Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
NOTE: East Arda is Hildórien and where men awoke. The Southern Continent is known as the Hither Lands on the Map of Arda during the First Age, and it's the continent of Africa.
Onboard the Arc Royal
The Command Staff for the Arc Royal is as follows: Colonel Milan Salar, Commander; Lieutenant Colonel Henry Daniels, First Officer; Major Maria Cruz, Second Officer and Chief of Security; Captain Lara (a Female Naring), Pilot; Captain Adon (Male Vella), Chief of Engineering; Captain Carl Maxwell, Chief Weapons Officer; Samuel Brice, Chief Petty Officer, and Arc Royal, the avatar. Doctor Lisa Connors is a civilian and the Chief Medical Officer.
The bridge is on deck 5 and the Command Chair sits on a round platform in the center of the bridge with a command console on both sides of the Command Chair; where the Commander can access all the ship systems at once, which will appear in front of him or her in a holographic display. The pilot's station is front and center with a station on it's left and right. Those three stations are between a large vertical view screen that extends from the deck to the ceiling and ends at the two vertical reinforced shield emitters, which also extends from the desk to the ceiling.
The Weapons Control Center is left of the Command Chair and is manned by two officers; and on the right of the Command Chair is the Engineering Control Center, also manned by two officers – and Operations is part of Engineering and not a separate department. These two Control Centers extend the length of the bulk heads, and all stations and consoles are sleek and black and none are embedded in the bulk heads.
To the aft of the of the bridge is the conference room that seats ten and the Commander's office is next to the conference room. The Second Officer's conference rooms is part of his or her office; and the Commander's and First Officer's quarters are also on deck 5.
xxx
"Take us out of the hanger Captain Lara," Salar said sitting in her chair.
"Yes ma'am," she replied with a smile and engaged the thrusters.
Lt. Colonel Daniels and Major Cruz were also on the bridge.
"We're in open space Colonel," Lara said.
"Engage the hyper drive," she replied.
"Yes ma'am," Lara said and opened a window to hyperspace and the Arc Royal jumped in.
xxx
"How was your shakedown cruise?" General Boro asked Salar a week later.
"Everything worked splendidly sir," she answered with a smile.
"Here are yours and Colonel Daniels' new orders," he said and handed her a tablet.
"Thank you sir," she replied.
"Dismissed," he said.
xxx
Colonel Salar's Office
Colonel's Salar and Daniels were ordered to draw up a battle plan for Operation Retribution by General Boro.
"What the hell is that thing?" Daniels asked.
"It's called Angband and it's where the fallen angel lives underground," Salar answered.
"I'm not surprised," Daniels said, and knew that throughout history most dictators and despots hide underground during wartime.
"Those three peaks are hollow and slag and other foul things come through them. Angband is very large and has many levels and underground bunkers. They're also hideous monsters and other things in there. The fallen angels' army is what everyone calls orcs," Salar told Daniels.
"They lost to those things?" Daniels asked with a raised eyebrow after seeing what an orc looked like.
"They were outnumbered and were betrayed by the men who fought on the side of the fallen angel, and after their victory he betrayed the men who fought for him," she answered. "The elves and men were very good at defending their own lands, but they weren't really soldiers and left their flanks vulnerable."
Daniels also noticed their vulnerable flanks and shook his head. Then he watched what the Balrogs did to men and elves after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, as it was called by the survivors. "That was disgusting," he said with angry look on his face.
"I know," she replied. "I've also studied the eagles and they only watch the elves and that'll make our job easier. The men who work for the fallen angel are located here; and they're many orcs in that area and they too will have to be dealt with."
"Is that what I think it is?" Daniels asked an hour later.
"Yes, and Gondolin fell," she answered.
"Why did it fall?" he asked.
"I'll show you," she replied.
"I'm glad it fell," he said after seeing the recording and hearing the explanation from Salar.
Colonel's Salar and Daniels studied the recordings for another week and came up with a battle plan to present to General's Dima and Boro.
xxx
General Dima's Office
"The Easterlings are here and they're orcs and other things in the surrounding mountains sirs," Salar told Dima and Boro.
