Sorry for the long time between updates everyone but I'm currently deployed to Iraq so updates have been a little difficult. Hopefully I'll get to update this story on a more regular basis. I'd also like to take a moment to thank the rest of the members of the Chronicles team. Count, Tyr, and Chris O, You guys rock. Oh and don't worry everyone for those of you following my other fic Homeworld Bound, that one too will be updated shortly. Enjoy

Atlantis

"So let me get this straight, they suck your life?"

"That's what the guy said." Private Murdoch confirmed.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Private Kalikov retorted. "How can they suck life? How is that biologically possible?"

Murdoch shrugged. "He said they grab you, stick their claws in your chest and suck life from you, it makes you age until you die."

The two Earth force soldiers were walking through the Ancient city heading for their assigned posts, they had been put on full alert and warned enemy ships were in orbit, the attack was expected any moment. They were both part of the 509th Earth force Marine battalion, assigned to Colonel Grey by presidential order for this rather unusual and increasingly foreboding mission. The 509th was said to be the most brutal close quarters fighters in Earth service and had a long history of fighting in the narrow confines of starship corridors and alien underground hives. They had taken ships from the Dilgar and were recently famous for fighting with Captain Sheridan's forces against President Clark, their great claim to fame was seizing the prototype Warlock destroyers nearing completion before the loyalists could sabotage or steal them. While this was glory enough the regiment claimed its ultimate achievement was coming within a hairs breadth of seizing a Minbari warcruiser during their war. Two companies of marines had ambushed the ship in hyperspace with breaching pods, an incredibly dangerous tactic that the Minbari had never seen coming. Sadly long range scans had detected a huge explosion in the area the ship was supposed to be in, the official report said that the ship was destroyed by its own crew to prevent the Marines seizing it. While tragic the men and women of the Battalion were immensely proud of those who tried to take the Warcruiser and the first and second companies still bore Minbari skulls on their unofficial badge.

The two soldiers crossed an open bridge between the tall spires giving them an amazing view of the city, its towers reaching high into the dark and starry sky. Both of them had seen startling alien worlds before but this was something almost unparalleled in beauty, the view matched by the calming splash of water at the edges of the city lapping gently at the metal structure. It was all just appearances though, there was nothing calm or peaceful here and the silence was one of apprehension and dread, not content enjoyment of the scenery. The towers around them were crammed with soldiers and defence installations including rail guns and heavy machine guns brought by the American Marines and supplemented with a few Earth force laser defence turrets lifted bodily from Uller class air defence tanks and shipped in crates through the gate. There was also a large stockpile of surface to air missiles from both groups and the planned ace in the hole waiting in the jumper room, six Valkyrie gunships. The VTOL's were designed for ground attack but were the only aircraft which could be taken apart enough to fit through the gate, hopefully the relieve fleet would arrive soon and give them all the Thunderbolts they could wish for.

"There are some freaky aliens out there." Kalikov sighed, adjusting the rifle on his shoulder. Usually the Marines carried standard PPG rifles for ship board combat, but because they were being deployed planetside they had been given improved weapons and grenades. While Kalikov had an enhanced PPG rifle Murdoch was carrying a fearsome BilPro shotgun, a weapon designed to spew tiny metal fletchettes at concentrations of enemy troops with incredible force. In the caverns of Sinazar during the Minbari war they had come as quite a shock to the warrior caste.

"Gonna be some freaky aliens here too." Murdoch noted. "Apparently they want this place in one piece."

"Well it's a hell of a view."

"And they'll kill all of us to capture this city."

"Yeah." Kalikov nodded. "They must really appreciate the view."

They walked into another tower and saluted a Sergeant of the US Marine corps. It was odd meeting what were essentially their forebearers in the military, and one or two of the Earth force troops with long family histories of service had tried to see if they had relatives in the detachment, but so far none had met an ancestor. Murdoch was frankly disturbed by the idea of meeting his great, great how ever many times removed grand father and really wanted to avoid it. He knew enough about the theory of time travel to keep clear. They had been given equal status with the US Marines, which meant a US Sergeant could command Earth force troops if the situation demanded or an EA Lietenant could take over a platoon of US Marines if their officers were killed. It tended to make life easier and both troops had remarkably similar close quarters training.

