Chapter 22
"I laugh in the face of danger and then hide until it goes away."
USAF Achilles
24 hours Post Arrival at Io Station.
For the first day since the arrival of the Achilles the crew of the warship had shut down the systems and started the first part of the ship's repairs. The internal systems that needed repairing had been done before they had left the yards at Beta Durani.
The Io station was as first, leery about the arrival of the Achilles. Now, the actual information about the new ship was wide spread across the entire fleet. The destruction of dozens of Minbari ships by the Achilles and it's assistance to the fleets at DSR post four and at Beta Durani was now legendary across the entire Alliance military.
For the first time it had come to light that with a level playing field the ships of EarthForce were capable of defeating Minbari ships. The images of the Cunningham destroying a Minbari warship with accurate fire from maximum range allowed the Humans watching a spot of pride at the fact they were now capable of fighting back against the Minbari.
However, the Achilles was still an unknown entity even with the reports from Durani station and the fleet grapevine praising the crew and the ship. The crews and pilots of the defence fleet in the Alliance's most fortified position were wary of 'Greeks baring gifts' as one pilot said across an open channel.
Taking the jest to heart, the orders sent to all ships from Earthdome were to watch the Achilles at all times. For the moment they were allies and were safe from harm but at any time the Achilles seemed to be a threat they were to open fire immediately.
Even so the Achilles was docked and immediately the crew set to work on the external problems the warship had. The shield emitting systems had been strained continuously for the last few weeks and even with the overhauls and repairs that had been the norm for the ship the shielding systems were still to be completely repaired. And now without the possibility of the Minbari attacking them, the crew could get to work.
Inside the ship was another story. Partway through the voyage to Earth from Beta Durani the ship's inertial systems and artificial gravity had failed causing injuries amongst the crew. The damage was repaired en route but the repairs would need dock time to fully repair.
Other systems were working in order but were to be stripped down and repaired using their own spares and some alliance tech rewired to their needs. Then, of course, the biggest problem the ship had were the secondary reactor systems. The Colonel and Major had decided to wait until the Achilles had docked at Io station before the reactor assembly was to be taken apart by the engineers. The Reactor had fluttered suddenly several hours into the voyage and had been shut down completely by the crew.
The lost reactor was of little consequence when they were travelling this deep into alliance space with an escort. It was now cold and the radiation had been flushed, allowing the crew to look over the system as a whole.
The massive reactor assembly stretch the width of the ship and would take a large team quite a while to search and repair. It had been a day before they could risk opening up any of the reactor and even then they would have to use contamination suits to keep out the radiation that may have been left behind.
"You know, I'm glad this isn't the Naquadriah reactor this ship class was designed to use."
"Why's that Chief?" asked one of the engineering crew.
"Did you ever hear about what happened to that Dr Jackson at Stargate command?"
"Uhh, no."
"Well I was down there working on the power systems when Jackson comes back from the planet the Naquadriah came from, he was dosed with some serious rads from a runaway nuclear test they were running on that stuff."
"Damn, how did he survive?"
"Not a clue, maybe they used one of those Sarcophagus things the snakeheads use. But it's an unstable fuel and nasty when under use. The radiation that we would have had to flush and protect against would have been pretty nasty equivalent to a spill apparently."
"Shit."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. This Normal Naq isn't too bad but is still pretty dangerous in the wrong hands."
"Tell me about it. I heard there was a test with a Naquada bomb on a planet and that entire planet caught fire and BOOM, no more planet."
"Now imagine if that kind of explosion happened aboard this thing. If we can't figure out what's wrong with this thing we might be looking at the universe's biggest Naquada bomb."
"You know how to make us feel better don't you, Chief."
"Aye, laddee."
"We never should have gotten you that tribble for you birthday."
"Better than that thing you guys got for the Colonel. A giant bumper sticker is not the greatest of ideas."
"Hang on, this things stuck- and it wasn't that bad. It was just a joke."
"Hmm ok got it pull, a joke it said BEWARE WOMAN DRIVER on severl dozen feet high letters."
"Ok it's out, what did you expect a bumper sticker for a ship this size needs to be big or no one would see it."
"Your lucky she saw the funny side, Ronson would have strung you up by the bits."
"Scanners are showing nothing, Chief."
The last of the main covering of the Reactor was finally off. The heavy Trinium/lead/titanium alloy shielding was still in place around the Naquada core itself but the internals of the system were now open to all. The core was smaller than a shipboard nuclear reactor most of them had trained on but it was much more powerful than anything purely Human built.
