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.

Interlude Nine

Asgard Battleship Gungnir

Earth Orbit, A Short Time Later

Frowning, in a subtle Asgardian fashion, Thor returned to the bridge of his current flagship in response to a summons from his current first officer, Forni. He had been reviewing his report on the progress of the negotiations between themselves, the Nox and the Terrans – things were going relatively well there and the humans here were actually being very accommodating with regards to the security guarantees they wanted for the sites they would set up to begin helping the planet heal from the grievous wound inflicted by Dolza and the Zentraedi Main Fleet – before sending it back to the High Council on Hala when Forni had paged him to come to the bridge.

Knowing that his first officer wouldn't summon him without a very good reason, he had saved his report and activated the transporter to bring him here – his legs were still aching from walking around the factory satellite, it had been a fair few millennia since he'd had to walk anywhere so much and back then he and the rest of his people had been far more physically imposing than they were now – to the bridge. Blinking away the afterglow of the transport he looked over at where the other Asgard was sitting at his own station.

"What is it," he asked.

"Commander our sensors have detected an anomaly in the debris field," Forni answered immediately.

"What kind of anomaly?"

"It would be better if I showed you commander. Please watch your screen," Forni replied manipulating his station's control stones and pressing a few runes causing a holographic screen to shimmer into existence in front of Thor. Turning his attention to it Thor blinked in surprise for floating there in the debris field was a ship that stood out quite sharply against the vast field of wrecked Zentraedi warships for one simple and obvious reason.

The vessel was Asgard.

It was a much smaller vessel than either the Gungnir or the Skuld being comparable in size to the new Fenris-class destroyers that had been designed and constructed to deal with the swarms of battle mecha employed by the Zentraedi, Invid and to a lesser degree the Robotech Masters. Swarms that could, with focused particle, laser and missile fire inflict damage to even their greatest vessels overwhelming shields through sheer volume of incoming fire and causing damage to the hull. It was why all Asgard vessels now made use of extensive point defence weapon emplacements as while the transporters in disintegration mode could wipe out a mecha or missile swarm in nanoseconds their use wasn't always advisable especially in sustained combat against Zentraedi and Tirolian warships due to both the power drain and the fact that transporters even when used as disintegrators caused a slight oscillation in the integrity of the shields. It was a problem that Asgard scientists had yet to eliminate though not through lack of trying.

It was obvious immediately that the vessel, while similar in size and basic design to the Fenris, was not a warship. Instead its enlarged sensor arrays indicated its nature as a science vessel though it would have some armament – the Asgard never designed or launched ships without some ability to defend themselves if attacked, in the case of science ships the armament would be light and entirely pulse based but still enough to ward off most attackers long enough to escape into hyperspace – they were nothing that would really be a threat to the most modern Asgard ships.

"A science vessel what is it doing here? Have you been able to identify it?" Thor asked puzzled that he had not been informed that there was a science vessel in this system. As the Supreme Commander he was always informed of any Asgard ship deployments even small science vessels like the one they had detected. Though there was also the puzzle of what it was doing inside the debris field.

"We have commander," Forni answered, "its identification runes indicate that the vessel is the Jontun."

"Loki," Thor said with a grimace knowing intimately well which Asgard that science vessel belonged to. Loki had gone rogue years ago, disappearing into intergalactic space and disobeying every directive the High Council had sent him to return to Asgard space at once, and nobody had been able to find him. The reasons for his somewhat mischievous sibling going rogue were numerous but mostly centred on Loki's determination to find a solution to the genetic degradation problem that had been plaguing their race by whatever means necessary. While the genetic degradation was not a new problem – they had been wrestling with it on and off for the last ten thousand years ever since an undetected at the time mistake in their genetic engineering program half-sterilized them - it had gotten worse in the last few centuries really ever since they completely lost the ability to reproduce sexually forcing a complete reliance on cloning for survival.

"Indeed commander."

"Has he seen us?" Thor asked knowing that his duty demanded that he apprehend Loki and bring him to the High Council for judgement. Especially as this wasn't the first time that Loki had gone rogue and this time he had really done it as the sabotage on the satellites that monitored this galaxy – that should have alerted them to Zor's battlefortress landing on Earth and the Zentraedi arrival in this galaxy – had had all the hallmarks of something that had been done by Loki.

"I believe that he saw either us or the Skuld arrive but wasn't in position to escape into hyperspace without giving himself away. So he choose to hide from us in the debris field, likely hoping that the ship would be masked by the heightened radiation levels in the field."

"Likely," Thor agreed knowing Loki would try something like that, not realizing that the sensors on the Gungnir wouldn't be fooled for long by such a manoeuvre as when he vanished the last time this class of warship had still been on the drawing boards. "Is he close enough for us to lock our towing beams on him?"

"Negative commander. He is however in transport beam range and our sensors confirm that the Jontun's shields are down and all systems are powered down to minimal operational level. Shall I prepare a boarding party?"

