Roads Paved in Shadows

Chapter 53

Sol System

City of Atlantis

General Jack O'Neill stood stoically, watching the main screen, depicting close to a thousand enemy ships easing into position for the attack. He was unsure if they knew Earth was aware of them or not. But apparently they were confident enough not to care. With their numbers, he could easily understand why. He was upset that these people, whoever they were, intended to kill everyone, but they didn't know what was waiting for them, and their plans hadn't taken into account that the Asgard were helping, nor did they know Earth's defenses included Ancient technologies. Only a select few in the UCW knew how advanced Earth's capabilities were. Anubis' lesson was a lesson well learned.

All of this gave him a sense of comfort. If these people were part of a Vorlon assault, then Earth had something new to teach them. They were overconfident, and overconfidence worked in his favor. And Jack intended to use it to UCW's full advantage, remembering not to become overconfident himself.

Yet, he hated looking stoic, though he knew of its necessity. A command presence was absolutely critical. The President, senior members of the UCW, officers and everyone else in the room looked to him and he was stuck here when he wanted to be somewhere else; namely, in the front lines commanding from Lemuria.

He wanted to be near Jon, who was, for all practical purposes, his son. Mini-me had been around for so long and the pretense about Jon being his son, so well vetted, that it just felt right now. Few people knew the truth, including his ex-wife, but never said a word.

Sarah had her own life, and as bizarre as it was, she felt happy knowing Jack's clone was in Jack's life. As the years went by, Sarah saw that Jack's heart healed from the loss of their son, Charlie, even if he didn't fully realize it. Jon had lots to do with that. Jack, as smart as he was, was never quick on the uptake about some of the most obvious things–not unless he wanted to be.

Now, it just felt natural. Clone or not, Jon was blood of his blood, and he was so proud of him, commanding Lemuria, side by side with General Samantha Carter. Jack almost snorted. That thought seemed slightly perverted in a way. But he needed to remain stoic. This is why George hated standing back, waiting. Those around him considered him stoic.

If only they knew.

He still woke up in a sweat at night from the nightmares of the Anubis attack. They could have lost everything so easily back then. If it wasn't for the Ancient outpost, everything would have been lost. This time, Earth was better prepared, as were their allies, and he swore Earth would never again fear extermination by whatever enemy who decided to pick on his world to conquer it. The Lucian Alliance, the Wraith, and the various snake Goa'uld lords had tried.

Even the Race had tried, but they didn't really count, and that incident turned out much better than anyone expected. He promised to draft a book on that incident one day. The Lucian Alliance factions didn't want to conquer Earth as much as they intended to raid and cripple the Tau'ri. That hadn't worked either and when Earth was finished, the Lucians didn't come anywhere near the system or the fledgling UCW territory.

He and his staff were busy trying to analyze the enemy attack pattern. With their numbers, they should have initiated a brute force attack. However, something changed. They were now surrounding Earth, and the UCW was adjusting their forces accordingly, without the enemy's knowledge. Five short 'jumps' in and out of normal space confirmed that they were scouting Earth's defenses. O'Neill was confident Earth could stand, but it still brought back old memories.

Atlantis Command had ordered the alarms announcing intruders in the system to be silenced. They didn't respond, suggesting that their stealth intrusions were effective, and that Earth didn't know where they were, or if they were even there or not. It made the enemy even more confident. He wanted them to be confident, the more the better.

To the UCW, those actions all but confirmed that it was them who sent the nukes through the stargate. Their ploy didn't work, and now they were being cautious. Their scans of Earth were being blocked. Therefore, they couldn't confirm what damage, if any, had Earth suffered. To be safe, they would have to go all out, and that meant coming out of jump space.

Four hundred capital ships, hundreds of gunboats, two cloud things, and almost a dozen… spider ships. They were hedging their bets. They wanted Earth dead. Badly.

These people brought forces to not only finish Earth, but the rest of the UCW. They thought this would be a challenge, and they were hedging their bets. They knew nothing about Lemuria, Atlantis, or Pacifica located on the opposite side of the globe.

Too bad for them.

UCW Command believed this was a plot, one last effort from the Vorlons after all those years, to exact some type of revenge against Earth and the Asgard for blowing up their sun along with their worlds. Well, they shouldn't have tried to kill every human in the galaxy and the Asgard colony world, just because they didn't agree to the Vorlon wish list.

But as Daniel had said, that explanation didn't feel right. Earth Alliance was gunning for Earth, but these people weren't Earthforce. But both had the same goals: take his world and the UCW out. Earthforce, he could understand. President Clark hated him. The Earth Alliance senators made that abundantly clear. Sarcastically, he wondered why?

