Felger only remembered running, sprinting through the halls as fast as he could. He had just watched his friends get captured before his eyes, a giant alien disarming and incapacitating them with a wave of his hand. He had to get away. He had to escape.

As he stumbled into a familiar room, a wave of relief passed through his body. It was one of the halls he had walked through before. He knew the way out. He was about to make a mad break down the hall when he heard something: footsteps. He dove behind a stone column, pressing himself against the structure. The footsteps were way too heavy to be human or fierri. They stopped in the room, silence filling the chamber. Jay nervously peeked out from around the corner. A pair of makhai had marched in, an ornate obsidian chest in their hands. These makhai weren't as terrifying as their leader, not as tall and their spines were not as long or sharp, but they still looked like hulking nightmare soldiers of a monster army. They set down the chest with a rocky thump that echoed through the room and down the halls.

Felger had to chuckle to himself. This was like a military movie and he was the secret agent spying on the enemy soldiers talking about their plan. Well, just as the role would have him do, he tried to listen in on their conversation.

It was stunning what the makhai language sounded like considering how articulate their leader was. He couldn't understand what any of the words meant but he could clearly hear each syllable covered by the natural guttural hiss in coming from their mouth and each word linked together by an unmistakable snarl.

The two makhai marched out of the room, leaving the ornate chest behind.

Felger waited an extra minute, making sure the makhai had left, before scurrying up to the glossy black chest, bronze lining the edges to hold the entire thing together. Questions were racing through Felger's mind. Who were these guys, really? Have they been living in this pyramid this entire time? And why were they moving chests here? It seemed rather convenient for them to leave it here. He reached down and unlatched the lid, swinging the top open and looking inside.

"Oh wow," he breathed in awe. The chest was full of weapons. Long rifles were carefully lined at one end and black pistols lining the other. He picked up one of the pistols and looked at it. It looked like a triangular nail gun like the ones you would pick up at the hardware store. He wanted to shoot it at the wall just to see what it looked like but he didn't want to make too much noise. He was going to stuff the gun into his pocket but it was too big and he didn't want to accidentally shoot himself so he just held it as he picked up one of the rifles. It looked like an earth rifle in many ways, though the front grip where the hand would go was protected by a serrated blade that extended into a bayonet at the front.

Felger knew what he had to do. His friends have been taken by an ancient evil and it is up to him to rescue them and save the galaxy. He saved SG1 before and now it's time to do it again.

He gripped the rifle tight but another memory cut in.

"You're so desperate to impressive everyone that you rush into things without thinking if it makes it sense."

Felger looked at the hall that led back into the pyramid. He looked back down the hall that would lead outside. He should go get help, but he wanted to go back in and rescue his friends. He looked back…then forth. He clenched his fist in anger. He had made up his mind.

-.-

Hailey put her hand to her temple. He felt like she had just been cracked over the head with a rock. Then again, the last thing she remembered was being thrown into a rock wall. The cold damp air around her wasn't helping the situation either. Her eyes finally opened, letting out a groan as she sat up. As she sat back she felt a cold metal bar greet her spine. Her eyes were still watering from being hit so hard. As she wiped the water from her eyes she noticed Chen sitting against the wall opposite of her. He gave an unenthusiastic wave.

"Whaddup," he grunted.

"What's happening," Hailey groaned, still groggy and dizzy from what had happened. She replayed the last things she remembered in her head.

"Take a look," Chen said, gesturing to the outside of the cage. Hailey looked outside, realizing the cage was hanging off the edge of a cliff overlooking a huge chamber. She could see other cages on the edges of other cliffs around the chasm, though she couldn't tell if they were occupied or not. The room below was lit up by an eerie red glow and in the crimson light, she could see dozens of figures marching across the cave floor, dozens of Makhai.

"No question anymore," Hailey remarked. "Looks like the Makhai have been hiding here since their fall."

"Looks like it," Chen said in a bored tone.

"Amazing, really. They've been hiding here for thousands of years and hadn't progressed technologically at all."

"Well, according to Dannick, they relied on slaves and theft to get new technology," Chen recited. "No slaves, no new stuff."

"Yeah but still…thousands of years… They must've gone underground like this to avoid detection, and the stone pyramid would be ignored by scanners."

"Hey, Hailey," Chen interrupted. "I'm really glad you find all this cool and all but…I don't suppose you have anything hidden on you." Jennifer looked back at him in confusion, not sure why he would ask this as she shook her head.

"Thought so," Steven mumbled. "Terra usually keeps a push dagger and a pair of bobby pins in her boot." He plopped back against the cage, looking out across the gorge.

"Guess we'll be stuck here for a while," Hailey sighed, trying to find a comfortable position on the stone floor. "Where'd they take the fierri?" she asked, trying to see if she could find their comrades in any of the other cages. "Odd that they chose to separate us."

"Well, it at least confirms one thing," Steven pointed out. "Felger must've gotten away or he'd be in here with us."

"That's good, right?"

"Depends on whether the nitwit goes to get help or tries to rescue us himself."

"Hopefully he goes back to Millennium for reinforcements," Hailey agreed. She remembered reading the report of how Felger had saved SG-1 after they were captured. Initially an undercover operation, it turned into an actual rescue when everything went wrong. She could only hope that this didn't have to be like that.

"Hey," Chen suddenly called out, interrupting her chain of thought. "You notice anything weird about the Makhai?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they did act like they knew us," Chen remarked, thinking about the Makhai's speech.

"You're right," she said thoughtfully. "He kept acting like we fought before. And not just fought. He acted like we were the ones that beat them. What do you think that's about?"

Before either of them could say another word, a loud clank at the front caught their attention. A pair of Makhai had marched around the corner, bulky rifles in their hands. One of them opened the cage door and stood to the side, waiting for its occupants to come out.

"Guess we're gonna find out," Chen said, standing up. Hailey did the same and followed him out of the cage. She looked at the two hulking guards, who looked like they could snap her in two. With the sharpened points in their shells, it looked like they could impale her with a mere swing of its arm.

The makhai guard gave a grunt and gestured forward. She didn't like being prisoner but she knew better than to challenge the giant crab soldiers. Her legs were sore from being stuck in that cramped cage so it was nice to be able to stretch them out as the guards led them through the humid tunnels. It was surprisingly well lit, light coming out of what looked like rivers of glowing energy flowing through veins in the walls. Even as she was escorted through the halls she kept a sharp eye out for other makhai. Most of the ones she saw were carrying large crates to god knows where. The only other ones were guards standing at the ready. From what the Makhai they met earlier said, it sounded like they were ready to take over the galaxy. And while that would explain why so many of them were moving supplies around, they barely had enough troops to invade a small country let alone a galaxy.

Chen was paying less attention to the makhai and more attention to the tunnels they were escorted through. It looked like the interior of a giant medieval fortress, a shockingly smooth layout of brick forming the walls, ceiling, and floor. Their every footstep echoed down the halls and into other open chambers. It was a lot tidier than the pyramid above, which had a dirt floor and uneven walls. It seems like this entire lower structure was centered around the giant chasm their cage overlooked and they were headed for the bottom.

They finally reached the bottom of the chamber, stepping out into the open. Chen looked up. They were so deep he couldn't even see the top.

He could only guess that they were at the bottom of the chamber they saw before they were captured.

The guards led them to a room at the side of the pit, a small chamber blocked off by a pair of ragged curtains. The guards gave a grunt and gestured toward the room. Hailey looked at the guards nervously. Hopefully, they weren't being led into an execution chamber.

