GateCrashers
Part 8 Of The Thundersdawn Series
By Chaoseternus
Chapter 11: Hold The Line!
The attack came two hours later as the last of the Tok'ra reached the gate clearing. With a cheerful bleep that belied the urgency of its message the RADAR MALP warned of multiple contacts as Udajeet after Udajeet after Udajeet breeched the planets atmosphere, roaring down in streaks in brilliant flame through the outer boundaries of the atmosphere, their craft expanding under the heat as they dived.
Behind them, came a rain of fire. Brilliant bolts of energy flashing from orbiting warships, bring death and destruction to the Tok'ra base, the bolts carving the base like a chicken on a spit, cutting the demolitions teams like wheat before the harvester, the ground at the base first burning then melting, flashing into molten volcanic heat as twenty Goa'uld warships concentrated their fire on a small, kilometre square area.
Sanguinius grimaced, tears filling the corners of his eyes as he flicked the volume off on his radio, the screams! Sanguinius knew those screams, he had heard them once before when his brother and parents were trapped in their burning car, lord he had hoped never to hear those screams again, for there was no worse death in his mind then to burn to death. Those teams in the centre were the lucky ones; they at least would have been killed instantly, but the people on the periphery…
Sanguinius shuddered, and turned to the alternate frequency.
"Alright…" he croaked, the words not passing out of his throat, swallowing, he tried again, "Alright, we have people to escort to safety, so get ready people, because we have Udajeets inbound. And lets hope to hell that Maktenos wants this gate intact, and doesn't just try an orbital bombardment on us as well"
Nodding, the various teams, Gatecrashers, StarGate and Free Jaffa raised their weapons to the sky, their rage and horror turning to a collective burning anger, a collective cry for vengeance.
Sanguinius noticed, and was concerned. They needed the rage, it was their means of continuing in the now, but when the rage faded, all bar the most thick-skinned would have terrible nightmares. He would have to arrange for the quack to be replaced, someone better would certainly be needed.
The last Scimitar vanished through the gate with a purr, and the gate whooshed shut, leaving grim faced warriors and the last large group of Tok'ra, each Tok'ra raiding the large pile of captured Jaffa staffs, preparing to join the stand.
Sanguinius watched incredulous as Major Tobias, RSG-1 dived straight for the DHD, quickly dialling out.
"Major, what the hell do you think you're doing, you know the plane calls for us to wait 7 minutes to allow the SGC to get the damn tanks out of the way?"
"I'm not dialling to the SGC, the plan said to hold yes, but they never expected an orbital bombardment, if we hold, then we will come under warship fire and we will be dead!
We have to leave, Now!"
"Where are you dialling to?" Sanguinius asked, grimly.
"The Land of the Light, Stargate Medical maintains a off-world Rest and Recovery facility there"
"Perfect" Sanguinius shouted over the roar as ten hand held SAM rockets fired, pushing their deadly payloads into the sky.
Once again it began to rain, deadly bursts of energy blasting the ground beneath the soldiers feet as the Udajeets made repeated passes over their position, shrapnel and debris dropping as Udajeets dropped from the sky, the rain of battle dropped down to christen them all as Tobias dived through the gate, her feet pumping as she raced to the hospital, screaming orders into the radio as she flew through the forest to the Tau'ri facility.
Behind her poured the Tok'ra, most willingly fleeing the battle, but some having to be forced through, their weapons prised from their hands as they tried to avenge their comrades the only way they could see how.
Soon, the pouring deluge slowed to a trickle and the Tau'ri started to pour through, their wounded dragged or carried by any means necessary.
On the world they had fled, the Tau'ri were pulling back, falling back to the gate, their weapons spitting leaden death at the sky's as they fought to keep themselves and their comrades alive.
With a gasp of relief, they dropped their aching arms as the Udajeets turned as one and fled, then realisation occurred and deeply imbedded training kicked in. They ran, their feet pumping, dropping all their packs and equipment as they charged the gate, fear giving them wings.
Sanguinius performed two last acts before he dived through the gate; first he grabbed a pair of wounded and fallen soldiers, throwing them over his shoulders. Then he glanced up as he dived backwards through the gate, and saw death speeding straight for him.