Sorry for the wait in posting this update. I had some real life issues that I needed to take care of so I only had time to improve chapter ten. Hope you understand and enjoy this rewrite of chapter 10.
(1200 Hours/September 3, 1997/Colorado, United States/SGC Facility/Carters lab)
It has been two days since the reactivation of earth's stargate program, during that time it was decided to do some recon by searching the Abydos Cartouche for any goa'uld outposts. This was difficult until they came across a world in ra's former domain. It was seen as worthless both in strategic and material value because of the small deposits of naquadah, so it was left alone and eventually it was forgotten, a perfect place for a goa'uld to take refuge. Ra seemed to have a habit of writing these things down in great detail, such as his victories over his enemies.
In her lab, Samantha Carter was studying a sample of Naquadah. She already knew a lot about it but she was asked to find a way to incorporate it into a fusion reactor. Which was why she had the blueprints for the reactor aboard the Pillar of Autumn but she was running into a road block. She was very frustrated on how she could not nail down the problem with inserting the material into the reactor as the last few tests nearly ended in disaster. It was for this reason that she was right now studying into liquid naquidah as a possible alternative.
She was so buried in her work, that she failed to notice the guest she had quickly walking through her door way. "Carter." Jack said as he walked through the door behind her, nearly making her jump out of her skin. As she recovered, she leveled a pointed stare at him to let him know she didn't appreciate being scared like that.
"I'm sorry." Jack said even though he likes doing that to her. Daniel too, for that matter.
Sam rolled her eyes as she went back to her work on the computer.
Jack walked in the lab and began to watch over her shoulder. "Is there something I can help you with sir?" she asked as she continued to work on her project. "Just wanting to see what you are doing." he said with a sound of sudo curiosity even though he really did not care for the science "stuff" as he would call it.
"Well, I am working on incorporating naquadha into the fusion reactors to possibly give any ship we build in the near future a better power output; for example allow the autumn to charge her MAC gun faster or if we want to build generators so that we can maybe start to build those ODPs that the admiral has outlined the need for in his new military budget to the new government when the elections are over."
"I believe you mean The United Earth Government." A deep voice from the door way said, nearly making her jump again.
She looked at the doorway and saw Teal'c standing there with his hands behind her back. She thought to get upset that he had scared her, but thought not to as she should have shut the door when jack came in. She decided to check and see if anyone else was there and sure enough, there, slightly behind Teal'c was Daniel. He looked to be in a less than pleased mood meaning Jack dragged him out of his office again like when they had gone to see the demonstration of the matter rematerialzer and the weapons that they were going to be using from now on.
"Why are asking you to look into it captain carter?" Teal'c from the door, waiting to be allowed in, unlike how jack had done.
As she waved them inside, she continued with her talking. "As I was saying, it has been difficult to get it right just because the naquadah would become unstable and threaten to cause an explosion and I don't need to tell you what that would be like." she said with a slightly grim look on her face as they all could imagine what a fusion bomb would be like.
"Well don't keep beating yourself up about it carter. They have a whole planet full of eggheads now. Just get a bigger team for yourself."
"Your right sir, maybe I am just trying too hard. I'm sure it will come to me." She said but then was struck by another question
"I have a question for you sir."
"And what is that carter?"
"Why are you here in the R&D wing?" she asked and saw jack give it some thought.
"I don't know carter, Teal'c why are we here?" he asked the jaffa who just raised an eyebrow before he answered.
"General Hammond requested our presence for a mission briefing which was why we had come to collect captain carter and Daniel Jackson from their offices. He had said that it was of great importance."
"AH! That's why. Well kids, let's get going." And with that, Jack led the rest of SG-1 out of Sam's lab toward the elevator that would take them to the command level where the briefing room was.
(Briefing room)
As SG-1 walked through the door, they could see Hammond talking with a marine sergeant. He was an African American, 6"1.7 in height. He was wearing the new marine BDUs (same type you see in halo 3 and odst) and had a cigar in his mouth thought they doubted that Hammond would let him smoke it in the briefing room. When he saw them, he looked them over as if he was sizing up raw recruits. When his eyes settled on Teal'c, he grinned while nodding his head as if he liked what he saw.
"Good afternoon SG-1." Hammond said greeted them as they walked up to the table.
"Good afternoon general." Jack said as his team approached the table.
"SG-1, this is Sgt. Johnson. He is from the autumn and will be accompanying you on your mission today. Sgt. Johnson this Colonel Jack O'Neill, Captain Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson. And this is Teal'c" Hammond introduced them as they shook hands.