"Guess we shouldn't keep our host waiting," Chen remarked, taking a breath and walking in. Hailey looked at the guards once more before following. The room was lit up by a single glowing orb atop a pedestal at the center, filling the room with an orange glow. Staring at the orb from the far end of the room was the first makhai that they first saw. It was only then, standing before him, did they realize how much bigger he was compared to the other makhai, his shell more menacing with more spines and spikes. The makhai slowly turned around, its unblinking glare piercing their souls.

"I bid you welcome to our humble home," it said. Hailey couldn't help but quiver in nervousness at how fluent the alien could speak, especially since its mouth looked like it was composed of fingers. "Please, come in."

"Thanks, but we're fine right here," Hailey said, still standing with Chen near the entrance.

"Please," the makhai replied, holding out his left hand and curling his fingers into a fist. "I insist." Chen and Hailey let out a startled gasp as they were yanked forward and to the ground. They slowly picked themselves up, even closer to the glowing orb than before.

"Alright, alright, we get it!" Chen barked, picking himself up and stepping closer. The makhai paced around the room for a bit, looking at the orb as if he was looking into a crystal ball.

"After over a millennia, the humans who have chased us here have found us once again," it said slowly.

Chen and Hailey exchanged unsure glances.

"Guess we should skip the whole 'peaceful explorers' stuff?" he asked with a shrug.

"Who are you?" Hailey demanded to know. The makhai looked at her with a sideways glance, his arms folded behind his back as he paced back and forth.

"I am Ortha the Ranger," the Makhai answered, stepping out from behind the pedestal. "I am the overseer of the last of our people. What about you, though? Tell me, how did you come here? How did you finally find us?"

"Right…" Hailey said awkwardly. "You got us confused with someone else. I have no idea what you're talking about." The makhai gave her a suspicious look. He walked up to her, his towering shadow looming over her. Hailey was had always been shorter than average and this guy was massive even to a normal human.

"Perhaps I am not clear in my intent," Ortha said, his tone suddenly darkening. "I simply want information. How I get that information, through pleasant conversation or through torture, is up to you. If I must, I can have my interrogator put a pike through every joint in your hand before we speak again."

"She's not lying," Chen spoke up. Ortha immediately turned his attention to the other human, pacing the room again as he listened. "Some group of humans kicked the crap out of you but it wasn't us."

"Your uniforms are identical to theirs last we fought," Ortha remarked. "As are your weapons."

"And how long ago was that?" Hailey asked. She knew memory would probably degrade over the course of thousands upon thousands of years. Then it occurred to her. "Wait a minute, how do you remember that?" Hailey looked at Chen, who seemed confused by what she was getting at. "The makhai were supposed to have been defeated before the Ancients even ascended. You act like you were alive back then." Chen felt like a sledgehammer had just been dropped on him. It hadn't even occurred to him. The only race he could think of that still had survivors from the time of the Ancients were the wraith due to their feeding and regenerative abilities. It seemed almost implausible that the makhai could do exactly the same.

Ortha fell silent, his suspicious gaze falling on the two of them.

"Come," he said, slowly walking out of the room. Chen and Hailey looked at each other. Ortha wasn't guarded but they felt like they couldn't really fight him.

"Well, it's either we follow or he'll pull us after him," Chen pointed out with a shrug. He walked after their 'host', leaving Hailey in the room. She looked around, wanting to grab something to fight back with, but she knew it was better to play along for now.

She followed Chen out, glancing at the two guards. This whole thing didn't feel like an interrogation. Then again, Ortha did say he was perfectly fine with conversation as long as he got the information he wanted. She certainly didn't want to be tortured but her first and foremost priority was to not give information. The only thing she could think of was to just give bare-bones information, maybe even just lie. Flashes of the report involving the first encounter with the wraith popped in her mind. No matter what happened, she must not tell them about Earth.

Ortha led them to the other side of the chamber. He approached a brick wall and, with a wave of his hand, a decent sized section of the wall was launched backwards, flying down a hallway hidden behind it and stopping at the end of the hall. He led the two humans in, the corridor lighting up with an orange glow. As he reached the end of the hall, a pedestal rose from the floor, a glimmering teardrop-shaped crystal sitting on it.

Hailey looked at the crystal curiously, then she stopped as the truth hit her. Chen noticed her sudden shock and so did Ortha.

"Hailey, what is it?" Chen asked.

"You recognize our gem," Ortha concluded. Even the armored alien couldn't hide his excitement.

"No," Hailey replied, shaking her head. Ortha paused, thinking about what to do next.

"That's unfortunate," he said in disappointment. The sound of heavy footstep echoed through the corridor as two makhai guards marched down the hall.

"Take them back to their cages," Ortha ordered. He watched as Hailey and Chen followed his men back to their cells. He glanced at the crystal sitting on the pedestal as it was lowered back into the floor. He silently walked out of the hallway and, waving his gauntlet, pulled the sliding wall forth, blocking off the entrance once more. As he looked back at the prisoners, and the finger-like appendages that made up his jaw curled into what looked like a smile.

-.-

Being the man, or rather the fierri, in charge had its benefits. They get their own tent, a larger share of the meals, even some quiet time. Crux was thoroughly enjoying this as he dug into his food. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the crackle of his communicator.

"Commander Crux," a voice said. The Commander grumbled in annoyance. He was enjoying a meal. He stood up and tapped on the gray card-like device at the edge of his table.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Sir, I have a vanguard escorting Felger back to base via koruga," the man on the other side explained. "He says he needs to talk to you."

"Did he say why?" Crux asked in annoyance. They were supposed to be exploring an empty pyramid. This was supposed to be a routine exploration mission. What could possibly have gone wrong?

"Sir, he says the Makhai have returned." Crux felt his blood run cold, thinking about what Chen and Hailey told them about the Makhai. Right on time, Crux could hear the unmistakable roar of a koruga arriving into camp.

"Understood, soldier," Crux said through the communicator as he headed for the front of the tent. "He's arrived." He set the device back down and rushed out of his tent. Right on cue, there was Felger dismounting from the koruga, an alien rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other. He let the two weapons fall to the ground as he leaned forward to catch his breath.

"Get this man to the medical tent," Crux ordered. He then glanced at the two guns Felger had been carrying with him. "And get these weapons to the labs!" Crux watched as two of his men proceeded to haul Felger away while another picked up the weapons and walked away. Crux glared at the pyramid in the distance. Something had happened and he was going to find out what but he first needed to prepare for the worst.

"Soldier," he called to the nearest troop. "Take a koruga and travel back to the valgrind. Contact Prime Minister Pavell and tell him we need crawler mines and hunter-seeker drones delivered here." Crux watched as the troop's eyes widened in shock.

"Sir, those weapons were used in the New Genesis War," he protested.

"I know, but their lethality is unquestionable. The humans warned us about the Makhai and I am not about to accidentally unleash some ancient evil on this galaxy. Tell Minister Pavell I want those weapons!"

The soldier gave a reluctant nod before running for the koruga pens. Crux marched off for the medical tent. They hadn't needed it since Soren taught them how to train the korugas but now they needed to get Felger speaking normally again. He needed to know what was happening. The fierri stormed into the tent. Felger was situated on a table, sipping a glass of water. The two fierri vanguards who took him there remained in the room, standing in the corner. The nurse was already busy drying Felger of his sweat and his face was less red. Crux walked up to the man, pausing to give Felger another moment to recover.

"How are you feeling?" Crux finally asked. Felger quickly finished his cup of water. His throat was dry and raspy from sprinting through the pyamid. It felt so weird running for help. He still thought he should've gone back and saved his friends, just like he did with SG-1. But Chen's words kept echoing through his mind.

