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.
Chapter Twenty-One
United Earth Defence Council
United Earth Defence Command
New Macross City, North America Quadrant
Two Days Later
Silence reigned in the meeting chamber of the defence council as they watched the recordings from Commander Neleya's ship and saw the devastation left in the wake of the first large asteroid – an asteroid that had once been a part of the planets second moon – impacting the surface of the Goa'uld world Elysium. Where there had once been a living, verdant world with every other type of biome imaginable, there was now nothing but fire, death, and swirling clouds of smoke and dust.
For everyone present it brought back some very painful memories of the Rain of Death.
"Turn it off," Secretary Anderson said after a few moments, feeling a dull ache in his heart at the sight of a dead, now burning world the images and memories it stirred in his mind being almost too much for him to bear. Immediately the projector field holding the screen in place powered down causing the holographic screen to pixel out of existence. "How many people were there on that planet? Do we know what caused the explosions that caused the outer moon to break apart in the way that it did?"
"Due to the radiation from the space mine detonations, we cannot be certain," Exedore replied, "however extrapolating on data recorded before the first mine immolated one of our ships, we estimate that there were approximately three and a half to four million individuals on Elysium. As for what caused the explosions that triggered the moons destruction, and eventually the annihilation of all life on the surface of Elysium, we know that it was the detonation of the warheads of two experimental Goa'uld interstellar missiles. The combined blasts vaporised a full third of the moons mass and caused seismic shockwaves that ultimately tore the moon apart from the inside out."
"Interstellar missiles," Gloval questioned frowning in a combination of confusion and concern. He had never heard of such a weapons system being even possible, "such things are possible?"
"In theory yes admiral," Exedore answered with a nod, "in theory it is perfectly possible to place a basic single use space fold drive or any other faster than light engine such as a hyperdrive on a missile and send it to attack a distant target. I believe a number of the science and war triumvirates in service to the Robotech Masters' have investigated the possibility of creating such a weapons technology though I do not know if they have moved the research from the theoretical to the prototype stage of development. We Zentraedi would never be briefed on any new weapons or technologies until the time that the Robotech Masters saw fit to issue them to us."
"I see and now the Goa'uld seem to be working on it as well," Gloval commented with an inward scowl. They already knew that the Goa'uld Empire was a threat to them, especially as both the Tok'ra and Sergeant Reed in his first debriefs had confirmed that the Goa'uld saw themselves as gods and that the only reason humans existed was to serve them either as slaves and labourers or as hosts for the megalomaniacal, parasitic kind. And thus, would not tolerate their existence especially as their level of technology made them a threat. That in itself was not good news, the fact that they were working on such advanced drone weaponry increased the threat level immensely. As if we didn't have enough problems to deal with already, he thought with a mental sigh.
"So, it would seem," Secretary Anderson said grimly even as he wondered where they were somehow going to find the money and resources to start a research program into such weapons themselves. After all if as hostile to them as races like the Goa'uld – and likely the Robotech Masters – had that capability then they would need to develop it themselves – somehow – even with so many of their current resources tied up in the recovery and reconstruction efforts after the Rain of Death. "Has the debrief of Sergeant Reed revealed anything more about these weapons?"
"We are proceeding slowly with the debrief," General Markwell replied. "Having his body hijacked for a few days by the Goa'uld parasite Charon, being able to see and hear everything that thing did but being unable to do anything to influence the world or stop the parasite, has caused him significant emotional trauma. As a result, we are having to be careful with our questions, though Reed is actually being very helpful he actually seems to perk up a bit when revealing the information, he took from Charon's mind even as Charon took information about us from his mind. He has told us a bit about the missiles and has been able to provide some other useful pieces of information."
"Such as," Anderson asked, inwardly grimacing as he really did feel for the younger man. He imagined going through what he had with that thing hadn't been pleasant. He couldn't imagine how he would cope feeling something alien enter his body, take over and then use it for whatever it wanted and all the while being able to see and hear everything but unable to do anything about it or interact with the world in anyway. The terror that Zackary Reed had to have endured going through that, well it made him feel sick to his stomach just thinking about it.
