Incursio

Chapter 5

- Normandy SR-2, Engineering Deck -

"You seem to be taking the situation rather well in my opinion." Kelly watched as Doctor McKay relayed orders to the rest of the engineering team running around Normandy's cargo bay below them as they stood in the walkway to engineering. Normally a large group of unfamiliar people scouring the ship would have alarmed her, but Shepard had made it clear that he was willing to accept help from just about anyone now. She'd taken it upon herself to try and make some kind of friendship with those around her. While the other scientists and engineers were calm and approachable, Doctor McKay seemed to make it his mission to be as grumpy as possible.

Case in point, his reply. "Yes well, I've got a penchant for being able to keep my head on straight during crises…" He turned his head back to his notebook and muttered incomprehensibly.

Kelly leaned on the window, trying to get McKay's attention somehow. Evidently the man was very dedicated to his work. "Clearly." She crossed her arms and looked into the cargo bay. The way the engineers were ripping out the innards of the Normandy almost made her nervous. The idea that humans almost 200 years behind them could actually upgrade something they had was farfetched, but Kelly had overheard enough to at least pay attention. "Do you mind answering a few questions I have?"

"Yes." McKay muttered. Kelly raised an eyebrow at his rude answer but didn't asy anything. It took a few moments, but McKay finally let out an exasperated sigh and turned to her. "Yes yes… what is it?"

Kelly could see that McKay loved his work, and as such would likely respond to some kind of acknowledgement of said work. "Well… I was wondering exactly what it is that you're doing to the Normandy. I understand that it has to do with the power systems, but I'm unclear as to why they need upgrading in the first place."

McKay made what could only be understood as an annoyed grunt. "I don't suppose they still make you take basic electrical theory in space highschool do they?" Kelly gave him a less than excited look. Thankfully McKay could understand facial language as he snorted. "Right. What happens during a short circuit?"

"Too much electricity goes through the wire."

"Which is bad because...?"

Kelly furrowed her brow. "Are you telling me that you're upgrading Normandy so it doesn't short circuit?"

"No." McKay rubbed his forehead and spat out his explanation in rapid fire. "Normandy is a great ship, if you rely on the sorcery of anti-mass instead of tried and true physics."

Kelly blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"Without the mass effect field created by the Tantalus Drive, Normandy's nothing more than a sculpted paperweight."

"And this has what to do with the power systems?"

"Despite what I'm sure you see as a pinnacle of technology, your powersystems are woefully lacking in any real output capability." McKay pointed down to where one team was now adding what looked like matte silver pipes in place of the wiring Normandy used. "See that? We were going to use it to start construction of a new larger ship, but now instead we're using it to start hybridizing our technology."

"That still doesn't explain what a short circuit has to do with Normandy."

McKay made another frustrated sound, Kelly knew she was being just a bit of a pest, but she had the feeling that McKay only liked those who submitted to him wholesale. She also got the impression it didn't happen often, if at all. "Normandy isn't going to short circuit, I used it as a visual reference so you understand the science of the problem which you clearly don't." He motioned back to the engineering room. "The nuclear reactors the ship uses to create usable energy isn't incredibly efficient. In fact, there's a lot to your technology that could only benefit if you had the infrastructure to take advantage of it." He finally sighed and scribbled a quick drawing onto his notepad. It showed two funnels and a crude box saying 'Tantalus drive.'

Kelly already understood the problem, but McKay was the kind of person who needed to be heard rather than understood. She was glad Mordin wasn't like that as the idea of his hyperspeed words being this condescending wasn't pleasant. "So you're going to replace the Normandy's propulsion with your own because it's better?"

"No." McKay finished his drawing and held it up to the window so Kelly could see, It wasn't art that was for sure. "Your ship isn't designed to take our propulsion devices, and even more, it doesn't need it. Your anti-matter propulsion drives are actually quite powerful, but the problem is the ship is too heavy for the size of the drive without the Tantalus drive. We need to upgrade the power systems of the ship so when we install our inertial dampeners to compensate for the higher powered Tantalus drive, the ship won't tear itself apart when it can suddenly turn on a dime in atmosphere."

Kelly smirked, it was too tempting. "So the ship won't short circuit?"

Before McKay could make anymore irritated sounds, his radio chirped. He ignored Kelly and instead replied. "This is McKay, I'm very busy so this better be,,,"

"Doctor McKay!" The voice snapped. Kelly recognized Colonel Bradshaw's rough voice. "I know you're currently very busy with the repairs to the Normandy, but a situation has developed. We need you outside in the field barracks for an emergency meeting ASAP."

"But we're in the…."

"Now Doctor!" Bradshaw barked before cutting the line. Kelly just remained quiet and wondered what was going on.

- Field Barracks Outside Normandy Crash Site, Antarctica -

EDI was less than thrilled with what might come out of this meeting. Miranda had been quite blunt in her expectations and agreed with her. The second in command of Normandy sat near the front of the table, a holographic projector quickly assembled behind her from Normandy's cargo. EDI hovered in place and looked at the people and video uplinks around her. They all looked like politicians, except for the soldiers of course.

At the head of the politicians was Mister Woolsey, the others remained quiet and almost trying to hide in plain sight, but EDI had already checked them out. The fact that Great Britain and Russia both had contact here wasn't worrying, but the Chinese being absent made EDI curious. On the Earth she knew, there was still some tension between the nations, but nothing like what was clearly prevalent here on this Earth.

On video uplink, Doctor Weir and General Hammond both listened in and waited. The others in the room were Colonel Bradshaw, Teal'c, as well as Major Carter who seemed particularly annoyed. EDI made sure to keep a thread on the status of the soldier she'd recently brought to the Nromandy's medical bay. She silently pinged Miranda's omni-tool, to which Miranda replied just as silently in text.

'Agent Lawson, I believe if we update Major Carter on the status of their injured pilot, she may be more receptive to this meeting.'

