Disclaimer: The Stargate Atlantis show and its characters are not my property, only the idea of General Linia and the immortals are mine; Sateda, Ronin, Dex and the rest of the Stargate Atlantis show are not mine.
Linia stood in a clearing, looking up at the stars in the night sky.
How long has it been? How long since I left my home and the man I loved to their destruction? She thought to herself. I can no longer remember. I still have yet to find the scum responsible for my comrades' disappearance, though I have been able to elude the wraith pursuing me. They don't even know where my home has been for these last few years; if you can call this weapons cache and experimental technology testing/storage area a home.
Her first assumption when she came through The Ring that day, had not been entirely correct. The Genii are as thorough as they are smart, Linia thought with a chuckle. Some of her team had survived, besides those that she found missing completely from the scene. The ones she found alive she brought here with her and nursed back to health. Which was an impressive feat, considering that the survivors numbered twenty-three total. I wouldn't have been able to save them all if I had needed to carry them all. Fortunately for all involved, the Genii had not discovered the small transport hidden on that side of the gate for the evacuation, and their implants had obviously come in handy to help the survivors survive their wounds while she brought them here. This underground facility was the only real choice for them to choose for a base.
This was a place that the Satean Government had used for the invention of experimental weapons, armour, and space craft; Linia and her command had on occasion been sent here to guard the scientists, as well as to test their newest creations. They were in truth the only possible choice to test these inventions for the scientists, after all they would be the first to be outfitted with this advanced tech and they had advanced healing abilities in case something goes wrong. The scientists working in this secret instillation, the Immortals, and the Chieftain were the only ones who possessed the knowledge of this facility's existence.
This instillation, code named: New Dawn, was habitually kept well stocked at all times with food, water, weapons, ammunition, and spare armor. It also, at the moment, still housed a prototype spacecraft. It was small, but well suited for their purposes of investigating for the missing Immortals. But when they first arrived at New Dawn, the greater need was for the fairly large, well stocked infirmary.
For Linia those first few weeks were a blur. Dragging the wounded into the infirmary one by one, and hooking them up to various machines. Treating their wounds, and stimulating their heightened healing abilities to work faster in order to save the more grievously wounded. It broke her heart even now to remember seeing her friends, those she knew to be strong, capable no matter the situation, to have been rendered so helpless, so broken. But, time heals all wounds, thankfully even the physical. They had survived.
That had been months ago, however, and Linia's focus was shifting back to her missing comrades. She had saved many of them, but she would never rest until she knew the fate of her entire officer corps (live or dead), had mourned the passing of the fallen, and had avenged their death.
This morning therefore, was the day she planned to begin this quest. Yesterday, she had finally been assured that all of her companions were completely healed. With this new peace of mind, she feels free to set out on this seemingly hopeless mission. And so here she waited, in the last calm moment of the morning, as chaos ensues behind her. Because, when she had announced her intention to take the Scorpion out this morning, and why, every one of her immortals had volunteered to accompany her.
Instead of having to choose from among her trusted comrades she left the choice of her crew to her second in command, Colonel Barrow, and she came out to watch the sunrise for a moment of peace.
"Ma'am, we have prepared the Scorpion for departure," Colonel Barrow said as he approached her.
"Good work, Colonel. Were you able to narrow down the crew volunteers?"
"Yes Ma'am, we finally narrowed the list sufficiently." Art Barrow answered with a smile.
"How many hands of cards?" Linia asked with a smile of her own.
"Quite a few, Ma'am, I lost count." Barrow replied, causing Linia to laugh out loud.
"I bet that you are one of the lucky ones." Linia stated.
"Seniority has its privileges," Barrow stated smugly, "as well as, a reminder that they did not want to leave me in charge back here."
Linia laughed again on hearing this statement, for she knew how true it was. Although, Colonel Art Barrow is a wonderful officer and leader, is never comfortable when left behind from a mission and will drive anyone around him crazy in his frustration.
"Ok, Barrow, let's go," and turning her back on the landscape, Linia preceded Barrow back into the compound toward the hanger and the rest of the Scorpion's crew.
