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Life
Albus had never liked Egypt in the summer, even in his youth. Now he was over a hundred and fifty; a cooling charm could only do so much when the sun could burn you through your clothes, and the sand could bake your feet. Poppy would be apoplectic with him if he ever told her about this journey, as she was quite fond of reminding him that magical prowess did not give him leave to run around like an invincible teenager. She was fond of her lectures, their resident nurse.
Like most Egyptian tombs, this one had no grand stonework to mark it. If it had never been unearthed, Albus likely could have walked right over it without knowing that it was there. But it had been unearthed, and young Harry Potter had completely disappeared from within its walls. Albus walked into its shade.
"Remus," he called to the man. "I'm glad I was able to coax you back to the country."
"You know that I'll do whatever it takes," said Remus. "With both the Air Force and the EMM finally out of here, we have a chance to find another lead. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though there was ever any warding done here in the first place."
"Or that's what the EMM wants us to think," came another voice. Albus turned to face William Weasley. "They've become entirely too competitive with the Gringotts teams, and they've been more vicious since the ministry brought that squad of aurors into the country. They likely learned what they could from the wards, and then dispelled them."
"Greetings, William," Albus addressed his former student, and Head Boy. "Thank you again for helping us in our search."
"Ah, well, I don't want to think of the howler my mother would have sent if I turned you down and Harry Potter at the same time."
Albus smiled genially. Molly Weasley's temper had had a reputation even when she had been in school. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"Well sir, most of the writing in here is in an old dialect that we've never been able to translate, however there are a few inscriptions of a more common dialect. They seem to have been added at a later date." He cleared his throat. "'Here imprisoned', or entombed, 'are Osiris and Isis.'"
"Is there any significance in those names?" asked Albus.
William shrugged. "Osiris was the son of Geb and Nut, brother and husband of Isis; all of them gods. I can't think of anything of significance though. It's odd though, this seems to be a small temple, not a tomb. No mummies were ever recovered here, except for a couple of canopic jars. Another, older inscription describes this as the departure point for their 'sky chariot'."
"Sky chariot," mused Albus. It was likely another dead-end, but Albus couldn't help but think of the way Harry had seemingly traveled from this tomb and out past the atmosphere. Still, if it was a clue, then Albus didn't know how to follow up on it. Somewhere out there, Harry was missing, whether he was healthy or ill, in high spirits or poor, or in good company or bad
!
"So," said Harry after he jumped down to the party that had come to greet him near the Stargate, "anybody miss me?"
"We can't get rid of you," said Jack. "Four days ago, you just had to put you seal of approval on the F-302s, and then the next day, you just had to make sure the Prometheus's engine was in peak condition."
"Well," said Harry, "that's what having an upcoming battle against Anubis will do to you."
A man to the side of Jack cleared his throat.
"Oh yes," said Jack. "Harry, this is Commander Tegar of Pangar. Commander, this is," he rolled his eyes, "Captain Harry Potter, of wherever he feels like."
"Quite right," said Harry. "Currently of Tollana."
Commander Tegar was obviously confused, but didn't give voice to his concerns. Harry thought that the look he directed at Jack said that he was used to such surprises from the man.
"Anyway, I've been briefed on this Tritonin substance. I have to say, it's remarkable. If perfected, it may just be able to end the Jaffa dependence on the goa'uld. Or imagine all human populations living in near perfect health."
Still, much of what Harry was saying seemed to be going over Commander Tegar's head. He shook his head and said, "If you will come with me, I will lead you to the leader of our people."
"Oh," said Harry, "I suppose I could meet with him later, but I'm really just here as an envoy to Egeria, not to the Pangaran people."
"I beg your pardon?" said the Pangaran.
"Yeah, what?" said Jack.
"I'm here to speak to Egeria, Queen of the Tok'ra, who are allies of the Tollan people."
"Harry," said Jack, "she can't talk without a host."
"Of course she can," said Harry. "What sort of sentient species evolves without the ability to communicate? Just because you can't understand her, doesn't mean I can't."
"You can talk to symbiotes," said Jack dubiously.
"Oh yes," said Harry, "and snakes too, oddly enough. But that's neither here nor there. The Tollan government has decided that should Egeria be willing, they will do what they can to extend her life. With luck, she'll be able to spawn a new queen, and stay around to guide her people for a few years more at least."