'At least that'll make one of us.' Miranda waited a moment before continuing. 'We'll let her know after the meeting.'

EDI made the electronic equivalent of a shrug and continued waiting. It only took a few more moments, but the last person needed finally arrived. Doctor McKay was his typical blustery and frustrated self. "Haven't any of you ever heard about the problem with multi-tasking? If we don't finish what we've started before starting something else we…"

Colonel Bradshaw took a step towards McKay and growled. "Shut up McKay. You'll be back to the Normandy as soon as we're done this meeting." He motioned back to Miranda who nodded softly. EDI couldn't help but notice the look everyone – including the women – gave Miranda as she stood. "Commander Shepard is currently speaking with Admiral Hackett and Master Bra'tac, formulating the other half of what we're going to discuss here now." She turned to EDI and nodded, so EDI switched her appearance into a galaxy map indicating Earth as well as Watson. Miranda continued. "We've received word that one of Cerberus' agents, Kai Leng, is trapped on the planet Watson, a human colony on the periphery of Alliance territory."

Woolsey raised his hand, EDI could see the sudden humor in Miranda's posture. "Miss Lawson, could we perhaps refrain from classifying this as a 'Cerberus' operation? I've gone over the minutes from our President's meeting with the Illusive Man and I must say that despite his decision, the IOA has considerable reservations about Cerberus."

Miranda smiled, but EDI knew what it meant. "I'm only being accurate Mister Woolsey. To call Kai Leng anything but an agent of Cerberus would be… dishonest." EDI saw that Miranda's little joke went over everyone's head – she wondered if any of them might remember it when they finally met the former Alliance Soldier. "Since this is a joint operation, shall we call it a 'Coalition' operation?"

"Please." Woolsey relaxed in his seat a moment, before nodding. "and please continue."

A sudden exasperated sigh got everyone's attention. It was Weir of all people. "Mister Woolsey, I've read the same minutes you have from the President's meeting. If the situation described to us is as bad as described, then the last thing we need to worry about is whether or not the people we work with are xenophobic." She narrowed her eyes. "I can think of more than a few people in our own ranks who might fit well."

General Hammond interjected. "Enough, we can spend our time focusing on what we don't like about each other, or we can move past it and get to the point of the meeting." He looked to Miranda who nodded with the same telling smile. "Miss Lawson, forgive the interruptions."

EDI watched as Miranda graciously accepted the apology and continued. Miranda could be a very keen negotiator when needed. "Thank you, well since it seems you don't fully understand the situation, I'll summarize it. The Reapers, whom we have little true intelligence on, have somehow torn our individual galaxies apart and stitched them together along the lines of the Mass Relays. What this means is that many of the homeworlds and military assets of my galaxy are no longer with us. We have no clue what has happened to them, nor do we know what has happened to the people of your own galaxy within the zone of change."

EDI watched each member react, Weir hardened her face against the emotion she must have felt, but it was obvious she felt the pain. The politicians gave each other quick looks, each trying to show that they understood what was going on. The soldiers on the other hand tensed, as if preparing for a fight. They had all known the basics of what had happened, but to hear it summed up so succinctly was a strong blow. EDI could see it all and she didn't even have her biometric scanners here. Teal'c replied with his grave voice. "We shall avenge them all."

Miranda looked at Teal'c and nodded. "Indeed." EDI smirked to herself. Miranda tended to be very persuasive when she wanted to be. "To that end, our mutual leaders have just confirmed a coalition, and to be specific, the first of what we hope to be a mission that will end in success."

Woolsey nodded and leaned forward. "The IOA has approved the SGC to take a part in this operation, to which Doctor Weir will take a lead position."

EDI could see Weir mouth the words 'gee thanks.' but kept her voice calm. "I've already been brought up to speed on both the situation as well as the mission ahead of us, can we just get to the point?"

Miranda nodded and motioned to EDI. "Very well."

EDI brought up a new image, an Everest Class dreadnaught along with cross sections and a list of armaments. Beside it, a pair of Goa'uld Ha'tak above a garden planet. Miranda explained. "The Alliance ship in orbit, is going to depart in the next day for the planet Watson with the primary objective of rescuing Kai Leng along with his prisoner – a Goa'uld who has infested an Alliance Soldier. Secondary objectives are to rescue as many civilians as possible as the Jaffa leading the siege have been kidnapping the populace, as well as stealing all higher end technology. Tertiary objective is to attempt to either break the siege, or capture more Goa'uld and Jaffa technology."

EDI noticed the grim look on Carter's face, but it was McKay's voice that cut through everyone's defenses. "What? You can't be serious! A Ha'tak would rip that ship apart like a lightning bolt through cheese! Who's suicidal enough to even try something like that?"

Miranda stared back at McKay and narrowed her eyes. "We don't exactly have much a choice, unless we want to simply let the Reapers overrun us. From what I've learned of the Goa'uld, you'd rather enslavement to them than what the Reapers have in store for us."

"That doesn't change physics." Carter objected as she sat up. "The standard cannons on a Ha'tak deliver hundreds of megatons of destructive energy. From what I've read on the Everest, its main cannons only deliver kilotons worth. It'd be like throwing pebbles at bulletproof glass."

General Hammond shook his head in disapproval. "Even Prometheus can't stand against Ha'tak. Its nuclear armament hasn't been fully tested against Goa'uld shields either."

Teal'c turned to Hammond. "We know not if the Ha'tak orbiting Watson are Anubis Refit. It is foolish to go into this battle expecting anything but a tactical victory."

Miranda took that moment to interject. "That is the exact reason we're having this meeting. We want to mitigate as much risk as possible, but have very little time." She looked to McKay and Carter. "Both of you have spent considerable time on the Normandy and going over our Codex. While Normandy is currently receiving an upgraded power system to allow her to take off under her own power, we've not really discussed any potential hybridization of our weapons or defensive systems." Miranda paused a beat, then turned to EDI.

