Adama unexpectedly found himself standing inside the landing bay of the Galactica, but everything felt wrong. The landing bay was always teeming with deck personnel, except now it was completely vacant.
He suddenly remembered the Scarran base and coming under attack in the council chambers and… and he had been shot! He clearly recalled taking a hit from a pulse rifle and then nothing.
He looked around again, trying to make sense of what had happened. He shouldn't be here, so either he was dreaming or he was dead.
"Commander Adama?"
The Battlestar Commander turned and came face to face with an enchantingly beautiful alien female with a rich blue skin, and dressed in a long white robe. Smiling, she greeted him with a slight bow. Adama looked on in wonderment.
"I am," he finally answered. "And who are you?"
"My name is Zhaan." She lifted her head and met his gaze once again. "What was the last thing you remember?" Her tone was somber.
"I was shot," Adama said before facing the hard and obvious truth. "I died. Am I correct?"
"No, you are not dead, not yet, but time is running out for you."
"Then you are here to save me?"
"Yes, but unfortunately not in the way you are thinking. I cannot heal your wounds, but I can save you from death."
------
Fluffy was fulfilling his orders from Dominar Rygel, keeping a constant vigil over the Colonial shuttle. Anyone who wanted to approach the shuttle would have to challenge the Cylon first.
After several uneventful hours, the Cylon suddenly detected movement, lots of movement. Several targets were entering the landing bay, staying close to the equipment and crates situated around the bay, approaching his position from multiple directions.
His processing centre computed that the targets consisted of Charrids and Kalish. They were all heavily armed. Fluffy immediately classified them as a possible threat and began to follow his engagement protocols.
Engagement Protocol #1: Give a warning…
"Warning! Warning! Cease your approach or lethal force will be utilized!" the Cylon droned out.
The hostiles refused to heed his warning. Two Charrids popped out from behind a large metal crate, each wielding bazooka launchers. Fluffy immediately followed his next engagement protocol.
Engagement Protocol #2: Neutralize hostile threats…
Snapping his rifle up into firing position, Fluffy took aim and began 'neutralizing' them. Two Charrids went down before they could squeeze off a shot, but Fluffy was now surrounded as more Charrids and Kalish moved in and began to open fire.
Like a tank, the Cylon stood his ground and returned fire. Heavy pulse fire raked across his reflective armor, scarring it, but inflicting little damage. Then more bazooka teams moved up and unleashed a volley of explosive warheads.
Fluffy took three explosive projectiles to the chest and went down in a smoking heap.
To be certain he was no longer a threat, the Charrids and Kalish fired several more bazooka shots until the Cylon was dispersed across the hanger floor as molten scrap.
------
Vakali was leading a squad to the council chamber when he saw the bodies of several dead and injured Charrids and Kalish at the chamber doors.
"Weapons ready," he ordered the Charrids and Kalish following him. "Move in!"
As one, they charged in to find only one person still standing in the council chamber.
"Hold your fire!" Vakali ordered before stepping towards Crichton who was kneeling over the unconscious form of Samantha Carter. His eyes darted to the body of Ahkna and back to Crichton, who was wearing a Ribbon device, before noticing that Carter was wearing one too.
"Is she still alive?" he asked as he approached them.
Goa'uld Crichton, staring at the blond woman before him, said softly, "She is."
Goa'uld Vakali looked around the chamber at all of the dead and wounded surrounding them. "And the others?"
"The Emperor escaped, Grayza and her underling are over there on the far side of the table, both wounded. Adama is also wounded, but I don't think he'll survive his wounds." Crichton informed Vakali coldly before asking, "Are we in control of the fortress moon?"
"It went better than we had hoped," Vakali nodded. "We achieved full surprise against the Scarrans. We have complete control over security and communications. The Scarrans still may not fully understand what is happening."
Nodding his approval, Crichton stood. "That may change very quickly. Have you done anything with 'my' companions?"
"No, not yet," Vakali replied.
"I don't want them harmed, they're more valuable alive."
