Two weeks had passed since the N.I.G. had been brought online, Atlantis had charged up three Z.P.M.s. The system was working wonderfully.
General Caldwell was meeting with PJ-1 on Atlantis, Beckett, Woolsey and O'Neill had joined them.
"I have run tests for the last week General, everything is checking out good. I think we are as good as we can be to try and fly Pacifica here." explained McKay.
"The plan will be to launch into orbit, and then we will land the Daedalus, Apollo and Hammond on Pacifica, they will travel with her back to the Milky Way. They will be prepared to beam everyone out of Atlantis and jump to hyperspace if necessary." ordered Caldwell.
"Rodney any surprises?" asked Sheppard.
"Nothing technical, we've been over every system. Pacifica is working better than Atlantis was when we first flew her off of Lantea." replied McKay.
Beckett asked, "Why am I here?"
"Your my backup, as you are the only other person who has flown a city ship." replied Sheppard.
Teyla said, "The last of the worlds will be evacuated tomorrow. Timing on this could not be better."
"Seems odd to think all humans have left Pegasus, how long will it take the wraith to realize it?" asked Ronon.
"Not all humans, we have five worlds who would not evacuate. We believe they are all wraith worshippers." replied Teyla.
"As I said all humans have left." replied Ronon. Everyone knowing Ronon's feeling toward wraith worshippers.
"Unfortunately we could not make them, it was their choice. Honestly we have done much better than I ever expected." replied Woolsey.
Sheppard shaking his head, "I still don't understand where Larrin and her people have went. Col. Carter spread the satellites over the entire galaxy. Where could they be? Col. Lorne even sent out several subspace signals, with no response."
"General bring our ships and people home. As you know there are two additional races in Pegasus I do not want us to encounter at this time." ordered O'Neill.
"General can you add any additional information about these two races, how are they worse than the wraith?" asked McKay.
"One is the Cla'tee, we found information on them in the newly opened section of the Ancient Database. They are an insectoid race, they are extremely aggressive, but if you avoid their space, they leave you alone according to the database. They had weapons that were comparable to Atlantis ten thousand years ago. They are not the ones I'm afraid of encountering. The Orins, are the main concern. According to what little information a single ship of their's destroyed seven Ancient bases and thirteen Aurora Class ships in Pegasus before they were stopped. They ancients considered them as having more advanced technology than they had. That is all that we know about them." explained O'Neill.
"We'll make it a point to avoid them." replied Sheppard.
"McKay how long will it take to fly back here with the stardrive?" asked Caldwell.
"I believe it should take no more than twenty five to thirty hours." replied McKay.
"General Caldwell you have a go for launch in twenty four hours. Once the last planet is evacuated." replied O'Neill.
"That gives me just enough time to run a diagnostic routines again with the three Z.P.M.s." replied McKay.
With that, PJ-1 boarded a Puddle Jumper, taking Gen. Caldwell and Dr. Beckett with them. They would all be on board Atlantis, Gen. Caldwell was not going to sit this one out, with his new Earth Force base on the line he was going to be there. Once on P4J-392, Rodney immediately went to install the three Z.P.M.s. Running diagnostics over the next few hours verifying all systems were working just fine, everything checked out. Daedalus and Hammond were in orbit. The Apollo was covering the last world to be evacuated, and was a short jump in hyperspace to P4J-392. Sheppard's team got settled on Pacifica for the night.
The next day on scheduel, Apollo exited Hyperspace with the evacuation complete.
Caldwell looked at Sheppard, "Let's do this Colonel."
"Yes sir!" replied Sheppard, taking his position in the Ancient Chair. Reclining back in it for the launch.
"Activating the shield." announced Sheppard. A slight hum could be heard as the shield formed around the ship.
"Everything is looking good." called out McKay monitoring the systems.
"Activating the stardrive." announced Sheppard. A vibration could be felt through the city ship, as it began to break loose from the planet it had set for ten thousand years.
"Adjust the inertial dampeners please." asked McKay. Sheppard made a slight change and the vibration stopped.
"Exiting the atmosphere ... now." announced Sheppard.
"Atmosphere is holding, everything is looking good." replied McKay.
"Shrink the shields for the other ships to land." ordered Caldwell.
Sheppard made a few adjustments, "Have them land."
Caldwell over a communicator, "All ships have a go for landing."
Sheppard watched as all three ships began their decent onto the piers. Once each had landed he adjusted the gravity to hold them into place.
"OK everyone is on board bring up the shields and take us home Colonel." ordered Caldwell.
Sheppard extended the shields over the entire ship again. With just a thought he opened a hyperspace window and Pacifica entered. Two hours later they were nearing the edge of the Pegasus galaxy. Pacifica picked up a ship in hyperspace on an intercept course for them. Sheppard called on the sensors and identified it as a traveler ship.
