Stargate Command: Raid of Sarat
A/N: Apologies for lateness of chapter.
-Stargate Command, Guest Quarters-
Jacob Taylor waited patiently as he stared at the omni-tool. He'd taken a risk asking this, but he knew that despite all their progress, the SGC needed support beyond basic weapons training. Lacking tech support meant that they only had an advantage, not overwhelming superiority. That meant casualties were more likely and he needed these people to have morale – they didn't yet understand what the Reapers were going to do given the chance.
So he'd taken the risk of contacting the Khe Sahn, despite knowing they'd know he was Cerberus. The little office cubby they'd given him here in one of the Guest Quarters was private enough for this call, but he still found himself checking corners and watching the door. He wasn't surprised when it took several minutes for someone to reply – at least it was someone he knew about. "This is Chief Williams. Mister Taylor is it?"
"Chief Williams." Jacob replied. He kept his voice subdued, as even if he were still Alliance, they'd be a near equivalent rank. "Thank you for taking the call. I wasn't sure that you'd be willing to talk."
"You mean because you work for a group of anti-alien racists?" Williams asked in a blunt voice. "Don't think I don't sympathize, I've been fully briefed on who you are. I was there with you on Eden Prime."
Jacob knew about that as well, maybe it'd serve as a good commonality. "It was a bad day all around. I don't think anyone walked away from that the same."
"You could say that. Now what do you want?"
Jacob wasn't surprised at her hostility, he'd been briefed on her as well. "I wanted to contact you to get a few things in order. The SGC is planning an op to hit a Goa'uld target and get more resources to upgrade our ships. Mostly that Naquadah stuff and Goa'uld tech to slap on like cloaking devices and weapons." Williams said nothing, so Jacob continued. "I've given the troops the SGC has the equivalent of basic training but they're still green around our technology. I was hoping you could provide what support you could. It'd mean a lot and greatly increase our chances."
Williams sighed softly and didn't look happy. She looked away for a moment and then nodded. "I'll authorize what forces are on Khe Sahn to join the SGC if you can assure me this has nothing to do with Cerberus, and will be an Alliance and Stargate Command operation."
Jacob nodded and stood up straight. "You have my word. I'm the only one who has any ties to Cerberus on this op, and I haven't even been on Normandy since they took off weeks ago."
"Alright, I'll join you once I can get clearance from the SGC. Don't expect more than a few men and recon drones – we weren't expecting a fight."
Jacob nodded, and then lowered his voice. "You know, it wasn't an easy decision to leave the Alliance."
"I know exactly what you felt Mister Taylor." Williams replied. "Every single Alliance soldier felt the same. Think about that."
With that, Williams cut the signal and Jacob was left on his own, and think about it he did.
-Stargate Command, Jack O'Neill's Office-
Jack O'Neill had kept quiet despite his sheer confusion with everything going on at the SGC. He noticed engineers and technicians upgrading things, adding doohickies to tables and talking about magnet and mass effect fields. He just kept quiet as he could only recite the facts of what had happened in the last month and a half. All he had was hearsay and mission reports to go by on his tablet. He needed something a bit more concrete than just words on a holographic page.
The plan in front of him seemed good, and even more, Jacob Taylor had taken the liberty of requesting aid from the Alliance frigate in orbit. Jack had been CC'ed on a reply from Chief Williams that she'd provide whatever support she could, as well as a request for SGC admittance. Weir had signed it almost immediately. It was all very real to Jack that he was about to embark on a journey that would stain everyone he knew with blood. The letter on his desk from the Joint Chiefs and the President only told him the extent he'd be responsible. He expected much the same from Hammond, but had made an appointment to speak with the General in just a little under an hour through the new holographic display imbedded in his desk.
He heard a knock on his door; Jack looked up and recognized the silhouette on the other side of the door. "Carter?"
"Yes Colonel. Can I come in?"
"Is the door locked?" Jack had to admit; sometimes the gods of convenience knew exactly how to appease him. The door opened and Carter walked in. He noted the omni-tool on her wrist. "Carter. Thanks for coming down. One might think you've transferred out of the SGC."
Carter stood in front of him and while not at attention, she didn't seem completely at ease. "No sir. Well, in a way I have. While I'm still technically a part of the SGC, I'm…"
"Gallivanting around the galaxy in a spaceship. New rank even." Jack finished. He then held up the tablet as if showing he too had cool tech. "Read all about it. Congratulations. You deserve it twice over. I particularly liked where you save Jacob, and authorize a nuclear strike. Riveting."
Carter shifted uncomfortably and sighed softly. "Yeah… It's been rather hectic since you went into stasis, sir." She paused for a moment and then explained. "I don't agree with all his methods, sir. But Commander Shepard has managed to get us all working together and he's going to continue with others, and I'm the perfect person to…"
"I'm not dressing you down, Carter." Jack interrupted, and then paused and thought about what he'd said for a second before continuing. "There aren't many people I trust, but you're one of them." He pulled out the letter he'd received from the Joint Chiefs and handed it over the desk. "I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but it's happened. They want me to be in charge of this place along with Weir."
Carter accepted the letter and seemed to speed-read her way through it. It wasn't long before Jack saw her eyes widen. "Uh… Wow. Congratulations Sir."
"Just because Davis isn't ready yet." Jack grumbled. "You know me Carter. I've always stuck it to the man."
"That you have, sir."
"With this…" Jack sighed and drummed his fingers on the desk. "With this I'll be the man. I'd have to deal with people like me. I don't want to deal with people like me. I'm a jackass."
Carter fought her smile, but Jack let her have it and then listened as she spoke. "Well sir, despite what you say, I actually think you're perfect for this job."
"Of course you would, I'm your boss."
"Beyond that sir." Carter explained. "Everyone on the base trusts and respects you, sir. I haven't been privy to everything going on at the SGC since I've been away, but for the Joint Chiefs to offer this to you means they trust you as well."
"It's not a matter of ability, Carter." Jack replied. "Being the boss means that I'm the one who has to answer for everything that happens. It means I've got to be that asshole that sends kids out to die. This isn't the same SGC I remember." Jack pressed his hands together in front of his face as if in prayer. "I need you to be honest with me. I seen footage and I've read about what's happened. Dixon told me those husk creature things nearly killed him. Is it really that bad? We've been in tough situations before, but we've managed to get through without turning the SGC into an army."
Carter's smile faded and she took a deep breath. "Well. To put it bluntly sir, yes."
Jack waited, but Carter didn't say anything else. "… No technobabble? No explanation of how this Reaper is even worse than a Goa'uld?"
"Begging your pardon sir, but I don't think they'd promote you if you couldn't see that yourself."
Jack pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. Carter often butted heads with him over issues like this – though not nearly as much as Daniel – but her steadfast bluntness was new, as was her agreement to a violent resolution. "I see." Jack stayed quiet as he thought about it. "In for a penny I guess."
"Agreed." Carter replied, then added. "Sir." She nervously shifted around. "They aren't pulling any punches. They've killed god knows how many people, and kidnapped even more. They're twisting them into creatures who don't have any purpose other than destruction. I don't think there's any reasoning with Apostle sir."
"I was afraid of that." Jack sighed. "I guess I should feel better that it's you out there instead of McKay."
Carter smiled again, her serious tone now gone and replaced with her more cheery one. "Agreed. Actually it's good that you called me down, sir. As you know, Major Sheppard and Teal'c joined me on the Normandy. Major Sheppard has actually taken quite a leap by getting biotic implants to make usage of his newfound abilities."
Jack blinked a few times before replying. "Not sure if I believe what I've read, but I'll take your word for it."
"Oh it's true." Carter replied. "Biotics are very strange to us, but in many ways it reminds me of the Goa'uld Ribbon device. It's incredibly dangerous, but if you have it on your side you feel much safer."
"Not exactly the way I'd think of it." Jack recalled the times he'd been tortured by said ribbon device – not fond memories. "So Major Sheppard is working well with them?"
"Yes." Carter said. "In addition, I'm going to be getting some implants myself so I can use my omni-tool to a greater effect, and improve my overall stamina and strength."
O'Neill gave her a surprised glance. "Say what?"
"It's nothing too invasive." Carter explained. She brought up her omni-tool and a hologram of a human popped up. Carter tapped a few buttons on the hologram and O'Neill jealously narrowed his eyes as he saw the image change to show a few implants in the body along the extremities. "The Alliance would consider it a basic soldier package. I'm going to give it a try before I give my recommendation to any other SGC personnel."
"Implants?" O'Neill sighed and shook his head. "I guess I shouldn't say I trust you and immediately tell you what to do." He rubbed his head and winced. Carter didn't say anything, which he gave, thanks for. "The SGC is about to mount a raid on a Goa'uld shipyard. We need more resources if we're going to stand a chance in a space battle of doom, and we're also going to need something those Quarian people you're going to meet can work with."