"The one named Starbuck is not with the group. He's with my assistant, Sikozu, in the Cylon research level. I sent a squad to retrieve them." Vakali then pointed to Adama who lay just feet from them. "What about him?"
"Save the remaining symbionts for Grayza and the Emperor, if we capture him." Crichton stared coldly at the Colonial, lying in an undignified heap on the chamber floor. "Let the old one die. We only need his son."
------
"Does it actually work?"
"Of course."
"And it can see everything?"
"And hear."
Starbuck smiled and leaned closer. With Sikozu looking over his shoulder, he snapped his fingers in the face of the Cylon head on the examination table. The mechanical head was plugged into an array of analysing equipment.
Starbuck grinned as she waved his hand in the machine face. "What is it thinking?"
"Well, we're still decoding their computing language," Sikozu said as she walked over to a display monitor. " What I can tell you for certain is that our Cylon friend is thinking of… Not too surprisingly, he wants to kill us both… Starting with you."
"Interesting, and I'm glad that Cylons don't have teeth," Starbuck laughed before looking at Sikozu seriously. "Tell me, are you not afraid of working around all these machines? They aren't exactly toys."
"I'm careful," Sikozu said before reaching up to undo her hair, letting it drop down into curly strands about her face and shoulders. After she released the last spiral bun, she looked over to find Starbuck watching her rather intently.
"I take it you find something pleasing?" Sikozu said, as she ran her fingers through her hair.
Starbuck couldn't deny it, she looked even more beautiful with her hair now hanging freely. He had to tear his eyes away to keep from gawking at her. The effect she was having on the Human wasn't lost on Sikozu.
Silently, Sikozu moved from the computer display and stalked slowly towards him. Her eyes locked with his. "I know what you want."
Starbuck smiled at her statement. "Are you a mind reader, too?"
"No, I don't have such power," Sikozu smirked. "Do you wish to recreate with me?"
"Huh?" Starbuck paused momentarily confused. "A game? Sure, I wouldn't mind playing a game with you."
Amused, Sikozu shook her head. "I am asking if you wish to have sex."
"Oh! Right! Sex!"
Real smooth, Starbuck! The Colonial Warrior cursed himself. Don't show that you're too excited!
She moved closer and closer until she was almost brushing up against him, her intense green eyes staring almost hypnotically into his. "Do you have a problem with making love to an alien?"
Is it getting hot in here? Starbuck thought as he struggled to keep from swallowing his tongue.
"Not at all, I just wish that more aliens looked like you." He suddenly remembered Crichton's sound advice that might save his reputation from a bad situation. "Except I have a question. You are the female of your species, right?"
Sikozu smiled seductively, her voice low and husky. "Lets go to my quarter so you can find out."
Starbuck almost choked on his tongue for real that time.
"Sounds like a perfect plan to me."
She had him, a smiling Sikozu thought as she led him away.
------
"Would you like to talk now?"
Chiana peeked up to stare into Daniel's kind and gentle eyes, but she didn't want to talk. She just wanted everything to remain as they were before her unexpected pregnancy. As soon as Daniel found out, everything would change in their relationship and she feared it wouldn't be for the better. She loved her freedom and she loved Daniel. Now with a baby, she could end up losing both of them.
They were sitting on a bench in a quiet corner of the waiting room with the others. Chiana lowered her head back down on Daniel's shoulder, wishing she could put this off forever, but she couldn't.
She closed her eyes and breathed out, "I'm… pregnant."
Chiana felt Daniel's entire body tense up and she braced herself for whatever might come.
His voice was even softer than hers. "What?"
She lifted her head, but kept her eyes focused downward. "I'm pregnant."
Daniel felt a battlefield of emotions raging inside him. There was surprise, to say the least, mixed with astonishment and a touch of terror, but also waves of joy. A baby. They were going to have a baby!
He moved off the bench and knelt down before the Nebari, staring up into her dark eyes in sheer wonder.
"A baby?" Was all that Daniel could bring himself to say.
Chiana met his gaze and started to smile a little, seeing his happiness before nodding.
Daniel still struggled for words. "How did this happen?"
