Chapter Thirty: Pure Mayhem
Day 20...
Planet Earth – The Pentagon
"Arnold" was in a state that could be closely described as bored, if he had been Human. His leader, Dominar Rygel, had brought him to this world inhabited by Humans, but Arnold knew little about them. He was programmed to know only about their physical makeup in order to kill them more easily, which wasn't hard, considering their bodies were so frail compared to a Cylon. He could, if he wished, kill everyone in the room with his bare hands alone.
But this went against his new programming and, most importantly, he didn't have any desire to harm them, those who became his allies and friends. Over the last few days, he had met many Humans on this world, interacting with them, answering their questions to the best of his ability and occasionally asking questions of his own. Yesterday, he had played wargames with a bunch of Human warriors called Marines. Armed with an intar, a primitive stun weapon, he had engaged a squad of Humans in a mock-up of a human city. The rules were simple, the Humans had to hit him for a total of ten times with their intars and he only had to hit each member in the Human squad once.
It hadn't been much of a battle; with his short range scanning system, he had easily detected the Humans before they could effectively engage him. At first, it had been a toss up as to the winner of their engagements. He had learned much in their wargames and even adopted some of their strategies like sticking to cover or planning ambushes, which made him a better fighter. After a while, he was scoring victory after victory and enjoying himself in this game. Soon, the defeated Humans started calling him Arnold. Apparently, it was a sign of acceptance by the Humans of this world. This nickname, however, brought up a new question: who was Arnold?
Now he was in this room, deep underground, ordered to show himself to a new group of Humans. Not surprisingly, they all had the same reaction as many others who saw him for the first time: fear. Arnold was beginning to take it personally. Was he that frightening?
Still bored, he surveyed the room, his leader, Dominar Rygel, at his side. The rest of the people seated around the table were Human and argued amongst themselves. Bored again, Arnold decided to run a scan of the room to keep himself occupied.
Processing...
"What's a yahren?" one Human asked.
"It's a thousand of your years," another Human answered.
Processing…
"During my country's own history, we fought wars that lasted nearly a hundred years, but…"
Processing…
ALERT! Explosive device detected!
"Gentlemen, please, we're getting far ahead of ourselves. This…"
Arnold moved from Rygel's side and circled around the table towards the location of the bomb. His action alarmed the Humans in the room, but he disregarded their concerns for the moment, ocused on getting to the bomb.
There, it was located in a briefcase at the feet of that Human.
The two guards stationed within the room on either side of the door stepped forward, in their hands were their sidearms, which were loaded with the new armor-piercing rounds. This "special ammunition" was kept around in the event of an emergency like this one, since they had no way of knowing when a "friendly" Cylon might decide to turn on them.
With the green Cylon bearing down on him, Senator Kinsey bolted out of his seat. "What is it doing?" he demanded. "Get that monstrosity away from me!"
General Hammond was stunned by what was suddenly happening and turned questioningly to the Hynerian for assistance. "Dominar?"
"Arnold," Rygel commanded, using the nickname the Humans had given him. "Explain your actions."
"There are explosives in this room," the Cylon answered, causing everyone to freeze with alarm. "Inside that pelt-covered box." The Cylon pointed to Kinsey's feet.
Kinsey immediately reached down and grabbed his leather briefcase. "That thing is out of control!" He stared directly at the guards, commanding, "Shoot it!"
General Hammond could see that the Cylon was focused solely on the briefcase Kinsey was clutching closely to his chest. Wisely, the Chinese, French and British ambassadors were out of their seats and getting out of the way, abandoning everything at the table, including their own briefcases. Tigh and Rygel stayed at Hammond's side, with Major Davis lingering further back with the guards.
Hammond had to decide whether to trust the word of Kinsey against a reprogrammed Cylon. Strangely, it wasn't a hard choice to make.
"Hold your fire!" he ordered the two guards, but if he should be wrong, he would indeed be held responsible for anything that might happen next.
"Senator, give him your brief case," Hammond ordered.
Kinsey was outraged. He backed away from the approaching machine. "I said, shoot it!"