"Gen. Caldwell we have a Traveler ship on sensors, and it's on an intercept course." announced Sheppard.
"Let's drop out of Hyperspace to meet them." ordered Caldwell.
"Yes sir!" replied Sheppard, glad to have a chance to reachout to Larrin and her people finally. Sheppard dropped them out of Hyperspace to intercept the ship they had detected. Once out of hyperspace, Pacifica sensors detected twelve other ships nearby, all identified as Traveler ships.
"Sir, sensors are picking up twelve other traveler ships already here. How could they all know we were going to be here?" announced Sheppard.
"Apollo, Daedalus, and Hammond stand ready, something is going on with the Travelers and I want everyone prepared." called Caldwell over the communicator.
Pacifica detected an incoming communication from one of the ships.
"Somebody wants to talk." announced Sheppard.
"Open the channel." ordered Caldwell.
"Atlantis this is Katana of the Traveler Federation." came the message.
"Katana this is Sheppard, we read you." replied Sheppard.
"Sheppard, it is good to see you." replied Katana.
"How did you know to meet us here?" asked Sheppard.
"That is not important right now. What is important is that you turn over the city ship and your ships to my people immediately." ordered Katana.
"Excuse me?" asked Sheppard.
"Katana this is Gen. Caldwell I'm in command here, what is this?" asked Caldwell.
"Sheppard and Caldwell, end this peacefully, you and your crew may live through it." replied Katana.
Pacifica alerted Sheppard the ship in Hyperspace had just dropped out, and immediately sent a signal to Atlantis.
"Katana give us just a minute." replied Sheppard, muting the channel, "Sir I'm getting another signal from the ship in hyperpace."
"Put it on!" replied Caldwell.
"Sheppard, this is Larrin, it's a trap get out of there, you don't know what your dealing with!" came Larrin.
"Three of the traveler ships are moving toward Larrin's ship sir." announced Sheppard.
"Apollo can you lock onto anyone in that ship that dropped out of hyperspace and beam them out?" called Caldwell over the Communicator.
The two traveler ships fired destroying Larrin's ship.
"Sheppard get us out of here now!" ordered Caldwell. Sheppard began trying to jump to hyperspace, but the window failed to open.
"We were able to beam out one women, she is screaming for us to get out of here." Ellis from the Apollo called over the communicator.
"McKay I can't get a hyperspace window to open." shouted Sheppard.
McKay scrambling at the console, "It's not us, something is blocking subspace here some way."
Caldwell, "Open the channel to Katana again."
"I see you have taken the traitor Larrin on board. No matter you have no hope to escape. Guess you have chosen to die." retorted Katana. At this time a ship nearly one third the size of the City ship decloaked behind the traveler ships.
"That ship is being identified as an Orin vessel." replied Sheppard, "Sensors are reading a build up of energy."
"All power to the shields." called Caldwell, "Get us out of here Sheppard."
Sheppard pushed the stardrive at max speed to get out of the area, taking an evasive course. The traveler ships could not keep up, however the Orin ship was pacing Pacifica. That is when an explosion occurred in the middle of the Traveler ships. Sheppard checking the sensors, "That explosion took out out all of the Traveler ships."
"Beam Larrin over here to the tower immediately." ordered Caldwell over the communicator.
Larrin suddenly appeared before them, looking around, "You have to get us out here faster."
"What's going on?" asked Teyla.
"Why have your peopled turned on us, and what's the deal with the Orin?" asked Caldwell.
"The Orin were furious when you took Atlantis from the Pegasus Galaxy. When they learned you had recovered a second city, and were going to take it as well, they were livid. They offered my people everything to help you. They knew you would stop for our ships. My people are angry that you abandoned them and were only coming back to take more." explained Larrin.
"Larrin, we have evacuated humans from every planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. We have spent the past four months trying to find your people." explained Teyla.
"All the humans are gone except for my people?" asked Larrin, she stood shocked.
"Except for five worlds which appear to be all wraith worshipers. Well I don't know how to tell you this, but it appears the Orin's detonated a bomb in the middle of your ships destroying them." explained Teyla.
"What? I told them not to trust them." cried Larrin.
"Guys I'm kinda busy here, trying to keep us out of reach of the Orin, do we have any idea if we can stand up to them? Also a plan would be nice right now." asked Sheppard.
"Larrin can you tell us anything about their ship? Shields? Weapons? Anything?" asked Caldwell.
"Their energy weapons cut through our shields with ease. I have yet to see anything make a dent in their shields." explained Larrin.
"Open a subspace channel to them." ordered Caldwell.
McKay opened the channel on the console.
"This is General Caldwell of the Pacifica, we wish to discuss the situation with the Orin ship following us." called Caldwell.
A voice over the channel could be heard, "This is the Orin, shutdown your engines, turn your crafts over."
"I'm sorry why would we do that?" asked Caldwell.
"This is the Orin, you will shutdown your engines and turn your crafts over." came the reply.