"We know that the two missiles were prototypes created by a Goa'uld scientist called Thanatos and were referred to as Javelins. They apparently had an antimatter warhead jacketed in highly refined naquada referred to as weapons grade. The employment of antimatter is apparently illegal among the Goa'uld – at least research into antimatter-based weaponry is illegal by order of the Supreme System Lord – which we believe to be there equivalent of an emperor. The explosion was certainly caused by a fluctuation in the force field containing the antimatter when Thanatos was arming the weapons for firing. In theory if even a few milligrams of antimatter escaped the containment field it could have triggered the first of the two explosions. The second explosion was simply both warheads cooking off as the missiles were destroyed by the first blast."
"What was the missiles target," Anderson asked, he had a feeling he already knew but felt that he had to ask. That way it would appear on this meeting official minutes, there for anyone to see who had the required security access.
"They we're targeted at Earth mister secretary," Markwell replied grimly. "Apparently Hades ordered Thanatos to arm and fire them at us in retribution for us sending the Zentraedi to attack Elysium. While the destruction of Elysium and the loss of millions of innocent human slaves is deeply saddening we got lucky that the missiles exploded before launch as if even one of them had gotten through our defences – and they would have since apparently like most Goa'uld warships the missiles could literally cloak themselves by going slightly out of phase with normal space-time – then it would have been the end of all life on Earth as even one of them would have struck the planet with the same force as the asteroid that wiped the dinosaurs from existence sixty-five million years ago. Hades would have literally finished what Dolza started."
A grim silence descended on the meeting room as everyone digested that and realized just how devastating even one of those weapons would have been if it had hit the already badly wounded Earth. Though none of them took any pleasure that an entire planet – and millions of innocents – had died as a result of the weapons detonating before launch there was relief that they hadn't been fired and hadn't hit Earth. Still the mere thought of the weapons and their blast yield - comparable to the celestial impactor that had wiped out sixty to seventy percent of all plant and animal life including the great creatures that had ruled the Earth for a hundred and sixty-five million years and so changed the course of evolution itself – was beyond terror inducing.
"I see," Anderson said at last breaking the silence. "You said that Sergeant Reed has been able to provide us with some more information?"
"Yes, mister secretary. One of the bits of information he has been able to provide us with is Earth's Stargate address along with which symbol on the dialling device represents this particular planet," Markwell explained, "apparently each planet has its own specific glyph to identify it. The Goa'uld apparently also use a planets Stargate coordinate for astronavigational purposes."
"Interesting," Gloval commented, even as he silently acknowledged how much of a game changer knowing what Earth's Stargate address would be for them. No longer would the only way back for exploration teams be to send a Zentraedi warship to retrieve them. "What else has he been able to reveal?"
"He has been able to give us the access codes to the main computer on the captured Goa'uld mothership, apparently it belongs to their newest model referred to as a Sha'ha'tak-class. While the access codes will be a huge benefit, we are first having to seal the breach in the vessels hull created when Commander Neleya's lasers overwhelmed its energy shields and burned a hole across several decks. There is additional damage aboard from the running fight between our STORM commandoes and the Jaffa troops that took place after they boarded the vessel."
"Interesting," Colonel Matthews commented, inwardly grinning as having that access code was like winning the lottery in terms of intelligence access. With access to the computers the amount of information they could gather on the Goa'uld, their technology, military capabilities and how far their territory extended was both immeasurable and potentially invaluable. The fact that the ship was apparently one of the newest – and thus likely most powerful – classes of warship in the Goa'uld fleet made it all the better. "We could learn a great deal from that ship. Do the access codes work on the captured frigates as well?"
