"Anyone gets in my way gets a napalm enema."
Minbar
Minbari Federation
Same Day
The chambers of the Grey Council were quiet and dark. The council had not been in session for close to a week. However that was soon to change as the warriors of the Council of Nine had called upon them to meet as soon as possible, they had news that was necessary for them to know.
The doors opened and from three separate entrances the nine men and women of the Grey council took their places. The full nine had been able to meet for the first time since the war's beginning seven months ago when they had sent their ships against the Humans in the great war of retribution.
Three from each castes stood facing the others. From the oldest to the newest, each of the members of the council were awaiting the information that the warriors had come before them with.
"My fellow Satais, it seems that the Warrior fleet headed by the Shala Fi has recently engaged this new Human ship Achilles plus her task force and later a force of ships sent to retrieve her afterwards. The Human ships were close to completely destroyed, a few ships survived including the Achilles."
"So once again we were unable to destroy the Achilles," one of the Workers said.
"Indeed, however something came to our attention. Please observe."
What could only be described as a Minbari version of a 'Gun camera' video was brought up above their heads. Shots of the large Minbari fleet gathered were shown closing on the four ships in the system.
Once they had lured the Achilles into the system's outer reaches the Minbari ships should have been able to disable the human ship with an 'Alpha strike' as the humans quaintly put it. However it seemed that the Achilles had seen through the trap and had reverse course to rendezvous with the Alliance ships, the trap nullified the Minbari fleet jumped and headed for the human ships
The scene changed as their vessels took down the missile fired by the Achilles at their ships.
"As you can see our knowledge of the Achilles' weapons have come in useful in creating countermeasures for the enemy's heavy missiles. However, also as you can see, the fire from their projectile weapons are still very potent against our ships."
The scene changed to the three other Human ships taking down several squadrons of fighters before one of them was strafed and destroyed by yet more of the Minbari fighters. The other managed to pull away.
The scenes changed once again to the Achilles firing its main cannon at several of its ships as well as firing more missiles, all of which damaged or outright destroyed several of their ships. They were surprised when, from another set of shots, one of the Humans 'Nova' class dreadnaughts had fired on one of their upgraded 'Sharlin' cruisers and hit the ship with a massive strike.
The Human's fire caused it and many of the fighters around it to explode from direct weapons hits. Several other ships took damage from the Nova before the overwhelming force of the Minbari force hit them.
The footage ended with the escape of the last of the Human ships and the consequent failure to destroy the Achilles when the relief force arrived.
"As you can see we have a problem," the warrior Satai said.
"The Humans can now target our ships accurately and with impunity," said one of the religious caste.
"Indeed, we believe this is also the first test of this. The attack by the fleet led by the Drala Fi, was repulsed because of their ability to see our ships. It is likely in that engagement that the Achilles was responsible for their ability to see us, using their own scanners to see us and transmitting to the other ships."
A scene came up from the pictures. From the close ups of the Earth ships, the council members were more than capable of making out that the Daedalus and her task force were armed with weapons not seen before on their ships. They were using the same type of railguns that the Achilles had used to massacre entire squadrons of the best fighters in the warrior caste's ranks.
One of the Worker caste council members spoke up at that. "Then they are adapting their technology to allow the Humans to see us, their weapons are capable and powerful. We must stop this from happening. Their scanners and projectile weapons are capable of immense damage against out fighters and smaller ships. If they are allowed to adapt their shields and energy weapons they will be a threat unlike that we have not seen in one thousand years."
"Maybe not. We have lost a great many ships in the last few months to the Humans." Satai Delenn moved forward to speak her part, "This war is going to be much more costly than we believed. Dozens of our finest ships have seen destroyed by a like number of ships. In some cases smaller and less powerful ships have annihilated out best. One of their ships, unfinished and under crewed destroyed one of ours from a range with a power close to our own weapons."
"We were not expecting that they could do that Delenn," Satai Morann spoke up, "Their ability to do so surprise us."
"We do the same against them with our surprise attacks and unexpected assaults on their lines while we then take them apart with impunity. What makes what they do any different, Morann?"
"They allowed us to believe that two ships that we were trying to destroy were incapable of attacking us."
"As opposed to our killing any and all of their ships that send out distress signals, or killing those unable to defend themselves against us?"
"Then what do you suggest Delenn? You are the one whom declared we destroy these Humans."
"I may have made a mistake with this Morann. They will soon be capable of fighting us all on an equal baring, something that could do us much more damage that we thought possible six months ago."
