Attack on Marridyn
Authors Notes: God, do I hate FFnet for removing percent symbols. It just feels wrong writing out percent when using a number! Other than that, this was written over three or so days at work/during bouts of insomnia. What fun!
As for all the Stargate References, I don't /really/ own the world. Oh, how I wish I did, 'cause Stargate is wonderful. Of course, as I'm sure you'll notice, I didn't use any /characters/ from Stargate, so really, this could go both ways. Either way, I don't own the Ori, or the Orici for that matter, though that wouldn't be too bad, either.
No wait, the Orici was only mentioned in here. XD Yeah, this is pretty much stand-alone fluff that I wanted to write about my made-up race in the Stargate universe. Why are you still reading this? Hell, why are you here, again?
Sirens blared through the halls of Marridyn, sending most of the people there on edge. The normally crystalline stairs were currently illuminated red, yet another signal that something was happening that shouldn't be. The gate shimmered with an orange glow created by the force shield around it. The building it stood outside was very pointed, reminiscent of other Alteran civilizations.
Salem, with spikes of unruly violet hair going in every direction possible, stood behind a large metal counter, glancing over the many different displays and buttons covering the top. Near his hands, which were supporting him as he leaned over, was a small, metallic ring, connected to a chain that was dangling over the edge. An older man quickly approached Salem from the other console, gray and black streaks of hair brushed back neatly.
"What's going on?" he asked in a gruff voice. His eyes showed immense worry as he was already aware of the danger.
"Someone's forcing their way through the gate." Salem spoke softly, yet firm. "Chances are it's a Riam on the other end."
"As was feared. How long can we hold them off?"
"Not too much longer. A few minutes, at most." Salem's eyes glazed over as he stared at the displays.
"Sirs," shouted a voice from the consoles behind them, "We have multiple contacts dropping out of hyperspace."
"You're kidding," responded the older man.
"Shouldn't be such a surprise, Gherad." Salem looked up, his right hand fingering the chain. "Do we know who it is?" He called back.
"One moment." The young man at the console moved a few switches. "Appears Ori in nature, your Highness."
"So the Ori and the Riam teamed up?" Gherad said, contemplatively. A gust of wind blew through the complex.
"The gate's active, Sirs!" shouted the man at the console.
"Damn, we're out of time." Salem grabbed the chain and pulled the ring free. The panel before him faded, turning into a simple metal table. Farther in front of him, the orange glow around the gate began to bubble.
From above, blasts were seen striking the force shield covering the large complex. The sun was masking the view of the ship that had shot at them.
"And it was looking to be such a good day," Salem said with a sigh. "Attention, citizens of Marridyn," Salem's voice bellowed through the complex. "We have unwelcome guests via the Stargate as well as from space. They are not, I repeat, not to take the complex!
"Please shut down any and all unnecessary equipment and prepare for the worst! This is going to get ugly." The force shield around the gate continued to bubble, now looking quite oval in shape. Salem continued speaking to the complex. "It appears our enemies today are both the Ori armies and the Riam. How many of each, I cannot discern, but know this: They are here to kill us and to take this complex as their own. This. Cannot. Happen. I ask that anyone capable of assisting in the defense leave what they are doing behind and prepare immediately. Backup precaution HN-alpha-3X5 is also in effect at this time. Salem out."
He cleared his throat before turning back to the gate. He brought his arms up, the tips of his fingers meeting each other. Salem's eyes glazed over once again, glancing forward. Next to him, Gherad looked between the gate and the force shield above. He turned about to the man at the console.
"How's the shield?" he shouted.
"86 percent, sir!" replied the young Myr. Another blast diffused on the force shield. "Make that 74 percent!" From behind the console came a dozen or so men and women, wearing similar black vests and carrying zat'ni'katels.
"Gherad," Salem spoke firmly, breaking his trance, "Go oversee the generators."
"But Sir!" Gherad looked at him with worried eyes.
"Don't start." His voice stayed firm, but his eyes gave away his sarcastic nature. The first wave of help surrounded Gherad and Salem, dropping to their knees. "I'll be fine here. Forget formalities!" The last part was directed toward the others.
Gherad put his hand on Salem's shoulder. "Yes, My Lord." His head bowed slightly before turning and running into the complex.
"All hands, prepare to fire." He turned himself back to the front, directing his attention to the gate once more. Another two blasts diffused over the force shield.
The force shield around the gate was quite ballooned now, inside stood multiple Ori soldiers. "It's time!" Salem shouted, the shield inflating one last time before shattering into millions of pieces before the energy dispersed.
