Destiny's Child
Chapter Thirteen
Ready Room
U.S.S Resolution
Captain Darien Parker sighed as he stepped into the ready room and saw the pile of pads filled with reports from every single department on the ship sitting on his desk for his attention. Apparently getting your ship hurled into a completely different universe didn't reduce the amount of paperwork that you had to do - at least not to any appreciable degree. At least he didn't have to send reports to Starfleet Command at the moment. His report to Starfleet could wait until they got back to their own universe, if they ever did.
As he walked around to his chair Darien thought about Starfleet Command for a few minutes. Specifically he wondered if they were looking for them. By their reckoning they had been in this universe for more than a month now - way longer than their mission should have taken. Though Starfleet was still spread thin due to the lingering effects of the Dominion War Darien guessed that Starfleet would have dispatched another ship to investigate their disappearance as soon as one was available. If he remembered the patrol patterns for the ships assigned to Starbase 301 correctly the first ship available would have been the Atriedes under Captain Tamaran. Tamaran was a good captain and she had a good crew but Darien didn't know if she would be able to unlock the mysteries of the quantum fissures let alone find away to reopen the one that had brought them here.
After a moment Darien dismissed those thoughts from his mind as he picked up the first datapad which immediately caught his attention. The pad contained a report from engineering on the progress of adapting their warp engines for hyperspace flight. The adaptations to the warp coils had been completed and final test simulations were now being run. Engineering estimated that they would be ready to run their first trials in another two days. Their was also a subsection from Lieutenant Barrett indicating that she would first like to modify the warp engines on one of their six Scimitar-class attack fighters to allow it to travel at hyperspeed and to use the fighter - which was after all replaceable since the industrial replicator could make all the parts - for the initial trials rather than subjecting the Resolution herself to such a risk until they were sure that the modifications actually worked. Darien could understand Barrett's caution - and even approved of it. Hyperspeed was to them a completely new and untested method of faster than light propulsion though it followed the same basic theories as warp engines did. But still it was new and should be rigorous tested. After a moments thought Darien picked up a blank datapad and made a note to order Lieutenant Barrett to go ahead with the modifications to one of the Scimitars.
Nearly two hours later Darien was deep into reading a report from Lieutenant Commander Beech on the analysis of their scans of the Goa'uld motherships when the intercom went off.
"Bridge to Captain Parker," said Commander Urlet's voice. Darien tapped his combadge.
"Yes commander."
"Sir an Asgard battlecruiser has just come out of hyperspace and is heading in our direction on an intercept course."
"Hail them I'll be right out," Darien ordered as he stood up and rounded his desk.
He stepped out onto the bridge just as Lieutenant Wu reported that the Asgard warship was not responding to their hails.
"Scan them Mr Wu," Darien ordered as he moved to the command chair which was hurriedly vacated by Commander Urlet. "See if they're damaged."
"Aye sir," Wu responded and punched in the appropriate commands. Then frowned as the scan results came back. "Sir sensors show no life signs onboard the Asgard vessel." Darien frowned and exchanged a confused look with Commander Urlet. Abruptly the sensors chimed a warning.
"Sir the Asgard ship has raised shields and is powering up its weapons systems," Beech reported.
"Red alert shields up," Darien ordered automatically. Immediately the main lights dimmed and crimson coloured panels began to flash as alarms sounded throughout the ship sending the crew hurrying to battle stations. The shields came up and the familiar thudding sound of the ablative armour being deployed over the hull immediately echoed throughout the ship.
"Asgard weapons systems are locking on," Beech reported. A second later a disintegrator beam lashed out from the Asgard cruiser and lit up the Resolution's forward shields and shook the ship hard. "Direct hit. Shields are holding."
"Return fire main phasers," Darien ordered as the ship shuddered beneath the impact of another blast.
The forward phasers cut lose slamming bright orange javelins of phased particle energy into the Asgard ships forward shields. The shields glowed brightly as they absorbed the fury of the phaser beams and the Asgard ship visibly shook.
