Continuing…
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April Tenth
A Fanfiction by Andrew J. Talon
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, or Final Fantasy. Those belong to their respective companies and creators. I am not writing this for profit.
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General Hank Landry had thought that the news couldn't get much worse after receiving word from Bre'tac that the combined Milky Way Alliance fleet hadn't been heard from in hours. In light of the fact that the four Ori ships had been sighted heading away from the Supergate's location, it strongly suggested that their entire fleet had been destroyed.
But of course, even with this dire news, the universe had to throw him yet another curveball.
"You're certain, then?" He replied at last. The handsome blond man on the screen nodded, pulling slightly at his white collar though his face remained composed. The Stargate glowed behind the iris as the transmission conveyed President Rufus Shinra, of Planet, clearing his throat.
"I can think of no other power that employs such ships, such as you've described." Landry nodded.
"How many?"
"At least one has landed in the abandoned Midgar Plate area," Rufus reported. "Our ground-based tracking has detected three others in high orbit."
"Have you presented any resistance?" Landry asked. Rufus shook his head.
"Against beings that wield the power of Sephiroth? Even if our military was at it's pre-Meteor levels, we would be no match for them." Landry worked his jaw. Shinra had started out an enemy of the SGC. As they had tried to find SG-1 on the surface of Planet, he recalled from the mission reports, Shinra and his company hampered their every effort, determined to keep the power of Planet's Ancient technology for themselves.
Ultimately, it had nearly destroyed them all. Even while Shinra seemed to be doing its part to help repair the damage it caused…
For God's sake, whatever evil Shinra's brought is insignificant next to that of the Ori! With that, Landry made his decision.
"We have technology, which can render your forces protected against the Ori's Priors. At least long enough to kill them. Without the protection of their Priors, the remaining Ori forces are easier to defeat." Rufus shook his head.
"I don't think you understand, General. My world has no military, in large part thanks to your people. Aside from a few armed airships and militia. Even with AVALANCE and the Turks at our disposal, we lack the raw manpower needed to fight a protracted campaign." Landry shook his head.
"You don't have much choice. Either you make an assault on the Ori while they're still in a containable situation, or let them run you over." Shinra sighed, before brushing his hair back. He gave Landry a severe expression.
"We need your help, General. There's no other way to say it. We need weapons, troops, and support vehicles and systems."
"I can't do that without authorization," Landry replied honestly. "But I'm going to try and get it."
"General, we need you to do more than try," Shinra replied. Landry glared.
"It's the best I can do. You must be aware of the politics of our situation? You've faced it before, I recall," the general pointed out. Shinra paused.
"… You have a point. There is, however, an alternative available should you fail to get what we… ask. Your people were able to activate the Ancestor's planetary defense system before. Could you do it again?" Landry sucked in a breath.
"We'll get them on it. Stand by; we'll dial you back in two hours. By then, I'll have an answer." Shinra smirked slightly.
"When will Jenova's legacy die, I wonder? When there is no one left to fear her?" Shinra shook his head. "For what it's worth, General, thank you. I do understand. But understanding will not save my people. Shinra out."
With that, the Stargate shut down and the screen went dead. Landry let out a breath.
"Walter? Get Washington on the phone. And the Department of Homeworld Defense."
"Uh, sir?" Walter replied. Landry gave him an impatient look. The sergeant pointed behind him, and the general turned.
"Hope you don't mind me dropping in unannounced." Landry gaped only a moment, before smiling and holding out a hand.
"Jack, when the hell did you get here?" Brigadier General Jack O'Neill shook Landry's hand and gave him a warm smile.
"About the time Shinra Junior first flipped his hair," Jack smirked mischievously. "I think we timed our watches by how many times he did it an hour."
"So, what have we got to work with, Jack?" Landry asked, later, as the two generals settled in the conference room. Jack stood and looked out at the 'Gate, while Landry sat at the head of the long table. Jack turned back and checked his watch.
