Deep Space Nine, twenty minutes later.
The two Goa'uld ships were simply hanging in space while their shield and weapons were locked onto Deep Space Nine. In the Control Room, Captain Sisko was looking up at the screen while Odo and Worf, thanks to a speech by Major Kira who managed to calm down the Bajorans trying to attack Gerak, were with the security forces guiding innocents back to their quarters. It would be a few minutes later that Gerak, who was standing as calm as could be, arrived to the Command Denter on a turbolift. Major Kira looked at him without any expression on her face as her eyes remained red in colour, and then looked away.
She didn't want to deal with any Cardassian right now as she wiped the tears off her cheeks and headed back down to the central console where Captain Sisko was standing. Gerak had seen the reaction from the Major, as well as some of the other Bajorans who simply avoided looking at him… however he could feel their anger. The man took in a deep breath before stepping off the turbolift and then walked down the steps to the central console where Dr. Bashir, after having seen to another Bajoran, asked if he was injured.
"I am fine, Doctor," said Gerak as he stood with his hands by his side to show he was not a threat. He then turned to the Captain. "I fear there is more to come?"
"We've detected a force of forty Gallor-class Cardassian ships heading towards us," said the Captain before looking at the screen again, "and we have these two alien ships just waiting. They have their shields up, and weapons locked on us in case we try evacuating civilians."
"I see." Gerak said as he looked at the screen as well.
"Sir," said O'Brien as the Captain turned to look at him, "our long range-communications are still off, and… oh?"
"Oh?" asked the Major as she heard a beep coming from the Chief's console.
"I have short-range communications, but the long range comms are being blocked."
"You sound surprised," said the Major.
"Because we didn't do anything, Benjamin," said Dax as she worked on her console, "I think the two ships lifted the block on the short-range communications protocols. But now… hold on… right now the ships are emitting some kind of a dispersal pattern around the stations and… oh no."
"Dax?" asked the Captain as Dr. Bashir rushed to the young woman and then looked at her console. Dax then looked up at the Captain and said that their transporters were being blocked by the dispersal pattern. "We won't be able to beam out civilians, or beam in people in case we're boarded by these aliens, or the Cardassians."
"What are they planning?" asked the Major as she looked at Dax.
"And we can't send any messages," said the Chief Engineer, "only receive communications."
"They know they can see us, now they know we can hear communications between ships," said the perplexed Captain, "and they blocked our transporters. They want us to see, listen, and be unable to do anything about what's about to happen next."
"Sir," said O'Brian as he looked up from his console, "the fleet's here." Everyone in the Control Room, and people near the viewports on the Promenade, watched four Starfleet vessels followed by twenty Klingon cruisers and battleships, and four Romulan and four Vulcan ships come out of Warp. The fleet then defensively surrounded the station while facing the two silent ships.
The Bajorans who were at the viewports, as well as the other Federation citizens, together with Odo, Worf, and the security officers watched out of the viewports at the force that was facing the mysterious ships. However, their worlds fell when the two ships started to open fire at the Federation Alliance ships without any provocations. Worf watched in stunned silence, as did the others in the Command Center, and the ones watching out of the viewports as orange plasma blasts hit one of the Federation ships. The shields flared for an instant before it collapsed, and the blast went on through the rear of the ship. The saucer section was sent careening off course before another blast destroyed it. The other vessels began evasive manoeuvres while firing at the Goa'uld ships while Captain Sisko listened to the Captain of the Lexington order an evacuation just before it exploded.
"Lock onto the two pyramid ships and fire all weapons," ordered the Captain as the fleet called for the Captain, but he was unable to respond. There were also cries for teleportation coordinates from various other ships… however, all the Captain and the crew of the station could do was watch helplessly as one ship after another was destroyed. The weapons from the Station and the ships did impact the two Goa'uld ships as the phasers and torpedoes impacted the shields. However, the Ori enhanced shielding withstood the barrage of weapons fire while returning fire.
Everyone watched helplessly as the Romulans lost three ships while the fourth had warped away from the carnage. In addition, the Vulcan's lost all their ships in the opening salvo, all the Starfleet ships were destroyed, and all twenty of the Klingon ships were destroyed. All while reducing the shields of the two Ha'tak class ships to ninety five percent.
Everyone who saw the massacre was dejected before they turned and trudged back to their quarters while their hearts fell. There were debris and bodies floating in space as DS9 stopped firing phasers and torpedoes after an order by Captain Sisko. Everyone in the Control Room was silent at the horror that just happened out in space when a voice came over the speakers.
