Author's Note
Here's a little chapter, nothing too fancy. Let me know what you think.
Chapter 7
(Tria/Hyper-space/1 month later)
Sam could be found walking the halls of the Lantian ship with her portable tablet in her hands. For the past four weeks, they had been jumping from one point to another on their journey back to Earth, and to their great satisfaction, the Al'kesh engine was performing perfectly.
" Carter, we're about to exit hyperspace!" The young woman turned around to see Jack O'Neill coming up behind her, his hands in his pockets.
" Yes, I know, and we'll have to wait two hours for the Al'kesh engine to cool down before we can leave again," she exclaimed, resuming her walk with Jack by her side. "Did you find anything interesting while exploring the Tria?"
At Sam's question, Jack sighed softly. "Aside from 10,000-year-old food, the only interesting things were the control room and the place where we found old Ancients' uniforms and sidearms. They look like energy pistols with a lethal mode and a stun mode, like the Goa'uld Zats."
They turned down another hallway, passing several technicians from the Prometheus. "How much longer do we have to travel in this ship!" Jack complained. While he had enough to do during the outbound journey to keep him busy, the return trip aboard the Tria was a different story. He was as bored as a dead rat!
Sam smiled sympathetically at her superior's clear boredom. "Out of the six weeks of the planned journey, we've completed four. So, we've done a bit more than half the trip, which means we have two more weeks to go!"
Jack looked up at the ceiling, which amused Carter even more. She continued, "We're flying a 3-kilometer ship with an Al'kesh's hyper-propulsion. It's already a miracle that we can make it back to Earth in only six weeks and without blowing up!"
Jack looked at her for a moment before tilting his head to the side in acknowledgment of her point. "Why did the Prometheus insist on doing the whole trip with us? They could have already been back on Earth if they wanted."
They reached the bridge just as Jack answered, "Pendergast wants to stay with us to help handle any unforeseen issues that might arise during one of our stops. He also wants to take the opportunity to repair the Prometheus as much as possible!"
Sam and Jack's attention was drawn to the window as the ship exited hyperspace, and the sight of the stars in the void of space greeted them. A few seconds later, a vortex appeared through the window, a few kilometers from the Tria, and the Prometheus emerged moments later. Sam walked over to one of the consoles to get a diagnostic of the ship while Jack sat in the commander's chair.
"Pendergast, this is O'Neill, how's the Prometheus doing?" He asked, using the Tria's communication controls from the captain's seat. There was a brief moment of silence during which he looked out the window to watch the frigate floating calmly in space before finally receiving a response.
"I hear you, Colonel. The Huragok and Sergeant Matthew have done an excellent job; the Prometheus has recovered 90% of its capabilities!" Jack was delighted to hear this news, especially after learning that when he made the decision to engage the Tria against Ares' fleet, the Prometheus had only 10% of its shields left. If he had chosen to wait just a few more seconds, things could have become extremely dramatic.
"That's good to hear!" And the fact that the Prometheus was only restored after four weeks, and countless stops, was a perfect example of the damage it had sustained during the battle. Jack then turned to Carter, who was looking at one of the screens while delicately handling the console. A few seconds later, she looked at him, nodding affirmatively. "As for us, everything's fine. We just need to wait two more hours for the Al'kesh engine to be ready to go."
"Unfortunately, there's been some new developments here!" Sam and Jack looked at each other again, but this time with a confused expression on both of their faces. "Using the Al'kesh's transport rings to return to the Prometheus with the rest of SG1... this is something that needs to be discussed face-to-face!"
(Prometheus/Bridge/20 minutes later)
"Is the Prometheus requisitioned?!" Sam's exclamation and surprise were shared by the rest of SG-1 upon hearing the orders that Pendergast had received via subspace communication.
"Yes, during one of our previous stops, we took advantage of the restoration of our long-range communications to send a preliminary report of our situation as well as the special cargo we're bringing back," Lionel informed them. Jack, just like the rest of his team, could easily imagine that the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) had been thrilled upon hearing the news of their recent acquisition.
Pendergast continued, "The Space Command congratulates us, but unfortunately, there's been a problem. During a mission, an SG team got trapped on a planet called Pangar. For an unknown reason, the Goa'uld attacked this world without any apparent reason…" The members of SG-1 looked at each other, understanding the delicate situation their world was in. If this SG team were to be captured, an entire fleet of Goa'uld ships would land in the Sol system within a week. "…The UNSC Savannah, the UNSC Grafton, and the UNSC Saratoga have all been sent in support, and I've been ordered to send the Prometheus to join them to evacuate our team and save as many Pangarans as possible."
"Very well, we'll take care of bringing the Tria back to Earth." Unfortunately for Jack, their superior had a completely different plan for him and his team.
"Sorry, Colonel, but your team has been ordered to join us for this mission!" SG-1 looked at each other again, not exactly thrilled to have to return to combat so quickly. "It will be Major Sheppard and his team who will be responsible for bringing the Tria back to Earth. I've also been ordered to deploy 80% of the military personnel and a large number of engineers aboard the Tria to ensure that their return goes as smoothly as possible."
