Storming the Gates of Heaven (Crossover)
Posted: 2004-08-18 11:25am
OK, you may ask yourself, is Stravo just a fucking headcase. Can he finish anything he starts? Yeah, well maybe so but this crossover story is slated for a quick end as it is only about 10-12 Chapters long *crosses fingers* and I needed to write this down because its been bugging me ever since the idea sparked in my head. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I don't want to give away the crossover until people read this opening chapter.
Storming the Gates of Heaven
Chapter 1: Tangled Allegiances
“You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment O’Neill.” Apophis hissed as he gripped the human’s chin and jerked his face towards the living god. O’Neill tried not to complain and instead fixed the dark skinned Goa'uld with a bemused expression.
“So, you’ve got us…again.” O’Neill replied and rolled his eyes.
Apophis’ smile was ice cold as he glanced over at the other members of the SG-1 team. Daniel Jackson was lying on his side, moaning softly, blood matting down the left side of his face and hair. One of Apophis’ Jaffa stood imperiously above the downed human, metallic helmet fully deployed as a cobra head, holding a fully charged staff weapon inches from Daniel’s head.
Sam was gingerly rubbing her broken ribs as she tried to remain standing but was swaying weakly. Vertigo would bring her crashing down to her feet soon. She did not know how she was still conscious. The Jaffa standing to her right was not taking any chances. Staff weapon was virtually nestled in her side. She could feel the heat of the charged plasma tickling her flesh.
How in the hell was Jack going to get them out of this she did not have a clue.
“And your Tok’Ra trash was dealt with appropriately.” Apophis added as he released his hold on Jack’s chin and rose from his throne. Two more Jaffa in fully deployed cobra helmets strode in and dumped the body of a young boy not much older than 16 on to the floor. Several large blackened blast marks were still smoking from his back. The smell of burnt flesh was strong and pungent in the small confines of the command deck.
“I guess your fearless warriors like to shoot boys in the back now. I can guess why the System lords are trembling about you these days.” Jack shot back acidly. He did not want to look at the body of the Tok’Ra agent Setesh. The boy had been eager to prove himself.
Unfortunately he proved too eager, stowing aboard the Goa'uld ship in order to help them.
It cost him his life and Jack did not like to think about how many had died at the hands of these snakes over the years.
“You are angry yes?” Apophis asked, his voice the usual dissonant hum of several voices at once. His eyes flashed white for a moment.
“God damn it yes I’m angry. There was no reason to kill him. You had us.”
“He was of no import, I assure you but your SG-1, ah, they are the true prize.”
The ship shook slightly and alarms were sounding in the bowels of the Goa'uld warship. Apophis looked more than annoyed as he was approached quickly by one of his personal Jaffa. Jack thought quickly what his next move had to be. Teal’c was out there somewhere, having avoided capture. That was his ace in the hole but Teal’c would need some help from their end to get this cluster fuck behind them.
“I was assured we had avoided their ships back at Betelgeuse.” Apophis hissed. The Jaffa began to explain himself.
Sam and Jack exchanged a quick glance.
Apophis held up a hand and the Jaffa instantly went silent.
“Prepare the jump to hyperspace. We will see how eager they are to engage us back in my hold fasts.”
“Yes my lord!” the Jaffa bowed deeply and vanished back to the command stations below.
“Problems?” Jack asked.
“Nothing that need concern you. You should be far more interested in what I have in store for you.”
“Let me guess. Torture, more torture and what’s underneath curtain number three? Why yes it is – more torture.”
“Where will your jibes and gaffes be once you are under my power O’Neill? Your screams, I wonder, will they be as loud as your friends’ once we begin?”
“Bite me.”
Apophis smirked.
The ship shuddered harder this time and Sam could hear tactical data being called out by the officers and crewmen below her. Whoever they were fighting was cornering them, multiple ships, heavy fire. Who the hell would tangle with the Goa’uld, especially a system lord? And more importantly win?
Apophis tried to look unmoved by the growing number of shudders and louder alarms. Instead he turned his head and stared at O’Neill.
“You humans are so predictable. Anything that even remotely threatens your pathetic backwater of a world brings you swarming like moths to the flame. It was a simple matter of letting these wretched To’kra know of my plans to launch a new battleship. What else would force SG-1’s hand than stopping me from ascending to power?”
Apophis nodded slowly as he looked from O’Neill to Sam and Daniel.
“It was I who allowed the Tok’Ra to discover the secret location of my shipyards. My finest legion of Jaffa waited for you on the surface and I assure you that we were always quite safe from your pitiful little band.”
Jack said nothing but he was kicking himself all along. Where the hell was Teal’c?
“We are ready for hyperspace my lord.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Apophis snapped angrily.
“You know it occurs to me Apophis.” Jack began. The Goa’uld regarded him with a bemused expression, akin to the attention one gives to a slow child. “That you’re so called brilliant plan took you all these years to come up with. I mean if we were so damned predictable, doesn’t that say something that you took all this time to come up with it. Sort of speaks to your own advanced intelligence don’t it?”
Apophis’ face darkened and his eyes flashed white.
“You are not long for this world human. And from now on it will only be a life of pain.” Apophis snarled and he held up his right hand. Jack’ eyes widened as the palm blaster flashed to life and sent him sprawling backwards over a railing.
“Colonel!” Sam exclaimed but the Jaffa prodded her injured ribs with his staff weapon.
“My lord the hyperdrive has been sabotaged!”
Apophis stopped short.
“The traitor.” Apophis breathed. His face snapped up to pin his first Jaffa with a fiery gaze.
“I told you to find the traitor Teal’c! Bring him to me now or do not bother to return at all!” Apophis roared.
