Rome
Earth
Milkyway Galaxy
Seated in the rear of a black colored S-Class Mercedes Benz, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Flamine Portunes Aulus Scribonius watched as the scenery of Rome passed by quickly. Passing through the stone edifice of the Porta di Sant'Anna, the two men entered the boundaries of Vatican City. Weaving through the narrow corridors of the path towards Vatican Apostolic Library, the Church owned luxury automobile speed on, escorted by two motorcycles of the Gendarmerie Corps, otherwise known as the Vatican Police.
Minutes later, outside of the Library, the Mercedes came to a halt. Waiting, at the bottom of the stone staircase leading to the Library's entrance, was a Dutch Monsignor, lost in thought. Monsignor Jeroen Van Buskirk, head of the Vatican Archives, was a man renowned for his intellect, and curious mind. Monsignor Van Buskirk was also the man tasked with overseeing todays he would never admit it to other members of the clergy, Van Buskirk also hoped he could convince Jackson to autograph his copy of Daniel's book 'The Truth About the Pyramids', written long before disclosure of the Gate Program.
Exiting the vehicle, both Daniel and Aulus Scribonius took in the sight of Vatican City. Drawing a deep breath, Daniel took note of the scents of ancient stone, fountain water, scooter exhaust, and a hint of coffee in the air. These were the scents of Rome. Interrupting this momentary distraction, Monsignor Van Buskirk stepped forward, with a broad and welcoming smile on his face.
"Gentlemen, welcome to Vatican City. I am Monsignor Jeroen Van Buskirk, and I will be overseeing your visit today. It is an honor to meet you both." The Monsignor said in greeting.
"Doctor Daniel Jackson." Daniel announced.
"Monsignor, I am Aulus Scribonius, Flamine you for receiving us." Aulus replied.
"You are from Alba Longa? This is my first opportunity to meet someone from your world. I hope we have the opportunity to discuss your world." The Monsignor said with hope.
"I look forward to that." Aulus Scribonius replied.
"Now, if you will follow me, I will take you to the examination room." Van Buskirk suggested.
Climbing the steps, the three men entered the Vatican Library. Passing through the entrance, Daniel took noticed of the uniformed Swiss Guards. While these were plainly visible, Daniel's trained eye quickly took notice of other, less conspicuously dressed members of the Vatican guard force. Making their way into the bowels of the Library, Aulus Scribonius was overwhelmed by the majesty of Sistine Hall. So much history was on display in this hall alone, that Aulus was held in awe.
Leaving the public spaces of the Library, the three men exited the ancient trappings of the Library, and stepped into a thoroughly modern hallway outside of public view. Walking briskly down this hallway, the three men came to the polished steel door of an elevator. Nodding at the suited Swiss Guard, the Monsignor removed a keycard from his robes, and opened the elevator door. As the three men stepped foot into the elevator, Monsignor Van Buskirk slipped this card into a reader, while also placing his eye on an integrated biometrics reader. His identity and authorization confirmed, the elevator began its journey into the Vatican Secret Archives deep below.
Stories below ground level, the elevator came to a halt. Its doors opening, the three men stepped into the subterranean secret archive of the Vatican. Surprisingly, this was not a dank and dimly lit space, but a sterile and brightly illuminated vault. Made up of glass encased examination and storage rooms, the secret archive was filled with historical documents and writings spanning many centuries. Inside these storage rooms, documents sat on racks, in rooms purged of atmosphere. This was done to prevent decay of documents that were simply irreplaceable.
Following the Monsignor down the center aisle of the vault, Daniel couldn't help but wish he could spend just an afternoon studying the many texts locked away in the secret archive. One could spend an entire lifetime, and still only scratch the surface of the massive amount of material present. Locked within the material contained within this archive, were the answers to questions historians had pondered for centuries. Perhaps, someday, those answers would be provided to the world. Until that day came, those questions would linger, unanswered.
"These are texts of great value to your world?" Aulus asked.
"Not exactly. These are texts of great value, that the world knows nothing of." Daniel replied.
"Why would history be kept secret?" Aulus questioned.
"Its complicated." Daniel answered cryptically.
Ten meters in front of the trio of men, outside of an examination room, stood two armed members of the Vatican Guard. These men, dressed in business suits, stood ramrod erect outside of the entrance to the examination room. Charged with protecting the priceless relic contained within, these men eyed the two visitors approaching with the Monsignor closely. Nodding at the two men, Monsignor Van Buskirk motioned for them to ready the room.
Removing a keycard from an inner pocket of his suit jacket, one of the Vatican Guard relic protectors turned to a sophisticated panel integrated into the examination room exterior. Sliding this card into an access slot, the man also input a twelve digit code. In response, a green light flashed above the thick glass door, and an audible chime was heard. The sound of whirring fans began seconds later, as atmosphere was restored within the examination room. When sensors detected full restoration of breathable atmosphere, the automated door unlocked, and slid open.
Walking into the examination room, all moved towards the single table in the center of the glass encased area. Behind them, the entryway door sealed shut. On the table, a sealed case sat. As Aulus and Daniel set down the briefcases they carried, Monsignor Van Buskirk opened the case atop the table. The case open, the Monsignor removed burgundy colored velvet cloth, that covered the cases contents. Setting this on the table, Van Buskirk turned the case to face the two men on the opposite side of the table.
"Gentlemen, I present to you, the Spear of Longinus. I believe you have items with you as well." The Monsignor prompted.
At Buskirk's suggestion, both Daniel and Aulus set the attache cases they carried on the tables surface. Pressing their thumbs to biometrics readers embedded in each case, both men unlocked their cases to reveal the items brought with them. Moving around the table, to stand between Aulus and Daniel, Monsignor Van Buskirk walked quietly. Looking at the contents of both cases intently, Van Buskirk saw a sight he did not understand.
"What am I looking at exactly?" The Monsignor inquired.
"Each of these cases are built around a series of technologies designed off world. When active, the emitters in each case form a nullification field, which inhibits any active effects of whatever device that may be placed inside. It is more a precaution than anything." Daniel explained.
