time" urged Woolsey.


    "This still isn''t enough for my people" countered Larrin.


    "You fight for the good of your people and should be commended for that. Unfortunately very soon your people will bring nothing to the table so to speak to achieve an alliance with my government. We''ll give you your sh.i.p.s and nothing more. Take it over leave it" finished Woolsey.


    "We''ll transmit the design schematics of the vessels to you before we break orbit. My people will require your assistance in construction of planetary settlements, agriculture, along with medical assistance. In return we''ll give you your alliance" agreed Larrin uncomfortably.


    "Agreed" said Woolsey in closing.

 Chapter 79

    Home World Command


    Many times since the beginning of the Tauri-Lucian Alliance war it had been discovered that enemy agents lurked within. The most flagrant instance was the brainwashing of Colonel Telford after his time undercover within the Alliance. The battle of the super gate was the newest proof of either a mole within Home World Command or high level intelligence leaks. Operational security was already the mantra of the ultra secret government agency, but that wasn''t enough.


    At the President''s direction Home World Command and the SGC were being assigned an untold number of counter intelligence specialists from the FBI, CIA, and the four branches of the armed forces. No one outside of a handful of people knew just how many of these special agents were being brought in. Clearly an all hands on deck effort to stem the leaks was beginning.


    Pluto


    The last two weeks had seen Arkos Station abuzz with activity. A constant flow of supplies had arrived through the stations recently added Pegasus model stargate. The amount of material flowing from the SGC to Arkos was staggering in its amount. Each gate activation brought forth countless crates, pallets, and milspec containers. Assisting in this herculean logistical effort were several vessels of the Tauri fleet. Traversing the distance between the station and earth in short periods of time the vessels beamed aboard food supplies in gargantuan quantities for delivery to the station.


    When the Atlantis expedition first left for Pegasus they left the SGC with what they could carry or easily roll through the gate. The Borealis expedition was being done in a much more civilized manner. Ten days earlier the assorted expedition members began arriving with their personal effects. Each was assigned quarters aboard the ancient city ship and began the process of familiarizing themselves with its systems. With the Borealis AI''s assistance in scant days each member was soon adept at the most complex of functions. It helped that many of the members aboard had previously served assignments on Atlantis.


    Seated in the expedition commanders office Daniel was going over last minute reports from his assorted department heads. He was amazed at the staggering amount of paperwork involved in being in command. Maybe this is why Jack had resisted promotion so many times he thought.


    "Daniel Jackson, may I speak with you for a moment" asked Teal''c.


    "Sure Teal''c, come on in" replied Daniel.


    "We have received a subspace transmission from the Ajax. Colonel Young reports that all vessels have arrived at our destination planet. Deployment of defense satellites has already begun, and he stated the underwater geothermal power platform will be deployed and in place upon our arrival" stated Teal''c.


    "Great. That should make things a bit easier for us when we arrive. I''ll need you to ensure we get the three backup zpm''s before we depart" reminded Daniel.


    "Already done Daniel Jackson. Before my departure from Earth I made a large purchase of DVD''s for our viewing pleasure. I also have a popcorn maker" grinned Teal''c.


    "I look forward to movie night. Ok, how is your department looking" asked Daniel.


    "They are young but seasoned warriors. If the time comes for them to demonstrate their ability I am confident they will do so. I am especially impressed with the abilities of Master Sergeant Greer. I see much of myself in him" added Teal''c.


    "Colonel Young filled me in on Greer. Just keep an eye on him so he stays out of trouble" reminded Daniel.


    "Consider it done" answered Teal''c with a slight bow of his head.


    "We depart in an hour, I better get do a final once over before we undock" stated Daniel.


    Exiting his office Daniel made the rounds to his assorted department heads. Everything seemed to be in order for their pending departure. The only one left to check in with was McKay, but he was not to be found which was hardly surprising. Rodney had taken to playing nursemaid while so many people acquainted themselves with what he called his city. Returning to the command center Daniel saw Rodney seated at a control panel discussing something with the Borealis avatar.


    "Rodney" began Daniel.


    "There you are. I''ve been looking all over for you but you were no where to be found" said Rodney.


    "Doctor McKay, I can easily locate any member of the expedition within my confines. In the future please ask and I will do so" chided Borealis.


    "Yes, yes. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that we''re ready. Everything is at one hundred percent" smiled Rodney.


    "Thank you Rodney. We''ll be undocking momentarily. I''ve got a few things I would like to say to the crew before we go" responded Daniel.


    Tapping his radio earpiece three times Daniel began a network wide broadcast to all aboard.


    "In a few short moments we''ll be undocking for our departure to Pegasus. Before we do I want to say a few words to all of you. During my time I have had the privilege of seeing amazing things and meeting some of the most talented people I''ve ever encountered. All of that seems trivial now in comparison to what we are about to do and the men and women I see around me in this city. We''re following in the footsteps of the ancients themselves. Long ago they departed this galaxy in this very vessel for the Pegasus full of hopes and dreams of a bright future. Millions of years later we are doing that very same thing. This really is a new dawn for mankind. Sure we won''t know how our favorite football team did until several days after the fact, but look at everything we can accomplish together in Pegasus. The potential is there to unlock discoveries that will change our very way of life. That''s a breathtaking prospect in my book. You all embody the adventurer''s spirit. Let''s do what we''re setting out to do and not just study history but create some of our own. Each of you is an inspiration and I want to thank you for coming along on this greatest of adventures with me. Please carry on with whatever you were doing before. Thank you" said Daniel in closing.


    "All is ready for departure" stated Borealis.


    "Ok, take us out" replied Daniel.


    On command the ancient city ship''s shields raised. Moments later umbilical''s from the docking station disconnected as the star drive powered up. Every tower of the city was ablaze in lights and the city edged away from its docking station. Around Arkos station all stopped to watch as the massive city ship gracefully glided towards the energy field that was the barrier between the void of space and the stations interior. Effortlessly Borealis slipped through the energy screen, her own shields now all that protected her crew from the vacuum of space.


    Outside the station the Aurora class vessel Tria stood sentry over Borealis as she emerged from the confines of Arkos. Free from the stations confines Borealis silently moved past her lone sentinel.


    "Take us into hyperspace" ordered Daniel.

 Chapter 80

    Pluto


    Accelerating away, with Arkos station in the distance a massive hyperspace window tore open. Speeding into the rift Borealis was visible for a brief second before the window closed and she could no longer be detected. Borealis was once again returning to Pegasus.


    Aboard Arkos station General Jack O''Neill looked out the large viewing window as the city ship departed. Aboard that ship were two people he counted as his closest of friends. Raising the single beer he had brought with him from Earth for the occasion he toasted their departure.


    "Good luck Danny boy" he said softly before taking a long pull off the cold beer.


    Earth


    Before the creation of the IOA the sole funding body for the SGC and off world activities to include research and development of future systems had always been the United States government, through the auspices of the highly classified and impossible to track black budget. After the IOA was created the participating member nations reinforced this budget with black funds of their own. While this process had worked and worked well for the many years of the programs existence it was recognized that it would not remain a workable solution.


    At the behest of the United States the member nations of the IOA were tasked with finding a more permanent solution to the matter of funding. After three long years of studies and focus groups tackling the problem a viable long term solution was found. Spear heading the effort with the international community the member nations of the IOA began a very public push for patent law reform at the local level and through the United Nations. International patent law reform would allow for the lifespan of a standing patent to be greatly increased while also increasing the royalty''s payable for use of such patents and their derivatives to the patent holders.


    With the tremendous influx of advanced technology in the preceding seventeen years with little trickle down to civilian use programs a mass of technology was available to patent. This quantum leap forward in technology on the open market was to spur a planet wide upgrade of everything used in daily life. Patents on medical technologies, agriculture, crystal based computer technology, power generation, and materials science were the first to appear. This was just the initial trickle of what would be thousands of patents to be filed in the coming year. With changes in patent law globally royalties would increase from a paltry three to five percent to a much larger fifteen percent. The trillions generated globally from this would flow directly into the coffers of the SGC program, the IOA, and the member governments.


    As products were developed using these patents the funding fire hose brought in incredible amounts of capital. Estimates predicted correctly that the computer industry would see the highest initial return, and this proved correct. Companies reviewing these patents were astounded at the genius of the crystal computer over traditional solid state designs. These systems would be among the first brought to market on Earth. A new generation of computing was born, sounding the death knell of traditional circuit design.


    While this system was adopted to provide the much needed funding for further off world expansion these were also the first steps in public disclosure of the SGC program. The world was slowly being prepared for the great reveal of the planets role in several galaxies. In the future it was widely known that more manpower would be needed among the stars and public disclosure would make that possible. Someday the entire planet would be a part of Earth''s efforts in the cosmos, not a select few hand chosen for the purpose.


    Dissemination of advanced technology in this manner would spur development worldwide. Cutting edge systems were needed to combat the many threats known and unknown in the universe. Earth''s industrial capacity would be the new engine of that effort. Utilizing advanced production techniques incredible quantities of very advanced products needed for the off world mission could be rapidly produced. As the people of Earth took a technological leap forward they would also be unwittingly financing their planets development on the universal stage.

 Chapter 81

    Pluto


    With Borealis repaired and departed a considerable portion of the Arkos stations ship repair and construction assets were suddenly available for other uses. While warship construction was still the top priority several other projects were in the works. Construction of science vessels in docks once home to the newly built seeder sh.i.p.s were quickly taking shape. Instead of a clean sheet design it had been decided to use a proven design configuration with major upgrades while also interchanging some systems entirely. From a casual observation of the sh.i.p.s taking shape one might believe they were nothing more than duplicates of Destiny. While they appeared so from the outside that was far from the case internally.


    The Copernicus class science vessels were very similar to the overall Destiny design. While retaining the use of solar recharging as the primary power source it had been felt that a reserve power option was further needed should an emergency arise. With that a lone Asgard neutrino ion generator now resided in the engineering section of each vessel. In place of the original faster than light drives the design called for rested a hyper drive like those found on the Aurora class. Matter stream creation units had been added to ease resupply issues during extended voyages like those encountered by the Destiny expedition. Asgard transport beaming units had also been added. On the belly of the ship, behind the main weapon could be found retractable doors to the newly added jumper bay. Doing away with the traditional shuttles in place of the much more advanced jumpers was seen as the obvious choice. Instead of just two shuttles each ship of the Copernicus class would carry five jumpers; more than enough to evacuate the entire crew should the need arise.


    In the gate room of each vessel further changes would be found once complete. Doing away with the limited range star gate as found on Destiny in its place now rested a Pegasus model. One of the reasons for this was the Pegasus models ability to override older model gates in proximity. A new nine chevron address for each had already been assigned. To avoid an incursion through the sh.i.p.s gate an energy shield iris was installed. Further energy field security barriers would be emplaced throughout the sh.i.p.s similar to those so recently added to the SGC. To assist in their science and exploration role sensors identical to those found on the Daniel Jackson class science vessels were to be added.


    Retention of the Destiny weapons suite was felt to be a priority. Due to their orientation as science vessels this suite of weaponry would remain in the control of each vessels onboard AI. Many if not all of the defensive systems would remain under the AI''s sole control. These vessels were not being constructed to be combatants but would retain the ability to protect themselves from assault should the need arise.


    When complete the Copernicus, Galileo, Edmund Halley, Sagan, and Hawking would begin their detailed exploration and analysis of this galaxy and others. It was hoped that these vessels would continue the SGC mission of first contact, exploration, and scientific understanding into regions of space as yet unexplored by the Tauri.


    Aboard Destiny in the chair interface room sat Dr. Rush, several technicians, the Asgard scientist Heimdall, and the avatar of Destiny. Arriving through the stargate Heimdall brought with him the recently grown copies of Ginn and Amanda Perry. After an exhaustive review of the procedures to download a consciousness from the databanks of Destiny it was now felt safe to attempt the actual transfers.


    "I want you to be bloody well sure this will work. We may only get the once chance at this" stated Rush.


    "I assure you Doctor the procedure will be completed to your satisfaction" assured Destiny.


    "My people have used a similar process for many thousands of years Doctor. Your concern is noted but not necessary in this instance. Please do not be alarmed" replied Heimdall.


    "We''re ready to go on our end Doctor Rush" interjected one of the chair technicians.


    "We''ll try Ginn first if you don''t mind" answered Rush.


    Unknown to the others in the room minus Destiny Rush had his concerns over the procedure. To protect Amanda Perry he was more than happy to do the trail run on Ginn. Altruism was not something Rush was known for after all. Bringing in the mindless body of Ginn and seating her in the interface chair the room fell silent. As the technicians entered the command to begin the download process Rush stared at the control screen with a single fixed intensity.


    "The consciousness of Ginn has grown in size considerable size since the initial download" said Heimdall.


    "What would cause that" asked Rush.


    "She had open access to my databank before her programs quarantine. In essence she has learned a considerable amount of knowledge during this time. It is to be expected that this knowledge would be assimilated into their program. It is a normal and pleasant side effect of the process" answered Destiny in a reassuring tone.


    "So when they are downloaded into their bodies they''ll know all you know? That''s brilliant" exclaimed Rush.


    "Not all I know, but a considerable portion. Certain sections of the database are protected from their reach for security reasons. Were they to be downloaded with the sum total of my database they would surely perish as the amount of information is far too vast for their physiology to handle at this stage in their evolutionary development" replied Destiny.


    "Shall we begin" asked Heimdall.

 Chapter 82

    With a nod of the head from Destiny''s avatar the process began. Clamps locked shut over Ginn''s ankles and wrists. Seconds later the headpiece swiveled into place and the temple contact points twisted towards her head until making contact along three places of the left and right side of the head. Power in the room flickered for a moment. Consulting the display terminal Rush was satisfied to see that information was indeed flowing into the mind of the young woman seated before him.


    "The transfer will take seven minutes based on current download speeds. With the increased file size I have degraded the download speed by several orders of magnitude" stated Destiny.


    "Yes yes" answered Rush absently.


    "You are just as General O''Neill described to Supreme Commander Thor Doctor. I quite enjoy witnessing this for myself" said Heimdall.


    "You don''t say? And what did the good general have to say about me" asked Rush.


    "I was not present for the dialogue but it was relayed to me that you are brash, motivated, difficult to work with, and brilliant. As I said I am quite enjoying seeing this for myself" replied Heimdall.


    The two chair technicians both cringed while looking away and trying not to nod their heads in agreement while Rush simply stared at the Asgard in an attempt to find a reply of his own. For the first time in many years Rush found himself without a snide comeback and it unnerved him. While this exchange took place Ginn''s eyes could be seen fluttering under the closed lids. As the download neared completion the eyes began to move from side to side beneath the lids at a markedly more increased rate. With a final flicker of the room lights the head piece swiveled away, the wrist and ankle restraints snapped to their open position, and the process was concluded.


    Very slowly Ginn opened her eyes and looked around. A look of profound confusion was on her face which turned to shock upon laying her eyes on Heimdall. Seeing Rush looking at her this shock quickly turned to one of unease.


    "Doctor Rush¡­.what happened" she asked.


    "We downloaded you into your new body my dear. Nothing to be alarmed about I assure you. You''re among friends" said Rush soothingly.


    "Where are we? I don''t understand how this is possible" continued Ginn.


    "You''re aboard Destiny. During your time in quarantine we returned to our galaxy. You''re docked in a shipyard near Earth" Rush informed her.


    "Eli? Where is he? Is he ok" she asked worriedly.


    "Eli is fine. I''m sure you''ll see him shortly after a brief visit to Earth. After our last battle with the Lucian Alliance I''m sure they will want to speak with you to find out if a threat could still exist, but after that you and Eli will be together if that is what you wish" said Rush.


    "It is. I''m so tired and I feel dizzy. I think I need to lie down" said Ginn clearly growing more exhausted with each passing second.


    "Gentlemen can one of you please escort Ginn somewhere she may lay down" asked Rush.


    Rising from his seat the technician nearest Rush quickly escorted the young woman out of the room slowly. A smile appeared over the scientists face when he realized that the process would indeed bring Amanda Perry back to him after so long of a wait. Without waiting for the technicians return the process began on the body of Amanda Perry. Clearly Rush was in a hurry to get this done.

 Chapter 83

    Boreala (Borealis new planet)


    After coming to rest on the gentle surface of the planet Borealis would call home the expedition set about taking care of the odds and ends of their arrival. Jumpers were deployed to the submerged drilling platform far beneath the ocean''s surface. Bringing the station fully online would take several days as drilling had yet to commence but automated systems would ensure that was done. The umbilical tethering the city ship and the station was attached in the mean time to allow for power transfer once drilling was finished.


    Accompanied by Mr. Woolsey to make introductions Daniel was currently off world. For the next three days Daniel would be introduced to off world allies as well as the council of the Coalition of Planets. During this time teams from Atlantis came aboard Borealis to update the city''s database to reflect the current state of affairs in the Pegasus galaxy. This would greatly aid the new expedition in the selection of an official alpha site for emergency use. While information was updated Borealis assumed command of the newly orbited constellation of defense satellites within their home system. Rodney McKay used this time to update the macro he originally wrote while aboard Atlantis. This macro would enable Borealis access to the McKay/Carter intergalactic gate bridge, midway station, and a power efficient route of resupply.


    After an intensive scan of the planet with Borealis''s sensor array jumpers deployed around the planet. Some of these jumpers conducted familiarization flights of new pilots, others studied the landmasses of their new home, and further more shuttled back and forth between the landmass nearest the city ship delivering materials to set up on world farming operations.


    In the coming days an exploration schedule would be devised for the newly formed SG teams. Each department would play a role in this schedules creation, from botany to ancient systems study. As per the norm the military contingent would provide security for each off world team.


    Standing on the east pier the city Lt. Scott and Master Sergeant Greer looked out over the blue ocean, enjoying the sun and the salt air. The two men relished their new assignment and marveled at how things had changed since their time on Destiny.


    "We''ve come a long way" sighed Scott.


    "That we did, but it''s good to finally have some sunshine" laughed Greer.


    "Oh I saw Colonel Young yesterday. He told me to give you his regards" replied Scott.


    "How''s the Colonel doing" asked Greer.


    "He loves his new command. Said that he''ll be dropping in every chance he gets, but we both knew that would happen since TJ is here. For the first time in a very long time he seems happy" said Scott.


    "The Colonel is a good man. He deserves to be happy for once. The man earned it" remarked Greer.


    "I talked to Eli too. He told me to tell everyone hi and that he missed them. Although he didn''t give me a timeline he said that he''ll be in our neck of the woods soon on some big project he''s working on. With Eli god only knows what that is" laughed Scott.


    "That''s a smart kid. We should count ourselves lucky it isn''t Rush coming here to test an ego bomb. I''m just glad to finally be away from that guy" confided Greer.


    "Your dislike of him wasn''t exactly a secret" replied Scott.


    "So our new commander, what do you think" asked Greer.


    "Doctor Jackson or Teal''c" asked Scott.


    "Both" replied Greer.


    "Doctor Jackson seems nice enough. Keeps telling me to call him Daniel but I never manage to do it. He was a part of SG1 for ten years so he knows what he''s about. They don''t give command of a city like this to someone unless they know how to handle themselves. Teal''c I haven''t really figured out. He''s another one from SG1 with a reputation as big as Doctor Jackson''s. I think he''s a man that knows how to get the job done and I trust him" answered Scott.


    "The science types normally make me nervous but Doctor Jackson I really like. I don''t always understand what he''s talking about but that''s normal. He likes to lead from the front and I respect that. Teal''c has sure taken a liking to me, even invited me to movie night with Doctor Jackson in his quarters. You should see how many DVD''s this guy has! He''s going to start training me in staff fighting so he says. He said it''s an art that all warriors should learn" shrugged Greer.


    "So are you and Park getting serious" asked Scott.


    "That we are sir. Everybody has to settle down at some point. I know you know what I''m talking about" laughed Greer.


    "Oh yeah. Chloe and I are getting serious. I think she is the one. The other night we were lying in bed and she was asking me if we should try and get custody of my son. I don''t know the answer to that. I mean seriously, how do you answer a question like that? I never thought I would find a woman I love and then a prepackaged family. Six months ago I never even thought we would make it home" confided Scott.

 Chapter 84

    Boreala


    From the viewing balcony of the main tower Teal''c looked out over the city below and the ocean surrounding it. So much had changed during his time with the Tauri. The offer to become the military commander of the Borealis expedition had flattered him greatly. Looking down at his digital camouflage uniform he smiled at his newly received military rank. Going directly to the President to plead the case for giving the Jaffa an officer''s commission in the Air Force O''Neill had secured his immediate induction into the service and promotion to Colonel. Being called sir was something Teal''c did not covet though, and insisted he be addressed by name by all those under his command. Walking back indoors Teal''c grimaced at the one portion of his new position he did not enjoy; paperwork.


    Vis Uban


    Eli''s time with Janus was a blur of activity. The genius Janus displayed in even the simplest of things amazed the young man. For several weeks Eli had reviewed the notes and diagrams Janus had presented to him. The mathematics behind the proposal was incredibly complex. Days of computer simulation done only to show Eli that it truly would work as planned had reaffirmed in his mind that he truly was working with one of the greatest minds in history.


    "You see, Arcturus only failed because the unquantifiable was not taken into account. It wasn''t a break down in science that led to this failure. It was simply lack of understanding of principles never encountered before" stated Janus.


    "The answer to this can''t be this simple" argued Eli.


    "But it is my friend. The exotic particles encountered when the device is in use are created and destroyed out of the vacuum where we withdraw the vacuum energy. These particles are always created out of the vacuum in particle-antiparticle pairs, which shortly annihilate one another and disappear. However these particles and antiparticles interact with others before disappearing, and that process can be mapped using Feynman diagrams as you called them. Being that the vacuum energy travels in waves as do the particles and antiparticles a quantum harmonic oscillator comes into play. It follows that the energy and momentum flux in this wave field only become significant at short wavelengths and at the time of the original experiment our directional coupler technology was woefully inadequate. This has been rectified" explained Janus.


    "And with the harmonic oscillator and directional field coupler working in tandem the energy released by the creation and destruction of exotic particles actually as the protective field around the device! Now I get it" exclaimed Eli triumphantly.


    "I knew you would understand. During my time on Atlantis if I could have only had you as a member of the High Council just imagine the things I could have achieved. We would have won the war with the Wraith" sighed Janus.


    "Even though I see that this will work I don''t know if my government will ever approve of our building it. McKay blew up a solar system and that''s not the type of thing they''ll overlook" replied Eli.


    "Eli, you underestimate the innate human need for more. More powerful sh.i.p.s, unlimited energy, these are things they will want. You can give a man more food than he can eat in a lifetime and human nature dictates he will always want a bit more. Trust me when I say that they will eagerly allow you to go through with this project" assured Janus.


    "You said after this is done you and I will be moving on to more intriguing projects. I fail to see how anything more intriguing than unlimited energy is possible" replied Eli.


    "Have faith my boy" said Janus.


    "Care to give me a hint just what that might be" asked Eli.


    "Gladly, but I ask that it go no further than you and I" stated Janus.


    "Ok, anything, just tell me" exclaimed Eli.


    "The stargate is an amazing device. You can easily grow accustomed to it and overlook its potential in other areas. Since its invention my people constantly found oddities in the execution of its duties. If a wormhole passes through a solar flare time travel is the accidental result. If a worm hole intersects with a tear in space time via a black hole travel to parallel realities can be achieved. It was these realities that started my thoughts on this project. What if you could develop a way of utilizing the gate network to travel between other realities? Think about the doors that would open and the possibilities that suddenly crop up" smiled Janus.


    "You would never be short of materials again. Mine one world and when whatever you were after is gone you simply go to another reality and mine it all over again. Is it even possible" asked Eli.


    "I believe it is. Put all that out of your mind. Let''s focus on Arcturus for now. Once we''ve shown them this works your people will gladly let you pursue any project you please" finished Janus.

 Chapter 85

    Tuat


    After the defeat of the Lucian Alliance forces at the battle of the super gate it had been decided that the problems that resulted in the battle had stemmed from this world. The Aurora Class vessel Frazier had been dispatched with several SG teams and a highly trained intelligence retrieval team. Their mission was to scour the planet below along with the structures the Goa''uld had built there so long ago. It was believed that data, equipment, and stronghold locations would be found there.


    The search took place over a period of five days. Once the sensor jammers for the sprawling facility had been located turning them off had been a few computer commands away. With that accomplished the Frazier''s powerful sensors scanned the entire planet, but found no life signs other than the Tauri teams below.


    Moving from room to room in the gigantic facility much was discovered. The entire recorded history of the Goa''uld was among the first items recovered. Below ground a storehouse of collected ancient devices was found. The Goa''uld collected these devices when found with a religious zeal, but lacking the ATA gene rarely made use of them. In other cavernous storerooms sat catalogued examples of technology from many of the races the Goa''uld had enslaved or exterminated. With systematic efficiency everything encountered believed to be of value was cataloged and transported aboard Frazier. The shear volume of items meant Frazier was forced to make several trips to a nearby planet with a stargate to offload its cargo for transport to the SGC.


    It was discovered this effort would take more time than had originally been allowed. A call had gone out to the Asgard for assistance. Until further notice vessels of the Asgard fleet and the Tauri fleet would stand guard over Tuat to ensure no one trespassed upon the abandoned world.


    In the coming weeks many more recovery teams would arrive onsite to study every small detail of the former Goa''uld seat of power. It would take time and patience to fully unlock its secrets, but time was on the Tauri''s side. In a movement of solidarity the Furling dispatched a delegation to assist their allies. Their assistance was instrumental in coaxing the Nox into assisting in the protection of the sight as well. Up until now the Nox had taken a hands off approach to events in the galaxy. It was hoped that the new trend of their involvement would continue.


    Suspendisse Cursus


    Dropping out of hyperspace the new Athena class vessel Yamato glided into orbit of the planet below. Recently out of her shake down phase this was to be Yamato''s first operational deployment within the Milky Way. Once the deployment was complete Yamato along with the other newly constructed Athena class sh.i.p.s would be joining the Pegasus Group for frontline duty in the war against the Wraith. Yamato''s commanding officer Captain Katsu Watanabe was a former submarine commander of the Japanese Defense Force. Through dedication to duty, tenacity, and a brilliant tactical mindset had Watanabe earned command of his nation''s first space faring vessel.


    Coming into orbit of the planet below Yamato''s ultra powerful sensors began a full sweep of all below. Initial scans showed no structures above ground. Electromagnetic scans also turned up no detectable power signatures emanating below. Life sign scans turned up nothing more than animal life roaming the sweeping plains of the planet. The briefing given before their departure from Arkos station told Watanabe to expect their target to be heavily cloaked as that seemed to be standard procedure for ancient outposts.


    "Continue scanning while I see to the SG team we will disembark" ordered Watanabe.


    Making his way to the jumper bay the Captain pondered what awaited them below. Being relatively new to the SGC the Captain could only draw from the background information provided during his lengthy induction to the program. Whatever was down there should be exciting, but not nearly as exciting as his new command. Entering the jumper bay he found the team standing by next to their jumper in preparation for launch.


    "Anything on the sensors Captain" asked Colonel Reynolds, the commanding officer of SG-2.


    "The sensors have detected nothing. You have the data burst you will transmit once on the planet correct" asked Watanabe.


    "That we do. With your permission we''ll get to it" said Reynolds.


    "Hai" was Watanabe''s reply.


    Seating himself in the left seat of the jumper Reynolds closed the rear hatch before bringing flight systems online. The jumper gracefully rose from the deck as the command was given to take flight. Passing through the energy shields that protected the hanger bays interior the jumper left the confines of Yamato and entered the harsh environment of space. Drive pods extended from either side of the jumper as it gathered speed and began its transition from orbit into the atmosphere of the planet below.


    "Yamato, we are clear at this time. We will maintain hourly radio contact per the mission profile" stated Reynolds into his earpiece.


    "I''m giving fifty fifty odds we don''t find anything down there" said Staff Sergeant Mead.


    "So then you''re really saying that you give us a fifty percent chance of finding something down there. You realize that right" asked Doctor Mackenzie.


    "You really know how to bring the mood down doc" quipped Mead.


    "I''ll maintain station at forty thousand while you transmit the coded signal" stated Reynolds.


    "I''m already on it boss" replied Major Marcus Grant.

 Chapter 86

    Suspendisse Cursus


    On command the jumper''s communication system began transmitting a coded beacon signal to the ground below. The broad spectrum transmission pulsed into the atmosphere to the ground below. On the forth cycle of the broadcast data was transmitted to the jumper from a point three hundred miles to their east. On the heads up display the position of the signal being received was shown on the digital map.


    "Ok I have target lock on the signal. Seems to be coming from a canyon" stated Major Grant.


    "Estimate we''ll be there in two minutes" replied Reynolds.


    "Want to change that fifty percent prediction" asked Mackenzie.


    "What you''re saying is really bringing down the mood in here" replied Mead with a smile.


    Slicing through the atmosphere the jumper quickly covered the distance to their destination. Quickly shedding altitude the jumper entered a massive canyon similar to the Grand Canyon on Earth, only much deeper. The deep red hue of the rock and soil on the canyon walls flashed by as the team navigated the jagged tear in the landscape.


    "From what I''m seeing we''re right on top of the transmitter boss" said Grant.


    "And I am officially not flying" answered Reynolds as the jumper''s automatic pilot routine kicked in.


    At a constant pace the jumper nimbly maneuvered through the confines of the canyon. The four men aboard drew a sharp breath as the jumper instead of turning to follow the canyons bend continued straight towards the canyon wall rising before them. Instead of the horrific impact they all expected the jumper passed through the holographic canyon wall. At impressive speed the jumper followed the smoothly polished large tunnel they had entered, noting that the tunnel angled downwards to an incredible degree. One minute later the jumper stopped in what looked to be a jumper receiving bay. Coming to rest alongside several much older shuttles similar to those found aboard Destiny Reynolds opened the rear ramp.


    Exiting the jumper the SG team fanned out. Doctor Mackenzie with an ancient hand scanner took readings of the large subterranean room around them. Judging by the size of the room it had to be at least eight hundred yards wide and five hundred feet tall. The walls, floors, and ceiling of the dome shaped room were all highly polished.


    "I''ve got energy readings popping up all over the place. They seem to be coming from that direction" said Mackenzie pointing towards the set of large metallic doors one hundred feet away.


    "Then that''s the direction we''re going" replied Reynolds.


    "Big creepy hole in the ground, what secrets do you hold" Mead asked the air.


    "Look at those doors! They are big enough the Yamato could fit through them" excitedly said Major Grant.


    Coming to the large metallic doors the men were in awe of the sheer size of them. The engineering involved for such massive doors with almost no seam was staggering. Unfortunately no path through said doors was visible.


    "Are you telling me we came all this way to find the ancients long lost world record metal door" asked Mead.


    "Not the time Mead. Instead let''s find a way around them" replied Grant.


    "Over to the left. That looks like a transport platform like on Atlantis" suggested Reynolds.


    Walking over to the platform the men all agreed it did in fact appear to be a transport platform. From their time on Atlantis the four men were sure of their discovery. Stepping inside the platform they noted that instead of a map to pick their transport destination like on a city ship instead they had a sole blue button. With a snicker Mead pushed the button and the four were quickly beamed to another location.


    "Ok, the scanner is showing we''re on the other side of the door" said Mackenzie.


    "Yeah, I get that. Take your eyes off the scanner and look around" replied Mead.


    "Now that''s impressive as hell" said Grant.


    "The ancients did everything big. Let''s figure out what this place is. Move out" ordered Reynolds.


    Standing on an elevated platform the men looked around at all before them. Below they noted the presence of extremely large sh.i.p.s lined in a row fanning out to the right and left. Between the elevated platform they now stood on and the sh.i.p.s below all types of gantry equipment could be seen. At the end of their walkway the men noted stairs rising towards what they hoped was a control room. Making their way to the stairs the doctor took as many photos as possible to doc.u.ment every detail.


    Climbing the stairs to the control room the men noted the facility ran in both directions as far as the eye could see. This place was truly massive. From the look of things below it appeared that the facility was totally automated. What looked like loading equipment was noted above the sh.i.p.s to the right of the staircase, and conveyors above the sh.i.p.s to the left. Entering the command center the men noted the room bore a vague resemblance to NASA mission control. Detecting multiple carriers of the ATA gene the room''s data terminals and systems sprang to life. Quickly taking a seat Doctor Mackenzie began reading the information found on the display screen before him. Moving from work station to work station the Doctor quickly took all the information before him in.


    "Doc you want to fill us in" asked Reynolds.


    "We always knew this place had to exist, we just didn''t know where it was" laughed Mackenzie.


    "What place is that" asked Grant.


    "Gentlemen, you''re standing in the facility that built our galaxies star gates and DHD''s! But that''s not all, I mean this place is a lot more if I''m reading this correctly" exclaimed the Doctor.


    "Ok the suspense is killing me here. Get to the a lot more part already" urged Mead.


    "From the look of it we have multiple facilities combined in one. To the right we have a star gate and DHD production facilities, to the left we have ore loading equipment for the cargo sh.i.p.s below, underground we have an incredibly large automated mining operation, and above this room is some type of research and development area" stated Mackenzie.


    "How big of a mining operation are we talking about" asked Reynolds.


    "This is where they mined the minerals for our galaxies star gates. It''s probably where much of the material to build Atlantis came from as well as Arkos. This isn''t just naquadah. Its trinium, neutronium, and palladium. Huge amounts too. The mine is fully automated it looks like. Let me check something" said Mackenzie.


    Sitting at the data terminal the doctor began to rapidly scroll through data screens looking for answers. Several times the man would jump the data terminal next to him before continuing his almost hyperactive computer search. In ten minutes he had his answers.


    "Feel better now" asked Mead.


    "Funny. Ok, the sh.i.p.s below were used to deliver star gates all over the place it seems. They can also be used for ore delivery. They too are automated. The ore is brought up from below, refined, and loaded on these sh.i.p.s for delivery. It''s an incredibly efficient way to do things" said Mackenzie.


    "Ok that covers that. Let''s go check out the star gate production area, and then we''ll call this in to Yamato" said Reynolds.


    With a facility schematic in hand the four men quickly found their way to the star gate production area. Lined up one after the other in neat rows stood ten Milky Way model gates. On the other side of the cavernous subterranean room was what appeared to be a DHD production line. Looking over everything the team was awestruck by the scale of everything.


    "Ok, I get that this is a big find, but with the seed sh.i.p.s can''t we already build gates? I fail to see how this changes anything" drawled Mead.


    "It changes things incredibly. The gates themselves are not the big find, but the ability to mass produce the superconductors involved is. Same with the DHD''s but the ability to mass produce the fusion power cores for them is again a very big deal" answered Mackenzie trying hard not to let his frustration show.


    "Ok you two, that''s enough. Let''s go call this in. People from the SGC are going to want to see this and I mean like yesterday" said Reynolds.

 Chapter 87

    M7N-549


    Three hours into the exploration of M7N-549 the Borealis reconnaissance team had little to show for their efforts. The indigenous population of the world was composed of nomadic tribes similar to the plains Indians found on Earth at one time. It was found that the tribes were insular in nature, shunning attempts of first contact. It was hoped that other discoveries would be possible.


    "This is kind of reminding me of Dancing with Wolves" said Greer.


    "I never figured you for the Kevin Costner movie type" laughed Lt. Scott.


    "If you build it they will come" said Greer before laughing hysterically.


    "I don''t know about you guys but I''m hot. I recommend we head back to the jumper and do an aerial recon and see if we can find anything with the sensors" suggested Brody.


    "I''m in agreement with him" chimed in Sergeant West.


    "Ok, let''s double time it back to the jumper and we''ll see what we can find" replied Scott.


    Making quick time to the jumper the team quickly embarked and began a detailed aerial survey of the world below them. In the search for more information on worlds visited a standing practice of equipping each team with a jumper had been instituted by Doctor Jackson.


    "According to the sensors this entire world is very much like the state of Kansas. Flat, great for crops like grain, and not heavily populated. I''m also detecting large herds of something similar to buffalo down there" stated Brody.


    "Dances with wolves man, I''m telling ya" repeated Greer.


    "Yeah we got that part Greer, thanks. Any energy signatures, structures, anything at all" asked Scott.


    "I''m picking up structures one hundred miles to the north. Transferring coordinates to the nav now" replied Brody.


    In short time the Jumper covered the distance. Magnifying the scenery below on the view screen the team saw before them stone ruins. At one point long ago it appeared that the ruins had been a major city similar to what one might find in ancient Greece. Pillars everywhere, a crumbled acropolis, and what seemed to be a toppled city wall were all that remained.


    "No energy readings and nothing down there" confidently stated Brody.


    "Ok I''ll set her down and we''ll go take a look. Doctor Jackson wants as much photographic doc.u.mentation as possible" replied Scott.


    After a quick low level pass by the jumper they began their decent, touching down in an opening near the acropolis. Grabbing their weapons the team quickly dismounted from within the jumper, ready to begin their survey of the area.


    "I''m thinking we start with the large structure there, catalog any writing that might be present, and then we''ll finish off with video from the jumper of the site" suggested Brody.


    "That sounds like a good idea. I don''t like how exposed we are here Sir" interjected Greer.


    "Yeah, let''s do it that way. Better safe than sorry" agreed Scott.


    "Why do you think they abandoned this place" asked West.


    "Civilizations rise and fall. Maybe the Wraith culled them and for their own safety they became nomads" replied Brody.


    "Whatever happened really tore this place up" added Greer.


    "From the looks of things I''m thinking weapons fire destroyed most of this place. Age doesn''t do this" stated West.


    Entering what was the largest building that remained standing the team noticed badly faded paintings upon the stone walls. Beneath each scene was what appeared to be writing in a language none of them could hope to comprehend. Despite being faded from age and neglect the scenes depicted were clearly visible. Charring of sections of the paint was also noted. Thirty minutes into photographing everything in the ruined structure a high pitch growl was heard as it blazed overhead. Hearing this the four men froze in their tracks.


    "Is that what I think it is" asked West.


    "If you think it''s a Wraith dart then yes it is" replied Brody.


    "Crap, ok everybody let''s move! Back to the jumper" shouted Scott.


    "That might not be the best idea. If they flew right overhead they know we''re here and the jumper isn''t cloaked" reminded Greer.


    "Sir, take Brody to the jumper and we''ll cover you" replied West.


    In a flash Scott and Brody ran to the entrance of the building. Looking out the entryway and seeing nothing between them and the jumper the two men sprinted towards the craft. Twenty yards before reaching the jumper energy based weapons fire erupted around them. Charging ahead at full speed the two men boarded their transport while sealing the rear ramp. Seeing this from the building West and Greer ran towards the opposite end of the structure for a rear exit. Finding one they began stealthily easing towards a vantage point at the corner of the building between them and those firing upon their teammates.


    "Wraith, I count four. You stay here and lay down suppressing fire if they fire on either of us. I''ll move forward for a better firing position" ordered Greer.


    "Roger that" replied West.


    Quietly creeping forward in a crouch with his weapon at the ready Greer advanced. Coming to a pile of ruble taller than he was Greer climbed the pile of stone blocks, laid in a prone position, and took aim on the closest of the four Wraith warriors near him. While this transpired Scott cloaked the jumper and got airborne at Greer''s urging.


    "West, I''m targeting the inner most Wraith in the line. Wait for my shot then fire at will on targets of opportunity" ordered Greer into his radio earpiece.


    "Give me twenty seconds, I''ve got a better sight picture from the front of the building" replied West.


    "Roger that, hurry" acknowledged Greer.


    Moving as quickly as silent movement allowed West covered the distance in a less than thirty seconds. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he lifted his rifle, bringing the sight picture to bear on an approaching Wraith. Forgetting his training and the need to notify Greer that he was in position the young soldier opened fire on the approaching figure with a zeal approaching bloodl.u.s.t. Seeing his rounds impact he continued to fire.

 Chapter 88

    M7N-549


    "Damn it West" breathed Greer to himself.


    The three remaining Wraith began pummeling West''s position with weapons fire. Seeing his chance Greer took aim and brought down one of the Wraith with a well placed round that pierced the attacker''s skull. One of the Wraith turned and began pouring fire onto Greer''s position in turn. Debris, dirt, and dust kicked up around him. Taking cover from the enemy fire Greer could taste the dirt in his mouth. Pulling a fragmentation grenade from his combat vest and removing the safety pin he tossed it towards his attacker. A thunderous boom echoed across the landscape. Returning to a firing position and taking aim he saw that his toss had been more accurate than he expected, killing the Wraith.


    "West, I lost bad guy number four. He''s coming to you" said Greer into the radio.


    No reply came. Not hearing automatic weapons fire Greer began to fear the worst.


    "Lieutenant, I''m not getting anything from West and am unsure of his status at this time. Can you confirm his location" said Greer into his earpiece.


    "Sensors are showing West in the large structure. We''re also detecting another life form in there. Close in now" ordered Scott.


    With his marching orders in hand Greer removed himself from his hasty fighting position atop the pile of ruble. At a sprint he retraced his footsteps to the structure all the while scanning for any other attackers. Coming around the corner to the rear entrance he saw West and the Wraith slugging it out in hand t hand combat. The stronger Wraith manhandled the young soldier, throwing him into the wall repeatedly. Squirming free West lashed out at his attacker''s knee with a vicious kick that sent the two sprawling to the ground. With his weapon targeted on the writhing mass of man and Wraith Greer quickly advanced across the large room. A sharp scream reverberated throughout the structure, but Greer had no shot. Within feet of the Wraith Greer drew his combat knife, and with practiced skill plunged the surgically sharp blade into the brainstem area of his enemy. Despite the wound the Wraith continued to resist, forcing Greer to repeatedly stab the large creature in the neck until the body went limp. Rolling the fallen combatant off his teammate Greer saw the withered remains of Sergeant West sprawled on the Floor.


    "Lieutenant, West didn''t make it. I need to know to know if I have any more hostiles in the area" raged Greer.


    "Scanners show it''s only you down there. I''m setting down now. Let''s collect West''s body and get out of here" replied Scott.


    Quickly landing near the structure Scott and Greer brought their fallen comrades body onboard. Little was said between the two men, but it was clear Greer was teaming with a boundless rage. Taking seats the jumper again activated the cloak before lifting off.


    "I got a reply from Borealis over the subspace. Backup is on the way. We''re to remain cloaked until their arrival" Brody informed the two men.


    "Let''s head into orbit. Those Wraith came from somewhere" offered Scott.


    At full power the jumper climbed into orbit. As they rose into the upper atmosphere a wave of darts was seen diving for the planets surface. Breaching the bonds of the atmosphere and breaking free into lower orbit a Wraith cruiser came into view in the distance.


    "We can''t do anything against that" spat Brody.


    "The hell we can''t! We''ve got a fallen man back there, one of our own. It''s our duty to do something" countered Scott.


    "Lieutenant, this is Colonel Mitchell, commander of the Hermes" came the call on the radio net.


    "This is Scott Colonel, good to hear from you" the young officer replied.


    "Heard you boys were having problem and we came to help. Remain cloaked while we deal with this" ordered Mitchell.


    Aboard Hermes the already prepped 302''s were launched in mass. Exiting the hanger bay twenty entered the atmosphere in pursuit of the darts on their culling run while the remaining forty took station between the cruiser and their mother vessel. With the Hermes uncloaked the Wraith cruiser quickly detected the large Tauri warship. Altering their heading the cruiser opened fire while moving within closer range of the newly arrived combatant.


    "Shields are holding Sir" called out the defensive systems operator.


    "Bring the Asgard beams online. Target their rear hyper drive pylons" ordered Mitchell.


    On command a single shot of the powerful plasma beam weapon arced through space towards the attacking vessel. With surgical precision the beam struck the rear hull protrusion resulting in a large explosion which destroyed the Wraith hyper drive. In response the cruiser opened up on the Hermes with all weapons. With very little effort the powerful shields of the Tauri vessel stood firm under the assault.


    "Target center mass on the port quarter and fire. Let''s see how they enjoy hull decompression" smirked Mitchell.


    Another lone plasma beam streaked towards the cruiser. On contact with the hull the beam bore through four decks before passing through the outer hull on the other side. Massive depressurization was seen as atmosphere vented into space, carrying Wraith with it. Despite the assault the Wraith weapons fire dipped little in intensity. The technological edge the Asgard shields supplied ensured the Hermes remained unharmed.


    "Wraith vessel has four decks open to space Sir. Their weapons remain fully online" called out the sensor operator.


    "I''ve had enough foreplay for one day. Target their power core and make that thing go away" ordered Mitchell.


    Seconds later three plasma beams impacted the already heavily damaged cruiser. Slicing through the organic hull the power core was struck and vaporized within milliseconds of impact. A cascade of explosions ripped through the Wraith vessels hull, reducing it to nothing more than scattered debris. Using their AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with naquadah enhanced warheads the 302''s made short work of the waves of darts both in orbit and in the atmosphere.


    "Grandma always said good things come to those who wait, and we''ve waited a long time to kill some Wraith" said Mitchell with a characteristic smirk.


    Within minutes recovery operations of Scott''s team and the deployed 302''s began. Although the battle had been won, the Borealis expedition had its first combat casualty. The knowledge that a culling had been stopped in progress offset the feeling of loss, but not nearly enough.

 Chapter 89

    Pentagon, two months earlier


    Following a presidential directive to perform a sweeping force structure review of past, current, and theorized future conflicts in the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies the need for retooling of the current way of doing things come to light. In the past ground combat had been performed by small SG teams and worked well a majority of the time. Careful review of SG mission reports brought to light several instances where much larger forces would have tipped the balance in favor of the Tauri. Oddly it had been found that in most cases hostile armed forces encountered utilized belligerent and undisciplined tactics and formations unlike those found in the United States Army and Marines. The force structure review went so far as to put forth their recommendation that an Armored Cavalry Regiment sized unit be formed for the mission or tasked for the mission of ground combat on the soil of other planets.


    After careful review of the recommendations made and presidential authorization things began to take shape quickly. Instead of forming a new classified unit for the role an existing unit would be tailored to suit the full needs of the role. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was selected for the purpose. The 3rd ACR Brave Rifles were a unit steeped in history, tracing their lineage to before the American Civil War and serving in every conflict the nation had been involved in since 1845.


    The modern ACR is a highly flexible self contained fighting unit. Equipped with armor, mechanized infantry, artillery, aviation elements, electronic warfare, and air defense elements the ACR functions more like a pocket sized division, but with only 5,700 soldiers it lacks the logistics tail that slows down much larger units. It would also prove far easier relocating a single regiment to Fort Carson, Colorado instead of a much larger Armored Division.


    The new mission called for a rethink in the equipment 3rd ACR traditionally used. The traditional M-1 Abrams main battle tanks were out, as they were unable to fit through a stargate. In their place would be the M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System, the eight wheeled armored fighting vehicle mounting the 105mm gun that made its combat debut in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Supporting the Stryker''s would be the revived M-8 Buford Armored Gun System, a smaller statured yet 120mm main gun equipped younger cousin of the M-1, along with the M-3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. Traditional M109A2 mobile field artillery systems would be replaced by the smaller and lighter M270 multiple launch rocket system. On the aviation side of the house it was decided to augment the already in use AH-64 Apaches with an upgraded scout helicopter. Replacing the aging OH-58 Kiowa Warrior would be the never put into production RAH-66 Comanche which bore the distinction of being the first helicopter designed with stealth at its core.


    In order to not draw attention to the equipment that would be put into the hands of 3rd ACR it was decided by Home World Command that construction capacity found aboard Arkos Station would be tasked to construct several complete regimental sets. These sets would be placed on cargo vessels to preposition equipment in both galaxies should the need arise, so in time of crisis the troops would only need pass through the stargate to mate up with forward positioned gear. Onboard these prepositioning sh.i.p.s would also be found thirty days worth of stocks for any war fighting effort encountered minus fuel, as all vehicles would be converted to make use of a newly developed bio-fuel in lieu of traditional petroleum distillates.


    With an eye to the future and conflicts it was hoped would never happen the US Army prepared for whatever the fates would bring to their doorsteps.


    Genii Home World


    Exiting hyperspace the Hammond quickly began a sensor sweep of the planet below. While the powerful sensors scanned the surface of the planet for anomalies electronic transmissions were intercepted for later analysis and dialing history from the world''s stargate was stored for review. Although hostilities between the Tauri and the Genii had ended after the exile of Genii leadership to a far corner of the Pegasus galaxy regular recon missions were performed by vessels of the Pegasus Group. It was hoped that the Genii would finally become a peaceful and helpful partner in the affairs of Pegasus moving forward. Ultra powerful lens aboard the Hammond peered down on the planet below, gathering images of landscape for comparison to earlier images in an effort to ascertain troop movements, crop yields, and expansion of facilities known and unknown. While snapping photos of the area around the stargate masses of men and equipment came into the camera''s field of view.


    "Looks like the gate is active Colonel" said the sensor operator.


    "Our key logging program will tell us the dialing history of the gate, so nothing to worry about" replied Sam.


    "Sensors are also showing several hundred men around the gate and entering it" replied the operator.


    "Put that on screen" ordered Sam.


    In seconds the holographic display screen appeared before the bridge crew. Live images of the scene below played out before them. The sharply magnified image showed armed men entering the gate in cl.u.s.ters. From the vantage point of the Hammonds bridge crew it was clear this was some type of military exercise based on the never differing sizes of the groups that entered the gate with weapons in hand.


    "I really don''t like the looks of this. Put all this together with the intel we''ve already collected in a subspace message to Atlantis. I would rather be safe than sorry" ordered Hammonds commanding officer.


    With the intel passed along Hammond remained in orbit until the last man passed into the gate. Sam hoped in her heart of hearts that this wasn''t the prelude to a resumption of hostilities the Genii had no chance of winning.

 Chapter 90

    Dagan


    Once home to the Brotherhood of the Fifteen Sudaria or Dagan as it was now called was a planet familiar with secrecy and intrigue. For thousands of years before their eventual annihilation at the hands of the Wraith the Brotherhood of the Fifteen had stood guard over a ZPM entrusted to them before the Ancient''s departure from Pegasus. With unfailing devotion the Brotherhood stood guard over their charge, certain the Ancients they fervently worshipped would reward them upon their return when the ZPM was returned.


    The new Master Handler and head of the reformed Brotherhood of the Fifteen was Allina. A scholarly historian of her planets history the Brotherhood owed its existence to her efforts. Without the assistance of the Atlantis expedition the ZPM would have never been located and secreted away to another location. Much to the expeditions chagrin at the time she had no intention of handing it over to anyone other than an ancient.


    At Allina''s insistence the former home of the Brotherhood was now restored to its former glory. The gothic style stone architecture was rich in symbolism of the mission the Brotherhood was devoted to. New settlements sprang up around the home of the Fifteen. A page had been turned it was felt since the recovery of the Potentia as crops had flourished, children were born in greater numbers, and the Wraith had not culled in many years. A renaissance had taken hold of the people of Dagan ushering in an age of prosperity.


    Sanir, one of five chief protectors of the Potentia entered the Master Handlers study. With dark hair, pale skin, and an eager mind Sanir was must less trusting of those from other worlds than Allina. With a less than comfortable look upon her face she escorted the visitor. Seeing her chief protector and guest enter Allina rose from her seat behind the heavy wooden desk, with a warm smile lighting up her face.


    "Allow me to present Davos of the Genii" Sanir said with polite difference.


    "Welcome to Dagan Davos. I am Allina, Master Handler of the Brotherhood and leader of the Daganian people" stated Allina.


    "Thank you for receiving me. I am Davos, new leader of the Genii military" crisply stated Davos.


    "Please, take seat and make yourself comfortable. What is it I can assist you with today Davos" asked Allina.


    "It has been brought to my attention that the Daganian people have sought to join the Coalition of Planets. The Genii have great sway over the Coalition. I am here today to see how our two peoples may work together" soothingly said Davos.


    "Forgive my ignorance, but isn''t it true the Genii were removed from the Coalition" asked Allina.


    "Whoever told you that" said Davos indignantly.


    "At first it was merely gossip from traders and travelers. This gossip grew louder. During our application to the Coalition it was confirmed" replied Allina uncomfortably.


    "Confirmed by whom? I demand a name" hissed Davos.


    "The Coalition" answered Allina.


    "Don''t believe everything that you hear my dear. The Genii are the military power of the Coalition. What you heard was simply a test to gauge the loyalties of your people to the Lantean''s" smoothly countered Davos.


    "I see" Allina answered with a growing sense of discomfort.


    "You may not be aware of this, but the Lantean''s seek to oppress the people of this galaxy. In time we will banish them from the galaxy and never again suffer under the yoke of their rule" proclaimed Davos.


    "I wasn''t aware we were under their rule" countered Allina.


    "It is known by many that we are. You have something they seek, and they will stop at nothing to have it. My sources tell me that even now they are gathering their forces to collect what they failed to recover several years ago" solemnly stated Davos.


    "The Potentia is safe from their and anyone else''s grasp. The duty of the Brotherhood is to safeguard it until the ancestor''s return to this realm" proudly stated Allina.


    "I would like to see this Potentia myself to assuage my fears over its safety" stated Davos.


    "I''m afraid that is not possible. Believe me when I say that it will never be located" stiffly replied Allina.


    "Governess, I must insist on seeing it for myself" urged Davos.


    "That is not possible. It violates the Brotherhood''s highest code. I am sorry" replied Allina.


    "That''s regrettable. I had such high hopes for our relationship" sighed Davos.


    Second''s later gunfire erupted in the outer courtyard. Screaming was heard from many directions as two armed men in Genii uniforms crashed through the heavy door with their weapons leveled at the Master Handler. With a look of shock, fear, and anger Allina rose from her seat.


    "What is the meaning of this? You''ll never get away with this" she calmly stated in a stern voice.


    "Bring her assistant in here now" Davos ordered the two armed men while withdrawing and leveling his own weapon at his host.


    Moments later Sanir was brought into the study at gunpoint. Her face was crimson with anger. The soldier with her arm in a viselike grip shoved her down on her knees before the Davos. Seeing her friend in danger Allina came around her heavy wooden desk to stand at Sanir''s side.


    "Produce this treasure of yours now or your friend will be the first of many to die" calmly stated Davos.


    "You will kill us all anyway! The true way of the Genii is known to all in this galaxy" responded Allina.


    "It is a mistake to test my resolve in this matter. Your people mean nothing to me. If I kill them all or none is of no consequence. But know that you will turn over the Potentia" answered Davos with strained patience.


    All eyes in the room were on the Master Handler. Had they not been none would have seen the pistol Sanir withdrew from her vest. Without extending her arm fully Sanir fired twice into the nearest soldier, striking him in the abdomen and thigh. A hail of gunfire erupted from the two unharmed men. Sanir''s chest exploded into a fleshy red pulp as round after round slammed into her body. In seconds the life faded from her eyes. Turning on his feet quickly Davos leveled his weapon where seconds before Allina was standing. Looking around he saw no trace of the Master Handler.


    "Where is she? Find her" Davos thundered.


    Unknown to the Genii the Brotherhood''s imposing home was full of false walls and hidden passages only they knew of. As the search team fanned out in their frantic search of the grounds Allina slipped out of the outer walls of the compound towards the stargate. In the distance muffled weapons fire could be heard.

 Chapter 91

    Destiny


    Entangled in each others arms in the chief scientist''s quarters Rush and Amanda Perry lay in bed. Since her return from her brief trip to Earth the two had been singularly unable to keep their hands off one another. No longer separated by vast distance or the problematic lack of a physical body issue life was returning to normal for the couple. Rush had not felt so content and at peace in years. The two brilliant minds were almost as one in their every gesture or comment.


    "I love you Nic" whispered Perry.


    "I love you too Mandy" replied Rush.


    "I can see the wheels turning in your head. Care to share what you''re thinking about" asked Perry.


    "While you were back on Earth I received word from Vis Uban. The ancients looked over the data Destiny collected and the position paper Eli and I accompanied it with. Their answer is what I feared" replied Rush with a bitter hint to his voice.


    "The data is incomplete" stated Perry.


    "Millions of years Destiny sailed across the stars and we end her voyage before the puzzle is solved. It''s a travesty" m.o.a.ned Rush.


    "I''m going to take a stab in the dark and guess that you have already petitioned the SGC to send Destiny back" said Perry knowingly.


    "I didn''t try because I doubted they were farsighted enough to see the benefit. The ancients did that for me. Destiny will be continuing her voyage so I''m told" replied Rush.


    "So you''re told? Nic, do you mean to tell me that they didn''t ask you to be part of the team that goes with her" Perry asked shocked.


    "Oh they did, but I haven''t given them an answer yet" breathlessly replied Rush.


    "What are you waiting for" demanded Perry.


    "You. I can''t just run along without you, without us. Mandy, I want to ask you something" Rush said while staring intently at Perry.


    "Yes, of course I''ll go" laughed Perry.


    "No dear, I wanted to ask if you would be my wife" Rush asked in almost a whisper.


    With both of their eyes full of joyful tears Mandy kissed Rush in reply, while holding him tightly. Moments later she looked deeply into his eyes before speaking.


    "You know what this means don''t you" asked Perry.


    "That you''ll marry me" replied Rush hopefully.


    "Yes I will, but not what I meant. This mean''s I''ll have to pack enough coffee to last a lifetime" laughed Perry.


    "And cigarettes" replied Rush.


    Elsewhere within Arkos Station plans for upgrades to Destiny for the coming redeployment were being finalized. Matter stream creation stations would ensure that never again would her crew run short of food, water, or any other item they could possibly want or need. Advances in propulsion technology since her construction would allow for a much faster cruise speed in FTL, but hyper drive would not be an option. Due to the method in which Destiny''s sensors collected the message fragments in the cosmic background radiation FTL was the only propulsion modality possible. Advisors from Vis Uban would further upgrade sensors, offensive/defensive systems, and many others. The key difference in this departure is Destiny would not be going alone.


    Home World Command


    For a week Jack had put off and stalled the meeting he now found himself in. It wasn''t that he hated meetings so much he told himself, he really just didn''t like the person sitting across from his desk. How much longer would this guy continue to sell himself the General wondered?


    "In light of events in the Pegasus galaxy and our own I think you''ll agree that I am the clear choice to command the upcoming Destiny expedition" the man said.


    "David, I haven''t chosen who will command the expedition just yet. Thank you though for reminding me just how much you want the post" replied Jack.


    "May I ask who I''m competing against General" asked Telford.


    "No you may not" replied O''Neill.


    "General, I was slated for command the first time. In light of my efforts regarding the expedition in the past and my record with the SGC I am the logical candidate" stated Telford.


    "Ok, I''m going to level with you on a few things that you may not like. You''re upset that Young stole your thunder but truth be told the only reason the assignment was offered to you is because he turned it down when I asked him if he wanted it. I also get it that you were brainwashed by the enemy but you were feeding information to the bad guys for long enough to get a lot of people injured or killed" flatly stated O''Neill.


    "My conduct before the brainwashing and after has been of the highest caliber" protested Telford.


    "That may be but it doesn''t mean I''m going to hand you the keys to a vessel you once assisted in hijacking" replied O''Neill.


    "General this is outrageous" said a clearly taken aback Telford.


    "We haven''t gotten to the outrageous part just yet, but since you want to go there we will. You were left here at Home World Command for the simple reason that we could keep a very close eye on you and you couldn''t break anything. We can''t give you one of the new sh.i.p.s because some of us are worried it may end up in the hands of the enemy, and the same goes with Destiny. We can''t put you in Pegasus because Jackson won''t have you in his command, and Woolsey openly wonders why we haven''t court-martialed you for gross misconduct. Don''t you ever wonder just why it is you never get off world anymore? You are one of the largest security breaches in SGC history, you''ve incited more hatred than any other person besides Rush, not to mention you attacked a fellow officers home life which ended in divorce. So let''s stop the chest pounding" O''Neill said in an exasperated tone.


    "If you feel this way General then I don''t know what to say. Transfer me away if needed. I serve at the needs of the Air Force" replied Telford in a downcast tone.


    "I''ll tell you what. I''m going to make some phone calls and see what I can find for you. You want out of this command and frankly I want you out so I''ll make it happen. You''re dismissed Telford, now get out of my office before you ruin the rest of my afternoon" finished O''Neill.

 Chapter 92

    Atlantis


    "Incoming wormhole" said Chuck.


    "Do we have an IDC" asked Lorne.


    "Yes Sir, it''s the Athosian IDC" replied chuck.


    "Lower the iris shield" replied Lorne.


    Standing at the railing overlooking the gate room Lorne watched as Halling, his son Jinto, and a woman he had never seen before stepped through the gate. With a smile Lorne descended the stairs to greet their new guests. The woman he noticed looked around the city in awe. Maybe it''s her first time here he thought.


    "Colonel Lorne, I apologize for coming but I feel you must be made aware of recent developments" began Halling.


    "You''ve known me long enough to never need to apologize for coming Halling. So what''s the recent development" asked Lorne.


    "Allow me to introduce you to Allina of Dagan. Her planet is under siege from the Genii" stated Halling.


    With a look of surprise on his face Lorne instructed Halling to take their guest to the conference room and have a seat while he gathered the command staff of the city. Ten minutes later seated around there guests sat Colonel Frost, Richard Woolsey, and Doctor Zelenka.


    "Ok Allina, let''s begin from the top" said Lorne.


    Fifteen minutes later the story was laid at their feet in its entirety. Once again the Genii were trampling over the rights of a sovereign planet and its people. Even after the exile of their leadership the Genii had still not learned.


    "They cannot be allowed to get their hands on the zpm. You called it a Potentia I believe" stated Zelenka.


    "Colonel Frost, what are our options from where you are sitting" asked Woolsey.


    "It depends on the force matrix they have at play on Dagan. Hostage rescue is in the purview of 1st SFOD. I would like to get one of our sh.i.p.s to do a flyby and take a looks first" replied Frost.


    "SFOD? I''m not catching your meaning Colonel" replied Woolsey.


    "The public refers to them as Delta" answered Frost.


    "What guarantees do I have that you will not attempt to find the Potentia for your own uses" demanded Allina.


    "We have no need for it as we once did. Much has changed since you first met Sheppard and McKay" responded Zelenka.


    "Allina let me assure you that our only concern is the security and welfare of your people. This act of aggression on their part will not go unanswered. We took mercy on the Genii after their last atrocity at the behest of the Coalition of planets. We will not make that mistake again" said Woolsey reassuringly.


    "Mr. Woolsey, I know you need to report this to Washington right away. While you''re doing that I am going to get my boys prepped, along with several UAV''s. Lorne, I''m going to need you to contact Sheppard and have a ship diverted here right away" ordered Frost.


    As the group broke up to carry out their tasks Amelia came to collect Allina at the direction of Lorne. The woman looked exhausted and had clearly been through hell, but looked around at the scenery of the city in absolute awe.


    "Let''s get you something to eat before I show you to your quarters. You''ll be safe here and can stay until this situation is over" said Amelia with compassion in her voice.


    "I never dreamed I would one day be in the city of the ancestors. This is amazing. Will I be allowed to see the city for myself" asked Allina.


    "It''s pizza night, so let''s get you fed and in some new clothes first. Then I''ll give you the tour" replied Amelia with a wink.

 Chapter 93

    Apollo


    Being on patrol in a nearby solar system Apollo had answered the call to return to Atlantis for mission reassignment quickly. During her hour long high speed dash to Lantea a ready reaction team of six 1st SFOD operators geared up for deployment. The highly trained men of the much famed but secretive direct action unit steeled themselves for any eventuality they may face. Beaming aboard Apollo the six operators along with Colonel Dean Frost set out to find out exactly what situation they would be facing. Ready for her intelligence gathering mission Apollo leaped into hyperspace.


    Joining Apollo''s commander on the bridge was Colonel Frost. Seeing the steely eyed warfighter in their midst the bridge crew of the Apollo treated him with a difference and respect normally reserved for someone much higher ranking. Seeing Frost enter Colonel Ellis rose from his seat and shook his opposite''s hand.


    "I don''t have a full brief on what we''re doing here. Can you fill me in Colonel" asked Ellis.


    "At this point it''s unconfirmed but we have intel to suggest Genii forces have overrun Dagan, and are holding many of the population by force. We''re going to jump in quietly and verify that fact while gathering as much intel as possible. Trust but verify is a motto to live by" replied Frost.


    "Will we be inserting the men you brought aboard with you" asked Ellis.


    "At this time I''m going to say no, but that hinges on what the scene looks like upon our arrival. I would rather not send my boys in blind on something like this as I''m sure you can understand" answered Frost.


    "When we exit hyperspace we''ll move into low planetary orbit. Our sensors and other intelligence gathering systems should make sense of what''s going on at ground level relatively quickly. Right now my people are primed for planet wide scanning, anything specific you need a closer look at please have the sensor operator''s task in on" stated Ellis.


    "For starters I''m going to need full spectrum photographic doc.u.mentation of the larger structures, along with interior life sign and infrared scans. From there we can scan outlying structures and wilderness areas. I''ll also need a full spectrum radio sweep to see what frequencies there are operating on" explained Frost.


    "I''ll have the sensor stations calibrated for that before we get there. We should exit hyperspace in about ninety minutes. That should give us enough time to outfit two of the 302''s with Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System pods. The will give us a closer look at things, but it will announce our presence unless they stay above ten thousand feet at sub mach numbers" stated Ellis.


    "Go ahead and make that happen. We''re going to need all the intel we can get our hands on to present to the Pentagon. This one is going to go up the ladder quick I''m thinking. While you take care of your end I''ll go see that my boys are prepped and ready if needed" finished Frost.


    As Apollo blazed towards her target through hyperspace those aboard the vessel sprang into action. In the port side hanger bay crew chiefs went about attaching the TARS pods to the sleek interceptors, while others were prepped for an as needed air support mission. Pilots in the ready room were briefed on the coming mission objectives, and their preplanned mission profiles. Elsewhere aboard the vessel Frost saw to it that the six operators'' that had accompanied him were ready. Weapons already cleaned were stripped and field cleaned, ceramic plates were added to body armor, and encrypted soldier to soldier radio links were tested. Ten minutes before exiting hyperspace all were ready. Pilots flying the reconnaissance mission sat in their c.o.c.kpits with engines already idling. Four other pilots standing by in the alert aircraft sat with electronic systems already aligned in preparation for rapid startup and departure should the need arise.


    Dropping out of hyperspace close to Dagan the Apollo quickly established low planetary orbit. Her powerful sensors and intelligence collections systems jumping into action Apollo began to vacuum up sensor data in vast amounts. In the hanger bay the TARS pod equipped 302''s launched for their trip to the atmosphere below.


    "I''m showing an active wormhole at this time. Sensors indicate a steady stream of life forms and material flowing from the gate" called out the sensor operator.

 Chapter 94

    "Give me a visual of the gate" ordered Ellis.


    On the holographic display screen which appeared before them a visual of the ground below came into view. Columns of heavily armed men poured through the open wormhole in a never ending stream. Breaking the flow of men every twenty that passed through the event horizon was an armored vehicle similar to a half track used by Earth''s military forces during World War Two. Each half track was a cargo truck styled vehicle, heavily armored, with a crew serves heavy machine gun on an elevated turret rising from the rear bed. This was the first time the Tauri had encountered Genii mechanized forces, and it had previously been believed that the Genii military was entirely composed of foot borne light infantry. Each half track passed through the gate trailing a field artillery piece in tow. Looking at the sight before them Frost and Ellis exchanged glances.


    "That confirms it. We have an invasion in progress" stated Frost.


    "We never knew they had vehicles before. This is a new development" replied Ellis.


    "Whoever wrote the official estimate of Genii military capabilities didn''t think outside of the box much at all. As a military society it''s a natural assumption that they had mechanized forces" fumed Frost.


    "Still want to put your men on the ground" asked Ellis.


    "My boys are some of the best but I''m a realist. Put them up against four to one odds and they''ll come home every time. I''m not putting those six men up against a standing army, no chance in hell" was Frost''s reply.


    From the forward window of the bridge the two 302''s could be seen blazing through Dagan''s atmosphere. Repeating a maneuver practiced many times the two craft entered the upper reaches of the atmosphere and transitioned into traditional flight. Slowing from many times the speed of sound the two diverged onto wholly separate flight paths, while activating their TARS pods.


    The TARS system had been developed by the US Air Force to provide an organic, survivable, and responsive penetrating tactical reconnaissance system to collect photographic intelligence despite adverse weather and in all light conditions. Without such systems, tactical commanders would have been forced to operate without adequate knowledge of enemy strength, location, disposition, and intentions. TARS filled this role nicely, having been deployed in several conflicts since its development and deployment. The electro-optical camera systems contained in each pod activated, and began taking the first of the twelve thousand photos each pod''s storage ch.i.p.s could store. An onboard data link further transmitted the photos to the orbiting Apollo.


    "Apollo, this is Burglar Flight lead" said the flight leader.


    "Burglar lead go for Apollo" replied the Apollo''s communications officer.


    "Collection run has commenced. Burglar 2 is also on assigned flight profile. I''m seeing fires rising from ground level. Request permission to descend to lower altitude at collection completion for a closer look" requested Burglar lead.


    "Burglar lead, Apollo Six states permission granted to descend to lower altitude during RTB" responded the communications officer.


    On the bridge Frost looked over the incoming sensor data. Population totals on the planet below were quickly tallied; vehicle numbers and placement were also noted.


    "I''m estimating they are approaching at least multi-divisional strength in manpower. This is a bit like when Iraq invaded Kuwait in Gulf War One" stated Frost.


    "Remember Colonel, this is just a recon mission" replied Ellis.


    On the ground below a collection of farmers and their families were attempting to escape their pursuers. Genii forces had relentlessly herded the Daganian''s into collection points for internment. The twenty four civilians below had no intention of allowing that fate to befall them. Leaving their possessions behind the men, women, and children ran as fast as their feet would carry them to freedom. Giving chase were three Genii vehicles. Knowing the Daganian''s were a simple people the Genii toyed with their prey, prolonging the chase for their own amus.e.m.e.nt. To herd their prey away from wood lines where the vehicles could not follow mortar rounds were launched from the nearest half track. Dirt, dust, and rock were kicked up by each explosion. Children and women screamed with lungs fatigued from the chase. Above them at thirty five hundred feet of altitude a lone 302 caught view of the situation unfolding below.


    "Apollo, this is Burglar Lead" began the mission commander.


    "Go Burglar Lead" replied Apollo.


    "I have visual of twenty four repeat two four civilians attempting to evade three armored vehicles. Vehicles are engaging civilians with mortar fire. Request immediate close air support and evacuation of friendlies. How copy" said Burglar Lead.


    Before an answer could be provided anti aircraft fire erupted around Burglar Lead. Anti aircraft artillery shells exploded around the 302, buffeting it greatly but not striking the craft.


    "Burglar Lead, air support is inbound. Estimate time on station in one zero minutes" responded Apollo.


    "Apollo, Burglar Lead. Hostile forces have engaged me with anti aircraft fire. Advice incoming CAS to exercise extreme caution below five thousand feet" replied Burglar Lead while climbing in altitude to a higher orbit.


    Listening in on the events unfolding on the planet below Captain Carlyle commander of the Delta team opened a channel on his radio earpiece. The men under his command seethed with anger at the thought of professional soldiers hunting unarmed civilians. Receiving his radio call was Colonel Frost on the Apollo''s bridge.


    "Wait one Captain" said Frost while signaling to Colonel Ellis.


    "I''ll prep the Marines for extraction of civilians" said Ellis.


    "Put my radio traffic on the speakers for a moment Colonel" stated Frost.


    The communications officer with a few key strokes intercepted the radio traffic and diverted it to the overhead speakers. With the task taken care of the communications officer gave Frost a nod of his head.


    "Captain, I want you to repeat that request, and be very clear about it son" stated Frost.


    "Sir, request permission to take my team to the surface to facilitate extraction of the civilians" requested Carlyle.


    "Captain, we''ve got Marines onboard for that" replied Ellis.


    "With all do respect Colonel, my men are better suited to the mission" countered Carlyle.


    "He''s right Ellis" stated Frost.


    "In that case I guess I can''t say no" responded Ellis.


    "Captain Carlyle, you and your men have a go" responded Frost.

 Chapter 95

    Bolting into action the six men divided into three individual fire teams. Each team boarded a separate jumper with pilots already manning the controls. Rising from the deck of the hanger bay the jumpers slipped through the protective energy field enclosing the bay and streaked towards the ground far below. Closing in on the target area with rapid speed the close air support element of alert 302''s armed their rail guns. Unfortunately their normal load out of AIM-120''s would do nothing to assist them in this mission.


    "Burglar Lead this is Broadsword Lead" said the CAS flight leader.


    "Broadsword Lead, Burglar Lead. The civilians appear to be cornered in a valley, high rock walls to the east. Hostile forces had stopped and are providing fire support for dismounted infantry. Recommend you make your approach north to south" replied Burglar Lead.


    "Broadsword Lead copies. Maintain high orbit, we have jumpers inbound, Estimated time of arrival if four minutes" replied the CAS commander.


    The civilians below were in a panic. Having cornered themselves in the valley they knew their capture or death could come at any moment. The vehicles pursuing them had stopped and were laying down sustained heavy fire all around them, while soldiers advanced towards them on foot. The message was clear; do not attempt to run. Children wailed in hysterics while woman gave prayers to the ancestors for rescue they didn''t believe would come. The men hunkered over their families, trying to shield them from the attacks with their own bodies; sure that death could come in scant seconds.


    In teams of two of four close air support 302''s made their alternating attack runs. Doing it this way allowed for two aircraft to provide coving fire from their rail guns every sixty seconds. Never designed for the ground attack mission the 302''s lacked the sophisticated air to ground targeting systems found on many aircraft in the Air Force. Knowing this inconvenient fact Broadsword Lead thought to himself that they were just going to have to wing it.


    With grace and speed the first two aircraft closed on their targets, and unleashed a torrent of fire from their onboard rail guns. For the pilots time seems to slow to a crawl as they watched tremendous amounts of weapons fire advance on the ground, kicking up clouds of dirt with each impact, towards their selected target. Traveling at eleven thousand five hundred feet per second the dense tungsten rounds shredded two half tracks on impact. Moving at that speed the rounds fired by the rail gun negated the need for explosives as the impact of the dense material was more than enough to tear through even the heaviest of tank armor with ease. Terminating their firing run the first 302''s banked sharply to the right to line up for their second gun run while the next par of aircraft rolled in for their attack.


    "Broadsword two and four, recommend you concentrate your fire on dismounted infantry" stated Broadsword Lead.


    As two and four began their attack runs three cloaked jumpers became visible, while setting down and opening their rear ramps. From within the jumpers the black clad Delta operators emerged, their Heckler and Koch HK 417 rifles spewing 7.62 mm rounds toward the approaching enemy that was now seeking cover. Three of the operators took knee down prone firing positions while their wingmen sprinted the forty feet to the cowering mass of civilians.


    "Run to the jumpers now" barked Captain Carlyle.


    "You''re going to kill us" screamed one of the women.


    "We''re from Atlantis and here to rescue you, now run" ordered the Captain.


    The continuous gun runs of the 302''s made short work of the enemy vehicles, but the dismounted infantry posed a problem. Half of them, seeing their comrades shredded by the rail gun fire decided that safety lay in getting as close to the Lantean''s as possible. Surely the Lantean''s wouldn''t fire on their own people.


    "Broadsword flight this is ground element" called Captain Carlyle into his radio.


    "Go ahead ground" replied the flight leader.


    "Enemy troops advancing on our position. Request danger close fire support" stated Carlyle.


    "Ground element, we can''t target fire with any type of accuracy. Confirm danger close request" responded Broadsword Lead.


    "Ground element confirms danger close request. That means buster" replied Carlyle.


    In the military the word buster carries with it a heavy emphasis on now, as in right now, this moment, I want it yesterday. The message came through loud and clear to the minds of the 302 pilots. Danger close airstrikes were reserved for times when friendly forces were being overrun; calling in those strikes literally on your own position. Knowing that their brothers in arms were in dire straights the 302 pilots broke into single ship elements to maintain an almost constant stream of fire on the approaching infantry. With reckless abandon the 302 pilots wrought carnage and destruction on the enemy forces that sought to harm their countrymen.


    "Eight evacuees to a jumper. I don''t care if you have to pick them up and throw them in their just get them onboard" thundered Carlyle.


    The three operators that had provided cover fire for their teammates during their sprint to the civilians now broke the civilians into three groups and herded them in the waiting jumpers. The other three operators took a knee and began laying down a mad minute of automatic weapons fire. As each soldier ran out of ammunition calls of "loading" could be heard over and over again. Overhead the 302''s continued to pound the soil near their fellow soldiers with enormous amounts of rail gun fire. From the many impacts a wall of dust and debris blanketed the air until visibility dropped to nothing more than a handful of feet in front of each man.


    "Captain we''re good to go, precious cargo is aboard" called out one of the Operators over his radio earpiece.


    "Broadsword, the civilians are aboard and accounted for. Request cover fire for extraction" said Carlyle into the earpiece.


    "Ground element, roger that. Depart to the north and engage cloaks" replied Broadsword Lead.


    The three Operators quickly got to their feet and in a crouch sprinted towards the waiting jumpers. Once onboard the jumpers cloaked and quickly rose from the surface before speeding into orbit at high speed. Once their departure was confirmed the 302''s of Broadsword flight broke off and set course for Apollo.


    Minutes later the jumpers landed in the starboard hanger bay, to remain clear of the returning 302''s in the port side bay. As the ramps lowered medical staff from the infirmary aboard Apollo swarmed over the civilians, quickly checking them over for any sign of injury. Behind the medical staff stood Colonel''s Frost and Ellis. Stepping forward once the medics cleared out of the way Ellis approached the gathered group of frightened civilians.


    "Welcome aboard the Apollo. You''re safe now" began Ellis.


    "Are you really from the city of the ancestors" one man demanded.


    "If you mean Atlantis then yes" answered Ellis.


    "You could just be saying that. How are we supposed to believe you" demanded another man.


    "We''re returning to Atlantis now, you''ll be able to see for yourself. Your leader Allina is there under our protection. We should arrive in a few hours. Let''s get you people cleaned up and fed in the mean time" replied Ellis while signaling several waiting crew members to show the new arrivals the mess hall.


    As the frightened civilians exited the hanger bay the Delta operators exited the jumpers, while stripping off their body armor and emptying chambered rounds from weapons already with their safeties engaged.


    "Great work men. You saved those people and should be proud" said Frost.


    "All in a days work Colonel. I don''t think that''s the last time we''ll see the Genii" replied Carlyle.


    "You''ve got that Captain. Get your men cleaned up and fed. We''ll debrief in forty five minutes" replied Frost.


    Watching the six operators make their way out of the hanger bay Frost stood there and watched them go. A quote came to his mind from the great writer George Orwell. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. The Colonel thought that never had truer words been spoken. The next time men under his command encountered the Genii violence would be visited upon these so called soldiers, of that he was certain.

 Chapter 96

    The White House


    Within the confines of the oval office sat Lt. Colonel Paul Davis, General Jack O''Neill, General Francis Maynard the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and President Henry Hayes. All eyes were fixed on the large plasma flat screen display. Playing out on the display was video of Allina describing Genii actions towards her, photographic intelligence collected by Apollo, and gun camera footage from Broadsword flight.


    "Francis, what''s your stance on this" asked Hayes.


    "This isn''t so much an incursion as it''s an invasion. Photographic intelligence points to manpower and vehicle strength approaching two of our armored divisions and rising. Men and material were transiting through the gate even as these photos were being collected. The Dagan''s are a preindustrial farming society at best. Our estimates are that they lack the technological resources and military ability to form an effective resistance to Genii forces. Essentially the Genii have conquered the planet already" stated General Maynard.


    "General O''Neill, anything to add" asked Hayes.


    "I concur with General Maynard. These people don''t have the ability to fight back with much more than pitchforks. The video shows us these are bad guys not afraid to put the blade to the weak as it were" added O''Neill.


    "I''m really sick of hearing about the Genii. They''ve attacked us a number of times, used us to restructure their own political landscape, continually attacked the helpless, and even after the last episode here they are again. Clearly the Coalition didn''t teach them enough of a lesson. Gentlemen, let me be clear; I hate bullies. The Genii stomp around the schoolyard like they own the place. It''s not because they are the toughest kid on the schoolyard. It''s because no one has ever punched them solidly in the nose and taught them to behave. They don''t want to learn from the last episode? Fine by me, but it ends here. I''m authorizing any and all actions necessary to put an end to their ability to make war. What are our options" asked Hayes.


    "As you know we reequipped the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment for situations just like this. Although they haven''t had much time to acquaint themselves with the new systems to my liking they have been training with them nonstop. From what I''m seeing on the video the Genii lack the ability to stand up to what the 3rd ACR is capable of throwing at them in terms of ground and air power. I would feel more comfortable though if they could operate with 302''s assigned to the vessels of the Pegasus Group in a ground support role" stated Maynard.


    "We have more than enough 302''s aboard the Athena class sh.i.p.s in Pegasus to provide continuous air cover. We will need to move air to ground munitions though, but that can be done via Midway station" added O''Neill.


    "Let''s get this moving then. I want them there ASAP" replied Hayes.


    "Mr. President, the prepositioning sh.i.p.s carrying the regimental sets of equipment have not yet been moved to Pegasus. The sh.i.p.s don''t have nearly the speed of the Athena''s, so I asked Colonel Davis to call the Asgard" stated O''Neill.


    "I spoke with Thor at the November Site, explained the situation, and inquired if they could assist. They agreed without hesitation. Using their vessels they will tow the prepositioning sh.i.p.s to Pegasus. That means we can have them there in a day instead of eighteen days. The Asgard have further pledged to send a number of sh.i.p.s along to cover the patrol sectors of any sh.i.p.s we divert to Dagan" said Davis.


    "Always good to have friends. Any other concerns" asked Hayes.


    "During the last situation with the Genii we removed the components needed for them to produce further nuclear weapons. The unknown variable is did any get away. It is possible that they do have nuclear weapons and based on their past deployment of these weapons I feel it a certainty they would not hesitate to use them against our forces on the ground" stated Maynard.


    "I really thought the days of mutually assured destruction ended with the cold war. This is a sad state of affairs gentlemen. Should they deploy weapons of mass destruction against any Earth forces in the Pegasus galaxy we will respond with wmd''s of our own. It''s time we play ball by their rules. If they nuke a primitive society I authorize deployment of ours in kind on their home world. Is that clear enough for you" asked Hayes.


    "Crystal clear Mr. President" responded Maynard.


    "I hate to cut this short but I''ve got a one o''clock photo op with a Boy Scout troop from West V.i.r.g.i.nia. Go win us war" finished the President.


    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    Ninety minutes later the deployment plan went out to the Asgard. With the war machine of the United States kicking into gear things began to happen very quickly. Streams of trucks from Peterson Air Force Base began to arrive and disgorge a large amount of air to ground ordinance. Cl.u.s.ter bomb units, anti tank missiles, laser guided small diameter bombs, the list went on and on. These weapons went directly to Midway Station, and from there would find their way to Atlantis and Borealis for distribution among the participating vessels of the Pegasus Group. In twenty four hours the men of the 3rd ACR would begin arriving to gate to both Atlantis and Borealis. Once the equipment laden vessels under tow by the Asgard arrived deployment to Dagan would begin. The thought of fifty seven hundred cavalry troopers passing through his highly classified instillation didn''t exactly please General Landry, but he reminded himself that he retired soon anyway. With the first load of ordinance passed through the intergalactic gate bridge Operation Steady Scorpion had begun.

 Chapter 97

    Atlantis


    Like water no longer retained behind a floodgate the constant stream of 3rd ACR troopers flowed. The headquarters and command element referred to as Remington Troop, along with the 1st squadron Tigers, and 2nd squadron Saber''s had arrived over a period of seven hours of continuous gate activations from Earth. Thunder, Longknife, and Muleskinner squadrons had been routed to Borealis. The troopers of 3rd ACR would only remain aboard the two city sh.i.p.s until their equipment arrived, under tow from the Asgard within the next thirty six hours. Security staff under the command of Lt. Col. Lorne would have their work cut out for them until that time keeping the new arrivals occupied and out of trouble.


    Standing in stargate operations with Woolsey was Colonel Sheppard. Having arrived several hours before the Colonel had watched the arrival of 3rd ACR and smirked at the circus that would surely ensue.


    "This is the most people Atlantis has had walking the halls since before the ancients departed" stated Sheppard.


    "Let''s just hope our new guests don''t break anything as soldiers are known to do" replied a clearly fl.u.s.tered Woolsey.


    Appearing beside the two men was the avatar of Atlantis. With a warm smile gracing the elegant lines of her face she politely waited for the two men to take notice of her presence.


    "Hello Atlantis. Good to see you looking so chipper" said Sheppard.


    "Is their something I can do for you Atlantis" asked Woolsey.


    "Colonel Sheppard is correct that not since the departures long ago have this many souls walked my halls. I enjoy the activity greatly" she smiled.


    "They are only temporary guests I assure you" replied Woolsey.


    "Just make sure they don''t break anything" said Sheppard.


    "At Doctor Zelenka''s insistence lockdown protocols have been instituted in sensitive areas. The gate is activating" stated Atlantis.


    As the gate activated the two men watched as the event horizon settled into its normal shimmering puddle. All the men and supplies they had been informed to expect had already arrived. This gate activation was unexpected though.


    "I detect Midway stations IDC" stated Atlantis.


    "Lower the iris" ordered Woolsey.


    Seconds later with the iris shield lowered a single man emerged through the gate. In his forties, wearing a flight suit, but his face was known to most who encountered him. On his first trip to Atlantis the man looked in awe at the room around him. After so many requests to come to the legendary city he had finally arrived fulfilling a year''s long dream. Seeing two men on the platform above him motioning to him he took to the stairs towards stargate operations.


    "You must be Mr. Woolsey. A pleasure" said the new arrival.


    "Hey, I know you! You got pulled into the SGC" asked Sheppard.


    "Allow me to introduce Mr. Alec Colson" stated Woolsey.


    "Pulled in is the wrong word Colonel. Think more in terms of I was granted asylum" smiled Alec.


    "Mr. Colson has been doing developmental work on systems for the 302 and 304 for several years" Woolsey added.


    "You are one of the wealthiest men in the world, why would you need asylum" demanded Sheppard.


    "It''s complicated, but I''m sure you remember when I put an Asgard in a news conference" laughed Colson.


    "Yeah that was kind of hard to forget. So what brings you here today" asked Sheppard.


    Reaching into the b.r.e.a.s.t pocket of his Air Force issue flight suit Alec produced a thumb drive. With the drive between thumb and forefinger he brought the device to eye level for the two men the in front of him.


    "I''ve brought a fix for the 302''s. This drive contains the coding upgrade for the targeting systems. Now they will have a true air to ground targeting ability of their own that doesn''t rely on crunching numbers from the ship" proudly stated Alec.


    "You wrote this in the three days since we''ve had contact with the Genii" asked Sheppard.


    "Not exactly Colonel. I did write the software, but many years ago for the F-15E Strike Eagle. I just modified a few lines of code and viola! I only had to alter a few hundred lines of computer code and it works like magic. And who is this beautiful young lady behind you gentlemen" asked Alec.


    "I don''t believe I am what you would consider young" replied a smiling Atlantis.


    "Alec Colson, I would like you to meet Atlantis" said Woolsey in introduction.


    "Were you born here and named after the city" asked Colson.


    "I was born here in a manner of speaking" replied Atlantis.


    "She''s the visual representation of the city''s AI. She is the city" added Sheppard.


    "Forgive me. It''s not often I meet such an attractive visual representation" laughed Alec.


    "I''ll leave you gentlemen now. Enjoy your stay Mr. Colson" said Woolsey before returning to his office.


    "Did I say something wrong" asked Alec.


    "Nah, he''s just like that. You get used to it. Ok, how much time do you need to make the upgrades to our 302''s" asked Sheppard.


    "It''s a simple matter of uploading the software to the data link the 302''s and carrying vessel share. Once uploaded the 302''s capture the new software and instillation is done hands free. From there we can transmit the software to the other sh.i.p.s in the fleet via subspace and they can upgrade their 302''s as well. The entire process shouldn''t take more than an hour from start to finish" answered Alec.


    "Ares, two to beam please" Sheppard said after tapping his earpiece.

 Chapter 98

    Dagan


    The previous day with swift assistance from both Daedalus and Sun Tzu the first tentative moves by the Tauri in their war against the Genii had taken place. The two 304 class vessels carried with them a unique mix of men, material, and equipment. Once a suitable location had been located, two hundred miles from the Dagan capital a series of command and control centers housed in conex containers were beamed to the surface. Along with those came pallet after pallet of temporary runway planking. Teams of Air Force personal with experience setting up these temporary runway''s made short work of piecing the interlocking panels together. In little time at all the forward operating base had taken shape.


    Operating from this was the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drone. Meant to collect intelligence the Reaper also carried with it the ability to act on intelligence generated. For this deployment the Reapers were armed with the Hellfire antitank missile. Protecting the drone''s and their assorted command and control centers was a team of forty Rangers in defensive positions around the perimeter with Special Forces alpha teams posted at the four corners of the compass. Watching over them were the sensors of the 304''s in orbit high above.


    Standing in the flight control center was Colonel Dean Frost. Known for his lead from the front mentality it surprised no one that he was here. Forty five minutes earlier the first Reaper had taken to the sky and Frost was intent on putting the missiles it carried to use. From an altitude of twelve thousand feet the diminutive drone aircraft quietly orbited fifteen miles north of Dagan''s capital. The electro-optical sensor ball on the nose of the aircraft scanned the terrain below. As the sun began to set infrared spectrum tracking of objects below was engaged.


    Starring at the live video feed Frost took in they tactical outlay before him. The Genii had dug in quickly and in a highly organized manner. Seeing the warm human bodies drop from the screen could only mean they were entering some type of fortification underground, perhaps a foxhole or something larger.


    "Zoom in on the objects in the far right corner" ordered Frost.


    "It looks to be an antennae farm. Based on the number down there I''m guessing brigade level headquarters possibly" responded the drone operator.


    "Let''s get another Reaper in the air. I want both targeting the antennae farm. We''ll knock out their communications and see what type of a response we get" ordered Frost.


    Moments later another Reaper lifted off and flew towards its rendezvous point. Forty minutes later the drone arrived on station. The two pilots in the command center armed their four Hellfire missiles apiece. Maintaining orbit of their targets the optics were slaved to fixed position on the ground below them.


    "We''re good to go Colonel" called out the lead Reaper pilot.


    "Reaper one fires three rounds at the antennae farm, Reaper two fire''s two rounds. Mark your targets so you don''t double up. When they hear explosions people will come running out of their bunker. Get those locations locked so we can get what we''re really after. Commence your firing run gentlemen" ordered Frost.


    On command five of the one hundred and ten pound missiles leaped off their carrying rails from the two drones at mach one point three times the speed of sound. With pinpoint accuracy the missiles homed in on the reflected laser targeting beams aimed at the target below for their launch platforms. In a handful of seconds the missiles covered the distance to target impacting at the base of each antenna. Milliseconds later each twenty pound Integrated Blast Fragmentation Sleeve warhead exploded, shredding their targets and toppling the antennae to the ground in a crumpled mass.


    Hearing explosions men in the Genii communications center rushed out of their bunker to see what the disturbance was. The sight that greeted them was something they did not expect. The Daganian''s were a primitive people, lacking the ability to do such a thing. Unknown to the Genii their attacker watched from overhead.


    "Sir, we''ve got men streaming from two points here and here. I''m guessing we''re looking at once bunker with two access points" called out the drone pilot.


    "Ok, target both access points and target the last missile in between the two access points. Fire when ready" replied Frost.


    On command the remaining three hellfire''s leaped into the air. Without warning the first two missiles impacted the bunker''s two entry and exit points, eviscerating the cl.u.s.ter of men at both points. The third missile struck the soft ground directly above the bunker, collapsing the ceiling in on the radio technicians still seated at their posts. All told twenty Genii lost their lives in less than five seconds. Perhaps one or two was still alive within the shattered bunker, but none of the Tauri would be coming to lend aid.

 Chapter 99

    Borealis


    "Doctor McKay, I have detected eleven vessels in hyperspace a considerable distance from our location. Based on their current speed I estimate they will arrive at our location in four hours" stated Borealis.


    "Put that data on screen please" replied McKay.


    From his seat in stargate operations Rodney looked over the holographic display that appeared before him. Standing to his left Daniel Jackson looked over the same information.


    "Is it Wraith" asked Jackson.


    "Moving far too fast to be Wraith. That distance would take them weeks to cover. This has to be Asgard" replied McKay.


    "That would be our new guest''s equipment. Borealis please contact the vessels and if they are Asgard allow them through the defensive screen once in our system" instructed Jackson.


    "Of course Doctor Jackson" replied Borealis before vanishing.


    "Rodney, on the off chance this isn''t our friends I would rather be safe than sorry. Go ahead and get subspace capacitors online and bring the generators online. I want full power available" stated Jackson.


    "Are you serious? Look at how fast their moving. It''s got to be Asgard. The only other things that fast are Athena''s, Atlantis, the ship your standing on, or an Ori mothership and I highly doubt it''s them" countered McKay.


    "Rodney, not now ok" asked Jackson.


    "Fine fine, full power will be available in ten minutes, calm down" replied McKay.


    Watching the exchange from the stairs Teal''c stepped into stargate operations. Seeing the nervous Canadian eyeing him from the corner of his eye Teal''c approached him.


    "Rodney McKay do you not think it wise to power all systems" asked Teal''c.


    "I really don''t see the need" replied McKay sheepishly.


    "When Atlantis came under siege your first year there did you feel the need for full power? Do you remember the Wraith who came aboard the city and sought to drain the life from your body" pressed Teal''c.


    Remembering the fear he had felt Rodney dropped his sandwich on his workstation. Somehow he managed to swallow and not choke on the bite in his mouth.


    "Do we really have to talk about this right now" asked McKay.


    "Indeed" replied Teal''c with a chuckle.


    Four hours later the nine O''Neill class vessels dropped out of hyperspace, along with the two vessels they had under tow. Standing between them and the planet was the Ajax and Yorktown. Identifying the newly arrived vessels as allies the two Tauri warsh.i.p.s slipped out of the approaching vessels path. Quickly the newly arrived fleet established stable orbit. Moments later Thor beamed down to Borealis''s command center.


    "Greetings" said Thor.


    "Good to see you Thor" replied Jackson.


    "It is good to see you once more" added Teal''c.


    "The vessels containing the needed military equipment are in stable orbit. With your permission I would like to share the patrol patterns that require our coverage with my other ship commanders" asked Thor.


    "Colonel Young aboard Ajax has that taken care of. So, how''s the home world" asked Jackson making chit chat.


    "My people are preparing for the establishment of several outposts in our new galaxy. Each will rival Hala before its untimely destruction" stated Thor.


    "I look forward to seeing them someday" replied Jackson.


    "I look forward to that as well. I have come with a request from the High Council. They have asked if you will provide the location of a planet within this galaxy rich in neutronium that we may establish an outpost upon" stated Thor.


    "Sure, no problem. Rodney can dig through the database and come up with one for you. Thor, I hate to cut this short but I have a few matters to attend to" replied Jackson.


    Genii Home World


    Within subterranean bunker the Genii called home life carried on as if it were another day. In a restricted area of the city sat the Genii military council. Having returned to his home world minutes before Davos had convened the council to seek information regarding recent events.


    "You told me they were nothing but simple farmers" hissed Davos.


    "They are nothing but farmers" countered Thanas, Genii intelligence chief.


    "Then explain to me how they destroyed communications equipment with explosives powerful enough to collapse a bunker" demanded Davos.


    "The Daganian''s posses no such technology, what you say is impossible" retorted Thanas.


    "Impossible? Tell that to the men that died" Davos yelled.


    "The answer is obvious" interjected Radel, the second highest ranking Genii compared to Davos.


    "Then please Radel do share with us this obvious answer" sneered Thanas.


    "It''s the Lantean''s. If they dropped explosives from one of their invisible sh.i.p.s this effect could be achieved. We all know they do everything they can to sabotage our rightful place in this galaxy" answered Radel.


    "The Daganian''s resisted the Lantean''s in the past. The chances of them assisting these people are low. Even if it is the Lantean''s they do not have the manpower we have at our disposal. It would be foolish of them to trigger a conflict between our two peoples" stated Thanas.


    "Was the last conflict between our two peoples foolish as well Thanas" asked Radel.


    "Stop this idiocy this moment! I want answers and I want them now. Thanas get me the answers I seek or I will replace you. Do you understand" asked Davos.


    "Perfectly" replied Thanas.


    Moments later Davos stormed out of the room towards the surface and the gate that would return him to Dagan. Confirming that he had left the planet Radel dialed the gate for a destination of his own.

 Chapter 100

    Ajax


    The massive Athena class vessel hurtled through hyperspace. Accompanying her for the voyage was the Lexington and Saratoga with prepositioning sh.i.p.s in tow. Elsewhere in the galaxy Ares, Hermes, and Athena also converged on their end destination of Dagan. Aboard each of the six vessels were the men of 3rd ACR. Deploying into a war zone was never an easy thing for a warfighter, but as soldiers do the night before battle laughter was exchanged while making light of the stark reality that in twenty four hours they could find themselves in the horror of war.


    Walking through the corridors of his command Colonel Young saw the young cavalry troopers and thought back to his days as an SG team leader. In each of these men he saw that special spark that had propelled the United States to greatness in the past. These men would do their duty to the best of their ability, which was considerable. These are the thoughts that coursed through the Colonel''s head as he made his way to the bridge.


    "Any word from the Atlantis group" asked Young.


    "Colonel Eckhart reports their estimated time of arrival is in eighteen minutes" replied Captain Rogers.


    "Thank you Captain. Give me an open channel ship wide please" said Young.


    "Channel''s open Sir" replied Rogers.


    "This is Colonel Young. In a few short minutes we''ll be exiting hyperspace around Dagan. Every moment of your military career led you to this point. All of the training, the discipline, the daily grind was meant for what lays before you. As fighting men of the United States armed forces now is the time to put all of that training to use. You have your mission, and the good people of Dagan need a savior and that savior is you. Make us proud Brave Rifles. Please proceed to the port hanger bay for transport to the surface shortly. That is all" finished Young.


    Throughout the Ajax a thunderous cheer of Brave Rifles reverberated in the corridors. In an orderly fashion men shouldered their weapons and gear while making their way to the cavernous hanger bay.


    "Five minutes to exit of hyperspace" called out Captain Rogers.


    "Upon exit per our instructions initiate the transporter protocol laid out for us. These boys are going to need fortifications for their beachhead" replied Young.


    The protocol he mentioned was similar to the process that was used to excavate Borealis from her earthy tomb. When activated the transporters would begin transporting hundreds of ton''s of soil around the landing zone, forming a large earthen wall. Once this wall was established men and equipment would begin beaming down in a prearranged order laid out by Colonel Ronald Stone 3rd ACR commander.


    "Exiting hyperspace now sir. Transporters are going into automatic" called out Rogers.


    "The moment the fortifications are up begin transporting men down, and activate the prepositioning sh.i.p.s transporters. I want that equipment down there quickly. Remember, air cavalry first, followed by the first two troops of M-8''s" said Young.


    Four minutes later the combined fleet''s transporters activated. On the ground below the first trickle of men and equipment began to appear. Flight crew''s linked up with their armed and fueled AH-64D Longbow Apache''s. In moments these would take to the air to provide air cover to the fragile beachhead that expanded moment by moment. With Apache''s in the air the M-8 Buford Armored Gun Systems began appearing, with their crew''s seconds behind. Within thirty minutes two complete troops of 3rd ACR were on the ground and taking defensive positions. This process would continue for the next four hours until every last warfighter was on the ground, linked up with their equipment, and ready for the next evolutionary process.


    "Captain Rogers, put the 302 pilots on two hour alert. I want all aircraft armed and standing by" ordered Young.


    "Roger that sir" replied Rogers.


    "Colonel, jammers are active, all enemy communications nets are down" called out the electronic warfare officer.


    Hearing this Young smiled a rare smile.


    Atlantis


    "Unscheduled activation" called out Chuck.


    "Do we have an IDC" asked Woolsey.


    "No IDC. We have a signal transmitting through the wormhole, looks to be video" replied Chuck.


    "Put it on screen" replied Woolsey.


    As the holographic display came to life video images took shape. On the screen was a drab background or dark brick, and a man''s shadow. A voice familiar to all of the Atlantis command staff began speaking.


    "Atlantis this is Ladon Radim. I am aware of the conflict you find yourself in and I wish to exchange information to assist you in your cause" said Ladon.


    "Ladon, this is Richard Woolsey. What information is it you wish to provide" asked the Atlantis Commander.


    "If you will allow me passage through the ring of the ancestors I will gladly provide intelligence of military value to your forces" replied Ladon.


    "Chuck, drop the shield and let him in. Ladon, the shield is down, you may enter" said Woolsey.


    Emerging through the gate was the one time chief scientist of the Genii people, but more recently their leader. Looking worse for wear Ladon appeared dirty and disheveled. A security team quickly escorted the sometimes ally to the conference room. Taking a seat Woolsey wasted no time in pleasantries.


    "Ladon, you were the leader of your people. Now you suddenly appear out of the blue looking as if you''ve been living under a rock and wanting to provide information on your people. What exactly is the meaning of this" demanded Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey much has happened since our two people''s last worked together. I fell victim to a plot from within my own ranks. Certain underlings felt they could better control the path our people would take in the future. The leader of this coup your people captured and handed over to the Coalition for trial. The other commands the forces currently on Dagan" began Ladon.


    "I know you are not providing this information out of an overwhelming sense of obligation and guilt. What is it you want in exchange" asked Woolsey.


    "I want is rightfully mine. In exchange for military intelligence and my assistance in capturing the leader of the forces you face I ask that I be returned to a place of leadership among my people. Once returned to power I will happily work hand in hand with the people of Atlantis for the benefit of all mankind in this galaxy" stated Ladon.


    "Forgive me if I don''t view your offer with shades of doubt. Why would you so gladly work with us now when in the past you have exploited our kindness for selfish gain" demanded Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey I am aware of the technology your people posses. You are a people the Genii cannot hope to defeat. It is your role to liberate mankind in Pegasus and I acknowledge that now. Yes we have had our differences but those times are now long past. Once I am returned to power you will never need doubt if the Genii are trustworthy allies. I wish to form an alliance that brings about peace and prosperity between us" answered Ladon.


    "You must realize that this deal would need the approval of my superiors on Earth" replied Woolsey.


    "I understand" stated Ladon.


    "It will greatly assist your cause to provide the intelligence now as a show of good faith" said Woolsey.


    "Everything you need to know is contained on this data device. You''ll find I''ve included names, ranks, troop numbers, types of equipment, and communications plans. One thing I have recently discovered isn''t on that device though" replied Ladon.


    "Just what might that be" asked Woolsey.


    "During the last skirmish your people destroyed the Genii ability to produce nuclear weapons. During this strike you manage to capture a number of finished devices. Unfortunately you didn''t succeed in capturing them all. The forces you face have two such devices in their possession. Davos will not hesitate to use these devices if faced with defeat" stated Ladon.


    "What proof do you have of this? Surely you don''t expect us to merely take your word for it" responded Woolsey.


    "Men loyal to me remain on my home world within the ranks of Davos''s men. I have been privy to what is said in their council, along with their strategic planning" retorted Ladon.


    "Have you stopped to consider that Davos may know this information is making it into your hands and is playing that very fact to his advantage? Disinformation is a powerful weapon against an opponent" countered Woolsey.


    "My information was confirmed through other sources that are beyond reproach; my sister. Mr. Woolsey I am simply attempting to safeguard my people from the folly of a man unfit to lead. You and I both know your technological advantage is simply too great to overcome" stated Ladon.


    "Very well. I will pass along your information and request. Until such time as I have word from Earth you will remain on Atlantis as our guest. Any attempt to assist your people''s forces will be dealt with in the harshest of measures. Amelia will show you to your quarters while I contact my government" finished Woolsey.

 Chapter 101

    Athena


    From orbit around Dagan, in the company of her sister sh.i.p.s the Athena sat quietly awaiting the coming battle. In the fighter bay Athena''s sixty F-302''s sat prepped for launch, loaded with air to ground ordinance as were the fighters on the other sh.i.p.s in orbit. All told a combined force of three hundred and sixty F-302''s stood ready, along with the jumpers carried by each Tauri vessel.


    Since the transporting of equipment and men to the planet below Athena had carried out a supporting mission. Her powerful wide spectrum transmitters broadcast in a continuous loop the trail of the former head of the Genii people. It was hoped that hearing the weeping and sobbing of their former leader would cause the Genii troops to question the conflict they surely knew that was coming. Cloaked jumpers had over flown troop concentrations jettisoning thousands of leaflets advising ground troops to surrender now or face untold destruction. Once ground operations commenced further psychological warfare tactics would be applied to shake the hearts and minds of those the Tauri faced.


    With preparations nearly complete on the ground the sh.i.p.s of the Pegasus Group prepared for the opening move. To facilitate this Colonel Sheppard had beamed aboard each vessel to brief the individual ship commanders.


    "Your 302''s will be deploying ten minutes ahead of the other sh.i.p.s" stated Sheppard.


    "A first strike I''m guessing" replied Eckhart.


    "Not exactly. We''re going to rattle the saber a bit. During the cold war the Air Force would overfly Soviet battle groups at sea with B-1''s at low altitude and at afterburner. You''d be surprised how much damage that can do to antennae''s and moral in general. We''re going to do the same thing here. Your fighters will go to maximum atmospheric speed at fifteen hundred feet and overfly Genii positions" said Sheppard.


    "Fifteen hundred feet at three times the speed of sound? Ouch" laughed Eckhart.


    "Once that is done the fighters divide into pairs and hit all of their assigned targets. It''s our own little shock and awe campaign. If we''re lucky they''ll throw down their weapons right there, but I doubt we''re lucky" replied Sheppard.


    "Colonel Stone reported in forty minutes ago and said his troops will be ready to move in three hours. The nearest enemy unit to them is one hundred and thirty miles to their north. That gives us time to work over the ground positions with friendly air well before they get there" added Eckhart.


    "This is a coordinated strike to cover the 3rd ACR while they are in movement towards contact. Brief your pilots that they are wheels up in three hours" instructed Sheppard.


    3rd ACR Debarkation Area


    Since their arrival on the surface of Dagan the men of the Brave Rifles had been in a race against time to swiftly ready their vehicles for movement. Dividing into their individual sub-units ground vehicles and helicopters alike had been fueled and armed. Due to the lightning pace an ACR kept in combat quick refueling and rearming was something that was second nature to the highly trained cavalry troopers. Gathered around the M4 Command Track vehicle, known to the troopers as the God Track, stood the Regimental command group.


    "We have Comanche''s and Apache''s from Outlaw and Quicksilver troop in the air now scouting our route" said Major Denton.


    "How are they loaded Major" asked Colonel Stone.


    "We sent them out loaded heavy. Anything that get''s in their way won''t be in their way for long" replied Denton.


    "Where are we at for the initial rollout" asked Stone.


    "Eagle, Fox, and Grim troops are good to go. We''ll deploy in forward wedge with the M3 Bradley''s out front, with the M8 Buford''s making up the outer screen of the wedge, and trailing them will be the Stryker''s and Bradley''s loaded with dismounted troops. Five miles behind the wedge we''ll have the Humvee''s towing the M777 field artillery pieces and three ammo carriers per group" replied Major Gross.


    "We''re breaking the regiment up into three maneuver groups with twenty miles of separation. They will be deploying in twenty minute intervals in staggered formation. The game plan at work here gentlemen is envelopment. Once contact is made with the enemy''s flank we''ll turn directly into them full force. We will have friendly air for this on call. The Air Force is running psyop''s now, but we''ll add to the mix on our own" stated Stone.


    "The air scouts are running psyop''s? That''s funny" joked Denton.


    "Make no mistake, the Air Force knows what they are doing in this situation. This is their op and we''re just here to lend some ground muscle as much as I hate to admit that. Each maneuver group has three psyop''s Humvee''s of their own. I want those loudspeakers on each playing music at high volume. Something obnoxious and way too loud. It worked in Iraq so we have a decent chance of it working here also" said Stone.


    "Loud and obnoxious? I''ve got just the thing" smiled Gross.


    "Good hunting gentlemen. Let''s win this one quick and bring our boys home safe. Saddle up and let''s start moving out" ordered Stone.

 Chapter 102

    3rd ACR Debarkation Area


    Around the encampment orders went out to prepare for movement. As engines were turned over and systems brought on line a call went out to the Ajax. Moments later portions of the earthen protective wall vanished, leaving a clear exit path for the first maneuver group.


    Fifty miles north of the 3rd ACR encampment


    Ranging far ahead of ground forces scout and attack helo''s had deployed to sanitize the landscape passing underneath them of any enemy troop presence that could alert the enemy of the Brave Rifles advance. Divided into three ship hunter killer elements each element was composed of two AH-64D Longbow Apache''s and one RAH-66 Comanche armed scout. Longbow radar''s searched for enemy ground vehicles while forward looking infrared sought out heat signatures of both man and machine. The data collected by each system was shared via data link to every regimental vehicle''s IVIS Inter Vehicular Information System display. Further information from sensors on the sh.i.p.s in orbit was cross decked into the IVIS display for a more complete view of the battlespace. Never before had a ground unit gone into combat with such information at its fingertips, and that information would prove vital in the fight to come.


    Receiving a radar return one Longbow Apache requested scout support to verify if the return was a valid target or simple ground clutter. Altering course the Comanche quickly covered the distance.


    "I''m getting sporadic return on the radar. If vehicles are down there I can''t say for certain" called out the Comanche gunner.


    "Switch to FLIR" ordered the pilot.


    The optical ball housing the Comanche''s FLIR sensors scanned the woods below. In seconds the FLIR''s display screen blossomed as heat sources were detected.


    "Buffalo four and five this is Mustang two. Confirm presence of two halftrack''s in the wood line. Dismounted infantry are also present. Illuminating targets with millimeter wave radar now" called out the Comanche gunner to the Apache''s in the distance.


    "Mustang two this is Buffalo four. Copy target is illuminated. Commencing pop up in one zero seconds. Dismounts are yours Mustang" responded the Apache flight leader over his encrypted radio.


    Ten seconds later the two Apache''s performed their pop up maneuver. Rising from behind a rolling hill the two deadly war machines climbed to one hundred feet of altitude before firing off one Hellfire missile apiece. Once the firing sequence was complete both Apache''s quickly returned to their masked positions behind the hill. The two Hellfire missiles rapidly climbed to eight thousand feet before diving towards the two targets below. Seeker heads on both missiles noted the millimeter wave illumination and homed in. Seconds later the two targeted halftrack''s were reduced to shredded husks.


    All around the two burning vehicles dismounted infantrymen ran for cover. Automatic weapons fire erupted, aimed at targets unseen and until seconds before unknown. It never occurred to the men firing to look for a threat in the skies above them. Without fear the Comanche''s two man crew watched the shocked troop''s violent reaction.


    "Let them get that out of their system" said the pilot in reference to the gunfire below.


    "Deploying the Gatling" commented the gunner.