EDI brought up the information that Illusive Man and his closest researchers had spent the last few days creating. Illusive Man had been clear that while his own research had led to some particular hybridization, he wanted it to appear to come from the Earthers themselves. She brought uo the molecular structure of Naquadah, with the name titled at the top of the screen. "The biggest difference apart from Element Zero in our technologies is this, Naquadah. Normandy is being upgraded to receive Naquadah generators which will considerably boost all power hungry systems such as barriers and the Tantalus drive. With only a short amount of time, we'd like to come up with as many advantages we can give the Everest for this mission."

McKay scratched his head and mumbled. "Short of a Green Lantern power ring…"

Carter gave McKay a disapproving look and shook her head. "Come on McKay, this isn't a game." She rubbed her chin and spoke aloud. "We don't have the time to upgrade anything beyond simply adding Naquadah to the equation, so let's focus on weaponry. EDI?" Carter looked to the screen where EDI added her image to the screen. She wasn't surprised Carter was the one to think it. "Can you run simulations based on both Everest's weaponry, as well as our current manufacturing ability?"

McKay retorted in a condescending tone. "It's not a hard thing to figure out. Drill a hole in one of those cannon shells, add some naquadah, and bam, you've got an instant megaton level weapon."

Carter furrowed her brow and looked to EDI. "Admittedly, yes. That is the quickest thing we can do. What kind of machine shop…" Her eyes opened wide, as if realizing something. EDI had an idea what it was. "Wait… Normandy only has a small medical lab and armory. We have machine shops and construction areas here at McMurdo and the SGC, but does the Everest have anything similar?"

Miranda seemed to have caught on as well and continued her smile. "Yes, the Everest does have a large machine shop. The ship is designed to need as little drydock time as possible, and as such it can manufacture its own ammunition as well as repair parts."

McKay now opened his own eyes as he realized what they were talking about. "How do your machine shops work? I mean… the Omni-tool is basically a super powered 3d printer. What kind of machinery do you have when it comes to actual large construction?"

EDI liked these Earth humans, it was refreshing to meet people who despite being new to their technology, didn't take it for granted or fear it. "Without embellishment, I believe we may be able to do better than simply adding Naquadah to cannon shells."

-Normandy SR-2 Briefing Room-

"The Everest is at full readiness, we were actually giving the Shepard Memorial a full salute when this whole thing happened." Hackett still wasn't sure about this whole mission, but he trusted Shepard enough to listen to him. Hayes, Bra'tac and the Tok'ra had left to their respective peoples leaving only himself and Shepard in the Normandy Briefing room. They were both needed with everyone else, but they also needed to come to a few agreements themselves.

Shepard nodded as he looked at the information Kai Leng had sent. The fight on Watson was lost before it began, but he wasn't ready to give in that easily. "So two squadrons of Razors and Arrows, Three Marine Platoons, and Kodiaks?"

Hackett chuckled softly. "It's been so long, I forget that you were one of the better ones." He shook his head though. "Most of our marines are green, and we don't have drone support, but we've got three N7 Platoon leaders with combat experience along with NCO support. We seconded a few polar transports for the ceremony along with a squad of Makos. Not exactly the best in terms of ground support, but we're not defenseless on the ground."

"N7s… Anyone I know?"

Hackett shook his head. "Doubtful. But you can bet they all know you." He sighed softly and leaned forward. "And they all know you've been working with Cerberus. Don't expect a heroes welcome."

"I never do." Shepard retorted. He tapped a few buttons and the screen in front of them shifted to one of the planet Watson. Kai Leng's information superimposed itself, the planet had undergone some very serious damage to both its power grid and military infrastructure. "This isn't exactly a typical raid on a planetary blockade. Those Ha'tak'll rip you to shreds if you get too close."

"I don't plan on it." Hackett dryly countered.

"Right now, I think our best hope is standard raid tactics." Shepard pointed out a line along the orbit of Watson. "We jump in and FTL as close to Watson as we can, you take an opposite orbit as the Ha'tak and launch every transport you've got. We evacuate Kai Leng and the prisoner at the least, then we focus on getting as many civilians out as possible. It's not a great plan but unless these Earthers can come up with a better one, it's the most likely to succeed."

Hackett rubbed his face. "This is suicide Shepard. I came here to bring you back to the Citadel, the Everest isn't designed to fight singlehandedly."

Shepard sighed and cracked his knuckles. "We don't have a choice Admiral. If it were up to me I'd go on my own using Normandy, but I don't have that option right now."

"Do you think it's worth it?" Hackett asked. "I've got over a thousand people on my ship and I'm not going to risk them unless it's worth it in the long run. Plus I've got that blasted AI and Major Carter running my machine shop crew into the ground."

Shepard was quiet for a long moment, he turned his head towards the wall opposite of Hackett and spoke lowly. "I've spent the last few months asking myself that same question. Ever since Cerberus brought me back, things have just been getting more and more confusing. Everything I ever knew has changed, and all of a sudden I have to change too." Shepard clenched his fist and brought it to his mouth. "It's a dark day when I think Cerberus is the best hope we've got for survival. That prisoner could have vital information on the Goa'uld as well as possible Reaper activity in this galaxy." He turned and faced Hackett, his eyes narrowed. "The Reapers changed this game. I can't play by the rules anymore if I want to win. I just hope you see that before it's too late."

Hackett remained in his seat and rubbed his chin. "I pray you know what you're doing. If Cerberus turns out how I expect, victory might cost us more than we're willing to accept."

-Field Barracks outside Normandy SR-2 Crash Site-

Sam couldn't afford not to think straight. Every thread of the situation in front of her begged to be tugged, but she had to focus. The barracks outside of Normandy were cold, but the idea of what was about to happen kept her warm. The plan she'd drawn up in front of her was verging on suicidal, but she hoped Colonel Bradshaw and General Hammond agreed with her risk assessment before she brought it to Doctor Weir.

