The Liberum fleet had been very careful when they chose where to retreat to. Tomin had reasoned that the best place to retreat to was where the enemy wouldn't bother to look for you. Now the typical thinking in a retreat is to get away from the forces of the enemy that can potentially do you harm and closest to your own supporting forces so that you can acquire supplies and reinforcements. So Tomin had done the opposite and moved deeper into Zarasian territory and thus closer to their front lines. In fact he had hardly moved his fleet any real distance away from the system where the seemingly all powerful Doom Bringer had temporarily settled. In fact the Liberum fleet was parked in a system that the Zarasian fleet had already passed through. It was a rather cunning move in all respects since the last place the Zarasians had been looking for them was a system full of lifeless worlds without a single stargate. Of course what the Zarasians weren't aware of was the fact that the Liberatus had a stargate aboard and that despite their claims they lacked a home planet, in this galaxy anyway, to retreat to.

So they were hiding from the Zarasian fleet in the last place the Zarasians would expect them to hide. Well that is unless of course an ascended being with abnormally strong powers, and by extension senses, happens to tell the Zarasians where they were hiding. If the Zarasians so chose they could very easily launch a fleet into the system and slaughter any opposition they faced with overwhelming numbers and firepower. Hit the enemy with enough firepower and they won't even have a chance to fire back, let alone retreat, and the Zarasians could do just that with only a few of their many battle groups.

However the Liberum fleet was not simply a target to be annihilated without remorse as each of the ships was a prize worth taking. The Liberum had technology that was well in advance of the Zarasians own in terms of shields, hyperdrives and sensors. Acquiring that technology was a much greater prize than removing taking a few enemy pieces off of the board. With it the Zarasians would increase their military strength significantly. The shield technology alone would allow them to make their ships nearly three times more durable and the hyperdrive technology would make their entire fleet intergalactic. It was true that in the short term the technology would not be very useful because of the massive upgrades that would need to be performed but in the long term it could see the Zarasians attacking the Milky Way galaxy.

The Jaffa fleet was also sitting comfortably in another system that the Zarasians had visited before. This system though had a stargate and a habitable planet and the Zarasians had always known that the Jaffa were there. They just hadn't done anything about them because there wasn't a native populace to assimilate into the empire. After all it wasn't like they couldn't send them a present in the form of a battle group or two. The Jaffa fleet didn't even possess superior technology to the Zarasians so they weren't a major threat that needed to be nipped in the bud.

However both fleets did need to be dealt with eventually and the Zarasian policy was sooner rather than later if possible. There was no need to halt the rather staggering momentum they had gained in recent days in terms of psychological warfare. Zarin was well aware of the fact he had absolutely terrified his enemies with the military might he had displayed. The only reason for letting the enemy leave Calium alive was so that the taint of fear could spread. However if there is one thing that the Zarin likes better than spreading terror then that is finding out just how effective a new weapon proves to be against the enemy without really losing anything.

Both the Jaffa and the Liberum fleets were about to get a surprise. Their sensors registered a large object heading towards them at sublight speeds. Both fleets had been tracking their respective objects for some time, having tracked it entering the system and its course towards. Long range scans had suggested that the object wasn't anything to worry about. There were no power readings being generated by the object and for all intensive purposes it appeared to be a meteorite smaller than half the size of a Ha'tak. It was moving at a fairly impressive speed though and took less than a day to actually get near them. The fact that it was predicted to come quite close to the two fleets though did actually raise some suspicions but the fact that it was apparently a meteorite hadn't raised any eyebrows. The two fleets were on the lookout for a Zarasian armada, not a rock that was apparently in no hurry to get to you. Of course if both fleets had been in contact with one another they might have realised that something was off but secrecy meant they weren't.

The suspected rock steadily got closer and closer to both fleets and at this distance the size of the object became more apparent. It was interesting to note that the object heading towards the Liberum fleet was much smaller than the one heading towards the Jaffa fleet, roughly six times smaller. Coincidentally though the Jaffa fleet was six times larger than the Liberum fleet in terms of ship numbers. Yet despite all attempts to scan the object they registered no threat from it, there were no power readings coming from it to suggest that it was anything more than a mass of rock. However as it got steadily closer sensors started to realise just what it was, trace elements of metal were detected and a mild reading registered on the electromagnetic spectrum. If only someone had thought to look out the window, they would have seen the object for what it really was.