    On the nose of the aircraft two panels opened and the M301 three barreled twenty millimeter weapon dropped down to firing position. The sighting system for the weapon was slaved to the gunner''s helmet, meaning that wherever the gunner looked the gun aimed at that point much like the system used for the Apache''s cannon. With a firing rate of fifteen hundred rounds per minute the 301 could deliver amazing amounts of highly accurate fire at a distance. Using high explosive shells the weapon was meant for defeating light armor, but in the instance would be used for other purposes.


    "Going into medium orbit" called out the pilot.


    Immediately fell to nine hundred feet of altitude. On the nose the 301 moved left and right before settling on a fixed position.


    "Targets locked" replied the gunner.


    "Light them up" suggested the pilot.


    On command the three barreled 301 Gatling gun opened up. Twenty millimeter rounds moving at three thousand three hundred and eighty feet per second closed the gap quickly. High explosive shells ripped into men, soil, and trees. Seeing the carnage before them men tried to run in all directions only to be cut down into nothing recognizable. In less than ten seconds every life on the forest floor below was extinguished not with not a whimper but a bang.


    "Buffalo four, this is Mustang two. All targets are down. Resuming flight plan now" called out the Comanche pilot

 Chapter 103

    Brotherhood of the Fifteen compound


    Standing in the Master Handler''s office Davos looked out the large window''s to the grounds below his vantage point. So far everything had gone according to plan. The few casualties so far were more than acceptable losses. With the Daganian people for the most part interned in several secure locations his men had dug in and awaited the Lantean response that was surely coming.


    In all the encounters with the Lantean''s not once had they fielded a large ground force, instead relying on their technology. Having brought a sizeable portion of the Genii Army with him to Dagan Davos believed he was more than a match for the Lantean''s. His game plan was to fight a war of attrition. With much larger amounts of manpower he could sustain much higher losses than they ever could be believed.


    Opening a window he smiled to himself as the warm breeze came rushing into the chamber. Perhaps when this war was won he would build himself a cabin here he thought. Thoughts of the future ran through his mind standing before the large windows.


    Without warning a lung rattling boom reverberated through the building as the windows before him shattered. Falling to a knee he could scarcely comprehend what had happened. Shaking his head the fog clouding his mind slowly lifted. Looking around he noted shattered glass was strewn about the room. His hearing was also impaired for the moment. Rising to his feet to look out from where the windows had once been he saw something he had not expected. Every window in the compound that he could see was shattered. Stunned men in the courtyard below were doing as he had just done trying to shake off the effects of whatever had just happened.


    Thinking a weapon had been used Davos looked around for evidence of an explosion. Everywhere he looked he saw broken glass and disoriented men, but no fire, no crater, and no blast damage. What type of weapon had it been? This new weapon was impressive but not war winning he thought to himself. Little did he realize that what he believed to be a weapon was nothing more than the sonic booms of 302''s passing close overhead at three times the speed of sound.


    Cheyenne Mountain SGC


    Stepping through the wormhole into the gate room of the subterranean facility was Ladon Radim. Having been informed of Radim''s offer word had quickly gone out that he be brought to Earth. Waiting at the base of the ramp leading from the gate stood General Landry, along with a six man security element.


    "Mr. Radim, I am General Hank Landry. Welcome to Earth" said Landry in greeting.


    "Thank you General" replied Ladon.


    "Forgive me for being brief but you are expected elsewhere. These gentlemen will escort you two levels up and accompany you to our capital" stated Landry while motioning towards the security team.


    "Absolutely, thank you General" replied Ladon.


    Setting a quick pace the six man team formed up three in front and three behind their charge. Making their way through already cleared corridors towards the elevator the team quickly arrived at the jumper bay two levels above. Seating their charge in the waiting jumper the team began to relax somewhat. Seated behind the two pilots Ladon looked out the forward wind screen of the jumper as it rose from its place on the concrete floor. With the push of a button the force shields guarding the jumper storage area dropped, and the jumper slid into the large ventilation shaft that long ago had been used to lower the gate into the gate room.


    Rising vertically the jumper exited the shaft while cloaked and streaked into the waiting blue sky as the day faded into night. Gaining altitude quickly the jumper leveled off at seventy thousand feet. Looking out the view screen Ladon saw the patches of light on the ground far below.


    "What are those lights if I may ask" asked Ladon.


    "Those are cities sir" replied the jumper pilot.


    "But they are so large" countered Ladon.


    "They have to be, we have millions of people down there" replied the pilot.


    "This planet has millions of people? I can''t imagine what it must be like" responded Ladon.


    "Not millions sir, billions. Our country is one of many on this planet and we have several hundred million citizens. Earth is home to several billion people" said the pilot.


    Hearing what the pilot said Ladon realized how wrong he and his people had been about the Tauri. They had always believed the Genii held the advantage of numbers. With billions of people at their disposal armies of unimaginable size could be fielded. This new piece of knowledge simply confirmed that the Genii could never hope to beat the Tauri. When their technology was combined with their sheer numbers these people had the ability to conquer the entire Pegasus galaxy and still maintain massive numbers at home.


    "We''ll be setting down at the Pentagon in a few moments sir. If you look out the wind screen we''ll be passing over our nation''s capital" stated the jumper pilot.


    Looking out of the wind screen Ladon saw Washington DC laid out before him. Passing over the Capital Mall he saw the seat of American political power, the Jefferson Memorial, and many other sites. He also noted the amount of activity on streets below. As the jumper came in for landing at the Pentagon his breath was taken away by the size of the building before him.


    "What is this building" he asked.


    "This is the Pentagon sir. You''re looking at the headquarters of our nations military" replied the pilot while lowering the jumper into the underground access port. Once on the ground the jumper''s rear ramp lowered into place. Resuming their three in front three behind positions the security team quickly whisked their charge into Home World Command.


    Making their way through the maze of hallways and corridors the group quickly made it into the inner sanctum of the ultra secret agency. Unknown to Ladon the group passed through four security scanning points that ensured he had no weapons of any kind on him. These checkpoints also ensured he did not carry a contagion of any kind. Moments later the group arrived at the open door of General O''Neill''s office. Ladon was quickly brought in and seated before the large desk that O''Neill sat behind as the security team was motioned to wait outside.


    "So you''re Ladon Radim. General Jack O''Neill" said Jack.


    "Thank you for allowing me this meeting General" replied Ladon.


    "So what is it you have to offer us" asked Jack.


    "I can hand you the tools to defeat your opponents" replied Ladon.


    "I don''t mean to rain on your parade but we already have the ability to defeat them" countered Jack.


    "General I am aware of how powerful your people are. Yes you can defeat the Genii, but I provided information that will minimize the casualties your forces suffer" said Ladon.


    "So you give us communications protocols, training manuals, and personality profiles of those involved. Let me be straight with you. You want us to put you back in power of your people but you''re not giving us something of equal value" said Jack.


    "You want something of equal value? I can make available my network of supporters on my home world. We can fight the current regime together. Once they are defeated I pledge to be a staunch ally of your people" offered Ladon.


    "Now you''re getting warmer. Where are their nuclear weapons" asked Jack.


    "One I know for certain is on Dagan. The second I am still attempting to locate" replied Ladon.


    "You do that, but be quick about it. I''m going to share something with you. If you don''t find that second weapon and it''s used against my people we have authorization to use our own nukes on your planet. Ours are much bigger than yours by the way" stated Jack.


    "I understand. I will find it. One thing I ask is you give me a team of men when the time comes to secure the leading council on my home world. Once that is complete the people will fall into line" said Ladon.


    "When that time comes Colonel Frost will provide a team of men for that purpose. Ladon let me be clear about something. Your people have screwed us a number of times. We will not be left holding the bag this time. If you try to screw us in any way we''ll come for you and it won''t be pleasant. Understand" asked Jack.


    "We''re very similar you and I. I understand fully" replied Ladon.


    "You and I similar? Hardly" snorted Jack.

 Chapter 104

    Ajax


    On the bridge of the Athena class vessel sat Colonel Young. Reviewing mission data the Colonel made notes for preparations needed for the next thirty six hours of combat. Massive air campaigns like the one his 302''s were involved in took amazing coordination and logistical effort. Young knew that lives on the ground would depend on the effort he put forth now.


    Out of the corner of his eye from his commanders chair Young noted a purple tinted light shine for a brief moment before being replaced by the form of a man. Looking in that direction Young saw standing before him the form of a man he had met before billions of light years away. The tall and well dressed man nodded his head and smiled when he and Young locked eyes. Rising from the command chair Young briskly strode towards his guest.


    "Ambassador Dorin, always a pleasure. Welcome aboard the Ajax" said Young while shaking the Ambassador''s hand.


    "It is a pleasure to see you again Colonel. Please accept my compliments on your new command. Ajax is an impressive vessel and it''s good to see her in such capable hands" smiled Dorin.


    "Will you be staying long" asked Young.


    "With your permission I would like to stay for the duration of the conflict you find yourself engaged in on the planet below. I promise not to make a nuisance of myself" confided the Furling dignitary.


    "May I enquire as to the purpose behind your request" asked Young.


    "As your ally the Furling feel strongly about supporting you in this endeavor. I am here on behalf of my people and the Four Races as liaison. I must also confess a keen personal interest in seeing a successful conclusion to this conflict. Your people are engaged in a humble and honorable mission" stated Dorin.


    "Please settle in and enjoy your time onboard. With the operational tempo we''ll be running for the next few days I can''t say how much if any time I''ll have to spare" replied Young.


    "My intention is not to interfere in the conduct of your duties Colonel. Please carry on as if I was not here. Should you need my assistance in anything at all please feel free to ask. During my time here I will not be aboard your vessel at all times as I have a number of questions that must be answered and those answers can only be found on the planet below" said Dorin.


    "Airman Thatcher will show you to your quarters then. I apologize Ambassador but I must get back to prepping the air tasking order" apologized Young.


    "I thank you Colonel. Please go back to what it is you must do" replied Dorin.


    Before Young could cast another glance in the ambassador''s direction the Furling along with the Airman directing him disappeared into the corridor. Picking up his Ipad Young dived back into the mission planning application on his tablet.


    Dagan


    Fifty thousand feet above the surface of the planet was a lone jumper. Flying in a wide race track patter the craft effortlessly glided through the sky. This jumper was far different than those found on Atlantis or Borealis. From outward appearances they could be mistaken for the same craft, but inside it was a different matter all together.


    The rear bay of this jumper contained four individual work stations of flat panel displays, along with individual communications capabilities. Piped into these work stations were the findings of the jumpers sensors. This in effect turned the jumper into an airborne warning and control aircraft that could be used to orchestrate complex airborne battles with each Athena class vessels compliment of 302''s. Sensor capabilities for ground detection also allowed for the jumper to provide the same function for ground troops and maneuver groups. Following lessons learned by the US Air Force with the AWACS and JSTARS in exercises and combat these capabilities now made their debut in Pegasus.


    Currently three work stations were being used to quarterback the massive air campaign. The forth work station was also manned but being used to track ground targets and organize the 3rd ACR''s drive towards contact while also providing crucial intelligence of enemy intentions. Glued to their display screens each of the combat controllers sat hard at work conducting the symphony of war unfolding beneath them.


    "Pancake flight you are at the initial point. You are cleared to begin your attack runs. Be advised you have UAV traffic ten miles to your northwest" one controller called out over the encrypted communications link.


    "Pancake? Colonel Sheppard has a sense of humor. First he had Waffle flight, now Pancake. Five dollars says before this is over we see a Twinkie flight" laughed another controller.


    "Desperado lead, shift target package to alternate. Come about to heading zero four six and make your speed nine four five knots indicated. Contact once you reach the initial point" called out a third controller.


    At the ground control work station the operator sat staring intently on the display before him. Genii mechanized units were on the move throughout the area of operations. Slowly the tactical picture was taking shape as to the intentions of the enemy commander. From the look of it the 3rd ACR''s three maneuver groups were still undetected as no enemy units were moving to intercept or take up blocking positions.


    "Brave Rifle Six this is Dark Star. Enemy detection of all Brave Rifle elements is no joy at this time. Nearest unfriendly armor is three zero miles to your north" called out the ground controller.


    Watching his screen the ground controller took note of the refueling operation on the ground. A complex but highly coordinated dance of combat and logistics vehicles was taking place. This last minute pit stop would ensure the entire regiment had sufficient stores of fuel to push on towards the forward edge of battle area, and allow for breakthrough maneuvering once enemy lines were breached. Scrolling the pointer on his screen over an advancing line of vehicles the ground controller prayed a silent prayer for the vehicles advancing in front of the first maneuver group. These vehicles, under escort by regimental attack helo''s raced ahead to emplace their M777 howitzers at pre-selected locations. East of the group on a parallel heading sped the regiment''s detachment of M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System vehicles, also under escort by armed helo''s.

 Chapter 105

    Genii forward position


    With vehicles under camouflaged netting the reinforced Genii mechanized battalion sat in the wood line. Deployed to the southeast of the Daganian capital this battalion was intended to act in a gatekeeper capacity. Should the Lantean''s attempt military intervention the job of these men was to stop them in their tracks.


    Since their arrival little had been seen, but much had been heard. A constant roar of aircraft passing overhead at high speed had permeated the encampment. With vehicles concealed the men were safely ensconced in their dug in fighting positions. These fighting positions were little more than foxholes cut into the Dagan soil, with overhead protection coming from fallen trees placed atop. The constant enemy of each soldier was boredom. Hearing the noise of aircraft and the hollow booms of explosions in the distance each soldier yearned to see action, but most doubted that action would find them. Sitting atop their fighting position the unit commander talked with a young soldier new to the unit.


    "How many flying craft do the Lantean''s have Sir" asked the young soldier named Panol.


    "They have very few, not more than a few handfuls boy" replied Kos, the unit''s commander.


    "The noise they produce is impressive" said Panol.


    "They can make all the noise they wish, but noise means little in war. It is the strength of ones fighting spirit and training that counts most" replied Kos.


    "Do you think the Lantean''s will dare approach our area" asked Panol.


    "Look around you son. We''re sitting here with fighting vehicles and eighteen hundred men. Our enemy is not known for doing anything with a great number of men. It is their custom to use teams of four men to carry out their missions. What chance do four men stand against our eighteen hundred? None" exclaimed Kos.


    "I''ve heard whispers of the Lantean''s defeating the Wraith every time the two meet. If that is true should we not be worried" asked Panol.


    "Rumors and conjecture nothing more than that boy, you have my word. I challenge the ancestors to send these Lantean''s to face us in combat and see what we are capable of. It is they who should fear us, not the other way around. Like cowards they will not dare fight us on the ground as men. Instead they hide behind their technology and attack us from the air. You have nothing to fear from them" exclaimed Kos.


    "Commander Kos, do you see that dust cloud moving this way? I''ve seen similar clouds of dust like that when our vehicles exercise together in mass" said Panol.


    Looking at the dust cloud in the distance Kos picked up his binoculars and tried to find the source of the disturbance. Seeing could only be vehicles, but ones he was unable to make out due to their distance his blood ran cold.


    Maneuver Group One


    The combined forces of Eagle, Fox, and Grim Troops deftly maneuvered over the Dagan landscape. After a brief stop to refuel the maneuver group resumed their advance at a leisurely thirty five miles per hour. To the men in their armored vehicles the advance reminded those with more time in service than their juniors of the advance across the desert of Iraq towards Baghdad. Alerted by information transmitted from the ground controller to each vehicle''s IVIS the men of Maneuver Group One knew that enemy contact was moments away. Any moment now they would get visual confirmation of what their information sharing systems already told them was out there.


    Two miles in front of the advancing wedge of M-8 Buford tanks, Stryker''s, and Bradley fighting vehicles were two M-3 Bradley Cavalry Scout Vehicles. These scouts were lightly armed and functioned as the eyes of the oncoming herd. Peering through the digitally enhanced optics of the commanders targeting sight one of the scout vehicle commanders spotted a halftrack in the distance at the edge of the wood line.


    "Contact! Enemy vehicles in the wood line! Wow their camouflage is horrible. Didn''t anyone tell them that a top cover doesn''t stop ground vehicles from seeing you" asked the vehicle commander rhetorically.


    "Be vwey vwey quiet, I''m hunting wabbits" said the gunner in his best Elmer Fudd voice.


    Updating the tactical picture for the vehicles behind the vehicle commander input his findings into IVIS. Seconds after the Genii positions were known to every vehicle in the regiment. This information was quickly verified by the ground controller in the jumper high above. Over the radio came the order to engage the enemy at the scout commander''s discretion. Weighing his options the two scout vehicles opted to quickly halt in their continued forward movement and allow the heavier armor coming up behind them to engage in mass.


    Seeing the scout''s halt the Maneuver Group commander took his cue to push forward and engage. His plan was to overwhelm the enemy quickly and with devastating firepower to beat the will to resist out of them as quickly as possible. Cavalry troopers were known to prefer the vicious knockout blow of a heavyweight boxer as opposed to the drawn out battle of jabs that lightweights were known for. Quickly a call went out to the Group''s artillery assets and MLRS vehicles. Moments later the artillery commander put out the flash order for a fire mission with a very specific time on target attached. This coordinated time on target attachment would ensure all rounds would land on the enemy positions at exactly the same time despite the fact that multiple rounds were being fired from the same weapons. To achieve this each howitzer would fire their shells at different angles with each shot, altering the parabolic arc each shell would take to their target. Using this process multiple rounds from each howitzer would land in the target area within seconds of each other.


    On confirmation of enemy troop emplacements forward of their current position the leading edge of the wedge formation accelerated towards their targets. Each M-8 Buford''s one hundred and twenty millimeter smooth bore main gun, the same as found on the M-1 Abrams, was loaded with a high explosive anti tank (HEAT) round. The automatic loading system aboard the Buford''s stood ready to rapidly reload the main weapon once the first shell was expended. To ease targeting each gunner switched his weapon sights to thermal imaging to better pick out the vehicles they intended to destroy. In the lead Buford the crew was methodically carrying out every facet of their training.


    "Gunner after we fire all reloads are HEAT" called out the tank commander over the intercom.


    "You got it TC" replied the gunner.


    "Driver slow to twenty miles per hour, I''ll put that out over IVIS to the rest of the wedge" said the tank commander.


    "Roger that Sergeant" replied the driver.


    Backing down on the throttle the Buford slowed, moments later to be followed by the decrease in speed by the rest of the advancing wedge. Behind each Buford was a rooster tail of dust in the air. While this kick up of dust would alert the enemy of their approach it would also obscure the enemy''s sight picture of vehicles approaching behind the leading M-8''s.


    "Gunner, bring turret full front. Target halftrack to front" called out the TC.


    "Ranging now" replied the gunner.


    With the push of a button on his systems panel the gunner activated the laser range finder onboard. On command an invisible beam of light shot towards the targeted vehicle, a potion of which was reflected back to the receiver on the Buford. In less than a second the onboard fire control system computed the range to target based on the time of travel of the reflected laser light.


    "Range twenty four hundred meters" called out the gunner.


    "You feeling good about your shot" asked the TC.


    "I always feel good about firing this thing. We both know missing is something this guy doesn''t do" replied the gunner.


    "Humble too I see. Gunner, fire" ordered the TC.


    With a squeeze of the trigger on his control yoke the gunner unleashed the one hundred and twenty millimeter HEAT round. With a thunderous boom the main run recoiled backwards while belching fire and smoke. Traveling at fifteen hundred and eighty meters per second the twenty five point one pound shell covered the distance to target in a literal blink of an eye. On contact of the rounds nose cap with the front finder of the halftrack an explosive charge detonated within the shell. The force and heat of this detonation impacted the metallic channel running towards the nose of the shell. Liquefying into a state of superplasticity this metallic explosively formed penetrator impacted the halftracks hull easily punching through the sturdy reinforced body of the vehicle. Tenths of a second later fuel and ammunition cooked off as the vehicle was engulfed in a wave of fire and heat, exploding and throwing flaming debris all around.

 Chapter 106

    This explosion was followed seconds later by eight other vehicles meeting a similar fate. In the distance the approaching armored behemoths could be seen belching fire and death. Acting on instinct the dismounted Genii infantry opened fire with their automatic weapons, while mortar men began putting rounds downrange towards their attackers. One alert genii soldier cranked the charging handle on his field phone, sending his message down a wire laid through the woods to carry instructions to the field artillery emplacement several miles behind their the battalions position. Hearing the whistling of artillery shells ripping through the air the Genii soldier smiled thinking friendly rounds were closing in on the enemy. Not once in the last seconds of his life did he stop to consider that his attackers had artillery of their own.


    In a span of seven seconds seventy two separate one hundred and fifty five millimeter air burst artillery shells exploded above treetop level. Each one hundred and three pound shell was packed with twenty three point eight pounds of high explosive. Each air burst detonation showered the ground below with razor sharp shrapnel, concussive force, heat, and immense noise. Trees were shredded from the top down, adding wood debris to the high speed mix of lethal projectiles traveling around the Genii infantry. Those unlucky enough to be under cover were torn to pieces by shrapnel. Those lucky enough to have been in their protected fighting positions watched in horror as friends were mutilated. The trauma of the event prevented most from noticing the fluids that now leaked out of eardrums ruptured by the vicious blasts.


    Near the Buford''s angry geysers of churned soil erupted. The Genii artillery coming into play lacked the singular concentration the Tauri had unleashed in their volley. Twenty two Genii field artillery pieces spewed one hundred millimeter shells as fast as their crews could reload. Unsure if the incoming artillery fire was directed by a forward observer the Buford''s activated their smoke generators laying down billowy clouds of dense and acrid covering smoke.


    Above the fray on the ground below the ground controllers sensors noted the position of the Genii field guns even before the first rounds had landed. This information was quickly cross decked as a flash fire order to the M270 MLRS units nearby. Kicking into gear the networked firing computers on the M270''s selected the optimum solution to perform the given tasking. Each vehicle came closed the protective shutters over viewports automatically. This was done to keep the toxic rocket exhaust from entering the crew compartment. Raising the rear mounted rocket module in the front by forty five degree''s the module swiveled in the direction of its target. Seconds later each vehicle launched a lone M26 rocket towards its target in a coordinated country battery strike aimed at the enemy artillery pieces. These highly lethal rockets would cover the distance to target in less than forty seconds. Sadly for the Genii each M270 carried eleven more rockets apiece just like those just launched.


    The MLRS system was known in the Army as a Grid Square Removal Service, due to the fact that military maps are divided into one kilometer grids, and a single MLRS firing all twelve rockets can blanket a square kilometer with submunitions. Powering through the air the fearsome M26 rockets terminated their ballistic arc as they jettisoned their outer housing. Squib''s within the inner body of the rocket fired causing the forceful ejection of six hundred and forty four separate bomblet''s per rocket to cascade towards the ground below. On contact with the ground the seven thousand seven hundred and twenty eight fifteen pound bomblet''s exploded. This version of counter battery fire didn''t involve destroying the actual field artillery pieces themselves so much as it meant shredding their crews thereby rendering the enemy guns silent. The effect was as brutal as it was efficient. To the last man the enemy gun crews were cleaved apart more thoroughly than if a wild animal had attacked them.


    While their artillery support lay dead or dying the remaining forty five halftracks attempted to advance towards their attackers. One by one the halftracks fell to the combined firepower of the Buford''s, Stryker''s, and Bradley''s. Sprinting the distance to their target''s the Bradley''s were ordered to move forward of the tank screen and engage the halftracks. Twenty five millimeter cannon fire ripped through the air as the Bushmaster cannons sprang to live. Spewing a heavy stream of armor piercing rounds traveling at eleven hundred meters per second the Bradley''s made short work of the halftracks. Minutes later the open ground leading towards the wood line was a burning pyre of Genii men and equipment. The stench of spent ammunition and burning flesh filled the air.


    Seeing the last of their vehicles destroyed the surviving Genii infantry within their fighting positions performed as their training demanded of them. Opening up with their automatic weapons the infantry laid down a hellish torrent of weapons fire. Unfortunately this act was done in vain. The infantry were out of range of all enemy vehicles except the Bradley''s nearest the wood line, and sadly their weapons failed to penetrate the Block II armor packages on each fighting vehicle


    With an understanding of how events were unfolding and wanting to keep friendly casualties to a minimum the Maneuver Group One commander ordered all vehicles to pull back one kilometer from the wood line and out of the line of fire. The Group commander saw the futility in throwing the infantry his Bradley''s and Stryker''s carried into the enemy troops fighting from cover. The very last thing he wanted was to expose his dismounts to a meat grinder such as this. Picking up his radio a call was quickly placed to regimental aviation assets nearby.


    Several minutes later two hunter killer Comanche/Apache teams arrived on scene. To ease tasking orders each hunter killer teams Apache''s operated in their own two ship element, with the Comanche''s combining into their own separate two ship element. The two Comanche''s started their attack runs firing fourteen two point seven five inch Hydra 70 rockets loaded with white phosphorus warheads apiece into the area containing the clearly discernable fighting positions on the ground below. On detonation the warheads unleashed white hot flaming shards of white phosphorus in all directions. Fires sprang up instantly. Those unlucky enough to have directly come in contact with the shards would soon find that white phosphorus can burn even when submerged in water so their canteen''s contents would do little to help. In a panic some of the men below exited their fighting positions trying to escape the horror being unleashed on them.


    The first Apache two ship element rolled in as men ran about on the ground in a panic. Showing no mercy the Apache gunner''s unleashed rockets of their own. Knowing that enemy dismounted infantry represented a threat to the armored vehicles of the ACR the Apache''s were armed to deal with that particular concern. Each Apache carried four separate nineteen rocket launch pods on their stubby wings. These pods were loaded with Hydra rockets, but these rockets were outfitted with antipersonnel warheads. On detonation each of these warheads unleashed one thousand highly lethal one gram flechettes. This thread thin projectiles penetrated flesh, bone, and even metal if within range. Repeating the exercise the send team of Apache''s unleashed a duplicate payload of lethal ordinance. Across the leaf strewn floor of what had hours before been a forest lay charred vehicles, shredded and shattered men, and burning debris. Those still alive within their fighting positions faced a gruesome choice. Continue to cower in their foxholes and burn in the forest fire taking hold or exit them and be cut down by the now starting canon fire from the orbiting attack helicopters.


    Twenty minutes later the outcome that was already realized became finalized. The shattered wood line was fully engulfed in flames along with anything unfortunate enough to be within its confines. While possible that a handful of Genii infantry may have escaped it was thought unlikely. The first major set piece battle of the war was over and hade not gone nearly as the Genii had planned or anticipated. From the smoke rising in the distance to the east it became evident that Maneuver Group Two had also come into contact with forces of the Genii. Putting thoughts of the lives that they had just ended out of their mind the men of Maneuver Group One now focused on refueling and resupplying.

 Chapter 107

    Daganian internment camp


    Upon capture the Daganian citizenry were unceremoniously tossed into a ramshackle camp. Lacking even the most basic of facilities the camp was nothing more than a crude tent city surrounded by layers upon layers of razor wire. Patrolling this camp were the soldiers of the Genii military deemed to be in need of remedial training. Lacking the discipline to perform as frontline combat troops these leadership challenges were whom the Daganian''s now found themselves at the mercy of. Failure to immediately comply with even the most ridiculous of demands from the guards meant a swift and brutal beating. Insolence or insubordination was met with summary execution.


    Under these conditions a majority of the planets indigenous population sat. Few of them felt they would live to see the return of freedom to their world. Lacking basic sanitation, running water, and unable to perform even the barest of hygiene tasks it was only a matter of time before disease set in and purged those within the camp. At the hands of such brutality many contemplated ending their own lives. They knew all too well they lacked the ability to resist the Genii and their weapons. Public displays of grief over their plight were now unseen after the vicious beating of an elderly woman crying at the loss of her son.


    Unseen by those in the camp was a lone figure. Walking among the people Dorin felt an anger and hatred burn within him like a fire. Memories of the atrocities committed by their children the Aschen came flooding back into the forefront of his mind. Instead of dolling out justice for their misdeeds the Furling had merely stripped their world of its DHD. The Tauri had exacted a much heavier toll upon the Aschen he thought, and once again they fight the forces of tyranny. This time he refused to stand back and do little. As an ascended being he had more destructive power in his fingertips than most armies had in their entire being.


    "This time I will not stand idly by and do nothing. They will respect the freedom of other worlds or I will rain devastation down upon them and those they love" Dorin whispered to himself.


    Twenty miles north of the Daganian capital


    Moving silently through the densely wooded landscape were five silent killers. These highly trained men were members of Task Force 190, but their parent unit was the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Three time volunteers, each of these men had volunteered for the Army, Airborne training, and further training at Fort Benning''s US Army Ranger School. Each man was a battle hardened veteran of battles both known to the public and unknown. Consummate professionals, each of these men were among the elite of light infantry forces globally on Earth.


    Wearing their Night Vision Goggles the five men silently stalked through the forest. After a series of hit and run attacks this squad was given orders to precede at best possible speed to the area that would make up their new hunting preserve four miles to the south. With weapons at the ready the men navigated the terrain before them ready to deliver swift and violent death to anything they might encounter.


    Two hundred yards in front of the group of men the point man picked his and his teammates path through the woods with care. Looking at the terrain before him the soldier took note of anything that might make even the slightest of noises. Noise and light discipline were something drummed into each Ranger during training, and had kept the men alive through countless encounters during the course of their carriers. This attention to detail greatly slowed their forward progress, but training demanded it. As the point man moved his head constantly swiveled in motion around him, and to the ground below. This constant process was never ending.


    At the distant edge of his NVG''s field of view the point man saw movement. Removing his goggles and withdrawing his low light spotting scope from his web gear he peered ahead to discern what before them. Seconds later sure of that he saw the soldier tapped his earpiece to alert the other members of his team.


    "Six this is Point" called in the point man.


    "Go" replied the squad''s leader.


    "Two hundred yards to my front is what looks to be a road of some kind. Enemy patrol is present and following the road on an easterly path. Twelve in number, standard weapons load out, no heavy weapons observed" reported the point man.


    "Roger. Stay eyes on but do not engage. I''ll parallel the road and we''ll set up a hasty ambush half a click to the east" replied the squad leader.


    In reply the point man clicked his radio twice and moved twenty yards closer to the road before him. Behind him he knew his squad would move quickly. From his vantage point he could hear the Genii soldiers chatting among themselves, and a few were even smoking. That won''t help your night vision one bit the point man thought while smiling to himself. At the leisurely pace the enemy troops were maintaining the ambush would be set up with more than enough time before their arrival. Like a hunter stalking the most alert of game the point man weaved in and out of the foliage before him, always staying silent and out of sight.


    Ahead of the oncoming men the Ranger team prepared their hasty ambush. Using the standard L-shaped ambush pattern three of the Rangers remained on their side of the road, concealed within the wood line, while the forth Ranger armed with his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon crossed over to the other side taking also taking position in the foliage. Acting quickly two of the Ranger''s emplaced their claymore anti-personal mines along the side of the road quickly covering the mines with shrubbery. Now all that could be done was to wait for their prey to enter the kill box.


    "Point this is Six" said the squad leader over the radio net.


    "Go Six" replied the point man.


    "Ingress to contact position is marked with infrared chem.-sticks. Once hostiles enter the box you slam the back door shut. How copy" said Six.


    "Point copy''s. Estimate time to contact seven minutes" replied Point.

 Chapter 108

    Twenty miles north of the Daganian capital


    The Genii troops advancing down the road were not frontline troops. Instead of being highly motivated combat troops these men were support troops detailed to keep roadways clear. Thinking they were far from danger the men not so much marched as they strolled, while talking amongst themselves. Jokes were told, cigarettes were smoked, and laughter carried in the breeze. The singular lack of military discipline would be their undoing, but they did not yet know that.


    "These late night patrols grow tiresome" said Lanin.


    "It''s better than being sent home as a tava bean farmer" joked Idim.


    "When we are done for the night I''m going to take an attractive woman out of the internment camp and burn off my boredom on her" sneered Lanin.


    "The commander has encouraged us all to make use of the local women. I may have one of my own also" smiled Idim.


    "Just once I would love for something to happen. We''re at war yet we see no action. I just want something, anything, to happen" exclaimed Lanin.


    In the wood line Point could was near enough to hear the conversation the men he followed were having. Hearing the Genii casually discuss their plans for the female captives of this word the Ranger''s blood boiled. You want something to happen he thought, well guess what buddy you''re gonna get that very thing. On his NVG''s Point noted the infrared chem.-light fifty meters to his front. Continuing another twenty meters the Ranger stopped, and readied his M-4.


    "Six this is Point. In position" he whispered over into the earpiece.


    Without NVG''s of their own the Genii troops had no clue of the trap they were walking into. As the first three men passed the concealed claymore mines the Ranger''s slipped fingers into trigger guards. Seconds later springing the trap the squad leader clicked the firing clacker sending an electrical charge down the wire leading to the daisy chained mines. Reaching the blasting caps in the two mines the electrical pulse started the process of detonation. Each claymore contained one pound of C-4 explosive, with seven hundred one eighth of an inch steel balls embedded in the explosive towards the front of the mine. As the mine''s exploded these steel balls traveling at almost four thousand feet per second deformed from the force of the blast into a shape similar to a small rifle round. In a sixty degree arc this lethal swarm of projectiles fanned out. Impacting men, equipment, and tree''s, everything in the swarm''s path was shredded.


    With the element of surprise on their side the Ranger''s opened up with their M-4''s quickly followed by the SAW gunner. A hail of 5.56 rounds filled their air. Men stunned by the ear splitting explosion soon found themselves cut down by weapons fire from unseen attackers. In the rear of the Genii column of men the very last man in line attempted to make his escape into the wood line, only to be cut down by the well concealed point man.


    From their positions in the foliage shouts of "Clear" rang out. Laying on the ground bleeding from several well placed shots to his torso the last Genii soldier to be cut down looked around. Unable to move, he was overwhelmed with terror at the sight of the camouflaged figure that suddenly appeared before him. Seeing the Ranger''s painted camouflage face the Genii soldier wasn''t sure if he was hallucinating some forest demon come to life or a man. The last thing he saw was the Ranger withdrawing a SIG P226 pistol and aiming it at the wounded man''s head.


    Acting quickly and methodically the Ranger''s broke cover and advanced on the dead men before them. With trained precision the men quickly searched the fallen enemy troops for anything of intelligence value. Letters from home along with any and all paperwork were collected.


    "Not much intel here Sergeant" called out a Corporal.


    "These guy''s were just leg infantry, didn''t really expect them to have anything of value. We''re just here sending a message is all" replied the squad leader.


    "Rig them like last time" asked the Corporal.


    "Yeah, each body get''s booby trapped. Gotta make the bad guys earn their danger pay" replied the Sergeant.


    For those Genii unlucky enough to have been nearest the two claymore mines little was left. Instead the Ranger''s focused their efforts on the bodies that had been taken down by weapons fire. Under each body a single grenade was place with the pin pulled but the spoon in place. Once the bodies were found and picked up the grenades would detonate, wounding and or killing further enemy troops.


    "Point, we''ve got ground to cover. Let''s move out towards the rally point" said the squad leader.


    "Airborne" came the point man''s reply.

 Chapter 109

    Maneuver Group One


    Having achieved a breakthrough in the Genii forward lines the vehicles of the Maneuver Group found themselves with room to run. Under cover of friendly artillery and air support elements of the 3rd ACR cut deep into territory the Genii had resolutely proclaimed uncontested. With Buford''s in the lead Maneuver Group One astride Maneuver Group two, with the third behind in reserve boldly advanced toward the main defensive position of enemy armor in their path.


    The full brunt of Tauri air superiority was being brought to bear. 302''s loaded down with air to ground ordinance rained down a steady torrent of destruction, while the ACR''s own aviation elements hammered Genii forward positions. Utilizing rocket assisted projectiles the 3rd ACR''s artillery group hammered enemy positions in the heart of their formation, delivering a body blow. The sight was something Genii military planners had never imagined. Frantic requests for reinforcements filled the now operational Genii radio net.


    In the lead Buford the crew was already mentally prepared for the evolution to come. Countless exercises in the armor battle simulator known as SimNet back on Earth was paying off now as it had during the first gulf war.


    "Two thousand meters to our stopping point TC" called out the driver.


    "Then let''s get ready to play ball. Driver, we''ll be going into a crash stop once the location is reached. The Bradley''s will be advancing to us. We will be activating the smoke generators once we stop" replied the tank commander.


    "What flavor would you like today TC" asked the gunner.


    "All rounds are Sabot until all enemy vehicles are neutralized" answered the TC.


    With the push of a button the one hundred and twenty millimeter main gun was reloaded with the armor penetrating sabot round by the automated reloading mechanism. Inertia swayed the men in the Buford forward as the driver slammed on the breaks bringing the multi-ton tank to a complete stop in a dozen meters. On cue the collection of Buford''s activated their smoke generators. Thick white smoke soon filled the air, as the Bradley fighting vehicles stopped beside the Buford''s.


    Aboard each vehicle temperature sensitive thermal sights were brought online. At the edge of the thin wood line could be seen the multi-colored thermal pictures of the two hundred Genii halftracks. Somewhere behind these vehicles waited the enemy dismounted infantry. Several dozen resounding booms in the distance signaled the destruction of artillery the Genii had counted on to turn the tide of battle. Following the engagement plan each Bradley raised its turret mounted TOW missile magazine. Using the IVIS system each vehicle ensured separate halftracks were targeted with each TOW.


    With targets selected each Bradley gunner fired one TOW missile apiece. As each missile was ejected from its launch tube a thin wire trailed out behind it, linking it to its launch vehicle. Three seconds later the main rocket motors of each missile ignited, propelling the each towards its target at one hundred and eighty meters per second. On board each Bradley gunners made minor targeting corrections to bring about the fullest prosecution of each target. Instead of making direct contact their target the TOW was designed to be guided to a point directly above its target before detonating its shaped charge warhead. Most armored vehicles on Earth had much thinner armored plating on the roof than on the body necessitating this modality of attack. As the missiles came into position over the targeted vehicles charges detonated, shattering the lightly armored vehicles below. Before anyone could congratulate the gunner''s on their high tech sharp shooting a second round of TOW''s streaked toward the enemy battle lines to the same result.


    Having received their fire mission the 3rd ACR''s artillery kicked into gear. The combined might of the gathered M777 field artillery pieces thundered in the distance. Firing for effect an even assortment of both air and ground burst shells arced through the air. Not to be left out of the equation the MLRS detachment soon jumped into the fray. In moments the wood line was reduced to scorched and pockmarked soil, hardly recognizable as the budding forest it might have one day become.


    Joining the cacophony each Buford raised its main gun and fired. As each fin stabilized discarding sabot round exited the barrel its five carbon fiber petal cases peeled away, exposing the depleted uranium sabot dart. Each nine hundred millimeter long sabot screeched towards its target at sixteen hundred meters per second. Striking each halftrack with incredible amounts of kinetic force the depleted uranium darts tore through the vehicles with little effort, leaving each vehicle a torched and smoking ruin. This process would continue until the last Genii vehicle was no more.


    Seeing eminent destruction knocking on their door the Genii armor commander ordered his forces forward. Thinking that closing the gap between the two forces would equalize their odd''s of survival the one hundred remaining halftracks leaped forward. As they advanced gunners manning the heavy crew served machine guns mounted above the rear troop compartment fired rounds down rage towards the opaque smoke covering their attackers. In a handful of vehicles mortar teams manned their seventy two millimeter mortars bolted to the floor of the troop compartments. With hollow thuds the mortar rounds flew through the air. Most missed their mark, but one round impacted the commander''s hatch of one Bradley, setting the vehicle and its crew ablaze. Seeing the explosion the Genii redoubled their efforts to win the battle.


    Refusing to toss the initiative that they had seized upon attack away the Buford''s kept firing. Opening up with their Bushmaster cannons the Bradley''s joined their more heavily armored cousins in the offensive. Lethal ordinance filled the air, crisscrossing over the battlefield before continuing on towards the opposing sides of the conflict.


    While incredibly brave the Genii armored charge forward did little to assist the overall tactical picture. Before the remaining halftracks advanced one thousand yards the combined forces of the 3rd ACR''s number one and two maneuver groups had shredded them, ending any Genii hopes of an armor victory.


    In the shattered wood line artillery continued to rain down. MLRS rockets disgorged their lethal payloads of submunitions. Huddled in their foxholes the dismounted infantry knew what the armor commander had failed to accept; this battle was lost even before it began. Refusing to meet the same fate as his now late commanding officer the Genii infantry commander began screaming into his radio over the same channel used by the Tauri for their psychological operations transmissions his desire to capitulate and surrender. Word of the surrender would take several moments to make it to the combined men of the 3rd ACR but when it did a huge cheer would be heard by those now beaten in the distance.

 Chapter 110

    Ajax


    On the bridge Colonel Young stood looking over the holographic information display table currently set to show him the battle far below. The speed of violence the 3rd ACR delivered had surprised him. At this rate the enemy couldn''t hope to hold out another handful of days.


    "Colonel I''m picking up traffic on the Zulu frequency. The Genii commander wishes to surrender" stated the communications officer.


    "You don''t say? Relay that message to Colonel Stone and his men now. Also contact the control jumper and have them put out a warning order" instructed Young.


    Entering the bridge was Ambassador Dorin, making his way swiftly to Young''s side. The Ambassador''s normally calm facial features seemed clouded by something. Looking intently at the Furling the Colonel knew what it was immediately; rage.


    "Colonel, if possible I need a few moments of your time" began Dorin.


    "You have my full and undivided attention Ambassador" replied Young.


    "Time does not permit me to go into great detail but I have a number of requests for you and your people''s forces" said Dorin.


    "I am more than willing to do anything in my power to assist you Ambassador" replied Young warily.


    "Withdraw your aircraft to a safe distance and transport any men you have on the ground within twenty miles of the capital back aboard this ship" requested Dorin.


    "May I be so bold as to ask why" asked Young.


    "If you don''t do as I ask the civilians of Dagan could very well perish. As I stated I do not have time to explain in full. I ask you as your ally and as your friend to please withdraw your aircraft to a safe distance of not less than fifty miles from the capital and return any in close proximity to said city aboard this vessel" briskly stated Dorin.


    "Communications please instruct all 302''s in the air to maintain a minimum distance of fifty miles from the Daganian capital. Sensor officer please begin beaming any of our people up here that are near the city. Get a message to the fleet and tell them we''re acting on request from the Furling Ambassador" stated Young.


    "Thank you Everett. Do not fear, I will deal with what comes next" said Dorin.


    Turning to respond to the Ambassador the Colonel began to answer when he noted that Dorin was no longer on the bridge.


    Brotherhood of the Fifteen compound


    In the open courtyard of the compound the lay the beating heart of the overall command structure of Genii forces. Since the Lantean''s first major push with ground forces the situation had grown continually worse hour by hour. Large armored units pounced to the south, in the north small bands of infantry in unknown numbers launched vicious guerilla style attacks, and the never ending stream of attacks from the air intensified. Many thought but none verbalized the fact that at the current tempo of events Genii forces couldn''t hope to last out the week.


    Standing near the radio receivers Davos listened as frantic calls came in from units located on all points of the compass. With his reserves already committed little could be done except to order all units to hold out as long as they could. Earlier attempts to stage strategic retreats closer to the capital had ended in disaster thanks to Lantean air power. None of this is supposed to be happening like this thought Davos while running a hand through his hair.


    "And how else did you think it would happen" asked Dorin.


    Seeing an intruder in their midst Davos bolted upright, while drawing his pistol and leveling it at the man who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Quickly forming ranks and leveling their weapons alongside their commander was Davos''s security team.


    "Your first mistake in coming here was the thinking you would be allowed to live long enough to attempt escape" snarled Davos while firing twice at Dorin.


    Firing twice at the intruder Davos smiled for a brief moment, until he realized the man was not only still standing but not wounded as well.


    "It would behoove you to cease your foolish notion that weapons fire will in any way effect the outcome of this meeting" said Dorin with a wry grin.


    "Fire you fools fire" yelled Davos.


    On command his security team emptied their automatic weapons on the intruder. Instead of bringing their target to his knee''s instead several staff members to his rear were cut down.


    "Your weapons have no effect on me. If I were you I would not fire in my direction again or things will go very badly from here" warned Dorin.


    Covering the five steps between himself and the intruder Davos leveled his pistol at Dorin''s head and squeezed the trigger. The effect was not what Davos had hoped it would be. Instantly Dorin''s face clouded with anger as his eyes began to burn intently with a cold and deadly rage.


    "Very well, if it''s badly you seek then badly you shall get" hissed Dorin.


    At that moment hurricane force winds tore through the command tent, sending it flying across the courtyard. Men, women, and equipment were thrown about as if weightless. Dark angry cloud fronts converged in a handful of seconds over the courtyard and extended into the distance. Lightning ripped through the sky, with bolts crashing down in the courtyard followed by explosively loud bouts of thunder. Two funnel clouds swirled towards the compound but didn''t touch down, instead hanging in the air menacingly.


    "I require your immediate surrender" clearly stated Dorin.


    "Surrender to you? Never! Who are you to think the Genii would ever bow to some unknown ingrate such as yourself? I demand to know who you are" yelled Davos in return.


    Raising his hands several inch''s above waist level Dorin smiled maliciously as Davos and the other members of the Genii command center found themselves lifted off the ground and suspended in mid air.


    "You ridiculous little meat sack. In the scope of the universe you are nothing more than an insignificant speck. Who am I you ask? I transcend time and space. As it relates to your existence I am the alpha and the omega and I will be heard" snarled Dorin, the last few words echoing across the countryside.


    "I would rather die than surrender to you" screamed Davos.


    "If that is so then know I can arrange that for you. I can end your life in the most excruciating of ways over and over again only to return life to your body and repeat the process. So be very careful what you wish for or I will grant it. If you wish to purchase a small amount of goodwill then release the people of this world you currently hold prisoner" stated Dorin.


    "Radio, I need my radio" came Davos''s reply.


    Setting Davos on the ground on his own footing Dorin slashed a finger through the air. In response Davos''s hand held radio sailed through the air into the Genii commander''s hand. Raising the radio to his mouth he looked intently at Dorin.


    "Order their release, now" hissed Dorin.


    "Davos to camp tava, Davos to camp tava" he said into the radio.


    "Davos this is camp tava, go ahead" came the radio reply.


    "The prisoners are fine yes" asked Davos.


    "Yes commander, the prisoners are accounted for" came the reply.


    "Kill them all" Davos wailed into the radio.


    "You will pay greatly for that" whispered Dorin in a threatening tone.


    Seconds later ten feet from Dorin appeared the guard force from camp tava. Looking shocked at their sudden appearance somewhere other than the camp the guards found themselves quickly stripped of weapons.


    "For the crimes of unjust imprisonment of an innocent people, torture of said people, and murder I find all of you guilty. I sentence you the guards of camp tava individually to death. Sentence will be carried out immediately" bellowed Dorin.


    Seconds later the gathering of bewildered men began to look around in a panic. Panic turned into screams of terror, which turned into screams of intense agony. Each of the men found themselves engulfed in intense flames seeming to burn from within their own bodies. In twenty seconds the gathering of men were reduced to nothing but ash. Defying the gale force winds the ash drifted lazily towards the face of Davos.


    "Breathe it in Davos. A good commander in touch with his men" said Dorin with a voice filled with mirth.


    Vomiting uncontrollably Davos lost all semblance of control. His emotions went wildly out of control, quickly followed by his bowels and bladder. Looking up Davos saw the sum total of all men under his command hanging in the air fifty feet above where he currently levitated. At the far edges of the floating group of thousands upon thousands of screaming men flashed into existence a wave of fire. This wave consuming everything in its path rushed towards the center directly above Davos''s head. In seconds the entire army under his command was incinerated.


    "May the ancestors curse you" screamed Davos.


    "May the ancestors curse me? My dear man I am doing this with their blessing. You and those that share your beliefs are a blight upon this galaxy and mankind throughout the universe. Like the Wraith you rule through fear on those weaker than you. That ends here and now" crisply stated Dorin.


    "Burn me to a cinder then and be done with it" wailed Davos.


    "Burn you? Oh no, that was for the others. You don''t get off so easy" promised Dorin with an evil grin.


    Davos found himself gently lowered to the ground suddenly able to move his arms and legs once again. His instincts screamed at him to turn and run as fast as he possibly could. Giving in to the monumental power of his primal instincts the Genii commander quickly turned in the opposite direction, intending on running away. Instead he found himself face to face with a snarling Wraith figure. With a powerful yell the Wraith plunged his feeding hand into Davos''s chest and began draining the life from his body. Black hair turned to grey, once smooth and taut skin turned to a surface mired with wrinkles, and the strength faded from the once athletic figure. Knowing that death was upon him Davos closed his eyes and whispered to the Wraith.


    "Drain me, please end my pain" he begged.


    In the background Dorin could be heard laughing heartily. Upon hearing this Davos realized that he was still alive. Opening his eyes he found himself standing where he had been when he closed his eyes, but no Wraith was present. Looking at his hands he saw that they were not the hands of an aged old man, but the powerful hands he had always had.


    "What did you do with my executioner" demanded Davos.


    "The Wraith are vermin, nothing more. But they are a vermin that doles out pain and suffering so that they may go on living. I cannot say the same for you. Goodbye Davos, I will give your best wishes to Ladon Radim when he returns to his rightful office as ruler of your people" said Dorin with a smirk.


    "No! This wasn''t my" Davos began to scream.


    Before he could finish his sentence Davos''s body was torn to pieces at the cellular level. Erupting like a geyser the once powerful man''s body dissolved into nothing more than a quickly expanding flow of goo, depositing itself on the grassy soil below.


    "Finally I have atoned for the sins of the past with the Aschen. Let this be the beginning of a new age for all ascended beings" Dorin said to himself solemnly.

 Chapter 111

    Pluto


    Since the discovery of the Ancient''s mining operation the material delivery vessels had been in constant use. Five of the vessels flew a seemingly never ending racetrack pattern between Arkos station and the mine. The staggering bevy of raw materials upon delivery to an unloading bay in the lowest section of the section were shifted to larger scale transporter booths making their way to the multi-level ship construction area. The remaining ore transport vessels, along with those constructed by the Tauri were making delivery runs of their own to a separate site.


    When discovered the station contained nine Aurora class vessels in varying degrees of completion. Those nine sh.i.p.s under construction on the uppermost construction level represented a mere fraction of what Arkos could produce or house. Even while Borealis underwent repair on the lowest level reserved for city ship construction and refurbishment Tauri vessel production had continued. Fulfilling the original function of its design Arkos station contained the ability to produce many times the amount of vessels than had been asked for thus far.


    The latest test of these constructive powers, while demanding, would be far from a challenge. The ever expanding Tauri fleet was embarking on its largest expansion to date. Thirty four vessels all told were under construction. On the top construction level twenty six bays were filled with activity as arachnid like construction robots created the future Athena fleet units. Using raw material conversion instead of energy matter creation the construction process was greatly accelerated.


    One level below ship production was also taking place. Eight construction bays were filled not with the looming mass of an Athena, but instead the small and sleek outlines of the Daedalus class. To maintain a balanced fleet it had been decided to continue building the smaller vessels. Not all situations called for the brute power of the larger vessels, and the Daedalus class had more than proven its merits over the years since its introduction. Much had changed with the overall design since then, but these new vessels would incorporate all improvements to the overall design currently serving in the fleet.


    Each of the thirty four vessels being built already bore a proud name from the nations that would crew them. Langley, Perseus, Hornet, Intrepid, Bunker Hill, Oriskany, Reprisal, Antietam, Atlas, Independence, Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and Anzio made up the American flagged Athena''s. The Daedalus class vessels Leonidas and Aeneas would also fly this flag.


    The Athena class vessels Peter the Great and Mikhail Frunze along with the Daedalus class vessels Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Sakharov were destined for the Russian contingent of the fleet. Great Britain would soon add the Athena''s Ark Royal and Agincourt, along with a Daedalus class named Scepter. A relatively late comer in the fleet the French were now adding numbers with the smaller Vauchamps and the much larger La Rochelle and Fontenoy. Not to be left out, China would soon added Athena''s of her own in the Xun Zi, Yue Fei, and the Xiahou Ba, along with two 304''s bearing the names Sun Ce and Zhang Sanfeng. After an impressive display Japan would add to her numbers the Athena class vessels Shoho and Tenryu.


    In preparation for the assorted vessels completion production of several other key systems was taking place in isolated production bays elsewhere. Puddle jumpers and 302''s were taking shape. Long before the vessels under construction were complete these separate craft would be finished. Within the bay housing the completed 302''s Air Force personnel went through a myriad of systems readiness checks, making sure that the craft were ready for delivery.


    Also housed in this bay and being prepared for their journey to Earth were three Destiny style shuttles, along with two much larger shuttles of similar design but with stark differences. These two shuttles were of a modified design. Taking the original Destiny shuttle as a template changes had started from there. Elongated by twenty meters these two shuttles lacked the rear access hatch of the original. Instead of the normal solid roof a seam was present. In orbit this seam would split apart and the roof of the shuttle would open much like NASA''s recently retired space shuttle. These five craft would allow for NASA to return to manned space flight, and make possible the efficient and economical delivery of satellites to orbit.


    Aboard Destiny recent major upgrade activity had recently finished. Matter stream converters had just been the start. With the assistance of a team of engineers from Vis Uban many of Destiny''s systems had been significantly upgraded. Improvements to the FTL drive would allow for a much higher cruise speed. The already powerful sensors were also upgraded allowing for a level of performance several orders of magnitude beyond previous capabilities. Asgard transport beaming technology also found its way aboard. The ancient sh.i.p.s shield emitters also received upgrades allowing for a much more powerful protective energy screen around the vessel.


    Around Arkos it was a widely known fact that Destiny would be returning to the Drone galaxy sooner rather than later to complete the mission for which she was launched so long ago. Seeing the amount of activity aboard the vessel it could only mean that with each passing day her departure drew that much nearer.

 Chapter 112

    White House


    Sitting behind his desk President Hayes looked up and smiled as he saw Lt. Col. Davis entered the oval office. Ushering the officer to a seat in front of the desk the President took a sip from his coffee mug before leaning back in his chair.


    "I''ve seen that look on your face before Paul. This must mean you''ve got good news for me" said Hayes smiling.


    "That I do Mr. President. Events on Dagan took an unexpected turn" replied Davis.


    "Unexpected is good, unless it''s unexpected like when you''re traveling and can''t find your travelers checks" added Hayes.


    "This unexpected turn of events worked greatly in our favor. The 3rd ACR and elements of Task Force 190 managed to quickly contain the Genii. Using a combination of air and ground power our forces quickly tightened the noose around their proverbial necks. By this point our ground elements were within a day''s march of the capital" stated Davis.


    "Ok, so our boys are out there doing their thing. Sounds like their doing well. By all means continue" said the President.


    "Ambassador Dorin was present during the conflict aboard Ajax. He stated that it was his duty to be there as our ally. Colonel Young reported that during our ground forces last engagement with Genii positions the Ambassador approached him. I''m paraphrasing here but the conversation was something to the effect of all forces needed to be diverted away from the capital or returned to our vessels in orbit. The Colonel complied with this request since it came from an allied diplomat. Before he could acknowledge the request the Ambassador disappeared" stated Davis.


    "When I took office I had to sit down and read every mission report from the SGC, that was a long read. From what I gather these ascended guys have a habit of just vanishing into thin air. Honestly, I hope one of them doesn''t show up here and ask me something and vanish, that might not make the secret service happy" replied Hayes.


    "Moments later sensors aboard our vessels detected atmospheric anomalies above the exact center of the Daganian capital. Energy readings went off the scale, and what the reports call a hurricane formed out of thin air. Minutes later an intense above ground explosion was noted, but later observations failed to detect any damage at ground level. When the hurricane like system cleared the Genii were simply gone" said Davis.


    "Gone as in ran and hid" asked Hayes.


    "No Mr. President. Gone as in not present on the planets surface. Each and every member of the Genii forces disappeared. It''s a fair assessment that the Ambassador took matters into his own hands" replied Davis.


    "I like this guy already! Ok, so he took care of our problem for us. I fail to see how this is a bad thing. If the enemy is no longer on the planet then we chalk that one up as a win for the good guys" exclaimed Hayes.


    "That is essentially what the ground commander said also. The stand down order for all ground and air units has already gone out. The Joint Chiefs would like to keep the 3rd ACR on the ground for the next few weeks as a just in case. Rebuilding efforts are already underway. From this point it''s more of a humanitarian aide mission" replied Davis.


    "Level with me Paul. How many casualties on our end" asked Hayes.


    "Eight Mr. President. One Bradley was destroyed killing the crew and the infantry dismounts aboard" solemnly replied Davis.


    "I want their families taken care of Paul. If anyone asks tell them that comes from me. When we rotate the 3rd ACR home I''ll fly out and pay them a visit and thank them. We did a good thing here Paul" answered Hayes.


    "That we did Mr. President. General Landry informed me to pass along that construction at the Alpha site is past stage two, and stage three will begin within the week" finished Davis.


    "If I can ever find the time I would love to go out to the Alpha site and see this little circus for myself" replied Hayes with a wistful look on his face.


    New Heliopolis


    Seated within the meeting room sat Melia of the Ancients, Dorin of the Furling, Freyr of the Asgard, and Lya of the Nox. For several minutes a conversation of great significance had been taking place. The four members of the benevolent races had come together to discuss the events on Dagan.


    "Many of my people are uncomfortable with your actions on Dagan. Some feel it was done without forethought, and the ramifications are most troubling" said Melia.


    "My people as well strongly disagree with the path you took. The end result of your actions we find abhorrent" added Lya.


    "You will find no disagreement from the Asgard Dorin. Much as my race has done in the past to uphold the Protected Planets Treaty we understand that your actions while extreme were necessary" stated Freyr.


    "I did what I felt must be done, and feel no shame for my actions. For far too long we on the ascended plain turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of the few on this plain of existence" said Dorin.


    "You used your ascended abilities against mortals" countered Melia.


    "I did and make no excuse for doing so. Need I remind you of what your people did to Velona? While I eliminated a threat to a peaceful people your people laid waste to an entire civilization. What''s done is done" replied Dorin while looking directly at Melia.


    "Although we now interact with the corporeal plain that in no way grants us permission to use our powers against the mortals. They are far less advanced than we" objected Melia.


    "Think back to your time in the Pegasus galaxy. When the Wraith first emerged and began assaulting human worlds your people marshaled your forces and declared war. Were the Wraith not far less advanced at that time" asked Dorin lightly.


    "It accomplishes nothing to bicker back and forth in this manner. Moving forward the Asgard High Council feels the time is at hand for the ascended races to take an active role in duties only the Asgard and Tauri trouble themselves with, and that is protecting those in need" stated Freyr.


    "I concur" added Dorin.


    "This Council of the Great Races exists to answer questions such as these. While the Nox will never lower ourselves to the point of violence we do see the logic in assisting the younger races in surviving until they too can become great" said Lya.


    "For many thousands of years my people forbid interfering on the corporeal plain, fore we thought it would make us no better than the Ori. What you ask is a reversal of our highest law" replied Melia.


    "The reversal of which you speak has already occurred. Here you sit. Vis Uban is again occupied. Your people work hand in hand with the Tauri. The point you attempt to make is moot" said Freyr.

 Chapter 113

    New Heliopolis


    "Freyr is correct. We have already committed our races to this path. To back out now is not only foolish but the height of folly. Our duty as ascended races is to use the power we wield for just causes. To not do so makes us crueler even than the Ori ever could have been" stated Dorin.


    "I see your point, and share your standpoint on many of the issues. If we agree to follow this path all parties present must agree to shoulder responsibility for this decision" said Melia.


    "All parties agreed to do that very thing when this coalition was formed so many ages ago. If we call the Tauri our equals in this council it is only fitting that we fight beside them in their war. A war they had no part in starting" said Dorin.


    "You mean the Wraith" accused Melia.


    "I do. While it is clear that the Tauri have the ability to defeat the Wraith it is an endeavor that will take time without our assistance. How many lives will be lost to the Wraith during that time? If we stand here and do nothing we are murderers ourselves" spat Dorin.


    "The Asgard have taken it upon ourselves to assist the Tauri in this war with the Wraith. Even now our sh.i.p.s patrol the Pegasus galaxy" added Freyr.


    "If all of you feel so strongly about this then I agree that my people will take a more proactive role in corporeal events" sighed Melia.


    "That isn''t enough. You cannot take action simply because you think it''s expected. You must genuinely want to guide and safeguard your children. We must lay waste to the barriers of the paste. I propose we grant amnesty to all those ascended that dared to intervene on the corporeal plain. A just people are capable of forgiveness, and it is time to forgive those ascended beings their transgressions of the paste. Follow the lead your children have taken and show concern for those we see beneath us" said Dorin.


    "If this is to be the new path of this council I have a request on behalf of the Nox" said Lya.


    "Please make your request known" answered Melia.


    "A race exists that we took an interest in. For some time now that race has been in need of our aid and I ask now that we grant that aid" stated Lya.


    "Which race do you speak of Lya" asked Freyr.


    "The Tollan. Their world was laid to waste by the Goa''uld several years ago. What remains of them on Tollana live in squalor. With our assistance they can rebuild their civilization and perhaps one day earn a place at this table" answered Lya.


    The three delegates locked their gaze upon Melia. Several minutes passed in silence. Finally, Melia looked each in the eye before speaking.


    "If these are your wishes for this Council I see no other course than to bow to those wishes. From this point forth my people will stand beside the Tauri in this war they did not start. The points you have presented here this day resound within me. It is our duty to stand in the path of belligerents and we will do so. Furthermore we will comply with the requests of the Nox and intercede on the behalf of the Tollan" said Melia with conviction.


    With those sentences said aloud the path of future events for billions of lives was set in motion across several galaxies.


    P4X-650


    P4X-650 as it was known by the SGC was also known by its other name; the Alpha site. Located six hundred and forty light years from Earth, the planet was actually the third celestial body to bear the Alpha site name. Lessons had been learned after the destruction of the first two locations. Those lessons had been incorporated into the construction of the third. Built into a mountain much like the SGC, the facility contained its stargate underground. Jutting from a shear cliff could be seen the five thousand foot runway utilized by the permanent detachment of F-302''s stationed there.


    The lush forested world that was P4X-650 was heavily forested, with dramatic mountain ranges. The planet was also home to blue oceans with abundant life. Although many factors made this planet perfect for habitation, no indigenous population had ever existed here. Taking full advantage of that fact the Tauri had leaped at the chance to locate their primary off world base there.


    Much had happened here in the last year. It had started with the arrival of several hundred human form replicators over a period of weeks. It progressed to periodic material delivery to a site one hundred miles to the west, on a lush mountain surrounded plain. It was there the replicators made full use of the materials delivered to them with increasing frequency. At the moment several teams were on world installing the latest round of additions. One team went about the instillation of a control chair within the underground control center that would make use of the supply of drones now residing in an underground magazine. The remaining teams went about the instillation of a planetary shield system identical to that recently placed on Earth. Complementing these defenses was an array of Lagrangian Point Satellites.


    The combination of these defenses made P4X-650 the second most heavily defended position in the Milky Way. The Alpha site cadre knew all too well just what was to be defended. The human form replicators had been brought here for a specific purpose. While that purpose had not been known at the time of their arrival it soon became clear after several F-302 over flights of their position to the west.


    What had once been a vast open plain amid the surrounding mountain range soon began to change into something else entirely. What began as transported ingots of refined metals soon began to resemble a civilization at its height. Towering spires climbed into the air. Joining these spires were sky bridges. To even the untrained eye the graceful buildings resembled the Ancient''s architectural flare. Several of the 302 pilots that were formerly stationed aboard the Apollo and Daedalus knew exactly what they were looking at. The city taking shape beneath them was a copy of the capital city of Asuras.


    While not yet matching in size the city that inspired this one, the city continued to grow. Day and night the human form replicators moved closer to the end goal. Never needing rest the process of construction was amazingly fast. When complete the city would rival the size of the entire area of Manhattan Island. This mass expanse of artistic expression covered in intricate stained glass would serve as the expression of the efforts taken by the SGC to advance mankind. This city would be the crown jewel within the Tauri domain, much like Vis Uban was meant to be for the Ancient''s.


    When complete the city would be comprised of districts for each of the great races to make use of. The gathering of the great minds of the combined races would make this city the hub of knowledge within the Milky Way.


    In surrounding valleys near the great city further building would commence. A ship construction facility much like Arkos station was planned, along with repair and resupply facilities to support the fleet. Within that resupply facility would reside special chambers and equipment needed for the production of ZPM''s. Seeking to avoid an all eggs in one basket situation, the Tauri would expand their fleet construction and support infrastructure beyond just Arkos.


    As the sun set over the majestic snow capped mountain peaks, the fading rays of sunlight glinted off the expanse of glass covering the buildings below. Without a thought, the human form replicators continued towards their goal. With each moment that goal moved closer towards becoming the living and breathing city the Tauri envisioned. Named for the mythical Buddhist city of knowledge and understanding Shambhala came into being.

 Chapter 114

    Atlantis


    "Unscheduled activation" rang out the voice over the intercom.


    Exiting his office Woolsey quickly made his way to the stargate operations center. Seated at the control panel were Chuck and Amelia. Looking at the screen before him Chuck didn''t notice Woolsey standing to his left.


    "Do we have an IDC being transmitted" asked Woolsey.


    "We do sir, its Captain Carlyle''s IDC" replied Chuck.


    "Being that the Captain and his team took a jumper with them I will head to the jumper bay. Please inform them of such if you will Chuck" said Woolsey.


    "Consider it done sir" replied Chuck.


    Turning briskly on his heels, Woolsey quickly made his way up the stairs towards the jumper bay above. As he set his foot down on the final step the expedition commander heard the clamoring of combat boots bounding up the stairs behind him. Clearing off the stairs quickly to avoid being trampled by the onrushing group of TF 190 members Woolsey stopped to wonder just what he was walking into. Passing him with a professional nod from each man the armed TF 190 members ran past Woolsey and into the cavernous jumper bay before them.


    Less than a minute later Woolsey entered the jumper bay, not knowing what to expect. In the center of the floor of the bay doors twisted open allowing the jumper hovering below to rise into its storage space. Setting down silently the jumper did not lower its rear hatch. On cue the armed men who had just sprinted past Woolsey took up positions at the rear hatch with weapons untrained but at the ready. Seconds later the hatch opened and eased down to contact the floor beneath the jumper.


    Exiting the jumper were three 1st SFOD operators, each with his hand around the upper arm of a different man. The men being guided by the operators had black hoods placed over their heads, and their hands were bound in front of their bodies by plastic flex cuffs. Standing ten feet away Woolsey couldn''t help but wonder what exactly was going on just as Captain Carlyle exited the jumper.


    "Captain, would you please fill me in on what exactly is going on here" asked Woolsey.


    "You''re looking at the end result of a successful extraction. The three gentlemen in hoods to your left are associates of the Genii leader who overthrew Mr. Radim" said Carlyle with a grin.


    "How did they come to be in your custody" demanded Woolsey.


    "Before you ask a question make sure you really want to know the answer sir" warned Captain Carlyle.


    "I''m waiting for an answer" replied Woolsey.


    "Mr. Radim made contact via radio with his assets within the Genii capital. Said assets arranged to get these three gentlemen in the open above ground, and we were waiting. The rest as they say is history" answered Carlyle.


    "You bring back these three but just left Ladon there" demanded Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey, I am very good at what I do. Mr. Radim is on the planet yes, but he is in the care of two other teams of operators. This was a soft exchange of power. Radim won''t have any problem shoring up his power base. As far as coup''s go this one went pretty smooth" replied Carlyle with a grin.


    "How can you be so nonchalant about this" asked Woolsey.


    "Sir, you do policy and I''m sure you do it well. As for myself I''m not a policy guy. Tell me what needs to happen and I make it happen. Now if you''ll excuse me sir. We need to get these guys debriefed and ready to transport to the Coalition aboard Hammond" tiredly said Carlyle.


    In times past the change of government for the Genii had involved murder, deception, and even nuclear weapons. This time it had been accomplished with little more than suggestion and a flash bang grenade. Some would call that progress.


    Pluto


    Exiting the energy shield protecting the interior of Arkos from the harshness of space were six vessels of the Tauri fleet. The Copernicus class vessels Sagan, Edmund Halley, and Hawking gracefully maneuvered clear of the station, their majestic lines visible to any who may have watched. Having exited the station beforehand, the three Athena class sh.i.p.s Ess.e.x, Hood, and Yamato stood sentry, awaiting the science vessels.


    In the last forty eight hours a mass of men, women, and equipment had converged through the stargate to Arkos. The equipment was comprised of military modular tent systems, medical supplies, and humanitarian rations. The men and women were a mixed group of medical professionals, mental health professionals, and PJ''s of the revered Air Force Para Rescue Jumpers. Altogether the men, women, and vessels of this small armada were now known as Task Force Guardian for the mission before them. Elsewhere in the galaxy preparations were being made for the eventuality that TF Guardian''s mission was a success.


    In preparation for their deployment on this most massive of humanitarian undertakings the Copernicus class vessels were deploying without their recently assigned scientific staffs. In their place medical teams had been assigned, along with small contingents of PJ''s. Aboard the Athena''s their normal compliment of 60 F-302''s apiece were also removed freeing up hanger bays that might be needed for other purposes. The only small craft the assorted vessels would be carrying with them for this deployment were their onboard compliment of Jumpers.


    Free of the confines of Arkos, the six vessels positioned themselves in their formation. As hyper drive systems were brought online hyperspace windows tore open. In a flash the vessels accelerated, entering the awaiting windows and vanished from sight.

 Chapter 115

    Boreala


    The sun shone down on the world recently named Boreala brightly. Shining like a beacon of hope, the ancient city ship Borealis stood proudly on the calm sea. From the balcony atop the center control tower could be seen jumpers traveling to and from the mainland. Looking down on the city''s piers could be seen expedition members jogging while off duty, enjoying the sunshine, or fishing as several had taken to doing in their off time.


    Behind the deeply stained glass windows leading into the conference room a meeting was taking place. Section chiefs of the Borealis expedition were seated with the two newest arrivals to the city. For the last hour a heated question and answer session had raged on.


    "I''m telling you the math checks out" protested Eli.


    "And I''m telling you it''s not that simple. I''ve been down this road and my math checked out too, and it didn''t go as I planned at all" argued McKay.


    "Blowing up a solar system isn''t good for the hairline" smirked Eli.


    "Funny, real funny. Look junior; you don''t know what you''re messing with in this project. That''s all I''m trying to say" countered Rodney.


    "Daniel Jackson, I believe Rodney McKay appears apprehensive towards this project out of professional jealousy" whispered Teal''c.


    "Wouldn''t be the first time" Daniel whispered in return.


    "Doctor McKay, let me assure you the design will function as we have described. The failure of Arcturus was due to a lack of understanding. Those dynamics are now fully understood and the current design takes that into consideration" stated Janus soothingly.


    "So says the ascended guy" McKay huffed.


    "Rodney, calm down" warned Daniel.


    "If you''re so certain this is going then please explain to us why you are testing this in Pegasus instead of the Milky Way boy genius" challenged Rodney with a self satisfying smirk on his face.


    "We settled on testing the design in this galaxy as we believed it would assist in the war with the Wraith. Once validation is complete the working prototype will be turned over for use as you see fit" answered Janus.


    "Do you have a site in mind or do we need to find a suitable location in the database" asked Daniel.


    "We''ve got that covered also" replied Eli.


    "Just have every angle covered don''t you" grumbled McKay.


    "Rodney" replied an exasperated Daniel.


    "On the planet of Athos one of our cities still stands. We called it Emege, and it meets all of our needs and requirements. The added benefit of building the system there is that once complete teams of your people can easily move in and inhabit the city" replied Janus.


    "Actually the city was occupied by the Athosian''s after the ancient''s departure, they may want it back. I''m sure an agreement of some sort can be reached in that regard" answered Daniel.


    "I will assign on of our off world teams to provide security during your stay on Athos. They should be pleased to be in your company Eli Wallace" added Teal''c.


    "With your blessing I would also like to send a team to explore the city and gain deeper insight into its history" said Daniel.


    "Of course Dr. Jackson. I will provide some notes on points of interest within Emege" answered Janus.


    "Ok then it''s settled. We''ll prep the teams that will be accompanying you and their gear. One of our vessels will remain in the system to ensure you''re not rudely interrupted" finished Jackson.


    With that the meeting came to an end. Knowing that McKay''s feathers had been ruffled Janus approached him with a gift in consolation. From out of thin air he produced a small metal box, with a clear top. Within the box were two pinwheel like object that spun at random while bright points of light flashed within the enclosure. Along the side was a read out panel displaying scrolling characters in the ancient language.


    "What exactly does it do" asked McKay.


    "I thought it would be of interest to you in your spare time. The device greatly accelerates particles and collides them at incredible velocity. The readings you see displayed on the side panel are measurements of fermions acquiring mass via spontaneous symmetry breaking of the gauge symmetry" explained Janus.


    "This is a Higgs Mechanism? This is incredible! Now I can write a paper with validity on the Higgs Boson particle. I can''t thank you enough" said a very grateful McKay.


    Eli and Janus watched as McKay walked away, his eyes transfixed on the device held in his hand. Once Rodney was out of earshot Eli turned to Janus.


    "You just handed him a Higgs Boson detector? That''s going to fuel his ego more than you expect" sighed Eli.


    "It really shouldn''t, but he doesn''t know that" smiled Janus.


    "Why''s that" asked Eli.


    "When my race walked the halls of this city that device was a child''s toy to introduce them to science. He''ll never know the difference though and it keeps him out of our hair" answered Janus.

 Chapter 116

    Home World Command


    Sitting at his desk, enjoying his third cup of coffee for the morning, General Jack O''Neill signed the two reassignment orders that lay before him. One of the individuals being reassigned had made a career of being exiled to other postings because of problematic interpersonal conduct and project failures. The second individual being reassigned was about to find himself on the receiving end of payback from an unlikely source.


    "Walter, get Kavanaugh in here" said Jack into the intercom.


    Moments later Dr. Kavanaugh entered the office, and planted himself in one of the chairs in front of the Generals desk. With a look of disdain on his face Kavanaugh locked eyes with O''Neill, before quickly looking away.


    "Thanks for coming in Pete. Can I call you Pete" asked Jack.


    "It''s Peter actually, and you can call me Dr. Kavanaugh if you don''t mind" replied Kavanaugh.


    "Ok, Pete it is then. The reason you''re here is to discuss the latest incident, and by incident I mean the little episode on Arkos station" began Jack.


    "If you''re referring to the modifications I was working on for the Jumpers sensors I fail to see why you called me all the way here. Please address me as Dr. Kavanaugh" Kavanaugh replied in a condescending tone.


    "Not what I''m referring to Pete. Over the years I''ve had my run-ins with technology, and most of the time don''t trust it and don''t understand it. For the life of me though this is the first time I''ve ever had a piece of technology call me at home to complain about someone. Now are you seeing why I called you all the way here Pete" asked Jack.


    "Called you? That doesn''t even make sense. Perhaps it''s someone with a sense of humor trying to cast me in a bad light" replied Kavanaugh in a defensive tone.


    "Not exactly Pete. I''ve been on Arkos a time or two, and had the opportunity to speak with the AI. He always reminds me of the imaginary friend in that movie A Beautiful Mind, but that''s a side point. So Arkos somehow called me at home to tell me just how impossible you are to work with. Do you see how that might be a problem" asked Jack.


    "That AI needs to learn to carry out the instructions it''s given" replied Kavanaugh.


    "That AI as you put it is millions of years old and smarter than you and I put together. If Arkos tells you that you''re making a mistake chances are you''re actually making a mistake. In this instance Arkos has cordially disinvited you from ever returning to the station. Who knew bouncers were an ancient concept" quipped Jack.


    "No computer is going to tell me where I can and cannot go" argued Kavanaugh.


    "You have a point there Pete. For the record though I''m the one telling you where you cannot go. From this point forward you will never step foot on Arkos station" replied Jack lightly.


    "You can''t send me back to Atlantis, and I refuse to work under McKay on Borealis. So let me guess, back to the SGC doing nothing work once again? It''s not Pete, its Peter, and please address me as Doctor Kavanaugh" said Kavanaugh.


    "I''ve got much grander plans for you young man. Petey my boy, you are getting an all expense paid trip to the Midway Station, and you''re going to stay there for a very long time" said Jack with a smile.


    "I wish to file a formal protest to what is clearly a smear campaign against me" rebutted Kavanaugh.


    "Go ahead and file away, but keep in mind that that protest is just going to end up on my desk. If it matters you won''t be there alone" said Jack with a smirk.


    "Not Doctor Lee, he and I hate each other" begged Kavanaugh.


    "It''s better than that I assure you. Now go sit on the couch and try not to faint. Remember, slow and even breathes save the day" replied Jack dismissively.


    Taking a sip from his coffee mug Jack tried in vain to suppress a grin. Flipping to the next folder on his desk he called Walter and requested Colonel Telford be sent to his office. Several minutes later the Colonel entered and took a seat.


    "Good morning Sir" began Telford.


    "You say that now" answered Jack.


    "Has the General had a chance to review my request for reassignment to Destiny" asked Telford.


    "This meeting is about reassignment, but we''ll get to that in a moment. When I was a much younger man I served with a lot of other officers with very beautiful wives. In my mind they always stayed just that; other officer''s wives and therefore off limits" intoned Jack.


    "I beg your pardon Sir? I''m afraid I don''t understand where you''re going with this" replied Telford.


    "So the other night I''m out to dinner with the National Security Advisor. We''re sitting there discussing a few matters and I''m enjoying my steak when what do I see? I see a certain Colonel under my command walk in. Accompanying this Colonel is a woman I''ve met a time or two, Emily Young" said Jack.


    "I don''t deny that fact Sir. Emily and I were having dinner together" replied Telford.


    "And you didn''t think it was in bad taste to be having dinner with this specific young lady" asked Jack.


    "Why would it Sir? She and Colonel Young are divorced after all" answered Telford.


    "While that may be the case now it is still in bad taste, don''t you think? Let me ask you this; was she divorced the first few times you went over to the Young house" asked Jack pointedly.


    "No Sir, she was not. With her husband stranded half a universe away I thought it important to be there for moral support" replied Telford awkwardly.


    "Moral support? That''s what the kids are calling it now? Where I''m from we call it something different. The Air Force has another name for it also and that is a.d.u.l.tery with a fellow officer''s spouse. I''m sure you''re aware Colonel that a.d.u.l.tery is in clear violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice" said Jack.


    "So Young convinced you to grind his axe for him did he Sir" asked Telford acidly.


    "As your superior officer I''m going to warn you one time and one time only to be very careful how you speak to me Colonel. You''re digging a hole for yourself" replied Jack.


    "Since accusations are being laid down I''ll throw my hand in as well. It is my duty to report to you that I was physically assaulted by Colonel Young during his use of the communications stones. The usage log in the communications room should confirm when he was on world. I wish to press charges" confidently stated Telford.


    "Do you really think the fact that he punched you in the mouth is going to get you any sympathy? Were I him I would have tossed you out of an airlock or made you share a room with Rush. Young didn''t bring this to me so spare me the attitude. I''ve been looking for a reason to reassign you elsewhere and you finally handed to me on a silver platter when you walked in that restaurant" said Jack in a gracious tone.


    "I know what you''ll do and I don''t care. You''re going to stick me on an SG team and that will be it" argued Telford.


    "Oh no, you aren''t getting off that easy. Let me ask you something. What do you think of Kavanaugh over there" asked Jack lightly.


    "Captain faint heart? He''s an anecdote, a punch line" replied Telford with attitude.


    "Then you two should get along great. As of now you are both assigned to Midway station as permanent staff. You have petitioned and petitioned for a command and here it is. May the force be with you my son" smiled Jack.


    Jack sat back contentedly in his comfortable office chair looking at the two men in his office. First they looked at each other dumbstruck, then at the General. Ah memories Jack thought.

 Chapter 117

    Tollana


    Exiting hyperspace the six vessels of TF Guardian engaged their sublight engines. Maneuvering away from Tollana''s two moons Onseem and Deril orbit of the planet was quickly established. As each vessel''s sensors scanned the planet the amount of damage inflicted upon Tollana by Goa''uld orbital bombardment was noted. Significant impact craters were noted along fault lines, confirming that the forces of Anubis had sought to eradicate the Tollan race through geological upheaval. Upon impact with the planets fault lines, the weapons fire had started a cascade effect of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The once lush and inviting planet had been reduced to a nightmarish landscape.


    The remains of the once vibrant Tollan capital city were noted on the sensors. No building had been left standing to survive the bombardment and geological reordering of the planets surface. Several structures far below ground had survived, albeit with significant damage, but no life signs were present. Expanding the sensor sweep the entire surface of Tollana was scanned for life signs. Somewhere down there it was hoped was what remained of the Tollan people.


    Several hours later the detailed scan was complete. What had once been a planet of millions was now a planet of few. The eight thousand life signs present were a far cry from what they had hoped to find before their departure. Quickly the orders went out to the combined vessels for deployment of their jumpers to assigned areas. Aboard each jumper along with the flight crew was a PJ.


    Utilizing every jumper the Task Force had available seventy five of the sleek craft entered the atmosphere. With drive pods extended the jumpers silently cut through the polluted air towards the ground below. Onboard sensors and cross linked sensor data from the vessels in orbit guided the bevy of jumpers to their targets. One of the Edmund Halley''s jumpers sped towards what appeared to be a primitive village on a hilltop some miles from the destroyed capital. Making a slow pass overhead the jumper began to circle the village.


    In the village some inhabitants ran for cover in a panic while others stood their ground and stared at the strange craft above them. Calling in their sighting to the Edmund Halley the flight crew mulled what to do next.


    "Some of them ran away like we''re attacking them" said the copilot.


    "These people were bombed into the Stone Age by the Goa''uld, what kind of response do you expect" snorted the pilot.


    "Ok, let''s set down in the opening center village. We don''t know if these people have gone native so close the forward bulkhead before you lower the rear ramp" replied the PJ.


    "Gone native? If you think they are a threat maybe we need to get some more troops down there" said the copilot.


    "These people are disaster victims. The last thing they need are troops. Right now they need help, so set this thing down and let me do my job" replied the PJ crossly.


    With that said the jumper quickly descended the final four hundred feet and silently landed in the village center. As the rear ramp lowered the PJ noted smells that reminded him of the farm back in Iowa where he had grown up; soil, and animals. Exiting the rear ramp the PJ looked around. Many of the villagers had run back into their huts, but a man and an older woman stood there looking directly at him. Thinking that they were his best and only chance to establish identities the PJ began to approach the two villagers.


    Looking at them he saw clear evidence that they had once come from civilization, based on the remnants of their clothing. Although now in tatters their clothing still had the look of stylized garments that had once been of high quality. The older woman seemed to carry herself as one in a leadership position the PJ surmised.


    "Have your masters finally sent you to finish us off after leaving us to survive with nothing" demanded the woman.


    "Excuse me ma''am? We''re not here to harm anyone at all. I''m here to bring you and your people to safety" replied the PJ.


    "I doubt that in the extreme. If you are here to rescue my people as you say then please inform me as to who you and your people are" asked the woman.


    "I''m a rescue specialist with the United States Air Force. Our fleet is from Earth and we have had dealings with your people in the past" replied the PJ.


    "Now I know you are lying! The people of Earth are primitive, and lack a single vessel capable of the voyage to this planet" accused the woman.


    "Ma''am, if you don''t mind me saying, you don''t look like you''re doing so well yourself when you call us primitive. Things have changed since the last time our people met. General O''Neill thought you might not believe it was us and instructed me to inform you that Skaara is well" said the PJ.


    "That proves nothing. The Goa''uld were present for that Triad so your answer means nothing" replied the woman.


    "If I mention a cat named Schrodinger will that ease the tension" asked the PJ.


    "Who gave me Schrodinger" asked the man.


    "Colonel Samantha Carter sir" replied the PJ.


    Quickly the man and woman exchanged glances. A silent conversation played out between their eyes.


    "Is she here? I am Narim and I am a friend of hers" stated the man.


    "No sir, the Colonel is deployed elsewhere at this time. I''m sure that once we have you and your people safe and sound you can send her a message. And you are whom ma''am" asked the PJ.


    "I am Travell, Chancellor of the Curia. Do not think for one moment young man that the Tollan are indebted to provide our technology in exchange for this rescue" stated Travell arrogantly.


    "Ma''am, look around for a moment. The height of your technology is a hut and the ability to make fire. I don''t think we''ll be needing instruction on how to make those things for ourselves. Now if you can please gather your people together for me" asked the PJ.


    "Gather them for what purpose" demanded Travell.


    "Gather them so we can begin evacuation. I need to know if anyone has any medical issues. If so medical teams are standing by" said the PJ.


    Not all of the rescue contacts with people on the ground went nearly as well. A number of individuals thinking they were being attacked attempted to flee. In once case four refugees attacked the rescue personnel upon exit from the jumper. The collection effort of the Tollan people would be an ongoing process for a matter of days. In the mean time a tent city was established on the planet. Those that required medical treatment were quickly flown to the vessels in orbit.


    Eating their humanitarian rations while wearing clean clothing for the first time in several years broke down the final emotional walls of many of the refugees. Tears flowed freely in the encampment, and would continue to do so into the future after the trauma these people had suffered. Teams of grief councilors circulated throughout the camp for those in need. For the first time in several years the Tollan would have a chance to begin the long process of healing old wounds.


    Rescue had finally come. They had held on and lost so many while attempting to survive, but survive they had. That rescue had come from Earth was what several found troubling. In their arrogance they had judged the Tauri to be primitive and warlike. If that were the case then how were they on Tollana now, with a fleet of sh.i.p.s to rescue a people who had been willing to trade their survival for Earth''s.


    While population recovery efforts were underway the crew''s aboard the three Athena class vessels carried out their secondary mission. Realizing that the Tollan would have to rebuild their civilization orders were given to recover as many of their computer mainframes as possible. The knowledge contained therein would allow the Tollan a technological base to fall back upon, instead of having to start all over again. Little did the Tollan know what surprises were in store for them as a people, and what their future held.

 Chapter 118

    Tollana


    As medical teams cleared refugees safe for travel a steady stream of Tollan''s was loaded aboard jumpers for transport to one of the vessels in orbit. The first group leaving the wrecked planet consisted of five hundred individuals. At her insistence Travell would be among this first group to depart, as would be Narim.


    The last jumper to depart for orbit carried these two aboard. Seated in the two seats behind the jumper''s pilots Travell and Narim watched through the forward viewing port as the jumper climbed skyward. Looking down upon the landscape below, they saw first hand the fate of Tollana. Wrecked mountain ranges, forests in the distance charred, and a capital city laid to waste. The sight brought about sickened feelings in the two Tollan''s.


    Exiting the atmosphere the jumper achieved orbit with little effort. In the distance could be seen the six vessels of Task Force Guardian. Passing closely abroad the Hawking Travell and Narim gazed in wonder at the Copernicus class vessel. Nothing the Tollan people had ever deployed came close to matching her size or power. Seeing the weapons turrets affixed to the upper hull of Hawking Travell began to frown.


    "That''s a warship" she said with some amount of displeasure in her voice.


    "No ma''am that is a science vessel" replied the pilot.


    "Young man I can see the weapons platforms on the sh.i.p.s hull. Do not pretend it is not a warship" Travell protested.


    "I promise you ma''am the Hawking is a science ship. In the distance you''ll see the Ess.e.x and she is a warship like no other" beamed the pilot with pride.


    Looking off into the distance could be seen the fast approaching form of the Ess.e.x. Close abroad could be seen her sister sh.i.p.s the Hood and Yamato. The design was unlike anything the Tollan''s had every come across, much like the recently passed science vessel. Being much larger than a Ha''Tak the Athena class vessels exuded technological superiority in their form and function. The amount of weaponry that could be seen mounted to her hull also spoke of her lethality if provoked.


    Coming in towards the port side fighter bay the jumper crossed the energy field that was the bay''s barrier from the lifeless void of space. Setting down gently the jumper''s rear hatch opened allowing the Tollan''s to exit the craft. Waiting at the foot of the ramp was a lone Lieutenant. Firing off a smart salute the young officer escorted the newly arrived refugee''s to the sh.i.p.s mess hall where a late lunch was being served to those just arriving.


    "Where do you intend on taking us young man" asked Travell.


    "For the time being our orders are to relocate your people to the alpha site ma''am" replied the lieutenant.


    "I wish to communicate with our allies the Nox. They may be able to better accommodate my people" replied Travell.


    "That will be possible upon our arrival at the alpha site as they will have a delegation standing by" answered the young officer.


    "How far away is our destination if I may ask" inquired Narim.


    "Eight hundred light years Sir" answered the lieutenant.


    "It will take weeks to cover that distance young man, and I wish to speak with the Nox now" objected Travell.


    "Again ma''am, the Nox will be standing by when we arrive. Our estimated travel time is four hours. We could make it faster but we are allowing for preparation on the other end for our arrival" replied the lieutenant.


    "Do not patronize me young man. Earth possesses no such technology to travel at such speed" counted Travell.


    "Chancellor, look at the sh.i.p.s we saw in orbit. Much has changed it seems" added Narim.


    With the last of the initial wave of refugees aboard the Ess.e.x beamed down another load of supplies to the planet below. Once this was achieved preparations for departure were completed by the highly competent crew. Breaking free of orbit and passing Tollana''s two moons the Ess.e.x opened a hyperspace window and accelerated into it.


    Athos


    Exiting the active stargate, a lone jumper sped across the open plain. Their destination on the now abandoned world was the abandoned city of Emege. Once a hub of activity and learning for the ancients, Emege later fell into the care of the Athosian people before being abandoned once more. Hundreds of years earlier following an exceptionally brutal culling by the Wraith, the Athosian''s had abandoned their great city and regressed into a tribe of hunter gatherers. That tribe passed down from generation to generation the superstition that return to the city would bring about a return of the Wraith to their world.


    Upon their arrival in the Pegasus galaxy the first Atlantis expedition had ventured away from the city ship in search of a zpm or sanctuary. The destination of the first Pegasus off world team was also the home world of the Tauri''s staunchest ally within the galaxy. Despite the perils they faced, the Tauri and Athosian''s had tied their futures together.


    Much had changed since those first initial steps through the gate to this world. The Athosian''s with assistance from their ally had taken steps to advance as a people. Their understanding of the galaxy around them grew leaps and bounds. Were it not for the arrival of the Tauri the Athosian''s may have never believed it possible to resist the Wraith, but upon learning this fight back they did. In reprisal for their resistance the Wraith had decimated the world of Athos. The once heavily forested world even now recovered from the onslaught the Wraith had unleashed. Slowly the forests would return, and the cycle of regeneration would continue until nature had reclaimed this world once more. Despite the ferocity of the bombardment subjected upon Athos the city of Emege had remained untouched in the hopes that life to be culled would return one day.


    The greatness of Emege was clear to any who laid eyes upon the city. The curved towers and stained glass spoke of the ancient design ethos. As a culture that had built everything big Emege was a testament to the culture that constructed the city, even if it was far from the awe inspiring majesty of Atlantis. Landing on the rooftop of a low structure the jumper took station beside two other jumpers that had arrived hours before. Upon lowering the ramp the jumper''s occupants'' began unloading the multitude of crates they had brought with them that were destined for the containment chamber below.


    Within the low sitting building, seven levels down from the rooftop where the jumpers lay was the containment chamber room. Inside this room were an ever growing number of crates, and a small staff of replicators created on Atlantis to assist with the task at hand. These replicators went about installing what would soon be the heart of the newest Arcturus system. Power conduits were also being installed that rivaled those found on Atlantis in their power delivery efficiency. Once installation of all systems was complete testing would begin. The two days until that time would be an agonizing wait for Eli.


    With Janus assuring Eli that he would deal with the instillation effort the young man found himself free to catch up with friends he hadn''t seen since their return to the Milky Way. With his ever present smile on his face the young man exited the building to join the team walking the streets of the city.


    "Eli! Good to see you. By the way Chloe asks that you don''t blow all of us up with this experiment of yours" joked Scott.


    "Looking good Eli, been working out" asked Greer.


    "No one is going to blow up, I hope. And yes I have been working out, got to get in shape for Ginn" replied Eli with a smile on his face.


    "How''s your buddy Rush doing" asked Greer.


    "I actually haven''t seen him since we got back. The last I heard he was still aboard Destiny. Kinda surprised he hasn''t stolen it yet and left" said Eli.


    "Yeah well Rush being Rush I''m sure he''ll find something to keep himself busy. I for one am just glad he''s not here with us" added Scott.


    "You got that right brotha" Greer chimed in.


    "So what are you guys working on here? Doctor McKay didn''t have much to tell us about all this" said Scott.


    "We''re working on the ultimate power source. If this works it will make the power generators on the Death Star look like nothing. McKay tried to make it work once and blew up a solar system" laughed Eli.


    "That reminds me, you''re big into Star Wars. You and Teal''c should really get together. He''s watched it atleast five times since we got here" said Scott.


    "I for one don''t mind his taste in movies. He makes great popcorn" stated Greer.


    "When we get back to Borealis I''ll watch it with him and see if the force is strong in that guy" jokingly said Eli.


    "Well don''t make him mad. He''s mean with a staff. Just ask Greer" teased Scott.


    "He kicked my butt something but good. How am I supposed to ever admit that I got the schooled by a one hundred and thirty year old man? That''s just embarrassing" admitted Greer.


    "It could be worse. You could have gotten the take down from Lieutenant James" smiled Eli.


    "Now that I wouldn''t mind. What do you think Lieutenant" asked Greer with a grin.


    "I um, yeah I don''t know what you''re talking about Sergeant" blushed Scott.


    "Really? You and James? That''s impressive" further teased Eli.


    "Eli, I swear if you ever tell a soul I''ll toss you off a building myself" said Scott.


    "Or you could just order me to shoot him. In the backside of course since I like you and all Eli" said Greer with a malicious grin.


    "Sometimes I wonder why we''re even friends" laughed Eli before returning to the containment room.

 Chapter 119

    Pluto


    Aboard Arkos station, within the Jumper storage bay used for newly completed Jumpers stood a man and a woman. These two stood next to a craft unlike the other craft in the bay, but one in which both parties were intimately familiar. The triangular shape of the Goa''uld cargo ship was in stark contrast to the clean lines of the surrounding jumpers. Taking the basic design as a jumping off point many improvements over the original had been made.


    "The cloak we replaced with an upgrade. Instead of the problematic Goa''uld cloak which was ineffective during planetary reentry we''ve opted for an ancient design like that found on the jumpers" said Dr. Bill Lee.


    "A cloak''s a cloak I always say. It made it invisible before, so I don''t see the difference" objected Vala Mal Doran.


    "Wraith sensor technology is vastly superior to anything the Goa''uld ever dreamed of. They would have detected you with the old cloak. With this one you''re safe and sound" answered Lee assuredly.


    "Got anything else in that bag of tricks for me big boy" asked Vala with a smirk.


    "I um, now I''m blushing. You know, I''m a married man, um" stuttered Lee.


    "Easy now big fella. As you were saying about the upgrades" urged Vala.


    "Oh right! The ship! We''ve upgraded the sensors dramatically, along with the hyper drive. In place of the transport rings we''ve installed an Asgard transporting beam array, and that is controllable by a wrist remote" stammered Lee while his blushing subsided.


    "Can I take it out for a spin now" inquired Vala lightly.


    "General Landry gave me strict instructions that you are not to leave the station with this ship until you and it are loaded aboard your transport to Pegasus" protested Lee.


    "Pity. You and I could have had so much fun. A nice bottle of wine, soft music, a secluded solar system all to ourselves" hinted Vala.


    "Please no" pleased Lee.


    From a distance it looked as if the two were having a great time since Vala was laughing riotously. Ignoring them the Air Force technicians going over the newly finished jumpers smirked while trying to ignore them.


    Elsewhere on the station a new crew member was boarding Destiny for the first time. Colonel Ian Davidson had recently been named the ancient vessels new commanding officer. Having proven his ability to effectively command a vessel during his brief stint as Odyssey''s commanding officer this posting pleased him greatly. When offered two him the Colonel had jumped at the chance. Little did he know that it was being given to him since he had no family to leave behind for a mission of unknown duration.


    Walking the corridors of the ancient vessel Davidson inspected his new command. In the coming days he and technicians from Arkos station would take the vessel on the first of several short trips. These trips were meant to test the recent upgrades to Destiny''s FTL drive, shields, and the myriad of other systems. It was something the Colonel was greatly looking forward to. Rounding the corner the Colonel entered the control interface room. Seated at one of the interface terminals was Doctor Nicholas Rush.


    "Doctor Rush, a pleasure running into you here" graciously stated Davidson.


    "Hello Colonel. To what to I owe the honor" asked Rush.


    "Just doing a walkthrough of Destiny" answered the Colonel.


    "You''ll be commanding the mission then" asked Rush.


    "I''ll be in overall command, but you''ll be heading up the scientific front Doctor" replied Davidson.


    "Great. Did you need something" asked Rush.


    "Actually, I have a question for you. I''m well aware of the problems you had with Colonel Young. While I hope we don''t have any similar flare ups I must ask, are you and I going to waste our time going at each others throats" asked Davidson honestly.


    "Colonel, Young and I had our issues and I won''t make light of those. You must understand the strain everyone was under while aboard in those early days. Towards the end of our time in that corner of the universe he and I got along smashingly" replied Rush.


    "Young told me as much. I just wanted to make sure we didn''t get off on the wrong foot" admitted Davidson.


    "Now I have a question for you Colonel. Are you committed to this mission? We''re not going out into the universe on a pleasure cruise. The answers we''re seeking could very well bring about an absolute understanding to man''s every question about our existence. I need to know that you''re in this for the duration" demanded Rush.


    "Doctor, I commend you on your dedication. You''re very much the man your file says you are. To answer your question yes I am in this for the long haul. We''re going out on a voyage of discovery and I don''t intend to bring us back until that mission is complete" replied Davidson.


    "Fair enough Colonel. I think you and I will get along just fine. Now if you''ll excuse me I must return to the calculations I''m going over for Destiny''s FTL upgrades" said Rush in closing.

 Chapter 120

    P4X-650


    The city of Shambhala continued to take shape. In its current state the city could easily rival the square footage found in New York, but building would continue for some time. Much thought had been put into who would have overall command of this new sprawling city. After careful consideration it was decided that one person shone brighter than the rest of the competition and Camille Wray was given the posting.


    To say Camille was surprised at the offer of a command was surprising. To say she leaped at the opportunity would be an understatement. With her intrinsic understanding of people Camille knew she would thrive in this most important of off world postings. After her show down with the IOA she had doubted an opportunity to ever again venture off world would present itself. The day General O''Neill had inquired as to her interest in this posting Camille had found herself once again believing in bureaucracy once more.


    When she had arrived at Shambhala few personnel were to be found. In the days after her arrival that changed greatly. Camille now found herself at the helm of a staff of five hundred personnel. The security detail did not fall under her command, and for that she was thankful. Within a week of her arrival supplies meant to bring the city to life began to arrive. In sporadic points across the city zpm''s were installed, energizing the power conduits for the first time. When word reached the city that the people of Novus would be relocated here Camille gave thanks that the collection of buildings would finally become a living and breathing city.


    The actual relocation of the Novan''s was an ongoing but orderly affair. As they arrived Camille had visited a moment here a moment there with the descendents of Destiny''s crew. The level of reverence each had for her was shocking. Moving forward she would look over these people as if they were her own children.


    Notification that a further eight thousand people would be calling the city home came as a surprise to Wray. She had assumed the Tollan were killed to the last man. Her main worry now was how to handle the mishmash of cultures and the assorted disagreements that were sure to follow.


    Standing in the Gate Room of the great city was a recent arrival from Earth. Upon seeing the man Camille was surprised but glad to see him. Walking towards him with an extended hand to shake she smiled as the two met.


    "General! It''s a pleasure to see you here. Welcome to Shambhala" said Wray in greeting.


    "Hello Camille. Looks like you''ve got your hands full. Place looks great though, love what you''ve done with it" replied O''Neill lightheartedly.


    "The Novan''s are getting settled in nicely. I suppose it helps that I''m a historical figure in their culture" grinned Wray.


    "That always helps I''m sure. The reason I''m here is the Tollan''s should be arriving any minute" said Jack.


    "I''m aware. You didn''t have to come all this way for that when I could have easily handled them" replied Wray smoothly.


    "Ever deal with a Tollan? Actually I doubt you have" stated Jack.


    "Can''t say that I have, but I did get the chance to review your mission reports regarding them" answered Wray.


    "The mission reports don''t sum it up as well as I would like. The reason for that is the Air Force frowns on the use of four letter words and other profanity in official reports. Let''s just say you''re in for a time with a few of these people" added Jack with a smirk.


    "Oh wonderful" sighed Wray.


    Seconds later the stargate activated. Exiting the wormhole with her ever present yet humble smile was Lya of the Nox. Seeing the two individuals standing near the gate she approached them.


    "Lya how''s things" asked Jack.


    "Greeting''s O''Neill, Nayfrayu sends his tidings also" replied Lya.


    "Hello Lya, I am Camille Wray. Welcome to Shambhala" said Wray warmly.


    "Greeting''s Camille, it is my honor to make your acquaintance. I wish to thank your people for the rescue of the Tollan people. It is the hope of all the Nox they adjust to their new surroundings in this city you have constructed" said Lya.


    "Let''s just hope they got the ego thing under control during their time in the woods" replied Jack.


    Tapping her earpiece Camille listened for a moment before muttering a reply. Turning back to the two individuals in front of her she began to speak.


    "The Ess.e.x just dropped out of hyperspace and is establishing orbit. They will be beaming down the first wave of Tollan''s in a minute, starting with their Chancellor" Wray stated.


    "Ok, let the fun begin" muttered Jack.


    In a silver flash of bright light Travell and Narim appeared before the three individuals waiting for them in the Gate Room. Looking around with some amount of shock the two Tollan''s attempted to ascertain just how they had arrived within the city in fractions of a second.


    "Chancellor Travell, Narim, always a pleasure" said Jack in greeting.


    "It is good to see that you are now safe. Welcome" added Lya.


    "Welcome to Shambhala. I know you have questions and concerns. Might I suggest we continue this conversation in a conference room" suggested Wray.


    The five individuals stepping out of the Gate Room walked the eighty feet to a transport booth identical to those found on Atlantis. With a push of a finger against the display screen the five were transported to another building. Exiting the transporter the five quickly found themselves in a comfortable conference room. Taking seats the discussion quickly resumed.


    "How were we whisked to this place from the vessel that brought us here" demanded Travell.


    "Technology" replied O''Neill refusing to elaborate further.


    "This place is not Earth. To where have you brought us" further demanded Travell.


    "You are safe now" interjected Lya.


    "You are in a city named Shambhala. We have brought you here to call this place home if that is your wish" replied Wray.


    "Thank you would have been nice" added Jack.


    "This is not architecture consistent with your level of technology" objected Travell.


    "Much has changed" replied Jack.


    "Clearly you salvaged this city then" said Travell.


    "We did not salvage this city. We built Shambhala, and its construction is ongoing" protested Wray.


    "I fail to see how that is possible" protested Travell.


    "Chancellor, the Tauri are granting you and your people sanctuary. Is now not the time to give thanks" asked Lya.


    "I am thankful, but demand that we be given honest answers when questions are presented" replied Travell.


    "You want to go there fine, we''ll go there. The hard and fast of it is the Goa''uld threat is no more. We took care of that" replied Jack somewhat crossly.


    "There are many hundreds if not thousands of Goa''uld in this galaxy. You eliminate one, but what of the other System Lords" demanded Travell.


    "Perhaps I wasn''t clear enough for you. We destroyed the Goa''uld that attacked your world, and then took the bat to the System Lords. They are gone, this galaxy is free of them, they are no more" stated Jack very clearly.


    "I fail to see how that is possible. Time and time again you requested technology to defend your own world from this threat. That such a primitive people could defeat the System Lords is highly dubious at best" retorted Travell.


    "What the General says is true. This galaxy is free of Goa''uld oppression. The Tauri have liberated the peoples of this galaxy" replied Lya.


    "Case in point we destroyed the Goa''uld, and the threat after that, and the threat after that, and yes the threat after that. We''re on to liberating galaxy number two now, and a third is in the works. But what do I know, we''re primitive after all" quipped Jack.


    "Then should I not expect requests for Tollan technology that I will be forced to decline" asked Travell.


    "I think you can count on us not asking for your technology. In fact we don''t want it. A lot of good it did you anyway" countered Jack.


    "So this technology you make use of is not originally of your own" asked Travell.


    "We''ve had some help along the way I guess you could say" hinted Jack.


    "As I thought, you advanced your races technology with that of other races. Might I inquire how it compares to Tollan technology" asked Travell.


    "Our current level of technology is far out of the grasp of your people at the height of your civilization" replied Jack.


    "Now that we are equals perhaps a trade can be arranged" suggested Travell.

 Chapter 121

    P4X-650


    "Oh now you want to trade. Do you remember what you told us when we needed your help? I''ll help you out a bit since I remember very clearly. We do not share our technology with races more primitive than our own. You Chancellor belong to such a race" said Jack with a smirk.


    "This is an outrage" shrieked Travell.


    "No Chancellor, the outrage is your actions leading up to the attack upon your world" interjected Lya.


    "I''m afraid I do not know of what you speak Lya" answered Travell carefully.


    "Is it true that you entered into an agreement with the Goa''uld to produce weaponry capable of passing through Earth''s gate iris in exchange for being allowed to live? Such weaponry was in fact produced" replied Lya.


    "None of you were present for the situation and I ask that this matter be dropped forthwith" demanded Travell.


    "The young races do not always do as they are told. We the Nox assisted your race in rebuilding once not because you were advanced but because you were in need. You took that charity and in return you offer to destroy another race. These are not the actions of an enlightened and advanced race" said Lya clearly.


    "It''s simple Chancellor. We''re willing to let bygones be bygones and allow your people to remain here as long as you would like. We will not be sharing technology though, end of story" said Jack with a tone of finality.


    "Then all is in the past, correct" asked Travell.


    "For the most part" replied Jack.


    "The Tauri may be willing to let the matter lay where it is, but it is not that simple. You broke your people''s highest law, and also the trust of the Nox. Your own laws require that you stand in Triad to be judged" said Lya.


    "You seek to prosecute me? That will never happen" defiantly stated Travell.


    "Lya speaks the truth Chancellor. Her interpretation of our laws is correct, and you must stand in Triad for what has occurred" added Narim.


    "How dare any of you speak to me in such a manner? I am the Chancellor of the Tollan Curia" hissed Travell.


    "Do not assume all are siding against you Chancellor. The Nox choose no sides, we are friends to all. We value fair treatment of all parties, and in this case that can only be established if you stand in judgment. The Tauri are our allies, and one of the Five Great Races. This will be so" said Lya plainly.


    "The matter of Omac''s murder must also be brought before Triad" pronounced Narim.


    "A Chancellor cannot be brought before Triad and remain in office" objected Travell.


    "Our people have spoken over the years and their wish is that I replace you until such time as another more qualified leader can be found" replied Narim.


    "The evidence you would use against me is lost, this Triad will not succeed" stated Travell triumphantly.


    "That''s actually not the case. To assist in your rebuild the Ess.e.x beamed aboard your underground computer cores. We should have all of your records. That will be beamed down here within the hour" said Jack with somewhat of a smile.


    Refusing to hear anymore Travell stood and walked furiously out of the room. Close behind her was Camille Wray. Once the two left the room tensions eased considerably.


    "Colonel O''Neill, I wish to thank you for what you are doing and all that you will do for the Tollan people" stated Narim.


    "It''s General now, but who''s counting. Maybe now you guys can learn some humility towards races that need a leg up" replied Jack.


    "We have learned much in our time in the wild. As you say we still have much to learn. Perhaps you and your people can aid us in that as well" suggested Narim.


    "The Five Great Races will do all that we can to assist your people" said Lya smiling.


    As the conversation continued elsewhere in the great city the peoples of Novus eagerly interacted with the newly arrived Tollan''s. Over the course of the day the Tollan''s would learn much that they would have never believed possible a few short years ago about the Tauri. As they interacted with the Novan''s a feeling of home began to spread amongst the new arrivals. The beating heart of Shambhala was now alive as the first of many residents settled in.


    Ares


    Gliding through the ethereal plane of hyperspace the Ares effortlessly charged closer and closer to her destination. After months of lobbying Colonel Sheppard''s request had finally been granted. When General O''Neill had laid Sheppard''s request in the lap of President Hayes he hadn''t been hopeful of a forthcoming authorization. Much to Jack''s surprise, the President had applauded Sheppard''s determination going so far as to call the mission a debt of honor.


    Sitting in the command chair on the Bridge of Ares John thought back to all that had changed since his accidental indoctrination into the world''s single best kept secret. Much had changed since that day. Friends had been made and lost. Were it not for his time in Pegasus he felt certain his military career would have been long over. Finally he was being allowed the chance to repay the one responsible for this second chance.


    "Colonel, we will be exiting hyperspace in forty five seconds" stated the helmsman.


    "Understood helm. Give me one tenth sublight on exit. Sensors, I want full sweeps of the area" ordered Sheppard.


    ''Will you be wanting shields sir" asked the defensive systems operator.


    "No shields or weapons for now" replied Sheppard.


    Exiting hyperspace, the Ares engaged her sublight engines and began to plow ahead towards the planet in her path. Her powerful sensors scanned not just the area that lay before them but the system around for any unseen threats that may be waiting. In geosynchronous orbit around the planet a space gate remained stationary. After travelling many hundreds of light years across the Pegasus galaxy Ares had arrived at her destination.


    "Sensors show nothing other than what we''ve been told to expect. The threat board is clear sir" called out the sensor operator.


    "Give me a visual on the space gate and any objects near it" ordered Sheppard.


    "On screen now sir'' replied the sensor operator.


    On the holographic display before the bridge crew images began to appear. The unmistakable image of a space gate was clear for all to see. In orbit near the gate were six much smaller objects.


    "I show six objects in close proximity to the gate sir. Miniscule energy readings" called out the sensor operator.


    "Magnify the image" responded Sheppard.


    As the image zoomed in for a closer look at the objects near the orbiting space gate a gasp was heard on the bridge. The objects were perfectly preserved bodies. While the six were found only one held any importance to the commanding officer of Ares.


    "The one we''re looking will be furthest from the gate as she was the first to pass through. Verify the remaining five objects range to the gate" ordered John.


    "Target is twenty meters from the gate. Remaining objects are within ten to twelve meters sir" replied the sensor operator.


    "Lock the transporter on the target. We will be beaming the observation deck" instructed the Colonel.


    "Do you wish to repeat that for the remaining objects sir" asked the sensor operator.


    "No. They will not be going with us. Once we have beamed the target aboard dial the gate. The event horizon will dematerialize the others. They are a problem we simply do not need. Beam the target aboard in three minutes. That will give me time to get to the observation deck" replied Sheppard.


    "Roger that sir" replied sensors.


    "Make sure a security team is on the observation deck armed with anti-replicator weapons" said Sheppard as he exited the bridge.


    Proceeding towards the observation deck John''s emotions swirled within him. Although he had fought for this mission now that the time was at hand he was having second thoughts. What if this were a bad idea he wondered? If this went wrong he knew well that it could mean the end of his career. As he entered the large windowed room the he noted the two man security detail arriving, armed with ARG''s.


    "Glad to see you made it. Keep those things at the ready" ordered John.


