Robotech: The Stargate Saga

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and universes that I am about to mangle around and mash together for my own demented author amusement – sadly all Robotech and Stargate characters and concepts remain the property of Harmony Gold and MGM respectively – I am merely borrowing them and make absolutely no profit from their use. As a result, please keep the legal attack dogs – also known as lawyers – firmly muzzled and on a leash as I have no money to give to anyone.

Authors Note: Well here we are the last part of the Battle of Elysium. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter Twenty

War Room

Beneath Hades Palace

Elysium

"NOOO!"

Hades' yell of shock, anger and fear echoed through the war room making the handful of Jaffa in the room wince and look at each other worriedly. They all knew from their gods tone of voice that something had just gone terribly, terribly wrong in the battle against those who had dared to trespass in their lord's domain. Not noticing, and honestly not caring, about the reaction of the Jaffa manning the various workstations Hades stared at the holographic display floating over the situation table in a combination of shock, rage and pure horror. The reason for it was simple and devastating.

The fleets of Charon and Orpheus, which together accounted for eighty percent of his current naval forces, had been defeated the ships destroyed or disabled. Of the two fleet commanders Charon was certain to still be alive, though his ship was dead in space the victim of a massive laser barrage that it's shields had had no chance against, while the latter was definitely dead as his Ha'tak had been one of the first ships to be destroyed. But not by the Zentraedi fleet, that would have been bad enough, but by a reinforcing force whose appearance and nature was a terrifying surprise.

For the simple reason that the reinforcements were Asgard.

Their ancient, diminutive grey-skinned adversaries had swept in like a flood firing upon both the newly arrived forces commanded by Orpheus and the remaining ships of Charon's fleet. What had been if anything even more terrifying than the Asgard's appearance in the first place was what they had fired with, instead of bolts they too had fired sustained particle beams. Beams that had been even more devastating than those of the Zentraedi against his ships as while their shields could handle a few hits from the Zentraedi cannons the Asgard ones had simply ripped right through as if those shields, even the newer and far stronger conformal shields, didn't exist to destroy the vessels with single strikes.

The result had been inevitable as in less than three minutes the entire fleet had been destroyed. Since then, the Asgard had moved into formation with the remaining Zentraedi – who were clearly an allied race – warships including the vessel identified as Commander Neleya's flagship and were now advancing towards his throne world. Some of the Zentraedi ships were hanging back near the disabled ships but the majority of the fleet was moving towards Elysium.

"How long until the enemy fleet reaches weapons range," he asked, looking over at one of the Jaffa manning the handful of table-like consoles in the room.

"From what we have observed of their abilities several minutes my lord," the Jaffa answered immediately.

Not a lot of time, Hades thought. "Very well bring all orbital and ground based defences online. All surface to space cannons also to stand by. Raise all shields and prepare fighter and bomber squadrons for immediate launch." As the Jaffa manning the consoles set about carrying out his instructions Hades turned to look at both his First Prime and his chief scientist. "Tor'et make sure all ground forces are stood ready to defend their god, then I want you to personally escort the queen to the emergency escape ship. Thanatos are the Javelin's ready for launch?"

"Yes, my lord," Tor'et replied with a bow, before leaving to carry out his lieges bidding.

"I have two Javelins ready for launch," Thanatos replied, "I would have liked more time to test the navigational systems over long distance and the warheads are still somewhat unstable, but all my current simulations show they should function perfectly."

"More testing time would have been advantageous. But the universe has denied us that. Send them on their way to the Terran homeworld."

Thanatos bowed his head. "As you command. With your leave my lord I will go and send the missiles on their way."

Hades nodded in agreement and watched as the other Goa'uld left the war room, certainly heading for one of the ring transporters that would transport him to his laboratory complex on the outermost, and smallest, of Elysium's two moons where he had been carried out his research on the Javelins and where they had been constructed. He allowed himself a slight, evil in the way only a Goa'uld could be, smile as he envisioned the destruction those warheads would unleash upon the homeworld of those who had dared to send the Zentraedi here to attack him and the cloaks on the hyperspace capable missiles would make it impossible for them to detect and destroy the weapons before they impacted and made them pay for their insolence with their lives.

The sound of alarms brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to look angrily back at the situation table, wondering just what was happening now. His eyes widened when he saw that the Zentraedi were launching missiles of some type, missiles that were even now streaking towards the ring of defence satellites that formed the outermost layer of the orbital defences. A glance at a side screen showed him that the satellites had their shields up and that plasma repeater arrays were already spinning up to engage the missiles as soon as they entered range.