His first dropped his head in a stark salute and motioned for the nearest Jaffa around him to follow him. As he started to stride out the ship shuddered hard to the left and lights winked out all around the command center.
A stranger alarm, one that Sam had not heard before began to warble.
“The ship is being boarded.” Daniel muttered in a half daze.
Samantha bent down to examine Daniel.
“Are you alright?”
“Uh…no.” Daniel replied and tried to get up but his head threatened to explode so he groaned and slumped back down to the floor.
“Daniel are you sure?”
“My lord.” Apophis’ first asked uncertainly. Apophis brought his cape around his body like a shield.
“We depart the ship immediately. Use the warship as a distraction. Have all the Jaffa but my personal guard fight the intruders to the death. My personal guard is to accompany me to the escape ship. While the enemy is occupied with taking the ship we will escape in the confusion.”
“Yes my lord.”
“And we shall bring SG-1 with us. They will not be saved by these unfortunate events.”
“We are being boarded.” Sam breathed. “But who could be doing this?”
“Another System lord?” Daniel offered bleakly. The pain in his head was throbbing and his thoughts were still a jumble.
Sam didn’t think so. Apophis seemed to know who they were but was not identifying them. She was roughly pulled off her knees by her Jaffa guard and shoved with the point of his staff weapon forward.
She looked back and saw Jack groaning as he was pulled to his feet by two Jaffa and carried bodily, each Jaffa holding an arm. Daniel was hefted up by his Jaffa guard and prodded to walk. Daniel nearly fell forward, his senses refusing to tell him which way is up and down. Sam immediately grabbed a firm hold of Daniel’s arm and helped steady him.
Daniel looked at Sam and smiled weakly.
“I think I may be a bit concussed.” He said wanly.
“Just hold on Daniel.” She leaned in closer to his ear. “Teal’c is obviously working hard to get us out of this.” She whispered.
“Now we leave. All command stations rig this vessel for self destruct I will not have them take my ship as a prize.”
“Yes my lord.”
Apophis took one last look around his command center and strode out followed closely and quickly by his personal guard. Sam managed to glance back out the view port and caught sight of one of the attacking vessels. It was long and elegant, unlike any she had seen before. There was a hint of organic lines to the vessel’s hull, long tentacle like appendages swept forward from a bowl like main body.
It swept right by the view port and vanished with a speed and grace she had not seen even among Asgaurd ships.
“What are they?”
The Jaffa snarled something in Goa’uld and shoved her forward. They exited the command deck and marched out to the hangar decks below.
They walked quickly and Sam and Jack exchanged troubled glances. Sounds of battle were echoing throughout the corridors a mix of staff and zat guns followed by a strange cacophony of weapons fire they never heard before.
“They don’t sound like Goa’uld weapons.” Jack noted as he glanced around them. The sounds were drawing closer and Apophis was picking up the pace in response. A Jaffa rounded the corner in fully deployed cobra head helmet. Apophis slowed.
The Jaffa spoke.
“My lord, the enemy has blocked off this access way, we must find another way.”
Apophis’ eyes narrowed on the Jaffa.
“Identify yourself!”
“I am freedom tyrant!” The Jaffa shouted and fired off several blasts from his staff weapon. Two of the Jaffa flanking Apophis were struck and fell streaming sparks and smoke from their ruined armor.
“It’s the traitor! Kill him!”
Jack smiled and exclaimed “You hear that Captain? Teal’c is playing our song!” Jack brought his elbow up into the throat of the nearest Jaffa and he doubled over gasping for breath. Jack finished him with a double axe handled blow to the base of the neck sending the Jaffa down to the floor.
He scooped up a staff weapon as Sam whirled around and delivered a roundhouse kick into the Jaffa training his weapon on her but regretted the pain that tore through her side at the sudden violent motion. She cried out in pain but the Jaffa was stunned long enough for her to deliver a staggering open handed uppercut to the Jaffa’s chin. His jaw clicked shut loudly and his head jerked back into the back wall.
She stripped him of his staff weapon.
A Jaffa swung his staff weapon towards Sam’s head and she could hear the charge humming and knew she was going to be a beat too slow to react. Daniel draped himself across the Jaffa’s torso and the stunned guard spat a curse in Goa’uld and smacked Daniel down and away from him.
The attack distracted the Jaffa long enough for Sam to smack one end of her staff weapon across the warrior’s nose.
“Armor yourselves fools!” Apophis snarled and watched Teal’c jump back around the corner for cover.
The remaining Jaffa reached for their armor controls and the cobra helmets surrounded their heads on loud clacking segmented strips of metal. The eyes on the cobra helms glowed dangerously.
Jack took this opportunity to grab Daniel by his shoulder and lead Sam backwards down the corridor. Half the Jaffa turned to follow while the other half surrounded Apophis.
Teal’c snaked his staff weapon around the corner and fired another volley blindly at the gathered Jaffa. The blast exploded overhead and showered them with shrapnel.
Jack huffed as he helped Daniel walk while he aimed his staff weapon as best he could with one arm and fired off a volley to keep the pursuing Jaffa’s heads down. Sam glanced back to check their route of escape and her eyes widened.
“Colonel! We have company.”
“What?”
A shot whizzed right by Jack’s ear.
“Whoa!” Jack started to turn quickly to face his new attackers when something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head.
“If you value your life Jaffa you will drop your weapon now.” The voice was cold and determined.
“Hold on, I’m not a ---”
The cold weapon pressed against his head emitted an electronic click and he heard a power up sequence.
“I will not repeat myself again.” Jack did not doubt the intention of his attacker. He instantly dropped his staff weapon and raised his hands above his head.
He suddenly saw a phalanx of humanoids in black armor advancing past him holding black pikes. Two immediately knelt down as they came under fire from Apophis’ Jaffa and the ends of the pikes they aimed flared up bright crimson.