"So you're SG-1. I have heard a lot about you and look forward to working with you." Sgt. Johnson said as he shook each of their hands with a firm grip.
"Likewise. So what is our mission for the day?" Jack said, eager to step through the gate and show off his new toys to the first bad guy they meet.
"SG-1 your mission is to raid an identified goa'uld stronghold. General Hammond said to SG-1.
"Why the rush sir?" Jack asked, curious as to the sudden turn from the long term plan that the new UNSC was setting in place regarding the goa'uld.
We need intel on the enemy forces: their size, numbers, troop movements and their technology." Hammond said as he handed out folders of papers detailing their mission.
"We came across a goa'uld outpost 36-light years from earth, far out of the way from the known goa'uld empire and it's isolated. With information provided by Teal'c and the mission reports form Abydos; we think it may be on of ra's under lords that went into hiding." Hammond said.
SG-1 was listening with close attention because this was a big opportunity here to find Intel on the goa'uld.
General Hammond continued talking
"Now as you know, we can't leave a threat like this to go unnoticed mostly because their located in our own backyard but what we're more interested in is this." Hammond said as a holographic image, one of the new upgrades, appeared on the table showing a pyramid shaped ship using a pyramid as a landing pedestal. Jack and Daniels eyes widen when they saw that ship because it was the same design as RA's ship on Abydos.
"As you can see based on the Abydos report and Teal'c's information, we have now identified this as a Cheops-class warship. The same class used by Ra on Abydos. We need to capture this planet along with that ship and anything they might possess."
Eh...Sir. I don't think we'll be able to do that by ourselves." Jack said with a serious tone.
"Don't worry colonel; two platoons of marines along with two squads of ODST will be attached to your team for this operation. From our intel gathered by UAVs, the goa'uld only has a hundred jaffa at his command but we must capture this ship, understood SG-1" Hammond asked.
"Yes sir." SG-1 replied.
"Dismissed" Hammond said as they left the room.
(1600 Hours/September 3/1997/SGC Facility/Stargate room)
Inside the gate room, the stargate was dialing the coordinates to the planet.
In the gate control room, SG-1 entered dressed in their new UNSC BDUs (Halo3). Jack was armed with a MA5b, Sam had a BR-55, and Daniel had a SMG (as it was the only weapon he could lift without difficulty). Teal'c had insisted on using his staff weapon but he also had a MA5b, two SMGs and the standard issue M6 series pistol. As they watched the sixth chevron lock into place, they saw Sgt. Johnson standing at the bottom of the ramp, giving a motivational speech.
"Men. Keep your eyes down range, fingers on your triggers and we will all come home through that big hula hoop behind me." He said just as the unstable vortex exploded out behind him, causing some of the marines to flinch back a bit.
"Am I right Marines?"
"SIR YES SIR!"
"Mm mm-Hmm Damb right I am." He said as the vehicle bay above the gate room opened and a crane began to lower a vehicle down into the gate in front of the marines.
(Control room)
As SG-1 watched, O'Neill whistled appreciatively at the sight, he turned to Hammond. "Wow they look good, can't wait till the snakes get a load of them"
"Just try not to lose them, they are some of the only ones right now and it would be a bit hard to replace them at the moment."
"Don't worry sir. We'll try not to scratch too much of the paint." O'Neill said as he and his team joined the marines in the gate room behind the vehicles as they approached the gate.
(1600 Hours/September 3, 1997/Unnamed Planet/Goa'uld Outpost)
The goa'uld Tal'ma was one of Ra's under lords and a powerful one at that until rumor of Ra's death caused his enemies who for so long were held at bay by Ra's fleets, armies, and technology saw a moment of weakness then attacked with everything they had. System lords were dominating and capturing Ra's former domain but Ra's forces did not just roll over and take it, they gave as good as they got. It was a bloody war, and they finally came for him on his door step but he fought back with as much force as he could muster but it wasn't enough. His jaffa, fleets, and planets gone he fled into uncharted space with only a Cheops-Class Warship and 100 Jaffa with him. He found this planet and landed on it because of its location outside of goa'uld space.
He was seated in his throne room contemplating on his next move when he heard a clicking noise and met an extremely bloody end.
