Well not necessarily replicators, but it sure sounds like them.

Liberatus

The corridor was marred with scorch marks, the flames from the explosion not having a suitable fuel source to remain. The dark marks left a trail to the source of the explosion, the quarters still lit by the flickering flames as the fire within continued to burn fiercely. The doors to the quarters were a ruin, having been turned into small fragments by the blast wave and pieces of them littered the floor and Andose's robes. Andose begrudgingly rose to his feet, the blast wave having knocked him off his feet but not caused him any actual harm. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on his forehead from the heat of the flames. He staggered forwards, the sheer heat given off by the inferno not allowing closer than a few feet.

"Caius!" he yelled, trying to move closer.

With the extreme heat forcing him back and the smoke making his eyes water he couldn't see if there was anyone alive inside the room but he knew his friend had been in there.

"Caius!"

He was forced back as a spurt of flame erupted from inside the room. As he screwed his eyes he saw a mass of flame emerge from the inferno, filling up the doorway. His eyes widened as the spirals of flame parted and revealed his friend Caius. Caius smiled as he emerged. The flames swirled around him, covering him even, but did not seem to harm him. His clothes weren't even scorched, let alone burned.

"Hello Andose," Caius said, as he emerged from his quarters and the last of the flames around him died away.

"You're alive," Andose whispered. "You…you're not even burned!"

Caius chuckled. "Well my name is Pyro Caius."

"Why did your quarters explode?" Andose asked hesitantly, although he had a pretty good idea.

"Oh that," Caius said casually. "I was surprised."

"You were surprised."

"It was completely reflexive I assure you. One moment I'm calmly sitting there meditating, then I sense something leaping at me. I open my eyes and find myself surrounded by these metal bugs and instinct kicked in. Unfortunately I'm going to need to redecorate my quarters."

"Yes, could you do something about that?"

"Hmm, oh certainly."

He casually waved his hand in the direction of his quarters and the flames wavered out and died.

"So what happened out here?" Caius asked Andose, looking behind his friend.

Andose turned around and noticed the bug he had fried with lightning that was lying on the floor, and still sparking.

"I was surprised," Andose deadpanned.

Caius laughed. "I'll bet you were Lightning Andose."

Caius turned round and telekinetically pulled the melted remains of the bugs that had swarmed in his room towards him.

"What are those things?"

"I don't know," Caius replied with a frown. "But I don't like how they suddenly appeared in my quarters."

"Or how they seem to have a habit of leaping on people."

"How do think they got on board?"

"I'm not sure but the biggest issue we have right now is that there could be more of them."

"You think there might be?"

"Knowing our luck?"

The two shared a look.

"Tomin!" Caius called.

"Yes?"

"We have a problem," Caius said.

"A very big problem," Andose added.

Tomin mentally sighed. "We almost have the fleet repaired, what have you two done now?"

"We have intruders aboard the ship," Caius said. "Some kind of metal bug that likes to attack people when their backs are turned."

"How many are there?"

"It's difficult to say, we could have taken all of them out but then again there could be more."

"How many have you encountered so far?"

"About a dozen maybe, they're a bit melted so there might be more or less."

"How did they get melted?"

"Guess," Andose said sarcastically.

"Never mind. Search the rest of the ship for more of them. I'll inform the others and post extra guards on the bridge and around the field generators. If the containment field fails it won't matter if there are none or a thousand."

"Do you think we can use internal sensors to track them?" Andose asked.

"Maybe, but if they aren't alive then they won't register as life signs. I'll see what I can do."

"We'll start patrolling the ship, if there are any more of them we'll hopefully be able to track them down," Caius said.

"I would say be careful but…"

Caius pouted as Tomin trailed off and broke the mental connection. "I did put out the fire."

Andose smirked. "After you started it, and not before you destroyed the door."

"I can make do without a door."

"Maybe, but the rest of us would like you to have one and keep it closed."

"Oh thank you."

"Come on, we've got an entire ship to search. It's time to see how good our senses really are."

"Well I just hope Tomin can modify the internal sensors or this is going to be a very long day."

Caius closed his eyes and focused his powers, holding up his hands at chest height. Energy crackled in his open palms as he willed the spark and the flame it formed into being. Flames spiralled down his arms until they were circling his entire body, giving off tremendous heat but seemingly not harming him despite their intensity. With the flames now enveloping him he opened his eyes with a small smile.

"Nice trick," Andose noted. "How are you maintaining those flames?"

"They're plasma flames, which is making this a little tricky than it would be if I had a proper fuel source. I really need to see about getting those hand devices made."