"Whoah whoah there, who are you?" a sudden and irritated voice caught them as they stepped into a circular room, a man was seated in a chair in the centre and a shorter more stocky civilian marched towards them looking extremely put out. "You guys aren't supposed to be here!"

"Rodney, relax." The man in the chair said. "You soldiers looking for something?"

"Yes sir." Murdoch recognized the man as Major Shepherd. "Blue platoon of Alpha company, they are supposed to be deployed here."

"Well clearly they are not in this room!" MacKay waved his arms around. "Now if you'll excuse us…"

"Try the corridor on the left." Shepherd advised. "About two hundred metres further on."

"No need." A female voice interrupted in a clear English accent. "They can come with me."

At the door stood a tall and slender woman with incredibly pale skin and dark hair. Cold blue eyes stated from her slim features betraying no emotion whatsoever. She wore standard Earth force fatigues and body armour but was carrying a laser rifle instead of a standard PPG. The laser based weapons were incredibly expensive and the fact she was hauling one pointed to her having friends in high places.

"Captain, Privates Murdoch and Kalikov reporting for duty." They both saluted. "Colonel Grey thought you could use another shot gun."

"I'll take it." She nodded. "Welcome to Alpha company, down the corridor, two hundred metres." She repeated Shepherds directions. "Sergeant Maxwell will see to your assignments." She answered their salutes and sent them on their way.

"Captain," Rodney MacKay stepped forward. "I have a request."

"Rodney, I wouldn't." Shepherd advised.

"This is at least occasionally a scientific laboratory. Now I realise we're about to be invaded by life sucking aliens but even so, perhaps you could tell your soldiers not to just walk into rooms when I am conducting experiments, especially experiments designed to you know, save all our butts?"

The Captain gave him an incredibly icy look. "If that is your request I will take it under advisement."

"Which is military speak for 'shut up and go away' isn't it?"

"Got it in one." She smiled.

"Captain Thorne isn't it?" Shepherd looked up from the chair.

"That's right major, Alpha company of the 509th."

"I noticed you had two badges on your arm, can you explain to Rodney what they mean?"

She stood a little side ways so the doctor could see her right arm. "The first is the company emblem, it's the skull of a Minbari warrior. There are two designs, one is a plain skull, the other has a knife through it. If you have a knife it means you have killed a Minbari."

MacKay noticed she had a veritable bushel of daggers on her badge. "Wait, you killed Minbari? I thought the war ended ten years ago?"

"Twenty actually."

"So you'd have been a child at the time!"

"Who said anything about me killing Minbari in the war?" she offered. "The second badge is the Greek symbol denoting I am a telepath serving in Earth force."

"I've heard some of the officers talking about telepaths." Shepherd spoke. "What exactly can you do?"

"I can read minds and nothing short of a top level telepath can stop me." She spoke fixing her eyes on Rodney. "I can block other scans of myself and sense the presence of other sentient beings for hundreds of metres around, further if they are telepaths themselves."

"Like the Wraith." Rodney recognized. "But the Wraith have the ability to possess Telepaths, you won't go mental and kill us all will you?"

She looked at him as one looks at an errant child. "No, I won't." she said calmly. "I am a combat Telepath, trained originally as a Blue Beret which was a unit of telepaths out side of Psi corps grip, run by Earth intelligence. If anyone tries to force themselves into my mind I will turn their brain to jelly."

"You can do that?" Shepherd asked. "Cool."

"I have the ability to go in and make a mind see anything I decide." She looked down on Rodney. "I can make your brain think you are drowning in fresh air or convince you to strip off and sunbathe in Antarctica. I can fill your mind with infinite bliss or make you believe you are in unending agony. I can empty your mind and leave you a vegetable or overload your processes and create an aneurysm which results in instant death." She stepped closer, causing Rodney to step back. "Or if I was really angry I could make your life a living nightmare from which you will never escape, surrounded by horrors you never dreamed possible. If a Wraith goes into my mind he will find nothing but cold, dark terror."

With that she nodded the Shepherd and went on her way, leaving MacKay visibly paler.

"She is kind of cute, in a psychotic sort of way." Shepherd said.

"Oh good heavens, two more seconds and I'd have needed new pants." MacKay walked shakily back to the chair. "Can she do all that?"