"They do," Markwell confirmed, "it seems that the Goa'uld who took over Sergeant Reed's body, Charon, was Hades Fleet Lord, essentially the admiral in charge of his entire naval forces. As such he had security access to every single ship type in Hades fleet from their fighters – which they refer to as Udajeet or in our language a Death Glider – all the way up to their strongest, largest ships like his flagship."
"That is a hell of an intelligence coup not that it makes up for the trauma Reed suffered while that thing was controlling him," Anderson commented. "Has we learned anything of note about the Goa'uld and their technology yet?"
"No, we're trying to develop an adapter to allow us to read their computers?"
Anderson frowned. "Why would that be necessary?"
"As you know mister secretary our own computer technology is based on adaptive protoculture based circuitry creating a sort of quantum matrix processor, we also store information in fluid data cores both of whom are technologies reverse engineered from the SDF-1. Goa'uld computer technology however, indeed all their electronics, appear to be entirely crystalline. While some are clearly their version of computer chips, others clearly hold information encoded into the molecular matrix of the crystal. It is that information that we currently cannot read."
"There should be an adapter program available on the factory satellite," Exedore said, "it isn't the first time that crystal-based technology has been encountered by either my people or the Robotech Masters who created us. Spherisian technology for example is – like the Spherisians themselves – entirely crystalline. If you wish, I will take the next shuttle up to the station and help you find the program. From there it shouldn't take us long to begin reading the information on the Goa'uld crystals."
"Your assistance would be welcome, Exedore," Markwell replied with a smile even as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matthews scowl at his acceptance of the offer. The man's notorious hatred of the Zentraedi, which wasn't helped by the fact that his whole family had perished in the Rain of Death, showing itself once again and he had thought they had at last been making progress with him when he'd actually been the one to suggest sending the Zentraedi to attack Hades.
"There is one other group I would like to ask," he added. "The two Tok'ra we recovered from Linkotis. They have been quite helpful and informative so far, since they use the same technology as the Goa'uld they could be a huge asset in helping us understand the technology on those ships."
"I don't see any problem with that though they will want something in return," Anderson pointed out.
"Three of the smaller vessels, vessels identical to the one that crashed on Linkotis, have been found in the docking bays of the mothership. All three appear to be intact, we could let the Tok'ra take one of them. It would allow them to go home and certainly help establish a relationship between us and them."
"Such a relationship would be beneficial," Matthews admitted somewhat reluctantly as he hated having to rely on aliens for anything, "from all the reports submitted to this council on them the Tok'ra have spent literally millennia infiltrating the ranks of the Goa'uld System Lords and likely have contacts and informants at all levels of their empire. That is a potential intelligence asset that we frankly cannot ignore."
At least until we can start building our own intelligence network in the galaxy, he thought though he wasn't blind to how big of a task that would be. Until they'd sent that expedition through the Stargate to the planet, they now knew to be called Linkotis they had had no knowledge of the wider galaxy beyond Sol. Oh, there had been plans to explore the galaxy before the Zentraedi arrived, detailed plans in fact but that had all been scuppered when Breetai showed up and the Robotech War – which had so devastated their planet – had begun. Idly he wondered what might have happened if they had discovered the Stargate sooner, before the Zentraedi came or even before the SDF-1 first fell out of the sky and crashed into a previously unassuming, unimportant volcanic island – one of many such islands and islets that dotted the South Pacific – and in the process changed, and ultimately doomed, the world as it had been.
They would never know.
"I will have to clear it with the secretary general and the rest of the cabinet but that does seem a decent plan," Anderson said bringing him out of his thoughts. "As to the ships please keep the council fully up to date on the investigation of them General Markwell."
"Yes, mister secretary."
"While we are on the subject of alien ships. Admiral Gloval what is the status of the exploration team to be sent to examine the ship hidden on Mars?" Anderson asked.
"The last of the team members reached New Macross City this morning," Gloval answered, "none of them know yet why we have assembled them. Captain Hunter will be briefing them as we speak. If our weather predictions hold true – and as we all know that currently cannot be guaranteed given how unstable the atmosphere has been ever since the Rain – and no mechanical problems crop up they'll be able to launch tomorrow as scheduled."