"Much better," Felger finally replied. He accepted another cup of water from the medic and chugged it down.

"Doctor, I need to know what happened," Crux said sternly. "Where are the others?"

Felger cleared his throat again.

"The Makhai," he explained. "They're not gone." The fierri in the room exchanged nervous glances. They may not have heard of Makhai but any race that could inspire the stories of spirits of war and murder was bad news. "They captured the others. This one big guy had some sort of glove on his left hand that let him pull and push everyone. That's how he caught everyone. I was able to escape."

Crux's face darkened as he took in this new information.

"Did you see anything else that you can tell us?" he asked. Felger just shook his head.

"No," he said sadly. "We gotta go back there and save the gang."

Crux didn't respond. He just gave a nod to his two men, who nodded back and quickly left the tent.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?!" Felger called out. "What're we doing?" If the fierri were mounting a rescue, he wanted in on it.

"You aren't doing anything," Crux barked. "The Elite Guard of the country Valken shall lead a rescue mission. You are going to stay behind and wait for us." Felger opened his mouth in protest. He wanted to help his friends. He wanted to do something aside from throwing other people into the firing line.

"But, I can help!" he argued.

"Sit!" Crux ordered, running to the door. "Stay!" he added before leaving. Felger was left on the hospital bed, staring at the exit, not sure what to do next.

-.-

Crux rushed out of the medical tent and for the main lab. He hadn't given the scientists much if any time to study the alien weapons but he had to see if they had discovered anything in the few minutes they've had the weapons.

"Sir!" a voice called out. Crux watched another one of his men run up to him before standing at attention. "Vardin reported back. Minister Pavell has agreed to send over weapons from the Genesis War. But…" Crux could tell the man didn't want to say the next through, hesitant to reveal his feelings to his superior officer.

"Speak your mind," Crux ordered.

"Sir, some of the men are concerned at what we're about to do. It seems as though we're going to use weapons from the Genesis War to perform another genocide." Crux fell silent, knowing that the soldier was right. The Makhai may have been some ancient evil but to wipe them out was genocide, something he was about to do without question. Worse, they were about to do it with the same weapons that were used before.

"What would you have me do?" he asked his subordinate.

"I don't know. Maybe seal up the pyramid."

"If the Makhai are as advanced as we believe then burying the pyramid simply delays the inevitable," Crux replied. He grumbled thoughtfully. The thought of committing another genocide was sickening, but this was an ancient evil. Even so, they were still exchanging one evil for another. But if the makha are let loose on the galaxy, wouldn't that be a worse evil? "I will give them a chance, one chance. But if they are what the stories say they are, I will unleash the full extent of our weapons."

The soldier looked at the ground. The tales of the mass murder committed by their forefathers still left a bitter taste in all their mouths. But he had to agree that they could not let the Makhai out.

-.-

Felger laid back in his hospital bed. He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He could hear the men organizing outside over the course of the next hour. And as quickly as they assembled, he could hear them march off. He clenched his fist. Everything had fallen quiet once more. If Chen had taught him anything then he knew that coming back here was not a mistake, no matter how much he didn't want to do it. But now the troops had left and he had been left behind.

He tried to keep reminding himself of why he was brought here, but he could not just sit by and do nothing. Something else also felt wrong. Chen may have been partially right, half the stupid crap he's pulled was to impress everyone, but there was more. Felger could it. Felger may gone after SG-1 hoping for some title or form of recognition but when it looked like things were about to go wrong, he felt fear; not for him getting looked down upon for his failures but fear that his role-models were about to die. He felt the same now. It wasn't General Mercer's scorn or the laughter of the other scientists that was playing through his mind. If the makhai were as evil as the Ancients describe them to be, he could only imagine what would happen to Hailey and Chen. Chen gave him a chance when he had every reason to just give up. Hailey was Carter's hand-picked pupil and even Carter could not fix him; but Hailey wanted to try. They were both going to die if they were left in the makhai's hands.

Felger gave a final grumble and stood up. He had made up his mind.

-.-

Hailey was quiet ever since she got back to the cage. Chen knew something was wrong, that something had scared Hailey speechless but he couldn't tell what.

"Jennifer," Chen finally spoke up. This snapped Hailey out of her trance. Chen gave an awkward wave. "Hailey, what's going on?"

"Well, simply put…" Hailey remarked with casual sarcasm. "We might be in trouble."

"Right, I kinda got that by the way you're pissing your pants. Mind explaining how, now?"

Hailey leaned back against the cage. A part of her hoped she was overreacting.

"That crystal was…it was a transporter's memory crystal," Hailey finally stuttered. The truth finally hit Chen over the head like an anvil. He sat back and groaned in frustration over his own ignorance. One thing transporters all had in common was how they functioned: dematerializing an object and saving it as data before sending it to its destination. It seemed the Makhai had removed the memory crystals that stored that data.

"Guess we should've seen this coming," he sighed. "If they wanted to retake the galaxy they'd need more troops than can fit on an entire planet let alone a pyramid."

"And ships and weapons," Hailey added. "And it's doubtful that that'd be the only crystal."

"Meaning they could have an entire army and fleet saved up and waiting for rematerialization," Chen concluded. "Think the question remains: why are they showing us?" Chen glanced back out of the cage and over the chasm, still scanning the open walkways and stone balconies.

"Well, I don't think it's their technology," Hailey remarked. "It looks like the crystal in the Ancient ring platforms that I used to study back at Area 51."

"So they want us to fix their stuff," Chen concluded. He had no idea how powerful the makhai were but if they were as bad as the Ancients said then they needed to put these aliens down before they could summon their armies.

He stared out across the chasm. He needed to get his mind off this. There were plenty of cages, all empty. What was the point of all those cages if they were going to be left empty? Unless…they used to all be full…

"What're you looking at?" Hailey asked, knocking Chen out of his trance.

"I'm trying to find where they're holding the fierri," Steven explained. "We can't be the only ones being interrogated. We should also be thinking of a way to get out of here."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too," Hailey remarked. "SG-1 used to escape situations like this all the time."

"Hailey, hate to break it to you, but we're not SG-1."

An awkward silence quickly fell on them at Chen's blunt reminder. They weren't SG-1 and weren't even close to being like them. Hailey may have been considered a clone of the great Samantha Carter but even then it was only a quarter of the legendary team.

"A girl can dream, can't she?"

"No, comparing yourself to Carter is a dream; comparing yourself to SG-1 is a delusion."

-.-

Felger was out of breath already. He may have only been carrying a trazer stun pistol but the run to the pyramid was not easy. But he knew he had to save his friends.

The front door of the pyramid was in sight. He was nearly there. He leapt out of the bushes with a triumphant yell. Then his face sagged as he noticed dozens of fierri at the camp in front of the pyramid, all of them staring at him. He imagined how silly he looked jumping out of the bushes yelling like a maniac right in front of what was the equivalent of the enemy base.

"So…hey guys," Felger coughed awkwardly.

"What the hel are you doing?!" a voice demanded to know. Felger watched Crux step out of the crowd. He was prepping for a potential rescue mission. He had already dawned a metal helmet and was ready for battle. The last thing he needed was a nuisance. The fierri officer had ordered Felger to stay at camp but here he was. Felger paled for a moment, taking a step back, not sure what to say. But he took a breath and a step forward.

"I came to see how I can help," he announced.

"Doctor, I ordered you to stay at camp," Crux barked. He grumbled angrily at the human. The one thing military leaders always want is to be able to operate freely, without anything hindering them. Having to protect civilians counted as a hindrance. So the only question remained: should he send Felger back or find a way for the guy to be useful?

Crux glanced at some of the scientists working at an open crate.