Shots exchanged between the two forces, white energy blasts from the Ori soldiers, while blue bolts from the zat's. Salem threw his left hand toward the gate, shifting his body so that his left shoulder was facing forward, instead of his entire body. His eyes glazed over once again as an energy blast reflected off an psychic shield and into the sky. More Ori soldiers came through the Stargate, followed by what Salem assumed was two or three Riam.
He took the initiative, sending a psychic wave their direction. This, of course, got their attention. "Lord Salem, Marridyn is under our control now." A female voice echoed through all the minds present.
"Sorry, but we're not for sale." Salem replied in the same manner. Another blast hit his psychic shield, breaking through it and shooting past his head. He focused on his shield again, before hearing more blasts hit the complex force shield.
"31 percent!" The young Myr at the console was hiding behind it, only slightly raising his head to check the status.
"Damn it. Fall back!" Salem took a step backwards, increasing the size of his shield. It was now he noticed the two men lying on their back, one of the females also appeared to have died. Casualties were still low, but with the way this was going, it wouldn't be long before the numbers started climbing quickly.
He let the other Myr stay behind him, lending as much psychic energy to their own shields as he could. The two forces continued to exchange fire, the Ori force quickly gaining more men then they had. One of the Riam sent their own psychic wave in Salem's direction, causing him to loose his concentration and his shield fell. A blast struck his left shoulder, another hit the male Myr closest to him. Salem cried out in pain as he continued his retreat.
In front of them appeared a golden shield. Salem regained his composure, although tears had welled up in his eyes and looked back. Standing at the entrance were another dozen Myr soldiers, all of them focusing their energy into a shield. Salem stopped moving for a moment, directing the other Myr to get inside the complex. The two groups traded off, the new group now moving to Salem's side.
"My Lord," said one of the soldiers, grabbing hold of Salem's right shoulder, "are you alright?"
He closed his eyes, the water in his eyes falling down his face. "I've been better." He kept his voice as firm as possible. The soldier offered his assistance. Salem glanced over at the younger man, who he recognized. He had short emerald green hair and a stocky build, wearing similar military-esque clothing as the other soldiers. "Thank you, Maren, but I'll be fine." Salem started heading toward the complex again, moving slowly as he stepped backwards. In front of him, Maren put up his own shield, protecting Salem when the larger shield fell.
It didn't take many more staff blasts to bring it down, either. Shots began to ricochet off Maren's shield as the two of them moved back. The Ori soldiers moved in as the three Riam conversed silently between themselves.
The other Myr began returning fire, some with a zat'ni'katel, others using a psychic wave. The cumulation of the waves sent a few Ori soldiers flying backward, however this drained the Myr soldiers quickly. Salem put his right hand on Maren's shoulder, speaking to him telepathically.
"Lend me some energy, Maren. We need to delay them as much as possible." Maren only nodded to this, closing his eyes so that Salem could do what he needed. A blue light began to softly emit where Salem's hand met Maren's shoulder. His eyes glazed over once more as he stared intently at the Stargate. The chevrons flickered momentarily before the gate shut down. The Riam in front of the gate turned to look at it. The chevrons continued to flicker, various curses shouted before the gate activated, the vortex exploding outward and washing over the three.
Maren's skin paled as he fell backward onto Salem. He wrapped his arms around the unconscious man, keeping him from falling. "Thank you, friend," he whispered as his eyes welled up again, partially due to the circumstances, partially due to the pain of using his left arm again. He pulled Maren back, using the distraction of the gate to get to safety. The other Myr soldiers moved in to assist Salem, but the only thing he would allow was protection.
Farther inside, Ghared stood watching as three groups of five Myr stood, holding hands around three similar pillars. The energy they had focused had taken a tangible form around them, giving off a relaxing blue light. He moved from group to group, manipulating both the energy and the pillars. More energy blasts were heard from outside, causing his thoughts to waver momentarily. He glanced at the doorway and saw Salem setting an unconscious Myr against the wall.
"What happened?" Ghared moved from the groups toward Salem. "Your arm.."
"It's nothing. I'm borrowing some of this." Salem moved quickly to the groups, thrusting his right hand into the blue mist. It wrapped itself around his arm as he collected it. He moved back to the entryway, kneeling next to Maren.
"Accept this as my return." He kissed Maren's forehead and pulled him close, wrapping his right arm around him and holding his head with his left hand. The mist removed itself from Salem's arm and entered Maren through the back of his neck. Maren gasped suddenly, his eyes wide. Salem smiled, looking down and kissing his forehead again. "You're fine, Maren. Thank you."