"Are the contents of these cases dangerous?" Van Buskirk asked with minor concern.
"One would hope not." Daniel answered with shrug.
"Monsignor, if I may, what is the significance of the Spear of Longinus?" Aulus interjected.
"One could spend a day and night, and still not have enough time to fully educate you on the full history of the Spear. To answer your question simply, during the crucifixion of Christ, the Spear was used by a Roman legionnaire to pierce the side of Christ, to verify the breaking of his legs was not needed to hasten death." Van Buskirk explained.
"How can one be sure this is the true Spear?" Aulus asked.
"Look around at the secrets held in this archive. As the keeper of the Vatican's secrets, I can tell you without doubt, this is the true Spear." Van Buskirk said resolutely.
Donning a set of white gloves, Monsignor Buskirk carefully laid out the velvet cloth he had earlier removed from the Spear's case. Delicately, with a gentle touch, the Monsignor removed the Spear from it's case, before laying it down on the velvet cloth. Like a father watching over a newborn, Van Buskirk kept his eyes on the Spear.
"How certain are you the Spear is connected to the items you brought with you?" Van Buskirk questioned.
"I'm not entirely certain. For several months, the Spear has appeared repeatedly in my dreams. Somehow, I believe the Spear is tied to the items Aulus and I brought with us." Daniel answered.
"Should we lower the nullification fields now Daniel?" Aulus asked softly.
"That is the logical next step, but I have a few concerns." Daniel replied.
"What type of concerns Doctor Jackson?" Monsignor Van Buskirk inquired with concern.
"If the items in these cases are pieces of Ancient technology, my concern is that we do not know what will happen when all three items are brought together." Daniel answered.
"Take a leap of faith." Van Buskirk suggested.
"He's right Daniel. We have come this far on faith, now let us finish this with that same faith." Aulus urged.
Taking in a breath sharply, Daniel waved his hand over his left forearm. In response, a holographic screen appeared above the rich wool of his suit jacket. Entering a series of codes, Jackson first verified his authorization to unlock the two cases before him. On the screen, a flashing unlock icon appeared. Staring at it for a moment, Daniel reflected on the years long path that had brought him to this point. So much had changed. His team, SG-1, was no more, with each of its members moving on to other assignments. The world was changed, and more importantly to Daniel, he now had the love of a woman he had proudly served beside since the early days of the Gate Program. All that had changed gave Daniel hope for all this discovery might make possible. No longer was Daniel a timid man, but a leader, who had come into his own, earning the respect of all he encountered. Nodding silently to himself, Daniel touched his index finger to the flashing icon on the holographic screen.
From his integrated data unit, a heavily encoded burst was transmitted to both attache cases on the table. Acknowledging receipt of the order, the shimmering nullification fields enveloping the items within each case began to waver. As the fields powered down gradually, the eyes of each man present were locked on the cases. Fading into nonexistence, the nullification fields powered down completely. Seconds later, the unexpected happened.
The human eye, like the eye of any predator, is optimized to detect movement. Unexpected movement on the table drew the attention of all three men. Silently, the Spear of Longinus rose from the velvet covered surface of the table. Two feet above the table's surface, the Spear's rise came to a halt, while the Spear angled it's pointed tip skyward. Seeing this, Monsignor Van Buskirk was stunned. Aulus Scribonius stood silently, looking towards Daniel. Daniel, unsurprisingly, looked upon the levitating Spear with childlike curiosity.
Within the attache case Daniel had carried, other events began to unfold. Seated within this case, a circular stone tablet, with gate symbols etched into the stone surrounding a square hole at its center, came alive. At random, each of the etched gate symbols illuminated intermittently with a soft golden glow. Rising from the case on its own, the stone tablet hovered silently, as each glyph continued to shine.
From the attache case of Aulus Scribonius, the small stone artifact he had watched over for years as Flamine Portunes rose into the air. Sharp beams of dazzlingly intense white energy sprang from the artifact, towards the Spear, and the tablet. Hanging there, in the air, these three relics floating in triangular formation began to spin as one. Increasing in speed, the three relics inched closer to one another. Unexpectedly, the beams of intense white energy shifted color, to a soft shade of burgundy. Drawing nearer, the three objects arranged themselves into three distinct levels.
Witnessing this, both Aulus and the Monsignor wordlessly backed away, with mouths hanging open. Daniel, transfixed, stood his ground, and watched closely. Outside the examination room, the two members of the Vatican Guard tried in vain to enter the chamber.
Around the three spinning objects, a golden field of energy formed. As each of the three objects came together, the field grew in intensity. At the bottom most level, Daniel's tablet spin at incredible speed. Matching its velocity, the relic of the Flamine Portunes matched its speed. The bottom segment of this relic, square in shape, fit neatly into the square shaped hole of the tablet. As the two pieces interlocked, each glyph on the tablet illuminated brightly. Above these two interlocked objects, the Spear of Longinus spun at several thousand revolutions per minute. Around the spinning objects, the field of golden energy compressed, forcing the objects together. The base of the Spear, touching the spinning tablet and key locked together. Suddenly, the field enveloping these relics collapsed, leaving the Spear to glow brightly. From both bladed sides of the Spear, beams of light, thinner than a human hair, traced over every inch of the examination room. Seconds later, this light assisted search ceased, and the now single object combined of three relics, descended to just inches above the table.
"Was that supposed to happen?" Aulus asked jokingly.
"I'd say that's a safe bet." Daniel mused.
"Now what?" Monsignor Van Buskirk asked in mild confusion.
Before an answer could be given, the object once again sprang to life. Having scanned the room, the object learned that this was not where it was meant to be in order to fulfill its function. From the tablet, making up the base of the object, a flourish of light blossomed. In this expanded field of light, a wavering and unclear image could be seen. This image slowly came into focus, and when done, shocked Monsignor Van Buskirk. This image, was of an ancient structure; the Pantheon.
"Is that what I think it is?" Van Buskirk asked lightly.