(A few minutes earlier)
A small Squad of jaffa milled around the gate, staff weapons held loosely. No one knew of this world, Lord Tal'ma had made sure of that. Suddenly, the gate made a whirring noise, the first chevrons lumbering into place before locking with an audible clunk. Alerted to an incoming wormhole, the jaffa scrambled behind the small stone walls set up as cover, two running to the solitary staff cannon, quickly bringing it to bear on the gate.
The 7th chevron locked and the event horizon burst out of the gate, it had barley receded before several projectiles flew out. The jaffa barely had time to duck before the exploded into smoke and shrapnel.
A roar like the most primal of beasts sounded out from the smoky mess that was the gate, when suddenly a metal monstrosity surged forth, the mounted weapon lighted up, tearing through the jaffa.
One jaffa managed to fire off a staff blast wondering just who dare attack his lord, before light, and darkness claimed him.
The gate is secure, told you they would pay off, sir. The side armor on the first warthog is slagged from a staff blast, but we're mostly intact and ready to go."(Thank you to Aroura Halsey for most of the gate attack segment)
"Understood Colonel. We're sending the marines in now." Hammond said over the radio as the still active gate began to disgorge the rest of the assault force.
Out of the gate came three more warthogs with two troop transport warthogs following right behind and two mongooses bringing up the rear.
The marines and ODST troopers dismounted from the vehicles and stood to attention as the colonel went over the plan to assault the goa'uld encampment.
"Alright boys and girls. I want this to go smooth and by the numbers. Sniper teams I want you on the mongoose to scout ahead for us. Mongoose one will take the north side and mongoose two will tack the south side. When you get close to the encampment, find yourselves a good, safe position and radio me."
The sniper teams saluted Jack then mounted their vehicles and sped away into the brush to scout out the approaches to the valley that the enemy where holed up in.
"Groups A and B, you will take the north side. Groups C and D, you will take the south side." Jack said to the platoon lieutenant and Johnson who were nodding for jack to continue.
"My team and the ODST squads will board the ship and take out whatever is left inside. Radio me when you are in position and we will start the operation. Good luck ladies and gentlemen. Dismissed" Jack said as the marine platoon loaded up into the warthogs.
Jack felt proud at this fine example of human military might. It made him feel that this was the right way to deal with the snakes and anybody else that thinks they can hurt earth.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Sam tapped him on the shoulder as Teal'c Daniel and the ODSTs loaded up in a third Troop transport 'hog. He sprinted past her and hopped into the driver's seat, having always wanted to drive one of these, causing the rest of sg-1 to shake their heads at his antics as he started the engine and sped off into the cave system that the UAVs showed to be a good rout into the heart of the camp.
The trek to the enemy camp proved to be easy enough as the scout team did an admirable job of warning them about jaffa patrols which allowed them to take them out quietly.
Eventually they reached their positions without incident and began to organize themselves into the positions needed to assault the enemy positions at the mouths of the valley.
Jack looked at the enemy camp from his position in the caves set into the hills to the right of the encampment were he could see the best path to the Goa'uld ship.
"Groups A and B are in position." Came Johnson's voice over the radio.
"Groups C and D are also in positon." Came the lieutenants voice as well
"Sniper teams are ready to provide support at both ends." And with that reply from the sniper teams, everything was set for the operation to begin.
"Alright. Sniper teams, your job will be to take out the staff cannon operators and then keep those cannons quiet. Groups A, B, C, and D. Use your rocket launchers to breach those fortification walls, then use your grenade launchers and mortars to break up their warriors numbers, and roll in with your warthogs in order to keep them suppressed while the infantry move in. Afterward use your best judgment on how to deal with the enemy camp." Jack ordered.
"Acknowledged."
"We'll give them hell."
And with those confirmations Jack took one last look at the enemy positions.
"Alright everyone, Strike!"
Al'riet was the first prime of his lord tal'ma for years under ra but when the system lords got word of ra's death they came swarming into the former system lord's territory with greedy hunger for the resources that Ra had once commanded. They had fought bravely but in the end the leaderless forces of ra were no match for the collected might of the system lords. His lord had decided that it was a lost cause to continue the battle, so they along with 1 hundred loyal Jaffa escaped in one of the few ceophs class and pushed its hyperdrive to full in order to reach this planet before discovery of their lord's escape. They had been here for some time and it was with relief that they had not been followed by ra's enemies. As he was walking by the south side staff cannon, he felt disappointed that they could not have brought more of the cannons but he had made due with what they had by placing one at the Chapa'hi and other two at the only ways to reach the ship.
