Chapter Ten: Cylons, Scarrans and Budongs, oh my!!
Author's Notes: Once again and I can't say it enough. I would like to thank SabaceanBabe and Karen for their efforts as my Beta Readers. I couldn't have gotten this far without them.
Commandant Grayza stood utterly transfixed at the fearsome sight of the two golden Cylon Centurions standing inside the Council Chambers, facing off against Emperor Staleek's honour guards.
Grayza had read the reports and descriptions of these machines, but never before had she actually seen one. They looked very formidable indeed and she remembered the looks on the Scarran guards' faces when the Cylons first stormed through the doors to the council chambers. There had been a brief glimpse of shock, but most of all fear. Unbelievable, to think that Scarrans could be afraid of anything!
Everyone, including the four Scarran guards, waited for the Cylons to try something, but they stood there like statues with their weapons drawn. The only detectable movement was their glowing 'eye' or whatever it was travelling back and forth in their eye slit.
Next to her, Captain Braca breathed nervously, as if he was waiting for death to come and claim them. "What are they waiting for?"
As they watched, the Cylons drew their rifles up into a salute while one droned out. "Attention! Attention! Hail the mighty Dominar of action, Rygel the XVI! Leader of the powerful Hynerian Empire and 600 billion loyal subjects."
"What is this?!!" a furious Emperor Staleek rumbled, overcoming his initial shock at the sight of two Cylons within his own Council chamber. Seething with rage, the command for his guards to open fire started to form on his lips even as several figures filed into the room behind the Cylons.
Nearly all of them were Sebacean in appearance, wearing a mixture of different clothing. Three of them, two males and a female, were dressed in brown and tan uniforms, while another group, three males and a Nebari female, were wearing green and black. An older Sebacean male was clothed in a blue uniform with silver trim. Standing next to him, like a personal bodyguard, was a tall Luxan warrior. Two more were dressed in black leather, a blonde female who hung back and a male who was in front of the group holding the ear of a Hynerian on a throne sled.
"Can we do this without the Hollywood intro?" Crichton asked, giving Rygel's ear a tiny twist.
The little Hynerian let out a little pained grunt that made the two Cylons turn their heads, doing a complete 180 to check on their leader. Crichton had almost forgotten about 'Sparky' and 'Fluffy' being a little overprotective of their 'leader' and wisely released Rygel, holding his hands up.
"Just playing with your boss, big guys," the Human declared under the intense stare of the Cylons' swirling red sensor eyes.
Rygel chuckled, enjoying having the muscle of the two machines backing him up, before saying to his two honour guards, "It's quite all right; we'll make Crichton sweat it out later! Attention, front and centre!"
The Cylons obeyed, turning their heads forward again.
This is beyond insanity! Staleek thought, realizing that the Hynerian was indeed controlling the Cylons. And how had they penetrated his base defences and interior security without sounding any alarms?
"You?" Staleek said angrily. "You are responsible for this invasion? You?!"
Heat now was fully radiating from the enraged Emperor's body, as a gush of super heated air escaped from his mouth when he roared, "I don't care if you have two or two hundred Cylons guards, I will rip you apart, Hynerian!!"
Rygel maneuvered his throne sled between Sparky and Fluffy, unafraid of the furious Emperor.
"Now, now," a smiling Rygel warned. "I would seriously reconsider doing anything rash and count back to ten like the Humans do and listen to what we have to say."
"I don't listen to those who wage war upon us!" Staleek thundered.
"As much as I would like to take the credit, the Hynerian Empire is not the invader," Rygel said, gesturing to the two Cylons with him. "They are merely captured machines reprogrammed to obey me."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"He's telling the truth."
Everyone in the room, except for the two Cylons and four Scarran guards who were locked in the ultimate stare down, turned to Sikozu as she said, "I have being studying these Cylons long enough to know they are not Hynerian built. His people don't have the technology to construct such machines, let alone produce them in the massive numbers we are seeing."
Staleek regarded her for a moment before looking at Rygel once more. "I don't know how you got in here, but none of you will be leaving."
From out in the corridor, a dozen Scarran guards appeared, weapons ready. Sheba, Daniel and Chiana were guarding the rear with Carter front and centre. After the two Cylons, the blond Tok'ra was the next strongest member with her Ribbon device. She had it concealed under the leather gloves and a long black coat she was wearing. It also helped to keep her Tok'ra identity and the Goa'uld weapon hidden, out of sight of the Peacekeepers.