"Yeah, that would be the Pantheon. We need to go there, now." Daniel decreed.
"Based on my understanding of tourism in Rome, won't the Pantheon be filled at this time of day?" Aulus questioned.
"That won't be a problem. I'll make a Pantheon is a church after all." Van Buskirk responded.
Despite their attempts, the two Vatican Guards outside of the examination room had failed to gain entry. Suddenly, without reason, the glass door opened on its own, allowing them entry. With weapons drawn, they secured the room, though they did not understand what they were securing it against. Sometimes, one simply follows their training. Aulus and Daniel discussed events, as Monsignor Van Buskirk quickly spoke into a cellphone removed from his priestly robes.
"Visitors are being escorted out of the Pantheon now. To the car gentlemen. Our escort is on its way." Van Buskirk announced with satisfaction.
Daniel, uncertain if he should attempt to break the object down into it's three individual pieces, grabbed the velvet cloth used to cover the spear, and wrapped it around the object. Holding the object close to his chest, he and his two companions were escorted out of the archives by their two Vatican Guard attendants. Moving swiftly, excitement rippled through the three men. A long held mystery was one step closer to being solved, and each could feel it.
Reaching ground level, the group of five men raced out of the Vatican Library. Outside, at the steps, was the Mercedes that had carried Aulus and Daniel to Vatican City, along with another, and four motorcycle escorts. Jumping into the awaiting vehicles, the cavalcade set out at speed. Leading the way, motorcycle escorts, with lights flashing and sirens wailing, cleared traffic standing in the way. Racing past St. Peter's Basilica, and exiting Vatican City, down the Via di Porta Cavalleggeri, the convoy of fast moving vehicles crossed over the Tiber. Charging through ancient side streets, barely wide enough for the two Mercedes, the group passed through the Piazza Navona without slowing.
Turning into the square, where the Pantheon stood, the cavalcade came to a halt in front of Fontana del Pantheon. Exiting the vehicle, Aulus Scribonius cast his gaze on the Fontana del Pantheon. This fountain, built around an ancient Egyptian obelisk chiseled during the time of Ramses II, made Aulus grimace. The people of Alba Longa were no fan of anything representing Egypt. Could this be a portent of doom? The Flamine Portunes certainly hoped not.
Throughout the square, members of the Italian State Police, along with members of the Vatican Guard, cleared tourists away from the Pantheon. Others busily erected barriers to keep the crowd back. From this throng of tourists from around the world, a nonstop series of flashes erupted, as many photographed the unexpected events unfolding before them. Above this crowd, a cloudless blue sky stood.
Making their way towards the Pantheon, the three men and their escort of two crossed the square. Taking in the majesty of the Pantheon, Aulus found himself overwhelmed. This incredible structure, built nearly two thousand years before by his ancestors, still stood as an incredible example of the accomplishments of Rome. Out of the corner of his eye, Aulus took notice of a face he had seen before, standing amongst the throng of tourists. Locking eyes with this familiar face, Aulus found himself staring directly at Janus. This sight, pushing away all of the misgivings Aulus had felt moments earlier, told the Flamine Portunes that he was most assuredly on the correct path. Smiling slightly, Aulus nodded in return.
Passing through the massive forty foot doors of the Pantheon, the three men and their escort, stepped into the Pantheon rotunda. This dome, constructed without structural reinforcement, could hold a ten story building with ease. At the apex of the dome, a thirty foot wide oculus allowed in sunlight. Overall, the surroundings were awe-inspiring, as was intended.
"The answer rests in here." Daniel Jackson announced.
"The answer to what?" Monsignor Van Buskirk questioned.
"The Clava Thessara Infinitas." Aulus answered.
Crossing the ancient marble flooring of the Pantheon, Daniel looked around for any visible sign of change within the structure. Seeing none, he then searched visually for any area where the object in his hands might sit. Finally, Daniel decided to stand in the center of the rotunda, hoping the answer to his question would appear. Coming to a spot, directly underneath the oculus, Daniel removed the velvet covering from the object cradled in his arms.
Instantly, events sprang into motion. The object, pulling itself free of Daniel's grasp, rose into the air. Once again, brilliant beams of energy erupted from the top mounted Spear. These razor thin shafts of light filled the air, illuminating the interior of the rotunda brightly. From the angled piercing edges of the Spear, a pillar of light raced towards the oculus, where, once reached, ceased its forward travel. This pillar of light filled the oculus with evenly spaced rays of light, like the spokes of a wagon wheel.
Outside the Pantheon, a tremendous blast of sound, similar to a low trombone note sounded across the ancient city on seven hills. Clear skies darkened, with freakish storm clouds appearing where none had been before. Lightening flashed, as this storm system settled over Rome. From the oculus of the Pantheon, a searing pillar of brilliant white light, thirty feet in diameter, appeared. Around this pillar, storm clouds circled. Seconds later, lightening began to strike the inert concrete construction of the Pantheon itself. Eerily, the ancient structure took on an ethereal glow.
It was then that the ground began to quiver and shake. Tourists, standing behind barricades, began to run away in fear. Fierce winds ripped through the square, carrying tourism brochures dropped in panic. From the fountain, water was carried in all directions by this wind. Booming thunder echoed throughout Rome, causing automobile alarms to sound by the thousands.
Underneath the rotunda, standing beneath the oculus, Doctor Daniel Jackson tried to remain calm. Waving those with him back, Daniel's main concern was the safety of others. Once again, the low musical note of a horn sounded, only within the rotunda. The object, rising to a point twenty feet above the rotunda's marble floor, expelled a writhing wave of energy. This wave of energy, moving slowly, pooled in the square sunken coffers within the dome's roof.
These coffers, containing the pooled energy wave, took on a glow of their own. Individually, each coffer began to illuminate for a brief moment, before darkening. Watching closely, Daniel labored to find a pattern to the illumination cycle, but could not. If only, he thought for a moment, he had instead been a mathematician. As the illumination cycle accelerated, Aulus Scribonius, Monsignor Jeroen Van Buskirk, and the Vatican Guard protective detail backed away, towards the Pantheon portico.
