In 2009...
For years, one name had become a legend within the classified community that is the Stargate Program, Jack O'Neill. Former leader of commander of the first mission through the Stargate, leader of the first flagship team SG-1, Commanding Officer of Stargate Command and Homeworld Command. Now as retirement age creeps upon him he reflected on his eventful yet highly classified career as he sat in a hotel bar writing in a small notepad making notes while a voice called out from behind him.
"Well, you're the last person I expect to wear those stars O'Neill"
Slowly he turned with a smile as he saw a grey haired man stood facing him.
"Jerry, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Well I heard on the grapevine that Jack O'Neill was in town… where the hell have you been the last ten years? It's like you fell of the face of the earth"
Laughing slightly O'Neill closed the book he was writing in as Jerry stood at his side.
"So how the hell did you become General? I thought you'd retired"
"Ohh you know, couldn't stay away…." He said with a laugh.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Keeping busy, I spent a few years in Cheyenne Mountain, then moved to D.C"
"Cheyenne Mountain? What the hell would a Jet-Jockey like you do looking at computer screens" Jerry said laughing.
"Ohh it's not all that bad…"
Slowly Jerry looked down at the many ribbons hanging off the General's tunic.
"And that gets you promoted to General and all of that fruit salad on your chest? Damn, I'm in the wrong job"
"It had its moments Jerry" He said with a smile.
"So what are your doing here ol' friend?"
"Nothing much, heading home in a few hours I just wanted a cold beer before I leave. Want one?"
"I thought you'd never ask…"
Laughing slightly O'Neill ordered two more drinks as Jerry sat next to him with a smile.
"So Jerry, what've you been upto all these years?"
"Ohh, retired from the Airforce about ten years ago, I bounced around from place to place… about six years ago I started a little charter company, nothing major. Shuttling rich assholes around mainly"
O'Neill laughed out loud as he picked up his second beer and took a large drink as Jerry lowered his head slightly and spoke with concern in his voice.
"I heard about Charlie, I'm sorry Jack"
"Thanks… he was a good kid" He replied with sadness still in his eyes.
"I did everything possible to keep him safe until… yeah!"
"Sorry I missed the funeral"
"Hey, these things happen" He said slowly.
"How's Sara? Have you spoken too her?"
"Not for years. A few years after the divorce she moved away, we settled a few things before hand but…"
"I understand… Changing the subject slightly… A few years ago, I heard about some special project going on at Cheyenne Mountain. I thought since you worked…"
"Funny, I heard nothing about it"
Taking a long drink of his cold beer Jerry smiled slightly, he had known the General for many years but this man seemed distant from the officer he once served with all those years ago.
"Bull shit Jack. I know you ol' friend. You can't keep your nose out of something like what I heard about"
"Ohh? And what was that?" He laughed.
"Some form of advanced tactical fighter, Space flight capable… makes the F-117 look like a tug boat" Jerry whispered.
Faking interest, Jack leaned closer to him as he continued.
"… Apparently it's supposed to be capable of leaving the atmosphere"
"Cool! But I thought that was Area 51 stuff"
"From what I hear it was designed using some kind of alien tech"
Laughing, Jack placed his beer on the bar and replied.
"I can honestly say… I have never seen 'little Green Men' in all of my travels"
"Actually, they are grey… Something like the Roswell aliens everyone talks about"
Humouring his old friend, O'Neill faked interest throughout the conversation as the old man talked more about what he had heard. Finally, O'Neill had to leave; as he stood, he smiled at his old friend.
"Well… Jerry, if you see any grey aliens, let me know. A few big-wigs will be very interested in what they have to say"
"You're taking the piss out me, aren't you? I saw Alec Colson on TV with that alien a few years ago. From what I hear, he vanished off the face of the Earth a week or so later"
"Want some advice Jerry?"
Sighing deeply the old man nodded as O'Neill leaned closer to him.
