Author's Note: Thank you to all my readers for putting up with the rewrite process as I would to improve this series of stories. Your patience and reviews are most appreciated. A special thank to my Beta-Readers. Without you, this work would be littered with lots of dumb typos and bad grammar.
Insert standard disclaimer - I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or related franchise materials. I do not own Freespace or related material. However the version of Freespace I am working from is highly AU. All GTA characters mentioned are my original creations as thus are not to used in other works without my express permission.
Read and Review. I love will thought out reviews, especially if the writer points out plot-holes or other issues with my writing.
Crossed Paths
Episode One - Encounters
"They knew it was a fight that couldn't be won… Ten thousand years earlier the Ancients had challenged the power of the Wraith and had been defeated and humbled in end… Now the Atlantis Expedition faced the recently awoken darkness which consumed the Pegasus galaxy… For a time the discovery of the Ancient weapons platform bolstered hopes, only to have them dashed as quickly as they had risen…"
City of Atlantis
Lantean System
The general feeling around the Atlantis control room was one of growing tension as Doctor Rodney McKay came down the stairs from the jumper bay. While they managed to destroy one of the three approaching Wraith Hive ships using the Lantean Satellite Weapon, it simply wasn't enough. The Wraith struck back, destroying the weapons platform before it could fire again and taking the life of Peter Grodin with it. Reaching the landing, Doctor Elizabeth Weir and Major John Sheppard joined him, both of whom had just crossed the short walkway to Dr Weir's office.
"Welcome back, Rodney." Weir's cool professional tone belied any anxiety she may have felt at the rapidly deteriorating mess they faced.
McKay replied darkly. "Where are we?"
"Our scanners show the hive ships have started moving again, although their pace has slowed considerably."
"Obviously you gave them something to think about." Sheppard's glib response did little to lighten the mood.
"If they get here in two hours or two days, it doesn't change the fact that we're out of options. We can't hope to fight them. So unless either of you have any more ideas. . ." Weir's resigned tone spoke clearly of defeat.
Having come up to the control room from the debarkation area, Lieutenant Aiden Ford delivered his report, his usual youthful energy subdued by the gravity of their situation. "The last group is assembled and ready for evac."
Weir nodded in acknowledgement to the young lieutenant, then looked back to McKay and Sheppard. "All right then. Let's get this done."
Stepping over to two laptops connected to one of the control systems, Sheppard and Weir prepared to input their self-destruct codes, ensuring that Atlantis was destroyed and hopefully useless to the approaching Wraith.
"Ready?"
"Doctor Weir!" Chuck, one of the control room technicians exclaimed in alarm. "Three more signals just appeared out of hyperspace on the opposite side of the system."
"Great..." Sheppard groaned in exasperation. "They called in more of their buddies."
"Um sir... I don't think so. They are too small and the Atlantis systems aren't flagging them as Wraith." The sergeant looked thoroughly confused.
Moving over to the sensor array controls, McKay keyed in a few inputs and furrowed his brow at the results. "The database doesn't seem to be coming up with any matches. Hold on... Elizabeth, we're being hailed."
"Put it on, Rodney."
After a few hurried keystrokes, the sensor tracking image switched to that of a fit, blonde haired man in his early forties, dressed in an unfamiliar navy blue uniform. "Again this Captain Phillip Lallemant of the GTCr Mackenzie King to unidentified planetary island city. Do you receive?"
Sixteen Hours Earlier
Hyperspace
En route to the Mintaka System
The command deck of the Galactic Terran Command Carrier Justice was in a low light mode as she travelled through hyperspace towards her planned destination. Beyond the recessed ceiling and deck lights, the majority of the illumination came from the numerous holographic interfaces and terminal screens positioned strategically around the bridge. Stretching as she rose, Rear Admiral Akane Takase began a slow and casual inspection of her bridge staff and the readouts from their stations. Not that she anticipated any problems; the entire crew was very professional and highly disciplined. Those who failed to perform to expected standards rarely lasted long and would never be allowed a posting as vital as bridge operations. No, in the three years that the Justice had been hers to command, she had developed a comfortable working relationship with her staff which allowed her team to feel at ease and respected. She had just passed one of the Scanner Operators when his terminal began to flash and beep softly.
"What the hell?" The young lieutenant remarked in alarm. "Jenkins, I've got a weird energy spike on my screens. I don't recognize the signature. Do you have anything over there?"
