Rebirth of Ares
Conflict Resolution
"Colonel, you're cleared to proceed. I hope you find what we're looking for. Godspeed SG-1, 3 and 5" came the voice of General Hammond over the PA. Jack eyed his team as they approached the gate with SG-3 behind them, SG-5 had gone ahead to secure the other side. Teal'c was his usual stoic self. Carter and Daniel looked like they were buzzing with excitement. "No more coffee for either of you" Jack said in a fake reprimanding way.
"But Jack this is an ancient world according to the Repository addresses you inputted. Think of what we could find there" Daniel exclaimed indignantly. Even Carter looked a bit put out by the reprimand. Jack huffed and led the team through the gate. And stepped out into a peaceful moderate climate world that was very green. In front of the gate was SG-5 standing guard by some ruins that were barely viewable. "Alright, Reynolds you and SG-5 hold here set up a defensive perimeter as you see fit in case Anubis comes calling. We'll scout on ahead."
"Got it" the man replied and immediately started ordering the troops about. Jack led hi team off towards the ruins they were meant to check.
"Look Daniel are you sure we're gonna find anything?" Jack asked sceptically. "You said yourself that there was a massive hole in the wall appearing to look like something was ripped out. How do we know if it's still here?"
"We don't Jack but General Hammond said we must pursue it if it leads to technologies to defend Earth."
"We have the outpost" Jack pointed out as the four continued walking along a path to the ruins.
"Yes sir we do but that is only good for Earth orbit. We could use the knowledge of ship design or weapons for ships better than what we have. Anubis' mothership has helped greatly but it is still only an upgrade of existing Goa'uld tech. This is knowledge of the Ancients. It must be hundreds or thousands of times better" Carter argue back. Jack fell silent knowing Carter was probably right about that. Even he could see that the Ancients could really build stuff if the outpost was any clue. They soon approach the large structure with colonnades and Jack and his team quickly spot the gaping hole in the middle of the wall, expertly cut with the cuts looking to have partially melted the stone. Carter and Daniel looked inside the hole while Teal'c ad Jack stood guard watching the sky and horizon. Jack sits down and check his watch while Teal'c stand there stoically and silent. A few minutes later Sam and Daniel come out from the small room inside the wall. "So?" Jack asks tiredly. Daniel sighs sadly while Carter shakes her head. "It's not there sir, we checked the room thoroughly. We found only this" and she held up two thin clear crystals.
"Crystals?" Jack says an unimpressed look.
"Data crystal sir, there's no telling exactly how much is on them until we try to read them." At that moment the faint sound of engines is heard and a soft rumbling after that.
"We've got company alright lets skedaddle before we're caught. Move it!" Jack tells them and they are soon on their way back to the gate. Over head gliders are now soaring and heading for them firing their staff weapons upon the beleaguered SG team.
Up at the gate SG-3 and SG-5 are taking heavy fire from all around the gate. They are defending their position well but it is difficult thanks to the Al'kesh and gliders. "SG-1? Where the hell are you guys, we can't hold out for long" Reynolds shouts into his radio as he fires his rifle up at an incoming ship. Coming over the crest of the hill and up the slope he spots SG-1 running along dodging staff blasts. "Covering fire people!" and his band of defenders increase their fire rate, one even aims a bazooka at an approaching glider which successfully downs it seconds later. Explosions shake the ground as SG-1 approach the gate. "Dial it up Breise. Continuous fire!" Reynolds yells. SG-1 fit themselves in with the defenders, covering the member of SG-2 as he dials the gate home.
"General Hammond we're coming through" Jack radios through once the wormhole is established and the SG teams quickly begin breaking in an orderly fashion through.
Eventually, barely a minute later, the whole team was in the gate room on Earth and the gate shuts down leaving the Jaffa behind. Hammond approaches them near the ramp, "What happened?" he asked.
"Didn't quite go according to plan sir" Jack responds. Hammond gives them a look as if demanding more details. Carter answers him.
"Sir we found that the Repository was gone. It was as if someone had ripped it out of the wall. Someone beat us there."
"It was all gone? Nothing left at all?"
"We found two data crystals but other than that it was empty" Carter replied sadly.