    "Is this an imminent threat sir" asked one of the Marine''s.


    "Not exactly. She is a friend of mine, but people change. If anything happens don''t wait for the command, just open fire. Understood" asked Sheppard.


    "Yes sir" the Marine''s responded in unison.


    Seconds later a piercing flash of white light illuminated the room for a brief moment. Looking down at the floor John saw that the correct body lay before him. Having retrieved a replicator from the cold void of space once before, he knew it would take a moment for the nanites to come back online. It started with a flutter of the eyelids, and small movements of the arms and legs. Finally the eyes opened to take in the surroundings. Looking around, seeing the two Marine''s with weapons leveled brought an apprehensive look. Then the eyes found a familiar face that brought a smile to the now animated face. Standing up slowly the woman kept her gaze planted on Sheppard.


    "John, what is happening" the being asked.


    "Hello Elizabeth. Good to see you too" replied Sheppard with his customary smirk.


    "Why am I here? Where am I" asked Doctor Weir.


    "You''re aboard my ship, the Ares. We came to give you another chance at life" replied John.


    "So you''re not with Atlantis any longer? Knowing you have a ship of your own makes me so happy for you. Will I be returning to Atlantis" Weir asked.


    "Not exactly. A lot has happened since you stepped through that gate. We''re taking you back to Atlantis but you will be heading on to the Milky Way" answered Sheppard with a knowing grin.


    "Helm this is Sheppard. Set course for Atlantis, maximum hyperspace" ordered Sheppard into his radio earpiece

 Chapter 122

    Atlantis


    Several hours had passed since the subspace message from Ares. Knowing Doctor Weir had been retrieved and was in route preparations already made were finalized. Zelenka having finalized these preparations minutes before joined Mr. Woolsey, Colonel Lorne, and a security detail in front of the stargate.


    "I for one am glad we went back for one of our own" said Lorne.


    "I agree with you fully Colonel" replied Radek.


    "This wasn''t my first choice, but this order came from the President. A security detail is to remain with her at all times until our arrival at the destination Colonel" instructed Woolsey.


    "Understood Mr. Woolsey" replied Lorne.


    In a flash of light Weir appeared in front of the gathering of men. Seeing those awaiting her arrival a smile crossed Elizabeth''s face, even if it was a face the men once knew as Fran.


    "Doctor Weir, welcome to Atlantis. It''s good to have you back with us" said Woolsey somewhat stiffly.


    "Hello Richard. I see command has been good to you" replied Weir.


    "Doctor Weir, always a pleasure" said Lorne in welcome.


    "Hello Major, a pleasure to see you also" replied Weir.


    "Actually it''s Lieutenant Colonel now" pointed out Lorne with a smile.


    "I have been gone awhile then. Congratulations Colonel on a well deserved promotion" said Weir with a warm smile.


    "Elizabeth, welcome back. It''s good to see you" said Radek with heartfelt emotion and respect evident in his voice.


    "Radek, how have you been" Weir asked.


    "I am well, we''ll catch up on all that has happened in the lab during the trip to the Milky Way" replied Radek.


    "Mr. Woolsey, will I be permitted to join Doctor Zelenka in his lab" asked Weir.


    "Yes you will, in fact I must insist. We will be replacing the body you are currently in for one modeled after your human body. I must ask that you give thought during our trip home to whether you wish to retain your replicator form or be given a human body" said Woolsey.


    "I''ll need time to think it over, but will get back to you on that" responded Weir.


    "Colonel, Doctor, please escort our guest to the nanite lab and get Doctor Weir situated in her new body for now. We will be leaving momentarily and I must attend to several matters. Atlantis will be meeting you in the lab Radek" stated Woolsey before walking towards the operations center.


    Walking towards the transporter booth Elizabeth pondered Woolsey''s closing statement for a moment. Part of her wondered if she had misunderstood him, or if he simply misspoke.


    "Did he say Atlantis would meet us in the lab? What does that mean" asked Weir.


    "As I''m sure Colonel Sheppard already told you, much has changed. You''ll have to see for yourself when we get there" cryptically replied Radek.


    As they proceeded on towards the nanite lab final checks were being made for departure. It had taken several days of off world visits to inform the many allies within Pegasus that the Atlantis team would be unavailable for the coming week. During their time away all communication would be directed to Borealis in their steed. Finally Atlantis would be afforded the repairs and upgrades that her sister Borealis had already undergone.


    With the umbilical connection to the submerged geothermal drilling platform severed Atlantis began to rise from the calm ocean surface of Lantea. Gracefully, the ancient city ship took to the skies above. As she gained momentum and altitude the ever powerful shield was raised. With little hint to the transition currently underway courtesy of the internal inertial dampeners the city ship exited the planets atmosphere and broke free of the gravitational pull of the planet she had rested upon for so many millions of years since her first arrival in Pegasus.


    Slipping past the collection of Asgard and Tauri vessels around Lantea Atlantis navigated towards her jump point. Gaining speed the massive city ship powered into hyperspace for the first leg of her journey home.


    Sitting in the nanite lab Radek went over the data he had recently programmed into the nanite construction platform. On the platform waiting patiently was Elizabeth. Looking around the room and over its occupants'' Elizabeth thought back to all the times good and bad had aboard this city she had called home once. Truly she had missed this place and those she called family here. The one individual in the room she could not place was the stunning blonde woman standing in the corner.


    "Everything is ready when you are Elizabeth. We will be uploading your consciousness into the buffer for transfer into the new body. This should only take a few moments. Do you have any questions so far" asked Radek.


    "Just one, but it''s for the woman beside you. I don''t believe we''ve met" pointed out Weir.


    "I will allow Doctor Zelenka to explain" said the beautiful woman with a gracious smile.


    "Elizabeth, please allow me to introduce you to Atlantis" humbly stated Radek.


    "I''m afraid I don''t understand" responded Weir slightly off guard.


    "I am the embodiment of this ship Doctor. While we have not met formally I know you well from your time here. After watching you lead your people for the years you were here it is my honor to finally make your acquaintance" explained Atlantis.


    "The embodiment of the ship? You are Atlantis" asked Weir.


    "Yes Doctor Weir. Atlantis is me and I am Atlantis" explained the avatar.


    "Amazing" replied a somewhat shocked Weir.

 Chapter 123

    Boreala


    With the departure of Atlantis for the Milky Way the Borealis expedition found themselves as the central hub of military, scientific, and diplomatic efforts within the Pegasus galaxy. Even though this would only be a temporary position during the absence of Atlantis many duties existed to be filled.


    Ten days earlier a subspace message had been sent to the Traveler''s informing them of a new rendezvous location. Having never before seen or heard of Borealis they unwittingly thought Atlantis had once again been relocated. The revelation that a second powerful city ship existed would shake them to their core.


    Having arrived ninety minutes earlier the Athena class vessels Ess.e.x, Yamato, and Hood were currently in geosynchronous orbit of Boreala, with the two Traveler Generational sh.i.p.s in tow. While waiting to transfer their charges to their new owners the Athena class vessels beamed down personnel and supplies to the city ship below. During this process a lone Goa''uld cargo ship exited the jumper bay of Ess.e.x and descended to the city that waited on the oceans surface. Its pilot was eager to see several familiar faces that she was sure were ecstatic over her arrival in this galaxy.


    Moments after the Tel''tak landed on the south pier of Borealis a handful of vessels exited hyperspace high above. Having tracked the vessels approach through hyperspace the expedition was prepared for their arrival. Exchanging messages between the Ess.e.x and one of the newly arrived sh.i.p.s, transport for one of the captains to the city below was arranged.


    Having been alerted an hour before Daniel Jackson stood in the conference room ready to receive his expected guest. Unsure of what to expect Daniel had taken the time to review the previous mission reports that detailed every encounter thus far with the Traveler''s. After this period of study he felt ready for whatever might be thrown at him. In a dazzling flash of light a leather clad woman appeared in the conference room before him.


    "Hello, I am Doctor Daniel Jackson" he began.


    "Hello Doctor Jackson, you may call me Larrin. Will Mr. Woolsey be joining us" asked Larrin.


    "I''m afraid he won''t. He and Atlantis were called away temporarily" conceded Daniel.


    "We''re standing on Atlantis" countered Larrin.


    "I''m afraid we''re not. Let me welcome you to Borealis. I''m assuming Woolsey didn''t tell you of the existence of more than one city ship" asked Daniel.


    "No, he most certainly did not" grumbled Larrin.


    "Well, now you know so the cat''s out of the bag" replied Jackson with an awkward attempt at humor that came off charming nonetheless.


    "Secret''s seem to be something your people have no shortage of" replied Larrin somewhat put out.


    "Yes, well. As I''m sure you noticed in orbit we have kept our side of the agreement you reached with Mr. Woolsey. The vessels are newly constructed to the specifications you gave. I''m assuming you brought sufficient crew to pilot them home" asked Daniel.


    "We did. What of the other item''s we requested" countered Larrin with a question of her own.


    "Ah yes. In the cargo area''s you will find pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies. The remaining balance of items to be delivered will be provided when you nominate a planet to establish an on world colony" said Daniel.


    "On behalf of my people I will agree to that stipulation. A location will be provided within the week" replied Larrin.


    "Then all that remains is to formalize the alliance. I have with me several doc.u.ments that do that. All that is required is your signature. One set of doc.u.ments we will keep for record, and the other will be for your people" said Daniel.


    Looking over the doc.u.ment Larrin pondered for a moment if she should press for more than she had negotiated for the first time. After all, the man before her was not Woolsey.


    "Now would be a good time to point out my people expect more than we originally agreed to" suggested Larrin.


    "As the expedition commander here please be aware that I am fully briefed in on the original agreement. On my world we have a saying and that is you only get one bite at the apple" replied Daniel with a warm smile.


    "Where do I sign" asked a clearly frustrated Larrin.


    On the south pier of the city the Tel''tak had landed. As the pilot exited the small Goa''uld cargo vessel she stopped to breath in the salt air of the ocean around her while enjoying the warm sun on her face. Without looking around she failed to notice the man that waited to greet her.


    "Vala Mal Doran, it is good to see you once again" said Teal''c with a slight nod of his head.


    "Muscles, darling! I expected Daniel but you''ll do nicely" smiled Vala.


    "Daniel Jackson is currently attending to diplomatic matters. The shock on his face when he learned of your arrival made clear his enthusiasm to see you also" replied Teal''c.


    "This place is marvelous. An entire galaxy at my feet, just imagine the possibilities for a girl in my position" hinted Vala.


    "I believe your duties will preclude the opportunity to resume your favorite off world past times" replied Teal''c calmly.


    "I''ll find some fun for us yet Muscles just wait and see" replied Vala with a wink.

 Chapter 124

    Wraith Hive Ship


    Sitting in the throne room the Wraith queen known as The First was filled with a frightening and furious anger. The destruction of the shipyard by the humans was of no concern, as she expected as much from them and had several shipyards elsewhere producing the much needed additions to the Wraith fleet. What angered her most were the continued actions of the betrayer. His insolence could no longer be tolerated. The last commander she had assigned to run down the betrayer had not only failed in his task to deliver her prey''s head to her, but had joined the ranks of her prey.


    Her monumental ego did not permit the thought of how tenuous her position among the other queens truly was. In her bloodl.u.s.t for revenge against the betrayer The First was quickly loosing her iron like grasp over several of her key commanders. Despite the spike in defections to the other side she was confident that her building and cloning program would provide more than sufficient fodder to her armada.


    Knowing that a decisive showdown was on the horizon major cullings were underway. Worlds already culled deeply were being culled completely. The long term cost of stripping these worlds bare of human life was seen as a necessary evil to rid the galaxy once and for all of the two groups that opposed her. Once the war was won the excess Wraith being brought into existence for this fight would be fed upon to make up for the shortfall in humans to feed upon.


    With her anger and venom boiling over the turmoil within the Wraith hive mind was known to all. With a pragmatic approach to their survival several key commanders quietly plotted their individual defections. The cracks within the shiny veneer of Wraith solidarity continued to fissure unchecked.


    In another corner of the galaxy Todd was aware of the deep divisions forming in the forces he faced. Bringing to bear his skills at political adroitness he exploited these divisions. Knowing he could oppose his enemy directly he also sought to oppose his enemy from within their own ranks. The defections that started as a trickle would soon grow into an unchecked tide. Todd was certain that in this instance time was most assuredly on his side.


    P4X-650


    Within the city of Shambhala a steady rhythm to daily life had been quickly found for the new arrivals. Both the People of Novus and the Tollan''s were now situated and making the most of their new home. Understanding how traumatic an upheaval like the loss of a home world can be the Novan''s went above and beyond in making the Tollan''s feel welcome. This interaction had been encouraged very subtly by Camille Wray in the hopes of swaying Tollan public opinion towards the Tauri.


    The outpouring of material assistance from the Five Races had been staggering. Everything from basic necessities to luxuries such as entertainment devices found their way to the city''s new inhabitants. It was felt that after the tribulations both races had been through they should want for nothing while adjusting to their new surroundings. Slowly a division in beliefs was forming among the Tollan''s. One side felt that the amount of kindness being shown was proof of the benevolent intentions of the Tauri, while the other side felt it amounted to a slap in the face that their new found technological preeminence was undeserved by their hosts.


    Having closely monitored the developing positions of the opposing factions within the Tollan people Camille Wray had dutifully reported her findings to the SGC. In a cryptic reply General O''Neill had told her not to worry as help was on the way. What exactly that meant she still had as yet to figure out fully.


    For the past twenty minutes delegates of the Five Great Races had been arriving at Shambhala. At the request of Chancellor Travell the impromptu summit had been put together. Unknown to Travell this meeting afforded the Tauri the chance to reaffirm their level of technological prowess over their new guests.


    At General O''Neill''s request the assembled gathering of leaders met on the highest tower in the city''s scenic balcony. This balcony possessed an amazing view of the skyline, and the deep lake Shambhala was built around. To even the ascended beings within the group the panoramic view was inspiring.


    "The location of this meeting I find highly irregular. Diplomatic protocol dictates a more formal setting than this" protested Travell.


    "We''re setting protocol to the side for the moment Chancellor. I thought you might like the chance to see something new" hinted O''Neill.


    "The city is even more impressive than I first imagined General" conceded Narim.


    "Why thank you Narim. That''s very nice of you to say" said O''Neill with a smile.


    "This city is a truly impressive achievement" added Dorin.


    "I must agree with Ambassador Dorin. Shambhala is a centerpiece within this galaxy" stated Freyr.


    "The young have come far" said Lya with her customary smile.


    "Chancellor Travell, I trust you have settled in well into your new surroundings" stated Melia.


    "We have" answered Travell curtly.


    "General O''Neill what exactly did you wish for us to see here today" asked Narim.


    "General, Atlantis exited hyperspace four minutes ago and is entering the atmosphere now" interjected Wray.


    "Well Narim, if you''ll turn your attention skyward you''ll see in a few moments" replied O''Neill.


    In the sky high above could be seen a massive fireball plummeting through the upper atmosphere. To the untrained this fireball could easily be mistaken for a meteor or other similar object breaking apart under the building drag of the planets atmosphere. To the initiated though, this was nothing more than a city ship completing its final descent for touch down.


    "Are we in danger General" asked Narim with concern.


    "Not at all Narim. That is Atlantis come to deliver a new member to the Shambhala team" replied Jack.


    The imposing form of the city ship steadied its rate of descent and angle of attack. With a grace that belied its size Atlantis came to a stop at seven thousand feet for a perfectly controlled vertical descent to the lake below. The sight of it even to those who had seen it before was awe inspiring. Once on the surface of the lake a telescoping hallway like sky bridge extended towards the center spire of Atlantis.


    "If you''ll excuse me I will go fetch Dr. Weir. Camille, care to join me" asked Jack.


    Wordlessly Wray followed the General. Having read so much about Elizabeth Weir she was enthused at the chance to meet the woman she had thought dead.


    "I am thankful for the opportunity to see such a sight as this. Truly amazing" proclaimed Narim.


    "Are we to believe the Tauri built this flying city of theirs" asked Travell with venom in her voice.


    "No Chancellor you are not. It was my race that built Atlantis" said Melia simply.


    "The Tauri have made use of Atlantis to great effect" added Freyr.


    "What of this shipyard I have heard so much about. Arkos I believe they call it" asked Travell.


    "We too built Arkos many millions of years ago" replied Melia.


    "Do you not see the problems this can create? Intrusting a primitive race with such advancements is dangerous. It also upset''s the natural progression a race must endure. Technology should never be used to save a race that cannot save themselves" spat Travell.


    "Chancellor, what my race opts to do with our technology is our decision and ours alone" rebutted Melia.


    "Who exactly are your race" demanded Travell.


    "We are the ancients. More to the point we are the creators of mankind in our image within this galaxy and others" stated Melia simply.


    "It is not wise to turn over such advancements to a race lacking in the basic understandings of advanced science. I feel it my duty to intervene on behalf of the Tauri for their benefit" said Travell.


    "Intervene how exactly Chancellor" asked Freyr.


    ''Turn these advancements over to the Tollan. We can mentor the Tauri in its use so that they might reap the fullest benefits when they are ready" smoothly stated Travell.


    "Your ploy is entirely transparent. You seek not to aide the Tauri. You simply wish to have technological superiority over them once more. We seeded this galaxy with human life as it was our wish to do so. We unleashed the Goa''uld menace upon mankind to temper you into something much stronger than we could be. Although you would deny what I am about to say the fact is nonetheless undeniable to your creator. The Tollan people were originally from Earth. If anything you should thank your brothers and sisters for coming to your aid although they owed you nothing" stated Melia with slight annoyance in her voice.


    "This does not alter the fact that they are primitive in comparison. They are not ready. No race should use advanced technology to save another no matter what they may face" argued Travell.


    "Chancellor, you might wish to reconsider that statement, especially when in my company" urged Dorin.


    "Why would I do such a thing Ambassador? Please provide one example supporting your request" demanded Travell.


    "In your people''s history I am certain you are aware of the Omeyocan and Crystal Skull. Using the Crystal Skull your people were transported into the care of the Omeyocan who stated very simply that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Do you dispute what I have said thus far" asked Dorin.


    "I do not, but fail to see the point you are striving to make Ambassador" answered Travell.


    "The skull and the Omeyocan are creations of my race. We, the Furling sought to protect those that could not protect themselves yet with our technology. Without that assistance your race would have either remained on Earth and developed at their pace, or been enslaved by the Goa''uld and transported elsewhere in this galaxy to toil as expendable labor. The argument you make is moot" explained Dorin dryly.


    "The conduct in which you have continued to conduct your affairs is unacceptable behavior for someone of your position. As a member of the Asgard High Council we hope to see change in your people''s leadership, although our friendship is not contingent on such a change it is recommended" added Freyr.


    "Might I point out that charges have been leveled against the Chancellor? Very shortly she will stand in judgment for the allegation of murder and other duplicitous actions. A movement within her people is already at work that the Nox support fully, and that is the Chancellor''s removal from her posting as head of the Tollan government" interjected Lya.


    At the addition of the last few remarks Travell''s normal steely fa?ade crumbled. As her eyes began to water she could only wish she were anywhere else than where she currently stood. Several hours later watching the security camera footage of the dialogue after he stepped away Jack thoughts took on an almost philosophical quality about the topic. You had to feel sorry for her in a way he thought. It''s an extraordinary tale of an old woman who survives her races near annihilation, stuck for years on a desolate rock, only to finally get off that rock and end up as the prime suspect in a murder and government corruption trial. You can''t write stuff better than this he thought.

 Chapter 125

    Pluto


    Docked within Arkos on the lowest level sat Atlantis, newly arrived from her brief stopover at Shambhala. The towering majesty of the city ship brought out curious onlookers from all over Arkos. Moments after coming to rest in her docking area Atlantis began a monumental exchange of data both to and from Arkos station. The acc.u.mulated data gathered over the ancients time in Pegasus would be added to the information storehouse aboard the station.


    In the years since her discovery Atlantis had seen many battles. Acc.u.mulated damage from these many trials had been repaired somewhat by the Asuran''s during their brief control over the city, but a large majority of the damage had remained unresolved. Time constraints immediately after the discovery of Arkos had precluded the opportunity for an in-depth repair and upgrade cycle much like her sister ship Borealis had recently undergone, but that was changing. With time and resources available Atlantis would now be returned to her former glory, and come out more powerful than ever before.


    Deep within each of the six piers of the giant city subspace capacitors were being installed and tied into the cities power distribution grid. Elsewhere, far beneath the central tower Asgard neutrino ion generators were emplaced and brought online. These would be directly tied to the ever powerful and energy hungry shield emitters.


    While power generation matters were attended to below decks on the surface activity was also underway. At the end of each of the six piers that made up Atlantis new equipment was being added in the form of a battery of two Asgard plasma beam firing positions per pier. Carrying a limited number of drones it had been thought a wise precaution to add this technology to the city sh.i.p.s. In the event of orbital combat, like Atlantis had found herself in above Earth these beams might well spell the difference between life and death. Within the drone armory changes were underway also. Straightforward modifications to this weapons storehouse would increase the total amount of drones Atlantis could cay by fifteen percent. While that may not seem like a large increase these weapons were the most potent weapon in the known universe, and even a few could turn the tide of a battle quickly.


    Overseeing the monumental repair and upgrade effort was Mr. Woolsey. Standing in the city''s control center the expedition commander juggled the enormous amounts of information and status reports being thrown his way. With a small smile he listened as Zelenka cursed furiously in Czech over the ongoing instillation of both the Asgard and Furling databases. Ascending the stairs and walking towards Woolsey was a man he had never seen before. With regal bearing the man introduced himself to the expedition commander.


    "Mr. Woolsey, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance" said the man with a gracious smile.


    "A pleasure to meet you as well, though I''m afraid I don''t know your name" replied Woolsey.


    "Forgive me. I am Ithon, of the Furling" replied the man.


    "What can I do for you Ithon" asked Woolsey.


    "I''ve come to inform you I will be joining your expedition on its return to Pegasus. The Council of the Five Great Races has nominated me as its representative for our efforts" stated Ithon smoothly.


    "Just what might those efforts be" asked Woolsey.


    "As man who has been involved in the oversight of your people''s travels through the gate in this galaxy and others I am aware that you are familiar with a crystal skull found by your SG-1" stated Ithon without question.


    "That mission predates my time in the program, but I am aware of the mission particulars having read the report" responded Woolsey.


    "The crystal skulls are a defensive tool conceived by the Furling. It allows for transport to another phase of being for any who make use of it. Within this phased region of existence reside the Omeyocan, a sentient race of beings created to stand guard over those who are unable to defend themselves" replied Ithon.


    "I see, but I fail to see how this involved the Atlantis expedition" countered Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey, I will be presenting the worlds of Pegasus with examples of this device. The reason for this is twofold. First it will safeguard sentient life. Second, it will greatly assist in your campaign against the Wraith threat" answered Ithon.


    "And you need me to make the introductions for you to the Coalition of Planets I''m guessing" said Woolsey.


    "That would be of great assistance" answered Ithon brightly.


    "The people of Pegasus are unlike those found in this galaxy. They may not accept your assistance. Their first question will be much the same as the one I am thinking of now. Why would you offer this now" asked Woolsey carefully.


    "Mr. Woolsey, all sentient life shares a common bond, and that is life. So are not all sentient beings brother and sister due to that bond" asked Ithon.


    "I see your point. I must warn you though that while I understand what you are wanting to do, I''m not sure the people of Pegasus will" warned Woolsey.


    "One must believe. Faith in all things is a reward unto itself" replied Ithon.

 Chapter 126

    Shambhala


    Going over various reports on her iPad Camille Wray enjoyed her hot tea during a quiet moment in her office. One thing she had learned was that administrative duties over a city of this size were never ending. Still it was a challenge she was thankful to be given an opportunity to face. Hearing the pleasant chime of the office door ring out Camille looked up to see Elizabeth Weir enter her office.


    "Elizabeth, thank you for coming. Please, have a seat" said Camille, ever the gracious host.


    "Thank you Camille. Forgive my disturbing your quiet moment alone" replied Weir.


    "During my time aboard Destiny I had more than ample opportunity to enjoy solitude, enough for a lifetime" replied Wray.


    "I can''t begin to imagine what it must have been like for you" said Weir sincerely.


    "Much like your first year in Atlantis I assume. Under constant threat, cut off from everything and everyone you know, and unsure if you would ever see Earth again. Thoughts of how you handled that first year in Pegasus got me through my time on that ship" replied Wray honestly.


    "What is it you needed to speak with me about" asked Weir.


    "General Landry asked that I speak with you about whether you''ve come to a decision about remaining in your current body or retaking human form" stated Wray.


    "Ah. I knew that question would rear its head sooner rather than later. That is an issue I''ve put a great deal of thought into. If the answer I''ve reached effects my remaining in Shambhala I perfectly understand" sighed Weir.


    "What answer might that be Elizabeth" asked Wray.


    "Everything happens for a reason, even if we don''t fully accept or enjoy that reason. When I first learned of Rodney''s reactivation of my nanites to save my life I was less than thrilled to be very honest. Overtime I came to accept that it was not something I could change. My time on Asuras was incredibly hard, but I came to see the strength in the replicators on an individual basis. Now I find myself in the position of not being able to comprehend a life in a human body" answered Weir.


    "So you want to keep the replicator body? That''s a bit of a surprise" said Wray.


    "It shouldn''t come as a surprise at all. By trade I am a diplomat first and foremost. On Earth there were many like me, but among the replicators I am unique. With that in mind I feel it my duty to guide them along a path far different than that of the Asuran''s. Frankly, they need me and I need them. This is our chance to usher in a fresh beginning between mankind and machine kind. It is my privilege to play a role in this and I don''t intend to miss it" stated Weir.


    "You really do view them as your people now don''t you" asked Wray.


    "I do, but I will always view myself as human first and foremost. Nothing can ever change that. My time on Atlantis and within Pegasus opened my eyes to so much I never once considered. My place is here, and with them. Please tell the General that my decision has been made" said Weir.


    "General O''Neill won''t be pleased about this I''m sure" confided Wray.


    "I''m sure. Because I''m a machine no doubt" replied a somewhat irritated Weir.


    "No, because this means he lost his bet with General Landry" laughed Wray.


    "Some things never change" smirked Weir.


    "The Tollan''s have informed me their attempts to reactivate their recovered databases are going well. They should be fully restored and online in the coming days" said Wray shifting topics.


    "Good, that brings them one step closer to normalcy" smiled Weir.


    "It is good, but the bad part is this means we''re that much closer to having Shambhala''s first trial, or in this case Triad" wryly answered Wray.


    "The dividing lines are already being drawn throughout the Tollan''s. Travell isn''t the most diplomatic of diplomat''s I''ve found. Personally, I don''t think her chances of coming out the victor in this are good at all" confided Weir.


    "Then you are in agreement with the majority. I''ll never admit it to anyone but you, but General O''Neill actually has a betting pool at Home World Command over what they do to her when found guilty" said Wray while rolling her eyes.


    "Very diplomatic of the General. Not much love lost between Jack and the Chancellor" replied Weir.


    "Let''s just hope we can keep the peace on the home front during and after" sighed Wray.

 Chapter 127

    Destiny


    Sitting in the command chair on the bridge of Destiny, Colonel Davidson reveled in his new command. Like a kid with a new toy the Colonel found he couldn''t contain his enthusiasm for the mission to come. That would come all in good time. For now Destiny and her eager commanding officer glided through space, at incredible speeds courtesy of the recently upgraded FTL drives.


    This jaunt out into the galaxy was the first of several planned evaluation exercises. In the hopes of getting a better feel for Destiny''s newly increased capabilities the ancient vessel was being put through her paces. All systems aboard would be pushed to their full designed abilities and then some before the evaluation exercises came to a close.


    With a majority of opposition fleet units eliminated at the battle of the super gate the Tauri high command felt confident in allowing Destiny to traverse the galaxy unrestricted. For this first series of tests Destiny found herself following a course that brought her within close proximity to the FJN planet of Chulak. After exiting FTL the vessel would recharge in Chulak''s sun before continuing on towards the November Site.


    "The increase in efficiency of the FTL drive is remarkable really. We''re running a pace several times faster than Destiny was capable of when we first found her" remarked Rush from his seat at the front facing control console.


    "FTL function is performing at optimum efficiency. We will reach our recharge point in five minutes at our current velocity" confirmed the avatar of Destiny.


    "Thank you Destiny. Well Doctor Rush, the ancients knew how to build them" conceded Davidson.


    "We''ll exit FTL near the seventh planet from the sun. A final aerobraking maneuver to adjust our heading and speed will occur ten minutes after exit. Then we recharge" added Rush.


    "Understood" replied Davidson.


    "I am detecting a subspace beacon within the target system" stated Destiny.


    "Is it encrypted" asked Rush.


    "No Doctor, the beacon is broadcasting an unencrypted repeating subspace beacon" replied Destiny.


    "Put the message on the overhead speakers Destiny" ordered Davidson.


    After listening to the message twice Colonel Davidson and Rush exchanged a look. This message and it''s conflicted with current Tauri intelligence estimates greatly. The Colonel, showing initiative decided on a course of action to follow in an instant.


    "We can deviate to another system to recharge Colonel" suggested Rush.


    "No, remain on course. We''ll shake the tree here and see what comes of it" replied Davidson.


    "Are you sure that''s wise Colonel" asked Rush.


    "If I didn''t know this man''s father I wouldn''t take the chance. Captain Heinz, send out a reply to the beacon following the instructions it provided" ordered Davidson.


    "What about weapons Colonel" asked Rush.


    "Bring the weapons online but leave them in standby. Captain Heinz fire off a bust message to the SGC and tell them what is going on. They''ll want to know about this also" replied Davidson.


    Three minutes later a reply came in from the SGC. General Landry wanted them to proceed into the system, and investigate the authenticity of the beacons message. Seconds after the messages receipt Destiny greatly decelerated and exited FTL. Gliding through the system her sensors peered out into space, searching for any potential threat that might be waiting for them.


    "I have a ship on sensors, it''s moving to intercept. Looks to be an Al''kesh" called out Captain Heinz.


    "An Al''kesh has nothing like the weaponry required to penetrate Destiny''s shields" stated Rush.


    "I agree. Continue on course" replied Davidson.


    "New contact! I''ve got a smaller vessel, under cloak. Based on size and cloaking capabilities estimate contact is a Tel''tak. New contact is veering away towards a parallel course. Al''kesh is closing" called out Heinz.


    "The incoming vessel is signaling Colonel. I will display the message on the overhead screens" stated Destiny.


    Looking at the overhead screens the message began to play out. The man speaking was clearly Jaffa, from the System Lord marking he bore on his forehead, to his traditional Jaffa armor.


    "Unknown vessel, you are entering sovereign territory of the Free Jaffa Nation. Leave this system immediately or you will be fired upon" warned the Jaffa twice.


    Watching the message and looking around at the others on the bridge Davidson gauged the tension in the air. Deciding it was beneficial to complete his new mission from Landry the Colonel replied to the incoming message.


    "Jaffa vessel, this is the Tauri vessel Destiny. We recognize your claims of sovereignty over the planet of Chulak, but do not honor your sovereignty over this entire system. With respect to freedom of navigation we will proceed on our current course. Any attempts to interfere with our passage will be viewed as a hostile act and be dealt with accordingly" replied Davidson to the Jaffa.


    Knowing the Tauri were far superior technologically, and seeing the massive ship in front of him in comparison to the Al''kesh the Jaffa broke off his intercept course. Engaging his sublight drives the Al''kesh moved swiftly away towards Chulak. Still running parallel to their course was the cloaked Tel''tak.


    "The cloaked cargo ship must be our friend that left the beacon. Send a subspace message that they are to form up near us under cloak" ordered Davidson.


    Without response the Tel''tak complied with Davidson''s wishes, as was confirmed by sensors. After five minutes the Colonel decided it was time to get to the bottom of the mysterious subspace beacon once and for all.


    "Unknown vessel, this is Colonel Ian Davidson, commander of the Tauri vessel Destiny. Please identify yourself" he said in the subspace broadcast.


    Two minutes went by without reply. Those on the bridge began to suspect it might be a trap, or some other form of Jaffa subterfuge. Still, a large part of the Colonel hoped it was not what the others suspected. The moment that thought lanced through his mind the overhead screens were illuminated with an incoming message.


    "Colonel Davidson, I am Ry''ac of Chulak, son of Teal''c. I come as a messenger of peace" said the young man.


    "Ry''ac, be aware that an informal state of war exists between our two nations due to the actions of your people. I advice you to not take any actions that may be deemed hostile in nature" replied Davidson.


    "I bring word of what has transpired within my nation. As your long time ally the Free Jaffa Nation seeks no battle with the Tauri" replied Ry''ac.


    "Son, your people beheaded our ambassador. That is not the act of an ally" countered Davidson.


    "Elements within the now deposed regime of Yat''Yir undertook those actions on behalf of the Lucian Alliance. After your defeat of his forces and those of the Lucian Alliance a state of civil war has raged on among the worlds of the Free Jaffa Nation. Everyday we come much closer to restoration of our chosen form of government, free of the Lucian Alliance warlords" stated Ry''ac.


    "Were you not your father''s son my government would not deem you worth listening to. Teal''c has done much for my world, and out of respect for that we have given him safe harbor. What is it you want" asked the Colonel.


    "We have done much to punish Yat''Yir and those that follow him. We cannot do it alone. On behalf of my people I request Tauri assistance in restoring our government so that a return to normal relations between our two peoples is possible" intoned Ry''ac.


    "I cannot authorize that, but will pass this information to those that can. In light of the danger to your safety do you require we return you to Earth" asked Davidson.


    "No Colonel, I must stand and fight alongside my people. Tell my father a great battle rages on in his name. The transgressors will not go unpunished. Please Colonel, take what I have said to your leaders. They alone can turn the tide towards democracy for the worlds of the Jaffa Nation" finished Ry''ac.


    "You have my word this will be delivered into their hands. Someone will be in contact with you, using the system you requested on your beacon. Do you have anything you would like passed along to your father" asked Davidson.


    "Just tell him I fight for him Colonel."

 Chapter 128

    Olesia


    Prompted by the deep space sensors aboard Borealis the Asgard O''Neill class vessel Iskr entered the system. Fulfilling the agreement to mount a joint effort in the Pegasus galaxy the Asgard contingent of warsh.i.p.s had performed a steady schedule of intercepts very much like this one. One certainty had been discovered. The Wraith were mercilessly culling worlds until they were entirely devoid of human life. This fact did little to garner the goodwill of the Asgard towards the Wraith.


    Standing at the control platform of the Iskr Thor moved the control stones over the panel before him. The powerful long range sensors aboard the O''Neill class vessel did not as yet detect any Wraith activity, but that would soon change Thor was certain.


    Olesia was a planet that could have once been called beautiful and highly advanced by Pegasus standards. The Olesian government many generations before had sought to bargain with the Wraith, in return for freedom from fear of cullings. To achieve this bargain the Olesian''s agreed to place prisoners on a large island in the planets ocean, where the Wraith could collect their prey at will. As long as prisoners were made available Olesia was free from danger. In later years with plummeting crime rates the Olesian government encountered severe problems filling the necessary quota of prisoners, so a simple adjustment to the planets legal system was made. Overnight, virtually every crime became punishable by exile to the penal island and death. When this system began to falter the Olesian''s simply resorted to manufacturing charges against any and all when warm bodies were needed.


    That had all changed shortly after the arrival of the Atlantis expedition. Having learned first hand how corrupt the government was steps were taken against the Olesian government. Instead of ignoring the penal colony of condemned men the Atlantis expedition had evacuated them from the planet. Of course the Wraith had their problems with this idea. The culling that followed in the days after the actions of those from Atlantis had decimated the population of the once advanced world. Where towering structures once stood, now lay ruble and ruins. Much like the Tollan people after their planets devastation the Olesian''s devolved into a primitive hunter gathers race simply trying to survive.


    In their weakened state the Olesian''s held little chance of survival against the Wraith should a battle ensue. Unfortunately, the Olesian''s were painfully aware of that fact. Instead of working towards a common goal as a race the people on the once advanced planet now found themselves much more shortsighted than during the days when their bargain with the Wraith was reached.


    Manipulating the control stone on the panel Thor altered the Iskr''s heading towards the next planet closer to the sun. He hoped that this move would mask his presence from Wraith sensors upon their arrival in the system. A glance at the display informed him that the other O''Neill he had requested would arrive in moments. Upon the arrival of Aegir and the Valhalla the two vessels tucked in behind their chosen planet and awaited the arrival of their expected and highly unwanted guests.


    Their wait was not long. Two hours later a Wraith Hive and three cruisers exited hyperspace. Sensors aboard the Iskr confirmed the stargate on Olesia was active, and this simple fact confirmed that this would indeed be a culling attempt as per Wraith standard operating procedure. With the gate active none could escape and knowing this the Wraith took a leisurely route towards the planet and prey that awaited them below.


    The three cruisers in the lead moved to achieve orbit of Olesia. The Hive coming in behind the much smaller vessels established a high orbit and prepared to unleash its waves of darts. The Iskr and Valhalla both quickly jumped into hyperspace for the millisecond trip to the far side of Olesia. Coming in from opposing sides of the planet, Iskr and Valhalla were a menacing surprise to the Wraith before them.


    "I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Your vessels are no match for the technology you see before you. Leave this world now and you will be sparred" said Thor in his communiqu¨¦.


    In return the cruisers began to independently maneuver. Standing off behind its protective screen the hive opened up with a punishing volley of energy bolts from its broadside battery. Blossoming under the impact the Asgard shields held strong under the punishing fire. Both Thor and Aegir were aware that if the Hive was destroyed first, the cruisers would seek the quickest route of escape from the battle. This thought and this thought alone had shaped their plan for the battle unfolding before them.


    With an agility that belied their great size the two O''Neill''s began a series of angled banking maneuvers. Iskr and Valhalla would play the hammer to the others anvil. Valhalla opened up with copious amounts of fire from its ion cannons. Lacking shielding technology the targeted cruiser absorbed the high energy bolts to a horrendous end. Striking the underside of the lead cruiser the ion bolts tore open jagged holes in the belly of the sleek Wraith combatant. Men, equipment, and other flotsam exploded into the vacuum of space upon breach of the organic hull.


    The second cruiser opened fire in an effort to support its besieged fellow Wraith vessel to little avail. Though the energetic blue bolts that were the hallmark of a Wraith ship to ship engagement found their mark, they failed to penetrate the ever powerful Asgard shields aboard the Valhalla. Seeing the opportunity he had hoped to find in this battle present itself before him Thor opened fire with a single well placed beam from the onboard plasma weapons. This beam arced out through the orbital track of Olesia, and impacted the rear of the cruiser attacking Valhalla. Cutting through the biopolymer organic armor, the plasma beam tore through multiple decks before impacting the cruisers hyper drive. In a terrific explosion cruiser two began to vent atmosphere as power began to fluctuate. Cruiser two was now adrift.


    Deftly turning on its axis, Iskr set course for the Hive in the distance. Seeing the advanced vessel taking aim upon them, the Hive let loose all the weapons fire it could muster. A steady torrent of blue energy bolts streaked across the void separating the two vessels. A steady stream of darts also began their high speed dash towards the aggressor in their midst. Iskr weathered the Hive''s weapons fire with little result. Doing some quick calculations Thor was uncertain if the added impact of the swarm of Darts would end in the same manner.


    With great speed and agility the Darts closed in on their target. Seeing the vessels before them withstand the great amount of weapons fire thrown at them, followed by the near destruction of two cruisers, the Dart pilots took aim on the Iskr. Throwing themselves into their mission bodily the high speed kamikazes drew closer and closer. With a series of thunderous explosions the small craft began to impact the Iskr''s shields. Seconds before Thor transferred all available power from the neutrino ion generators to the O''Neill class vessels shield emitters. It was this act that saved the Iskr.


    The destruction of each Dart brought about a problem unforeseen by the Wraith. Each Dart when grown to maturity was equipped with a biologically manufactured inertial dampener. The sudden destruction of these resulted in the production of an intense field of ionic and magnetic discharge. Suddenly the Hive''s sensors could not discern whether the Iskr had survived the horrific amount of destructive force intact.


    While this scene played out Aegir seized the momentary initiative and maneuvered Valhalla. Banking from left to right swiftly the last remaining cruiser could not keep weapons fire centered on the impressive Asgard vessel closing in. At the height of each banking maneuver Valhalla unleashed an unchecked volume of fire from the onboard ion cannons. Impacting from stem to stern the last cruiser was ravaged by the high intensity ion bolts the replicators had once feared. As fire continued to pour in compromised bulkheads aboard the cruiser lost their last shred of structural rigidity and failed. The once fearsome Wraith cruiser broke apart as fire consumed it from within.


    With sensor data unavailable to the Hive as to the status of the Iskr, the Wraith commander decided not to take any chances and continued pouring in broadside fire. This simple action rendered the crews efforts to return sensor function nil. Being orders of magnitude more sensitive, the Iskr has no such problem. Seeing his target before him, Thor moved the control stone on the panel before him. Exiting the obscured shields of the Iskr was an incredibly powerful green beam of energy. The Grodin, as the Tauri referred to the weapon, impacted the Hive''s hull. Immediately fractures began to form as the organic hull was compromised. Slicing cleanly through the body of the Hive the large Wraith vessel snapped in half. Severed power conduits ignited a firestorm within the two halves. Nothing was left alive in the firestorms wake.


    "Aegir, lock on to the cruiser nearest you with your tractor beam and I shall do the same. These two vessels that remain will be coming with us. The one known as Todd is expecting our arrival" said Thor via ship to ship message.

 Chapter 129

    White House


    Seated behind his desk in the oval office with a tumbler of scotch was President Henry Hayes. Also seated on couches around the room were General Jack O''Neill, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis, and a man and woman in civilian clothing. Due to the late hour of the evening normal protocol was being thrown out the window so decorum was casual.


    "This should really be fun to watch" laughed Hayes.


    "This is the part that''s never fun. First the eyes glaze over, then the mouth just kind of hangs there for a moment or two, and in one case the guy started to twitch. Mr. President, this is something you never really know how the person listening will receive what you''re saying" warned Jack.


    "I have to agree with General O''Neill on this one Mr. President" conceded Davis.


    "Jack, most diplomacy is just like that anyway" replied Hayes.


    Outside of the White House at the rear portico a black Mercedes Benz came to a stop. Exiting the vehicle was the Papal Nuncio. As the official ambassador to the United States for the Vatican the Papal Nuncio was an accredited diplomat of significant standing on the world stage. Archbishop Pietro Martinelli had enjoyed the privilege of this assignment for the past three years, but longed for a return to the city of his upbringing; Rome. One perk of his current posting was relaxed screening when entering the White House, and this was a perk he valued highly.


    Two Secret Service escorts quickly whisked the Papal Nuncio inside, away from any prying eyes that might be lurking in the distance. Right away the Archbishop knew something was awry. In every single visit since his appointment his arrival had been a much publicized affair, and far earlier in the day. These two changes in what was considered normal protocol made Archbishop Martinelli''s hair stand slightly on end. Something was about to happen, he simply had no clue what it was.


    Unknown to most people, the Vatican operated one of the more effective and proficient intelligence gathering efforts globally. From Cardinal''s to the newest parish priest gathered sensitive information, to help guide the Holy See into the future. Whenever something of note was learned, it was immediately whisked to Vatican City. During World War II American code breakers acting under orders had attempted and failed numerous times to crack the complex communications codes the Roman Catholic Church normally employed. Smelling an opportunity in the wind, the Archbishop steeled himself to mentally record every mannerism and nuisance of the President in this most unusual of meetings.


    Four minutes after his arrival at the White House Archbishop Martinelli was shown into the Oval Office. Looking around he noted two Air Force officers, and two civilians he did not recognize as important faces in Washington. Walking forward Martinelli raised his hand to shake that of President Hayes.


    "Your Eminence, thank you for coming at such a late hour" began Hayes.


    "It is always an honor to be of service Mr. President" replied Martinelli.


    "May I introduce you to the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Martinelli" said Hayes to the gathering.


    Greetings and introductions were exchanged between the military officers and Martinelli. The man and woman in attendance very politely shook his hand and greeted him with warm smiles, but did little in the way of introducing themselves. The Archbishop took this to mean the man and woman must clearly be members of the American Intelligence apparatus.


    "May I offer you a drink Your Eminence" asked Hayes.


    "The meeting is just beginning, I''m afraid I must decline" replied the Papal Nuncio.


    "Are you sure? It really might make what I''m about to share with you go down a bit smoother" suggested the President.


    "No thank you Mr. President. May I inquire as to the purpose of this meeting" asked Martinelli.


    "Well Your Eminence, we''ve asked you here today to share some information with you. We''re also hoping that the Holy See will be willing to lend his assistance in this matter. I must make clear to you though that this information is only to be shared with His Holiness and no one else" stated Hayes.


    "You have my word that this will go no further than the Pontiff Mr. President" replied Martinelli.


    "Please be cognizant of the fact that this information will alter the course of events for many generations to come. What I''m about to share will cause some to rejoice, and may very well polarize the views of others dangerously" hinted Hayes.


    "As always, anything discussed in this room will be dealt with in the highest degree of confidence Mr. President. Are you finally wishing to discuss Vatican involvement in brokering a peace accord with certain Middle East nations" asked Martinelli.


    "No, Your Eminence. The State Department has a handle on that. Paul, would you care to lead off on this" asked Hayes.


    "Of course Mr. President. Your Eminence, in 1928 during an archeological dig in Giza, Egypt by Doctor Paul Langford a find of immense importance was unearthed. This object, being circular in shape weighed in at roughly twenty nine tons. The object was of unknown origin. It was later discovered this object was alien in nature" smoothly stated Davis.


    "Could you repeat that Colonel? For a moment I thought I heard you say alien in nature" replied Martinelli warily.


    "Yes Your Eminence, alien in nature. To avoid capture of the object by Nazi forces it was transported later to the United States" continued Davis.


    "Colonel, simply because an object does not fit certain archeological theories does not mean it is alien in nature" countered Martinelli.


    "On that point I agree fully with you Your Eminence. To be more precise it would be best if we referred to the object recovered as a device" suggested Davis.


    "Young man, do you truly expect me to sit here and allow you to regale me with tales of alien devices being recovered in archeological digs" rebutted Martinelli with some amount of scorn in his voice.


    "Your Eminence, the Colonel is briefing you on facts" interjected Hayes.


    "It''s a hell of a device too" added O''Neill.


    "Approximately seventeen years ago after intensive study by a team of scientists the device was activated. When active the device creates an artificial wormhole that allows for near instantaneous travel to other planets in this galaxy and others that have a similar device" continued Davis.


    "You''ve used this device haven''t you" demanded Martinelli with a pale look on his face.


    "Many times Your Eminence. On the first mission thought the device, which we call a stargate, the team encountered a somewhat primitive human culture toiling under the thumb of oppression by a parasitic race posing as gods from ancient Egyptian mythology. On a side note the use of religion as a tool of oppression is something we''ve found to be a fairly common theme in multiple galaxies" explained Davis.


    "Stop right there Colonel. If this star gate as you termed it is alien in origin then please explain where the aliens who conceived and built the device are" asked Martinelli with a smug look on his face.


    With an apologetic look on his face Davis slowly pointed his index finger at the man and the woman seated across from Martinelli. With an intense look the Papal Nuncio stared long and hard at the duo.


    "Hello" said the man and the woman warmly.


    For the next two hours the briefing continued. Martinelli was informed about past accomplishments of the program, technological achievements, and the current state of intergalactic affairs. Finally his eyes began to glaze over, and President Hayes opted to stop the meeting where it was. A Secret Service agent quickly escorted Martinelli to his vehicle for the ride back to Massachusetts Avenue. Sitting in the vehicle as if in a daze, Martinelli was silent as the driver began to worry.


    "Just what the universe needs, reruns of Dancing with The Stars. What have the Americans done" Martinelli muttered to himself.


    In the Oval Office the collected group sat and chatted about how they thought the meeting had went.


    "At one point I really thought he was going to have a stroke. The last thing I want is a diplomat to die in my office" conceded Hayes.


    "The Papal Nuncio handles it far better than you told us to expect" stated Melia.


    "He was slightly concerned and beside himself though I admit" added Dorin.


    "We changed a lot of lives tonight. All in all I think he took it pretty well" smiled Jack.

 Chapter 130

    Athena


    After a full power sprint to the Milky Way and a brief layover within Arkos Station, the ultra powerful flagship of the Tauri fleet powered through hyperspace. Her destination was somewhere she had been before; the Milky Way super gate. This trip to the powerful Ori built portal was under far different circ.u.mstances than her last.


    Her mission was one of diplomacy and cooperation. A glimpse into American history would show that wars were one or lost based upon the coalition built to fight them. This war would be no different. While the Tauri and the Asgard possessed mighty fleets of sh.i.p.s in great number, the remaining Great Races had none. The addition of the fleets of Todd''s forces, and the Traveler''s reinforced the number of vessels standing against the Wraith, but few of these vessels matched the technological excellence of the Athena and O''Neill class vessels. Sh.i.p.s closely matching the power of the two classes were needed, and only one other race was known to posses them in any number.


    The Odyssey was the last Tauri vessel to make this perilous journey to the far corner of the universe. The circ.u.mstances of that voyage had been far grimmer than those surrounding Athena''s current deployment. While the Ori incursion had been dealt a fatal blow with the use of the Sangraal and the Ark of Truth, many unknowns existed. As was last known, Tomin had stepped forward to provide much needed leadership for the combined planet''s within the Alterran Home Galaxy. Was Tomin still in power? Had he brought peace and harmony to a people confronted with the realization that they had prostrated at the feet of false gods? If so, would he be willing to commit forces of his own to confront a foe that he had virtually no chance of ever encountering?


    The man tasked with finding the answers to these questions, and many more sat within the observation deck of Athena. Of medium height and build, with chestnut colored hair and brown eyes, the man possessed an easy charm and a frightening intellect. A career diplomat, Simon Barnes had made negotiations of this magnitude his life''s work. Having brokered international accords under the tutelage of Elizabeth Weir during her time with the United Nations had honed the new Under Secretary of State into a diplomatic figure often compared to the great Prussian statesman Otto Von Bismarck. Many within the Washington Beltway hoped that this titan of a man was up to the task of intergalactic negotiations.


    Colonel Aaron Eckhart had fast become accustomed to special missions to the far corner of the universe. After his handling of the mission to Destiny, his selection to command this mission had been without thought. One worry about his appointment to this mission came not from the White House, but from the Joint Chiefs. As a 302 pilot, Eckhart had been present at the first battle of the super gate; an ultimately losing battle. It was hoped that resentments from that battle long ago would not cloud his judgment or conduct during this mission. Seeing the Under Secretary sitting in the observation lounge alone, the Colonel entered for a few moments of discussion with his new guest.


    "Under Secretary Barnes, it''s a pleasure to have you aboard Athena" began Eckhart.


    "Thank you for having me Colonel. She''s a very impressive ship. I was just enjoying the view. This is what you call hyperspace, if I recall from my briefing" asked Barnes.


    "Yes Under Secretary, you are currently seeing hyperspace. We should arrive at the gate shortly" replied Eckhart.


    "Please, call me Simon" added the diplomat.


    "Totally off the record Simon, I have major reservations about this mission and it''s ramifications" boldly stated Eckhart.


    "I had the opportunity to review your file, and I understand your reservations" said Simon.


    "These people waged a war of conquest and extermination on our galaxy. To make matters worse, they attempted to unleash a biological contagion on our own planet! My question to you is how seeking out their assistance can be thought of as a good idea" demanded Eckhart.


    "Colonel, are you familiar with the term realpolitik? During the cold war our nation, which prides itself on personal freedoms and liberty, allied ourselves with some of the worst authoritarian dictators in a stand against communism. Granted, these dictators did nothing to promote these values we hold dear, and in many cases utterly suppressed them. With their assistance though, we contained communism through regional stability and that was of greater national interest than our own values. Realpolitik at work in life is far more common than you know" said Simon pragmatically.


    "I''ll defer to your judgment on this, and I hope you''re correct in your outlook. I''ve got my hands full keeping yourself and this vessel safe" conceded the Colonel.


    "Do you really think they would try something? Should I be worried" asked Simon.


    "Mr. Barnes, the Athena was conceived and designed to combat anything she might encounter. We''ve fought Ori sh.i.p.s before with our smaller sh.i.p.s and won. Should it come down to a contest of strength I promise you they will rue the day" replied Eckhart confidently.


    An announcement went out over the intercom system summoning Eckhart to the bridge. Bidding the Under Secretary goodbye, the Colonel moved towards the bridge. Looking around he noted the crew diligently making preparations for their entry into the super gate. Status of the myriad of systems aboard was checked and rechecked. Not knowing what they might be stepping into, offensive systems were powered and placed in standby as were the defensive shields. Energy from neutrino ion generators along with zpm''s coursed through the power conduits of the vessel, bringing her to full readiness.


    As the helmsman dialed the gate, the bridge crewed watched the super gate through the view screen. Bolts of energy crackled between the individual gate modules. As the worm hole formed, the massive unstable vortex of the event horizon shot outwards from the gate, before settling into a stable and shimmering surface. As sublight engines were brought online at low power, Athena entered the event horizon and was dematerialized. Milliseconds later the matter stream exited the Milky Way.


    Across the universe the Athena rematerialized as she exited the distant super gate. Stepping forward into the Alterran Home Galaxy, her powerful sensors scanned ahead for any potential threat. Detecting nothing in proximity, Athena engaged her sublight engines to carry her away from the super gate. As the event horizon collapsed in the distance Athena began to gain speed.


    "Helm, in the computer you will find telemetry data on this galaxy. Set course for Celestis and engage at maximum hyperspace" ordered Eckhart.


    "Roger that sir" replied the helmsman.


    "Sensors detect an inbound vessel! Boogie will exit hyperspace to our starboard" called out the sensor operator excitedly.


    "Helm, belay the order for hyperspace. Sound general quarters. Weapons and shields remained powered but in standby" ordered the Colonel.


    Around the Athena claxons rang out signaling the crew to take stations for general quarters. With a speed that spoke of the many hours of training, the crew reached their battle stations. Should anything happen, her crew stood ready.


    Five thousand kilometers to starboard, the imposing hulk of an Ori mothership broke free from hyperspace. While impressive in her size, the mothership was smaller than Athena in length. Having never before seen a vessel like the one before them, the mothership advanced slowly while scanning.


    "Incoming message Colonel" stated the communications officer.


    "Put it on screen" ordered Eckhart


    Displayed before the bridge crew on the holographic display screen, sat a Prior. Beginning without the normal fire and brimstone they were known for, the Prior began speaking. Lacking the bombast seen in the paste, Eckhart felt more inclined to listen without feelings of contempt.


    "Attention unknown vessel, if you intend any of this galaxy harm precede no further. If you come in friendship know that you are most welcome" stated the Prior.


    "Well that''s different" said the helmsman.


    "Communications officer, put me on screen for reply. Prior, I am Colonel Aaron Eckhart of the United States Air Force of Earth. We come in friendship. Aboard this vessel we carry a diplomat of our government who wishes to meet with your people''s leadership on a matter of great urgency" replied the Colonel.


    "Colonel Eckhart, welcome. Proceed to Celestis with our blessing" came the Prior''s reply.


    "OK helm, you heard the man. Celestis, maximum speed" ordered the Colonel.


    Accelerating away into the ethereal plain of hyperspace, Athena''s crew breathed a sigh of relief. The fears that they might have to fight their way in were unfounded. Though they were being welcomed to the planet of Celestis, Athena''s commanding officer kept the crew prepared for any eventuality by remaining at a heightened state of readiness. Operating at maximum hyperspace speed, Athena''s neutrino ion generators and zpm''s put out incredible amounts of power, her speed surpassing even that of an O''Neill class. This reduced the total trip time to mere minutes.


    Dropping out of hyperspace, Athena''s sensors detected three mothership''s in close proximity to the planet. Establishing orbit, messages were quickly exchanged with individuals within the City of Celestis on the planes below. Moments later instructions were provided for transport of the Under Secretary and his security team, a detachment of Marines.


    Loaded aboard a jumper, Simon looked upon the surface of the world beneath him. As the jumper descended, towering snow covered peaks came into view. Much like the Alps on Earth, these mountains were a beautiful sight. Beyond the mountains, coming into view, were the water covered Plains of Celestis. These stunningly beautiful plains surrounded a rocky island that was home to an even more impressive sight; The City of Celestis. Rising from the island, the City of Celestis was composed of domes buildings, and spires that rose into the air. Constructed of a golden hued stone, the city was breathtaking.


    Following the instructions that had been provided, the jumper set down in a stone courtyard. Ringing this courtyard were lush fruit trees. As the jumpers rear door opened, the sweet smell of flowers and fruit filled the craft. Stepping out into the temperate breeze, Simon noted the man waiting near the edge of the courtyard. Adjusting his tie, with security team in tow, the career diplomat started off towards the man.


    "I bid you good tidings and welcome to the City of Celestis. I am Hertis" began the man.


    "I thank you for receiving us unannounced Hertis. I am Under Secretary of State Simon Barnes" replied the diplomat.


    "Without your people, we would still toil under the oppression of the Ori. You are most welcome here. The Administrator awaits, please follow me" replied Hertis.

 Chapter 131

    Plains of Celestis


    Walking through the city, Simon noted monks going about their studies. Men, woman, and children also could be seen going about their day. Everyone they passed had smiles on their faces, and appeared in good spirits. That was important to Simon, as it gave insight into what he might expect from the government. Making their way down a long hallway of gleaming marble floors, the delegation was lead to an ornate library. As they entered the room, Simon recognized the man seated at the table from the photo in his file. Rising from his seat, the man introduced himself.


    "Greetings! You have traveled far for this audience. I am Administrator Tomin" he said.


    "On behalf of the United States of America, and the nations of Earth I bring you our thanks for receiving this humble delegation. I am Under Secretary of State Simon Barnes. It is an honor to make your acquaintance" replied Simon.


    "Please, make yourself comfortable. Can I offer you something to drink perhaps" asked Tomin.


    "No thank you Administrator Tomin" replied Simon.


    "After coming so far, I must ask what this meeting is regarding" asked Tomin.


    "I am here today to discuss a threat that exists to all mankind and to ask for your assistance" replied Simon smoothly.


    "We are a simple people Under Secretary Barnes. I fail to see what we could possibly do that yours cannot. After all, you are far more advanced than we" replied Tomin.


    "Trust when I say you and your people rest at the heart of the solution to this problem" replied Simon.


    "What exactly is this problem you speak of" asked Tomin.


    "In a galaxy not our own my countryman are at war. Our opponent will stop at nothing to reduce every human civilization they encounter to nothing more than defenseless fodder. The race in question is known as the Wraith, and they defeated the race that once lived on this planet with those who later became known as the Ori" stated Simon.


    "If they are as powerful as you say, then why have you opted for war against them" questioned Tomin.


    "It is not a war we sought, but a war we are compelled to fight nonetheless" replied Simon.


    "What might that reason be Under Secretary" asked Tomin.


    "This may come as a shock to you as it did I Administrator Tomin. The war is being waged over resources, one resource in particular; food" stated Simon.


    "Your people have no shortage of food, so I do not see the logic in fighting a war over such things" replied Tomin.


    "The Wraith feed on the life force of human beings Tomin. Those like you and I are their means of sustenance" said Simon.


    "They eat men and women" asked Tomin somewhat shocked.


    "In a manner of speaking, yes. They feed off the life force with our bodies. Once feeding begins, they drain energy from the human body through the means of an opening on their hand. As energy is drawn away the human ages dramatically until their live is ended. My understanding is the process takes less than one minute start to finish" replied Simon in a matter of fact manner.


    "That is damnation come to life" recoiled Tomin.


    "Indeed it is. The Wraith hunt humans in great numbers, using massive sh.i.p.s they call Hives. Moving from world to world a single Hive can bring about the death of many tens of thousands of humans per year. It is estimated that over sixty Hives exist at this time, with more being grown. Entire worlds have been left devoid of life because of this. When a race grows advanced enough to wage a defense, the Wraith simply bombard the planet from the safety of space" said Simon somberly.


    "I see now why you are here. You lack the numbers to defeat so many despite the impressive abilities of your sh.i.p.s" stated Tomin.


    "We have greatly increased our fleet numbers, but do not have the amount of sh.i.p.s we feel will ensure a decisive victory. Your sh.i.p.s are incredibly powerful, and could very well turn the tide of war in our favor" replied Simon


    "While horrible, this enemy posses no threat to my people" countered Tomin.


    "Administrator Tomin, the Wraith view all of mankind as their bread basket. While they may not represent a direct threat to you now, I promise you that will change. I know well the turmoil you went through watching the Ori force you to slaughter innocents. The amount of guilt you must feel is surely more than any man should ever bare. Taking a stand here and now on behalf of all of mankind is a form of atonement for past transgressions. Did my people not believe in the goodness of your heart I can assure you we would not be having this discussion" pressed Simon.


    "You make a very compelling argument for why we should intercede in this matter. The atrocities committed at the behest of the Ori are something I will never forgive myself for, and my people feel the same. If we do join this quest to irradiate the Wraith menace we do so knowing it can never atone for actions in the past that can never be undone" said Tomin solemnly.


    "It is an opportunity for a new beginning for your people. To that end I am authorized to extend the full weight of my nation''s resources to better prepare your people for the future, a future you have a great measure of control over" offered Simon.


    "What is it your nation wishes to share" asked Tomin with a measure of surprise in his voice.


    "Medical assistance that would rid your people of sickness and disease, agricultural technology that would quadruple your crop yields and education so that your people can understand the technology that has been left in their care instead of simply making use of it" stated Simon.


    "Sharing these things would be of great benefit to my people, and I thank you for them. What troubles my people most is a matter we are unable to combat on our own. This is something that haunts each and every one of us" hinted Tomin.


    "Perhaps we can be of assistance in dealing with this manner" suggested Simon.


    "I''m certain you can be. This particular menace came to be not long after your people brought the truth of the Ori to our eyes. When your people showed the truth to the Doci and Priors of Origin it seemed that we were finally free from fear of oppression. Instead of accepting the truth, one Prior decided to make use of his ship and followers to fight a war of conquest. He does this not out of religious zeal, but out of greed and vanity instead. Our vessels, while matching the power of his, are unable to harm him. Your people posses technology capable of defeating him and his ship. I would ask that in return for our assistance that you rid my people of the menace we face at home" stated Tomin.


    "My government would be agreeable to what you propose. Any information you could provide to assist in locating this rogue Prior would be most helpful" replied Simon.


    "The sh.i.p.s you saw in orbit will transmit what we know before your departure. In return for this I am willing to commit four of our available sh.i.p.s to this war with the Wraith. Is their anything else that can be provided" inquired Tomin.


    "Actually, there is. As you are well aware we share a common ancestry. The branch of Alterran''s we are descended from resided on Ortus Mallum. History, being of great importance to my people is what drives this request. We would ask that we be allowed to study Ortus Mallum to better learn where it is we came from" requested Simon.


    "I see no problems with this request. You have my consent" replied Tomin.


    Over the next two hours the details of the alliance between the two worlds were hammered out. When all was agreed upon and clear the meeting came to its conclusion. The delegation returned to their jumper for the flight to Athena and the journey home. Passing over Ortus Mallum on the flight out, Simon leaned back in his seat and smiled. On those rare occasions in diplomacy where everything seems to go your way it was a good day indeed.


    As the jumper docked in the jumper bay aboard Athena, Simon''s presence was requested the commanding officer. Exiting the jumper and making his way to the bridge, the Under Secretary was all smiles. Upon seeing this Colonel Eckhart stood from his seat.


    "You look like the cat that swallowed the canary" joked the Colonel.


    "Every point we wanted, we got. They even agreed to give in on a pie in the sky request with Ortus Mallum. If only they could all be this easy" replied Simon.


    "How many sh.i.p.s will they be sending" asked Eckhart.


    "Four, but there''s a catch" replied Simon.


    "A catch? Not a fan of those in the least. Ok, so what is the catch" asked Eckhart.


    "It seems they have a Prior gone rogue with his ship. Being a problem they can''t handle, they asked if we would be so kind as to make the problem go away. Since I have been empowered to negotiate with the full authority of the President I agreed. Look''s like someone will be going Prior hunting" suggested Simon.


    "That dovetails with my standing orders nicely" replied Eckhart.


    "Care to enlighten me" asked Simon.


    "Now is neither the time nor the place for that. If it happens I''ll let you know" replied the Colonel.


    "I really don''t like the sound of that at all" muttered Simon.


    "Helm, set course for the super gate" ordered the Colonel.


    Breaking orbit, Athena effortlessly glided past the three mothership''s in orbit. Seeing the powerful vessels that had once been so feared this close caused some level of concern for members of the crew, even though they were aware of just how powerful Athena truly was. Bringing hyperspace engines online, Athena once again leaped into the ethereal plain and sped away. At maximum speed the trip took scant minutes to complete.


    Exiting hyperspace Athena''s sensors noted a single mothership in the vicinity of the gate. This came as little surprise to the crew as when they had entered the galaxy a single mothership had met them. Clearly, it had remained on station. On the bridge the mood was relaxed by the knowledge that they were heading home.


    "Sensors show a single mothership Colonel" said the sensor operator.


    "They must have hung around after we left" replied the Colonel.


    "Incoming message from the mothership sir" called out the communications officer.


    "Put it on screen" replied Eckhart.


    "As the screen came to life a single Prior could be seen. That was to be expected. The unexpected part is it was not the same Prior they had encountered before.


    "Life and death, light and darkness, hope and despair. The rift was created, and on that day, the Ori were born. But the hatred of those who strayed from the true path festered and bloomed in the dark corners of the Avernakis to which they have been cast! And consumed by this hatred, the poisoned all they touched, bringing death, darkness, and despair. And the souls of their victims knew no peace, until the Ori came, and whispered to them; ''Sleep, for the end draws near!'' And on that day all will rejoice, then the Ori come and lay them low" intoned the Prior righteously.


    "That''s not good. Shields up now, and give me an open channel to reply to this guy" ordered Eckhart.


    "Channel is hot Colonel" replied the communications officer.


    "You managed to get three out of six right. The last time our forces met, we delivered death, darkness, and despair. We did much the same to those you called gods. Apparently the same reruns are playing in two galaxies, because I''ve heard all this before. Now get to your point" defiantly stated Eckhart.


    "They are powering weapons" called out the sensor operator.


    Seconds later an intense beam of light erupted from the conical dish shaped area to the front of the mothership. This powerful beam covered the distance to Athena in seconds. Impacting the shields, it failed to penetrate as the energy screen held firm. Inside the Athena, members of the crew were jostled around by the mammoth impact.


    "Some people have no sense of humor at all. Evasive maneuvers" ordered Eckhart.


    On command the Athena began to maneuver in an erratic and unpredictable pattern. Turning left and right, climbing and descending, she maneuvered ever closer to her target. While this was happening, three more volleys from the mothership''s main weapon collided with the Athena''s shields.


    "Shields are at eighty seven percent" called out the defensive systems officer.


    "I''ve had about enough of this. Weapons officer, switch the plasma weapons from standby to active. Give me half power sustained volleys. In case of shield breakthrough make your targets differing spots about the hull" ordered the Colonel.


    Seconds later a series of plasma beams shot out from the Athena. Covering the distance to target in seconds, the mothership''s shields began to fluctuate in intensity.


    "Enemy shields are losing strength rapidly" called out the sensor operator.


    "Give me another volley, different aim points on the hull" ordered Eckhart.


    As she maneuvered, plasma beams once again sprang forth from Athena. Striking the powerful shields of the mothership, they once again performed their designed function, and neatly bypassed the protective screen. Inside the powerful protective bubble, the mothership''s hull vented atmosphere from multiple points.


    "Enemy shields are collapsing. Sensors are reading explosive decompression on multiple decks. Life signs are dropping fast" called out the sensor operator.


    "Once the shields are down secure the plasma beams and bring the galaxy class lasers online. Continue your fire with those until all life signs aboard read zero" coldly ordered the Colonel.


    As the mothership''s shields buckled entirely, the Asgard designed galaxy class lasers went active. These precise low power lasers were incredibly lethal to anything lacking shields. As Athena maneuvered in close to the mothership these lasers cut through the hull with almost surgical precision. In less than a minute the last of the remaining life signs aboard were extinguished aboard the damaged vessel.


    "Sensors indicate zero life signs and no life support viability remaining on all decks" stated the sensor operator.


    "Ok then that settles that. Last time we ventured out this far into the universe we came home with a souvenir. How about we make it two for two? Lock onto the vessel with the tractor beam. Helm, dial the gate for home. Communications officer, signal Celestis that their rogue prior problem, well, it''s no longer a problem" ordered Eckhart.

 Chapter 132

    Pluto


    With repairs complete, Atlantis engaged her mighty shields in preparation for departure. Not since before the ancients had abandoned the great city had Atlantis been in such a fine state of repair. With the recent additions to Atlantis she and Borealis were once again similarly equipped. Time away from Pegasus while welcome, had the city sh.i.p.s crew on the edge of their seat in anticipation to return.


    Maneuvering with elegance and grace, the towering city ship cleared her bonds, and moved closer to the energy screen separating the interior of Arkos station from space. Standing sentinel outside the station were the Aurora class vessels Senator Armstrong and Senator Michaels. Breaking free of the bonds of the station Atlantis began to maneuver away to her appointed location where the jump to hyperspace would be made.


    "Are we ready for our return to Pegasus Radek" asked Woolsey.


    "We are Mr. Woolsey. Atlantis will be piloting for the duration. It''s good to finally have everything in working order" stated Radek.


    "I''m sure you and your team are anxious to examine the Asgard and Furling databases also" said Woolsey.


    "That we are. Thinking of what we may find in the Furling database kept me awake last night. This could potentially be very exciting" replied a most excited Radek.


    In the distance a hyperspace window tore open. Exiting this window was the Athena, with an object in tow. Thirty seconds later Athena and Atlantis glided past one another. Woolsey and Zelenka standing in the control room looked out the open balcony doors at the vessel as she slipped past.


    "Radek, please correct me if I''m wrong. Was that vessel towing an Ori mothership" asked a confused Woolsey.


    Air Force One


    Thirty eight thousand feet above the Kansas prairie the silver, blue, and white livery of Air Force one was aloft. The four General Electric turbofan engines propelled the converted 747 towards its destination at five hundred and sixty miles per hour. Inside the luxuriously appointed aircraft was the President, and members of his staff along with a key advisor.


    While staff members went over the President''s on the ground itinerary in the main conference room, the head of state sat in his office. Within this Oval Office in the sky a discussion was taking place that had ramifications for all mankind. Simultaneously, within the Pentagon a similar working group was having a very similar discussion with members of the military and several government agencies in attendance.


    "Level with me Paul, where are we at" said President Henry Hayes.


    "The intelligence estimates speak for themselves Mr. President. On one hand we have the best case scenario, where a post disclosure world joins together and humanity embraces a common cause. On the other hand we have bedlam and chaos, with religious fundamentalists taking arms and a total breakdown of social order. With the number of unknown variables at play it''s difficult to really asses the impact disclosure will have" replied Lieutenant Colonel Davis.


    "What of the test cases I authorized" the President asked.


    "As you know, we''ve been conducting several evaluation test cases per your authorization. The test group is divided into civilian and military groups, covering the gamut of age ranges, socioeconomic background, educational background, and religious preference. Between both groups the single most accepting of the information provided were males between eighteen and twenty five. The single least cooperative demographic appears to be males thirty three to forty five, with no college education, and a devout religious background. Doctor McKay''s briefing will provide a base line of acceptance from the academic community, but predictions favor a positive outlook" stated Davis.


    "We can''t afford any revolt following disclosure. The legacy of this administration cannot be a world uprising, and toppled governments. Where do we stand with the countermeasure to prevent disaster" asked Hayes.


    "We''ve had a great deal of success on that front Mr. President. Technicians at Area fifty one have managed to reprogram the device, and built in a number of safeguards into the programming to prevent any foreseen eventuality. Seventy six of the eighty two satellites needed for global coverage are in place now, and the final six will be on station in the next twenty four hours. Upon activation, global saturation will be complete within five seconds. The secondary failsafe is in place, with National Guard, Reserve, and active duty military participating with the FBI, Home Land Security, and local law enforcement in a crisis management exercise in all fifty states. We''re calling the exercise Epic Protector" stated Davis.


    "I have my reservations about making use of this device, but with what is at stake I am forced to place my reservations to the wayside for the greater good. The public outcry from pulling out of the Treaty on Principles of Governing Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space is just beginning to gain steam. Our only saving grace lays in the fact that all nations participating in the program also nullified the treaty. We''ve violated that treaty for so many years simply by placing nuclear weapons on our sh.i.p.s among other things that it seemed like a must do. Atleast the public can''t demand my impeachment over weapons of mass destruction in space" said Hayes with a smirk.


    "We estimate the fallout from pulling out of the treaty should be minimized with the declassification of the F-302. Air Force Space Command, along with officers from the Russian, Chinese, French, British, and Japanese militaries are having that press conference now. We''re labeling it as a joint endeavor for acceptance sake. Aviation Week is doing a write up on it as well, and that should translate well into the blogosphere" said Davis.


    "Let''s just hope the world is ready for what we''re going to lay on them" concluded Hayes.

 Chapter 133

    Pluto


    General O''Neill, after a lengthy petition process to the President, stood within the ancient shipyard with someone he felt truly deserving of this visit. Beside the General stood Ann Druyan, the widow of the very famous Carl Sagan. An academic of some note herself, Ann had assisted in Sagan''s widely acclaimed series Cosmos, a program seen in over sixty nations. Seeing the Arkos facility, Ann was in awe at all before her.


    Heading for the second level, Jack and Ann walked past the nearly completed Daedalus class vessels, and the docked Copernicus class science vessels. While she knew that someday man would take to the stars in great numbers, never had she suspected that it would be underway during her lifetime. Coming to a stop in front of one of the science vessels, the two took in the view in front of them.


    "I never imagined anything like this for mankind in my lifetime" said Ann, somewhat stunned.


    "We''ve come far in a few short years" Jack conceded.


    "How have you managed to keep this a secret" she asked.


    "That hasn''t always been easy. To be very honest, I sometimes wonder how we''ve managed it also" answered Jack with a wry grin.


    "Does this vessel have a name? I won''t be surprised if you say Enterprise" Ann said with a chuckle.


    "I fought for that name for years, but no. Ann, May I present to you a ship with a proud name; the Carl Sagan" said Jack humbly.


    "If only Carl had lived to see this. His dream right here in front of me" Ann whispered with a trace of sorrow for her late husband.


    "What if you could see him again? Would that be something you would want" asked Jack.


    "When my husband died, because he as so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me-it still sometimes happens-and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an afterlife. They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again. Carl faced his death with unflagging courage, and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again. I don''t ever expect to be reunited with Carl" said Ann with pain in her voice.


    "Let''s go aboard. I have someone I would like you to speak with" said Jack.


    The two made their way down a flight of stairs to the embarkation platform. Crossing over the threshold into the ship, Ann looked at her surroundings with excitement approaching rapture. Each passageway brought a new question and surprise. Entering the bridge, Jack offered his guest the captain''s chair which was accepted. While see looked at the control panel on the chair, a lone figure walked up to her left.


    "Ann, I have someone I would like you to meet" said Jack with care in his voice.


    Looking up first at the General, Ann turned her head and with wide eyes looked upon the figure standing there. Seeing the tall and smiling man, tears began to roll down her cheeks. For a moment she was breathless before recovering somewhat.


    "Hello Ann" said the avatar of Carl Sagan.


    "Carl¡­" Ann whispered.


    "It is a pleasure to see you" said Carl.


    "Not a day goes by that I don''t miss you" Ann said with tears flowing down her face.


    "I must explain. My appearance is modeled after that of your late husband" explained Carl.


    "I don''t understand" replied Ann.


    "I am the visual representation of the onboard artificial intelligence. In tribute to your husband, I was given his appearance. I am the embodiment of this vessel" explained Carl.


    "I understand. Carl would have been honored" answered Ann.


    "It is I who is honored. Your husband was a pioneer. As I venture among the stars, I strive to live up to my namesake through discovery on a frontier he dreamed of. The things I have witnessed I only wish I could share with you" said Carl.


    "Carl, please show her around and let me know when I''m needed. I''ll go and give you two some time to get acquainted" said Jack before making his exit.


    Elsewhere within the shipyard, technicians of the Tauri and Asgard were aboard the recently captured Ori vessel. As systems were examined and explored, full design specifications were downloaded for further study. During this, systematic repairs were being performed. Damaged power conduits, shield emitters, and hull breaches were repaired by the arachnid repair bots. In the coming weeks as repairs were completed, the full capabilities of the captured vessel would be discovered. The opportunity was being considered an intelligence coup of epic proportions by multiple races.


    On the lowest level of the shipyard, the beginnings of a new vessel were starting to take shape. The recently cleared city ship cradle would in time come to hold a vessel impressive to any who encountered her. Like her sisters Atlantis and Borealis, the city ship taking shape would be home to many as she journeyed throughout the stars. Her name was to be Videum.

 Chapter 134

    Athos


    Within the city of Emege, nonstop changes had occurred in the previous six weeks. What had once been a containment chamber of Ancient design, had undergone extreme modification. Janus''s ascended ability to create functioning material objects and matter at will had greatly accelerated the project. Ultra durable nanotube based power conduits now ran throughout the chamber building, branching off towards the stargate far beyond the abandoned city. Within the chamber resided a four spiked vacuum exciter, mounted atop perturbation synchronizer. On the walls of the chamber could be seen the quantum harmonic oscillators that would provide assist in containing any experienced particle displacement, and channeling these particle/antiparticle pairs into the protective shielding itself.


    The chamber control room was illuminated with a faint glow from the myriad of control panels, and display screens. Janus and Eli, over the preceding three days, had run countless simulations of reactor startup. Each and every time, these simulations showed the system was prepared for its initial ignition. In anticipation of startup, the ignition systems were powered up and awaiting activation. As a safety precaution, Lieutenant Scott''s team was evacuated back to Borealis for the duration of the systems test.


    Putting away his Ipod, Eli took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Despite the assurances of pending success from his partner Janus, Eli''s mind kept returning to the mission report he had read regarding McKay''s attempt with Project Arcturus on Doranda. Everything was much simpler when life and limb were not on the line, as in a video game the young man thought. The knowledge that he could very possibly be about to change the world was all that managed to calm him down. While Eli had his brief internal crisis, Janus stood across the room studying the young man. With a wistful smile, the ascended being thought back to his early years as a scientist and the feelings of uncertainty.


    Ten thousand years, Janus had sat on the Lantean Council and voted for testing of Arcturus under field conditions. At the time it had seemed like the logical decision to protect the Dorandan people. Just how wrong they had all been came as a traumatic shock. The failure of Arcturus served to spur Janus towards development of the Aterro device, which had also been a failure in its own right. So much had changed since then. From the emotionally devastating evacuation of Atlantis flashing forward to current events, Janus felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes to reclaim a galaxy once called home.


    "Eli, its time" prompted Janus.


    "If you say so, but I''ve got a queasy stomach about this. Blowing up a solar system won''t earn me many cool points with the SGC" m.o.a.ned Eli.


    "Have no fear, this will work. I''ve spent thousands of years perfecting this design, and with your assistance it''s now a workable prototype. Sometimes, one must believe to accomplish great things" Janus said in affirmation.


    "I''m ready when you are boss man" replied Eli.


    "Then let us begin. Powering up harmonic oscillators and directional couplers" announced Janus.


    "Collectors coming on line now" replied Eli.


    Within the containment chamber an intense flash of golden hued light appeared. As the flash morphed into an orb encompassing the vacuum exciter, vibrations translated throughout the city. As vacuum energy built, vacuum fluctuations and perturbation began to make their presence known. Power output surged spontaneous symmetry breaking was noted. As energy wave flux built, the dynamic wave couplers engaged, providing order to the chaotic particle/antiparticle pairs that were appearing and destroying themselves within the chamber.


    "Shield strength is building" said Eli.


    "Feynman predictions are constant. I''m increasing power" replied Janus.


    The protective shield around the vacuum exciter flashed much like a strobe light. The writhing spherical forms shape morphed incessantly. With each strobe of light, the protective shield grew stronger. As more and more vacuum energy was withdrawn from the area within the chamber, ever increasing numbers of particle/antiparticle pairs were created and annihilated. The toxic environment surrounded by this field crackled with harnessed power.


    "I''m detecting nonlinear effects and birefringence Eli. Power draw is approaching fifty percent of predicted" stated Janus jubilantly.


    "Vacuum properties are analogous to the properties of the harmonic oscillator ground state. Generated power flow is beginning to level out" replied Eli.


    "The automatic gate dialing protocol is engaging" announced Janus.


    At that moment a subroutine initiated. This specific subroutine was directly tied to the newly integrated DHD. With the original Project Arcturus, a Dorandan energy weapon acted as the release valve to staunch the flow of unchecked power buildup. Aware of the sheer scope of power that would be generated; a program had been written to dial a distant stargate along Destiny''s path. The line of thinking being that a wormhole created to cover such a vast distance would easily consume a large percentage of available power.


    As the Pegasus model gate dialed, incredible amounts of power channeled through the recently added power conduit towards the ancient device. The naquadah composition of the gate began to absorb the energy channeled into it. Repeating an act that had before led to the destruction of naqaudria cored planets, the wormhole formed leading to the far corner of the universe.


    "We have a stable wormhole" exclaimed Eli.


    "You''ve done it, we''ve done it really, but as far as your people need be concerned you did it Eli. Once we present this to your government, we can get down to some very exciting work" said Janus with a smile.


    "I''m looking at the energy output and this is incredible! Thirteen hundred and seventy three zettajoules! Annual global energy consumption on Earth is only half a zettajoules" proclaimed an astonished Eli.


    After that statement, Eli''s mind began to drift. What were the true ramifications of this project? Unlimited clean energy on a planetary scale, stronger shields and weapons, faster hyper drives; the possibilities were endless. Many discoveries throughout the life of the program had yielded advancements for mankind, but this one was possibly the largest game changer of them all.


    Doolittle Hall, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado


    A steady progression of the worlds leading scientists and researchers arrived at the hall normally reserved for induction briefings for new cadets of the US Air Force Academy. Faces such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, were easily recognizable to any who regularly watched a science program on the Discovery Channel. Others, such as leading materials science researchers and pharmacologists, were less recognizable as they signed the overly intimidating nondisclosure agreement. Without considerable effort from the US State Department, this conference might never have been possible.


    At the President''s request, Doctor Rodney McKay returned to the Milky Way to act as the presenting host of the function. Having no published a scientific paper in more than a decade; Rodney intended to take smug satisfaction from this gathering. Long time rivalries from Doctoral programs would be silenced once and for all, of that Rodney was certain.


    Walking to the podium on stage, Rodney felt a twinge of nervousness grip his stomach in its icy clutches. Only the knowledge that he was about to deliver a crippling blow to the ego''s of several of his detractors in the crowd carried him through the momentary crisis. Looking out into the crowd, he locked eyes with his long time rival in the front row. Malcolm Tooney was the one guest the chief scientist of the Borealis expedition had insisted upon. Stepping to the lectern, he cleared his throat before beginning.


    "I want to thank you all for coming. Looking out over the crowd, I see many faces from the past. When we set out to conquer the world with our shiny new doctorates, many of us were in the mad dash to publish paper after paper. A number of you have maintained that trend over the years. Sadly, not all of us have been so fortunate. While I haven''t published a paper under my own name in a number of years that is not to say I haven''t published. This conference should clear that up nicely. I''m going to ask that you hold all questions until after the presentation. Without further adieu, let''s just jump right into the thick of it, shall we? We are not alone in the universe" Rodney began boldly.


    Uttering his last sentence, a hush fell over the crowd. Several stared at him with a look of disbelief, others with a look of amus.e.m.e.nt, and several nodded their head. Sensing that this could very well be his make it or break it moment, Rodney charged ahead. Armed with a very well laid out power point presentation, along with digital photos of objects he was discussing, Rodney gave the most thorough briefing regarding science and technology, heavily classified by the SGC, to anyone outside of the program in its history. For the next three hours, everything from Zero Point Modules to hyper drives was covered. No stone was left unturned. Looking out over the crowd, Rodney knew an unpleasant question and answer session awaited him. Stealing himself for the fury sure to ensue, he took a deep breath.


    "I''m going to open up the floor for questions" said McKay with a smug grin.


    Several raised hands went up in seconds. Trying to give the appearance of selecting at random, Rodney looked around for ten seconds before selecting the one he was most interested in. Pointing a finger at the man in the front row, he motioned for the man to speak.


    "Doctor McKay, your lecture was interesting to say the least. My question isn''t so much focused on the topic as it is around events surrounding the topic. Did you cook all this up to explain away just why it is you haven''t published in a decade? Are we really to believe that instead of becoming a recluse you''ve been exploring different galaxies" asked Malcolm Tunney.


    "That''s rich coming from the guy who stole my Time Space Bridge paper and claimed it as his own" snorted McKay.


    "That isn''t an answer to the question posed" retorted Tunney.


    "And you neatly avoided the matter of my paper you stole. Next question! Tyson, go ahead" countered Rodney in a haughty tone.


    "While I have several questions I would love the answer to, I''m actually interested in your answer to the question Doctor Tunney posed to you" said DeGrasse Tyson with a smile.


    "This is ridiculous" protested McKay.


    "Is that your final answer" asked Tyson.


    "Tyson, your claim to fame is reclassifying Pluto from a planet to a Plutoid. Not to rain on your parade but you downgraded our shipyard from a planet to a rock. I won''t even bother to dignify that" added McKay.


    "Is anyone we all know willing to corroborate everything you''ve said here" demanded Tunney.


    "I''ll gladly do just that" rang out a voice from the rear of the hall.


    Eager to see who was willing to commit career suicide in defense of McKay, the crowd quickly turned in their seats. Gasps could be heard from the rear of the hall, but whoever had offered to back up the story was still out of the line of sight to those in the front row.


    "And who sir might you be" demanded Tunney with sarcasm dripping from his voice.


    "Some call me Henry, but you can call me The President of the United States" replied Hayes while trying to retain his widening smile.


    Jaws dropped around Doolittle Hall. While politicians were not known to be the most honest bunch, the odds of the sitting President cosigning on such a tale if fabricated were slim to none. Taking to the stage, and taking the Podium as McKay surrendered it to him, Hayes began to speak to the crowd.


    "Folks, I know it''s crazy, and I thought the very same thing as you when I was first told. Honestly, I thought it was a practical joke since I was told on my first day in the White House. It''s no joke, and that''s the honest truth. Welcome to the new reality" said Hayes.

 Chapter 135

    North American Aerospace Defense Command


    Tensions were high within the command center of NORAD, deep within the confines of the upper levels of Cheyenne Mountain. Forty eight hours earlier, after receipt of flash traffic from the commander of United States Strategic Command, all missile launch detection systems had been placed at their highest state of readiness. Instead of looking towards the known nuclear powers of the world, such as China and Russia, the satellite based detection systems were primed for what was termed as a rogue launch, by a smaller state.


    Sitting at their stations within the high tech command center, superbly trained and highly educated officers of the United States Air Force and Canadian Air Force watched their screens. Any launch around the globe would be detected within seconds by the incredibly sensitive infrared detection systems high above the planet. Few times since the end of the Cold War had NORAD seen this level of readiness.


    Clearly, something was happening. Announcements two days before from the government had made little sense. Schools were to be closed for today, the stock market would remain closed, and a banking holiday had been declared. Among the men of NORAD, conspiracy theories began to flourish. In the airspace above the United States, several specialized aircraft were in the air. The 747 know as kneecap or the National Emergency Airborne Command Post was airborne, as was the E-8 Looking Glass aircraft that the public referred to as the Doomsday Plane. Should untold hostilities break out, America''s strategic forces stood ready.


    Department of Homeland Security Command Center, Washington DC


    The national security defense exercise named Epic Protector was underway. In all fifty states and US territories, law enforcement, emergency services, National Guard units, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency were out in full force. Never before in US history had such a show of force been seen in all corners of the country, but for what was coming the Administration had felt it wise.


    To the many thousands of first responders participating in Epic Protector, it was simply an emergency management exercise focusing on maintaining order in the event of social breakdown. A recent briefing at the hands of the President and Joint Chiefs had brought home the reality of the exercise to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Thoughts of the ramifications disclosure might have on the social fabric of the United States had kept the Secretary up at night, with cold sweats.


    Despite the assurances from the Joint Chiefs that a countermeasure existed to avert a catastrophic breakdown in social order, the Secretary had severe misgivings. Under his tenure, mass rioting in every major city in the country would do little to bring about a successful run for Senate in two years. Things were much easier when I was the Governor of Maine thought the Secretary.


    Area 51


    Several years of testing and study of the device before the assembled team of scientists had led to astounding discoveries. The technology was unlike anything other example of Ancient technology. Predating even the stargate system, this piece of technology had saved humanity once before, and it was hoped that it could again avert disaster.


    The Ark of Truth was an amazingly complex piece of technology. Originally conceived to save the Ancients from the wrath of an increasingly powerful and fanatical Ori, it had been shelved without being put to use. That use, against the followers of the Ori would come many millions of years later at the hands of the Tauri. Once activated, the Ark had the ability to implant acceptance of the information it was programmed to transmit. The only catch, the information could only be true in nature or the Ark would not work as promised.


    Since the Ark''s arrival at Area 51, a team of scientists had examined the device. Once a thorough understanding was found, work turned to putting it to other uses. For the last six months, a team of mental health professionals and intelligence officials had put together the finer points of the new program recently added to the Ark. This program outlined the history of the stargate program, and the new realities of the world for mankind. It didn''t stop there though.


    Free will and the highest reverence for liberty were concepts highly prized and valued by the Ancients, as well as the Americans. These concepts were added to the overall program of the Ark. Also included for transmission was a reinforcement of the importance of education and the pursuit of knowledge.


    While implantation of these ideals in any subject was far from humanitarian, it was felt by the Administration that the alternative was far worse. A recent series of trails with this new program showed that it performed without fault. Finally, the Ark was ready for deployment.


    As the Ark was engulfed in a bright flash of light before vanishing, Dr. Duncan Hamilton crossed his fingers. If the device performed as advertised, the world would turn a new page in its history. If it didn''t, well that didn''t even need to be considered.


    Off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan


    Eighty miles off the coast, in the Arabian Sea, stood the aircraft carriers John C. Stennis and Abraham Lincoln with their assorted battle group. Two hundred miles to the southeast was the Chinese carrier Shi Lang, off the coast of India. It was rare when the two nations naval assets worked in close proximity, and even rarer when they worked in conjunction with one another. Now was one of those ultra rare instances.


    Following orders from their perspective governments, the two carrier forces maintained station over the potential hotspot that is the India/Pakistan border. Clearly, the National Command Authority as the President was known in Pentagon speak, was concerned about a possible flare up of tensions between the two nations. The presence of a carrier battle group was known around the world as the easiest way to ease tensions without firing a shot. Should a shot need firing, the two Nimitz class carriers carried more attack aircraft than all the other carriers of the nations of the world combined.


    Standing on the fantail of the Stennis, her commanding officer looked out over the rippled wake of the mighty ship. Pulling on his cigarette, he looked to his right and noted his commander of the air group approaching.


    "You looking for me CAG" asked the Captain.


    "Sure am skipper. Wanted to let you know that I''ve got the Hawkeye deployed on station, with two Hornets as chasers and two more standing by on alert five status. If anything takes off in Pakistan we''ll know about it" said the CAG.


    "Good man. Now, if only we knew just what was going on it would be great" countered the Skipper.


    "In this part of the world, who knows" replied the CAG.


    "Let''s just hope it doesn''t hit the fan this time around. CAG, I want plans drawn up for an Alpha Strike if needed. Draw it up with the Shi Lang''s CAG" ordered the Skipper.


    "Aye aye" replied CAG before walking away.


    "Should have joined the Air Force" muttered the Skipper.

 Chapter 136

    Copernicus


    For the first time since construction, the lead ship of the Copernicus class orbited Earth. Her mission was simple; beam aboard the Ark and await orders to activate the device. Having already beamed the Ark aboard, and emplaced it in the appointed position, all was ready. All that was left was a waiting game in anticipation of a signal that might never come.


    The Ark now sat in the jumper bay, angled out towards space. Once activated, the shaft of light that carried the devices message would exit the protective energy field of the jumper bay and streak towards the first of the constellation of eighty two parabolic reflector satellites. This system, if needed, would carry the failsafe message towards the planet below and enlighten the population as to the truth.


    United Nations General Assembly Building, New York


    Four hours earlier, the Presidential motorcade had arrived in the ultra secure underground parking structure of the United Nations Complex. Despite the secure location, the President''s secret service detail had quickly whisked their charge to a VIP suite to wait for the appointed time for his address to the General Assembly. This address would be the largest single address any President had ever given.


    With what was to be discussed, Hayes felt it best to make this address before the assembled delegates of the nations of the world. After intense pressure from the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, this address would be broadcast around the world. With the assistance of the National Security Agency, the speech would make it to citizens of nations lacking in open access to events in the west via intense video streaming.


    Standing at the panoramic window, Hayes looked out over the East River. Part of him wished he was in a suite on the other side of the building, so he could take in the sights of the Manhattan skyline. Disclosure had seemed like such a good idea, when it was a purely theoretical exercise. Now that it was here and now, Hayes wasn''t so sure. Watching the water of the East River flow, he reassured himself that following through on what he started was the way, the only way.


    "Mr. President, the delegates are seated in the General Assembly. They are ready for you" said the Secret Service agent.


    "Ok Pete lets not keep the people waiting" replied Hayes.


    Adjusting his tie and buttoning his suit coat, Hayes followed his Secret Service detail to the elevator. Entering the elevator car, his nerves began to cool. As a career politician, he had been speaking to large groups of people all of his a.d.u.l.t life. This speech would be different though. Not only would he be addressing a large portion of the world, the message he was delivering would change the course of man.


    Exiting the elevator and stepping into the gray marble atrium, Hayes took a very deep breath. His statesman like air reasserted itself as he and his security detail approached the large doors of the General Assembly Hall. Stepping over the threshold into the Hall, a booming voice rang out.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States"


    As the United Nations Delegates of the member nations of the world stood and applauded, Hayes shook hands as they were offered. Certain delegates with a less than pleasant opinion of Hayes did no such thing. The Iranian Ambassador was one such example. With a smile on his face Hayes chuckled to himself about the shock that was in store for all present.


    Reaching the raised podium, Hayes strode up the steps towards the lectern. With resounding applause, the President took his place to begin his speech. With a smile on his face he thanked those present for the overwhelming welcome. As the applause tapered off, he continued to smile and wave at those in the crowd. Quickly, the crowd silenced the applause so that the new arrival could begin his all important address. Wanting to capture the moment, Hayes opted to jump in head first. Might as well strike while the iron is hot he thought.


    "Two hundred and thirty five years ago, a group of men gathered together in the city of Philadelphia, to launch the grand experiment of Democracy. Frontiersmen and academics; visionaries and dreamers came together in a distant land to make real the affirmation of each mans right to liberty and freedom.


    My fellow Americans, people of the world, today we set forth on a journey into a new era. One age, the childhood of mankind, is ending and another age is about to begin.


    The journey of which I speak is full of unknowable challenges, but I believe that all our yesterdays, all the struggle of the past, have uniquely prepared our generation to prevail.


    That is the true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope ¨C the audacity to hope ¨C for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.


    This press conference has been called at my direction to bring to light something of great significance to every individual of this world. I wish to inform you of the worlds and this nation''s most heavily classified program. For the last two decades, the United States Air Force has conducted an above Top Secret program we call the Stargate Program. This program falls under the direction of the unified service command of Star Gate Command" said Hayes, seeing that he had everyone''s attention.


    The mention of a classified program of the US military had the assembled delegate''s rapt attention. Some of them moving to the edge of their seats as they gave the President their undivided attention, and waiting for more.


    "In the year 1928, the immensely capable archeologist Doctor Paul Langford, during a dig in Giza Egypt, uncovered a device of unknown origin. Scientists soon came to realize that this device was far outside of the breadth and width of knowledge of any dynasty of ancient Egyptian culture. Since that time, under the direction of the United States Air Force, the true nature of this device and the race behind its manufacture have been uncovered.


    For the last seventeen years, with use of this device, which we call a stargate, special operations teams have visited several hundred planets in this galaxy and others. The stargate allows for the artificial creation of a stable wormhole to a point in space having a receiving gate. Using this system, instantaneous transport to point''s light years away is possible in seconds. Along the way we have encountered many cultures and races. Many of these benevolent races we call our allies.


    With the assistance of our allies, we have brought about the spread of the ideals of liberty and equality throughout this galaxy. Much has been learned during this time. Mankind, at the behest of several alien races, can be found in the far corners of the Milky Way. It was discovered that we are not the first iteration of man. A race we call the ancients populated this galaxy and others with man in their image. This race, who called Earth home many millions of years ago, also built the stargate network.


    With the cooperation of the nations of the Antarctic Treaty and the United Nations Security Council, we have ventured to other galaxies. A fleet of vessels for this purpose has been constructed, utilizing knowledge gained from our allies and others encountered along the path. The recently declassified F-302 is a small component of this fleet. Atlantis, one time capital of the ancients now resides in our control.


    In the coming days, medical advancements that have been realized will be released to the world. An end to disease, genetic fault, and infirmity is at hand. Clean energy, elimination of world hunger, and advancement of scientific understanding are also in our possession. The world as you know it has been silently changing, in preparation for a new reality. That reality is here. Though this news may sound fantastic - and indeed, terrifying - I ask that you not greet it with undue fear or pessimism. I assure you, as President, these changes will bring about a new dawn for humanity" continued Hayes.


    Most notably, the Iranian delegate rose from his seat, uttering profanities before stomping out of the hall. Close behind him, in a movement of solidarity was the North Korean Delegate. The actions of these two men were not a surprise to Hayes in the least.


    "With the assistance of our allies we will overcome the common enemies of all mankind - tyranny, poverty, disease, war. Together with them we can create a better world. I cannot tell you that there will be no stumbling or missteps on the road ahead. But I believe that we have found the true destiny of the people of this great land: To lead the world into a glorious future.


    In the coming days, weeks and months, you will learn more about these visitors, why they are here and why your leaders have kept their presence a secret from you for so long.


    I ask you to look to the future not with timidity but with courage, because we can achieve in our time the ancient vision of peace on Earth and prosperity for all humankind. Make no mistake; this is an effort that will require the combined cooperation of every nation of this world.


    The world is a very different place now, than it was in years gone by. For man holds in his hands now, for the very first time in his existence, the means to end all forms of poverty and suffering. Yet, the same beliefs that our forefathers fought for, are still playing out across the globe; the sacrosanct belief that basic human rights come not from a benevolent government, but are a component of an ordained privilege all mankind is born into.


    Let us not forget, that today we stand as the heirs to that privilege. Let these beliefs flow forth from this time and place, to friend and foe, that the burden to protect these freedoms has been passed to a new generation of mankind; born in an age tempered by war, forged under the cloud of a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or allow the slow undoing of those rights born unto us that this nation was founded upon.


    Let every person know, whether they wish us good tidings or ill will, that we are willing to pay any price, bear every burden, meet all hardsh.i.p.s, support any friend in need, and oppose any foe before us to ensure the survival of a thriving and vibrant brand of liberty.


    To those allies throughout the stars, whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of a faithful friend. United, there is nothing we cannot do in cooperative venture. Divided, we find ourselves incapable of meeting a powerful challenge. To those new states whom we welcome within the warm embrace of the ranks of the free, we pledge our unwavering resolve to assure your continued freedom.


    To the people of villages around the globe struggling to achieve parody with the developed nations of this world, we pledge our best efforts to help them achieve this goal. We do this not because we seek something in return, but because it is right and just. If we, as the most powerful nation on this Earth, cannot help the poor and in need, how can we expect to save the few who are with plenty?


    To our brothers and sisters, in republics to our south, east, and west, we pledge to turn our good words into good deeds in an alliance of progress for all. We vow to assist in the casting away of the chains of poverty. Let those who stand in the way of this goal know, we will oppose subversion and aggression with vigorous enthusiasm.


    To the united assembly of the United Nations, our last best hope in an age of discord, we renew our pledge of support. This nation shall always strive to prevent this humble body from becoming a forum for invective, and to strengthen its shield for the new and weak.


    Speaking on behalf of the American people, I beseech the people of the world, to join together in creating a new endeavor. Not a new shift in the balance of power as we know it, but a new world founded upon freedom and law, where the strong are just, the weak are safe and liberty may flourish.


    This goal will not be finished in a month, or a year. It''s very possible that this work will remain unfinished after this Administration has faded into history, but let us begin. In the hands of the people of this world rests the final success of this course.


    As the trumpet sounds, not as a call to arms or battle, but a call to bear the burden of a twilight struggle against the common enemies of liberty: tyranny, poverty, and war we must answer that call.


    It is our duty to forge a grand and global alliance, which can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind. To the people of the world I ask, will you join me in this historic effort? In the history of mankind, only a few generations have been granted the opportunity to defend freedom in its hour of need. We must not shrink from this responsibility, and instead welcome it. The creativity, energy, and devotion we can bring to this endeavor will light a path for all to follow. It is the glow upon that path that will light our world.


    On this day, we gather in support of freedom over tyranny and unity over isolationism. Together, we stand shoulder to shoulder and announce far and wide, an end to petty grievances of the past, recriminations and slander that for too long have divided mankind.


    While America is a young nation, the time has come to set aside childish endeavors. We pledge our enduring spirit, and carry forward a precious gift. That gift is in the form of a noble idea, passed from generation to generation, that all men are created equal, and deserve the opportunity to pursue happiness in its full measure.


    In reaffirming our greatness as a race, we understand that greatness is never given, it must be earned. Our journey is one of never settling for less. It is not a path for the faint of heart. Rather, it is a path for the doers, the creators, the risk takers who have carried the many along the rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.


    There are some who question the scope of our ambitions, who suggest that the grandest of plans may simply be too large to handle. To those people I say their memories are short. They have forgotten what mankind has already done; what free men and women can bring about when imagination and courage are joined into common purpose. Cynics fail to realize the ground has shifted beneath their feet and that the arguments which have consumed us for so long no longer apply.


    Our Founding Fathers, faced with dangers we can barely imagine, drafted a doc.u.ment to safeguard the rule of law and the rights of the individual. This doc.u.ment is one that has time and time again been secured by the blood of generations past and present. The ideals of that doc.u.ment illuminate the world to this day. To all the peoples and governments watching today, know that America is a friend to every man, woman, and child who seeks peace, dignity, and equality. To this end we will lead the way once more. This power grows with prudent use; security is bred from the justness of our cause, along with the qualities of humility and restraint.


    Mankind''s patchwork heritage is our strength. We are a people of many colors, many beliefs, and many ideals. Every culture and language from the dawn of time has played a role in our shaping. As a race, we have tasted war and peace, victory and defeat, justice and injustice. Each time, we have emerged stronger than before. It is the duty of all to lend their hand in ushering in a new ear of peace and prosperity.


    As the road before us is shown, we must remember the hero''s that have allowed us to come so far. We honor them, not only because of their great sacrifice, but because of their willingness to find truth and meaning in something larger than all of us. At this moment, a moment that may very well come to define mankind, that is the spirit we must all embrace.


    The challenges we face may be ones we''ve never encountered before. The tools we meet these challenges with may be new. The values upon which our failure or success hinges are old; duty, dedication, tolerance, loyalty, and the drive to prevail. These values have been the driving force in mankind''s journey throughout history. What is required now is a return to these values, and recognition by all mankind that we have a duty to ourselves, our nation, and our world, duties that we seize gladly, with the knowledge that nothing is as defining as is giving our all to such a herculean task.


    In America''s darkest hour, a small band of men huddled on the icy banks of a frozen river. The capital was abandoned and aflame, with an advancing enemy. At that moment, with the outcome of our revolution was at it bleakest, George Washington read aloud these words to those at his side; Let it be told to the future world, that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the county, armed for one common purpose, came forth to meet it.


    In this winter of new certainties, let us remember these timeless words. With hope, virtue, and fortitude we will brave the currents in our path, and weather any storm that finds us. Let future generations say that when we were tested we refused to fail and bring an end to our journey, and instead stood strong and did not falter" finished Hayes.


    Throughout the hall reactions differed from nation to nation. While an overwhelming majority of those present applauded with gross enthusiasm, others sat stunned. Others still began to shout amongst themselves, in clear displeasure to the revelations made. Seeing this expected reaction, Hayes adjusted the knot of his tie with his left hand and smiled widely.


    Home World Command


    General O''Neill, along with many of the Home World staff had watched the President''s speech. The angst displayed by several of the members came as no surprise to the General, nor did the speechless shock of other delegates in the crowd. Finally, the world would know of the sacrifices of so many during the course of the Stargate program.


    With his eyes on the screen, O''Neill noted the President grabbing the knot of his tie. Looking over at Walter, he motioned the man over.


    "That''s the signal. Walter, message Copernicus, they have a go for activation" ordered the General.


    Quickly exiting the room, Walter hurried towards the communications center. This was one order that needed to be carried out in a timely manner.


    Copernicus


    Upon receipt of the signal from Home World Command things began to happen. The massive science vessel rolled on its axis, exposing the jumper bay opening to the ground below. Climbing into geostationary orbit, the vessel established its appointed firing position.


    While this transpired, the eighty two satellites in orbit around Earth began to unfurl. As telescoping arms began to extend, the arms opened up much like the petals of a flower. Mounted on these arms was a thin screen of mica treated reflective Mylar fabric. The eighty two parabolic reflectors were positioned for total coverage of the ground surface of the planet.


    As the Ark was activated, an intense shaft of white light sprang from the jumper bay of Copernicus. Making contact with the first reflector, the shaft of white light bounced from parabolic dish to parabolic dish. Less than a second later the Earth was bathed in artificial white light. Suddenly night turned to day on the ground below.


    On the ground below, seeing the unearthly light raining down, people began to look up. For the Ark to fulfill its function, one not need look at the light or even be awake. Bursting forth into each and all''s consciousness were images of the stargate, the Alliance of Five Races, Atlantis, and how mankind came to be. Within each person a sudden desire for free will began to blossom, along with a love of mankind and a desire to set aside past differences.


    On sidewalks, and in cafes people looked up at each other. With smiles on their face and hope in their eyes, they looked upon the world around them as if for the very first time.

 Chapter 137

    Earth


    It started as a feeling; gnawing almost imperceptibly at the edge of the conscious mind. That feeling soon morphed into an idea and an ideal, one the Ark''s message made impossible to stamp out or eradicate had anyone known it was there. Taking shape, this idea grew, and became fully formed and understood. If a single idea can build cities, then a shared ideal could change the reality of the world for many billions. This idea began to transform the world, and rewrite the rules many had taken as gospel for decades. Deciding that one must not be afraid to dream a bigger dream, people began to act.


    It started with students. Those who dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and learning clawed at the new concept of liberty the Ark had implanted within them. These students, with a brazen determination reserved for the young began to speak among themselves of this grand idea. Timid at first, these students soon began to cl.u.s.ter together in ever larger numbers. Thanks to the World Wide Web, their thoughts and motivations were soon shared in other corners of the globe. Their aims were simple in the eyes of many, but far from simple in execution. Free will and liberty for all men, that was what they hungered for, l.u.s.ted after.


    At the University of Tehran, students gathered in their dormitories. After a life of repression under the tyrannical rule of the Mullah''s, the students were prepared to seize the destiny they felt intended for them. Reaching out to friends, family members, and other believers, this mass of humanity set out down Edward Browne Street leading away from the University. Gathering followers and momentum, this gaggle of people found their way towards Azadi Square, home to the Azadi or Freedom Tower. Before the government could respond with force, the gathering reached a critical mass. Men and women, young and old, flowed into the streets from the central point of Azadi Square.


    Caught unaware, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard could do little to prevent this sea of bodies from crashing into the governmental buildings of the Iranian Regime. Members of the standing military along with members of the Revolutionary Guard soon found themselves standing beside their brothers and sisters in this quest for liberty. Many small skirmishes would be fought before the day and night were over. The students would not be deterred in the face of violence. Taking its first unsure steps, freedom began to take hold in the former totalitarian regime.


    To the northwest of Beijing, in the Haidian district, students of the prestigious Tsinghua University were amassing with their fellow students and academics from the neighboring Peking University. The students of these two universities represented the cream of the academic crop of the Peoples Republic of China. Many communist party members counted themselves as graduates, and their children were among the growing throng of dissenters. Tired of a ruling party that was long on rhetoric and promise but short on delivery, the mass of people decided to follow in the footsteps of those cut down during the Tiananmen Square revolt of June 4th, 1989. Then like now, students from the two universities had led the growing tide that called for change.


    Much had changed since that uprising long ago. Technology would play a much larger role in this circ.u.mstance than was ever believed possible by the powers that be. Making use of instant messengers embedded in smart phones along with email, the word went out. In a city with a population of almost twenty million people, the wave of protestors swelled by means of its mass alone. In hours the collection of students had grown into a mass of eight hundred thousand individuals seeking one thing; free will.


    The communist party apparatus became a victim of its own inertia. Bureaucrats, fearful of loosing face, were slow to pass on the message of the building tide of revolt. By the time word reached the Central Committee of the Communist Party, it was too late for the military to intercede. Students in peaceful protest surged into the governmental buildings of the Communist Party. As word spread across China of what was unfolding, similar scenes played out in other cities.


    Before the day was out, the long sought after change was theirs. Not a coup d''¨¦tat of force but of spirit was the undoing of the Communist leadership. Seeing the trend, lower level governmental functionaries quickly adapted to their new circ.u.mstance, falling in line with the throng of students. Military commanders followed shortly after. Not with a bang but a whimper, communism was at an end in the People''s Republic.


    November Site


    Deep within the confines of the joint Asgard/Tauri off facility, in hangers far below the surface, Asgard technicians prepared craft for transport. Five of the remaining seven captured Lucian Alliance Ha''tak class mothership''s were undergoing the most basic of repairs. Their power cores irreparably damaged during the battle of the super gate, the temporarily added power generators would allow for the antigravity drives to be brought online.


    As power began to flow through the power conduits of the damaged vessels, the antigravity drives were powered up. Individually, the Ha''tak''s rose from their cavernous subterranean confines, into the moons atmosphere. Once in orbit, the massive vessels were taken under tow by units of the Asgard Fleet.


    Their end destination was Arkos Station. Once inside the station, the process of repairing the captured vessels would begin. Power cores identical to those destroyed would be installed, along with a full compliment of gliders. The orders were very clear that no technological upgrades would be passed on. These craft would be repaired to their original fully operational state, and nothing more.


    Without the efforts of Ry''ac, none of this might have happened otherwise. Secreting himself to Earth, Ry''ac had briefed Generals O''Neill and Landry on the current challenges the Free Jaffa Nation faced. As a show of solidarity with their former allies, the Tauri was gifting a portion of the captured Ha''tak in their possession to the FJN civil war effort. It was hoped that these vessels would turn the tides of war in their favor.


    As the first Daniel Jackson class science vessel leaped into hyperspace with a Ha''tak in tow, the hopes of a people rode with it. The Tauri had made possible the Jaffa''s freedom from the clutches of false gods once before. Once again, they would attempt to bring peace to a people that resisted it at every opportunity.