"Wow, that's almost the entire crew of the Prometheus!" Carter exclaimed, looking at Pendergast. They would be left with only about fifty people for this mission, which could pose a problem if a ground assault was necessary.
"Yes, the preliminary report on the offensive and defensive capabilities of the Tria clearly showed that the technology of this ship is far superior to that of the Goa'uld. As you can imagine, the UNSC is giving top priority to its safe return to Earth," Pendergast revealed, receiving understanding nods from SG-1. "It will easily take us two hours to transfer the personnel and supplies from the Prometheus to the Tria. Colonel, I'll leave it to you to inform Major Sheppard of the orders he's been given!"
(Earth/Cheyenne Mountain/ Twelve Days Ago)
"These people are quite friendly, General, but so far we have found no evidence of significantly advanced technology other than the sample of the miracle cure they gave us." Major Evan Lorne was standing in front of the MALP as the Stargate was connected from Earth to the planet Pangar, allowing him to report to Hammond.
"Unfortunately, that might come back to haunt them, Major!" Hammond replied over the radio while looking at the man's face on the control room screen, transmitted by the MALP camera. A few seconds later, it was the woman standing next to him who spoke up.
"I'm afraid the Pangarans have greatly underestimated the long-term effects of this Tretanine. While this medication gives them perfect health, it has a disastrous effect on their immune system, to the point where this medication becomes their only way of staying healthy, and since it only works for a limited time, they've become dependent on it for life!" Dr. Janet Fraiser explained to Major Lorne, who gave a small smile, but wasn't surprised. In fact, he had even expected it; a perfect remedy couldn't possibly be real.
"So I guess there'll never be enough for the people of Earth?" he pointed out, more as an obvious statement than a real question, which was confirmed by Dr. Fraiser a few seconds later.
"That's correct, Major. According to my observations on how long the product dissipates in the body, it's already a miracle that they have enough for the people of Pangar!" Janet exclaimed, completely shocked that someone had allowed a product with such side effects to be distributed to the population.
"There isn't enough..." Lorne informed them, raising their eyebrows. He continued immediately, "... only a tiny portion of their population benefits from this miracle cure." He revealed, making Hammond and Fraiser nod in understanding, momentarily forgetting that while they could see Lorne, the reverse was not true. Lorne then leaned forward towards the MALP camera, resting his arm on the probe, giving the impression that he needed support, while in reality, he was trying to hide his face. He then spoke in a much more serious tone. "However, there's something strange, General. We are the first people they've encountered since they discovered the Stargate, but they are extremely well-informed about the Goa'uld and their true nature..." He took a breath, looking around to ensure no one was coming up behind him. "...and they also seem very eager to obtain coordinates for the Goa'uld's main worlds!"
This time, Hammond furrowed his brow deeply, sharing a suspicious look with Janet. Very strange indeed. If this people had had direct contact with the Goa'uld, they wouldn't be here today. "Major, I authorize you to gather more information. If they pose a threat to our world, we must know at all costs!"
"Understood, General!" Lorne replied as the vortex deactivated a few seconds later. Hammond looked at Janet, nodding and giving her a grateful smile, which she returned as she headed back to the infirmary.
"The probe is ready to be sent to P4C-970, General!" Walter exclaimed, drawing George's attention, who gave him the go-ahead with a nod. The Stargate began to rotate as usual during the activation sequence, until the seventh chevron, and the vortex exploded outward, connecting to one of the many planets in their galaxy. He then watched as the probe started to move along the floor of the embarkation room and crossed the event horizon.
It took a few seconds before the first images appeared on the control room screens, and what they received was far from what the people present had expected. "What in the world is that?!" Hammond exclaimed, looking at the landscape of carbonized materials resembling obsidian and glass, the air massively littered with ashes and dust. "Saara?" Hammond asked the AI of his base, which materialized on the holographic projector.
"The atmosphere of this planet is highly toxic and radioactive, General. The residual energy signature matches that of plasma. According to the radioactive and visual data received from all of the MALP's sensors, the landscape corresponds to the effects of a Covenant glassing operation!" She announced, causing a deadly silence in the control room. Hammond felt an unpleasant chill run up his spine. They had just had their very first contact – even if indirect – with the Covenant alliance, and the images the Tau'ri could observe through their probe made everyone who saw them fully realize the real and extreme threat that would soon become their worst enemy. For these images were the vision of what would become of Earth if they lost.
"Sergeant, have the MALP reverse course and destroy itself in the vortex of the gate!" Hammond suddenly exclaimed, a pronounced worry in his voice that made Walter turn back to his superior.
"General?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face at the orders of the SGC commander. Sending the probe back into the vortex without shutting it off and reactivating the gate from the other side would result in the complete and final disintegration of the MALP.
"This planet is completely uninhabitable. I won't send any of my men into this hell, and we can't leave any trace of our existence or even our passing on one of the planets they have destroyed. Destroy the probe!" Hammond ordered definitively, and Walter hurriedly complied, not wanting to see the alliance arrive on Earth any sooner than necessary.