“What are these guys, anti-Jaffa?” Jack asked.
“Anti-Jaffa?!” Sam replied dryly.
The weapon against his head prodded him hard once.
“Be quiet.”
Jack shook his head.
One of Apophis’ Jaffa was struck by the fire from the black clad boarders. The Jaffa screamed and fell back, his breast plate blow out by the impact of the blast. Apophis looked livid as the corridor was rapidly filling with the black armored intruders.
“Jaffa fight on for the god!” Apophis’ first cried out holding his staff weapon up over his head. The Jaffa shouted in unison and started firing a murderous fusillade from their staff weapons. Several of the black armored intruders were struck by the blasts. They fell back or were thrown against the wall and lay still.
The Jaffa noticing how close the black armored intruders had gotten abandoned their fire and suddenly began attacking using their staffs as melee weapons. The black armored warriors enthusiastically returned the favor using their black metal pikes.
That’s when Jack noticed who he assumed was the leader.
One of the black armored warriors, taller and broader than the rest with a black helmet waded into the Jaffa, his pike swinging about expertly blocking the Jaffa staffs and striking in rapid ripostes that drove the Jaffa back or to the ground as he approached Apophis.
“You know what I want Apophis. Where did they go!”
Apophis sneered at the approaching warrior and raised his palm blaster.
“You will never know. For despoiling my vessel you face the ultimate penalty fool!”
The black armored warrior paused and swung his pike around into a guard position.
“Bring it.”
“I like this guy already.” O’Neill commented.
“Would you shut up.” The weapon prodded the back of Jack’s head again.
“Do you mind?” Jack complained.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I do.” The weapon stopped pressing against his head and a hand forced him down to his knees. Jack looked down at the hand. Human. Definitely human but there was an oddity on the side of his forearms, they looked like spikes.
Apophis was suddenly surrounded by a series of iron rings that descended around him out of thin air.
“Stop him before he gets away!” Jack shouted.
It was too late. With a smile on his face, Apophis vanished as the rings rose up as quickly as they descended and vanished in a flash of light.
“Damnit! Where are they Apophis!” The black armored leader snapped and pulled off his helmet in frustration. His long golden hair was matted down to the back of his head with sweat as he whirled around to check his surroundings. The Jaffa were dead or unconscious.
“Are we clear?” He asked his men.
Suddenly Teal’c was pushed forward, prodded by a weapon in his back. He had his armored cobra helmet down and blood was drying along the edge of his lip, a bruise slowly puffing up an eye. His attacker was behind him with a weapon.
“Now we’re clear.” Teal’c’s attacker stated coolly as he flicked some of his long black dreadlocks over his shoulder.
“Good work, Tyre. Now let’s see what we have here.”
“They don’t look like Jaffa to me. And this one has an issue keeping his mouth shut.” Jack’s guard stated as he stepped around Jack while two other armored warriors helped him back up to his feet and quickly checked him for weapons.
“Rhade we need to find out quickly what these people know. We can’t lose Apophis now.”
“Captain, I have linked with the ship’s main frame. Apophis was very clever in deleting all navigational references but I believe I may have found some data fragments that I could use to rebuild several destinations that the vessel visited in the last several days.” A young human announced as he quickly walked into the corridor. He looked far too young and gentle to be hanging with these folks.
Jack wondered what his deal was.
“Good work Gabriel.”
“Sir the Balance wants to make the jump to slipstream right away and try and back track the last known coordinates of this vessel.”
The blonde haired Captain smiled softly and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder.
“I’m well aware that you and the Balance of Judgment want to make up for what you think your predecessor did wrong but no one holds what the previous ship’s AI did against you. I was the one who wanted our first new Siege Perilous class cruiser to be named after the Balance because I want the Restored Argosy fleet to remember that ship for what she stood for and not for hw she ended up.”
Gabriel frowned.
“I’m sorry sir. The Balance and I are simply eager to make our mark and erase the wrongs of the past. We are always ready to be the point of the spear in this operation. No risk is too great.”
“Well, I have a feeling that risk will certainly be the watchword in these coming days.” The Captain replied wearily. Jack guessed he had seen quite a bit of action.
“Sir we have a wounded man.” One of the black clad warriors reported as he inspected Daniel.
“Get medical down here on the double.” He looked over at Jack, Sam and Teal’c with a critical eye.
“Is it me, or does he look like some kind of Greek god?” Samantha asked.
“Uh, do you mind keeping those dirty thoughts to yourself and mind on the mission.” Jack asked sharply.
“I didn’t mean…oh never mind.” She protested.
“I apologize O’Neill, they came upon me before I could see them.” Teal’c explained.
“Looks to me like you gave as good as you got.” Jack noted as several of the black clad warriors that came behind Teal’c were nursing wounds or limping. But dreadlocks was the one that Teal’c watched most intently. He did not wear the standard black armor or carried the black pikes. He wore a silver metal mesh shirt and black pants and carried what looked like some futuristic ray gun. He also had the same bone spikes on his forearms that Jack’s guard had.
“These men fought like Nietzscheans.” Tyre noted.
“We certainly took the casualties to prove it. Make sure the ship is secure and prepare to tow her out to our secure zone. The Goa’uld won’t be too happy to know we’ve struck this deep into their space and they will be out for blood for this.” The Captain ordered.
“If you like we’d be happy to open a dialogue.” Samantha offered.
The Captain’s eyes narrowed on them.
“And who might you be?”
“I’m Colonel Jack O’Neill representative of Earth. This is Captain Samantha Carter. The guy on the floor is Daniel Jackson and this is Teal’c.” Jack interrupted Samantha.
“They may not be Jaffa but he certainly is.” Rhade warned pointing his force lance at Teal’c.
