Tagrean Population Centers
Tagrea
Milky Way
In the wake of the opening days of the war, the Tagrean populace was left in shock. Never before had the Tagrean public considered warfare like that which the planet currently played host. Shock, fear, and a strong desire to get out of the line of fire engulfed all. Earth's opening shock and awe bombardment had achieved its goal, neatly subduing any desire to resist Tagrean's might harbor. Greatly helping that goal was accurate targeting of precision munitions, which limited nonmilitary casualties to a handful of unlucky souls.
Intermixed with the shock and fear the public felt, was another feeling. Having seen the video footage of the massacre ordered by Kalfas, a seething anger simmered through the public. While the Kalfas regime felt it logical that the public would take arms and rise up to repel the invading forces of Earth, instead, their disgust for the current leader grew. Realizing the invading Tau'ri were far better equipped to deal with Kalfas than they were, the public holstered their anger. It was agreed by most that the wisest course of action was to abandon any area that might become a combat zone.
As explosions boomed in the distance, many went out into the streets in groups. Converging on food centers, canned goods and other edibles were gathered. Clearing every shelf in sight, many grocery centers were devoid of anything and everything in less than a day. As these groups of scavengers gathered what they would need in the days to come, these groups began to communicate with one another. Soon, a plan began to emerge.
Some might see it as a sign of solidarity, while others would view it as a collective decision of the hive mind of those in danger. Tagrean's gathered in groups, and began their exodus from their comfortable cityscapes. Though many were leaving, many too chose to remain behind. In miles long streams, civilians migrated into the countryside. Packing what they would need, vehicles and those on foot set out for safe harbor. Men and women tended to teary-eyed children clutching toys, afraid of this change to their established patterns of daily life.
As these snaking convoy's flowed out into undeveloped areas of the world, they began to converge. Soon, what was once many columns of civilians merged into a handful. Two of these larger convoys merged into one, both making their way to the deep reservoir eighty miles outside of the Tagrean capital. As they moved, units of the elite Tagrean State Guard branch of the armed forces crossed their path. In each instance, soldiers of the State Guard berated the refugees for abandoning the fight. For the refugees, fighting for a government who would slaughter its own citizens was simply unthinkable.
Wanting no part in what they viewed as a losing battle, many but not all less prestigious units of the Tagrean military abandoned their posts in mass. Standing guard over the marching procession of civilians, these units moved towards safety in their armored vehicles. Soldiers in these units were well aware that only units of the State Guard had fallen under attack by the Tau'ri. In the case of several escorting units, State Guard formations only a mile away had come under intense aerial bombardment, while leaving regular formations intact. It was almost as if the Tau'ri were purposely targeting the State Guard. Talk of the massive defeat of State Guard interdiction attempts upon the Tau'ri landing zone circulated among the troops.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the Tau'ri attack plan, all felt it was better to abandon a war already lost. As Tagrean soldiers, their first duty was to the Tagrean people. Safeguarding these civilians came first. Having seen the Tau'ri provided footage of the massacre drove many to believe that they owed nothing to Kalfas and his government. One day, they knew, this war would be over. If it meant their own lives, they would defend these civilians with their lives.
Late in the day, Tau'ri aircraft took note of these marching columns. Instead of bombardment, the Tagrean's were greeted with the sleek black F-302's descending, and in several cases slowing to a low speed hover. From the cockpits of these aircraft, flight crews waved. Radio calls to escorting Tagrean units from these aircraft informed those standing guard that their path was clear. These units were also provided a discreet radio frequency to use, should assistance from the fleet be required. Joining these units watching over civilians was the Tagrean Armored Balloon Corp. Together, ground and air forces would stand as protector over their countrymen.
As word of Tau'ri promises of assistance made its way through the convoys, cheers rang out. Assistance was not the act of a conqueror. These units of the Tagrean military soon filled discreet frequencies of the Tagrean military band, alerting others that the Tau'ri were not the enemy. The great shift in sentiment begun before the Tau'ri air campaign continued to gather strength.