"I have spoken with Lord Breetai. A ship will be available to fold them to Mars orbit at that time," Exedore added. "I admit I am rather curious about this vessel; especially given we did not detect it the last time our ships we're near Mars."
"You're not on your own, Exedore," Anderson replied, "we'd been sending ships to Mars on and off for years before your ships first arrived and we didn't detect it either. Which means either someone has placed it there recently – somehow without either of us noticing – or it was previously concealed somehow."
"The latter is more likely," Exedore answered, "any form of FTL event – be it a space fold or a hyperspace window – that occurred after our arrival would have been detected. We would certainly have challenged anyone who arrived either turning them away or, if they refused to leave, we would have destroyed them. Wherever it is from, whoever built it, they had to have left it here before our ships arrived. It's likely that over time whatever system it was using to mask its energy emissions has either malfunctioned or lost power."
"Whatever the reason we will know soon enough," Anderson pointed out, inwardly shivering slightly at the somewhat cold way Exedore had said what the Zentraedi would have done to any alien ships that arrived during the war. At times it was easy to forget that he, like his entire race, was bioengineered for warfare and conquest. The cold, matter-of-fact way he'd spoken was a reminder of what he had been, what the Robotech Masters had made him and the other Zentraedi to be.
"Indeed. Shall we move on to the next item on today's agenda," Exedore suggested, "I believe there has been a development regarding the site to rehouse the Stargate?"
"I believe that is the case yes," Anderson agreed, glad to be moving on from the depressing reminder of what the Zentraedi had been – what many of them were still struggling to fully overcome due to the generations of conditioning used on them by the Robotech Masters – onto something that might be a bit more interesting. "General Markwell please fill us in on what has been discovered."
"Yes, mister secretary," Markwell replied. "It concerns the site in the old mine beneath the Swiss alps. When our assessment team arrived, they got a surprise. As you may recall the mine was purchased by a company before the Rain which had plans to convert into a secure data centre and that to the best of our knowledge the Rain occurred before the conversion works could begin."
"And you have now found out that was not the case?" Gloval asked, guessing where this was going.
"Indeed admiral. When my team went there they found that while there is no one there now the conversion work had been started," Markwell explained, "all the main tunnels and galleried chambers had been widened and lined with hypercarbon reinforced concrete, the beginnings of a new power plant were also present and from the bits of equipment we found – all dusty and obviously having not been touched since the Rain – they were planning for the power source to be a reflex furnace."
"A reflex furnace in a civilian secure data centre," Anderson repeated shocked and confused as even before the Rain the UEG and UEDF were very particular about who they allowed to use reflex furnaces. Certainly, primarily civilian facilities hadn't in general been allowed to have them. A fusion reactor definitely or a geothermal tap – if the proper geology for one was nearby – but not a reflex furnace. The risk that some of the protoculture fuel – not that they had known its name at the time though the power of it and how it could be misused had been obvious – could get into the hands of someone like the Anti-Unification League or some other opponent was considered too great.
"That's not the only strange thing we found," Markwell added. "We found a new – thankfully open – security door. Not only is it a meter thick but the door is composed of hypercarbon-reinforced titanium armour plating."
"The same armour we used on our first-generation ships," Gloval said grimly. Not that it did us much good, he thought with an inward wince remembering the terrifying ease with which the energy weapons on Breetai's initial fleet had cut through their ships. Armour that they had thought would protect them, since it was stronger and more durable than any armour ever made before by Terran hands, had proven as useful as paper in defending against the sheer force and unprecedented power of robotechnology based particle beams and lasers. Still what was it doing in a security door in a place that was according to the conversion plans submitted to the authorities a data storage centre? And what were the foundations for a reflex furnace doing there? "It seems we have quite a mystery on our hands with that place."
