Andromeda Gate

ANDROMEDA GATE Andromeda gate This book is dedicated to Darren Williams 15/5/1966 - 20/11/2006

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ANDROMEDA GaTE A novel by J Driscoll, Kay Shepherd, Drymwyver. With special thanks to all the people who contributed to the stories. Based on the Movie STARGATE and TV Series by the same name. SG1 & ATLANTIS. Originally created by Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner and Robert C Cooper. STARGATE MGM.com PRINTING HISTORY Lulu Press / December 2007

All rights reserved. Copyright 2007 This book and the following series may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by mimeograph, Internet, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of either the copyright owner or Lulu Publishing. Nor any part of the cover unless by prior permission of Robyn Kekoa. PUBLISHERS NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

#1 New Beginnings #2 Solaris #3 Enemies or Allies

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The following people who helped to co-write this book are:

Jeanny Driscoll Heather Wellman Mike Pierce Robyn Kekoa (Cover Artist) Gilles Nuytens (Art/Publisher) Alistair MacGregor Viki Demello Jessica Guinness Madge Derrick Williams Rick Taylor Adian Langston Alex Northaven

Craig Wellman John Zimmaro Scott Schreer (Music Theme Director) Dave Emerson Jason Hauck Zachary Hafenrichter Lynn Ashley Corey Fravel Denise Petet Lesley Hilliard Pavanne Halpin Greg Nancy Tornari

This book is also dedicated to: Corin Nemic Don S Davis Ben Browder Tony Amendola Dan Shea Peter DeLuise Robert C Cooper David Hewlett Paul McGillion Mitch Pileggi

Christopher Judge Michael Shanks Gary Jones Amanda Tapping Teryl Rothery Brad Wright Michael Greenburg Joe Flanigan Rainbow Sun Francks Kavan Smith

Claudia Black Richard Dean Anderson Beau Bridges Tom McBeath Cliff Simon Jonathan Glassner Torri Higginson Rachel Luttrell Jason Momoa Barclay Hope

And:

STARGATE.MGM.COM The Official site for all things Stargate.

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ANDROMEDA GATE

Lt. Colonel Andrea Roberts watched the team leaving for the place everyone thought to be the myth of Atlantis. She hoped with all the rest that the team would find it. What she didn't envy them was the idea that they might never come back to the Tauri world Earth. They had with them many off-worlders who had volunteered to help search and research. She turned away, and came face to face with Colonel O'Neil, leader of the SG1. His eyes smiled into hers and she blushed and he said quietly, "Wish you were going Colonel?" She replied, "No Sir, I was just silently wishing them luck on their journey." He nodded and said, "I do too. So where are you off to next?" She smiled feeling now on safer ground and replied, “Our next mission is to PPX2379." He nodded and said, "Stay safe Colonel." ** The mission to PPX2379 was both a series of diplomatic and domestic disasters, with little success. By the time the team extracted themselves off that world, Roberts had lost one man due to his stupidity, and she nearly died along with the rest of the unit. Only quick thinking by her exec's and herself saved the rest of the team from the hostile natives. They made it back home 3 days overdue. All of them looking a little worse for wear and all of them injured in various places. It was decided NOT to negotiate any peace treaties to these people.

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** 10 days later, excitement in the main OPS was felt throughout the base. It was entirely Andrea's fault. She had decide to go back to her home world and recover from her mishap on PPX2379. On her way back through her Gate, it malfunctioned and she discovered herself in a strange gate room. This one she discovered however was inside a Space Station orbiting between two planets. She had no idea where she was and it took her 4 days to figure out that she was in another of the Ancient's home world-however this one seemed to be where it had all started and soon she found herself in a section of the base that housed some sort of giant data area and what she could see as Holograms with what looked like the histories. She entered the room and a scanner of piercing pinkish white light appeared out of the one databank and she was routed to the spot whilst it bodily scanned her. The huge ancient computer decided she was not a threat, and as she stood still for it to probe her she picked up various images of why the Go'aold were so detested and she understood that reason and agreed with the sentiment. The probe read the thought and input her DNA structure into its memory banks as an ancient even though she had a symbiont inside her, she was accepted as a friend. It gave her full access over every station on the base with no exception. She learned from the computerized data how to manipulate the controls and then she discovered a small nodule near her left ear. The probe had placed it there for some reason she couldn't fathom. Until she accidentally used it. She was hungry and wondered where she could find a mess hall. Before she could blink, a map appeared like a hologram in front of her and she could see where she had to go. Andrea was startled at the advanced technology and more alarmed at the idea that with just a thought she could "see" where she needed to get. Removing the nodule however was out of the question, so she left it. It helped her gain knowledge of the entire base over the next few days and eventually she decided she needed to get the information back to the Tauri. She tapped in her home base code and dialled home. Looking around she finally stepped through the Gate and back to the base, where she handed her findings to the General. A couple of weeks later, a visitor arrived at Gate Command. It was Thor. He spoke at length with both SG1 and General Hammond and then he said, "The one who is called Colonel Andrea Roberts, she must lead the Team." O'Neil was startled and asked "Why?" Thor looked at him and replied, "She is the one who activated the Ancients Starbase and it has configured itself around her DNA and absorbed it into its databanks. If she does not go with the new team, the computer will not function. She is the key to opening the door. Andromeda will not accept anyone else. And there is another problem." Everyone looked at Thor and then at themselves until finally O'Neil said, "Just like Major Stone." Hammond had Andrea summoned to the meeting room and as she entered it she was

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met by stares from the humans, and the Jaffa and also by Thor. Uncomfortable she looked at them. Hammond insisted she sit down and quietly he explained the problem. Thor nodded in agreeance. Andrea looked at them in alarm and then said, "So that it? If I don't go, nobody goes?" "Yup-`bout the size of it Colonel" replied O'Neil. Hammond cleared his throat and then said, "Its up to you Colonel Roberts. We are not going to force you to go, if that is what you are thinking. The choice is yours, however I need to make this clear to you, the statute of limitations as Thor has explained is that the Gateway activation is still operational on Andromeda and should anyone breach the Base security, they will find a direct gate link back to earth. The only person who can shut it down is you. The base computer used your DNA and incorporated it as a catalyst into its data banks apparently. However should you do go back the Gate will close for 10 years as it was programmed to do millennia ago. In effect the mission will be a decade research project. Unlike the Atlantis team, who cannot get back, in 10 years you can. The threat to Earth is the open Gateway on Andromeda station. The success however outweighs everything else. The opportunity to explore the first world of the Ancients is to good a chance to miss. I can guarantee you that should you go, you will be in charge of the Away Team." Thor nodded and replied, "Unfortunately we cannot shut the Base down because when the Ancient ones left, they instilled a back-up plan that should a member of one of the Ancient races returns, that one would have full control over everything on that base and the worlds in that system. You stumbled on the base by accident and unfortunately you have to live with the consequences of your actions whilst you were aboard." Andrea looked at Thor and then looked across at Hammond and sighed saying, "Let me think about it Sir, it's a big step into the unknown with no way back." Hammond nodded and replied, "I understand Colonel. You may go." ** A couple of days later and after she had spoken to and contacted her own world, Andrea walked into Hammond's office and told him she would go. It took a month to put together an Away Team of Combat troops and Scientists and Engineers and Medical staff and equipment they might need over the next 10 years or more. The team assembled were 600 people from Earth and 30 people from off world. The team and their equipment assembled inside the Gate room. It was a tight squash, but they were ready to go finally. Andrea stood on the top of the ramp and looked back to see everyone –it reminded her of the Atlantis Team. She looked up and saw Hammond and SG1 watching her and she smiled and saluted with two fingers and then looked back at the people waiting for her. She said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for accompanying me on this trek to the 1st world. We have all worked hard to achieve this reality and as we

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step through the gate to Andromeda, I hope we will make good discoveries along the way. 10 years is a long time – so if there is anyone here expressing doubts, I will not think less of you if you decide to stay." No one moved and Andrea smiled. ~ They were in it for the long haul.~ She nodded to O'Neil and turned round to face the Gate. Taking a huge breath she said, "Lets go!" She stepped through the Event Horizon. And stepped out of the gate into Andromeda Station. Lights came on and lit up the entire control room and the base computer said, "Welcome home Colonel Andrea Roberts." She smiled and then noticed that everyone was staring at her. She colored. Instead of explaining, she put them all to work A few hours later and with sore muscles Andrea finally got everyone organized putting things away and getting the computer to access the DNA of all the team members so that it had a permanent record of who they were and where they were at any given time. ** Over the next few weeks, the team members got acquainted with their new home and began cataloguing all their finds and documenting the findings on various items. Roberts was busy organizing an away team to go planet side.

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CHAPTER 1 Sergeant Major Hugh Barnes walked up the path, kicking the mud from his boots; the past two months he’d spent on exercise with the squadron had been exhilarating. Opening the back door he placed his Burgin in the porch, calling out to his wife Debbie.; “Hi love I’m home. The silence that greeted him was deafening. Frowning he walked into the lounge, thinking that his wife was late from work. Seeing the two envelopes on the small coffee table Barnes stopped., He instantly recognised Debbie’s, copperplate hand writing. Picking the letter up he sat heavily on the sofa. Staring at the pale blue rectangle in his hand, he slowly opened the flap and pulled the single A5 sheet of paper out and read it.. Closing his eyes Barnes sighed deeply. Standing he went to the small bureau and poured himself a large scotch. Sitting back down he reread the letter and shook his head; he’d seen the signs coming for months and had refused to do anything about them. Screwing the letter up he threw it into the fireplace. Drinking his Scotch he stared into space, his eyes only then-catching the other letter. Reaching forwards he looked at the postmark and then the frank mark, opening the letter he slowly read the three pages. Barnes sat back and sighed, he’d waited for months for this reply, now it had got there he was unsure. Standing he walked towards the bedroom, his clothes hanging in an otherwise empty wardrobe. Looking round he sighed. Taking his remaining items of uniform only, he went back down stairs and packed them into his Burgin. Walking down the way he had originally come, he looked back and smiled, ~so much 8

for home life and women! ~ The first thing he had done was phoned the duty officer about his post and to put the house on the market. Walking back to his car he drove to the base airstrip for his connecting flight to the USA ** Two months later ** Barnes came out of the gym dripping in sweat, his morning workout had been more intense since his inclusion on the mission to Andromeda had been announced. Showering he dressed and headed for the range. Drawing out all the weapons he could be using in his new home. Setting the target for 300 yards he lay in the prone position and loaded a full magazine into the weapon. Closing his eyes he reopened the right and looked down the sights at the small black circle. Breathing normally he squeezed off two, three round bursts. Bringing the target in Barnes checked his grouping. Looking at the target he looked at his sights. Adjusting them 6 clicks to the right. Putting the target back he re aimed and fired again. Checking he nodded ~A better group~ he thought to himself. Changing weapons Barnes spent the next three hours on the range, turning live ammo into empty casings. When he’d finished he checked the weapon numbers. Making a note in his book he knew he could then redraw them from the armoury when he left. Walking back to his room Barnes looked at the faces of the rest of the team, seeing the fear of the unknown, the different, the worry about coming home again or not as the case may be. He grinned to himself and thought they looked like Star Trek’s Red Shirt security. Entering the gate room, Barnes looked up at the large stone like circle that stood there. He had stood there in awe himself when he had first arrived. Two weeks later Barnes stood in the same room again, this time it was crowded with people. Watching

as

his

new

commanding

officer

walked

up

the

ramp.

She said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for accompanying me on this trek to the 1st world. We have all worked hard to achieve this reality and as we step through the gate to Andromeda, I hope we will make good discoveries along the way. 10 years is a long time; so if there is anyone here expressing any doubts, I will not think less of you if you decide to stay." Barnes looked around him and saw that no body wanted to stay, they were all committed. Feeling a little trepidation about the unknown he followed her through the wormhole, Barnes found himself on a distant station, ……. Light years away from Earth.

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CHAPTER 2 Barnes had spent the next three week's making sure the station was in a good working order. His years as a SNCO were put to good use as he ordered, and cajoled, bellowed, bribed, praised the many different crew to get the work done. Smiling he walked towards the area of the station they had set up for training, entering the armoury he browsed a long the rack, lovingly touching the weapons smiling he took a SA80A2 off the rack, carrying out his NSP's he headed for the ammo bunker in the far corner, signing out 2000 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, Barnes headed for the range. As the door closed the red flashing light at the end told him that the outer wall was about to open and the forcefields were in place. Barnes, like many of the trained military personal, found the idea of an open ended range strange, specially when the open end vented into deep space, the only thing that kept him from flying into deep space was a thin layer of electrons. ** Leaving the range Barnes checked the weapon back into the rack, walking back to his room he saw the group of personal standing around the bulletin board along he wall used for staff notices and information, standing at the back he used his height to read over the shoulders of the rest. Entering op;’s and then walked up to the CO's door, he knocked. Hearing a yell to “Enter” he did and stood to attention, "Sir. I understand you’re asking for members for a first contact team. I'd like to volunteer.” Roberts looked up at the strange sounding accent of the Englishman and replied, “You may come. Get what you need and be back in 45 minutes inside the shuttle bay.” She watched him salute her and leave. Then went back to the laptop she was using.

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CHAPTER 3 Colonel Roberts eased onto her bed. Leaning down, she untied her boots then kicked them across the room before relaxing back. She suppressed a moan feeling the Ancients' bed automatically adjusting to her aching muscles. Yes, it was hard putting the station back to up and running status again, but she wasn't entirely sure what to call this situation. Searching blindly in an alien galaxy for what purpose? It seemed their coming might create more problems then it would solve. She once again asked herself the same thing she did every night since their arrival. Was coming here the right thing to do? Before she could ponder it further, she fell asleep. The entrance slid open and Dr. Cade took a step inside. The Colonel hadn't stirred, but he could see her form breathing shallowly in the faint light. He hated to disturb her. Rest was rare anymore, and she'd been through so much already. They all had. Reaching out with some hesitation, Cade nudged her shoulder. "Colonel Roberts?" Her breath immediately hitched, and green eyes looked up into his. "Are you awake?" he straightened seeing the gaze while pressing his lips into a thin line. "I am now," she replied. "I'm sorry, but we have something very strange outside of the stations perimeter-" "What is it?" Roberts asked, immediately sitting up. Her dog tags from Earth clanked with the sudden movement. Her hair she knew was in sleep disarray. "So what's going on?" She stood running a hand over her head in attempt to flatten the mess down slightly.

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"The technicians on the lower deck have had," he paused as if searching for the word, "an interesting encounter. I think you should see." came the cryptic reply Roberts held our her arm motioning Cade to the door. "Lead the way." Cade obliged and walked through, the door closing shut behind them. Roberts followed him to the new transportation units they recently discovered. Entering the closet like area, Andrea couldn't help but think the Ancients ought to have considered elevator music for these things. For the full effect if nothing else. Disregarding that thought, she watched as Cade pressed the touch pad indicating their desired location. The entrance closed around them, and in a flash they were moved to the lower half of Andromeda Station. The doors opened again revealing dim and eerily quiet halls. Cade seemed unphased, and continued forward with a purposeful stride. Andrea's own, lengthy and casual, matched his. Up ahead, she could see a brilliant blue light writhing along the walls. The sight instantly reminded her of the orbiting Station’s. purpose. What had they called it? "Doorway to the stars" As they approached, a technician turned and walked up to them. He looked scruffy with beard stubble. He wore coveralls with a German flag patch on his left arm. Bloodshot eyes behind thick glasses added to his exhausted appearance. "It's still here," he spoke, heavy with accent. "Thank you, Dr. Kruger," Cade acknowledged him. "What's here?" Roberts inquired. She folded her arms while letting her eyes roam. It was a long window on one side of the hall. The scene beyond was the star. Bright and almost surreal looking comets zoomed passed. The Colonel had to remind herself that they were on a space station orbiting two worlds that were very alien. Suddenly, the whole window's view was blocked. "That," the technician added bluntly. The figure loomed by for several minutes, until finally thinning out in what looked to be a monstrous yellow tail. At this point she'd say something along the lines of, "What the hell is that?!" But while on a foreign space station she knew it was pointless to bring it up. Instead, she stepped closer. "Is it dangerous?" Cade exchanged glances with Kruger. "Potentially. It's definitely carnivore," he offered. "Yup" the technician muttered to himself.

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Roberts looked away from the window towards them, "Well, it can't breach the hull, right?" A long pause. "Right?" she asked again, more slowly. "It showed up after we activated the outer air-conditioning units." Cade finally spoke. Andrea's eyebrows rose, "I thought that was all destroyed. In fact I noticed when I got here the first time that it didn't work" "The Aircontioning units, yes, but the chemicals resulting from the combustion to make the mechanics work correctly were just offline. Our engineers have repaired it and were confident that everything would work as it had done before. However..." Cade dipped his chin toward the window, one eyebrow cocked. The creature was going by again. A long whale-like creature that shimmered in the darkness of the space outside it. But it wasn't a whale, or a space whale for that matter it looked exceptionally worse, with teeth overlapping the jaws and it seemed to be zeroing itself on the station alarmingly. Concern suddenly jostled the Colonel. A single blood red eye the size of a large table appeared. Their reflections gleamed deep within the pupil as if a shiny highly glossed mirror. Suddenly, the mouth reversed and slammed against the window. The area rocked, its occupants stumbling for balance. The monster swam away as if startled, though they could still see its massive form in the distance. Kruger touched the glass where a small crack was created. Worry seeped into Cade's face, "This is a bigger problem then I thought." Roberts was angry and snapped, "Bigger problem doctor? That’s putting it mildly." Kruger looked at her and she snapped out, "Turn those conditioners off until we figure out what to do about our resident monster." Cade looked at her and asked, "And what do YOU plan to do about it Colonel?" Roberts frowned and replied, "Right now, nothing. I have two teams of units out there on those worlds and they get my top priority for the moment. When Barnes and Rupert report back in with whatever they find - then we will sit down and discuss what to do with this problem. In the meantime fix that window before it breaks and sucks everything in this section out into space along with you. Just keep me appraised if that thing comes back." "And what are you going to do now?" asked Cade "Doc, I am going to go back to bed and get some sleep. I am too tired to be of help to

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anyone right now. I have been up for 38 hours straight. Sleep first. Food next, then any problems. If you need me, you know where to find me." With that she turned and stalked away back the way they had come and took the lift back up to her quarters. Inside the lift she grumbled, "Nothing like a monster to make life more interesting." Yawning she entered her quarters but never bothered to take her boots off and crashed down onto her bed, instantly asleep, with only one thought that had entered her mind before darkness overtook it..... "How were the away teams doing?" ...........

CHAPTER 4 Lt.Roman Black led his team north as Rupert followed the path to the east. They had come through the Gate on this new world ready for anything. Black had been a part of the unit designated SG-16 which had patrolled the Gate onPX7765. He had all but retired when Jack O'Neil had contacted him concerning the mission to Andromeda. In truth, Roman had grown tired of hopping from one planet to another righting the wrongs of the Go’auld. He had decided to return home to Jeanny and the kids for some type of normal life. Problem was the normal life Jeanny wanted didn't include him. He received the news via a three page Dear John letter. His wife had moved out children and all and taken up residence with her new "girlfriend". This fact had sent Roman crawling into a bottle and it had been O'Neil's intervention that had saved him. Jack had sat with him as he dried out quitting cold turkey. He was four month's sober and living day by day. The new assignment was good for him, the fact that it was a ten year assignment with not a drop of booze anywhere did not hurt either. "Lieutenant!, there’s something up ahead you need to see", Pvt.Waters told him. Roman double timed it to Waters position and looked towards where the young man pointed. Standing in a clearing was a large tower that resembled a Mayan temple. Of

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course Black wasn't an expert in archaeology. That distinction fell to Dr.Franklin and she was with Rupert and his team. "Get the Boss on the horn and tell him what we've discovered”, ordered Black. Roman scanned the clearing with his binoculars for any other objects or signs of life. So far they hadn't even encountered so much as a mosquito. Which was unusual especially since it was so damned hot outside. "Sir, I can't raise Lt.Rupert's team, there’s some kind of interference”, Waters reported. "Starnes, Bennet stay here with Waters/ Nolan you're with me”, Black ordered. The two of them headed off in the direction of Rupert’s team. They reached their location in just over fifteen minutes. Roman saw Dr.Franklin first, or at least her upper torso. It hung about ten feet off the ground with a most unpleasant expression on her face. Lt.Black turned around at the sound of Nolan puking his guts out behind him. Pressing his earmic he called for Waters and the others to approach heir location and to use caution. Once they arrived, Black had them search the area for the rest of the team. When they could not be located Lt.Black activated the SatComm in order to inform Colonel Roberts of their situation. ==Planet surface=== Roman double timed it to Waters position and looked towards where the young man pointed. Standing in a clearing was a large tower that resembled a Mayan temple. Of course Black wasn't an expert in archaeology. That distinction fell to Dr.Franklin and she was with Rupert and his team. "Get the Boss on the horn and tell him what we've discovered", ordered Black. Roman scanned the clearing with his binoculars for any other objects or signs of life. So far they hadn't even encountered so much as a mosquito. Which was unusual especially since it was so damned hot outside. "Sir, I can't raise Lt.Rupert's team, there’s some kind of interference”, Waters reported. "Starnes, Bennet stay here with Waters/ Nolan you're with me”, Black ordered. The two of them headed off in the direction of Rupert’s team. They reached their location in just over fifteen minutes. Roman saw Dr.Franklin first, or at least her upper torso. It hung about ten feet off the ground with a most unpleasant _expression on her face. Lt.Black turned around at the sound of Nolan puking his guts out behind him.

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Pressing his earmic he called for Waters and the others to approach their location and to use caution. Once they arrived, Black had them search the area for the rest of the team. When they could not be located Lt.Black activated the SatComm in order to inform Col Roberts of their situation... ** There was nothing but static on the line. Waters tried again but was unsuccessful, he looked to Black and shrugged. "Keep trying”, Black said as he checked his watch. The Stargate was on a timer and would not reactivate for another four hours. Black told Nolan and Starnes to set up a defense perimeter and keep an eye out for Rupert’s team. "And for pete's sake someone get Dr.Franklin remains down”. Black ordered. He felt the pangs of thirst wash over him so strong that he nearly doubled over. "No booze for you my friend”, he told himself as he unhooked his canteen and took a drink of cool water. "What the hell happened here?”, he asked no one in particular. Intel had reported no signs of hostile life on the planet. At least nothing close to this region of the planet. "Lieutenant, I 've found something”, Nolan said over his mike. "What ya' got Private?”, Black asked. "I have Lt.Rupert's Tags Sir”, Nolan replied. Black told him to wait and that he'd be right there. Ten minutes later, Black entered the area and approached Nolan. He took Ruperts dog tags and held them up to read. They had smudges of blood on them and Black looked around for any signs of a body. "We looked Sir, nothing. It just doesn't make sense there's no sign of a struggle or even footprints leading away from the scene”, Nolan said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Uh,…where's Starnes?" Black asked. "He's over..."Nolan began to say.

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"He was just over there a few minutes ago Sir”, replied Nolan . The soldier was becoming more confused by the second. Lt.Black contacted Waters and found that there was still no word from Colonel. Roberts. "Keep trying Buck, we’re going to do a little reconn", Black said before closing the signal and heading off to find Starnes...

CHAPTER 5 Opening the base stargate, she turned to Allan and growled, "As soon as we go through that gate, close the Iris. If you don't get my CPU signal with the code we discussed, do not open it. I gave the Major a different code, just to be safe." Allan nodded and then as an afterthought said, "Be safe Colonel." She smiled and nodded turning round and walked over to the wormhole shimmering in front of her, she raised her rifle eyelevel ready for anything and stepped through it. ** Arriving on the new world she stepped out and found a dead body of one of the away team members she had sent in. He looked like someone had cut him in half. She signalled her team and they all dropped. Weapons aimed in all directions. Using her coms attached to her ear she whispered, "This is Colonel Roberts to the away teams. Can anyone hear me?" There was silence for a second and then she snapped out, "Lieutenant Rupert?" Nothing. "Lieutenant Black?"... Roman stood in the clearing next to Nolan and there was no sign of Starnes anywhere.

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He was just about to call Pvt.Waters when his earpiece crackled and he heard the voice of Col.Roberts. "This is Lt. Black, Colonel is that you?, he asked. Andrea sighed a breath of relief at hearing his voice and she said quickly, "Where is Lt. Rupert?" Roman had been regretting that question because he knew he did not have the answer. "The Lieutenant and his team have vanished Ma'am. We found the remains of Dr.Franklin at least part of her remains. Also Lt.Rupert’s Dog Tags but nothing else.” Andrea asked, "How long ago did you hear from him or his team?" Lt.Black checked his watch and told her that it had been nearly three hours since last contact. Her next question was obvious, "Where are you in relation to the planet’s Gate?" "About four clicks north of your position", Lt. Roman Black replied. She muttered, "Oh swell. Can you and your team get to the Gate now or is there a problem?" "We've lost Pvt.Starnes and are in the process of searching for him", Black replied. Just then there was a strangled noise to her right and spinning round watched in shock as a member of her own away team seemed to vanish into thin air. She opened fire in a semi-circle around the gate and her unit joined in. When she stopped firing, and ordered the others to cease, she looked at the surrounding area and was satisfied to see a number of beings, odd-looking humanoids though, lying everywhere. She walked across and turned it over and looked at it. It was dressed in camouflage gear and its hair was a silvery white, on its chest was a round circular black disc and it was intermittently glowing. Some kind of device probably to cloak its wearer. "Shades of Star Trek" she thought grimly. She and her team noted that the rest of the bodies looked roughly the same; all had this long silvery white hair. Some looked female and the rest were male. All wore the disc in the centre of its chest. And all carried some kind of thin-looking steel whip. She frowned deeply and bent down retrieving one. She held it up to eye-level and examined it better. It was a "whip" but razor sharp. Probably used to slice up her away teams. She growled out, "Collect all their weapons and take one of the dead bodies back to the doc and get him to do an autopsy she instructed to Staff Sergeant MacGuiness. She saw him nod and begin organizing the evac and search. She contacted Roman and told him how to get back to her.

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Just then.... a soldier called to her..."Sir, one of them is alive." She smiled and looking at MacGuiness said, "Take that one under guard back to base and I want a level 6 force field in place." He nodded. She waited patiently for Roman to arrive. Lt. Black had heard everything that had just happened over the comm. link. As had Pvt.Waters who was just over the south ridge at base camp. Black told Waters to pack up and take the remainder of the team back to the Stargate. "Nolan and I are going to look for Starnes and then head back to the Gate. Tell the Colonel what we're doing and that we should be back soon", Black said over his radio. Both Nolan and Black pressed on until they reached a meadow full of what Black could only guess were wild flowers. Although they did not look like anything he had ever seen before. "Remember Nolan, the Colonel and her team encountered hostiles that seemed to be under some type of cloak". Warned Black. "Gee what are we dealing with LT, Romulans?", laughed Nolan. Black could not help but laugh himself as the two continued on through the meadow. It was then that Black saw it, a shimmer off to his right. Evidently, Nolan had seen it as well as both men dropped to the ground and opened fire. Roman watched in shock as his bullets bounced off of their target causing it's cloak to ripple with the effect. Tearing a grenade from his belt Nolan tossed in towards where the apparition was heading. The ground erupted as the frag grenade went off causing the "electronics" in the cloak to fail. What stood before them was a man of at least six feet five inches tall with jet black shoulder length hair with blue eyes the color of the ocean. There was a red disk attached to a chest plate and it carried a weapon unlike anything that Black had ever seen. The being smiled at both of them then disappeared into solid rock. By the time Nolan and Black had reached the rock wall there was no sign of the "man". Lt.Black placed his hand against the wall and found it solid and cool to the touch. "Damn peculiar", muttered Roman.

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"Over here!”, Nolan shouted and Black jogged the hundred or so feet to where he was. Lying on the ground was the body of a badly wounded Pvt.Starnes. "Can he be moved?”, Black asked. "Well you're sure as hell not leaving me here!”, Starnes replied. "That’s my boy”, replied Black as he and Nolan lifted him up and carried him back to the Gate. Mindful all the time that their "friend" might be lurking about. When they reached the Gate, Black turned Starnes over to the Medic and went to report what he'd seen to the Colonel. When he described their "friend" he found that he was the polar opposite of the one encountered by the Colonel. "What do you think Ma'am, opposing factions?”, Black asked. Roberts shrugged and replied, “Maybe. But we are not going to hand around and find out. We are going back to base.” ** Roberts watched as the rest of the away team, hers and Blacks returned with her through the Gate. As she entered she snapped, "Allan, close the Gate on that world permanently until we have figured out why the natives are hostile." He nodded. Turning to Black she growled "Lt. Black, since there is no doubt in my mind, we have seen the last of Lt. Rupert and his team, I am promoting you to Major and you are now in charge of the Away teams. Speak to Cross and re-arrange the Marines please. You will also be my XO." Black was a little shocked but replied, “Aye Colonel.” She watched him walk off, then said to Allan, "I am going to see the Doc. Inform me when Cross and Barnes return." He nodded again. ==Galley== Roman sat at a table and finished the last of his sandwich. He had been going over in his mind the chain of events that had transpired once they had arrived on the planet. He checked his watch and saw that the time was drawing near for his debriefing. He placed his dishes into the shoot that led into the kitchen then headed upstairs.