Government Evacuation Bunker
Outside of Tagrean Capital
A flash of light from recessed overhead lighting was all that had broken up the passing sight of the rough concrete ceiling. Though vision of the scenery was difficult through the hood she wore, the female F-302 pilot distinctly recalled the faint outline of an Al'kesh within the bunker that now housed her. Struggling against her restraints, Captain Ashley Vance desperately sought a way to free herself from the wheelchair to which she was bound. Panic, anger, shock, and fear coursed through her body and mind. Suffering from a mild concussion resulting from the ejection sequence from her disintegrating F-302, Captain Vance found it difficult to remain conscious for extended periods. Blood pressure peaking from her agitated state, Ashley once again found her vision dimming. Seconds later, black engulfed her once again as she passed out.
Icy cold water jarred her awake from her blissful period of unconsciousness. Startled, cold, and extremely agitated, Captain Vance woke with a start. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with bright light that made her headache orders of magnitude worse. At least her hood had been removed. Before she could focus her attention on her throbbing headache, or utter a single word, a course hand stiffly smacked her cheek. Screwing her eyes shut from the pain in her temples the impact brought, Ashley noted the coppery taste of blood in her mouth.
Gathering her senses, Ashley opened her eyes and faced her attacker. There, standing before her was a group of three men. One, based on his outfit, was clearly a member of the Lucian Alliance. The next, she recognized from briefings as Kalfas, leader of Tagrea. The third man, though she failed to recognize his face, was Defense Minister Liptis.
"Open your eyes!" Dovak, of the Lucian Alliance, snarled.
"Hey smart guy, do my eyes look open to you?" Captain Vance asked sarcastically.
Answering her question not with words, but action, Dovak responded with force. Instead of a repeat of the last assault, this time the Lucian Alliance member doubled a fist. With speed and force, his fist slammed into Ashley's mouth. Running her tongue over the backside of her teeth, Captain Vance checked to see if her teeth were still there, while noting the new flow of blood from her gums. Laughing, she hung her head towards the floor and whispered to herself. Leaning in closer to hear her whispers, Dovak was caught off guard when Ashley quickly raised her face to his and spit the pooling blood in his face. As shock ran through Dovak's mind, she continued to laugh. Behind Dovak, Liptis looked visibly uncomfortable.
"I grew up with three older brother's tough guy. You are going to need to do better than that to scare me." Vance said defiantly.
"Gentlemen, instead of assaulting this young woman, perhaps you should question her as you intended." Liptis urged.
"My people will find me, and when they do you are going to regret laying a hand on me. Especially you, tough guy." Vance warned.
"The only ones from your world with tracking beacons are your famous SG teams." Dovak countered in taunting tones.
"Ok, keep thinking that." Vance replied nonchalantly.
"Are you familiar with bunker shielding technology? You should be as this technology came from your people. This bunker is shielded. No one knows you are here. Besides, you are assuming that you will remain on this planet." Dovak further taunted.
"Vance, Ashley. Captain. United States Air Force!" Vance stated strongly.
"Ask her where the Tau'ri ground forces are." Kalfas requested.
"You heard him, where are they?" Dovak thundered.
"Vance, Ashley. Captain. United States Air Force!" Vance stated strongly once more.
Grabbing her red hair in his fist, Dovak angled Ashley's head back painfully. Bringing his mouth centimeters from her ear, he began to speak in low and threatening tones.
"You can tell me what I ask, or things will be hard for you. Do not make the mistake of thinking I have not learned how to hurt those from your world." Dovak threatened.
"Answer the question now!" Kalfas yelled.
"In case you two geniuses missed it, I am a pilot. Ground forces are the last thing I would know about." Vance replied.
"What is your mission?" Kalfas demanded.
"Answer the question or the pain begins!" Dovak snarled.
"You! We are here for you! Did you think you could murder your own people and we would do nothing? Someone just like me is going to end your time in power." Vance answered icily.
As Kalfas and Dovak whispered quietly to one another, Captain Vance looked left and right. Taking in her surroundings, she quickly noticed a fellow aviator. Unconscious and bound to a wheelchair, the pilot did not move. Squinting her eyes, she looked at the name identification badge on the pilot's flight suit. It read Colonel Derrick Owen. As Ashley had never heard of a Colonel Owen, she decided he must not be a 302 pilot. The man looked badly worked over. Both eyes had swollen shut, lips broken and cracked, with blood oozing from a split eyebrow. Is this what she had to look forward to, she wondered?