"I think I'll let our other guest field that one, Hank…" A burst of light appeared next to Jack, dissipating into the skinny, pale form of an Asgard. He sat in an ornate, black chair with two black, elongated semi-circles framing him. He blinked his huge black eyes and nodded respectfully to Landry.
"General Landry, I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet. It is a pleasure to meet you at last." Landry smiled and nodded back.
"The honor is all mine."
Jack turned to Thor and grinned.
"Hey Thor. Long time no see. I got you a gift when you told me you were coming, but…" Thor raised a single, lithe hand.
"It is all right O'Neill. I have received it." Thor almost smiled. "I am glad you got me the yellow ones." Landry gave Jack a curious look. Jack mouthed "Twinkies", and Landry managed to smother a grin.
"Ah… So, Thor. Do you bring good news?"
Thor blinked.
"Some. We've at last ascertained the origin of Jenova, from our studies of Planet. As you are aware, the Ori were responsible for the plagues that destroyed the Ancients in this galaxy. However, those same plagues could not destroy all of them. The Cetra, because they had sealed their Stargate, were attacked by the Ori's first attempt at an artificially-ascended human-based lifeform, from their experiments with technology stolen from the Ancients."
"They didn't get her quite right though," Jack supplied. "She needed to eat planets to stay alive, because she couldn't access enough of the energy of the dimensional-whatsit the Ancients and Ori live in. So, the Ori set her loose in the Milky Way, to clear out any survivors."
Landry nodded.
"So, the Ori are on Planet to try and revive Jenova?"
"Or Sephiroth," Thor nodded. "If they do, and they gain all the power of the Lifestream, then even the Ancients themselves will not be safe." Landry frowned.
"I thought you had good news, Thor," the general pointed out. Thor blinked.
"I… Thought it better to tell you the bad first, so as to improve your spirits with the good afterwards." Landry blinked, and raised an eyebrow at Jack, who shrugged.
"Okay…"
"For the past several months, after the Ori found their way here, I have had the Asgard fleet searching for their home galaxy. Its address has been lost to us for quite some time, but we were able to track the paths their Stargates took. We had hoped to destroy the Supergate on their end and thus prevent them from invading the Milky Way. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in preventing its activation." Landry nodded.
"Still waiting on the good news, Thor," the general stated flatly. Thor nodded.
"Of course, General, my apologies. Now that the Ori are here, there is no reason for the Asgard fleet to continue searching. We are now able to deploy several motherships in this galaxy to fight the Ori." Landry smiled broadly.
"Next time, Thor, please just tell me the good news first. Nice to have a breather between bad news, you know?" Landry stood up. Thor blinked.
"Uh, general, that's not all Thor has to say," Jack pointed out. Landry coughed and sat back down again.
"Just stretching. Okay Thor, what else?"
"As we speak, my ship and crew are assisting your workers in completing two additional Daedalus-class starships. They should be ready in a matter of hours. In addition, we have salvaged the Prometheus and rebuilt her with a number of Asgard-designed upgrades." Thor blinked once more. "And one of our ships has reached the Supergate. They are currently assisting the survivors."
"How many?" Landry asked.
"Only the Odyssey and one Lucian Alliance starship survived," Thor replied after a slight hesitation. Landry held a hand to his eyes.
"Swell… All right then. First things first-We can't let the Ori revive Jenova or Sephiroth. Jack, have you gotten authorization from the President for ground troops?" Jack nodded.
"We've got a few companies of Marines coming in. At least two hundred troops. We've also got a few artillery batteries coming down the silos, and a few Humvees." Jack shook his head. "But we're not going to be able to deploy as many troops as we might need."
"We'll have to carry them on the ships, then," Landry decided. "Thor? How soon can you get our ships finished?"
"As I said, a matter of hours," Thor replied.
"And how many of your ships, exactly, can you send to Planet right now?"
"We have a total force of one O'Neill-class mothership, and three Daniel Jackson-class vessels available in the galaxy. One of them is already deployed to the Supergate, while another is currently attempting to locate the Wraith hiveships enroute to Earth. The other two are in orbit above us, assisting in the construction of your fleet." Jack stepped in.