"Could it have been Ares? We know he has a Repository" Hammond suggested.
"Hmm yes that is possible. He never did say where he found it" Daniel commented thoughtfully.
"If you excuse me sirs, I need to get the crystal to sciences so we can see what's on them."
"Of course Major, SG-1 dismissed, we'll have a briefing in an hour."
"My lord I believe the humans of the Tau'ri have claimed or destroyed the device you sought."
"And you let them escape" the voice fumed from beneath the dark cloak.
"My lord they anticipated our arrival. They had clearly been here for some time if they were able to-"
"Silence you fool." Anubis turned and walked away leaving the two Kull warriors to raise their arms and shoot the kneeling Jaffa. Anubis silently fumed. The Tau'ri had the knowledge of the Ancients. They could not be allowed to find weapons of that nature or he could be truly defeated. Ares was putting up a tough fight but he was still a Goa'uld and using upgraded tech like he was. He didn't have pure ancient knowledge that Anubis had nor it seemed the humans now did. Earth would need to be conquered or laid waste to. It was time to bring the humans to their knees.
Areya
The war was going badly, not that badly but even he was now loosing ground to Anubis. He'd lost a number of former Apophis and Heru'ur worlds to him. Oh it was costly for Anubis to win and James still had a larger fleet but the Kull warriors were proving tricky to deal with. Their use to assassinate a number of minor lords to claim their domains had boosted Anubis' forces though James was thankful for Earth. They had finally developed a counter that killed them in one or two shots, luckily they felt they owed him and so passed on the module that he had rolled out to all his plasma rifles. This had prevented a similar assassination attempt upon himself as they had just handed out a number of the modified rifles when the gate on Areya activated and a Kull warrior came through. It cut down a number of Jaffa with its wrist mounted plasma repeater before they could react to the Kull but soon after a number of rifle equipped Jaffa had stormed in from the outer room and fired a dozen shots at it bringing it down and killing it. The lockdown of the facility was lifted with the warrior's demise and the body was brought to a lab in the palace so that James and Carol could use it to go over the body in detail themselves.
Their studies would eventually lead to an improved version of his energy dampening armour that he rolled out to his elite guard. Only they had the new improved armour while those that guarded the gate facilities on his core worlds were given the older version if they didn't already wear it. Those that paroled his core worlds and were not based in the gate facilities were given a weaker version of his original. And thus three level of armour and Jaffa were created within James' core domain. The elite who wore the new impervious armour and guarded the palace and James himself as well as a few critical bases or facilities. Those who wore the original resistant armour and guarded the stargates within the core worlds. Finally there were those who wore slightly improved Jaffa armour that was tougher than before and more resistant to armour piercing bullets and two shots of an energy weapon who would conduct patrols and generally guarded the core worlds. James planned to see how that went before expanding all three across his domain. That said, it would be done slowly and carefully given recent reports of Jaffa rebelling.
Now though he was taking a breather from the war to sit and read some reports from Athena on the domain she oversaw and some snippets of the Repository. He was just getting into section on early Ancient colonisation in the Milky Way when Honeric, his first Prime, appeared. "My lord we have a new report on Anubis' fleet movements" he said respectfully. James looked up and sighed, tired of the ongoing war.
"What has he done now my loyal prime?"
"He has taken his command ship away from the front lines and we believe we have detected a ship or two of his near where the repository of knowledge was found. Around thirty or so ships have been pulled from his front lines while others have been sent to reinforce those locations. They also seem to now be holding position rather than advancing. I believe he plans to launch a large scale assault somewhere. We have yet to determine where exactly but his ship was tracked heading southward on the galactic plane towards former Ra and Apophis territory" he reported dutifully. Anything Anubis did out of the ordinary got James worried. That Anubis had managed to get a ship round to where the Repository was located was troubling as it had somehow gone past his domain, perhaps a dampener to reduce its energy signature? Either way that Anubis had been to the repository meant he'd found it gone and knew who had it. Which meant he was coming for him. Mobilising a fleet to charge through to Areya while the bulk of everyone's forces were wrapped up in various fronts and thus allowing him to slip through could be done if costly. He could win though he'd need to know Anubis' exact target and a route to intercept. "Monitor Anubis' forces closely, my satellites will track any large movements so will have some warning."