Hammond then went to his office. He had to inform the high command of their discovery as soon as possible. Clearly, the alliance had formed and was already operational, and it would be sooner than they had imagined.
(Pangar / Late Afternoon)
"Lieutenant Reed, try to do a wide scan of the fresco with your camera. I think Dr. Jackson will want as detailed a shot as possible to translate this." Lorne ordered the member of his team who was filming the wall of the archaeological site that the Pangaran scientist Zenna Valk had shown them. So far, Lorne and his team had found no evidence to support his suspicions, but he was convinced the Pangarans were hiding something from them.
"Yes, Major!" The man replied, stepping back with his small camera. Lorne continued to look at the many other people around them working before his radio activated.
"Major, you should come see this!" Exclaimed a voice he recognized as his XO's, Captain Stevens.
"Did you find something interesting, Captain?" Lorne asked. He had instructed his men to survey the area while keeping a low profile and to search for anything out of the ordinary, but he hadn't expected them to find something so quickly.
"That's an understatement, Major. We're in a small clearing in the pine forest, about three kilometers upstream from the archaeological site!" Lorne turned toward Lieutenant Reed, who had also stopped what he was doing to look at their team leader. Receiving an affirmative nod, Reed packed up his gear to follow his commander toward the rest of the team.
…
Lorne and Reed finally joined Stevens and Walker, and upon arrival, they found what their two teammates had discovered was indeed very interesting. At the edge of the clearing, slightly beneath the branches of the trees, was a ship. The craft had a vaguely pyramid-shaped appearance with an elongated nose. The rear part of the ship curved into a pair of wings, and based on their knowledge, it appeared to be a Goa'uld Tel'tak.
"I don't know why, but I sense trouble coming!" Lorne exclaimed, receiving smiles from his men, indicating they shared the same feeling. "Now that we're here, let's take a look." There were no signs of damage to the environment around the ship, nor to the vessel itself, which meant it hadn't crashed. Lorne would have preferred it had, because that likely meant a Goa'uld was probably on this planet.
Lorne moved toward the ship, followed closely by his team. As they crossed the tall grass, he briefly noted it was high enough to reach their waist. "How did you get so far from the gate?" He asked Stevens and Walker, arriving right at the nose of the cargo ship.
"We were heading toward the limits of the archaeological site when our detectors picked up an energy source. We decided to follow it. Sorry, Major, we should have informed you that we were straying." The man, originally from South Africa, said, holding the detector in his left hand. It was a small rectangular device, 16 centimeters long and 12 centimeters wide, of Lantean origin. The original device had been found aboard the Jumper recovered in Antarctica.
"You don't need to apologize, Lieutenant. You followed your instincts!" Evan reassured them as he admired the Goa'uld cargo ship. He was about to order his men to enter when his attention was immediately drawn to Stevens. His XO had suddenly spun around, weapon raised, carefully scanning the trees. This triggered the instincts and training of Evan, Walker, and Reed, putting them in the same position—alert. "Stevens?"
The man didn't respond immediately, continuing to study the shadows in the spaces beneath the trees. The late afternoon sunlight made the forest around them look ominous. "I thought I heard a branch snap, Sir!" He exclaimed, his focus firmly on potential movements.
"Maybe an animal?" Reed suggested, glancing toward Walker, who, with the detector in hand, was regretting not having worn his helmet for this diplomatic mission. The life-sign detectors on the HUD would be really useful right now. The team stood in silence, watching the trees, what felt like an eternity. The only sound was the wind rustling the branches before the Tau'ri began to lower their weapons.
"You must be right." Stevens finally muttered as he turned back to the ship and his team, but not without casting a final glance behind him, while Walker looked at the screen of the device in his hand.
"I also thought I saw something on the life-sign detector, but it disappeared extremely quickly. I don't think it was a human." Walker confirmed as he holstered his M6 Magnum in the holster on his right leg.
Lorne remained staring at the forest for a few seconds before giving his orders. "We stay on guard. Stevens, you stay next to the cargo to monitor the surroundings, just in case!"
"With pleasure, Major!" The captain exclaimed with great satisfaction. He was sure what he'd heard wasn't an animal, but there was no way to know for sure. Staying behind to cover his teammates suited him just fine.
"Reed, Walker, come with me. We're going to take a look inside!" Evan ordered the other two members of his team, who followed closely behind him toward the entrance of the Tel'tak. If a Goa'uld was on this planet, they needed to find out why!
(That same evening)
When Lorne and his team returned from their little stroll in the forest, they came across a small group of guards who were looking for them, having been ordered to take them to Governor Dollen, the leader of the Pangarans. Normally, being stopped, even informally, would have triggered some resistance from the Tau'ri team, but since Lorne wanted to inform the governor about their recent discovery, the guard group saved him the trouble of searching for them.