"Sounds like a plan." Carter nodded and then bowed her head. "I'd join you, but we're leaving Earth in five hours. In fact, I don't know when's the next time we'll really be able to come back to Earth for a prolonged period of time. There's still much we can do out there and I'm sure Commander Shepard won't want to sit back while people are being threatened."
"Sounds like a man after my own heart." Jack replied. "I don't know when's the next time we'll see each other Colonel, but if everything turns out the way I think it will, it'll be messy. Just remember that we'll always be here for you."
"Thank you…General."
"No, Jack."
Jack pulled a face and grumbled. He desperately wanted nothing but to get out of the way of the freight train of trouble in his way – but he'd resigned himself to one last longshot. "Now General…"
"Don't try and 'now General' me." Hammond replied sternly breaking that last hope. Behind Hammond lay a somewhat Spartan looking office in Area 51. Area 51 was just as strict as the SGC, but being in the middle of nowhere meant that it wasn't as easy to get them the same niceties. "I've spoken with the Joint Chiefs and the President, we need everyone where they are, and your assistance would be most appreciated."
"Had to ask." Jack replied. The secure video communicator had been slaved into his desk's holographic emitter and Jack felt so strange to be talking to a blue tinged disembodied upper torso. "I've caught up with the facts, but flying a desk isn't my style."
"And I wish it could be different." Hammond sighed softly and shook his head. "The situation is devolving rapidly and we're on damage control. There simply aren't enough experienced officers in the SGC's ranks to field an army, coordinate research and development – while all the while keeping the media from finding out about us. Not to mention the politics of this Coalition."
"So a draft?" Jack asked. "Sir, I respect you more than you may know, but I'm asking as both your subordinate and I hope your friend, what got into the Joint Chiefs' mind to recommend me for this position?"
"It wasn't them." Hammond replied. Jack had suspicions, but he figured a somewhat roundabout way to get to it would be good. "We've begun to recruit more people to fill out the SGC. You've seen the Aussies, Brits and Russians. What you may not know is that we've had to promote just about anyone with experience into a leadership role. President Hayes is adamant he doesn't want another Warnes to slip through the cracks."
"I'm all about slipping through cracks, sir." Jack replied. This conversation was going pretty much how he expected. "Regardless, what's our overall goal? I've got three platoons worth of really dangerous soldiers on this base and alien technology in my desk."
"Our goal is survival." Hammond said. "We're not taking any chances. After Anubis' invasion, we're not going to take any threat to this planet lightly – but we also want to ensure we don't have another stupid situation like we had with Warnes. We need everyone doing their part." He sighed and nodded. 'That means we need your experience with Special Forces tactics and Stargate operations. Doctor Weir and Major Davis will provide you all the support you need from both a political and administrative position. We want you to fly that heavily armed desk of yours with that in mind."
"I see." Jack replied. Distasteful memories came swelling up but he pushed them back down. "What would be our rules of engagement?"
"Draw first." Hammond replied. "We can't afford another attack on Earth. If you have to fight out there, don't bring it back here. You're only one part of Earth's operations Colonel, I'm currently neck deep in weapons and ship research and development, while Doctor Jackson is with Loki drafting a proper treaty to get the Citadel forces on board with as little a logistics nightmare possible. Weir and General Bradford are dealing with the political side as well as the refugee situation which leaves the fighting for you."
Jack stayed quiet for a few moments before sighing. "Well if you put it that way, I guess I shouldn't complain, all I have to do is go out there and kick Ba'al in the…" He let the sentence hang and straightened. "Understood."
"I surely hope so Colonel." A pause before he continued. "Nobody wanted this Jack, but we're the only ones who can do anything about this for aren't the only one who feels the way you do, and asking questions is obligated. Godspeed."
"Take care General, and yes. Questions. Definitely." Jack replied, and the hologram shut off. Jack leaned back in his chair and sighed. It was always a dance with Hammond, a thin line between friendship, camaraderie and professionalism.
-Stargate Command, Conference Room-
"Looks like several outposts surround the Stargate." Jacob Taylor muttered as he looked over the plans. The Conference Room had been 'upgraded' with a holographic display, Jacob controlled it with ease on his omnitool, which once again annoyed Jack. "Two barracks, an airfield, and a command and control depot. There are more outposts further out but nothing major. Probably just civvies."
Jack was still quiet about his upcoming promotion. He hadn't said yes yet, but Carter's steadfast support helped. Hammond's bluntness of the situation only made it harder to say no. He looked across at Taylor and added what little he could. "Not typical Goa'uld construction. Usually they don't bother with anything beyond pre-fab. Buildings means they're invested, which means Tok'ra intel that there aren't any motherships in orbit makes it a juicy target."
"Any particular reasons you can think of?"
Several came to Jack's mind. "Slaves, Mines, maybe the beachfront weather is nice." He set down his tablet and shook his head. He heard a heavy pair of footsteps coming up the stairs from the gate room, someone was coming. "You can never be sure with the Goa'uld."
"At least we'll just be facing Jaffa. I've read Commander Shepard's reports on the Reaper husk forces and I really don't want to face them without some serious backup."
"I guess that's what I'm doing here." Jack watched as Chief Williams entered. She had removed her sturdy looking blue armor and switched it out for what looked like a sci-fi inspired pair of tight pants and what looked like a BDU. Both were shades of blue that Jack had to admit worked well with her skin tone. Williams seemed curious with everything – looking intently through the window to the Stargate, at the two armed security guards by the stairs. Even towards the glass office behind the conference room where Weir quietly worked on the phone and a computer. "Interesting place. Reminds me of our base on Luna." She sighed and shook her head. "Not that you know about that."
"Nice to see you too, now that I have dignity and all." Jack replied. "Have you gone over the plan Mister Taylor and I have cooked up?"
Williams gave Jack a slightly amused look, but then nodded. Weir had noticed through the window and offered a quick wave before returning to the phone. Williams returned it and spoke. "Yeah, not exactly what I'm used to what with the whole Stargate thing, but there's a few things I think I can offer that'll benefit this mission." She held up her hand first. "First things first, Colonel Carter asked me to get you one of these." Williams held up a small strap with a device that looked like it attached to a wrist. "It's an Omni-tool. Colonel Carter mentioned that she was surprised you're still using that tablet. Frankly those tablets are for kids."
"Oh?" Jack asked, then motioned to the seat across from him. "Well now that you're my new best friend, you can help us dot our Is and cross our Ts, because I'm still very confused."
Jack had lost most of his confusion over the hour he'd spent with Chief Williams and Jacob Taylor. They both knew their military tactics and equipment very well, and to Jack's delight, weren't even considering using the SGC forces as a meat shield. It was a nice change of pace from the Goa'uld and the Jaffa. The omni-tool was just the icing on the cake.
On the hologram in front of him, a plan of attack had been formed and looked almost like a football scrimmage plan. Chief Williams would be supplying pair of remote controlled and semi-autonomous drones to use as an initial strike. Lightly armed, they would take care of any patrols near the gate. The thought that this was considered a recon drone rather than a fully fledged attack drone made Jack hopeful for this Coalition. Knowing the plans for the area thanks to the Tok'ra, Jack knew they Jaffa would have gun emplacements and heavy staff cannons that could chew through their barriers and slag them right out of the skies – let alone what it'd do to a person.
That's where the SGC's armament came in; by linking telemetry to the drones and with a little laser guidance. AGM-114Ms and AGM-114Ls– Jack simply preferred Hellfire Missiles - would take out any position that threatened the gate and set the stage for the ground forces. Armed with thermobaric explosives and HEAT warheads, they'd have situational weaponry for both anti-ground and anti-armor. While the Drone's Mass Effect cannons might have proven enough to take out the emplacements, Jack didn't want any mishaps.
Once the area around the gate was cleared, Williams would lead a team across. They'd use a combination of their cloaking technology, and Carter's riot shield design – though modified to take advantage of better materials. Jack still didn't see how a riot shield made of jellified air would stop a staff shot or a zat, but he didn't question it. The team would do a quick recon, and then call in more troops from the SGC's ranks.
Three outposts were confirmed near the gate, and Bra'tac had promised several Jaffa to pilot Al'Kesh and Cargo ships. He'd insisted on capturing as many Jaffa as possible in order to spread the Free Jaffa. Jack had said he'd do whatever he could – but he knew that this was far beyond niceties. Fighting with only Zats and Intars at first seemed daunting, until both Williams and Taylor mentioned the simple modifications it would take to change their weapons into non-lethal concussive rounds. With a full platoon worth of troops, they'd spread out and suppress any resistance to quickly take what resources they could. Jack had yet to let anyone know that he was on the verge of being promoted, and decided that he still had the right to go on one last mission.