"We're going to have to take care of the orcs first sirs. I'm going to set-up my command post here and we'll...," Daniels said. "Those encircling mountains are also a death trap."
The Generals agreed.
"I think we might encounter the army from Aman before we get all the humans off that planet sirs," Salar told them.
"Why do you say that Colonel?" Boro asked.
"It's just a feeling I have sir," she answered. "If we do, we'll not hinder them in any way, but they're going to have to go around us and I'm going to need someone with a higher rank to tell them that."
"Someone with a higher rank will be there to tell them that Colonel," Dima said.
"Thank you sir," she replied.
"The people in the South and East are scattered and I think we should get them out first – and as soon as possible – and lead them to a central location converging on the stargate; and we're going to have to cut through a mountain to make travel easier for the ones on the Southern Continent sirs," Daniels said.
They studied the live feeds.
"You're right Colonel," Dima said.
"The people in the Northwest live on farms or in villages and that should make our jobs easier, but they're a lot people in this coastal area living in squalor," Colonel Salar said pointing to Arvernien.
General Dima was angry after seeing how his fellow humans lived in comparison to the elves.
They discussed more details of the mission before General Dima dismissed the Colonels.
"We're going to use only one stargate Boro and we're going to start moving those people out before Colonel's Salar, Daniels and the others begin their mission," Dima said.
xxx
The 41 year old Lieutenant Colonel Frank Oliver, from Logistics, was promoted to Colonel and was handed his new orders.
Major Michael Corrina was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and he too was given his new orders. Michael Corrina is one of the Major's who applied for the position that Adam Carmichael received, and thought he got shafted. Michael Corrina is a Member of the Army Special Forces, but not Delta Force, and he rose through the ranks as a Member of a Stargate Army Special Forces Team. He's also good friends with Henry Daniels and lives with his sister Cara, and they have two children.
xxx
When Colonel Corrina entered the conference room he was surprised to see Henry Daniels and that he too is now a Lieutenant Colonel and walked over and sat next to him. "Congratulations Henry," Corrina said with a grin on his face.
"Same to you Michael," Daniels replied noticing the silver oak leafs on his collars and returned the smile. He saw Corrina looking around the room after he sat down. "Who are you looking for Michael?"
"Adam Carmichael," he answered.
"This is a classified meeting and Adam Carmichael's daddy can't help his son anymore," Daniels said.
"That's true," Corrina replied and laughed.
"When are you going to marry my sister?" Henry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I proposed to her last month and she accepted," he answered.
"It's about time," Henry said smiling.
xxx
"Colonel," Frank Oliver said when he sat next to the only female Colonel in the room.
"Colonel," she replied. "I'm Milan Salar."
"I'm Frank Oliver," he said.
"Ten hut," a Major said when he walked into the room followed by General's Dima, Boro and Thos (an Iden). General Thos is a Major General (2 stars).
Everyone stood at attention.
"At ease," Dima said after he, Boro and Thos took their seats on the dais.
xxx
Lieutenant Colonel Adam Carmichael was surprised to see Colonel Salar walk into the mess talking to another Colonel he didn't know and they were followed by Lieutenant Colonel's Corrina, Daniels and six others. He'd heard that Colonel Salar is the Commander of her own ship and Henry Daniels is her First Officer, and saw a few officers congratulate Corrina and Daniels on their promotions. Adam Carmichael got up from his table and left the mess.
xxx
"Good luck Colonel," General Ming said to Frank Oliver a few weeks later.
"Thank you General," he replied.
"Dial Gaia Corporal," she said.
"Yes ma'am," he replied, and the chevrons began to encode.
xxx
"Welcome to Gaia Colonel," Major Naya (an Aldan) said after saluting her boss.
"Thank you Major," he replied. "Is everything up on running?"
"Yes sir, right this way," she answered.
Colonel Oliver saw a large tent city as far as the eye could see. When he arrived at his tent, he stowed his gear and walked to the Officer's mess with Major Naya.