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Black had went to see Cross as the Colonel had suggested but he had not returned from the other planet. "Oh well, I'll hook up with him after the briefing", he thought. Several minutes later he took his seat at the Conference table eagerly awaiting the rest of his fellow Officers to arrive. The strange turn of events had left him second in command. Roman shook his head in disbelief, "at this rate I'll be Lt.Colonel by breakfast", he mused.

CHAPTER 6 Andrea found the sickbay was heavily guarded and was pleased at the precaution. Entering the room she found herself in a huge area which had a sort of cage with what looked like white proton bars shimmering around the persons inside. She didn't even pretend to know what the cage was made of, she had no idea. Walking over to a Guard she motioned for entrance and he pressed a padd in his hand and the "door" shimmered into being. She shook her head thinking the same thought the others had on the planet ~Shades of Star Trek~ "Okay Doc. What gives? What species are we dealing with here?" she asked. "Humanoid, actually Colonel." he replied with a smile. "Crap. Does that being on the table look remotely human to you?" she snapped. He grinned and replied, "Not from his appearance – but physiologically speaking, he is the same inside, with a few differences." Roberts frowned. "And....he is wearing a sort of disguise. For what reason - only he can tell us, when he wakes up." the doc demonstrated by removing the synthetic faceplate attached to the face of the being.

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Andrea rubbed her nose in consternation as the face of a good looking male humanoid appeared, however he did have two thin scars running down the left side of his face. From an earlier conflict maybe? She surmised. "Okay - fine, but how do you explain the fact that all of them were sporting long white hair?" she replied looking at him expectantly. He shrugged and replied, "I checked their DNA, and I think the fact that the planets are so close to each other and not orbiting the suns too close may account for their lack of hair colorings. Plus I get the impression these guys might spend a lot of time underground someplace." He picked up the prone male's hand and turned it around to show Andrea the rough hands, saying, "This one seems to spend a long time either digging or working rock." She looked at the male thoughtfully and said, "That explains why we didn't find them quick enough. They probably have a cave or something elsewhere. Interesting piece of information. Thanks Doc. Call me when he awakens I want to question him further." ** A few hours later the Doctor called her down to see his patient who was now awake. There was still no response from Cross-or Barnes and she was beginning to get worried about them. Entering the sickbay, she was let into the cell and confronted her new prisoner. The pair eyed each other for about 10 minutes without speaking a word. Then Roberts asked, "May I ask who you are and what your problem is against world travellers?" The being looked at her and scowled and snapped, "You are Others." It was a statement. She shook her head slightly and asked, "What or who are Others?" He frowned and replied, "You are not Gems?" She shook her head and replied, "Nope. We are Gate travellers and are exploring this Galaxy." He paled and said, "You are the Others?" Roberts looked at him thinking, ~Oh boy, this looks like its going to be a long day again! ~

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"What are Others?" she asked He looked at her and replied, "The Others. Those who come from the Gateway and harvest us." She stared at him in shock. "Harvest you! NO. We are not the Others as you put it and we are not Gems either, whoever they are. Who are these Others? And how long have they been attacking your people?" He seemed to visibly relax and for the first time he smiled, much to her astonishment, it was a warm and sincere smile. He replied, "For thousands of years, the Others have come to our world through the Gateway and selected our peoples for harvesting. They look like you with colored hair. They use the weapon you took off me and slice us up for harvesting. We fought back and developed the screen to hide ourselves and took away their weapons so they may know we will do the harvesting next time. We have waited patiently for their return and you came though the gateway." Understanding crept along Andrea's face. "Ah...then I understand. You were protecting yourselves against your enemy. But we are not your enemy. One of my officers said he saw another like you but he had a Red disc on his chest." The male nodded and replied, "I believe they are Gems. There are two factions, even though we do not fight them, they are scientists and we are the warriors. We thought you were Gems because of late they have been taking us – we are Saggi, I think for experiments and though we have sent a delegation to ask them to stop their selections, they are still doing it. They are not armed with weapons, so they cannot hurt us, but it is becoming very clear that they are not going to stop. Your arrival will undoubtedly cause consternation amongst all the people. Your weapons are not the same and are inferior to the Others but still worthy of killing us." Andrea groaned inwardly. The Saggi was confusing her. Just then a Marine came up and saluted Andrea through the cell and said, "Sir, Lt. Barnes and Sgt Cross are on their way back." She nodded and said, "Tell them I want to see them in the briefing room as soon as they have showered and changed." He nodded. The male looked at her when she turned to face him and he asked, "You are the Leader?" She smiled and replied, "Yes." He nodded and said, "We do not have any female leaders." She smiled and then asked, "What is your name?"

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"Temple. I am called Temple. I keep the keys to the old city." He replied. Roberts looked at him and then asked, "Old city?" Temple smiled and replied, "Through the gate to the world opposite is the old city. A long time ago the old city was occupied by my ancestors, they built a station orbiting our worlds, to keep us safe from those who would kill us. They linked the station with the old city and gave it a protective shield when it was needed. Then the Others came and they attacked the station first and destroyed the shield. Then they attacked the old city. Our Ancestors left the station through the gateway and the ones left in the old city moved to the other planet and we hid under the grounds to prevent any more captures. My family ancestors locked down the old city and for a Thousand years we have kept the keys. Nobody can access the old city records or special places and palaces without my keys." Andrea smiled and said, "My name is Andrea Roberts. I am the Gatekeeper for the station, which you are on. It’s orbiting both worlds. Your ancestors were my ancestors and we have returned." It was not exactly the truth but she wasn't going to tell him that. "You are one of the Ancients?" he asked in awe. Roberts nodded. He gasped and then asked, "Have you come to restore us to the old world?" Roberts thought about it a second and then replied, "In a manner of speaking, but first we have to restore the shield generator that protected your old city first. When that is done, you may return." He laughed delightedly and then he asked, "My cloaking disc, where is it?" Andrea frowned and asked, "Why do you need it?" He replied with a grin, "It has the keys to the old city embedded into it. My hand on the disc will release the keys." Roberts looked over at the doctor and he smiled and went out the cell door to collect the disc. Roberts told the marine to lower the cell shield. The doctor returned and the pair of them watched as Temple placed his hand over the dull black disc and it clicked. A secret chamber opened revealing 6 thin silver square discs with ancient scrolls on them. He took them out and handed them to Roberts saying, "These are my keys. I am entrusting them to the Gatekeeper." Andrea was touched at his honest trust and taking them she said, "Thank you."

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Looking down at the ancient text, she read them. Temple watched her knowing only that an Ancient could read the ancient text. He was satisfied that he had found the correct person. She led him out of the cell and took him to some quarters and showed him where he could change his clothes, which were blood stained, and then took him to the mess where he could get something to eat. At first he was perplexed at the items available and asked a lot of questions about what it was he was eating. Eventually after sampling a variety of different foods and eaten his fill - she took him on a tour of the station. He was surprised and shocked and interested all at the same time. Eventually they made their way to the Gateroom. He turned to her and asked, "May I stay here and learn from the ancients, ….you?" Andrea grinned and replied, "First lets contact your people and make peace. Then we will talk about it. Come I have a briefing I need to attend, you may as well sit in as it concerns you and your people as well." She led him into a room that had several open doors to it. Already there was Cross, Barnes and Black, Doctor Vargo, Allan and MacGuiness. She said to everyone, Gentlemen, our guest's name is Temple. He is one of the natives of the world you explored Major Black. He and his people were original inhabitants of the world you explored Mr. Barnes. In fact their ancestors built this station." Temple bowed slightly at the waist. He sat down opposite Roberts.

CHAPTER 7 Cross stepped through the Gate and into something he couldn't comprehend. A huge ...no....a vast city spread out in front of him. More modern then he had ever seen in his life. He heard the murmurs of awe behind him and understood. Exactly what he felt.

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Finally he said, "Okay ladies, fan out and see if we can locate this Barnes guy and his unit. Fall out." The eleven of them chose a direction and began a hunt for the missing Marines. The going was not easy. Too many probable hiding places and nooks to explore. That the place was a ghost town was fairly obvious. Other then the twittering of birds and insects, nothing else seemed to live there. A voice on his RT said "Sarge, this place gives me the creeps. Are you sure we are in the right place?" He growled, "Taylor, get off the com and keep looking. That unit has to be somewhere around here." It took 4 hours of looking before Cross found the men he was searching for and coordinated with his own unit to rendezvous with him. Barnes did not look at all enthusiastic that the Colonel had sent in a search party. He wanted to know why and when he heard that his earmic was hours overdue at least he had the sheepish look ready to agree that he had lost track of time and had forgotten to check in. Cross agreed with him. The place, though spooky because no one lived in it still made a great place to explore. The 18 men and two women went back through the gate to the station. Both he and Barnes heard from Gunny Allan that their presence was requested when they had showered and changed, in the briefing room. ** Cross watched as the Colonel brought in a very strange looking humanoid and introduced him as one of the natives of the other planet. He had heard what had happened and wished he had been there, instead of looking for Barnes. He looked across at Black and waited to hear the whole story. ** Barnes looked sheepish and glanced around the room, swallowing he coughed to clear his throat. "The reason it took me so long is quite simple ma'am. I got carried away and lost track of time. As to what I found, well not much. A few ruins. Some fewer then 2000 years ago. Others are just crumbling walls. What ever civilisation there was in no longer there or at least I could find no evidence of it." **

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Andrea looked at Black and said, "Okay, you start from the beginning Major and explain what you found and your conclusions. Then Barnes you give us your version of events and why it is that it took you this long to report back in." Roman took a deep breath and started from the beginning... He told of how when they went through the Gate everything seemed normal to them. "The recon done by the "Geek" had determined that there was no life on continent that we were on so Lt.Rupert’s had decided to split into teams and begin exploring" ,he told them. Black then told them about the giant Obelisk that appeared to be similar to Mayan Temples on Earth. "It was then that I tried to contact Lt.Rupert’s team to let them know what we had discovered. When we could not reach them I, along with Privates Nolan and Starnes went to investigate. That's when we found the remains of Dr.Franklin". Black also told them of finding Lt.Rupert’s bloody dog tags in a clearing about a mile away from Franklin's remains. "I then set Pvt.Waters to trying to establish contact with the Colonel but our signal was somehow being jammed", Black stated shooting a glance at Temple. Black then told of how they lost Pvt.Starnes and of the man that resembled Temple except for the blue disk on his chest plate and the fact that his hair was jet black instead of white. He also told of how the man seemed to just be observing them and then disappeared into solid rock. "I talked with Starnes in the Infirmary, Colonel and he says that something resembling a winged Gorilla attacked him while the "red disk" watched as if he were studying a Laboratory experiment", Black said in conclusion. He then turned his attention to Barnes. Roman was eager to hear what it was like to discover an ancient city... ** Roberts looked at the men explaining their actions and then she sighed softly to herself. She looked at the man called temple and said quietly, "Temple, please tell my staff what you told me in the sickbay." Temple bowed his head slightly and replied, ""For thousands of years, the Others have come to our world through the Gateway and selected our peoples for harvesting. They look like you with colored hair. They use the weapon you took off me and slice us up for harvesting. We fought back and developed the screen to hide ourselves and took away their weapons so they may know we will do the harvesting next time. We have waited patiently for their return and you came though the gateway. There are two factions, even though we do not fight them, One lot are scientists and we are the

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warriors. We thought you were Gems because of late they have been taking us. We are Saggi and using us I think for experiments and though we have sent a delegation to ask them to stop their selections, they are still doing it. They are not armed with weapons, so they cannot hurt us, but it is becoming very clear that they are not going to stop. Your arrival will undoubtedly cause consternation amongst all the people. Your weapons are not the same and are inferior to the Others but still worthy of killing us. Through the gate to the world opposite is the old city. A long time ago the old city was occupied by my ancestors, they built a station orbiting our worlds, to keep us safe from those who would kill us. They linked the station with the old city and gave it a protective shield when it was needed. Then the Others came and they attacked the station first and destroyed the shield. Then they attacked the old city. Our Ancestors left the station through the gateway and the ones left in the old city moved to the other planet and we hid under the grounds to prevent any more captures. My family ancestors locked down the old city and for a Thousand years we have kept the keys. Nobody can access the old city records or special places and palaces without my keys." Andrea smiled and then said, "Thankyou Temple." Turning to her team members she said, "Right. I am assigning Major Black and Lt. Barnes to organize another away team back to the old city where Temple will take you to where the old generator was in the city. I need an engineering staff to go check out the damage. That would be you Doctor Vargo. We need that generator up and running. In the meantime, Lt. Cross, you will assist myself and Professor Richards to find the other generator here and see if we can't repair it and link the two up. Lt. Barnes, your assignment is to check out armouries and medical. Major Black you are to assist Doctor Vargo and Temple and report back any progress or lack there of." She looked around the room, "Any questions?" Nobody had any. "Right then, you can all get going in the morning. As of right now, we have had enough excitement for the day, so you have the rest of it off. I suggest all have some sleep. You can all start fresh again tomorrow. Temple, I have assigned you quarters, if you get lost getting there, ask anyone where Deck 6 is and Room B1. I will talk to you all again just before you leave. Dismissed." She got up and left the room. Temple followed her out and left the men in the room to get on with the rest of their day. ** Colonel Roberts found a personnel jacket on her desk for an officer she had not met. Sighing in frustration she checked out the details and then said into her ear com : "Major Black you have a new exec, a Lt. Rico Bennett. Get a hold of him and assign him duties please." “Yes Ma’am” came his reply, “Do you have any details about him?”

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Roberts paused and replied, "Seems to be the best man for the job so far Major. Personality wise I have no idea. Apparently on his jacket he is special ops. I need eyes down there and he has the skills to keep you still breathing. Anyway he's all yours. We don't need to treat him like the proverbial Star Trek characters that Kirk killed religiously." Black chortled, “Any in particular Ma’am?” Andrea laughed and replied, "Captain Kirk's red-shirted security men, Major." Black replied, “Been watching too many Star Trek re-runs Colonel.” Roberts smirked and replied, "Yes I watched too much Star Trek, but heck I have always loved Sci-Fi anyway, even if currently we are living it here in Andromeda. If I make a reference to the show, its because I have been assimilating the various aspects of what we are doing out here with it. And I see you also watch. Did you know Colonel O'Neil at Gate Command is a HUGE fan of Trek? I sometimes sat and watched re-runs with him because it was hugely funny listening to him explain it to Teal'c. Anyway Major, you have a good evening and I will see you and your teams in the Gateroom at 09h00 tomorrow morning." Black agreed. Roberts smiled sadly at the thought of not watching re-runs with O'Neil. Those had been fun days. Never mind she had brought a mountain of DVD's of shows she would miss, she would watch them on her Laptop from time to time. Sighing she yawned and made her way to her own bed, sat down and removed her boots, tossing them into the corner of the room, then wriggled her toes because they felt stiff. She reached up and removed the elastic holding up her mane of hair and let it drop down her back. Reaching around to her bedside table she retrieved her brush and brushed her hair thinking about what the next day would bring. She rubbed her eyes. It had again been a long day. Looking across at the clock at her nightstand it read 23h09. She groaned, yes a LONG day, considering she had been up since 04h00 in the morning. She removed her clothes and got into a pair of civvy shorts and grey flannel vest and then got into the warm bed. Nicely heated via the base inter-warming system. When she had first arrived she was amazed to discover a variety of new technological ideas interwoven throughout the entire station. The best one being the automatic bed warmer. It was much better then getting into a cold bed and then trying to get some sleep. She smiled and closed her eyes. Asleep in seconds. A incessant bleeping woke her two hours later and bleary eyed she reached over to her com unit on the stand near her bed and growled, "What?" Allan replied, "Dr.Vargo says to let you know the creature is back Sir."

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Andrea smiled coldly and replied, "Tell him to take himself outside the station and feed himself to it. I don't care. I am tired and the next person who interrupts my sleep again I will toss out an airlock. Understand Mr. Allan?" Allan chuckled and replied, "Aye Sir. Goodnight Sir. I will wake you at 08h00 as requested." Andrea didn't bother replying. She turned over and went back to sleep.

CHAPTER 8 Mike Cross stared bleary eyed and almost asleep on his feet. He eventually turned away from the generator he and Vargo had been looking at for the past 11 hours. Like his name he was cross that he had not been assigned to the away teams going back to the planet. Instead he had to "baby" Vargo and find the other generator that twinned the one on the planet. Okay so they had found it and wow.... it didn't work as surmised by all.... now what? Vargo had been excited and had set to work with both him and a scientific team to try and get the thing to even switch on. Finally 11 hours later it still wasn't functioning correctly and privately Sgt Cross didn't think it ever would again. He said to Vargo, "I am going to bed doctor." Vargo looked at him surprised and muttered "NO. You can't we have so much work to do and we almost had it functioning." Cross stared at him and snapped, "IT'S BLOODY 1 AM IN THE MORNING Dr VARGO. I AM TIRED AND I CANNOT SEE A DAMN THING. IF YOU WANT TO STAY HERE AND BE A SLAVE TO THIS PIECE OF JUNK, BE MY GUEST. I AM GOING TO BED. IT WILL STILL BE HERE LATER UNCHANGED." Cross turned and stomped off. He could feel Vargo's eyes on his retreating back. He shrugged it off and went to his quarters. He took his boots off and put them by a chair alongside the rest of his uniform and then fell into the warm confines of his bed. ** 30

===Briefing Room Next Day== Turning to her team members she said, "Right. I am assigning Major Black and Lt. Barnes to organize another away team back to the old city where Temple will take you to where the old generator was in the city". Black scribbled a few notes as the Colonel spoke. The only question he had was to Temple. "Temple, since you are familiar with the City. Would there be any booby traps or defensive mechanisms we might need to be aware of that Lt. Barnes and his team did not encounter?". Temple shook his head. Once the briefing had ended, Roman returned to his quarters to get his gear With the apparent death of Lt.Rupert he knew that he would need a new team XO. He had scanned through the database last night for potential candidates but after an hour hadn't come up with anyone. As fate would have it Colonel Roberts had dropped the perfect man in his lap.... Lt. Bennett. Great. Last night he checked and found Lt.Bennett was housed in C-Section. The Major had headed off to meet his new XO and inform him of his new job. He also felt that if he were going to put his life in the man's hands. The least he could do was look him in the eye and take his measure. Putting his papers in his satchel he grabbed his Cubs Baseball cap and headed for C-Section. *** On his way to C Section, Rico turned down an empty corridor. Approaching him was one of the base guards and major who must've been his new CO. Before Rico could open his mouth the guard pointed his automatic weapon at Rico. In the blink of an eye, the man's weapon hit the floor, a small trickle of blood coming from the back of his hand. When he looked at the wound, Rico got behind him and placed the razor sharp knife at the guard's throat. Leaning forward he whispered to the guard "Tell me you didn't just point that weapon me. Tell me you didn't just attack me without even asking for an ID." The guard started to speak but Rico silenced him with a shush. "I am Lt. Rico Bennett and if you ever see me again you'd better know how to conduct yourself properly. Dismissed." Looking over to the Major Rico could see that it was indeed Major Black. "Sorry for that little display sir. I can assure you that it won't happen again. Lt. Rico Bennett reporting as ordered."

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Black checked the guards’ hand and saw that it was a superficial wound. He told the man to head to the Infirmary and to get it checked out/ He then turned his attention to Lt.Bennett and looked the man up and down. "Lt. Bennett generally, we try not to attack our own personnel around her Lieutenant. If it were not for the fact that you come highly recommended to me by Colonel Roberts. I'd throw you in the Brig for such behavior". Black said sternly. "As it is, we need you for our next mission. You will be filling the position of my new XO and I was coming down to inform you of the good news. However, I think now the position will be a probationary one. You're going to have to prove to me that you are level headed enough to fill the job", Black said evenly. He told the man to get a good night sleep and to be in the Gate room at 0900 the next morning. Bennett replied he would be early. That will be a pleasant surprise Lieutenant", Black said over his shoulder as he headed back to his quarters. "I hope Andrea knows what she's doing”, was the final thought on his mind as the elevator doors slid shut... ** Roberts smiled sadly at the thought of not watching re-runs with O'Neil. Those had been fun days. Never mind she had brought a mountain of DVD's of shows she would miss, she would watch them on her Laptop from time to time. Sighing she yawned and made her way to her own bed, sat down and removed her boots, tossing them into the corner of the room, then wriggled her toes because they felt stiff. She reached up and removed the elastic holding up her mane of hair and let it drop down her back. Reaching around to her bedside table she retrieved her brush and brushed her hair thinking about what the next day would bring.

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CHAPTER 9 Black scribbled a few notes as the Colonel spoke. The only question he had, was to Temple. "Temple, since you are familiar with the City. Would there be any booby traps or defensive mechanisms we might need to be aware of that Lt.Barnes’s and his team did not encounter?". Temple bowed his head slightly and replied "No. But I have not been there in many years. It is possible that the scientists came back to the old city. I am unsure. We will have to be cautious nevertheless." Satisfied, Major Black listened while Barnes made his comments and once the meeting was adjourned left to prep for the next mission. He decided that he and Dr.Vargo would travel light and only take a four-man team. He knew Barnes had a trusted crew and left it to the Lieutenant to assign his own team. Temple sat back and contemplated these beings that had come unexpectedly to his world and promised to restore the old world to his people. He hoped their promises would be fruitful. He couldn't quite stop however the little niggle at the back of his mind about Colonel Roberts. She seemed odd to him as if she were not quite what she said she was. She acted humanoid, but to his mind, she wasn't exactly. Bothered by it - he wondered how he could talk to one of her crewmembers without altering the current state of affairs and put his mind at rest. If she was indeed an Ancient, then she was an all powerful being and he would humbly request her forgiveness for doubting her, however if she was not and an Alien, then he must also alert his people to possible deception. Or maybe she was one of the Others and was here to test him and his loyalty? So many questions and not enough answers. He wished he knew what was going to happen. He lay back on his warm bed and fell asleep. The next morning he was awoken by a security guard. He went to the room's bathroom and for the first time in many years he enjoyed a hot shower. When he came back to the guest room he was surprised to find new clothing had been placed on his 33

bed, including boots. He eagerly put them on. It had been many years also that he had had anything new to wear and in the last two days he had gotten new clothes. It was a rare and special occasion indeed. He was starting to feel a little wretched. He didn't want to go back to his old way of life. He had seen these peoples and how they lived and he wanted what they had. The freedom to choose what to wear, what to eat, when to work, what kind of work, all the choices he had never been given in his lifetime. He wondered if he could once again talk to this Colonel Roberts and beg her to let him stay. He didn't want to go back to what he had been anymore. But time enough later. First he must show her soldiers what they needed. To prove his worthiness in her eyes. Even if she were different. She was the Gatekeeper and their Leader! He must always remember that. He walked through the station until he came to their eating room and entering it found that nobody paid any attention to him. It was as if they had already accepted his presence. Pleased he made his way to where they served the food and chose many items that he did not recognize. Watching as the ones in front of him placed them on a tray, he collected a tray and put his selections on it. Then went to a table and began to sample the fare he had chosen. He was astonished at the variety of foods available and vowed to try them all. Most of the food items he had never seen before and the fruits he sampled were delicious. He thought he had gone to the heavens and quietly ate everything with a smile on his face. When he was done and had sampled what everyone else called "coffee" which he vowed he would drink til he drowned in it, he put away his tray and handed his plates in to their kitchen unit. He made his way to a niche in the wall called a "lift" and told the computer he wanted to go to the Gate control room. In a few minutes the doors opened and he was in the Gateroom. He was earlier then the away teams and he stood around and waited for them instead. Andrea rolled out of bed the next morning. Thankfully nobody else had called for her during the night, so she didn't have to shoot Allan. Showered and changed and getting a quick bite to eat she made her way to the Gateroom and stepped into the overpass that looked down towards the gate and the two units waiting below. She smiled and said, "Good morning gentlemen. You are all ready to lock and load I take it?" Black sent up a smile in reply. She turned her good humor on Allan and said, "Mr. Allan - open the gate and let these gentlemen out to go roam." Allan grinned and replied, "Aye Sir." He signalled in the gate codes and said, "Chevron 1 loading, set. Chevron 2.... set..." The countdown was finished when the last chevron activated the gate and the event horizon zoned into being. The shimmering surface a reminder of the alienness of it. She looked over the side and leaned on the railing saying, "Bye bye gentlemen, play nice and don't upset the natives if you find any, we don't want a repeat of the past few days. And Temple I am holding you responsible for their safety." Temple bowed his head and replied, "Yes Colonel."

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Black looked up and said, “See you in a few hours Colonel.” She watched them all leave and then she turned to Allen and said, "Close the Iris." ** Three hours later, Andrea heard an exclamation over her RT and she said simply, "What is it Sgt Cross?" Cross replied, “Colonel you have to come check what we found. It looks like an entire fleet of shuttles.” "Where?" she asked shocked. “Deck 26, it’s the hanger deck Ma’am.” He replied. "I will be right down." she replied. Excitement bit into her at the thought of what lay in the cut-off darkened part of the station. She had had no access to the lower decks of the station, as they seemed to have been badly damaged ensuring that the main computer had sealed the lower decks off. She had sent off Cross and a few Engineers below to see if there was anyway they could access those decks. The transporter deck deposited her on Deck 26 and she stepped out into it and smiled when she saw the lights come on. She walked down the passageway and found herself at the entranceway to the main hanger decks. It seemed Cross and the engineers had bypassed the security codes and accessed what was needed to open these doors. Standing at the entrance was Cross and four engineers. Cross looked over at her and said, “It’s a little dark Colonel.” She replied, "I can see that Sergeant. Has any of you tried looking for lights, we can't examine this area without lights. Its pitch black in here." Cross replied, “We are working on the problem Ma’am.” She sighed in frustration and stepped through into the Hanger deck and as if by magic, the Hanger was illuminated and the six of them stared at the sight greeting them in shocked awe. She had forgotten that she now had the DNA of the Ancients in her blood, thanks to the main computer. She quietly blessed the mainframe. She finally found her voice and said, "Holy crap. Look at all this stuff. This will take months to figure out." Cross rubbed his hands and replied, “Leave me to it Colonel. I will let you know what I find.”

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She grinned and replied, "Forget it Cross, we will ALL have a look at what new technology is here. I feel like a kid in a candy store. You take the left hand side and I will go right. Mace...you and Nancy come with me, Andrews...you and Lynch go with Cross. Let me know what you find." The three left. She smiled at her engineers and they walked to the first lot on the right hand side of the enormous hanger deck. The hanger was designed to support 8 layers of fighters and shuttles. And the entire Bay housed over 100 fighters and 40 shuttles. Each one slotted into a niche and 8 layers deep from where they stood to the ceiling. She walked over to one of the shuttles and looked for an opening or door. She couldn't find one. Frustrated she put her hand on the back panel and it seemed to shimmer for a second and then it disappeared, she stared at it in awe and then carefully she stepped into the gangway of the shuttle. She sent the others to look at the other shuttles. The doorway shimmered back when she entered it. Walking through the shuttle she came to two seats - pilot and co-pilot. She sat down on the left hand side and looked at the controls. She couldn't understand them exactly and she sighed in frustration saying out loud, "Pity I have no idea what all these symbols mean." As if by magic the symbols changed to English and she was astonished all over again. The panel lit up and the chair she sat in suddenly snapped seat belts onto her. Startled, she watched as the board lit up and the shuttle shook and uncoupled itself off the deck and hovered in its place. She saw through the cockpit windows that the rest of the team had turned to look in shock. She grinned and said, "Since you seem to understand me shuttle, I want a test flight and then to be returned to this hanger." She put her hands on the consol. The shuttle lifted off the deck and moved to the centre of the room, at first she couldn't understand where it was going and then to her astonishment, the area where she could see the rest of her crew shimmered and some kind of force field went up around them. The floor opened like a flower and the shuttle dropped out of the station. Shocked Andrea could only watch what happened next as the shuttle flipped over to the side and then took off into space towards the two planets, it was faster then any fighter she had ever flown, and it flew like a dream, she found her voice and said, "Fly over the city and then to the other side of the planet and then back to the station." The shuttle dived down and flew straight to where Temple's old city lay. She hoped she didn't scare Black's unit when she flew over their heads. She saw them all for a split second before continuing on towards the far side of the planet. She passed old cities, ruins and mountains and plenty of rivers and lakes, a sea and then in seconds they were gone and the shuttle was zooming back to the station. The hanger doors reopened and the shuttle ascended back into it. It then returned back to its slot and reclamped itself back in place. She sat still not wanting to move. Then movement crossed the shuttle and she focused back ahead to find a security unit in place and weapons aimed at her direction. She laughed and then shook her head. The seatbelts clicked back off her lap and she stood up and walked back through the shuttle. The doors shimmered open and she stepped out. She saw a tense looking Sergeant and smiled saying, "What a ride. That was fun." Cross looked at her in envy and asked, “Where did you go Ma’am?”

