Consequences of Actions

8/12/2019 Consequences of Actions

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Consequences of Actions

Chapter 1

We’re not in Kansas Anymore

For the last six months the second of the United States Air force starships the USS Achilles a Prometheus classBattlecruiser had been involved in the establishment and continued protection of a Naquada/rinium minin!operation on a habitable planet close to the Star s"stem #no$n as %olf &'() it had ta#en the ma*orit" of those lon!months for the ne$l" created Naquada minin! facilit" to unearth and refine enou!h of the rare and valuable elementto fill the $arship+s car!o ba"s,

he expansion of the S-C facilities into the .A and hence to incorporate the other allied counties had put a strainon the limited resources alread" available to the S-C and her off $orld bases) the accelerated deplo"ment of the

Atlantis Pro*ect and the rapid construction of the ne$ 0aedalus class ships had depleted those fe$ resources evenmore, he current stoc#s $ere enou!h to #eep the Achilles and the Prometheus active for another "ear barrin!cripplin! combat dama!e) especiall" dama!e ta#en b" the Prometheus a!ainst the forces of Anubis, he f i!htersquadrons currentl" active or under construction and the 0aedalus $ould use up the rest of the limited earthboundsupplies, his had made the search and retrieval of an" material assets a priorit" to the S-C and an" allied assets) it$as believed that $ithin that S- and allied teams $ould have the stoc#piles rebuilt and construction of planetar"defence forces $ould be able to !o ahead across the board, his included the construction of Prometheus and0aedalus class vessels b" each of the Countries included in secrec" surroundin! Star!ate Command,

he Achilles had been launched onl" $ee#s a!o and $as still under sha#edo$n) the onl" reason it had been divertedto the ne$ minin! facilit" $as due to the temporar" shutdo$n of the Star!ate for necessar" maintenance of thediallin! computer and po$er s"stems, .t had been decided b" the brass that the trip $ould be an eas" mil# run for thene$l" commissioned Battlecruiser) one that be beneficial to all parties involved,

Unfortunatel" it did seem that the fates had a sense of humour $hen it came to the humans of the a+uri,

Colonel $e have completed the loadin! of the Naquada supplies) airloc#s are c"cl in! closed and $e+ll be read" forta#e2off in three minutes,3

-ood raise the 4inin! command centre,3

5es Sir,3

Achilles to %olfhound come in,3

his is %olfhound colonel $e+re readin! "ou,3

%e+ve completed our loadin! and are read" to depart) an"thin! else "ou need for us to do63

Ne!ative Achilles all the requestin! info from the colon" are in the data pac#et alread" do$nloaded to "our Comm,fficer,3

Affirmative %olfhound #eep the Naquada flo$in! $e+ll be bac#,3

-ot it Achilles and remember the shoppin! list,3 he voice at the other end chuc#led,

he commander of the Achilles allo$ed a sli!ht !rin at the *o#e) the colonists at the facilit" had put to!ether a7shoppin! list+ of requests from the S-C) US and U8 !overnments, %hile mainl" foodstuffs and entertainment it alsoincluded necessities includin! basic supplies and equipment for the colon"+s minin! production, he next !roup ofminers and excavators $ould be able to ta#e them throu!h the !ate or if necessar" the Starships of the ver" smallfleet could ta#e it themselves,

%ill do, a"lor out,3

Ship read" for 0eparture Sir,3

-ood 9uc# Achilles %olfhound out,3

9ift off 9t,3



A"e Sir,3

he second of the :arth Built starships slo$l" moved up into the air b" $a" of i t+s main Anti2!ravit" ;9 en!inesslo$l" it #nifed throu!h the earth2li#e atmosphere of %olf &'(+s sole habitable planet and into the dar# vacuum ofspace, he Ship+s commander Colonel <oanna a"lor sat bac# in her command seat held do$n b" the safet" strapsattached to the chair and $atched the main screens as the ship po$ered it+s $a" from the planet+s !ravitational pulland out into the in#" blac#ness of the void,

rbital .nsertion Achieved Sir,3

-ood %or# 9t) Set course for :arth Space,3

A"e Sir, Course en!a!ed ="perspace $indo$ active in three t$o one,3

he $arship disappeared into a h"perspace $indo$ acceleratin! to several time the speed of li!ht for a short *ump toit+s next drop point) li#e the other ship in her class the Achilles needed periodic rechar!e due to the ship+s core bein!fuelled b" Naquada and not the Naquadria derivative, 4ean$hile the ship+s cre$ $ere still learnin! the fullcapabilities of their vessel $ith computer based %ar!ames and on2board maintenance schedules allo$in! bothofficers and enlisted to #no$ their ship intimatel" $hile man" had trained on the Prometheus li#e all ships the Achilleshad her o$n temperament and technolo!" chan!es that needed t$ea#in!, Fortunatel" even $ith the vessel+sdistinction of first mass produced variant there had been little $ron! $ith the ship onl" a fe$ problems $ith the

inte!rated As!ard technolo!" had been corrected b" USAF technicians $ith the assistance of Star!ate Commandpersonnel headed b" Colonel Samantha Carter,

he ship dropped out of ="perspace $ith a flash of li!ht close to the Alpha Centauri S"stem2 close to earth+s solars"stem the s"stem ho$ever had little in the $a" of necessar" materials and had been left alone until such time as aStar!ate could be transplanted to the local planets, he Achilles main en!ine+s po$er s"stems started the full onehour rechar!e c"cle necessar" for them to *ump the rest of the $a" bac# to :arth,

%e+re !ettin! a h"perspace $indo$ readin!63

Source63

ne million 8ilometers .t+s comin! throu!h,3

%ith a brief flah the $indo$ closed behind the incomin! shape of a P"ramid,

-oa+uld Capital ship) =a+ta# class she+s armin! $eapons,3

Shields no$,3

he As!ard based deflector shields snapped on seconds ahead of the first h its from the -oa+uld $eapons s"stem)the shield shru!!ed off the fe$ hits that their evasive course didn+t stop, he ship+s scanners detected fli!hts ofUda*eet 0eath -liders as the" poured out of the ship+s monstrous han!er ba"s) in defence the :arth %arship+santifi!hter defence !uns and missile launchers opened up $ipin! out entire fli!hts in seconds before the -liderscould pull out, he massed fire $as able to cover the launch of the Achilles+ ei!ht F2&>? fi!hters f rom their internalhan!er ba") the fi!hters opened up from ran!e $ith a spread of Naquada enhanced Side$inders hittin! anddestro"in! most of the fi!hters that the" tar!eted) then the ran!e had closed and the fi!hters $ere at #nife ran!epulses from the Uda*eet 4ixed it up $ith pro*ectiles from the sealed air filled ma!a@ines of the &>?+s ;ulcan cannons,

he speed and a!ilit" of the &>?s ta#in! the Uda*eet b" surprise considerin! their si@e and bul#2 this did not last lon!as entire ran#s of death !liders turned and follo$ed the defenceless tails of the :arth built starfi!hters firin! pulses ofener!" into the armour of the &>?s) the Sheets of human developed eactive armour ablatin! the blo$s andshearin! off ta#in! the heat and #inetic ener!" $ith them,

Brea#in! into their turnin! radius one far smaller than the <affa+s ships the ei!ht fi!hters pulled bac# into theprotective radius of the Achilles+ C.%S s"stems and $ith a sharp one2ei!ht" lettin! their o$n missiles *oin in $ith themaulin! of the remnants of three squadrons of Ud*eet, B" this point the heav" firepo$er of the =a+ta# $as bein!brou!ht to bare on the for$ard shields of the Prometheus Class Battlecruiser) do@ens of bolts started their impacts onthe for$ard sections droppin! the po$er output do$n2 in retaliation a do@en heav" Naquada enhanced 4issilesimpacted on the shields of the 4othership the p"ramid shaped vessel cripplin! the heav" ener!" barriers $ith thenuclear explosives incorporated into the missiles,

:nem" ship+s shields are at thirt" percent) the" are sendin! out a distress call,3

r" to *am them) %eapons read" another 4issile salvo and prepare the main cannon,3



he Achilles li#e her sister ship contained a heav" pulse $eapon a !ift from the As!ard fleet for the au+ri+sassistance $ith the $ar a!ainst their foes2 the eplicators) the $eapon $ould onl" be used b" the USAF spacebased $arships and S-C attached personnel much to the displeasure of Former ;ice President 8inse", he $eapon$as also po$ered b" a secondar" Naquadah reactor since the loss of the Naquadriah core and much of the NativeNaquadriah on the planet 8olanna) the $eapon $as still capable of bein! used but at a much slo$er rate of fire thanthe same $eapons on the +Neill and Belis#ner Class starships,

A second salvo of Naquadah enhanced missiles impacted on the shields of the =a+ta#) the dama!ed shields of theship havin! turned a$a" for repair meant the impact hit the ne$er full" po$ered shields of the hull closest to them,he Smaller $arship manouvered a$a" from the massive p"ramid ship and emptied it+s rear firin! 4issile launchersat the dama!ed shield sections of the p"ramid also brin!in! her o$n undama!ed shields to bare a!ainst the massiveforce of the -oa+uld ship+s main $eapons, he last of the missile crippled the enem" shield !enerators and impactedthe surface of the =a+ta# vessel blo$in! apart entire sections of the hull,

%ithout $arnin! a second P"ramid ship appeared out of no$here usin! it+s crippled sister ship as a shield to bloc#it+s intrusion into the s"stem2 i t+s main $eapons alread" armed and hammerin! into the for$ard shields of the

Achilles,

%eapons,3

Sir63

Full bombardment all tubes on both these ships . $ant them dead and read" main cannon for firin!,3

All missile batteries fired sir,3

.mpact in all sides sir the Primar" tar!et is !one) secondar" for$ard tar!et #noc#ed several missile out before impacttheir shields are holdin!,3

S. he interception of that last missile launch dama!ed our for$ard shields) he" are losin! po$er,3

A continuous bombardment from the =a+ta# and the remainin! fi!hters from the no$ destro"ed vessel finall" redlinedthe ventral fore shields of the Achilles and the" collapsed blo$in! out the !enerators, %ith the ship no$ defencelessthe impacts of the fe$ $eapons the -oa+uld could brin! to bare started to dama!e the hull platin!,

Cannon Status63

ead" to Fire,3

F.:3

he As!ard developed ener!" cannon impacted the same shields that the 4issiles had struc# the multiple pulsesburnin! strai!ht throu!h and into the hull of the =a+ta# ;essel before it $as forced to shut do$n,

=elm !et us the hell out of here,3

An impact to the hull lurched the ship strai!ht around b" almost ninet" de!rees burnin! throu!h the hull and into theinner sections #illin! those fe$ personnel in them) sensors across the board $ent cra@" as the cre$ tried to !et the

ship under control,

-oa+uld fire in no$ concentrated on aft shields po$er is holdin!, %e+re acceleratin! a$a" enem" ships are follo$in!enem" fire is droppin! off2 loo#s li#e the" are feedin! the ener!" into their en!ines their comin! after us, Al l Fi!htersare redoc#ed) one+s had it sir she+s totalled,3

uh2oh,3 A voice spo#e up from the bac# of the brid!e,3

. 0idn+t $ant to hear that S!t,3

Sir that last hull impact hit one of the lo$er ba"s) the ba" is sealed but the ener!" blast has set off the Naquada inthat side of the hull the entire load is becomin! unstable,3

%hat does that mean,3 As#ed one of the other technicians

.t means $e have to dump it before it reached critical mass and explodes ta#in! us alon! $ith it,3



0ammit Clear that Ba" and the immediate area have all personnel brou!ht in from the outer sections and read" Ba"hree and sections $o and three) beta) delta) and omicron for decompression $e+ll blo$ i t out,3 rdered a"lor,

A"e sir,3

Across the dec#s of the ship cre$men ran from section that $ere loc#ed off $ith rinium hardened vacuum doors) allouter sections $ere loc#ed do$n and sealed) the exceptions bein! the six section $hich $ere read" for

decompression,

All survivin! personnel accounted for) $e lost seven in the battle Sir,3

0ammit, ead" ba" doors,3

Critical mass in one minute ten seconds,3

pen em up decompress the sections,3

he $o massive car!o ba" doors opened up blo$in! the entire atmosphere of six ship sections out into the void ofspace) the heav" partiall" processed naquada resisted the pull for a fe$ seconds and then acquiesced to the pull ofthe Atmospheric compression and $as hurtled into space directl" to$ards the oncomin! ships,

="perspace -enerator63

Fort" minutes from char!e,3

<ust !et us out of here $e+ll full" char!e later,3

Activatin! -enerator,3

0:NA.N,3

he five tons of naquada detonated sendin! a massive ener!" shoc#$ave in all directions the ed!e hit thedestabilisin! ="perspace $indo$ seconds after the Achilles had alread" departed the ener!" imbalance sent a ripple

throu!h the Conduit and thre$ the Achilles out of h"perspace and tumblin! throu!h realspace,

he cre$ of the starship not strapped do$n $ere thro$n across hall$a"s and dec#s) store rooms and $eapons ba"sas the ship s$un! end over end) the ship+s thrusters attemptin! to reali!n them to an even #eel, Slo$l" the shipstopped it+s spinnin! and settled into coastin! motion,

0ama!e report,

%eapons s"stem a2o#, For$ard shields are dead Aft shields are rechar!in!3

=ull .nte!rit" at ninet" percent,3

Subli!ht :n!ines dama!ed b" $or#in!) thrusters a2o#) ="perspace !enerator is do$n,3

Cre$ Casualties) t$elve dead) Six 4.A) Fort" .n*ured,3

9on! ran!e Sensors ffline) Short ran!e at Sixt" percent,3

Communications offline,3

9ife support at sevent" percent) .f $e loc# do$n unnecessar" quarters or dec# sections $e should be o#,3

Alri!ht people find out $here the hell $e are,3

Sensors are offline sir,3

0ammit use star!a@in! if "ou have to . $ant to #no$ $here $e are, =o$ lon! until the ="perspace -enerator+sonline,3



. don+t #no$ Sir .+ll have to ta#e it apart to see $hat the dama!e is,3

Sir Short an!e sensors are sho$in! :ner!" readin!2 some #ind of fi!hts !oin! on out there,3

n screens,3

Across the topside of the brid!e several ; monitor screens started up sho$in! a battle bet$een t$o hu!e ships)one $as heavil" dama!ed and seemed to be tr"in! to escape from the other ship and failin!) the heav" loo#in!bloc#" ship fired an impressive amount of $eapons fire at the chasin! ship fe$ if an" shots hittin! the much bi!!ership, From the lar!er ship2 a bri!ht line seemed to appear emittin! from the for$ard protrusion of the ship+s for$ardand sliced into the hull of the other ship tearin! it+s en!ines from it+s hull both section explodin! from the accumulateddama!e,

Sensors63

he other ship+s comin! about sir) .+m readin! Al l #inds of thin!s .+ve never seen before,3

%eapons defences63

No ener!" Shields sir but thic# armour and some #ind of fusion $eapons .+ll tr" to clear up the picture, 0amn she+s

close to a mile lon!) she+s scannin! us,3

he ship+s vie$ers !raduall" pixellated into a much more defined vessel) a massive $arship bi!!er b" far than the=a+ta# vessels the" had fou!ht beforehand movin! almost ma*esticall" the ship moved closer and closer

Activate :C4,3

:C4 up sir .t+s deflectin! some of the scans but not all,3

ed Alert arm all $eapons Ba"s,3

Comms63

%e have short ran!e limited visual/audio onl",3

his .s Colonel <oanna a"lor of the United States Air Force Achilles to un#no$n ship please respond,3

No esponse Sir,3

. repeat this is Colonel <oanna a"lor of the USAF Achilles to un#no$n ship please respond,3

Si!nal comin! throu!h,3

Foolish =umans 5ou are too late to save "our other ships and #no$ "ou shall be next) for the Blood "our peoplehave spilt of m" people, he Shal+avi of the %ind s$ords clan $ill be the last thin! "ou shall set e"es upon, For the=onour of the 4inbari,3

he cre$ loo#ed at each other in confusion,

%as it somethin! $e said63 the o as#ed,



Chapter ?

Shit =elm turn us around !et our aft shields bet$een us and them, %eapons loc# on and fire,3

A"e Sir,3

he" have some #ind of <ammin! field tr"in! to bloc# our scans2 attemptin! to ad*ust our scans to tar!et them)S=.) $e+ve !ot an :ner!" Spi#e) the"+re firin!,3

$in cuttin! beams emitted from the front of the massive ship impactin! directl" on the ed!e of the Prometheus classship+s hull s#immin! off the intact rear shields and ablatin! the ship+s armour) cuttin! deep into the hull blo$in!throu!h the empt" car!o ba" and out the other side, he !lancin! impact thre$ the ship side$a"s) the cre$ $erestrapped in this time and there $ere fe$ in*uries) $ithin seconds the Achilles had mana!ed to manoeuvre onehundred and ei!ht" de!rees round to brin! its intact and po$ered rear shields completel" bet$een them and the4inbari ship,

From t$o separate $eapons ports beams of pure ener!" hammered into the aft shieldin! of the Achilles) the beamsho$ever $ere not enou!h to brea# the alread" $ea#ened ener!" barrier separatin! the t$o ships, As a response aspread of 4issiles $ere launched at the un#no$n ship impactin! on the thic# armoured hull2 t$o of the half do@enmissiles $ere #noc#ed out of space but this close it $as inevitable some $ould !et throu!h) the effect $as

instantaneous the ship $as crippled b" the massive explosive force of the four Naquada enhanced missiles that $ereable to hit the ship directl",

%e !ot them sir) read four !ood detonations, :nem" ship dama!ed) $eapons seem to be disabled,3

Send another =ail to the hostile) order them to surrender,3

A"e sir sendin!,3

-et on to all sections . $ant a dama!e report as soon as possible3

A"e sir,3

-et the ventilation fixed and clear this smo#e,3

n it sir,3

No response from the 4inbari Sir,3

Sir reports comin! in from all over the ship) %e+ve !ot dama!e to the fore sections of the ship $e+ve lost contact $ithseveral rear dec# sections and the empt" car!o ba" has completel" depressuri@ed the entire section+s been slicedclean throu!h sir,3

# does someone $ant to explain $hat happened there,3

9oo#s li#e the -oa+uld aren+t the onl" people $e+ve pissed off,3 he o remar#ed,

Communications63

No response sir,3

Sir .+m readin! another ener!" spi#e) enem" $eapons are no$ bac# online) the"+re firin! a!ain,3

%eapons can "ou !et a loc# on them,3

Barel" sir) %e+ll be fl" b" $ire,3

Fire,3

he crippled An!elfish shaped starship fired their main $eapons for the second time finall" cripplin! the remainin!shields of the :arth built starship) the beam continued on smashin! a!ainst the ship+s s#in and piercin! thou!h intothe ship+s inner hull, he rinium/Naquada s#in unable to hold bac# the immense po$er of the 4inbari $eapons still



held the ship in one piece unli#e the ships the" had seen crippled or destro"ed all around the s"stem) the ener!"burst almost totall" hid the second missile launch from the Achilles as the" headed strai!ht at the hostile ship) thistime the minbari $ere read" and shot almost all of the missiles do$n,

=o$ever most is not all and t$o missile impacted on the 4inbari ship this time immolatin! much of the en!ine fin andthe for$ard $eapons s"stem) their $eapons destabilised and en!ines critical the 4inbari ship exploded,

ar!et destro"ed Sir,3

0ammit, An"thin! more on dama!e and casualt" reports,3

hat last blast #noc#ed out most of the onboard communications $e+ll have to do a section b" section) infirmar"reports six dead and over a do@en in*ured and that doesn+t count an"one #i lled in the depressurisation in either of theattac#s,3

8eep me informed,3

A"e Sir,3

:n!ineerin!) brid!e) time to h"perdrive repair,3

Brid!e $e+re loo#in! no$ but it doesn+t loo# !ood) $e+ll need a !ood three da"s of repair to !et it functionin!) sameamount of time to shore up the ship+s dama!e,3

-et on it and send a $or# detail to repair the lon! ran!e Comm, S"stems,3

A"e sir,3

Brid!e out,3

he =uman starship sat alone in the star s"stem the debris of three armed starships floatin! in the dar#ness $ith$hat seemed to be the debris of a half do@en civilian frei!hters obviousl" this 74inbari+ ship had decided to destro"not onl" the militar" ships but an"thin! that the" found, he fact that this $as $orse than the -oa+uld had done tosome races at least the" too# some survivors as prisoners or slaves this ne$ race $ere barbaric to the extreme2

much more than the enemies of the au+ri,

he onl" !ood ne$s $as the" #ne$ $here the" $ere and had much of their primar" s"stems bac# online after onl"t$ent" four hoursD the other bad ne$s $as that the shields and ="perdrive $ould need a dr"doc# for full repairsalthou!h the ="perspace !enerator $ould be able to !et them bac# to :arth $ithin a fe$ *umps, he h"per*ump hadsent them spinnin! almost fifteen li!ht "ears a$a" from their course to$ards :arth $ith the shoc#$ave acceleratin!them blo$in! them out of the conduit) it $as imperative the" return to :arth $ith this ne$ information,

Colonel .+m not receivin! an" #ind of si!nal from the S-C beacons) or from the Prometheus,3

Are "ou sure,3

Confirmed Sir) the comm, S"stems are in $or#in! order but .+m !ettin! nothin! on S-C) USAF or o#+rafrequencies, here+s nothin! out there,3

Could this ne$ race have !ot to :arth63

Un#no$n sir but considerin! that $e destro"ed that ship relativel" quic#l") the Prometheus) the 0aedalus and the&>?+s $ould have put up a hell of a fi!ht . don+t #no$ thou!h) $e $ould at least be !ettin! a si!nal from an off$orldbase but there+s nothin! except some #ind of increased tach"on emissions f rom the Sol S"stem and a fe$ smallers"stem in the area the same as the transmissions $e !ot from that 4inbari ship,3

r" contactin! %olfhound station,3

.+ve tried them sir) %olfhound) S-C) Norad) Beta Site) hell . tried ever" 4inin! site and even the Blasted N.0 .+vereceived nothin! sir,3

:n!ineerin! Brid!e $e need that ="perdrive as soon as possible,3

%e+re tr"in! captain if $e cut some of the corners $e can !et it fixed in t$ent" ei!ht to thirt" hours,3



0o .t) Brid!e out, =elm !o to maximum Subli!ht !et us closer to the Sol S"stem, All hands this is the captain) all offdut" personnel are to assist $ith repairs) $eapons stations ta#e inventor" and reload all tubes and C.%S s"stems,Brid!e out,3

Course to :arth 9aid in sir,3

:n!a!e,3

he 4assive Subli!ht en!ines of the Achilles po$ered up and too# the small starship to her top speed $ithin minutesbefore shuttin! do$n and allo$in! the ship to coast at her maximum supported speed) to #eep the en!ines on $ouldincrease the ship+s speed incrementall" leadin! to time dilation and dama!e to the ships supportin! members, .t $asa lon! $a" to :arth $ith the dama!e the" had and $ithout help the" could be in for a rou!h ordeal,

he 0a"s cra$led past for the cre$ of the heavil" dama!ed Achilles) the armament of the starship $as full" reloadedand man" of the hull sections dama!ed $ere sealed up $ith sheets removed from stora!e or from internal $allsections) the dama!e to the ship $as minor but needed a full dr"doc# sta" to refit, he ship+s armour had held $ella!ainst the -oa+uld ship+s $eapons and the shields had been a shoc# to all sides of the t$o conflicts the Achilles hadbeen involved in) ta#in! dama!e that $ould have crippled most #no$n ships and shru!!ed them off2 onl" the closeb" Nuclear explosions had been responsible for the cripplin! of the fore ventral shields the rest of the ship+s defences$ere at optimal effect $ith all but the dama!ed shield !enerators and the sli!ht armour dama!e on the port side, hedama!ed and depleted shields had almost burnt out $ith the attac#s from the 4inbari $eapons $hen alread"dama!ed from excessive $eapons fire and close proximit" explosions, he depletion of the shield+s ener!" and

subsequent shit off $as the onl" thin! that had saved them from the completed electrical disruption that haddestro"ed the for$ard shields) even $ith the dama!e to several sections of the ship and the shields the ship $as asread" as it could be for combat the overlappin! shields of the Fore dorsal and aft shields covin! most oft he hole leftb" the loss of the fore shields but parts $ere still exposed to enem" fire) some internal bracin! had been reinforcedaround the dama!ed sections but nothin! could be done until the" hit earth orbit,

B" the end of the second da" the en!ines had pushed them out into the space bet$een s"stems but onl" aninfinitesimal distance $hen compared to the distance the" needed to cover to $arn :arth about a ne$ threat if it$asn+t alread" too late, he Alpha shift Brid!e cre$ $ere uncharacteristicall" quiet durin! the" shift2 the #no$led!ethat this ne$ and ver" hostile race could have alread" been to earth and destro"ed their people $as $ei!hin! heavil"on the minds of all personnel on board, =o$ever the mood $as soon to dissipate as a hum started to vibratethrou!hout the ship risin! in frequenc" before levellin! off and droppin! belo$ human hearin!,

Brid!e his .s en!ineerin! ="perspace !enerator is nline she+s read" for a test *ump,3

%ell done 9t,, =elm loc# in course for earth maximum velocit",3

A"e Sir,3

For the first time in da"s hope spran! up in the minds of the Cre$ of the :arth ship if the" could help to save their$orld then the" $ould if the" had to !o do$n the" $ould !o do$n fi!htin!) the damn -oa+uld hadn+t made them Bo$and the" $ould be damned if some Boneheaded asshole of a race $ould ma#e them, %ith a flash of l i!ht the="perspace $indo$ activated and the Achilles moved into li!ht speed closin! the $indo$ as she did,

Seconds later a $ormhole2li#e vortex opened up *ust outside the boundaries of the s"stem and three ships identicalto the destro"ed alien vessel appeared from the end and fle$ directl" into the s"stem itself searchin! for their sistership) their scans found the $rec#a!e of the destro"ed %arcruiser as $ell as that of the human ships destro"ed incombat2 the scans $ere clear that a massive nuclear explosion had crippled then destro"ed their sister ship2 and theonl" race to use them at all in this area of space $ere the earthlin!s,

he three Blue An!elfish shaped starships departed soon after retrievin! the debris that remained of their brethren2the humans $ould not !o unpunished for this travest"2 the ship that did this $ould pa" heavil" for their impudencea!ainst the $arrior caste of the 4inbari,

0S E

9ater that da",

he six 0eep Space ende@vous points had been created b" the :arth All iance militar" command at :arthdome ver"earl" into the 4inbari $ar) it $as #no$n b" that point that althou!h the 4inbari didn+t #no$ much about the :arthhumans and their space that could chan!e dramaticall"2 for this the beacons for six 0S points $ere put to!ether forremnants of dama!ed or destro"ed tas# forces to re!roup if necessar", oda" the beacon at 0S E $as home to a!roup of both crippled and dama!ed ships2 not one of the ships $as intact,

he :AS ="perion led a tattered !roup of survivors from three tas# forces to the rende@vous point $here a fe$ otherships stood !uardin! and $aitin!) three Nova 0readnau!hts) Six ="perion and 4id$inter refit cruisers) four l"mpus



Corvettes and a sin!le Artemis class Carrier trundled at the pace of their slo$est ship2 the" $ere met b" as# force-alapa!os of Five 0readnau!hts and t$elve attendant ships includin! a pair of Cotton class enders brou!ht in forthis exact reason,

he Small base in the area $as nothin! more than a lar!e sphere $ith minimal $eapons s"stems2 allo$in! the baseto !o unnoticed in most scans) as the ships came in the Cotton class+ mobile space doc#) extended the massiveconstruction frames from their hulls brin!in! the ship+s len!th to near 1)>> meters) bi! enou!h for the repair and

maintenance of even the lar!est ships of the incomin! fleet, $o ="perion cruisers and the Artemis too# up positionsinside the Pseudo 0r"2doc# facilit" of one doc#in! side b" side) the second of the tenders too# a Nova and a="perion into their Construction arms a!ain side b" side allo$in! a third of all the ships to be refitted enou!h to ma#eit bac# to one of the massive fleet doc#s in the :arth Alliance,

0S E $as one of the fe$ safe ports that existed for :arth Alliance ships in the section of the !alax"2 hundreds ofships had been $iped out in the first "ear of the $ar and slo$l" but surel" the 4inbari $ere pushin! their $a" into:arth space2 not even the massive and experience forth fleet2 captained b" cre$ed b" veterans of the 0il!ar conflictand the best of the :arth forces could stand in the $a" of the 4inbari %ar machine, he ne$s that not one of theForth Fleets ships had escaped the attac# on one of the border s"stem had devastated fleet morale leadin! to theloss of even more fleet $arships, Fe$ outside of the ship+s Commandin! officers #ne$ the locations of the 0Sstations and $ere ri!htfull" $orried as a sin!le starship dropped out of in the middle of the s"stem barel" onehundred thousand #ilometres from the assembled fleet,

Brid!e of the :AS Nautilus

Nova Class 0readnau!ht

he Nova class dreadnau!ht $as the 0e facto fla!ship of the fra!mented fleet at 0S E b" default of the ship bein!the onl" reasonabl" intact and cre$ed starship in the fleet) the other dreadnau!hts and cruisers had shifted cre$ tothe dama!ed ship to ma#e up the shortfall in lost cre$men from the latest battles) li#e all :A starships the Nautilusdid not have !ravit" force to #eep it+s cre$ in their seats and li#e the older ="perion Class ships the cre$ $erestrapped do$n to hold them in their seats,

Sir $e+re !ettin! some #ind of ener!" readin!,3

.dentif",3

Un#no$n sir it+s not in an" of our records) it+s po$erful $hatever it is,3

4inbari63

. don+t #no$ sir) .t+s possible,3

Sir somethin!+s appeared ?EG mar# &E) the ener!" build up+s !one she must have been responsible,3

ed alert) all hands -eneral Huarters, 4ac#en@ie to all ships Battle stations,3

%ith the call to arms the available ships out of the thirt" in orbit of 0S E $ent on full alert read"in! $eapons anddefences on all of their ships) the starfuries on the base and from the launch ba"s of the defence ships launched inpac#s to head off an" attac#s from enem" fi!hters2 for all the !ood the" $ould do, %ith over a "ear of battle and theloss of man" !ood ships and cre$s the cre$s of the :arth Alliance $arships $ere under no misconceptions that an"

of them $ould come a$a" from this alive especiall" a!ainst one of those damn massive %arships,

he squadrons of starfuries opened up their formations as not to allo$ an" possible attac#ers to hit too man" of themat once) their a!ilit" and speed ma" be impressive but $as of little use a!ainst the Nial class fi!hters of the 4inbarifederation ho$ever as the both the fi!hters and the capital ships moved closer to the ne$ arrival it $as obvious thatthe ne$ ship $asn+t 4inbari) hell it loo#ed almost li#e one of theirs,

Captain scans cannot penetrate ne$ ship+s :C4 fields,3

=ave $e !ot an"thin!63

5es Sir one of the Star Fur" pilots has !ot visual on the ship+s outer hullI %hat the fuc#663

0ammit out $ith it man,3

Sir it+s .0 is in :n!lish Sa"s BC &>&) USAF ) USS Achilles,3



hat+s impossible,3

hat+s $hat it sa"s Sir) a Battlecruiser United States Air force,3

he US Air force had nothin! li#e this before the" $ere incorporated into :arthforce,3

No sir) She+s also too small to be a Battlecruiser she+s barel" the Si@e of an restes Patrol Ship,3

Can "ou !ive me an"thin!6,3

A basic si@e and po$er output that+s it sir,3

=ail them,3 =e turned to his Comms officer, All lan!ua!es) .nterlac) =ell send in morse code but . $ant to tal# tothem,3

A"e sir,3

he lumberin! ships of the :arth alliance fleet slo$ed as the" approached the dama!ed $arship that had intrudedupon the s"stem2 an order to t$o of the Cruisers and a fli!ht of 7furies had had them ma#e a approach either side)$eapons hot and if possible usin! a visual loc#, :ven as the ships !ot closer there seemed to be no hostile response

from the stran!e ship no scans) no $eapons fire nothin!,

Brid!e of the Achilles

Colonel the $arships are approachin!) $e+re readin! almost thirt" ships in the approachin! fleet2 some arelaunchin! fi!hters) $e+re receivin! a hail,3

An"thin! on scans,3

3Several of the ships are of the same confi!uration as the ship $e sa$ destro"ed b" the 4inbari cruiser she+s heavil"armed $ith some #ind of Plasma $eapon) a !roup of smaller ships ma"be some #ind of escort are also approachin!)the fi!hters are one man ships not much a!ainst our defences sir, .+m readin! =uman life si!ns on all the ships in2s"stem,3

. !uessed that b" the desi!n2 onl" humans could build somethin! that butt2u!l" and !et a$a" $ith it) this must be the!roup the 4inbari mistoo# us for, Pla" the hail,3

his is the :arth All iance Starship Nautilus to unidentified $arshipD "ou are trespassin! on :arth Alliance Claimederritor") po$er do$n "our $eapons and prepare to be boarded,3

he collective shoc# of the Brid!e cre$ of the Achilles $as palpable) the fact that there $ere advanced humans outhere $as not unprecedented after all the" had met other races that $ere much more advanced than the au+ri forces)no the shoc# $as the fact the" had .dentified themselves as bein! allied to earth to be!in $ith2 unless some race hadcome to earth and ta#en them under their $in! protectin! them not ever"thin! $as as it seemed,

:arth Alliance63 As#ed the =elmsman

hat+s $hat the" said 9t,3 replied the ,

Comms open hailin! frequencies,3

A"e Sir,3

his is the United States Air Force Achilles) Colonel <oanna a"lor Commandin!) to :arth Alliance ;essel Nautilus2$e seem to be at a bit of an impasse here,3

Achilles this is Nautilus) explain "our presence in Alliance space,3

%e+re !oin! home Nautilus,3

.dentif" "our =ome Port,3

hat is classified information Captain,3



%ell 4" Pulse cannons sa" "ou can tell me,3

And m" shields sa" . don+t,3

he :arth alliance ships listenin! stopped their movements and man" cre$ started listenin! in closel"2 the ship is notonl" small and capable of bloc#in! their scans and possibl" doin! more than that2 no$ the" claim to be shielded andb" the loo#s of those ener!" readin! have a form of *ump drive as $ell, %ho $ere these people and $here did the"

!et this technolo!" from6

No :arth Ship has Shield technolo!" the Abbai refused to sell or trade for it2 "our l"in!) heave to and prepare forboardin!,3

Captain 5ou tr" to ta#e this ship b" force and . $ill open fire on "our ships2 ma#e no mista#e . can $ill use deadl"force if . have to) no$ .+m as#in! "ou Captain to Captain please leave us be and let us return to :arth2 the S-C $illexplain $ho $e are $hen

$e !et bac#,3

. don+t ta#e #indl" to threats Colonel,3

Neither do . Captain that+s $h" . don+t ma#e them,3

4ac#en@ie to all ships) 9oc# all $eapons,3

Captain,3 =is xo piped up) he ship has made no overt hostile Actions a!ainst our ships) $e don+t reall" #no$ $hothe" are,3

the" come into our space and proceed to flaunt their technolo!" $hile attemptin! to circumvent us to !et toearth2 that ma#es them enemies in m" boo#,3

Sir 5ou threatened them) the" are human) the" spea# :n!lish hell i f it+s true then the" are American and Americansoldiers at that, 0on+t do this captain,3

:ither stand $ith me or !et off 4" brid!e,3

CaptainI3

Securit" !et this traitor off m" Brid!e) %eapons fire at $ill,3

he Achilles $as alread" movin! b" the time the order had been sent out b" the Commander of the fleet) ho$ever nofire came from an" of the ships around her2 a fe$ stra" shots came from the Starfuries spoo#ed b" the Achilles+ rapidpace of acceleration2 much faster than an" other Capital Ship) 9ea!ue) :arth) 4inbari or other$ise, he USAF%arship !round to a halt several hundred thousand 8ilometres from the Assembled fleet2 $hile man" scans $ere stillbein! thro$n at them from the ships surroundin! the area not one of them $ere attemptin! to paint a tar!et,

Uhhh Nautilus to Achilles Come in,3

his is Achilles) receivin!2 $hat happened here63

Captain 4ac#en@ie verstepped his Bounds 4a+am he attempted to fire on "our ship a!ainst articles of $ar andestablished first contact situations, %eapons across the fleet are po$erin! do$n2 $e apolo!i@e for $hat happened,he captain and o have been ta#en to sic#ba" for in*uries,3

han# "ouI3

-aribaldi 4a+am S!t 4ichael -aribaldi) Commander of the 4arine 0etachment of the Nautilus,



Chapter &

0SE Command Base

Same 0a"

he ships of the :A intercept fleet returned to the Command station in the 0SE S"stem2 the Achilles $as escortedb" the Smaller l"mpus class Corvettes as to not be too over$helmed b" the lar!er Cruisers and dreadnau!ht,=o$ever) even these smaller capital combat ships almost d$arfed the tin" un#no$n spacecraft, he ne$ ship $asan un#no$n factor to :arthforce and the cre$s refused to let their first !lace at the Achilles colour their perspectives,

7That’s what had gotten the Alliance in the shit with the Minbari in the first place’, thou!ht Commander AlexanderSmith) the o of the Nautilus,

0elta Sierra Four this is Nautilus) $e are incomin! $ith ne$ contact, Please note contact is non hostile and $e arebrin!in! the ship in for dama!e repair over,3

Nautilus this is 0elta Sierra four) $hat the hell is it6 he lon! ran!e scans didn+t sho$ an" #ind of *ump point63

hat+s a little harder to explain Sierra Four) the" are comin! in under a fla! of truce and $ith $eapons offline, hand the Captain has ta#en a nast" spill he+s a little $ellI .ndisposed,3

he o held his side $here the PP- blast had made a near miss, =e $as onl" burned but it still hurt li#e a bastard, As soon as that shot had been fired) the securit" force on the brid!e) as al$a"s strapped into their chairs *ust off theside of the brid!e) had po$ered their rifles and floated into the command section forcin! the captain to drop his$eapon, he Captain had fired on this :xec as the *unior officer attempted to stop the :arthforce ships from openin!fire a!ainst all tenets of first contact) more so as this $as a ship that hadn+t made an" overtl" hostile moves,

he captain hadn+t surrendered and three lo$ po$ered blasts) emitted from each of the !uards $eapons follo$ed b"another one from the ) slammed into the captain as he tried to blo$ the o+s head off, he impact forced the maninto his seat and out of consciousness, he then ordered all ships to stand do$n and promptl" passed out fromthe pain of his $ound, .t ma" have been !lancin! but it had affected his bod" and no$ had pain shootin! do$n hisentire left side, he Senior NC of the brid!e !uards had contacted the ship that $as comin! about to attac# andtal#ed them do$n,

=e $ould have to put -aribaldi in for a medal soon for his adherence to the rules of combat) that man $as a !oodsoldier, =e follo$ed orders) and not blindl" either) but that he #ne$ to be sane and reasonable unli#e that $hich4ac#en@ie had ordered,

No$ the entire force $ere returnin! to the 0S point, Spread $ell out in an encompassin! !lobe) none of them couldstop the ship even if the" $anted, But it did ma#e the cre$s feel safer and it also stopped an"one else seein!precisel" $hat $as !oin! on until such time as the" needed to #no$, he cre$ of the ne$ 7:arth+ ship $as not tooconcerned #no$in! that the" $anted to #no$ $hat $as !oin! on as much as an" of the Alliance ships did, All shipson both sides had $eapons offline and on the Achilles+ side shields do$n, =o$ever both lots of ships had :C4 activein order to stop either side scannin! an"thin! the" shouldn+t

Understood Nautilus) Admiral "an requests the commanders of the tas# force con!re!ate immediatel" once allships are in orbit,3

Sierra Four plans ma" have to chan!e once $e enter orbit) information on the anomal" is not to be sent undernormal channels) shuttles from the Nautilus) the Nemesis and another ship $ill be incomin!, Please clear a doc#in!area for use,3

Nautilus this is "an) %hat is !oin! on63

As . said sir) it+s best not to tal# on an open channel,3

%e+re in the middle of no$here surrounded b" other :arthforce vessels and a heavil" armed space station,3

Be that as it is sir) . made the call and am stic#in! $ith i t, . hope "ou understand sir but . cannot explain further,3

his better be !ood Smith, 0SE out,3



hat $ent $ell,3 Smith turned in his chair to the ships tactical officer =ammond Burns, 5ou+ve disabled "ourcommand and told an Admiral to mind his business, %hat+s "our encore !oin! to be) shootin! the president63

Burns) "ou ever had to !o out and manuall" reali!n ever" for$ard $eapons turret63

No,3

hen shut up,3

%h"6 h . seeI3

here $e !o,3

Alexander Smith turned bac# around in his chair and $ent about his business in loo#in! after the ship) he technicall"should have done this from the Captain+s chair but the blasts from three lo$ po$er PP-s had fra"ed the restraints sohe no lon!er trusted them in case of attac# and the" $ere "et to be replaced b" the technicians) once the" haddoc#ed he ma" be able to do somethin! about it but for no$ it $ould have to $ait,

=e $atched as the t$elve ships of the tas# force too# places doc#in! to the station or in orbit of the station and thecotton class tenders, $o of the ships that had been attached to the intercept fleet had not been read" for action and

$ere no$ bein! to$ed into place close to the tenders to be doc#ed once space for them $as cleared, =is o$n ship$as more or less intact since it had been repaired a fe$ da"s before it $as added to the defence fleet, As the lastship comin! in he could see the entiret" of this station+s command and the fleet surroundin! it, .f the $ar had been!oin! an" other $a" the si!ht of over thirt" combat ships in a sin!le area $ould have put the fear of the be"ond into$hatever race the" $ere fi!htin!) but not the 4inbari, he thirt" ships and the station $ould be little more than tar!etpractice for the massive alien $arships,

Commander) $e+re in par#in! orbit, =an!er dec# sa"s that the shuttle is read" for departure,3

han# "ou 9t,) . leave the ship in "our capable hands,3

A"e sir,3

he *ourne" to the han!er ba" $as difficult for an"one travellin! from one part of the ship to another in Jero !ravit"

and $ith an in*ur" it $as t$ice as difficult) even so his departure from the ship $as more or less on schedule, =emade his fli!ht to the slo$l" rotatin! Space station read" to meet the captain of this ne$ ship face to face as i t $ere

he .mplications $ere .mmense) $hoever these ne$comers $ere their technolo!" $as much more in advance thanan"thin! seen so farD undetectable *umppoints) ener!" shields and advanced :C4 on a par or more li#el" abovean"thin! that :arthforce hasK $ith an"thin! so far seen b" :arthforce,, %hat+s more the ship $as covered inmar#in!s that $ere close to t$o hundred "ears out of date compared to :arthforce ships,

7=o$ is this Possible6+ the Commander thou!h to himself, ‘A two hundred year old ship? Some race that piced upour transmissions lie the !eague did, "ell maybe they can tell us who Shot #$%%’

his is Nautilus Shuttle one to 0S control) $e are on final approach,3

%e read 5ou Shuttle one be advised Nemesis Shuttle ne is alread" aboard and $e have ne$comer shuttlecraft on

approach,3

Understood request doc#in! instructions,3

Proceed to doc#in! ba" t$elve and $ait inside the shuttle until ne$comer shuttle has landed,3

9anded63

hat+s $hat $e+ve been told Nautilus ne,3

Understood 0S controlD Shuttle one on approach,3

he doc#in! procedure $as a smooth and borin! as an" other) ho$ever Smith+s mind $as still $hirlin! at the

possibilities of this ne$ ship and it+s tech) if the" trul" $ere human and $illin! to help the $ar could chan!e practicall"overni!ht, Starin! out the $indo$ he $as ver" much lost in his thou!hts that $as) until a small spar# of li!ht outsidethe vie$port cau!ht his attention, apidl" the un#no$n vessel approached the shuttle ba"s comin! in close to the



t$o par#ed shuttles from the :A ships that had alread" approached and doc#ed) to their e"es it loo#ed much li#e aone hundred and fift" "ear old fi!hter desi!n) the t"pes used b" the 7%estern Allies+ of :arth, 9i#e the lar!er shipthere $as little doubt that it $as built b" someone approachin! starship desi!n the same $a"s humans did) effective)bul#" and heavil" armed,

he fi!hter s$un! round brin!in! itself into a shallo$ landin!, Unli#e the Starfuries of the :arth alliance this fi!htermust have been more than capable of atmospheric landin!s and short ta#e off and landin!s from dec# landin! ba"s)

the fi!hter dropped to the dec# smoothl" bein! brou!ht do$n b" the station+s half !ee artificial !ravit", %ith all theassorted craft landed the ba"+s massive pressure doors slammed shut allo$in! the small ba" to be completel"pressurised, %ith the entire ba" finall" habitable) the cre$s of all three shuttles disembar#ed) the cre$s of the :Ashuttles ran around their bul#" vessels to loo# at the slee# and a!ile fi!hter and $ere onl" sl i!htl" surprised to seethe t$o do@en armed -roPos pointin! their PP- rifles at the fi!hter) $ith several of them pointin! their $eaponsdirectl" at the t$o bein!s that had removed themselves from the coc#pit of the fi!hter,

.f no one believed that these people $ere human or at least somethin! close to a humanoid appearance then the"$ere ver" $ron!) the t$o of them $ere dressed in $hat could onl" be described at ?>th centur" fi!hter pilot uniforms)!reen/!re" *umpsuits) ox"!en mas#s and cranial enclosin! crash helmets, he :A officers $ere not so far advancedthat the" couldn+t reco!nise copies of uniforms less than t$o hundred "ears old,

Uhh) $e come in peace,3 Said the taller heavil" built man, a#e me to "our leader,3

A sli!ht snic#er came from the other officers) ta#in! off her helmet she approached the person $ho seemed to be the

hi!hest ran#in! officer) that man bein! Commander Smith, =er movement $as slo$ and eas" #no$in! full $ell thatshe $as currentl" under the barrels of a do@en nast" loo#in! ener!" $eapons,

8no$in! the $a" the" $ould be received the" had left their standard issue Beretta sidearms in the &>?, %hen the"came across those $eapons the :A scientists $ould be surprised) even more so $hen the" find out much of thefi!hter $as based on ver" earl" ?1st centur" technolo!")

=ello63 Smith said,

he midsi@ed $oman proceeded to pull her helmet and mas# off and shoo# her hair loose) her lon! red hair $asplatted up but allo$ed to s$in! loose in it+s braids once the" had landed,

-ood Afternoon, As m" pilot here said) $e do come in peace, .+m Colonel <oanna a"lor) United States Air Force)Commandin! officer of the USAF Achilles,3

Commander Alexander Smith) emporar" Commandin! officer :arth Alliance Starship Nautilus, o sa" $e+resurprised to see "ou is an understatement,3

.t+s the same for us Commander) %hen $e left there $as no :arth Alliance an $e sure as hell didn+t have nearl" asman" ships as $e evidentl" have here,3

. cannot divul!e much Colonel so please follo$ me $e need to ta#e "ou to the Station+s infirmar" and then $e+ll tal#,3

# $e+ll !o $ith that Commander) . have a lot of questions especiall" $h" $e $ere attac#ed b" some hu!e An!elfish,3

Smith started at that and s$un! round to face the Air Force Colonel) his e"es $ide and mouth openin! closin!,

An!elfish63

a"lor loo#ed at the rapidl" palin! :xec) 5es some #ind of 8ilometre lon! starship shaped li#e a fish of all thin!sattac#ed m" ship,3

And "ou survived63

5es too# some dama!e but if $e hadn+t have alread" lost our shields in an earlier battle the" $ouldn+t have donemuch to us) the 4inbari . thin# the" called themselves attac#ed us and $e responded $ith force, %e tried to !et themto surrender but $e had to destro" their ship in the end, 0amned Fools,3

5ou,, 5ou ble$ their ship out of the s#"63

5es $e $ere luc#") an" more than t$o and $e $ould have had trouble,3 he :arthforce Commander loo#ed as if hecould do $ith a stiff drin# and a sit do$n and no necessaril" in that order,



Colonel a"lor it loo#s li#e $e have a lot to tal# about) lets put it this $a" Colonel "our cre$ ma" be the onl" peoplecapable of helpin! the :arth and it+s people before the" are blo$n out of space,3



Chapter E7o$) o$) o$ 5our Boat,+

Star!ate Command

NA0?Ehrs since the loss of Achilles

An" ne$s Ser!eant63

-eneral +Neill stood to$erin! Above S!t 0avis as the smaller man brou!ht up the latest SAC4 information fromupstairs, And from their off $orld facilities) a quic# loo# sho$ed the men that no report had come in from the USAF

Achilles in the last fe$ hours,

No Sir) No response) the Achilles is no$ sixteen hours overdue for radio contact,3

-et me the 0aedalus and contact the o#+ra see if $e can !et an"thin! out to their last coordinates,3

A"e) Sir,3

9oo#s li#e it+s time for the ed phone a!ain) no$ . #no$ $h" =ammond used the thin! so damned often,3

A"e) Sir,3 0avis responded,

=e+s not happ")3 said S!t Siler from the other side of the room,

No he+s not, =e hates the loss of an"one to the -oa+uld especiall" no$ he+s in command of the S-C,3

Amen to that,3

9ater that da"L0S Command Station

0S E

As far as . can tell the" are full" human in all aspects, .n some of them there are certain abnormalities in their blood)but those could be explained b" viruses that the" had never been vaccinated a!ainst, But ever"thin! else chec#sout)3 the station+s doctor explained to the Commander of the station2 Colonel Anastasia ravma#ov,

%hat+s more is accordin! to some of the recordin!s $e have of the t$o of them) the" have intimate #no$led!e of:arth and of certain ?>th centur" 7Pop culture+, n a $him . as#ed about that 4issin! :pisode the 9ea!ue $ant to#no$ about,3

%hat) that soap episode63

5es and the" !ave us the ans$er as $ell,3

35ou mean the" #no$6 %ell) $ho did it then63

Colonel please this isn+t the time or place)3 the doctor piped up,

ButI3

Colonel) this is a serious securit" concern,3

All ri!ht) all ri!ht) .ll find out later, .s there an"thin! about these t$o that could constitute a threat to :arthForcesecurit" $hile on the station63 she as#ed the 4arine 4a*or beside her,

From $hat . can tell Sir) the" have no idea $hat+s !oin! on or $here the" are, he" are b" all accounts harmless asfar as $e can tell) but a pair of !uards at all times $ould not !o amiss until such time as $e !et their stories

strai!htened out, h and Sir) $e $ere able to access the" fi!hter $e found these on their seats,3



he 4arine handed over a pair of items both $rapped up in $hat seemed to be a belt) un$rappin! them she pulledout one of the metal ob*ects, Sir those are Beretta m#(?s) the"+ve not been manufactured in over t$o hundred"ears, %hat+s more the" are $ell used and completel" intact) meanin! the" are functionin! $eapons,3

:arl" ?1st centur" !uns that still $or# and $ith ammunition) mentions of ?>th centur" culture and a ship that couldn+thave been built b" an"one that $asn+t human or at lest thou!ht li#e a human,3

hat+s about the si@e of it) Sir,3

0octor) can "ou tell me $ithout a doubt that these people are human in ever" $a") that this isn+t some #ind of tric#63

.+ve been thou!h ever" t"pe of test . can thin# ofD even throu!h to a fe$ . created m"self) as far as . can tell thoset$o people in there are human and in prett" !ood shape too,3

han# "ou 0octor, 0ismissed,3 %ith that the 0octor left to return to the .nfirmar",

. don+t #no$ about this An!us,3

he Scottish 4arine merel" shru!!ed, . don+t #no$ $hat to tell "ou Ana, 4a"be $e should listen to them at least letthem have their sa") then if necessar") contact :arthForce Command and have someone come and !et them,3

9oo#s as if $e have a hell of debrief to !o throu!h, 4a*or,3

5es Sir,3

Cell 1Securit" Ba"Same time

he t$o USAF cre$members $ere facin! each other across the table) the Commander of the Achilles had decided tola" her feet on the table $hile leanin! a!ainst the $all, he Colonel $as still decidin! exactl" $hat to tell these 7:arthalliance+ "ahoos) if it $as true and the" $ere from :arth someho$ then an"thin! the" could tell them $ould beuseless,

he" #ne$ that the &>? had been opened up and searchedD the" had left the canop" unloc#ed precisel" so thesepeople could see it, =o$ever the electronics and mechanics $ere in full loc#do$n) meanin! that if an"one attemptedto hac# the s"stems or start her up) then the s"stem $ould !o into a five minute countdo$n to explode, =opefull"!ivin! the Air Force officers enou!h time to !et to them and reset the s"stems2 this $as a simple countdo$n s"stemno$ in use on A99 S-C based ships to prevent theft b" an"one not cleared for them,

5ou #no$ the" $on+t believe us don+t "ou63 he lar!er male pilot said as he la" upon the standard issue cot thatmade up the room+s sin!le bed) spread out and still in his $hite and blac# pilot+s uniform he didn+t loo# much li#e apilot of a starfi!hter but more li#e a contestant on a realit" ; sho$,

About $hat exactl"63 the colonel as#ed her subordinate,

About prett" much an"thin!) Colonel $e+re currentl" sittin! in a massive space station surrounded b" the bi!!estdamned ships .+ve ever seen) those bi! battle$a!ons loo# as bi! as an As!ard cruiser, No$ $e arrive $ith a tiddl"

ship sa"in! $e+re from :arth and $e+ve *ust blo$n up a ship several do@en times our si@e2 tell me "ou $ouldn+t findthat a little hard to believe63

So $hat else do $e sa") $e+re from another planet from a !alax" far) far a$a" that *ust loo#s a lot li#e :arth6 hisisn+t Star re# "ou #no$,3

5ou $atch that dross) oh and "ou !ot the reference $ron! that+s Star %ars,3

nl" ever" so often, %hat6 5ou never $anted to see if an" of these pro!rams even !ot close6 Never mind . #no$Ibut "ou !et the point an"$a",3

3So $hat $e *ust tell them $e+re from :arth hope the" believe us and let us !o home,3

%hen "ou sa" it that $a"I3

hou!ht so, No prime directive here "ou #no$D $ell as far as . can tell an"$a",3



dds are the" alread" #no$ $here $e are from an"$a") our ta!s) uniforms and the Berettas in the fi!hter $ill allpoint to $ho $e are and $here $e+re from, . *ust don+t understand $hat could have happened,,,3

Colonel3 he pilot spo#e up noddin! at the door behind her) turnin! in her seat she sa$ the door open andclammed up,

-ood Afternoon, .+m Colonel Anastasia ravma#ov) :arth Force Commander of 0eep Space ende@vous Point

Four, . apolo!i@e for the inconvenience but "our arrival has turned a lot of thin!s on their head, Colonel a"lor63

he stri#in! redhead stood up her medium si@e ma#in! her about the same hei!ht as the commander of the station,

hat $ould be me) Colonel <oanna a"lor USAF) Captain of the USAF Achilles, 5ou are ussian) Colonel63

. am,3

. apolo!i@e for m" $ariness Colonel but an" information . have is classified and possibl" be"ond "ourunderstandin!,3

n the contrar" colonel) it seems that $e have quite a lot to tal# about startin! $ith "our ships,,,3

. $ould li#e to contact m" ship first) the" mi!ht be !ettin! sli!htl" $orried about m"self and 9t Silverston, %e don+t$ant to start an incident that could be construed as offensive,3

A!reed)3 =ittin! her comlin# she ordered a si!nal to be piped do$n into the securit" room the" $ere sittin! in,%e+ve mana!ed to lin# a full visual and audio si!nal to "our ship) the frequencies $ere difficult to match ho$ever itshould $or#, 5ou can !o ahead,3

he face of the Achilles+ :xecutive fficer popped up on the small screen in the securit" room) his "outhful loo#in!face $as pleased to see his commander loo#in! $ell,

Achilles this is a"lor,3

Colonel $e $ere about to contact the station and as# for "ou) other$ise $ell $e+d tell them to 7!o some$here+,3a"lor #ne$ that the Achilles had been about read" to attac# the surroundin! ships and base if the" had been !iven

a run around fortunatel" the :arthForce officers realised that the ne$comers $ere inoffensive and therefore couldeasil" be !iven Comm, Clearance,

%e+re o#, ) m"self and the 9t $ill be sta"in! a $hile, %e+ll contact "ou $hen $e+re read" to leave the station,%e+re not !oin! an"$here until $e find out $hat+s !oin! on,3

A"e Sir,3 he messa!e had been understood b" the :xecutive fficer) the" #ne$ that at this ran!e the ship+s mainener!" $eapons didn+t need a solid loc# on the beam could *ust s$eep across the station if it had too,

a"lor out,3

Achilles out,3

# Colonel) .t seems $e have much to tal# about)3 the ussian officer spo#e up) this $as loo#in! to be a ver"stran!e debriefin! indeed for the $omen of both United States and :arthForce commands,

4inbari Fla!ship 0rala Fi

he 4assive Shar!otti $arship) the 0rala Fi or 7Blac# star+ in :arther lan!ua!e) floated outside the s"stem that hadheld the battle that had destro"ed one of their %arrior caste brethren+s mi!htiest $arships, Sli!htl" bi!!er than theSharlin class %ar Cruisers that made up the bul# of their offensive po$er) the Shar!otti ships $ere rare andmassivel" expensive to produce in both manpo$er and resources, he" $ere the first in the ne$ classes of $arshipdesi!ned to defend a!ainst the risin! po$ers of the !alax",

No$ ho$ever) the ship and its four escorts $ere searchin! for an enem" ship) a ship that b" all accounts hadannihilated a 4inbari cruiser) attac#in! after the 4inbari vessel had destro"ed man" of the :arther+s ships in thes"stem, he ne$ vessel had destro"ed the Shal+avi and had for all intents and purposes disappeared soon after thebattle leavin! nothin! but a hul# behind,



=o$ could these primitive vessels have so completel" destro"ed one of our most po$erful ships and leave little tono debris behind63

here $as si!nificant debris around the s"stem Al"t Sharonn) some civilian shippin! and some $arships)3 the aidereplied,

But not enou!h to point to the number of ships the :arth needs to destro" a Sharlin Class %arcruiser, nl" a small

number of destro"ed vessels $ere found in the s"stem, he last time an" 4inbari ship $as destro"ed the debris field$as much lar!er consistin! of man" more ships, %ith debris from their ships $as mixed in $ith the debris of our o$nleadin! us to believe that the" $ere rammed, =o$ever the recover" of our ship+s remains did uncover this,3

A displa" popped up above the heads of the $arrior caste 4inbari) a small section of an un#no$n mineral had beenfound b" the %arcruisers that had retrieved the hul# of the Shal+avi,

his piece of debris is obviousl" part of a ship possibl" armor and hull fra!ments, Althou!h the sample is metallic incomposition most of the base materials in it+s construction are un#no$n to either the %arriors or the %or#ers, No$ord has "et come from the reli!ious archives but $e doubt the" have an" idea $hat it is either, %e do #no$ that it isnot from an" of the :arth ships in the s"stem and is not part of the hull of an" #no$n Centauri) Narn or 9ea!ue ship,So far) all attempts at anal"sis have "ielded nothin! b" more questions,3

Satai Coplann of the -re" council approached the meetin! of $arriors) quietl" ac#no$led!in! the %arriors around

him, nl" the best and the bravest of %arriors $ere !ranted commissions on the mi!ht" Shar!otti Class %arship,

So $e have no idea $hat destro"ed the ship,3

he dar# ones63 A voice as#ed f rom the side and behind them,

:ntil+@ah) .t is a!reeable to see "ou a!ain)3 the ship+s Captain responded

As it is $ith "ou Satai) the destruction of the Shal+avi has become a stain on the honor of the 4inbari %arrior caste,.f these are the actions of allies of the 0ar# ones) the an!ers $ill ta#e reven!e on their servants,3

.ndeed) that is .F these dar# ones are in realit" even thin#in! about returnin!, ne thousand "ears have passed oldfriend $ith no mention indeed no si!n of the ancients, .t is m" opinion that the creatures that destro"ed our !reat shipare not servants of the 0ar# ones,3

. disa!ree,3 A sin!le soft voice came from the rear of the room) a small sli!ht fi!ure appeared dressed in a thic# !re"robe denotin! her position,

Satai 0elenn) . $as not a$are "ou had decided to *oin us in our deliberations,3

Satai Coplann) the Council as "ou #no$ is in recess . have chosen to see the front lines for m"self and not throu!hreports b" the $arrior caste, . $as recentl" brou!ht aboard b" one of our ships,3

his is not a place for members of the reli!ious caste 0elenn,3 Coplann admonished the "oun!er $oman,

Nonetheless here is $here . choose to be, 8no$led!e of the destruction of the Shal+avi has become public#no$led!e across the federation, %e #no$ that no po$er bar our o$n can so easil" destro" one of our ships, %e

#no$ that man" of the First nes could also do such dama!e) but $e have not seen an"thin! of them either, .t ispossible that a servant race of the Shado$s have attac#ed our ships and if that is so $e need to find out $ho and$h",3

0elenn the readin!s ta#en of the remnants of the hul# indicate the use of some ver" hi!h "ield atomic basedexplosives, nl" the Narn and the :arthers use these $eapons in an" #ind of quantities) ho$ever the radiationsi!nature has left behind a stran!e readin! of an un#no$n element one that could indicate ho$ the ship $asdestro"ed,,3

No earth ship can !et that close and not be destro"ed, 5our o$n reports indicate that no :arth ships $ere in thearea and no :arther debris $as mixed in $ith the Shal+avi) so $hat did destro" them63

he ancients do not use these t"pes of $eapons nor do an" of their #no$n servants from the last $ar,3 he Anla+sho# commander piped up .t is possible that a ne$ race has appeared some$here and are $or#in! $ith the:arthers or $ith the Shado$s, Anal"sis of the hull fra!ment found $ith the Shal+avi should inform us about this ne$

threat,3



A!reed, For no$ $e should inform all front line ships to be cautious and to inform us about an"thin! that could pointto this abomination) and $ho $as behind this co$ard+s attac#,3

.ndeed2 an" threat ship capable of destro"in! our most po$erful cruisers $ill need to be found and destro"ed beforean" more of our ships are destro"ed b" these un#no$n vermin,3

he fleet $ill be informed before the end of the da") those on the front lines are alread" loo#in! for an" information

about those that caused the destruction of the Shal+avi) =o$ever as of no$ the ma*orit" of our units are concentratin!on findin! the location of the :arther home s"stems and somethin! $e have found recentl" ma" help in that re!ards,3

nce a!ain the main vie$er of the room chan!ed its shape and became that of a !rid based plan of a star s"stem)one that $as obviousl" inhabited b" some race or another,

After the destruction of the :arthForce third fleet t$o da"s a!o) one of our stealth scout ships mana!ed to follo$ thesurvivors of the fleet to $hat seems to be their command base in the omius s"stem,3

he ne$ information had come up in the same area that had come up $hen the information about the un#no$ndebris had been sho$n to the Satai and the $arriors in council inside the control room, he ne$ vie$ $as clearerthan the last) that of a =uman outpost in an other$ise empt" s"stem a fe$ do@en li!ht "ears from their position deepin the occupied areas that had once belon!ed to the :arth Alliance, he tactical vie$ $as that of a spin habitat that$as the basis of all :arther defense stations) small defense satellites and a si@able but ineffectual Fleet of $arships

patrolled ins"stem, .n all) the base and its deni@ens $ere tar!ets and nothin! more) onl" a fe$ ships $ould beneeded to destro" this outpost,

his is the next tar!et for the Blood of 0u#hat tas#force) the loss of one of their ships to a rammin! attac# onestandard $ee# a!o has led to their demand for retribution, his tar!et has been chosen for them,3 Coplann said,

0o $e #no$ much about the base or its defenses63 as#ed the :nti+@ah

.t is #no$n to the local $arship f leets as a 0eep Space ende@vous Base) it is heavil" defended b" use of lar!escale plasma defenses) atomic based minefields) fi!hter squadrons and a full tas# force of $arships) other $arshipsma" be in s"stem that escaped the destruction of fleets and the eradication of those colonies $e had alread" foundand sterili@ed, he five ships of the Blood of 0u#hat ma" be an exa!!eration of po$er but the Council members ofthe %arrior Caste have a!reed to destro" this out of the $a" post to sho$ the :arther+s none of their people areabove our retribution,3

he vie$ chan!ed to a closer scan of the s"stem, he actual ships $ere no$ obviousl" in !uard positions $hileothers $ere out in the outer reaches of the actual s"stem itself) tu!s and repair ships 7tenders+ as the humans callthem $ere all assistin! the lar!e $arships $ith necessar" repairs,

As "ou can see these bases are also repair stations for use b" dama!ed vessels, he loss of these stations and thefleet $ill not onl" hamper their operations) but $ill also mean that repairs for their ships $ill be all but impossible inthe surroundin! sectors forcin! their ships to retreat to other bases, he ships of the tas# force and their fi!hters $illbe more than enou!h,3

0estro" them)3 said 0elenn

As "ou $ish) Satai,3

he advanced tach"on based communications of the 4inbari fla!ship informed their brethren man" li!ht "ears a$a"that the" $ere authori@ed to destro" the base immediatel", But the" $ere ordered to leave at least on ship alive torela" the loss of their defense post to their leader, Ps"cholo!ical $arfare is sometimes a much more efficient tool totheir ends that simple destruction of their ships and colonies *ust doesn+t quite reach into their souls as much as this$ould,

.n the silence of the dar#ness of space the five ships) t$o capital ships and their three escorts) slipped silentl" intothe miasma that is h"perspace and headed to$ards the next of their tar!ets) a 0eep Space ende@vous Point,



0S Four

hree 0a"s post arrival of USAF Achilles

Ne$s of the arrival of the Achilles had spread li#e %ildfire across the base, %hile small the ship $as no$ #no$n to

be an interstellar craft $ith heav" armament and ne$ technolo!ies that $ere un#no$n to the :arth alliance forces,he ship $as dama!edD that much $as obvious but $hat $as surprisin! is that the ener!" si!nature from the$eapons stri#es matched that of 4inbari fusion beams, he ship had obviousl" ta#en on an enem" ship and $on theda", No :arth ship had "et survived a one on one encounter $ith an" of the 4inbari %arships to date, .f this ne$ shiphad survived and dare the" believe destro"ed the 4inbari ship) then $hat else mi!ht it be able to do6

.n the last fe$ da"s most of the li!htl" dama!ed ships had been repaired and no$ onl" a fe$ of the more seriousl"dama!ed ships no$ stood in the lar!er repair ba"s belon!in! to the Cotton Class tenders, =o$ever close to thestation itself the ne$ arrival $as seen to have all #inds of space2suited cre$ and construction pods loo#in! her over,he commander of the Station had !ranted the cre$ a repair ba" on the station itself and possible libert" M$hat the"could !ive of itK, =o$ever half of the cre$ $as currentl" usin! :arthforce suits and pods to chec# over their ship) thedepressuri@ed areas of the ship had been resealed $ith thic# slabs of metal allo"s from the station+s stoc#s to allo$the ship to be full" re2pressuri@ed and full sets of repairs loo#ed over, Alread" dama!ed rela"s and support s"stemshad been repaired across the ship and the last remainin! holes had been plu!!ed, he in*ured $here recuperatin!nicel" than#s to the :arthforce 4edba" on the 0S station,he debriefin! on both sides had lasted $ell into the third da", Basic information about their commands) their

respective levels of technolo!") status of their home $orlds) virtuall" an"thin! that could explain $hat exactl" $as!oin! on and ho$ and $h" the Achilles $as an un#no$n ship in a stran!e time and $orld $ere discussed andtheori@ed, A literal stran!er in a stran!e land as it $ere) the last da" $as no$ about tactical information culminatin! ininformation about both $ars bein! fou!ht b" their respective $orlds,

he -oa+uld $ere an un#no$n to these humans and if this $as in fact their :arth and the surround space $as thesame as their o$n then the -oa+uld should have been at least mentioned even in classified reports) reports that$ould mean little no$ humanit" as a $hole $ere in space, here $as nothin! an"$hereD NA0 had been shutdo$n "ears before and Che"enne 4ountain no lon!er existed, he officers of the Achilles and :arthforce quic#l"reali@ed that the #no$led!e of the -oa+uld $as of no real use, At this time ho$ever) the information about the 4inbari$as more than useful to the people of the Achilles,

he cre$ $as shoc#ed at the fact that one accident could lead to such a massive loss of l ife as the much moreadvanced 4inbari ships ripped apart ever" ship and station that came $ithin ran!e, 4ore than that $as the fact thatcolonies even those $ith no defenses $ere bein! sterili@ed from orbit b" 4inbari ships of the line, :ven those $ith

barel" a fe$ hundred people in a science station $ere fair !ame to the 4inbari,

%ell . can see the problems "ou had $ith first contact, his Captain <an#o$s#i should not have been !iven thatcommand b" an" stretch of the ima!ination, %e+ve onl" been in interstellar space for t$o or three "ears no$ andeven $e $ouldn+t let that #ind of officer have a ship command let alone a fleet command,3

A!reed) but at that time $e believed $e $ere invincible to a ll but a fe$ po$ers) sho$s that humans are a e!otisticalas an"one,3

. assume that some members of :arthforce still believe the" can beat the odds,3

5eah) "ou+ve met one,3

he Captain of the Nautilus,3

5es) but . $ant to be clear, Not all of us are of the 7shoot once) shoot t$ice) shoot some more and once ever"one+sdead tr" as#in! a fe$ questions+ school of tactics,3.+ll tr" to remember that,3 a"lor !rinned at her cohort) soberin! she !ot do$n to business, %hat can "ou tell usabout the 4inbari ships) technolo!" level) $eapons and defenses) an"thin! about them63

he problem is that all our ships are unable to !et full scans and even the fe$ ships that have !otten a$a" haven+tbeen able to !ive us much, Some #ind of stealth field covers the ships ma#in! it all but impossible to even see thethin!s on sensors) even direct visual scans are useless because b" that ran!e all of our ships are shredded, .)adar) scanners) ever"thin! is disrupted b" the 4inbari, %orst of all their o$n scans disrupt our s"stems to theextent that $e+re helpless,3

%e+ve seen that) even our sensors are hard pressed to loc# on, %e also #no$ the" use some #ind of controlledfusion $eapons and cr"stal armor and that+s it) $e need to #no$ more before $e tr" !oin! up a!ainst them a!ain,3

%e believe the" are perhaps one thousand "ears ahead of us in technolo!" and the" are ma#in! !ood use of that!ap,3



Understood,3

Command to Colonel ravma#ov,3

=ittin! her lin# she spo#e into it, -o ahead,3

ransmission from the Achilles) 4a+am,3

Put it throu!h,3 She nodded at the USAF officer before leavin! the securit" office,Colonel,3 the o of the Achilles appeared on the screen of ravma#ov+s office) he Achilles is almost at battlereadiness should $e be needed) the onl" problem is $e have no $a" to replace the missiles alread" used in combat$e have *ust less than a full ma!a@ine, %ith these 4inbari around $e+ll need a restoc# and soon,3

0efenses63

Shields are runnin! at ninet" t$o percent of normal) :C4 is at full po$er the dama!e has been patched andcovered over $ith sheets of itanium,3

-ood, An"thin! else63

No 4a+am, :ver"thin! else is full" functional) the &>? returned last ni!ht and is full" stoc#ed,3

-ood) #eep me apprised ,3

A"e,3

-ood 9uc#) a"lor out,3

Achilles ut,3

%al#in! out to the main section of the securit" offices a"lor approached her opposite,

%ell Colonel) loo#s as if thin!s ma" be chan!in! for us,3 a"lor said,

ed Alert All hands battle stations

r not)3 ravma#ov replied, utside the station the ships of the Alliance Fleet bro#e doc# and pulled into formation)from the ships and the station squadrons of Starfuries sped out from their berths and too# their positions around the:arth Alliance ships, .n the midst of this a small almost insi!nificant $arship launched its o$n mea!er fi!hter !roupinto the void and too# p a position close to the front of the Battle!roup, he USAF $arship sta"ed in the sensorshado$s of the lar!er $arships) $hile full" armed the" $ere not "et read" for combat,

Achilles to Nautilus,3 he Comms officer started the transmission) %e stand b" read" to assist,3

