Chapter 2

Some smoke filled the command center of the Lewis and Clark. Already people ran in and out to conduct their various duties including damage control and helping any crew that needed medical or technical assistance. Everything was in chaos as officers took information and gave appropriate orders to ensure the survival of the crew and ship.

"Captain Reynolds I need your status." Captain Jankowski yelled out with concern.

"Its pretty bad… those two shots were strong and knocked out our engines and hyperdrive. We're stuck here. Manuevering thrusters are keeping us in a stable orbit around that moon but I don't know how long these repairs will take." Captain Reynolds replied while keeping her composure in a crazy situation. "We leaked some fuel but managed to get that stopped but we will need a hell of a replenishment." She stated maintaining composure.

Captain Jankowski knew right away of a possible solution as he rubbed his head. "Those jumpgates you have stored…can you deploy them?"

"Yes but they will take at least four days to charge up…"

"But the tachyon beacon will be active..right?"

"Yes.. that's a good idea. We can link it to Jericho and send a message to whatever fleets is there." Captain Reynolds knew that while newly deployed jump gates took 3-4 days on average to activate; their tachyon beacons would be active. This would allow them to create a direct link to other jumpgates and allow for a transmission to be sent to Earth Force.

"Do it. We don't know how long it will take for these guys to be back and we're gonna need all the firepower we can get…. I'm dispatching some of my techs out there to help you get the repairs done." He added.

The back side of the Lewis and Clark opened up… a large dark segment came out and using automatic maneuvering thrusters set itself in orbit around the moon. As each segment got into position, they unfolded into a long structure each with spikes jutting out the end. While inside each Explorer Class ship; jumpgate segments were produced and folded up to conserve space. The process was automatic. Each piece would deploy and align while the power sources of the tachyon transmitter would combine which would let it link with the rest of the beacon system. A new beacon could easily be taken offline as well without affecting the links to the other ones.

"Jumpgate is slowly charging Captain. Tachyon beacon is online."

"Send the following message to Earth Force….. To any other Earth Alliance ships this is Captain Kayleigh Reynolds of the EAS Lewis and Clark. We encountered a hostile force while on mission and need immediate assistance. Can anyone read us?" She waited anxiously until she got a response from the other end.

"Captain Reynolds? This is Vice Admiral Thornton of the EAS Eisenhower on fleet exercise. We hear you clearly. What is your current status?"

"Long story short we stumbled into hostile territory. Our engines are down but we are making progress on repairs. Our escort under Captain Jankowski drove them off but no telling when they will come back… I am sending you a data packet… Earth Force needs to hear about this!" She was reieved to know it was the EAS Eisenhower, a Nova Class Dreadgnought, one of the most powerful ships in Earth Force.

"I got your data packet. We are stationed in Jericho right now and will head towards you ASAP!"

"Admiral I laid a system of temporary beacons nearby; you should be able to pick them up and allow the rest of the fleet to get here easier."

"Noted we are picking up them in the distance. We will be there in a few hours tops." She looked over to her XO.. "Captain go ahead and have the fleet prepare a jump to hyperspace and lock on those beacons. Drop our own as we head out.." She looked towards the screen showing Captain Reynolds "Is Captain Jankowski there?"

"I'm here Admiral. I sent a repair team to the Clark. The other ships are fine for now; our Starfuries are running patrols. Sensors are pinged in case they show up again. If we have to I can open a vortex and get the Clark towed back to Earth but I'd much rather get those engines back online."

"Whats your disposition on the enemy.. we need to know as much as possible Captain."

"It was one small ship but it had shields and hell of a lot of firepower. To me it didn't seem to be a warship… much more like his personal space yacht. Interceptors did a good job of catching the bolts but those that hit the Clark disabled her quick. Whatever this Ra is bringing back its gonna be bigger and we'll need the firepower to counter."

"I took a quick glance and noticed it first thing. Wait a minute.. you talking about the Egyptian sun god Ra? The admiral asked incredulously.

"Thats him alright. Looks like those ancient alien guys back on Earth were right. Seems to think he's an actual god to the point he demanded we bow to him. There was no chance of peaceful negotiation. He's got humans enslaved on that planet mining Quantum out the load for him. God knows how many other humans he has enslaved." Captain Jankowski exclaimed with a hint of anger in his voice. One of the scenarios to make him angry was the idea of human population under alien enslavement.

"Humans enslaved by aliens…This is not good at all.. Earth Force is going to go crazy over this." She grimaced and took a deep breath at the shocking realization. The Admiral darted her eyes down at the incoming data transfer.. then looked over at the crew… "Give me a channel to the rest of the fleet.." She ordered as she calmly picked up a phone style device. An alarm sounded which told her she was now fleetwide.

"Attention all ships…This is Rear Admiral Thonton..Moments ago we received word of our exploration fleet being attacked by an enemy force. We are going in to rescue them….As of right now we are at Condition red… I repeat we are at condition red. All hands man battlestations and control stations… This is not a Drill.. I repeat this is Not a drill. Starfury pilots get ready for immediate combat launch. Everyone will be briefed by their captains within the next hour. All ships prepare to enter hyperspace." She let the sound of her voice repeat once more before closing transmission.

Captain James Clifford stared at the short dark-skinned woman who was the Rear Admiral of the Third Fleet Attachment. Until today they have been doing fleet exercises in and around the Jericho Oort cloud conducting deep space maneuvers and bombing runs. Starfury squadrons would go out and blast comet fragments and proto-planets while assault ships would practice boarding actions. These exercises would gage the capability of Earth Force's finest fighting forces and space fleet readiness.

"Captain go ahead and place Jericho Station on alert. Send Priority One to the colony and defense grid there. We're not taking any chances."