Seeing that its disintegration beams were having only a minimal effect on the Resolution's regenerative deflector shields the Asgard ship changed weapons and began firing a stream of blue energy bolts at the starship. The pulses reached the Resolution almost instantly lighting up the shields and shaking the ship hard.
"The Asgard ship is firing somekind of quantum resonance bursts captain," Beech reported. "Forward shields are starting to weaken."
"Quantum torpedoes full spread. Configure for shield penetration dispersal pattern Sierra," Darien ordered.
"Ready sir."
"Fire." A full spread of twelve quantum torpedoes blasted from the Resolution's forward torpedo launchers. The salvo slammed into the Asgard ship almost immediately the explosions coming so hard and fast that for a second the Asgard ship disappeared in the glare of the blasts. After a moment the glare faded revealing some minor damage to the Asgard ships hull.
"Their forward shields are down to sixty percent sir. Their shields are regenerating," Beech reported as the Asgard ship retaliated with both disintegrator beams and more bursts from its resonance cannons. Resolution shuddered violently and EPS relays blew out on three forward decks. "Forward shields at fifty percent," Beech called out over the wail of damage warnings. "EPS relays have blown out on decks three through five. Twenty percent power loss."
"Hit them with everything we've got," Darien ordered even as his ship was rocked by more Asgard fire. Beech nodded.
The Resolution ripped at the Asgard ship hammering its forward shields with a mixture of phaser beams and quantum torpedoes. The Asgard ship staggered back from the force of the vicious barrage of fire and began redirecting power to shore up its shields. But Darien had no intention of letting up and the Resolution's immense firepower continued to pound the Asgard cruiser ripping into its shields and starting to penetrate to damage its heavy armour. But the Asgard ship gave as good as it got further depleting the Resolution's shields before they had a chance to regenerate and beginning to slam into the ablative armour and cause more internal shockwave damage to the Resolution's systems.
On the Resolution's bridge Lieutenant Wu abruptly called out having to shout over the roar of the repeated impacts and the occasional sounds of internal explosions as systems and EPS conduits blew out.
"Sir another Asgard cruiser has just come out of hyperspace. Sir they're firing upon the first ship."
Darien nodded he could see it himself. The second Asgard warship came in behind the first one and began firing with everything it had. Simultaneously Beech unleashed a salvo of photon torpedoes. The first torpedoes demolished the warships forward shields - the last two torpedoes slammed into the hull and detonated. Explosions rocked the forward sections of the cruiser as entire sections were obliterated. The cruiser seemed to literally stagger back from the force of the impacts as glowing debris and burning gases tore out of the two massive holes in its hull.
"Mr Beech target an energy dissipater pulse onto the first Asgard ship and fire. I want to know who is on that ship and why they fired upon us," Darien ordered. A glance at Beech's face showed Darien that his tactical/security officer would rather fire a transphasic torpedo or two at the attacker but he did as he was ordered. A moment later the same coruscating blue-white energy pulse that had been run along the tractor beam that had captured Osiris' Alkesh lashed out from one of the phaser arrays and hit the first Asgard ship and immediately expanded into a shimmering corona of light that crackled along both the outer hull and the interior of the Asgard ship.
The damaged cruiser immediately lost all power and began to drift dead in space still trailing debris from the burning rents in its side. The second Asgard ship stopped firing at that moment.
"Sir the second cruiser is hailing us," Wu reported. "It's Commander Thor."
"On screen," Darien ordered. The image of Commander Thor appeared on the bridge viewscreen.
"Captain Parker are you alright," Thor asked immediately.
"We're a bit battered Thor but we're okay," Darien responded. "I would like an explanation as to why one of your warships attacked us without warning or provocation."