"Okay, here's the plan. Hank, you support Shinra through the 'Gate. When our ships are ready to go, we'll go in and hit those bastards with everything we can."
Landry frowned.
"Jack, shouldn't you go along? After all… You helped activate the Lifestream before."
Jack smirked.
"If I know AVALANCHE, they're already on their way to do just that. All we have to do is buy them some time."
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"DIE, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! DIE!" Daniel winced as the equally loud sounds of Barret shooting his gun arm and cursing filled the air below him. Vincent's strong grip on his shoulder was familiar, as was the sudden weightlessness of his stomach as the gunman ascended, taking he and Vala farther away from the Ori Crusaders littering the ground.
"He has a way with words!" Vala commented loudly, holding tightly onto Vincent's waist. Daniel nodded.
"You should listen to him when he's not angry!" The archaeologist shouted back. He was relieved to at last feel the ground beneath his feet, and stepped away from Vincent as the man released his grip.
"You get captured more than Aeris and Marlene combined," the former Turk huffed, turning away and drawing his gun. He leapt forward into the fray, his oversized handgun blazing away at the Crusaders in his path, falling before his deadly aim easily. Vala stepped over to Daniel's side and clutched his arm. Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come off it. I've just had the weirdest two days of my life, and you're upset at me for touching you?" Vala griped. She looked back, the towering form of the white Ori ship a startling contrast to the dilapidated, rusted grey ruins of Midgard it sat in. Why the Ori had landed here, rather than an inhabited city, was beyond her.
"Hey Daniel! Pick up a new girlfriend?" Daniel closed his eyes and felt a headache coming on. A moment later, a familiar, bouncy, female form collided and embraced him.
"Hello Yuffie," Daniel sighed. Yuffie shook her head.
"Jenova, you're such a grouch nowadays! Oh, hello! I'm Yuffie, Daniel's wife!"
Daniel's eyes shot open, and he gave Yuffie a look of horror.
"N-no! Yuffie! What the hell!" He turned back to Vala, who was starting to look amused.
"She's lying! It was-I mean-!"
"Daniel, we got married by my father, remember?" Yuffie poked Daniel's cheek playfully.
"I didn't know that at the time!"
"Details," Yuffie dismissed with a wave of her hand. Vala began laughing hysterically, holding her sides as the nature of the situation crashed down on her.
"Anyway Daniel, Shinra said that the Ori are here to wipe us all out," Yuffie switched gears. "Don't suppose you've got a plan?" Daniel looked back from watching Vala laugh herself sick, before clearing his throat.
"Um… As a matter of fact, I do…"
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Adria could not say that she'd ever been hit by lightening before. She was only a few days old, by human standards. But even so, she got the feeling that being hit by lightening another person called down upon you was a unique experience.
"They use the weapons of the Alterrans, my lady," a Prior reported, helping her to her feet. All around her, Crusaders lie, badly injured or dying. More troops scrambled about, tending to them, all the while their minds became filled with doubt in their gods.
"Indeed. They doubtless seek to use more of them against us," Adria confirmed. She closed her eyes.
"They are flying in an airship, some distance away. They have my mother and Dr. Jackson aboard." Her eyes opened.
"I want them destroyed." The Prior shook his head.
"Orici, we must summon the champion. Your consort. His will and faith in the Ori will strengthen your own, as well as that of our followers."
"My faith is strong," Adria protested. The Prior looked over at the carnage before them.
"Not strong enough. Blessed are those who walk in unison," the Prior prompted. Adria frowned.
"For they shall be made unbreakable." Adria nodded. "Then we must find another to walk with us. Where can we find him?"
"He has died several times, but one of his avatars still remains, buried deep below us," the Prior reported. "We shall bring him back… And the Oracle and the General, together, will cleanse this universe of evil… Forever!"
Dun dun, dun dun da dunnnnn!