"Yes ma'am." Captain Clifford replied; getting on his station to issue the proper orders to planetary defenses. Jericho Station was a relatively new colony. The world was a blue-green planet with an atmosphere breathable but with extreme difficulty as other gasses were present. The colonists lived in dome settlements with underground areas as well extracting aquifers that could easily be fileted for drinking. The rest of the planet was being terraformed slightly to improve the air quality and made the mixture more preferable for human breathability.

"So we managed to piss off aliens posing as Ancient Egyptian gods… isn't that wonderful" She played back the recording of Ra exclaiming he was a god. "He really thinks he's a god… yeah Jankowski is right there was no negotiation with these guys."

"The Centauri used to pose as gods to other races. Unfortunateky it never went well for them.. it won't go well for these guys" He took a deep breath while looking at the Admiral. "And my God…. humans as slaves? Who knows how many he's taken from Earth… Everyone will be in an uproar over this." He agreed with Rear Admiral Thornton. Many centuries ago the Centauri visited a few world of the League and posed as gods with advanced technology. This resulted in disaster each time as the natives caught wind and rebelled against Centauri slavery. This caused the Centauri on their route looking inward and dealing with matters more internal to their Empire rather than ourtwards save the occasional Drazi and Narn raids or the Orieni activity on their borders.

They both felt the slight increase in G-Forces as the ships made their jump to hyperspace. Outside; many ships formed their vortexes into the dimension known as hyperspace. Several Nova's, dozens of Hyperion's and Hecate Cruisers followed through. Many of which housed Starfury Squadrons. Behind them were Olympus Corvettes; many armed with high powered railguns. While most ships carried a few railgun armaments the Olympus Corvettes carried a modified higher powered version that were improved by sciences and technologies acquired during the Dilgar War. These modifications allowed the projectiles to be fired at greater speeds.

"Hyperspace jump complete Admiral. We have their beacons locked and should be there within a few hours." Captain Clifford said. The fleet now maintained a constant link and lock with the Lewis and Clark and the beacon dropped off. This could let them know how long it would take for them to arrive at that system.

"Thank you Captain, have the fleet keep a close formation. While we are using temporary beacons we are off the main beacon network. I do not want to see anyone getting lost out there. I don't want to see a repeat of my last battle against the Dilgar." She reminisced on the Dilgar War. In the last days of the war; the Dilgar would turn off the beacons of their last holdings. This would throw off loosely formed fleets. They did this successfully with some remaining Drazi ships that attached to an Earth Fleet. When the Dilgar detonated their own jumpgate; the Earth Alliance Fleet had to perform an emergency jump in system. This left them scattered and having to regroup. The Drazi fleet that trailed behind them made it but unfortunately lost a portion of their fleet in hyperspace. This led to tactics of closer packed formations in case of off-beacon operations.

"Speaking of the Dilgar War those Sekhmet ships we fought at the end had shields… took a lot of firepower to take down. Wasn't Sekhmet an ancient Egyptian Goddess? I heard that name had meaning on their world too." Captain Clifford spoke. He had served on a Hyperion during the war as a tactical officer. He participated in one of the battles against the fabled Sekhmet Cruisers; the newest Dilgar ships that had merged various League technologies in them making the ships a formidable foe.

"I asked the same exact thing a few times. Some asked about it during briefings but nothing much came of it. One of the Admirals mentioned something about it being an ancient warrior tribe of theirs but didn't know anything more. Agency boys made it to Dilgar territory after the war and even more after their sun went nova but as always never talked about what they did. They need to take a closer look at that now." Admiral Thornton explained. While legends of alien gods persisted through many races it was noted there were some commonalities. The angelic appearances of being of light were one. Many races had religious and/or spiritual icons with large glowing wings. The Great Maker was also worshipped on several worlds which indicated an ancient alien influence. It wouldn't be out of the question for other long vanished alien races to have previously posed as gods either.

"Maybe after this they should send an IPX Team to look closer. Nobody is there now besides random listening posts and probably some scavengers." After the star was nova it was known that Earth Force looked at Omelos and managed to grab some technologies from labs. Still there were rumors of deep underground facilities yet to be claimed. Same for distant colonies.

Real Admiral Thornton looked at the data screen on the combat table. As an Admiral and one who graduated from the Lunar War College she and her fellow officers were very well trained in tactics, battle plans and logistics. She was able to utilize her experience and gain more during her time in the Dilgar War a little over a decade ago. During the War; she learned a great deal of tactics, fleet formation. Her experiences at the Battles of Alaca, Balos and Omelos earned her some attention from Admirals and Generals which led to her promotion to Rear Admiral.

"First if we get there before the enemy does we will need to get the Lewis and Clark back up and running. We know virtually nothing about their capabilities besides they have shields and firepower. We cannot stick around for a battle long so we will turn tail and head to Jericho Base and regroup." She looked at the holographic projection showing her fleet which consisted of five Nova's, and a large mix of Hyperion and Hecate Cruisers, Olympus Corvettes and a couple Avenger Carriers. Ever since the Dilgar War the Earth Alliance has upgraded its fleet considerably with improved interceptors for taking down plasma shots, missiles and other pulse type weapons. However ineffective against beam weapons they proved their worth many times against pulsar and bolter weapons. Armor was placed on ships which was a result of materials engineering research from recovered Dilgar War wrecks. Many ships from the League were also recovered which assisted in technological advancement.