Something that quickly happened. Immediately rapid-fire bolts of yellow energy shot out from numerous secondary gun arrays on the vaguely pyramidal satellites towards the incoming alien weapons. Almost immediately missiles began dying, vanishing in momentary bursts of energy flame as plasma bolts consumed them. But for every missile that died there would be another to take its place as steady as a metronome the Zentraedi cruisers continued to launch missiles. How many of these things do they carry? He thought incredulous at the numbers of powered projectiles that he was seeing; he had thought the missile salvo from their recon craft had been ridiculous in size, but this blew that completely out of the sky. New hieroglyphs appeared as the missiles began to impact the defence satellites. First in one's and two's then in groups of up to five…

…the result was carnage.

Plasma detonations illuminated the sky above Elysium, making Jaffa and human slaves alike on the planet look up in confusion, as a relentless storm of Scrapper missiles from the Zentraedi fleet ships pounded the outer ring of defence satellites. Shields flared into existence around the satellites, glowing fiercely and crackling with electrostatic discharges as they fought to retain cohesion against the ferocious bombardment. It was a battle that they were always going to lose as another massive volley of Zentraedi missiles arrived and began impacting. Overstressed shields failed allowing the superheated plasma from the detonating cobalt-based warheads to punch through the thin skin of the satellites and utterly consume them leaving nothing in their wake but a spreading cloud of dust and cooling plasma where the outer ring of defence platforms had been.

The remaining missiles immediately changed targets and began heading towards the larger, denser group of second line platforms. None of them made it through as defensive plasma repeater fire created a dense web of radiant energy that simply burned them from existence. The Zentraedi paid no mind to the losses and simply launched another massive salvo, seconds before they reached energy weapon range.

Bluish-white laser beams lanced out from the Zentraedi cannon arrays towards the next group of defence satellites, satellites already being pounded upon by their missiles. Travelling at the speed of light the beams reached the first satellites instantly. Already weakened by the plasma detonations the shields around the satellites offered no resistance to the lasers, the beams ignoring the weakened force fields to cut into then through the satellites ripping them apart in a blaze of photonic devastation.

For the next few minutes, the tableau repeated itself as the orbital defence satellite network, painfully constructed over years by Hades, was methodically, effortlessly taken apart by the longer ranged guns of the Zentraedi. Soon however the last satellite in range to pose any threat to the Zentraedi vanished in a momentary burst of plasma flame and the fleet began moving closer, preparing to enter orbit.

Asgard Battleship Gungnir

Sitting on his command throne on the bridge of his newest flagship Supreme Commander Thor watched with calm detachment as the Zentraedi forces commanded by Commander Neleya, efficiently took apart the Goa'uld's orbital defence grid using the vastly superior range of their weapons to do so with no risk to themselves. He was impressed with the fire discipline that the Zentraedi were displaying as not one laser or missile had gone astray and hit the surface of Elysium, instead every single shot hit and destroyed a satellite. It was a promising sign of how much they had changed as there had been a time when the Zentraedi wouldn't have been as fastidious with their targeting.

"Commander the Zentraedi fleet is moving towards Elysium orbit," sensors reported, "their orbital insertion vector is going to place them directly over the capital city and the palace. We are reading an extremely powerful dome shield growing around the capital and the palace."

Thor did the subtle Asgard equivalent of raising an eyebrow. "How powerful," he asked curiously, while the Goa'uld did have the technology for theatre shields they were generally relatively small scale, certainly nothing big enough to cover an entire city like this one apparently was.

"Very powerful commander. From these readings I would guess that there are two possibly three Ha'tak grade naquada reactors that are providing power to the force field."

"Interesting," Thor commented a moment before a brilliant flash on the holographic screen floating in front of him caught his attention. What, he thought as he looked to see that one of the Zentraedi frigates had just been destroyed with a spreading cloud of purple, blue and white plasma marking where it had been. "What happened?"

"Checking commander," sensors reported as another flash erupted and a Zentraedi frigate was consumed in an enormous explosion, an explosion that from its colouration was naquada based. "Commander both destroyed ships were hit by a large external detonation, naquada-potassium warhead. Yet I cannot detect any missiles or ships firing."

Then what… of course, Thor thought. "Scan the orbit of Elysium immediately, search for any sign of cloaked self-guiding orbital mines," he ordered.

"Yes commander," the other Asgard replied as he carried out Thor's bidding even as another explosion consumed another Zentraedi vessel. "Scan complete commander. Commander there is a dense field of cloaked mines moving in from all around the planets orbit."

