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-Six
United Earth Defence Council
New Macross City, North America Quadrant
A solemn silence reigned in the meeting room of the defence council as the members of the Council digested the report that Admiral Chase had just presented to them on the explosion that had taken place on the factory satellite two days earlier. Not to mention the blatant theft of one of the two remaining Goa'uld Tel'tak cargo ships taken from an intact hangar bay on the mothership of the fallen Goa'uld Charon.
To say that the damage to the station was considerable would have been an understatement.
The explosion which had begun in Lab 12A had not only completely destroyed the lab but the sphere of superheated plasma it had created had wiped out all the surrounding sections across four whole decks. All the surrounding sections and levels in the affected module had suffered extensive fire damage as the superheated plasma pushed the air in surrounding compartments to and past flashpoint. Which had instantly filled dozens of sections across several decks with roaring flames. A fire that had ultimately only been extinguished when Admiral Chase had ordered all the affected areas sealed off and vented the atmosphere to space instantly breaking one side of the triangle that all fires needed in order to burn.
The damage to the hangar was almost as bad. Whoever had stolen it had either given no thought, or hadn't cared, as to what the consequences of opening a hyperspace window inside the bay would be. The artificial rip in the barrier between normal space and the infinite realms of subspace had severed over a dozen key structural supports for the bay, slicing through them as though they were made of paper and not an advanced alloy whose properties they barely understood. Within seconds of the vessel disappearing into hyperspace – the Asgard had later told them that it was proceeding on a vector that would take it deep into Goa'uld space – the remaining supports for the bay, unable to bear the load on their own, had failed and the bay had collapsed. Which itself had caused considerable damage to surrounding sections.
Needless to say it was one hell of a mess.
"What are the casualty figures admiral," Secretary Anderson asked.
"Seventeen severely injured sir mostly with burns, thirty-four minor injuries and unfortunately two certain fatalities since they were in the lab where the first blast originated. We have checked everywhere and nobody has seen either Doctor Hamilton or Lieutenant Grant since before the explosion."
"Do we know for sure that they were in the lab?"
"It is very likely sir given that Doctor Hamilton had been bitching all day about getting a new diagnostic console installed in the lab to better analyse some of the Goa'uld technology being studied there," Chase answered from the holographic screen floating in front of them. "To shut him up Lieutenant Grant agreed to install the console for him. They would certainly have been in the lab when the blast occurred."
"But you are not certain?" Colonel Matthews asked.
"Unfortunately no. The security server for Module Four was damaged by the blast. Major Ford is currently supervising the technicians extracting the data from it, data that should also tell us exactly what caused the blast in the first place."
"Have the relatives of the deceased been informed?" Anderson asked.
"Doctor Hamilton had no surviving relatives, his whole family were killed in the Rain. I have however already informed Lieutenant Grant's wife and sister of his disappearance and presumed death in the blast," Gloval answered, speaking for the first time having already seen a copy of Chase's report. He inwardly winced as he once again heard Claudia's wail of grief and despair when he told her of her little brother's death. He knew that Admiral Chase had told Doctor Grant and that the young woman had reportedly collapsed in shock and grief at the loss of her husband and the father of her unborn child. "A memorial service for both victims is planned to take place tomorrow."
"I see. What about the station can the damaged module be repaired?"
"The station has already added the repairs to its list of systems and sections to be repaired," Chase answered, "in fact the first stage of repairs, the reconstruction of damaged or destroyed floors and support structures have already begun. According to the automated systems the repairs should be completed and the module ready to be inhabited again within two weeks at the most."
A shocked silence momentarily fell upon the members of the Defence Council at that announcement. While they were all well used to the incredible powers and abilities of robotechnology – which sometimes seemed to bend or even break the laws of physics as Terrans had always known them – the fact that so much damage to the factory satellite could be fully repaired in just two weeks was quite a surprise. A surprise that confirmed, once again, that while they had learned much, and advanced a lot, since the SDF-1 first fell out of the sky and crashed into Macross Island in the penultimate year of the last millennium there was still so much about it that they had yet to learn.
And now they had other technologies to learn and begin to apply as well. Technologies that even to people used to robotechnology could seem like something out of science fiction, all of which had been created an unfathomably long time ago by an ancient, potentially human, race. Many of which had since been scavenged and reverse engineered, if somewhat poorly and haphazardly, by a race of sentient parasites with a god complex. It made it an exciting, amazing and – given the threats that lurked out in the star-studded darkness of the universe like the Goa'uld, the mysterious but undeniably powerful Robotech Masters and who knew what else – downright terrifying time to be alive.