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 Chapter 138

    Borealis


    In the dining facility of the ancient city ship, a bit of a homecoming was happening. Doctor Rodney McKay along with his wife Doctor Jennifer Keller, Eli Wallace, Ginn, and others were enjoying a late lunch. Doctor Keller simply rolled her eyes as her husband and Eli continued a heated debate over the newly perfected Arcturus power generation system.


    "You must really think you''re smart" spat Rodney with a frown.


    "Rodney" exclaimed a somewhat shocked Keller.


    ""Jealous much" asked Eli with a grin.


    "Ok smart guy, why don''t you explain how you got past the exotic particle problem" challenged Rodney.


    "I think you''ll find that Eli is very capable Doctor McKay" interjected Ginn in a wary tone.


    "Now? We''re having lunch McKay! Fine. The short of it is the exotic particles feed into the protective shield. It''s a wave resonance issue. Can I eat my tatter tots now" asked Eli.


    "What are you not telling me? The answer can''t be that simple! Even Zelenka could have come up with that, and he didn''t" objected Rodney.


    "Neither did you, and that''s in the report I read" replied Eli with a taunting smile.


    "Ok boys, that''s enough physics talk for one day. How about paying attention to the women at the table? Some of us are married to you after all" said Keller in a monotone, while looking at Rodney with a dull glare.


    "Fine, but you''re explaining this to me later mister" finished McKay.


    "Are you excited about your transfer to Borealis Doctor Keller" asked Ginn.


    "I really am. After months of requesting transfer from Atlantis to be with my husband, I can say I''ve never been happier. In many ways it''s like I''m still on Atlantis" replied Keller.


    "Just because they are both city shops does not make them the same" muttered Rodney.


    "Does he always do this" asked Eli while pointing a thumb at McKay.


    "You get used to it" answered Keller with a smile.


    "This city is amazing. I never dreamed of such a place" said Ginn.


    "Stick with me kid, I''m going places. Just ask McKay" said Eli with a laugh.


    "We''re married; you totally should be on my side for that one. He''s starting it" whined McKay to Keller.


    "He''s kidding Rodney, now settle down" whispered Keller loudly.


    "So are you heading back to the SGC" asked Rodney.


    "Ginn and I are gating back to Earth just long enough to drop off the test data and visit my mom for the weekend. Then it''s back to Vis Uban and working with Janus. This time I get to take her with me" said Eli with a broad smile.


    "The SGC is in the habit of letting you take the woman in your life along with you to work now" asked Rodney smugly.


    "They might be. Look who''s sitting beside you" replied Eli.


    "Rodney McKay, that''s it. Maybe I''ll sleep in my quarters tonight" hinted Keller.


    "See what you did Wallace" whined Eli.


    "Hey, don''t blame me. Enjoy sleeping on the floor though" laughed Eli.


    In stargate operations Daniel Jackson stood looking at a flat panel display screen. On the screen was a live video feed emanating from the active worm hole. After an hour long discussion with Janus, Daniel had deployed Lieutenant Scott''s team to the gate address the scientist had provided. This video was a result of that deployment.


    Displayed on the screen was unmistakably ancient architecture. Though the light in the video was low, the large room in the video appeared perfectly intact. In the distance Daniel noted two large sets of staircases. As the video panned to the left, a hallway that spanned into the distance was clearly seen.


    "It looks like Janus wasn''t kidding when he said he had a surprise for us" said Daniel more to himself than anyone.


    "Borealis, this is Scott. The structure is intact, and life support is viable. We''ll sweep the place for any security threats, but it might take some time. This place is huge" said Scott over the radio link.


    "Ok Lieutenant, just be careful. Check back in three hours from now. In the meantime we''ll be preparing additional teams to join you there. Borealis out" finished Jackson with a smile on his face.


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 Chapter 139

    Cheyenne Mountain, SGC


    Seated in General Landry''s office was the General, and Doctor Nicholas Rush. Recently arrived from Arkos and his beloved Destiny, Rush had been quickly escorted to Landry''s office. Knowing little about the man other than what he read in the file on his desk, Landry found himself wishing for a nice peaceful retirement.


    "Thank you for coming Doctor" said Landry warmly.


    "May I ask what this is about General" asked Rush shortly.


    "Destiny''s redeployment through the super gate, but you already know that I''m sure" replied Landry.


    "And just when is that going to happen" demanded Rush.


    "All good things come in time Doctor. In case you''ve not noticed, we do have other priorities at the moment" countered Landry.


    "Such as" asked Rush.


    "We''re in the middle of a war in the Pegasus galaxy Doctor. Once that situation is contained to everyone''s liking, Destiny along with several of those vessels will proceed through the super gate. We have no intention of letting you face the drones alone" replied Landry.


    "With the upgrades made recently to Destiny''s systems, I''m confident we can handle the drone threat adequately" responded Rush.


    "Because it''s worked out so well in the past, right? We have other matters to attend to before Destiny deploys" suggested Landry.


    "Which are what exactly" again demanded Rush.


    "Young was right about you" said Landry with a smile.


    "Colonel Young''s opinion of me is beside the point" protested Rush.


    "When you depart, you will be carrying a team of ten human form replicators with you" informed Landry.


    "Why would anyone think that is a good idea" demanded Rush.


    "They will be onboard to affect any repairs as needed should damage arise" answered Landry.


    "Myself and the science team are more than capable of handling that on our own" protested Rush.


    "Right. You did so well at that the first time, didn''t you? If I remember correctly, we had to send the Athena halfway into the unknown to handle what you are so clearly capable of handling. Spare me the attitude Doctor" said Landry dryly.


    "Point taken" replied Rush quickly.


    "Doctor, let me be clear. You are not my first choice for this assignment. Were it not for the recommendation of Colonel Young stating that you were the single most qualified person for this mission, you would not be going. Now, moving on, please tell me where we stand with the upgrades to Destiny''s systems" asked Landry.


    "We''re showing a thirtyfold increase in FTL drive speed and efficiency. Shield strength has been increased by a factor of eight. Sensor capabilities are now on par with the best the ancients or Asgard ever produced. The rest is merely window dressing" answered Rush.


    "Disclosure of the program has opened up a wider field of candidates for the expedition. Yourself and Colonel Davidson will be going over the dossiers of potential candidates we send. The sky is the limit as far as who you decide on. My suggestion is pick the ones you can get along with" said Landry with a grin.


    Teotihuacan, Mexico


    The city of Teotihuacan had long been a mystery to archeologists. Containing immense pyramids and temples, the city showed signs of organization and engineering rarely found in Mesoamerica. After several thousand years of abandonment by its builders, Teotihuacan was once again bustling with activity. From a distance, groups of individuals could be seen ascending the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of Moon. Along the Avenue of the Dead, crates appeared, and were quickly moved to other locations. After eons of neglect, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl was slowly being restored to its previous glory.


    This site, like Puma Punku in modern day Bolivia, and Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, had been built by the Furlings. Long ago, in a time before the Goa''uld dominance of the Milky Way came to be, the Furling had resided here and nurtured man. After Ra came to rule the Earth, the Furling had provided safe harbor to those within their grasp. Intimidated by the powerful Furling, Ra did little to stand in their way for fear of starting a war that might be unwinnable.


    To further prepare mankind for their role as the Fifth Race, and to nurture a vulnerable public newly learned of the reality that faced them, the Furlings had returned. Restoring their cities and site of learning to their former pristine glory, the Furling were intent on educating and enlightening man. Long ago the Furlings had embarked on this path with the Toltec and Mayan people. This time they intended to walk the path with mankind as a whole.


    Any who sought answers or knowledge were welcome. To the Furling, knowledge brought harmony, and harmony brought prosperity and happiness. These values would be passed on to the young Fifth Race they had watched over in its infancy. During this fragile transition to imminence on the universal stage, mankind would have a guide to watch over them.


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 Chapter 140

    Shambhala


    Construction of the megacity of Shambhala continued at a frightening pace. In anticipation of the first arrivals of a large contingent of residents from Earth, further numbers of human form replicators had been created and transported from Atlantis. After consultation with the other Great Races, a design addition was being added.


    In the northeast corner of the city just taking beginning to take shape, a structure unlike any other in the known universe would be built. This structure, while intimidating in size would serve as the jumping off point for an even more intimidating goal. On Earth, the United Nations headquarters building served as the meeting place of all nations and as a safe harbor for diplomacy. That concept would be put to work again, only on a much grander scale.


    The Alliance of Great Races over the course of its existence had made contact with many races in many galaxies. Lessons learned from the subjugation of both Pegasus and the Milky Way would be put to use. Delegations of all planets within the Milky Way, Pegasus, Ida, Alterran home galaxy, and Andromeda would be invited. This intergalactic diplomatic endeavor would serve to safeguard the combined races of the five galaxies through humanitarian aid and military might. Never before had such a feat been attempted or considered. If this pan universal diplomatic effort bore fruit, the races of the five galaxies would stand somewhat united instead of divided. Races both friendly and unfriendly would be welcome. From the Athosian''s to the Gadmeer and the Hebridanians to the Sekkari, all would be greeted with open arms as equals.


    Elsewhere, in the main administrative tower, an uncomfortable gathering was beginning. Due to intensive forensic computer analysis, the records and those that deletion was attempted upon had finally been recovered from the Tollan database. This made possible the expected and awaited Triad of Chancellor Travell. Among the Tollan people divisions and rifts had formed over the act of leveling charges against the sitting Chancellor.


    Under the age old system of Triad, the two opposing parties known as Seekers are each defended by an Archon of their choice. Realizing that each Seekers Archon will vote in their favor, a third entirely neutral Archon is included. The Seekers argue their case until the Archons conclude their case and are ready for a decision. From there, each of the three Archons cast a vote for their seeker of choice leaving the ultimate decision in the hands of the third neutral Archon.


    Chosen by Chancellor Travell as her Archon was Otomi, former Curia administrator. The Archon representing the Tollan people was Freyr of the Asgard. As the neutral Archon was Ohper, one of the very oldest and wisest of the Nox. Coming to order, the woman overseeing the Triad, Nahua, called everyone to order.


    "I now call this Triad to session. We stand here today to bring resolution to the following accusations against Chancellor Travell. One; that at your direction records of the Curia while in session were willfully altered and or destroyed. Two; that at your direction murder was committed of a fellow Curia member in the person of Councilor Omoc. Three; that you did either alone or in concert with others enter into league with the Goa''uld known as Tannith with the intent to provide technology to a less advanced race. Four; that you conspired to share weapons technology with the then less advanced Tauri in trade for material resources. Five; at your direction a weapon was prepared for use against the Tauri despite the existence of diplomatic relations between our two peoples. Six; due to your actions while acting in concert with the Goa''uld you did endanger the Tollan people, and nearly bring about the extinction of our culture while also aiding in the destruction of the home world Tollana. I ask now that the Archons refrain from commenting outside of their appointed time to do so. Archon for Chancellor Travell, I give you the floor" said Nahua.


    "I stand in defense of Chancellor Travell. One cannot attain the rank of Chancellor without the highest of moral fortitude and adherence to our laws. One of our highest laws is public disclosure without alteration of all transcripts of gatherings of the Curia. I postulate that these supposed Curia records that were altered and or destroyed had nothing to do with the Chancellor. As deleted record recovery is not possible with our computer technology, we can neither confirm nor negate these accusations in effect rendering them moot. Were we able to recover these records I believe it would be easily proven that this situation was one of Omoc''s making and design. This, in combination with his suicide would ensure the downfall of the Chancellor" said Otomi.


    "I wish to point out that with the aid of Asgard technology, the deleted records were recovered. After careful examination of the events surrounding these records we have found that the personal computer codes of Chancellor Travell were the authorizing party to this deletion. May I point out that the technological superiority of Asgard technology is without question far more advanced than that of the Tollan? Was this a conspiracy of Omoc''s design, why would he lodge a formal protest following the Curia meeting the deleted transcript covers? Furthermore, a conspiracy to discredit another of similar political standing at a cost of ones own life is frivolous fancy of a deranged mind" countered Freyr.


    "Our society, as it stood previous to Tollana''s destruction was one of security and monitoring. Our health monitoring systems were time and again found to be without fault. Each Tollan carries a health implant that alerts medical services in the event of an emergency. That Omoc''s implant alerted medical services and they failed to arrive in time is not murder by any means, but instead the fault of medical staff failing in their duties which led to a tragic end to a well respected man" said Otomi.


    "Again I go back to the analysis of data from the Tollan computer core. Within the security systems management partition it was discovered that an emergency lock down protocol was initiated twenty seconds after Councilor Omoc''s health implant signaled an alert to your medical services section. The protocol was initiated with the Chancellors computer security authorization code. With this protocol activated, the blame cannot be laid at the feet of medical personnel and labeled incompetence. Nor can this be labeled an act of conspiracy at the hands of Omoc, as his vital signs had ceased seconds before this protocol was activated" stated Freyr.


    "This is an outrage! I refuse to sit here and be demeaned in such a manner! I demand a recess" shrieked Travell while bolting to her feet.


    Without a further word Travell stormed out of the room and towards her quarters. How dare they speak to me in such a manner was the thought that raced through her mind. Her rage boiled over as she felt the hot burn of tears streaking down her face. In the corridor Camille Wray and Elizabeth Weir watched as the Chancellor raced past them.


    "That doesn''t look good at all" said Wray cautiously.


    "When I was at the UN we called that the death spiral" conceded Weir.


    "Can it really be that bad in there" asked Wray.


    "Off the record, from what I''ve heard she''s already dead and buried. This isn''t wild west justice with a hanging judge, but its close" admitted Weir.


    "And from what I was told by General O''Neill, hanging would be letting her off easy. Most of her own people blame her for what happened to them. Honestly, I''m half surprised they haven''t lynched her yet" said Wray.


    "Let''s hope things stay that way" sighed Weir.


    Exiting the transporter booth, Travell wordlessly raced past those in the hall between her and her quarters. Many of the faces she saw before her did not belong in this corridor, so they must just be gawking at her expense she thought. I do belong here; quarters at this height in the tower were for the Tollan ruling elite she smiled inwardly.


    Entering her quarters, Travell was overcome with deafening rage as well as guilt and heartbreak. The flurry of emotions was overwhelming. One second she wanted to sob, while the next she wanted to break everything in site. In short, Travell came completely unhinged emotionally. This catastrophic break with reality obliterated the last shred of rational thought she was able to produce. In a fit of tears, Travell crumpled to the floor. Gasping for breath as she sobbed, her body was wracked with pain.


    "This isn''t what happens to people of my station" she screamed into the air.


    Her tears continued unabated for many moments, before settling down. Instead of finding calm, all that was in Travell''s reach was an icy, bone chilling cold. A coldness of heart, a coldness of thought, and a numb lack of afterthought was all she could muster. Raising herself from the cold floor, she looked toward the ornate stained glass windows that separated her from her balcony. The light shone though in beautiful patterns. Perhaps, the warmth of the sun on her face would change everything.


    Stumbling towards the balcony, she barely registered the automated door sliding open once it sensed her nearing. Walking out onto the balcony, the sun warmed her face but nothing more. Finally, she realized her age, and the amount of emotional and physical trauma her body had experienced in the last few years. Her world destroyed, her standing among her people ruined, and even her honor taken from her.


    "It would be so easy" she whispered in a voice that silently trailed off


    Climbing the balcony railing, Travell looked towards the vibrant blue sky. Taking in the clouds, the sun, and the elegant cityscape around her, Travell smiled one last heartfelt smile. Shifting her weight almost imperceptibly, she fell from the balcony. Looking down as she fell from the one hundredth floor of her tower, she closed her eyes. With the smile still on her face she silently plummeted. Seconds later, it was over and she finally knew an end to her pain.


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 Chapter 141

    Cheyenne Mountain, SGC


    Lacking gate access after the Tauri replacement of the worlds of the Free Jaffa Nation''s terrestrial gates with orbital models, Rak''nor''s journey to Earth had taken more time than he had liked. Secreting away with a lone Al''kesh, Rak''nor had made the trip to the Tauri home world alone. Upon entry of the solar system of Earth, the Al''kesh was escorted to a safe orbit around one of the moons of Saturn while its occupant was beamed aboard a vessel of the Tauri fleet for transport to his end destination.


    After many years of association with forces of the Tauri, Rak''nor had come to respect their abilities and power. They were a people he esteemed, much to the dislike of many of the more traditionalist valued Jaffa. Time and time again, these people had risked much so that his people could claim their freedom. With their assistance, he hoped that once more that freedom could be brought home for good.


    Seated in the conference room above the gate room were Rak''nor and General Landry. After many hours of consultation with the White House and Home World Command it was decided to let General Landry proceed with negotiations between the Tauri and Jaffa. With his marching orders and talking points committed to memory, the General jumped right into the thick of it.


    "I had assumed the negotiations were finalized with Ry''ac''s visit to this world" stated Rak''nor.


    "You assumed wrong. While we have agreed to assist you in bringing stability back to your people, we have a few demands in return" replied Landry.


    "The people of the Jaffa are not as advanced as those of the Tauri. What could we have that your people do not already posses" inquired Rak''nor.


    "While our two peoples battled the forces of the System Lords, we found one trend was constant from world to world. The System Lords employed vast numbers of human''s to toil away laboring in mines, and other tasks of menial labor. Once the System Lords were defeated, nothing was ever said again about that human slave labor force. Knowing full well the raw materials the planets of the Free Jaffa Nation produce, we can only assume that those humans remain in their previous role. Yes or no" demanded Landry.


    "The human populations of our worlds do conduct mining operations for us, yes" replied Rak''nor.


    "Do they have their freedom? Are they accorded equal rights with Jaffa in the eyes of the government of the Free Jaffa Nation" asked Landry pointedly.


    "No, they are not. As they are not Jaffa, they merit no such liberties" responded Rak''nor.


    "And therein lays our problem. We have already pledged our assistance, but it will not be given to maintain a status quo we find to be unacceptable" countered Landry.


    "What is it the Tauri seek in return then General" asked Rak''nor.


    "I won''t sit here and preach to you about our desire for freedom for these people. As you already know, those humans are descendants of those taken from this world long ago. We demand they live life without being property of any race. We ask that they be turned over into our care, along with the worlds they reside upon. Instead of demanding every planet inhabited by human life under your control, we are willing to accept relocation of multiple populations to a single world on a three to one ratio" replied Landry coolly.


    "You ask that we give you planets and workers in return for your assistance in this matter? That is absurd" rebuked Rak''nor.


    "Let me be very clear son; you need our help more than we need to give it. Without our help the Jaffa will spend the next fifty years tearing themselves apart, and in the end we will get what it is we seek. You demand sh.i.p.s, and we can provide those with ease. For every two Ha''tak''s we provide, you in return will hand over a planet along with three worlds human populations" stated Landry.


    "That demand is absurd" replied Rak''nor.


    "No son, absurd is the Jaffa belief that you took down the System Lords on your own. Let me give you a little history lesson. Ra died at our hand. The one that replaced him was Apophis, and we brought him to his end also. After that Anubis came to power, and we defeated him and his entire fleet in orbit of our planet. Then came Ba''al, and we are all aware of how he came to his end again at our hands. These are just the major players; many of the lesser Goa''uld also fell at our hand. The last time I checked, the Jaffa hadn''t managed to rid themselves of a single one. Would you agree or disagree with that" asked Landry.


    "You make your point General" grudgingly admitted Rak''nor.


    "The days of humanity toiling away while the Jaffa sit back and profit are at an end. One constant in the history of this galaxy seems to be humanity getting its hands dirty doing all the heavy lifting while the Jaffa reap the benefits. The arrogance of that! Many of your people seem to be of the mindset that they defeated the Goa''uld and ushered in freedom, and the Tauri were there also. That ends here" stated Landry with defiance.


    "For every ten Ha''tak we are given, we will provide one world" countered Rak''nor.


    "I don''t think so. Let me be clear about something. You came to us, we didn''t go to you. You need our assistance far more than we need to give it. In this circ.u.mstance, we set the tune to dance to. It''s that simple. One planet, along with the total human populations of three worlds in exchange for every two Ha''tak we provide. That is the only offer we will accept. It''s high time the Jaffa learned that an alliance is not one where only they benefit" replied Landry sternly.


    "Then it seems that I have no choice but to agree to your demands. You will have your planets and humans as you wish in exchange for the vessels" replied Rak''nor.


    "Very good, I thought you would come to see the light in that logic. The first five Ha''tak will be ready within seven days. I suggest you have our planets and people ready at that time" replied Landry.


    "What of military assistance in the battle we find ourselves in" asked Rak''nor.


    "Now you want military assistance as well. Imagine that. For that we will need much more than what we ask for the vessels we are providing" hinted Landry.


    "You ask too much of us" complained Rak''nor.


    "We ask what is fair and just. Before it was just sh.i.p.s, now you want us to help fight your battles for you. Might I remind you that our Ambassador was tortured and killed by your High Council? Commitment of military forces to this cause would require that all humans within the collected planets of the Free Jaffa Nation be placed in our care, along with their home worlds. On that point I''m afraid I have no room to bargain" said Landry.


    "What you ask of us will severely diminish the size and standing of the Free Jaffa Nation. This is not acceptable" raged Rak''nor.


    "Without our help I highly doubt a Free Jaffa Nation will ever again exist on its own" replied Landry.


    "Then on behalf of my people I agree to your demands under protest" stated Rak''nor.


    "Your protest is noted. Have a safe trip home" replied Landry.


    Moments later Rak''nor vanished in a flash of light as he was transported to the orbiting 304. With a smile on his face Landry strolled down the stairs and into stargate operations. At a data terminal in the room a young Sergeant followed a track on his screen. Seeing the General enter, he looked towards him hoping to catch his attention.


    "What is it Sergeant" asked Landry.


    "Sir, we''ve got an unknown track in our sector. He arrived shortly after our guest did in the solar system. Currently the vessel is cloaked, but I think he may have seen activity around Arkos" stated the Sergeant.


    "Arkos is heavily armed. Send word to the station. I''m sure they are tracking the target also, but lets play it safe" replied Landry.


    "Target is jumping to hyperspace Sir" exclaimed the Sergeant

 Chapter 142

    Shambhala


    Recent events had brought changes to the normal daily routine of the city. Disclosure of the program made possible the relocation of many academics and scientific personnel from Earth. Accompanied by their families, several thousand people had flowed in through the gate to begin making the new city their home. In this throng of newcomers was also an assortment being sent for another purpose.


    In embassies around the world on Earth, many agencies maintained Attach¨¦''s for various functions. The newly assigned legal attach¨¦ of Shambhala was Special Agent Dan O''Dell, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Accompanying him during his trip to the city was a forensic investigation team. Their assignment was to investigate the recent death of Chancellor Travell.


    A thorough examination of the Chancellors body had revealed no signs of foul play. Further examination of her quarters had turned up nothing to suggest this was nothing more than a simple suicide. Her status as Chancellor, and the fact that she was on trial when she ended her life made a thorough examination of events surrounding her death a political necessity. Sitting in Camille Wray''s office debating the investigative results uncovered so far was Wray, Doctor Bill Lee, and Special Agent O''Dell. At the moment they found themselves reviewing security feed footage of the last moments of Travell''s life.


    "You put a security camera in her quarters" asked O''Dell somewhat shocked.


    "No Agent O''Dell, we did not" protested Wray.


    "Then how did you come by this footage" demanded O''Dell.


    "The city is laced with sensors. At any second the city is recording and evaluating everything that happens within it. Shambhala is sentient actually. She''s watching everything and getting to know everyone. The neural interface is incredibly complex, and knows you better than you know yourself after a short time. Therein is the problem with this situation" answered Lee.


    "And what problem is that Doctor" asked O''Dell.


    "Shambhala has a prime directive to safeguard her inhabitants. Suicidal thoughts for example, would have been detected by the neural interface and the city would have reacted. Personnel would have been notified, and a lockdown protocol of the Chancellors quarters would have initiated, preventing her access to the balcony" replied Lee.


    "Are you saying she was murdered" demanded Wray.


    "Ok Doc, you lost me. I''m not a tech guy at all. Pretend for a moment that I didn''t just learn about aliens and cities on other worlds" replied O''Dell.


    "The Chancellor fell from her balcony, we all agree on that point. What I''m getting at is the city should have prevented her from ever getting to the balcony to jump in the first place. Once she jumped another protocol should have initiated to beam her to safety. In this case, neither of those two things happened. When I realized that I started to dig in the mainframe for answers" said Lee.


    "What kind of answers are we talking about here" asked O''Dell.


    "I was under the assumption that perhaps someone found a way to override the safety protocols, but that would mean someone knew she was going to jump. Then I started looking for evidence that the security footage may have been tampered with, but found none. That really stumped me for a minute until I started walking around the city" hinted Lee.


    "Please explain Doctor" urged Wray.


    "I think we can all agree that she wasn''t the most popular woman in the city. At first I expected a sense of outrage or paranoia since she died in the middle of a trial, but I found nothing like that. Walking around the city I noticed that the Tollan''s seemed relieved she took this route out. That really didn''t make any sense to me at all" replied Lee.


    "Are you going somewhere with this" asked O''Dell.


    "Well, yes. After I saw their reactions, I went back and started digging in the mainframe again. The AI is sentient after all, and you can query it for answers. So that''s what I did. Essentially, the city judged the effect and outcome if she jumped and decided that it was in the best interests of the city''s population to allow her to do so" explained Lee.


    "That''s preposterous Bill" argued Wray.


    "Um Doc, are you saying the city helped her kill herself" asked O''Dell.


    "Yes and no. Look at the facts here. Had she been found guilty certain elements of the Tollan''s would have been outraged. Had she been found innocent, other elements of the Tollan''s would have been equally unhappy. By ending her life before a judgment could be reached, outrage on either side was averted. It had a calming effect for the Tollan''s. The city knew that since she can monitor the inhabitants with the neural interface. The city in effect found the solution to keep the peace. Shambhala didn''t so much kill Travell as it prevented her from being saved. If you look at it from a clinical perspective, as a machine would, it makes perfect sense" argued Lee.


    "So are you or aren''t you saying the city killed her Doc" asked O''Dell.


    "This is ridiculous" raged Wray.


    "Why don''t we activate the AI''s avatar and ask then" challenged Lee.


    Thinking it over for a second, Wray was unsure how to proceed. On one hand she wanted answers, and on the other she feared the answers she might find. After a brief moment of thought, Wray entered the activation code into her Ipad to bring to life the avatar of Shambhala. Seconds later, shimmering into existence before them stood the female figure of Oma Desala.


    "I thank you for activating my avatar Ms. Wray. I am Gaia, how may I assist you" asked the avatar.


    "Gaia as in mother earth" asked O''Dell.


    "Yes Special Agent O''Dell. It is the name and image selected for me by members of Stargate Command" replied Gaia kindly.


    "Gaia, we have something we wish to discuss with you and we need answers. Will you please provide the answers we seek" asked Wray.


    "Of Course I will. My purpose is to assist you in any way possible" replied Gaia.


    "This is just neat" beamed Lee.


    "Gaia, did you have any part in the events that ended Chancellor Travell''s life" asked O''Dell.


    "I did" responded the avatar.


    "Great, we''ve got a homicidal AI. That''s just perfect" gasped Wray.


    "After evaluating the possible outcomes any verdict of the judicial proceedings against the Chancellor may have brought about, I came to the conclusion that a guilty and a not guilty verdict would lead to calamity for my inhabitants. As you are aware, my duty is to assure the safety and welfare of my inhabitants. When the Chancellor came to the conclusion that suicide was the path she wished to follow, I recalculated the possible outcomes. It was this recalculation that showed the most promising outcome" replied Gaia.


    "So you helped a woman kill herself" thundered Wray.


    "No, I don''t think that''s it at all. Think about it for a second. On Atlantis, if a biological contaminant is detected, the city goes into a lock down protective mode for the safety of the city. If a verdict would have brought about riots, then this is a similar safety measure" explained Lee.


    "The Doctor is correct. The Chancellor''s death while tragic was necessary. A verdict either way would have brought about conflict among the Tollan people and that conflict would have grown to encompass all who inhabit my halls. Her death alleviated the concern entirely. I initiated a security lockdown around the Chancellor to prevent interference of her end. This brought about peace and stability to the population. It was the only way" stated Gaia.


    "So, while you didn''t kill her you didn''t exactly stop her, right" asked O''Dell.


    "That is correct Special Agent O''Dell" responded the avatar.


    "Then you''re a part of this woman''s death" shouted Wray.


    "Her death was necessary to ensure the safety of the many other lives within my halls. The safety of the many outweighed the safety of the few. While I understand your outrage, I do ask that you understand the need to safeguard those who call this city home" replied Gaia patiently.

 Chapter 143

    Dar Eshkalon


    The planet known as Dar Eshkalon was a long time hub for the Jaffa resistance. During their rebellion, the Jaffa used the planet as a central meeting place and command post for operations around the planets of the System Lords. While the planet still rested in Jaffa hands, it was now the staging point for traditionalist forces in the ongoing Jaffa civil war.


    Upon learning the fate that had befallen Yat''Yir, his underlings had gathered their followers and waged a war of attrition against progressive followers that supported Teal''c and his kind. As the battle raged on and grew to encompass other planets within the Jaffa sphere of influence, these underlings had retreated to the safety of Dar Eshkalon. Unknown to them upon their arrival, a small group of progressive followers also called the planet home. These progressives had waged a guerilla campaign against the traditionalists, but their numbers were beginning to dwindle.


    The bulk of what remained of the traditionalist fleet sat on the open planes of the planet. Around these sh.i.p.s grew encampments of Jaffa. From within these encampments strategy on how to wage the ongoing civil war was formulated. It was also from these camps that orders were disseminated to traditionalist forces around the scattered planets of the war torn nation.


    Ry''ac, on his clandestine visit to Earth, had informed the Tauri of the location of traditionalist leaders. With this location in hand, the Tauri decided to seek out more intelligence on what they faced on their own, without informing the progressives of this. To that end, a craft life few others had been deployed. Recently built, and of a new design, this craft was a similar in size to an Al''kesh. Looking much like an arrowhead, this craft was filled with the latest in signals intercept gear the Tauri and Asgard had at their disposal.


    Belonging to the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, this craft was known as the Rivet Joint. Much like her predecessors used during the Cold War, this iteration of the Rivet Joint was designed to ferret out any and all signals for study and analysis. The equipment onboard was capable of capturing any and all electromagnetic transmissions, subspace broadcasts, and possessed the ability to monitor and interpret the minuet traces of radiation that emanated from a display screens buffer. This last capability made possible the interception of data being viewed within the encampment below, without the need to place monitoring devices on the data terminals themselves.


    Inside the Rivet Joint were two pilots and ten signals intercept officers. These officers had cut their teeth at their chosen profession by monitoring the signals traffic of many nations on Earth. Now they were being put to their first real off world challenge. The information they succeeded or failed in generating would help determine fleet and ground force actions for Tauri forces. The ten intercept officers knew that national policy and military service members lives hung on the outcome of their mission.


    Upon exiting hyperspace near Dar Eshkalon two days before, with their cloak engaged, the Rivet Joint had silently sat in orbit. Her ultra sensitive monitoring gear searching out any and all traces of generated signal, but finding few compared to what one might find off the coast of China for example. To the dismay of the radio intercept officers, the Jaffa made no use at all of radio signals unlike the Tauri. The subspace monitoring specialists though soon found themselves afloat in a sea of unencrypted video traffic. This traffic was recorded and cataloged in the massive data storage banks of the craft.


    Deciding that the take of thus far intercepted traffic was simply not enough, the Rivet Joint descended into the atmosphere of Dar Eshkalon. Settling into a stable hover over the dense forest one mile from the edges of the traditionalist encampment, the "take" soon skyrocketed. As data terminals within the camp and aboard the vessels on the ground were used, intercept officers detected and recorded the unique radiation signals from the data screens buffers. Later, elements of the National Security Agency with experience in matters of Goa''uld technology, would reconstruct these recorded signatures into readable screens of data.


    The intercept officers were not the only ones busy during this time. The pilots had standing mission objectives of their own, beyond simply flying the craft. Using the same sensors found on ancient designed puddle jumpers, the two pilots began to map out the camps, weapons present, and number of individuals calling this camp home. Along with these readings, a complex biometric scan was also taking place. This scan would provide detailed DNA evaluation of all those present within the encampment. This data would later be cross-referenced with DNA findings taken during the Lucian Alliance plague attack upon the Free Jaffa Nation. Identities of those at this camp would soon be known, and shared with the progressive Jaffa forces. While these scans were conducted, the two pilots chatted away in the c.o.c.kpit of the Rivet Joint.


    "Figure we''ll be done in another twenty four hours" said the pilot in command.


    "That works for me. I''ve got a date with that hot checkout girl from the commissary" said the copilot with a wide grin.


    "Oh she''s hot! Nicely done" said the pilot with a laugh.


    "You flew F-16''s before this right" asked the copilot.


    "Yeah, I came up in the Falcon. Nice bird to fly" replied the pilot.


    "Ever miss it" asked the copilot.


    "I used to. Now, I''m sitting in a space ship, reading some guys DNA signature while guys in the back read his email. This is much cooler" answered the pilot with a laugh.


    "Beats flying for United any day" agreed the copilot

 Chapter 144

    M3S-419


    In the Borealis database, the planet was known as M3S-419. Having a toxic atmosphere incapable of supporting even the most basic forms of life, the planet was uninhabited and singularly lacking in life. For this reason, the ancients chose this planet to build the underground facility that Janus had clued the Borealis expedition in on.


    After verifying the facility was intact and free of danger by Lieutenant Scott''s team, Daniel Jackson had ordered other teams through the stargate to scout the sprawling complex. Wishing to join in on the discovery, Daniel had selected a few expedition members to accompany him to the newly discovered prize that awaited. Recognizing her genius from the moment they met, Chloe was an obvious choice for Jackson. After receiving word from one of the scouting teams that the data found in the facility appeared to be medical in nature, TJ was soon invited along.


    With TJ firmly ensconced at a data terminal, Daniel and Chloe began to wander the empty halls of the facility. For many hours the duo explored the in and outs of the rooms they encountered. Sadly, none of the rooms lent any evidence as to the purpose of the facility. The mystery began to deepen to untold and frustrating heights as the radio sounded.


    "Doctor Jackson, this is TJ. Can you come to my location? I may have found something but it doesn''t make any sense" TJ said over the radio.


    "We''re on the way. What did you find" asked Daniel.


    "I''ve found an entire section within the database on chromatin proteins and histones reorganization" replied TJ.


    "TJ, I''m a doctor, but not that kind of doctor. I''m going to need you to explain that a bit" replied Daniel.


    "Basically, this deals with DNA structures" replied TJ.


    "OK, we''re coming to you. Be there in a few minutes" said Daniel quickly.


    Daniel excitedly motioned for Chloe to follow him. As the two quickly retraced their path through the complex, Daniel began to mutter quietly to himself. Not knowing what was happening, Chloe began to worry slightly.


    "Are you ok" she asked.


    "Yeah, great in fact. Why do you ask" asked Daniel in return.


    "Well, you are talking to yourself" Chloe explained.


    "Sorry, I do that when I''m thinking sometimes. I think I might know what this place is" replied Daniel.


    "Care to fill me in" asked Chloe.


    "Did you watch the tapes I made for new SGC members" asked Daniel.


    "Oh, those. Um, yeah" she responded somewhat uncomfortably.


    "You thought they were bad too. And no, that isn''t a question. Didn''t anyone like those things" Daniel asked more to himself than anything.


    "They were informative though" answered Chloe with an awkward smile.


    "Yeah, right" replied Daniel skeptically.


    "No really, they were. So what am I missing" asked Chloe.


    "Ok, in the Milky Way the ancients after suffering a great plague used a device to reseed the galaxy with life. That device we found on Dakara, and it came in handy a number of times before it was destroyed. When the ancients arrived in Pegasus, they seeded the galaxy with life. So we always knew that a device like the one in the Milky Way was here somewhere, we just didn''t know where to look. We didn''t even find a reference to it in the Atlantis database, and trust me we looked. I think we''re standing in the facility where that device is" excitedly explained Daniel.


    "Um, neat I guess" replied Chloe.


    "Try not to get too excited" replied Daniel while rolling his eyes.


    Several moments later, the two arrived at TJ''s location. Standing beside TJ was Master Sergeant Ronald Greer. The two were chatting and laughing about something when they noticed Jackson and Chloe''s arrival.


    "TJ, search the database for pulse wave transmission and tell me what you come up with" ordered Jackson.


    With a few quick keystrokes TJ began her search. Within second''s page after page of ancient text appeared on the screen. Along with the text came diagrams of a large wave emitter, and other technical specifications.


    "I knew it! I was right, and that''s so nice when it works out that way" exclaimed Daniel.


    "Right about what Doctor Jackson" asked Greer.


    "This facility is what the ancients used to seed life throughout the galaxy" explained Daniel.


    "That''s better than a boom box" commented Greer offhandedly.


    "So let me get this right. This facility spread life throughout Pegasus" asked TJ.


    "Yep, pretty much" replied Daniel while looked at the pages of data.


    "How sure are you of that" asked TJ.


    "Oh he''s pretty sure" replied Chloe.


    "Yep, what she said" said Daniel rapidly.


    "It was in the tapes" added Chloe.


    "Oh, the tapes" said TJ grimacing.


    "The tapes, great" added Greer with a forced smile.


    "Really guys? Were the tapes that bad" demanded Daniel.


    "Um, well, uh" could be heard from the group.


    "Oh come on! Were they that bad" again demanded Daniel.


    "Yes" came the reply in unison.


    "You know what; I don''t even want to talk to any of you right now. Dial the gate, I''m going home" ordered Daniel with a somewhat dejected tone.


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 Chapter 145

    Shambhala


    On a mission handed down twenty four hours before from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis stood in the growing city of Shambhala. Standing beside Davis was a young First Lieutenant who had accompanied him on this task. As the two men waited before the gate in the receiving chamber of the city, they laughed quietly while they chatted. One thing the two agreed on was that this would be an interesting if not entertaining task that awaited them.


    "You do understand what kind of a problem this guy was right" asked the Lieutenant.


    "I remember all too well. A few times I wanted to shoot him myself. He''ll be happy to see you I''m sure" replied Davis with a chuckle.


    "Oh I bet sir. He and I go way back" sighed the Lieutenant.


    "It''s really creepy when you call me sir. Well, coming from you I mean" offered Davis.


    Seconds later the stargate activated with a flourish. As the event horizon formed and transferred from unstable to a stable wormhole security protocols around the gate engaged. Any time a wormhole engaged without an IDC indentified by Gaia''s sensors an interlocking field of barriers around, above, and below the gate was activated. This system alleviated the need for an iris, with the secondary side effect of allowing the unknown traveler a chance at life that an iris would have denied them on reaching their destination.


    Stepping through the active wormhole were two men with heralds trumpets in their hands. Walking forward exactly five feet before turning to face one another, the two men raised their trumpets. Those in close proximity to the gate turned and looked as the trumpets rang out a two note heralding.


    "King Arkhan arrives" said the two men in unison before dropping to a single knee.


    Stepping through the energy vortex was a man of average height, with a closely cropped beard and a massive smile on his face. Touching his two subjects on their shoulders as he passed, the King Arkhan who was once known on Earth as Colonel Harry Maybourne looked towards the two men looking at him in the distance. He and his entourage approached as the protective energy barrier deactivated.


    "Colonel Maybourne, welcome to Shambhala" began Davis in greeting.


    "They finally promoted you I see. Took them long enough but that''s Washington for you. This all is new" said Maybourne waving his hands at his surroundings.


    "Much has changed in the time you''ve been gone Colonel. Your presence here was requested to discuss a few matters" replied Davis.


    "I don''t believe we''ve met. I''m Colonel Maybourne, former commanding officer of the NID. I see your nametag says O''Neill Lieutenant. That''s a big name to live up to in this command. Hope you''re up to it" stated Maybourne.


    "Heya Harry. It''s been a long time, but not as long as I would have liked" replied the Lieutenant.


    "Have we met" asked Harry.


    "In a matter of speaking Harry. I''m Lieutenant Jonathan O''Neill, but you used to call me Jack" replied Lieutenant O''Neill.


    "The long and short of it is that the Lieutenant is General O''Neill''s clone. You missed that little situation during your time away" added Davis.


    "Two Jack''s? Isn''t that interesting" Harry mused.


    "Maybourne, I swear to God if you start with me it''s not going to be fun" scowled Lt. O''Neill.


    ''Relax Jack. Just having a laugh is all" offered Harry.


    "If you can follow me Colonel, we need to speak with you in private. Please, follow me" requested Davis.


    Leaving the two heralds in the care of city staff, Maybourne and the two officers quickly made their way to a transporter to begin their journey across the city. Exiting the transporter on the other side of the city, the three men entered a private series of offices. Stepping through the automated door, the men quickly took their seats in the as yet office of the city''s military liaison. On the wall mounted data screen a series of images of a modern city much like one that might have been found on Earth were displayed.


    "What''s all this about" inquired Harry.


    "We''ve got a bit of a request for you Harry" replied Lt. O''Neill.


    "These images were taken on BP6-3Q1" began Davis.


    "I know this address! Svoriin I believe was the planet''s name" interjected Harry.


    "I thought you might remember it" sneered Lt. O''Neill.


    "What do you mean by that Jack" asked Harry innocently.


    "Don''t even try it! I know that you are very aware that this is the planet with the contagious super mosquito that bit Teal''c that you wanted to weaponize" spat the Lieutenant.


    "At the hands of our off world allies, this world is now free of this insect. Sadly, the indigenous population was wiped out to the last man by this plague. They left behind a world of infrastructure in the form of this city and three others around it. All told, these cities can house and support a population numbering in the millions. This planet also has the benefit of being a named body in the Protected Planets Treaty, which is how it originally came to be populated with the assistance of the Asgard" stated Davis.


    "I''m not seeing what this has to do with me" countered Maybourne.


    "We''re getting to that part Harry, be patient" muttered Lt. O''Neill.


    "After the fall of the System Lords, the human populations of former Goa''uld controlled worlds fell under the purview of the Free Jaffa Nation" began Davis.


    "So the Goa''uld are gone are they" interrupted Harry.


    "That they are. The Free Jaffa Nation has devolved into a set of warring states, and is currently engaged in a rather brutal civil war for control of their domain. In exchange for material support for the Progressive faction of the Jaffa and their war effort, they have agreed to turn over their human populations along with a number of planets. You are the one asset we have that has enjoyed a high level of success in interacting with off world human populations for long durations. You''ve had your vacation, but as a serving officer of the United States Air Force it''s time to get back to work" explained Davis.


    "One little problem gentlemen; I''m still technically a fugitive and wanted for Treason. The Air Force typically doesn''t entrust special missions to people like that" countered Maybourne.


    "That''s been taken care of. By order of the President, you have been cleared of all charges and reinstated at your former rank. You are too assume command of Svoriin and the population as it is transported to the planet. You are further authorized to bring with you the people you currently rule over on your planet. Unfortunately, you will have to lay down your current mantle as King and settle for Colonel" explained Davis.


    "How many people are we talking about here" asked Maybourne.


    "Millions" replied Davis.

 Chapter 146

    Talus


    Long ago, the planet of Talus was an Ancient occupied world. Pieces of their technology remained in their wake, namely the Shrine of Talus used by humans throughout Pegasus to combat the effects of the parasite induced Second Childhood that Rodney McKay had once suffered. The onset of the Tauri/Wraith/Asuran War had brought about reutilization of this planet.


    Talus was now home to one of the larger Wraith garrisons within the Pegasus galaxy. At any given time upwards of ten thousand Wraith were present, along with several Hive sh.i.p.s. Having extinguished the human population of Talus long ago little interfered with the day to day goings on of the Wraith on this mountainous world. It was for this reason when factored in with the number of Wraith present at any one time that was the driving factor for Talus''s selection as a target.


    What had started as a hypothetical discussion between Colonel Carter and Thor had quickly scaled up into operational planning and preparation. Several years earlier, Colonel Carter had born witness to the effectiveness of the Asgard time dilation device. At that time it had been employed in the hopes of containing the replicator threat then rampaging through the Ida galaxy. In this instance it was being used to remove a large chunk of Wraith manpower from the field of play in one fell swoop, while also allowing for future options which were being developed.


    Creating the device had been done with ease aboard the Iskr, utilizing the matter creation technology aboard all vessels of the Asgard and Tauri fleet. The completed device now rested in one of the cavernous holds of the Iskr, awaiting its deployment against the enemy of the Five Great Races. Thor was highly aware of how necessary the mission to deliver the device truly was. That mission was one he refused to see fail.


    Being a mission of great importance to the anti Wraith war effort, a number of vessels were currently speeding towards the world of Talus through hyperspace. The Iskr, Hammond, and Hermes closed in on the world, along with one of the recently arrived Ori mothership''s. Lacking the ability to cloak, the Ori mothership was participating simply as a baptism by fire for the newly arrived vessel. Left unsaid about their participation was the fact that the effectiveness of the Ori main weapon would be judged by both the Asgard and Tauri. That information would play a large role in generating deployment orders to the new contingent among the allied fleet in the future.


    The order of arrival of the four sh.i.p.s was highly choreographed. First to arrive was both the Hermes and Hammond. Engaging their cloaks, the two Tauri vessels began to immediately scan the planet and Hives in orbit of Talus while also forwarding their findings to the approaching Ori mothership as well as the Iskr. Opening a subspace channel between their two sh.i.p.s, Mitchell and Carter spoke while their sensors peered into the darkness for any unforeseen danger that might be lurking in the darkness.


    "Ok Sam, this is more your show than mine. What are you thinking" asked Cam.


    "Nothing pointing towards the Wraith having detected us so far, but that''s to be expected. Keep in mind that we are just here to standby and stand guard over the Iskr while she approaches the planet. The two Hives are the responsibility of the Ori vessel" pointed out Carter.


    "Grandma didn''t really have a saying for this one. Ok, we''ll keep our sensors peeled while the Ori deal with the Hives. I''m thinking that big gun of theirs is going to make a mess of anything the Wraith throw at them" replied Cam.


    "Remember to keep your vessel clear of the planet. When the time dilation device goes active you don''t want to be caught in the field" advised Sam.


    "This thing slows time down how much exactly" asked Cam.


    "It''s on the order of ten to the forth power" replied Sam.


    "English carter" protested Cam.


    "It works out to an hour inside the field equals a year outside of the field, so for every year someone is inside the field ten thousand would pass outside of it" replied Sam with a smile.


    "Ori vessel is exiting hyperspace in twenty seconds, followed by Thor. Its show time" said Cam, finishing off the conversation.


    Seconds later the imposing mass of the Ori mothership exited hyperspace. Detecting the intruder automatically, the two Hives began to maneuver to meet the unknown threat. Having never encountered an Ori vessel before, the Wraith had little fear of the vessel but were impressed with the size as it dwarfed even the massive Hives. Knowing they faced an enemy to all humanity in the universe, the Ori sparred little time in combating the threat directly.


    Firing from a distance as they closed in on the intruder, the two Hives hurled bolts of blue energy at the gargantuan vessel before them. Like the many races that had followed in the Wraith''s current footsteps, they too saw that their weapons impacted the ultra powerful shields to little effect. Blossoming from the impact, the mothership''s shields held firm under the assault.


    On the curving face of the Ori vessel, energy began to build in the power conduits leading to the inwardly curving weapons bowl. Two tenths of a second later the building flow of energy passed through the resonance chamber and into the energy exciter before discharging. Belching forth a vicious and highly lethal beam of destructive energy, the mothership unleashed it''s most potent weapon at the first of the approaching Hives.


    As the beam lanced out towards the mothership the Wraith had little fear, knowing their vessel could regenerate from any damage sustained. Impacting four meters from the pointed nose of the Hive, the main weapon tore into the biopolymer armor. Tearing through level after level and bulkhead after bulkhead, the destructive energy of the beam was unexpectedly channeled into the organic power conduits of the doomed vessel. Throughout the Hive the living tissue of the ship surrounding the internal power conduits disintegrated and died. As this happened, the Hive snapped in two at its midpoint.


    Seeing the fate of their comrades, the second Hive began to maneuver away from the predator in their midst. Accelerating with their sublight engines, the Hive banked in a sixty degree turn away from their assailant. Enacting a minor course correction of their own, the Ori mothership easily countered the Wraith move.


    Discharging the main weapon once again, the fearsome Ori weapon lanced towards its target. A small collection of Dart''s deployed before the destruction of the first hive attempted sacrifice themselves to the terrifying beam weapon in place of their Hive. The efforts of the Darts while heroic did little to alter the inevitable outcome. Since the Hive was attempting to maneuver away from its pursuer, the juggernaut of dynamic energy sliced through the belly of the Hive. Slicing through the organic armor, the beam punched through deck after deck. The bridge crew of the Hive dematerialized as the beam eviscerated the compartment around them before erupting back into space as it exited the domed roof above the bridge, rendering the Hive helpless.


    "Now that''s what I''m talking about" exclaimed Mitchell more to himself than anything.


    As this battle was transpiring, the Iskr exited hyperspace close to the atmosphere of Talus. The deceleration drive activated, bringing the O''Neill class vessel into a controlled decent. Repeating a tactic much used against the Goa''uld, dense black clouds boiling over with lightning began to form around the enormous mass of the Iskr. To Wraith on the planets surface it looked as if the weather patterns building might rip anything in its path apart. Coming in low over a towering snow capped peak, Thor activated his onboard transport beaming system to deposit the time dilation device in a location difficult to access by any that might attempt to make the trek.


    Having accomplished his given mission and fully aware of the unique time constraints he faced, Thor piloted the Iskr back into the heavens with the ease of moving a control stone four inches to the left.


    On the ground below within a Wraith command and control center, urgent messages were being sent. As subspace messages flew in multiple directions, Wraith telepathy also came into play. The Wraith Hive mind was alive with surprise and panic from those aboard the stricken Hive beyond the planet, while thoughts of incredulous wonder emanated from those on the ground. In distant corners of the Pegasus galaxy the panicked shrieks of the gathered collection of Wraith minds on Talus was heard.


    Hearing these cries from their fellow Wraith, distant Hives began to communicate amongst themselves to coordinate a relief effort. For several minutes these pleas were heard, until they ceased altogether without warning. Unknown to the distant Wraith, the time dilation device had activated, entombing the Wraith on Talus in a prison they could neither see nor feel nor touch.

 Chapter 147

    Pluto


    Over the period of the previous four days a steady stream of ferry pilots from the combined air forces of the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, Japan, France, and Taiwan had flowed in and out of Arkos station. Pilots of the seven nations served the task of ferrying the hangers full of already complete F-302''s to Earth. As each of the nations air forces were reequipped with the new craft, other nations would be granted access to the design as well. Refitting the major air forces of the world would take time, but with the incredible industrial capacity found aboard Arkos station the needed time would be greatly diminished from what would otherwise be expected.


    Also being transferred to Earth in great numbers were large numbers of jumpers. These jumpers would fill a variety of rolls once delivered. Initial deliveries of jumpers would be placed into a military and government service. Later deliveries of jumpers not equipped with weaponry would find their way into other quasigovernmental use, and be loaned to aerospace researchers for further study.


    In the midlevel 304 construction sector of the shipyard a new and unforeseen crew was acquainting themselves with their nation''s newest vessel. When construction was begun, this 304 was intended for service with the Chinese government under the name Zhang Sanfeng. The unexpected fall of the communist regime in mainland China had lent itself to a need to restructure off world activities, making possible the Zhang Sanfeng''s transfer to another nation.


    The nation in question was one that had ship ownership been proposed months earlier would have brought about massive protest from the Chinese government. With that obstacle now a thing of the past Taiwan was being admitted into the so far highly exclusive club of nations in possession of such an advanced vessel. Following in the footsteps of the United States Navy, the nation of Taiwan had opted to assign a crew in whole from one of their few fast attack submarines. The name of this vessel was one revered in the history of the small island democracy. Forevermore she would be known as the Sun Li-Ren, in honor of the famous military commander.


    On the lowest level of the construction section of Arkos station, the newest city ship of the Tauri fleet was taking shape. The basic framework of the city ship was complete. Much work remained though before she would be ready to venture out into the stars. Overseeing every step of construction was the future leader of her science department; Doctor Bill Lee. Upon learning of his assignment to the prestigious posting the doctor had taken the time to translate the sh.i.p.s name from Ancient into English. Her name was to be Videum and that directly translated into the word legacy. Once complete and fully integrated with every system planned for her, a legacy she would indeed be.


    Vis Uban


    After returning from their successful validation in the Pegasus galaxy, Janus and Eli had fallen into the familiar rhythm of brainstorming that the two enjoyed when together. Thoughts of upcoming projects were discussed, and pie in the sky dreams were debated at length. While Janus had his own hopes for what their next project would be, he felt it only fair to see where his young prot¨¦g¨¦ would like to take their combined genius.


    Unknown to Eli, high level discussions regarding his future had been taking place for some time. Janus, investing all of his clout and sway with the ascended, had rallied many to his cause. Rarely if ever before had so many ascended beings taken such a keen interest in any mortal like they did young mister Wallace. A consensus had been reached among the ascended beings, and that consensus was one that would have lasting ramifications for the people of Earth.


    Sitting down together in a lush garden setting within the city was Eli, Janus, Melia, and Dorin with several other ascended beings nearby. Due to his youth, Eli was under the impression that he might be in trouble but was unsure just what it was he might have done. Despite the assurances of his mentor, this was a feeling Eli had trouble shaking.


    "Whatever you think I did, I really didn''t do it" began Eli.


    "Eli, you''re not in any trouble. I keep telling you that" said Janus with a smile and wink.


    "The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you. Only the moment you reject the burden of fear are you truly free" stated Melia.


    "Ok, I was a bit worried that I did something. That clears that up" replied Eli.


    "We''ve asked you here today to discuss the future. More to the point, we wish to discuss your future in particular" stated Dorin.


    "I was thinking get married, maybe have some kids someday, that pretty much covers it" replied Eli.


    "A longer term view of the future is what we had in mind" said Melia.


    "How long are we talking about" asked Eli.


    "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves" said Melia.


    "I''m still not getting what you''re throwing down, I''m sorry" stated Eli.


    "Eli, you posses a level of innate brilliance that is rarely seen and that gift is something that should be preserved. You''re still a young man with much ahead of you, but we see in you and several others of your world minds that should be allowed to transcend the boundaries of life" stated Dorin.


    "What my colleague is referring to is ascension" added Janus.


    "I don''t even know what to say" replied Eli.


    "When considering the great path one mustn''t think in terms of right and wrong. It is something you must want if you are to follow it" stated Melia.


    "Eli, I would like to offer you a deal. We will further our evolution so that you can make full use of the repository of knowledge. This will put you at a point where evolutionary ascension is possible. On that day when a choice is needed on if you wish to follow then we will reach it then. Do you agree" asked Janus.


    "I''m just a bit shocked is all. I never really expected this. Turning into a being of pure energy, I mean that''s kind of a big step" said Eli.


    "Let''s get you started on the repository first, and the rest we can talk about later" finished Janus.


    Please leave a review. It only takes a moment and is greatly appreciated!

 Chapter 148

    White House


    Returning to Earth shortly after his brief mission to Shambhala, Lt. Colonel Paul Davis had been whisked via jumper to Washington DC. Hectic schedules were the rule rather than the exception for members of the SGC. Since disclosure of the program to the people of Earth the officer had found the President leaning more than ever on his expertise in matters both intergalactic and terrestrial.


    Weekly and sometimes twice weekly visits to the inner sanctum of American government had made Davis a frequent presence in the White House. Knowing the officer was vetted to the highest extremes, security protocols were somewhat relaxed concerning this guest the President had grown to depend upon. Whisking Davis through the security checkpoints expeditiously the Air Force officer soon found himself in the Oval Office. In attendance within the office with the President was Under Secretary of State Simon Barnes. Seeing Davis arrive the two men greeted the late arrival heartily.


    "Building those frequent flier miles nicely Paul? I''m hoping Colonel Maybourne agreed to our offer" began President Hayes.


    "You could say that he jumped at the offer. He may complain later about Lt. O''Neill remaining with him as his aide, but that is to be expected" answered Davis.


    "Checks and balances Paul. Maybourne will come to grips with it eventually. We did give him his life back after all" quipped Hayes.


    "We have a few matters unfolding on Earth that we need to brief you in on. As they effect off world activities we''re briefing you in. You are authorized to disseminate this information to Star Gate Command" stated Under Secretary Barnes.


    "Title twenty two, chapter thirty four of the United States Code covers the Peace Corp. Tapping into contingency funds, the House committee for Foreign Relations has authorized an eightfold increase in manpower and funding consummate with this level of manning. Something similar is being done with the International Red Cross through the American Red Cross. Moving funds into a long inactive route called the Liberty Fund began during the Second World War; we are moving a considerable amount of funds into their coffers. These two agencies are going to be the means by which we bring hope to the humans of this galaxy" stated President Hayes.


    "To alleviate security concerns over returning Peace Corp and Red Cross members, the State Department after consultations with allied governments around the world has come up with a solution we can all agree on. Two weeks from today we will begin issuing a biometric secured world passport. This will only allow for entrance to Earth at first, not international travel but we''re working on that" added Under Secretary Barnes.


    "We will also be providing these same travel doc.u.ments to any citizens of Earth who decide to relocate to other planets" stated Hayes.


    "Mr. President, obviously the Department of Defense will have their concerns about the security of any such travel doc.u.ments in an off world environment" countered Davis.


    "That''s understandable Colonel. I''ve discussed the matter with the Secretary of Defense at length, and a working group is being put together between State and Defense to work over any concerns" admitted the Under Secretary.


    "Let''s move on to more terrestrial matters here on Earth" suggested President Hayes.


    "In the shadow of disclosure certain unexpected events have taken place. As you''re well aware, the governments of Iran and China have fallen in general uprising of the population. While we expected complications from the Ark''s programming, this was not one we expected within such a short time" began Barnes.


    "Not that we''re exactly complaining about the changes" interjected Hayes.


    "The fall of the Islamic Council in Iran and its subsequent replacement with an ad hoc democracy means a change in the overall political dynamic and structure of the Gulf States. Historically, Iran has been a very insular society when it comes to differing sects of Islam. My Middle East desk and the Middle East desk over at CIA never saw this coming either. It seems that the ad hoc government knew they were in over their head. In a rather smart move, they sent an emissary to the Saudi government. The Saudi''s quickly sent out feelers to the other Gulf States. Instead of fracturing, the combined Gulf States have moved to form a regional government. Yesterday morning the Saudi ambassador requested official recognition of the new Islamic Gulf States by our government, and that we back their petition to the United Nations for official recognition. They have also put out quiet feelers for admission into NATO. In the mean time they have requested a NATO peacekeeping force to be garrisoned within their borders" stated Under Secretary Barnes.


    His eyes going wide in surprise, Davis whistled quietly and leaned back in his seat. Looking up at the ceiling, Colonel Davis tried to make sense of the unexpected change of events.


    "Blows your mind, doesn''t it" asked President Hayes.


    "It is unexpected Mr. President" admitted Davis.


    "This isn''t the only surprise in world politics. The fall of the government of the People''s Republic of China came as a matter of greater concern than the fall of Iran. As a government with access to technology procured and developed in the gate program, and as a nation with interstellar warsh.i.p.s in their ownership, the thought of that technology falling into the wrong hands or being used for nefarious purposes was the great worry. China''s new government, being composed of university students mainly, simply wanted freedom but had no wish to actually govern" stated Barnes.


    "You think the last one blew your mind, it gets better" hinted Hayes.


    "Forty eight hours ago, one of the student organizers of the march on Beijing who is apparently an exchange student from Taiwan and is the son of a member of the Taiwanese government flew home. The purpose of his return to Taipei was to deliver a message to his father, and the receipt of that message led to a delegation being dispatched to Beijing within hours. As we all know, mainland China and Taiwan have a long history, but close cultural ties. For years we''ve worried about China moving to reclaim what they call their "wayward province", and our military efforts have been to defends Taiwan from such an eventuality. This is where the surprise comes in. China has requested that they be allowed to unite with Taiwan under the latter''s democratic government" Barnes informed the others.


    "I can''t say that I ever saw that one coming" replied a shocked Lt. Colonel Davis.


    "For some time now we''ve had a card in the deck that we held back from putting on the table. In the event that hostilities between the People''s Republic of China and Taiwan looked inevitable we were prepared to push through admission of Taiwan into NATO to give the Chinese government pause. It was thought that admission into NATO would bring any tensions to a halt quickly in light of NATO coming to bear against China. Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think Taiwan and China would unify. This changes everything! Population numbers and the strength of the two economies justify solidifying the relationship between our allies and this new state, and the addition of Taiwan to the off world program means we know what needs to happen. If we are going to back the Islamic Gulf States application to NATO, it makes sense to offer the same standing to the new Taiwan" stated President Hayes clearly.


    "That does make sense in several ways. The Taiwanese 304 is conducting a turnover cruise at the moment in the solar system. It makes sense Mr. President" admitted a slightly taken aback Davis.


    "Good to hear you agree. Our Ambassadors in Taiwan and Saudi Arabia are conveying the message as we speak. Our envoy to NATO is delivering the news now with the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe now also. Admission of Russia is also being discussed. This could be the largest expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since its inception. This is the kind of legacy I was hoping to leave from this administrations time in office" stated President Hayes proudly.


    "How are matters within the universe Colonel" asked Under Secretary Barnes.


    "We''ll start with the Pegasus galaxy. Operating in conjunction with the Asgard and Ori, three of our vessels launched a special operation against the Wraith stronghold on Talus. The Ori mothership acting in a gatekeeper capacity engaged two Hive sh.i.p.s and destroyed them both. While this battle unfolded an Asgard vessel entered the planets atmosphere and emplaced a time dilation device. The device was activated with no problems, trapping roughly ten thousand Wraith personnel within the dilation field" stated Davis.


    "Any casualties" asked Hayes.


    "No Mr. President. All personnel and equipment returned to Atlantis unharmed" replied Davis.


    "Then my mission to the Alterran home galaxy is paying off nicely" Under Secretary Barnes mused.


    "What''s happening in our own galaxy" asked President Hayes.


    "Tier one special operations units of our military operating with elements of the British Special Air Service will be conducting a deep strike mission against the Jaffa garrison on Dar Eshkalon. Their mission brief is sweep and clear. Anything of intelligence value will be brought back for examination at Area fifty one. That information will be further passed along to the friendly forces of the Free Jaffa" said Davis.


    "How sure are we that they can be trusted" asked Barnes.


    "Well Under Secretary, the progressive faction of the Jaffa are ones that we''ve had many dealings with during the war against the System Lords. They are in a hard position, and the agreement reached by General Landry further stiffens their resolve to see this through. It is the opinion of myself and intelligence officials that they can be trusted if their freedom is at stake, but other than that they are questionable at best" replied Davis.


    "So then its business as usual with them is what you''re saying Paul" asked Hayes.


    "Correct Mr. President" Davis answered.


    "Let''s move on to this request the SGC forwarded to me last week about the obelisk planet" instructed Hayes.


    "Yes Mr. President. The SGC feels very strongly that the obelisk planet created by the Furling that Destiny encountered along its path makes for a perfect foothold in that sector of space. Being that Destiny will be redeploying to that corner of the universe to continue its previous mission, we are hoping to establish a presence there in the form of a permanent base. Once established, this base would have the ability to provide support to the Destiny expedition, and act as an anchorage point for support vessels should they be needed. Multiple advanced races have been encountered in the galaxies surrounding this planet and the opportunity is there for exploration and potential exploitation of whatever is recovered. This facility and its supporting elements would be an asset to Destiny" stated Davis.


    "How much is this going to cost the taxpayer" asked the President.


    "Our matter creation technology makes construction cost free. The Furling have agreed to provide anything else we may need. All that is required is personnel, and authorization to maintain several vessels in this operating location and we''re in business Mr. President" relied Davis.


    "Ok, you''ve got me sold. Politicians never turn down something for free" replied Hayes with a smile.

 Chapter 149

    Latira


    Beyond the fertile farmlands around the capital of the world of Latira, a structure unlike any ever seen by the world''s inhabitants was taking shape. After procuring the permission of the worlds belonging to the Pegasus Coalition of Planets, the Furling envoy to the galaxy tasked with emplacing the mammoth pyramids that functioned with the crystal skull technology had taken to his task with gusto. Standing before the pyramid he was constructing with his ascended abilities, Ithon brought the monolithic structure into being.


    Unlike the Great Pyramid found on Earth at Giza, this pyramid was more reminiscent of those found in South America. Lacking the smooth sides of the traditional Goa''uld inspired pyramids, this one like others of Furling origin rose into the air in graduated steps. Dwarfing the structures that were used as Ha''tak landing platforms, these pyramids rested on a base five times larger than others at one thousand one hundred and fifty one and three quarters meters. Standing at a height of seven hundred and thirty three and a half meters they were also five times the Goa''uld''s designed height.


    At the base of the pyramid on all four sides was a triangular arch like doorway. Leading through this dramatic arch was a slightly wider than shoulder width passageway. Progressing fifteen meters into the body of the pyramid, this passageway led to a cavernous and hollow interior. The bottom of this cavern lay two hundred meters below the thin elevated walkways that took any who might follow its path to a platform above the center of the deep depression. At the center of this platform was a long pedestal where rested a single crystal skull.


    Where one to look down into the pit laying around the elevated platform in the center of the pyramids interior, they would see a collection of stalagmite''s measuring many meters in length rising from the floor. These stalagmites were not naturally occurring, having been purposely created for their function. When activated, the crystal skull gave off lepton radiation. As the lepton''s passed through the stalagmite field they slowed, something not capable according to Tauri science several years earlier. With the lepton''s slowed dramatically, anything within the pyramid passed out of phase. Residing in this out of phase plane of existence lay the Omeyocan.


    These beings, comprised purely of energy, had one mission; protection of human life. Originally conceived to protect humanity from the Goa''uld, the Omeyocan now had a new task. Once active, the Omeyocan would protect humanity from the Wraith threat. Testing had revealed that Wraith sensor technology lacked the ability to detect the lepton field within the pyramid even with their most powerful sensors.


    During their time in the lepton field with their Omeyocan guardians, humanity would be afforded the opportunity to learn. The basics of education would be covered, as well as lessons in morality that was highly valued by the Furling. Despite their primary function as protectors, the lessons taught by the Omeyocan would provide a base upon which humanity could build a brighter future. Once the remainder of pyramids was constructed throughout the galaxy humanity would have safe harbor. With humanity safely ensconced in the hands of the Omeyocan, the allied forces could bring about a decisive victory against their enemy.


    Dar Eshkalon


    Twenty seven minutes earlier, the Athena class vessels of two nations exited hyperspace and engaged their cloaks. Representing the American contingent of this operation was the Shiloh, carrying a twenty man strike force from the US Army''s elite 1st Special Forces Group, Operational Detachment Delta otherwise known as Delta Force. The second vessel belonged to Great Britain. HMS Agincourt carried within her twenty men of the 22nd Special Air Service, sister unit to the American Delta Force.


    Sensors aboard both the Shiloh and Agincourt detected a small fleet of six Ha''tak vessels at the edge of the solar system. This came as a rude shock to the Tauri ship crews. Having believed the traditionalist forces of the Jaffa lacked anything larger than an Al''kesh class vessel after the battle of the super gate, one valuable piece of intelligence had been uncovered without a single shot fired. Powerful subspace receivers detected communications emanating from the distant Jaffa fleet to an unknown receiving station several light years from the solar system. Highly suspicious by nature, the Tauri ship crews suspected another fleet might be at the other end of the conversation taking place. Based on deep space telemetry flowing into the sensors, it appeared that the unknown station communicating with the Ha''tak''s at the edge of this solar system was three other Ha''tak class vessels.


    The unexpected presence of the Ha''tak class vessels was a cause for concern. As briefed, this mission was supposed to take place quickly, applying a factor the Army called "force of violence", and without discovery until well after the fact. Ship to ship combat was not a mission factor that had been anticipated nor was it wanted. Like generations of warfighters before them, the assemblage of Tauri did like those from the past before a battle, and simply crossed their fingers and hoped for the best. Precautionary measures were being taken though, in the form of placing all 302 pilots on alert for a quick launch if needed.


    On the bridge of each vessel, sensor operators powered the Asgard designed transport beam systems. Using the deployment schematic provided by each of the team''s commanders, armed men intent on violence were dematerialized and beamed to the planets surface. First to go were the highly trained two man sniper/spotter teams. To the south and the west four Delta long gun teams appeared. To the north and east four sniper teams of the SAS appeared. All of the sniper teams wore their ghillie suits, allowing them to seamlessly blend into the forested edge of the Jaffa encampment. Unfolding the bipod legs on their custom built fifty caliber rifles, the sniper teams settled into their firing positions in anticipation of the assault teams arrival. From their firing positions, the sniper teams noted a collection of night time sentries scattered around the encampment with the aide of their night vision scopes. Fulfilling their role in the over watch position, these men would be among the first to deliver death to the enemies they currently faced.


    Twenty five minutes of sniper over watch passed before the main assault forces of British and American operators appeared fifty meters from the darkened edge of the Jaffa camp in two man fighting elements. Dispersed at varying points of the compass, the encampment was now surrounded by highly trained special operators. Dressed in coal black night assault uniforms, these night vision equipped men shouldered their suppressed Heckler and Koch MP-7 submachine guns and began to silently advance to their first planned points of contact.


    "This is long gun one. Enemy sentries are sticking close to their campfires, so assume their night vision is shot. Will advise if situation changes. Confirming long guns have compromise authority" crisply stated one of the snipers over the radio net.


    "Roger, confirming compromise authority. All elements proceed with ingress now" said the reply over the radio net.


    Snipers around the Jaffa encampment drew their rifles in tight to their shoulders while scanning their assigned sectors of fire. Beside them, spotters scanned the sectors of fire with their spotting scopes in an effort to find a target for their shooters. Around the camp, two man hunter killer teams of the most highly trained soldiers their governments could create stalked forward. Each footstep was silent, as the men inched forward in with weapons at the ready.


    The encampment they approached was filled with heavy leather tents, much like those once used by the American Indians. Filling these tents were Jaffa warriors, some snoring loudly as they slumbered. Fires maintained by the less than alert sentries scattered throughout the camp crackled and snapped as the tendered flames gave off soothing warmth on this cold and dark night. Disregarding the most basic of military training, the sentries relaxed instead of standing vigilant in their protective duties.


    Sniper team three watched as the two man Delta element in their field of fire advanced towards the first tent in their sector. In the amplified greenish glow of the high powered scope, the sniper noted the two Delta operators remove two objects from their tactical vests. These small objects were similar in size and shape to an everyday magic marker. Following the two men in his optics, the sniper saw as they pulled the safety pins of the objects they held in their hands before tossing these objects into two tents full of sleeping Jaffa.


    Sailing through the open flaps full of sleeping Jaffa, the two metallic canisters quietly thudded on the grassy soil beneath the tents. With the safety pins removed, quick action release valves opened four seconds after the canisters landed. Opening fully, the release valves allowed both canisters contents of liquid nitrogen to escape in an instantly lethal cloud of expanding gas. In a deep sleep, the slumbering Jaffa within the tents took the incredibly cold vapor into their lungs. On contact, the icy vapor froze and crystallized the air sacks in the sleeping men''s lungs. Jolting awake in a panic, the frozen lung tissue fractured, bringing an instant and horrific death to the now helpless victims. Around the periphery of the camp this event played out again and again.


    Exiting a tent near the center of the encampment, one Jaffa was preparing to relieve a sentry as he had been ordered to do. Staff weapon in his hand, the young Jaffa warrior looked around. His senses tingled, screaming at him in the back of his mind that something was not right. In a fit of activity, the young Jaffa jerked his head left and right. Thirty meters away he saw two dark shadows moving from tent to tent through the encampment. Everything about the sight was wrong his training told him.


    "Jaffa Kree" the warrior bellowed.


    Three seconds after this thunderous warning resounded throughout the camp, a two ounce fifty caliber boat tailed slug ripped through his armors b.r.e.a.s.tplate. In a visceral display of the gruesome efficiency of a modern weapon of war, the slug exited through the rear of his armor, pulling with it b.r.e.a.s.tplate armor, bone, flesh, organs, and copious amounts of dark red arterial blood which splashed on tents to the now dead mans rear. Death was instantaneous, marked only by the echoing boom of the high caliber rifle in the distance as the now hollow chested man landed in a heap barely recognizable as a man any longer.


    "All teams, go weapons hot" was the order over the tactical radio net.


    In the minds of the operators now spread throughout the encampment it was as if a switch had been flipped. Instantly, the operators began to open up on targets of opportunity, letting loose volleys of 4.6 millimeter armor piercing rounds from their suppressed submachine guns. Moving on the balls of their feet, the men advanced deeper into the swarm of now waking men. Every two man team also carried an AA-12 automatic shotgun, mated with a thirty two round drum magazine. Ear splitting booms soon rang out around the camp. Knowing the situation now passing into uncontrollable bedlam, snipers began to eliminate all targets in their sectors of fire with ruthless efficiency.


    Sergeant Major Gordon Peck was an eleven year veteran of the unit known as Delta. The scenario playing out before him was one he had seen several times over the course of his special operations career. Jaffa all around him and his wingman began to emerge from the collection of tents near the two man team. Brining his AA-12 to bear in full effect, Peck fired the near recoilless shotgun again and again, felling Jaffa all around him. To his left he heard a rustling of the grassy soil. Unfortunately, the Sergeant Major had stopped to reload his AA-12.


    "Kel mal tak Tauri" yelled a voice to his left.


    Had Peck spoken the Jaffa dialect of the Goa''uld spoken language being spoken, he would have known what was said. Knowing that the translation stated ''Destroy the people of Earth'' it would have lessened his already black mood.


    The human eye is attracted to movement. Peck noted movement to his left as a Jaffa warrior lunged at him. Neatly sidestepping the oncoming Jaffa, Peck found himself in a quandary. Needing to reload but not having the time to do so, and with his wingman engaged to his rear, the Sergeant Major knew he had fractions of a second to react. Instantly his gloved hands opened to drop the AA-12 they currently held. Instead of lowering his now free hand to the suppressed pistol secured to his right thigh, Peck''s right hand reached behind him and grabbed the pommel of his intimidating Tracker knife which was mounted scout style across the small of his back.


    The Jaffa, with blade in hand, lunged again at the black clad figure before him. Thrusting out with his right hand, the Jaffa warrior attempted to stab into the flesh of his attacker with a two bladed Jaffa fighting knife. In a show of situational awareness and dazzling speed, Peck turned ninety degrees on the balls of his feet. His knife barring arm lashing out at his attacker as the Jaffa blade sliced through the air where fractions of a second before Peck had been standing. The cold and black coated steel of the tracker knife made short work of the bicep of the attacking Jaffa. Driving his knee into the Jaffa''s abdomen as he withdrew his blade, Peck then smashed his elbow into the bridge of the warrior''s nose. Dazed from the assaultive fury, the Jaffa never felt the final and fatal strike as the blade pierced through the side of his neck and severed the spinal cord near the brain stem. Before Peck could congratulate himself on a job well done a vicious explosion from a Jaffa grenade engulfed the operator and his wingman in an inferno of light and heat. It was the last sensation they would ever know.


    Aboard Shiloh the sensor operator noted a subspace transmission originating from one of the five Al''kesh within the Jaffa encampment. Quickly, the sensor operator verified that no Tauri troops were near the enemy vessel. Seconds later a single drone weapon exited the Shiloh''s magazines and streaked towards the Al''kesh. Twenty seconds later the Goa''uld designed craft was reduced to a charred cinder. At the edge of the solar system sensors aboard the Shiloh and Agincourt detected the Jaffa fleet leaping into hyperspace.


    For eight more minutes a fierce battle raged on in the encampment. Summoning ever ounce of their years long training, the operators slaughtered disoriented Jaffa in great numbers. Before the battle was over three more operators of the British Special Air Service would fall. In after action reviews by ground commanders the next day all would agree that while the information recovered was of high importance, the cost had simply been unacceptably high.

 Chapter 150

    Atlantis


    Standing in close proximity to Radek Zelenka was the avatar of Atlantis. Sequestering themselves in the lead scientist''s lab along with the nanite creation machine. Combining their talents and creativity, the immensely powerful AI and Czech scientist had managed to do what at first the scientist thought impossible. Making use of neural interface data obtained during the many times Wraith had been within the confines of the city ship, a viable cognitive function simulation of a Wraith complete with personality characteristics had emerged.


    The purpose of this unimaginably complex neural simulation was to combat the Wraith. Unlike the Ancients attempts to unleash the Wraith combating nanites as a vengeful weapon of mass destruction, the nanites once integrated with the overlying simulation program would be used as an intelligence gathering tool and as a weapon of subterfuge.


    Countless simulations conducted within the Atlantis mainframe had finally yielded the desired results. All that remained was the creation of an organic nanite body that would mimic in every way the functions and form of a Wraith. Access to the Wraith hive mind would even be possible, rendering detection of the manufactured Wraith by means of a lack of telepathic ability impossible. Once the now growing organic replicator body was complete a final evaluation of the finished product would be conducted. Deployment of the unit as Zelenka referred to the creation, would hinge upon a successful outcome to that evaluation. In twenty four hours they would have their answer.


    Standing in front of the stargate many levels away, was Ronon Dex, Richard Woolsey, Colonel John Sheppard, and an assortment of the Atlantis expedition. Mr. Woolsey, standing in front of Ronon, held a piece of parchment in his hands while Ronon stood at attention.


    "Ronon Dex, please repeat after me" prompted Woolsey.


    "Ok" replied Ronon in a gruff voice.


    "I hereby declare and solemnly affirm, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law, that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God" stated Woolsey in an official voice.


    A look of pride came over Ronon''s face as he repeated the Oath of Allegiance that would make him a citizen of the United States. His heart swelled as he repeated the words that would bring him into the fold of the nation he had given his life to defend once before. Finally, he felt as if he had found where he belonged. It stood in his mind as vindication of his many efforts and sacrifices with and for the Tauri. The gathering of friends and colleagues broke into applause as Ronon finished the oath. The privilege of citizenship was one that in Ronon''s case was earned in blood, and the collected gathering agreed that in this case it was truly well deserved.


    "Congratulations Chewie" said Sheppard while firmly shaking his former teammate''s hand.


    "Um, thanks" replied Ronon.


    "Mr. Dex, allow me to congratulate you, and officially welcome you to America" stated Woolsey.


    "We''re not in America, we''re on Atlantis" countered Ronon.


    "I mean welcome to American citizenship" replied a somewhat fl.u.s.tered Woolsey.


    "Ok Chewie, I need you to stand at attention again for a moment" Sheppard requested.


    "Attention to orders" began Sheppard in an authoritative tone.


    The combined officers in the room came to the position of attention. Many of them knew what was coming, but the small gathering of civilians did not, though they soon would. Looking upon Ronon and giving him a smile, Sheppard raised the volume of his voice and began to address the gathering.


    "The President of the Unites States of America, authorized by Executive Order, October 12, 2011 has awarded the Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm, to Ronon Dex, Atlantis Expedition, for meritorious service. Ronon Dex, Specialist of the Satedan Defense Force, by his sacrifices at the hands of and against the Wraith, inspired and heartened the entire free world. His service to his comrades, marked by the courage of a man in battle and by the devotion of a soldier to his sworn duty, has been unsurpassed in this galaxy and his own. His supreme fortitude in hours of peril, his unfaltering dedication to his mission reflected the greatness of spirit manifested on many fields, in many centuries, by the soldiers of both Sateda and Earth. The Republic he served so nobly fell before becoming an ally of the United States. The memory of the peoples of these two Republics is symbolized today in our salute to Ronon Dex. His service to stop the Wraith threat in orbit of Earth and around the Pegasus Galaxy reflects great credit upon himself and his country and the cause of freedom around the universe" said Sheppard.


    Moments later Sheppard placed the Medal of Freedom, America''s highest civilian award, around the neck of Ronon Dex. Normally a man of little emotion, Ronon''s eyes grew misty at the recognition of his many sacrifices. Though his loyalties already lay with the Tauri, in this one moment his lifelong loyalty and dedication solidified into an almost tangible thing inside of the man.


    "You earned it Chewie" said Sheppard while embracing his former teammate and friend.


    Around the gate room many clapped enthusiastically. The outpouring of pride they felt for the man they had fought beside for so many years touched Ronon on a level he hadn''t believed possible several years before. Making their way towards the cafeteria for the planned celebratory lunch Ronon smiled a rare and heartfelt smile.


    Pluto


    In the engineering lab of Arkos station stood Doctor Bill Lee. Much as Rodney McKay had done when designing the Athena Class, Lee now repeated while working hand in hand with the Arkos AI. Addressing what the Pentagon had defined as an urgent need, Lee now focused his attentions away from the Videum which was taking shape, to the design of a new class of vessel. Assigned the code name of Titan, this vessel if put into production, would serve as the Tauri equivalent of another American invention of the last century; the super carrier.


    Dwarfing the Athena and Aurora class she was meant to compliment, Titan was to resemble the destroyed Prometheus. The similarities ended there. Measuring six kilometers in length, one kilometer in width, and standing at seven hundred meters in height, Titan would measure in as one of the largest vessels ever built. Per the design, Titan''s nose would open with clamshell doors and expose the largest flight deck ever built in the known universe to space. Contained within her numerous flight decks she would carry four hundred 302''s or a mix of 302''s and the planned 302 bomber derivative.


    Meant to act as part of a battle group composed of a mix of 304''s and Athena class vessels, Titan lacked much of the heavy weaponry found on other Tauri vessels. Making use of the same anti-fighter energy weapons turrets found on Destiny and later added to the vessels of the Tauri fleet, she was studded with low power protective weaponry. Not wanting to leave her totally defenseless in the event of loosing her escorts, Titan was also to be equipped with a battery of six Asgard plasma beam weapons. The beating heart of this vessel would be the newly perfected Arcturus power generation device, but would contain the ability to make use of ZPM''s in the event of an emergency.


    "The use of so many smaller attack craft is an interesting concept. It is not one ever explored by my builders to this degree" stated Arkos.


    "It''s a navy thing. In our civilizations recent history, the use of carriers has proved invaluable as a military and political tool" replied Lee.


    "Yes, I discovered that fact after reviewing your historical archives. Quite interesting" responded Arkos.


    A sudden blaring of klaxons throughout Arkos brought the conversation to a quick halt. Amber tinted lights began to flash in all sections of the gargantuan station. Unsure of what was happening, Doctor Lee quickly moved to another data display screen to ascertain just what was happening. Checking the sensor display, Lee saw something he did not expect.


    "We have vessels inbound in hyperspace. These readings match Goa''uld mothership''s. This is very bad" stuttered Lee in a concerned voice.


    "I am aware Doctor. My systems were built with defensive systems. These vessels are not a threat I cannot handle" replied Arkos.


    "What can I do to help" asked Lee.


    Turning to look directly at Lee, a change came over the Arkos avatar. The normally friendly face turned cold, and the lively eyes changed color until they were black as the darkest night.


    "Doctor Lee, you will remain in this Laboratory. To ensure your safety the door unlock protocols have been temporarily overridden. I will return when the threat has been neutralized" stated Arkos darkly.


    Around the station automatic doors began to close and lock. Personnel near the ZPM production area of Arkos were directed to quickly make use of the transporter booth and exit the area for their own safety. Despite inputting a destination area on the transporter booth control panel, the personnel being whisked to other areas of the station were deposited in a location of the AI''s choosing. In keeping with one of the primary objectives that ruled every decision of the AI, all occupants'' would be kept safe and secure from threats both external and internal.


    In areas of the station inaccessible to any person to come aboard the station since its construction, a series of conduits began to open in close in a prearranged sequence. These conduits once ordered into the necessary configuration would provide access from a chamber near the ZPM production room to the outer skin of the station. Equipment along that path never before active began to come to life. Outside the station, an ordered grid of protective energy formed millimeters above the outer skin in a form fitting manner.


    In the internal ship mooring section of the shipyard, crews aboard the many vessels of the Tauri fleet present within Arkos attempted to cast off face the oncoming threat. Powering systems and manning all stations, the vessels were prepared for their mission. As they attempted to maneuver clear of their moorings the sh.i.p.s crews found that they were unable to do so. Anticipating the crew''s response, Arkos disengaged the disengagement protocols that would have allowed for each vessels release from its bonds. This was a threat that Arkos would not allow them to face, and that in no way explained just what it was that was happening.


    Of the AI''s own accord, a subspace message was transmitted to the approaching Ha''tak class vessels. The contents while dry, more than communicated the intended message. Attack this station and death will find you. Although Arkos lacked a temper, the AI was less than pleased to see that not only was his message not headed, but it seemed to have been ignored altogether.


    Exiting hyperspace twelve thousand miles from the station within the orbital track of the moon Charon, were three Ha''tak''s. Having tracked seven approaching vessels, Arkos could only assume that Earth was the other target. A raid warning message was sent through subspace to the SGC advising an immediate activation of Earth''s planetary defense shield. A secondary message was sent to all vessels near the solar system belonging to the Tauri and allies warning them to not approach Arkos station until notified otherwise.


    Before exiting hyperspace, the Jaffa commanders aboard the three Ha''tak mothership''s had ordered that the weapons be charged. Seconds after the order was given power surged through the weapons power conduits, charging the sixty energy cannon emplacements each Ha''tak was equipped with. Beginning their advance towards the targeted station, the mothership''s raised their shields and began firing energy blasts at the largest orbital structure the Jaffa aboard had ever laid eyes upon. Once again a message was received from Arkos warning the attacking craft to approach at their own peril, which the AI assured them was at stake.


    Advancing slowly, as they had learned when attacking defenseless worlds in the service of the System Lords, the Jaffa took their time so as to bombard their target to maximum effect. Brining to bare half of their energy cannons apiece, ninety orange energy bolts slammed into the incredibly durable shields of Arkos per volley. Passing through the ten thousand mile threshold the bombardment continued without response from within the station. Were a Tauri commander placed in command of the defense of Arkos, a wave of drone weapons would have already been hurled at the attackers. Arkos had other ideas though, and was designed to bring those ideas to bear against any who threatened the station.


    On the bridges of the assortment of crewed vessels moored within the station, sensor operators watched the bombardment unfold. Seeing the bombardment have little effect against the Ancient designed shield of the station gave the sensor operators heart. Pause was given when energy readings unlike any the sensor operator''s hade ever encountered before were noted within the station. The other highly unsettling fact was that these readings appeared to be moving.


    Passing the seven thousand miles to surface mark, gliders were launched from all three Ha''tak. Forming up into attack formations, these gliders took station below their mothership''s. Even though the Ha''tak weapons bombardment had as yet to diminish their targets shields the bombardment continued in a relentless fashion. No further warnings would be forthcoming from Arkos. Allowing the attackers aggressive actions seal their own fate, Arkos initiated the never before used defensive protocol.


    Deep in the bowels of the station, within the ZPM production center, resided a containment chamber unlike any other. The beating heart of a ZPM lay not in the outer crystal structure, but in the quantum foam that resided within the protective crystalline exterior. This quantum foam was a unique medium created from compressed matter similar to that found in the accretion disc of a black hole. Within this medium altered to behave in a manner like that of subspace-time, subatomic wormholes constantly opened and closed while fading in and out of subspace. It was within the containment chamber that quantum foam was diverted to an energy shield lined channel, before being stopped in another shoebox sized chamber by another energy shield. As the quantum foam filled this chamber, a small shield generator the size of a human fist was integrated within the foam. This shield generator was designed to shield both itself from the foam, and the outer surface of the foam plug itself.


    The three ship Ha''tak fleet passed through the five thousand mile mark on their approach to Arkos. The AI had waited for this moment, when the enemy was within optimum range for deployment of the weapon. A small transfer of energy to the superconductors lining the newly opened weapons channel accelerated the quantum foam plug much like a particle accelerator on Earth would do. In hundredths of a second the plug reached velocities approaching one third that of light.


    The act of accelerating the quantum foam plug took longer than the actual passage of the plug to its target. Guided by an ultra efficient inertial compensator, the plug homed in on the targeted center vessel of the three. Before the encapsulated foam collided with its target, two further plugs were racing towards the other two attacking craft. Striking the mothership''s shields, the shield generator ceased functioning as it was designed to do.


    With the shield that had contained the volatile foam now gone, the foam continued on impacting the mothership''s defensive energy screen. The impact served to agitate and excite the quantum foam. On the surface of the mothership''s shields wormholes at a subatomic level began to form and dissipate, generating an incredible amount of vacuum energy that was discharged directly into the defensive screen. The Goa''uld shield emitters were never designed to survive this level of energy flux and overload. In fact even the ultra powerful shield emitters of Atlantis could never hope to sustain such an assault.


    As the three Ha''tak vessel''s shield emitters burned out, the quantum foam continued on towards the body of the mothership''s. Before reaching the main bodies, gravitational fluctuations from the forming and collapsing wormholes twisted and tore the sh.i.p.s to pieces. Subatomic wormholes transmitted through the vessels and all they contained. Surrendering to the inevitable, the three attacking craft didn''t explode, they simply ceased to be, with molecular remnants scattered though wormholes now collapsed and throughout subspace.

 Chapter 151

    Earth


    Having received incoming raid warning from the Arkos AI via subspace link, automatic defense protocols programmed into the recently installed upgrades to equipment within Cheyenne Mountain, the protective shield of Earth was raised. Powered by more than a dozen ZPM''s, the powerful Atlantis like shield emitters raised the protective barrier in less than three seconds which was in fact faster than those on the city ship were capable of. At the same time as the shield was brought online, the drone weapons platform powered up.


    Along with the other upgrades Earth had received was a standalone AI tasked with the security of the Tauri home world. This AI, programmed in part with input by the Department of Defense, was extremely savvy, but contained flaws that many never thought to consider. Tapping into the Long Range sensors installed within the SGC complex, the AI noted the strength of the attacking vessels and compared them to the two Tauri vessels within the system. Noting that both of these vessels offensive capabilities far exceeded those of the vessels they faced, the AI locked out the ancient weapons platform from the list of available options to utilize. Later evaluation of the AI''s performance would lead to several personnel changes, and a reformatting of the AI''s operating directives.


    Sun Li Ren


    Undergoing acceptance trails, the newly commissioned Taiwanese crewed Improved Daedalus class vessel was currently in orbit on the dark side of the moon. A multinational team of engineers from the SGC was aboard reviewing systems data from the myriad of internal sensors. Having not yet passed her acceptance trails, the Sun Li Ren was without the ZPM that had become standard equipment for all other vessels of the Tauri fleet.


    Sitting in the command chair of his nation''s newest vessel was a commander who took special pride in the given name of his new command. Sun Tien-ping was the grandson of the late Sun Li Ren. His grandfather, known during his time as the Rommel of the East, had left behind him a legacy of military aptitude that his grandson could only hope to someday live up to. Despite making a reputation of his own during his time in command of different units of the nation of Taiwan''s burgeoning submarine fleet, Sun Tien-ping l.u.s.ted for more. Since childhood he had dreamed of earning a place in the halls of history that was equal to that of his revered grandfather.


    "Raid warning! Four hostile craft inbound and will exit hyperspace in ten seconds" called out the sensor officer.


    "Can you identify the craft" asked the Sun Tien-ping quickly.


    "Ha''tak class vessels sir" responded the sensor officer.


    Having been briefed on the capabilities of the Ha''tak during his in briefing at the SGC, the commander knew that he faced a great challenge. While his agile mind focused on the options available, the commander leaped into actions that would be of great importance now.


    "Sound general quarters, raise shields, and power all weapons" he ordered.


    Klaxons throughout the new ship began to cry out. In response, the newly trained crew ran to their assigned stations. Although unfamiliar with the daily use of such a vessel as this, enough had been learned in training to give them some level of comfort and competence. Before the crew reached their battle stations the Asgard designed protective shields were fully raised. Lacking the additional power source garnered from the ZPM, the shields were far less powerful than they should have been. By Asgard standards, these powerful shields were in fact underpowered for their purpose.


    As the repeatedly rehearsed actions of the sh.i.p.s crew played out, the four Ha''tak class vessels exited hyperspace between the moon and Earth. Seeing that Earth had a shield never before seen, the attackers opened fire believing that the shields could be nothing powerful enough to withstand a sustained bombardment. With the moon standing between them and the Sun Li Ren, the Goa''uld designed sensors never took note of the Tauri vessels presence in such close proximity.


    "Weapons and shields are online commander" stated the weapons officer somewhat excitedly.


    "I need you calm and focused Lieutenant" said the Sun Tien-ping in a fatherly voice.


    "Yes sir" replied the young but eager weapons officer.


    "Navigation officer, I want one third sublight speed. Close on the attackers" ordered the commander.


    "Yes sir" replied the navigation officer.


    "Weapons officer, as we come around the moon fire all missiles at the attacker that is second closest to our position. Once launch is complete lock the forward plasma beam onto the attacker nearest our track and fire" ordered the commander.


    "By your order commander! Be advised that we will be dangerously close to the attacking vessel when the plasma weapon fires" instructed the weapons officer.


    "Duly noted" replied the commander.


    Along the upper neck of the Sun Li Ren''s hull, vertical launch cell doors snapped open. Erupting from the individual cells were sixteen missiles equipped with naquadah enhanced conventional explosives. Accelerating away from their launch platform, the missiles locked on their given target and began to home in.


    "I detect a second vessel of our fleet in route from the center of the solar system. It is the Destiny" stated the sensor operator.


    "Request they join the attack" ordered the commander.


    As the commander gave that order the plasma beam weapon fired. Lancing out from the Tauri vessel, the plasma beam traveled the short distance to its target. Impacting the shields, the lower power plasma beam caused massive fluctuations in the defending Ha''tak''s shield strength before punching neatly through them. Erupting through the shield and passing through the mothership''s menacing form. Slicing through the naquadah fueled power generator, the damage caused the reactor to go critical in less than a second. Disintegrating into a blue explosive mass, the Ha''tak was destroyed as the Sun Li Ren entered the expanding blast field.


    Destiny


    Upon reentry to their home solar system, the crew of Destiny had made their way to the systems star. Entering the star and refilling the ancient vessels power reserves to their fullest; Colonel Ian Davidson had ordered a course plotted that would carry them back to Arkos station. As this jaunt into space had been a simple systems validation flight, Destiny was currently operating with a skeleton crew.


    "Colonel we''re receiving a subspace communiqu¨¦. Earth is under attack and the Sun Li Ren is requesting our immediate assistance" stated Rush clearly.


    "Go to maximum sublight and bring the weapons online" ordered Colonel Davidson.


    "Colonel, at maximum sublight we will not reach the battle for seventeen minutes. I recommend a short FTL jump which will have us there in seconds. With our proximity to Arkos station burning out the FTL drive units with premature exit is of little concern as repair is easily within reach" suggested the avatar of Destiny.


    "Do it" ordered Colonel Davidson.


    Reacting to the given orders, Destiny''s AI activated the FTL drive and the ship accelerated into the developing combat situation with all her might.

 Chapter 152

    Sun Li Ren


    Passing through the highly radioactive energy vortex left in the wake of the now destroyed Ha''tak, the Improved Daedalus class vessel emerged on the other side. Seeing their comrade''s death at the hands of the minuet Tauri vessel, the remaining three Ha''tak''s opened fire with the weapons not currently pummeling Earth''s planetary shield. Lacking the ZPM she would later be equipped with, the Sun Li Ren''s shields began to strain under the assault from three mothership''s.


    Onboard the vessel multiple systems began to short, while internal wiring arced. While this happened, the missiles launched at their next target struck the shields of the Ha''tak. As they were conventional explosive warheads they stood little chance of penetrating, despite the fact that the warheads were naquadah enhanced. On board the Ha''tak Bridge the Jaffa laughed heartily at their attacker''s pointless effort to breach their shields with inferior weapons.


    "Target that Ha''tak again. This time fire the forward plasma beam battery" ordered the commander.


    Once again the deadly plasma beam raced forth from the Sun Li Ren. Covering the distance in a second and a half, this beam too sliced through the shields that opposed them. Once through the shields, the plasma beam burned through the hull of the Ha''tak and incinerated the bridge and its crew. Firing a second volley which struck the power core, this Ha''tak too erupted into a fountain of expanding energy and radiation as the craft tore itself to pieces.


    At that moment the majestic form of Destiny emerged from her speed run to the scene unfolding above her crew''s home world. Operating at minimum manning levels and with a friendly vessel in the immediate line of fire, Destiny assumed control over the weapons functions already charged and ready. Firing a preciously timed volley of three shots from the main weapon with the weapon targeting the same three meter area of one the nearest Ha''tak''s shields, Destiny gave proof to her technological superiority despite her age. The full power main weapon shots overloaded the target''s shields and tore through the upper portion of the golden tetrahedron that made up the Ha''tak''s main body. Firing one more three round burst before passing over her target, Destiny glided through the now disintegrating wreckage that had once been a frontline warship.


    Destiny banked into a steeply angled turn, hoping to once again bring her fearsome main weapon into action against the remaining Jaffa warship. Sun Li Ren went into a similarly steep turn to do the very same thing. Having seen the fates of their brothers aboard the vessels that had begun this attack, the remaining Jaffa opted to run. Engaging their hyper drive, the Ha''tak leaped into hyperspace before another attack could be brought to bear upon them.


    Svoriin


    "Jack, we''ve known each other for a long time. Clone or not I think we''re well beyond the rank game. Stop calling me sir and just call me Harry." Maybourne said.


    "Ok, you win Harry." Lieutenant O''Neill replied with a smirk.


    "This really is some city. What was it you called it in your mission report after your first visit?" Maybourne asked.


    "I described it as kind of like Coney Island in the winter. Everything is there but no one is around." O''Neill replied.


    "A year ago if you had asked me where I would be here would not have been my answer by a long shot." Maybourne explained to his companion.


    "Things change Harry; you know that all too well. You think this is change you should see everything that Home World Command has going on." Lieutenant O''Neill hinted.


    "I saw that in the brief the other you sent me. Atlantis, Borealis, the knowledge base of several races; it''s almost too much to believe. Isn''t it strange to know that the person at the top of your overall chain of command is you, well sort of you anyway?" Maybourne asked.


    "The other Jack and I worked past that long ago. He and I have our differences, believe that." O''Neill replied with a smile.


    "Despite the differences we''ve had over the years, he''s a good man. That means you''re also a good man. Remember that." Maybourne said while complimenting the man beside him.


    "Thank you Harry, I mean that. How are your former people adjusting?" O''Neill asked.


    "It helps that their king is in command. Getting them settled in was the easy part. The hard part will be integrating so many different cultures. My people won''t be a problem, but a few of the other cultures might be. We''ll cross that bridge when we come to it." Maybourne sighed with a frustrated look on his face.


    "Earth was one of a handful of human cultures that didn''t have their hope eroded away by thousands of years of servitude Harry. It''s going to be slow going and a work in progress." O''Neill replied.


    "We''re scheduled to receive our first installment of refugee''s day after tomorrow. Something tells me this trickle will turn into a flood shortly." Maybourne mused.


    As the two men continued their aimless walking tour of the city, they took in the sights around them. The city reflected technology reminiscent of what could have been built on Earth with the best technologies of the twenty first century not counting those procured by the Stargate Program. Glass encased towers clad in gleaming glass fronts rose into the air. Being built on reclaimed land, a maze of canals ran through the city. All around the city was a calm lake of pure water, lacking the pollutants that an industrial age might have brought.


    Originally, Svoriin lacked an indigenous population. That had changed when the Asgard delivered peoples of Scandinavian decent to the world, freeing them from oppression at the hands of Ra during his time on Earth. Falling under the Protected Planets Treaty, Svoriin existed free of fear from Goa''uld attack. That the Goa''uld had never discovered Svoriin allowed the Asgard to devote their efforts to other worlds known to their enemy and the enemy of man. Having only visited the world once, the only piece of Ancient technology present was the lone stargate. Sitting on a platform surrounded by canals, the gate lay before elevated walkways leading to the city before it.


    At the height of the worlds now gone civilization, the city was built to contain half of the sizeable population of Svoriin. Facilities existed to house several million people, allowing the cit to rival Chicago in size. One day in the near future, the city would again be home to humanity. These new inhabitants would be cared for and educated by the Tauri and Nox. Once they were judged ready to protect themselves from the many threats in the Milky Way, these many relocated cultures would be moved off world should they choose. Before that was possible their knowledge base would be greatly expanded.


    Around the city members of the Red Cross were hard at work. Their assigned task was great, and would require many hours of hard work. Proper housing had already been prepared for the incoming refugees. That effort would soon be redoubled in anticipation of housing many more. In an effort to ease the transition of relocation, efforts were being taken to house the individual cultures amongst themselves. As they arrived through the gate, each refugee would be taken to the large reception center within the city.


    Once in the reception center, many separate things would happen. Medical screenings would be performed, to ensure each new member of the city was free from disease and illness. Once cleared by attending medical personnel, each new resident would move on to identification issue, where biometric identifiers would be cataloged in a secure database within the city and shared with the SGC. With identification in hand, each man, woman, and child would receive their individual Red Cross care package. Contained within each care package was clothing, hygiene items, and other assorted pleasantries. From there, the new residents would be ushered into an auditorium for an official briefing of the services available to each civilian.


    Working hand in hand, The Tauri personnel and their Nox counterparts faced a daunting task. After abuse, oppression, and mistreatment at the hands of the Goa''uld and those that came after them, the humans of the Milky Way lacked little hope. That hope would slowly be restored through care and hard work. Humanity would be shown that hope was not a fool''s errand, but instead a vision of what could be. This task might take years to complete, but humanities future in this galaxy depended upon it.

 Chapter 153

    Shambhala


    Shortly after the arrival of the People of Novus within the great city, an idea had been floated around the SGC. Having called the Drone galaxy home since the inception of their culture, they were seen as an invaluable source of knowledge about this particular area of operations. Their advanced knowledge of science, mathematics, and physics made them useful for Destiny''s return to that corner of the universe. Feelers seeking out qualified applicants to the Destiny expedition had been quietly circulated.


    The selection process had been a stringent one. Qualifications in a handful of scientific disciplines had been required for consideration. After an overwhelming response, the eighteen hundred applicants had been narrowed down to ten individuals. Among them were engineers, astrophysicists, and medical professionals. Each of these ten men and women were filled with a sense of duty to the upcoming Destiny expedition. Were it not for the original expedition the people of Novus might never have been.


    Doctor Nicholas Rush was not someone held in high regard in certain corners of Novus society. Those feelings were quickly put to the side after meeting the man. Past bias would not be allowed to compromise participation and success in the upcoming expedition. Taking stock of the Scottish scientist, they soon found a man dedicated to one thing; Destiny''s mission. This iron willed determination to find the answers that awaited the expedition in far away corners of the universe quickly earned the respect of even the most stubborn of the new members.


    Hard work awaited the new expedition members as Rush told them. In the coming days they would be transported to Arkos station through the stargate, and begin the process of familiarizing themselves with Destiny''s many complex systems. While their scientific knowledge was already impressive, the technology they were about to come in contact with far outpaced even the most advanced their people had yet devised. This homecoming also represented something else. For the very first time in SGC history the unexpected outcome of gate travel was being incorporated into current operations.


    Underneath the city at a depth of five hundred meters lay a newly constructed series of chambers and tunnels. Branching out from the main chamber like the limbs of a tree were a series of power conduits; these conduits tied into the cities underground power distribution grid while others were routed towards the planetary shield emitters. In the main subterranean chamber was a replica of a system recently perfected in another galaxy. Instead of drawing its power from a series of zpm''s operating in parallel, the Arcturus device would now provide life giving power to the city of Shambhala.


    Once activated, the Arcturus device would provide more power than any single world could ever make use of. While intended to power the great city, this plentiful power source would be used to fuel several other functions. Planetary shields, drone weapons platform, the newly constructed ship construction facility; all would draw power from this device. Sufficient power generation capability existed for any expansion or addition to the ever growing off world base. Upon ignition, the Arcturus device would generate more power than any other single device in the Milky Way galaxy.


    Remodeling of the former Alpha Site compound was nearing completion. Internal walls and partitions had been removed, while the footprint of the facility built into the side of a mountain grew. When originally constructed, the Alpha Site was meant to be home to a small five ship detachment of F-302''s. Changes in the importance of the planet containing this largest of off world facilities brought with it changes in manning made possible by disclosure. In the original 302 detachment''s place would now reside a much larger force.


    Newly arrived from Earth was a unit steeped in history within the United States Air Force. The 31st Fighter Wing traced back it''s lineage to World War Two, where it was activated as the 31st Fighter Pursuit Group. Having participated in every American conflict since World War Two, the Fighting 31st now stepped onto the galactic stage on a world far from home. Reequipping for their new mission, the pilots of the 31st said goodbye to the F-16''s they had flown since its introduction. Their new steed was the F-302, and it was something that the Wing''s fighter pilots had dreamed off since childhood.


    Not electing to wait for the completion of construction of their new base, the pilots of the 31st began an intensive training program. Night and day the agile fighter interceptors sliced through the skies. In a few short weeks they would be ready. As their mastery of the 302 weapons system progressed, the 31st would expand their area of operations further out into the solar system. An attack like that recently perpetrated against Earth would not be allowed here. Should the Jaffa assault this world they would pay a heavy price.


    In the air, a flight of four 302''s cut through the atmosphere. Peering out of their canopies, the pilots looked down at the ground below. From their vantage point high above, the pilots saw the newly completed shipyard. Not wanting all of their eggs in one basket, it had been decided that a secondary facility like Arkos was needed. While the shipyard had as yet to construct a single vessel that would soon change.


    Falling short of the overall production capacity of Arkos, the Shambhala shipyard could still bring to life an impressive number of vessels if tasked for maximum output. Ten construction bays were placed around the shipyard. Each was equipped with matter stream creation units like those found in the ancient shipyard. Arraigned in a semicircle around the construction bays were docking bays for completed vessels operational within the Tauri or allied fleets. Upon arrival of ore delivery vessel, construction of the next ten Copernicus class science vessels would commence. Before that happened, four of the docking bays would become home to the four Copernicus class vessels that had exited hyperspace near the planet ten minutes ago.


    Receiving instructions from flight control, the four airborne 302''s were instructed to alter course. Following those orders to avoid incoming traffic, the pilots instinctively looked into the upper atmosphere. Four bright fireballs streaked through the sky in a precise in line formation. Referencing their heads up display, the pilots noted that the four inbound vessels belonged to the Tauri fleet. Long before the 302''s returned to base, the four Copernicus class vessels would come to rest in the shipyard.


    Standing on an overlooking balcony, Camille Wray and Elizabeth Weir watched as the Intergalactic Conference Hall took shape. One thing was certain, the replicators built well and built quickly. While far from complete, the Hall''s impressive design was clear to the two women. Once finished, this Hall would be home to the debate of the futures of multiple galaxies. History would be made within its walls, and wanting to capture an important moment in history, the two women made it a habit to periodically watch over construction.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Camille asked.


    "That it is. Being here for this moment is like being present for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence." Weir replied.


    "Nothing like this has ever been tried before. One can only hope this doesn''t blow up in our face." Camille added.


    "Diplomacy is about taking chances. Had our forefathers played it safe America might not exist today." Weir countered.


    "Being a part of this is unlike anything I ever thought I would do when I was a member of the IOA." Camille stated with a laugh.


    "It could be worse. The IOA always made it a point to make my position in Atlantis as uncomfortable as possible with a smile on their collective faces." Weir said with an amused faux frown.


    "Is everything ok Elizabeth? You''ve seemed like something is on your mind for the last few weeks. With all that has happened here lately I can''t say I don''t understand if that is what the problem is." Camille said while shifting topics.


    "Actually, I have had something on my mind, but it has nothing to do with recent events here." Weir replied.


    "Care to talk about it?" Camille asked.


    "Certainly, but I ask that you not pass judgment ok? I find myself conflicted by ideals I grew up treasuring. While I retain my place in our society and my loyalties there run deep, I have my place among the replicators. They look to me for leadership and guidance, and I have a duty to provide that. Part of me will always be human, but the fact remains that I am now a replicator." Weir stated with baited breath.


    "I can see how you would find yourself torn between two worlds Elizabeth. My respect for you is far too high to ever feel the right to pass judgment." Camille replied.


    "That''s good to hear, thank you. My people hold those of Earth in the highest esteem. Without you, we wouldn''t be here today. Still we yearn for more. Our friendship and devotion to Earth is always assured, but someday we do wish to find our place in this galaxy or another and form a civilization of our own. Admittedly, it would not surprise me if the American government listened to this and immediately had nightmares of an Asuran resurgence. That is not what this is." Weir stated honestly.


    "You make a good point about concerns. We both know of the fears of past incarnations of the replicators that run deep in our military. You are what makes the difference Elizabeth. As you said, you are the leader of your people. President Hayes holds you in the highest respect. I think you''ll find that he''s highly receptive to what you have in mind." Camille answered confidently.


    "We just wish to be treated as equals, as partners. Yes, my people are building the city we now stand in, but we are capable of so much more if allowed. That is all we want, and that is what we expect. I''ve drafted a letter to that effect to President Hayes and requested diplomatic recognition along with a formal alliance. Until this moment I thought sending it to him would be a mistake." Elizabeth explained.


    "Things have changed Elizabeth. You know the man better than I do, but I think he''ll be open to the idea." Camille assured her.


    "Enough about my worries. What''s on the itinerary for tomorrow?" Weir inquired.


    "We have a delegation from the Coalition of Planets arriving from Pegasus via the gate bridge. We''ll be showing them the city and the Hall. Typical dog and pony show." Camille informed her colleague.

 Chapter 154

    NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium


    Deep within the bowels of the highly secure compound of NATO headquarters, an urgent session called at the behest of the United States was taking place. The twenty eight individual member nations Permanent Representatives were seated at a circular table. Due to language differences, each Representative wore an earpiece over which immediate translation of each Representative spoken words were broadcast. After the recent attack on Earth so shortly after disclosure, the air of tension was palpable.


    "As your respective heads of government have been made aware, an overt attack upon our planet was averted. Traditionalist forces of the Jaffa mounted this attack upon both Earth and the Arkos shipyard facility. Background information on both Arkos and the Jaffa can be found in the briefing packets before you. Utilizing internal self defense measures, the Arkos artificial intelligence engaged and destroyed the three Ha''tak vessels that attacked shortly after exiting hyperspace. Moments later four Ha''tak vessels exited hyperspace near Earth and immediately opened fire. The planetary defensive shield prevented any of the targeted weapons fire from entering our atmosphere. The Daedalus class vessel Sun Li Ren belonging to the Taiwanese government engaged the attacking vessels destroying two. While this attack took place, the vessel Destiny closed in on the attackers and also engaged destroying one Ha''tak. Both vessels maneuvered to further engage the remaining enemy ship, but the attacker engaged their hyperspace engines and escaped." Representative Lionel Pine stated to the assemblage of men.


    "I think we can all agree that were it not for the timely actions of Taiwanese forces in conjunction with their American counterparts, this situation could have been much worse." Representative Geoffrey Calvert agreed.


    "Representative Pine, I''ve gone over the briefing material. We can all agree that this situation is one we do not wish to repeat. Do we have any indications of additional follow up targets?" Representative Diego Garza of Spain asked.


