Chapter 4

Negotiations

***Milky Way Galaxy (Local Spur Arm)***

**Dead Space (Colonial Fleet)**

*USS Odyssey (Bridge)*

"And why should we help you?" Adama's cold voice asked over the radio and Daniel silently thanked the fact that this wasn't a video conference as he was sure that this man had a mean looking face. His concern for his people was clearly evident, however, and Daniel respected that.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we helped you?" Mitchell snapped back, earning him a quick slap in the back of the head from Vala and a stern elbow to the ribs from Sam. Everyone knew to let Daniel handle these things.

With a concerned tone, Marks silenced the comms channel and said, "Sir, a fighter's making its way around the Galactica. Judging by the way its hugging the hull I'd be willing to bet they're trying to get a look at us without us knowing it."

"Should I be concerned?" Davidson asked.

"Well, while they'll only be able to get a visual image of the ship, it does say a lot about their tech base," Doctor Naco said as she walked onto the Bridge and nudged Marks out of his seat. Once seated in the Navigator's chair, she shifted through a few screens far too fast for anyone but Marks and Sam to follow her actions.

"How does that tell us anything?" Davidson asked as the short woman worked on the consul.

"The fact that they think a fighter hugging close to the bigger ship will hide it means that their own scanners wouldn't be able to pick up a 302 moving along the Odyssey's hull. Not that we really need to send one out, but…" Sam began.

"Thank you, Colonel," Davidson said, holding up a hand to stop yet another too-long-explanation.

A second later, the fuzzy image coming from their sensors cut off entirely as the system rebooted. "What are you doing?" Marks asked as lines of programming ran across the screen.

"Fixing the sensors," Gabi replied. True to her word, when the sensors were done rebooting, a full five minute process, the resolution was flawless and the range had been increased back up to max.

*Battlestar Galactica (Combat Information Center)*

Rounding the last corner of Galactica's hull, Starbuck came into view of the so-called 'Odyssey' and tried to get a good look at the ship without being seen. Her simple plan was to use the Galactica's large DRADIS signature to hide her viper's much smaller one. Activating her radio, Starbuck reported, "Galactica Actual, I'm in position and the camera is rolling."

"What do you see?" Adama asked, before quickly switching back to his other conversation in an attempt to stall these 'Tau'ri.' "And how do I know that you didn't 'help us' to try to trick us into helping you do something that we'll come to regret later?" Adama asked.

"What makes you think we'd do that? You have no idea who we are, and yet you won't take our word that we were helping you. Why is that?" Daniel asked. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "We'll make you a deal. There are things we need and there are things you're sure to need. Whoever it is that attacked you, I can assure you that we can help you with them."

"She looks like a small ship with three major sections," Starbuck reported, timing her response so that she spoke when 'Daniel' was finished speaking. "There's the main section that makes up the width of the ship. There's a neck coming out of the main section that makes up most of the length. Then you have what look like two hanger bays, one on either side of the main section just like the Old Girl. I'd be willing to bet that they can only launch in combat situations though. They're too small to receive fighters coming in at high speeds. That, and they're closed at the back. Judging by the glow the thermal optics are picking up from that area, I'm willing to bet they have engines attached to the underside of the hangar bays that come out the back-end. Might explain their speed."

"Copy that, Starbuck. What about weapons?" Adama asked before switching conversations again. "You asked, 'Why don't we trust you?' That would be due to the fact that, as you yourself have said, we don't know you and therefore have no reason to take your word for anything. As for your offer of help, if you're referring to that little show you put on during our last engagement, I'll say this; anything that you can do to them, you can do to us. Destroying two Baseships doesn't prove anything. Especially since your damned missiles would decimate our fleet."

"I see your point. Regardless of whether or not you believe me, we do still need help. Now the only question I have left is, is there any place we can set down for repairs nearby, or can we tag along with your fleet for the benefit of both our crews?" Daniel asked.

Before Adama could reply, Starbuck came over the radio saying, "It looks like they've got a lot of turrets for anti-fighter and missile-suppression. There are… sixteen missile tubes on the dorsal surface of the neck. I can't see where those long range weapons would be located at. All I can see looks to be short-range equipment."

