1
Tara sat alone at the bridge of Nova, her attention fixed on the stream of light that glided past them as they made their way towards Destiny. Jack watched her for a moment, unsure if he should really raise any of the questions he desperately wanted answers to. "It is rude to stare", Tara murmured, motioning to the seat next to hers. Jack quickly sat down and turned to face the women beside him, "Tara, can I ask you something?", he asked gently. Tara smiled softly and nodded, "Ask away Jack".
He cleared his throat and ran his hands nervously over his jacket, "Why are you the last? Are the Ancients going to be part of the alliance and are you certain this hair-brained plan will work?", he blurted out. Tara laughed quietly and turned to face him, "That is three questions Jack. And to answer two of them I will need to tell you a story. One that few know of".
2
Pegasus Galaxy – World of the First
The world of The Firsts lay deep within the Pegasus Galaxy, a shining beacon for all the races that had evolved from them. They revered this planet and all of those who dwelt upon it, for without them, many of these species would never have existed. It was because of this respect the First had decided not to have a defence system, or to build weapons of any kind. This decision would be their very undoing.
When the Scáil ships appeared in the night sky, none predicted what they were about to do. Too late did the First realise they were being attacked, the mass extermination of their race the Scáils sole aim. Millions died in the first wave, while those who could fled the planets surface in the many ships that they had built for exploration. The Scails numbers were many though and they quickly destroyed all but one vessel. Those on-board, only six in number, had sent an urgent distress signal, pleading to their kin for aid. When the Ancients replied, asking what the situation was, The First felt certain they would come to help them.
They did not. The Ancients had always stayed clear of others species problems, so why should they treat the First any differently? They insisted that they handle the attack themselves and severed all communications with the now ailing ship. As the Scáil boarded the remaining vessel, all hope seemed lost and one by one, each of the First were slowly slaughtered by their foe. Two locked themselves into the helm of the ship, both wounded and certain death would soon be upon them.
Suddenly, the sound of the Scáil ships outside was replaced with a new one, that of weapons fire and explosions. Several ships swooped beside the Firsts vessel, each one firing wildly at the Scails. The First heard the screams of their enemy resonating through the ship and their hope slowly rose. Silence fell, both inside and outside the ship and the doors to the helm slid open, the light from the corridor illuminating just one of their rescuers. The tall being lurched forward, picking up one of The First in those strong, blue arms. It turned and motioned to the other, now still First and a smaller figure, with almost white skin, approached. He knelt down and scooped the being up, quickly carrying it out of the helm, towards the airlock and waiting ship.
The two were placed in a brightly lit room, where small, almond eyed beings scurried around them, desperately trying to save their lives. Despite their greatest efforts, only one of The First survived and that was only because of drastic measures. The beings had proven themselves as great scientists and used their skills to alter the genetics of the surviving First. Gathering specific genetic codes from species they had collected over the years, they used them on the last of the First, saving her life.
As the other two species despatched the remainder of the Scáil, the smaller ones fled from the Pegasus Galaxy, taking her to the relative safety of the Milky Way. Here, they hoped, she would be safe. Here she would remain hidden, until the day came for her to reveal herself.
3
"So, you've got a bunch of alien stuff in you?", Jack asked, tilting his head to one side, "Any I know?". Tara sighed, "Tau'ri, Goa'uld, Asgard, Wraith and Nakai. To name but a few". Jack whistled and shook his head, "Wow. And I freaked out about symbiotes. Kind of pales in comparison". He leaned towards her, "I figure that the Asgard are one of the species that saved you, who were the other two?". Tara half laughed and sighed, "The Nakai and Wraith", she gave Jack a firm look. "In my peoples darkest hour, those that you consider monsters came to our aid. Not the Ancients".
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, "After everything we did for them Jack, they turned their backs on us. They left us to die". Tara wiped a tear from her cheek and turned to face Jack, her green eyes filled with anger, "And yet the species they created came to our aid". She reached her hand out and placed in on Jacks, "That day, I learnt who my true allies were and", Tara looked through the doors towards Thor, "I made the greatest friend I could ask for".
"Oh", Jack said as a thought suddenly occurred to him, "So you and Thor, you know". A look of confusion appeared on Taras face, then she erupted into laughter. "You think?", she giggled loudly, slowly rising from the seat, "That has to be the funniest thing I have ever heard Jack. The Asgard don't do that kind of thing". Tara moved towards the door, still laughing as she moved, "Oh, wait until I tell Thor that one!".
4
Rodney strode over to Sam, clearly happy with all he had accomplished in the last few hours. "Well", he said proudly, dusting his hands off, "I have no idea what I've just done, but I've done it!". Sam smiled and gave him a reassuring slap on the back, "That's good Rodney. Now all we need are those ships and to punch those co-ordinates into the gate that Tara gave us". Rodneys brow furrowed and he folded his arms, "You know what I don't get", he said, turning his attention to the Stargate. "Why is Tara so insistent that we leave Atlantis? She got pretty testy when I suggested we try and fly it into battle".