Ten feet behind the interrogation, Defense Minister Liptis felt the bile rise in his throat. Try as he may to hide his distaste for torture in the name of information extraction, on his face his discomfort would have been evident to any who looked at him. Enough was enough. This was not what he had signed on for. Tagrea's future could not be left in the hands of a man who would commit atrocities simply to cling to tenuous power. First a massacre, and now torture. Immediately, Liptis realized what he must do. Stepping forward, he interrupted the conversation of Kalfas and Dovak.
"I need what she knows." Kalfas said.
"You will have it shortly." Dovak promised.
"Has Kefflin replied to my request for the Lucian Alliance Fleet to come and sweep the Tau'ri from Tagrea?" Kalfas demanded.
"I have passed along your request." Dovak promised.
"Kalfas, I need to speak with you in private." Liptis interrupted.
As the two men stepped away, Dovak returned to his interrogation of Captain Vance. Kalfas, deep in thought, missed the visual cues written on the face of Liptis.
"What is it?" Kalfas asked.
"Are the sadistic machinations of this barbarian necessary?" Liptis asked pointedly.
"Tagrea is under attack! If it means putting thousands of Tau'ri to death, I will get the information needed to defend my people!" Kalfas responded defiantly.
"While you were down here torturing the other pilot, you missed new developments above. The Tau'ri are not attacking our entire military." Liptis explained patiently.
"Thousands of Tagrean fighting men gave their lives attacking the invaders beachhead." Kalfas argued.
"That is true. All of those men belonged to the State Guard. Reports coming in show clearly that the Tau'ri are attacking only the State Guard. Units not belonging to the State Guard have been left intact. You see what this means, do you not?" Liptis asked.
"The Tau'ri seek to eliminate our best trained ground forces." Kalfas stated.
"No, they are eliminating units fanatically loyal to you." Liptis countered.
"They will fail. Once the Lucian Alliance Fleet arrives, the Tau'ri will rue the day!" Kalfas preached.
"If that was the case, then why was that fleet not here when the Tau'ri arrived? Our people are abandoning cities. Sentiment is not on your side with the people. Need I remind you that the Tau'ri ground forces cannot be located? They simply evaporated into the landscape. We must end this conflict before it is too late. The Alliance is not coming, that much is plain to see." Liptis spat.
"I will accept your resignation once they do arrive. Before you spout more of your defeatist remarks, leave me to conduct this interrogation." Kalfas ordered in a disgusted tone.
Turning on his heels, Liptis walked stiffly away from the interrogation he heard behind him. In his mind, he planned what he must do. First, he needed to leave this underground palace of torture. From there, he would make his way to the Defense Ministry. Only from there could he do what must be done. Secure in the knowledge of what he was about to do, Liptis felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Landing Zone Neptune
Three Hundred Miles South of Tagrean Capital
Milky Way
Six hours before, the first ground units from Landing Zone Neptune began to move away from the disembarkation area, fully assembled in their respective tactical marching order. First to depart was the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The Brave Rifles of the 3rd ACR marched out as the leading vanguard of the NATO ground force. Self contained and lethal to the extreme, the ACR would be performing the mission of scouting by fire. For this tasking, the Regiment was exceptionally well suited.
In the far right corner of the five mile by five mile square perimeter of Landing Zone Neptune, assets of the aviation brigade of the 101st Airborne Division were hard at work. Using their new
H-100 Paiute utility transport craft, men and equipment of both the 101st and the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division were fast moving from Neptune to a forward arming point one hundred miles to the north. In this way, mobile armored forces and the slower infantry forces would leapfrog towards the Tagrean capital city. Escorting the Paiute transport craft was a second new Army aviation platform, the AH-99 Blackfoot.
Structurally, the Paiute was similar in length to the UH-60 Blackhawk it replaced. Powered by drives similar to those on a Puddle Jumper, though incredibly detuned, the Paiute was incredibly silent when in flight. Inside each, twenty exoskeleton-clad infantrymen could ride into battle. Midway down the gunmetal colored fuselage of each was a stubby pair if triangular wings. To these could be mounted rocket pods or rail gun pods.