Arriving at their destination, they found the man, still in his very expensive suit, pacing back and forth, alongside the Pangaran security chief, Tégar, standing at the side of the room, perfectly still with his usual stern expression on his face. "Major Lorne, we've been looking for you for over three hours. We feared something might have happened to you!" exclaimed the man with a slightly thinning skull.
"Don't worry, Governor, we know how to defend ourselves when necessary, but I'm afraid I have bad news!" announced Evan, his face darkening, which puzzled the man.
"This has to do with your absence, I suppose!" exclaimed Tégar, his suspicious gaze firmly fixed on the Tau'ri team.
"I'm afraid so…" Lorne grimaced. He knew very well that the Pangarans wouldn't like what he was about to tell them. "… Earlier today, we detected a strange energy signature. It led us to the middle of the Pine Forest, three kilometers from the archaeological site..." The people in front of him looked utterly confused. Having lived on this planet, they knew better than anyone that there was absolutely nothing out there. Lorne found their confusion legitimate, but the bomb he was about to drop would undoubtedly change everything. "… We found a ship, a Goa'uld Tel'tak!"
Dollen and Tégar stared at the Earth team with wide eyes, then exchanged a look. Honestly, Lorne had expected a much more violent reaction than this. The two most influential people of Pangar stared at each other for long seconds, during which they had a silent conversation.
Finally, Dollen turned toward the Tau'ri. "A little over an hour ago, a member of our scientific team, for an unknown reason, activated the Stargate and crossed it to an unknown destination." The governor informed them, leaving the Earthlings thoroughly confused.
"But I thought you only discovered the gate recently and didn't even know how it worked until we arrived?" Lorne asked, although, for him, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place.
"Yes, I assure you that everything was true. I don't understand how he did it, nor where he could have gone!" exclaimed Dollen. His people had never managed to establish contact with other worlds despite all their attempts. How could a scientist not even involved in Stargate research have activated it? It completely escaped him. His attention was once again drawn to Lorne, who didn't seem at all surprised. "Major, do you know something?"
Evan found it strange that Dollen hadn't made the connection between the ship they had just found and the fact that a scientist had left the planet just as it happened, to god knows where. "Governor, I think the Goa'uld were looking for something on your world, and to do so, they took possession of one of your people. I don't know what they were looking for, but if he left so quickly, it probably means they found it." Lorne's revelations alarmed Dollen and Tégar, who suddenly exchanged very concerned looks. "We need to inform our superiors about the situation here. I can only advise you to put your population on maximum alert. We know from experience that when the Goa'uld are interested in something, there's usually a lot of damage!"
Lorne would have liked to ask the Pangarans some questions. If the parasites were interested in this planet, then the inhabitants of this world were hiding something very important and potentially dangerous. But that would have to wait. If the Goa'uld had crossed the gate over an hour ago, their army was more than likely already on its way. As Dollen hurriedly left the room with Tégar, the blonde woman who had served as their guide up to now, Zenna Valk, was to accompany them with some guards so the Earth team could reach the gate without problems and maybe ask the Earthlings for help.
Walking on the dirt path leading to the Stargate, Zenna walked next to Lorne at a fast military pace, one she was struggling to keep up with. "I assure you, Major, we had no idea this Goa'uld was on our planet!" she pleaded, addressing the people who were now her people's only real chance of survival.
"I'm willing to believe you, ma'am, but this Goa'uld wasn't visiting your world to satisfy a tourist passion!" Lorne exclaimed. He knew the Pangarans were hiding something, and the presence of this Goa'uld was proof that his instinct had been right. "Lieutenant Reed, contact Earth!" he ordered as he stopped next to the MALP.
Following Lorne's orders, Reed began entering the combination. The chevrons lit up, especially visible in the darkness of the night. As the lieutenant entered the fourth symbol, the gate's chevrons activated suddenly and rapidly. "External activation !"
The Earth team raised their weapons to their shoulders but still aimed at the ground for the time being. Though the chances were slim, there was still a possibility that it was Earth. The Pangaran guards also reacted to the activation of the gate, especially at the Tau'ri's state of alert.
Lorne stayed behind the probe, using it as cover while pulling Zenna to protect her. He signaled his men and the Pangaran guards to take cover, preferring to be cautious. This turned out to be an excellent decision because, just seconds later, Jaffa appeared over the horizon, staffs in hand, with the firm intention of using them on anyone unlucky enough to be in front of the gate at that moment. Unfortunately for them, among those present were sharpshooters on high alert. The deafening sound of the automatic fire from the Tau'ri MA5K rifles disturbed the tranquility of the night, ending the lives of the first Jaffa who crossed.
It was with the arrival of the tenth Jaffa that Major Lorne gave up the idea of containing them. "Fall back!" he shouted, grabbing several smoke grenades from one of the MALP's supply caches and throwing them at the base of the Stargate to provide at least temporary cover. Very quickly, the entire gate was engulfed in a thick white cloud, and that was enough for all the humans present to start running in the opposite direction, despite the completely random gunfire from the Jaffa who continued to pour in.