"Indeed, though not one we are likely to ever know the answer to," Anderson replied with a sigh, "since everyone involved certainly died during the Rain. Still the fact that the conversion was already underway could well save us some time, not to mention resources that could then be used elsewhere."
"That is what we were thinking," Markwell agreed, "most of the groundwork for the mine's conversion has already been done. We'll just need to check a few things before we can continue with the conversion. If everything goes to plan, and there are no unexpected surprises, then we would be in a position to move the Stargate from Fort Minotaur to its new home in about eight months. Assuming permission is granted to begin the required work."
"Any objections," Anderson asked looking around the room. He wasn't surprised that there were none as building the Stargates new home beneath a mountain in Switzerland was infinitely more preferable than building a base on one of the frozen islands of the Svalbard archipelago which would have presented them with many more challenges to overcome ranging from unpredictable arctic weather to hungry polar bears. Everyone here knew that. "Very well General begin organising the required resources and commence work on developing the new facilities."
"Yes mister secretary," Markwell acknowledged even as a lieutenant came in, approached Admiral Gloval, and whispered something in his ear.
"Problem Admiral," Anderson asked wondering just what had happened now. Honestly was one meeting without something unexpected or untoward happening too much to ask for.
"No mister secretary there isn't," Gloval answered, repressing just the impulse to smile when the politicians' shoulders slumped slightly in relief that they were not going to have to have to deal with yet another new problem. They had dealt with enough of those recently. "We were just contacted by the Asgard battleship Gungnir, Supreme Commander Thor wanted to inform us that the Nox have agreed to come to our aid in repairing the damage inflicted to Earth's biosphere during both the Rain of Death and our industrial development phase before it. One of their ships will be leaving their homeworld of Gaia momentarily."
"I see how long will that take," Anderson asked.
"They'll be here in approximately fifteen minutes. Apparently like the Asgard the Nox ships hyperspace drives are fast enough to cross the entire galaxy in a very short amount of time."
"Interesting," Anderson commented before looking over at Exedore. "Exedore do your people know anything about the Nox?"
"Very little," Exedore admitted, "mostly taken from the damaged memory banks of defeated Asgard warships, well ships that we or the Masters didn't simply burn from the stars. I will of course tell you all I can."
"Please do so."
Exedore nodded and began outlining what little information that the Zentraedi had on the Nox beginning with the fact that the Nox were an ancient species, one of the oldest in the known universe. A race whose knowledge and technology had long since blurred the lines between science and magic.
Elsewhere In New Macross City
That Same Time
Captain Rick Hunter would, if asked, admit that he was somewhat nervous as he gazed at the door of the briefing room that held the members of the small team that Admiral Gloval had placed him in charge of for the mission to Mars. He had been thoroughly briefed on each and every member and could already tell that at least one of them, a Doctor Abraham Peterson, was going to give him some trouble. The man was known to harbour anti-military views comparable to those held by Lynn Kyle though he was generally a bit less open about it than Kyle since he needed funding from the United Earth Government for his research to continue – not to mention access to certain aspects of robotechnology that he would otherwise be denied access to – which gave Rick an option for dealing with him should he cause too much trouble. Something that he had already been cleared to do.
Deciding he had put things off long enough he squared his shoulders, adjusted his uniform tunic in a very Captain Picard fashion, before walking forward opening the door and going inside. He immediately saw the small gaggle of scientists and military personnel milling about talking in their own groups. He was spotted almost immediately by one of the military personnel who called out about an officer on the deck causing all the military personnel to instantly snap to attention while the scientists stopped talking and looked curiously over to see who had come in.
"Stand easy," Rick instructed as he walked towards the podium at the front of the room. Behind him two large holoscreens hung suspended in projector fields ready for him to begin the briefing. "Please be seated everyone."