Maren was speechless, confused as to what exactly had happened. Salem let Maren go, pulling him to his feet and out of the doorway.
"How long, Ghared?" Salem turned to the older man, looking at him fiercely before moving to another group and collecting more mist.
"It would take less time if you'd stop stealing that." Ghared watched as Salem let the mist cover his wound. It didn't heal, but it was obvious the pain was gone.
"How long?" He moved to the entrance again, looking at the confused Maren.
"Three, maybe four minutes." Ghared stepped up to Salem, standing to his right. An explosion erupted somewhere above them.
"Shields are gone. We're quickly running out of time." Salem shook his left arm, wincing.
"I'll try to speed up the process, but it won't be by much." Ghared didn't wait for Salem's response.
"Do it. We'll stop them from getting this far in. Maren, I'll need your help again."
Maren looked up, reality smacking him in the face. He moved to Salem's side quickly. "Yes, My Lord?"
Salem smiled. "Go check the other groups, make sure they've all been properly relieved." Maren nodded, added another "Yes, My Lord!" and headed out a different doorway.
Salem moved down the hallway toward the gate, glancing down hallways he was not traversing. Another explosion and soot and dirt flew around him. He procured a gust of wind and continued toward the exit.
"Sir! We've encountered the enemy inside the complex!" From another hallway called a female Myr.
"Do not let them get to the generators!" Salem shouted in return.
"Yes, s-" She was cut off by a psychic wave that threw both herself and Salem into different walls.
"Lord Salem," spoke the female Riam approaching him after turning a corner, "How nice to see you, up close and personal."
"It's been a while, Rhen." Her influence over his body kept him stuck against the wall. A glance over to the Myr soldier gave him the impression that she was knocked unconscious. "You know you will never get control of this complex, right?"
"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. The Orici has asked us to eliminate those who would not assist her or follow Origin, and since you fit that bill so perfectly, here we are. We outnumber you in manpower and we both know while you are in fact stronger, your strength is short lived." Rhen moved closer to Salem, swishing her hips in a very feminine manner. She had long, flowing navy blue hair, partially covering her golden eyes. Her figure created a beautiful hourglass and she wore just the right clothes to enhance it.
"Ah, but Rhen, what you fail to understand is that we would rather destroy the complex than give it back to the Riam." He squirmed a bit as he spoke, trying to distract her.
She made a 'tsk' noise with her tongue, her eyes glazing over as she focuses on Salem's restraints. "With you, we've won."
"Could you sound anymore like a cliché Bond villain?" Salem stopped squirming for a moment, smirking. The momentary confusion was all it took for Salem to break free; another psychic wave threw Rhen against the wall. Rhen responded quickly, the two pushing against each other psychically.
The dirt and dust in the air compacted itself into a sheet hovering between the two vampires as they fought. Another explosion brought more dust into the air, which was quickly sucked into the mix. The sheet barely moved inches between the two, occasionally getting closer to Salem, other times, Rhen.
"I wonder how much energy it's taking you to sustain that dressing on your arm?" Rhen spoke in a devious tone, her eyes shifting her attention from Salem to his wound. The drop in pressure caused Salem's wave to blast Rhen, but not before she did her damage. The focused wave struck Salem in the shoulder, causing another cry of pain as he collapsed onto the floor. Rhen collected herself and moved to the whimpering man, grabbing him by the throat and pressing him against the wall.
"Like I said, dearest Salem, we've won. Marridyn is ours." She leaned in, gripping his throat tighter as she smiled wickedly. Salem coughed a few times before smiling. Her eyes flared with anger as he did this, lifting him up into the air. Blue energy flew towards the two, Rhen absorbing the majority of the blast. Her grip loosened as she fell backwards onto the floor.
Salem's head was spinning. "Oh man. Maren, you didn't need to use that much energy!" He rubbed his temples in agony.
Maren's eyes widened, running up to Salem. "Are you alright, My Lord?" He positioned himself to brace Salem, looking at him worriedly.
"Remind me never to inject you like that. How are the other entrances?" He glanced at Maren reassuringly.
"Most of the entrances have been breached, My Lord. Everyone is attempting to keep them from reaching the generators, but it's only a matter of time. They have us greatly out-numbered." Maren extended his hand to Salem, who took it willingly. He was feeling weak after his encounter.
"We need to get back to the generators." Salem looked about. "Team A, please make another sweep of the Gate Halls." He projected his voice through Maren's mind, using him to echo his way around the complex. He despised this method of communication, seeing as it used everyone's energy, rather than just his own, but when he was weak, it would suffice.
Maren put his hand on Salem's back. "After you, My Lord."