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She grinned and replied, "I went and scared the pants off Black and then came back here. But it’s fast and will be a great asset to us. What did you find?" Cross looked past her to the shuttle and wished it had been him, but he looked back at her and replied, “Weapons, equipment and other stores, would you like a look?” She followed him to another part of the hanger and found a weapons storage area and a whole variety of equipment and stores. She nodded and said, "Good work. At least we know that the fighters and shuttles work, they will come in handy when or if we need them. You can begin cataloguing everything in the room. I am going back to the trying to fix that Beam Generator." Cross looking chagrined replied, “You sure I can’t try out the shuttle too Ma’am?” She patted his shoulder and left him with the engineers and the rest of his unit. ===Earlier in the Gateroom=== Bennett looked at Major Black at the Gate and said, “Good Morning Sir.” Good morning Lieutenant", replied Black. Black looked towards the entrance and saw the Security team approaching. "Here comes your team Rico, they are fine men and I’m sure that you will find them up for any task you or I put them through. Once the Colonel arrives and gives us our marching orders. I 'll want you to take point and lead us to the city that Lt. Barnes discovered yesterday. Temple illustrated a map of the City drawing from his knowledge and old stories handed down by his people". Black stepped in closer to Rico so that no one else could hear them. "I know that we are supposed to trust Temple but I'm not quite there yet considering there are still some unanswered questions concerning Lt.Rupert's death and the death and or disappearance of his team. Make sure that your people stay alert I don't intend to lose anyone else this week", Black said to him. "Aye sir, myself and 2 others on point and two teams of two on our flanks. We'll use hand signals and silent routine. About Temple, why don't we give him a shadow? We can call it protection but a guard will make it much harder for him to slip away to do anything nasty." Black then gave Lt.Bennett four palm pilots which held the graphics that had been provided by Temple.. “Sir, maybe we might get our own Intel. I'd like to link to the beacon just in case the info on these things doesn't match the real world." Said Bennett looking at Black. 37

Black shot a look to Bennett and found that he was glancing his way as well. The Major had a good feeling that Rico did not feel a great deal of trust for their new "friend" either. "Activate the rover", Black ordered. "Aye Sir”, replied Allen, and they watched as the Rover went through the Iris and rolled onto the surface of the planet. The images it sent back showed to Black at least that both worlds were remarkably similar in appearance. Once the Rover was safely through, Allen initiated the launch of the balloon beacon that would send images back to the Rover and then to the Station via the Gate. "Beacon launched and fully functional", Allen said over speakers. "Okay people, let's move out", Black ordered. Both he and Dr. Vargo waited until Lt.Bennett and his Security team entered the Iris first followed by himself and Dr.Vargo and his assistant.

CHAPTER 10 ===Outside the City==== Major Black looked up at the clear blue sky and felt the warm breeze caress his cleanshaven face. He was glad that he had brought his sunscreen even though with his African and Native American heritage he had found that a lot of the times it wasn't needed. Following the map provided by Temple the SG team made their way to the north ridge, which led to the city. The alien known as Temple was the first to see the city but to be honest what they saw should have been described as a mountain with a City carved into it.

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"Temple, is this the Lost City your records referred to?”, asked Black. Temple nodded. Major Black had to admit that he was in awe of the spectacle. "Jones, activate the "little geek" and relay this image back through the Gate to Andromeda", ordered Black. "All ready on it Sir”, the Sergeant replied. "Talk about your ancient cities", Black said to Vargo. Vargo looked at the major with raised eyebrows and snapped, "As ancient cities go Major Black, it depends on whats inside, as it looks remarkably like the ruins in Egypt, don't you think?" Reaching into his pack, Roman pulled out his handcam and took a few still pictures for his "scrapbook". "Well, we're not going to learn anything standing here let's head on in”, Black said to the group. Looking towards Temple, Major Black said,” welcome to the City of Dreams".. Vargo looked back at the being called Temple and he frowned. Sidling up to the Major he said quietly, "I thought that these guys were human Major? This temple looks remarkably familiar and I know that the Go’auld did not come this far in space. So how did the temples here materialize to look the same?" "An interesting question Doctor. Perhaps one we will be able to answer when you and Kruger get the generator's operational again. Then maybe we can access a few of the City's historical records”, replied Black. "Then again, maybe the Go’auld did make it this far”, he added. Vargo frowned and replied, "I know and that's what worries me. Are they whom they say they are? And if they are, why do I not feel safe as I should be feeling?" "Because you are not a stupid man”, Roman said to him. Even though with his Russian accent Vargo sounded more like Count Dracula than he did a brilliant scientist. The away team continued on until Lt.Bennett gave the signal to halt... As they headed down the path toward the city, Rico stopped in his tracks and held up a fist ( the signal for stop) He knelt down and probed with his knife, placing small sticks in a circular pattern that was as wide as the path. Moving around it he probed the other side till the entire thing was mapped. Quietly, into the radio Major Black 39

asked what Rico had. "Its a pit sir. I can't tell how deep. Sometimes there’s a second trap in the brush around an obvious trap. Everyone should walk around it the way I do." A low hum could be heard high in the sky and as one all eyes turned skywards. Vargo's jaw dropped when he saw a sleek sharply defined ship come flying in low over their heads, it didn't stop but continued onwards. He turned with a frown and looked at Temple. Temple heard the hum and had also looked upwards. A ship! And it looked like the painting on the Ancient Library wall! Had it come because the Gate had been activated? Was it a scout ship of the Others? He trembled in terror. He watched it fly out of sight without stopping. He turned terrified eyes onto Black and said, "Hurry, before it comes back. I will open the doors to the old city but I think we must hide away. If that is a ship belonging to the Other's - we may be in grave danger." "Agreed", replied the Major. "Everyone single file and follow behind Lt.Bennett. One mis-step and who knows what trap will be waiting for you below. They slowly made their way to the entrance of the City. Black now knew that this was merely the gateway to the main city. Turning towards Temple he called the man forward and waited for him to open the ornate stone doors. Temple stood wringing his hands contemplating if he shouldn't just leave these people and go back to his own and warn them of the possibility that the Other's had returned. He turned round and found himself facing a large marine who shook his head and indicated with his head that Temple had to go into the city with them. He sighed in frustration and hurried towards the huge doors housing the city temples. Taking out one of the keys he inserted it into the slot reserved for it and the ancient doors seemed to whirr and click as if trying to remember what function they served. Finally there was an audible click and a huge groaning noise and the doors slowly opened for the first time in over 300 years. The darkness within was paramount and the musty smell came furling out the doors and into the sunshine where the entire away team stood waiting. Dust lay thick on the grounds and sand was everywhere. Temple forgot his terror and with a smile he stepped into the darkness with everyone else. ** Rico and his team were the first ones to enter followed by Temple, Black, Vargo and Dr. Kruger. The fact that the 'scout ship" had appeared from literally nowhere had not escaped 40

Black. Before they had traversed the hillside leading to the gate entrance, Roman had ordered Jones to send word to Andromeda that they might not be as alone as they had earlier believed. He had Jones provide an image of the ship so that Roberts could possibly identify it once they managed to access the rest of the Stations Database. Black activated his MagLite along with everyone else once inside the structure. They appeared to be in a tunnel system of some kind. Reaching out and touching the rock wall Dr.Vargo theorized that they might have been created by using directed lava flow system. Judging from the stone floor to ceiling beams, Black could only agree with him. For Temple's part the "alien" remained eerily silent. It was as if he had just entered the Kingdom of Heaven and did not want to offend God. As they continued on they travelled the winding corridors in a seemingly endless fashion. In everyone’s mind the fact of the scout ship was prevalent maybe even more so for Rico and his men. Roman noticed that the Lieutenant was taking great care as they travelled through the cavern. They continued on for what seemed like hours before coming to yet another opening. Through slits in the doorway the sunshine beamed through and Black could hear the howl of a gentle breeze. Pushing open the gate, Black stepped out into what appeared to be an ancient courtyard. Vargo had been right, the structures did appear to be both Egyptian and Mayan in origin. If it were true that the Go’auld had not travelled this far out into space. Then how was it that Temple's people had mimic'd old Earth in such perfect detail? Looking up Black could see that a vast mountainside surrounded the area. They continued on into the heart of the City until they reached another structure that seemed to match one of the keys that Temple was in possession of. While there still had been no sign of the ship about, everyone was still a little tense. Once they entered the temple, Black would have Rico's team scout the place out and they would set up a Base camp. One thing Roman noticed about this strange new world was that the days were a lot shorter than what he was used to. Where as on earth there were 24 hour days, the average around here seemed to be just 17. Having travelled nearly 12 hours they still were no closer to discovering the City's power source and known of their questions had been answered..... As they continued on they travelled the winding corridors in a seemingly endless fashion. Roman noticed that the Lieutenant was taking great care as they travelled through the cavern. Rico wasn't real happy with the fact that everyone seemed to walk into new areas of the city before they were proved to be secure by his team as though they were safe

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simply because they looked quiet. Rico went to the Major with a concern. "Sir, this building is too big to be secured in time for us to bed down tonight. There is a much smaller building 50 meters away, which looks like it might have been a shop that we could secure in less that half an hour and still keep an eye on this place. It has a good field of fire and should be shaded about half of the day. With your permission, sir, I'll have my team secure it." Rico stood before the temple going over the info on the s given him by the Major. He was trying to find the path to take and he was also trying to anticipate any trouble. One of the men asked, “What’s up Lieutenant?” “I’m waiting for Harrison Ford to come out and check whats happening” he replied “Yeah, it's funny how it looks like that place in Egypt” came the reply Black had Jones provide an image of the ship so that Roberts could possibly identify it once they managed to access the rest of the Stations Database. Andrea grinned when she got the message and sent back a reply that he was not to worry about the ship for the moment.

CHAPTER 11 He opened his eyes and focused. Straining to listen. Who had woken him and why? Surely the owners of the old city had not returned so soon. Or was it that he had slept these many long years in hopes that one-day the Others would return so that he could exact a little revenge. Or was it that the original city builders had finally sent in the sacrifice he had requested? Whatever the reason, someone was in the city again and he felt the pangs of hunger biting deep inside. He stretched first one arm and shoulder to get the cricks out and then he stretched the other. Then he stretched out his leathery wingspans on both sides flat against the wall and yawned wide. His fangs gleaming dully in the shadows of the room he was resting in. Time to feed on whomever was here with him. He smiled coldly in the dark and withdrew his talons out of the roof 42

where he had been hanging for so long. He glided down to the ground below and skimmed the surface sniffing out his intended prey. 20 beings. He almost licked his lips. He would find the one lagging first as humanoids tended to stay together normally. Yet for some reason he couldn't fathom every once in awhile one would lag behind. That would be his first target. Keeping to the ever-enclosed darkness of the room he saw pinpricks of light ahead and knew his targets were approaching. With a silent sweep he rose high in the air and bending his knees he alighted on a niche high in the temple roof and looked down into the courtyard below. Humanoids. But they were dressed differently to the one he noted behind. He recognized that humanoid - a Saggi. Just by the different dress code they wore from the Gems. The Saggi radiated nervousness and he smiled. Maybe this one had brought the others as an offering. If that were the case he would allow the humanoid to keep living. Without the old city dwellers he would have died a long time ago when the Ancients were still here. If the Others had not arrived and harvested the peoples he had protected for generations and killed off his kin and driven away his food supply, he would not have been trapped in the ancient old world. He watched as a strange-garbed humanoid moved back into the temple and he turned softly on his perch to watch as it walked back the way it had come without the others. He dropped off his perch and silently flew down fast until he was almost upon it. He watched the male turn round in shocked horror and then scream in terror. He sighed in relish and his taloned feet shot out and snatched the male and then he reached down and snapped its neck. The male stopped screaming and struggling and he flew off with his prey back to the place he had called home for a long time. He dropped to the ground in his resting place and closed his wings against his back and then taking the male he placed it on the slab of the crypt he stood by. He looked over the humanoid carefully. It wore battledress. Was the world still at war? Strange. He examined his prize carefully and in every detail and then used his hand talons sliced open the shirt of the being after removing its vest and weapons. Strange weapons he thought. Placing his four fingered hands on either side he bent his head down and tasted the flesh of the being. It was like manna from the heavens. It didn't take long to devour the male and strip off the clothing it wore. He picked up a leg bone and licked it clean, then tossed it off to the side with the others. Then he bent and took up the head and looked at the face for awhile. He heard others approaching and he lifted the head and put it onto his belt and spreading his wings he took off deeper into the temple. Back to the furthest end. He was satiated for the time being and he would rest. Later… After the scream is heard from inside the temple Rico yelled the following order “Security team, form a perimeter and keep everyone together. Major….I going back to that last chamber and check where my man is?” Back in the large chamber

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It as quiet . . . Too quiet. Rico could see something on the floor a few meters away but it is too dark to see what it was from there. He knew it was probably stupid to walk out into the open but he needed to know what it was exactly. Moving quietly and listening with every step, Rico made his way to the spot. He found three things, a hat, a canteen and . . . blood, lots of it. Most adolescents have learned the staring trick. Look at the back of someone’s head long enough and you can make them turn. Actually, the turning is a vestige of a survival skill. Rico had the sense to heighten degree. When with the teams, he could always tell when someone was scoping them. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up. Oh shit! And he hit the deck, hard. The move saved his life. The beast missed him and returned to his perch. Seeing a shadow rise in the darkness he asked, "What the hell is that?!" Immediately, he ran to get his back against the wall in a dark quarter. Whatever it was would have to land and walk in. He also pulled the bolt back on his MP4. "Bennett to Major Black", he whispered into his earmic. "Go ahead." "We're not alone. I found some personal items and a lot of blood. Then, whatever it is, tried to get me." "Are you hurt?" "No sir. It sure is a good way to get your heart rate up though." "What does it look like?" "I can’t tell, too dark but it flies and it's about the size of a Cessna. Sir, I suggest you have recon remove everyone to a secure location." "What about you?" "I'm going to do a rear guard thing. We'll see if this sentry has a taste for Teflon bullets."

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CHAPTER 12 Temple walked out into the courtyard with the rest of the Away team and he was just as surprised by the majesty of the whole place. He had never been there before but he knew of its history and wished he had been living during that time. He looked around him and then he got a strange feeling that they were all being watched. Nervous he turned around and looked around him. Finally he raised his eyes up the large wall until he noted a movement near the roof niches and his eyes took in a form he had hoped never to ever see in his lifetime and beyond. A living breathing legend or myth sat staring at them below. He almost screamed in terror and instead it came out a squeak. He couldn't take his eyes off it. He finally said, "We have to leave the city. NOW. Quickly." "What's wrong Temple?!”, Black asked as he grabbed his weapon. Temple swallowed and replied, "Many generations ago. A species arrived on this world from another Galaxy. At first they lived amongst us in peace and harmony and we co-existed before the Ancients came. They also lived well and stayed in the mountainous areas of the cities, even though my ancestors asked them to come into the city. When the Ancients came they built the cover to protect all the planet from warfarring species until the others came and took it down and attacked us. They had come for the other species that had been living with us. These creatures had been their prey and we got in the way. So they killed almost all of them because they dared to run away and hide amongst us. Then the Others turned on us. However some of the creatures escaped the Others and they turned on those of my ancestors that had escaped the harvest and attacked us for not protecting them. We defended ourselves until there was only two left. The last of their kind. We could not destroy the last, so we made a deal with them. Instead of taking the young and the fit, they could have the infirm and the aged passed their prime. We kept to that agreement until the Others returned. We could not protect ourselves from the Others anymore so we left through the Gateway and we had to leave the two behind. That was many generations ago. I have never been here - but in our culture there are drawing and legends of these creatures. I did not believe they still lived because they have no food supply. Until now. I have just seen one in the roof above. If we stay here, we are all going to die."

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Black stared at Temple in amazement.” And you did not think to tell us this back on the Station? My God man that is the whole purpose of a debriefing”, the Major nearly spat. Of course then he remembered that until a few days ago, Temple had probably never been a part of a debriefing. "Rico! ,send one of your men back to the Gate and have him relay this news back to the Colonel. He can use the Rover's SatComm to relay the Colonel's response back to us”, ordered Black. Everyone watched as the soldier took off back into the temple to go back to the Gate. They stayed outside in the light because of Temple's warning. A few minutes later everyone heard the terrified screaming and then it abruptly cut off. Black looked to Vargo and told him to gather up his things.” We may have to leave in a hurry”, he told the Russian. "Temple, is there anything else you have neglected to tell us about this City?”, Black asked approaching the man Temple put his hands on his face. He had forgotten the legends and now these people from the Ancients were going to die because of him. He wished the creature had taken him instead.

CHAPTER 13

Barnes sipped from his camel pack and wiped his head. Walking down the corridor, he knew his other team members where doing the same thing, "Barnes to Sgt Ashton. Anything?" Ashton tapped his comm.’s unit, "Nothing sir. Just empty rooms and dust." Barnes nodded although no one could see him. "Okay carry on your level." Barnes pushed at the door in front of him and watched as it slowly opened. Scanning the room he

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stepped in, looking around he sensed something and looking at the wall, near the door he looked for the lighting unit, finding none he stood still and allowed his senses to flow around him. Looking down from the corner of the room, she watched as the skin walked into the room, sitting there she watched as he looked for the light switch,, laughing she watched as he stopped and looked around the room, staring she saw his energy flow around him, "Interesting. He has the sense to allow himself to know whats going on" Lowering herself closer she watched his face and his closed eyes, drawing a deep breath, she tasted him. "Very interesting." Barnes opened his eyes and left the room, stopping at the door he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else in the room. Walking to his left he headed for the lift down to the next level. "Barnes to control, deck 32 is clear. Proceeding to deck 33." Barnes waited until the door closed and sighed, "Another bloody bust. I'd rather be on a planet killing things." As the lift door opened he walked out onto deck 33. Following the skin, she tasted the scent of his energy, it made her hungry, feeling the saliva flow in her mouth she approached the male and made ready to feast. Stopping behind the male as he stopped she made ready to sate her hunger. Barnes stopped and paused turning round he caught movement out the corner of his eye. Stopping he smiled, walking forward he slowly cocked his weapon and spun round firing a burst into the corridor behind him. Seeing the wall behind him, shimmer as his rounds struck something. Walking back he waited for, something he did not know what. Raising the weapon again he tapped his earmic, "Barnes to control, check out life sign's on deck 33, there should only be me here, but something else is down here with me." Kamal ran his fingers over the board, "Sir, there's nothing else down there." Barnes shook his head, "Err I thing you'll find there is something." Barnes fired again and watched as the thing he was firing at appeared and dropped to the floor, "Correction control, theres nothing in here now. It's dead. Send a team down to collect it and identify it. "

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CHAPTER 14 It sensed the others coming down the passage after it and reached down to fondle the head of the humanoid on its belt. Such strange creatures humanoids. So fragile. So delicious. He kept on flying down the long dark mountain tunnel until he could not hear the humanoids coming any longer. He burst out the other end and soared high up into the sky, then glided in the winds and looked down at the temple far below. He noted the stargate had been activated and there were humanoids gathered there. He sighed and thought. THEY were coming back, but maybe he had overstayed his welcome. Maybe it was time to find the OTHERS and wring a little vengeance of his own. He wondered in some ways if the Others would ever have remembered the species they had almost made extinct and then his thoughts went to his mate. Had she escaped? He hoped so. She had been with young and she needed nourishment to survive the cull. He watched the humanoids go through the gate and waited til they had left. He did not see some behind him or the Saggi closing the doors of the temple. All he had eyes for was the stargate. He flew down and landed on his taloned feet and made his way to the HoD. Using a talon he pressed in the long ago co-ordinates he had remembered when he had first come there. So many hundreds of years back. He felt old. The Gate opened and he looked back at the world he had come to. It was time to leave before he joined his ancestors. He saw movement and startled saw humanoids running towards him. Without further ado he removed the humanoid head on his belt and laid it gently down on the ground. He bid it goodbye, turned to the others and raised his taloned hand in farewell and stepped through the gate. ** Sgt Lucas got to the gate just as the creature left through it. He ran to the HoD and memorized the code before it disappeared. Taking out a pad he jotted them down quickly and waited for Bennett and Black to arrive. Some of the other marines and Vargo had gone back through the gate to the Station. He looked at the Major and handed him the co-ordinates he had written, then turned a scowl on Temple. He hadn't trusted the guy in the first place now it looked like he was right. "Temple, is there anything else you have neglected to tell us about your City?”, Black asked the man

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Temple shook his head and replied, "No. Only that it might try to escape. You see, they were a highly evolved species. I think at one stage those that had made them were part of the original Gate builders." Temple knew that piece of information would be like a bomb going off to these humanoids. But it was unavoidable. He wondered what had happened to the female of the species? Temple looked uncomfortable and replied, "The creatures were designed as the perfect weapon by their designers, the Others. When they could not be used to kill, they were used for food and the Others hunted them for sport. But something happened to their DNA and they evolved rapidly into thinking beings instead of animals. I think what happened is that this one was hungry and your warrior was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a very dangerous creature and has no compassion for other species but itself." Vargo and company left. Leaving behind Temple, Bennett and Black to bring up the rear. As they turned to go back to the gate, Temple stared at the creature standing before the Gate. He shivered in horror. It was worse then he had ever imagined anything to look. It stood just under 10 feet in height, was brown and black in coloring, except for grey wings like that of a bat. It stood on its talons, which were black, thick and long. It had a short tail like that of a rodent. It's trunk was almost humanoid excepting for the fur covering its body. Both of its arms sported some kind of metal bracelets. When it turned to face them, Temple could see that it wore a sort of gold metal sash and belt. And its face looked wolf like with long fangs. It had seen them and had raised its hand in some kind of farewell. Temple was tempted to wave to it and hope it left to scare some other peoples far away. He watched it stoop and put something on the step and then step through the gateway. The gate closed. A soldier standing beside Temple ran towards the closed gate. ** Black swallowed the lump in his throat as he took in the Creature standing before the Gate. The creature reminded him of a thing he had seen on Planet SX1439. The only difference was that on 1439 there had been a small Elf-like creature riding on its shoulders. The Major could not help the image flashing in his mind as one of the Security team ran towards the Gate to retrieve what the Creature had lost. When he returned he show Black what the thing had left behind. It was a Crystal Orb that resembled one of the keys in Temple's collection. Dr.Vargo stepped forward to get a good look at the object and told Black that he was sure that it was part of the Generator that they had been looking for. "I'd swear that one just like it is on board Andromeda”, Vargo said and Kruger agreed with him. Snapping Temple out of his trance, Black asked the Saggi what part of the Temple the Crystal came from. Temple pointed to a place on the map that was in the heart of the City.

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"To far to walk”, Black said to Rico. "We are going to have to go back to the Station and hope that the Rover Units are operational. The last thing I want is for the team to run into that damn thing again with no protection”, Black told Rico. "Perhaps some of the weapons that the Tok'ra provided us with before we arrived might be more useful", Vargo said. Black thought on this for a moment and told Jones to dial the way home. Before Jones reached the obelisk he noticed what the Creature's destination was. "Major!!, that thing is heading for the Saggi home world". Temple stumbled forward and grasped Black's arm in desperation the look of fear in his eyes. "We'll do what we can”, was all that the Major said. Jones then dialled the way home and they each in turn stepped through the Gateway for home.. Once they were back on Andromeda, Black filled Colonel Roberts in on what they had discovered on the planet and where the Creature was headed... ** Temple arrived on the station to pandemonium. Something had breached the station and the humans were setting up defence posts. Startled he wondered what was next. He scratched his neck idly and to his horror a piece of skin flaked off. He looked around and hoped nobody had noticed. Thankfully nobody had. It was very hard trying to keep this humanoid body intact. But it was becoming more and more apparent that it was dying slowly and he would have to let the Scientists know soon that their experiment was not working. This was the 4th body Temple inhabited over the past 200 years. He sighed in frustration. The very essence of a human being was its ability to cope with the harshest conditions. Its survival rate being the highest in all the galaxies that his peoples had ever traversed. He wished he had been born humanoid instead of as an energy matter. Co-existing with the Others had not even been viable. And surrender was not an option. He hoped the Scientists were taking care of their captives, because he would need one of their bodies soon. His own peoples the Saggi had not known how fragile humans were and had unfortunately destroyed some of them when they had come through the gate. Very annoying. At least the humanoid body he inhabited was made of sterner material. But it was old. Thankfully the Ancients had never learned of the dual nature of their species. They had taken them at face value, which in all honesty, Temple thought, was probably their undoing. The Others would never have destroyed his peoples, only their humanoid forms. He tuned away from the people on the station and made his way

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along with Bennett, Barnes, and Black to the conference room where Colonel Roberts was waiting for an update. He liked the Colonel, she was unusual. And he had also noted something strange. She wasn't who she appeared to be either. She was something else entirely. She needed watching to discover her secret.

CHAPTER 15 Ariana stared in consternation as their gate dialled in. She would have heard if Temple was coming back. She stepped back and hid behind the ruins. As she did so the gate opened and the last creature she expected to see stepped through the gate and stood looking around it. She almost whimpered in fright. A Strykerbeast!!!! It did not stop to check out the planet instead it walked over to the HoD and began dialling out another gate key. She watched the codes spin round the gate and stop at the stranger symbols. She had used the gate many times and even she was not familiar with the seven symbols being coded in. The Strykerbeast sniffed the air for a second. It smelled the humanoid, but it had no time to waste. Ariana saw it sniffing and slunk into the shadows more. The Strykerbeast watched the wormhole appear and taking out a padd from its belt it keyed in something and then stepped through the Gateway. It closed behind it leaving a distinctly relieved Ariana behind. She hurried across to the DHD and looked down at the seven symbols before they disappeared. Turning around she ran for home. Just before she got there four beings stepped forwards and she slammed to a stop. The Scientists!! She was in trouble. From deep within she started keening and was soon answered. Within minutes the Scientists were surrounded by the Saggi. The four seemed not to care and they raised their hand as one.

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A senior warrior stepped forwards with a frown and snapped, "What do you want here?" The closer one bowed his head and replied, "We have a problem. We have heard from Temple." "Temple is with the humans on the Ancient Starbase." the warrior replied. The leader nodded and replied, "We know. His humanoid body is deteriorating. We need to transfer our essences to the prisoners you have or we will no longer be able to function. If we become incorporeal - you will be next. Your humanoid bodies are only a few years younger then ours. If we are unable to process the prisoners as we are, we cannot help you and then the Other's will know. They will come back." The Saggi's muttered in alarm. Ariana then spoke up saying, "I saw a Strykerbeast come through the Gate." The Leader frowned and said, "Impossible. They are extinct." Ariana frowned and replied, "I SAW it dial out a gate signal to another gate and leave through it." She described what she had seen. Silence reined as everyone stared at her. She felt uncomfortable and shifted slightly and snapped, "Its true." The Leader finally said, "If that is true then we have less time then we thought. The Others knew that all the Strykerbeasts ended up in the old world. If one is discovered going back to its home world, they will come back here thinking that there are more. We have to prepare to leave this world and seek a new and safer one elsewhere." The Saggi Leader agreed with him. "But what about Temple?" asked Ariana "He knows. I have just sent him the news." replied another Saggi. "And what about the humanoids in the Starbase above?" she asked again. "They are not our concern" snapped the leader, "We are many and need to leave before the Others come. They will have to either go home from whence they came or fight the Others. We cannot fight their battles for them." Ariana nodded and kept quiet whilst the Saggi's made alternative plans for evacuation.

**

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In the meantime Temple was receiving off-world communiqué’s through his implant and getting more alarmed by the minute. He had to go home. Walking through the base he found Major Black conferring with Colonel Roberts. "Excuse me Colonel. I have to go home. May I leave through your Gate?" Roberts looked at him and knew something was up and she frowned, she replied, "No. You know something is wrong. What is it?" Temple stared at her and then shouted out, "YOU ARE NOT HUMAN LIKE THEM." Taken aback she replied, "No, I am not human like them, I am a Tok'ra." She saw Black take an involuntary step backwards and saw the stunned expression on his face. "Tok'ra!", Black said aloud No one had mentioned that Roberts was carrying a Go’auld symbiont before they had left Earth. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?". he asked Roberts annoyed He knew that she could see the distrust in his eyes. However, she did not respond to him but to the being called Temple. She looked at Temple in annoyance and growled, "What has that got to do with what you are hiding......wait a minute.....YOU aren't human either are you?" Temple also stepped backwards in fear this time and he replied, "I am human!" Roberts frowned and growled, "NO. You are not. You appear human, and my medical staff took scans of you, but I can sense you are something else." She stepped forwards towards him. Temple saw that he had no choice. He shoved the Colonel hard into the Major and the pair of them fell backwards and onto the floor together. Temple ran. He didn't know where he was going but he had to get away from these creatures. Roberts pushed herself off Black and snapped into her ear mic, "This is a priority one alert. We have an intruder. He is masquerading as the alien being called Temple. Apprehend with extreme caution. Alive if possible. All security to go deck by deck.." She looked up at Sgt Allen who grimaced but knew what she wanted and he closed the Iris on the Gate to prevent Temple leaving through it. He put on a code. Then reached under his desk and picked out two Laser rifles and tossed one to the Colonel, who caught it. She turned to Black and said, "You coming?"