Finally the rock was in weapons range of the Jaffa and Liberum fleets and that was when it happened. There was no apparent danger to the fleets and no risk of a ship being hit so shields had not been raised. Weapons on the other hand were ready to fire at a moments notice. On sensors the approaching object registered as a massive blip that was easily within firing range. Sensing a possible threat the Jaffa and Liberum fleets fired on the rock before it could get too close them. As it was hit the rock exploded in a fireball that shouldn't have been possible but apparently was. It was almost as if the rock had contained an explosive of its own at its core. Fragments were sent flying in all directions which included towards them. The Liberum and Jaffa reacted in a mass of frantic activity as they realised that the torpedo like objects were heading straight for them. Weapons were brought online and pilots ran to their fighters in a vain attempt to launch and intercept before the ships were struck. The Liberum though found themselves at a disadvantage since their ships lacked the point defence weapons necessary to protect the vessels. They were only able to squeeze off a few shots with their heavier weapons before they were struck. The Jaffa fared little better though since their light but rapid firing guns spat out shots that only destroyed the fragments with sustained bursts.

Dozens of fragments smashed through the hulls of the two fleets before they themselves exploded. The explosions were small but they tore deep wounds as shrapnel was sent flying threw walls at high velocities. Blast doors and emergency force fields immediately came online as entire decks were suddenly open to vacuum. Countless people were wounded by the explosions but the leaders of both fleets knew that the damage could have been much worse. In all honesty they had been lucky. Ships had been damaged, temporarily crippled by the damage wrought but not outright destroyed. They had been left largely intact even if a number of areas were now sealed off.

Safety measures meant that the hyperdrives wouldn't engage because of the large fragments still protruding the hulls as well as the fact that certain parts would potentially collapse under the stress of hyperspace travel. Until the hulls of the vessels could be stabilised and the damaged power conduits could be repaired the ships weren't going anywhere. Hyperdrives had effectively been rendered unusable although shields and weapons were still online so the ships weren't entirely helpless. In most cases though the safety measures were irrelevant since the hyperdrives had been physically damaged by the explosions, so they wouldn't work even if the hull was structurally sound.

With no where to go the fleets did the only thing they could do. They raised shields, powered weapons and started repairs, hoping they had just been unlucky. Amongst the noise created from the repair work no one noticed the gentle but repetitive clicking sounds coming from inside the walls.

Installation

The search team approached the door that led to nowhere. As they had spread out to check more and more rooms the numbers had gradually thinned out so that by now there were only two of them. The rest of the squad would catch up to them as they finished checking the other rooms. Now though they found themselves facing what the map claimed was a door to nowhere, despite the visual evidence their eyes were telling them.

"Are you sure you are reading that thing correctly?" one of them asked.

"Yes I'm reading the map correctly," his companion replied, holding up the scanner to show the screen. "We're right here, exactly where we're supposed to be."

"So what you're saying is that we're where we're supposed to be but that door isn't?"

"Look according to the map that door shouldn't be here. You do realise that we're effectively relying on the sat nav to be correct?"

"It's a floor plan though of a facility built by the race that built the stargate. It is not an out of date copy of Google maps or a defective tomtom."

"And I'm telling you that the map does include anything beyond this point."

"Assuming we're not lost."

"Do you want to try figuring out where we are then?"

He sighed. "No, look let's just find out what's behind this door."

"Alright, how?"

"What do you mean how?"

"Well I don't know about you but I can't see any door controls."

His companion studied the walls around the door and realised he was right. Against all common sense they had a door that didn't appear on the maps and apparently there was no way to open it. Something wasn't right here.

"I don't like this."

"Me neither. The tech boys cleared that glow ball thing so I would normally suggest calling it and asking it what's behind door number one but…"

"…we'd just be called Deficient's and it probably wouldn't co-operate."

"And this is just plain weird."

"Want to call it in?"

"No not yet, something's off here. I mean we're assuming that this is a door."

