DISCLAIMER: I do not own Stargate or any of other universes I'm going to crossover with…
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Reviews:
Just a Crazy Man: Here you go!
The Hidden Sith: Hah hah. Yes, but Star Trek will get its somewhat revenge later on. He will get a new ship augmented with better tech.
Shighaara: Thanks!
Stark40763: Yeah…
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Don't forget to review! It makes me happier to get reviews!
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Inspired by StarGate: Galactic Imperium » by VexMaster.
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Also read this: Clash of Empires... co-written with VexMaster.
Also read this: Stargate: Galactic Imperium… written by VexMaster
Also read this: Golden Dawn... written by Amann
Also read this: War of Gods and Men... written by Amann
Also read this: Consequences of War... written by Lord Hierarch (lol)
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"He, who commands the past, conquers the future. He who commands the future conquers the past"
Kane
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The Agent watched as the chaos he unleashed on the suspecting humans and aliens of this version of the Milky Way Galaxy. The human race of the 25th Century was pitting itself against the vastly more powerful Covenant, machine and bone against faith and delusion. Ironically, the humans were losing. Century… the lower races did have amusing terms for linear time, he thought.
He thought of pushing Reed into an earlier time, perhaps before this little Interstellar war started but that would have only extended the time he would spend here and the Void Keeper wanted him to shorten the time young Alexander spent gallivanting across the multiverse. So he threw him just before the climax of the war, the Battle of 'Reach.' Actually he had sent him a few months before the Covenant (not the Covenant,) attacked the world.
Even if he did help though, with all of the technology he had on his ship, it wouldn't do much to change the timeline that much. Goa'uld and Federation technology were nothing more than glorified pop guns, and most of his offensive weaponry was eclipsed by the more conventional methods the UNSC had. The only real advantages he had over the humans of this future were his Industrial Replicators and the various medical technologies the Federation had given.
He fast forwarded.
Two years past and humanity was on the path to recovery. Reed had left a year ago on a hybrid ship scavenged from Reach's orbit and ventured back to Terella. The organization ONI would know that though, having read his records without his knowledge. That wouldn't do them much good since they had most of Reed's 'useful' technologies. Fifty years into the future and humanity will be a regional interstellar power, challenging the powers of a resurgent Covenant Empire. The Sangheili would be a neutral power all the while searching for Forerunner artifacts.
Alexander would return to Terella where he would abandon the world and bring his army on his ship. He would go to Earth and try to steal a UNIT (how cute) ship only to find Anubis conquering it and etcetera, etcetera. That wasn't enough.
He reached into Alexander's timeline, the current incarnation, and manipulated its many threads. He cut several timelines off and integrated them together and then replaced certain events. No need for the Empire to discovery him several days after his arrival. What Alexander would be without him, he wondered.
Or right, he'd be dead.
That never got old.
He directed him into another universe to gather an army large enough and strong enough to conquer his world and ensure order. Several major variations diverged from this although in all cases it would only go into Alexander's favor depending on how smart he was.
He paused at that.
Oh well.
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Spiraling out of the spatial disturbance, the misshapen pyramid warship plunged back into real space, its speed and momentum tearing the once golden hull apart piece by piece. Guards held on for dear life wherever they could as the ship began to slow down, as if an outside force had grabbed unto the spinning top. Then as if bored by the sight, the force threw the ship again and several guards barely had time to utter a scream as they were pulverized into globs of flesh and bone and metal. All the while the Agent smiled.
Yet something happened that escaped his all-seeing view. Three tiny dart-shaped crafts with purple-tinted windows vanished in flashes of multi-colored light, and the timeline split apart as time itself struggled to repair the mistakes. The Agent didn't see this, too involved in correcting mistakes and preventing mistakes.
Alexander screamed as he clutched his golden throne, resisting the urge to vomit over himself. "Stop this!" He shouted, barely holding down his lunch, and continued his pleading. "Oh God stop it please!" The Agent didn't appear, but he thought he heard him laughing.
The bastard!
At the last moment, the ship stopped spinning and Reed flew from this throne at the view screen. He barely managed to activate his Kara Kesh shield as he smacked into it, the golden flare protecting him. That didn't stop him from feeling pain though… or from vomiting. 'I will hurt you so much,' he thought woozily. "Status report," he shouted, thinking back to all of the Sci Fi movies he used to watch. Captains usually said that when they wanted info, right?