"Radiation levels are minimal. You'd get more radiation from a suntan."
"Good. Leave your suits on anyway, I don't want any unfortunate leaks to kill anyone."
"Aye Chief." Was heard from multiple voices.
The team started a painstaking study of the core's systems. The combination of Human technology and Goa'uld control crystal technology was more than evident in the systems surrounding the massive core. The cold core was dark and the power was completely off, allowing the crew members to access the internal systems as well as take apart the systems that looked like they needed repairs.
At first glance the core looked intact and ready for use. However that was not enough and soon every circuit board, control crystal and data cable was removed from the core. The power cables and system sensors were also removed from their positions, the twelve-man crew steadily worked taking it apart piece by piece.
"Anyone got anything?" he asked
"Nothing here Chief, although I think someone was having fun back here before the core was finished."
"Why?"
"You don't want to know Chief, you don't want to know."
"Tell me anyway."
"Well, one foil packet and its contents were stuffed down the back of a conduit and is now melted onto it."
A chorus or disgusted sounds came from the assembled crewmen (and women) surrounding the reactor, while some others sniggered or burst out laughing. Even the Chief was effected by the news.
"Can you get it off?"
"I'm not touching it without some really long tongs and a blow torch."
"Alright, we'll get it off before we close up."
There was a clang from above the rest and a female voice swore in multiple languages including what seemed to be Goa'uld and even Asgard. The guilty party pulled herself up from the prone position she was in and looked down at the Chief Engineer.
"Chief there's something here, behind the main control circuits."
"What is it?"
"I don't know seems like some kind of sensor device." The young woman reached under again and groaned as she grasped the device and it finally came free from the rear of the reactor. "It was stuck fast and right behind the reactor, I was lucky to see it. Ahh shit, it's not one of ours, Chief."
"How the hell did it get in there?"
"No idea Sir, but it must have been there since the reactor was installed or at least since the overhaul at Durani base."
"Someone's spying on us from inside. Shit." Crossing over to the Intercom the Chief called up the bridge explaining what had happened and that the Colonel and Major should get down there ASAFP.
Minutes later the two command officers were in engineering. The Colonel was not happy with the way she had been summoned to the reactor room while in the process of more negotiations with the commander of Io base. However the look on the face of her Chief engineer was more than enough to silence and complaints she may have been about to speak.
"What is it?"
"Some kind of scanning device, not very powerful or particularly useful as these things go. But it was right in our reactor and was in range of any system in engineering or the lower decks."
"Spying on us?" Davis asked.
"That's my guess. We won't give them shields, our hyperdrive or cannon so they were going to take it anyway."
"The reactor's weren't off limits to any visiting engineers were they?" Taylor asked
"No Sir. They were Human designed and built, it wasn't out of bounds so anything here wasn't classified in the slightest as Naquada doesn't seem to exist here it can't hurt us or them."
"It fits after what Silverston said earlier," Davis said to Taylor.
"First telepaths and now technological espionage, Chief no alliance engineer is to come near engineering either. Keep them out of anywhere that is in any way essential to the running of this ship. I don't want more problems," Taylor told the engineer.
"Aye, Sir."
"We'll let this play out a little longer. I want the pair of you to keep an eye out and recheck the security measures every few hours."
"You think they will try something so quickly?"
"We've been on the receiving end of mistrust by certain people since we arrived in Alliance space. Yes I think they will try something, and I think they might try soon."
"Aye, Sir."
"Aye, Sir."
"Did you find anything else Chief?"
"No, Sir. We're still looking through the reactor, but I think that thing might have had something to do with the problems we had with the reactor full stop. If my boys can test, it we'll find out."
"Do it Chief, and make sure it's shielded. I don't ant anyone knowing we found it."
"I'll try, Sir."
"Keep checking the reactor as well just in case." The Colonel and Major left the engineering deck to resume their conversations with the Alliance staff, much more cautious than they had been only minutes before.
Io station
R&D Labs
Conference Room 4
"My apologies Ladies and Gentlemen we had some problems with the ship's main power systems but it is under control," Major Davis spoke up.
"Is there any danger?" asked one of the staff members.
"Not at all. The affected system is shut down and no longer attached to any of the other ships' system."
"That's ok then." One man, a balding senator said. "Now as we were saying, your advances to what we term as very basic systems are fascinating. Your computer and communications systems are inferior to our own but you seem to be able to do much more with what you have."
"Yes, our technology is a combination of our own and some salvaged and donated technological advances from other races from our area of space."
"Alien technologies?" the same man said with a barely concealed sneer.