"Two weeks to repair so much damage it hardly seems believable," Matthews commented. "But then again if there is one thing we've learned about robotechnology and its capabilities over the years its expect the unexpected."
"I suspect that outside of the late Zor himself nobody – not even the greatest of the Robotech Masters science triumvirates – truly knows the full capabilities of the sciences and technologies he created," Exedore pointed out. Much as he disliked the micronized Zentraedi Matthews had to nod in agreement with him since the term robotechnology was very much a catch all term for the sciences and technology created by this Zor whoever he was or had been.
Before anyone else could speak the holographic image of Admiral Chase frowned and looked aside. They could all see his lips moving, clearly he was speaking to someone who had just come into his office which would only have been allowed by his yeoman if it was an emergency given he was meeting with them but couldn't hear what he was saying since he was out of the line of the microphone. Whatever it was it was obviously very serious given the way the British man suddenly went pale. After a second he mentioned for someone to join him and a black man that they all recognised as Major Ford Then Chase turned back to face them.
"Councillors we have a small problem," Chase said grimly. "Major Ford's team just finished reconstructing the surveillance videos from Lab 12A in the time leading up to the explosion. We now know exactly what caused it and who was responsible."
"Who did it?" Matthews asked.
"It would be better if you all see for yourselves sir," Major Ford said for the first time, before tapping a few commands on his wrist computer. After a few seconds a new holographic screen pixeled into existence showing the interior of Lab 12A before the explosion took place.
Everything looked normal they could all see Lieutenant Grant finish installing the new diagnostic console, say something to Doctor Hamilton though there was no audio feed so they could not hear what he said, and for the scientist to say something back. Then Grant turned his back on the scientist and began carefully picking up his tools and putting them back in his kit. While he was doing that Hamilton backed away slightly before reaching under one of the work benches in a very unobtrusive and suspicions fashion…
…and produce an electromagnetic stun pistol.
"What the hell was that doing there," Matthews demanded, "I thought there are strict weapons storage protocols on the factory satellite."
Ford paused the playback. "There are sir I have checked all our armouries none of our weapons both lethal and non-lethal are missing," he reported, "somehow Hamilton smuggled two different weapons onto the station without tripping off the security scanners."
"Is that not impossible?" Anderson asked.
"It should be," Ford confirmed, "unless he had someone else assisting him. I have my teams checking all of Hamilton's records, and searching his rooms in the main core, right now as well as speaking to everyone who worked with him. But sir's him smuggling weapons aboard is not the worst of this as the rest of the record shows."
"Very well resume the playback," Gloval ordered.
"Yes sir," Ford acknowledged before doing just that.
The recording resumed and they watched as Hamilton pointed the stun gun at the broad, unsuspecting back of Lieutenant Grant and firing. The bolt of electromagnetic energy, designed specifically to overload a targets nervous system without harming them, slamming instantly into the other man dropping him to the floor where he lay as a twitching, helpless heap. As they watched Hamilton opened an ornate container that had obviously come from one of the Goa'uld ships…
…and extracted a fully mature Goa'uld symbiote.
"Oh god he's not going to is he," Matthews breathed summing up the sudden horrible feeling that gripped the rest of the defence council. "Where the fuck did that thing come from."
"Obviously from one of the Goa'uld ships," Gloval said his voice calm but inwardly he was seething as he could see what this… this… bastard intended. "But wasn't everything checked?"
Ford again paused the playback. "Yes sir it was. From what Anise told us the container in question is one of a number of stasis containers kept routinely aboard Goa'uld ships ready to hold the symbiote from a Jaffa's abdominal pouch should it reach maturity when on deployment somewhere," he reported. "When we were told Hamilton checked it and reported to everyone that it was empty so it was moved to the lab for analysis. I have already ordered all the others taken from the Goa'uld ships to be checked for mature symbiotes. So far we haven't found any."
"Resume the playback major," Anderson ordered knowing that, while they all had a sudden horrible premonition of where this was going, they still needed to see it.
"Yes sir I must warn you though it is horrific."
"Understood resume the playback."
"Yes sir."
Again the playback resumed and they watched in horrified helplessness as Hamilton, holding the symbiote, walked up to the still stunned Lieutenant Grant and placed the creature on him. The sentient parasite immediately burrowing into Grant's thick neck and wrapping itself around his spinal cord. Grant shook for a moment or two and they all got the impression of a battle being fought between human and intruding alien and being ultimately lost.
