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Chapter 4: A taste of war
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Part 5
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Ba'al forward outpost
World Code Name: Balmora
Milky Way Galaxy
I stepped through the Stargate on the heels of six crude smoke grenades. Once again, my consciousness expanded, as if touching the whole galaxy. Glimpses of places, and people, flashed through my mind, yet by the time I arrived on the other side, I couldn't recall any of them.
The next thing I knew, I was through. The Dark Side was around me, singing bloody songs in anticipation, ready to do my bidding. I took a few rapid steps forward, relying on my active shield to disperse any stray shot that might hit me. As soon as I reached the bottom of the small stone platform leading up to the gate, I anchored myself in place with the Force, and let it guide my actions. My arms snapped up, bringing the staff cannon I carried to bear with ease on the nearest complete bunker. Staff blasts slowly crawled through the air, moving at snail's pace to my enhanced perception.
Only now, I consciously registered the hundred-odd Jaffa standing in a semi-circle in front of the Stargate, shooting at me through billowing columns of purple smoke. Heavy boots crashed into the stone behind me, and the first group of shield-bearers came through at a jog, giving the enemy more targets to fire at.
The cannon shook in my iron grip as I fired, and I shifted aim to the next target. There was a single black metal tower overlooking the battlefield, complete with a Jaffa with his staff cannon on top of it. We shot at the same time, and I pushed as much energy into a Force Shield in front of me, as I could.
My first blast slid through the firing slit of the bunker I targeted, turning it into an oven, baking any unlucky Jaffa stuck inside. Yellow plasma splashed harmlessly over my shield, or tore the ground around me, showering me with shattered, smoking stone.
The top of the tower vanished in a bright explosion. A moment later, the enemy staff blast expended most of its fury against my Force Shied, before harmlessly splashing unconstrained plasma against my energy shield.
Finally, I brought my weapon to bear on a second, almost completed bunker, and shot at it, trusting in the Force.
A wall of men and metal took position to my left, covering most of that flank. Quick Zat blasts went downrange, meant more to suppress, the enemy Jaffa than hit them.
The third bunker I aimed at, was only partially complete – just a wall with a slit facing the gate. Ironically, that made it less vulnerable to my staff cannon. There was no confined space to turn into some poor bastards' crematorium. That's why I took the time to aim at the edge of the slit and methodically demolished it while letting the world speed up to something approaching normal. The Force flowed through me eagerly, soothing my frayed nerves, and reminded me that this was the first time I'd pushed this body so far.
That didn't matter right now. We were through. Gorski was through with a fire team, who took cover behind the Shield-bearers, and more of my Space Wolves followed through – a second section ready to anchor my right flank.
At that point, six Al'kesh, my two, and the other, presumably Kali's, decloaked above the battlefield and rained hell upon the enemy Jaffa. Fiery explosions shook the ground and threw away cooked men.
A ragged and not particularly well-aimed barrage of plasma rose from the treeline behind the enemy defenses. A glance that way reassured me that my scouts had that issue in hand – I could see flashes of yellow within the treeline.
I stopped shooting and let go of my cannon with my right hand, keeping it in place with my left and the thick straps binding it to my armor.
"Beachhead secure. Go, go, go!" I shouted through my multi-purpose hand device. "Push the perimeter forward!" I ordered the Shield-bearers and followed my directive, moving away from the gate.
Seconds late, a solid wall of my Wolves ran through, armed with Zats and chainsaw weapons. They howled their battle cry and fell upon Ba'al's shattered Jaffa. Speaking about those, more of them moved from small camps built behind the forward defense line. All told, there were a few hundred of them coming to reinforce the shattered defenses.
Above us, the Al'kesh went for the treeline, where my scouts launched crude flares marking their positions to hopefully avoid not-so-friendly fire. Naquadah bombs shattered large parts of the forests, and then the bombers flew away, going after the enemy's primary staging ground.
"Forward and at them!" I put down my unwieldy staff cannon and took a spare rifle from Gorski. My Prime gave me a bloodthirsty smile and led his legion into the breach.
Ba'al's reinforcements just managed to reach the ragged line of neutralized bunkers, only to face an equal number of screaming maniacs wearing heavy armor, and swinging around brutal weapons.
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Pirin
Perun's domain
Milky Way galaxy
Pride and awe threatened to overwhelm Jek'il. He was blessed by Lord Perun himself, chosen to wear the gold of the Custodes! Now, he had to prove himself worthy of that high honor!
The young Jaffa was the youngest member of a Custodes squad. They all waited not so patiently to be their turn to run through the Chappa'ai. The honorable, most important, and critical task of going first went to the Space Wolves, who went into the silver waters of the Chappa'ai right behind their god! Lord Perun was the first to engage the enemy, as befitting his title, Lord of War!
More and more Wolves ran through, while all other Jaffa waited their turn, with bated breath. Chanting priests passed through their ranks, offering their blessings. An old man, with a kind smile, came to Jek'il, who promptly knelt. The War Priest used warm oil to trace the contours of the Jaffa's hawk tattoo, all the while muttering chants of protection and strength.
Then it was their time.