"The ship you are referring to was infested by the Replicators," Thor replied. "Upon gaining control of the Galishka's systems the Replicators learned about the existence of your ship and the level of your technology which to the Replicators made you an irresistible target. I came in pursuit as soon as I learned where the Galishka was going. I am gratified to see that I was not to late. Though you seemed to be doing pretty well against them."
"They are tough opponents," Darien pointed out.
"Indeed they are," Thor agreed. "My scans show no Replicator activity on the Galishka now and that no energy sources are active. I am curious as to what that energy pulse you just fired is?"
"It's an energy dissipater weapon," Darien replied. "Originally developed by the Breen Confederacy. Our version has much shorter range than the Breen weapons do."
"Still it is impressive," Thor said. "Captain Parker on behalf of the Asgard High Council I apologise for any damage the Replicators have inflicted upon your vessel. Do you require assistance with your repairs?"
"Not at this time Thor but thank you for the offer I will keep it in mind. I will send an away team over to the Galishka shortly to examine the remains of these Replicators. Perhaps you would consider a joint operation."
"Of course," Thor responded. "Your energy dissipater weapon seems to be very effect against the Replicators. Perhaps we could negotiate a trade?"
"I will be happy to discuss a trade of technologies with you later Thor. In the meantime I have to see to the organisation of repairs and the treatment of our wounded. I will contact you when the away team is ready to transport to the Galishka."
"Very well captain I will speak with you later. In the meantime I will contact the Tollan Currier and apologise to them for this battle taking place in their space."
"Thank you Thor."
"You are welcome," Thor responded. "I will speak with you shortly. Valkastner out." Thor's image disappeared from the main viewscreen.
"Stand down from red alert. Damage report," Darien ordered waving his hand at the thin haze of smoke filling the air even as the ventilators began to clear it away.
"EPS relays have burned out on decks three through five and decks six and seven. Primary life support systems are off line. Inertial dampers are damaged but are continuing to function. Engineering responding to all reports of damage," Wu reported.
"Casualties?"
"Thirteen injured sir. Two seriously. Sickbay responding."
"What about our guests?" Before anyone could answer the turbo lift doors opened and a battered looking Daniel Jackson and Sarah Gardner stepped out onto the bridge. Darien rotated the command chair to look at them. "Are you alright," he asked.
"Yes," Daniel replied. "A bit battered and bruised but otherwise we're fine. What happened? Who attacked us Anubis again?"
"No. We were just attacked by an Asgard cruiser under the control of - I believe Thor called them the Replicators." Sarah Gardner looked confused - she'd never heard of the Replicators before, mainly because the Goa'uld had never heard of them - but Daniel Jackson winced.
"Oh no not them again," he moaned. "Two encounters with those blasted things is enough for anyone. I assume you destroyed them from the fact that were still here and don't have little mechanical bugs crawling around devouring the ship."
"You assume correctly. At least both us and Thor think that they've been destroyed. The warship they were controlling is completely powerless and according to Thor there is no sign of any Replicator activity on board."
"Thor's here?" Daniel asked in surprise.
"Yes he followed the Replicator controlled ship here and arrived just in time to turn the fight in our favour. We're going to send an away team over to the disabled warship soon. Thor's going to do the same."
"Then there is one big thing that you really need to know about the Replicators," Daniel replied. "And that's that they are completely impervious to portable directed energy weapons they will just absorb the energy and keep coming. The only portable weapons that can destroy Replicators are projectile weapons."
"That's not a problem," Beech replied. "In our database we have the specs for a number of projectile weapons for use on planets where energy weapons don't work. We can easily replicate some and the ammunition to go with them."
"Doctor Jackson as I said we are going to send an away team over to the disabled cruiser - the Galishka Thor called it - soon. Since you have experience with these Replicators would you mind joining the team?" Darien asked. Daniel considered.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "I'll join your away team. When do we go?"
"Soon," Darien replied and glanced at Beech. "Mr Beech will be assembling his team shortly. If you go with him he'll make sure that you get issued with the proper equipment and are shown how to use it properly."