There was a brief general hubbub of noise as everyone in the room made their way to seats and sat down. Rick noting, with some disapproval, that there was a distinct separation between some of the scientists – who he noted were clustering around Doctor Peterson – and the military personnel. That's going to be trouble, he thought, hopefully Peterson will soon open his mouth and I can then shut this stupidity down before it gets any worse. He moved to the lectern on the podium and waited for everyone to be settled, soon enough they were.
"Good afternoon everyone," he said. "For those of you who do not know me I am Captain Hunter and I have been placed in command of this mission by Admiral Gloval."
"What mission? What's this all about I have a lot of important research to do," Doctor Peterson said, "I don't need to be dragged here for a mission."
"You are here Doctor Peterson because the government, which funds your research, has decided you should be here," Rick replied giving him the same look he would use to get an unruly pilot to behave.
"Your drafting me? You cannot do…"
"We can it is in the contract that you signed when you agreed to work on research for the United Earth Government," Rick replied, "we can reassign you to other, more pressing, issues if it is felt necessary by the cabinet."
"I'm not going to…"
"Then you can leave the room now Doctor Peterson," Rick said firmly, "you can leave and we will not bother you again. However, know that if you do all your current funding as well as all access to advanced robotechnology systems – including the remote uplink to the design systems on the factory satellite – granted to you will be immediately terminated as you obviously have no real interest in keeping to the contract you signed."
Peterson went pale. "You.. you wouldn't," he stammered knowing that without that funding and without the uplink he was well and truly buggered. There were no real sources of funding outside of the government anymore as so many of the independent and corporate groups who he would have once turned to for funding – so he wouldn't have to go anywhere near the military – were gone. Incinerated like so many other innocents when the Zentraedi bombarded Earth with reflex weaponry.
"We would," Rick replied a clear note of steel in his voice, "the United Earth Government doesn't normally like to interfere with the research done by scientists either directly employed or funded by it What it does however demand is that, when necessary, those scientists be available for other pressing work as decided upon by the Secretary General, the cabinet and the defence council. This is clearly stated in all work and funding contracts.
"By all rights by your current refusals I could have you thrown out of not just here but the laboratory complex where you have been working," Rick continued as Peterson stared at him in horror knowing exactly what he stood to lose. "But since I am a nice guy I am going to give you a choice and a chance but I will only do so once so don't equate this with weakness. You can sit down, shut up and do exactly what the government requires of you and there will be no blowback. Alternatively you can leave in which case you will lose everything. Now choose."
Peterson glowered but knowing that he was beaten, he needed the funding and access without which he could not continue with his work, backed down He really had no choice as it was do this or lose everything he had worked for since he got his PhD. "Fine I will do what you want," he said, somewhat brokenly, having been thoroughly intimidated into obedience. He wasn't the only one as the one or two others who might have objected, and taken the same stance as him as they only worked for the UEG and the UEDF because that's where the funding was available, were just as intimidated knowing now that the government – as currently represented by Captain Hunter – wouldn't tolerate any anti-military, non-cooperative behaviour from them and would punish them severely if they tried it.
The watching military personnel for their parts smirked slightly. Peterson and some of his fellows had been quietly sniping at them since they arrived, acting all surely and superior. Talking down to them as though they were children and generally being a bunch of arrogant jerks who were convinced that soldiers, and military personnel in general, were muscle-headed dingdongs who were barely capable of doing up their own clothes. Thus it was nice to see one of the top aces of the United Earth Defence Forces put them in their place.
"Anymore objections," Rick asked looking around the room. He was pleased to see that there were not, that those who likely would have objected and raised more ruckus having been thoroughly browbeaten into obedience of what the government wanted of them. If only I could do the same thing to that bastard Kyle, he thought, before mentally shaking off those thoughts as sooner or later Kyle would get what was coming to him. Instead he focused on the reason they were all here.
"Then let us proceed," he said getting down to business. "For the last few weeks the Zentraedi have been carefully scanning the solar system, looking for any resources that could be of use in our quest to rebuild our world after the devastation of Dolza's attack. Just over a week ago they found something on Mars, something completely unexpected."