“Earth?” the Captain asked in confusion.
“Yeah, you know it?”
“My name is Captain Dylan Hunt of the High Guard and while I may not have been born on Earth I know an Earther when I see one and you’re not exactly fitting the part. Those rank insignia are strange and you’re not Nietzschean slaves so I’ll voice my opinion that you’re probably lying.”
“Captain Hunt is it? Well I can assure you we’re from Earth, and while I don’t know what organization you represent we’re enemies of the Goa’uld just as much as you seem to be.”
“While claiming a Jaffa as an ally?” Rhade interjected.
“You just don’t like me because I talk too much but—”
“Wait. You’ve never heard of the High Guard?” Dylan pressed.
“No.”
He exchanged a curious glance with Rhade.
“And you’ve never heard of the Commonwealth?” Dylan continued.
“Or the restored Commonwealth?” Rhade added.
Jack looked at Samantha and Teal’c who shrugged.
“That would be a no.”
“This is strange.”
“This might all have to do with the weird slipstream accident we had back at Acturis.” Tyre noted.
“Right when they disappeared.” Dylan added.
“Uh, I noticed you’re looking for someone or something that Apophis might know about. We’ve had some dealings with the Goa’uld for the last few years, we might be able to help you.” Jack stated.
“Let’s hope you don’t know about them, colonel. What we’re looking for would just as soon kill you and strip your star system clean.”
“Oh.”
“Take them up to the Andromeda. This is going to have to be investigated further but right now we’ve tarried too long here.”
“Aye sir.”
The SG-1 team was led away, Daniel on a floating stretcher as Dylan Hunt contemplated the disturbing possibilities that were presenting themselves to him. He tried to ignore the visual of the corpses of friends and foes strewn at his feet.
“You promised me safety and now look. I’ve lost the pride of my fleet and my personal guard.”
“Calm yourself Apophis. Did I not save you from your enemies?”
Apophis glowered at the shadowy figure in robes moving slowly around the darkened room. Figures were swaying gently at the entrance and around a throne like dais but even his Goa’uld assisted eyes could not penetrate the veil of darkness.
“Yes you did. I noticed you waited until the last possible moment.”
“Patience. It will all be revealed to you in time.” The shadowy figure soothed. His voice had the same dissonant chord of the Goa’uld but there was an odd lilt to it, as if there was another voice struggling to be heard over it all. The Goa'uld moved with a sublime grace but also groaned softly ever so often as if he were in some form of ecstatic pain.
Apophis knew better than to press the issue. He was standing before a Goa’uld that had been dead for well on two millennia and yet here he stood like some nightmare out of their past. And he had linked all his fortunes with this being and wondered bitterly whether it had been a foolish decision.
“Anubis, you have been promising patience since we began this plan. You provided me with schematics for new warships and I have been building them. You have been funneling new technology and research to my scientists and we have been implementing them as quickly as we can. My fleet now has the fastest transit times of all the system lords, our shields can even withstand the vaunted ion cannons of the Tollan.”
“I sense a question somewhere in that litany.” Anubis interjected holding up one hand quizzically but still wrapped in shadows, his hooded cloak completely drawn over his head he seemed to swim in shadow.
Apophis frowned.
“You have not been on the move. You seem to be waiting for something and I do not like to be in the dark concerning your plans.”
“What an appropriate metaphor to use Apophis. In the dark indeed. You must have patience, it is the single greatest weakness of our race that we do not have the patience that the ancients had. They built an empire that spanned galaxies and we scrabble for the scraps from the table when we ignore the feast that lies just out of reach if only we could simply wait a little longer.” Anubis drew close to Apophis as he spoke until he was merely inches away face to face from the System Lord. Apophis could see…things writhing in the shadows of Anubis’ hood. What in the name of Ra had this Goa’uld merged with?
“But you claim I was waiting and you are correct. What I was waiting for has arrived just as our ally has predicted.”
“I would like to meet this ally sometime, Anubis. Sometimes I feel that he thinks we are merely puppets on strings.”
Anubis almost seemed to be smiling under his hood at Apophis’ words.
‘To know him is to be burned in the knowledge and power that spans reality itself. No, my ally prefers to work from the shadows as do I. You will not need to meet him - yet.”
“And what have you been waiting for? My near destruction at the hands of those High Guard?”
“I have been waiting for the High Guard.”
“What do you mean?” Apophis asked sharply. Anubis slowly retreated into the shadows of his dais again and the ape like shapes gathered around them moved closer. Apophis could smell them now and his face wrinkled in disgust. They smelled of blood and offal.
“The Restored Argosy fleet that Dylan Hunt is leading is the target of our ally. He wants them destroyed but first we must eliminate the Stargate on Earth.”
“Why?”
“Your is not the reason why my friend. Let us just say that the Stargate is of utmost strategic importance to eliminate if we are to succeed in our plan. I would think you would look forward to such a mission.” Anubis turned his head sharply to regard Apophis. “Or perhaps you are losing your nerve Apophis?”
“Fear? Never. SG-1 and their allies have been thorns in my side for far too long but even we have not taken lightly to destroying stargates. Why Earth’s of all stargates?”
“As I said that is not important. We will storm SG-1’s headquarters soon enough and you will lead the attack at the head of your new army.”
“New army?” Apophis asked watching the approaching figures uneasily. Several stepped clearly into the little light that penetrated the room and Apophis gasped.
“What is that?!”
The creature was squat and solidly built of muscle and thick brown black fur, each hand ended in long talons and its face was flat, long ears ran along the sides of its face and the mouth was full of hungry teeth. He had never seen its like before in all his travels.
“The Magog are the soldiers of choice for our ally. Their ship is close by and we will need to travel to it to collect your shock troops. Then when we are ready we will take and destroy Earth’s Stargate and you will add the pitiful planet to your empire.”
