Chapter Six: The USS Ticonderoga

"Günter, you're not going to make it!"

"Yes, I'll vill!" He yelled back.

What Günter was talking about was the fact that he was on an unknown world, and was driving through the forest on a Humvee that Jack managed to ask when the Daedelus came by last time it did. The world was a forest world, but it was half plain, one quarter ocean, and one quarter forest. The fact that the Stargate was under control by Wraith and they were guarding it did not help. But, the forest path ended with a huge jump that could barely make it to where the Stargate was, it was on and Jack was activating the codes already on his GDO, while Vanessa and Günter argued.

"SHHHHHHIIIIIITTTTT!" She yelled, with Günter yelling as the Humvee cleared the jump, the vehicle soaring into the air before it landed squarely on its wheels, running over a few Wraith while Vanessa operated the back Fifty caliber machine gun, killing as many Wraith as she could, before Jack activated his code, as the Humvee zoomed into the Wormhole...

And appeared on the other side in the Atlantis Stargate room, when the Iris closed behind them, as they heard the Wraith who tried to follow them smack into it, destroying them. Jack sighed, leaning against his seat as Vanessa relaxed. Günter, however, was excited.

"Wimmern! Das war ehrfürchtig!" He yelled out, slamming his fists onto the dashboard as the rest of the men and women working around the Gate looked at him like he was crazy.

"Günter, next time, remind me to bring a diaper." Jack said, getting up. Vanessa chuckled, while Günter smirked to himself as he got out himself. Elizabeth Weir looked up from the top of the Stargate computer room, and sighed with humor. Lancaster, who was riding in the back and not mentioned a thing, got up and followed the Colonel out of the Stargate room.

"Good job out there today, Major." Jack said, walking with his cap still on while Lancaster followed, his beret still squarely on his head that covered his grey hair. Lancaster smirked with himself as he walked on, still strolling until O'Neill stopped.

"Major, please, what is he still doing on the base?" Jack asked, pointing to Atton, who just turned out of a hallway and was walking down the hallway that Jack and Lancaster occupied.

"I don't know, sir. But he did say that he was still on this base as long as Felicity is still on."

"You know, I noticed that she has corrupted a bunch of people's hearts. Like John, that Mical guy, and Atton. You know, it's like she's planning something, Major. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, sir. I've noticed that too."

"Can you tail him?"

To this, the Major cracked a small smile, barely noticeable if you were not looking him in the eye.

"I'd love too, sir."

"Sir?" A voice said behind O'Neill. It was Mitchell, in his Jedi Robes and everything. Jack gave him a look, but sighed and looked at him. He smiled.

"Yeah, Mitchell?" He asked, Lancaster leaving O'Neill's side to follow Atton.

"Look sir, I know you know you can feel that power within you. I can train you to use it, well. I am trained by the best."

"Well...what the hell. I guess I owe you one from that op on P3X-987 when we were in that sleazy galactic strip-bar."

"Yeah, you do..." Mitchell replied, shuddering with that thought.

Two months later, on Atlantis' planet surface, on the main coastline near the entire facility itself was a small temple. Although, to the un-trained mind, that small temple was just it, a small temple. However, below the temple's building was miles and miles of catacombs, with large open areas and such, you would lose yourself in.

If you weren't being gunned down by Sith warriors.

The fact that Lacius was slowly pacing the main area, with two men at his side, was a testament that the men and women at Atlantis did not suspect a thing to happen. He let a coy smile at that, because that means that the Sith could fool anyone, and that caused a slight change in his mood.

The man on his right was skinny by nature, but his cloak hid that. The top of his hood over his head, he wore a mask that had two long, sharp areas that covered his eyes and cheeks, while the other part of the mask hid the rest of his face. He breathed heavily, but that did not stop him from grinning. Almost immediately you could tell he was Lord Akron.

The other man, however, was different. He wore the black robe, but he did not have a mask to hide his handsome features, however his skin was quite pale. And his once natural brown hair color has changed to a piskly blonde. He held his hands behind his back, as he waited for Lacius to speak.

"Well, Saris, it seemed you passed your final test." Lacius said, turning around and sticking out his hand, in the employ of a hand-shake.

"I fully welcome you into the Sith Order." Lacius spoke, with Saris taking his hand and, grabbing tightly, shook his head.

"Well, let's get right down to business, Saris. The base, the one step that will insure our success when we make that step towards the total successful training of the Glorious Sith Empire, we will finally be able to attack the Republic. And then, and then oh my friend, we will crush the opposition."

"Yes, mi lord." Saris said, bowing slightly.

"Oh, cut it John." A voice said behind the group, which Saris and Lacius turned around to see who talked, but not Akron. Behind the group was a woman, with pale skin but long, flowing red hair and a beautiful face and figure, which stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Arias." Akron said, with disgust.

"Akron." She replied, spitting. Lacius, before it escalated, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, locking lips with, he thought, the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. They lingered in that state for a while, until Akron made a slight nose, like a snort.

Lacius broke off. "Yes?"

"Saris, explain."

"Well, mi lord, the fact that Atlantis has a ZPM at their disposal, the aspect remains that we will be slaughtered unless one of us can sneak inside there. I am fairly certain that either Akron or I can accomplish that."

"I can do a much better job than Akron can, Saris. You should know this."

"Or you. Depends on who wants to go."

"What about both of you?" Lacius offered, his eyebrows raised in a question answering way. Arias shot him an angry glance, while Akron sat there smug, with a smile on his face that shown amusement.

"Yes, mi lord. That makes perfect sense." Saris said, before he walked away, followed by Akron. Lacius was walking the other way, but then he heard a voice behind him.