"Keep looking," Adama ordered then, turning to Tigh, he added, "How long until the fleet is ready to jump?"

"Fifteen minutes," Tigh replied.

"No. There is nowhere you can set down for repairs. All habitable planets within reasonable range of FTL have been destroyed. As for joining our fleet, that's not going to happen," Adama said over the radio, completely ignoring Tigh so as to not direct anger at his old friend.

"Are you sure? How do planets get destroyed?" Daniel asked.

"I don't see anywhere for those weird guns to have fired from and I've looked everywhere. I would say that they were retracted into the hull, but I don't see any hatches or doors although there are several ventral hull emplacements that look like they could be used for planetary strikes," Starbuck said.

"Is that all?" Adama asked.

"Yeah, unless I get closer," Starbuck replied.

"Do it. We don't trust them. We have no obligation to be polite," Adama said before adding, "Yes, I'm sure. Planets get destroyed when Cylons decide to nuke them from orbit," to his other conversation

"What's a Cylon?" a female voice asked. The voice belonged to 'Vala' as evidenced by the, 'Quiet Vala,' from Doctor Jackson that quickly followed it.

"Sir… it looks like there are windows on that ship!" Starbuck said in a voice that was mixed with excitement, and, as those who knew her could easily tell, a sadistic glee. "And I do mean widows not just holes in the amour!"

Windows are a weakness, and now, if need be, they would pay for that weakness. "Alright, Starbuck, shoot some footage of the weapons systems then bring it in," Adama ordered.

"Copy that, Galactica. Starbuck out."

"Fleet status," Adama said turning to Tigh again.

"Still ten minutes left till we're ready to jump the fleet," he responded.

"So you think that playing ignorant will win us over?" Adama still refused to show anger at his crew for a situation that wasn't their fault.

***Local Cluster (Sol System)***

**Earth (Surface)**

*Stargate Command (Control Room)*

"Where is the Odyssey? That ship was due back days ago. I want to know where it is, and I want to know now!" General Landry all but shouted.

"Sir," Walter said, "the last thing we received from the Odyssey indicated that they were under attack by the Ori. It's… possible they didn't survive."

"Yeah, but if the ship was destroyed the beacon would've activated. The Black Box would've started transmitting a distress call as soon as the shields failed, and then, once the ship was destroyed, it would've sent us a sub-space message with its location so we could keep anyone from getting the tech, and put the crew to rest," Bill, the head of the SGC's R&D department when Sam wasn't around, explained.

"Then find that ship!" Landry ordered. He was relieved to hear the ship was most likely still intact though his day wasn't going all too well so he retreated to his office as the Control Room filled with activity. Walking up the metal spiral staircase, through the Briefing Room, and into his office, he eased himself into his chair though it didn't provide the peace he was looking for.

He hadn't even sat down yet when a familiar voice spoke from the shadows. "Has there been any news regarding the missing team's whereabouts?"

"We diverted the Odyssey to pick them up on their way to P3X-727. Colonel Davidson confirmed that they were safely extracted from the planet then proceeded to a site we believe to hold valuable technology for the fight against the Ori. There aren't any Gates in that area of the galaxy or I would've had them dropped off on the nearest suitable world with orders for them to return. Right now, all I can say is that they, along with the ship and her crew, are MIA," General Landry replied. "How did your own mission go?"

"We successfully fulfilled all of the assigned primary objects and nine of the ten secondary objectives. Regrettably, Ba'al had already deleted the local copy of Nirrti's data by the time we arrived. We are no closer to capturing the data used to create her super-soldiers now than we were before, but her lab has been destroyed and some of the information gained from studying the machinery there will allow us to recreate some of the data based on their functions. Lieutenant Sixo has already begun reverse engineering what he can."

"Then we can breathe easy knowing that there won't be any more freaks coming out of that lab."

"Unfortunately the data is still out there, as too is Subject Zero's self-proclaimed 'master.' If not Nirrti, than Anubis. If not Anubis than Ba'al. If not Ba'al, then one of his subordinates. The list of possible possessors is extensive, and we are running out of leads. Also, Jacqueline's condition is deteriorating daily and she is now away from her primary source of medical care."