"And the Pangarans?" asked Jack.
"She's the most likely cause of the genetic anomaly in her spawn," said Harry, "if she caused the flaw in Tritonin, she'll likely be able to fix it."
"And if you're wrong?" asked Jack.
"You know the Tollan philosophy on the matter," said Harry. The Tollans took a Star Trek approach to such things, unless extinction was eminent. They believed that every culture should be able to develop on it's own as much as possible. Harry knew that they planned to retire from public view once the war against Anubis was over.
"A philosophy they're apparently breaking for Egeria," said Jack.
"Egeria is the sole progenitor of the Tok'ra," said Harry. "Not only are they allies against Anubis, they will inevitably die out without her. If we're wrong Jack, and I truly hope we're not, then at least the Pangaran people will live on, though I'd do what I could to help. As it is, this is their only option to avoid extinction."
"Very well," said Tegar, "but we will need her assurances that there is a viable solution."
Harry felt like sighing, but instead he simply said, "As you wish." Of course, if the man refused to release her, they would be hard pressed to stop Harry from taking her. They all boarded an odd topless car, and another ten minutes saw them at the Tritonin production facility that housed Egeria. They finally reached a small laboratory.
"Hello Harry," Sam greeted him with a hug.
"Hey, Sam," Harry returned the greeting. "How do you guys keep getting mixed up in things like this?"
"Same way you do, I suppose."
Harry nodded in agreement, and turned to the two Tok'ra scientists. "Greetings Malek," he said in Goa'uld. "You do not need to look so dour. Your queen will soon be well."
Malek returned his greeting in Goa'uld. They had met before on Tollana. "I will not be well until our queen has left this planet." He turned to his companion. "This is Kelmaa, one of our foremost biological scientists. Her host is Sarrianna."
After a few more pleasantries, Harry was led into the room housing Egeria. Harry approached the tank and placed a hand on it. Looking directly at Egeria, Harry opened his mouth and hissed. Sirius had called the ability Parseltongue, and had seemed shocked when Harry had first discovered it, but it seemed to work on both snakes and symbiotes alike. How it worked was a mystery even to Sirius, but for now the important thing was that it did work.
"Egeria, I come to you in peace and goodwill. I am here to represent a people known as the Tollans."
There was a wait before Egeria answered weakly. "Tollans, a free people, living in a feudal society."
"You slept for a very long time," said Harry. "They became a peaceful and powerful people, but they are now allied with the Tok'ra in the fight against the goa'uld."
"My children live?" she asked.
"They do," said Harry, "they number only a couple hundred now, but they carry on as you taught them."
"How is it that you can speak with me?"
Harry smiled. "That is a story for another day. We must speak of more important matters now. I am here as a representative of Tollana, but it is the Nox who have made this offer. Should you be willing," and there was no reason she shouldn't be, "they will do what they can to heal you. They cannot promise you a long life, but you will be able to secure the future of your race."
"I have fond memories of the Nox," said Egeria. "I did not pass them on to my children though. How is it that you know of them?"
"The Nox have been friends to Tollana in times of need," said Harry.
"I am more than willing," said Egeria, "I am eager to leave this place, and join my children once more."
"There is one more matter," said Harry, "the people who have kept you here believed you to be a goa'uld. They regret your captivity now that they know the truth. A great many of them will die with you gone. Did you create the flaw in the symbiotes? And can you fix it?"
"I did, and I will," said Egeria, "let it be known that the Tok'ra are benevolent and forgiving. The people of this planet will live on in peace."
"Thank you," said Harry. "I must go now, and secure your transportation to Oreillia." Harry turned from the tank and faced the rest of the room. He was greeted with looks of mysticism on everyone's face. He rolled his eyes theatrically. "You guys really should just get used to me pulling new rabbits out of my hat."
Malek spoke up. "The human body is not normally capable of making the sounds necessary to mimic a symbiotes speech, nor can human ears hear the full range of sound needed to understand it."
Harry shrugged and let a few sparks fly from his fingers for effect. "Anyway, she says she can fix your problem with the Tritonin. After she is cured herself, of course."
"But what guarantee have we-" Tegar started.