"As you wish my lord" Honeric said and bowed before departing.
Earth
"I don't know why I've been given this job" Dr Elizabeth Weir was saying. "I really don't. But I'm going to do it, to the best of my ability, as long as I'm here. I'm going to start by examining the mandate for this program -"
"Don't underestimate the immediate threat" Daniel interrupted.
"No, I'm not. But this country's history of manifest destiny cannot be continued out into the rest of the galaxy. Especially when this is all being done behind the back of the entire planet."
"Hey, I'm not saying that everything that's been going on here is right. I mean we have no right to play God. But neither do the Goa'uld" Daniel defended. "Now I know none of this seems real to you on paper, but trust me, they're pure evil. Now, if they had the chance, they would either destroy us, or enslave us all. Now you can read as many mission reports as you want, but before you decide what should and shouldn't be done round here, why don't you go through that gate, and see what's going on for yourself." Weir nods in understanding.
"In good time" she says.
"Look we don't have that much time, the review is what? Three months? We don't have that much time. Those out there like the rebel Jaffa certainly don't if we aren't out there causing problems for the Goa'uld, Anubis especially." Daniel was then interrupted from further argument by the Stargate starting to activate and the inner wheel begining to spin.
"Unscheduled off world activation" came Walter's voice over the base intercom. The two looked at each other, startled. "All the off world teams are back already" Weir said slightly confused. The pair headed down to the control room where they soon had the report of an IDC being transmitted. The iris was soon opened and a medium height elderly man in Jaffa armour plus a cloak came through the gate and walked down the ramp. "Bra'tac" Daniel calls out in welcome. He nods in greeting to Daniel before looking at Dr Weir and frowning. "This is Elizabeth Weir. She's the new leader of this facility." Weir approaches Bra'tac, with a hand extended in friendship. She give him a friendly smile
"Hello" she says simply. Bra'tac looks at her hand and then turns his attention back to Daniel.
"Has Hammond of Texas fallen in battle?" Bra'tac asks with concern.
"No, sir, he's fine" Weir answers, a little confused by his comment.
"There's been some recent changes in our political leaders" Daniel tries to explain.
"I see" Bra'tac replies uncertainly and looking stressed and uncomfortable.
"Bra'tac, what's wrong?"
"I'm afraid I am not the bearer of good news. We've had word from Jaffa loyal to our cause. Anubis is gathering the full force of his fleet. He will be here, in three days." Daniel and Elizabeth exchange worried glances at the news.
A few hours later they are discussing it in the briefing room. "Three days from now is a Thursday. Thursday's no good for us" Jack said sarcastically to Bra'tac.
"Why now?" Sam asks.
"If Anubis believes that we know the location of the Lost City…" Teal'c answers.
"We don't. Well we do but we don't. We can't get to it yet as we don't have the full address."
"Not yet" Jack says and Sam grudgingly nods knowing the hard work of Lyrena and the team at the outpost.
"Yes, but he doesn't know that we don't know. He probably thinks we took the Repository too" Daniel points out.
"But we didn't, we think Ares took it" Jack argues.
"Yes, but he doesn't know that" Daniel repeats.
"Well some people don't know when to leave" came an annoying voice from behind everyone as Vice President Kinsey came into the room with Dr Weir.
"I know these are strange circumstances but can we all just sit and listen to what Master Bra'tac has to say" Weir requests calmly.
"And you are?" Jack asks
"Your one hope of going through the gate again" Kinsey says bitterly.
"Bit of a mouthful" Jack shoots back wittily.
"So please, summarise what is going to happen" Weir intervenes again.
"Anubis is coming here in just under three days" Bra'tac repeats.
"Well isn't the timing impeccable" Kinsey grumbles again. Weir shoots him a glare to be quiet.
"Well if you think we'd just make it up" O'Neill starts.
"Yes I do colonel, I think -" Kinsey returned heatedly
"Gentlemen, please this is not helping." Weir interrupted. "Now, what are we going to do about it?"