It was eerie to read and summarize the military capability of the SGC in a single folder. The SGC could muster a battalion of soldiers in emergency, along with the equivalent air and ground vehicle support. Two full wings of F-302s, USS Prometheus, and the Ancient Drone Chair were the only non-conventional forces they had. The rest was no different than any other military force on the planet. It was scary to think that it actually was quite small in comparison to their new allies, especially when it came down to the plan she'd come up with for the battle of Watson

Colonel Bradshaw read through the summary. Sam had made it as simple as possible and even had a map of Watson EDI had provided her. General Hammond on the video uplink scratched his chin pensively; Sam couldn't help but think the older man was judging her.

Bradshaw finally spoke, his voice low and grave. "You're expecting at least twenty percent casualties?"

Sam nodded. "If we launch a full assault intended to break the siege of Watson, those numbers are a realistic casualty assessment I've derived from the resources we currently have, and the resources being put together on the Everest right now."

Hammond also spoke with a somber voice. "Major Carter, we asked you to come up with a plan that lowered the risk and potential casualties. This plan calls for a full-scale assault against a dug in enemy with superior technology. We wouldn't have considered this even without the direness of the situation."

Sam was used to getting stonewalled, but never from Hammond. "General, the plan calls for two phases, with the assault being the first. I've coordinated with EDI and we both agree that if we aim to break the occupation of Watson, it will not be bloodless."

Bradshaw harrumphed. "We didn't ask for a bloodbath." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Everest leaves in fifteen hours. You've got ten minutes to convince me that this plan isn't going to get everyone involved killed."

Sam took a calm deep breath, and saw that Hammond agreed with Bradshaw's rebuke. She hated the plan she'd come up with as well but there was no option. "Sirs, we don't have the firepower nor the numbers to face the occupying force head on and succeed, but we have enough to give them a bloody nose. The plan calls for the Everest to transfer its ground support vehicles to Prometheus along with the majority of its ground forces. Prometheus would make the space necessary by leaving its fighter complement here on Earth. We can supplement with SG teams equipped with Alliance Kinetic Barriers and weapons, as well as the equipment Everest's machine shop is currently creating."

"What about Prometheus's defenses? Without a fighter screen it's vulnerable." Hammond interjected.

Sam held her tongue and wondered to herself, had they read the whole plan or were they just testing her resolve? "We've been able to reach twenty percent casualty projection by not committing any of our 302 forces. To put it plainly, if the Jaffa have access to Alliance tech, our 302s will be little more than target practice. The Everest's fighter and interceptor squadron will more than make up for it as their craft are equipped with Kinetic Barriers that will provide ample protection against their own weapons, and basic protection against Goa'uld weapons."

Bradshaw grumbled. "I don't like having to rely on their support so much. Too complicated makes it easy to screw around with. From the report you gave us, their kinetic barriers only stop the force behind a staff shot, not the heat. Since their guns have a problem with overheating it's a vulnerability that's too easy to exploit. I don't want soldiers to go into battle knowing their protection is only going to end up getting them cooked."

Sam pursed her lips and forced the words out. "With all due respect sir, if we commit to this fight, we don't have a choice. Their barriers provide no protection against Zats, but their armor will give us a buffer against plasma weaponry as they are fitted with insulation rated for space travel. In addition to what will hopefully be a successful construction of hybridized technology, it's obviously not an ideal situation, but a few blisters beats having your skeleton carbonized."

"Major." Hammond's voice warned. Sam knew she'd touched a nerve but she wasn't going to let fear get in the way of her job. "Stay on topic; if Prometheus won't have fighters, what use does it really have other than a taxi? Doesn't the Everest have a deployment method for them?"

"Yes, but Prometheus will make up for the limitations of the Everest's ground forces." Sam explained. "The Everest has a complement of ground assault vehicles and three platoons worth of their equivalent to Marine, but they have to be deployed using relatively slow transports that are susceptible to ground fire as well as air attack. Prometheus' Asgard shields will give the ground forces the protection they need to ensure they all make it to the ground, and Prometheus can also provide close air support for them as they accomplish their mission."

"Isn't that exposing Prometheus to the brunt of their counterattack?" Bradshaw countered. "Without fighter cover, it won't be able to repel a sustained Al'Kesh or Death Glider attack."

Sam knew now that they were just testing her resolve. Their questions were too convoluted to be anything else and she knew neither man to be naïve. "The Everest's fighter squadrons are more than we'd call a squadron. They have a total of approximately 60 interceptors for anti-fighter duty, and 20 fighter/bombers for either ground support or anti-capital ship duties. The battleplan calls for an 80-20 split between protecting the Everest, and escorting Prometheus."

Bradshaw turned to look at Hammond's screen, where the General kept a composed face. Sam could tell they were deciding whether or not it was worth the risk. Hammond eventually pushed forward. "Very well, so we launch a full attack on the occupying forces while Everest keeps the Ha'taks attention. We won't be able to hold that level of aggression for long."

Sam gulped softly, here came the insanity. "We won't have to. The reason we would launch such a major assault on their ground positions is to force at least some of their transports on the ground into a retreat. While the majority of our forces engage in direct conflict and accomplish the primary objective of extracting the prisoner. Commander Shepard and myself will lead a small detachment to either hijack or board one of those transports."

Bradshaw raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Hijack? Wait… you mean…"

"We sneak onto the orbiting Ha'tak, and we either take it by force or sabotage it." Sam calmly explained. It wasn't as if she hadn't snuck onto Ha'tak before, but rarely with the full intention she did now. "We don't have the firepower to take them down from the outside, but even a well placed C4 charge can disable a Ha'tak from the inside."