"I know…" Landry began before the red phone on his desk rang.

"I will leave you to your business," the voice in the shadows said before preparing to depart the room.

"Colonel," Landry called after the silver-haired man who stood at the door, one hand in his pocket ready to push a button on his transmitter.

"General?" the man in question asked as he faced his superior officer, unnatural purple eyes meeting his own brown.

"Get your team geared up and ready to move on Ba'al's Death Glider production facility. I believe Colonel Jeffers will appreciate the diversion that will provide him with," Landry said as his hand poised over the red phone.

"It shall be done," the estranged Colonel said before exiting the room in a flash of white light.

Taking the time to sigh deeply and relax himself, Landry answered the phone in a falsely calm tone, "Hello?"

"Hank! Good to see ya. Well, hear ya anyway. How's the search for the Odyssey going?" The voice was clearly that of Jack O'Neill.

"Good morning, Jack," Hank said with a sigh of minor annoyance. It was way too early for him to have to deal with the younger General's antics. "Bill assures me that the ship is still in one piece."

"Why the long voice? That actually sounded like good news."

"Not really. That could mean that the ship and its crew are now in the hands of the Ori. That, or they're stranded in space and will eventually run out of supplies. Both scenarios are bad."

"You don't have to be such a downer. While I do see your point, you need to have some faith, Hank. I know that you haven't known the gang for as long as I have, but come on! Everyone knows that Carter's onboard, which means that if the ship is damaged she'll fix it."

"I'll have to take your word for it, Jack."

"Just trust me. If that ship is damaged, Carter will fix it. Come on, Hank, she had a hand in designing all of the systems on the ship and she took care of the Odyssey when the Lucian Alliance tried to steal it. Just chin up and have a little faith."

"Alright, Jack, I know you care and all, but why did you really call?"

"It's the Asgard. We received an 'urgent communiqué from the Asgard High Council' via subspace transmission a few hours ago. They sent it over that weird stone thing that they gave us the last time we were in Ida."

"What do they need our help with now?"

"That's just it. They don't. Thor says that they want to help us this time. We told him about the Odyssey and he said he can have a ship in the Milky Way within the week."

"That's great!" Landry exclaimed before adding, "Finally we get some good news from those guys," in a more annoyed tone.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, but, as always, there's a catch."

"I should've known. What is it this time? They want to run more experiments with our DNA?" Landry added referring to the rouge Asgard scientist, Loki, who had abducted and experimented on Jack a few years back.

Changing his tone to one of annoyance at that particular memory being brought up yet again, Jack said, "Thor said that, once they find the Odyssey, they'll be taking her back to Ida. He won't say why, but he assured us that he needs the ship to finish his plan, and that nothing else will work. We told him to use the Daedalus, but he said it had to be the Odyssey. You know how picky they are about which ship we let them borrow," Jack ended in his usual sarcastic manner. Then he made a noise in his throat that told Landry he was shaking his head. "That, and the Daedalus is still stranded in Pegasus until they repair the damage to their systems caused by Sheppard's brilliant plan to pit the ZPM-enhanced shields of a Battlecruiser against the power of a star!"

"The Asgard are probably looking to duplicate the Odyssey's cloak. They never did figure out how to hide their ship from visual scans, although, with their jamming devices, I don't see why it would matter," Landry offered in tone that brought the conversation back to the seriousness of the situation. "That, or maybe they want to try and copy the ZPM? They're still the most powerful source of energy in the known universe."

"I don't know. He sounded more serious than that. He mentioned something about 'the fate of the Asgard race hanging in the balance.' The real bone-chiller is that I think he means it this time."

"I hope you're wrong about that, Jack. I'd hate see another of the Four Great Races vanish."

"So would I, Hank. In fact, so would the President. He gave them permission to send the ship and agreed to their terms unconditionally." By the tone in his voice, Landry could tell that Jack was worried about his good friend Thor. The Asgard never used sarcasm, nor did they joke around. It was apparently a cultural trait.