While this was taking place Hamilton produced another weapon from under the bench this time a laser pistol. That was when Grant stopped struggling, stood up and turned to face Hamilton with glowing eyes and a cold, evil expression on his face. For a moment or two Hamilton and the Goa'uld controlling Lieutenant Grant talked before the Goa'uld just moved…
…seconds later the laser pistol was on the floor and Hamilton was being held up by his neck. They could see Grant's lips moving as the Goa'uld spoke again before snapping Hamilton's neck with a causal twist of his hand letting the lifeless body fall to a twitching heap on the floor. They watched as the Goa'uld, it's eyes still glowing, looked around the room as if searching for something before spotting something, smirking, and moving off the camera.
But only for a few moments before it returned with a spherical object the size of a basketball. As they watched the Goa'uld opened a previously hidden panel and did something inside the device, before replacing the panel. It paused long enough to retrieve the laser pistol then smirking again, though its eyes no longer glowed, left the lab.
"Where did he go from there," Gloval asked, "and how did nobody spot him."
"From Sergeant Reed's report we know that a Goa'uld symbiote gains complete access to the memories of their host when they take over the body Admiral," Exedore pointed out, feeling intense fury burning within him at these events. "With access to Lieutenant Grant's memory it would not be difficult for that thing to have evaded our security cameras and patrols. Though I believe we can all guess where he ended up."
"The hangar bay you think he stole the ship?" Anderson asked.
"It would fit as whoever stole it obviously knew how to operate all its systems including the hyperspace drive. Not to mention why the vessels course, as tracked by the Asgard battleship, was straight into Goa'uld controlled space."
"Point," Anderson conceded as the recording ended and the holographic screen pixeled out of existence. "Though one thing I don't understand is the security feeds are monitored from a central location. Why were these events not seen and stopped?"
"As near as we can gather sir someone – like Doctor Hamilton or whoever was helping him – was able to reprogram the security server in module four to send a bogus live stream to the central computers security program," Ford answered a scowl on his face, clearly deeply unhappy about the massive security failure – not to mention the massive security breach – that had occurred on his watch.
"Whoever did it would have to have considerable knowledge and experience with robotech computer programming," Exedore pointed out. "I do not believe that Doctor Hamilton had such knowledge."
"He didn't not to the best of our knowledge anyway," Ford confirmed, "but given what that bastard just did we have to assume that everything we think we know about him, possibly up to and including his very name, is a falsehood created to facilitate his access to the factory satellite – and all the technology aboard – by persons unknown."
"But who could that be," Anderson wondered aloud.
"There are only three possibilities that I can think of," Admiral Gloval admitted, "one is that EBSIS is behind it, they have made no secret of their demands for access to the station. Though I personally find it unlikely as any operative of theirs would not make the sort of basic elementary mistakes Hamilton made when he put the Goa'uld in Lieutenant Grant. Mistakes that ultimately cost him his life. Another possibility is that Vosegus is behind this, though given that we now check all our personnel for the presence of the organism originally found in the blood of Nathan Hunter and his would-be assassin…"
"Nish'ta admiral," Exedore said, "the Tok'ra Anise was able to identify it for us and showed how to release someone from its influence."
"Nish'ta then," Gloval continued with an appreciative nod to Exedore for the reminder both of the name of the bioengineered organism and the means of freeing someone from its influence which turned out to be a simple electric shock. Even a shot from an EM stunner like the one Hamilton had used of Lieutenant Grant would be sufficient to kill the organism and release its host from its grip. "As I was saying I find it very unlikely, though we cannot at this time rule it out, that Vosegus was behind it. That leaves only one other possibility – the Anti-Unification League."
"I thought they were dead and gone," Anderson exclaimed.
"Not entirely though after Shawn Arnold's brief hijacking of Armour One we did crack down extremely hard on the organisation," Matthews answered scowling as if there was one group he hated even more than the Zentraedi it was the Anti-Unification League. If those fools got their way the world would revert to the divided, perpetually on the brink of a final all-out war place that it had been before the SDF-1 first fell out of the sky back in ninety-nine. "However we were not able to account for all of there membership and we know that they had access of at least one Prometheus-class submersible supercarrier, the Star of Liberty, which has never been found. With the resources that they could fit on one of those it would not have been that difficult for the AUL to have set up a new hidden base somewhere. They could have even built one of the bottom of the ocean and we wouldn't know."
