Prometheus, En-route to last known location of Baal
"I can't help but wonder what's going on out there," Carter unintentionally spoke out loud.
"I guess we'll find out soon enough Sam," Daniel replied. He had been off world on an archeological dig and had returned only yesterday to find out about the ancient recording. He was surprised to say the least and almost immediately skeptical.
"These longer trips always kick my ass, I feel like a little kid on the long flight to Disney Land," O'Neill commented.
After the General had reviewed the report on the travel plans of Baal, he was handed a second one from another Tok'ra agent that in a nutshell read that Baal was missing and a large portion of his fleet was as well. Dispatching the Prometheus to investigate seemed like the best course of action and SG-1 had jumped at the chance to find out what could cause a System Lord and half his fleet to disappear.
"It could be that another Goa'uld set a trap and defeated Baal," Teal'c suggested.
"That's a real possibility buddy but better safe than sorry," O'Neill responded.
Teal'c nodded his head and remained silent.
"Dropping out of hyperspace in 10 seconds," the captain of Prometheus, Colonel William Ronson reported to the team.
As the ship exited hyperspace a large slab of gold metal filled the windows of the bridge growing larger each second.
"Shields up, evasive maneuvers," Ronson yelled. As the techs piloting the ship raced to alter their course and get the shields up, it became obvious to Ronson and SG-1 that they weren't going to clear the debris fully in time. "Brace for impact!" Ronson yelled as the crew and SG-1 frantically grabbed for something to hang on to.
The Earth built battle cruiser banked right sharply as the nose passed within three thousand meters of the debris and attempted to accelerate out of the path of the what was now noticeably a piece of wreckage. As Ronson expected, the ship did not clear the path in time and the port X-302 bay slammed into the floating chunk of metal. The shield flared around that part of the ship.
On the bridge, the impact had flung everyone not strapped into a seat 10 feet across the room. As the console operators ducked the sparks showering them Colonel Ronson screamed, "Damage Report!"
As a few of the crew ran to get fire extinguishers and more who had not been injured tried to pick themselves up, Carter pick herself up off of the deck and ran over to the sensor console who occupant had been flung back, seat and all, and was currently unconscious.
As the crew who were slightly or uninjured tried to help those that were more serious and restore order on the bridge, the Colonel asked Carter, "What are we looking at Major?"
"Sir, the port landing bay is severely damaged, the hull has been breached all across the area but emergency force fields have been activated," she answered.
"Systems?" he inquired.
"Shields are down to fifty percent and slowly rising, life support, communications, sensors and weapons are still online," she reported.
"Understood," he then turned on the ship wide com, "All damage control teams to your posts. I need a casualty report. Medical teams standby to receive crewmen."
"So what hit us? It looked like a piece of a Ha'tak." Daniel choking on the left over fumes from the sparking wires asked.
"Indeed it was Daniel Jackson," Teal'c answered.
"Um...Sam aren't our sensors supposed to be able to see far enough ahead to avoid this kind of thing," Daniel asked Carter.
"Yes there's no reason why we should have missed this," Carter responded.
She looked back at her screen. "Sensor's are showing what appears to be the wreckage of two Ha'taks spread out within a fifteen kilometer radius."
O'Neill then added, "Well at any rate we now know that a battle was fought in this system, can you see anything else out there Carter?" The Ha'tak graveyard was now visible outside the windows of the bridge.
"Sensors are been interfered with. I don't understand why. I am getting intermitted readings near the fourth planet of this solar system. Looks like weak energy signals and sensor shadows." Carter's eye widened. "Sirs, I am seeing an enormous energy reading near the sixth planet, it's definitely interfering with our sensors."
"Are we in any shape to investigate?" Ronson asked her.
"We should be okay, the Port landing bay is out of commission but we are still combat capable if necessary," Carter replied.
"Well, let's see what we got, if you would Major, bring us in at a safe distance near the energy signature." He asked.
"Yes sir."
The ship jumped into hyperspace toward the signature. Carter had recommended putting all available back up power into the forward shields in case they exited subspace in the middle of another debris field. As the ship came out and slowed down, the entire bridge crew collectively gasped.
Spread out before them was a gigantic field of wreckage. Beyond that what had really gotten their attention was an enormous wormhole.
"Carter, is that damn black hole?" O'Neill yelled.
"No sir, we're okay it seems to be a unstable wormhole of some sort, not a black hole," she said without taking her eyes off of it.
"Ahh...well good." He stated in a tone that said what the hell the difference is in this case.
Picking up on the tone, Carter turned to him, "Sir, just think of a Stargate wormhole, only bigger and without a gate."
The sound of that peaked Daniel's interest. It sounded very familiar.