"Forward! For Perun!" The Commander screamed and jogged towards the gate. They all ran through and entered hell.
The other side of the gate was secure. That simple fact gave Jek'il more than enough time to absorb what he saw.
There were bloody pieces of bodies everywhere. Weapons, chainsaw weapons, it had to be, they had butchered any Ba'al Jaffa who tried to stop the Wolves! A small crescent between the shot-up platform holding the gate and the edge of the battlefield looked deceptively clean and intact. Beyond it, Jek'il could see the Wolves' bloody work.
Lighting Legion sentries guarded a medical camp set up to the right of the gate, and Jek'il quickly realized that all the screaming he could hear came from that corned.
He kept going forward, pushed by duty and awe. With Perun himself and the Space Wolves leading the charge, what chance does mere Jaffa have to withstand them?!
The Custodes marched forth to battle and soon found it. The road leading away from the gate bend around a series of ravaged hills. Shattered trees and shrubs burned, sending billowing dark smoke into the air. Beyond them, the road descended and opened up into a valley. Friendly forces held the lower slopes of those hills, despite the danger of the inferno behind them. They used the elevated ground to pour staff cannon fire downrange.
In the valley itself, an abattoir awaited them. Jek'il could see the enemy base in the distance, and the thousands of Jaffa trying to protect it. Ba'al's Jaffa was stuck mostly in the open plain, trying to hold solid formations that would allow them to lay down a murderous wall of fire.
Perun's army didn't oblige them by meeting them head-on. Instead, the different Legions used their specialties to a devastating effect. Lighting Legionaries blended with the ground itself, popping up for a shot or two, then melting out of sight. Custodes crawled through muddy grass, staying low and trying to utilize what little natural cover they could find, all the while, taking down the enemy with accurate shots.
Jek'il was back in the mud, and his training kicked in. He crawled forward. Now and then, the Jaffa took time to aim and shoot at an enemy Jaffa. He saw a target fall, then another, and went back to crawling.
Sharp cracks echoed over the battlefield, and purple smoke burst forth, carried by the winds. Wolves howled and charged the enemy, followed by the Custodes. Shots came out of the smoke, more often than not, missing. A few struck the Space Wolves' heavy armor, barely slowing down the Space Marines.
They fell upon Ba'al's Jaffa, and all Jek'il could recall was red mist and bloody laughter.
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Part 6
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Ba'al forward outpost
World Code Name: Balmora
Milky Way Galaxy
The Al'kesh made one final bombing run at the back of the enemy lines, shattering any chance of coordinated counter-attack. My Wolves kept surging forward as soon as smoke grenades offered them some concealment. My other forces moved behind them, taking and holding ground. Custodes and Lightning Legionaries provided heavy suppressive fire for the assault infantry, which in turn took every opportunity to enter a close-quarters range and use their brutal weapons.
Even Ba'al's fanatics couldn't last long when my Wolves breached their formations and began eviscerating them. More often than not, they broke soon after seeing the effect of the chainsaw weapons on mere flesh and bone.
About two hours after we secured the gate, enemy resistance in the field simply collapsed. Ba'al's Jaffa either surrendered or ran. The few fanatics who tried to hold their ground got surrounded by my assault infantry and cut to pieces, just like a pack of wolves would bring down prey.
"Gorski! Keep harrying them! Don't let them regroup!" I roared over the dying screams of battle.
Phase Two of the plan was complete. Now we had to consolidate, then take Ba'al's base, supplies, and whatever intelligence was out there for the taking. We would also need to root out any of his Jaffa who fled into the almost complete pyramids.
The base itself was just beyond the plan we fought over, with the pyramids in question towering over its right side.
This was an ideal situation, for cavalry or light vehicles to run down and ravage the fleeing survivors from Ba'al's expeditionary force. All I had were the Al'kesh, which used their belly-mounted turrets to little effect. At least, the ineffective bombardment kept the bastards running. Well, there was no point wishing for more assets. While the massed enemy formations would have been an ideal target for a few Death Glider squadrons with rocket pods, it was all a moot point now.
We had spectacularly taken the field anyway, and now we had to make sure our victory would be complete.
I looked around. The field was blasted apart by plasma, then trampled by thousands of feet, before my Wolves liberally nourished it with blood. There was dead Jaffa everyone, with the odd bastard trying to crawl away, or screaming in agony.
It was magnificent. At that moment, I could see this, and worse, repeating itself all over the galaxy, and it was going to be glorious!
I shook off the promises of the Dark Side and let go of the Force. There were no more enemies to slaughter in the area, and my forces would be dealing with the mop-up. A wave of weariness struck me, forcing me to do all I could not to sway on my feet.
"Get healers out here and see to our wounded. If any of Ba'al's Primes are still alive, or recoverable, I want them taken back for restoration and interrogation!" I found my voice after a few moments of respite. Then I continued issuing orders, doing my best to maintain the illusion of being on top of the world. "Stephan, get my Jaffa consolidated for the final assault. You know the plan, go and get me that fortress!"
