Stargate Command.

"I'm just saying, Chief, we have Shore Leave-"

"It doesn't apply to us."

"Awh, c'mooon. I wanna see the '90s US."

Cortana was acting surprisingly childish for someone who knew very well they were unable to get off-base, lest they risk being taken by Area 51's goons. The fact he was even entertaining spending a day off at all should've told her he'd reached about the peak of what he could offer. He told her, "I'd rather not piss off the people that are keeping us from becoming experiments in some other government lab for one. For two, I don't think either of us wants to go to Area 51 as it is."

"I mean," Cortana suggested, partially joking, partially serious. Chief sighed deeply, to which Cortana chuckled, "Fine, fine. Sorry. I'm just not sure how the hell you're so calm about being cooped up in this place 24/7. Cabin Fever's bound to set in at some point and, honestly, you should at least be able to walk up to the checkpoint upstairs and sit and chat with the Guards. Or stare at cars. Or check them. Hell, maybe go with SG-1 to see a movie... Something to get us out of this boring monotony. Maybe even take a trip back to New Reach." Which was an endearing prospect, honestly.

"I'll get out when I need to," He replied in his usually stoic way, entering his room and taking a seat on his bed. He grabbed his MA5 and a mat and started taking the weapon apart once more, cleaning each piece thoroughly. He felt Cortana working in his mind, probably parsing through some of the data they'd gotten out of Patient Exultation. He also felt her being a bit pouty. Sighing, he surrendered, stating, "We'll head out for a breath of fresh air after I'm done cleaning my gun."

"Yesss," She quietly cheered. He snorted and shook his head. The fact he put up with her more childish antics surprised him a little, considering how he had been when they first met. Admittedly, the stress of the War had taken its toll on him and now, at this very moment, he knew mankind was doing better than it had been after the Fall of Reach. He knew they'd won the war and were mostly on mop-up and reconstruction duty.

About fifteen minutes later, Chief had cleaned and fully reassembled the MA5, leaning it against the bed, mag out and charging handle pulled back, bolt locked open. He stood up and walked out, intent on giving Cortana a view of the Cheyenne Mountain and the surrounding area. Passing through the area, he paused as he saw Colonel O'Neill approaching. The man opened his arms in greeting, smiling, and said, "Chief! Just the man I was looking for!"

The man wore civilian clothes. Truth be, all of SG-1 was on leave today, so...

"Sir," The Spartan saluted.

"At ease," The man replied quickly, "Don't start with me while we're on Leave. I was just about to head out and was wondering if you wanna tag along with me to a fishing trip. Montana's lookin' mighty nice this time of the year for it and I need a partner." Though he seemed to know what he was asking was a slight bit impossible for the Chief, considering the man was what he was.

"Afraid I'm still a classified SGC asset, sir. Leaving this base is probably not going to happen for a while..." The Spartan replied.

"Damn," Sighed Jack, "Well, you really can't blame a guy for trying. Teal's off-world visiting his kid, Daniel's still in the infirmary dealing with his appendix, if you wanna go talk to him. And Carter's checking one of her Naquadah reactors for some decay thing..." and he wiggled his right hand, to show he really wasn't sure what Carter had said. Nerd stuff, probably, Jack thought to himself. He shrugged and patted Chief on the shoulder, before stating, "We'll see each-other in a we-"

... "-eek..." Jack finished. The flash of light that enveloped the Spartan(and by extension Cortana) and Colonel O'Neill was rather unexpected, considering both of them were sitting and talking just now. John felt a series of butterflies in his stomach and felt his gag reflex kick in at the same time, while Cortana let out a series of distorted noises, before she recalibrated herself and said, "I feel like I just got my insides turned to outsides for a moment. That was a high-energy pulse, similar to a Forerunner teleport system..."

Colonel O'Neill stood ahead of the Chief and wobbled on his feet, gagging a bit and murmuring, "For God's sake, Thor..." causing the still-dizzy Spartan to raise a brow at him. Chief then quickly regained his composure and scanned the room they were in, finding it to be completely alien in nature:A black floor, red walls with patterns drawn in via gold, recessed lights in the walls and an arch window that showed an image of Earth as the ship hovered over it.

The Spartan tensed immediately and went for any weapon on his person, only finding his pistol and drawing it. Jack put his hand on the man's gun and shook his head, then swallowed whatever bile rose up in his throat and said, "It's alright, Chief. This is one of our allies, he does this type of crap from time to time..." then he gagged again, almost retched and said, "Just wish I knew not to touch people when he teleports us," before calling out, "Thor, buddy, please, for the love of all that's sweet and friendly in this Galaxy, warn us next time."

No response made both Jack and the Chief uneasy. Cortana spoke, "I'm... Detecting movement. And a networked connection, but, it's... They're," pausing as a dozen voices played on a feedback loop all of a sudden, causing Chief's com system to overload. Cortana screamed, then grabbed her head, "So... Many...! Aaargh!" only for her form to wink off of John's HUD, causing the man's heart-rate to spike.

