Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or Battlestar Galactica: 2003.
Another Road not Taken
Chapter11: Modern World
September 8th 2006
Cyrannus System
In orbit above Scorpia
EFS Odyssey
Main Bridge
The Odyssey exploded from hyperspace alone above the planet Scorpia and immediately accelerated into high orbit. The Odyssey had flown to an uninhabited planet outside of Earth-controlled space and picked up the Stargate there before making the final journey to the Cyrannus System, formerly occupied by the Cylons.
"Status?" Emerson questioned as he stepped onto the bridge.
"No Cylon ships detected," Marks informed. "Scans show no sign of them sir...it looks like they really did leave like they said they would."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Emerson muttered.
"Sir?" Marks asked.
"Continue scanning just in case they're still out there," Emerson ordered. "And have SG1 ready to beam to the surface with the Stargate."
"Yes sir," Marks acknowledged. "Sir, I'm picking up several debris fields in orbit...it looks like the remains of the Scorpia Shipyard and several warships matching Colonial configurations."
"Anything we can salvage?" Emerson inquired.
"Their space frames are totalled however most of their systems seem to be intact," Marks reported. "We might be able to salvage a few FTL drive cores and any ammunition left aboard. There might even be a few nukes left aboard that the Cylons neglected to take."
"Have SG teams 2, 3, 4 and 5 suited up. As soon as they are I want them to investigate those ships," Emerson gave the order. "The Galactica and the civilian recovery ships should be here in a few days so let's keep things professional, shall we?"
They still had a job to do...
September 22nd 2006
Sol System
In orbit above Earth
EFS Orion
O'Neill's Cabin
"You've got to be kidding me," Jack said in surprise.
"No sir," Carter shook her head in response. "The Daedalus intercepted an Aurora-class Lantean battleship in the void between the Milky Way and Pegasus. There were honest to god living Ancients aboard it...they've taken control of Atlantis and 'kindly' kicked us out of the city. Mister Woolsey is being tasked with being our liaison to them and the President wants you to go with him."
"Why me?" Jack asked.
"Reports indicate that the Asuran Replicators are preparing to launch an attack on Atlantis," Carter explained. "And while the Ancients are confident that the Replicators won't attack them the President isn't so convinced."
"Neither am I," Jack agreed. After all despite their technological superiority over everyone else, the Ancients had still been forced to abandon two galaxies. "Alright I'm going," he sighed and stood.
"The Daedalus leaves in an hour."
September 25th 2006
Cylon-controlled Space
Deep Space
Cylon Colony
Command Center
The mobile Cylon homeworld known simply as the Colony had left the ruins of the Graystone System and fled into deep space as soon as they stripped down everything they could carry. Already the shipyards and production facilities aboard the monstrous eagle-shaped 'Worldstar' were hard at work constructing new ships and raiders to resume their war against humanity and its allies.
There was however one single problem...
"We can't win," Simon spoke up. "Not with our current level of technology...the Tau'ri nuclear weapons alone are simply too powerful...and their fleet is growing."
"Agreed," D'Anna nodded. "So what do we do?" she asked the question.
"I believe I can answer that question,"Cavil said with a smirk. "Bring in the prisoner," he ordered and several centurions entered the room, dragging what looked like a bloodied human with them.
"Is this thing...him?" Caprica Six asked nervously.
"I am Lord Baal," the bloodied figure declared. "You will pay dearly for what you have done to me, you abominations," he said as his eyes suddenly glowed.
"The Tau'ri already defeated you," Cavil sneered. "And they are too powerful for us to face as we are now...you told us how to jump through the Jaffa and Asgard ships' shields and even gave us the location of Jaffa and Human worlds in this galaxy. Yet you neglected to tell us the threat that the Tau'ri posed!"
"It's not my fault that you were so weak," Baal spat at him.
"You will help us again...not to save your own life, not to re-establish your empire...but to get revenge on the Tau'ri," Cavil with a look of disgust. Revenge...it was such a human concept.
"It's a tempting offer but I'll need more than that," Baal sneered back.
"Oh you'll tell us what we want to know...one way or another."
January 22nd 2007
Sol System
In orbit above Earth
EFS Orion
O'Neill's Cabin
"How did you like your stay at Atlantis, General?" Carter asked him as he sat down at his desk.
"The Ancients are idiots," Jack responded. "Have you read my report? The Replicators came in, kicked their asses and took control of the city. Then Sheppard and Doctor Weir show up on a half-assed mission to save my ass and Woolsey—against orders might I add—and clean up yet another one of Ancients' messes!"
"...Is that all sir?" Carter asked trying not to wince.
"The good news is we got three fully charged ZPMs out of it," Jack sighed in gratitude for that gift. "Atlantis is keeping them so the city is fully powered and we still have the ZPM from Kobol powering the Antarctic chair so we're fine for now. That leaves only one problem...have you seen these pictures?" he handed her the photographs on his desk.
"The Replicators are building warships," Carter nodded when she saw the pictures.
"The Daedalus took those on her way back to Earth during the last few supply runs," Jack told her. "They're building cruisers and Aurora-class battleships...they're not making a run on Atlantis this time."
"They're going to target Earth," Carter guessed.
"I have the IOA, the Joint Chiefs and even the President on my ass because of this. That's why this morning on my authority I ordered the Apollo launched and outfitted with the new Horizon Weapons Platform," Jack explained.
"The Horizon?" Carter sent him a look that said it all. "I thought we had gotten passed using nuclear weapons to solve our problems."