"I'd suggest readying the ships we have, get the mothership and Prometheus into orbit and ready, meanwhile we have the team in Antarctica plus Colonel O'Neill to ready the outpost to destroy the enemy fleet. The drones from the outpost should destroy the fleet in seconds if Lyrena is correct."
"You really believe these frauds and -" An alarm began to blare as the gate activated. "What's this?" Kinsey asked demandingly.
"I believe more proof" Weir said calmly though was concerned on the inside. The group came to the control room as the wormhole fully formed.
"We're getting an IDC ma'am, it's Ares."
"You called one of the Goa'uld?" asked Bra'tac in dismay.
"He's been reliable" defended Jack. Kinsey snorted derisively.
"Unlike you lot you mean" he practically spat.
"Open it" Weir said. The iris opened and seconds later a young late twenty something man in Greek dress wearing chest armour and shin guards and a cloak came down the ramp.
"Hello, I am Ares. You rang?" he said with a smirk and a worried glance at the agitated looks in the control room. He was quickly escorted up to the briefing room to discuss the threat to Earth.
"I have confirmed the threat to you is real. My spies and through other methods have tracked Anubis' fleet to a system a few hundred light years away in a part of Ra's old domain that fell to Anubis. He is there with thirty ships plus his command ship. If the arrival is three days then he will leave for here in just under two days."
"That's it? You're fighting a war against him and all you can is say he'll be here?! What about sending a fleet to kill him?" Kinsey said in dismay.
"Senator Kinsey I presume?"
"Vice president now, actually" he replied smugly.
"Whatever, you are an insect for me to squash under my heel which can not be stopped. Now if that is me, imagine what Anubis who is part Goa'uld part ascended can do hmm? Do not question me again or you will find the result to be most...unpleasant" Kinsey paled and gulped much to the amusement of SG-1. "Now, before I was rudely interrupted I was going to say I can bring a fleet of ships to assist you, but I would think with the outpost fully operational, powered and manned along with the two ships?" he asked awaiting their indication of ship count. Jack just shrugged so James continued. "Given the ships and the outpost, Anubis' fleet should be easily handled."
"You think we can defend Earth with just that?" Sam asked.
"According to the repository, given a full complement of drones which is used conservatively, you could deal with a fleet a hundred times the size of the fleet which Anubis plans to send against Earth. You should be fine." The group around the table were shocked silent by the true power the outpost possessed. "If that is all I will return to my command. I will attempt to take advantage of Anubis' distraction. I wish you good fortune in the battle to come. You will not need me here." With that James stood, nodded to Weir and O'Neill and left for the control to gate back home.
"I guess we ready our defences then" Weir said with a sigh, resigning herself to commanding a military post in a time of war.
Three days later the Prometheus, the Anubis mothership, called the Enterprise by Colonel O'Neill (and which fortunately, or unfortunately, stuck depending on who you were), and their Cronus Ha'tak, called the Cronus to make things simple, were sat in orbit awaiting the arrival of the fleet. The approaching fleet of 31 ships had been picked up on the deep space sensors of the Ancient Defence Outpost two hours ago and had seemingly broken into a vanguard of three Ha'tak to charge ahead while the majority held position 30 minutes away. Upon arrival they were met by the weapons fire of the Anubis mothership and its escort ships with the Prometheus firing its plasma weapons, based on the staff cannons of Ha'tak and the mothership, and the Cronus firing its increased yield staff weapons, having received a few upgrades from the Tok'ra and Earth. Within a matter of minutes the three Ha'tak were destroyed under the heavy barrage of fire from the three defending ships barely having fired a shot or deployed their gliders.
Aboard his mothership Anubis sat waiting for word from his vanguard while two Kull warriors stood at the door way guarding the room. His First Prime came in a few minutes later on bended knee. "My lord I regret to inform you that our vanguard has been destroyed. The last message we received was that the planet had three ships in orbit. They were cut off before they could describe them."
"Tell the fleet to advance. We will destroy their puny ships and end the insolence and interference of the humans. Destroy them immediately."
"It will be done my lord" Herak answered gleefully. He stood and went over to a control console and issued orders. A minute later Anubis watched his fleet jumping to hyperspace on their way to end the humans of the Tau'ri once and for all.