"Fine," he barked. "There is one thing you could help us do. But you have to work under our scientists' supervision."

Felger eagerly straightened his back and gave a salute.

"I won't let you down," he said proudly before rushing to join the engineers working at the crates.

-.-

Their footsteps echoed through the cave as the Makhai guards led Chen and Hailey through the corridors once more, Ortha at the front. As they walked, Chen leaned toward Hailey and hissed,

"Something's wrong. He seems way more pissed off than before."

Hailey didn't answer. She knew he was right. Ortha kept them alive this long because he needed them to do something and he needed them to do it now.

"I'm afraid our time draws short," he said bluntly. "My patience wears thin so I shall be blunt about this." There was a rumble as the rock wall ahead of them seemed to retract into the wall. As the two humans were led inside their jaws dropped at what they beheld. As the doors opened, light flooded out of the stone gates, light coming from hundreds of memory crystals. The door led to a balcony which overlooked a massive chamber with countless glowing crystals lining the walls.

"Regardless of whether or not you are the Terrans who decimated our empire, we now require your services," Ortha explained. There was a clank as the Makhai warriors behind them prepped their weapons and aimed them at Chen and Hailey. "It is time you help us summon our brothers and sisters."

"How do you expect us to do that?" Hailey barked. "We don't even know what that thing is."

"Please do not try to deceive me, I'm not in the mood," Ortha warned menacingly. "Each cage is planted with a surveillance device. We heard all your conversations."

Hailey could've dropped to the floor in embarrassment. The Goa'uld, Wraith, Asurans, Ori, Lucian Alliance, just about every alien race they had met so far did not bother putting cameras or anything to monitor the prison cells. SG teams had gotten used to planning their escapes from their cells over and over again. Because of that, she assumed it was safe to discuss things with Chen. She knew it also spelt bad news. If the Makhai heard their conversations then there would be no question that, at the very least, she had studied the memory crystals in the past. Chen quickly picked up on this too. He had to buy time or they might try to torture Hailey into helping them.

"Why do you need our help?" he demanded to know. "Can't you just beam your guys back out by yourselves?"

"The technology you see before you is not ours," Ortha explained. "It was once operated and maintained by slaves that we had acquired from across the galaxies; scientists and engineers that would work for us. Unfortunately, they proved more difficult to maintain. While we were able to learn what to do to dematerialize our brothers into the crystal, we were unable to figure out how to get them back out and the scientists chose to perish rather than tell us."

"It's more than that, isn't it?" Chen asked, half because he needed to buy more time and half because he actually did know how computers work. "Those things have to be several thousand years old; no way data stays perfectly fine after all that time."

"You are correct," Ortha answered. "To our understanding, the data preserved in these matrices has likely been corrupted to some degree; a small degree perhaps but even that small degree will affect those who come out. The information is likely retrievable but only if done properly. I was the last Ranger to be summoned before the last of our slaves died, a survivor of the war that forced us to where we are now. My crystal was deemed the only one safe to extract from. I took control of our people and continued to wait for the right time to return and the right people to make that possible. And now my patience has run out."

Chen gritted his teeth frustration. He knew what would come next and he couldn't think of anything else to say to buy time. They were going to torture her for information, force her to help them with the crystal, or brutalize her until she does.

"You're barking up the wrong tree," Chen finally said. He felt adrenaline shoot through his body, his muscles tensing up fearfully knowing what will happen if he does this. It could spare Hailey…or make her position even worse. "Hailey was one of the newer scientists and she worked with hardware, not software."

"Steve, what're you doing?" Hailey hissed.

"Saving your ass," Chen barked back. "Spare Jennifer and I'll fix your crap for you."

Ortha gave an almost disappointed sigh and shook his head.

"Why must you lie to me?" he sighed. "Now you have put in me in an awkward situation. It is apparent that either one or both of you are qualified to find a solution to our problem. Unfortunately, I lack both time and patience. So either one of you will help us or the interrogator will proceed how he chooses right in front of the other."

Hailey watched as the Makhai's face darkened. Even with his hideous appearance, there was still something about Ortha that seemed so formal and gentlemanly. But all that receded like an ocean tide, his true nature revealed beneath.

"If you kill us, we can't get your people out," Hailey threatened.

"This is exactly what the slaves threatened as they perished," Ortha said with a sigh. "It is true: if you died then we would be unable to achieve our goal. However, I strongly doubt you need your teeth or tongue to perform your duties."

One of the Makhai slung its rifle over its shoulder and drew a serrated dagger, stepping in front of Chen and Hailey as if awaiting the command of who he should begin with. The Makhai ranger gave and nod and the guard before them reached out and seized Hailey by the jaw, lifting the small woman off the ground. Hailey struggled a bit as her entire body weight was placed on her throat. She figured this would be the result.

Chen looked at Hailey, not sure what to do next. If he acted panicked or begged for him to be tortured in her place then the Makhai would know that the tactic was working. He needed to buy more time but couldn't think of anything. Hailey still remained defiant.

"Do you worst!" she managed to growl through her chokes. It seemed like Ortha was about to give the command, about to order his guard to commence the torture.

Rapid footsteps echoed through the chamber as another Makhai emerged in the doorway. It quickly said something to Ortha, whose face grew even more irritated. The Makhai holding Hailey suddenly released its grip. She fell to the ground, coughing and choking as Ortha stormed out of the chamber.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Chen called out. The two Makhai guards remained where they stood, clearly there to stop them from going anywhere in the meantime. Chen looked at Hailey but she gave a thumbs up before he could speak.

She gave another cough and stood up. Her throat still felt like it had been impaled with needles but she could at least breathe again.

"Something's got his feathers ruffled," she remarked, staring down the hallway Ortha just stormed through.

"I know," Chen remarked. "Question is: is that good or bad for us?"

-.-

The sound of Crux's footsteps echoed through the chamber. He could feel the soundwaves bouncing off the rock walls and vibrating his boots. Shield in one hand and rifle in the other, Crux banged his rifle against the metal shield, listening to the noise echo through the chamber. He glanced back at the dozen troops behind them. They had all formed a wall of metal, shields at the front and rifle barrels peering through them. Crux knew Felger was behind the unbreakable wall, ready to enact the plan at a moment's notice. He glanced at the gray boxes that had rolled up beside him. Everything was in place. It was time for the ultimate test.

He banged on his shield again, waiting for a response. According to Felger, this was the chamber where the Makhai leader had emerged. He could clearly see the massive hole in the center of the chamber. He stared at the pit, waiting for something to happen. A dead silence hung in the air. But it wasn't just the silence that felt dead. This whole pyramid reeked with death. Felger felt it too. Something was happening and happening quickly.

The walls of the chamber began to shake, sand shifting out of the cracks onto the floor. Crux gripped his rifle tighter and raised his shield, ready for whatever comes.

From the back, Felger stared at the fierri commander. He had seen this before and he knew what was coming. His eyes were locked on the pit in the center of the chamber and he watched as a familiar stone platform rose from the hole, the same Makhai standing on the floating podium.

Ortha looked down upon Crux and his troops, slowly bringing the rock that he stood on near the floor.

"So, even more intruders decide to break into our home," the Makhai said slowly. "What is your business here?"

Crux looked up at the towering figure. It didn't necessarily feel demonic but the thing certainly felt ancient. The descriptions Chen gave him echoed through his head. If these Makhai were as terrible as the tales told then Crux would have no qualms with wiping them out. But, he wanted to make sure. Several thousand years was a long time. The fierri civilization had changed so much in just a hundred. Who knew how much a civilization could change in several thousand? Crux would give them a chance, just one chance to prove they were not the monsters the stories describe.