"All who wish harm on Lord Ba'al, all those who wish to claim his property and those of his followers will be turned to dust," said the voice, "you will surrender to the Cardassians, and then everyone will bow down to Lord Ba'al. We know there are forty more enemy ships coming, and we will destroy them as well. You will watch our wrath strike down all who do not wish to follow Lord Ba'al and his queen."
"The Andorian ships," said the Captain as he glared at the two Ha'tak class ships.
"And we have no way of warning them," said Dax as she looked up from her console and stared at the Captain before looking back down at her console following a beep, "sir, we have a message from Nog. Jake's helping in guiding the civilians to their respective quarters."
"Prepare all security personnel," said the Captain nodding his head, "we have to be prepared for a Cardassian incursion."
"Odo and Worf are on it, sir," said Major Kira.
"And get through their jamming," said the Captain at Dax and O'Brian, "I want to send a message to the Andorians. Message is to back off until we have a plan. We just saw over thirty ships destroyed without any resistance. We don't need more people dead without any way to fight back."
"On it," said O'Brien.
"Major," said the Captain. He wanted to keep Major Kira busy with work, mainly because he needed her clear headed. He understood her devastation at the presumed loss of her homeworld, but Sisko needed her to be calm and collected right now.. And the best way was to find how to drain the shields of these two ships.
"Understood," said the Major nodding her head.
"Mr. Gerak," said the Captain, "help Major Kira."
At that order every Cardassian looked at Sisko wondering how he could ask their enemy to join them in this moment. Especially after what the Cardassians had just done. And as if he read their thoughts, the Captain looked at everyone in the Command Center, especially at the Bajorans, saying that all of them were in danger. And all of them needed to work together to live through the coming storm, "Mr. Gerak! Help Major Kira. And Major? Work together with the man so that we can save each other."
"With me, Gerak," said Major Kira as she tried to hide her disgust, "after we come through this alive. You and I…"
"I will leave you to your grief," said Gerak as he bowed his head before following the Major while Sisko looked on and shook his head. HE hoped that they could work together and find a way to beat the alien ships. Or else DS9 would fall.
Again.
But this time, all of them were going to pay.
Control Room, Deep Space Nine, ten minutes before Atlantis is due to leave Lantea.
The Andorian fleet was utterly destroyed. Pieces of ships floated in space with the earlier debris from the Allied fleet that was destroyed by the two pyramid shaped ships. Sisko and the others in the Command Center, as well as over three hundred remaining people stationed all around the large station comprised of Bajorans who used to be part of Bajoran anti-Cardassian forces during the occupation of Bajor, Starfleet officers who were on leave in the station, Federation civilians who already had military training, and the station's own security forces led by Odo and Worf. All of them had watched the destruction of the Andorian ships.
And now, everyone looked on as three more Pyramid ships accelerated out of sub-space and hung in space with the earlier two ships.
"How many torpedoes do we have left?" asked the Captain.
"Four thousand," said O'Brian.
"The Cardassians are three minutes out," said Dax as the Captain, with Major Kira by his side, glared at the five ships on the view screen. They had fired everything they had, with the forty now-destroyed Andorian ships, at the two pyramid ships to little effect. With combined and sustained firepower from the ships and the station, the shield of the two ships went down to nearly ninety percent. However, the two Pyramid ships refused to fire upon the Andorians and the station… at least until their shields were down to ninety percent. To the Captain, it felt as if the two Pyramid ships were playing with the Federation fleet.
Once the two ships opened fire, all the Andorian vessels were destroyed with one shot each. One of the blasts even caused the stations' shields to collapse as it impacted the barriers, collapsed it, and then continued on until it hit Pylon Three. The resulting explosion in the immediate areas of the plasma impact resulted in a few deaths before shields were put in place, and Dr. Bashir was sent to take care of any survivors.
A few minutes later, the two Pyramid ships were joined by three more vessels, bringing the total to five. And with the Cardassians only a few minutes away, Sisko ordered everyone on the station to prepare themselves.
Atlantis, Conference Room. Over thirty-eight minutes since the Stargate was activated on Earth.
Willow, Vala, Janeway, Daniel, Mackay, and General O'Neill were soon joined by Teal'c who was already in his armour and arrived in tow with several Chulak class ships in orbit, Thor, Dawn, Buffy, Faith, Hailey, Jon, Apollo, and Lisa. The latter welcomed Janeway in person to Atlantis for the first time before saying that she hoped it would have been under better circumstances. Janeway nodded her head before turning back to looked at the image of the Stargate on the presidio as more and more Kull Warriors walked though while a running stopwatch underneath the image counted down from ten seconds.