"You're farbot!" Rygel shouted, seeing that something truly had Arnold's full attention. "Just give him the briefcase!"
Arnold lost patience and simply grabbed the case, pulling it free before Kinsey could even move. Now holding the briefcase, the Cylon simply pried open the high security locks on the reinforced case. As though it were a clam shell forced open, he reached inside and pulled out its contents until he found the bomb.
"No!" Kinsey cried.
Tigh's jaw dropped. "Is that…?"
Hammond's eyes were as wide as saucers. With all the security measures they had taken and in the Pentagon of all places! "I don't believe it."
Rygel almost released helium. "Yotz!"
Major Davis was the first to move. He had to protect his superior and the high-ranking officials in the room.
"Out!" He grabbed General Hammond by the shoulders and pushed him not so gently towards the door and safety. "Everyone, move!"
"Arnold!" Rygel shouted. "Leave the bomb and get out!"
When the Cylon didn't respond, Rygel moved towards him, but Major Davis grabbed his throne sled and began to drag him out of the room.
"Arnold! Save yourself!" Rygel continued to beg his honour guard.
Arnold did hear his Dominar's commands, but chose not to obey. He had to disarm this device before it could harm anyone. Holding the small, brick-shaped bomb in his hand, he determined it was an explosive chemical mixed with a plastic binder, otherwise known as C4 here on Earth. It was connected to a single electronic detonator jammed into one end of the device, and there was no visible timer. He was unable to determine how much time they had left.
Tigh was heading to the door with the others when he looked back and saw Kinsey cowering in the far corner of the room, not making any attempt to save himself. Even though he had planned to kill them all, the Colonial wasn't about to let him get off that easily. He rushed back and grabbed the senator by the arm.
"Are you in that much of a hurry to die?" the Colonial yelled, trying to pull the man to safety
"I'm as good as dead, either way!" Kinsey shouted, before yanking his arm away.
Just behind Tigh, Major Davis was racing toward him, trying to protect the Colonial representative. "Ambassador!"
Everyone who was still in the room was racing against the clock to escape. General Hammond already had the other ambassadors and the two guards clear and out into the hallway before realizing there were people still inside the room. He turned to go back in without hesitation.
Arnold didn't have the time to fully scan the triggering mechanism on the bomb, but he determined it had no anti-tampering safeguards and took his best guess to disarm it. Holding the block of explosive in one hand, he reached up with the other to pull out the detonator and clutched it tightly in his other hand. It was followed by a loud pop as the detonator cap exploded and a faint trace of white smoke seeped through his powerful green metal fingers.
Major Davis, Ambassador Tigh and Senator Kinsey jerked their heads towards the miniature explosion and were amazed that they were still alive. Arnold opened his fist, releasing the smoking and burnt-out remains of the detonator.
"The explosive device has been neutralized," the Cylon declared, setting the harmless C4 charge on the table. Arnold was pleased with himself and found the incident rather exciting.
Tigh sighed in relief, thankful that they had made it, if only just barely. He grabbed Kinsey angrily by the collar of his suit. Normally a calm man who didn't like to lose control, getting this close to being blown up could make the best person rather upset.
"Why? Do you hate us that much to kill us all along with yourself?"
Kinsey looked terrified, but Tigh sensed it wasn't him that he feared. "All the prayers to every deity in the world are not going to save you!" the senator spat. "We're dead men."
"What…" Tigh held him firmly against the wall. "What are you talking about?"
Davis was about to ask Tigh to step aside and let them handle this, but he stopped to let Tigh finish his questioning. The Major was interested in hearing this, too.
Kinsey shook his head. "He's too powerful!"
Tigh wanted the truth and not games. "Answer me! Who's too powerful? Who put you up to this?"
"Iblis…" Kinsey whispered. "Now that I've failed him, we're all dead! Dead…"
Shocked, Tigh released him and Kinsey crumpled to the floor at his feet. Davis moved closer as several guards, General Hammond and Rygel re-entered the room.