McKay muting the channel, "I don't detect any life signs on board that ship. Nor am I detecting any shields currently."
"My people have only ever had contact with this one ship." explained Larrin.
"Do you know of a home planet for them?" asked McKay.
"No only the ship." explained Larrin.
McKay studying the censor logs, "I don't think we are dealing with a race. I think Orin is the ship as in one entity."
"Wait your telling me the ship is alive? Or some sort of Machine?" asked Caldwell.
"Machine yes, and possibly alive. SG-1 encountered an intelligent world of what appeared to electronic lifeforms." replied McKay, "Sensors are showing the power generation systems, they are detecting the weapon systems which are massive, but no life support systems."
"I'm looking for options. Anyone?" Caldwell addressed the three ships over the communicator and those in the chair room, "We can destroy this thing easily but I do not feel comfortable doing that."
Col. Carter over the communicator, "General, I agree with you. This is rather unique entity of some sort. I do not wish to destroy it either. I assume we still can not open a hyperspace window?"
Rodney checking the sensors replying over the communicator, "No the subspace distortion we detected earlier is still with us, it seems to be coming from Orin."
Col. Carter over the communicator, "This ship or Orin, or whatever is acting more like a child. Is there anyway we could scare it?"
"How close are we to one of your satellites?" asked Rodney over the communicator.
"We're about four light years from the nearest one." replied Carter.
"Could you trigger it to send a continuous subspace burst similar to Pacifica but larger?" Rodney suggested over the communicator.
"Of course our ships would leave the biggest subspace signature in this galaxy, with the exception of the city ship." replied Carter.
"I don't understand." replied Teyla.
"Make it think there is another one that is larger than us, to distract it." explained Caldwell.
"Exactly!" replied Rodney.
"Do it. Col. Carter." replied Gen. Caldwell.
"Already working on it. I need about ten minutes." replied Carter.
Sheppard was having to remain constantly fixed on push Pacifica to it's limit, to stay ahead of Orin. Rodney was analyzing the subspace distortion.
Carter over the communicator, "It will take a few moments for everything to travel back and forth from the satellite. Once we can open a hyperspace window I suggest we jump as fast as possible. sending the signal now."
Sheppard monitoring the censors from the chair, he could see the subspace distortion, and immediately Orin changed course, and jumped to hyperspace. He immediately tried to open a hyperspace window for Earth, and at last successfully did. Pacifica and her complement were back in Hyperspace and moving away rapidly from the satellite and Orin.
Larrin spoke first, "You mean to tell me that Orin is a living ship, and it killed my people."
"I think it believes the City Ships are like it. That we are trying to take other's of it's kind away from it. We maybe nothing more than a parasite in it's view." replied McKay.
"How fast is it in Hyperspace?" asked Caldwell, "Is this thing going to catch us?"
"I modified our sensors to track the distortion that prevented us from entering hyperspace. It's moving faster than light, but is relatively slow, and Orin is not detectable by our Hyperspace sensors. In fact it will be another ten minutes before it makes it to the satellite." replied McKay.
"Good Job Col. Carter and Dr. McKay." explained Caldwell, "Nice flying Sheppard."
"Thanks, it's much nicer not to have to concentrate so much." replied Sheppard.
"Dr. McKay how is our power holding?" asked Caldwell.
"Well it could be better, I'm glad we brought along a fourth Z.P.M. as a just in case." replied McKay.
"Col. Carter can you modify our Satellites to detect that distortion so we can track Orin if it tries to leave Pegasus?" asked Caldwell over the communicator.
"Yes I should be able to make that update before we make it to the Milky Way." replied Carter.
Caldwell shaking his head. Teyla askes, "What is it General?"
"Gen. O'Neill had one desire for us, not to meet the Orin, or the Cla'Tee, glad we were able to accomplish one of them. But to find out the biggest fear the Ancients had in the Pegasus Galaxy was essentially a baby with a temper." replied Caldwell, "I'm sorry Larrin for your people, I wish we could have done something for them."
"My people choose their fate, I just wish they had more faith in you. This could have been so much easier for them." replied Larrin.
Caldwell nodding, "We were counting on getting your people back to our Galaxies and striking deals with them to build us ships."
"Seriously?" asked Larrin.
"Yes we were looking at Cargo type ships." replied Caldwell.
"Well I can't build them by myself." replied Larrin.
"We will find you a home, you saved our butts back there and once or twice before. I don't forget that." replied Sheppard.
Sixteen hours into the flight, Beckett took over flying. The remainder of the flight was event less. Rodney changed out a Z.P.M. with a fully recharged one, and they easily made it to Earth. Sheppard had to take the chair to park Pacifica in the Lagrange 3 point. Odyssey was there with a crew to come aboard the Pacifica to take command. The Z.P.M.s would easily last a while longer now, till new ones were charged.