"This does feel like one of their plots," Admiral Chase commented from the holographic screen making everyone blink slightly as they had kind of forgotten he was there. "Ambitious but generally poorly executed. Still there are other groups who could be behind this as well. Like the Islamic Union, Gilead or one of the other half a dozen states that formed after the Rain of Death, all of whom are very hostile to us and would love to get a Goa'uld working for them, creating technology they could use against us."
"Whoever is behind this has gone too far this time," Anderson growled. "Colonel Matthews I want you to take charge of the investigation into this matter. Find out just who Hamilton really was and who is behind this travesty. Find out then come down on them like the fist of god am I clear."
"Crystal sir and it will be a pleasure," Matthews replied with a predatory grin on his features, already looking forward to the chance to remove some of those idiots who opposed the United Earth Government – and their attempts to rebuild and reunite the world after the Rain of Death – from the Terran races currently quite diminished gene pool. "What are we going to do about Lieutenant Grant? We can't just leave him a prisoner while his parasitic captor waltzes around the galaxy causing who knows what kind of havoc with his knowledge of robotechnology."
"We need to get him back," Gloval agreed, "get him back and get that thing taken out of his body. Unfortunately that is easier said than done as this Goa'uld, whatever its name is, is just one individual. Finding one individual amidst the countless numbers out there might even be impossible. Not that we won't try especially as we cannot allow knowledge of robotechnology to spread among the Goa'uld."
"But how even with the Free Zentraedi Fleet searching every star will take decades if not centuries," Anderson pointed out, "I suppose we could ask the Nox and the Asgard to look as well. Not to mention the Tok'ra if there High Council decides to fully pursue relations with us."
"There is another option we can use as well," General Markwell said speaking for the first time since this meeting had begun. "I know we were not going to start using it properly until the new facilities are completed – a process that will take another six months – but we could begin sending teams through the Stargate. We need to begin building a network of contacts out there among the other races, especially the handful of advanced spacefaring races that the Nox have told us about. We might as well start now, adding finding and returning Lieutenant Grant to Earth to their mission statement."
"Run the program out of Fort Minotaur?" Anderson asked. They had been planning to operate the Stargate, both to set up outposts and colonies on any uninhabited worlds that were out there and to begin making some friends and allies. All of which would be very useful when the Goa'uld turned their attention to them and the threat there level of technology presented to the megalomaniacal parasites. Something that Sergeant Reed had warned them that they would do even with their ongoing civil war. However they had planned to wait until the new facilities in the former mine in the Swiss Alps were ready.
"Granted it's not ideal but it could work at least for a while," Markwell commented, "plus Doctor Carter and her team believe that they have found away to prevent anyone coming through our Stargate uninvited."
"Please explain."
"There is a graphic that will explain it better," Markwell replied before, at a nod from Secretary Anderson, pressing a few controls on the computer console that was built into each of the places at their meeting table. After a few moments another holographic screen pixeled into existence this one showing a graphic of the Stargate.
"Doctor Carter and her team have determined that if we can block the Stargate a few microns from the event horizon of the wormhole incoming matter won't have time to reintegrate," Markwell explained, "they propose using a pinpoint barrier shield to serve this purpose."
As he spoke the graphic came alive showing the Stargate being blocked by the familiar yellowish-green glow of a pinpoint defence barrier identical to those that had been used to defend the SDF-1 against Zentraedi weapons fire. The Stargate activated behind the force field but instead of producing the unstable vortex the barrier simply flared brighter as the explosion of energy flattened against it before stabilizing into the wormholes event horizon. For a second nothing more happened then the graphic showed the event horizon ripple as something started to come through, and the barrier rippled and flared as though it was being struck and dissipating something. The ripple and flare continued until a few seconds after the event horizon stopped rippling and the gate shut down with the vapour-like flash of a dissipating wormhole.
"They call that an iris shield," Markwell answered, "while using it does require a considerable expenditure of power the fusion reactors powering Fort Minotaur do generate enough power to run it continuously for up to an hour at a nominal strain level. As long as nobody does something like fire a laser or particle beam through the gate the barrier should stop any unauthorised access to Earth via the gate."
"Interesting," Anderson commented. "How would we ensure our people can come back through safely? I would not want any of our people to be disintegrated on contact with the barrier."