As Linia and Barrow wove their way through the narrow corridors of the underground compound, they began to hear the low thunder of conversation from ahead of them.
The underground hanger was filled with heated conversation, as the remainder of the Corps argued amongst themselves. The fortunate defended their right to accompany Linia in the Scorpion, while the rest questioned at the top of their lungs.
"Atten-tion!" Linia's voice thundered through the cavernous room, cutting off all the conversations. "Enough. What was the meaning of this? Are you the best or not? Do you not know that means you are above the rest? That you are smarter, faster, stronger; but above all you are more responsible and disciplined than any other soldier. So use those brains and think!" Linia said looking each of her men and women in the eyes, "this is a scouting mission, those going with me are only the first step to getting our friends back. While we are gone, the rest of you will practice working as a team. When we return, I will need all of you to be at your best. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" echoed through the room.
"There may only be twenty-four of us against an army…" Linia smiled at her men.
"I feel sorry for the army!" came from Barrow next to her, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers and shouts.
General Linia looked out of the Scorpion's window at the facility their ship was slowly approaching. The small craft retained a single destination in its navigational systems. Linia and her people had no idea if this location was suicidal, but they all felt it was worth the risk to find out. It's not as if we were overloaded with options, but this one has proved to be beyond providential.
The facility appeared to have been crafted by the Ancestors as some sort of factory. Although it will be interesting to discover the importance of building a factory in the middle of an asteroid belt, the resources are plentiful but the location is isolated, and why would they need this substantial supply of resources? The main complex seemed to have been carved directly from the large asteroid in which it resided; while several smaller asteroids surrounding it bore smaller structures resting on their surfaces. Well, the only sure way to see what this was used for, or if it even still works, is to investigate from the inside. "Barrow, are you detecting any sign of a hanger bay on the main structure?"
"Yes Ma'am, on the bottom level."
"Then, take us in Barrow. I want to know what this place is."
"Yes Ma'am!"
Once inside, Linia ordered the group to split up in order to cover the area of the complex more effectively. Colonel Art Barrow took Major Moran Roark and in investigating the first passageway they discovered what appeared to be a vast storage chamber filled sealed crates of supplies. "It looks like we've hit the mother-load Roark."
"What all do you think is in these crates, Colonel?"
"I don't think there is any way of telling, without opening them all." Barrow said while trying to take in the sheer number of crates in the room. "Come on, there has to be more to find in this place."
Major Cahira Teague and Captain Joy Dae choosing the opposite passageway, had found themselves in a very well organized and elaborately stocked… armory. Being two seasoned warriors who appreciate quality weapons, the two women were drooling.
"Should we report this to the general?" Captain Dae asked after a few minutes.
"We will, in a few more minutes…"
General Linia taking Captain Trevor Ualtar with her, had gone through the door between the two passageways. On the other side they had found a short hallway with open doorways leading to eating areas, sleeping chambers, and even a conference room, but at the end of the hallway was the most interesting discovery of all. For, at the end of the hallway, they found the computer chamber.
"Ualtar, have you found anything?" Linia asked after a few minutes of the two of them pouring over the computer panels searching for answers to this strange complex.
"Yes! I think I finally found something!" Ualtar exclaimed.
"What does it say?" Linia asked, rushing over.
"It says here, that this complex was built to be an independent and self sustaining starship factory. Feeding off of the natural resources of the numerous minerals and resources found in these asteroids, the factory would never have to be supplied by an outside source. It also says that since the factory is self sustaining, it is programmed to create the zero point modules that power both the starships and this facility." Ualtar replied, "General, this can build any kind of starship the Ancestors ever used!"
"Now this is interesting…" Linia said thoughtfully.
"General, you need to see this!" Barrow said as he and Roark rushed in.
"General, you will never believe this!" Teague exclaimed as Barrow finished, Teague and Dae rushed in looking like excited children.
But, Linia after listening to their excited reports, merely grinned. Turning to Ualtar she said, "Trevor, I'm thinking Warship."