Suddenly, the illumination cycle of each coffer inexplicably , from single coffers, holographic representations of the symbols normally found on a Star Gate began to appear. As an audible chime sounded, these individual symbols extended several yards away from the coffer of their origin, before retreating. As each went through this process, they symbols shown remained in view. A total of nine went through this cycle, while the bottom rim of the rotunda doom, seventy feet above the rotunda floor, began to glow.
"Everybody back!" Daniel yelled, before realizing he was the only one who had not yet taken cover.
Throughout the Pantheon, a deep rumble could be felt. Daniel suspected what would happen next, but remained unsure. A flash of energy, from the domes glowing rim, illuminated the interior of the rotunda. From this rim, filling the emptiness of the dome, the familiar sight of an unstable vortex flashed into existence. Those inside the rotunda watched in awe, as a sight identical to a gate connection appeared in this ancient religious structure, seventy feet above the ground. Swirling, like a pool of water being pulled downwards, the unstable vortex developed a trailing form, which rose through the oculus. A handful of seconds later, the unstable vortex settled into a shimmering event horizon.
"Where does it lead?" Aulus Scribonius asked excitedly.
"I don't know, but we are going to find out." Daniel replied exuberantly.
"If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark." Monsignor Van Buskirk quoted.
"Does that mean you are coming?" Daniel asked hopefully.
"I am the keeper of secrets, not the one who discovers those secrets. My place is here." Van Buskirk pointed out.
Unafraid of where this shimmering event horizon above them might lead, both Aulus and Daniel strode to the center of the rotunda floor. Between them and the event horizon, the object that had made all of this possible floated motionless in the air. Beneath the feet of both men, the marble flooring upon which they stood took on a slight glow.
Slowly, both men were lifted from their feet. Bodily, by unseen forces, both began to rise towards the event horizon above. Aulus, not fond of heights, commanded himself to not look down, at the floor growing ever farther beneath by the second. What came next, Aulus found particularly unsettling. Both he and Daniel, while continuing their rise, found themselves reoriented, so that they were horizontal, while still facing the event horizon. Closing his eyes, the Flamine Portunes felt the tactile sensation of his face coming in direct contact with the shimmering event horizon. A second later, he and Daniel vanished.
Seconds later, though it seemed instantaneous to the travelers, both Daniel Jackson and Aulus Scribonius were returned to material form, on a planetoid many thousands of light-years from Earth. On their feet, both men emerged from the event horizon. Around them, very little could be seen, due to the lack of any light source other than the gate. Light shimmered on surfaces in the distance, but neither man was able to discern what these surfaces were.
"Daniel, are you in good health?" Aulus asked quietly.
"I'm good." Daniel answered simply.
Before either man could utter another word, a hellishly bright light appeared above them. This light source, illuminated both, while holding them firmly in position. From elsewhere, other sources of light washed over the two men, scanning and then analyzing their genetic makeup. Determining that these two newly arrived travelers were indeed members of the race this facility was intended for, the force holding them in place relented.
Soft lighting, from sources unseen, activated. No longer was this facility cloaked in darkness. Turning around, both men laid their eyes on the gate behind them. This gate, unlike any others seen before, lacked the normal markings associated with a Star Gate.
"I think it is safe to say we are off the established gate network." Daniel mused.
"How can you be so sure?" Aulus asked.
"When the Pantheon was dialing, I saw a nine symbol address. Those are few, and far between. So yeah, I'm pretty sure." Daniel responded.
In the distance, other sources of light engaged. In total, five towering corridors could be seen. These corridors, running far into the distance, seemed endless. Each corridor, extending away from the central point where both men now stood, was constructed of a dark polished stone. These corridors, while endless, were also composed of four levels per side. Feet in front of both men, a hologram appeared. This hologram, modeled after a subject known well to both men; Janus.
"Welcome to your birthright." The hologram said in greeting.
"Birthright? Daniel, what is this place?" Aulus asked in confusion.
"This place, as you call it, is the Clava Thessara Infinitas." A voice behind both men announced.
Turning on their heels, both men took in the sight of Janus. There, with his customary smirk, the ascended Ancient stood. Daniel, looking away, confirmed that this vision of Janus was not the hologram of his likeness, but in fact the real being.
"This looks more like a library of sorts." Daniel stated.
"It is. After all, is knowledge not an infinite treasure?" Janus asked jovially.
"It is my understanding that Earth already has the sum total of Ancient knowledge in their possession." Aulus countered.
"Yes, they do, but this is something far different. Let me show you." Janus suggested.
Strolling down the center corridor, with Daniel and Aulus in tow, Janus began his tour. Pointing to areas on the bottom level of this corridor, Janus explained that each area contained different things. Some contained information centers filled with data displays, while in others, volumes of written text, or artwork could be found.
"This is the repository of knowledge, art, and culture for every race the Ancient's encountered, and some we did not, before their time in the universe came to an end. Doctor Jackson, you are an Egyptologist, are you not?" Janus asked.
"You are aware I am." Jackson pointed out.
"In another corridor, the contents of the Great Library of Alexandria sit. I made it a point to rescue its contents before it burned." Janus stated.
"That knowledge did not come from a civilization who's time in the universe was at an end." Jackson argued.
"Preservation of knowledge is the burden of an enlightened civilization. Before I ascended, I made it my purpose to rescue knowledge that could have been lost. The ascended prevented me from saving many of thee races from their demise, but through this repository, I managed to preserve their essence. The time jumper your people recovered in your galaxy assisted me in that purpose. Some of the information contained here will greatly benefit both of your worlds, while the remainder will show you another perspective that may encourage new fields of study. This is for both of your worlds. For so long, I waited for the repository to be discovered. Patience isn't my strong suit, so I decided to nudge you in the right direction." Janus said apologetically.
"It will take generations for our worlds to study all that is here." Daniel said, more to himself than to anyone in particular.
"How do we get home?" Aulus asked nervously.