The AH-99 Blackfoot was far different. Dagger like in shape, each attack craft looked lethal. In their role as a replacement for the AH-64 Apache and OH-58 Kiowa, the Blackfoot carried a weapons load out exceeding the craft it replaced. Held in internal bays at points around the airframe, Blackfoot made use of traditional weaponry, as well as the latest anti-armor munitions. Powered by drives identical to that found in the Paiute, the Blackfoot was silent, fast, and exceedingly deadly to any foolish enough to stand in its line of fire.
As aircraft came and went, the staggeringly large bodies of both the US 1st Cavalry Division, and the 2nd Armored Division moved out. Spreading out side by side, in a formation four miles wide, the two division pairing departed with pillars of dust climbing from the desert soil into the vibrant blue sky overhead. Behind them, they left the 4th Infantry Division.
4th Infantry Division, assigned as the core of the second armored element, was the body around which the other NATO units present would operate. While the 1st Cav/2nd AD/3rd ACR formation contained a larger number of tanks, the 4th ID/NATO element was infinitely more flexible, with its greater number of Infantry Fighting Vehicles. That flexibility would be needed, as this group was assigned the task of securing the northeast sector of Tagrea's capital, which was far more urbanized than the northwest sector.
Departing Landing Zone Neptune, this second armored task force began their march. For the younger troops present, nervous energy filled their minds. Combat is a game of stamina, and the British, Canadian, Australian, and American leadership, it was simply a game of keeping the men focused during the march. Once rounds started flying downrange, training would take over. The men of four nations marched towards the combat action many were certain was coming.
Moving at thirty miles per hours sustained, the 3rd ACR was one hundred and eighty miles away from Landing Zone Neptune when the second armored task force departed. Moving through the flat desert landscape quickly, the Brave Rifles were surprised to see a system of rivers and tributaries on their digital map displays. On each of the IVIS information sharing network screens, a gold diamond representing a unit of the Tagrean military standing in their path was seen by all.
Blackfoot's belonging to 3rd ACR's aviation section overflew the Tagrean unit at the other side of the river. Though it was already known this unit did not belong to the State Guard, flybys were necessary. Prompted earlier by their fellow units, and radio contact from senior Tagrean military personnel aboard the USS Benjamin Franklin, this unit was aware that they had nothing to fear from the approaching Tau'ri combat unit. While they were not necessarily afraid, they were incredibly nervous. Several of the Tagrean's openly question just how such a large armored unit intended to cross the river in its path, as no bridging equipment could be seen in the oncoming formation.
In every action, the Tagrean's learned the Tau'ri had very different ways of doing things. For Tagrean units, a river crossing meant stopping, waiting for a bridging unit to establish a path across, and then an orderly advance to the opposing shore. Strangely, the Tau'ri were not stopping, nor were they even slowing the speed of their advance. Some pondered if the vehicles now in view might be amphibious. As the oncoming tanks and infantry fighting vehicles churned through the sandy beach soil towards the rivers bank, crew members could be seen standing in top mounted turrets.
Silvery flashes of light, followed by an audible chime of sorts, engulfed the lead elements of the 3rd ACR. Successive flashes engulfed further oncoming vehicles. Shock ran through the Tagrean ranks at the disappearance, and subsequent reappearance on the opposite bank of the river. They had vanished and reappeared across a river, unseen! That this river crossing was made possible by spacecraft far overhead was unknown to the Tagrean's. What came next further shocked the Tagrean's in and around their vehicles.
Over the regimental communications network, the order to render honors came. Fully aware that the Tagrean's here were not their enemy, nor their target, individual vehicle commanders complied in unison. Standing tall in the commander's hatches of their vehicles, each vehicle commander turned to face the Tagrean unit to their right, and crisply saluted. These salutes were maintained until the last Tagrean vehicle was passed. They did this not to curry favor, but to convey respect to their fellow soldier. In the community of warfighters, respect is an absolute.
Seeing honors rendered, the Tagrean's were caught off guard. For several silent seconds, they watched in confused fascination. In small groups, they too began to render honors in return. Though a war was being fought between the peoples of two worlds, for this moment in time none of that mattered. Respect had been shown, and was now being returned by all. If ever a moment of solidarity between these two groups was to exist, this was it.