"Don't look back and keep moving straight ahead, the night will cover us once we're far enough from the gate!" Evan ordered, counting on the gift of the moonless night. During the escape, one of the unlucky Pangaran guards was hit by a shot to the upper back near the base of his neck, to Zenna's horror, who had turned around for a brief moment. Because of this, she tripped on the grass with a surprised cry.
She had been hit! She was sure of it! But when Lorne grabbed her under the arm and effortlessly lifted her, she realized that no, she hadn't been hurt, and with Lorne's help, her legs even moved on their own to keep her standing. Thanks to the Tau'ri team leader's support, she was soon running faster than before. She watched him grab the pin from the objects in his hands that looked like the ones he had thrown earlier, only to let them fall this time. Another plume of smoke deployed behind them, enough for the Jaffa to stop shooting.
"Follow me, I know where we can take cover!" she exclaimed. The Pangaran government had ignored her advice about revealing their greatest secret directly linked to the Trentonite and their visitors from Earth when they decided to use them to obtain Goa'uld world addresses. But now there was no choice. This place was the most fortified and best-guarded on the entire planet.
But she doubted her planet had anything that could withstand this invasion.
(Earth/Cheyenne Mountain/Control Room)
"Still no word from SG-11, Walter?" General George Hammond asked as he descended the stairs to stand behind the Sergeant Major in charge of managing the Stargate.
"No, sir, Major Lorne is over three hours late for his report!" The man with glasses replied, checking the numerous control and diagnostic screens, as well as the power systems for the gate, as usual.
"That doesn't sound like Major Lorne. Activate the gate, Sergeant," Hammond ordered hastily. The previous day, Major Lorne had expressed doubts about the Pangarans, and the next day, he and his team had gone silent. The timing was too suspicious to be a coincidence. He watched as the gate spun and activated, the chevrons locking one by one until the vortex erupted.
"This is General Hammond. Major Lorne, do you copy?" His call went unanswered, followed only by a long static crackle through the speakers. "Major Lorne, this is the SGC, respond!" But still, no answer. "Sergeant, display the MALP camera feed," Hammond ordered, and Walter quickly complied. The video showed one of the stone columns, a remnant of the ancient structures built around the gate.
"Try a wider scan with the camera!" Slowly, the camera panned right, coming face to face with a Jaffa pointing his staff weapon directly at it, followed by a flash that instantly cut the video feed. Walter recoiled in his seat, looking at his superior, silently asking what to do next.
Hammond furrowed his brow as he shifted his gaze from the screens to the still-active gate. "Tell Sergeant Siler to come to the embarkation room with an UAV, I want it ready to launch in fifteen minutes!" Quickly, the room was filled with technicians who began assembling the flying device.
The UAV (Unmanned Airborne Vehicle), designed to be deployed through the Stargate, was an aerial reconnaissance craft intended to gather data about planets or, in this case, monitor an inaccessible area that the MALP could not reach. This device had been created by the scientists at Area 51, and unlike the MALP, there was no second-generation version for this drone. Like the MALP, the UAV was capable of analyzing environmental conditions and detecting potential threats, such as enemy presence, before a team went through the gate.
Siler's team worked efficiently, and exactly 15 minutes later, the UAV was mounted on the launch ramp, facing the gate.
"Everything's ready, sir!" Siler confirmed, turning toward the large blast-proof window of the control room.
Hammond nodded. "Good work, Sergeant. You and your men can leave the embarkation room," he said to Siler, who ascended the steps to the upper part of the embarkation room and quickly exited with his team through one of the blast doors. Meanwhile, four soldiers stood in front of the vortex, holding smoke grenades in their hands. Receiving a nod from General Hammond, they pulled the pins and tossed the grenades into the vortex a second later, evacuating the embarkation room in turn.
"Let's go, Walter!" Hammond said as he joined Walter at the station that controlled the UAV, waiting a full minute for the smoke cloud to disperse and conceal anything that might pass through the gate. Seconds later, the miniature aircraft was launched into the gate as quickly as a rocket.
On Pangara, a small group of Jaffa had been standing in front of the gate ever since it activated, waiting for something to emerge. When one of their own had destroyed the strange device that had started moving, they thought whoever was on the other side had abandoned their position, but the Chappa'ai remained stubbornly active. They were thrown off when objects fell to the ground, releasing another thick blanket of white smoke that quickly spread, enveloping the gate and the ten meters around it. Despite the abilities granted to them by their gods through the Prim'ta, which enhanced their physical strength, health, and longevity, the smoke polluted the air enough that even they were forced to move away from the gate, coughing repeatedly in a concerning manner.
They were therefore unable to react effectively when a strange flying device shot out from the gate, climbing rapidly into the sky, cutting through the smoke at a speed greater than what should have been possible, thanks to the launch propulsion system. The few Jaffa who weren't busy coughing attempted, clumsily, to shoot down the UAV with their staff weapons, but their attempts were futile.