"Cortana!" Chief barked, concern for her overriding any basic sense of preserving the secret.

He saw the motion tracker light up with a swarm of scarlet dots that were closing in on them. Jack looked to Chief with a hint of confusion, but the Spartan, the only one of the two that was armed, stepped up in front of him and spoke sternly, "Stay behind me, Colonel... We've got a situation..." as the mechanical whir of motors echoed through the halls, combined with the sharp clank of claws connecting with the materiel from which the ship was made.

As they walked out into the hallway, Chief keeping his pistol raised, they saw a swarm of metallic creatures that resembled a combination of spiders, praying mantises and crickets. A horrible combination, Chief thought, but he heard then chittering as they crawled their way toward them. Chief pushed O'Neill behind him and opened fire, the fifty-cal SAPHE rounds of his pistol making short work of the first line of the swarm.

He turned about and dragged Jack toward another Hallway, firing as they ran, then threw caution to the wind and spoke, "Cortana, status? Are you okay? Is the Rampancy back?"

"Mmmgh... No. Overload... Hostile hivemind..." She replied through groans of pain. As they took cover, the Spartan sighed and reloaded his pistol, thankful he kept his sidearm on him at all times. He looked over to Jack, who stared with confusion at him, then sighed and shook his head. Cortana wasn't going rampant per her own words, but the thing they were facing probably wasn't very conducive to her well-being.

Jack sighed and called out again, "Thor?!"

The ship's intercom activated and a monotone, androgynous voice greeted, "Greetings, O'Neill. You and your compatriot may take the door to your right and join me," and Chief could faintly detect some strain despite the deadpan. The Spartan and Colonel watched as the swarm of machines continued down the hallway to where they'd appeared, then entered the room as per the ship owner's request. The door shut behind them and, in the middle of the room, beside a control console, a little grey man resided within a pod. Chief could faintly make out marks denoting injuries sustained.

"Thor... Buddy, you okay?" Jack asked as he walked up to the pod.

"I am dying, O'Neill," Replied the alien, which surprised Jack. The Alien hummed, then it craned its head toward the Spartan, "... Interesting. You are a new variable..." while Chief stared, almost disbelieving. It almost looked like the creatures in those old movies Déjà had enjoyed showing them when they were off-duty. The Spartan, still armed, stared at it still.

Jack raised his hand gently off the pod's side and said, "Chief, it's alright. Thor's a friend... Long story," he then wiggled his hand and gently cocked his head left. He then looked over to Thor and asked, "What do you mean, 'dying', Thor? The hell happened here? What were those things we just ran away from?" a hint of concern in his voice. Thor stared at them with its beady black eyes.

"It is, as you have just said, a long story, O'Neill..." It then told them.

Chief stowed his pistol onto his thigh, then leaned over the pod, looking at the creature. It was frail, its skin pallid, grey as could be. He could see the veins bulging through the thin cover and could also faintly make out mechanical and biological modifications meant to further keep it, whatever it was supposed to be, alive. The Spartan turned toward O'Neill next and asked, "Sir... What is it?"

"He," Jack clarified, though he, too, seemed a bit confused, "Is a member of the Asgard race... Basically, think of'em as exactly the guys and girls from the Nordic Pantheon. Real weird and long story, but I think you figured that the Goa'uld are the basis for a lot of the Gods and crap from across the Middle East, Egypt and other areas like that... Anyways," He then shook his head to quickly get himself back into the right mindset, "Can we do anything to help you, Thor? What's this about and what are those bugs?"

"Those 'bugs', as you call them, are the enemy of the Asgard," Thor replied.

Jack nodded, "The enemy worse than the Goa'uld you told me about, huh?"

"Yes," Thor replied again, "I am afraid I am weak... You will find all the information the two of you need contained in those stones," and he indicated with his elongated finger toward that same console beside him, one with several strange stones, symbols and lines arrayed in squares and rectangles, the stones themselves looking more ovoid. He then looked to the two of them. He then added a weak, "Forgive me..."

"What for...?" Jack raised a brow. The two watched the alien pass out, O'Neill calling out, "Thor!" as he went to check his pulse. He put two fingers on the creature's neck, then let out a deep sigh of relief, giving Chief a nod. The man then walked over to the console and looked upon the stones as the chittering outside grew louder, then faded out again. The Colonel looked at one of the stones, then sighed and said, "Before we go further, Chief, I gotta ask..."

And, as John looked up, knowing what would come next, O'Neill indeed asked, "Who's Cortana...?"

Chief sighed, partially berating himself for letting it slip, then replied, "Suppose it's time..." before moving his hand to the back of his head and removing what looked to be a crystalline chip. O'Neill soon recognized it as the same chip the Spartan had used to give doc Fraiser diagnostics on his well-being. He gave it a gentle shake and a blue light, though dim at first, flashed before a hologram resolved in front of O'Neill. The hologram of a young woman.