Hundreds of light years away, James sat on his own flagship issuing orders to his fleet, mobilising for a final push to drive Anubis' forces from his worlds and reclaim the ones he'd lost. Around him a fleet of 40 ships hung awaiting orders. His stealth satellites had monitored the brief battle in the Sol system and was pleasantly surprised by the combined firepower of the three ships Earth had. Once Anubis was fully engaged he would launch his own offensive. Anubis would rue the day he challenge a human with the knowledge of the Goa'uld.
Earth
30 minutes after the first ships were destroyed Anubis' fleet entered the solar system housing Earth and the Tau'ri. His sensors quickly picked up the three ships in orbit and what he found infuriated him beyond measure. Sitting there in pride of place was his former mothership appearing fully repaired and operational except for the super-weapon. Beside it sat a human vessel and a Ha'tak that showed signs of modification. He smirked inwardly knowing that while the mothership was a threat the other two weren't and were no match for his combined fleet. That they showed no signs of Ancient technology concerned him as they had the Repository and so they should possess something. "Inform the fleet to attack. Destroy my former flagship."
"My lord?" Herak asked in confusion.
"I would rather see it in pieces than in the hands of the humans. Destroy them all!" Anubis commanded angrily. His fleet surged forth, charging the three ships before them, closing the gap to weapons range and then unleashing their destructive potential upon them. The three defending ships scattered, taking different vectors and approaches, distracting the fleet all while drawing closer to the planet itself. The human run ships returned fire causing damage to the ships and havoc to the fleet formations. Anubis mentally snorted at the pathetic strategy, they were leaving the planet open to bombardment, well who was he to deny them. "Target the largest cities, begin bombardment of the planet, lay waste to this world." From being bunched, up surrounding the three ships, his fleet began to scatter to target the cities in question. But then, an energy surge was detected. A high yield surge that went through the roof of the sensors making Anubis worry before he then saw them rising from the southern most continent. Hundreds of glowing orange missiles rapidly approaching and on a direct course for his fleet. "My lord the human ships are retreating. We are picking up hundreds of missiles approaching! My lord?!" Herak yelled with concern. The missiles then split up three or four heading for each ship with over a hundred for his alone. They slammed into, no they dived straight through, the shields of his Ha'taks and then he saw a dozen head for the bridge. "Our shields are of no use! My lord!"
"Noo!"Anubis took a step back from the window in fear before all he saw was orange light and then nothing.
On the Enterprise, SG-1, apart from Jack who was in the drone control chair, watched as the drone weapons of the Antarctic outpost ripped to shreds the attacking fleet Anubis had sent against them. Drones dived in and out of hulls causing explosions as they cut through the hulls like a hot knife through butter. Anubis' mothership eventually exploded with a shock wave impacting upon the remains ships as they too exploded in numerous supernova like balls of light. "Wow, that's amazing" Sam said in awe.
"They're cutting the enemy fleet to shreds, my god...beautiful" a crewman who sat monitoring the sensors called out in reverence.
"General Hammond, are you seeing what we're seeing?" Sam spoke over the comm.
"Indeed we do Major, Prometheus will return to its berth for damage repair. You and the Cronus remain on station. Good job everyone." The bridge crew cheered and it could be heard over the comms as the other two ships did the same. Down in the SGC control room Weir, Walter and others also cheered at the destruction of the Goa'uld fleet though Dr Weir was a little restrained due to being a diplomat and the boss of the facility.
Across the galaxy James smirked as he watched the destruction of Anubis' fleet from the stealth satellites, admiring the handy work of the Ancients. As he sat watching the devastation reaped upon Anubis, his fleet was cutting swathes through the territory Anubis had claimed along with other System Lords on their own fronts, Yu and Ba'al doing the most. Unfortunately for James the good times would end soon. He received a report days later indicating that Ba'al had secured Tartarus and the Kull warrior factory thus turning their loyalty to himself. Another problem was the unresolved issue of Anubis not being fully dead due to his half ascended nature. The only good piece of news that came out of the debacle that was the seizure of Anubis' territories was that James had managed to secure the site which contained the Asgard knowledge Anubis had taken from Thor, thus keeping it out of Ba'als hands. One war had ended but another looked set to begin...