The UAV quickly gained enough altitude to be out of reach of the Jaffa and the Stargate, heading toward coordinates that would lead it to the capital of Pangar. A vast array of atmospheric scanners, infrared, thermal, life-sign detectors, and radio signal detectors began scanning the vast area around the zone being overflown by the drone.
Back at the SGC, Walter piloted the UAV as best he could, keeping a close eye on the data coming through from the device to the screens in front of him, searching for any trace of SG-11, or perhaps, if they were lucky, a radio signal.
"SG-11, this is the SGC, do you copy?" George asked, broadcasting on all communication frequencies using the UAV as a relay to increase the communication range. But only a long silence responded once again. "Major Lorne, this is General Hammond, do you read me ?"
"This is Lorne, I hear you loud and clear, General!" The response over the radio brought a wave of relief to Hammond, who was relieved to know his men were at least still alive.
"Major Lorne, glad to hear from you, for a moment we feared the worst," General Hammond exclaimed with clear relief in his voice. "Give me a situation report!"
"Yes, sir. Yesterday afternoon, Lieutenant Reed and I were at the archaeological site where we were recording video footage of the murals when Captain Stevens and Lieutenant Walker contacted us to inform us of an important discovery, which turned out to be a Goa'uld cargo ship..." he said, allowing his superior to comprehend the implications of what he had just said.
"The Pangarans are in league with the Goa'uld?" Hammond asked, clearly recalling that Lorne had previously expressed his suspicions about the honesty of this people, and a Goa'uld ship was not exactly an "insignificant discovery."
"I don't think so, sir. When we returned, Governor Dollen informed us that one of their scientists had suddenly crossed the Stargate to an unknown destination about an hour before we arrived. We were about to contact Earth when a heavily armed group of Jaffa came through the gate, cutting off our access..." Evan continued, sharing his take on the real situation. "...In my opinion, the Goa'uld were looking for something specific, and one of them parasitized a Pangaran to achieve their goal !"
Hammond and Walter exchanged a perplexed glance at this news for a second, then the sergeant refocused on piloting the UAV while Hammond began to like the situation less and less. "Do you have any idea what the Goa'uld might be looking for?" he asked.
(On Pangara, several kilometers from the gate and the capital, in the undergrounds of a vast fortified facility)
Major Lorne moved to look at the imposing aquarium containing a monstrous and massive creature. "I think I can confirm, yes, sir, the Pangarans have a Goa'uld queen!" he revealed, staring at the symbiote attached to a large pouch in which it likely held its offspring until they were ready to be born.
This time, Hammond recoiled in surprise at the news. According to the information Teal'c had given them about the Goa'uld, queens were extremely rare and, consequently, incredibly valuable. There was no doubt in his mind that the parasites would do anything to recover one of their brooders. "Major, do you have an estimate of the enemy forces present ?"
"Very roughly, sir. Tegar, the leader of the Pangaran forces, has gathered his military forces to retake the Stargate. Unfortunately, they were stopped dead in their tracks by numerous Jaffa, who had significant air support provided by Death Gliders and bombers. We haven't heard from them since. From what we know about Death Gliders, their range is limited, and they don't go through the Stargate, so it's certain they have at least one Ha'tak up there," he replied as accurately as possible, glancing at the poor Zenna Valk, who was utterly despairing at what her people were enduring. But one thing was certain, they could never reach the gate without outside help. He continued, "Governor Dollen evacuated as many people as possible before the city was destroyed. They're hiding in a vast underground network of the fortified complex we're in, but the Goa'uld know exactly where they are. They've been bombing the area for several hours now. Numerous corridors in our shelter have collapsed because of them, and we're currently trapped here."
For Hammond, this situation was one of the worst possible. His men were on another planet, trapped behind enemy lines at a considerable distance from the gate, with extremely limited information about the forces the Goa'uld had at their disposal. He couldn't take the risk of sending a team of Jumpers and troops. He needed reinforcements. "Major Lorne, stay where you are, don't try..." Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his sentence when the communication suddenly cut off, leaving him looking at Walter for an explanation.
"It seems the UAV has just been destroyed, sir!" Walter exclaimed, performing numerous manipulations on the controls and reading the information on the various monitors. A few seconds later, the gate deactivated, leaving Hammond completely helpless in the face of the situation.
"Walter, cancel all scheduled missions and contact all SG teams in the field for an immediate recall!" he ordered Sergeant Harriman as he exited the control room. Climbing the stairs, he hurried along the long table of the conference room and ascended another set of stairs leading directly to his office. Sitting at his desk, he connected to the HIGHCOM system, specifically created and dedicated to contacting senior officers of the UNSC High Command.
"This is General Hammond, I need to speak with General Ryan immediately !" This man was one of the Chiefs of Staff to whom a large part of the UNSC Air Force and the Stargate Program had been entrusted. Hammond needed reinforcements and instructions as quickly as possible !