This enemy's motivation, besides wanting to kill them all, was an unknown. The Tok'ra was attacked. New Tollania was attacked. Several protected worlds were attacked, and the most obvious connection was Earth. Until today, everyone, with a few exceptions, assumed the Asgard were extinct, until today. The Vorlons would be highly motivated in taking out earth, and in a way, it strengthened the argument that they were the instigators. But the evidence didn't quite match. There had to be a new player involved.

Were these forces and the EA working together? And if so, why not both come at the same time?

If he didn't know better, it looked like this force was trying to keep the EA from getting their prize. Speaking of which, those ten spider things were holding back, allowing the others to take point. He didn't believe for a second that they were frightened of the UCW. If they were anything like the Vorlons, then those things weren't weak. They were the ones controlling the enemy fleet.

They were weaving a web, bringing everything together: The Tok'ra, Tollanians, the Colonials. Everything that had happened was connected and interwoven, trapped by an unseen predator. They really were like spiders. And he was stuck on Atlantis, while mini-me was at the front lines.

Generals Hatcher and Chi-wang, commanding the elements of the first Fleet in-system and the cloaked Second Fleet respectively, noticed the enemy repositioning the fleet in jump space. Within minutes, they began their runs. The majority of those oversized vessels were already past Mars. The smaller gunboats, shaped like monstrous arrowheads, were moving now, starting their attacks against the outer patrols. The smaller UCW ships were not on their usual patrols. Instead, they were replaced with the heavily armed 304 type IIIs, designed for heavy combat against Wraith and the Goa'uld Ha'taks, and newer designs that the Ashtorath were developing. The projected trajectories of the exit points were already calculated.

The gunboats were about to be introduced to enhanced nukes before his forces high-tailed it back to Earth. There, they would make their stand (far too close, in his opinion). But it couldn't be helped. The fear of being flanked by the enemy using their jump space to slip past friendly forces was too great.

UCW Sunderland: Pluto sector

Captain Thomas Ekland commanding the Sunderland, one of fifteen British 304s, was informed by UCW Command that his ship was being tracked by the enemy in jump space. UCW's sensors were now fully configured to track enemies in jump space. Command believed the beacons now replacing the destroyed one were able to see into normal space, giving the enemy the same advantage that the array gave the Coalition.

They knew exactly where he was and were on an intercept vector that would have them exit jump space at their six o'clock position.

"Leftenant Grayson, they've positioned themselves for a rear attack. Prepare all rear batteries and missiles for interception."

"Yes sir. Primary weapons active. Missile batteries set. Sensors at maximum."

"Max, acceleration at your command."

"Good. Set shields to max. Red alert. Standard nukes only. We'll save our larger ordinance for later."

"Sir, energy readings corresponding to a hyperspace opening, forming twelve thousand kilometers astern."

"Give us some room, Waverly."

"Sir!"

Behind the Daedalus Type III, three huge blue ruptures opened. Those openings reminded everyone who saw it, of a vertical tornado, if one were looking into the eye of that storm. A total of ten arrow-shaped vessels emerged from the apertures at their maximum speed, heading straight for his ship. They were already firing their beam weapons, but theSunderland had already begun changing its trajectory. The Drakh raiders were surprised by the move and off-balance. Those fighter gunboats instantly realized their mistake. It was almost impossible for them to change and match the Earth ship's movement, not without tearing their ships apart from the stress.

Exiting from jump space into normal space required ships to decelerate. Drakh military deceleration required as long as ten minutes before they could maneuver safely, and not rip their ships apart. The Earth ship wasn't static in its movements, therefore their quantum beams intersected only empty space. The Terran ship had responded in kind as the raiders flew past, desperately trying to slow down so that they could saf3ly reorient and strike at their enemy.

It was far too late.

Terran-Asgard and Ancient-derived beam weaponry, naquada-potassium fifty-five and one twenty-five mm rail explosive cannon shells, and nuclear missiles struck in and around the panicked Drakh crews. Raiders were hit and torn apart before they could even hope to reorient themselves or slow down enough to maneuver sufficiently to strike back or evade. Six of the raiders blossomed in fire before the survivors increased their acceleration in their attempt to escape or attempted to change trajectories.

Two of the raiders ripped themselves apart from the stress, their crews spilling out into the void. The remaining two survived their turns and managed to hit the Sunderland's shields. The one-eighth second strike did nothing to damage or even slow the ship down. Two small, very high speed nuclear-tipped missiles fired by the UCW ship ran the survivors down and vaporized both in a battle that lasted less than thirty seconds.

Captain Ekland frowned. "Oh, that was too easy."

He didn't like it one bit. It gave him a false sense if complacency. They were caught off guard, and they paid for it. But that mistake wouldn't be repeated. It was, however, something he knew the rest of his people needed to know. They were vulnerable as they came out of their form of hyperspace. They were required to decelerate before they could maneuver. Now they knew if they came out too close, they were at a disadvantage they wouldn't recover from. Quickly, he informed the UCW and the others on patrol.