Staleek slowly commanded, "Surrender and I may let you live."
O'Neill glanced back, making sure that Carter and the rest of her group had their backs covered before turning his attention to the Scarran Emperor. "Ah, no!"
Staleek almost huffed. Not used to anything but immediate obedience, he said, "I can kill you all where you stand!"
"Not a good idea," Crichton answered.
"Those two Cylons can't protect you all from my men," Staleek hissed.
"True." Crichton took a step forward around the two Cylons, before pulling his long coat back to reveal a device fastened tightly to his belt. "But I also have this."
War Minister Ahkna stared at it. "What's that?" But the Goa'uld inside her already had an idea what it was.
Crichton performed a little show and told his captivated audience, "An enhanced naquadah bomb or what I like to call our get out jail free card."
Grayza's eyes widened as she stared at the tiny cylinder device with a pulsating blue light. "Goa'uld explosive!"
Several of the Scarran guards moved forward, aiming their weapons at Crichton. In turn, Crichton's companions readied their weapons.
"Stop!" Staleek commanded. "Weapons down!"
"Well," Crichton said as he watched the Scarrans lower their guns before turning his attention back to Staleek. "I guess you are the Emperor."
Staleek growled quietly. "I warn you, you have selected a dangerous time in which to test my patience."
Crichton smiled, almost fatalistically, pointing to the two Cylons behind him. "Are you hearing the enemy at the gates? Have you taken to sleeping with one eye opened, never knowing when they might reach you? Wondering who close to you might be the next to die, probably someone you love? Well, don't feel alone in that, Mr. Emperor, some of us know what that feels like."
Crichton walked past the guards and closer to the council table. "Oh! Now, before I forget, let me say to anybody who decides to get clever, I have multiple dead man sensors from every culture on my ship and a few cultures I haven't heard of."
"My heart stops... we all go boom. My heart speeds up its boom again. Too hot, too cold, too happy, too sad, thirsty, hungry, bored... this little gizmo will become Bush's poster child for weapons of mass destruction. Boom, boom, boom." He looks at War Minister Ahkna. "And you try your little psychic trick... Ka-boom. And every molecule in our bodies will be taking separate summer vacations."
"Who are you other than a madman?" Vakali exclaimed.
"That's John Crichton," Grayza announced. "A known criminal who is wanted…"
"I know who he is!" Staleek boomed, still glaring at the Human. "Why are you here?"
"Believe it or not," Crichton had to stifle a laugh at the irony of what he was going to say next. "We're here to help you."
"Help us?" Staleek stared suspiciously at the Human when the one in the blue and silver trimmed uniform and white hair stepped forward.
"Emperor, I am Commander Adama and we know full well what you are facing. We have battled these Cylons in a 1000 yahren war and we can teach you how to combat them."
"Can you?" Staleek asked, studying the grey haired man. This one, he observed, held himself rather confidently, but did not display the ignorance Grayza showed and his eyes showed knowledge and even some wisdom. Staleek decided to take a gamble and hear this one out. He sat back down on his chair at the head of the council table.
"Tell me about them," he invited.
"Much of the history of the Cylons remains a mystery," Adama started. "What we managed to discover is that they once were a reptilian race long ago, who went by the name Cylons. They were a highly advanced, warlike society who constructed these sophisticated robots." Adama gestured to Sparky and Fluffy, as he continued. "They used them for labour, entertainment, and to wage wars against their enemies. During that time, something happened and the machines suddenly turned on their creators, wiping them out. Now, we are facing the machines left behind who are fulfilling their final programming left by their dead masters… To purify the universe of imperfection."
***
"What did Crichton call it, if that bomb he's carrying should go off?"
Crais looked over to Athena, as he responded to her question. "I believe he used the words, 'Earth shattering Ka-Boom'."
"He has a warped sense of humour," Athena muttered. "Don't get me wrong, he's a good man, but he actually scares me occasionally. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in his head."
"Trust me, it's better you do not know." At that moment, through the transponders, both Crais and Athena sensed Katratzi sensors going fully active.
"Their sensor beams are sweeping the space about them, grid by grid," Crais observed.
"Their sensors are powerful, but at this range they can't penetrate the camouflage screens we installed on Talyn," Athena checked her console station. They were still holding position from the Scarran fortress at one million metras away.