"Who's Iblis?" Davis asked cautiously, as if it was a forbidden word to be spoken outloud.
"Our worst fears, greatest nightmare and darkest enemy," a grim-looking Tigh replied. "Take your pick."
x-o-x
In Orbit above the Asgard Homeworld
They simply radiated power, Sikozu thought as she stared at the line of Asgard cruisers from the bridge of Thor's flagship. Their silver hulls glittered like priceless jewels in the Asgard system's yellow sun. These were the huge and powerful O'Neill class battlecruisers parked in battle formation aboe the Asgard homeworld, awaiting the arrival of the much-feared Replicators.
Each cruiser had the firepower of a dozen Scarran dreadnaughts, but from what Sikozu had learned, that alone was not enough. The Replicators were resilient and fast learning to the point that the Asgard and all of their technology had so far proven nearly useless against this foe. It might simply boil down to tactics and outsmarting the machines. What surprised Sikozu was that Thor and his people didn't have a grasp of basic military tactics or even improvising during battle. The Asgard had become too dependent on their technology to solve all their problems and it had been a long time since they had come across any species or threat that could directly challenge them.
The last time the Replicators threatened the Asgard homeworld, it had been Samantha Carter who saved them by baiting the machines away with the unfinished prototype of the O'Neill, detonating it in their faces to destroy them. A simple-minded strategy, Sikozu thought, and one she was confident she could easily top.
Checking the main monitor again, it showed eight O'Neill cruisers, including their own, and, just behind them, five older Asgard cruisers and several small shuttles and patrol ships. They were fielding everything they had to face this oncoming threat.
Then her long-range sensor board beeped a quiet warning. They were close now.
"Commander Thor," Sikozu said to the Asgard seated just behind her, "Replicator ships are approaching. They're a mixed assortment of vessels, including one huge ship of an unknown configuration, but its power levels are immense."
The Asgard fleet leader signalled his fleet. "This is Supreme Commander Thor to all ships, the Replicators are here. Prepare for battle and follow Sikozu's instructions when given."
Moments later, the Replicator fleet suddenly dropped out of hyperspace and immediately bore down on the waiting Asgard ships.
"All ships," Thor commanded. "Fire at will!"
The guns of the O'Neill battlecruisers opened up and blasted away the first wave of attacking Replicator ships, but Sikozu could see that they were meant to screen the larger and more powerful ships following right behind them.
Sikozu checked her sensors and finally got a good reading of the opposing force facing them. "They have us outnumbered three to one. Half of their ships are war vessels with enhanced Replicator technology." The ship shuddered as she focused her scans on that one big, unknown vessel trailing the Replicator fleet.
Wait. That's no ship! she thought.
"Commander Thor! That huge ship on our sensors, it's just a mass of Replicator blocks!"
Sphere shaped, it was twice the size of their O'Neill battlecruisers. Sikozu knew from Thor that when the Replicators joined together like this, they could do almost anything to complete a needed task. She didn't want to think of what the Replicators could do with that many blocks joined together.
"Ignore it, Sikozu," Thor calmly ordered. "It's not a threat yet. Deal with the ships currently attacking us."
Sikozu nodded and focused on the battle. The Replicators were attacking only the O'Neill battlecruisers, nearly disregarding the other ships in the Asgard fleet, just as they expected. The O'Neills were the strongest and most advanced ships in the fleet and if the Replicators could eliminate them, the rest of the Asgard fleet would quickly fall.
A large Replicator ship drove in on Thor's flagship firing, and Sikozu directed their main guns on it. They were trying to strip away their protective forcefields, which would allow the Replicators to board their ships and take them over.
Up and down the battle line, the Asgard ships were simply slugging it out with the heavy Replicator ships. Most of the Replicator ships' defensive shields were superior to the Asgard ships and all they had to do was to wear them down first.
"The Replicators are in position!" Sikozu reported.
"Execute the attack, Sikozu," Thor ordered.
From behind the besieged O'Neill battlecruisers, piloted by remote, the five older Asgard cruisers surged forward directly into the fray. These ships were nearly obsolete in any fight against the Replicators, but the cruisers were still able to perform their last duties in the defence of their homeworld.