"Well that's real pretty Major," but I'm not so fast to believe we out of the woods seeing as there seems to be a fleet of Ha'taks spread into little itty pieces as far as the eye can see," Colonel Ronson retorted.
Carter looked at her console again. "Umm…not all sir."
"Meaning?" O'Neill asked her while the others just looked at her.
"Sensor's are picking up two Ha'taks 98% intact towards the middle of the debris field." She stated.
After figuring out the safest route to the intact Goa'uld ships and seeing that they were dead in the water and unable to move or fire, the Prometheus slowly worked its way towards them. After a suggestion from O'Neill to shoot the more dangerous debris was turned down by the Captain of the ship who believed it might attract unwanted attention, Carter in defense of O'Neill told Ronson that she doubted anyone would notice small explosions if they had not picked them up exiting from a hyperspace tunnel. So the ship took a more direct path shooting anything dangerous with its line of rail guns.
As they approached the "ghost ships" Carter picked up something unusual in her sensor readings. "Sirs, the sensors are picking up unknown alloy configurations amongst the wrecks out there."
"What do you see Sam? O'Neill asked first.
"Unknown sir, the alloy looks to have some titanium and tritium elements to it mixed with a small amount of naquada. I'm trying to get the computer to analyze the unknowns into some kind of configuration."
The Colonel began to get impatient as they neared the obviously damaged but intact Ha'taks. Carter suddenly said, "Bingo!"
"What have you got Major?" Ronson asked her just beating O'Neill to it this time. He hated having other commanders aboard.
"I'll put it on screen sirs," she replied.
As the members of the bridge crew who weren't currently too busy at their stations pulled up the image of the mystery ship, O'Neill had come over to stand next to Colonel Ronson to get a look at his screen. "Looks like an Al'kesh," he offered.
"Computer thinks it's slightly bigger and heavier though," Ronson responded.
Daniel who had wondered over to a console to get a look had no visible reaction but the feeling in his head began to gnaw at his nerves. "What am I not saying that I should be," he wondered.
"Major, what is the status of those Goa'uld motherships?" Ronson inquired.
"Looks like power is out and engines are disabled. I can be sure with all the sensor interference but I am not getting any life signs," Carter replied.
"Hail the Ha'taks, let make sure no one is still alive in there," Colonel Ronson ordered. "May be we can get them to surrender and tell us what happened in exchange for a lift off that ghost ship.
Major carter complied and after several seconds looked at Ronson and shook her head.
"Can we get aboard?" O'Neill asked.
"No power, no life support. You would need to wear suits," Carter told him. "And the 302s only hold two people."
"Could we not merely use the ring transporter Samantha Carter?" Teal'c offered his two cents.
"Yes they can receive even though the ships power is out, but we would still need suits," she told everyone.
Her console beeped. "Wait a minute, one of the Ha'tak is hailing us," she exclaimed.
"Answer it," O'Neill and Ronson said at the same time.
O'Neill and Ronson looked at each other, O'Neill sheepishly did so and pulled his fingers across his lips and turned them like a key.
"This Colonel Ronson of the Earth Ship Prometheus, surrender now and we will…," he began.
"Flee now you fools while you still have the chance!" The voice cut him off. The owner seemly out of breath and very upset at the same time.
"Who is this?" Ronson tried to ask.
"I am Gour'tal, a Jaffa of Lord Baal. Leave this place now or you will surely be destroyed or worse." The voice responded again emphasizing worse and sounded out of breath and increasingly frantic.
Ronson started to get angry, "You are in no position to threaten we could destroy your ship at will, and if…"
Gour'tal cut him off again. "You fool! I am not threatening you, leave here before the Blood Stealers come back and inflict upon you a most frightening and agonizing fate."
"Teal'c, if you would."Ronson turned to the big Jaffa.
"Calm down Jaffa! Who are these Blood Stealers you speak of?" Teal'c ordered into the communications console.
"Ah, this must be the shol'va Teal'c, then your end will be fitting. You are too late. They have come back." The line clicked off. Teal'c cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrow in his trademark look of curiosity.
No sooner than the com line cut off that fourteen Cruor frigates and a larger ship came into view slowing down several kilometers from the Earth ship. The Cruor formed up in two loose circles all facing the Earth Battle Cruiser with the larger vessel moving into the center of the two formations.
"Major, what have we got?" Ronson immediately asked.
"I am not sure sir, those ship designs match the ones in the debris…that's strange." Carter cut herself off."
Everyone on the bridge waited in silence for her to continue. "Sorry I was just double checking, those ships are broadcasting IFFs. Translation is coming through now. It says the smaller ones are called Cruor and the larger one is labeled Ashimmu. Blood Raiders."
Ronson ears perked up at the Raiders part. "Arm all weapons, get me firing solutions and ready the 302s for immediate launch. Anyone with the name Raiders is sure to be hostile."