"Each team would be issued with a transmitter device that upon creation of a wormhole they would use to send an encrypted identification code back to Earth via ultra-low frequency encrypted radio," Markwell answered, "once verified the barrier would be deactivated and a clear code sent back through telling the team that it is safe to pass through. To prevent forgery each team's code would be different. We could even give any allies we make out there their own codes to come through."
"It could work," Anderson admitted, "does anyone here have any objections to starting Stargate Operations early?" nobody spoke "very well then. I will speak with the Secretary-General and see if he gives the go-ahead. In the meantime General Markwell make sure that there are enough teams ready to begin exploration missions through the Stargate."
"I will also speak with Commander Breetai to ensure that we have sufficient ships available should back up be required," Exedore added.
"Thank you Exedore. Does anyone else wish to speak on these issues? Very well then gentlemen shall we move onto the next item on today's agenda? Exedore I believe that there have been developments with the renegade Zentraedi Khyron?"
Tok'ra Base
Vorash, That Same Time
Martouf felt like there were butterflies in his stomach as he returned to the meeting chamber of the Tok'ra High Council in response to a summons. He had been resting in his and Lantash's chambers after the latest debriefing session with the Council. Sessions that had been going on for nearly a full day as the members of the Council rigorously interrogated him about what had happened at Linkotis, how he and Freya/Anise had gotten into the hands of two previously unknown but technologically advanced races and everything he knew about what had happened since. Especially since one of the two races, the Zentraedi, had attacked the Goa'uld Hades on his throne world – defeating him and forcing him to flee – but not before something happened on outermost of Elysium's moons. Something that caused the moon to break up and rain lethal asteroids down upon Elysium.
He was surprised to find that there was only one person waiting for him in the form of Garshaw. "You asked to see me Garshaw," he asked.
"Yes," Garshaw answered, "the Council has considered and debated your report and your suggestion of sending a delegation to formally establish relations with these two new races the Terrans and the Zentraedi. Considered and come to a decision."
"What have they decided," Martouf asked, feeling Lantash also paying special attention to this decision as both of them knew it could be quite a momentous one.
"There was some descension from Thorun and his chief ally Delek but by majority vote we have agreed to your suggestion," Garshaw told him.
"Why am I not surprised those two were against it?"
"It is the norm for them isn't it, to raise objections anytime dealing with advanced human cultures comes up especially one that appears to have some relationship with the Asgard given Asgard warships joined the battle at Elysium. But going back to the Council's decision. You, Selmac and I will board one of the Nar'kesh we acquired from the Goa'uld and travel to the Terran homeworld. We are to do our utmost to establish at least a friendship with these races if not an outright alliance."
"When do we leave," Lantash asked taking over from Martouf.
"The Nar'kesh is on its way here from establishing a new secondary base on a planet not on the Goa'uld Stargate map. It will arrive tomorrow afternoon. They will need to refuel the naquada reactor upon arrival but once that is done we will leave with them for the Terran homeworld."
"We should be there within two days then."
"Indeed. I hope that will be sufficient time for you and Lantash to brief the rest of us on what to expect when we arrive."
"It will be Garshaw," Martouf answered.
"Then let us go to the cafeteria. Selmac will be waiting for us there, we can begin over something to eat."
"That would be nice."
"Then let us go."
Martouf nodded and the two Tok'ra left the council chamber and began making their way towards the base cafeteria where they would meet with Selmac in his new host – an Abydonian male that they had rescued along with dozens of others from one of Apophis naquada mines, the need for naquada to fuel the civil war had seen Ra parcel out possies of Abydonians and others from some of his poorer naquada worlds to mine the richer deposits several of which were controlled alternatively by P'tah, Apophis and Heru'ur – and begin making their plans to properly introduce themselves to Terrans and Zentraedi alike.
Introduce and hopefully forge an alliance that could bring the downfall of the Goa'uld that much closer.
Authors Notes: Well another chapter bites the metaphorical dust I hope you all enjoyed it. I have to admit to being surprised by how quickly this chapter came together especially as it lays a lot of groundwork for the future of the fic especially with their RT version of the SGC starting up much sooner than they originally wanted to. Lieutenant Grant becoming a host to Tharos – who has entered the service of another Goa'uld though I will not reveal who yet, that will become clear in a few more chapters – has forced them to move up their timetable a bit. Can anyone guess who the Abydonian host of Selmac is in this story, since Selmac was never blended with Jacob Carter in this reality also he is not dying anytime soon. Next chapter shouldn't be long coming but I do want to get some work done on my other fics, not to mention my original novel The Long Road, done first so we will have to see. Until next time.