A surprised hubbub of conversation greeted that announcement especially from the scientists. Once again it was Doctor Peterson who was the first one to speak. "Excuse me Captain Hunter but what do you mean by something unexpected," he asked inwardly somewhat shaken to find out that the Zentraedi – who he had previously personally dismissed as just organic androids programmed to be raging engines of destruction and death by whichever race had created them – had been searching for any resources that could be of use in rebuilding their shattered world.
"Sensors detected a faint energy signature coming from a cave on the flanks of the volcano Arsia Mons," Rick replied touching a control on the podium causing two images to appear on the holoscreens floating behind him. One was a spectroscopic analysis of the energy signature that had been detected the other was a topographical scan of Mars showing the location of the giant, extinct shield volcano near the edge of the Martian region known as the Tharsis Bulge.
Peterson leaned forward as he studied the energy signature analysis. "Interesting," he commented, "I have never seen anything like that signature before. Have the Zentraedi been able to identify it?"
"Yes it's the signature produced by a coal-like ore called sekitan. When burned in a high pressure environment it produces an element that cannot exist in normal space for more than a second before breaking down. When it does so it not only releases energy but produces particles of antimatter which react with the surrounding normal matter."
"Which would produce even more power," Peterson finished for him, nodding. He made a mental note to put in a request to learn a bit more about this sekitan power source. "So I assume that this energy signature is coming from something on or at the volcano?"
"It's coming from a ship of unknown origin that is hidden at the bottom of the largest of the caves on the volcanoes flanks," Rick explained, "unfortunately we do not know more than that as combined with its depth, a hundred and seventy-eight meters beneath the surface, and the presence of ferrous metals in the lava rocks the Zentraedi sensors cannot determine anymore about it.
"Ladies and gentlemen this is why we are going to Mars," he continued, "tomorrow, provided the weather continues to cooperate, we will be launching into orbit where we will rendezvous with a Zentraedi cruiser. The cruiser will then space fold with us to Mars orbit whereupon we will descend to the planet and Arsia Mons. Once there our orders are to descend to the ship and begin trying to learn more about it. If possible we are to salvage it and bring it back to orbit where it can then be folded back to the factory satellite for more in depth analysis. Questions?"
One of the military personnel, a pilot by the patch on his uniform, put up a hand. "Yes lieutenant?"
"Sir might I ask how we are to get down to where this ship is," the slightly, but only slightly, younger man said.
"Those of us who are veritech pilots will be using our Valkyrie's to get down to the ship. The rest we'll you will be using these," Rick replied as he pressed another control causing the images on the holographic screens to change from the previous spectrographic and topographic images to the image and schematics of a circular platform-like device. "These are the new personal, heavy lift hover platforms created based upon design schematics found and recovered from the SDF-1's databanks. Each can hold either a heavy destroid – like a Monster – or a full squad of armoured infantry. In addition at full engine power each can – in Earth normal gravity – lift a weight of a hundred tons on top of their loaded weight. In the much lower gravity of Mars a handful of these working together should be more than enough to, if necessary, tow the Mars ship back to the surface… though if needs be the Zentraedi cruiser will also drop down to just above the lip of the volcano and drop magnetic towing lines that we could then attach to the ship."
"I understand sir."
"Good. Any more questions?" Rick asked looking at the assembled people. Once he was satisfied that there were no more questions he moved on to the next item on the agenda for this briefing. Which was naturally outlining the planned sequence for their mission to Mars…
… assuming nothing untoward happened in the meantime.
Authors Note: Well another chapter bites the metaphorical dust. I hope you all enjoyed it, I was originally going to have the Nox actually make an appearance in this chapter but I couldn't make the scene fit – plus the chapter was starting to get a bit long – so that will now appear either in the next chapter or in an interlude chapter between now and then. Will Rick be right and nothing untoward happen before the launch their mission to Mars or will something happen. You will have to wait and see. Until next time.