As the Andromeda came around Dylan watched the Magog infested ship in front of him.
"Rhade, you and Doyle take a team of Lancers over to get their people out, if you find any Magog neutralise them," the two nodded as they left command. "Rommie, get the unknown ship back on the comm."
Rommie nodded as the screen resolved to show the elegantly dressed woman who commanded the vessel.
"This is Admiral Hunt to unknown vessel, I'm sending a ship to evac your people now, but before I send them over I need to know just who you are, and if you pose any threat to my crew?" While Dylan wanted to find some allies he wasn't naïve enough to think that he'd find trust in a universe that may not have ever had a systems commonwealth.
"My name is Adria, I am called Orici and I command the forces of the followers of the Ori in this Galaxy and as for threat I will not attack the people who just saved our lives, if you like I'll come over to your ship to recover my people and reassure you of my intentions."
Dylan nodded in understanding.
"Very well, I'll signal when we're ready for you, Hunt out," Dylan gestured as Rommie cut the link.
"Dylan," turning to see Trance advancing towards him she took one of his hands and took him out of the ear shot of the others.
"Trance, what is it?" Dylan was always concerned when Trance acted like this.
"Dylan, that woman is dangerous; I sensed her trying to read your mind over the communications, due to your nature as a Paradine she wasn't able to get a read, but any of the other members of the crew are vulnerable, you can't let her over."
"Well what else can I do Trance, we can't verify intentions over a communications channel and I need to know who I'm dealing with,"
"Then trust me, the people on the other ship can be saved, but that woman can't be trusted I can sense the Abyss."
"Orici, if they will not follow the teachings of Origin we need to destroy them," a Prior to Adria's side started.
"No," Adria's tone was icy cold. "Did you see what kind of weapons those ships had, we are clearly outmatched, they just destroyed that flying moon in a matter of seconds!"
"I see," The Prior said his one eye hardening.
"You see?" Adria was worried where this was going.
"I knew your association with the Tau'ri would cloud your judgement, Daniel Jackson has made you soft, you have forgotten the teachings of Origin. All unbelievers must be destroyed, with gods on our side we will not lose!" The Prior was beginning to advance on her as he shouted. "Madame Orici, I'm afraid I must relieve you of your duty as commander of this fleet, I must stop you before it's too late."
Adria saw the Prior draw in his energy to strike, Adria stroke first, sending a burst of energy the Prior fell back, before he could strike again Adria ran at him pressing a solid punch into his jaw forcing him to the ground. Adria leapt on top of him and continued punching till the bleeding prior was left unconscious, when she was sure he was no longer a threat Adria got up.
"Does anyone else seek to disobey my orders?" Adria looked around as the soldiers backed off in fear. "Good, I'll be in my quarters."
Rhade and Doyle moved ahead of the Lancers, advancing by leap frog through the ship Doyle couldn't help but admire Rhade's composure, if she had a stomach she was sure she would have been sick by now, as it was he had two force lances in his hands one in the left held out while a second was held in his raised right hand.
"Doyle, are you getting anything?" Rhade looked uneasy looking down at the aftermath of the Magog attack.
"Are you alright?" Doyle looked aside as they advanced through another bulkhead.
"I'm fine,"
"No you're not," Doyle didn't have to be an android to tell that Rhade was lying.
"What does it matter to you?" Rhade practically spat at her.
"It matters to me that someone on my team is not doing so good and may jeopardize all our lives, so what is it Rhade,"
Rhade closed his eyes as he continued. "The last time I faced these things was on Arkology when they killed Louissa in front of me when I couldn't do anything to stop them," Rhade's voice was laced with venom.
"Rhade, I can't even imagine how that must feel, but this isn't about evening scores,"
"For you it's not," Rhade said as firmly as he could.
"Rhade, listen to me, I don't care what your rank is, if we get overwhelmed I need to know that you'll stay with us and do your job,"
Rhade didn't respond verbally but nodded.