"This facility is on the gate network, though it might seem not to be. You can leave at any time, but I suggest you take the nine digit address of this facility with you when you go. The gate you exited upon your arrival is also capable of dialing out. Before you consider leaving, let me show you some of what is here." Janus invited.
In coming generations, the combined academic might of both human worlds would study closely all held within the repository. Working together, the people of Alba Longa and Earth, together, would make use of the knowledge gathered from multiple galaxies, in the hope of building a better world. Truly, this gift was an infinite treasure.
Galar
Protected Planet
Milky Way Galaxy
For fifteen centuries, the world of Galar had thrived. Liberated from Goa'uld rule long ago, the Asgard, and later the humans of Earth, had guaranteed the safety of this member world of the Protected Planets Treaty. Safeguarded from external threat by two very powerful civilizations, Galar represented the third largest economy in the Milky Way galaxy. This economic might, outmatched only by Hebridan and Earth, was parlayed into Galar becoming a trading nexus within the galaxy. The belief that this idyllic existence would last forever was one held by most. Today, a reckoning would leave that belief forever shattered.
Through hyperspace, a lone vessel approached. Due to Galar's status as a major trade center, this vessel attracted scant attention. Day in and day out, dozens of hyperspace capable cargo vessels arrived in the Galaran solar system. This fact, more than any other, allowed the approaching vessel to reach it's destination unhindered.
Deeper in the solar system, distant from the gas giant Galar orbited, a hyperspace window opened. From this rift in the fabric of space, an Al'kesh emerged. Courtesy of it's sub-light drive, the Goa'uld designed attack craft continued towards the solar system's star. This Al'kesh, over several weeks, had crossed vast distances in the build up to today's final event. Here, this vessel's long voyage would end.
His course set, Worrel lifted himself from his craft's pilot's seat. Perspiration clung to his brow, causing damp hair to cling to his forehead. Feeling a tremor in his right hand, Worrel shifted his gaze towards the hand atop the pilot's seat. These tremors were not nervous jitters, but the result of the large amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Today, this day, he would carry out the task assigned to him by Kefflin.
In the buildup to the moment, Worrel had laid the groundwork for the overall plan. Taking this Al'kesh, built specifically for the task, the Lucian Alliance soldier had collected three Milky Way model Star Gates, set aside for the task, and brought them aboard the Goa'uld designed craft. These gates were no longer the bog standard examples of Ancient technology. Using technology available to the Lucian Alliance, along with programing knowledge gleaned from an outpost once belonging to Ba'al, these gates had been modified. Outwardly, the most obvious change were the metallic boxes added to the exterior curve of each gate. The single largest change though, was found in the programming contained within. This software change would allow for these gates to be activated together, with a single dial-in, in close proximity to each other.
His first stop, during his preparations for today's events, took him to the region of space that once held the Jaffa controlled world of Kallana. No longer in existence, Kallana had been a planet at the forefront of the Ori invasion of the Milky Way galaxy. First, a Prior had tried in vain, to convert the Jaffa inhabitants to the teachings of Origin. When that failed, the Prior erected an energy field around the planet, which drew energy from any assault upon it. After a time, this field constricted, compressing Kallana into a singularity, meant to power the Super Gate segments that arrived in individual modules through Kallana's gate. Due to the efforts of Vala Mal Doran, the Ori's first attempt to establish a beachhead in the Milky Way failed, though the singularity Kallana had become remained.
At a distance of one quarter solar unit from the singularity's accretion disk, Worrel, his craft, and his cargo laid the foundation for Kefflin's failsafe. In the cargo bay of the Al'kesh, Worrel, using notes taken during his conversation with Kefflin, followed the steps given to him. Worrel, as a soldier of the Lucian Alliance, was a capable soldier and narcotics dealer. One thing Worrel was not, was an astute taker of notes, with an eye for fine detail. This simple fact would save the lives of billions, and an entire world. To this single point of failure, Worrel was oblivious, as he preformed the final activation of systems needed. Releasing both of these gates, programed to drift in a formation with the gate nearest the singularity facing the gate behind it, with the rear gate facing the singularity, Worrel considered the foundation laid.
Returning to the here and now, Worrel once again found himself in the Al'kesh cargo bay, looking upon the gate he would soon unleash near Galar's sun. This gate, also fitted with external boxes, and small thrusters, was most important part of this plan. This gate would dial one of the others, laying outside of the Kallana singularity, while prompting the second singularity gate to dial another address. Stepping to a control panel, Worrel input his commands. In response, two outwardly opening doors on the bottom of the Al'kesh opened, leaving only an energy shield separating space from the crafts interior. Mechanical arms lowered the gate through this shielding, and released it into space itself.
As the gate emerged into space, outside of the Al'kesh's hull, automatic systems built into the gate engaged. Several of the small metallic boxes, added to the gate, activated. These now active modules formed a protective energy screen around the gate bodily, while leaving the gate's opening unprotected. Other modules, also affixed to the gate, also activated. These modules contained low powered drive's, which propelled the gate towards Galar's sun.
Canadian Forces Base North Bay
Earth
Milky Way Galaxy
Six hundred feet below ground level, in a complex known to those who served within it as 'The Hole', members of the Canadian and American militaries stood watch over sections of space across the galaxy deemed vital to Earth. Much like the well known facility of Cheyenne Mountain in the United States, and Mount Yamantau in Russia,'The Hole' was tasked with watching over airspace, and space itself, from a vantage point far underground. This facility, like its opposites, was the first line of defense for Earth, its colony worlds, and the worlds belonging to the Protected Planets Treaty.
Seated in the operations theater, the overnight shift of 'The Hole' went about their duties. These graveyard shifts were always the hardest, and wreaked havoc on the personal lives of those assigned this shift. It was often joked, that those who served the graveyard shift in this facility were some of the most educated, due to having ample amounts of time to study, or work on correspondence courses.