Sikozu was steering one of the old Asgard cruisers towards the biggest Replicator ship attacking them. The Replicators were still completely focused on them as she suddenly threw the old Asgard cruiser into maximum thrust and rammed the attacking ship. Not even the Replicators' impressive shields could withstand the mass of a large Asgard cruiser.
The wedge-shaped bow of the Asgard cruiser punched through the shields and sliced into the Replicator ship like an axe. An instant later, both ships disintegrated into a blinding white explosion.
Sikozu watched the Replicator ship die and permitted herself a moment's smile in satisfaction. Up and down the frontline, the other remote-guided Asgard cruisers all succeeded in destroying their intended targets. With the larger Replicator ships eliminated, the tide turned back in their favor as the Asgard were now freed to concentrate on the smaller enemy ships.
Unfortunately, that victory faded as Sikozu watched the Replicator block ship now entering the battlefield.
"This is Supreme Commander Thor to all Asgard ships. Direct your fire on that approaching Replicator block ship."
Sikozu watched as the Asgard fleet unleashed a massive bombardment against the block ship. She knew the power of their ships' weaponry and against the combined might of eight O'Neill-class cruisers, nothing should have survived that assault.
The block ship not only survived, but kept on coming.
x-o-x
Battlestar Galactica – Sickbay
"The baby looks healthy," Cassiopeia announced to the anxious parents as she ran the medical scanner over Chiana's stomach, keeping an eye on the nearby monitor. It showed the still-growing fetus within its mother. Over the last few weeks, the Colonial doctor had become quite an expert on Nebari physiology and the benefits and hazards of alien/human hybrids.
Lying on the medical bed, a very curious Chiana asked, "Can we see her?"
Next to her, holding Chiana's hand, Daniel Jackson nodded eagerly.
Reaching for the monitor, Cassiopeia swung it around to allow them to see the image of their growing child.
Daniel was awestruck and Chiana smiled before staring hard at the picture. "Where is her head?"
"This is her head." Cassiopeia pointed out the small mass in the centre of the screen. "As she develops, her body parts will become more distinguished. She's growing quickly, but nowhere near as compared with a Sebacean child."
"How soon before we can expect to… You know, hold her?" Daniel asked, managing to tear his eyes away from the monitor for a second.
"It's hard to judge, but so far, everything points to a normal Nebari birth, around 6 months," Cassiopeia said to the happy couple and paused before adding seriously, "I'd also like to suggest you use that time to find someone else to handle the delivery."
Shocked, Chiana sat upright in the medic bed. "What! Why?"
"Is there a problem, Doctor?" Daniel asked, looking a little concerned as to why Cassiopeia wanted to stop being their doctor.
"There is nothing wrong," the Colonial assured them. "I've had plenty of experience in delivering babies before, but not with a hybrid of Human and alien genes. There could be a lot of unknown factors and I feel it would be safer if you could find someone else better trained to handle this."
Chiana and Daniel glanced at one another before focusing back on Cassiopeia.
"But I do feel safer with you," Chiana said. "Do you expect me to let Peacekeepers deliver our child?"
"Of course not," Cassiopeia said. "Pick whoever you like, but there must be thousands of other doctors on some nearby world you could go to. I just feel it would be for the better."
Daniel looked to Chiana and saw the determined look on her face, which Cassiopeia couldn't miss. Daniel smiled half-heartedly at Cassiopeia. "I think you'd better reconsider, Doctor, because when Chiana makes up her mind, there is no going back. And I'd like to add for myself that I would feel better, too, if you stayed on. Please?"
Looking at them and their level of trust and friendship, Cassiopeia found it harder to refuse. Perhaps it was her friendship with them that was clouding her judgement and causing concern at failing them somehow.
"Alright, you two win." She could do this, couldn't she?
"Cassie!"
Turning to the main door to the sickbay, Cassiopeia saw a slightly winded Starbuck standing there. It appeared he had run all the way from the bridge to get there.