Achilles) Nautilus, . hope "our techs as po$erful as the" sa" or else this $ill be a damn short fi!ht,3

eceived Nautilus) $eapons are hot and defenses to standb",

eceived Achilles) first si!n of trouble hit "our shields and pic# "our tar!ets,o!er hat, Achilles out,

-ood =untin! Nautilus out,

he Comms officer turned to his boss and rela"ed the instructions the" had been !iven,

%eapons officer) unmas# all launchers and read" the main $eapons,

A"e sir $eapons armin! time to intercept six minutes,

Status on shields,

Shields are offline) but read" at sevent" percent $ith full po$er $ith in t$ent" seconds,



Brid!e to :n!ine oom,

:n!ine room A"e,

%hat+s $ron! $ith the shields6

he shieldin! s"stems are still pla"in! up, %e have full po$er no$) but the subs"stems are b"passed to the hilt *ustto !et the shields to full po$er, %eOre still $or#in! on it) if the b"passes don+t hold the"Oll drop to sevent" percent, Notmuch else . can do $ithout a full overhaul of the defensive s"stems,

UnderstoodD do "our best,

Al$a"s do, ut,

Captain the formation is openin! upD $eOre to !o to the head of the formation, Captain $eOve been ordered to !o infull" shielded,

%hat6 B" $hoOs order6

Captain Smith of he Nautilus) he $ants to face the 4inbari do$n $ith a ship that the 4inbari have never seen,

4a"be $e can use this to our advanta!e) ac#no$led!e orders and move up in front of the formation,3

.n the front) Sir63

5es) the front 9t,3

A"e) Sir,3

he small and fast battlecruiser pushed ahead of the lumberin! :arthforce spaceships) $hile not much better loo#in!the Prometheus Class vessel $as faster and much more a!ile than an" of the other ships and their manoeuvre to theposition ahead of the main force *ust enforced that upon both the =umans and the 4inbari) the shoc# of such po$ercomin! from a tin" ship caused the 4inbari 9ine ships to pull up and reduce their attac# speed do$n to a relative

cra$l,

Sensors from all five 4inbari ships $ere no$ activel" scannin! the starship in front of themD unli#e $ith the:arthForce ships ho$ever these beams $ere all but bloc#ed b" the shields and :C4 s"stems $hich $ere no$active) the 4inbari couldn+t scan an"thin! from the ship or a small distance around it,

Blood of 0u#hat

he =olo!raphic Command centre of the 4inbari ship $as full" staffed as the t$o do@en 4inbari currentl" on dut"readied their ship for the no$ almost routine annihilation of :arther ships and their command post, =o$ever for oneof the %arriors aboard the Blood of 0u#hat this $as to be an interestin! da" in so lon! as the" remained in the :arthclaimed s"stem, he 7Blood+ $as the most po$erful of her class in the fleet) the combined s#ill of all three castes hadmade her fast and po$erful second onl" to the 0rala Fi herself,

Al"t $e have pic#ed up an anomal" in the :arther+s battle fleet,3:xplain,3

A small area directl" in front of them is impenetrable to our scans) $e thou!ht $e pic#ed up some #ind of vessel butnothin! $e #no$ of can be that small and have that much po$er,3

Continue scans) if it moves from its course destro" it,3

5es) Al"t,3

he t$o Sharlin $arcruisers continued closer to the battle fleet) the three escorts ta#in! position to the side andabove the t$in Capital Ships) all five of the hi!hl" po$erful $arships increased speed once a!ain bearin! do$n onthe :arth fleet,

Al"t,



%hat is it6

%e have an incomin! transmission comin! in,

.!nore it,

.tOs comin! from the anomal",

eall") ver" $ell let+s find out $hat the m"ster" is, nscreen,

he small area of the holo!raphic chamber faded in and a vie$ of a tall dar# haired man loo#ed directl" at them)$hen he spo#e it $as obviousl" in :n!lish an :arther lan!ua!e that seemed to dominate their $orlds,

his is the United States Air Force ;essel Achilles to incomin! 4inbari ships) $e mean no harm but $e $ill not allo$"ou to $illfull" butcher the men and $omen of this command, %e $ish to parle" $ith "our leaders and come to aceasefire,

Al"t6

he Commander of the tas#force loo#ed at the screen some$hat surprised, 4ost :arthers $ould have fear in their

e"es at the thou!ht of five 4inbari ships comin! do$n at them) but this oneI

his one had nothin! but defiance in his e"es) his ship if that $as $hat the anomal" $as too small to be much of aproblem to the Sharlin %arships or even the smaller inashi %ar Fri!ates, A ship that small couldn+t even ta#e on asquadron of the 4inbari fi!hters) ho$ever $ith their abilit" to confuse even 4inbari scanners) it someho$ could beuseful,

Send t$o of our fi!hter Squadrons and ne of the escorts to investi!ate the anomal") if it+s a ship disable it forstud", All other vessels destro" the :arth ships,3

At once) Al"t,3





Alpha ? ac#no$led!es,3

Alpha &) !ot it,3

All seven of the other squadron members $ere $ell trained and #ne$ their vessels inside and out, he fast and a!ilestarfi!hters came in !uns bla@in!, From six of the &>?s enhanced Side$inders left their rails headin! into the !roupof fi!hters, he 4issiles detonated on contact $ith the s#ins of the fi!hters immolatin! man" of the fi!hters and

leavin! little debris behind) the survivors $ere then pic#ed off b" the !uns of the t$in &>?s that had s$un! aroundand hit from the rear destro"in! both,

he cre$ of the 4inbari escort $ere enra!ed at the almost casual destruction of their escortin! fi!hter squadrons,0rivin! their en!ines to full) the nine hundred metre $arship came in all $eapons bla@in! headin! strai!ht at the

Achilles, Neutron blasts and Fusion cannon fire constantl" ra#ed the shield perimeter $ith enou!h force to rip apartan" #no$n ship several times over, he shields seemed to ta#e the fire $ith barel" a $aver) the ener!" $eapons nottouchin! the thic# armour of the ship it protected,

he si!ht left both a 4inbari and :arth fleets in a state of shoc#,

=it them a!ain) !ive them ever"thin! $eOve !ot, he commander of the 4inbari escort =alOavann screamed at hismen as the ship came under attac# from multiple vectors as a half do@en Naquada missiles and fire from the hi!hl"accurate rail !uns impacted from all sides, he &>?Os pulled a$a" and out of ran!e as anti2fi!hter fire erupted from

the much lar!er $arship the fire) missin! all of the hi!hl" a!ile fi!hters, Fusion cannon fired a!ain and a!ain as the"tried to hit the earth ship as onl" three or four salvos mana!ed to hit M or touch K the fast manoeuvrin! USAF $arship,4ore fire impacted from the fi!hters cripplin! the ship further,

:A Nautilus

hat+s impossible)3 a voice piped up in the silent brid!e of the Nova Class 0readnau!ht,

Commander) did . *ust see that ri!ht63 he ne$l" promoted Captain Smith loo#ed to his :xecutive officer in shoc#)$ho returned the stare,

hatI that ship too# a do@en hits that $ould have carved us up li#e a roast63

Uhh) "eah and the rest,3

Sir) .f . could fi!ure out $hat $e *ust sa$ .+d $in the Nobel Pri@e,3

=o$ the hell did the" do that63

he scanners of the :arthforce ship had recorded $hat could onl" be described as a massacre and for the first timesince the $ar+s be!innin! it $as not the :arth fleet bein! $iped out, he po$er behind the Achilles must be ( Mor hadto beK enormous) more than their limited #no$led!e of the ship+s s"stems implied, he small ship $as *ust coastin!throu!h space allo$in! the enem" to come to them and $ipin! them out and from $hat the" had been told this$asn+t even close to the Achilles+ Alpha stri#e capabilit",

Sir $e+ve !ot scanner loc#s on the inashi)3 exclaimed the Sensor officer

3%hat63

But apparentl" the shoc#s #ept on comin!,

he rest of the 4inbari Capital ships are inbound) their comin! ri!ht in at us,3

Ahh hell, All ships pull bac# $e+ll see $hat the Achilles does,3

%eOve hit themD direct hit on all for$ard sections) their sensor sheath is do$n) came ne$s from the Sensor officer,

Sir the"+re tr"in! to !et off a distress call,3

9et them,3

A"e) Sir,3



%atch for the other 4inbari ships and concentrate fire on enem" $eapons and en!ines) disable do not destro")came the order

A"e sir) rail!uns firin!s) =i2:x missiles bein! loaded,

Fire $hen read",

Five seconds to missile loc#, he $eapons officer said

Blood of 0u#hat,

he t$o Sharlin Class %arcruisers !lided into their $eapons ran!e and started firin! at the =uman $arfleet, %hilethe four ships of the fleet $ere outnumbered almost ei!ht to one) that number meant little as the" #ne$ that the:arther ships couldnOt hit or even see them properl", -rim satisfaction $as on the CommanderOs face as his shipeviscerated another :arthforce dreadnau!ht as the ship tried to close its ran!e, .ts sister ship cripplin! t$o ="perionCruisers $hile the escorts and fi!hters cleared the stars of the pes#" :arther Starfuries,

Al"t) $e are receivin! a distress call from the force sent a!ainst the anomal", Confrmed itOs a vessel and the=alOavann is requestin! help immediatel",

Confirm,

Confirmed, Fi!hter squadrons have been decimated) the =alOavann is crippled) and their drives are do$n,

.mpossible No ship of the #no$n races has that po$er,

A!reed) but this ship is an un#no$n, %e are receivin! an updated distress call from the =alOavann, All fi!hters havebeen destro"ed and the un#no$n ship is movin! on an intercept course $ith the rest of our ships,

Sent both remainin! escorts to assist the =alOavann) do $hat the" have to to destro" that ship, Both $arcruisers areto sta" stationar" until their return but #i ll an"thin! in ran!e,

9oo#s li#e the callOs been ans$ered) the t$o remainin! escorts are comin! in full speed) four more fi!hter squadronsare also inbound) loo#s li#e all their fi!hters) Sir,

Brin! us to an attac# bearin!) disable that dama!ed ship and read" all ship to ship $eapons, a#e them do$n,ail!uns to independent controls) and ta#e out those fi!hters,

A"e) Sir,

he last of the non enhanced missiles left the rear launchers of the Achilles and impacted on the 4inbari shipOs rearhalf disablin! its po$er plant completel") the 4inbari shipOs ener!" profile evaporated and its $eapons ceased firin!,he fri!ate no$ sat dead and driftin! in space, he Achilles turned to face the incomin! 4inbari $arships) her ei!htfi!hters sta"in! closer to the Achilles to assist $ith anti2fi!hter $or# and to ta#e advanta!e of the bi!!er shipOsdefensive fire and :C4 fields,

:nem" ship closin! full intercept courseI loo#s li#e the"Ove decided not to ta#e us alive,

ar!et both ships and densest concentrations of fi!hters) Naquada missiles to proximit" detonation maximum "ield,

ar!ets acquired t$ent" seconds to firin! ran!e,

ail!uns) $eapons dispersal ome!a) #ill an" survivin! f i!hters and if possible tar!et and cripple enem" $eaponss"stems,

A"e) Sir,

en seconds,

ead" all tubes,

ubes read") one throu!h four are armed,



ar!ets in ran!e,

Fire tubes one and t$o,

4issiles a$a",

he t$o heav" Naquada enhanced missiles left the tubes and headed to$ards the incomin! fleet) each at a separatetan!ent) and both $ere aimed strai!ht at the hi!hest concentration of 4inbari si!nals, he t$o heav" missilesheadin! to$ards the inside of the formation $ere intercepted b" the fi!hters $ell ahead of the escorts,

Fi!hter .ntercept in three,,,t$o,,, one,,, he Achilles ac officer called out,3

0etonate,

he t$o po$erful enhanced tactical nu#es detonated in the midst of the 4inbari fi!hters and the tin" reaction $asmultiplied b" one hundred times b" the ra$ naquada ore causin! the explosion to propa!ate out$ards $ithimpressive force, he first $aves of fi!hters attemptin! to destro" the missiles $ere cau!ht b" the nuclear explosion$ipin! them out) other fi!hters close on their heels $ere hit b" the blast $ave and the po$erful and deadl" radiation#illin! their pilots and rippin! the hulls apart, he third and forth $aves $ere able to escape the explosive effects $ithminimal losses) pullin! bac# the" returned to the inashi fri!ates,

For the first time the 4inbari $ere !ettin! their butts handed to them b" a sin!le small) un#no$n but immensel"po$erful ship, he pilots and cre$ of the 4inbari tas# force $ere ri!htl" scared b" the fact that this ne$ arrival hadcut the 4inbari force b" over a third in *ust minutes of contact,

inashi Fri!ate JenOFalliL

Contact the as# force Commander) notif" him that $e are pullin! a$a" from the en!a!ement to re!roup,

5es Al"t,

0ama!e report,

:4 dama!e to all external s"stems) t$o fusion cannons are do$n and :4Ps are out of action,

%hat $as that the" used a!ainst our vessels,

.t $as a primitive atomic $eapon as used b" the lesser races of the !alax",

hat $as no atomic explosion li#e an" . have ever seen,

here $as a secondar" radiation si!nature of some form from the explosion) an un#no$n mineral or compound ma"have been responsible for the increase in explosive "ield,

r" to identif" it or failin! that tr" to find out an"thin! from the scans ta#en) if the =umans !et hold of quantities ofthis material the" ma" become more of a threat,

At once Al"t,

he Al"t of the 4inbari escort ship loo#ed bac# up at the holo!raphic s"stems that comprised his shipOs control roomDthe vie$ $as not heartenin! as he $atched the hole in the scans the un#no$n ship currentl" occupied, %hatever thatship had in the $a" of defences it $as holdin! bac# the scans of their $arships and $hile their sensor shroudseemed to #eep some of the un#no$n vesselOs scans a$a" from them it $as obvious that the" had some tar!etin!abilit") and that $as $hat fri!htened him the most,

he rest of the diorama $as little more than a crippled fri!ate and the little remainin! debris of four completel"destro"ed fi!hter squadrons) the loss of life had been tremendous, All the 4inbari ships had come to a total standstillhopefull" outside of firin! ran!e of the ne$ ship,

Al"t $e are receivin! a transmission f rom the un#no$n ship,

A!ain the =umans $ished to tal#) he mi!ht allo$ this as the time !ained $ould !ive the 4inbari forces a chance tore!roup and come up $ith a better strate!") so for the first time in this $ar a 4inbari Captain $ould tal# $ith a captainof an enem" ship,



Put it throu!h, he Al"t ordered) loo#in! up he loo#ed at the holo!raphic representation of the =uman+scommunication,

his .s 4a*or Paul 0avis of the United States Air Force vessel Achilles,

. am Al"t 0evOann of the 4inbari %arship JenOFalli,

Finall") . am !lad someone decided to tal# face to face $ith us,

%e $ere not sure of $ho or $hat "ou and "our ship $ere) are "ou =uman6

0oes that reall" matter) Al"t6

%e are at $ar $ith the race #no$n as =umanit"D $e have been !iven orders not to stop until the cosmos is rid ofthose $ho murdered the !reatest of us,

%e understand that it $as a mista#e on the part of one Captain of one ship,3

As do $e) ho$ever $e see that =umans are barbaric and must not be allo$ed to expand an" further) therefore $eare to $ipe them from the face of histor",3

So "ou+re $illin! to $ipe out bill ions of innocents for the loss of one man) $hat #ind of people are "ou63

%e are the 4inbari $e have strode the stars for a thousand "ears,

And that ma#es "ou immediatel" correct in all thin!s6

he =umans attac#ed,,,

he =umans made a mista#e the" thou!ht "our people $ere !oin! to fire on them,

Nonetheless) the" #illed out leader,

For that the" face extinction6

5es) barbarians have no place in the stars,

And the fact "ou+re #illin! all these innocents that had nothin! to do $ith the first battle doesnOt ma#e "ou as bad6

%hat ma#es "ou thin#,,,

%hat !ives 5U the ri!ht6

5ou =umans are all ali#eD not $illin! to ta#e blame for "our actions, 5ou are to be removed at all costs,

hen tr" it and "ou+ll see $hat $e can reall" do,

=undreds of =uman ships have tried to stop us and died, 5ou $ill fair no better,

%eOve heard $orse from races much older than "ou 4inbari and $eOve defeated them time and a!ain, 5ourarro!ance $ill lead to "our raceOs do$nfall, he Achilles loo#ed directl" into the e"es of the 4inbari Captain) %eare not from this area of space but $e $ill protect "our brothers and sisters out here in the stars $ith all $e have, :ndtransmission,

Foolish =umans) read" all $eapons,

Al"t the rest of the tas#force is comin! throu!h to bac# us up) =uman ships are stationar",

%hen the rest of the force arrives) $eOll attac# the =uman Ship from all flan#s transmit updated tactical information

and a cop" of that transmission to the fla!ship,



5es) Al"t3

he =umans $ill #no$ their place,3

A!reed) no ship could ta#e all of our ships and survive the encounter,

No #no$n ship can survive an encounter $ith one of our heaviest ships "et this 7human+ $arship seems to *usti!nore our counterfire, .t is unsettlin! at best3

Al"t this ship ma" *ust be an anomal" . doubt it even belon!s to the humans,3

And .f it does63

hen $e destro" it and move on) if the" had more $e $ould have seen them b" no$,3

A!reed and $ith their destruction the =umans $ill be more co$ed than before) even the most po$erful ship the"have $ill fall before us,

USAF AchillesL

. thin# "ou pissed 7em off) Sir,

.+m not surprised, ShipOs status6

%eapons are at full) rail!uns ammo at ninet" seven percent) naq missiles are loaded $ith secondar" salvo of nonenhanced nu#es read", 4ain !un read" for firin!,

Shields6

4inbari fire had dropped them to sevent" four percent) re!eneration is continuin!) en!ineerin! reports somedama!e to the repaired s"stems, Shields $ill top out at sevent" six percent until $e can !et a full doc#,

.t+ll have to do2en!ines6

Subli!ht at maximum) ="perspace -enerator read" for immediate use,

Sir)3 the sensor officer spo#e up) Scans sho$ those bi! fish have bro#en off their advance on the :arthforce shipsand are comin! in fast,

hen lets meet them half$a") $eapons fire tubes one throu!h four, 8ill those escorts and as man" fi!hters as "oucan,

Shootin! solution read", Firin! missiles,

his time four missiles $ere fired in the vicinit" of the 4inbari bac#ed up b" a massive and constant stream of rail!unfire to #eep their heads do$n) last of all the Achilles and fi!hter escort came barrellin! do$n at the 4inbari f rom

behind the massed $eapons fire, Alread" stric#en and scared b" the loss of so man" fi!hters the survivin!squadrons bro#e and ran from the incomin! fire) !ivin! the :arth2built fi!hters a !ood vie$ of their tails as the"crac#ed the ran#s $ith accurate missile and cannon fire, 4ore fi!hters $ere cau!ht b" the blast $ave of aprematurel" detonated missile that crippled one 4inbari shipOs port $eapons, $o more missiles $ere shot do$n b"accurate anti2missile fire from the inashiOs smaller $eapons,

he forth and last missile $as dead on tar!et as it slammed into the !ravitational defence field around the alread"crippled 4inbari ship) detonatin! as it did so2 the explosive force $as immense and all but annihilated the for$ardt$o thirds of the 4inbari escort in the ener!" of a small sun, he :4P of the explosion shorted out the rest of thedama!ed shipOs s"stems sendin! it out of control *ust missin! its patrol partner and the AchillesO fi!hters, ail!un firepoured out of the small shipOs ports ra#in! the second ship $ith hundreds of titanium rounds across itOs flan#,

his close ho$ever the inashi could unload ever" $eapon in itOs disposal at point blan# ran!e) visual tar!etin! $asacquired and fusion cannons ra#ed across the :arth %arshipOs starboard flan# onl" to be absorbed or refracted b"the shields) he neutron $eapons hit microseconds after the fusion cannons had) the ener!" once a!ain bein!

drained a$a" as the less po$erful fusion $eapons fire had, Accurate rail!un fire turned the $eapons point to somuch scrap metal destro"in! the 4inbari vessel+s combat abilit",



Al"t) s"stems are !oin! do$n all over the ship, %eapons are failin!,

:nem" missiles are launchin!,

=e had no choice, Fire the antimatter cannon hit those missiles,

5es) Al"t,,



:A Nautilus,Sir) :nem" ships are turnin! a$a") approachin! the Achil les at flan# speed)3 the xo spo#e up

Fleet status,3

%e+re in a bad $a") three Novas are do$n) six ="perions destro"ed or crippled) and $e+ve lost all but one of thecorvettes,3

Shit,3

Fi!hter casualties at almost sevent" percent,3

Smith closed his e"es at the report, :ven thou!h the" had been fi!htin! and losin! badl" in ever" en!a!ement of the$ar to date he had never been on the fla!ship of one of those fleets, he Nautilus had been the l"nchpin of the 0Spoint+s defensive screen since the $ar+s be!innin!) meanin! the" had never reall" been on the frontlines li#e thoseman" ships that had come and !one from their defence post in the last "ear,

But even $ith the numerous reports he had read over that time) nothin! could have prepared him for the deaths thathad come under his command, housands of the human race+s best and bri!htest had been $iped out in mere

minutes, But unli#e before) these losses had no$ been reciprocated on their side,

Captain) Achilles has missiles inbound to$ards the 4inbari escorts,3 A trio of bri!ht li!hts exploded one bri!hter thanthe others si!nallin! one of the missiles had detonated the $a" it $as supposed to,

eadin! a massive blast) Sir, 4inbari fi!hters and escorts heavil" dama!ed) $e can see both of them,3

hen a forth :xplosion reared up and the sensors sho$ed little left of an"thin! in the area as the 4inbari inashiexploded) it+s en!ines $ent critical, Shoc# rippled throu!h the cre$s of all the remainin! :arthforce ships,

-et me a readin! N%) . $anna #no$ *ust ho$ po$erful that $eapon is,3 Smith Shouted

Sir) inashi fri!ate destro"edD most 4inbari fi!hters are destro"ed, he 4inbari have three operation ships left andlittle fi!hter cover,3

Shit Can $e see the Sharlins63

Ne!ative, %e can see the t$o dama!ed inashis that+s itI$e+re readin! t$o more missiles from the Achilles,3

4inbari response63

None) "et, 4issiles $ill hit in six seconds2 inashi is firin! $eapons, h) 4" !od3

:nsi!n63

Antimatter bolt headin! to$ards the 4issiles,3

ell the Achilles to !et out of there N%,3

USAF AchillesL

4issile on route2 4inbari $eapons and defences are do$n,3

Confirm !uidance loc#,3

Confirmed) the" $ill hit in six seconds,3

Sir) 4inbari ship is firin! $eapon, .t+s some #ind of char!ed particle bolt,3

An" ideaI3

:A sensors records online) the" sho$I it+s an Antimatter pulse) Sir) the"+ve tar!etin! the missiles sir,3



3Fuc#) !et us out of here) an" vector,3

Blood f 0u#atL

Shai Al"t the inashi has fired their antimatter cannon,3

%hat63

he"+ve tried to tar!et the enem" missiles,3

-et us out of here immediatel") if those thin!s impact,,,3

%eapons intercept in six secondsI3

oo close) far too close)3 the first officer said

A sin!le voice $hispered over the sudden silence of the brid!e) :ntil+@a ;eni, .n ;alen+s name,3

hose on the ed!e of the battle tried to escape the oncomin! exchan!e of fire) but for the ships in that area of the

star s"stem this $as too little) far too late,

.t $as theorised that the mutual annihilation of matter and antimatter $ould cause an explosion that fe$ nuclear$eapons could reach) three #ilo!rams of each could reach an explosive potential of sixt" me!atons) somethin! thatonl" a handful of the $orld+s bi!!est nu#es could reach,

his collision of matter and antimatter $as over one hundred times the si@e, the combination of three hundred#ilo!rams of matter from the t$o missiles and three hundred of antimatter from the 4inbari ship lit up the entire area$ith a multiple !i!aton explosive effect, his $ould have left the four remainin! 4inbari ships destro"ed or heavil"dama!ed b" the blast $ave and the explosive ener!" of the mutual annihilation) $hile the stron!er As!ard basedshields and trinium2based armour of the human built ship $ould have been able to ride out the $ave $ith somedama!e,

hat $as not the caseD even $ith the incredible a!ilit" and acceleration of all the ships in combat) the" $ould neverbe able to full" escape from the blast $ave that eventuall" hit them, he $arheads of the USAF $arship+s missiles

$ere enriched b" a substantial amount of Naquada, his rare material $as able to enhance the explosive potential b"close to one hundred times, his material did *ust that as the t$o $eapons) human and 4inbari hit each otherma!nif"in! the stro#e b" one hundred times,

A small fort"2me!aton $arhead that $ould have destro"ed the 4inbari ship $as instead ma!nified into a massiveblast that blinded the sensors of an" ship $ithin the sector and annihilated ever"thin! in its path, Six and a half:ANS of force s$ept in all direction, All four remainin! 4inbari $arships and their $ere cau!ht up in theexplosion both fri!ates and the closest of the cruisers $ere annihilated b" the blast) leavin! nothin! b" sta" atomsbehind, he t$o remainin! ship one 4inbari 4an2o2$ar and one =uman battlecruiser $ere thro$n clear intouncontrolled spins a$a" from the battle,

n board the Achilles the cre$ $ere thro$n about as the shoc#$ave started them tumblin! over and over) shieldsburst and the rear hull $as ripped apart in all areas, An entire section sheared off b" the impact and sent into thedepths of space #illin! over t$o do@en cre$men,

.nside $as $orse) ever" s"stem shorted out and the main !enerators spi#ed) causin! them to shutdo$nautomaticall", 4ore of the cre$ $ere hurt and several more #illed b" the ship+s uncontrolled tumble into space, nl"emer!enc" life support and basic electronics $ere still $or#in!, he ship+s artificial !ravit" had cut out completel"leavin! the !2forces of the spin to $or# a!ainst the cre$ pinnin! them into place,

he 4inbari ship $as even $orse off than the human ship, he internals $ere a mess $ith the cre$ almost all #illedoutri!ht b" the impact, Unli#e all earth2built ships from either time the" $ere not held in b" safet" $ebbin! or evensittin! do$n) but 4inbari cre$men $ere standin! and those sittin! or la"in! $ere not secured,

hat said) onl" a fe$ do@en out of almost six hundred cre$ $ere still alive b" this time) mostl" in the rearcompartments or more heavil" fortified sections in the ver" bo$els of the 4inbari ship, nl" a ver" fe$ s"stems $ereeven in usable order, he reactor containment s"stems and the emer!enc" life support s"stems $ere still onlinebein! fed from emer!enc" po$er, Also unli#e the Achilles) Sharlin+s !ravit" $as still online and $hile it didn+t saveman" of the cre$ the remainin! livin! bein!s aboard $ere shill capable of movement in 4inbar2normal !ravit",

.n ;alen+s name, %hat $as that63 he chief en!ineer called out, here $as no response to his calls, 9oo#in! aroundhe could see little more than debris and the littered bodies of his en!ineerin! cre$) blood" and bro#en limbs, Bodies



and torsos lent a feelin! of an abattoir to the formerl" pristine surroundin!s,he Chief en!ineer made his $a" throu!h the debris of his ship tr"in! to find out $hat #ind of dama!e his ship hadta#en) unable to interface $ith the computer meant that he could not find much of $hat he needed to,

Ship+s Status,3

he en!ineer loo#ed around to see a *unior ran#in! Brid!e officer limpin! to$ards him) the "outh $as in a bad $a"

but did not let his obvious pain sho$ more than he had to) this "oun! $arrior $as to be commended,

%hat happened63

he so called human ship+s missile fire $as intercepted b" an antimatter attac# from one of the escorts) the resultin!explosion destro"ed the rest of the tas# force) the Shai Al"t and the entire command cre$ $ere #illed then theexplosion pierced the hull and crippled the ship,3

=o$ did a human $eapon mana!e to do so much dama!e to the ship63

. don+t #no$) . reall" don+t #no$, =o$ much of the ship is left63

Attemptin! once more to access the ship+s main computer) the en!ineer still had problems brin!in! up an"thin! more

than the basics, he onl" $a" that could have happened is if the main computer core itself $as no lon!er attached tothe ship+s data retrieval s"stems, hat $as all but impossible unlessI3

=o$ close $ere $e to the explosion63

Not close enou!h to be destro"ed) but $e $ere cau!ht b" the blast $ave and some of the thermal dama!e,3

.+m not !ettin! an"thin! from the computer core or an" of the main command bac#2ups,3

=o$+s that possible63

.t shouldn+t be) .+ll tr" to !et tertiar" s"stems in the lo$er hull up, %e have containment and basic life support so itshould still be operational, h b" ;alen+s Name,3

he true problems the" $ere facin! $as no$ more then evident as the" too# in the dama!e and carna!e the$eapons stri#e had cased to their vessel) the shoc# and fear had left them numb) the horror not quite filterin! throu!h

*ust "et,

he computer finall" brou!ht up $hat he needed, .t $as not a prett" si!ht, %hile the ship $as still spinnin! throu!hspace the ship+s !ravit" $as holdin! them in place $hile some$here in the ship someone $as usin! the emer!enc"s"stems in an attempt to use their limited remainin! drive po$er to ri!ht their spin,

=o$ever that $as not the $orst ne$s) the explosion had destro"ed much of the for$ard sections of the ship as $ellas the fins that $ere characteristic of 4inbari desi!ns, hat one explosion had reduced the ship+s mass andcapabilit" to less than one quarter,

%e+ve !ot other survivors on board) but . have no idea $hen or $here $e+ll end up or even if . can !et this shiprunnin! a!ain,3

%e better start then)3 the "oun!er officer said,

:A Nautilus

Captain) sensors are bac# online)3 the ship+s o said,

%hat the hell $as that6 hat as no damned matter/antimatter reaction,3

.t loo#s as if the antimatter explosion $as enhanced b" $hatever $as in the $arheads of the missiles) the explosionmaxed out our sensors and ble$ some of the sensor clusters,3

%hat $as the ener!" count63



he brou!ht up the information !athered b" the ship+s computers as the fi!ht $ent on, he last fe$ seconds ofthe fi!ht bet$een the 4inbari and the Achilles $as brou!ht up and anal"sed, %ithin a fe$ minutes the computers hadmana!ed to !ive and approximate readin! to the :arthforce cre$,

#, that can+t be ri!ht,3

%ell63

Sir the maximum explosive force $e should have reached $as ma"be a fe$ hundred me!atons,3

.+m a$are of that Commander,3 Smith $as !ettin! anno"ed,

Sir) the explosion read at almost Six and a halfI3 he almost cho#ed,

%hat six and a half $hat63

Six and a half teratons Sir,3

Chec# that a!ain Commander,3

A"e Sir,3

Nothin! $e+ve seen includin! the 4inbari could do somethin! li#e this,3

Confirmed sir Six plus teratons of explosive force at point of impact bet$een both $eapons,3

Cop" the information to a removable memor" module and $ipe the ship+s computer) :arthdome need to hear aboutthis,3

USAF AchillesL

FUC8.N- =:993 A voice shouted from behind 4a*or 0avis as the ship $as send hurtlin! into space,

he small $arship $as tossed side b" the shoc#$ave much harder than the much lar!er 4inbari starship) ho$everthe shields and armour of the :arth2built ship $as much stron!er than the thic# cr"stalline armour of the 4inbari, hedama!e to the :arthship ho$ever $as extensive $ith almost a quarter of the remainin! cre$ #i lled b" the explosion,=o$ever much of the ship+s main s"stems $hile offline $ere not seriousl" compromised b" the shoc#$ave, .nsteadof explodin! panels and overloadin! s"stems much as one $ould see on science fiction television pro!rams) theconstruction of the Achilles used circuit brea#ers and lar!e fuses to protect their s"stems,

he ship+s life support and artificial !ravit" reen!a!ed as the Achilles came bac# under control as the humandesi!ned thrusters started automaticall" firin! to brin! themselves under an even #eel,

0ama!e eport,3

0ammit) s"stems are do$n all over the ship) Sir , %e $on+t be able to !et an"thin! until the brea#ers are reset andthe s"stem bac#ups brou!ht online,3

An"thin! $or#in!63

9ife support) short ran!e scans and ail!uns Sir, he" $ere all attached to a secondar" s"stem that came onlineafter the explosion,3

Send a runner do$n to en!ineerin!) $e need internal comms and lon! ran!e scanners as soon as possible,3

A"e, Sir,3

%hat about the fi!hters63

Four of the fi!hters $ere redoc#ed for reamin! Sir) the remainin! t$o $ere fl"in! CAP, he" had no chance) Sir,3

0amn) than# "ou 9t,3



A"e) Sir,3

:n!ineerin! to brid!e,3

hat $as quic#,3 he 9t said, 4usta had the same ideas $e did,3

Brid!e here) -ood to hear from "ou,3

5es) Sir, hou!ht comms mi!ht be a !ood idea for dama!e control,3

%hat+s the dama!e chief63

0on+t #no$ Sir, All the s"stem brea#ers cut in $e+re chec#in! the basic s"stems and brin!in! them up one at a time,3

=o$ lon!63

.+ll !et bac# to "ou on that) Sir,3

-ot it, Brid!e out,3



.nterlude

he disappearance of the Achilles durin! $hat $as basicall" a simple mil# run for the ne$l" commissioned $arshiphad $orried the command staffs of both the USAF Space 0ivision and their compatriots $ith the S-C, Constantattempts at communication $as attempted b" both commands to no avail, :ven no$ an" and all allied ships thatcould be spared participated in the search and rescue operation,

From the fe$ <affa cre$ed allied =a+ta#+s) to the o#ra and <affa car!o ships and last but b" no means the least theprotot"pe ship) the Prometheus herself $as preppin! for departure to find the lost $arship, =er h"percapable fi!hters$ould be of immense use $ith the lon!2ran!e search patterns, he" had t$o $ee#s to find her) then the ships $ouldneed to return to their safe harbours,

n board the Prometheus the ship started to close do$n its airloc#s and read" themselves for departure,

Prometheus to Command, %e are secured and read" for lift off,3

his is Norad Command, 5ou are a !o for lift2off Prometheus, -ood luc# and brin! them home,3

%e+ll tr" Command, Prometheus out,3

.n one of three dr"doc#s in the middle of the Nevada desert t$o lar!e retractin! doors pulled apart lettin! the bri!htsunli!ht filter into the internal structure illuminatin! both the ba" and the $arship standin! inside it,

All Sections) read" for 9ift off,3

B" the numbers)3 Colonel e"nolds said,

=elm -o,3

actical -o,3

3Sensors -o,3

:n!ineerin! -o,3

:;A -o,3

4edical -o,3

Communications -o,3

Command -o,3

he chec#list complete the small ship rose from its ba" into the midda" sun and po$ered its $a" throu!h theatmosphere and out into the depths of space, %ithin a fe$ seconds the ship entered its h"perspace %indo$ loo#in!

for their lost sister ship and read" to #ic# the hell out of an"one that ma" have hurt their brethren,

USAF AchillesL:n!ineerin! 0ec#Four =ours after the Battle of 0SE

he Achilles had finall" mana!ed to stop their tumble into space and halted their movement totall", he ship $as in abad $a" $ith obvious scorch mar#s sho$in! si!ns of a tou!h battle, he most obvious bein! the missin! hullsections of the rear hull) $hich $as blac#ened) and brittle loo#in!, .t seemed fortunate the explosion had not reachedthe massive en!ines in the rear of the ship,

he dec# $as s$armin! $ith en!ineers and dama!e control teams each tr"in! not to fall over each other, hecasualties and in*uries to the cre$ had been extensive $hile the ship+s main s"stems had ta#en a !ood beatin! $henthe" had been hit b" the shoc#$ave, Fortunatel" the bac#$ards2en!ineered s"stems and up!rades b" their friendsthe As!ard had made all the redesi!ned Prometheus class vessels formidable $arships,



he human penchant for redundanc" after redundanc" and a little too much television for some desi!ners) had alsomade her a safe vessel to $or# on as $ell, he cre$+s safet" s"stems $ere as simple as crash $ebbin! andseatbelts on all chairs and bun#s $hile the s"stems $ere triple redundant and $ere proofed a!ainst shoc#s andelectrical explosion than#s to some basic electrical #no$ ho$2 the use of fuses and po$er brea#ers) same as at"pical household or aircraft had,

hese easil" installed s"stems had saved man" cre$ that $ere at their station $hen the shoc#$ave pounded the

ship) the incident $ith 4a*or Carter and an un#no$n alien race had sho$n that these #inds of ideas had merit and therefits had been incorporated into the ori!inal Prometheus and the t$o mainline Battlecruisers the 0aedalus and the Achilles,

Chief,3 Chief Pett" fficer =arris stood up f rom his position under one of the en!ineerin! consoles, =e tried to run"et another pro!ram throu!h the toasted s"stem but came a$a" $ith nothin!,

%hat+s up) hompson63

5ou mi!ht $ant to have a loo# at this,3

%hat is it6 .+m bus",3

.+m not sure) but it loo#s li#e the As!ard beam $eapon+s out of action,3

%hat63 hat should have been impossible as the Beam $eapon $as shielded and armoured better than somesections of the hull) the As!ard $eapon $as the most po$erful ship based $eapon that the" had and $hile it couldonl" be used in some circumstances it $as still a formidable $eapon b" an" stretch of the ima!ination,

r it least it had been up until toda", he en!ineer $as ri!htD a stra" piece of shrapnel had made it+s $a" into theemitters from outside) some of the rinium/Naquada hull material of the Achilles herself) it had sliced into the delicateinternals and #noc#ed the $eapon offline,

0ammit,3 =e $al#ed over to the ship+s intercom, :n!ine room to brid!e,3

Brid!e) came the ;oice of 9t 0aniels the second shift commander,

%here+s the 4a*or63

=e+s in sic#ba", he" needed all the help the" could !et and he made his $a" do$n there, 0o "ou have a reportChief63

5es Sir) most of the do$ned s"stems should be up in the next three hours, %e *ust need to rest the brea#ers andchec# the fuse bloc#s on each dec#, =o$ever the h"perdrive is do$n and $e ma" not be able to repair it) $e+ve losta third of the point defence rail!uns and the port aft missile launchersI3

Shit) an"thin! else,3

5es Sir, he As!ard $eapons #aput) $e+ll need a dr"doc# to even attempt a repair) same !oes for all the external$eapons and the h"perdrive,3

h man) $hat about communications63

hat+s the bri!ht side) lon! ran!e sensors and short ran!e communication $ill be repaired b" the time the brea#ersare cut bac# in,3

%hat about defences63

%e+re still loo#in! those over) the :C4 !enerators seem to be o#a" and the outer armour is intact over most of thehull,3

Shields63

For$ard shields are completel" dead the ori!inal repairs to the emitters and the !enerators $ere completel"

destro"ed in the battle, As for the aft shields) $e+ve !ot dama!e to both the emitters and the !enerators) it+s not asbad as the for$ard equipment, =o$ever $e can onl" !et up to fort" percent) fift" perhaps but no more until $e canre$ire them,3



0ead in the $ater and defences are scre$ed, .+ll inform the 4a*or chief) !ood luc#,3

han#s) :n!ineerin! out,3

Chief63

5es hompson,3 he "oun!er man $as one of the best en!ineers that he had ever served $ith and $ould !o far butri!ht no$ he didn+t $ant to face the man+s -erbil2Faced optimism,

Ne$s from the rearside dama!e teams) $e+ve !ot a dama!ed missile do$n there,3

%hat) ho$ bad63

.t+s not active or tic#in! do$n or an"thin! but it+s fused to the remains of the launcher) the" need someone to chec# ifthe launcher can be repaired and the missile removed or do the cut the launcher out and seal the breach completel",3

ell them to rip it out and seal up) $e+ve not the resources to repair the $eapons s"stems) tell them to salva!e themissile because $e mi!ht be able to use it later,3

A"e) chief,3 he "oun! man $al#ed over to the runner that had made his $a" from the aft of the ship,

%hat the hell else could !o $ron!63 =arris as#ed himself,

here $as an electrical explosion from in f ront of him and as he moved the li!hts $ent do$n all over the ship leavin!onl" the dar# red emer!enc" li!hts of the bac# up life support s"stems,

5ou had to as#,3 =arris smac#ed his head a!ainst a hull support,

:A NautilusL

he Nautilus sat in the midst of its remainin! command) dama!ed and disabled Ships $ere floatin! around her bein!$atched over b" the fe$ remainin! intact ships $hile the enders and repair teams from the station s$armed overthe ships the" ma" be able to repair,

Sensors and si!n of the Achilles63

No) Sir, =alf the sensor clusters sensors are still fried from the :4 sur!e and ener!" spi#e but $e+re on it,3

he" send out an ener!" si!nature bi!!er than an" of our space stations and "ou can+t see that63

No) Sir althou!h $ith that blast the" mi!ht have had to scram their reactors, he"+d be basicall" a lo$ po$ersi!nature if on emer!enc" po$er, %e+ve !ot SA shuttles on approach from 0SE their sensors are online and full"functional so $e ma" be able to find someone out there,3

%hat about our o$n63

Starfuries and fleet shuttles are still scoutin! for survivors from both sides but $e+re not loo#in! at man" survivors,Sir) $e+ve pic#ed up about sixt" cre$men from out ships) nothin! from the 4inbari,3

Understood,3

Sir $e+re !ettin! a communication from :arthdome) it follo$s latest encr"ptions) it+s a broadband si!nal to all units,3

%hat is it63

:vac si!nal2 all personnel and available ships are to leave the s"stem and return to the 4idran!e base at Beta0urani) an" and all ships unable to ma#e transit are to be scuttled and computer s"stems completel" fra!!ed,3

0ammit #a" distribute orders to all the ships in s"stem,3

Sir $hat about the Achilles63



3%e+ll loo# for her until the last of the personnel are aboard the evac ships if $e haven+t found them b" that time then$e have to leave her behind,3

SirI3 he complained onl" to be cut off,

. #no$ o) $e o$e them but $e have thousands of people to :vacuate one ship no matter ho$ po$erful or $ho it+scre$ed b" is more necessar" than the people $e have to !et out,3

A"e) Sir,3

Smith turned to the communications officer) SA shuttles and starfuries are to continue operations, he" havesixteen hours until $e leave use it $isel") dispatch the carriers and the corvette to SA duties as $ell let+s see if $ecan !et the Achilles home,3

A"e) sir,3

0rala FiL

4inbari Fla!ship

hree hours later

he %arrior caste officer approached Caplann, Satai,3

%hat is it63

%e have received a messa!e from the Blood of 0u#hat tas# force, .t $as cut off half $a" throu!h the messa!e,3

%hat6 =o$ is that possible) $hat did it sa"63

.t $as encoded) to "our personal clan code,3

9eave me,3

he Satai of the %arrior Caste stood before a simple computer terminal unlin#ed to the ship+s s"stems, .t $as all butimpossible for an"bod" to access $ithout his authorisation) ta#in! the small cr"stal he accessed the file inside,

Blood of 0u#hatL Blood of 0u#hat as#force) Shai Al"t 4ana+muna Commandin!, emporar" Al"t Con+vann .ncommand, .t is $ith a heav" heart . must disclose that the !lorious mission that the Blood of 0u#hat and escorts $eresent to carr" out $as a failure, As of this transmission all ships of the tas# force have been destro"ed) no survivors onman" of the ships, he 0u#hat itself has been badl" dama!ed $ith fe$ cre$ survivin!, 0ama!e is severe) alls"stems are compromised and life support is on lo$ levels) all emer!enc" s"stems are failin! $eI,4essa!e :nds

.mpossible3 the Satai exclaimed,

=e $as fortunate that he $as in the privac" of his o$n quarters, hat #ind of outburst $ould have been unseeml" toone of his ran# and presti!e in an" other settin!, 9ashin! out he smashed the hilt of his Pi#e into the monitor screen

of the computer s"stem) he expanded the staff li#e $eapon and a!ain and a!ain smashed it into the recessedmachine, $irlin!) it he laid $aste to ever"thin! else in the small room ventin! his an!er on the ob*ects andequipment scattered around endin! $ith his 7bed+ bein! smashed in half b" the final impact of the pi#e,

Breathin! heavil" the %arrior Satai strai!htened himself) ali!htin! from his room he returned to the command brid!ein the depths of the ship+s inner hull,

Al"t call to!ether all available ships in the immediate area and set course to the last #no$n position of the Blood of0u#hat tas# force2full speed,3

5es) Satai,3

Across the immediate surroundin! sectors ships of all three castes $ere called upon to rende@vous $ith the 0rala Fitas# force, %ithin hours six tas# forces totall" almost t$ent" five ships had come to!ether in an impressive amount of

firepo$er,



even!e $ould be theirsL



Part :i!htPlease . can+t eat an" more ra$ coffeeI3

:A Nautilus,Fourteen =ours Post Battle

he Nautilus drifted in spaceD its station2#eepin! thrusters holdin! the close to one mile lon! $arship in place as itobserved the evacuation of the 0S Post and it+s inhabitants, Alread" several thousand soldiers and maintenancepersonnel had been shipped to the remainin! $arships of the defence flotilla, he last of the remainin! personneland equipment necessar" $as bein! shipped to the t$in Aven!er carriers, .ndeed those carriers $ere no$ filled $iththe survivin! starfuries and shuttles from the base) the other ships $ere also no$ filled to overflo$in! b" fi!hters andshuttlecraft) the latter holdin! the rescued personnel from destro"ed ships and from the 0S station,

he fe$ floatin! pieces of 4inbari debris left $as also pic#ed up b" SA teams as the" $rapped up the search,here $ere no more survivors to be found, ime $as dra$in! to a close $hen a transmission $as received from oneof the returnin! Starfur" patrolsD the information $as transferred directl" to the Nautilus Brid!e,

Sir) $e !ot 7em)3 came a voice from the rear of the brid!e,

%here63

he "oun! 9t $ho had ta#en the third shift command position that da" moved throu!h the Jero - atmosphere to thesensor officer position behind him,

Sensors are full" operational222scannin! the Co2ords, here) Sir, he blast pushed them to the far side of thes"stem, %e+re not !ettin! much else from them, As far as . can tellI3 he fiddled $ith the information screens) heirmain reactors are runnin! lo$) possibl" on secondar" po$er) ho$ever $e are readin! their :C4 si!nature and itloo#s li#e there are people still alive on board,3

0ivert Fli!ht &?' to those Co2ords) and !et the Captain up here immediatel",3

A"e) Sir,3

%ith the Achilles found at last a fli!ht of four Starfuries bro#e off their search pattern to approach the USAF vessel,Sensors active and communications read" attempts $ere made to contact the United States $arship all to no avail,

his is Fli!ht &?' to Nautilus, %e have si!hted the Achilles) and she+s intact and under po$er, Severe dama!eevident) $e+re !oin! in closer,3

$o of the four cross shaped fi!hters pulled a$a" from the formation and accelerated to$ards the corvette si@ed$arship) the closer inspection sa$ the heav" hull dama!e caused to the Achilles, %here once almost pristine hullplatin! and $eapons $ere installed blac#ened metal and melted components $ere all that remained,

Fli!ht &?' to Nautilus) $e+ve !ot movement) spacesuited cre$ are loo#in! over dama!e) the"+re si!nallin! us, heirssli!ht debris in the area from the Achilles) she+s mostl" intact thou!h) attemptin! communications,3

Fli!ht &?' to Achilles) Come in,3

A squeal and hiss came from the spea#ers as a si!nal attempted to lin# the t$o ships to!ether,

his is Achilles2!ood to see "ou Fli!ht &?',3

5ou as $ell Achilles, Sitrep please,3

9on! ran!e sensors and subli!ht en!ines are functional ho$ever our h"perdrive is non operational, %e+ll need helpto leave the s"stem,3

=o$ are "ou set for defences63

-ood for no$, %e+re launchin! remainin! fi!hters for CAP,3

-ood to hear it Achilles) %e+ll contact base and have one of the enders $ith a !uard unit ma#e their $a" here$ithin the hour, %e+re bu!!in! out of the s"stem to the midran!e base at Beta 0urani) $e+l l see "ou there,3



han# 5ou Fli!ht &?') !ood luc# to "ou all, 4essa!e from the 4a*or) .f the 4inbari arrive) "ou have to leave usbehind,3

-ot that Achilles) $e+ve !ot a sa"in! here, %e never leave a man behind,3

%e+ve !ot the same sa"in! Fli!ht) !ood luc#,3

o us all Achilles, &?' out,3

Fli!ht leader to all fi!hters) let+s !et bac#, Four send a messa!e to the Nautilus) $e+ve !ot them, Achilles needtender and escort immediatel",3

A"e Sir)3 came the response,

USAF AchillesFifteen hours Post Battle

he Achilles+ main s"stems $ere almost online) either throu!h use of bac# ups or the reactivation of the circuitbrea#ers, he internal dama!e $as not as bad as $as first believed, nl" the failure of the internal communicationsand cosmetic dama!e to the internal sections had been evident allo$in! the cre$ to move around the ship once the

dama!e $as cleared,

he last remainin! $eapons $ere no$ bac# online alon! $ith some ver" basic shieldin!) not enou!h for combat butenou!h to plou!h throu!h the depths of space $ithout ta#in! severe dama!e from debris and natural phenomena,

=o$ever) the rest of the ne$s $as !rave, 4uch of the ship+s ori!inal $eapons and hull armour $as no$ little morethan scrap metal) unusable for repairs or salva!e, he Achil les had onl" been equipped as a short ran!e cruiser!oin! throu!h its initial sha#edo$n cruises2meanin! that $hile it $as full" loaded out $ith the maximum capabilit" of$eapons and supplies there $as ver" little in the $a" of spares or extraneous computin! po$er needed to #eep the

Achilles at full po$er, he fact that the loss of $eapons and ordinance durin! the dama!e ta#en b" the ship due tothe immense enhanced 4atter/Antimatter explosion) meant that the Achilles $as limpin! at minimum speed $ith athird of it+s provisions left intact and almost a third of the cre$ dead or lost to the hull breaches ta#en in the four da"ssince the" $ere sent into the future,

ne of the fe$ places still relativel" intact) the brid!e currentl" held the remainin! fe$ heads of department in the

rear $here the plottin! tables usuall" stood, nl" a half do@en of the t$ent" ship+s heads had survived the combat$ith three currentl" in sic#ba") leavin! onl" a fe$ to converse $ith 4a*or 0avis,

4a*or there+s little $e can do $ithout a dr"2doc# or preferabl" an orbital "ard, here+s no $a" this ship $ill survivean" #ind of re2entr", %ith the breaches) $e+re *ust not atmosphere capable, %hat+s more it seems trinium doesn+texist around here at all so $e+ve no choice but to use steel and titanium to seal up $hich $ill limitin! our handlin!capabilities,3 he Chief en!ineer loo#ed dead on his feet,

So $e+re a no !o for operations,3

5es Sir, %eapons are available but $e+re do$n to half ammunition and $ith the dama!e to most of the hard points$e+ve !ot !aps in $eapons covera!e,3

han# "ou chief, -entlemen) !et some rest $e+ll need "our help tomorro$,3

he three men left their position on the brid!e and headed do$n to the next dec# to !et the lift to the habitation areaof the ship,

Sir) $e+ve !ot an incomin! ship,3

.dentif",3

Computer reports l"mpus Class corvette sir) ri!ht on time, Artimis Carrier and ="perion cruiser are ta#in! positionson the flan#s sir) Starfuries are launchin! into escort units,3

Corvette St 4ar!aret+s Ba" to Achilles) come in,3

his is Achilles2 !ood to see "ou !entlemen,3



Nice to hear there somebod" over there) han! ti!ht Achilles, nce $e+re in position $e+ll loc# on to$ lines and !et usall out of here,3

-ot it Corvette) $e+ll be read",3

St 4ar!aret+s Ba" out,

Sound an alert) prepare for turbulence,3

A"e) Sir,3

he 9ar!er Corvette came around close to the other ship and move in front of the Achilles manoeuvrin! itself so it+srear to$lines could be reeled out and !rappled to the Achilles+ main hull, he six lon! thic# lines $ere ta#en in handand clamped to the smaller ship as Starfuries led the lines out and suited USAF personnel loc#ed them do$n,

Settin! a slo$ pace to brin! the Achilles up to a faster speed) the corvette pulled a$a" and $as *oined b" the otherships of the escort and the t$in fi!hter squadrons of the small carrier, he slo$ speed allo$in! the &>? class.nterceptors to doc# home) the small force *oined the rest of the evacuation convo" and *umped into h"perspaceallo$in! the USAF $arship its first !limpse of another realm of h"perspace,

0rala Fi,:nroute to 0SESixteen =ours Post Battle

Coplann strode into the main command centre, Shai Al"t) time to reversion to ealspace63

Satai) $e are ei!ht hours from reversion at current speed,3 he 0rala Fi+s commander replied

he Combined as# force of t$ent" four vessels $ere cruisin! throu!h h"perspace at maximum thrust for the$arships) the faster) li!hter inashis $ere scoutin! ahead b" a factor of three minutes $hile the ten Sharlin$arcruisers trailed behind, he fri!ates had had to cut bac# their o$n en!ines to sta" in step $ith the heavier$arships, his speed above that of the Blood f 0u#hat tas# force had meant their transition from their ori!inal patrolpoints to the 0S station $as onl" half that of the first !roup of ships,

=o$ever it had !otten around that the entire tas# force sent earlier had been destro"ed in the attac# a!ainst the:arther base, he humans had not had the abilit" to so completel" destro" a 4inbari fleet li#e this before, At leastthe" couldn+t have $ithout an impressive amount of ships at their behest,

he an!er of the %arrior caste $as a palpable entit" $hile the an!er of the other 4inbari castes $as not as stron!,,=o$ever 4inbari blood had been spilt a!ain and this time the losses to the 4inbari people $as considered to be anaffront to the ancient and po$erful race,

All ships are to revert to realspace immediatel" upon enterin! ran!e) . don+t care $hat ships are in s"stem destro"ever"thin!) the barbarians that assisted the :arthers are to die,3

5es Al"t,3

.n the hours since their *ump the 4inbari ships had !one throu!h drill after drill read"in! for the battle to come,

4id an!e 4ilitar" StationBeta 0urani S"stem$ent" Four hours post battle

he 4id2ran!e base at Beta 0urani $as one of the lar!est and most comprehensive stations in #no$n space, 9ar!eand comprisin! both orbital and planetar" based habitats) the station $as the most heavil" defended of the All iance+souter bases, he 4id2ran!e base $as the Alliance+s onl" for$ard base left headin! to$ards the 4inbari lines,

$in 7Neill habitats spun in the orbit of one of the S"stem+s t$o :arth t"pe planets holdin! much of the All iance+sforces in the s"stem, Situated bet$een the stations stood the s"stem+s massive ship"ard complex, Construction andrepairs proceedin! at an accelerated pace, ="perions and Novas too# up most of the dr"doc#s $hile smaller spaceschurned out squadrons of Starfuries and shuttles for the heavier $arships,

All approaches to the Station had had their defences heavil" up!raded since the be!innin! of the $ar) no$ much ofthe outer s"stem $as covered in minefields and small rbital Satellites surroundin! the closer areas as $ell as theorbits of the inner planets,



he 0urani S"stem $as all but impassable to non :arth Alliance $arships since the $ar+s start) the last la"er of thes"stem+s defences consisted of close to f ift" $arships of all t"pes) monitors) cruisers) dreadnau!hts and fi!hterspatrolled constantl" around ever" approach into and out of the s"stem,

n the outer reaches of the s"stem a half do@en *ump points opened up close to the outermost listenin! posts of thes"stem) the entire s"stem $ent on red alert as the six points bloomed open and ships be!an pourin! out, Secondslater the closest stations cau!ht the .FF transponders of the incomin! :arthforce ships fresh from the Battle of 0S

E,

Beta 0urani Command this is 0elta Sierra :vac Fleet ne, Come in,3

his .s 0urani Base Control, -ood to here f rom "ou :vac one,3

o!er Control, equest doc#in! facilities for all incomin! ships,3

%e+ve !ot the places :vac ne) *ust brin! them in,3

Control $e require a sin!ular covered and pressurised dr"2doc# for incomin! classified vessel,3

Sa" a!ain :vac ne63

equire Pressurised 0r" 0oc# for .ncomin! Classified) Code ne 0elta Niner,3

he on dut" cre$ of the defence station loo#ed at each other $ith shoc#) the ne 0elta Niner si!nal $as second onl"to the ne 0elta ne Si!nal, Both $ere classifications that meant that the" $ere brin!in! in ne$ and possibl" alientechnolo!ies from un#no$n sources, he Niner Si!nal meant advanced but non2First one technolo!",

he si!nals $ere encoded onl" that "ear $hen the information about the first ones came to l i!ht than#s to informationfrom the Narn in the exchan!e information and supplies offered since the $ar+s be!innin!, his code $as rela"edimmediatel" to :arthforce command at :arthdome comin! to the attention of the Chiefs of staff) the 0 departmentand the Psi Corps,

Affirmative :vac one, Ba" me!a Jero six is available for doc#in! all surroundin! vessels are bein! pulled out andsensors surround the entr" Corridor are bein! diverted) all incomin! $arships are to ta#e positions in planetar" orbit

all :vac ships are to head for =abitat $o immediatel" for immediate removal to planetside Base,3

o!er that Control, Corvette St 4ar!aret+s Ba" and ne 0elta Niner are headin! for me!a six) Nautilus Alpha neand 0S Alpha ne are trailin! the incomin!, equest the immediate assistance from Commander 0urani Post andCommander 0efense fleet,3

%e+ll see $hat $e can do) $e have "ou on scanners) :A nineteen 4inutes) defence flotilla six is on their $a" toescort :vac ships to 0urani =abitat t$o,3

o!er 0urani Control, Nautilus ut,3

he do@en remainin! $arships of the 0S defence fleet turned to$ards the inner planets) their corridors throu!h theminefields opened up b" si!nals from the command post in s"stem, he smaller container ships and massedshuttlecraft too# a different route in order to ma#e their $a" to the dual spinnin! habitats, =o$ever t$o small ships

both around the same time made their $a" throu!h the minefields much more quic#l" than the lar!er $arshipsto$ards the massive ship"ards of the s"stem,

As the :F corvette and the smaller USAF Battlecruiser approached the outermost parts of the station the hu!econstructs came into vie$) do@ens of doc#s) factories) construction "ards and storerooms filled the vie$, =alf builtcruisers and creadnau!hts stood) their s#eletons still visible in parts $here the armoured coverin! hadn+t "et beenattached, Squadrons of starfuries stood read" for use b" either the ships under construction or an" units incomin!,

=o$ever directl" in front of them sat six massive ba"s bi!!er b" about half than the Nova dreadnau!ht ba"s thatmade up almost a third of the surroundin! dr"doc#s) in these doc#s $ere four massive but onl" partiall" constructedvessels) $ith a fifth *ust startin! construction, he sixth doc# $as covered completel" $ith hull platin! enclosin! it li#ea cocoon, he l"mpus class ship pulled into the ba") it+s to$ lines !uidin! the Achi lles into the deserted doc#"ard,he massive doors slammin! shut and the slo$ $or# of pressurin! the !iant ba" started,

utside the ba" the doc#s $ent bac# to $or# as the construction furies and suited cre$men retoo# their position)

$hile three $arships and multiple squadrons of starfuries too# up !uard positions around the me!a 0oc#s,



:arth Force Command:arthdome-eneva:arthSame 0a"

he Fleet control rooms of the :arth Force Command Centre $as the bi!!est and most comprehensive defense

station in the :arth Alliance sphere of influence) the massivel" po$erful computer s"stems currentl" held the positionof ever" ship in the :A+s star s"stems and often be"ond,

Currentl" the entire base $as at full alert as it had been since the declaration of $ar those months a!o) hundreds ofofficers and command cre$ members $ere at their positions up and do$n the enclosed room) the massive computerscreens $ere alive $ith :arth force ship positions and fleet desi!nations, :ver" $arship) fleet monitor and fi!hter inand around :arth alliance space $as ta!!ed and identified b" the fleet computers as of the latest communicationsfrom that fleet,

=o$ever the ne$est information had thro$n much of the command station into a Fren@" as one of the 0eep Spaceende@vous posts had been ta#en out and the ships based there routed to the closest fleet base at Beta 0urani,

he 4inbari had penetrated :arth Alliance space,

he Best estimates of the :arth Alliance had believe the 4inbari $ere still months from findin! an" of the bases oroutposts and no$ the first had fallen to a fleet of enem" $arships, he bi!!est shoc# had come $hen the reports hadbeen transmitted from the Nautilus Battle!roup a short time a!o $hen the" had been informed that an un#no$nvessel had destro"ed at least six 4inbari $arships in t$o separate encounters over the past fe$ da"s,

hat ship $as no$ safel" in the classified and hi!hl" experimental refit2Nova class doc#s at Beta 0urani) thesecondar" base for the ship latest desi!ns comin! off of the doc#s) still close to t$o "ears from completion asopposed to the close to complete ne$ class destro"ers at the .o Complex, he fact that the ship $as classified undera ne 0elta desi!nation $as even more of a surprise) topped $ith the fact that the people aboard $ere completel"and totall" human meant that some of the scientists ands top brass $ere havin! coronaries about all this,

fficer on the 0ec#,3 A voice shouted

-eneral 9efcourt -ood to see "ou,3 Another -eneral came from his office to !reet the Fleet Commander,3

-eneral obias) "our report please,3

Approximatel" three hours a!o confidential records $ere transmitted on -old Channel to :arthforce command fromthe Nautilus dreadnau!ht !roup and the Beta 0urani me!a 0r"doc#s, Almost thirt" hours a!o 0eep Spaceende@vous Point Four $as attac#ed b" a five ship 4inbari tas# force) t$o Sharlins and three inashi :scortsattac#ed the Base and its defence fleet,

n the 4ain screen above the plottin! tables a vie$ of the battle consistin! of a cut to!ether monta!e of !uncameras and lon!2ran!e scanners of the :arth ships) shoc# rippled throu!hout the room as the first inashi fri!ate$as intercepted b" the un#no$n vessel $hich basicall" crippled the much lar!er vessel,

he scans shifted a!ain from the basic bloodbath of an" :A/4inbari battle to the combat bet$een the second andthird 4inbari ships and the 7Achilles+ as she $as #no$n, he destruction of the second ship involvin! no dama!e tothe Achilles thrilled the entire !roup $atchin!, hen the climax) the detonation of a massive explosion ma!nified

man" times b" the Achilles+ $eapons filled the screen fr"in! the cameras and scanners of the ships $atchin!,

-rain" .ma!es came up from secondar" scanners and partiall" functionin! sensors from ships onl" li!htl" dama!edfrom the explosion) the entire field of combat $as cleared, All five 4inbari $arships and their fe$ remainin! fi!hters$ere !one) vaporised b" the blast $ave, he Achilles herself $as also !one )ho$ever it $as #no$n that the ne$arrival $as still active and more or less intact much to the surprise of the :arth Force Personnel both there and atBeta 0urani,

he :ntire :nem" tas# force $as destro"ed in that last confla!ration) the rest of the personnel and survivin! shipsmade it out before the 4inbari !ot to the 0S post) ho$ever automated s"stems #ept the post operational after the:vac fleet had left, his $as the result onl" four hours a!o it came throu!h $ith the records from the 4idran!e base,3

nce a!ain a monta!e of scenes from the 0S point+s scanners and satelli tes came into vie$) almost in s"nc almosta do@en *ump points opened up in s"stem fi!hters and capital ships streamin! out headed b" the bi!!est and mostpo$erful 4inbari ship the" had ever seen bi!!er than the usual ships of the fleet it bristled $ith $eapons and thic#erarmour,



%hat the hell is that63

0ammit) she+s an un#no$n $e+ve some .ntel reports about a bi!!er Command ship for their fleets but nothin! l i#ethis,3

%ell $e+ve !ot it no$) an"thin!63

Ne!ative) the"+re runnin! $ith *ammers do$n but their main :C4 s"stems are online, %e+ve !ot si@e and that+s itnothin! more than $e did have,3

n the screen the do@ens of ships all but disappeared *ust sli!ht blurs sho$in! $here the fleet used to be) this !ivin!evidence that the 4inbari *ammers $ere no$ operational on the enem" ships, %h" the" had all had *ammers offlinenobod" #ne$ but no$ the 4inbari $ere huntin! in the s"stem, Fortunatel" the" $ould find nothin!,

he picture bro#e to static as it+s $as sensor arra" $as destro"ed b" Neutron cannon fire from the closest sharlin tothe station) no more sensor information appeared after$ards meanin! that the station $as totall" destro"ed,

hat+s it -eneral) that+s ever"thin! $e+ve !ot,3

%h" did their *ammers fail $hen the" *umped into the s"stem,3

No idea) %e+ll loo# throu!h the scanner lo!s but . doubt $e+ll find much,3

-ood) no$ onto the more important part of this exercise) $hat is this ne$ ship63

hat+s $here thin!s !et interestin!,3

he screen brou!ht up a picture of the dama!ed Achilles) the scars and burns of combat $ere evident $hile themissin! hull sections !ave testament to the fact the" had ta#en dama!e savin! the :arthforce ships from totalannihilation,

he ship seems to be human built) :n!lish mar#in!s claimin! the vessel is a Battlecruiser of the United States AirForce,3

he USAF hasn+t existed in almost t$o hundred "ears) and even $hen the" did the" had nothin! li#e this,3

Apparentl" this ship is more advanced than an"thin! $e+ve seen before,3

3=o$ so63

%ell apart from the $eapons $e+ve seen) the Achilles boasts :C4 on a par $ith the 4inbari) scanners capable ofreadin! 4inbari ship locations and loc#in! on to them) fi!hter carr"in! capabilit") artificial !ravit" and h"perspace

*ump point capabilit",3

No ship that small could have all that) she+s smaller than an l"mpus for Christ+s sa#e,3

Sir she also has some form of ener!" shield, .ts that shield that allo$ed the Achilles to survive combat $ith all those

4inbari ships,3

he -eneral $as all but struc# dumb at the fact that a possibl" human ship F4 =: ?1st C:NU5) $ascapable of destro"in! 4inbari forces $here entire ship squadrons of :arthforce+s best dreadnau!hts had failed, 4oreso) the fact that the" did so usin! pro*ectiles and Nuclear missiles $as the last stra$, hat one ship could be *ust$hat the" $ere loo#in! for,

.f the" could persuade that ship and its cre$ to *oin them then the $ar could chan!e $ithin $ee#s) but a!ain the"ma" not and thin!s ma" !o badl" for both sides if that happened,

Cop" these records onto data cr"stals) the president $ill $ant to see this,3

0rala FiStation close to the former position of 0S E

hirt" three hours post battle,



A little over six hours had passed since the 4inbari had *umped into the s"stem) their overconfidence had led them tobelieve that the" $ould catch the humans flatfooted) that the earthers $ould not expect another attac# so quic#l",%hen the ships of the battle fleet *umped in the" $ere read" for action,

r $ould have been had an"one been there,

Scans rippled throu!h the entire s"stemD there $as nothin! at all) no fi!hters no ships and no si!n of an" of the ships

of the 0u#hat tas# force, he onl" scans that came up $ith an"thin! $as the debris from a do@en :arther ships) afe$ small probes and the intact but empt" spinnin! habitat used b" the :arthers as the command post for the area,

he ship+s s"stems had seemed to fail and then come bac# online as the" be!an to transverse out of the *ump pointsand out into the s"stem proper) seconds later the ship+s stealth s"stems had returned and the" $ere a!ain cloa#eda!ainst the :arther sensor probes, he technicians $ere tr"in! to find the cause of the failure on board the 0rala Fiand indeed on the rest of the ships of the fleet,

No Si!ns of the :arthers an"$here in the s"stem Satai,3

;er" $ell) have the fleet reassemble and head bac# to$ards their patrol lines) %e+ll !et to the bottom of this,3

5es Satai,3

he ships of the 4inbari fleet dispersed bac# into their component tas# forces and left the s"stem b" different routesreturnin! to their patrols a$aitin! their chance to stri#e a!ainst the :arthers that had perpetrated this dishonoura!ainst the 4inbari people,



Part Nine-uns don+t #ill People Apes %ith !uns 8ill People3

me!a 0oc# Beta 0urani S"stem$o da"s later

he pressurised doc# stood almost empt" he corvette and the Battle cruiser both sat at opposite ends of the mileand a half lon! b" mile $ide dr"2doc#, 9i#e all construction areas the base had) this doc# $or#ed in @ero !ravit"allo$in! the structural members of each and ever" ship to be pulled into place easil") much more so than on aplanetar" surface,

At this moment the Achilles sat doc#ed to a pair of lar!e cranes) this had allo$ed the cre$ of the Battle cruiser to doa shirtsleeve inspection of the dama!e to their ship, he dama!e $as as bad as believed $ith much of the outer hullarmour seared a$a" b" the po$erful explosion that had sent them spinnin! into space,

%hat $as $orse is that some hull dama!e had not been found the first time around) the trip throu!h h"perspace andits unpredictable tidal forces had caused crac#s and tears to appear in areas that had been thou!ht to be intact, hevessel $as a mess and nothin! short of extended doc#"ard time $ould do an"thin! to fix her) the loss of man" of the$eapons and defensive abilities of the Achilles as $ell as dama!e to the ="perspace %indo$ -enerator Mor =%-K

meant that she $as not !oin! an"$here,

4a*or 0avis,3

Colonel !ood to see "ou a!ain,3

9i#e$ise) "our commandin! officer $ishes to see us both as soon as possible in her quarters aboard =abitat ne,3

An" idea $h"63

No . don+t,3

- 5U) 5U BASA03 a voice shouted from the other side of the Achilles) there a small !roup of ship+s cre$

$ere all but dancin! a *i! for some reason,

homson $hat+s !oin! on63 0avis shouted to the head of the team,

Sir) the main $eapon+s bac# online the dama!e is repaired and she+s read" to !o) $e need to recalibrate thetar!etin! s"stems but once that+s done $e+ll be bac# in business,3

-ood $or#, .nform the Chief and then close up the holes in the casin!,3

A"e) Sir,3

urnin! bac# to the attractive colonel 0avis simpl" said) 3lead the $a",3

he :arthforce Colonel and Air Force 4a*or floated to$ards the multiple small airloc#s that studded the port side ofthe dr"2doc#) attached to each $ere shuttles and construction pods) some older t"pes and some the ne$erConstruction Fur" class pods, .t $as the former of these pods that the t$o officers pulled themselves into) the pod$as bi! enou!h for t$o people and meant the" could !et to and from the habitat quic#l" $ithout the need of thelar!er shuttles,

=abitat one $as the command hub of Beta 0urani Station) the four thousand men and $omen aboard $ere thecommand and service personnel for fleet operations and s"stem defence, .t+s thic#er armour and heavier $eaponsmade it a far more difficult tar!et than the secondar" station or indeed man" of the stations in that section of the

Alliance, Unfortunatel" it $as $ell #no$n to ever"one in the s"stem that is the 4inbari came en masse not even thecomprehensive station defences could stop the incomin! ships) even if it could ta#e a !ood fe$ $ith it,

Close up) the station loo#ed li#e a spinnin! $heel theorised b" a ?>th centur" scientist as bein! the best idea for a!ravitational habitat in space) the $heel shape also !ave excellent overlappin! fields of fire for the pulse and plasma$eapons that dotted the surface of the station) the interceptors and missile $eapons $hile not a plentiful as theheav" ener!" $eapons $ere also evident in all sections of the construct,



As the fur" come up close three dual pulse cannons loc#ed onto their position and requested confirmation of theirorders) from inside the Colonel2 former C of the 0S point $as alread" sendin! the required information to thestation, Seconds later) the pulse cannons turned a$a" bac# to their sentr" points allo$in! the small construction podaccess to the station,

Pullin! around the station the" settled into the positive !ravit" of the ba" and clambered out of the pod) a !roup oftechnicians ta#in! control of the small craft for maintenance and refuellin!,

4a*or 0avis) Colonel ravma#ov) .+m Commander :d$ard Bro$n) of this station, Please follo$ me, he rest ofthe participants are a$aitin! "ou in the main command briefin! room,3

A short stoc#" Australian approached them, %hat+s !oin! on Commander) $e $ere as#ed to come here but $e+venot been told an"thin! about this meetin!,3