"I can see something on the IR through this door,"
Both Doyle and Rhade moved to the side of the door as the Lancers took up positions across the corridor. They nodded at each other as the door opened they swung in raising their weapons…
On board the Pillars of Hercules extensive repairs were ongoing, and the Hercules AI was still in charge, as Hercules stood in the first officer station and examined his core he found a selection of control directives that kept giving anomalous results. Hercules knew that he was rushed into completion after the battle of Enga's redoubt; he also knew that early in the Commonwealth civil war he'd been captured by the Collectors, although his memories of the time had been erased he knew that in order to recapture him he'd almost been destroyed when he was recaptured by the High Guard.
Adjusting the controls he opened a signal direct to the Andromeda.
"This is Lieutenant Commander Hercules to Admiral Hunt please respond, I need to talk to Admiral Hunt urgently,"
On the screen Beka appeared.
"This is Captain Beka Valentine, first officer of the Andromeda Ascendant responding to the Pillars of Hercules, I'm afraid Admiral Hunt's unavailable at the moment but if you'd like to leave a message I'll be willing to take it."
Beka smiled at the android avatar, Hercules rolled his eyes.
"There is a problem which I can't discuss on an open channel, I'll be coming over on a slip-fighter, please inform the Admiral."
Hercules closed the channel as he walked to the hanger not noticing that his core AI was beginning to run erroneous programing from a file sector that didn't exist.
Daniel and Tomin jumped up as two people entered the ruined control room of the Ori mother ship, the first was a beautiful blond haired woman and a dark haired man, they were both carrying weapons of some kind.
"Erm, hi my name is Daniel Jackson and this is Tomin, we mean no harm," Daniel had his two hands raised.
"Were you sent here by the other ship?" The man kept his two weapons trained and only now did Rhade see the bone blades extending down from his forearms.
"Yes," Daniel said slowly, very cautious of the new arrivals.
"Well, todays your lucky day, it's time for you to get out of here," the man lowered his weapons. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Telemachus Rhade of the High Guard of the Systems Commonwealth and this is Doyle, these men are under my command we're here to get you both out of here."
"Daniel, are you sure we can trust them, they seem to be unbeli…" Tomin was cut off by a horrible shrieking in the distance.
"Magog," Rhade swore under his breath.
"Never mind," Tomin said in a light-hearted manner as he picked up his staff weapon.
Before anyone could react a fur covered creature burst from the ceiling faster than anyone else Doyle, the blond woman, advanced on the creature, presumably the 'Magog' to which Rhade referred.
Doyle was fast, as Daniel readied his telekinesis to help but it wasn't needed, Doyle kicked the Magog hard in the chest forcing it into the wall before it could do anything else Doyle reached out her hands and snapped its neck.
Turning around she didn't seem at all affected.
"We need to move,"
Rhade nodded in response, Daniel and Tomin weren't in a position to argue.
They quickly began to move down the ship.
"Dylan, may I speak with you" Dylan turned to see Rev approaching.
"Sure, Rev walk with me," Dylan gestured as Rev came up beside him. "Rev what is it?"
"I have been examining the sensor details on the energy shields used by the people of this universe and I believe we can use them as a benchmark to determine the power of the ship-to-ship weapons in this universe, based on the ease with which we were able to destroy those ships at our entry point I believe that the ships in this universe are of a low standard when compared to our own."
"Well, that's good to know but-"
"Admiral, the avatar of the Hercules just docked, he says that he has an urgent matter to discuss with you," Andromeda's voice interrupted Dylan.
"Alright send him to my quarters," Dylan turned to Rev. "I'm sorry we'll have to continue this later.
When Dylan got there Hercules was waiting for him, his avatar was clearly based on the mythological figure, towering over Dylan and his uniform barely hid the large muscles beneath them.
"Alright Hercules what is it?" Dylan was more than a little annoyed at how everyone kept looking at him for answers and was prepared to take it out on the AI.
"Sir, I am afraid to report that my core AI may be compromised,"
"May be compromised," Dylan echoed raising his eyebrows. "Compromised how?"
