Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or Battlestar Galactica: 2003.
Another Road not Taken
Chapter12: First Strike
February 6th 2007
Asuran System
Hyperspace
EFS Apollo
Main Bridge
"Alright, Horizon is online, the warheads are armed and we are ready for final sequencing the moment we drop out of hyperspace," Rodney said through the comm.
"Start now," Elis ordered. "Open the bomb bay doors."
"We're still in hyperspace," Rodney brought up.
"We're coming out of our jump uncomfortably close to the planet," Elis explained. "I don't want any mucking about, just get it done."
"...You're the boss," Rodney sighed. "Ready to launch on your command...are you sure about this? Like this is the right thing to do?"
"Not the best time for that kind of talk Doctor," Elis responded.
"Alright," Rodney sighed.
"We're coming out of hyperspace in five...four...three...two...one," Captain Pat Meyers said from the seat to his right. The Apollo tore its way back into normal space above orange and green planet below.
"Launch the Horizon," Elis ordered.
The Horizon Weapons Platform as the Tau'ri had named it was developed as a means to attack planets and deal maximum damage with minimal resources. Originally it was based off of Cylon cluster missile canisters like the ones they dropped on the Twelve Colonies and the Tau'ri had taken the design as well as their missile configurations and made it their own. This was the result...
The Apollo accelerated into orbit and dropped the torpedo-like weapon of mass destruction towards the planet surface. It passed through the atmosphere in a matter of seconds and its nose peeled away allowing its ten missiles to launch out from it in all directions. Six large Naquadria-boosted thermonuclear detonations riddled the planet surface where the Asuran shipyards were located, incinerating everything they touched and bathing the area in nuclear fire.
"We have detonation confirmation on all six warheads," Rodney reported.
"Sheppard, you have a go for launch," Elis gave the order
"Copy that," Sheppard responded through the comm. "I'm clear," a small Puddle Jumper launched from the Apollo's port hangar bay and cloaked a second later.
"Very well," Elis acknowledged. "We'll pick you up in an hour," he turned to his XO and nodded. "Get us out of here," he ordered.
February 7th 2007
Lantean System
Lantea
Atlantis
Control Room
"Welcome back," Weir said as she walked up the stairs to the balcony.
"Thanks," Sheppard nodded with a brief smile.
"I hear that congratulations are in order," Weir brought up.
"You heard right," Sheppard nodded in confirmation as Teyla and Ronon appeared behind Weir.
"How was the mission? Was it a success?" Teyla asked.
"We did get all the ships," Sheppard nodded again.
"I wish I could have been there to see it," Ronon smirked at the news.
"Space battles are always more interesting on TV than in real life," Sheppard shrugged.
"Doctor Weir," a technician spoke up from the balcony. "You're going to want to see this," he called them over to a screen displaying several planet Lantea and everything on orbit. "We've got a contact; it just came out of hyperspace."
"Is it broadcasting IFF?" Weir asked concerned.
"No ma'am," the technician denied.
"Wraith?" Ronon questioned.
"It's very small; I doubt it," the technician responded.
"Raise the shield," Weir ordered.
"It's taking up a geosynchronous orbit above the city," the technician informed.
"What is it?" Teyla asked as she looked at the image.
"Maybe we should have the Apollo check it out," Sheppard suggested.
"Tell the Colonel he needs to get back to his ship," Weir gave the order.
"Okay, I've got a visual," Colonel Elis reported from aboard the Apollo. "It looks like s satellite of some sort...it's a Stargate."
"A Stargate?" Sheppard asked.
"That's right," Elis confirmed.
"I thought you said it was a satellite?" Sheppard questioned.
"It's both," Elis explained. "It's a satellite but in the middle is a Stargate."
"What could be the purpose of that?" Weir asked.
"I have no idea," Rodney responded as he looked over the readings.
"It's just activated," Elis informed them.
"The gate?" Sheppard asked suddenly wary.
"Ma'am it just fired some kind of laser beam at the Apollo," a technician reported. "It's changing position and targeting the planet," a beam of red energy suddenly slammed down on the city's shield. "It's a sustained beam," he added.
"That is bad for a dozen different reasons," Rodney said worried. "The Apollo is firing on the satellite."
"It's protected by a shield," Elis spoke up. "Give me some options McKay."
"The shield is taking it power from the beam," Rodney explained. "I read a slight drop in output when you fired on it."
"Can we get a nuke passed its shields?" Elis asked.
"No, probably not," Rodney replied.
"I'll get down to chair and we'll hit it with everything we've got. Hopefully it will collapse that thing's shield," Sheppard spoke up.
"I said slight drop," Rodney interrupted. "Point zero, zero two...look no amount of firepower is going to be enough to collapse the satellite's shield."
"Then what do we do?" Elis asked the question.
"We stand down and let me think is what we do. Just give me five minutes to get my bearings and I'll brief you," Rodney replied hurriedly.
"McKay, it's shooting at us," Ronon brought up.
"And the city's shields are holding...look we have plenty of time, just give me five minutes," Rodney told them.
"What have you got?" Elis asked as Rodney entered Weir's office.
"We're in trouble," Rodney said simply.
"Five minutes to figure that out? You're slipping Rodney," Sheppard observed.