Happy, Chiana quietly snorted and leaned down closer to him. "Well, when a man and a woman fall in love sometimes they display their affection by…"
"I know that part." Smiling, Daniel gently covered her mouth with his hand. "I mean, how, how?"
Chiana reached up and removed his hand from her face and held it between hers. "I don't know, but it happened. Cassiopeia is trying to figure that part out."
Daniel was very much relieved to know that the Colonial doctor was looking after her and their child, their child. This was so fantastic and surreal at the same time!
"There's no risk of complication… I mean, you are both okay?"
Chiana nodded.
"That's good." Daniel smiled in relief before reaching over and resting his other hand on her stomach.
Chiana watched him, witnessing the happiness that lit up his face. It was so wonderful to see.
"It's going to be a girl," she told him, "but whether she's going to be a shade of gray or pink is still anyone's guess."
"A girl," Daniel whispered in delight, staring up at Chiana. "One thing I'm sure of, I know she's going to be as beautiful as you."
A happy, and very relieved, Chiana kissed him.
Not far away, Kwenn moved from her post and stepped out into the corridor and listened. The Scarran guard was not sure what she had just heard, but it sounded like… weapon fire. That had to be impossible. Anyone firing a weapon, especially on this level, would have triggered an alarm.
After a moment, she decided to check in and spoke into her comm link. "This is Prime Guard 8 to C&C, request a status report on the Council level. I thought I heard a weapon being discharged."
"Negative, Prime Guard 8," a Kalish answered. "The grid on your level is green. Situation normal."
Kwenn signed off and headed back to the chamber to keep watch on the Humans and their companions. Perhaps it was her imagination running wild. The base, considering how huge it was, had a way of playing tricks on your senses with the long, echoing, dimly lit corridors.
When she re-entered the room, she found the 'quiet', dark skinned Human awaiting her return. He had the appearance of typical Peacekeeper with his steely cool discipline, but the gentle manner in which he spoke took her by surprise.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
Kwenn tilted her large head and flashed her teeth in amusement. "You do speak."
Teal'c almost cracked a smile. "Only when prudent."
"I saw you and the Luxan doing some hand gestures just a while ago," Kwenn said. "What was the purpose to it?"
"Ka D'Argo and I were engaged in a Human game of rock, paper and scissors," Teal'c answered. "After several rounds, I was eventually victorious."
"Rock? Paper? Scissors?" Kwenn asked incredulously. "I do not understand."
"It is an easy game taught to me by John Crichton. If you wish, I can teach you."
Kwenn was considering Teal'c's proposal when she heard a sound behind her. It sounded like something heavy rolling across the floor towards them. With her warrior instincts kicking in, she spun in time to see a metal sphere rolling across the metal deck right at her. She could only assume it was a weapon.
"DOWN!!!" She bellowed to everyone in the room just before the device detonated. The entire room was bathed in blinding white light and a screeching sound that grew in overwhelming intensity.
Screaming, Kwenn dropped to her knees in agony. Just as suddenly as it started, the sound stopped, as did the brilliant light, but she immediately realized she was now deaf and almost blinded. She couldn't shake the spots in front of her eyes.
Struggling to stand, Kwenn soon realized that she was the only one still conscious in the room besides the Cylon who remained by the Hynerian, even though Rygel was also unconscious, slumped over in his throne sled. All the Humans and the aliens were out cold on the floor.
"Prime Guard 8," Kwenn shouted into her comm, but she couldn't hear her own voice. "Security to the council level! There's an attack on the council…!"
She stopped when she saw several figures standing just at the doorway, but she was unable to tell who they were through her impaired vision. Everything was dark, but she could tell that one of them was aiming a weapon directly at her.
With an army of Charrid and Kalish behind him, Goa'uld Crichton smirked as he levelled the powerful Colonial blaster at the Scarran. He then quickly changed his aim and instead levelled the weapon at 'Sparky,' firing before the Cylon could respond to the sudden threat.
