It turned out to be almost ridiculously easy. The Ashrak clearly had a way of communicating with each other, because they didn't run haphazardly down to the armory level. They formed two different groups, obviously planning on converging at the same time. The only problem with that was the fact that with Guardian up and running and McKay holding a device that showed the small group waiting for them exactly where they were coming from and how many from each side, they just didn't have a chance. Especially since not only did Ian have access to Ancient technology that none of the Ashrak had ever seen – much less had any defense against – and not only did he have very good reason to hate the Ashrak more than pretty much anything else in the world, but the group was also defending three children who they had absolutely no intention of letting the Ashrak anywhere near.

Ian looked over McKay's shoulder as they watched the display, and Shawn could tell by the way he was standing that there wasn't any immediate threat of the Ashrak coming around the corner.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're not the only one laying ambushes," Ian replied, his eyes still on the device in Rodney's hand. Some of our guys just took one of them out."

"Are our guys okay?" Mathews asked.

"Looks like they're all moving again."

"So are the other Ashrak," Rodney said, suddenly sounding tense. Ian nodded, too.

"They must be able to tell when one of their guys goes down."

"They're all moving this way."

"They can only come from two directions," Ian pointed out. "And it looks like they're going to do just that. If they've been here long enough to get an idea of the layout of the place, then they're going to know that, too. The advantage is ours, though, because they don't know that we know they're coming."

"Not to mention you're going to be able to pick them off one at a time as soon as they get into sight," Rodney added.

"That's the plan…" Ian looked over at the Marines who were watching both directions. "Which doesn't mean it'll turn out that easy, so look alive."

They all nodded, and eyes narrowed and guns came up a little more than they had been. They weren't going to be taking any chances – and they never relied on technology over their weapons at any rate. That's why even when the shield was up they all still carried guns.

"Here they come," Rodney hissed, backing into the doorway that Ian had chosen to use for cover.

The Marines had been placed in the perfect position to ambush from both directions, and they raised their guns, half pointed one direction, half toward the other. Ian gestured silently the direction he was going to focus on and Mathews nodded her understanding. They would kill the ones on their side, Ian was going to do his damndest to kill the others and keep one alive – at least long enough to learn something from it.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Where are they?"

The sergeant gestured to the screen, moving just a little so that Hunt could get a better view of what was going on.

"We've taken out a couple of them, and it looks like the rest are heading for the armory."

"Can we get any more help down there?"

Hunt knew that was where Brooks and Adams had left their kids, after all, and there was no way he was going to lose any child on his base.

"They know they're coming." He gestured again, showing the clumping of dots that showed the ambush already set up.

"Brooks has Ancient technology with him. They should be fine – but get some back up to them anyway. Just in case."

"Aye, aye."

OOOOOOOOOOO

The first of the Ashrak went down in a flurry of bullets. The rest of the intruders responded with bolts of energy that slammed into the concrete and steel around them, forcing all of them to cover for a moment. Ian was the first to stick his head out to find a target. A moment later his hand tensed, activating the device in his palm and the Ashrak he was directing it at suddenly seemed to explode, covering the walls and floor – as well as those Ashrak closest to it – with body parts and fluids of all colors.

That caused them all to freeze in shock – not surprisingly – and that gave Ian time enough to find another target, which he wiped out just as gruesomely.

"I thought you wanted one alive?" Shawn asked, surprised.

"I do."

He stuck his head out again, and jerked back as a blast hit the wall right above him.

"Get them!" McKay told him, his voice a couple of octaves higher than normal. He was pressed as far back from the shooting as possible, alternating between watching the screen of the device and the chunks of concrete that were being gouged out of the walls and doorway every time one of the Ashrak weapons fired.

"I'm working on it, Rodney…"

He had to see them to kill them, after all, and he didn't really want to stick his head out any more than he needed to. He looked over at the other doorway, where Mathews was, and made a motion with his hand, telling them he needed them to draw some fire. All of them nodded, and a moment later the sound of gunfire echoed through the corridor once more.

As the intruders ducked once more from the gunfire, Ian risked stepping out into the corridor to get a better sight on the group they were shooting at. He only had to see them, after all, they didn't have to be looking at him. He caught them as they were turning, obviously getting ready to turn fire. Instead they went up in a row, one, two, three, all of them exploding from the inside out. He was splattered with pieces of the intruders, but didn't stop. Instead, with the marines already switching their fire to the remaining creature, pinning it, he changed the setting on the device and froze it where it crouched. The Ashrak would have roared with fury, but it suddenly found itself unable to move.

"Got him!" Ian shouted, letting them know they needed to stop shooting.

The gunfire stopped immediately, and McKay stepped out of the doorway, looking at the device and then at the mess in the hall.

"That's the last one."

The creature wasn't moving, and Ian had his first actual look at an Ashrak up close. Nothing too crazy – it looked pretty much human, although it was wearing armor that was closer to something found on a character out of some video game than even anything that he'd ever seen on a Jaffa at their most formal.

With the Marines training their weapons on him Ian stepped closer, Shawn right beside him, his own weapon on the Ashrak as well.

"They're an ugly bunch, huh?" McKay said, just as intrigued as Ian was. He frowned at the goo that was all over Ian, but turned his attention back to the Ashrak. "Now what?"

"Now he tells me what they have against Shawn."