    "I''ve consulted with the Department of Defense about this. They assure me that the planetary defense shield is more than adequate to prevent any such follow up attacks on Earth. Despite that, defensive weapons platforms will remain at an elevated alert level until this conflict is concluded. Fleet units will also maintain a presence in the solar system. Even though we have defensive measures in play, we do have one area of concern where the enemy can inflict considerable harm to us so I''ve been informed. Where the Jaffa to target the moon with either a nuclear weapon equivalent or a large amount of ship based firepower, the resulting debris could prove a problem. Debris and ejecta from such a strike has the potential to shield the Earth from a high percentage of sunlight resulting in the equivalent of nuclear winter." Pine said solemnly.


    "With all of your nation''s new advancements can you not do something about that?" Garza demanded.


    "Countermeasures to deal with such a situation are being formulated as we speak with our off world allies." Pine replied.


    "What of other off world facilities?" German Representative Heinrich Von Eich demanded.


    "The Alpha Site is equipped with defensive systems equaling those of Earth. The November Site is a joint Earth and Asgard off world facility, so we judge the possibility of an attack there highly unlikely if the Jaffa are even aware of the facilities existence. Should an attack occur there we deem the chances of success as minimal. Due to the November Site''s proximity to New Heliopolis, the other Great Races would respond in kind." Pine explained.


    "It is the position of Her Majesty''s government that an attack on Earth represents a direct attack upon NATO and our respective individual nations. With that in mind, forces of my nations military are being prepared for deployment to respond to this attack." Calvert stated.


    "I have been directed by the Chancellor to make available forces of the German Army under NATO command in support of our treaty commitments." Representative Von Eich added.


    Over the next forty minutes the twenty eight nation''s representatives reaffirmed their commitment of troops to the NATO cause. Several of the smaller member nations pledged their support, but made mention of a lack of the numbers of combat troops the larger nations were capable of deploying. Lacking a clear picture of how these troops might be employed, it was agreed that the respective nations would muster their deployable units and place them on standby in preparation for a quick surge elsewhere in the galaxy.


    "It has come to the attention of Spanish Intelligence that several nations are in possession of the American F-302 design. Can the member nations of NATO expect the same courtesy? I pose this question due to our combined air force''s lacking the capability to engage exo-atmospheric targets." Representative Garza pressed.


    "You are indeed correct that several nations have taken delivery of a number of F-302''s. When first introduced, the F-302 was constructed on Earth. We have since shifted production of the 302 to the Arkos facility. The incredible production capacity of Arkos is a true force multiplier. After a few slight changes in the construction schedule large scale production of 302''s began thirty six hours ago. Using the stargate we would like to begin sending flight crews to Arkos for ferry duties of 302''s back to Earth and the individual receiving nations. Of course, orientation check rides will be conducted in the United States before these pilots are sent to Arkos." Pine explained.


    "We are all aware of which nations currently operate larger interstellar craft. When can the other member nations expect to be granted access to these advancements?" Von Eich inquired.


    "Production of the Daedalus, Athena, and Copernicus class vessels obviously takes far longer than construction of a small fighter interceptor. Employment of these vessels to maximum affect takes a large amount of training and familiarization. We propose that nations new to the use of such vessels be first outfitted with the smaller Daedalus class vessels. Once an indigenous training cadre for your respective national training programs is available, subsequent production of Athena class vessels would be possible." Pine stated.


    "Knowledge that nations not belonging to NATO are in possession of such vessels already does little to instill a sense of contentment into my government." Von Eich replied in an annoyed tone.


    "I would like to remind the German Representative that had these vessels not been shared with nations outside of NATO, the craft that attacked Earth might have taken longer to combat. I''m glad that you mention this though as it brings us me to my next order of business." Pine replied smoothly.


    "What might that be Representative Pine?" asked the Norwegian Representative.


    "As the German Representative mentioned, non NATO member nations are currently in possession of Daedalus and Athena class vessels. This is something we wish to correct as the United States government feels strongly that all interstellar vessels in Earth''s possession fall under the guises of NATO command. The United States wishes to invite both the nations of Taiwan and it''s newly incorporated Chinese mainland, and the nation of Russia." Pine stated.


    "Has the esteemed representative of the United States forgotten that NATO came about to contain the threat Russia posed to Western Europe?" demanded Von Eich.


    "Several former Warsaw Pact nations are currently members of NATO, yet this argument was not poised at that time. Times change and nations change. Russia has played a crucial role throughout the history of the stargate program as has the former People''s Republic of China now under the governance of Taiwan. In the face of the external threat now before us I would propose that now is the time to come together, forgive past transgressions, and martial our forces." Pine stated plainly.


    Over the next three hours the merits of admitting both nations into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were debated with vigor and at times venom. As tensions rose and fell, the collective representatives all saw the trend play out. Each time tensions over Russia''s admittance came about the anger was a less fierce than the time before. Every nation around the circular table knew that the two nations would be admitted and in fact agreed that it was needed. Working in tandem, the British and American representative finally prevailed in smoothing over the lingering specter of decent in the room. Emerging from the conference room later to a collection of global news agencies, the NATO Secretary General announced with pleasure to the world the admittance of both Russia and Taiwan to the NATO alliance.

 Chapter 155

    Atlantis


    Standing in the nanite lab was an odd assortment of individuals. It is widely known that war can breed strange bedfellows but even that morsel of knowledge would be hard pressed to explain away the room''s current occupants. Once enemies and now finding themselves working towards a shared goal, Todd spoke with Chaya Sar. Nervously standing between the two was Doctor Radek Zelenka. Chaya had been called in to verify the functionality of the product of Zelenka''s labor, while Todd had been called in to verify its authenticity.


    Sitting on the nanite creation table was that product of so many hours of hard work. Taking the form of a Wraith soldier, this mass of organic nanites was an evolution in terms of programming over previous iterations. Taking samples of Wraith soldier DNA, these building blocks had been used to build the finished product before them. Use of this DNA overcame the one stopping block of previous plans to infiltrate the Wraith; telepathy. Using his own telepathic abilities to peer into the Wraith hive mind, Todd searched the corners of the organic replicator''s consciousness.


    The Wraith soldier whom the basis DNA came from had served a queen long dead. The fact that this soldier was now also dead seemed to escape the minds of all present. Peering deep into the mind of the weapon that sat before him, Todd found himself once again impressed with Tauri resourcefulness. Had all mankind in Pegasus behaved in such a manner along with their ancient creators, Todd knew the Wraith would never have been able to lay claim to this galaxy. The thought troubled him on some level, and once again he was thankful for the day he made the acquaintance of John Sheppard.


    As Todd went about his task, Chaya Sar was busy analyzing performance and function data from the organic replicator. Thus far all seemed to perform perfectly, which was surprising. Thinking back to the creation of the nanite weapon during the height of the war against the Wraith, Chaya remembered the difficulties her people''s top minds had faced. That their creation had resulted in the development of a weapon that wished to be anything but a weapon if given the choice is something she opted to disregard.


    "Your weapon will stand up to intense scrutiny by any Wraith who question its origin. The hive mind functions like that of a natural Wraith." Todd stated.


    "The nanites are performing flawlessly. You have taken an idea and elevated it beyond even that of its creators. Well done Doctor." Chaya kindly stated in compliment.


    "Then all that remains is deployment of the weapon." Zelenka replied.


    "I will provide a list of locations conducive to this end." Todd stated.


    Standing in stargate operations, Mr. Woolsey waited patiently for the all important conference taking place in the nanite lab to end. Once the answers found in this meeting were provided, Woolsey would quickly inform the SGC and request further instructions. At his duty station, Chuck was busy replying to a recently arrived subspace message in text format. Firing off his reply, Chuck turned towards Woolsey.


    "Mr. Woolsey, we have confirmation of Galileo''s arrival in Pegasus. They estimate their arrival here in two days but have just entered Pegasus space." Chuck stated to his expedition commander.


    Milky Way Super Gate


    Standing in line formation before the super gate were four Athena class vessels. Their mission was simple yet complex at the same time. Following Presidential Directive, this small task force of Tauri vessels was to proceed through the gate for the trip across the universe. Once there, course would be set for the Furling created obelisk planet. All of the materials and personnel necessary for a permanent off world outpost resided in the collection of vessels cargo and small craft bays.


    The creation of this outpost would allow for greater support of the upcoming return of Destiny to the distant corner of the universe. Also providing a valuable foothold on an allied controlled world, the Tauri would utilize this position to explore a previously little explored galaxy. Staying true to their primary directive to secure alien technology, this dovetailed nicely with the expectation to support Destiny and her crew.


    As the unstable vortex of billowed forth from the powerful gate modules, the individual warsh.i.p.s raised their shields and powered weapons. It was unknown what might be waiting for them on the other side of this wormhole, so no chances were being taken. Advancing at minimum sublight, the four Athena''s entered the event horizon, dematerialized, and vanished from the confines of the Milky Way.


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 Chapter 156

    Frazier


    Forty five minutes earlier, the Aurora class vessel had exited hyperspace and established high orbit around Chulak under cloak. Recent developments in the war suddenly turned very hot against Traditionalist Jaffa forces brought about this sudden deployment on the other side of the Milky Way. While the powerful sensors scanned the planet beneath them for the small tracking beacon given to both Rak''nor and Ry''ac, they also took stock of many other things on Chulak. Once again, the Tauri were operating under the precept of trust but verify.


    After locating the tracking beacons of the two Progressive sect Jaffa leaders, the two men''s movements had been watched closely. Beaming the men away from the planet while surrounded by their countrymen would only serve to alert all that a Tauri or Asgard vessel was nearby. Waiting patiently, the sensor operators aboard Frazier kept a close eye on the two men and their surroundings. Half an hour later their effort was rewarded as the two men moved off together to less crowded surroundings. Following orders, the sensor operators immediately beamed the two men directly into a small conference room aboard the vessel. Already seated in this conference room was Lt. Colonel Paul Davis.


    "Ry''ac, Rak''nor, welcome aboard the Frazier. Let me apologize for the unexpected transport." Davis began.


    "This is a breech of the system of communications we''ve laid out." Rak''nor stated somewhat annoyed.


    "It is always good to see anyone from your world Colonel." Ry''ac said pleasantly.


    "Recent developments necessitated this meeting. That being the case, we have several matters to discuss." Davis explained.


    "A rumor has been heard by many of an attack on the Traditionalist base of Dar Eshkalon." Rak''nor stated.


    "Since this rumor began, the rebel forces have pulled back and avoided battle against our positions." Ry''ac added.


    "An attack on Dar Eshkalon was mounted with elements of our ground forces. It was a successful strike with multiple casualties. The rebel base was neutralized, and intelligence was gathered. After our intelligence officials have evaluated what was found we will of course make it available to you. Before this operation began, our vessels detected two separate groups of Ha''tak class vessels both in the solar system and outside of it. As the ground assault progressed, these two groups of vessels jumped to hyperspace." Davis informed his guests.


    "Why were these vessels not destroyed?" Rak''nor demanded.


    "This mission was planned as strictly a ground assault. Our vessels in orbit were needed to support ground forces and unfortunately could not engage the Ha''tak''s detected." Davis replied, lacking an apologetic tone.


    "Colonel, we would hope that these vessels were destroyed or captured. With these vessels the rebels can mount an assault on Chulak itself." Ry''ac countered.


    "Unacceptable!" Rak''nor fumed.


    "The two groups of vessels that entered hyperspace were tracked by our forces, and entered our solar system. Divided into two separate attack groups, these vessels engaged Earth itself and a fleet anchorage site in the solar system. Both attack groups were subsequently destroyed, although one vessel attacking Earth did manage to enter hyperspace and affect an escape." Davis continued undeterred.


    "The Ha''tak that you allowed to escape will be used against our worlds!" Rak''nor replied with anger building in his voice.


    "You''re glossing over the fact that the majority of them were destroyed on a direct assault on Earth. Let me remind you both that you asked for our assistance in this conflict. We are providing that, but we will not fight the war for you. Let''s get back to the points I have to share. On your last visit to Earth, our sensors detected a cloaked vessel enter our solar system as well. It is our belief that this vessel followed you and reported your presence on our planet. Our estimation is that this directly led to the attack on Earth and our fleet anchorage facility." Davis said solemnly.


    "Now you accuse of plotting against the Tauri?" Rak''nor hissed.


    "That is not my intention, no. It is the opinion of my government that your command structure is compromised by the rebels. What makes most sense is that you have either a leak or one of your men is acting in concert with the enemy. Your command group is penetrated." Davis said firmly.


    "I do not believe that anyone in our command would align themselves with Traditionalist forces." Ry''ac replied earnestly.


    "Our experience with Goa''uld designed vessels and sensors let us know that they lack the ability to track a vessel in hyperspace. Since your vessel and this other one I mention exited hyperspace minutes apart, foreknowledge of your end destination was needed. That information could not be known unless it originated from someone within your trusted group of personnel." Davis continued.


    "We will find this traitor." Ry''ac said confidently.


    "I can only hope that you do, and we are willing to provide individuals proficient in these matters to assist you." Davis offered.


    "Assistance in this matter is not needed. We will find the traitor using our own methods." Rak''nor said darkly.


    "One can only hope that you do. After an attack on Earth, the level of anger in my government is palpable. If this conflict cannot be resolved to our satisfaction we will simply relocate the two factions in different galaxies. Make no mistake gentlemen; we do have the ability to bring that eventuality about." Davis stated sternly.

 Chapter 157

    Six hours earlier; M7R-093


    Acting on information provided by reluctant informants on the Genii home world, the location of a cell of Genii soldiers who had been loyal to the leaders behind the recent upheavals around Pegasus had been discovered. This information had been provided to Vala Mal Doran, as it greatly aided her undercover mission in this galaxy foreign to her. Her cover was that of an arms dealer and survivor of the defeated world of Sateda. It was this cover that made her a potentially valuable asset to the men she now sat amongst.


    Acting out of self preservation, the reluctant informants now loyal to Ladon Radim had passed along the information provided to them to the gone to ground Genii cells. To save their own lives these men would have done anything asked of them. Word of what Vala Mal Doran could provide these last fanatical Genii holdouts from the expanding peace made certain they would arrange a time and place to meet. Reaching out through indirect channels, these men managed to pass word of their desire to purchase arms to Vala. Unknown to the men, the channels they used were now fully under the control of Ladon.


    Knowing that meeting the Genii rebels too quickly would spook her prey, Vala had patiently bided her time. Several weeks of waiting had increased their desire to meet her to a fevered pitch. A handful of small arms shipments were provided to cells already captured so that word would spread of the quality and selection Vala could provide. Hearing of this, the currently targeted cell had broken tradecraft and demanded an immediate audience with the woman who could help supply their rebellion.


    Sitting in a tavern on the agrarian world, Vala looked over the men seated around her. Rough thugs, like those found in certain corners of the Milky Way she thought. Looking them over closely, she could see their military training shine through in their efficiency of movement and their eyes as they tracked around the tavern and its occupant''s. That their eyes constantly fixed on her chest was one thing Vala knew could work heavily in her favor.


    "When we requested this meeting we thought it would come much sooner." Cyrus said in a gruff tone.


    "My services are in high demand. A girl''s got to do what a girl''s got to do." Vala replied offhandedly.


    "On my world when one is summoned they respond immediately." Cyrus stated.


    "Thankfully, we''re not on your world. As you are aware, my services were being put to use by some of your associates around the galaxy." Vala answered absently.


    "We''ve been told as much by our comrades. The quality of your wares is exceptional we''re assured. Along with the weaponry, we''re also very interested in the Lantean C-4 we know you posses. How is it this came into your possession?" Cyrus asked.


    "A fellow Satedan made sure it fell into my hands. Ronon and I go way back on our home world. When he goes off world from Atlantis he smuggles the C-4 out, and I collect it after he and his team depart. It''s an arrangement that has served both our interests well." Vala replied simply.


    "How much of this can you provide us with?" Cyrus inquired.


    "I can provide as much as you need. Your two friends don''t say much do they?" Vala asked while nodding her head at the other two men at the table.


    "Forgive my comrades. It''s been some time since they''ve been so close to a woman of such beauty." Cyrus replied with a lecherous grin.


    "Then maybe all of us can get better acquainted in a more private setting. My ship perhaps?" Vala suggested with a wink.


    "The three of us could use a bit of distraction" Cyrus replied hopefully.


    "For the merchandise, how will you be paying? I only ask so that business doesn''t get in the way of the fun to come." Vala asked innocently.


    "Gold." Cyrus replied simply.


    "Now that we have that out of the way, let''s go to my ship and enjoy ourselves before we get settle the transaction at hand." Vala suggested.


    Rising from their seats, Vala and the three Genii exited the tavern. Out of the corner of her eye she noted the men''s eyes dancing over her body. Even easier than I thought it would be she thought. Making their way out of the small town, Vala guided the men to an open field a mile away. In the field sat a craft like none of the men had ever seen; a Goa''uld Tel''tak. Entering the side entrance door, the men looked around the interior of the vessel. Having never seen hieroglyphics, the men couldn''t help but wonder about the origins of the craft.


    "I''ve never seen a craft such as this. How did it come into your possession?" Cyrus asked.


    "As you know, the Wraith destroyed my world and our people. This craft was one of many built for the Satedan military to take the fight directly to the Wraith. Now it belongs to me." Vala lied easily.


    "Where is the bed chamber?" Cyrus asked with a wolfish grin.


    "We''ll be having our fun in the rear next chamber. Why don''t you boys go back there and take those clothes off? They''ll just get in the way." Vala suggested with a seductive look.


    Their hormones thinking for them, the men rushed into the next chamber. Giggling like school boys over the fun to come, the men exchanged little jokes amongst themselves. Unashamedly, the men disrobed and stood waiting for Vala to enter. Hearing the chamber door slide open, the men began to turn. Seconds later they lay on the floor unconscious from zat''nik''tel blasts.

 Chapter 158

    Vala''s Tel''tak, six hours later


    Sitting at the controls of the craft, Vala looked at her nails as hyperspace unfolded before the sh.i.p.s view screen. Looking at the data displayed on the heads up display she noted that they would arrive at their destination in a few short minutes. In the distance she heard the now restrained three men begin to struggle on the floor. That struggling soon turned into yelling and shouting. Smiling broadly, Vala stood and made her way to the rear compartment of the Tel''tak.


    "You will pay for this with your life woman!" Cyrus yelled.


    "I cannot break the bonds holding me commander." The Genii soldier beside Cyrus pleaded desperately.


    "I''ll choke the life out of your body!" Cyrus continued to bellow.


    "Now boys, flattery will get you everywhere with me. As the mother of a once powerful ascended being, I would ask that you be a bit more polite with your rhetoric." Vala replied from her place leaning in the compartment doorway.


    "Untie me now!" Cyrus demanded.


    "Yeah, about that; I don'' think that''s the best of ideas judging by your mood. I was thinking instead of introducing you to a few friends of mine." Vala said wistfully.


    "Your friends will die along with you! Who are these friends?" Cyrus continued to demand.


    "You know them well actually. The Tauri! They are very excited about the chance to have a little chat with you." Vala replied with a smile before walking away.


    Exiting hyperspace, the Tel''tak slowed. Turbulence began to buffet the small craft as it entered the atmosphere. Minutes later the turbulence ceased, and the craft soared through the bright blue sky. In the distance, rising from the sea stood Borealis. A few simple commands later, the Tel''tak set down gently on the east pier of the city. Opening the outer door, salt air entered the craft. Along with that salt air was a man. Leading the new arrival to the rear compartment Vala smiled a toothy smile.


    "Tada!" Vala said happily.


    "Indeed." Teal''c replied with a smirk.


    M6H-491


    Thousands of years earlier, the world known within the Atlantis database as M6H-491 had been home to a human agrarian society. Repeated severe cullings had severely diminished the numbers of the inhabitants until they abandoned their home world for another elsewhere in the galaxy. Today that world was once again inhabited, but not by humans as it once had been. This world was now a Wraith outpost of medium strength. Several thousand Wraith soldiers patrolled the area near the world''s stargate.


    Gliding silently through the atmosphere was the Apollo, under the command of Colonel Ellis. This mission was not one that he would have requested for himself, but his hope was that it would lead towards an end to the war against the Wraith. The mission was twofold; deliver the wraith form replicator while also capturing a number of actual Wraith. As a cover for the mission of delivering their agent of destruction, it had been decided to mask their intentions and make their presence appear to be for the purposes of culling Wraith.


    In the port side fighter bay of Apollo preparations were complete. A modular containment area had been erected, using the Atlantis brig as the model. Using the matter creation units, a portable copy of the force field equipped detention cell had been built. Equipped with stun field device modified from the original Wraith design, any being transported inside the detention area would be rendered unconscious by a field of debilitating energy. Standing near this in the fighter bay was Doctor Radek Zelenka and the replicator form Wraith. Being his creation, Radek had insisted on accompanying the replicator along for its introduction to the targeted delivery point.


    "Is everything ready on your end Doctor Zelenka?" Colonel Ellis asked into his radio earpiece.


    "The replicator is ready. The detention cell is also standing by." Radek replied.


    "Standby Doctor. We have a group of twenty Wraith soldiers we''re tracking on the ground. We''ll beam them aboard and then deploy the replicator. I want the Wraith incapacitated the moment their aboard." Ellis ordered.


    "Understood." Radek replied quickly.


    Moments later a dazzling display of white energy expanded within the containment field. As the Wraith appeared within the energy field they first looked down at now empty hands that had moments before been holding weapons. Next they looked up directly at Doctor Zelenka. Standing at his station before the containment fields control panel, Radek pushed a button before looking at those trapped in the energized field. From the four corners of the square energized containment field a wave of debilitating energy shot forth in a flat trajectory five inches above the deck. On contact, the Wraith contained within fell to the ground unconscious.


    Continuing to follow the instructions it had been given, the transport beam module energized again. The replicator form Wraith dematerialized and vanished from within Apollo''s fighter bay, to reappear on the ground below where the now captured Wraith had been standing. Reaching down for one of the stun weapons laying on the ground, the replicator form Wraith grabbed the weapon. Turning on its heels, the replicator broke into a sprint towards the nearest structure of the Wraith outpost. While it ran, the organic replicator using its access into the telepathically linked hive mind began to report the ''culling'' that had just occurred.


    Her mission accomplished, the Apollo climbed higher. Less than a minute later the ship broke free from the bonds of the planets atmosphere. Powering down the cloak so their presence would be noted on Wraith sensors, Apollo leaped into hyperspace and vanished.

 Chapter 159

    Idavoll, Asgard home world


    Since their fate had been decided by the Asgard High Council, the group known as the Vanir had toiled as minor technicians. Several of the Vanir were assigned duties related to daily maintenance needs of the Asgard central computer core. Others found themselves in roles as minor functionaries in the main ship construction center producing units for the Asgard fleet. These postings served the Vanir purpose far more than the Asgard had stopped to consider.


    It started as small bits of computer code added to systems that were not networked together. Internal city sensors, transport beam units, power distribution, and multiple systems within the shipyard were soon home to these small packets of data. When viewed individually, these packets appeared harmless and escaped notice. Had they been viewed all together, their purpose would have been clear. This program was a worm, or more correctly a multi-headed hydra.


    The hydra burrowed its way into the overall control protocols of the complexly networked Asgard network. Efficiency being key to the Asgard mindset, all systems networked together were soon under the subtle control of the Vanir and that was all systems on the home world. Unsure if the hydra would be detected, the Vanir had patiently waited to see if their plan had been discovered. Many weeks of this waiting went by before they finally decided to act.


    Leaping into action, they put their control of the Asgard network to use. Those assigned to duties within the shipyard went about their seemingly normal duties and boarded the newly completed Asgard vessel Hala. Those assigned to menial duties pertaining to the computer network sequestered themselves away in a control nexus rarely used. Issuing commands to override certain functions of the network, the Vanir were now control of sensors, transport stations, and power distribution throughout Idavoll.


    Seconds later many things happened at once. The captured Vanir computer cores being analyzed in another part of the capital city were transported aboard the Hala before the system locked out for use by anyone other than the Vanir. Sensor readings of all Vanir ceased to register to any who may have sought to locate them. Power conduits running throughout the city directed energy into storage buffers away from where it was needed. Around the shipyard security doors began to snap shut, locking down any potential route of access to the Hala.


    The Hala represented a paradigm shift in Asgard ship design. While she closely resembled the O''Neill class in outward appearance, she was one third larger. Taking cues from Tauri provided information on the construction of ZPM''s, Asgard scientists had developed a version of their own. Three of these devices would replace the neutrino ion generators that had powered the Asgard fleet for generations. In Ancient designed ZPM''s, power was drawn from a self contained section of sub space time generated with quantum foam. The Asgard iteration of the device was far more similar to a star contained within a monolithic crystalline structure; near perfect fusion of hundreds of billions of hydrogen atoms gave this device a lifespan measured in ages instead of years.


    To combat any threat the Asgard and the Alliance of Five Races might face now or in the future, Hala was equipped with a multitude of weaponry. Five batteries of the powerful plasma beam weaponry were equipped both front and rear. Energetic ion bolt weaponry more powerful than that used during the fight for survival against the replicators in the galaxy of Ida were also fitted in multiple batteries. Mounted on moveable pods on the on the top and bottom of Hala were individual examples of the weapon the Tauri referred to as the Grodin. Not yet equipped as they were still being perfected would be a drone weapon similar to that developed by the Ancients sharing the original''s phase shifting abilities that allowed for easy penetration of most shields encountered so far within the universe.


    The immense amounts of power at Hala''s disposal would be used for many purposes. Flowing into the shield emitters, this power would allow for the most powerful shields ever fielded by the Asgard fleet. Channeled into the hyper drive, Hala would be able to outpace even the amazing top speed of the O''Neill class. Upon the Hala rested the future of the Asgard fleet.


    Receiving word that the computer control systems of Idavoll were locked in a repeating self test sequence, the Vanir aboard the Hala beamed their dissidents aboard. Systems already activated onboard Hala were brought from standby to in use status. The antigravity drive powered up allowed the Hala to climb above the place of her construction for the first time. In moments, the shadow of the vessel cast over the Asgard capital city. Sensors onboard the vessel provided advanced warning of the O''Neill class in orbit maneuvering to prevent the Vanir leap into hyperspace, necessitating the raising of the shields. Seconds later a message displayed on the bridge of the Hala.


    "This is Kvasir, commander of the Vittra. Return to the docking facility immediately. Failure to comply will result in the utilization of force against you." Kvasir stated calmly.


    "Kvasir this is Mimir. The Vanir will not bow to your wishes and will no longer be held captive to the whims of the Asgard High Council. Use of hostile force against this vessel amounts to nothing more than a wasted attempt." Mimir stated calmly.


    Standing off five thousand kilometers from the planet, the Vittra powered weapons. Certain that the shields aboard the Hala were immune to the plasma beam weapons, Kvasir targeted his own ion canons; the same as those found able to destroy replicator blocks during the war. Believing that a warning shot would deter the Vanir from attempting escape, a single ion bolt leapt from the starboard side canon of the Vittra. Impacting the shields, this attack had no effect. Undeterred, Hala continued to accelerate along her path and passed through the opening hyperspace window.

 Chapter 160

    Athena


    The flagship of the Tauri fleet sat in empty space, fifteen light years from the nearest solar system. Part of the duties of the Athena as the lead ship in her class was the validation of new systems before their addition to the other Athena class vessels of the Tauri fleet. This was a function she was once again performing. Standing in the engineering section of the vessel was Colonel Eckhart and Doctor Bill Lee. Before the two men, mounted in the zpm hub identical to that found on city sh.i.p.s, was the newest system to find its way to the fleet systems validation vessel.


    This device was triangular in shape, and four feet in height, and six feet in width. On its bottom, also arraigned in triangular placement, were three crystal prongs identical to the size and shape of a zpm. Inside of this device was a piece of technology like no other of its size. During the testing in Pegasus of the newly perfected Arcturus device, Janus had multitasked in the extreme. The fruit of his labor, penned under Eli''s name, was a miniaturized yet fully functional Arcturus device.


    "This thing isn''t going to break my ship, is it Doctor Lee?" Colonel Eckhart asked.


    "Well, we hope not. Mr. Wallace, our resident boy genius designed this with an ascended being, so I would rate the chance of catastrophic failure as minimal at best." Lee replied.


    "Minimal? Doc, we''re in empty space with the nearest stargate fifteen light years away. Minimal doesn''t make me comfortable. Maybe it did in my test pilot days, but that was a very long time ago." Eckhart stated in a displeased tone.


    "The gamer is a smart kid, and the larger version of this device works as advertised. In fact we just installed a full scale Arcturus at Shambhala. Nothing to worry about, I think." Lee stated with an uncertain air to his voice.


    "I really hate it when you do this, but you already know that right? Ok, so we might explode but chances are its minimal. Moving on; what kind of performance increase can we expect from this thing?" Eckhart asked.


    "We''ve done a fair bit of computer modeling on that question, but it''s all hypothetical for the most part. Are you fine with hypothetical answers that may or may not be accurate?" Lee responded, with a question of his own.


    "Yeah, fine, give me the straight poop." Eckhart suggested.


    "Let''s start with propulsion. The hyper drives installed currently are a hybrid of Asgard and Ancient technology. Ever drive a Mazda with a rotary engine? It''s the same concept with these hyper drives. They will simply attain higher and higher speeds with an increase in power, until they finally redline and fail. The Arkos AI''s simulations suggest that hyperspace velocities will be comparable to that of a fully powered and functional city ship, that is to say incredibly fast." Lee explained.


    "I owned a rotary powered Mazda when I was stationed at the fighter weapons school, so I can understand the comparison. So we''re talking incredible speeds. Continue on." Eckhart ordered.


    "For the increase in sensor capability we used past events as the baseline for comparison. If you''ll recall the zpm powered Hive that attacked Earth, you''ll recall how they intercepted a message from an alternate reality that provided them the location of our planet. The sensors aboard the Daedalus had that ability without the advantage of a zpm. We''re assuming sensor sensitivity levels in the ballpark of those found on Atlantis and Borealis, but that is just supposition. To be entirely honest, we''re not really sure." Lee stated apologetically.


    "Ok, so we''ll be able to find out where in the galaxy Carmen Sandiego is. Got it." Eckhart replied in jest, with a smile.


    "Next we''ve got the Shields. On that one, your guess is as good as mine. Based on a number of simulations we''ve ran, they could be on par or stronger with a city ship. The flip side of that is the shield emitters could burn out and melt entirely. We''re not really sure." Lee stated with a shrug of the shoulders.


    "Really not giving me a warm fuzzy Doc. The thought of not having any shields really makes me want to not turn this thing on." Eckhart stated bluntly.


    "I doubt it will come to that, but you asked for the good and the bad. Don''t shoot the messenger." Lee said awkwardly.


    "Next." Eckhart ordered in a deadpan tone of voice.


    "Ok, you''re making me nervous now." Lee backpedaled nervously.


    "Deep breathes Doc. Keep going." Eckhart more ordered than suggested.


    "The last area you''ll see a difference is weapons. The drone weapons draw an exact amount of power, so no difference will be seen there. The galaxy class lasers will see a marked level of power throughput, but the amount of power fed into them should be limited to prevent irreparable damage to the lasing exciter chambers. The plasma beams will see a greatly enhanced duration of continuous fire, along with a range increase. The exact amount is again hypothetical at best, so I don''t want to speculate. Anti-fighter energy turrets will lay down a similar amount of fire as they do now, but the individual bolts will be stronger. That''s what Arkos theorizes anyway, though I''m not so certain. Finally, we have the Grodin and that''s the wild card of the bunch. If the weapons power conduits can even cope with the amount of energy flowing through them at low power settings on the Arcturus device, you will have an incredibly powerful weapon. The down side to that is you might only have one shot before burning out the weapon entirely." Lee said apologetically.


    "Give me a ball park on your idea of low power settings." Eckhart somewhat demanded.


    "In the area of twenty five percent, but that''s just a guess." Lee replied.


    "Is there anything on the ship this thing won''t break?" Eckhart asked exhaustedly.


    "I''m going to say the power conduits. Remember how they were damaged during your trip to and from Destiny? When we repaired them, we upgraded them extensively." Lee answered enthusiastically.


    "The power conduits? That''s it? You''ve got to be kidding me! Ok, last question; why am I under orders to only power this thing up in empty space?" Eckhart asked.


    "Should the device malfunction or go critical, the resulting explosion would be more destructive than anything you can imagine. That''s why we didn''t power it up on Arkos. It''s bad form to destroy your own solar system." Lee replied in a goofy tone.


    "Isn''t that nice? Not that I haven''t enjoyed our little conversation, but I''ve got other things to do. We''ll talk later." Eckhart said before leaving the engineering space.

 Chapter 161

    Athena


    Making his way to the bridge, the Colonel was certain it must be an incoming message from the SGC. Perhaps they wanted to alter the testing timetable? As he rounded the corner and entered the bridge, Eckhart saw an unexpected site. Standing several feet in front of the commander''s chair was the holographic image of an Asgard. The moment Eckhart took his seat the hologram began to speak.


    "Greetings Colonel, I am Penegal of the Asgard High Council." Penegal in hologram form began.


    "What can I do for you today Penegal?" Eckhart asked.


    "Four hours ago one of our vessels was stolen by the Vanir. The vessel is named Hala, and it is an advanced prototype far stronger than our current O''Neill class of sh.i.p.s. After this communication ends I will transmit the technical specifications to you." Penegal explained.


    "Forgive my ignorance, but what does this have to do with my ship?" Eckhart asked.


    "Sensor data from the location your people refer to as the November site shows the Hala at the far edge of your galaxy. This information will of course be provided to you as well. On behalf of the Asgard people I stand before you to ask that you stop the Vanir, and if necessary destroy the Hala." Penegal stated formally.


    "Destroy the vessel? If it''s stronger than an O''Neill, what makes you think we can stop it?" Eckhart asked calmly.


    "The Asgard are aware of the device your vessel is equipped with for testing purposes. We believe this will give you an advantage over your adversary and allow you to overcome the capabilities of the Hala." Penegal replied.


    "Penegal, I will report this matter to the SGC and proceed from there." Eckhart stated, unsure of how the answer would be received.


    "The SGC is aware of the matter, and has already taken steps to intercept the vessel. These efforts failed. You are our last and best hope." Penegal stated, matter-of-factly.


    Seconds later, the hologram of Penegal evaporated into nothing. As promised, the technical specifications of the Hala arrived soon after. Looking over the specs, Eckhart was unsure of the Athena''s ability to combat the new threat. Plugging the tracking data forwarded from the November site into the navigational computer, Eckhart saw that they could indeed intercept the vessel if the Athena''s hyper drive was operated at maximum output using the zpm''s, but just barely.


    "Incoming subspace message Colonel." Captain Branford, the communications officer stated.


    "Put it on screen." Eckhart ordered.


    Appearing in the air before the bridge was a holographic display screen. On that screen, clearly seen by all on the bridge, was General Landry. The moment the message was connected; Landry began speaking not wanting to waste a precious second of time.


    "Colonel Eckhart, I have a priority tasking for you." Landry began.


    "The Asgard just contacted us General. We''re aware of the mission, and have the specs of the target as well as tracking data." Eckhart answered.


    "Good, now let me give you the information you don''t have in front of you. The Tria was near the location where Hala inexplicably dropped out of hyperspace. We diverted her to intercept, and it went badly. As we speak, other vessels are being diverted to assist her to Arkos, but she is venting atmosphere and is essentially crippled." Landry stated angrily.


    "Sir, are you saying that this thing smoked an Aurora?" Eckhart asked in a concerned tone.


    "You are in command of the flagship of the fleet Colonel. If anyone can stop the Hala it is you. Use the advantages at your disposal and make this happen. Contact us when you are mission complete, Landry out." Landry finished.


    "Based on our maximum sustained speed Colonel, if we don''t leave in the next minute interception of the target will be impossible." The navigation officer explained.


    Looking at the data display to the left of the command chair, many thoughts ran through the Colonels mind. This thing crippled an Aurora! Weighing the pros and cons for a moment, Eckhart tapped his radio earpiece.


    "Doctor Lee, this is Colonel Eckhart. Activate the Arcturus device now." Eckhart ordered.

 Chapter 162

    Hala


    Engaging in battle against the Tria had been an unplanned event. Vanir hopes were limited to simply to returning to Pegasus. Dropping out of hyperspace had been unexpected and far from planned. The culprit; an emergency failsafe first conceived during the Asgard/Replicator war when captured vessels had been used against their creators. The surprise at dropping out of hyperspace so suddenly had turned to resolve upon detecting the Tria closing in on the Hala.


    The battle had been short, vicious, and very one sided. Fighting valiantly despite the overwhelming odds, Tria fought like the warrior of old that she truly was. Not since her final engagement during the Ancient/Wraith war had she faced an opponent as powerful as she was, if not more so. In the end, Vanir hesitation and the drive to escape to familiar territory were all that saved Tria from destruction at the hands of an allied designed vessel. Venting atmosphere and with multiple hull breaches, the crew of the Tria watched helplessly as Hala maneuvered away.


    Aware that it was just a matter of time before the beast of armed combat found them again, the Vanir set about disabling the safeguard standing between them and their return home. Traveling at maximum sublight, each second moved them further away from the site of their triumphant battle with the Tauri. Despite this victory, the Vanir were all too aware that a battle of overwhelming odds against them could appear at any time. Thirty five incredibly long minutes later, with the safeguard preventing their continued escape removed, Hala leapt back into hyperspace.


    At their current pace, the advanced vessel would cross the threshold into the Pegasus galaxy in seven hours. Once they entered the galaxy, the Vanir were aware that their presence would be known to Atlantis for a time. Here, in the middle of the void between two galaxies, they were almost certain no resistance would be encountered. A sudden alert displayed on the sensor display dashed those hopes instantly.


    The Tauri vessel closing on them moved at a rate of speed previously thought impossible for sh.i.p.s of Earth. Even the Ancient designed Aurora class vessels they possessed could not hope to attain such speeds. This vessel, identified as the Athena by the onboard database, steadily ate away the distance separating the two craft. In a last ditch effort to avoid further combat, the Vanir overrode many of the safety protocols limiting the Hala''s hyper drive output. For a fleeting moment it looked as if the gambit would succeed, but the Tauri vessel did the unimaginable and accelerated further.


    "Mimir, the Tauri vessel continues to close." Syn, the Vanir second in command stated plainly.


    "Their proximity to our vessel while troublesome is of little concern. Asgard vessels are far more advanced, and even with those advancements, cannot make use of shields during hyperspace travel. The power needed is far too great." Mimir replied.


    "According to the data we have on this vessel, they will enter weapons range in four minutes." Syn informed her commander.


    "An attack on this vessel in hyperspace would be foolish. The resulting debris would destroy their vessel as well. The Tauri are pragmatic, but not suicidal." Mimir replied seemingly without concern.


    "If we do not act now, we will be unable to escape them within Pegasus." Syn stated with a sense of concern.


    "The outcome of any battle the Tauri pursue against us is already decided in our favor." Mimir assured his second in command.


    Growing closer and closer, the effectiveness of the Hala''s sensor array was diminished greatly by the staggering amount of energy being detected aboard the pursuing vessel. The incredible blooming inferno of vacuum energy being created within the Arcturus device overwhelmed the Hala''s ability to detect already powered weapons onboard the Athena.


    "The Tauri vessel''s shields are powered!" Syn called out.


    While Mimir registered the warning from his second in command, he already knew it was too late. Seconds seemed to span into hours. They faced an enemy that could not be outrun. Somehow, the Tauri had found a way to build a vessel that could outpace even the blistering pace set by the most advanced of Asgard designs. If they could pull off such a feat, could they also have found a way to build a weapon even more formidable than the Ancient designed drones the Tria had fired in vain at them?


    While Mimir''s intellect sought out the answer to the riddle unfolding before his eyes, Athena inched to within twenty miles of his vessel. His mind screamed that danger was coming, but his intellect refused to believe it. He pondered the question as the Athena leveled its first shot in anger in his direction. The ion bolt from the Athena covered the distance to Hala in scant seconds. Impacting the Hala''s hull, the ion bolt was quickly neutralized by a protective energy diffusion field that surrounded the vessel''s bulk. Separate from the traditional shields, this field was meant only to protect Asgard vessels from their own weaponry, and reduced the bolts impact to nothing more than vibrations that reverberated through the hull.


    "They are firing. The energy diffusion field has negated the attack." Syn stated quickly.


    Before Mimir could reply, the second round of attacks from the Tauri vessel was unleashed. Seeing their ion bolt reduced to nothing more harmless than a simple Goa''uld staff blast impacting powerful Asgard shields, Athena next unleashed a single shot from the fearsome plasma beam weapons she carried. The superheated plasma impacted the Hala''s hull, and easily pierced her tough hide, damaging multiple key systems and one of the two hyper drive cores she carried. Tenths of a second later, Hala unexpectedly remerged into the cold emptiness of the intergalactic void.

 Chapter 163

    Athena


    The close proximity of both the Athena and the Hala ripped both vessels from hyperspace as the Asgard vessel rapidly decelerated. In a feat of deft maneuvering, Athena banked aggressively to the left in an attempt to avoid the impending collision. As she passed close abroad, their hulls incredibly near making contact with one another, Athena''s anti-fighter weapons batteries opened up. Having not yet brought their shields online, the Vanir were caught off guard by the energy weapons fire. Not designed to survive in a combat environment without shields, Hala''s hull was breached in multiple sections along her length.


    Powering shields of their own, the Vanir quickly entered a right angled bank of their own. Seeking to engage their attacker head on, the Hala''s banking maneuver would bring her head to head, facing the Athena. In an act born of a will to survive instead of malice, Hala opened up with her both her ion cannons and plasma weaponry, in a vicious display of technology fueled destructive ability. Enhanced by the power derived from the Arcturus device within, Athena''s shields waivered not in the slightest. Bringing pause to the Athena''s bridge crew was the sight of their own plasma beams impacting their enemy''s shields, but failing to weaken the shields to even the smallest degree.


    In the same instant, both ship commanders came to the same conclusion; the Grodin was the only weapon capable of felling their enemy. Locked in a dueling series of tightly angled turns, both vessels sought out the most advantageous position to unleash their most fearsome weapon, bringing an end to this prolific display of firepower. In this, Hala possessed the edge necessary. The pod containing her top mounted Grodin swiveled on its axis, and a green colored beam of unimaginable strength lashed out towards Athena. Her turn not yet complete, the beam struck Athena with all its force in the center of the top side of the vessel.


    The impact was unlike anything either side would have thought possible. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object only one outcome is possible, and that was chaos. This chaos took the form of unimaginably bright shafts of piercing green light, forming both a halo around Athena and scattering in all directions of the compass. For a brief moment, Hala''s viewing screens were filled with this impossibly bright green light, washing out all detail both big and small. Sparks showered the interior of the vessel, as systems attempted to compensate for the power anomalies resulting from the horrific assault.


    Damaged, but far from crippled, Athena maneuvered for a shot of her own. Unimaginable amounts of power flowed into her Grodin. So much power was present that the weapons outer case began to shimmer. In one horrifying torrent of green energy, Athena lashed back at her attacker. Striking the Hala''s shields nearly head on, the powerful Asgard shields overloaded and failed entirely. In the span of three seconds this warship shifted from hunter to hunted. This one powerful shot was enough to destroy the inner workings of the Grodin and insure it would never fire again without a total rebuild. Seizing the initiative, Athena''s fighter bays began to spew forth F-302 after F-302.


    Seven aimed volleys from the plasma beam weapons impacted all of Hala''s weapons batteries within reach. Veering off, Athena skimmed over the top surface of her enemy, all the while firing shot after shot from her anti-fighter weapons batteries. Behind her like a cloud of locusts, the F-302''s swarmed over the Hala. Their naquadah enhanced AMRAAM missiles ripping open small tears in their prey''s tough skin. When their supply of missiles was exhausted, the relentless 302 pilots strafed their target, opening up with their individual rail guns.


    Dead in the water, Hala''s battle came to an end. For reasons the 302 pilots could not determine, the Asgard vessel did nothing to prevent their strafing runs. Low on ordinance to employ, and seeing no use in further attacks on a vessel gone silent, the 302''s veered away into a holding pattern. The Athena, with her power conduits severely damaged, her weapons mostly unusable, and hyperspace engines nearly burned out came to a dead stop. Before she returned to service, sizeable repairs would be needed.


    "Sir, I''m showing no life signs aboard the Hala." The sensor operator informed his commanding officer.


    "Did decompression kill the crew?" Colonel Eckhart asked.


    "No sir. One moment they were their and the next minute sensors detected the transport beaming system in use." The sensor operator answered.


    "We''re in the middle of the galactic void with nowhere to beam to safety. Just where did they go?" Eckhart demanded.


    "We detected matter reintegration eighty miles to starboard." The sensor operator replied.


    "They beamed themselves into open space? I suppose death is more palatable to some people than a life where they have little freedom. Communications officer, send a subspace message to the SGC and inform them we are mission complete. You might also want to ask that they send a tow truck for us and our prize." Eckhart remarked.

 Chapter 164

    Pentagon


    In the outer ring of the Pentagon known as the E ring, lay the meeting place for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Called the Gold Room by some but referred to as the tank by others; this room represented the pinnacle of military power on Earth. Resting amongst the golden colored curtains and carpet was a teak conference table. Seated at this table were the combined Joint Chiefs.


    The men who made up the Joint Chiefs came from all branches of the United States military. The Chairman, General Francis Maynard, came from the Army. The Vice Chairman, General Oliver Sikes, came from the Air Force. Also represented at this table were the flag officers in overall command of their branches of service; The Chief of Staff of the Army, The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, The Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Chief of Naval Operations. Under their command were the men and women who made up the body of American military forces.


    Intelligence gathered during the raid on Dar Eshkalon would have made this meeting inevitable, but the attack on Earth had greatly accelerated the time table upon which is would have occurred. At Presidential directive, a task force comprised of analysts from the CIA, DIA, and several other agencies had poured over the captured computers. Many questions had been answered, but these questions simply raised others in their place. The attack on Earth necessitated dissemination of the intelligence gathered among the nations of NATO. That this information was not yet in the hands of Progressive Jaffa forces was due to the suspicion of a mole within their ranks.


    "As we all know, the raid on Dar Eshkalon brought to light certain key pieces of information. Traditionalist Jaffa forces are gathering significant strength. Using the planet of Goronak as a staging ground, a sizeable land force is being formed." Admiral Dunleavy, the Chief of Naval Operations explained.


    "A flyby of the Kitty Hawk confirmed that finding. Sensor data puts the number of Jaffa at forty thousand and climbing." General Roper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force added.


    "Using the temple area of the late Goa''uld Moloc, intensive training is being conducted. This temple complex is also the basing area for the bulk of the Traditionalist fleet." Admiral Dunleavy stated.


    "Making use of several of our off world contacts, the SGC has managed to add a few key pieces to the puzzle." General Roper explained.


    "Such as?" General Maynard asked.


    "A female Jaffa we''ve had dealings with in the past was used to gather this data. Ishta, leader of the Hak''tyl sect of Jaffa whom Teal''c has close ties to, traveled to Goronak via Tel''tak. Using her ability to freely walk around the base camp, she learned that the driving forces behind this situation are former members of Moloc''s Imperial Guard force of Jaffa, who were fiercely loyal to him. Their leader is a Jaffa known as Rel''dar, former First Prime of the Goa''uld Zipacna. His second in command is the man who brought the other half of the Traditionalist forces to the table. Da''vir is the former second in command to the Jaffa named Arkad. After Arkad''s death at the hands of Teal''c, Da''vir assumed the mantle. His group call themselves the Illac Renin, which translates from Ancient to mean the kingdom of the path. In addition to the force on Goronak, a secondary and much smaller force is being assembled on Cor''ak, which was Arkad''s home world and also one Teal''c conquered while First Prime of Apophis." General Roper explained.


    "From what I read in the report, this secondary force on Cor''ak is well within the ability of Progressive Jaffa forces to handle. Am I correct in that assessment?" General Shane Matko, Commandant of the Marine Corps asked.


    "That''s a fair assessment General Matko." General Maynard replied.


    "Then while we deal with the big fish, we''ll let them handle matters on our flank." Matko stated.


    Gentlemen, I''ve given you several orders in the last twenty four hours that came to me by Presidential directive. I think it''s high time you all knew exactly what is going on. We''ll start first with the Army." General Maynard directed.


    ''Twenty four hours ago emergency deployment orders went out to the Eighteenth Airborne Corp. As the enemy we face lacks any type of ground vehicle born threat and the terrain of Goronak is mountainous, we''re sending in light infantry forces and accompanying units. The Tenth Mountain Division, The One hundred and First Air Assault division, and the Eighty Second Airborne are standing to. Third Brigade of the one oh one is already in route to Goronak to secure a landing zone for follow on forces. NATO assistance was requested and granted. Princes Patricia''s Canadian Light Infantry Brigade, the German Army''s Gebirsjager mountain infantry brigade, and the British Third Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines will also be deploying. That gives us just under forty thousand sets of boots on the ground. They are going in under orders to set up secure and defensible positions in the mountains surrounding the enemy encampment." General Keller, Army Chief of Staff explained.


    "Next we''ll hear from the Air Force." Maynard ordered.


    "Part of our effort to refit Air Force units came just in time it seems. The 366th Fighter Wing out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base recently replaced their Strike Eagle''s with the new FB-302 fighter bomber. After work ups in Nevada, they are ready and deploying in support of ground forces. This will allow for a bombing campaign more in tune with what we''re accustomed to. Supporting this will be the 7th and 8th Fighter Squadrons out of Holloman Air Force Base. Their fighter model 302''s along with those from the sh.i.p.s we will put in orbit around the planet should provide more than ample airframes to achieve rapid air superiority. Joining the fleet will be the Videum which is recently out of construction." General Roper informed the group.


    "Gentlemen, we''re surging the bulk of our fleet in the Milky Way to move the amount of men and equipment we have committed. The President wants our forces in the field ASAP. We''re calling this one Operation Belligerent Pretense. All of you have much to do with your respective field commanders, so I''ll let you get to it." Maynard stated.


    "I can''t say I like going in to this with no armored forces. Given the terrain I understand though." Matko fumed.


    "For armor the terrain is all wrong. We saw what 3rd Cavalry did to the Genii, and they were far more organized than the Jaffa. Our boys can handle this, don''t worry." Maynard conceded.

 Chapter 165

    Pluto


    Outside the Arkos shipyard, two large hyperspace windows opened. Exiting these tears into normal space were two of the powerful O''Neill class Asgard vessels. Under tow behind them was the Hala and the Athena. Scarred and battered, the two vessels would soon be repaired; Athena, within the place of her construction, while Hala would return to the Asgard home world. Following instructions from within Arkos, the two O''Neill''s halted their advance towards the station to allow exit of a much larger craft.


    Emerging from the safety of Arkos station, on her maiden deployment, was the Videum. Newly completed and fresh from her shakedown cruise, Videum glided through the energy field protecting the interior of Arkos. Matching the newly modified configurations of her sister sh.i.p.s Atlantis and Borealis, Videum differed in her capabilities. Constructed to utilize the Arcturus device as her primary power source in lieu of traditional zpm''s, Videum was much stronger than her ancient and famed sisters. Gliding past the four vessels outside of Arkos, the newest city ship of the Tauri fleet easily dwarfed those awaiting entry.


    Complying with instructions received before their arrival, the Asgard beamed Doctor Lee from the Athena aboard the Videum. Her interim commander, Colonel Reynolds, seeing his lead scientist aboard, instructed the city sh.i.p.s crew to take their stations for departure. Issuing his commands to the avatar of the city ship, Videum powered its star drive and leapt into hyperspace.


    As the Asgard released their tractor beam''s hold over Athena, Arkos took possession of the vessel with the stations own tractor beams. Locking on to the heavily damaged warship, Athena was drawn ever nearer to the massive energy shield protecting the shipyards interior. Passing through the shield, interior tractor beams locked on and guided the ship to its docking point. Already arachnid like repair robots were standing by to commence repairs. Powering up one of the few undamaged systems aboard, a majority her crew was beamed from within the Athena to the stations debriefing theater.


    Having stayed behind, Colonel Eckhart stood in the shipboard mess hall drinking his coffee and going over the sh.i.p.s damage report displayed on his Ipad. Looking at the number of key systems in dire need of repair, the Colonel couldn''t help but sigh. Seeing his ship damaged was similar to how a parent must feel with a child in the emergency room. It wasn''t a good feeling at all. The only thing making the Colonel feel good at all was the knowledge that she would be repaired soon. So consumed in these thoughts was the Colonel, that he failed to hear someone enter the mess hall.


    "She''s a bit of a fixer upper right now, but with a little elbow grease she''ll be good as new." General O''Neill began.


    "Welcome aboard sir! Forgive my pity party." Colonel Eckhart answered.


    "You know, if I had a dollar for every time the Asgard asked me to save their little grey butts, well, I would have a few dollars anyway." Jack joked.


    "Let''s just hope we don''t have to do that again any time soon." Eckhart said with a laugh.


    "One can always hope. Level with me, how did it go?" Jack asked.


    "It wasn''t fun. I would say their new ship is on par with the Athena. What made the difference was the Arcturus device. That''s the good part. The bad part is the Arcturus device managed to damage just about every key system aboard. Doctor Lee warned me it was possible, so I shouldn''t be so surprised." Eckhart replied.


    "I talked to the geniuses at the SGC before gating here. The telemetry sensors aboard you ship transmitted the entire time during your chase and attack. They are certain enough was learned to make the system safe for use aboard the sh.i.p.s in the fleet without breaking them. So I''m told anyway." Jack offered.


    "Good to know sir." Eckhart answered weakly.


    For a brief moment silence filled the mess hall. Eckhart continued to stare at his cup of coffee, while General O''Neill looked around. Unsure of what he was looking at on the far wall, O''Neill squinted, hoping for a clearer view. Looking from the items sitting on the shelf in the distance to the sh.i.p.s commander, O''Neill''s mind began to wonder. Not wanting to be left in wonder, Jack cleared his throat.


    "At my house I have plenty of unmentionables. Some of the things lying around might even shock me, if they weren''t mine. I''ve got to ask Colonel, what''s with the shelf over there? I see three toy robots, a toilet made of Lego''s, a vampire with a NASA sticker, and an alien bobble head." Jack said in a suspicious voice.


    "Didn''t you ever keep score when you were on SG-1? It''s the crew''s idea, and it''s good for moral. That''s how they keep track of our kills. Fighter pilots just paint a mark on the side of the aircraft, but we can''t exactly do that in this case. The robots are drone sh.i.p.s, the space vampire is Wraith, the toilet is Ori, and the alien bobble head is Asgard." Eckhart explained with a smile.


    "No such thing as politically correct here. Thor might see the humor in it, but something tells me the rest of the Asgard wouldn''t. I always thought Ori sh.i.p.s looked like giant toilets!" Jack offered with a laugh.


    "They really do!" Eckhart replied, also laughing.


    "You can joke with me like that, but don''t let anyone else here you say that about our allies. A sense of humor doesn''t fit in well once you''ve got a star on your shoulder board." Jack hinted.


    "Sir?" Eckhart questioned.


    "Catch the hint Colonel. Soon you''re going to be driving a desk, just like me. Let''s get out of here and grab some lunch." Jack suggested.

 Chapter 166

    Wraith Hive ship


    Racing through hyperspace in concert with two cruisers, the Hive ship charged on towards its destination. At the Hive commanders order, the small fleet had leapt into hyperspace to escape what was being thought to be a Tauri culling of Wraith on the planet of M6H-491. If the recent disappearance of a number of Wraith was indeed a culling, this represented a major and unpleasant new development in the war. Fulfilling his duty to his people, the Hive commander immediately set course for the distant system where the leading Wraith queen resided.


    Over the course of the as yet completed journey, the commander had probed the mind of the single Wraith soldier who had escaped. Telepathically, he delved into the depths of the soldiers memories of the event. Seeing it happen as though he were there, the Wraith commander witnessed the collection of soldiers who had been abducted vanish in a flash of light. Only the Tauri were known to posses such technology, and made no attempts to hide that fact from all. Seeking further clarity and hoping to note something not before notices, the Wraith commander laid his hand on the soldier to deepen his gaze into the subjects mind.


    One thing rarely thought of was the danger physical contact posed. On Earth as in certain other cultures, it was widely known that the simple act of touch opened the door to the transmission of communicable disease. Enjoying a seemingly endless lifespan, this was not something of importance to the Wraith. It was this fact that opened the commander to a fate he would never have imagined.


    It started with epithelial cells from the soldier brushing off on the commander''s hand. Had these been normal cells, no danger would exist. The fact that these cells belonged to the organic Wraith form replicator changed the dynamic greatly. Moments after making contact with the surface of the commander''s feeding hand, these cells began to burrow deeper into the creases and crevices of that hand. Wasting not a single second, these organic nanite invaders began to aggressively invade the surrounding cells and tissues of the commanders feeding hand. This process would repeat itself many billions of times until such time as the commander would cease to be, and in his place would reside another stealthy tool of the Tauri.


    Taking his seat in the throne room meant for a queen, the commander closed his eyes. Laying his hands on the comfortable thrones arm rest, the commander contemplated how he would explain the culling to the leading queen of his race. Little did he know, at that moment the very same organic nanites that were attacking his body also began invading the Hive. Being organic in nature, every surface of a Hive was composed of cells very similar to that of a Wraith. Systematically, the nanites set about their task of first invading these cells, then replicating further infectious attackers. Having never anticipated such an attack, the Hive was defenseless against this smallest of Ancient inventions.


    Any student of epidemiology could explain how a simple virus could quickly turn into a pandemic, if of a highly virulent nature. The organic nanites were of such a nature, having been designed as such long ago on Atlantis. Even the stoutest of immune systems were defenseless in the face of an onslaught by such efficient killing machines. Running their course as they were, in several weeks this Hive and all who came into contact with it and those aboard would be infected.


    Travelling through the intensely harsh and radioactive environment of hyperspace, the resilient exterior biopolymer armor that composed the exterior slowly withered away. Unlike the vessels of the Tauri and their allies, Wraith vessels were forced to travel throughout the galaxy in short hyperspace leaps. These periods of rest between leaps served no other purpose, but to allow the organic hull''s of Wraith vessels to regenerate to full strength. Diverting incredible amounts of power to hull regeneration, the organic hull''s sustained a continuous cascade of cellular division. It was this very same process that allowed the Wraith fleet to endure incredible amounts of damage, and shortly return to service as if no damage had ever occurred.


    Sensing that a period of regeneration and renewal was required, the sentient Hive signaled its accompanying cruisers, and exited hyperspace. Gliding to a position seven hundred thousand kilometers from the center of the newly entered solar system, the vessels began their self guided process of repair. As this process took hold, Wraith standing on the Hive''s bridge dutifully scanned the solar system with the sh.i.p.s sensors. Expecting no other presence in this uninhabited system, the bridge crew was surprised to not another vessel in the distance.


    Shifting from a wide sector sensor sweep to a focused sweep of the vessel orbiting one of the systems stars, several things were noticed. This vessel gave off energy signatures reminiscent of vessels long ago destroyed belonging to the Lantean fleet. While noticeably different from those vessels in appearance, certain design characteristics were clearly taken from those forgotten craft. Realizing that this ship could only belong to the Tauri, the bridge crew alerted the Hive''s commander.


    "Commander, sensors are detecting a vessel near one of the systems two stars. The ship appears to belong to the Tauri." The young Wraith watch officer stated into the intercom.


    "The Tauri have come to finish what they started and cull the remainder of us. We shall not allow this act to pass. Dispatch the cruisers to engage the Tauri vessel, and return us to the safety of hyperspace. Now!" The Hive commander ordered.


    Carrying out his instructions dutifully, the watch officer relayed orders to the two cruisers. Transferring power away from hull regeneration to the Hives hyper drive, the mammoth vessel accelerated away from the two sh.i.p.s in its wake. Seconds later, the Hive was gone.

 Chapter 167

    Galileo


    As the first of the Copernicus class to venture outside of the Milky Way galaxy, the crew of the Galileo counted themselves lucky. This mission it was hoped would be the first of many voyages of discovery into the universe. What had brought the Galileo so far out into a semi hostile galaxy? Nothing less than the opportunity to study a binary star system. While binary systems could easily be found within the Milky Way, this system was rare. Orbiting one another in not an elliptical path but a circular one, were two red dwarf stars.


    For several days, the jubilant astrophysicists aboard the Galileo had scanned the twin stars intently. Orbital characteristics, radiation field fluctuation, and magnetic variance were all studied. Long range sensors were also utilized to study the effects these twin stars had on the development of the system as a whole. This opportunity was what dreams were made of for an aspiring astrophysicist.


    Sitting on the bridge in his captains chair, rested Colonel Victor Gayle. A career Air Force officer, Gayle had long ago been seconded to NASA as a member of the shuttle program. During his two weeks as a shuttle mission commander, Gayle had thought he had seen the zenith of his career. Little did he suspect that a few short years later he would find himself in command of the Galileo. His childhood dream now come to life, Gayle counted himself as the luckiest of men.


    As the Galileo was not a warship, her crew was composed of scientists and military officers long posted to NASA. The normal manning levels found on warsh.i.p.s of the Tauri fleet was not present here. Instead of a team of sensor operators maintaining a vigilant watch over the space around them, this duty along with control of defensive systems fell to the shipboard AI. Following in the footsteps of the ship Galileo was pattered after, this AI like that found on Destiny, interacted with the crew via a visual avatar.


    Unlike the avatar found aboard the Copernicus class vessel Carl Sagan, the Galileo''s avatar did not resemble its namesake. Instead, this avatar was a tall and thin man of dark hair and eyes, with pale skin always ready to display a vibrant smile. Clothed in an image identical to the flight suit worn by the sh.i.p.s crew, Galileo constantly stood guard over those in his care. Appearing on the bridge, Galileo''s presence was quickly noted by Colonel Gayle.


    "What can I do for you Galileo?" Gayle asked.


    "Colonel, my sensors have detected a fleet of three vessels entering the solar system. One Hive and two cruisers are present. They are currently six hundred thousand kilometers from our position." Galileo informed his captain.


    "Power the weapons!" Gayle ordered nervously.


    "Colonel, you are aware that control of all defensive systems falls under my purview. I did not notify you of the fleet''s arrival to seek instructions. I simply thought it polite to do so." Galileo responded briskly.


    Bringing up a holographic display screen, Galileo made clear the developing tactical picture. Two minutes later, the sudden departure of the Hive was noted. Seeing the two cruisers remain behind, no question as to what would happen next existed. On the screen, the two red triangles representing the cruisers gained speed and began to close in on the Galileo''s current position. Analyzing the developing tactical situation and weighing against the enemy being faced, Galileo quickly formulated multiple defensive scenario''s.


    "We need to move." Gayle ordered.


    "Colonel Gayle, I say this with the utmost respect to my commanding officer; your input is not required." Galileo stated darkly.


    As the sublight engines were brought online, the Galileo banked ninety degrees. Instead of bringing the sublight engines to full power, Galileo instead slowly accelerated. This was done to bait the pursuing cruisers. Setting course of a point equidistant between the two near orbiting binary stars, the AI sought to lure the Wraith into the intense belt of stellar radiation that existed. This belt would damage the cruisers much as weapons fire could ever hope to do.


    Seeing their prey attempt to run, the two cruisers continued to accelerate. Based on their current rate of closure, the cruisers would be on top of Galileo in scant minutes. In preparation, the main weapon was charged and lowered. Seeing this, the two cruisers opened fire from a distance. Their hope was to degrade their prey''s shields, and lessen their time within the radiation belt. Charging headlong after the Galileo, nothing would deter the Wraith from their target.


    Upon reaching the exact equidistant point between the binary stars, Galileo executed a sharp three hundred and sixty degree banking turn. Running at full sublight, the two cruisers were now within less than ninety ship lengths. Blue bolts of Wraith weapons fire impacted the science vessels shields. Flaring brightly with each hit, the golden hued shields withstood the onslaught. Continuing the turn, Galileo opened fire as it reached the one hundred and eightieth degree of its three hundred and sixty degree turn.


    Not expecting the sudden turn and attack, the Wraith found themselves in a poor position to avoid the three powerful golden energy bolts hurtling towards them. Like a pistol duel of old, this fight unraveled at extremely close range. Thunderous impacts from the two Wraith cruisers energy weapons jarred Galileo''s crew. In return, the three rapid fire shots from the Copernicus class vessel impacted the nearer of the two cruisers. Unlike the surgical precision found with plasma weapons, the main weapon''s energy bolts punched large and jagged holes in the nose of the oncoming Wraith vessel. Though crippled, the wounded cruiser was not fully disabled and accelerated to the safety of space not filled with solar radiation.


    Refusing to break stride, Galileo continued its turn. The lone pursuing cruiser continued to unleash a punishing amount of weapons fire at its target. All along the illuminated track of Galileo''s sublight drive section, the golden tinted shields flared and blossomed. Seeking to further bait its prey, Galileo began to vent a steady but minuet trail of drive plasma from within engineering section. Detecting this, the Wraith believed that their target was damaged and near defeat.


    Setting course directly for the surface of the ever so close red dwarf, Galileo with cruiser close behind, opened fire with the main weapon. Instead of targeting the enemy vessel being faced, the main weapon rapidly cycled energy bolt after energy bolt at the surface of the sun that was quickly approaching. In their overconfidence, the Wraith believed they had fatally damaged the vessel they continued to fire upon. A fatal dive into the inferno that comprised the corona of a star would only be contemplated to escape death at the hands of the Wraith, they thought.


    Without warning, the surface of the soil erupted in a hellish display. A steaming geyser of matter and electromagnetic radiation spewed towards the two oncoming vessels. Superheated plasma made up of electrons and protons, but also containing quantities of several heavy elements such as oxygen and iron, collided first into the Galileo at thirty two hundred kilometers per second. Designed to survive solar entry, Galileo continued on into the inner depths of the star. The Wraith vessel''s outer hull lost integrity before this geyser impacted. Upon striking the hull, it was similar to the act of blowing on ash and watching it scatter in the air.


    Short, quick, and vicious; the Galileo''s baptism by fire ended as quickly as it began.

 Chapter 168

    Goronak


    Dropping out of hyperspace in a flash, the imposing mass of the Videum hurtled towards the planet. Her already sensitive sensors further heightened by the power of the Arcturus device, detected the two cloaked Athena class vessels in low planetary orbit around the planet. In preparation for reentry, Videum quickly transitioned so the bottoms of her piers faced the surface of the planet below. Operating uncloaked, the building fireball that was the giant city ship fell from the heavens for all below her to see.


    A ballistic reentry of an object approximating Videum''s size generated a white hot fireball of incredible size and length. Trailing a path of superheated and roiled atmosphere behind her, Videum plummeted at incredible speed. While the cloaking technology she possessed would have rendered this sight nonexistent, the overall mission plan hinged on the city ship making a highly visible approach. If speed of violence was the king of battle, then surely distraction was its often overlooked stepchild.


    On the ground, the meteoric body falling from the heavens in a curtain of fire was visible to all within the Jaffa encampment. Some stared at the object in wonder, while others ran to duty stations in expectation of an incoming attack. Even though the fiery object was still several hundred miles away, men manned their gliders to meet the potential threat. Running with purpose to the far corners of the encampment, the Jaffa considered themselves ready.


    Decelerating from hypersonic velocity to two hundred kilometers per hour, Videum reduced altitude to eight hundred meters above ground. Following the contours of the terrain, the city ship traced over the foothills that ran to the east of the plain where the Jaffa encampment had been established. Her shields still raised, Videum silently glided over the towering Ha''tak''s resting on the temples once belonging to the Goa''uld named Moloc. These same Ha''tak''s opened fire with every energy weapon they possessed, but the effects stood no chance of penetrating the extremely powerful Ancient designed shields.


    Continuing slowly along her remaining fifteen mile path to the deep water ocean cove where she would come to rest, the city ship refused to return fire. Considering the power she wielded, there was simply no need to do so. Starring slack jawed; the Jaffa looked upon a ship the likes of which they had never imagined existed. Had the Goa''uld possessed such a vessel, their status as God''s would never have come into question.


    During the obvious commotion the arrival of the city ship over the encampment caused, other events were unfolding. Originating from the cloaked Athena''s in orbit, a mass of men and equipment began to appear on the mountains above the Jaffa camp. This process already highly orchestrated and preplanned, would continue for the next twenty minutes without pause. When all was said and done, the Tauri beachhead on Goronak would be secure. The mission to hold this beachhead fell to a unit steeped in history; the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the One Hundred and First Airborne. This unit, known as the Rakkasan''s intended to live up to their motto of ''Let Valor Not Fail''. The lives of thousands of troops that would soon arrive hinged on the Rakkasan''s holding their landing zone for eighteen hours, and they refused to allow their valor to fail.


    Idavoll, Asgard home world


    Hours before, a highly complex ballet of coordinated action had begun in orbit of the world the Asgard race now called home. Under tow, the Hala had been placed in stable orbit of the planet. Once stable orbit was achieved, a number of antigravity pods already in the same orbit in anticipation of the Hala''s arrival had mated themselves to the damaged vessels hull. Properly fastened to the naquadah/trinium/carbon metallic hull, the pods began their decent to the docking facility on the planets surface.


    Had Hala been undamaged, this transition from orbit to securely docked on the planets surface would have taken a brief handful of moments. Her damaged state and the nature of the devices guiding her down meant this evolution took several hours instead. Broken but unbowed, Hala''s punctured and pockmarked hull slowly eased into the place of her creation. Moments after docking, Asgard technicians and shipwrights swarmed over their creation. In the coming weeks Hala would be returned to her pristine and fully functional state, but not without considerable effort.


    The homecoming of Hala was a bittersweet event for the Asgard. Representing the pinnacle of their technological development, she embodied all that the Asgard mind could create. The battle damage currently marring her was proof that while incredibly advanced, she was not invincible. To a lesser extent, the Hala also represented the flawed thought process that sometimes took hold in Asgard society. Had the Vanir trail and sentencing been handled differently, this situation would have could have been avoided. It was this thought that would perplex the High Council for many years to come.


    Witnessing the arrival of the Hala was a representative of the High Council, and also one of her chief designers. Penegal and Hermiod both silently stood as the battle scarred vessel came to rest. Silently, the two Asgard stood to bear witness. What had been learned so far was the topic of the discussion to come, while what needed to be learned would also be touched upon.


    "The Hala withstood an immense level of damage." Penegal began.


    "The vessel performed as it was designed to do. This simply confirms the survivability of the overall design." Hermiod replied.


    "When the High Council ordered the construction of this ship, we hoped to build one of equal offensive and defensive capabilities of the Tauri Athena class. We now know that we have not yet reached that goal." Penegal chided.


    "The evidence does not support that conclusion. Hala managed to defeat an Aurora class vessel. As you and I are aware, the Aurora was the strongest warship ever fielded by the Ancients. That alone speaks volumes of the designs abilities both offensive and defensive." Hermiod countered.


    "That does nothing to explain how the Athena managed to disable the Hala." Penegal retorted.


    "You requested the Athena chase down our vessel because of the power source it is now equipped with. That power source is what made the Hala''s defeat. Were it not for that power source, this situation would have ended far differently." Hermiod explained.


    "The High Council has already forwarded the request that this technology be shared with our people. Once we have an example of our own, the Hala will be refitted with this device. What has been learned from the sh.i.p.s computers?" Penegal asked.


    "I have carefully reviewed the data transmitted during Hala''s transit to Idavoll. Further examination will be required for a more comprehensive understanding of events during the Vanir insurrection. What we know now is that previous to their departure, the Vanir already onboard the Hala beamed several cloned bodies of their form aboard. Once this was complete, the remaining Vanir personnel in the city were beamed to the Hala." Hermiod stated.


    "All of the Vanir were healthy. Why is it clone bodies were available? What were the intentions behind taking these bodies with them?" Penegal asked.


    "Using their access to the city''s computer network, the Vanir managed to grow these cloned bodies to full maturity without our notice. Their reasons for doing so became clear minutes before the vessel arrived. I believe the Vanir have managed to initially deceive both ourselves and the Tauri." Hermiod said.


    "Please explain." Penegal requested.


    "During their voyage from our galaxy, through the Milky Way, and finally into the void between the Milky Way and the Pegasus galaxy, the Vanir were building a device with the matter creator. Initial review of the device points towards it sharing design cues with Ancient technology modified with our own. While we are uncertain, the device appears to be a signal repeater meant to amplify and further transmit our transporter matter streams." Hermiod stated.


    "Do the internal sensors show this device aboard the Hala?" Penegal asked.


    "They do not. The sensors show that during the battle, the device was in fact beamed into space several thousand miles from the Hala. I have reviewed the sensor data thoroughly and can say with certainty I am sure of what transpired after. With the device beamed into space, the Vanir beamed the clone bodies into space near the Athena. Milliseconds later, the Vanir uploaded their own forms into the transport pattern buffer, and this matter stream was directed to the device created. By timing the two transport cycles so closely it''s unlikely that a sensor operator in battle would have noticed the two separate events. Sensor data clearly shows the matter stream reaching this device. The matter stream once amplified was transmitted towards an unknown destination in the direction of the Pegasus galaxy." Hermiod explained.


    "Are you telling me the Vanir instead of committing suicide are in fact alive?" Penegal demanded.


    "I believe it is the most likely explanation based on the data available


    "What do you think we should tell the Tauri about this?" Penegal asked somewhat rhetorically.


    "This time we should begin with the truth." Hermiod replied flatly.

 Chapter 169

    Borealis


    "Incoming wormhole." The intercom proclaimed city wide.


    Upon receipt of a valid IDC confirmation code, the star gate''s iris shield was lowered. Emerging through the event horizon were two men. Mr. Woolsey and Doctor Radek Zelenka of the Atlantis expedition came for what they termed ''consultations'' with their brothers and sisters of the Borealis expedition. Pleasantries were exchanged while the conference room above the gate room was prepared.


    Copies of the briefing to come were shared amongst the gathering of section chiefs Ipad''s. Contained in this briefing material was an assortment of medical, technical, and navigational data. The beginnings of the Tauri information war against the Wraith had yet to provide anything ground shaking, but humble beginnings were expected. It was hoped that this slow trickle of information would soon turn into a downpour.


    "To what do we owe the honor of this visit Mr. Woolsey?" Teal''c asked.


    "As you are all aware, an organic Wraith form replicator has been infiltrated within the ranks of the Wraith. This effort is just beginning to bear fruit." Woolsey began.


    "I''ll be the judge of that." McKay said sarcastically.


    "Rodney!" Keller hissed.


    "Forgive the interruption. Please continue Mr. Woolsey." Daniel Jackson offered.


    "This being Doctor Zelenka''s project, I will turn the chair over to the good doctor." Woolsey announced.


    "The Wraith form replicator we created was built for two purposes; Information collection and deep level infiltration of Wraith ranks. The first mission parameter is slow going for now, but that is to be expected. Once the nanites are transmitted deeper into the ranks of the Wraith more information will become available to us. Parameter two is moving along nicely. What started as a single replicator has now morphed into a growing nanite infection. At this time seven percent of the Hive crew the original replicator is now aboard is infected. We estimate the number of infected will double within twenty four hours." Zelenka explained.


    "For that estimate to be correct near pandemic levels of transmission would be needed." Keller countered.


    "How sure are you of this estimate?" Daniel asked.


    "The computer modeling is very certain of this outcome based on current levels of nanite transmission. A Hive, being organic in nature, allows for the transmission of cellular matter between the ship and crew. The nanites have already taken hold in the cellular structure of the Hive and are replicating at an astonishing rate. This is what makes these estimates possible." Zelenka replied.


    "The briefing shows that this Hive is still traveling across the galaxy. How do we know for certain that the nanites will have an opportunity to transfer to other Hives?" Jackson asked.


    "During the initial daily transmission, the nanites reported that the Hive was in route to the main Wraith stronghold. Upon arrival, we''re assured of further spread of the nanites by virtue of proximity to other Wraith. Remember, all it takes is one single nanite transmitted by touch to bring about infection. Once individual Wraith are infected, they will carry it back to their vessels." Zelenka replied.


    "Your plan is based upon some very generous assumptions. The last time I checked, you were a physicist not an epidemiologist." McKay interjected smugly.


    "Doctor Beckett has reviewed the simulations, and agrees that they are sound." Woolsey argued.


    "Of course Carson would agree." McKay fumed.


    "As a medical professional, I think the assumptions being made in this simulation while generous, are fairly sound. Being somewhat of an authority on the subject of virus transmission, I would readily agree with Dr. Beckett''s analysis." Keller agreed.


    "I understand we''re doing this to gather information on Wraith activities, but what is the fall back plan? Are we supposed to just wait patiently while the entire Wraith collective is consumed one cell at a time by nanites?" Daniel asked.


    "A fail safe measure is in place. Obviously, the last thing anyone wanted was repli-Wraiths roaming around Pegasus. In the base coding of each nanite is a self termination protocol. Once a Hive is totally infected and is either detected or no longer of any benefit to the assigned mission, the Hive will set course for the nearest star and destroy itself in the stars corona." Zelenka explained.


    "Isn''t that kind of contradictory to what we''re hoping to achieve?" Keller asked.


    "Actually, it makes perfect sense. Any final showdown with the Wraith will be a fleet action. Doing it this way will cut down on Wraith ship numbers to a degree." McKay said in agreement.


    "Why do you only agree when your wife does Rodney? You''re married, I get it, but this is ridiculous!" Zelenka huffed.


    "You''re just jealous!" Rodney exclaimed.


    "Boys!" Keller said louder than she had planned.


    "For the sake of keeping the peace, let''s move on to the next topic of discussion." Daniel suggested.


    "Yes, let''s." Woolsey agreed.


    "Operating under cover as an arms dealer, Vala Mal Doran managed to capture a Genii sleeper cell." Teal''c began.


    "How did she manage to do that?" Zelenka asked.


    "How she did it is not really germane to the topic at hand." Daniel offered.


    "I believe she followed the time honored role of what you refer to on Earth as a s.e.x pot." Teal''c added with an arched eyebrow.


    "She''s talented at that. When I first interviewed her for inclusion onto SG-1, she tried much the same thing with me." Woolsey said stiffly.


    "If memory serves me correctly, and it usually does, weren''t you attempting to bribe her?" Daniel asked.


    "Nothing of the sort Dr. Jackson! It was more a test of loyalty given her penchant for financial enrichment." Woolsey stuttered.


    "Indeed." Teal''c replied with an again arched eyebrow.


    "Where are the prisoners now?" Woolsey asked in hopes of changing the subject quickly.


    "They were transferred to Earth, and are now in the hands of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Any information learned will be passed to us straightaway for follow up action, or so they assure me." Daniel replied with a grin.


    "Ladon is putting his house in order quickly. One can only hope that the remaining sleeper cells are located and detained sooner rather than later." Woolsey explained hopefully.


    "Mr. Woolsey, do you have a timetable for the continued use of several of this expedition''s off world teams at Emege?" Teal''c inquired.


    "Ah yes. Teyla has been heading up the relocation effort, and its slow going. Obviously, after what the Athosian people have endured at the hands of the Genii, their sense of security is paramount to us." Woolsey replied.


    "I hear no timetable Richard Woolsey." Teal''c countered.


    "Another few weeks at most." Woolsey replied somewhat nervously.


    For several more hours the discussion continued. Information on current and future deployments of off world teams was discussed. Before the meeting concluded, even the most minor of daily happenings on both city sh.i.p.s in the galaxy was known to all in the room. The meeting came to an end once Rodney began to whimper and feign hunger pains

 Chapter 170

    Videum


    Standing on the main tower balcony with coffee in hand, Colonel Reynolds surveyed his new command. Like her sisters Atlantis and Borealis, Videum was a sight to behold. Much like the Manhattan skyline the Colonel had loved as a teenager, the towers of the city ship rose to amazing heights in an effort to touch the sky. Beyond the towers lay the serene deep water bay that Videum now called home.


    Waves gently lapped at the fully energized and erected shield. The fact that this was the only thing gentle about the current situation was not lost on the career Marine officer. Far beneath where he now stood, at the base of the main tower, the Arcturus device was active. Drawing vacuum energy from the all encompassing universe surrounding Goronak, the Arcturus device extracted the lifeblood of Videum. This source of once incomprehensible energy production now filled the city sh.i.p.s power conduits, powering its great shield.


    This impenetrable shield was all that stood between Videum and those that sought to do her harm. Looking towards the sky above, Reynolds took note of the stream of Death Gliders that continued to pummel the energy barrier. Since their landing in the bay, Jaffa forces had sent attack after attack at the city ship, in a never ending procession. Seeing that their gliders stood little chance of breaching the defensive screen, the Jaffa had upped the ante. Ten miles to the south and seven three thousand feet above the bay''s surface, a Jaffa controlled Ha''tak sat. Its energy cannons firing a continuous flood of weapons fire.


    Each weapons strike against the shield caused it to bloom in a kaleidoscope of color. Orange, pink, and rose hues coursed through the protective screen, but still it stood firm. The explosion of color served to bask Videum in light similar to the most breathtaking of sunrises or sunsets. Had they not been in the middle of a war zone, it would have made a wonderful postcard thought the Colonel.


    As commander of SG-2, Reynolds had seen hundreds of worlds. A veteran of the Goa''uld, Replicator, Ori, and Lucian Alliance wars, Reynolds had always conducted himself as a Marine should in a hostile environment. This situation was far different than any of those in his past. For the first time in his military career Reynolds mission was to first be noticed, and then allow the enemy to attack him while not responding in kind. To say it was frustrating for the man was an understatement. These thoughts ran through his mind as he stepped inside and into Videum''s command center.


    "How are we looking Bill?" Reynolds asked.


    "Very nice actually! The shields haven''t even flickered. That really shouldn''t come as a surprise though." Doctor Bill Lee answered.


    "Any word on the fleet''s arrival?" The Colonel inquired.


    "We''ve been tracking them in hyperspace for sometime now. They are right on schedule; two minutes until they arrive." Lee replied


    The fleet being discussed was that of the Tauri. In order to move the mass of men and equipment, a majority of the warsh.i.p.s that made up the Milky Way fleet were put into service. Their precious cargo of NATO troopers aboard the multitude of inbound vessels had a mission, and that mission was one that they were ready to face. As the ground power of this fighting force, upon these men''s shoulders the outcome of this war rested.


    "Commander, the fleet has exited hyperspace under cloak." The avatar of Videum instructed.


    "Ok, time for phase two of this little circus. Bill, send word to the fleet to remain under cloak and begin transport of the men to their assigned drop zones. Videum, target the Ha''tak firing on us and those currently parked on the temples. Ha''tak''s only. Fire when ready." Reynolds ordered.


    Four seconds later, Videum commenced the attack. Making use of the plasma beam weapons mounted on the end of each pier, the city sh.i.p.s AI chose these as the modality of death for the nearest Ha''tak. Plasma beam batteries on three piers let loose their blistering beams of superheated carnage. So hot were they that the atmosphere began to roil along their path. Precise aiming on the part of the AI ensured that all three beams impacted the Ha''tak''s shields within one quarter of an inch of each other.


    The results were catastrophic. Overwhelmed, the craft''s shields gave way at the point of impact. With nothing impeding their continued forward motion, the three beams sliced into the Ha''tak''s exterior skin. Vaporizing at the point of contact leaving precise holes, the beams continued on into the interior. The hull around the points of impact melted and began to turn to molten slag. Unabated, the beams continued on through the hull before exiting out the upper cas.e.m.e.nt of the golden tetrahedron. Thunderous explosions reverberated off the calm ocean water and boomed into the distance as the Ha''tak plummeted into the gently rolling swells.


    Reaching terminal velocity before striking the oceans surface, the Ha''tak broke apart on impact. The nine hundred thousand tons of mass entering the water at speed had an unexpected cascade effect. Massive swells were generated, rushing out in all directions. While the Jaffa on land were shocked by the sudden destruction of their vessel, the coming tide that would flow several miles inland would be much more shocking and dangerous. Luckily, their encampment was well away from where land meet ocean.


    Seconds before the Ha''tak plummeted to the ocean below, Videum launched the second portion of its assigned task. Sixteen golden colored drones rose from the north pier launch point. Accelerating as they passed through the city sh.i.p.s shields, each drone deftly maneuvered around the gliders as they strafed Videum to no effect. One hundred feet above the bays glassy surface, the drones sped on. Crossing the threshold from water to land, the drones sped over the lush coastal forest.


    In the path of the onrushing drones lay four temples of Goa''uld origin. Once these pyramids had been the landing place to vessels of the fleet of Moloc, but no more. Sitting atop these monolithic stone structures now sat Ha''tak''s of the Traditionalist Jaffa, though many still pledged their allegiance to the deceased Goa''uld who had ordered their construction. Their targets already assigned, the drones separated into four groups of four. At a blistering pace, the drones raced over the tents of the Jaffa encampment below. Had the Jaffa bothered to raise the Ha''tak''s shields it would have made no difference, due to the drones phase shifting ability that allowed for effortless penetration of far more powerful shields.


    On impact, each drone burrowed into its target. Debris from the damaged vessels was ejected was thrown into the air and around the encampment at the base of each temple. Exiting the other side of each Ha''tak, the drones nosed up and arched over, diving once again into their targets before disintegrating. Later examination of the damage would reveal that not only had the drones torn clean holes through each vessel, but also tore through the stone structures of the temples themselves. Unless a herculean effort was put forth to repair these Ha''tak, they would never travel the stars again.

 Chapter 171

    Mountains surrounding Jaffa stronghold


    Military operations are known throughout history for their precise timing, and incredible level of organization. This simple truth was the same today as it had been when the mighty legions of Rome had ruled over the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. Had Julius Caesar been alive today, he would have been impressed with the effort being displayed by the Tauri on Goronak. Instead of crossing the English Channel in wooden triremes, the forces of NATO arrived on foreign soil courtesy of Asgard technology.


    This same Asgard transport beaming technology made possible the fortified camps dotting the mountainsides above the Jaffa. Large camps dotted the peaks, while smaller camps formed a defensive line below the larger ones. Ringing each of these camps was an intricate series of mine fields. Beyond these mine fields lay rows and rows of concertina wire and spring steel razor wire. Trees preventing clear fields of fire were also beamed out and put to use reinforcing the construction of each camp.


    The walls of these camps were composed of Hesco barriers. These heavy wire barriers were lined with thick vinyl sheeting. Each of these eight feet tall and six feet wide wire boxes was filled with soil, rock, and other fill dirt leveled by the transporter to create each encampment. Piles of excess soil were also present to act as filler for the myriad of empty sandbags eagerly awaiting their arriving guests.


    Highest of all on the mountain rage sat the artillery encampments. These camps were as heavily fortified as those that would be home to infantry troops. Where they differed was in the leveled areas inside the fortifications meant for each howitzer that would be on the ground shortly. Soon, M777 howitzers would rest on these earthen pads, ready for the fire missions sure to come. Similarities between the two types of camps could be found in the room like areas formed with Hesco walls and timber roofs. Clearly the two Athena''s that had brought the Rakkasan''s to Goronak had been busy during the wait for the remainder of the ground force.


    Nine miles behind this series of fortifications lay a third and unique encampment. Referred to in military parlance as an Airhead, this encampment would be home to the assorted rotary wing assets each NATO unit was known to travel with. Soon, Blackhawks, Chinooks, Apache''s, Kiowa Warriors, and Medevac birds would dot the mountain valley turned fortress. Army air power had come to this corner of the galaxy in a big way.


    In spectacular displays of silver light, men began to appear in their assigned encampments. While men of the 1st Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment appeared in their new homes, miles away on another ridgeline the men of 45 Commando 3rd Brigade Royal Marines appeared in their own enclave. Artillery and Aviation units also soon began to appear. On high mountain peaks Patriot antiaircraft batteries of the Air Defense Artillery were next up. The race to establish the largest forced entry of Allied forces since WWII was on.


    Silently stalking through the wooded mountainside, far below the action unfolding in the expanding Tauri area of operations, was a five seven man patrol from Bravo Company, 3/187th. Having arrived on Goronak as the vanguard of the Tauri invasion, the soldiers of 3rd Brigade 101st Airborne Division had maintained constant patrols while holding their landing zone. Unsure of Jaffa activity, the seven man patrol delved into the bush and formed their LGOP, otherwise known as little group of paratroopers.


    Five hours into a nine hour patrol, the men had seen nothing but trees, more trees, with a smattering of trees thrown in for good measure. This type of monotony was the worst sort of punishment a soldier could endure. Everything continually looking the same, the men soon found themselves drifting into the drone zone; that wakeful state when your body is active but the brain begins to tune out. Had the men been more alert, they might have taken note of the sudden hush that came over the birds in the area.


    Sergeant Mike Linder had other things on his mind at the moment. The timing of this deployment simply didn''t work for him. After months of effort, the twenty two year old Sergeant had finally made headway with the cute girl who worked at the GameStop outside of Ft. Campbell. She was a gamer, he was a gamer. He liked movies, she liked movies. She was hot, and he liked hot women. It was a match made in heaven Linder thought. Being deployed for who knows how long, Linder was more than irritated at the thought of some local townie ''getting up on his lady'' as he put it.


    Five years before, at the rip old age of seventeen, Linder had enlisted in the Army with the idea that he was hardcore. Biding his time at the School of Infantry in the blistering South Georgia heat, he had breezed through initial training. From there it was on to Airborne School, and after that Ranger School, both on Ft. Benning in that same South Georgia heat. Graduating with his Ranger tab, he came to a stark realization. All the things that look cool in movies are not so fun when you had to do them in real life.


    This one revelation forever altered Linder''s chosen career path in the Army. Instead of accepting the posting to 2nd Ranger Battalion that was offered, he instead went another way. From high speed to low speed was how he liked to put it. He found himself assigned to the 101st, and it was there he wanted to stay, until a recruiter slot came open that is. Thinking it over as he patrolled the mountainside, perhaps he should have taken that assignment in Korea he had fought so hard to get out of.


    The tone of an infantry squad is set by its squad leader. In some cases that is a very good thing, but in this case it was far from that. Five hours into the patrol, Linder lost all concern over noise discipline and spacing between his men. The new boot Private, straight out of the Infantry School, was walking beside his Sergeant. So far the conversation had covered everything subject from what the real words to most Pearl Jam songs really were, to the ongoing debate about what the ingredients in a McRib really were.


    Brining his foot over a fallen tree, Linder was going on at length about the merits of the Taco Bell late night menu when weapons fire erupted from the upslope of the mountainside. A raspy gasp could be heard in the air. Turning his head towards the Private, the Sergeant saw the smoking hole in the now dead young soldier''s chest.


    "Ambush!" Linder yelled.


    Training taking hold, the remaining six men dove for cover. Opening up with their M4''s and the lone M249 Squad Automatic Weapon they had with them, the men sought out their attackers. Scanning their fields of fire, nothing was visible. As the men settled in for a firefight, energy weapons fire erupted from the direction the squad had just come from. The nearest three soldiers to this new attack oriented in its direction and opened fire.


    Rising to a knee while leveling his M4 at the Jaffa rushing from the flank, Linder attempted to rally his men. He had to live! He had a hot girlfriend! He had preordered Uncharted 3 for Playstation! Somehow, someway, he would pull his men out of this threat. In his field of view he took note of three Jaffa felled by weapons fire. Knowing he had lost the initiative in this battle, he had to act. In his periphery he saw a flash of movement. Turning his head to take sight of what it might be, the butt end of a staff weapon slammed into his face, and everything faded to darkness.

 Chapter 172

    Jaffa Camp


    He woke to a splitting headache. His mouth gritty, his skin grimy, the light coming through the tent flap made him nauseous. No clue of where he was, Linder knew he wasn''t alone. In the distance he could hear men speaking, and around him he saw two sets of feet quickly exit the tent. The last thing he remembered was something coming towards his face. Based on the footwear, the Sergeant was painfully aware that wherever he might be, it wasn''t a US Army encampment.


    Shifting his body slightly, pain shot throughout his core. Before he could come to grips with the waves of nausea and painful spasms coursing down his spine, Linder felt hands under his armpits. Brought to a position where he was sitting on his knees, a large man with a shaved head stood before him. In his hand was an arm length rod tipped with two prongs. Looking down on the Sergeant with a cruel grin, the large man began to speak.


    "You are Tauri?" Rel''dar asked.


    "What?" Linder asked in reply.


    The answer to his question came in the form of the man extending the rod towards the Sergeant. A moment later intense and painful waves of pain screamed through his veins. Refusing to let the man see him scream, Linder bit down hard on the insides of his cheeks.


    "I will ask you again; are you of the Tauri?" Rel''dar demanded.


    "Sure." Linder replied.


    "Your countrymen will not be able to rescue you. The only chance you have to save your worthless hide is to answer my questions when they are asked. Why have you come to this planet?" Rel''dar asked.


    "You know how it goes. You''re in a club, talking to a few ladies, maybe have one too many. Next thing you know you''re lost in the woods. It happens." Linder replied, trying to deflect the questioning.


    In reply, the Jaffa once again made use of the Rod of Anguish. The young Tauri withered and fought the urge to scream. To even the most disciplined of Jaffa, the Rod of Anguish in use was not a sight to relish.


    "You took a hit to the head, so we''ll start easy. What is the name of your father?" Rel''dar demanded.


    "Dad." Linder replied weakly.


    "And your mothers name?" Rel''dar continued.


    "Mom." Linder answered, gaining strength from his own sarcasm.


    Once again, the Rod of Anguish made contact with the Sergeant. Unable to hold back this time, he screamed. The pain was unbearable. Thinking fast, he realized what he must do.


    "I answered your questions!" Linder pleaded.


    "Yes, you have. That was done to remind you of what happens when you do not." Rel''dar replied with contempt.


    "Ok man; just don''t use that thing on me. I''ll talk!" Linder agreed with panic rising in his voice.


    "I know you will. The Tauri are weak. You all talk eventually. The city that sits in the ocean; it belongs to the Tauri yes?" Rel''dar asked evenly.


    "No man, it''s not ours." Linder answered tiredly.


    "You lie!" Rel''dar snarled.


    Once again Linder''s body jerked in spasm. Tears came to his eyes. When he didn''t think he could take any more, for whatever reason Rel''dar stopped.


    "The city is yours, yes?" Rel''dar demanded.


    "No, it''s not ours but I can tell you whose it is." Linder replied in a frightened tone.


    "Who? Speak!" Rel''dar barked.


    "His name is Dumbledore. He''s very big in my corner of the galaxy." Linder said smoothly.


    "Tell me more of this Dumbledore." Rel''dar said.


    "He has incredible powers. So powerful, that he grooms those that follow the magical ways." Linder continued.


    "These followers, what are their names?" Rel''dar asked.


    "Harry''s the leader, Weasly is the odd man out, and Hermione cries about everything." Linder explained.


    "Where do they come from?" Rel''dar inquired.


    "A world far from here called Hogwarts." Linder replied.


    "Where can I find this Hogwarts?" Rel''dar asked.


    "No one knows. Like I said, they are magical. They can make it disappear. That''s the honest truth. Please don''t shock me with that thing again." Linder begged.


    "Why have they come here, and why are the Tauri here?" Rel''dar demanded.


    "They seek something that was stolen from them. The toughest soldier they have is named Hagrid. He stole a relic called the Sorcerers Stone from them. They want it back, but we want it also." Linder continued.


    "This Sorcerers Stone; what is its purpose?" Rel''dar asked.


    "It gives the gift of everlasting life!" Linder exclaimed.


    "The gift of Ascension?" Rel''dar wondered.


    "Sure, why not!" Linder replied with a hopeful smile.


    "We will not allow the Tauri to steal the gift of Ascension from the Jaffa so easily." Rel''dar warned.


    "We don''t seek to use it, only to keep it from Dumbledore. He seeks to rule the galaxy, and will defeat us both if he finds it. They have a rival in a man named Voldemorte. He is far more feared than even Dumbledore the Feared." Linder explained.


    "We will talk again after you have eaten. Eat well Tauri, you have earned it. If you continue to tell me what I need to know your rewards will be great." Rel''dar promised.


    "Can''t get any better than that!" Linder replied with a wide and fake smile.

 Chapter 173

    Videum


    "Incoming subspace message sir." The communications technician announced.


    "Put it on the screen but do not transmit a reply." Colonel Reynolds instructed.


    On the holographic display screen that appeared before Reynolds and Lee, was the form of a large Jaffa. Based on the golden mark on his forehead, they both knew immediately that they were looking at the former First Prime of Zipacna.


    "Lord Dumbledore, I am Rel''dar of the Jaffa. I know of the Sorcerers Stone you seek, and also of your enemy Voldemort who seeks this relic. In exchange for Ascension, the Jaffa assist you in finding down the rogue Hagrid. Let the warriors of the Jaffa fight alongside Harry, Weasly, and Hermione. Together, we can both defeat our enemies and assume our rightful place in this galaxy. After consideration of my proposal, I ask Lord Dumbledore that you contact me." Rel''dar stated formally.


    For a moment, everyone standing in the control center just stared at the screen. Had they heard that correctly? Slowly, people began looking at one another with odd looks.


    "Did an enemy of our world just send a subspace message to characters from a movie?" Reynolds asked incredulously.


    "My kids love that movie. You know, my War Craft group and I have seen them all as a group!" Lee admitted.


    Looking at Lee with a stare that was part amus.e.m.e.nt, part disbelief, and part surprise, Reynolds shook his head and simply walked away.


    Obelisk Planet


    Minerva; Roman goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, and magic. Often equated to the Greek goddess Athena, she was also the caregiver and inventor of music. She is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl, which symbolizes her ties to wisdom.


    The Romans celebrated her festival from March 19th to March 23rd. On the beginning of the festival, wealthy and poor Roman alike, formed in procession led by flute players. Traveling up the Aventine hill, this procession made its way to the temple of Minerva, to make votive offerings. Throughout the middle time of the Roman Republic, the Aventine sanctuary of Minerva was an important center of the arts.


    Following in the footsteps of the long destroyed Icarus base, Minerva base found her name routed deep in mythology. While Icarus base had been constructed for the purpose of unlocking the gate networks then only nine chevron address which would lead to Destiny, Minerva was constructed to serve as the base of support for Destiny''s continuing mission. Built upon the Furling created planet, this base of operations would allow for both material and as needed military support on a scale only dreamed of during those first dark days aboard Destiny. Lessons learned from those days were being put into practice to ensure the successful conclusion of the mission began millions of years before.


    Rising towards the heavens from the valley floor that surrounded it, lay the Furling obelisk. It was around this fixture that Minerva base was constructed. Under the base of the towering mountains ringing the valley, the newest Tauri base was placed. Stretching from the mountain range into the valley, were two runways meant for the assigned contingent of F-302 defense fighters. These two runaways emerged into the valley from the cavernous hanger, shielded by alloy doors composed of the same material vessels of the Asgard fleet were built of. In this hanger, sixty 302''s would wait at the ready, to meet any threat that may visit itself upon Minerva.


    Expanding out from the hanger area was the drone weapon storage and firing chamber. This chamber contained twenty five hundred of the lethal projectiles, matching the amount carried by the Athena class. Moving deeper into the complex was the power generation center. Instead of the more exotic Arcturus device, the lifeblood of Minerva flowed from a series of five zpm''s operating in parallel. Powering not only the facility itself and her armaments, these zpm''s would also bring to life the protective energy shield meant to shroud the valley and mountains under its defensive umbrella.


    Travelling further under the highest peak of the range, one would find an eight story geodesic dome. Housed within this dome was a lush biosphere of planet life, along with a waterfall and creek. It was around this ecosystem within that the resident quarters were built. It was hoped that the addition of a calm and serene nature setting visible from the living quarters would prevent the debilitating stresses common to long term off world posting. Branching off from this manufactured paradise was the gate room, communications, operations center, and the other expected accoutrements of an off world base.


    Soon after the arrival of the Tauri task force responsible for the construction of the new base, their presence came to the attention of a less than friendly race. Known as the Nakai, this race had made it the work of generations to capture Destiny. Having lost all trace of the ancient vessel, the Nakai had retraced her route since the known arrival of the humans. It was during this retracing that the activation of the super gate was detected. Coming face to face with the Athena class vessels patrolling near the super gate and obelisk planet, the Nakai flexed the full might of their external sensors.


    The results of these scans greatly concerned the pursuers of Destiny. The shield strength detected, while of a vastly different nature than those of the ancient vessel they sought, was far more powerful. Bringing their weapons online, their newly arrived foes had matched the Nakai''s move. Energy readings from the powered weapons systems had been enough to deter the Nakai for now. A solution on just how to deal with those that stood between them and Destiny had not been formulated yet, it was in the works as the highest priority

 Chapter 174

    White House


    Underneath the West Wing of the White house lay the Situation Room. Measuring five thousand square feet, the Situation Room is a highly networked conference room and intelligence management center. Run by the National Security Council for use by the President and his advisors, the room was designed and equipped to monitor and deal with crises at home or abroad, and to ensure secure communications with elements of the American government globally. It is also fitted with secure and advanced communications equipment that allowed the President to maintain command and control of all U.S. military forces globally, and after a recent upgrade, throughout the universe.


    The Situation Room was constructed in 1961 at the behest of President John F. Kennedy, after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion was attributed to a lack of information in real time. Its mission is to provide current intelligence and crisis support to the President, National Security Advisor, and the staff of the National Security Council. Staff is organized into five watch teams that provide seven day, twenty four hour monitoring of international events. The task of the Situation Room is to ensure the President and his team are not only informed of the current situation, but also how that situation is being portrayed by the media. Being electronically shielded from eavesdropping, this room also made a wonderful meeting place for sensitive discussions.


    "I''ve already looked over the report, but please rehash it for me gentlemen." President Hayes directed.


    "Shortly after the last unit was transported to their base camp on Goronak, a message was received by the Videum. At first the message made little sense to Colonel Reynolds and his team. As you are aware Mr. President, the subsequent investigation turned up what we believe to be the explanation." General Maynard stated.


    "This is the part that blows my mind." Hayes said mostly to himself.


    "Mr. President, that is a feeling shared by the Joint Chiefs." General Matko added.


    "An infantry squad on patrol was ambushed by a small force of Jaffa. The squad leader is believed to have been taken captive. A representative from Fort Campbell was dispatched to locate the squad leader''s emergency contact, which turned out to be his girlfriend. She was very clear that the last movie the two watched was a Harry Potter film." Maynard explained.


    "That explains how the Jaffa came to know the plot to my grand daughter''s favorite film." Hayes said with a smile.


    "The Pentagon concurs with that assessment Mr. President. It also tells us that the soldier is very much alive, and actively feeding the enemy disinformation." Maynard added.


    "In order to give NATO forces more time to consolidate their positions, and also to allow us to make sense of the message, orders have gone out to ground forces to not engage Jaffa forces unless they approach. The rules of engagement place our men squarely on a defensive footing." General Keller explained.


    "So basically, as long as the Jaffa don''t approach we will not attack?" Hayes asked.


    "That is correct Mr. President." General Keller replied.


    "The Office of Naval Intelligence has taken the step of putting together an ad hoc analysis group. Currently, they are pouring over ever Potter book and film to see how the Jaffa''s new found belief can be turned to our benefit. The author, one J.K. Rowling has also been brought in to consult." Admiral Dunleavy stated.


    "Do you really think all that is necessary?" Hayes asked.


    "Mr. President, at this point we''re playing every possible card in the deck." Dunleavy conceded.


    "I''ve played a few cards of my own Admiral. After Colonel Davis briefed me on this situation, I called a friend. At his direction, the boys and girls at Industrial Light and Magic are burning the midnight oil putting together a message to the Jaffa from Voldemort." Hayes stated.


    "That must be some friend." General Matko mumbled to himself.


    "He is. I met George Lucas during the campaign for my first term, and it helps that he voted for me I suppose. In exchange for letting him have a look at mission reports from the SGC, he was more than happy to have his people help their country." Hayes said with a smile.


    "Mr. President, in all due respect, the Jaffa are going to expect an answer faster than the whiz kids at ILM will be able to produce." Dunleavy countered.


    "Not to worry Admiral, I''ve got that one covered too. The Jaffa are expecting a reply from Dumbledore, and that''s just what we''re going to give them." Hayes answered.


    "How exactly are we supposed to make that happen Mr. President?" Maynard asked.


    "George was nice enough to lend a hand with this one also. It turns out that the original Dumbledore costume from the film is on permanent display at the Arclight Theater in Los Angles. All it took was a phone call to get the costume released into our care. It should have been delivered to Videum by now." Hayes said with a smug smile.

 Chapter 175

    The Presidio, San Francisco


    Perched on the northernmost tip of the San Francisco peninsula, and nestled amongst historic buildings in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, sat the headquarters of International Light and Magic and Lucas Arts. Inside this nine hundred thousand square foot nexus of special effects innovation, many of the most blockbusting films of the past decade had come to life. Were the five hundred CGI and motion capture artists to look out the window, they would have seen blankets of fog gliding under the Golden Gate Bridge and out over the water of San Francisco Bay.


    Inside the campus, the hundreds of CGI and motion capture artists were hard at work. Making use of the custom built supercomputer nicknamed Death Star, the men and women plied their trade. Each of the Death Star''s three thousand AMD built processors busily crunched complex computer models and mathematical algorithms. Few people outside of the industry understood how complex the mathematics behind realistic rendering of human skin or hair truly was. It was this problem among several others that occupied the many tens of millions of computations per second of the custom built supercomputer.


    Normally, the process of creation for ILM took many months to complete. Several times, entirely new disciplines of computer modeling had been needed to bring about the desired effect. In this instance, no such effort was required. Accustomed to answering to the tyrannical demands of the movie studios that had contracted their talents, the visual effects magicians found themselves comfortably surprised with the demands of the US government. In a city renowned for its liberal political leanings, it was surprising that many of these computer whiz kids had not opted to walk away from this project. Seeing as this tasking had come directly from Mr. Lucas via the President, many thought it was something they simply couldn''t pass up.


    Fueled by an endless supply of coffee and take out food, the ILM crew knew their task was not yet complete. Looking over the digital rendering, minute flaws were noticeable to the trained eye. The hair looked a tad pixilated here; the skin reflected a bit too much light there. These problems would all be corrected in the next twenty four hours. Easing the burden of their task was the fact that the stock animation for Voldemort still resided in a secure database on the third floor of the campus.


    On the top floor of the main campus building was a room different than the others. Sound isolated so no outside interruptions could intrude, this room was also equipped with the latest iteration of the Digital Theater system. Reels of film had faded into the past long ago. Now, films were uploaded to the projector via CD-ROM. The Letterman Digital Arts Pavilion, as it was called was also hardwired directly into the campus local area network, for ease in transfer of as yet unfinished footage.


    Seated in a plush brown leather chair in the center of the theater was Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis. Before taking his seat, the Colonel had been briefed by the overall program manager that the scene was only ninety five percent complete. Some of the flaws listed in the brief he held in his hands were things that he might not have noticed, had they not been pointed out beforehand. The voice actor who had been brought in for this task spoke in a deep baritone, which was neatly synched to the incredibly lifelike animation.


    The first time Davis watched the nearly finished product, he had been looking for visual believability. The second time he listened intently to the script being delivered. The third time he tried to take it all in. Removing his cell phone from his uniform jacket inner pocket, he selected the number he was after before raising the phone to his ear.


    "It''s Davis. This time tomorrow we''ll be ready on this end." Davis said quickly.


    Videum


    If one spent any amount of time in the SGC, many strange sights were bound to be seen. This one was indeed strange, and a first for many stationed aboard the city ship. Several hours earlier, a team of makeup artists in the employ of Warner Brothers Studios have arrived through the city''s internal gate, along with a wardrobe bag. Inside this bag was the costume worn by Dumbledore during the first Harry Potter film.


    Surprised at his selection to play the part of Dumbledore, Doctor Lee was seated in a reclining chair with closed eyes. Leaned back, the makeup team went to work. Layers of synthetic skin were applied to both the face and neck. This process was repeated with the hands as well. The effect the makeup team was seeking was to age Lee considerably. Next, the team moved on to hair. A flowing mane of silver hair, with matching facial hair was affixed with epoxy.


    With the aesthetics in place, the team set about getting their star into costume. First, Lee donned a series of undershirts with billowing cuffs. From there, the scientist put on the outer robe. As the robe was fitted, a separate team fitted Lee with the period footwear, complete with outer buckles. The finishing touch came with the application of glasses like those from the film, only in Lee''s prescription.


    "Are you ready to go movie star?" Colonel Reynolds asked.


    "That I am! Do you think they''ll let me keep this outfit when this is all said and done?" Lee pondered.


    "Not a chance." Reynolds replied.


    "It''s a shame really. I could have really put this to use." Lee added.


    "For what? Let me guess; your off time playing World of Warcraft. You played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons as a kid I''m guessing." Reynolds stated dryly.


    "Didn''t everybody?" Lee asked in a surprised tone.


    Reynolds, the Warner Brothers makeup team, and the Dumbledore doppelganger made there way towards the transporter booth. As they walked, passersby stopped to do a double take on the scientist in character. Unsure of what exactly was unfolding; eyebrows were raised before the befuddled parties continued about their duties. Finally reaching the booth, the group entered in two separate groups to make their way to gate room.


    All was prepared. A camera crew stood in the middle of the gate room, their camera set up on its tripod. The feed from this camera would be piped directly into the subspace communications array. As Lee took his place in front of the gate, camera technicians took lighting measurements. Considering the amount of effort that was being put into every aspect of this exercise, the last thing anyone wanted was a bad taping due to improper lighting. Ah, the joys of having Hollywood professionals out and about in the galaxy.


    "Are you ready Bill?" Reynolds asked.


    "I was born ready." Lee replied in his big boy voice.


    "I''m not even going to dignify that with a response." Reynolds replied while rolling his eyes.


    "Ok people, quiet on the set!" The nameless producer announced to the room.


    "Three, two, one, and action!" The camera man called out.


    A hush fell over the room. Feeling that dramatic pause was in order, Lee stared deeply into the camera, while remaining absolutely silent. When he felt he couldn''t further contain his inner thespian, Lee began.


    "I bid the people of the Jaffa good tidings from the esteemed nation of Hogwarts. To Rel''dar I bid you good mourn. I am the arch mage Dumbledore the Magnificent! It takes a wise man with a keen intellect to propose the manner of alliance you speak of. On behalf of the nation of Hogwarts it is my honor to accept your proposal. You bring me great happiness with this service. It is my duty to inform you though, that an alliance between my nation and that of the Tauri already exists. Tribute must be paid in the form of any and all Tauri prisoners currently in your possession being returned to their encampments before the close of this day. The everlasting life possible by the relic we seek is something I am open to bequeathing to the Jaffa in exchange for the assistance you will lend. There is but one caveat attached to this gift. The Jaffa must join this cause unanimously, or I will find it impossible to share the gift of everlasting life. Your great warriors and ours, your leadership and my own, conjoined in this noble quest speak of a bright future for this galaxy. Hand in hand, we will embrace this galaxy to our bosom in the warmest of embraces. Rel''dar, benevolent leader, move with swift feet in your reply." Lee finished.