"We have a problem," said General O'Neill when the countdown passed 'zero' but the Stargate in the Presidio was still active.
"Yep," answered Willow looking at the hologram.
"Plan B?" asked General O'Neill at Willow.
"Plan B?" asked Janeway as Willow sighed and nodded her head.
"Buffy, Faith," said Willow looking at her best friend and her wife respectively standing on the other side of the hologram emitting pedestal in black armour with a green crystal on their chests, and the long cylindrical weapon on their hips, "how many Slayers do we have?"
"Two hundred waiting in the Jumper bay," said Faith, "they're ready to be beamed up to our ships heading for Earth."
"We got another hundred and fifty coming in, Will," said Buffy, "but Giles said that the rest are still needed to put down a few Wraith hold-outs. The hundred and fifty can be spread onto the other ships."
"Two hundred Slayers on Earth should be enough," Faith said, "how many Kull warriors we got?"
"I'm sorry," said the Captain, "what exactly are Slayers? You've mentioned this word many times but every time I ask for an explanation, its pushed to another time."
"Everything's going to be explained later, Captain," said Willow at the expression of impatience on Janeway's face, "I promise."
Janeway sighed before she turned to Faith.
"Last count?" asked Janeway as she remembered what Andrew had said when he updated them in the situation in Starfleet Command, "over two thousand."
"Civilians?" asked Buffy.
"Protocol is to evacuate civilians to designated shelters," said the Captain, "it was something we prepared for after the Xindi launched an unprovoked attack on Earth hundreds of years ago. So, I'd assume that the Federation Security Services have begun to guide civilians in San Francisco and Oakland to these shelters."
"Then that would reduce civilian casualties," said Willow as she leaned on the pedestal after placing her hands on the surface. The Hologram automatically turned off while Willow looked at Buffy and Faith, and took in a deep breath. "Buff, Faith, I need you to form fifteen squads of twenty Slayers each. I want the two of you to lead two squads, and select leaders you trust for the other thirteen. Those fifteen squads are heading for Earth on the Vantage and Persephone. I want the other Slayers to be divided into groups that would be boarding the Galactica, Atlantia, Pegasus, Scorpion, and the Pieces. Admiral Adama, I'd like each one of the Kobolian Battlestars over Vulcan, Andoria, Betazed, and Tellar Prime in case the enemy, particularly the Goa'uld, have landed Kull Warriors on the surface."
"Understood," said Apollo nodding his head, "and we'll be getting some of the Daedalus class ships as well?"
"Yep," said Willow, "I want the Galactica joining the attack on Earth. The Vipers and the Arrows would be needed in case Ba'al released death gliders. All in all, at least for Earth, we'll have Atlantis, Voyager, and the Galactica. We'll be joined by twenty O'Neill class Asgard ships, twenty five Chulak class vessels from the FJN, three Tollan ships, and all of our forty Aurora class ships."
"And if there are no Kulls on the surface of the Federation worlds according to our scans?" asked Jon.
"Then we fight against the Goa'uld ships in orbit of those planets, and anyone else who attacks us," said Willow, "but we'll have troops and Slayers on the surface only if the authorities ask for aid."
"If the Breen and Cardassians have landed their troops, then I have a feeling they'll ask for aid," Janeway added.
Willow nodded her head before turning to Jon, Teal'c, and Apollo again, "Jon, Admiral, Teal'c, Thor, I'd like for you guys to divide the other ships so that they could head out to the Key Federation planets."
"Understood," said Apollo nodding his head.
"Very well, General," said Thor.
"And we're getting fourteen of the Orban-Tollan medical ships which are heading for Bajor," said General O'Neill, "those need to be protected too."
"Understood," said Jon.
"And Deep Space Nine?" asked Janeway.
"A fleet of Daedalus class ships will be heading to DS9," said Willow as she recalled the group watching the destruction of the Federation, Klingon, Romulan, and Vulcan fleet. The sensors from the Midway station had shown them the forty Andorian ships heading to the station, as well as the fleet of Cardassian warships. And Janeway had already told her that the crew of the station faced a great deal of danger from the Cardassians should they board the station. "Those Daedalus class ships will have Spec Ops teams combined with six groups of four Slayers. All of them will work with the Starfleet personnel to subdue any Cardassian and-or Kull threat on the station while the ships take care of the Goa'uld and Cardassian ships."