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"Wouldn't miss this for the world”, Black replied. The three left the Gateroom after a security squad arrived to lock it down. He took the Go’auld handgun that Allan offered him and fell into step behind Roberts. The three left the Gateroom after a security squad arrived to lock it down. In his earpiece, Black heard Rico announce that his team was searching Decks 22 through 30. "Roger that Rico, tell your men we want him alive...if possible”, the Major said to him. On Deck 15, Dr.Vargo joined Black, Roberts and Allen- carrying a metal briefcase. Opening it he removed three devices about the size of a palm pilot. "SG-1 used devices similar to these a few years ago when a Go’auld Scientist infiltrated their Base using stealth technology. The alien was trying to steal a blood sample of a young genetically altered girl by the name of Cassandra. Col. O'Neil and his team used these to see through the cloak technology",Vargo explained Black

took

one

of

the

devices

and

handed

the

other

to

Allen.

The four of them then paired off, Black with Roberts and Allan with Vargo. The four began to scan the area for the being known as Temple. He only hoped that he had not tried to go to the lower decks. Barnes and his team were down there and there was no telling what any of them would encounter in that unexplored part of the Station.. ** Temple ran until he came to a section of the Starbase he knew was not occupied. He told his people that he had unfortunately given the gate Leader the game away. However he wasn't lost. He would see them shortly. This part of the station was dark and seemed unused. There was nothing for it, he would have to abandon the body he had. He couldn't use it anymore. Standing really still he concentrated on leaving it. Finally a few minutes later the body fell to the ground, a useless dead thing. Temple looked at it sadly; it had served him well the past 25 years. Floating in the corridor he found a chute that meandered its way via an air duct for ventilation and he seemed to melt through the small grill and into the duct. Following the metal chute all the way down, his incorporeal body misting downwards to wards the lower decks. Until he came to a section that seemed to light up within. He poured himself out of the duct and swept along the ground like a smoky trail and gathered information. Ships!! There were ships inside this section.

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But he couldn't see any openings. Getting out was going to get really hard. Then he saw a blockaded ventilation shaft. He had heard that this was where a creature had come in and attacked the human named Barnes. A way out maybe? Yes. It was a way out. However, he didn't want to leave the humanoids without saying thankyou to them. He hoped they would find the keys to the old city inside the body he used to occupy. He still wondered about Colonel Roberts, she was a mystery and what the heck was a Tok'ra? He had seen the instant fear and distrust at the knowledge gleaned from the Major when he heard who and what his Leader was. So, the female was to be feared. He would take that knowledge to his people. If the Major had been afraid, then it gave him pause about the female. She would serve as a formidable ally maybe. He slipped out of the duct and into space leaving behind a good experience of the humanoids he had come into contact with. He wasn't happy learning about the Strykerbeast. The creature could undo many centuries of peace and harmony in a single day. He hoped it would not resort to that too soon before his peoples left their world for someplace new. Arriving back on the world he found that the Leaders and Saggi were indeed making plans to leave the worlds far behind. The Gems provided a new body for him and he learned that this body used to house one of the Gate Leaders men. A Lt. Rupert. It would hold many secrets, which he would glean over time, but right now - he had to pack up with everyone else and leave. In a few short hours, he and two thousand of his people began to make tracks through the stargate with all their belongings and technologies which they had hidden from the newer arrivals. By the time the gate closed behind the last one, nobody was left and nothing remained excepting the ruins and the empty villagers spread throughout that part of the planet where they had lived for centuries. The only items still remaining were the artworks on the walls and a single key. Temple knew that the Colonel would eventually find out where the key went, but for now it was an offering to the people he had since learned had been called the Tauri. Meanwhile… Roberts’s eyes flashed for a second before she pulled herself back under control and the pair moved quietly through the corridors. She sensed the tension of the man beside her and finally she called a halt and turning to him asked, "Just what is it that irks you Major? The fact that I am Tok'ra or the fact that you didn't know what I was before you came along for the ride?" "Well since you're asking. It's a little of both”, replied Major Black. She eyed him and snapped, "Nobody else on your home planet thought any less of me when I took this job and came out here into the middle of nowhere Major Black. The problem is not insurmountable as I see it. I have the ancient Gene, which opened this Starbase to allow you access onto it, along with the rest of my team. Just because I have a symbiont, doesn't make me less reliable or less of a soldier, I am still your

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commanding officer and my job is to protect every one of you and this base to the best of my ability. I intend doing just that." Black did not make a reply he just took in what she had said and waited for some sort of an explanation. It wasn't long in coming.. Roberts sighed in frustration and she replied, "My symbionts name is Illantra and she is 7000 years old. There does that make you happy Major. I am her 7th and I have been with her 1000 years. If you want to know the worst part...I was dying. I had been shot by a Jaffa trying to prevent Anubis from killing everyone in my city and my own people, even though he promised he would leave them alone if I willingly went with him as his new mate. He came back and destroyed everything I had loved. The Tok'ra arrived and though I tried I could not save the host body of Illandra's 6th. The Jaffa and the Tok'ra fought it out and they grabbed me because the symbiont was using me temporarily. I elected to keep her with me. When O'Neil found us, and helped us to safety, I decided to stay and learn about the Tauri. In exchange General Carter went with the Tok'ra. He was also dying. I then served SG2 as their liaison. General Hammond trusts me to do a good job. How about you? Will you trust me to keep you safe and unharmed or are you of the opinion that all Go'auld and the Tok'ra are the same and should be terminated?" "To be perfectly honest with you Colonel, I just don't know”, he said evenly. His tone seemed to indicate that he didn't trust her and he could tell that her feelings were hurt. Roberts knew he had a problem with her and shook her head in frustration. She snapped, "Why are you being so blind major? I am a human just like you. The only difference is, I have powers you don't have. I love, I laugh and I enjoy life and I would never have done any of those things if the Tok'ra had not saved my life. I owe them." Black eyed her for a few moments then decided to tell her why he didn't trust Tok'ra. "Two years ago during a mission to PX7125 the combined teams of SG16 and SG25 were aided by a representative of the Tok'ra by the name of Medreth. I had come to know Medreth over the course of a year after he had helped us on several missions. He was my best friend and I trusted him not only with my life but the lives of my team. So it will come as no great surprise to you how betrayed I felt when Medreth sold us out to the Go’auld. His betrayal cost the lives of 20 men and women and damn near got me killed in the process. From that day on I swore never to trust any being that had a worm living in its stomach Colonel. O'Neil knew this which is probably why he neglected to mention it when he and Hammond "drafted" me for this mission. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust your kind ever again”, Black told her. She looked at him and felt a sense of deep sadness inside. She turned away and walked on down the passage ignoring the doubts creeping down her spine at his comments. Coming to a juncture in the passage she said quietly, “I am going right, you take the left hand side."

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"You think it wise to separate, Colonel?”, he asked. She looked at him hard and growled, "It is not a request Major. It is an order." Black released the breath he was holding and activated his MagLite and scanner. "Well, this assignment just keeps getting better and better" ,he muttered into his earpiece knowing full well that she could hear him. As soon as he was able to get back to Earth he made a promise to seek out Jack O'Neil and punch his freaking lights out. She didn't give him any more time to argue but walked into the inky blackness of the passage on the right and left him to get on with looking for Temple. She followed the corridor for about 50 meters and then stopped to concentrate on the silence around her. It was creepy. Hearing a noise on her immediate right, she brought up her laser and kept it near her shoulder ready to fire. A light appeared and a soldier stepped in front of her. Startled he said, "Colonel? I didn’t know anyone else was down here with me. The area behind is secure sir." As he said it, a couple more soldiers appeared and gave the same answer. Roberts and the security team carried on through the dark corridor making their way downwards to the next level. Having secured his corridor, Black checked in with the other teams. Receiving the all clear he headed for the next level hoping all the way he didn't bump into Roberts until both of them had had a chance to calm down.. ====Gate Room ==== Roberts was annoyed. Temple had given them all the slip after hearing back from Barnes that they had found the body of Temple. She had been right, Temple wasn't human. She left Barnes to have the body removed down to the sickbay and handed over to Tighe to do an autopsy. She couldn't trust Black to be objective and she was still angry about their standoff. Walking into the Gateroom she called across to Sgt Allen, "Open the Iris and dial up Temple's home world, I want to find out what is going on." "Do you want a back-up team Colonel?" he asked surprised. "No! I am going down there on my own." she growled. "But Sir. The people are not to be trusted. Let me get Major Black to at least send someone down with you just in case." he called back in alarm. "Do you wish to be relieved of command Mr. Allen?" she enquired coldly.

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"No Sir. But I would be derelict in my duty to you if something should happen whilst you are on the planet. You are the Starbase Commander." he replied. She stared at him and replied, "I didn't come on this little trip out in space to be mothered by you, Major Black or anyone else, Sergeant, now open that damn gate." He sighed and nodded. As soon as the Gate opened, she hefted her rifle up on her shoulder and stepped through it. The Stargate whooshed shut behind her. Tapping his ear mic, Allen contacted Black and told him that the Colonel had gone down to the planet without an escort. Black couldn't believe that the woman had been so pig headed as to leave to a hostile world on her own.” Thanks Sergeant, have engineering break out one of the Warthog Rover's and have it waiting in the Gate Room in ten minutes along with Dr.Vargo and Sgt. Jones tell them we're going after the Colonel”, the Major said. "She's not going to like it Sir", Allan told Black. The Major did not answer he just cut the signal and began to put on his gear. To be honest he really didn't care if she liked it or not. There was a protocol to follow and even if the two of them had- had words it was no reason for her to try an go it alone. ==Ten minutes later: Gate Room== The futuristic Rovers had been built using both Tok'ra and Asgaard technology. As far as Roman was concerned it was the only good thing the Tok'ra had provided Earth with since they had met not including their aide in saving General Carter several years before. "All packed up?”, Black asked of both Vargo and Jones. "That we are", replied Dr.Vargo. Lt.Bennett agreed as well while going over the equipment manifest for the third time. Black threw his things into the back of the "Jeep" and the three of them climbed in. Moments later, Sgt. Allan opened the Iris and activated the Gate. Black put the Rover in gear and started up the ramp and entered the Gateway. His last thought before they entered was "I hope the Colonel isn't coming back through as we're exiting. If she is my career is over".

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** =Planet surface= Fortune was on the Major's side as they safely exited the Gate and activated the GPS navigational system. "Our best bet would be to head into town Major”, the Russian Scientist said from his rear seat. Black agreed and off they went sticking to the main city streets until they reached the heart of the City. ** The Rover had made travel much more easy and they had managed to get to the main city in nearly half the time. As they went they could see that the City's inhabitants and seemed to have packed up and left town. Black pulled over and the three of them had a look around the main square. They used thermal devices to try and ascertain the Colonel's location since she wasn't responding to their radio calls. "Over here!”, yelled Vargo. Both Black and Jones hurried over to see what the Scientist had discovered. Vargo pressed a keypad and a topographical image of the City appeared. "This grouping here seems to be where the City's Government is or was located. Might the Colonel have gone here first?", asked Vargo. "Good work Doc, we'll head there and check it out", replied Black. The three of them double timed it back to the Warthog and headed for the Administration Building on the other side of town. Forty-five minutes later they arrived to find a building that was in the same shambles as the rest of the town. Luckily the structure was only two stories high or they would have been searching it all night. They kept in constant radio contact just in case not all of the Saggi’s had decided to leave the planet. Opening two giant ornate doors, Black entered a room that contained what appeared to be an altar. He approached it and saw that it was carved out of stone and bejewelled with various colored stones. The only thing on the altar was a parchment, which he picked up and read...

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CHAPTER 16 Roberts stepped out onto the planet that housed Temple's people and carefully scanning the area for any hidden enemies that she could sense, and not finding any, she stepped down the stairs and carefully began making her way towards where Temple said his people lived. Her rifle up and ready for anything. Cautiously she made her way carefully scanning the areas around her. She did a 360-degree scan turning around slowly, it was quiet. Too quiet. She continued walking and heading for Temple's village. As she got to the outskirts she felt her skin crawling. She could see down the road towards the city but nothing moved. She continued walking until she was just at the entrance. But silence greeted her. She stepped down a small incline and into the road. She had never been there. It was a remarkably modernized city and far superior to the one she had flown over the day before on the other planet. Trees and plant containers were everywhere. Vehicles sat in silence on its streets. The shops however were empty. Opening a door she entered one and saw that it had been hurriedly packed. She left it and looked in all the windows down this street. All of them looked like the inhabitants had left in a hurry. Something was up! She did a recon of the entire city block until she came to what could only be a smallish Government office. She entered it. It was unremarkable, and looked like it had been abandoned as is. Papers fluttered on a desk. She saw an open safe behind the main office door and wondered what it had yielded. She walked out and continued through the centre. She arrived at a walkway that seemed to house various eateries. But no one was there enjoying the fare. It took her two hours to go through the entire city until she came to the outskirts and found the homes. She picked up her PoD and scanned the parameter for anything. But the heat seeker did not find anything humanoid or otherwise. Despondent she wondered where they had all vanished too. Roberts walked back into town and found herself near some ruins near a temple and she smiled to herself. Entering it she was astonished to find an altar and on that altar was a silver and gold key on a silver chain. A note was attached. And it was addressed to her? It was from Temple.

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"Colonel Roberts, by the time you read this, myself and my entire population will be gone, off world. We have packed up and are leaving for a new world. I am sorry to have deceived you and your people, but in all honesty, we did not know you. I believe you are all in grave danger but I was forbidden to contact you and explain. My Leaders believe that the Strykerbeast will alert the Others to your presence. We cannot endure again what they put us through millennia ago. It is better to start again someplace else. I wish you all the very best. Don't bother coming to look for us, we are an ancient race Colonel, far more ancient then yours, and we are one of the founders of the Gates. There are places even your ancestors would never find. It is my hope you will abandon Andromeda station and go back to your home world where you will be safe from the Others. Because they will come. And when they come, the Gods in all their wisdom will not protect you from the horrors they bring with them. Please understand we had no choice. I also would like you to know that your first team led by Lt. Rupert will be coming with us. I now occupy his body. I believe you understand what I am talking about Colonel. We need human bodies to survive, as we are incorporeal beings. We have ascended to a higher plain but we still need to learn from others. The keys you hold in your hand unlock a great secret in the Mountains of Wind, to the north of you. This is where the Ancients built the Andromeda Base. It is hidden deep inside the mountain and we have left it for your people if the Others take over your Starbase again. You will be protected inside. I bid you good journeys and safe ones Colonel Roberts." She looked at the key and then grinned. Okay so the people had left. But what was this Andromeda Base? Picking up her rifle she stepped out into the sunshine again and squinted her eyes against the glare towards the distant mountain range. It would take her a few hours to reach them, so without further ado; she hefted her weapon onto her shoulder and set off on foot for the mountain range.

CHAPTER 17 The letter was signed "Temple" and Black now knew that Roberts had gone to the Andromeda Base mentioned in the note.

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"Team Leader to Alpha 1 and 2,meet me at the main entrance I have a new lead", Black said into his earpiece. Once they had rendezvous’d, Black read them the letter and said that they should head North of the City towards the mountains. Vargo checked his scanner and said that he detected a bio-signature four klicks away.

"That would be her”, Jones stated. The three of them climbed back into the Rover and headed north to find the Colonel, the Andromeda Base and hopefully answers to some of their questions....

CHAPTER 18

Roberts finally ascended the path she found built into the mountainside. Cleverly hidden was a staircase and she had to admire these people for their ingenuity. By the time she got about 1/3rd of the way up, her muscles were aching in her lower legs and she had removed her shirt and tied it around her waist. She flexed the strong muscles in her arms and shifted the rifle further over her shoulder. The Teflon vest stuck hotly to her skin. She turned round for a quick look to see the view and whilst she did that she unscrewed the canteen she carried and took a sip, and poured a little over her head to cool down somewhat. The view was amazing from where she was and she also noted that a smaller vehicle was on approach. She frowned. Put her canteen away and picked up her binoculars and adjusted them for long range. She cursed under her breath and promised dire damage to Sgt Allen when she caught him. Her lips turned down in a grim angry expression and she sighed in annoyance. But she smiled thinly when she realized he would have to take

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the trip she was making and he would also curse. She put her binoculars away. She had deactivated her ear mic earlier because Allen was giving her a mouthful. Turning back to the hard task at hand she continued up the long winding rocky stairway, until she came to some kind of rock doorway. Looking around it she found a small metal slot. She took off the chain and inserted the key into it. The door slid silently open and she stepped inside... For a second nothing happened and she frowned wondering where a light switch was. The next to her shock the floor seemed to drop under her and she fell backwards landing with a thump on her backside. The floor descended very fast downwards. Eventually it came to a sudden stop. Picking herself up she stepped away. It was still dark and she fumbled around inside her backpack til her fingers closed over her torch. Taking it out she switched it on. In front of her was a passageway. Pointing the torch up she saw that the "lift" which had brought her down into the bowels of the mountain, had gone back up. From her perspective the tunnel had to be almost 6 miles down. She was not a happy lady. She didn't like being underground all that much. Fear replaced the hot sweat on her face. Swallowing hard she began walking down the passage. The walls seemed to be made out of some shiny black material a little like Naquadah. She touched it. It felt cold. She kept on walking. There were many twists and turns and it seemed to branch off in places. She didn't want to go down those corridors. She carried on walking until she found that as she walked - she heard the soft pattering of her own feet echoing off the walls and they in turn were somehow striking some kind of mechanism. The further inwards she went the brighter the tunnel got, until eventually she switched off her torch and put it away. Looking back she noted wryly that it was dark. She surmised that the mechanics of the place utilized the body heat of the walker to lighten the area enough to see where they were going and thereby saving energy. It was a clever idea. Eventually she came to the end of the tunnel and stepped out onto another platform. It in turn ascended part way down and then stopped. Near her hand were some symbols on a data padd. She couldn't understand some of them but one seemed to look like a light bulb and she touched it. Suddenly there was instant light and she stared in shocked amazement at what lay in front of her. Speechless she could only stare. The cavern was absolutely huge and it had been excavated to its core. Sitting similar before to end

on one of the largest platforms she had ever seen was something to a city but it was a Starship. She had seen Go-auld Motherships - but none of them came close to what this base was. If she put end the Go’aold motherships, she would be able to put in 50 of them. Why

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did the Saggi’s and their leaders not use it to leave with? With that nagging thought in her mind, she pushed another data padd key and the lift descended to the ground floor. A small walkway appeared and she stepped onto it. It transported her into the ship and as she stepped inside it, all the lights came on and some kind of scanner flickered itself over her. She finally figured out why they couldn't use it to escape when she located the Bridge superstructure. It was incomplete. However it held a stargate albeight a larger one then what was on her Starbase. It reminded her of the Gate inside Cheyenne Mountain on Earth. It looked like the Saggi were trying to fortify the ship and make it usable once again. That was why they needed to be humanoid. They couldn't work on it in their present state. It would take the combined knowledge and manpower of her entire Teams to get the ship even remotely ready to leave the inside of the mountain, in probably months or even a year from now. Temple had given them a fantastic gift, but she didn't know if she would be able to use it. She sighed in frustration. Then walked over to the Command chair and sat down in it after dropping her backpack on the deck near her feet. She closed her eyes and steepled her fingers. She wondered what the rest of the people behind her would think when they found it. ** Black looked back down the mountainside at Vargo and Jones as they made the climb. Had he been on vacation he would have enjoyed the climb more. The fact that the Colonel had made the climb impressed him. "Careful", he told himself,” the two of you'll end up being friends". "Beg your pardon Major?", Vargo asked looking up at him. Black just smiled and said that he was just thinking aloud. "You alright Doc?, We can take a break if you need one", Black called down. Vargo told him that he was finding the climb quite exhilarating. But that Sgt. Jones might need a break. "Bless you Doctor" ,Jones squeaked. Black took a seat and waited for the two of them to catch up with him. He removed his canteen and took a sip of water swished it around then spat it out. Vargo reached him soon followed by Jones. "There seems to be an outcropping just a few feet above us. Hopefully the Colonel left us a way inside the Mountain”, Black told them both. It was then that Vargo removed several keys that Major Black recognised as having belonged to Temple. "Maybe we can find what exactly we can use these for”, offered the Doc. Black hoped he was right as he stood once again and the other two soon followed.

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Reaching the landing, Black pressed his throat mike and called out to the Colonel. There was still no response... They crowded around the entrance and Jones was the first to step inside.. 'Yeeeoooowwwwww!!!!"screamed Jones as his feet went out from underneath him and he fell hard. Switching on his torch, Black called out to him and the Sergeant cracked that he was fine adding,” watch that first step it's a mother". Black scanned the ramp way with his MagLite and he and Vargo traversed it with care. After they reached the bottom they found Jones standing at the entrance of a long tunnel. "Person could get lost down here”, Jones said over his shoulder. In response, Black removed an object with a flat base and placed it on the dirt and granite floor. He pressed it and it began to flash a bluish white light. "Tune your scanners to the beacons frequency. If we get separated or lost we'll be able to find our way back here”, Black told them. As they pressed on they soon noticed several other tunnels but Black decided to stay on what he hoped was the main one. Mainly, because of the faint footprints that he detected on the floor ahead of them. He secretly hoped that he wasn't following Saggi’s ghost steps that had been made three Centuries before. Soon they began to notice a bright light up ahead which led in to a vast chamber. At the Chamber's entrance stood a touch keypad similar to the on Andromeda Station. After Dr.Vargo examined it carefully he pressed a pad, which resembled steps. From all around them they heard mechanical sounds and watched in amazement, as stone steps appeared leading down into another vast chasm. Taking point, Black soon emerged into another chamber even bigger than the one they had left. Only inside this one was the biggest damned ship any of them had ever seen. Black took a chance that Colonel Roberts was near-by and pressed his throat mike again. "Major Black to Colonel Roberts, do you read me Ma'am?"he asked. ** Roberts touched the mic on her earmic and switched back on just in time to hear, "Major Black to Colonel Roberts, do you read me Ma'am?"

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Roberts sighed and without opening her eyes replied, "Unfortunately I do Mr. Black. Come on in to your next destiny." Black walked slowly up the ramp and entered the enormous alien ship. Roberts didn't bother explaining. She instead said, "Vargo...if you touch anything on the way in, I will personally dismember you. Jones...make sure Dr. Vargo touches nothing." Jones told the Colonel that he would keep the Scientist on a short leash. Vargo spluttered and replied, "That isn't fair. Colonel. This place is a treasure trove for scientists." Roberts snapped, "Exactly, But we are on a recon only. You have plenty of time with your fellow scientists and engineers to go over the entire ship. It’s not going anywhere until I say so." She heard the Russian mutter under his breath about senile Commanders and she smiled saying, "I heard that Vargo." Black stepped onto the main bridge and saw a very tired looking Colonel Roberts. He didn't bother to scold her for leaving the Station without an escort. The Major knew that Roberts was aware of procedure and that she was probably just waiting for him to say something so that she could pounce on him for it. Instead he asked if she had explored the ship yet. When she said that she had not, he suggested that they do so. "Just in case any Saggi’s stragglers didn't make it out in time”, he said to everyone. "Jones, you and the Doc take the lower deck, I'll do the middle and Colonel if you wouldn't mind?”, he asked carefully. Black had to admit that her quiet demeanor was a surprise to him. Still he decided to let sleeping dogs lie for the moment and began to search the ship. She waited til she heard the ship open the electronics to allow the team to move around before getting off her chair and leaving her backpack on the ground walked through the Bridge to another section of the ship. Turning down a long corridor she was surprised to find large warning signs on the doors along it. Intrigued she opened one of the doors and found herself in some kind of laboratory. Pausing she took a closer look and then gasped in shock at what she found in a container. It was a small humanoid body not unlike that of a child with feathers. It was in a liquid form. She almost choked in distress. Stepping backwards she looked around the room and saw many such containers. All of them occupied by the same type of humanoid. Sort of like looking at incubators of some kind. Except whatever was in them was no longer living.

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She frowned and her estimate of the Saggi took a nosedive. She left the room in horrified shock and continued down the long corridor. In each of the rooms was the same sort of thing, excepting the humanoids were in differing stages of growth. Swallowing nervously she entered the last room at the bottom of that corridor and was afraid to open the door. Leading off the other side was another corridor and it seemed to lead out of the ship on that section. Inside was a nightmare that had her rooted to the floor. Two beings. One humanoid and one so unlike anything she had ever seen in her entire lives. Both as Illandra and herself. She stared transfixed at the being. Her Go'auld had seen pictures of the creature before a long long time ago. She had thought them as extinct a species and let her host Andrea know that. But what Andrea was looking at was not extinct. If anything it was still breathing from her perspective and what was worse was that it was feeding on the humanoid in the container with it. It turned a baleful black eye on Andrea and she stared at it. Her attention was riveted on the humanoid being eaten slowly. It or what was left of it - was one of her unit. One of the away team she had first sent off onto the world. Fear and intense loathing cut through her and she snatched her Desert Eagle out of its holster on her hip and with a scream of rage, frustration and horror she opened fire on the container housing the creature. The creature screamed in defiance and pain and rage and leapt out at her. She kept firing until the creature lay on the ground not even twitching and with a sob of pain she walked over to the human and lifted his body and holding it in her lap on the ground cried for the Tauri who had been unjustly fed to the creature. Her weapon fell by her side and she gently rocked to herself whilst holding the dying Tauri in her arms. She whispered softly to him, "Your death will not have any meaning unless I avenge it, and I will avenge you, if I have to find every single one of these beings and kill them all with my bare hands. I promise you." He seemed to understand her briefly before he died. A dam seemed to break inside her and she cried for his loss. She, who these Tauri had placed their loved ones in her care, had unwittingly betrayed them, killed some. She now understood what Black had been saying to her about his shock and loss and her heart broke. She wished she were anywhere else but here. She suddenly cursed Illandra and the Go'auld and cursed herself for taking this job, for making her grow up and see the horrors of the universe in all its glory. She didn't want it. Gently she laid down his head and got up, with strong determination she took off the earmic where she could hear frantic shouts emanating and laid it on the ground. She had forgotten she was live, so no doubts everybody had heard her lose control. She reloaded her weapon and put it back into its holster and stalked out of the room and instead of going back the way she had come, she took the corridor leading out of that section. She came outside of the ship. She seemed to be standing in some domed courtyard. High above her in Perspex squares was the dome roof. Looking forwards she walked grimly to where she could see another section. She promised herself if she found anything more like the creature she had left dead behind her she would kill all of

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them. However, though she looked she could find no more reference to the one creature she had killed. But she did find a library database and learned that the creature was what everyone called the OTHERS! Why had these people kept one of these creatures? It was offensive to her that they would even consider using one of her own team members as food for this creature. If they had not seen or heard of the Others for 200 years or more, what the heck had they been feeding it? Anger and resentment suddenly flared inside her and pure hatred and loathing replaced those. Of course! The Saggi probably used unsuspecting visitors to their world who had probably used the stargate. It was the only logical explanation. But why keep it living unless they wanted something it possessed. So what was so damn important to keep it breathing? She swore to herself that there was no where in the galaxy that Temple and his people could hide she would find them and if it was the last thing she ever did, they would find out how pissed off they had truly made her. This creature belonging to the Others came a close second. It was a damn good thing Temple and his people had left but she would find them, if she had to move every planet in this entire Universe to find them!! She would make them pay for touching one hair on her team’s heads!! Illandra scolded her for her decision but she growled that Illandra had no say in the matter. She had made a commitment to serve and protect the Tauri from all harm whilst in her care and by the Gods she would ensure that promise if it killed her. She stomped out the building and walked back across the courtyard to where she had left her mic. She found Black, Vargo and Jones inside and they did not look happy. Black told her that they had found several tanks with the remains of Lt.Rupert's team. "Some friends you picked Colonel”, he said to her the anger in his voice seething just below the surface. She scowled at them and bent down and picked up her mic and slipped it back on without an explanation. She turned round and stomped out the door leaving them bewildered behind her. Making her way back to the Bridge she picked up her backpack and without a word left the ship. Going back out into the warm sunshine from inside the cold mountain, she took deep breaths to stop the panicky feelings she still had. She was a warrior first and foremost. She had now gotten a goal and she pitied anyone who got in her way. She began making her way back down the mountain. ** Black followed by the others joined Roberts outside. No sooner had they exited the mountain bunker did the Major have Jones contact the Station via Sat Comm. "Get Lieutenants Barnes and Bennett down here with Hazmat teams. Give them the location of the Bunker and tell them that I want all bodies removed and processed

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back to Andromeda Starbase. Put Bennett in charge of that then have Lt.Barnes's team do a recon of the City". "I want to know everything there is to know about the so called City of Dreams and want to have known about it yesterday”, Black snapped. "Yes Sir!", replied Jones as he set to work setting up the SatComm. "Dr.Vargo, when we get back topside I want you and your team to go over this ship with a fine toothcomb. If the OTHERS do decide to come back, I want to be able to have something to defend ourselves with". "Yes Major, I’ll have Kruger and Cade assemble a team at once ",the Russian said, the eagerness in his voice reminded Black of his son who received a Chemistry set one Christmas. "Message sent Major”, Jones said as he packed up the Sat system. "Alright let's get back to the ATV before the Colonel decides to leave without us”, Black half joked. "Don't worry Sir, I’ve got the key card”, smiled Jones as he held it up with his thumb and index finger. Black still moved a little more quickly, he didn't trust the woman not to have access to a spare.....