"Here are the schematics for the tent city sir. As you can see, they're many communal baths and mess tents," she said during lunch.
Colonel Oliver studied the schematics. "When these people start arriving and after they've settle in, I want them to help prepare their own food and they're to be shown how to clean their baths, which must be cleaned daily," he told his aide.
"Yes sir," she said.
The next day Colonel Oliver, Major Naya and others toured the continent where the humans from Arda will call home. The Colonel suspected that the ones who lived by the sea will also want to live by the sea on Gaia, and the ones who lived in the forest will want to live in a forest on their new home. He saw the Wraith culling on Arda and some of the other classified intelligence and it sickened him – and he's glad for the Henry Daniels of the world.
xxx
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Corrina and his Team were transported to one of the cargo bays aboard the Fitzgerald, a Logistics vessel. When they arrived Corrina went over the cargo manifest with Major Johnson before they departed. Colonel Corrina and his Team were chosen for this assignment because they're expert horsemen and women.
When the Fitzgerald arrived above Arda, Members of the Army Corp of Engineers and their security team were transported to the Southern Continent to cut through a mountain; and no one saw the stargate being transported to the planet, nor the others when they arrived because they were cloaked. The stargate was located in the central part on East Arda and out of the sight of the locals, and was well guarded.
Colonel Corrina and his Team were transported to the Northern part of East Arda and Major Simon Howard and his Team were transported to the Southern part of East Arda.
xxx
"Who are they?" a man asked a few days later when he saw riders riding towards them.
"Hello," one rider said when he and his men and women rode up to them.
"Who are you?" the village elder asked.
"We're the others," the lead rider answered.
"You're mortals," the village elder said with wide-eyed surprise and heard murmurs from his people, and noticed the others clothes were different and they had strange things he'd never seen before.
'Yes we are, and we've come to take you to your new home," the rider answered.
"How are we going to get there?" a woman walked up and asked.
"Through one of the strange things," another man answered. "My mother told me before she died that you'll come for us and save us from the white light and we could trust you.
"Your mother was right sir, and the white light will not hurt any of you again, and the strange thing is a few days ride from here," the rider said and got off his horse. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Michael Corrina."
"I'm Goran, the villager elder," a man replied, who was standing close to the Colonel.
Colonel Corrina told Goran that other riders were escorting the remaining people in the South to the strange thing; and the wagons they brought with them have plenty of food, blankets and water for their journey.
Goran thanked the Colonel and told his people to pack.
The villagers packed their meager belongings and were ready to leave a few hours later. If anyone was watching Hildórien they would've seen the Atani being escorted by the others and were traveling to the stargate from the north and the south. However, no one was paying attention to the Atani in Hildórien.
During their journey South the women and girls prepared the meals and Goran and the other men ate with the Colonel and asked him many questions. Some questions the Colonel answered, but he told them their other questions will be answered when they arrive at their new home.
The women and girls thought it was strange the some of the female soldiers told some of the men what to do, and they did what they were told.
xxx
"This is the strange thing?" Goran asked wide-eyed a few days later. He'd never seen anything like it before.
"Yes it is sir," Corrina answered.
The Atani were awed by the strange thing and many were frightened and apprehensive and were surprised to see other mortals guarding it and they were also dressed the same way.
"You have only a few hundred people with you Major," Corrina said to Howard when he walked up to him after they arrived an hour later."
"Two-hundred and twenty-six sir, and this is all the Wraith left after their second culling," he answered. "How many do you have sir?"
"Only a little over a hundred more than you do," Corrina answered. "Let's get these people out of here."
"Yes sir," Howard said.
Colonel Corrina explained that the strange thing is called a stargate and how its works. "Who wants to go first?" he asked.
"I'll go first," the man who's mother told him about the others.
"My father told me about you and the strange thing and I'll go with him," a woman from the South said.
"They're other mortals waiting for you on the other side and they're show you around your new home, and when the two of you return you can tell the others," Corrina said.
