Ten
/ P3X-796 – OUTSIDE THE SECTOR POST /
Outside the Station, the battle had begun in earnest. The phalanx of Jaffa had begun to pound the station's shields but were forced to turn their attention elsewhere as they came under attack by the Golds.
Bolts from Staff Weapons were exchanged with bolts of Gold energy which the Jaffa could not define. But in the end, it did not matter. The bolts could cut them down as surely as a Staff Weapon. So they simply accepted them as weapons fire and returned it.
This left the Station virtually undefended and unmolested. The Jaffa who led this particular army smirked. Good. Just as his god had commanded him. He opened his communications device. "My Lord, the Station defenders are engaged as you commanded."
/ IN ORBIT OF P3X-796 /
In orbit, the Gua'uld whose army this was smirked in turn. "Good." He intoned. "Now we move." The communication was cut, and his eyes turned to the Jaffa manning the Control Console. "Move in. We take the Station now."
The Jaffa acknowledged, and the ship moved into position. Its weapons primed.
Soon this Station would be his; and all others would bow to him. The System Lords would be forced to acknowledge his superiority after this. Acknowledge it or die.
The Builder ship moved to intercept the Goa'uld ship as it had warned it would. And had this been a full Warship, it would have had no trouble dispatching this intruder. But as it was, this was only a Maintenance Ship. Therefore, the Goa'uld had the advantage. But even this small Maintenance Ship would make them work for it before it went down.
/ P3X-796 – INSIDE THE SECTOR POST /
In the station's Armory, O'Neill examined each weapon as Koraes told him what it was and Ssendrriya told him how it functioned. This place was a soldier's wet dream! But in the final analysis, Koraes had been right. The Variating Pulse Rifle (VPR) was indeed the best for the task. With that many pulses per second, it might even find the frequency of the Goa'uld personal shield. Slinging one of those over his shoulder, he holstered one of the weapon's pistol variety to his thigh and grabbed for a shield device of his own.
The shield device, and all the other things on the shelves went skittering off them in the other direction. O'Neill and Koraes were tossed off their feet as well as the station shook violently, more violently than it had during the earthquake. Now that felt like weapons' fire.
O'Neill got immediately to his feet, helping Koraes up even as he gave commands to Ssendrriya. "Ssendrriya, report!" He barked, steadying the girl on her feet and heading out of the Armory back toward the Command Center.
Koraes followed him without question as Ssendrriya answered. "Outer Shield Layer has been breached. The ship in orbit has destroyed the other and has begun a direct assault on the Sector Post." She sounded distracted, and she was. She was very busy with the defense of their lives.
O'Neill cursed fluently and sped his movement, reaching the Command Center just as Ssendrriya announced, "Secndary Shield is breached. Initiating Security Level One."
He blinked and looked at Koraes. "Which one is that again?" He muttered in a sort of a grumble which was not at the girl really but rather at his own lack of understanding of this place. Though why he should understand it was beyond him. Unless it was a vestige of having the Ancients' Repository in his head.
She looked up at him as they reached the Command Chair and she stepped aside to allow him to sit. He did so, again avoiding the touch-plates on the chair's arms. "It is the Level which disperses any who cross it unauthorized." She answered in a hushed whisper as though the enemy would overhear her if she spoke louder.
That was not why she did it really. When the station had been active and in danger, she had always been taught to be quiet to let the adults work to resolve the situation, that she was not to distract them. Something of that behavior had carried over even now.
O'Neill nodded and looked at the screen before him. It was showing the terrain surrounding the base. The Jaffa seemed to be still occupied with whomever had come to the station's aid. At least they would only have to worry about the Jaffa on the ship then . . . at least for a while.
But that shield would not hold forever. Nor much longer if the speed with which the ship had destroyed its other two counterparts was any indication. He needed a plan, and he needed one yesterday . . .