 Chapter 176

    Jaffa encampment


    After receiving the message from Dumbledore, Rel''dar had quickly set about improving the conditions around Linder. Following orders, Rel''dar''s underlings moved the prisoner to a tent of his own. In this tent the young Sergeant found a platter of roast boar. As he feasted and changed into comfortable clothing, Rel''dar made his way to his commander''s tent. Moments after entering his quarters, Da''vir charged in, clearly irritated. Behind him were an assortment of both Rel''dar and Da''vir''s lieutenants.


    "Word reached me that this Dumbledore we''ve heard so much about has returned with a communiqu¨¦ of his own." Da''vir stated in an annoyed tone of voice.


    "He has, and a wise man he is. Wisely, my proposed alliance has been accepted." Rel''dar replied.


    "I think you are rushing to judgment. These people have done nothing to earn our trust!" Da''vir fumed.


    "They offer us ascension! If we offend them it could cost every Jaffa the dream of ascending to a higher plane. I will not run that risk." Rel''dar replied with disdain.


    "What of your new pet? You treat this Tauri as if he were a king!" Da''vir spat.


    "Sergeant Linder is owed our thanks, and a place of honor among our people. Were it not for him, we might never have learned of the opportunity for ascension! We are indebted to him!" Rel''dar fired back.


    "The Tauri are our enemy! They are dogs not fit to lick the soles of our boots! Instead of bowing down before them like so many others in this galaxy do, we should strike at them where it will do the most damage." Da''vir argued.


    "Our alliance with Hogwarts precludes that possibility from coming to pass." Rel''dar replied with resolute conviction.


    "Are you so blind? Do you not see that this is nothing more than a Tauri deception? They fear our power, and are using deception to weaken us. We must bleed them dry to the last drop now! Their warriors are in the mountains above us. Now is the time to drive these crusaders back to their planet once and for all. Let them carry their dead home to remind future generations not to stand in the way of Jaffa might!" Da''vir thundered.


    The two men''s tempers flared. As the shouting continued, the argument reached a fevered pitch. The lieutenants felt certain that at any moment their leaders would fight to the death in the ritual of Joma Secu for control of the Army. As that thought crossed through the minds of the lieutenants, a lone figure entered the tent. Clothed in a hooded crimson robe, the figures face was indiscernible as the head was tilted towards the floor with the hood over the head. This figure moved with authority, as if he belonged. Making his way to the center of the tent, the new arrival began to speak.


    "Jaffa, hear me!" The figure said with conviction.


    Seeing this new arrival that did not belong cavalierly speak while lacking the rank to do so infuriated the Jaffa within the tent. Standing quickly, the lieutenants charged their staff weapons and leveled them at the transgressor.


    "How dare you speak in this forum! Remove your hood and show us your face, now!" Da''vir ordered.


    Slowly, the lone figures hands rose to the hood. With slow movements, the hood was lowered, and the figure met the eyes of those around him for the first time since entering.


    "How can this be? This is impossible!" Da''vir said breathlessly.


    "Not impossible, inevitable." Bra''tac replied.


    "What trickery is this? Your death is known to all Jaffa." Rel''dar said nervously.


    "Not trickery. This is the result of belief in one''s self, and selfless action for this galaxy. Because of that I walk among the ranks of the ascended." Bra''tac explained.


    "More Tauri trickery! Let us show them not to attempt further deception of the Jaffa. Torture the prisoner and show them the cost of such action!" Da''vir thundered.


    "Such a course of action would be reckless and fraught with peril. That one act could endanger the future of the Jaffa as a race." Bra''tac countered patiently.


    "Listen to the wisdom of Bra''tac closely." Rel''dar warned.


    "You would have us believe the future of our people rests on the life of a single Tauri?" Da''vir demanded.


    "You do not know the Tauri as I do. They are a courageous people, and a fearsome enemy. To save the life of one of their people, the Tauri would destroy entire civilizations if necessary. That is the loyalty they have for one another." Bra''tac cautioned.


    "All the more reason to attack now! After all Rel''dar, ascension awaits us, does it not?" Da''vir baited sarcastically.


    "Young fool! You do not realize that the path you currently walk prevents you the possibility of ascension. Killing out of pride, refusing to cleanse one''s spirit of hatred, and lashing out from fear are all things that render the great path impossible for you to begin." Bra''tac explained.


    "You see Da''vir! The path you would have us walk would lead to only death and everlasting darkness!" Rel''dar stated with assumed moral superiority.


    "Do not speak to me as if you were some pious high priest. Too quickly you forget how much blood has been spilled by you and your followers." Da''vir accused.


    "We can begin to follow the path to ascension here and now!" Rel''dar argued.


    "We will test all of these theories and find which is nothing but meaningless conjecture. Even now as we speak, my men march towards the Tauri. Soon we will know who is right and who is wrong." Da''vir said confidently before exiting the tent

 Chapter 177

    Mountains above Jaffa encampment


    Overlooking a suspected avenue of attack from a ridgeline high above the valley floor, sat a lone forward observer team. The two man team was safely ensconced behind sandbags and natural rock terrain. Camouflage netting made the small outpost almost impossible to discern from any great distance. Despite that, the two man team checked and rechecked their positions concealment every six hours. When a deficiency was noted, natural vegetation was retrieved and integrated into the growing collage of foliage.


    Since their arrival on Goronak, the two man team had stood watch over their sector. The mission they faced was one they had trained for. As forward observers, these two men would guide in needed artillery fire should the Jaffa attempt to scale the mountains. Resting higher in the mountains at various locations was an array of M777 field artillery pieces.


    The recent order to remain in their cantonment areas had come as a surprise. The soldiers wondered why, if they had been deployed here to fight a war. An unwanted side effect of this order was a reduction in infantry patrols, and a severe limiting to the distance the few patrols out were allowed to cover. None would be allowed past what was now being referred to as the demilitarized zone.


    "This sucks." The junior forward observer said blandly.


    "Join the Army, travel the world, meet new and exciting people, and then shoot at them, or die of boredom on some rock." The senior soldier replied.


    "Ever wish something would happen? I know its bad luck, but still." The junior asked.


    "You might be getting your wish. Sector five, valley floor, I''ve got movement in a big way." Senior said crisply.


    "Got it. Whoa! Atleast battalion strength." Junior replied.


    The target of their attention slowly worked its way up the valley below and before the two men. This slithering mass could easily be mistaken for a snake at such distance, but was in fact something far more deadly. A Jaffa column of what appeared to be several thousand men was on the march. The path they were taking led to only one destination; an encampment of the 10th Mountain Division.


    "Ok, I''m calling this in. The demarcation line runs through the middle of the valley. If they pass that we''re going to have to bring the rain." Senior stated.


    "Estimate enemy formation is atleast brigade strength." Junior added.


    Senior jumped on his radio, already dialed in to the fire control network. Devoted strictly to the gun emplacements and forward observer positions, this radio channel was the control line for the combined NATO artillery forces.


    "Archer two zero, this is Rough Rider four six." Senior said into the radio.


    "Go for Archer two zero." The Division Artillery commander replied.


    "Fire mission. From fire marker four, direction eighteen hundred, right six hundred, drop four hundred. Estimate brigade size element. At current rate of advance, enemy will pass demarcation line in one zero minutes." Senior explained into the radio.


    "Rough rider four six, confirm last." Division Artillery requested somewhat surprised.


    "Archer two zero, confirm brigade size element. Advancing towards demarcation line now." Senior replied.


    Before another word could be exchanged over the radio net, a series of explosions erupted in the valley below. Seconds later the sight of four Al''kesh and six gliders came fully into view. Bolts of energy impacted the valley, obscuring everything in a cloud of thick dust.


    "Archer two zero, Rough Rider four six. Cancel fire mission. Enemy ground unit currently being engaged by enemy air assets." Senior explained into the radio in a highly confused tone.


    "Rough Rider four six, ground unit is being engaged by who?" The Artillery commander demanded.


    Among the Tauri ranks, none were sure just what this meant. One moment they were preparing for a possible attack. Now they were bearing witness to the enemy slaughtering his own. Hunkered down in their fighting positions, the fighting men of the Tauri sat at the ready and tried to make sense of the slaughter below.

 Chapter 178

    Shambhala


    Since their arrival in the great Tauri city the Tollan people called home, much had occurred. First, a time of healing and recuperation from their time in the wilds of Tollana began. Malnutrition, disease, parasite infestation, and long untreated injuries had diminished the ranks of the survivors in a slow and lingering battle that their lack of technology and basic services made combating impossible. Shambhala''s medical department easily corrected these woes. Psychological treatment would take more time. Disclosure made possible an influx of mental health professionals to the city from Earth.


    As good health was restored the plight of these people eased. The dream of rebuilding their civilization that had once seemed impossible now seemed upon them. As they had done once before, the Tollan race would rebuild and come back from the brink of destruction stronger than before. Already, scientists were at work on returning to their works of learning and discovery. Greatly aiding them in this task were the databanks transported from Tollan to their new home.


    Recovery of the Tollan computer cores had been bittersweet. On one hand this had allowed for the preservation of the balance of their knowledge and scientific achievements. On the other, this had brought about the fall of Chancellor Travell''s government and her subsequent suicide. The only benefit of the suicide had been the one foreseen by the city''s AI; prevention of divisions arising within the Tollan people. Unfortunately, the fallout from revelations discovered within the banks of knowledge was not yet complete.


    The sudden fall of the Travell government had necessitated opening portions of the Curia database restricted from free access. Bypassing the security partitions protecting this restricted portion of the system had taken time. The amount of time needed for this was a testament to the level of security that had been in place. Finally, these barriers had come crashing down. What was found would force a total reevaluation of the basic principle the Tollan people held as their driving principle.


    It was this discovery that Narim needed to discuss with Camille Wray. In her he had found a guiding light that provided the strength the new Chancellor needed. Making his way to the observation deck high atop the city''s main tower, Narim found her looking out over Shambhala.


    "Would you be agreeable to my joining you?" Narim asked.


    "Not at all Chancellor, be my guest." Camille replied.


    "I''m only Chancellor until we hold elections. I thank you." Narim said with a smile.


    "It''s my understanding that you are ahead in the polls." Camille stated.


    "That''s correct. Far be it from me to walk blindly forth with preconceived expectations." Narim conceded.


    "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" Camille asked politely.


    "I''ve come to discuss a delicate matter." Narim replied.


    "A delicate matter? I''m all ears." Camille prompted.


    "The death of Chancellor Travell brought about the need to access certain Curia only portions of the Tollan database. While I expected surprises, I must say that I did not expect a rude shock." Narim began.


    "Seeing the actions of ones government after the fact has a way of bringing unpleasant surprises." Camille agreed.


    "What I have learned could very well change how your people view my own." Narim said with trepidation.


    "Now you have my full attention. Narim, my people view the Tollan as an ally. Nothing former members of your government did will change that." Camille replied reassuringly.


    "I can only hope that is so. As you are aware, the cardinal directive of my people is to never share our technology with a technologically inferior race. It was that rule preventing technology exchange between our two people a few short years ago." Narim explained.


    "That didn''t exactly endear your people to my government." Camille conceded.


    "Understandably so it seems. I have recently discovered that the directive is nothing more than subterfuge. The Curia adopted this policy while telling the people that this would prevent a lesser race from destroying themselves like those on Sarita once did." Narim stated.


    "Keep in mind that while I have looked over the mission reports and background information that pertain to your people, I''m far from an expert on the subject." Camille warned.


    "We once called the planet Tollan home. In our solar system on the planet of Sarita was a race roughly matching Earth''s level of technology when you began your stargate program. As an act of friendship my race provided the Saritan''s with a fusion device capable of all the clean energy they could use. This device was used as a weapon instead, and resulted in the destruction of Sarita, and to a lesser extent Tollan. Atleast that is what we have all been led to believe." Narim continued.


    "Are you saying the database doesn''t support that belief?" Camille asked.


    "Not only does it contradict this belief, it shows that this was nothing but a lie meant to cover a far worse truth. Had the Curia disclosed the information I''m about to share with you to our people at the time, it would have been understood to a certain degree. The fact that the information was instead hidden makes that impossible. It seems that the act of providing the Saritan''s with the fusion device instead of solidifying a lasting friendship instead brought about war. Once the device was in their hands, the Saritan''s forwarded a list of technology demands. Were these demands not met, they made clear their intent to take what was requested by force." Narim explained.


    "Go on." Camille prompted cautiously.


    "Instead of attempting to negotiate with the Saritan''s, the Curia mobilized for a debilitating first strike. The story we all believed was that the fusion device was used for war, and it appears that this is somewhat the case, only the fusion device used was built for the purpose of striking Sarita. This second device was secreted to Sarita and detonated without warning. The resulting explosion destroyed the planet, its people, and resulted in the altering of Tollan''s orbit forcing our evacuation." Narim stated sadly.


    "The fact that these people were blackmailing your world and threatening use of military force is a mitigating factor Narim." Camille added weakly.


    "It in no way mitigates the fact that we have been living a lie promoted by our own government." Narim responded with sorrow in his voice.


    While this conversation was taking place, Elizabeth Weir stood waiting near the stargate. As a former diplomat, the duties to welcome visiting foreign delegations rested with her. Truth be told, it was a duty she not only welcomed but enjoyed. Exiting the gate was a blond haired man with a slim build and an infectious smile. Seeing Weir standing at the ready, the man quickly made his way directly to her with an extended hand.


    "This is an amazing city! It''s a pleasure to see you again Doctor Weir." The man said brightly.


    "It''s an honor to have you here Ambassador Quinn." Weir replied formally.


    "Please, just Jonas if you don''t mind." Quinn requested.


    "Very well. If you are open to it, I thought we would tour the new intergalactic conference center." Weir suggested.


    "Of course. Will I be able to see more of the city during my stay?" Jonas asked.


    "I don''t think anyone will mind that. General O''Neill sends his regards." Weir stated.


    "Would you mind telling him hello for me when you get the chance?" Jonas asked.


    "It would be my pleasure. Now, if you will follow me we''ll begin our tour." Weir said with a motion of her hand towards the transporter booth.


    Over the course of the next three hours Weir guided the ambassador on a tour of the conference center and surrounding buildings. Overcome by the man''s infectious excitement to see more of the city, Weir was soon showing him other areas. At his request, Weir led him to a vantage point near the conference center that allowed for the cityscape to be seen. Standing there looking over the city, Jonas neatly shifted from tourist to visiting diplomat.


    "During my time with SG-1 I learned that no other planet in this galaxy but Earth could make a city such as this possible in our galaxy." Jonas offered.


    "It''s true that we''ve come far over the course of the stargate program. Free of oppression at the hands of the Goa''uld, Ori, and Lucian Alliance one day your planet may look very much like this city." Weir replied.


    "My planets leadership hopes that day comes sooner rather than later. It''s with that in mind that they have instructed me to make certain technology requests." Jonas stated.


    "On the record I will tell you that as your world is aware, all technology requests must be lodged with the SGC. I am more than happy to forward your requests to the SGC in my report. Off the record I will say that I doubt your requests will be granted. The reason being the lack of cooperation in dialing Destiny." Weir explained.


    "Langaran leadership assumed as much, and have offered to provide that support if our request is approved." Jonas replied.


    "That''s very kind, but alternative accommodations were found. Destiny returned to this galaxy some time ago." Weir countered.


    "Now that we have that formality out of the way, I''m hoping to continue the tour!" Jonas said earnestly.

 Chapter 179

    Pluto


    The coming redeployment of Destiny meant that preparations were being checked and then rechecked. Maintaining a high operational tempo, Destiny continued performing a scheduled series of short hops around the Milky Way. The purpose of these hops was twofold; evaluate the performance of onboard systems and also to assist in crew training. When she finally resumed her mission she would be crewed by a team trained in the operation of the myriad of systems she was composed of.


    Lessons learned from recent events that necessitated the towing of Athena back to Arkos for repairs were being applied to her much older sister. Were the Destiny to find herself in a similar situation, a quick tow to a speedy repair would not be an option. Realistically, could the crew not perform repairs on their own; the mission would come to a quick end. To that end, steps were being taken that several years before would have never been considered.


    Within the interior of Destiny at ten separate points, individual holding containers were being installed. Connected to these holding containers was an interlocking series of one inch conduits that when completed would run throughout the length of the ancient vessel. This system would allow for the distribution of the nanite slurry held within each container. Making use of raw materials palletized in a cargo hold, these nanites would be able to replicate any component of any system Destiny possessed. These nanites were programmed specifically for this purpose. In coming months this system would be added to all vessels of the Tauri fleet to include city sh.i.p.s.


    The docking slips away from Destiny sat the Athena. Repair efforts had been ongoing since her arrival, and were scheduled to be complete in several days. The extent of her damaged systems had been greater than suspected during her tow to Arkos. Hyper drives burned out from the overwhelming amount of raw power flowing into them during the Hala''s chase were to be replaced with a new hybrid design similar to a city sh.i.p.s star drive. Weapons burned out for overpowering had been replaced. When complete, the Tauri flagship would once again be a force to be reckoned with.


    Hours earlier, the Ajax had arrived. Docked beside her sister ship Athena, the Ajax would soon begin receiving her slated upgrade. Replacing her zpm''s with the new Arcturus device, she would soon be the next in her class to be fitted with the potent power source. During the fitting out and resupply of the vessel, her commanding officer made his way aboard his former command; Destiny.


    Walking through the dim corridors of the ship he had called home for two long years, Colonel Young''s mind flooded with memories at every turn. So much had changed since those first days after gating from Icarus in panic. Back then he could have never imagined what the future held. Knowing now how it had turned out, Young had to believe that it had been well worth the price of a few years away from everything he knew. Entering the bridge, Young looked around and took note of Rush sitting at a console while the new commanding officer of Destiny sat in the command chair. Seeing Young''s arrival, Colonel Davidson stood and extended a hand in welcome.


    "Welcome aboard! It''s good to see you Everett." Colonel Davidson began.


    "Good to see you also Ian. Congratulations on your new command. She''s a great ship." Young replied.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Rush managed to tear himself away from the screen that had consumed his attention for the last hour. Rising quickly, he too made his way to the new arrival.


    "Colonel Young, this is an unexpected surprise. Good to see you." Rush said crisply.


    "Hello Rush. Good to see you too." Young replied.


    "How goes things in Pegasus?" Davidson asked.


    "Same story different bad guy." Young answered casually.


    "I''m sure you will handle it with the same dedication you showed to Destiny''s mission." Rush said, paying a rare compliment.


    "Rush is a good man Colonel. He''ll be there to pull your feet out of the fire when needed." Young added.


    "I was looking over the tentative roster of sh.i.p.s escorting us back during the return. Couldn''t help but notice that the Ajax is on it." Davidson threw in.


    "Ah, so you will be coming back with us then Colonel Young?" Rush asked.


    "Wouldn''t miss it for the world." Young replied.


    The three men made their way to the sh.i.p.s mess hall. Once there they sat down and began going over information both Rush and Young felt Davidson should be aware of. Before the conversation was done, Davidson would have first hand accounts from both men on what to expect from the races that had already been encountered.


    Elsewhere within Arkos several other events were unfolding. The Asgard had arrived to take delivery of the Arcturus device they had requested. Soon, this device would power the Asgard vessel Hala. A separate team of Tauri technicians was busy nearby, passing nanite creation terminals through the active stargate. The terminals destination; Shambhala.

 Chapter 180

    Cheyenne Mountain, SGC


    Minutes earlier, a common place event had taken place in the subterranean nexus of interstellar gate travel. This event was an incoming wormhole. Where this event differed from the norm was not known until after the event horizon had stabilized. Transmitting through the gate was an IDC code. Each code was unique to the SG team or race it had been assigned to. To everyone''s surprise, this code belonged to the Tok''ra.


    A staunch ally in the war against the Goa''uld and the later war with the Ori little had been heard from the Tok''ra as of late. After the fall of the last of the System Lords, they had withdrawn from the galactic stage to focus on building a true home for their race. Despite this, the Tok''ra intelligence network still kept watch over the Milky Way. The fall of their long time foe freed up agents for uses far and wide. Long suspected but seldom voiced was the opinion that the Tok''ra had maintained watch over happenings on Earth.


    Exiting the gate and walking down the ramp was a Tok''ra who in the past had been involved in many heated debates with SGC personnel. Thoran was fiercely protective of his race, and its interests. With this as his admitted top priority, it was widely known how he would view things even if it meant ignoring the alliance with Earth. Despite this often inconvenient fact, Thoran was a known quantity and always welcome at the SGC. Under escort, he was quickly brought to the upstairs conference room that overlooked the gate room.


    "General Landry, thank you for seeing me." Thoran began.


    "What kind of leader would I be if I didn''t have time for our off world allies? What can I do for you today Thoran?" Landry asked.


    "I believe we can help one another. Certain pieces of intelligence have come into my possession that is pertinent to ongoing operations of your world. My hope is that we can arrange a trade of sorts." Thoran stated.


    "That''s possible, depending on what it is you''re asking for in relation to the value of the intelligence." Landry responded.


    "Trust when I say this information is of the utmost importance to your planets safety." Thoran replied.


    "Ok, we''ll do this the easy way. How about you tell me what it is you want first?" Landry asked.


    "As you are aware, we as a race find ourselves subject to the law of diminishing returns. During the war with the System Lords many of our operatives were lost. This greatly depleted our numbers. Having no queen means we lack the ability to replenish our ranks." Thoran explained.


    "I''m aware of this. If only Egeria had been discovered sooner on Pangar this might not be the case. Still, I fail to see just what it is we can do to help." Landry said.


    "We are aware of the Asgard use of an ancient DNA manipulation machine to save themselves from extinction. The Tok''ra find ourselves an endangered species. I am here to request that this technology be used to create a clone of Egeria from genetic samples stored on my home world. The symbiotes genetic memory ensures that this clone will have the same mental make up as she." Thoran explained.


    "So you want us to give you a way to continue the existence of your species. Let me just say that I hope the information you offer in trade is of the same level of importance." Landry stated dryly.


    "I assure you it is. One of our operatives has uncovered a plot to attack Earth by Jaffa forces currently amassed on the planet Cor''ak." Thoran explained.


    "They recently tried that and failed. Earth is now protected by a shield their weaponry cannot hope to penetrate." Landry countered.


    "We are aware of your great shield, as are the Jaffa. They do not plan on attacking the planet directly, as their attack would fail. Instead they plan to detonate a series of naquadah bombs on your moon. The resulting debris from such an event would block your sun from Earth''s skies for several years to come. Life on Earth in all forms would cease to be in a matter of months." Thoran stated in a matter of fact tone.


    "How certain are you of the authenticity of this information?" Landry asked pointedly.


    "Absolutely certain." Thoran answered resolutely.


    "I''m assuming that your agent has also provided you with specifics on troop strength and disposition of forces on Cor''ak." Landry said.


    "That information can be provided easily." Thoran replied.


    "This information has to be passed on quickly. Return to your world and gather the agent reports on this matter. While you are doing that I will speak with my government and get the final approval to honor your request." Landry stated.


    "Understood. I will return shortly with the reports." Thoran replied while rising from his seat.


    Under escort, the Tok''ra was taken to the gate room for his return trip. As this took place, Landry entered his office. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed a number from memory.


    "Jack, its Hank. We''ve got a problem." Landry stated into the phone.

 Chapter 181

    Vis Uban


    Sitting in one of the Ancient cities lush garden porticos, Ginn and Marian Wallace eagerly chatted. Marian was overjoyed that such a beautiful and intelligent young woman loved his son. In fact it was more than she could have ever hoped for. Ginn, keenly aware of just how close the mother and son were, was incredibly happy that Marian liked her. The thought of Eli''s mother not approving of the relationship had kept Ginn awake at night for the last few days.


    "Are you feeling better?" Ginn asked.


    "I was given the treatment days after the Air Force had it in hand. For so long I thought my life was over, but now I''m cured and in perfect health. My Eli helped make that possible, and that makes me so very proud." Marian beamed.


    "He''s done much for your world. I''m very lucky to have him." Ginn replied.


    "You''re both lucky. Eli told me when I arrived that he had proposed. Ginn, I am so happy to have you join the family." Marian stated happily.


    "He told you? I wasn''t sure how you would react as I am not of your world." Ginn replied uncomfortably.


    "My son and I have no secrets. All I ask is that you take good care of him." Marian said with motherly concern.


    "Where exactly is Eli right now?" Ginn asked.


    "I''m certain that he''s in the middle of a conversation its best we''re not a part of." Marian hinted.


    "With whom?" Ginn asked.


    "His father." Marian replied quietly.


    In Eli''s quarters, both he and his father sat looking at one another. For the last half hour this standoff had gone on, neither willing to be the first to speak. The tension was palpable. Losing his patience finally, Eli''s Father Allen began to speak.


    "I''m proud of you son. Everything you''ve accomplished shows you''re a chip off the old block! I always said you would do great things." Allen said vainly.


    "Is that really the first thing you have to say to me?" Eli asked with shock.


    "What is it you think I should say?" Allen asked.


    "You could start by apologizing for running out on us when Mom got sick." Eli spat.


    "It was a hard time for me. That entire situation is best put behind us." Allen suggested.


    "Don''t you mean forget? Well Allen, it''s not that simple." Eli said defiantly.


    "Eli, I''m your Father. You don''t call me Allen, ever." Allen retorted.


    "Oh, now you''re the family man? Guess what? You lost that right when you walked out on us, along with my respect." Eli countered.


    "Young man, I won''t put up with this out of you." Allen warned.


    "That''s right, I am a man. Men don''t abandon their wife and kids. When I''m old and gray I can point out that I traveled across the galaxy. What can you point to? Walking out on your family?" Eli demanded.


    "You should be thankful I''m here. I did travel across the galaxy through a stargate to be here." Allen said in his own defense.


    "You''re not here for me or for Mom. Be honest! You''re here because it''s now convenient to be here." Eli accused.


    "Be sensible. I''m your Father, and you need me. We''ve had our differences but I''m here now, so let''s put the past in the past." Allen again suggested.


    "Your involvement in this family is in the past. This is the part where I say goodbye and wish you good luck in whatever you decide to do in life. I have something I have to attend to now, so please don''t be here when I get back. Thanks." Eli said with finality before leaving his quarters quickly.


    Making his way to the newly created repository lab, Eli met with his mentor. He and Janus had many hours of diagnostics to perform before the repository before it could be used. This was done more for Eli''s piece of mind than anything. Once Eli was satisfied that all was in order, Janus would alter the young mans genetics, bringing him on par with the genetic coding of the Ancients prior to their ascension. After that he would make use of the repository of knowledge, and take his place as heir to the legacy built into the repository.

 Chapter 182

    White House


    The phone call Landry had made to O''Neill had triggered several automatic responses. First, all defensive systems in the solar system had gone to high alert. Several vessels of the Tauri fleet lay around the moon, under cover of cloak. This phone call also necessitated an emergency meeting with O''Neill, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the President. That meeting was now beginning within the confines of the Oval Office.


    "What have you got Jack?" President Hayes asked.


    "This is hot off the presses. Less than three hours ago the Tok''ra provided intelligence of a credible threat to Earth. The Jaffa have learned that they won''t get through the planetary shield, so they''ve shifted tactics on us. Now they intend to attack the moon." Jack stated.


    "Is this something we should be concerned about?" Hayes asked.


    "In many ways this is worse than an attack on the planet if we did not have the shield. If hit with enough firepower, the resulting debris field would engulf Earth and shield the planet from the suns rays. That''s a planet killer. We''re talking about the end of all life on the planet." Jack explained.


    "Where is this attack expected to originate from?" Hayes asked.


    "Cor''ak. That would mean that this is coming from the Jaffa forces we''ve asked the Progressive Jaffa to engage and eliminate Mr. President." Jack replied.


    "Mr. President, in light of this new threat to the homeland we see no option other than to engage the threat ourselves." General Maynard added.


    "I agree. The thought of placing the security of Earth in the hands of the Progressive Jaffa isn''t one I like one bit. What are your recommendations gentlemen?" Hayes asked.


    "I recommend that we treat this new threat as separate from the situation on Goronak. We have no alternative other than meeting this new threat head on as soon as forces can be brought to bear. That means a ground assault is a no go." Maynard explained.


    "It seems to me that the Jaffa only understand one thing and that''s servitude. Maybe its time we gave them something to fear." Hayes mused.


    "You have my agreement on that Mr. President. The Jaffa are kind of like owning a dog. You may have owned that dog for years, and loved that dog. If that dog bites you though, you have no choice but to put it down. That''s the only way to make sure you don''t get bit again." Jack stated.


    "They want to play tough then we''ll give them what they want. On Goronak, I don''t care what has to be done, but get our captured soldier back. Once that is done your forces have a go to beat the Jaffa into submission." Hayes said strongly.


    "And on Cor''ak?" Maynard asked.


    "This group has made it abundantly clear that they will not stop until this planet is a dead world. They want to see a moon destroyed? Then that''s what we''ll give them. Mirror their tactics and destroy Cor''ak''s moon. It''s time we put them in their place. If they want to play for keeps then we can do that. Make it happen." Hayes ordered with a steely voice.


    Cor''ak


    Laying silently in wait, the American Ajax, Russian Peter the Great, and British Agincourt Athena class vessels of the Tauri fleet had sat under cover of cloak. As the three powerful sh.i.p.s waited for the soon to arrive fourth vessel, final checks were made on all systems. Their wait ended an hour later with the arrival of the Sun Li Ren, also under cloak. Onboard the Taiwanese 304 was the last piece of the puzzle taking shape. That this last puzzle piece had no clue that it was in play in a larger overall game was a matter of little consequence in the overall scheme.


    In a flash of silvery light, that puzzle piece was transported from the Sun Li Ren, aboard the Ajax. Appearing on the promenade of Ajax''s bridge where this light source was now fading, stood Rak''nor and Ry''ac. Taking note of their arrival, Colonel Young rose from his command chair and greeted the two Jaffa leaders.


    "Gentlemen, welcome aboard the Ajax. I''m Colonel Young." Young said graciously.


    "Why have you summoned us here Colonel Young?" Ry''ac asked.


    "You''re here to witness a demonstration." Young replied in a vague manner.


    "We are all aware the planet in front of us is Cor''ak. At your President''s request our attack on this world was halted. Answers are due now Colonel. What type of demonstration are we here to witness?" Rak''nor demanded.


    "That will become clear once we''re done here, I assure you. Now if you''ll please stand aside, my crew and I have a few matters to attend to before the demonstration begins." Young stated with authority.


    Messages were quickly exchanged amongst the four Tauri vessels. These encrypted data bursts carried the instructions for the coming evolution. Breaking ranks, the Sun Li Ren sped towards the planet of Cor''ak. Her mission was simple; enter the atmosphere and perform reconnaissance. As she slipped away, Ajax, Agincourt, and Peter the Great assumed station behind the dark side of the planets single moon.


    At Young''s order, the sensor operator marked preplanned coordinates on the dark side of the moon. With these marked positions locked into the computer, a simple push of a button transferred this information to the transporter control station. From there an automatic cycle of preprogrammed action initiated. In the port side hanger bay three objects were engulfed in silver light and vanished. Seconds later, these objects rematerialized on the dark side of the moon. Were one to draw an imaginary line between these items, it would be noted that an equilateral triangle formed.


    The objects themselves were benign in appearance to the untrained eye. One inch thick and three feet in diameter, these circular heavy metal disks were dark in appearance. Dark of color naturally, naqaudria was also one of the most volatile radioactive elements in the known universe. In an attempt to keep the evolution as simple as humanly possible, these disks lacked technology in any form. They were simply disks of naqaudria, albeit naqaudria refined beyond what would commonly be held as weapons grade.


    Receiving word from the Sun Li Ren of the disposition of enemy assets on the planet below, the Athena''s began to move closer to the planet. Ajax, Agincourt, and Peter the Great took station in mid planetary orbit. Weapons were powered as shields were raised. Assigned targets uncovered by the last minute reconnaissance of the Sun Li Ren were locked in the Athena''s firing computers. Eighteen targets, that was all. It wasn''t the number of targets that mattered in this case, but instead what the individual targets were.


    Ranked in order of importance, the list was divided equally between the three Athena''s. Targets one through seven were Ha''tak class vessels, resting on the temples controlled by the Illac Renin. Targets eight through fifteen, Tel''tak''s, were scattered around these same temples. While unable to fly away themselves, targets sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen were still important nonetheless. These last three were transport ring arrays, which if used, could allow for escape to a vessel not seen. Refusing to allow such an eventuality, these too would be destroyed.


    Taking a page out of the Goa''uld playbook written long ago, the three Athena''s dropped their cloaks and opened up with their Grodin''s. Six times the intense green tinted beams let loose. Orbital bombardment, horrific as it could be, was what this operation was structured around. In forty five seconds the destruction was complete. Instead of charred cityscapes and mass casualties like the Goa''uld and their Jaffa servants had visited on many worlds, twisted and ruined transport rings and vessels lay in the bombardments wake.


    The first phase of the small Tauri fleet''s task was complete. What that meant was all means of escape from the planet available to the Jaffa were gone. Sensor scans of Cor''ak revealed nothing that could prevent the second phase of the operation. Lighting off their individual sublight engines, the Athena''s maneuvered clear of the planet, and made their way towards behind the dark side of the moon. Following orders, the Sun Li Ren maneuvered away from Cor''ak and took station five hundred thousand kilometers away from the opposite side of the planet facing the moon.


    Ajax, Agincourt, and Peter the Great arrived on station and locked their positions in precisely. Inertial compensators ensured that the massive vessels drifted not at all from their chosen positions in space. On the bridges of the Tauri vessels, weapons officers initiated computer guided diagnostics of the powerful weapons that bore the name Grodin. Seconds later, with the diagnostics reading the weapons were fully mission ready, the vessels were ready.


    Ry''ac and Rak''nor stood with unease on the bridge of the Ajax. It was true that the Jaffa on the planet of Cor''ak were these two men''s enemy, but they were still kinsmen. Ry''ac, with his association since boyhood with the Tauri, was the more comfortable of the two. Rak''nor though was less than comfortable.


    "This was the demonstration you asked us to witness? Our army was ready to strike at the enemy on this world. All you''ve done here is to destroy a few sh.i.p.s and ring platforms. Hardly the decisive victory I expected when agreeing to halt my army''s advance." Rak''nor accused.


    "Be patient, the demonstration hasn''t started just yet." Young suggested.


    "When then Colonel?" Rak''nor demanded.


    "Right about now." Young replied.


    "Agincourt and Peter the Great report weapons ready. Control uplink is interfaced and active. We have control of their weapons systems." Major Donaldson, the communications officer stated.


    The uplink in question was a system rarely used. Conceived in the wake of the battle of the super gate, this system was the answer to future large fleet engagements. When active, the uplink networked Tauri vessels together, slaving their weapons systems to a designated command vessel. This control allowed a single vessel to control and direct incredible amounts of firepower. It also ensured that multiple vessels would not engage the same target. Elegance can be found in efficiency in the eyes of a warfighter.


    Meeting eyes with the weapons officer, Young gave a nod of his head. Fingers danced over the controls of the weapons console. On command, the main weapon''s of the assembled Athena''s tracked in on their individual points of aim before locking on target.


    "All weapons are targeted Colonel." Major Andrews, the weapons officer announced.


    "Weapons free. Fire when ready Major Andrews." Young replied.


    It wasn''t everyday that a man was empowered to do what was about to be done. Andrews felt the weight on his shoulders, and could scarcely imagine the burden of command Colonel Young must be under. Taking in a deep breath, the Major focused on the task at hand. Moving his hand to the right side of his workstation, Andrews pressed the fire control button


    On command, the three vessels simultaneously unleashed their main beam weapons. Beam strength for this volley was set for a low level twenty percent. Despite that adjustment, the green beams streaking towards the moon were hellish in their intensity. For four seconds the networked weapons systems sustained their assault on their pinpoint targets; the naqaudria disks emplaced on the moons surface less than an hour before. Each of these disks began to react to the assault milliseconds after the affront began.


    In nuclear mechanics, the overwhelming majority of fission events are induced by bombardment of excitable material with another particle, a neutron, which is produced by prior fission events. Nuclear fission in fissile fuel is the result of nuclear excitation energy produced when nucleus of the fissile fuel captures a neutron. The energy resulting from the neutron capture is a result of attractive force acting between the neutron and nucleus. This is enough to deform the nucleus into a double lobed drop, leading the nucleonic fragments to exceed the distances at which nuclear force can hold the two groups of charged nucleons together. When this happens, the two opposing fragments complete their separation and are driven further apart by mutually repulsive charges in a process that swiftly becomes irreversible with growing distance. This growing distance led surrounding nucleons to collide over and over again.


    Once begun, this cascade of subatomic events soon took on a personality of its own. Unimaginable amounts of energy were released in the forms of exothermic energy, light, gamma radiation, and kinetic force. Raw violent power was unleashed. Like the coming rays of a sunrise, the explosion illuminated space in sheets of pure white light.


    Few things known to man could endure the vicious assault the moon found itself under. Moon rock was no different. Directly surrounding the three explosions many millions of tons of rock and dust were vaporized and simply disappeared. Shock and vibration from the event shattered the celestial body. Gargantuan chucks of rock and ore accelerated towards Cor''ak, pushed forth by the event. In all directions the detritus of the now destroyed celestial body moved. What had once been sixty million tons of material that had over a period of a billion years had coalesced into a moon was no more.


    Continuing to expand, the debris field would soon find itself arrested around Cor''ak by the planets gravity well. Portions of the debris field would rain down as meteors and micro meteors for some time to come. Under the right circ.u.mstances, this alone might have been enough to end a good deal of life on the planet. What insured the end of all life on Cor''ak was more subtle than that. The many tens of millions of tons of rock now shattered into dust would shield the world''s surface from sunlight. Plant life would begin to die, surface temperatures would plummet, and shortly thereafter sentient life would perish from exposure and starvation.


    In the distance, the first of the explosively propelled micro meteorites entered the atmosphere. Each speck of dust, pebble of rock, or boulder sized rock superheated during their descent. While energetic events like this would grow in ever greater frequency and seriousness over the coming weeks, it mattered little. Unbeknownst to the Jaffa staring at the sky in fear, horror, and wonder, Cor''ak was now a dead world.


    On the bridge of the Ajax, a deafening silence reverberated around those present. The event just witnessed defied words. Rak''nor and Ry''ac found themselves shocked and suddenly fearfully aware of the power the Tauri wielded so easily.


    "You have killed this world! The fate you have leveled at the Jaffa on this world is not a death worthy of a warrior. Why have you done this?" Rak''nor demanded.


    "You were promised a demonstration and it has been delivered." Young replied.


    "A demonstration of what?" Rak''nor demanded.


    "Our resolve to bring about commonsense in the Jaffa. Things have changed gentlemen. It''s time you remember that the Jaffa were created from people taken from my world. It''s time that those roots are remembered and respected, or consequences could crop up unexpectedly." Young replied lightly.

 Chapter 183

    Pegasus galaxy, Wraith stronghold


    It had taken weeks to reach their destination. Finally though, the Hive had arrived. The end destination was one long held in Wraith hands. During the Ancient/Wraith war, this world at the outer edge of the Pegasus galaxy had served as a fallback position while the Ancient fleet had advanced deeper into Wraith territory. Again this distant world served that very purpose once again.


    The planet itself was barren, almost totally devoid of life. Life did exist here though, in some form. Lacking zpm''s to power a growth facility like the one destroyed several years ago by the Atlantis expedition, a series of smaller scale facilities existed. While unable to produce new Wraith in numbers equaling larger facilities, the number of soldiers produced was still impressive. Neighboring these facilities on the cold and rocky terrain, Hives and cruisers were being grown to carry these new soldiers out into the stars.


    In orbit above the planet stood an impressive sight; a mega space station of sorts. Like Wraith vessels, this station too was alive. Composed of organic biopolymers, the internal layout of the station was identical to that found onboard a Hive ship. This station however branched out in a star like pattern, allowing for up to twenty Hive''s to dock simultaneously.


    As the seat of power for the Wraith nation, it was here that the Queen known as The First kept her throne. As a nation in retreat, the remaining Queens maintained their presence here at the command of The First. In the throne room of the facility, cast in an eerie light through the dimly lit fog blanketing the cavernous throne rooms floor, sat The First. The assorted Queens and commanders who served her felt the gamut of emotions that surged through her mind. The reason for this was the moments before arrived commander and soldier that stood with bowed head before First.


    "You expect me to believe that my followers are now being culled by the humans?" First demanded furiously.


    "What the soldier beside me witnessed leaves no doubt that the Lantean''s are doing that very thing my Queen." The replicator infected commander replied.


    "Ridiculous." First spat with anger.


    "That was my first thought as well my Queen." The commander offered.


    "If the humans are in fact doing as you say, then what is the purpose of such an affront?" First inquired carefully.


    "I do not know my Queen." The commander replied.


    "Then tell me what you do know!" First thundered.


    "Not long after our departure from the site of the culling, the humans attempted to finish what they started. In the ensuing battle both of my cruisers were lost." The commander admitted.


    Moving from her throne to the commander''s position with frightening speed First seized the commander by the throat. With a strength that belied her diminutive size, the Queen tightened her grasp on the commander''s throat, dropping him to his knees. Relishing his discomfort, First felt the warmth of contentment as she exacted a physical toll on the subject who had failed to answer the questions she demanded. Had she been aware of the single nanite that transferred from the commander''s epidermis to her feeding hand, she would have felt a range of slightly different emotions.


    Videum


    Standing in the operations center of the city ship, Colonel Reynolds looked down into the gate room and saw the expected device arrive through the wormhole originating in the depths of the SGC. The device resembled a lava lamp like he''d had in his room in college, the Colonel thought. Like a lava lamp, this device too would provide viewing enjoyment for whatever audience it might find. The effects of viewing a similar device was something SG-1 had once become intimately familiar, much to their chagrin.


    It was technically known as a Goa''uld Light Matrix Hologram Generator. When activated, this device would fill a room with beautiful and undulating waves of shimmering violet colored light. That people were drawn to this light like a narcotic was not due to its beauty, but more to the resonating frequency pulsations that emanated from its base. After exposure to these pulsations, an effect akin to drug addiction took hold in the viewers. Leaving the devices immediate vicinity and the limited range of the pulsations resulted in withdrawal symptoms that had once resulted in the suicide of an SG team member.


    In the base of the device was a system not found in the original design. Integral to the lower framework of the device stand were a series of localized sensor transceivers, and a location plotting booster. It''s often said that every device no matter how big or small had a destiny. This device certainly had a particular destiny mapped out for it from its time of construction. Minutes earlier a text formatted message had been sent to Rel''dar requesting precise coordinates to deliver a gift meant to thank the Jaffa for the alliance they believed cemented with a fictitious people. The message had been very clear though that all Jaffa leaders and the captured Tauri serviceman must be in attendance when the gift arrived.


    "Any word yet Bill?" Colonel Reynolds asked.


    "It''s coming in now. Everyone we requested be there is confirmed to attend. We also have exact coordinates to beam the device Colonel." Dr. Lee replied.


    "Then let''s not keep them waiting. As soon as we have confirmation that everyone is in place on their side and ours, beam the device to their location." Reynolds ordered.

 Chapter 184

    Goronak, Jaffa encampment


    True to his word, Rel''dar had gathered his ground force commanders in his command tent, along with the once captive but now revered Sgt. Linder. Sitting in a semicircle in the center of the tent, the men were overwhelmed with a sense of jubilation and a further sense of belonging. After what felt like years of struggle and searching for a future filled with hope, the Traditionalist Jaffa felt that their task was finally accomplished. Here they sat, awaiting the gift that gave proof to the cementing of an alliance with a powerful race; a race that would lead them into the embrace of ascension.


    Concern was still in their hearts. Though a new tomorrow had been found, it had come at an enormous price. That price was the fracturing of the Traditionalist alliance with the Illac Renin. Never had Rel''dar and his followers ever thought possible that Da''vir and his followers would take up arms against Traditionalist forces. Knowing that ascension awaited them at the end of their path, the Traditionalist forces had met hostile force with hostile force of their own against their wayward brothers, in a display of fatalistic and grim determination.


    When word arrived for the gathering to standby for the unknown gifts arrival, the level of excitement in the tent reached a crescendo. For five minutes the gathering of men waited with baited breath. Few of the men had ever stopped to consider just how long five minutes could truly be when waiting for something of such importance. Many things could happen in such a short amount of time, and unknown to the men, much was.


    In the center of the tent a silver tinted aura of light formed suddenly. As the light expanded, the translucent image of a man sized device took form. With the aura fading, the spectral image took solid form, leaving the device for all to see. Ten seconds later, the device began powering up. From top to bottom, the device shimmered with violet currents of light. Unseen to the Jaffa, the sensor augmenters hidden within the base of the device also powered on. Due to his proximity to the device, Linder''s presence and precise geospatial location were noted and quickly passed along to the Videum.


    As power levels in the device reached a certain threshold, the ethereal flame of shimmering violet light began to engulf the interior of the text. Rel''dar and his ground commanders sat transfixed on the beauty unfolding before them. So engrossed where they, that not one of them noticed the return of the silver aura of light and sudden disappearance of their one time captive; Sgt. Linder. The light around them was beautiful, and unlike anything the Jaffa had ever encountered before. It made them feel content, and oblivious to the outside world around them.


    While the activation of the device had enabled the rescue of Linder, it had a secondary purpose. After detecting the successful beaming away of Linder, the device activated a discreet low power beacon. This beacon was meant for not the Videum or the fleet in orbit. Instead this beacon was meant for the lone cloaked FB-302 orbiting eighteen thousand feet above, in an elliptical flight path.


    Launched forty minutes before, this 302 carried a weapon far different than many used against the Jaffa. Hanging from the underbelly of the aircraft GBU-43 Massive Ordinance Air Blast guided bomb or MOAB for short. Weighing in at twenty two thousand six hundred pounds, and sitting at thirty feet one inch in length, MOAB represented the largest freefall weapon ever deployed by the United States Air Force. Eighteen thousand seven hundred pounds of the MOAB''s total weight was composed of an explosive known as H6, one of the most energetic explosives used by the US military packing one and a half times the explosive power of TNT.


    Following his mission brief, on receipt of the beacon below, the 302 pilot finalized pre-drop procedures begun when first arriving on station. Using the beacon as the aim point, the pilot locked the target into the MOAB''s onboard guidance unit. With that done, very little could stop this titan of a weapon from reaching the target it was destined to meet. Mission orders given during his preflight briefing made it very clear that upon receipt of the beacon''s signal, the weapon was to be launched. Already armed, the pilot toggled the release and the weapon fell free from the craft carrying it.


    "Scalpel zero one, this is Chainsaw five five." The 302 pilot stated over the radio net.


    "Chainsaw, this is Scalpel. Go." The AWACS controller in the command and control jumper replied.


    "The crowd pleaser is away. I say again, the crowd pleaser is away." Chainsaw five five stated.


    "Roger. You are cleared to RTB." Scalpel zero one replied, clearing the 302 for a return to the ship that had brought her and her pilot to this world.


    As gravity took effect, the MOAB nosed over and began to plummet towards the ground below. The onboard guidance unit knowing where this short trip would end, provided a near constant stream of instructions to the lattice control surfaces on the tail of the weapon, steering it as it fell. Passing through eleven thousand feet, a four foot long rod sprang from the nose. The onboard altimeter detecting the weapon passing through ninety five hundred feet armed the firing circuit that would ignite the H6.


    Continuing it''s decent, the MOAB was fully armed and ready to fulfill its designed purpose. Lacking any sense of fear or compassion, MOAB''s guidance system was only concern with zeroing in on its designated point of ignition. That location in time and space was quickly approaching. If it had been equipped with emotions, MOAB would have felt a sense of exhilaration stemming from the knowledge that it would accomplish exactly what its designers had intended.


    At a height of sixteen hundred feet above the beacon, eighteen thousand seven hundred pounds of H6 ignited. Heat, pressure, and crippling amounts of noise were the result. An area of four hundred and thirty feet surrounding Rel''dar''s tent were incinerated, crushed, and torn by explosive force. Those inside that circle were the lucky ones. The massive pressure wave of the air blast from detonation spread in all directions. Inside of a circle of two thousand feet from the blast area, the air blast sent men and equipment flying. Bodies already torn apart by the immense air blast were further shredded by flying debris, body parts, and equipment. In the span of the six tenths of a second it took to unleash MOAB''s destructive power, the heart of the Jaffa encampment and its leadership ceased to be.


    "Hacksaw flight, this is Scalpel zero one. You are cleared in hot." The AWACS controller announced over the communications net.


    Hacksaw flight was made of up FB-302''s, just like the one that dropped the MOAB. These however were closing in on the encampment from over the waters where Videum currently sat. Instead of being outfitted with one massive weapon, these attack craft carried twelve GBU-53 Small Diameter Bombs. These two hundred and four pound weapons differed greatly from their much larger cousin. Upon exit from the internal bomb bays of each FB-302, each SDB deployed their own diamondback style airfoil wings. These wings would allow each weapon to glide the twenty five miles to their individual targets. Equipped with infrared, inertial navigation, and millimeter wave radar; little chance existed that these weapons would fail to find their mark.


    High above the valley holding the Jaffa encampment now under siege, multiple flights of F-302 air superiority fighters orbited. Each fighter pilot yearned for the dog fights they had dreamed of since graduating flight school. Would that dog fight come today? That was yet unknown. In the event Jaffa death gliders did decide to take to the air, the fighter pilots had every intention of giving them a welcome worthy of note.


    In the mountains above the valley containing the Jaffa encampment, activity was afoot. Artillery assets of the NATO nations began pumping rounds down range. Executing their preplanned fire mission, each one hundred and fifty five millimeter howitzer would belch three rounds per minute, for the next ten minutes. Once that was complete, a collection of heavily armed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters would swoop in and rain down fiery death on the enemies of their world.


    Several miles behind the highest NATO encampment, the forward air base was abuzz. 2nd Brigade 101st Air Assault Division took to their designated UH-60 Blackhawk transport helicopters. Riding into battle once the order was given, these four thousand men would perform the largest Air Assault in many years. It was hoped that their sudden arrival on the Jaffa''s flank would force the enemy commander into committing an error. Only time would tell. Sitting aboard one of these UH-60''s, two soldiers spoke quietly.


    "Sometimes I think I should have joined the Coast Guard." Private First Class Katz muttered.


    "And miss out on all this fun? No way bro! It''s kind of like playing a really long game of Halo." Specialist Byron replied.


    "We''re on another planet, at war with an alien race, and getting ready to do an Air Assault. Don''t you find that just a little bit crazy?" Katz asked.


    "When you put it like that, I guess you''re right. You really need to learn not to be such a fun sucker." Byron groused.

 Chapter 185

    Earth


    The act of disclosure of the Stargate Program to the world opened doors previously impossible to consider passing through. Knowledge and technology garnered through the programs many years of operation had slowly trickled down to numerous highly classified programs, and several key defense contractors involved. Public acknowledgment brought with it the opportunity to make use of many of these advancements on a global scale. In light of this, the proverbial floodgates had been thrown open, unleashing a golden age of advancement to every man, woman, and child of Earth.


    The construction of Shambhala had been ordered for many reasons. First, the city represented a major upgrade to the world known as the Alpha Site. Second, this great city would allow for a secure meeting place with representatives of other worlds leaving Earth free of the security concerns raised by less than trusted visitors. Third, Shambhala was intended to represent the crown jewel in Tauri off world holdings. Last but certainly not least, the great city''s construction was ordered as a proof of concept.


    That concept had been evaluated closely. Even before construction was complete, the merits of the form and function of this style of city were seen clearly. Disclosure now complete, what had started as a concept was now moving on to the execution phase. Washington DC, London, Paris, Moscow, and Taipei in lieu of Beijing do to the recent change in government were undergoing remarkable changes.


    A small army of five thousand human form replicators had been created for the task. Their assignment; transform these first five cities into examples similar to Shambhala. Owing to the historic significance of many sites within these cities, they would differ somewhat from the original. Incorporating these historical elements into the overall design, these cities once complete, would embody the past, present, and future of Earth''s landscape. Hard at work on the task of rebirth of each metropolis, a collection of one thousand human form replicators stood.


    As construction progressed at an incredible pace, delegations present from many of the worlds governments stood as witness. Lessons would be learned by these delegations. These lessons would be applied to the unique vision each of the worlds governments had for their own cities. When the time came, Earth''s great population centers would be rebuilt in this style. Possessed of great knowledge and technology, Earth would soon look the part of the birthplace of the strongest example of humanity in this galaxy and others.


    Underway but not yet complete, the integration and networking of the global power grid continued. With the assistance of Asgard and Furling engineers, power transmission conduits crisscrossed the globe. Channeled into these conduits was the output of the array of neutrino ion generators constructed some time ago. Already, sixty percent of the world made use of this clean energy. Once the planetary Arcturus device was complete, every corner of the world would never again want for energy. The energy revolution didn''t end there though.


    From the shores of Louisiana to the far corners of Asia, oil refineries had undergone systematic modifications. Instead of refining an ever dwindling supply of crude oil into various distillates such as jet fuel, gasoline, and diesel fuel; these facilities would now produce a new yet similar product. Already, the United States military used this new algae based biofuel to power aircraft and ground vehicle alike. Now this same fuel would power internal combustion engines around the world. Licensing the patents for this new fuel to the oil companies of the world, the governments once represented by the IOA would also profit greatly from sharing this development.


    In sixty days time, traditional petroleum based fuels would forever be relegated to a thing of the past. Your child''s first automobile and the tractor trailer that delivered frozen food to your local Safeway would make use of biofuel. Freight trains, cargo sh.i.p.s, and airliners would as well. The modern conveniences of interstate trade, air travel, and local travel would now perform the same function as before, without posing any threat to the environment. Surely the environmentalists would be pleased with that.


    The oil companies were not the only ones to have the good fortune of licensing government held patents for commercial use. Boeing, Lockheed, Ilyushin, and Airbus purchased the rights to make use of aerospace patents. Using this knowledge, the next generation of commercial passenger and cargo aircraft would take shape. Operating at hypersonic speeds once built, these aircraft would reduce international travel times to a fraction of what they were currently. Refitting the world''s aircraft fleets with these new craft, an incredible economic impact would also be felt simply from the mass influx of cash into these four companies and parts suppliers.


    In the more arid regions of the world, changes were also taking place. Using direct copies of the desalinization equipment found aboard Ancient city sh.i.p.s, sea water would be turned into potable water. This potable water was meant not for additional drinking water, but instead for gargantuan agricultural centers. Placing these centers in land formerly unutilized, these arid regions would provide an incredible bounty of grain, fruits, and vegetables. Supervised b the United Nations, this program in time would forever bring to an end world hunger.


    These opening steps would forever change everyday life in the far corners of the world. That these were only the tentative first steps was a secret the governments of the world freely admitted. What further changes would the world see? Much was in store, but the sky truly was the limit.

 Chapter 186

    Borealis


    Sitting behind his desk in the expedition commander''s office, Daniel sorted through several stacks of paperwork. One stack referenced developments on Earth and within the Milky Way. The other contained intelligence information gathered in the Pegasus galaxy. Reading intently, Daniel familiarized himself with the pertinent facts that he would soon brief his head of security on. The Milky Way portion of that briefing was one Daniel dreaded having to give.


    Placing his glasses on the desk, Daniel breathed deeply. His thoughts raced, attempting to guess just what reaction he might receive from Teal''c. This is the less than enjoyable part of command he thought. Putting his glasses back on, he noted someone standing in his doorway. Expressionless for a brief moment, he motioned his old friend and colleague towards a seat in the room.


    "Come on in Teal''c." Daniel began.


    "Thank you Daniel Jackson." Teal''c replied.


    "We''ve got a number of things to discuss. Would you like to begin with the Milky Way or Pegasus?" Daniel asked.


    "I believe Pegasus should be first. It is more pertinent to our current mission." Teal''c answered.


    "Pegasus it is. Our friends the Traveler''s have passed along a few reports of Wraith cullings. Three worlds were hit." Daniel stated.


    "Do we have an estimate of the numbers of humans taken during these attacks?" Teal''c asked.


    "The Traveler''s estimate twenty five hundred people lost between the three worlds. Carrying on with their recent tactics, every living person was culled." Daniel replied somberly.


    "Perhaps they are intensifying their culling efforts due to our increased fleet presence in this galaxy. Fearing attack, it is logical that the Wraith capture as many humans as they can while they can." Teal''c theorized.


    "I''m inclined to agree. We need to intensify our SG team''s time in the field. Starting tomorrow, I would like to see the deployment schedule reflect that each team will be visiting three planets per week." Daniel suggested.


    "The increase in operational tempo should allow our teams to generate further intelligence information. Tell me Daniel Jackson, did any of the worlds culled have a Furling crystal skull present?" Teal''c asked.


    "Sadly, no. These were world''s that refused to allow such a thing. We can''t force them to do what''s good for them. Even though we''re here to protect these people, they don''t always feel the need to make our job any easier." Daniel sighed.


    "That is the nature of all beings Daniel Jackson." Teal''c conceded.


    "Atlantis sent over the latest intel from the replicator program. It would seem that the repli-Wraith has infected a Hive and a majority of its crew to include the commander. That''s not the interesting part though. Apparently the head Queen of the Wraith interrogated the repli-Wraith at length about our culling of her followers. She doesn''t know what to make of our actions and at first had trouble believing it. After hearing it first hand from the lone survivor, tensions are high. This is where it gets interesting. The Queen made physical contact with the repli-Wraith. In the process she became infected. The lone nanite in her bloodstream is replicating, but not at anything like the levels we''ve seen in soldiers and commanders." Daniel explained.


    "Could it be that she possesses some form of immunity from the nanites?" Teal''c asked.


    "I wondered that also. After speaking with Doctor Keller and Rodney, I came away with conflicting opinions. Rodney is of the opinion that it''s impossible she''s immune. Keller on the other hand believes that it could be possible. Todd has been contacted to ascertain the answer, so I''ll let you know the minute I hear an answer." Daniel replied.


    "Now that the Wraith believe we are culling their numbers, they will react. A pivotal battle is the only logical outcome." Teal''c stated confidently.


    "You might be right. Now, let''s move on to the Milky Way. As your friend, I will say that I''m not enthused to be giving you this portion of the briefing." Daniel said almost apologetically.


    "Then I will assume that this involves the ongoing conflict with the Jaffa." Teal''c said knowingly.


    "That it does. Look Teal''c, some of this you might not want to hear." Daniel warned.


    "Daniel Jackson, nothing you tell me will change my allegiance to the Tauri." Teal''c replied.


    "As you are aware, following the attempted attack on Earth and Arkos forty thousand NATO ground troops were deployed to Goronak. Due to event''s that were not explained to me, these troops remained in their encampments for some time." Daniel explained.


    "They have attacked? The purpose of ground troops is to wage war. Your trepidation on explaining this happening to me is unnecessary." Teal''c instructed.


    "I''m told that their attack is taking place at this moment. It has been made clear to me though that our forces launched a first strike meant to debilitate the Traditionalist leadership. This isn''t the part I''m concerned about briefing you on." Daniel winced.


    "This would be easier if you informed me without worry." Teal''c suggested.


    "As you know, the remains of the Illac Renin were on Cor''ak." Daniel began.


    "Yes, I am aware." Teal''c answered.


    "Using intelligence Ishta helped develop, it was ascertained that the Illac Renin planned a second strike against Earth. Not Earth itself, but our moon. Had this been allowed to occur, all life on Earth would have been lost." Daniel said.


    "Such an attack is a tactic for elimination of an opponent, not simple defeat." Teal''c stated.


    "Yes, I know. Teal''c, the President ordered the military to mirror the enemy tactics. The moon of Cor''ak has been destroyed, along with any possible method of escape for those on the planet. Ry''ac and Rak''nor were aboard the Ajax to witness the attack." Daniel said delicately.


    "How many Jaffa were on that world?" Teal''c asked.


    "Estimates put the number in the thousands, but I don''t have an exact number to give you." Daniel answered.


    "Oprah of Chicago would call this tough love." Teal'' said deadpan.


    "It doesn''t bother you just a little?" Daniel asked in an incredulous tone.


    "As First Prime of Apophis, I laid siege to Cor''ak for many days. At my order, the Ha''tak fleet under my command bombarded this world from orbit and much life was lost. My only concern is how this will be viewed by Rak''nor and my son." Teal''c offered.


    "That I don''t know the answer to. I spoke with Jack about all of this. He is concerned about repercussions against Ry''ac because of your known association with Earth. I''ve been asked to extend the offer to pull your son out of potential danger and he will be given asylum." Daniel stated.


    "He would not accept such an outcome. My son is many things Daniel Jackson; Foolish and headstrong are but two of them." Teal''c replied.


    "Just think if over and let me know if you change your mind on this, ok?" Daniel asked.


    "I will thank you." Teal''c answered.


    "Ok, that''s all I''ve got for you right now. A note was given to me before you arrived. You''re needed at the overlook on the south pier when we''re done, so I''ll let you attend to that." Daniel said in closing.


    Rising to his feet, Teal''c exited the office. Making his way through stargate operations, he quickly descended the stairs and entered the transport booth one level down. Stepping into the booth and entering his destination, Teal''c was transported to the booth nearest where he was needed. Finding himself outside in the sunshine and salt air, Teal''c strode towards the overlook at the end of the south pier.


    As he drew nearer to the overlook, Teal''c looked around for just who might be needing him. All he saw in the distance was a lone figure standing at the rails of the overlook, dressed in flowing white robes. Searching his memory, he could think of no one aboard Borealis that matched this man''s description. Who could this be and how could they have arrived without his knowledge? Coming closer and closer, Teal''c continued to wonder until the lone figure turned around and looked directly at him.


    The sight of this man looking at him stopped Teal''c midstride, dead in his tracks. For a brief moment the brave former First Prime found himself barely able to draw a single breath. Instantly, his senses went on alert and perspiration formed on his brow. How was this possible?


    "Greetings my son." The man began.


    "This is not possible." Teal''c whispered to himself as his eyes began to tear slightly.


    "It is possible Teal''c." The man replied while stepping forward and embracing Teal''c.


    "Old man, how is this possible?" Teal''c asked quietly.


    "Ascension was the reward for my part in efforts to protect Earth from the Goa''uld." Bra''tac replied.


    "It is good to see you my friend. Never did I think we would cross paths again." Teal''c said warmly.


    "I am here to discuss several matters with you, if you have time for an old man." Bra''tac stated with a smile.


    "Nothing could prevent me from giving you the time you seek." Teal''c replied.


    "Let me begin by telling you that Ry''ac is well. Unknown to him, I watch over him to keep him safe." Bra''tac explained.


    "Thank you my friend." Teal''c replied with gratitude in his voice.


    "I have watched this war between the Traditionalists and the Tauri. Many have died, and I fear many more will die before it reaches its end." Bra''tac stated.


    "I too fear you are correct. The Traditionalists have antagonized a race they do not understand. Tauri military capabilities are unlike anything they are prepared to deal with. Four man SG teams were a problem for the Jaffa serving the System Lords. Now they face an entire army, and this army is highly trained and motivated I''m certain." Teal''c answered.


    "I too agree that the Traditionalists have little chance of defeating the Tauri. Those on Cor''ak felt no fear of the Tauri attack when surrender was their only chance at survival. The war machine our former brothers face is frightening in its capabilities and resolve to see this conflict through to the end." Bra''tac continued.


    "They are proud and fearsome warriors, as you and I learned many years ago. This is a lesson the Traditionalist''s must learn for themselves." Teal''c offered.


    "The Tauri are the new dominate race in the galaxy. War with them will both be the salvation of all Jaffa and bring us together, or will end in the extermination of our race. No other option exists as I see it, and the other ascended beings agree." Bra''tac stated knowingly.


    "O''Neill often made use of a saying that fits this situation. They made their bed and now must lay in it." Teal''c replied.

 Chapter 187

    Shambhala


    Residing in the emerald colored glass clad seventy story tower were many entities of the United States Government. Calling these halls home were Agencies with vastly different and far ranging missions. One floor belonged solely to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On lower floors could be found offices of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. As you rose higher in the tower, the Agencies found grew in prestige and importance.


    Calling the sixty third floor home, a recently arrived team of Foreign Service officers of the State Department could be found. Unlike consular officers found in embassies on Earth, these six men and women belonged to a very important and often overlooked portion of America''s diplomatic corp. The Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs is an element of the State Department charged with promoting economic security at home and abroad. Balancing economic prosperity with national security, the EBBA is the nexus where international economic policy tools, trading trends, and import/export need converge. Accomplishing its mission through a system of Total Economic Engagement, the EBBA analyzes and employs all of the economic engagement tools of the U.S. Government.


    Under the guise of the Pan Galactic Trade Exchange, the EBBA found itself teamed with an Agency it rarely interacted with but in this instance was essential to the overall mission goals. The Strategic Materials Division of the Defense Logistics Agency is a government entity many have done business with unknowingly. Tasked with providing safe, secure, and environmentally sound stewardship for strategic and critical materials in the National Defense Stockpile, the SMD stores commodities with a market value in the tens of billions of Dollars.


    Commodities range from base metals such as cobalt, chromium, and zinc to precious metals such as iridium, platinum, and palladium. No private sector company on Earth maintains and sells such a wide range of commodities and materials. Historically, the SMD has operated as an international commodities broker for strategic and critical material for the U.S. Government, to meet national security requirements. SMD''s reason for being is the stockpiling of strategic and critical materials in the interest of national defense to preclude dangerous or costly dependence on foreign sources of supply in times of national emergency. Recently added to their charter of materials required for stockpiling were those not found on Earth; naquadah, naqaudria, trinium, and neutronium.


    Housed together in the Pan Galactic Trade Exchange, these two government entities would work hand in hand to fulfill this task while also opening access to the many items commercially available from the industries of the United States and Earth as a whole. The SMD would fix a target acquisition goal for the newly added commodities, while EBBA would set the price point and serve as the point of contact for the world offering these metals and minerals in trade. EBBA would also be the final authority for establishing value of any technology another race might seek to offer in trade.


    The Pan Galactic Trade Exchange would not operate on modern economic practices normally found on Earth at the governmental level. The problem lay in the fact that while the economies of Earth were extremely well developed with easily used national currencies, the vast majority of worlds in the Milky Way and Pegasus had no recognizable equivalent. Instead, the PGTE would operate as a barter exchange, acting as both broker and bank wherein each participating world or government would have an account that is debited when purchases are made, and credited when sales are transacted. Compared to one to one bartering, concerns over unequal exchanges are reduced in a barter exchange.


    The barter exchange would benefit companies and countries that see a mutual benefit in exchanging goods rather than cash. It also would enable those lacking hard currency to obtain goods and services. Barter in name only, the Exchange would employ a need driven price point to goods, and in return issue a credit in the form of US Dollars for items purchased. With the US Government acting as middle man, these Dollars would then be used to purchase approved materials requested by the foreign government or people. As an example, if Bedrosian''s offered one thousand pounds of naquadah in trade and the current market rate of this material was set at twenty five thousand dollars per pound, the Bedrosian''s account would be credited twenty five million Dollars minus a one percent transaction fee. The credit in this account could then be used to purchase medical supplies, farm equipment, etc.


    Once the transaction was concluded between the foreign government or people, they would take delivery of the items purchased with their account credits while the US government would take possession of the material or technology. The government would then resell the material on the commercial market on Earth for profit, with the proceeds going into government coffers. One modifier in place for the exchange was a system of tariffs. Depending on the relations enjoyed between the US government and the foreign entity, the offer price for materials could be lowered by these tariffs or increased. Big business had come to the Milky Way.


    Despite the Exchange''s recent creation, transactions were already pending. The Kelownan government of Langara was eager to offer naqaudria for sale, in the hopes of purchasing jet engine technology from Earth. From Hebridan, equipment necessary for rebuilding the world shattered by he Ori incursion was sought in exchange for an assortment of wanted minerals. SG teams with Foreign Service officers in tow were even now informing the galaxy of the Exchange''s existence, and of the opportunity to do business with the Tauri. In a relatively short time, the Exchange personnel would find themselves some of the most sought out people in the city.


    Elsewhere in the city, Camille Wray sat behind her desk. Moments earlier at her request, Elizabeth Weir had arrived. Pleasantries were exchanged, and daily status reports from around the city were gone discussed. Running a city of this size took a large amount of administrative oversight, and the two women made it a point to always remain ahead of the curve on happenings within their command. During the conversation, Weir couldn''t help but notice the constant smile on Camille''s face. Finally, she reached the point where she could no longer resist finding out what the bought of happiness was about.


    "Are you just going to grin to yourself all day, or would you care to clue me in?" Weir asked with a smile.


    "It''s not official until I have the paperwork in hand, but I have it on good authority that the paperwork should be here in the next diplomatic bag from Earth. Congratulations are in order." Camille hinted.


    "What are we talking about?" Weir asked, perplexed as to the subject.


    "It''s rare that your government rewards the hard work we put in out in the universe. Elizabeth, one of those rare times is here." Camille replied.


    "Camille, I honestly have no clue what you mean." Weir protested.


    "I forwarded on a memo about your desire to actually give your people recognition and a home of your own to General O''Neill. He took that memo to President Hayes. It''s my pleasure to inform you that the President has signed off on that request." Camille beamed.


    "He did what?" Weir asked, somewhat shocked.


    "You are to be recognized as the leader of the replicator race, and full diplomatic ties are to be extended. You are also being given a home world that your society can call their own." Camille replied.


    "One of the planets given to Earth by the Jaffa?" Weir asked.


    "Much closer to home than that. Using the exogenesis terraforming device, Mars is to be transformed into a habitable world. The materials necessary to build a capital city will also be provided to your people. The five thousand human form replicators currently on Earth will be transported to Mars. Elizabeth, this is your President saying thank you for all of the sacrifices you''ve made for your country." Camille stated proudly.


    "I''m speechless! Who will help you run this city?" Weir asked.


    "We''ll figure something out when the time comes. Don''t think about that right now. Instead, go give the good news to your people. When the paperwork arrives, I''ll bring it to you. Go on, get out of here!" Camille ordered with a smile.


    Across the city in the new shipyard, Doctor Nicholas Rush eagerly guided someone he deeply respected around. Freshly arrived from Earth and newly able to make full use of his body after years in a wheelchair, Sir Stephen Hawking took in the sights before him. As the mysteries of the galaxy were explained, Rush conveyed his utmost respect to the man beside him. Making their way through the shipyard towards the docked Copernicus class ship Hawking, the two men passed five new Copernicus class vessels now taking shape. When complete, the Johannes Kepler, Paul Dirac, John Dalton, Ernest Rutherford, and Niels Bohr would bring the total number of science vessels in the Tauri fleet to ten.

 Chapter 188

    Arkos


    Onboard the ancient fleet construction and anchorage point, the normal operations of a large intergalactic fleet carried on. Since the construction of Arkos, the cycle of construction, repair, refit, and resupply had been repeated countless times. After coming into use by the Tauri this cycle of events within Arkos had reached a pace far in excess of anything the Ancients had ever maintained. Despite the marked increase in operational tempo, the stations systems were far from achieving their maximum sustainable output.


    Throughout the age of man, the process of creation had taken many forms. Before the dawn of the age of reason and invention, creation had come in the form of stone tools and sharpened spears. Gradually, as mans intellect expanded, processes for faster production came about. This gave rise to standardization and mass production. In each of the numerous iterations of mans evolution, the age of industry gave rise to the attainment of ever more efficient means to accomplishing any given task. The penultimate expression of this process of development lay at the core of the construction systems found aboard Arkos.


    Fueled by a power source surpassing the energy output of most stars, Arkos carried out its task with ease. Within the bowels of the station, a seemingly endless stream of Puddle Jumpers took shape. In certain areas drive pods sat ready for instillation to the metallic shells of the interplanetary shuttles. Other areas tasked with construction of navigation and control systems stood ready to add their wares to the vehicles as they neared completion. As each jumper was completed, internal systems were powered up for the first time.


    Receiving the finished products, a number of two man flight crews verified operational readiness of all the myriad of systems aboard. Exiting and entering Arkos in a steady stream, the acceptance flights took place around the clock. Once certified as ready for delivery, the completed Jumpers were transferred to the designated storage bay. In due time, these vehicles would make their way to the many nations of Earth for uses designated by the individual governments and militaries.


    Jumpers were not the only small craft taking shape. In other designated construction bays, F-302''s came into being. Infinitely less complicated in their form but not their function, these lethal hunter killers came about at an expeditious clip. Like their more advanced sister sh.i.p.s, these two were received by teams of aviators who stood ready to test their new steeds. At the current rate of production, the Air Forces of the NATO nations would be fully reequipped with the design pioneered by the United States.


    In the fleet docking and construction bays, the sleek forms of vessels came into being. Three new nations were being brought into the fold of the Tauri fleet. Australia stood ready to take possession of the Athena class vessel Sir Robert Menzies, along with the Daedalus class vessels Sydney and Perth. Canada too would take ownership of the Athena class vessel Hugh Le Caine, and the Daedalus class units bearing the names Halifax and St. Laurent. Germany too was being similarly equipped. The Athena''s Bismark and Gneisenau in addition to the Daedalus class Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen would fly the German flag. Following in the footsteps of their European allies, Israel too was being equipped in a similar manner. The Athena''s Ben Gurion and Yitzhak Rabin plus the Daedalus class vessels Menachem Begin, Levi Eshkol, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Chaim Weizmann would all fly the Israeli flag.


    The nations of Earth were sorely aware of their new responsibilities in the Milky Way galaxy and others. Fleet numbers would continue to grow due to this fact. As nations were approved for receipt of examples of extremely high technology, construction would be scheduled. Waiting in the wings, the governments of Spain, Sweden, Norway, and Italy eagerly anticipated taking delivery of their requested vessels. These, operating in conjunction with the F-302''s and Jumpers already being delivered, would take their place out among the stars.


    Three levels below the progressing ship construction, eight joint teams of Tauri and Asgard engineers could be found. In this heavily shielded and sequestered portion of Arkos could be found the captured forms of an Ori mothership and the Drone mothership, both brought back by the Tauri flagship. After their combat actions against the Tauri juggernaut, these vessels had been heavily damaged. Upon arrival, the alien designs were first studied which greatly assisted in repairs. To fully unlock the secrets these vessels held, all systems must function. It was for this reason that they were brought back to full working order.


    Both vessels represented a treasure trove of technological secrets. Slowly, Ori weapons and shield designs were unlocked from the main ship. Also being studied were the small and highly agile fighters the mothership carried. Many lessons stood to be learned from the captured craft. Some of these lessons could very well find their way into the design of future generations of vessels for both the Tauri and the Asgard.


    In the coming days, the Asgard along with a select group of Tauri scientific and military minds would make their way to the open spaces of the Andromeda galaxy. There, the full capabilities of the powerful Ori mothership would be explored. Experimental systems in development along with tactics would be employed against the vessel. In this way the secrets she held would be revealed until all was known. Although the former followers of the Ori were now counted among the numbers of the allied races, the opportunity to acquire the ascended led design cues was simply too much to pass up.


    The Drone mothership sequestered in quarantine sat fully repaired but rendered inoperative. The fully autonomous nature of the vessel made the task of unlocking her secrets far simpler. A simple computer download of all files within the onboard computer, along with a thorough examination of the specific technology had accomplished this task. From the database engineering specifics, preprogrammed offensive tactics, and other operational protocols were learned.


    Unlike the Ori mothership, the Drone mothership would not remain the sole example of her kind in the possession of the allied races. One month earlier, three neighboring construction and docking bays had been added to the secure sequestration zone. On a theoretical level, the offensive abilities and tactics of these sh.i.p.s was already known. Knowledge of the threat sh.i.p.s such as these posed to the upcoming redeployment of the Destiny expedition necessitated further real world experience against them. For this reason, three copies of the alien vessel were being constructed. Once complete, these would be moved to a test area where they would square off in real world combat against the best and brightest of the Tauri fleet.

 Chapter 189

    Wraith orbital station


    The dank atmosphere found aboard the impressively large Wraith orbital station did little to improve the ever fluctuating mood of the queen known as the First. Wraith queens were not known for their good nature. The already volatile nature of the dominant queen further suffered from the recent introduction of the nanites that now coursed through her veins. Her normal intimidated and seemingly frightening tantrums of rage were magnified by these minuet invaders.


    Cellular invasion and replacement was a volatile process at the best of times. Unique genetic factors found in only the female members of the Wraith brought about a biological confrontation of epic proportions. Nanites in the queens bloodstream were generating an immune response unlike any predicted by computer modeling. Ruthlessly, the nanites attempted to replicate again and again. While successful in this task, regenerative powers owed to specific genetic makeup swiftly destroyed the invaders. In the process, she began to suffer diminishing control over higher mental function. In addition to this, a random twitch had begun to take hold in her hands, much to her chagrin.


    Unable to cope with the flood of emotion, she stormed the halls relentlessly. Weaker commanders of her fleet had taken to avoiding the rampaging queen if at all possible. If encountered, these commanders quickly made their way down any adjoining corridor to escape the impending fray. While this did little to assuage the ever present Wraith ego, survival instincts welling up within them made the choice to retreat a certainty. Sometimes it was simply better to be safe than sorry.


    Not yet reaching epidemic proportions, the nanite infection raged nonetheless. Individual crew members of four Hives carried these invaders within their bodies. Fluids circulating throughout the body of the orbital station also carried these same nanites, in small quantities. Replicating unchecked, these would in time come to infect all aboard if left unchecked. Everyday, this virulent and cancerous infection would continue to grow.


    In the throne room, the queen and infected commander engaged in open discussion on the current tactical and strategic situation in the galaxy. There was much to be discussed. On all levels of Wraith life, the greatly increased Lantean and allied fleet presence was taking its toll. Having dominated Pegasus for ten thousand years, the Wraith found the overall situation unbearable and incomprehensible. Somehow, someway, a solution to the building crisis must be found.


    "Before we can begin to combat the threat in our midst, we must first know how many the enemy fleet numbers." Primary fumed.


    "That is not a question that can be answered with any ease my queen." The infected commander replied.


    "Excuses!" Primary screamed shrilly.


    "My queen, this is not simply an excuse. The Lantean fleet is composed of three distinct designs that we are certain of. To that we must add their allies in those known as the Asgard, not to mention the forces of the Travelers." The commander explained.


    "That sounds nothing like a total number." Primary hissed.


    "I estimate the fleet we face numbers in at forty vessels minimum." The commander replied.


    "We defeated the Ancient''s. I refuse to believe that we cannot defeat their descendents." Primary groused.


    "The strength of their technology is something we mustn''t underestimate. Not only do they employ the technology of the Ancient''s, they also bring with them advanced technology unlike what we have faced before." The commander stated.


    "Why have we not yet swept them away into the annuls of history? Could it be because of incompetence?" Primary asked threateningly.


    "Every fleet engagement thus far has resulted in the destruction of our Hives and cruisers. Incompetence played no part in their destroying our vessels. They posses a warrior ethos unlike that of the Ancient''s. An easy victory is not to be had in this case." The commander continued.


    "When I demand answers I expect them without stalling." Primary stated in an annoyed tone.


    "Much as we did against in our war with the Ancient''s, we are expanding our numbers exponentially. Cloning is taking place as fast as power levels will allow. Matching this, new vessels are being grown for these new clones. In time, our numbers will turn the tide of battle." The commander assured her.


    "Many of our more fertile feeding grounds now produce nothing. Where are the humans we need to survive?" Primary demanded.


    "For some time now our feeding grounds have been subject to the law of diminishing returns. Many reasons exist for this that we are certain of, while a few uncertainties are evident as well." The commander explained.


    "Explain." Primary ordered.


    "We were awoken far earlier than should have occurred. Populations in and around our feeding grounds were not given sufficient time to recover from their cullings before the last hibernation. As civil war erupted among the Hive factions, entire worlds were culled to gain a military advantage. Now it seems that the Lantean''s are actively hiding the many worlds'' human populations in a location we have not yet discerned." The commander stated.


    "The Lantean''s cannot hide every human in this galaxy." Primary argued.


    "In this case, they don''t have to. By simply denying us what we would take from our richest feeding grounds, they deny us the majority of the bounty we could hope to expect. As our numbers grow, this problem will intensify quickly, and spiral out of our control even further." The commander continued.


    "During the war with the Ancient''s, we once faced crushing defeat. Our answer to that dilemma turned the tide of war in our favor resoundingly. Perhaps it is time to go down that path once again." Primary mused.


    "To my knowledge, we lack the means to do such a thing at this time." The commander replied.


    "Your knowledge means nothing. I speak of waking the Harbinger." Primary hissed with satisfaction.


    "The Harbinger''s are no more my queen." The commander stated in unsure tones.


    "One remains. Prepare a cruiser. The time to begin is upon us." Primary said with glee.

 Chapter 190

    Goronak


    In mass, eighty UH-60 Blackhawk''s and UH-47 Chinook''s rose from the tarmac of the NATO forward air base. Packed inside each of these helicopters were the men of 2nd Brigade, 101st Air Assault Division. Using the time honored practice of vertical envelopment, the fighting men of the 101st rode into battle, towards a contested landing zone. Armed and ready, the men were prepared to perform their duty by meeting their countries enemies head on. Many of the men chatted amongst themselves, hoping to keep the mood light in anticipation of the coming combat action.


    "Are you taking notes Katz?" Specialist Byron asked over the roar of the rotors.


    "Just writing down a few ideas is all." Katz replied.


    "Oh, this I''ve got to hear. Ideas about what exactly?" Byron asked.


    "Nothing important." Katz replied guardedly.


    "You''re not getting off that easy. Spill it!" Byron demanded.


    "If you must know, for a story I''m working on." Katz conceded.


    "Got to give me more than that bro." Byron argued.


    "It''s a Battlestar Galactica crossover with Wormhole Xtreme." Katz stated.


    "Writing a book?" Byron asked.


    "Not exactly. In my spare time I write fan fiction." Katz explained.


    "Why in the hell would you do that? Nobody reads fan fiction! Besides, who would want to read a story about a bunch of people that travel through a wormhole with a team of a sarcastic Colonel, a geeky archeologist, a hot physicist, and your friendly neighborhood alien? Be real bro." Byron protested.


    "Sure know a lot about it for someone that denies watching it." Katz argued.


    "Whatever bro." Byron demurred.


    "Yeah ok. Like a long game of Halo, right?" Katz asked sarcastically.


    In stacked formation, the helicopters crossed over the high summits laid out below them. On the terrain below, the infantry soldiers saw clearly the NATO fire bases ringing the ridges. Nerves were on edge as weapons already checked were checked again. Nervous energy can be a soldier''s best friend and worst enemy. Five more minutes and they would be on the ground.


    On the periphery of the Jaffa encampment, AH-64 Longbow Apache''s unleashed a torrent of chain gun fire. Simultaneously, 2.75 inch Zuni rockets were let loose. The lethal hail of death and destruction was more meant to drive the Jaffa. Unknown to them, they were being herded away from the incoming assault forces landing zone. Artillery in the distance remained quiet for now.


    FB-302''s operating in the close air support role screamed over the sprawling encampment. Each was armed with a combination of Small Diameter Bombs, and antipersonnel cl.u.s.ter munitions. Pickling off their loads in turn, the agile fighter bombers joined the symphony of destruction that charred the soil beneath them. Lacking air superiority, the Jaffa found themselves caught in an unforgiving maelstrom that consumed man and machine, flora and fauna.


    Each individual explosion caused the soil to shudder. Regrouping in small numbers, the individual groups of Jaffa warriors found themselves covered in blood and sweat, grim and grit. Bits of pulverized rock filled their parched mouths, while fear fueled adrenaline burned through their veins. No amount of training could prepare a mortal man for this environment. Shrieks of terror and agony filled screams were drowned out only by the continuous procession of explosions and aircraft tearing through the sky.


    The herding that the Tauri hoped for was taking shape. As helicopters and fighter bombers pummeled the valley floor, a few level headed Jaffa took note that very little enemy fire was directed at the portion of the blazing encampment nearest the mountains. Overcome with a herd mentality, the small groups of warriors soon grew in size. A mass exodus towards the mountains was their only hope. While it was known that the Tauri army lay in the mountains, that battle was preferable to an unwinnable one against the forces facing them from the air.


    Swooping in low, the helicopters of the air assault sped towards their landing zone. Door gunners on each bird opened up on targets of opportunity with their M-134 electrically driven Gatling guns. Staff weapon fire streaked through the vibrant blue sky towards the oncoming Blackhawk''s and Chinook''s. Some were damaged, but none destroyed. Touching down in stacks of ten aircraft apiece, soldiers poured out. Falling to their stomachs in a prone position, the soldiers laid down weapons fire towards the retreating Jaffa in the distance. When the last of the soldiers was on the ground, distant artillery pieces opened up with a rolling and thunderous boom.


    From the glider bay of one of the crippled Ha''tak that littered the now ruined temples of Moloc, three gliders took flight. Climbing rapidly, they overshot the FB-302''s conducting their bomb runs. Despite that fact, the FB-302''s swiftly advanced to full power to escape their pursuers. Calls quickly went out to the command and control jumper requesting fighter support. These calls would not go unanswered.


    Receiving the alert, two F-302''s standing combat air patrol high above altered their course to intercept. Belonging to VF-103, these 302''s stood out with their black tails decorated with skull and crossbones. Bearing the call sign Victory, the men of the Jolly Rogers moved swiftly. Before the three gliders knew they were being hunted, a single AIM-120 AMMRAAM missile streaked towards them from the trailing Jolly Roger. Traveling at five times the speed of sound, the AMMRAAM covered the distance quickly. In a ball of flame, the glider and its pilot meet their end. Falling to the ground below, the fiery wreckage joined the carnage that days ago had been a thriving encampment.


    Seeing the fate of their wingman, the remaining two gliders began a steep climb. Not wanting to overtake their prey, the pursuing 302''s opened their speed brakes. Pitching up, the Jolly Rogers slid neatly onto the gliders ''six''. Too close for AMMRAAM''s, Victory lead let loose a single AIM-9X heat seeking missile. As the missile left the launch rails of the 302, one of the gliders advanced to full power and dove towards the deck. Five seconds later, the AIM-9 contacted the targets fuselage and detonated, blotting it from the sky.


    The sole remaining glider roared over the valley floor at high speed towards the mountains. Believing that salvation lay in reaching the towering peaks, the pilot pressed on. Seeing the target track advancing in that direction, the 302''s began their climb back to higher altitude. In the distance among the mountains and treetops, the phased array radar of one of several Patriot antiaircraft batteries illuminated the oncoming target. Turning a simple key, the soldier manning the fire control station switched the Patriot over to fully automatic mode.


    Arraigned around the phase array radar lay the box containers that made up the muscle of the Patriot system. Each of these containers housed four of the lethal ground to air munitions. From the fire control station, an electrical impulse raced through the cables connecting to these containers. Two seconds after receipt of this signal, a high thrust rocket motor ignited and pushed the missile free of its resting place. Moving faster than the human eye could track, Patriot rose towards the heavens. Nosing over at forty thousand feet, Patriot then began a terminal dive towards its target and the ground below. The glider pilot never knew his life was ending as the missile slammed bodily into his low flying craft, resulting in it, he, and the glider leaving a large flaming hole in the mountainside.


    In the Jaffa encampment perimeter among the explosions, the dead, the dying, and the terrified, a long figure walked unseen by any around him. Witness to many battlefields in his life, Bra''tac could clearly see that this battle belonged to the Tauri. Seeing so many Jaffa run, he could not help but wonder where the discipline that Jaffa are ingrained with had gone. Looking around, his heart sank seeing the dead and dying. A single tear rolled down the features of his bearded face.


    "This must end here." Bra''tac said more to himself than anything.


    With a thought, Bra''tac was instantly transported fifty yards in front of the front row ranks of retreating Jaffa. Beside him stood the familiar form of a Milky Way model stargate, with an already established wormhole. The ranks of the retreating Jaffa saw this sudden arrival, and recognized a face that could not possibly be standing there. This dead man had come, and with him brought an active gate. What the Jaffa did not notice was the sudden halt of the sounds of war. Explosions, gunfire, aircraft; the noises were no longer filling the air.


    "Come my brothers! If you wish to live, step through the gate. Those that do not will surely perish." Bra''tac stated clearly.


    Not one of the Jaffa gave a second thought that despite their distance from Bra''tac; they could all hear him as if he were speaking directly into their ear. Hearing his words, it was if their wounds no longer slowed them. They felt a sense of renewed hope that grew with each step that brought them closer to the gate. Of the forty thousand Jaffa that had called this camp home, a scant six thousand made it through the gate. Where the wormhole led, the Jaffa had no clue. As the last warrior escaped into the gate at a run, both the gate and Bra''tac vanished into thin air. At that instant the sounds of war once again filled the air.


    On the periphery of the camp sitting in the front seat of an Apache, the gunner was forced to blink twice. Looking around, the young Warrant Officer began to panic a bit.


    "What the hell?" The gunner asked into the intercom.


    "What''s the matter guns?" The pilot asked in reply.


    "Look around! Their gone!" The gunner exclaimed.


    "What are you talking about?" The pilot demanded.


    "All of them! Every bad guy down there just vanished into thin air! One minute they were running, and the next second they just weren''t there!" The gunner shouted.


    "Um, yeah. We better call this in." The pilot muttered.

 Chapter 191

    Atlantis


    Summoned by an urgent communiqu¨¦, Todd had quickly made his way to Atlantis five minutes earlier. As part of their alliance, intelligence information was regularly shared between the Tauri and Todd. Both shared the desire to being an end to the Wraith, so it was another example of adversity making strange bedfellows. Taking their seats in the conference room, Teyla, Todd, Woolsey, and Zelenka began.


    "Thank you for coming so quickly Todd." Woolsey began.


    "It serves both of our purposes." Todd replied simply.


    "The latest transmission from the nanites has arrived. We have a few questions." Zelenka explained.


    "I''ll wager a guess that your question revolves around the nanites inability to infect the queen." Todd surmised.


    "In due time we''ll have everyone near her infected, so it makes little sense to worry about infecting her directly." Zelenka admitted.


    "In the transcript, the queen makes mention of something neither I nor Doctor Zelenka have heard of before. She called it the Harbinger." Woolsey explained.


    "Athosian legend tells of a story passed down directly from the ancestors. It tells of an ancient evil capable of destroying entire civilizations in a day and a night. This evil was known as the Harbinger." Teyla explained.


    "Todd, do you have any insight on this?" Woolsey asked.


    "What you''re saying simply cannot be." Todd argued.


    "I''m afraid I must ask that you explain." Woolsey suggested.


    "At the birth of our race, three Wraith stood out as the strongest of us all. One was a great warrior, another a great scientist, and the third a great leader. In their image, each commander learns to lead. Each one of them contained within them more strength, knowledge, cunning, and power than any ten commanders combined. Even their technology differs from what is found in the Wraith fleet. These three Wraith champions commanded identical vessels we called Hunter''s. Each of these vessels had the ability to destroy a fleet of Hive''s by itself." Todd explained.


    "So you''re telling me that the queen is bringing in a Wraith super soldier and super ship to this war?" Woolsey asked in discomfort.


    "No Mr. Woolsey, that would not be possible. None remain alive. The scientist is the one who managed to defeat the ship you know as Borealis. Seeing this victory and the threat it posed to his position in our society, the diplomat sought battle with the scientist and they both perished with the destruction of their vessels. At this turn of events, the great warrior retreated into solitude before sailing himself and his Hunter into the corona of a sun." Todd explained.


    "How sure are you of that?" Teyla asked.


    "As sure as one can be when on the other side of the galaxy laying siege to the city where we now set." Todd offered.


    "Say you''re wrong about his death or the destruction of his ship. What can this mean for all of us?" Woolsey asked.


    "Even with a ZPM powering my Hive, I would not wish to challenge such a vessel. If the warrior still lives, then we have an insurmountable problem." Todd offered.


    "Because of his military skill you mean?" Woolsey asked.


    "No Mr. Woolsey. Our problem is that the warrior knows nothing but death. Both human and Wraith alike have ample reason to fear him. Anything that laid in his path was doomed to a fate worse than death." Todd continued explaining.


    "Why do you say that?" Teyla asked.


    "I trained under the scientist as his apprentice. With all of his technology even he feared the warrior. Anything in his path becomes one with death." Todd finished.

 Chapter 192

    White House


    Cold, windy, and freshly dusted with a snow; the White House stood as it had for many winters. Washington DC was alive with activity. Pouring back into the northwest quadrant of the city from Christmas shopping expeditions, families returned from Tyson''s Corner in droves. In the Foggy Bottom section of the city, State Department staffers raced towards the Metro and their return trips home. Events of galactic importance were being discussed within the Oval Office.


    As he had done many times in the past, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis sat waiting for his audience with the President. Most times, little waiting was required. At other times, Davis had waited patiently while the while Hayes had went about his day meeting the winner of the Super Bowl or Miss Cheese Curd representing the great state of Wisconsin. Tonight was one of those nights. Forty-five minutes passed before he was ushered into the Oval Office.


    "Paul, it''s good to see you! Come in and sit down." Hayes began pleasantly.


    "Thank you Mr. President." Davis replied while taking a seat.


    "So what have you got for me today?" Hayes asked.


    "A few matters of importance, along with a bit of housekeeping Mr. President." Davis replied.


    "Ok, it''s your show. Shoot." Hayes urged.


    "Let''s begin with events on Goronak. As you are aware Mr. President, our combat efforts were recently intensified. Elements of the 101st Airborne conducted a brigade sized air assault operation. Supporting this operation were aircraft of the Air Force and Navy operating in a close air support role." Davis explained.


    "Casualties?" Hayes asked.


    "Forty one wounded, and fourteen killed in action." Davis answered grimly.


    "I want the families of those we lost taken care of to the best of our ability." Hayes ordered.


    "Yes Mr. President. That is happening as we speak." Davis replied.


    "Please, continue Colonel." Hayes ordered.


    "Once the air assault was complete, our forces began to advance towards the retreating Jaffa forces. This is where the picture becomes unclear. While retreating, the Jaffa vanished into thin air." Davis stated awkwardly.


    "How in the hell did they just disappear? Did they all decide to hide in a hole in the ground at the same time?" Hayes demanded in a frustrated tone.


    "Mr. President that is something we are still trying to ascertain. Sensor data from Videum and the fleet in orbit is being reviewed, as is gun camera footage from our other air assets. At this time we''re uncertain as to the exact disposition of enemy forces, but we are certain that they are not to be found on the planet." Davis continued.


    "So you''re telling me that you''ve somehow lost the bad guys. Great." Hayes fumed.


    "As information comes available, it will be passed on to you." Davis said assuredly.


    "This I can''t wait to here. Ok, keep going." Hayes ordered.


    "Moving on, we have a new development in Pegasus. As you are aware, we have been gathering operational intelligence on the Wraith using nanites. Using this method, we''ve come into possession of information that has us somewhat concerned." Davis stated.


    "Do we have anything to back this information up?" Hayes asked.


    "Allow me to give you some background first Mr. President. The queen in overall operational command of Wraith forces made mention of something she referred to as the Harbinger. This information was cross-decked to our ally Todd. According to Todd, the Harbinger is a Wraith of incredible power. It was believed that the Harbinger perished at the conclusion of the Ancient''s war with the Wraith." Davis explained.


    "Colonel, are you telling me that we''re now facing some type of Wraith super soldier?" Hayes asked.


    "That is a possibility. As events unfold, I will of course brief you." Davis replied.


    "Tell me why it is we haven''t just put those shiny new sh.i.p.s to use yet, and just hunted the enemy down?" Hayes asked.


    "We are still increasing our fleet presence in Pegasus. As sh.i.p.s are certified for combat, they are transferred to that galaxy. If the Jaffa do not reappear, we will have fleet units currently deployed in support of NATO operations to add to that mix." Davis answered.


    "We might want to consider just taking the fight to the Wraith, so we can be done with this once and for all. It''s something to consider." Hayes hinted.


    "Now for the housekeeping portion Mr. President. At this time, we have seven survey teams from the United States Geological Survey operating in conjunction with SG teams, conducting surveys on individual planets. Per the guidelines established earlier, these teams are conducting full mineral surveys, as well as cataloging flora and fauna. Once the surveys are complete and the findings reviews, we will be ready to begin initial construction of off world settlements." Davis stated.


    "That works. My understanding is the lottery system for selecting those that wish to relocate to off world settlements will be ready for implementation in the next sixty days." Hayes added.


    Over the course of the next hour, the briefing drifted to other obscure matters. Many plans hinged on minuet details, and in this case, it was those details that would be gone over time and time again. President Hayes wanted to leave a legacy of moving man out among the stars. Nothing would be left to chance.

 Chapter 193

    Vis Uban


    Fast asleep, Eli''s mind raced in many directions. Floating through his mind were complex mathematical equations that dealt with power flow algorithms. Drifting at the periphery of his mind, these seemingly indecipherable cl.u.s.ters of numerical artistry played out. As this happened, Eli watched the departure of Atlantis from Earth bound for the Pegasus Galaxy play out. Standing in the operations center of the city ship, Eli could feel the raw emotion and tension of those around him. On some level, he knew this was a dream.


    Moving backwards in time, Eli''s dreams went elsewhere. Suddenly, he found himself in an astronomic''s laboratory on Taonas Proclarush, the ancient city on a world now uninhabitable. Around him, he watched as the first fragment of the message contained in the cosmic microwave background radiation. From there, he watched in awe as the initial sketches of Destiny began to take shape. Destiny was the one thing that never failed to show up night after night in his dreams.


    Eyes fluttered as Eli awoke. Taking a moment to catch realize where he was, Eli sat up. Looking beside him, he gazed at the woman he loved. Ginn, with her flowing red hair and pale skin was sleeping peacefully. He loved her, of that, he was certain. So many times before, he had wondered when he would find someone to give his heart. This was the woman he wanted nothing more than to spend his life with.


    Running his fingertips over her bare shoulders, Ginn began to stir. Her steady rhythmic breathing changed pace as she transitioned from sleep to wakefulness. As she opened her eyes, Eli''s breathe caught at the sight of her. Even half asleep, he thought she was beautiful. Smiling happily, she curled up closer to him. With one eye half open, she began to speak.


    "What are you doing awake so early? It''s still dark outside." Ginn began.


    "I was just dreaming, and then found myself awake." Eli replied.


    "Have a bad dream?" Ginn asked.


    "Not bad, just weird. Since using the repository of knowledge I''ve had these incredibly vivid dreams of Atlantis and Destiny." Eli explained.


    "Destiny? Going back to where we met." Ginn said with a smile.


    "Are you awake enough to have a serious conversation?" Eli asked.


    "I am. It''s not going to be a bad one right?" Ginn asked cautiously.


    "Um, I don''t think so. This is something I have been putting a lot of thought into the last few days. It kind of affects us both." Eli stated.


    "What is it?" Ginn asked.


    "After what the Ancient''s have done for me, we both know that someday I am going to ascend. I was so caught up in all of this that I never stopped to ask what you think." Eli said.


    "The Ancient''s chose you. That means they see in you the same brilliance and good that I do. You should be honored." Ginn replied.


    "But how does this affect us?" Eli asked.


    "Eli, I see it much simpler than you. Consider this from my perspective for a moment. I grew up on a world where the only future was being put into the service of the Goa''uld, and later the Lucian Alliance. When we met, I was technically an enemy of your world. Now, I am in love with a brilliant man that will someday walk among the Ancient''s on another plain. It makes me treasure our time together that much more." Ginn explained.


    "Does it bother you that I won''t die?" Eli asked.


    "Remember, people from my planet do not share the religious beliefs of your world. My only hope is that we make the most of every moment we have together in this life. What comes after that, I have no control over." Ginn answered.


    "Honestly, I don''t know if this is something I want to do if it means being without you. If we could spend forever together, would you want to?" Eli probed.


    "Of course I would. Where ever I am, I only hope it''s with you." Ginn replied.


    "Janus and I had a conversation yesterday about that. He explained a few things, and it made me feel much better." Eli stated.


    "What did he explain?" Ginn asked.


    "Well, I explained my concern about living forever in some form, but without you. He informed me about a solution. I think he did it more to keep me happy than anything, but whatever. He said that if it is my wish, when the time comes you can join us among the ascended." Eli said happily.


    "Are you kidding me?" Ginn asked somewhat shocked.


    "No, totally serious here! So are you telling me that you want to spend eternity with me and a bunch of ascended beings?" Eli asked lightly.


    "Some men give women flowers or jewelry. You are offering me forever with you, among the Ancient''s! I don''t know what I did to be so lucky, but I give thanks everyday for your love." Ginn said with tears in her eyes.


    "If Janus hadn''t told me this could be done, what would you have done?" Eli asked with curiosity.


    "I would have gone to my end full of pride for the man I love Eli. Yes, it would have hurt knowing you would have been left alone, but I would have been content in the knowledge that one good man would forever be out there somewhere." Ginn said softly.


    "Ok gorgeous woman, go back to sleep. I''m going to go talk to Janus about a few things." Eli said.


    Kissing her softly, Eli tucked the covers back over her. Rising from the bed, he made his way to the closet and began to dress quickly. All the while, a bright smile had hold over the features of his boyish face. Once dressed, he quietly slipped out of his quarters. Not even for a second did the smile leave his face.


    Making his way through the hallways of Vis Uban, Eli saw Ancient''s going about their business. With a smile and a nod, he greeted them as he passed. Passing through an open peristyle garden, he rounded the corner and made his way up a sprawling set of stairs. All was quiet in this section of the city. Many times, only he and Janus were the only two in attendance. Making the turn into the shared laboratory, Eli saw Janus seated deep in thought.


    "Good morning Eli." Janus said in greeting.


    "Barely morning you mean." Eli replied.


    "It is still dark out isn''t it? I would have thought you were asleep with Ginn." Janus stated.


    "Well, we were asleep. My dreams woke me up." Eli explained.


    "I''ll wager a guess that your dreams were of events long past. That is a side effect of repository use I''m afraid." Janus surmised.


    "I kind of wanted to talk to you about that." Eli hinted.


    "Destiny." Janus stated plainly.


    "My destiny?" Eli asked somewhat confused.


    "Not your destiny Eli. I''m referring to the Destiny." Janus replied with a smile.


    "Oh, yeah. We have done some amazing things so far, and I know you have plans for other things we can do. I do not want to ruin that, or be ungrateful for all that you have done for me. My dreams are just telling that this isn''t where I''m supposed to be at this point in my life." Eli explained.


    "You feel your place is aboard Destiny. That''s a statement, not a question." Janus said.


    "I do. For right now, it is where I belong. Is that ok with you though?" Eli asked.


    "My boy, one day you will ascend. We have oceans of time to pursue our work. Distance isn''t a factor for me." Janus answered in an amused tone.


    "I thought it only fair to run this by you. Destiny''s mission is something that is extremely important to me. When she leaves, I will be going with her." Eli stated.


    "Destiny is your destiny as it were. You did well before, but after your recent upgrade I feel that Rush will not know what to do." Janus said with a laugh.

 Chapter 194

    Minnesota


    Filling the air was an aroma that regularly followed Jack O''Neill; grilled steak. Plying the trade he had learned through trial and error, he barbequed the choice cut of beef. Some preferred their medium rare, but Jack would have none of that. He prided himself on being a well-done sort of man. Multitasking, he kept a watchful eye on the bobber attached to his fishing line that floated in his pond yards away.


    Flipping his steak, he was greeted by the sizzling sound he loved to hear. Taking a sip of his beer, the General was fully in his element. His cell phone turned off, nothing could ruin his day. More sensing it than hearing anything, Jack''s senses suddenly went to their most alert. Something told him that he was not alone any longer. His one hope was that it was not a bear drawn to the smell of his steak. Turning around he saw that it was indeed not a bear.


    "O''Neill of Minnesota, it has been far too long." The visitor said in greeting.


    "Bra''tac! I am guessing you are not dead after all. I''m going to guess that this is a trick you picked up from Daniel." Jack quipped.


    "The gift of ascension was bestowed upon me. For that I am indeed blessed." Bra''tac explained.


    "So how are things on your plain of existence? One so rarely gets so much as a postcard from those parts." Jack said lightly.


    "I have found busily engaged lately. It is for that reason why I stand before you." Bra''tac said.


    "Ok, I''m all ears. What do you need to talk about that''s so important to drag you to Minnesota?" Jack asked.


    "This is Minnesota?" Bra''tac asked.


    "Yeah. Nice, isn''t it?" Jack asked,


    "It reminds me of Chulak." Bra''tac answered.


    "Not what I wanted to hear, but it works." Jack replied in a mildly sarcastic tone.


    "For some time now, I have been watching developments on Goronak. As always, your world''s military is impressive in its discipline, and abilities." Bra''tac continued.


    "I''ll tell the Secretary of Defense you said that. He loves hearing things like that. Why do I get the feeling that you''re about to tell me you had something to do with the Traditionalists pulling a Houdini act?" Jack asked.


    "This war could only end with either the relocation of the Traditionalist''s, or in the destruction of the Jaffa as a race. To that end, I relocated them to an area I believe will be acceptable to your leader as it was with the other Great Races." Bra''tac expounded.


    "Just where might that be?" Jack questioned.


    "It was brought to my attention that the Wraith you refer to as hybrids will someday soon be relocated to the galaxy of Ida. With the approval of the Ancient''s, I selected a planet and relocated the surviving Traditionalist''s there. Having no vessels or ability to construct them at this time, I feel confident they will not pose a problem for the Tauri again." Bra''tac suggested.


    "The President will appreciate that I''m sure. It would have been nice to give us a little warning. I''ve had teams of people going over sensor data trying to figure out where they disappeared to." Jack responded.


    "My apology for that, but no other way of doing this was possible." Bra''tac refuted.


    "Now that we have that out of the way, Teal''c would probably appreciate it if you dropped in and said hi. Maybe take him fishing, or whatever it is you guys do when you''re together." Jack suggested.


    "Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with him." Bra''tac beamed.


    "Funny, he didn''t mention that tidbit." Jack mused.


    "O''Neill, my attention is required elsewhere. We will see each other again soon old comrade." Bra''tac promised.


    At that moment, Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look directly at the source, he saw his bobber jerking about on the ponds glassy surface. Fish! His pond actually had fish!


    "Fish on! Bra''tac, are you seeing this?" Jack asked excitedly.


    "That I do O''Neill. Consider it a gift" Bra''tac voice could be heard to say after he was no longer visible.

 Chapter 195

    Icy planet, Pegasus Galaxy


    Two sleek organic hulled Wraith shuttles streaked across the upper atmosphere. Aboard these craft were twenty human captives from a recent culling, eight Wraith soldiers, and the Queen known as the Primary. Descending with rapid speed, the two craft effortlessly tore through the skies of the frigid world. Continuing to neatly shed altitude, the two craft began to slow as they passed over the blue and aquamarine depths of the glacier unfolding beneath them. As landing struts were extended, the two shuttles deftly came to rest on the single smooth rocky outcropping jutting out from the ice.


    Exiting the shuttles into the sub zero chill, Primary and her entourage in the company of their human captives, descended a stairway long ago carved into the rock. Continuing down, the party followed the stairs deeper and deeper into the heart of the glacier. Three hundred feet from the surface, they came to a solid rock cavern. Connected to this cavern was a tunnel. Instead of rock, this tunnel closely resembled the appearance of a corridor found aboard a Wraith vessel. Into this tunnel the party continued.


    At a slight gradient, the tunnel continued into the depths of the massive ice sheet the new arrivals had flown over. Impatient yet apprehensive, the Primary charged forward at an expeditious clip. Were they not captives, some of the humans might have complained at the kilometer long underground trek. At the end of this jaunt through the subterranean pathway, a biopolymer door nine feet tall and five feet across blocked their path. Removing a pendant from around her neck and inserting it in a keyhole like opening, the Queen attempted to gain entry. As the pendant began to glow, the large door split neatly down the center allowing the party to continue forward.


    Passing through the threshold, the human captives immediately took note of the dank odor of old death that hung in the air. A sense of foreboding struck them all. This place, whatever it might be, contained an apocalyptic force of old. Though the humans were uncertain how they knew this, it was a certainty that their minds could not shake. Stretching out before them was a single corridor that continued into the distance. Each step the collective group took brought them closer to that which they dared to lay eyes upon.


    Covering a distance twice that of the corridor that brought them to the large door, the party continued forward. Wordlessly, the kilometers passed under their feet. As they progressed, internal lighting lit the path unfolding before them. In the distance, an illuminated chamber could be seen. Surely, this must be their destination.


    Entering the chamber, the party laid eyes on a nerve center similar yet different from that found aboard a Hive ship. Clearly, they were aboard a ship of sorts. Instead of a control center outfitted for a crew, this control nexus was designed for a single operator. In the center of this room, surrounded by organic display screens, sat a single seat very much like a queen''s throne. Ten meters behind this throne was a stasis cocoon. The shadowy outline of a lone figure could be seen through the membrane separating cocoon interior from control chamber.


    Stepping towards this stasis cocoon, the Primary once again grasped her glowing pendant. Touching it to the organic frame of the cocoon supporting the membrane, mist began to cover the control chambers floor. Peeling back like desiccated flesh, the membrane grew thinner and decayed away from the frame it was attached to. As the veil was lifted for all to see, the long occupant became visible.


    Six and a half feet tall, heavily muscled, and clad in a leather uniform similar to that worn by Wraith commanders, the figure opened his cat like eyes. Darting left and right, these eyes took everything in. A malicious smile came over the figures face, as his left hand stroked the intricately braided ponytail hanging over his shoulder. Stepping out of the cocoon for the first time in ten millennia, the figure locked eyes with the queen standing before him. Before Primary could utter a single word, the figure''s left hand shot out with frightening speed and tightly griped the queen''s throat.


    "Why have you awakened me?" Harbinger demanded in an icy tone.


    "Your people need you. Your skill, your blood, your sacrament are all that stands between us and extinction." Primary pleaded between gasps for breathe.


    "Have the Ancient''s returned to exact their retribution?" Harbinger demanded while tightening his grip on his targets throat.


    "No Lord. The humans are the new hunters." Primary attempted to explain.


    "The humans? They are not hunters! How can one be hunted by their food?" Harbinger spat.


    "Children of the Ancient''s from another galaxy have taken residence in Atlantis. Some of our very own people plot our destruction with them." Primary sputtered.


    "Why have you not dealt with this petty inconvenience?" Harbinger asked softly.


    "The humans fomented a civil war among the Hives. From there they spread a disease that killed our people when they fed." Primary attempted to argue.


    "I see you still have your pride. Tell me, does it hurt your pride to know that I can succeed where you failed?" Harbinger asked with merriment.


    "Assumptions, nothing more!" Primary hissed.


    Striking with frightening speed, Harbinger''s right hand loudly impacted the queen''s chest. Before she knew what was happening, he began to feed upon her. The burning agony of being fed on ripped through her body. Her mouth opened to scream, but that scream died on her lips as her life force was forcibly ripped away. Creases and lines began to sink into the queen''s face and her body began to whither. Taking cruel pleasure in the horror he was visiting upon her, Harbinger''s eyes blazed. Tossing Primary aside, he watched as the wounded queen hit the floor.


    "You bring shame upon those that died during our war to prominence in this galaxy. You are shadows of your former selves. Weak and so taken by your supposed power that you have begun to believe your own misplaced arrogance is truth. Pathetic, yet not unexpected." Harbinger spat.