"Get some professional help, all this talk of aliens and spaceships makes you look damned crazy. Good to see you again, take care of yourself. I really gotta shoot off"
After shaking his hand, O'Neill left the bar and entered a large limousine with blacked out windows. Placing the remainder of his beer on back on the bar, he followed the General out of the bar and stopped as he saw the large car before him; with a slight smile, he walked towards the car and knocked on the window. A brilliant flash of light rang out from inside the vehicle causing him jump back almost three feet, all of his military training kicked in as he ran towards the car as the drivers door opened. Standing looking at a young airman, he clenched his fists as the young man spoke.
"This is a private car sir, Airforce property. I will have to ask you to step back"
"Where is O'Neill?"
"Who sir?"
"General Jack O'Neill, I saw him get in this car… I need to speak with him"
Shaking his head the Airman closed the distance between them as Jerry grabbed the handle and opened the door. Placing his between the car and the old man the airman stood ready to draw his weapon as Jerry pushed past him leaned inside the car.
Shocked he stepped back as he spoke.
"That's impossible, I saw him get in here"
"Yet no one got out, could anyone get out without you seeing them?"
"Well… not really. What the hell…"
Smiling slightly Jerry stepped back as he looked at the large man before him.
"Forgive me, I'm sorry… Jerry Cooper, Major, US Airforce retired" He said almost laughing.
"Well retired Major… I am going to have to ask you to leave or I am authorised to shoot anyone…"
"Of course, forgive me son… umm Airman, sorry. I was mistaken"
With a slight bow and mocking salute, Jerry turned and walked into the bar, closely watched by the large Airman.
In 2014...
Silently and gracefully the large alien starships orbited the subjugated planet known as Langara, a small insignificant backwater world, yet possessing a powerful variant of Naquadah. Aboard the renegade vessel known as Achilles, captured Langaran High Council members sat nervously in a large room while several heavily armed guards stood with Jaffa Staff weapons aimed at them, slowly the large door opened as the battered and bloodied Jonas Quinn fell into the room coughing up blood.
"Is that all you've got? I barely felt that Moron!"
Smiling the leader of the group, a young human male reached onto his belt and grabbed a pain stick and rammed it into his side as an orange light beamed out of his eyes, ears and nose and mouth as he screamed in pain. Smiling the young man knelt down by his side and laughed as he spoke.
"Did you feel that one… Probie?"
Rubbing the sides of his head, Jonas sat up and laughed slightly as he struggled to keep himself upright.
"Not really… Try it without the guards, and we will see who is the one bleeding"
Anger began to swell within him as he stood and pushed the pain stick into his side once again as a Jaffa ran towards the young man and bowed slightly as he yelled.
"My Lord, a small scout vessel of unknown origin has appeared above the planet's surface. It is attacking the fortifications around the Chappa'ai"
"What? Show me!"
Nervously the Jaffa pulled a small tablet from his robes and activated the device, as he looked at the display his eyes widened as he grabbed the Jaffa and yelled as loud as he could.
"GET THOSE DAMNED SHIELDS UP NOW!"
"My Lord?"
Above the planet three Hyperspace windows opened as three Tau'ri vessels jumped into normal space with weapons firing at full power into the unprotected ships hull, explosions rocked the Achilles and it's Allied ships as the relentless attack continued by the Odyssey and it's small last of the fortifications around the gate had been destroyed as the Stargate activated, spinning her vessel on it's axis Cole screamed towards the city firing at any weapon blast that came from the surface as she was quickly joined by more of the Hybrid Jumpers. Adopting a flying wedge shape the gathered armada screamed towards the Cheops class vessel firing with everything they had as they targeted the weapons systems of the surfaced enemy ship. Explosions ripped through the ship as they circled the vessel targeting anything they could find that looked like a weapons port.