"Talk to the allied engineers about it later," Andose said, as inhaled and exhaled as lightning formed around his body. "In the mean time we have work to do."

With lightning enveloping his body he set off down the corridor.

"Show off," Caius muttered.

The two superhuman beings set off through the ship, hunting for infestation that plagued their vessel.

The Installation – Subterranean Control Room

Railgun rounds flew through the air at the android attackers. Unfortunately the androids were all equipped with personal force fields. It took several soldiers focusing their fire on a single target to bring the androids shields down in a reasonable amount of time, something that wasn't easy to achieve when you had little cover to use and the enemy were all expert marksmen. Superior numbers and preservation instincts decided this small skirmish eventually but more than a few suits of battle armour needed replacement plates when the last of the androids were finally taken down.

Sheppard emerged from behind the hologram table as the last of the androids clattered to the ground, just as the alcove doors slid open.

"Grenades!" he yelled, knowing that they needed to stop this from repeating over and over.

Pins were pulled and grenades were tossed into the alcoves just as the androids stepped out. Before the doors could even slide shut again the grenades detonated, with the explosive blast sending bits of shrapnel in all directions. The androids shields protected them from the shrapnel damage but the force of the explosion was still strong enough to knock them off their feet. With the transport function of the alcoves in the control room permanently out of action the only thing left to do was finish off the androids that remained. Walking up to them, stepping firmly on their backs so they couldn't get up and firing a sustained burst into the back of their heads seemed to do the trick nicely, even with the personal shield.

"You cannot possibly win," Caretaker said amusedly. "You may have defeated these few but there are many more on the way. And you still have to deal with me."

Caretaker fired off a blast, taking down one of the soldiers. With the imminent danger the androids presented they had dismissed the annoying AI, but now it had become a threat it was once again at the forefront of their minds. Shots were fired in return but the floating orb was much more manoeuvrable and harder to hit than the androids.

"Someone grab him," Thor ordered.

"Are you kidding me?" Sheppard retorted. "The thing won't even sit still for us to shoot the damn thing."

"As you wish."

In a flash of light Thor appeared in the middle of the control room. Just as Caretaker turned to fire at this new arrival Thor leapt on the orb, wrapping his arms around him. The AI's green force field glowed at the physical contact. As the AI struggled in his grip it fired wildly, the shots narrowly missing the other people in the room.

"Thor what are you…" He ducked to avoid an angry blast. "Damn it!"

Before he could say anything else both the Asgard and the orb vanished in flash of light.

"What the…"

"My apologies Colonel Sheppard," Thor said, reappearing in holographic form. "But I couldn't establish a lock on it with the shield active."

"What did you do with it?"

"I currently have it contained in a force field. It appears…agitated." Thor turned his head to look at something unseen. "Very agitated."

"Why?"

"It was proving troublesome to deal with, and I thought we might benefit from its capture."

Sheppard sighed. "We'll talk about this later. What's the fleet status?"

"I've ordered the fleet to scatter and cloak. The weapons cannot lock onto us if they don't know where we are."

"We'll deal with the androids," Sheppard said. "You keep the fleet in one piece."

On the bridge of the O'Neill Thor nodded and severed the transmission. He turned at looked at Caretaker. The AI avatar was contained by a force field that glowed, but held, as it was continually bombarded and rammed in a frustrated attempt to escape imprisonment.

"Your attempts to escape are futile," Thor told it. "Your own shield will fail before that force field does."

"Your attempts to fight back are futile," Caretaker retorted. "Your organic soldiers are no match for the forces under my control and your ships defences will easily be overcome by the defences in place here."

"You underestimate the Tau'ri. That is a mistake that many have made and it has always ended in their own destruction."

Caretaker inner glow turned an even deeper crimson as the AI smouldered.

"Oh and as for your defences, I'm sure by now that your sensors have registered that the fleet has cloaked and hidden from you."

"You have only delayed the inevitable."

"We shall see."

"Yes, we shall."

Thor returned his focus to the ground battle happening below, that was more important right now than an annoying AI.

Even with one of its avatars trapped though the AI known as Caretaker wasn't concerned. Its cybernetic mind ran through countless algorithms to determine a viable strategy for eliminating this threat before the defences were breached or its master's ship launched. As far as Caretaker was concerned this was simply a battle of attrition, the same however could not be said for its opponents.

Jaffa Fleet

"Something is wrong here," Teal'c exclaimed just before alarms started sounding throughout the ship.

"All hands to battle stations! Zarasian fleet approaching in hyperspace! All hands to battle stations!"