"We're receiving orders, sir. Return to Terran space at these coordinates."

Another jump point formed, this time much farther away. Three huge ships exited. Within ten minutes, they were able to change trajectories and were now heading straight for him. They were moving quite quickly, trying to get into firing range.

"A bit unfair," the captain murmured. Each one was three thousand meters plus and giving off huge amounts of energy. He had no doubts. They wanted revenge. "Rather imposing, aren't they?"

"They're more robust, sir."

"That they are. Helm relay orders all patrols in case they didn't hear it. We will reestablish our line at Earth before this area becomes crowded with ships. No need to fight them out here by our lonesome."

"I quite agree, Captain."

Drakh Command carrier K'myn'tye

Supreme Commander Ulyis made a habit of never moving from the command chair while waiting for reports from his commanders and lesser officers. No one could tell by his stone-faced demeanor, but he was anxious as he waited for the result of the first strikes to come in.

A few minutes later, the commander felt his anger threatening to overpower his self-control as he read and re-read the incoming data. The majority of the targets were able to avoid the main thrusts of the attacks and crippled several raiders using weapons that were stronger than the Goa'uld energy weapons he was told to expect. Even taking into account a ten to fifteen percent increase in strength, that assumption hadn't been sufficient to counter his expectations. What made him very annoyed was the report he received from the attack on the outermost patrol ship that managed to escape his raiders.

His raiders executed their plan perfectly, exiting jump space directly behind the target close enough to immediately began firing at close to point-blank range. Quantum cannons fired but encountered nothing but empty space where the ship had been. The Terran ship dodged in a manner and speed that should have been impossible, not without tearing their ship apart from the stress of the maneuver. His own forces were out of position and still trying to decelerate when they were hit by precise and brutal counterfire.

they couldn't escape, or reorient, and the Terran raider-sized patrol ship, they laughingly called a battleship, wiped out a force of ten raiders in less than a standard minute before fleeing, making a mockery of his plans.

The more he thought about it, the more enraged he became, and now wasn't the time to allow his emotions to interfere with his logic. It was a bitter lesson gleaned from this slaughter. But he also understood why the attack failed.

For generations, the Drakh had prepared to battle the Minbari hordes, those Vorlon lackeys. But they no longer existed as a spacefaring race to be respected and feared. The Earth Alliance had seen to that and was the stronger for it. His people believed that they would oppose Earth Alliance or possibly the centauri, but his masters had other plans and instead of contesting against them, they were to destroy the small but powerful Tau'ri, and then move on to the Ashtorath Empire.

The Drakh leadership, including himself, believed this Earth would be nothing more than a good exercise that would bloody his people so that they would be prepared for the main event. He was now rethinking this assumption. The Earth ship's responses were impressive and intimidating. Plans demanded that they be changed immediately. Destroyers were now assigned to back up the raiders in all future engagements if he were to keep losses down to an acceptable level. It was unanticipated, and he cursed himself for not heeding his master's warnings more carefully.

The projectile weapons were advanced and deadly. Their close-range projectile weapons tore through layers of Drakh heavy armor. The nuclear missiles appeared no different from the Earth Alliance's standard nuclear ordinance, as the data suggested. The so-called super nukes were not in evidence yet. And thanks to Earth Alliance's research, acquired by spies, the Quantium-40 enhancements worked as advertised. They were expensive, as Quantium-40 was precious. Nevertheless, it gave the Drakh super nuclear weapons of their own.

The Terran-Tau'ri did have powerful nuclear devices of their own. How many there were, he was unsure. The question was whether they would dare use them so close to their home world and risk contaminating near space, just to attempt to achieve victory. Most races wouldn't, but the minds of the humans here were an unknown factor.

The initial plan worked. The Terrans were abandoning their patrols, allowing his reserve forces, if needed, to consolidate without being threatened. But the lesson was costly in terms of equipment and personnel. He would avenge them.

Drakh forces were rearranged to attack the world from multiple vectors, effectively surrounding the planet first. The thought of the upcoming battle filled him with a bloodlust he had not felt before. He was anticipating seeing the effects of a Q-40 nuclear detonation's effect on a populated planet., before the planet killer cracked the world.

Sitting in the command battle space chair, he got comfortable and prepared to delegate. His orders would bring this world to its knees and beyond for the glory of the Drakh and those whom others called the Shadows. He couldn't help but smirk as he imagined how President Clark would feel when he came here and saw nothing but irradiated rocks circling this sun where a world had once been.

TBC

Sorry that this is a bit short. Also, sorry that the next chapter will be later by at least two-three months as I recover from an unwanted but necessary surgery, which will take a while to recover from. No, it is nothing terminal or anything like that, but trust me. You do not want this for your eyesight. I will keep in contact via the reviews when I start the recovery process. God bless you all and take care for now.

AlbertG/Skeet