'Yeah… yeah,' he thought.
"Mwah?"
"Just tell me…. Oh god… the status of the ship," he said between heaves.
"Yeah, yes…"
"We' don't have Hyperdrive anymore," a guard said slowly.
"There's damage… dam…damage all over the ship," the other said.
"There are twelve people missing…."
"There is power loss all over the ship…"
"And…"
"Yeah… that's it. I think."
"You think?" He demanded.
His guards vomited.
Reed grumbled as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his clothes, careful not to step into his vomit, or that of his sick guards. "Do we at least have scanners or sensors so we can see where we are?" He asked wearily, glad that the ship had shaken. The damage report didn't seem that bad. He had expected more damage and more dead. He could replicate the parts he needed to fix the Hyperdrive easy enough. 'Like I thought – the Agent is all talk.' He ignored the fact that the Agent and thrown around him like a spinning top.
No need to hurt his ego any more.
"Sir… I'm detecting fifty or so ships in the system."
"What?" Was it those vaguely familiar ships that had attacked him without provocation? Shit, his ship was in no position to fight. Still, he could make a show of force. 'Bad move, you might instigate them,' his 'other' told him which he promptly ignored. "Arm all weapons and fire a warning salvo," he said pompously.
"Sir?"
"Just do it," he snapped.
For a moment, insanity took hold over Reed. It was the type of insanity that would not appear for millennia's, after the Two Betrayals, the War in Heaven and the Third Time War. For a brief moment Reed lost track of his goal and sought only power, forgoing his plans. But it was only a brief moment, and Reed remembered his goal for Earth: the birth place of his Great Empire.
A murderous hail of golden plasma fire burst from the multiple Staff cannons on the stricken hull. Two Staff Cannons erupted, unable to fire the plasma which ignited within them. They streaked towards the large fleet of gray-hulled ships, missing them by a large margin. The fleet of warships responded in kind.
Was it not for the interference of the Agent, the hail of missiles would have vaporized Alexander's pyramid ship. The following salvo from the defense fleet's MAC's would have certainly destroyed the lone ship if the Agent had made them appear in the middle of High Charity's defense fleet (several ships were destroyed having been caught with their shields down.) Of course he allowed a handful of missiles to make it through to show Alexander he was at his mercy. He was watching over him and he was meant to live. But that did not mean he could not indirectly hurt him when he wanted to.
Alexander took that lesson to heart.
Of course not all the credit could go to the Agent alone. Disruptor fire had sliced missiles from afar and a small number of ships had been destroyed upon impacting with the shields. However the few missiles that the Agent had let go threw had caused enough damage to fulfill the Agent's warning that the ship Alexander had claimed, wasn't important. Half his guards were dead, and there were various breaches all over the hull. Sublight engines were capable of going at 2% the speed of light now, and most of the ship was without power.
'Told you so,' the voice said gleefully.
Climbing back to his throne, he threw himself on it and coughed. One of his guards was slumped over the floor, a jagged piece of metal sticking out from his chest. His throat felt raw. "Is this what you wanted," he rasped, "all of this? Is it?"
He didn't get a reply.
He sat on his blood stained throne, staring into the abyss as he thought about how it could have all gone wrong so quickly. This wasn't fair – it wasn't fair! He didn't notice several small fighters' appear on the view screen, inching towards his wounded ship. Or the fact that they were recording his ship and relaying it to the carrier they had just left from. He didn't notice at all.
"Interesting design, wouldn't you say so Admiral? Nothing like the ships the Covenant have constructed in the past. I never thought the Covenant would try something so… human like this," The Military AI said starkly, shaking his head.
"Interesting isn't the way I would put it Otto."
"Admiral?"
The four-star Admiral glanced at the holographic AI and cracked a smile. "I don't think its Covenant. You're right on the design. The Covenant, as far as we know, have gone for elegance and intimidation. Even their vehicles share similar characteristics. This ship lacks both, and it's woefully under powered. The Covenant isn't into the game of playing cat and mouse," he added.
The AI frowned.
"What do you suggest it is?"
"First Contact with a previously unknown alien species."