"Do so and I will lead it," Thor answered, "it is time Loki explains to me just what he has been up to the last few years."

"Understood commander," Forni acknowledged and gave the command to his console. "A security team is heading to the armouring room now commander."

"Very well I will join them. In the meantime begin moving the ship closer to Loki's vessel but do it quietly so as not to alert him that we're on to him. Also advise Orbital Control over what we are doing and why as they will no doubt notice our movement."

"Understood commander."

Satisfied that his orders would be obeyed Thor manipulated the control stones on his throne activating the transporter. Immediately with the familiar silver-white shimmer and musical tone the transporter beam enveloped him and when it dissipated he was no longer sitting in his command throne on the bridge but standing in the armouring room.

In front of him standing there open backs facing him were rows of combat exosuits which used both technology from the previously rogue Vanir tribe – they'd stumbled across them over a century ago while placing sensors to monitor the expansion of Tirolian space and quickly taken steps to stop their activities before repatriating them back to Asgard space, that expedition had also revealed the existence of the Wraith and they had taken what steps they could, since they currently didn't have the resources to deal with the vampiric species on top of containing the Goa'uld, the Tirolians and the Invid, to help the humans of the Pegasus Galaxy by setting up sanctuaries where the Wraith would not be able to find them – and some technology that the Asgard had reverse engineered from the handful of Tirolian bioroid battle mecha that they had acquired over the years. After a moment he walked over to the suit assigned to him and climbed inside.

Immediately the back of the suit closed and the systems began powering up. For a few moments nothing more happened and then the suits neural interface came online and connected to an implant buried in his cerebral cortex and suddenly it was like he was standing out in the room again, taller than he had been naturally in a fair few millennia. Only a HUD across his vision, detailing everything from the strength of the suits shields and the level of its power cells to a small window showing the position of allies, revealing that he was actually inside a battle suit. He ran some preliminary diagnostics while the members of the security team arrived and began climbing into their own suits.

When his diagnostics came back that the suit was working perfectly Thor walked over to an armoured, secure cupboard. Upon entering his access code the cupboard opened revealing inside a number of beam rifles. While he did not anticipate any real resistance from Loki, his brother was far from stupid and would know that it would not gain him anything except to expect a much harsher sentence from the High Council, it was better to be safe than sorry. He had learned that lesson many times over his long life and there was always the chance that, in his latest period of self-imposed exile, Loki had indeed gone crazy. He checked the rifles charge before giving the command for it to sync up with his HUD, prompting new items to appear including setting information, remaining charge in the rifle's energy crystal and advanced smart target acquisition and tracking aids.

He was ready and watched for a minute or so as the security team prepared themselves, gathering their own rifles and making sure they were ready before one by one they all appeared as little icons on Thor's own display as the suits established their own secure comm network. "Is everyone ready," Thor asked into the joint frequency. One by one the four members of the security team confirmed that they were. Thor then switched frequencies and contacted the bridge indicating that they were ready for transport.

For a moment nothing more happened then the brilliant silver-white light distinctive of Asgard transporter beams enveloped them as the Gungnir's transporter engaged. When the light faded they were standing in the darker, slightly smaller confines of the Jontun. And from the décor around them and the fact that the room was largely empty the beam had dropped them in the science vessels secondary cargo bays. After a second alarms began to sound and red warning lights began pulsing as the Jontun's internal security sensors registered their presence.

Thor wasted no time in sending two of the security detachment to secure the engine room. That would let them lock down both the ships neutrino-ion generator and the hyperdrive both of which would prevent Loki powering the ship up and attempting to escape. Not that he would be able to as this close the Gungnir could easily disable the hyperdrive, a single shot from one of the secondary ion beam turrets would be all that it would take as there was no way the shields on a science vessel like this one would be strong enough to withstand capital grade weaponry.

Though hopefully that will not be necessary, Thor thought as the rest of the security team fell into formation around him and they left the secondary bay and entered the main cargo area. It was immediately obvious that Loki had been very industrious while he had been here as everywhere they, and the sensors in their suits, looked there was technology and items that had clearly been taken from the remains of the Zentraedi ships. Amongst them he saw a bank of tall capsule-like tubes with smaller tubes in front of them as well as a control console of Zentraedi design. After a second or two Thor recognised them as resizing chambers where the Zentraedi, through a process that their best geneticists couldn't understand more than the basics of since the Tirolians knowledge and understanding of genetics and bioengineering surpassed their own by a considerable margin, could be reduced from their normal giant size to normal humanoid size and vice versa. There were also a number of containers that were filled with a number of organic fluids that sensors revealed to be various grades of protoculture. There was more of it here than the Asgard had ever been able to acquire before given how jealously the Masters guarded shipments of the material.

"Loki's been busy," he commented to himself as they left the main cargo area and entered the central corridor of the ship. Remembering the layout of this class of science vessel Thor led the way towards the central laboratory and the bridge beyond it knowing that Loki would certainly be in one of those areas.

