DISCLAIMER

I don't own Stargate SG-1 or any concept or character involved. This is non-profit.

This is a stand alone story based in the same universe as my Unit Nightfall.

THE VERY BEST

It has been four years after the events of Nightfall, four years since the interstellar parasitic warlords known as the Goa'uld launched a genocidal attack on the planet Earth. Four years since the various governments of Earth disappeared in favour of one government for one world. Three years since this new united Earth assembled the largest and most powerful fighting force in that planets long military history. One year since the new Earth space Navy (1) took the fight to the Goa'uld starting on their long quest to rid the galaxy of their tyranny.

Earth outpost Hansen, Akure system. 1432 hours

Captain Al Clarence, long time naval combat aviator of both 'primitive' aircraft and newer spacefighters including the F-302 and the Ethon (2) space superiority fighter, was doing his duty as a soldier- and chewing out a new pilot for a stupid stunt during the Jaffas last attack on the outpost.

"You want to explain what happened out there?" The pilot-Peters didn't look bothered by his irate commander. "My fighter had taken heavy damage, sensors were damaged i made a decision to fire..." "And?" Clarence cut him off. Peters grit his teeth. "I should have checked the target." "Your damn right you should have checked! The Jaffa weren't going after us. They were going after the freighters. You nailed an enemy ship but you could have just as easily hit one of our own guys. You fired at something you hadn't identified!"

Two pilots watched out of the corner of their eyes, drinking highly sweetened coffee to get the foul taste of their latest MRE out of their mouths. Problems had been happening with the arrogant rookie Peters ever since he came to Hansen a month ago. Most just chalked it up to stress- the invasion of this sector of space had ground to a halt due to a new type of energy weapon the Goa'uld had installed on their motherships. Attacks were limited to hit and run affairs- this put the fighter pilots and bomber crews of the Hansen outpost in high demand, especially due to this particular outposts high value. After a second attack from space on Earth was defeated the UEDF began to work offensively, with an Invasion of Goa'uld space with a fleet of ships ranging from Earth invention,alien vessels acquired or stolen and even some modified. This drive across the galaxy had seen the Tau'ri freeing slave worlds, eliminating the weakened and unstable system lords and lower ranking Goa'uld wherever they lurked and driving the enemy back one planet at a time.

The war had been brutal and here had been great losses on both sides.

The United Earth Naval base named 'Hansen' (3) located a kilometre beneath the ground on the lifeless second planet of the Akure system was vital to the war effort- it represented a foothold into five separate enemy systems and must be defended at almost any cost.

1600 hours

All members of Hansen's five surviving fighter squadrons were in the bases pilot briefing room listening to Major Sears. Holograms of the Akure system, the Goa'uld base that held a stargate, enemy and friendly space vehicles were all projected in various translucent colours.

Sears was detailing an operation to drive the Goa'uld off their base on the Akure systems outermost planet.

"-a decoy to draw the enemy forces from the first base our Jackal bombers (4) guarded by fighters from first and third squadrons will attack and level the base." He gestures to a hologram of the Goa'uld stronghold on the systems outermost planet. "With their shipyards destroyed and no stargate to circumvent the Collins defense line, it should drive the Goa'uld out of this system indefinitely."

Several pilots nodded at this. Clarence and the members of his squadron; Jamal, Dyson, the ever detestable Peters who was sending Clarence dirty looks at random points, Nathans, Ellison and some other guys Clarence couldn't remember were aching to go on the offensive again after playing defence for freighter convoys for nearly a month. Fear, but also excitement was filling the room.

In the main hangar, next day, 0700 hours

Clarence shook his head as he checked his watch. He just couldn't get used to time for working in space- no sun, no animals. Not even a moon.

The grizzled navy pilot watched as his fellow pilots mounted their state of the art war machines thinking back briefly to when airforce and navy flew through the air in planes powered by fossil fuels. Now it was traversing the void of space in machines fuelled by alien elements utilising technology no one had ever heard of or thought possible five years ago.

His musings were cut off by Peters, in full flight outfit, his helmet off.

How old was this guy? He thought for no particular reason, He looks like a teenager.

Peters glared at his superior officer. "Captain." The word practically dripping with scorn and sarcasm. "This is my chance to prove i am the best. The very best pilot here." Clarence ignored him. He didn't know what that guys' problem was. He just knew it was going to get him killed some day.

Space, minutes away from the Goa'uld held planet of the Akure system. Time unknown

The bombing force had been sneaking through space on grey mode-their power signatures and energy emissions almost nonexistent. Radio silence had been maintained since the beginning of the operation.

The mission leaders voice broke the silence. "Receiving encrypted transmission from base. We are clear to engage target. Let's do this." Three Jackal bombers and their fighter escort began their assault, the Jackals primed their matter/anti matter missiles. Their fighter escort held fire knowing their limited weapons wouldn't penetrate the bases powerful shields.