"Oh yeah." Shepherd nodded. "That's what her Colonel said, she was black ops for the last ten years and only she knows haw many humans and aliens are dead because of it. When the Psi corps disbanded and all telepaths gained the ability to join the forces she signed up in the army and got herself assigned here, leading the most brutal company in the Alliances most brutal regiment."

"What a peach." Rodney stammered.

"Well personally I'm glad she's here." The Major said. "If she scares us imagine what she'll do to the Wraith."

Suddenly the ambient light dropped as the cities lighting grid went down. The radio crackled and Weir warned of attack from the command tower.

"Well here we go." Shepherd leaned back in the chair and brought the defences online. "Drones ready."

"I have them coming in, over a hundred." MacKay warned. "Radiation must have screened them until the last minute, this is going to suck."

When the lights went off Murdoch and Kalikov bolted down the rest of the corridor coming out on a balcony with a prize view of the battle. They were away from the central structures about half way out on one of the spokes looking up into the sky. Two US marines with 50cal machine guns occupied the space with them but the heavier weapons were all reserved for the centre towers. In the distance they could see one of the air defence laser batteries turning towards the expected attack.

"We have incoming." A US Marine warned. "Keep down and watch out for boarding parties."

"No problem, we'll watch your back." Murdoch said unslinging the shotgun.

"And remember, if you see a Wraith do not let it touch you." The Marine added. "Just shoot it until it falls, then shoot it again to make sure."

"Amen to that." Kalikov agreed.

"Are they on their way?" Captain Thorne arrived and searched the sky, focusing on one area. "There, that's their approach."

"I don't see anything." The gunner squinted.

"Trust me, that's their heading." She primed he rifle with a long whine of building energy. "Don't be frugal with your fire, set for full auto. Private Murdoch, warn us before you shoot that thing."

"Yes Ma'am." He nodded.

From the towers the laser batteries fired first, in the far distance the red beams ended in tiny flashes of light in the black sky. Tiny bright specks began to grow and resolve into Wraith dart craft and the sweeping lasers were joined by blue pulses from the rail guns as they hurled projectiles into the faces of the darts.

"Good luck people." Thorne said into her radio. "Watch for friendlies and kill anything that's green. Fire when ready."

The city began showering the Wraith squadrons with assorted weapons fire as they passed by, swooping over and around the towers nimbly weaving past the firestorm. From a distance it looked like a garden sprinkler throwing out innumerable drops of water, each droplet a deadly projectile from the defences. Wraith ships flared and exploded, some turned outright into showers of debris others were winged and spun crazily into the waters around the island fortress. The Wraith craft swarmed by in great numbers, for every one destroyed another was eager to follow on and the weight of the attack did not lessen.

For Murdoch this was something new, he had witnessed airstrikes before delivered from Earth force warplanes but they usually came in from high altitude with guided bombs and missiles, most of the time he never even saw the aircraft dropping the bombs. He watched in utter fascination as the darts whizzed by at literally roof top level flying between the towers. He wasn't on a high spire but some ships flew so low he was actually looking down on them. The only time EA fighters had conducted those sort of strikes was against Minbari targets were flying above tree top level was invariably suicidal. Murdoch had missed that war, but had been enlisted in time to join the attack on Janos VII with General Franklin and then take the Warlock ship yards. But this spectacle eclipsed all of that.

Beside him the gunners were spraying a continuous stream of fire into the sky, red tracers and incendiary rounds slashing between towers and joining the other batteries in a deafening chatter. Spent cartridges clattered to the floor beside him and the sight mesmerized him for a moment, Earth force had some heavy calibre machine guns still in service, they generally had a range and sheer stopping power in excess of the PPG support weapons which were more common. However EA slug throwers used caseless ammunition, so the gathering piles of clinking brass tubes gently smoking at his feet was like being in an old movie and slightly surreal to him.

His attention was quickly regained by two darts which were bearing straight for them.

"Gunners, concentrate on the right side craft!" Thorne ordered, the 50cals swinging to track the dart. "Kalikov, wasp!"

The Wasp was the EA version of the shoulder launched anti aircraft missile. Outwardly similar to a stinger it had greater speed and a more deadly warhead designed for breaking Minbari armour, against the Wraith it was a certain kill if it hit. He dropped to one knee and lined up the target, waiting until the computer gave confirmation and locked on.