In ten minutes, the entire body of the 3rd ACR's ground forces was across the calm river. They did not slow, nor did they alter course. Continuing at their current speed, the unit moved off into the distance.
Ministry of Defense
Tagrea
Milky Way
Standing in his large private office, Liptis was silent. Making his way to the mini bar in the corner of his office, he traced his eyes over the selection, perusing the bar's offerings. Selecting a bottle he was fond of, Liptis gracefully poured himself a drink. Bringing the glass to his lips, he savored the burn of the fiery liquid as it slid down his throat. Blinking twice, he looked down at the floor, taking note of a scuff on his highly polished shoe.
Setting his glass on the bar, he turned his attention to the matter at hand. Making his way to his desk, he found the small note with the information his plan required. This plan, full of personal risk, was the right course of action in his mind. That point had been decided half a day ago. Looking down at the note, he rechecked its contents for the fifth time. Yes, it was a radio frequency, but was it one the Tau'ri would truly be monitoring? He would find out shortly. Were it not for units loyal to Liptis bringing this frequency to his personal attention, he might never have known.
Tucking the note in his pants pocket, Liptis decided it was now or never. After all, you only commit state treason once. Briskly, with a skip in his step, Liptis exited his office and turned down the polished granite clad hallway. Reaching the elevator, he pushed the button for the basement. Impatiently, he watched the floor markers tick by as the elevator descended. A moment later, with an audible chime, the elevator doors opened.
A security officer standing ten feet from the elevator rose upon seeing Liptis. Casting formality aside for the moment, he motioned for the officer to remain seated. As the security officer sat, he pushed the activation button, which opened the subterranean communications bunker's large door. Nodding in thanks, Liptis stepped through.
In the communications bunker, the mood was tense. Many of those present had been on duty in some form since the war had begun, without much rest. As the communications technicians were occupied monitoring radio frequencies across the spectrum, they took little note of the Defense Minister's arrival. Stopping in the center of the electronics packed room, Liptis cleared his throat loudly.
"May I have your attention please?" Liptis asked loudly.
At stations around the room, technicians looked up, and removed their headphones. Many of those swiveled around to face the Minister bodily. All eyes were now locked on Liptis.
"Gentlemen, many of you have been at your posts for far too long. As of now, consider yourselves relieved for a mandatory twelve hour rest period." Liptis stated.
"Minister, we cannot leave our posts. A war is going on outside." A senior technician argued.
"I understand that fact more than anyone. The fact remains that you are of little use at your posts if you are sleep deprived." Liptis countered.
"My technicians will stand down when our replacements arrive Minister." The technician stated.
"Your replacements will be here shortly. Until they arrive, I will monitor the network. Now go." Liptis ordered while pointing at the door.
Exhausted from the long hours of duty, the technician's put up little argument. Leaving their duty stations, the technicians slowly filed out of the bunker. The two minutes it took for them to exit was the longest two minutes Liptis had every experienced. Finally, they did depart. As the last technician exited the bunker, Liptis moved to the senior technician's desk, and pushed the button that sealed the bunker.
Putting the senior technician's headphones on, Liptis noted that they were still warm from long hours of use. Taking the note out of his pocket, his eyes sealed shut for a moment while he calmed himself. Inputting the frequency noted, Liptis adjusted the boom microphone to his mouth. It was now or never. Taking a deep breathe, he activated his microphone and began to transmit.
"Tau'ri forces monitoring this channel, please respond." Liptis began.
His heart beat loudly in his chest. Crossing the line of what Kalfas would consider state treason was not nearly as difficult as he had imagined. Anxiety began to creep into his mind when the Tau'ri did not respond immediately.
"Tau'ri forces monitoring this channel, please respond." Liptis repeated.
"Unknown station, go ahead." A calm voice replied.
"I wish to arrange a meeting to discuss certain matters of importance to both our people." Liptis explained.
"Unknown station, please identify yourself." The voice pressed.
"Giving you an identity means nothing, as you cannot confirm that identity over the radio. A face to face meeting will prove my identity nicely." Liptis stated.
"Unknown station, confirm your current location." The voice requested.
"I am currently in the capital. Do you require further location information?" Liptis asked.
