Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or Battlestar Galactica: 2003.

A Different Path Taken

Chapter4: Return of the Machines

January 1998
Tollan System
UNS Prometheus
Main Bridges

Doctor Daniel Jackson had just gotten his morning coffee when he felt the familiar feeling of the ship executing an FTL jump. Jack was standing beside him trying—and failing—to complete the crossword in his hands. Honestly, he'd tried helping him but this friend said that he would do it himself. As they entered the bridge they were greeted with the sight of frantic movement from the command crew as the planet below came into view through the window.

"What do we have?" Hammond ask the question from his place next to the window. He stood as immovable as a statue with a grim expression on his face as he examined the planet below.

"Heavy radiation detect all across the board," Sam reported from the science station at the back. "Type unknown, definitely not nuclear, Naquadah or Zero Point Energy in origin."

"The Stargate?" Hammond questioned further.

"We're picking up a Naquadah signature on one of the larger continents," Sam replied. "If there are any survivors then they maybe there."

Hopefully some of them escaped through the Stargate…

"Bridge to Bay One," Hammond spoke into the comm. "Kawalsky, prep Falcons one and two for launch in ten minutes."

"Yes sir," Kawalsky responded.

Just then the screen to the side of the command chair changed and showed a map of the local star system. Sam walked over to it and brought up the image of the planet below along with the location of the Stargate and the Prometheus in orbit. Hammond approached her as she zoomed out a bit and shifted the image to one of the nearby planets in the system, one that had two small moons in orbit unlike the planet below them.

"Sir, there is another planet in the system within the habitable zone," Sam reported. "Long-range sensors can't detect any transmissions however."

"Colonel O'Neill, take an away team down to the surface and see what you can find. Bring the Stargate up while you're at it," Hammond gave the order. "Meanwhile we'll investigate the second planet."

"Yes sir," Jack nodded in understanding. "Carter, Daniel, you two are with me."

The two of them followed him as he walked out the door and towards the elevator which would take them down to the ship's port hangar bay. It wasn't long before the three of them were climbing into the back of Falcon-one and strapping themselves in. They'd had to put on the new hazmat suits because of the high radiation environment they would be landing in but none of them liked it. The suits weren't known for their comfort after all…

"Prometheus control this is Falcon-one," Kawalsky spoke in to the comm. "We are go for launch."

"Roger that Falcon-one," came the response. "We'll keep the porch light on for you."

Kawalsky keyed in the engines and slowly but surely the craft eased out of the hangar bay followed a moment later but its sister craft Falcon-two. Together they descended downwards towards the planet below as the Prometheus disappeared in a flash of light, their FTL drive tearing reality apart to transport the Terran battlecruiser to its next destination. After several long minutes they broke through the clouds above what was once a clearly advanced city judging by the architecture though from what Jack could see, whoever lived here didn't anymore. The entire area had a pale glow to it and whatever buildings that were still standing were crumbling.

"What the hell happened here?" Daniel asked the question.

"…I think I might have an idea," Sam spoke up from the console at the back.

"Carter?" Jack inquired.

"I don't recognize the radiation signature however I am detecting traces of antimatter and tylium in the air. Sir, the only race we've ever encountered that uses tylium besides ourselves is…" Sam trailed off suddenly turning very pale.

She wasn't the only one…

After all the only other civilization who used tylium they knew about were the Cylons, the machine race that had very nearly succeeded in wiping them out, every last man woman and child of Earth. They'd barely survived against a small fleet of Cylon ships and the mere notion that they might be out there somewhere had the United Nations of Earth and her colonies scrambling to build as many ships as they could to prepare for the eventual return of the much feared machines. Just as Jack was about to speak the Falcon started to shake as several anti-air rounds exploded beside it, its energy shield flaring to life in order to protect the craft. Falcon-two was the same, flying through a hail of rounds clearly originating from the surface below.

"Weapons fire from the surface!" Kawalsky yelled as he pushed hard on the controls.

Both Falcons weaved and swerved, trying to evade the hailstorm of shots being fired at them from the ruined city below. Eventually they broke through, their shields barely holding themselves together as they approached the location of the Stargate. Even from where they were Jack could see the flashes of heavy weapons fire being traded near the Stargate between what looked like a band of humanoid people and a large number of mechanical squads complete with several armoured tank-like machines.

Definitely Cylons…

"Light em up," Jack gave the order.

Kawalsky didn't need to be told twice and a second later he pulled the trigger unleashing a barrage of rounds at the surface as Falcon-one passed over it. Falcon-two followed suit and together they tore a line through the hunkered down machines. After completing their pass they veered off towards the Stargate and spotted several transports holding position above it, firing down at the resistance fighters. Kawalsky hit a button on the dashboard and volley missiles launched from the underside of the crafter with Falcon-two doing the same a moment later. The missiles streak through the air and slammed into the sides of the transports, blowing them apart and raining debris down on several squads of Cylons.

"I'm landing us here!" Kawalsky called as he eased the craft down beside the gate. Falcon-two landed beside it a few seconds later. "I don't think we should stay here for long!"