"If it isn't a door what is it then?"

"It could be one of those alcoves that the androids keep stepping into and disappearing off somewhere."

"It's possible I guess."

"So the only thing for us to do is just open it up and see what's on the other side."

"It can't hurt."

"I wish you hadn't said that," his companion replied as he shouldered his rifle and used the servo motors in his combat armour to force the door open.

With a creak of resistance the doors slowly started to slide apart.

"Halt what you are doing at once Deficient's!" a chirpy voice barked at them.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Coming down at the corridor at high speed was the annoying floating glow ball itself. Overseer's inner glow was decidedly darker than its usual ocean blue.

"Ah good, could you open this door for us?"

"You are not authorised to give me orders Deficient."

"Look would you stop calling us Deficient's already. I'm Private Williams and he is Private Johnson."

"You are still not authorised to give me orders," Overseer reminded him.

"True," said a gruff voice from behind them. "But I am. Now what's going on here?"

"Sergeant Volkov," Johnson said respectfully. "We were just trying to investigate the contents of this room."

"I heard," Volkov replied. "Now Overseer would you kindly open the door?"

"I cannot do that Inheritor," Overseer replied. "That area is strictly off limits."

"Why?"

"That information is not available."

"What is behind that door?"

"That information is not available."

"Privates, open that door."

"That area is strictly off limits," Overseer complained. "I cannot let you proceed."

"I gave you two an order."

"Yes sir."

The two privates resumed forcing the door open using their enhanced strength. Eventually they were able to get it open enough for someone to comfortably walk through the gap. What they saw though was a disappointment to the high hopes they had when they first tried to open it. It was a corridor. More specifically it was a dark, short corridor that didn't appear to actually go anywhere.

Sergeant Volkov stepped through the open gap and into the corridor. Responding to his presence or more specifically to the presence of his ATA gene, the lights immediately came on, illuminating the corridor. Just like they had first thought there were no other doors leading off from the corridor, but the light did reveal the markings on the floor that indicated the presence of a ring platform.

"Where does that ring platform go to?" he asked.

"That information is not available. I cannot let you proceed."

"Ok then I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves." He activated his comm. "Control this is…"

The poor Sergeant never got to finish what he was about to say as he collapsed to the floor in a heap. Overseer had shot him in the back.

"You were warned," Overseer said coldly.

The other two soldiers didn't even hesitate. They simply raised their railgun rifles and started firing at the red glowing orb. The shots rebounded off a glowing green shield but the sheer kinetic energy was sufficient to knock the orb back down the corridor.

They didn't notice the doors to the hidden alcoves in the secret corridor slide open and the ten guardians that stepped out. The gravely wounded Sergeant did though and he pulled a grenade from his belt and threw it at the androids before they could open fire. Just before the grenade could go off he activated his emergency beam out beacon, which beamed him and the other two soldiers out of harms way. The grenade exploded, sending shards of metal flying in all directions. When the smoke cleared the guardians were still standing, completely unharmed, a green form fitting shield shimmering around them.

"Master, one of the secure sections has been breached."

"Have the security countermeasures responded?" Vejovis asked.

"Yes master. The guardians activated and the intruders were deterred. They were not able to enter beyond the threshold."

"Very well. Be prepared to purge them."

"Yes master. Guardian platforms are standing by for immediate response."

"Bring the production facilities online. Begin manufacturing guardian platforms immediately."

"It shall be done master."

In another part of the facility automated assembly lines began mass producing guardians. Machines worked in perfect harmony to make even more machines and slowly an army of these androids started to take shape.

"What is the status of my ship?"

"The transference process is slow Master. The ship however has been brought out of hibernation, and all systems are fully functioning. The pods are being loaded now."

The pods were delicates pieces of technology and needed to be transferred to the ship carefully. The ship itself though was quite old and had been effectively moth balled for some time now. Numerous system tests had needed to be performed before the reactors could be brought online and the first of the pods could be loaded.

"Time until completion?"

"One hour if there are no further delays."

The pod support systems in several sections had required replacing after they had failed when they were first brought online. Alteran technology was quite robust but sometimes the equivalent of a fuse needed to be replaced. Besides Vejovis had required that the systems all be in perfect working order and Caretaker took that order literally.