"IF they are there when we get there then we go in guns blazing. Have our ships with more interceptors taking down their shots while our heavier ships hit them hard. We have sensor data on how strong their shields are so fire will be concentrated on any of their ships with weakening shields." She projected her and the other two Nova's closer to the middle with the Hyperions and Corvettes in the front. Starfury wings were plotted in a V section pointing toward the enemy represented by red X's and a giant red question mark which indicated unknowns. She related these tactics from what she knew battling the old Sekhmet Class from the war that utilized shields from Abbai ships. "Remember we're not here for a standup fight. This system is off the beacon network and its too risky to maintain a long fight while those beacons start to drift. Time is of the essence here."

"Our ELINT Ships will get as many detailed scans as possible. We want full assessments of the enemy and their capabilities. If this is starting to look bad for us we get our asses out and high tail it back to Jericho. Same if we are outnumbered, We kill any beacons along the way to delay the enemy in finding out where our colonies are. Since this race has obviously been to Earth before they know where it is but we will limit damage to Earth and our Colonies. I already sent a transmission out so they will tighten things up on their end and be ready. Soon I will speak with General Lefourt and give him a full rundown on the situation." She continued on. "Pass this information to the other captains. Captain Clifford acknowledged and prepared a data packet for transfer to the fleet.

"Packet sent Admiral. Ships are adjusting formation."

"Good" She took a deep breath to prepare a hell of a report. "Open a Gold Channel to General Lefcourt…" Soon the grey haired older gentlemen came into view. He wore his Earth Force Combat Uniform (EFCU) which was a digitized dark blue and black type camouflage pattern. On his chest were four stars as well as on h His face and body posture gave the presence of strength and professionalism.

"Rear Admiral Thornton!" He said in surprise. "Very nice to see you. I hope your fleet exercises are going well… what brings you to my attention?" General Lefcourt asked in surprise. Robert Lefcourt had served in the Dilgar War; his victories as commander of a Nova this led to him getting the attention of senior Earth Force officials. When Elizabeth Levy won the election, she had him appointed as Chairman of the Join Chief's of Staff. One of the most senior positions in the Earth Alliance.

"General it looks like our fleet exercises are on hold. The Lewis and Clark has encountered a Chained Ground and Broken Sky incident."

"Both a Chained Ground and Broken Sky incident?" General Lefcourt's eyebrows raised in obvious surprise. A Broken Sky incident and its possible variants were a case of an Earth colony or breakaway state under siege by alien forces. To date it has only been used twice. Once when an old sleeper ship colony was under siege by Kouiani forces and when the Sh'lassan colony had issues with the Narn. With the former it was easy to deal with. The Sh'lassan colony eventually reconciled with the Narn and are now active trading partners. A Chained ground referred to a colony being enslaved by alien forces Such an incident has never been encountered before in human history.

A combination of each incident would lead to an automatic declaration of war against that alien empire.

"Yes sir." She explained the transmissions and data packet sent from the Lewis and Clark along with their current situation. This included as much information as possible about the alien being known as 'Ra'. So many questions flowed through his mind. Were there others like Ra? Was the whole Egyptian pantheon all aliens? Were other pantheons aliens as well? Scenarios like this have been considered by Earth Force but never have been taken seriously.

"I will brief the President at once. Admiral… The implications of this.. are far reaching. This effectively means the Earth Alliance is now at war." He stated with the shock of the situation clearly in his voice. This enemy was close to Earth space already and knew the location of Earth itself. He knew they certainly would return if they wanted to. Many thoughts flowed through his mind at once. He had heard reports of an unknown alien race coming into contact with the Ch'lon and Koulani initiating wars. At first he thought it was a two alien empires but intelligence reports indicated it was a new empire approaching. He doubted though it was this new empire that the exploration fleet stumbled upon.

"I am aware of that sir. Until we are more aware of the enemy's disposition of forces I plan on assisting in the refuel and repair of the Clark and help get her back to Earth Space."

"Admiral that is a good idea. I will inform the President and Staff about this immediately. Make sure the Clark gets here in one piece." He ordered and motioned for his aide to come to him. "I need to set up an emergency meeting with the President and her Staff at once." He finished.

Abydos

The roar of the shuttle became softer as the streamlined craft stopped just short of the village near a flattened area by the sand dunes. Outside Major O'Neill and the rest of the team quickly made their way inside the shuttle. In the hour after the battle the team deliberated on returning to the Clark or remaining on the planet. In the end they decided to head towards the Clark with a newly acquired intelligence asset.

"Sakif!" She yelled at the village elder who volunteered information to them about Ra earlier. "This will be a very wild ride so be ready." She continued to explain in terms he could understand about flying. "Major make sure to give him a vomit bag!" She yelled and motioned for the rest of the team to enter the shuttle.

Earlier they ran into Sakif who took them into another underground building which gave information about the Stargate which they called Chappa'ai. Sakif was one of the few elders allowed to operate the device and used it to transport that mineral to other worlds Ra held. He also explained some of the other functions of the Stargate along with how he used it to trade and bring food, seeds, and sometimes tools from one planet to Abydos. He also claimed to deliver the Naquadah right over to Ra personally as well. Since Doctor Sarah Jackson was impressed with his knowledge of the device the team decided he would make a great asset to give insight into Ra and his activities on the planet. More now that he had personal contact with Ra

He heard Major O'Neill yell for the pilot of the craft in their native language with what he guessed was an order to take off. Soon he was surprised to get pushed back into his seat as the craft lifted off and the G-Forces continued to increase. He didn't know that this craft had less inertial dampeners technology compared to the Te'tak he would go on at times. He looked out the window of the shuttle to see the village and pyramid come into view as they ascended. Eventually clouds covered where the tiny pyramid and the village could be seen along with the vast mountain ranges. That all gave way to the greens of forests and of the ocean a distance from it. The curvature of Abydos became prominent along with the sun that was shining brightly.