"None," Harry said. "You must rely on faith alone, that is your only option. Now the Stargate is the fastest way to transport her, as Tollana is on the other side of the Galaxy. However if necessary, I can transport her directly to my ship and take the long way."
Slowly, Tegar nodded. "I will have transport arranged to have her brought to the Great Ring."
"Excellent," said Harry. "Malek, Kelmaa, I'm sure you will wish to spread word of this to your people, and arrange a suitable host for your queen."
Malek frowned. "We will accompany our queen and see to her needs."
"The Tollans will see to her needs," said Harry. "They will be using healing technology more complex than what they have used so far in the war, and they do not wish for it to be observed by outsiders." That was a complete lie of course, the Nox always preferred to stay out of common scrutiny, and Harry sensed that Egeria did not want her past with them known. "You know that Egeria cannot be in better hands than the Tollans. She will be well within hours, and she will long for a host. You will be alerted as soon as she is ready."
Malek obviously didn't like it, but all he said was, "If that is what the Tollans require for this healing, then I will not argue. Our queen will be returned to us soon."
Harry nodded. "So she will. It is a new dawn for the Tok'ra."
!
Perhaps it was the nerd in her, but the view of Mars really was quite special. She had been in orbit around a dozen planets, including Earth, but Sam always found herself staring out of the large windows of the commissary whenever she went in to eat, or get a cup of coffee.
The Prometheus had spent the last week in orbit around Mars as it was being prepared for the upcoming battle. Chief among the upgrades were Asgard shields.
"Hello, Samantha," came a voice from behind her.
"What happened to 'Major'," she asked, turning around to face Elliot.
"As of yesterday, I was honorably discharged from the Air Force. I'm still getting used to it."
"I guess the Pentagon finally decided that the Tok'ra needed you more than we do."
"Indeed," said Lantash, "and yet I return once more to make a delivery. Five modified Re'Tu detectors. Two for the landing bays, one for the ring room, for the bridge, and your main engineering compartment." The detectors were to prevent Anubis, or anyone else, from sneaking on board while invisible, much as Sirius Black had done. "But I cannot stay long, every Tok'ra available is being called home."
"Really?" asked Sam. "What's happening?"
"It was Egeria's decision," said Lantash. "She and Sarelle have plans for the Tok'ra, though I could not say what they are."
Sarelle, Egeria's host, was quite possibly the oldest human to be chosen as a host ever. Egeria had refused younger hosts, knowing that she did not have long, and so Sarelle had volunteered. She had been with the Tok'ra for most of her life, after the goa'uld had destroyed her people. She had had many jobs in that time, from simple servant to spy, when a Tok'ra could not go.
"Before I begin with the installation," said Lantash, "I must speak with Colonel Everet."
"Right," said Sam. "I think he's in engineering, talking to Gersemi." Gersemi was the Asgard assigned to install the Asgard upgrades. Sam found that she liked working with Thor inestimably more.
"Then I will go there now," said Lantash. "Perhaps you will be able to help me install them."
"I'd like that," said Sam. "It's too bad you're going though, it was nice having you around so much."
"I'll miss you too, Major," said Elliot, flashing a smile. "See you soon though."
He walked out and Sam turned her gaze back to the red planet while she fiddled with the sandwich on her plate. Her thoughts remained on Elliot though or, perhaps more likely, Lantash. Her solitude did not last long though.
"Fancy seeing you down here, Major," said Jack from behind her.
"Sir," she greeted him, turning to him as he moved around her table to sit across from her.
"How's the work coming?" he asked her.
"Oh, it's amazing," said Sam. "I mean Asgard technology is so far ahead of goa'uld technology, it'll be years before we'll be able to replicate the least of it."
"And yet I find you here," he commented.
"Well," said Sam, "a girl's got to eat."
"Juicy science and we don't have to force you to break for food?" A flick of his eyes towards the windows betrayed that he had already figured her out. He graced her with a small smile.
She changed the subject. "How about you sir?" she asked. "How are the drills coming?"
The rest of SG-1 was on the Prometheus to drill the crew in tactics to fight Jaffa in case the Prometheus was boarded during the battle.
"They're going okay," said Jack. "Really, the crew already knows this stuff."
"I think the drills are more for our benefit than theirs," said Sam. "We'll need to know this ship as well as they do before the battle."