.+m afraid outside of the briefin! room that is classified) not even . #no$ $hat+s !oin! on, Sorr") Sir,3

.t too# time for the three of them to ma#e their $a" to the depths of the station to the command hub+s tactical controlroom $hich at the moment as the most classified and secure room on the base $as bein! used as the meetin! roomto convene the most important !atherin! the Beta 0urani+s histor",

.nside the room stood a half do@en men and $omen of the differin! commands) members of the three militar"

branches of :arthforce) the Fleet commander for the immediate sector) the 0 commander for the base and lastl"the Commandin! officer of the Achilles Colonel a"lor,

4a*or,3

Colonel) $hat+s !oin! on63

A tall portl" man stood from his sittin! position at the head of the table to address the people in the room, =e $asdressed in the Bro$n uniform of the :arthforce -round %arfare perations 0ivision other$ise #no$n as the -roPosor 7-roundPounders+,

9adies and !entlemen please be seated) this room is no$ sealed a!ainst all #no$n surveillance and information!atherin! technolo!ies, his meetin! is also under the auspices of $artime confidentialit" and as such an"information !iven b" an" person in this room to an" secondar" a!enc" $ill result in immediate execution under the

treason la$s of ??&?,3 -eneral Fran#lin told the assembled officers, Furthermore on :arthdome orders) no records$ill be made of this meetin! or an"thin! about $hat transpires in the next fe$ da"s involvin! the ne 0elta Nine andan"thin! to do $ith it,3

lder) statel" $omen spo#e up her voice tin!ed $ith a south :n!lish accent almost unreco!nisable under the clippedmartial tones han# "ou -eneral) Colonel a"lor) 4a*or 0avis m" belated $elcome to Beta 0urani, . am -eneral8aren Flemin! of :arthforce Naval command and head of fleet operations for the 0urani s"stem and the immediatesurroundin! sector,3

She sat bac# do$n in her seat and proceeded to !et the meetin! under$a",As "ou #no$ the Alliance has it+s bac# to the $all, .n the last fe$ months 4inbari forces have annihilated entirecolonies and $iped out most of our for$ard fleets and defence forces, .ndeed the 0S posts are some of the lastlon! ran!e stations $e have and no$ it seems the" have been discovered $ith the destruction of post four t$o da"sa!o,

%e cannot $in this $ar, he 4inbari outnumber) out!un and outran!e ever"thin! $e+ve !ot, he fe$ ships $e+vedestro"ed have been at the loss of five to one in combat) fi!hter losses are $orse) $e have ma"be a "ear) a "ear anda half before the 4inbari come #noc#in! on :arth+s door,3

A third man) in the blue of fleet command but $ith the insi!nia of Starfi!hter command spo#e up, Colonel) $e arerequestin! "our help,3

ur help) $e+re onl" one ship $ith half a squadron of fi!hters, . doubt $e could do much,3

.t+s not so much "our ships colonel) althou!h those .nterceptors "ou have are damn !ood, .t+s more $hat of "our shiprepresents,3

3Such as63



hat ship is one of the smallest capital ships . have ever seen) "et b" all accounts it is capable of ta#in! out an" shipin #no$n space 5our ship destro"ed ei!ht 4inbari ships in onl" a fe$ da"s) that+s more than an" of our fleets haveever done $ithout ta#in! immense dama!e and losses,3

-eneral) $here $e are from $e need assistance to fi!ht an enem" much more deadl" than the 4inbari could everbe, hat+s the onl" reason $e even have the Prometheus Class Battlecruisers,3

%hat #ind of assistance63

hat+s $ellI classified information -eneral,3

But surel" "ou $ould not refuse us help $ith the entire human race on the line,3

-eneral) $e+ve tal#ed to the 4inbari and . a!ree $ith "ou,3 0avis Said, But our orders are si!ned b" ourCommander .n Chief and as such is under strict confidentialit", %e are not authorised to !ive out certain informationabout our ships or its technolo!",3

:ven if it $ould save the human race,3

-eneral) from $hat . can see here if $e !ive "ou this technolo!" it $ill put "ou as far above the 4inbari as the" are

to "ou at this moment,3

5es,3

But $ould it stop $ith "ou holdin! the line a!ainst 4inbari incursions) $ill "ou !o on to destro" ever" 4inbari shipand planet in reven!e) and then $hat after that "ou ta#e on the other races) *ust annex or destro" those $ho !et inthe $a"6 9adies and !entlemen this $ar in un*ust and $e $ill help "ou at this moment to halt this $ar) but $e $ill notin !ood conscience allo$ "ou access to our defensive technolo!ies,3

he officers around the table loo#ed decidedl" an!r" at the presumption of this 74a*or+ that the" $ould do an"thin!more than protect themselves,

=o$ever) $e $ill share some small parts of our technolo!", he s"stems created b" us $ithout assistance) oursensor s"stems and rail!un technolo!ies are both in advance of basic :arth Alliance technolo!", Both are easil"

adaptable to "our tech base and $ill allo$ "ou to increase the defensive and offensive s"stems on "our $arships,3

Antifi!hter equipment and sensors are all $ell and !ood 4a*or)3 the -eneral said, But the armour and shieldin! "ourship has as $ell as those incredible nu#es could shorten this $ar b" months if not "ears,3

-eneral) the technolo!" is not ours to !ive and $e $il l not brea# the treat" $ith our allies or brea# our orders, %e$ill assist to brin! this $ar to an end but that is it) $e $ill be attemptin! to find a $a" home as soon as this $arcloses,3

hat+s notI3

.+m sorr" -eneral but that is all $e can do) the s"stems $ill help "ou to combat the 4inbari but ma#in! "ou a po$erthat could steamroll over ever"one in this immediate area of the !alax" is not somethin! $e can do in !ood faith,3

ButI3

-eneral) please that+s enou!h,3 he =ead of the station said) here is nothin! that $il l chan!e "ou mind into !ivin!us "our defensive technolo!ies,3

.+m afraid not) classifications mean as much to our 4ilitar" as it does to "ours)3 a"lor spo#e up, .+m $ell a$are ofthe 4inbari and their 7=ol" %ar+ and $e can help "ou to ma#e peace or at least to hold the 4inbari bac# until the"see sense, ail!uns) :C4) our sensors and possibl" a cop" of our h"perdrive and Subli!ht s"stems, All $erecreated b" our o$n militar" usin! reverse en!ineerin! of enem" s"stems) hence most can and $ill be exchan!ed forrepairs) provisions and equipment, But that is it,3

han# "ou for "our candor Colonel,3

.+m sorr" $e can+t be of more help,3

han# "ou an"$a",3



%e need to return to the Achilles to oversee the repairs and to cop" the require s"stems 0ata for "ou to $or# $ith,3

han# "ou) the !uards $ill sho$ "ou to a shuttle,3

he t$o officers left the room) the :arthforce officers $ere b" and lar!e disappointed) an!r" and be$ildered b" theshort meetin! bet$een the t$o sides, he fact that this ship of humans $ere refusin! to shared their technolo!ies$ith the humans of the :arth Alliance $as in their e"es short si!hted and unfair,

hese people had the abilit" to chan!e the face of the $ar overni!ht and no$ refused to do so b" claimin! that the"$ould use these ne$ s"stems to remove an"one that !ot in their $a",

Bastards,3

Calm do$n) Fran#lin,3

he damned 4inbari are comin! closer and #illin! ever" human that the" come into contact $ith and the" sit there$ith the po$erful ship and refuse to !ive us $hat $e need,3

Fran#lin "ou #no$ as much as an"one $hat classifications mean) the" cannot !ive us their most po$erful s"stemsbecause the" are under orders not to) the USAF ma" not exist here an"more but the" believe that their aths are

valid, %e have no *urisdiction $ith them in an" $a",3

:arthdome $ill not li#e this,3

For no$ all $e can do is hope the s"stems $e do receive can help us turn this around for all our sa#es,3

:arth0ome-enevane =our later

.t had onl" ta#en a fe$ minutes for the information !athered from the meetin! to ma#e it bac# to the commanders at:arthdome) the predictable response had indeed been one of shoc# and an!er across the board, he -enerals $erean!r" that their best chance to end this $ar $as bein! held bac#) even more so $ere some of the senators of the:arth Alliance -overnment, .ndeed) li#e the militar" the" believed the" needed $hatever the" could !et $hatever the

cost to end this $ar,

%hat the hell do "ou mean $e $on+t receive the shield tech,3 he Senator shouted at -eneral 9eftcourt

he commandin! officers of the Achilles refuse to allo$ their most classified technolo!ies to fall into our hands) the"believe that $e cannot be trusted $ith said tech because of the $ar footin! $e are on, he FAC is $e believe thatthe" are afraid that $e $ill not stop $ith the 4inbari and the alliance $ill continue to expand no matter $hathappens,3

he" are scared alri!ht) scared that once $e have their secrets that $e $ill not have an" need for them, ;er" $ellleave them be for no$ $e+ll have to tr" somethin! else to !et hold of their precious shieldin! tech,3

5es Sir,3

hat $ill be all -eneral,3

5es Senator Clar#,3



Part enLhat+s all $e need a 0ruish princess,3

:arthdomeSenator+s offices

. reall" don+t li#e that !u",3

Sir,3 he -eneral+s Aide appeared next to 9eftcourt as the older man left the senator+s offices) 9eftcourt $as bothan!r" and embarrassed at the conversation he had been a part" to, People li#e Clar# !ot ri!ht on his $ic#,

9et me tell "ou somethin! Captain) never !et involved in politics if "ou can help it,3

%hat $as the Senator+s reaction Sir63

Clar# is ver" anno"ed b" the fact that this ne$comer ship refuses to !ive us access to their entire technical base)apparentl" he thin#s that the" are afraid of us for some reason,3

%ith their tech base . doubt that) Sir,3

As do .)3 he a!reed,

he t$o :arthForce officers left the senator+s offices at :arth0ome to return to the command centre at :arthForce=eadquarters, :ven $ith the excitement of the last fe$ da"s) the loss of six ships $as little more than a !nat bite$hen it came to the overall vie$ of the $ar, he 4inbari $ere still pushin! for$ard in most areas, nl" a fe$ outposts$ith heav" $eapons and massed $arship support $ere holdin! out at the moment) but even so the $ar $as stil l!oin! a!ainst the :arth Alliance and not even the most po$erful s"stems $ere safe from the 4inbari,

he onl" true fortunes the humans had $ere the fact that the 4inbari did not #no$ $here the t$in home s"stems ofthe Alliance $ere) :arth and Proxima $ere still safe from attac# b" the alien race) for no$ at least, Secondl" the next!eneration of $arships $ere almost read" for deplo"ment from the Alliance Ship"ards at Sol) Proxima and Barnard+sstar,

%ith luc# the fift" ne$ $arships and sixt" ne$ escorts $ould help to hold the 4inbari bac# at least for a $hile until the Alliance could come up $ith somethin! involvin! the ne$ technolo!ies bou!ht from the Narn and possibl" from the Achilles cre$ as $ell) the protot"pe Nova and ="perion refits made up the bul# of the ne$l" commissioned ships all$ith better sensors and $eapons that the last commissioned fleet had had,

he entire !roup $as to be the einforcement fleet for the mid ran!e base at %olf &'(, hat station $hile nominall"the equivalent to the Beta 0urani base had little to no defensive armament left after successive attac#s b" the4inbari,

he s"stem+s ship"ards had been crippled $ith barel" a fifth of the sevent" slip$a"s intact $hile the minefields andpatrol ships had been $iped a$a" b" continuous assaults b" the 4inbari, his left the $in Stations and itssurroundin! $eapons platforms as the onl" s"stems remainin! to defend the s"stem and the personnel in theship"ards,

he attac#s ho$ever had been continuousl" repelled b" the :arthForce defences, he loss of the mine fields andthirt" ships of the defensive force had cost the 4inbari close to fort" ships and the each time $hile the dama!e doneto the enem" $as less and less the crippled defences still drove off the massive 4inbari Sharlins and smallerinashis, he fleet $ould be assembled b" the end of the $ee#, hose ships $ould *oin $ith a force of bothconstruction ships and fleet tenders, o!ether) the" $ould attempt to reinforce and rebuild the s"stem defences forthe %olf S"stem to hold a!ainst the inevitable attac#s that $ould be comin! once the 4inbari had reinforced theirfor$ard lines, =opefull" this $ould ma#e the 4inbari thin# t$ice about comin! after the midran!e bases a!ain,

Sir) $e+ve established communications $ith Beta 0urani,3

-ood) put it throu!h to the briefin! room,3

he briefin! room $as similar to the meetin! rooms on the space stations in orbit of the :A $orlds) ho$ever it $asmuch more luxuriousl" appointed compared to the orbital habitats) ta#in! up much of one $all $as a series ofscreens and consoles to allo$ lar!e scale communication $ith stations and battle!roups, n the centre screen $as

the face of the Station+s commander) -eneral =a!ue,



%illiam) !ood to see "ou,3

5ou too) Sir,3

Strai!ht do$n to business) $hat can "ou tell us about our ne$ friends63

%ell) true to their $ord $e+ve received technical specifications of some of their s"stems,, Accordin! to ourtechnicians the"+ve never seen an"thin! li#e this before) the technolo!" is over t$o hundred "ears out of date but the$a" it+s been put to!etherIits s"stems are much more advanced than most of ours, he rail!uns alone are a tenthour si@e) but capable of destro"in! fi!hters and even smaller $arships,3

he video evidence sho$s this ship is more than $e could ever hope for,3

Sir) the"+ve !iven us their sensor tech as $ell) $ithin the month $e $ill have ever" ship in the s"stem fitted to readthe 4inbari $arships,3

hat quic#l"63

5es) Sir, he rest of the technolo!" $ill ta#e time to reverse en!ineer and fit to the rest of our ships but the sensorsare eas" to inte!rate,3

0o it, op priorit", Suspend all $or# on the ome!a class and $ait for the ne$ tech to be en!ineered,3

A"e) Sir,3

%illiam) $e mi!ht have a problem,3

Sir63

Clar# is orderin! a Psi Corps team to Beta 0urani from their Base at Proxima, he" $ill be there in three da"s,3

%hat the hell for63

. don+t #no$ but it+s unli#el" to be an"thin! !ood) especiall" since the Achilles refuse to share their most po$erfuland advanced tech,3

So the teeps mi!ht be sent to !et that information63

At best !uess,3

he Achilles and cre$ are not :arthForce or Alliance personnel) the" do not come under the auspices of Psi Corpsand therefore this is ille!al,3

. a!ree,3

Should . .nform Colonel a"lor63

5es) As soon as possible,3

Sir, %h" exactl" are $e tr"in! to stop the Psi Corps6 . mean $e could do $ith all the help $e could !et,3 A ver"<unior :nsi!n as#ed

4ain reason ensi!n) these people are helpin! us out of a ti!ht squee@e) the" don+t have to and .+m damned if somebloc#headed prat at :arthdome is !oin! to mess up this alliance,3

4inbar 4inbari FederationSame da"

he Cr"stalline spires that made up much of the s#"line of 4inbar !littered in the risin! sun of the earl" mornin!)

4inbar li#e much of the Federation $as at a $ar footin!) since the 4urder of the !reatest of them the 4inbari of allcastes had *oined up to fi!ht the Barbarians #no$n as 7=umans+ or 7:arthers+,



.n a deep hidden temple the seven members of the -re" council still on 4inbar $ere meetin! to discuss the state ofthe $ar a!ainst the :arthers, .nformation !athered and extrapolated had !iven the 4inbari nav" more tar!ets) bothship based and planetar" based, he most intri!uin! had been the records from the 0rala Fi and the %arrior CasteSatai =edronn of a missin! naval tas# force assi!ned to destro" an :arther station that had been the first stri#e intothe space claimed b" the so2called :arth Al liance,

he onl" information that the" had received from the tas# force had been a sin!le coded text recordin! sent to the

0rala Fi b" the command ship of the tas# force) the 7Blood of 0u#hat+, he ne$s that all the ships of the f leet) bar acrippled Sharlin) had been destro"ed on top of the loss of the Shar!otti Shal+avi onl" da"s before had an!ered thecouncil) the fact that the" had no idea of $ho or $hat had been responsible $as even more perturbin! than *ust theloss of six ships,

Fello$ Satai) $e seem to be at a sli!ht impasse in our eradication of the :arthers,3 =e brou!ht the holo!raphics"stems online to form up around the %olf &'( S"stem, .n the last three $ee#s this :arth s"stem has held a!ainstour most determined efforts to pierce their defences) $hile their ships and primitive minefields $ere dealt $ith the"mana!ed to dama!e man" ships allo$in! the survivors and local defence s"stems to destro" our vessels,

4ore so) the" are still capable of combatin! tas# forces sent to destro" them, Fift" of our front line ships have fallendestro"ed or dama!ed to the :arthers, his base is better defended and in better repair than the smaller stations $ehave destro"ed since the $ar be!an,3

%hat is the $arrior Caste+s thou!hts Satai63

%e believe that a determined stri#e of t$ent" ships could $ipe out the enem" fortifications and an" ships that cometo reinforce the Station, Furthermore it $ill aven!e the blood of our lost brothers and put fear into the :arther+s hearts$hen their most po$erful stations are destro"ed b" our superior ships,3

%hat of the loss of six of our ships to an un#no$n assailant)3 as#ed a $or#er Satai,

he loss of the Shal+avi $as discovered b" the =alla+shi tas# force $hat seems to be less than a da" after theincident, Some debris of non2:arther or 4inbari t"pe $as discovered as $as radiation of an un#no$n t"pe2 it $aslater discovered that the same radiation existed at the :arther station later destro"ed b" the 0rala Fi CombinedBattle!roup,3

So) the humans or someone assistin! them) have destro"ed six of our vessels for almost no observable dama!e,3

hat is correct,3

Could this be the same vessel or could i t be the actions of more than one63 a reli!ious Satai spo#e up,

%e believe it ma" be the $or# of multiple ships) there is little chance that an" ship could have made it bet$een boths"stems so quic#l", Not even our fastest ships came bac# it that far $ithin that time l imit,3

So the :arthers have help from multiple ships of an un#no$n t"pe and from an un#no$n po$er,3

hat is out belief at this time,3

Fello$ Satai,3 he second $arrior Satai lo$ered his hood to loo# at the rest of the !roup, .f this is true then thepossibilit" exists that the humans ma" acquire technolo!" that $ill allo$ them to destro" entire tas# forces $ith a

sin!le ship) this cannot be allo$ed to come to pass, %e must push for$ard harder than $e have done) $e have the$arriors and the ships $e must stri#e deeper and harder than $e have so far,3

5ou do not believe this is hast") one ship or even t$o $ill not allo$ the :arthers to defeat our ships in the time left tothem)3 stated one reli!ious caste,

. believe that the humans $hile little more than barbarians have some$hat of a capabilit" $hen it comes to adaptin!their technolo!") theirs and an" the" acquire from others,3

Be that as it ma") the" have not stopped us "et and . doubt the" have the resources to) ho$ever . also believe thatthe threat ma" be real, %e shall authorise the use of the :astern 0efence Fleets to *oin the attac#) $e need to endthis $ar and quic#l",3

A!reed)3 the entire council chimed,



utside the chamber an AttachQ to the council $as !iven the orders to allo$ the fleets on the eastern border of thefederation) the border to the 9ea!ue f Non Ali!ned %orlds to be attached to the $ar effort) this $ar $ould be over$ith quic#l" and efficientl" and allo$ the 4inbari to rest in the #no$led!e their fallen $ould be aven!ed,

rder the fleet to destro" both :arther midran!e bases immediatel",3

Un#no$n 9ocation

Un#no$n ime,

bservin! throu!h the e"es of their sp" devices hidden in the 4inbari Council meetin! chambers) a host of floatin!semi2ener!" bein!s $atched as their children pushed for$ard to finish this threat to their ver" bein!s, f the bein!sassembled man" sat $orried at this ne$ chan!e in thin!s,

his ne$comer threat has chan!ed thin!s) the 4inbari are developin! $ith a fervour that is much be"ond their #en,3

%hatever this ne$comer is) it is destabilisin! the circle) the humans ma" be the #e") but if the 4inbari push for$ardthin!s ma" chan!e and not for the better,3

he Circle $ill collapse and the !ame $ill be over,3

No,3 one voice said) one bein! that $ould one da" be #no$n to the outside $orld as 8osh Narane#) he Circle $illnot brea#) it has chan!ed and it has shifted but it is indeed $hole and $ill sta" so, he humans are more than even$e #no$, he ne$comers ma" help the humans a!ainst those $hom see# to destro" them, .n essence the" ma" be$hat $e need to banish the enem" once more,3

5ou believe these humans to be important to the !rand scheme63

5es,3

%e shall $atch and see) 8osh) $e shall $atch and see,

4idran!e BaseBeta 0uranihat ni!ht,

he doc#"ards $ere still at full s$in! as the do@ens of slip$a"s $ere still under use as the dreadnau!hts) cruisersand carriers $ere under construction, he ship"ards $ere under constant use t$ent"2four hours a da" in an attemptto !et as man" ships out onto the battle line as $as humanl" possible, Some $ere partiall" constructed $hile others$ere barel" be!un) and onl" a ver" fe$ $ere near completion,

=o$ever in the lar!est doc#s the partiall" completed Nova2 0readnau!hts) as the" $ere #no$n construction had allbut stopped as the massive constructs $ere ordered to cease most of the s"stems inte!ration) onl" a ver" fe$s"stems such as life support and po$er distribution $ere still bein! installed,

he main reason for this halt $as sat in the sixth of the me!a ba"s, he USAF Achilles had be!un the ver" basicrepairs to its hull and s"stems, Surprisin!l" enou!h to the USAF personnel)the technical abilities of the :arth AllianceForces allo$ed close facsimiles of the -oa+uld based command s"stems as $ell as the trinium/titanium hull armour,

=o$ever much of that $as in the future since the basic shorin! up of the dama!ed sections and the refit of the mostnecessar" primar" s"stems came first, his $as a massive underta#in! due to the dama!e ta#en b" the battle cruiserdurin! the last battle, he hu!e amount of dama!e forced them to as# for :arthForce assistance $hich $asnecessar" for the basic s"stems to be repaired,

.n the thirt" six or so hours since the Achilles arrival ver" little had been done to the ship even $ith the cordialrelationship bet$een the cre$ of the Achilles and the alliance forces, Neither $ere $illin! to do much more than thever" basic $or# $ith each other, Some technical specs had been delivered to the 0 at 0urani Station for perusaland in return certain amounts of supplies had been received b" the Achilles, But so far) it proved enou!h to repair thema*or hull stresses and the primar" environmental s"stems,

he outer sections and those not classified b" the Captain and the $ere open to :arth Alliance technical staff inorder to !et the repairs under$a" quic#l" and efficientl", 4ost of the technicians had been part of the Ne$ Class0estro"er pro!ram and $ere some of the best the Alliance had2 allo$in! the Achilles to be repaired faster than usual,

he $orse off areas of the ship $ere to be the first to be repaired) hull breaches) s"stem shorts and dama!eddec#in! $ere all top of the list, .t $as hoped that the ship+s outer hull $ould be done $ithin a fe$ da"s allo$in! thedama!ed areas to be full" pressurised and tested before the s"stems and internal bul#heads $ere repaired,



Colonel a"lor,3

Commander) ho$ can . help "ou63

he 0urani Station+s had been assi!ned to overloo# the repairs teams the Alliance had sent to assist the USAFpersonnel in the repair of the Achilles, =is basic demeanour and friendl" personalit" had endeared him to the cre$ ofthe ?1st centur" vessel, he dar# haired man $al#ed alon! the corridor to$ards the Colonel) thou!h he had been

aboard a half do@en times in the last da" he $as still a$estruc# b" the fact the ship had Artificial !ravit" aboard,

here+s a communication from 0urani Command for "ou) it+s bein! transferred from the doc#"ard to the brid!e,3

han# "ou Commander) an" idea $h"63

No 4a+am) if "ou+ll excuse me . need to return to m" teams,3

f course) Commander,3

he :arthForce officer left the corridor allo$in! a"lor to approach the brid!e of her ship, he brid!e $as almostempt") more so than $hen the ship $as in doc# in Nevada, he necessit" of havin! ever" available hand on dama!econtrol and repair had meant onl" t$o or three personnel $ere on the brid!e at an" one time) <oanna loo#ed around

and nodded to the on dut" personnel before headin! to the communications console,

appin! in authorisation and command codes) the communications lin#ed to the doc#"ard receivin! station andtranslated the short2ran!e communications channel into the basic S-C frequencies and then into the visiblespectrum,

-eneral =a!ue) $hat can . do for "ou63

Colonel a"lor) . have ne$s for "ou, :arth0ome have a!reed to all requests for repairs to "our ship in exchan!e forthe s"stems "ou are $illin! to share $ith us,3

-ood ne$s for both of us then,3

Not quite, =as an"one informed "ou of a !roup #no$n as the Psi2Corps63



Chapter :leven9et+s !et out there and $at it,3

USAF Prometheus,ne %ee# into SA operationsFift" li!ht "ears from %olfhound Station

.t had ta#en the Prometheus onl" a da" or so to ma#e it to %olfhound station) its refit reactors allo$in! the :arthvessel to ma#e it there faster and much easier than ever before, =o$ever the ne$s $as !rave, he station hadheard of nothin! since the Achilles had left the s"stem it+s ba"s full of partiall" refined Naquada ore,

%ith that in mind the Prometheus had met up $ith the do@en <affa Nation =a+ta#s mother ships and their contin!entsof h"per capable Al+#esh bombers and el+tac car!o transports, he components of the Search and escueSquadron had split up to search the route the Achilles $ould have ta#en on it+s *ourne" bac# to the Sol S"stem,

he scheduled stop the Achilles $ould have had to completel" dischar!e and then rechar!e the entire h"perspaceen!ine s"stem in order to test the safet" and rechar!e s"stems had been chec#ed b" the Prometheus, he debris oft$o -oa+uld allied =a+ta# ships had been found in the s"stem both had been destro"ed b" :arth2created $eaponr" atleast accordin! to the radiation found on the debris) $hat+s more the radioactive trace of a massive Naquadaexplosion had been found b" the :arth ship+s sensors,

2But no si!n of the Achilles,

he immediate surroundin! sectors $ere chec#ed first b" the SA teams and nothin! had been found, Painsta#in!chec#s and scans of s"stems and their planetar" bodies had been chec#ed and nothin! had been found in thoseareas either, B" the end of one $ee# of operations an area of almost E> square li!ht "ears had been chec#ed andnothin! found b" either the humans or their <affa Allies,

Colonel) $e+re pic#in! up somethin! odd,3

0efine odd,3

.+m not sure) Sir,3

.s it the Achilles63

No) Sir, .t doesn+t seem to be li#e an"thin! $e have on record,3

=o$ lon! for us to !et there at real space speeds63

About Six hours Sir,3

An"thin! from the rest of the SA squadron,3

No Sir) ho$ever the =a+ta# 7Freedom+s Choice+ is in the area and approachin! the disturbance) the" should be therean hour or so before us,3

Plot a course and ta#e us in,3

A"e) Sir,3

he po$erful Prometheus class Battlecruiser en!a!ed it+s ion based normal Space en!ines and pushed to themaximum rated speed the Prometheus $as capable of before shuttin! do$n, .t+s en!ines off and coastin! alon! onpure inertia) the ship could theoreticall" !o much faster but i t+s capped speed $as for t$o main reasons, ne $as thefact that the construction of the Prometheus Class $as onl" rated to a certain speed in real space, he second andpossibl" most important $as the relativistic effects on the small $arship2 the increase in speed could cause the shipto lose time to the :insteinian effect of Space/ime,

4idran!e BaseBeta 0uraniPsi Corps Arrival R >&L>> hrs



he da"s since the Achilles+ interment at Beta 0urani had been filled $ith horror stories across the entire line) $herefleets of :arth Alliance $arships that had been patrollin! the front lines) reinforcin! stations and colonies had been allbut annihilated, 4ore than t$o hundred ships and three colonies had been destro"ed, :ver" man $oman and childhad been brutall" #illed in the attac#s, No$ close to t$ent" million men humans had been lost in the $ar,

-eneral) $e+re receivin! a messa!e from :arthdome) $e+ve lost contact $ith t$o more 0S posts and one lon!ran!e base, he 4inbari are hittin! harder and faster $ith more ships than before,3

. thin# $e+ve pissed them off,3

5ou thin# the" #no$ about the Achilles) Sir63

.f the" #ne$ an"thin! about the Achilles $e $ould have been attac#ed b" no$ so odds on the 4inbari #no$somethin! is out there but not $hat it is, But considerin! the" lost so man" ships so close to :arth Alliance space .+d!uess the" thin# the" can find $hatever it is out here,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir) the" seem to be ta#in! out an"thin! bet$een the them and the 4idran!e bases, .t+s possible that $e $ill be thenext tar!et,3

Understood , .t+s ho$ the" #no$ $here the hell $e are that bothers me,3

=a!ue turned to the station+s head of ship construction) the older man stood strai!ht and po$erfull" built, he man$as a lifer and $as an officer in !ood standin! across the entire Alliance, =is abilities $ere b" no means indicative ofhis ran# as the man $as still a Chief pett" fficer after almost thirt" "ears in :arthforce,

Status on the Achilles,3

Not !ood) Sir, 4ost of their dama!ed s"stems and hull dama!e can be repaired usin! the ne$est spec componentsfor the me!as but it $ill ta#e time, heir refusal to allo$ us access to their most critical s"stems means $e $ont#no$ if and $hen $e can help to rebuild them,3

ime to full fli!ht capabilit"63

A $ee# Sir) ma"be more, She+s space $orth" but most of her s"stems are in need of serious repair) once $e+vesorted out the production lines the $eapons and armour should be eas" enou!h to replicate,3

Carr" on then, Chief,3

A"e, Sir,3

Sir) $e+ve a report from the :A Atchisson) the" $ill arrive in three hours) $ith the Psi Corps team aboard,3 heComms officer reported

-reat2that+s all $e need,3

Sir) the Psi Corps have no *ur isdiction $ith the Achilles) if the" attempt to ta#e the tech information from the AchillesCre$ that could ruin the rapport $e have and lose us the tech advanta!es $e ma" !et from them)3 the chief said,

A!reed, Fortunatel" the" #no$ about the Corps on the orders of :arth Force Command,3

-ood,3

verhead the li!hts flashed and the claxons sounded as the 1st officer+s voice came over the overhead spea#ers toever" section on the station,

.ncomin! ships, All hands battle stations,3

Both fficers made for their respective positions) one to command and one to the me!a 0oc#"ard) the station $entinto loc#do$n as ever" vacuum door and Airloc# closed do$n and pressuri@ed to pre set patterns to minimise

dama!e to the hull,



4ean$hile across the entire s"stem) thousands of officers) cre$men) dec# hands and pilots too# to their positions asfi!hters and $arships bro#e doc# and pulled into formation $ith alread" read" ships, Nova 0readnau!hts) ="perionCruisers) Corvettes and Fri!ates as $ell as do@ens of squadrons of Starfuries both Nova and Aurora classesscattered around pulled to massed !roups,

Nautilus to 0urani Station) confirmed, %e have incomin! vessels approachin! the station) scanners readapproximatel" thirt" four ships, No .FF si!nals present,3

Nautilus) 0urani Station proceed on attac# vector) $e don+t #no$ $hat+s out there) continue transmittin! scannerrecords,3

Sir) the un#no$n ships have disappeared from our scanners,3

Shit) 0urani Station, 4inbari forces are inbound) repeat 4inbari forces are inbound, Sensor echoes have faded) tas#force is scatterin!,3

0urani Station to all personnel, 4inbari fleet inbound,3

hose positions that $ere not alread" committed to defence $ere filled quic#l" and ever" station and planetar"defence post $ent on the hi!hest of alerts, he minefields $ere alert their scannin! s"stems loo#in! for an" possiblesi!n that the 4inbari $ere close, 0efence Satellites and massed fi!hter squadrons too# up their positions $ell a$a"

from the firin! arcs of the station+s fixed defences) bac#in! up the alread" formidable defences stood a do@en halffinished $arships from the construction slips,

me!a 0oc# Six,Same time

All hands) Battlestations,3

%hat $e !ot) 4a*or63

Colonel) $e have a 4inbari battle fleet incomin!) :arth alliance forces are attemptin! to ta#e them on,3

Numbers63

hirt" Six 4inbari ships) sixt" :arth Alliance ships plus the static fortifications) not enou!h a!ainst the 4inbariforces,3

ead" the ship for immediate departure,3

4a+am $e are not in an" shape to fi!ht a!ainst the po$er these ships represent,3

. realise that ) but .+m not !oin! to sit here $hile people out there die) no$ status report,3

he ship is at sixt" percent capabilit") $e have ninet" percent subli!ht po$er and $e+ve repaired the breaches)ho$ever the rail!uns and missile launchers are totall" disabled) all $eapons had been removed for dama!e controland repairs, Armour is still thin around the dama!ed sections and shields are do$n,3

Comms and Sensors63

Both full" operational,3

Brea# doc# and prepare for manoeuvrin!,3

5es) Sir,3

he Prometheus class vessel bro#e doc# and headed to$ards the closed doors of the pressurised doc#) alread" thelife support s"stems $ere pumpin! out the atmosphere of the doc#, %ithin minutes the emer!enc" dump $ascomplete and the small battle cruiser made its $a" out of the cavernous ba",

.ts scanners and :C4 full" operational the Achilles could see the entiret" of the battle as it be!an) the over$helmin!

forces arra"ed a!ainst the :arthforce ships $as stunnin!, %ithin the first fe$ minutes of combat the for$ard fi!htersquadrons and initial $ave of ships had been all but obliterated b" the 4inbari,

A successive $ave of defendin! ships $as read"in! itself for the 4inbari advance) fi!hter and ship2fired missiles had



alread" been launched in a saturation attac# but it $as unli#el" the" $ould hit an"thin! than#s to the 4inbari :C4and fi!hter support, =o$ever thin!s $ere not !oin! to !o their $a" for lon! if the Achilles could help it,

pen a channel to the lead ship of both !roups,3

pen) 4a+am,3

his is the USAF Achilles to 4inbari tas# force and :A Nautilus2 please respond,3

%e+ve !ot a response from the :A ship 4a+am nothin!D from the 4inbari,3

Colonel) . hope "ou have somethin! that can help us here,3

Captain . need "ou and "our ships to pull a$a" f rom the front line and closer to the Ship"ards, 9et the fixed defencesta#e the punishment for no$,3

%hat) $e can+tI3

Please Captain) this ma" save "our ships and cre$,3

. sure as hell hope "ou #no$ $hat "our doin!,3

=ail the 4inbari a!ain,3

No response,3

Comms) set up a lin# bet$een our sensors and the communications channels and read" them for transmission to all:arth alliance ships in the area) Captain have "our ships lin# up the same $a" and read" "our ships to receivetar!etin! data on 4inbari tar!ets,3

%e+ve !ot "ou Achilles) !ood luc#, Nautilus out,3

=ail them once more and then put me on,3

A"e 4a+am) "ou+re on,3

4inbari ship) "ou don+t #no$ us or $hat $e are capable of, Please ans$er or $e $ill ta#e it as a hostile action andassist the :arth Alliance forces a!ainst "ou, %e are a$are of "our ships and their stren!ths and $ea#nesses2 thebattle "our last force that attac#ed us $as enou!h to sho$ us that,3

n the monitors surroundin! the for$ard of the brid!e the cre$ could see the entire force all but stop in their trac#sas the 4inbari received the Achilles+ transmission, .f the 4inbari could !o be said to be shoc#ed then this $as $hatthe Achilles could see,

%e+re receivin! a transmission, .t+s from the 4inbari Fla!ship,3

Sensors) read" tactical data) comms read" transmission and put the 4inbari throu!h,3

he screens chan!ed from the assembled fleets at lon! ran!e to a face) the bone crested visa!e of a 4inbari) unli#ethe last time the scene behind him $as dar# as if he $as in an unlit room instead of a brid!e,

%hat do "ou #no$ of our destro"ed brethren63

. thou!ht that $ould !et "our attention, No$) $hom am . addressin!63

Satai =edronn of the %arrior Caste) Commandin! fficer of the 0rala Fi Battle fleet,3

Colonel <oanna a"lor of the United States Air Force) Commandin! officer of the Achilles,3

5ou are human) "et "ou are not li#e the humans $e have met in battle before,3

hat+s correct) it+s difficult to explain but $e are not part of the :arth Alliance,3



But "ou $ere $illin! to destro" our ships,3

No exactl", Both times $e have encountered "our vessels the Captains have fired on us first, %e disabled eachvessel $e came across but in turn each vessel $as destro"ed b" their cre$s or the actions of their other ships, %ehave not destro"ed an" ship that $e have en!a!ed,3

So "ou destro"ed both the Blood of ;alen tas# force and the Shal+avi, 9eave the s"stem no$ and $e $ill not destro"

"ou, Come across m" forces a!ain and $e $ill destro" "our ship for the murder of our brothers,3

=e") he") he") $hat the hell) "our ships fired on us and $e defended ourselves,3

hat is $h" $e $ill allo$ "ou to leave the s"stem unharmed,3

And the rest of the s"stem63

:ver"thin! $ill be cleansed free of the barbarian scum #no$n as man#ind,3

5ou are a$are that the death of "our leader $as an accident) these people had no part of $hat happened, Some ofthem $eren+t even part of :arthforce at the time,3

he 4inbari $as !ettin! anno"ed at the tone that this little human female $as ta#in! $ith him, .t $as ver" possiblethat the" $ere not associated $ith the :arthers but the" $ere human and ma" *ust be attemptin! to save those thatthe" associated themselves $ith, he =umans had murdered the !reatest of them and must die) the loss of so man"ships in the last six months of $ar had pushed them further and further on to destro" the :arthers before the" andtheir #ind could do an" more dama!e to their people or the order of thin!s,

9eave no$ or be destro"ed $ith the rest of these vermin,3

he line cut off as the 4inbari ships turned bac# to the retreatin! line of =uman ships, $o of the 4assive Sharlinclass ships and three of the escorts ho$ever headed in$ards to$ards the ship"ards read" to hit the fixed defencesand the Achilles,

9oo#s li#e some of them don+t care if $e leave or not,3

%ell) let+s not #eep them $aitin!) comms open up on all frequencies2 transmit tar!etin! data on all 4inbari ships toall :arthforce ships and defences) lets see ho$ these bastards do $hen the" are up a!ainst equals,3

:A 4id$inter ="perion efit

he ="perion cruiser had for "ears been the benchmar# of the :arthforce nav", Before the arrival of the Nova class)the =eav" cruisers had been at the forefront of all naval actions and exploration alon! the alliance+s frontier) no$ $iththe 4inbari %ar in full s$in! the" $ere the most numerous of the front line battle units,

Unfortunatel" the smaller $arships $ere no match for an" 4inbari ship of the line and an entire $in! of $arshipscould be reduced to scrap $ithin minutes, he 4id$inter class refit $as the most advanced of the ships in service butnot even the ne$est and most successful advances could help the cruisers survive the massacre of the :arthforceNaval units,

2Until toda",

4inbari ships comin! in) visual scans confirm ten Sharlin class) t$o do@en fri!ates and smallerI %hat the hell63

%hat is it63

%e+re receivin! computer information on all frequencies) $e have confirmed tar!etin! info on all 4inbari $arships)fi!hters and fri!ates comin! in fast and hot, %e can see them,3

Unbelievable All ships this is the 4id$inter) find a tar!et and hit it) Starfuries and interceptor !rids) ta#e do$n thosefi!hters, All ships fire at $ill,3

%eapons stations firin!,3



From thirt" ships) t$ent" $eapons satellites and over a hundred fi!hters a massive barra!e of plasma) pulse missileand interceptor fire opened up on the 4inbari phalanx,

he 4inbari believin! in their invulnerabilit" a!ainst the humans did absolutel" nothin!,

he survivors of the 0S post and the evac fleet had seen the effect that the Achilles had had a!ainst the 4inbariships) fi!hters and capital ship had both died under the !uns of the tin" Battle cruiser, =o$ever even that si!ht paled

a!ainst the massive collection of firepo$er arra"ed a!ainst the do@ens of 4inbari ships that had attac#ed the4idran!e base,

he do@ens of fi!hters alread" on their $a" to hit the lumberin! :arth ships and their fi!hter escort $ere cau!ht $ithaccurate bursts from Starfur" pulse cannons and interceptors from the $arships around them, :ver" Nial in theattac# line ceased to exist as explosion after explosion claimed entire fli!hts and then squadrons) $ithin secondsnone of the a!ile and dan!erous 4inbari fi!hters $ere left,

he rest of the fleet had pushed for$ard to find the ran!e of their $eapons a!ainst the 4inbariD their cannons hadcomparable ran!e and dama!e potential even a!ainst the fusion $eapons of the massive An!elfish2shaped cruisers,his $as evident as the tar!etin! loc#s transmitted to the Nova Class 0readnau!hts $as in turn made into accuratefire from ten of the ship+s sixteen double plasma cannons,

he bac#up !roups of Corvettes and cruisers loc#ed onto the smaller fri!ates and almost as one launched rail !un

rounds and plasma fire into the for$ard section of the inashi ships and secondar" $in!s of combat fi!hters,

he devastation $as incredible) fourteen 4inbari ships impacted $ith the $ave of plasma $eapons) pulse cannonsand rail !un rounds fired b" the ships of the 0urani defence force, Cr"stalline Armour shattered under the impact ofthe $eapons $hile the interior sections burnt out as the plasma scorched throu!h the armour and into the interior ofthe ships,

:ntire sections of the 4inbari ships *ust ceased to exist as drive fins and $eapons pods $ere ripped off or shatteredunder the strain of the immense bombardment, hree of the Sharlins *ust disappeared under the concentration offourteen :arthforce $arships and SAs, he fi!hters $ere routed and man" retreated bac# to the relative safet" ofthe capital ships,

Huic#l" overcomin! their shoc# the 4inbari ships came in fast attemptin! to #noc# out as man" :arth ships as the"could) the dama!ed and d"in! ships attemptin! to retreat from the field of battle,

0urani BaseCommand and Control Plottin! stations

-eneral) the Achilles tar!etin! data is confirmed) our ships have tar!ets,3

A cheer ran! across the entire base as the" sa$ multiple enem" units drop off the screen as the :arthforce ships andstatic defences opened up) missiles and ener!" beams crossed in the blin# of an e"e,

eport,3

Nine enem" ships ta#en out Sir) six more dama!ed and retreatin!, Fur" squadrons are harassin! the dama!edships closest and the enem" fi!hters have been reduced to ten percent b" defensive measures,3

Sir) $e+ve !ot multiple ships approachin! the me!a 0oc#s,3

An" ships in the area63

Nothin! that can stop them) Sir,3

-et an"thin! "ou can over there) $e lose the Achilles $e lose this en!a!ement,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir) the Nova is at fift" percent completion her for$ard $eapons are in place as are the basic manoeuvrin!s"stems,3 he o came up to the command section) She ma" not be much but she has much more than an" otherships $e have,3

Can $e !et her out in time63



Possibl") Sir, he fixed defences can hold off the 4inbari a short time but the me!a Section+s defences are not tothe level of the rest of the doc#"ards) but the" should hold for lon! enou!h,3

Send the si!nal) !et the Nova out of doc# and into escort $ith the Achilles,3

A"e) Sir,3



Chapter $elvehe force No the Sch$art@3

USAF AchillesBeta 0urani Ship"ards,Five 4inutes into the en!a!ement,

he Achilles sat alone in the midst of the clustered ship"ards onl" a fe$ do@en #ilometres from the me!a doc# shehad been seconded to earlier that $ee#) her po$erful communications and sensor s"stems spea#in! to the massedships and stations of the Beta 0urani s"stem,

=o$ever she $as not alone) earl" in the en!a!ement five of the thirt"2six ships of the 4inbari force had split from themain fleet and headed to$ards the small ship, .f it $as true that the 4inbari ships had been #illed b" this ne$ $arshipthen it $ould be destro"ed and it+s hul# dra!!ed bac# as a troph" for the $arriors of the 4inbari, Five ships a!ainst acrippled ship even $ith its advanced shieldin! and sensors $ould be enou!h, Nothin! the human ship could do$ould be of consequence to the %arrior Caste+s finest ships,

Unbe#no$nst to the 4inbari the uppermost doc# of the me!a complex had the most up to date $arship of humanconstruction available) $hile much of the ship $as li ttle more than a s#eleton $ith thrusters and the head of a Novaclass $arship culminatin! in four of the ne$est acquisitions of the Alliance,

he doc#s main doors had opened up allo$in! the partiall" finished 7destro"er+ to move out into the stars, he ship$as massive almost as lon! and as broad as the 4inbari Sharlins but not nearl" as tall, he ship+s main habitableareas2 the rotatin! personnel section $as not "et attached and as such the s#eleton li#e structure and it+s ener!"conduits $ere exposed to the outside,

Pushin! it+s $a" slo$l" out on its station #eepin! thrusters the Nova2 class dreadnau!ht bro#e free and into thevacuum of space, All alon! the ship the fe$ installed $eapons s"stems and defences $ere activated allo$in! theship to see the full spectrum of action, he 4inbari ships $ere increasin! speed and $ere !ettin! much closer to thesmall Achilles) the Prometheus class ship bac#in! a$a" $hile tr"in! to #eep the tar!etin! information transmittin!,

:A Nova2:n route to the Achilles

S"stems chec#,3

-enerators at maximum po$er) sensor s"stems tied into the communications s"stem and confirmed 4inbari shipsloc#,3

Six months and $e can finall" see the bastards,3

5es) Sir,3

%eapons s"stems63

.nterceptors are active and main for$ard $eapons read") $ithout the rest of the ships s"stem installed $e should beable to #eep up continuous fire from both $eapons s"stems,3

5ou sure this is !oin! to $or#63

Nope) but its better than nothin!,3

he Narns had better be ri!ht about these thin!s,3

5es) Sir,3

A third cre$member spo#e up) Sir) approachin! the Achilles, he"+re pullin! bac# a$a" from the 4inbari,3

-et them on the comm,3

A"e) Sir,3

Achilles this is Nova , Are "ou alri!ht63



his is Achilles) $e+re intact but $e+ve fe$ $eapons available, . hope "ou+ve !ot somethin! on that thin! to help,3

5ou !ive us the tar!ets $e+ll !ive "ou the cover,3

Sounds !ood Nova ) transmittin! data no$,3

he data from the Achilles scrolled alon! the monitors of the Nova+s brid!e) unli#e the lon!er ran!e data that the fleet$ere receivin! the short ran!e information allo$ed the Nova to see precisel" $hat the" needed to hit the Sharlins$ith pinpoint attac#s, he scans $ere not perfect and some of the 4inbari ships $ere still cloa#ed in the <ammerfields but enou!h $as available for #ill shots,

ead" =9Cs for continuous fire) =PCs to intercept and saturation attac#s,3

%eapon s"stems online, =eav" laser cannons are on hot standb", =eav" pulse cannons are char!in!, %e+re read"as $e+ll ever be,3

Sir) the other "ards are sendin! a mix match of fi!hters from the construction lines, %e+ve !ot about thirt" fi!hterscomin! in,3

9et+s hope it+s enou!h,3

A"e) Sir,3

he multimillion2ton $arship pulled up close to the Achilles+ position) it+s main $eapons s"stems active and read", Alread" the massive battle bet$een the ships of the defence force and the 4inbari attac# !roup had be!un, hescanner s"stems of both ships $ere pic#in! up the immense confla!ration of plasma fire from the :arth ships, heshoc# for the Nova ship $as the fact that several 4inbari heav" ships *ust ceased to exist as accurate fire strippedarmour and bit deep into the Sharlin+s hull,

0id . *ust see that ri!ht63

Uhh) $hat did "ou see) Sir63

. *ust sa$ our ships $ipe out half a do@en bonehead ships in seconds,3

hen "ou sa$ ri!ht Sir, 4inabri ships are bein! tar!eted b" ever" ship in the s"stem,3

%hat are the incomin! ships doin!63

he" are slo$in!) Sir, Seems that the" don+t #no$ $hat+s !oin! on either,3

ime to firin! ran!e63

At their current speed) three minutes,3

ead" shootin! solutions) . $ant those thin!s ta#en out FAS,3

A"e) Sir,3

he t$o !roups of ships steadil" moved a$a" from the main fi!ht) the unshielded and under!unned Achilles and theunfinished Nova retreatin! from the five incomin! 4inbari $arships $hile the slo$in! 4inbari ships still came closer,

USAF Achilles,

5ou better have !ood ne$s for me) Chief,3

Sorr" Colonel) the shields are still dead and the h"perdrive is still offline, he $eapons s"stems $ell "ou alread"#no$ about,3

%hat About the S,,063



She+s read" to !o but the sensors aren+t sensitive enou!h to !et a !ood loc# onto the 4inbari) $e+ll hit them but it+llbe hit and miss $hether $e+ll do enou!h dama!e,3

-et it read" an"$a") $e ma" have to use it, he sensors $ill be enou!h2 if $e have to $e+ll use the fi!hters totrian!ulate,3

A"e,3

=elm) #eep us a$a" from the Sharlins at an" cost, Comms) #eep the data stream !oin!,3

A"e) Sir,3

A"e) Sir,3

4a*or 9aunch the remainin! fi!hters,3

A"e,3

he han!er doors of the Prometheus class vessel pulled open allo$in! the Six remainin! F2&>? class fi!hters toe!ress from the ship+s interior) unli#e before ho$ever these fi!hters $ere armed $ith a sin!le Anti ship Naquadah

enhanced anti2ship $eapon and four enhanced Side$inder Air to Air 4issiles,

.t $as unli#el" that these fe$ fi!hters could do an"thin! serious to the 4inbari force barin! do$n on them but it ma"ma#e the other ship pause for a fe$ minutes) !ivin! the All ied ships time to re!roup and assist the t$o vessels,

Alpha ne to all units) $e !o in full speed and hit an" fi!hters in the $a") "ou !et a shot at one of the momma+s)ta#e it do$n,3

he five remainin! fi!hters of the battlecruiser+s reduced squadron responded in the affirmative and en!a!ed theirmain drives headin! to$ards the enem" fi!hter squadrons, he six lar!e fi!hters $ere *oined b" the incomin!Starfuries squadrons reinforcin! their flan# and surroundin! them on all s ides,

me!a 9eader to Alpha 9eader) $e+ve !ot "our flan#s,3

Alpha 9eader to me!a 9eader) !ood to see "ou, a#e the Nials $e+ve !ot the bi! bastards,3

o!er that Alpha 9eader, -ood huntin!,3

he incomin! fi!hters $atched as the five hu!e $arships destro"ed the fixed defences of the ship"ards) the pulsecannons and .nterceptors in this area $ere much less than around the 0urani station as the ship"ards $ere seen asexpendable in the case of attac# b" the 4inbari,

he fe$ positions available fired on and hit the 4inbari vessels but those fe$ hits did little to hold the five ships bac#before the" $ere destro"ed b" the fire of the Sharlin cruisers), he interceptors $ere more successful and too# out afe$ fi!hters but not enou!h as the a!ile craft destro"ed the turrets,

he $a" $as no$ open for the 4inbari ships to attac# and destro" the ship"ards and most importantl" in their e"es

the small $arship responsible for the demise of over a do@en of their ships, Fi!hters pulled up into their squadrons$hile the $arships stood read" to ta#e do$n the t$o earth ships ahead of them,

Alpha 9eader Aurora Class Starfur",

All units !o to missiles,3

%hile the actual sensors of the Starfuries could not see the incomin! 4inbari fi!hters the sensors of the Achillescould and this allo$ed the earth fi!hters to 7see $hat the" $ere aimin! at, he 4inbari fi!hters $ere much faster andpo$erful than the earth built craft but the tables $e almost equal no$) the computers aboard the Starfuries couldextrapolate a tar!etin! solution on the Nials and allo$ their pilots to hit their enemies,

Alpha ne) Fox t$o,3

-amma en) Fox t$o3



From thirt" fi!hters anti fi!hter missiles *umped from their hardpoints and accelerated to$ards the 4inbari fi!hters)ho$ever the 4inbari havin! seen the immense casualties their brethren in the main force had ta#en bro#e from theirassault on the main force,

he missiles ho$ever follo$ed the cra@il" *in#in! fi!hters most impactin! $ith their tar!ets) $hile others their loc#sbro#en immediatel" found the nearest tar!ets and follo$ed it instead, hese missiles $ere follo$ed up b" dualmissile attac#s from the six F&>?s each modified side$inder findin! their loc#s and immolatin! the Nials) fort" fi!hters

had been destro"ed $ithin minutes allo$in! the faster S-C vessels to tar!et the lar!e inashi fri!ates,

Achilles this is Alpha ne) all fi!hters are en!a!in! enem" tar!ets,3

Alpha one) $e have "ou on sensors "ou are authorised to release,3

Alpha ne to Achilles) ro!er that) Fox hree)3

Six Naquada enhanced tactical nuclear missiles sped a$a" from the undercarria!es of the F2&>?s) counter fireerupted from the trio of fri!ates tar!etin! the incomin! ordinance, 4ultiple salvos of missiles from the Starfuries camein $ith the Nu#es !ivin! the 4inbari more tar!ets than the" could mana!e,

he missiles did their *ob as four of the six Nuclear missiles impacted a!ainst the s#ins of the three $arships) t$o ofthe fri!ates exploded as the reactors $ere exposed and $ent critical) the third fri!ate too# the explosive $arhead on

the ver" front of the hull explodin! on contact,

he thic# cr"stalline armour) one of the !reatest and most advanced of 4inbari construction vapourised under themultiple hundred me!atons of explosive force) the explosion ripped into the hull do$n close to three hundred metresannihilatin! ever"thin! in its $a", he ships t$isted in place as the explosive force died a$a" leavin! the vessel $ithbarel" t$o thirds of its len!th remainin!,

he remainin! squadrons of fi!hters an!ered at the loss of so man" $arriors responded $ith their o$n fusion cannonfire to$ards the :arthforce spacecraft) most fi!hters mana!ed to *in# a$a" from the incomin! fire their superior a!ilit"comin! into pla" for the first time in an" real en!a!ement,

Alpha ne to all fi!hters pull bac# to the Achilles, me!a ne than#s for "our help,3

me!a one ac#no$led!es, 5ou !u"s !et bac# $e+ll #eep the Nials off "ou,3

he six F&>? fi!hters peeled a$a" from the incomin! 4inbari fi!hters and turned tail acceleratin! bac# to$ards theircarrier ship, A quic# refuel and resuppl" and the" $ould be out a!ain to combat the over$helmin! numbers offi!hters comin! in,

4ean$hile the Starfuries had pulled into $in! pairs and started their o$n version of 7=unt the %abbit+) the superiora!ilit" of the 7Fur" and firepo$er of t$o fi!hters $ould ma#e short $or# of the lar!er fi!hters no$ that the" couldaccuratel" hit the 4inbari even throu!h their 7<ammers+,

All units) sta" out of their front arcs) hit $hen "ou can then bu! out) no heroics out here) . for one $ant to survivethis,3

-amma three to me!a one) Sir) some of us have missiles remainin! do $e use them no$ or $ait for Alphasquadron to return63

-amma hree use $hat "ou !ot $hen "ou can, All units $ith missiles do the same) these bastards are !oin! do$n=A0,3

Cheers and $ar cries sounded across the comm channels, me!a ne didn+t have the heart to chastise his $in!about the breach of radio protocol, he deaths of hundreds of pilots $ould be aven!ed this da" and he for one $asdetermined to ta#e at least one of the boneheaded frea#s do$n even if he had to ram the bastard, %ith his o$n cr"echoin! in his ears he and his $in!man shot for$ard into the melee that $as the 4inbari/:arthforce battle) the firstbattle amon!st equals in this $ar,

:A Nova , Advanced 0estro"er

Sir) the Starfuries are ta#in! a toll on the enem" fi!hters,3

he Cap ships63



he third fri!ate and both cruisers are operational and are approachin! optimum firin! ran!e,3

he ran!e of the heav" laser cannon is the same correct63

A"e) Sir,3

3%e ma" onl" !et the once chance at this) rechec# the s"stems and read" to fire on tar!et 4aster ne,3

A"e) Sir,3

he t$o turreted heav" laser cannons po$ered up) their armoured casin!s !lo$in! sli!htl" as the ener!" from theship+s immense fusion reactors $as fed into preferred chambers) the secondar" pulse cannons $ere alread" loc#edonto the other ships ho$ever it+s shorter ran!e $ould not come into effect quite "et,

Achilles) this is Nova ) $e have tar!et positive on the closest Sharlin) be read" to move quic#l" if "ou have to !etout of the area,3

Nova this is Achilles $e confirm that) $e+ve !ot the other t$o,3

Achilles) Nova $hat do "ou mean "ou have the others63

Nova) Achilles, %atch and learn m" friend,3

he Battle for 0urani station $as onl" minutes old but alread" both sides had ta#en casualties, he thirt"2six$arships of the 4inbari) thin#in! the" $ere immune to the technolo!" of the :arth All iance had !one in $ithout a carebelievin! their thic# armour and :C4 technolo!" $ould stop an" luc#" hits the :arthers !ot, he" had had a rudea$a#enin!, After the first volle" had impacted) the 4inbari had attac#ed $ith characteristic ferocit" and had quic#l"sliced into the fixed emplacements and the lar!er $arships, he nova class ships $ere the onl" vessels in theassembled :arth Alliance fleet that could ta#e more than a sin!le hit from a fusion cannon and $hile a half do@encorvettes and cruisers had exploded or been sent spinnin! off the 0readnau!hts had continued firin!, heir fire hadbeen bac#ed up b" the SAs and defence platform seeded alon! the defence perimeter and more 4inbari shipshad died to the over$helmin! amount of incomin! fire, o the shoc# of ever" 4inbari in the fleet the :arthers hadbeen able to hit them and $ith their superior numbers devastate the fleet,

Fusion cannons mixed $ith neutron cannon fire ra#in! the :arth lines, Fi!hters from both sides spun in and out offirin! arcs of the lar!er ships that $ere tr"in! to destro" the other, he massive number of Starfuries $iped out thelast fe$ Nials still in the area,

:A Nimit@Nova Class 0readnau!ht:A Fla!ship

Fleet Status,3

Starfur" Squadrons still at ninet" percent) the 4inbari f i!hters are do$n to about a squadron+s $orth and droppin!)$e+ve lost t$elve ships mostl" smaller units to the 4inbari+s nineteen) $e !ot the drop on them) Sir,3

:xcellent) open hailin! frequencies) demand the 4inbari Surrender,3

3Sir63

he 4inbari are beaten and the" #no$ it) ma"be $e can 7persuade+ them to stand do$n) it+s that or be destro"ed,3

A"e) Sir,3

he response from the $arships $as evident as the 0rala Fi and its survivin! consorts concentrated fire on theclosest of the :arth 0readnau!hts turnin! three into fier" hul#s $ithin a fe$ seconds) the earth ships responded oncemore $ith a barra!e of ever" $eapon at their disposal) ho$ever the ran!e had reduced to such that the ="perionsand l"mpus class ships $ere able to open up $ith their shorter ran!ed $eaponr", he fire slac#ed off from the4inbari as more ships $ere crippled b" the :arth vessels,

n the other side of the equation more and more of the smaller human units $ere !oin! do$n under intensel"

accurate fire from the 4inbari ships, he Novas and sats $ere also ta#in! losses but for ever" 0readnau!htdestro"ed at least one 4inbari ship $as destro"ed,



he 4inbari could not #eep up the 9oss/9oss ratio the t$o sides had runnin!) the :arth ships $ere *ust too numerousand their fixed defences $ere too po$erful especiall" no$ that the humans had mana!ed to pierce the 4inbari

*ammin! s"stems, No$ for the first time in almost one thousand "ears the 4inbari %arrior caste $ere forced to call aretreat to all their remainin! ships,

:A Nova Same time,

:nem" ships comin! in) ran!e in t$elve seconds,3

ead" heav" cannons) interceptor !rid to anti2$eapons suppression,3

All s"stems read") Sir,

an!e in threeI t$oI oneI3

he 4inbari Sharlin class vessels entered their optimum en!a!ement ran!e a!ainst the human built ships) theirfusion cannons read" to fi!ht, he t$o ships $ere practicall" unarmed and this battle $ould be short and the blood ofthe man" spilt b" the Achilles $ould be aven!ed,

$in beams pulsed out from the cannons of both ships attemptin! to hit the Achilles, he faster and much more a!ilePrometheus class moved a$a" from the t$o $arcruisers $ith onl" a sli!ht !lancin! hit dama!in! the rear of thestarship, %ith the Achilles out of the $a" the t$o heav" laser cannons) protot"pe $eapons bou!ht from the Narn anden!ineered b" the =umans opened up on the for$ard Sharlin,

he po$erful ener!" beams bit deep into the hull of the 4inbari ship destro"in! the $eapons ports alon! an entireflan# of the Sharlin) the second blast penetrated even deeper and explosivel" decompressed the vessel+s han!erba", he 4inbari ship ban#ed a$a" from the Nova attemptin! to !et a clear shot on the protot"pe ship) a sin!leNeutron cannon $as unmas#ed and fired on the Nova,

he heav" armour of the Nova $as thic#er and stron!er than even that of the ori!inal novas had been, e headand $eapons $ere full" covered b" this armour and so all but shru!!ed off the ra#in! beam, he heav" cannons ofthe Nova opened up time and a!ain all the $hile ta#in! more dama!e from the 4inbari ship) somethin! had to !iveand in the end even $ith its up!raded armour and po$erful $eapons, he Nova $as *ust not read" for combat,

he fire from the fusion and neutron cannons had battered the thic# and durable construction of the front end of theNova to the point that entire chun#s $ere bein! blo$n off) the laser cannons $ere all but annihilated as the neutronfire found its mar# and ble$ it apart,

he 9ast hurrah from the Nova came from the less po$erful pulse cannons the last dre!s of its po$er cells thre$ abarra!e of pulses at the incomin! $arships causin! more and more dama!e to the alread" crippled starboard side)the pulses drove deep into the dama!ed portions of the ship destro"in! delicate components and cre$men ali#e,

he Nova+s s"stems finall" failed as the ship po$er s"stem shut do$n) the massive modified dreadnau!ht started tolist its po$erless state a prime tar!et for the Sharlin, he 4inbari ship closed for the Coup 0e -race a!ainst it+sopponent it+s cre$ !rud!in!l" admittin! that this ship had !iven them a !ood fi!ht,

he 4inbari ship fired,

At the same time as its flan# $as hit b" multiple stri#es from ail!uns and pulse cannons,

he Sharlin as *olted out of position causin! it+s fire to !o $ild and stri#e the crippled inashi fri!ate) from behind themassive doc#"ard structure a pair of l"mpus corvettes continued to fire as the" bounced the much lar!er ship) thepro*ectiles and plasma fire pitted the armour and dove further into the crac#s caused b" the Nova+s $eapons,

he barra!e $as successful and the sin!ularit" that po$ered the 4inbari cruiser $as forced to shutdo$n leavin! thedama!ed vessel po$erless and driftin!) its $eapons d"in! and s"stems shuttin! do$n, he manicall" manoeuvrin!USAF ship slo$ed and ri!hted itself $ell out of ran!e of the 4inbari+s $eapons s"stems,

Achilles to Nova ) come in,3 Comms tried No response,3

An"thin! at all63 a"lor as#ed,

No emanations from their s"stems) po$er+s offline, Sir) their fusion reactors $ere all that $ere po$erin! them)$ithout them the" have no life support,3



Sir the l"mpus ships are comin! in the"+re ta#in! up escort positions $ith us) the" sa" the"+re read" to assist,3

Ne!ative tell them to !et the cre$ out of the Nova and fast,3 Colonel a"lor ordered,

Also contact the me!a "ards tell them the Nova+s cre$ needs immediate medical evac from the area,3 0avis toldthe comms officer

he"+ve !ot ma"be t$ent" minutes of air but the heatin! $ill !o out the $indo$) damned quic#)3 the sensor officerinformed them

ell them to hurr",3 a"lor replied,

Sir) the 4inbari ships are pullin! bac#, .t loo#s li#e the fla!ship has ordered a retreat,3

Not this time) increase speed, -et us in ran!e,3

A"e,3

%eapons63

A"e Sir) the main !uns are read",3

ar!et the operational Sharlin first the other t$o aren+t !oin! an"$here,3

Positive loc# Sir)3 said the sensor officer,

%e+re in ran!e,3

%eapon Char!e at one hundred percent,3

Fire,3



Chapter hirteen5in! on! 0iddle :"e Poe3

:arth0ome-enevahat da",

he command centre of :arth force command $as as bus" as ever $ith the tactical data bein! sent ever" hour fromthe command bases in ever" s"stem the :A occupied) the fleets and stations as the" $ere an hour a!o $ere allplotted, he loss of three entire battlefleets $ith the last $ee# had put a strain on the for$ard basesD the loss of the0S posts had been painful $ith their attendant ships and refu!ee units from destro"ed tas# forces all !utted b" the4inbari advance,

No$ ne$s of an attac# on the 4idran!e base at Beta 0urani had come thou!h) the best !uess had been the 4inbri$ere at least a "ear from attac#in! the most hevil" fortified s"stems the Alliance possessed) it $as apparent that0urani $as attac#ed for some reason or another,

-eneral,3

Senator Clar#,3

.+ve heard a rumour about Beta 0urani bein! under attac#,3

5es Sir) it is the 4inbari have sent an assault fleet to destro" the Base and ship"ards,3

%h"63

%h" not63

he" $ouldn+t have attac#ed the base for no reason) someho$ the" #ne$ that ship $as there) or found out aboutthe protot"pes,3

.ts possible Sir) that the" attac#ed purel" because the" could,3

Unli#el" -eneral) let me #no$ the second $e have an" information about the battles,3

A"e Sir,3 9eftcourt said to the retreatin! bac# of the Senator) the senator $as out of the doors $ithin seconds,

%an#er,3 A soft voice said quietl" from one of the cre$men as a small ripple of lau!hter came from the othersaround him) the !eneral didn+t sa" an"thin!, =o$ could he it $as the same thin! !oin! throu!h his o$n mind,

An"thin! from Bernard+s or 0urani Base,3

No Sir both are still out of contact) the last transmission from 0urani said the" $ere under attac# from thirt" plus$arships and fi!hter cover) all ships had been dispatched to hold the line, he minefields didn+t even come close tostoppin! the 4inbari,3

%e didn+t expect them to) the losses the" too# at Bernard+s star $ould have tau!ht them that, An"thin! :lse63

No Sir, he reinforcement fleet sent to Bernard+s is still out of contact) $e $on+t #no$ until the" *ump ins"stem,3

han# "ou) Captain,3

he -eneral sat do$n in his chair) the stress and fati!ue he $as feelin!) min!led $ith hopelessness and an!er thathe couldn+t do an"thin! for the cre$s out their fi!htin! and d"in! for the Alliance,

=e could onl" hope help $ould someho$ come around,

Unclaimed S"stem

Close to Centauri Spacene da" a!o,



he Patrols around the borders of Centauri space had intensified since the start of the :arth/4inbari $ar) theCentauri $ere $ell #no$n for bein! allies and friends to an extent $ith the humans and so the Centaurium had votedto increase patrols amon!st their remainin! s"stem holdin!s,

he Primus Class vessel and it+s six ;orchan escorts *umped into an unclaimed s"stem not far from the CentauriBorder and close to $hat $as considered b" most to be :arth Alliance claimed space, he tas# force $as dedicatedto defendin! the area the" $ere posted to from all comers be the" 9ea!ue) aider and -ods forbid the 4inbari,

All units have succeeded transition from ="perspace) Sir,3

-ood) contact the nearest lon! ran!e sensor post) let them #no$ $e+re on station,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir) lon! ran!e scanners are pic#in! up somethin! stran!e,3

%hat do "ou mean63

.+m not sure $hat it is Sir ) it+s not on an" records $e have,3

=o$ lon! for us to !et there at real space speeds63

About ei!ht hours at cruisin! speed) Sir,3

;er" $ell ta#e us the") order the rest of the Squadron to continue the patrol) $e+ll meet up $ith them $hen $e can,3

5es) Sir,3

he six smaller cruisers bro#e a$a" from the Battlecruiser and continued on leavin! the lar!er ship to investi!ate theunusual phenomenon,

0urani Stationme!a 0oc#"ards,

Fire,3

he lon! barrel of the As!ard based $eapons s"stem pulsed $ith ener!" and released a sin!le pulse of ener!" atthe 4inbari ship in front of the Achilles) $ithin the blin# of an e"e the pulse impacted the hull of the Sharlin,

he pulse entered the ship meltin! throu!h the armour li#e it $as tin foil and blo$in! out the other side of the shipdestro"in! ever"thin! and an"thin! in its $a", he dama!e ta#en b" the $arcruiser $as horrendous, An entiresection) full" a third of the entire ship exploded out$ards from the impact point) slabs of hull and armour melted orvaporised $hile more $as sent spinnin! into the void ripped off of the hull b" the immense ener!ies released b" themeetin! of cr"stalline armour and As!ard based $eapons,

he dama!e tri!!ered off secondar" explosions across the entire hull, %eapons s"stems exploded causin! moredama!e to the still pristine lo$er hull sections) the internals superheated turnin! the cre$ into ash and causin! more

ruptures across the hull, he atmosphere still inside the ship $as scorched a$a" causin! even more internalexplosions) bul#heads and $alls shattered under the heat of the boilin! atmosphere the thic# armour holdin! the heatinside the ship+s hull,

he entire action too# less than three seconds) the ener!" of the pulse started to dissipate as the ship started to driftin front of the surprised cre$s of both the Achilles and the l"mpus corvettes, he ship $as a sorr" si!ht as no$ theener!" from the pulse and the primar" explosions had settled do$n) a fe$ secondar" explosions caused somedama!e to the pitted hull armour $hile plasma fires from the ship+s compromised po$er s"stems cast their li!ht overthe po$erless ship,

he hull of the 4inbari vessel $as !one) from the for$ard tip of the main cannons to the rear fin the hull had beenshattered and blo$n apart b" the bolt, he fins and some small sections of the lo$er hull $ere reasonabl" intact $ithbrea#s and ruptures seen across both sides,

n the brid!e of the USAF Achilles the cre$ of the battle cruiser sat and $atched the massive cruiser all but fall apart

from the blast fired b" their As!ard based $eapon, Silence and shoc# $ere the main emotions runnin! throu!h theheads of ever" cre$man that sa$ the carna!e the" had $rou!ht on the 4inbari ship,



Sensors)3 a"lor $hispered,

Nothin! Sir)3 the dumbstruc# officer replied, he entire ship+s dead) no life si!ns) no :4 radiation nothin!, :ven thereactors are !one,3

Comms) contact 0urani station tell them the 4inbari ships are do$n) three crippled ships to be removed,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir)3 0avis said, he 4inbari are still $ithdra$in!) $e could !o after them,3

No) not "et 4a*or) the main $eapon $or#s but $e+re still $ee#s from battle$orth", he 4inbari have ta#en severelosses toda") the" $on+t be bac# for a $hile,3

A"e,3

Sir) messa!e from the Nimit@) s"stem is secure, he 4inbari have *umped, he" than# us for our assistance $ith the4inbari, he remainin! ships cre$s all $ant to bu" ever" cre$member a drin#,3 =e lau!hed,

Si!nal confirmation and $e+ll ta#e them up on the offer once the Achilles is combat read",3

A"e) Sir,3

he Achilles pulled a$a" from the carna!e) the three pitted) burnt and crippled $rec#s spun in place $here the" $eredestro"ed b" the four $arships, he l"mpus corvettes held position flan#in! the Achilles as it retreated bac# to itspressurised slip$a" before leavin! to return the remainin! cre$ of the Nova to 0urani station for medical treatment,

At the other end of the base the survivin! members of the defence fleet $ere harr"in! the remainin! 4inbari ships inthe s"stem) the numbers had been cut to less than a sixth their number $ith fort" ships still remainin! on the side ofthe :arth forces,

he humans had been luc#" and the overconfidence of the 4inbari ships had sealed their fate) the massacre ofalmost half the ships $ith in minutes had allo$ed the humans free rei!n over the en!a!ement leadin! to the loss ofthe battle for the 4inbari $arrior, he massive fire from so man" heav" $eapons had made their loss a for!one

conclusion leavin! no$ onl" five ships left to tr" and escape,

hree of the heavil" dama!ed ships $ere burnt do$n b" the continuin! fire from the ships the" $ere tr"in! to evade)one Sharlin ta#in! a missile stri#e destined for the 0rala Fi, he last t$o ships) a heavil" dama!ed inashi and thealmost crippled Shar!otti left the s"stem throu!h a *ump point and fled,

he First Battle for Beta 0urani $as over,

0urani Station,Post Battle 1hr

he station $as over$helmed $ith request for medical and repair assistance f rom the survivin! ships of the defencefleet, he !round based hospitals and station based infirmaries $ere all pac#ed to the rafters $ith the $ounded andill, =o$ever even that $asn+t enou!h) the fe$ ships that had intact and read" sic#ba"s both commissioned and under

construction $ere all under use b" the medical corps,

he fact that the 4inbari ships left fe$ survivors once the" had attac#ed a ship $as one of the fe$ thin!s that #eptthe medical teams from bein! totall" over$helmed b" casualties from the battle) as i t $as even the dama!ed shipshad immense casualties and ever" ship $as dama!ed in some $a",

A sixt"2ship force had been stripped to fort" ships b" a force half their si@e, Fi!hter and fixed defensive $eapons hadta#en the brunt and had ta#en man" more casualties than the capital ships, No$ onl" a fe$ ships $ere even still incombat order $ith fe$er cre$s to ta#e them out,

But for the first time since the start of the $ar the :arth forces had struc# a stunnin! blo$ to the naval forces of the4inbari, %hile the" couldn+t have done it alone the fact that the" even had a chance no$ sent the humans in thes"stem into an almost fren@ied fervour,

he $ar $as !oin! badl" that much $as certain but the 4inbari+s losses on all fronts $ithin the last $ee# should holdthem bac# for at least a $hile, .nformation from the Barnard+s star station $as encoura!in!D the" had held bac# the4inbari time and a!ain for over a month,



he losses at Barnard station $ere critical but the fift" ships the 4inbari had lost combined $ith fort" from the actionsof the Achilles and the :arth forces at 0SE and 0urani Station $ould ma#e the 4inbari pause for a fe$ da"s2enou!h for at least some of their nearl" completed $arships to be commissioned and updated $ith the ne$ sensors"stems from the Achilles,

-eneral,3

%hat is it Commander63

Sir the Achilles and Nova cre$s have returned to the me!a Ba"s) all are accounted for $ith onl" a fe$ minorcasualties,3

-ood) $hat about the me!a 63

he Corvettes are to$in! her bac# in Sir, She+s badl" dama!ed but salva!eable,3

=ell of a da") Commander,3

A"e Sir) but $e stopped the bastards before the" could destro" us,3

3Possibl") and it+s possible the" $ill come $ith even more ships next time and $e $on+t stop them,3

A"e) Sir,3

%hat about the crippled $rec#s at the me!a ba"s and at the :n!a!ement point63

he $rec#s at the en!a!ement point $on+t be of much use) Sir, 4ost are dama!ed be"ond an" use and those that$eren+t exploded) some sort of self destruct, =o$ever the three at the me!a ba"s are another thin!,3

=o$63

he three $ere heavil" dama!ed b" the Nova and the Achilles $ith some help from the corvettes and fi!hters buteach is in some $a" useful,3 =e brou!ht up the information on the -eneral+s $all screen,

he three ships came up on the screen the blac#ened ends of t$o of the ships !ave testament to the dama!e the"had ta#en $hile a third in $hat seemed to be pristine condition rotated in place sho$in! its badl" scarred side,

he inashi $as hit earl" on but onl" a third of the hull $as destro"ed) an"thin! centreline do$n is salva!eable)$eapons and armour and some other s"stems, he t$o Sharlins are different) the heavil" dama!ed one has almostintact en!ine s"stems and the t$in rear neutron $eapons are dama!ed but salva!eable, he last one "ou+ll li#e) Sir,3

he third Sharlin came up on the screen stil l turnin! in space,

As far as $e can tell the life support ble$) ever"one aboard $as #illed in seconds $hen the corvettes stuc# the ship,%ith the exception of the areas hit b" our ships) she+s intact,3

4eanin!I3

4eanin! Sir) $e have ever"thin!) $eapons) defences) en!ines) fi!hters) shuttles) the ship+s database, And Sir $ehave a full" functional reactor to stud" as $ell,3

%ho #no$s of this63

he salva!e squad m"self and "ou) Sir,3

No one else is to learn about an" of this Commander) !et me a coded transmission to :arthdome immediatel",3

A"e) Sir,3

.f this $as all true then the .ntel !rasped from the 4inbari ship could be of immense value to the Alliance) as much as

the technolo!" offered to them b" the Achilles $as $orth, %ith both the 4inbari $ouldn+t stand a chance,



:arth0ome-eneral 9efcourt+s office,Six hours post battle

-eneral 9eftcourt $as pacin! his officeD there had been no response from $ith the reinforcements fleet or theship"ards at Beta 0urani in almost t$ent"2four hours and the $aitin! $as ma#in! him more that a little nervous, hebase at Beta 0urani $as as heavil" armed as an" in the outer s"stems) but $ith the pure amount of firepo$er that

had been arra"ed a!ainst each destro"ed base $ithin the last $ee# not even that ma" be enou!h,

%ith luc#) the assistance from the Achil les cre$ mi!ht allo$ :arthforce some latitude $hen it came to lateren!a!ements, .t $as fortunate that their equipment could be replicated usin! standard :A technolo!ies, he fe$s"stems the" had full access too had been a $indfall for the Alliance) $ith them the battlefield $ould be all but equal,

:xcept for the problems certain senators seemed to have $ith their ne$ all ies,

-eneral $e have an incomin! communication from 0urani Base,3

Put it throu!h,3 =e turned to the monitor) 0ammit %illiam $hat happened $e+ve been tr"in! to contact "ou foralmost a da",3

3-eneral) a 4inbari assault fleet numberin! thirt" six vessels attac#ed the station and the doc#"ards,3

4" !od) $hat+s the dama!e63

Sir) $e lost t$ent" ships and several small defensive .nstallations, ther ships $ere dama!ed in the attac#,3

0ammit) $e+ll !et more ships out to "ou soon) use an"thin! "ou need to from the ship"ards to bolster "ou defences,3

A"e) SirI3 he -eneral seemed to be havin! problems !ettin! somethin! out, 9efcourt noticed this and as#ed $hat$as the matter) had somethin! else !one $ron!6

No) Sir) $e had assistance from the Achilles and $e drove off the 4inbari, Sir) the 4inbari retreated from the battle$ith onl" t$o heavil" dama!ed ships left,3

%hat6 Could "ou please sa" that a!ain -eneral3

%ith the assistance !iven us from the Achil les $e $ere able to see them, Sir) $e !ot almost all of them, he t$o that!ot a$a" are dama!ed and have no fi!hter cover,3

his is impossible,3

Sir) $e+ve !ot the records to prove i t) $e+re sendin! ever"thin! via h"perspace courier, his isn+t somethin! $e cantransmit,3

A!reed) send us the reports as soon as possible, %ell done) -eneral,3

han# "ou Sir, ne last thin! an attac# b" the Nova and corvettes assistin! the Achilles crippled t$o of the 4inbari

ships a Fri!ate and a %ar Cruiser) the Achilles destro"ed one other Cruiser,3

=o$ much can $e !et out of them63

Sir) "ou don+t seem to understand) he $arcruiser is almost intact,3

.ntact) $e have an intact 4inbari $arship,3

he Sharlin is almost intact Sir)3 he repeated, :ver" s"stem aboard is in $or#in! order as far as $e can tell) herdatabase is intact a $ell, .t+s an intel !oldmine,3

Sta" on the line) -eneral, .+m orderin! a reinforcement force to assist, %e need that ship sent to .o stationimmediatel",

A"e) Sir,



he Achilles63

he" are intact Sir and alive) but the"+re still not read" for lon! ran!e travel,3

rders stand, -eneral) !ive them all the help "ou can,3

Understood) Sir,3

:arthdome out,3

9eftcourt sat bac# in his chair) he couldn+t $ait to see the records and reports on this battle, .t $asn+t ever"da" that"ou receive such a treasure trove of information, $ice in one $ee# ma" seem excessive or $hat people used to call0eus :x 4achina but ma"be *ust ma"be someone out there $as loo#in! out for them,

-ods #no$s the" needed the help,

Communications !et me the head of 0,3

A"e) Sir,3



Chapter Fourteen.