Less than five minutes after the first shot had been fired the Bombing run was over. A success, the facility, including the hardened underground bunker holding the stargate had been vaporised in a series of blinding antimatter explosions.

As they flew away from the carnage, one of the Earth pilots began to relax (run his mouth).

"I scored more kills than you Clarence! So admit it... i'm the best here." "I've seen better. And we're not back at base yet."

Peters continued his rambling until cut off by Nathans. "Alright knock it off. We did our job now let's go home."

Clarence's sensors gave only a split second warning, "Ship decloaking... Al kesh!" Not enough to stop it from blowing away one of the bombers. The fighter pilots knew that under these circumstances Al kesh rarely operate alone. They began spraying fire all around them hoping to nail the rest of them before they could raise shields. Dyson succeeded, destroying a cloaked ship that had moved into the perfect position to destroy the bomber he was escorting. The rest of the Jaffa were more fortunate and dropped cloaks and raised shields before they were hit.

Another fighter was destroyed as the Earth fighters scattered then reengaged the enemy.

A ferocious battle waged- the Al kesh had superior firepower and energy shields, but the Ethons had greater speed and manoeuvring ability. A fact proven when Clarence expertly spun out of the way of an enemies firing pattern and nailed the alien craft with an impaler (5) missile. The explosive overwhelmed the Al kesh's shields and the silver craft exploded into a ball of plasma.

Another missile strike. This one from Ellison. Although this time the Al kesh was merely wounded, the crippled craft was sent spinning out of control into a Jackal bomber. That is assuming the Jaffa on board didn't deliberately kamikaze the Jackal bomber.

Some brilliant manoeuvres by Jamal set another Al kesh up for the kill, the hapless Jaffa ship was run head first into a plasma repeater (6) barrage and shredded by Peters.

A chunk of debris from the Al kesh struck pilot Peters' fighter. He cocky pilot cursed as warning lights flashed all around him. "Fuck! I'm hit! I'm losing power... and control interfaces." He cursed as he struggled to regain control of his near ballistic craft.

"Eject Peters! Your fighters finished!" Clarence yelled as he went into a desperate spin to avoid yet another Al kesh spewing golden plasma bolts at him. "Jamal! Give me some help here! I'm out of ammo and i can't shake this snake!"

"You're too close! I can't get a shot!" Jamal growled over the comm.

"Heh-heh!, Clarence! There's one more thing i have to do." Peters pulled his fighter into a sharp course change, not easy since his wounded Ethon was spewing smoke, shaking violently and wasn't responding to pilot controls properly.

The pilots of the last Al kesh saw him coming a split second to late...

Peters' voice screamed over the comm. "Remember Clarence! I'm the best! THE VERY BEST"

Sleek spacefighter and alien bomber collided with each other resulting in a flash of light that would have blinded the remaining Earth pilots if their vehicles didn't have canopies that reacted and protected against such flashes.

Clarence could only stare in disbelief as a cloud of superheated plasma was all that remained of the cocky, arrogant pilot who had royally pissed him off the last week. Snapping out of it, he remembered where he was- hostile space. And that people still counted on him. A course change and a blast from his damaged fighters thrusters sent him hurtling through the now debris strewn void of space back to his still stunned comrades.

NOTES

(1) Earth Space Navy- the military organisation that controls all military space vehicles from battleships and carriers down to space fighters. Established after Goa'uld attack on Earth. Accepts recruits from all over earth- any ethnicity, any nationality.

(2) Ethon space superiority space fighter- designed to replace the F-302 after the vessels were found inadequate and unreliable for long term space combat and operations. Ethons are faster, more maneouverable and can carry superior firepower. Armament includes a plasma repeater on the nose of the craft, a missile bay carrying up to six missiles inside the belly, can be modified to carry extras missiles including matter/antimatter explosives and Naquadria warheads. Fully transatmospheric, although loses much of its speed and maneouverability in an atmosphere.

(3) Hansen- Earth naval base located in the Akule system. While the Akule system has no life and no natural resources, its strategic location has use as a staging area into five systems controlled by the Goa'uld. Originally built using Tok'ra tunneling crystals the base is now hardened with various super hard metals, is protected by an energy shield and has as much firepower as two Shal'kra class motherships. It can hold four thousand men and hold over a hundred fighters.

(4) Jackal bombers- the Earth navy equivalent of an Al kesh. These vessels can carry up to twenty six missiles ranging fromold Tomahawks to explosives capable of incinerating an entire continent. hese vessels lack speed and maneouverability and are only used when heavy pounding is required. They have no cloaking devices but do have electronic warfare technology that make them hard to detect.

(5) Impaler missile- specifically designed for space warfare,they use shape charge explosions and randomly fluctuating radiation frequencies to penetrate light energy shielding and destroy enemy vessels.

(6) Plasma repeater- essentially the same as the staff cannons of the death gliders except slighly less powerful for a much faster rate of fire. Think wrist gauntlets of he Kull wariors.

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