"Your location has already been confirmed. At this time, meeting you in the Defense Ministry would not be prudent for anyone from our military. Please standby." The voice stated.
His frustration growing with each passing second, Liptis rolled his eyes. Here he was, trying to hand a victory to the Tau'ri, and they were passing up the opportunity to meet. Could this really be happening? These thoughts crowded the forefront of his mind as silver light enveloped him.
USS Benjamin Franklin
Orbiting Tagrean Moon
Milky Way
On the flight deck over watch platform, a splash of silver light erupted. Rematerializing, Liptis found himself in new surroundings. His eyes went wide in shock over this unexpected turn of events. Never had he imagined being whisked away in a field of energy, and appearing somewhere far from where he began. Seeing others standing near him, Liptis managed to reel in his sense of shock quickly.
Standing there, amused at the befuddled look on the new arrivals face was Admiral Clancy Grant, and a four man team of Marines. Sipping his coffee from the Navy mug, Grant gave the Tagrean Minister of Defense a moment to compose himself. That the man did so quickly told Grant much about the man's character.
"Do you know who I am?" Liptis asked.
"Yes Minister Liptis, we are well aware of who you are. We knew within seconds of your first radio communiqué." Grant explained.
"Can you introduce yourself, so I know who I am speaking with?" Liptis asked.
"I am the on site commander for this operation, Admiral Clancy Grant, United States Navy." The Admiral answered.
"How is it you knew my identity from the first radio call? I did not identify myself." Liptis questioned.
"Minister, we have your voiceprint on file from your time at Shambhala. A voiceprint is like a fingerprint, in that each is unique. We also have your bosses on file, and the moment he is foolish enough to transmit over the airwaves we will know exactly where he is. I have several aircraft on standby for just that eventuality, and when it happens, we will be sending him to the afterlife." Grant threatened.
"Then we want the same things." Liptis stated openly.
"I have ample reason to doubt that claim Minister." Grant argued.
"Would you like proof and reason as to why?" Liptis asked seriously.
"By all means, enlighten me." Grant chuckled.
"You currently have atleast two aviators missing, do you not?" Liptis asked.
"Let us assume for a moment I do, where might I find them?" Grant asked.
"The location I cannot divulge, as I am uncertain myself. Kalfas is being very cagey with his security measures in this case." Liptis explained.
"You could be bluffing." Grant countered.
"Admiral, I am not bluffing. Case in point, I do not know the exact location where they are being held. I can however tell you what exactly is happening." Liptis offered.
"You have my undivided attention." Grant whispered.
"A Captain Ashley Vance and a Colonel Derrick Owen are currently being held in an underground bunker some miles from the capital. This bunker is protected from your sensors by bunker shielding technology." Liptis explained.
"How is that possible when Tagrea possesses no such technology?" Grant questioned.
"That technology was brought here by the Lucian Alliance. I would like to point out that a member of the Alliance is currently interrogating your aviators with force, vigorously." Liptis continued.
"Minister, let me be clear about something. If you are misleading me in any way, and it results in harm coming to those pilots, I will make life very hard on you. If need be, I will personally chase you across this galaxy." Grant said menacingly.
"I want to see your aviators returned to safety. The barbarity of their treatment is sickening to me. Witnessing that treatment is what drove me to contact you directly." Liptis said sincerely.
"So now what? You are just going to hand over your mentor?" Grant asked incredulously.
"Kalfas is unhinged. He believes he is protecting Tagrea, but is walking our people off a cliff." Liptis sighed.
"Then how do you propose we change that?" Grant asked.
"His distrust extends to me now. As I do not know his current location, we must take another tact. When he comes near me, as he is sure to do at some point, I will simply tell you where he is. Then you grab him." Liptis plotted.
"I am not going to promise doing this will exonerate you of your part in this coup with Chairman Ashwan." Grant interjected.
"I am not doing this to save myself Admiral. I am doing this to save my planet and my people from ruin." Liptis pledged.
"Ok, I can accept that. Since it is unlikely that making a radio call while Kalfas is nearby will go unnoticed, we need to outfit you with a another way to contact us. Follow me." Grant instructed.