Apophis watched the Magog crowding around him and once again his mind was troubled by the thoughts that perhaps he had made a deal with the devil.
[/quote]
Storming the Gates of Heaven
Chapter 1: Tangled Allegiances
“You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment O’Neill.” Apophis hissed as he gripped the human’s chin and jerked his face towards the living god. O’Neill tried not to complain and instead fixed the dark skinned Goa'uld with a bemused expression.
“So, you’ve got us…again.” O’Neill replied and rolled his eyes.
Apophis’ smile was ice cold as he glanced over at the other members of the SG-1 team. Daniel Jackson was lying on his side, moaning softly, blood matting down the left side of his face and hair. One of Apophis’ Jaffa stood imperiously above the downed human, metallic helmet fully deployed as a cobra head, holding a fully charged staff weapon inches from Daniel’s head.
Sam was gingerly rubbing her broken ribs as she tried to remain standing but was swaying weakly. Vertigo would bring her crashing down to her feet soon. She did not know how she was still conscious. The Jaffa standing to her right was not taking any chances. Staff weapon was virtually nestled in her side. She could feel the heat of the charged plasma tickling her flesh.
How in the hell was Jack going to get them out of this she did not have a clue.
“And your Tok’Ra trash was dealt with appropriately.” Apophis added as he released his hold on Jack’s chin and rose from his throne. Two more Jaffa in fully deployed cobra helmets strode in and dumped the body of a young boy not much older than 16 on to the floor. Several large blackened blast marks were still smoking from his back. The smell of burnt flesh was strong and pungent in the small confines of the command deck.
“I guess your fearless warriors like to shoot boys in the back now. I can guess why the System lords are trembling about you these days.” Jack shot back acidly. He did not want to look at the body of the Tok’Ra agent Setesh. The boy had been eager to prove himself.
Unfortunately he proved too eager, stowing aboard the Goa'uld ship in order to help them.
It cost him his life and Jack did not like to think about how many had died at the hands of these snakes over the years.
“You are angry yes?” Apophis asked, his voice the usual dissonant hum of several voices at once. His eyes flashed white for a moment.
“God damn it yes I’m angry. There was no reason to kill him. You had us.”
“He was of no import, I assure you but your SG-1, ah, they are the true prize.”
The ship shook slightly and alarms were sounding in the bowels of the Goa'uld warship. Apophis looked more than annoyed as he was approached quickly by one of his personal Jaffa. Jack thought quickly what his next move had to be. Teal’c was out there somewhere, having avoided capture. That was his ace in the hole but Teal’c would need some help from their end to get this cluster fuck behind them.
“I was assured we had avoided their ships back at Betelgeuse.” Apophis hissed. The Jaffa began to explain himself.
Sam and Jack exchanged a quick glance.
Apophis held up a hand and the Jaffa instantly went silent.
“Prepare the jump to hyperspace. We will see how eager they are to engage us back in my hold fasts.”
“Yes my lord!” the Jaffa bowed deeply and vanished back to the command stations below.
“Problems?” Jack asked.
“Nothing that need concern you. You should be far more interested in what I have in store for you.”
“Let me guess. Torture, more torture and what’s underneath curtain number three? Why yes it is – more torture.”
“Where will your jibes and gaffes be once you are under my power O’Neill? Your screams, I wonder, will they be as loud as your friends’ once we begin?”
“Bite me.”
Apophis smirked.
The ship shuddered harder this time and Sam could hear tactical data being called out by the officers and crewmen below her. Whoever they were fighting was cornering them, multiple ships, heavy fire. Who the hell would tangle with the Goa’uld, especially a system lord? And more importantly win?
Apophis tried to look unmoved by the growing number of shudders and louder alarms. Instead he turned his head and stared at O’Neill.
“You humans are so predictable. Anything that even remotely threatens your pathetic backwater of a world brings you swarming like moths to the flame. It was a simple matter of letting these wretched To’kra know of my plans to launch a new battleship. What else would force SG-1’s hand than stopping me from ascending to power?”
Apophis nodded slowly as he looked from O’Neill to Sam and Daniel.
“It was I who allowed the Tok’Ra to discover the secret location of my shipyards. My finest legion of Jaffa waited for you on the surface and I assure you that we were always quite safe from your pitiful little band.”
Jack said nothing but he was kicking himself all along. Where the hell was Teal’c?
“We are ready for hyperspace my lord.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Apophis snapped angrily.
“You know it occurs to me Apophis.” Jack began. The Goa’uld regarded him with a bemused expression, akin to the attention one gives to a slow child. “That you’re so called brilliant plan took you all these years to come up with. I mean if we were so damned predictable, doesn’t that say something that you took all this time to come up with it. Sort of speaks to your own advanced intelligence don’t it?”
Apophis’ face darkened and his eyes flashed white.
“You are not long for this world human. And from now on it will only be a life of pain.” Apophis snarled and he held up his right hand. Jack’ eyes widened as the palm blaster flashed to life and sent him sprawling backwards over a railing.
“Colonel!” Sam exclaimed but the Jaffa prodded her injured ribs with his staff weapon.
“My lord the hyperdrive has been sabotaged!”
Apophis stopped short.
“The traitor.” Apophis breathed. His face snapped up to pin his first Jaffa with a fiery gaze.
“I told you to find the traitor Teal’c! Bring him to me now or do not bother to return at all!” Apophis roared.
His first dropped his head in a stark salute and motioned for the nearest Jaffa around him to follow him. As he started to stride out the ship shuddered hard to the left and lights winked out all around the command center.
A stranger alarm, one that Sam had not heard before began to warble.
“The ship is being boarded.” Daniel muttered in a half daze.