SG-1 was tasked with boarding Anubis's mothership, and sabotaging its shields and weapons, just incase Harry's mission failed. Sirius Black would be transporting them over, somehow, a fact that Jack wasn't very happy about.
"Maybe," said Jack. He changed the subject again. "So I saw Lieutenant Elliot is here."
"Actually, he's not a Lieutenant any more," said Sam.
"So I've heard," said Jack. "Things still weird with you two?"
"Weird?" asked Sam, though she knew what he was talking about.
"Yeah," said Jack, "he's the new host of your dead symbiote's old lover."
"And yet you've managed to put it so succinctly," Sam deadpanned.
"Sounds like the plot of a soap opera," said Jack.
Sam laughed. "I'm surprised you don't have a Simpson's analogy for me."
"Oh, I do. It's just that whenever I use one, you give me that look that points out the difference between our IQs."
Sam raised her eyebrows. She had a look?
Jack cleared his throat. "Anyway," he said, "guy's not in the military anymore. That make it less complicated?"
Thinking about it, Sam realized that she had no idea. "Well," she said. "I better get back to engineering, or I'll never keep up with Gersemi."
!
"So, we're on a space station?"
"Yes, Sirius," said Harry.
"And it's orbiting that black hole we saw?" asked Sirius.
"Yes," said Harry.
"So how do we know it's not going to get sucked in?" asked Sirius.
"Because," said Harry, "the Tollans are very clever."
"Right," said Sirius. "And the reason we're not floating around?"
Harry sighed. "The same reason we didn't float around on my ship. They have artificial gravity."
"Actually," said a voice that Harry recognized as Shen's, "the gravity here is real, redirected from the black hole."
Harry turned to face him. "You can do that?"
Shen shrugged. Sirius leaned down and whispered, "They are very clever."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Shen, how are you."
"I am well, Harry. I hope I find you the same."
"I'm just going a little crazy," said Harry. "Nothing to worry about."
"I should hope so," said Shen. "With luck, we will all soon be able to relax."
Harry gave Sirius a sidelong glance. "We'll see," he said. "Sirius, this is Shen. He's one of the Tollan's top scientists. Shen, this is Sirius, my godfather."
After the pleasantries were taken care of, Shen showed them to another, larger landing bay.
"You'll find everything you will need in here, Sirius," he said. "Twenty-four Tel'taks, as you requested, and enough paint, per your specifications, to paint them all over twice. Are you certain that you will not need any painting utensils?"
"Quite," said Sirius.
"I'll leave you to it, Sirius," said Harry. "Shen and I have a lot to go over before we'll be ready."
"Okay," said Sirius. "I'll see you later."
Harry walked off with Shen.
"So, is it wise to use such advanced technology when you're just going to hand the station over to Anubis?"
Shen shrugged. "Would he not expect advanced technology? Besides, we'll have attacked him by the time he would get around to closely examining the system. Either way, the station will have been destroyed by the end of the battle."
"You've installed a secondary self-destruct?" asked Harry.
"In a way," said Shen. "It's not quite a destruction device. However, the same technology that gives this station gravity will also be able to drag this station into the black hole within a minute. Anubis would have no choice but to abandon it. Furthermore, the system makes the station entirely immovable, should Anubis try to take it to his own territory."
"I see," said Harry. "Tell me about the false self-destruct."
"At first glance, the system is perfect. However, there is what appears to be an error, which a competent person should be able to get through."
"Are you certain that the error won't seem manufactured?" asked Harry.
"It shouldn't," said Shen, "since it is an actual error that nearly caused a disaster a few decades ago."
"Alright, I'll look at that later, I suppose, but what I'm really interested in is the fake database we're supposed to be luring Anubis here with."
"Of course," said Shen. "It's in the main research lab. The files were encrypted using the Gatebuilder's language, which we know Anubis is partial to. Doctor Jackson assisted us with the translations."
"I hope it won't be too easy to crack, we may need to keep Anubis here for a while."
"Wait until you see the algorithms we used to make it. I don't think he'll ever crack them. The beauty of it is, the data is non-transferable, so Anubis will have to work on it here."
"Right," said Harry. "It wouldn't do for him to just take a copy and go home."
"Indeed," said Shen.