-Stargate Command, Gate Room-
Jack felt weird inside of this armor. They called it Onyx which made sense given the black armor plates, but did they really have to make the inner suit so tight? His arms felt tight as he flexed and got used to the feel of certain things ascending that hadn't in years. Jack thought about this mission – never before had a mixture of US Marines, both SAS and SASR along with a few Spetsnaz ever worked together on a common goal like this. A few weeks of coordination through learning Mass Effect technology would have to do. They were all looking in awe to the squad worth of Alliance troops closer to the gate who also seemed bewildered by their environment. Chief Williams led the pack, though Jack could swear he saw higher ranked soldiers around her – the Alliance ranking system was similar enough that he could understand it, but different enough that it could cause some confusion.
In front of the gate was the pair of Alliance drones –using mass effect drives and a host of sensors along with a light cannon. A rack of four Hellfires waited for their painted targets well above them – a crane ready to drop them into position. Jack knew several more racks were in the loading area and could be rearmed in minutes. The mission was as ready as it would ever be and the time had come. Jack found himself wishing Teal'c, Carter and even Daniel were around for the familiarity – all he had was Dixon leading the SGC marines, as well as an Aussie Major – Lachlan Harris - he'd run an op with once upon a classified time. He didn't know any of the Brits or Ruskies. His request for Major Lorne to get in on this had been too late – Lorne was already on Loki's ship working with him on weapons development.
The halls to the side of the gate room were lined with the rest of the SGC soldiers and equipment – ready to strike and protect the Jaffa pilots who were coming with them. Jacob Taylor had armed up and remained with them – ready to assist anyway he could. The animosity between him and Williams was evident but Jack didn't have time for that now. Williams had been adamant that he remain on the reserve team. It was clear she didn't like him.
The gateroom upstairs was dichotic. Major Davis and Doctor Weir both stood and watched as the gate began to dial up. Jack wondered how long it'd be for Weir in this place – he couldn't forget his call with Hammond. This wasn't the SGC he'd come to accept but it wasn't going to change anytime soon.
He shifted over to where Williams stood well away from the gate and quietly spoke. "Everyone always freaks out the first time. No shame."
Williams harrumphed. "Can't be worse than a Relay jump. Remind me to tell you about the Conduit." She turned to the men beside her and nodded. "Martinez, get those drones ready to go. Make sure telemetry is synced with the SGC's computers." She turned back to Jack. "On your order Colonel."
Jack watched as the fifth and sixth chevron locked – idly impressed at Williams' ability to work with the SGC despite what he assumed was a superiority complex. Though well deserved with their technology, it was nice to know humanity was still 'human.'
The seventh Chevron locked and Jack watched as the event horizon kawooshed into existence. Several of the Alliance soldiers flinched back, along with the newer SGC soldiers. Jack merely hoped their inexperience and awe wouldn't distract them. He heard Walter calling out the lock and the gate stabilized. It was time to move out.
-Sarat, Command and Control-
Drey'Fal watched on the monitor as the chappa'ai opened, and the guards all pointed their staffs at the opening. Lord Ba'al had been insistent that they be prepared for any assault, as the typical Ha'tak patrol in orbit was called away to defend more important assets. Lord Ba'al assured them reinforcements were minutes away, but this left them open to attack. Admittedly few would bother with an Al'Kesh repair depot when Ha'tak were much more effective. The small naquadah mines in the area were nothing compared to the asteroid mining operations Lord Ba'al and Anubis had begun.
What Drey'Fal feared were these new messengers of Apostle. He had heard stories from survivors of monstrosities, twisted Jaffa who worshipped a creature that morphed them into killing machines with no soul. A strange technology wrapped around them and seemed to create devotion beyond that of even Nish'ta. Drey'Fal followed Ba'al out of necessity – no one else he knew would be able to protect so many.
So when he saw a pair of cylindrical devices come out of the gate and land on the ground, he immediately paid attention. Regret washed over as they detonated and blinded him through the visual device – a loud bang resonating across the forest moments later. Drey'fal flinched and blinked hard, quickly recovering his vision and shaking off the pain. He turned back to the screen just in time to see two strange flying machines come through, a Tau'ri style bullet weapon chattering as it showered the Jaffa protecting the gate as if their armor was nothing. He hesitated only a moment before reaching to his communications unit. "Alert! Unknown intruder with Tau'ri weapons!"
A few seconds passed, but a response came from the main fleet.
-Stargate Command, Gate Room-
Jack watched through the omni-tool Williams held in front of her as the drones picked off targets with ease. The four or five defenders at the gate were quickly put down from combination flashbangs and concussive rounds. Jack silently gave thanks that the Alliance had less than lethal attachments – how they turned hypervelocity dust into a swarm of Mike Tyson level punches was beyond him, but Bra'tac would appreciate it. The drones moved out and up, much like a predator drone seeking a target.
It wasn't long for the drones to target a staff cannon emplacement – just in time too as it looked like it was charging up. Nobody had to say anything as Major Davis gave orders in the gateroom upstairs. "Target locked, Hellfire one, fire."
Jack expected to feel a slight whoosh of air as the Hellfire rack came down and released one, but the armor he wore protected him from any heat or blast. The missile flew out, and a secondary screen popped up on William's omni-tool. Jack felt a little jealous that she had such masterful use of it, he could barely get it to display pre-recorded video let alone a live feed from a missile's camera.
The second screen showed the missile pull violently up once it passed through the gate, flying up and then circling down to meet its target. The Staff Cannon began to point upwards aiming at the drones, but it didn't get a chance to fire as the missile streaked down and detonated. A thick shroud of dust and smoke rose up and the drone switched to Infrared optics. It wasn't clear, but Jack could make out the broken shards of the cannon and what looked like a body.
The other drone swept the area, looking for targets. It quickly reacted and darted to the side when a yellow orb of plasma spat at it from a concealed position on the ground. It homed in on the reverse trajectory and zoomed in. A pair of Jaffa cranked the staff cannon and tried to track the drone. Jack wondered why they didn't have proper targeting systems like Goa'uld Motherships had – maybe lack of resources or wherewithal. More shots came out and the Drone took a hit. Its barriers flared and heat signature spiked, but not enough to seriously damage it. It zeroed in on the coordinates and locked on.
"Hellfire two, fire!" Major Davis barked.
The second missile flew out, and much like the first flew upwards in an arc before coming down on the staff cannon position. Just before impact, smaller staff shots flew up to meet it and detonated it. A wash of smoke nad shrapnel rained down on the Staff Cannon. It looked like it wounded the Jaffa, but they kept firing.
"Hellfire three, evasive course!" Major Davis didn't hesitate, just like Jack expected him to.
The drone fed more information; this time the missile didn't fly up as high and stayed closer to the ground. Jack watched on the camera as the missile skimmed the treetops breaking branches and coming in on the target. At a lower height, it'd be harder to take down with small arms as it would seemingly move faster. It proved successful as the missile streaked in and slammed into the ground just in front of the cannon. A wave of dirt and pressure wave tore the cannon apart, flinging the Jaffa back into the trees.
The damaged drone fell back, now avoiding small arms fire from jaffa hiding in the brush. The undamaged drone took a wide scan of the area and began to feed more accurate telemetry on the buildings and settlements. Moderate forest and brush separated them all – slightly different then the map Jack had been painted with paths and winding bends.
Despite the difference, Williams looked to her squad and nodded. They nodded back and the larger two of the seven-man team raised large riot shields – larger and wider than the ones he'd seen from Carter's design. "You know the drill! Clear the area, let the infiltrators get though unharmed. Move out!"
Jack waited and wondered exactly what these people had been through for them to charge up the Stargate ramp and into the event horizon without hesitation. Every soldier he'd known to join the SGC always hesitated, but he only saw Williams turn her head as she entered –a sign of acknowledgement. The Alliance might be different, but Jack was glad to see that certain parts of humanity had only flourished.
Ashley held her Avenger rifle in a ready stance as she suddenly felt dirt beneath her feet instead of steel. Her armor didn't let her feel it, but the suit's temperature gauges shot up as she went from an air-conditioned bunker underground to a temperate world that seemed to be in the middle of summer. She kept low and followed the two soldiers with the riot shields –ready to return fire if needed.
The three infiltrators she'd picked to come with her all cloaked and spread out. She relayed orders through her omni-tool for the shield soldiers to cover her as she approached the wounded Jaffa. Concussion rounds weren't exactly lethal, but they sure as hell hurt like a bitch. The closest Jaffa groaned and tossed – nearly unconscious, but not out cold. Ashley approached and used her omni-tool to create a standard police baton – electrically charged for ensured disabling. She silently crouched and thwacked the Jaffa who let out a small shrill noise then stopped moving.