Taking a couple gulps of air, Starbuck managed to continue. "We just got a message from Apollo that Aeryn has gone into labour on the Tok'ra mothership and you're needed over there."
Wasting no time, Cassiopeia was a blur of motion as she raced about the room grabbing her portable medical kit and whatever else she needed. "Did he say how far she's along?"
"No, just hurry and get over there," Starbuck responded.
Slinging a small medical pack over her shoulder, Cassiopeia started for the door. Almost immediately, Chiana was on her feet with Daniel and both were hot on her heels.
"Have room for company?" Chiana asked, jabbing her thumb at herself and then Daniel.
"Got a spacious shuttle all warmed up and ready to go," Starbuck answered.
"A shuttle will take at least 20 centons to get over there," Cassiopeia realized.
"Don't worry, I'll get you over there in ten," Starbuck promised.
Chiana playful snorted at the Colonial warrior. "Sure, but will it be in one piece?"
x-o-x
Tok'ra Mothership – Hangar Bay
After a long silence, it was to no one's surprise that it was O'Neill who broke it.
"You did what?"
"I saved the Scarrans from extinction," the Doctor said, gesturing to the Emperor and his guards. "I visited their world about a million years ago and found their people barely surviving on the most primitive level with no detectable development to their culture. No huts or even basic stone tools, they were stagnating."
"You dare spread lies!" Staleek hissed.
"Who do you think introduced Crystherium Utila to your world? Surely your scientists figured out sometime ago that it never originated on your planet."
"I don't know what you are talking about." But inwardly, the Emperor was shocked. How could this creature know about it? It was their most protected secret.
"What is Crystherium Utila?" Apollo asked.
"It's a plant that is able to increase brain mass and is extremely effective on Scarrans, allowing them to intellectually evolve just as long they take it. As for the why, primitive as they were, they were a peaceful and inoffensive race that I felt didn't deserve to simply die out. Unfortunately, little did I know that over time it would increase aggression in ninety percent of the population…"
"You will be silent!" The Emperor roared, extending his hand and trapping the Doctor in a deadly heat blast.
After a second, Apollo realized the situation was about to spin dangerously out of control. He could hear Sparky and the second green Cylon snapping up their weapons and Emperor Staleek's honour guard tensed up for a possible confrontation. However, it all stopped when the Doctor simply walked out of the heat beam.
The look on the Emperor's face was priceless. Apparently, no one had ever done that before.
"Although I may look Human, I am not," the Time Lord declared. "What I did on your world a million years ago was done out of compassion and not to plant a seed for an empire. I was naïve during my younger days."
"SILENCE!" Staleek roared, lashing out with another heat beam, doubling his effort to quiet the Doctor. Yet again, the Time Lord easily walked out of it, unaffected.
Looking on, Jacob could feel the burning heat from Staleek's attack on the Doctor, but he couldn't see how he or anyone could resist it. The heat projection was more than just a blast furnace, but a mental assault, too.
Meanwhile, Apollo whispered to O'Neill from the corner of his mouth, "Are we going to do anything?"
"Just wait," The Colonel just shook his head, whispering back. "… I'm enjoying this too much."
"Who are you?" Staleek scowled at the little creature that dared to defy him. It was becoming a tiring yet common occurrence to put up with in order to keep his news allies. How he looked forward to the day he could make them all pay.
"I told you, I'm the Doctor."
Staleek chuckled. "I'm not impressed."
"That's because you don't know me," the Time Lord responded in a dark and ominous tone before giving a pleasant smile.
x-o-x
Tok'ra Mothership – Six Decks Up
For her entire existence, Aeryn Sun hadn't known true pain until now. No battle wound ever hurt this much and if this is what it was like to have Human babies, then she felt very sorry for those poor women from Erp.
Rose Tyler's hands were shaky, but she kept telling herself that she could do this. She had been in danger many times since she first joined up with the Doctor and surely she could handle this.