"Yes. We are at war with a race that wants nothing more than total subjugation of our entire species or failing that annihilation of our world and its people. In order to fight back, we have used their own technology and made our own analogues of those systems. Howeve,r some we have had to use salvage technology in places we have not been able to copy those systems."
"What about your other systems?"
"Some of our systems were donated by a friendly race called the Asgard. The Asgard have been a valuable ally to our planet for several years and indeed are responsible for our inclusion into the protected planets treaty."
"So these Asgard also play God?"
"Not as such. While the Goa'uld believe they are gods and force others to worship them as such, the Asgard have helped races to develop at their own speed and taught races how to cope on their own until such time as those races realise what the Asgard are and are able to talk with them on a singular or planetary basis."
"So your most advanced weapons and defences come from this race?"
"Yes, each of the Prometheus class ships in the fleet are armed accordingly by way of our treaty with them; the same treaty I'm afraid that will not allow us to share those technologies with you unless we get their permission."
"I understand that. Please understand however that time is growing short for us and the basic niceties of two powers meeting must be dispensed with for the moment."
"I understand Senator, please go on," Davis said.
"I understand some of your other technical advances are not covered by your 'treaty' with any other alien race?"
"No Sir, they are not. However, some of our technology will not be of use to you due to differences in our technologies."
The female member of the command staff spoke up, "We do owe you much for just assisting us so far with your advances. The refits of many of our front line ships with your scanners has gone ahead recently and thanks to you we may be able to fight on a level field for at least a time."
"We were happy to help General, we could not sit by and watch an advanced race just destroy the Human race because of an accident. We fight against such problem back home. Advanced races that believe everything they do is right and most are scared of those races, it seems Humans are the same everywhere," Taylor said.
"What would you be willing to trade with us, Colonel?" The third man said.
"Sir, what you must understand is that we as a whole cannot allow our ship to be taken apart for you to reverse engineer our technology, most of our technology is incorporated into the ship's systems. And while we have the technical specifications and know how it may be a problem managing to give you some of our systems."
"What can you give us?"
"In exchange for the systems we gave you we have been guaranteed continued support from your infrastructure and the possibility of some upgrades of our own. For the technology we are offering you we wish for the sale of several of your warships for use by our own fleet once the Minbari war has ended."
"You want our warships? That's preposterous," the senator said.
"What kind of ships?" the General said overruling the senator.
"Cruisers and Dreadnaughts with several tenders to keep them operational for several years."
"In exchange for what?"
"Artificial gravity, inertial dampening systems, and control crystal technology," Davis said. "That is all we can give you for the moment without access to our home world's database systems and permission from our fleet command to allow other systems to be included."
"That is not much for an entire task force plus auxiliaries."
"As I said that is for the moment, others may be brought to the table later on. However the systems you have plus these others will give you an edge against the Minbari in a combat situation allowing you to fight them fair and possibly beat them. Do not malign these technologies they will change the combat capacity of your ships beyond that of many you know of."
"For the moment we are unable to give you the ships that you want. If we lose this war the fact is that we may not be able to give you any of the ships you want for this technology. Things would be easier if we could see the whole of your ship."
"Senator, if the Human race is to be wiped out by the Minbari then we will be on the line between the Humans of this universe and the Minbari. And with all due respect, we will help but we will not risk our own world to satisfy your want for our advanced technology. We can give you what we can but we also need to find our way home and for that we will need help."
The senator was angry at these 'newcomers'. The alliance had the backs to the wall and were being hit hard by the losses the Minbari had made in their fleet ranks. Now the fleet had the technology to fight back but the full fleet refit would take time and while the SWACS abilities of their few ships are fully capable of allowing entire task forces to see the Minbari ships they were just not enough.
The first task forces of complete refits were still two weeks from combat readiness and once again they would be scattered down the entire line to assist non-refit units instead of defending the more important inner systems of the Alliance like they should be. The Senator was not happy with that fact and wanted more from these people and would get it one way or another.
"The ships we have online with your scanner upgrades are of immense help as is the railgun system that you gave us as a goodwill gesture. The lines have stabilised close to the midrange bases but we don't know why?" The female General said.
"We understand that the Minbari have lost a lot of ships across the entire line in the last few months in addition to those that we ourselves helped to destroy recently. They may be trying to reinforce and redeploy against other bases not as well defended at Beta Durani is."
"It's a sure bet that they know your ships are being equipped with the newest scanners and might be willing to take this fight to an extreme if they are threatened. They apparently have more ships than you and may just be able to overrun you," Taylor said.
