Chapter Six

SG-1 stood with a sense nervous anticipation in Thor's chambers, on board his new flagship the Valkastner as it glided through hyperspace on final approach to Tollana. In moments the huge new O'Neill-class battlecruiser and the two cargo ships under her protection would drop out of hyperspace and enter orbit of Tollana.

They knew Tollana would be in a mess. They'd all seen the effects of Goa'uld orbital bombardments before and it wasn't a pretty sight. The devastation that Goa'uld weapons could reek on a planets surface was terrible and Tanneth's weapons had been more powerful than what was normal for Goa'uld motherships so the damage would be even worse than normal. Though hopefully the devastation wouldn't be total as Tanneth hadn't been able to complete his slaughter having been forced to leave Tollana when the Resolution – a ship with a very strange Tau'ri style name – arrived and disarmed his mothership with no effort at all.

Like their superiors every member of SG-1 was curious about this new ship and whichever race had built it. Who were they? Where did they come from? Thor himself had confessed that the Asgard High Council was equally curious about where the Resolution had come from as they knew of no races in this part of the universe who were capable of building ships like her. Aside from themselves of course.

Well they would hopefully know the answer soon enough as the Valkastner and the two cargo ships she was protecting/escorting were dropping out of hyperspace.

An Asgard transporter beam shimmered behind the members of SG-1 and Thor appeared in the chair behind his quarter's workstation.

"We have arrived," Thor said softly. A holographic screen appeared before them showing the planet with three small silhouettes of Asgard vessels approaching Tollana. The Resolution was also visible hanging motionless over Tollana's northern continent.

"Strange design," Sam Carter commented looking at the alien ship. It was an usual design compared to the ships they normally saw. A sleek beautiful alien design that seemed to incorporate beauty, elegance and predatory fierceness. The most curious feature of the ship were the two large nacelles held away from the main body of the ship by long pylons. Judging from the blue-white glow they were giving off they were obviously engines of somekind. On the front of each nacelle was a strange device that glowed with reddish light. The rest of the ship was divided up into two distinct sections. The forward part appeared to be a large oval shaped saucer that sat on top of the rest of the hull, which was a strange shape that was hard to describe. Vaguely cylindrical but not quiet a cylinder. A circular dish at the front of the lower hull glowed with gold light.

"Indeed it is Major Carter," Thor agreed. "Attractive but strange." A glyph symbol flashed on the screen. "They are scanning us," Thor informed his guests. A side screen activated showing a member of the bridge crew. The crewman spoke briefing in Asgard and was answered in kind by Thor.

"What's going on," Jack O'Neill demanded.

"We are being hailed Colonel O'Neill," Thor answered. "We are responding in kind."

At that moment the schematic view of the system vanished to be replaced by the larger than life image of a Human face back dropped by glowing displays and other Humans and aliens moving around behind the man facing them.

"Alien vessel I am Captain Darien Parker of the Federation Starship Resolution. Please state your intentions." SG-1 traded looks of surprise. Darien Parker was an Earth name. Could this guy be from the future or from some alternate reality?

"Captain Parker I am Thor supreme commander of the Asgard fleet. Commanding the Asgard vessel Valkastner," Thor responded. "I assure you that we have no hostile intentions. Your scan should have revealed that our shields are down and that our weapons systems are not powered." Parker glanced over at another Human around the same age as him. The other man nodded back.

"Yes so I see. May I assume then that you are here to deliver relief supplies to the Tollan?"

"That is correct. We are here on a mission of mercy at the request of our allies on Earth."

"That would be us," Colonel O'Neill added coming to stand beside Thor.

"And you are?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill commander of SG-1."

"I am afraid that I am not familiar with that unit. Then again the ranking systems and units of the old Terran nation state militaries is not my thing. Even when alternate dimensions are concerned."

"You are from another dimension?" Thor asked.

"From a time three hundred and seventy-seven years in the future and in a different quantum universe to be exact." Sam Carter's eyes went wide as she heard that and she swapped looks of surprise with her teammates and Thor. This was something that they had not expected.