(Earth/Sydney/HIGHCOM Bravo-6 Facility/1 hour 25 minutes later)
In the depths of the city of Sydney, a dark-skinned man, dressed in an impeccably pressed general's uniform, bearing four stars on his shoulders and the logo of an eagle on a circle, the sphere itself crossed by a ribbon bearing the UNSCDF insignia on his right arm and a large number of decorations on the left side of his chest, walked rapidly through the corridors of sublevel four of "The Hive." If his uniform and the speed at which he moved didn't make it clear that something serious was happening, the grim expression on his face made it abundantly obvious that anyone who dared to stand in his way would bitterly regret it for the rest of their career in the UNSC.
Francis Maynard, general of the UNSC and president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in front of a thick blast door. One of the two guards tapped in an access code on the panel next to the door that sealed this part of the complex, even before he had the chance to stop. Moments later, the door silently retracted into the ceiling, and he passed the two Marines without so much as a thank-you, entering the dark room as the door closed just as swiftly behind him.
The room inside was oval-shaped and small, though luxuriously equipped. The majority of the space was taken up by a rectangular holographic table at the center of the room. The walls behind the table, opposite the entrance and curving around the room, were lined with flat screens, some displaying ship deployments in the Sol system, planetary data, and orbital/system defense status reports. More pertinent still, there were a dozen generals showing distinct signs of having gotten far too little sleep last night, probably due to a report transmitted by the SGC about the discovery of a vitrified planet.
The holographic table displayed images of several people, all members of the UNSC, and General Maynard immediately understood that this exceptional meeting had already begun. Admiral Jack Granger's image was slightly elevated above the others in the center of the table. His presence, even via hologram, made Granger the highest-ranking person in the room.
"Colonel Maynard, I imagine you've been informed of the situation!" Granger exclaimed as the general positioned himself in front of the table. "Given the situation, and after speaking with the generals present here, I have requisitioned three ships from the fleet, each under the command of Colonel William Ronson, Colonel Kirkland, and Commander Francis Mallarde, who are here with us." He explained to the newcomer, presenting the three other people at the table beside him.
"So, we are deploying three ships on-site. What about the ground control forces?" Maynard asked, looking at the other generals in the room, who began to argue again about the best way to deploy soldiers and secure the ground.
"As you can see, general, there are different points of view on how to proceed." Granger said, shaking his head in exasperation at their obstinacy to always want to be right. Just then, one of the generals spoke up in a firm voice.
"Your proposal is completely absurd. We already know the Goa'uld have ships in orbit. Deploying ground troops with Pelicans is nothing more than sending them to their deaths. They'll be shot down before even entering the atmosphere. The only way to consider this possibility is to deploy ships capable of carrying a large number of fighters and Longswords to neutralize the Gliders and Al'kesh before the landing. The only ship capable of such a large transport capacity we currently have is the Spirit of Fire, which, I remind you, is in drydock for repairs and upgrades..." He paused to look around at the present officers, many of whom nodded in agreement. He continued, "...the best solution, in my opinion, is to leave two ships in orbit to prevent the possibility of orbital bombardment, and send the third one to hover directly above the Stargate. With such firepower, we can take control of the sky and eliminate ground forces. The Stargate offers us a reliable landing option, and we would be foolish not to exploit it!" He finished with conviction.
More and more generals nodded, agreeing that this approach was probably the safest. But another officer spoke up in turn.
"But General Hammond had to use an UAV to contact his team, which means they and the Pangarans are very far from the gate. One ship for ground support might not be enough. But leaving just one frigate in orbit would be very insufficient if there's more than one mothership on the other side." This was a valid point, and one of the things that deeply troubled the high command. The effective numerical superiority of the Goa'uld and the Covenants over their own space forces condemned them to a minimum of one against three.
"We could deploy Jumpers through the gate at the same time as our troops." The eyes of the room turned to General Maynard as he spoke those words. "From previous engagements, we know the drone weapons they're equipped with proved very effective even against Goa'uld motherships !"
"That seems like the only real way to proceed without unnecessarily sacrificing lives. With the Prometheus on a deep-space mission, we'll only have the Paris, the Andraste, and the Cascadia left to defend Earth. With the ODP defense network incomplete, sending more ships would leave us too exposed to an attack!" Another high-ranking officer exclaimed as he surveyed the situation. Despite all the efforts from the shipyards, the construction of frigates and cruisers was taking time—time they might not have if the Goa'uld managed to capture and interrogate SG-11. If that were to happen, enemy fleets would land in the solar system before the end of the week.
"That's not an option!" Admiral Granger snapped, clearly stating he would not send more ships. Earth was already at a distinct disadvantage in space, and it was unacceptable to risk the loss of their entire fleet for a rescue mission. Many had even suggested sending a HAVOK nuclear weapon, reinforced with Naquadah, through the Stargate to cleanse the planet of any trace of their presence, but the idea of sacrificing their own men and an innocent population had been rejected almost immediately. His small hologram turned to a person standing back in the room, the only one who hadn't spoken yet. "Major Davis !"
The liaison officer, Paul Davis, stepped forward. "Admiral!" he exclaimed firmly, standing at attention, awaiting orders.