"Recon this is Flight Lead, nice work at the Gate… we are proceeding to secondary target"
"Confirmed Flight Lead, wait a minute… detecting Gliders descending from 40'000 Feet… Flight four and six follow me, the rest of you continue as planned. Inform Atlantis to proceed with phase three"
"Roger that Recon, forming up on your wing, detecting… holy crap! Eight Death Gliders!"
Smiling Cole looked too her left as one of the Hybrids pulled up too her left wing, it was almost as if she could see the vessel it's self shaking in it's flight path.
"Easy McKay… follow the flight path and keep your head in the game. They are only targets, just like we practiced, remember?"
"Easy for you to say, you're used to this kind of thing" He whined. "In training they rarely fired back"
"Suck it up Major, that's an order… Lorne… We're gonna draw the fighters away from you"
"Understood Cole… Flight Seven and Nine, keep the gate free of Tangos until Ronan and his team come through"
The battle above the planet was almost an epic one as streams of energy blasted from ship to ship and exploded on shielding and unprotected hulls as the three loyal Tau'ri vessel out manovoured the clumsy larger Goa'uld designed vessels while the Daedalus targeted the Achilles with deadly efficiency in every shot from it's highly powerful Asguard weapon systems while on the bridge Colonel Steven Caldwell the season veteran of many ship to ship engagements calmly called out his orders.
"Helm bring us around up and over the bridge section, target her dorsal shields in that area…"
"On it sir" Called out the Helm officer.
Manovouring like it's F-302 cousin the huge vessel spun around almost pushing it's crew onto the floor as the weapons let loose a heavy barrage of weapons into the vital shielding that surrounds the enemy ship. Consoles exploded as the young commander known only as Jack pushed the Jaffa helm officer out of his seat in anger and took control of his vessel, almost the instant he assumed control, an alarm rang out around the ship as he looked down at the console before him.
"Who the hell is in command of that damned ship, Jim Kirk? 180 degree turn on the axis… all power available power to Ventral shielding. I want that ship out of my way Major Williams…"
"Aye sir… you do realise they know the layout of this vessel… all it's weak points"
"Yes Williams I do, luckily for us we made a few upgrades we stole from the Tok'Ra!"
Aboard the Daedalus the vicious attack continued as Caldwell sat calmly in his chair smiling while the battle played out before him.
"Colonel, I'm picking up a signal from within the enemy ship… I think you should hear this"
"Lets hear it Butters" He said with a smile.
The bridge speakers filled with a panicked voice as explosions ripped through the enemy ship from the deadly attack.
"This is Langaran Council Member Jonas Quinn to anyone picking up this transmission, the High Council of Langara is being held captive aboard the Achilles… requesting assistance… repeat…"
Smiling too himself Caldwell stood as the large ship made another deadly pass over the Achilles and fired once again.
"Can you get a lock on them Butters?"
"Yes sir, detecting sixteen persons within a cargo hold…"
"Beam them directly to the messhall, have a security detail to great them" He said with a satisfied smile.
"Yes Sir!"
"Attention Jonas Quinn, this is Colonel Steven Caldwell of the Earth Ship Daedalus, stand by for transport"
"Earth ship? We're ready when you are… however we have a few… friends with us" Jonas replied.
"Already taken care of"
As the large group of Langarans appeared in the messhall several security guards leapt on the Alliance personnel captured by the large force of Langaran prisoners, smiling Jonas stood and handed his weapon to the nearest Airforce officer and sighed slightly.
"You couldn't have gotten here an hour ago?"
"We've been busy… but we are hear now, we have a force of fighter and ground troops ready to take back your capital city" Replied the female officer.
"I should be their when they…"
"You are in no condition to be anywhere Mister Quinn, you require Medical attention"
Wincing slightly, he grabbed his ribs and looked around at the frightened Council members as he spoke to the Officer before him.
"I must speak with your ship commander… Umm, Caldwell I think he said, I have information on who is running this war"
"That can wait mister…"
"NOW Lieutenant! Your leaders need to know who they and what are dealing with"