Jack blinked, then let out a, "Huh... Would you look at that..."

"Cortana. Did you manage to isolate yourself from the bugs' Net?" Chief asked, looking at the Chip up close. The AI breathed a sigh as her body's functions seemed to reactivate. O'Neill moved a little closer, concerned as he watched the AI stand to her feet. She pushed some of her loose holographic hair out of her eye, then nodded and turned to the Colonel, snapping an awkward salute with an even more awkward smile. Jack replied with a confused, slow salute.

"Chief..." Jack started, "Mind... I dunno, giving me a short rundown of what I'm lookin' at?"

"This is Cortana, sir. UNSC 'Smart' AI," Chief told him calmly, "We've been working together for the past few years of our lives."

"Hey, Colonel," Cortana chuckled, "Sorry for keeping my sweet little self hidden from you, but I'm gonna be honest, we didn't wanna further give a reason for Area 51 to wanna try and grab us..." before looking to John and stating, "The things out there are eating the ship, by the way. I've been able to pick up at least that much from their data stream before I cut myself off from it. They're loud little bugs."

"Wait, wait, you can hack into these things-" Jack paused, then sighed and shook his head, "Damn, of course you can. You're an AI... Wait, you're not gonna try and nuke the planet or something, right? Because I don't think we have a John Connor anywhere on Earth that's gonna piss you and your people off," before raising his hands in a defensive manner and shrugging, "And I'm just saying, I like AI."

The AI let out a single, loud and mirthful "HA!" at that, before giggling and shaking her head, "Oh, dear. No, sir. Don't worry, sir. I'm loyal to humanity."

Jack let out a sigh of relief at that, hands dropping to his sides, then said, "Well, I get not wanting to be Area 51's toys, so... Yeah," before rubbing his face, "Man, I should've gone fishing..." and turning toward the console. He motioned to the Chief and Cortana to join him, then picked up the stones that Thor had pointed out before he went night-night and slotted one of them into one of the slots...

On a screen ahead, Thor's image formed and began to speak to them, calm and monotone. "Colonel Jack O'Neill. I have made these recordings for you in the event that I am dead or unable to pass on the necessary information. Under my command, the Beliskner was called into battle against an enemy we have named Replicators. During the battle this ship became infested by their technology," And as if to mark Thor's words, the machines' legs clanked against the floor in the distance.

"The Replicators accessed the computer, which contained information about your planet, and plotted a course here," Thor then explained, calm, "The crew was transported off the ship. I destroyed the outbound transporter technology to prevent the Replicators from escaping, and remained in the hopes of stopping the Beliskner from reaching Earth. If you are watching this recording, then I have failed, and I have also likely doomed you to certain death..."

"Well," Sighed Jack.

Cortana added rather sarcastically, "That's great..."


Stargate Command

Stargate Command was on alert, the troops and security personnel milling about the base while Hammond watched the shimmering blue of the 'Gate's wormhole flickering. Through it, stepped Teal'c, clad in a standard robe usually worn whenever he visited Chulak to see his son. As he stepped down, he gave a nod to the General and said, "General Hammond."

"Teal'c. Thanks for returning so quickly," The General told him, then motioned toward one of the bulkhead doors and led the man out. As they entered the Command Room, Hammond told him, "Seems as though Colonel O'Neill was taken in by the Asgard just a few hours ago and he took the Master Chief with him. We're still working to locate the Asgard ship, presumably Thor's, in orbit."

"Hm. Concerning, though I suppose not unexpected from Thor," Teal'c offered, "Have they attempted to establish contact with us? Offer an explanation...?"

"Not yet, no," Hammond replied as he entered the briefing room, where Carter was looking through the data captured by sensors from within the base and satellite recordings of the possible transfer. Carter was about to greet Teal'c, before everyone paused as a light flashed brightly in the room. The light then resolved into a 3D display of O'Neill and Chief.

Jack called out, "Helloooo! This thing on?"

"Colonel!" Carter stood to her feet, smiling. "Sir, what happened to you? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Listen, we're gonna need SPAS-12s, a BF-8, ten pounds of PBX and a USAS at the base of the Stargate in, oh, about..." He checked a wristwatch, "Five minutes? Maybe ten, tops?" only to look to the Chief and the chip he held in one hand, a chip that surprisingly didn't display much of anything holographically, but otherwise glowed blue. Jack looked over and said, "I don't know. You're still weird."

A short female laugh filtered through the com, weirding the officers and Jaffa out.

"Sir...?" Carter raised a brow.

Teal'c asked, "Something wrong, O'Neill?"

"Nope, just Chief's AI buddy asking me if you can see her," The man replied, causing everyone to pause. He told them, "Look, no time to explain. Have the gear ready for us at the base of the Gate in Ten. The alien mechs on board this ship are a bit pissy at us, so..." as he watched the Chief slot that chip back in and draw his pistol, moving out of shot and toward what must've been the door.