CHAPTER 19 Andrea arrived back at the station thoroughly annoyed and distressed. She had to be on her own for a little while to absorb all the horrible things she had done and had not achieved. She told Sgt Allen she was not to be disturbed for a few hours. Going to the mess she selected a few items and then taken them with her to her next destination. A

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place to brood. She felt the curious looks on her as she exited but chose to ignore them. The station had an observation point high up above the control room and that is where she went. She had only seen it briefly. Now she stepped into the room and stopped. It was an awe-inspiring site. The domed structure keeping the vacuums of space outside but yet gave the room, which was circular, every effort to provide a link with the stars outside it. If the dome were to break it would squash the station like a bug. She shivered at the power of keeping it functioning, but stepped through the sliding doors and inside it. The room was a circular one, with cushioned chairs imbedded into the walls lower down. The rest of the place was taken up by almost floor to ceiling circular windows. She set her tray down on a small table nearby and examined the room with astonishment. It made her seem insignificant. She sat and quietly ate her way thoughtfully through her meagre lunch and was just contemplating what to do with the information she had garnered that day when the doors swished open and the senior officers trooped in. Startled she watched as each one took in the room and felt their awe from where she sat. ** Black took the room in and released a low wolf whistle as he slowly walked the perimeter. Vargo stared dumbstruck at the domed ceiling and then lowered his eyes to take in her white face and he said, "Unbelievable sight Colonel. I have never see such a room as this before." She nodded sharing his awe. She asked politely, "What are you lot doing here?" Vargo shrugged and replied, "I was worried about your state of mind after your incident with that creature colonel and so was everyone else. I have left Cade to take care of the problem. But we decided we needed to talk to you about this problem that you neglected to share with us. Or rather that Stargate Command neglected to share with us. We doubt very much if the thought had even crossed your mind. But we need to clear it up somewhat. We want explanations first before we can go forwards. I know very little of the Tok'ra. Maybe you can fill the blanks for us. Da?" She eyed the Russian and then took in the expressions of everyone else and sighed in resignation saying, "Sit, make yourselves comfortable. I will try not to bore you." She pursed her lips and then started. "Though we are the same species as the Go’auld, the Tok'ra are a resistance movement who live in voluntary symbiosis with their human hosts -- and thus we refuse to be called "Go’auld" because of our philosophical differences. More than 8,000 years ago a Go’auld queen, Egeria, realized what true evil the species was and made a decision to turn against the ways of Ra and the System Lords. All her offspring have genetically inherited the same ideals, and the Tok'ra (literally means "Against Ra") and the movement was born. Our very first Rebels were the Belai, but

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they vanished into thin air and we never knew what became of them. We the Tok'ra become easily offended if our symbiotic creatures are referred to as Go’auld, believing that we are vastly different then the Go’auld. And we have been mercilessly hunted by the System Lords since our formation. The Tok'ra are always on the run, changing the location of our base of operations every few years and operating multiple bases simultaneously. We live in subterranean tunnels that we grow from special crystals. Once we arrive on a planet we immediately move underground with these crystals, forging corridors and rooms. This is how we have remained greatly undetected by the System Lords for thousands of years. Often Tok'ra operatives are sent on missions to infiltrate and subvert the plans of the System Lords. Many Tok'ra spies have been implanted in various Go’auld groups across the galaxy, rarely being discovered. We, the Tok'ra are governed by the Tok'ra High Council. To keep from being entirely wiped out, there is more than one base of operations -- though one base is typically larger than the smaller cells, functioning essentially as a temporary Tok'ra home world. Since SG-1 met the first group, they have moved to the desert planet Vorash, then to the forested world of Revanna. When the Go’auld Zipacna (in the service of Anubis) discovered that location and attacked, the entire base was wiped out -- leaving only those Tok'ra in cell bases and away on missions as survivors. Illandra my symbiont was one of them." "Though the group has sustained many casualties over the years, our determination to wipe the Go’auld scourge from the face of the galaxy is stronger than ever. Our longterm goal has been to keep the System Lords feuding with one another, so that no one Go’auld can rise to dominant power. With the development of a symbiont toxin, the Tok'ra have begun to act more aggressively, hoping to one day exterminate the Go’auld completely. However, in doing so we have come in contact with a few of the Ancients. The Ancients were once a race of advanced humans who helped build the Stargate network. According to the Asgaard, they moved on from our part of space a long time ago. In fact, the Ancients learned to ascend to a higher plane of existence when a great plague swept across the galaxy. Many died out, but those who learned to ascend shed their corporeal form gained a new sense of purpose. I believe that these Saggi might be a part of them. The Ancients were once key members of an alliance of four great races in the galaxy, along with the Asgaard, the Nox and the Furlings. The Ancients lived on Earth long ago -- or perhaps evolved on Earth itself, millions of years before your species did. One Ancient, Ayiana, was buried in ice in Antarctica for millions of years. Ayiana was left behind by the Ancients when they left Earth with the city of Atlantis, moving to the Pegasus Galaxy between five and 10 million years ago." She continued as she now had their rapt attention: "They then expanded across the Galaxy in what I believe was that spaceship buried in the Mountain we just went into. This is just part of the worlds they colonized, or and I am now certain of it, I really believe that in the Andromeda Galaxy they made an error of judgement and their ship crashed. I believe that the survivors of that crash hid the Starship inside the mountain and were trying to repair it. But because they were developing or were incorporeal they couldn't physically touch anything, they needed human hands to do repairs. They corrupted the humanoids living on the planets and used them to help repair their ship. However human beings are fragile and do not have the capacity to survive eons of millennia - so they developed a world where commerce took place and allowed them access to humanoids who they could cultivate. Until a species they called the Others

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arrived. These "Others" put a spoke in their wheel, by chasing another species to their world and then coming back to claim that species. I believe strongly that these Others met their match when they awakened the full strengths of the Ancients on these two worlds. The war was probably as bad as anything could get. They had lived there for Thousands of years -- but then they came upon a planet where a powerful enemy slept. The Others had never before encountered this new race with technology that rivalled their own. Awakened, the Ancients began an attack to rival anything ever seen in this galaxy or any other galaxy. Then these "Others" brought their powerful weapons to bear on the city, but the Ancients' shield held. So these Others attacked the station orbiting both worlds, and the last of Ancients on this station fled through the gate back to Earth. There they presumably lived out their lives, telling stories that gave rise to the legend of both Atlantis and the Andromeda System It is not known if these survivors ever ascended or had any contact with the ascended Ancients. In the meantime because the generator protecting the worlds was destroyed, the Others wiped out the humanoids on the world below and devastated their city forcing them to flee to the other uninhabited world that housed the Starship. But they also took a captive to probably study it and see where its weaknesses were and what they could do to get some kind of revenge. Because I have no doubts in my mind that, the creature I killed today, was a living remnant of the battle that took place centuries earlier. They obviously are not a species that dies as we do when old age threaten. They needed to keep it birthing so they could experiment on it. In order to do that they needed food for it. Since it thrived on flesh and had a taste for humanoid flesh - they ...they grew..." She shuddered at the memory. "They purposefully bred humans for its consumption." A tear fell down her cheek and she said in a choked voice....."What I discovered on that Starship sickened me. I had looked up to the Ancients. They were my heroes, something I strived to protect at whatever cost. But these creatures ...these Saggi.....they are deplorable and I am going to see that every one of them pays for the lives they have stolen since we got here. Even if I have to hunt them down through all eternity and kill them all with my bare hands." She paused considering her own words and the belief she had in what she was saying. "The Stargate network proves that the Ancients were one of the universe's most advanced species many thousands of years ago, and had great minds into constructing a means to disperse many thousands of Stargates across the vastness of space -- even beyond our galaxy. They even had the technology to stop the movement of time itself (on several planets at once) and reverse it a number of hours, though they were unable to perfect that particular technology. Other advanced technologies left behind by the species include a device capable of altering human DNA to bring out advanced abilities, a healing device capable of restoring life and even animating non-living tissue, and more. When I arrived by accident on this station - I had human and Tok'ra DNA with a strand of Ancient embedded inside me. The computer data core read my DNA when I arrived here and used the Ancient's technology to change my entire structure enabling me to use this base and to take command of the Starship below. I did not realize what was happening to me until I returned back here with you. When I stepped through the Gate, it automatically registered me as both Ancient and a friend and thereby it placed inside of each of you, the ability to comprehend the ancient languages needed to operate this Starbase. Each and every one of the Andromeda

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Team can interpret the languages on display and when you find an Ancients artefact you are able to operate it because of your altered DNA." She waited for that bombshell to drop and then waited for the inevitable explosion. Black swallowed hard,” Wait just a damned minute here, are you saying that now " we" are in a sense Tok'ra too?" Vargo stared at her in shocked astonishment then snapped, "This machine...on this base.... has changed my human DNA? Everything that made me human is gone?" She shook her head and replied, "No Doctor, you are still human, but now you are an advanced human. Just don't spend your hour’s practising whatever it is you were given. I don't need a big headed scientist giving me problems." Vargo frowned and replied, "What happens when we return back to Earth?" She sighed and shrugged replying, "I don't know. It didn't change when I went back to Earth. When I informed General Hammond and O'Neil, they seemed to think it was a perfect plan to open the doors to this part of the Galaxy and find out what else is out here that had a tie-in with the Ancients. For some reason the Asgaard thought it was also a good idea to come exploring." She growled out "Despite the fact that they are non-corporeal, the Saggi are still a powerful force to be reckoned with. As they are an off-chute of the Ancients - I believe right now, we should get that ship up and running correctly, it may take awhile to figure it all out, but I believe we can get it functioning once again. Then we will divest everything from the station itself and leave it as we found it. I intend going after them. In some ways we will be doing what everyone at Gate Command want, by exploring this part of the Galaxy, and also in another we can find out where these people went and how to find them." She shrugged and replied, "Space adventure is an interesting past-time Major. One never knows what one may find out there unless we look." "Any questions?" she asked Vargo spoke up at once,' Only one, when do we start”, he said with glee. Black turned around and told him that he had given him his orders on the surface. "That still stands Doc ,get to work”, Black told him. The "mad" Russian took off at a trot, the eagerness in his voice as he and Kruger mapped out a plan concerning where they should start first. Both Roberts and Black turned to see that Barnes and Bennett had not moved an inch. "Here it comes", Black muttered to Roberts

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. The two braced themselves for the possible fallout..... Bennett grinned and said, “I don’t feel any different, but I will let you know if I can lift a truck with one hand.” Barnes just looked at her and then at Black and then with a growl left the room. Bennett shrugged in his direction and followed. Black looked at her and didn’t say another word. He needed to go and think about all the information he had just received.

CHAPTER 20 Twenty minutes after Black left her in the Observation Lounge –She informed Sgt Allen she was going to explore the planet that had the ruins and to get a shuttle ready for her. He informed Major Black. Who in turn told Lt. Bennett to get his gear for an away mission. Roberts walked into the shuttle Bay to find both Bennett and Black. Black informed her he was also coming whether she liked it or not. She sighed and went back to the weapons locker deck and retrieved the same equipment for Black then went back to where they waited for her. She handed him his gear. Then said, "You have 10 minutes to go get bedding and food." Black told her that he'd be back in five. She said softly, "Major- if you are not careful I might actually begin to like you." Black rolled his eyes and double-timed it to the Storage lockers.

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The two waited in the bay whilst Black left to go get his gear. She then took them aboard the first shuttle nearby knowing that neither man had ever been in one. Stowing their gear and hers. She beckoned each to take a seat on either side of her and then she sat down. In front of her she manipulated the controls as if they had been made just for her. She shut the shuttle door and then placed both hands on the console in front of her and then sat back against the seat. Using her mind she instructed the shuttle to lift off. The shuttle slowly unclamped itself from its position and then moved to the centre of the Launch Bay. She closed her eyes for a second and then opened them. She had mentally joined with the Base computer and given it instructions. Just before she left however she opened her earmic and said, "Tighe. I am leaving you in command of the Station until the Exec and I return. Try not to break it please." Tighe chuckled and replied, "Yes Sir." The Bay floor opened up like an eight-point star and the shuttle lowered down into space below. With gentle ease she raised the hand dais up and applied pressure to the padds under her fingers and then watched as the ship turned gently and flew down towards the planet housing the old city. Bennett was astonished and said as much. Black looked at Roberts and told her that Commander Chekov would be so proud of her. She grinned and replied, "It is easy if you know how. I will teach both of you how to use the shuttles - they are not hard to learn. Simple mind technique really and then you let the ship computer take over as it leaves the shuttle Bay. The rest of the time you, the pilot, uses hand control touch padds to manoeuvre the craft where you want to go." Black said he could hardly wait to give it a try. He then turned his attention to a monitor near his station. Roberts had been right when she said that they would be able to read the alien languages. In a matter of seconds Black had mapped out a flight plan and transmitted it the Colonel's helm station. She brought the craft down and skimmed the surface of the planet, flying over and leaving behind the old city. The craft flew over trees and various landmasses and then over a huge ocean to another section of the world. It held an amount of interesting architecture unlike the old city or even the new city on the other world where the Starship sat. The architecture here looked like a modernized version of something Asimov would have built for a future city. But it was very definitely deserted. And it was based on a platform on the ocean itself. Very high solid poles with a circumference of over 100 meters thick and the platform with the city, held in the region of 80 of these poles that ran far under the sea to the seabed way below. She said, "I flew over the planet earlier remember. It was my shuttle that gave everyone a scare. I found the shuttle bay and decided to explore. This city intrigued

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me when I flew over it. Since we now have both planets to ourselves for the moment. I thought we could check out this place. Its far superior to any other city on both planets don't you agree?" Black said that he did as he began to map routes through the Nav computer. "The architecture is so different here. It's hard to believe that it was built by the same race”, the Major said to both of them. She pursed her lips and then replied, "I am also wondering who the original builders of that city were. Because I don't think it was any of the Ancients. Something tells me this city below is the key to what is going on in this galaxy and I intend to find out what it is. Hence this recon we are going on." "What's the plan once we set down?”, Black asked. She looked over at him and smiled. "You Major can take point, when we land and establish a small base. I will take second and Lt. Bennett can bring up the rear." "Sounds good”, replied Black. Roman then pointed out a clearing near the centre of the City. "There's a clearing there”, he indicated on her console. "Think you can set it down without getting us all killed?”, he joked. She guided the shuttle to a good enough landing point which was in the centre of the city. She had to dodge quite a few walkways that criss-crossed the skyways though. She was a good pilot and came in to land on one of the larger crosswalks that held what she perceived to be the one time hive of community. It boarded several walkways. The actual ground of the city however, seemed to be under water. She wondered how it had been constructed. Shrugging inwardly, she opened the shuttle doors and grabbing her gear pulled it on and hefted her XM25 up close to her vest and stepped forwards after making sure the shuttle door closed behind them. The walkways seemed to have been made with thousands of small tiles in different colors and mosaics. It was beautiful and unexpected. The two men eyed her and she grinned saying, "Load up. Move out gentlemen. Lets see what we can find." ** Black took point followed by Roberts and then Bennett. This new city was truly spectacular and every tower seemed to be made of glass or some substance close to it. The colors that reflected off of the buildings reminded Black of a kaleidoscope. They sought out the nearest structure that seemed to be easily defendable. It had only one level and only two entrances.

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"This will be our base", stated the Major. "The sign outside says that it is the Directory Assistance Office. From the looks of things it might hold a great deal of information about the city and her people”, offered Black. Bennett said "This will give us a chance to see if the new stuff you put in our heads will work." The three entered and scanned the huge amount of books available. It was impressive. Roberts said, “Time to start searching.” Black agreed with the Colonel and opened a nearby book and blinked his eyes rapidly. The text on the page at first appeared to be a jumble of symbols then morphed into English text. The Major shook off the effect and warned Rico of the affect. He figured that Roberts would be all too familiar with the side effect. The book that Black read dealt with the city Elder's efforts to form a liveable Habitat below the surface of the ocean. There had been several attempts made but it had only gotten to Stage four.

Black relayed this info to the group and asked if either of them had any data concerning it in the logs that they were reading. Major Black continued to read through the book and found a reference to another text. He searched through the volumes and found what he was looking for. "Colonel!”, he called out when he found something. He carried the book over to Roberts and showed her what appeared to be the entrance to the underwater city the other book had mentioned. "If I'm reading this right, it’s located approximately 30 miles due east”, he told her. Black turned the page and a photograph of the water port was given. "Do we investigate it Colonel or save it for another time?”, the Major asked. A smile was all he got.

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** ==Downtown area== Black had set out to explore the City leaving Roberts and Bennett to continue the research in the archive room. As he walked the Major marvelled at how elaborate the construction on the surrounding buildings were. Nothing on Earth or any of the other planets he had travelled to using the Stargate had even come close to the "Sky City". Roman recalled a novel by the Science Fiction writer Ben Bova. In the book the author described a city not unlike this one and for a brief moment Black wandered if maybe Bova had -had access to a Stargate. The buildings arched their way to the clouds at many different angles and the reflective glass was truly breathtaking. Black was careful not to wonder too far off so that he wouldn't get lost. Roberts had told him that they would investigate the underwater city after they had finished here. Roman's opinion of the Colonel had softened somewhat ever since they had discovered the ship inside the mountain. It was the Colonel's intention to repair the ship and search the Galaxy for the OTHERS and any sign of the so-called Ancients. Having his DNA altered gave him new insight in to what it must be like for Roberts to have been implanted with her symbiont. He knew that Roberts wasn't the enemy, he had simply let his hatred for Medreth blind him to his new surroundings. In truth Black liked the Colonel's gumption. Andrea Roberts reminded Roman of someone he knew long ago that had been the same. Col. Samantha Carter had and for that matter still did have the same fire in her belly to succeed as Andrea did. The unfaltering drive to prove herself to the male dominated military and it’s in some ways antiquated way of viewing things. Black knew that like Carter, Roberts would succeed and prove all of her critics wrong. "Jesus Roman”, he thought,” if your not careful you'll take to building the woman a shrine and sending her fan letters". Black chuckled at the thought and pressed on. He soon found himself outside one of the buildings that Rico had showed him in one of the architectural diagrams that he had discovered. The Major took a few steps backward and read the large granite sign surrounded by flowers that revealed what the building was used for. The symbols morphed into English once again and Black read out loud... "Digl'esh Chemical’s”, he also noted three wavy lines at the base of the sign, which he recognised as a medical banner. 78

"Must be where they housed and invented medical serums and vaccines”, he mused. Pressing his throat mic, Black told Col.Roberts what he had found and that he was going to enter and investigate. "It'll be getting dark soon so I want to get as much done as possible. I'll report back in twenty minutes and let you know what I find”, he told Roberts. ==Digl'esh Chemicals== She gave him the go-ahead. “Right, Black out”, the Major replied. Roman then activated the doors and entered into almost complete chaos...... Black stepped into the building and felt along the wall for a light switch. His hand bumped a pad and then a switch, which he flipped upward. At once the room was awash with light and revealed the utter devastation and chaos that the Saggi must have gone through in making their hurried escape. If it was left by Saggi that is. Maybe the place belonged to someone else. There was upturned furniture and papers scattered all around. It looked as if a tornado had blown through the place and wiped out everything in its wake. From the directory on the wall the Major saw that the records and research laboratories were on the 12th thru 16th floors. He then followed the directions that were on the wall next to the directory and found an elevator. It didn't work.. "Great, just what I need another long climb”, he muttered aloud and headed for the end of the hallway to a staircase. As soon as Black placed his foot on the bottom step all hell broke loose. A loud siren began to blare and a red flashing light replaced the normal lighting. As loud as the noise was, Black knew that Roberts and Bennett could hear it from where they were and would be calling soon. ==Digl'esh Chemicals== Rico made it across town in record time with some help from Roman who sounded like he was running. Arriving at Digl’esh Chemicals, he cautiously stepped inside while trying to quiet his breathing From the level above, the noise was so loud that, at first, it sounded like San Francisco during a 7.5 shake. Climbing the stairs, two at a time, Rico was trying to imagine what kind of robot could be making a soldier with an XM-25, run. He was not, however, prepared for what he saw. "What the hell is that?”

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The behemoth was chasing something, probably Major Black. Rico changed the mag on the XM-29 to HE. and then had an idea. "If I can read this new stuff, I ought to be able to speak it. He concentrated for a minute then said” Robot, halt! The giant turned and focused on Rico. "Uh oh." The Gatling guns on the end of each of its arms began to spin. Rico said to it. "Do not attempt to attack me or you will be terminated." And the thing said,” The others must die." "Robot you have made an error! That man is not one of the others . . . You have made two mistakes, you have failed to correct your error." Nothing happened. No one moved. Then the robot began to emit just a little smoke. Into his earpiece, Rico said softly,” You OK major?" Black heard a crackle of static in his ear then came the welcome voice of Lt.Bennett." Yeah Rico I'm fine. Where did you learn to speak computer?”, the Major asked,” Quantico?" "Not really, sir, I saw it on TV once." Black could not help but chuckle, he then asked Rico what the thing was up to now. " It's not self aware. It’s just a computer with guns. Right now, it’s got a conundrum and it’s searching for an instruction it can obey." "Any ideas on what will happen after it sorts through its options?” asked Black. "My guess is it will probably 'time out' like any computer and reboot." This all sounded plausible to Black but the question still remained of what to do next. Fortunately, Rico offered a suggestion. "Well sir, if we're not here when it reboots, it will probably have no memory of us." "Sounds good, let’s get out of here and rendezvous with the Colonel”, replied Black. He then climbed over the counter where he was hiding and made his way to Rico very carefully. The robot then went completely dark. Rico tiptoed passed the machine to join Major Black. When they are within 10ft. of each other, Rico threw him a snack bar. "Adrenaline depletes your energy." "Thanks”, Black replied.

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The two of them exited the building and once outside headed back to the office where Roberts had remained going over the database they had found. They arrived at dusk and initiated the security defences around the building. They then settled in for the night and began to discuss what they had each discovered on their separate investigations. Black began telling the tale of his confrontation with the giant security Bot and the fact that the main computer was still online. "Maybe we can find a way around the behemoth and access the computers memory? I know Dr.Vargo will just love to research the files and medicines stored there. It might also explain a little more about the experiments found on the Starship at the mountain bunker. He then turned his attention to Rico who gave an account of his recon. Roberts listened to Bennett’s account. "Colonel, the rangefinder picked up some movement in the southern quadrant of the city. When I got up there, I heard some movement in one of the buildings but I wasn't real sure that I wanted to go in there and be surprised by an adversary that I had no Intel on. So I set up an audio trap for whoever or whatever is up there. I'm linking my radio to this PDA so it will warn us if there are any sounds in the city coming from the trap that we should be unaware of. Our defences are set for the evening and I'm going to check them every so often during the night. I believe we're OK. I'll keep an ear on the PDA output and I've set it to record anything that it picks up. So, we can all rest easy. I won't go anywhere without checking with you first unless you are in REM sleep and smiling." Roberts scowled at him. She waved her hands and replied, “Keep looking.” Black walked down another corridor and found another room. Above the door were more symbols. The symbols morphed into English once again and Black read out loud... "Digl'esh Chemical’s Lab”, he also noted three wavy lines at the base of the sign, which he recognised as a medical banner. Just like the previous area. “Crap-Hope I don’t meet another insane robot.” He muttered. Pressing his throat mic, Black told. Roberts what he had found and that he was going to enter and investigate. "It'll be getting dark soon so I want to get as much done as possible. I'll report back in twenty minutes and let you know what I find”, he told Roberts. Roberts replied, "Stay safe Major. Remember the last Robot incident" "Right…. Black out”, the Major replied. He sighed.

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Roman then activated the doors and entered into chaos... Again. ** Roberts was truly alarmed at the turn of events and she snapped into her earmic, "Major what is going on?" Black was just about to explain when he heard a loud stomping sound. He told the Colonel to hold on for a minute so that he could see what was up. At the far end of the dark hallway, Black saw what can only be described as another red eye. He then heard what he thought were hydraulics and then the stomping noise again. He swallowed hard and said into his mic “Guys, I've got company of the metal kind”, Roberts by then was heading off towards where her scanner picked him out. She snapped out, "We will be there in 3 minutes Major. Hold on." He ducked behind a counter as the bullets began to fly and the noise was deafening. Picking his spot, Black returned fire. His bullets ricocheted off of the thing as he were throwing rocks at it. The turbine on the Bot began to spin again and even more "bullets" sliced through the counter Black was hiding behind. He unclipped a grenade from his harness and threw it near the Bot. The explosion was deafening but Black still was able to get his feet underneath him and made his way for the door. The table to his left erupted in a giant fireball and he was thrown to the floor. When he looked up he could see that the Robot was still on its feet and was scanning the area with some type of sensor device. The "eye" had gone dark and Black could only guess that the grenade had done some damage. Unfortunately for him Roberts chose that moment to contact him. The Bot whirled around and opened fire where it believed Black to be. Thank God he wasn't there anymore. Major Black had managed to dive and crawl through a doorway which he assumed was a emergency stairwell. He began to run up it since down wasn't an option. While enroute he called Roberts and told her of his situation so that she and Rico would know what they were heading into. Roberts snapped, "I will be coming up behind. Bennett is heading in your direction. Keep it between us." As Black made his way to the next level he heard the door below him being ripped apart.

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"No way it can make it up those steps", Black whispered. He then heard a loud boom and it was getting closer. Leaning over the rail, Black could not believe his eyes. "Oh come on, you have gotta be kidding me!!”, he shouted As he turned to run. Travelling up between the stairs was the Bot using a version of retro rockets. Black made his way into an office at the far end of the hall just as the Bot tore through the stairwell door. "What next?", Black asked aloud. "A question", came a computerized voice out of nowhere. "Who said that?", Black asked keeping an eye on the door while trying to find the source of the voice. "I’ am Rort", came the response. Black looked up towards the ceiling and saw a monitor, which seemed to be linked to a computer. "I am Major Roman Black, from Andromeda Station", Black stated. "Andro..",the computer started to say before it started to scream aloud. "YOU ARE THE OTHERS!!!! IT'S IN HERE.IT'S IN HERE!!”,Rort shouted. Black then heard the Bot stop and begin to run down the corridor. "Thanks a lot", Roman said over his shoulder as he fled out a side door the Bot hot on his trail. Roberts heard his exclamation and grinned saying, "Major those who wander off on their own do find themselves in strange situations." Using her compact iPod she triangulated the distance she would need after she had downloaded the information from the map room and then came round and came up behind the labs, she scanned for the hidden door and finding it - she opened it. It was dark down through the chute. She slung the rifle across her shoulders and taking the railing in her hands and placing her feet on either side of the railings, she slid all the way down to the bottom. Long drop, and focusing her night vision goggles she began hunting for the Robot and her wayward Major. She found both. The Robot and Black. She unhitched her weapon and began firing at its back, looking for some of the wiring that held it together. However, this thing was built like a tank and it swung round in circles firing at both her and Black. With a yell of utter frustration she ducked and charged the metal construct when her weapon jammed. Handguns were

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kind of pointless. She flung the rifle to one side and leapt onto the thing. Hanging on and swearing - knowing that her choice of swear words would make a devil cringe. The robot tried to get her off and she felt her uniform tearing, but she was adamant that it no longer try and kill her unit. She started pulling all the wires she could find, out, until finally the thing stopped moving and seemed to "die". Exhausted she slid off its "body" and onto the ground. She felt like something had run her over. Angry she stood up, limped over to her weapon, glared at Black and snapped, "Next time you feel like exploring, try not to annoy the local robots please." He stared at her. She limped away down the passage and towards the way out, leaving Black behind her. She ran into Bennett and glared at him but said nothing. She carried on going back to the outer area. The other two joined her a few minutes later and she snapped, “No more surprises either of you. Just locate the damn Library. It has to be here somewhere.” The three went in different directions again. It took another hour before Black found the real Library. ** For some reason Roberts felt decidedly odd. There was an ominous presence surrounding all of them and she felt a shiver of apprehension running down her spine. She looked at Black and said quietly, "Major we need to find out why this city was abandoned and where the inhabitants went." She didn't allow her feelings on the city to get the better of her because they had a job to do. Major Black was right about waiting for his brain to correct the symbols he was reading. It was like having astigmatism. Towards the end of this aisle, Rico found what looked like an architect's light table but it turned out to be a viewer with all the city's plans and schematics. Every structure and its components could be researched here. Doing a quick search Rico found the drawings that Major Black was looking for. "I've got the plans for it down here sir." Roberts looked at them both and then walked across to stand at the console that had the holographic plans for the entire city. The three took the book with them and set out to look around the city. Ever mindful of the possibility of more robots. Leaving the library as it was. **

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Finally they gave up and went back to their base camp. Roberts chose to ignore what happened earlier and rubbing a sore shoulder she walked across to where they were camping that evening as it was fast approaching dusk. She organized the others to put up parameter alarms and limped across to get her bedding. She needed to think and assess what had happened here and it still bothered her that the robots themselves were not the weird feelings she was getting. She set up her camping gear in the circle they had all established and they broke out rations for the evening. "Oh boy, MRE’s . . . YUM. Listen, if anyone has a spaghetti dinner. I can make us Spaghetti Carbonara in the morning, I've already got the powered egg meal." Rico saved the miniatures bottle of Tabasco that came with his meal of sausage and peppers to add to the eggs in the morning. "Yes, I can cook. I came from a big family and after my dad got hurt on the job, Mom went to work and said we all had to learn to cook and clean. Two of my brothers hated to be in the kitchen so I always took their turns and got out of some nasty latrine duty. In the beginning, my Nana came over almost every night to teach us all how to cook. She wouldn't settle for us making second rate food and it wasn't long before none of us, that could cook, did." Black was impressed and told Bennett as much. Maybe when we get back to the Base you can teach Chief Stanton a thing or two”, joked Roman. He then noticed that Roberts was lost in her thoughts. "Hope there’s not anything wrong Boss? To be honest, I was a little surprised to see you leap up on that Bot. Have you done anything like that before?”, asked Black. She sighed and replied, "No...I am sorry to both of you. I should have been more cautious. But it just seemed that no matter what we shoved at that damn robot, it didn't even slow it down. I know.....a bit dramatic leaping on the darn thing but it got the job done. But that’s not what is irking me tonight. I keep feeling as if we are in danger still and not from metal things. My senses are a little more better honed then either of you and I keep hearing movement of some kind underneath us somewhere below. It’s really creepy. I think under the circumstances that I would still like the parameter scanners up but we are all moving back into the shuttle. Just to be on the safe side." I am sleeping inside the shuttle. You may join me if you like. “ she continued. The others agreed. Black began to pack his gear readying himself for the move. Getting up they moved into the smaller confines of the shuttle. Roberts elected to sleep across the pilot chairs whilst the two men had the seats in the shuttle.