"Got it," said Buffy nodding her head.
"We'll head out, Red," said Faith as Willow nodded her head. While Buffy and Faith rushed out, Willow then turned to General O'Neill saying that they needed to infiltrate Ba'al's mothership and get him out alive so that they could question him on the location of any other Goa'uld bases.
"And I'll be heading out with you in case Adria's on the ship," said Willow. It was then that Vala responded by saying that she was going too. At which Daniel and Teal'c joined in voicing their intention to head for the ship.
"And Atlantis?" asked Dawn as Janeway looked on.
"You were the Administrator before the war started, Dawn," said Willow as she remembered Dawn willingly stepping aside as Willow was selected to oversee a combined Tau'ri Fleet. "It's your right to step back in after I retire. In fact, I was gonna recommend you take back your place as Administrator of Atlantis."
"Got it," said Dawn, "but you do know that you are in command of the whole fleet. Technically, you should be on Atlantis."
"It's my prerogative," said Willow, "besides, with Adria on Ba'al's ship… I'm needed on the Vantage more than here."
"Fine," sighed Dawn as she frowned at Willow before looking at the hologram again, "I suggest we send a ship to the Omega site."
"Omega site?" asked Janeway.
"A base secured with biometric and….. lets say Unique… locks that contains items that have the potential to end all life on Earth," said Willow nodding at Janeway before turning to Dawn, "you mean the Ark?"
"It will work on Adria, right?" asked Dawn.
"It should," said Vala with a feeling of hope gripping her heart, "it actually could."
"Ark?" asked Janeway.
"The Ark of Truth," said General O'Neill, "a device created by an ancient race that's supposed to make people believe what is the truth. And all this boils back to the Ori. I know that you have a lot of questions, Captain. And I know we haven't been forthcoming with telling you and your crew the details of what we're talking about. We could talk about those and waste time explaining things to you, or we could finish planning this attack in the limited time we have left, and then save Earth and the galaxy."
"We save Earth and the galaxy."
"Now," said Willow as she looked at everyone, "we have less than thirty minutes to prepare, for General Carter to finish the simulation, and then we leave."
"Let's get going then," said Dawn rubbing her hands.
USS Voyager, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy, an hour after Ba'al's ship appeared over Earth initialy.
"Doctor," said Seven as she sat up on the bio-bed before turning around and staring at the Doctor, "Dr. Fraiser did say this new body had no problems."
"I know," the Doctor nodded his head as he looked at the former drone, and now cloned human being, "but I still feel better examining you using the equipment on Voyager."
"And what have you found?"
"You're doing…," trailed the Doctor as he picked up his tricorder and fumbled around with the buttons before looking up at Seven once again, "fine. In fact, this new body has no problems I could detect."
"I think this is where I say, 'I told you so'," said Seven with an eyebrow arched upwards. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her before walking to a console in the middle of the infirmary and placing the medical tricorder back on its dock. At the same time, he glanced at his mobile emitter and was slightly envious of Seven having a human body. He had longed to feel anything ranging from emotions to the tactile sensation of simply touching the console in front of him. Everything he was feeling right now were as a result of his programming and his sub-routines… and so he longed to feel truly human.
And wondered if the Tau'ri could help him. Of course, he would have to be given permission by Starfleet itself, and he was aware that if he were to somehow procure a human body… then it would open a new can of worms within the Federation itself. Shaking his head, he turned to Seven getting off the bed, and onto her feet while she looked down her sleeved arms and shoulders. She then looked up at the smiling Doctor before putting her hands behind her back, as she usually would, and asked him if there was something funny.
"Nothing at all, Seven," said the Doctor smiling as he walked towards her, "you've been given something that any normal human would rarely get, another chance at life."
"I was already given a chance at a new life when I was freed from the Borg."
"Think of this as being free from the former drone," said the Doctor, "Seven, your body is no able to process regular food.. which reminds me that I need to create a plan for you. We wouldn't want you to jump into the deep end just yet. We'll start off slow, and then we'll get to normal food. And of course, you need sleep. So, the Captain needs to assign you to some quarters."
"I am aware," said Seven who was already missing her alcove. It was the only way she knew how to regenerate; so having the need to go to sleep was something new for her. She suspected that she'd have to deal with a plethora of new emotions over the next few days. Just before Seven was about to open her mouth, the doors to the infirmary slid open and Captain Janeway strode in by herself.
"Doctor," said Janeway, "I take it that Seven's doing well enough to go back to her duties?"
"Yes," the Doctor said nodding his head.