    Looking around the chamber at the cowering humans and Wraith soldiers, his frightening eyes took in the scene. In his mind, he summoned a fraction of his powerful telekinetic powers. His palms out, both of his well-muscled arms shot out at ninety-degree angles away from his body. Suddenly, the humans and Wraith soldiers alike found their bodies reacting to control other than their own. Lining the walls of the chamber, Wraith soldier and human were enveloped in ancillary cocoons. Instead of preserving life, these instead sapped it away. This life force began to channel into the ship itself.


    Moving towards the throne, Harbinger sat. Once in his seat, tentacles slithered from within the recesses of the command seat and intertwined themselves around their commander. Life force drawn from the surrounding cocoons began to pour into Harbinger, and the ship itself. Systems denied power for ten thousand years began to come alive. Turning his gaze towards the deflated queen at his feet, a smirk was born upon his lips.


    "Cast your eyes on your followers. Disappoint me again and the same fate will befall you." Harbinger threatened menacingly.


    Power flowed through the vessel from extracted life force, and the internal power generators coming online. Hyper drive, weapons, and sensors were all available at the fearsome warrior''s mental command. This vessel being the last of the three like it was unique. Larger than a hive, it was equipped with far more fearsome weaponry. Hive''s that coursed through Pegasus now were poor imitations.


    At his whim, the vessel began to rise. All around, the thunderous cracks of glacial ice could be heard. The sickening grinding noise of incredible amounts of ice flow breaking apart overhead boomed throughout the hull. Slowly, the menacing vessel rose. On the surface of the glacial sheet, fissures exploded open on the barren landscape. A boom some might liken to an ancient and angry god snapping his fingers welcomed the vessel to the surface. As it continued to rise, thousands of tons of ice cascaded from the hull. Leaving an incredibly deep depression in the ice flow, the long slumbering vessel gained speed and slipped from sight.

 Chapter 196

    Area 51


    "Approach, Janet 700 passing through six thousand." The pilot stated over the radio.


    "Janet 700, squawk 0332 on transponder. Continue descent and check in as you pass outer beacon at eleven mile out." The approach controller replied.


    The white and red liveried 737 glided through the cold air. Beneath, the harsh desert terrain doted with jutting jagged and rocky hills unfolded. Following the familiar flight path flown many times, the Janet Air 737 moved closer and closer to its destination through some of the most highly restricted airspace on Earth. That destination was an airfield so secret that for many years the United States government refused to even admit its existence.


    "Approach, Janet 700 passing outer beacon now." The pilot announced.


    "Janet 700, check wheels down. Wind is one hundred at six. You are clear to land runway one four." The controller replied.


    Janet Air is an airline like no other. Instead of flying families to Disney World, Janet caters to a far more discerning passenger base. Operated by a shell company belonging to the Department of the Air Force from an obscure and nondescript terminal at Las Vegas'' McCarran Airport, Janet is the sole transporter of personnel to and from Area 51.


    With wheels down, the 737 continued to shed both altitude and airspeed. Flaps fully extended, the airliner settled into ground effect as the wheels waited just feet above the tarmac sailing beneath. Puffs of smoke appeared around the landing gear as the main gear and nose gear touched down. Thrust reversers engaged, the pilot lightly applied the brakes and further slowed the aircraft. Slowing to taxi speed, the 737 steered off the runway and onto the main taxiway that would take them to the appointed location where the passengers would disembark.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dreamland." The pilot announced over the intercom.


    Instead of traveling salesmen and business executives, the newly arrived passengers were a different lot. Aerospace engineers, avionics specialists, and computer engineers all in the employ of several of the largest aerospace contractors globally. Carrying on briefcases and backpacks, the group quickly disembarked down the rollup stairway and was quickly whisked into the large hanger two hundred yards in front of them. Once inside, the group passed through the first of many security checkpoints as they descended deep below ground.


    Employed by Boeing''s Phantom Works and Lockheed''s Skunk Works, the group of new arrivals all possessed some of the highest security clearances known to exist. Despite this, their armed Air Force chaperones would remain nearby for the duration of their stay at Dreamland. Exiting the final security checkpoint, the group made their way into a cavernous subterranean hanger. Looking around, they took quick note of other teams from their design bureaus already in attendance. Interspersed with each group were several advisors from the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency. Whatever this was, it was big.


    Laying their eyes at the craft arraigned throughout the hanger, they soon realized just how big this truly was. Along the far left wall of the hanger sat two unfamiliar looking craft. One a Tel''tak and the other an Al''kesh. A banner on the Tel''tak announced that this was Santa''s ''other reindeer''. That the two craft were stripped of weaponry and cloaking field generators went without saying. These were not the true stars of the show though. That honor belonged to the strange looking craft sitting in the center of the work floor. This craft was very much unlike the other two craft, with its needle like shape and downward curing canards it looked every bit the spaceship envisioned by many science fiction fans. To trace its origins, one had to look years back into the SGC''s past.


    The late Adrian Conrad purchased a Goa''uld symbiote in an attempt to save his life from the disease that devastated his body. That symbiote was cloned many times over. Eventually, these cloned symbiotes were allowed to infect nearly the entire population of Steveston, Oregon. Opting to reunite with their brethren elsewhere in the Milky Way, construction of a spacecraft began in an abandoned shipyard. For three months, they toiled secretly at its construction, but they were not alone. Monitoring their activities was the NID, who planned to capture the vessel once complete. Built entirely of Earth materials, this nearly complete but never to be completed vessel failed to resemble any known Goa''uld design ever before encountered. Since its capture, the vessel had rested in the subterranean hanger in which it now sat.


    Since the vessels arrival at Dreamland, its systems had been catalogued and dissected. Every secret and nuance it possessed was well known. The same could be said for the Tel''tak and Al''kesh in close attendance. Metallurgy, shields, sensors, life support, hyper drive, and sublight engines systems were neatly explained in many gigabytes of briefing materials. All of this knowledge and information was turned over to the aerospace contractors. One thing that would not be turned over was the Goa''uld designed hyper drive engines themselves. Instead, the briefing material, along with pages upon pages of information pertaining to hyper drive theory along with an example of the Asgard designed hyper drive found on the Prometheus would be provided.


    In light of the new reality since disclosure, the aerospace industry on Earth found itself playing catch up. Transition from jet power and rocket boosted orbital flight to intergalactic hyper drive technology had happened without the industry''s assistance. In comparison to systems thought to be cutting edge just one year ago, the engineers realized just how far behind the power curve they truly were. Were it not for the President''s insistence that the economy be kept stable, this information might not have ever found its way into the hands of these men.


    Innovation is known to breed excellence and new discovery. While Arkos provided incredibly advanced exampled of technology, it did so without the need to innovate to a degree. To truly master these new technologies, engineers needed to be set loose with a base of knowledge while expanding their understanding through trial and error. Indigenous development of these systems had the potential to greatly spur new advances someday. For this reason, the aerospace industry was being handed a stake in the great game without the assistance of Arkos. As understanding increased, more advanced concepts and examples of Ancient and Asgard knowledge and technology would be made available. Earth''s expanding horizons continued to broaden, one day at a time.

 Chapter 197

    Earth


    Elsewhere on the planet, the cavalcade of technological advancement was beginning to extend its influence deeper into everyday life. One month after disclosure, a proof of concept program had been commissioned. Situated in the waters off the cities of San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Cairo the examples of this program took shape. The goal of this project was simple; reduce urban overcrowding, while highlighting new innovations in material and construction science.


    Conceived by Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, the end product of the program was known as Lilypad. Many changes to the original concept had taken place since it was first put to paper. Each floating structure would have the capacity to house one hundred thousand individuals when complete. The shape of these structures was inspired from the ribbed lead of the Amazonia Victoria Regia water lily.


    Standing at a height of one hundred and forty six meters tall with fifty individual stories, Lilypad had a foundation perimeter of two thousand meters. The building would be zoned into residential, commercial, and leisure areas. Two thirds of the total space would be set aside for three thousand housing units, enough for one hundred and fifty thousand people. High-energy conduits built into an encircling maglev train line from structure to shore would supply power. Transportation within the city would be provided by accelerating walkways, elevator, and a personal rapid transit system where automated pods would travel around the upper periphery of the city.


    Due to seismic activity in several of the test areas, each mega structure was being constructed from carbon nanotubes. This would allow Lilypad to stand against and endure high winds, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Multi-walled nanotubes produce materials with toughness unmatched in man made or naturally occurring material. Years of research into Wraith biopolymer cellular construction technology had yielded amazing results. Using this knowledge, programmable cells capable of growing the carbon nanotube structure were being employed. Limitless amounts of energy available to fuel this process greatly accelerated the growth cycle.


    Connecting these new floating cities to the mainland would be a system once ruinously expensive. Maglev trains are a system that uses magnetic levitation to suspend and propel vehicles with magnetic force rather than mechanical methods like wheels and axles. Creating both lift and thrust, superconducting magnets provide the means of flying each train along a guide way only a few inches above the guide''s surface. Advanced superconductors sourced from the stargate production facility made this process possible, and for the first time economical. Each guide way path would sit one hundred feet above the surface of the waters they were meant to cross.


    Traditional rail technology is subject to wear and tear from friction, and that friction increases exponentially with speed, unlike maglev systems. This basic difference makes possible the cost advantage of maglev systems over other transportation modality. Furthermore, maglev is not at all affected by snow, ice, rain, or high wind. Acceleration and deceleration is also faster than traditional rail systems because they make no contact with the guide way. As these test bed systems gained acceptance, it was hoped that individual national rail grids would upgrade to the new technology.


    While finding its way into construction and transportation, advancement was also taking place in how we might educate future generations. The Massachusetts Institute of technology had long been known as a risk taker, keen to push the envelope to find the cutting edge of many scientific disciplines. For the very first time, the risk taking would be centered on just how student could, would, and should be educated. To that end, a new Hall had been erected and outfitted. The hopes of many rested on what would transpire within those walls.


    The grand experiment as it was being called by the US Department of Education, drew all of its funding from government coffers. In exchange for signing a wavier of liability, each of the one hundred selectees would receive their education free. Conditions did exist though. Each selectee must be an incoming undergraduate, intend to seek a doctorate in one of several disciplines, and agree to three years of government service upon graduation.


    Step one of the program made use of the Galaran memory device. Once connected, each student would receive a direct transfer of knowledge into their mind; elevating them to roughly the educational equivalent of those aboard Destiny that received limited downloads from the chair. An incredibly complex program written by the Ancient''s made this possible. Raising their understanding to a level slightly more advanced than the scientific understanding of the Tollan, this initial download made possible further high order learning of science far beyond the understanding of most academics in the country.


    Step two took the freshly educated student much further. Attached to Virtual Reality pods originally developed by the Volsinii, each student would learn from elements of Asgard knowledge base. A dedicated Ancient artificial intelligence took these students submerged in a virtual learning environment, putting the students through years of classroom instruction and lab work in a fraction of the time. Acting much like a stasis pod, each VR pod made around the clock learning possible for nearly limitless amounts of time.


    Using this method, the number of academics possessing a full understanding of incredibly advanced knowledge would grow exponentially in a short amount of time. Instead of waiting decades to fully understand all contained in the alien databases, it might be possible to unlock their potential in years. Academia''s future path on Earth would be decided on this experiment. If successful, other institutions around the world would implement this method.

 Chapter 198

    Pegasus Galaxy


    Borealis''s ability to track a vessel in hyperspace made possible the task at hand. Constant monitoring of hyperspace activity by both city sh.i.p.s made possible the creation of an overall picture of movement activities in a large portion of the galaxy. As the positions of allied sh.i.p.s was already known, and Wraith Hive movement''s were limited to certain corridors of Pegasus, it was a fair guess that the lone unidentified ship speeding across the cosmos belonged to the Harbinger. That was the thought anyway.


    Intelligence gathering was the cornerstone of any war effort. Little was known about the Harbinger, and that deficiency was one that was badly in need of correction. To answer that call, the Daedalus class vessel Leonidas had been dispatched. Racing through hyperspace, Leonidas was the only asset in position to intercept the new threat. Tensions were high as the ship and her crew raced towards the unknown. Far too little was known about their potential foe.


    "Incoming message subspace message sir. Borealis has detected the target dropping out of hyperspace. Updated coordinates are available." The communications officer announced.


    "Confirm receipt of coordinates. Helm, take us their at best possible speed." Colonel Lucas Pratt ordered.


    "Estimate our arrival at new coordinates in seventeen minutes sir." The helmsman stated.


    "Understood. When we drop out of hyperspace, I want the cloak online. Let''s not take any chances with this one." Pratt ordered hopefully.


    Seconds spanned into minutes as Leonidas closed in on her prey. As a relatively untested crew, everyone was jittery to a certain extent. Speeding into the great unknown in an Athena was one thing, but it was an altogether different prospect in the much smaller 304. These were the moments they had trained for, and no other option existed but to rise to the occasion. Now was not the time to have these types of thoughts Pratt said to himself.


    Bringing the cloak online, Leonidas prepared to exit hyperspace. Weapons were powered and placed in standby, sensors were brought to maximum gain, and battle stations were manned. All was ready. Ninety seconds later the warship slipped out of hyperspace, wrapped safely in the warm embrace of their invisibility.


    Standing off in the distance laid the imposing bulk of the Harbinger''s vessel. Large, sleek, and fearsome; it was an intimidating sight. Justification for that intimidation was confirmed, as sensors began to take readings. Detected power levels showed several times the amount of energy production than a standard Wraith Hive. Internal scans provided a picture of a vessel far different from a Hive in layout as well. Instead of many corridors and compartments, this vessel seemed to only have a lone corridor and a single compartment. Clearly, this was the bridge of the unique ship. If only they had known that on that bridge, a hyperspace window opening had been noticed.


    "The targets power levels are dropping like a stone sir." The sensor officer announced.


    "Transferring power to other systems?" Pratt wondered aloud.


    "Not that the sensors can detect sir." Sensor''s answered.


    "I don''t like this. Something is not right. Take us in closer and see if we get anything else on the sensors." Pratt ordered.


    At low speed, Leonidas pushed closer towards the vessel before her. Coming to a stop eighty kilometers away, the sensors continued to peer into the distance. Despite closing on the target, additional readings were not forthcoming. Power levels aboard the enemy ship continued to fall. It made no sense to anyone among the 304''s bridge crew. Normally, Wraith vessels devoted a majority of their available power to hull regeneration after exiting hyperspace.


    In several compartments in differing sections of the Leonidas, several screams rang out. In the port hanger bay, a few of the more level headed 302 pilots jumped in surprise, swearing that they saw something out of the corner of their eye. Around the ship, the unease grew. Startle turned to fright. Fright turned to terror. Two minutes after the first shrieks, screams began to ring out on every level. Joining these screams filling the air were staccato bursts of pistol fire as several armed Marines discharged their weapons at nothing more than thin air.


    Crewmembers in all compartments burst into frightened runs. Each and every one saw terrifying visions of phantoms and other things they feared deeply all around them. Panic broke out repeatedly. Some screamed, others cried while cowering, and still others attempted to run. In one horrific case, an armed Marine pleaded aloud for forgiveness before putting his pistol to his temple and firing a single round. On the bridge, the scene was no different.


    "It''s not real! It''s just a hallucination!" Pratt yelled.


    In a moment of clarity, the helmsman was able to overcome his fear and take action. Moving the weapons from standby to active while dropping the cloak, the helmsman initiated an automated attack program. Two pale blue shafts of superheated plasma raced towards the Harbinger''s vessel. Instead of verifying the damage done, the helmsman began to maneuver Leonidas away. They must run!


    Having detected the hyperspace window, Harbinger had lured the vessel he knew was out there somewhere closer by reducing power. Waiting patiently, he then activated the mind manipulation device that ran down the spine of his fearsome ship. This tactic was one he had used to great effect many times during the Ancient/Wraith War. Seeing the small vessel maneuver away without its cloak engaged, Harbinger began his pursuit. He knew that by now panic would have broken out aboard, and that made his task so much the easier. Surprisingly, they had managed to raise their shields. An answer for that was close at hand, he thought with a smirk.


    The Leonidas continued to maneuver. Reversing course, the small vessel attempted to outturn the larger and escape. Nose to nose, the two vessels found themselves locked in a high tech game of chicken. From the bow of Harbinger''s vessel, a flowing energy wave erupted. Following closely behind this wave were four smaller objects closely resembling Darts. Unknown to the panicked humans, the outcome was already decided.


    Impacting the Asgard designed shields; the energy wave broke like a storm surge. Designed to protect from energy weapons, they were not prepared to protect against a weapon never considered by Asgard engineers. The energy wave was very similar to a widely known piece of Wraith technology, the culling beam. Much more powerful, this culling weapon was not meant to capture prey. Instead, highly structured energy fields were absorbed in much the same way. The stronger the shield, the more effective the culling weapon.


    Seven seconds after the collapse of the forward shields of Leonidas, the Dart like objects slammed bodily into their target. One struck the nose, one the elongated neck, and the remaining two the main body of the Tauri vessel. Instead of carrying a pilot, these craft were instead very agile and fast moving anti-ship weapons. As they penetrated the outer hull of Leonidas, thunderous explosions shattered the once powerful warship. Scant seconds after it had began it was over. Leonidas met her end with all hands lost. Transmitting a continuous subspace microburst, the onboard Emergency Locator Transmitter announced to allied forces the eternal resting place of two hundred men and women.

 Chapter 199

    Earth


    By all accounts, disclosure of the Stargate Program had been a resounding success. Pre-disclosure estimates of social upheaval, rioting, economic collapse, and religious resurgence had proved to be incorrect. That this was in large part due to the decision to use the Ark of Truth was not a fact that would soon be forgotten, or admitted to the public. This was not to say that the world had simply accepted the new reality without fallout of some kind. In some areas, the problems were contained to a simple few individuals acting out, while in others areas larger groups had found their footing.


    In Denver, a woman in her early thirties made the tabloids with fantastic claims. Making claims of multiple alien abductions, she later went on to claim that her son was the product of being i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed by a race closely resembling the Asgard, only blue in color. Going so far as to produce her son for tabloid photo shoots, pictures of the blue colored boy were soon found gracing checkout stands in grocery stores nationwide. Retaining the services of a law firm of questionable ethics, the woman attempted to sue the Asgard race for back child support and emotional distress. Court ordered medical examination of the son soon found that he had been repeatedly soaked in blue food coloring. Currently, the boy is in foster care while the mother awaits trail for child endangerment.


    Hours after disclosure, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the first of what would soon be thousands of Freedom of Information Act requests. Any and all information about the Stargate Program, off world races and activities, and SGC related infrastructure was sought. Resulting doc.u.ment dumps from the Air Force were staggering, though highly redacted. Volumes of information were released. This led to another unexpected development.


    Both the ACLU and the EFF shared the contents of these doc.u.ment dumps with a third party. After reviewing highly redacted mission reports, a list of aliens being held captive on Earth came into being. Amnesty International immediately requested open access to these captives. When that request was declined, they filed suit to review uncensored mission reports pertaining to the captives. Furthermore, Amnesty International asked the US District Court to grant these captives the right of Habeas Corpus and legal counsel. A secondary suit brought against the government sought to ensure that any and all off prisoners were treated in accordance with international treaty requirements. These two suits are still pending.


    Montreal soon found itself awash in a sea of members of the Raelian Church. Half protest, half parade, the Raelian followers had several requests of the worlds governments. First, they demanded the construction of a spacecraft large enough to contain all Raelian''s to be named the Tower of Babel. Second, they demanded their immediate recognition as the ''religion that got it right''. Third, they required the location of the world where the creators of humanity resided. Sacred to the Raelian''s was the belief that an alien race had created all life on Earth. It was this belief that drove their repeated demands.


    Finding a new cause to rally behind, the Occupy Movement again took to makeshift camps in capitals around the world. Whereas they had once demanded economic reform, the new demands took a new direction. Facebook and Twitter were filled with repeated postings of the demand to be given a planet to establish a utopian society for all Occupiers, and escape the tyranny the 99% had endured for far too long. On the steps of the Capital Building in Washington, one could hear the chants from the Occupiers daily protests.


    "What do we want?"


    "A planet!"


    "When do we want it?"


    "Now!"


    The fact that many hostile races in the Universe would happily enroll the Occupiers into slavery and indentured servitude was consistently overlooked. Journalists embedded with the movements encampments finally took note of the ridiculousness of the demands, and went on to report other things.


    Joining ranks, alien abduction groups around the world the world took a different tact than the Occupiers. Flooding the once popular social networking site MySpace, more than six hundred thousand new profile pages emerged. Found on each page was a first person retelling of their abduction. Instead of demanding a planet of their own, financial remedy, or something similarly unlikely, they asked for something very different. All that was asked for was a simple acknowledgment of their abduction, an explanation why, and an apology. According to CNN, the Asgard High Council was currently weighing the benefit of having Loki make a public service announcement or appear on Larry King Live.


    Refusing to be left out of around the world developments, Michael Moore was once again at work. Film crews stood ready outside of military facilities known to be involved in the goings on of the SGC. Periodically, Moore made it his practice to speak to any and all members of the US Senate about the program. Some called it harassment, but Moore called it good journalism. In the vein of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, his newest film took shape. Already, it was projected that ''Deception beneath Cheyenne Mountain'' would be this summer''s blockbuster. In other Hollywood news, Wormhole: Universe, the third show in the Wormhole Xtreme franchise suddenly found itself renewed for a third season, to replace wrestling in that time slot.

 Chapter 200

    Idavoll, Asgard Home World


    Four days earlier, a vessel far different than those found in the Asgard fleet had arrived on Idavoll. Rarely in recorded memory had a vessel more advanced than their own arrived among the Asgard. Now was one of those times. Carrying personnel from Earth, along with genetic samples long held in cryogenic storage, the Videum came to rest in the bay outside of the Asgard capital city.


    Personnel from Earth aboard Videum were soon transferred into the city via puddle jumper. Not members of the SGC, this team of humans belonged instead to the United States Department of State. Assigned to the recently completed embassy on Idavoll, this cadre of diplomatic personnel would form the first point of contact for the two races. Elsewhere in other galaxies, embassies were coming online or nearing completion. These hubs of diplomacy would foster trade, growth, and security for many worlds and races.


    Reflecting architectural cues from the Ancient''s, each embassy spoke of technological superiority and strength. Fully assuming the mantle the Ancient''s had left for them, these buildings spoke of the might possessed by the Tauri. At the sight of these buildings, some would be awed, while others would be enveloped in a sense of security knowing they had such advanced allies. Others still would harbor a nagging sense of envy.


    Videum''s arrival was not a simple show the flag exercise. She had been tasked to fulfill a promise made to the Asgard in the days before disclosure. The powerful city ship and her crew would establish a permanent Tauri presence in the Andromeda Galaxy. Functioning much like the Atlantis expedition in its early days, the Videum outpost would open up an entirely new galaxy to Earth. Acting as home base for SG teams and sh.i.p.s alike, humans would head out on missions of discovery.


    Videum was not destined to remain on Idavoll. Instead, another location had been selected. Seven hundred light years away, a lush Earth like world had been located. Unpopulated, and having large oceans, the outpost would take shape. Future plans called for the construction of a city much like Shambhala, along with the other accoutrements of a civilized world. From there, humanity would spread out and begin to take hold in this galaxy.


    Having never been endowed with a gate network of its own, the Videum expedition required certain workaround''s to function properly. Though it continued to grow, the Tauri fleet was not yet large enough to support constant operations in this new galaxy. To that end, Asgard vessels loaded with reclaimed Milky Way model gates rendered obsolete by the ongoing Pegasus model upgrade set out. By months end, fifty habitable worlds of potential interest would be equipped with these gates. This made possible Videum to deploy her embarked SG teams at will. Once seeder sh.i.p.s arrived in Andromeda, the Milky Way gates would be recovered and replaced with Pegasus model''s, with the older gates being placed in inert storage for potential later use elsewhere.


    Hours after coming to rest in the bay, the cryogenically stored genetic material aboard had been delivered into Asgard hands via transport beam. On arrival in the cloning facility, the sample had been handled with the utmost care. Valuable beyond comparison, this sample embodied the hope and future of the Tok''ra. Taken from residue in medical equipment on Pangar, this sample was the genetic code of the creator of the Tok''ra, The Queen Egeria. Research into refining Tritonin to free the Jaffa from dependence on symbiotes had allowed SGC geneticists to isolate the DNA of the dead queen.


    Aware of the importance of their task, Asgard cloning technicians maintained constant vigil on the modified chamber that held the maturing symbiote. Eight days from now, the now juvenile symbiote would reach maturity and be transferred into stasis. Symbiote genetic memory transfer made concern of Egeria''s personality a nonissue, as all memories of the dead queen would be retained by the clone. All that was left after being placed in stasis was finding a host. That question had already been answered, and that answer would arrive in ten days.


    Having no family or children, a beautiful nurse from the SGC medical department had always wished to bring life into this world. Hearing of the need to locate a host for the mother of the Tok''ra and aware that the future of that race would be built upon this host''s gift; the nurse had leaped at the chance. Finally, she would get the chance to see the universe for herself. She would have a family, and be part of something bigger than herself. It was a dream come true in her eyes.


    Resting in the Asgard ship building facility, the Hala and the next four vessels in her class sat. Fully repaired from her losing combat action against the Athena, Hala was prepared to emerge from the shipyard stronger than before. Making use of the shipboard Arcturus device the Tauri had provided, Hala and her sisters were the most powerful vessels ever constructed by the Asgard. The four sh.i.p.s currently under construction would not be ready for several months. That was not true for the Hala though. Outfitted, armed, and provisioned; Hala was destined for the Pegasus Galaxy. Taking her place as the fleet flagship, Hala would be joined with her new commander. Exchanging his O''Neill class for the new vessel, Thor was certain he would be able to better prosecute the Wraith threat. Once complete, her four sisters would join her.


    Free from her bonds, Hala rose higher into the atmosphere. Gaining speed as she transitioned from atmospheric flight to interstellar flight, Hala broke loose from Idavoll''s gravitational pull. Seconds later, she entered the large hyperspace window tearing open and began her journey towards the commander that would take her bravely into the fight ahead.

 Chapter 201

    Pluto


    Built to facilitate the construction of a massive and powerful intergalactic fleet, Arkos continued to flawlessly perform this function many millions of years after coming online. Though the Tauri fleet was growing exponentially, thus far the full potential of the Ancient shipyard had yet to be tested to its fullest. Each new day brought new build orders that would be filled without question, or complaint.


    Begun with little fanfare but with a sense of urgency, the Titan project was nearing the completion of the first two vessels of the class. Sequestered on the lowest level, normally reserved for city ship maintenance and construction, two hulls sat. Six kilometers long, one kilometer wide, and seven hundred meters in height, the two vessels were fearsome looking by virtue of their size alone. In honor of Earth''s first interstellar warship, the lead ship and class had been changed from Titan to Prometheus. Destined for the Air Force, Prometheus would return this hallowed name to the Tauri fleet. Beside her, Nimitz would come under the control of the US Navy.


    Designed to carry a compliment of four hundred F-302''s, these carriers brought about a problem for the two branches of service they belonged to; pilot shortage. Instead of transferring Reservist''s to active duty to fill the need, another solution had been found. The fact that this solution had come about from study of a captured craft was fitting, given the Tauri history of alien technology emulation. Drone mothership''s and their unscrewed charges had proven a formidable foe for Destiny, despite her technological advantages.


    This solution came in the form of removing the human pilot from a majority of F-302''s and FB-302''s the Prometheus class would carry. Much like the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle designed by Northrop on Earth, these aircraft would go into combat in an automated fashion. Replacing the systems needed to support a human pilot was a system designed to accept control from aboard the launching ship. That control would come from a second Artificial Intelligence aboard the carrier. While the primary AI would serve in the same manner as those found aboard Ancient vessels, the secondary existed only to control each UCAV.


    Leading each flight element would be a human piloted 302. All other members of each flight would be under AI control. To that end, the controlling AI needed to be proficient in fighter tactics and employment. Data covering the span of air combat was fed into each AI, along with all material ever taught at the US Air Force Fighter Weapons School. It was hoped that this would create a UCAV force meeting or exceeding the effectiveness of manned squadrons.


    To support UCAV production needs while avoiding interruption of manned 302 production, a second 302 build bay had been brought online. Churning out a steady stream of UCAV''s, the compliment needed to fill both Prometheus class carriers was still far short. That would be corrected before each carriers shakedown and acceptance cruise. Of the three hundred complete so far, each had performed a number of training missions with manned 302''s. Each training mission represented another opportunity for the UCAV command AI to put knowledge recently gained to practice.


    Though not yet complete, each Prometheus already had a crew hard at work learning how to most effectively operate their new vessel in combat. A handpicked crew from various Air Force commands manned Prometheus. Nimitz''s crew came directly from the recently decommissioned aircraft carrier Enterprise. Big E as her crew had called her had been a record-breaking ship, and it was believed that Nimitz would continue the tradition. After all, the ship had a proud name to live up to.


    Many levels above the carriers, eight vessels were in the very earliest stages of construction. So new were these vessels, they had yet to be named. The Netherlands, Norway, Italy, and Spain would take possession of two 304''s each. Proud nations all, they were honored by the invitation to join the ever-expanding fleet of Earth. In the coming days as each sh.i.p.s crew trained in simulators on both Arkos and Earth, these sh.i.p.s would be given names honored by their commanding nation.


    Two levels above the unnamed 304''s sat Destiny. Her new crew unpacked and settled in, went about the countless tasks necessary to prepare the ship for her new tasking. Food stores, books, DVD''s, could be found scattered about in all crew quarters. Finally, the ship was beginning to feel like home. It helped that a modic.u.m of proficiency had finally been achieved with the many advanced systems found aboard.


    Over the last two days, many of the crew had taken to avoiding Doctor Rush at all costs. Micromanaging to the highest degree, the Scotsman was rapidly driving anyone unlucky enough to get away slightly mad. A betting pool had come about due to his rampaging around. Currently, the best odd''s lay on his ego being the culprit of this recent tirade. A man that normally slept very little, it did not help that he seemed to fuel his never-ending quest with an endless stream of coffee. The mess attendant openly joked that for the right bribe, he was more than open to hiding the coffee somewhere off ship. So far, no one had offered up a bribe worth the wrath that was sure to follow.


    Seeking out the head of his science department, Colonel Davidson only had to listen for bellowing in a Scottish brogue and the stream of crewmembers running for other areas of the ship. Strolling with a smile, he followed Rush for fifteen minutes before finally deciding that he had needed to get this done and move on to the bridge. Brushing past two Sergeant''s scurrying away, the Colonel manages to contain his prey in the control interface room.


    "I thought I heard you in here." Davidson began.


    "Colonel, with all due respect I am a bit busy at the moment." Rush countered.


    "So I''ve heard. Actually, I heard that from down the corridor." Davidson continued.


    "Is there something I can do for you?" Rush asked impatiently.


    "Yes, there is. I need you to meet and interview a potential late addition to the crew." Davidson explained.


    "We''re preparing to get under way shortly. Late addition indeed!" Rush spat.


    "Regardless of our feelings, I need you to talk with them. The science department is your domain, so the ball is in your court." Davidson offered.


    "When am I supposed to be doing this?" Rush asked.


    "One hour. My understanding is they will be meeting you on the observation deck." Davidson explained.


    "I''ll make sure I''m there. Now, if you don''t mind, I would like to finish what I''m working on before I run off to play human resource manager." Rush finished.


    An entertained grin on his face, Colonel Davidson did not bother to look at the scientist while walking out the door. Had he done so, he would have seen the scientist hard at work at the interface terminal doing who knows what. Davidson enjoyed these little moments. Lost in his thoughts and the task at hand, Rush quickly lost track of the time. Were it not for Destiny interjecting a reminder message onto the screen before him, Rush might have missed the appointment altogether.


    In an annoyed haze, Rush made his way to the observation deck. Luckily, no one stood in his way during the trek. Every step away from the interface room heightened his level of annoyance. Entering the empty observation area, he was not surprised to see no one there awaiting him. This did little to assuage his mood. Therefore, he waited, and waited. Ten minutes later with his frustration climbing to incredible heights, the doors behind him opened. Turning quickly around, his eyes locked on a face he had not expected to see.


    "Eli, to what do I owe the honor?" Rush asked.


    "I was in the neighborhood, thought I would drop by and see how you''re doing." Eli replied casually.


    "Never been better. The question is how are you doing? I only ask because I heard a rumor that you have the repository of knowledge coursing through your body. Any truth in that?" Rush asked.


    "That part is all true. Its amazing all the things you can learn with a bit of Ancient assistance." Eli conceded.


    "I would love to hear all about it, but at the moment I find myself waiting for a rudely tardy appointment I''m unable to get out of." Rush offered.


    "Tada!" Eli exclaimed.


    "Tada what?" Rush demanded, somewhat off balance.


    "I''m the late appointment. Destiny is where I belong, and I''m here to ask if you will allow me to join the science team." Eli explained.


    "Don''t you have something else to do? Another Nobel Prize worthy project perhaps?" Rush asked pointedly.


    "Been there done that. This mission is one you and I both believe in. Together we can complete this mission." Eli said solemnly.


    On the bridge, Colonel Davidson sat in the command chair. All systems were ready for departure. Going over last minute status updates from all departments, his attention was drawn away when the radio activated.


    "Colonel Davidson, this is Doctor Rush." The scientist said over the radio.


    "This is Davidson, go ahead Doctor." The Colonel replied.


    "I''ve completed the interview, and I''m pleased to inform you that Mr. Wallace will be joining Destiny''s crew." Rush explained.


    "Very well Doctor. Thank you. Davidson out." The Colonel finished.


    Beside the command chair stood the avatar of Destiny. Hearing the radio call, a smile broke out across the avatar''s face.


    "I''m very pleased to hear Doctor Rush approves of Eli rejoining us. Very good of him to give his consent." Destiny mused contentedly.


    "It was very nice of Rush to be so charitable. General O''Neill approved Mr. Wallace''s transfer back aboard three days ago though. That is why both his and Ginn''s luggage and belongings were transferred to their new quarters four hours ago. Let''s not tell Rush that though." Davidson replied with an entertained smile.


    "Agreed Colonel." Destiny answered with amused understanding.


    Outside the vessel, docking clamps were released. As the boarding platform retracted, the sublight engines powered up. Performing a perfect pirouette, Destiny began to maneuver towards the energy barrier marking the exit into the cold depths of space. Passing through this barrier, Destiny began to accelerate away from Arkos station. One hundred thousand kilometers away, she leaped into FTL to deliver her precious cargo on this long distance validation cruise. Her next stop would be near the Asgard home world of Idavoll.

 Chapter 202

    Pegasus Galaxy


    As the hull of the Leonidas was shredded by enemy weapons fire, a failsafe system had engaged. Each vessel of the Tauri fleet was equipped with an Emergency Locator Transmitter. Activation occurred if onboard life signs dropped to zero, the hull lost eighty percent integrity, or life support went fully offline for a period of fifteen consecutive minutes. Once exposed to the harsh environment of space, the ELT began transmitting an encoded subspace burst to Tauri and allied fleets. The only grave marker for the destroyed vessel was this burst transmission.


    Distress assistance and crew rescue were contingencies the allied fleet had rehearsed many times. On receipt of the burst, the six closest vessels immediately leaped into hyperspace at maximum speed for the coordinates provided by the ELT. In this instance, the nearest vessels to the scene were the Ares, Hermes, Athena, and three O''Neill class vessels. Onboard each vessel, stomachs knotted at what fate may have befallen the Leonidas.


    First to arrive on scene, the three Athena class vessels exited hyperspace with shields up and weapons at the ready. A moment later, three O''Neill''s arrived and joined their allies. The sight greeting the new arrivals was not one anyone ever wanted to see. Instead of signaling a need for assistance, the ELT had brought them here to witness the deaths of their compatriots. Friends and fellow service members had fallen. Sensors aboard the six vessels peered into the distance to find the threat that had brought such destruction upon the Leonidas.


    Once sensors confirmed that no threat was present anywhere in the system, it was also confirmed that no life signs were present in the expanding debris field that had once been a vessel. Nothing recognizable was left of her. Keeping their emotion in check, the Tauri crews focused on what their training told them must happen next. While the Ares beamed aboard the ELT for analysis, the Athena beamed aboard the ZPM floating amongst the wreckage. Such a sensitive item must not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. During this process, Hermes beamed wreckage into one of her hanger bays, along with the hanger bays of the other two Tauri vessels in attendance.


    Wreckage and body recovery would take some time. Standing guard in the distance, the three O''Neill''s maintained a protective perimeter. ELT aboard, Ares leapt back into hyperspace at maximum speed towards Atlantis. As she sped away, the now nearly destroyed hyper drive engine of Leonidas found its way aboard Hermes. Caged fury and sorrow aside, recovery efforts would continue for several more hours.


    Atlantis


    Three hours before, the Ares at arrived after a max speed run across the Pegasus Galaxy. Having coordinated with other vessels while in route, Colonel Samantha Carter was standing by when Colonel Sheppard beamed directly into Zelenka''s lab with the ELT beside him. As the designer of the original ELT, Carter was the logical choice to review the data it had recorded. In that data stream was internal video from the Leonidas for the hour leading to the attack, damage control readings, and sensor data with weapons performance readings.


    Watching the internal video files, those present were witness to a hellish scene. Screaming, terror, panic, and even crewmembers turning on those around them was there for all too see. Absolute bedlam was how Zelenka summed it up. To Sheppard, it reminded him of a few horror movies he had seen on Earth years ago. The more he watched, the more his anger grew.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this before." Sam whispered.


    "I have. Once on a planet we encountered a Wraith device that made you hallucinate." Sheppard said through gritted teeth.


    "I''ll review the mission report. The sensor data shows an anomalous electromagnetic build up. It might be possible to find a way to counteract the effects. Until then, I suggest we have all sh.i.p.s steer well away from this ship." Carter suggested.


    "Why didn''t the plasma beam shots destroy the attacking ship?" Sheppard demanded.


    "Sensor data shows that significant damage was done, but this Hive is far different from any we''ve come up against in the past. I am seeing a different internal configuration and much higher energy production within the vessel. Quick guess, the beams didn''t damage enough critical systems." Carter offered.


    "How did the weapons fire make it through the shield?" Sheppard asked.


    "The system used looks similar to a culling beam. I hope I am wrong, but I do not think I am. The more powerful the shield, the more effective this device could be. Keep in mind that a shield is just an energized barrier of ionic discharge and excited particles. Let me run a few simulations, and talk this over with McKay on Borealis." Carter replied.


    "Do we let this go unanswered?" Zelenka asked quietly.


    "Your buddy having too much to drink and peeing on your houseplant goes unanswered. This does not!" Sheppard snarled.


    "You have a plan." Zelenka stated.


    "I''m working on that. I am tired of sending messages. Now we are going to hit them hard. If we had not wasted so much time kicking the front teeth out of the Genii, we could have had the Wraith gone by now. No, this time we''re going to hit them, and keep hitting them until this is over." Sheppard promised threateningly.

 Chapter 203

    Idavoll


    Four hundred thousand kilometers from the outermost moon of the Asgard home world, Destiny dropped out of faster than light travel. Ten days, 3 hours, and eight minutes since her departure from Arkos station in the Milky Way, the Ancient had crossed through the Milky Way, the void between galaxies, and a significant portion of the Andromeda galaxy to arrive at her destination. Long before her arrival, long range sensors had detected the vessels approach. Scheduled for a duration of ten days, the voyage had been delayed midway to allow for the arrival of an honored guest.


    The guest in question was someone the SGC came to know fifteen years previously. Merrin came from the world of Orban. Once a nanite-enhanced prodigy referred to by the Orbanian''s as Urrone, this young woman had provided the knowledge that led to Earth''s first generation of naquadah reactors. After the removal of Merrin''s nanites in a ceremony named the Averium, which allowed for each Urrone''s acc.u.mulated knowledge to be disseminated among the Orban people, she had been reduced to an intellectual level of an infant. Passing along lessons learned on Earth during the Averium, the Orban people embraced the process of study similar to those found on Earth.


    As a technologically advanced civilization, Orban was seen as a key to a budding alliance of advanced worlds and cultures. While the ties between Orban and Earth were already strong, the ties between Orban and other races were not. When approached with the idea of forging strong bonds with two other races in the Tok''ra and Asgard, the Orbanian''s leaped at the opportunity. Nominating a face well known to the allies of Earth, Merrin was put forth to serve as voluntary host to the second symbiote that had been cloned alongside Egeria.


    Maneuvering towards Idavoll, Destiny established a high polar orbit with relative ease. As this happened, a prearranged series of events began. At incredible bandwidth''s, all information gathered during Destiny''s voyage since launch flowed towards an Asgard repository. In coming days, weeks, and years, this information would be studied closely. Had they been a more emotional race, the Asgard would have been very excited at the intellectual challenge that awaited them.


    Standing on the observation deck of Destiny, Merrin and Captain Kathryn Hughes stood hand in hand. Both were excited, yet nervous. Jitters were not contained to those on Earth so it seemed. Any minute, they would be beamed down to a laboratory on the planet below, so they had been told to expect. Exchanging glances and smiles between themselves, the two women were engulfed in a shower of light and vanished from the vessel that brought them this far.


    Seconds later, the two women appeared in a room adjacent to the cloning lab. Awaiting their arrival stood Heimdall, the leading geneticist and cloning expert of the Asgard. Fully aware of the process to come after a recent briefing from the Tok''ra, Heimdall was fully prepared for what came next. Already, the two symbiotes stood ready in stasis jars beside the two patient couches in what was being called the implantation room. Longtime enemies of the Goa''uld, this would be the very first time the Asgard had witnessed let alone condoned a procedure of this kind.


    Taking their cues from Heimdall, the two women reclined on the patient couches. Making sure all was in accordance with expected norms, Heimdall initiated the symbiote release mechanism. Powering down, the two stasis jars powered down and opened near the faces of their recipients. Closing their eyes one last time, the two women opened their mouths as they had been instructed to do. Fully aware of the gift being provided to them, the two symbiotes slowly advanced towards the women to begin the act of blending. Kathryn''s eyes remained closed as images began to flood into her mind.


    Feelings, sights, and smells rushed into her every conscious thought. The late System Lord Ra stood before her. Callous, cruel, and cunning; Kathryn felt contempt and hatred for him on sight. All around her played out his actions as witness by Egeria that led to her contempt for him. Moving forward years of time in seconds, Captain Hughes watched as the first of those that would become the Tok''ra were born and matured. Their triumphs and failures flowed around her like a river. Filled with pride and sorrow, she witnessed the actions of these her children through their mother''s eyes.


    Flashing forward many years of time, Kathryn felt the agony of discovery and capture by the followers of Ra. Torture, humiliation, death, and revival played out repeatedly. Before it was over, the young woman found herself as witness to Egeria''s extraction and internment in a stasis jar where she would rest for thousands of years. In the last few seconds of the blending of minds, Kathryn endured the mistreatment and exploitation of Egeria at the hands of the people of Pangar. Incredible sorrow griped her, as she watched her children slaughtered to create the Tritonin that would later free the Jaffa.


    Opening their eyes as if for the very first time, the combined minds of Egeria and Kathryn cast their gaze towards the table beside them. Locking eyes with the woman they both now knew as Merrin, Egeria asked a question to the mind of her knew host.


    "Kathryn, may I speak for a moment?" Egeria asked silently.


    "You have much to say. This is now our body, so please do as you wish. Thank you for having considered my wishes though." Kathryn answered.


    Both women sat up and turned towards one another. Confusion and a bit of uncertainty were clear on their faces. They sat silently looking at one another for several minutes before Egeria broke the ice.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Egeria, mother of the Tok''ra." Egeria began clearly.


    "It is an honor to meet you Egeria. On behalf of the people of Orban, I am Merrin." The young woman replied.


    "The honor is mine Merrin. May I ask who you have been blended with child?" Egeria asked.


    Merrin''s eyes closed as she looked towards the floor. She remained like this for a handful of seconds before looking back up. When she began speaking, it was with the deep and bass heavy voice of the symbiote.


    "My mother Egeria, it has been many ages. I am Sel''mak." Merrin/Sel''mak replied.


    "I never thought I would lay eyes upon you again my child. Truly, this is a miracle." Egeria replied.


    "My last memory was of meeting my end while with another host. How we came to be here I do not understand." Sel''mak said.


    "Much has changed since both of your passing. It is true that both of you have been cloned, but your genetic memory allowed for full restoration of your minds. We have revived you both at the request of our allies; those Tok''ra that remain. Your children need you if there is to be a future for your civilization." Heimdall explained.


    "You said those that remain. Is that to mean the Goa''uld had harmed further of my children?" Egeria asked.


    "While my knowledge of events is dated, I can assure you that much has changed since you gave birth to our people." Sel''mak interjected.


    "Egeria, Sel''mak, the System Lords are no more. The last of them fell many years ago at the hands of the Tauri. Your fellow Tok''ra made possible a successive string of Tauri victories that brought an end to tyranny in this galaxy." Heimdall explained.


    Many hours passed as the Asgard brought the two reincarnated Tok''ra up to date on events in the galaxy. On their return to the Milky Way, those aboard Destiny with the knowledge would fill in any gaps for them both. With precautionary medical checks reporting all was as it should be, both Egeria and Sel''mak were beamed aboard the vessel that awaited them. They would not be going alone though. Also beaming aboard were two Asgard additions to Destiny''s crew. Ullr, Norse God of the Hunt, and Skadi, Norse Goddess of Winter, would be joining the quest to find the answer of all things.


    Precious cargo aboard, Destiny broke orbit once the data transfer was complete. Gathering speed, she set course for Arkos. With her, she not only carried the crew that hoped to unlock the mysteries of the universe, but also the salvation of an entire race.

 Chapter 205 - 204

    Midway Station


    Twenty hours earlier, the Athena class vessels Perseus, Atlas, and Reprisal had exited hyperspace. In tow with them and safeguarded by each vessels powerful defensive shield, the three vessels carried with them the makings of a new facility. Constructed within Arkos, the three station sections would form a structure identical to a capital letter H when interlocked. On release from the towing vessels, an automated set up protocol had initiated.


    The outer legs of the ''H'' were nine hundred meters in length, and one hundred meters in height. Comprised of a bottommost flight level, this deck was designed to house, launch, and recover F-302''s for defense, as well as Puddle Jumpers in the event one was needed. Levels above this contained crew and quest quarters, automated medical fixtures, and a bevy of other necessary systems. The center section of this largest of letter shaped structures measured four hundred meters in length, and again one hundred meters in height.


    On the uppermost level of the center section sat the area meant for both gates required for the link to the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies gate networks. The control center, power generation, and other vital systems rested below. Unlike the outer legs, the center section lacked the docking facilities found on the outer legs. These docking ports would allow in the future docking between four and six Athena and Daedalus class vessels at one time.


    Along the outer skin on the upper and lower station, every fifty meters sat Destiny style anti fighter energy weapon turrets. Top and bottom of the center section sat single turrets of a different type. These were equipped with dual Asgard plasma beam arrays. Protecting Midway from now on was a conformal shield array originally designed by the Ancients for use on the Aurora class of vessels.


    In the nerve center of Midway sat Colonel Telford and Doctor Kavanaugh. Any change from the day-to-day tasks in this outpost between two galaxies was welcome, if not hoped for. For the first time in weeks, the two men actually engaged in conversation.


    "Finally getting some new digs." Telford said dryly.


    "That''s not all we''re getting." Kavanaugh hinted.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Telford demanded.


    "You mean you don''t know?" Kavanaugh asked in disbelief.


    "Let''s pretend I don''t. Explain. Now. That''s an order." Telford hissed.


    "We''ve been assigned a third member to join us in exile." Kavanaugh stated.


    At that moment, Doctor Jay Felger entered the command center, with his customary goofy grin in full attendance.


    "Colonel! I''m here with your orders." Felger began.


    "Orders? What orders?" Telford demanded in an annoyed tone.


    "The ones giving you command of the new city ship being built." Felger replied.


    "Finally someone saw the light! I knew General O''Neill wouldn''t just leave me here to rot." Telford said while cracking his first smile in weeks.


    "Yeah right! We are only here because they do not have a worse place to send us. That''s funny, you thought I was series." Felger laughed.


    "Get away from me Felger. That means now." Telford ordered before quickly exiting the room.


    Emotions churning like a hurricane, Telford stormed down the passageway. Despite the upgrade in surroundings, it still felt like a career ending jail cell. Albeit, a cell with a nicer coat of paint.


    "Worst comes to worst, I''ll toss them both out an airlock." Telford muttered to himself.


    Mars


    Rarely did the military or the United States government do anything with any speed. This was one of those ultra rare situations. Seven days after Elizabeth Weir had been notified of the President''s decision to provide a home world for the human form replicators, things began to happen. The Aurora class vessel Frazier had been dispatched from Arkos. In her magazines, she carried the exogenesis device.


    Once released, this device unleashed an incredible number of highly energetic nanites into the upper atmosphere. Drifting around the lifeless world, these nanites found their way to ground level in a matter of hours. Once on the ground, the process of conversion, molecular restructuring, and heat generation began to take place. Above ground and subterranean ice caps melted, seas took shape, and hundreds of millions of tons of once frozen carbon dioxide was released. This last release allowed an atmosphere to take hold.


    The first of the human form replicators created after the resurrection of their kind had been transported to the planet from Earth once terraforming was complete. As new replicators were created for duties on Earth, an equal number of those already on the Tauri home world were transferred to Mars. Already numbering several thousand, these human form replicators were hard at work on the creation of their new home world. Repeated arrivals of material delivery vessels from the Ancient mining world provided the necessary raw material. On arrival, this material was either put to immediate use, or staged in an area where it would be required soon.


    Similar to Shambhala and Asuras before it, similarities in Ancient architectural style and aesthetic were clear to see. In the center of the city taking shape sat a massive sapphire colored dome, called the Temple of Essence. Here, new human form replicators would be created when the required systems were brought online. Also in the Temple, sat the replicator core, where the master program regulating the race was stored. Despite the progress already made, much remained to be done before the capital was complete.


    The chosen name bestowed on their new capital city was similar to the other Ancient styles mega city across the galaxy, Devaputra.

 Chapter 206

    Pegasus Galaxy


    Sensor data recovered from the flight data recorder of the Leonidas had been poured over by both Colonel Carter, and McKay on board Borealis. During the data review, the avatar of the city ship had confirmed the hypothesis about ship vulnerabilities to the newly encountered weapons systems aboard the Harbingers vessel. Another question answered though unasked, was that it was this new enemy that had long ago brought about the near destruction of Borealis.


    The destruction of the Leonidas demanded a response, and it was coming in the form of a trap. Realizing that it was far too obvious if a Tauri, Asgard, or Ori vessel was used as bait, it was suggested that a Traveler ship be used. Despite being allies, use of this ship had come at a price. Hammering out the details for Earth had been Richard Woolsey. In the end, it had come at an incredibly high price. Intergalactic hyper drive technology, albeit a generations old Asgard design, repair and refit of the aging Traveler fleet at Arkos, and a safe haven planet in the Milky Way had finally been agreed to. All this brought us to the here and now.


    Sitting in dead space, in the void between solar systems, was a lone Traveler generational ship. Throwing caution to the wind, this ship began transmitting a distress message on all frequencies, indicating that the ship was crippled and had three hundred souls aboard. It was hoped this would present a juicy enough target to lure the Wraith out.


    One hundred and eight thousand kilometers from the broadcasting Traveler ship sat the Ares and Athena, under cloak. A second''s long hyperspace jump away, waited the Hala. Closer in towards the bait sat one hundred and twenty F-302''s under cloak, the combined fighter strength of both Ares and Athena.


    "Incoming subspace data burst from Borealis sir." The communications officer announced.


    "What''s the word?" Colonel Sheppard asked lightly.


    "Message reads; Baits taken. Three hives and nine cruisers inbound. Estimated time of arrival is twenty four minutes." The communications officer stated.


    "One thing about Sudoku books, they are great to pass the time. Good for nerves also, in case anyone was wondering." Sheppard announced to his bridge crew.


    On both Ares and Athena, tensions were high. Fear did not sit in the pit of anyone present''s stomach. Instead, their emotions simmered for vengeance, to find retribution for their fallen comrades. Like the quiet professionals that they were, the crewmembers of both Tauri capital sh.i.p.s did their duties while steeling themselves for the fray to come. From the bridge of Athena, a string of communications was flowing in multiple directions.


    "Communications officer, send data burst to all 302''s with assignments. They are to remain in individual ten ship formations under cloak. Their point of aim on assigned target vessels is the hyperspace window generator at the stern. Once they are mission complete, they are act as gate stopper for any Darts that attempt to pursue the Traveler ship." Colonel Eckhart ordered.


    "On the way now, sir." Athena''s communication officer replied.


    "Let''s also make sure Thor is aware of the timing we''re going to need for this." Eckhart suggested.


    "Supreme Commander Thor has already confirmed receipt of instructions." The junior communications officer answered.


    "Moments like these make me really missing smoking." Eckhart sighed.


    "Incoming message from Katana Labrea on the bait ship Colonel." The suddenly very busy communications announced.


    "Put it on the display." Eckhart instructed.


    Seconds later the holographic display screen came to life. On it was the Traveler ship commander.


    "We''re ready to go on this end Colonel." Katana explained.


    "Ok, the clock is counting down and they should be here in a few short moments. Divert all possible power to your shields, and as soon as you see explosions get out of dodge as fast as you can." Eckhart suggested.


    "That''s what we were going to do anyway Colonel." Katana replied with some sass in her voice.


    "Easy now lady. I''ve got young men not ready for a woman with attitude on this bridge." Eckhart joked.


    "But Colonel, I''ve only got eyes for you. Good luck." Katana said in closing.


    On the bridge of both Tauri vessels, a clock counted down. When time wound down, they knew that the enemy would be upon them in two minutes. Calm came over both crews. Not nervous, or excited, they were focused on the task at hand and ready to wreck anything that stood in their path. Having been called to condition red ten minutes prior, everyone was settled in at battle stations. The time was upon them.


    Four and a half seconds later than their expected time of arrival, the small Wraith fleet exited hyperspace. The three hives fanned out in a large boomerang shaped formation, with cruisers above and behind in a dispersed diamond formation. At low sublight speeds, the fleet advanced towards the crippled vessel that was their reason for being here. Unseen around them, twelve separate ten-ship elements of cloaked 302''s began to close in. The leading Hive passed a point in space the Tauri had opted to call the demarcation line. Crossing this point of no return committed the awaiting fighter interceptors to the battle.


    It must be done in a coordinated blow, the 302 pilots knew. Too soon and everyone would be out of position. Too late and much of the Wraith fleet might escape. This one had to be just right. Aware that they had just one shot to get this right, all ten 302''s in each of the twelve flights would loose a naquadah enhanced AIM-120C AMRAAM at their targets. Closing in, at fifteen kilometers the 302''s dropped their cloaks and fired. A total of one hundred and twenty of the lethal kamikaze''s homed in on their targets. Crossing the distance in mere seconds in the zero drag environments, eighty-five struck their targets. Even though one third of the missiles failed to reach their aim point, the remaining missiles were more than enough overkill to achieve the mission.


    Appearing to be a fireworks display from hell itself, explosions rocked the Wraith fleet. Their ability to flee might have saved them, had it not vaporized in a naquadah enhanced series of detonations. Seeing the explosions, the Traveler ship engaged sublight engines at maximum thrust and quickly fled the battlefield. Concentrating their weapons fire in the direction of the now fleeing easy target, the crippled Wraith fleet was ill prepared for the sudden exit of Hala from hyperspace. On exit from the now collapsing hyperspace window, Hala opened fire with her dual Grodin''s.


    The fearsome green colored energy beams streaked towards their targets. The Targeted Hive took the impact on the chin, and was immediately pierced through and through. Hull integrity buckled from bulkheads now burned to a cinder. Splitting in half down the length of the ship, the Hive met its end. Behind and above the Hive, the targeted cruiser faired little better. On its path through the cruiser, the beam neatly struck the onboard power generator. As it went critical, the generator overloaded entirely. Its death rattle consumed the hull of the cruiser wholly.


    On cue, Ares and Athena dropped their cloaks. Drones sprang from within their hulls, racing towards the two separate groups of two cruisers targeted by each Tauri vessel. Instead of waiting for these weapons to strike before pursuing other offensive action, each Athena opened up with its own Grodin and plasma beam weapon. Lancing out like a bolt of lightning from an especially angry god, one more Hive and two cruisers were felled before realizing just how dire this situation had become. Secondary explosions and burning hull fragments formed into a quickly expanding debris field. Before it could expand far through, the Drone salvos launched impacted their targets, adding a further four cruisers to the death toll.


    The twenty-eight Darts that had exited into space before their carrying sh.i.p.s destruction formed up into a ragged formation. Accelerating to as fast as their propulsion could carry them, they chased after the Traveler ship now slipping out of range to catch. Behind them, Hala pressed forward and fired again with her dual Grodin''s. The final two cruisers in her path were struck, and their now dying hulks drifted into one another before breaking apart and joining the growing debris field.


    Despite their incredible speeds, the Darts were doomed. Having struck the mother sh.i.p.s, the 302''s had once again cloaked and moved to cover the retreat of the Traveler ship. It was into this unseen wall of ordinance-derived retribution that they slammed into. Where there had been nothing but empty space now was filled with the sleek and agile Tauri interceptors. In typical fighter pilot fashion where overkill is best, each F-302 let loose a single AMRAAM apiece. Twenty-five of the oncoming Darts were blotted from existence scarcely before they could react; the attack had been so sudden and unexpected. Five seconds later, those lucky enough to have survived the initial onslaught joined the fate of the others.


    Not to be deterred by the success of the attack, Sheppard pushed forward. Instead of using the powerful long-range weapons he had at his disposal, he ordered Ares to close on the lone remaining Hive. Her anti fighter energy turrets went into rapid fire, and lashed out at the Hive. Passing underneath, Ares tore the tender underbelly out of the once fearsome Wraith vessel. While intact, this Hive would require days if not weeks to heal before it would ever function again.


    "Ares, this is Athena. Sensors show the remaining Hive is dead in the water. Power is fully offline, as are weapons, and life support. They are now breathing shallow." Eckhart said into the communication link.


    "Copy that Athena." Sheppard replied.


    "Colonel Sheppard, I stand ready to take the remaining Hive in tow." Thor added to the situational report.


    "Whenever you''re ready Thor." Sheppard replied.


    Hala maneuvered towards the crippled Hive for the task at hand. This vessel''s crew and commander would be provided to Todd. He was greatly looking forward to interrogating them at length. While watching Hala slid above the vessel, Sheppard seethed. Messy and brutal, this had not been a battle but an ambush. In less than three minutes, thousands of Wraith lay dead in space amid eleven destroyed vessels, and a lone crippled survivor. While the Wraith death toll was high, it did little to atone for the loss of the Leonidas and her crew. That debt would be paid over time though, Sheppard swore to himself.

 Chapter 207

    White House


    On the second floor of the White House, adjacent to the official Presidential quarters, lay the Treaty Room. Before construction of the West Wing, working offices for the President and his staff were located on the east side of the second floor. The Treaty room has been used as an official waiting room, a Presidential study, the President''s office, and as the meeting place for the cabinet members. President''s Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant had decided American policy in this room during their time in office. Treaties such as the one bringing an end to the Spanish-American War and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty had been signed within these hallowed walls.


    The walls were adorned in a palette of deep greens, burgundy and gold. This, along with the other fixtures present in the room, was there to pay tribute to a horrific day in American history. This tribute came in a close recreation of the room Abraham Lincoln was taken to and died in, in a house opposite Ford''s Theater.


    Seated comfortably in the room, a collection of leaders was once again hard at work hammering out the future of a Treaty already enforced, but not existing on paper. President Hayes, Penegal of the Asgard, Dorin of the Furling, Opher of the Nox, and Melia of the Ancient''s were busy at work discussing amendments to the Protected Planets treaty. As the others present in the room were members of the Five Races, the Secret Service detail had been ushered into the hall.


    "So we''re in agreement on the addition of Unas occupied worlds to the Treaty?" Hayes asked.


    "I believe we are Mr. President." Dorin replied.


    "As a species that shows promise of further development, we are all in agreement." Penegal answered.


    "We are pleased to see the worlds of the Pegasus Galaxy also being added. While these planets are already being protected by the forces of Earth and of the Asgard, the symbolic gesture of adding them to this agreement is one my people welcome." Melia explained.


    "Though vessels stand guard over the many worlds in Pegasus, a threat still exists that must be overcome." Dorin added.


    "Through combined fleet efforts, we have pushed the Wraith to a distant corner of the galaxy. Despite this, more is required for a final victory. Worlds that refused the introduction of safe harbor with the aid of Furling technology even now continue to be culled with catastrophic results." Penegal continued.


    "When we first began collecting intelligence from the nanites introduced to the Wraith, we had promising results. Sadly, that information source is not continuing to pan out as we had hoped. My experts are not really sure as to the why." Hayes stated.


    "We have gone over the nanite performance logs in great detail, and believe we can answer that question. Information continues to flow from low-level soldiers up to Wraith commanders. The Queen that was infected is the first obstacle. Wraith Queen physiology differs from that of a soldier or commander." Melia explained


    "Doctors McKay and Zelenka theorized that might be the case. Our Wraith friend Todd also suggested as much. The unknown variable in that is that for a few short hours, the nanites infecting the Queen did seem to gain a bit of traction within." Hayes countered.


    "That is because she was weakened. We believe that the vital sign information transmitted from those nanites suggests the Queen was being fed upon by another Wraith. Only one exists with the strength to overpower and feed from a Queen." Melia continued.


    "The Harbinger." Dorin stated.


    "My question to that is how was he not infected as well? It is my understanding that the Queen was infected after feeding upon an infected Wraith. Is it a safe bet that he would have been infected in this manner? We''re showing no information from any nanites that might have been transferred to him though." Hayes stated.


    "His physical makeup is hardier than even a Queen. Ten thousand years ago, we managed to introduce nanites to the Harbinger to no avail. It was then that our scientists discovered that infection of he and those like him was not just unlikely, but impossible utilizing the nanites as designed. His regenerative abilities far outweigh those of a Queen, meaning that event direct large scale trauma upon him will have little effect." Melia expanded.


    "Did your scientists have any theories about how these abilities came about?" Penegal asked.


    "They did, and they will not lend much in the way of assistance in defeating him. Several of our geneticists and biologists theorized that these three unique Wraith were the result of Iratus DNA and RNA integration with the genetic code of a Lantean near ascension. Computer simulation suggested that this could lead to the types of abilities the Harbinger and his kin posses." Melia explained.


    "This isn''t to say he is unbeatable, just more difficult to defeat." Dorin interjected.


    "General O''Neill along with the Joint Chiefs feel that the most logical course of action is to not focus on the Harbinger alone, but to continue our efforts to diminish the overall Wraith fleet. I''m inclined to agree with them." Hayes stated.


    "As is Supreme Commander Thor. We feel that continued fleet interdiction and harassment will continue to pay great dividends." Penegal replied.


    "Then we stay the course. It has worked so far, and worked well. If it isn''t broken, why fix it?" Hayes asked rhetorically.


    "In combat actions against both the Goa''uld and Ori, small teams from the SGC worked to great effect. Might I suggest adding that ingredient to our efforts recipe?" Penegal suggested.


    "The Joint Chiefs feel the same way. Orders for that have already gone out." Hayes replied.


    The conversation continued for another hour as plans for the coming weeks and months were laid out. When all was in agreement, Hayes picked up a phone to notify his Chief of Staff that they were ready for the signing ceremony. Moments later, functionaries from the State Department, along with the official White House photographer entered the room. Putting pen to parchment, the representatives of the Five Races signed and brought into being the newly expanded Protected Planets Treaty. Capturing the event in photo format, the photographer smiled in the knowledge that someday these pictures would grace a Presidential Library.

 Chapter 208

    Washington D.C., Bureau of Indian Affairs


    Elsewhere in the bustling capital city, another government doc.u.ment was awaiting a final approving signature. Unlike the Treaty being signed in the White House, the doc.u.ment was between the Bureau and the nation of the Coast Salish Indians. Unlike agreements reached between the government and Indian Nations during the 1800''s, the Salish actually believed this one to be in their favor.


    The Coast Salish were a peaceful people. Like many Native American tribes, the Salish lived as one with their environment. Seeing all things mechanical as a disruption, and many common activities of commercial resource harvesting as a malicious act upon the natural environment, they were the forerunners of a frame of mind that would later become common in the environmentalist movement. Subsisting off what bounty the Puget Sound provided, the Salish enjoyed a better lifestyle than what was to be found on reservations belonging to other Native American tribes.


    In the wake of disclosure, it was learned that descendents of Salish had been encountered early into the gates use by the Air Force. Traveling to PXY-887, SG teams made contact with these descendents. Living in harmony with their environment, and their spirits, their home world was a lush if uneventful world. SGC attempts to mine the Trinium present in great abundance on this world brought to light that these spirits were in fact a race known as the Xel''s, who sought nothing more than to protect the Salish from the Goa''uld they had once driven away.


    It began with a letter campaign from a handful of people, and quickly grew in scope. Soon a petition took shape and found its way to the hands of a congressional representative from the state of Washington. Unsure of exactly how to handle the situation, the congressman put this petition in the hands of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. From there, things began to happen quickly.


    At the direction of the President, Under Secretary of State Simon Barnes was dispatched via Daedalus class vessel to PXY-887. Once there, on behalf of the United States government, he informed the Salish and Xel of the wishes of the Coast Salish on Earth. Learning of their kinsman''s desire to be rejoined with them, the off world Salish were overjoyed to learn that they would be rejoined with a people forgotten to them. To everyone''s surprise, the Xel also welcomed the news with open arms.


    Over the course of four days, negotiations had taken place between the elders of the off world Salish, the Xel, and Under Secretary Barnes. Learning of like-minded environmental reverence, the negotiation quickly turned into more of a logistical management exercise. By day three of the four day get together, locations for new camps were laid out for those to soon call this world home.


    Returning to Earth with approval in hand, Barnes informed the Tribal Council delegation visiting the nation''s capital that they would be allowed to join the off world Salish. His duties accomplished, Barnes turned the matter back over to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. At the behest of the military, the BIA negotiated an exchange between the Coast Salish and the US government. In exchange for trade credits worth eighty million dollars that could be put to use at the Pan Galactic Trade Exchange in Shambhala, the Coast Salish surrendered the Tulalip Reservation.


    The thirty-five square mile section of Washington State would be put to great use. Closely resembling many of the worlds SG teams typically visited, the former Reservation would be transformed into a training ground for SG teams. All this was made possible with the first large relocation of an indigenous people from Earth into the Milky Way in hundreds of years

 Chapter 209

    Wraith Orbital Outpost


    In the throne room of the orbital outpost, a new occupant now resided in the seat of power of the Wraith. An amused expression on his face, the Harbinger sat as the now humbled Primary briefed her new leader on the recent ambush by the Tauri and Asgard vessels. His amus.e.m.e.nt enraged her, but she was too fearful of him to let it show.


    "These constant losing skirmishes if allowed to continue will greatly diminish our fleet strength." Primary explained.


    "Our? I believe you mean my fleet strength, don''t you?" Harbinger asked lightly.


    "Yes my Lord." Primary replied in a frightened whisper.


    "Do go on with whatever point you were trying badly to convey." Harbinger replied with a fiendish grin.


    "I see only one way to prevent these constant attacks upon us. As we did ten thousand years ago, we must gather our strength in full and lay siege to Atlantis. Only then will we be free to navigate the galaxy without fear of ambush." Primary explained.


    "Perhaps you simply misspoke, but I see many flaws in your statement. You began with I see. By now, you should be aware of the fact that what you see or think matters little. You followed this with as we did. That again is a mistake. Did you conceive or even lead the siege? No, you did not. Our strength? You press the limits of my good will towards you. Look around you. Everything you cast your eyes upon exists to serve my will. Once the Tauri nuisance it dealt with, then I will be free to navigate the galaxy, but you will only do so as my pet." Harbinger said in low and venomous tones.


    "What is your command my Lord?" Primary asked with newfound difference in her voice.


    "What you propose is far from the answer. I have come to expect such shortsightedness from you, so I am not surprised in the least. To gather the fleet and lay siege to Atlantis would only mean the destruction of much of my fleet. Have you forgotten the enemy vessels that patrol Pegasus? They would quickly run to the defense of the city. Instead, we must take our enemies tactics as our own. After all, they worked very well against you, did they not?" Harbinger asked lightly.


    "They did my Lord, forgive my insolence. What have you in mind?" Primary asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.


    "If you can find your way to not tempt me to drain your body of all life, you will soon see. Now leave me!" Harbinger ordered.


    Retreating from the throne room quickly, Primary made her exit. Fear of his threat to drain her of life turned quickened her pace to that of a panicked scurry. Entering the throne room in her wake, a group of three hand picked Wraith commanders arrived before their leader. Two stood before Harbinger, while the third waited ten feet behind. The two commanders standing before the throne quickly dropped to one knee, with their heads bowed respectfully. Seeing this, Harbinger was pleased.


    "Rise." Harbinger said simply.


    "Yes my Lord." They replied in unison.


    "My pet thought very little of both of you. It seems that she preferred underlings that would never outshine her. That raises your value in my eyes. I have a special task for you. Are you prepared to serve me?" Harbinger asked with a loaded question.


    "Yes my Lord." They again replied in unison.


    "You will board a cruiser now, and depart for the nearest portal to our current location. Your destination is a Lantean warship repair facility I captured early in our war. Once there, you will retrieve the information I seek. The portal address and information specifics are already uploaded to your cruisers data core. To decrypt the file, use the password Pet. Go now, and retrieve what I seek!" Harbinger ordered.


    Rising to their feet quickly, the two commanders took their leave of the throne room. In minutes, they would depart in the cruiser that would carry them to the nearest gate in the galaxy. Stepping forward in to take the two departed commanders place, the third commander took his place before the throne.


    "I have summoned you to learn of your progress on the assignment I gave to you." Harbinger stated.


    "As ordered, the alterations to Hives currently growing are taking place." The commander answered.


    "Did you encounter any difficulties administering the genetic material from my vessel to those being grown?" Harbinger asked.


    "No my Lord. The process went without difficulty." The commander replied.


    "How many Hives have you given this treatment to?" Harbinger inquired.


    "All eight Hives currently growing towards maturity. As predicted, those Hives in the fleet already fully mature are unable to assimilate the genetic material from your vessel. That makes that specific modification impossible." The commander answered.


    "Pity." Harbinger sighed.


    "Following your instructions for that contingency, less drastic modifications to the mature Hives systems are currently being undertaken. Those will take several weeks to complete. When the growing cycle is complete, each Hive will contain two further power generation centers." The commander explained.


    "Your ability to carry out the tasks given is why I do not subject you to kneeling before me. I am pleased. Return to your duties and we will speak again." Harbinger said in dismissal.

 Chapter 210

    Shambhala


    For the last twenty-four hours, Shambhala''s stargate had been abuzz with nonstop activations. Arriving from many worlds in the Milky Way, both Atlantis and Borealis, and the newly upgraded Midway Station, each activation brought forth another of the hundreds of diplomatic delegations invited. For this first meeting of the newly christened United Worlds, every world, nation, and race invited was in attendance.


    Standing in the cavernous room containing the city''s gate, Camille Wray watched as ushers quickly took charge of the delegations assigned to them, whisking them away to the United Worlds assembly chamber. Standing nearby with an uncomfortable look on his face was General Jack O''Neill. Matters besides intergalactic diplomacy had brought him here on this day, and it was his hope to avoid any contact with said diplomats. Making his way to Wray, he grunted in displeasure. Turning to him with a stifled laugh, shook his hand.


    "General, always a pleasure to see you." Camille began.


    "You''re just saying that because of present company." Jack replied deadpan.


    "I forgot, you''ve got history with some of these people." Camille replied.


    "Some of it good, a lot of it bad." Jack responded.


    As he said that, the gate activated yet again. Casting their gaze at the gate, Camille and Jack watched as three men and one woman exited. Clothed in black flowing robes similar to what a judge would wear on Earth, all four had dour expressions on their faces.


    "Who might this be?" Jack asked.


    "This group is the Taldor from a world named Rillaan. Know them?" Camille asked while consulting her checklist of expected delegations.


    "Yeah, they sentenced me to life in prison. It''s ok though, we escaped." Jack replied.


    "I can never tell when you''re joking." Camille said with a laugh.


    The four new arrivals of the Taldor made their way towards Camille and the General. As they approached, their demeanor changed not at all. Standing directly in front of Jack and Camille, the Taldor made their introductions.


    "We are from Rillaan." The lone woman of their group stated.


    "Right on time! Welcome to Shambhala." Camille said in greeting.


    "Punctuality is emblematic of civilized behavior." The woman replied.


    "Still think I''m joking?" Jack asked quietly only to be ignored.


    "I see you too have a stargate unlike that previously on our world. Tell me, do you know who produced and exchanged them for the other gates?" The woman asked.


    "That is our doing." Camille replied.


    "Your specific doing?" One of the three men asked.


    "Not specifically no, but I belong to the organization you can thank." Camille replied.


    The four members of the Taldor began to exchange looks and whispering amongst themselves. For a moment, Camille thought they were exchanging what would be considered legal jargon on Earth.


    "Camille, I''ve been down this road. Admit nothing. Trust me on that." Jack whispered.


    "We would like you to accompany us back to Rillaan. Immediately!" One of the men said with a sense of urgency in his voice.


    "I beg your pardon? Why?" Camille asked.


    "Just stop right there. Camille, let me handle this. You want someone to jerk around, try me. I''m the one behind replacement of your gate." Jack said with annoyance dripping from his voice.


    "You will accompany use back to Rillaan now to stand trial for conspiracy to aid in escape of prisoners from Hadante prison." The woman accused in an authoritative tone.


    "Yeah been there, didn''t really like it much. I am aware that people escaped from there. I did! You sent me there for what was essentially trespassing. Now everyone has escaped that crap hole, and my heart isn''t bleeding one bit for you folks." Jack spat.


    "You will immediately return with us to stand trial for assisting an escape, and escape itself." The woman persisted.


    "Listen close, because I''m only going to explain this once. Things in this neck of the woods have changed. Any attempt to bring to trial and incarcerate any personnel from Earth for this garbage will be looked at unkindly. We like to think of it as kidnapping, and that is viewed as an act of aggression. That would open the door to recovery of our people by any means necessary up to and including force. Get it?" O''Neill bellowed.


    In the United Worlds Assembly, a steady stream of delegates began to fill their seats. Looking out at the elevated seating platforms of the assembly chamber, Sean Lee mentally went over his speech. Having spoken before the US Congress and Senate, the United Nations, and a bevy of other diplomatic meetings, he felt that he could handle this. It is no different from the United Nations, only some of the people are different colors, he thought to himself.


    Earth''s Ambassador to the United World had a storied carrier. After graduating from the Tufts University Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Sean Lee had climbed the ranks within the US Department of State. Instead of continuing on the path that would have led to a Deputy Ambassador posting, he instead went the route of Special Envoy. Having handled many delicate diplomatic sessions, Lee went on to become the Special Envoy to North Korea later followed by a term as President Hayes''s chosen Ambassador to Taiwan. Following his Ambassadorship, Lee left diplomatic service and took the offered chair as Dean of the Fletcher School.


    Four months ago, President Hayes had summoned Lee to a private lunch among long time friends. At that lunch, Hayes explained what was hoped to be accomplished with an organization like the United Worlds. Lee had listened in rapt attention. Following the explanation, Hayes had asked his long time friend who he felt might make the best of candidates to nominate to the position of Earth''s representative to the new organization. Putting in careful thought, Lee listed three possible candidates that might be up to the challenge. Listening patiently, Hayes finally asked why he did not nominate himself. To this, Lee stated honestly that he would never be so vain as to nominate himself for such a prestigious position. To that, Hayes explained that is the very reason Lee was the man for the job.


    It had taken a month to attain Senatorial confirmation to the position. During that time, the many nations of Earth signed off on Lee''s appointment in turn. In each case, the many nations put forth their thoughts on the brilliance of the selection of Sean Lee. It was rare that someone everyone seemed to agree on made it to such a posting. With that complete, Lee found himself taking up near residence at the SGC. The process of familiarizing himself with the major and minor players in the universe took two months. When it was said and done, the career problem solver was speechless at all the SGC had achieved secretly.


    That felt like another lifetime ago he thought now. From where he stood now near the speaker''s lectern, Lee saw Asgard and Reol, Tok''ra and Asgard. Do not be nervous he thought. Before him lay the most important speech he had ever given, possibly the most significant speech ever given before in this and other galaxies. Yeah, no pressure at all he thought with a laugh. The lighting dimmed somewhat, and a soft chime was heard throughout the Assembly Chamber. That was his cue.


    Taking the steps to the lectern one at a time, calm came over him. His body relaxed as his mind focused. Ambassador Sean Lee was in the zone. Throughout the Assembly Chamber, each visiting delegate felt a sense of excitement as each watched the Ambassador take his place at the lectern. What would this Tauri say? High hopes filled the many minds seated under one roof. Standing at the lectern and quietly clearing his throat, a hush fell over those in attendance. Embracing the calm welling up within him, Ambassador Sean Lee began the speech fore which he would be long remembered.


    "I come before you humbled by the responsibility that the people of Earth have placed upon me, mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history, and determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and prosperity at home and abroad.


    Now, like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my world and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. However, it is my deeply held belief that now, more than at any point in history, the interests of worlds and peoples are conjoined. The convictions we hold can forge new bonds among people, or they can tear us apart. The technology we harness can illuminate the path of peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can sustain our universe, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a single being can enrich our worlds, or impoverish it.


    In this hall, we come from many corners of the universe, but we share a common future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. Earth has carried this message to the far corners of known space, and it is what I will speak about today, because the time has come for our combined races and worlds to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and our work must begin now.


    We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems; it will take action and resolve. For those who question the character and cause of my world, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in year''s gone bye. Every nation must know: Earth will live its values, and we will lead by example. We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat any foe that stands in the way of lasting peace and harmony among the sentient races here now, and those that will join this body in the future.


    To overcome the rebuilding crisis that touches every corner of the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies, we stand ready to forge a coordinated international response to bring the destroyed infrastructure back from the brink. We have mobilized resources that help prevent the crisis from spreading further to less developed worlds. Joined with our friends and allies, we stand ready to launch a development initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity.


    This is what has already been done. However, this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. Make no mistake: This cannot solely be Earth''s endeavor. Those who used to chastise Earth for acting alone in galactic affairs cannot now stand by and wait for Earth to solve the universe''s problems alone. We seek in word and action, a new era of engagement with the Universe. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.


    This body is founded on the belief that the nations, races, and worlds of the universe can solve their problems together. The structure of a lasting peace cannot be the work of one man, or one race, or one world. We cannot allow a peace of advanced races or worlds, or of small nations. It must be a peace that rests on the cooperative effort of us all.


    In an era when our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero-sum game. No one people can or should try to dominate another world or race. No universal order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among civilizations will hold. The time has come to realize that the old habits, the old arguments, are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead civilizations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue. They build up walls between us, and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build a new coalition to bridge old divides.


    The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the past into the future; that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were support. Or we can be a generation that chooses to see a beyond the new dawn beyond the fading darkness; that comes together to serve the common interests of sentient beings, and gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Worlds.


    The future Earth seeks to attain is a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all worlds have rights, but all civilizations have responsibilities as well. That bargain makes this work. That must be the guiding principle of international cooperation. Earth intends to keep our end of the bargain. This body must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced. We must insist that the future does not belong to fear.


    The United Worlds was born of the belief that all sentient beings of the universe can live their lives, fulfill their pursuits, and resolve differences peacefully. Yet we know that on many worlds, this ideal remains a distant dream. We can either accept that outcome, tolerate conflict, or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts in our domains.


    That effort must begin with an unshakeable determination that the extermination of civilizations will never be tolerated. On this, there can be no dispute. The violent extremism of the Ori, who promoted conflict by distorting faith have been defeated and their followers shown a different path. We will pursue positive engagement that builds bridges among faiths, and new partnersh.i.p.s for opportunity with any civilization that accepts the merits of our position. The single most powerful weapon in any of our arsenals is the hope, the belief that the future belongs to those who would build and not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end and a new day can begin. That is why we will strengthen our support for effective peacekeeping, while energizing our efforts to prevent conflicts before they take hold.


    This initiative will not be attained through words alone. It will not be realized simply all of us coming together here. In any assembly, real change can only come through those we represent. That is why we must lay the framework for progress in our own capitals. That is where we will build the consensus to end conflicts and to harness technology for peaceful purposes, and to promote growth that can be sustained and shared.


    The United Worlds can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances, or forge common ground; a place where we focus on what drives us apart, or what brings us together; a place where we indulge tyranny, or a source of moral authority. In short, the United Worlds can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be an indispensable factor in advancing the interests of the people we represent.


    We have reached a pivotal moment. Earth stands ready to begin a new chapter of intergalactic cooperation; one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all worlds and species. Therefore, with confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all sentient beings to join us in building the future that our people so richly deserve.


    In the long history of my world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility, I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion that we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. It is the glow from that fire can truly illuminate all worlds.


    With malice toward none, charity for all, firmness in the right; let us strive on to finish the work we find for ourselves. Together we will bind up the wounds of multiple galaxies, care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all worlds.


    Many people have talked as if all we had to do to get peace was to say loudly and frequently that we loved peace and hated war. Now we have learned that no matter how much we love peace and hate war, we cannot avoid having war brought upon us if there are convulsions in other parts of the universe. In that effort, we have reason to hope. This year has been a time of transformation. More worlds have stepped forward to maintain international peace and security. Moreover, more individuals are claiming their universal right to live in freedom and dignity.


    Let us remember: peace is hard. Progress can be reversed. Prosperity comes slowly. Societies can split apart. The measure of our success must be whether people can live in sustained freedom, dignity, and security. Each world must chart its own course to fulfill the aspirations of its people, and Earth does not expect to agree with every individual or race who expresses themselves politically. Nevertheless, we will always stand up for the universal rights that are embraced by this Assembly. Peace depends upon compromise among people whom must live together long after our speeches are over, and our resolutions catalogued. Now, even as we confront these challenges of conflict and restoration, we must also recognize once more that peace is not just the absence of war. True peace depends upon creating the opportunity that makes life worth living. To do that, we must confront the common enemies of sentient beings: poverty; ignorance and disease. These forces erode the very foundation of lasting peace, and together we stand ready to confront them.


    To bring prosperity to our people, we must promote the growth that creates opportunity. In this effort, let us not forget that we have made enormous progress over the last several months. Closed societies gave way to open markets. Innovation and entrepreneurship has transformed the way we live and the things that we can do. Emerging economies from Pegasus to the Milky Way have lifted many from poverty. That is why I challenge each civilization represented before me today to open your markets, embrace trade among worlds, so that we may all flourish.


    Moreover, to make sure our societies reach their potential, we must allow our citizens to reach theirs. Together, we must harness the power of open societies and open economies. However, no world can realize its potential if half its population cannot reach theirs. That is what our commitment to progress demands.


    I know that there is no straight line to progress, no single path to success. We come from different cultures, and carry with us different histories. Nevertheless, let us never forget that even as we gather here as heads of different worlds and races, we represent citizens who share the same basic aspirations; to live with dignity and freedom; to learn and pursue opportunity; to love our families and our ideals. To live in the kind of peace that makes life worth living.


    It is the nature of our imperfect universe that we are forced to learn this lesson repeatedly. Conflict and repression will endure so long as some people refuse to do unto others, as we would have them do unto us. Yet that is precisely why we have built this institution that binds our fates together; because those who came before us believed that peace is preferable to war; freedom is preferable to suppression; and prosperity is preferable to poverty. That is the message that comes not from capitals, but from citizens.


    Peace is hard, but we know that it is possible. Together, let us resolve to see that it is defined by our hopes and not our fears. Together, let us work to make, not merely a peace, but a peace that will last.


    I look at you and I think of the words of the words of poet Stephen Spender. ''You are men who in your lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.'' Thank you." Lee finished.


    For the briefest of moments, the delegates processed the speech. On the face of each, it was if a light switch flipped. Familiar with the Tauri tradition of applause, delegates rose to their feet and gave Lee the ovation they each felt he so strongly deserved.

 Chapter 211

    Ida Galaxy


    The planet was a world of abundant plant and animal life. Thick forests, fertile valleys of dark and rich soil, and rivers teaming with aquatic life graced the lone supercontinent. Deep oceans also full of life down to their staggering depths surrounded the single large land mass. Twenty miles inland from this ocean, scattered in neighboring valleys, a collection of two hundred person camps sat.


    Resembling the mountain towns that dotted the Pacific Northwest of the United States during the 1800''s, each of these settlements was a collection of orderly aligned wooden cabins. Each cabin came with its own small garden for the tenants use to provide fruit and vegetables. To supplement these, small game and fishing provided everything the Jaffa might need. Directly outside of each camps perimeter, small orchards of apple, pear, and orange trees sat.


    Upon arrival on this world, Bra''tac had gathered the surviving Traditionalist Jaffa so that he might address them at one time. Before he could begin his address, the rescued Traditionalist Jaffa began to demand their freedom. Their only wish was to continue their war against the Progressive sect of their race, along with their now lost war with the Tauri. Bra''tac had explained that on this world the Traditionalist were free, but that freedom came at a price.


    That price was the end of their fight against the races of the Milky Way. Simply put, their wars were over. The fact that they were in a galaxy foreign to them was made clear. When demands were made for their return to regions of space familiar to them, Bra''tac made clear the point that their wishes would not be granted. Were he to return them to the Milky Way, and if they resumed their war as they clearly wised to do, he explained that no one would intercede on their behalf. To put a finer point on it, the Tauri would bring about the death of all Traditionalist Jaffa and their supporters. This last point was one the Jaffa found themselves having no trouble in believing.


    With their movement a failure, a new way was needed for these surviving members of the Traditionalist movement. Bra''tac, ascended Ancient''s, and members of the Furling would guide them towards a new path and a new way of living. Putting aside their past as warriors to false gods, the Traditionalist''s would instead be steered towards a future built upon a foundation of peace. Turning their swords into plowshares, the relocated Jaffa would in time focus on hunting, agriculture, and the pursuit of purity of mind.


    Mimicking the ascension cloister once stumbled upon in the Pegasus galaxy, guidance towards the clarity of mind that someday might lead towards ascension would be made available. The hours of meditation each would put forth every day in coming years could also rid these fighting men of the malice each held so close in his or her heart. While it was not a perfect plan, it was a plan.


    Andromeda Galaxy


    Two hundred and seventy light years from the planet where Videum made its new home, sat the most destructive force in the universe. This black hole had formed millions of years before. Tracing its origins to a collapsed O class blue giant, this black hole had forever altered space around it. Upon formation, the black hole had slowly torn apart a nearby star and its surrounding planets. Several million years later, a second solar system met its end when the gravitational pull of the black hole had seized hold of the celestial bodies.


    Whereas this singularity had once brought destruction to the space surrounding it, a new purpose would now be served. Taking shape nearby was a super gate. The ninety individual modules that made up the gate, once networked together, would draw power from the singularity. A second gate was also nearing completion in the Pegasus galaxy. Making use of the gate once complete would allow for fleet support of Videum from Tauri assets in both Pegasus and the Milky Way. Asgard fleet units would also be able to make use of the gate. The growing network of super gates would do for vessels what the stargate networks had done for the many races that made use of them.


    Joining the already complete and functional network of three super gates, these would bring the total to five. This would allow both the Tauri and Asgard to explore corners of the universe that were previously too distant to merit exploratory missions. In coming years, the network would be further expanded to other galaxies within the local cl.u.s.ter. While Pegasus Dwarf was home to Atlantis and its own super gate nearing completion, Pegasus Spherical, Canis Major, Sagittarius Dwarf, Ursa Minor, and Draco Dwarf would one day have examples of their own. Each of these galaxies would one day also have dedicated city sh.i.p.s and exploratory missions of their own.


    Lacking planetary gate networks, these galaxies would someday soon have them. A planned second construction phase of seed sh.i.p.s would ensure that. Humankind and their Asgard allies would soon expand their horizons by several orders of magnitude.


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 Chapter 212

    Pluto


    For Australia, Canada, and Germany, the wait for their vessels was over. Taking possession of their Athena and Daedalus class vessels, the three nations were eager to join the ever-growing Tauri fleet. Having performed their shakedown cruises, these vessels and their individual crews would continue their training focused workup exercises for several weeks to come. This would bring the new additions up to speed in a real time environment; instead of the simulators they had cut their teeth on back on Earth.


    Three levels below the newly commissioned vessels, the first ten of the Traveler generational sh.i.p.s sat in dock for restoration and repair. When they had arrived, the sh.i.p.s corridors were a mishmash of cables and wiring. Frayed wiring repaired many times over generations could be seen everywhere. That was quickly changing.


    It started with the removal of badly worn hyper drives. How they had been kept functioning for so long was anyone''s guess. Next, entire sections of hull plating were removed. Some portions of the removed hull plating gave evidence to the repeated repairs over fractures and other results of metal fatigue. From there, the shields, weapons systems, and all onboard electronics were rebuilt. When Arkos was finished, each vessel would be in the shape they were in when first launched.


    During the time needed for the repair and rebuild process, those aboard the vessels were given the chance to experience Earth for themselves. Those with children were escorted to Disney World. Nothing like it had ever been dreamed of by the young Travelers. Others were taken to Candlestick Park to see the 49er''s lose to the New York Giants in the hotly contested playoff game. Still others enjoyed the surf and sun on the big island of Hawaii. Never before had the Travelers seen or experienced such a world. Their only regret is that soon they would leave.


    Many levels below the generational sh.i.p.s, preparations were underway for the first operational deployments of both new Prometheus Class vessels. The lead ship of her class, Prometheus, was now under the command of Brigadier General William Ronson. Having commanded Earth''s first space faring vessel that bore the same name, Ronson was very pleased to be once again returning to a fleet command. Nimitz also had her first commander. Recently promoted to flag rank, Rear Admiral Grant Clancy was taking his first interstellar command. Having previously commanded the recently retired aircraft carrier Enterprise, Admiral Clancy stood ready to make his mark.


    Prometheus was destined for the Pegasus galaxy, while Nimitz was assigned to the Milky Way. Upon receipt of his orders to Pegasus, Ronson had incorrectly believed that his rank guaranteed him command of the Tauri fleet in that galaxy. Upon requesting each ship commander in that galaxy''s personnel file for review, it was pointed out to Ronson that despite his rank, he would not be replacing Colonel Sheppard in his operational command posting. When Ronson protested, General O''Neill made it a point to drive that point home until it was abundantly clear.


    All crewmembers aboard, Prometheus was prepared to depart. For the first time as a commissioned vessel of the Tauri fleet, the enormous vessel slipped her bonds from Arkos. Rising twelve hundred meters, she entered the ingress/egress lane of the Ancient shipyard. At departure speed, Prometheus advanced towards the powerful energy screen separating the shipyard''s interior from space. Slowly, she passed through the protective field, thus beginning her first operational deployment.


    Waiting outside the screen, the recently arrived Destiny stood. The size of the vessel in her path meant she must wait to enter the place of her origin. On the observation deck of the Ancient vessel, crewmembers looked on in awe at the sheer size of Prometheus as she emerged fully into space. While sizeable, even Destiny was dwarfed by this newest of warsh.i.p.s. Not wasting a moment, Prometheus swiftly accelerated away from Arkos. Once at a safe distance, she would jump into hyperspace.


    The energy field clear of the imposing obstacle Prometheus had posed to entry, Destiny maneuvered for entry lineup. At low speed, she began her entry. Passing through the field, those still standing on the observation deck looked on at the stations interior. In the distance, the Traveler sh.i.p.s were visible. Crawling over them were arachnid repair robots, peeling away damaged sections.


    Passing through the ship repair and construction levels, Destiny approached her designated docking point. Slowing to a crawl, the vessel entered the dock and ceased movement. Extending towards the underside of the ship, the shipway connected and locked. Moments later, personnel began to disembark from the vessel that had carried them to and from the Asgard home world. Midway through the disembarkation process Captain Kathryn Hughes/Egeria and Merrin/Sel''mak exited.


    Standing in wait for the two women was Del''ak, Gar''shaw, and Ma''lek of the Tok''ra High Council. Both Del''ak and Ma''lek dropped to one knee at the sight of their Queen and Mother. Gar''shaw, being a Goa''uld who had turned against the System Lords to side with the Tok''ra, stood respectfully behind the kneeling men.


    "My Queen." The two male Tok''ra said with bowed heads.


    "Rise my Children." Egeria urged.


    "Egeria, all your children rejoice at your return to us." Ma''lek said.


    "It is I who rejoice at once again being surrounded by my children." Egeria responded in the booming voice of the symbiote.


    "We have much to show you." Del''ak stated.


    "Indeed, I have much to see and attend to. First, I wish to clear the air with the three of you as you all sit on the High Council." Egeria said.


    "What do you wish to discuss my Queen?" Ma''lek asked.


    "As you know, my host comes from the Tauri." Egeria said.


    "Yes my Queen, we are aware." Del''ak responded.


    "She has made me aware of the difficulties the Tauri have had at times during our two people''s relationship." Egeria said plainly.


    "Early in our relationship, the Tauri had little to justify equal footing in any alliance with the Tok''ra." Gar''shaw said simply.


    "It was they that defeated Ra before any such alliance was forged. I created the Tok''ra to oppose Ra. Does that not mark them as more than mere equals?" Egeria asked lightly.


    "We could not be sure of that claim when it was made." Gar''shaw countered.


    "Instead of believing their claim, though it might have seemed a fantastic claim, you instead demand hosts?" Egeria pressed.


    "That was the only commodity they possessed of value at the time." Gar''shaw replied hastily.


    "I will say this once, and only once. We do not demand hosts. The System Lords made that their practice, but we do not." Egeria said with a trace of disappointment in her voice.


    "Times have changed, and the Tauri fortunes are much improved since our first meeting." Gar''shaw countered.


    "Do you mean that they are valuable now because of what they have attained?" Egeria asked pointedly.


    "They have attained much in a short time." Gar''shaw answered.


    "You evade answering with practice I see." Egeria said with disappointment.


    "To answer your question, you must look at the time when our two races met. The Tauri were a technologically backward people, with little to justify an alliance of equals." Gar''shaw replied.


    "Did the Tauri not kill Ra? Did they not discover the original Egeria whose memories I carry on Pangar? Would I be standing here were it not for them? Both the Ancient''s and the Asgard entrusted the Tauri with their base of knowledge and technology. The System Lord''s feared the Asgard, and the Tauri have everything they know in addition to that of the gate builders. You are correct that they are not our equals. The Tauri stand head and shoulders over us. We are fortunate to call them our allies. They brought an end to the reign of the System Lord''s, and we shall forever pledge our allegiance to them." Egeria said in resolute tones.

 Chapter 213

    M34-227


    The celestial body known as M34-227 was not a planet. Instead, it was a moon orbiting a gas giant similar to Saturn. Uninhabited, the moon had played host to extraordinary events a time or two. Most recently, the moon had been the location on which the surviving Asuran''s had discovered digital ascension. Thousands or years earlier, the Lantean''s had chosen this moon as the site of a dry dock for their fleet during the early days of the war against the Wraith.


    Similar to the facility on Taranis where the Aurora class vessel later to be called the Orion had been discovered before the eruption of the planets super volcano, this facility had once been home to Lantean warsh.i.p.s. In the tenth year of the Lantean/Wraith war, the Harbinger had led a brutal assault that resulted in the facility''s capture and its denial to the Ancients as the staging point for future assaults. The attacks that had originated here had nearly led to the downfall of the Wraith. At great cost, Harbinger had achieved his aims, losing six Hives and many more cruisers in the process.


    Standing on a lightly wooded plain, the stargate activated. From the event horizon, exited two sleek Wraith Darts. Speeding away from the gate, the Darts climbed as they accelerated. Passing over the plain, the two Darts quickly covered the forty miles that stood between them and their destination. That destination was a towering tabletop mountain. Slowing to a crawl, the two craft settled into a hover three hundred feet above the mountains flat top. Descending in place, the two Darts lowered to the mountaintop''s surface, and passed through the holographic camouflage image. As they continued to descend, the Darts pilots found themselves in a manmade cavernous opening. At the bottom of this cavern were four docking points that had once housed Lantean warsh.i.p.s.


    Landing on a platform that had once played host to Puddle Jumpers, the two craft came to rest. Their energy shield protective canopies deactivated, and the two Commanders who piloted the craft exited. Sure of foot, the two Wraith made their way to the nearby transporter booth similar to those found on Atlantis or Borealis. Knowing exactly where they were going, the destination booth was selected with ease.


    As the receiving transport booth doors slid open, the two Wraith Commanders found themselves standing in the Lantean facilities data core. Contained within the databank before them were the fleet files of the long vanquished Ancient fleet. Technical data, navigation, and mission reports were all here for the taking. Like the Wraith who had entered this room after the facilities capture, these commanders would once again dip into the plethora of knowledge that sat at their fingertips.


    Over the next five hours, the two commanders navigated the core. Finding the information they sought took longer than expected, due in large part to the differences between Lantean and Wraith database design. When first captured, this facility had provided a treasure trove of data on drone weapons, and the effectiveness of Aurora class defensive shields. The core had also provided the location of Ancient outposts and settlements within the Pegasus galaxy. At that time, human life had flourished in great abundance in the galaxy, so the need to find an alternative feeding ground was not a concern.


    It was known that the Tauri were the children and most powerful descendants of the Ancient''s. It was also known that the Ancient''s had once called the Tauri home world their capital. During the database search, the navigational data pertaining to this world was found. In a separate search of the engineering section of the core, the secrets of highly efficient intergalactic hyper drive technology was also found. On arrival from Arkos to Pegasus, each Aurora came to this facility for modifications to their hyper drives. Going from intergalactic to far simpler interstellar models, these modifications were enacted to ensure that intergalactic hyper drive technology did not accidently fall into Wraith hands.


    Transferring the collected data to a storage crystal, the two Commander''s took their leave of the long abandoned facility. Back in the c.o.c.kpits of their individual Darts, the two Wraith raced back towards the now active stargate with their assigned mission complete.


    Atlantis


    When the Harbinger made his presence known on the galactic stage of the Pegasus galaxy, he did so in such a way as to give the Tauri pause. That pause brought about a rethink of the constantly evolving strategy on just how to wage war against the Wraith. Fleet engagements were now done by ambush, so as to avoid the loss of another vessel and crew. The Daedalus class vessels in galaxy soon found themselves restricted to specific corridors of the galaxy thought safe from the Harbinger''s movements.


    With the more powerful Athena''s utilized in the ambush and wolf pack roles; this left a gap in the overall war plan. It was felt at the highest levels that to give the Wraith even the briefest of moments to catch their breath could spell disaster. Returning to a system that had worked and worked well since the very first mission through the gate, small and highly trained teams were being brought back to the forefront. Instead of relying solely on SG teams operating from Atlantis and Borealis, the other asset currently in theater was being brought into play.


    Fresh from their time raiding the random Genii safe house that was discovered, Task Force 190 had a new mission. Teams formed by parent unit were put together. Each of these teams would operate in conjunction with an SG team. One would serve as the anvil, and the other the hammer.


    Proven operators from Delta, Special Forces, and the Ranger element of the task force soon found themselves in a nearly endless stream of intelligence briefings on the potential missions to come.


    Captain Carlyle, one of the Delta team commanders, put in an unexpected request. Petitioning Colonel Frost and Lieutenant Colonel Lorne, the Captain made his case for the temporary assignment of Ronon to his team. Soon, Teal''c found himself attached to another team in a similar request. Sequestering themselves away, the teams immediately went about prepping their new additions for the eventualities of any potential mission to come.


    They would not have to wait long. Colonel Frost, the combined intelligence staffs of both city sh.i.p.s, and the fleet commanders were hard at work on putting the target package together. In recent memory, Pegasus had been a much more target rich environment as far as Wraith were concerned. Tauri fleet actions had altered that landscape dramatically. Many prime targets had either been neutralized, or destroyed altogether. That was not to say that targets of significance did not still exist though.


    All the men who would soon fan out to many different fields of battle were ready. Though they had not yet been assigned team specific missions, they were all certain it was about to get exciting. The anger over the loss of the Leonidas still burned within them. They had a war, they had a purpose, now all they needed was a mission. Anger is a motivator like no other.


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 Chapter 214

    P2X-416


    Ten days ago, Earth had reached out with the world of P2X-416 to establish dialogue. This world, not visited since the early days of the Stargate Program, was one that several of the former members of SG-1 would rather forget altogether. Heavily forested, with towering peaks and mountain ranges, this world was home to a long-lived conflict. It was this conflict that the SGC''s premiere off world team of the time had stumbled into.


    On one side, you had the Bedrosian''s. Militarily strong, technologically advanced beyond where Earth had been in the late twentieth century, and certain that their war and beliefs were just. On the other side were the Optrican''s. Not as advanced as the Bedrosian''s, the Optrican''s fought for their belief that humankind had not been created by the Goa''uld named Nefurtum, but instead brought to this planet. That belief was sacrilegious to the Bedrosian government.


    For two hundred years, this war had raged on. Locked in a never-ending stalemate, both sides believed that this war would never end. Bedrosian resolve to see an end to beliefs matching their fueled the war, while this Optrican''s will to survive further angered their enemy. To bring an end to this conflict, a third party was needed. Nyam, a Bedrosian granted political asylum, after years of residence on Earth, convinced the United States government to be that third party.


    It was Nyam and his colleague Mallin who had discovered his worlds long buried gate. Much to his surprise, the ring shaped device activated soon after. Finally unearthed, the SGC''s cold dialing program made a connection to the address tried several times before. Sending through a MALP, those present in the control center were shocked to see humans in close attendance to the probe sent through. Shortly thereafter, SG-1 stepped through the gate on another mission of diplomacy and discovery.


    Greatly unsettled, Mallin quickly fled the scene to report the developing situation to the Bedrosian military command. Nyam, his academic curiosity heightened, opted to remain behind and make first contact. Instead of the friendly welcome they had expected, SG-1 was soon face to face with elements of the Bedrosian military. Were it not for Nyam assisting Teal''c, the team might never have escaped to return to Earth. For that reason, Nyam was granted asylum from a world it would be far too dangerous for him to risk returning to.


    Dispatched from Arkos, the American vessels Aeneas and Nimitz, and the Australian vessel Perth now sat in this solar system far from home. While Aeneas rested in close orbit of the planet, Nimitz and Perth sat in orbit of a large gas giant further from the systems sun. Given the result of the last Tauri interaction with this world, it was no surprise that such a large outlay of military force was present. In attendance with sh.i.p.s company aboard the Aeneas were both Nyam, and Under Secretary of State Simon Barnes.


    During the then days between arrival and now, contact with the Optrican''s had been established. Acting quickly, Under Secretary Barnes was soon invited to the Optrican capital for consultations. Once there, Barnes laid out a brief outline of galactic history. Listening to the visiting diplomat, his hosts learned that their long held beliefs were correct. Humanity had originated elsewhere, and finally made contact with their kinsmen. To say that the Optrican''s were more than agreeable to any request Barnes might have would have been an understatement.


    The Tauri request for a summit with the Optrican and Bedrosian governments did come as somewhat of a surprise. Surprise turned to shock when the Bedrosian government agreed to the request. Dispatching a senior member of their government, the Bedrosian''s sent a familiar face as their delegate to this meeting of humanity from around the galaxy. Commander Rigar, now Minster of State Rigar, sat across from Barnes and Optrican Minister Fallon in the outdoor garden chosen as the meetings venue.


    "Minister Rigar, Minister Fallon, I wish to thank you for agreeing to this summit on behalf of the United States government. My purpose here is multifaceted. First, I wish to make possible the return of the Bedrosian academic Nyam to his home world, without fearing repercussions. Second, my government wishes to see an end brought to the long-standing conflict between your two nations and peoples. Third, we wish to extend an invitation to join the newly formed diplomatic body of the United Worlds to your governments." Barnes began.


    "On behalf of the Optrican people, we thank you for taking the time to make contact with our nation. It is our hope that these discussions will result in both a long and fruitful relationship between our two worlds." Minister Fallon replied.


    "Let me be clear about my purpose here. I wished to see first hand this Optrican production play out. The Bedrosian government is well aware of the Optrican wish to force their heretical beliefs upon us. This drama is scripted to bring that about, but will not sway our resolve. The Book of Nefurtum states plainly the origins of life on this world." Minister Rigar argued.


    "Minister Rigar, are you familiar with the term propaganda? The book you reference is just that. The one you credit for creation of life here was nothing more than a parasitical warlord, who relocated your ancestors here as slave labor." Barnes argued.


    "Now you call us slaves?" Rigar demanded hotly.


    "Under Secretary Barnes is not calling you a slave Minister Rigar." Fallon interjected.


    "Minister Rigar, I am simply pointing out facts my world knows to be true. Your world is not alone in this history. Many worlds in this galaxy team with human civilizations and in a majority of cases, the Goa''uld relocated populations from Earth for the purposes I''ve already made clear." Barnes stated.


    "Were they slave masters, where are they now them?" Rigar questioned.


    "My people would also enjoy that answer being made clear." Fallon added.


    "The simple answer to that is they have been removed from a position of power. Goa''uld System Lord domination of this galaxy came to an end due to the actions of the people of Earth. Far less powerful Goa''uld are still present in this galaxy, but the System Lords will not be returning to power again." Barnes replied resolutely.


    "You expect my people to simply take your word for that? Again, this charade is nothing but talk, while the Book of Nefurtum is many generations old. Do you expect us to simply abandon the wisdom passed down through the ages?" Rigar asked sarcastically.


    "I would ask that you approach this from a neutral standpoint Minister. What is more likely? The Optrican''s secreted a twenty-nine ton device within your borders, matching no known example of their technology, and they traveled through this device to convince you of their beliefs through subterfuge. Or, human life exists elsewhere in this galaxy, and your beliefs while held dear to your people, are incorrect?" Barnes asked.


    "Your people would resort to any tactic to force your beliefs upon us." Rigar argued.


    "The Optrican government has no part in any deception. Our only hope is an end to this war." Fallon stated.


    "By my people, do you mean the government of the United States?" Barnes asked.


    "Enough with these lies! Producing the defector Nyam proves the Optrican''s are behind the initial deception!" Rigar thundered.


    "Minister Rigar, I must point out how incorrect those beliefs are. Earth was kind enough to give me safe harbor, knowing my life would be in danger should I return. The people there, though different, are an honorable people. Were it not for them and their efforts, this galaxy would either be under the rule of other powerful civilizations, or devoid of human life entirely." Nyam interjected.


    "The utterances of a traitor and defector hold no weight with me." Rigar snarled.


    "What do you ask in the way of proof Minister?" Barnes asked.


    "I require nothing in the way of manufactured proof. My people need nothing more than that which the Book of Nefurtum provides. You test my patience with these lies. Would you still attempt to tell these lies if Bedrosian troops surrounded your capital?" Rigar asked threateningly.


    "Minister, the last meeting of your world and my own was far from ideal. This is due in large part to your actions in particular. You took captive and tortured members of my nations military." Barnes stated.


    "We will gladly do so again Optrican!" Rigar hissed.


    "I grow tired of continually pointing out that I am not Optrican, nor am I of this world. The government of the United States takes offense at the treatment of our service members while in your custody, and takes further offense at your continued hostile action towards the democratically elected government of the Optrican people. We require you immediately cease your unwarranted war of aggression, and make reparations for the damage done to this nation and her people." Barnes demanded in polite tones.


    "We bow to none of your demands." Rigar replied in refusal, with a smug look on his face.


    "In that case, I must inform you my government has certain contingency plans should such a turn of events come to pass." Barnes replied.


    "What? More inventive fictions to spew at us?" Rigar asked acidly.


    "Far from it Minister. Democratic nations must stand together. The democratically elected government of the United States is prepared to protect the democratically elected government of the Optrican people. Should you decide to continue hostilities, the United States and allied governments of Earth will provide military hardware and military advisors to make possible the steadfast defense of the Optrican''s." Barnes stated plainly.


    "We''ve seen the best your military can muster. Bedrosia does not fear your military technology, or your military capabilities." Rigar spat.


    "The team you captured was a lightly armed scout team. Nothing they carried conveyed the full technological prowess my world possesses." Barnes replied.


    "Enough falsehoods. The Book of Nefurtum is clear." Rigar replied.


    For the next two hours this tit for tat line of argument continued. Under Secretary Barnes soon began to suspect that Rigar was stalling for time. Repeated glances at his timepiece made this thought clearer and clearer to Simon.


    "Minister Rigar, you continue to argue in circles. At this point, it seems as if you are stalling for time. Would that be the case Minister?" Barnes asked.


    In reply, Rigar simply smiled, but gave no verbal reply.


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 Chapter 215

    Aeneas


    As the summit played out on the ground, the Improved Daedalus class vessel orbited high above. Instead of simply orbiting idly, the crew of the Aeneas was hard at work. Her powerful Asgard designed sensors scanned the planet below. Focusing on Bedrosia, mineral deposits, subterranean structures, and military infrastructure were being cataloged. Following the mindset of know thy enemy, these detailed scans would provide a deep understanding of Bedrosia, and what the nation was capable of.


    Several new additions to the crew of the Aeneas were hard at work carrying out another task. These men and women were electronic intelligence collections specialists of the US Air Force. Using equipment installed for the voyage, these specialists busily monitored and collected all communications emissions emanating from Bedrosia. These captured signals were recorded for later analysis. Signals traffic analysis was also pinpointing areas of military activity.


    Oddly, two hours before Bedrosian military signals traffic had suddenly ground to a halt. Judging this by the volume of military communications traffic detected on arrival, worried the ELINT specialists. On Earth, sudden lack of military communications traffic was an indicator of impending attack. If that were true here, then Optrica must surely be the target. Being that diplomatic personnel were within the borders of that nation, an attack was one thing that could not be allowed to take place. Tapping his earpiece, the ELINT team commander informed the bridge crew.


    "Bridge, this is Lieutenant Heathers." The young officer began.


    "Go ahead."


    "Signals activity from Bedrosia just bottomed out on us." Heathers explained.


    "Any clue as to why that is?" The watch officer on the bridge asked.


    "Best guess, they are up to something. We are not talking about a lessening of military traffic here. It looks like the entire military has gone under emissions control. It''s a communications blackout." Heathers replied.


    "Copy that. We''ll look around and see if we can find anything that should be going on." The watch officer replied.


    Deviating from the standing tasking orders for the sensor operators, the watch officer directed they search for military activity that might endanger the diplomatic personnel below. First, an assault from sea was ruled out. Moving on, no large formations of ground unit activity were noted. Then, something worthy of note was detected. At low altitude and high speed, a flight of fifty Bedrosian shuttlecraft was detected. Speeding towards Optrica in tight formation, this flight of shuttles would reach Optrican borders in three hours.


    "We can safely assume this is an attack formation based on their flight profile and numbers." The sensor operator stated.


    "Ok, let''s get the word out. Signal Nimitz, and the Diplomatic Security Service team. I''ll go wake the commander." The watch officer stated.


    Moments later a single subspace message was let loose from the communications array on Aeneas.


    Conference area


    As is normal in diplomatic exchanges, a number of scheduled breaks were planned. Drinks and finger foods were consumed, while gathering thoughts for the coming round of negotiations. Nyam and Minister Fallon chatted, while Under Secretary Barnes looked around. Twenty feet away, he noticed the leader of his protective detail advancing towards him.