Otto cocked his head in surprise. "First Contact sir? The UNSC has not made contact with any alien races other than those belonging to the Covenant since 2525. The fact that the ship-"
"Came out of an unknown spatial anomaly and was achieving speeds we can dream with a design entirely opposite of what the Covenant builds indicate that it is not Covenant," he interrupted. "Furthermore, sensor outposts have found a number of near-human life signs in ship, the majority with weak life signs."
Otto scoffed – near human indeed! At the same time he scoffed, he checked on those sensor logs. To his surprise, the sensors all came to same conclusion. There were humans on that ship, or aliens with near human characteristics. That was interesting, and he was sure that ONI would like to know that.
"What are you order's then, Admiral?"
"We haven't made a first good impression on our new alien friends, Otto and we don't know how they will respond. I doubt they know about the war and will care about it. Hopefully we can find a common language to try and smooth relations over." He saw the look Otto was giving him and went on, "what if they technology on par with the Covenant? Technology like that can help us shore up our defenses, save more lives and may even allow us to take the fight to the enemy."
The AI sighed at that. The Admiral wasn't entirely sane. He had been promoted in the middle of the war after a victory over several Covenant ships at the cost of eighteen ships, a fairly even tally of losses considering the usual rates the UNSC lost in battle. However he had used his rank to put together a fleet, one hundred eighteen ships, and attempt to attack the Covenant, 'taking the fight to them' as he had put it. Needless to say, the fleet had returned back to UNSC space with three-quarters of their number gone.
Still, he had won three victories over the Covenant (at horrendous losses though) and due to ONI covering up the losses, he was regarded as a hero by the people. Victories over the Covenant were rare and the Ministry of Propaganda had bled the victories dry to keep morale up. As a result, the UNSC kept James Whiskey on the Admiralty and assigned him to watch over his actions. It was a task he felt was below him and it was. He could do so much more.
How demeaning.
"What are your orders, then Admiral?"
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0130 Hours, May 16, 2552 (Standard Military Calendar) / SecOne Prowler Mice and Men
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Watching history play out before them, the crew of the Prowler couldn't help but feel amazed despite their line of work. The Benefactor had been right again, despite being a few minutes off in his calculations. Commander Cross whispered a prayer at the damage the overly-aggressive idiots in the Navy had done. She didn't care about the humans aboard the ship. All that mattered to her was the technology on that ship the Benefactor had said was on it.
Unlike the Prowler's that the other Sections used, SecOne's Prowler looked nothing like them. It was an ugly slab, even by the standards of human-built ships. However it compensated for its horrendous appearance with technology that were entirely out of place for the time period. As a result of that, the Mice and Men was the most technologically advanced ship in the galaxy, save for those used by the extinct Forerunner's.
It was an honor, the commander knew, to have been trusted to command such a vessel. She was the only one of her kind, the shipyards she had been built at having been destroyed several days after her completion by the Covenant. SecOne spent a great deal of resources studying and implanting the technology had had been given to aid in the war effort. She knew how dangerous her position was. If she ever led the unsanctioned Prowler into a situation that could lead to its destruction, her life was forfeit. That was how the ship's previous commander had been... how would it be said? 'Removed from his position.'
Yes, that was good.
"Return to your duties gentlemen, we have a lot of work of ahead of us now that the event is playing out now. Continue to monitor the situation and contact me when the Admiral or the Captain of that ship makes a move."
"Understood commander," was the reply.
She strode out of the bridge and towards her room, still feeling admiration for the elegant crafting of the ship. Thanks to the Benefactor, the UNSC had been better prepared for the Covenant at least that was what he (or she) told them. She didn't understand what he/she meant, but she didn't really care.
The room was expansive for such a little ship. The Prowler had so many technologies that the UNSC was trying to understand, covertly of course. "Coffee," she said. The Replicator let out a soft whine before a cup of warm coffee appeared. It was such a marvel, something that had SecOne's cadre of scientists stumbling over each other. They all wanted to be the first to 'discover' and patent the Replicator. When man won the war, and she was sure they would in the long run, the person who did crack the Replicator would be rich.
~Commander? ~
She pressed her comm. Badge. "Yes? What is it?"