John Crichton held Aeryn's hand, wishing he could do more than just utter soothing words of encouragement. A few times, Aeryn would grip his hand with the strength of a vice, threatening to crush every bone, but he kept his mouth shut. If she was willing to bear the pain of having their child, then he could endure this.
Just behind Rose, Sam quickly rounded up a few items she could find, clean blankets, towels and warm water. The Tok'ra didn't have much medical equipment in the conventional sense; they always used the hand devices or other pieces of technology, but unfortunately, none of that was of any use right now for a mother about to give birth. Everything at this very moment was in the hands of Rose Tyler.
"Aeryn," Rose said. "The baby's head is crowning. You can start pushing."
She looked calm, but on inside, Rose was panicking at the thought of possible complications.
No, don't think that! Rose shook her head. No time to worry over what ifs!
"Push, Aeryn!"
Face drenched in sweat and long dark hair hanging in wet strands over her eyes, Aeryn started to push.
Rose nodded her head in encouragement. "That's it, Aeryn! Again, push!"
Crichton stayed by Aeryn's side. There wasn't a force in the universe that could make him leave her. He held her hand as Aeryn clenched her teeth tightly together and pushed once more.
Suddenly, a thought struck Aeryn and she shook her head determinedly. "Grrrrr… No!"
There was a heavy pause for the longest time. Rose stopped, looking perfectly confused. "No?"
Crichton was both perfectly confused and worried. "Aeryn?"
Carter was confused and worried, but perfectly thankful she was more of a bystander. "She said no… This can't be good."
Then Aeryn spoke much louder than she had intended. "We're still not married!"
"It's a little late for that, Aeryn," Crichton said. "We can do that later."
"Yes, I don't think the baby is going to mind," Rose agreed. "Now, push, Aeryn."
Aeryn shook her head. "Apollo can marry us."
Crichton held her hand between his. "Sweetheart, Apollo isn't here and I doubt he could make it."
But she wasn't backing down. "Then get somebody who can. I want to get married."
Carter stepped forward. "I can marry you."
Aeryn, Crichton and Rose looked up in surprise as the Tok'ra went on to say, "Well, not me, but Jolinar can. She is… was a goddess once."
Crichton looked cautious. "And she's okay with this?"
"Oh, she's fine as can be," Carter smiled reassuringly before slightly wincing from the mental tantrum that her symbiont was throwing in her mind.
"I WILL NOT!"
However, in her mind, Carter rose up and faced the angry symbiont. "Yes, you will."
"How can you ask that of me? You know how I feel about this."
"I know, believe me. There is no secret between us, Jolinar. But remember, from the first day we met him, Crichton has been honest and open to us. He never lied to you or led you on."
"No. Not for her!"
"Yes, you will. Do it for him and me. You owe me one, Jolinar, and I'm collecting."
"You are not going to shut up, are you?"
"You better believe it. Please, Jolinar. Do the right thing."
Slowly, Jolinar felt her host surrendering control to her and the symbiont grudgingly accepted. She never dreamt that she might be forced to do this.
Stepping forward, Jolinar knelt down next to Rose and looked at both Crichton and Aeryn and held out both hands, palms up.
"Now," the Tok'ra said softly. "Both of you place your hand into mine."
Crichton and Aeryn did as they were told, each taking hold of Jolinar's hands.
Crichton smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Jolinar."
Aeryn somehow managed a smile while biting down on her lip at the same time.
Jolinar nodded, not believing that she was going to do this. Somewhere, she thought, some higher power must be getting a real good laugh at this.
x-o-x
The line of Asgard battlecruisers unleashed another hail of fire against the approaching Replicator block ship with no visible effect. Their weapons were striking harmlessly against the impenetrable shield surrounding it.
On Thor's flagship, Sikozu continued to scan the Replicator ship for weak points, trying to pierce that very same shield that was stopping their weapons cold. "We're not having a detectable impact on its shielding. It is like we're trying to stop a command carrier using only pulse pistols!"