"Then how did you come to be in this universe at this point in time?" Thor asked transdimensional travel was extremely unusual and the Asgard had encountered few instances of it in their long history.

"That is very long story," Captain Parker admitted. "I will transfer you to my first officer shortly, she's co-ordinating the relief efforts on the planet below. On another note I would like to learn more about your people and culture. Seeking out and contacting new life forms is part of primary mandate. Perhaps you would like a tour of this vessel?"

"I would enjoy such a meeting if I had the time. Unfortunately captain events in my home galaxy require my return as soon as I have dropped off these relief supplies."

"I am sorry to hear that," Darien replied. "I will transfer you to my first officer Commander Urlet now. It was a pleasure talking to you."

"And to you captain." With that Captain Parker disappeared to be replaced by a humanoid alien unlike anything Thor or SG-1 had ever seen before. She was human for the most part but her skin was a pale blue, her hair was short chopped and white as snow and from her head protruded two small blue antennae.

"Greetings," the alien said in a cool professional voice. "I am Commander Urlet. You have relief supplies for the Tollan?"

"Yes," Thor responded. "I am not familiar with your species commander."

"I am an Andorian," she replied. "You have not heard of us because in this universe Andoria Prime our homeworld does not exist."

"Ah I see. Yes this ship and one of the two cargo ships with me carry relief supplies for the Tollan. The second cargo ship carries a new Stargate. If you will give us the coordinates for the area were you are storing the materials prior to distribution we will transport our cargoes there."

"I will transmit the coordinates now."

"Commander in addition we would like transporter coordinates to come over to your ship," Jack O'Neill said. "My superiors would like us to make formal contact with you."

"Coordinates will not be necessary we've locked onto your life signs and will beam you over as soon as the transfer of relief supplies have been completed. I am sending the transport coordinates now." A side screen appeared showing coordinates.

"Coordinates received," Thor said. "We will begin transport immediately."

"Thank you. We will insure that those supplies reach those who most need them."

"I am sure that you will."

"Resolution out." Commander Urlet disappeared from the screen. Thor turned to Colonel O'Neill and SG-1.

"The transportation of the relief supplies will be completed shortly," Thor told his closest Human friends and his only Jaffa friend. "I have enjoyed seeing you all again."

"The same here Thor," Jack responded. At that moment an alarm began sounding throughout the Valkastner. "What's that?"

"A call to battle stations," Thor replied as the holoscreen reactivated showing an image of a bridge crewman who was speaking urgently. "Our long-range sensors have picked up a group of Goa'uld motherships approaching," Thor translated.

"How many?" Teal'c asked.

"Five Shalkra-class motherships." Teal'c did something that SG-1 had never seen him do before. He winced.

"What is it Teal'c?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"Shalkra-class motherships are among the most powerful the Goa'uld have," Teal'c said looking concerned. "Only the Rashka-class motherships like Apophis' destroyed flagship are stronger."

"Five Shalkra-class motherships are a serious threat even to us," Thor added. "I do not know how the Tollan will survive another assault."

"And if these ships belong to Tanneth's mysterious new master then they are going to be even more deadly than normal," Daniel said.

"Shit. How long till they get here?"

"Four minutes," Thor replied. Thor touched a communicator button on his chair and gave a set of orders in his native language. "I have ordered our shields to be raised and all weapons systems to be armed. Our transport ships have been ordered to retreat for now. I have ordered that we take up a defensive position over the planet."

"What's the Resolution doing?" Jack asked.

"They are powering weapons also and are raising shield…."

"Thor?"

"Somekind of armour is deploying over the Resolution's hull," there was no mistaking the surprise in Thor's voice, "it's just appearing from key points along the length of the ship."

"What about the Tok'ra vessels?" Sam asked.

"They are dropping from hyperspace," Thor replied looking at the tactical hologram that had appeared. "And are cloaking themselves. Goa'uld ETA now three minutes twenty seconds."

SG-1 turned their attention to the hologram. Of all of them only Daniel could read Asgard but they didn't need to be able to understand the symbols being displayed to see what was going on. The hologram was showing a simulation of five miniature red motherships travelling in hyperspace getting closer and closer to Tollana. They knew one thing.

This was not good.