~Message from our AI on Admiral Whisky's flagship, he reports that the Admiral has sent two Pelicans to the ship to attempt communication, 'First Contact,' commander. What are your orders? ~
She smiled. "Continue observing."
~Yes sir. ~
"I trust events happened as I said they would?"
She paused mid-sip and turned around.
Like a statue, the Benefactor stood in the middle of the room, the shadowy figure of a human body. "The ship arrived," she said, putting down her cup, "just a little after you said it would though."
"Acceptable. The winds of time flow differently here in this universe, extremely divergent from our own too." The commander frowned – 'this universe?' "However we are rectifying that problem. Did you know, Commander Rebecca Cross, that if we hadn't approached your organization, you wouldn't be doing as well as you are doing now?"
"What do you mean?"
The hologram shifted.
"The Battle of Cora IV – thirteen UNSC ships destroyed, one Covenant Destroyer destroyed, and the planet is glassed. The Battle of Jericho VII, decimation of the core forces of the Third Fleet as well as moderate infantry losses, the Covenant glass the planet with light space and heavy ground losses."
She frowned. The UNSC had lost the Cora IV yes, but they had lost fifteen ships and took out three Covenant ships with an Assault Carrier too. They had won at Jericho VII though, taking out forty Covenant ships with eighty seven warships. "By this time, thirty nine colony worlds would have been lost but due your recent string of victories, or draws against their forces, the Covenant had held back their forces for the movement. You should be proud of that."
"What are you-?"
"Contact your superiors" The Benefactor went on, ignoring her, "and tell them this: Do not trust the man on that ship. Do not let him talk or move anywhere. Keep in your sights at all times. My ancestors trusted him, and he only brought war."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he's a paranoid and arrogant young man," the holographic man said, his distorted voice becoming graver. "I've overstayed my welcome. Tell your leaders what I have told you. Use the specialized subspace beacon I set up for you,"
"You never gave me that."
"Look behind you."
She did and gaped. There was an object behind that hadn't been there before. "How'd you-"
He was gone.
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"Was the mission a success Agent Dulmer?"
"It was Captain," the 30th Century Temporal Agent said as he stepped off the Temporal Communipad. "I doubt that the humans of this universe will fall for Mr. Reed's trick's this time. We've done too much and invested too much in the survival of this version of human race to allow this person to ruin it all."
The Captain nodded.
When they had unlatched their Aeon-class Timeship's off Alexander Reed's warship, the unexpected energy shock from whatever method he had used to flee the attack of the USS Titan had activated their Temporal Displacement Drive, throwing the three Timeship's one hundred twenty years into the past.
They had hid for eight years; stranded in the past of what they soon realized was an alternate history. They had repaired a single Timeship to look into the future and saw what was going to happen to the humans of this universe – the Human-Covenant War. Armed with this knowledge they had begun accelerating their technological development. Without Warp Drive, Matter-Antimatter Cores or even low-level starship plasma weaponry, they had found it difficult. But they had persevered, and they were doing the best to help.
Their location in the time stream however was less than ideal. They had lost the Temporal Displacement Drive and the Earth of this universe weren't advanced enough to provide the tools needed to replace the delicate piece of equipment. As a result, they were stuck in the past, two hundred years before the 'present.'
Time Travel was… difficult.
"What is the status of the timeline?"
"Mr. Reed's ship will be confiscated by SecOne and Admiral Whisky will be honorably discharged from service after he is 'diagnosed' with a terminal mental illness. Commander Cross of SecOne will take his place and oversee study of Mr. Reed's technology. In a year the Covenant will attack Sigma Octanus IV but basic shielding technology will be widely available at the time as well as 23rd century-era sensor arrays. 22nd century-type Photonic Torpedoes will have already been distributed to their Cruisers. Reach will fall but the Covenant will suffer heavy casualties. Earth will be attacked only for the Covenant force to be repelled and ships equipped with Warp Drive and AM/M cores will begin to appear…" Yes, the timeline seemed to be going well. It could go better but they had to smooth out the wrinkles little by little.
'What poor little time bugs,' the Agent thought as he masked Alexander's history from the newcomers. It surprised him how they had managed to do so much from behind his back but then again he had been focused on more important things so he shouldn't be surprised that he had overlooked something as trivial as this.
Still it was an insult he could not allow.
'Its poor to be you…'