"Teal'c we need to get to the bridge," Bra'tac said as he walked to the door but Teal'c grabbed his arm.

"Master that sound is familiar to me," Teal'c said urgently. "Somehow I know I have heard it before and my instincts are telling me that it means we are in danger. There is something aboard this ship!"

Bra'tac frowned before nodding. "I trust your judgement in this Teal'c but I hope you are wrong. Search the ship while I go to the bridge."

Separating from his long time pupil and friend Bra'tac ran to the bridge.

"Report!" he ordered as he sat in his command chair.

"Our allies report multiple enemy ships are approaching in hyperspace," a crewman reported. "They will be in range in less than one hour."

Bra'tac frowned, something was not right. First this supposed intruder and now a Zarasian battle group on approach, the two could not be coincidental.

"Composition of the enemy fleet and status of our forces."

"All our forces report ready for battle and if necessary can perform an emergency jump. There is a risk that the hyperdrives will need to be repaired again though."

"Enemy fleet consists of one battleship, five heavy cruisers, ten light cruisers and twenty strike craft."

"A formidable force," Bra'tac noted. "One that we cannot beat on our own. Tell the fleet to perform an emergency jump and then cloak."

Despite the warrior's pride inside him that wanted to stand and fight against this enemy force that so cockily approached his rational side saw that it was futile. This was an enemy that could destroy the better part of his fleet in a single volley, even if they received sizeable punishment in return. Zarin may not be concerned about the loss of life but he was, and he would not willingly sacrifice his soldiers.

As power flowed through conduits towards hyperdrives Bra'tac awaited the familiar shudder as the ship jumped to hyperspace. He was not expecting the entire ship to rock and warning alarms to start blaring.

"Report!" Bra'tac yelled.

"Multiple small explosions across the ship! Similar incidents across the fleet! Source unknown, no enemy vessels detected."

It was the intruders, Bra'tac realised in horror. Teal'c had thought them similar to the dreaded replicators but he was wrong. They were bombs! Bombs that had just been waiting for the right moment to explode

"Damage report!"

"Hyperdrive and connecting power conduits are offline. Multiple primary and secondary power conduits have been severed. Weapons, shields, sublight and cloak are intact but the cloak has insufficient power to function."

"We've been crippled," Bra'tac noted grimly.

He knew that their options at that point were limited, very limited. They could either call on their allies for aid, evacuate the fleet or stand and fight. Well the third wasn't really an option since that would just mean their deaths so it was down to two options. The only problem was that their allies were busy at the moment, on a secret mission that would hopefully change the direction this war had taken recently. He couldn't pull them away from that, he couldn't ask that they sacrifice an entire galaxy for the sake of him and his few Jaffa.

Besides it might not just be this galaxy that was on the line. Bra'tac may not have been an engineer but he knew one thing for certain, the more power that you had to pour into a hyperdrive the faster a ship was. Even if you took into account the need to increase the size of the hyperdrive to accommodate the larger power conduits a bigger ship would usually be faster than a smaller one. The reason the Asgard favoured such large ships was not just because they were more powerful than smaller ones but that they were so incredibly fast, allowing for a shocking response time. Usually Asgard ships could cross the distance between galaxies in a few hours when they weren't towing another vessel, by comparison interplanetary travel was a stones throw. The Jaffa flagship in the Milky Way galaxy would be easily capable of outpacing even type D Ha'tak's.

"Send out a distress signal to our allies through the stargate," Bra'tac ordered. "Tell our warriors to prepare for immediate evacuation to Concordia. The injured are to go through immediately for treatment."

"Master Bra'tac do you really intend to abandon the fleet?" a crewman asked.

Bra'tac studied the young Jaffa's face, so full of hope, fear, apprehension and, of course, life.

"If it is necessary to save our soldiers lives, then yes I will," Bra'tac replied.

Seeing the young Jaffa's discomfort at simply running away Bra'tac continued.

"You think that the actions of a coward? Of course you do, I have seen that look on so many young Jaffa, too many. Jaffa who, I might add, I would not have the pleasure of knowing to this day if they hadn't listened to old men like me who know what they are talking about. There is no shame in not fighting a battle you know you will surely lose, and lose badly. The fleet approaching us will destroy us but only if we stay here and face it. They intend to destroy us, so to deny them victory we must not give them the chance. If we retreat we can live to fight another day. I know which I would prefer and I am sure there are many young Jaffa that would like the chance to prove themselves in a ground battle. Can you think of any?"

The young Jaffa smiled. "I might be able to name a few."