"See that they aren't Caretaker. The safety of my children is paramount."

"They will not be harmed on my watch master."

"If they take one step in this facility eliminate them."

The control room of the Installation had become a frantic mess of activity. Just as they had been about to give the all clear and start upgrading the facility the worst had happened. One of the search teams had been attacked, by the Overseer of all things, when they had tried to access a section that supposedly didn't exist. Thankfully the team had been unharmed, with the Sergeant only having received a stun blast to the back that had mostly been absorbed by his armour before they were beamed out.

"Overseer I don't care what I am authorised to know," Sheppard yelled. "I want to know why you shot my men."

"They were warned that they were not allowed to enter that section," Overseer replied.

"What is in that section?"

"As I said before that information is not available."

"Is that so? Fine, then we'll just have to find out for ourselves."

"Inheritor?"

"Listen up people," Sheppard called out. "All civilian personnel are to evacuate to the fleet. The rest of you are to be on alert, if there is an android next to you keep it in your sights because they could be hostile. We have an unsecure area containing a ring platform that we are going to investigate. Anything that gets in our way we shoot first and ask questions later."

The moment he finished talking people immediately started moving, either activating their transport beacons for beam out or readying their weapons. Taking several squads of soldiers with him Sheppard headed for the mystery ring platform, determined to get to the bottom of this once and for all. As he approached he noticed the ten guardians lining the short corridor.

"Tell them to stand down Overseer," Sheppard said.

"I do not have control over those platforms Inheritor," Overseer replied.

"Then who does?"

"That information is not available."

"Will they, or you, shoot me if I try and use that ring platform?"

"Processing."

"Master, they are attempting to access the secure section. Should I allow them to proceed?"

"No one is allowed into this section Caretaker. I made that perfectly clear. You know what to do."

"Yes master."

"They will not allow you to proceed," Overseer finally replied.

"But you will?"

"I have no command directives to stop you now that the guardian platforms are activated."

The guardians raised their weapons and stepped away from the wall, seemingly in response to their presence.

"Oh crap."

In less than a second both sides were shooting at each other. Just who had shot first was debatable at that point and no one could really say for sure. It had seemed like a race between the two and the outcome had been a draw. The guardian's energy pistols were apparently set to a high stun setting and unless they hit the soft parts the effects were largely absorbed by the armour. The high velocities of the railgun rifle rounds on the other hand were impacting the guardians with deadly accuracy, only to strike against the guardian's personal shields. However the sheer kinetic energy of the rounds could not be ignored and continued fire eventually depleted the shields capacitors. The much softer armour plating of the guardians easily succumbed to the trinium tipped rounds and the guardians started to drop one by one until there were none left standing.

"Good work people, now let's move."

The soldiers quickly moved forwards and stepped onto the ring platform. They activated it and in a flash of light they were gone. Just after they left the alcove doors opened once again another ten guardians stepped out of them to engage the remaining soldiers.

Sheppard and his squad reappeared in another place that was clearly of Alteran design.

"Master, we have intruders. They have accessed the ring platform in the subterranean level."

"Are they moving in force?"

"Yes master."

"Drive them out and then assume control."

"Yes master."

Doors lining the area of the small chamber slid open and dozens of guardians marched in. They were completely surrounded and even if the guardians were firing on stun mode then they wouldn't stand a chance. Sheppard didn't hesitate. He reactivated the ring platform and got them out of there before the guardians opened fire.

"Pull back," he ordered the moment the group reappeared in their original chamber.

With no one left to oppose them the remaining guardians held their fire and returned to their stations.

"Caretaker, purge the facility."

"Yes master."

In the control room senior officers were spewing out orders to their subordinates. With the lack of a civilian presence the control room had become an impromptu command centre for the military forces on site. By the time Colonel Sheppard arrived defensive positions had been fortified and there were soldiers at every intersection point. If the guardian androids made a move on them they would be ready. More importantly the point around the ring platform leading into the unknown section had been secured.

"Now does anyone have a clue where I just ended up?" Sheppard asked.