Hammond leaned forward, his face filling the screen. "Major… this won't be a simple in and out mission. You'll have at the most ten, maybe twenty people. Ha'tak are staffed by hundreds of Jaffa, and from what we've understood these Ha'tak carry a true army. You'll be outnumbered ten to one at best. At worst it'll be a hundred to one."

Sam nodded. "That's where the Alliance Technology has to play its part. Armed with their weapons, as well as armor. I think that with their biotic and tech specialists' help, we stand a chance of winning with the element of surprise."

"A slim chance." Bradshaw muttered. "Major, that's a suicidal plan that puts hundreds if not thousands of lives at risk, and banks on the abilities of a single squad versus potentially battalion level forces. I can't in good conscious order the men and women under my command to go through with it."

Sam took a deep breath, then nodded. "I understand sir, and that's why both Teal'c and I volunteer. We understand the risks and want to go ahead with it regardless."

Hammond's face turned a strange somber, and Sam could almost see the regret in his eyes. "I have to agree with Colonel Bradshaw, but the situation has gone well beyond what we would normally consider." Hammond leaned back and regained his stern composure. "I reluctantly approve your plan – granted Commander Shepard also volunteers. I'll still put it to the SGC's discretion, but I already know they'll all volunteer anyways."

Sam could see the strange look in both Hammond and Bradshaw's eyes, and recalled an old saying. The heroes are always the first to die in war.

-Normandy SR-2 Crew Deck-

Shepard reviewed the plans EDI sent him as he ran around the Normandy crew deck, his daily exercise. It was suicidal, but Grunt would say it'd need Quad to succeed. He passed by his crewmembers, each nodded and some smiling back at him as he ran past. The Omni-tool sent the information straight to his headset which kept the information to himself.

He had to admit, for only having a few hours to design, Carter and McKay had come up with some ingenious hybridizations. After testing their kinetic barriers against Jaffa weapons, it was clear that the advantage of having a replenishing buffer between you and the thing shooting at you had been negated considerably. The heat from the plasma would cause their guns to malfunction, and over repeated hits cook the target alive. Shepard wasn't exactly looking forward to potentially being hit by one of those things in any case, so he was glad Carter had come up with something.

The Riot Shield like device was crude in comparison to kinetic barriers, but it was easy to understand logic. Made of two plate of silicon carbide, the grooved pattern increased surface area along with several dozen bolts holding the two plates about an inch apart. On the inside of the plates was a material he'd never heard of before, but these Earthers had tested it against Staff weapons and proven it effective at stopping the shot. A trio of battery powered fans on the bottom pushed the heat up and out the top of the shield, all while a coating of Aerogel protected the person who'd heft it from the heat.

It was a combination of low tech ideas with high tech materials. The shield didn't look incredibly tough, and Carter had explicitly noted that it was designed to provide limited protection against Staff shots, not Mass Effect driven weapons. Still, if they found themselves pinned down, it'd make a hell of a great mobile cover for the few seconds it would last.

The SGC hadn't built a huge number of those plates though, it would have been great to be able to graft them onto their own armor, but that would have to wait till these Earthers realized that this was going to be a real war.

Which made the next technology even more confusing. They had taken Everest's D-Class Cannon ammunition and added a small amount of 'weapons grade Naquadah' to the core of the rounds. There was a point form summary of why this would work, Shepard would have to thank Carter for being able to dumb things down for everyone to understand. Naquadah seemed like a miracle resource as it took the normally kiloton level weapon into the megatons with no extra strain on the guns themselves. It was ingenious, yet simple and easy to manufacture. Carter made it very specific though that their resources of Naquadah weren't infinite and this wasn't the best use of the material.

Shepard wondered exactly how long these humans would last in his universe. The way they tried to keep the biggest secrets from the general public only made it harder for them to build a large infrastructure to combat the Goa'uld. It was the strangest thing to see these people with such advanced technology squander it. Mordin's own confusion and assessment of them rang true in Shepard's ears.

There were plans as well, for upgraded power systems from the small scale to the large, grafting new technologies onto Normandy, even so far as creation of new craft that utilized both technologies from construction. There just wasn't enough time for more than the basics now.

Which made the plan to infiltrate and take the Ha'tak orbiting Watson seem more an act of desperation than moxie. Shepard could see there were reference notes on it as well, including other times they've infiltrated Ha'tak. If these humans seemed to squander technology, the Goa'uld did even less with more. It wasn't difficult for Shepard with his technical training to see that Death Gliders were little more than cannon fodder, with Al'Kesh being the real heavy hitter when it came to support craft. Ha'tak themselves were massive and underpowered, but Shepard didn't see much stopping them from becoming tetrahedral death machines with the right know how and dedication.

He knew Illusive Man likely already had his own ideas, but for now, this would have to do. Shepard wasn't going to let something like the high likelihood of getting killed again stop him from showing the Reapers who they were fighting.

- SSV Everest, VIP Quarters -

Hackett watched the simulation that AI Shepard had as a lapdog had drawn up of the potential battleplan ahead of them. The bridge crew of his ship were making ready to set out, the Captain of the Everest had already privately said he'd go along with any plan the Admiral agreed to as he trusted him completely. The private VIP guest quarters were soundproofed, though a bit smaller than what Hackett was used it. The cramped environment only made him feel more claustrophobic.

He watched on the holographic projector as the Everest jumped out of the relay, quickly followed by the Earth Ship Prometheus. Such a small ship in comparison, Hackett didn't know what to think about these backwards ass humans. The report he'd gotten on Prometheus' capabilities seemed topsy turvy. It had great defensive systems, but next to no real firepower. It seemed contradictory to see Everest charge into battle using standard evasive movement into orbit while Prometheus entered the atmosphere of Watson.

Everest would follow standard raid procedures, keeping the planet in between itself and the Ha'tak, evacuating as many civilians as possible and taking a potshot whenever they could. Once the Ha'tak got within threat range, Everest would FTL out of harms way.