"We need to stop these new Humans from assisting the Earthers as soon as possible. If they are allowed to help them too much everything we have lost will be for nothing." Satai Sharonn dropped his hood the scar from his battle aboard the Drala Fi evident on his hairless head.
"Are you afraid of what would happen if the warrior caste were to fight a race capable of fighting us on such a basis?"
"The Warrior Caste fears nothing."
"This war is going too far, the loss of so many ships to only a few Human ships is enough. Allow the war to end and for both us and the Earthers to rebuild. The losses to the Achilles is too much for us to take and more of such losses and we will not be able to continue the war as we have been doing so."
"Delenn may be the chosen of Dukhat himself, however you are young and inexperienced in the ways of war. If we allow the Humans to rebuild they will come back after us and this time we may not be able to hold them back if their technology is increased so."
"Then maybe we should be the ones to fall!"
"Delenn, how can you say that?"
"Sharonn, the warriors are willing to fight and die to destroy the Humans and their alliance, but you do not wish for them to fight you on an even plane."
"A barbarian race with technology so close to our own is against everything we believe and if it takes every ship and warrior we have, we will destroy them."
"If it takes every ship and warrior Sharonn, who shall defend the Minbari Federation and it's protectorates and who shall fight when the great war starts anew? No Sharonn we will not force this issue yet but beware for if we go too far we shall lose what we have gained in so long and we will fall before any race that wishes to fight us."
Delenn moved back and the light above her head dimmed to blackness as she left the room, her voice leaving a single thought floating in the air around them.
"For if we have nothing except our honour, what are we as a race."
Outside the chambers of the Grey Council Delenn dropped her hood and stared out into the sky. As if in sync with her mood the clouds had rolled in and now small droplets of rain pattered around her and onto her face. She closed her eyes and allowed the cool rain to clear her mind and cool her down from the heated arguments of the council chamber. She was contemplating much as a slight cough came from her side.
She turned her head back down and to the young member of the religious caste that had approached her; the young girl could not have been more than her late teens and was awaiting leave to speak to her Satai.
"Speak child."
"Satai Delenn there is a communication for you from Entil'zah Lenonn awaiting you in your chambers."
"Thank you."
"In Valen's Name."
"In Valen's name," Delenn replied and let the young woman go.
She had been awaiting a communication from the Ranger commander for some time, the mission they had been sent on had been fruitless for quite some time, any message from Lenonn was more than likely to be important to their attempts to halt this war before it got any worse than it already had.
In her chambers the screen was blank until she activated it and typed in her code. The message was in an encryption known only to a very few people. Activating the system the screen came up with the face of Lenonn.
"Greeting Delenn."
"Hello Lenonn, how are you?"
"Old, old and tired. But apart from that we seem to have found something interesting from the Centauri. One of their battle cruisers has disappeared from its patrol route; they were scouting a disturbance somewhere near their borders with the Earth Alliance."
"What has this to do with your mission?"
"The disturbance is within two systems from where the remains of the Shal'avi was discovered. It is possible there is something that explains the appearance of this new ship in the ranks of the Humans."
"Do you require assistance?"
"Not for the moment Delenn, we will approach the system and try to discover what it is that may have interested the Centauri so. It is possible that more will come from this and so if you have not heard from us within four days send assistance as soon as possible."
"Of course old friend. Good luck, Lenonn."
"We live for the one, we die for the one."
The channel closed on the conversation between the two high ranking Minbari. Delenn sat down on the closest seat and closed her eyes. She could only pray to Valen that something good could come out of all this.
USAF Prometheus
Infirmary
"Colonel, good evening."
"Lt Mollari, nice to see you up and around."
"Thank you Sir. If I may, how is my crew?" The Lt's face grew ashen as the Colonel gave what information he could to the junior officer. The fact that the young man was now the defacto commander of his crew and ship was a little intimidating. Also the knowledge that the survivors he had known off were dropping like flies was niggling at him.
"How many will live?"
"I'm sorry Lt we don't see more than sixty survivors all told. The injuries to most are too extensive but they are as comfortable as we can make them."
"Sixty from fifteen hundred. What about the ship?"
"I'm sorry Lt. Your ship is much too badly damaged to be spaceworthy. Any attempt to move it back through the rift is dangerous to you, your crew and the ship as a whole. The ship will be removed from the area back to a friendly port. If you wish your crew can go with it. But we would like you to accompany us to Earth if possible." Ronson said.
"Why me?"