Hours later, Harry was going over the fake files left behind for Anubis's benefit. While they didn't expect him to be able to get through the encryption, it would tip their hand if he did and there was nothing there. He had spent the day going over every pertinent system, looking for any conceivable flaw with the plan. As the foremost expert on the goa'uld, Harry was the most logical person for the job.
It was as he was looking over these files that the station got another visitor.
"Harry Potter," a woman's voice greeted him from behind. Even through the distortion from the symbiote, Harry could hear the age in the voice. He turned to face an elderly woman. "It is a pleasure to meet you properly at last."
"Queen Egeria," he greeted her, "I am glad to see you restored."
She nodded. "I believe you are familiar with the experience; freed from captivity, only to find that everything has changed."
"You get used to it," said Harry. "It just takes a little time. Of course, Sarelle has already lived through more recent events. I recall meeting her in passing after the attack on Revanna.
"I did not realize that you would remember me," the woman replied.
"Lantash once told me of the woman who spied on the court of Bastet for six weeks. It made you hard to forget."
The woman gave him a rogue grin. "Already a charmer, I see." Harry blushed. Egeria spoke up. "Lya sends her regards, and an invitation."
"An invitation?" asked Harry.
"Yes," said Egeria. "She would like to go on a walk with you; perhaps when this is finally over."
"A walk," said Harry. "I might just take her up on that." The idea seemed more than appealing at the moment. Of course, so did Hawaii, as well as the paradise planet he had found. "So what brings you to this station?" Harry had heard that Egeria had been drawing all of her children in. He hadn't thought she would be making an appearance for a while.
"Should your plan work, this place should prove to be the ultimate downfall of the goa'uld. As the Tok'ra have been fighting the goa'uld for two thousand years, I thought it only fitting that I visit this station."
"Then perhaps I can show you around," said Harry.
"I would appreciate that," said Egeria.
!
When Anubis finally put a couple of ha'taks around the black hole in his territory, they knew that he had broken the encryption on the files that Harry had left for him to find. They knew that it would be only a short time until Anubis marshaled enough ships together to feel comfortable taking a Tollan target.
Sirius's cargo ships were cloaked and moved to a near by hollowed out asteroid, farther out from the black hole's gravitational pull. A Tollan battleship took a permanent position next to the station, and so did Harry in the Tar'Chell. Meanwhile, only a few light years away, a fleet of allies amassed.
Anubis's forces attacked less than twenty-four hours later. Four ha'taks, and a half-dozen al'kesh, showed up suddenly and immediately began firing on all three targets, while scores of death-gliders flew silently out of the motherships.
The Tollan ship and the Tar'Chell put up a seeming valiant fight, while it also seemed that Tollan scientists evacuated the station using Tollan transporters. Harry even went so far as to destroy one ha'tak, and a couple al'kesh, losing count of death gliders, before they were forced to retreat.
A few hours later, a cloaked cargo ship was able to report back to the fleet that the goa'uld who had taken the station had managed to deactivate the automated self-destruct. It's news delivered, it went back to its post, having to travel much of the journey at sub-light speed so as to avoid detection, in order to await Anubis's arrival.
!
Harry hated waiting. It was one thing he had never been very good at. They were all there: four Tollan battleships; the Prometheus, and a squadron of F-302s; twelve rebel ha'taks, four of which had been captured from Anubis; and a score of al'kesh. All in all, it was an impressive fleet. Harry hated waiting, but the distraction that finally came was not welcome.
Unexpectedly, a lone F-302 came out of hyperspace a couple of hundred kilometers away from the fleet. It's transponder, which turned on when the pilot determined it was safe, labeled it as Alpha 5, one of the F-302s stationed at the Alpha site. Harry's sensors showed a radio conversation between Alpha 5 and the Prometheus. A few minutes later, the Prometheus sent a broadcast.
"This is Colonel Everet. Seven hours ago, Anubis's forces did not just attack the Tollan space station; they simultaneously attacked the Alpha site. It has been completely destroyed. We don't yet know how many managed to gate away to a safe world, but we do know that, aside from the F-302 pilots, all those who didn't make it off the planet are dead. I will be taking the Prometheus away for precisely four hours in order to conduct a search and rescue operation for a missing F-302. Any assistance that can be rendered would be appreciated."
Harry considered it. Even if Anubis arrived in the next minute, and Harry doubted that he would, it was doubtful that he would leave again in so short a time. He opened a connection with the Prometheus.
