Destiny's Child

Chapter Eight

Captain Darien Parker led his guests into the engine room of the Resolution. His guests had been utterly amazed by everything he had shown them so far. Clearly they hadn't seen a ship quiet like his before.

"Welcome to main engineering," he said as they entered the engine room. SG-1 and the Tollan delegation looked around the room impressed by its spaciousness and the fact that everything seemed to have a proper place. What immediately grabbed their attention however was the massive glowing cylinder in the centre of the room. Clearly a power generator of somekind. Two large cylinders branched off from it disappearing into slots in the bulkheads and pulsing with energy.

"What is it," asked Sam Carter.

"This is the warp core," Darien told her. "It's our main source of power not our only source but it is our main energy source."

"What kind of generator is it," Travell asked. "Naquada enhanced fusion?"

"No. It's a matter-antimatter reactor," a female voice said coming over. They turned slightly to look at her and Daniel Jackson's jaw dropped open in amazement. The woman was the spitting image of his late wife Sha're.

"Sha're," he breathed in amazement even though intellectually he knew that the woman before him wasn't the woman whom he had loved with all his heart who had been taken from him by Apophis.

"Who is Sha're?" the woman asked inclining her head slightly to look at Daniel. Daniel felt a stab of pain at the questioning look she was giving him. Sha're had looked at him in exactly the same way whenever she wondered what he was doing. Seeing the look in his friend's eyes Jack O'Neill put a comforting hand on his friend's arm. Teal'c and Sam looked on but left the support to O'Neill for although they were Daniel's friends it was O'Neill who had the closest bond to Daniel. It had been O'Neill who'd comforted him when he'd cried after Sha're – under the control of the Goa'uld Amounett – had been killed by Teal'c to save Daniel's life. The three of them knew what would probably happen later back at the SGC. Daniel would probably go to his room on base, where he would almost certainly break down and cry.

"This is my chief engineer Lieutenant Jennifer Barrett," Darien said in introduction.

"I am pleased to meet you," Barrett said still a little uncomfortable at being called the chief engineer. The title still felt uncomfortable to her especially so soon after Lieutenant Commander T'Lar's death. She glanced at the man who was still watching her but not seeing – she could tell that he was seeing someone else, someone who'd looked like her, who'd he obviously cared a great deal about judging by the look of remembered pain in his eyes. She had to admit he was quiet handsome though he was wearing these funny glass lenses over his eyes – glasses she thought they were called. Her grandfather had worn them during his old age to read since he was allergic to the drugs that would have restored his vision to normal.

"Lieutenant you said that this was a matter-antimatter reactor," Travell questioned drawing everyone back into the hear and now. She could see the nuances going on between SG-1 even though she didn't really know where they came from. "How do you manage to control the reaction. We've tried to perfect this technology many times but each time the reaction has spiralled out of control and resulted in an explosion."

"We use a crystalline element called dilithium to modulate the reaction. Most planets have small amounts of it in the crust and mantle. Larger deposits are not as common place but that's not important now. When dilithium is processed and purified it has the unique property of being able to control and harness the power of matter-antimatter mutual annihilation by converting the energy release into high energy plasma which we use as an energy source."

"Fascinating," Travell commented. "What about the radiation released during the reaction."

"The gamma and theta radiation released by the reaction is simply absorbed by devices we call radiometric converters. They transform the harmful radiation straight into electrical current which like the warp plasma is them fed into the ships EPS system."

"EPS system," Narim questioned.

"Electroplasma system. Basically energy is transferred around the ship in the form of a super-energised plasma its much more efficient than using cables to transfer power. And before you ask how the plasma is contained each conduit is made of a magnetic matrix material that creates a magnetic field bottle inside the conduit."

"Like a tokamak," Sam Carter said.

"Exactly. Like a tokamak in a fusion reactor."

"I am not familiar with the term tokamak Major Carter," Teal'c said before Narim or Travell could ask the same question.

"It's Russian," Daniel Jackson responded. "Literal translation is magnetic bottle."

"Captain Parker you said that this was your main source of power you have others," Travell asked.

"Yes. Some of our smaller ship classes mainly Defiant, Akira, Sabre and Intrepid rely almost entirely on their warp cores for main power. But with a ship the size of a Sovereign-class like the Resolution it is not practical to rely entirely on the warp core. To supplement the energy generated by the warp core there are four enhanced fusion reactors on deck twelve. Each reactor produces approximately sixty terawatts of power. There are also microfusion generators on each deck designed to serve as a source of emergency power in addition to the reserve banks."

"You have an immense energy reserve available to you then."

"Yes."