As he thought more on the misfortune that had visited his life, one of the guards manning the staff cannons head exploded into a bloody mess causing him to tightly grip his staff as the cannon turned from right to left in attempt to find the cause of his death only for his comrade to follow the same fate. Just as two other warriors ran to man the cannon, they were met with the same fate as the first two. He ordered his jaffa to leave the cannon and prepare a defense behind fortification walls. As they lined the wall and faced the direction of a possible attack, a roaring sound was heard. Then there was a barrage of strange flying objects that had fire coming out the rear. When they reached his warriors, they exploded against the wall and ripped holes into it and killed the jaffa behind them. Before he and his men could recover, small objects fell into their midst. He managed to jump out of the way just as they exploded, tossing jaffa into the air and blowing more holes into the wall. When he managed to pick himself up off the ground, he saw large rolling metal beasts with weapons mounted on them that were spitting out deadly pellets which ripped his jaffa apart, their armor proving almost completely useless in protecting them. As he turned to face the attackers, he took a hit in the chest. He fell to his knees while the attackers advanced past the wall into the encampment that had been their sanctuary for months. As the first prime began to fall forward, he noticed that their attackers were human.
"So these are the warriors of the tauri." Then with those last thoughts, darkness claimed him.
Johnson stepped through a hole in the wall, this had been a pretty quick engagement and he was hearing similar reports from the south, but experience had taught him that it was not over yet and he was right as a staff blast passes by his head. He ducks down behind the cannon and brings it around. As he fires off the powerful weapon, he proves to be a better shot than the Jaffa's were. He saw a marine take a hit but get up and shoot the jaffa that hit him. That proves it to him that the new armor that Cortana had taken form castle base research computers, before her evac from reach. He pushed those thoughts to the side as he took aim at another group of jaffas that were trying to rush them.
"Radio, get hold of infiltration team and get me an update on their status." He ordered as he aimed the cannon at another group of jaffa and took them out.
"Yea! Come get sum, you pouch-bellied bastards!"
SG-1 and the ODST were making their way into the pyramid that the ship was landed on when they got a call from the forces outside.
"SG-1. This squad A, requesting a sitrep. What is your situation? Over."
"This is captain carter. We have made our way inside the pyramid. We're almost at the ring platform and about to enter the ship."
"We're holding up out here. We managed to catch them with their pants down and will begin entering the camp soon."
"Roger that. Proceeding with the mission."
SG-1 and the two squads of ODST ringed aboard the ship by silently killing the jaffa who was about to ring aboard and took his place. The squads split up and searched the ship for any enemy forces that are currently aboard. They had no idea of the current head count but they were confident that there could not be more than a handful of jaffa aboard and once they were out of the way, it would be open season on the goa'uld.
SG-1 and two ODST were heading down the hall to the throne room, Daniel led the way because he had been aboard Ra's ship and this was of the same design. They finally came to a hall that contained the ring transporter that would get them to the throne room and 2 jaffas were guarding it because the lord wishes to be left with his thoughts. Jack stared at the two jaffa that were between him and thought (There they are)
They were hiding behind the pillars in the hall.
"Alright you two" he said to the two odst troopers and they snapped to attention. "Go around and come up behind them, when we make a distraction, kill them as silently as possible. We don't need to alert the snake-head." he finished and they nodded then went down a different hall to the other side.
He waited for the conformation and ordered SG-1 through the use of hand signals to ready themselves. (Okay. Here we go) He thought as the tossed a rock, that he picked up outside in the entrance way of the pyramid, to the next hallway where Teal'c was waiting. When one of the guards came to investigate the sound Teal'c, like a large shadow, came up behind him, covered his mouth and snapped his neck all in one move all and dragged his body out of site.
Meanwhile, the other guard was waiting for his companion to return unaware of the two odst that were coming up behind him. One of them aimed at the base of his skull and the other aimed at his midsection where the symbiote was. In coordination, they both fired at the same time which downed the jaffa quickly.
Then SG-1 entered the room and took up positions with the two ODST troopers.
"Daniel, you're with me. Carter, you and Teal'c stay here with the troopers and watch our backs. We'll radio when we're done." Jack ordered as him and Daniel walked into the center of the ring transporter as Teal'c activated it.