"I am Squad Commander Crux of the Elite Guard of the country Valken, to whom am I addressing?" he boomed.

"I am Ortha the Ranger. I am the overseer of our people."

Crux kept his eyes fixed on the Makhai. So the man wasn't afraid of idle conversation. Crux shifted his left arm from the shield grip to its forearm straps so he could both fire his rifle and wield a shield at the same time. He had these two weapons as well as a short sword at his waist. His men were waiting in the hallways, waiting for the command to come assist. It was time to pop the question.

"And when you say 'my people', do you mean the Makhai?"

Ortha tilted his head curiously.

"Tell me, what would bring you to ask something like that?" Ortha asked curiously, not the least bit intimidated by Crux knowing their identity. "There is no need to be nervous," he added, noticing Crux's awkward shift when asked this. "We are simply two strangers having a conversation. Why are you so curious whether or not we are the Makhai?"

Ortha may have said not to worry but Cru stilxl was anxious being so outright to the alien.

"We know that whoever lives in this pyramid is an ancient race," Crux said, trying to pick out his words. "Ruins around the pyramid spoke of a race known as the Makhai, a race as old as the Alliance of Four Great Races. But unlike the holy races in the Alliance, the Makhai were conquerors, not honorable warriors but slaughterers that attacked indiscriminately and without mercy. I hear on some planets they chose to name spirits of war and murder after this race. It took the combined efforts of the Ancients and a native civilization to vanquish them. Now, the team we sent in here to explore this pyramid, a structure that supposedly belongs to that race, has been attacked."

"Is that a fact?" Ortha asked casually. It was eerie how calm Ortha was in all this, how uncaring he was over the idea of talking and revealing information. It was as if he had evaluated the value of each bit of information and determined what he could talk about. "Tell me then, what would you do if we are the Makhai you speak of?"

"If you are Makhai? I guess the next question is if you are anything like how the stories describe? If not, I am willing to overlook all this as an accident. But if you are, then the Elite Guard of Valken, the chosen sons of Asgard, will make sure you're taken down."

All of a sudden, coming with the fierri to help seemed like a bad idea to Felger. He had watched this makhai take down seven people with one hand. Now it was up to what Ortha said next. Crux stared up at the alien who stared back.

"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer to? Ortha finally asked. "Yes, we are the Makhai and every story ever written about us and what we've done is likely true. And if given the chance, we would do it all again. Is that the answer you were looking for?" Crux's eyes widened. He may not have realized but that idle talk had done more than he thought. Crux simply wanted to know whether or not the Makhai were as monstrous as the stories described, wanted to make sure they didn't wipe out an innocent race. Ortha simply wanted to know how well known the Makhai were, to see if the galaxy was ready for their return. And now he knew the Makhai were nothing but legend if not less. No one would be ready.

"So that is it?" Crux demanded to know. He could hear the clangs as his troops readied themselves for battle. "You would just admit to being something so horrible?"

"I hardly see what the issue is," Ortha replied. "The Makhai do not care about the concerns and issues of other races and civilizations anymore more than they would care about ours. If you really feel the need to label it I guess you can call it evil and be done with it. We do what is in our best interest. No more and no less."

"So you worship war?" Crux demanded to know. Ortha would raise a curious eyebrow if he had anything like eyebrows.

"We do not worship war," the makhai ranger corrected. "We simply do what is best for our people. Like it or not but sometimes the best way to enhance a nation is through taking what they need from others. Sustaining your nation in a time of peace is one thing but if you truly wish the best for your people you must usher an age of war."

"What good has war ever brought?" Crux asked angrily, his voice reverberating through the caves. Crux may have been getting worked up but Ortha was eerily calm.

"Technological advancement, medicine, common purpose, economy, unity," Ortha listed without moving a muscle. "Just because you blind yourself to the positive effects of war does not mean they don't exist."

"What you listed can be achieved in times of peace."

"That is true. In the end, this is just one of several ways to achieve this. The makhai exploit every means of advancement. Whether that be through peace or conquest, it does not matter to us. The lives and prosperity of our people is our only concern."

"If you only act in the interest of your own people, then why did you attack the scouting party we sent in?" Crux asked.

"We attacked your scouting party because they harbored those we thought to be our enemy. That misunderstanding has been clarified. However, we have no qualms with you, even with the human you have hiding in the back. I advise you now leave this place."

"Our people are in your hands," Crux argued.

"And we will release them if and when we are ready," Ortha said dismissively, his stone platform floating away. "Do what you will, just be warned that we will respond appropriately." Crux had fallen silent, the weight of their conversation bearing down on him as the stone platform floated further away.

"You say the makhai only act in the interest of their own people?" Crux asked.

"They do," Ortha said without looking back.

"So I guess you won't mind if we do the same?" Crux barked, readying his rifle. Ortha glanced back. Crux aimed his rifle but Ortha whipped around, the gauntlet on his left arm glowing like it was made of fire. With a wave of the Makhai's arm, Crux felt his rifle ripped from his hands and sent flying past the Makhai's head. The armored alien prepared to shove Crux away but the fierri commander managed to whip out a pistol and take aim. Ortha waved his hand and the pistol went flying as well. Crux reached down to his belt and pulled off a large metal object the size of an apple and prepared to hurl it at Ortha. The alien's gauntlet glowed again as it ripped the shiny, black, sphere from Crux's hand, the thing flying past Ortha's head.

The entire chamber rumbled as the metal thing suddenly exploded only a few feet away from Ortha, the chamber lighting up from the flames, the noise shaking the walls and rippling the skin, the force knocking the Makhai off the platform and to the ground with a loud crash.

Crux had packed a grenade with a genetic trigger, a weapon used back in the Genesis War to identify fierri of different races through the minutest genetic differences. He had equipped one on his belt, knowing a race completely different like the Makhai would definitely trigger it.

Ortha gripped the ground in frustration and stood up, snarling furiously. He reached out with his left hand as if to rip out Crux's throat but found that his gauntlet had been damaged in the explosion, the gem in his palm shattered like glass, the orange shards sprinkled across the ground. Crux drew his short sword and charged. The Makhai reached behind him and pulled out his pistol, a hand cannon that could turn a head into a bloody stump in one blow. But, with a swing of his shield, Crux sent the weapon flying to the floor. Ortha had just stood up as Crux collided with him, shoving the enormous Makhai backwards. Ortha stumbled backwards a bit, reaching behind him and pulling out what looked like a regular hand axe. But suddenly, Crux watched as the axe handle grew several times in length, a massive spike jutting from the top. Guns may have dominated most battles but when in close range, melee weapons are the tools of butcher. Crux may have had a short sword and shield but Ortha wanted to see how he would fare against a poleaxe.

Ortha swung the axe around, ready for battle. He jammed and slammed the axe against Crux's shield, the blade sliding off, the clangs echoing through the rock chamber. The metal round shield Crux carried was tough enough to stand against weapons fire so no blade was going to penetrate it. Seeing his opening, Crux rushed forwards to close the distance but Ortha saw this coming. The Makhai shifted his grip and swung the shaft toward his opponent. Crux grunted in pain as the metal handle rammed into his jaw, sending him staggering. Crux regained his composure just in time to spin around and deflect the oncoming axe with his sword.

They were both skilled fighters in their ways. Crux's shield made it impossible for him to get hit but Ortha's poleaxe was so long it was impossible to get close enough to him to be hit, and it seemed like Ortha was expecting every attack. But Crux knew of something he wouldn't be expecting.

Crux deflected the next blow with his sword and got in close, pulling his head back before driving it forward into Ortha's face. Ortha roared in pain. He had expected a sword blow, not a sudden head-butt.