Major Bob Knight, USAF, sat at his workstation in the operations theater. Having grown tired of endless cups of coffee, the Major turned to the bottle of grapefruit juice before him. Bob hated grapefruit juice, but it was either that, or an ulcer from his tenth cup of coffee of the evening. Honestly, Major Knight hated his duties here. He had joined the Air Force to fly, but that dream had died upon learning of an inner ear problem. So, Knight's career had taken a different path, leading him here. While he hated his duties here, Bob was thankful for the bountiful amounts of free time his duties afforded him, which he spent putting together his curriculum vitae, for use upon transitioning to the civilian sector.
An audible chime, from the workstation before him, earned Major Knight's full attention. Keying in a few commands, he brought up the event update announced by the chime. Scrolling through the screen, Knight quickly scanned the information before him. This information, transmitted through subspace from the sensor equipped platforms in the Galar solar system, made clear an unexpected event had taken place. Tapping a button, Knight summoned the watch officer to his workstation. In response, Colonel Melissa Pelletier, Royal Canadian Air Force, made her way to Knight.
"Need something Major?" Colonel Pelletier asked.
"Sensors are showing an unknown arrival in the Galar solar system, Ma'am." Knight began.
"Probably a cargo vessel. Traffic is always heavy in that solar system, and it is daytime on Galar." Pelletier said dismissively.
"Ma'am, I respectfully disagree. The vessel exited hyperspace well away from Galar, and is currently sitting near the system's sun." Knight countered.
"Access the video stream of the defense satellites, and put it on the main screen." Pelletier ordered.
On large screens at the front of the operations theater, a video stream could be seen. This stream, transmitted from video systems aboard Ancient defense satellites throughout the solar system, provided live footage of events in the galaxy. Zooming in, the video stream showed a single Al'kesh, sitting in close proximity to Galar's sun. Watching this for a moment, Colonel Pelletier input a series of commands into Knight's workstation. This command opened a communications channel, relayed through the monitoring defense satellite.
"Unknown Al'kesh, you have entered restricted space. Identify yourself, and state your intentions." Pelletier ordered into her headset.
For several moments, no response came. Frustrated by this, Colonel Pelletier repeated herself. This second message brought no response. Turning on her heels, Pelletier quickly made her way to the watch officer's desk, and raised the Gold Phone. Checking her watch, she knew that the time dictated that her call would be directed to the National Military Command Center, buried within the Pentagon.
"Capstone." Colonel Louis Ferretti, NMCC watch office announced.
"Capstone, this is Ice Flow." Pelletier replied.
"Go." Ferretti ordered.
"We show unauthorized arrival in the Galar system. Craft is identified as an Al'kesh, and that is visually confirmed. Craft is unresponsive to repeated contact attempts." Pelletier stated.
"Is the vessel approaching Galar?" Ferretti asked.
"Negative. At this time, the Al'kesh is maintaining station near the system's sun." Pelletier answered.
Watching the screen closely, Pelletier saw movement. Quickly, she ordered Major Knight to magnify the image, in an attempt to get a better look at what she was seeing. The images on the screen before her were ones she didn't fully understand. This was something she knew she should report, and quickly did so.
"Capstone, we are seeing movement. The Al'kesh is maintaining position, but has ejected what appears to be a Star Gate. That gate has been dialed, and is currently active. The gate appears to be moving towards the sun." Pelletier explained.
Hearing this, Ferretti felt an icy ball form in the pit of his stomach. All of this sounded so familiar, and a second later, Ferretti knew why. As the color drained from his face, he broke established protocol, and gave a direct order to Ice Flow directly; bypassing the established procedural chain of command.
"Ice Flow, go weapons active. Target the gate. Do it now!" Ferretti commanded hoarsely.
"Capstone, say again?" Pelletier asked in confusion.
"Destroy the gate, or that solar system is dead!" Ferretti thundered.
"Understood." Colonel Pelletier replied, into a line gone dead.
In that moment, Colonel Melissa Pelletier's quiet existence was shattered. Her mouth parched, as her palms began to sweat. The fate of an entire civilization hinged on her actions over the next few moments, and that was not something Pelletier relished.
"Major, bring the defense satellites fully online. Return secondary defense satellites to phase. Target the Star Gate with all batteries. Commence fire when ready." Pelletier ordered.
"Ma'am?" Knight asked in shock and confusion.
"Fire on the Star Gate! Do it!" Pelletier yelled.
Turning her attention elsewhere in the operations theater, Pelletier searched for the individual she needed. Seeing him, she motioned the young Captain to her.
"What ships do we have nearby?" Pelletier demanded.
"The closest vessels to Galar are USS Crossbow, and HMS Morning Star. They are currently on a training mission. At maximum speed, they can reach the system in eighteen minutes." The Captain responded.
"Get them moving now, on my authority. Also send word to the Asgard." Pelletier ordered.
Lagrange Points
Galaran Solar System
Milky Way Galaxy
Each solar system containing a Protected Planet, was equipped with Ancient designed and Earth modified defense satellites. Those visible were enhanced by others, stored out of phase, and out of sight. Though incredibly powerful, and built around technology far more advanced than that of many civilizations in multiple galaxies, these satellites were the wrong tool, for the wrong job. These satellites, initially designed to protect Atlantis from the oncoming scourge of the Wraith fleet, were meant to defend against targets approaching a fixed position. Admittedly, they could engage distant targets, but that task was one they were not optimized to perform.
At Lagrange points, scattered throughout the solar system, these satellites sat. Powering weapons, on command from Earth, the defense satellite network communicated the intentions of all satellites to each other. A green glow appeared at the beam emitter of each satellite, as weapons powered. Reaching maximum charge, each unleashed a hellishly destructive beam of energy towards its target. Simple time and distance posed the largest challenge for this satellite network.
Racing towards their targets, at the speed of light, these beams crossed vast distances in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the distances involved were great. Even at the speed of light, the nearest satellites volley would require four minutes to cross the gulf to its target, while the furthest discharge would require more than ten minutes. This unfortunate turn of events made effective targeting not just problematic, but nearly impossible. This was before compounding the problem, should the target not remain stationary, and instead opt to maneuver away from the oncoming beams. Crossing the distances involved, these beams would diminish in intensity, and destructive power. Those fired from the nearest satellites, would reach their target with a quarter of their initial strength. Beams originating from the furthest of defense satellites simply would not reach the target in a form that could destroy even a shielded target.