"Do we have a solid enough scan of them for weapons locks?" asked Thor even as he inwardly shook his head. Hades had been quiet sneaky seeding Elysium's orbit with cloaked mines ready to catch anyone who got past the defence satellites in a network of sudden, silent death. But then it could never be said that the Goa'uld couldn't be both very smart and very sneaky when they wanted or needed to be. It was one of the things that actually made them a very dangerous enemy that only a fool would underestimate.

"Yes commander."

"Very well open fire and begin destroying the mines. Establish a data link with Commander Neleya's flagship and provide them with the approach trajectories of the mines as well."

"Yes commander."

Zentraedi Battlecruiser XL-17401

That Same Time

Commander Neleya scowled as a third ship disappeared inside a massive naquada-generated explosion. It was immediately obvious to her that they were coming under attack from some kind of self-guiding orbital defence mine. She had encountered such devices before, they were actually quite a common and easily produced planetary defence weapon, yet the ones she had encountered before had always been detectable even if it was only at close range. Yet the ones here were not detectable not even in the seconds before the impact, making them particularly devastating.

"Commander we are receiving a transmission from the Asgard flagship," communications reported, "it appears to be a feed from their sensor arrays."

"What does it show," Neleya asked as a fourth one of her ships erupted into a fireball, the victim of another of these infernal invisible mines.

"Commander, they're showing us the approach vectors of hundreds of individual mines," the other Zentraedi reported, "according to the Asgard while the mines are cloaked their own sensors can penetrate the Goa'uld cloaking technology."

"Asgard ships opening fire," another sensor officer reported, "ion pulses and disintegration sweeps. They're firing on the mines."

"Is the data feed sufficient for our own guns to target the mines?"

"It is commander."

"Then instruct all our ships and our battle mecha to target and engage the mines. Also begin preparing for an orbital bombardment. Once the mines are dealt with, I want to begin firing upon the energy shield over the city."

"Yes commander."

"Are we going to destroy the city, commander?" Tashka asked her knowing, that while it was well within this ships power to do that. it was something they hadn't been ordered to do.

"Of course, not that is not in our orders from Commander Breetai," Neleya replied, "I do however want Hades to think we are about to do that before we contact him again. That way he will know that we could have killed him but choose not to, though we might not be so generous should he cross us or our allies again."

"I understand commander."

Satisfied that her advisor fully understood what she was planning to do once the shield was down Neleya turned her attention back to the tactical holograms. She was pleased to note that all the ships she had here over Elysium had joined the Asgard and begun firing upon the previously invisible orbital mines. The sensor feed from the Asgard flagship showed that the number of mines approaching was dropping significantly, without the protection of their invisibility the fierce little things were proving to be little more than target practice for her gunners. So much so that it had enabled some of her flagships gunners to already begin targeting the energy shield over the Goa'uld city.

Abruptly a silver-blue stream of energy shot up from somewhere in the city below, passed by her fleet and made contact with the outermost of the planets two moons. What in Zor's name, she thought as there was no explosion or anything so whatever this energy beam was it wasn't a weapon. As she watched a ball of yellow-orange energy suddenly travelled along the beam from the planets surface to the moon. After a second the silver-blue energy stream disappeared as if it had never been present at all.

"What was the purpose of that energy stream," she wondered aloud.

"I do not know commander," Tashka admitted as puzzled as she was. "Hopefully we will get some answers from the memory banks of the disabled ships once the STORM commandoes have finished securing them."

"It would be nice," Neleya agreed. The Goa'uld had sprung a few surprises on them as this battle had progressed, surprises like those thrice-damned invisible mines, and now this energy beam whatever it was. It would be nice if the databanks of the Goa'uld vessels, assuming they were readable, provided them and their allies with information on the technology of the parasitic aliens.

"Commander the last of the approaching mines have been destroyed."

"Very good. All guns reconfigure for planetary bombardment, target the shield over the city. Fire on my command."

"Yes commander."

As the crew began carrying out her orders Neleya watched the holograms as her ships changed formation all of them orientating to begin firing at the surface. Simultaneously particle and laser gun turrets on the exterior of the mighty warships swivelled round all coming to bare upon one small point on the surface of Elysium. Within two minutes at most everything was ready.

"Commander all ships are in formation and ready to commence the bombardment," communications report.

"All batteries report reconfiguration complete. We are ready to commence firing."

Then it is time to finish this, Neleya thought, this had been a far more difficult and costly battle than she had anticipated and she was fully aware that only the direct intervention of the Asgard – a former foe that just two years ago she wouldn't have hesitated to try and kill and no doubt been killed by – had prevented her suffering even greater casualties than she had. Now though her mission – to both recover Sergeant Reed and explain to the Goa'uld in general and Hades in particular the price of attacking their friends and allies – was nearly complete. So it was with considerable relish that she gave her next order.