*****
Twenty Minutes Later
The five members of the away team materialised in the central corridor on the central deck of the disabled Galishka. They were all clad in environmental suits as life support had been eliminated when the warship lost power. Four additional transporter beams flashed nearby and a group of Asgard - clad in the silver one-piece suits that were their version of environmental suits - materialised.
All nine explorers turned on flashlights as the interior of the ship was in complete darkness even emergency lighting had been eliminated by the energy dissipater pulse fired by the Resolution at the end of the battle.
The interior of the Galishka was in a very bad way. Smoke hung in the stale air from fires that had long since burned themselves out. Whole bulkheads had been blown to pieces by the internal explosions that had torn through the ship. Support girders hung at odd angles from the ceiling trailing fibre-optic cables that would have been sparking fitfully if their had been any power.
"The bridge is this way," Thor said softly from his position leading the Asgard team. They began moving through the ship - moving cautiously to avoid tripping on any of the rubble. Thor was both impressed and appalled by the destruction - during their long battle with the Replicators he had seen the wreckage of many defeated Asgard ships, but this damage was different. In this case their had been no operational internal dampening fields to contain the explosions set off by the impacting Asgard and Federation weapons - the result was a complete and utter mess as the Humans said. Thor suspected that if the Galishka had been hit but once more she would have been cleaved in half.
After a short while they came upon their first sign of the Replicators in the form of a pile of dead blocks. One of the Federation officers knelt down and scanned the blocks with what was obviously a portable scanner unit of some type. Looking at the officer through the transparent front and top of the helmet Thor was shocked to see that it wasn't a Federation officer at all but Doctor Daniel Jackson - Thor wondered what he was doing here.
"Take a look at this," Daniel Jackson was saying. "The circuitry pathways on these blocks have been completely disrupted." A curious Thor scanned the blocks with his own scanner and was surprised by the results. Dr Jackson was right the internal kyron-circuitry that was the basis of the Replicator technology had been completely disrupted by the energy dissipater pulse. The Replicator in question would have immediately stopped functioning and fallen to bits. Looking around with his light block Thor saw more piles of dead blocks where Replicators had literally fallen to pieces when the energy dissipater pulse destroyed the very thing that was essential to their continued function i.e. the kyron pathways.
Hope abruptly flooded through him. If he was successful in acquiring the plans for this energy dissipater weapon from Captain Parker then it could be the saviour of his people. With the Replicators destroyed they could finally focus all of their attention upon protecting the developing sentients of this galaxy from the Goa'uld and on finding a solution to the genetic degradation that was slowly destroying the Asgard race. Don't get ahead of yourself Thor, he told himself, there is no guarantee that the alien weapon that did this to the Replicators will be compatible with Asgard technology. After all scans of the Resolution show that Federation technology is very different to Asgard technology. But even if the technology proves incompatible it will still give us valuable pointers to creating our own version of the weapon.
It took them another two hours to survey the entire ship. Everywhere it was the same, horrendous damage and piles of dead Replicator blocks. They were not able to access the forward sections of the ship - those were in vacuum and had been sealed off by internal bulkhead doors that had slammed closed automatically when the Resolution's photon torpedoes had blasted holes in the hull opening all the forward decks to space.
Shortly after his return to the Valkastner Thor communicated with the Asgard High Council and gave them his findings. To say that the council was excited about the possibility of acquiring the Federations energy dissipater weapon for use against the Replicators was an understatement. They fully realised that the weapon could turn the tide of their increasingly desperate war with the Replicators. After considering the issue the High Council ordered Thor to begin negoiations with Captain Parker about an exchange of technologies as soon as was possible.
Thor immediately hailed the Resolution and spoke with the powerfuly built Human who commanded her and who now held the key to the salvation of the Asgard race against the Replicators. After talking for a number of minutes they agreed to begin technology transfer talks the following morning.