While that was happening, Everest's marine contingent would be assaulting any ground forces that had Goa'uld cargo ships. Prometheus would give them cover and also extract Kai Leng and his prisoner. Forcing even a partial retreat meant that the final phase of the attack had a chance.

Commander Shepard would lead a team to infiltrate any retreating cargo ships or Al'Kesh in order to board the Ha'tak, at which point they either sabotaged the ship and ran, or if they could, captured the ship.

Hackett knew Shepard had pulled off some insane plans in his time. Akuze had proven to the universe that in the darkest moments, Shepard managed to outmaneuver the grim reaper. There just wasn't an option anymore for a sane, low risk course of action.

Hackett sighed softly and engaged his com system. "Captain, I want you to coordinate with the military forces in the Antarctic Base I recently returned from. Confirm our agreement on their plan, and get me Commander Shepard on the horn."

It took a few moments, but the Captain replied. "Aye sir, We'll get it done."

Hackett recalled leading the fifth fleet against Sovereign in the battle of the citadel. He'd been at the head of the most powerful force humanity had ever created and lost so many. Now he was about to lead a pair of mismatched ships in a suicidal mission against an alien race that made the fifth fleet look like toy guns. Nothing ever seemed simple anymore.

-Normandy SR-2 Cargo Bay-

Shepard had once thought of his crew as the closest thing to his family. That was before the Reapers spaced him and tore two years from his life away. Now he stood amoung his new twisted family in the cargo bay. Miranda stood behind and to the right of him, her arms crossed and emphasizing her assets. Shepard had grown accustomed to her doing that, but there were parts of him that were still human.

Jacob and Garrus stood off to the side, both now wearing their armor. Shepard had wondered every so often how they could both be so brutal on the battlefield, but so friendly in every other respect. Shepard had asked Mordin to stay behind on Normandy to continue the repairs and to work with the Earth humans to hybridize their technology. No sense wasting such a brilliant mind on a suicide mission. The irony made Shepard chuckle.

That led to the more sinister side of his new crew. Grunt paced back and forth, small training sessions only burning off a bit of his pent up aggression. Shepard knew that in a true war scene, Grunt would finally feel welcome. But Jack was a mystery, and he wondered how she'd react. "Most of you've been keeping apprised of what's been going on, but I'm going to explain what our role is going to be."

Around them, teams of engineers put the final touches on the rewired ship. Plates of newly welded steel stuck out in their vision, but the Kodiak drop ship being prepped was the main point of attraction. "The mission we prepared for is over, the Collectors may still be out there but we've got more pressing concerns.

"I don't know what any of you think about this whole situation, but I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to go out there and take back this galaxy from the monsters who've torn it apart. This fight starts on Watson, a human colony where we'll be engaging a new enemy, whom we think are being influenced by the Reapers."

Jack scoffed. "I saw that report you were flaunting. You really expect us to stand a chance if an entire Alliance planet and fleet couldn't stop them?"

Shepard stared back and retorted. "You ripped apart a space station to escape your imprisonment. I could use your help doing the same to this enemy." He turned to look at everyone. "I need all of your help. We've got a plan but we'll have the best chance if we all work together.

"We've got new allies, and we've got a war ahead of us. I'm going to be a part of it whether you join me or not, but there's no way to avoid it. This war is coming to us whether we want or not, and I'd rather meet it head on than let it come to me." Shepard raised his omni-tool and transferred the battleplan information. "You can read it all. These Stargate Earthers aren't playing around, and they're putting their own people at risk."

The crew each read the plan, Shepard couldn't help but notice how they each seemed impressed in their own way. Grunt laughed and flexed his arms. "Ha! These humans' got quad. I think I'm gonna like the next few days."

Garrus and Jacob turned to each other, shrugged and nodded. "It'll be weird to fight alongside Alliance troops again, but I won't say no to fighting the Reapers."

"Shepard." Garrus began. "You know I'm not going to run from a fight, but I'm not stupid enough to know you won't have an ace up your sleeve." He pumped his fists. "I wouldn't mind knowing that before we jump into the fight."

Shepard smiled and nodded. "You're right, and it's on its way right now from Everest."

Jack crossed her own arms and shook her head. "I guess I don't have a choice yet since I can't really get off this ride, but quit the whole mysterious vibe. Gives me the creeps."

-USS Prometheus, Area 51-

Sam watched from Prometheus' bridge as the Polar Transports from the Everest landed on the desert floor of Area 51 and unloaded their troop and Mako ground vehicles. It was a short trip from their landing site to Prometheus' cargo bays. They only had a few hours before it was time to depart, and she hoped the ideas they'd come up with would help save these people's lives.

Doctor Weir had given her worries, she argued against such a violent course of action and tried to lobby for a less bloody outcome. It was pointless though, and eventually she'd agreed to allow SGC members to volunteer. Sam had seen the worry in Weir's eyes but she also saw the resolve. Weir might have seemed like a softer hearted leader of the SGC, but the IOA had chosen well as Weir had learned the ropes quickly. Her only caveat was to bring back as many people alive as possible, something Sam easily agreed to.

She wound her way through the corridors of the ship, crewmen saluting her as they scurried around. She had a small presentation to give, something she figured Shepard was doing for his own crew.

It wasn't long before she ended up in the cargo bay, it had been hastily emptied of fighters, and a few air scrubbers had been added to make up for the extra crew. Cots and bunks adorned the sides of the room, with the Makos tightly packed together in the center. Crates from the Everest were being wielded in as well, housing everything Sam had worked out with EDI.

The three platoons were smaller than Sam had envisioned. A total of some hundred soldiers, most of them looking nervous. She quickly recognized the leaders from their specific markings and N7 badges painted on their armor.

As she moved towards the head of the group, a sudden rush came from the open cargo bay doors. She turned her head and stood up on her toes, then realizing who it was.

Commander Shepard along with his personal squad had arrived, each wielding weapons. Sam was a little worried that neither Miranda, Jack, or Jacob wore much armor, but figured they knew what they were doing.