"Open fire."

Turrets lining the sides and underside of the Zentraedi warships crackled with energy before unleashing a hail of laser and particle beams, every single one aimed towards one specific point on the planet below. The beams crossed the distance between the ships – sitting in their high orbit – and the atmosphere near instantly. Clouds in the path of the beams simply boiled away as the lasers and particle beams passed through them, attenuation as the energy streams passed through the atmosphere being negligible before they reached the shield around the city and the palace sitting on the flat mountaintop around and on which it was built.

Upon encountering the force field the beams stopped dead and broke apart in a blaze of energy, ripples raced across the shield almost like ripples in a pond as the beams impacted it. Shockwaves passing through the force field rattled the city and palace below, making the citizens look up and around in fear as the very air around them vibrated and the ground shivered with the transmitted shock. Above the heads of the few thousand Jaffa families and human slave families who called the city home the shield glowed softly as it weathered the bombardment even as a second volley of Zentraedi cannon fire began pounding it.

War Room

Beneath Hades Palace

Hades smirked as he observed the holographic display over the situation table. The shield over the city and his palace was holding against the Zentraedi bombardment. Though a glance at one of the other holographic screens told him that the shield was under enormous strain repelling the force of the alien weapons, strain that it wouldn't be able to withstand for too long. Already the force field's energy matrix was down to ninety-eight percent cohesion and dropping by half to a full percentage point under each volley.

"My lord. Our surface to orbit gunners report that they have firing solutions on some of the enemy vessels," Tor'et reported from behind him.

"About time," Hades replied, "have the gunners open fire. And Tor'et inform them that I am displeased by how long it has taken them to get ready. They will improve their response time in the future or be prepared to face my wrath."

"I have already informed them my lord though I will make sure they are aware of your displeasure. They will not be so slow again," his First Prime answered, before using a small comm unit on one of his vambraces to relay the order to open fire to the crews manning the massive plasma cannons placed at each of the four main compass points some distance from the centre of the capital.

"Make sure they are not," Hades ordered even as he watched new icons appear as their cannons opened fire upon the enemy. Eight massive bolts of superheated naquada-generated plasma shooting into space, each bolt powerful enough to penetrate the shields of almost any ship in the Goa'uld fleet as if they weren't there. Hades tracked the representations of the powerful bolts on the hologram as they streaked towards the enemy fleet and contacted one of the ships. The icon representing the slip began flashing indicating that it was damaged but to his slight dismay it wasn't destroyed, at least not until a second volley impacted the vessel and its icon flared and vanished as the ship was annihilated.

The enemy responded immediately by reducing the fire pounding the shield over the city and redirecting the beams to fire upon the ground to space cannon positions. He allowed himself a slight smirk as the Zentraedi's return fire encountered secondary energy shields over the cannon positions, when he had placed the cannons there he had anticipated that they would be attacked from orbit the moment their presence was revealed. Thus, he had acted to protect them.

The presence of the shields didn't deter the Zentraedi they just fired again and again. Lacking the energy reserves of the main shield over the city the shields protecting the cannons failed just as they unleashed another volley. It was the last volley they would ever get off for a second after they fired each position was turned to molten slag by the Zentraedi laser and particle fire. Well, that was a bit underwhelming, he thought even as the Zentraedi resumed pounding the main shield with all their guns. A shield that Hades noticed, with real concern, was starting to seriously weaken under the alien's attack. Force field cohesion was now down to sixty percent, it wasn't going to survive long at this rate.

"My lord might I suggest you move to the escape ship," Tor'et said from behind him as like his god he could see that the shield over the city was seriously weakening under the relentless force of the Zentraedi bombardment. "The shield over the city is not going to withstand the Zentraedi bombardment for much longer."

"You are correct," Hades admitted with a slight sigh. When the shield over the city went down it would certainly be annihilated in very short order by the powerful beams spewing forth from the Zentraedi cannons. Still it galled him no end that he was about to loose another throne world. He vowed that if it took him a thousand years he would make the Zentraedi pay for this, just like the ones who had sent them would pay for it. Though that vengeance would come much sooner. He looked over at one of the other Jaffa in the room. "Get me Thanatos."

"Yes my lord," the Jaffa answered and gave a command to his console. For a few moments nothing more happened then a new holoscreen blinked into existence showing a concerned looking Thanatos.

"Report Thanatos," Hades demanded, "why have the Javelins not been fired yet?"

"I am endeavouring to fire them now my lord," Thanatos replied, "but I am having difficulties with one of them."

"What kind of difficulties?"

"The warhead on one missile is giving off worrying readings every time I try to power up."