Sam sighed, "Who knows. I guess we will find out when the time comes". Rodney shrugged and moved from Sams side, leaving her alone in the gate room. I hope she knows what she's doing, Sam thought to herself. Or we are all dead.
5
John, Zari'ki and Thor watched in amusement as Tara sparred with Jack. It had been clear from the start that Jack had underestimated her and he had hit the floor hard on more than one occasion. "This is the Scáils weakness", Tara reminded Jack as she dodged his hand, "They may be good marksmen, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, they just don't have the skills". Once again Jack fell to the floor and Zari'ki released a loud laugh, "Tau'ri! You are beaten by a women! And not just any women, but one that is far older than you!".
Jack stood quickly and walked over to the Wraith, "Well you do it then!", he said firmly, plonking himself down beside John. Zari'ki rose up and made his way cautiously to Tara. He bowed his head, "I will do my best not to harm you Tara", he said slyly. In a flash Tara had kicked his legs from under him and Zari'ki found himself hitting the floor, just as Jack had previously. "And that", Tara said, smiling broadly, "Is another failing of the Scáil. They are arrogant, so sure that they can defeat you they pay little attention to what is going on around them".
Tara offered Zari'ki her hand and heaved him upwards, "That is why you managed to slay the one on my home world. His attention was so fixed on me, everything else just faded into the background". John nodded, "So they can only focus on one thing at a time". He gave Jack a wry smile, "Well that'll come in handy when we attack them". "So when their attackers struck us on your planet", John began, stopping when Tara raised her hand.
"Oh, those were not attack ships", Tara said firmly, turning to the side of the ship. She taped her finger on the cool, metal surface and a holographic image appeared. The picture of one of the Scáil ships they had seen flickered before them, "That is a scout ship, nothing more". Tara waved her hand beside the image and a larger vessel appeared, massive guns clearly visible on its bow and flank, "That is one of the attack ships that the battleship carries". Again the image changed, making Jack and John let out a gasp of horror. Bigger than a Goa'uld vessel, it was clear this ship was designed for one thing. The destruction of entire planets.
"Their commander isn't called Darth Vadar by any chance", Jack sighed, walking forward to get a better look at the image, "'Cause if it was round, that thing would look like a death star". Tara nodded and Jack was surprised to see a gentle and knowing smile on her face, "She is a behemoth, only one of many that are on their way to the Pegasus Galaxy. Inside her hull are thousands of the small attack ships, and they contain hundreds of the small vessels. That is where they would defeat us. In shear numbers". Tara furrowed her brow, "I know not of this Darth Vadar Jack. Is he some enemy of the Tau'ri?".
Jack shook his head, "Forget I even mentioned him", he replied, giving John a wry smile. Tara shrugged and moved through the hologram, placing her hand on Jacks shoulder, "Her size is her weakness. These ships are slow and take an incredibly long time to move through space. They can travel light-speed, but must stop often to recharge their fuel cells. And imagine trying to co-ordinate an attack with so many ships. Especially if you are only capable of focusing on one thing at a time. It would be an utter mess".
"And remember Jack", Tara continued, her gaze now set on the image before them. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall".
6
It had been two days since the Nova had set out on its course to find Destiny and every passing minute only increased the crews anxiety. Tara had said it could several days, but they all just wanted this part of the mission over and done with. "Are you certain we will be able to dock with Destiny while in hyper-space?", John asked Tara as she ran over the docking procedure with him. "Just seems like one hell of a risk".
"John, the Nova is capable of far more than you, or anyone, could possibly imagine. If any vessel can dock during faster than light travel, it is her", she ran her finger tips over the window surface and smiled, "She is truly special". John wanted to ask Tara what it was that was so incredibly special, but knew that would end in a long and drawn out conversation. One they did not really have time for. "It figures you'd have a cool ship. Heck, you created the Stargates", John smiled, giving Tara a gentle nudge. The First furrowed her brow and shook her head, "Who said we did that?", she asked firmly.
John had naturally assumed that because they were called the First, they had been responsible for the entire gate system and much of the technology attached to it. He thought hard, trying to remember if she had actually said her people had created the gates, but could not remember ever hearing such a conversation. John went to ask who had made them, but was cut off by a gentle bleeping sound resonating through the ships hull. The concern melted from Taras face and she smiled broadly, "And there is Destiny", she sighed, pointing out the massive window.
John turned, releasing a gasp of amazement as he saw the ship for the first time. "She is looking a little worse for wear", Tara said, her voice filled with some concern, "But that will not prevent us from docking". She tapped on the metal surface beneath the window, "Gentlemen, if you could please take your seats. We are about to dock during faster than light and it tends to get a little bumpy".
7
The Nakai ship had been tracking Destiny for weeks, never able to make up the vast distance that lay between the two vessels. When their warning system alerted them to the arrival of a new ship, one that easily reached Destiny, they had gone to high alert. While they knew of only one vessel that could attempt such a feat, the Nakai did not want to take any chances. Especially with the recent sightings of Scáil ships in their galaxy. The invasion spoken of for centuries appeared to be under-way and Destiny would prove a great asset to the Nakais' fleet. All they could do is hope they caught up soon and that the ship now close by her side would not be a threat.