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Rico stretched out on the floor as though if were a bed in a palace and perfectly comfortable. he rolled out his foam mat and sleeping bag and prepared to settle in. She shut the outer hatch door and they settled in for the night. Silence descended. Roberts had just dropped off to sleep when her eyes snapped open. Something had dropped onto the roof of the shuttle. It was skittering around up there and then to her confounded shock it slipped down off the roof and shot past her window. It was huge and looked like a mutant spider. Roberts hated spiders. With a sharp oath, she snapped off the chair and leapt back. Staring out into the night beyond in trepidation. The ground seemed to be alive. Horrified she looked out the window and saw them her worst nightmare. "Holy SHIT" she snapped in alarm. She heard the others stir behind her. Black awoke immediately.” What’s the matter Colonel?”, he asked grabbing his weapon. "Damn, that's the biggest bug I've ever seen." said an awed Bennett She almost leapt back into Black. Black gently steadied the Colonel a little embarrassed at the situation. She mumbled an apology. "I hate spiders" she snapped. Black looked on in mock disbelief. "I didn't think that you were afraid of anything. Maybe we should go ". She glared at him balefully and agreed that they were safer inside then outside. It was no wonder she had felt the alarm. She shivered and knew she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. Black scanned the shuttles control pad and found the defense system. He activated the shield grid and returned to his seat. ===The next morning=== Andrea looked at the two men and shook her head slightly, pasta for breakfast was her first, but figured she wasn't about to complain about where her breakfast originated.

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After the previous evenings fun-filled –not- events, she was feeling like a bear with a sore tooth. Her temper was frayed around the edges and she could feel her symbiont wasn't too happy with her either. So she was doubly grumpy. She rolled up her blanket and stowed it away in the shuttle. Stretched her arms and then did some limbering up dropping down to the ground and doing some press-ups. She needed the exercise. She felt both men staring at her and smiled inwardly. ~What? Just because she was a Colonel…didn't mean she couldn't do press-ups with the best of them. ~ After breakfast, she discussed the possibilities of where the creatures had come from and why the shuttle scanners had not picked them up earlier when she had scanned the city before landing. Because the robot was metal it had not been recognized as a life form. All the little surprises were adding up to something weird going on. And they still hadn't covered most of the city. Where did the spider things live, and where were they hiding – not that she was eager to find them, but maybe she could clear them out with some help and make the city habitable again. Standing up she surveyed the city thoughtfully in all directions. There was something decidedly odd about the entire place but she couldn't put her finger on it. It kind of resembled someplace she had seen once before but she couldn't place it for the moment. Bennett handed her a canteen of pasta and she ate it quietly. She remembered the conversation the day before about another city underwater 30 klicks away. Deciding she needed verifications she turned to Bennett and said quietly, "Thanks for Breakfast. I have a job for you. Take the shuttle and go look for that undersea city. Check it out. I have a feeling it connects to this place somehow. " "Aye, colonel. I can fly but I've never had to do it completely in my head. While I'm looking, I'm going to try to get the ship to link to that schematic table we found. Maybe that will make the job easier." She looked at Black and said, "Major, you and I will go check out the further site of this city in direct parallel to where that undersea city might lie. I have a suspicion but I need to confirm it first. Oh and gentlemen, inside the shuttle are three fuel driven flame throwers, I think we can take them with us just in case." "Will do" replied Black as he headed to the shuttles rear and unloaded the flame throwers and other gear that they would need. He handed several items to Rico so the Sec/Tac specialist could check them out. "Thank you sir. Do we have any other toys that I don't know about? Good hunting major. Don't take those plates out." He said with a smile. They closed up the small campsite and watched as Bennett took off with the shuttle and flew directly north of their position. Hefting up the extra weapon, Andrea slung it

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across her back and picked up her rifle and the two of them walked across the forecourt through the next few buildings. She was tempted to stop in a few and check out the various interesting discoveries. But reckoned she would do so at another time. Finally they came across the last crosswalk and began walking down it to go to the last building. This building however was slightly different from the others it looked like it was made out of solid chrome. Shiny surfaces almost mirror-like. But the pair moved towards the entrance. As with all the rest – the doors slid open to allow entrance to the humans. As they entered it, the lights came on and they could both see that it seemed to be a gigantic control room, with every conceivable gadget and computerized consoles. Stairwells went up to the various sections all the way up. Andrea looked up and saw a landing right at the top that housed some kind of chair. She left Black to explore the lower room and she climbed up the stairs. She wanted to know what that chair was for. Black walked around the lower level and found that it was just as the rest of the place had been. Roman thought the place looked eerily similar to that of a NASA control room. "Maybe this is the HUB station for the entire city”, he thought. Finally 10 minutes later she arrived at the single landing, each floor was metal with railings and each floor housed about 10 consoles in rows of two all around the walls. There were 10 floors. Andrea felt a prickle running up her spine. It all looked familiar. Too familiar. And situated in the far wall was a Stargate ring embedded into the floor. She stared at it a second and then looked at a very ornate looking chair with the ancient's writings all over it. On the chair she saw soft padding consoles and indentations for fingers. Humanoid fingers. She swallowed. She knew that chair. She walked over to the railing and called down to Roman. "Major….I know what this place is." Black looked up at her and could tell the news wasn't good. "How do you know this place Colonel?”, he asked of her. She sighed deeply and replied, "I had my suspicions but I wasn't sure. I have seen this city before, and Major, it's not a city." Black looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Well if its not a city then what is it?" She shivered and replied, "It's a Battlecruiser. And the ship inside the mountain would probably fit in the section that Bennett has gone to check out. There should be about 4 slots for those ships there. I have a feeling that the Battlecruiser crashed here somehow millennia ago and that the ship just took off before the Battlecruiser sunk. That is why half of it is above water. How those spiders got here I don't know, maybe a pair was being kept in the science department and escaped – creating a mountain

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behind them over the few hundred years. But I know this Battlecruiser. I have seen one before and I have seen pictures of it." It was a lot for Black to take in all at once. He wondered if they might be able to reconnect the ships somehow. Apparently, Roberts had been thinking the same thing. "Maybe we can repair the ship in the mountain. We will need a team out here to clear up this cruiser and get rid of its present occupiers and anything else the ancients might have brought aboard to study. This "building" is the Bridge." Black asked her if she thought that all of this might be possible. She smiled and said, "I think if we can get this thing operational again, we will make a formidable team. We have time to look around for now. I want to see what Bennett finds. I just need to secure this bridge for us. I will be right down." Black walked up to the first landing and waited for her to join him. Taking off all her weapons and bulk equipment, Andrea walked over and sat down in the chair and lay back slightly. Closing her eyes she concentrated on awakening the entire Cruiser. The chair lit up and started humming. Concentrating on linking to the computer she was a little disconcerted when the chair console seemed to melt and wrap itself around her hands. Trapping them. A metal strip came out of the console and attached itself to her forehead and she finally accessed the computer and all its data. She programmed in commands and re-routed sub routines to include all her team to have access to all ships functions. She spent two hours in that chair giving new commands and re-setting security protocols with herself as Commanding officer. She instructed the computer to accept Major Roman Black as First Officer. And Rico Bennett as Security and Tactical Chief. Then did the same for the rest of her team. Vargo as Science Chief etc. Until she had all the Andromeda team set up as important members of the crew. Finally the chair released her and she sat up bleary eyed to find a concerned Black hunkered down nearby watching her. She smiled tiredly and said softly, "That was some ordeal I hope I don't have to do again." Roman told her to rest for a moment to regain her bearings. Andrea did just that and after a while decided it was time to get on the move again. Roman reached out to help her up once she made her move. She sighed deeply and stood up unsteadily. She picked up her gear and put them all back on and then said, "Lets go back to the Alpha site and wait for Bennett and our transport home." "Okay", was all that he said as he stayed by her side as they descended the staircase. He could tell that she appreciated the fact that he was looking out for her.

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The pair left the "building" and walked back the way they had come. ** Bennett reported what he had found and was astonished at what they had discovered in return. He wanted to come back later with another team. Roberts nodded, it was as she expected. She smiled and replied, "You can come back here with a team later and also bring back Vargo and organize shoring up the holes you found and getting him to move his ass - don't let him give you any trouble Lt. I will be assigning some engineering staff to organize shoring up the holes and removing the water. I need you and your teams to keep an eye out for anything unusual and for possible danger. I don't know what the original pilots or crew brought on board other then those creepy spider things, so keep an eye out. Whatever you find here, deal with it. I am just interested in keeping our people alive and in one piece. Anything else get rid of it. I am holding you responsible for getting this ship up off the bottom of the sea. Use whatever means you need. Let Major Black know when you are ready to surface this ship. He will be close by." "Aye Colonel, can do. I want a few LAWS rockets loaded with HE that I can distribute among the crew. If I see those again, I'm going to blow them into scrap.” Black shuddered inwardly when Rico mentioned the Bot. "Tag 'em once for me Rico". Then turning towards Roberts, the Major asked what she had in mind for him. Roberts turned to him and replied, "I am leaving you in charge of getting that ship inside the Mountain, operational again. Use Cade and his team-mates to organize getting it working. Gentlemen I don't care how long it takes to get both up and running. Use whatever means you need to get those scientists off their butts - because believe me- they are both equally guilty of living in their own world and looking at other discoveries rather then doing what I want. Delegate gentlemen. Don't feel bad about it. Use whoever you like." "Sirs, I saw the jacket on a First Sergeant Cole. His is Army Special OPS and I can use him if you approve." Black gave a sideways look to the Colonel and when she did not respond he said," make it so". As Bennett headed off, Black could tell that Roberts got his little joke. Roberts smiled and replied, "I am going to look after the space station and doing some exploring with some of the other Marine squad still left after you both take the rest. I want everybody working on the two projects. In the meantime I want to find some allies. We will need them when we leave here. You don't have to live on the ships, just work. I look forwards to hearing some reports back from you both each day." She climbed back into the shuttle with both following and after the hatch closed, the shuttle took off back to the station. Arriving back at the base station, she slid the shuttle into its spot and they left to go back to their routine.

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==Andromeda Station== Black and Cade went over the schedules for the work force that would be in charge of getting the Starship operational. Cade had suggested four rotating shifts of six hour each with one day off per week. The scheduling sounded good to the Major, he knew that at that rate it would be conceivable that the ship's basic systems would be running. Dr.Vargo and his team had been assigned the task of getting the engines working. Cade would be in charge of the unenviable task such as life support and all other functions of the ship. It was also times like this that Roman was glad he had listened to his old man and taking those courses in electrical engineering. At least he would not feel like the odd man out on this project. The four shifts consisted of a 30-man team each shift accompanied by a twelve man Security force per team. In the beginning stages, Black would command one of the forces, which would search the ship for any "unwanted guests". He hoped that he did not encounter anything like Roberts had run across during her recon. "It will take a few hours to get the equipment we will need together so you'd better get started", ordered the Major. Cade headed off to set his part of the mission in motion. Major Black assembled his team that would leave the next morning. They would sweep the hangar area where the mountain ship was located then head inside to secure the ship itself. Once that was done, Cade and his first team would be allowed inside. Their first priority would be to get the Stargate located inside the Ship operational. That way they would not have to lug all of that hardware across dangerous mountain terrain........ ** Andrea Roberts sat in the mess slowly crunching a bowl of vitamin enhanced, military issue cereal. It was specially formatted for long- term missions such as the Andromeda expedition, but that didn't make it taste any better. She sighed and put down her spoon, pushing the offending bowl away. "Not hungry?" asked Kruger as he sat down across from her, ripping open his own ration pack and diving in fingers first, not bothering to pour it into a bowl. "How could you possibly resist the five-star food of choice variety from our beloved Government?" he mumbled through a dry mouthful. Roberts smiled slightly but became grave, admitting, "I'm concerned about the food, actually." Kruger looked up with surprise and humor in his green eyes. "It's really not that bad, Colonel."

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"Yes, I know. But our food supplies will not last forever. We have about a year's worth at best." She sighed. "Initially Gate Command figured that we would have negotiated with another world for food and supplies before long. The stores won't last as long as we supposed." A moment of tense silence was broken by the doctor. "What about what the Saggi cultivated, they have food still in the ground when they left, I could send a team down there to have a look." "It won't be around long enough. Whatever is there, we will have to farm it ourselves, what happens after that?" asked Andrea. "No…what I am going to do is visit the other Gate planets around here and I'm going to authorize a mission to them. I need to set up communications with peaceful groups that farm and trade with other worlds." Kruger didn't miss the uncertainty in her voice. "But…?" He questioned. If it were that simple they would have gone sooner. "I am also worried that there are other sorts of religious zealots out there. And the gods they worship…" She rubbed a hand over her tired face. "I am worried about coming in contact with these "Others. Some might even worship them." Kruger stared at her incredulously. "You're kidding, right? What kind of idiots would worship those creatures?" "What kinds of idiots would worship Go'auld?" She responded. The question hung, an answer wasn't needed, and after all as a Tok'ra she shouldn't point fingers, as she used to do it herself." "I don't like it." Kruger shook his head slowly. "How can we trust anyone that worships these creatures?" Andrea got up and carefully poured her uneaten cereal back into its package. "It's our only choice. We can't afford to run low on food. I'll brief everyone who is not down on the planet in the next meeting." She folded the top of her breakfast package and tucked it into a pocket. "Have a good meal."

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CHAPTER 22 The next away team was made up of Roberts, Sgt Allen, Dr. Kruger, Gunny Wilson, Lt. Barnes, and Corporal Myers. "I just don't like the idea of being on a planet whose inhabitants worship Others." Dr. Kruger complained. "I mean, before we know it we could be offered as a sacrifice or something." Allen looked at him incredulously. "I said 'or something'." Kruger repeated stepping down from the platform the stargate rested upon. "Look, we could select other planets to trade with. The statistical probability that one of them would have food that meets our nutritional standards is very great." "Yes, but it could take a great deal of time to find another planet with whom to trade. Lets try negotiating with this lot. They may be fair and trustworthy, even if their ways might be strange," Roberts explained. Kruger didn't look convinced. "Look Dr. Kruger, if the locals get a little sacrificial or whatever, I'll be right here with my P-90. " Barnes said patting his gun. "Yes, Doc….me too" Watson smiled, hefting his own weapon confidently. "And I know you're the last person on Andromeda that would want us to run out of food." Kruger said sulkily. Allen just scowled at him and brought a scanner out from his vest pocket. The six of them had just exited the stargate located in the middle of a sizable clearing. Tall evergreens surrounded it and a well-worn path led into the thick forest and out of sight. "This is the way to some kind of main trading village." Allen led the way. About twenty minutes of walking and the team crested a hill that overlooked a quaint village. Small huts made of what looked like logs and stone were arranged in a

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circular pattern around a main square. The square was crowded with over a fifty locals in brightly garments and a few obvious foreigners that stuck out in their unique clothes. "I see these people trade with many worlds." Roberts said, leading them down to the village. A man with greying dark hair and a kindly face approached them. The old man looked at them and said . "Welcome strangers, have you come to our village to trade?." Roberts stepped forward. "Thank you and its nice to meet you. I'm Colonel Roberts; this is Lieutenant Barnes, Dr. Kruger, and my other team members Allen, Wilson and Myers." They all shook hands. "My name is Loran. And what is it you wish to trade for?" the old man asked. "Food." Roberts answered simply. No reason to beat around the bush. "Does your planet not yield food or have you had a famine?" Loran was surprised by the request. "We are very far from our home world, and can no longer rely on it for provisions." Loran nodded and told them it might be arranged. "And what are you offering in exchange?" Barnes stepped in. "Well, that all depends on what you want. We have blankets, medicine, information; really just about anything." "Anything but weapons." Allen said bluntly, receiving an affirming nod from Roberts. "Medicine you say? That would be very useful; there is a sickness that has spread to many villagers." Replied Loran "Sickness!" Kruger repeated. " What kind of sickness? Is it contagious?" "Calm down." Roberts ordered, turning to Loren. "Has it been spread to any other visitors?" "No, it seems only to harm our people, no outsider has contracted it. It is a strange illness and causes sleepiness, sickness of the stomach, fever, muscle aches, and rarely death. Our healers have been unable to cure it or comfort the sick. Medical help would be sufficient for exchange of food." Roberts nodded and said, "We'll need to go back but we will return with medical help. Kruger, you, Watson and Barnes, stay here and begin negotiating for the food.." She looked down at her scanner and said . "Check out the food."

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They nodded. "Come on Allen and Myers, back to the base." she said Two hours later Roberts and Allen returned and once again crested the hill that overlooked the village. Dr. Andrew Tighe had accompanied them with the promised medicine and a medical team. "Nice little place they got here." Tighe said. "It doesn't' look like a sick population though, seems like the whole town is out and about." Kruger turned to him just then, when they had all arrived and said, "We didn't see any sick people either, but the symptoms described sound like if you had this disease you would want to stay indoors." "Makes sense." Agreed Tighe The others greeted them as they entered the town. "Sir, you missed the big show. About an hour ago a bell rang, and all the villagers went into that building over there." Barnes pointed with his P-90 at a large structure. "We followed them. It was some kind of religious ceremony. They have all these paintings in there of what I could only make out as the Others and they all got on their knees and prayed to them and sang and stuff. It was very, uh, disturbing" "My God. We've got to tell 'em the truth." Tighe shook his head. "They will most probably not accept it. Many outsiders have probably tried but they would most doubted not taken kindly to their religion being questioned," Roberts cautioned softly. "Right now let's just worry about getting our food." Kruger said as Loran approached them with a welcoming smile. "Loran, I would like you to meet Dr. Tighe and his medical team. They have the promised medicine and are willing to help you out." Loran bowed to them, "Any help would be greatly appreciated. The food is being transported to trading hut number three. You may oversee and inspect it there. Doctors, this way please." "Watson, go with them" said Barnes. "Colonel, lets go see the goods." ** Tighe entered a large, low building filled with about twenty straw beds and several large pillars made of wood. It had a straw roof but was quite warm. "Is this a hospital of some sort?" He asked Loran as they entered. Watson stayed at the door swinging his weapon away from the beds and leaning against the frame.

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"I do not know of what you speak, what is a 'hospital', this is an area in which our sick come to rest and can be watched by healers without burdening their families." He shook his head sadly. "We believe the Others have cursed us for not worshipping as devoutly as we have in the past. There are talks that they are not our gods, and some rebellious villagers have even refused to worship them! They have brought this upon all of us." Tighe exchanged looks with Watson. One of his medics handed a pair of gloves to Tighe while snapping some on himself. Tighe approached the nearest bed. "Hello son," he said kindly to the young occupant. "I'm Dr. Tighe, I'm here to help you. How are you feeling'?" The young boy coughed and rasped out, "My name is Oregono. I don't feel so good." "Where does it hurt, Oregano?" "Here." He pressed his hands against his stomach. "I've been sick." Tighe nodded. The boy continued, "My legs ache and I feel hot one moment and very cold the next. I'm really hungry, but when I eat I'm sick." Tighe nodded thoughtfully, placing a thermometer in the boy's mouth. "Hey Oregano, do you mind if I take a bit of your blood? It might be able to help me." The boy nodded and pulled up his shirt. "No son, not from your chest, I'll just take it from your arm here." "The Gods would take it from our stomach," Oregano mumbled around the thermometer. "What?." Tighe frowned puzzled but took what he needed. He said to him "You're very brave Oregano." He ruffled the boy's hair and removed the thermometer. "How long have you been sick?" He asked, carefully writing down the boy's temperature on a stat sheet. Oregano scrunched his eyes up in thought. Loran supplied it for him, "Almost a full cycle, um, one of your weeks I believe. The worst is over for him. He caught it from his mother, who had it two cycles and was much sicker." Tighe nodded and handed the blood vial and stats to the medic nearby. "We're gonna take a few more samples from others, then go back to our base and examine them." He put a hand on the boy's cheek, flashed a brief smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then proceeded to the next bed. Tighe was feeling uncomfortable about hearing about these Others, worshipped by these people seemed almost hugely dangerous to him. And what the Colonel had said after discovering one of them in the hidden ship, he could only surmise that he wouldn't like to meet one face to face anytime soon. He took the samples back to Andromeda station for testing and discovered the sickness was a flu-like virus strain. He had formulated a vaccine with the help of his medical staff in less than a day. Like

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the common cold, there wasn't a cure but sleep and pain medication would relieve some of the symptoms plaguing these people. Already half of the food supplies had been gated back to Andromeda. It was enough for several months of extra provisions. The trading had gone off without a hitch. Tighe had returned to the healing house with both Watson and his medic, explained to their healers how to administer the pills and the proper dosages. He and his team then proceeded to inoculate and give vaccinations to the healthy villagers. He was trying to explain to the healers, "One of these is enough for a child, but two are needed for an adult. " The healers nodded. They were eager to learn. Tighe smiled and handed the oldest of them the pill packets. "The brown ones are for pain, and can be taken twice a day. The white ones are to help patients asleep, and can be taken once a day, but for no more than a week, one of your 'cycles'. They are addictive." The older healer, Rogan, nodded. "We thank you for your help Dr. Tighe. There is nothing worse then watching our people suffer and being unable to help them." Standing waiting for the medics outside the healers hut were Sgt Allen, Dr. Kruger, Gunny Wilson, Lt. Barnes, and Corporal Myers and Roberts. Kruger growled out "Whats taking him so long? I am going to find out where he is." Roberts said, "I will come with you." Just then Tighe popped his head out the door, saw them approaching and called, "Great just the people I want to see." Kruger entered with Roberts and looked curiously around. "Are you sure we're safe from this bug, Tighe. I mean, I wouldn't want some alien virus or anything." "There's really no telling Dave. I haven't been able to figure out who gets what really. I've got my medical team working on it back at the base." Tighe sighed tiredly. "But that's why I called you here. I want to make sure you haven't picked up the virus. I'm just going to take some blood and send it back to the base with my medic Sgt Powers here." Roberts held out her arm out to Powers while Tighe extracted Kruger’s blood. "Ouch, Tighe. Couldn't you be a bit more careful!" snapped Kruger irritably as a few drops of blood exited a puncture wound. "Well Dave, if you were not so tense it wouldn't' hurt so much. You need to relax your muscles next time." Came his cool reply "Well thank you for telling me now. I'll be sure --" Kruger began sarcastically, but was cut off by the sound of people screaming outside. He heard someone yell and a cry for help. "What the hell?" Roberts exclaimed yanking her arm from Powers who had placed a small band-aid over the wound. She hefted her gun while peering out the door. "I can't

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believe it, the villagers are now armed, what's going on?." She brought her head back inside and shut the door firmly. There was no lock. "Roberts to Barnes." She keyed her earmic. "Come in Barnes- Damn, what's going on?" Some static and then a rushed answer. "Barnes here. Sir we're pinned down. Ten villagers just entered the square and started shooting with small arms fire everywhere around here. Sir, they've captured all of the outside traders and tied them up and killed two villagers." "Barnes, stay out of sight! Are the others with you?" Andrea hissed, motioning for everyone to take cover. Tighe squatted behind Oregano's bed with Kruger, while Powers was pulled to the back of the makeshift hospital by another healer. They handed him one of their own robes to pull over his uniform. With his dark skin colouring and dark hair and dark eyes, he fit right in with the locals. "Colonel, we are a little way away from the Lt. but we are nearby." whispered Wilson and Myers. "We are on top of things here and will not be captured. Allen is with the Lieutenant" And with that the radio clicked off. "Damn!" Andrea thumbed the safety off her weapon and got behind a pillar. The patients looked at her apprehensively. The older healer, whispered to Roberts. "These are the rebels we have spoken of. They do not believe the Others are their gods. They refuse to worship and have taken to violent ways. They have brought this sickness upon us." More shouting from outside, closer this time. "Did you ever consider they might be right?" Roberts said angrily. "Will they come in here?" "I do not know. They have never attacked the village like this. It was always during night against smaller towns and unsuspecting wanderers, never off-worlders. I am sorry, we should have warned you." Loran shook his head. "We will try to protect you." He handed Roberts a robe to slip on but it was no use. With her long red hair and blue eyes she wouldn't look like a local no matter what she was wearing. "Dr. Tighe, are they going to hurt us?" Oregano whimpered. Roberts threw her robe to Kruger and told him to put it on. "Not if I can help it lad. Oh crap!" Tighe exclaimed as the boy promptly turned sideways and was sick. Kruger leapt back like fire had caught to the bed, his face screwed up, backing away from the offending mess and holding the robe out like a shield. "Shh, its ok, son, just breath nice and slow." The boy nodded miserably as Tighe grabbed the robe and wiped the child’s mouth with it.

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At that moment the door flew open and two rebels entered the room, weapons raised. Kruger looked at them like a deer caught in the headlights; he was out in the open. They grinned at each other, dark eyes glinting and greasy brown hair pulled back. The larger one stepped forward and grabbed Kruger roughly by the arm. "You're coming with us, don't make us hurt you." He raised the gun, as though hoping he might have to. Kruger looked from one to the other. "Listen I don't know what you think but-" he was cut off when the smaller one lunged forward and backhanded him viciously across his face. The smack echoed in the silent hospital like a gunshot. Kruger grunted and lifted a hand to his cheek. Tighe was still bending protectively over Oregono, despite Robert's gesticulations to get down. The smaller rebel caught sight of him and strode over, weapon glinting. "You too. You're a foreigner if I ever saw one!" He said, studying Tighe's strikingly green eyes and shaven face. He grabbed Tighe by an arm and dragged him next to Kruger. "Are there any more of you around? Huh?" He asked Tighe. "No, just me and him. Look we don’t want trouble-" The rebel smiled. "Good for you. We do." At that moment Robert's P-90 let loose a bullet that nailed the larger rebel holding Tighe. Kruger shouted and fell to the floor as his captor collapsed. The smaller rebel pulled Tighe protectively in front of him, weapon raised to the doctor's neck. Everyone froze. "He dies if you try anything else stupid." As if to make a point the insurgent pushed his gun into Tighe's neck. Tighe's breath hitched but he remained absolutely still, eyes wide. Kruger looked from Roberts to the rebel, breathing quickly. "I need some help in here! In the healing house!" The rebel cried. A few moments later and two more entered. "Take him." He pointed at Kruger who was still on the floor. They hefted him up roughly. "And her." He glared at Roberts. Andrea raised her weapon warningly. "How about you back off or get shot. Let us go and no one else gets killed." "I'm afraid that isn't possible." Said a tall villager mockingly. "You come or he dies." He gestured at Tighe. Robert's gun wavered from one rebel to the next, unsure of what she should do. "Look, I'm sure we can reach an understanding, just hold on here-" she sounded much calmer than she felt. "No!" The tall rebel exclaimed violently. "No talking, we are tired of talking and getting nowhere! Now, or else."