"Yeah, the starboard array is reading something as well. My system isn't generating any comparables. I haven't got a clue."
Hearing the exchange between the two Scanner Officers, Takase moved over to Lt. Connor who had first noticed it. "Something we need to be worried about, Lieutenant?" Her voice carried a note of curiosity as well as cautiousness for the safety of not only her ship and crew, but the rest of the Justice's support fleet travelling with her through hyperspace.
"I'm not sure ma'am. The reading is already beginning to fade, but the computers can't determine the source. The closest thing I can think of that might generate an energy signature even remotely like this is a hyperspatial corridor intersection. But the odds of something like that occurring are something like ten thousand to one. Beside, even if it were some weird form of intersection, it would take something truly massive to create a subspace spike that big. The thing is the only objects we are detecting are the rest of the fleet."
"Ma'am," Ensign Bates stood a few feet back, awaiting her attention. "We have been signalled by the rest of the fleet who all picked up a subspace energy spike. Commander Gray of the Newton is requesting that we fall back to normal space, so that a more detailed scan can be performed to rule out any potential risk to the fleet."
Taking a moment to consider the situation, Takase frowned slightly, her well earned worry lines deepening. "Agreed. Signal the fleet to transition back to normal space and once we are able to, inform 5th Fleet Command that we may be delayed arriving on station."
Returning to her command chair, she nodded to her XO, Captain Harrison, who returned the gesture in understanding before issuing orders to make ready to jump back to normal space. As the ship transitioned, there was a stalled time sensation as the eerie green glow hyperspace faded to the blackness of space. As the lighting returned to normal operating levels, activity increased on the bridge as the crew performed post-jump operations; checking power systems, re-establishing long range communications and scans and generally confirming that everything was as it should be.
It took less than a minute for the Admiral to know that something had gone wrong. The expression of shock and confusion on the faces of helm, navigation and scanner officers said it all. When her secure com beeped a few seconds later, she braced for the news. Lightly tapping the small subdermal communications implant located behind her right ear, Takase opened the channel.
"Takase. Go"
"Admiral, this is Commander Gray on the Newton. Ma'am we are not where we are supposed to be. Not by a long shot. We are triple checking right now, but none of our star-charts match anything within our detectable range. Barring a miracle… we're lost."
Lost. The word hit like a sucker punch to the gut. She had been ready for 'off course'. She was no scientist, but it seemed reasonable that a subspace surge could have shifted their heading. But lost without a clue as to where… anything… was. The very idea staggered her. True, in the two hundred years humanity had travelled the stars many ships went missing; mostly in the beginning and mostly ships doing exploration type missions. Takase never thought that it would happen under her command. Her task force's mission was fairly routine. Patrol a portion of disputed territorial border between Terran and Vasudan space, show the flag, and neutralize any threat to Galactic Terran Alliance stability in the area. And now this… Taking a moment to compose herself, Takase quickly fashioned a plan of action.
"Acknowledged, Commander. Hold for orders." Putting the com into standby, she waved Harrison over, who faced her grimly. "I want the commanding officers from all ships to shuttle over to the Justice in one hour. Have them bring a copy of their scanner readings from the subspace surge as well. It's possible they may have something that could explain what happened. Have all ships conduct long range scans for any signs of civilization, advanced or otherwise. If we can find somebody with local star charts, we can compare them to ours and maybe figure out where we are. In the meantime, have all stellar cartography departments coordinate to chart the area. I want to be able to navigate as soon as possible. Finally, array the fleet for defensive standing and launch a combat air patrol. If anyone comes calling, I want them to think twice before showing hostile intent."
With a nod and a 'Yes ma'am', Harrison left to get the orders issued and oversee a number of tasks. Leaving the command deck, Takase retreated to her private office to update her logs and think. Regardless of how much she wanted to take action, to do something… anything productive… useful… she knew that all she could only wait.
The hour passed quickly and when Takase entered the conference room adjoining the command deck, the assembled captains and commanders were already waiting for her. All the faces she knew and for the most part, got along with their owners. As she moved to take her place at the head of the table, she noticed a face she hadn't expected to see.
"Colonel Winters, I wasn't aware that you have been invited to this discussion." Her voice cooled, and her normally calm demeanour clouded somewhat with disdain. She wasn't a fan of the Lt Colonel as he was attached to Special Operations Command, and wasn't really a part of her command structure. Regardless of normal procedure called for any task force to have a number of SOC and GTI agents, Takase felt their loose accountability was an undesirable factor in the fleet's organization.