"Maybe I can answer that Lt, My name Dr Daniel Jackson I'm here to help you and your crew acclimatise to your new surroundings. Your information may be of use to us in developing a rapport with you race and other races that you know of."
Carn Mollari looked a little suspiciously at this small Human with the wire and plastic in front of his eyes. The man seemed to be telling the truth as far as he could tell but from a race who pride themselves on their dealings with others using misdirection this did not mean a thing.
"Perhaps," he responded cautiously. "I will tell you what I can."
"Good." Came a third voice, Carn looked around at an imposing Six foot tall man, silver and grey hair upon his head and again a man with the look of a true warrior upon him. This man was no fool and he looked as if he would not treat Carn as one. I'm General Jack O'Neill…"
Time passed as the introductions were completed and the four men started a full discussion on the state of affairs in Carn's home space. The news was more than they had been told before but was much more help than what they had been told before.
"So where you're from the Humans are at war with a much more powerful race?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, the Minbari are one of the oldest and most advanced races in the known galaxy. Nobody has fought them and survived to tell the tale. Not even the Republic at its height were willing to test the Minbari," Carn Mollari responded. His wounds were bandaged and bruises were evident across his face but he looked much better than he had when pulled out of the wreckage three days beforehand.
"If they are so advanced and powerful why are they trying to destroy a race that has no chance against them?"
"All we know General is that the Humans killed their leader 'Dukhat of the Religious caste' and for that a holy war was caste upon them."
"Great another bunch of religious zealots with an axe to grind, some things are universal," said Jack. "If it's not one lot it's another."
Daniel spoke up at this point. "According to something you told the Colonel, there is some new supership helping the Humans of your universe."
"Yes, Indeed. We know little but the Minbari are calling for its destruction because it has done a lot of damage. Long-range scans from our ships haven't been able to pick up anything from the ship at all. It seems to have a variation on one of the League's defences as well as the Human's weapons and technology."
"What kind of defences?"
"One of the races, the Abbai use gravity waves much as my race do to create a shield against weapons fire, this Human ship seems to have this ability as well. The Abbai claim it has been stolen from them and want it back."
O'Neill looked at Ronson who just nodded. It seemed that this Centauri may have been just informed them of the whereabouts of their lost ship.
"Anything else?"
"There was something odd, the ship was powerful enough to destroy Minbari battleships, however from what little we can get from our scans it is smaller than a Human corvette. This is something that is impossible for the Humans of our universe to build. Is it one of yours?"
"We don't know Lt, but it's possible. If it is we may need to return you to your people and then look for her."
"General, the Centaurum, our version of the Human's 'Senate' refuse to get involved in this war on either side. Your arrival may do more harm than good. There are a few of us that wish we could get involved in this but we can't risk pulling our entire people into the war."
"Maybe you should. If you and others get involved may be they might think twice about what's going on." Daniel looked at the Lt
"I'm not particularly politically minded Dr Jackson. What do you mean?"
"If, say you and other powers got involved it would make the Minbari think twice. Or they would wind up destroying most of the races in the immediate area. That is something that would make them enemies of anyone who would meet them later on."
"Few of the local powers would be willing to fight alongside each other. Most of us don't like the others especially the Narn and the League of Non Aligned Worlds. Even the few that may do so won't do for fear of the Minbari coming after them."
"So this fear rules them enough that they won't help a race that needs it."
"It's true, the Alliance was willing to fight against a race called the Dilgar Imperium. The Dilgar caused genocide and massive suffering on every race they saw as lesser beings, which was everyone they knew of bar the Minbari and possibly the Centauri Republic."
"About twenty years ago the alliance got involved and they lost a lot of ships and troops in a war they had no reason to get involved in. But they did and now every one that owes them and promised them assistance have withdrawn and refused to get involved."
"Lt, in our history we had a war, many that came after that war swore an oath, that oath was best described in just two words 'never again'. If the Humans in this Earth Alliance are anything like us they couldn't have not got involved, We've seen too much of this type of thing in our own histories, both ancient and contemporary," Daniel spoke up,
"The Human race is not the type to give up to overwhelming problems otherwise our entire race would have been destroyed a long time ago, or been enslaved for all time. That's not something Humans are willing to allow."
The Centauri crewman looked at the faces of the three men around him. Each had the look of a warrior, something that was lacking in the forces of the Centauri military even those whom had fought against the Narn and the League of Non Aligned Worlds. "My people won't get involved General, I can tell you that without any doubt, not unless there was something in it for them. My people are a mercenary species through and through. Money and material things are all they wish to acquire, the Humans have little to give and much to gain and the my people take much and still give little."
