Pre-Chapter Authors Note: Sorry for the huge Authors notes just below and at the end, but I got carried away, this is info I generally want to give but as im not upto those points, i'm impatient!

This chapter was written to both compliment the previous chapter in establishing there being more than just the Daedalus class and F-302s, but to also highlight the issue with the F-302 I think many of us had, whether we knew or not, back when it was first introduced. Quite literally, with the advances we've got, why is the 302 still a front-line fighter?!

So when you get to the reference point for why the following exists in the character section, thats a little tongue-in-cheek reference to the Butterfly effect. a seemingly inconsequential change propagating into something large. then I had to justify why Pegasus and not Milky way so I guess the explanation for that is surprisingly (to me too) fitting.

One other issue with the F-302 I had was mentioned in a few other fics: It's silhouetted resembles a Death Glider. the new fighter design (both variants look the same) doesn't even resemble a wraith dart's silhouette, and right now I'm trying to think of a design that would make sense... somelike like a cross between the ancient design principles behind the puddle jumper, but earthly design that stays somewhat close to the aircraft of today, although with the whole 'its in space' issue, the missiles aren't all fixed to the bottom of the craft... some are on top too.

Actually, if anyone wants to, *hint hint*, maybe you can do a few sketches... just be warned, less than half the width of a 302 (remember, puddle jumper-like drives mean it can hover i.e. Anti-gravity or whatever the PJ's use) but not to the point that 3 can take the same width. like say the 302 is 25 wide (25 of what you ask, i dunno. the actual sizes are inconsistent between sources) then the fighters are 10-12 or so wide. just under half, but they're somewhat longer, though. space for the technologies and then the internal weapons bays. - oh yeah i think i deleted that when i rewrote a section. the missiles are kept internal - that just made me wonder about F-302 re-entry into atmosphere. Come on, wouldn't the missiles explode!? lol. Remember how the F-22 launches missiles - doors open and the missile is launched out, its rocket firing halfway out of the bay.

Damn now I really want someone to design a... ahem... one of these fighters.

The Omake Files – The Fifth Man
Fighters

"Eagle-eyed Talons"

Pegasus Alpha Site

Alarms were blaring throughout the base. The Pegasus Alpha Site had in the last year, thanks to the support of their newfound connection with Earth, been built from scratch to mimic the Milky Way Alpha Site, by being built underground.

However the difference between the two, aside from location and the type of Stargate linking it to the rest of the Pegasus gate network, lay in that the Fighter compliment of the entire base, was more than that of the Alpha Site in the milkyway, which would soon get the same.

The fighters were not F-302's, however. They were the new line of fighters.

One basic design, but two very different purposes and so two different sets of equipment.

Thanks to improved Naquadah power generation and backwards engineering of the propulsion drives of Ancient Puddle Jumpers, and the further development of other technologies that had been on the F-302, The 403 Fighter was capable of high-speed atmospheric and space travel, and not reliant at all on air-breathing jets with aerodynamics to provide lift.

The two design variants had the full Vehicle Designations of AAFAEMG and ARIASMS. For short, the two were dubbed the EF-403 and SI-403. The EF were dubbed the Escort Fighter, while the SI was Strike Interceptor.

The EF-403 was the design that had the Naquadria Hyperdrive, so they could escort transports in and out of the system. Equipped with 8 Naquadah-enhanced missiles, the EF-403 was intended to take on the larger ships. From Goa'uld Alkesh, through to the Wraith Cruiser.

The entire Vehicle Designation system used, mean the letters of it were: AAFAEMG.

Active service Attack Fighter, Size class A Escort, Multiple environment Ground-launched.

While most were obvious, the terms 'Attack' and 'Fighter' were for Modified and Basic Mission roles, with the Fighter role defined as 'Vehicles designed or modified to attack medium-sized vehicles such as Alkesh, and wraith Cruisers', while the Attack role was similar, but for Mothership-sized vessels.

The 'Size class A Escort' was somewhat obvious too. An Escort vessel of the smallest size class, or, AKA, Small Escort Fighter. And So the EF-403 designation for short.

With this mission in mind, it is perhaps understandable the differences in equipment. The Hyperdrive, the Naquadah-enhanced missiles to take out Alkesh and cruisers, plus the 4 extra missile hardpoints for nukes.