Carter inquired, "What about Thor?"

Jack looked back over his shoulder and said, "Thor's here, too, but he's a bit out of it. The Techno Bugs infesting this ship really did a number on him."

"This is a bit too much," Hammon sighed, "Techno Bugs, Jack?"

"Yessir," Jack snorted, a bit dispassionate, then continued, "Funny thing, Thor said they found out about Earth and are planning to land and infest the planet, so... Yeah... We're gonna destroy the ship, it's why I need the gear I just mentioned to do that," before sighing. The group looked to the Colonel with a bit of concern. He told them, "Gear? Please?"

"... We'll get it prepped," Hammond said, "Can't you transport Teal'c and major Carter aboard to help you?"

"Would love to, but I can't... This is a bit of a one-way trip, sir. One I and the Chief agreed to take on our own," The man replied as he looked over to where the Chief presumably was. He then told them as he saw their confusion, "Thor disabled the matter transporter thingy's two-way link. He brought me aboard to help him stop the ship from landing on Earth. It's why I need the explosives ASAP... And the guns. Maybe get Chief's rifle from over in his room, too. Nothing else."

"Alright..." Hammond sighed, "Good luck, Jack."

"Thanks, sir," O'Neill smiled, then shut off the com, the image of him disappearing.


Beliskner

"Well, that's that..." Jack nodded to Chief, "You gonna be good getting the gear?"

"Aye, sir," The Spartan replied. He quickly press-checked his pistol, nodded approvingly, then waited for the door to open. Jack was listening to Thor's instructions about setting up the transporter. When he did, an audible buzz filled the ship's interior, followed by a sharp hiss. Jack gave a thumbs up to the Chief and popped the door open. He blanked, however, when he saw the Spartan break into a sprint toward the Cargo Hold.

Jack licked his lips as he closed the door and murmured, "I'm betting on him if he starts running track for us..." before turning back to work and checking Thor over from time to time. Outside, Chief bull-rushed toward the cargo hold, firing his pistol at swarms of bugs headed for the area. Thor had told them the transporter's energy signature would attract the little buggers.

Cortana said, "Keep moving. We don't want one of these things bouncing on us..."

"You alright?" The Spartan asked, not even out of breath as he booked it through this place.

"A little early of a reveal, but I think we'll be fine," She told him, a hint of worry in her voice. She breathed a shaky sigh, then told him calmly, "Otherwise, yeah, I'm okay. Just worried... D'you think this is what Exultation and her defense line had to fight?" before she pulled up what little schematics she could get from the defense line's computers before they departed Reach.

"Wouldn't doubt it. She did say the threat was mechanical in nature..." He replied, snapping off several more shots before turning a right and approaching the cargo hold. As he entered, two contacts appeared on his motion tracker, causing him to tense. When he turned the corner, he pointed the pistol, only to see it was Carter, with Teal'c right behind. The Spartan blinked, lowered his weapon and asked, "What're you two doing here?"

"Hammond overruled the Colonel, Chief," Carter said, "We might have a way off this ship."

"Ma'am," The Spartan replied. Teal'c and him gave each-other nods, both happy to see each-other, though neither saying a thing. Teal'c lifted Chief's MA5 and a bandolier of ammunition for it, which Chief graciously took with a quick "Thanks," before ramming a fresh mag home and racking the bolt. He picked up some of the gear with Teal'c, then said, "Follow me. Thor and the Colonel are this way."

The three booked it down the hallway as more of the creatures appeared on the walls, some of them chewing on the internal wiring of the ship. It was a rather terrifying, if not familiar sight to the Spartan. Almost looked like the Flood setting up a hive somewhere, which, in truth, didn't seem that far off. These machines, the Replicators, looked exactly like how he'd expect a mechanical Flood to look.

Cortana reported, "Little bastards are tearing into parts of the ship to take control of it..."

"So, Chief, we might wanna talk about what the Colonel said," Carter told him as they ran on, a SPAS-12 in hand. She racked the pump, lifted it and shot a bug that tried to jump them with some good reflexes, shattering said bug into a dozen smaller pieces. Chief sighed and nodded, then turned a left, then a right with them, hitting the door. Carter radioed, "Sir, we're outside!"

The door opened as a series of Replicators began to swarm them. Chief stepped forward, knelt and opened fire, sweeping the hallway with automatic fire from top to bottom. 7,62 by 51mm FMJ spat out of the muzzle of his MA5, with Teal'c beside him immediately joining in with the 12ga USAS-12 auto-shotgun. Spent shells clapped as they landed on the black marble floor, piling high alongside Chief's own rounds. The Spartan lifted his left hand off the gun and balled it into a fist, turning the palm to face him. He stood up and both men slowly walked back as the door began to close, still employing firepower against the machines.