Reports came from the nearby infiltrators who'd moved out and taken cover. No targets, but then again the drones were still under small arms fire from random places throughout the area. She had no clue how many Jaffa they'd be facing, but she wasn't going to risk getting any of her men fried in a firefight. She moved over to the next Jaffa, this one out cold from multiple headshots. Ashley dropped a waypoint in the direction of the closest barracks and gave her two protectors hand motions. She then finished with a flourish to say she'd be with them soon.
The soldiers moved ahead, less cautiously but still wary of any movement. Ashley linked her omni-tool to the radio system the SGC was using and spoke quietly. "Immediate area around the Stargate is clear. You can move in now." She took a moment to think. The Relays could send messages quickly using laser communications, but she had no clue how far this planet actually was. The briefing had mentioned it was near the Terminus systems, so at least half the galaxy. The thought that they could hear her back on Earth through this… ring relay was confusing. Nevertheless, she'd learned in her time with Shepard not to discount anything.
It took a few moments, but Colonel O'Neill was the first through – an Avenger rifle in his arms and a determined look on his face. Behind him, two squads worth of soldiers followed, then another two. About fifty men in total – all armed to the teeth with Alliance grade armor and weapons. If only they knew how to do more than pull a trigger. Jack waved forward and the teams split apart like the trained soldiers they were. At least there was that.
She approached Jack and nodded. "Area's secure for now, but they'll push on us sooner rather than later."
"Agreed." Jack muttered. "We can hold the gate." He then looked at his wrist momentarily, finally activating his omni-tool. Jack studied the display for a moment before tapping a few buttons. Ash couldn't help but find his confused face adorable how he seemed to have to carefully consider his every move with the thing – even for something as simple as opening a communications frequency. "This is O'Neill. Squad leaders report to the gate."
It took only seconds as Colonel Dixon and Major Lachlan arrived. The Russians hadn't fielded an experienced squad lead. Dixon looked around cautiously as he approached. "Those drones are picking up lots of sporadic signals. We're surrounded but it's not a coordinated effort."
Lachlan seemed the most bewildered of them all, but Ash could see he was just letting it slide for now until the danger was over. "Not exactly what I was expecting, but what are your orders, sir?"
Ash waited – technically Colonel O'Neill outranked her, but she had much more experience with Alliance technology. For now she'd be diplomatic, especially because O'Neill had been respectful of that.
O'Neill brought up a map of the nearby outposts on his omni-tool, Ash fought the urge to tell him to just stream it to their HUDs. "Alright, let's stick to the plan. Williams, I want you and Dixon to hit the nearest barracks and contain it. Lachlan, spread out and engage any flanking maneuver." He tapped another button. "Davis, Taylor, we've got a foothold for now. If the Goa'uld bring any air support we're going to need missiles."
"Already on it Colonel. Rearming Hellfires. Two minutes and we'll have support for you."
"Keep the gate open as long as you can." Jack ordered, then looked to Ashley. "I'm counting on you Chief, we'll hold the gate area and make sure you've got a backdoor. Don't take unnecessary risks."
Ash nodded and turned to Dixon. "Alright, I've got my squad approaching the barracks already. We can catch up if we move now."
Dixon smiled easily and shrugged his head in the appropriate direction. "Lead on."
The approach to the Barracks had been quiet – Ashley didn't know what to think of the whole situation. If she'd been told a week ago that she'd be going through crazy ring shaped relays and trudging through a forest with soldiers from a 200 year old Earth, she'd wonder where the straightjackets were. Now though as she caught up to the Alliance team with her, she noticed the SGC troops behind her weren't hesitating.
As she approached her team, she noticed a body on the ground near them. An unlucky Jaffa had strayed into her team and they'd quickly disabled him. It was annoying to have to enforce concussion rounds but she did see the benefit of these prisoners.
The Alliance troops were nestled closely together and hiding. Beyond the trees, a barracks with a good number of Jaffa scurrying about was just barely visible through the foliage. Ashley turned to Dixon as the SGC team caught up and nodded. "Colonel, I think it'd be best if we move in first and gave them a little hard contact. If your men can flank and cover us as we breach, we should be able to take this pretty quickly."
Dixon looked around for a moment before nodding. "Agreed. Holler if you need us to come in close." He looked to the men behind him. "You heard the lady; cover positions at the edge of the trees!"
Quick nods of assent were the only reply. Ash turned back to her own people and looked to the two riot shielded soldiers. "Alright, move in and draw their fire. If those shields don't hold up, back off and we'll use standard tactics." She looked to the three infiltrators with her. "I want you guys to cloak and move in. Disabling shots only unless you've got a lethal threat. Shot to the head and a shot to the gut is needed for a confirmed kill. Clear?"
"Clear."
"Move out."
Dixon spread his men out alongside the edge of the forest with intention to provide covering fire. He knew that it'd only last until they'd cleared the outside, and then they'd have to close in to clear the building room by room. These being Jaffa, he didn't expect many to stay inside.
He didn't have to say much more as they settled in, and Dixon sighted in on the Alliance troops now closing on the building. The Jaffa had spotted them and began to fire suppressive, not even bothering to aim properly as the shots whizzed past the large riot shields Dixon wished he'd had this kind of armor and weapon when the Jaffa had invaded Cimmeria.
The Alliance troops didn't hesitate and returned fire. The way these weapons could be so easily modified to fire differing kinds of ammunition made it an incredibly versatile weapon. Concussion rounds would have made police work simple back on Earth. The lead Jaffa had lined up like a picket – almost as if they were firing muskets - and were easily mowed down by the rapid fire. He recalled once Jack telling him about teaching the Jaffa the difference between a weapon of terror, and a weapon of war. This wasn't a fair fight.
The Jaffa quickly learned their mistake, and the troops that came spilling out spread out to make burst fire less effective. Now they aimed properly and shots hissed as they slammed into the riot shields. At this range, Dixon knew his men wouldn't miss. "Covering fire! Take out the ones trying to flank!"
A second later, a chorus of pops from the Alliance Avenger rifles the SGC troops used sung and quickly brought down the flanking dozen or so Jaffa. Tracer rounds sizzled and made loud popping sounds as the omni-tool reacted concussive warheads pummeled their attackers. Dixon felt like he was running a turkey shoot.
The Alliance force reached the large doors to the barracks and quickly secured the entrance with little real opposition. Dixon had no clue if there were any other ways in or out of the building so he kept his men covering their flanks. In the distance though, he heard a rumble of an engine. He turned and focused – Al'Kesh.
Major Davis turned to look at Weir who seemed to be more emotionless than usual. She had her arms crossed and watched on the video feeds as the teams on Sarat moved out. He could swear she was just hiding her horror at the visuals.
"Fifteen minutes to forced gate closure." Walter announced.
Davis nodded and was thankful Weir didn't get involved in the military operation, merely overseeing it. "Alright, get me Colonel O'Neill" He waited a moment, and then O'Neill's voice replied in affirmative Davis explained. "Sir, we've got Hellfires ready to go on your command. We need you to paint the targets."
"On it." O'Neill replied.
It took a few moments, but the image on the screen below them shifted to the Drone scanners. Whether it was O'Neill or one of the Alliance operators Davis didn't know. The Drone turned and zoomed in on the approaching craft, two Al'Kesh and a wing of Death Gliders. "Damn… Colonel you've got a squadron coming to greet you. We'll deal with the Al'Kesh if you think your men can take down a few Death Gliders."
"Great…." O'Neill replied – a mixture of disappointment and snark. "We'll handle the gliders. Painting targets for you."
Davis looked over at the gunnery chief whose team had just replaced the Hellfire Rack. "Get ready for another salvo. We're going to continue to provide support as long as we can." The reloaded rack of four missiles craned down from the stored position and pointed at the stargate. The screen ahead of them focused on the lead Al'kesh, its turret turning and preparing to fire. A diamond reticule closed in and eventually locked with a shrill beep. "Hellfire One and Two, Fire!"
Jack had the guards at the gate take cover as the Drones painted the target. A missile whizzing past at speeds approaching Mach 1 wouldn't be lethal with this armor on, but it'd knock him back on his ass from the shockwave. "Brace for incoming!" Jack pushed his back against a tree and waited. A few seconds passed when the event horizon fluttered and a missile spat out. It arced upwards and left a contrail of smoke behind it, quickly followed by another.
"Williams! We need that second Al'Kesh spotted!" Jack barked. The soldiers around him had taken cover by the trees but an Al'Kesh cannon would leave nothing but charred ash behind.
"On it! Stand-by!"
Jack flinched back as on his HUD, a secondary screen popped up showing him the Drone's visual interface. Staff shots flew up and tried to intercept it but the drone was too nimble at these ranges. The Al'Kesh would easily flatten them though and Jack hoped it moved fast.
The two missiles that had been released were clear as day and the Squadron of Goa'uld craft spread out –obviously they'd spotted the incoming ordinance. The targeted Al'Kesh banked to the side evasively, but the Hellfires were still far enough to adjust easily.