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14 Jun 1996
Logistics department
Project Giza complex
Cheyenne Mountain
United States
Milky Way galaxy
General West briskly walked into one of the many departments spawning like mushrooms under his aegis. Mr. Woolsey, and an excitable blond scientist out of Area 51 of all places, followed him in, and took seats around a mostly full table, covered with stacks of folders, floating papers, and bulky laptops people were busy working with.
"At ease!" West rumbled. He took a moment to return the salutes of the military personnel, then waved them back to their seats. "Can someone explain to me, why did I need to come down here and play cat herder?"
"General, West, we're at an impasse, that's apparently beyond our pay-grade to solve, sir!" Major Riley reported. "We've got multiple logistics and technical issues that need the attention and clearance of higher authority than anyone in our departments possess."
"Summarize the issues." West curtly ordered. He had at least ten other fires to put out, not to mention the regular paperwork that came with Project Giza to deal with. And it was only eight o'clock in the morning…
The people around the table looked at each other until Major Riley nodded at Mr. Woolsey to begin.
"From my end, there are structural issues on how procurement of the items Perun wants is being handled. There have been multiple conflicting stories about why we want so much equipment, so fast. Not to mention, the need to have it all refurbished to use electric engines. Despite my best efforts, I am merely a consultant, and can do no more than make suggestions, which people are are disinclined to listen to." The bureaucrat grumbled. "We need a separate department handling these issues, and said the department had to have all its ducks in order before approaching anyone about procurement contracts." He nodded at the scientist.
"Hi! I'm Dr. Samantha Carter, lately from Area 51! I was recently brought in as a technical consultant to overview the benefits of the current and any future deals with Perun, or other alien entities!" The young perky woman spoke as if she found it hard to contain herself. "The issue at hand with the deal is that while we can modify various existing electric motors for the job, or even design new ones if it comes down to it, we're still facing a major stumbling block. We simply lack the technology to build batteries that have both sufficient energy density and are practical for the equipment we're about to sell. Practically, this means we have to choose one of a few realistic options, and I think that once we do it, someone needs to talk with our alien contacts!"
"Those options are what, Doctor?" West kept back a sight. If his largest issue today were excitable boffins, he would be a very happy man.
"First, we apologize and go with conventional combustion engines, and renegotiate the deal. Second, we admit that while we can provide the necessary equipment with the required electric engines, we simply lack the technology to offer suitable batteries and recharging stations. Third, related to the second option, negotiate with the aliens for better battery technology, after explaining the issue. The last option is probably the most realistic and has the potential to be most useful for everyone involved." Dr. Carter grimaced. "Making such a decision is beyond the scope of the people involved with solving the various engineering issues surrounding the trade deal."
"General, my Department's recommendation is to go for option two or three, preferably three. After some thought on the subject, we believe that Perun wouldn't accept going through with the deal if we are unable to provide electric motors for the equipment he wants. While we aren't hundred percent sure, we believe that he would see the need to build the infrastructure to handle fuel for the equipment counter-productive, at best, and a dead-end, at worst." Riley waved a hand at a stack of folders. "We've got multiple theoretical scenarios played out, taking various assumptions based on what Perun told us. We conclude that he is looking for a way to short-cut a revolution in mining and agriculture, thus making people available for other jobs. Building the infrastructure to handle fuel in multiple words, would take both industrial capacity and skilled labor. Further, if he doesn't want to be reliant on us for fuel, thus making his new equipment useless if relations break down, Perun would have to look into two options. He would either have to refurbish all equipment with electric motors himself or establish a full petroleum industry from extraction to refining and transport. Doing so would be counter-productive, and make all benefits from this deal on his part, mostly moot."
"This puts things into perspective. I take it no one has taken your reports seriously?" General West asked.
"Sir, there are very few people cleared to see these reports. I sent them to you as soon as we had them compiled last night." Riley answered.
"What's the next issue? I'm not lucky enough for this to be all the bad news." West asked with false cheer.
"A decision on how to actually bring forth all the equipment Perun desires, and how to get in anything he sends in exchange. While the Stargate in its current position is very secure, it is also impossible to move goods through it in a rapid fashion. Not to mention, that we simply can't deliver the tractors and some of the mining equipment while the gate is on the bottom of the mountain. We're looking at multiple options. All of them provide various cut-off points between security, practical logistics, and keeping the whole project hidden. We need approval for one of those options at least a week, ideally two or more, before we're delivery date for the first batch of equipment." Riley continued.
"Give me the proposals. I'll speak with the Joint Chiefs and the White House, and we'll give you a decision ASAP. The same is true for our other outstanding issues." West declared. He knew he was going to spend the next few days arguing with politicians and his counterparts in Washington, and he wasn't looking up to it.
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On 17 Jun 1996, the President of the United States establishes the Green List Commission. Officially, its duties include a long-term look in guaranteeing the security of the nation in terms of food availability and offering protection against severe disruptions in the flow in trade of rare, but critical earth elements. Unofficially, the GLC's primary function was to create a framework and offer recommendations for the establishment of a new department within the US government – Stargate Command, (SGC in future references). SGC will be the first contact point, and line of defense as far as alien entities are concerned. It will handle initial diplomatic contacts, exploration, and the search for technologies, to better protect Earth.
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