"Some of my people believed the world to be flat… " He gazed over at the planet getting smaller. "The other elders know that the world is round like the moons that hang in the sky." He smiled and spoke to Dr. Sarah Jackson in Abydonian. While Ra had banned reading and writing; he did not ban the teachings of skills utilizing math and basic astronomy. Him and other elders passed down knowledge of how seasons work along with mathematics. With trusted villagers, reading and writing was taught in secret. "I can now be glad to say I was right." He looked back over to Dr. Jackson. "You said you can help our people?"

"The people of my world will be shocked to learn of humans this far out, but I promise you that our leaders will do the best they can to help your people out." Dr. Jackson explained empathetically. He was the one to show her and her companions several of the catacombs which detailed the story of Ra and how the current civilization came to be.

From his position he could see the front window of the shuttle as it made its way towards the Lewis and Clark. He could see people walking in spacesuits around what looked like the engine areas and blue glows as they made repairs to the engines with the help of X-Shaped small craft. The long tubular vessel got larger and larger as the shuttle approached. In the middle there was a bulge that went around the ship and he could see it moving. Besides it he saw three other large ships, painted white and blue with massive circular emplacements which he knew were weapons.

He shifted his gaze over to the other team members to get a feel of their emotions. He didn't know if they were surprised by his ability to hold his stomach during the trip in microgravity. He knew though the people never came through that Chappa'ai but came from space. Thanks to the Tok'ra symbiote he had some enhanced hearing and eyesight. He had heard the low rumblings of shuttlecraft before from at least one other advanced civilization. He also knew there was a major risk involved with finding out who these newcomers were but it would need done. These newcomers had stumbled into Ra's territory. Sakif and Tannis; his symbiote debated on the risks but decided to go forwards with it.

"We have vessels that can fly through the air same way Ra does. If your people were left alone one day, they would be advanced enough to do the same." Dr. Jackson said to him. Already in secret some people were being taught forbidden knowledge of reading and writing.

He looked in amazement as the hull of the Lewis and Clark got bigger. The large opening got even larger and soon enough he could see the inner hull of the ship as they made their way down to the landing area. The shuttle ascended and tilted back; its rear airlock engaging as it docked with the ship. Earlier in the entrance he noticed that gravity now pulled him down in the rotation section of the ship. That told him these people didn't have artificial gravity technology.

"We're here." She told him in accented Abydonian. "We will have to go through medical." She explained the concepts of sickness to him and how it spreads. She assured him that they didn't want to get him sick and didn't want to get the crew sick. Sickness never worried him due to the nature of Tannis increasing the efficiency of his immune system. Symbiotes while active would fight off any infectious diseases. He also knew enough that most of the Goa'uld genetically modified their slaves many generations ago with enhanced immune systems which prevented most cross contamination if slaves moved from world to world. While the Goa'uld were harsh they couldn't use a slave population if they kept dying from disease.

"They will discover us." Tannis spoke in his mind

"Do you feel they are trustworthy?" Sakif asked.

"They have not been hostile…they have been friendly with the locals…curious to... if they were hostile we would have seen it."

"We have to take this risk. Not many of us are left. If we are discovered; we will speak. They may be able to help us more than the Tagreans..Ra did not return after flying from the pyramid which means they drove him off but he will be back with others. We need allies in times like these."

"IS our plan at risk?"

"No; the others know what to do no matter what."

A woman in a white labcoat looked over at him and shone a light into his eyes. She had blonde hair and wore a nametag in the native language of the others. He saw two armed men standing at the doorway. She directed him to stand in the middle of this device shaped like a small arch made of steel. Doctor Jackson instructed him to stand still as the device came on and that it would not harm him. She let him know the purpose of the device was to scan for any injuries and diseases. Sakif couldn't help but feel nervous as the machine whirled to life and within seconds, he saw his body, skeletal structure and organs on the large viewscreen in the wall. He also saw the symbiote Tannis attached to his spinal cord. At that moment they both knew how screwed they were at the next several seconds would be crucial to their survival. The female doctor took a big step back with a surprised and an expression of fear on her face. She yelled something in her native language which was assumed to be her yelling for guards. It was time for Tannis to take over and he did naturally.

"I am Tannis of the Tok'ra." He said in a distinct altered voice. "My people are enemies of the Goa'uld and Ra!" He knew he was taking a gamble. He bent down on his knees and put his hands up in a sign of surrender. He knew only Sarah Jackson would understand him

"Take him to a holding cell. Full security team! Inform Captain Reynolds of the situation at once!" She yelled.

The guards there ziptied his hands behind his back and walked him down a hallway to a holding cell.

Caotain Kayleigh Reynolds tried to relax in order to keep her mind on everything at hand. She was relieved the expedition team made it back safely. In a better situation she would have let her hair down and floated freely in the observation room of the Clark, letting microgravity take over. She looked over at a picture of her nieces who moved recently to Jericho Colony. Her sister also happened to be friends with Major Rachel O'Neill's family; some of which also resided on Jericho.

She blasted No. 38 Chanson D'hylas: Vallon Sonore on high volume to drown out her anxieties and to keep her composure focused. The opera music she preferred to listen to help her mind greatly during the Dilgar War along with other intense moments during her life. She analyzed the repair reports coming in. Already small robotic ships piloted by remote operators removed chunks of metal in the holes created by Ra's ship. Some repair technicians walked along the hull on magnetic boots or removing parts from the small repair craft into the engine compartments. Inside she was grateful the repairs were progressing very well. Ra has not come back but she knew it would only be a matter of time before he would. She received notifications that Rear Admiral Thornton's fleet was getting closer and following the beacons along with dropping their own to maintain a link to the rest of the network.