The gunner on the Al'Kesh tried in vain to shoot down the incoming missiles, but it was moving too fast for him to get a good tone. Jack saw on the screen and moments later heard the explosion as the first missile detonated against the Al'Kesh. Its shields had protected it, but these Hellfires weren't small warheads designed to shoot down Earth fighters. The second missile streaked in and impacted with enough force to break through the shields; The Al'Kesh spun out as the detonation tore the rear section of the craft off and fell to the ground amidst smoke and shrapnel.
The other craft pulled off their evasive maneuvers and now regrouped, heading towards the Barracks where Williams and Dixon had their squads. Jack brought up a tactical map of the area and barked orders. "Williams! Get inside that building! More Hellfires incoming!"
"Roger! Hard contact inside!"
Ashley didn't like concussion rounds anymore. These Jaffa were tough and it took significantly more shots to disable them than it would a simple headshot with regular rounds. Her men had already had to swap heatsinks twice since they'd tried to clear the entrance to the barracks, and they hadn't broken through yet.
A mixture of staff shots and electrical Zat shots flew out the door and kept them from pushing in. The riot shields were a lot tougher than the ones Carter had designed, but they weren't invulnerable. Ashley decided that enough was enough. "Concussion blast! Fire in the hole!" Ash fortified herself and stepped out from behind the shield and fired. She'd aimed the blast at the floor – the concussive wave tore the top metal sheathing off and flung it like shrapnel. What little dust was in the area blossomed out and gave them concealment. "Breach!" Ash ducked and moved in. A pair of staff shots impacted against her shields as she charged in and dove into a crevasse where she could take some cover.
The two shots had overheated her systems and she popped the heatsink out. A quick hand motion and a new heatsink was in place ready to fire. "Switch to incendiaries and cryo!" She blinked away the sweat in her eyes– memories of looking for Liara almost 3 years ago had to be shunted to the side as well. "Fire at will!"
Her Avenger had switched to incendiary rounds that would put down a Krogan – let alone the cheap armor the Jaffa used. A fusillade of fire poured down and lit up the hallway. She watched a Jaffa take a burst of cryo rounds that froze his upper torso – then shattered from a second burst of incendiary rounds. She wondered what the SGC soldiers would think of the brutality of war Ashley was used to.
The Jaffa had changed from a weak yet somewhat credible threat into little more than a curbstomp. One of her men had taken a zat shot, but while he was more or less incapacitated, the rapid-fire Mass Effect weapons easily outclassed the Jaffa Staffs and Zats and kept him safe. Ashley kept calm and sighted down her Avenger, watching as the Jaffa tried to fall back – her incendiary rounds plugging their backs as they ran. She called out on the radio. "Colonel Dixon! Get inside! Cover from that air support!"
Her men didn't need more orders as the riot shield soldiers moved ahead, the others clearing room after room and checking bodies and corners. Ashley looked back to the door and wished she could wipe the sweat off her brow.
Dixon replied in a cheerful voice. "No need Chief! Hahaha Skeet shootin'!"
"Focus fire! The one on the left!" Dixon barked as he aimed upwards. The relativistic speed of these weapons and the fragility of Death Gliders made this almost fun. His entire squad – along with what he assumed were Lachlan's men in the woods aimed up and targeted the gliders.
The mass fire chipped away at the Death Glider's armor, smoke and shrapnel rained down as the Death glider that hovered above Dixon's left suddenly jerked to the side trying to make a run for it. The Goa'uld craft had been designed as a fast strike craft with little protection beyond mere atmospheric containment. Dixon compared them to Littlebirds except without passengers.
The Glider peeled off, a trail of smoke behind it as it ran. Dixon saw the other Glider swing around and move in for a strafing run. "Take cover! Fire at will!" He hid behind a tree as the glider began to pour down fire. Yellow orbs of pasma rain down and tore great gouts of dirt and carbonized rock into the air. The glider's targeting systems weren't designed to strafe infantry and in seconds the danger passed overhead.
Another explosion in the air caught Dixon's attention. He spotted the only remaining Al'Kesh approaching – that was a real danger, but it was shrouded in smoke from the Hellfire that had slammed into it. He could just make out the screech of a second Hellfire coming in – the Al'Kesh desperately trying to avoid it.
Unlike the Goa'ulds plasma weaponry, a guided missile was much harder to dodge and a second explosion followed by smaller detonations ripped the skies above Dixon. He cheered, as did the rest of his men as they watched the Al'Kesh's smoldering scraps fall to the ground.
Jack watched as the lone remaining glider fell back towards orbit – was there a Ha'tak in orbit? He surely hoped not. "Nice shootin' Davis. Both Al'Kesh are down and the last glider's on the run."
"Roger that. We're rearming Hellfires but the gate's going to shut down soon."
Jack checked his clock, only two minutes left. "We'll be fine, re-dial as soon as you can. Keep those missiles coming."
He looked around at the other SGC soldiers around him. They'd been rightfully scared of the incoming Al'Kesh, but seemed almost surprised that it'd been over so quickly. Jack himself was shocked that so far nothing really bad had happened. Then again, the SGC had rarely ever launched a full assault like this.
Before the gate shut down, Jack turned his command frequency on. "Williams, Lachlan, Dixon. Report."
"Williams here, We're clearing the barracks now. No casualties but light injuries. We'll have it secured in five, over."
"Dixon here. We chased off both gliders but they might bring back friends. We'll link up with Williams team and move to the next objective, over."
"Lachlan, met a few Jaffa in the woods. No injuries, several POWs, over."
So far the mission was going splendidly. The only difficulty was going to be handling all these prisoner Jaffa. "Copy that. The gate's about to shut down, but I'll have Davis send Taylor and reinforcements to secure the captured Jaffa, over."
Jack got three affirmative replies. It'd been a long time since things went this well. He was hoping the other shoe didn't drop.
Jacob watched as the stargate shut down – it was so anti-climactic in comparison to it opening. The SGC soldiers around ihm gave him slight nods of assent – they were ready. A part of him wondered exactly what insanity he'd joined by accepting Shepard's orders to stay on Earth. A part of him wanted to still be out there kicking Collector ass. Experience and instinct told him he'd get his chance sooner or later.
He heard the gate technician – Harriman – call out that they were redialing the planet. Maybe it just sounded like crazy science to him but 38 minutes of being able to walk across the galaxy didn't seem like a logical limitation. Regardless, he prepared himself.
The soldiers around him were frosty – some of them at least had been through the Stargate. Colonel O'Neill had said that it hurt like hell, but clearly it was just a tease. Jacob had gone through enough relays to expect some discomfort but nothing severe.
It wasn't until Sergeant Harriman called out the seventh Chevron that Jcaob felt the first butterfly in his stomach. He quickly swat it down with a deep gulp of air and let it out calmly. It was go time.
"You'll be fine Jimmy, just a little suntan." Ashley reassured the wounded Alliance Marine who sat on the floor inside the barracks. Not three feet away was a dead Jaffa who'd likely been one of the ones to scorch him.
Jimmy nodded back and wiped the sweat off his brow. Removing parts of his armor was against standard procedure, but Ashley knew they were more or less secure inside here. The heat from the plasma bolts had given Private James King an instant sauna once he'd been downed by the Zat, but he'd be okay. She looked back to the other Marines who checked the Jaffa to ensure they were either dead or incapacitated. Ashley couldn't help but smile ruefully that these marines had gotten enough practice with perps on the Citadel.
Closer to the entrance, Colonel Dixon was on the radio. These Stargate Humans may have felt like children in their knowledge, but she couldn't deny they were brave. She wondered how they'd react to a full platoon of Alliance Marines with more than just recon drones. The visual of a Gunship flying through that Stargate filled her with glee. "Colonel!"
Dixon turned and gave her an acknowledgement as he spoke. Ashley waited patiently for a few moments and turned to her second. "Martinez, I want you and Jimmy to stay behind and get me an inventory of this place. One of our standing orders is to recover any and all Goa'uld technology and I for one want a better defense against those plasma blasts."
"Roger."
He couldn't say more as Dixon approached and gave a gruff grunt. "Lachlan's got visual on the next outpost. Not much resistance. Tok'ra might have exaggerated how big this place was."
Ashley understood what he meant, but she had to think about the people involved and why it was important. "Fine with me. Not looking to get my ass fried by one of those things." She motioned down to a staff that had taken fire and too damaged to use. "I hear right? Enemy air support is down?"
"Yep. We've got clear skies so if we're gonna move we should move now."
"I'm leaving a few people to secure this place. Any chance you can support?"
"Done." Dixon nodded, then looked out to the door. "Rogers! Blaine! Get your asses in here!"
Ash bit back a smirk – CO's were the same all over.