As the volley of beams raced across the solar system, events were unfolding closer to the system's sun. A wormhole established to the gate closing on the sun was already having effects. Dialed in to one of the two gates near the Kallana singularity, intense gravitational forces from this singularity were already stripping Galar's sun of material. A golden rive of solar material was being pulled towards the closing gate.
Many lightyears distant, this torn away solar mass was streaming through the active gate facing the Kallana singularity. This is where Worrel's mistakes, made by following incomplete notes, manifested. The second gate, facing away from the singularity, had been meant to dial out, to Hebridan's Star Gate. Worrel's error made this sequence of events impossible. Instead of ingesting the solar matter being pulled towards the singularity, before ejecting this onto Hebridan, thereby leading to an incineration of Hebridan's capital city, this solar material passed through and around the inactive second gate.
Worrel, sitting at the controls of his Al'kesh, took note of the sensor readings informing him of incoming weapons fire. These same systems calculated the closest point of approach for each oncoming beam, allowing Worrel to easily sidestep the fearsome weapons fire. His main concern was for the active gate, but he was powerless to do anything more for the gate than he had already done.
Sitting in his pilot's seat, Worrel broke into a smile. Unaware of the second gate's failure to dial out, he believed everything was well in hand. Here he sat, delivering action upon a system the Tau'ri held dear, and they were powerless to stop him. What action he was delivering, he was unsure. Kefflin had assured him, that by performing these actions, he would bring back the Lucian Alliance. Kefflin had also made a point to explain, that for the plan to work, Worrel must remain near the sun, while assuring him that no harm would come to him. Promised the post of Second, Worrel was already counting his rewards, sure nothing could prevent his success. Sadly, he was clueless to the fact that Kefflin had long ago deemed Worrel an idiot, and was more than willing to trade Worrel's life for the opportunity to harm Earth one last time.
Through his view screen, Worrel watched as several long streams of energy weapons fire reached out towards the active gate. The first beam missed wide. Defying the odds, the second impacted the shielded gate, imparting an end over end spin. Had the beam not lost a majority of its lethal energy while crossing the gulf to its target, it would have destroyed the gate with ease. Seconds later, the gate, as it devoured solar material, slipped into the sun's surface, and fell out of sight. Under assault by heat, intense pressures, and a host of other forces, the gate gorged itself on the sun's body. All that protected the gate, was the relatively low power shield.
Through the wormhole, thousands of tons of solar material vanished per second. Drawn deeper into the sun, towards the dense core, the gate plunged. As it did, material that would have sustained the sun for eons was transported to a distant corner of the Milky Way. Galar's sun, not yet dead, was dying. As further material was transported away, an irreparable series of events would be set in motion.
Eighty-five thousand miles from Galar, the duo of Tau'ri warships, USS Crossbow and HMS Morning Star exited hyperspace. Pushing their hyperdrives to the fullest, both vessels had surprisingly beat the eighteen minute estimated time of travel by three full minutes. Powering weapons, while shields were raised, both vessels prepared to defend the Protected Planet of Galar by force. On the bridge of Crossbow, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Marks quickly tried to ascertain the full scope of the situation he and his crew faced.
"Tell me what the Al'kesh is doing." Marks ordered.
"Just sitting there sir. No weapons fire at all. I am getting some strange readings from the star though, sir." The sensor officer responded.
"Define strange." Marks pressed.
"The picture is a bit muddled, but I'm getting sporadic readings similar to an active gate, within the star. The star itself is nearing core collapse. Sir, if the core collapses, it's going supernova, and we can't stop that." The sensor officer responded.
Thinking for a moment,it donned on Lieutenant Colonel Marks just what was happening. Like all members of Earth's off world personnel, Marks had thoroughly reviewed each and every mission report filed by SG teams before disclosure. Dredging up a specific mission report from memory, Marks recalled how then Lieutenant Colonel Carter had used an active gate to cause the planet of Vorash's sun to go supernova, in the hopes of destroying the fleet of Apophis. Someone was using Earth's very own playbook against them, and Marks was aware of just how effective that playbook could be.
"Communications, send word to the Galaran government to commence a mass evacuation. They need to put people on cargo ships, or through the gate. We don't know how much time they have left, but it could be a matter of minutes. Also, signal Morning Star that this is no longer a military intervention, but an evacuation. How many evacuees can we take onboard?" Marks asked, ending his order with a question aimed at his ship's systems officer.
"Not enough sir." The systems officer responded.
"Coordinate with Morning Star, and start mass beaming people into the transport buffer. It isn't perfect, but its all we've got." Marks conceded.
"Sir, what about the Al'kesh?" Crossbow's tactical action officer inquired.
"Leave it. If it tries anything, the defense satellite array will take care of things. If it stays put, then the supernova will handle things for us. Lets move people!" Marks ordered.
Deep in the heart of the solar system, Worrel sat at the controls of his ship, taking note of the arrival of two Tau'ri warships. Detecting no movement, or attempts to cloak their presence, Worrel could not help but celebrate. Despite their military and technological might, even they were aware of just how powerless they were to stop him. Unsettling sensor readings on the nearby sun worried Worrel to a degree, but he trusted Kefflin's assurance that the coming event would bring no harm to Worrel. Breathing a sigh of relief, Worrel tried to push the unsettling sensor readings out of his mind. That attempt would be Worrel's last action in life.
At that moment, the writhing mass of a sun fighting in vain for its continued existence erupted. Due to the massive fluctuations in the sun's magnetic fields, a fearsome number of coronal mass ejections discharged. As the star continued to loss mass at an incredible rate, it had already reached the point of helium flash, and had begun fusing elements much heavier than helium. From the sun raced a coronal mass discharge, composed of electrons, protons, and elements ranging from oxygen and iron, to elements far heavier by atomic weight. This plasma discharge, traveling at thousands of kilometers per second, and heated to over ten million degrees kelvin, impacted the nearby Al'kesh. The craft and its sole occupant were consumed in fractions of a second. Worrel met his end, believing he had succeeded.