You though Jesus was a hippy…”

0rala Fi

Shargotti Class Warship

Thirty Hours Post Battle.

0eep in the tides of h"perspace the colossal $arship #no$n as the 0rala Fi $as ma#in! its $a" bac# to friendl" lines)the dama!e had ta#en from the battle $as evident across both flan#s of the ship, ne of her t$o lo$er fins $asmissin! from a direct hit b" a small2scale explosive missile from a corvette $hile smaller poc#mar#s and tears fromthe plasma fire that had plastered it from the :arthforce ships,

he smaller inashi that had mana!ed to escape $ith them had fallen bac# as her !ravitational en!ines had failedand the ship had been cau!ht b" a tidal current pullin! it even deeper into h"perspace and a$a" from the muchlar!er ship, he ship $ould never be seen a!ain, No ship $as ever recovered from h"perspace,

he en!ines of the Shar!otti had been cripples as $ell $ith) dama!e to the fins and rear drive section, he" $ereoperational but at a ver" lo$ po$er causin! the 4inbari vessel to travel in da"s $hat $ould have onl" ta#en hoursunder normal po$er,

he losses to the :arthers had been almost total $ith the battle, he =umans had been able to accuratel" hit ever"ship in the attac# fleet even $ith their less advanced $eapons, Someho$ the" had seen throu!h the *ammers the4inbari ships utili@ed and destro"ed those ships $ith fe$er losses than the 4inbari $ould have thou!ht possible,

he most surprisin! thin! concerned the !roup detached to destro" the ne$est of the :arther+s ship"ards, he" hadbeen destro"ed to a ship b" a !roup of fi!hters and t$o un#no$n ships, =o$ either had done so $as be"ond the #enof an" of the survivin! $arriors of the 0rala Fi, he vie$ of a sin!le bolt destro"in! an entire Sharlin had crushedmoral on the ship+s cre$ as much as the retreat had,

he losses on top of the destruction of the sixt" ships b" the human bases and a!ainst this ne$ ship $ere enormous,

%hile the fleet $as man" hundreds of ships stron! the loss of almost one hundred in so short a time $as startlin!,Some of the best and bri!htest of the $arriors had been #illed in the $ar a!ainst the barbarians) more so no$ thattheir ships had been able to loc# onto the 4inbari ships,

For the first time in one thousand "ears the 4inbari found themselves facin! the an enem" that could fi!ht them oneon one, he space and resources the 4inbari commanded $as much lar!er than the :arth Alliance could) but the:arth ships $ere bi! bloc#" monstrosities that could be built faster and in lar!er numbers, And if the ne$s of thene$est ships in their inventor" $ere true then the 4inbari ma" be up a!ainst true :quals,

Shai Al"t) the Satai is a$a#e and requests "our presence immediatel",3

han# "ou,3

he Shai Al"t left his command centre and headed to the Satai+s quarters) his head still banda!ed $ith smaller cut

and bruises on his face and handD in*uries ta#en $hen his ship $as hit b" :arther $eapons fire, =e approached theclosed door of the stateroom and #e"ed the controls openin! up the door and lettin! the li!ht seep into the dar#nessof the room,

n a bed in the centre of the room $as Satai =edronn) face pale and his headbone crac#ed in several places, heman had been under a station $hen it had fallen durin! the battle almost #illin! him strai!ht out, heir doctors haddone all the" could to #eep the $arrior stable until the" could !et to a command station and the medical infirmariesthere,

.t $as to little avail, he lone doctor approached the Shai Al"t and told him the ne$s he had alread" !uess, he man$as d"in! of serious internal and external in*uries, he Satai $ould not live lon! enou!h for help to arrive or for theship to ma#e it to a friendl" s"stem,

he doctor left throu!h the door allo$in! the t$o $arriors to spea# in private,

Shai Al"t,3



Satai) it is !ood to see "ou a$a#e,3

0on+t tr" to li!hten this old friend) . can feel m" end approachin!,3

. $ill not live =edronn, 5ou are not $ell enou!h to survive the rest of the vo"a!e bac# to our o$n space) "our in*uriesare too severe,3

han# "ou Sharonn) for treatin! me li#e a $arrior,3

5ou have been an inspiration since the be!innin! Satai, 5ou $il l be missed b" all $arriors re!ardless of ran# orherita!e,3

Sharonn) . $ish for "ou to replace me as %arrior Satai of the -re" Council) this request is amon!st m" personaleffects,3

. $ill tr" m" best to succeed "ou Satai, . could never replace "ou,3

han# "ou) old friend, %hat happened to the fleet63

$o of our ships made the return to h"perspace Satai) the rest $ere destro"ed b" the :arthers, %e lost our escort

soon after$ards as the" drifted further into h"perspace, he 0rala fi is no$ the onl" survivin! vessel of the fleet,3

=o$ did this happen63

he :arthers must have had help from some$here) perhaps this ne$ ship that destro"ed the 7Blood of ;alen+,3

Perhaps) perhaps, Please leave me no$ Shai Al"t, . need to rest,3

5es Satai,3

he $arrior turned from the pale face of his mentor and friend and moved to the door, penin! it once more he heardthe $ea# voice of =edronn address him for the last time,

-ood ni!ht) Satai =edronn,3

-ood Ni!ht, Satai Sharonn,3

he door closed on the dar#ened room of the $arrior Satai) he $ould not be seen alive a!ain,

Fleet Shipyards

Beta Durani

Battle Plus Seen Days

Since the end of the battle of Beta 0urani the ship"ards had ramped bac# up to full production) in some areas faster

and more intensivel" than before, here $ere fe$er thin!s more effective than a !ood scare put into a person to !etthem $or#in! faster) and the attac# had done *ust that,

he ship"ards themselves consisted of a net$or# of dr"2doc#s) slip$a"s) construction lines) car!o containers andpersonnel control rooms scattered around them, he 0urani "ards $ere the lar!est in the outer sectors, %hilesmaller than the scattered "ards in the Sol) Proxima and other s"stems the" still had do@ens of ships underconstruction at an" one time,

ri!inall" the "ards had had onl" a fe$ slip$a"s but the $ar had chan!ed that, %ithin $ee#s the construction "ardshad built the slips up to current levels hopin! that enou!h ships could be constructed to hold bac# the 4inbari

*u!!ernaut, 4ost recentl" the ne$est doc#s had been expanded to hold the ne$est ships of the line) the Nova class vessels, None $ere close to completion leavin! the rest of the doc#s to ta#e up the slac# of construction,

he ma*orit" of the doc#s held ="perion efits and Nova 0readnau!hts under construction $ith carriers) corvettes

tenders and numerous other small units ta#in! up the rest, Almost t$o2do@en ships across the s"stem $ere almostread" to be released into space b" the construction cre$s $ith onl" hours remainin! before most $ere full"functional,



-eneral) status report on the ship"ards,3

%hat have $e !ot) 9t63

Sir) most of the li!htl" dama!ed ships from the battle are alread" repaired and out on patrol, he more seriousl"dama!ed are still under repair $ith about a $ee# for most, he ship"ards $ill have t$ent" six ships read" fordeplo"ment b" the end of the da", All ships $ill have full Starfur" compliments b" the end of the $ee#) the extra pilots

and cre$ brou!ht in b" the 0aedalus as# force has helped to cre$ those ships $e have,3

otal status of defenses63

Fift" t$o ships on patrol) t$ent" more under var"in! levels of repair, Fixed defenses are still bein! repaired butshould be operational b" the end of the $ee#,3

-ood,3 =e si!ned off on the report, %hat about the Achilles and her tas# force63

he Achilles $eapons are reinstalled and in full repair) a fe$ of our o$n $eapons components let us replace $hat$as missin!, he rail!uns and ammunition are also under production at one of the former Starfur" 9ines, Armourproduction for the Achilles is almost complete) althou!h it+s not as durable as their o$n, But it should help a!ainst the4inbari,3

All units $ill be up!raded as the" come in for refit) the rail!uns $on+t replace the SPBs but $ill be attached alon!sidethem, he sensor platforms $ill !o into full production once it is confirmed the" $or#, .n all Sir) . thin# $e+re as !oodto !o as $e can be,3

Consultin! his reports he loo#ed up at the -eneral, he protot"pes of the up!raded sensor s"stems are completeand under installation in t$o of our ="perions and one Nova, he" $il l be read" for testin! $ith the next t$ent"2fourhours,3

:xcellent,3

he Achilles F9 drives are still do$n as are a fe$ extraneous s"stems but she+l l be read" for deplo"ment $ith therest of the force tomorro$, he rest of the technical stuff is still bein! loo#ed over b" the e!!heads at 0,3

9ets hope this $or#s or $e+re bac# to square one,3

5es) Sir,3

An"thin! about the 4inbari ships63

he 0 !u"s are loo#in! over the $rec# of the inashi) the t$o Sharlins have been pic#ed up b" a !roup of to$ships and escort and left this mornin!, 9oo#s l i#e $e ma" have some $or# ahead of us to even scrape the surface,3

%ith an" luc# $e+ll be able to !et somethin! out of this,3

35es) Sir, And Sir the Psi2Corps reps are complainin! about not bein! allo$ed to tal# to the cre$ of the Achillesa!ain, %hat should . tell them this time63

Same as al$a"s) the Achilles cre$ don+t $ant them aboard their ship and there+s nothin! $e can do to force themto,3

here $as a smile on the "oun! officer+s face) A"e) Sir,3

here $as somethin! immensel" satisf"in! about stoppin! the Psi2Corps from !ettin! their $a" and -eneral =a!ue$as feelin! quite smu! about it, here $as no $a" in hell he $as lettin! the treat" bet$een the t$o cre$s fall apartbecause of a bunch of hopped up fortune tellers,

Psi Corps !uarters

"inutes later…

%hat the hell do "ou mean that "ou can+t !et in contact $ith them)3 Clar# shouted from the monitor,



Precisel" $hat . said) Senator,3 he telepath loo#ed at Clar# as if he $as a lesser form of life) $hich to man" in thePsi corps 7mundanes+ $ere, -eneral =a!ue has refused us access to the me!a "ards continuousl"D apparentl" theother ship+s cre$ has 7requested+ that $e do not approach them under an" circumstances,3

ell -eneral =a!ue that this is a direct order from a Senator of the :arth Alliance) "ou are to allo$ed immediateaccess to the me!a doc#s and to the doc# the Achilles is seconded inside especiall",3

5es) Senator,3

Clar# out,3

:!otistical little fruit,3 ne of the Psi cops said,

No$) No$ :dmund) spea# $ell of our Senator,3 he other said,

. doubt that =a!ue $ill let us throu!h even $ith a Senator+s order,3

. a!ree) so $hat do $e do63

#S$F $%hilles

&'ega Do%( si)

&ne wee( post *attle.

Since the incident $ith 4inbari onl" a fe$ da"s beforehand the Achilles+ cre$ had been $or#in! round the cloc# asmuch as possible to !et their ship read" for combat a!ain, 4ost s"stems had been repaired $ith facsimiles created$ith :A equipmentD even the control cr"stals had a variation usin! a net$or# of speciall" created data cr"stals usedb" the :arthforce ships,

4ost of the dama!ed or destro"ed $eapons s"stems had been replace in record time b" the :arth Allianceship"ards) a!ain the $eapons had been easil" manufactured b" the :A+s fabrication lines $ithin eleven da"s, hesame $ent for the ne$ missile ba"s, 4ost of the $or#s $ere built from components from Starfur" s"stems) but itmeant the Achilles $as as close to 1>> percent as the" could !et,

he :arth Alliance ship"ards had started to churn out tactical s"stems based on the technical specs as shared b" the Achilles, 4ore $as to come from the S-C personnel in the future but onl" those fe$ s"stems capable of bein! built inthe ship"ards $ere !iven to the :arth forces,

Sir,3 he chief en!ineer strolled up to the Colonel and 4a*or) both deep in discussion $hen he had appeared,

Chief) $hat+s the latest63

%eapons are full" operational) all primar" s"stems are online and the shields are bac# to full po$er,3

:xcellent $or#) Chief,3

%ithout the industrial base the :A had here $e $ould have had a month+s $orth of repairs bac# home not *ust sh" oft$o $ee#s, he Armour sections are bein! $elded to the hull over the next fe$ hours $ith assistance from both theship"ards and our o$n cre$,3

5ou a miracle $or#er Chief,3

%as nothin! Sir, he shield !enerators $ere a li ttle burnt up but $ere repairable, All s"stems bar the h"perdrive areread", he problem is the drive has prett" much had i t Sir2 the dama!e from the explosion fried most of the circuitsand ble$ the main converters, %e have po$er but no $a" to create a $indo$,3

0ammit, han#s chief,3

Sir,3

%ell Paul) . thin# $e+ve !ot a problem,3



%ithout that h"perdrive $e+re prett" much stuc# here) he :A+s h"perdrives are too lar!e for the Achilles) $e havethe po$er but not the room for the vortex !enerators,3

So stranded) no $a" to find out $a" bac# to our :arth and no$ no $a" to move,3

hat+s about the si@e of it) Sir,3

al# to the station) tell them $e ma" need some assistance to leave the s"stem,3

A"e) Sir,3

0avis left the Colonel in the corridorD a"lor sa!!ed a!ainst the $all tired and forlorn, She had been throu!h therin!er li#e the rest of the cre$ and $as ver" tired, %here the cre$ had had time off in rotation and others had beenseconded to the Alliance) she had been aboard the entire time the refit had been !oin! on supervisin! the repairs,

:xhaustion rippled throu!h her bod" as she $al#ed into her quarters) leanin! a!ainst the $all she slipped to the!round her head fallin! for$ard) she $as tired in ever" $a" she could thin# of2 emotionall") ph"sicall")ps"cholo!icall", he stress $as !ettin! to her much more quic#l" that she had thou!ht it possible to be,

9ost) a$a" from home and no $a" to even move this crate, 9i#e an" Captain that had been in this position she

blamed herself for the fact her entire cre$ $ere stuc# in an un#no$n universe and no one had a clue ho$ to !et bac#home,

=ell since the da" $e arrived here $e+ve lost almost a third of the cre$ and not even had time for a proper service foran" of them she thou!ht,

he fact that the" $ere trapped $here the" $ere $ith no idea $hat to do about it had fil tered throu!h the minds of herpeople earlier that $ee#, he battles and $onder at bein! in a ne$ place had $orn off) leavin! a feelin! ofhelplessness and homesic#ness for the all too human cre$ of the Achilles,

Some had ta#en it and soldiered on $hile others) mainl" those officers and cre$men *ust out of trainin! had found itmuch more difficult to !o on than the seasoned and professional older men and $omen of her command, %ith theloss of their onl" faster than li!ht capabilit" the feelin!s $ould onl" increase for the survivin! cre$ and onl" the -ods$ould #no$ $hat $as to come for the small ship,

Cra$lin! into bed the ship+s commander la" bac# thin#in! about ho$ the hell the" $ere !oin! to !et out of this oneintact) especiall" $ith those Psi Corps $ac#os runnin! around tr"in! to !et access to the interior of the Achilles andthe cre$+s minds,

he problem that the S-C personnel had $as that there $as no $a" the" $ould be able to tell if the Psi Corpsofficers $ere even readin! their minds) there had onl" been a ver" fe$ run ins $ith telepathic races b" the S-C andonl" one or t$o had been in an" $a" hostile to the S- teams,

She+d fi!ure somethin! out in the mornin!,

#S$F Pro'etheus

Di'ensional $no'aly

Si) hours a+ter preious en%ounter.

he Prometheus sat several thousand #ilometres from the 7:vent =ori@on+ of the anomal") it+s scanners pullin! inever" readin! it could, Aacross space from them the Allied ha+ta# 7Freedom+s choice+ sat scannin!, So far it $asunli#e an"thin! the" had seen before) $hile it has some attributes of a ="perspace %indo$ it also had somecharacteristics of a blac# hole or possibl" some other sort of !ravitational force,

Sir) $e+re receivin! a messa!e from the 7Choice+ she+s pic#ed up $hat seems to be a form of particle emission fromthe anomal") it+s not natural,3

Some #ind of transmission63

. don+t thin# so Sir) more li#e a scan of some #ind) . thin# there+s somethin! on the other side of the rift,3



pen standard hail) see if "ou can !et throu!h to the other side, Also contact the 7Choice+ have them call in the restof the tas# force, %e ma" need assistance if thin!s !et out of hand,3

A"e) Sir,3

,$ Daedalus

Hyperion Class Heay Cruiser

,ight Days post Battle o+ Durani

he :arth Force Nav" had launched the latest of the ships to be brou!ht into service for the :A that da", %hile thethree ships $ere the basic shapes of the ="perion and Nova class vessels in use) onl" a close observation $ouldsho$ that small turrets had been added to the hulls of the $arships, %hat+s more there $as *ust a sli!ht chan!e inthe scanner s"stems of all three ships,

ne other ="perion $as to sta" behind to test the s"stems at the Station) as $ell as to !ive tactical in case the4inbari returned) another reason bein! that the term 7e!!s in one bas#et had been bounced around b" thetechnicians attached to the pro*ect,

0aedalus to 0urani station) tas# force is read" for test run,3

0urani Station to 0aedalus) $e+ve !ot "ou, Permission !ranted for test run,3

An" boneheads in the area63

Not that $e #no$ of 0aedalus, he Achilles is $aitin! for "our tas# force at the *ump!ate, -ood luc# to "ou all,0urani Station out,3

he three ships of the tas# force pulled a$a" from the doc#"ards and to$ards the massive construct that $as thes"stem+s *ump !ate, A$aitin! them there $as the Prometheus class vessel that had chan!ed much of :arth force+sfortunes in such a small amount of time,

Achilles to 0aedalusD nice to see "ou,3

Achilles) 0aeladus) nice to see "ou as $ell, %e+ve been informed of "our h"perdrive problems and are read" to ta#e"ou in, 8eep a !ood loc# on us if "ou can, 5ou also have the beacon locations so "ou shouldn+t have too muchtrouble findin! "our $a",3

Affirmative 0aedalus) "ou read" for a little meet+n+!reet63

%e+ve !ot "our bac# Achilles,3

he massive *ump!ate po$ered up) its three booms sendin! a current of po$er throu!h space and openin! a rift intoh"perspace, he bri!ht blue $ormhole no$ active the four ships headed to$ards the entrance and $ere pulled in b"the intense !ravitation eddies that made up the ma*orit" of h"perspace,

.nside $as a ver" different si!ht compared to the h"perspace that the USAF cre$ had #no$n) $hile the" had beenthrou!h this h"perspace at least once before it didn+t ma#e i t an" easier to ta#e, he blood red and shado$" blac#mixed $ith numerous ener!" releases and the !ravit" eddies surroundin! them $ere not conductive to a feelin! ofeas"!oin!,

he Achilles $as a ver" small ship compared to the behemoths that made up the ma*orit" of the :arth Alliance+sspace forces meanin! it $as not as capable of fi!htin! the currents that made up the t$ists and turns of h"perspacetravel, Several time the Battle cruiser $as forced to ma#e intense course corrects b" en!a!in! its en!ines to morethan full po$er,

Fortunatel" for the cre$ of the Achilles the to$lines that had been readied for an" such problems $ere unnecessar",n the $a" bac# the" mi!ht be needed but $ith a last boost of acceleration the entire tas# force left h"perspace anddropped into an abandoned :arth Alliance s"stem,

he s"stem had been attac#ed and ta#en b" the 4inbari a $ee# before as the inroads into Alliance space had

increased, .t $as the most li#el" pace to find at least one of the 4inbari patrols that ran throu!h the abandoneds"stems dail", nce the" had *umped the ne$ scanner s"stems on the three :arth Alliance ships po$ered upscannin! the entire s"stem in seconds,



Sir) $e+ve !ot a better ran!e and resolution on the sensors) no si!n of an" ships "et ho$ever, %e+ve !ot theabandoned listenin! post in s"stem) but that+s it,3

:xcellent, An"thin! from the other ships63

Ne!ative) Sir, But all s"stems are functionin! on all ships,3

ead" a test fire of all rail!un turrets,3

A"e) Sir,3

Across the structure of the ="perion class $arship small turrets came to life, he turrets $ere smaller than an" other$eapon bar the ship+s interceptors, As such there $ere a !ood couple of do@en turrets mountin! bet$een t$o andthree rail!uns a piece, Unli#e the rail!uns of their o$n Artemis and l"mpus class ships) there rail!uns $ere smalleasil" manufactured and easil" reloaded $ith massive amounts of titanium rounds,

.t $as hoped that these $eapons $ould be of much more use a!ainst enem" ships and li!ht craft than the StandardParticle beams and interceptors of the Alliance, Alread" the" had been of immense use in destro"in! entiresquadrons of enem" fi!hters as $ell as doin! insane amounts of dama!e to the smaller fri!ates of the 4inbari fleet,

he four $arships be!an a turret2b"2turret chec# of the $eapons) each firin! off a salvo of pro*ectiles from themultiple barrels out into space, ne b" one ever" turret $as chec#ed out b" the $eapons officers aboard each ship)three aboard one of the nova) t$o on another and t$o on the ="perion all failed to fire,

he ori!inal !uns on board the Achilles $or#ed f ine as had as the replacements attached b" the "ard $or#ers at theme!a Ba", he ship+s ori!inal confi!uration $as a close as it could be $ithout access to S-C personnel andresources,

he t$o dama!ed or replaced missile launchers had been tested lon! before $ith both $or#in! perfectl", hema!a@ines $ere still full $ith the remainin! reloads that had been sequestered in the car!o ba"s and armouries, heentire s"stem of launchers $ere full) ho$ever it no$ meant that unless the" could someho$ persuade the Alliance tosuppl" them $ith hi!h "ield nuclear $eapons or hi!h explosive missiles the" $ould be out of $eaponr" $ithin a fe$battles,

he ships be!an the sha#edo$n of each of their s"stems in turn, %eapons and sensors $ere tested a!ain and a!ain

$hile the en!ines and other critical s"stems $ere en!a!ed in maneuverin! and speed trials that had not beenpossible at their home station, he last of the s"stems chec#ed had been the shields of the Achilles) the reason $ast$o fold) one $as to chec# the actual shields, .f the shields $ere seen as shields and not as an anomal" thescanners $ould be functional) an" other readin! $ould mean recalibrations or possibl" complete chec#s of all tiesinto the s"stem, he shields $ent up sendin! ener!" readin! of the small ships off the scale) the ship becameindistinct as the three :arthforce ships !ot a readin! of a basic outline and a sphere,

he Scanners $ere a success) the rail!uns $or#ed and no$ for the first time :arthforce had ships that ma" *ust becapable of fi!htin! off the massive ships that $ere assaultin! their homes and people, he cre$s $ere ecstatic at thethou!ht that their ships $ere no$ a match for the hated 4inbari,

0aedalus to Achilles) all ships s"tem chec# out, %e+ve !ot a fe$ bloc#a!es in the rail!uns) but ever"thin! else$or#s,3

Achilles to 0aedalus, %e+ve noticed) our s"stems are prett" much bac# to spec as $ell, 9oo#s l i#e $e+ve both !otsomethin! !ood out of this,3

.ndeed Achilles) $e+re returnin! to 0urani Base immediatel") "ou $ant a to$ this time63

hat $ould be much appreciated, %e+re not quite used to h"perspace steerin! "et,3

No2ones reall" !ot the han! of it Achilles) hold ti!ht $e+ll have a to$ line to "ou in a fe$ minutes,3

-ot that 0aedalu, Achilles out,3

) launch t$o of the Starfuries have them attach to$ lines to the Achilles and read" a report to 0urani Command)scanners operative) un#no$n, .f 4inbari ships can be seen, .mmediate follo$ up needed,3

A"e) Sir,3



$o small fi!hters launched from the han!er of the ="perion cruiser, Spinnin! around to the rear of the vessel the"clamped onto several lar!e metal cables and reeled them out to the Prometheus class $arship, As the" closed thesmaller ship pulled a$a" and s$un! one hundred de!rees on its axis,

#S$F $%hilles

Sa'e ti'e.

he cre$ $ere $atchin! their consoles !oin! about their usual duties as the commander and executive officer$atched the 0aedalus launch a fe$ fi!hters from it+s onboard squadron, At the same time coils of cables $ereunrolled from the rear of the ="perion cruiser and !rasped b" the cross shaped fi!hters,

Simultaneousl") a small si!nal $as received f rom some$here on the frin!es of the Achilles+ scanners) the si!nal $asrepeated and then stopped, Seconds later the si!nal $as increased and the scanners !ot a loc# on the vessel that$as sendin! it,

4inbari,

A 4inbari Fl"er that $as scoutin! the area,

he Achilles spun around pointin! it+s fore to$ards that area startlin! the t$o fi!hters that $ere still closin!) the Achilles started to move faster to ma#e the attempt to catch the 4inbari ship before it could !et a$a", he fl"er sa$them and po$er up to move a$a" sendin! distress si!nals as i t $ent,

Sir 4inbari ship is sendin! distress si!nals,3

Can "ou *am it63

5es SirI,:C4 !oin! active2*ammin! all enem" frequencies,3

5ou thin# the" sa$ ever"thin!) Sir63 as#ed 0avis,

4ore than li#el") !et on the horn to the :arth All iance ships tell them possible incomin! 4inbari $arships,3

A"e) Sir,3

All hands Battle Stations,3

he ship $ent into full combat alert, he ship+s $eapons s"stems that $ere not alread" primed for combat $erebrou!ht online and readied, he five fi!hters of the depleted $in! $ere set on standb" and finall" the ship+s shields$ent full" online and read" for combat, Fortunatel") unli#e the last fe$ battles fou!ht b" the Achilles) the ship+sshields $ere full" po$ered and in full $or#in! order,

he fl"er $as steadil" ma#in! it+s $a" a$a" from the s"stem to$ard the heliopause *ust outside the orbit of the lastplanet, .t $as fast but the Achilles $ith it+s o$n technolo!" $as sli!htl" faster and $as steadil" catchin! up,

Somethin!+s not ri!ht here,3

4a*or63

hat+s a sin!le pilot craft out her in a s"stem $hich should have no one here, .t+s out!unned and it has no chance ofoutrunnin! up) $hat+s more the s"stem+s *ump!ate is one hundred de!rees from its current course,3

So $h" is it runnin! into deep space63

.t+s a trap) helm turn one ei!ht" and !et us out of here,3

he a!ile and fast $arship practicall" spun around and pushed its en!ines to full sprintin! bac# to the rest of theships in the tas# force) its communications screamin! that the 4inbari $ere on their $a" into the s"stem, he three:arth Alliance capital ships responded in turn to the about turn of their all") ever" $eapon came into instantreadiness $hile their enhanced scannin! s"stems started combin! the area, he entire fli!ht contin!ent of the ships

came streamin! out of the $arship+s han!ers) mostl" the Aurora class Starfuries $ith a fe$ other variants that:arthforce $as usin!,





A"e) Sir,3

Sir the alliance ships h"perspace en!ines are still rechar!in! after the po$er dump) $e mi!ht not !et out at allunless $e !et to the !ate,3

.+m a$are of that 4a*or) $e+ll let the All iance ships !et out of ran!e then double bac# and hit the 4inbari from lon!ran!e) have $eapons put a full load of enhanced nu#es in the launchers and set them for proximit" detonation,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir 0aedalus ac#no$led!es) all ships are headin! for the s"stem+s *ump!ate,3

o!er that) read" all fi!hters $ith full anti ship combat load and put them on hot standb"e,3

A"e) Sir,3



Chapter 1'9et+s 8ic# his Pi!I3

CS Centauri esplendentUnclaimed S"stem

he Centauri primus class $arship had made its $ar into the depths of the s"stem, he s"stem $as close to the4inbari and :arther space but far enou!h and unimportant enou!h that fe$ $ould be bothered $ith the s"stem,bviousl" the humans had been there before them b" the massive amounts of debris in the s"stem,

he most surprisin! had been the fact that flotsam from a destro"ed 4inbari ship $as also in the s"stem) not quiteenou!h to be an entire ship, hat meant that the 4inbari had come for an" intact parts of their ship

.!norin! the debris of destro"ed ships and fi!hters the Primus plou!hed on it+s small scale !ravitational shieldpushin! a$a" an"thin! that could potentiall" dama!e the hull or the $eapons s"stem of the 4a*estic loo#in! ship, .t$as onl" a fe$ more minutes before the 7esplendent+ $as close to the un#no$n ener!" si!nature,

Closin! in on it the" could see the anomal" $as li#e a rip in space unli#e an"thin! else the" had seen before, hecre$ po$ered up scanners to maximum tr"in! to see if the" could fi!ure out an"thin! about the rift,

4" lord our scans indicate some #ind of forced particle s$eep comin! from the other side of the anomal") it loo#sli#e some sort of scan) possibl" a communications channel,3

%hat6 Can "ou identif" it63

.t+s not a usual t"pe of communications channel 4" lord, .t+s some hi!h frequenc" ener!" transmission,3

Can "ou secure it63

. thin# so) m" lord,3

0o so,3

A couple of minutes of $or# b" the brid!e cre$ brou!ht the voice communications up) the visuals ho$ever $ere notcapable due to the .nterference f rom the anomal",

his is the USAF Prometheus to unidentified vessel please respond,3

hat+s :n!lish) the :arther prime lan!ua!e, he name is of one of their Ancient !ods,3

%hat6 he :arther s"stems are man" li!ht "ears from here,3

Nonetheless m" lord) that is $hat $e are hearin!,3

pen up a counter frequenc",3

pen m" lord,3

his is the Centauri epublic %arship Centauri esplendent to USAF Prometheus) $e hear "ou ho$ can $e helpour :arther friends toda",3

5ou #no$ $here $e+re from63 as#ed the person communicatin! $ith them,

f course the Centauri epublic ac#no$led!es their friendship $ith the :arth Al liance and its peoples,3

=A A00 S4:=.N- =::, =: C:NAU. S=U90 :A9.J: =: .N5 F =:. SA:4:N,HU:S.N A: =:5 AFA.0 C44UN.CA: %.= =: 7:A=:S+ S.NC: =: 4.NBA. A: %.= .N-:N:A9 A:A6

Umm Captain) "ou must have us confused $ith someone else) $e+ve never heard of the Centauri,3



=o$ could that be the Alliance and the epublic have been allies for man" "ears,3

5:A=) .-=

ne moment please,3

he communication cut off from the other side at that as the human ship ceased transmittin!, the channel $as open *ust nothin! else $as comin! throu!h, he loss of transmission $as i!nored as the scanners of the Primus class shipstarted to beep an alert,

4" lord) there+s somethin! happenin! to the ift, .t seems to be shiftin!,3

Centauri vessel) this is the Achil les do "ou see $hat $e+re seein!63

.ndeed Achilles) the Anomal" is chan!in! some$hat do "ou #no$ $hat it is63

Ne!ative) $e+ve nothin! li#e it on record,3

.ndeed,3

=an! on its !ro$in!I ahh hell All about N%3

he Centauri heard the order do$n the communications line $hich cut off, Seconds later as the Prometheus classship and the massive =a+ta# $arship pulled a$a" from the expandin! rift, he Centauri ship $as still too close to theanomal" as it expanded fed as it $as b" the differin! ener!ies of three $arships from t$o universes and as such is$as cau!ht in the !ravitational bac#$ash of the !ro$in! rip and pulled into its embrace,

he Primus spun as it passed throu!h the rift) i t continued to tumble until it $as stopped b" the holdin! beams of one=a+ta# class mothership), he massive ship strained the ener!" s"stems and the mechanics behind the beam to thelimit before its tumble $as halted b" the cre$ of the Centauri $arship,

%e+ve !ot them Sir) the ships !ot dama!e but it+s not critical,3

pen up the hail a!ain,3

A"e) Sir,3

Centauri Ship this is the Prometheus) do "ou require assistance63

here $as silence as the communication s"stem tried to pic# up on an" incomin! transmissions) there $ere nonefrom the Centauri ship,

Centauri Ship this is the USAF Prometheus) please come in,3

No response Sir) their comms ma" be dama!ed or their brid!e cre$ ma" be out,3

Centauri Ship+s status63

heir hull is intact Sir ) but that+s about all $e can ascertain $ithout !ettin! someone inside theirs, Somethin!bloc#in! some of our scans) possibl" a shield or the construction of the ship itself,3

Alri!ht have the 7Choice+ launch a car!o ship) see if the" can !et inside, Also contact Star!ate Command, ell them$e have a First Contact) request immediate dispatch of ne!otiators and technical support cre$,3

A"e Sir,3

From the =a+ta# a sin!le el+ac class car!o shuttle launched to$ards the close to mile lon! $arship, A close up ofthe ship sho$ed them that it out massed both =uman and <affa $arships combined b" multiple times,

he main outer hull seemed to be intact $ith cosmetic dama!e, And some dama!e $as done to the most obvious of

the ship+s $eapons s"stems, Several of the heaviest $eapons had been fused shut, he ship $as slo$l" rotatin! inplace) its po$er and en!ine s"stems completel" out, nl" a fe$ thrusters #ept it from continuin! into space,



he car!o ship ban#ed around the ship loo#in! for an airloc# or han!er ba" to attach to) the han!er $as sealed shut$hile the fe$ airloc#s found could not ta#e the small ship+s o$n airloc#) finall" it $as decided for the <affa aboard torin! into the ship usin! the car!o+s transporter,

he area the <affa transported into $as a mess) the" had rin!ed into the lar!est area the" could find) that bein! thehan!er ba" for the one squadron of fi!hters the capital ship could hold, .nside the han!er the squadron of fi!htershad been set for immediate launch for one reason or another) possibl" to tr" and surround them but more li#el" as a

precautionar" measure, =o$ever the fi!hters $ere no$ stre$n across the massive ba" some intact) and some inpieces $here the" had struc# each other) or the hull struts,

Spare parts) munitions and personnel had also been thro$n around destro"in! much and #illin! ever"one in thehan!er ba", he ship+s solid construction and material stren!th had held it to!ether even $ith the dama!e ta#en b"the han!er ba") the <affa patrol could see from *ust that one loo# around that no one $as alive and there $ould belittle to salva!e after the ship $as brou!ht under control b" the Centauri or the <affa,

C+a#e to Car!o ship,3 he <affa brou!ht his communications lin# up to his face) he han!er ba" is badl" dama!ed)no cre$ alive, %e are proceedin! $ith search and rescue proceedin!s,3

Car!o ship to C+a#e) $e receive "ou, -ood luc#,3

ut,3

he patrol $as bro#en up into three teams of three to search the areas that $ere ad*acent to the han!er ba", Allthree $ent deeper into the ship as $ell as up and do$n dec#s to$ards the brid!e and the en!ine rooms,

.t too# a $hile to !et an"$here $ith the internal dama!e ta#en b" the Primus class vessel $ith dead bodies andscattered hull pieces, here $ere ver" fe$ survivors on board and it too# quite a bit of time to cross the close to one#ilometer livin! areas of the ship, his $as even more complicated as several time the teams had to return and tr"other $a"s throu!h dama!ed sections,

he first survivor found $as inside one of the ship+s barrac# rooms, he survivor $as in*ured but not seriousl" anda$o#e *ust as the three man squad pulled the dama!ed door open,

%ho6I3 he Centauri man shran# bac#) his lan!ua!e $as unfamiliar to the *affa and as such the" shifted into theau+ri+s primar" lan!ua!e,

Sta" calm) $e are onl" here to help, 5our ship is dama!ed) $e are loo#in! for the survivors to assist them,3 ne ofthe other <affa said) the Centauri cre$man #ne$ the :arther lan!ua!e and as such could converse $ith the <affa,

han# "ou) "ou are from the other side of the rift63

5es) $e are <affa, Please come $ith us) $e need to find an" other survivors, %hat is "our cre$ compliment63

A little under 1'>> cre$ and pilots,3 he "oun! Centauri $as limpin! and holdin! his arm close to his bod") he $asin obvious pain but $aved off the <affa $hen the" as#ed if he $anted help,

%e have been throu!h lar!e sections of "our ship alread") the car!o and han!er ba"s are destro"ed $hile man" ofthese barrac# rooms are dama!ed, 5ou are the first survivor found b" an" of our patrols,3

<ust me) me out of fifteen hundred6 hat+s not possible,3

As . have said $e are sti ll loo#in! but much of "ou ship is in pieces) "ou have no hul# breaches that $e could findbut the internal structure is compromised in man" areas, %e believe there ma" be survivors on the brid!e or someother command room,3

he brid!e is in the centre of the ship) a secondar" control room is close to en!ineerin! the ship can be operatedfrom there,3

han# "ou) if "ou $ill come $ith us $e shall find more of "our brethren,3

han# "ou all) it is appreciated b" the =ouse of 4ollari,3

Special peration 0.o Base



Sol S"stemSame 0a",

he Spec ops base $as the :arth Alliance+s most secure and classified station in :arth space) it $as the hub of mostof the Alliance+s current research and development for use a!ainst 4inbari $arships, No$ the station $as $or#in!overtime $ith the ne$est technolo!ies that had been brou!ht in) alread" numerous s"stems $ere bein! stripped fromthe 4inbari ships $hile the technical specs $ere exchan!ed $ith the Achilles cre$,

he crippled inashi and Sharlin $ere no$ little more than hul#s $ith spare parts) an"thin! of an" use had beenstripped and $as bein! anal"@ed b" the best brains the All iance could !ather to!ether, Fi!hters and fl"ers had alsobeen removed from the intact Sharlin in order to chec# them out, he" $ere no$ in the hands of the fi!hter corps on:arth,

he entire base $as bustlin! as the next shift of scientists and technicians came aboard to continue $ith thedeconstruction of the ships in their hands, 4ost moved to the massive complex $here the 4inbari technolo!" $asbein! stored $hile a small !roup headed for a smaller station $here the technolo!" !iven to them b" the Achilles $asbein! loo#ed over,

.nside the station stood the #e" to the entire exchan!e bet$een the t$o human po$ers) one F2&>? stood alone insidethe pressuri@ed doc# space, Unli#e the other ships in their hands the &>? $as intact and still bein! loo#ed overbefore it $as reverse en!ineered, .t as $ell as a small !round cre$ from the Achilles had been transferred from0urani Station in order to full" brief the technicians at .o base,

For no$ the information alread" !athered from both sources $as more than enou!h for the esearch and0evelopment teams to start construction basic plans from up!rades across the fleet, =o$ever even $ith theavailabilit" of components and personnel it $ould ta#e a lot of time and effort to rebuild these s"stems into the shipsof the fleet,

:arth Force command had sent a sin!le ="perion class $arship to the 0 facilities as a test bed for the ne$est ofthe technolo!ies available, %ith assistance from the cre$ of the Achilles and the technicians at 0urani base) thes"stems installed upon the 0aedalus as# force, Alread" the main sensor s"stems had been totall" removed andfull" inte!rated s"stem based on the Achilles+ desi!n $ere bein! installed) it $ould ta#e time but $ithin $ee#s theship should be read",

ther s"stems such as the rail!uns and inertial compensators used b" all S-C spacecraft $ere bein! studied b" thestation+s personnel) none $ould be read" for a fe$ $ee#s as even thou!h the ships on the front lines had cobbled

to!ether some !ood version the" $ere not suitable for lar!e scale deplo"ment

9t, Silverston,3

Commander Cole) nice to see "ou,3

han# "ou, . have a messa!e from :arthdome) the" $ish to see "ou in -eneva as soon as possible,3

Someone let the cat outta the ba! huh63

5eah) seems that the" ain+t too happ" about "our people bein! here and not contactin! the bi!$i!s :arthside,3

%ell considerin! the political ber#s $e+ve !ot bac# home) . #inda $ant to sta" a$a" from them2li#e an" can be $orse

than 8inse",3

As "ou said before2Clar# and 8inse"222lon! lost brothers, h) 9ord

%e+ve !ot a fe$ ri!ht tits here,3 he alder British man said, he shuttle+s !oin! in a fe$ minutes) .+m returnin! $ith"ou to :arth Force command then .+m off on leave,3

-onna see the famil") huh63

5ep, -ot m" #ids to see, .t+s been a $hile,3

9et+s !et !oin!,3

he t$o officers left the control room of the .o 0 base and headed for the massive han!er section that held thenumerous construction pod as $ell as the numerous shuttles, his $as not !oin! to be an eas" time for the UnitedStates pilot,



.o ransfer Pointne hour laterL

he transfer close to the 4oon of .o $as the replacement *ump!ate into the home of the :arth All iance, he ori!inal<ump!ate had been placed in :arth rbit b" the Centauri over one hundred "ears previousl", %ith the !ro$th of the

Alliance and the #no$led!e of potentiall" harmful alien races in the immediate !alactic area) the ori!inal !ate hadbeen decommissioned and moved into stora!e, he .o !ate $as no$ the onl" !ate allo$in! ships into the s"stem,

Close b" the !ate sat several lin#ed habitats that made up the .o naval station and transfer point) around the stationsa do@en ="perion and Nova class ships $ere doc#ed $ith almost fort" civilian ships surroundin! them, he massiveliners and car!o ships $ere loadin! or unloadin! their car!oes to the Station and $arships,

Fi!hters and shuttles $ere flittin! to and fro from the station) man" ta#in! on leave troops bac# home or to theirrespective commands, Unli#e most of the stations in the Al liance s"stems) the .o transfer point $as unarmed as faras the main base $ent $hile the :arthForce 0 and operations stations $ere heavil" protected,

From the closest station to the inner s"stem) a sin!le hi!h2speed trans atmospheric shuttle left the han!er of thestation+s ;.P section) the t$o passen!ers headin! for :arth and a meetin! $ith Senator %illiam Clar#,

Shala Fi Med StarKShar!otti Class %arship

Former :arth Alliance s"stemSame time

he Shar!otti $arship had turned a$a" from the bul# of its fleet trailin! a duo of Sharlin class cruisers and six inashiclass fri!ates) the fe$ records received from the 0rala Fi before the ships had left the s"stem had pointed out that the

Achilles and a ne$ earth ship had destro"ed five of their ships $ithin minutes, For this the" $ere ta#in! no chances,

he formation spread out to minimi@e the overlappin! their fire $ould ma#e and enou!h to allo$ the fi!htersquadrons of the lar!er ships to slip throu!h and attac# the Achilles) enou!h to soften her up before the capital ships$ent in,

Shai Al"t) the tas# force is in combat formation) $e have the Achilles on our sensors) her shields are stoppin! us!ettin! a full readin! of their position) ho$ever $e are able to extrapolate their location and as such $e $ill startbombardment once in ran!e,

-ood) have the fi!hters cover the lar!er ships) the readin! $e have received from the 0rala Fi have !iven us !oodintelli!ence on their Anti fi!hter abilities) the fi!hters $ill #eep the human missiles at ba",3

5es) Shai Al"t,3

he lar!er than usual tas# force approached the Achilles slo$l") the faster speed of the Achilles ne!ated b" theslo$er speeds of the Alliance patrol it $as rende@vousin! $ith, he 4inbari ships closed faster $ith the Al liance$arships closin! to stri#e ran!e, he fi!hters of the second !roup closed in $ith the faster fri!ates in order to cripplethe lar!er :arth ships,

Starfuries from all three ships streamed out of the han!er ba"s of the three Alliance cruisers) barel" three squadronsa!ainst over a $in! and a half of 4inbari fi!hters) the 7furies $hile usuall" no match the more po$erful fi!hters of the4inbari $ould have to soa# up a massive amount of firepo$er in order to let their home vessels escape,

he entire Starfur" phalanx $ere capable of bein! armed $ith Air to Air 4issiles for use a!ainst threat forces) thesemissiles had a ran!e better than an" #no$n $eapons the 4inbari had) and these $ere put to !ood use as the t$o!roups closed the ran!e) the 4inbari to firin! ran!e and the Starfuries to their o$n, he firin! ran!e for the humanfi!hters for so lon! a!ainst the 4inbari had been point blan#, No$ $ith their home vessels assistance that ran!e $asthe ran!e no other fi!hter had) that of their most po$erful 4issile $eapons,

From thirt"2six fi!hters) shouts of 7Fox $o+ or 7Fox hree+ $ere heard from all ships of the fi!hter $in! as the"accompanied the launch of sevent"2t$o missiles from their $in!s) the massive salvo lanced out at the one hundredodd Nial .nterceptors, :ven after months of $ar the 4inbari fi!hter pilots $ere not used to the archaic solid2state$eapons that the humans used on all their craft,

As such) do@ens of explosions ripped into the fi!hter s$arm #illin! entire squadrons as a little more than half of themissiles impacted the 4inbari fi!hters) other missiles $ere intercepted b" quic# thin#in! pilots and shot do$n $hile"et more $ere spoofed b" the :C4 s"stems of the fi!hters themselves, he last of the missile salvo $ere shot do$nb" the lon!er ran!ed and more po$erful $eapons of the inashi Fri!ates that $ere approachin! them) hot on theheels of the fi!hters,



he remainin! fi!hters of the 4inbari ran#s still outnumbered and out!unned the :arth Starfuries as the t$o !roupscollided, Fusion cannons and Plasma burst impacted on all sides destro"in! fi!hters b" the handful before thefi!hters separated their combined speeds pullin! them past the others,

he 7Furies tilted up and burst out of the melee their en!ines burnin! at maximum) s$in!in! around the fi!hterslaunched into the lines of the 4inbari squadrons,

he 4inbari fi!hters bro#e ran#s and scattered tr"in! to !et loc#s on the human fi!hters, Both sides spun andcollided once a!ain) the telemetr" from the capital ships allo$in! the :arth fi!hters to finall" tar!et their enemies,nce a!ain pulse cannons struc# cr"stalline armor crushin! and meltin! throu!h the hulls of their foes $hile fusionlasers cut into thic# armor and sliced entire throu!h entire sections of the fi!hter+s hulls,

Alpha ne Aurora Starfur",ff of the Nova Class 0readnau!ht .carus

Alpha one to all alpha units) brea# into $in! pairs and hit the enem", 0o not allo$ the bastards to ta#e "ou one onone,3

he damned boneheads alread" outnumber us t$o to one) the" don+t need to)3 Alpha six responded,

<ust do it Six, %e need to let the rest of the ships !et out and bac# to 0urani Station,3

A"e) Sir,3

Alpha three) Fox $o) Fox three,3

Alpha Seven) Fox three, Alpha 9eader .+m outta missiles,3

-ot that Seven) sta" alert and hit an"thin! that+s not one of ours,3

A"e Sir) Seven out,3

he remainin! 4embers of Alpha Squadron spun in space) each covin! the others as missiles and plasma bolts

$ere exchan!ed $ith the closest enem" units, A half do@en more 4inbari ceased to exist as the $in! pairs started tota! team an enem" fi!hter ever" fe$ seconds,

:ven $ith these ne$ tactics the outnumbered :arth forces had little chance a!ainst the more advanced and far morepo$erful 4inbari fi!hters) sin!ularl" or in $in! pairs, Fusion cannons of the Nials slo$l" annihilated the squadrons,:ven $ith the losses on their side the humans refused to bo$ do$n before the 4inbari) the fe$ remainin! units !aveup an" hope of survival and $ith that reali@ation the" became dan!erous,

-amma six) Fox hree Fox hree) hell all foxes,3 ne of the Starfuries released ever" $eapons s"stem he had inone salvo headin! strai!ht for $hat seemed to be the squadron leaders for the immediate squadrons, =is insanechar!e $as cut off $ith the destruction of his t$o port en!ines) $hich sent him spinnin! off into the !uns of severalmore fi!hters, 4ost of his $eapons fire impacted on a sin!le f i!hter dama!in! it $hile the rest $ere shot do$n ordod!ed,

hree more Nials $ent do$n as the remnants of the lost fi!hter+s squadron *umped the 4inbari fi!hters hittin! moreand disablin! them) missiles crossed paths as the last of the :arth fi!hters missiles impacted into their enem"fi!hters) #illin! them all,

.n onl" minutes the 4inbari had lost entire squadrons of their brethren from the lon! reach of the human+s modifiedmissiles) "et more had been ta#en out b" accurate fire that had not been seen before b" the 4inbari fleet, 4ore andmore fi!hters $ere lost as the surprise finall" lifted from the 4inbari squadrons allo$in! them to ta#e out more andmore human pilots,

For ever" human fi!hter lost the odds turned even $orse to the remainin! humans, %ith almost a half squadron toeach human fi!hter the Starfuries had no chance at all a!ainst the 4inbari even if the" $ere all intact and full"armed, =o$ever $ith this reali@ation somethin! had chan!ed,

.t $as once claimed that there is nothin! more dan!erous than a man $ho has nothin! left to lose, hese fe$ pilotsno$ $ere those men and as such had become somethin! to fear even b" the 4inbari $arriors,

Alpha 9ead to all units) ta#e these fuc#ers do$n and ta#e 7em do$n damned hard,3





.nterlude Number ?his calls for a subtle Blend of Ps"cholo!" and :xtreme ;iolence,3

4inbar 4inbari Federation-re" Council Chambers

hat da"L

he Chambers of the -re" council $ere active for the first time in man" months, he council had been aboard the;alen+tha for much of the $ar) no$ $ith the $ar in full s$in! the modified Sharlin had returned to its home $orld andits ver" valuable car!o had been returned to their chambers in the old capital cit",

5ou have seen the reports from the 0rala Fi,3

. have,3

%hat is "our belief in this6

he =umans have never had this abilit" before, heir technolo!" is too far belo$ ours to be a credible threat,3

=o$ever this ne$ arrival) this 7Achil les+ is more than capable of destro"in! our ships,3

.t is one ship) it is of no consequence,3

he hood of one of the seven Council members in session $as pulled do$n, An attractive female face $as under it,But their technolo!" ma" be)3 the $oman said, .f the =umans are able to cop" it in sufficient numbers then ourships ma" have a problem,3

ur ships are far too po$erful for the :arth ships to do much to,3

hen $hat happened to the 0rala Fi assault fleet63

A momentar" problem) the destruction of the fleet $as due to too man" contributin! factors) none of $hich $il l be aproblem $ith the next attac#,3

heir abilit" to scan our ships has brou!ht them up to our level of abilit") the" have man" ships) not as man" as ouro$n fleet but their tenacit" ma" become a problem for us in the future,3

hen $e do not allo$ it to !et that far, ur .ntelli!ence has pointed out that the entire !roup of ships refitted $iththese ne$ technolo!ies $ould be runnin! throu!h tests toda") the Shala Fi assault fleet $ith a full squadron bac# uphas been sent to destro" them, he Achilles and the Al liance ships $ill be destro"ed,3

And if the =umans alread" have the technolo!" en!ineered enou!h to add to the rest of their ships63

hen $e destro" them all and leave no survivors no matter the cost,3

his is $ron!, his is no lon!er ven!eance,3

.t is simple retribution) 0elenn,3

No) it is not) 4orann, he destruction of the Achilles ma" help us in the short run but $hat if more of their shipsappear $hat $ill happen then63

%e $ill destro" them,3

0o not be so flippant 4orann, .f the" have an" numbers of these ships the" ma" do us more harm than $e thou!ht,heir shieldin! and sensors $ill allo$ them to destro" an" ship $e send,3

heir ships ma" become po$erful and ma" have the chance a!ainst some of our ships but $e have the numbers

and $eapons to destro" them and $e $ill) for $e must be read" for the possibilit" of the Shado$s return,3



4orann is correct)3 Satai Sharonn the ne$est member of the council spo#e up,3 %e lost a !reat man" ships to thebarbarians, .t is an insult to the $arriors and 4inbari race ali#e) for $e are the chosen of ;alen and the children of the;orlonsD $e are in the ri!ht for this, he =umans $ill be destro"ed as $ill all that help them,3

:ver"one6 %hat about the Narn and Centauri amon!st others) both have helped the =umans, Are "ou $illin! todestro" them) then $hat if others decide to side $ith them6 his is !oin! too far and too quic#l") this ma#es us nobetter than those $e claim ven!eance a!ainst,3

he =umans have #illed some of our best and bri!htest, %e $ill destro" them and their allies, %e have the numbersand $e have the $arrior+s true conscience, he =umans must be $iped out or $e $ill have lost so much for nothin!,3

. hope for the sa#e of our entire race that "ou are correct Sharonn or $e $ill all pa" the price for the $arrior Caste+sprideful actions,3

he :arthers are an aberration of the $orst #ind, %hat $e #no$ of their histor" is that of bloodshed and chaos) the"$illin!l" fi!ht one another,3

%ere $e an" different in our past) 4orann63 he reli!ious Satai as#ed, %e once fou!ht amon!st ourselves forcontrol and until the comin! of ;alen $e had no !uide to follo$,3

hat $as close to a 4illennium a!o, ur base desires no lon!er control our dealin!s $ith each other,3

But those desires are useful for dealin! $ith those not of 4inbari blood63

hese :arthers have spilt that blood,3

Need . remind "ou that ;alen himself $as a 4inbari not born of 4inbari6 =e ma" have had 4inbari blood but he $asnot born of 4inbari blood, %ould "ou be so $illin! to so such to him63

0elenn of the 4inbari %arrior caste returned her hood to its place and deactivated the li!ht of her place in the circle,%al#in! a$a" she returned to the thou!hts that had been pla!uin! her, Such $as her thou!hts that she did not seethe return of her old friend) the :nti+@ah of the Anla+sho#) the first one of the an!ers,

=ello) 0elenn,3

5ou scared me) 9enonn,3

hat $as not m" intent,3

.t is !ood to see "ou old friend,3

5ou as $ell, .t has been quite a $ee#,3

.t has indeed, . assume the Anla+sho# have been informed about the status of the 0rala Fi,3

.ndeed this is quite interestin!, A sin!le ship chan!ed the tide of a battle that should have destro"ed the entire=uman mid ran!e base at Beta 0urani, he 7Achilles+ . believe,3

he an!ers ma" be of help here,3

.ndeed . have alread" ordered m" people to !ather intelli!ence about this ne$ ship and its capabilities, From $hatlittle $e have !athered the cre$ is all =uman and the technolo!" involved is not from this area of space,3

he 0ar# nes63

No . don+t believe so, he Shado$s do not have this t"pe of technolo!" that $e #no$ of or the" $ould havedestro"ed the Alliance of 9i!ht one thousand "ears a!o, he defensive fields used b" the races $e #no$ of are muchdifferent in output and technolo!" than this one, =o$ever $e also do not #no$ for certain that the" are not so $emust be cautions at all times or $e ma" fall into the hole that the $arriors are carvin!,3

. a!ree, his $ar is ta#in! a life of its o$n) in onl" one month $e have lost in excess of one hundred and ten of our

best $arships, . do not expect the Shala Fi+s tas# force to return intact, he po$er behind the Achilles and itstechnolo!" ma" prove to be too much,3



5es . sa$ the impact the ener!" $eapon the Achilles has used one of our ships, .f the" are able to use that morethan once) in a short time entire tas# forces $ould be in *eopard",3

hese =umans are tenacious) the" cannot defeat us "et the" tr" to stop us at ever" turn, . $ill admit . do admire the=umans for their $ish to protect their o$n,3

he =umans are an adaptable species that much is certain, he" have been in space less than a quarter of our o$n

time "et the" still fi!ht on a!ainst odds that the" have little chance a!ain,3

A!reed) ho$ever these ne$comer =umans must not be underestimated, heir assistance ma" do more to thisbalance of po$er than an" that has come before) as such 9enonn . $ish for "our help,3

As# and . shall tr",3

. $ant "ou to ta#e one of our ships $hatever ship "ou can $ith a cre$ of trusted men and $omen and find out moreof this ship and $here it came from, he s"stems around $here the Shal+avi $as found has the best chance for us tofind $here the" came from,3

As it shall be, 0elenn be cautious the $arriors and $or#ers are pushin! this $ar too fast, 0o $hat "ou can to slo$ itdo$n until our return,3

. shall tr" old friend, .n ;alen+s Name,3

.n ;alen+s Name,3

=an!er 1G:arthForce Command:arthdome:arth AllianceSix hours later

he atmospheric shuttle on loan from the .o transfer point pulled up from re2entr") i ts lo$er fusela!e still !lo$in!bri!htl" from the heat of atmospheric insertion, .ts atmospheric $in!s and undercarria!e opened out for the shuttle+slandin! at the hi!h securit" han!er close to :arthdome itself,

he shuttle+s touchdo$n $as s$ift and sure the pilot #no$in! the landin! strip $ell) the passen!ers havin! littleproblem $ith the smooth ride as the" came to a stop, he airloc# depressuri@ed and allo$ed them to exit into theterminal, here in front of them stood an honor !uard of the :arth Alliance 4arine Corps $ith a number of ;.Ps infront of them,

ne baldin! and sli!htl" smarm" loo#in! man $al#ed up to the t$o men loo#in! them over,

%elcome to :arth) 9t,3

UhhI,3

its o#a") 9t, .+m $ell a$are that "ou are from the ship that appeared in our space recentl",3

Sir,3

Please come $ith us) $e have some thin!s to tal# about,3

Sir) .+m not diplomat, .+m a pilot, .f "ou reall" $ant to tal# "ou need to tal# to m" commander,3

%ell "our commander isn+t here and "ou are, Besides this is *ust an informal chat) nothin! more,3

.+ll see "ou bac# at .o station in a $ee#)3 said Commander Cole as he left,

Sa" hello to %ill and 4arcus for me,3

%ill do,3



he Commander $al#ed a$a" from the Senatorial part" and their !uards leavin! the 9t alone $ith the senator andhis part", he rest of the !roup left the room in silence no conversation comin! from an"one, he 9ieutenant $asmore than a little $ar" of this small man in front of him) the little !u" reminded him sli!htl" of the sna#eheads $ith hisaura of self importance,

he senator and his part" pulled up to a car outside the complex obviousl" to ta#e them to the :arth0ome senatorialoffices) once inside ho$ever thin!s chan!ed,

9t) 4" name is %illiam Clar#, . am a Senator for the Alliance and head of 0 for :arthForce, .t seems $e have "ouand "our ship to than# for the advances that have allo$ed some of our ships to !o one on one $ith 4inbari $arshipsand do some dama!e,3

9t 0ennis Silverston United States Air Force) Space Command, Nice to meet "ou) Sir,3

.t $as luc#" that "ou and "our ship came to us $hen it did) other$ise $e $ould be in much more trouble than $e area!ainst these 0amn 4inbari,3

%ell Sir) $e $ere $ill in! to help, .+m !oin! to assume that "ou have the full debriefin!s that m"self and Colonela"lor !ave to "our people at 0S E and 0urani Station,3 he other man merel" nodded, %e #no$ $hat this $ar isdoin! to "ou people Sir, in the last ei!ht "ears $e have been at $ar $ith a race so far above us in technolo!" it$asn+t funn", %ith help and some of our o$n #no$2ho$ $e are no$ at a level $here $e can fi!ht them,3

So "ou freel" helped us $ith onl" requests for 4ateriel aid to #eep "our ship !oin!,3

=e surreptitiousl" !lanced at the $oman in blac# at the bac# of the room and Silverston sa$ this but did not let theman #no$,

Sir) if $e sa$ $hat $as !oin! on $e li#el" $ould have helped an"$a",3

Another !lance,

%hat $ould "ou need to persuade "ou to !ive us access to more of "our technolo!ies6 here must be somethin!that "ou and "our cre$ $ould li#e63

. can+t sa") Sir, .+m not authori@ed to !ive a$a" an"thin! . #no$, he fi!hter that $e brou!ht $ith us is the upper limitof our technolo!") most of $hich "ou can li#el" develop better versions of as compared to our o$n,3

%h" $ould "ou sa" that) "ou have much better technolo!" than most of our ships63

Sir) m" ship is from the "ear ?>>', ur technolo!" basis is more than t$o hundred "ears behind "ours,3

?>>'63

5es) Sir, .+m a$are that it+s ??E' here,3

he $oman in the rear $as no$ *ust in the 9t+s peripheral vision) she did not loo# at all $ell as if somethin! $astroublin! her, Pale and sic#l" loo#in! she did seem to be in quite some discomfort,

hat+s ama@in!, here $as nothin! li#e these parasites in our histor", ur first alien contact $as $ith the Centaurione hundred or so "ears a!o and $e could have done $ith some of these advancements bac# durin! the 0il!ar $aras $ell,

%ell the sensors should help Senator, he rest $il l be useful but it $ill ta#e time to en!ineer into "our ships,3

5es, %ell $e reall" could do $ith some of those shields and nu#es "ou+re carr"in!,3

. can+t do an"thin! about that) Sir, . don+t have clearance for most of those s"stems and the Nu#es are in shortsuppl",3 he senator loo#ed at the $oman a!ain) and a!ain the 9t didn+t let it sho$ he sa$, Somethin! $as $ron!and he #ne$ he $as stuc# ri!ht in the middle of it,

:xcuse me Sir) ma" . be excused)3 the $oman said) loo#in! bac# at her the USAF officer, he $oman $as s$eatin!

badl" and $as ver" pale) loc#in! e"es $ith him she paled even further and ran out of the doors, As the" closed thesound of retchin! could be heard from the $oman,



%ell that $as stran!e) poor dear can+t be feelin! $ell,3 he Senator smiled) %ell then) $hat can "ou tell me about"our fi!hter then) it is quite a piece of equipment especiall" after the dama!e "ou and "our cohorts did to the4inbari,3

0ennis reall" didn+t li#e this !u" and he had a stron! suspicion $h" he had been brou!ht there) and he reall" didn+tli#e it

Undetermined 9ocationUn#no$n spaceUn#no$n time,

hese ne$comers have tipped the balance bet$een the =umans and the 4inbari,3

5es,3

ur children are no$ fi!htin! on an equal level) somethin! the" have not seen in man" "ears,3

he battles to come $ill redress this balance to one side or to the other,3

.f that is so then $e $ill need to be prepared, he 4inbari have follo$ed us for a !reat man" "ears and as such $ill

not def" us or i!nore our requests,3

.f the =umans hold the line a!ainst their enemies) $e $ill approach them as $e did the 4inbari a millennia a!o,3

A!reed) these ne$comers $ill be of help a!ainst the Shado$s) and if the" def" us the" $ill be removed from theequation,3

5es,3

hen let us $atch and learn,3

he circle stands as it is,3

:lse$hereUn#no$n SpaceSame ime,

he ancients are returnin!,3

.ndeed the time is upon us all,3

he rules have chan!ed, his ne$ race the =umans are much more than $e thou!ht the" $ould be,3

. a!ree, he assistance from their brethren from else$here has chan!ed the rules of the $ar, ur a!ents $ithin the=uman+s !overnment have started to falter as the 4inbari have !otten closer,3

he assistance from these ne$comers ma" "et be of use to us) prepare a ship and =uman a!ent, %e $ill find out

$hat these ne$comers are and $here the" are from, he" ma" "et allo$ us to turn the tide a!ainst the other side$hen the -reat $ar be!ins ane$,3

At once,3

%ith the master+s return the time to stri#e $ill soon and $ith these =umans it $ill be much the simpler,3



Chapter /0

What we hae here is a +ailure to %o''uni%ate.”