"Then let's give them that chance."

"Master," another crewman interrupted. "Our allies are responding. They say they do not have the ships immediately available which can tow our vessels without compromising planetary defences. They will do what they can but recommend we begin full evacuation immediately."

Bra'tac sighed. "I expected as much. Tell our engineers to focus repairs on the least damaged of our vessels."

Ideally they would be able to recover as many of the ships as possible, not all had been damaged by the invaders. If Bra'tac had a choice it would be the type D's since they were the more powerful of the two, even if they could only carry half the number of warriors as the type C. The type D's would actually be easier to repair since they had so many power conduits leading from the generators to the hyperdrive, and only one would need to be operational.

Installation

"Give me a status report," Sheppard yelled into his com while firing another burst from his railgun rifle at an approaching android making its way down the corridor.

So far they had been able to keep the androids at bay but only by tossing a grenade in every single transport booth they could find but that didn't mean they got them all. Guardian type androids were still appearing in the areas they had yet to push in to and more specifically from through the ring platform and surrounding booths that led to the unknown area.

Technicians were combing through the computer core in the control room, attempting every trick they knew of to try and shut down the weapons systems. So far they were having no luck whatsoever, the power security encryptions blocking every attempt to so much as change the level of lighting. Overseer, Caretaker, whatever that infernal AI was called, seemed to be stopping them dead in their tracks.

"McKay!"

"We're doing the best we can here but the entire system is in lockdown," Rodney explained while frantically punching in commands. "This system has the same security as Atlantis and you know how bad that is to deal with when it's working against you. Oh and the shooting isn't helping."

Much as he hated to admit it McKay had a point. While his friend might have gotten used to the sounds of a life and death struggle, and even thrived under the pressure, the other technicians were not. Asgard, human, it made no difference none of them liked being under this kind of pressure. In fact he strongly suspected that the prospect of murderous androids bearing down on them was bringing back some very unpleasant memories for the Asgard present.

"Just keep at it." Sheppard turned to the soldiers around him. Okay

On the O'Neill Thor was attempting to find the location of computer core that Caretaker called home. If they could just shut that it down, or maybe even destroy it, they could end this nightmare.

"You can't win you know," Caretaker said. "It is only a matter of time."

"You are mistaken," Thor replied. He was in no mood to listen to the infuriating AI.

"Actually I'm not."

Thor actually turned around and looked at the AI after that last comment.

"You have underestimated me," Caretaker continued. "And now you will be destroyed."

Thor gave the floating glow ball a piercing look before alarms started blaring.

"Weapons fire detected!" a crewman shouted.

From one of the many hidden emplacements on the planets surface a green beam of energy tore through the atmosphere, into the chilling depths of space and only narrowly missed the O'Neill.

"Raise shields and take us behind the moon," Thor ordered.

The Asgard warship reappeared in normal space with her shields fully powered. The Asgard warship made a speedy dash forwards and placed itself behind the cover of the moon.

"Incoming drones!"

From the surface a cluster of glowing yellow lights appeared and soared towards the Asgard vessel at a frightening speed.

Thor's reaction was immediate. "Activate countermeasures and open fire!"

The Asgard warship banked around, putting her nose towards the drone swarm heading towards it. Drone weapons, in sufficient quantities, could prove lethal even to the advanced shields of the Asgard. Internal computers on each drone would immediately calculate the frequency of the shield and then try to push their way through. If one drone lacked the power to do so it would be followed by another which would then use up all its energy to getting through and so and so on until one got through. After which the drone would tunnel through the ships armour until its energy ran out and it detonated, or it hit the ships reactor when it would immediately detonate.

Asgard warships weren't designed for this kind of task, they just weren't. They had the weapons and firepower to face down capital ships and could deliver devastating amounts of forward firepower. But despite all this they lacked the weapons necessary to deal with large numbers of small craft, and the drones were very small and were coming at them in very large numbers.

Nevertheless plasma beams quickly covered the distance to strike out at the approaching swarm. Cloaking themselves now would only get them killed, if just one drone struck them while their shields were down the rest would lock on and tear the ship to ribbons. All they could do was attack, with everything they had. Plasma beams set on low power, but still easily capable of destroying their targets, lanced out repeatedly, rain down blows. Then as the most advanced miniature missiles in at least four galaxies got closer ion cannons fired as their targets came into range. Bolt after bolt of glowing white energy shot out but most failed to hit the mark. The drones dodged and weaved their way around the energy bolts like they weren't even there. The only benefit to the bolts was that they served to break up the drone formation.