    "Mr. Under Secretary, I need to discuss something of urgency with you now." The DSS Agent began.


    Stepping away from the gathered peoples involved in the summit, the two men strode off. Stopping far enough away to be out of earshot, a whispered conversation began.


    "What is it?" Barnes asked.


    "Word from Aeneas sir. They have detected what they believe to be an inbound air attack from Bedrosia." The agent replied.


    "How sure are they of this?" Barnes asked.


    "Very sir. They planned for this eventuality. Steps are being taken now." The agent explained.


    "Thank you for brining this to my attention. We''ll see what Rigar has to say about this." Barnes fumed.


    Several minutes passed. While the assortment of individuals present for this conference readied themselves for a return to the task at hand, Barnes studied Minister Rigar closely. The man exuded arrogance and superiority towards those around him. In many ways, he reminded Barnes of diplomats from less friendly nations on Earth. Yep, he is up to something.


    Returning to their seats at the polished conference table, a gentle breeze sailed through the garden setting. Slowly, the assembled delegates and their accompanying aides made their way to their seats. Locking eyes with Rigar, Barnes found himself front and center to the contemptuous expression on his opposites face. Time to put an end to this Barnes thought.


    "I''m ready to be regaled with more inventive mistruths." Rigar began.


    "Minister Rigar, such remarks are far out of place in this meeting." Fallon countered.


    "I would like to bring up a matter that has just been brought to my attention, and is of concern to all present. Does anyone object?" Barnes asked.


    "I have no objection." Rigar stated.


    "Nor do I." Fallon agreed.


    "It has been brought to my attention that a formation of aircraft originating from Bedrosia is currently on making its way towards Optrican airspace. My people tell me that the flight profile they are currently following is indicative of an impending attack." Barnes stated.


    "Is this true Minister Rigar?" Fallon demanded.


    "How is this germane to the topic at hand?" Rigar asked lightly.


    "So you refuse to answer the question?" Fallon demanded harshly.


    "No Minister of the Bedrosian government can be compelled to reply to such a foolish question." Rigar replied arrogantly.


    "Those craft approaching if left unchecked will breach Optrican airspace in less than three hours. It is pointless to continue to evade the question Minister Rigar. You''re overlooking the fact that your actions have already been detected." Barnes countered.


    A smirk painted across his face as Rigar looked at those around him. Everything was unfolding as he knew it would. What was coming could finally bring an end to this war.


    "Do you deny this allegation Minister?" Fallon demanded in a raspy voice.


    "How many Optrican untruths did you expect me to listen to? The time to end this war is at hand. The craft in question are homing in on my position. The position you invited me to sit in." Rigar spat.


    "Do you expect to survive such an assault on our capital?" Fallon asked hotly.


    "It may mean the end of my life, but the result is worth the cost. Destruction of your capital will bring about an end to the Optrican''s heretical beliefs, and the insurgency you''ve waged against Bedrosia for generations." Rigar replied.


    "Minister Rigar, you are greatly misinformed. I suggest you cast your gaze towards the sky behind you." Barnes suggested.


    As a group, everyone at the table or near it looked towards the sky above them. Growing in size, three fireballs plummeted from the heavens above. Arranged in an arrowhead formation, it was impossible to mistake these for a natural occurrence. As the seconds ticked by, the three flaming objects grew larger and larger.


    "What is the meaning of this? What is this?" Rigar demanded with uncertainty.


    "Neither the Optrican''s nor the Bedrosian''s have any craft capable of space flight so I''ve been made aware. Unfortunately for you, my people do. Still think this is an Optrican fabrication?" Barnes asked lightly.


    Locking eyes with the man across from him, a single bead of sweat rolled down Rigar''s forehead.


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 Chapter 216

    Nimitz


    Nimitz and Perth, having exited hyperspace, were joined by Aeneas. In formation, the three Tauri vessels descended into the atmosphere. Raised shields protected each vessel from the intense build up of both heat and friction, resulting in the luminous and streaking balls of fire those on the ground far below were staring at in horror and fascination. Like the previous vessel to bare the Nimitz name, she was speeding into harms way.


    Throughout the massive vessel, crewmembers sat ready at their battle stations. Aircrew alerted while orbiting the gas giant sat in their aircraft. These 302''s, along with their unmanned counterparts awaited the go order to launch. All told, eighty manned and unmanned fighter interceptors sat ready for launch. As Nimitz passed through sixty thousand feet, that order would come, as the aircrew had been briefed.


    Over the shipboard communications channel, the order to commence launch operations came from the Air Boss. Protective doors over the eight designated aircraft launch lanes opened. Moving through a highly orchestrated series of events, eighty F-302''s of the four hundred aboard catapulted into the atmosphere. This first wave of aircraft engaged their cloaks the moment they passed through Nimitz''s shield, and raced away towards their interception point. A second wave of launches would take place at lower altitude, with those aircraft forming a barrier combat air patrol around the battle group.


    Elsewhere on the carrier, a platoon of Marines exited the armory. Weapons in hand, the men assembled into formation. Seconds later, the Asgard transporter enveloped the warfighters in ethereal light, and they vanished.


    Outside and well away from the carrier, F-302''s sliced through the atmosphere. Moving at five times the speed of sound, these lethal hunter killers would cross the distance to the Bedrosian attack craft in less than a quarter of an hour.


    Conference Area


    Fifteen meters from the highly polished conference table, an eruption of silver light appeared. Seconds later, the silver flash faded; leaving in its place thirty-nine armed and highly motivated Marine''s standing in formation. Needing no prompting, the men spread out to assume defensible positions around the garden complex. Those at the conference table saw this, and were somewhat shocked at the men''s sudden appearance. Where had they come from?


    Seeing this, Rigar instantly felt an icy ball take shape in the pit of his stomach. This was not how things were supposed to be unfolding! All of this must be an Optrican fabrication, some type of ruse. How could this be?


    "What is the meaning of this?" Rigar demanded excitedly.


    "By this do you mean the vessels above, or the Marine''s in the garden?" Barnes asked lightly.


    "Answer me!" Rigar shouted.


    "Please clarify the question if you don''t mind." Barnes asked while maintaining his cool.


    "This is an act of war!" Rigar bellowed.


    "On Earth, diplomatic personnel and envoy''s physical safety is assured by international law. Harming one is an act of war. The team you captured many years ago was on a diplomatic mission, and you proceeded to put them to torture. That being what it is, you''re in no position to scream what and what isn''t an act of war." Barnes explained.


    "You''re insane!" Rigar accused.


    "Insanity is waging a war of aggression against nations that don''t share your beliefs of just where humanity was created. Minister Rigar, your nation is not equipped to fight a war as Earth''s equal. To think you can is the height of insanity, I assure you. Now, I suggest you contact your inbound attack craft, and order them to return to their respective bases." Barnes suggested.


    "If I don''t?" Rigar demanded.


    "That is something I doubt you wish to contemplate." Barnes hinted.


    Looking at his surroundings nervously, Rigar was unsure what was coming, and what he should do. The end of the war was within his grasp, but it was suddenly slipping away and evaporating like mist. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he decided what must be done.


    "I will contact Bedrosian military command." Rigar stated.


    "Very well Minister. You''re doing the right thing." Barnes said.


    Taking a deep breath, and then straightening his collar, Rigar reached for the communications device held in his aide''s outstretched hand. Closing his eyes for a moment, Rigar steeled himself for what he was about to do. Bringing the device to his mouth, he pushed the transmit button activating the device.


    "Bedrosian military command, this is Minister Rigar." The Minister began.


    "We hear you Minister."


    "I require that you relay a message to our craft." Rigar stated.


    "I am prepared to do as you wish Minister."


    "Tell them to press the attack! Destroy the Optrican capital! Leave nothing standing!" Rigar yelled with urgency.


    Before a reply came, Rigar dropped the device to the ground at his feet. Bringing his heel down on it with force, he ensured that the device could not be used to relay a conflicting message to the oncoming attack shuttles.


    "That was a mistake Minister. You have done nothing more than doom those aviators coming this way. I promise you that." Barnes stated with a trace of sadness in his voice.


    Razor Two Zero


    Cutting through the air at five times the speed of sound, the formation of manned and unmanned F-302''s sped towards their prey with ease. Unseen due to the engaged cloaking devices, the interceptors were thus far undetected. Sitting in his as always uncomfortable armored seat, Lieutenant Commander Len Dawson was ready for whatever he was heading into. His only hope was that all of the aviators under his command would survive the maelstrom they were potentially flying into.


    "Razor two zero, this is Nimitz Six." Admiral Clancy Grant said over the encrypted communications channel.


    "Razor two zero go." Dawson replied.


    "You are directed to attempt wave off of bandits. Should you be engaged, you are clear to fire if fired upon. Acknowledge." Clancy prompted.


    "Razor two zero acknowledges wave off, and fire if fired upon." Dawson responded.


    "Good hunting Razor. Nimitz out." Rear Admiral Grant finished.


    "Razor flight, this is lead. Attempt wave off of inbounds. Fire if fired upon. Go subsonic in sixty seconds, and position for intercept." Dawson radioed to the other craft of the flight element.


    As the assorted elements of Razor Flight acknowledged the instructions give, Dawson went through last minute checks in the c.o.c.kpit. Weapons armed? Check. Countermeasures? Check. All was ready. Seconds later, the flight of advanced interceptors rapidly decelerated. Breaking into two separate bodies of aircraft, the 302''s maneuvered unseen. Half assumed high top cover above and behind their prey. The other half of Razor Flight descended to six thousand feet, paralleling the course their targets were currently on.


    Razor Two Zero, and his wingman Razor Two One, broke away from the paralleling fighter element. Matching speed with the Bedrosian attack craft, the two ship 302 element eased to within three hundred feet of the lead shuttle. Tuning his onboard radio to the frequency passed along by Aeneas, Dawson keyed his microphone.


    "Bedrosian aircraft, Bedrosian aircraft, you are nearing Optrican airspace. Immediately alter course, and return to Bedrosian airspace. Please acknowledge." Dawson stated slowly, and clearly.


    "Identify yourself!" The Bedrosian flight commander replied testily.


    "Bedrosian aircraft, this is Razor Two Zero, of the United States Navy. Alter course immediately." Dawson repeated.


    "Clear this channel Optrican. Your bluff is meaningless. If you are real, then show yourself." The Bedrosian flight commander challenged.


    Five seconds later, Razor Two Zero and his wingman Razor Two One powered down their cloaking devices. The sudden appearance of the two craft unlike any before encountered so close to the formation caused a momentary panic. Attack shuttles veered away from the two new appearances rapidly. Seeing that they greatly outnumbered the new arrivals, arrogance quickly washed over the Bedrosian pilots. Of their own accord, three of the shuttles began to maneuver in hope of taking station behind the two F-302''s.


    Well aware of what the shuttle pilots would attempt, Razor Two Zero and his wingman swiftly maneuvered away. Dawson found himself instantly irritated. If this is how you want to play this, fine he thought.


    "Bedrosian aircraft alter course immediately. Do not attempt to engage or you will be fired upon." Dawson said clearly into the radio.


    In the airspace surrounding this developing situation, the remainder of the 302''s present powered down their cloaks. While possible that this sudden appearance of so many aircraft would scare the Bedrosian''s into compliance, that hope was far from certain. Sadly, the effect was far from the one hoped for. Within seconds, attack shuttles diverged in all directions. Some turned and climbed, others dove, and still others attempted to get into optimum attack position. Seeing this rapidly unfold, Razor Two Zero and Two One broke off and climbed away rapidly. That is when the situation went from bad to worse.


    Two shuttles managed to get off multiple poorly aimed shots of their onboard energy weapon. Tangerine colored beams of excited energy blazed past the now retreating 302''s. Seconds later, all hell broke loose. Due to their automated nature, the unmanned 302''s were the first to respond to the escalation. Their weapons system armed, two of the AI controlled UCAV''s let loose two AIM-9X heat seeking missiles. Closing at several times the speed of sound, the two heat seekers quickly closed on their targets. Fifteen seconds later, as both missiles closed to within two meters of their targets, the twenty-pound fragmentation warheads exploded. Fragments tore through the two targeted shuttles, leading one to explode entirely, while the other plummeted towards the ground largely intact though disabled.


    Seeing blood drawn, the aerial fur ball erupted. Bedrosian shuttles swept into tight turns, looking for targets near them. F-302''s followed suit with aggressive flight profiles also. As the situation quickly unfolded, shuttle pilots frantically radioed Bedrosian military command. Three of those shuttles were blotted from the ski by UCAV directed rail gun fire.


    In the distance, the looming and frighteningly large mass of Nimitz was beginning to come into view. Sighting reports of this craft unlike any before seen soon filled the radio channels of the Bedrosian command.


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 Chapter 217

    Lucia


    A dry and dusty wind swept across the surrounding plains. Scattered across the flatlands were numerous shantytowns, made up of corrugated tin shelters and run down stone buildings. It was here that the Lucian Alliance was born. In shantytowns and slums, smugglers, racketeers, and thieves banded together after the fall of the System Lords. For a time, prosperity blossomed on Lucia at the Alliance''s height. The Battle of the Super Gate had brought that prosperity crashing down.


    Beyond the slums, three Ha''tak class vessels towered over all else. Their arrival six hours before was heralded by a single cryptic subspace message. Collected together in front of their craft, Kefflin, Vosh, and Bulak stood. These three men made up the bulk of surviving leadership of the Alliance. It was not luck or fate that had kept them alive. When the time had come to commit themselves to Mallic''s final battle, these three and several others instead ran as far as possible from the scene of battle.


    Moving towards and away from the three Ha''tak was a disorderly throng of men, women, and children. These people were the surviving lower level Alliance members, and the families of the fallen. Of those moving towards the craft, each carried a box, crate, or sack. Also making way through the crowd, several dozen wagons rolled toward their destination. In this manner, an incredible amount of supplies made its way aboard the vessels. Food, clothing, and other supplies would soon be aboard. Joining the collection of material was the contents of the largest Alliance weapons cache hidden in this corner of the galaxy.


    "I have word from Sloviash. He has arrived at our destination, and has begun preparations for our arrival." Kefflin stated.


    "How can we be certain that our new world won''t be located?" Vosh asked.


    "The planet is outside of the gate network. That makes discovery by the Tauri unlikely." Bulak explained.


    "There we will rebuild." Kefflin said defiantly.


    "How can we be so certain? The Tauri were powerful before the last battle. They are even more so now. Each passing day see''s their power rise by orders of magnitude." Vosh argued.


    "The Tauri won a battle Vosh, not the war. Even now, our agents walk among the Tauri. At a time of our choosing, we will signal these agents, and they will deal a crucial blow to our enemy. The Lucian Alliance will in time rise from the ashes, and reclaim what is ours." Kefflin said forcefully.

 Chapter 218

    Earth


    Built two months after disclosure of Earth''s new reality, a joint Asgard/Tauri facility sat at the extreme edge of Edwards Air Force Base. Inside the sprawling nine hundred thousand square foot facility, teams of Asgard cloning experts worked hand in hand with a multinational team of human counterparts. Divided into many disciplines, the human scientists came from many places. Marine biologists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, zoologist''s from the Chinese Academy of Science and the United States Department of the Interior, and ornithologists from Germany''s Max Planck Institute, America''s Wilson Ornithological Society, and others from both Canada and Australia.


    Inside of this mega complex, a steady stream of work took place. Skeletal material from extinct and endangered species arrived. Once unpacked, these skeletal samples were turned over to the Asgard. Samples in hand, the process of isolating the genomes of many species began. Some of these species had been extinct for as long as one hundred and fifty years, while others could easily become extinct within a generation. Once the genome was isolated, the DNA structures were altered and put through a process of minor mutation, so no two samples were exactly alike. This would ensure no ill effects further down the road. DNA samples in hand, the cloning process began.


    It had been decided to start slowly. The Blue and Sei Whale were chosen as the first forms of sea life to be cloned. Moving on to birdlife, the Laughing Owl and the California condor were selected. For land mammals, the West African Black Rhino, and the Tasmanian wolf were selected. As had been done with clone bodies once utilized by the Asgard, each of these species was grown in individual bioreactors. Much like a w.o.m.b, each example of the individual species matured, they were allowed to grow to a.d.u.l.thood. Once that was accomplished, each example was beamed directly into adjustable sized stasis chambers. There they would wait for other members of their species to be added. Once a certain number threshold was passed, these animals would be released back into the wild.


    Once sustainable numbers of each species were cloned, the act of reintroduction would begin. For the birds and land mammals, this process was straightforward. Transported back to their natural habitats, the animals would simply be set loose in species specific communities. For sea life, it was slightly more complicated. The two species of whale would be grouped together in pods. Once this was accomplished, they would be transported into areas known to be traditional territories for said species at this time of year. From there, elements of the United States Navy submarine force would monitor each pod. This monitoring would continue for some time to come.


    It was widely known that this process would take many years. Bringing about ecological balance was seen as well worth the effort. In time, the effects of over hunting would be erased. These noble species would once again roam the Earth, as they had in their time. Loss of habitat had contributed to the demise of several species, and that too was being addressed.


    Elsewhere on Earth, the challenge of combating deforestation was being tackled. Here, technology would also play a crucial role. Under international agreement, large portions of the Amazon River basin, large tracts of land in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere were declared off limits. Islands once heavily forested, were also added to the target matrix. Human settlements within the deforested zones were relocated.


    In orbit at various points around Earth, Asgard science vessels sat ready for their task. Making use of their onboard transporters, these vessels would transport material to the deforested zones far below. This material was composed of seeds, and a Furling supplied molecular ecosystem blueprint in the form of a fine dust. Once in contact with soil, this fine dust would instantly recreate the assorted planet life other than trees, found in each unique ecosystem. Scattering all the building blocks to the ground below in a computer predetermined optimal disburs.e.m.e.nt pattern, the cycle of life would begin anew.


    In each disburs.e.m.e.nt area, a second example of Furling technology would be placed. Each the size of a human forearm, these polished black cylinders would fulfill a critical need for this projects success. Upon activation, these devices would emit a copper colored stream of tendril like energy in a predetermined cone of influence. Inside this cone, ideal weather patterns to promote Forest growth would be achieved, allowing much-needed seasons to pass.


    The reason such technology was required was due to a key piece of technology in the plan at work. Asgard time dilation technology would form dilation zones over each of the newly planted areas. Accelerating time within the field by a factor of two hundred, the forests around the world would grow unmolested. In a matter of weeks, the effects of deforestation would be undone. This would return nature''s efficient system of temperature and moisture control to the world.


    Although technology could never fully heal the damage Earth had endured as a result of the industrial revolution, much could be achieved. In time, the Earth would once again be home to many of the species of her past. Environments would be reestablished, and filled with animal life. As the cityscapes of Earth changed, so would nature outside of those high-tech cities. Finally, humankind was thinking of a future greater than just their own.

 Chapter 219

    Washington D.C.


    Three weeks earlier, the Department of Defense had released the latest iteration of the Quadrennial Defense Review. Conducted every four years, the congressionally mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) directs the Department of Defense to undertake a bottom up review of strategy, resources, and programs. This doc.u.ment is expected to define a national defense strategy by thoroughly outlining force structure, modernization plans, and a budget plan allowing the military to execute a full range of missions within that strategy. Included within the review is an evaluation by the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military''s ability to successfully execute its missions at a low to moderate level of risk within the forecast budget plan. The results of this Quadrennial Defense Review would shape American strategy and force structure in coming years.


    Proclaimed by the Department of Defense as a paradigm shift in the overall structure of the Armed Forces, the QDR created a stir before its release. Defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon immediately put lobbyists long on the payroll to work, hoping to mitigate any potential crimp in future procurement plans. Following suit, the defense blogosphere caught fire, and began to blast the sitting Secretary of Defense for failing to meet his mandate. Happening before the QDR''s release, the reviews more vocal opponents had no clue how far off base their claims were.


    After reviewing the QDR, in a rare act of completely bipartisan politics, both the United States House Subcommittee for Defense Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on the Armed Forces came together. Using the structure laid out in the QDR, the House subcommittee authorized a twenty percent increase in total budget for the Department of Defense, to be spread out over the separate services. Matching this move, the Committee on the Armed Forces pushed forward several key pieces of legislation. The first of these was an increase in manpower levels across the armed forces.


    Army operating levels would jump from their current authorized five hundred and forty eight thousand soldiers, to a total of six hundred and fifty seven thousand six hundred total soldiers. The Marine Corps would jump from the current total of two hundred and three thousand Marines, to a new total of two hundred and forty three thousand seven hundred and fourteen Marines. The Navy would jump from current manning levels of three hundred and thirty two thousand sailors, to a new total of three hundred and ninety eight thousand four hundred total sailors. The Air Force would rise from its current total of three hundred and twenty three thousand airmen, to a new total of three hundred and eighty seven thousand six hundred airmen. In an unexpected move, the Coast Guard was also taken into account, with an increase in total manning from forty one thousand, to a new total of forty eight thousand. Changes did not stop there.


    The Air Force found itself suddenly directed to expand its total number of aviation wings. A total of twenty-four new air wings covering air superiority, tactical and strategic bombing, and reconnaissance were ordered established. Furthermore, the Air Force was directed to initiate a design and construction program for a new class of strategic bomber. Filling the roll of the B-52 and B-2, this craft would be capable of interstellar flight, and posses the ability to conduct deep penetration strikes. Authorization was also provided for an increase in the total number of intelligence gathering craft to be maintained in the inventory.


    Rejoining active duty Army rolls, a number of units were to be reactivated. Both the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions, along with the 5th Infantry Division and 2nd Cavalry Division would return to active status. Joining them, the 10th Armored Cavalry Regiment was to be added. Not stopping there, further sweeping changes took shape. A nullification of both the Key West Agreement of 1947, and the Johnson-McConnell Agreement of 1966 opened the door to a return of fixed wing tactical aircraft, and the addition of Puddle Jumpers to be operated and maintained by the Army. This change lifted the Air Force''s long hold over fixed wing combat aircraft.


    Allowance and authorization was also provided for replacement of many weapons systems. Artillery platforms would take shape in the form of rail gun technology, in a move away from traditional chemical propellants. Expanding on this upgrade, all weapons over calibers of twenty millimeters would also be exchanged for electrically driven rail gun technology types. Army Soldier Systems Command, working in concert with DARPA and civilian contractors, was ordered to begin an in depth study on systems required in the new battle space envisioned for the war fighter. New hand held weapons, communications gear, and protective systems would fall under this study.


    Like their Army brethren, the Marine Corps also found itself swept away in a sea of change. The 5th and 6th Marine Divisions were to be reestablished. Marine aviation would also be greatly increased in size, and equipped with strike aircraft matching those currently employed by both the Air Force and Navy. Weapons systems like those directed for Army service would also replace traditional Marine equipment. Expansion of the total number of Marine Expeditionary Brigades was also directed, for service off world.


    The second piece of legislation came in the form of a modification to Title 10 United States Code, subsection 5062(b), which stated that the United States Navy shall not include less than eleven operational aircraft carriers. This modification allowed for a massive shift in focus from the oceans of the world to the stars, while greatly freeing up operating budget dollars. CVN-69 USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-70 USS Carl Vinson, CVN-71 USS Theodore Roosevelt, and CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln would immediately be retired from active service, and placed in inactive naval reserve. Their attending air wings would be reequipped with other platforms, and reassigned.


    A reduction in assorted surface support vessels was also ordered, in conjunction with the carrier deactivations. The Navy was directed to immediately design and construct a class or classes of vessels for use in the interstellar fleet. These new vessels would fill the role with matching capabilities of the amphibious combat sealift arm. Soon, the Navy would have the ability to transport large numbers of Marines and assorted combat troops to other corners of the universe in vessels designed for the purpose.


    In a surprise move, the United States Coast Guard would be transferred from the control of the Department of Homeland Security, to the Department of Defense. Terrestrial duties would remain, with a four-fold increase in sea going vessels. Greatly expanding their area of operations, the Coast Guard was directed to work with the Air Force and Navy, to design and construct a fleet of ten cutter class vessels. These vessels would assume the role of rescue and patrol duties within the Milky Way.


    Making use of long held markers, and assorted political capital, the ranking majority and minority party members brought their political parties sitting members into line. In less than ten days, the legislation was pushed through both the House and Senate, where an overwhelming majority vote approved their passage into law. Two days later, an extremely pleased President Hayes happily signed the new Defense Appropriations bill into law. Soon, the United States would field a military fully equipped to meet any challenge in this galaxy and others.

 Chapter 220

    Wraith Orbital Station


    Passing through the threshold into his quarters, the Harbinger made his way to his sleeping platform. Exhaustion permeated every fiber of his being. The reasons behind his exhaustion were simple. Too many tasks, and not enough trusted underlings to delegate these tasks towards consumed his every waking hour. He needed sleep, and finally he was forced to do so. When he awoke, the flood of unfinished tasks would be there awaiting him. Falling onto his bed bodily, the Harbinger came to rest after thirty straight hours of concentrated thought.


    Closing his eyes, moments later his breathing slowed as his body''s biorhythms bottomed out. Scant minutes later, beneath the pale eyelids, his fey colored cat''s eyes began to move left, right, up, and down. The onset of rapid eye movement sleep overtook him. Of its own accord, his brainwave patterns changed as Harbinger began to dream. Images of Atlantis began to fill his dreamscape.


    Opening his eyes, Harbinger is welcomed to a strange sight. Looking at his surroundings, he takes not that he is unmistakably standing in a lower passageway of Atlantis. All around him Lantean''s scurry back and forth, going about their day. Oddly, none look at him with eyes overflowing in horror at the Wraith amongst them. Looking down at his hands, his breathe catches in the back of his throat. These are not the hands of a Wraith! These hands are human! Suddenly, his hands shoot towards his face. Running them over his face, he''s taken aback that his features feel decidedly human. Moving hands to hair, he finds that his long and ornately braided white hair is now much shorter.


    Unsure of what is happening, he begins to amble through the corridors unfolding before him. Names of men and women passing him spring into his mind. Memories seemingly not his own play out of events with several of the individuals he encounters. How could this be? Everything about this is so wrong, yet so familiar and right. What is happening?


    Quickening his pace, he takes a route he knows will eventually bring him to the main tower. As he walks faster, he notices those around him now locking their eyes on him. Instead of content faces, he is met with menacing glares, filled with hatred. Each of their eyes have changed. Instead of browns and blues, each set of eyes is now the blackest of night, filled with what looks like bolts of lightening flashing through them. All around him, an unintelligible muttering and chanting fills the air. With each step, the crashing waves of sound roll over him, growing louder with each passing second.


    His heart races, thundering against his chest, as his breathing grows heavy and labored. Energized by panic, his body begins to run, seemingly on its own. Those in his path stop where they stand, only to glare while lips move silently to the chanting filling the air. In his chest, he feels the vibration and bass from the rhythmic chant. Faster, he runs.


    Rounding a corner, he see''s a transporter booth. Sprinting directly towards it, he passes several windows to the outside. Instead of a sunbathed ocean view, he notes dark skies. Tearing through pitch-black skies, horrendous bolts of lightening arc across the horizon, followed by booming thunderclaps. The smell of electrified ozone fills the air, and his senses. Into the booth he jumps, quickly punching in a destination he knows will take him near the control center.


    Exiting the booth, Harbinger steps out cautiously. Looking around, he takes in his surroundings, surveying for any possible threat. Expelling a ragged exhale, he breathes a sigh of relief. He is alone. Making his way through the seemingly deserted corridor, he passes through the automatic doors. Stepping into the control room, he notes a handful of people sitting at their duty stations. Slowly, they turn their heads, casting their gaze upon him. The incessant chanting grows so loud it is earsplitting.


    Reaching a crescendo, the chanting grows even louder. Reverberating through his body, he fears it might make him ill. Unable to take his eyes off the Lantean''s at their duty stations, he notes in horror a change. From their eyes and mouths, intense shafts of light erupt towards him. Blinded, he staggers back four steps. Stopping, he feels a body pressed against him, blocking his path.


    Filled with horror, he turns. Face to face with his obstacle, he see''s a woman whose name springs to mind immediately. Melia! On her face is a sorrowful look. Delicately lifting her hand to his face, she cups his face in her soft hand.


    "You''ve suffered so much." Melia says softly.


    "What is this madness?" Harbinger demands in a panicked voice.


    "You have much to atone for." Melia replies forcefully, in a low and frightening tone.


    As she speaks the last word, light erupts from her eyes and mouth. Finding himself blinded by the intense display, Harbinger staggers back. His skin seers, as if on fire, enveloping him in blinding pain. He feels flames'' lapping over his body, as the relentless chanting drowns out his screams of agony. Collapsing bodily to the floor, he feels his body fail under the relentless assault of heat and light.


    Opening his eyes, Harbinger finds himself laying in his bed. Startled, his hand shoots to his face. Yes, these are Wraith features. It was all nothing more than a horrible dream! Interrupting his moment of levity, a soft toned chime sounds in the background. Getting his attention, he looks towards the entryway.


    "Enter." Harbinger says strongly.


    At his command, the entryway doors open. Stepping into the room, a Wraith commander enters, and drops to a knee. Harbinger can hear him speaking, but cannot understand what is being said. It is all mutters.


    "Speak clearly!" Harbinger orders crossly.


    Instantly, the muttering ceases. Oddly, the commander does not raise his head and look at the Harbinger. Leaping from his bed platform, Harbinger steels himself to punish the wayward commander for his insolence. A moment passes in silence. Slowly, the commander brings his eyes to those of the Harbinger. As in his dream, geysers of light erupt from the commanders eyes and mouth in a display of blinding light. Every corner of the compartment catches fire, as the chanting returns in sickening waves.


    In a frenzy, Harbinger finds himself sitting up in bed. Shrill and breathless screams escape his lips. Looking around in a panic, he takes note that his compartment is not engulfed in flames. No chanting fills his ears. How can this be? As happened moments ago, a door chime sounds. Harbinger recoils in terror. Panic fills every ounce of his being. Again the door chime sounds.


    "Enter." Harbinger states in quiet terror.


    As the doors open, in walks the very same Wraith commander seen moments ago in his dream. Panic continues to build in Harbinger. He wants to run, but what would be the point? The nightmare will continue playing itself out over and over again. Dropping to a knee, the commander begins to address Harbinger.


    "My lord, the latest set of vessels receiving modifications has completed their upgrade. They have departed the site, and are in route now." The commander explains.


    "Very well. Leave me." Harbinger ordered.


    Swiftly, the commander rose and made his exit. For several moments, Harbinger sat quietly on his bed platform. How to make sense of it all?


    "It was a dream, nothing more." Harbinger whispers to himself.


    Rising to his feet, Harbinger steadies himself on unsure feet. Looking at his hands, he closes his eyes. Coming to grips with his dreams, he makes his way towards the floor to ceiling mirror in the corner of his compartment. Facing the mirror, he stares intently at the features of his face. Wraith features. Seeing movement behind him, he focuses on the corner of the mirror. Staring with wide eyes, he finds himself staring into the face of Melia, as she stares back at him. Turning quickly in a panic, he finds the compartment empty.


    "It''s a dream, nothing more." Harbinger whispers to himself in dread.

 Chapter 221

    Wraith Fleet Modification Site


    The sparsely wooded world was devoid of life, having never been home to a sentient race of its own. In a rolling and cleared field, many tens of miles wide, sat a domed Wraith facility. Newly constructed, this facility had been created at Harbingers order.


    Two miles from the domed facility, a jagged cliff face rose several hundred feet into the air. Around this cliff, Wraith soldiers set off detonation after detonation. Each explosion brought many tons of rocky debris raining down. In that debris sat what the Wraith had been sent here for. Hovering over the debris field, dozens of Darts activated their culling beams. Each of these beams were calibrated to extract one thing from the boulders beneath them; naquadah.


    Once loaded, these Darts sped towards the facility to deposit their loads. Hovering over an organically constructed open topped silo, the naquadah was deposited. As the mineral entered the silo, a series of interlocking carbon blades reduced the veins of naquadah into a gravel littered pulp. From there, the pulp was moved via culling beam to the next station of the refinery. Here, the pulverized naquadah was sorted into two different paths.


    One path led to a high temperature smelter, where the element would be superheated, and liquefied. From there, the molten metal would be poured into molds. As the molten metal filled the molds in full, each tray was moved to a cooling station. As each mold cooled, they were opened by stout biomechanical arms to reveal a thin needle pointed rib like structure. These were quickly moved via culling beam to one of several receiving stations on the plains beyond the facility.


    The other path led to a mixing point. Vast vats of viscous genetic material, and Wraith biopolymer, were intermixed with naquadah dust and chunks. Here, it was mixed into thick yet flowing naquadah slurry. This slurry entered piping that also led to the same areas equipped with receiving stations for the rib like structures.


    A steady stream of Hives and cruisers had arrived at this site since its construction. Their purpose was for modification to their internal systems. Holes millimeters wider than the thin rib structures were cut into the outer hulls of each vessel. As this was done, a longer spine like beam was added to the backbone of each vessel. Coming together, these new additions interlocked, forming a structure very similar to the human spine and ribcage. These new additions increased the already rigid skeletal system of the Wraith sh.i.p.s.


    Organic in nature, Wraith vessels are living organisms themselves. Like most living organisms, the cellular structure of the vessels sat in a sea of fluid. To this, the naquadah slurry was added. Much like a blood transfusion, the slurry was pumped into the vessels circulatory system. Here, the powerful element interacted with the bioelectrical activity of each ship. Absorbing this energy, the slurry and new structural components greatly amplified the vessels total energy output. In combination with the newly added and grown power generation stations, each vessel found itself with much more energy production than ever before.


    This new energy was being and would continue to be channeled into the organic power conduits of each vessel. Soon, each would have greatly enhanced hull regeneration, speed, sensor range/sensitivity, and increased weapons strength. The Wraith fleet was taking a massive leap forward all together. Already, a majority of the fleet had received the upgrade, sometimes twenty vessels at a time.


    Unknown to the Wraith, Todd had learned of this facility. At the same time, the replicator infected Wraith aboard the orbital station did the same. The Tauri, and their allies, quickly added the site to the ground target package guiding Task Force 190''s recent flurry of activity. Though many other planet-based facilities had been struck, the Wraith were certain this site was safe from attack as it was newly built, and on a world outside of the Pegasus gate network.


    Sitting in a high polar orbit, the Ares lay under cover of cloak. In her cavernous jumper bay, preparations were taking place. Weapons were prepped, and men readied themselves to head into harms way. Standing beside the jumper that would carry them to the planets surface, Captain Carlyle, his team of Delta operators, and Ronon spoke with Colonel John Sheppard.


    "You''ve got a green light to deploy when ready." Sheppard stated.


    "Roger that sir. We''ll be heading out momentarily." Carlyle replied.


    "Wish you were coming with us?" Ronon asked in a gruff voice.


    "I''m more than happy to leave the heavy lifting to the tough guys." Sheppard replied with a smirk.


    "Yeah, whatever." Ronon replied with a smile.


    "Don''t get so uppity Chewie. Nice uniform by the way! Missing the leather pants yet?" Sheppard asked.


    "Any activity we need to be made aware of Colonel?" Carlyle asked.


    "Several Hives took off a few hours ago. Sensors confirmed they entered hyperspace. Other than that, it''s about what you''d expect to see at a Wraith instillation." Sheppard replied.


    "Ok, then we''ll go wheels up in two minutes." Carlyle confirmed.


    "Good hunting down there. If you get into a bind, have Chewie use those knives he has hidden in his hair." Sheppard said with a smile, before walking away.


    Entering the jumper Carlyle, Ronon, and the other four operators took their seats. On command from the flight crew, the jumper''s rear door slid up, and closed. Silently, the craft lifted from the deck. As it accelerated towards the energy field separating the hanger bays interior from space, the jumper''s cloak was activated. Invisibly, the small craft passed over into the hostile environment of space. Extending the drive pods, the jumper sped away, and quickly began its decent into the atmosphere.


    Descending rapidly, the invisible craft plummeted towards the ground below. In a corkscrew flight profile, the jumper twisted lower and lower. Passing over the Wraith facility, a last minute sensor sweep was taken. Nothing amiss, the shuttle set down a mile from the dome in the distance. Inside, the team stood and readied themselves. On each mans combat vest, an attached device was activated.


    These devices were duplicates of those worn by the Sodan. Upon activation, each device engulfed the wearer in their own pocket of subspace, rendering them invisible to those outside of the field while allowing other wearers to see each other. As the rear ramp came down, the team quickly exited the craft. A quick radio signal told the jumper the team was away, and the craft silently climbed back into the sky, speeding away unseen.


    Not needing prompting, the two snipers of the group broke off in opposite directions. These men would establish over watch positions, to keep a close eye on the team as they made their way towards the dome. Moving swiftly yet silently, Carlyle, Ronon, and the other two operators set off for their target. Scanning around them as they moved, the team quickly realized that the Wraith were oddly not actively patrolling the area.


    For a tense hour, the team zigzagged their way towards what the sensors had established was an entry point into the dome. Upon reaching this point, they spread out on both sides of the door, hunkering down. It was now a waiting game. Ten minutes later, a lone Wraith soldier approached and entered, allowing the team to follow him inside.


    Taking in their surroundings, the team took stock of everything around them. Like other Wraith facilities and vessels, a thick blanket of mist coursed over the floor. The putrid aroma of Wraith biopolymer hung heavy in the air. Glancing down at the modified life signs detector attached to his forearm, Captain Carlyle immediately keyed in on the power conduits detected running throughout the walls around them. Advancing, the team planted explosive charges at conduit junction points as they passed them.


    According to the scanner, their end target was one hundred yards away, and one level above. That target? The facilities computer core room. Making their way down the passageway, the team remained at the ready. Despite being cloaked, each was crouched in a ready firing position, walking silently in the balls of their feet. It was then that two life signs appeared on the scanner, heading in the direction of the team. Coming to a four-way intersection of corridors, the team exchanged hand signals. Seconds later two went left, while the other two went right.


    Approaching closer by the second, the rhythmic sound of Wraith soldiers walking in step grew louder. Coming into view, the two armed Wraith stood as silent proof that the facility was indeed patrolled. Twenty agonizingly long seconds later, the two soldiers crossed through the middle of the four-way intersection. Instantly the cloaked forms of Ronon, and Master Sergeant Checa fell upon their targets. Checa drove the razor sharp and serrated blade of his tracker knife into his targets brainstem, while Ronon plunged one of his man knives first into his targets liver, then viciously slicing the Wraith''s throat to the vertebrae in its neck. Catching their prey by the armpits, Ronon and Checa quickly and quietly dragged the Wraith into a room ten meters away. Dumping the bodies on the floor, Checa put a single suppressed pistol round into each soldiers head. Better to be safe than sorry.


    Continuing further down the long passageway, the team soon found the Wraith version of a transporter booth. Climbing inside, they activated the transporter, and were engulfed in a culling field. Seconds later, the team reappeared in an identical booth one level above. Exiting the booth, Carlyle and Ronon continued towards the computer core, while the other two operators fanned out to continue planting explosives.


    Passing through a set of automatic doors, Ronon and Carlyle found themselves standing in the core room. Looking around, Carlyle quickly recognized the terminal he had been trained to look for. While he readied his tablet computer, Ronon assumed a defensive position to cover the entryway. Repeating a procedure both Zelenka and McKay had shown him, Carlyle interfaced the tablet with the core. Activating a program written for the purpose, the tablet began to quickly download the contents of the core. As he did this, he radioed the outside over watch snipers, asking them to alert him to any enemy movement towards the dome.


    For twelve tense minutes, data was extracted from the core. Out of nowhere, an alarm sounded throughout the facility. A security protocol unknown to the Tauri had detected the unauthorized intrusion, sounding an alarm across the facility.


    "Six, this is over watch two. Be advised you have Wraith on foot moving out towards your location at the run. Enemy aircraft are also vectoring towards your location. Time to get out of there boss." The sniper said into the radio.


    "Ares, this is Nightmare Six. The Wraith are aware of penetration. Geospatial locators are active in explosive packs. Request you lock onto those locators and beam down secondary devices." Carlyle said into his radio earpiece.


    Not waiting for a reply, Carlyle quickly motioned for Ronon to follow him. As the two men exited the core, they rejoined the other two operators on the level. As the men began to quickly make their way to the transport booth, four fuel air explosive devices materialized at separate points in the dome. Entering the booth, Checa quickly activated the device, and seconds later the four men find themselves once again on the ground level of the dome.


    Checa and his wingman upon exiting the booth race forward, towards the four-way intersection of passageways. One taking position right, the other left, they stand with weapons ready. Carlyle and Ronon bring up the rear, also with weapons at the ready. Seeing Wraith soldiers quickly advancing towards him, Checa opens up with his suppressed MP-7 submachine gun. Unleashing the solid steel armor piercing projectiles, Wraith soldiers are torn to pieces without ever knowing an attacker was nearby. Checa and his wingman lay down continuous fire as Carlyle and Ronon advance down the passageway. Forty yards from the exit, both men turn, take a knee, and signal for Checa and the other operator to break contact and get out.


    At a run, the two men sprint down the mist covered hallway, sprinting past the two kneeling men. Rounding the corners in the distance, Wraith soldiers begin to go down from Ronon''s particle magnum. Confusion sweeps through the Wraith ranks, as they watch many of their number fall to an unseen enemy. Standing, and laying down a continuous stream of weapons fire as they back peddle the distance to the exit, the team manages to break contact. As Carlyle exits the door, Checa plants two motion sensor activated claymore mines ten meters from the door.


    At a forty five degree angle from the door, the four men break into a run. One minute later, all hear the sharp crack of exploding claymores. Before Carlyle can alert the over watch snipers to fire on the door, he hears the muted cracks of distant rifles. As both over watch snipers pour rounds into the Wraith soldiers attempting to exit the dome, Dart''s screech overhead. Seconds later, Dart canon fire begins to rain down at random points leading away from the dome. Before a word can be said, all members of the Delta are engulfed in the silvery light of the Asgard designed transport beam.


    As the transport beam dematerialized the team, Ares sent a single signal to the many explosive devices within the dome. Valves on the fuel air explosives opened up, flooding the surrounding area with dense explosive vapor. Before the FAE''s firing squibs can fire, the explosives planted on power conduits are triggered. In a cascade event, the explosions ignite the vapor, adding to the thunderous explosion eviscerating the dome''s interior. Then something unexpected occurred.


    Feedback from the now destroyed power conduits races to other ends of the facility. Electrical arcing spreads to the naquadah crusher. Highly volatile naquadah dust ignites, and as explosions bloom, the pool of naquadah slurry also detonates. Interacting with the now exposed veins of naquadah in the cliff face, a cascading detonation takes place both above ground and below ground. In less than a minute, all that is left of the facility is a spreading thermal pulse, a climbing and roiling mushroom cloud, and a crater larger than most small cities.

 Chapter 222

    New Heliopolis


    Three hundred years ago, the System Lord''s stumbled across a race with a physical ability unlike any they had before encountered. To make this ability their own, the System Lord''s waged a genocidal war against this peaceful race they knew nothing about but their name. That name was the Reol. Entire generations were lost, as the Reol were pushed closer to extinction with every encounter. As their prey''s numbers dwindled, the Goa''uld found themselves no closer to attaining what they sought.


    In appearance the Reol are tall, slight of frame, and of a human like build. Thick strands of hair, coal black eyes, and heads skeletal in shape gave the Reol an almost frightening look that in no way matched their natural demeanor. Physiologically, the one advantage possessed by the Reol lay in their unique form of natural defense. From their bodies, each Reol secreted a biological compound that had the ability to create false memories and illusions in any living creature it came in contact with. It was this ability that the Goa''uld wanted at any price.


    Centuries of war had reduced the Reol the once numerous populations centers to ash. Reduced in number to a scant four thousand, they retreated to a world unknown to their hunters. Here, a colony was established in the hope of rebuilding their civilization and race. Try as they may, the System Lord''s never managed to locate this world.


    Flash forward many years, SG-1 under the command of then Colonel Jack O''Neill encountered a Reol named Kaiael during an exploratory mission on P7S-441. Being pursued relentlessly by the Jaffa, Kaiael made use of his defensive ability to make the team believe that he was in fact human, and had been assigned as the fifth member of SG-1. O''Neill and Lieutenant Tyler as Kaiael called himself, found themselves trapped on the planet. Finally revealing his true identity to Jack, Kaiael was shocked when he found the human willing to protect him as if he truly were a team member. In the end, SG-1 was able to secure access to the gate, and Kaiael made his escape and respecting Jack''s desire to keep in touch.


    It all started during a meeting of the Great Races, where the Nox voiced their desire to nurture the remaining Reol. Seeing the care with which the Tauri had enacted the Tollan rescue, it seemed natural to again request their assistance. Several days later, SG teams had been dispatched to P7S-441. It had taken several weeks, but contact was eventually made with the one known as Kaiael.


    Several meetings between Kaiael, General Landry, and the Furling Ambassador Dorin took place. Finally, the message was made clear that the Great Races wanted nothing more than to safeguard the Reol. To ensure a bountiful future, and see their numbers return to a semblance of what they had once been was all that was hoped for. Regaling his fellow Reol with the story of what O''Neill had risked for the safety of one he did not know, Kaiael won over support for the proposal.


    Several potential home worlds were considered, as was addition of any new home world to the Protected Planets Treaty. At the suggestion of Dorin, a site agreeable to all was found. The Reol were relocating to New Heliopolis. Precedent for this existed, as those from Novus had resided on this world before being relocated to Shambhala.


    Due to their sunning of technology as a species, the site occupied by the Novan''s was deemed unsuitable. Instead, an encampment was situated ten kilometers to the north, nestled deep in the woods among gushing streams. Here, the Reol would be safe from any and all. As the Great Races protected them, the Reol would grow in number.


    Arriving over several hours, the Reol looked at the world they would now call home. Moving off into the wood line in small groups, they began their trek to a new beginning. As they went, representatives from each of the Great Races watched. Turning, Kaiael turned. Raising his hand in a wave of thanks, he smiled before turning and vanishing among the trees

 Chapter 223

    Shambhala


    In the center of the city, inside the center spire of the city, the stargate was active. Around the gate room, in orderly groups, men, women, and children stood. Stepping into the wormhole, smiles could be seen on the faces of all. It had taken time, but the governments of Earth had finally concluded that the people of Novus represented no security risk. Finally, they would be allowed access to the home world of their ancestors.


    Some were heading to the many research centers of Johns Hopkins University, to liaise with medical researchers. Others would find their way to Palo Alto, California. There, they would work hand in hand with their counterparts from Earth designing new software applications for use around the globe. Many others were destined for the Smithsonian, where they would take in the sights from America''s past. For many, this chance to see their ancestor''s home world was a dream come true. With great anticipation, they stepped through the gate.


    As the orderly throng of Novan''s made their way through the active gate, a separate group passed forty feet behind them. Leading this group was a delegation of State Department technicians. Accompanying them was Mallin of the Bedrosian''s, and Fallon of the Optrican''s. Touring the great city, the foundations for inclusion to the United Worlds was being laid. It was also hoped that these two nations could finally solidify a lasting peace between themselves, while also becoming the newest additions to Earth''s ever expanding list of allies.


    Several thousand yards away, in a ruby colored tower, Camille Wray was enjoying lunch with two friends. Those friends were Elizabeth Weir, and the recently elected Chancellor Narim. Schedule permitting, the three tried to meet for lunch atleast once per week. After a hectic week, the three were thankful for the brief reprieve the meal offered them.


    "I spoke with General O''Neill earlier today. He wanted to extend his congratulations on your landslide victory in the recent election." Wray said.


    "Thank you for passing his message along. The next time he is here among us, I will give him my thanks. Your President Hayes also passed along his congratulations. Is this normal?" Narim asked.


    "On Earth, it is tradition for one leader to well wish another." Weir replied.


    "Elizabeth would know better than I. Her roots are in diplomacy." Wray added.


    "Have you any initiatives in mind during your term in office?" Weir asked.


    "I do actually. The Tollan people and those from Novus are very similar. I will be proposing a full exchange of knowledge with the Novan''s, and hope to roll this into a new program." Narim explained.


    "What type of new program?" Wray asked between bites of her salad.


    "Tollan scientific development stagnated somewhat before the fall of our world. Bringing the Novan''s into the fold, I am hoping that new perspectives will come about. This could allow our researchers to go in directions they never before thought of." Narim answered.


    "That''s a noble thought." Weir conceded.


    "I''ll be interested to see how that plays out in the future." Wray replied.


    "You have had a busy week planning for the future so I''ve heard. Do you mind if I ask what it is you''re working on?" Narim asked.


    "I don''t mind at all. What''s kept me so occupied is a recent notification I received from Earth." Wray explained.


    "Do you mean the one from the President?" Weir asked.


    "That''s the one. The crux of the matter is I''ve been directed to make preparations to greatly expand the population of Shambhala." Wray explained.


    "How great of an expansion should be expected?" Narim asked.


    "On the order of a fourfold increase." Wray answered.


    "Should I assume they will be military personnel?" Narim asked.


    "No, they won''t be military. Civilians will make up the lot." Wray replied.


    "How is that possible?" Narim asked.


    "As we''ve mentioned before, Earth has no shortage of individuals available and open to relocation. Those with certain skills we would like to put to use here were contacted, and those that accepted will be soon calling Shambhala home." Weir replied.


    "That about covers it." Wray stated.


    "Ah, I see. What of your people Elizabeth?" Narim asked, shifting topics.


    "Construction on Mars continues. It will always be Mars in my mind, instead of Devaputra." Weir answered.


    "I saw several of the photos, and was impressed. The city is growing nicely." Wray said.


    "It would please me greatly to someday see Devaputra." Narim said.


    "Narim, you are always welcome there." Weir replied with a gracious smile.


    "Have your people begun creating new replicators yet?" Wray asked.


    "They have. Our numbers are growing daily. To finish the work we have on Mars, we''ll need every one of them." Weir replied.


    "I understand that the beginnings of your fleet were just completed also." Wray said.


    "That''s correct. In a fit of generosity, the SGC turned over the plans for the Aurora class. The first two vessels were completed days ago. Those vessels will remain in orbit around Mars for the time being, but in time will begin to conduct joint patrols within the Milky Way with Earth''s fleet." Weir explained.


    "How do you feel about that?" Wray asked.


    "Honestly, it feels good. My fears of being viewed with a jaundiced eye from past events by those on Earth were all for naught it seems. The governments of Earth have embraced my people, and we them. Working together as equals, the possibilities of what we might achieve are endless." Weir replied with a beaming smile.

 Chapter 224

    Manaria


    Two thousand years before, the agrarian world of Manaria was a member of the then powerful Genii Confederation. Wraith efforts to first bring the Confederation to its knees, and then wipe it from existence, had extended to this world. Though agrarian in nature at that time, Manaria had not been without scientific minds. Two millennia later, Manaria was a shadow of its former self.


    Despite that tragic history, this world had remained covertly allied to the Genii. That fact was unknown to the Atlantis expedition in their first year within the Pegasus galaxy. Later, that fact was brought home in the most certain of terms. Seeking shelter for expedition members from a hurricane like super storm on Lantea, Sheppard and Aiden Ford had traveled to Manaria. Reaching out to Smeardon, leader of the Manarian''s, an accord was reached. Unknown to the expedition, Smeardon then contacted Cowan of the Genii, informing him that Atlantis was ripe for assault and open to strike.


    As everyone knows, history is cyclical in nature. This lesson was once again playing itself out on a global scale. The Wraith had once again returned to Manaria. Several hundred kilometers above, a small Wraith fleet sat. Two Hives, and six cruisers minutes before had let loose an armada of Darts. These small craft quickly sped towards the ground below. As they traversed from space flight to atmospheric flight, the much larger warsh.i.p.s pounded the Manarian landscape with energetic weapons fire.


    Meant to instill panic in the population below, this weapons fire was directed first at large buildings. As stone masonry shattered from the assault, fires sprang up. These fires spread viciously through the wood framed structures scattered throughout the settlements of Manaria. Panic was the result. Men, women, and children ran towards the fields surrounding the settlements. Further weapons fire from high above set ablaze these fields as well.


    Screams reverberated through the air, as smoke billowed, and flames licked at buildings not yet engulfed. Those first out of the growing pyres that had been their homes counted themselves lucky to be alive. Lungs burned and legs ached from the sprint for their lives. As each of their feet pounded into the dirt paths carrying them away from the settlements, they began to believe that they would survive.


    At that moment, the first of the Darts screamed overhead. Those not swift of foot were immediately caught in culling beams flashing past them. Above the inferno that would have been this growing seasons crop, formation after formation of Darts screeched past. Each pass reduced the numbers of those running. Unknown to the Manarian''s, their life signs were being tracked from one of the Hives in orbit.


    From one end of each burning settlement to the other, the Darts removed all human live. Running through the streets amidst fully aflame structures brought no salvation. Inside these structures, those unconscious from smoke inhalation were also detected and culled. No Manarian would be spared. The Harbinger had been very clear on that. Manaria was to be stripped of all human life.


    Unusually, the Wraith were deviating from standard operating procedure during a culling. The gate, three kilometers outside of the Manarian capital, was not active. Normally, this was done to prevent any escape from Wraith forces. Free from orbital bombardment and Dart over flight, it was here that a group of two hundred men and women waited.


    One of their number stood before the DHD. In sequence, he dialed the little known gate address of Atlantis. As his right hand input the seventh symbol, his left hand hit the center dial button. A handful of seconds later the gate activated. As the unstable vortex settled into a shimmering puddle, the mans eyes were fixated on the event horizon. From the waistband of his trousers, he removes a radio communications device of Genii origin, similar to those found on Earth.


    Lifting the device to his face, Cato presses a side button and activates the communicator. Unsure of just who might answer his call, he readies himself for any eventuality.


    "Help us." Cato pleads frantically.


    "Please identify yourself." A nameless voice says in reply.


    "I am Cato. Manaria is under siege from the Wraith. Deliver us to safety!" Cato bellows.


    "Cato, I need you to calm down. You can call me Amelia. Is this attack a culling?" Amelia asks calmly.


    "Yes! Everywhere people are being stolen away. We are all that is left!" Cato replies frantically.


    "Understood. How many survivors are with you Cato?" Amelia asks.


    "Two hundred of us are all that remains. Will you help us?" Cato demands.


    "Cato, I have to ask these questions so I can determine the best way to help you. Are the Wraith currently near the gate?" Amelia asks patiently.


    "No, their flying machines are over what is left of the settlements. If you don''t help us quickly, we will be discovered." Cato pleads.


    "Ok Cato, let me make sure I''ve got all the facts. You are with a group of two hundred survivors, and the Wraith are currently nowhere near the gate. Is that correct?" Amelia asked.


    "Yes! Now help us! Deliver us to safety!" Cato nearly screamed.


    "Cato, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Take your people and stay together. Remain hidden. I need to relay this information to those above me. The faster I do that, the faster I can get help to you. When help is on the way, you will receive a radio call. Keep your people safe for now." Amelia said.


    As Cato did not reply to this last set of instructions, no radio signals were flowing through the open wormhole. That caused the gate to shut down. Tremors coursed through the ground from weapons impacts in the distance. Acrid aromas of charred settlements and crops filled the nostrils of those waiting near the gate. In the distance, the sounds of Darts tearing through the skies could be heard.


    Among weeds and scrub brush, the two hundred humans waited. Hearts thundered in their chests, and mouths went dry from tension. When would those from Atlantis arrive? At the ten-minute mark, they began to wonder if those from Atlantis had chosen not to come to their aide. By the fifteen-minute mark, those thoughts turned into anger. As the twentieth minute ticked by, the gate came to life.


    "Cato, its Amelia. Are you there?" Amelia asked.


    "What took you so long?" Cato demanded.


    "It took time to arrange things here. Is the area and sky still free of Wraith?" Amelia asked patiently.


    "Yes, they are still well away from us." Cato replied testily.


    "Get your people ready now. Help is on the way." Amelia said.


    Twenty seconds later, four jumpers one after the other, exited the gate. Clearing the ring of the ancestors, the four jumpers extended their drive pods and engaged their cloaks. On the ground, two hundred sets of eyes searched for the small and now invisible craft that hurtled into the sky above. One minute later, a steady stream of twenty jumpers exited the gate, again one after another.


    In the clearing between the gate and the brush where those to be rescued waited, ten jumpers set down. Under cloak, the remaining ten circled several hundred feet above. Rear ramp doors opened, and copilots rushed to the door. The mad dash to evacuate these unfortunate souls began in earnest. Onboard one of the jumpers above, the now inactive gate was redialed for the return trip to safety.


    As one writhing mass, the two hundred ran towards the jumpers. Each copilot standing at their crafts rear ramp door stopped the number entering their craft at ten. As they were loaded, each now full jumper closed its rear door and took to the air. Under cloak, their they would orbit until receiving word to enter the gate. As each loaded jumper took to the air, an empty jumper landed in its place to repeat the loading process. In the c.o.c.kpit, pilots sitting at their controls monitored Darts in the distance with their sensors.


    Sitting in the pilot''s seat of the lead jumper in the flight of four that first arrived, Lieutenant Colonel Evan Lorne surveyed the ground below. The settlements below his flight path were engulfed in a hellish firestorm. Climbing higher into the smoke marred Manarian atmosphere, Lorne took not of the steady stream of Darts racing back into orbit. On jumper two, the pilot confirmed that the ground below was entirely devoid of human life, except those currently boarding the other recently arrived Lantean shuttlecraft.


    Traversing from atmospheric to orbital flight, the four-cloaked jumpers gained speed. In the distance, the small Wraith fleet came into view. Growing in size within the view screen, in less than a minute the river of Darts could be seen returning to their mothership''s. Hives and cruisers were more than the four jumpers could handle on their own. Seeing that he was badly outgunned, Lorne activated his ship-to-ship communications array.


    "Extraction flight, this is Look Out Actual. It is bad up here. For whatever reason, the Wraith are disinterested in the gate activity. Get the evacuees out of here. Look Out flight will provide cover." Lorne said.


    One by one, the individual jumpers acknowledged the order. Seconds later, the first of twenty jumpers charged into the open wormhole. As this happened, Lorne gave instructions to the other craft in his flight.


    "Look Out two, this is Lead. Follow me in on the nearest cruiser. Remain under cloak until passing the ventral drive units, then drop cloak and fire your drones. Once complete, reengage your cloak and all Look Out units will run for the gate." Lorne ordered into the communicator.


    "Two copies." Came the reply.


    "Three."


    "Four."


    Look Out three and four broke off, tracking Lead and two maneuver ever closer to their target on their sensor displays. One behind the other, the two craft speed towards the cruiser, and readied themselves for their attack run. Passing the rear exposed propulsion cells of the cruiser, the two jumpers dropped their cloaks. Simultaneously, six drone weapons emerged from the front of the extended drive pods. As the last drones cleared their launchers, cloaks were again powered up.


    Turning away from their target, the jumpers nosed over and began their run away from the cruiser at an angle. Regrouping with the two attackers, the other two jumpers came into in line formation. Pouring on the speed, the four craft began a near ballistic descent towards the gate far below. On their sensors, they detected the explosions ripping the cruiser to their rear apart. Lorne expected weapons fire, but none came. Instead, the Wraith fleet charged away, leaping into hyperspace.

 Chapter -1 - Synopsis

    this story takes place in the universe of Stargate SG1, Atlantis, & Universe continuing the story.


    includes all our favorite characters from SG1, Atlantis, and Universe.


    plus we finally meet the Furling and the council of the 4 races welcomes THE FIFTH RACE.


    please enjoy, and please donate on ******* to help me buy a new PC to aid me in writing this story

 Chapter 204 - 205

    P3R-112


    The forested and temperate world had once been the site of a summit of sorts for the many Ba''al clones scattered throughout the galaxy. In true Ba''al fashion, he used the summit to gather and then assassinate his many clones, before attempting to take the Orici as host. Control of Ori forces had far outweighed the value of his clones, was his thinking at the time. That his plan later failed was really beside the point of this history lesson on an otherwise singularly uninteresting planet.


    Sitting on the planets surface now was an assortment of equipment commonly found on Earth. Prefabricated housing, a small administrative center, and dining hall sat in one corner of the growing compound. In other corners sat impact crushers, jaw crushers, Raymond and vertical mills, in addition to heavy loaders and excavators. In still other ends of the camp sat refining facilities that would continue to grow in size, as equipment arrived from Earth.


    Molycorp of the United States, Lynas Corporation of Australia, and Sumitomo of Japan, had formed a joint venture to mine the seventeen elements referred to as rare earth elements. These elements were vital to the production of everything from Ipad''s to the most innovative defense technology. At a price approaching fifteen thousand dollars per kilo for scandium, and six thousand dollars per kilo for terbium, this off world venture was projected to be potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars. As the planet was also rich in platinum, gold, iridium, and low alpha lead, in the future mining operations would expand to harvest these materials also.


    Material mined would be transported back to Earth via cargo carriers built on Arkos. In return for transport, site security, and licensing of off world mining, each company in the joint venture agreed to pay a yearly before taxes surcharge of fifteen percent of total proceeds yearly, to their individual home nations governments. Aware of exactly how lucrative this arraignment would be for government coffers, plans had already been drawn up to greatly expand the program. Already, a second venture was being prepared for P5C-768, also known as the world of Edora.


    Trading agricultural equipment and supplies, the people of Edora readily agreed to the mining treaty. Negotiations for the rights to establish the mining outpost on Edora led to one unforeseen development though. Years before, during an event the locals referred to as the fire rain, a large asteroid had impacted the planets surface. In the process, the stargate was buried, stranding then Colonel O''Neill on the planet for three months. Living in a state of common law marriage with a woman named Laira, Jack had fathered a son who was later also named Homer. Already, jokes were swirling throughout the SGC about the longest distance paternity suit in human history. General O''Neill''s only comment was "Homer? Good name."

 Chapter 225

    Atlantis


    As each jumper returned, it entered the gate room and came to an immediate halt. From there, each jumper rose through the now open ceiling into the jumper bay above. Once coming to rest, each jumper opened its rear ramp and the outpouring of evacuees began. Exiting the jumper, each new arrival was catalogued by Atlantis''s artificial intelligence system. This cataloging included a complete genetic indexing, facial and body mapping, and a scan for contagions.


    Meeting the evacuees was a large medical team. As none of the evacuees was injured, no treatment was needed. From there, the motley group of individuals was led out of the jumper bay. Many of the two hundred were taken for a hot mean, and shown quarters to rest. Slowly, a majority dispersed across the city, carrying burlap bags filled with the possessions they had brought with them.


    After the return of Lorne and his Look Out flight of four jumpers, the man known as Cato was located. Asking the man to accompany him, Lorne and Cato leisurely made their way to the conference room near the control center. Passing through the open doors, Lorne ushered Cato to his seat, before taking a seat of his own. Seated around the table were Richard Woolsey, Teyla, and Carson Beckett. Not wasting time, Woolsey jumped into discussion.


    "Let me begin by saying that I think I speak for us all when I say what happened to your world is an atrocity beyond measure." Woolsey began.


    "Cato, I am Teyla of Athos. Welcome to Atlantis." Teyla said kindly.


    "Thank you for coming to our aide. Your kind words about Manaria are appreciated, but misplaced." Cato replied.


    "Misplaced how exactly?" Woolsey asked.


    "Manaria was not our world." Cato explained.


    "Then where is it you come from exactly?" Beckett asked.


    "We are refugees from many worlds. For many months, we have run from world to world seeking to escape the Wraith." Cato replied.


    "You are not alone. In the past, we have encountered groups doing much the same thing. You will be safe here." Teyla said soothingly.


    "We are more than happy to help your people find a suitable home. I do have one question though." Woolsey said.


    "Please, ask your question. I will answer to the best of my ability." Cato replied.


    "I''m told that none of your party required medical attention. How is it you escaped what appears to be an event that left no other human life on Manaria?" Woolsey asked delicately.


    "A higher power was watching over my group." Cato replied simply.


    Before Woolsey could formulate a reply, a commotion was heard outside the closed doors of the conference room. Rising from his seat, Lorne makes his way to the opening doors. As the doors open fully, a scream is heard from the control room. Going for his pistol, Lorne is hit in the chest with an energy bolt, falling unconscious to the floor. Seconds later, two men armed with Wraith energy pistols enter the room. On Cato''s face for all to see is a content smile.


    Rising from his seat, Cato walks over to the prone figure of Lorne. Removing the unconscious mans pistol from his holster, Cato turns to look directly at Woolsey. Teyla and Beckett remain motionless in their seats, unsure of what was happening.


    "Now that I have your full attention, I have a question for you. Who is in command here?" Cato asks innocently.


    "I am the commander here." Woolsey answers in a shaken voice.


    Leveling the pistol at Woolsey, Cato squeezes the trigger. In an explosion of noise, the pistol fires a single round. Impacting his shoulder, Woolsey crumples from his chair to the floor beneath him. His hand gripping the wounded shoulder, blood runs over his hand.


    "What have you done?" Beckett demands in a frightened voice.


    "Speak again and you will join him. Now, I will ask my question again. Who is in command here?" Cato asks in a voice dripping with contempt.


    "You are." Beckett replies quickly.


    In multiple areas of the city, men and women brandish Wraith pistols. Not expecting an event such as this, the expedition members give little resistance. Those that do resist are immediately fired up, and rendered unconscious. In response, claxons begin to sound all over the city. Automatic doors slam shut, transporter booths are taken offline, and critical systems are locked out from use and access. Sensing the emergency, the Atlantis artificial intelligence has initiated lockdown procedures.


    In a tower on the north pier of the city, Colonel Dean Frost sits at his office desk. Hard at work on the many reports needed to doc.u.ment the recent attacks against Wraith facilities, he''s lost in thought. Hearing the blaring alarms throughout the corridors, he begins to stand, with an arched eyebrow. As he gets to his feet, the Atlantis avatar appears five feet away.


    "Colonel Frost, forgive the intrusion. As the senior officer aboard, I must report a development within my hallways to you directly." Atlantis states with urgency.


    "What is it?" Frost asks.


    "The group rescued from Manaria has brandished Wraith weaponry. As we speak, they are consolidating hold over multiple areas of this city. In response, I have initiated a lockdown. We are under siege Colonel." Atlantis explained.


    "Are they Wraith?" Frost asks.


    "No Colonel, they are human. Their weaponry is of Wraith origin though." Atlantis replies.


    "Lucky us. Ok, I need you to do a few things while I get our people together. Can you do that?" Frost asks.


    "I stand ready to carry out your orders Colonel." Atlantis replies.


    "Get word to the fleet, Borealis, and the SGC. Tell them we have a foothold situation. Instruct anyone beaming down to the city to beam to my location until otherwise notified." Frost instructs.


    "It will be done Colonel. Do you have any other orders?" Atlantis asks.


    "Keep the lockdown in place and all systems offline for now. I will need you to lift the lockdown for me as I make my way lower in this tower." Frost states.


    "As ranking military officer, the lockdown does not pertain to you. Your movement will be in no way restricted Colonel." Atlantis replies.


    "Ok, get those messages out. I''ve got to get things rolling." Frost says as he exits the room.


    Unholstering his sidearm, Frost quickly makes sure a round is chambered. Returning the pistol to his thigh holster, he quickly makes his way to the staircase at the end of the hallway. Bounding down the stairs two at a time, he covers ground quickly. Were he not in top physical shape, the flurry of action might have left him winded. In record time, Colonel Frost makes his way down ten floors worth of stairs. Turning left and entering a long hallway, he moves at a run to a large room seventy yards away. Coming to a stop in front of the room''s automatic door, the doors part and allow him to enter.


    Stepping across the threshold, Frost takes in the occupants'' therein. Around the room are eighteen enlisted men. Instead of the highly trained operators of Task Force 190, these men are support personnel from both the Army and Air Force. Weapon technicians, combat engineers, and other specialties; none of these men were special operators. Seeing the Colonel enter the room, the collection of men snap to the position of attention.


    "At ease men. We''ve got a situation." Frost begins.


    "What''s going on Sir?" The highest-ranking enlisted man in the room asks.


    "You''re all aware of what a foothold situation is, correct? That is what we have. An armed group has gained access to the city. Our job is to show them why that''s a very bad idea." Frost explains.


    "Tell us what you need sir." The enlisted man replies.


    "Those of you who joined for the GI Bill stay here, because I can''t use you. If you joined up to kick down the door and be the first person through, then follow me." Frost says with iron in his voice.

 Chapter 226

    Borealis


    Sitting in his office beyond the city''s operations center, Daniel sipped his coffee while reading the journal of Chaya Sar he had located in the database. Some might call it an invasion of privacy, but to Daniel it was a window into the thoughts of the last commander of Borealis. The highs and lows of command during the Lantean/Wraith War were spelled out for him, in graphic detail. Reading passages him the journal kept him grounded, atleast that is what he told himself to justify reading it.


    Entering his office, the dark haired avatar of Borealis caught his attention. At times, the sight of the avatar brought back memories of his late wife Shar''re. So long ago had he lost her that the pain of it was long callused over.


    "Can I help you with something Borealis?" Daniel asked.


    "Doctor Jackson, I require your presence in the control center. I have already notified Teal''c to join you there." Borealis explained.


    "What is he joining me there for, if you don''t mind me asking?" Daniel asked.


    "You both have an incoming message from Atlantis." Borealis said in cryptic reply.


    Rising from his desk, Daniel set his coffee down and walked through the office entryway. Passing over the elevated walkway and crossing over into the control center, Daniel briskly walks past the technicians sitting at their duty stations. Coming up the stairs opposite these duty stations is Teal''c. Nodding his head at the Borealis avatar, the incoming message begins. Unexpectedly, the message is in the form of the holograph of the Atlantis avatar.


    "I send this message at the direction of Colonel Dean Frost. An hour ago, my crew performed a rescue mission of two hundred humans from the world known as Manaria. After their arrival, the evacuees dispersed in the main tower, south pier, and west pier. These evacuees were not what they appeared to be. Making use of Wraith weaponry, these individuals have taken hostages and have assumed control of sections of my internal spaces. Colonel Frost has declared this to be a foothold situation. Per his instructions, I pass this notification to you. This information has also been forwarded to fleet units and allies, and the SGC. At this time, Colonel Frost is mobilizing military personnel to combat this threat." Atlantis''s avatar said before shimmering out of existence.


    Wordlessly, Daniel and Teal''c stare at one another. Those few seconds felt like a lifetime to the two men. Quickly, both jumped into action.


    "What are your orders Daniel Jackson?" Teal''c asked.


    "Assemble your best people and get them suited up. Keep the team small. I will get McKay and Keller. Let me know when you''re ready to go." Daniel stated quickly.


    "It will be done." Teal''c says with a bow of his head.


    Turning on his heals, Daniel instructs the control technicians to contact Keller and McKay. He further instructs the technicians to have both Doctors ready to leave for an emergency. That complete, Daniel starts to run to his quarters to collect gear he might need. Along the way, he orders the Borealis avatar to send word to Colonel''s Carter, Mitchell, and Sheppard to meet them in Atlantis after they arrive. The Borealis avatar is further instructed to contact the Atlantis avatar, and inform her that they will be gating there in a jumper, and to please arrange a way to keep the jumper safe upon its arrival.


    Twenty minutes later, properly suited up in his field gear, Daniel reappears in the control center. Quickly, he passes out orders to take the city to an increased level of alert. Unsure if the actions on Atlantis were the opening moves in a much larger series of events, the powerful shield of Borealis is raised. That accomplished the Borealis expedition commander and former member of SG-1 makes his way to the upper jumper bay.


    Rounding the corner, Daniel see''s activity around the jumper twenty feet to his front. Stepping around to the rear of the craft, he takes note that in the rear seats of the vessel sit Lieutenant Mathew Scott, Master Sergeant Ronald Greer, Rodney McKay, and Jennifer Keller. In the front c.o.c.kpit sits Teal''c and a single pilot.


    "Everybody ready?" Daniel asks lightly.


    "Indeed we are." Teal''c replies.


    Punching in the gate symbols on the jumpers onboard DHD, the pilot brings the gate below to life. As the floor below opens, the jumper slowly descends into the gate room. Hovering silently over the gate room floor, the jumper enters the active gate and begins its journey to Atlantis.

 Chapter 227 - 227

    Atlantis


    Standing on the balcony overlooking the stargate, Cato was unsure what was happening. Hearing the gate activating, he is uncertain if this is the arrival of promised Wraith reinforcements, or the Tauri attempting to usurp his control of the city. The few armed men in the operations center level their weapons at the gate. This course of events was one Atlantis had already considered.


    Powering up the powerful shield emitters meant to defend the city, Atlantis directs the protective field to form a solid wall between the gate and the shooters. As a single jumper exits the gate, Cato and his men open fire with the Wraith energy pistols held in their hands. While these weapons can easily incapacitate a human, against the powerful Ancient designed shield they stood no chance of inflicting even minimal harm. Above the now stationary jumper hovering in the gate room, the roof opens.


    Rising through the opening into the upper jumper bay, the jumper continues to gain altitude. Also open is the access point leading out of the jumper bay and into the airspace surrounding the city. Exiting the top of the center spire of Atlantis, the jumper picks up speed, and heads towards the far corner of the north pier of the city. Circling the landing area designated by the city''s artificial intelligence, the jumper descends.


    Coming to rest on the outer pier, the Borealis team members exit the jumper. Standing before them, the Atlantis avatar welcomes them to the city, and informs them she will be their guide to Colonel Frost''s location. Passing easily through the lockdown as if the procedure were not in effect, the team emerges into a large room full of military personnel. Throughout the room, men and women of the armed forces could be seen readying weapons and gear. Also standing in the room were Colonel''s Carter, Mitchell, and Sheppard. Accompanying the Colonel''s were detachments from their vessel''s onboard security detachments.


    "Hello Colonel Mitchell. Would you classify this as getting the band back together?" Teal''c asked.


    "Very funny. I was just getting used to not running around on the ground getting shot at." Mitchell replied.


    "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Daniel says with a shrug of his shoulders.


    "You really haven''t had the full Pegasus galaxy experience until you''ve fought off a hostile takeover of Atlantis." Sheppard quipped.


    "Look on the bright side, atleast its not replicators." Carter said with a smile.


    While waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Colonel Frost had been a busy man. His available manpower was not nearly what he would have wished, but that was due to a majority of Task Force 190''s shooters being conducting missions around Pegasus. The five Special Forces teams he had at his disposal he had broken up into smaller groups. These smaller groups he intermixed with less experienced military personnel. In this way he hoped to take groups not trained for the mission of dynamic entry and turn them into something semi workable. The Ranger element aboard Atlantis he broke into four man entry teams, and had them move into position near living areas where enemy personnel were known to be.


    Daniel, Carter, Mitchell, and Teal''c he grouped together. Knowing they had all once been together on SG-1, he was certain that it would be foolish to break up an established team dynamic. To this group of four, he assigned the task of securing the city''s mess hall and the expedition members therein. Captain Carlyle''s lone team of Delta operators were his best available asset. To this group he gave the task of making their way to the center spire, making their way to near the control center through recessed maintenance access ways, while dealing with any threat they might encounter.


    "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, you''re with me. Doctor Keller, remain here and establish a triage center to evacuate casualties to. Lieutenant Scott, you and Sergeant Greer will be going to the nearest transport booth. Atlantis will guide you to the stairwell one level below gate operations. Once there, you will take up a blocking position and prevent the enemy from escaping through that route." Frost stated.


    "Where might we be going? Keep in mind that your team is composed of a physicist and a ship captain." Rodney said to Frost.


    "We will be making our way to the secondary control room at the base of the city. Once there, you will work your magic while Colonel Sheppard and I go work magic of our own elsewhere." Frost replied.


    "I''ve actually got an idea for the hostages in the control center." McKay said.


    "I''m all ears Doctor." Frost replied.


    "The main tower isn''t shielded from beaming. Nothing is stopping us from beaming them aboard one of the vessels in orbit, and having Atlantis replace them with holographic representations. As long as a distraction can be arranged, I highly doubt the bad guys would even notice the switch." McKay explained.


    "Good idea. Run with that idea and make it happen. Let''s get a move on people!" Frost announces to the room.


    Over the course of the next forty minutes, teams stealthily made their way through the winding passageways of Atlantis. When friendly forces were encountered, the avatar of Atlantis performed verification of identity. Once cleared, these personnel were directed to take the path the avatar laid out for them and remain in the lowest level of the north pier. In three instances, Special Forces teams encountered lone members of the opposition trapped in passageways by the lockdown. In two of those instances, these individuals were struck in the face from a distance by capsaicin-filled paintballs, referred to as pepper balls. Capsaicin being the active ingredient in pepper spray, the chocking and blinding effects were immediate and effective. In the third encounter, the opposition member and one of the assaulters rounded the corner and came face to face. Delivering a vicious knife hand blow to the throat, this opposition member met his end in the blink of an eye.


    In the west pier, a four-man Ranger team stood ready to assault an enemy controlled recreation room. Beyond the rooms sealed door stood five hostage takers, and seven expedition members. Without the assistance of the Atlantis avatar, this information might have taken hours to develop. It had been decided to go in hard. Rangers are not known for their sympathy towards those who take their fellow team members hostage. Weapons were readied, as the four men lined up one after the other to the right of the doorway.


    As the team commander nodded his head at the Atlantis avatar, the sealed door sprang open. In a single fluid motion, the team commander tossed a single M84 flash bang grenade through the entryway. Two seconds after the nine-ounce device hit the floor, it unleashed an earsplitting one hundred and eighty decibel boom, scrambling the inner ears of everyone in the room. Simultaneously, the device emitted a six million-candle watt power flash of light, temporarily blinding all within. On detonation, the Rangers sprang into action.


    Rangers one and three entered the room and fanned out to the left of the doorway, while Rangers two and four fanned right. M4''s at the ready, they immediately opened fire on the hostiles in their zones of fire. Performing a task drilled into their minds through repetition, each of the Rangers squeezed their triggers twice. Performing the double tap, each hostile was hit with two 5.56mm rounds. Punching neat and bloody holes in chests and lower faces, each hostile was delivered to a violent and bloody end.


    The fifth hostage taker was not so lucky. During the initial takeover of the room, this man had made it a point to slap less compliant female occupants into seeing things his way. In the scuffle, one female lab technician accidently spilled a flammable liquid on the fifth man, and the floor where he stood. Simple bad luck brought him back to that area when the Rangers entered. On detonation of the M84, the flammable liquid in a puddle at his feet caught fire, as did the man. Seeing the man engulfed in flame, Ranger three was unsure of what to do. Raising his weapon to take a shot, the team commander waved him off.


    "Save the ammunition Ranger. Let him burn." The team commander said without a trace of emotion.


    In the secondary control center in the depths of the city, McKay was hard at work. Upon arrival, Frost had handed him a list of other tasks. The first of those was an increase in temperature within gate operations to one hundred degrees. This would serve to exhaust the opposition, while also adding a new stressful dynamic to their mindset. As manpower suited to the task of hostage rescue and forcible entry were critically short, those members of the opposition in areas lacking expedition members would be dealt with in a different manner. Removing any semblance of civility from the equation, Frost instructed McKay to evacuate the atmosphere from areas of the city. It was far easier to deal with hostile forces if they were already dead from suffocation. The last set of tasks for McKay Frost outlined, before he and Sheppard exited the room, making their way towards the main tower.


    Already making their way up the center towers maintenance access ways, Captain Carlyle and his three Delta operators were making steady progress. Much to the Captains chagrin, these access ways did not run fully up the length of the tower. Instead, every seven floors the team was forced to exit the access way, and make their way down a hallway, only to enter the next upwardly climbing access way. During the third change of access ways, Sergeant Checa quietly radioed that he had bodies to his front, and sounds of movement. Against his Captains orders, Checa stalked forward with his MP-7 submachine gun at the ready. Easing around the doorway ready to meet any threat that might be unlucky enough to find itself in front of his muzzle, Checa came face to face with Ronon. Both men had their weapons leveled, and maintained them at the others head for a brief second before lowering them.


    "Hey bro!" Checa whispered.


    "Hey! What took you so long?" Ronon asked.


    "Had to stop off and see a lady friend of mine on the way. You know how it goes. Let me tell the boss you''re here." Checa replied.


    In brief whispers, Checa informed Carlyle and the other operators of his discovery. Making their way down the hallway, the three men arrived moments later. Looking around the room, Carlyle took note of the stack of enemy dead Ronon had collected in the room.


    "Looks like you''re stacking firewood in here." Carlyle said.


    "Something like that. You people want to give me a hand? I''ve got three more down the hall." Ronon replied.


    At that moment, an idea flashed through Carlyle''s mind. Allowing that idea to fully form, he quickly tapped his radio earpiece to run the idea by Colonel Frost for approval.


    "Dark Horse Actual, this is Nightmare Actual." Carlyle began.


    "Go Nightmare." Frost replied.


    "I''ve located Romeo Delta in the upper levels of the objective. He has eight enemy killed in action at this location. I''d like to put the KIA''s in the transporter booth and send them to the enemy commander in gate operations." Carlyle stated.


    "Approved. Dark Horse Actual out." Frost said in terse reply.


    Approval in hand, the Delta operators and their Satedan addition began to fireman carry the enemy dead to the transport booth down the hall. Piling them in a heap, Carlyle instructed the Atlantis avatar to transport them to the nearest booth to gate operations. He was well aware that the booth in question was just down the hall from the operations center.


    Far below, the former members of SG-1 had made their way to the mess hall. Prior to entry, the team had debated the merits of several entry methods. Carter suggested using several of the city''s systems to alter the balance in their favor. Mitchell was in favor of a surprise assault. Teal''c leaned more in favor of luring any enemy combatants inside out through subterfuge, engaging them once out in the open. After listening to the varied opinions, Daniel suggested first asking the Atlantis avatar if any enemy combatants were present within the mess hall, and if so how many. In the end, Daniel''s position won over the team. To everyone''s surprise the avatar informed them that multiple enemy combatants were present, but were unconscious. Apparently, those present when their lunch was rudely interrupted took great offense at having their Salisbury steak sharing the limelight with an armed insurrection. Knocking their captures unconscious, those present hog tied the new arrivals, and then finished their meal. Tater tots are a serious menu item on Atlantis.


    Forty minutes after Carlyle''s team transported the enemy KIA''s to the booth nearest gate operations, all was ready for the final phase in this most unusual of reclamation missions. It might not be the mission of Frost''s dreams, but so far, it was working. That was enough for the Colonel. His only want was to bring each member of the expedition home safely.


    In gate operations, the environment was sweltering. Due to the lockdown, not even the balcony access doors would open. Slowly, the hostage takers mood had grown darker and darker. Were this allowed to play out a bit longer, the time might come when they began attacking one another. Adding to their mental discomfort, Atlantis had been pumping in the sounds of subspace static at high volume while also increasing the lighting intensity slowly. It was a combination meant to drive a man mad.


    As had happened during the jumper from Borealis''s arrival, once again a safe zone was established in the lower gate room with the city''s shield emitters. Seeing this, Cato stood ready at the balcony above. All he really expected was another jumper. Let them come he thought. Their shuttles can do nothing he was sure. Instead of the sounds of a gate activation, he instead heard footsteps. These footsteps soon turned into the black clad figure of Colonel Dean Frost standing behind the protective energy field.


    "What are you staring at?" Cato demanded.


    "I just wanted to know exactly what a traitor to humanity looks like. Now I know." Frost replied.


    "You are the traitor to humanity, not I!" Cato argued.


    "Oh really? How did you come up with that idea?" Frost asked.


    "Instead of embracing all the Wraith can teach us, you wage a war against them." Cato replied, as if explaining something clear to all.


    "You''re blind to the reality of this situation. The Wraith sent you on a fool''s errand." Frost pointed out.


    "Why do you say that crusader?" Cato spat.


    "I am a soldier, as are many who call Atlantis home. You and your followers are farmers. The Wraith sent you on a task they knew you would fail in, while dying during the effort." Frost said simply.


    "Another word from you and you''ll watch me kill Richard Woolsey." Cato threatened.


    "Do you enjoy watching humans die?" Frost asks.


    "The sight of human death is of no consequence to me." Cato replies with a laugh.


    "Is that so? Then let us have a little show and tell. I''ll introduce you to a few friends I picked up on the way here." Frost says innocently.


    A moment later, three men and two women Cato knew to be fellow Wraith worshippers were marched into the lower gate room. Hands bound, and mouths gagged, the five fell to their knees in a line. Drawing a pistol from the rear waistband of his uniform trousers, Frost checked to make sure a round was chambered.


    "Judging by the look on your face, you recognize a few of the faces down here. Were I a betting man, I would say that the little red headed girl at the end is something special to you. Am I right?" Frost asked.


    "Release all of them now, and I will spare your life." Cato demanded.


    "You''ve really been around the Wraith too long. Those types of threats only work when you have the upper hand. I can say with certainty that isn''t the case here." Frost goaded.


    "Release them now!" Cato yelled.


    "Keep your eyes on your special lady. Anything you want to say, I would do it quick." Frost urged.


    Before Cato could utter a single word, Frost placed the muzzle of his pistol to the back of the kneeling woman''s head and pulled the trigger. In a display of brain tissue, blood, and bone, the body collapsed to the floor face down.


    "Gita!" Cato screamed with a hand extended towards her lifeless form.


    "You always have to make sure you stand far enough away that you don''t get any of that on you. Once it is on your clothing, the smell never comes out. Should I continue?" Frost asked politly.


    The assorted Wraith worshippers in the operations center were speechless. While they had seen death before, never had they witnessed another human take human life and then find humor in it. Each man found himself unable to rip their eyes away from the lifeless form of Cato''s wife. It was this effect that Frost had counted on.


    Moving swiftly, Captain Carlyle and his team covered the distance from the rear stairs to the combatants in seconds. Several were taken down with vicious knockout blows from behind. Carlyle closed on Cato, delivering a crippling peroneal strike to the targets left leg. Landing just above the knee, Carlyle''s shin pulverized the peroneal nerve in Cato''s leg. Instantly, the leg collapsed. Despite the pain, Cato could not rip his eyes from the body of his wife. As the last enemy combatant is bound in plastic restraints, Gita and the other four worshippers disappear into thin air. Gone even is the bloodstain that seconds before covered the floor.


    "What trickery is this?" Cato demands in a frightened voice.


    "Its amazing what you can do with holograms, isn''t it? We used the same trick to beam out Woolsey and the others from the conference room several hours ago. Didn''t notice that did you?" Frost asks.


    "So my wife is not dead?" Cato asks near tears.


    "Of course not. You didn''t think I was a cowardly murderer like you, did you?" Frost asks calmly.


    It would be many hours before things returned to normal in any shape or form. While the city came to grips with the bullet they had just dodged, another unexpected curveball would be thrown their way. Informing the SGC of the successful handling of the foothold situation, Atlantis was instructed to relay a message to the Pegasus Group of the Tauri fleet. All 304''s were hereby ordered to immediately set course for Arkos. Three hours after receipt of this order, the many 304''s within Pegasus departed in mass for Earth.

 Chapter 228 - 227

    Atlantis


    Standing on the balcony overlooking the stargate, Cato was unsure what was happening. Hearing the gate activating, he is uncertain if this is the arrival of promised Wraith reinforcements, or the Tauri attempting to usurp his control of the city. The few armed men in the operations center level their weapons at the gate. This course of events was one Atlantis had already considered.


    Powering up the powerful shield emitters meant to defend the city, Atlantis directs the protective field to form a solid wall between the gate and the shooters. As a single jumper exits the gate, Cato and his men open fire with the Wraith energy pistols held in their hands. While these weapons can easily incapacitate a human, against the powerful Ancient designed shield they stood no chance of inflicting even minimal harm. Above the now stationary jumper hovering in the gate room, the roof opens.


    Rising through the opening into the upper jumper bay, the jumper continues to gain altitude. Also open is the access point leading out of the jumper bay and into the airspace surrounding the city. Exiting the top of the center spire of Atlantis, the jumper picks up speed, and heads towards the far corner of the north pier of the city. Circling the landing area designated by the city''s artificial intelligence, the jumper descends.


    Coming to rest on the outer pier, the Borealis team members exit the jumper. Standing before them, the Atlantis avatar welcomes them to the city, and informs them she will be their guide to Colonel Frost''s location. Passing easily through the lockdown as if the procedure were not in effect, the team emerges into a large room full of military personnel. Throughout the room, men and women of the armed forces could be seen readying weapons and gear. Also standing in the room were Colonel''s Carter, Mitchell, and Sheppard. Accompanying the Colonel''s were detachments from their vessel''s onboard security detachments.


    "Hello Colonel Mitchell. Would you classify this as getting the band back together?" Teal''c asked.


    "Very funny. I was just getting used to not running around on the ground getting shot at." Mitchell replied.


    "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Daniel says with a shrug of his shoulders.


    "You really haven''t had the full Pegasus galaxy experience until you''ve fought off a hostile takeover of Atlantis." Sheppard quipped.


    "Look on the bright side, atleast its not replicators." Carter said with a smile.


    While waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Colonel Frost had been a busy man. His available manpower was not nearly what he would have wished, but that was due to a majority of Task Force 190''s shooters being conducting missions around Pegasus. The five Special Forces teams he had at his disposal he had broken up into smaller groups. These smaller groups he intermixed with less experienced military personnel. In this way he hoped to take groups not trained for the mission of dynamic entry and turn them into something semi workable. The Ranger element aboard Atlantis he broke into four man entry teams, and had them move into position near living areas where enemy personnel were known to be.


    Daniel, Carter, Mitchell, and Teal''c he grouped together. Knowing they had all once been together on SG-1, he was certain that it would be foolish to break up an established team dynamic. To this group of four, he assigned the task of securing the city''s mess hall and the expedition members therein. Captain Carlyle''s lone team of Delta operators were his best available asset. To this group he gave the task of making their way to the center spire, making their way to near the control center through recessed maintenance access ways, while dealing with any threat they might encounter.


    "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, you''re with me. Doctor Keller, remain here and establish a triage center to evacuate casualties to. Lieutenant Scott, you and Sergeant Greer will be going to the nearest transport booth. Atlantis will guide you to the stairwell one level below gate operations. Once there, you will take up a blocking position and prevent the enemy from escaping through that route." Frost stated.


    "Where might we be going? Keep in mind that your team is composed of a physicist and a ship captain." Rodney said to Frost.


    "We will be making our way to the secondary control room at the base of the city. Once there, you will work your magic while Colonel Sheppard and I go work magic of our own elsewhere." Frost replied.


    "I''ve actually got an idea for the hostages in the control center." McKay said.


    "I''m all ears Doctor." Frost replied.


    "The main tower isn''t shielded from beaming. Nothing is stopping us from beaming them aboard one of the vessels in orbit, and having Atlantis replace them with holographic representations. As long as a distraction can be arranged, I highly doubt the bad guys would even notice the switch." McKay explained.


    "Good idea. Run with that idea and make it happen. Let''s get a move on people!" Frost announces to the room.


    Over the course of the next forty minutes, teams stealthily made their way through the winding passageways of Atlantis. When friendly forces were encountered, the avatar of Atlantis performed verification of identity. Once cleared, these personnel were directed to take the path the avatar laid out for them and remain in the lowest level of the north pier. In three instances, Special Forces teams encountered lone members of the opposition trapped in passageways by the lockdown. In two of those instances, these individuals were struck in the face from a distance by capsaicin-filled paintballs, referred to as pepper balls. Capsaicin being the active ingredient in pepper spray, the chocking and blinding effects were immediate and effective. In the third encounter, the opposition member and one of the assaulters rounded the corner and came face to face. Delivering a vicious knife hand blow to the throat, this opposition member met his end in the blink of an eye.


    In the west pier, a four-man Ranger team stood ready to assault an enemy controlled recreation room. Beyond the rooms sealed door stood five hostage takers, and seven expedition members. Without the assistance of the Atlantis avatar, this information might have taken hours to develop. It had been decided to go in hard. Rangers are not known for their sympathy towards those who take their fellow team members hostage. Weapons were readied, as the four men lined up one after the other to the right of the doorway.


    As the team commander nodded his head at the Atlantis avatar, the sealed door sprang open. In a single fluid motion, the team commander tossed a single M84 flash bang grenade through the entryway. Two seconds after the nine-ounce device hit the floor, it unleashed an earsplitting one hundred and eighty decibel boom, scrambling the inner ears of everyone in the room. Simultaneously, the device emitted a six million-candle watt power flash of light, temporarily blinding all within. On detonation, the Rangers sprang into action.


    Rangers one and three entered the room and fanned out to the left of the doorway, while Rangers two and four fanned right. M4''s at the ready, they immediately opened fire on the hostiles in their zones of fire. Performing a task drilled into their minds through repetition, each of the Rangers squeezed their triggers twice. Performing the double tap, each hostile was hit with two 5.56mm rounds. Punching neat and bloody holes in chests and lower faces, each hostile was delivered to a violent and bloody end.


    The fifth hostage taker was not so lucky. During the initial takeover of the room, this man had made it a point to slap less compliant female occupants into seeing things his way. In the scuffle, one female lab technician accidently spilled a flammable liquid on the fifth man, and the floor where he stood. Simple bad luck brought him back to that area when the Rangers entered. On detonation of the M84, the flammable liquid in a puddle at his feet caught fire, as did the man. Seeing the man engulfed in flame, Ranger three was unsure of what to do. Raising his weapon to take a shot, the team commander waved him off.


    "Save the ammunition Ranger. Let him burn." The team commander said without a trace of emotion.


    In the secondary control center in the depths of the city, McKay was hard at work. Upon arrival, Frost had handed him a list of other tasks. The first of those was an increase in temperature within gate operations to one hundred degrees. This would serve to exhaust the opposition, while also adding a new stressful dynamic to their mindset. As manpower suited to the task of hostage rescue and forcible entry were critically short, those members of the opposition in areas lacking expedition members would be dealt with in a different manner. Removing any semblance of civility from the equation, Frost instructed McKay to evacuate the atmosphere from areas of the city. It was far easier to deal with hostile forces if they were already dead from suffocation. The last set of tasks for McKay Frost outlined, before he and Sheppard exited the room, making their way towards the main tower.


    Already making their way up the center towers maintenance access ways, Captain Carlyle and his three Delta operators were making steady progress. Much to the Captains chagrin, these access ways did not run fully up the length of the tower. Instead, every seven floors the team was forced to exit the access way, and make their way down a hallway, only to enter the next upwardly climbing access way. During the third change of access ways, Sergeant Checa quietly radioed that he had bodies to his front, and sounds of movement. Against his Captains orders, Checa stalked forward with his MP-7 submachine gun at the ready. Easing around the doorway ready to meet any threat that might be unlucky enough to find itself in front of his muzzle, Checa came face to face with Ronon. Both men had their weapons leveled, and maintained them at the others head for a brief second before lowering them.


    "Hey bro!" Checa whispered.


    "Hey! What took you so long?" Ronon asked.


    "Had to stop off and see a lady friend of mine on the way. You know how it goes. Let me tell the boss you''re here." Checa replied.


    In brief whispers, Checa informed Carlyle and the other operators of his discovery. Making their way down the hallway, the three men arrived moments later. Looking around the room, Carlyle took note of the stack of enemy dead Ronon had collected in the room.


    "Looks like you''re stacking firewood in here." Carlyle said.


    "Something like that. You people want to give me a hand? I''ve got three more down the hall." Ronon replied.


    At that moment, an idea flashed through Carlyle''s mind. Allowing that idea to fully form, he quickly tapped his radio earpiece to run the idea by Colonel Frost for approval.


    "Dark Horse Actual, this is Nightmare Actual." Carlyle began.


    "Go Nightmare." Frost replied.


    "I''ve located Romeo Delta in the upper levels of the objective. He has eight enemy killed in action at this location. I''d like to put the KIA''s in the transporter booth and send them to the enemy commander in gate operations." Carlyle stated.


    "Approved. Dark Horse Actual out." Frost said in terse reply.


    Approval in hand, the Delta operators and their Satedan addition began to fireman carry the enemy dead to the transport booth down the hall. Piling them in a heap, Carlyle instructed the Atlantis avatar to transport them to the nearest booth to gate operations. He was well aware that the booth in question was just down the hall from the operations center.


    Far below, the former members of SG-1 had made their way to the mess hall. Prior to entry, the team had debated the merits of several entry methods. Carter suggested using several of the city''s systems to alter the balance in their favor. Mitchell was in favor of a surprise assault. Teal''c leaned more in favor of luring any enemy combatants inside out through subterfuge, engaging them once out in the open. After listening to the varied opinions, Daniel suggested first asking the Atlantis avatar if any enemy combatants were present within the mess hall, and if so how many. In the end, Daniel''s position won over the team. To everyone''s surprise the avatar informed them that multiple enemy combatants were present, but were unconscious. Apparently, those present when their lunch was rudely interrupted took great offense at having their Salisbury steak sharing the limelight with an armed insurrection. Knocking their captures unconscious, those present hog tied the new arrivals, and then finished their meal. Tater tots are a serious menu item on Atlantis.


    Forty minutes after Carlyle''s team transported the enemy KIA''s to the booth nearest gate operations, all was ready for the final phase in this most unusual of reclamation missions. It might not be the mission of Frost''s dreams, but so far, it was working. That was enough for the Colonel. His only want was to bring each member of the expedition home safely.


    In gate operations, the environment was sweltering. Due to the lockdown, not even the balcony access doors would open. Slowly, the hostage takers mood had grown darker and darker. Were this allowed to play out a bit longer, the time might come when they began attacking one another. Adding to their mental discomfort, Atlantis had been pumping in the sounds of subspace static at high volume while also increasing the lighting intensity slowly. It was a combination meant to drive a man mad.


    As had happened during the jumper from Borealis''s arrival, once again a safe zone was established in the lower gate room with the city''s shield emitters. Seeing this, Cato stood ready at the balcony above. All he really expected was another jumper. Let them come he thought. Their shuttles can do nothing he was sure. Instead of the sounds of a gate activation, he instead heard footsteps. These footsteps soon turned into the black clad figure of Colonel Dean Frost standing behind the protective energy field.


    "What are you staring at?" Cato demanded.


    "I just wanted to know exactly what a traitor to humanity looks like. Now I know." Frost replied.


    "You are the traitor to humanity, not I!" Cato argued.


    "Oh really? How did you come up with that idea?" Frost asked.


    "Instead of embracing all the Wraith can teach us, you wage a war against them." Cato replied, as if explaining something clear to all.


    "You''re blind to the reality of this situation. The Wraith sent you on a fool''s errand." Frost pointed out.


    "Why do you say that crusader?" Cato spat.


    "I am a soldier, as are many who call Atlantis home. You and your followers are farmers. The Wraith sent you on a task they knew you would fail in, while dying during the effort." Frost said simply.


    "Another word from you and you''ll watch me kill Richard Woolsey." Cato threatened.


    "Do you enjoy watching humans die?" Frost asks.


    "The sight of human death is of no consequence to me." Cato replies with a laugh.


    "Is that so? Then let us have a little show and tell. I''ll introduce you to a few friends I picked up on the way here." Frost says innocently.


    A moment later, three men and two women Cato knew to be fellow Wraith worshippers were marched into the lower gate room. Hands bound, and mouths gagged, the five fell to their knees in a line. Drawing a pistol from the rear waistband of his uniform trousers, Frost checked to make sure a round was chambered.


    "Judging by the look on your face, you recognize a few of the faces down here. Were I a betting man, I would say that the little red headed girl at the end is something special to you. Am I right?" Frost asked.


    "Release all of them now, and I will spare your life." Cato demanded.


    "You''ve really been around the Wraith too long. Those types of threats only work when you have the upper hand. I can say with certainty that isn''t the case here." Frost goaded.


    "Release them now!" Cato yelled.


    "Keep your eyes on your special lady. Anything you want to say, I would do it quick." Frost urged.


    Before Cato could utter a single word, Frost placed the muzzle of his pistol to the back of the kneeling woman''s head and pulled the trigger. In a display of brain tissue, blood, and bone, the body collapsed to the floor face down.


    "Gita!" Cato screamed with a hand extended towards her lifeless form.


    "You always have to make sure you stand far enough away that you don''t get any of that on you. Once it is on your clothing, the smell never comes out. Should I continue?" Frost asked politly.


    The assorted Wraith worshippers in the operations center were speechless. While they had seen death before, never had they witnessed another human take human life and then find humor in it. Each man found himself unable to rip their eyes away from the lifeless form of Cato''s wife. It was this effect that Frost had counted on.


    Moving swiftly, Captain Carlyle and his team covered the distance from the rear stairs to the combatants in seconds. Several were taken down with vicious knockout blows from behind. Carlyle closed on Cato, delivering a crippling peroneal strike to the targets left leg. Landing just above the knee, Carlyle''s shin pulverized the peroneal nerve in Cato''s leg. Instantly, the leg collapsed. Despite the pain, Cato could not rip his eyes from the body of his wife. As the last enemy combatant is bound in plastic restraints, Gita and the other four worshippers disappear into thin air. Gone even is the bloodstain that seconds before covered the floor.


    "What trickery is this?" Cato demands in a frightened voice.


    "Its amazing what you can do with holograms, isn''t it? We used the same trick to beam out Woolsey and the others from the conference room several hours ago. Didn''t notice that did you?" Frost asks.


    "So my wife is not dead?" Cato asks near tears.


    "Of course not. You didn''t think I was a cowardly murderer like you, did you?" Frost asks calmly.


    It would be many hours before things returned to normal in any shape or form. While the city came to grips with the bullet they had just dodged, another unexpected curveball would be thrown their way. Informing the SGC of the successful handling of the foothold situation, Atlantis was instructed to relay a message to the Pegasus Group of the Tauri fleet. All 304''s were hereby ordered to immediately set course for Arkos. Three hours after receipt of this order, the many 304''s within Pegasus departed in mass for Earth.

 Chapter 229 - 228

    Two hundred thousand miles beyond Earth''s moon


    Beyond Earth''s lone moon, lay nothing but cold and empty space. Without warning, a blinding blossom of intense white light erupts from nothing. Lasting only three seconds, this light went dim just as suddenly as it had appeared. In its wake, it left not the empty space of before, but a far more familiar sight.


    Powerful sensors at the SGC detected the abnormal energy anomaly, and the object left in its wake. Oddly, the object was transmitting an Identification Friend or Foe signal. This coded signal was vessel specific. In this case, it identified the object as the USS Daedalus. Normally, this would not be a cause for alarm. The inconvenient fact that at this moment Daedalus was just now entering hyperspace for the return voyage from Pegasus turned curiosity into panic. Before anyone at the SGC could even begin to think of a possible response to this new arrival, an encrypted video message was transmitted to Cheyenne Mountain.


    "Star Gate Command, I am Colonel Sobel, commanding officer of the USS Daedalus. We represent no threat, and understand you will take action to intercept. We come with a message of the utmost urgency." Sobel said formally.


    Anderson Air Force Base, Guam


    Within an hour of the arrival of the alternate Daedalus, the vessel found itself fully contained. Three Athena class vessels, two Improved Daedalus class vessels, and an array of F-302''s had surrounded the craft. Following instructions, the alternate Daedalus had kept its offensive and defensive systems fully offline. Taking the vessel under tow, the German Athena class vessel Bismark moved alternate Daedalus to a new location. Placing her in orbit around Saturn''s moon Rhea, alternate Daedalus now sat under the watchful eye of several units of the Tauri fleet.


    Before alternate Daedalus was relocated, her crew was placed under quarantine in the bowels of the Canadian Athena class vessel Hugh Le Caine. There, the medical team had examined the quarantined crew, taking blood, hair, and saliva samples. These scans confirmed that those under quarantine were indeed human, free of contaminants, and unarmed. A day later, the crew was transferred from their quarantine zone to Jumpers for the flight to Anderson. That was eight days ago.


    Genetic samples taken from those in quarantine were rushed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, to the US Army Central Identification Laboratory. This facility plays a crucial role in the identification of remains suspected to be Americans that have fallen in battle, but never confirmed dead. Forensic anthropologists carefully analyze all remains to determine the s.e.x, race, age at death, and height of the individual remains they are investigating at the time. Lab scientists also are tasked with using a variety of techniques to establish the identification of missing Americans, including the analysis of skeletal and dental remains, and DNA sampling and comparison. Here the samples taken aboard the Hugh Le Caine were compared to genetic profiles of service members on file. While this worked well for service members serving in the armed forces whose alternates had arrived on Daedalus, unfortunately not all the individuals in this reality were members of the military.


    The Air Force Office of Special Investigations working around the clock had set out to find genetic samples for comparison. Oddly, in every case the result was the same. Every member of the alternate Daedalus crew should have had a counterpart in this reality. In each case, the counterpart was found to be deceased. This finding explained why those recent arrivals were not experiencing entropic cascade failure, which greatly satisfied the science staff at the SGC. Acting on Presidential authority, the located remains of each individual were exhumed. Once exhumed, samples of genetic material were taken for comparison. In cases where cremation had been used, the nearest living family member was found, and samples taken from them.


    Once identities were confirmed, the mood of those guarding the new arrivals relaxed considerably. Though they were still sequestered away, a certain amount of leeway was granted. Enjoying the sunshine, the crew hardly took notice when their commanding officer was escorted elsewhere for consultations. Making their way to a secure meeting room, Colonel Sobel and her escort walked quickly. Entering the room, the Colonel saw a face she recognized well sitting at the conference table.


    "Come on in Colonel." General O''Neill began.


    "Thank you General." Sobel replies.


    "I apologize for having you and your crew sitting here for so many days, but verification took time." Jack says apologetically.


    "What can I do for you General?" Sobel asks.


    "As you can imagine, your message caused a bit of a stir in Washington. I''m here to discuss that with you, even though I''ve read the report atleast ten times in the last week." Jack says.


    "General, if I could be allowed a question before we begin, I would appreciate it." Sobel states.


    "By all means, ask away." Jack replied.


    "The Colonel Sobel of this reality, what is she like? Is she happy? Does she have a family?" Colonel Sobel asks.


    "Are you sure you want to know the answer to those questions Colonel?" Jack asks.


    "I''ve put a good deal of thought into that question. Yes General, I do." Sobel replies.


    "In this reality, Patricia Sobel was never a member of the armed forces. She did work for the SGC and the Air Force though." Jack replies.


    "Did?" Sobel asks timidly.


    "Dr. Sobel was a researcher at Area 51. When the Wraith attacked Earth with a ZPM powered Hive ship, Area 51 was severely damaged by a kamikaze attack carried out by Darts. She died during the attack. I''m sorry to be the barer of bad news." Jack says regretfully.


    "Thank you for your honesty General. If I might ask, what brings you here?" Sobel asks.


    "As I''ve already said, I''ve read the report on this matter a number of times. I''m here to fill in a few gaps, and find the answers to a few questions I''ve got." Jack replies.


    "I''m happy to answer any questions you have sir." Sobel replies formally.


    "Tell me Colonel, just how you came to be aboard the Daedalus when I have a report from several years ago that states you and your crew abandoned ship in a reality alternate from mine and your own?" Jack asks.


    "During the first operational deployment of the Daedalus after the alternate reality drive was installed did end with my crew and I abandoning ship in a reality separate from our own. Taking what supplies we could, we opted to remain on a Lantea that was without an Atlantis Expedition. For several days, we sat in our makeshift base camp. Then out of nowhere, Daedalus reappears in orbit. Deciding it was better to take our chances than wait for a rescue, we went back aboard Daedalus. The reality navigation program was locked into a process of following the path through realities it had taken. Arriving back in our original reality, the navigation program found itself out of destinations, and shut itself down. Home, the Odyssey took us under tow and returned us to Earth. Once there, Dr. Lee was able to analyze the path we had taken and ascertain through internal sensors just which reality had sent Daedalus back along its previous path. Were it not for the efforts of your McKay, my crew and I would not have made it home." Sobel explains.


    "Ok, that matches up with what my science people told me was likely. Lets move on to what happened that brought you here." Jack urged.


    "That is a question that will take more time to answer. The IOA of my reality was greatly expanded after the first failed attempt b the Wraith against Earth. Resources were poured into ship construction, and soon the fleet numbered fifteen vessels. We surged into the Pegasus galaxy, and started taking the fight to the Wraith on their home turf. At first, the war was entirely one sided. All that changed when a new Wraith came on the scene. He called himself the Harbinger." Sobel explained.


    "We''ve had a few run-ins with him also." Jack interjected.


    "Then you know how fearsome an enemy he can be. In my reality, the Harbinger managed to reconstitute the Wraith fleet. With this much larger Wraith fleet, he surged across the galaxy. In six months, he had severely culled all human worlds. For a time, he seemed content to return the status quo to the galaxy. Then Colonel Sheppard, our Colonel Sheppard I mean, sent a message to the Harbinger. This message provoked him into action. Minutes after this message, the Wraith fleet set course for Atlantis. For several days, they laid siege to the city. Unable to break through the city''s shield, the fleet broke orbit from Lantea and left. Atlantis confirmed they were on their way to the Milky Way. The surviving vessels of our fleet raced to Earth, and we managed to outrun the Wraith." Sobel explained.


    "What happened from there?" Jack asked.


    "When the Wraith entered our solar system, the twelve remaining vessels in Earth''s fleet stood ready to meet them. The battle raged for ninety horrible minutes. Odyssey and Sun Tzu were the first to fall. While we exacted a harsh price on the Wraith fleet, they simply outnumbered us too greatly. As our numbers dwindled, the Ancient weapons platform in Antarctica expended the last of its drone weapons. Despite the drone fire, Wraith sh.i.p.s continued to bombard Earth. In the first twenty minutes, a handful of major cities were ablaze. Our remaining vessels were ordered to depart, regroup, and return after they had affected repairs. Colonel Carter in command of the Phoenix ordered me to activate the alternate reality drive to find help. While the drive powered up, Colonel Carter covered us, but the Wraith kept coming. Seconds before we jumped, Phoenix rammed the Harbingers ship, destroying it and four other Hives. Colonel Carter died a hero. Were it not for her, I wouldn''t be here now." Sobel explained soberly.


    "Why come here Colonel?" Jack asked softly.


    "General, I came to the Earth that saved me once already." Sobel answered honestly.


    "I have no intention of letting happen to this Earth what happened to yours. You have done us a great service in bringing this warning, and that will not be forgotten. By order of the President, I am going to give you a bit of information you probably do not have. You are helping our Earth, so we are returning the favor. Here is a data stick that will come in handy. Keep that in a safe place." Jack says as he passes over the device.


    "What is this sir?" Sobel asks.


    "On that thumb drive is the recognition code you will need to enter and make use of Arkos." Jack explained.


    "Arkos sir?" Sobel asked.


    "Arkos is an Ancient built shipyard. If it is anything like ours when we discovered it, you will find a handful of Aurora class vessels in various degrees of completion. You will also find an inexhaustible supply of drone weapons and the ability to create ZPM''s. That should put you well on your way to liberating your Earth." Jack states.


    "When we reenter our reality, we''re walking into a solar system teaming with Wraith." Sobel counters.


    "We''ve thought of that, and are going to help with that. As we speak, teams of technicians are fitting a cloak and fresh ZPM to your Daedalus. That should give you the boost you need." Jack says reassuringly.


    "Thank you General. You are saving my world; I can only hope that I have helped you save yours. Stop Sheppard from sending that communiqu¨¦. The fate of your world hands in the balance." Sobel urged.


    Moments later, General O''Neill directed an orbiting vessel to beam him to his next destination.