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Tighe grimaced as his captor savagely twisted his arm. Roberts held still, not dropping her weapon for a second and then looking at both Kruger and Tighe said, "I am sorry gentlemen, but I have to bring out my symbiont. Whatever happens in the next few minutes please understand, its not me exactly." The rebel snarled, "What are you blabbering about woman." Both Tighe and Kruger suddenly looked alarmed. Andrea removed her gloves and dropped them on the floor, in both hands she had a set of chaquavra, the odd thing was that both seemed as if they had been embedded permanently into her arms, their golden metal gleaming in the light. They had an alternate name. Chak’ra. She dropped her weapons on the floor and threw her head back and let her symbiont return. When her head lowered – her voice changed and her eyes glowed white. She raised her hands and palm outwards snarling, "You have made a big mistake waking me." The rebels stared at her in alarmed shock and the tall one snapped out, "What trickery is this?" She never even gave him a chance to scream. Using her Chak’ra, the lights blazed across the small area and enveloped the villager evaporating him instantly. Tighe darted away and grabbed Kruger and they leapt to the bed housing Oregono who stared at Roberts in astonishment. Loren, his eyes wide watched in shocked amazement as Roberts took out the remaining rebels within seconds. One of them opened fire but the Chak’ra protected her and they bounced off her. One of the other villagers's fired on Tighe before he died. Then all was quiet. For a moment, everyone just stared around at each other. Tighe gasped as he rolled over, wondering how he had ever ended up here, in the middle of an alien terrorist event. He was a doctor for God's sake. Well, he thought, good thing because I'll be needing' one right about now. He stared at the wound in his stomach through bleary eyes, feeling decidedly faint. It was nasty and covered bloodstains on the fabric of his tunic. The blood was escaping at an alarming rate and had already soaked his entire midsection. The pain was enormous. It ate away at him, burning, moving up to his chest and creeping down to his thigh. It felt like he was on fire and when his heart beat all his insides were being squeezed to bursting point. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He was aware of Oregono whimpering and then Loren speaking to him, but he couldn't understand. His medic approached and conversed with the old man, who shook his head. The man seemed adamant, gesticulating madly at Tighe and his wound. Tighe squinted to bring his hazy world into focus. In the old man's hand was

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bandages and a packet of painkillers. He would have laughed out loud if the pain weren't so overwhelming. Tylenol wouldn't be quite enough for this kind of wound. And where was Roberts? The Tok'ra turned to face the rest and walked over to Tighe. She looked down at the badly wounded doctor and put her hand out over the wound. The doctor, Kruger and the other villagers watched in surprised awe as the doctor's wounds healed miraculously in front of them. All he felt was a burning sensation and then the wound sealed itself. He looked up at Roberts and said, "Why aren't you the doctor Colonel?" The Go'auld looked at him blankly and then stood up, she walked over to the door and opened it slightly. Somewhere out there was her host's people. She turned at the door and snapped, "Remain here. I will get rid of the rest." The rebels were milling around outside; the townspeople had been forced into their homes. There were only about a dozen foreigners, who had turned to watch Roberts with concern, and eight rebels in sight. Barnes and Allen were nowhere to be seen. Tied up however were the rest of Robert's team. Roberts quickly untied them and in turn they were glancing anxiously at the rebels as she did so. But the rebels paid them no attention and seemed to be discussing something important. Several more, all-yielding weapons had joined the rebels. They saw Roberts and frowned, several came forwards and one said, "You will come with us. Don't show us any trouble and we won't harm you." He looked pointedly at the Andromeda team. Andrea's head dropped forwards for a second and then she "awoke" from her symbiont to find the others looking at her in silent alarm. She frowned and asked, "What's up?" Wilson hurriedly explained and then the rebels ushered them all into the nearby religious building. The rebels shut the door and blockaded it, keeping guards posted on the inside and out. They then proceeded to tear down all the paintings and statues of the Other's. They looked angry but purposeful. The building was garnished with rich wood and beautiful pictures. Bright pictures of the Others lined the walls and what could only be described as a ship of The Others was depicted on the ceiling. The SGA team went into a far corner by a statue, and slid slowly to the ground. It looked like they would be here for a while. Roberts wasn't perturbed in the slightest. Just curious. "Barnes and Allen are out there somewhere. I need to contact them and let them know whats' happening."

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Tapping her earcom she whispered out quick instructions to Barnes about getting reenforcements back here pronto. She didn't want to use her symbiont again because it was very draining on her physically. ** Barnes was panting and out of breath. He considered himself in good shape, but the mad dash to the stargate with Allen had taken its toll. They had crept out of the village while some kind of commotion was happening in the hospital and sprinted to the gate. Then he heard from his OC and he sighed in relief. He understood the instructions. Get Black and Bennett back to this world pronto with re-enforcements. Allen leaned against the DHD and began to key the correct runes. Barnes stood next to him, P-90 raised and ready, scouting the area. The stargate flashed to life and he sighed in relief. Keying his radio, Barnes announced breathlessly, "Andromeda base, this is Lieutenant Barnes." Rice's voice crackled "Is everything all right? Has something happened Lieutenant?" He sounded worried, as though he'd been dreading something like this. "Yeah, get hold of the Major and Lt Bennett and tell them to get back to base pronto. We have run into some major problems. Rebels have captured the Colonel and the rest. The Colonel wants re-enforcements back here. Allen and I are coming in." he replied. "The gate is open, you are safe to proceed." Rice's voice informed. They stepped through, and then momentarily stepped into Andromeda's control room. "Have you contacted them Rice?" Barnes called up. Rice replied, "Just sent the message now Sir."

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CHAPTER 23 ==Mountain Bunker== Major Black had ordered the Convoy parked at the base of the mountain. His scout team would head up to the Bunker's entrance while Sgt.Tyson and Pvt. Jackson set up base camp. To Black's surprise they had not encountered any type of life form on their way to the Bunker. Before the air had been filled with various types of birds and an occasional elk like creature had been spotted. Now however the Saggi’s home world was as quiet as a ghost town. Dr. Smith had taken an air, water and soil sample once they had come through the Gate and had found everything within normal spec. Still as Black led the way down the ramp to the Hangar Bay he could not help but feel uneasy. "Your being silly”, he told himself as he stepped up to the control panel and activated the eternal lighting system. That uneasiness spread over him again because he could not remember whether or not Roberts had deactivated the power before they left the first time. "Perry, Brown and Rye take search grid gamma. Lynch, Powell and I will search omega. We'll meet here near the waste disposal unit", stated Black as he pointed at his makeshift map of the area. "Stay on your toes, there's no telling what could be down here. He then described for them the creature that the Colonel had run across. "Shoot first and ask questions later", he added, "we can't afford to take any chances". The two teams swept the large room without leaving one stone unturned "literally". They met at the disposal units after almost three and a half hours of searching. "Well there's nothing in here Major. Our area was clean", Sgt Perry chewed around his ever-present cigar.

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"Our’s either”, Black replied as he tore of a piece of jerky and passed it to Lynch and another to Powell. "We'd better head inside the ship. Once we've searched it we can call back and have Sgt.Tyson contact Dr.Cade and have them come down. The two teams became one and headed up the ramp single file... ** Black held his micro-recorder in his hand as he made his daily log entry. "Work on the Starship has gone quite well of the last day and a half. Dr.Cade and his teams have done a magnificent job bringing these ancient vessels systems back online. There have also been some surprising discoveries made by the search teams. Several of the chest discs that the Saggi called Temple wore have been found in a storage room. It is my belief that we can modify them and use their stealth technology to our advantage. Dr.Kincaid our resident micro-biologist has discovered a possible solution to our food shortage as well". "There is a system in place that replicates food and Kincaid feels that it may help greatly. I for one feel like I just stepped into an episode of Star Trek or something. However, the others feel that after a few months of repairs we might actually be ready for space flight. That is of course if Vargo and his boys ever figure out how to get the damn propulsion systems working". From outside the Warthog, Sgt.Tyson told Black that a message was coming in from Andromeda. "Sir the Colonel's team has been captured and she is calling for reinforcements”, Tyson said. Black clicked off his recorder and told Tyson to get Powell and Perry back pronto. He then joined Cade inside the ship and told him what had happened. "You're in charge until I get back. Try not to blow up anything okay?". "Yeah, yeah”, replied Cade who then tossed a satchel to Black and told him that the three inside worked but only for a short time. "Ten minutes max", he added. Black opened the satchel and looked inside then smiled. "Thank's,I think I just might have a need for these", he told Cade just before he left the bunker and headed back to the Stargate. While enroute Lt. Barnes contacted him and told him that Lt.Bennett had been contacted and was on his way as well. "Good, have three units geared up and ready to go. My ETA is 15 minutes. Have Bennett meet me in the War Room and have the new guy join us", Black ordered before closing the signal. **

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Rico was briefing First Sergeant Robert Cole on the task of raising the huge ship when the call came in to return to base. They double timed it back to the stargate and met Major Black on the other side. “Major black this is First Sergeant Robert Cole, Hes Army Special OPS.” Black nodded towards Cole in greeting and told the man that he had heard good things about him. “Sir, the sergeant and I are trained for this duty. We do it a lot and wed like to have you on the team, that is, if you don’t mind taking orders from an officer who is your subordinate. I don't mind at all Rico, especially if it will assure the safe return of the hostages”, Black replied. “Okay sir. What we need now is Intel. If you would grab an MP-5 with a suppressor and get over to the place now, I need a pencil sketch of the place with all the exits marked, all the windows marked and how high they are from the street, any other roofs that might help us, you know the drill, sir.” Replied Rico Black said that he'd get right on it. Since Barnes was familiar with the area the Major would draw heavily on his descriptions as well. Black then handed both Rico and Cole one of the items in his satchel. They were smaller oval shaped disks similar to the one Temple had worn. "Mini cloak devices, ten minute shelf life so use them sparingly", stated the Major. “Sir, we will contact you on the radio when we have our gear and are in your location. Just a word of caution sir, don’t be seen, don’t get caught, don’t surrender your weapon, but the most important is, be careful!” came the reply The sergeant and Rico head for the arms locker. They know the type of gear they need for this mission. Rico asks, “What was your specialty when you were on the teams?” “Sniper.” He replied “What did you use?” Bennett asked “A suppressed M-14 with a scope.” He smiled “I don’t think we have any fourteens. You may have to settle for one of those new, uh, fancy, you know things.” Replied Rico thoughtfully. Then Cole asked Rico, “C-4 or Semtech?” “Semtech, two detonators and some line.” Replied Rico

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Two squares away from the extraction site, Rico and Cole met up with Major Black. The sketch showed one entrance into the building where Colonel Roberts and the other hostages were being held. There, no doubt, was another exit but it was not visible from the street according to Major Black. Rico nodded, “Okay well assume this is it. Sergeant, go ahead and get into position then call me on the radio when you’re ready.” Sergeant Cole said not a word but left immediately and silently to find his position. Rico had instructed Major Black to set his weapon to semi-auto and he said “Don't miss with the first shot.” Then they left to take up to their own positions not far from the front door of the extraction site. Black activated his disc and sprinted to the location that Rico had assigned him. When the Sergeant had sufficient time to get into position, Rico tapped his earmic. The little drum sound in the earpiece. When Cole heard it, he pointed his rifle at Rico so he could observe Rico’s signs through its scope. Rico first pointed at Cole and then gave a thumbs up sign, a question, was Cole ready? Cole responded with a thumb up. Then Rico faced Major Black who was just across the street and pointed to him and gave him a thumb up. Black and was ready and returned to the thumbs up sign. Black screwed the silencer onto the end of his weapon and took aim at his target. There are all set with two suppressed weapons set to a semiautomatic. Rico gestured to Major Black, first pointing at him then making the child’s version of a gun sign and then pointed with his flat hand at the guard on the right side of the religious building door. Then Rico indicated similarly that he would take the guard on the left side. Then Rico held up three fingers, then two, then one. A second later both guards fell dead with barely a sound coming from the outside. Rico raced to the big door and put the Semtech on the hinges and the lock set, inserted the detonator/receiver. Then quietly raced back to his position opposite Major Black tapped his head mike again he looked up at Cole and gave him the thumbs up sign. Cole looked inside and then returned the sign. Rico then armed the detonator and pushed the red button. The door blew off its hinges and fell inward and the two guards that were inside were taken out of the picture for who knew how long.

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Rico and Major Black raced inside. Two of the other rebels, hidden in the shadows inside, raised their weapons to shoot the hostages but were shot by Major Black and Sergeant Cole. Rico let his MP-5 hang from its harness and walked down the centre aisle of the church. The last rebel left levelled his weapon at Colonel Roberts head and said, “Move one more step and she dies.” Rico looked calm, almost too calm. He looked around as though he’d really been looking at nothing in particular but actually was surveying the situation and looking for more guards that might be hiding. “Are you OK, Colonel?” Roberts and Rico look at each other for some time without saying anything. Their messages communicated with their eyes. She nodded to Rico and he looked at Major Black before continuing. Black nodded slowly and took two steps to his right knowing it would give Cole a clearer shot. The rebel was getting more agitated by the minute. He didn’t like all these extra guns around that were not his and he said to Rico, “I repeat. Put your weapons down or she dies!” Rico was still outwardly very calm and he said, “Nope . . . Im not going to surrender my weapon to you or anyone else.” “If you don't, I'll kill her!” The male snapped. Very calmly he replied, “That may be, but you’re not going to kill me too . . . Before you do anything let me ask you a question. Whats going to happen to you when your shield is dead?” The rebel had never had to consider this kind of a situation before and he didn’t know what to say or do. He expected Rico to surrender his weapon and is now unsure of what to do next. Sensing this Rico said, “You know god can see you.” In his earpiece, Rico can hear Sergeant Cole say, “yeah I can.” It meant simply that Cole could see the target. Then Rico continued, “and you know, he can strike you down for doing things like this to other people.” In his ear piece Rico heard sergeant Cole say, “I have a shot.”

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Then the rebel’s agitation could hardly be contained and he screamed at Rico, “PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS NOW!” Rico’s face was staid, he circled to his left, and the gunman’s right, he wais trying to get the man to move his weapon away from Colonel Roberts just a little. In a second the gunman decided that Rico was an easier target so he began to acquire Rico as his new target. Seeing the mistake, Rico looked up and said “TAKE IT!” In a split second the rebel crumbled to a heap, Sergeant Cole having made a perfect shot. Rico looked to Colonel Roberts and asked “Are you OK Ma’am?” Roberts looked at Rico and replied, “Well that was exciting.” Black walked into the room just then, He stared at her and at the carnage. Rico eyed her and said, “Exciting. Maybe. But necessary.” She looked at him sourly for a few seconds and then said quietly, “It would have been better if we had a few to interrogate Lieutenant. Now it looks like we will have to go find them instead. Unfortunately I had to give myself away and I have no idea what the villagers in the makeshift hospital will think about me now.” Bennett replied “The two rebels underneath that big door might survive this, especially if you use that healing device on your hand, right away. I'm sorry if you don't approve of our extraction methods, ma'am. I had to decide between saving your life and risking it to take prisoners. Excuse me colonel, but my judgement is that the risk was too great." Black turned away with a grin on his face. Putting down the Colonel was not high up on his things to do list. He left lower ranks to do that. From outside, all three of them could hear the villagers coming out from their hidden places. Then came a loud, soulful bell as it rang out, echoing around the village, signalling the start of a Holy Hour. The three walked outside. "What shall we do? We cannot enter our holy house?" A young healer cried. "The Others will bring their fury upon us!" someone else howled fearfully.

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Watson shook his head and turned to face them. "Listen, I really didn't want to get into this or anything, but we're stuck here for a while, and I can't help it." He realized he had raised his voice and his accent was becoming very prominent. He forced himself to calm down, controlling his voice. "I don't know where you got your information from, but the Others are not gods. They are murdering monsters; aliens that feed off other races like parasites. Do you know what a parasite is?" They were gazing at him with horrified expressions. "Please stop! You don't-" a man began but someone cut him off. "They can't hear us. They are not gods, just aliens. The rebels are right, although I don't agree with their methods of communication. Listen-" He took a deep breath and said. "Listen, they will come and feed on you whether you worship them or not. It's like this everywhere. Hundreds of worlds. Understand?" Loran looked at him then and then looked with infinite respect at Roberts and with trusting eyes. "I believe in that woman, your leader, she is a God, I saw with my own eyes that she holds the power of life and death, I believe we are all incorrect and that our brethren are correct, I do not think Gods would treat us as the Others do." He was clutching the robe Tighe had left like a lifeline, eyes watery and tear streaks down his small face. "Son, I would slap you if you weren't so old. The blasphemy! You are old and trusting, you do not understand." An Elder chastised. "Stop this talk now! Come, since we cannot go to our religious house, we shall make worship here." The others outside nodded, and all that were able stood and joined hands in the centre of the courtyard. They began chanting; "Oh glorious beings from above, with all of your greatness may you bless us…" Roberts sighed. What was the point? They were all brainwashed. ** As the last bell ring faded into twilight the rebel leader stepped cautiously out of the darkness of shadow near one of the last huts. He had listened and he had heard. He looked thoughtfully at Andrea. She didn’t look like a God. Her people treated her like a leader only, so what was the old man blathering about. Did he see something, none of the others had? And the young soldier had indorsed what he and the rest of his teammates had said, and believed, that the Others were evil. He had to talk with the woman. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near her. He watched her walk and talk to her other people, and watched as she delegated again. She was a mere woman and these men took her orders? She must be a very powerful Leader, one he wanted to talk to as soon as possible. He bided his time. He could wait to take her.

**

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Andrea looked at both officers and she said quietly, "Thanks for the rescue gentlemen. I think that just in case there are more of the rebels, you two can delegate your men into setting up a protective shield around this village, whilst Tighe makes sure that they are medicated. I want that promised food all taken back to base and then we will leave this place and since the villagers are truly brainwashed, we will let them figure out their own errors. Hopefully it won't be too late for them. At least we got supplies in the meantime. Move out." Black nodded and left. "Sir, I'll get half of each of our security teams from the ship raising project and get them here. Sergeant Cole can then organize the perimeter guards." Replied Bennett Roberts walked away and let them get on with it. Thoughtfully she went back into the Temple, unknowingly right into the hands of the Rebel Leader, who was standing just inside the door. She sensed someone near her and moved her head and darkness engulfed her. The Rebel Leader held her limp body in his arms and looking down said, "I will not allow anyone to harm you." But she was unconscious and didn't hear him. He hefted her up and walked out the back door of the temple. His precious cargo in his arms..... ** The Rebel Leader waited patiently for the Leader of the aliens to come round. He found her quite beautiful actually and wondered if she had a mate waiting for her. Andrea slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes slowly. She winced at the ache in her head. Someone had hit her hard. She finally focused and found herself lying on some kind of divan/bed, which was quite surprisingly comfortable. She rolled over slightly and sat up, coming face to face with an unknown male. He smiled and said, "I am pleased you are awake. I am sorry for forcing the issue on you but I needed to talk with you away from your men folk. Your warriors would surely have resorted to violence if they had seen me take you against your will."

Andrea frowned and glared at him snapping, "And what makes you think that I don't have a tracking device on me, therefore allowing them to find you here, wherever here is – anyway?" He shrugged and replied, "It would be no matter. I will still have you and they will just have to find another Leader."

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Roberts snorted a rude reply and then growled, "Okay – now that you have my undivided attention, what do you want?" He sighed deeply and replied, "I couldn't help but overhear the old man claim that you are a God. Do you consider yourself a God? Are you related to Gods, what is your story and if you are a God, what do you want with simple folk who grow crops?" Andrea replied, "I was a God once, but I am no longer one. I chose to aid the innocent rather then take them for slaves." He stared at her for a few minutes and then asked, "Why would a God do this?" Andrea had no idea how to explain having a symbiont or that she was a host to one. But she tried. "Look. I am host to a living God. She provides safety for me and protects me from evil, 8000 years ago she was a powerful God, and had many worlds and many civilizations. But she grew to hate being what she was, and working from within, she began to change and help the innocent. To protect those who would not know better. She was from a species called the Go'auld. The Go'auld are an evil species and over the many hundreds of years, just like you, she came to the conclusion that these beings because they were rich in technology, which they had stolen from others, deserved to die for destroying whole civilizations because of greed. She and others like her became rebels and formed a new group calling themselves Tok'ra. To tell other civilizations that the Go'auld were NOT Gods, and to not worship them as Gods. Some listened some didn't. Just like here. With you. Your people believe the "Others" are Gods, but they are not Gods! They are just creatures who have advanced technology that no one else has. But your peoples think that what they don't understand and will not be able to conceivably understand for a very long time is that these "Others". Are monsters. They kill people. We want to stop them from destroying everyone. That's why we are here, to gather food and get allies to our cause." The Leader listened hard. He understood exactly what she was saying. "Then tell me, you as a God, can locate and destroy the Others, without thinking, why do you need the men warriors to accompany you on this mission?" Andrea sighed in frustration. This wasn't going to be an easy task. "I or rather the God who inhabits me, needs a body – they are not like you or I. They are very alien beings. My body was dying a long time ago and the God asked me if I would consider joining with her, to survive and learn from her. I was a young woman and I was dying. She gave me time to think about what would happen to me, to prepare me for her. I accepted her and I have been given a great gift of life from her. As with all the Tok'ra, we were all given the choice. In return we hunted the Go'auld. I was just a warrior and one day I got cut off from my people, and found myself with the Tauri. A beautiful people who had unfortunately made big enemies of the Go'auld. They formed a special army and persuaded many worlds to join their fight. One of which was my rebel group. But as I said, I got lost in the gate one day and 111

found myself in this Universe you call home. At that time my own leader had persuaded the Tauri warriors to accept me as one of their own, to teach them our ways, to help them. I came back from this universe and told them what I had found. They needed new technology and the place I had found myself was ancient but new technology that could help them to overthrow the Go'auld one day. So they made me a Leader, and because this universe is so far away from their own world, they entrusted their warriors to me, and I became their Leader. In return, they will help me find whatever is necessary to protect other innocent beings here." He nodded and then asked, "So you are host to the God, who protects you from death and in return you protect it and others. But you are wrong about whom you consider the Others." Andrea frowned and replied, "How so?" The Others are not this Go'auld you speak down about. They are not monsters to frighten younglings at night. They look just like us." Roberts shook her head and said, "No, I killed one of them as it was killing one of my team mates." She described what the creature looked like. The rebel leader stared at her and then said, "What you are describing is impossible. Come let me show you something and explain why." He got up and led her through a few underground tunnels, which were well thought out and surprisingly light. She saw many people talking and eating and generally curious about why she was there – but did not approach either herself or their leader. He took her to a vast cavern and in the light she gasped. On ceilings and on the walls were pictures of one of the worlds that orbited her space station. He led the way to a wall mural and showed her the monster she had killed. It stood near the temple that had held the old being called Temple. With it were many others and they seemed to be clothed. She looked with a frown at the Leader and asked, "I don't understand." He nodded and replied, "I was a learned man, a teacher before I became a rebel leader. Many many many years back, I took my students through the gate to this world, which is matched to another through another Gate. I found these paintings and many books on the original people who had lived there. These you see before you are what you know as the Saggi. They seem a peaceful race, but they are anything but. One day millennia ago a ship from another world came and crashed on their world. The beings on that ship came and took their world from them and killed off most of the original beings. But they kept a few for experiments. They turned the original Saggi from peaceful vegetarian beings to carnivores over many years and took away the very essence of their souls. They then used them to make their own species stronger and more resilient. They took the name also. These are the new Saggi, the Others. They are not like you or myself. This creature – the Strykerbeast, they are the original species. The great builders of the cities that these Others took from them. The Strykerbeast were simple flying creatures who travelled to the stars. They were our original allies. But the Others, these creatures in the ship came. We thought they were the Ancients, the original Gate builders. But we then learned that the ship was stolen 112

from the Ancients and used by the Others to conquer worlds. They placed the blame of their deception on the Ancients. There were many thousands of these beings, none of them solid. None had their own bodies. But they lived within others, much as your God lives within you. But they do not ask. They just take the living being and create their own. For many hundreds of years, travellers came through their gates and they stole their bodies from them. We learned not to return. But the Others came here to this world when we stopped. They threatened to kill all of us if we did not provide bodies for them. That is why the elders have elected to worship them as Gods.” Andrea stared at him in horrified shock. She swallowed and asked pointedly, "And what did these Others look like originally?, is there a picture of them?" The Leader took her over to a set of manuscripts carefully preserved under the covers of glass and taking the book of manuscripts out he thumbed through some well worn pages to a set of pictures and showed Andrea. She stared in mute shock. These were the Others? They were the ones who had told her and her team that they were the original Saggi. She groaned in anguish. She then looked up at him and a change came over her. Furious she growled, "I am now more then ever wanting to get after these Others, and when I catch them they are going to wish they had never crossed my path.!" The rebel Leader asked, "I understand. But I am pleased that I was able to make you understand. We are not your enemy. It’s my own people who have become like the enemy. The Others – as you say – are not Gods. But they have led all peoples to believe them to be Gods, I would ask of you one thing." Roberts looked at him. "You say you are host to a God and she has divided her people to fight the evil within. We ask of you the same. We cannot go back and pretend that we have returned back to the way things were. We know it will never be the same again until all our people understand that the Other's are not Gods. And the longer we stay here on this world, we are going to lose the fight. My fellow rebels, and I would ask that we accompany you. We will fight by your side against these Others until they are no longer a threat." Andrea was taken aback. She had gone out to find allies but had not realized that her quest would be this well received and from an unexpected source.

She nodded and replied, "Fine. I suggest you gather up all those who want to come back with us, plus all the stuff you want to take with you, as we might not be returning back this way for some time."

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The Leader grinned and he put out his hand and said, "From here on in, you will be our Leader?" She sighed and then with a smile nodded and then said, "My name is Andrea Roberts, Colonel Andrea Roberts." He grinned and shook her hand saying, "I am Landau and I am honored to meet you Andrea Roberts. I will bring my peoples to the gate and will wait for you and your warriors there." Andrea looked at him thoughtfully and then asked, "Er….and how do I get out of here and back to my warriors?" He appeared shaken for the moment and then he smiled and he led her away from the cavern to another tunnel and replied, "If you carry on down this tunnel you will find yourself back inside the temple where I took you from." He grinned at the expression on her face and continued, "They just never looked under their noses much." Andrea suddenly laughed out loud and shook her head and walked down the corridor back to the Temple. As she exited into the temple she walked out through the far door and found the place in a chaos. Her entire Marine security detachments were out enforce apparently looking for her. She checked her watch and found she had been missing for 7 hours. Oh…oh…. She knew both Bennett and Black would be upset. She wasn't wrong. She found herself facing both of them with a look of innocence and said, "Hi guys whats up?" Black glared at her and snapped, "How about not disappearing so much and things will be great." "Oh nothing much is up, ma'am. We seemed to have lost our CO and can't find her anywhere. Perhaps you've seen her. She can do a neat trick with her eyes. Other than that, everything is just peachy." She smiled and they walked back to the Gate. She filled them in on their new allies and what had happened. Landau and his people were waiting for her at the Gate and they all stepped through and went home. As she stepped back through her own Gate, she had Allen set up temporary quarters for the new people and then turned to her XO…

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She said to Black, "Thanks for the support Major. I think its time you went down to make sure Cade hasn't destroyed the ship. Lt. Bennett, I am coming with you. I think I have about all the excitement I can take looking for food supplies." Black caught Bennett's eyes over her head and he raised his eyebrow. Bennett smirked.

CHAPTER 23

==Andromeda Station=== Having returned to the Station, Major Black was called back to the lab of Dr.Kincaid. The good doctor had been examining the food that had been transported up from the planet and had made a startling discovery. 'What's up Doc?", Roman asked as he took a seat. "Well Major it's the food that your people brought up from the other world. We can't use it ". Black looked confused and asked why not. "Well let me start from the beginning", stated Kincaid. Black always hated when someone said that because it often meant he was in for a very long explanation.

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"Dr.Tighe stated in his report that one of the inhabitants of the village said that the Others would take blood samples from their stomach's. Tighe found this unusual as did I at least until I started to analyse the foodstuff that we harvested. It seems that on a molecular level the food has been altered and an extra substance has been added". This caused Black to set up and pay attention. "Go on", he urged. "Well Sir, the idea that the Others took blood from the stomach led me to believe that they were in fact taking samples from the lower intestines. The amino acids in the intestines act as a barrier and destroy food we ingest as well as any foreign bodies. It aides the immune system in filtering the blood and the body. I tested a sample of the boys blood and matched it against the sample found in the grain and other food stuff". "And?" "They are present in all of them. I do not believe that it would be prudent for us to feed the new refugees that joined Col.Roberts quest on the planet or us from the batches of food before we know the purpose of the parasites in the food. I would also suggest that each of the refugees be quarantined until we can ascertain whether or not they are contagious in any way", concluded Kincaid. "Thanks, Doc ,I'll call fr a briefing so that you can explain your findings to the Colonel and we can start to implement some of your suggestions", Black told him.