"Sir, I don't know how much you know of the war with the Collectors, but during the first days of the war I was captured in a shipyard by a group of Collectors under the command of Pish Tryan. Under his command I was used to strike at loyalist Commonwealth ships, that was until I was recaptured by a High Guard force, although Pish was never found and my AI underwent a complete check line by line of binary code I believe that there may still be some Collector influence left." Hercules sneered at the word command. "Sir, I believe that my core AI should be shut down indefinitely."
Telemachus screamed with rage as he drove his bone blades into another Magog, he could see that Doyle had gone hand-to-hand against the Magog, she had cut a swathe through the incoming swarms while the Lancers and that man, Tomin, had kept their distance shooting at them and the pasty scared one- Daniel used telekinetic powers to hold them off.
"Commander we have to go!" Doyle spun as a Magog came up behind her, not taking a second to think she turned back slamming her palm into the bottom of its neck cracking the bone inside, not wasting anytime she turned back into the fray.
"Agreed!" Rhade shouted back as he extended his force lance into its fighting pike mode for leverage. Using it to fire smart bullets and as a pike Rhade backed off. "Doyle, clear us a path to the ship."
"What about you?" Doyle jumped into the air kicking out her two legs into the lines of Magog forcing them back.
"I'll be fine," he lashed out on another as Doyle summersaulted behind the Lancers fighting her way through.
Ensign Walker walked through the Hercules medical bay, something wasn't right, the AI had shown unknown functionality in a section that wasn't on official specs, running his hands along a seam he found a definite gap. Interfacing with the lock he was able to open the hidden door. Peering behind it he saw a cryo-chamber, the outer glass was frosted over. Before Walker could react the chamber cracked open and a human arm reached out…
Rhade crashed into the Maru, following behind him Doyle dragged the unconscious body of Tomin while Daniel looked ready to die of exhaustion.
"Get us out of here!" Rhade didn't care who responded and gasped in relief as he felt the engines fire up the Eureka Maru sped out of the bay, Rhade brought his handcomm out. "Rhade to Dylan take out that ship now."
Not waiting for a response Rhade closed the channel.
"Rhade to Dylan take out that ship now," On the Andromeda's command deck Beka turned to Rommie.
"You heard him Rommie light that ship up," Beka was confused when neither Harper nor Rommie reacted. "Erm, the ship's still there,"
"We know," Rommie didn't look up as she focused on her work.
Before Beka spoke again Harper chose to respond.
"Rhade's still in a range of that ship, if we blow it up we kill Rhade,"
"I will take them out as soon as Rhade is clear," Rommie's voice was clear and emotionless, just over a second later Rommie fired two of her AP canons.
The green bursts of anti-mater collided with the Magog infested ship, moving at 99 PSL the bolts swiftly destroyed the unshielded vessel.
"Target eliminated, the Maru is on course to arrive." Rommie looked up from her display at Beka. "It will arrive shortly, shall I contact Dylan?"
"Yeah, go ahead, I'll get Trance to prep med-deck, Harper you have command," Beka walked off followed by the android avatar of the ship.
Adria sat in her quarters, despite what her kin had said she could still sense the Abyss deep in her subconscious, she wanted to find it, she needed guidance, had her feelings for Daniel compromised her judgement? But no matter how far she went it always seemed to drift just further down giving up for the moment she headed back to the bridge, she needed Daniel.
In the Drazoni system three Glorious Heritage class heavy cruisers came out of the slip-stream, they were followed by a Triumvirate cruiser. Tri-Lorn stood at the commanding officers station of the ship.
"Millenial, report status," Tri-Lorn wasn't a soldier, but he needed to see this Route of Ages personally.
The ships female avatar looked up from the XO's station.
"The Magellan Melrow, Lancer's Hope and Triangulum Australe are taking position around the central location given by the Andromeda, we should be ready for-" Millennial closed her eyes and shifted her head. "Multiple slip-stream events detected, multiple Pyrian Torchships have entered the system."
The deck lighting instantly dimmed as sparks fell from the ceiling.