#S$F $%hilles

For'er ,arth $llian%e spa%e

Close to one hour later.

he Achilles $as roc#ed from all sides as the lar!e !roup of 4inbari ships closed in on her from the flan#s and therear, Fusion cannon fire and Neutron fire impacted into the shields of the $arship, 4ost of the shots $ere !lancin! asthe *in#in! and *umpin! of the ship and the Achilles+ :C4 confused the enem" scanners,

an!e63

:nem" ships are closin!) at maximum missi le ran!e,3

9aunch full salvo of missiles maximum spread) maximum "ield,3

A"e,3

A fusillade of missiles exploded from their launchers into the midst of the 4inbari ships, %ithin seconds most hadbeen shot do$n b" the defensive fire from the fi!hters and 4inbari capital ships) three of the enhanced missilesho$ever made it thou!h to the 4inbari $arships and exploded as their proximit" fuses activated the $arheads,

hree times five hundred me!aton explosives detonated simultaneousl" causin! immense radiolo!ical andconcussive dama!e to the nearest ships, he fi!hter and inashi fri!ates attempted to pull a$a" and avoid theexplosive effect) man" mana!e to ma#e it but a fe$ unluc#" pilots and cre$ $ere smashed b" the explosions #illin!them all and dama!in! man" more,

nl" three impacts) Sir, Fi!hter and intercept fi re too# out the rest) seems that our missiles aren+t much use

an"more,3

#) read" the rail!uns for fi!hter intercept2 read" Al liance interceptors for $eapons intercept,3

A"e) Sir,3

As part of the exchan!e bet$een the t$o po$ers) the Alliance had !iven technical and s"stems support to theBattlecruiser, ne such chan!e had been the addition to the defensive s"stems of the Achilles had been theinclusion of several t"pe one interceptor s"stems, nl" a fe$ had been attached as the" had been intended for shipsand stations much lar!er than the USAF ship, Sa such the" had been cut do$n to sin!le cannons on a small turretmuch li#e the rail!un turrets of the Achilles, hese $eapons $ould be useful in interceptin! $eapons fire from the4inbari ships and indeed an" ships the" came into contact $ith,

:n!ineerin!) divert all po$er to shields and $eapons, %hat is the status of the As!ard $eapon63

%eapon is char!ed and set for repeat action, She+s as read" to !o as $e can !et her,3

-ood <ob chief, Brid!e out, Sensors read" loc#s on 4inbari capital ships) $eapons read" the 4inbari $eapon,3

A"e) Sir,3

A"e) Sir,3

=elm increase speed !et us further a$a" from the 4inbari) $e have to !et room to turn and fire,3

A"e) Sir,3

Colonel) :arth Alliance ships have confirmed inbound) in excess of sixt" fi!hters comin! in, heir entire Starfur"compliment has been destro"ed b" the 4inbari fi!hters,3



=o$ man"63

hirt" six fi!hters all completel" destro"ed,3

An" pods63

Ne!ative) the"+re all !one,

8eep an e"e out an"$a",3

A"e sir) $hat about the Alliance ships) $ithout their fi!hter defenceI,3

heir o$n s"stems should #eep them safe, heir interceptors and rail!uns should hold off the fi!hters, rder them tocontinue to the *ump !ate b" all means necessar",3

A"e) Sir, Sir the 4ain 4inbari fleet are catchin! up to the 0aedalus quic#l"2 the" $on+t ma#e it to the !ate in time,3

0ammit =ave them chan!e course to meet $ith us $e+ll hit their attac#s $hile the" hit ours, %eapons read" A99$eapons $ith maximum loads) read" a full stren!th :C4 burst to cover the 4issiles as the" !o in and read" theS,,0 for immediate use,3

All secondar" $eapons are read" Sir) missiles bein! loaded no$, he As!ard cannon is operational) secondar"reactor at full" readiness and tied into the $eapons,3

%ithout a h"perdrive that+s a lot of po$er) Sir ,3

%e+re !onna need it) 4a*or,3

A"e) Sir, ear shields are droppin! in po$er) the" seem to be !ettin! better at tar!etin! us,3

Not difficult considerin! $e+re runnin! in almost a strai!ht line, Fire a salvo of conventional missi les see if $e can !etthem off of us,3

A"e Sir, 4issiles are bein! loaded and $e+ve !ot tar!ets)3 the %eapons ffices said,

Fire,3

A salvo of conventional nuclear missiles) non2enhanced b" naquada) sped to$ards the 4inbari ships) a!ain mostbein! intercepted $ell ahead of their tar!ets, his time the surroundin! ships pulled a$a" from those that explodedthe nuclear pa"loads explodin! to $1"&ST no effect on the 4inbari ships,

he" !ot them all Sir, 4issiles are no$ completel" non effective,3

hou!ht the" $ould)3 said a"lor, .ncrease speed) !et us to the All iance ships, %e need to hit some of them beforethe" completel" destro" the :arth Force ships,3

A"e) Sir, hree minutes to intercept, he 4inbari ships behind us $ill be in $eapons ran!e of the :arthForce shipsin four and a half,3

he Comms officer interrupted, Sir the 0aedalus is hailin! us, :arthForce reinforcements are t$ent" minutes fromthe s"stem,3

hose ships $ill ta#e us all apart in less time, Fine) let+s do $hat $e do best shall $e, -et me shootin! solutions onthe closest 4inbari ships) read" missile salvo to assist the main !uns,3

A"e Sir, 4issiles are loadin!,3

=elm) !et us bet$een the :arthForce ships and the 4inbari on their tails, 8eep us there no matter $hat) $eaponsfree hit em $here it hurts,3

%eapons ran!e in thirt" seconds, As!ard $eapon armed) fi!hters approachin! all rail!uns are read",3



Put them on computer control) but read" the s"stems for manual fire if $e need it,3

A"e) Sir,3

Fi!hters comin! in2 ener!" spi#es,3

Fire rail!uns2 read" interceptors,3

From the small turrets on the hulls of the Achilles small bolts of li!ht seemed to burst from the barrels situated there)these h"per accelerated metal rounds $ere much stron!er than the basic titanium rounds the Achil les had beenusin! since her commission, hese ne$ rounds $ere made of scraps of dama!ed or destro"ed armour from the hullsof :arthForce ships, 4uch stron!er and heavier than the titanium rounds these ne$ shells ripped into the enem"fi!hter stren!th, he 4inbari $hile the" had #no$n some$hat of the rail!uns that $ere used b" the Achilles $ere notexpectin! the speed and stren!th of the rounds or the dama!e that the" !ave to the fi!hters,

he survivors ban#ed a$a" quic#l" most mana!in! to avoid the next salvo of rail!un fire, he rail!uns $ere muchmore po$erful than the massive and cumbersome !uns used b" the =umans on their corvettes and fri!ates,

:nem" fi!hter stri#e had been diverted) Captain) the" are pullin! bac# to protect their capital ships *ust li#e theothers,3

-ood) ma#es it easier for us,3

Sir) $e+re in $eapons ran!e for the As!ard $eapon,3

-ood) .+ve had enou!h pla"in! nice, ar!et the bi! bastards and ta#e them do$n,3

A"e) Sir,3

he 4inbari had seen the $eapons of the Achilles and $ere convinced that the" $ere more than capable of hittin!the Achilles $hile sta"in! out of ran!e of the =uman+s impressive $eapons s"stems, heir solid state $eapons) $hileeffective) $ere eas" to intercept) or had ver" short ran!e, heir po$erful ener!" $eapon $as different but $asbelieve to be short ran!ed as $ell,

he 4inbari $ere ver" $ron!,

%hat happened next $ould chan!e the $a" the $ar $as fou!ht until its conclusion,

From the ver" tip of the Achilles a burst of li!ht escaped from a lon! and heavil" armoured barrel) the ener!" pulsescreamed a$a" from the Achilles follo$ed b" another and then another, %ithin *ust a fe$ seconds six pulses hadbeen sent on their to$ards the 4inbari ships,

Unli#e the :arth Alliance and to a lesser extent some of the other "oun!er races the 4inbari had no form of intercepttechnolo!", heir use of Stealth and :C4) as $ell as thic# armour platin! and ener!" dispersion fields) had #eptthem safe for a !reat man" "ears, And so no$ these ships had no turreted pulse $eapons or t$in arra"s to dispersethe pulses from lon! ran!e,

$o pulses had been tar!eted at each of the closest Sharlins in ran!e, he speed of the pulse $as too much for an"

ship to tr" and move in front to save the heav" ships, :ach bolt impacted their tar!ets $ithin mill iseconds of eachother the 4inbari+s defence s"stems $ere $oefull" under prepared for the full fur" of a $eapon desi!ned b" a racethat had been in space of over thirt" thousand "ears,

he first pulse to hit the lead Sharlin hit it head on) the ship ta#in! the impact directl" on the $arcruiser+s for$ardsections annihilatin! the for$ard $eapons, he ener!" $eapon burro$ed throu!h over three hundred metres ofreinforced cr"stalline armour and thic# internal bul#heads explodin! in the ver" interior of the 4inbari ship completel"annihilatin! ever"thin! in its path, 0ec#s) cre$) bul#heads) s"stems and finall" the outer hull itself ceased to exist asthe immense ener!" released ripped throu!h the internals of the hu!e 4inbari ship of the line, A hole over a#ilometre in len!th and breadth no$ sat $here on three ships the cre$ed dec#s and han!er ba"s had once sat,

he second !roup of pulses arrived less than a second later in t$o cases passin! throu!h the hole made b" the firstshots and annihilatin! the entire rear sections of the Sharlins leavin! little more than spinnin! debris and bodies) thethird Sharlin $as clipped in b" the bolt destro"in! the lo$er fins of the $arship and sendin! it hurtlin! into one of it+so$n escortin! fri!ates destro"in! both

hree Sharlins do$n Sir, he rest are comin! into their o$n $eapon+s ran!e,3





Al"t the" have ran!e on us,3

%e are %arrior caste of the children of the vorlons) Brin! us around and intercept that ship) the" shall pa" for thedeaths of the 4inbari the" have #illed this da" and their impertinence a!ainst the $arrior caste of the 4inbari,3

5es) Shai Al"t,3

=ave the rest of the ships continue after the :arth Alliance $arships the remainin! ships of the second !roup $illapproach from behind the Achilles, =it them from all sides,3

Shai Al"t) the" are much more a!ile than our ships, the" can outrun our ships and !et a$a" from our firin! arcs, .naddition their $eapons seem to be able to destro" our ships quic#l" and efficientl") much more than an" other $e#no$ of,3

ur ships outnumber them b" do@ens to one) the :arth ships are of no consequences,3

5es) Shai Al"t,3

ead" all $eapons) full stri#e as soon as the" are in ran!e,3

3ur scanners are still havin! problems tar!etin! their ship) $e are !ettin! a basic silhouette and that is a ll,3

hen have all ships s"nchronised fire to s$eep space around the =uman ship,3

At once) Shai Al"t,3

#S$F $%hilles

. thin# "ou !ot their attention) Sir)3 came a voice from the communications console, he Fla!ship is pullin! a$a" totar!et us but the remainin! ships are continuin! after the Alliance ship, he ships behind us have been ordered tosurround us,3

Sensors) are the ships after the 0aedalus still in ran!e63

4issile ran!e) "es,3

%eapons2 three enhanced at their bac# sides see if $e can !et their attention,3

A"e) SirImissiles a$a",3

A trio of the Achilles most po$erful $eapons hurtled to$ards the 4inbari fleet, :i!ht ships bac#ed b" do@ens offi!hters approached the Alliance ships their fusion $eapons reachin! out and attemptin! to hit the fleetin! ;essels,

he more advanced sensors allo$ed the t$o remainin! ships of the Alliance to sta" ahead of the loc#s the 4inbarihad but not b" much) sli!ht hits dama!ed components and $eapons stations all alon! the hull, No$) the slo$er novabecame the main tar!et as the 4inbari came closer,

ut of the three missiles fired) onl" a sin!le one mana!ed to brea# the !auntlet of fi!hters and defensive fire, .timpacted on the rear of the closest fri!ate, he ship dissolved in a burst of li!ht as the nuclear reaction detonated theship+s o$n en!ine core feedin! the explosion to almost double its ori!inal potential,

Fi!hters all around the ships $ere annihilated b" nuclear f ire $hile entire sections of the closest fri!ates shatteredfrom the shoc#$ave causin! more dama!e to the surroundin! fi!hters and fliers from the massive pieces of shrapnel,

he Nova dreadnau!ht) alread" dama!ed stopped acceleratin! as it+s en!ines $ere blo$n out b" fire from one of theclosest ships, he lac# of acceleration meant the" $ere coastin! at their alread" close to maximum speed, hevelocit" $as not enou!h as the 4inbari ships came closer,

,$ Cunningha'

:n!ines are do$n Sir) $e+ve lost po$er to the interceptors and the 4inbari are closin!,3



he Captain of the Nova class 0readnau!ht $as a relativel" "oun! and inexperienced officer $ith this ships bein! hisfirst real command) he #ne$ he $as outnumbered) out!unned and out of time,

3.+m damned if the" are !onna !et off that easil",3

Sir,3

=elm turn us) brin! ever" $eapon $e can bare on the closest of their ships, .f $e+re !oin! to die) then $e ta#e someof those bastards $ith us) too,3

A"e) Sir, Comin! around,3

0ivert po$er from en!ines and h"perdrive to all $eapons, . $ant ever"thin! $e have firin!,3

A"e) Sir, 0ivertin!,3

Scanners63

%e+ve !ot them on scanners) Sir, Closest ship is the lead cruiser, She+s comin! into optimum ran!e, . thin# she$ants a clean #ill Sir,3

%ell let+s !ive them one shall $e63 =e smiled,

he remainin! brid!e cre$ !rinned nastil", he" $ere !oin! to die but b" the !race of their -ods the 4inbari $ould!o $ith them,

Sharlin directl" ahead all $eapons are loc#ed,

All cannons read",3

All cannons fire at $ill) ta#e them do$n,3

%ith the losses that had been ta#en b" the All iance durin! the months of the :arth/4inbari $ar it had been all but

for!otten *ust $hat the :arth ships $ere capable of in a fair en!a!ement, .n the t$ent" "ears since the 0il!ar $ar theNova class dreadnau!ht had become much more capable than the first run ships had been durin! those blood""ears a!ainst a hostile race,

No$ the ne$est of their class had had man" up!rades of all # inds from basic propulsion and fi!hter deplo"ment toheavier $eapons and better scanners, No$ for the first time since the 0il!ar $ar a Nova class $arship unleashed itsentire $eapons compliment at a sin!le tar!et,

:i!hteen dual heav" pulse cannons $as an impressive amount of firepo$er for an" ship in #no$n space, hat man"$eapons confirmed the Nova class as a 0readnau!ht, ver sixt" pulses left the $eapons of the Nova class ship inthose fe$ seconds that the 4inbari ship closed,

:ver" rail!un) particle beam and interceptor turret reached out for the smaller fi!hters) ma#in! the more nimble4inbari vessels brea# off their o$n escort to #eep a$a" from the deadl" volle",

Sixt" plasma pulses impacted on the thic# hull armour of the Sharlin class $arcruiser) the first salvo slammed a!ainstthe for$ard sections and the flan#s of the $arship) the successive $eapons fire impacted the same area causin!massive detonations both outside and inside the ship+s main hull,

4assive !aps appeared $here the explosive force ripped apart armour that had #ept the 4inbari ship safe for morethan one hundred "ears, he ship+s hull compromised be!an to shatter as the atmosphere inside superheated andble$ the bul#heads out,

he last do@en bolts of super heated plasma impacted the rear fin of the 4inbari ship burnin! throu!h the thic#armour platin! and i!nitin! inside the hull itself, he explosive force caused the reactor to spi#e and explode ta#in!the remainin! ship+s hull $ith it, he nova loc#ed onto the second tar!et and be!an ane$,

he retaliation $as s$ift and decisive as the last Sharlin ripped into the hull of the dreadnau!htD it+s immensel"

po$erful fusion cannons !uttin! the hull from the mid$a" point to the en!ine bloc#s, he $eapons fire from the Novaresponded $ith onl" a do@en or so bolts before the last intact portions of the ship $as destro"ed b" neutron fire fromthe Sharlin and massed fusion fire from the remainin! fri!ates,



But the sacrifice b" the cre$ of the Nova class ship had not been in vain as the last of the tas# force made it to the Alliance *ump !ate and *umped out of the s"stem and into the realms of h"perspace,

he escape of the 0aedalus and the loss of its t$o escorts had left the Achilles alone in the star s"stem, he superiorattitude had cost the 4inbari fleet dearl" $ith their inherent beliefs that the" $ere better in all $a"s than the =umans$ere,

he loss of a half do@en $arships for onl" t$o :arth Alliance ships $as a shoc# to the s"stem for the 4inbari, hereports had been filtered throu!h the fleet at all levels about this ne$ ship and it+s impressive capabilities) but had inmost $a"s been believe to be an exa!!eration of the hi!hest level b" the survivors to *ustif" their failure to an inferiorenem",

No$ for the first time a full fleet had been assembled to destro" or disable the Achilles b" an" and all meansnecessar", Unli#e in the last fe$ en!a!ements the 4inbari ships had been able to stand up a!ainst the offensivetechnolo!ies of these lost =umans, he Achilles had been dama!ed b" the combat its shields and :C4 s"stemsseemed to be $ea#enin! b" the prolon!ed battle a!ainst so man" of their ships,

All ships are to surround the =uman ship, Put me on a communications channel to the =uman ship,3

Shai Al"t63

his ship has led to the slau!hter of almost fift" of our ships, . $ant them to see the face of their destruction) theblood of the slain cries out for ven!eance and these humans $ill pa" for the deaths of so man" of our people,

5es) Shai Al"t,3

he =uman ship is pullin! a$a" it+s also headin! for the *ump !ate,3

=ave the second tas# force bar their $a", 0o $hat the" have to to hold them here3

Sir their $eapons have a !reater ran!e than our o$n) $e ma" not be able to hold them here,3

No ship has the po$er to !o throu!h the combat $e have been throu!h and still be capable of $arfare,3

Al"t their shields are droppin!,3

-ood) this $ill ma#e it easier,3

Chapter 1G

%hat do "ou thin#6 . thin# . burnt me fin!er,3

USAF Achilles,

he dama!ed battlecruiser had pulled out of the en!a!ement $ith the 4inbari, .ts po$er s"stems and shieldin! hadbeen stressed close to burnout the hour of combat had strained both the ship and its cre$ to their limits $ith no endin si!ht,

Sir) $e+re out of 4inbari effective $eapons ran!e,3

8eep us a$a") drop shields and reset $eapons for lon! ran!e counterfire,3

Shields are do$n) Sir, All shields !enerators are rechar!in!, %e+re resettin!, %eapons are set for lon! ran!e) at thisspeed $e+re should sta" out of ran!e of the 4inbari $eapons fire for a fe$ minutes)3 0avis told her

Po$er reserves63

he constant re!eneration of the shields and the use of the As!ard $eapon have drained reserve and main po$ers"stems to lo$ levels, %e+ve po$er for full subli!ht and shields but . don+t #no$ ho$ much more the shield $ill ta#ebefore burnout)3 replied the $eapons fficer,

ime to re!eneration,3



%ith shields do$n it+s at t$o minutes,3

Can $e #eep out of 4inbari ran!e63

No) Sir, :nem" ships are !oin! for en!lobementD the"+ll be in ran!e prett" soon

ime to nearest intercept63

ne minute) fort" seconds, %e+ve a lar!e enem" fi!hter concentration comin! in at full speed,3

hat meant raisin! the shields at onl" sevent" or so percent of full po$er or attemptin! to evade for those last t$ent"seconds) $ith so man" ships comin! in it $as a toss up if either $ould be of an" use,

USAF Prometheus

Achilles ift

$elve hours post riftL

he Prometheus and its escort of the =a+ta# 7Freedom+s Choice sat close to the rift that had brou!ht the Centauri$arship to their area of space) another four allied Free <affa p"ramid ships had arrived from their Search and escueduties to assist $ith the Centauri,

Several do@en more <affa had !one aboard the Primus class vessel to help the first search parties that had alread"been aboard, nce a!ain the patrols split up to chec# ever" room) corridor and car!o ba" the ship had,

he discover" of a "oun! Centauri of a 7=ouse 4ollari,+ had been of immense help, nce he had been persuadedthat the" $ere not invaders) finall" he had believed that all the" $ere tr"in! to do $as discover an" survivors of theride throu!h the anomal" and their transition into normal space, 4ore rooms $ere searched and man" more dead$ere found in the areas closest to the hull and the main s"stems such as en!ineerin! and environmental s"stems)etc, he search had uncovered almost one hundred t$ent" survivors before the search parties made it to the brid!e,

he brid!e $as a $rec#) the s"stems had blo$n out all across the dec#, And cre$men had been thro$n around)most #illed b" impacts a!ainst $alls) bul#heads and consoles, ne brave soul $as found still in his restraints his

hands still coverin! his controlsD this one man $as responsible for the arrest of the ship+s uncontrolled tumble, =ehad died before the search cre$s had even come aboard) his internal in*uries and cranial trauma $as too severe foran"thin! short of a sarcopha!us or As!ard medical technolo!", here $ere no other survivors an"$here on thebrid!e or in the surroundin! areas,

Colonel) the <affa patrols have reported in2all areas have been chec#ed and cleared, otal survivor count of onehundred sixt" seven cre$ members,3

onson stood up from his sat and loo#ed over the scanner console) the ship $as still in bad shape, .f the <affa $ereri!ht the internals $ere in such a bad shape that that ship ma" not fl" a!ain,

=ave them transfer the survivors to the =a+ta#s and see if the" can lin# their tractor beams, 9et+s see if $e can ta#ethis ship $ith us) it mi!ht come in useful,3

A"e) Sir,3

%hat do $e #no$ about that ship63

%ith their s"stems do$n $e+ve !ot a prett" !ood vie$ of their internals, .on based $eapons) particle beams andsome form of torpedo or missile s"stem, .t has heav" Anti2fi!hter capabilit" and $hat seems to be a form of passive!ravitic shield assembl") inferior to our o$n but useful for deep space travel and li!hter $eapons,3

An"thin! else63

Apart from the fact it carries f i!hters and troops) no Sir) that+s it, %e+d need an en!ineerin! cre$ to !o throu!h theship in order to !et an" more,3

-ood $or#, .+ll be in Sic#ba" $e+ve !ot some !uests to !reet,3

A"e) Sir,3



5ou have the Brid!e 9t,3

Sic#ba"

USAF Prometheus

he sic#ba" aboard the small battlecruiser had a number of Centauri survivors inside, A fe$ of the least in*ured hadbeen transferred there to !et immediate attention, he ori!inal survivor found b" the first search team $as amon!stthem,

9t 4ollari63

-ood :venin!) 5es ). am 9t Carn 4ollari) Centauri o"al Nav",3

Colonel onson) United States Air Force Commandin! officer of the Prometheus)3

Ahh "es) than# "ou for "our assistance Colonel $ithout it $e $ould have surel" perished out here,3

hin# nothin! of it,3

%hat is this ship6 Some ne$ protot"pe the Alliance has a!ainst the 4inbari63

Not quite) in our communications $ith "our ship "our Captain mentioned the Alliance and the 4inbari and that theCentauri $ere allies of the =umans, %hat can "ou tell us about this63

Same as ever"one else) that :arth is at $ar $ith the 4inbari) and as a result there is immense dama!e bein! doneto :arthers b" the 4inbari, he rest of #no$n space is sta"in! out of this $ar,3

.ncludin! the Centauri63

5es) some of us believe $e should intervene but the Centaurum refuse to,3

So $h" is this $ar !oin! on) $hat started it63

he Centauri fficer told the stor" of the death of 0u#hat and the consequent insanit" of the entire 4inbari race andthe decision to attac# the =umans and to $ipe them out to a man, he 4inbari+s "ears in space and their advancedtechnolo!" that made them the most feared race in #no$n space,

he colonel $as horrified to learn that a race as supposedl" advanced as the 4inbari $ould be $illin! to destro"man#ind due to an accident,

here is somethin! thou!h) the Centaurum have released some information about a ne$ =uman $arship) a shipable to see the 4inbari and $ith firepo$er to destro" multiple ships,3

onson sat up) this rift had been in the same area that the Achi lles had disappeared into) the fact that the Centauriship had come throu!h one $a" ma" mean that the ships on this side could !o throu!h the rift to another universe,

9t) do "ou have a name for this ship63

No $e don+t $e $ere luc#" to find out $hat $e could about this ne$ ship,3

han# "ou) an"$a",3

5ou are $elcome, No$ $hat has happened to our ship63

he transfer throu!h the rift has dama!ed it severel", .t is unli#el" it $ould survive another trip throu!h,3

=o$ man" survivors63

A little over one hundred fift",3

here $ere over fifteen hundred aboard,3



%e+ve accounted for a lot of them, he en!ine room is impossible to !et into, .t+s loc#ed do$n $ith some #ind ofprotocol2$e believe the reactor+s exposed,3

%e use an antimatter spi#ed fusion reactor Colonel, .f it had been exposed the ship and ever"thin! around her$ould have been destro"ed, it+s more li#el" dama!e to the coolant s"stems or a radiation explosion, .f it+s been cutoff there+s no chance of survivors,3

Sorr" to hear that,3

Can "ou put us in touch $ith our !overnment at all63

No not at the moment) $e+re still tr"in! to understand $hat the rift is exactl",3

Can+t the Alliance !overnment let m" people #no$ $hat happened here63

4r 4ollari) this ma" ta#e a $hile to explainI3

:arthdome2Senator+s offices

$o hours laterL

he Air Force 9t, had been removed from the Senator+s offices and sho$n to the !uest suites specificall" put asidefor diplomatic reasons, And in the e"es of man") there $as not much more $as diplomatic than hostin! one of thoseresponsible for the chance to save the entire All iance,

=o$ever in the offices of Senator %illiam Clar# thin!s $ere not as fine as the" had seemed $hen the meetin! hadfirst happened, =is ace in the hole) one of the Psi cops in his poc#et had been there to scan the other2=uman pilot,he fact that she had had to leave the room onl" a fe$ minutes into the meetin! and hadn+t returned onl" added tothe Senator+s consternation, And %illiam Clar# did not ta#e thin!s li!htl") especiall" concernin! an"thin! that couldmess $ith his plans,

=e needed time and space to do $hat he needed to do, his "oun! man and his impressive fi!hter mi!ht come inuseful in his political a!enda, After all ) once people realise ho$ he and he alone mana!ed to !et use advancedtechnolo!ies and defences to protect earth then he $ould be a hero,

=o$ever no$ $as not the time for such proclivities) his time $ould come and $hen it did the ne$comers $ould bethe push he $ould need to increase his po$er) ho$ever Clar# #ne$ he $as a patient man and he $ould $ait and see$hat $ould come from this,

But until he could !et that information from these ne$comers he $ould have to pla" it nice and deal $ith thesepeople,

Personal 0iar"

%illiam 4or!an Clar#

ClassificationL PSC2GGG2E(1

he meetin! bet$een m"self and this 79t Silverston+ $ent ahead as planned, he fact that the man had been inmilitar" service for so lon! $as anno"in! to an extreme, he fact that he is a militar" minded man made it quite eas"for me to persuade him to come to :arth for a debriefin!,

4ilitar" people are not the smartest .+ve ever met and this "oun! pilot is not much better, =o$ever) . am sli!htl"disma"ed that the telepath . had here in order to pull as much information out of this Airman as . could) left aftermerel" a minute or so in the preseEnce of this man,

. am not too $orried "et as . $ill have more time in order to pull this information out of the bo"+s head, his entire $arhas messed up m" timetable and as such . need somethin! to assist me in returnin! thin!s to their ori!inal line, hatdamned idiot Santia!o hasn+t helped in these matters andI

he Senator paused his diar" entr" as the small $oman re2entered the office, he Air force pilot had left to 7freshenup+ as it $ere) ho$ever the effects of her attempted and aborted scan $as obvious in her face, She $as extremel"

pale and loo#ed quite sic#l") a small ra! pressed to her nose as blood dribbled out,



4" -od Are "ou alri!ht63 Clar# pla"ed his s"mpath" card as he cared little for the telepaths, But ma#in! it seem li#ehe did $ould !ive him trust in their e"es, And the" couldn+t scan him $ithout brea#in! the rules and re!ulationsimposed on them) so he $as safe,

. $ill be Senator, <ust don+t as# me to read that man a!ain,3

0id "ou !et an"thin! at all63

No) . didn+t . couldn+t read him properl",3

=o$ can that be6 5ou+re a P1? ri!ht63

5es) .+m one of the most po$erful telepaths in the corps) but . could not read an"thin! about this man or $here hecame from,3

So "ou !ot nothin! from him at all63

No) Senator, . couldn+t see an"thin!) $hen . entered his mind itI it $as li#eI it $as as if someone had tied aloudspea#er to m" mind and blared out %hite Noise at hi!h volumes,3

%hite Noise63

5es Sir, .t $as screenin! him completel") it+s not li#e an"thin! . have ever seen or felt before, %hoever he is) he+simmune to telepathic scannin! in some $a",3

No =uman can ta#e that #ind of deep scan and not even feel it,3

. never !ot to the deep scan)3 she told him, nce . $as in the $hite noise over$helmed me, .t $as all . could do notto thro$ up immediatel" or pass out) once . $as out of the room the Noise stopped and . could hear others thou!htsa!ain,3

And the nosebleed63

.t *ust appeared Sir, nce the $hite noise diminished m" nose started bleedin!) it+s possible it $as a side effect ofthe aborted scan) .+ don+t #no$ $hat it $as .I . *ust don+t #no$,3

est up then =a@el and $e shall see ho$ "ou feel in the mornin!,3

han# "ou,3

he "oun! telepath left the room and headed out into the ni!ht) returnin! to her home at the Psi Corps compound,.nside the offices Clar# merel" sat bac# and loo#ed at the visual scans of the Achilles and the F2&>? currentl" in theirhands at .o Base, From the shado$ behind him a dar# fi!ure approached and loo#ed at the picture,

.nterestin! ships these ne$comers have,3

She couldn+t read him,3

5es . #no$, . felt her distress from quite a distance $a",3

%ho the hell are these people63

. do find it stran!e that a normal human such as this man could possibl" hold off a deep scan $ith such ease ofeffort) . am intri!ued . $ill admit,3

Clar# turned to loo# at the telepath, he features $ere identical to one of the men involved in the attemptedacquisition of shield technolo!" durin! the Achilles repair and refit earlier in the month, he man merel" loo#ed at thescreen $ith a neutral expression on his face, =e cared little for the Senator as the man $as *ust the means to an end,=e also #ne$ the Senator thou!ht the same of him and the rest of the Corps,

Can "ou scan him63

No) if =a@el $as unable to pass a surface scan then . doubt . $ill have an" chance at all,3



=mm) see if "ou can !ather multiple Psi Cops, 4a"be enou!h of "ou at the same time could see $hat this man+splans are,3

.ndeed) .t $ould be interestin! to see the effects on the man once he+s forcibl" scanned b" several of m" people,=o$ever the problem is !ettin! m" people close to him) our po$ers are capable throu!h line of si!ht) ho$ever if "ou$ish for more $e $ould need to force out $a" in for that $e $ould need a tactile sensation from the man) a fullcontact bet$een the t$o involved,3

No) $e $on+t !o that far "et, he man is stil l of use to us first of all as a means to a cause $ith his ship) and later asa bar!ainin! chip to !et at that advanced technolo!" the" refuse to !ive us,3

.ndeed) Senator,3

han# "ou for "our help,3

5es Senator) -ood ni!ht,3

-ood Ni!ht 4r Bester,3

Star!ate Command2Che"enne 4ountain

NA0

ne hour after transition of Centauri vesselL

he easiest $a" to contact the S-C $ithout actuall" openin! the !ate $as the use of a retro2en!ineered -oa+uldcommunications s"stem currentl" installed in the NA0 Communications Centr, As the S-C $as technicall" underthe auspices of Space Command and =ome$orld Securit" an" unexpected transmissions $ent immediatel" to theS-C command station Penta!on, An emer!enc" messa!e from the Prometheus $as one such unexpectedcommunication, he securit" level $as that hi!h that S!t %alter 0avis had put the entiret" of the base on alert andpatched directl" throu!h to the base commander,

-eneral +Neill to the -ate room immediatel", epeat) -eneral +Neill to the !ate room,3

.t too# less than a minute for <ac# +Neill to ma#e it to the -ate room, =e $as follo$ed closel" b" the remainin!members of S-1, :ven $ith +Neill+s removal from front line service the four of them continued to spend much oftheir n2 and off2 dut" time to!ether,

-eneral $e+re receivin! a Code three from the Prometheus,3

Code hree63

First Contact $ith advanced space!oin! race) Sir,3 Carter replied,

h hat Code three3 <ac# responded %hat+s the report) S!t63

he Prometheus $hile on S found a form of rift in space) contact $as established $ith a ship on the other side

belon!in! to a race called the Centauri, hat ship $as pulled throu!h the rift) badl" dama!ed) Sir, Survivors are bein!treated on the Free <affa ships of the S squadron,3

An" Si!n of the Achilles63

he report indicates nothin! but the" ma" have !one throu!h the rift, $o destro"ed =a+ta#s $ere found close to thes"stem,3

Send a response to the Prometheus) all ships sta" on station 0iplomatic team and S-C team are on their $a", =avea car!o ship prepped for launch) also read" a four man fli!ht of &>?s as escort,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sam) 0aniel) eal+c2 "ou up for a li ttle si!htseein!63

A"e) Sir,3



5ou+ll be accompan"in! the diplomatic team as soon as the" are assembled,3

<ac#) the car!o ships are all in use) aren+t the"63 As#ed 0aniel

Not all, ne $as released to the S-C for emer!enc" use, Besides it $as either that or send a load of civviesthrou!h a Star!ate) then !et there via one of the Free <affa+s ships, Believe me . $ouldn+t sic an" of these !u"s onthe <affa,,3

%ell be careful) Sir,3

0ismissed,3

he trio left the room leavin! a thou!htful +Neill behind, he Prometheus and Achilles $ere both under SpaceCommand+s control but he thou!ht that a hand from a senior officer of the S-C ma" be of use in a time li#e this,

S!t,3

Sir63

Chan!e 4essa!e) Commander S-C and S- team $ill be accompan"in! the first contact team,3

5ou sure about that) Sir63

elax S!t, %hat could !o $ron!63

:n!ineerin! oom

USAF Achilles,

he entire en!ineerin! section roc#ed as a direct hit slammed into the shields of the $arship, he en!ineerin! cre$$ere doin! ever"thin! the" could to #eep the ship intact and functionin! as the s"stems shorted out from time totime, But the main brea#ers and quic# fixes #ept the s"stems in $or#in! order,

hose blood" 4inbari a!ain,3

Chief63

. tell "ou hompson) ever" time $e !et this thin! bac# in some sort of shape those blood" Aliens come around and%=A42 more stuff for us to fix,3

hat+s officers for "ou Chief, he" !o into combat do a load of dama!e !et praised and $e !et stuc# $ith clean up,3

ell "ou somethin! thou!h,3

%hat63

hose en!ineers at 0urani #no$ ho$ to !et the most outta somethin!, he ne$ rail!uns and missile launchers areprett" !ood considerin! the" onl" had a $ee# or so to build em,3

he" $or# better than the ori!inals in m" boo# boss,3

0amn strai!ht, heir computer s"stems have put most of our s"stems on overdrive as $ell, . tell "a summithompson) if $e had the production capabilities li#e 0urani station has $e+d be churnin! out ships damned fast,hose blood" sna#eheads $ould !et a !ood old2fashioned #ic#in! $hen the" came #noc#in!,3

4a"be the"+ll !iver us a fe$ of those Novas to refit once $e find a $a" bac# home,3

A"e that $ould be useful, A load of the As!ard $eapons and shields on one of those thin!s and nothin! short of thereall" bi! bastards $ould stand a chance,3

%ell all thin!s considered Chief . thin# $e+re doin! alri!ht, A #ill record of fourteen ships in onl" a fe$ $ee#s is prett"!ood,3



4a"be) ahh hell,3

Chief63

Brid!e) :n!ineerin!) $e+re losin! po$er from the secondar" reactor,3

%h"63 came a voice from the PA s"stem,

Not sure) possibl" feedbac# from the shields or somethin!+s been #noc#ed loose in the po$er train, %e+re !onnaloo#,

-et movin!) $e need that reactor, %e+re comin! up on the bi!!est number of 4inbari ships $e+ve seen and $ithoutthat extra po$er the main $eapon $on+t be of much use,3

%e+re on it) tr" not to !et us #illed boss,3

No promises) Chief, <ust !et the reactor assembl" bac# in order,3

%ilco Boss,3

he t$o en!ineers duc#ed into the reactor rooms to ta#e a loo# at the dama!ed reactors, he triple in seriesNaquada cores $ere the most po$erful conventional po$erplants in the hands of the =uman race, %ith thedestruction of the Naquadriah reactor from the Prometheus and the lac# of Naquadriah to build more) the !eneratorshad been up!raded and chan!ed bac# to basic Naquada ener!" production, .n addition) a third !enerator $asinstalled, he assistance of the As!ard $ith their $eapons and shields allo$ed the trio of !enerators to feed po$erinto ever" s"stem the" had aboard, he main !enerator as the ori!inal t$in s"stem $as #no$n po$ered ever"thin!from the toilets to the shields $hile the third !enerator $as dedicated to offensive and defensive s"stems, No$ $iththe h"perdrive+s destruction all the extra po$er that $ould have been used for travel bet$een the stars had beendiverted to the shields and $eapons s"stems, :ven so the third reactor $as a necessit" in combat, he As!ard$eapon $as a hun!r" beast after all,

# hompson ta#e the port side chec# the po$er trun#s) the brea#ers and the fuel rods,3

-ot it,3

he t$o men split up to chec# both sides of the reactor assembl", he massive reactor too# up a lar!e area of floorspace, Close in si@e to a nuclear reactor it $as also one of the most dan!erous constructs ever built b" =umanhands, he reactor $as intact and loo#ed to be $or#in! fine) the po$er $as still tic#in! over $hile the reactor controls$ere still loc#ed into place,

hompson "ou !ot an"thin!63

Bo! all chief nothin! on this side,3

3Nothin! on this side either,3

Could be in the transfer s"stems to the $eapons s"stems) an" brea# there $ould shut the s"stem do$n completel",3

a#e =u!hes and Simpson up there and chec# it out) .+ll #eep an e"e on this thin! do$n here,3

A"e, Chief,3

Brid!e) :n!ineerin!,3

-o ahead,3

he secondar" reactor+s in perfect $or#in! order, .+ve sent an en!ineerin! team up to the $eapons po$er transfers"stems, .t could be a short $e missed durin! repairs or a ne$ one from combat,3

-ot that Chief)3 the colonel responded, -et the rest of "our people on 0ama!e control $e+ve !ot more 4inbari onour tails,3

hat+s all . blood" need,3



3%hat $as that chief63

Never mind brid!e) $e+ll ta#e care of it, :n!ineerin! out,3 %al#in! a$a" from the reactor an"one listenin! $ouldhave head the chief mumblin!, he" thin# the 4inbari are badD !od #no$s but $ith that $oman drivin! this damnbuc#et $on+t least another da",3

:A icondero!a

elief Fleet

Four minutes out from Achilles position,

A little over an hour a!o the command station at Beta 0urani had pic#ed up an emer!enc" si!nal from the advancefleet $or#in! up *ust outside of Alliance space, he four ships of the fleet had been attac#ed b" a full attac# fleet of4inbari capital ships,

$ent" five ships had been counted b" the time the Alliance forces had been cau!ht b" the 4inbari, Contact hadbeen lost not lon! after$ards b" 4inbari *ammin! s"stems as the sensors ma" not have been affected, But theadvanced communications of the Achilles+ and her fi!hters had not "et been reverse en!ineered,

he last transmission sent to the 0aedalus tas# force had been that the" $ould receive reinforcements as fast asthe" could be assembled, he last of the 0urani Fleet+s sensor refit ships had to be one of those sent) $ithout thesensors the reinforcements $ould not stand a chance a!ainst the 4inbari $arships,

heir orders had been clear) the Achilles and the 0aedalus tas# force had to be brou!ht bac# at all costs, he" $eretoo important to the $ar effort to be allo$ed to be destro"ed b" the 4inbari fleet, %ith that in mind t$ent" $arships ofthe 0urani defence force bro#e doc# and headed into h"perspace on a rescue mission that $as desperatel" neededb" the 0aedalus,

he 0aedalus herself had been recovered in ="perspace barel" ten minutes out from the battle field) its armourscored and burnt in a do@en places and its $eapons turrets fused or destro"ed the heav" cruiser $as in bad shape,.ts hastil" transmitted report !ave the reinforcement fleet the information that ha been lac#in! in the ori!inal report,hat $as the fact that the fleet had been ambushed b" a force that seemed to #no$ all about them and in particularto destro" the Achilles itself,

he relief fleet $as no$ onl" minutes from *umpin! into normal space, $ent" t$o ships of all #inds had immediatel"volunteered for this mission, =umans had a $a" of sho$in! that the" loo#ed after their o$n and after $hat the

Achilles had done to #eep them all alive the" $ould pa" bac# the battlecruiser+s cre$ ten fold even at the cost of theiro$n lives,

Captain Comin! up on the Beacon) ninet" seconds to *ump ,3

Si!nal the Fla!ship,3

icondero!a to Nautilus,3

his is Nautilus !o ahead,3

%e+re comin! up on the *ump point) sensor s"stems are operational and $e+re read" for $idescan broadcast,3

-ood) all ships read" for *ump) !ood luc# icon,3

5ou too Nautilus) icon out,3

<ump in t$ent" seconds,3

All $eapons station to defensive posture, %e+re all that stands bet$een the fleet !ettin! it in the nec#) or !ettin! the Achilles out of there,3

A"e) Sir) all $eapons to defensive, %e+ve !ot four squadrons of 7Furies+ ta#in! up perimeter action station aroundus) loo#s li#e $e+re covered for no$,3

Si!nal from Fla!ship) all ships <ump,3



<U4P3

Four *ump points opened up around the *ump !ate itself) spe$in! out almost half a do@en ships each, he fleet cameunder almost instant fire as the 4inbari ships closest to them bro#e off the chase of the Achilles and attac#ed the:arth ships as the" came out, Six ="perions $ent do$n in flames before the fleet even #ne$ $here the" $ere, Novaand l"mpus ships returned fire slammin! into the inashi and Sharlin class $arships,

Nineteen 4inbari $arships $ere seen in s"stem as the :arth Alliance ships formed up, he $rec#s of a half do@endestro"ed b" the four ships of the tas# force la" stre$n across the s"stem, he Achilles herself $as barrellin! a$a"from the encirclin! $arships attemptin! a brea# out and retreat to the Alliance ships) the small $arship lurched ast$in neutron cannons reached out and slammed into the ship+s shields,

.n response) three bolts $ere fired from the ver" bo$ of the $arship each impactin! in the same area one after theother causin! the massive $arship to disinte!rate under the immense ener!ies released a!ainst it, he Achilles spunaround and pushed its en!ines to maximum the remainin! fi!hters of the 4inbari ships comin! after it, ail!uns too#out an" that !ot close enou!h but the fi!hters $ere $ise to the $arship+s $eapons and fe$ $ere $illin! to !et intoran!e,

he 4inbari ships returned fire a!ainst both the Achilles and the Alliance ships, 4ore and more ships from both sides$ent do$n under bombardment from fusion cannons) plasma bolts) missiles and neutron $eapons fire,

Armour $as ripped thou!h and internal s"stems ripped apart as accurate firepo$er found critical *unctures andcrippled or destro"ed enem" ships, he 4inbari ships $ere much lar!er and as such easier to hit $ith the ne$estscanners that $ere installed aboard the icondero!a,

Fi!hters from both sides mixed it up in amon!st the duellin! leviathans of the t$o fleets) Nials and Starfuries $ereburnt do$n and blo$n out of the stars b" the others, he outnumbered Nials used the defensive fire of their o$ncapitals ships to defend themselves catchin! rovin! patrols in crossfire,

he ships of the 4inbari $ere much more po$erful and $ell armoured and for ever" hit the :arth forces could scoreon their hated enemies) three ra#ed throu!h the thic# armour of the Alliance ships, A t$ent" t$o ship fleet had beenreduced to eleven ships $ithin minutes) half the fleet had been crippled or destro"ed quic#l" and efficientl", he:arth forces had barel" made a dent a!ainst the hu!e Sharlin $arships and their escorts,

$o more ships) one ="perion and a Nova Class $arship $ent do$n under concentrated fire) their scattered$eapons fire barel" ma#in! a scratch a!ainst the 4inbari+s armour, he Achilles o$n $eapons destro"ed another

Sharlin and crippled a inashi as it passed b" into the midst of the :arth ships,

Nautilus to all ships) Condition o!ue, Brea# off and <U4P,3

he survivin! ships of the :arth fleet turned tail and ran, he ships accelerated for the *ump points opened b" theirread" ships and *umped into h"perspace leavin! the dead and d"in! of both sides behind,

he cost of the battle had been monstrous for the Alliance forces, he fi!ht had been expected to be an equal one forthe first time in a fleet battle but the" had been $oefull" $ron!, :ven $ith the accurac" of the tar!etin! informationfrom the icondero!a and the fact that the" had outnumbered the 4inbari ships) the :A fleet had been routed in the$orst possible $a"2 b" the loss of sixteen ships to the 4inbari forces,

:A Nautilus

Fleet eport,3

4assive losses Sir) our ships couldn+t ta#e the 4inbari on at close to point blan#, :ver" ship that has survived thebattle had been dama!ed in one $a" or another) Sir, he Achilles has lost primar" po$er and its entire defensive !ridis do$n the" are on batteries onl",3

Can $e !et a si!nal to them63

No Sir the ship+s cold) nothin! comin! in or out) the"+re lifesi!ns but that+s it,3

0ispatch a shuttle, %e+ll see if $e can help them out,3

A"e) Sir,3

%hat $ere our losses 63 as#ed Smith



Sixteen ships Sir, %e mana!ed to retrieve about sevent" percent of the Starfur" squadrons, he 4inbari $ere *usttoo close Sir, he scanners couldn+t see them until $e $ere *umpin! out of h"perspace,3

oo damn much ,3

Alex) $e+ve been luc#" so far,3

. #no$ 8at) . #no$, %e *ust !otta hold on a $hile until the bi!$i!s bac# home can fi!ure out the tech of the capturedships and the stuff from the Achilles, . can+t believe it+s onl" been a couple of hours since the distress call) feels a hellof a lot lon!er,3

hat+s $hat $ar does to "ou) ma#es "ou lose all sense of time,3

han#s 8at, %hat+s our o$n status63

4ost of the $eapons s"stems are still intact) $e+ve lost about a third of our Starfuries, Armour and defence s"stemsare compromised on both flan#s and main po$er has dropped to barel" mana!eable levels,3

Better than most) Commander,3

nl" *ust Sir, $o of the survivin! ships aren+t fit for combat, he t$o $il l have to be scrapped for parts,3

%hich ones63

Clar#sto$n and =astin!s,3

$o ships directl" off the slip$a"sI unbelievable,3

he ="perions aren+t doin! too $ell in this $ar Alex, o tell the truth .+m surprised that $e+ve still !ot them on thefrontlines,3

5eah . suppose) . suppose so,3

A shit load of cruisers built over thirt" "ears and onl" !ood for cannon fodder, :ven the Novas are ta#in! apoundin!,3

Sir) $e have si!nals comin! in from ahead of us) .FF transponders are consistent $ith :A second and =ome fleets,3

A secondar" reinforcement !roup fresh from the :arthForce fleet base at Proxima base, Sixt" ships from the Proximaand :arth Fleets had been assembled to reinforce the outl"in! s"stems that $ere under sie!e b" the 4inbariencountered the remainin! ships of the reinforcement fleet,

9exin!ton to Nautilus) come in,3

%e read" "ou 9exin!ton, Nice to see "ou Captain St"les,3

%hat happened63

he 4inbari over$helmed us) $e lost all but $hat "ou see here) the Achilles is intact but -od #no$s $e paid theprice,3

%e read" "ou and $e+ve !ot "our bac#, =o$ever $e+ve been instructed to return $ith the Achilles to the Sol s"stem)it+s too dan!erous out here to allo$ them to sta",3

%e+ll let them #no$) 9exin!ton,3

he Nautilus) the Achilles and the protot"pe refit ="perions are to return $ith us to :arth) he 9exin!ton $illaccompan" "ou $hile the rest of the ships reinforce the midran!e defence posts,3

But the refits are the onl" ships that have been set up for S%ACS) $ithout them the rest of the ships are vulnerable

until the scanner net$or# is completed,3



.+m a$are Captain but these are orders from :arthdome itself) Senator Clar#+s office,3

=im a!ain,3

5es 7him a!ain+ Captain, Apparentl" :arthdome consider the fact that so much dama!e has been done to the4inbari forces in the area that the ="perions in service are needed else$here,3

he Scanner s"stems in s"stem aren+t read" and the 0aedalus is in bad shape) she $on+t be able to ma#e it to:arth or an" other s"stem until repairs are made, hese ma" be orders from up hi!h) Captain but as the FleetCaptain . $ill not allo$ m" cre$s to be put in dan!er li#e that) not until the 0aedalus is in condition to leave Beta0urani,3

. understand that Captain, .t+s possible that $e can !et :arth0ome to bac# off for a fe$ da"s citin! the dama!e tothe 0aedalus but not much lon!er,3

%hat about the Achilles6 Achilles does not ans$er to :arthdome as the" are not under the Auspices of the Alliance,.f the" $ish to sta" at 0urani there is little $e could do to ma#e them leave and . doubt man" of the cre$s at theStation $ould be $illin! to force them to,3

5es) .+ve been thin#in! about that, .f the Achilles does not choose to leave $e $ill not ma#e them it is that simple,he rest of the ships $ill be removed to :arth and Proxima for immediate inclusion into the 9ocal s"stems until the

0 !u"s !et scanner units out to the fleet,3

A"e) Sir, Captain an" ne$s about the %olf station6 %e+ve heard nothin! for almost a $ee#,3

Nothin!) Captain, As such the surroundin! stations have been reinforced and are bein! refitted $ith the firstscanners out of the construction "ards based on the desi!ns fi tted on the 0aedalus,3

0o $e #no$ $h"63

No not "et) it+s possible it has somethin! to do $ith the massive Huantium fort" deposits found in the %olf S"stem, .tma" be some #ind of *ammin! but $e+ve heard nothin!, he 4inbari usuall" leave a survivor to let us #no$ ho$the"+ve $iped out our people) but nothin! "et,3

han# "ou) Sir,3

All ships are returnin! to 0urani base immediatel", %e+ll contact :arthdome and explain about the 0aedalus,3

A"e) Sir,3

9exin!ton out,3



Chapter /2

3t4s &h Si) hundred and what does the &h stand +or &H "Y 5&D 3T4S ,$-1Y”

#S$F $%hilles

&'ega Bay 0

&ne day post arrial Durani Station.

he remnants of the three ship !roups finall" made it bac# to 0urani station a fe$ hours after their return toh"perspace, he criticall" dama!ed units of the first and second tas# forces had been to$ed b" the other ships left ofthe second fleet, he Achilles had also been to$ed throu!h ="perspace b" a Nova class dreadnau!ht even as itsprimar" po$er $as restored,

he reinforcement fleet had ta#en up the slac# of the dama!ed fleet ships from the survivors and had ta#en ever"ship under to$ until the" could !et bac# to 0urani Base, Space around the fleet "ards $as almost empt" as the shipsin the s"stem had retreated bac# allo$in! the beat up survivors to stumble into the s"stem assisted b" theirreinforcements,

he cre$s of the dut" defensive units $atched stoicall" as the dama!ed ships $ere brou!ht into empt" doc#s that$ere read" specificall" for their repair, .ronicall") the ships that had ori!inall" launched onl" da"s beforehand endedup in the same doc#s as the" had been constructed in, he last ship of the fleet) the Achilles herself no$ under hero$n po$er drifted to$ards the me!a ba") alone, .t seemed that the ship and its cre$ blamed themselves for theloss of so man" ships in one da", All the $or# the" had done to #eep the ship"ards and f leet to!ether and intact hadbeen for nau!ht as man" of the ships that had fou!ht b" them in battle had been destro"ed b" the 4inbari onl" da"safter the battle that had defeated them once before, And all because the Achilles had been out there $ith them

nce doc#ed the assi!ned technicians from the Alliance ship"ards started to s$arm over the outer areas of the shipchec#in! for an" form of dama!e on the hull) inside the USAF cre$ $ere assisted b" still more of the technicians onl"stoppin! them from $or#in! on those s"stems that $ere off limits to the Alliance cre$s,

=o$ bad is it Chief63 as#ed the Colonel,

Not as bad as $e thou!ht Sir, he shields are operational, A Couple of the brea#ers had to be rest and a fe$ of thecircuit boards and cr"stals had to be re$ired or replaced, he entire s"stem $as badl" strained but a da" or soshould have it $or#in! a!ain, he $eapons s"stems are completel" intact and $or#in!, he problem is that our$eapons stoc#s are badl" depleted and $ithout some assistance $e+ll be out of missiles b" the end of the next battle$e fi!ht possibl" t$o, 9astl" the attempt to re$ire the h"perdrive usin! the specs for a -oa+uld derivative as used b"the Prometheus last "ear has come bac# ne!ative, %e *ust can+t !et this lad" to h"perspeed,3

%e should have expected that) an"thin! else63

%ell) the rail!uns need a quic# chec# outside but the used rounds can be replaced b" the Alliance ship"ards,Colonel in the car!o ba"s $e still have a couple hundred tons of partiall" refined Naquada,3

. #no$ Chief) but .+m not sure allo$in! the All iance access to that stuff is a !ood idea,3

. #no$ Sir) but $ithout some nu#es and refined ore $e+re !onna be out of luc# and damned soon,3

.+m not sure the use of the missiles $ill be of much use after toda" Chief) the 4inbari #no$ $hat the missiles arecapable of, he" can #noc# out our missiles $ithout a problem,3

4a"be the Alliance can help .+ve been loo#in! over their $eapons specs their missiles ma" be of more use the" arefaster than our o$n) but not much different in si@e) the" mi!ht be $ill in! to help,3

But at $hat price Chief6 he" mi!ht as# for a hell of a lot and $ith the $a" thin!s are !oin! for the Alliance .+m notsure $hat the" $ill do $ith it,3

. a!ree Colonel) but $ithout help $e+re prett" much useless, No lon! ran!e $eapons and no h"perdrive) $e+re deadin the $ater for an"one that $ants to come after us,3

han#s Chief) an"thin! else63



<ust one thin! Colonel) $e+ve been over ever" inch of the secondar" reactor s"stem) and $e can+t find a thin! $ron!$ith it, here should have been no fall off in po$er durin! the battle,3

:nem" $eapons fire63

Not that . #no$ of) the shields can+t feedbac# into the po$er s"stem, he bleed off s"stems and shield !enerators$ould have ta#en the shield po$er and redirected it into the shields,3

%hat do $e need63

%e+re !oin! to have to strip her do$n and rebuild her completel", %e can+t ris# a collapse of the reactor durin!combat a!ain,3

=o$ lon!63

hree $ee#s minimum,3

=:: %::8S63

Sorr" Colonel) the damn thin!s the most complex pieces of =uman hard$are on this ship, he fact is if $e find

an"thin! seriousl" $ron! $ith the reactor $e ma" have to strip all three do$n) $e+re stuffed either $a",3

he Colonel sat do$n on one of the consoles) her ship $as in bad shape, Nearl" three $ee#s of constant combat thes"stems $ere ta#in! a poundin!, he" couldn+t !o on a full shut do$n and refit "et) not until 0urani station $as read"for combat $ith the ne$ Scanners,

he fact that the" had been on sha#edo$n $hen the" had been diverted here) $herever 7here+ $a)s had been one ofthe problems, %ith a sha#edo$n the" $ould have returned to :arth, he ship+s s"stems $ould have been repairedand updated and the ship pronounced combat $orth" soon after$ards,3

No$ the ship $as in bad conditionD cre$ numbers $ere do$n b" over a third) shields and $eapons $ere dama!ed orat least needin! refit and rearmed, he" had lost three of their fi!hters to different means, he cre$ as $ell as theship $ere on the ver!es of burnout and no$ in order to repair the ship the" $ould have to move a!ain and ris# furthercombat $ith insufficient $eapons loads,

0ammit, # chief do $hat "ou need to do63

A"e) Sir,3

Can this be done $hile on the move at all63

. believe so Sir,3

%ithout it do "ou thin# the ship is operational enou!h a full move out of the s"stem63

5es Sir) the secondar" can be ta#en offline, he primar" is in $or#in! order even $ithout the po$er from thesecondar" $e+re in battle condition, he secondar" reactor $ill need to be removed totall" thou!h so as not to ris# an

explosive overload in an" $a",3

%e $on+t need it for battle Chief, Apparentl" $e+ve been offered a to$ to the Solar S"stem as soon as possible) andapparentl" $e+re to be con!ratulated and than#ed for our help b" the Alliance Senate, %hat+s more $e+re bein!as#ed to !o in order to protect us from an" 4inbari counterattac#s that come in this $a", bviousl" the" are a$are ofour s"stem+s problems,3

.+ll believe that $hen . see it, A !overnment that $ants onl" $hat+s !ood for the 4ilitar" under their command, %iththis ship in the s"stem the"+ll believe the" are safe,3

. a!ree) it+s a set up Chief) that+s all,3

%ell $e+re read" to !o if $e need to be,3

$o da"s Chief, 9et+s see if $e can help out 0urani station before $e leave,3



A"e) Sir,3

,arthdo'e

Senator4s &++i%es

Sa'e ti'e.

he offices of the Senate of the :arth Alliance $ere in usual cases a serene and friendl" place for those $hom for$hatever reason came into them, =i!h securit" and a lar!e contin!ent of !uards made an" attempt to force their $a"in impossible, he !uards #ne$ their *obs and did them $ell, $o such !uards loo#ed over the !uest of one of theSenators and after declarin! him clean admitted him and his bod"!uards to the Senate offices,

he !uest and !uards made their $a" to one of the upper hierarch" of the senate, he offices of the Senator for4ilitar" readiness and expenditure loo#ed relaxed as a man li#e he could be under the strain this man must be under,

Ahh !ood 4ornin! 9t, . hope "ou slept $ell,3

;er" $ell) than# "ou,3

h .+m sorr" please for!ive me, 4" name is Santia!o) Senator 9uis Santia!o,3

9t 0ennis Silverston) actin! Commandin! fficer of Alpha Squadron) USAF Achilles,3

Nice to meet "ou) 9t, Please have a Seat,3

han# "ou ,Sir,3

Please no formalities) its 9uis or Senator if "ou prefer, . remember ho$ it $as,3

han# "ou Senator,3

. must admit . $as surprised to hear about "our ship+s appearance in Alliance Space those $ee#s a!o, %e+ve had

problems $ith most first contacts $e+ve had over the past thirt" "ears or so believe me on that,3

As .+ve been told,3

%e thou!ht $e $ere almost invincible $hen that $ar ended) sho$s ho$ $ron! $e $ere especiall" after contact $iththe 4inbari $ent sour,3

5ou $ere militar") $eren+t "ou) Senator63

5ou !ot me 9t, Captain 9uis Santia!o) %in! Commander :A Aven!er,3

5es Sir) the $a" "ou mentioned the involvement in bad first contacts) . assumed "ou $ere in "our 0il!ar $ar,3

.ndeed) $e $ere part of the first and indeed final assaults on 0il!ar territories, . understand from reports b" Colonelravma#ov former C of 0SE that "our o$n race+s first non2terrestrial contact $ent quite badl" $ith the parasitecreatures,3

5es) Sir, he -oa+uld are quite a problem for us, A fe$ other races have also been a!ainst us from the be!innin!)the eplicators) Ashen) and others have all been a problem,3

But "ou have allies as $ell63

5es) Sir, A fe$ that are $il lin! to help us a!ainst the enemies at the -ates) and . mean that li terall") Sir,3

5es) a ussian sa"in! that !oes $ell $ith "our $orld+s primar" off $orld travellin! method, %e could do $ithsomeone li#e that here,3

Sir) all of this is in the reports from the Achilles, %h" am . here63



No other reason than . $anted to meet "ou 9t, A =uman from some$here far a$a" that helped to defend people hedidn+t even #no$ and didn+t have to care for, Fe$ people $ould have $ill in!l" done $hat "ou and "ou ship did 9t it isan honour to #no$ such people,3

han# "ou) Sir,3

Come 9t) let+s ta#e a $al#,3

he t$o men left the room their !uards clamberin! after them not quite expectin! the fact that a meetin! $ould soquic#l" turn into an impromptu 7$al# about the !ardens+, he 9t and the Senator $al#ed in front and headed outsidethe offices into the massive !arden built into the middle of :arthdome itself,

he domed roof sat over a half mile above their head #eepin! the inside of the Senate offices dr" and comfortable, Amassive storm had pic#ed up above them and no$ the thic# clouds moved slo$l" above them and rain hammeredthe thic# plexi!lass panels causin! a sli!ht and almost inaudible rumble to run throu!h the construction, .n all it $asan ama@in! a quite comfortin! si!ht to the people inside,

his is one of m" favourite times inside :arthdome, %hen "ou+re in space "ou for!et *ust $hat a !ood thunderstormis li#e, . al$a"s *ust sat outside m" house $henever . $as on leave and $atched the $eather,3

ur ships don+t spend more than a fe$ da"s or soon a patrol) but it al$a"s !ood to *ust come bac# and feel the real

$eather on "our face and not the rec"cled ox"!en supplies on a $arship,3

.t+s $orse on a fi!hter as $ell,3

0amn strai!ht) even $orse it "ou had 4exican food the ni!ht before,3

hat+s *ust $ron!,3

o be honest . $asn+t expectin! to be called up for econ dut" for the Achilles, . $as *ust on the list if a !u" $entdo$n) appendicitis it $as this time,3

A thunderclap rumbled overhead as multitude of li!htnin! bolts hit the dome cascadin! alon! the plexi!lass andmetal supports of the dome) the !lass dar#ened sli!htl" and a different rumble of machiner" $ent runnin! throu!h the

dome,

0amn that $as ri!ht on top,3

5es) the dome is proofed a!ainst multiple stri#es on its surface) it has to be at that hei!ht,3

.ncredible,3

. understand .+m not the first to meet "ou since "our arrival on :arth,3

Senator63

. #no$ "ou+ve been $or#in! for .o Station 0 for the last $ee# or so, .+m the one $ho had "ou transferred there

instead of Proxima Command, =o$ever . also understand "ou tal#ed to Senator Clar# "esterda",3

5es . received a request to come to :arth0ome to meet him, =e said prett" much the same as "ou, 7han# "ou forhelpin! us) etc+) althou!h he $as more than sli!htl" interested in out offensive and defensive technolo!ies,3

Still) than# "ou for "our assistance and the assistance of "our people) $ithout it man" more people $ould be deadri!ht about no$,3

As . said to the other Senator) $e couldn+t *ust stand b" and $atch as helpless ships !et butchered,3

5our ship destro"ed multiple 4inbari ships of the line, hat is still ver" impressive, 5our sensors $ere a !ift from the!ods in the end, he capabilit" of seein! the 4inbari in a one on one dual is somethin! that can+t be praised enou!h,3

.t loo#s li#e "our people needed it Senator, %e $ere all too !lad to help, Believe me $e #no$ about this t"pe of

$arfare bac# home,3



.ndeed, %ell . $on+t lie to "ou 9t, 4ost of the Senators and the hi!her ups in the 4ilitar" $ant those shields andespeciall" those $eapons "ou use, he nu#es alone are incredible) but the ener!" $eapon "ou used $ould be a!odsend to our ships, he $ar is !oin! badl" 9t Silverston, he s"stems $e+ve received from "our ship and thepossible technolo!ies !athered from the 4inbari ships the Achilles and "our fi!hters disabled $ill help us immensel",3

. realise that Sir, But .+m not authorised to hand over an" information not alread" available,3

he t$o men sat on one of the man" benches that $ere stre$n around the !ardens) the Senator unbuttoned his *ac#et and relaxed, 9oo#in! at the "oun!er man he realised that he had the $ron! end of the stic# as it $ere,

h dear me) .+m sorr" "ou misunderstand, As a former pilot . remember ta#in! orders that meant one thin! or ma"beanother, 4ore than that since . became a Senator . also #no$ that treaties made $ith another countr" or po$er hasnothin! to do $ith an"one else not directl" involved $ith it, hese A!ardI3

As!ard Senator, he As!ard are the most po$erful race in the #no$n !alaxies, heir assistance in the constructionof some of our s"stems is strictl" controlled and $e $on+t brea# the treat" unless ordered to b" the As!ard or the<CS and the President,3

-ood) that means "our people are lo"al and dut" bound, . admire that, Still an" other help "ou can !ive us is ver"much appreciated 9t b" us all, %ith luc# some of these s"stems $ill !ive us the ed!e $e need to hold the 4inbaribac#,3

%e+ll tr") Senator,3

-ood) it $as nice to meet "ou son,3

5ou too) Sir,3

%atch "our bac# $ith some of these Senators) son, he" $ill do an"thin! the" can to !et $hat the" $ant) $atchClar# he+s the $orst,3

A"e) Sir, $e+ve a fe$ li#e Clar#) reminds me of 8inse",3

Senator obert 8inse"63

5es Sir) but ho$I3

%e had a 8inse" in !overnment in the earl" ?1st centur", =e led the Anti2Alliance !roup that believed that nationalpride and identit" $ould be lost and that the United States $ould be able to stand alone in the future,3

Sounds li#e ours as $ell,3

urs $as shot on his .nau!uration da") turns out six snipers $ere set up in case an" missed the shot, he" didn+tneed the CE char!e found planted in the podium in the end) some people reall" $anted him dead,3

he 9t lau!hed at the thou!ht of 8inse") the bane of the S-C and b" and lar!e the hree2 Jero pro*ects bein! putout of their miser" forever, But this $as the closest the" $ould !et $ithout ph"sicall" feedin! the anno"in! :x2;icepresident) :x Senator and all round Pain in the Arse to the sna#eheads,

. thin# it ma" be the same !u" Senator) or at least a version of him,3

Still . do not understand if he exists here then $e ma" be "our future) ho$ever nothin! else includin! "our Star!ateCommand seems to exist here, .f it had $e $ould not have the problems $e are no$ $ith the other races,3

. don+t #no$ Senator) but $e $ill find out,3

han# "ou for meetin! me 9t, . $ill have orders cut havin! "ou returned to .o Station as soon as possible and i t hasbeen an interestin! convocation to have, . rarel" have the chance these da"s to confer $ith Pilots of an" sort) sothan# "ou for that,3

4" pleasure Senator,3

he t$o men separated) one bac# to his offices and the other bac# to his place of residence to pac# his belon!in!sfor his transfer, Neither man noticed the ver" pale man runnin! out of the !arden his nose and e"es streamin! blood,



Peterson $ir For%e Base

Spa%e Co''and

Classi+ied Hanger

Twele hours a+ter transition o+ Centauri Warship

he classified han!er at Peterson Air Force had at times been home to different t"pes of classified vehicles) from theF11G) the protot"pe F??) to the protot"pes &>? and &>& of the S-C fleet, ecentl" it had become home to one ofthe S-C+s !ro$in! fleet of el+ac Car!o ships,

he Car!o ships had been a !ift to the people of the au+ri and b" extension the armed forces and the S-C itself,he Free <affa had !athered almost t$o do@en of the vessels and !iven them to the au+ri $ith their than#s for theirassistance in freein! the <affa peoples,

ne such vessel had been attached to the command staff of Star!ate command and could be used for official andquite often 7unofficial+ business that the S-C $ere $ell #no$n for, hat one vessel named 7:nterprise+ as the-eneral+s sense of humour a!ain came into pla" $as no$ assi!ned use as the official conve"ance of the S-C+sne!otiatin! and First contact teams,

he team in char!e of the sin!ular honour of !uardin! a team read" for first contact $ith an advanced species) $ere!athered outside the transport a$aitin! their civilian contin!ent, he scientists and diplomats had disa!reed from thestart $ith the fact that an" armed force $ould be !oin! $ith them into this situation, he follo$in! conversation $ith-eneral +Neill had explained to them in no uncertain and diplomatic terms that the Centauri $ere alread"surrounded b" allied $arships, Also members of the cre$s of the Prometheus and the Free <affa ships have been incontact $ith the Centauri since the first time the" had been in contact throu!h the rift,

9astl" the" $ere diplomats and had no idea ho$ to fl" the car!o ship and he $as sendin! those people $ho #ne$ themost about the ship the" $ere travellin! on, Finall" quite anno"ed at the constant ar!uin! of his orders he had *usttold them to deal $ith it or he $ould quite !ladl" tie them up put them in the rear of the car!o ship and then boot themout head first onto the han!er of the Prometheus $hen the" !ot there, As $as the reaction to an"one that !ot in+Neill+s face or on his last nerve) the" shut up quic#l" and moved on $ithout an" further problems,

%hat do "ou thin# eal+c63

.t seems that he ma" be thin#in! of combat 0aniel<ac#son, .t $ould be in his best interests $hile the opponent is nota$are that an enem" is $atchin! their ever" move, Fortunatel" the anta!onist has ammunition $hile the opponentdoes not,3

5ou #no$ he+ll lose,3

f course) but it+s the $a" he loses that $ill determine his further courses of action,3

he t$o members of S-1 sat on several suppl" boxes next to the car!o ship) in eal+c+s hands a paperbac# cop" ofthe best of Calvin and =obbes $as bein! read b" the t$o men, Currentl" the" $ere discussin! the virtues ofattac#in! an enem" $ith a sno$ball in the middle of summer,

5ou t$o #no$ ho$ to overanal"se a comic strip $a" too much,3 <ac# said as he approached) .t suc#s the fun ri!ht

out of it,3

=e" <ac#) come to see us off,3

Nope, Chan!e of plan) .+m comin! $ith,3

+Neill does "our duties as Commandin! officer of Star!ate Command not preclude "ou from this meetin!63

Nope as Commandin! fficer of the S-C .+m $ithin m" ri!hts to attend a first contact, Besides .+m !oin! nuts in thatoffice $hile "ou !u"s !et to !o out there and do stuff,3

#) $e+re still a$aitin! the contact team,3

Apparentl" not,3



<ac#63

%ell since .+m !oin! it seems S-21 as a $hole is the contact team, .t *ust the four of us !oin! as the others $erereassi!ned at the last moment) or $e $ill do once Carter !ets here, %h" is it al$a"s the $omen $ho are late forthese thin!s63

She+s alread" aboard <ac#, She+s chec#in! out some of the s"stems $e installed,3

h) let+s !o then,3

<ac#,3

0ann",3

he" $ere reassi!ned63

5ep,3

Bet the order had Bri!adier -eneral <ac# +Neill on the bottom thou!h,3

Still orders 0ann" still orders,3

n board the car!o ship boxes of supplies for the Prometheus filled the ship to the rafters, 4uch of it $ere medicalsupplies and food for the survivors of the Centauri ship, Some of it $as to restoc# the Prometheus itself so it+s cre$could continue $ith S operations if necessar",

9t Colonel Sam Carter $as tuc#ed underneath one of three consoles attached to the ship+s s"stems, :ach controlleda ne$l" installed s"stem to assist the cre$s of the car!o ships, his $as the first and if the" $or#ed the $a" the"$ere supposed to then more $ould be installed on the other ship+s of their small car!o fleet,

CA:63

-eneral) $hat are "ou doin! here6 Comin! to send us off63

Nope) .+m comin! as $ell, he contact team no$ consists of the four of us,3

h) $ell that+s !ood, %e+ve !ot the experience to do so,) %hat happened to the rest of the contact team6

he" $ere transferred and !iven ne$ orders) somethin! to do $ith one of the ne$ race+s $e met don+t #no$ $hichone,3

ld times) <ac#,3

ld times) Sam,3

%ell, $e+ll be read") Sir,3

hat+s $hat . thou!ht, So $e read" to !o63

5es) Sir, S"stems are read" and the supplies are aboard) $hen eal+c+s read" $e can !o,3

-ood, + "ou read" to !o63

.ndeed) +neill,3

hen ta#e us up and set course for the Prometheus,3

he lar!e <affa merel" inclined his head and lif ted the small car!o ship off of the han!er floor and out of the doors,he car!o ship lifted up into the air and out into space the sp" satellites of the $orld po$ers tilted a$a" from the

ships escape vector, %ith a sharp burst of li!ht the ship hit h"perspace and continued to$ards the :arth %arship,Behind eal+c on the small dais that too# up the centre of the control section the three other members of S-21 $ent



throu!h the reports and photos the" had !athered from the Centauri) and scans of the $arship that the" had brou!htthrou!h,

<ac#) this Centauri ship is hu!e,3

5eah . noticed damn thin! must be a mile lon!,3

Close) stran!e it loo#s almost As!ard in appearance *ust $ith spi#es and an!les instead of the curves of their ships,he scheme loo#s almost -oa+uld as $ell but apparentl" the"+ve never head of them or the As!ard if the reports areri!ht,3

he technolo!" is impressive as $ell) their ener!" $eapons are po$erful and their computers are extremel"advanced, =o$ever there+s no si!n of shieldin! or an" #ind of transport s"stem,3