"Clear behind!" he warned, then fired. A jet of fire erupted from the back as it was literally pushed out of the tube by its engines, racing away with such speed the missile exhaust didn't even scorch the fabric on Kalikov's helmet. It took the dart head on and utterly destroyed it, smoking wreckage clanking and thudding on the spire around them. The gunners tore a hole in the second dart, it spun out of control gushing fire from its shredded side and clipped a tower, leaving a black tear in the silver structure before finally hitting the ocean.

Laser beams swept left and right tracing across the Wraith darts destroying a handful with each volley, the flaming wrecks adding to the glow which bathed the city. Joining the torrent of weapons fire was the occasional smoke trail of a missile launch and even bursts of PPG fire from the Earth force troops who took any opportunity to hit a low flying target. Despite this there were still more darts coming in that could be adequately tracked, and as they located areas of defensive value they swept in with their teleporters to deposit warriors or take away the gunners who missed their targets. But for each gun which fell silent there were more gunners to man the place of their missing comrades, dashing forward into arms way and taking up the mission filling the sky with a defensive net.

The drones from the cities own defences joined the fight, Major Shepherd spending them carefully and ensuring each one took down a marauding fighter. They were few in number but each one claimed a kill before they were expended. The Wraith were holding off on using their guns not willing to damage the city, this gave the defenders a much better chance than if each emplacement was destroyed. The Wraith could take gunners but left the weapons for other troops to man. However they did have another way of destroying the emplacements, with their ground troops.

"They're here." Captain Thorne closed her eyes. "Heading this way in fact, Sergeant Maxwell?" she spoke on her combat radio. "Get blue platoon to intersection J right away. Kalikov, stay here and watch the gunners. Murdoch bring that shot gun with me."

Thorne and Murdoch began to run, the high pitched buzzing whine of the Wraith darts still very audible even inside the city, the dull thud and clatter of weapons fire also sounding more muted. The ground shook a little as there was a nearby explosion, probably something crashing into the city nearby. They turned the corner and found Sergeant Maxwell with a group of green clad Earth force troops.

"Alright Sergeant, set up both sides of this corridor." Thorne ordered. "Set up a kill zone in the intersection and prop up some claymores at the far wall."

The soldiers moved quickly, it was an intersection of three corridors with Thorne's people occupying one, the second rigged with claymores and the third open for the Wraith to come down. The Marines took up position finding cover behind supports and pillars leaning out with their rifles in preparation. Murdoch was quite near the front with orders to use his weapon to maximum effect, which meant waiting until a small group of wraith cluttered together.

They heard them before they saw them, a steady thumping of feet as the Wraith strode towards the defence installation with all the haste of a Sunday stroll. Either they had no concept of mobile warfare or they simply didn't care, dismissing the defenders as no obstacle or threat. That greatly angered Murdoch, he didn't like being written off as a threat and would make the Wraith regret it. The footsteps grew louder indicating the Wraith making them were pretty big, the briefing had said they were both tall and very strong and it would be fatal to engage them in hand to hand, even for a unit as tough as the 509th.

Then he saw them, ten Wraith pounding down the corridor lead by a tall and confident looking officer. Behind him the remaining Wraith wore bizarre masks over their features like a chitinous web and carried bulbous looking weapons. They advanced without a word to the intersection, if they saw the Marines they made no effort to counter them.

""Take 'em down!" Thorne suddenly ordered, and with that command the Marines engaged.

The corridor went from dark to flickering red in a heartbeat as bolts of energy were blasted towards the Wraith with a rippling hiss. The officer Wraith darted out of the way down the side corridor exactly as Thorne predicted followed by two slower moving guards. The front three Wraith were deluged in plasma fire, struck again and again by the burning energy and taking an obscenely long time to die. After absorbing a dozen rounds or more each they collapsed to their knees and thumped down on the floor.

"Fire in the hole!" Sergeant Maxwell warned and hit the detonator for the claymores. The second corridor exploded in grey smoke and white flashes, tiny projectiles bouncing like hail from the metal walls and shredding any Wraith in their path. The scene was nightmarish with smoke, echos of the explosion and the smell of burning thick in the air. Murdoch relied on his helmet sensors to cut through the smoke and keep the Wraith visible to him, by now just two were left clustered in a corner forced back by the blast. This was his moment and without hesitation he raised the shotgun and fired. The weapon used a liquid propellant rather than solid cordite or gunpowder and was far more powerful and efficient, it launched its fletchettes at the two Wraith with tremendous power and pierced them without any resistance, throwing them back and slamming them into the wall. They slowly slid down to join their comrades on the floor.