The crew stood to the side, clearly away from the rest of the Alliance soldiers. Shepard stared straight at the other N7 soldiers, who stared back and nodded softly. Sam figured they must have had some kind of soldier bonding. Shepard then turned to her and walked over. "Major Carter."

"Commander Shepard." Sam replied. She then turned to the rest of the crowd, whom had split themselves into groups. Likely their individual squads. She activated a small mic she'd attached to her lapel and spoke, her voice booming from the ship's loudspeaker system. "Alliance Soldiers."

They quieted, but not all of them paid attention. The three N7 leaders barked orders, quickly bringing them all to attention. Sam was used to being the center of attention, but now it was going to be interesting. "No doubt you're all wondering what you've been ordered here for. My name is Major Samantha Carter and I'm going to be briefing you on the upcoming mission and why you're here instead of the Everest." She turned to the side, where a holographic projector had been installed. EDI wouldn't be coming with them for the battle as she was a permanent fixture of the Normandy, but Sam had found herself relying more and more on EDI's multitasking ability. It was eerie that she almost considered the AI a bit of a friend now.

The large blue bulb shape rose up and turned into a map of Watson. EDI said nothing as they'd agreed that an AI might scare the Alliance soldiers, so Sam spoke. "Many of you know that the planet Watson has come under siege, but what many of you do not know is that the force who've been resisting the invasion have captured a prisoner, a prisoner who may have very important intelligence that may prove invaluable in the coming weeks and months." Sam could see the Alliance soldiers were only paying some attention to her. She wasn't a part of their structure and hence, not as important. Sam felt like passing the rest off to Shepard, whom she knew they recognized, but she needed to explain everything she'd been working on.

"I know that this must seem hasty, but our mutual leaders have agreed to work together towards the same purpose. As such, I've put together a summary of the plan we've drawn up. You'll each be able to access it from your omni-tools as well as your individual roles." She took a breath and then moved over to one of the crates delivered from the Everest.

"The enemy who we'll be facing uses a wholly different kind of weapons technology than you're accustomed to. Instead of mass effect driven projectile weapons, they utilize magnetically propelled plasma and electrical energy. While your kinetic barriers will protect you against the physical impact of these plasma weapons, the heat transfer will be completely unimpeded. To give you a tangible idea of the implications of this, it has the same effect of an Infiltrator using both their overload and plasma blasts in one shot." She noticed several of the soldiers raise their eyebrows. The Codex was quite clear that tech related combat was nothing to balk at. "The only difference is, a Goa'uld Staff weapon has a refire rate of almost fourty shots a minute."

Grumbling and murmur swept the crowd. Sam knew it must have sounded insane. Shepard stepped forward to her surprise and barked. "The Major isn't making this up, we've got a hell of a fight ahead of us." He turned to Carter and nodded.

Sam nodded back and turned to the soldiers. She then brought up a map of Watson on the holographic projector behind her. "Once we reach Watson, Everest will distract the ships in orbit in order to give us a clear path to land on the planet. Prometheus is capable of atmospheric entry and its defenses will protect it from either Goa'uld or Mass Effect driven weapons." She pointed out several places on the now zooming in map, showing the city Kai Leng had hidden in. "The plan is to strike at the largest Jaffa concentration with a full assault, this is where you'll come in along with your ground assault craft."

Sam opened the crate beside her, pulling out a large two-layered plate that had a hand grip on one end. The plates were riveted and resembled a screw in its feel. It was hollow between the two plates, with several small fans on the bottom. Sam wondered how many of them knew about surface area and thermal conductivity. "To that end, we've quickly put together this. Because your kinetic barriers will only protect against the physical damage of staff shots, we've designed and built something akin to a riot shield." She hefted it into her arm, a small port so the user could see through. If she crouched it'd make a great cover position. "It's made of two layers of heat resistant material while remaining very light. The outer layer will dissipate the majority of the heat while the inner layer is a material we've made to defeat the kinetic energy behind Staff Shots. It will be able to absorb the heat from we're guessing about a dozen shots before taking any real damage, so it will give you a much better chance against them using tactics you're already accustomed to."

One of the N7 soldiers moved up, his face was scarred from obvious combat. "What's the point of this attack? If their ships are so much more powerful than what we've got, won't they just bomb us from orbit?"

Sam nodded and turned back to the map. "In all likelihood yes, but that's where the next part comes into play." The image changed to that of a Goa'uld Transport, a Cargo Ship, and an Al'Kesh. "The reason you'll be attacking is to drive at least some of their ships into retreat. Commander Shepard and I will be leading a strike team to infiltrate and hopefully board the Ha'tak in orbit of Watson by hitching a ride on one of these ships. You'll fall back as soon as we can confirm we've succeeded in our mission, and extract as many civilians as possible."

The N7 soldier who'd spoken up and turned back to the others. The enlisted soldiers looked worried, but the N7s seemed impressed. He turned back to Sam and shrugged. "Ballsy."

-USS Prometheus, Bridge, Orbit of Earth-

Colonel Pendergast looked around him, the officers who'd volunteered for this crazy mission were exactly whom he'd expected of his crew, all of them. Granted the engineers and scientists had opted out, but that was only rational – they were going into a battle, not a scientific mission.

When he'd gotten the plan from General Hammond, the General had offered to take Pendergast's place if he wanted. Pendergast appreciated the offer, but Hammond had led Prometheus against Anubis, so he needed to prove he was worthy of the command of Earth's only combat space vehicle. The fact that the role had switched from defense to a full on offence meant little, this was going to be a full test of Prometheus' abilities.

The alien yet human crew residing in the cargo bay had been less than talkative. The SGC had sent four SG teams to supplement the marines, but there just wasn't enough time for anything beyond arming up.