"Colonel Everet, I am very sorry for the loss of your compatriots. Please allow me to lend my ship's sensors for your search."
"Thank you, Captain." The Colonel was another person who insisted on giving Harry a title, and had settled on the one given to him by the Tollans. "I'll send over Major Carter to help coordinate our efforts."
"Got it," said Harry, "I'm ready for her now."
"We'll send her over in a minute," said Colonel Everet.
Their transmissions over, Harry was hailed by Commander Tellis's ship. The Commander greeted him.
"Harry," the man said. "We are currently forwarding the news, so that our allies will know that the Alpha site is no longer safe.
"I hope that while you are gone, you will remember that without you, all of our efforts here will have been for naught."
"I know, Commander," said Harry. "But this should be a simple rescue mission. I'll be back in no time."
"I hope so," said the Commander. "I wish you luck."
"Thank you," said Harry, and he ended the transmission as he heard the distant sound of the rings in the ring room. Sam came in a minute later, and Harry could tell that she had been disturbed by the news. He supposed she knew more than a few of the people at the Alpha site, and now she didn't know who was alive, or who was dead. Come to think of it, she wasn't the only one who knew people at the Alpha site.
"Hey," he said, and cleared his throat, as it had become somewhat tight. "So what's the plan?"
"Well," said Sam, handing him a small crystal, "everything we need should be on that. Major Casey already calculated a search area on his way here. Now when they abandoned the base, the F-302 pilots were supposed to rendezvous here," she pointed to a point on the map that had popped up when Harry had put in her crystal. "Alpha 3 never made it, but both Alpha 2 and 4 saw him enter hyperspace. Alpha 2 also saw him take a hit from a death glider, so we're assuming something's wrong with his hyperspace window generator."
"Which means," said Harry, "that he could either be somewhere between here and hereā¦" He pointed to both the Alpha site and the rendezvous coordinates.
"Or anywhere in a one light year radius of the Alpha site, if his targeting system is malfunctioning."
"Of course, if his flight system is malfunctioning, he could have gone well passed that, and that's if his fighter didn't just break up when he entered hyperspace."
"Right," said Sam. "We'll stick with the initial 4.19 cubic light-years around the Alpha site, and hope Major Hayfield and Captain Shaw are somewhere in there." 'And alive' went unsaid. Harry wished she hadn't named them. "The 302s don't have subspace communications, so we'll have to keep to a schedule, so they can find us if they find something." She called up the flight plan.
"Right," said Harry. "How are their sensors?" he asked.
"Pretty lousy," said Sam, "which is why the Prometheus and the Tar'Chell will be covering the most ground.
"All right," said Harry. "I'll let Colonel Everet know that we're ready to start."
It took over an hour to get to the beginning of their search plan. It took nearly forty-five seconds to search each zone before they jumped to another. Five of the F-302s would rendezvous with them every ten jumps. Throughout the search, Harry and Sam sat in generally nervous silence, both of them preoccupied with thoughts of the two pilots they were looking for.
It was eventually Prometheus 1 that brought the good news. Alpha 3 had been found adrift. Both pilots were alive, but their radio was down. Harry relayed the information to the Prometheus before jumping to the damaged craft with his five fighters, to baby-sit it until the Prometheus could come and pick it up.
Harry didn't expect the Prometheus to be long in coming, but as long as they were just sitting there, he wanted to check on the two pilots. Angling the Tar'Chell down, Harry and Sam were able to look down at them. Harry waved at them, trying to get them to make some manner of gesture to indicate their well-being. They started waving their arms wildly.
"They look agitated," said Sam.
"Yeah," said Harry, as his sensors alerted him to the Prometheus's presence. Before he could move out of the way for it, one of the pilots began flashing the fighter's lights.
"That's Morse code," said Sam.
"What's he saying?" asked Harry.
"'Trap'," said Sam urgently.
"Alert the Prometheus," said Harry, raising the Tar'Chell's shields to their maximum strength and backing off from the damaged fighter. In that instant, six ha'taks dropped out of hyperspace, blocking them on all six planes.
"You shoot, I'll fly," Harry told Sam, as he moved the Tar'Chell to sandwich the damaged fighter between his ship and the Prometheus. It wasn't a very effective maneuver though, due to the distance between the two ships.