"Have you corrected the problem?"

"I am endeavour…. Oh no."

Abruptly the holographic screen went white before vanishing. A second later alarms rang out throughout the war room.

"My lord we are picking up a very large explosion on the outer moon," one of the Jaffa reported, "the moon is breaking up."

Hades stared at the Jaffa in shock and horror before looking back at the holographic display. To see that indeed the outer moon was breaking apart, the result of two massive near simultaneous explosions that had vapourised nearly a third of its mass. The moon, suddenly deprived of so much mass, was tearing itself apart huge sections breaking away and flying into space. Most were spreading out into a path that would eventually form into a ring system around Elysium but hundreds of fragments, ranging in size from objects the size of his fist to pieces bigger than entire mountain ranges were falling at high speed towards Elysium. There was more than enough there to destroy all life on the surface of his throne world.

"My lord I must get you to the escape ship now," Tor'et said.

"Yes, yes lead on," Hades answered, pausing to take one last look at the hologram hoping to see debris beginning to impact the Zentraedi ships only to see – to his disappointment – that they were leaving. Vanishing into some kind of subspace energy bubbles that quickly faded away to nothing. He growled in annoyance at their escape, then turned and followed Tor'et out of the war room.

Zentraedi Battlecruiser XL-17401

A Few Moments Earlier

"What in Zor's name was that?"

Commander Neleya's shout of surprise hung pregnant in the air of the bridge. The commander herself was staring at her screens in shock and horror as mere moments earlier there sensors had been overloaded by a massive energy discharge. A second or so later the whole ship had shaken violently as though gripped by a powerful earthquake as a spatial shockwave impacted them. A discharge that appeared to have come from the second and outermost of Elysium's two moons.

"Commander sensors show that the energy discharge was the result of two near simultaneous explosions, each registering nearly four hundred gigatons of explosive force," sensors reported, "they originated at a Goa'uld facility on the moon. A full third of the moons mass has been vapourised. We are now picking up massive seismic disturbances all over the moon. Commander it's breaking up."

"So I see how long until the debris reaches us," Neleya asked, she could already see huge chunks of rock some bigger than a Tirolian mothership hurtling towards them and the planet below. If only I had some reflex missiles, I would use them to stop this, she thought knowing that if she had reflex missiles on her ships, she would have fired them into the approaching storm of hypervelocity rock, vaporising enough of it to save the world below from death. As it was everything on Elysium was doomed to die as even one of the larger pieces hitting the planet would be sufficient to end all life.

"Less than two minutes commander."

"Then we have no choice. All ships execute an emergency space fold to the fourth planet," she ordered even as the tactical display showed her the Asgard ships were breaking out of their own orbit and disappearing into the same kind of subspace vortices that had brought them here.

"Commander we're receiving a message from the ships we left near the fourth planet," communications reported, "the Asgard ships are appearing near them."

"They've had the same idea as us," Neleya commented, "how long until we fold?"

"Thirty seconds commander."

"Understood."

Neleya turned her attention back to the tactical screens. The outermost moon was continuing to break apart, huge chunks of rock being flung in all directions, as a result of the two enormous explosions. What in Zor's name were the Goa'uld doing there that could create such blasts, she thought as even by the standards of Robotech weaponry those explosions had been enormous, being even larger than what the biggest of reflex warheads could produce. Whatever it was they were doing it had obviously malfunctioned big time, resulting in the two huge explosions which had begun the destruction of not just the second moon but the inevitable death of everything and everyone on Elysium. She found herself wishing she could do something to save those innocents who were going to die with the planet… but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even evacuate some from the planet as there was simply no time.

A sudden thrum of power through the ship brought her out of her thoughts. Instantly she knew the fold drive was activating, surrounding the ship in a bubble of subspace energy even as the drive generated a wormhole between two points in space and time. A soft shiver ran through the deck as the fold sphere, and the ship within it, transited the wormhole before quiet returned as the drive powered down. The information on the holoscreens changed to show that they were now back near the fourth planet.

"Commander we are being hailed by the Asgard flagship."

"Put them through," Neleya ordered, "sensors keep our long range scanners focused on Elysium. We might not be able to stop what is going to happen but we can at least document if anyone manages to escape."

"Yes commander."

As the senior sensor operator acknowledged her order a new holographic display pixeled into existence in front of Neleya as the comm link with the Asgard flagship was established and confirmed to be secure. She soon found herself looking at a grim-looking Thor.

"Commander Neleya it is good to see that your people have survived," Thor said, "do you know what happened to cause the explosions?"