"What's it all used for," Sam Carter asked. "Your weapons?"

"No," Lieutenant Barrett responded emphatically.

"Though we are heavily armed the Resolution is not designed primarily as a warship," Darien told his guests. "The Federation is an organisation dedicated to peace not war. Our primary mission – as is the primary mission of every Starfleet ship – is to seek our new worlds and to explore space. We desire above all else contact with new civilisations to expand upon our knowledge of the galaxy and the diversity of life that exists within it. We view war as a tragic waste of the most precious thing in the universe – intelligent life and that it is something to be avoided wherever possible. Sadly we learned long ago that many races are not so enlightened and seek dominion over others."

"Sadly that is often the case," Travell agreed. "What is this Federation you speak of?"

"The United Federation of Planets. It is the most extraordinary galactic union ever formed. A hundred and fifty-one races joined together for mutual cultural, social, scientific and defensive benefits. The Federation was founded three hundred years ago during the legendary journeys of Captain Archer and the first Enterprise. It was begun by Humans and Vulcans but that does not mean either of us hold any special influence over the Federation council. Our voices like that of all the other races are equal. No one group has any special influence over another. For example a few years ago a relatively unadvanced civilisation joined the Federation – the only conditions we set on Federation entry are you must be capable of individual interstellar flight and must accept that all sentient races are equal – they are given equal voice with even the oldest member races. A uniform system of laws is enforced across Federation space to ensure fairness and justice and no member race may keep an individual military force to threaten others – they may have a home defence force but nothing more. The only real military force in the Federation is Starfleet and our duties extend far beyond simply keeping the peace."

For a few moments SG-1 and the Tollan were silent. The Federation sounded like a paradise – a dream of harmony, tolerance and unity that was worth aspiring to. A society that embraced difference that welcomed others regardless of what they looked like or what they believed.

"You are right the Federation does sound extraordinary," Travell said after a few moments. "Like a paradise."

"The Federation is a paradise. But not a perfect one. Nothing is ever perfect."

"How very true," Jack agreed.

"Shall we move on from here," Darien asked. SG-1 and the Tollan delegation looked at each other then nodded. "Then come with m…"

"Astrometrics to Captain Parker," Lieutenant Rakan's voice said over the intercom interrupting him. Darien sighed. Now what. He tapped his combadge.

"Yes lieutenant."

"Sorry to disturb you captain but I was running a tachyon sweep of the surrounding space and I've found something. A small vessel is shadowing us using a cloaking device similar to those the Klingons employed on the old D7-class battlecruisers."

"Can you identify it?"

"It's definitely Goa'uld around the same size as a cargo ship. But it's armed."

"Sounds like an Alkesh," Jack said. Darien threw him a curious glance.

"Alkesh are midrange bombers," Teal'c explained. "They are frequently used as scout ships and watch ships by the Goa'uld. It appears Tanneth's master has decided to try and keep an eye on you. Possibly to determine your weaknesses. You've been directly responsible for the destruction of three motherships and partially responsible for the destruction of two more. He will not rest until he destroys you in turn."

"Lieutenant do they know that we have detected them?" Darien asked.

"Negative sir. They're not moving to escape or anything."

"Feed the coordinates to tactical."

"Aye sir." Darien sighed off then called the bridge.

"Beech here sir," the voice of the tactical/security officer responded.

"Commander theirs a small cloaked vessel shadowing us. Are our tractor beams capable of carrying an energy dissipater pulse?"

"Yes sir."

"Lock a tractor beam onto that vessel and disable it. Beam to occupants directly to the brig. Bring the ship into the main shuttle bay for examination."

"Aye sir. Engaging now."

Outside the ship a tractor beam abruptly lashed out and grabbed the startled Alkesh before the crew could react. The cloaking device failed the instant the beam locked on. The Alkesh fired its engines attempting to pull away - but the tractor beam held firm and it didn't move a centimeter. A pulse of blue energy – based on the energy dissipater weapons used by the Breen – shot along the tractor beam and enveloped the Alkesh in a glowing blue corona that crackled around both the exterior and interior of the ship shutting down all power. The Resolution's transporters locked onto the occupants and beamed them straight to the brig – stripping them of all weapons in the process. The Alkesh for its part was merely towed to the main shuttle bay.

Lieutenant Commander Beech reported to his captain.

"We have the ship sir. The occupants are safely secured in the brig."

"Excellent commander thank you." Beech signed off. Darien turned to Lieutenant Barrett who was still hanging around. "Lieutenant take a team to the main shuttle bay and examine that craft."

"Aye sir." Darien turned to his guests who'd been watching quietly.

"Well shall we go and meet our new guests?"