Jack nodded in agreement and headed into the back. The rear hatch opened and the ramp extended a moment later allowing him to step off the craft. Almost immediately he was greeted to the sight of several human figures all armed with what looked like very advanced rifles. Not only that but they weren't wearing any kind of hazmat suits like the Terrans were despite the heavy radiation in the area. That either meant that they had some kind of resistance to it or some other way to protect themselves.

"Howdy," Jack waved as he stopped in from of them. "You seem to have a bit of a Cylon problem here, need a hand?"

Daniel almost face palmed at his friend's words…

"Who are you?" demanded the man in the center of the group.

"We're peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth," Daniel spoke up.

"If you can I'd recommend dialling the gate and getting out of here. The rest of the Cylon army will be here any minute," Jack told them. "Anyone who wants a lift should get aboard now, it's a one-time offer here."

Things were tense right now and it was clear all across the local's faces that they were at their wits end. How long had they been fighting for? A day? A week? A month? However long it was they were clearly at their limit both physically and mentally. They seemed hesitant, then again if he was in their shoes he'd be sceptical too. A pair of unknown ships appearing out of nowhere and offering to help them? Yeah, from an outside perspective that was a bit suspicious.

Still…

They didn't have time for second guessing…

"We need to go now!" one of them spoke up.

"Are you insane Narim?" the leader asked him. "We don't know anything about these people."

"I know that if we stay then we're going to be killed," Narim responded. "We need to leave now Omoc."

"…Very well," Omoc nodded in agreement. "Everyone fall back onto the ships!"

Jack stepped aside as the two dozen survivors climbed into the Falcons as several Cylon tanks rolled over the hill and came into view. Sam was already out in front with a large rocket launcher over her shoulder. Two rockets shot out one after the other, each one carrying a small explosive tipped with Naquadah. They slammed into the front of the lead tank and detonated, blowing it apart along with the two beside it and several centurions. Jack whistled at the display as Sam quickly climbed back into the back of Falcon-one. Even if the Cylons had upgraded their centurion and armour divisions, they weren't invincible.

"Get us out of here Kawalsky!" Jack shouted as the ramp raised itself.

Both Falcons shot forward and then upwards, evading the rounds being shot at them from the ground. The shields had recharged a bit but the weapons fire was still taking its toll in the end. Kawalsky let out a breath he didn't know he was carrying as they broke through the atmosphere and settled into a low orbit. For a moment it seemed almost peaceful however the moment was shattered when the screen beside his head lit up showing the image of what looked like several small craft launching from the surface.

"Sir we have multiple contacts launching from the surface," Kawalsky informed. "Unknown classification though judging by the size of them I'd say they were some kind of new Cylon Raiders."

"Friends of yours?" Jack asked the locals.

"Fighter craft," Narim answered. "The machines operated thousands of them when they attacked our world."

Kawalsky was already calculating the coordinates for an FTL jump out of the system when a series of bright flashes enveloped oncoming Raider squadron. Just then he spotted six Vultures appear seemingly from nowhere and tear into whatever was left of them. Anti-fighter swarm nukes, low kiloton yield, not enough to give a capital ship much of a nose bleed but used against the Cylons and their large numbers of fighters? That would drop their numbers to a more manageable level…

Aboard the Prometheus General Hammond sat in his chair as he watched the Vultures take down whatever stragglers remained and was about to give the order to recall everyone when a flash of light lit up the bridge. He could only stare as the sight of a familiar yet different vessel appeared, jumping into the area directly in front of the lone Terran battlecruiser. He recognized the design however it was bigger and looked to be more streamlined compared to the older classes of Basestar they'd seen so far.

A Basestar…

A Type-III Basestar…

"Tactical analysis," Hammond demanded.

"Two hundred and twenty missile launch tubes, eight hundred and sixty-four Raider launch tubes, and four large hangar bays. She's carrier," Ronson informed as he looked over the readings.

"Tell all craft to jump to rally point alpha," Hammond gave the order. "Calculate jump coordinates and standby for an emergency jump on my command."

"They're launching Raiders," Ronson reported. "Missiles inbound."

The launcher turrets along several of the Basestar's arms turned and shot off dozens of missiles at the Terran battlecruiser as hundreds of the new model of Raiders exploded from their tubes. The Vultures and Falcons jumped out as the Prometheus opened fire with their railguns, trying to shoot down the missiles first. Most of them were destroyed however two missiles slipped through and slammed into the ship's energy shield. Hammond was thrown from his chair as the missiles detonated with over three gigatons of force each, cracking the shield bubble like a balloon and carving into the side of the vessel.

"Damage reports!" Hammond shouted over the warning sirens as he tried to push himself back to his feet. "What was that?!"

"Some kind of antimatter warheads laced with tylium and naquadah. The shields are down and we've got hull breaches on decks four, five and six. Bulkheads are sealed but there were twenty-eight people in there and they're missing," Ronson answered hurriedly. "FTL coordinates are locked in."

"Get us out of here!" Hammond ordered.

Before the Raiders could descend on the damaged battlecruiser it disappeared in a flash of light, jumping away into the middle of interstellar space where it's Vultures and Falcons were waiting to be picked up. After several long agonising minutes of fearing that they might be pursued the Vultures and Falcons quickly landed back in the ship's hangar bays before it jumped again intending to put as much space between them and the planet Tollan as possible.