Ortha stumbled back. His patience had officially run out.

"Makhai, attack!" he roared. The walls around them came alive as Makhai guards appeared on the balconies. Figures emerged from the hallways across the chamber, rifles at the ready. Crux crouched down and held the large round shield in front of him as huge crystal shards flew through the air, hitting the shield and shattering on impact. These shards were the size of fifty caliber bullets and traveling at twice the speed.

"Felger, now!" Crux roared. Felger reached into his pocket and pressed the trigger he had been given.

The gray boxes that Crux had brought suddenly began moving, the panels shifting and transforming. The walls of the boxes fell away as the robots rose on their inverted legs, the upper body a large armored compartment with barrels attached to the bottom, gun barrels.

Back during the Genesis Wars, hunter-seeker drones equipped with advanced scanners were meant to target and eliminate fierri possessing or lacking certain traits. These drones were designed to be able to fold up into decent sized crates for deployment. After a little modification, the drone no longer recognizes humans or foreign fierri like Soren as targets, but the Makhai were a different story.

Crux gave a battle cry that Felger would swear could be heard back at camp as the fierri flooded out of the hallway and into the room. Felger stayed behind as the entire room was flooded with chaos. The Makhai had better positions to attack from, raining hellfire into the chamber, but the fierri evened the odds with their shields and drones. The machines pounded the enemy positions with their cannons, the rocks exploding into dust with each impact.

Felger stayed low as the rounds flew over his head. The massive crystals may not have been able to penetrate fierri shields but they still went deep into the rocks and he could only imagine the result of it hitting flesh.

It was only then he noticed Ortha limping away, using his poleaxe for help. The explosion would've killed any normal person and it certainly had done a number on him, gooey white liquid flowing from his wounds, chunks of his shell blown off. Felger knew this was his one chance to find his friends.

He picked up a shield from a fallen fierri, holding it as he scampered after Ortha.

-.-

Even from deep within the cavern, Hailey and Chen could hear the battle above. Though, it didn't seem to bother their two guards. Suddenly, they heard echoing footsteps as Ortha swiftly entered the chamber, milky white blood flowing out of its wounds.

"Something wrong?" Chen asked teasingly. "Left the crab cakes in the oven or something?"

Ortha didn't know what that meant and he didn't care.

"Time is up," he stated. "I need my warriors." He glared at the two humans. It was time for a change of tactic. "You did not react to the threat of her suffering. Perhaps she will react to yours."

Chen looked at Hailey, knowing what was about to happen next.

"I'm sorry," Hailey said under her breath.

"Well, it's been fun," Chen replied with a shrug. "You know what, I take it back. You were a pain in the ass."

The guard behind Chen stepped forward, drawing a long serrated dagger. Chen grimaced. He didn't want to even think about what they were going to do to him.

Ortha suddenly looked up in surprise. More footsteps echoed down the hall. The two guards immediately drew their rifles and aimed down the corridor. Hailey and Chen looked behind them. It seemed like a miracle that the fierri found them just in time. Then they felt their hearts drop when they saw who it was who emerged in the hallway.

"Wait!" Felger called out, hiding behind his shield. Ortha snarled in ever-growing agitation.

"Felger, what're you doing here, you idiot?!" Chen snapped.

"I brought the cavalry!" Felger cheered triumphantly.

"You're not supposed to come with the cavalry!" Hailey barked. Felger was beginning to wonder who was scarier: the Makhai or Hailey and Chen?

Felger cleared his throat and straightened his back. He kept the round shield in front of him, ready to fight off any attack. Well, kinda ready. Sort of ready? Ok, he wasn't ready at all but he had to at least look the part.

Ortha maintained his glare on Felger. These two humans were clearly strong. Maybe in the span of a week, they would've eventually broken but not in the span of minutes. This newcomer, however, was clearly not as strong. Even from there, Ortha could tell the man was trembling. The courage on his face was a feeble bluff. Maybe a change of plans was needed.

"Tell me, what is your name?" Ortha asked politely, though the venom in his voice still seeped through.

"Doctor Jay Felger, peaceful explorer from the planet Earth."

"Felger, you idiot!" Chen barked. Felger simply recited what others SG teams usually recite when meeting a new race but Chen knew he had revealed Earth and Felger's role as a scholar in one sentence.

"I don't recognize the name of that planet. You're a long way from home, aren't you?"

"You know, the things they say about you guys, can't believe you don't care about it," Felger stuttered.

"While I cannot believe that you do," Ortha replied. "Whether you like to admit it or not, some of a civilization's greatest achievements come out of war and conflict."

"And look where that's gotten you," Felger pointed out.

"A temporary setback, one that's about to be corrected," Ortha replied. "You see the device behind me?" Felger simply nodded. He did see the room of crystals. It felt like he had stepped inside a giant geode. "Our brothers and sisters lay in those crystals. And you shall release them."

Felger felt a chill in his spine.

"I don't know how your machines work," he pointed out.

"Then it is good this is not our technology, but Ancient. We have enough knowledge to have it perform its basic functions we do not know how to modify it."

Ortha stepped to the side and presented the control console at the corner of the balcony overlooking the crystals. The computer was definitely Ancient. He remembered that the Makhai didn't invent but steal technology.

"You see," Ortha explained. "I need someone who can make this work for us. If these two won't do it for us then they have outlived their usefulness."

The Makhai guards on either side of Hailey and Chen aimed their rifles.

"Wait!" Felger suddenly called. Hailey and Chen looked at the man in panic. Was he really considering to help them? "Tell me what I need to do, and you let us all go?"

"I'll agree to spare your lives but I will not release you. Are those terms satisfactory?"

Hailey and Chen were about to continue yelling but felt the bayonets pressed against their foreheads. Felger lowered his shield and slowly walked into the chamber and up to the control panel, still glancing at the three aliens. He still half expected them to just blow a hole in him and be done with it, but the other half knew that if they needed him for something then they would at least keep him alive for the time being.

"You just need me to beam out the people in these crystals?" Felger asked, placing his trembling hands on the control panel. This computer was definitely Ancient. Good thing it didn't belong to the Furling or Nox or else he wouldn't know what to do with it.

Ortha looked at the ceiling as another explosion shook the chamber.

"Thousands of years have weathered the data," he answered. "From what I was told, the corrections should be simple. Make whatever repairs are needed then get them out."

"Felger, listen to me," Chen barked. "The Makhai don't have the numbers to make a return. They can't take on superpowers like the Ror'char or Quinterans. If you do this, they'll definitely have the numbers for it."

"I know," Felger said as he put his first command into the Ancient computer, watching the monitor change to display the code. "You're gonna have to trust me on this one."

-.-

The drones had cleaned up the Makhai on the first floor and were proceeding to the next, the fierri right behind them.

"Sir," a voice yelled from the front. Crux jogged to join his vanguard, his rifle back in his hand.

"What is it?" he asked his subordinate, who stood at the edge of a walkway on the edge of a massive circular chasm. The fierri vanguard pointed into the distance. Crux squinted, but spotted what he was supposed to find. He could see a cage across the gorge, two fierri sitting inside waving their arms to get their attention.

"Squadron three, with me!" Crux ordered, his eyes tracing a path around the circular pit to the cage. While there were a decent amount of Makhai patrolling the pyramid and converging on their position, it wasn't that bad. They had a single drone follow them to the cages where Iado and Soren were.

"'Bout Time!" Iado cheered. "Bust open this cage and let us out of here." Crux gave one of his troops a nod, who stepped forward and placed a small wad of goop into the keyhole of the lock and placed the pushpin-like detonator into it.