With the ancient-derived propulsion, the craft was essentially, VTOL capable. The F-302 was only STOL – Short Take Off and Landing. VTOL stood for Vertical Take Off and Landing. Those inertial dampeners sure came in good use.

The SI-403, however, had somewhat different equipment.

The ARIASMS-403... Active service Reconnaissance Interceptor, Size class A Strike craft, Multiple environment Space launched 403 did not have the Hyperdrive, but a cloaking device fitted into the shield system. It was to be launched from either ships, an orbital platform, or as in the case of the ones for the Alpha Site, a small outpost in the systems' asteroid belt built into an asteroid. It drew too much on their power reserves to launch from the ground. Unlike the Hyperdrive in the EF, the SI's cloaking device did not have a dedicated power supply.

It's armaments were to match the intended role, too. The Strike Interceptor meant it was only intended to fight wraith darts. As such it actually had 12 hardpoints for standard missiles. Three times that of an F-302. As it had the additional mission of Reconnaissance, combined into the Strike role, it's stealth/cloaking system was complimented by a full spectrum of sensors not found on the EF-403.

It was because of this, that the Pegasus Alpha Site had both in its compliments of fighters. The ground-based EF-403s for escort duty and to defend against the large ships, as well as the SI-403s.

To make it easier, the EF-403's were given the name 'Talon'. Much like the F-22 on earth was named the Raptor. Likewise, the SI-403 was named 'Eagle'. Both names fit... A Talon like what is on feet, and feet tend to touch the ground, and Eagle, for 'Eagle-eyed'.

A pilot of one of the Talons was rushing to his fighter, a call from an Eagle had come in about Wraith ships entering the system, and it was a mere minutes for a talon to go from on the ground to exiting hyperspace in-system.

--

Atlantis

Lieutenant Potter looked up as Doctor Weir entered his small quarters, during his short stay.

"Elizabeth, anything I can do for you?"

She smiled and handed over her tablet PC.

On the screen was a message that had come in from the Alpha Site. An after-action report.

As he read, she was speaking. "The Talons and Eagles' did a very good job of fending off the wraith. The cruisers didn't start to fire until the second was gone, and the Eagles took out half their fighters in the opening salvo."

Harry grinned as he finished the report, and looked up.

"Harry, I don't know what you said to Rodney and John, but, whatever it was, I'm glad."

Harry nodded, and handed the tablet back. "I just got them talking about how effective the F-302's really were in a battle."

"That they came up with and had the first prototypes of both designs done during the those months on Earth alone..." Elizabeth started, and then sighed. "I'm glad something good... very good, in fact, came from then."

Harry stood up and put an arm on the sad leader of Atlantis. It had been several months since some Ancients had been found on a ship that was going really fast but under the effects of the law of Relativity, and had since coming back to Atlantis, kicked the humans out. During those months, when the ancients were then killed due to arrogance and other things, and human ingenuity had completely removed the Asuran replicators from the city, McKay had been working at area 51 and Sheppard had been assigned to an SG team. One comment from Harry to the pair one evening... well Harry hadn't really expected much to come of it.

Now, the 403 program had begun to gain not insignificant support from the IOA. With unknown effectiveness of human missiles on the ori, but known significant effectiveness on wraith ships had been the driving force behind the Pegasus getting priority of the batches of Talon and Eagles coming from the production facility near Jupiter, delivered through the French-operated Normandy class Transports.

This latest victory against 4 cruisers and their fighter escorts, with just 4 Eagles and 4 Talons... there had been at least 50 darts. Since each Eagle was capable of targeting 6 separate fighters and launching 6 missiles simultaneously against all 6.... that was 24 fighters destroyed in just the opening salvo.

The very first warning the Wraith had about the battle had indeed, been the loss of a Cruiser together with the loss of those 24 fighters.

Around 54 wraith ships versus 8 human... impressive.

"I'm sure that will make the IOA approve greater funding of the production of more 403's, more mining of the Naquadria asteroids, and more pilots to be trained on them." Harry mused.

Elizabeth nodded, and spoke, "Now excuse me, I have to break this news to John and Rodney."