So bi! and dumb and $ith a !lass *a$2 sounds li#e that idiot . lost t$ent" buc#s on last $ee#,3

hat+s about it) Sir,3

eal+c "ou ever hear of these Centauri or 4inbari63

. have not)3 the repl" came from the <affa pilotin! the vessel,

So this rift is $hat a hole in space or somethin!63 0ann" as#ed,

%ell apparentl" these Centauri #no$ of =umans and of a !roup called the :arth Alliance, A ver" po$erful !roup ofplanets in their area of the -alax" currentl" at $ar $ith an even more po$erful race2 remind "ou of an"one,3

So the future or somethin!,3

%ell to ta#e a !uess Sir) .+d sa" no other$ise the" $ouldn+t be surprised at an"thin! about our ships and theCentauri survivors seem to be tr"in! to bu" the technolo!" from the cre$s of the S Squadron,3

So $hatI h no) not a!ain) not after the trouble $e had $ith that damn mirror,3

<ac#63

he Huantum mirror 0ann", .f the" aren+t from the future and aren+t from this area of the !alax" or an"thin! else)the" have to be from another universe A-A.N,3

hat $ould explain a fe$ thin!s) possibl" $hat happened to the Achilles as $ell,3

5ou thin# the" mi!ht have !one throu!h do "ou63 as#ed Sam,

.t+s possible,3

So $h" $ouldn+t the Centauri have heard about the Achilles63 as#ed <ac#

he" said :arth is in the middle of a $ar ri!ht63 <ac# nodded, %ell if "ou had an ace in the hole $ouldn+t "ou #eep itout of si!ht until it $as time to use it6 =ell) the" could !et technical information from a $rec#,

.f there $ere survivors the" could !et more information from them as $ell , As it is) onl" a fe$ rumour about the Alliance destro"in! entire 4inbari tas# forces has filtered throu!h the channels to them,3

As!ard $on+t be happ" 7bout that)3 said <ac#,

.t+s not our fault) Sir, he Achilles if the" are over there) $as pulled in b" accident, here+s no $a" $e could have#no$n, .t $ould ta#e an immense amount of time and technical #no$ ho$ to reverse en!ineer either the shields orthe main $eapon, he rest of the ship is based on our o$n technolo!" and $ith a hi!her tech level it $ouldn+t be aproblem,3

# Carter) see $hat "ou can ma#e out from those scans of the Centauri ship, Find out if there+s an"thin! of use tous that $e can trade for,3



.+ll tr") Sir, But from these scans) there+s not much left intact, .+ll be surprised if it ever !ets under$a" a!ain,3



Chapter 1(

h !ive a home $here the buffalo roam and .+ll sho$ "ou a house $ith a ver" mess" carpet,3

0urani Station $o

Beta 0urani

ne 0a" 9ater

n the outer reaches of the Beta 0urani station a !roup of smaller fleet ships $ere repairin! and updatin! the lon!2ran!e scanner s"stems, Both the normal space and h"perspace capable scanners $ere under reconstruction b" the:arth Alliance $arships still combat capable and online, he l"mpus class ships and the fe$ Cotton Class tenders$ere assi!ned this $or# $hile shuttles and construction pods $ere reconfi!urin! the inner s"stem scanner !rids, heupdates $ould hopefull" allo$ the scanners to see the 4inbari ships in both h"per and normal space,

he redesi!ned and rebuilt au+ri based scanners $ere the basic parts of the ne$l" built additions to the defensiveline, Several small rail!uns $ere also bein! added to satellite and asteroid listenin! posts scattered around to assistthe Standard particle beams that $ere part of the defensive s"stems alread" assi!ned to the satellites,

Sir) messa!e from the Corvette :clipse,3

-o ahead,3

Sir) the last of the scanner pac#a!es are in place on the outer s"stem stations, he"+re bein! placed on the ship"ardperimeter as $ell, he entire refit should be read" in about t$o hours,3

-ood $or#) :clipse, 9et us #no$ $hen the entire s"stem is online and $e+ll do a run up and test,3

A"e) Sir, :clipse out,3

9oo#s li#e thin!s are comin! to!ether )3 said the -eneral

A"e) Sir, he scanner s"stems should let us see an" attac#in! ships $ithout need of an S%ACS ship, Apparentl"Proxima and the rest of the 4idran!e posts are also settin! up their o$n scanner s"stems based on ours,3

Best to have the infrastructure of our stations intact than not, nce the scanners are set up increase productionof ship based s"stems, %e $ant the entire fleet equipped $ithin the next month,3

%e+ll tr" Sir) but $e+re lo$ on some of the necessar" supplies needed, %e mi!ht !et t$o do@en or so ships refittedbut $ithout resuppl" from 9o!istics command) $e $on+t !et man" more done,3

0o $hat "ou can , .+ll tal# to :arthdome tr" to !et supplies diverted here,3

-ood luc#) Sir,3

.+m !onna need it) o,3

he -eneral stal#ed a$a" from this command station, he #ne$ that it $ould be li#e pullin! teeth to !et moresupplies to their base, he entire =uman race $as at $ar for their ver" existence and the bean counters and head2up2their2o$n2arse Senators claim thin!s are too expensive, he thou!ht of man" of the people on the front lines $ere7%hat the hell use is mone" !oin! to be i f there+s no =uman race or :arth left to use it+, he :4Fs had no clueabout the real cost of the $ar or the fact that unless the frontlines !ot $hat the" needed there $ould be no chance of!ettin! throu!h this $ar intact,

Commander) $e+ve been !oin! over the active ship lists for the surroundin! sectors, %e+re still ta#in! serious lossesall alon! the front, he best bet $e have is once the first t$o2do@en ships are read") scatterin! them to the localfleets ma" be the best use of the ships $e have,3

A!reed, he main scanner refits to the station are almost done, nce the first t$elve vessels are done read" them

for dispersion once :arthForce !ives us orders,3



A"e) Sir,3

%hat+s the timetable for the refits63

4ost of the refit ships are those comin! off the slip$a"s, .t+s an extra $ee# for all the ships to be refit to the ne$specs) both scanners and $eapons are bein! constructed as quic#l" as possible, he entire squadron should befinished b" the end of next $ee# to ten da"s from no$,3

he rest63

he rest of the ships $ill be under refit $hen the doc#s are cleared, %e+ve too man" ships in the doc#s to do morethan the fe$ $e are doin!,3

oo man" ships in a s"stemD never thou!ht .+d hear that durin! this $ar,3

.t $ouldn+t be if $e didn+t have the assistance of the Achilles Sir, 4ost of the survivor cre$s are !onna be upset tosee them !o,3

he"+re not the onl" ones) $ithout that ship . doubt an" of us $ould be left alive here to sa" !oodb"e, %e $eredamned luc#" the" appeared $hen the" did,

he Achilles and its escorts $ere onl" an hour or so from their vo"a!e a$a" from the s"stem, %ith the amount oftechnolo!" shared bet$een the Alliance and the Achilles there $as little reason for the ship to sta" $hen the" $ouldbe safer and more secure in the ver" heart of :arth Alliance space, Still) as the officer at 0urani base had mentioned)the cre$s of the ships that had survived the three ma*or battles alon!side the Achilles $ere disheartened to find thattheir erst$hile allies and friends $ould be leavin! the s"stem quite soon, he cre$s of the ships) indeed the stationand ship"ard personnel as $ell) all #ne$ the" o$ed the cre$ of the Achilles after the attac#s b" the 4inbari had beendestro"ed b" the help of the Prometheus vessel,

.t $as quite ama@in! *ust ho$ man" drin#s can be bou!ht for one cre$ of one ship b" the man" people the" hadsaved over the course of their time there, .t $as *ust as $ell there $as a limit on alcoholic consumption $hile aboard:arthForce holdin!s) or the Achilles cre$ $ould have been dead of alcohol poisonin! before the next mornin!,

Contact the ships of the tas# force and let them #no$ that their orders are in effect the" are allo$ed to leave at an"time,3

A"e) Sir,3

Addendum to Achilles) $e still o$e "ou one Achilles, <ust call and $e+ll be there,3

A"e) Sir,3 he officer smiled,

Senators &++i%es

,arthdo'e

That day

he offices of the members of the Senate $ere all but silent $ith the Senate out and man" of the Senators a$a" fromthe 0ome itself, nl" a ver" fe$ $ere still around the 0ome !oin! throu!h the duties as befitted their ran# andresponsibilities, he ffices of Senator Clar# $ere more alive than most $ith the Senator meetin! $ith his a!entsonce a!ain,

So the pilot met $ith Santia!o earlier on63

5es Sir, Santia!o and Silverston met in his offices and proceeded to !o for a $al#, ur a!ents $atched the t$o but$ere unable to ma#e out $hat the" $ere tal#in! about, Some of it seemed to be about the fact that the" had bothbeen pilots in their respective militaries durin! $artime,3

And that+s it63 Clar# Snarled, 6-et out) . despise incompetence,3

he soldier left the room a loo# of dis!ust on his face at the actions of his 7benefactor+, 4an" in the militar" hated theSenator, Unfortunatel") the Senator $as also shre$d and capable of doin! much to people that he $anted out of the$a",



.nside the office Senator Clar# sat fumin! at the so2called incompetence of his paid a!ents, he pilot that he alone$as supposed to #no$ about) let alone have access to) $as no$ meetin! $ith other Senators, he" should mindtheir o$n business) especiall" that $aste of space Santia!o and his 7militar"+ $a" of seein! thin!s

hat damned Santia!o $as all but renderin! Clar#+s efforts to control thin!s in the militar" and civilian arenas moot,he technolo!" that $as needed from these =umans) =umans that should be under their command as the :arth

Alliance) should have been =.S tic#et to control of :arth Alliance,

From behind him his associate moved up and sat in the chair opposite, Bester $as his lin# into the Psi Corps) andone of the best and most ruthless of the telepaths, =e $as perfect for Clar#+s use much as Clar# #ne$ he $as usedb" the Psi2Cop,

An"thin!63

No the telepath used a!ainst the Pilot $as one of m" o$n hi!hl" trained and quite brilliant, =o$ever it seems thatthe 7%hite Noise+ at it has been termed $as stil l quite evident inside this man+s brain, .t caused immense pain andprofuse bleedin! from his nose and e"es to the extent he has had to be restrained and sedated in order to relax himand allo$ us to help him,3

0ammit) this man is more trouble than he+s $orth,3

.t is extraordinar" that such an ordinar" man could be such a closed boo# to m" most talented people, Perhaps $eneed to examine him find out $ho he reall" is and $h" he+s so resistant to our probes,3

N) . $ill not allo$ "our confusion to ris# the potential benefits that $e $ill receive from this Alliance, he" ma" not$ish to succeed to the ri!htful authorit" of :arth) but $e+ll !et $hat $e need out of them one $a" or anothereventuall", 0 N 4:SS =.S UP B:S:) the first si!n that an" of their cre$ are compromised b" our people) .$ill shut "ou do$n and ma#e damn sure the" #no$ $ho did it,3

0on+t threaten me Senator, 5ou have as much to lose as . do perhaps more,3

. seriousl" doubt that 4r Bester, No$ please leave . have $or# to do,

As "ou $ish) Senator,3

he Psi cop removed himself from the office of the Senator and quic#l" $al#ed do$n the corridors of the dome, =e$as intercepted quic#l" b" t$o of his telepaths he had been in contact $ith throu!hout the 7meetin! $ith SenatorClar#,3

Clar# is ma#in! a mista#e,3

5es,3

he t$o of "ou are to ma#e "our $a" to .o station) $atch this pilot . don+t $ant him left alone for a moment, hesecond he becomes superfluous to the Alliance ta#e him) preferabl" alive but do $hat "ou have to, 4a#e it loo# li#ean accident, . $ant to #no$ $h" he seems to be immune to our scans, . $ill not let some mind blind mili tar" loser tostop us !ettin! $hat $e need,3

5es) 4ister Bester,3

Stop off at S"lvium Planetia and use the :arthForce technician identities as $ell) no point tippin! our hand tooquic#l",3

5es) 4r Bester,3

#S$F $%hilles

&'ega Do%( Si)

:lse$here in the 0urani s"stem) the Achilles sat a$aitin! the last of the extra stores to be secreted aboard the$arship, %ith the onl" real station that could assist $ith the repair and refit of the Achilles) 0urani station had $or#edovertime to increase the Prometheus class ship+s stoc#s of perishables) life support s"stems and most importantl"

the $eapons stoc#pile of nuclear $eapons and pro*ectiles for their rail!un s"stems,



Close to the me!a doc#s the four ships that $ere to escort the Achilles to :arth itself $ere a$aitin! their char!e,he pressurised doc# $as the lar!est and most comprehensive doc# the Alliance $as able to construct and as suchit also too# time for the doc# to po$er do$n and allo$ the ship inside to leave its confines,

No$ the doc# itself had po$ered do$n but the pressurised atmosphere $as still bein! dischar!ed bac# into theholdin! tan#s scattered throu!hout the station as quic#l" as it could $ithout the ris# of explosive decompression)$hich could dama!e both the doc# and the ship,

Achilles of me!a command) $e+re read" to leave, han#s for "our hospitalit",3

me!a Command) "our $elcome Achilles, And from those of us stil l around than# "ou all for "our help,3

%e did $hat $e had to me!a, %atch out for "ourselves and !et that Nova bac# up she+s an impressive piece ofhard$are,3

%ill do Achilles) -ood luc# and -od speed, me!a ut,3

he Achilles pulled a$a" out of the opened doc#"ard) its rear brou!ht up b" the lar!e corvette still sequestered insidethe doc# behind them, he t$o small ships bro#e from their berths and moved to$ards the four $arships a$aitin!their presence) hree ="perions and a Nova in escort formation moved to$ards them) the Achil les and the l"mpusclass ship ta#in! their positions inside and to the rear of the procession,

he small tas# force turned in space to$ards the *ump !ate $hen the Achilles+ cre$ noticed somethin! the" $ere notexpectin!, 9ined up on both sides *ust outside the ran!e of the *ump !ate) t$ent" ships2 ever" one of them survivorsof the Achilles+ battles of 0SE) Beta 0urani and $hat $as no$ #no$n as 7he Ambush+ to the survivin! cre$s2a$aited in space,

he t$ent" ships of the honour !uard $atched as the Achilles and consort fle$ bet$een the t$o lines) runnin! li!htsflashed from ever" ship and the massive !roups of Starfuries that ran the lines, A salute from one !roup of $arriors toanother, he men and $omen of the :arth Alliance Nav" $atched and bid fare$ell to the Achi lles) a ship that meantmuch more than an" of them could have believed,

Nautilus to Achilles,3

Achilles) here,3

ead" for *ump to h"perspace63

ead" $hen "ou are,3

he small force entered the Beta 0urani *ump !ate and *umped into the blood red realms of h"perspace, Aboard the Achilles the cre$ $ere all at their stations strapped do$n into their seats or beds for the off dut" cre$ as the smallvessel $as cast about b" the !ravitational eddies of h"perspace itself, he ship s$un! sli!htl") the thrusters of the

Achilles holdin! it in place $hile the computers and en!ineers repro!rammed them to assist the main en!ines to holdthe small $arship on course,

he s"stems finall" $ent into balance as the ship corrected its course enou!h to stop the ship+s sha#in!, he fe$bumps and sle$s the cre$ still $ould have felt $as easil" covered b" the ship+s !ravit" and inertial s"stems allo$in!the cre$men to unbuc#le themselves from their berths,

Status eport,3

Scanners) A"e,3

:n!ines) A"e,3

Communications) A"e,3

0efensive s"stems) A"e3

%eapons) A"e,3

Fi!hter ps) A"e,3



All sections, A"e Colonel)3 4a*or 0avis told the Colonel,

han# "ou 4a*or, All sections continue to $atch all s"stems) scanners #eep an e"e out for 4inbari, he Allianceships have the sensors but ours are better $ith a lon!er ran!e,3

A"e) Sir,3

4a*or $ith me) time for a little inspection tour,3

A"e) Sir,3

9eavin! the brid!e in the hands of the shift+s officer of the dec#) the t$o most senior of the ship+s offices too# to thecorridors of their vessel, he ship seemed quieter someho$ before the realisation that almost a third of their entireship+s cre$ stren!th had been #illed in less than a month of active service,

he immense dama!e the" had ta#en in that time had been repaired to the best of the abilities of both their o$n cre$and the technical cre$s of the me!a ba"s at Beta 0urani, =o$ever much of the internal dama!e $as still evident)entire $alls and bul#heads $ere missin! as their metal $as used to reinforce the outer hull and breaches that hadbeen caused b" the 4inbari $arships,

A month out of doc# and this is $hat happens) . never thou!ht .+d sa" it but .+d prefer to be bac# fi!htin! p"ramidships and death !liders)3 0avis mused,

At this rate Paul $e $on+t have much of the ori!inal ship left) half the s"stems are All iance tech and most of thearmour is refitted from their ship"ards,3

rue, . suppose $e+re luc#" that $e+ve enou!h vacuum bul#heads left to #eep the inhabited areas of the ship intact,=ell $ithout them $e+d be in it ri!ht ro"all",3

i!ht ro"all"63

Ahh hell) m" ex husband $as :n!lish, . !uess . pic#ed up some of his expressions,3

.ndeed, <oanna $hat do "ou thin# this $ith the Alliance is reall" about6 %e $ere safe enou!h at Beta 0urani as it

$as) the 4inbari $ould have had a hell of a fi!ht from the :arthForce $arships alread" in the s"stem, 4ore so no$the" can see the 4inbari ships,3

.n m" official and totall" biased opinion63

5ep,3

Politics,3

Ahh) "es, . #ind of !uessed that m"self,3

5ou $ould "ou+re too damn embroiled in it, Althou!h $h" "ou !ave up such a cush" *ob at the Penta!on and comeout here eludes me,3

A fe$ "ears a!o -eneral =ammond $hen he $as in char!e of the S-C told me . had a lot to learn about the $a"thin!s are done 7around here, 4" time $or#in! $ith <acob Carter and S-1 as $ell as a fe$ of the other S-Cpersonnel allo$ed me to see $hat he meant, %hen the *ob for Achil les came up . applied,3

2And accepted b" the commission, o tell the truth . $asn+t sure $hat a Penta!on stoo!e could do here)3 she said$ith a !rin, .+m !lad "ou $ere able to chan!e m" mind,3

rainin! can+t reall" ma#e up for combat experience, %e $ere luc#" $e !ot out of the 0S s"stem intact,3

5ou did !ood Paul, .+ve #no$n officers that $ouldn+t have !ot the ship out of there,3

han# "ou) . thin# the combination of diplomac" and combat dut" $ill be beneficial in the end for the S-C and theentiret" of Space Command,3

Better than +Neill in an" case,3



3.+ll tell him "ou said that,3

he t$o had a sli!ht chuc#le, .t had been a hard fe$ $ee#s for them both $ith the constant repairs and refits of theirvessel) and the sli!ht humour $as a balm for their dar#er thou!hts and $ar" souls,

So this entire thin! is a set up Paul63

5eah) the Senators that can claim the" are responsible for our safet"D and therefore the fact $e are helpin! them$ould be an incredible boost for their political a!endas) more so if the" can !et more out of us, 0on+t be surprised i f$e !et more requests for technolo!",3

he"+ll be after the shields and $eapons as $ell as the Naquada in the car!o ba"s,3

="perdrive as $ell) !iven the chance the" ma" be able to reverse en!ineer it, he" are much more advanced inen!ineerin! fields than $e are,3

%e+ve told them no and the" $ill still ma#e the attempt an"$a",3

. thin# the" alread" have, About a $ee# a!o the station had Psi Corps personnel aboard) apparentl" to read our ver"thou!hts and if possible steal the technolo!" from us so the" $ouldn+t have to spend an" more resources on us,

he" left not lon! after the" arrivedD apparentl" the -eneral did somethin! that !ot them spoo#ed,3

. #no$ . li#ed =a!ue for a reason, So "ou+re expectin! more of this as $e !o throu!h :arth Alliance space63

4ore than li#el" Colonel, here $ill be those that $ill do *ust about an"thin! to find out $ho $e are and $hat $ehave, An" one of our As!ard s"stems $ill tip the balance in the Alliance+s favour in this $ar) possibl" across theentire #no$n !alax",3

hat+s one of the reasons . need to tal# to "ou, . $ant "ou to $or# $ith the Chief and his cre$, .f at an" time it loo#sas if the Alliance is !oin! to ma#e a !rab at the classified s"stem . $ant them sla!!ed completel") leave nothin!salva!eable, Use an"thin! "ou have to includin! the Naquada do$nstairs,3

5ou thin# it+s that necessar"63

%ar does funn" thin!s to people 4a*or, Some $ill ma#e the attempt to !rab our ship and it+s s"stems 7for the !ood ofman#ind+, he" ma" possibl" thin# that $e should bo$ to the Alliance as it+s =umanit"+s le!itimate !overnment,3

Not the first time Colonel) seems the phrase 7Bo$ to "our -od+ comes to mind,3

5ou+re ri!ht, . $ant the s"stems set for destruction and a $a" to $ipe the entire contents of the computer and thecontrol cr"stals in case $e need to,3

A"e) Sir)3 he replied) he loo#ed do$n at her, he fact is <o) $e ma" have to consider that $e $ill be stuc# $hereverthis is indefinitel" thou!h, %e ma" have to share some of our tech $ith the Alliance if $e $ant to survive2 enou!h4inbari ships and the Alliance $ill not be able to stop our destruction, he entire =uman race in this universe is atris#, :ven $ith the As!ard) treat" $e ma" not have a choice,3

Paul) $e have some advanced technolo!ies that $e $on+t even share $ith the rest of our planet, A fe$ countries $ill

have the technolo!" than#s to the As!ard but not enou!h, he Alliance is at a point in their existence $here the"have fou!ht t$o interstellar $ars and had s#irmishes $ith man" more and from $hat . can tell man" po$ers here areinsular and enophobic, .f the :arth Alliance !ets our more po$erful s"stems) there $ill be little to stop them, 5ou ofall people #no$ $hat thin!s !et li#e $hen people believe technolo!" is the be all and end all) =uman more thanothers,3

he ollan and the Aschen,3

Precisel", .f the Alliance !et a hold of an"thin!) the possibilit" of 7:thnic cleansin!+ is more than li#el" $ith the4inbari as the first in their si!hts, =o$ li#el" is it that the" $ould !o after our :arth after$ards) to 7protect us+ in theire"es,3

. see "our point, %e+ll have the contin!encies in place before $e arrive at .o Station,3

-ood) let me #no$ $hen it+s done, =ave the s"stem set at three minutes, 5ou) m"self and the chief are the onl"ones to have the set off codes,3



A"e) Sir,3



Chapter 78

5et that straw out o+ 'y ear…”

#S$F Pro'etheus

#n%lai'ed Syste'

$%hilles -i+t.

$rrial o+ S5/

he last ships of the combined Search and escue squadron had met $ith the Prometheus earlier that da") a halfdo@en =a+ta# $arships, And their on board) contin!ents of secondar" craft had been !athered close to the rift, hePrometheus and the Primus class $arship floated in space close to!ether as the =uman built battle cruiser $atchedover the massive Centauri ship, %ith a burst of li!ht and ener!" a el+tac shuttle bro#e from h"perspace and into theallied controlled s"stem, ;irtuall" ever" $eapon from ever" ship in the s"stem loc#ed onto the car!o ship paintin! it$ith active sensors and !atherin! tar!etin! data on the incomin! ship,

5ou #no$ one of these da"s $e+ll enter a s"stem full of ships and not have ever"one read" to shoot us out of thes#")3 said <ac# +Neill,

Possibl") but $here $ould be the fun in that63 replied 0aniel,

+Neill, %e have an incomin! transmission from the Prometheus) Colonel onson is requestin! $e identif"ourselves,3

hese space co$bo"s never learn,3

Space Co$bo"s +Neill63

Never 4ind ,) put them on, Prometheus this is Sierra -olf Charlie Alpha ne, -eneral +Neill Commandin!,3

S-C Alpha ne this is Prometheus) -eneral) .+m surprised to see "ou,3 onson said, .s the diplomatic teamaboard63

8ind of onson, S-1 and m"self are the diplomatic team,3

here $as a pause on the radio althou!h <ac# could have s$orn he heard a 7oh !reat not a!ain+ from onson, nthe other end) onson $as mentall" revie$in! all the problems $ith diplomac" that +Neill and his team had !onethrou!h in their "ears $ith the S-C,

A revie$ that left the entire cre$ thin#in! the same thin!) than#s -eneralD no$ $hat are "ou !ettin! us all into63

%e read "ou Alpha ne) &>?s are on escort intercept, he main airloc#s are clear for immediate doc#in! $hen "ouarrive,3

-ot that Prometheus, %here is the senior survivin! officer of the Centauri ship63

=e+s aboard the 7Spirit of Freedom+ bein! treated b" the <affa) and <ac# there+s somethin! stran!e about $hat+s!oin! on,3

Such as63

.+ll tell "ou durin! the briefin!,3

-ot that) Prometheus,3

%elcome to the ift -eneral) Prometheus out,3

Seems there+s a lot of 7Freedom+ Names in the Free <affa fleets)3 said 0aniel



here are man" names that equate to the freein! of the <affa from slaver" in the <affa fleet, here are also namespraisin! the au+ri and in some cases sin!le people involved in their freedom,3

5ou !ot one eal+c63 as#ed <ac#,

.ndeed) . have been told that $hat "ou $ould call an 7elite+ $arship is #no$n as the Staff of eal+c,3

An entire =a+ta# named for "ou) "ou must be proud) 3 Sam said,

.n the contrar")3 he ans$ered, . am not,3

%h"63

. am but a sin!le <affa in the service of the au+ri, . did nothin! but follo$ $hat . believe in) . have no claim to thehearts of the <affa or the pride that demands . be reco!nised as such a person, he names of those fallen for ourcause should be those $hose names adorn our ships,3

5ou reall" thou!ht about that didn+t "ou63 0aniel as#ed

. have,3

. #inda thou!ht it $as cool to have a ship named after me) no$ not so sure,3

+Neill the As!ard named their ships after "ou as a sho$ of respect for $hat the au+ri have become and $hat the"still are to become, he t$o scenarios are not the sameD the honour besto$ed upon "ou b" a race that $as lon!believed to be le!end is *ust that a rue =onour, . honour m" brothers b" fi!htin! for their freedom in the names ofthose $hom have fallen before us, he As!ard honour "ou for bein! one of the !reatest of the first race,3

han#s eal+c, .+m not sure $hat to sa",3

hen sa" nothin! +Neill, 5ou are respected and $ell thou!ht of b" Allies and enemies ali#e, 4an" <affa aresaddened that "ou $ill no lon!er lead or follo$ on the field of battle as "ou once did,3

Not tr"in! to #ill me63

here $ould be much honour in "our death b" <affa hands) ho$ever "our #iller $ould in turn be torn apart limb fromlimb b" those around his person,3

Ahh) !otcha,3

Better than $hat it used to be,3

Better than a da"+s rations an"$a")3 <ac# said as he $al#ed a$a",

=e" that $as a *o#e "ou #no$63 0aniel follo$ed him) he" hate me more than "ou as $ell,3 he t$o ar!uin! voicesdisappeared into the bac#,

. never thou!ht .+d miss that)3 Sam spo#e up

%hich part SamanthaCarter63

he $hole lot,3 She smiled bac# and $ent off to meet up $ith the ar!uin! pair,

.ndeed)3 the bi! <affa said quietl" a sli!ht !rin on his face,

S-21 $as bac# and in full force,

he small car!o ship sped across space to the con!lomeration of $arship near the rift) $hich had noticeabl" calmeddo$n and dropped in si@e and intensit" since the burst that had sent the Centauri battle cruiser tumblin! into space,



A fli!ht of four F&>? fi!hters came into vie$ from their s"stem patrol and set up a small defensive perimeter aroundthe shuttle si@ed vessel, A quic# salute out the for$ard $indo$s to the pilots from the -eneral and the" as a !roupturned and follo$ed a preset path to the Prometheus herself,

As the" closed in) the members of S-21 could see the massive and spectacular ship, he !old and purple of theship+s paint scheme $as tarnished and burnt from ener!" stri#e and $hat seemed to be $eapons blasts, %hateverthe ship $as it $as as much a functional $arship as it $as a statel" s"mbol of po$er and presti!e) much closer to the

desi!ns of the -oa+uld P"ramids and the As!ard cruisers than the functional and bloc#" desi!n of the :arth builtPrometheus class $arship,

From their vanta!e point the dama!e $as easil" reco!nisable and $hile it seemed intact to them) the reports fromthe Prometheus said other$ise,

he car!o ship pulled around the nearest =a+ta# and to$ards the much smaller =uman vessel, he ship+s lo$erhan!er ba" $as full" open and a$aitin! the arrival of S-C Alpha ne into their midst, he interceptors peeled a$a"$ith a $a!!le of their $in!s and set off bac# onto their s"stem patrol, he car!o ship po$ered do$n leavin! it+sstation #eepin! thrusters to nud!e them into the ba",

he small ba" lac#ed the lar!er -oa+uld ship+s abilities to #eep a forcefield up around their f i!hter ba"s, So $ith thefinal doc# of the el+tac the ba" doors closer and the entire ba" $as pressurised allo$in! the four members of S-21to disembar# from their vehicle,

Colonel onson) permission to come aboard,3

Permission !ranted -eneral) $elcome aboard,3

han# "ou, 5ou #no$) .+ve al$a"s $ondered $hat happens if the Commandin! officer sa"s 7Permission denied+,3

5ou $ould be held at !unpoint put bac# on "our ship and forcibl" e*ected from the han!er ba",3

%ell that ans$ers that then,3

.f "ou $ill follo$ me to the briefin! roomD $e+ll !et started,3

After "ou) Colonel,3

he !roup consistin! of S-1 and the Colonel plus three members of the command cre$ made their $a" to thePrometheus+ mess hall) the onl" place lar!e enou!h to have a full meetin! this $a" $ith the people the" neededthere,

%hat+s the latest on this ship Colonel6 An"thin! more since the data burst63 as#ed +Neill as the" $al#ed throu!hthe ship+s corridors,3

Not much -eneral, A !ood percenta!e of the survivors are still in intensive care, %e have some of the hi!hestran#in! survivors aboard one of the =a+ta#s) there is one thin! that has come to the fore thou!h,3

Such as63

%herever these Centauri are from the =umans there) are at $ar $ith as race called the 4inbari as mentioned in thedata burst, =o$ever it seems that recentl" some 7Ace Cruiser+ has been destro"in! 4inbari ships quic#l" and easil",he Centauri have little to !o on but the ship is apparentl" advanced and ver" small compared to the ships of theirimmediate area,3

he Achilles63 Sam as#ed,

%e don+t #no$ Colonell) =o$ever it does point to it bein! our lost $arship,3

An" $a" of !ettin! her bac#63

Until $e can ascertain $hat the rift is exactl" and ho$ to !et throu!h $ithout the dama!e ta#en b" the Centauri shipit+s unli#el", o tell the truth it+s onl" because that ship is reinforced and covered in metres thic# armour that it made itthrou!h at all,3

%on+t the As!ard shields protect this ship63 0aniel as#ed



Until $e learn $hat the ener!" in the rift is it could be more of a problem $hen $e ma#e an" attempt to !o throu!h)3Sam said,

Huite ri!ht Colonel, he apparent use of our scannin! s"stems combined $ith that of the Centauri+s o$n technolo!"caused the ori!inal rift to expand and encompass the other ship, :videntl" the" $ere not as fast as $e $ere !ettin!a$a" from the rift,3

4a#in! it to the currentl" empt" 4ess =all) the seven people assi!ned to the meetin! too# their places around theclosest of the lon! tables, $o of the ship+s experts on 7:xtra errestrial+ races alread" sat loo#in! throu!h the foldersever"one had been !iven for the briefin!,

-eneral +Neill) 4" C4) 4a*or oc#ford and ship+s liaison to the Centauri survivors, . believe "ou #no$ Capt,Simmons,3

-eneral Colonel !ood to see "ou a!ain,3

Simmons) !ood to see "ou, Copin! $ith "ou ne$ assi!nment63

5es) Sir, .t+s a chan!e from the rest of Norad) but it+s !ood,3

No$ that+s settled) Capt) "our report please)3 Colonel onson said,

5es) Sir, .n addition to $hat "ou have been informed about from the data burst) i t seems that the Centauri $ere atone time one of the most po$erful races in their sector of space, he entire area is #no$n as the 7rion Arm+,3

hat+s this arm of the !alax")3 Sam spo#e up,

hat+s correct) as far as $e can tell from the debrief of the Centauri and their reactions to us $e+re loo#in! at someform of time travel or more li#el" some form of alternate realit",3

h !reat Not a!ain,3

Unfortunatel") "es -eneral, 7hat a!ain+ seems to be comin! more and more part of life around here, he Centauriare responsible for =umanit" of their universe reachin! the stars and apparentl" becomin! somethin! of a 4a*or

po$er, .n the one hundred "ears that the :arth Alliance has been in space the" have been involved in brushfires $iththree smaller po$ers and t$o ma*or .nterstellar $ars,3

Nice to see thin!s don+t chan!e,3 4urmured 0aniel

he latest involves an advanced race #no$n as the 4inbari Federation, he Alliance has been at $ar $ith them foraround six to seven months and is currentl" in dire straits as the =umans are incapable of combatin! the 4inbari inan" $a") shape or form, he 4inbari are approximatel" one thousand "ears more advanced than the Alliance is andtheir ships sho$ that,3

hreat ratio to our ships63 as#ed onson,

Ne!li!ible at one on one odds, From $hat $e can !ather from the Centauri their ships have armour and severalforms of ener!" $eapon, =o$ever the" lac# shields and most of the $eapons of their immediate area of space are

less effective than an"thin! used b" the -oa+uld or the As!ard,3

So our defences should be capable,3

.f the information is correct) ever"thin! from the point defence !uns to both the enhanced and non2enhanced nu#esand the main As!ard $eapons on our ships are more than capable of destro"in! almost an" ship in their #no$n!alax", ur shields and rinium armour should also protect the hull for a small amount of time,3

So the Achilles) if she+s over there) should be o#a",3

hat depends) 0r <ac#son, .f the Achilles too# dama!e on the transfer then she ma" be in bad shape, .f not) shema" be in the hands of the Alliance or an" other po$er in the area !ivin! them access to all of our technolo!") home!ro$n or retro en!ineered,3

%hat $as the Achilles+ armament at the time63 eal+c as#ed



onson ans$ered this) he Achilles $as full" armed $ith a maximum load out and reserve of rail!un rounds andnuclear ordinance, =er shields and h"perdrive $ere operational but under testin! $hen the ship $as lost,3

%e #no$ the Achilles $as in the immediate area)3 Simmons too# over he debris of t$o =a+ta# class ships $erefound in the s"stem, Both Anubis class up!rades) obviousl" sent a!ainst the Achilles b" Baal, he Achilles destro"edboth but from the radiation traces found there $as some sort of problem $ith the Achil les) traces of rinium allo" anda hi!h level of radiation from an exploded Naquada source $as also in the s"stem,3

She had a hull breach,3

hat+s the !uess Sir, Somethin! pierced the s#in and caused an upset $ith some of the lar!e amount of Naquadafrom %olfhound station causin! an explosion, he lac# of debris leads us to believe it $as e*ected from the Achi llespossibl" b" the use explosive decompression,3

So $hat about the rift63

%e believe it $as an accident $ith the Naquada explosion and the h"perspace $indo$ that had been opened b" the Achilles, But to tell the truth $e have no idea ho$ it happened,3

%ell the Huantum 4irror $as made of Naquada) possibl" somethin! happened in the ener!" transfer that createdthe rift,3 Carter h"pothesised) .+d li#e to loo# over the scans "ou have Captain,3

5es) Sir,3

onson) $hat about that ship out there) is it salva!eable63 +Neill as#ed,

.t+s possible Colonel) ho$ever it $ill not survive another pass throu!h the rift $ithout shields $hich is a!ainstoperatin! procedure as $ell as the treat" $ith the As!ard) also it is unli#el" that the fe$ survivors of the cre$ $ill beable to ta#e her throu!h an"$a" she+s stic# here,3

he" ma" not survive it either)3 said the 4a*or) heir movement throu!h the rift caused severe dama!e to man" ofhe survivors, %e+ve alread" lost a number of the one hundred and fift" survivors $ith more on their $a" out, he fe$that $ill ma#e it can+t ta#e the shif t a!ain, .n addition to the extreme dama!e ta#en b" the cre$ of the other shipdurin! their passa!e) somethin! in their bod" chemistr" that has caused some problems for the Centaurithemselves,3

So "ou+re sa"in! that the" can+t !o bac#,3

Not "et) it+s possible that after a time the" $ill recover and !o bac# throu!h in a shielded ship) but for the momentthe" $ould be #illed if the" !o throu!h,3

0o the" #no$63 As#ed Sam

he most senior officers are) it seems that one of the survivors is a member of the rulin! 7house+ that o$ns the ship,3

Civilians that o$n $arships63

.t+s not quite li#e that -eneral, he Centauri republic is a monarch" that has their rulin! families buildin! the ships for

their o"al nav", Some hold their alliance to the houses that built those ships but are usuall" detached to the mainfleet,3

Sounds confusin!)3 said <ac#,

-ot that ri!ht)3 said oc#ford, his ship is o$ned and operated b" =ouse 4ollari, .f the senior officers are to bebelieved this 7=ouse+ is one of the oldest and most decorated in the entire epublic, A 9t Carn 4ollari is the onl"member of the survivors from that house is b" default the head of the remainin! cre$) althou!h an equivalent to aCommander is also amon! the survivors so he ma" also be the one to ta#e command,3

3%here is he63

Unli#e the 9t) he is in bad shape and is currentl" under medical care aboard the 7Spirit of Freedom+, =e is one ofthose not expected to survive,3



:xcuse me) Sir,3 A "oun! cre$man stepped into the room a sheaf of paper in her hands, She loo#ed decidedl"nervous at the sheer amount of famed members of NA0 and the S-C in the room, She quic#l" moved into theroom and left the report in the hands of the Colonel, A quic# salute either $a" and she $as !one) the members of theS-C loo#ed at each other in amusement,

5ou #no$ it+s $eird to see that,3

Some of the "oun!er cre$members see "ou all as heroes, :ven mil itar" trainin! $on+t push that all out more so no$that "ou+re both top ran#s in =ome$orld Securit"3

So $hat+s that63 as#ed 0aniel

%e have a constantl" updated list of the Centauri) names) ran#s and current conditions, .t seems that $e+ve lostmore of our !ests in the last da",3

=o$ man"63

%e pic#ed up ne hundred fift" t$o $hen the ship came throu!h a fe$ da"s a!o, 9ess than ei!ht" remain $ith thatnumber li#el" to d$indle,,,3 0aniel interrupted 4a*or oc#ford

here+s nothin! that can be done63 =e as#ed horrified at the loss of lives,

Not $ith the medical stations here or on the <affa ships) ho$ever the <affa ships are better staffed and their medicalareas better than an"thin! $e have on :arth, %e have no functional Sarcopha!i available to us either, he stron!estof the Centauri ma" survive but then the" ma" not) either $a" the cre$ loss is at a hi!h percenta!e) all $e can do isreturn them home,3

4a*or) .+d li#e "ou and Colonel Carter to $or# to!ether to stud" that thin!, onson have "our en!ineer cre$s read"to loo# throu!h that ship see if there+s an"thin! $e can !et out of it, eal+c "ou tr" and !et help from the <affaen!ineers to assist,3

A"e) Sir,3

At once) +Neill,3

4ean$hile) 0aniel and . have an appointment $ith a Centauri,3

he meetin! bro#e up at that $ith the small !roups scatterin! to their duties, onson !rabbed +Neill and <ac#sonbefore the" left to inform them that 9t 4ollari $as still aboard the Prometheus and in one of the :mpt" Cre$Huarters, 9eadin! them to him the t$o members of S-1 sat do$n to tal# to the "oun! Centauri,

#S$F $%hilles

3o Trans+er Point

Sol Syste'

Twenty9Two Days Post Trans+er

he massive *ump!ate in orbit of the moon of .o activated as a flotilla of Alliance ships came throu!h, ver a do@encruisers and over a hundred fi!hters loc#ed in on the five $arships scannin! for an" form of .FF si!nal, he si!nalsent b" the all five ships confirmed their identification causin! the defence force to brea# off and return to theirstations,

$o of the cruisers came close up to the alliance ships scannin! the entire !roup, 4ost of their scans bein! deflectedb" the :C4 s"stems aboard the refit ships and the Achilles herself,

5ou #no$) no$ . #no$ ho$ -eneral +Neill feels ever time he meets $ith the Free <affa fleet)3 a"lor said,

he 9exin!ton is hailin! us) Sir,3 Communications said

Put them on,3



9exin!ton to Achilles) ho$s thin!s over there63 came the voice of the 9exin!ton+s ,

his is Achilles, %e+re intact and alive 9exin!ton) than# "ou,3

-ood to hear it, he 0 ba"s are a$aitin! "our arrival,3

Another pressure doc#63

3Ne!ative) the doc# is a basic dr"doc# on the other side of .o,3

-ot that 9exin!ton) than# "ou for the escort,3

3han# "ou for $illin! to help us) other$ise .+m not sure $here $e+d be,3

-ood luc# Achilles,3

5ou too 9exin!ton, Achilles out,3

he three capital ships of the escort peeled a$a" from the Achilles and further into the s"stem, he runnin! li!hts

flic#ered in sequence before leavin! si!ht, he communications officer lau!hin! sl i!htl" brou!ht the cre$+s attentionto him,

9ieutenant63

Sorr" Sir, hat last sequence $as in morse code) it said 7a! "our i t+,3

Stran!e bunch) contact the Corvette,3

A"e Sir, he"+re online,3

Corvette) this is Achilles come in,3

Achilles) Corvette) $e+ve !ot "ou !u"s, Follo$ us in $e+re expected at the 0 complex soon,3

%e+ll follo$ "ou in,3

Corvette out,3

he Achilles en!a!ed its en!ines at a lo$ speed) #eepin! close to its much lar!er escort, As the" passed b" close tothe transfer point the Achilles pic#ed up scans and po$er spi#e as $arships and defence sats of all si@es attemptedto scan them, %ith their shields do$n and $eapons offline the Achilles did not post much of a threat) ho$ever it $asmore than li#el" that the surroundin! ships $ere anno"ed that their scans could not pierce the :C4 that the" $ereputtin! out,

he first to notice this $as the sensor officer, =is scans $ere !oin! insane as the Al liance ships increased po$er,Sir) the station and some of the closest ships are increasin! scan po$er, . thin# the" are tr"in! to brea# throu!h our

:C4,3

An" chance the" $ill63 as#ed a"lor,

No Sir, he" tried it at ever" stop so far, he" don+t have the capabilit" to) ho$ever $e still have s$eepin! tar!etin!scans comin! in, . thin# the" don+t trust us) Sir,3

. $ouldn+t trust us either 9t, An un#no$n ship even $ith our reputation could be a trap) even more so considerin!the" can+t scan us,3

r"in! to !et our secrets) Sir63

.ndeed) 9t,3

A"e Sir,3 =e tuned bac# to his console, Sir) $e+re receivin! a communication from ahead of us, .t+s from anincomin! vessel,3



Put it on,3

Alpha 9eader to Achilles, %elcome to the Pleasuredome,3

Silverston) nice to hear from "ou, =o$+s i t !oin! do$n there63

n the screens the sensor s"stems brou!ht the picture of an F&>? settlin! in close to the lar!er battle cruiser) the&>? $as still full" operational and seemed to be manoeuvrin! easil" even this close to the station,

-ood to hear from "ou too Sir, he food here+s prett" !ood and the accommodations are quite nice althou!h someof the people could do $ith an attitude chan!e,3

han# "ou for that !lo$in! recommendation 0ennis, 5ou here to brin! us in63

hat+s an affirmative 4a*or) *ust follo$ me in, %e+ve !ot a landin! pad bi! enou!h for the Achilles read" for "ou,3

han# "ou 9t) please lead on,3

Alpha 9ead ut,3

he small fi!hter spun around and headed to$ards .o Station+s 0 section) the t$o small $arships follo$in! it in,he sensors and $eapons of the station loc#ed onto it at all times until the" $ere ordered to stand do$n b" thecommander of the 0 department,

.nside the lar!e doc#"ard a sin!le $arship sat in a cocoon of beams and !irders as the ship $as ta#en apart andrebuilt $ith ne$ s"stems, he ma*orit" of the ship $as alread" full" built ho$ever some of the other sections $ere stillin pieces, he scanner s"stems) $eapons and defensive s"stems as $ell as the personnel areas $ere not quiteread", bviousl" the technolo!" the" had alread" shared $ith the Al liance $as of top priorit" and bein! built into theships under construction,

hat $as quic#,3

4a*or63

%e traded the technolo!" $e needed for repairs a little over t$o $ee#s a!o, No$ the basic refits to scanners and$eapons $ere done in less than a $ee# but the"+re rebuildin! their entire ship $ith the tech $e+ve !iven them and it+sbeen onl" a fe$ $ee#s,3

heir o$n technolo!" isn+t that much different to our o$n Paul,3

Possible) ver" possible,3

Besides the" aren+t finished "et) it mi!ht ta#e them another month to !et the s"stems in place, .t+s *ust luc#" oursensor s"stems are so easil" rebuilt usin! their o$n technolo!" other$ise thin!s could !et hair",3

rue) the scanner s"stems of 0urani base are no$ complete, he" have ships bein! rebuilt $ith rail!uns andupdated scanners as $ell, %ith luc# the" should be able to hold off the 4inbari no$,3

Colonel63 he Comms officer spo#e up, %e have doc#in! instructions f rom the base command station, he $a" inis clear and $e can !o in an"time,3

=elm) brin! us up onto the doc#in! si!nal and ta#e us in,3

A"e Sir2 ta#in! us in,3

he Prometheus class vessel slo$ed ri!ht the $a" do$n allo$in! the small $arship to navi!ate it+s $a" to the lar!edoc#in! platform that $as a$aitin! their arrival, he doc# i tself $as over three times the si@e of an" of the three ba"sthat held the Prometheus class vessels underneath the Ari@ona desert,

he ba" $as deserted althou!h it held si!ns that it had been under heav" use b" the deni@ens of .o station for a lon!time, he ba" $as *ust a$aitin! them and as the" sat do$n a series of speciall" refit doc#in! arms and airloc#s

clamped to the Achilles pressurisin! the l in#s bet$een the station and the hull of battle cruiser, %ith the ship safel"attached the en!ines and manoeuvrin! thrusters shut do$n leavin! the Achilles in place,



%e+re do$n Sir) all s"stems to standb")3 0avis said, :C4 and internals still online,3 he nod he !ave her meanin!that the secure s"stems $ere all set for complete destruction per her orders to him earlier in their vo"a!e,

-ood) let+s !o and meet out landlords shall $e63 a"lor said,

A"e) Sir,



Chapter ?1

$nyone gets in 'y way gets a napal' ene'a.”

"in*ar

"in*ari Federation

Sa'e Day

he chambers of the -re" Council $ere quiet and dar#, he council had not been in session for close to a $ee#,=o$ever that $as soon to chan!e as the $arriors of the Council of Nine had called upon them to meet as soon aspossible) the" had ne$s that $as necessar" for them to #no$,

he doors opened and from three separate entrances the nine men and $omen of the -re" council too# their places,he full nine had been able to meet for the first time since the $ar+s be!innin! seven months a!o $hen the" had senttheir ships a!ainst the =umans in the !reat $ar of retribution,

hree from each castes stood facin! the others, From the oldest to the ne$est) each of the members of the council$ere a$aitin! the information that the $arriors had come before them $ith,

4" fello$ Satais) it seems that the %arrior fleet headed b" the Shala Fi has recentl" en!a!ed this ne$ =uman ship Achilles plus her tas# force and later a force of ships sent to retrieve her after$ards, he =uman ships $ere close tocompletel" destro"ed) a fe$ ships survived includin! the Achilles,3

So once a!ain $e $ere unable to destro" the Achilles)3 one of the %or#ers said,

.ndeed) ho$ever somethin! came to our attention, Please observe,3

%hat could onl" be described as a 4inbari version of a 7-un camera+ video $as brou!ht up above their heads, Shotsof the lar!e 4inbari fleet !athered $ere sho$n closin! on the four ships in the s"stem,

nce the" had lured the Achilles into the s"stem+s outer reaches the 4inbari ships should have been able to disablethe human ship $ith an 7Alpha stri#e+ as the humans quaintl" put it, =o$ever it seemed that the Achilles had seen

throu!h the trap and had reverse course to rende@vous $ith the Alliance ships) the trap nullified the 4inbari fleet *umped and headed for the human ships

he scene chan!ed as their vessels too# do$n the missile fired b" the Achilles at their ships,

As "ou can see our #no$led!e of the Achi lles+ $eapons have come in useful in creatin! countermeasures for theenem"+s heav" missiles, =o$ever) also as "ou can see) the fire from their pro*ectile $eapons are still ver" potenta!ainst our ships,3

he scene chan!ed to the three other =uman ships ta#in! do$n several squadrons of fi!hters before one of them$as strafed and destro"ed b" "et more of the 4inbari fi!hters, he other mana!ed to pull a$a",

he scenes chan!ed once a!ain to the Achilles fi rin! its main cannon at several of its ships as $ell as firin! moremissiles) all of $hich dama!ed or outri!ht destro"ed several of their ships, he" $ere surprised $hen) from another

set of shots) one of the =umans 7Nova+ class dreadnau!hts had fired on one of their up!raded 7Sharlin+ cruisers andhit the ship $ith a massive stri#e,

he =uman+s fire caused it and man" of the fi!hters around it to explode from direct $eapons hits, Several otherships too# dama!e from the Nova before the over$helmin! force of the 4inbari force hit them,

he foota!e ended $ith the escape of the last of the =uman ships and the consequent failure to destro" the Achi lles$hen the relief force arrived,

As "ou can see $e have a problem)3 the $arrior Satai said,

he =umans can no$ tar!et our ships accuratel" and $ith impunit")3 said one of the reli!ious caste,

.ndeed) $e believe this is also the first test of this, he attac# b" the fleet led b" the 0rala Fi) $as repulsed becauseof their abilit" to see our ships, .t is li#el" in that en!a!ement that the Achilles $as responsible for their abilit" to seeus) usin! their o$n scanners to see us and transmittin! to the other ships,3



A scene came up from the pictures, From the close ups of the :arth ships) the council members $ere more thancapable of ma#in! out that the 0aedalus and her tas# force $ere armed $ith $eapons not seen before on their ships,he" $ere usin! the same t"pe of rail!uns that the Achilles had used to massacre entire squadrons of the bestfi!hters in the $arrior caste+s ran#s,

ne of the %or#er caste council members spo#e up at that, hen the" are adaptin! their technolo!" to allo$ the=umans to see us) their $eapons are capable and po$erful, %e must stop this from happenin!, heir scanners and

pro*ectile $eapons are capable of immense dama!e a!ainst out fi!hters and smaller ships, .f the" are allo$ed toadapt their shields and ener!" $eapons the" $ill be a threat unli#e that $e have not seen in one thousand "ears,3

4a"be not, %e have lost a !reat man" ships in the last fe$ months to the =umans,3 Satai 0elenn moved for$ard tospea# her part) his $ar is !oin! to be much more costl" than $e believed, 0o@ens of our finest ships have seendestro"ed b" a li#e number of ships, .n some cases smaller and less po$erful ships have annihilated out best, ne oftheir ships) unfinished and under cre$ed destro"ed one of ours from a ran!e $ith a po$er close to our o$n$eapons,3

%e $ere not expectin! that the" could do that 0elenn)3 Satai 4orann spo#e up) heir abilit" to do so surprise us,3

%e do the same a!ainst them $ith our surprise attac#s and unexpected assaults on their lines $hile $e then ta#ethem apart $ith impunit", %hat ma#es $hat the" do an" different) 4orann63

he" allo$ed us to believe that t$o ships that $e $ere tr"in! to destro" $ere incapable of attac#in! us,3

As opposed to our #illin! an" and all of their ships that send out distress si!nals) or #illin! those unable to defendthemselves a!ainst us63

hen $hat do "ou su!!est 0elenn6 5ou are the one $hom declared $e destro" these =umans,3

. ma" have made a mista#e $ith this 4orann, he" $ill soon be capable of fi!htin! us all on an equal barin!)somethin! that could do us much more dama!e that $e thou!ht possible six months a!o,3

%e need to stop these ne$ =umans from assistin! the :arthers as soon as possible, .f the" are allo$ed to helpthem too much ever"thin! $e have lost $ill be for nothin!,3 Satai Sharonn dropped his hood the scar from his battleaboard the 0rala Fi evident on his hairless head,

Are "ou afraid of $hat $ould happen if the $arrior caste $ere to fi!ht a race capable of fi!htin! us on such a basis63

he %arrior Caste fears nothin!,3

his $ar is !oin! too far) the loss of so man" ships to onl" a fe$ =uman ships is enou!h, Allo$ the $ar to end andfor both us and the :arthers to rebuild, he losses to the Achilles is too much for us to ta#e and more of such lossesand $e $ill not be able to continue the $ar as $e have been doin! so,3

0elenn ma" be the chosen of 0u#hat himself) ho$ever "ou are "oun! and inexperienced in the $a"s of $ar, .f $eallo$ the =umans to rebuild the" $ill come bac# after us and this time $e ma" not be able to hold them bac# i f theirtechnolo!" is increased so,3

hen ma"be $e should be the ones to fall3

30elenn) ho$ can "ou sa" that63

Sharonn) the $arriors are $illin! to fi!ht and die to destro" the =umans and their alliance) but "ou do not $ish forthem to fi!ht "ou on an even plane,3

A barbarian race $ith technolo!" so close to our o$n is a!ainst ever"thin! $e believe and if i t ta#es ever" ship and$arrior $e have) $e $ill destro" them,3

.f it ta#es ever" ship and $arrior Sharonn) $ho shall defend the 4inbari Federation and it+s protectorates and $hoshall fi!ht $hen the !reat $ar starts ane$6 No Sharonn $e $ill not force this issue "et but be$are for if $e !o too far$e shall lose $hat $e have !ained in so lon! and $e $ill fall before an" race that $ishes to f i!ht us,3

0elenn moved bac# and the li!ht above her head dimmed to blac#ness as she left the room) her voice leavin! asin!le thou!ht floatin! in the air around them,

For if $e have nothin! except our honour) $hat are $e as a race,3



utside the chambers of the -re" Council 0elenn dropped her hood and stared out into the s#", As if in s"nc $ithher mood the clouds had rolled in and no$ small droplets of rain pattered around her and onto her face, She closedher e"es and allo$ed the cool rain to clear her mind and cool her do$n from the heated ar!uments of the councilchamber, She $as contemplatin! much as a sli!ht cou!h came from her side,

She turned her head bac# do$n and to the "oun! member of the reli!ious caste that had approached herD the "oun!!irl could not have been more than her late teens and $as a$aitin! leave to spea# to her Satai,

Spea# child,3

Satai 0elenn there is a communication for "ou from :ntil+@ah 9enonn a$aitin! "ou in "our chambers,3

han# "ou,3

.n ;alen+s Name,3

.n ;alen+s name)3 0elenn replied and let the "oun! $oman !o,

She had been a$aitin! a communication from the an!er commander for some time) the mission the" had been senton had been fruitless for quite some time) an" messa!e from 9enonn $as more than li#el" to be important to their

attempts to halt this $ar before it !ot an" $orse than it alread" had,

.n her chambers the screen $as blan# until she activated it and t"ped in her code, he messa!e $as in an encr"ption#no$n onl" to a ver" fe$ people, Activatin! the s"stem the screen came up $ith the face of 9enonn,

-reetin! 0elenn,3

=ello 9enonn) ho$ are "ou63

ld) old and tired, But apart from that $e seem to have found somethin! interestin! from the Centauri, ne of theirbattle cruisers has disappeared from its patrol routeD the" $ere scoutin! a disturbance some$here near their borders$ith the :arth Alliance,3

%hat has this to do $ith "our mission63

he disturbance is $ithin t$o s"stems from $here the remains of the Shal+avi $as discovered, .t is possible there issomethin! that explains the appearance of this ne$ ship in the ran#s of the =umans,3

0o "ou require assistance63

Not for the moment 0elenn) $e $ill approach the s"stem and tr" to discover $hat it is that ma" have interested theCentauri so, .t is possible that more $ill come from this and so if "ou have not heard from us $ithin four da"s sendassistance as soon as possible,3

f course old friend, -ood luc#) 9enonn,3

%e live for the one) $e die for the one,3

he channel closed on the conversation bet$een the t$o hi!h ran#in! 4inbari, 0elenn sat do$n on the closest seatand closed her e"es, She could onl" pra" to ;alen that somethin! !ood could come out of all this,

#S$F Pro'etheus

3n+ir'ary

Colonel) !ood evenin!,3

9t 4ollari) nice to see "ou up and around,3

han# "ou Sir, .f . ma") ho$ is m" cre$63 he 9t+s face !re$ ashen as the Colonel !ave $hat information he could

to the *unior officer, he fact that the "oun! man $as no$ the defacto commander of his cre$ and ship $as a littleintimidatin!, Also the #no$led!e that the survivors he had #no$n off $ere droppin! li#e flies $as ni!!lin! at him,



=o$ man" $ill live63

.+m sorr" 9t $e don+t see more than sixt" survivors all told, he in*uries to most are too extensive but the" are ascomfortable as $e can ma#e them,3

Sixt" from fifteen hundred, %hat about the ship63

.+m sorr" 9t, 5our ship is much too badl" dama!ed to be space$orth", An" attempt to move it bac# throu!h the rift isdan!erous to "ou) "our cre$ and the ship as a $hole, he ship $ill be removed from the area bac# to a friendl" port,.f "ou $ish "our cre$ can !o $ith it, But $e $ould li#e "ou to accompan" us to :arth if possible,3 onson said,

%h" me63

4a"be . can ans$er that 9t) 4" name 0r 0aniel <ac#son .+m here to help "ou and "our cre$ acclimatise to "our ne$surroundin!s, 5our information ma" be of use to us in developin! a rapport $ith "ou race and other races that "ou#no$ of,3

Carn 4ollari loo#ed a little suspiciousl" at this small =uman $ith the $ire and plastic in front of his e"es, he manseemed to be tellin! the truth as far as he could tell but from a race $ho pride themselves on their dealin!s $ithothers usin! misdirection this did not mean a thin!,

Perhaps)3 he responded cautiousl", . $ill tell "ou $hat . can,3

-ood,3 Came a third voice) Carn loo#ed around at an imposin! Six foot tall man) silver and !re" hair upon his headand a!ain a man $ith the loo# of a true $arrior upon him, his man $as no fool and he loo#ed as if he $ould not treatCarn as one, .+m -eneral <ac# +NeillI3

ime passed as the introductions $ere completed and the four men started a full discussion on the state of affairs inCarn+s home space, he ne$s $as more than the" had been told before but $as much more help than $hat the" hadbeen told before,

So $here "ou+re from the =umans are at $ar $ith a much more po$erful race63 0aniel as#ed,

5es) the 4inbari are one of the oldest and most advanced races in the #no$n !alax", Nobod" has fou!ht them and

survived to tell the tale, Not even the epublic at its hei!ht $ere $illin! to test the 4inbari)3 Carn 4ollari responded,=is $ounds $ere banda!ed and bruises $ere evident across his face but he loo#ed much better than he had $henpulled out of the $rec#a!e three da"s beforehand,

.f the" are so advanced and po$erful $h" are the" tr"in! to destro" a race that has no chance a!ainst them63

All $e #no$ -eneral is that the =umans #illed their leader 70u#hat of the eli!ious caste+ and for that a hol" $ar $ascaste upon them,3

-reat another bunch of reli!ious @ealots $ith an axe to !rind) some thin!s are universal)3 said <ac#, .f it+s not onelot it+s another,3

0aniel spo#e up at this point, Accordin! to somethin! "ou told the Colonel) there is some ne$ supership helpin! the=umans of "our universe,3

5es) .ndeed, %e #no$ little but the 4inbari are callin! for its destruction because it has done a lot of dama!e, 9on!2ran!e scans from our ships haven+t been able to pic# up an"thin! from the ship at all, .t seems to have a variation onone of the 9ea!ue+s defences as $ell as the =uman+s $eapons and technolo!",3

%hat #ind of defences63

ne of the races) the Abbai use !ravit" $aves much as m" race do to create a shield a!ainst $eapons fire) this=uman ship seems to have this abilit" as $ell , he Abbai claim it has been stolen from them and $ant it bac#,3

+Neill loo#ed at onson $ho *ust nodded, .t seemed that this Centauri ma" have been *ust informed them of the$hereabouts of their lost ship,

An"thin! else63



here $as somethin! odd) the ship $as po$erful enou!h to destro" 4inbari battleships) ho$ever from $hat little $ecan !et from our scans it is smaller than a =uman corvette, his is somethin! that is impossible for the =umans ofour universe to build, .s it one of "ours63

%e don+t #no$ 9t) but it+s possible, .f it is $e ma" need to return "ou to "our people and then loo# for her,3

-eneral) the Centaurum) our version of the =uman+s 7Senate+ refuse to !et involved in this $ar on either side, 5our

arrival ma" do more harm than !ood, here are a fe$ of us that $ish $e could !et involved in this but $e can+t ris#pullin! our entire people into the $ar,3

4a"be "ou should, .f "ou and others !et involved ma" be the" mi!ht thin# t$ice about $hat+s !oin! on,3 0anielloo#ed at the 9t

.+m not particularl" politicall" minded 0r <ac#son, %hat do "ou mean63

.f) sa" "ou and other po$ers !ot involved it $ould ma#e the 4inbari thin# t$ice, r the" $ould $ind up destro"in!most of the races in the immediate area, hat is somethin! that $ould ma#e them enemies of an"one $ho $ouldmeet them later on,3

Fe$ of the local po$ers $ould be $illin! to fi!ht alon!side each other, 4ost of us don+t li#e the others especiall" theNarn and the 9ea!ue of Non Ali!ned %orlds, :ven the fe$ that ma" do so $on+t do for fear of the 4inbari comin!

after them,3

So this fear rules them enou!h that the" $on+t help a race that needs it,3

.t+s true) the Alliance $as $ill in! to fi!ht a!ainst a race called the 0il!ar .mperium, he 0il!ar caused !enocide andmassive sufferin! on ever" race the" sa$ as lesser bein!s) $hich $as ever"one the" #ne$ of bar the 4inbari andpossibl" the Centauri epublic,3

About t$ent" "ears a!o the alliance !ot involved and the" lost a lot of ships and troops in a $ar the" had no reasonto !et involved in, But the" did and no$ ever" one that o$es them and promised them assistance have $ithdra$nand refused to !et involved,3

9t) in our histor" $e had a $ar) man" that came after that $ar s$ore an oath) that oath $as best described in *ustt$o $ords 7never a!ain+, .f the =umans in this :arth Alliance are an"thin! li#e us the" couldn+t have not !ot involved)

%e+ve seen too much of this t"pe of thin! in our o$n histories) both ancient and contemporar")3 0aniel spo#e up)

he =uman race is not the t"pe to !ive up to over$helmin! problems other$ise our entire race $ould have beendestro"ed a lon! time a!o) or been enslaved for all time, hat+s not somethin! =umans are $illin! to allo$,3

he Centauri cre$man loo#ed at the faces of the three men around him, :ach had the loo# of a $arrior) somethin!that $as lac#in! in the forces of the Centauri mili tar" even those $hom had fou!ht a!ainst the Narn and the 9ea!ueof Non Ali!ned %orlds, 4" people $on+t !et involved -eneral) . can tell "ou that $ithout an" doubt) not unless there$as somethin! in it for them, 4" people are a mercenar" species throu!h and throu!h, 4one" and material thin!sare all the" $ish to acquire) the =umans have li ttle to !ive and much to !ain and the m" people ta#e much and still!ive little,3

Sounds as if "ou disa!ree,3

4" uncle) 9ondo 4ollari is the Ambassador to the :arth Alliance) he is quite fond of =umans as a $hole but evenour famil"+s notoriet" is not enou!h to help the =umans, =o$ever . do believe he $ishes he could help the =umans, .thin# if $e could contact him that $e $ould have some$hat of a chance in !ettin! his assistance,3

hat ma" be a problem) as "ou #no$ $e cannot allo$ "ou or "our people or "our ship to !o throu!h the rift a!ain) it$ill fatall" in*ure "ou and "our people and destro" "our ship, As "ou are not tied to us throu!h treat" or militar"service $e cannot stop "ou from this but please believe us $hen $e sa" it $ould not be conductive to the health ofan" of "our survivin! people to !o throu!h that a!ain,3

. #no$ Colonel) . $ould li#e to tal# to the rest of m" cre$ that are still capable of meetin! $ith me and as#in! $hatthe" $ant, .+m not a command officer and . $on+t tr" to order them to sta" or !o,3

. do understand 9t) the survivors $ill be !athered aboard the 7Freedom+s Choice+ in a fe$ hours, Until then) "oushould rest for a $hile)3 onson said,



han# "ou Colonel,3 he "oun! 9t $as left alone b" the three men surroundin! him leavin! the sic# ba", onsonexcused himself to have communications contact the <affa ships and have the Centauri survivors transferred to thesame ship, <ac#son and +Neill stood outside the Sic#ba" loo#in! in at the other badl" in*ured Centauri still aboard,

Another $orld $here $e+re at $ar,3 <ac# said,

Somethin! doesn+t add up thou!h)3 0aniel responded) =e sa"s that :arth has been in space for over a hundred

"ears) but there is nothin! about the -oa+uld or an" of the other races $e #no$ of, All the alternate universes $e#no$ of have been based on the fact that the -oa+uld are a universal constant) some destro"ed and some li#e usholdin! them off,3

So63

So the other universe+s =uman race seems to be almost bac#$ard compared to us) no !ravit" on board their ships)no shields) a slo$ h"perdrive and a relativel" slo$ increase in their abilities in that hundred "ears,3

%hat "ear is it there ??E or somethin!63

he fact that the" are less advanced than us in some $a"s but more than in others ma" point to some #ind ofinterference from outside,3

So somethin! li#e the parasitic little bastards here ma" exist out there,3

. don+t #no$ <ac#) but . $ouldn+t bet a!ainst it,3

0aniel) . $ant "ou to tal# to some of the others find out an"thin! "ou can about an" ancient race that ma" exist intheir pasts both !ood or bad) *ust tal# to them as# them about an"thin! "ou can thin# of,3

.+ll tr") $hat are "ou !onna do63

.+m !oin! to have a loo# at that ship closel") if $e can $e+ll dra! it to another s"stem, .f not $e+ll let the centauridecide $hat to do $ith it,3

.f "ou sure63

5ep, Also . $ant "ou and onson $ith me $hen 4ollari !oes to the 7Choice+) ma"be a fe$ =uman faces $ould helpthem relax,3

5eah i!ht)3 0aniel mumbled,

Washington DC

S5C9,arth

De%e'*er /:th 788;

At the same time as the meetin! bet$een the Centauri and the S-C commander) another $as !oin! on man" li!ht

"ears a$a" in the dar# corridors of po$er in the Capital Cit" of the United States,

ur people at Star!ate Command have informed us about a chan!e in the $a" of thin!s, .t seems that thePrometheus has uncovered a ne$ race from another universe,3

=o$) if $e have the Huantum 4irror in our possession63

%e have no one aboard the Prometheus itself) the fe$ $e had $ere aboard the Achilles durin! her sha#edo$ncruise, All $e do #no$ is that a ship $as discovered out there) one much lar!er than an"thin! $e can build orsalva!e, .t is close to the si@e of one of the As!ard+s cruisers,3

ne of the men leaned closer to the screen sho$in! a scan of the Primus class cruiser sent to the S-C b" thePrometheus, he lines could be plainl" seen and the si@e and mass pro*ections impressed them all, he ship $asmuch lar!er than the ships currentl" produced b" the allied nations of :arth, Somethin! li#e this Centauri ship could

help them immeasurabl",



A ship that lar!e could be of immense value to us and our attempts to remove the S-C from the equation,3

%e do not have the people or equipment in place to ta#e that ship and there is also the problem that there ma" besurvivors from this ne$ ship aboard the Prometheus or the <affa ships that $ould dispute our claim,3

.f the" do so have them #illed) use some of our expendable people in the S-C to do so, hat ship ma" be the mostuseful piece of alien technolo!" $e have come across "et, <ust ma#e sure +Neill and his people do not #eep hold of

that ship, he N.0 have much more use for it than the" $ould have,3

A"e) Sir,3

Contact 8inse") $e have somethin! for him to do,3

5es) Sir,3

Also) have several of the car!o ships assi!ned to the Air force diverted for classified $or#, <ust in case $e areunable to !et at that ship an" other $a" . $ant them filled $ith our o$n troops and readied for combat actions,3

Are "ou sure that is $ise) Sir63

5es . do, %ithout more ships $e have l ittle chance of holdin! off the -oa+uld and this ship $ould be much easier torebuild than an" of these =a+ta# vessels $e can !et hold of, he As!ard $eapons pic#ed up from the $rec#a!e in thePacific $ill be brou!ht out of stora!e) $e ma" finall" have some$here to put them,3

his is a dan!erous !ame "ou are pla"in!) Senator,3

he !ame has al$a"s been dan!erousD ho$ever no$ the sta#es are equal,3



Chapter 77

3 laugh in the +a%e o+ danger and then hide until it goes away.”

#S$F $%hilles

7< hours Post $rrial at 3o Station.