Making their way to another portion of the Benjamin Franklin, the two men continued their discussion. Admiral Grant wished for more time, but he was aware it was only a matter of time before Liptis was missed. When he woke this morning, Grant had wished for a quick end to this war. Some wishes come true. Whether this one would was unclear, but its chances were looking up.
Government Evacuation Bunker
Outside Tagrean Capital
"Where is the fleet support we need?" Kalfas demanded.
"The fleet is coming. Travel across the stars is not nearly as fast as you believe it to be." Dovak replied.
"Are you certain the fleet is coming?" Kalfas asked in desperation.
"My last communication with Kefflin stated as much. Kefflin asked that I pass along a request to you." Dovak explained.
"He leaves me here to fight an enemy of his, without lifting a finger to help. Now he has requests of me?" Kalfas asked indignantly.
"Chairman Kalfas, Kefflin asks that you return to your capital. Once there, contact him through the stargate as he instructed you to do. While you do that, I will carry out my instructions." Dovak explained tiredly.
"What are your instructions?" Kalfas asked.
"I am to continue the interrogation. What I have planned, it would be best if you were not here to witness. Return to your capital to manage your war. When the fleet arrives, your people will hail you a hero in your capital." Dovak said soothingly.
"I will comply with Kefflin's wishes this time. Get the information we need to win this war out of our Tau'ri guests, and do it quickly!" Kalfas spat.
Without another word, Kalfas turned on his heels. Gathering his security detail, he instructed them to deliver him to the capital with haste. Dovak was pleased to see Kalfas, toad that he was, leave. Now Dovak could carry out his true instructions, instead of playing nursemaid to the unstable despot. As Kalfas and his security entourage departed, the Lucian Alliance soldier busied himself with another task.
Stepping to the metallic black case on the concrete bunker floor beside his Al'kesh, Dovak began to input commands. In this black case was the bunker shielding emitter protecting the bunker and everything within from discovery by Tau'ri sensors. The commands Dovak input took effect quickly. Instead of simply encompassing the bunker, the shielding field grew in size fiftyfold. Airspace above the bunker was soon impenetrable to any sensor that might look this way.
His first task accomplished, Dovak turned his full attention to the two prisoners. Their unconscious state greatly simplified his task. Checking their restraints, he insured they were still properly bound. To further insure their continued cooperation, Dovak discharged his Zat'nik'tel once at each prisoner. That should keep them quiet for several hours atleast.
One at a time, Dovak hoisted the prisoners over his shoulder. Taking the two Tau'ri aboard the Al'kesh, he set their unconscious forms down on the deck plating in the rear cargo area. There they would remain. Making his way to the pilot's station, Dovak powered up all systems of the Goa'uld designed craft. Cloak, weapons, hyper drive, all came online quickly. When satisfied everything was as it should be, Dovak again exited the craft.
Stepping one hundred feet away from his vessel, he examined the bunker systems control panel. Even by Alliance standards, it was crude. Unsure of exactly what should and should not be activated to achieve his aims, Dovak opted to default with throwing every switch on the panel. As he did, a klaxon sounded in the background while flashing yellow lights came to life throughout the bunker. Overhead, the large metal doors making up much of the ceiling shrieked as they opened.
Jogging back to the Al'kesh, Dovak quickly entered the vessels interior. Once inside, he sealed the open access door. Taking his seat in the pilot's chair, he glanced at the bunker through the view screen. Part of him wished he had done this with Kalfas present, just so he could see the Tagrean's face split in despair. That would happen eventually, when Kalfas realized no fleet was coming to his rescue. Some people never realize they are a means to an end until it is too late.
Laying his hands on the orb like control column of the Al'kesh, Dovak piloted the craft up through the open ceiling doors. Rising out of the bunker, he checked his altimeter. Seeing that he was at a sufficient height above ground level for forward flight, Dovak activated the hyper drive. Accelerating from a standstill, the Al'kesh frantically gained speed towards the opening hyperspace window.
As the window opened, atmosphere and dust were sucked through into subspace. Passing through this tornado like vortex, the Al'kesh leapt into hyperspace. With it departed not only the hopes of the sitting Tagrean government, but also two individuals the Tau'ri would never stop searching for. Though he could not have possibly known, Dovak had just sealed the fate of the Alliance in the eyes of many as yet unaware of what was transpiring at this second.