The Goa'uld spoke using Crichton's voice. "One down," he aimed the weapon at the Scarran again. Kwenn tried to stand, but collapsed, her equilibrium out of whack from the Goa'uld shock grenade. She didn't want to die on her knees unable to fight. She didn't want to go out like this, not like this.
"One to go," the Goa'uld fired.
------
The huge Charrid troop transport slowly pulled alongside one of Katratzi's docking pylons. Once secured, the airlocks between the transport and the base opened and hundreds of Charrid shock troops started filing on board.
General Rahzaro was waiting to greet them with a small squad of Charrid soldiers at the station's airlock.
He stepped forward to greet his comrades. "Welcome to Katratzi, my brothers, under the banner of the Charrid and Kalish alliance."
A Charrid captain stepped forward, looking about, still sceptical. "It is true then. You have taken the Scarran fortress… How?"
Rahzaro chuckled. "The Scarrans have underestimated us, never considering that we Charrids and Kalish could work together. We have taken the command and control centre and most of the base. Pockets of resistance remain from surviving Scarran security forces in the lower levels, but we have them contained. We need your men to eradicate the rest of them. Also the Emperor has escaped and we believe he's leading his remaining men against us. We would like him to be taken alive."
"I will see to it," the Charrid captain replied, beaming. "Is there any risk of Scarran reinforcements arriving in the meantime?"
"The station's weapons are in our control," Rahzaro answered. "No one can approach this installation without risk of annihilation."
------
Goa'uld Vakali walked into Staleek's former office to find Goa'uld Crichton sitting behind the Emperors massive desk holding the now disarmed bomb. He looked up as Vakali approached before placing the explosive device down.
"We have control over nearly eighty percent of the base, but the remaining Scarrans are still fighting back," Goa'uld Vakali explained, using his host's voice. "Even with the extra Charrid troops, it will take time to gain full control and find the Emperor. The Humans and their alien friends are in our holding cells and Jolinar is within one of the interrogation chambers. Adama is being disposed of as we speak."
"What of the Charrids and the Kalish, is there any risk of them discovering the truth?"
"They still believe our story that the Scarrans were about to betray them to the Cylons and that you, John Crichton, are the one who warned us of their plans." Goa'uld Vakali laughed softly. "They won't realize the truth until it's too late."
Pleased, Goa'uld Crichton smirked. "Lucky for us the Scarrans have poor taste in allies. What of Grayza?"
"Once we implant the new symbiont, she'll be returned to her Command Carrier. We just need a believable story to explain why Captain Braca won't be with her."
"Make it quick," Goa'uld Crichton cautioned before returning his attention on the bomb. "Peacekeepers are a suspicious race."
Goa'uld Vakali watched his comrade closely, sensing something was distracting him. "Is there a problem with your new host?"
"No, just that this John Crichton has much mental baggage. Including an annoying neural clone, but it's nothing I can't handle. However, he has seen and experienced much in his travels… Such wonders."
"What have you learned from Crichton?"
"There's a small Leviathan gunship lurking not far from this base under a stealth field. They're not a threat for the moment. There's something else…"
Goa'uld Vakali looked on in interest and pressed his comrade to answer. "What?"
"Wormholes," the Goa'uld replied. "The Human, John Crichton holds the secret to how wormholes are created!"
------
Each holding an arm, the two grumbling Charrids were dragging Commander Adama's unconscious body down a long empty corridor. The two weren't happy being appointed to help dispose of the bodies littered all over the station, but at least the Human was much lighter than carting a dead Scarran to the waste recycling unit.
Suddenly the Colonial started muttering under his breath, startling the Charrids.
"Hey, shut up, Human!" the first Charrid warned.
"What is he saying?" the second Charrid curiously asked. "It might be something important."
"Who cares?" the first Charrid answered angrily. "I'm tired of lugging bodies around all day and I definitely don't want what to listen to them as I do it!"
The second Charrid ignored his friend and leaned in closer to hear Adama. "He's taking about… The light? And… Someone one named Zhaan?"
The first Charrid released Adama's arm and pulled out a Goa'uld zat gun. It was an interesting weapon, lifted from the unconscious Nebari female before she was taken away with the others. He aimed the weapon at the Human. "I'll show him the light!"