"Move forward and secure the area." Thorne ordered. "Be careful, don't get too close."

The Marines darted forward keeping their weapons on the fallen Wraith, the claymores had done a good job on most of them along with Murdoch's shotgun, they were very clearly dead and not a pretty sight. They nudged the Wraith who had been killed by conventional fire until satisfied they two were dead.

"Captain!" a private called. "Live one!"

Thorne quickly moved towards the man, as did Murdoch. "Give me some space." She ordered. "keep your distance."

She found the Wraith commander wearing a fuller uniform and no mask laying on the floor, his chest badly wounded. He had escaped the worst of the Claymore blast by hiding behind one of his slower witted guards but the impact had still hit him, cutting through the leading soldier and reaching him anyway. Dark blood bubbled through needle like teeth as he watched the black haired human stand over him.

"Do you have a name?" Thorne asked.

The Wraith hissed and smiled with its fangs, moving its head back and forth like a predatory bird.

"How many of you are attacking this city?" she continued. "How many fighters, how many troops, how many leaders?"

It gave a hacking laugh. "I do not answer to prey."

"And I hate talking to losers, but here we are." Thorne nodded. "How many?"

"I will not tell you." It snarled.

"Then we do this the hard way." Thorne shrugged and began to look into the creatures mind.

The Wraith laughed. "Another human who thinks it can look into my mind?"

"You know it's quite empty here." Thorne said. "I shouldn't be surprised after watching your tactics."

The Wraith hissed. "You wish to look into my mind? So be it!"

Thorne winced a little as the Wraith tried to push through her defences, she set up blocks and steadied herself, keeping the access points into her mind firmly sealed. The officer was trained to resist the most extreme interrogations including assaults that would leave others as vegetables. In a war of the minds Thorne was an accomplished master of battle.

"Now that was just bad manners." She grimaced and began her own attack, probing the edges of the Wraith's consciousness. It hissed and snapped but hadn't experienced such a mental attack before, there was very little it could do as Thorne pushed through its barriers and linked into the hive consciousness.

"Now this is something new." She said. "I can see inside the Wraith ships, there are plenty more fighters and troops up there, this isn't good."

"Shall I make a report to command Ma'am?" Sergeant Maxwell asked.

"Yes, tell the Colonel there are at least three more waves to deal with based on numbers alone, maybe much more. Enemy troops are in the thousands, and they are very determined to take this place."

"Got it Captain."

She blinked and broke the connection, the Wraith before her exhausted with the effort of trying to resist her. "It will not help, it will not save you!"

"I have no need for you anymore, Sergeant."

Thorne stepped aside and headed back towards the defence station, behind her Maxwell put a burst of fire into the Wraith's head.

"Murdoch, come with me. Everyone else return to your posts and stay ready for another attack."

The chattering of gunfire grew gradually less and the whines of the Wraith darts faded away, a sort of silence descended on the city as the surviving attacker withdrew to try again later. There was still a hint of red light from glowing fires marking the impact points of crashed Wraith darts, damage control teams were now on their way to contain the blaze while the troops took time to catch their breath.

"Did I miss anything?" Kalikov asked as Murdoch returned.

"Nah, just some shooting." His friend replied. "And the Captain freaking out the rest of the platoon with the teep thing."

"Nice little trick she has there." Kalikov agreed. "Bit scary though, wonder if she ever reads our minds?"

"It's against the law."

Kalikov scoffed. "Like anyone is going to be able to bring her in! if she didn't fry their brains she'd just shoot them from a mile away!"

"Yeah well, glad she's on our side."

"No kidding." Kalikov agreed. "Think they'll be back?"

"I'd put money on it." He said, seeing the first rays of dawn in the distance. "probably in greater numbers."

"Our fleet should be here soon though, right?"

"If all is going to plan, yeah." Murdoch agreed. "But I guess we'll just have to dig in and wait."

"That's our job." Kalikov remarked. "I should have joined the navy."