When the door shut with a hiss, the Spartan and Teal'c both reloaded their respective firearms, with Cortana noting, "Maybe if you slotted me into the computer, I could potentially see what can be done about these things. Keep them from eating any other important systems... Can't promise anything, though. They aren't friendly by any means..."

"Later," Chief said, not even bothering to hide himself speaking to her this time.

Thor seemed to stir awake, looking over to the console. He spoke, "O'Neill... Master Chief..." before pausing as he seemed to notice Teal'c and Carter.

"Hey, Thor," Jack nodded, smiling awkwardly, "You, uh... Y'remember Teal'c and Carter, right?"

"What are they doing here...?" He asked, showing a discernible concern for the presence of two more SG-1 members. Jack and Chief looked upon the two, whom stared back at them. Jack shrugged his shoulders as if asking 'well?' while Cortana let out a chuckle. Thor let out a deep sigh, "Then we will all die here... I am sorry," and watched for Carter and Teal'c's reactions.

"Not necessarily," Carter smiled, "We do have a way off... There's gonna be a shuttle in orbit in a few hours to get us out of here. We brought space suits alongside the guns and explosives the Colonel requested... Question is how we're going to make the space walk with you," which was another problem they really hadn't thought of. That and destroying this ship. Where would they even place explosives?

"My pod can put me into stasis for transport. It houses anti-gravity systems to allow for easier transport, as well," The Asgard replied, terrifyingly calm.

"That solves one issue," Jack quipped, "Now, about the bombs..."

"... I am afraid my ship houses internal dampening fields, specifically meant to counter detonations within the ship's superstructure and reduce damage. The ship, however, runs on four neutrino-Ion generators if you wish to attempt their destruction. Ship schematics should be available on the consoles to find them..."

Carter immediately took Jack's place at the console, while the Spartan awaited to be asked about Cortana again. Carter didn't waste a moment, stating, "While we're working, Chief. Mind giving us that explanation?" while parsing through the data. The Spartan and Teal'c had started unpacking the rest of the gear, bombs included, before that was asked.

Chief looked to Jack, who gave a nod and patted him on the shoulder to reassure him. The Spartan sighed, then pulled Cortana's chip out again and let the AI manifest herself. And that, she did, with a smile. Thor and Carter both went bug-eyed at the sight, with the latter immediately walking over to examine the new one. Cortana gave a quick salute and greeted, "Major, ma'am. Teal'c," she cocked her head toward the tall Jaffa, who stared, and smiled. Then, she turned to Thor, "And Thor. Glad to see you're awake this time."

"... An AI..." Carter murmured, "An actual AI?"

"That, I am. I'm Cortana, UNSC 'Smart' AI." Cortana stated proudly, arms crossed, "But why're you so surprised, ma'am? You met Patient Exultation back on New Reach."

"I-I-I know, but..." Carter stuttered, then smiled, "A human AI!"

Cortana chuckled, then shrugged, nonchalantly adding, "Yeah, I am pretty awesome. Awesome enough to have worked with the Chief for nearly a decade, at this point," then jabbed a thumb back Chief's way. The Spartan nodded, then looked to Teal'c. The Jaffa simply met Chief's gaze and gave a nod, while Carter continued to smile at the sight. Cortana then offered, "If Thor doesn't mind, I can potentially lock down areas of the ship the Replicators haven't touched."

"If you can interface with the Beliskner's systems, you may... We will need every advantage we can acquire in this fight," Thor replied, unflinching and pragmatic. Chief and Carter approached the console, with the Spartan slotting Cortana's chip into the side of the computer and watching the crystals meld with the systems for a moment. The AI laughed heartily as she pulled up the schematics.

"Oh, this is awesome! You've got one hell of a ship here, Commander! Damn shame about the infestation," The AI complimented. Thor gave a nod of thanks. Cortana almost wanted to make a joke about the whole Asgard thing, but she shook her head as her holographic form appeared beside Carter, at around the same height as her, which surprised everyone in the room. She said, "Right, let's get to work..." As her avatar glowed with code. She stated, "Locking down docking bays, airlock areas and whatever security systems the ship can still muster. Transporter is still only one-way, but it's operational... Can't access the engines or the NAV Computer. Bugs must've cut the network link."

"Indeed," Teal'c hummed, "We did see them eating the ship."

"Can you disengage the dampeners? The BF-8 we have is Naquadah-enhanced. Blast should destroy the ship," Carter offered, leaning over the console and starting her own operations.

Cortana tested, her eyes glowing, then sighed and shook her head, "No. Systems are linked to the bridge and the little rats know their way around. I did manage to seal multiple bulkheads just now, though," and, with a smug smile and a snap of her fingers, several of the ship's inner bulkheads audibly closed in the distance, presumably crushing whatever enemy units were still walking on them when they did.