For the first da" since the arrival of the Achilles the cre$ of the $arship had shut do$n the s"stems and started thefirst part of the ship+s repairs, he internal s"stems that needed repairin! had been done before the" had left the"ards at Beta 0urani,

he .o station $as as first) leer" about the arrival of the Achilles, No$) the actual information about the ne$ ship $as$ide spread across the entire fleet, he destruction of do@ens of 4inbari ships b" the Achilles and it+s assistance tothe fleets at 0S post four and at Beta 0urani $as no$ le!endar" across the entire Alliance militar",

For the first time it had come to li!ht that $ith a level pla"in! field the ships of :arthForce $ere capable of defeatin!4inbari ships, he ima!es of the Cunnin!ham destro"in! a 4inbari $arship $ith accurate fire from maximum ran!eallo$ed the =umans $atchin! a spot of pride at the fact the" $ere no$ capable of fi!htin! bac# a!ainst the 4inbari,

=o$ever) the Achilles $as still an un#no$n entit" even $ith the reports from 0urani station and the fleet !rapevinepraisin! the cre$ and the ship, he cre$s and pilots of the defence fleet in the Alliance+s most fortified position $ere$ar" of 7-ree#s barin! !ifts+ as one pilot said across an open channel,

a#in! the *est to heart) the orders sent to all ships from :arthdome $ere to $atch the Achilles at all times, For themoment the" $ere allies and $ere safe from harm but at an" time the Achi lles seemed to be a threat the" $ere toopen fire immediatel",

:ven so the Achilles $as doc#ed and immediatel" the cre$ set to $or# on the external problems the $arship had,he shield emittin! s"stems had been strained continuousl" for the last fe$ $ee#s and even $ith the overhauls andrepairs that had been the norm for the ship the shieldin! s"stems $ere still to be completel" repaired, And no$$ithout the possibilit" of the 4inbari attac#in! them) the cre$ could !et to $or#,

.nside the ship $as another stor", Part$a" throu!h the vo"a!e to :arth from Beta 0urani the ship+s inertial s"stemsand artificial !ravit" had failed causin! in*uries amon!st the cre$, he dama!e $as repaired en route but the repairs$ould need doc# time to full" repair,

ther s"stems $ere $or#in! in order but $ere to be stripped do$n and repaired usin! their o$n spares and somealliance tech re$ired to their needs, hen) of course) the bi!!est problem the ship had $ere the secondar" reactors"stems, he Colonel and 4a*or had decided to $ait until the Achi lles had doc#ed at .o station before the reactorassembl" $as to be ta#en apart b" the en!ineers, he eactor had fluttered suddenl" several hours into the vo"a!eand had been shut do$n completel" b" the cre$,

he lost reactor $as of little consequence $hen the" $ere travellin! this deep into alliance space $ith an escort, .t$as no$ cold and the radiation had been flushed) allo$in! the cre$ to loo# over the s"stem as a $hole,

he massive reactor assembl" stretch the $idth of the ship and $ould ta#e a lar!e team quite a $hile to search andrepair, .t had been a da" before the" could ris# openin! up an" of the reactor and even then the" $ould have to use

contamination suits to #eep out the radiation that ma" have been left behind,

5ou #no$) .+m !lad this isn+t the Naquadriah reactor this ship class $as desi!ned to use,3

%h"+s that Chief63 as#ed one of the en!ineerin! cre$,

0id "ou ever hear about $hat happened to that 0r <ac#son at Star!ate command63

Uhh) no,3

3%ell . $as do$n there $or#in! on the po$er s"stems $hen <ac#son comes bac# from the planet the Naquadriahcame from) he $as dosed $ith some serious rads from a runa$a" nuclear test the" $ere runnin! on that stuff,3

0amn) ho$ did he survive63



Not a clue) ma"be the" used one of those Sarcopha!us thin!s the sna#eheads use, But it+s an unstable fuel andnast" $hen under use, he radiation that $e $ould have had to flush and protect a!ainst $ould have been prett"nast" equivalent to a spill apparentl",3

Shit,3

5eah) that+s $hat . thou!ht, his Normal Naq isn+t too bad but is still prett" dan!erous in the $ron! hands,3

ell me about it, . heard there $as a test $ith a Naquada bomb on a planet and that entire planet cau!ht fire andB4) no more planet,3

No$ ima!ine if that #ind of explosion happened aboard this thin!, .f $e can+t fi!ure out $hat+s $ron! $ith this thin!$e mi!ht be loo#in! at the universe+s bi!!est Naquada bomb,3

5ou #no$ ho$ to ma#e us feel better don+t "ou) Chief,3

A"e) laddee,3

%e never should have !otten "ou that tribble for "ou birthda",3

Better than that thin! "ou !u"s !ot for the Colonel, A !iant bumper stic#er is not the !reatest of ideas,3

=an! on) this thin!s stuc#2 and it $asn+t that bad, .t $as *ust a *o#e,3

=mm o# !ot it pull) a *o#e i t said B:%A: %4AN 0.;: on severl do@en feet hi!h letters,3

# it+s out) $hat did "ou expect a bumper stic#er for a ship this si@e needs to be bi! or no one $ould see it,3

5our luc#" she sa$ the funn" side) onson $ould have strun! "ou up b" the bits,3

Scanners are sho$in! nothin!) Chief,3

he last of the main coverin! of the eactor $as finall" off, he heav" rinium/lead/titanium allo" shieldin! $as still in

place around the Naquada core itself but the internals of the s"stem $ere no$ open to all, he core $as smaller thana shipboard nuclear reactor most of them had trained on but it $as much more po$erful than an"thin! purel" =umanbuilt,

adiation levels are minimal, 5ou+d !et more radiation from a suntan,3

-ood, 9eave "our suits on an"$a") . don+t $ant an" unfortunate lea#s to #ill an"one,3

A"e Chief,3 %as heard from multiple voices,

he team started a painsta#in! stud" of the core+s s"stems, he combination of =uman technolo!" and -oa+uldcontrol cr"stal technolo!" $as more than evident in the s"stems surroundin! the massive core, he cold core $asdar# and the po$er $as completel" off) allo$in! the cre$ members to access the internal s"stems as $ell as ta#eapart the s"stems that loo#ed li#e the" needed repairs,

At first !lance the core loo#ed intact and read" for use, =o$ever that $as not enou!h and soon ever" circuit board)control cr"stal and data cable $as removed from the core, he po$er cables and s"stem sensors $ere also removedfrom their positions) the t$elve2man cre$ steadil" $or#ed ta#in! it apart piece b" piece,

An"one !ot an"thin!63 he as#ed

Nothin! here Chief) althou!h . thin# someone $as havin! fun bac# here before the core $as finished,3

%h"63

5ou don+t $ant to #no$ Chief) "ou don+t $ant to #no$,3

ell me an"$a",3



%ell) one foil pac#et and its contents $ere stuffed do$n the bac# of a conduit and is no$ melted onto it,3

A chorus or dis!usted sounds came from the assembled cre$men Mand $omenK surroundin! the reactor) $hile someothers sni!!ered or burst out lau!hin!, :ven the Chief $as effected b" the ne$s,

Can "ou !et it off63

.+m not touchin! it $ithout some reall" lon! ton!s and a blo$ torch,3

Alri!ht) $e+ll !et it off before $e close up,3

here $as a clan! from above the rest and a female voice s$ore in multiple lan!ua!es includin! $hat seemed to be-oa+uld and even As!ard, he !uilt" part" pulled herself up from the prone position she $as in and loo#ed do$n atthe Chief :n!ineer,

Chief there+s somethin! here) behind the main control circuits,3

%hat is it63

. don+t #no$ seems li#e some #ind of sensor device,3 he "oun! $oman reached under a!ain and !roaned as she

!rasped the device and it finall" came free from the rear of the reactor, .t $as stuc# fast and ri!ht behind the reactor). $as luc#" to see it, Ahh shit) it+s not one of ours) Chief,3

=o$ the hell did it !et in there63

No idea Sir) but it must have been there since the reactor $as installed or at least since the overhaul at 0uranibase,3

Someone+s sp"in! on us from inside, Shit,3 Crossin! over to the .ntercom the Chief called up the brid!e explainin!$hat had happened and that the Colonel and 4a*or should !et do$n there ASAFP,

4inutes later the t$o command officers $ere in en!ineerin!, he Colonel $as not happ" $ith the $a" she had beensummoned to the reactor room $hile in the process of more ne!otiations $ith the commander of .o base, =o$everthe loo# on the face of her Chief en!ineer $as more than enou!h to silence and complaints she ma" have been

about to spea#,

%hat is it63

Some #ind of scannin! device) not ver" po$erful or particularl" useful as these thin!s !o, But it $as ri!ht in ourreactor and $as in ran!e of an" s"stem in en!ineerin! or the lo$er dec#s,3

Sp"in! on us63 0avis as#ed,

hat+s m" !uess, %e $on+t !ive them shields) our h"perdrive or cannon so the" $ere !oin! to ta#e it an"$a",3

he reactor+s $eren+t off limits to an" visitin! en!ineers $ere the"63 a"lor as#ed

No Sir, he" $ere =uman desi!ned and built) it $asn+t out of bounds so an"thin! here $asn+t classified in thesli!htest as Naquada doesn+t seem to exist here it can+t hurt us or them,3

.t fits after $hat Silverston said earlier)3 0avis said to a"lor,

First telepaths and no$ technolo!ical espiona!e) Chief no alliance en!ineer is to come near en!ineerin! either,8eep them out of an"$here that is in an" $a" essential to the runnin! of this ship, . don+t $ant more problems)3a"lor told the en!ineer,

A"e) Sir,3

%e+ll let this pla" out a little lon!er, . $ant the pair of "ou to #eep an e"e out and rechec# the securit" measuresever" fe$ hours,3

5ou thin# the" $ill tr" somethin! so quic#l"63



%e+ve been on the receivin! end of mistrust b" certain people since $e arrived in Alliance space, 5es . thin# the"$ill tr" somethin!) and . thin# the" mi!ht tr" soon,3

A"e) Sir,3

A"e) Sir,3

0id "ou find an"thin! else Chief63

No) Sir, %e+re still loo#in! throu!h the reactor) but . thin# that thin! mi!ht have had somethin! to do $ith theproblems $e had $ith the reactor full stop, .f m" bo"s can test) it $e+ll find out,3

0o it Chief) and ma#e sure it+s shielded, . don+t ant an"one #no$in! $e found it,3

.+ll tr") Sir,3

8eep chec#in! the reactor as $ell *ust in case,3 he Colonel and 4a*or left the en!ineerin! dec# to resume theirconversations $ith the Alliance staff) much more cautious than the" had been onl" minutes before,

3o station

-=D 1a*s

Con+eren%e -oo' <

4" apolo!ies 9adies and -entlemen $e had some problems $ith the ship+s main po$er s"stems but it is undercontrol)3 4a*or 0avis spo#e up,

.s there an" dan!er63 as#ed one of the staff members,

Not at all, he affected s"stem is shut do$n and no lon!er attached to an" of the other ships+ s"stem,3

hat+s o# then,3 ne man) a baldin! senator said, No$ as $e $ere sa"in!) "our advances to $hat $e term as ver"

basic s"stems are fascinatin!, 5our computer and communications s"stems are inferior to our o$n but "ou seem tobe able to do much more $ith $hat "ou have,3

5es) our technolo!" is a combination of our o$n and some salva!ed and donated technolo!ical advances fromother races from our area of space,3

Alien technolo!ies63 the same man said $ith a barel" concealed sneer,

5es, %e are at $ar $ith a race that $ants nothin! more than total sub*u!ation of our entire species or failin! thatannihilation of our $orld and its people, .n order to fi!ht bac#) $e have used their o$n technolo!" and made our o$nanalo!ues of those s"stems, =o$eve)r some $e have had to use salva!e technolo!" in places $e have not beenable to cop" those s"stems,3

%hat about "our other s"stems63

Some of our s"stems $ere donated b" a friendl" race called the As!ard, he As!ard have been a valuable all" toour planet for several "ears and indeed are responsible for our inclusion into the protected planets treat",3

So these As!ard also pla" -od63

Not as such, %hile the -oa+uld believe the" are !ods and force others to $orship them as such) the As!ard havehelped races to develop at their o$n speed and tau!ht races ho$ to cope on their o$n until such time as those racesrealise $hat the As!ard are and are able to tal# $ith them on a sin!ular or planetar" basis,3

So "our most advanced $eapons and defences come from this race63

5es) each of the Prometheus class ships in the fleet are armed accordin!l" b" $a" of our treat" $ith themD the same

treat" .+m afraid that $ill not allo$ us to share those technolo!ies $ith "ou unless $e !et their permission,3



. understand that, Please understand ho$ever that time is !ro$in! short for us and the basic niceties of t$o po$ersmeetin! must be dispensed $ith for the moment,3

. understand Senator) please !o on)3 0avis said,

. understand some of "our other technical advances are not covered b" "our 7treat"+ $ith an" other alien race63

No Sir) the" are not, =o$ever) some of our technolo!" $ill not be of use to "ou due to differences in ourtechnolo!ies,3

he female member of the command staff spo#e up) %e do o$e "ou much for *ust assistin! us so far $ith "ouradvances, he refits of man" of our front line ships $ith "our scanners has !one ahead recentl" and than#s to "ou$e ma" be able to fi!ht on a level field for at least a time,3

%e $ere happ" to help -eneral) $e could not sit b" and $atch an advanced race *ust destro" the =uman racebecause of an accident, %e fi!ht a!ainst such problem bac# home, Advanced races that believe ever"thin! the" dois ri!ht and most are scared of those races) it seems =umans are the same ever"$here)3 a"lor said,

%hat $ould "ou be $illin! to trade $ith us) Colonel63 he third man said,

Sir) $hat "ou must understand is that $e as a $hole cannot allo$ our ship to be ta#en apart for "ou to reverseen!ineer our technolo!") most of our technolo!" is incorporated into the ship+s s"stems, And $hile $e have thetechnical specifications and #no$ ho$ it ma" be a problem mana!in! to !ive "ou some of our s"stems,3

%hat can "ou !ive us63

.n exchan!e for the s"stems $e !ave "ou $e have been !uaranteed continued support from "our infrastructure andthe possibilit" of some up!rades of our o$n, For the technolo!" $e are offerin! "ou $e $ish for the sale of several of"our $arships for use b" our o$n fleet once the 4inbari $ar has ended,3

5ou $ant our $arships6 hat+s preposterous)3 the senator said,

%hat #ind of ships63 the -eneral said overrulin! the senator,

Cruisers and 0readnau!hts $ith several tenders to #eep them operational for several "ears,3

.n exchan!e for $hat63

Artificial !ravit") inertial dampenin! s"stems) and control cr"stal technolo!")3 0avis said, hat is all $e can !ive "oufor the moment $ithout access to our home $orld+s database s"stems and permission from our fleet command toallo$ other s"stems to be included,3

hat is not much for an entire tas# force plus auxiliaries,3

As . said that is for the moment) others ma" be brou!ht to the table later on, =o$ever the s"stems "ou have plusthese others $ill !ive "ou an ed!e a!ainst the 4inbari in a combat situation allo$in! "ou to fi!ht them fair andpossibl" beat them, 0o not mali!n these technolo!ies the" $ill chan!e the combat capacit" of "our ships be"ond thatof man" "ou #no$ of,3

For the moment $e are unable to !ive "ou the ships that "ou $ant, .f $e lose this $ar the fact is that $e ma" not beable to !ive "ou an" of the ships "ou $ant for this technolo!", hin!s $ould be easier if $e could see the $hole of"our ship,3

Senator) if the =uman race is to be $iped out b" the 4inbari then $e $ill be on the line bet$een the =umans of thisuniverse and the 4inbari, And $ith all due respect) $e $ill help but $e $ill not ris# our o$n $orld to satisf" "our $antfor our advanced technolo!", %e can !ive "ou $hat $e can but $e also need to find our $a" home and for that $e$ill need help,3

he senator $as an!r" at these 7ne$comers+, he alliance had the bac#s to the $all and $ere bein! hit hard b" thelosses the 4inbari had made in their fleet ran#s, No$ the fleet had the technolo!" to fi!ht bac# but the full fleet refit$ould ta#e time and $hile the S%ACS abilities of their fe$ ships are full" capable of allo$in! entire tas# forces tosee the 4inbari ships the" $ere *ust not enou!h,

he first tas# forces of complete refits $ere still t$o $ee#s from combat readiness and once a!ain the" $ould bescattered do$n the entire line to assist non2refit units instead of defendin! the more important inner s"stems of the



Alliance li#e the" should be, he Senator $as not happ" $ith that fact and $anted more from these people and $ould!et it one $a" or another,

he ships $e have online $ith "our scanner up!rades are of immense help as is the rail!un s"stem that "ou !ave usas a !ood$ill !esture, he lines have stabilised close to the midran!e bases but $e don+t #no$ $h"63 he female-eneral said,

%e understand that the 4inbari have lost a lot of ships across the entire line in the last fe$ months in addition tothose that $e ourselves helped to destro" recentl", he" ma" be tr"in! to reinforce and redeplo" a!ainst other basesnot as $ell defended at Beta 0urani is,3

.t+s a sure bet that the" #no$ "our ships are bein! equipped $ith the ne$est scanners and mi!ht be $illin! to ta#ethis fi!ht to an extreme if the" are threatened, he" apparentl" have more ships than "ou and ma" *ust be able tooverrun "ou)3 a"lor said,

he -eneral brou!ht out a data cr"stal) handin! it to an aide i t brou!ht up a series of numbers and ships both4inbari Mest,K and =uman Mest,K

.n the next month almost one hundred ne$ ships $ill come online) most $ith the ne$ scanners online and rail!unsattached, =o$ever the ships are still outmatched b" the 4inbari vessels b" a serious mar!in, he numbers arehi!her in their favour and their pinpoint *ump computers are still a dan!er) Sir $e are as#in! "ou for more help to

#eep the 4inbari at ba" until $e can defend ourselves better,3

a"lor nodded at her $ho himself pulled a $ritable optical dis# from his *umpsuit poc#et and slid it across thetable,

ne of our s"stems is an :C4 s"stem capable of *ammin! ever" ship $e #no$ of) it $or#s a!ainst the sensors ofthe -oa+uld ships even those up!raded b" the s"stem lord Anubis, .t is one hundred percent effective a!ainstever"thin! in this s"stem so far includin! 4inbari sensors, .t is not sensor stealth) in fact the opposite) but it *ams thesensor ima!es and distorts them,3

4eanin! if the" can+t see it the" can+t hi t it,3 he -eneral said a$estruc#) =o$I . mean "ou are $ill in! to trade this$ith us63

a"lor *ust smiled) Call i t a do$n pa"ment on the ships $e need from "ou) in the last fe$ $ee#s m" en!ineers have

mana!ed to re$rite the specs to suit "our ships, hose to be equipped $ith it can have it done the same time as thescanner updates it+s easil" done adapter to "our o$n countermeasures suite and can be activated and used usin!"our basic comm, and scanner s"stems,3

-et this to command and quic#l",3

he -eneral passed the dis# to her aide $ho bolted from the room $ith a quic#l" murmured 7A"e) Sir,3

han# "ou Colonel) man" :arthForce officers $ill o$e "ou their lives,3

%e+re all soldiers -eneral) it+s $hat $e do,3

Senator4s &++i%es

,arthdo'e

Three hours later

he offices of Senator %illiam Clar# $ere once !ain diml" lit $ith onl" a fe$ spotli!hts illuminatin! the des# and otherparts of the office that Clar# $anted lit, At this moment several of the li!hts bac# lit him as he loo#ed at the monitorscreen above his head, <ust enou!h li!ht escaped around him to dar#en him as a $hole in an attempt to scare theother senator $or#in! for him,

So the" still refuse to allo$ us their most advanced s"stems)3 he as#ed the other man rhetoricall",

.+m sorr" Sir) but the Achil les+ commanders refuse to allo$ us to even loo# at some of their s"stems, .n fact some ofthe s"stems $e $ere able to see at 0urani station have been closed off to all technicians at .o station,3

=ave the" discovered our little device63



. do not believe so Sir, he" have made no mention of it or even made an" si!n that the" mistrust us more than the"had done alread",3

hen the" are attemptin! to #eep their technolo!ical advanta!e to themselves $hile ma#in! us pa" throu!h the nosefor titbits and scraps of their inferior s"stems, .f that is the case then $e need to do somethin! about this and soon,3

.n addition Sir) $e have somethin! that $as unexpected, he" have !iven us the abili t" to bloc# the sensors of the

4inbari for a time,3

%hat63 the Senator *olted at that,

heir :lectronic Countermeasures are capable of bein! adapted into our o$n ships :C4 s"stems) meanin! the"can be refit into our $arships durin! the same time the scanner s"stems are,3

nce a!ain puttin! us in their debt) ma#in! sure that $ithout them $e cannot !o an" further,3

he other members of the station+s command cre$ $ill a!ree to their requests $ith this technolo!" transfer, Sir)$hat do "ou $ish for us to do6 -eneral Stevens is about read" to cave into their demands,3

Stevens is an idiot and in the poc#et of Santia!o, %e need to move them out of the picture and !et ourselves to the

forefront of thin!s, .n!ratiate "ourself $ith the command cre$ and !et some of "our pet en!ineers to !et friendl" $iththe cre$ of that ship, See $hat "ou can !et out of i t,3

5es) Sir,3

4ean$hile .+ll $or# $ith a fe$ of the people that o$e me in the 4arines, Perhaps if the" $on+t be persuaded nicel"$e+ll have to ta#e the technolo!ies $e $ant one $a" or another,3

he" $ill tr" to stop that) Sir,3

he" are =umans and as such in our space the" are sub*ect to our rules and our la$s, And as such that ship is fairpropert" for :arthForce and our lo"al officers,3 4" lo"al officers more than others he thou!ht privatel",

0o $hat "ou can to slo$ do$n this transfer until such time as it suits US and not them, Pull bac# the material and

personnel diverted to them as much as possible to ma#e thin!s problematic for them,3

Sir) are "ou sure about this63

f course .+m sure, No$ do $hat . tell "ou to do) Clar# out,3

he Senator spun a$a" from the screen his face scre$ed up in an!er, =o$ dare these people tr" to dictate terms)the" should be than#in! the Alliance for ta#in! them in and even help them $ith the dama!e to their ship, hesharin! of $hat the" had and $hat he $anted $as onl" fair in his e"es,

Senator) 4r Bester to see "ou,3

3Send him in,3 N% %=A6

Senator Clar#,3

4r Bester $hat can . do for "ou toda"63

Several of m" telepaths have been sent to .o station for an assi!nment the" $ill b" pass the 0 command stationsometime toda" before the" !o on to their assi!nment,3

Are "ou in contact $ith them63

5es,3

3hen cancel their assi!nment and have then attached to the 0 teams,3

=o$ exactl"63



An" $a" "ou have to, . $ant to #no$ more about that ship and cre$ and if the" are all li#e that 9t,3

At once) Senator,3 Bester left the room and entered the corridors) once out of si!ht one of his fe$ and trul"obnoxious !rins split his face) Clar# $as ri!ht $here he $anted him,



Chapter ?&,

. li#e the Huiet,3

Freedom+s Choice

7Anubis+ Class refit =a+ta#

Car!o Ba" hree/Centauri Barrac#s

Several hours later

he barrac# room $as in chaos as the Centauri survivors squabbled amon!st themselves about $hat $ashappenin!, he senior of the fficers) 9t 4ollari had come before them and informed them of $hat had happened tothem an" their ship,

he uproar had been predictable as the cre$men started to shout and complain that $hat he $as sa"in! $asimpossible, Some $ere scared of the <affa) $hile others $ere convinced that the humans $ere *ust attemptin! to lurethem into a trap and ta#e their ship and its technolo!" to use a!ainst the 4inbari,

4ollari had pointed out that the technolo!" used b" the <affa and these humans $as simpl" not an" form oftechnolo!" available to them) or indeed an" race in the rion arm themselves included, he sli!htl" h"stericalmembers of the !roup had refused to bo$ to 4ollari+s seniorit" and so demanded the" be allo$ed to leave) that the"attac#ed the <affa !uards,

Six unconscious Centauri) b" $a" of a Jat blast each) stopped the attempted rebellion before it reall" be!an, A do@enstaff $eapons po$erin! up from the other side of the barrac#s halted the remainin! Centauri in their trac#s,ut!unned and out manoeuvred the survivors soon quietened do$n, %ithin a fe$ minutes the stunned Centauri$ere startin! to come around after bein! moved the empt" bun#s,

Finished Pett" officer63 Carn 4ollari as#ed,

3Sorr" Sir) .+ll admit .+m scared Sir) but "ou+re ri!ht, No human has this technolo!",3

.t ma" be a clichQ Pett" fficer) but it+s alri!ht to be scared, he -ods #no$ . am and .+ve been briefed completel"about this area of space,3

So $e can+t !o home63

Not at the moment Pennari, he 7esplendent+ is too badl" dama!ed to ma#e it home and $e are too fe$ to man hereven if $e could move her,3

Another cre$man spo#e up, he" had been told the" had ta#en immense losses in the accident that had brou!htthem throu!h the rift but the" did not #no$ the true extent of their losses, he" $anted to #no$,

Sir6 =o$ man" of us are left63

Colonel onson has in formed me *ust before this meetin! that the total estimated survivin! cre$ $ill be sixt" t$oCentauri,3

Sixt" t$o63

he shoc# $as palpable as the cre$men around him realised that out of the combined cre$ and fi!hter $in! onl"the" had survived, Fe$ of the survivors $ere s#illed naval personnel as suchD man" $ere conscripts or volunteersfrom the streets $illin! to serve in the naval forces,

Several of the cre$ simpl" stood up and $al#ed out of the room and into one of the other ba"s around their o$nbarrac#s space simpl" to be alone $hile others sat in shoc# on their bun#s, A fe$ of the more senior had seen thisbefore but even the" $ere stunned at the losses that had been caused to their cre$ and their ship,

=o$ man" officers) Sir63



hree of us) Ser!eant, 4"self) :nsi!n =etta from stores) and 9t Commander Sin!letti third shift commander andseveral of the senior cre$ survivors $ill ta#e temporar" ran#s for the duration,3

%ill "ou be ta#in! command of the ship and cre$ Sir6 . mean "ou are the onl" survivin! cre$member from thehouse) Sir,3

3For no$ . $ill, .f Sin!letti survives . $ill offer it to him,3

A"e) Sir,3

ne of the senior cre$men) the current defacto chief en!ineer and brevet officer) one of the survivin! en!ineerin!cre$ came up to the 9ieutenant,

=o$ bad is the dama!e to the 7esplendent+ Sir63

;er" bad Chief :n!ineer, %hile the external hull is totall" intact much of the armour and $eapons mounts are !one,he hull $on+t ta#e another trip throu!h the rift and has no chance of combat, he $orst dama!e is in the internalhullD the han!er is all but ruined as is much of the cre$ quarters, he en!ine room is still inaccessible and $e don+t#no$ $h" either,3

%hat about the brid!e and defences63

he brid!e $as destro"ed and the shield emitters) !enerators and :C4 s"stems $ere all crippled b" the destructionof the outer la"ers of the hull, he onl" s"stems $or#in! are emer!enc" life support and the !alle" of all thin!s, hefood stores are also intact allo$in! us to eat, %e find too much of the human food in inedible to us,3

%e reall" can+t !et bac# can $e63

. don+t #no$ m" friend) but there is a chance,3

=o$ so) Sir63

0o "ou remember the information that filtered throu!h the fleet !rapevine a fe$ da"s a!o about someone helpin!the humans $ith their $ar a!ainst the 4inbari63

Umm) "es, Some ship $as supposed to be able to hit the 4inbari and the 4inbari couldn+t stop them,3

%ell it+s possible that ship belon!s to the humans of this place and if so i t means that their ships can survive the *ourne",3

%ill the" ta#e us bac#63

. reall" don+t #no$) . thin# the" $ould but apparentl" our ph"siolo!" suffered badl" $hen !oin! throu!h the rift, :venthe shieldin! of their $arships ma" not #eep us safe,3

Understood, his isn+t !oin! to be eas") Sir,3

his isn+t !oin! to be eas",3

he"+ve lost a lot of people in the last fe$ da"s) more if $e can+t reverse $hatever happened to those people in the.nfirmaries, An" luc# on !ettin! an"thin! out of some of them63 <ac# as#ed his "oun!er friend,

Nothin! "et <ac#, Some of the fe$ .+ve tal#ed to tal# about le!ends and m"ths surroundin! $hat the" call the 7firstones+ but nothin! concrete "et,3

First ones6 8inda li#e the Ancients and "our meanin! of life stuff63

. don+t #no$, As . said there+s not much the" can tell me but from $hat . !ot from them there is one race there calledthe 7;orlons+ that don+t !et involved in the l ives of other races,3

Sounds li#e the ollen,3



hese ;orlons are said to be a race millions of "ears old, No one has seen one and no one $ho enters their spacecomes out a!ain,3

enophobic or *ust people that $ant to #eep their hands close to the chest,3

. reall" don+t #no$) but it $ould be fascinatin! to find this out thou!h,3

.f $e !et permission to) .+m !oin! to send the Prometheus and t$o Free <affa ships throu!h the rift, .f that Primusclass ship can !et throu!h $ithout shields and a ric#et" hull there is a !ood chance our o$n ships $ill be able to !etthrou!h the rift intact and alive,3

5ou+re !oin! $ith them63

No) . have to !et bac# to the S-C or the President mi!ht !et sli!htl" anno"ed at me, Sam and eal+c are comin!bac# as $ell, %hat about "ou63

.+m not sure "etD !ive me a fe$ hours to thin# about it,3

a#e "our time, .t+ll be a fe$ da"s before the mission leaves if it does,3

Fine) so $hat no$63

Carter+s ta#en a !roup over to the Centauri ship to have a loo# around, .+m !oin! $ith the next team to have a loo#around see exactl" $hat these Centauri are made of,3

#, .+ll #eep tr"in! to find out more about these 7First nes+D see if there+s an"thin! li#e the Four aces Alliance intheir histor",3

8eep me apprised 0aniel and don+t !ive up too much to these !u"s, %e don+t reall" #no$ an"thin! about theirbeliefs or an"thin! $e don+t $ant a $ar on our hands,3

.+ll tr",3

Anla+Sho# ;essel Sha+ma#

Sharlin Class Battle efit

Same time,

he Fla!ship of the Small Anla+sho# division of the 4inbari Naval forces entered the s"stem that the Centauri PrimusClass vessel had last been seen in b" its escort ships, he Sharlin started a full scan of the s"stem in order to find$hat the Centauri ship had been so interested in that the" $ould leave their escorts behind,

he scanners of the 4inbari ships $ere much more advanced than an" others in the #no$n $orlds and the Anla+sho#+s o$n ships $ere more advanced a!ain than the normal $arships of the 4inbari fleet,

hese scanners stretched out across the entire s"stem scannin! and anal"sin! ever"thin! the" could see) the

Sha+ma# quic#l" and easil" scanned the s"stem in multiple sections) findin! nothin!, Fi!hters had been launched as$ell to assist $ith the scan) the fi!hters finall" turned up $hat could onl" be described as a rip in space, he tear $asemittin! ener!" $aves unfamiliar to the 4inbari aboard,

:ntil+@ah) $e are readin! sli!ht debris readin!s from the surroundin! area, he readin!s are equivalent to hull and$eapons components of a Centauri ship, =o$ever there is insufficient debris that $ould constitute a completedestruction of a capital ship,3

An"thin! from the rift63

Ne!ative) the rift is absorbin!) or retardin! ever" scanner $e have at this ran!e ho$ever short ran!e scans shouldpenetrate the rift and allo$ us to see throu!h to the other side,3

0o $e have an"thin! that matches the rift in our records63



Ne!ative) the rift has some variances that loo# li#e h"perspace emissions as $ell as some form of hi!h bandradiation but nothin! that can penetrate our hull,3

a#e us in closer and #eep scannin! the rift) let me #no$ $hen $e are able to pic# up an"thin! from the other side,3

5es :ntil+@ah,3

USAF Prometheus

Same time,

Sir) emissions from the other side are $a" up,3

Source63

Un#no$n possibl" another ship,3

ecall the patrol fli!hts and contact -eneral +Neill and !et one of the Centauri up here,3

A"e Sir,3

Scans are !ainin! in stren!th) same si!nal t"pe as the Centauri ship *ust much more po$erful,3

So not another one of their ships63

Not that . can see) Sir,3

Sir the scans have *ust ripped ri!ht off the Centauri+s level and are increasin!) loo#s l i#e the" $ant to #no$ $hat+s onthis side of the rift,3

Can $e see an"thin!63

Not much there seems to be somethin! interferin! $ith the scans,3

he rift63

. don+t thin# so) Sir, he rift has settled, .t loo#s li#e it+s comin! from that side,3

Some #ind of :C463

he 4inbari63

ed Alert all hands to battle stations) repeat all hand to battle stations, Contact -eneral +Neill and Colonel onsonhave them return ASAP,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir) all ships in s"stem have !one to full alert)3 the Scanner operator said, 9oo#+s li#e the"+ve seen it too,3

An"thin! else from that ship63

No) Sir, .+m not sure the"+ve even seen us "et this far from the rift,3

8eep all sensors on that si!nal,3

A"e) Sir,3

Sir Comms eplied, Colonel onson and -eneral +Neill are returnin! to the Prometheus) :A three 4inutes,3

-ood) #eep them apprised,3



5es) Sir,3

Aboard the small car!o ship the t$o hi!h2ran#in! officers of the fleet $ere headin! bac# to their command ship, he#no$led!e that more ships $ere arrivin! in the s"stem throu!h the ri ft $as a cause for concern,

he continual problems $ith the remainin! -oa+uld and the %raith attac#s on Atlantis Base $ere sappin! thestren!th of the Allied forces human and <affa ali#e, Another hostile race $as not somethin! the" $anted or needed at

that moment in time $ith one $arship missin! in action and the second on the return le! from Atlantis Base, .t+s recallafter the loss of the Achilles and finall" the Prometheus on SA and diplomatic duties) the defences of earth $erecriticall" depleted to bare minimum levels,

he ne$comer could be another Centauri $arship that ma" thin# the" $ere responsible for the destruction of theirship) or $orst2case scenario) it mi!ht be the arrival of one of those 4inbari vessels the" had been informed about b"the Centauri officers,

.f that $as so then the" could be in for some trouble if these 4inbari $ere so !un!2ho about #illin! ever" human thatcame across their paths, he Prometheus as a human onl" ship $ould be the first tar!et but the" had no idea about$hat $ould happen to the Free <affa ships in the squadron,

he Prometheus+ resident diplomatic !eniuses in the !uises of Captain obert Smith and 0r, 0aniel <ac#sonbelieved that the <affa as an offshoot of the human race $ould be a viable tar!et for the 4inbari, he" could ver" $ell

be vie$ed as as a threat to the 4inbari because of the pure si@e of their race as $ell as the numbers of ships undertheir control,

=o$ever) if the ne$s $as true and the missin! Prometheus class ship had done that much dama!e to so man"ships) then the numbers of fi!hters) bombers and capital ships in <affa hands $ould do immense dama!e to the4inbari ships $ith fe$ losses, But for no$ until the actual contact $ith the 4inbari Federation $as made the ships ofUSAF Space Command $ould no lon!er be at the forefront of this mission until a consensus $as met bet$een thet$o po$ers,

he ne$est arrival $as unidentified as far as the" could ma#e out, he ship throu!h the rift and that ship+s o$n :C4s"stems $ere most li#el" the aforementioned 4inbari, And as such the" $ere reluctant to allo$ contact bet$eeneither side until some form of diplomatic rende@vous that didn+t include the firin! of $eapons a!ainst the other sidecould be arran!ed,

he car!o ship turned in place and brou!ht itself to one of the ship+s outer airloc#s in order to doc# $ithout havin! to

depressurise the entire han!er dec#, he three passen!ers transferred to the $arship and headed for the ship+sbrid!e in the centre of the command to$er,

4a*or $hat have "ou !ot63 onson as#ed as he too# his command seat,3

Sir) the unidentified ship is closin! $ith the rift,3

%hat63

. thin# the"+re tr"in! to see $hat+s on the other side, he" seem to be follo$in! the path the Centauri too#,3

%hat+s the li#elihood the"+ll see us63

Unli#el" Sir, But if the" continue in the" ma" end up transferrin! throu!h the hole if it expands a!ain,3

%hat #ind of dama!e are $e loo#in! at if the" transverse63

%ith the dama!e ta#en b" the Centauri ship as a template) even a fe$ hundred "ears of armour and s"stemadvancement the 4inbari supposedl" have $on+t #eep an" ship that comes throu!h from bein! crippled or destro"ed,heir s"stems and cre$ $ill be decimated same as the Centauri $ere,3

=ave 9t 4ollari brou!ht up here immediatel"3

A"e) Sir,3

he order $as !iven to brin! the Centauri officer to the Brid!e, 4inutes later) the smaller man $as in front of themonitors that had brou!ht up the recorded sensor scans of the un#no$n ship, For the Centauri the Silhouette $asunmista#able,



.t+s a 4inbari $arship Colonel, A heav" Ship of the line and she loo#s read" for battle,3

hat ship is approachin! the rift and fast 9ieutenant, .f $e tr" to $arn them $ould the" listen to us63

No Sir, he 4inbari hate the humans $ith a passion, An" attempt from a human to tell the 4inbari $here the" canand can+t !o $ould onl" an!er them, he 4inbari are a sli!htl" arro!ant race $hen it comes to this,3

i!ht) if that+s the case 9t) please ta#e the command chair,3

Colonel63

.f a human can+t then ma"be a Centauri survivor of a ship lost because of that rift ma" be able to chan!e theirminds,3

.+m *ust a *unior officer2the" $ouldn+t listen to me,3

9t) the cre$ of that ship could lose as man" of their fello$s as "ou did $hen the 7esplendent+ came throu!h the rift, Are "ou reall" $illin! to let that happen to another ship63

No Sir) butI3

Please 9t) "ou "ourself said that the 4inbari $ould not listen to a human cre$) ho$ever the" $ould listen to aCentauri,3

.+ll tr" ColonelD that+s all . can do,3

pen a channel) Comms,3

Channel openD it+s piercin! the rift,3

4r 4ollari63

his .s 9t Carn 4ollari ran#in! survivor of the Centauri epublic %arship Centauri esplendent) do "ou receive us63

All hands) #eep out of the camera+s vie$ for as lon! as possible,3 Colonel onson added,

A"e Sir)3 came a chorus of ans$ers,

%e+ve !ot si!nal,3

Patch it throu!h,3

Centauri Ship) this is the 4inbari :xpeditionar" vessel Sha+ma#, %e receive "ou,3

Sha+ma#) please to not approach an" closer to the ift, .t is extremel" ha@ardous,3

:xplain)3 the voice ordered the "oun! lieutenant,

he rift expanded to encompass m" ship and pulled it throu!h to this side of the rift) it has sent us throu!h to anotherarea of space out of ran!e of Centauri space, ur ship is heavil" dama!ed and $e have ta#en a !reat man"casualties in the da"s since then,3

%e understand, %hat is the current situation for "our people,3

%e are safe and the fe$ survivors are recoverin!,3 he Centauri loo#ed at the colonel $ho nodded) a friendl"po$er came across and offered assistance, he <affa $ere most cordial,3

%e are not familiar $ith this race,3

Neither $ere $e, he" are unfamiliar $ith us and an" of the races in our space,3





front lines are more believin! of such a feat, he remainin! ships of our ambush on the humans in one of their formers"stems) has also let us #no$ that the enem" ship has been repaired to full capabilit" b" the :arth alliance,

5ou losses $ere sli!ht compared to the number of their ships destro"ed b" our tas# forces,

hen $e are to continue on into their territor", .t $as not a question,

5es) $e $ill continue, %e still need to locate the =umans home$orld as soon as possible) other$ise this conflictma" dra! on and $e $ill ta#e more losses than $e can afford $ith the next $ar approachin!,

hen "ou a!ree $ith the eli!ious caste that the Shado$s are due to return soon,

.ndeed . do, he losses $e have ta#en in the last fe$ months have been more than $e can sustain if $e $ish tohave a viable $ar fleet in an" form,

%e have lost man" a!ainst this ne$ craft and even $ith the little information $e have !athered from the AnlaOsho#and from our a!ents $ithin the 9ea!ue of Non ali!ned $orlds) $e are no closer to findin! the true home of the

Achilles or an" $a" of !ettin! to her and destro"in! her,

he ne$comer ship has left its former home at 0urani Station has i t not6

.t has,

hen it is onl" lo!ical that the" have sent this ship to their most fortified positions) the" have returned it to :arth,

%e $ill be unable to destro" that ship before the humans can refi t their ships $ith the ne$est of their stolentechnolo!ies,

hat ma" be a problem, %e outnumber and out!un the :arthers b" almost half a!ain their number, =o$ever as hasbeen noted b" the $arriors) $e $ould need to pool a !reat man" of our fleets to!ether from all corners of theFederation to over$helm and destro" the humans defences and their planets, he destruction of the first of their midran!e bases is at hand and the loss of ships ma" become more of a problem the further in that the fleet !oes,

%hat is the fleetOs status6

he third of the three Satai stood from his position and strode to$ards the lar!e set of panels that made up part ofthe far $all, Activatin! it) a vie$ of the entire 4inbari Federation pro*ected around their heads much as it $ould havedone aboard the ;alenOtha, All around them the hundreds of ships in the front lines $ere numbers, hose numbersidentified the rest of the almost t$o thousand stron! fleet of $arships that made up the immense po$er of the 4inbarimilitar",

=undreds of ships could be seen alon! the multiple sector line that made up the front a!ainst the humans, 4ore andmore could be seen in sectors behind them reinforcin! and replenishin! those forces that had lost ships in battle,$o entire sectors ho$ever $ere all but clear of their presence, he battles a!ainst Beta 0urani and the AchillesBattle !roup had been costl" to the surroundin! lines, nl" a fe$ dama!ed and stra!!ler ships patrolled the sectors)nothin! that could hold a!ain a determined attac# b" the :arthers armed $ith their ne$est scanners,

he main battle fleets are holdin! the line several li!ht "ears from the humans s"stems, 4ost of the tas# forces

assembled are findin! it as simple as al$a"s to destro" the =uman ships, =o$ever) recentl" more and more humanships have seemed to see throu!h our stealth s"stems and dama!e our ships) fortunatel" the" are fe$ in numbersand $ith their destruction the rest of the ships in their patrols have fallen quic#l",

A !un camera vie$ from the fore of a Nial class fi!hter came up around them) three 4inbari ships nearb" $ereburnin! $hile others $ere dama!ed) the outnumbered 4inbari force concentrated fire on a fe$ :arthForce cruiserscausin! them to explode, Seconds after the destruction of the closest of the Nova 0readnau!hts) the fire of thehuman ships had become erratic allo$in! the half do@en Sharlin Cruisers to annihilate the t$ent" ship tas# force$ithin a fe$ minutes,

4uch as the Achilles did at Beta 0urani it seems the fe$ ships the" have modified are bein! used as a form ofelectronic countermeasures a!ainst our stealth, heir abilit" to scan us are transmitted to the other ships and areable them to destro" our vessels, =o$ever $ith the destruction of their command ship the humans fell quic#l",

he scene ended $ith the escape of the last cruiser into h"perspace, he holo!raphic s"stem retreated into the

ceilin! of the command chamber above them leavin! the chamber dar# a!ain $ith the three of them illuminated b"their sin!le floods,



%e have lost several ships up and do$n the front lines, Approximate losses are thirt" one ships to the humans usin!their current methods, =o$ever as before most) of the human ships have been destro"ed once their advancedscanner s"stems have been destro"ed, he human fleet is still of little threat to us or our ships,3

-ood) then continue $ith the assault on their mid ran!e bases,3

%hat of their t$o up!raded stations63

9eave them as the" are, nce $e have destro"ed the support structure from the inner S"stems that support themthe" $ill fall $ithout too much dama!e to our forces,3

his is the Station that is responsible for a !reat number of their ships bein! up!raded $ith their ne$ scanners and$eapons s"stems,3

. realise that Satai, =o$ever $e have little choice, %e do not have the numbers in the area to destro" that outpost$ithout total losses to our fleet, heir up!rades $ill not save the human ships from over$helmin! numbers that $illlead to their destruction,3

5es) Satai,3

A %arrior attachQ approached the trio and a$aited orders from the senior most of the three)

All for$ard fleets are to a$ait reinforcements en route and in three da"s the" are to attac# ever" outpost alon! thefront) destro" ever" ship and station the" find, =ave the second and third Centauri border Fleets head to the areasthat our lines are most vulnerable)3

he Second of the three spo#e up, Also have the %or#ers be!in reactivation of the 4othballed fleets here at 4inbarand at the %arrior stron!hold at =a@a28inia,3

he $arrior bo$ed and left the room to distribute orders to the other $arriors in the $arrior compound) four separate$arriors scattered to their duties,

he 4othball fleets63 as#ed one of the Satai,

he second loo#ed at his friend, . have seen $hat these humans are no$ capable of, . do not believe our forces arequite as capable of $ipin! out the humans as the" once $ere,3 =e lo$ered his hood to reveal the face of SataiSharonn, So man" losses in so l ittle time for so fe$ of the human+s ships have been a stain on our honour,3

.t is more than that,3 Coplann lo$ered his o$n voice, he f leet #no$ that the humans are rapidl" !ro$in! in po$erin their $eapons and their scanners, %ith this outside help from these un#no$n humans and their ship) $e are !oin!to meet an enem" capable of hittin! us hard, %e need this over $ith as soon as possible in order to be read" toassist the ;orlons $hen the time comes,3 =e loo#ed his fello$s in the e"es

he Shado$ $ar is comin!3 Coplann continued, :ver"thin! is comin! to pass and $e are no$ bein! tested to ade!ree $e have not seen in one thousand "ears, hese humans are not the Shado$s or their il#) nor are thesene$comers an"thin! to do $ith the Shado$s, =o$ever $e $ill come out of this $ar for!ed in steel and more po$erfulthan $e have ever been) the humans are the first step, %hen the shado$s come $e $ill be read" for them,



.nterlude &

hat is $h" in our societ" $e onl" believe in sex) constant) !uilt2free sex3

USAF Prometheus

Four da"s Post Contact,

he Claxons ran! throu!hout the ship a$a#enin! the ship+s Commander from a heav" and restless sleep, 5ears ofexperience caused onson to *ump from sleep to a$a#e in an instant allo$in! his trainin! to !uide him quic#l" intohis clothes and to the brid!e in an automatic fashion,

unnin! throu!h the corridors of his ship) he almost collided $ith -eneral +Neill as he char!ed around the corner,Pausin! to re!ain their balance the t$o officers hit the brid!e at full speed,

eport3 shouted onson,

Sir) the 4inbari are comin! throu!h,3

%hat6 %arn them off,3

No response Sir) . don+t thin# the" believed the Centauri,3

0ammit) !et me the 7Choice,+3

A"e) Sir,3

his .s Freedom+s Choice) -o ahead Colonel 3 replied 0aniel <ac#son from the =a+ta#Class $arship) his time $asbein! spent $ith the Centauri Survivors tr"in! to learn more about their people,

0r <ac#son) the 4inbari vessel is attemptin! to cross the rift,3

%hat63

3he" are tr"in! to cross the ri ft, .t loo#s as if the"+ve had enou!h of $aitin!,3

he" didn+t believe the Centauri then,3

Apparentl" not, %hen . order it . $ant the Choice to fi re a lo$ level salvo throu!h the rift,3

.s that $ise) Colonel63

Possibl" not but $e need to spoo# them) tr" to !et them a$a" from the rift before the" !et themselves #illed,3

he ship+s Commander a!rees) Colonel, he ship+s $eapons are at lo$est levels, %e+ll tr" to $arn them off,3

-ood,3 =e turned to his , Someone !et 4ollari up here immediatel",3

A"e) Sir,3

&rometheus, 'hoice, %e+ve !ot a loc# but their too close and fire $ill cripple the ship and possibl" #ill them)3 0aniel<ac#son+s voice came over the Comm 9ine,

r" a fe$ shots throu!h *ust $arn them off,3

Firin!,3

Four sin!le pulses from the =a+ta#+s punched throu!h the rift and li t up the hull of the Sharlin as the" passed close tothe hull, Unperturbed the Sharlin fired bac# and continued into the rift penetratin! the event hori@on,



No effect Sir) the 4inbari ship+s comin! throu!h the rift,3

Put it on the 4onitors,3

he results $ere predictable) as the rift cau!ht the Sharlin it pulled the massive ship throu!h the vortex and sent itspinnin! out the other side, he dama!e caused to the An!elfish2shaped $arship $as immense as i t came out theother side, he ship $as lar!er and more heavil" armed and shielded than the Centauri vessel had been) but even

that hadn+t saved the ship from cripplin! dama!e to its s"stems,

ne of the three drive fins had been shattered $ith cr"stalline armour and internals sho$in! as shards floated aroundthe hull) burns and cuts $ere scattered around the hull $here the armour and shieldin! had failed openin! up themain hull to space, he ship+s visible $eapons batteries had been all but melted into slabs of metal,

he ship be!an to rotate on t$o of its three axis as its po$er s"stems shut do$n across the ship as the reactors cutout to stop an overload, 9i!hts flic#ered and died leavin! the ship dar# and dead in space,

%hat have $e !ot63 as#ed +Neill

he" have 9ife support and some emer!enc" s"stems runnin!, heir bac# up po$er s"stems are stable she camethrou!h better than the Centauri ship but not b" much,3

Choice) Prometheus) can "ou !et that ship stable,3

%e+ll tr")3 said <ac#son, he Choice+s Captain sa"s it+s much bi!!er and i t ma" be impossible to stop completel" atits current speed and mass,3

%e+ve !ot life si!ns) a fe$ hundred still alive) 0aniel)3 <ac# said, ell the <affa to use caution these !u"s are to beconsidered extremel" hostile,3

%e !ot it <ac#) there+s li ttle radiation so $e should be able to rin! over strai!ht from the =a+ta#s,3

0aniel) $e+re sendin! over 4ollari to help "ou out he mi!ht be able to calm them do$n,3

han#s <ac#, Choice out,3

<ac# loo#ed to onson) :ver have the feelin! that histor" repeats itself63

,arth $llian%e Spe%ial &perations Co''and

3n &r*it around >enus

&ne wee( post arrial o+ #S$F $%hilles

he :arth Alliance SC Ship"ards $as :arthforce command+s current equivalent of the 7S#un# %or#s+ that had beenpart of the 4ilitar" of ever" !overnment for over three hundred "ears,

he ship"ards themselves $ere the bac#bone of the construction of the ne$est protot"pes the :arth Al liance had

desi!ned, ne such construction had been the ori!inal Nova Class destro"ers of $hich all but a sin!le one hadbeen destro"ed b" the 4inbari durin! the earl" months of the $ar,

%hile po$erful and lon!2ran!ed) the Nova class $as *ust unable to see the enem" units on the scanners leadin! totheir loss before the" could do an" $orth" dama!e to the 4inbari ships of the line, he sole survivin! unit that $asunfinished at the time the others had !one into battle) $as no$ stored at the me!a Ba"s at the SC ship"ards, heNova "ards $ere in use at Beta 0urani) the base no$ had several partiall" built ships on the slip$a"s) but due tomaterial problems and the need for more ships on the line the Nova ships had lan!uished unfinished for the lastthree months,

%or# on the ships had slo$ed on the orders of :arthdome once it $as reali@ed that some of the ne$est technolo!"obtained from the Narn and Non2Ali!ned $orlds could be included on the ne$est ships, %or# had totall" stoppedseveral $ee#s a!o $ith the arrival of an un#no$n vessel in Alliance space,

echnolo!" $as traded +or b" this ne$ ship for supplies and a homeport for repairs, he technolo!" specificationused technolo!" that $as so far out of date it $as surprisin! that the ship $as even capable of spacefli!ht, S"stems



that ran the entire len!th of the ship could be reduced to the si@e of a small room $ith the current level of technolo!"the Alliance had,

%ith the technolo!" bein! $or#ed on b" other areas of the All iance) it $as eas" to acquire copies of ever" s"stemthe" mi!ht need to outfit their ne$est vessel, SC had been buildin! their o$n ships $ith some additional capabilitiesat the same time as the information had come throu!h,

he $or# on some of the ships had been close to completion $hen the ne$ s"stems had been purchased b" the Alliance from a ne$comer to the area, he bi!!est ships $ere too lar!e and $ere almost completed and could not beeffectivel" modified,

%hile the lar!er ships still lan!uished) unfinished and a$aitin! orders for completion) it had come to the attention ofthe S%+s commander that a smaller vessel mi!ht be of more use as a test bed than an" of the lar!er ships that $ereunder construction, =o$ever it $as also a problem,

he S#un# $or#s had no small vessels under construction at their main ship"ards, .t $as !enerall" accepted that thesmaller and less po$erful units of the fleet $ere all but useless to their fleet $ith the 4inbari so close to the Alliance.nner colonies, he ="perions) as the smallest) $ere still much too lar!e to use for a protot"pe test bed and $ere tooclose to completion $ith the Narn assisted $eapons desi!ns,

.n response to this oversi!ht) the ship"ard+s command staff had acquired a smaller ship from one of the other

ship"ards for a stripped do$n and refit, he refit too# no time at all) no$ that ship $as read" for its first sha#edo$ncruise,

,$S ?,#S

&ly'pus Class Corette -e+it

Captain orders from :arthdome, %e+re to move out immediatel" for sha#edo$n, %e+ve been ordered to sta" a$a"from an" 4inbari ships $e come across, .f $e are unable to !et a$a") shoot to #ill,3

espond 7orders received and understood+, Jeus Class ne is brea#in! doc#,

%ith their orders received and the ship in read" condition) the small $arship left its construction doc# and bro#e outinto the dar#ness of space, Belo$ it the muted oran!e and "ello$ orb of the dar# side of ;enus spun) #eepin! the

SC "ards hidden from the ma*orit" of those in the Alliance militar", he Jeus headed into space a$a" from thebase and set a course for the border, A quic# test of its impressive hi!hl" sensitive scanners and a test of its$eapons subli!ht en!ines $ould be first on the a!enda for the cre$, A ship close b" the refit $arship opened a *umppoint allo$in! the $arship to leave the s"stem headin! for the border stations near Beta 0urani) the ships+ stores$ould onl" last so lon! on patrol) the stores $ould all but exhausted b" their vo"a!e to the outer s"stems,

he ship had been improved in ever" $a" possible since the first copies of the specs had been sent to the 0department of all Sol S"stem ship"ards, And in those $ee#s the :A+s o$n miniaturised versions had been attachedto the ship as the" $ere producedD ho$ever b" the launch man" $ere not read" for installation, he Jeus) on theother hand) $as armed $ith ail!uns) improved scanners and a ver" earl" form of the au+ri human+s :C4 suite,

Artificial -ravit" and subli!ht en!ine s"stems $ere still months from readiness althou!h the en!ines the" did have$ere much more po$erful than#s to some help increasin! their en!ine efficienc" usin! the Achilles+ o$n en!ines as atemplate,

She $as still as a!ile as her ori!inal class but the speed $as close to that of a Centauri Capital ship allo$in! them to

run if necessar", he Narn $eapons had also been included and no$ for the first time it $as possible that a sin!lehuman ship could put up a !ood fi!ht a!ainst a 4inbari $arship, .f this ship $as successful the remainin! Nova class $arships $ould be totall" stripped do$n and refitted usin! the ne$l" acquired technolo!" from the ne$comer+sship and an"thin! else the" could recover from the 4inbari $arships no$ in their hands,

he l"mpus Corvette headed to$ards the station at Beta 0urani at full burn, he" had little problem $ith fuel asthe" $ould have no problem refuellin! once the" made their $a" there, he orders currentl" in their database $ould!ive them access to all and an" resources in the Alliance $ithout an" questions as#ed,

3& Station

-=D 1a*s

That Day



he explosion that ripped throu!h the 0 labs $as immense) the fireball that emitted from the blo$n out sectionsas over a mile in len!th and several dec#s hi!h, housands of men and $omen $ere #illed instantl" $ith hundredsmore thro$n out into space to die in the a!on" of explosive decompression, Secondar" explosions caused b" theexposure of the internal sections of the station caused even more death and dama!e to people and equipmentcombined, An entire section sle$ed off and collided $ith one of the smaller patrol ships close to the station, 4ore fireble$ out the sides of the alread" dama!ed areas of the station finall" severin! the entire bloc# from the main stationitself sendin! it spinnin! a$a" from the station and than#full" a$a" from the traffic lanes around the transfer point,he resultin! dama!e $as horrendous in the fe$ seconds before the station+s bul#heads and vacuum doors

slammed shut cuttin! off the ox"!en feed and haltin! the concussive dama!e from !oin! further into the station, 9essthan t$ent" seconds had passed since the first explosion had hit the 0 department but the dama!e $asincalculable to the survivors,

%hat the hell $as that63 shouted the Station+s %atch Commander,

%e+ve !ot explosions in the primar" and secondar" atmospheric s"stems to the =an!er Ba"s,3

=o$ bad63

%e+ve lost the entire arm of the station) no reports f rom an" areas that $ere ad*acent to the lost sections, Sir $e+velost a full mile of the station,3

hat+s impossible,3 =e brou!ht up a section of the station on the screen) his surprise redoubled and he sa$ the truedama!e to the station) closin! his e"es he turned a$a" from the displa", An" chance it+s a scanner problem,3

No) Sir, :xternal cameras confirm it, %e+ve lost an entire section of the station, Sir there $ere over three thousandpeople in that section and surroundin! areas,3 he officer loo#ed at her commander,

An"thin! else63 =is e"es still closed) his demeanour slumped his command had been attac#ed and no$ thousands$ere dead on his $atch) %hat about the surroundin! sections and the nearest vessels,3

he S"lvester $as dama!ed b" a piece of debris) she+s bein! evacuated into the main sections, %ithout those Atmospheric s"stems the han!ers $ill lose life support $ith the next six hours,3

=o$ man" ships in there63

Four Sir) the Atherton) the Sentr") the 0ar#star and the Achilles,3

$o ="perions) a Nova and the Ne$comer ship plus the ship"ard personnel $ere all trapped in there,

=ave all personnel evacuate immediatel", Contact each ship and have them pull their people in and loc# do$n until$e can !et the s"stems bac# online,3

A"e) Sir, Sir the cause$a"s to the han!er complex are loc#ed do$n and depressurised, .t $as put in as part of thealert s"stems last "ear,

An"one left is to !et board one of the other ships, As# the Achilles to ta#e an" the" can on, he" should still beattached to the umbilicals,3

he entire station had !one onto the hi!hest alert $hen the first explosions had happened causin! the personnel toscramble for their positions, .n the han!er ba"s the personnel had been put into shuttles or $hatever else $as on hand and sent to the other side of the complex) those $ho couldn+t !et across the cause$a"s made their $a" to the

Achilles and the :A ships tethered to the dr"2doc#s, %ithin an hour the entire complex had been cleared and securedb" space suited 4arines from the .o barrac#s, he doc#s $ere opened and the trapped ships manoeuvred out fromtheir positions inside,

Sir) the station+s clear, Command and control are all that+s left,3

#a", :vac the last of the Command staff and shut do$n ever"thin!,3

A"e Sir, he last of the shuttles is ta#in! on the remainin! cre$ members,3 he cre$man loo#ed at his screens, Sirthere+s a messa!e from :arthdome) $e+re to #eep an"one from landin! or doc#in! to an" of the dama!ed sectionsuntil the .nternal Affairs !ee#s !et here,3

i!ht, %hat+s the status on the ships63



he Nova has been transferred to the :arth orbital complexes $hile the ="perions are still in orbit about .o,3

And the Achilles63

he Achilles has been requested to ma#e their $a" to :arth and to doc# at :arth Station ne immediatel",3

0ispatch the messa!e to the Achilles, .t+s up to them $here the" !o,3

A"e) Sir,3

ime to !o 9adies and -entlemen,3

he command staff of the station vacated their terminals shuttin! do$n the equipment as the" $ent, nl" a minute ort$o elapsed before the Commander and :xec $ere the onl" people left board the 0 station,

Commence s"stems shut do$n)3 the command told his subordinate,

S"stems shut do$n commencin!) $eapons do$n) defences offline) sections shuttin! do$n) one throu!h t$ent" t$o)t$ent" six throu!h fift") fift" one throu!h sevent" five, Al l remainin! sections are alread" shut do$n) Sir,3

he commander nodded, #a" :nvironmentals at minimumD reactors spoolin! do$n to minimum as $ell, All airloc#sare loc#ed do$n and umbilical s"stems are offline,3

hat+s it) Sir, he station+s offline,3

-ood) !et to the shuttle,3

A"e) Sir,3

he 4a*or turned from his position and t"ped a half do@en commands into the station) the last command shuttin!do$n the command centre itself, he bus" and po$erful station $as silent and dar# for the first time in man" "ears,he Commander $al#ed out and to his shuttle) not loo#in! bac#,

#S$F $%hilles

@ear ,arth &r*it

he small Prometheus class ship $as enclosed in a small formation of :arthForce $arships headin! to$ards :arthitself, he smaller ship seemed little more than a corvette or even a car!o ship to the 8ilometre lon! Nova classdreadnau!hts that made up the bul# of its escort ships, he Blue and -reen planet !re$ in front of the Air forcevessel as the Achilles approached the massive structure in orbit of :arth,

Someone+s been $atchin! too much ;)3 $hispered one the Non2coms on the brid!e to another,3

he station $as close to the si@e of the station at Beta 0urani and $as desi!ned much li#e that of the spinnin!habitat from the film ?>>1, he +Neill class station spun in amon!st "et another series of smaller units surroundin!the immediate area, 0o@ens of spaceships $ere in various sta!es of construction) from the smallest restes Class

ship to the lar!est Nova refits,

he bi!!est surprise for the cre$s of the Achi lles and her consorts $as the trio of Narn =eav" Cruisers doc#edaboard the closest of the smaller doc#in! platforms, heir beautiful l ines and fearsome loo#s made them loo# muchmore dan!erous than the bloc#" ="perions surroundin! them,

-+Huan Class Cruisers Sir) three of them)3 4a*or 0avis said,

Can $e !et an" readin!s on them63

A"e) Sir, heir :C4 is $orse off than the Alliance+s, %e+ve !ot ever"thin! $e need to #no$,3

Attach it to ever"thin! else $e+ve found so far) also read" a transmission cop" of it, 4a"be the Alliance $ould li#e a

cop",3

A"e) Sir,3



Sir) $e+re receivin! instructions, %e+re to doc# at the main station instead of the outer defensive stations,3

Ac#no$led!e orders and brin! us around,3

A"e) Sir)3 0avis responded

he Achilles pulled a$a" from her escorts, unnin! li!hts flashin! from both !roups in ac#no$led!ement andfare$ell to each other before the Alliance ships pulled a$a" and headed out s"stem and bac# to the outer defencefleet,

he Achilles $as ta!!ed and tar!eted b" do@ens of smaller satellites and defensive fortifications in the immediatearea around :arth+s principle space station, he small ship+s :C4 stopped most of the scans from seein! them letalone actuall" tar!etin! them) but the po$er had been reduced to minimal to allo$ them to see the ship i tself in anattempt to allo$ the SC to properl" !uide them,

Sir) primar" rin! is up ahead, %e+re bein! !uided in,3

Follo$ their instruction helm, r" to #eep us from hittin! an"thin!,3

he brea#s are a little stic#") but the steerin!+s fine) Sir3 the =elmsmen quipped bac#,

-ood,3

0avis sat next to his Commandin! fficer as the ship moved closer to the Alliance space station, %hile the +Neillclass habitats $ere useful) the S-C+s technical abilit" meant that an" station that ma" be built b" them $ould not usespinnin! sections to simulate !ravit" not $ith the !ravit" technolo!" salva!ed from the -oa+uld,

%hat $ere those Narn here for63 0avis $ondered,

Paul63

hose Narn are here for a reason and the onl" reason . can thin# of is that the Narn #no$ about our treat" $ith the Alliance,3

%hat do "ou thin#63

. thin# the" are !oin! to tr" to !et technolo!" from us or the Alliance for their o$n reasons) be i t alread" shared techor some of our o$n stuff, From $hat .+ve read on them from the All iance database do$nloaded to the main s"stemthese Narns are opportunistic) mercenar" and are little better than scaven!ers and thieves,3

Sounds li#e a nast" bunch,3

his is *ust one side of the stor") Sir and $e+ve alread" noticed a serious amount of enophobia in and around the:arth Alliance, . don+t recommend that $e let this information colour our meetin!s $ith an" of the other races in thisarea of space, -od #no$s $e+ve !ot enou!h of a problem $ith the 4inbari,3

A!reed, 8eep all ship+s sensors !oin!, 8eep an e"e on the Narn ships as $ell, %e don+t #no$ them and .+m not

ris#in! this ship and cre$to

an un#no$n race,3

nce bitten) t$ice sh") Colonel63

0amn strai!ht) 4a*or,3



Chapter ?E.+ve al$a"s had a bit of a blind spot $ith Sevens3

:A utpost =amunaptra%olf &'( S"stem uts#irts

%hat have $e !ot 9 ieutenant63

Nothin! "et Sir) the scans are clear for a !ood li!ht "ear in all directions,3

8eep on alert, hose 4inbari $ill be bac# and $e+re all that+s left in this quadrant,3

A"e) Sir,

he first indication that the s"stem $as under attac# $as the destruction of the outermost sensor stations at thes"stem+s ed!e and h"perspace sensor satellites in h"perspace i tself, Attac#s from multiple an!les stripped thes"stem of it+s lon! ran!e detection capabilit" and i t+s communications $ith an" other s"stem on the border,

he last of the outposts $as hit b" no less than four Sharlin $ar cruisers simultaneousl") causin! the entire outpost to

implode as the vacuum of space) crushin! the station li#e a tin can,

he station !ot a sin!le $ord si!nal out to the S"stem+s main station2 .ncomin!3

%ith the destruction of the last of the s"stem+s outposts) the sixteen ship force headed deeper into the s"stemto$ards the command base and ship"ards of %olf &'(,

%olfhound Command Station%olf &'( s"stemrion Sector Same time

he tach"on si!nal from the outpost arrived at the command station onl" seconds after its transmission, he stationb" a quir# of universal nature also named 7%olfhound station+ re!istered the bad it $as on, he communication could

onl" mean one thin!D the 4inbari had penetrated into the inner colonies,

Commander) $e+ve lost communications $ith :arthdome, %e+ve !ot *ammin! over all the $avelen!ths,3

Contact all ships have the fleet come to standb" and launch all Starfuries,3

A"e Sir,3

From the three stations that made up %olfhound) more than ninet" Starfuries left their ba"s and *oined the s$armin!mass of fi!hters from the alert ships, he fe$ remainin! ships had been reinforced b" :arthforce a $ee# beforehandand had "et to meet the 4inbari in battle,

he 4ultitude of Starfur" $in!s too# up flan#in! and point positions around the fleet) l"mpus) older Aven!er

Carriers) and even the ancient eth"s Cutters had been pulled to!ether to reinforce the front lines, he carriers no$launched their dual squadrons $hile the ="perions and Nova released their o$n fli!hts, he 4inbari *umped into thes"stem $ell a$a" from the =uman ships,

Sitrep,3

Sir) $e+re readin! sixteen 4inbari ships comin! into the s"stem, nl" three of the bi! !u"s thou!h) the rest seem tobe fri!ates or smaller,3

he" #no$ ho$ man" ships $e have in s"stem)3 he said revie$in! the situation, :ven $ith their stealth $e+ddestro" them all,3

. don+t #no$ Sir, .t+s possible the" didn+t $ant to use too man" ships in case $e had that ne$ scannin! s"stem:arthforce has developed,3

=o$ man" ships do63



$o Sir) the ="perion and the A!amemnon,3

A thirt" "ear old ships and a ship of !reen officers) !reat, =ave them both pull bac# to the inner defensive s"stems)brin! $hat $e have left online to defend them,3

A"e Sir missile launchers and pulse cannons active) S. en!ineerin! reports $e+ve lost the servos in the rail!unturrets) their stuc# fast) Sir,3

Nu#es63

$o in the silos Sir, :i!ht more in the car!o ba"s) no use to us except as destruct s"stems,3

An" chance a fi!hter could lu! one out there63

Ne!ative Sir) the Starfuries have enou!h of a problem a!ainst the Nials as it is haulin! a nu#e is suicide,3

Never mind) an"thin! else63

No Sir) the s"stems destro"ed in the last sie!e haven+t been restored "et, he car!o ships and en!ineerin! teamshave moved a$a" from the battle) their escorts are patrollin! our rear side in case it+s a trap,3

Understood) an" chance of contactin! :arthdome63

Ne!ative Sir) the local beacon+s bein! mas#ed b" the 4inbari, :ven the refit ships can+t pierce the interference,3

-et me Fleet Command,3

:AS =ephestionNova Class 0readnau!htCommand ship %olf &'( 0efence Fleet%olf &'( S"stem

Across the other side of the s"stem) the last of the destro"ed ships $as bein! pic#ed over b" one of the ships of the

s"stem defence fleet, he Nova dreadnau!ht $as the sole survivin! ship left of the ori!inal hundred and t$ent"stron! %olf &'( defence force, .t+s command had been dama!ed or outri!ht destro"ed b" non2stop attac#s a!ainstthe station and it+s forces over the course of the precedin! $ee#s,

he reinforcements had been a !odsend to the badl" mauled and outnumbered defenders, he fleet had been intime to destro" a pair of Sharlins usin! the Nova as a movin! tar!et, he $arriors had been overconfident to theextent that a barra!e of fire had brac#eted the $arcruisers from behind blo$in! both apart in plasma and nuclear fire,

he cruisers and dreadnau!hts had cruised into the s"stem each ship !roup enterin! into predetermined patrols toreplace those ships alread" lost to the 4inbari advance, he patrols sent bac# ima!es that $ere all too familiar to thehuman ships,

4inbari debris and crippled ship hul#s $ere dotted around the s"stem usuall" intermin!led $ith the smaller humanships $here some had been rammed or had been cau!ht in an explosion of a fusion reactor, =o$ever $hat $asapparent $as that the destro"ed 4inbari ships $ere !rossl" outnumbered b" the do@ens of hul#s of human ships of

the line,

he da"s had !one on) each ship $as found and pulled bac# to the sin!le functionin! doc#"ard) $eapons andequipment stripped for use on the functional ships in the s"stem, ne scan proved that a sin!le Sa!ittarius class4issile fri!ate had not even fired it+s main $eapons in an!er before it $as sliced apart b" close ran!e fire from fusion$eapons, .ts missile rac#s $ere still intact and read" for firin!2 the ship+s emer!enc" reactors still po$erin! thederelict ship,

=ephestion to Ship"ard,3

-o ahead,3

%e+ve !ot a missile fri!ate here, All $eapons still armed and read") request immediate dispatch of a tender to brin!her in,3

Ne!ative =ephestion) all ships are bein! called bac# to the station, %e+ve !ot incomin!,3



%hat63

Sir63 A voice came from the comm, fficer, %e+ve !ot a si!nal from %olfhound station, %e+ve !ot 4inbari shipscomin! in,3

Shit) !et us over there maximum speed,3

A"e) Sir,3

:n!ineerin! this is the brid!e,3

3A"e) Sir,3

edline the :n!ines 4ac) $e+ve !ot incomin! 4inbari ships,3

A"e) Sir, %e+ll !et this lad" there for the ball,3

All $eapons stations read read") Sir, :ner!" routin! s"stems are still under repair Sir, %e+ve no more that fift"percent,3

Understood) !et $hat "ou can out of the s"stem,3

A"e Sir,3

he routin! s"stem had been desi!ned for use aboard the Nova class destro"ers shortl" before the $ar $ith the4inbari, he Nova class ships $ere over2!unned for their si@e and their po$er plants underpo$ered to arm all theship+s $eapons as $ell as its en!ines, .n response to that a desi!n allo$in! immediate transfer of po$er from onearea of the ship+s $eapons to another $as desi!ned,

nl" a fe$ of the Nova class ships built in the last fe$ "ears had the s"stem, .t $as impossible to retrofit it into theearlier vessels and it too# time to incorporate into the Novas on the slip$a"s, he Novas $ere needed on the frontlines and so $ith the exception of a half do@en in construction around itan) the Novas $ent on $ithout the refits,

No$ the =ephestion $as one of three of these ships in service and it $as hoped that the abilit" to arm and rearmindividual $eapons s"stem around the ship $ithout losin! speed $ould be of help a!ainst the 4inbari, .ndeed it $asthis s"stem that had allo$ed the Nova class ship to survive thus far) unfortunatel" the s"stem $as prone to failure asthe cre$ had found out to the cha!rin,

Sir) in2s"stem ships are en!a!in! the 4inbari,3

n Spea#ers,3

%olfhound Station to all ships) loc# on the lar!er ships and fire at $ill, Al l fi!hters brea# b" squadrons and attac#,%atch for enem" fi!hters,3

Aven!er ne to all Fi!hters) brea# b" squadrons, 4issile attac#s on the escort ships let the bi! bo"s ta#e the bi!!erbastards do$n,3

heta one to Aven!er ne) $e+re not receivin! telemetr" from the fleet,3

0elta ne to Aven!er) same here $e+re not receivin! an"thin!,3

:ach squadron leader added their information to the mix, :ver" one of the Starfur" squadrons $ere in the same fixas none $ere capable of receivin! the tar!etin! information from the ="perions in orbit of the %olfhound station,

Aven!er ne to ="perion) come in,3

his is ="perion -o,3

="perion) fi!hter $in!s are Bin!o for telemetr") $e have ne!ative) repeat ne!ative tar!etin! solutions for enem"

ships,3



Aven!er) ="perion) ro!er that, he s"stems are ineffective at "our distance) repeat s"stems are ineffective at "ourdistance, Pull bac# to fleet $e have to let them come to us,3

o!er that ="perion) all $in!s incomin!,3

%olfhound Command stationactical Situation room,

%hat the hell is !oin! on63

Sir) the ="perion and A!amemnon are reportin! de!radation in tar!etin! solutions, he fleet is pullin! bac# until $ecan !et the S%ACS full" operational,3

%hat+s $ron! $ith them63

Sir) the scanner s"stem refits are not desi!ned for the ships the" are aboard, he scanners $hile capable of seein!them are unreliable at ran!e, %e+re luc#" to even see them at mid ran!es,3

4eanin! $e can onl" use co2ordinated fire a!ainst the 4inbari once $e are in their $eapons ran!e,3

5es) Sir,3

0ammit) contact all ships have hem pull bac# and brin! up the A!amemnon, %e+ll have to tr" somethin! else,3