"Sounds as if you disagree."
"My uncle, Londo Mollari is the Ambassador to the Earth Alliance, he is quite fond of Humans as a whole but even our family's notoriety is not enough to help the Humans. However I do believe he wishes he could help the Humans. I think if we could contact him that we would have somewhat of a chance in getting his assistance."
"That may be a problem, as you know we cannot allow you or your people or your ship to go through the rift again, it will fatally injure you and your people and destroy your ship. As you are not tied to us through treaty or military service we cannot stop you from this but please believe us when we say it would not be conductive to the health of any of your surviving people to go through that again."
"I know Colonel, I would like to talk to the rest of my crew that are still capable of meeting with me and asking what they want. I'm not a command officer and I won't try to order them to stay or go."
"I do understand Lt, the survivors will be gathered aboard the 'Freedom's Choice' in a few hours. Until then, you should rest for a while," Ronson said.
"Thank you Colonel." The young Lt was left alone by the three men surrounding him leaving the sick bay. Ronson excused himself to have communications contact the Jaffa ships and have the Centauri survivors transferred to the same ship. Jackson and O'Neill stood outside the Sickbay looking in at the other badly injured Centauri still aboard.
"Another world where we're at war." Jack said.
"Something doesn't add up though," Daniel responded, "He says that Earth has been in space for over a hundred years, but there is nothing about the Goa'uld or any of the other races we know of. All the alternate universes we know of have been based on the fact that the Goa'uld are a universal constant, some destroyed and some like us holding them off."
"So?"
"So the other universe's Human race seems to be almost backward compared to us, no gravity on board their ships, no shields, a slow hyperdrive and a relatively slow increase in their abilities in that hundred years."
"What year is it there 2246 or something?"
"The fact that they are less advanced than us in some ways but more than in others may point to some kind of interference from outside."
"So something like the parasitic little bastards here may exist out there."
"I don't know Jack, but I wouldn't bet against it."
"Daniel, I want you to talk to some of the others find out anything you can about any ancient race that may exist in their pasts both good or bad, just talk to them ask them about anything you can think of."
"I'll try, what are you gonna do?"
"I'm going to have a look at that ship closely, if we can we'll drag it to another system. If not we'll let the centauri decide what to do with it."
"If you sure?"
"Yep. Also I want you and Ronson with me when Mollari goes to the 'Choice', maybe a few Human faces would help them relax."
"Yeah Right," Daniel mumbled.
Washington DC
SGC-Earth
December 13th 2005
At the same time as the meeting between the Centauri and the SGC commander, another was going on many light years away in the dark corridors of power in the Capital City of the United States.
"Our people at Stargate Command have informed us about a change in the way of things. It seems that the Prometheus has uncovered a new race from another universe."
"How, if we have the Quantum Mirror in our possession?"
"We have no one aboard the Prometheus itself, the few we had were aboard the Achilles during her shakedown cruise. All we do know is that a ship was discovered out there, one much larger than anything we can build or salvage. It is close to the size of one of the Asgard's cruisers."
One of the men leaned closer to the screen showing a scan of the Primus class cruiser sent to the SGC by the Prometheus. The lines could be plainly seen and the size and mass projections impressed them all. The ship was much larger than the ships currently produced by the allied nations of Earth. Something like this Centauri ship could help them immeasurably.
"A ship that large could be of immense value to us and our attempts to remove the SGC from the equation."
"We do not have the people or equipment in place to take that ship and there is also the problem that there may be survivors from this new ship aboard the Prometheus or the Jaffa ships that would dispute our claim."
"If they do so have them killed, use some of our expendable people in the SGC to do so. That ship may be the most useful piece of alien technology we have come across yet. Just make sure O'Neill and his people do not keep hold of that ship. The NID have much more use for it than they would have."
"Aye, Sir."
"Contact Kinsey, we have something for him to do."
"Yes, Sir."
"Also, have several of the cargo ships assigned to the Air force diverted for classified work. Just in case we are unable to get at that ship any other way I want them filled with our own troops and readied for combat actions."
"Are you sure that is wise, Sir?"
"Yes I do. Without more ships we have little chance of holding off the Goa'uld and this ship would be much easier to rebuild than any of these Ha'tak vessels we can get hold of. The Asgard weapons picked up from the wreckage in the Pacific will be brought out of storage, we may finally have somewhere to put them."
"This is a dangerous game you are playing, Senator."
"The game has always been dangerous; however now the stakes are equal."