A shadow moving on the floor by the door indicated someone walking inside. She turned her head to see the tall figure of her XO, Commander Vladimir Sarkolov. He stood tall with hands clasped behind his back. He used to serve as a tactical officer on an Oracle Class ELINT ship that provided advanced sensor data along with reconnaissance during the war. He was more than happy to serve on an Explorer and use his skills for exploration missions. During fleet movements he had enjoyed her interest in Opera and had given her some old classic Russian Opera.

"Off!" She ordered the computer as she looked at her XO standing in the doorway. "What do you have?"

"Unfortunately, not Vodka this time." He stated. Captain Reynolds chuckled at the remark.

She rose from her chair and poured some tea into her cup. "Vodka would be good about now. Once we get back to Earth Space, I'll pour us a drink. Its been a hell of a time out here."

"Off duty we will drink. I have some in my quarters." He stated softly in a distinct Russian accent. Alcoholic beverages were frowned upon on Earth ships, but many let people drink long as they were off duty and kept it under control. "I have updates on repairs and sensor sweeps" He handed her a datapad.

She examined it. "Well this is good; at least the Prometheus can give us a tow if necessary. Hope our backup gets here before that."

"Captain, I believe our best option is taking that tow. We can rendezvous with our fleet in hyperspace. Staying here is too dangerous for now!

"Captain to medical! Captain to Medical!" The voice of Doctor Annette Fraiser sounded over the intercom; interrupting Commander Sarkolov. Both Commander Sarkolov and Captain Reynolds quickly made their way down the corridors and into the Medical Bay. "Commander it looks like things have just gotten crazier around here." They both hurried down the corridors towards the Medical Bay. Onboard an Explorer; the Medical Bay was not only utilized for human medicine and examinations but also to examine alien specimens for pathogens. It was also conveniently next to the Xenobiology Bay where aliens would be examined in greater detail. Captain Reynolds and Commander Sarkolov soon entered the room and looked immediately over at the incredibly surprised face of Doctor Annette Fraiser.

It has already been a long day for her. Most of the time she spent patching up injuries from the recent battle as the clocks ticked by. She was professional, liked by her crew and previous crews when she served as Chief Medical Officer before finishing her contract after the Dilgar War and moving into the civilian sector. During her time in the War; she managed to treat many aliens of their injuries and ailments. She studied alien anatomies of many races from the Dilgar to even some Ch'lonnas that got caught performing some raids. Her extensive knowledge and ability to learn anything regarding alien physiology earned her the knowledgeable reputation; one which got picked up by the Explorer Division.

"Captain as you see here on our guest, he has a symbiote attached to his neck. Unfortunately as I only have one specimen and its inside Sakif's neck I cannot run any more tests. However from the scanned image it looks oddly similar to a Kor Symbiote." She stated firmly. She had met the Kor-Lyan species several times and removed a symbiote attached to a Lyan; an ape like creature that had lived on the same world.

"Computer show me a Kor Symbiote" She ordered. The computer showed an image on the viewscreen of a small wormlike organism inside of Lyan host. It was attached around the spinal cord of the ape-like Lyan host. Beside the picture was a grey worm type creature with tendrils by the side. The Kor-Lyan were a species born of symbiotic sentience. The Kor were a worm-type creature composed of neural tissue. After moving from the swamp pools of the planet they found the Lyan; the ape like creatures coming into sapience. The Kor moved into their new Lyan hosts and formed one of the most interesting symbiotic relationships in the known galaxy.

The Kor symbiote appeared on the screen. It had a smooth worm type appearance with tendrils of neural tissue expanding from it. Next to it was the symbiote attached to Sakif's spinal cord. It to was a worm type creature but with fins. It also had some neural tendrils but was smaller in size compared to the Kor symbiote.

"As you can see, they are similar organisms but I do not know the extant of their similarities until I can run full genetic tests. That's the closest comparison I can get so far but I recommend it should be prudent to get as much information as possible on these creatures." Doctor Fraiser added.

Commander Sarkolov had a look of concern on his face now. "That will be noted and passed onto Admiral Thornton. Is the man still with Doctor Jackson?" He inquired

"Yes. Sakif is being kept in confinement. I wish we had some intel spooks interrogating him we need…

"I will speak to the prisoner." Commander Sarkolov stated firmly. He had previous experience in questioning captured raiders during his time onboard ELINT Ships for Earth Force Intelligence.

"You sure about this Commander? No crazy stuff please." She stated in mild concern.

"I will be easy on him. I have a 'knack' for knowing if our guest is honest."

"Very well. Doctor, make sure you monitor his lifesigns from your station for any unusual changes." She ordered as they both went to the holding cells.

Doctor Sarah Jackson sat outside the closed door that housed Sakif. Major O'Neill looked at him and recorded everything as they spoke. Major O'Neill quickly stood at attention upon seeing both the Captain and Commander walk in.

"You're fine Major." Captain Reynolds stated. "Has our guest said anything?"

"He's been talkative. Claims to be a member of a rebel faction that is against Ra; the Tok'ra. Doctor Jackson has been translating.

"He says they oppose the Goa'uld as a whole. They conquer worlds to enslave or destroy any race that opposes them. According to him we need to be aware of the threat they pose to us." Doctor Jackson stated

"How powerful are these Goa'uld?" Commander Sarkolov asked Doctor Jackson to translate.

Sakif explained how the System Lords worked. He started with Ra who was the Supreme System Lord of all the Goa'uld and how they were in his current domain. He explained further on how they used to fight amongst each other until Ra united them under his banner. They operated in different domains with Apophis and Heru'ur being the closest ones and other ones being further away. He decided against naming other Goa'uld as they were not important right now.