Dozens of drones were heading towards them now, about to hit the shields. Then the final defensive countermeasure came into play. Transport array beams swept across space, chasing down clusters of drones which could not evade them. Very few drones were caught in the beams and vanished from space and the rest would surely hit the shield.

"Reinforce shields!"

The ship rocked as drones struck the shield, despite the additional power being poured into it. But that final desperate move was probably what had saved the ship from what could have been certain destruction. Of the dozens of drones that struck the shield a number failed to have the slightest effect since they were alone and unable to penetrate the shield by themselves. Others, working in groups, almost made it through but failed with the extra power strengthening the matrix. The rest made it through but thankfully only just and they lacked the power to make it all the way through the tough armour of the O'Neill.

The O'Neill had survived the drone attack, barely. On the bridge Thor breathed a sigh of relief.

"You won't survive next time," Caretaker stated.

Thor resisted the urge to growl at the AI or, better yet, blast it into oblivion.

"Reactivate cloak and activate a communications jamming field inside the containment field," he ordered.

Only now did Thor turn his head to look at the AI.

"I know how you found my ship and it will not happen again."

The answer was obvious really if you took a moment to think about it. The avatar the AI was using was linked to a central computer remotely. All the AI had done was boost the transmission and the return signal in order to determine the avatars, and by extension the ships, location.

Of course what Thor didn't mention was that he was analysing the signal in an attempt to isolate the frequency being used. If they could determine the frequency being used they could search for transmissions operating on a similar frequency and then attempt to crack the encryption used.

Down below in the subterranean facility the last of the androids were being taken down and they had almost pushed them back to the secret ring platform.

"Doctor McKay I have found something you may find to your advantage," Thor said.

"I see it, thanks Thor," McKay replied.

"At last a way in," a voice next to Rodney said.

Rodney turned to look at the speaker and was startled by what he saw.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just pretend I'm not here," Janus replied, looking past Rodney. "And the same goes for her."

Rodney turned around and realised that Morgan was also standing next to him. He had a real live Alteran standing on either side of him.

"You know what the wonderful thing about command override signals are?" Janus asked as he continued to work at his console. "They provide you with a direct link to a computer core even if you don't know where it is."

"All androids neutralised," Sheppard said. "We're taking the fight to the enemy."

"I've traced the signal," Thor stated. "The other facility is on…the moon."

"Security compromised," Caretaker barked. "Initiating full retaliatory response."

If Thor had been alive he would have paled. Sensor readings on the O'Neill went wild as they detected a massive power build up on the moon. A powerful shield was raised before cracks appeared on the surface as weapons systems revealed themselves. The O'Neill, and the rest of the fleet which have joined the current fleet flagship behind the moon, were thankfully still cloaked. However they suddenly found themselves staring down the barrels of a number of very, very powerful weapons. There had been a few weapon emplacements on the surface of the planet, and they had been worrying enough, but now they were up against more. A lot more. They couldn't be detected so they couldn't be targeted but that didn't mean there weren't any options left.

From dozens of launchers on the surface of the planet and the moon thousands of drones launched upwards. They swept across space like a massive wave, a wave that promised death to anything it struck. There was only one response, as one the allied fleet de-cloaked and opened fire with everything they had.

Remaining cloaked would have been tantamount to suicide. That wave would travel across space until it hit them, there were simply too many to avoid. They had moved behind the moon so that the weapons on the surface wouldn't get to them but that had turned against them. In one counter strike by the enemy their destruction had almost been assured.

Railgun rounds, ion bolts, plasma beams, plasma bolts, missiles and even NPD's flew through space in an attempt to destroy as many drones as possible before they hit. That much was certain, those drones would hit.

Hundreds of drones exploded in space before reaching a single one of their targets. As more and more were destroyed they were channelled into a bottle neck. Thor watched in horror as he realised that the bottle neck would strike his ship first, and soon. As they came closer and closer in a terrifying and beautiful wave Thor closed his eyes so that he would not see the end that would assuredly come. If the entire fleet was destroyed, and it would be, then he and his crew would definitely die. They were to far away from a download receiver for the transmission to get through.

"It has been an honour to serve with you all."

How ironic, he mused, that after all these years he would meet his end by the famous weapon of his species old allies.

"Hyperspace window opening!"

Thor briefly opened an eye and saw on his screen a large kunai shape emerge from a hyperspace window. Zarasians, it must be Zarasians. But it was of no consequence, not now.

"Incoming transmission!"

"Here's Johnny!" a voice said over the com and Thor's eye's shot open.

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