Harry groaned. Were Sam had put a little effort into the F-302's design, McKay had put in most of the design to the 403. Only the Hyperdrive and shields were the most prominent parts that he wasn't responsible for designing. That went to Sam, and Harry himself.

Regardless, he knew that Rodney would be, insufferable, claiming all credit.

The idea for more than 4 missiles came from John, just the idea of, mind. Harry still didn't get why the F-302 had been limited like that. Many aircraft could carry twice that number. Most could carry that many sidewinders – maybe more, under the central body, in addition to those under slung on the wings.

And the original F-302 only had 4 missiles. Not even guns, since they had had trouble designing ones that didn't have the heat issues in space, no air for air-cooling the barrel and all that.

As Elizabeth left, Harry went back to his work, the reason he had been the short visit to Atlantis with Daniel in the first place.

--

A/N: Likey? theres no 403 with both hyperdrive and cloak due to internal space limitations, a lot of space for the tactical systems and then the cockpit and supplies so a single pilot can be comfortable for days if necessary and then the missile bays etc.

I think I've made it clear that the 403's were designed during that couple of months in 'The Return', Atlantis season 3 (or SG-1 season 10)

I put a lot of thought into the Vehicle Designation System that they use for the whole lot, as there will be quite a few different craft. And here's the thing... I'm limited them a bit more than the series for some things... *wink*. Asgard hyperdrives were easy to adapt till they could build from scratch their own, because they already knew how to build them. But, something else? They only took from bases and so on the goa'ulds' version (which is just the same design as those used by the ancients like what was found in the antarctica outpost). And only around the time of the Odyssey being built did they learn to actually build those, since priority had gone to reverse engineering everything else they got [goauld shields, then the asgard shields, asgard sensors, and so forth] then many went from research to development i.e. building those ships and doing all those offworld projects.

Well they just didn't have the time, when the other goa'uld/ancient version was working for them just fine. I am, talking about Asgard Transporters. The Daedalus class don't even carry them (and yet sheppard survived the Seige. Bet you're curious now.)

My other reasons for building transport ships is so that the Daedalus class ships aren't held up by playing cargo ship for Atlantis. The reason for the 24 hour rule on Midway stands along with power costs for intergalactic wormholes and so those timelimits being the reason why 'stargate delivery' for supplies that can be taken through the gate is impractical, and since some of the thigns that are too big are heading there via ship anyway... well...

So anyway... Other things that I've yet to show either in Omakes or otherwise...

The AETAUMS 404, or, 'The Bus'. I think that describes just what it's for, eh? Active Service Enhanced Transport, Size class A Utility craft, Multiple environment Space Lauched. 404. Size class A covers any craft with a single deck that can be carried in the Hanger of the Carriers/Battlecruisers. UT-404 is the code in use when not called by its' nickname. I'll leave the details to when it makes itself known in the main story... but just a hint... hmmm... A Orbital-surface transport, to carry a large group of people and/or supplies to and from surface bases, or other stations with no docking facility for the busses' carrier vessel.

AGQASAA or AGQASAL 405, or 'Hawk'. Active Service Ground attack UAV, Size class A Strike craft, Aerial environment, Air or Land-launched. The Hawk is a UAV that, in its storage configuration can be held within one of the large-missile bays on a EF-403, and can be dropped and automatically deploy. With limited stealth capability, it is designed as an Unmanned Aerial Drone in support of SG Teams and to provide aerial strike ability if necessary. The drone itself carries an arsenal of small Air-to-Surface micro-missiles. (think those little ones that got deployed from the larger missile 'Jericho' in Iron Man. Bit bigger, but just 'it explodes' and not that huge shockwave of dust like in Iron Man. Each minimissile is as effective as say, 4 blocks of C4.) As the micro-missiles sacrifice some manoeuvrability for their size, they generally have to be aim in the general direction of the target. The hardpoints have self-adjusting forward tilt upto 20 degrees off vertical. to do this, and the drone itself turns to face the target..

I've also got an idea for a short-range hyperspace capabile transport. It would be the 'B' class size, 2 or 3 decks. think the size of a Space Shuttle, but with tech of the 'gateverse for propulsion and so on.