"Back up!" Crux barked as he and his subordinates stepped backwards and held their shields in front of them. The goop lit up like thermite, glowing bright enough to light up that entire side of the chasm. When it died down and everyone looked back up, the entire lock hadn't just melted but completely disintegrated. Soren calmly walked up to the door and pushed it open, stepping out for the first time in a while. Iado eagerly followed.

"Give me a gun!" he ordered. "I'm keen for a little payback."

"Iado, where are the others?" Crux demanded to know. It was five fierri and two humans that went into the pyramid.

"That bastard Makhai killed them to interrogate us," Iado growled, his fist clenching. "He thought we were the higher ranking officers and spared us for information. Now give me a gun!"

Iado looked at the vanguard impatiently as they finally obeyed and gave him one of their pistols.

"Where are the humans?" Crux asked. "Did you see them?"

"I saw that bastard, Ortha, lead them to the lower levels," Iado explained. "C'mon, I'm eager to kick that crustacean's ass." Iado prepared to leave but Soren stepped forward, holding out both his hands as if he was demanding two weapons. Crux looked at the former mass murder like he was crazy for even hoping for such a thing.

"I need weapons," Soren said in his regular monotone hoarse voice. "I am more experienced with a pistol than a rifle and I prefer the hand axe."

"Not so fast," Crux said, looking at the man. "Before I give you anything I need to know why? If I recall, when we first met the first thing you tried to do is kill us. You single-handedly killed over sixty people, some of them trained soldiers. Then you agree to help us train koruga. Now you want to help us on a rescue mission. Why are you suddenly so eager to help us in our endeavors?"

Soren looked at Crux with impatient irritation. Soren was always a man of few words but not it seems like he was just ignoring the question.

"Perhaps it is the same reason you are suddenly so eager to help in the humans' endeavors," he finally replied. "You do not trust my word. So allow my actions to speak for me. Give me the weapons I seek and unleash me against your enemies. I shall release unto the Makhai the same fury I unleashed long ago."

-.-

Felger worked quickly. He knew he had to finish his work soon. Chances are the Makhai would kill all three of them if the fierri interrupted. He tried to ignore the Hailey and Chen's furious glares that he could feel boring through the back of his head.

"Is it ready?" Ortha asked impatiently, his hand still on the poleaxe he was using as a crutch. Felger finally took his hands off the keyboard and looked forward.

"It's ready," he said. Ortha walked forward and shoved Felger back, typing something into the console. Some data scrolled down the screen before the screen went blank once more.

"I'm surprised, Doctor," Ortha said pleasantly. "According to the simulation, your solution works. I thought you would try to deceive me." The computer console continued beeping as even more simulations were run.

"Run as many simulations you want," Felger suggested. "What about us?"

Ortha pressed the final button and Felger watched as the crystals in the hallway behind him began to glow.

"You no longer matter," the Makhai replied. "All simulations have just been completed."

"How'd they go?" Felger asked nervously.

"Fifty simulations: they were successful across the board."

One of the guards forced Felger to stand with his friends, who glared at him angrily.

"Felger, what the hell have you done?!" Hailey barked.

"You idiot, why did you do that?!" Chen snarled. Felger felt the blood drain from his face from their anger.

"Well," he stuttered. "I think the better question is: when was the last time I ever actually fixed something?"

Hailey's jaw dropped as she realized what Felger just did. He was a screw up through and through and there was no way he could fix the crystals. Every time he did something he always got the simulation to work but would have the project explode in his face. Felger was counting on his ability to fail.

Ortha was still at the control panel and was now awaiting the first rematerialization. Suddenly, his smile vanished as he realized something was wrong. The crystal matrices were rattling. Ortha tried to stop the process but it was too late. It wasn't sabotage; Felger did give the task his all but the idiot hadn't realized that the crystals themselves had begun to degrade after thousands of years, degrade to the point his solution wouldn't work anymore. If the crystals were as pristine as when they started then the solution might've worked. Any competent scientist would have realized this but this Felger that had made the repairs. Ortha was able to stop the process but it was too late. The crystals were irreparably damaged. He threw his head back and let out a primordial roar that shook the pyramid.

He turned and looked at the humans. He didn't care about his injuries anymore. He lifted his poleaxe. He was done with these humans. He would bring his weapon down upon these meddling rodents and execute them here and now.

A bang cracked open the air as something tore through Ortha's hand. He grabbed his wound with his other hand, roaring in pain.

"Down!" Chen yelled, grabbing Hailey and Felger and forcing them to the floor. He knew what was going on. More bullets tore through the air. The two Makhai guards turned to react, realizing that Soren was racing down the hall toward them. The fierri had to leave his comrades behind but it looks like he was going to make it in time because of that. He aimed his pistol and opened fire, his finger pulling the trigger as fast as possible. These rounds were capable of demolishing rock but it seemed like all it did to the Makhai was blow chunks out of their hardened shell. At the very least it forced the two guards to flinch, lowering their head and holding the rifles in front of their faces for just a brief second in reaction to suddenly getting pelted by rounds.

Adrenaline was shooting through Soren's body, the world seeming to slow down as his mind processed the world around him three times faster than normal. He was alone and facing three Makhai, two of them armed with rifles. Soren knew what he had to do. He aimed and fired the first two shots, the first volley hitting their mark and blowing a chunk of the shell around the guards' faces. The guards had just taken aim when Soren fired his second volley, the rounds going right into the open wounds, the heads of the guards exploding like a fifty caliber round going through a watermelon.

Ortha seized his axe once more. If he was going to die he would strike down these humans before he does.

Soren took aim but couldn't fire. The axe was high in the air. Even if he killed the Makhai on the spot, the weight of the weapon would fall on the humans regardless.

Soren holstered his pistol and took out his twin hand axes. Weapons in hand, he charged at his foe. With a single swing, he drove his axe blade right into Ortha's head. It wasn't enough to penetrate the shell but it was enough to send the Makhai leader stumbling backwards. He roared furiously, turning on the fierri. Soren didn't have the shield that Crux did, and the poleaxe had a much longer reach than his hand axes. Upon that, the Makhai's shell was not going to be penetrated so easily with the axe strikes. But Soren was more than experienced fighting monsters that seem to have every advantage. To call the wildlife of his country 'hostile' would be a severe understatement and he's survived it. Ortha was just another monster to put down.

More footsteps echoed through the chamber as Crux and his men soon arrived.

"Soren!" he called out in shock as he watched the fierri taking on the Makhai. Ortha jabbed and slashed at the fierri, the axe blade always just barely missing its target. Soren was just too agile, falling back upon his sheer speed, distancing, and timing. With every missed swing, Soren always managed to quickly close the distance and land a strike. But the Makhai shell was just too strong, the blade scratching the surface but bouncing off. He couldn't just cut him open. But Soren knew this. He was just waiting for an opening. The shell around Ortha's chest and shoulder had been shattered but he needed a better target. Finally, he saw it and his opening. Ortha took another stab but Soren simply leaned slightly to the right and let the blade fly past as he raised his axe and swung with every ounce of strength he had, driving the metal wedge into the neck of the Makhai. The shell around the head and body may have been harder than stone but the shell around its neck was weaker and Soren embedded his axe blade right into it. The shell around Ortha's neck cracked, the axe driven into the soft flesh inside. Ortha wasn't done though. He adjusted the grip and prepared to slam the axe back into Soren, prepared to take off the fierri's head with one swing. But Soren pulled his other hand back and drove the axe deep into the other side of the Makhai's neck. Soren picked his foot up, put in on Ortha's chest, and pushed. He heard the crunching of the shell and the ripping of flesh as the hook-like bottoms of the hand axe were dragged through the Makhai's neck. Finally, with a loud pop, the head came clean off, flying into the air before hitting the ground with a thump. The rest of the body collapsed in a heap, white blood pouring out of its injuries.