"See in my world in a place called Ancient Egypt they worshipped a pantheon of gods and goddesses." Doctor Jackson explained. "So you are telling me Setesh, Hathor, Isis and Osiris are all these Goa'uld? What about other pantheons like the Greek; Ares, Zeus, Athena?"

"Yes they all are." Tannis intentionally neglected to inform them that those Doctor Jackson named were all deceased. He knew of Ares but not the rest. As the Tok'ra dwindled in numbers some of the Goa'uld System Lords did as well. Some dying in assassinations while others died during wars. The war against Sokar many years ago brought death to a several minor System Lords including bringing infighting amongst some too. Again; Ra restored order and drove back the forces of Sokar.

Commander Sarkolov sensed in his mind that Tannis was telling the truth and was desperate. To him this was an unprecedented situation. A telepath would be far better suited for this than he was. His instincts told him that this was a precarious situation indeed and that the next hours or so were critical.

"What do you know of Ra's ships; classes and armaments? What should we expect of the fleet he will bring?"

"The ship you fought was his personal…pleasure vessel. Not a warship."

"So we fought a pleasure yacht… wonderful!" Captain Reynolds said sarcastically. She activated a comm device on her wrist.

"He will be back with his Shu'tak along with many Ha'taks and Al'Kesh. All are armed with staff cannons and naquadah propelled charges." He stated. There was no direct translation to describe the latter so the Commander reasonably assumed those would be equivalent to torpedoes and missiles.

"What kind of ships are those." The Commander asked.

Tannis paused for a moment thinking of what type they would be equal too. He gave a brief overview of the Shu'tak and Ha'tak motherships explaining the Shu'tak were the larger type used as the System Lords flagship. Ra held a couple while the other System Lords would only hold one as Ra limited fleets, they could hold so they would never overthrow him. He went to point out that Al'kesh were bomber and the Death Glider were their fighter wings.

"We're an exploration group. We are equipped only to defend ourselves to escape…. not put up a straight up fight." Captain Reynolds said with increasing concern in her voice. She had Doctor Jackson relay that to Tannis

"Surely you must have a fleet that will come?"

Neither Doctor Jackson nor the Commander or Captain would not divulge anything fleet related. "We have help coming." He stated vaguely. "We intend on heading back home; what our leaders intend afterwards is up to them." He finished

"Then they will follow you back to your worlds and burn them."

"Oh believe us our worlds are not primitive backwater planets. We handled enemies that burned worlds before.

"Then you can defeat the Goa'uld?

"I can assure you our ships are powerful and we can help the people of this world. Our government will not allow slavery of humans by an alien power. However, the rest is up to them and I cannot answer for our government." He reiterated the point on Earth not declaring war outright. This was an enemy they knew next to nothing about. He wished inside that Earth would wage war but anything would have to wait. He turned over to look at Captain Reynolds. "We need to leave. I believe what he says. He needs to be taken back to Earth for the EIA to handle him."

"Agreed Commander." She activated the comm unit on her wrist. "Recall the repair teams and have the Prometheus move into position to open a vortex. Power up main engines" She ordered.

"But Captain engines are only able to operate at 60 percent capacity..

"Well we're just gonna have to make do with that." She cut him off. "The rest of the repairs can be done in hyperspace. Have Captain Jankowski open a vortex. We are to attempt rendezvous with Admiral Thornton. Let her know of our status. If she is following a similar route than it will be easier for us to find the fleet."

"Aye Captain. Recalling repair teams and preparing for jump."

EAS Prometheus- Same time

Captain Jankowski received the orders to make the jump. He had the Prometheus positioned in front of the Lewis and Clark while the ship was prepared to make a full burn into the vortex. The two other Hyperions would follow. Even though the ships engines were still not fully repaired they had enough thrust to make their way into the vortex.

"All repair teams have been recalled sir. Clark is…" Lt. Darren Fredricks was cut off by multiple alarms on the sensor console. "Multiple hyperspace type distortion! Dozens of contacts!" He yelled. He switched to a video monitor of the ships. Most were pyramid shaped vessels. One in the center of the formation was a monster. It was taller and wider than the rest with a way bigger hexagonal structure surrounding it. The other ships had a similar but smaller superstructure. Many bristled with large cannons on each side of the ships structure. These were all bigger and meaner than the simple flying pyramid encountered earlier. Smaller contacts were seen on sensors launching from the larger ships which told him they were likely fighters. "Reading almost two dozen capital size contacts and many smaller ones. They are heading right for us!"

"Open the vortex! Have defense grid and interceptors at maximum dispersion!"

Reality tore open as the bright vortex came into form. The engines of the Lewis and Clark burned brightly as it made maximum burn towards the opening maw. The tactical screen showed many smaller contacts approaching the fleet at rapid speed. Energy bolts of blue and yellow color collided to form miniature suns that flared briefly as the interceptor cannons did their job. They all knew their defense grid was already over capacity with the incoming fire. The Birmingham and Knoxville angled themselves to move towards the vortex as the long form of the Lewis and Clark slowly moved inside and vanished as several bolts were intercepted by her interceptor fire.

"Lewis and Clark is through sir!"

"Good!" Captain Jankowski breathed a huge sigh of relief and was glad to get his fellow crew out of there.

"Captain! The Knoxville!"

He shifted upward to see the image on the viewscreen of the Knoxville's interceptor grid being overloaded by the concentrated rapid plasma fire of the pyramid ships. Yellow bolts burned through the armor and in just moments more plasma bolts burned through the fusion reactors. Within a millisecond the ship was engulfed in a bright flash vaporizing the crew and equipment instantly. As the flash faded there was little left of the Knoxville save for a few fragments that expanded outwards.

