Constructive criticisms always welcomed. Flames cheerfully ignored.

The original ending I had in mind for this battle was spectacular, but the same sort of thing happened in Return of the King (I never read the books, it's just dumb luck), so that'll have to come up with something different.

Kalach shal tek! = Victory or death!

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Hail to the King

Part 6: The Tides of War

Smoke and flame filled the courtyard as the remains of the massive oak gate fly through the air, landing on top of the assembled defenders. Through the smoke and dust, a hail of energy bolts shot into the castle as the attacking Jaffa tried to gain entry. The defending guardsmen returned fire, aiming blindly into the opening.

O'Neill span his weapon round, and was able to lower it enough to aim at the first Jaffa to step through the smoke. Pressing his shoulder against the stock, and pulled back on the trigger, he sent a continues stream of energy bolts at the Jaffa, cutting perhaps half of them down. Some got to a point below his weapons maximum depressions, and started fighting hand to hand with the Guards and Militia.

A yelled warning from Teal'c reached O'Neill in time for him to turn and face an attacking Al-Kesh bomber as it dived in. Weapons fire from five different turrets caught the Goa'uld ship in a hellish crossfire that ripped it to pieces before it could unleash its payload. The stricken craft passed over the main Keep, missing the main town by less than a meter, before it passed over the town, losing height all the way.

O'Neill watched as it crashed nose-first into the windmill on the far wall, shattering the wooden structure on impact. He looked round, and saw Teal'c leap from the walls into the courtyard, his staff weapon spiting golden energy bolts at Osiris' Jaffa as he ran towards the main gate. O'Neill considered following him, but another flight of Death Gliders dived inform the clouds above, forcing him to focus his attention on them rather than the free-for-all that was developing below.

"Kalach shal tek!" Teal'c screamed as he ran forward, whipping his weapon round in a wide arc that connected with the back of one of the Jaffa, knocking the warrior to the ground. A second, more directed blow, crushed the infant Goa'uld, killing both symbiote and host instantly.

He ducked down as a Horus Guard swung his own weapon in an attack that would have crushed the former First Prime of Apophis' skull. The blow instead snapped Teal'c's weapon, forcing him to grab for a discarded sword.

Grabbing his opponents Staff Weapon, Teal'c stabbed upwards with the sword, cutting through the other Jaffa's windpipe and spinal cord, killing him. The dead body fell on top of Teal'c, pinning him to the ground long enough for another Horus Guard to aim his Staff Weapon at point blank range.

Teal'c looked up, ready to die at his opponents hands, when a sword blade suddenly appeared through his chest, and he dropped to the floor. Teal'c found himself looking at a man in City Guard armour, his face hidden behind the Trinium faceplate. The stranger helped pull the body pinning Teal'c to the ground to one side, freeing him to rejoin the fight.

The Jaffa under Osiris had managed to fight they way inside the courtyard, despite several more scything attacks on their ranks by O'Neill and several other heavy weapons.

"Pull back to the walls!" A voice called out in the heavy accent of the plate's people. Teal'c did as commanded, standing shoulder to should with the Guards and Militia, some of whom where badly wounded but still able to move. They stood with their backs pressed up against the wall as the Jaffa continued to advance.

Two armoured Guards stepped forwards; pointing large barrelled weapons attached to backpacks at the advancing Jaffa. Teal'c could clearly see a red dragon painted on the backpacks. Energy bolts ricocheted off their suits as they took a firm grip of their weapons and fire. Twin streams of fire cut into the Jaffa, burning them horribly as they tried in vain to escape the savage attack in the confined spaces of the gateway.

Those Guards and Militia still carrying crossbows fired into the massed enemy, cutting down those not caught in the inferno of the flam-throwers. Slowly but surly, they forced the Jaffa back through the gate.

To Be Continued…