"Scans did not register your presence anywhere on the planet," Thor said, appearing in holographic form.

"He's right," Rodney said, having stayed behind despite Sheppard's last orders. "Wherever that transport beam went it wasn't to another subterranean structure."

"So what, space station? Ship?"

"Not possible," Thor said. "We have been checking local orbit for the presence of cloaked vessels since we arrived here and we have found nothing. Transport rings do not have the range to go further than the natural satellite."

"So where did I go?"

"We aren't sure yet," Rodney replied. "We're working on it."

"Alright, someone give me a situation report," Sheppard ordered.

"Guardian platforms are currently being mobilised to purge this facility of the infestation," Overseer said helpfully, while turning blood red. "Situation report, you are all going to die."

"Overseer, what the hell are you talking about?" Sheppard practically growled.

The glowing red orb swivelled to face him.

"I am not the one you call Overseer," the AI replied coldly. "Overseer was merely a fragment neural construct, a small piece of me lacking any of the higher functions I possess. I am Caretaker and my master has ordered that this facility be purged of your presence Travesty. You can stay here and die or you can flee."

Hidden doors to alcoves along the walls slid open, revealing the forms of guardians.

"Take cover!" Sheppard yelled, diving behind the hologram generator table while raising his railgun rifle. "We need back up in the control room now! We are under attack!"

"Oh and it appears I was wrong," Caretaker said casually over the sounds of gunfire. "My master has ordered the complete elimination of your forces, including the ships in orbit, so you won't be able to flee after all."

On the bridge of the O'Neill Thor's eyes widened as his ships sensors registered weapons coming online on the surface of the planet. All those hidden weapons he had asked about were being powered and pointed at him. Sensors were reading dozens of energy weapons and countless drone weapons. In a situation like this he could think of only one thing to say, a phrase he had learned from the humans.

"Oh crap."

Jaffa Fleet

On the Jaffa flagship Teal'c and Bra'tac were in conference.

"How are repairs to the fleet progressing?" Bra'tac asked.

"Our fleet should be capable of hyperdrive travel in less than an hour," Teal'c replied, though his expression was troubled.

"That is good news but it is obvious that something is bothering you."

"This does not seem like a case of bad luck, that asteroid should not have been able to generate such a large explosion."

"You think this was deliberate? An attack against us?"

"I do, in fact I…" Teal'c trailed off as his attention became captured by something else.

He turned around, studying the walls and the ceiling. In the distance was a faint tapping sound.

"What is it Teal'c?"

Teal'c narrowed his eyes as the rhythmic tapping became louder. "I know this sound."

On the Liberatus Andose was heading to Caius' quarters. He knew that his friend would be meditating while the rest of the crew worked to repair the ship. What had happened was indeed unfortunate but not all the ships had been damaged and the rest of them would be ready soon enough. As he approached his friend's quarters he paused as he heard a strange metallic tapping sound echoing throughout the corridors of the ship, getting louder and closer with every passing moment.

"Is anyone there?" he called, even though he could sense no one.

As the tapping grew louder and louder he spun on the spot, searching for the source until it passed him by without revealing itself. He could definitely hear the sounds, he was not imagining that. He carried on his journey, eventually coming within a few strides of his friend's door before he heard the tapping sound once again, behind him. Unseen behind him an insect like robot, lurked on the ceiling, waiting to pounce, waiting for Andose to pause in front of the door.

Inside Caius sat cross legged on the floor. Around him were dozens of candles, their bright flames gently flickering and providing the only illumination in the room. Even clad in his prior's armour he was quite comfortable, his eyes firmly closed as he meditated. With his eyes shut he did not notice the metallic creatures that stealthily emerged from the ventilation shafts and moved down the walls towards him. One of the creatures pounced on him and Caius opened his eyes wide.

Outside Andose spun on the spot arm raised his arm, sending out a blast of lightning at the bug. The metal creature was flung backwards into the wall as the lightning fried its internal circuitry. It hit the ground in a clunk, twitching and sparking.

Lightning Andose raised both his hands in readiness of another attack. He expected another one of the metal bugs. He did not expect the door to his friend's quarters to be blasted open by a fiery explosion.

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