"No explosions, so it's safe to assume they reached the Emperor," Crais breathed in relief before looking to Athena. "You have been on your feet for the last twenty-five arns, try to get some rest."
"How can you expect me to rest while they're over there? Hoping and praying for no… Earth shattering Ka-Boom."
Crais moved towards Athena, trying to calm her worries. "I have faith in your father to be the diplomat that he is in handling the Scarrans. They also need our help against the Cylons."
"But do you expect them to honour any agreement we might make?"
"At least until it no longer suits their needs," Crais admitted. "That's where Crichton and his bomb come in and the Scarrans fear death just as much as we do."
Athena nodded, grateful for the certainty in Crais' voice that everything would be okay for the moment. She moved closer to Crais, reaching out and slipping her hand into his.
"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your honestly to me?" Athena whispered.
"Not recently," Crais said, softly squeezing her hand, feeling the warmth of her flesh against his. "I would never do anything to risk the trust and friendship we have."
A mystified Cassiopeia walked into the command chamber, barely noticing the two standing there.
Seeing the Colonial doctor and disappointed by the interruption, Crais released Athena's hand and turned to Cassiopeia, addressing her politely. "Doctor, is there something you need?"
Cassiopeia stopped just a few feet from them, still looking completely bewildered as she spoke. "I was doing some tests, trying to figure out how Chiana became pregnant."
"Chiana is pregnant!" A surprised Athena said aloud. "Is Daniel the father?"
"Yes," Cassiopeia admitted. "But it shouldn't have been possible. Humans and Nebari are too incomparable as a species to produce a baby without some type of medical intervention to help it along. I screened the blood samples from Chiana and Daniel, looking for the answer and what I found was too unbelievable."
"What did you find?" Athena asked, her own curiosity getting the best of her.
"The answer was in Daniel's blood," Cassiopeia whispered in disbelief. "Nebari… He has Nebari DNA!"
Crais' mouth dropped open. He gasped, "Daniel Jackson is Nebari?!!"
"No," Cassiopeia shook her head, trying to explain. "It appears that Daniel had an ancestor that was Nebari, perhaps tens of thousands of yahrens ago. The Nebari DNA became diluted over the generations to the point that it barely registers on my equipment, but he has just enough to produce a healthy baby with Chiana and to keep her body from rejecting it."
"How is that possible?" a still stunned Crais asked. "How could the Nebari have been on Earth?"
"Very possible," Athena commented. "The Tau'ri would have had to travel through this region of space 50,000 yahrens ago in order to reach Earth and they might have encountered the Nebari and who knows what else."
"Yes," Cassiopeia agreed, adding, "And it would be a long journey in those ships they had in that era. They would have stopped at any M class world they found to search for food and supplies. Along the way, they might have happened across a couple of worlds filled with friendly inhabitants and brought them along for the ride. They would also have the medical technology at the time to permit two alien species to interbreed and to have children."
Crais frowned. "Why would they do that? Why bring aliens with them to Earth?"
Cassiopeia laughed at the question, looking at Crais and Athena. "Are you saying it's impossible for two different alien species to feel something for one another?"
"Uh," Crais glanced over to Athena realizing the truth to his question. "I suppose anything is possible."
"Alright, if Daniel has Nebari DNA passed down through his family tree, just how far spread is it on Earth as a whole?" Athena wondered.
Cassiopeia smiled. "More than you know."
"You found more traces of alien DNA in the others?" Crais said.
"Yes! After finding Nebari DNA in Daniel and excluding Teal'c, I checked the rest of the blood samples from SG-1 and Crichton," Cassiopeia explained excitedly. "With the exception of the remnants of Jolinar in Carter, both she and Crichton are clean. However, O'Neill has… I still can't believe it…he has traces of Luxan DNA."
Athena felt the need to sit down. "The Tau'ri encountered the Nebari and the Luxans?"
Crais stood quietly for a long moment, pondering what he had just been told. He had to smile. "Colonel O'Neill with a touch of Luxan flowing through his veins… Somehow, everything is making a little more sense."
***
The next day on the Pegasus, Commander Cain entered the bridge, approaching Colonel Dex up on the command platform.
"What do you have Colonel?" he asked.
"Something just at extreme range on passive sensors," Dex said, his attention on the main console displays. "We don't have a clear idea what we're looking at, but it's passing behind us."
