Salvation
Summary: Just when all seems lost salvation comes to Tollana(AU to SG-1 Between Two Fires).
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Tollana...
High Chancellor Travell holds on grimly to the edge of the table of the situation room buried beneath the Tollan Capital. Tanith's bombardment had returned to the Capital City after targeting some of the surrounding cities for a few hours. Al'kesh and Gliders bombed and strafed as well, adding to the destruction.
Travell glanced over as the few remaining Ion Canons did their best to destroy the attackers but weapons once powerful enough to destroy Goa'uld Motherships in a few shots were now rendered useless against the new shields Tanith or more accurately Tanith's unnamed master possessed.
The Stargate was already gone. It had been one of the first targets. No doubt deliberately so so there was no possibility of escape.
The Tollan were a peaceful people and as such had never seen a need to build warships to protect their world. In fact the whole idea of warships was an anathema to their soul. They had relied entirely on their Ion Cannon Defence Network and even that troubled them. Had relied on that and their arrogant assumption in their own superiority.
They were paying for that arrogance today in blood and death that already must number in the tens of thousands if not much higher.
They had brought this down on themselves. Travell knew this to be true. For centuries they had remained aloof and uninterested in the affairs of the galaxy. They had done nothing as the Goa'uld imposed a stranglehold over this galaxy and all who lived in it when they could have done something when they had a technological advantage. An advantage that was now gone.
Travell remembered only too well the fear she felt when they first discovered that the Goa'uld had developed a defence to the Ion Canons and she remembers the shame she now feels that they made a deal to develop weapons of mass destruction using their phase shift technology in exchange for their own survival.
Narim had been right when he expressed his outrage and horror and what she and the Tollan's governing body, the Curia, had done. He had been right to destroy the weapons no matter it precipitated this attack. No world in this galaxy deserved what level of destruction those weapons would bring. Well except the Goa'uld of course.
One of the personnel at a work station turns to her, "Your Eminence, our defences our failing. It's time to order the evacuation."
Travell had hoped, somehow, to avoid that. She had even tried broadcasting a distress call but it seemed as if no-one was coming to their aid. They had already lost their original homeworld and now it seems like it was the end for not only their new one but for their entire race. With utter defeat in her voice she gives the order...but before anything can happen the heavy bombardment lifts. Only the smaller explosions of the Al'kesh and Gliders can be heard.
"Your Eminence, an unidentified ship just entered orbit. Tanith is moving to intercept," another operator says, utter astonishment in his voice.
"Show me," Travell demands.
A monitor screen rises from the table in front of her, showing the view over Tollana from orbit via one of the few remaining orbital observation satellites Tanith hadn't shot down yet. The image showed one large wedge shaped ship that had a wide flat point at the front, narrowing off slightly in the middle before widening to raised engines at the rear. Attached on either side were two rectangular structures. It was a design Travell had never seen before...and a new hope blossomed within her that they had the power to stop Tanith.
She watched his ship rise up from low orbit to meet the newcomer and it was only when the two vessels were closer together she could appreciate the sheer size of the unknown vessel. It was twice as long as the Ha'tak and almost as wide. It was quite a bit flatter in height but then again who but the Goa'uld base their ship designs around a pyramid?
Travell watches on as from the alien vessel smaller, fighter craft emerge and plunge down into the atmosphere while the two large ships begin to exchange fire. The Ha'tak firing its balls of plasma energy while the new vessel returned fire with smaller, more focussed bolts of similar plasma energy that were nonetheless clearly having a significant effect on Tanith's shields if the readings in front of her were correct. The alien vessel...did not have shields...or at least not like typical shields she is familiar with. There was an em field surrounding the hull but its purpose seemed to be less to be a solid barrier but to diffuse the energy of an attack, spreading it out and allowing the hull armour to do the rest. From her observations of the battle it seemed to be surprisingly effective.
At first the outcome of the battle looked to her uncertain...until the alien ship fired what must be its main weapon from the prow. A blast of orange energy many, many times what had been expunged up to now struck the Ha'tak. That single blast shattered the Goa'uld vessel's shields. The same shields that the Tollan's own Ion Cannons had been rendered useless against.
The giant vessel fired a second blast and the ship that had etched fear into Travell's heart and forced her to bow before the Goa'uld and submit to their bidding all but ceased to exist as it was blown apart.
Travell stands there blinking, her mouth agape as undignified as that is for one in her position but she can't help it. All around her personnel cheer at the destruction of their foe. It takes several moments for her to absorb what just transpired.
"Your Eminence," a voice breaks into her revere.
"Y-yes?" she queries, unable to stop the stammer.
"The alien vessel is hailing us," an operator informs her.
Travell pulls herself back together as much as she can and straightens up. "Open a channel," she commands. On the screen in front of her appears the image of a middle-aged man with blond hair. Before he can say a word she pours out her utter relief, her voice literally trembling with emotion. "I don't know who you are but thank you. You have just saved the Tollan people from extinction."
"You're welcome," the man says with more than a hint of bravado in his voice. "And don't worry my viper squadrons will soon clear the skies of those galmonging Jaffa."
Galmonging?
"Forgive me but who are you? I am unfamiliar with your race."
"Ha!" the man barks, seemingly amused by the question. "It's been a long time since I've been asked that," he remarks before he gives the answer. "Cain. Commander of the Battlestar Pegasus."
Author's Note: Lloyd Bridges. Legend. Also a change from it being the Galactcia to the rescue. Thanks to everyone who has previously written reviews.