Jack continued to monitor the situation from the little forward operating base they'd set up. Behind him, Jacob Taylor kept blowing sighs – the heat shift was evidently getting to him. The Free Jaffa who'd come along were fine and seemed concerned as the squad of Marines Jack had kept at the gate now began to 'process' the POWs that filtered back from the teams in the field. Jack wanted to go and help them himself, but someone needed to coordinate this effort. He moved over to them and waved. "Taylor! Bra'tac's people! Over here!"
Clear orders made for a quick gathering. Jack brought up his omni-tool and took a moment to figure out how to display a map of the area. He pointed to the barracks Wiliams and Dixon had just hit. "Alright, we've got this point secure. I want you guys to go and clean up after the other teams. Bring back any prisoners you can – should be lots." He looked to Bra'tac's men – seven of them in total. "I think two or three of you should stay here and let these boys…" jack hooked his thumb at the growing pile of unconscious Jaffa. "…know we ain't gonna execute them. Do your thing you know?"
Several of the Jaffa gave him that same look Teal'c often did. Maybe it was a cultural thing.
Lachlan waited at the small command and control hub – his gun had heated up a fair amount, but it wasn't like his Earth based weaponry where he could light a cigarette off a recently fired barrel. Nothing said badass more than covering fire – and walking away with a smoke. That being said, he took a pull off the cig he'd lit from the spent heatsink one of his comrades had ejected.
His squad had done a fantastic job – mostly SASR and TAG he'd worked with before. This building wasn't like the one described to him at the barracks Williams and Dixon had hit – this building had multiple entrances and made of wood rather than stone or metal. . Seven Jaffa in total were inside – none bothering to watch their perimeter. It hadn't been difficult to sneak right up to them, Lachlan had tossed a flashbang in – causing enough confusion and shrapnel that the entire fight had lasted twenty seconds with no casualties on either side.
He could make out Dixon and Williams approaching with most of their squad. Both looked frosty and had their guns up until they spotted him. "Oi! Over here!"
Dixon was the first to lower his weapon and merely smiled. Williams gave him a bewildered look as she approached and said. "The hell? I thought you were going to wait."
Lachlan shrugged and motioned with his head back. "No need. Maybe these Jaffa figured we weren't split up. Building's secure." He blew smoke out and smiled. "Nothing if not efficient."
The squad of American marines behind Dixon and Alliance Marines behind Williams both smiled and relaxed a bit. Dixon just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Show off." He then spoke into his radio "This is Dixon to O'Neill – Command and Control building is secure. Bring Bra'tac's people in, over." Lachlan gave him an exaggerated face. Dixon rolled his eyes again and added. "Oh and Lachlan wants you to know his squad didn't need our help, over."
"Figures. Over." O'Neill replied in an obvious tone.
Williams shook her head. "I understand you taking advantage, but we're here to help each other."
"Of course." Lachlan raised his Avenger and took another drag on his cig. "And now we're all together, what say we hit that airfield?"
Ashley found it annoying that it had taken almost twenty minutes for the three squads to regroup fully and ensure that the Jaffa who'd been incapacitated were appropriately dealt with by Bra'tac's Jaffa. Jacob Taylor had joined them at the command and control and to Ashley's surprise, showed both a good amount of respect to the Jaffa and even leadership qualities. Not something she'd expected from someone working for Cerberus. Nevertheless, here they were now and she was surprised by what she saw.
Several Al'Kesh were on the ground ahead of them along with a few dozen Gliders all in a different state of disrepair. A force that strong would have easily crushed them if they'd gotten into the air, but for some reason they weren't being used. Maybe they were all in for repairs or refueling or whatever it is the Jaffa did with them when they weren't flying, but she'd learned to always look a horse in the mouth because inevitably it'd turn out to be an ass.
The airfield wasn't as big as something she'd see from the Alliance or Earth, but it was large and rectangular. A trio of pyramids stood in the distance – why she had no clue as they definitely weren't Goa'uld Motherships. The smaller craft were mostly to the north of the airfield, leaving a good hundred feet between themselves and what was obviously a control tower and barracks to the south. The recon drones were still in the air and gave them a great view of the entire scene. Jaffa milled about – all of them armed and seemingly on guard.
Dixon on the other hand was grateful as hell and eager to get moving. He was decent enough with his omni-tool that his plan of action popped up on her HUD. "Alright, that's a hell of a lot of ships which means there's probably a hell of a lot of Jaffa around. I want a flanking maneuver so we get them in a crossfire. I'll take my squad and come at the building through those ships. We'll drop a few Hellfires on those gliders nearest the building for some improv cover. Lachlan, I want you and your squad to hit the control tower. Williams, you're the heavy hitters here so I want you to wait till we draw Jaffa out and then you hit them from behind in the south. This can turn to shit fast if we fuck it up so only stay non-lethal if you can. I'm not getting my ass fried for a stinkin' glider."
Williams didn't like the plan much, but then again she didn't have the typical support Alliance Marines usually had. A nice Bose-Einstein Condensate warhead from a frigate in orbit would have made assaulting the control room easy.
Instead, she looked to her men all of whom had the same look on their faces. She shrugged and switched to a private communication frequency. "I know I know… just play along. We're almost done guys. Stay frosty and we'll still make 'em look average."
Lachlan gave hand signals to the men following him. They moved stealthily and silently – this Alliance armor felt almost like a costume it was so light. The Avenger Rifle was perfectly balanced though and he could even hold it in one hand.
The control tower was a two story building – something akin to a ladder was affixed to the rear and even from this distance Lachlan had a plan. A few Jaffa patrolled between the edge of the forest and the control tower – a good fifty feet of open terrain. The Jaffa had been inadvertently smart about this place. Nothing Lachlan hadn't trained for though. He radioed Dixon. "This is Lachlan, I'm in position to rush the building but we've got hostiles in the way. We can take them no problem but we've got little cover. That distraction would be nice, over."
A second passed before he heard Williams as well. "In position, we'll wait for you to draw them out too, over."
Dixon's voice grunted, and then replied. "Copy. Keep yer heads down, I'm calling down the hammer."
Lachlan looked to the sides where his men took position. They crouched and hid behind trees and bushes – perfect cover and concealment. He found it difficult to believe even Jaffa would be able to see them from this range. Then again, ever since seeing those craft on the ground Lachlan had a bad feeling. He kept quiet though and waited. He could hear on the command frequency as Dixon called in the strike – a full four Hellfire ripple fire for effect. The Jaffa were about to have a really bad day.
It took almost a minute and a half, but Lachlan made out the first Hellfire soaring across the sky. He watched with no small sense of satisfaction as it began to arc downwards, pointing straight at a grounded Glider. It was too far for him to see, but he could imagine the broken shards of metal as the ground shook from the impact. The Jaffa in front of him turned and seemingly panicked, all screaming unintelligibly.
He waited for the Jaffa to break rank and run towards the explosion – he could just barely hear gunfire from Dixon's team as they worked their distraction. He waved forward and his team spread out to avoid getting hit with mass fire. Lachlan moved quickly but kept his gun trained forwards, even as the Jaffa entered the building or went around it to meet Dixon's team. Part of his training had taught him to always be aware of his surroundings – too much focus and he'd get a bullet in the ass from the insurgent he hadn't noticed.
It was almost insulting to the Jaffa that Lachlan got all the way to the rear of the building before anyone noticed. A single Jaffa in robes – not even armor – had exited out the rear of the control tower and gave him a shocked doubletake. Lachlan merely shook his head as the Jaffa went to draw his Zat and then went down from a sharp rifle butt to the head – silent takedown.
Lachlan risked a look back, and saw Williams along with her team moving in. He'd counted at least a dozen Jaffa moving towards Dixon's team from the rear of the building which led him to an educated estimate of fourty or so Jaffa in total. He waved his men into position to breech into the building – there wasn't even a door. How the hell had the Jaffa survived this long?
Williams moved in closer and gave him a quick salute as her team moved around the building chasing the Jaffa. He heard another scream of Hellfire incoming – a few seconds later a deep rumble of an explosion and the slight shake of the ground told Lachlan that the distraction was working well. He looked across to his comrade on the other side of the door and nodded, then raised his hand with fingers spread. Lachlan counted down from three silently before making a fist and then pointing two fingers towards the door. He swung in and kept low, Avenger rifle at the ready.
Peering down the sights, he raised his left hand and motioned to the sides. "Clear the building! Call it out!"
The SAS troops behind him called out as the entered. "Left side, clear!"
"Right side, Clear!"
"Door to left!"
Lachlan quickly tried to make sense of the building. It looked like the ground floor was mostly bedding and personal spaces. The control rooms must have been upstairs.
A burst of fire from the side made him instinctively turn on his heel and aim. His radio chirped. "Contact down. Hostiles in the area."