Seeing that it was safe, Crux jogged forward to evaluate the situation.

Felger looked up at the collapsed figure, still expecting it to get up like a zombie and attack them. Hailey and Chen stood up first, their blood still racing from what nearly happened.

"You three ok?" Crux asked, stepping into the room.

"Dandy," Hailey replied for Chen. She looked back at the crystal chamber, the once beautiful crystalline shards now melted and deformed.

"My men are currently securing the pyramid," Crux explained. "Their intention was really just to hide, not fight. It's over." The fierri led Hailey and Felger out of the chamber but Crux put a hand on Chen's shoulder to hold him behind.

"The tall one," he said. "You said his name was Felger?"

"Jay Felger," Chen answered. Crux nodded thoughtfully.

"An absolute screw-up without a doubt, but has potential. You're very fortunate to have a man like that with you."

Chen looked at Felger. Some of the fierri had crowded around him as if asking him to tell stories of his battle. Felger simply gave an awkward laugh while scratching the back of his head.

"Yes we are," Chen replied.

-.-

Felger was back in Mercer's office, his head hung low. Hailey and Chen leaned against the wall, their arms folded across their chest. As for the General, he sat at his desk before Felger. He silently read the mission report Chen and Hailey turned in. Felger looked at the old man, trying to read his expression.

"Doctor Felger," Mercer finally spoke up. Felger flinched at his name being called. Mercer was the leader of the expedition and his fate was in the General's hands. "You have certainly made quite the ruckus this time, Doctor. Disregarding protocol, disobeying orders, acting without supervision, and there are unconfirmed reports that you are the one who alerted the Makhai to our presence. And your plan at the end was risky at best. Had you accidentally succeeded then the Makhai would be back to full strength."

Felger felt his heart sink. What Mercer said was just a short list of all of Felger's screw-ups on the last mission.

"As such," the old man continued. "I have decided to follow the recommendation given to me. Doctor Jay Felger…"

Felger prepared himself. He was the one who threw the rock that got the Makhai's attention. He was the one who decided to try to find Chen and Hailey by himself when he wasn't supposed to. He was the one who helped the Makhai. This might've been the most screw-ups he's ever made in one day. He was ready for his punishment.

"Under the recommendation of Doctor Steven Chen and Major Jennifer Nicole Hailey, Doctor Felger…" Felger closed his eyes, waiting for the worst. "You will be assigned to the expedition design board."

Felger opened his eyes, shocked by what he heard. The design board was a team of scientists who didn't make anything, rather they would try to come up with ideas and plans using what they knew and would turn in the blueprints to the engineers who would make it happen.

Hailey and Chen looked at the man, who was still red as a Swedish fish. They could see the relief in his eyes, but they could see something else in it too.

"You ok?" Chen asked.

"Look, I know I have no right to say this," Felger explained slowly. "I'll admit, I'm a complete screw-up. But I went on that mission because I hoped to change all that. On the design board, I can't change anything."

Mercer looked at Chen and Hailey. This was their idea so they should be the one to explain this to him.

"I know it's not much but it's a good start," Hailey said. "No one goes the distance overnight."

"Step by step, Felger," Chen added. "I know it seems impossible now but if you give it enough time, who knows, you might even begin outdoing Hailey over here."

"I wouldn't go that far," Jennifer remarked. Felger looked down for a moment before giving a nod.

"Alright," he said. "I'll take it."

"Good," Mercer said, setting his papers aside. "It is fortunate you managed to defeat the Makhai before they made their return."

"Too bad we can't meet the humans who kicked their asses," Chen said cheerfully.

"You so sure of that?" Mercer asked. "What did the Makhai call these humans again?"

"The Terrans," Hailey answered. "Why?"

"How many Terrans are we aware of?"

Chen and Hailey exchanged glances. It was an odd question to ask.

"Well, we're technically terrans," Chen said. "Like, we don't officially call ourselves that but…"

"Wait a minute," Felger interrupted. "Terran as in Quinteran?"

Hailey felt her eyes widen. The first Fifth Race, the original human the Ancients chose to be their successors, the Quinterans had corrupted their gifts and were now, not conquerors who took land but, slaughterers who killed potential threats without discrimination.

"So you're saying the Quinterans were the ones who defeated the Makhai the first time?" Hailey asked.

"The Makhai were the original sole rulers of this galaxy," Mercer said. "The Millennium database confirms it. The Terrans used what they discovered through the stargate to defeat the Makhai along with many other enemies."

"Considering how big of a role the Makhai played in this galaxy, I guess it's no surprise word of them reached Milky Way," Hailey said thoughtfully. "So Goa'uld discovered word about them and chose to use the story of spirits of war and murder to make themselves sound better."

"I believe that will be all," Mercer interrupted, sliding his chair back and standing up. He walked to the door of his office, Hailey, Felger, and Chen right behind so they could exit. As the sliding doors opened, Felger gawked when he spotted Soren standing in the middle of the control room.

"What the?" Jay coughed. "What's he doing here?"

Mercer turned around, his expression as blank as ever.

"It is an arrangement we've made with the fierri. You see, Soren is currently in an awkward position back on his planet. Technically he should be executed because of the murders he's committed but some are reluctant since he appears to be the only survivor of the Genesis War. Then there is his eagerness to help. Imprisoning him would be a waste of his skills. But, some are suspicious of him for what he's done. So, this appears to be the best solution for them, all things considered."

"Then why's he here?"

"I believe he can be useful to us," the General replied casually. "We were never involved in the Genesis War so it is unlikely he will be a threat to us." The General walked past the fierri, giving a nod on his way past. Chen and Hailey went off in separate directions, leaving Felger staring at Soren.

"So how was your day?" Felger asked awkwardly. Soren didn't answer, only giving a grunt before walking off. "That's cool," Felger said as if the fierri had replied. "My day was like that too."

-.-

The night cycle had finally started again and Chen found himself wandering the halls. That was until he heard the familiar sound of wood being sawn through. He had forgotten. He was wandering near Terra's woodshop. Well, he was here so he might as well pop in.

As he opened the door, the smell of sawdust filled his nose. It seemed like she's been doing this for a while now.

"Terra," Chen called out when he saw her at the other side of the room, a plank of wood clamped down as she worked away at it with a hacksaw. She looked up, some of the fine powder sparkling fomo her hair. Her purple shirt was covered in the same spew of particles and they especially stood out against her jeans. But it wasn't that that Chen noticed. "Your hand's back in business!"

"Thanks to Alliance medical magic," she said with a smile, flexing her left arm as if to demonstrate. "Starting next week, we'll be back in the exploration business. I hear that you've had an exciting day."

"You know, I've been thinking about that," Chen said, leaning against a table, but immediately standing up and brushing off his butt when he realized it was also covered in saw dust. Guess he'll have to stick to just pacing with his hands crossed. "For all the crap we give him, the moment he realized his problem he chose to face it head-on all by himself. That right there's more than you or I have ever done." Nova put her saw down on the table.

"Well, there's one good thing I guess," she said, looking at him with a smile. "Neither of us will be facing our issues alone."

Chen looked at her with a curious raise of his eyebrow before just smiling.

"I guess not," he said. "Have a good night, Terra." He turned around and casually walked out.

"Night, Steven," she called back, readjusting her goggles and picking up her saw once more. Just another day in outer space.