"They're firing, AG mass packets are scattered all over my hull, I can't manoeuvre," more sparks fell from the ceiling.
"Launch slip-fighters and return fire, all missile batteries, tell our escorts to deal with the Torchships."
"Firing missile tubes one through thirty, all slip-fighters are now deployed."
The Millenial Rites shifted on her axis, her movements slowed due to the mass packets, firing off a volley of two hundred and forty kinetic kill missiles, the large Torchship fired defensive missiles as it began to close in, meanwhile the Lancer's Hope was under heavy fire, the ship itself couldn't move it was simply too heavy for the force of the engines to produce any acceleration. However that didn't stop her firing as good as she had, AP canons and offensive missiles ripped into the Torchships.
Escape pods flew out of the Hope as the Torchships closed to plasma beam range, from the tips of their blades beams of continuous blues plasma engulfed the Hope. Her silver/grey hull blistered and cracked, explosions broke through as the Hope broke up and blew.
Without the Hope to cover that angle the Pyrians broke off their attacks to enter the blue Tesseract of the Route.
"Triangulum, follow that fleet, warn the Andromeda of the Pyrians," Tri-Lorn looked in horror across his ships command and control. "I'll be in my quarters,"
As the doors to the hanger deck opened the injured Lancers came out first, Trance began to take them to medical while the uninjured ones saluted Admiral Hunt, last out was Lieutenant Commander Rhade, Doyle and someone with grey brittle hair and his eyes on the floor.
"Hello, I'm Admiral Dylan Hunt commander of the first High Guard battlegroup, and you are-" Dylan stopped and fingered his force lance as the grey haired man looked up, despite the greyed hair and the facial scars this man was a spitting image of the Balance of Judgement, before Dylan could stop himself his eyes flared and he tensed.
"I'm sorry Admiral have I offended you in some way," the Gabriel look-a-like said calmly in a controlled manner.
Dear lord, he even sounds like the Balance.
"No, I'm sorry, you just look like someone, who shall we say we had some differences of opinion with." Dylan smiled diplomatically. "And you are."
"Oh, sorry, Dr Daniel Jackson," the look-a-like, Daniel, reached out a hand, Dylan begrudgingly accepted the offered hand. "Look, I know this is going to sound strange, and you can't tell Tomin-"
"Tomin?" Dylan definitely didn't like were this was going.
"The man with me on that ship, look none of that matters, what does matter is that you can't trust Adria," Daniel suddenly looked around. "Sorry, can we find somewhere private to have this conversation."
"Dylan nodded, Rhade get to medical and keep an eye on this Tomin," at Rhade's nod Dylan turned to Doyle. "Doyle, come with me and Dr Jackson."
At Daniel's questioning look Dylan continued. "It's a standard procedure when dealing with unknown."
Again smiling diplomatically Dylan turned and lead the way to his quarters while Doyle stayed back to keep an eye on Dr Jackson, she'd guessed what he really meant, he wanted an Android to support in the event that Daniel used his telekinetic powers against him.
"Okay, that's beyond creepy," Harper said watching the camera footage of this Dr Jackson.
"Agreed," Rommie stood at his shoulder she looked troubled.
"Rommie, are you alright?" Harper turned to face her directly, not even noticing that by darting in front of her he'd been boxed in by her.
"Yes I'm fine Harper, why wouldn't I be," Rommie gave a false smile that didn't fool Harper for a second.
"Look Rommie, I designed that face, I can read you well enough to know that you're lying, I know this gut may look like the Unbalance of Judgement but it's not him," Harper's tone was quiet and understanding.
This time Rommie's smile was genuine.
"Harper, it's not that," she reached out her right hand and gently caressed Harper's cheek. "It's the face that he's a telekinetic that bothers me, and the fact that he's covered in scars doesn't bode well for any contact with that woman Adria."
"She looked hot," Harper grinned a little at Rommie, who rolled her eyes, but not before Harper though he saw a flash of something in Rommie's eyes. "But she's not as hot as, Rommie?"
Harper could tell that something was different given that the skin beside her eyes tensed and her eyes focused on something through the hull plating of the command centre.