Lachlan turned back and spotted another two doors leading to what he assumed were more living spaces. The door to his left had been kicked open – nothing but what looked like lockers. He sighted in on the next two doors and kept moving. It paid off as the door swung open and a Jaffa charged through. Lachlan calmly pressed the trigger and held the gun in place as it fired.
The Jaffa took the rounds in the left shoulder – the concussion rounds pushing him back and flipping him giving Lachlan a perfect shot to the back of the head. The Jaffa went down without a fight – but more began to spill out. Lachlan kept his calm and sighted in again –calling to his men "Contact! Need assistance!"
While the British SAS and the SASR held to many equivalent standards, there were a few differences. Lachlan had done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he hadn't had too much urban street fighting experience. Instead, he fell back on his training and focused on neutralizing the threat before it became lethal.
The SAS soldiers on the other hand had plenty of urban experience and leapfrogged ahead. "Taking point! Cover!"
Lachlan didn't complain as he stopped firing – now three Jaffa on the ground unconscious while the few still remaining inside tried to fire from cover. Before they could react, the leading SAS trooper pulled a grenade from his belt. "Flashbang out! Cover!"
Lachlan watched just long enough to see the cylindrical grenade bounce off the opposite wall and directly into the doorway – nice shot. He winced and tried to cover his ears as a second later the grenade detonated in a brilliant flash of light and intense bang. He was pleasantly surprised as the SAS soldiers showed little sign of being affected and charged in the door.
By the time Lachlan got to the door, the SAS soldiers had put down the stunned Jaffa with close range headshots. He wanted to congratulate them but he figured it could wait. "Clear the rest! I've got an idea about the second floor!" He switched his radio to the command frequency. "This is Lachlan, Calling in a fire mission!"
Doctor Weir watched with morbid curiosity through the Recon Drone's camera. The fighting looked almost like a summer blockbuster action as Jaffa lined up and fired Staff shots and Zats towards the smoke and fire of the now two destroyed Al'Kesh – Tracer rounds rippled back from the concealed position.
To her side, Major Davis continued issuing orders. "Next Hellfire between Colonel Dixon and the Jaffa – keep them covered Sergeant."
Walter nodded and worked calmly. Weir could only watch in admiration as the trained soldiers worked diligently. On the screen, the Jaffa tried to move towards Dixon's team despite not having much in the way of cover. She noted the Recon drones moving in closer – so close in fact…
"Drones moving into position Major." Walter called out.
Weir couldn't take this anymore. "What, what's happening?"
Davis didn't even turn his head to reply. "The drones are going to clear the second floor. With that, we'll only have straggler Jaffa and anyone near the airfield to deal with. This is almost done." Davis scoffed softly. "I'd almost say it was too easy, but I'm not going to tempt fate."
Weir winced. "I think you just did."
Ashley crept forward and hugged the wall of the building. This was almost stupid. These Jaffa wouldn't be a threat if they didn't have overpowered yet cumbersome weapons and ships. To launch this kind of assault on an Alliance held base would have been suicide without air, tech and biotic support. A few 'hellfire' missiles were useful, but not the same.
The way they didn't watch their six while engaging Dixon's men who were behind fantastic cover almost made it sad when they reached the other side of the building. Broad side of a barn didn't do it justice. She looked to the soldiers around her and shrugged. "Start on the left, concussion rounds. Go!"
When the fire slackened, Dixon poked his head and watched as the Alliance Marines quickly cut down the dozen or so Jaffa who were pushing on his position. He was impressed by their accuracy - it didn't even feel like he needed to take cover from friendly fire. He just watched as the Jaffa were suddenly caught in a trap, and quickly went down without anymore injuries.
Another Hellfire came soaring in, slamming into the open ground between the Jaffa and Dixon giving him even better cover. Dixon clicked his radio onto the command frequency. "This is Dixon. Airfield is more or less secure. Gonna sweep and make sure there aren't any stragglers. Also gonna need some techs to make sure these planes are safe, over."
Colonel O'Neill replied, his voice sounded almost relieved. "Good job people. Bra'tac's Jaffa will move in to secure any prisoners. Stay frosty, we'll send the techs out to secure everything they can, over."
Dixon looked around – his team hadn't taken any casualties, but this had been one hell of a lucky break. The smoke and wreckage left from the destroyed Al'Kesh and Gliders lay strewn ahead of him, a minefield of ash and broken metal. Dixon sighed and shook his head. "Tell em to bring a fire extinguisher."
Jack watched the people around him as he walked with his escort. Evidently, Major Davis had ordered a few 'trusted' soldiers to watch him and he'd only noticed when he tried to move off on his own. Rather than order them off, Jack decided to just get used to it as it was something he probably would need to get used to.
Rows of Jaffa – six or seven each – were being escorted towards the Stargate. They all looked wounded and dazed, he recognized the look of shock when he saw it. Some of Bra'tac's Jaffa offered them water or aid, but the captured Jaffa merely ignored them or spit back. This wasn't going to get any easier. Suddenly he felt a little better when he realized Weir and Jacob Carter were in the process of organized an evacuation of half a galaxy. A few pissed off Jaffa was getting off easy.
The command and control center seemed the logical option to check out first. He'd seen Al'Kesh and gliders before and without Carter around, tech just didn't feel the same. At least a command center would have Intel that could come in handy.
On his way through the forest, he spotted Lachlan's team approaching. The way they still moved from cover to cover even though the area had been more or less secured made Jack feel just a bit uncomfortable – when had he become complancent about going to new and possibly hazardous worlds?
Lachlan approached and gave him a quick salute. Jack nodded back and looked to his escort. "Major, maybe you can help me with this stray problem."
Lachlan chuckeld and shook his head. "Not my area of expertise. Just double checking for stragglers. Those recon drones are better than predators, sir."
"That they are." Jack replied. "I'm going to that command center. Keep up your sweep and coordinate with the others. "
"Yes, sir. We'll make our way to the airfield."
Lachlan nodded, gave another quick salute and then motioned to his men. Jack saw the well oiled machine these men were. Typically the SAS and the SASR didn't work together on missions, but the training on the Mass Effect armor and weapons had forced them to coordinate. He'd seen and heard enough of both to know the SGC was better for having them – but they weren't explorers.
Jack's marine escort moved ahead as they approached the command centre. A trio of Jaffa were kneeling in front with their hands behind their heads. – a pair of Alliance Marines with weapons pointed at them. There weren't any dead bodies thankfully, but Jack knew this wasn't going to be this easy for long.
The control room was less than what he expected. There was a trio of monitors, a few chairs and a bunk nearby. The room's electronics were all housed in one large… closet? Jack wasn't sure of the word by 'mainframe' came to mind. It wouldn't be too long for the techs to arrive to get whatever they could out of this thing.
"I haven't ever seen tech like this."
Jack turned to the voice. Chief Williams had entered the room from the other side and gave Jack a nod. Jack replied. "I'm not the best to ask. Carter can talk for hours on this stuff."
Williams chuckled softly. "Reminds me of a few engineers I know of." She didn't look even slightly stressed. Jack wondered what she thought of the mission. "They didn't put up much of a fight. I know our tech gives us an advantage, but this was more than that. It's almost as if they let us win."
Jack walked up to the screen and rubbed his fingers along it. "I'll take it. Not every mission we've undertaken against the Jaffa went this well." He sighed. "Then again, we've never really launched a full scale assault like this."
Jack tinkered with the control panel. He'd seen enough Jaffa tech that he knew it would likely take someone with Naquadah in their system to run it properly. Williams walked up and joined him. "I've read about the SGC. Not exactly the most aggressive military operation."
"Well, we've blown up stuff." Jack replied. "More than a few motherships. Carter even blew up a sun once."
Williams snorted. "I've heard." She shook her head. "This all feels so strange to me. It wasn't long ago that I was policing refugees on the Citadel, and before that I was on a colony world getting hit by the Collectors."
"Nasty bug things?" Jack replied, Williams turned to him with a curious look. "I read up on Shepard's activities, Alliance's too."
"Oh?" Williams asked.
"I'd love to hear about it all."
Jack recognized the voice instantly and reacted. He snapped behind him with his sidearm at the ready and aimed. Williams did the same, but she moved so fast that by the time Jack focused on the torso of the target, Williams had already identified ti and opened fire.
Her Predator sidearm popped loudly and the rounds dug into the walls behind the target. Jack watched the warbling effect of the hologram as not only Williams fired, but his escort as well.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Jack screamed as he raised his hand. "Hold your fire!" When they didn't listen to the first order, Jack screamed again. "Cease fire! It's a hologram!"
It took a few seconds for the people around him to stop firing, but Jack's voice had cut through the popping. The hologram looked back at him and smiled. "Well… that was unexpected. Usually we have words before opening fire."