"Captain?" asked Seven as she turned, her long blonde hair swaying as she moved, "what assignment would you like for me to perform."
"Seven," said Janeway as she placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know this is a time to celebrate your new life as a full human being; but for right now, I need your expertise in the Astrometrics lab. The Stargate is still active in San Francisco, and the General thinks that Ba'al is using something to keep on powering the Stargate sending these Kull Warriors though the device." The Captain then went on to explain the Kull Warriors and the plan to save Earth while Seven looked on impressed once she heard about the Wormhole drive. Seven and the Doctor's expression also then turned to surprise upon hearing an entire Andorian fleet destroyed in the defence of Deep Space Nine by five Goa'uld ships just before over forty Cardassian ships arrived on the scene. "The station managed to destroy three ships, but the Station took damage. From what we can tell, the weapons have stopped firing before the Cardassian ships started to dock."
"They have boarded the Station," said Seven knowingly.
"The Starfleet officers? The Bajorans? The civilians?" asked the Doctor before clarifying if they were safe. To that, the Captain shook her head saying that no one was sure what was happening to them not even the Tau'ri.
The Captain then told them about the over three hundred ships in orbit of Pluto, including Ba'al's mothership, that were prepared to make a move towards Earth in a few minutes. "We're leaving in two minutes."
"I will return to my station, Doctor," said Seven nodding at the Hologram before walking past him, and then the Captain who then walked out with the former drone. Just as the doors hissed open, the Captain turned around with a foot in the hallway to tell the Doctor that once the battle began, we were going to be plenty on injuries."
"I'll be ready, Captain," said the Doctor nodding his head. The Captain then walked out in a hurry while the Doctor remained alone in sick-bay and whispered to himself, "here we go into the breach."
Stargate Operations, Atlantis.
"Careful, Will" said Dawn just Before Willow was teleported to the Vantage which would became the Tau'ri Alliance flagship. Dawn then sighed and turned to the seven people in Stargate Operations who were standing behind their consoles. "Connect me to the chair-room."
"Done, ma'am," said one of the technician.
"Major Bartlet," said Dawn over the radio as she talked to the young woman in the chair room, "are you ready?"
"Yes, ma'am," was the reply.
"Emergency team," said Dawn over headpiece to the four people in the power room who were wearing emergency suits that would protect them from the vacuum of space, "are you ready?"
"Yes, ma'am," said one of the four men who then turned to the others and reminded them to activate their magnetic boots. Pressing a button on their left tight, their boots became magnetized and held onto the floor. The group them picked up the four cases of three ZPM's each that stood alongside each of them as they nodded at each other.
"Contact Voyager," said Dawn, "have them fire up their engines, inertial dampeners, environmental systems, and life support systems."
"Contacting them," said another technician who then looked at the screen behind him, and then back at Dawn saying that they were ready.
"Ok," said Dawn before sighing as she nodded her head, "activate the shield and wrap it around Stargate Operations."
"Done," said a technician as a field of orange energy surrounded the Operations section.
"Activate the Stardrive. Stand-by with the wormhole drive," said Dawn. A few seconds later, the engines beneath the city glowed a blue hue as the city shook slightly. Everyone on Atlantis and Voyager held onto something as the city jerked before it began to rise off the surface of the ocean. The Voyager crew were transfixed as they watched the city rising while they were still parked on the pier. It would be a few seconds later that the city-ship flew up into space which was when the Voyager crew saw the sight of a fleet that comprised a portion of the Pegasus Alliance.
A hundred and fifty ships were making room for Atlantis at the center of the fleet. It wasn't long before the giant city-ship made it's way through the fleet and stopped at the middle. It was then that Dawn contacted Willow and said that the Wormhole Drive was ready to be activated.
"All vessels," said Willow as she stood on the bridge of the Vantage while Jon was seated at the command chair, "you know your assignments. This will be the final battle between us, the Goa'uld, and the Ori. We'll help free the galaxy from their threat, and then we come home to do what we were meant to do. What those who came before wanted to do. Explore."
Willow then sighed before looked out the massive viewport in front of her.
"Atlantis, activate the wormhole drive."
"Activating, Willow," said Dawn.
"Jump," said Willow before the entire fleet was surrounded by a grey shimmering sphere of energy that emanated from Atlantis herself. The ball of energy then collapsed in on itself in a flash of bright white light. In the end, the fleet was gone, leaving behind the four stations over Lantea as six Avalon class ships jumped out of hyperspace to protect the planet below.
TBC.