It took only a few moments to reach the main laboratory area and found that Loki was standing at a console facing the door clearly waiting for them.

"Hello, Thor I have been expecting you," Loki said. "It has been a long time since we last saw one another brother. There was no need to drop in unannounced like this, I would have answered you if you had hailed me from that shiny new flagship of yours. Impressive vessel by the way."

"It has Loki and if I had hailed you would have certainly tried to run," Thor answered, "you have certainly not hesitated to do so in the past and I could not risk you slipping away again."

"True I have in the past but I have no need to do so this time. I have actually been considering contacting you from the moment your ship emerged from hyperspace."

"What do you mean? What game are you playing this time Loki?"

"No game and turn your attention to the main holodisplay I have something to show you. Unless you want to simply arrest me now."

"Do not tempt me," Thor answered even as he turned his attention to the main holodisplay while gesturing for the other two Asgard to keep Loki covered just in case he attempted something foolish. Seeing Thor's attention was on the display Loki manipulated the control stones on his console and pressed a few runes as he did so, uncomfortably aware of both the other Asgard who were in armour whereas he was not and that they had beam rifles trained on him, ready to stun him if he tried to pull any form of fast one. Not that he intended to, not now that he had a possible solution to the greatest problem facing their entire species a problem that had stalked them for millennia before either himself or Thor were born.

The hologram activated and Thor took a step back in surprise as the image of two Asgard were displayed. However they were not the normal form he saw in the mirror every morning, instead both were considerably taller and while still very willowy – by human standards – were noticeably more muscular than modern Asgard bodies were. They also exhibited the type of sexual differentiation that had left the Asgard nearly two millennia ago resulting in their current very androgynous appearance.

"Behold my greatest work," Loki proclaimed with as much pride in his voice as modern Asgard could feel, "what you see before you are simulations based on my research, experimentation and the successful reverse engineering of the adaptive DNA sequencing that allows the Zentraedi to endure and survive such drastic changes in body mass, height, and strength without adverse effects either when micronized or returned to their natural size.

"By combining that adaptive sequencing, some human DNA and our own, and experimenting with a previously unknown grade of protoculture, I have been able to create new bodies that are not only completely free of the genetic degradation that has plagued us for the last ten thousand years," Loki continued, "but will be able to have the ability to reproduce and produce fully viable offspring for the first time in two millennia."

"Fascinating," Thor commented before looking at Loki. "And these new bodies work?"

"In theory yes I have yet to grow any prototypes but all simulations show that they will be perfectly viable. The creation of the prototypes will require far more resources than I currently have available to me."

"Resources that may be made available if the High Council agrees and if others such as Heimdall are allowed to thoroughly review all your data."

Loki grimaced, in a subtle Asgard fashion, at that as he would have preferred to just present his results to the High Council and be done with it – even if he had to do so as Thor's prisoner – but he supposed it wasn't an unreasonable demand. Heimdall and others had after all spent as long as he had – even longer in Heimdall's case since Heimdall was a good thousand years older than either himself or Thor – trying to find a solution to their genetics predicament. They had just lacked the vision and the motivation to do what was necessary to solve it, something he had not lacked. Thus the idea of them getting to review his research was not a welcome one. Not that there was any way he could stop them as he knew that if he tried Thor would simply arrest him and he'd spend however long Thor and the Council decided in a cell while other Asgard went through his research anyway.

"Very well," he said at last. "I assume you would like me to voluntarily surrender to your custody Thor?"

"That would be appreciated though you know we will simply take you if you attempt to resist."

Loki nodded in understanding. "Then I surrender myself and this vessel to your custody brother. But before we leave this ship there is someone you should see. Someone who I could not return to Earth due to the fact that the clone of him I created to cover his absence was killed in combat with the Zentraedi."

"A human I presume."

"Indeed maybe you will be able to do officially what I couldn't do covertly," Loki answered before manipulating the control stones and runes again, shutting down the main holographic display and activating another system. With a hiss and a whirr a large stasis pod descended from where it had previously been sitting recessed into the ceiling. When it stopped Thor looked over to see within the pod was a tall, muscular blond haired human male. A human male who was obviously still alive just in stasis. A human male that anyone in the Robotech Defence Force would immediately recognise.

A human called Roy Fokker.

Authors Note: Well another interlude chapter bites the metaphorical dust I hope you all enjoyed it. I really wasn't intending to write a new chapter – even an interlude one – for this story so soon but a discussion on spacebattles got the creative juices flowing again so here we are. I hope you all like the appearance of Roy at the end and the fact that the Roy who died in Claudia's cabin from blood loss caused by wounds sustained in combat was not Roy but was in fact a clone created by Loki to cover the originals absence while he experimented with his DNA. As for when and how Loki acquired him that will be revealed soon when Roy awakens on the factory satellite after Thor returns him and boy will Roy be in for a shock when he learns all that's happened since he was taken and replaced with a replicant. Until next time.