Samantha bent down to examine Daniel.
“Are you alright?”
“Uh…no.” Daniel replied and tried to get up but his head threatened to explode so he groaned and slumped back down to the floor.
“Daniel are you sure?”
“My lord.” Apophis’ first asked uncertainly. Apophis brought his cape around his body like a shield.
“We depart the ship immediately. Use the warship as a distraction. Have all the Jaffa but my personal guard fight the intruders to the death. My personal guard is to accompany me to the escape ship. While the enemy is occupied with taking the ship we will escape in the confusion.”
“Yes my lord.”
“And we shall bring SG-1 with us. They will not be saved by these unfortunate events.”
“We are being boarded.” Sam breathed. “But who could be doing this?”
“Another System lord?” Daniel offered bleakly. The pain in his head was throbbing and his thoughts were still a jumble.
Sam didn’t think so. Apophis seemed to know who they were but was not identifying them. She was roughly pulled off her knees by her Jaffa guard and shoved with the point of his staff weapon forward.
She looked back and saw Jack groaning as he was pulled to his feet by two Jaffa and carried bodily, each Jaffa holding an arm. Daniel was hefted up by his Jaffa guard and prodded to walk. Daniel nearly fell forward, his senses refusing to tell him which way is up and down. Sam immediately grabbed a firm hold of Daniel’s arm and helped steady him.
Daniel looked at Sam and smiled weakly.
“I think I may be a bit concussed.” He said wanly.
“Just hold on Daniel.” She leaned in closer to his ear. “Teal’c is obviously working hard to get us out of this.” She whispered.
“Now we leave. All command stations rig this vessel for self destruct I will not have them take my ship as a prize.”
“Yes my lord.”
Apophis took one last look around his command center and strode out followed closely and quickly by his personal guard. Sam managed to glance back out the view port and caught sight of one of the attacking vessels. It was long and elegant, unlike any she had seen before. There was a hint of organic lines to the vessel’s hull, long tentacle like appendages swept forward from a bowl like main body.
It swept right by the view port and vanished with a speed and grace she had not seen even among Asgaurd ships.
“What are they?”
The Jaffa snarled something in Goa’uld and shoved her forward. They exited the command deck and marched out to the hangar decks below.
They walked quickly and Sam and Jack exchanged troubled glances. Sounds of battle were echoing throughout the corridors a mix of staff and zat guns followed by a strange cacophony of weapons fire they never heard before.
“They don’t sound like Goa’uld weapons.” Jack noted as he glanced around them. The sounds were drawing closer and Apophis was picking up the pace in response. A Jaffa rounded the corner in fully deployed cobra head helmet. Apophis slowed.
The Jaffa spoke.
“My lord, the enemy has blocked off this access way, we must find another way.”
Apophis’ eyes narrowed on the Jaffa.
“Identify yourself!”
“I am freedom tyrant!” The Jaffa shouted and fired off several blasts from his staff weapon. Two of the Jaffa flanking Apophis were struck and fell streaming sparks and smoke from their ruined armor.
“It’s the traitor! Kill him!”
Jack smiled and exclaimed “You hear that Captain? Teal’c is playing our song!” Jack brought his elbow up into the throat of the nearest Jaffa and he doubled over gasping for breath. Jack finished him with a double axe handled blow to the base of the neck sending the Jaffa down to the floor.
He scooped up a staff weapon as Sam whirled around and delivered a roundhouse kick into the Jaffa training his weapon on her but regretted the pain that tore through her side at the sudden violent motion. She cried out in pain but the Jaffa was stunned long enough for her to deliver a staggering open handed uppercut to the Jaffa’s chin. His jaw clicked shut loudly and his head jerked back into the back wall.
She stripped him of his staff weapon.
A Jaffa swung his staff weapon towards Sam’s head and she could hear the charge humming and knew she was going to be a beat too slow to react. Daniel draped himself across the Jaffa’s torso and the stunned guard spat a curse in Goa’uld and smacked Daniel down and away from him.
The attack distracted the Jaffa long enough for Sam to smack one end of her staff weapon across the warrior’s nose.
“Armor yourselves fools!” Apophis snarled and watched Teal’c jump back around the corner for cover.
The remaining Jaffa reached for their armor controls and the cobra helmets surrounded their heads on loud clacking segmented strips of metal. The eyes on the cobra helms glowed dangerously.
Jack took this opportunity to grab Daniel by his shoulder and lead Sam backwards down the corridor. Half the Jaffa turned to follow while the other half surrounded Apophis.
Teal’c snaked his staff weapon around the corner and fired another volley blindly at the gathered Jaffa. The blast exploded overhead and showered them with shrapnel.
Jack huffed as he helped Daniel walk while he aimed his staff weapon as best he could with one arm and fired off a volley to keep the pursuing Jaffa’s heads down. Sam glanced back to check their route of escape and her eyes widened.
“Colonel! We have company.”
“What?”
A shot whizzed right by Jack’s ear.
“Whoa!” Jack started to turn quickly to face his new attackers when something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head.
“If you value your life Jaffa you will drop your weapon now.” The voice was cold and determined.
“Hold on, I’m not a ---”
The cold weapon pressed against his head emitted an electronic click and he heard a power up sequence.
“I will not repeat myself again.” Jack did not doubt the intention of his attacker. He instantly dropped his staff weapon and raised his hands above his head.
He suddenly saw a phalanx of humanoids in black armor advancing past him holding black pikes. Two immediately knelt down as they came under fire from Apophis’ Jaffa and the ends of the pikes they aimed flared up bright crimson.
“What are these guys, anti-Jaffa?” Jack asked.
“Anti-Jaffa?!” Sam replied dryly.
The weapon against his head prodded him hard once.
“Be quiet.”
Jack shook his head.