Even now, as Prometheus drifted up and into orbit alongside Everest, Pendergast wasn't sure what to think. The way the IOA had accepted the whole coalition angle so quickly felt strange. If anything, the things they'd done in the past almost tended to be along the lines of what Cerberus was supposed to be. Now that Pendergast thought about it, maybe it did make sense.

The Everest sent a signal, the necessary equations for Prometheus to use the Mass Relay. The crew worked quietly and diligently, though Pendergast could sense the tension between them all. Only a few of them had ever been through the Stargate, let along a giant mass reducing conduit which felt more like magic. He was sure once the science of it had been translated into something he could understand it would feel better, but for now he was about to step into a complete unknown. "Lieutenant Marks."

The helmsmen turned his head. "Yes sir."

"Plot a course parallel to the Everest. Let them know we'll be following their lead until we reach the target." He turned to the operations officer and continued. "Have the Alliance ground forces bunk down for the meantime. Everest says it'll take 12 hours to get to the target between Relay Jumps, so let the entire crew know to get their rest in before." Pendergast silently added to himself. God knows how long this fight might last.

-USS Prometheus, Cargo Bay-

Shepard and his team had bunked around a corner of the cargo bay, Carter and Teal'c joined them as they sat in quickly put together bunks and prepared to go to sleep after getting some practice with Cerberus armor and weapons. Shepard and his own team had gone over schematics of a standard Ha'tak, looking for potential weak points. The atmosphere inside the cargo bay was tense to say the least, but Shepard had endured worse. He looked over to Teal'c who had sat down on a blanket and seemed to meditate. "You awake there big guy?"

Teal'c opened his eyes and looked at Shepard. "Commander. You have a question?"

"What are you doing there?"

"Kel'No'Reem." Shepard contorted his face in confusion. "You've only learned little of the Jaffa."

Shepard shrugged. "Just enough to kill them." He remembered who he was talking to and added. "Only if they want to kill me though. What is Kel'No'Reem?"

Teal'c shifted slightly and motioned to his center. Shepard noticed how some of the others began to pay attention. "Most Jaffa carry within them a larval Goa'uld. It is a symbiotic relationship as the Goa'uld give the Jaffa freedom of illness, rapid healing, and long life. Rather than need sleep, we connect with the symbiote which then uses its regenerative abilities to heal us. Without this symbiote, a Jaffa will suffer a rapid degenerative death."

To Shepard's surprise, Jack had shifted in her bunk and gave a weird sound. "You mean you've got one of those snake things inside you?"

Teal'c shook his head, to which Jack relaxed. Shepard was surprised that Jack had interjected. "No, during my travels with SG-1, we discovered a culture that used Goa'uld symbiotes to create a serum to increase their own health. Rather than maintain a symbiote within me, a synthetic version of that serum is what I use to maintain my own health."

Jacob had neatly made himself a space, with his weapons stowed away underneath his cot. "Sounds like it isn't as effective. But not having something like that inside you must be worth it huh?"

Teal'c turned to Jacob and nodded. "Indeed. It has been a long time since I have called a Goa'uld my master in any respect. My strength lies within my dedication and loyalty to my people."

Miranda was paying attention as well and asked the obvious. "If you don't have one of those symbiotes anymore, then why do you Kel'No'Reem?"

Teal'c remained silent for a moment, but Carter interjected. "Old habits die hard."

Shepard shrugged and leaned forward. Sleep beckoned, but the thought of what came after made his adrenal gland quiver. "I want to be clear Teal'c. Both to you and to Master Bra'tac. I have nothing against your people, but if there are Jaffa out there who will follow the Reapers, I won't hesitate to stop them."

Teal'c nodded and closed his eyes. "In my mission to end the Goa'uld, I have always tried to rescue as many Jaffa as possible. But in this we find agreement. If ignorance will not be cured, then only justice remains."

Shepard nodded and looked to those around him. Jack looked mildly impressed, while Miranda and Jacob just went back to trying to sleep. Carter on the other hand gave Teal'c a soft squeeze of his shoulder before going back to her own cot. Grunt and Mordin on the other hand were quite content in their bunks, Grunt snoring loudly while Mordin made a soft warbling sound. It wouldn't be long now for all hell to break loose

-SSV Everest, CIC Deck-

Hackett wondered what the crew of Prometheus though of their first relay travel. While the much smaller craft was a lot faster in between the primary and secondary relays, he did understand that the distance to Watson wasn't something Prometheus could cover in the same time as the Mass Relays. Hackett was used to traveling from one side of the galaxy to the other in an instant, where it would take significantly longer for these humans to. Then again, that Stargate system he'd been reading about before going to sleep sounded just as convenient.

When he'd woken, the ship was approaching the final relay jump to Watson. Prometheus was already there, just waiting for Everest to show up and make the final preparations for the jump. Hackett turned to the Captain of the Everest and nodded. "Raise Prometheus."

It wasn't long for the communications line to open. Colonel Pendergast's face filled the screen of the bridge. "Admiral Hackett, we're ready for the final jump to Watson. My crew is at general quarters and the Alliance Ground force in our cargo bay is primed and loaded."

Hackett recalled the wait he endured from the Arcturus gate to the Citadel, he'd had the entire fleet with him there. Now he was going at it alone. "Affirmative, Everest is at battle ready condition and prepared for jump. Once we reach Watson we'll draw their attention while you accomplish the primary objective."

"Don't take unnecessary risks." Pendergast advised. "Those Ha'tak are faster than they look, keep a safe distance."

"Will do." Hackett turned to the other officers in the room and nodded. They all seemed tense, but just like he'd expected the flagship of the Alliance fleet was staffed by the best, brightest, and bravest… exactly the kind of people who took unnecessary risks. "Navigator, plot us a course for the Skepsis System. Warm up all weapon batteries and have the fighter squadrons prep for launch." He heard acknowledgements, and then the gentle push on his body as the ship accelerated towards the Mass Relay.