"Test that stone over there," The AI pointed. Carter nodded and shifted it to the indicated port, with Cortana nodding, "That's what I thought this said..." and pulling up the outer schematics of the ship. She told them, "The ship has a landing aide. She can go in-atmosphere, but will require a special set of engines to safely land. Engines located here," she marked the area with a red dot and saved it into her own system.

"The Deceleration system," Thor spoke, then said, "I see what you are suggesting."

"So do I," Carter replied. She explained it to the others in layman's terms, "The BF-8 should have enough power to destroy the deceleration system. IF we detonate the bomb mid-descent onto the planet, it'll cause the ship to go into an uncontrolled spin, probably burn up in the atmosphere. We'll just have to pray it also doesn't hit anywhere near a major population center, but that should hopefully wipe the Replicators out."

"One problem, though? Someone has to go outside to set the charge," Cortana added, then looked to Chief as he stepped up, already aware and smiling.

"Sir," Chief looked over to O'Neill, "Permission to leave the ship."

"What for, Chief?" Jack blanked.

"To give these critters the parting gift myself," The Spartan replied, dead serious.

Cortana snorted, while Jack stared. Teal'c stood beside the Chief now, stating, "I will follow, if that is fine. I wish to provide support."

Chief replied with a nod, to which Jack sighed deeply and stated, "Alright, you two crazies... Take care of yourselves," then looked over to Thor. The Asgard sighed deeply, then leaned his head back into his pod. The Chief quickly started helping Teal'c don the suit for the Space Walk and prepared the BF-8 charge himself. Cortana prepared the transportation system just in case.

Cortana whispered to Carter, "Chief's lucky I like crazy..." which got a snort out of the doctor/major.

At the airlock, the Spartan and Jaffa prepared to exit, Jack beside them helping set up Teal'c's suit and oxygen. The suit was one of the standard 20th century EVA systems utilized by the US. Basically an astronaut suit, Chief thought as he watched Teal'c don the item. Jack, meanwhile, gave a nod, then gave a gentle bump on Teal'c's shoulder and said, "Got anything to say?"

"One small step for Jaffa," The half-Alien humanoid said with little fear, then looked to the Chief as he stowed his weapons and the explosive on his suit and checked his thruster pack. He gave a thumbs up. John had to admit that was a nice one. A little reference to the days gone of exploring the stars, something that was only 30 to 40 years past to them.

Jack then smirked, "Nice."

As they positioned themselves at the airlock, Chief requested, "Cortana, give me a nav point, please..." only to immediately see one wink on his hud. He spoke, "Thanks," which got a happy affirmative hum from Cortana. Chief felt and heard the world suddenly get muffled, the air disappearing into the filtration vents around them and being presumably cycled back into the ship.

As the door opened, Chief and Teal'c stepped out, with the Spartan acting as the Jaffa's tether to the hip thanks to his magnetic boots. The two climbed onto the side of the vessel and clambered aboard, Chief speaking through com, "Hull is magnetizable. Good to know..." with a hint of dismay.

"Are you well, Master Chief?" Teal'c inquired.

"Most Spartans prefer boots on the ground, Teal'c. Something solid underfoot gives us a fighting chance. Being inside a ship or, worse, in zero gravity means we're at the mercy of many more things we need to take into account..." The Spartan replied. He felt the weightlessness and a pit formed in his stomach, but he knew better than to complain too much. He simply told his comrade, "We'll do the job. C'mon, we gotta move..."

Though it was barely noticeable, Teal'c gave the man a nod. The two climbed onto the ship and advanced slowly toward their objective, the NAV Point flashing on the Spartan's HUD to keep his attention on it. Around them, the stars and sun peered down on them, the radiation of Earth's parent star painting the world around them a beautiful hue. Below and to their left, Earth floated in all of her shining glory. Even now, in the '90s, the planet looked the same as it would 500 years into the future.

It eased Chief. Knowing humanity's cradle would be unharmed, especially now that he could help defend it much earlier. He still wished he could go home, make contact with the UNSC at large and bring in support to defend them from the Goa'uld, but, for now, as a line of defense, he and the SGC would have to do. As they approached the target, Chief moved to retrieve the BF-8 off his back.

Deactivating his mag boots allowed him and Teal'c to gently float down toward the deceleration drive of the ship and begin setting up the charge. Teal'c hummed, then said, "Have you managed to watch 'Star Wars', Master Chief?"

"Not yet... So many operations one after the other means this week was the least busy I've had," Chief admitted awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to watch a Science Fantasy movie like Star Wars. He'd heard of it, but merely in passing as some form of outright vintage media. Teal'c, meanwhile, seemed to be a fan of the '90s Media Selection.

The alien looked to Chief and suggested, "We may watch it when we return. I wish to see the Trilogy again, for it seems they seek to create a new one at the turn of the millennium... Or so rumors say."

Initially, Chief had wanted to refuse. Cortana, however, had pestered him to be more friendly toward SG-1 since they'd discovered Reach again and the team showed interest in actually learning about him. So, with a sigh, Chief told him, "When we make it back to Earth... Sure..." which got a nod of approval from Teal'c. Though Chief barely caught it, he could swear he saw the faint outlines of a smile on the stoic alien's face.