"We have no idea," Neleya admitted, "our sensors recorded two very large, near simultaneous explosions each registering four hundred gigatons in size. They originated from a Goa'uld facility on the second moon, but what caused them we do not know. Do you know?"

"I do not," Thor answered, "I do have my suspicions though. The energy signature of the blast is very similar to a type of naquada-based explosive that the Goa'uld were experimenting with around two millennia ago. Research into it was forbidden by the Supreme System Lord Ra after a number of disasters, the fact that at least one Goa'uld has returned to experimenting with it is very concerning. We will have words with the High Council of the System Lords about this, hopefully this is an isolated incident."

"And if it is not? If the Goa'uld have resumed working on this explosive?"

"Then we will ensure that they stop. The Goa'uld will not dare to defy us."

"I see," Neleya replied, and she didn't doubt that the Goa'uld would indeed obey the Asgard when they told them to stop researching this explosive, whatever it was, or else assuming that the research was widespread and not something that Hades had been doing on his own. In her experience defying the Asgard was something that few races did, even the Robotech Masters would think at least twice before doing so. The little grey aliens were after all one of the most powerful races in the known universe. "I do hope that this was an isolated case."

"So do I," Thor admitted. "But moving on to another, happier topic. Our preparations to remove the Goa'uld Charon from the body of Sergeant Reed are nearly complete. Depending on what Sergeant Reed himself chooses we will be able to deal with Charon in minutes to an hour. Would you care to send a representative to observe the process?"

"I will ask the STORM commandoes if they wish to send someone," Neleya replied, guessing that at very least Colonel Ferretti would want to be present at Charon's end if he was available. "However, given they might still be securing Charon's disabled flagship it might be awhile before one of them is available."

"My sensors confirm that all fighting on the Goa'uld flagship has stopped, the Jaffa aboard are all dead. We are only picking up human lifeforms."

"Well, the STORM commandoes are very efficient at what they do. I will contact them and advise you if one of them wishes to come aboard your ship to observe the removal process."

"If someone is willing just have them activate a beacon signal. I will then lock onto them and transport them aboard my ship."

"Understood Commander Thor."

"We will speak again," Thor answered before closing the communications link down from his end causing the holographic communications screen to pixel out of existence. Neleya watched where it had been for a few moments, still somewhat awed by the fact that she had actually spoken to an Asgard with her voice and not with her ships weapons systems. Then she mentally shook herself.

"Communications contact Colonel Ferretti."

"Yes commander."

Asgard Battleship Gungnir

A Short Time Later

The moment he began to regain consciousness Zackary Reed could tell that something was different. He could actually feel his body again, enough to know that he was lying on a bed of some kind. For a few moments he luxuriated in just the feeling of breathing again, something he had always taken for granted until that was he couldn't feel his body at all anymore. Did this mean that Charon was gone? Removed from his body somehow?

Even as he thought that he realized that Charon was still here. He could feel him in the back of his mind, but that something was preventing the Goa'uld from taking control of his body. Somebody, somehow had turned the tables on the Goa'uld putting him in control instead of him and not letting him take back control. He could sense terror from the Goa'uld, terror at being helpless and unable to do anything restrained in every possible way by some alien technology.

Slowly he opened his eyes to see he was in a darkened room. There was just enough light to see strange alien décor that looked Nordic but with a technological aspect to it. The light was fairly dim but turning his head he could see that he was lying on a bed surrounded by a raised rim, a rim that was glowing softly and he wondered if the glow had something to do with why Charon wasn't currently able to control him. He faintly heard a door open and the sound of footsteps approaching, two sets of footsteps. One had the distinctive sound of combat boots, he knew that sound well after all, but the other was so light that he could barely hear anything at all.

After a moment two figures appeared over him. One was a man in Tristan armour – though his helmet had been removed – and he vaguely recognised him as Colonel Louis Ferretti the leader of the STORM commando unit that had been assigned to Fort Minotaur after the Stargate had been brought there from Egypt. The other was a completely alien being, it was short and slender, seemingly androgynous and completely naked, it had a proportionally oversized head with equally oversized pure black eyes. From Charon's memories he recognised it as an Asgard.

He tried to sit up to salute his superior officer but found he couldn't move, that some energy field was restraining him.

"Don't try to sit up sergeant," Colonel Ferretti told him. "That field that is currently restraining you is also what is preventing that thing inside you from controlling you."

"I understand sir," Zackary replied, "um can you get him out of me? Or if you can't then please kill me, I can't live as his prisoner for the next few centuries."

"We can indeed remove the Goa'uld from you Sergeant Reed," the Asgard said. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Thor Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet."

"Pleased to meet you," Zackary replied even as he sensed a recognition and fear from Charon. He smiled slightly. "Charon's afraid of you I can tell."