"You'll go to the SGC and inform General Hammond that he must be prepared for a troop landing on Pangara, and that a detachment of ODSTs will be sent to reinforce him. You'll maintain communication between the SGC and the Hive for ongoing updates on the operation." Major Davis saluted the assembled high-ranking officers before hurrying out of the room, as Granger addressed the commanders of the ships designated for the mission. "Finish resupplying and offload non-essential personnel. You must leave as soon as possible !"
"At your orders !" they all exclaimed in perfect synchronization, giving a military salute. The three commanders had undergone intensive training aboard the Spirit for over a year to be capable of leading a ship and its crew in any circumstance, especially in space battles. They would soon be able to put their training to the test.
(Earth/Orbit/1h30 after the briefing)
Colonel William Ronson had his thick touchscreen tablet in hand, reading reports from the teams responsible for verifying the Naquadah fusion reactor, ammunition storage, Shaw-Fujikawa Translight engine, and the stability of the energy shield generator. A satisfied expression appeared on his face as all indicators were green, and he was informed that the last Pelican was unloading the final non-essential passengers and that the drones responsible for checking the stability of major modifications made to the new model of Paris-class frigate had finished.
Ronson placed his tablet into the side pouch of his chair and stood up to come observe the front of the bridge mounted on top of the ship, allowing him to monitor the space around the frigate. A true smile finally crept across his face as he saw something he could only describe as extraordinary—and in his humble opinion—magnificent. Just a few years ago, men and women would have sold their souls to get a chance to enter NASA and undoubtedly would have sold their souls for the chance to sit in a spacecraft powered by large hydrogen and oxygen tanks beneath rockets to launch and reach a speed of 11.2 km per second to even hope to reach orbit. But today, almost two years after the arrival of a ship from the future, humanity was cruising the stars, and the sight of the Aurora space station, ODPs, and orbital shipyards visible from his vessel reassured him while a wave of pride washed over him. Today, NASA no longer existed, but humanity had gained the means to fight and survive against what awaited them in the stars.
Ronson shifted his gaze to the two other ships docked at the station, which would depart in a few minutes for battle with their crew. Many months ago, when Admiral Cutter had ordered the construction of the first frigates, one of the civilian companies, a subsidiary of Colson Industries, had approached him to present a new frigate model—the Mulsanne class. The engineers had lightened the ship by reducing its armor, giving the frigate a more skeletal appearance, justifying it by claiming the use of energy shield technology. To Ronson's great relief—and to the relief of everyone in the UNSC—the Admiral had rejected the class, refusing the justification of a technology that could fail, sacrificing the hull's resistance. Everyone had secretly thanked whatever God they believed in that the head of their armed forces was a sensible and experienced man.
However, not everything was rejected. When Captain Carter had told Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson that the shipyards were behind schedule, she had not explained why. The biggest change compared to the standard Paris class was in the lower deployment bay or cargo hold, which had almost completely disappeared, with the armored wings protecting the exterior engines now completely concealing them when the ship was viewed from the side, giving the frigate a much flatter appearance. Four additional fusion engines had been added, positioned closer to the ship's horizontal axis, in addition to the already existing ones. The total number of engines now stood at six primary engines and eight secondary engines. With the addition of these engines, the ship's rear horizontal axis appeared much stronger, and the new Paris-class frigate's speed had been significantly increased. Only the Prometheus, whose construction had already been too advanced, had not benefited from these changes. However, the most important addition was the very first anti-ship energy weapon: the Brightlance Reflex Laser. The weapon wasn't fired from a cannon but through a firing mechanism in the hollow space between the two hulls of the frigate, beneath the MAC cannon.
"UNSC Grafton, UNSC Saratoga, maintenance operations are complete, you may disengage!" Upon hearing the radio call from the station, Ronson turned his attention back to the two ships as the Aurora station's locks disengaged, allowing them to join the Savannah—his ship—for the start of their mission. He had the pleasure of watching them gently float backward before turning smoothly toward space, away from Earth, their home. And they were going to bring their people back home !
"Lieutenant Banks, engage subluminal engines," he ordered, as he returned to his seat. Slowly, the Savannah pulled away from Earth, joined by the two other frigates, which took position on either side of Ronson's ship.
"Colonel Kirkland, Commander Mallarde, the Savannah is ready to depart, awaiting your authorization."
"Affirmative, the UNSC Grafton is ready for combat !"
"The UNSC Saratoga is ready to depart!"
With that, calculations were made and transmitted via narrow beams, and energy was diverted from the reactors at the heart of their ships to the Slipspace engines. Energy expansions flared up along the ships' outer hulls, the Cherenkov radiation accumulating around the ships as they accelerated in unison. The ships positioned themselves professionally beside each other as they gained speed. Blue lightning crackled around the three Paris-class heavy frigates as space twisted, deformed, and consumed the warships in accelerating whirlpools of blue light.
The UNSC never abandoned its own, and that was a fact that wasn't about to change!
End of Chapter
There you have it! What do you think ?
Do you know which planet was vitrified by the Covenants? It exists in the Stargate universe.