When they entered the throne room, they hid behind statues that looked like winged bulls and hawks because there on the throne was the goa'uld. He had a troubled look on his face and seemed to not even pay attention to his surroundings. Jack was pretty sure he could walk right up to him and put a bullet his brain but as they say better safe than sorry. He didn't want no snake come flying out once it leaves its host, everyone on this mission was told to keep their distance and kill any snake they come across. He snuck around to behind the throne and raised his silencer equipped MA5c and fired a shredder round right into where the spine connects to the base of the skull, killing the symbiote along with the host in one shot.
He walked around from behind the throne and jabbed the barrel of his rifle into the goa'ulds back to make sure he was dead. He then waved Daniel over. The archeologist came over while keeping his SMG trained on the corpse until Jack told him that it was dead.
Then jack raised his hand to the side of his helmet and activated the radio. "This is SG-1 Leader, all infiltration team leaders report in." He said
"This is Sgt. Mathew. We have taken the engine room and the computer core room. Moving on to secondary objective."
"This is Sgt. Willard. We have taken a weapon storage room and the secondary control room. We found some jaffa in the glider bay. They were trying to get into their gliders but we put a stop to that. We are moving to check the rest of the ship."
Jack nodded as he sat in the throne as his radio crackled again to indicate an incoming transmission.
"SG-1 this is Hammond, do you read?"
"Yes sir. The ship has been captured and secured with no casualties to report on my end." Jack reported as Sam, Teal'c and the odst troopers came up in the rings.
"Sgt. Johnson How goes on your end?" Hammond's voice said over the radio with a slight tenseness in it as he dreaded the ground combat report.
"We kicked their asses! And with not a single marine fatality." Johnson said proudly exclaimed
Johnson smiled as he said that and turned his attention back to his marines. Winning this battle, however small, had been a major moral booster for the marines aboard the Autumn. There was cheering throughout the encampment as the marines celebrated. (That's it boys. Soak it up, you earned it.) He thought as he watched the marines celebrate their first victory, from his perspective, since the fall of Reach.
"That is good to hear. Relief forces will on their way in about two minutes. Well done people, come home." Hammond said with relief evident in his voice.
Then Johnson saw SG-1 and the odst squads walking out of the pyramid. They had performed really well in his opinion. He still thinks they are still like raw recruits but in time they would get the hang of how things are done in the corps. He walked toward them and shook their hands, which caused the cheering to increase.
(1630 Hours/September 3, 1997/UNSC Pillar of Autumn/location: Earth orbit)
Clad in his crisp new, white unsc admiral uniform stood Jacob Keys. He looked out the window at the empty space that was the orbit of earth. It was barren and empty of the orbital installations that existed in his time and it hurt for him to see how vulnerable the cradle of humanity was. Though that would not be the case for very long. The new UEG was in the process of election and then would review his budget for the next phase of his plan to rebuild the unsc.
As he listened to what was going on through the gate, he could hear the marines cheering jovially for the first time in ages. It made him feel good to hear how much of a moral booster this battle was for his marines. It made him now sure that they would be able to push on and rebuild. He was also glad that they had all survived cause he was going to need them to help train the new recruits from the scattered armies of this earth and make them into a proper unsc army and navy.
"Feel better about this now Jacob?" He heard Cortana say as appeared in her holo tank beside his command chair.
"Yes I suppose I do. But this is just the beginning, we have a long way to go before we will be ready for a real war with the goa'uld." He said
"Oh. you're just being a pessimist like those people down there." Cortana said which caused him to laugh silently to himself.
"Maybe I am. I guess is how they felt when they set up the UNSC and UEG in my time." He said as he continued to stare out into space and listen to the radio transmission from the gate as SG-1 and Johnson returned through to the sound of applauds from the guards and gate room personnel.
"Oh, I wish you could be here with me, Miranda." He thought. Then he felt tears threaten to fall so he pushed those thoughts away and when to work on starting the next phase of the rebuilding: Building the needed Infrastructure.
(1700 Hours/September 5, 1997/Unnamed Planet/Captured Goa'uld Outpost)
Some days later, science teams and marines came through the gate to secure the planet and prepare to bring the goa'uld vessel to earth for study. Sam was already studying the control crystals in various computer panels, she never thought she would see a real crystal based computer system and could not wait to take it apart on earth. Some of this technology can be a real boon for earth: Invisible sublight drives, subspace communications, sensor technology and a whole lot more.
A mining site was established on this planet to harvest the naquadah along with a few other planets with identified deposits in order to supply the unsc for their weapons.
These mining worlds were also going to help provide mineral wealth into the UEGs economy. Their power is small right now but it will grow over time and become a superpower among the stars.