"I apologize for my presumptuousness Admiral, but with all due respect, given the potential severity of our situation, I didn't feel comfortable waiting for the analysis to filter down the pipe." Winter's manner was a hair's breadth short of crossing into insubordination territory, but until that happened, Akane couldn't openly call him to task. Better something left for a private dress down.
Giving the colonel a withering look, she nodded at last and gestured for him to take a seat with the others. After Winters was seated and there were no disruptions, Takase indicated with a subtle hand gesture to Harrison to begin the briefing. The gruff, hardened veteran soldier stood up and moved to the podium.
"All right kiddies, this is where we stand." Tapping a few controls on the podium, he lowered the lights and engaged the holographic presentation system. A projection of an irregular galaxy shimmered into view, a small section in highlighted in blue and the rest in orange. "We believe we are here..." A small yellow box blipped into the centre of the blue area. "...near the edge of PGC 71538." A murmur of shock and confusion rippled across the room. "That's right folks. We are in the damn Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy or at least that's what all available stellar cartography data points to. The 'how' and the 'why' are currently unknown, but some of our scientists are bouncing around the idea that our hyperspace corridor transected an Einstein-Rosenberg bridge."
"Impossible!"
"A wormhole?"
"...never have found actual evidence that wormholes are anything more than a theoretically possibility!" The cacophony of shocked shouts and jeers washed over Takase like the outcries of angry voters at an unpopular town hall meeting.
"Stow it!" Harrison roared, and he punctuated his irritation with a meaty fist slammed on the translucent podium. "I know this is unexpected but you are all officers. Act like it damn it! You are all trained to handle the unexpected, so do it. Deal with it!" After the gathered group was sufficiently calmed, Harrison continued. "Now initial long range sensor sweeps didn't find any signs of advanced civilization, but that changed when we picked up this." Again the image on the screen changed, this time showing the hyperspace signatures of three massive ships travelling in formation. "Aside from the three main vessels, we are also picking up a number of smaller ships which we assume are support ships of some kind. Their current flight path seems to indicate that they are heading to this system." The screen switched to a star system diagram, with data scrolling beside each of the planets and moons. "As two of the planets appear to be within the habitation zone, we can assume that either of these worlds maybe the destination." A murmur of interest rippled across the assembled group, as well as smiles at this potentially good sign.
Getting up, Takase approached the podium and took over the rest of the briefing. Her face, normally a serene mask of calm professionalism, was dark and grim. "I'm afraid this first contact will not be as easy as jumping into the system and broadcasting friendlies. Just before this meeting was scheduled to begin, long range sensors detected this." The display switched to a long range mass silhouette scan of the three massive ships and their accompanying fleet which had by then dropped to normal space. Suddenly, one of the larger mass shadows lit up briefly with an energy bloom which bore a resemblance to a primary reactor breach before winking out. After less than a minute passed another second much smaller, energy bloom occurred and the mass silhouette of which sensors had defined as an artificial satellite disappeared as well.
"We believe what you have just seen to be the destruction of one of the large ships by some sort of defence platform, followed by a retaliatory strike. Whether this was intentional or an accident, we must assume the situation in this system to be one of open conflict, which will make opening any sort of dialogue potentially very dangerous. Though we do not currently detect any opposing defensive forces in the system, we can not assume it is safe to jump the fleet in. That is why I would like a small expeditionary group to recon the area and determine whether it is safe enough to open a dialogue with one or perhaps both parties involved. Were these normal circumstances, I would simply choose one of you to lead this mission, but given how little we know about our current situation, I would prefer it if it were a volunteer."
After a few seconds, Captain Lallemant stood up and nodded. "I would like to volunteer the Mackenzie King, Admiral." This was followed by a few more captains and commanders offering their ships.
Nodding at her commanding officers, she smiled tiredly. "Captain Lallemant, as you spoke first the mission is yours. Take the Memphis and the Sydney for support. Jump in, perform some detailed sensor sweeps, and if you feel it is safe to do so, hail those involved. Just make sure they understand that we merely wish to negotiate assistance, and that we don't wish to interfere in their internal or external politics. Ultimately, I'll leave the matter to your discretion."
"Understood ma'am."
To Be Continued…