Deep inside Galar's star, the core temperature climbed rapidly, reaching one hundred billion degree's kelvin, many thousands of time the core's normal temperature. Neutrino and anti-neutrino pairs formed, as a fraction of the sun's total mass converted to neutrinos in a flash. In all directions, a pulse of neutrinos, followed by a lethal blast of radiation surged forward, towards all corners of the solar system. Oxygen and heavy elements began to fuse, as the core fully collapsed, resulting in the star going supernova. This event unleashed fully one third of the sun's remaining mass, in a wave accompanied by high levels of gamma radiation. This wave, traveling at the speed of light, would reach Galar in nine minutes. This solar system, billions of years old, had but a few moments left.
Two hundred thousand miles from Galar, a hyperspace window opened amidst a series of departures of vessels fleeing the doomed world. Aboard the Asgard O'Neill Class vessel Naglfar, the ship's commander took note of the lack of evacuees aboard many of the departing vessels. Sensors also showed panicking crowds in Galar's capital city, fighting their way towards the now active Star Gate. Powering towards Galar, the vessel's sensors detected the Tau'ri effort to beam as many away as possible to safety.
"Greetings. I am Hrym, commander of the Naglfar. I have detected your actions, and will do the do not have much time." Hrym stated.
Sitting on the bridge, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Marks fought back the rage he felt. By arriving when he did, Marks felt that he had failed the people of Galar. He wore the uniform, to prevent events like these. Pushing those thoughts aside, he tried to concentrate on things he had power over.
"How many do we have in our transport buffer?" Marks asked aloud.
"Sixty-five thousand, sir. The buffer can't hold much more than a handful more. Morning Star reports her buffer is maxed." A systems officer responded.
Hearing these words, Marks felt a surge of emotion, ranging from anger to sorrow. Here he was, with an incredibly advanced ship, and he was powerless to do more than he already had. Sixty-five thousand was a figurative drop in the bucket, when judged by the total population of Galar. He could not simply leave hundreds of millions to await their fast approaching death.
"Tau'ri vessels, your transport buffers can hold no more. I am reconfiguring my buffers now. Depart now, and save those under your care. I will remain, and save those I can. Go now." Hyrm urged.
"We can't do that." Marks argued.
"Your objections are noted, but you can offer no more assistance. Go now." Hyrm said sternly.
Fighting back tears of bitter rage, Kevin Marks complied with the Asgard request, as did the commanding officer of Morning Star. Their pattern buffers full, they could do no more. Giving the order to make best possible speed for Shambhala, both Tau'ri vessels departed Galar for the last time.
On the bridge of Naglfar, Hrym worked multitasked with amazing speed. On one data screen, he followed the oncoming progress of the lethal supernova's effects. Timing was paramount, and would come down to the second. Networking all data storage aboard Naglfar, Hyrm managed to greatly increase the total number of those he could deliver to safety, though the process consumed several precious minutes of time he could ill afford to spare.
Using wide spectrum sensors, Hrym locked Naglfar's transport beaming system onto humans young, old, healthy, and infirm. All that could be saved, would be saved. Hrym's intellect told him that the pattern storage space he had available would allow four hundred thousand souls to be saved. To avoid overloading systems not designed for the current task, the Asgard commander avoided performing a mass beaming of all four hundred thousand at once. Instead, he instructed the transport beaming system to grab groups of one thousand at a time. This did little to help the time equation Hrym faced. Simply put; Hrym was running out of time.
In the distance, the lethal wave of radiation, solar material, and now destroyed planetary body matter raced closer. Consuming asteroids and planets alike, the destructive force devouring this solar system could not be stopped. In less than a minute, this wave would reach Galar, whether Hrym had departed or not. Checking the status of the beaming cycle running, Hrym realized that the chances of his death, and the four hundred thousand Galarans he could save was a very real possibility.
Three beaming cycles, composed of three thousand souls remained. Each beaming cycle As the beaming cycle had progressed, the pattern buffers had grown full of stored patterns. This led to a slowing of the process of storing each pattern. What should have been a two second process was now a four second process, doubling the time required to perform the event. Twelve seconds were needed to complete the three final beaming cycles, but the wave would wash over Galar in twenty one seconds. Hrym doubted time would be left to allow for his departure.
An audible chime announced the completion of the programed beaming cycle. In the pattern buffers, four hundred thousand Galarans rested safe. Moving the control stone held in his hand, Hrym activated Naglfar's hyperdrive. As the hyperdrive came fully online, Naglfar accelerated away from Galar at emergency speed. Before the mighty Asgard vessel, a hyperspace window tore open the fabric of space, towards which Naglfar sped. As the vessel passed through the window into hyperspace, the destructive wave that had sprang forth from the supernova, washed over Galar, exterminating all life in a fraction of a second. This wave, propelled at incredible speed, caught and overcame the retreating Asgard vessel.
Entering the open hyperspace window, this destructive wave washed over Naglfar. Due to Asgard vessels being designed to devote all power to the hyperdrive, shields were unavailable to protect the vessel. Both curving spires that rose above Naglfar's hull were sheered away. Hull plating from areas across the hull failed, and were ripped away. Hrym, standing on the bridge, was thrown bodily, by the impact force the ship's inertial dampeners were unable to compensate for. Though badly damaged, and due to the marvel of Asgard engineering, Naglfar managed to fully escape into hyperspace, with her precious cargo safely ensconced in pattern buffers deep within the heart of the ship.
Finally, the last gasp of the Lucian Alliance had been heard. The repercussions of this event would resound, not only through the civilizations of the Asgard or Earth, but through civilizations spanning galaxies. On this day, the civilization of Earth would learn that though every battle can be won, the war can still be lost.