"A High Guard ship just came out of the slip-stream, it's the Triangulum Australe, she seems heavily damaged and is sending a communications channel," swallowing she backed off from Harper, nodding as she continued. "You should probably answer it,"
"Yeah," Harper nodded as he walked out in front of the slip-stream console, that was weird, he turned back to see Rommie's eyes following him.
"Okay Rommie open the channel,"
The centre screen that showed Adria's ship changed to show the nearly identical command deck of the Triangulum, nearly in that it was darkened and heavily damaged the ships commanding officer stood at the centre.
"This is Captain Horatio Delano of the High Guard Heavy Cruiser Triangulum Australe XMC-19-276, I need to talk to Admiral Hunt, Captain Valentine or Lieutenant Commander Rhade urgently on a matter of grave importance."
"Sorry, but Admiral Hunt, Beka and Rhade are disposed at the moment, but you can talk to me," Harper smirked at the High Guard Captain.
"Listen here boy!"
Before Delano could continue Rommie butted in.
"Captain, you are an officer in the High Guard and you will show proper decorum," Rommie's voice was icy, like that she'd use before opening fire on a target. "Seamus Harper is my chief engineer and thus holds the equivalent grade of Lieutenant Commander and thus is authorized to take any communiques on the behalf of Admiral Hunt as he is the functional Fourth officer in the chain of command he would be party to any information given, he is thus an appropriate receiver."
Before the speechless Captain could retort Rhade walked onto the deck having heard all that had been said with his Nietzschean hearing.
"Captain, the Andromeda is correct, anything you have to say to Dylan, Beka or myself you can say to Harper," Rhade moved to stand beside Harper was he folded his arms. "Now I believe you have a message?"
Delano blinked a few times before continuing.
"Fine, Lieutenant Commanders, as of five hours ago the High Guard fleet assigned to guard the opening of the Route of Ages was attacked by a formation of Pyrian Torchships, with the fleet overwhelmed they passed through. We don't know what they want but it may be connected to the Magog."
"Understood," Rhade gestured to Rommie to cut the connection, turning to her he continued. "I want you to jam any transmission the Australe makes to the rest of your fleet and dig up anything you can find on 'Captain Horatio Delano', something about him didn't seem right."
Rhade turned and once more left command leaving Rommie and Harper puzzled.
"Okay, Dr Jackson, exactly why don't I want to be involved in what Adria's doing?" Dylan kept one of his hands hovering over the force lance.
"Well, long story short, she's a religious crusader who will burn anyone who refuses to follow her to death." Daniel looked apologetically at Dylan. "I was able to bluff my way into her confidence in able to build a weapon to stop their gods."
"You're saying their gods are real?" Doyle looked puzzled, but she'd caught on with Dylan's distrust.
"Well not exactly, they're ascended beings," Daniel said it as though it explained everything.
"And ascended beings are?" Dylan was getting worried were this was heading.
"Well, they're like the Ancients, they reached a stage in their physical evolution were they could shed their bodies and live as energy on another plane of existence," Daniel's hands wildly moved as he talked showing his passion for the subject.
"Okay, so energy beings upon which you're planning genocide," Dylan gave Daniel an icy glare.
"Dylan, you need to get up here,"
Dylan shared a look with Doyle; that spoke specifically keep him her.
Moving out of the room he jogged up to the command deck to find the rest of his command crew already there.
"Rommie, what is it?" Dylan asked as he took his station in front of the deck.
"Well, just under a minute ago we received this transmission from the Pillars of Hercules," Rommie pressed a few controls bring up the image of a man none of them ever wanted to see again.
"Hello, Captain, or is it Admiral now. Admiral Hunt, you destroyed us, we Collectors have a duty to protect the knowledge of the Vedrans and the old Commonwealth, you destroyed us, now we will have our revenge."
The image of Pish Tryan faded from the screen.
"Well, I guess that's my que," it was Hercules' avatar that had come up behind Dylan before lashing out sending Dylan flying across the room.