The block ship suddenly locked onto an O'Neill class battlecruiser and fired a glowing red beam that came into contact with the ship's own protected forcefield. It held firm for a moment before the beam ripped through and speared the unfortunate battlecruiser squarely through its armoured hull, lancing out the other side. There were several explosions as the battlecruiser's rupturing hull bled flames and wreckage out into space. Slowly, it listed to one side, lifeless.
Both Sikozu and Thor gasped, wide eyed at the ease with which the Replicator block ship dispatched a top-of-the-line Asgard warship.
"I think we just found out how the Replicators managed to defeat your front-line forces," Sikozu said aloud.
"We can't hope to stop that block vessel with firepower alone," Thor replied. "Sikozu, it's time to utilize your secondary plan."
Looking concerned, Sikozu turned towards the Asgard. "Thor, it can only work if we bring that ship to a dead stop and we don't know how thick its shielding is."
A brilliant orange flash penetrated the side viewports, signalling the death of another Asgard ship.
"We're out of time, Sikozu," Thor said. He silently grieved as more of his people perished at the hands of the Replicators. "I trust you."
Never in her time amongst the Scarrens or even her own people had Sikozu heard such a vote of confidence in her abilities. At that moment, she was determined more than ever not to fail him or his race.
With renewed resolve, she turned back to her console, keying in new commands. "I'm accessing helm control and shunting all defence shields forward."
Another marvellous feature of Asgard technology was that their capital ships maneuvered like a fighter, with instant response to any command input. So good was its navigation that it could drop out of hyperspace and into a planetary orbit in one smooth transition.
Sikozu steered the battlecruiser on a direct course with the Replicator block ship. She hoped it would take a few seconds for it to recharge its weapons between discharges or, if not, this might be her last act.
Thor's eyes widened with alarm as the block ship grew larger in their forward viewer.
"Sikozu?" he questioned worriedly.
"One moment, Thor," Sikozu said. She was too busy to explain her actions.
She parked their ship nose to nose with the Replicator ship. It left the Replicator with two choices: either stop to destroy them or run them down. Sikozu was hoping it would pick the first option.
It continued to fill their main viewer until she couldn't see the stars around it, just the sheer mass of its hull, made up of billions of tiny blocks. Perhaps she'd made an error….
Then miraculously, the Replicator ship stopped and started to target their ship.
In an instant, Sikozu's hands swept furiously across her console, calculating its precise location and rough estimate of its forcefield placement before directing all that data to a tiny Asgard shuttle behind them in the defence line.
The shuttle was completely unmanned, turned into a large flying bomb. Packed with the deadliest warheads that the Asgard could construct, Sikozu sent it on a collision course with the Replicator ship. It shot by their battlecruiser and a millisecond before crashing into the block ship, the shuttle briefly jumped into hyperspace and bypassed its defences in subspace before re-entering normal space, meters from its hull. Then it detonated.
Sikozu and Thor had to shield their faces as the flash and brilliance of the explosion almost overwhelmed the monitor's light filter.
When the explosion died away, a good half of the Replicator ship was missing with a long, thick debris field of destroyed or dislodged blocks extending out into space. It appeared to be dead, but years spent fighting this foe, Thor knew better than to assume anything.
"This is Supreme Commander Thor to all Asgard vessels! Target and destroy what's left of that Replicator ship!"
Sikozu slammed her hand down on the firing controls and unleashed a concentrated barrage. Watching the monitor and seeing the beams lancing into the damaged block ship, she felt like they were coming from her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to see that annoying vessel gone, because saving the Asgard was also insuring the survival and the freedom of her own people. Also, deep down, Sikozu just hated bugs.
Unprotected and helpless, the remains of the Replicator ship were consumed by the combined firepower of the surviving Asgard ships. Their destructive beams continued to sweep through space until there was nothing left of the block ship and the remaining Replicator-controlled ships were also finally destroyed or driven off.
Hours later, when the Asgard fleet finally secured their home system, only then did Sikozu permit herself to relax and to take pride in her accomplishments, thinking, Using hyperspace to bypass an enemy ship's defences… I seriously doubt that even Samantha Carter could come up with a cunning scheme like that!
tbc…