Cain stopped next to Dex and checked the screen for himself. The Battlestar commander had to stifle a whistle at the giant green blob image. "To pick anything up on passive sensors at this range, it has to be gigantic. But I assume you didn't call me to the bridge just to look at an asteroid?"
"No, commander," Dex said. "Sensors are registering that the target is organic."
"Organic? Could this thing be one of those Leviathan creatures?" Cain questioned.
"Perhaps. Did Aeryn say how big those things could get? This sensor signature is the size of a moon."
Cain stared at the monitor briefly, studying the image in the centre of the screen. "This might be worth a quick look. Quietly drop behind and set a course to the contact and summon Lt. Sun to the bridge."
"Yes, commander."
Five centons later, the Pegasus closed on the object, finally achieving visual contact with it.
"Now that's big!" Cain observed in wonderment, realizing he was actually looking at a space going lifeform. Even the rest of the bridge crew manning their stations couldn't help but steal a look at the monstrosity filling the bridge view port with awe and wonder. "Are you reading anything else?"
"Not with passive sensors," Dex said. "We can't penetrate it's thick exterior, err, skin."
The Pegasus was close enough for Cain and his crew to start making out detail on the creature. It was huge, nearly one hundred & fifty Earth miles in length and it was shaped much like a whale. The most noticeable feature was the series of projections that extended all over its exterior, like spikes. They were the longest and most numerous along its back and behind what might be its head. Some of them miles in length, but there was a sense of symmetry to them, of deadly beauty and purpose.
"We can do a direct tight scan of the creature," Dex suggested. "We're far enough from the Cylons to risk it."
"Do it," Cain ordered, wishing to get a good look at this amazing lifeform before having to return to following the Cylon armada. "Full power to all sensors and gather as much data as you can."
From behind, Aeryn and her two security escorts entered the bridge. Cain glanced over his shoulder in time to see her approach. "Lt. Sun, we need your expertise." He then gestured to the forward view port. "Could you please give us a name to that?"
Aeryn walked up to him and stared at the creature. Cain watched as the colour drained from her face as she gasped out, "That's a Budong!"
"A what?" Dex said.
Aeryn spun to face Cain almost as if she was giving him a desperate order. "Turn the ship around!"
"Why?" Cain stared at her confused. "What is a Budong?"
"It's a frelling shipping hazard!" Aeryn shook her head at the Human need to ask endless questions. "Trust me on this! Get your ship out of here!!"
"First of the initial scans are completed," a nearby bridge tech reported in amazement. "We're getting something back… The thing has a heartbeat!"
"You're scanning it?!!" Aeryn cried. "Turn it off! Shut everything off! You'll draw it right to us!!"
"Draw it?" Dex said.
"Shut them off!"
Aeryn knew every microt was important and she was familiar enough with Colonial technology to operate most of their equipment. She shoved past Cain, stepping towards the bridge tech console to deactivate the sensors.
"Just a micron!" Dex stepped between Aeryn and the console, grabbing her by the arms stopping her. "What are you doing…?"
With time running out, Aeryn had to act fast to save the ship. She jerked her arms loose and delivered a strong pantak jab to his jaw and the colonel went down like a toppled tree.
Shocked, Cain stepped up behind her and grabbed hold of her arms, restraining her, to keep her away from the console.
"That'll be quite enough, Aeryn!" Cain said, restraining her. "Security!!"
The two security guards responded and moved forward with weapons drawn as Aeryn shouted, "You don't understand! It's drawn to a ship's energy output like your sensors!"
"COMMNADER!" an alarmed voice cried out from the forward section of the bridge.
All eyes turned toward the viewscreen and everyone stopped as if time suddenly froze. In the Pegasus view port, the Budong had suddenly and aggressively turned and was heading straight for them. Its three giant green eyes were open and aglow with hunger. The speed with which it was closing on them was unbelievable for something so massive.
A Budong had the universal intelligence slightly greater than a live turkey before Thanksgiving but still, it was a predator hungry, hungry for electromagnetic candy. When the Pegasus turned on her sensor beams, it was like blood in the water for a shark on Earth. There was almost nothing a Budong couldn't eat, but it loved feasting on ships for their metal alloys.
As it opened its ten-mile wide mouth, it was as though the crew of Pegasus was staring down a black and cruel abyss to their final resting place.
The Pegasus, a mighty battlestar that could reduce entire worlds to rubble, was a mere sweet and tasty Gumdrop to the starving Budong.
TBC…