Chapter 18
Starbuck burst into the gate room with Athena as alarms blared and the Death star shook.
"Wait.." Athena pulled back
"This place is shaking apart!" he cried, "We have to go now!"
"Its already dialed out." Athena replied suspiciously, "But not to Coruscant"
"No my dear it is not." Agreed an oily voice as a man appeared behind them, "This gate is going to Atlantis."
"Iblis!" Athena cried in alarm, "How can you be here?"
"Didn't you here me my dear? Whispering? Our cells were side by side after all." He purred.
"You were on imperial city?" demanded Athena, then realization, "Sheppard set you free!"
'Who is this guy? Whose Sheppard, whats going on?' demanded Starbuck.
"He did." Iblis chuckled ignoring Starbuck, "A terrible Jedi he makes." The man mocked in passing mockery of Yoda, "Never thinking things through, so susceptible to… suggestion."
"You won't get away from this." Athena declared, "You're going to die with this station."
"Athena we don't have time for this, this place is going to blow!" Starbuck pleaded, "We have to go!"
"No!" She cried, "No Starbuck I can't let him go. I have to stop him, he's set this up from the start its what he does."
"What are you talking about?" Demanded Starbuck baffled, catching her arm, She struggled as he dragged her towards the gate."There's no time!"
"Oh there's time." Iblis said mildly stepping closer, "The time dialation from the black hole assures this. You see Atlantis isn't where its supposed to be at all."
"Everyone hold on!" Sheppard ordered as the Jumper dodge fire from a pair of pursuing TIEs
"They're herding us right back in the direction of the Imperial fleet." Ackbar shouted pointing.
"The Imperial fleets in every direction Admiral, I'm doing the best I can. "Sheppard replied wearily, "This Jumper doesn't have hyperdrive, and the cloak's disabled, the best we can hope for is to move closer to the fleet until I think off something else."
"You'd better think fast Colonel, against those cruisers we won't last long." Ackbar observed.
"We'll last longer than we will against that death star." Lando replied, "When that baby blows it'll take out most of this fleet."
"Why are they holding position, that's got to be about a third of the imperial fleet within harms way." Mothma demanded
"Its Thrawn." Sheppard replied, "He's got them in thrall but he's too busy to tell them what to do. They're holding for orders."
"He must know he can't survive the destruction of the Death Star." Mothma whispered.
"He knows nothing of the kind." Ackbar replied sourly, "In his current state he can just ascend to a higher plane. He can draw on his followers across the galaxy."
Sheppard's console beeped. "More company coming in through hyperspace!"
"It's the Tria!" lando shouted, "And the Aurora and the Orion!"
The three Ancient ships Exploded into light as they launched their drones against the imperial fleet before them.
"Jumper to Tria, I have the admiral and the president on board." Sheppard signaled, "The Death Star's about to blow we've got to get out of here!"
"Your preaching to the choir Sheppard.." Wedge's voice came over the line, "Get your butt in her pronto while we hold them off."
"Captain Antilles we need an immediate link to high command." Ackbar said, "And the president must address the new Republic immediately."
"What have you done?" Demanded Athena still resisting Starbuck's efforts to pull her to the safety off the gate.
"Merely a thought placed in the mind of a hyperdrive technician just before the city fled." Iblis grinned, "A number changed here, a decimal point moved there. Atlantis is currently orbiting a star being consumed by a black home. A necessary stop in my rather elaborate travel plans."
"You're going somewhere in time." Athena realized, "Over a star sling shotting through a black hole…"
"And with the explosive energy from the Death star, I will be flung through reality itself." Iblis chuckled. "I almost wish you had your memory back Starbuck so you could appreciate the irony, I am about to accomplish exactly what you set out to do. This wormhole will exit in your home reality, at exactly the time I need it to complete my plans."
"Just when exactly is that?" Starbuck demanded. He paused a few steps from the gate.
"Kobol of course, you see un altered, that little tribe of primitives I was incarcerated with will ultimately annihilate themselves. I need them alive and well. My first attempt to harness their chaos with the Goa'uld failed. It seems our dear Athena couldn't quite muster the fortitude to play her part."
"You caused…" Began Athena outraged
"Stop your sniveling." Iblis snapped, "You failed, you lacked the strength to lead the survivors to Atlas. The goa'uld found it and messed things up terribly. Starbuck has set off a little chain in which you do succeed but the Stargate on Earth is dropped in the bottom of the arctic before I can utilize it properly. Earth will never even find the Stargate in this time, they use up their precious Earth and abandon it, never knowing what secrets it holds. What unfolds next will be by my design, and believe me my dear, you will suffer far less this time around, you really should be trust me on this, for I will reshape this universe. Perhaps my goals are my own, but you need not be harmed by my methods."
""The message got through sir, All forces holding position, there will be no more ambushes today." Wedge reported as Ackbar stepped out of the Jumper, "The President's message is still repeating across New Republic territory and a good portion of Imperial." He paused, "I was on my way down here sir and didn't get to see it, but my whole crew is watching it, what did she say?"
Ackbar turned and glanced at him for a moment. "She spoke the jedi mantra." He said.
"You've always had your own agenda Iblis." Athena shot back, "I could never trust you." She turned suddenly to Starbuck, "there have been four men in my life who have never let me down. Zach is gone, find Apollo and Adama, find me Starbuck, and save the universe!" She hurled Starbuck back, his foot caught Pellaeon's arm and both fell into the Stargate. Athena burst into majesty as she ascended and faced Iblis.
"You cannot stop me, "you don't have the power." He sneered then his face fell, "The shield, no!"
Athena offered one more challenge before the end
"Not the power Iblis, but the will."
The deflector shield shimmered into life around the Stargate, and the time dilation field disappeared. Iblis had time for a howl of rage as the Death Star exploded around him. Athena poured her energy into preserving the shield just a moment longer. The world disappeared in a maelstrom of white.
"Off he goes again." Adama observed standing amidst the stars with Yoda, "Athena held the shield together long enough for some of that energy to pas through the gate."
"Still echoes does Thrawn's rage, " Yoda observed shivering, "Save him it could not."
"It seems the jedi have a new role as Guardians." Adama commented, "In Cyranus, there are the Lords of kobol, for Earth there are the Ascended, here there will be Jedi."
"Do what we can, we must, to prevent, from ascending a being such as Thrawn." Yoda replied. "yet weary I am, forever sleep I will. Earned it I have."
"I will miss you my friend." Adama replied, "Too short our time has been."
"To the young, the future must belong." Yoda replied, "of spirit of course."
"Starbuck is certainly that." Adama commented fondly.
"Slowed he was by the time dilation field in the wormhole, still en route was he… When emerge he does, what then?"
"It will hurl the city itself through the void." Replied Adama, "A flying Dutchman" as Sheppard would have called it, "Not as far or wide as Iblis would prefer, only far enough for one more chance."
"Gone from this universe Iblis is." Yoda observed, "But the force calls a warning."
"Yes, my friend." Adama replied, "As long as that being exists in any universe, we are all in danger."
"Stop him Starbuck will." Yoda replied confidently, "Sense it I can. See a ship do I, and a city. A world in ruins from which reborn is hope. Unity of galaxies and peoples."
"Absolutely." Adama replied smiling. "I have no doubt of it Yoda, in whatever time or place he finds himself, Starbuck will save the universe.