"Lacius, wait." Arias said, in a tempting voice that Lacius could not refuse. He slowly turned around, and saw Arias in front of him, face to face and with her finger on his chin.

"Lacius, I never got to say this, but when I was still Sam Carter, I was in love with you. And now, I would die for you." She said, before locking lips with Lacius. It was not like their other kisses, it was soft and tender. Like how she would have kissed before she became Darth Arias.

"If you wish, I will accompany Akron to Atlantis."

"You would, wouldn't you?" He said, smiling. She smiled back.

"I would do anything for you, Daniel."

Jack O'Neill was in the training room, wearing strange robes of brown and white. He activated his lightsaber, and then struck the dummy along the side, cutting it in half as Felicity and Mitchell watched. Felicity smiled while Mitchell stood there, with his arms folded.

"No, sir, you don't want to over-swing. You'll be compensating for speed later against your opponent. If you think during the heat of battle, you die."

"Yeah, I know. But, look." He said, taking up the dummy. Mitchell's eyes widen as he noticed a cut below the area that Jack originally attacked. The cut he didn't noticed was in the intestine area.

"Wow...I never have seen anything that fast."

Suddenly, a loud booming voice on the intercom was heard, followed by a loud speaker.

"Attention, all personnel. There is an unidentified ship in orbit. Battle-stations are too manned at all times. General O'Neill, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davis, Colonel Mitchell, please report to the briefing room."

"That's our cue."

High above the planet, in the space around the system, was a large ship. It was white, with a huge disk in front of the ship with a small holding section, following with a large barrel-like section, followed by two other smaller barrel sections on either side, slightly above the larger barrel. It was huge, for an understatement, but it was beautiful. Except, maybe, for large enough wording on the upper left side of the saucer. It read as simple: NCC 1890 Ticonderoga.

It was human, alright. Inside the main bridge were humans working on their stations, while a man sat in the captain's chair, his hand on his chin. There was a non-human working at the Science station, with pointed ears and a face that resembled nothing but complete concentration. The captain, however, was completely cheerful, the exact opposite of the alien at the Science station.

"Captain, the wormhole we exited took us to our original position." The alien spoke, looking at the captain.

"Well, then, Salix, that doesn't explain the fact that there is a city down there that wasn't there when we left." The captain spoke, with a Texan drawl.

"Perhaps we entered a type of time-travel." The alien offered, checking over his data. The captain, wearing a black uniform with red parts on his uniform, stroked his chin.

"Captain, incoming wormhole." The helmsman spoke, looking up at the screen.

"On screen." The captain spoke.

The helmsman nodded, and then looked up as he pressed a button on his console. The blank screen in front of them turned on, the view of the world they saw was magnificent, with the land masses and the clouds, but then the crew's attention was towards the new ship that exited a nearby wormhole, then the wormhole closed as the ship exited it.

"Captain, they're hailing us."

"Patch us through, Jerry." He said to the man operating the communications station. Jerry nodded, then flipped a switch, the view of the ship's commander appeared on the screen in front of them.

"This is Colonel Steven Caldwell, of the United States Air Force. You are trespassing in private space. We are requesting you leave at once, or else we will open fire." Caldwell said, on the other ship.

"United States? They've been gone since the beginning of the third World War..."

"Excuse me!" Caldwell said, on the other side of the receiver.

"Then this means we're in another reality, and we might have gone back in time." The alien said, ignoring Colonel Caldwell.

"That's it. I've given you plenty of time; now see the wrath of Earth!"

The screen went back to the ship patrolling out in the planet's orbit. Then, missiles exploded out of their ports and sped towards the Ticonderoga, before the Weapons Officer then decided not to use lethal force. The phasers they had on the ship activated, and slashed the missiles in half, causing them to explode. The captain rubbed his chin.

Suddenly, the screen came back to life.

"Alright. You've proven your point. Wait for further landing orders."

"Oh, that won't be necessary, Colonel Caldwell."

"Unauthorized landing vessel, within the Puddlejumper bay. Please assist..." After that brief message the Docking Chief managed to say to the rest of the Atlantis crew, Arias shoved her lightsaber into the chief's chest, before forcefully pulling back, though upward, cutting the poor man in half.

One of the men shot off bullets from his M4, firing at her from at least twenty feet away. She moved her lightsaber on reflex and deflected the bullets back to the man, who was hit in the heart, stomach, and brain almost immediately. He died instantly.

She worked her lightsaber as a painter would work a paintbrush. Her swings were delicate, yet with precision and with power. She was an artist of her trade, and she loved it. However, the Atlantis men reinforced the position, with two men with M4s covering the door. They were yelling for her to surrender, but then they were then screaming in pain as a man behind them forced lightening from his hands to engulf them, laughter heard from behind them.

It was Lord Akron, and his laugh was more sinister than ever it had been. The men began to slowly and painfully die, dropping their weapons. Akron sighed, and took his lightsaber out, activating it. He swiped each of the men's back, killing them. Arias laughed, before she felt a hand on her back.

Lacius looked her in the eye, and she stopped laughing. He looked up at Akron, who was wearing his mask but you could feel the smile of pure malicious evil upon his face. Lacius then turned around and looked at the shield they managed to breach with an EMP spike. He waved his hand, and then the shield went down. Ships from the Sith landed, and men in white metallic uniforms jumped out, and secured the area.

"It's time to move on. We'll move up to the hallway, and I'll deal with the Exile."

Just then, Saris appeared, and stepped towards Lacius. Locking stares with him, Saris spoke.

"Let me deal with the Exile. You handle Atton."

Lacius nodded, and then pointed towards the hallway, where he and his men began their siege.