The General brought out a data crystal, handing it to an aide it brought up a series of numbers and ships both Minbari (est.) and Human (est.)
"In the next month almost one hundred new ships will come online, most with the new scanners online and railguns attached. However the ships are still outmatched by the Minbari vessels by a serious margin. The numbers are higher in their favour and their pinpoint jump computers are still a danger, Sir we are asking you for more help to keep the Minbari at bay until we can defend ourselves better."
Taylor nodded at her XO who himself pulled a writable optical disk from his jumpsuit pocket and slid it across the table.
"One of our systems is an ECM system capable of jamming every ship we know of, it works against the sensors of the Goa'uld ships even those upgraded by the system lord Anubis. It is one hundred percent effective against everything in this system so far including Minbari sensors. It is not sensor stealth, in fact the opposite, but it jams the sensor images and distorts them."
"Meaning if they can't see it they can't hit it." The General said awestruck, "How… I mean you are willing to trade this with us?"
Taylor just smiled, "Call it a down payment on the ships we need from you, in the last few weeks my engineers have managed to rewrite the specs to suit your ships. Those to be equipped with it can have it done the same time as the scanner updates it's easily done adapter to your own countermeasures suite and can be activated and used using your basic comm. and scanner systems."
"Get this to command and quickly."
The General passed the disk to her aide who bolted from the room with a quickly murmured 'Aye, Sir."
"Thank you Colonel, many EarthForce officers will owe you their lives."
"We're all soldiers General, it's what we do."
Senator's Offices
Earthdome
Three hours later
The offices of Senator William Clark were once gain dimly lit with only a few spotlights illuminating the desk and other parts of the office that Clark wanted lit. At this moment several of the lights back lit him as he looked at the monitor screen above his head. Just enough light escaped around him to darken him as a whole in an attempt to scare the other senator working for him.
"So they still refuse to allow us their most advanced systems," he asked the other man rhetorically.
"I'm sorry Sir, but the Achilles' commanders refuse to allow us to even look at some of their systems. In fact some of the systems we were able to see at Durani station have been closed off to all technicians at Io station."
"Have they discovered our little device?"
"I do not believe so Sir. They have made no mention of it or even made any sign that they mistrust us more than they had done already."
"Then they are attempting to keep their technological advantage to themselves while making us pay through the nose for titbits and scraps of their inferior systems. If that is the case then we need to do something about this and soon."
"In addition Sir, we have something that was unexpected. They have given us the ability to block the sensors of the Minbari for a time."
"What?" the Senator jolted at that.
"Their Electronic Countermeasures are capable of being adapted into our own ships ECM systems, meaning they can be refit into our warships during the same time the scanner systems are."
"Once again putting us in their debt, making sure that without them we cannot go any further."
"The other members of the station's command crew will agree to their requests with this technology transfer. Sir, what do you wish for us to do? General Stevens is about ready to cave into their demands."
"Stevens is an idiot and in the pocket of Santiago. We need to move them out of the picture and get ourselves to the forefront of things. Ingratiate yourself with the command crew and get some of your pet engineers to get friendly with the crew of that ship. See what you can get out of it."
"Yes, Sir."
"Meanwhile I'll work with a few of the people that owe me in the Marines. Perhaps if they won't be persuaded nicely we'll have to take the technologies we want one way or another."
"They will try to stop that, Sir."
"They are Humans and as such in our space they are subject to our rules and our laws. And as such that ship is fair property for EarthForce and our loyal officers." My loyal officers more than others he thought privately.
"Do what you can to slow down this transfer until such time as it suits US and not them. Pull back the material and personnel diverted to them as much as possible to make things problematic for them."
"Sir, are you sure about this?"
"Of course I'm sure. Now do what I tell you to do, Clark out."
The Senator spun away from the screen his face screwed up in anger. How dare these people try to dictate terms, they should be thanking the Alliance for taking them in and even help them with the damage to their ship. The sharing of what they had and what he wanted was only fair in his eyes.
"Senator, Mr Bester to see you."
"Send him in." NOW WHAT?
"Senator Clark."
"Mr Bester what can I do for you today?"
"Several of my telepaths have been sent to Io station for an assignment they will by pass the R&D command station sometime today before they go on to their assignment."
"Are you in contact with them?"
"Yes."
"Then cancel their assignment and have then attached to the R&D teams."
"How exactly?"
"Any way you have to. I want to know more about that ship and crew and if they are all like that Lt."
"At once, Senator." Bester left the room and entered the corridors, once out of sight one of his few and truly obnoxious grins split his face, Clark was right where he wanted him.