One of Apophis’ Jaffa was struck by the fire from the black clad boarders. The Jaffa screamed and fell back, his breast plate blow out by the impact of the blast. Apophis looked livid as the corridor was rapidly filling with the black armored intruders.
“Jaffa fight on for the god!” Apophis’ first cried out holding his staff weapon up over his head. The Jaffa shouted in unison and started firing a murderous fusillade from their staff weapons. Several of the black armored intruders were struck by the blasts. They fell back or were thrown against the wall and lay still.
The Jaffa noticing how close the black armored intruders had gotten abandoned their fire and suddenly began attacking using their staffs as melee weapons. The black armored warriors enthusiastically returned the favor using their black metal pikes.
That’s when Jack noticed who he assumed was the leader.
One of the black armored warriors, taller and broader than the rest with a black helmet waded into the Jaffa, his pike swinging about expertly blocking the Jaffa staffs and striking in rapid ripostes that drove the Jaffa back or to the ground as he approached Apophis.
“You know what I want Apophis. Where did they go!”
Apophis sneered at the approaching warrior and raised his palm blaster.
“You will never know. For despoiling my vessel you face the ultimate penalty fool!”
The black armored warrior paused and swung his pike around into a guard position.
“Bring it.”
“I like this guy already.” O’Neill commented.
“Would you shut up.” The weapon prodded the back of Jack’s head again.
“Do you mind?” Jack complained.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I do.” The weapon stopped pressing against his head and a hand forced him down to his knees. Jack looked down at the hand. Human. Definitely human but there was an oddity on the side of his forearms, they looked like spikes.
Apophis was suddenly surrounded by a series of iron rings that descended around him out of thin air.
“Stop him before he gets away!” Jack shouted.
It was too late. With a smile on his face, Apophis vanished as the rings rose up as quickly as they descended and vanished in a flash of light.
“Damnit! Where are they Apophis!” The black armored leader snapped and pulled off his helmet in frustration. His long golden hair was matted down to the back of his head with sweat as he whirled around to check his surroundings. The Jaffa were dead or unconscious.
“Are we clear?” He asked his men.
Suddenly Teal’c was pushed forward, prodded by a weapon in his back. He had his armored cobra helmet down and blood was drying along the edge of his lip, a bruise slowly puffing up an eye. His attacker was behind him with a weapon.
“Now we’re clear.” Teal’c’s attacker stated coolly as he flicked some of his long black dreadlocks over his shoulder.
“Good work, Tyre. Now let’s see what we have here.”
“They don’t look like Jaffa to me. And this one has an issue keeping his mouth shut.” Jack’s guard stated as he stepped around Jack while two other armored warriors helped him back up to his feet and quickly checked him for weapons.
“Rhade we need to find out quickly what these people know. We can’t lose Apophis now.”
“Captain, I have linked with the ship’s main frame. Apophis was very clever in deleting all navigational references but I believe I may have found some data fragments that I could use to rebuild several destinations that the vessel visited in the last several days.” A young human announced as he quickly walked into the corridor. He looked far too young and gentle to be hanging with these folks.
Jack wondered what his deal was.
“Good work Gabriel.”
“Sir the Balance wants to make the jump to slipstream right away and try and back track the last known coordinates of this vessel.”
The blonde haired Captain smiled softly and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder.
“I’m well aware that you and the Balance of Judgment want to make up for what you think your predecessor did wrong but no one holds what the previous ship’s AI did against you. I was the one who wanted our first new Siege Perilous class cruiser to be named after the Balance because I want the Restored Argosy fleet to remember that ship for what she stood for and not for hw she ended up.”
Gabriel frowned.
“I’m sorry sir. The Balance and I are simply eager to make our mark and erase the wrongs of the past. We are always ready to be the point of the spear in this operation. No risk is too great.”
“Well, I have a feeling that risk will certainly be the watchword in these coming days.” The Captain replied wearily. Jack guessed he had seen quite a bit of action.
“Sir we have a wounded man.” One of the black clad warriors reported as he inspected Daniel.
“Get medical down here on the double.” He looked over at Jack, Sam and Teal’c with a critical eye.
“Is it me, or does he look like some kind of Greek god?” Samantha asked.
“Uh, do you mind keeping those dirty thoughts to yourself and mind on the mission.” Jack asked sharply.
“I didn’t mean…oh never mind.” She protested.
“I apologize O’Neill, they came upon me before I could see them.” Teal’c explained.
“Looks to me like you gave as good as you got.” Jack noted as several of the black clad warriors that came behind Teal’c were nursing wounds or limping. But dreadlocks was the one that Teal’c watched most intently. He did not wear the standard black armor or carried the black pikes. He wore a silver metal mesh shirt and black pants and carried what looked like some futuristic ray gun. He also had the same bone spikes on his forearms that Jack’s guard had.
“These men fought like Nietzscheans.” Tyre noted.
“We certainly took the casualties to prove it. Make sure the ship is secure and prepare to tow her out to our secure zone. The Goa’uld won’t be too happy to know we’ve struck this deep into their space and they will be out for blood for this.” The Captain ordered.
“If you like we’d be happy to open a dialogue.” Samantha offered.
The Captain’s eyes narrowed on them.
“And who might you be?”
“I’m Colonel Jack O’Neill representative of Earth. This is Captain Samantha Carter. The guy on the floor is Daniel Jackson and this is Teal’c.” Jack interrupted Samantha.
“They may not be Jaffa but he certainly is.” Rhade warned pointing his force lance at Teal’c.
“Earth?” the Captain asked in confusion.
“Yeah, you know it?”
“My name is Captain Dylan Hunt of the High Guard and while I may not have been born on Earth I know an Earther when I see one and you’re not exactly fitting the part. Those rank insignia are strange and you’re not Nietzschean slaves so I’ll voice my opinion that you’re probably lying.”