Salem nodded and moved down the hall. He took a detour to check on the fallen female Myr. She was breathing regularly, which sent a wave of relief over Salem. He laid her in a more comfortable position before making his way to the generators again. Maren followed Salem closely, keeping a shield in front of him.
"Great, now I have my own personal bodyguard." Salem teased Maren with a smile.
"What would we do if we lost you?" Maren took him seriously, keeping his right hand on his zat'ni'katel and his left on Salem's back.
"As long as someone such as yourself took my place, the Myr would be fine." He turned a corner after glancing around it to be sure he was safe.
"And now you mock me."
"I do not. You'd be perfect for the role." He could hear the generators now, which was a very good sign.
Energy blasts flew down a hallway behind them. "Damn. We need to speed up." Maren urged Salem into a run, placing another shield behind him. More blasts came in their direction, followed by another explosion.
"Gherad!" Salem shouted down the hallways, attempting to get his attention. "HN-alpha-3X5, authorization 22754GZ!"
The whir of the generators grew louder by the second. Salem and Maren sprinted down the next corridor, heading into the generator room. Inside, the amount of blue mist was staggering. It covered most of the room.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gherad looked at Salem after nodding toward Maren. "It will render the entire complex out of our reach until we can be put out of phase."
"We cannot let the complex fall into Rhen... Riam or Ori hands. For now, phasing the complex is the only option left." Salem wiped a bit of the dirt from his face as he moved toward a console.
"HN-alpha-3X5 approved. Countdown initiated." Gherad spoke what the console displayed.
Salem closed his eyes, focusing on the mist around him. From behind, Maren grasped Salem's shoulder. "Let me be your strength. If you're going to do what I suspect you are..."
"I will not stop you, but know the drain will be near unbearable." The mist began to swirl around him, twisting, pulling it in.
"T-minus 30 seconds." Gherad continued to read off the display.
Energy blasts were heard right outside the generator room, followed closely by the sound of zat fire. The battle was getting close. The generators whirred louder, drawing in the mist as well. Salem had created a sphere of mist around both himself and Maren, collecting more every moment.
"T-minus 15 seconds."
Shouts from the fighting armies were heard from all directions. Above them, another explosion. In the distance, something that sounded like a cave-in happened. Everything was falling apart, quickly.
"T-minus 5 seconds."
Salem put his hand on Maren's, opening his eyes. The sphere of mist around him quickly shrank in size, absorbing into both the Myr. Around them, a bright white light appeared, before the entire complex vanished, leaving everyone standing in a large, open field.
Salem's eyes glazed over once more, a sphere appearing around every Myr on the planet. The Stargate, still with a wormhole, re-activated, another vortex exploding from the event horizon before returning. At once, every sphere moved through the gate before it shut itself down, leaving the Ori and Riam by themselves on an otherwise empty planet.
Salem laid on his back, his eyes closed. He felt another body against him, their breathing very shallow. He also sensed a few people surrounding him, which brought him to open his eyes, as tired as he was. Lying on him was an unconscious Maren, who was quite sprawled out on the grass they were on. He put his hand on Maren's chest with a smile before looking at the rest. Quite a few Myr had circled around him, with Ghared kneeling over him.
"Glad to see you're alive, My Lord." He bowed his head respectfully.
"You should probably thank Maren for that, 'cause I'm quite surprised, myself." He had a sarcastic tone in his voice, which sounded much weaker than normal. Ghared tilted his head in confusion.
"Maren made himself into a siphon for me. In all honesty, nobody should have survived injecting that much energy, only to immediately consume it." He tilted his head away, knowing this knowledge would anger Ghared.
Ghared only sighed. "We're just glad you're still alive."
Salem paused a moment to listen to Maren's breath. "So am I. But for now, I just want to sleep."
"Yes, My Lord. Allow us to move you to a bed. You shouldn't expend any more energy." Ghared stood up, motioning to a few other Myr to prepare to transport Salem.
"Also allow Maren to stay with me. He's critically low on energy right now; I cannot risk him being alone." He closed his eyes again, the strain of looking at light was too much.
"Yes, My Lord. Please, just sleep." Salem could feel energy forming underneath him, solidifying into a stretcher. Salem pulled at the unconscious Maren, attempting to get him closer. Ghared moved around them to assist, pushing Maren against Salem.
"Thank you, yet again, Maren." Salem whispered, wrapping an arm around him.
The only response he got was Maren shifting against him, which allowed Salem to relax. Movement meant he was less knocked unconscious and more sleeping, which was a very good sign. It was also the last thing to go through his mind before he, himself joined Maren in a long, deep sleep.