"He should be he will know I am his death as I have been for many Goa'uld over the millennia," Thor answered, "but before I can do that you have a choice to make as to how I do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Once there was only one method available to us to deal with a Goa'uld and that was to emit an energy field that destroyed the Goa'uld while inside its host. A process that while quick would be quite painful for both host and symbiote. However in recent centuries our transporter technology has improved enough for me to physically teleport the symbiote out of your body."

"And you want me to choose which way you use? Why do I get the feeling there is a catch to transporting Charon out of me?"

"The only catch is it will take a bit longer," Thor admitted, "the scans we would need to run to remove the symbiote without injuring you are quite in depth after all and take some time to complete. If I began them now, it would take about three hours to complete the scans and required calculations."

Zackary grimaced. "Ugh no offense but I don't want to wait that long," he said, "just get this bastard out of me whichever way you can."

"Then it will have to be the traditional method. I must warn you it will be very painful."

"I'll endure it just get rid of him please."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I must allow the Goa'uld to regain control now so that sentence maybe passed upon him. Do not worry he will not be able to harm you out of spite as he no doubt would like to do."

"Must you?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Zackary sighed and did his best to mentally brace himself. "Alright do it," he said.

"Very well," Thor replied before moving over to a small control pedestal and moving a few control stones around and pressing a few of the runes. A faint hum sounded through the room as the device that was keeping Charon paralysed and unable to control his host switched modes.

The moment the hum subsided Zackary immediately lost all sensation in his body again as Charon surged forth, pushing him back into the mental prison he had been in for the last couple of days. Standing over the table Colonel Ferretti watched as the heavily muscled form of Sergeant Reed abruptly stiffened and then his eyes lit up as if he had lights behind them.

"Release me now," Charon demanded, "I command you human release your god at once."

"I don't think so," Ferretti replied glaring at the symbiote looking back at him through Reeds eyes. "And you are not a god. Just a quite pathetic little parasite who will soon die."

"The Asgard is lying to you. If you let him do this, he will kill us both."

"Only one will die here today," Thor said as he approached holding a control stone in one hand. "Charon for the crimes you have committed against countless innocents across this galaxy I as Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet and a member of the High Council of Asgard sentence you to death. You will not leave this ship alive, however your host will."

As he finished speaking Thor placed the control stone in a slot in the side of the bed and pressed the rune to activate it. Immediately with a whirring sound two pillars arose – one on either side of the bed – from the floor and stopped when they were just above the level of Reeds head. Two more sections emerged from the tops at a forty degree angle and met above his head forming a technological tent. For a moment nothing more happened then the inner surfaces began to glow before a shimmering, screeching red energy field completely enveloped Reeds head and neck.

Charon instantly felt like he had a billion white hot needles digging into him. The pain was intense, beyond anything he had ever experienced before and it seemed to set fire to his very thoughts. Ruthlessly he thrust as much of it as possible onto his host as he could even as he attempted to execute a final revenge, if he was going to die – and he knew he was as he could feel the fields energy destroying him – then he would take Zackary with him. He tried to release the nerve toxin his kind could produce – initially as a defensive measure in the primordial waters of their long lost homeworld but now as a final spite when killed inside a host – only to find that not only could he not do so but this energy had neutralised the chemical. The pain grew worse and he couldn't help but scream both in agony and fury at his final revenge being denied to him.

Standing overhead Ferretti winced as he heard the screams coming from Reed as from the two distinct tones he could hear – one of the gene enhancements STORM Commandoes got was to there hearing – he could tell that it was both the human and the Goa'uld inside who were screaming from the pain. "How long is this going to go on," he asked as below him Reed writhed in the agony both host and symbiote were feeling.

"Not much longer," Thor replied as Charon emitted a final scream, lighting Reeds eyes up one last time from within before the glow slowly faded as the symbiotes life expired, eyes closing as the glow died. Instantly the energy field disappeared and the body on the table relaxed as the projector shut down and retracted into the deck. Thor reached out and removed the control stone and also pressed the control that deactivated the restraining field.

"Sergeant," Ferretti said reaching out and touching the younger man's face with a cloved hand. After a second the other man's eyes opened and he gasped.

"Sir," Zackary replied gasping and shaking as his whole body was aching as though he had just been run over by a battloid. "Did you get the id number of the battloid that just ran over me? God that hurt."

"I do apologise for the pain that you experienced but I did warn you," Thor said as Zackary sat up looking around.

"So, you did," Zackary admitted, "so what's going to happen now. Will you remove that things corpse from me?"