"Look, the satellite is basically a stripped down ship," Rodney explained. "There's a Hyperdrive engine, a shield and a navigation system. There's a small power source which was designed to take it to its intended target and power the shield before the gate could be dialled. Once a wormhole has been established those on the dialling side fire's a beam into the Stargate and it comes out on our side. Allowing them to fire on us and power the satellite."
"That's pretty clever," Sheppard commented.
"Yes," Rodney nodded. "As long as they can keep the beam powered from home then the weapon will remain operational, and one fun added bonus is because the satellite is in such close proximity to our planet, we can't dial our Stargate. We're stuck," he continued.
"Maybe that's a good thing," Sheppard suggested. "They'll have to turn off the gate at when it reaches thirty-eight minutes cycle so if we dial our Stargate at that precise moment we can neutralise theirs."
"And if it's not pulling power from the beam anymore we can collapse its shield and destroy it," Elis added.
"Sure," Rodney shook his head at the idea. "The problem is that I don't think it will shut down in thirty-eight minutes."
"But I thought it was physically impossible for an artificial wormhole to stay open any longer," Elis said confused.
"There is one exception to that rule," Rodney countered. "The SGC has encountered attacks of this kind on their own Stargate and sadly if you pump enough energy into it then a Stargate can remain active indefinitely."
"That would require an insane amount of power," Elis commented.
"Like a black hole or an unlimited number of Zed-PMs," Rodney explained.
"So we can assume the Replicators are behind this," Weir suggested.
"I hope so," Rodney said simply.
"You hope so?" Weir asked surprised.
"Well if not then we've encountered yet another super powerful enemy," Rodney shot back.
"If it is a normal Stargate then can we still contact the dialling planet?" Weir asked suddenly.
"Well I'll need to boost a signal considerably to get through the interference but err...yes," Rodney nodded.
"Go," Weir gave the order.
"Alright...I think...I've got it," Rodney said as he stepped away from the static-filled screen. "They're responding to the transmission," he said a moved away as a familiar figure appeared on the screen.
"Oberoth," Weir said in surprise.
"Doctor Weir," the Replicator acknowledged.
"I must say I am surprised to see you," Weir admitted.
"Each of us exists within the collective," Oberoth explained. "We can be replicated many times."
"...You need to disable your weapon immediately," Weir told him.
"That is not possible," Oberoth countered.
"We had no choice but to attack you," Weir said clearly. "You were building warships that needed to be neutralised."
"And now so are you," the Replicator countered again.
"That assault was just the tip of spear," Weir declared. "We were hoping it would bring you to your senses; unless you stop this aggression then we will be forced to launch an all-out attack."
"Really? Why have you waited?" Oberoth inquired.
"The annihilation of your people is not our goal," Weir replied. "Ideally we would like a peace to exist between us but we will not sit idly by while you build ships and weapons that can be used to destroy us."
"Interesting...we feel the same way about you," Oberoth stated.
"Perhaps I should remind you that every time that we have met in battle our side has been victorious," Weir brought up.
"Elizabeth," Rodney spoke up from behind her. "They're attempting to upload a virus using the comm bandwidth; I'm able to stop it for now but-".
"Shut it down," Weir ordered and the screen turned to static before flickering off a second later. "Well that went well," she sighed.
"Yeah well...it's not one of my favourites," Rodney commented.
"What if the gate doesn't shut down at the end of the thirty-eight minute cycle?" Weir asked.
"If they're able to maintain the energy beam's intensity which I'm sure they will..." Rodney trailed off.
"How long until the shield fails?" Weir asked.
"...Thankfully we have three Zed-PMs that the Replicators installed when they last made a play for the city so...give to take a week or two," Rodney answered hopeful.
"We need a plan," Weir said simply. "...Rodney?" she asked when she saw him pause.
"Three Zed-PMs," Rodney brought his hand to his mouth. "I have a plan," he suddenly seemed cheerful again.
"Let's hear it," Weir turned her attention to him.
"The stardrive," Rodney said looking like a kid in a candy store now. "We launch the city and set course for deep space and land on another planet which the Replicators don't know about."
"Can we do that?" Weir asked surprised.
"This city was designed to fly," Rodney nodded. "With the three Zed-PMs and the new drilling platform we found on the ocean floor, we should have enough power to reach orbit and jump into hyperspace even with the energy beam straining the shield."
"Do it," Weir gave the order.
"That's it, were good," Rodney said as he looked over the readings. "Here goes nothing," he said and entered in one final command.
"Launching now," Sheppard spoke through the radio.
Atlantis slowly started to lift off the surface of the ocean even as it came under fire from the orbiting Asuran weapon satellite. It quickly flew through the clouds and escaped the planet's gravity well before making the final jump into hyperspace.
"We're clear," Rodney sighed in relief.
Author's Notes:
Like I said previously SGA will be mostly unchanged except for several notable differences such as the three ZPMs powering Atlantis during its escape from Lantea. For those of you who haven't seen BSG: the Plan then I suggest you take a look at it on YouTube or something because the cluster missile bombs they drop on the Twelve Colonies looks an awful lot like the Horizon torpedo. This shows that Earth's experiences concerning the Cylons will be reflected during the Asuran/Replicator war in the Pegasus Galaxy.
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