"I agree but you know as well as I do the number of lives that will be lost if we do nothing about those ships," Jack responded. "The Apollo will make a stop at Atlantis and coordinate with Sheppard and his team before making the final trip to the planet Asuras...and nuke it from orbit."
"...You know the Tollan were partially right about us," Carter said after a moment of silence. "They thought we would destroy ourselves but we didn't...we've just been destroying everyone else."
"And look at where it's got us," Jack gestured around the room. "Earth is mostly united and is probably the most advanced human world in two galaxies. The Goa'uld are gone, the Milky Way Replicators are gone and the Cylons have retreated back into their space. The Wraith are facing extinction and now we're dealing with more Pegasus Replicators."
"Still...the Horizon..." Carter trailed off.
"The Asgard may not like how we do things but they do agree that these Replicators need to be stopped," Jack concluded.
February 5th 2007
Lantean System
Lantea
Atlantis
Conference Room
"Ever since the Replicators made a play for the city we've had the Daedalus make regular reconnaissance flybys of their homeworld," Colonel Abraham Elis, commander of the Apollo spoke as the senior staff of the Atlantis Expedition looked over the photos on their desks.
"Yes we know," Weir acknowledged.
"Two months ago they took these pictures," Elis continued as the screen behind them flickered on, displaying another image.
"I'm sorry, what are we supposed to be looking at here?" Weir inquired.
"Nothing," Elis replied.
"Excuse me?" Weir asked.
"This image was taken about three weeks ago in the exact same location," Elis said as he gestured to the screen where several new structures were seen. "They're building ships...a lot of them," he stated.
"Why weren't we made aware of this?" Colonel John Sheppard asked him.
"I'm making you aware of them now," Elis responded.
"Well if they're coming for us then we should make preparations to bolster the shield; we should-" Doctor Rodney McKay started.
"They're not going to get here," Elis interrupted. "I'm here to inform you that in precisely twelve hours the Apollo in consort with your team will launch a surgical strike against the Replicator homeworld."
Silence...
"So you're going to blow up their ships?" Sheppard asked.
"That's right," Elis confirmed.
"Just like that?" Weir asked.
"Just like that," Elis nodded.
"How the hell do you plan on doing that?" Rodney asked in disbelief.
"A set of Mark IX tactical nukes, housed in a custom made weapon platform codenamed Horizon," Elis answered.
"How many nukes do you have?" Sheppard asked him.
"The Horizon carries six warheads and four decoys. I'm going to need you to do a final inspection before we head out," Elis told them.
"Wow, wow, wait...six?" Rodney asked amused.
"That's right," Elis confirmed.
"That's not enough," Sheppard said simply.
"The Replicators are self-replicating robots so that means they can..." Rodney spoke up.
"I'm aware of that Doctor but they're not like the Milky Way Replicators," Elis countered. "Their ships aren't built from nano-cells; they're constructed of real material that can be destroyed. Six will be more than enough for now," he continued.
"For now?" Rodney asked. "Isn't this like poking a sleeping dragon? Why not just wait Area 51 finishes the PWARWs?"
"Which one is that again?" Weir asked.
"Planet-wide Anti-Replicator weapons," Sheppard answered.
"Look the Asgard are capable of creating a satellite that could take out an entire Replicator planet," Rodney explained. "We had some trouble making one of our own but-".
"Look," Elis cut in. "Would I prefer taking out the entire planet? Absolutely; but this image is given the IOA a lot of sleepless nights. The Replicators know the location of Earth and with these new ships have the means to get there. We can't just sit on our hands while the guys at Area 51 try to come up with a solution. This mission's primary objective is to neutralise key military targets; we'll come back and finish once the new weapon is up and running. Doctor Rodney, I'm going to need you to start your inspection as soon as possible."
"Alright, sure I-" Rodney sighed.
"Elis to Apollo," the Colonel said into his radio. "Doctor McKay is ready to beam," a few seconds later Rodney disappeared in a column of light. "Okay...we're finished here, thank you," he concluded before quietly picking up the photos and leaving the room.
"Can you believe this?" Weir asked once he left and turned towards the image still displayed on the screen.
"I know...it seems too good to be true," Sheppard commented causing her to look at him in surprise.
"What?" she asked surprised at his words.
"Well if those nukes do what Elis says they're going to do," Sheppard started.
"Since we won back the city we haven't heard so much as a peep from the Replicators," Weir countered.
"Well obviously they haven't gone away," Sheppard said back.
"No...but maybe they think we're more trouble than we're worth," Weir responded. "The threat of our AR weapons is enough to keep them at bay for awhile."
"They don't build that many ships to make a run on Atlantis," Sheppard countered. "They're heading for Earth," he finished as he stood.
Author's Notes:
As you can see SGA still follows canon and will mostly be unchanged except for the notable presence of all three ZPMs remaining at Atlantis following the Asuran capture of the city. The Orion now operates as Earth's flagship under the command of General Jack O'Neill and will remain in orbit of Earth for the time being.
I bet at some of you were wondering where Baal was during the Second Cylon War so here is your answer. He is the one who has been giving the Cylons knowledge on the weaknesses of the Goa'uld and the Asgard along with the locations of Human and Jaffa worlds. However Baal doesn't know any major weaknesses in the Tau'ri Fleet other than the fact that they don't use energy weapons (other than a single volley's worth of Ancient drones).
Baal also told them about the Antarctic weapons platform which is the reason that the Cylons split their forces into two fleets at the Battle of Earth. The first wave was a decoy designed to wear the Tau'ri defences down, including the Antarctic chair however they didn't account for the Asgard and the Colonials aiding them Tau'ri during the battle.
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