"Captain Homoto." He whispered in horrified disbelief. His thoughts on her were broken by the shuddering of the ship. "They will pay for this!" He swore under his breath while clenching a fist. "Engines to max get us the hell outta here!" He yelled. They all knew there were no escape pods remaining. Regardless they would not have had any time to reach them. He was very saddened and angry by her death; she was another officer to serve valiantly during the Dilgar War and served alongside him and Captain Reynolds. He would make sure her death would not be in vain and neither would the 500 people that served onboard the ship. The ship slightly shuddered again as it made its transition into hyperspace.

"We're through sir. Temporary beacons locked. I am picking up tachyon readings from the fleet but its faint."

"Make headway towards the fleet. Send the self-destruct codes to the gate and blow the temporary beacons behind us. I don't want us to risk being tracked here." He ordered. While very few battles took place in hyperspace due to the nature of the realm; he could not risk the fleet taking the chance of the aliens fighting them their either. He tried to relax some now that the battle was over but there would be many more to follow. War was certainly coming and Earth Force would be ready. He knew some other commanders would welcome him as a hero for saving the lives of the Clark but he didn't feel like one. He felt responsible as an escort commander for the protection of the lives involved. Even though the people of the Knoxville died doing their duties and felt no pain in their last seconds of life offered him no comfort. There was now the duty of getting back to work on reuniting the ships with Admiral Thornton's fleet.

EAS Eisenhower- Hyperspace

Rear Admiral Eva Thornton shifted in the seat restraints while looking at information coming in. They followed the beacon route the Clark left behind while dropping off newer beacons of their own. This area of hyperspace had some minor gravimetric distortion which caused the fleet to enact minor course changes. They had plenty of beacons to follow back to Jericho if needed.

"Admiral I am no longer picking up the Abydos jumpgate. We are picking up a transmission from the Lewis and Clark."

"Put it on."

"Admiral Thornton can you hear us?"

"Loud and clear Captain Reynolds. What happened out there?"

"The aliens jumped in before we could finish repairs but Captain Jankowski got us out. Unfortunately the Knoxville was lost with all hands." Admiral Thornton felt sadness then anger at the news. There would be no way an alien empire would get away with over 500 deaths. Captain Reynolds also provided updates on the acquisition of the man who claimed to be a Tok'ra as well as the symbiote. Tactical data from the enemy ships also came in including images of the aliens versions of bombers and fighters.

"Send a line of ships out to transmit tachyon bursts. It will help them follow us. Prepare to change course for Jericho. Send the following coordinates to the Captain Reynolds directly." She ordered typing in the coordinates in her datapad. She knew that it was the location of a joint EIA and Earth Force Intelligence at Proxima. There the joint taskforce would be able to ascertain more information from the agent.

Captain Jankowski was able to ascertain detailed scans of the ships. She poured over the detail of each ship noting its similarities in the pyramid design style. She stopped at the image of a wing of fighters departing one of the ships. "Captain Clifford take a look at this." He went over and looked at the image to have a surprised look on his face.

"Those look like Sentri Fighters the Centauri use." He remarked on the similarities between them and the main fighters the Centauri used.

"The Centauri have also used a pyramid design for starbase construction. too Think they may have encountered the same race?"

"That's a good question. Supposedly the Centauri have been invaded in their past and drove them off. Some of their technology could be offshoots of the aliens. Now nothing would surprise me anymore. When we meet with the intel guys we can ask them that. Have Captain Reynolds ask more question from that Tok'ra man they pickup up there.

EAS Lewis and Clark

Tannis paused; questioning on how much information to divulge. His people were smaller in number now… recent decades have seen the diminishing of the Tok'ra to a fraction of what they were now. The War against Sokar previously hampered the numbers of the Tok'ra severaly but they relented and recruited former slaves from other worlds as well. Some innovated ones even went as far as to incite some minor Jaffa rebellions that were unfortunately quashed by the System Lords. Now it was time to see if this force would be useful against the Goa'uld. The Tagrean Union had been but were new to the galactic scene and already having trouble with some new races they discovered. He would not divulge anything on them yet. Earlier he felt the ship shudder some and seen crew running quickly which told him there was a battle raging. Things calmed down after a while which told him they likely escaped. He had also been studying language files given to him on a secure datapad by Doctor Jackson to help him learn the language of the Tau'ri. Like all Tok'ra and symbiotes they were able to learn languages rather quickly. He heard a door open and saw Commander Sarkolov and Doctor Sarah Jackson enter the room.

"We managed to escape in hyperspace. Unfortunately Ra's fleet destroyed one of our ships. So we need to know everything possible about him.. What type of ships are these?" He asked in his Russian accent while handing him photos of the large pyramid ships. Tannis pointed out that the typical pyramid ships with the hexagonal structure surrounding it was Ha'tak class. The typical capital ship used while the largest was a Shu'tak. The smaller ships he pointed out were Death Gliders and Al'kesh bombers. He was pleased to get this information. "How long have you fought these Goa'uld?" He continued to inquire further as Doctor Jackson assisted with any translation issues.

"We have fought them a long time. If you let me speak to your leaders then I will tell you more."

"You will be taken to a secure facility and I assure you that no harm will come to you. All information now will be very useful and you will have the opportunity to prove yourself. Now for another question. As you are the symbiote I assume you are controlling the man right now?"

All of a sudden, the mans voice changed to a normal human. "I am Sakif… me and Tannis have a mutual symbiotic relationship. I was recruited by the Tok'ra some years ago when I started to believe these beings were false gods." He trailed off. "The Goa'uld symbiotes completely take over their victims overriding all free will and function. The host is completely at the mercy of the symbiote. They can impersonate their own host with perfection. The Goa'uld have used this to terrorize populated worlds for millennia. Whatever civilizations that tried to stand have fallen.