Jack grumbled and said. "That's because I listen before I mock you." He holstered his weapon and shook his head. "Ba'al."
Williams didn't holster her sidearm and instead kept it trained on the hologram. "Ba'al? You're the Goa'uld?" Williams snorted. "Guess I expected someone more… megalomaniac."
"I'm nothing if not reasonable." Ba'al explained, a hint of a smile in his face. "For example, you all being alive at this point."
Jack looked around and shrugged. "Doesn't look that way from where I am."
"Oh?" Ba'al replied.
Nothing happened. Jack sighed. "Either make your point or float away you…"
The ground suddenly shook just a bit – the sound of an explosion not too far off snapped everyone in the room to attention. A mere second later Jack heard Dixon on the radio screaming through static. "...us H Chr…! Orbital fi.. Airfield… back Fall back!"
Jack looked up to Ba'al who gave him a devious grin. "Wha…"
"Ha'tak in orbit." Ba'al replied. "I'm sure your Tok'ra friends would have told you this base was undefended – a wrong assumption."
"Well it is making an ass of you." Jack growled. He then turned on his radio. "Dixon… report; any thing else coming down?"
A few seconds passed before Dixon replied still staticy but clearer. "Not yet… but that shot took out an Al'Kesh and nearly fried Lachlan's team. I see him but his radio's out. Doesn't look like we lost anyone."
"Good." Ba'al said. "I wasn't sure if the Jaffa Commander would be willing to listen to me after all this."
"Listen to you?" Williams asked. "You mean you ordered your men not to hit anyone with that strike?"
"A demonstration of my intentions. Nothing more." Ba'al replied. "If anything, I want to speak candidly. Colonel O'Neill seems to only listen to excess."
"General actually." Jack replied. Williams and the escorts gave him a quick look of curiosity. He shrugged and looked back. "It's in the mail. Trust me." He clicked his radio. "Dixon. Standby. See if you can get Lachlan on the horn and tell them the same." He then looked back to Ba'al's hologram. "Okay, you've got our attention."
"Exactly." Ba'al replied. His brow wrinkled – obviously annoyed. "I am no fool O'Neill. This… Apostle seeks both our ends. Your usage of this strange… Mass Effect technology tells me all I need to know about what you know."
Williams looked at Jack quickly, but then kept quiet. Jack was thankful. "Worried you know what it's called. What exactly do you want?
"Your attention elsewhere." Ba'al growled. "I was crushing the System Lords and seeking to end millennia of violence between us when this Apostle arrived. The chaos gave the System Lords an advantage, and then those creatures appeared." Ba'al turned and walked a bit – how the hologram worked was beyond Jack. "I have been fighting them ever since. I believe you've been doing the same."
Williams finally holstered her sidearm and then growled. "Don't tell me you want to work with us."
"Hal" Ba'al chuckled. "I wouldn't stoop so low – at least not yet." He turned back to Jack and Williams. "What does interest me is exactly what you've already given me – your attention. I want it pointed elsewhere. Think of this planet as a… truce. I could burn you all to cinders, but you're more valuable to me pointed in another direction. In return I'll do the same for you and whatever you plan to do."
Jack considered it. Ba'al might be high on his hit list, but with the fledgling Coalition at stake, he needed to ensure a win – even if it was a given win. "So what? You just leave all these Jaffa to us? These ships?"
"Negligible." Ba'al replied. "The Jaffa can go wallow in one of your prisons for all I care. They failed me by letting you capture them so they are nothing to me. Consider the few Al'kesh left my offer of truce – as I meant it to be."
"Were they something before?" Jack asked. "Just clarifying."
"Of course not."
Williams shook her head. "Are you saying you were willing to sacrifice this entire base? Why not just tell the Jaffa to give up?"
"You think I didn't?" Ba'al retorted. "As soon as you attacked, my servants alerted me. Once I was reasonably sure it was you and not Apostle's forces, I ordered these Jaffa to stand down. They refused – but I was able to remotely disable their craft."
Jack thought about it. It made a sickening degree of sense. "That's it? You want us to leave you alone and you'll leave us alone?"
"Of course not." Ba'al replied, his eyes narrowing. "We are not friends O'Neill. But I think we can ignore each other until more pressing concerns are dealt with." Ba'al raised a hand towards the consoles behind Jack – they came to life and showed galactic maps and more information. "The Tok'ra have sacrificed many lives in the pursuit of the information I'm freely giving you."
Jack looked and wondered where the hell was Carter when he needed her. He sighed and shook his head. "This isn't over. But I can wait." Jack turned back to Ba'al. "Just sayin', I hope Apostle comes for you first."
"Likewise." Ba'al replied with a devious grin. He turned to Williams. "Shame, I had hoped to see Major Carter."
Williams turned to Jack again, a squeamish look on her face as Ba'al vanished. "Uhh… That's probably creepier than I want to think."
"Oh yeah." Jack replied. This mission had gone in a surprising direction. He'd have one hell of a conversation with the people back home. He clicked onto the Command Frequency. "This is O'Neill. Get all those Jaffa back to the SGC. I don't think we're in for anymore surprises." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Dropping shoes always pissed him off.
-Unknown-
Shepard opened his eyes and felt little but pulsing pains along his body. Good – the pain meant he was alive. What vision did come to him was blurred, his hand instinctively wiped and along with a sharp biting pain came away with sweat, grime, and the distinct soddy reddish-brown of dirt mixed with blood.
As me moved his arm, a sharp stabbing pain hit his left side and he convulsed. The pain was strange – it felt like he'd been stabbed or shot, but it radiated out into his legs and arm. Secondary pains hit his left leg and he willed himself to stay still as movement aggravated it.
He had to do something… something to do with why he now realized he was soaking wet and bruised all over. What felt like a waterfall rained down on him – it was a dirty muddy water that seeped into his armor and chilled his skin. His helmet was cracked and Kawashi visor shattered. His armor felt broken in places like he'd been hit with a element zero sledgehammer. A piece of the headset across his forehead had dug in and left a long laceration – that was going to leave a scar. He looked down at his hand and saw the shaking – and finally felt the panting of desperate breaths for oxygen. Shepard also saw the rocks and dirt beneath him – shards of metal and debris from… something… all of it looked scorched and muddy – a strange combination he thought.
The world around him seemed to phase in and out of reality. He was beside a cluff – the water came from a spout above but didn't pool very well. He realized he was on an incline and had evidently fallen. A relatively sparse ground lay ahead – a couple of trees and what looked like the creek formed by the water above.
Shepard was aware of his motions, but he didn't seem to have any real control. In fact, all he had in his mind was rage. A deep rage that overrided every other feeling swelled in his chest and flowed to his arms. A quick and involuntary omni-tool check gave him a sit-rep. He was wounded – broken ribs, a hairline fracture of his left ankle, his left arm had apparently been dislocated and relocated explaining the dull throbbing… His right side had fared better though still hurt.
Shepard wasn't worried though; the fury inside him would keep him going. Something was nearby – only a few meters away half submerged in what looked like a creek.
Suddenly aware of his surroundings, Shepard saw a debris field filled with metal. It almost looked like the debris from a ship. Had he been shot down? He didn't remember. All he could think of was the body – or rather person ahead of him.
He forced his left leg ahead, biting down on his lip to grit through the pain. Shepard's weapons were gone… or at least nowhere to be seen. His fury needed to go somewhere and the person ahead utterly deserved it. He just couldn't understand why, but didn't seem to question it.
His right hand made the memorized motion for his omni-blade, but the tool gave him a loud and shrill beep instead. He slowly limped towards the body – it moved just a bit, it seemed just as wounded as he. With no weapons, no omni-blade, and as hurt as he was. Shepard had to improvise.
Just before he reached the body, he gingerly balanced on one leg and picked up a broken piece of piping. It was stuck to what looked like a shattered piece of wall brace. A simple tug wouldn't do, so he crouched – careful not to aggravate his left leg and leaned with his back against it. Using his right armpit and body as leverage, he bent and snapped off a two foot section of pipe. Pain shot through his body from the exertion and he had to close his eyes and will it away.
Everything still moved on automatic – who was this in front of him? Shepard breathed in deeply and swallowed before pulling himself up. He limped towards the body – the end of the pipe dragging behind him leaving a small trail. He loomed over the body whom was dressed in robes, groaning and now rolling over…
-Normandy SR-2, Shepard's Cabin-
Shepard woke up with a start and flung his sheets off. His eyes were wide open – the dark blue glow from his fishtank next to him gave the waking a surreal feel. He looked around – everything seemed normal, though his heart pounded in his chest. EDI would have probably taken note and maybe even alerted Chakwas.
Catching his breath, he laid back down. Just a nightmare. He checked the clock and decided on trying sleep again for the two hours before they'd reach the Arcturus Relay to go meet the Quarians. What the hell kind of nightmare was that?