They agreed.
"Dial the gate Sargent," Corrina said.
"Yes sir," he replied and started dialing the stargate.
The Atani jumped back when the event horizon shot out and watched as it came to rest. The woman from the South took a female soldiers hand and a male soldier took the man's hand and they walked through the stargate together. When they reached the other side, they were welcomed by other mortals with open arms.
xxx
The Atani jumped back again when the event horizon opened and they saw the woman and man walked though the stargate with their escorts and they had smiles on their faces.
"How's our new home Goran?" a male villager asked.
"It's beautiful, but very different," he answered smiling and told them what they saw.
"How are our horses getting to our new home?" a man from Southern Hildórien asked.
"Another strange thing," Corrina answered and noticed no one asked what it was. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," Goran answered, speaking for all of them.
Colonel Oliver watched from a distance as the first humans from Arda walked through the stargate...and his heart broke when he saw those ragged people. The Colonel saw the awe on their faces when they looked around and their smiles when their fellow mortals greeted them and welcomed them to their new home.
After everyone settled in they were taken to one of the barns near-by to retrieve their belongings.
The next morning Goran and the other village elders from the North and South were introduced to the Colonel and had breakfast with him. The Colonel asked them where they wanted to live and they told him they all wanted to live by the sea.
The Colonel smiled.
xxx
Major Simon Howard and his Team were transported to the Southern Continent a week later. The Atani were also surprised to see that the others were mortals like themselves. They were shocked when they were escorted to a mountain and saw a hole in it which they could walk through and wondered how it got there...and saw others like themselves when they arrived on the other side. The elders of the villages asked the Major many questions each evening during dinner and he answered the ones he could. They also thanked him for providing food and water while they were traveling to the strange thing.
Major Howard explained to them when they arrived at their destination – after the murmurs ceased – how the strange thing worked. He also reassured them that the strange thing will not hurt them and that they too travel through one all the time, and saw the relief on many of their faces.
A few volunteers walked through the stargate with a few soldiers and returned a few hours later and told their people what was waiting for them on the other side. After everyone walked through the stargate, with some trepidation, Major Howard, his Team and the stargate were transported aboard the Fitzgerald over a month later.
The Fleet above Atlantis engaged their cloaks and wormhole drives when they received word that Major Howard had returned to the Fitzgerald.
xxx
"The ship is yours Major," Salar said when they arrived above Arda.
"Yes ma'am," she replied and watched her Commander leave the bridge. Major Cruz knew everyone will be there awhile.
"Welcome to your Command Post Colonel," Lieutenant Colonel Rana Shaw from Logistics said, saluting when Colonel Salar was transported somewhere in Arda.
"At ease Colonel," Salar said and looked around at the large tent city. "I see everything is up and running."
"Yes ma'am. Right this way Colonel," Shaw replied and escorted the Colonel to her tent.
After Colonel Salar was transported to the surface, Lt. Colonel Michael Corrina and his Team were transported to Arda very close to their destination.
xxx
Elin looked up from what she was doing when she heard horses and saw many riders and wondered who they were. It had been years since any of them have seen another mortal.
"Hello ma'am," the lead rider said when he rode up to her.
"Hello," Elin replied and noticed the other riders didn't move and saw many wagons and wondered where they were going.
"I believe you've been expecting us," the rider said when he got off his horse and walked up to her.
Elin looked at the man and then the other riders. "You're the others," she said, remembering what the woman in her dream told her – that they'll recognize the others when they see them.
"Yes we are," he replied smiling at her.
"Elin, what's wrong?" Eleanor asked when she saw the look on her face when she walked up to her.
"Nothing," she answered still staring at the man. "Run and tell Balin the others are here."
Eleanor ran to the river where the men were talking and having tea while the women were preparing lunch. "The others have arrived and they're talking to Elin," Eleanor told everyone.
"The others are here?" Haldor asked surprised.
"Yes father," Eleanor answered excitedly.
"Let's go," Balin said and everyone ran to Elin.