Already, swarms of death gliders were issuing forth from the motherships, flying towards the Prometheus, while the motherships fired on the Tar'Chell, which had begun to shake violently. "They want to capture the Prometheus," Harry declared. Why take a damaged fighter, no matter it's tactical advantage, when you could take the carrier?
"Why are they moving like that?" asked Sam. The motherships were moving together around their targets in a seemingly random and predetermined pattern.
"In order to prevent the fighters from jumping past their shields," Harry declared. "The Prometheus will never be able to pick up the fighter in this," he said, even as the ha'tak Sam had been focusing her fire on exploded violently. "We can't take much more of this. Tell the Colonel to get out of here as soon as I give the signal."
"What are you going to do?" she shouted over the noise.
Harry didn't answer; there wasn't time. Running to the nearest airlock, he raised his shield and ejected himself as soon as the door was closed. Using his magic to come to a stop, Harry pulled out his breather before shooting himself over to the fighter, which was using it's thrusters to try to get to the Prometheus, although the ship was swarmed by death gliders. Grabbing onto the side of the fighter, Harry banged on the window and motioned for them to eject. When they could only stare at him with stunned expressions on their faces, Harry cast a useful spell that Sirius had taught him: the unlocking charm. The cockpit roof shot up with a rush of rapidly expanding air, and as soon as he was able, Harry reached in and grabbed the two panicking and fortunately buckled pilots.
Harry wasted no time in jumping the three of them away from the battle. The two pilots were nearly unconscious now, and Harry pulled them close, into the confines of his shield, before orienting himself and jumping back to the Tar'Chell.
There was no moment of peace though.
"Harry!" called Sam, "our shields are failing; hyperdrive is down."
Harry cursed. Using his magic, he pulled Sam across the pel'tak to him and, still holding the two pilots, hooked a leg around one of hers before jumping all of them to the Prometheus. Letting the pilots collapse, Harry gave one final command to the Tar'Chell, making it fire first on the adrift F-302, and then the death gliders swarming the Prometheus.
Around him, the situation seemed as dire as it had on the Tar'Chell.
"Prometheus 6 is gone," called out a woman.
"Shield's are down to 5%," called a man across from her.
"I want us out of here," said Colonel Everet, nodding to Harry and Sam with the two pilots. "Get our birds out of here."
"They're trying to box us in so we can't enter hyperspace," called out an officer.
"Well don't let them," said the Colonel. "Blast throughout if you have to."
"Alpha 4 is away," said the woman, "Prometheus 1,3, and 8 are away.
"2 and 7?" asked the Colonel sharply. Harry winced at the omission of 4 and 5. Distantly, he felt the loss of his connection with the Tar'Chell, signaling it's destruction.
"Both have lost hyperspace capabilities," said the woman. "7 is DIS, 2 is trying to land."
"Dead in space," Sam supplied.
"I can try to get them," said Harry, as the woman reported that Prometheus 2 had landed.
"No time," said the man. "Shield's are going to collapse."
"Take us into hyperspace," ordered Colonel Everet. "Give them command thirteen."
The ship lurched as it entered hyperspace. Harry turned stricken to Sam as two medics rushed onto the bridge for the two pilots who already seemed to be recovering. "What's command thirteen?" he asked.
Sam swallowed. "Command thirteen is the order to self-destruct if capture is imminent. The F-302s have a tactical advantage that we can't allow Anubis to get his hands on."
Aghast, Harry started to protest that they shouldn't have just abandoned the pilots to their deaths, when logic caught up to him, and he painfully swallowed his words. He took a moment, closed his eyes, and said, "I need a place to rest. Jumping that many people is taxing."
"Major," said Colonel Everet tiredly, "take the Captain down to the guest room, please." To Harry, he said, "I'll let you know when we've rejoined the fleet."
"Thank you," Harry said quietly, who couldn't bring himself to care that for the first time, he was shipless. Putting one foot in front of the other, Harry woodenly followed Sam through the ship.
A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long wait for the update. I've been swamped, starting both a new semester at school and a new job. That didn't stop my beta from heckling me about it though. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; as you can probably tell, the next chapter is the climax. I am planning a sequel though, so rest easy if you were looking forward to more.