A"e) Sir,3

he ="perion bro#e ran#s $ith the other ships in the fleet and increased speed to travel the distance quic#l", he"passed the incomin! human ships as the" pulled bac# a$a" from the encroachin! 4inbari ships,

he plan $as simple) $hile the A!amemnon could see the ships to an extent it $as all but impossible to !et anaccurate loc# at ran!e, he A!amemnon $ould stand $ell ahead of the fleet in front of the 4inbari, he ="perion$ould be able to see the 4inbari ships $hile the bul# of the force $as still out of ran!e, ied into the other ="perion+sscanner s"stems the" $ould be able to see the 4inbari ships at the same ran!e as the Achilles if not the sensitivit" ofsaid scanners,

his left the t$o sides equal in scannin! ran!e and $ould allo$ both sides to combat on an equal footin!) but it $asmore than clear to the A!amemnon+s cre$ that this $as a one $a" trip, he" $ould not be able to !et a$a" from theincomin! 4inbari fire $ithout ta#in! immense dama!e or even destruction b" the 4inbari ships,

:AS A!amemnon="perion Class %arship%olf &'( Pic#et ship

A!amemnon to %olfhound) $e have 4inbari on visual) ta#in! evasive action,3

%olfhound to A!amemnon) o!er that, %e have telemetr" to all ships $e can see them2 !ood luc#,3

han#s %olfhound) ut,3

Sir) $e are in ran!e of their $eapons) and our o$n,3

8eep evasive, 0on+t tr" to hit them unless $e have no choice, .t+s unli#el" but if $e #eep $ell a$a" the" ma" leaveus alone2 it+s the best bet for the fleet,3

%e+ll tr") Sir,3

A ne$ voice from behind spo#e up,

S.) $e have t$o inashi+s brea#in! off, ne+s headin! out s"stem and the others headed for us,3

ime to interception63

hree minutes,3



ead" all $eapons) safeties off the nu#es, 9et+s tr" to slo$ them do$n,3

Sir) messa!e from fleet command the other ship+s !oin! after the =ephestion, Sir) the" $on+t #no$ its comin!,3

Can $e brea# throu!h the *ammin!63

Ne!ative Sir) onl" close ran!e is available, he =ephestion $as on s"stem scoutin! duties and ma" be out of closeran!e comms,3

Sir) $e have Starfur" squadrons comin! into ran!e) sli!htl" behind us and acceleratin!,3

%hat63

he" are read"in! an Alpha stri#e Sir , 4inbari ships are launchin! fi!hters in response,3

ar!et the enem" escorts and feed the information to the fi!hters,3

Fi!hters 9aunchin! 4issiles Sir, Full Alpha stri#e readin! four hundred plus missiles outbound for the 4inbari ships,3

4inbari ships comin! in,3

8eep scanner loc#s at all costs,3

.NC4.N- F.:,3

4inbari Council Chamberseli!ious Council 4eetin! ooms4inbar

Satai 0elenn63

he 4inbari Satai loo#ed to her side as a ver" "oun! acol"te approached her,

5es) can . help "ou63

Satai) . have a messa!e for "ou,3

.ndeed3 she as#ed, %hat is it63

%e have lost Contact $ith Anla+sho# Na 9enonn and the Sha+ma#,3

%hat happened63

%e do not #no$, he Sha+ma# transited to h"perspace near the Centauri border $ith the :arthers and $e have notheard an"thin! since, %e $ere informed that if the" became lost or *ust out of contact to inform "ou of $hat hadhappened, .t has been four da"s since $e heard from the ship b" fl"er sent to the 4onaster" close to the border,3

%hat has been the Centauri response to the loss of their ship63

%ith the Sha+ma# in the area the Centauri did not choose to send more of their ships to find the 7Centauriesplendent+) ho$ever $ith the loss of the Sha+4a# the Centauri ma" send more ships to find out $hat hashappened to either ship,3

8eep several ships on the border and let me #no$ if the Centauri send an" ships into the s"stem or an" placeclose,3

5es Satai,3

0ispatch the re+mar) the She+mor and the Sha#a+la#a to those coordinates and report bac#,3

At once) Satai,3



he 5oun! Acol"te/an!er left the chambers to see to his duties and to send on the orders from 0elenn) the "oun!Satai turned and sealer her doors and $indo$s and lit a sin!le lamp b" her side for meditation,

ime dropped to a cra$l as she felt the familiar presence behind her as the" al$a"s seemed to appear,

5ou heard the ne$s63 she as#ed,

5es)3 the bein! said,

0o "ou #no$ $hat is happenin!63

5es,3

he 4inbari turned around to see the imposin! fi!ure of her !uardian fi!ure) a ;orlon,

hen $hat is happenin!) are $e in dan!er from these ne$comers63

No,3

hen $hat63

All has chan!ed) the humans are much more than the" once $ere,3

he" are fi!htin! bac# $ith help from other humans from another place,3

Another space)3 the ;orlon corrected,

%here63

A place far from here and close to our o$n,3

%ho are the"63

Ne$comers) the" have chan!ed,3

Are the" still important to the comin! $ar63

Perhaps,3

%hat do $e do63

%atch) and learn,3

9earn $hat63

9earn,3

%ith that the ;orlon that once $ould have been #no$n as 8osh Narane# disappeared into the shado$s of the roomand a$a" from 0elenn, 0elenn turned from the fi!ure and didn+t flinch as she heard the door open and close allo$in!the Ancient bein! to leave the chambers,

9earn63 she $hispered into the dar#ness, She #ne$ she $ould not sleep much that ni!ht) nor a!ain until this $ar$as finished2 one $a" or another,

USAF Prometheus Achilles iftSame time

he Prometheus+ scanner s"stems $atched as the immense An!elfish2shaped 4inbari $arship $as brou!ht under

control b" the four =a+ta#s in the s"stemD the ship $as in bad condition,



Close up it $as obvious that the 4inbari ship had $hile been badl" dama!ed) had come throu!h better than theCentauri Cruiser had done, he ship $as mostl" intact $ith the fins and other protrusions been ripped off or meltedinto slabs of cr"stalline and metal, he hull $as mostl" intact $ith scorch mar#s and burns dotted across its surface,

he massive ship must have been much more capable than the Centauri ship to have survived the passa!e inoperational order, he ship+s s"stems seemed to be offline allo$in! the human ship to scan the Sharlin inside andout $ithout interruption,

All around the vessel) car!o ships $ere approachin! from the five allied ships in the s"stem, United States 4arinesand Free <affa $arriors $ere !eared up to ta#e the ship b" force if necessar"2 or simpl" to defend the first air andrelief teams from the Prometheus and the <affa ships,

Sir) the first of the Car!o ships is approachin! the 4inbari) the cloa#in! device and defensive fields are do$n2 $eshould have no problem transportin! aboard,3

han# "ou Colonel)3 said +Neill, %hat about our Centauri ranslators63

9t 4ollari and his team are aboard the first transport the" $ill rin! aboard $ith the *affa parties, nce the area issecured the medical staff $ill transport aboard, From $hat $e #no$) the 4inbari $a" ta#e offence at the <affa as $ellas our o$n people,3

Armament63

All teams are full" equipped $ith Jat -uns) a fe$ have staff $eapons or pistols) $e hope to #noc# them do$n $iththe Jats but) $e+re not sure $hat effect the" $ill have if an" hence the other $eapons,3

8eep me updated Colonel, .+ll be in the mess hall,3

A"e) Sir,3

he -eneral left the brid!e and headed to$ards the interior of the ship, .nside the hall a fe$ off dut" officers andcre$men $ere eatin! $hile to one side the food $as laid out b" the #itchen staff, ne table to filled $ith t$o plates$ith one much smaller than the other) unsurprisin!l" <ac# #ne$ exactl" $ho it $as,

Carter) ,3

Sir,3

+Neill+

=o$+s thin!s !oin! up there) Sir63 Carter queried,

he <affa are rin!in! aboard as $e spea#)3 he ans$ered, %ith luc# $e shouldn+t have too man" problems)considerin! $hat $e sa$ on the Centauri+s ship,3

Should $e not be assistin! them +Neill63

Not "et) eal+c $e #no$ the" hate humans althou!h the" ma" be friendl" enou!h to <affa as "our another alien race,.t mi!ht be bad enou!h $ith the medical teams $e+ve sent over) 0aniel+s !one over) too, ne of these da"s he+s!onna !et #illed2 permanentl",3

. don+t thin# he+s in that much trouble Sir , =e is covered b" a le!ion of <affa and marines,3

4arines) ri!htD li#e the" #no$ $hat end of a !un to hold,3

5our not still sore at them) Sir63

Not much,3

Sir) "ou are responsible for $hat happened as much as them,3

. #no$ thatI3



Sir) it $as onl" a Simpsons episode,3

nl" a Simpsons :pisode6 0o "ou #no$ $hat a classic the Stonecutters episode is63

Sir) it $as an accident) let it !o,

Alri!ht) Alri!ht) eal+c $hat are "our thou!hts on these 4inbari from $hat $e+ve been told b" the Centauri63

he" seem to be capable $arriors but li#e m" o$n people, =o$ever the" seem to be ruled b" an honour s"stemunli#e that of an" . have encountered, heir current attempt at destruction of an entire race because of the death of asin!le bein! is illo!ical at best and murderous at $orst,3

Carter63

. a!ree $ith eal+c Sir) hese 4inbari are tr"in! to #ill ever" human the" find, .f the" find the Achilles and find outabout our :arth and the humans of this !alax" $e could be facin! another $ar,3

For cr"in! out loud) $e+ve *ust busted the eplicators and the Sna#es and no$ $e !ot some ps"cho2quasi2reli!iousfruitca#es that ma" tr" to start a $ar of extinction of all humans, %ell lets *ust hope if the" do find the rift the" don+tfind a $a" throu!h $ithout cripplin! their o$n ships,3

%ell $ithout shields on a par $ith an" of our ships) the" can+t) Sir,3

-ood, %e need to #no$ if our ships can !o throu!h the rift $hile shielded, . $ant the t$o of "ou to !rab a shielded Al+#esh from the <affa and see if "ou can !et it throu!h the ift intact,3

he Al+#esh shields are more po$erful than the ener!" fields around the 4inbari ship) it should hold,3

Chec# it an"$a" and see if $e need to ma#e modifications to the shields,3

3A"e Sir,3

-eneral +Neill to the Brid!e,3

. *ust came from there)3 +Neill moaned,

he per#s of bein! a Senior fficer) Sir63

Shut up) Carter,3

+Neill strode out of the cafeteria mumblin! about 7no chic#en sand$iches and never time for lunch+ and al$a"s7damned $ell $or#+, =is quic# march brou!ht him to the brid!e $ithin a fe$ seconds,

onson,3

Sorr" to call "ou bac# -eneral) but $e+ve *ust received a communication from the S-C, he request has been

approved, As soon as $e ma#e sure that all our ships are capable of it) the Prometheus and our <affa Allies arecleared to !o throu!h the rift,



Chapter 7;

&oh shit.. #''. HideA”

Se%ure Do%(ing station

,$ Spa%e Station &ne

,arth &r*it

,arth $llian%e

he Achilles settled into a par#in! orbit close to the station, he area $as bus" much busier than the doc#s around .ostation or Beta 0urani) fi!hters) shuttles tu!s and small $arships flitted around the massive construct loomin! overthem, 9i#e all Alliance battle stations the station $as made up of a trio of immense $heel2shaped +Neill Classhabitats,

he surroundin! area $as clear of an"thin! above the si@e of an l"mpus, =o$ever the station and surroundin! orbit$as encased in a la"er of rbital Satellite %eapons s"stems #no$n as the -0 s"stem, hat $as somethin! man"

aboard fi!ured could be of serious use in their o$n universe,

%hat are "ou readin! on those thin!s63

0avis loo#ed over the scans from the sensor station) the -lobal rbital 0efense satellite s"stems $ere in no $a"covered b" :C4 s"stems to even remotel" confuse enem" scans, -iven the sensitivit" and ran!e of 4inbari$eapons and scanners this $as an obvious $a" to ma#e them cheaper and easier to ma#e in lar!e amounts2somethin! that $ould be necessar" for the .nner colonies as the 4inbari !ot closer,

;er" =eav" form of Plasma Cannon) mid ran!e but ver" po$erful2 possibl" enou!h to dama!e our o$n shields,Nuclear and heav" explosive missiles in multiple ran#s on port and starboard sides of the main cannon plus a pair ofsmaller pulse cannons) possibl" for anti f i!hter or ordinance $or#, Colonel these thin!s could cripple a =a+ta# in asin!le volle",3

. have !ot to be me one of these)3 4urmured on of the ship+s pilots as he crac#ed a !rin at his cohort,

=old "our course 9t)3 said a"lor as she loo#ed at the information coverin! the screens)

5our ri!ht ho$ever, hese $ould be of use for planetar" defences bac# home, A fe$ up!rades and $e+d be able tohit incomin! ships before the" !ot near us, An"thin! else 4a*or63

here are several hundred in rbit several la"ers deep and it seems more are under construction)3 he fro$nedsli!htl", hat+s odd,3

4a*or63

Some of these $eapons sats are more po$erful and up to date, Some seem to hold rail!uns and sensor s"stems)

our o$n technolo!" aboard their satellites, here also seem to be some $ith heavier pulse and laser $eapons, Not4an" ho$ever but enou!h,3

%ith luc# the" $ill be effective a!ainst the 4inbari if the" !et this far,3

. believe the" $ill be,3

Sir63 the helmsman interrupted, %e+re !ettin! a beacon, %e+ve !ot clearance to doc# strai!ht ahead) loo#s bi! too,3

4a*or63

=eavil" armoured and defended Sir) loo#s li#e the" are pullin! out the stops for us,3

=o$ so63



Because from these readin!s this is the Presidential doc#in! ba" and the President+s ship is in the doc# as $ell, Sir)the doc# isn+t part of the main structure) the ba" $on+t have !ravit" as it+s not spinnin!,3

he doc#in! port ahead of them $as $ell lit and $hile lar!e and cavernous $as also heavil" armoured and defendedb" an assortment of ships includin! a full squadron of Starfuries at strate!ic points in the area, .nside the main doc# alar!e stationar" spaceship painted blue and $hite sat to one side a doc#in! platform and lift next to it) a seconddoc#in! port sat on the other side of the platform,

-ettin! closer it $as possible to see that the ship $as a hi!hl" modified Nova class $arship, =o$ever it $asunarmed except for t$ice the usual amount of interceptors and an expanded fi!hter ba", n the side it $as possibleto read the le!end2 :arthforce ne,

Presidential transport alri!ht) a modified $arship as $ell,3

Sli!htl" safer than a civilian model) .+d thin#)3 said 0avis, %e+ve bein! $aved in)Sir,3

;er" $ell,3 She hit a s$itch on her chair, All hands this is the Captain) report to doc#in! stations) repeat all hands todoc#in! stations, =elm ta#e us in,3

A"e) Sir,3

he Achilles main en!ines shut do$n allo$in! the smaller reaction thrusters across the hull to brin! it into a strai!htline $ith the main doc# allo$in! the ship an eas" doc# $ith the facilit", A quad of vacuum sealed tubes pushed outfrom the doc# as the main doors to the ba" slammed shut sendin! a sli!ht shudder throu!hout the ship and thedoc#in! facilities it $as attached to,

Sir) the ba" is @ero !ravit" and .+m not readin! atmosphere2 this isn+t a dr"doc# Sir,3

han# "ou, Scanners) 4a*or63

All airloc#s are pressurised Colonel) airloc#s on their side are opened and are a$aitin! out o$n,3

pen the main loc#s but #eep the others shut for the moment)3 replied a"lor

A"e) Sir,3

%ell 4a*or let+s !o and sa" ho$d" to our hosts,3

A"e) Sir,3 =e smiled sli!htl",

n the other side of the platform a half do@en securit" officers $ere suspended in mid air as the" a$aited the arrivalof the Ship+s officers, 9oo#in! up at the ship+s airloc# the" sa$ the Achilles+ main lo$er airloc# open up allo$in! fourcre$members to leave the ship,

Permission to come aboard)3 said a male voice,

Permission !ranted Sir) please come throu!h,3 he !uard loo#ed at his P0A to chec# the faces of the officers

comin! throu!h, 4a*or 0avis) .+m 9t Connell" $elcome to :arth Station ne,3

3han# "ou 9t) this is Colonel a"lor Ship+s Commander and S!ts homson and -ardiner ship+s 4arine Contin!ent,3

Sir) S!ts) please come $ith me the President is expectin! "ou,3

han# "ou)3 0avis responded,

he four Achilles cre$members $ere escorted b" the securi t" team to a lift, Strappin! do$n the" $ere $arned thatthe" $ould soon enter a positive !ravit" situation as the" passed from the main doc# to the rotatin! $heel of thestation,

A$aitin! the team as the" moved throu!h $ere a lar!e con!re!ation of troops and civilians a$aitin! their arrival, helift ceased movement as it slipped into the rotatin! $heel of the station and came to a stop at a lar!e airloc# in front

of the assembled !roup,



No$ Arrivin!) Colonel <oanna 0avis) United States Air Force) 4a*or Paul 0avis) United States Air Force and militar"escort,3

A 4idshipman Piped the $o officers aboard, 9adies and -entlemen) President 4arie Crane) president of the :arth Alliance,3 A petite bro$n haired $oman approached the Air force officers) an aura of po$er and an obvious$eariness surrounded her,

Colonel .t+s nice to meet "ou at last, %elcome to the :arth Alliance,3

4adam President)3 <oanna replied,

Please $al# this $a",3

.+m sorr" it+s ta#en so lon! for us to finall" !et to :arth to meet $ith "ou 4a+am)3 0avis Said as the" $al#edalon!side the President and her staff,

hat+s quite alri!ht 4a*or) .+m a$are of "our help a!ainst the 4inbari at Beta 0urani and "our stopover at .o Station, .have alread" met $ith "our pilot 9t Silverston $hen he came to :arth but it is still nice to meet "ou both and . loo#for$ard to seein! others of "our cre$,3

.f "ou $ould li#e 4adam President) $e $ill be able to sho$ "ou around the Achilles once ever"thin! is on orderhere, 4a*or 0avis $ill be our lia ison to the :arth Alliance $hen $e start ne!otiations, .+m sure he $ould be $illin! tohelp "ou out,3

f course) Colonel 4adam President,3

han# "ou both,3

he combined members of the Achilles cre$) the !uards and the members of the :arth Senate $al#ed throu!h themain concourse into the station proper, 9ittle small tal# $as exchan!ed bet$een the t$o factions as the" $al#ed pasta series of massive vie$ ports) both 0avis and a"lor slo$ed a little to see the vie$,

.t+s still impressive even no$)3 he man next to the president said) a Senator Santia!o if a"lor rememberedcorrectl", .+ve been comin! and !oin! from earth for t$ent" "ears Colonel and . still sometimes *ust li#e to stand and

$atch,3

4" apolo!ies Senator . *ust $asn+t expectin! this vie$)3 she replied, %e don+t have a space station li#e this bac#home) $e onl" see throu!h the vie$ports or the monitors) it+s quite startlin!,3

he" turned a$a" and re*oined their escort unabashed at their actions, he President nodded to both havin! done soherself a number of times) the rest of the *ourne" $as quiet and uneventful as the" made their $a" to the meetin!rooms,

Briefin! oom &

Presidential offices

:A Station ne

he briefin! room had obviousl" been rearran!ed from its ori!inal set up to allo$ the room to be used for apresidential reception, A !roups of tables $ere set up alon! the side of the room $here all #inds of drin#s and food$ere set up from basic human fin!er foods to $ines and beers) to forei!n delicacies such as Centauri Bravari andstran!el" enou!h a lar!e tra" of S$edish 4eatballs,

he room $as host to human diplomats) !uards and most unli#el") a contin!ent of Narn $arriors and Centauridiplomats sat in t$o opposite sides of the room separated b" the massed human contin!ent from the Alliance and theouter colonies,

Colonel) 4a*orD $elcome to the :arth Alliance)3 the President spo#e, . apolo!ise for the overl" extrava!antreception ho$ever $e couldn+t persuade the Centauri and Narn to leave "ou alone)3 she said Sotto (oice% =o$everplease come in and meet the diplomatic parties) the sooner it+s over the better,3

5es 4a+am)3 !rinned the Colonel,



he first stop had been to the main tables $here the t$o officers $ere able to !et their hands on a pair of drin#s,he" #ne$ before this $as over the" ma" need more than the bottles the" had to hand, he t$o S!ts left theirchar!es and retreated to the ed!es of the room next to their cohorts from the other po$ers havin! had to !ive uptheir side arms at the door much as ever"one else had had to,

Funn" thin! $ith 4arines is that even after havin! their firearms ta#en from them b" the Alliance Secret Service) the"stood b" read" to fi!ht off the others in the room if necessar", No marine is ever unarmed and these men $ere no

different it+s onl" that the t$o of them still had a multitude of hand $eapons about their persons,

Ahh 4adam President) it is !ood to see "ou a!ain, hese must be the ne$comers) "es63

.ndeed Ambassador 4ollari, Allo$ me to introduce "ou to Colonel <oanna a"lor and 4a*or Paul 0avis of the AirForce ;essel Achilles,3

Ambassador,3 0avis Nodded,

Ambassador)3 said a"lor) a second later,

n behalf of the Centauri epublic) $elcome to this area of space,3

han# "ou) Sir)3 said 0avis, %e believe that the Centauri are responsible for the abilit" of the humans of this area ofspace to explore space,3

5es .ndeed) "our friends the humans $ere thou!ht to be an older and lost planet belon!in! to the Centauri, %e $ere$ron!) ho$ever) it allo$ed us to ma#e ne$ friends and allies that $e need, =umans are an interestin! species) "es63

. li#e to thin# so, Bein! human m"self . thin# $e+re interestin!,3

5es . heard that "ou and "our ship are human built, =o$ever $here exactl" are "ou from63

.+m not sure m"self Ambassador) $e !ot lost $hile in h"perspace and $e came out near :arth Alliance Space) thensomethin! stran!e happened, %e $ere attac#ed seconds after comin! out of h"perspace b" the 4inbari2 the"+veattac#ed us several times for no real reason,3

5es the" do seem to have somethin! a!ainst all humans) no matter $here the" are from)3 said a ne$ voice,

Colonel) 4a*or) this is -+8ar of the Narn 8ahOi) Ambassador to the :arth Alliance,3

-reetin!s to "ou both, %e have heard much of "our exploits here even out in the Narn e!ime it is impressive that"ou have been so $illin! to help "our fello$ humans a!ainst an enem" that "ou #no$ nothin! about,3 -+8ar !rinned$idel", .ndeed) it is the tal# of the entire 9ea!ue of Non2Ali!ned $orlds as $ell as the other ma*or po$ers all acrossthe surroundin! sectors,3

%e $ere attac#ed for no reason except $e+re human Ambassador) and the old human ada!e is 74" enem"+s enem"is m" friend+, he Alliance helped us and in return $e helped them $ith $hat the" needed $hich $as an all" a!ainstthe 4inbari , Simple as that)3 a"lor Said,

-entlemen please) let+s let the !ood Colonel and a 4a*or meet the others first, "ou $ill have a chance to interro!ate

them later o#63 he President smiled, 5our attachQs $ill have to !et in contact $ith :arthdome ho$ever .+m sure it$on+t be a problem,3

.t should be fine)3 replied 0avis

han# "ou both,3

he t$o men merel" bo$ed to the three human representatives and $al#ed a$a" to their o$n !roups) the Centaurispeedil" ma#in! his departure to the amusement of the Narn,

Sorr" about that)3 Crane Said,

No problem 4adam President) $e+re used to it b" no$,3

eall"63



5es) and it doesn+t !et an" easier)3 a"lor said, For Paul more so than me,3

4a*or63

3. $as formall" $ith the penta!on staff attached to a hi!hl" classif ied pro*ect as a liaison, As such . $as responsiblefor a !reat man" receptions and information !atherin! proceedin!s involvin! the pro*ect and those races and cultures$e came into contact $ith, Some $ere harder and some $ere easier,3

.+m not surprised) diplomac" can be a cruel !ame, .+m surprised the" allo$ed such a useful officer to transfer to anoperational ship,3

he Achilles $as on her sha#edo$n cruise, Several of the cre$ are there *ust for that sha#edo$n) . $as one ofthem, nce $e return .+ll be retransferred to the Penta!on and bac# to b" former post,3

hat is a shame, he Achilles seems li#e a fine vessel,3

She is) ho$ever m" ran# and postin! precludes me from commandin! a vessel at this point in time, here areseveral command level officers ahead of me in the line for all the ships in the fleet,3

4adam Presiden)3 a ;oice interrupted, 4" apolo!ies for interruptin!) $e require "our presence at Command and

Control)3 a tall middle a!ed staff officer spo#e to the president, Please come this $a",3

Sorr" about this Colonel) 4a*or,3

Huite alri!ht 4adam President,3 a"lor nodded and smiled bac#, he President smiled bac# and left the roomquic#l" on the heels of the staff officer,

:xcuse me Colonel,3 he t$o turned around to see another Senator behind them, . don+t believe $e+ve beenintroduced) Senator 4or!an Clar#) nice to meet "ou both,3

he t$o fficers nodded and shoo# the hand of the officious Senator all the $hile the fi!hter pilot+s debriefin! comeinto mind about the officials he had met $hile on the planet+s surface none had stuc# into their mind more so than thereport about this man, he erst$hile 9t had not trusted this man one inch durin! his meetin!, he fact that the manhad had several others in the room $ith him $hile the 9t $as tal#in! $ith him made the pilot much more

uncomfortable than he should have been, he belief that the Senator had had several of these so called Psi2Corpsofficers around him had made the 9t ta#e care $ith an"thin! he said or thou!ht) althou!h the fact the telepath hadrun from the room thro$in! up and bleedin! had been an interestin! vie$ for the pilot, :ven more so $as the loo#that crossed the face of the Senator and his aide at that reaction b" the telepath) a loo# that $ould have been missedb" most people,

Senator) nice to meet "ou, 9t Silverston as#ed us to inquire about a "oun! lad" $ho $as ta#en ill durin! his tourhere a fe$ da"s a!o,3

Somethin! flic#ered in the Senator+s e"es but his face sta"ed still) somethin! that did not !o unnoticed b" the #eene"es of the Air force officers,

She is quite $ell)3 Clar# announced, he poor dear has been ill latel" some form of brain disease that is fortunatel"non transferable, .+m #eepin! her on until she is able to function once more) allo$in! her to $or# to #eep herselfoccupied, . shall inform her that the 9t has been as#in! about her) . believe she $ill be deli!hted,3

han# "ou Senator, hat is #ind of "ou in both cases,3 0avis ever the 0iplomat,

hat is quite alri!ht 4a*or) it is the least . can do for people that have served me so $ell for so lon!) excuse me,3 heSsenator $al#ed a$a" the smile slippin! off as he turned a$a" from the !uests and $al#ed out of the main door,3

<oanna) one of these da"s "our mouth is !oin! to !et us both in trouble,3

From that !u"6 =e+s harmless,3

,arth+or%e Situation roo'

,$ Station &ne

,arth &r*it



Seeral 'inutes later

he Situation room $as a massive construct ta#in! up close to a half square #ilometer of station surface, he room$as the orbital section of :arthForce+s deplo"ment and tactical suite lin#ed directl" $ith the suites in -eneva andProxima at all times, =undreds of cre$men and officers sat or stood at their stations on all sides co2ordinatin! $iththeir opposites at the other sites,

Above them alon! one $all stood a situational map that sho$ed the full extent of :arthForce ships and stationsacross the entire Alliance and be"ond, As of no$) alon! three quarters of the map thic# blue lines intersected redlines and lar!e $hite s"mbols of the :arth Alliance,

he Alliance $as under sie!e,

-eneral obias,3

4adam President,3

%ell) this doesn+t loo# !ood,3

No 4a+am, Accordin! to reports from all for$ard sectors the 4inbari have launched an offensive all alon! our lines,

All of our 4id2 ran!e bases are under attac# and the tas# forces and smaller colonies alon! the front lines are underfire,3

he board chan!ed as numbers of ships alon! those lines $ere added to the count, =undreds of Sharlins had beencounted) $hile over a thousand other ships $ere in position around them all alon! the lines,

Some areas $ere devoid of Sharlin or other heav" $arships allo$in! the Alliance ships to $ipe them out $ith fe$losses) than#s to the $eapons and scanner s"stems developed from the Achilles+ technolo!",

%hat is the status of all Alliance forces63

:ver" active for$ard fleet is on the lines, %e+ve scattered forces around the Alliance) tas# forces $or#in! up or intransfer and those under refit for battle dama!e or up!rades,3

=o$ man" have the up!rades63

:ver" Station bar %olf &'( has been up!raded to the ne$ specs and thirt" percent of all ships have the abilit" to seethe enem" ships, =o$ever the 4inbari outnumber our vessels b" t$o to one and the S$acs are not as useful asanticipated, %e+ve barel" the ships to hold,3

%hat about the inner s"stems defence fleets63

%e+ve dispatched elements from the inner fleets and the 9ea!ue borders, .t+s unli#el" that $e+ll have an" problemsfrom that quarter $hile the 4inbari are on the move, %e+ve been unable to remove ships from the Ch+lonas Borderho$ever due to intermittent attac#s from that side of the Alliance,3

%hat+s on that border63

4ostl" older ships) eth"s) Aven!ers) massive $in!s of Nova Starfuries and first run ="perions) an"thin! $e couldscroun!e out of the bone"ards at Proxima,3

he screen chan!ed to the areas of space $here the alliance borders mixed $ith that of the Ch+lonas .mperium and8oulani 0irectorate, %here there $as once lar!e concentrations of ne$ and po$erful :arthforce $arships no$ satsmall streams of a!in! $arships) man" on their last le!s,

%hat is the condition of the =ome Fleet63

B" orders of :arthdome the Fleet is still intact *ust a$aitin! orders,3

he President loo#ed at the boards readin! their numbers as the 4inbari ship+s made further inroads into the Allianceterritor", he" needed help and needed it quic#l", As the President) she had the po$er to ma#e decisions that man"

$ould not ma#e and others $ould not li#e, .n this instance she believed $as ri!ht on both counts,

Send them,3



4a+am,3

here are over t$o hundred ships sittin! in the .nner colonies doin! nothin!, . #no$ that man" $ant to fi!ht to stopthe 4inbari and .+m lettin! them, Send the Sol fleet and an"thin! else "ou can from both Sol and Proxima, %e haveto hold the 4inbari bac#,

5es 4a+am)3 the -eneral said satisfied at the President+s ans$er, 9t) send a messa!e to :AS 9exin!ton) 5ou are a

!o) all ships are cleared for departure,3

A"e) Sir,3

he President loo#ed at the -eneral $ith a sli!ht smir# on her face and her arms folded) obias *ust loo#ed bac# ather,

5ou #ne$ $hat . $as !oin! to do) didn+t "ou63

. !uessed )4adam President) that+s all,3 =e shru!!ed,

he conversation $as interrupted b" a call from one of the command centre+s communications areas, A "oun!:nsi!n probabl" strai!ht from the Academ" $as stood up loo#in! at them,

Sir) $e+re receivin! communications from as# Force -alapa!os at Beta 0urani,3

Put it on,3

his is the :AS Nautilus to :arthforce command do "ou read63

his is :arth Station one) -o ahead)3 the :nsi!n replied,

Sir the 4inbari are hittin! us hard, %e+ve lost the outer defence stations and a third of the fleet, he 4inbari aren+tholdin! bac# this time Command,3

Captain Smith) this is -eneral obias) $here is -eneral =a!ue63

0urani station has lost communications Sir) combination of dama!e and those damned 4inbari *ammers $e+rebarel" transmittin! ourselves,3

Captain Smith this is he President, Can "ou hold them63

4a+am) it+s possible, he" are ta#in! a hell of a lot more casualties than $e are at the moment, he fixed defencesare holdin! them at ba") ho$ever the S%ACS is losin! effectiveness across the fleet, Sir) our s"stems *ust aren+tholdin! the loc#s li#e the Achilles did,3

8eep them bac# Captain, hree as# forces have been dispatched to 0urani sector the" $ill be their in thirteenhours,3

%e+ll tr" Sir) Nautilus out,3

,$S @autilus

Beta Durani Tas( +or%e

Beta Durani

Sa'e ti'e

he ship roc#ed as a fusion blast pierced a Starfur" that $as in turn chasin! a Nial, .ts o$n fire ble$ the enem"fi!hter apart even as the Sharlin #illed i t) the explosion of its reactor causin! the much lar!er Nova to roc# sli!htl", .nretaliation the Nova let loose a full barra!e from it+s for$ard $eapons into the main hull of the approachin! leviathan),he Plasma bursts burned throu!h the hull and into the main ship itself causin! hull breaches and atmospheric loss

across the entire ship, Undeterred the 4inbari let loose another blast from its nose mounted Neutron cannon hullin!the Nova,



%e+ve a hull breach lo$er dec#s section thirteen throu!h nineteen and t$ent" six,3

Seal them offD #eep firin! on that bastard,3

%eapons firin!, Sir) interceptors are bac# online,3

-ive that ship ever"thin! $e have,3

A"e) Sir,3

he plasma bolts and interceptor fire peppered the 4inbari ship causin! $idespread dama!e and blo$in! off thefor$ard $eapons modules, he po$er alread" set to fire exploded) blo$in! the entire for$ard section of the Sharlinapart, he fi!hters from both sides surroundin! the ship $ere cau!ht b" the explosion man" bein! #illed outri!ht b"the ener!" and radiation exposure,

Sir63

8ill .t,3

:ver" $eapon that could fire for$ard fired simultaneousl" in an alpha stri#e totall" !uttin! the 4inbari ship and

blo$in! it apart, .ts interceptors hammerin! into the fi!hters ma#in! a run on i t+s o$n fi!hter $in!,

ar!et destro"ed, $o 4inbari escort ships comin! in,3

%here63

Port side) ??E mar# &,3

ead" $eapons,3

.ncomin! fire,3

.nterceptors,3

%hile the interceptors $ere of immense use a!ainst all #inds of plasma and pulse $eapons the" $ere of lesser usea!ainst the 4inbari fusion and Neutron $eapons, =o$ever the constant fire in their area could frea# the tar!etin!scanners of even the 4inbari ships) causin! a loss of tar!et loc#,

:nem" loc# intercepted Sir, he" are char!in! their fusion cannons,3

ar!et63

ar!ets loc#ed) Sir,3

Fire,3

he 4inbari $arships came in fast and hard at the Nova) one to a side both port and starboard, %hile the turretedplasma cannons aboard the Alliance ships could not move fast enou!h to accuratel" trac# the small ships) the ne$l".nstalled rail!uns $ere more than fast enou!h, =idden from si!ht b" the mass and ener!" readin!s of the reactorsand firin! chambers of the $eapons s"stems do@ens of small rail!uns bi!!er and much more potent than the Achillesbased rail!uns s$un! into action,

=undreds of rounds per second fired from the sides of the Nova class directl" into the path of the fast paced 4inbariescort ships) unable to move out of the $a" or simpl" carin! more about #illin! the Nova class ship both 4inbariships $ere peppered b" solid pro*ectiles firin! at close to half the speed of li!ht,

4uch li#e their brethren at the last battle of Beta 0urani the ships shattered under fire, heir armour $as seen to bebrea#in! and shearin! off into the void) openin! up the internals of the small $arships, 4ore and more roundspenetrated into the inner hull blo$in! throu!h the corridors and bul#heads and out the other side, he t$o shipssimpl" came apart li#e a *i!sa$ fallin! out of its frame, he reactors exploded annihilatin! much of the debris as itrushed past the Nautilus,

4inbari ships still comin! Sir) headin! for the main fleet concentration,3



Position,3

Position beta Sir) ri!ht in front of the doc#s,3

-otcha Communications) contact the ship"ards, Code$ord is Brea#er,3

A"e Sir, 0oc#"ards respondin! Brea#er) brea#er,3

he doc#"ards as a $hole $ere made up of !irders and pipin!, Sections such as airti!ht doc#s and pressurisedpersonnel areas $ere also seen b" the causal observer, he attac# b" the 4inbari had sent the entire $or#in!population scatterin! to the station) or planetside, Usuall" these doc#s $ere completel" defenceless and dedicatedonl" to buildin! ships, he" relied on friendl" ships) planetar" and s"stem defences to hold the enem" at ba" #eepin!them a$a" from the valuable and vulnerable doc#s and their ships under construction,

%ith the 0il!ar and 4inbari $ars) it $as decided to equip the doc#s $ith interceptors and standard particle beam$eapons a!ainst the fi!hters that could and li#el" $ould penetrate this far into an" Alliance command station,=o$ever because of the 4inbari) alternate plans had been put to!ether than#s to the ne$found abilit" to see throu!hto the 4inbari and acquire tar!et loc#s,

From more than t$o do@en berths plasma) pulse and missile fire ripped out from the dar#ened ship"ards impactin!a!ainst the 4inabri $arships, A second and third salvo follo$ed from those same berths follo$ed b" streams of

Starfuries and lastl" t$o do@en half completed $arships,

Nova 0readnau!hts) ="perion Cruisers) and l"mpus corvettes cruised out from their berths firin! a!ain and a!aininto the surprised ran#s of enem" ships, Amn" of the enem" ships $ere crippled or outri!ht destro"ed, A hu!eamount of the 4inbari+s smaller units $ere cut in half,

he 4inbari replied in #ind, heir po$erful fusion cannons oreinto the heav" armour of the Novas dama!in! severalof the human ships $hile annihilatin! the smaller Corvettes and Cruisers,

Brea#er units are en!a!ed sir) einforcements are comin! from the fi!hter ba"s sir six squadrons of Starfuries allarmed) Sir,3

Send them to the brea# units) the" need more cover) Fleet Status63

Comin! throu!h no$ Sir) it+s bad,3

=o$ bad63 he as#ed,

.nitial estimates confirmed Sir, ne third to half the fleet are disabled or destro"ed, he entire outer defenceperimeter is trashed as $ell, eports are more than t$ent" of the lar!est of the fleet"ards are destro"ed $ith othersdama!ed, he Brea#er units are movin! to reen!a!e,3 he loo# on the :nsi!n+s face chan!ed, S. he"+re afterthe Nova doc#s,3

he vie$screen on the Captain+s console chan!ed as he brou!ht up a vie$ from the ship+s visual scanners, he vie$$as !rim as a half do@en heav" $arships !uardin! the Nova 0oc#s $ere annihilated b" the encroachin! 4inbariships,

0ammit) =elm brin! us around) all local ships con!re!ate on the Nova 0oc#s, he" can not be allo$ed to destro"those ships or the "ards,3

A"e Sir) all ships respondin!,3

he massive Nova 0readnau!ht turned ponderousl" around) headin! for the massed 4inbari ships pushin! to$ardsthe li!htl" defended Nova "ards and their precious car!oes, All around them ="perions) l"mpus class corvettesand Starfur" squadrons formed up and attac#ed, From this ran!e onl" the missiles from the smaller ships and thefi!hters could be sure of hittin! the 4inbari ships,

0urani Station has loc#s on ever"thin!,3

All fi!hters brea# and attac#,3

A do@en Starfur" squadrons bro#e ran#s and $ent after the 4inbari $arships) missiles flashin! from their fusela!ecrossin! the distance in seconds and impactin! across the flan#s of a do@en ships, ailcannon and missile f ireslanced from the l"mpus Corvettes supportin! the fi!hters,



4inbari Nials turned to intercept the numerous Starfuries and their escortin! $arships as the" came in) the Nova defences pourin! $hat little fire the" could into the for$ard units of the 4inbari tas# force,

4issiles and pro*ectiles impacted the 4inbari from t$o sides as more and more of the smaller and faster shipschar!ed to$ards the $arcruisers and their escorts, =undreds of rounds from rail!uns) pulse cannons and missilelaunchers $ere exchan!ed) man" missin! or bein! intercepted b" the 4inbari counterfire,

=o$ever the fire $as massed enou!h to #ill more than half of the smaller ships and cripple t$o of the massive$arcruisers before the Sharlins could move out of the $a", =i!h explosive missiles ble$ holes in one cruiser+s drivefins causin! it to lose control and spin out of formation,

2Strai!ht into the Nova 0oc#s,

h m" -od,3 Captain Smith loo#ed ashen as he sa$ the dama!e to crash had done to the Nova doc#s,

he lo$ermost of the six doc#s had been shattered b" the coll ision, A partiall" completed ship $as blo$n apart b"the collision $ith the 4inbari $arship, he fins sheared off b" the collision sliced open the third and forth doc#scripplin! both ships and #illin! ever"one inside the ba"s, B" some luc# or fortune the 4inbari+s main reactor did notexplode in the collision leavin! the rest of the complex intact albeit dama!ed b" fl"in! debris from the three dama!eddoc#s,

Sir) the 4inbari are disen!a!in! from our lines, he"+ve leavin!,3

All ships "ou !et a shot =. =:4,3

he 4inbari ships pulled a$a" more than half their number destro"ed b" the defences of the doc#"ards and the shipsdedicated to it+s defence, he retreatin! ships $ere attac#ed from behind and the front b" ships that had alread"been out s"stem $hen the attac# be!an,

he crossfire #illed more than half of the remainin! 4inbari attemptin! to escape causin! more dama!e to the othersin the fleein! !roup from debris and reactor explosions, Fi!hters attempted to dra$ fire from the incomin! forces but$ere all but i!nored b" the lar!er ships) allo$in! the fe$ remainin! Starfur" squadrons to ta#e them on,

"in*ari Flagship Drala Fi

-e+it Shargotti War%ruiser

Beta Durani War+leet

%ith the return of the 0rala Fi after the failed attac# a!ainst Beta 0urani it $as decided that the ne$est Shar!otti offof the %or#er+s ship"ards $ould be renamed in honour of the crippled $arship, he refit $arship $as a redesi!ndedicated to the oncomin! $ar a!ainst the shado$s and their thralls) much li#e the $ar refit Sharlins that hadbecome a staple in the 4inbari battlefleets over the course of the %ar a!ainst the :arthers, No$ this Shar!otti refit$as to replace those heav" $arships alread" in service either b" ne$ builds) or b" a full refit after the end of the %ar,

No$ for the second time) a 0rala Fi $as forced to run from an outnumbered and inferior force of :arth ships, heirlosses $ere *ust too !reat to have an"thin! more than a P"rrhic victor" a!ainst the :arthers,

All ships retreat,3

he Shai Al"t of the 0rala Fi had replaced his Satai as the ship+s Commander, =is forces $ere stron!er and lar!erthan those Sharonn had commanded those fe$ $ee#s a!o, =o$ever the" $ere not enou!h) a !reat man" moreships and defences had been erected around the Station and its forces, he surprise attac# from the doc#"ards andfrom the ships in the outer s"stem $as somethin! the" had not expected and man" of their best ships had beendestro"ed b" the traitorous and dishonourable attac# from those quarters, 4ore ships had been lost from theseactions and no$ there $as little choice other than to escape $ith $hat forces he still could !ather,

Shai Al"t) :nem" ships are retreatin!,3

%hat63

he" are pullin! bac#) re!roupin! around their Ship"ards and command station, heir fi!hters are also pullin! bac#,3

he" are lettin! us !o)3 the Al"t said,



Shai Al"t63 the as#ed,

he humans are lettin! us retreat) allo$in! us to save our honour from our defeat,3

he humans do not #no$ the concept of a 4inbari+s honour,3

5et the" let us leave, All ships pull bac# and read" to leave,3

5es) Al"t,3

Communications) send a messa!e to the =umans in their main lan!ua!e) tell themI ell them, han# "ou,3

Al"t,3



Chapter ?

4en instinctivel" #no$ $hen a $oman+s had an or!asm) .t+s that loo# on their face $hen the" !et home,3

Wol+hound Co''and Station

Wol+ :; syste'

&rion Se%tor

During the *attle.

he 4inbari $ar fleet $as heavier than anticipated as a do@en more capital ships *umped from the depths ofh"perspace into the s"stem, Alread" half of the fi!hter squadrons had been destro"ed b" the massed fi!hter supportand lon! ran!e anti fi!hter $eapons of the 4inbari ships, he fe$ that had !otten off their missile stri#es had pulledbac# and a$a" to defend the sin!le pic#et ship tr"in! to sta" alive,

he sin!le ="perion class ship $as the onl" hope for the massed ships of the %olf &'( defensive force, he 4inbari$ere closin! in on them and onl" the lon! ran!e tactical abilities of the ="perion+s S%ACS $ould help them,

Unfortunatel" the small cruiser $as under constant attac# from all sides as it tried to loc# onto the incomin! 4inbariforces from the ver" limits of i ts ran!e) somethin! all but impossible as it $as forced time and a!ain to retreat fromthe incomin! $arships,

-eneral) the A!amemnon+s under attac#) its scanner s"stems are droppin! off, he fleet+s losin! their loc#s on the4inbari ships,3

0ispatch the reserve Starfur" $in!s and an" available escort units R ta#e do$n those inashis,3

A"e) Sir,3

From the Station+s o$n defensive $in!) fort" fi!hters and a handful of other ships bro#e ran#s and sped off in anattempt to intercept the incomin! 4inbari ships headin! after the A!amemnon, .n return the 4inbari launched a!ainstthe remainin! ships of the defence force) punchin! their $a" throu!h the li!ht units at the ver" fore of the Alliance

$arships, Fi!hters started to mix it up as Nials and Starfuries collided in s$arms Fusion beams and Plasma pulsesshatterin! or meltin! throu!h armour on either side,

0o@ens of fi!hters from the 4inbari ran#s pierced the massed ran#s of fi!hters and $arships and headed for theStation and its mea!re) massivel" reduced defence s"stems, All around them .nterceptors) Particle beams and lar!ecalibre rail!uns2 a $eapons s"stem lon! thou!ht to be an anachronism in this da" and a!e that $as still in use on theolder stations of the Alliance) hit the enem",

he rail!uns spat lar!e calibre explosive shells equivalent to old st"le 7fla#+ batteries from centuries before in anattempt to stave off the incomin! fi!hter $aves, :ner!" and pro*ectile fire crossed in mid space impactin! on fi!htersfrom both sides and smashin! into the thic# armour of the Station+s main hull,

Armour dama!ed) no hull breaches detected) Sir,3

Continue firin!) brin! the missile ba"s online)3 ordered the Station+s Commander,

A"e) Sir,3

Commander :nem" ships are incomin! the"+ve bro#en throu!h the fleet, ur ships are re!roupin! to attac#,3

4issiles read") Sir,3

Fire,3

he remainin! nuclear missiles in the Station+s silos launched from their platforms as did a do@en smallerconventional missiles launch at the same time to confuse the 4inbari trac#in! s"stems, he t$elve explosive missilesand their t$o fift" me!aton stablemates too# onl" seconds to cross the !ap bet$een %olfhound and the incomin!

4inbari ships, Several of the missiles $ere destro"ed b" the 4inbari counter fire) but not enou!h to stop the dualnuclear $arheads,



he t$o missiles detonated point blan# $ith the for$ard units of the 4inbari fleet, A half do@en alread" dama!edships and a pair of 4inbari Sharlins $as blo$n apart b" the massive shoc#$aves that smashed into them, Severalfi!hters from either side $ent out of control and exploded as the :4P overloaded their hardened s"stems and i!nitedtheir reactors,

Seven enem" ships destro"edD the rest are still incomin!,3

Numbers63

$ent" six 4inbari vessels still approachin!) our ships are en!a!in!, Sir) the A!amemnon+s been cleared) herattac#ers are do$ned,3

-ood $or#, =ave them re*oin the main fleet,3

A"e) Sir,3

A third voice spo#e up, Sir the 4inbari are pullin! bac#,3

he 4inbari ships bro#e off their attac# as plasma and laser fire started to erupt from the Station as the" neared theperimeter, 4ore fire poured from the ships of the defensive force some hits mana!in! to do dama!e before the small

ships $ere destro"ed b" neutron fire from the 4inbari+s main $eapons arra"s,

Shala Fi -ed Star

Sharlin War -e+it.

he massive refit Sharlin had been transferred from the sectors surroundin! the Beta 0urani battles to command theremnants of the fleet attac#in! the human outpost at %olf &'(, Alread" the fleet had been able to ma#e inroads intothe human space that the last commander had been unable to do, =uman outposts and ships $ere bein! easil"destro"ed b" their forces,

Al"t $e are in ran!e of the :arther+s station) $e are ta#in! dama!e and heav" losses from their $eapons s"stems,3

;er" $ell) have all ships read" heav" cannons,3

5es Al"t,3

:ner!" ratin!s from the t$elve ships that could be seen b" the :arthForce ships $ent throu!h the roof as the for$ardmost areas of the Sharlins started to !lo$ sli!htl", he ships $ere armed $ith a heav" $eapon that could be ofimmense dama!e to an" ship of station undefended b" ener!" shieldin!,

Accelerators are ead") Al"t,3

All ships for$ard) escorts are to clear the path immediatel", nce in ran!e all ships $ill fire,3

5es) Al"t,3

he 4inbari Phalanx returned to the battle as their smaller ships and fi!hter $in!s attac#ed time and a!ain strippin!the station of its defences, he :arther fi!hters $ent do$n hard and fast as the more advanced Nials ripped themapart, he smaller ships $ere hit b" multiple flan#s as the 4inbari escorts slammed into them,

he :arth ships responded in an!er as the" entered their o$n ran!e) the t$o S%ACS ships !ivin! them perfecttar!etin! at this ran!e allo$in! their heaviest $eapons to cripple enem" ships and rip holes into intact ships,

he Sharlins ho$ever responded sho$in! the humans $h" the" $ere still seen as the most feared $arship in the#no$n !alax", Fusion cannon and neutron fire reach out and !utted a trio of Novas that had peppered them $ithheav" plasma fire, Six smaller ships $ere cut into pieces as the" approached firin! their o$n $eapons2 ineffectuala!ainst the thic# cr"stalline armour,

Star+ury $lpha &ne.

De+en%e +or%e SEuadron $lpha



Alpha one to all fi!hters) pull out and re!roup $ith the ="perion, An"one $ith missiles) read" them for full launch ASAP,3

Ac#no$led!ements came from the squadron leaders as their depleted ran#s bro#e from the melee and headed to thedefence perimeter of the station, 0o@ens of small fi!hters had alread" been destro"ed $ith man" more crippled ordisabled all across the battlefield, nl" a fe$ do@en fi!hters made it to the rende@vous) some !ivin! up their lives toallo$ the intact and armed Starfuries time to !et to the station, .n the process the" often too# at least one Nial $ith

them,

Alpha one this is -amma hree) Sir $e+re readin! more 4inbari fi!hters comin! in, he"+ve seen us,3

Understood, All fi!hters read" missile launch) fire ever"thin! "ou+ve !ot people $e need to ta#e those fi!htersdo$n,3

Alpha ne) 4u hree, 4" squadron are still armed $ith anti2ship missiles, he" $on+t be of use a!ainst thesefi!hters,3

=old in reserve then) if $e need to be read" to hit an"thin! that comes our $a",3

A"e) Sir,3

%e have incomin!,3

Alpha ne to ="perion,3

%e read "ou Alpha one, %e+ve been listenin! in, All scans are bein! transferred, %e have the entire $in! on ourscreens, Fire $hen read",3

han# "ou ="perion R all fi!hters loc# in and fire,3

As a repl" sevent" fi!hters launched $hat missiles the" had remainin! as an equivalent of an Alpha stri#e, .n all overone hundred t$ent" missiles $ere mass fired at the 4inbari fi!hters, 4ost fi!hters too# t$o or three missiles stri#eseach blo$in! them apart) their sensor sheaths no$ compromised b" the ="perion+s po$erful scanner s"stems,

he survivin! 4inbari fi!hters made it throu!h the confla!ration and concentrated their o$n fire on the rapidl" movin!Starfuries ta#in! do$n more of their number from lon!er ran!es than the Furies could, Fusion fire ra#ed the fi!htersand defence posts in the area movin! out the $a" of much or the incomin! f ire, .nterceptors and pulse cannons $ereripped apart all around them as the Nial squadrons attac#ed the station a!ain and a!ain) the slo$er and lesspo$erful human $eapons all but useless compared to the $eapons aboard the fi!hters,

.n amon!st all this the human ships $hile out!unned still outnumbered the d$indlin! numbers of 4inbari capitalships, =o$ever the losses ta#en b" the humans massivel" out$ei!hed those ta#en b" the 4inbari, 0o@ens of shipsoff all confi!urations $ere burnin! or shredded b" the 4inbari beams or missiles, 4ore $ere cut do$n as themassive blue coloured ships fired a!ain and a!ain into the thic# armour of the human ships,

he ships attac#ed a!ain from behind and from the left flan# but it $as b" no$ too late, :ven thou!h the 4inbariships $ere in ran!e of the station+s $eapons the fire f rom the dama!ed station $as *ust not enou!h to stop thevessels from encroachin!, %ith more and more $eapons stripped b" 4inbari fi!hter cover the t$elve ships of thecore fleet entered #illin! ran!e,

Almost as one t$elve antimatter cannons on the ver" fore of the Sharlins opened fire from the ver" limits of theirran!e, he ran!e $as much less than that of the lon!er ran!ed neutron $eapons but this meant little to the humansaboard the station and the numerous ships around it,

$elve char!es of pure antimatter impacted upon the t$in constructs that made up the :arthForce station) theimpacts $ere massive as the pure antimatter annihilated the matter that it came into contact $ith, =undreds ofme!atons exploded out$ards from ever" impact on the station causin! ener!" !rids to rupture and the station itselfto splinter as the spinnin! motion pulled it apart, he explosions of the ener!" !rid) the $eapons s"stems and theatmospheric s"stems ble$ the rest of the station apart before the antimatter $as even finished annihilatin! i tselfa!ainst the human outpost,

Chun#s of the station fle$ off from the explosions) one massive section cuttin! throu!h the rear end of the ="periondisablin! the ship and causin! it to turn in space, he 4inbari too# advanta!e of the chaos of the explosion to turn onthe outnumberin! :arth ships of $hich man" had lost the abilit" to even see the 4inbari ships $ith the 9oss of the="perion,



he A!amemnon $as the onl" remainin! ship capable of seein! the 4inbari ships but for them this made them muchmore of a tar!et than the other ships $ere, he other ships around them $ere the fe$ that could see the 4inbaricomin! do$n on them hard, he remainin! enem" ships could be seen cuttin! the :arthForce ships apart $hile theircre$s attempted to reacquire the A!amemnon+s si!nals from the mass of comm, Si!nals) *ammin! and :4 $erescrambled from the antimatter explosions,

n the brid!e of the A!amemnon the cre$ could see another three of their bi!!est Novas blo$n apart $ithin seconds

of each other) the third mana!in! to ram their persecutor and send them tumblin! out of control into the remains ofseveral :arthForce cruisers) causin! the Sharlin to explode ta#in! a fe$ shuttles and their escortin! fi!hters,

Communication) send to all ships,3 he A!amemnon+s Commander ordered, All ships evacuate) head for the innercolonies as fast as possible repeat all ships retreat,3

A"e Sir)3 the Communications officer said, Sir 4essa!e from =ephestion comin! in,3

o m" station)3 the ussian man responded,

Captain) the =ephestion $ill sta" behind and tr" toI3

Ne!ative) Captain, . #no$ $hat "ou+re thin#in! and $e need ever" ship if $e+re !oin! to return to the .nnerColonies,3 he ship roc#ed as another burst of fire narro$l" missed the t$istin! ="perion cruiser, All ships are to

retreat,3

he scene outside the ship turned to immense bri!htness as the Nova 0readnau!ht 4iranda exploded) its fuel cellsexplodin! as a dual blast from a 9lindra escort pierced its en!ine bloc# and i!nited it, he ship+s structure comin!apart as the explosion consumed the rest of the ship leavin! no survivors,

he escort too# a half do@en hits from the surroundin! Starfuries brea#in! it into pieces as the pulse $eaponsshattered it+s armour and pierced into it+s interior, he fi!hters veered off before the closest fi!ht of Nials could findthem,

Sir) the Colon" on the planet63

he 4inbari haven+t been #illin! the civil ians on the ma*or planets as of "et, %e+ll be bac# Captain, .t+ll *ust ta#etime,3

A"e Sir,3

he screen chan!ed to its usual blan# state,

3Sir) all ships are pullin! out, .+m readin! *ump points openin!,3

-et us out of here,3

A"e Sir) *umpin!,3

he A!amemnon formed up $ith the =ephestion and the remnants of its escorts for the *ump, All around them othercruisers and :scorts escaped from the oncomin! 4inbari assisted b" the forces that had been !uardin! the bac#

side of the station,

A little under half of the s"stem+s personnel and ships had survived the attac# and the evacuation, he planet+spersonnel and civilians hun#ered do$n and a$aited the inevitable arrival of the 4inbari troops to their homes, 4ilitar"-roundpounders) Colon" 0efence s"stems and civilian volunteers all armed to the teeth stood b" and $aited,=o$ever) unnoticed b" the 4inbari scans) a midni!ht blac# ship had been observin! the $hole time and $ith a sli!htflutter phased out of space and left the s"stem,

$nla4Sho( >essel Sha4'a(

Sharlin Class Battle -e+it

T :8888

he personnel from the three closest ships had finall" mana!ed to stabilise the criticall" dama!ed 4inbari ship) thecre$ much li#e the Centauri had to a man been in*ured in some $a", :ntire areas of the ship had been vented to



space) mainl" those close to the dama!ed hull fins, he ship itself $as dar# and it seemed that onl" the ver" basic ofthe 4inbari ships bac# up s"stems $ere active,

he <affa and human cohorts had scattered throu!hout the mile lon! ship loo#in! for survivors, Unli#e the Centauriship the 4inbari+s stron!er construction had helped #eep their cre$ alive and it didn+t ta#e lon! to find the first of the4inbari survivors,

8ree <affa,3 ne of the senior <affa crouched b" the "oun! loo#in! alien) the alien+s bone crest $as shattered) aheav" piece of the bul#head had obviousl" crashed into the alien and caused the dama!e, =e+s alive) seriousin*uries to his head and extremities,3

=ar+ac) contact the au+ri $e need one of their medical teams here,3

At once,3

%e have more here,3

he est of the patrol loo#ed into $hat must have been the barrac#s for some of the cre$, All $ere dressed in a formof uniform, 9i!ht colours and cloa#s $ere the norm for the alien cre$, %hile some $ere armed $ith ener!" $eapons)ever" sin!le one of them $as armed $ith some sort of c"l indrical ob*ect) one that $as found to expand after anunfortunate encounter bet$een it and the head of one of the <affa, he cre$ seemed to be in better condition as a

$hole than the Centauri but considerin! the fact that man" of the other cre$ had fallen .ll even after the" had beenrecovered and treated this meant little to the <affa or their human companions,

Patrol) one come in,3

his is Patrol one) !o ahead,3

Status63

%e have recovered a number of survivors) man" more than came throu!h on the Centauri ships, ther teams arecombin! the ship section b" sectionD $e ma" need to evacuate those that need help,3

%e are havin! trouble #eepin! loc#s on man" of the levels, adiation and possible scatterin! fields are in effectD use

caution,3

Affirmative,3

Four el+tecs $ill tr" to doc# or cut throu!h the hull, Be prepared to brin! an" in*ured to the shuttles,3

As ordered) Patrol one out,3

Prime) $e have discovered a set of barrac#s) three shifts $orth it appears, he" are all deadD decompression #illedthem all before their internal s"stems sealed the breach,3

0amn,3

%e have reports from all patrols, %e have several hundred in*ured $ith more simpl" unconscious from the transfer,3

=ave all of them brou!ht to the main Car!o ba") he el+tacs are attemptin! to doc# $ith the airloc#s and all thein*ured $ill be ta#en to the other ships, .f "ou find an"one a$a#e or lucid brin! them to the ba" as $ell) the humanshave set up a command post,3

5es) Prime,3

#S$F Pro'etheus

$%hilles -i+t

T9 /8888



he Prometheus sat in its usual place close to the rift+s entrance its scanners sti ll readin! $hat it could of the rift+semissions, Unli#e the 0aedalus) the Prometheus $as "et to receive the up!rade $ith As!ard scanners to replacetheir o$n -oa+uld2based scanners $hich meant for the moment the" $ere less effective than the cre$ $ished,

Close to the Prometheus itself a smaller ship $as approachin! the rift, he Al+#esh had been one of the ships of theSearch and escue fleet assembled b" the S-C to find the lost Achilles, .t had been of the shielded subt"pe that$ere rare in the <affa fleet and $as no$ bein! used b" the au+ri for an experiment,

Colonel63 -eneral +Neill said,

Almost read") Sir,3 he li!ht female voice of his former ?.C spo#e up from the other side of the brid!e, he emotes"stems are almost set, eal+c is settin! up the other controls aboard the Al+#esh,3

+Neill nodded and opened up a lin# $ith the <affa Bomber, eal+c) ho$+s it !oin!63

;er" %ell -eneral +Neill , he remote controls are completed . am read" to rin! aboard the Prometheus)3 he <affa%arrior+s voice came throu!h the spea#er,

Come ri!ht aboard, eal+c) Carter+s about read" to set this thin! off an"$a",3

Ac#no$led!ed,3

9t Colonel Carter returned from the rear of the brid!e $here the control s"stems $ere no$ attached to the ship+scommunications s"stems, Slippin! into the =elm position she lin#ed the t$o computers to!ether and reset the <affaship+s controls,

Carter63 +Neill said) pausin! onl" to nod at eal+c as he approached the Command chairs, eal+c3

ead" Sir) Al+#esh is on its $a",3

he small <affa spacecraft approached the ift, he 7hole+ in space $as much li#e that of a h"perspace $indo$ andthe ship+s remote s"stems ac#no$led!ed the course chan!es from the Prometheus Class vessel, he ship+s shieldssnapped on as it approached the rift) ma#in! the communication lin# to the Prometheus the onl" tether lin#in! it tothe other ships in the fleet,

he ed!e of the bomber+s shields intersected the rift+s ver" centre and pushed slo$l" into the ener!" barrier holdin! itbet$een the t$o universesD the Al+#esh pushed harder and $ith a silent movement $as transferred bet$een the t$ospaces,

Al+#esh is throu!h) Sir,3

Status63

Al+#esh shields are do$nD ho$ever the s"stems and ship are full" intact, .t loo#s safe) Sir,3

5ou hear that 0aniel63

0aniel <ac#son+s voice came throu!h the spea#ers on the brid!e from his place on the 7Choice+ Pel+ac,

%e heard that <ac#D the <affa are still !oin! throu!h the 4inbari ship, %e+ve found several hundred survivors mostseem to be o# but still unconscious, %e+ve found a lot more dead as $ell) the commander of the teams are pilin! thein*ured in their car!o ba"s,3

8eep me informed 0aniel, %hen $e end up !oin! throu!h the ift $e+ll have to leave "ou and the 7Choice+ here untilthe arrival of the 0aedalus and the other <affa ships,3

-ot that <ac#) !ood luc#,3

han#s Space mon#e") Prometheus out,3

Sir63 Carter turned around, Both of the alien cre$s have been badl" hurt or totall" incapacitated b" the rift, %hile

our ships can !o throu!h $ith no dama!e it+s possible that the cre$s $on+t,3



he <affa Shields are enhanced $ith Ancient technolo!" and our o$n are As!ard based Carter, hat+s a lot ofpo$er,3

. #no$ Sir) but it+s possible that it+s not the ener!" of the rift but the chan!e bet$een universes,3

%e+ve had no problems before, Carter and 4e) 0ann" and eal+c have all !one to other dimensions throu!h thatdamned mirror,3

.+m *ust bein! cautious) Sir, %e don+t #no$ $hat effect the" $ill have on us or even if $e have doubles there,3

.t+s supposed to be the future there ri!ht63

5es) Sir,3

So $e shouldn+t have too much trouble $ith that Post ide Cascade thin!63

:ntropic cascade failure Sir, %e shouldn+t but $e can+t be sure, ime ma" be different there and $e do exist at thattime,3

%e+ll burn that brid!e $hen $e come to it Carter,3

A"e) Sir,3

Free Ja++a Ship G$llian%e ,ternal4

Ha4ta( Class

Sa'e ti'e

he <affa ship $as overflo$in! $ith $ounded, he 7Choice+ had been the ori!inal headin! for all in*ured the" cameacross $hile aboard the Sharlin) ho$ever it had been obvious that the <affa ship $ould be over$helmed b" thehundreds of in*ured and d"in! 4inbari cre$,

he 7:ternal+ had been seconded to dama!e control and support alon!side its sister ship as the 7Choice+ be!an tooverflo$ $ith casualties, :ven the Centauri had been pressed into service those that #ne$ an"thin! about first aid or

*ust about the 4inbari as a $hole $ere used to tria!e the $orst cases and in man" cases acted as stretcher bearersfor the in*ured 4inbari,

Both ships had closed their ran!e to the Sharlin b" several thousand metres, heir rin! transporters no$ in ran!e ofthe doc#ed car!o ships) this allo$ed a rapid transit of casualties from one capital ship to the other $ithout the need toconstantl" doc# and ta#e off from the 4inbari ship, =o$ever it did not ta#e as lon! as man" of the Centauri did tocome around from the effects of the *ourne" throu!h the rift) the 4inbari ship+s more advanced ship ta#in! much ofthe brunt of the ener!" from the rift, he first of the 4inbari started to a$a#en onl" a fe$ hours after bein! found) hisran# not immediatel" noticeable to the humans and <affa,

A$a#enin! slo$l") the 4inbari $as unsure of $here he $as) seein! his brothers and sisters from the Anla+sho#around him situated in ro$s on the floor of some un#no$n ship brou!ht out the $arrior instincts in the older 4inbari,

As he tried to clear his mind a shado$ covered him causin! his slo$l" a$a#enin! mind to explode into action,

he 4inbari an!er punched a sin!le <affa attemptin! to chec# his $ounds in the head sendin! the massive $arriorto his #nees $here he $as dropped as the 4inbari activated his 0enn+bo# cavin! in the <affa+s head #illin! himinstantl", =e s$un! around to find his $eapon parried b" another staff st"led $eapon of the stran!e aliens that heldhim) his moves instinctive after so man" "ears experience that he $as able to disarm "et another <affa and send himfl"in! across the floor into others tr"in! to ma#e their $a" to the fi!ht, A Jat blast cau!ht the 4inbari $ho dropped tothe floor) the pain of the sin!le blast enou!h to halt his temporar" insanit" and force the 4inbari to hold onto hisextended 0enn+bo#

he 4inbari loo#ed up into the face of a tall human) dar# of hair and blue of e"es) his e"es obscured b" some archaiccontraction of $ire and !lass that surrounded his head and covered part of his face) obviousl" some ancient form ofsi!ht enhancement,

he "oun! human $as surrounded b" several other :arthers covered in dar# coloured uniforms and pac#s holdin!several lar!e !uns unli#e an" PP- or ener!" $eapon he had seen before, 9oo#in! closel" he could see brasscoloured tubes on the top of each of the arm len!th $eapons,



7Pro*ectile %eapons6+ :ven the comparativel" primitive Narn and :arth Alliance had !iven up the use of pro*ectile$eapons "ears a!o, %h" $ould the" have started a!ain) and $hat in the name of ;alen $as that $eapon the" hithim $ith that $ould cause so much pain and "et leave no mar# on his bod"6

a#e it :as", %e+re not here to hurt "ou,3

%hat did "ou do to m" ship63

%e didn+t do an"thin!D "ou $ere dama!ed b" the rift,3

5ou fired at us,3

5es $e did, %e $ere tr"in! to stop "ou people comin! throu!hD $e #ne$ "our ship $ouldn+t have survived intact,3

%e $ill not tell "ou an"thin! =uman,3

hat+s o# . don+t $ant to #no$ an"thin!, 4" name+s 0aniel <ac#son) "ou are63

9enonn) of the Anla+sho#,3

han# "ou) . have no idea $hat that means but at least $e #no$ $ho "ou are, 5ou and "our people are our !uests,%e tried to save as man" of "our cre$ as $e could $hen $e !ot to "our ship) most of them are here) and the reall"bad ones are in our infirmaries,3

5ou are $illin! to help us63

%h" $ouldn+t $e63

Considerin! the %arI3

%e+re not at $ar $ith an"one 9enonn,3

5ou are :arthers) correct,3 hat $as a statement not a question,

Some of us "es) the !entlemen in the armour and tattoos are not,3

he" loo# human,3

%e are <affa) the !reatest breed of $arriors in the #no$n !alax")3 one of the <affa -uards said as he approached,

+ean) this is 9enonn of the Anla+sho#, 9enonn) this is +ean of the Free <affa Nation Captain of this vessel,3

he t$o $arriors bo$ed their heads to each other) the 4inbari $arrior ma#in! it to his feet and retractin! his staff,Balancin! it on one palm he offered the surrender of his $eapon to the ship+s master,

. apolo!ise for m" actions a!ainst "our people Captain, he reaction $as instinctive as it ma" be to an" of m"

people $hen the" come around from their slumber, . offer the surrender of m" $eapon so this $il l not happen a!ain,3

han# "ou 4aster 9enonn, hat $ill be unnecessar", %e are not "our enemies and $e do not $ish to be, %e shallbe careful of this $hen a$a#enin! "our people,3

. am trul" sorr" of $hat has transpired here) . $ill do $hat is necessar" to !ive restitution to his famil",3

=e has no famil" 4aster 9enonn) he $as the last of his line and a $arrior for the Free <affa he $ill be remembered$ith honour,3

Nonetheless . $ill ma#e restitution in his name $hen it is necessar",3

hen $e $ill allo$ it) $hen and if it is needed,3

han# "ou,3 =e turned to 0aniel <ac#son, =o$ever . must admit that . am curious as to "our $ords human, %e areat $ar $ith "our race "et "ou do not fear us and do not believe "ourselves to be at $ar $ith the 4inbari Federation,3



0aniel loo#ed at the smaller 4inbari male) his e"es stud"in! this ne$ alien race that had come throu!h the rift lessthan a $ee# from the arrival of the Centauri, he entire thin! $as !oin! from stran!e to $eird even for him,

#S$F Pro'etheus

T9 8880

Sir all ship+s s"stems are read" for the transfer,3

-ood)3 +Neill replied, he Prometheus $ill !o throu!h first) the then the rest one b" one, -ive us five minutesbet$een ships in case somethin! !oes $ron!,3

o!er that,3

Colonel) contact the S-C tell them that $e+re read" to !o throu!h,3

A"e Sir)3 onson responded,

Carter,3

Shields are at full po$er) Sir, %e+re as read" as $e+ll ever be,3

Put me throu!h to 0r <ac#son,3

n spea#er) Sir,3

0aniel) $e+re read" to !o,3

# <ac#) the 7Choice+ and 7:ternal+ are sta"in! behind $ith the Centauri and 4inbari ships, %e+ve !ot other Allied=a+ta#s on their $a" so $e should be !ood for no$,3

-ood luc# $ith those 4inbari) 0aniel,3

5ou too <ac#) :ternal out,3

he S-C received the messa!e -eneral, %e+re a !o,3

=elm) ta#e us in,3

A"e) Sir)3 the helmsman said,

he Prometheus activated its main en!ines and headed for the rift, Shields flared as the ener!" from the riftencountered the heav" dut" As!ard shields surroundin! the :arth2built $arship,

he ship shuddered sli!htl" as the t$o forces of nature pushed a!ainst each other and as before) the Prometheus$as pulled into the rift and out the other side as the ener!" shields breached the rift, he small $arship sped into the

s"stem as the en!ines overpo$ered the !ravitational force of the rift,

eport)3 onson said

Comin! in no$) Sir,3

Carter63 +Neill as#ed,

. thin# $e+re throu!h it) Sir, he shields are still active and $e have hull inte!rit", %e+ve made it,3

Sir) reports comin! from all dec#s)3 the Comm, officer said, No in*uries and no dama!e,3

he <affa ships shouldn+t have a problem comin! throu!h Sir, heir shields ma" ta#e some dama!e but nothin! that

$ill cripple the ships,3



Send the messa!e 9t,)3 +Neill ordered the Comm, fficer, All ships come throu!h) five minute intervals,3

A"e) Sir,3

,arth $llian%e Co''and Station

Station &ne

,arth &r*it

Si) hours later.

=o$ man"63

%e+ve lost the 4id2ran!e outpost at %olf &'( and at least three of the smaller outposts on the border, Sixt" sevenships have been destro"ed includin! most of the S%ACS capable cruisers,3

4inbari 9osses63

.n the re!ion of the same) ei!ht" or so vessels) Sir, he fleets $ere all but routed b" the 4inbari ships,3

he -eneral sat do$n hard in his chair he scanners $or#ed but not $ell enou!h and the fact so fe$ ships could

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Consequences of Actions