Commander Sarkolov was visably disturbed by the thought. An alien race like this would be a major threat to Earth and it would be easy for them to infiltrate though he pondered if a telepath would detect one.

"When a Goa'uld takes over its host the process is intense to where the host's mind is overwritten and the one of the symbiote takes over. With us we do not harm the host." The voice changed to that of Tannis. Commander Sarkolov felt he may be genuine but there were too many unknowns for him to believe him yet.

To Commander Sarkolov it sounded remarkably similar to death of personality when a psi-cop overwrites the personality of a criminal and replaces it with a better one. She has heard stories and rumors of the Psi-Corps running operations in which humans and aliens get implanted with alternate personalities that take over and conduct espionage or sabotage. Like many others he felt the Corps was not to be trusted. Many times he heard stories of Psi-Cops violating citizens and even aliens rights to get information. Right now though he would have zero problem with a member of the Psi-Corps with him to verify information. However he wanted this prisoner kept alive and not in a vegetative state. Psi-Corps interrogations have been known to be…ruthless.

Tannis had a feeling he could trust these particular humans. Across many worlds there were few advanced groups and races that would be willing to help. Now that one of their ships was destroyed he believed it was likely this force would be able to oppose the System Lords. He already divulged the many dozens of worlds enslaved by the Goa'uld along with their atrocities. For now these humans would be trusted. Though there was a possibility in both their minds of other horrific things happening to them including dissection and interrogation through torture. If that were to happen then Tannis would release a chemical that would cause the death of both him and Sakif. It was rare that this would happen but it would not be the first time. Commander Sarkolov thanked him for his information and promised to pass it on to his superiors. He went back to the study of the language. He knew the other Tok'ra would continue with their plans.

Ra's Flagship

With a flick of the control on his ribbon device Ra expanded the scene of the holographic projection of the Abydos System. He had gathered forces at Edfu and called up his underlords that swore to serve under him. Many of the System Lords kept underlords that would supply them with food, materials and loyal Jaffa as well. Now they supplied him with ships along with many Al'kesh. His First Prime Kassal approached him and bowed.

"My Lord; the Tau'ri ships have escaped. We have found no trace of them so far as they detonated their jumpgate in orbit." Kassal; his muscular dark skinned First Prime reported.

Ra's eyes flared as he had a tinge of anger. He knew that Earth was not far from Abydos and a civilization there would encroach on their territory. It was not unreasonable if they developed the ability to travel the stars and visit this place. He had hoped that other races would have wiped them out during wars the Old Ones started. Already two of the Old Ones; the Vorlons and Asgard have driven them from that world and region of space so many thousands of years ago. Occasionally a System Lord would get sneaky and make a visit to gather some slaves but that was rare.

During this time other System Lords composing of hosts from other races popped up and established territory. Some have fallen to the main System Lords or against Sokar while others flourished. Those were of no concern to him as they held territory far from his domain and the domain of the others. Save for Vellamas; the alien System Lord who bore a bone crest around the back of his head and decorated with gold jewelry. He heard rumors through his spies that they traded with Heru'ur but the spies could never establish that as fact. Spies throughout the other System Lords reporting nothing unusual since the arrival of the Tau'ri. This meant they didn't know or really care but he knew it was a possibility that others like Apophis would rebel. It would not be a first time nor would it be a last either. However both have maintained their own domains since the War against Sokar.

Now he had to find out more about the Tau'ri and if the Vorlons and Asgard would interfere. For a long time neither force has encroached upon the Goa'uld. If others have ventured and returned then so would he. One of his newer slave worlds was one that Sokar used to inhabit. Now with Sokar gone Ra could make full use of the world and its shipments of Naquada. With a flick of his ribbon device; a large holographic map of the region appeared. Blank areas were represented by unexplored regions except for Earth and a few other worlds the Goa'uld visited and took hosts from. By now Earth and the Tau'ri would have established colonies. But how many? Abydos was even on the fringes of his own domain. He knew however that Earth was not on the Protected Planets Treaty; neither were any of the worlds close by. That would benefit him greatly.

"Gather up as many Al'kesh as you can and scout surrounding areas near Earth. I want to know the extent of the Tau'ri development and expansion. Summon my Ashrak and we will find truth from the very heart of the enemy." He vowed. He had a few Ashrak he obtained from Selket before she vanished. No one knew where she was now. But she was of no concern to him as her objectives never interfered with his. He did have Ashrak that he utilized as spies on other System Lords so he could only spare one. They were effective at putting down rebellions by minor System Lords looking to grab territory to establish an empire. A few alien races nearby to the System Lords were also tracked and taken down by Ashrak along with subsequent invasion by his fores. Training one was difficult as there were only so many loyal subjects he could use but still they made effective spies. The one piloted by his First Prime once they found a Tau'ri colony would infiltrate and hopefully make its way towards Earth itself. He would merely be satisfied with a colony or ship. Once infiltrated they could relay reports and information effectively.

Elsewhere on the ship; Amissa took all the information in. She held a minor position on his ship as a Jaffa who knew ship operations and making sure all Naquada came onboard to Ra's specification. She was to wait until he came onboard a transport to Abydos to gather the Naquada shipment that was ready until the Tau'ri showed up and disrupted his plans. She looked over into the eyes Kassif; one of the Al'kesh pilots and nodded. Other plans would be on hold until the Tok'ra could learn more about the Tau'ri and the Earth Alliance. This was a new player and if they could help the Tok'ra then they would be a useful ally. The device that was delivered by the Tagreans was still safely onboard as she had it delivered when materials got transferred from Edfu. She had it stored away in the ship in a hidden area where the Jaffa rarely travel or inspect. Since things were tense it was time to gather information to make their next moves.

The Tok'ra would now set things into motion.