Three beeps alerted them that the device had been set. Chief pulled out the wireless detonator and began the connection procedures when Teal'c's air tank suddenly exploded. The Spartan swiveled about, watching as the man's tank burst and nearly sent him flying. Catching him just before he lost his grip, the Spartan pulled Teal'c toward him and activated his magnetic lock boots, radioing, "Code Red! Teal'c has a breach in his suit! We're coming back in!" and he looked to the Jaffa. He told him, "Hang on!" before deactivating his mag lock again and engaging the Suit's auto-rotation and counter-thrust systems.

Those helped keep them from flying away as the Chief began the long trek to the airlock. He pulled out a can of biofoam he held stowed in one of his armor's compartments, stuck the pipe down where the suit's air tank had been pierced, then squeezed. The quick-hardening medical foam sealed the wound, but going by the way Teal'c looked, they didn't have that much time.

As they traversed over the top of the ship, Chief bursting into whatever passed for a sprint in zero gee, he radioed again, "Open the airlock. Will be there in two. Suit hole's got a temporary patch, but hypoxia must've hit..." then slid down the side of the ship and powered his thrusters to max to keep them pressed against the vessel's side. Ahead, the emergency lock of the airlock hissed and a gust of air blew out.

The Spartan slid into the airlock with his injured comrade, then thought to himself that this was why he disapproved of missions in environments with no gravity. Too many things that could go wrong, he thought, then blanked and paused as something big flashed on his visor, then vanished. His armor had registered an IFF tag. He sent the data to Cortana, then pulled Teal'c inside when the elevator re-cycled and let them onto the ship.

Jack was there to help him, removing Teal'c's helmet and giving him a couple slaps on the cheek, "Teal'c! Teal'c, buddy, you alive?!"

It took a moment for the Symbiote to wake up, Chief thought, to help regenerate his injuries. A moment where the Spartan didn't know if he'd lost another newfound comrade and friend, someone he'd made a promise to. A moment when his heart sank for the first time in a while, only for them to see Teal'c suddenly open his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nostrils. Jack laughed and said, "Hah! Knew it was gonna take more than a bit of suffocation to get ya!"

"Indeed," Teal'c let out hoarsely. Chief and O'Neill helped him to his feet, then the three ran back toward Thor's room.

Cortana greeted them, "Well done. We've just begun descent. As for you, John, well... That thing you just sent me?" She smiled and opened her palm, revealing what looked to be a four-engine drop-ship with a signature mark over it. She said, "We've got friendlies. And our way off this ship, if you folks wanna take a ride-along down to Earth with her..."

"What the..." Jack blanked, "What's that?"

"Sir... That's a UNSC Pelican," Chief replied, "Can you ping it?"

"I did. Handshake accepted," Cortana chuckled, "I'm using the ship's secondary receiver to register this, but go ahead, Foe Hammer."

First, static came over the ship's intercom, but, then, a clear-cut woman's voice filtered through with the accent of a southern woman. She spoke, "I'll be damned, Cortana! It's good to hear your voice! I'm off the weird alien ship's port bow, just between her and Earth! Y'all need a ride over there?!" with the most jovial and 'glad-to-be-alive' tone any of the staff had heard.

Carter, Jack, Teal'c and even John looked at Cortana with confusion. She told them, "Sensors were damaged by the Replicators, so we probably couldn't pick her up when she appeared. Whatever the case, though, John, good spot. In the Kessler Effect soup that is Earth's orbital space, I'm surprised your sensors could distinguish her IFF from left-over Russian, Chinese and American SPYSATs."

"Armor probably registered her... Off of the KIA list," The man replied, causing everyone to look at him now.

"KIA?!" Carter balked.

"Wait, you're telling us she's dead," Jack raised a brow, "Chief, do you have any idea how insane that-..." and he paused, then sighed, opened his arms and almost yelled at the heavens, "Everything's insane with you, isn't it?"

"It is, sir..." The Spartan replied, a hint of joy hidden behind the usual stoicism they'd come to expect out of him. He approached the console and spoke, "Foe Hammer, position yourself three thousand meters off the ship's portside. You should be able to see the airlock. We'll make the jump over to you. Be advised, we have four people, plus one pod with an alien ally. We'll clarify everything as we go."

"Roger that, Chief! Don't matter to me who it is, I'm pickin' all of you up the moment you give the signal!" Captain Rawley replied, the audible noise of buttons clicking filling the com, "Moving into position now. Cortana, mind providin' me a lil' help from in there? Rather make sure I'm at the right airlock," she then requested. The Pelican was presumably beginning its approach.

"Will do, Foe Hammer. Stand by, transmitting the coordinates now," The AI replied. She smiled and said, "And that's our way off the ship..."