“Captain Hunt is it? Well I can assure you we’re from Earth, and while I don’t know what organization you represent we’re enemies of the Goa’uld just as much as you seem to be.”
“While claiming a Jaffa as an ally?” Rhade interjected.
“You just don’t like me because I talk too much but—”
“Wait. You’ve never heard of the High Guard?” Dylan pressed.
“No.”
He exchanged a curious glance with Rhade.
“And you’ve never heard of the Commonwealth?” Dylan continued.
“Or the restored Commonwealth?” Rhade added.
Jack looked at Samantha and Teal’c who shrugged.
“That would be a no.”
“This is strange.”
“This might all have to do with the weird slipstream accident we had back at Acturis.” Tyre noted.
“Right when they disappeared.” Dylan added.
“Uh, I noticed you’re looking for someone or something that Apophis might know about. We’ve had some dealings with the Goa’uld for the last few years, we might be able to help you.” Jack stated.
“Let’s hope you don’t know about them, colonel. What we’re looking for would just as soon kill you and strip your star system clean.”
“Oh.”
“Take them up to the Andromeda. This is going to have to be investigated further but right now we’ve tarried too long here.”
“Aye sir.”
The SG-1 team was led away, Daniel on a floating stretcher as Dylan Hunt contemplated the disturbing possibilities that were presenting themselves to him. He tried to ignore the visual of the corpses of friends and foes strewn at his feet.
“You promised me safety and now look. I’ve lost the pride of my fleet and my personal guard.”
“Calm yourself Apophis. Did I not save you from your enemies?”
Apophis glowered at the shadowy figure in robes moving slowly around the darkened room. Figures were swaying gently at the entrance and around a throne like dais but even his Goa’uld assisted eyes could not penetrate the veil of darkness.
“Yes you did. I noticed you waited until the last possible moment.”
“Patience. It will all be revealed to you in time.” The shadowy figure soothed. His voice had the same dissonant chord of the Goa’uld but there was an odd lilt to it, as if there was another voice struggling to be heard over it all. The Goa'uld moved with a sublime grace but also groaned softly ever so often as if he were in some form of ecstatic pain.
Apophis knew better than to press the issue. He was standing before a Goa’uld that had been dead for well on two millennia and yet here he stood like some nightmare out of their past. And he had linked all his fortunes with this being and wondered bitterly whether it had been a foolish decision.
“Anubis, you have been promising patience since we began this plan. You provided me with schematics for new warships and I have been building them. You have been funneling new technology and research to my scientists and we have been implementing them as quickly as we can. My fleet now has the fastest transit times of all the system lords, our shields can even withstand the vaunted ion cannons of the Tollan.”
“I sense a question somewhere in that litany.” Anubis interjected holding up one hand quizzically but still wrapped in shadows, his hooded cloak completely drawn over his head he seemed to swim in shadow.
Apophis frowned.
“You have not been on the move. You seem to be waiting for something and I do not like to be in the dark concerning your plans.”
“What an appropriate metaphor to use Apophis. In the dark indeed. You must have patience, it is the single greatest weakness of our race that we do not have the patience that the ancients had. They built an empire that spanned galaxies and we scrabble for the scraps from the table when we ignore the feast that lies just out of reach if only we could simply wait a little longer.” Anubis drew close to Apophis as he spoke until he was merely inches away face to face from the System Lord. Apophis could see…things writhing in the shadows of Anubis’ hood. What in the name of Ra had this Goa’uld merged with?
“But you claim I was waiting and you are correct. What I was waiting for has arrived just as our ally has predicted.”
“I would like to meet this ally sometime, Anubis. Sometimes I feel that he thinks we are merely puppets on strings.”
Anubis almost seemed to be smiling under his hood at Apophis’ words.
‘To know him is to be burned in the knowledge and power that spans reality itself. No, my ally prefers to work from the shadows as do I. You will not need to meet him - yet.”
“And what have you been waiting for? My near destruction at the hands of those High Guard?”
“I have been waiting for the High Guard.”
“What do you mean?” Apophis asked sharply. Anubis slowly retreated into the shadows of his dais again and the ape like shapes gathered around them moved closer. Apophis could smell them now and his face wrinkled in disgust. They smelled of blood and offal.
“The Restored Argosy fleet that Dylan Hunt is leading is the target of our ally. He wants them destroyed but first we must eliminate the Stargate on Earth.”
“Why?”
“Your is not the reason why my friend. Let us just say that the Stargate is of utmost strategic importance to eliminate if we are to succeed in our plan. I would think you would look forward to such a mission.” Anubis turned his head sharply to regard Apophis. “Or perhaps you are losing your nerve Apophis?”
“Fear? Never. SG-1 and their allies have been thorns in my side for far too long but even we have not taken lightly to destroying stargates. Why Earth’s of all stargates?”
“As I said that is not important. We will storm SG-1’s headquarters soon enough and you will lead the attack at the head of your new army.”
“New army?” Apophis asked watching the approaching figures uneasily. Several stepped clearly into the little light that penetrated the room and Apophis gasped.
“What is that?!”
The creature was squat and solidly built of muscle and thick brown black fur, each hand ended in long talons and its face was flat, long ears ran along the sides of its face and the mouth was full of hungry teeth. He had never seen its like before in all his travels.
“The Magog are the soldiers of choice for our ally. Their ship is close by and we will need to travel to it to collect your shock troops. Then when we are ready we will take and destroy Earth’s Stargate and you will add the pitiful planet to your empire.”
Apophis watched the Magog crowding around him and once again his mind was troubled by the thoughts that perhaps he had made a deal with the devil.
[/quote]
[neo] whoah [/neo]