"No, the symbiotes body will already be breaking down. Your body will absorb it without harm," Thor answered, "though there will be one side effect that will be quite useful to you."

"Naquada and the protein the Goa'uld use in their neural interface technology it's going to remain in me isn't it."

"Yes. With time and practice it will let you use Goa'uld technology it will also grant you the ability to sense a Goa'uld or Tok'ra symbiote."

"Well, it's like mom always say's every cloud has a silver lining," Zackary said, "where are we anyway?"

"Your aboard my flagship the Gungnir," Thor answered, "we are currently orbiting the fourth planet of the Elysium system, observing the aftereffects of the explosion on the second moon of Elysium. Soon we will leave and I will take you back to your homeworld."

"What explosion," Zackary asked then blinked as he realized what it was. "The Javelins they exploded didn't they when Thanatos tried to fire them."

"Javelins?" Ferretti asked.

"That's what the Goa'uld called them. A prototype of a hyperspace capable missile with a naquada-enhanced antimatter warhead capable of destroying all life on the surface of a planet. Hades pet scientist created them. He certainly ordered Thanatos to fire them at Earth when the attack began."

"The Goa'uld are experimenting with antimatter again," Thor asked looking alarmed in a subtle Asgard fashion. "I thought Ra forbade research into antimatter several millennia ago."

"Thanatos was as far as Charon knew it was still illegal not that Hades really cared for such things. Is he dead by the way Hades I mean."

"Unfortunately no just before we came in our sensors detected a frigate leaving the surface of Elysium. It went into hyperspace a few seconds before debris from the broken moon began impacting the surface."

"That will be the Nar'kesh that Hades and Persephone his queen detailed as their escape ship. They'll be heading for a refuge somewhere in the Pearl Nebula. Where exactly though I don't know, only Hades himself knew the location."

"That is a pity, but we will find him eventually," Thor answered, "I must return to the bridge. I will arrange for a change of clothes to be brought down for you Sergeant Reed. I doubt you want to keep wearing that Goa'uld get up."

"I would like to get this off yes," Zackary replied looking at the chest piece and boots in disgust knowing that they were made from the hide of a sentient being. "How long are we going to remain here?"

"Another hour then I will return you to your homeworld."

"Can you not teleport us to Commander Neleya's ship, Thor," Ferretti asked.

"Unfortunately, no. The Robotech Masters long ago built systems into both there own ships and those of the Zentraedi that prevent our transporter beam technology from working aboard them," Thor replied. "Therefore, I have no choice but to take you back to your planet myself. It is actually quite convenient at the end of the day since I have been asked to represent my people in negotiations with your own."

"Negotiations?" Ferretti asked. "For what?"

"For our help in repairing the damage inflicted upon your world by the event you call the Rain of Death. Now I must go, you are free to move around this room and if you want some refreshments just ask and they will be provided to you," Thor told them, before touching a small control on the stone he was holding and vanishing in a flash of silver-white light.

The STORM commando watched where the Asgard had been for a moment before turning and looking back at Zackary. "Well sergeant you are going to be in for a interesting debriefing," Ferretti commented, "are you okay it mustn't have been easy having that thing control you like that."

"I'll live," Zackary replied, "and I am fully aware its going to be a long debriefing and the brass are not going to like what I have to tell them."

"Which is?"

"That despite their ongoing civil war the Goa'uld will not ignore us," Zackary said, "the technology we have will mark us down as a threat to be eliminated. They will come for us sir; it might not be today or tomorrow but eventually they'll come and we will only have one choice. To fight or surrender and be enslaved forever more."

Ferretti scowled but didn't answer. He didn't need to answer as there was nothing to say, nothing that would change this one simple and devastating fact. Humanity had a new enemy one that would not negotiate, and which would seek nothing less than either their enslavement or there complete and total annihilation. Which was not good news…

…not good news at all.

Authors Note: Well, another chapter bites the metaphorical dust. I hope you all enjoyed it. Reed is free of the Goa'uld now and is going to be something of an intelligence goldmine since he's absorbed a lot of Charon's knowledge in the short time that he was his host. Before anyone says that Zackary is acting a bit too well adjusted for someone who has just been freed from Goa'uld enslavement bear in mind that this is just a front that he is putting on. He's focusing on his duty right now and the need to warn everyone about the true danger the Goa'uld represent to Earth and Terran humanity. When he is on his own or with people he cares about, without duty to distract him, then he'll break down as the trauma of it all hits home.

Hades and his queen have escaped Elysium even as asteroids begin pelting their former planet. They will be back eventually though you won't see them again for quite some time, well you might see them in the odd interlude chapter or two to come in the future but otherwise they won't be appearing much until later in the fic. Until next time.