They stopped when they saw the riders were mortals and many had their mouths hanging open.
"Elin," Balin said when he walked up to her.
"Balin, this is Lt. Colonel Michael Corrina," Elin replied, still stunned.
"Hello sir," Corrina said.
"Hello," Balin replied looking him and the others on their horses. "We were just about to have lunch, would all of you like to join us?" he asked.
"We don't want to put you out sir," the Colonel answered.
"There's plenty of food," Elin said, finally smiling.
"We accept ma'am," he replied.
Everyone stared at the others when they arrived at the river and got off their horses and out of their wagons.
"Are you really mortals like we are?" Delmar asked when he walked up to them.
"Yes we are," Corrina answered. "But we don't call ourselves mortals – even though we're all mortal. We call ourselves humans, or human beings, and we're all part of the human race, including all of you."
xxx
"What kind of name is Lieutenant Colonel?" Balin asked Corrina during lunch.
"It's a military rank sir and we're all soldiers and part of a vast army," Corrina answered and explained the ranks in the military.
"You're soldiers?" Haldor asked surprised.
"Yes we are sir," Corrina answered.
"Including the females?" Elin asked, looking around at the female soldiers.
"Yes ma'am," Corrina answered.
"You allow females to fight," one of Balin's men folk asked with a shocked look on his face.
"They've been soldiers for many hundreds of years and our Supreme Commander is a female," Corrina answered.
Murmurs among the Atani and Elin, Eleanor and many of the other women smiled.
"What are those things all of you have across your backs and around your waists?" Eleanor asked.
"They're our weapons," Corrina answered.
"Where are your bows, arrows and swords?" Delmar asked.
"We don't use those anymore and we haven't for a very long time. Warfare has changed and we fight what we call modern warfare. Wars are now very complicated because of the strange things we use, and they must be planned to the last detail and you have to know everything about your enemy before the first shot is fired. The weapons used in modern warfare are very devastating and you never want to see what they can do," Corrina answered.
"Why do you use them?" Balin asked.
"We grew up with them and that's all we know; but to use these weapons one must be a soldier and you need permission to do so," Corrina answered.
"What are the things called across your backs and around your waists?" one of Elin's folk asked.
"Guns," Corrina answered.
xxx
"What is our new home like?" Elin said.
"It's very beautiful, yet very different from here, and they're two moons above your planet and one is habitable – that means you can live on it," Corrina replied.
"When?" Eleanor asked with a bright smile on her face.
"Not for a while yet," Corrina answered returning the smile. "When you arrive at your new home other humans will be waiting for you and help you get settled. We're also going to give each of your children an education because there's a lot they need to learn and it's going to help them in the future."
"Will we be safe from the white light?" Haldor asked.
"Yes you will sir and the white light will never hurt any of you again," Corrina answered. "The white light has been around a long time and it's very old and extremely hard to kill. No one has seen the white light for many hundreds of years – until now – and we don't know how the white light found you, but they did; and the woman in your dreams was not suppose to interfere."
"But she saved us," one of Elin's folk said.
"I know, and she did that because you're humans and she loves all of you very much," Corrina answered.
"The woman in my dreams told me you're going to war with the white light," Elin said.
"Yes we are ma'am, when we find it," Corrina replied.
"When you go to war with the white light, can I come with you?" Haldor asked. "The white light killed my wife and I want to see you kill it."
"That's not going to bring your wife back sir," Corrina said sympathetically. "When we go to war with the white light that's going to be very ugly and you don't want to see that."
"How did a female become your Supreme Commander?" Balin asked.
"She earned that position and was chosen by our President," Corrina answered and told them about their system of government after seeing the confused looks on their faces at the word President.
"The people rule?" Haldor asked surprised.
"Yes we do, and we always have through our elected representatives," Corrina answered. "No one is given anything where we come from and everyone earns everything they get, and the Rule of Law is paramount, and no one is above the law, no matter their position."
"Your ways are strange," one of Balin's folk said.
"Not to us," Corrina answered smiling at the woman.