What happened next was beyond anything the two aliens had ever seen before. Adama's body was instantly consumed by a pure and radiant white glow. The second Charrid, who was still holding Adama's arm, felt the Human's body seemingly fading away until only his uniform remained.
The light grew brighter and it lifted upward, bathing the entire corridor in its brilliance. It stopped to hover above the two now terrified Charrids, who were desperately trying to shield their faces.
After a long moment, the light continued to lift up and melt through the ceiling.
The light was gone. All that remained in the corridor was Adama's empty uniform and the two trembling Charrids.
"What the frell was that?" The first Charrid demanded, his voice still shaking.
"He… He turned into an… energy creature!" The second frightened Charrid gasped.
"Don't be stupid, people don't turn into energy!"
"Maybe Humans can!"
His friend paused. "You might have a point… Should we report it?"
"And tell them what?"
"You have another point, let's get out of here and not mention this!"
The two Charrids turned and ran. When they rounded a corridor junction, a dark figure pounced upon them, knocking them both to the ground. Their attacker was swift, savagely pummelling the first Charrid into unconsciousness before turning upon the second, stunned Charrid.
Powerful hands grabbed the Charrid, heaving him up and slamming him against the wall.
Scorpius glared into the Charrid's wide and panicked eyes, snarling aloud, "Where are the prisoners?"
"Prisoners?" The confused Charrid answered.
Scorpius frowned sharply but suddenly smiled, now speaking in a friendlier tone, although not looking much less intimidating. "Let me try again. The Humans, I want to know where they are being kept…"
------
After regaining consciousness, Carter found herself in the centre of the darkened chamber with one little light beaming down above her. Her hands were chained to the ceiling above her head, her feet shackled to the floor. She tested the chains several times, but it soon became apparent that even her Tok'ra strength wasn't going to be enough to break them.
With little else to do, she and Jolinar had plenty of time to consider the awful truth that the Goa'uld had Crichton now. Crichton was a good and dear friend to Carter, who was the only one who truly understood the nightmare of being interrogated at the hands of Scorpius. Jolinar, the symbiont, still loved and cared for Crichton, even though he would probably never return her affections.
It was a nightmare for both of them. The thought of looking into the eyes of a friend, but seeing only a stranger staring cruelly back was unbearable. A bigger problem soon emerged; the Goa'uld inside Crichton had access to his memories now, including the wormhole technology. That information mustn't fall into the wrong hands, especially the Goa'uld.
If the chance should present itself, they had to kill John Crichton. Unfortunately, both the host and the symbiont doubted that they could bring themselves to do it. There had to be a way to save Crichton, but even if they could get free, and if Crichton could be captured, the chances of escaping with him and getting to a Tok'ra base to remove the Goa'uld would be next to impossible.
From behind she heard the door to her cell screeching open. Surprised, Carter swung her body as far as her restraints would allow. She could only see darkness, but felt someone's presence in the room with her.
"Who's there?" Carter called out.
Almost holding her breath, she listened and heard somebody moving in the shadows. Working around to the front of her, staying concealed in the dark.
Whoever's in here, it can't be a Goa'uld. They're never this coy. Jolinar's mind voice suggested.
Carter agreed and called out again, taunting, "Are you afraid to show your face? Maybe a little too bashful to face me, or are you just afraid of girls?"
After a long moment, Carter finally saw movement directly ahead of her. A dark figure was moving into the light. Bracing themselves, both she and Jolinar were prepared to face the worse.
"Greetings Major Carter," an oddly cultured voice rang out, sending waves of terror through her. "You are even more lovely in person."
Now in the light, Scorpius stood mere feet from her. He stared at the Tok'ra with great interest before smiling viciously. "I bet you have a thousand questions to ask me, but the first and foremost question on your mind has to be… How can I be alive?"
A tiny squeal escaped from Carter's lips, as her arms again tugged against the unbreakable chains.
Within a span of a few hours, everything had gone from bad, to worse and finally, and very suddenly, to horrific!!!
TBC…