"Talk about a Deus Ex Machina," Carter murmured, a little happy. She stated, "We're beginning descent. I'll set Thor's pod to stasis..."

"I'll make sure our detonators are linked and I'll give Foe Hammer re-entry coordinates so we get to see this thing burn up," The AI reported. She flashed for a second, then set herself aside and said, "Yank me, Chief. We gotta move..." as Earth's atmosphere drew closer in the windows. The Spartan approached the console, retrieved the Chip and slotted it back into his helmet, feeling the cool sensation of his AI partner's return. She let out a happy, "Aaaah... Home, sweet home..."

"Suit up," Jack told them, starting to put on his Space Suit. He pulled out a duct tape roll and covered the damage to Teal'c's suit, then exchanged an oxygen tank with him and said, "Reserves. In case the jump's farther than we think..." with a smile. Teal'c once more nodded in thanks and, before long, all of SG-1, plus their Asgardian Passenger, were ready.

Cortana told them all over radio, "Be advised:I think they know we're here now. Chief, keep your gun ready."

The Spartan drew his MA5, checked the ammo count, then nodded. Teal'c, O'Neill and Carter formed up around Thor's pod as it lifted off the ground under its own power. The Spartan approached the door and primed the remaining PBX explosive they had. He held the USAS in one hand and his MA5 in the other, with Cortana stating, "This is gonna be fun... What if we miss?"

"We won't," the Spartan replied, self-assured. When the door cracked open, the Spartan shouldered his MA5, utilizing the suit's Smartscope link as he opened fire, tracing a line of rounds into the crawlers that came through the door. When it fully opened, he lifted his second gun and opened up, the USAS barking as it spit out 12ga buckshot at high speeds. The group braced...

Then they started sprinting. The USAS cracked and thundered and the MA5 chattered. The creatures around them broken shattering into millions of pieces as they tried to swarm them, but the Chief kept them off of the group with accurate, deadly fire. In the two minutes the sprint from Thor's room to the airlock took, the Spartan had emptied the USAS's drum, discarding the weapon and dropping the empty magazine of his MA5. Hitting the release button of the airlock to let the group in and make it cycle, Chief then one-handed the MA5, automatic fire cutting marks into the walls and hitting more and more of the gathering swarm as they charged them.

He hit the inner button, stowed his rifle, then grabbed onto the pod and told them, "Hold on tight..." which made them basically hug the pod. The Spartan powered on his thrusters when the air cycled out and the door opened. Once Cortana gave him the guidance to the dropship, the Spartan sped forward, hands on the pod, then activated his thruster pack, sending them all barreling toward the dropship.

As wisps of fire began to burn on the hull of the Beliskner, a breath passed before the Spartan and his allies all landed with heavy clangs aboard the Blood Tray of the Pelican. Chief barked, "Shut the hatch!" before handing ropes to the group to help secure Thor's pod. He watched the door close, then marched up to the cockpit and looked to Foe Hammer. He told her, "Keep us parallel to that ship."

"Sir!?" The woman blanked.

"Trust me. We have a few charges placed on it to make sure it doesn't land," He ordered. Turning back, he watched everyone else strap into the Pelican's crash seats, then watched as orange light bled in through the reinforced window of the Pelican. He held onto the ship's sides and said, "Cortana, give us the countdown... I need to know when we blow the BF-8..." and he watched the Asgard ship beside them diving toward the planet.

"Putting it up..." The AI replied.

Three...

Two...

... One!

Chief hit the detonator twice. A massive explosion flared at the underbelly of the vessel and it began to spin, fires spreading across its hull. He hit Foe Hammer in the shoulder and said, "Punch it!" only to feel the sudden acceleration nearly knock him off his feet as the Pilot hit the ship's thrust lever to maximum. While the Pelican veered, the fires dissipating off of its hull as their entry into the atmosphere became calmer, the Beliskner went up in flames.

Four separate sighs of relief filled the com. Carter, Jack, Teal'c and Foe Hammer looked to the Spartan, with Jack stating, "Next time, Chief, give us a goddamn warning..." as he sighed in relief. Foe Hammer and her pilot looked to the Spartan as he took a step back, looking at SG-1. The Colonel rubbed his face and breathed out, then said, "So... This is a UNSC dropship, huh...?"

"It is, sir..."

"Who're they?" Foe Hammer quirked a brow up.

"US Airmen and a pair of aliens..." Chief replied, "I'll tell you everything you need to know when we land. Cortana, give her our SGC ID and the codes to contact General Hammond. We'll need a place to land as close to the Cheyenne Complex as possible for debriefing."

"Right on it, Chief," She replied just as landing vectors and a waypoint flashed on the pilot's HUD. The woman gave a nod and turned back to piloting, murmuring something to herself about 'one helluva welcome back to the living' as she guided the aircraft over NORAD airspace, sending the identification codes that the Chief had sent to them. Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

Sounded nice this time of year.