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CHAPTER 25 Rico and Sergeant called were having lunch. Rico was having the peanut butter and crackers left over from a previous meal and Sergeant Cole was having some form was barely attractive looking thing and that was the contents of an MRE in his back pack. While they ate, one of those disgusting, large, camel spiders tried to move close enough to attack Rico. In an instant, Rico had drawn his nine mil and put a shell into the insects head. It splattered a lot but saved him being bitten by the thing. Rico asked Sergeant Cole, “What's the most disgusting meal you ever had to eat?” “Let's see, that would have to be the Meal Worm cocktail, the Grub soup, and the Scarab fricassee.” Cole replied “You know, that the Colonel is looking for more food sources?” Rico smirked “Yeah, so?” came Cole “Suppose we figure out a way to use these spiders?” Rico replied “Man, you are crazy Lieutenant.” Replied Cole. Rico frowned at him and said “Now wait a minute Sergeant. You eat lobsters and crabs don't you?” Cole shrugged and replied “So?” Rico grinned and said “ They're spiders!” Cole grimaced. “Man, don't do this to me. Lobsters and crabs are not spiders.” Luckily for this discussion the doctor happen to be passing by. Rico asked him, Hey, Doc what biological family are tarantulas and you know in?”

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The Doctor smiled and replied “Oh, that would be Arachnid.” Rico grinned and asked “Just one more question Doc. What biological family would Lobsters and Crabs be in?” The reply came back “The same one, Arachnid.” Cole groaned. “OK, so what? So lobsters and crab are spiders. Big deal! Now how am I going to eat them after this?” Rico was laughing. All special OPS personnel were trained to eat food that would disgust most other people. Any source of protein in an escape and battle situation being a good source. Then he asked Sergeant Cole, “So can we eat these camel spiders?” Cole made a face and growled “Man, you're crazy!” Rico shrugged and replied, “Now think about it for a minute. Sometime way back in human history before people were eating Lobsters and crabs they were just ugly bugs in the water. So how did they make the jump from thinking they were water bugs and big water bugs at that to enjoying them as a delicacy? Actually, I heard that in the eighteenth century working class folks way up in New England complained that they didn't want to be compelled to eat a lobster more than three times a week that at that time they were considered pests but times have changed. So let's cook one up and we'll see.” Rico's field pack was not far away. It took only a couple minutes for him to retrieve it and get the small aluminium pan that he used for cooking. Taking his seal knife from its leg sheath Rico cut off the tail section spiked it and placed it in the pan. Looking at Cole he said, “Well we could try to deep fry it but I don't have any oil so suppose we just tried to boil it?” Robert Cole nodded his assent. Rico had two cans of beer that he was saving for their evening meal. He took them out of his pack and gave one to Sergeant Cole. Then, drinking half of his, he poured the remainder of his can on the cooking spider. When it seemed to Rico that the thing must be done, he took the pan off the fire, cut the tail section in half and gave a piece to Sergeant Cole. Rico said to him then, “Go ahead.” Cole didn't look exactly thrilled so he said to Rico, “Oh no man, this was your idea. You go first.”

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Rico thought well, at least it's not raw, so he popped his piece into his mouth and chewed. Cole was watching him closely and he thought that at least he hasn't puked yet. Cole then asked, “How is it?" Rico rocked his head from side to side with an expression that said he wasn't exactly sure. He looked at Robert and said, Well, it's not the worst thing I've ever had. Go ahead and eat your piece. . . So, what do you think? “I don't know. Let's cook up some more and season them a little before we decide.” Came back the reply. After three more spiders, a little Tabasco Sauce, and some salt and pepper, Rico and Robert decided that these things could be eaten. “Hey man, let's cook up some more and take them to Colonel Roberts. Only here's the question. Do we tell her what they are before or after she eats them? “ ** Roberts, after, they had returned from their away mission, had gone to see how Bennett was progressing getting the ship off the seabed. She had put the people of the Tallo system to work helping clear out the creatures in both the mountain region and the ship which Bennett was on. She was in the library data section of the ship when Bennett and his co worker approached her and offered her something in a canteen. She frowned at it. It looked revolting and she looked back up at him saying, "I know we will be short of food in about a year Lieutenant, but that does NOT look like MRE's." "Well, ma'am I know you are looking for new food sources so I cooked up a couple of these tails and brought them along. Sergeant Cole and I have already tried them and so far we're OK" "A new food source?" she asked, "What new food source?" Colonel, I believe they are related to Lobsters and Crabs on Earth." She stared at him and wondered what exactly were Lobsters and Crabs? She had never heard of them before. Were they a kind of meat? Knowing that he wasn't going to tell her til she had a taste, she sighed and grimaced then took the offered spoon and took a tiny taste. It wasn't too bad actually. She said quietly, "Why does it have so much hot sauce with it?"

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Rico explained, “I wanted to add more flavor. The only spices that come with an MRE are salt, pepper and Tabasco. We made these in the field. I can try different blends of spices if you think the idea is OK." "Favourable?" her eyes opened wide and though she didn't know what it was, she felt her chest constrict, and her throat start closing. She stared at him in fear and horror. She whispered, “please don't tell me its shell fish.... like your sea creatures crayfish or prawns.....I am severely allergic." By the look on the Lt's face she knew and with a sigh of fear, she dropped unconscious to the deck. Her face and arms and neck having a harsh red rash. Face pale and shallow breath she would need a medic ASAP. Horrified Rico snapped into his head piece” Medical emergency to the gate room. Severe poisonous food reaction suspected. On the Double!" Then he looked at Cole, "Maybe we should have told her what they were first." **

As the Major headed back to the Gateroom to go back to the ship under the mountain he was passed by several med-tech's on their way to the Gateroom. "What's wrong Corpsman?" he asked "It's the Colonel Sir, Lt. Bennett says she got an allergic reaction and is not breathing". Came the hurried reply. "Jesus!!", shouted Black who fell into step with the others and headed to the Gateroom. Once there the Tech's began to administer CPR to the Colonel and Lt.Bennett explained what had happened. "Get her to Sickbay and contact Dr. Tighe and let him know what has happened her also inform Dr Kincaid", ordered the Major. "Isn't Kincaid a micro-biologist?", asked Cole. Black told him that he was correct he then told Sgt.Cole and Lt.Bennett what the Doc had told him about the contaminated food. "I want to make sure that the Colonel hasn't been infected by that either",stated Black.

Cole and Bennett both knew she hadn’t been infected by the contaminated food.

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===Sickbay === Tighe looked down at his chart and grimaced. Even with the symbiont, and he had to give credit - Roberts symbiont tried to keep the Colonel breathing. It had been almost touch and go. Her allergy to the Spider had almost killed her. He looked over at the Major and said quietly, "You nearly became CO of this mission Major. I don't know if its stubbornness or stupidity or both, but the Colonel almost died. I suggest you have words with Lt Bennett, and make sure that this doesn't happen again. He should have looked at her records - next time - if there is a next time, might be too late. We need the Colonel alive. This base will cease to function if she dies, in which case, we are all screwed. I synthesized her DNA to enable everyone here to keep this base functioning, but she is linked - I don't know how - to the space stations collective data base. I have no idea what would happen if the mainframe finds out she is dead and decides to terminate all environmental stations here. We would be up a creek without a paddle." Black took this all in and was relieved that Andrea hadn't eaten any of the food from the planets. "Any idea when she'll wake up?" Tighe shrugged and replied, "Well she will probably regain consciousness in a few hours. But believe me I sincerely hope there isn't going to be a repeat. She will have a headache to rival Mt Etna. I will be advising some downtime for her. She needs some R&R, in fact all of you do. But as long as I have known her, she will not take any. So I am leaving the honor to you to make sure she gets some Major Black." Black looked non-committal and said he'd try. "Major, I don't care if you like her or don't like her, make the effort to getting acquainted with your CO. She might surprise you." snapped Tighe. "Okay Doc,If you say so". Came his reply. Tighe looked at the Major and then shrugged, "Major Black. Regardless of the circumstances Colonel Roberts is a nice lady. It won't hurt either of you to become acquainted. Its not as if you have any pressing needs to go home back to Earth because you left family behind. We are here for the long haul. 10 year missions, whereby at the end of it, who knows who will be returning home again, and who will die out here. Lt Rupert was engaged and had a 12 year old son. That boy will never see his dad again. Life is short major, make the most of the time we have. You are both stubborn individuals and have your set ways, but it never hurt anyone to make a friend."

Tighe left the man glaring at his retreating back. He shook his head and went to see to the plasma change for the Colonel. He hoped the woman would at least honor his 121

request for some down time. When Bennett had her brought in, he could see the shadows under her eyes. Obviously she was not sleeping well. Maybe it was just as well this happened when it did. Combat Stress was a very real threat to the well being of any soldier. It had happened in 'Nam and it had happened to the sanest in the Gulf Wars, and he didn't want it happening here, so far from home. The Colonel was borderline even though she would deny it. But Tighe had dwelled with those cases before and it wasn't something to ignore. At least she could sleep awhile in his sickbay. She needed it. ** A few hours later, a very groggy Colonel opened her eyes and then closed them again. The brightness of the medical bay hurt her eyes. She groaned. She heard someone by her bed and growled, "Tighe, turn the lights down, its too bright and I have a headache." She heard a chuckle and the lights dimmed. She opened her eyes and looked up at him and demanded something for her headache. He obliged and then told her she had a choice of going back to her quarters and sleep, or stay there and sleep. She opted to go back to her quarters. And just to make sure she got there without deviating he sent along two of his medics, even though she protested. Tighe touched his ear mic and said, "Major Black. She just left. I have sent her to her quarters to sleep. I will leave tomorrow to you." Black told the Doctor thanks and that he owed him one. Tighe grinned at his sarcastic reply and continued with what he was doing. "Oh well", Black mused," tomorrow is another day".... ** CO's quarters

Roberts was appalled to be told by Doctor Tighe that he was enforcing a rule that she take R&R, whether she liked it or not. He stood in her quarters with a grimace and growled. "You are not infallible Colonel. And since I am senior doctor of this mission, you WILL take time off and LIKE it."

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"I can't go on any forced resting periods Tighe. I have a base to run and chores that need filling. Find someone else to play doctor with." Tighe smiled and replied, "Well since you are being stubborn about it, just like I knew you would, I have roped in your XO, to making sure you do exactly nothing for three days, excepting for rest and if you like exploration on the planets below, but NOT anywhere near either ship. Or this base. You have a choice Colonel, you can spend three days in your quarters or you can spend them planetside." She looked at him appalled and then snapped, "Black doesn't have the time to play nursemaid Tighe!" Tighe shrugged and replied, "He does now. He needs the time off too. So do half the base personnel. You all have been working hard for over 2 months. Its time for a little leeway. I have already logged both you and Major Black off duty for 3 days. I suggest you make the time to get to know one another." She looked at him suspiciously, "Get to know one another? You better not be matchmaking Tighe or I shall find a nice brig to stick you in." Tighe raised his eyebrows and then replied, "Do you know what a friend is Colonel?" Her jaw twitched and she growled, "I don't want to make friends Tighe. It’s too hard. I have lost to many friends over the years. That’s why I prefer the solitary attitude." Tighe shook his head and replied, "You are all here for the long run Colonel. I suggest you make a few - it will not hurt either you or Major Black to become friends." She glared at him and snapped, "In case it hasn't come to your attention yet Tighe. Black doesn't even like me. I happen to be Tok'ra remember. I am not one of his favorite creatures in the universe. And you expect him to baby-sit me for three days. You might as well shoot both of us and get it over and done with." Tighe sighed and was about to comment when the door chimed and opened to reveal Black standing in the doorway. Black felt like he was stepping into a war zone. "Are "we" ready?", he asked both of them. She frowned at both him and the doctor and then snapped, "If this little babysitting job you have instigated goes wrong doctor, I will personally dial up a gateway to nowhere and push you through it." Tighe grinned and replied, "And I will be happy to go Colonel. I hope the two of you have an enjoyable few days. Take plenty of vitamins. Don't eat MRE's too often and get plenty of rest besides learning to understand and like each other better." he left the pair of them and walked down the passage.

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Black looked at Roberts and told her to cheer up.” It couldn't be all bad”, he added referring to their little holiday. Andrea stared at him and then replied, "Since you are the boss for the next few days, baring for any emergencies, what do you have planned?" Waiting until they were out of earshot of the Doctor, Roman told Andrea about what Dr.Kincaid had uncovered concerning the contaminated food stuff recovered from the planet. He also threw in the little ditty about the alien ship that crashed on the planet. "I figure that while Bennett and Cole are looking for our new “friend.” You and I can investigate the village and its food supply a little more carefully. How's that for a vacation?" Andrea felt a little better at the proposal and smiled thinking that it was a perfectly good idea. "That’s an interesting thought and if we are needed we can always come back." "Agreed, if anything pressing comes up we'll come back to the station". As the two of them climbed into a shuttle and Roberts began the pre-flight check a thought occurred to Black. "One more thing, while we're on vacation....can I call you Andrea?" ,he asked barely able to contain his laughter. Andrea bristled at the implication and the laugh she could hear behind his question. She smiled coldly and then almost purred, "Of course Roman...that would be fine." She had a few tricks up her sleeve in any case - which should make him get annoyed enough later. The shuttle lifted off and lowered down through the Starbase and then with speed and transwarp light was gone. Roberts had left the base in the capable hands of Tighe. He being the senior officer besides herself.

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CHAPTER 27 ==P3956==

After landing back at the world that they had left.... both officers armed themselves sufficiently and avoiding the village itself, hiked away from it. Andrea had her handheld scanner in her hand and was looking at it. She was getting a reading and for some reason it was making her skin crawl in trepidation. She looked over at Black and he had his in his hand. She said quietly, "I am picking up radiation about 6 klicks north. Shall we go have a look?" Black checked his scanner as well and told Roberts that he agreed with her but they should follow radiation protocols. They each removed a tag from their backpacks and clipped them to their jackets. If the tags changed from yellow to red they would know that the radiation levels were harmful to them. The Major also removed the disc devices that Cade had discovered onboard the Starship found in the mountain bunker. He snapped one to his belt buckle and suggested that Roberts do the same. “No telling what we might find", he said to her, adding, "they’re only good for ten minute intervals so use them sparingly". As they approached the area - the radiation seemed to have had a bad affect on the local vegetation. It was either brown or dead. She looked up and saw the start of a sort of crater ahead. Looking at Black - she went forwards carefully. Her scanner started bleeping - warning her that there were life signs ahead. Crouching low the pair almost crab-walked to the edge of the huge crater and to Andrea's mortified shock a sight she had hoped NOT to find in the Andromeda galaxy, sat in the hollow.

A triangular Go'auld Mothership.

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"Oh shit." muttered Roberts. Black added an expletive of his own since he could not believe what he was seeing. Roberts scowled deeply and whispered, "This is not a good sign at all. I wonder how long they have been here, because it looks like they have crashed and set up home. In which case, we are going to need to destroy the stargate near the village, before the Go'auld find out its here. I wonder if its their fault about the food supplies, I wouldn't put it past them to seek allies like the Others. Lets go back to the shuttle and plan our next move." Black checked his tag and saw that it was still yellow. He turned in unison with Roberts and they crab-walked to a safe distance. The disc cloaking device work perfectly but soon began to fade as they approached the shuttle. The pair went back to their shuttle. Reaching over to the controls she said, "Computer engage cloak." The ship shimmered and cloaked. She looked over at Black and saw the look of consternation and she giggled at his _expression saying, "You think the Romulans would approve?" "The treaty of Algernon is safe as far as I'm concerned”, Roman chuckled. She grinned and replied, "The shuttle is perfectly attuned to what I need and what I want it to do. Don't ask me how I knew it had a cloaking stealth device, I just did. Comes in handy don't you think?" Black did and asked if she had brought any coffee. She poured a cup of coffee from a thermos and handed it to him. Having one for herself. Black then asked Roberts what their game plan should be. "You know for all we know they could be friendlies. Maybe a branch of your Tok'ra pals crashed here years ago. Not that I'm saying for one minute that they are involved with the Others", Black added quickly. He could see that Roberts had started to bristle.

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"Andréa, I don't mean that as a slight against you or your people. I'm just offering it up as a possibility”, the Major said to her. Roberts snapped, "Let me say this to you Major, I am only going to say it once, next time I will shoot you.... THOSE CREATURES there are NOT To'kra. NO To'kra travel in Go'auld Motherships and not inform anyone they are missing. We all share a secret and I am not going to repeat it again. EVERY To'kra are now linked to the rest. The Asgaard gave this gift to us to stop informants from infiltrating our ranks. WE all know where others are by this link. Think about it, remember in Star Trek ...what was her name?....from the New series?...er....Deanna ....yes Deanna Troi, she was what was called a telepath. Well think of us To'kra in the same light. If one To'kra is lost, we know about it. If we get an infiltrator amongst us, his mind will give him away. Its that simple. Those Go'auld in that crater have nothing to do with my people. What they are...are a threat to the villages on this planet and if we don't blow that Stargate to kingdom come, those Go'auld could use it to either transport somewhere else in this galaxy and cause mayhem or they might use it to transport more of their own kind here. Neither you nor I can take that chance. Therefore, as we do have some explosives onboard, I suggest we make plans to get to the stargate and destroy it." Black looked at Roberts as though she were something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe. His father had always told him that only a coward would strike a woman. For several long minutes Roman Black was willing to carry the moniker of coward. He would have liked nothing better than to belt the Colonel in her mouth. All he had done was offer a possible explanation and once again she had launched an attack against him. "As you say Andrea, NOW the To'kra are linked but we have no way of knowing how long that ship has been here! For you to jump to conclusions like this is no different than what you accused me of when we first met and every day since. For the life of me I don't know what the hell Command was thinking when they put you in charge of this place!", Black shouted not caring what Roberts thought of his response. He would have stormed off but as it was they were still in the shuttle and there was really nowhere to go. You could hear the hissing as both of them tried to calm themselves before they ended up coming to blows. "And to think Tighe actually thought I might be romantically interested in this, this WOMAN", Black thought to himself. Roberts shivered she could feel a great foreboding and she didn't like it one bit. Black having calmed himself asked his Commanding Officer what she wanted to do next. Of course he already knew the answer to the question before he even asked it. It didn't take them long to fly the shuttle to the gate and set up the charges. They moved away and positioned the shuttle under cover of the forest and then set the explosives off. What transpired next however was alarming in the extreme.

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Two deathgliders appeared over the canopy of trees they were hiding under and swept over the now smoking ruins of the stargate. And just in case either of the Andromeda team thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, another 6 appeared followed by several more and all of them were heading for the defenceless villages. "Oh crap" muttered Andrea. Black looked at the monitor and then to Roberts. It appeared that she had been right in her assessment of the situation. Now however they had an even bigger problem. "Well what now?”, he asked. "Well we can't leave Loran and his people to the mercy of the Go'auld, Roman. We have to salvage some of his people. They are unprotected and in some respects we have just blown up their transport off world." Black eyed Roberts as if she were insane. "Just what do you expect us to do Colonel? We're only one shuttle against count them 2,4,6,8 Deathgliders. I'm not one to run from a fight but this is just plain suicide". he said to her. "I know there is only two of us and maybe a couple of 100 of them. Actually its good odds don't you think? Considering they don't know we are even here." Black could tell she was truly nuts and was beginning to believe that he was crazy too. Her idea had merit and they did have the added benefit of surprise on their side. Pulling up the tactical plod on his screens Major Black powered up the Shuttles weapons systems. Looking to Roberts he said," To bad we don't have a transporter room on this thing. It would make this much easier". Andrea rubbed her hands together and grinned saying, "I am going to enjoy this greatly, thanks for the idea about bringing me here Major." She saw him scowl darkly at her and smiled again. As the Shuttle lifted off, Major Black entertained pleasant thoughts of how he was going to torture Dr.Tighe quite literally to death.

**

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Andrea glided the rest of the way in undercover of cloak right under the belly of the last deathglider. She was appalled at the amount of damage that had already taken place and she looked over at Black growling, "Well it rules out that they have been here a long time. It looks like they arrived just AFTER we all left. DAMN" Black was just as disgusted as she was now. The villagers had done nothing to those damned Go’auld and had been made to pay for their crimes. Roman continued to scan for survivors using the shuttles advanced scanners. Both could see that the villagers and their homes had been left in smoking ruins in places. In a larger area was some sort of corral and inside them were the villagers. Andrea dropped the shuttle down til it was skimming just above the surface and she doubled back to have a look at the corral. She couldn't see Loran or any of his healers anywhere. No matter, it seemed the men and the women had been separated. Andrea knew why, but she didn't tell the quiet man beside her. She was sorry she attacked him earlier, but she had been frustrated by everything and the arrival of the Go'auld in this part of space had frightened her somewhat. What she didn't tell him was that the odds of their survival were not good ones, but she didn't want him to lose heart. If she had to die she would take as many of the Go'auld out with her! Andrea was not a coward and she would kill anyone who said she was. But this all seemed to be her fault that the Major was even there. She hoped she didn't get him killed either. Finding a place to land she said hurriedly, "Make tracks for the corrals and free the men and women. I doubt if any of them know that there is a secret passage through the temple and into the mountains, its well hidden. Take them through there carefully and tell them to stay hidden. Cover up the entrance in the temple. Its hard to see, but just above the left hand side of the lamp, there is a small nodule, press it in and hold it there until everyone is inside, then let it go. It should hide them sufficiently." "Okay, what will you be doing while I'm busy with them?", asked Black. She looked at him with a sad smile and replied, "I am going to look for Loran and his healers and the other sick people. I will meet you back at the Temple. Try not to be a hero Black. I kinda like you as you are." Surprised at her admission Black told her he kinda liked her as well but she didn't hear him. She didn't wait for his answer, but grabbed her weapons and the pair exited out the cloaked shuttle. She called out behind her, "Make sure you fix our position and try not to lose our shuttle." Black familiarized himself with the location and headed out using his personal cloak.

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He made it to the corral where the women and children were kept and managed to take out two of the Jaffa guards. Dropping his cloak he began to direct the group to the Temple. He was mindful of the guards near the other corral. The last thing he needed was one of the children squealing and giving away his position. Once the first group was inside he pulled the lever mention by the Colonel and giving them a torch sent them down the tunnel. He made two more such trips before the other guards realized that something was wrong. Black reactivated his cloak and took up a position by the adjacent corral where the young men were kept. He kept an eye out for Loran and the other Elders thinking that they might be there as well. After eight minutes he knew he would have to find a hiding place before his cloak failed. He made his way around the corral and hide inside one of the nearby huts. Dropping his cloak he crouched down and watched as two of the older villagers were led out into the courtyard. The lead Jaffa said something that Black couldn't make out. He then struck one of the elderly men with a long blade. Black watched in horror as the man's head separated from his body. They were going to kill each of them in turn unless they told where the other villagers had gone. Roman had to think fast or more innocent lives would be lost. By his count there were only seven or eight guards in the camp. The other Deathgliders were searching the hills and surrounding areas for stragglers. He knew that the shuttle and her advanced weapons was his only choice. With a few well placed shots he could take out the guards and get the others to the Temple. His only problem was getting there unseen. His personal cloak had not fully recharged so he knew that he would have to do it the old fashioned way. Seeing the coast was clear he ducked out of the rear of the Hut. He crouched again and made his way to the first corral. As Black rounded the water trough he came face to face with two Jaffa. Black slammed the butt of his rifle into the skull of the lead guard crushing his skull with the force. The other Jaffa struck him with his lance weapon. Before Black could right himself he found that he was surrounded.

***

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A little while later, in actuality about 15 minutes later, Roberts heard shouting and yelling and ducked in further inside the ruined hut she was standing next too. Chancing a peek she was startled to see Black being dragged to the main courtyard. What the heck happened? Horrified she watched him get thrown at the feet of the man in charge and he looked up and Andrea gasped in shock. SETT? The one man she wouldn't wish any human contact with. She gasped as if in pain and stumbled backwards into the darkness of the room. What was Sett doing there? How did he manage to come so many light years to this part of the galaxy and for what? Oh God and he had Black! Black was going to be worse then dead if she couldn't get him out. SETT....the one being in the galaxy she loathed. She couldn't think clearly, but the people of the village were no longer important to her. She had to get back the Major. The villagers were ignorant of life in general. Besides the fact that she cared about Black, plus he was a walking text book on all of them and though she knew he wouldn't deliberately tell Sett - the station was in jeopardy. Her entire team was as good as dead. She sighed deeply. Illandra what am I going to do? she asked her symbiont. Illandra told her and Andrea knew what needed to be done. But she refused to kill Roman Black. She would rather kill Sett. She stood by and gripped her weapon and had to watch as Sett tortured Black. Each blow hit her just as physically as it did the major. Tears fell down her face as she saw Black eventually fall over. Unconscious. He never cried or screamed once. Sett seemed angry but then she saw him smile and though she couldn't hear what he said from that distance, she knew they would take the major back to the ship. That meant she had to get there first.

**

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Black hit the ground hard as he took blow after blow from the huge Go’auld. He had wanted to cry out in agony but would not give "light eyes" the benefit of knowing how much he had hurt him. Thankfully he soon lost consciousness.

** Using the confusion, Roberts wiped her face and left the building, running for the shuttle. Taking off, she headed back towards where the Mothership sat on the ground inside the crater. She set the shuttle down close by and left it. Remembering what the Major had said about the personal cloak, she cloaked herself even though it would only be for 10 minutes. Sprinting hard she bypassed a large contingent of guards and Jaffa and entered the loathsome ship. Getting her bearings though, as it had been awhile since she had been on one, she finally remembered where the cells were located and made a beeline for them. Staying out of sight, she waited for them to bring the unconscious male and throw him inside one of the cells. Soon they brought him in and threw him into a cell. The force field dropped down in place and the Jaffa guards left. There was no time to waste.

==several hours later==

Black slowly began to wake up and soon he felt the pain in his side. He tried to move but thought better of it instead he began to look around the dark room he was in. He felt cool sheets and at first dared to think that it had all been a dream. Carefully, Roman turned onto his side and came face to face with a sleeping Andrea Roberts. "Oh my God, not a dream a freaking nightmare", he thought as he sat up suddenly. Roman winced and groaned in pain, which caused Andrea to wake up. She noticed the look of confusion on the Major's face and could not help but laugh. "Did we?”, he asked her. "You wish", she replied clapping her hands to activate the lights.

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"What happened and for that matter where are we?", Black asked once he got a good look at the quarters they were in. **

She looked at him and growled, "I told you to not try and play the hero Major. We are currently inside the Mothership because I couldn't carry you out. So I bought us a little time." "Then let me thank you for saving my life”, he said to her tucking a pillow behind his head. She tossed off the sheet and got off the bed. She saw him looking at her legs and the fact that she didn't have much on. She watched as his eyes travelled up them to her face and then saw his blush. She smiled and said softly, "Becareful what you wish for." "Yes Ma’am?”,he replied. She padded softly to the Jacuzzi and then around it to a small innocuous cabin set into the wall. She tapped a few codes into it and it glowed brightly for a few seconds and then she opened it. She pulled out a variety of fruits and cookies and other titbits plus a carafe of wine and 2 glasses. Picking up a tray nearby she put them on it and walked back to the bed and sat down. She placed the tray between herself and Black and said simply, "Food for the Gods, just became nectar for us." Black picked up the goblet and set it aside. He had been sober for nearly a year and saw no reason to jump off the wagon now. Instead he took a slice of the fruit and ate it gingerly. Roman discovered that even his teeth hurt. She saw him wince and feeling sad about it, got off the bed again and came round to where he was sitting. "Where does it hurt exactly?" Black touched the top of his head and told her," everywhere below this spot",. Roman chuckled and regretted it almost immediately. He nearly choked on his slice of apple the pain was so great.

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She swallowed and wincing she put both of her hands encased in Chak'ra on his side and then closing her eyes, she concentrated until her hands grew into a shining white light and encased the naked torso of his chest, mending the breaks and easing the muscles inside him. But it became to much for her and she fell over backwards out cold. Her energy gone. Black found that he was energized, which served him well. Now it seemed it was his turn to play Nursemaid. He picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed and placed her under the covers. Roman sat beside her and brushed a lock of her hair aside and for the first time allowed himself to see how beautiful she really was. She didn’t have to look for him and get him back, she could have let him die, he thought. But she had come back for him. When Andrea opened her eyes again 20 minutes later she was back on the bed, with a sheet over her and Black looking down watching her sleeping. She blushed and asked uncertainly, "Did we?" "You wish". Came back the reply. She smiled. She ate the last of the meal that he had left behind and then decided to heck with niceties. Getting off the bed, she walked over to the bubbling Jacuzzi and stripped off, climbing into it and laying back. Black had come to expect the unexpected from Colonel Andrea Roberts. However, her disrobing in front of him had been a surprise for even him. Looking around the room, Black got off of the bed and walked towards the Jacuzzi and took in the view. "Well, as they say, when in Rome", he said and wiped off the towel he was wearing and sat down beside her. The two of them began to laugh and for the first time it didn't seem to matter that they were trapped deep inside Go’auld Mothership. "I wonder what Dr.Tighe would have to say about this?”, he asked of her. She shrugged and then grinned saying, "COLONEL - I DIDN'T MEAN LITERALLY WITH THE MAN" she giggled. Roman laughed along with her his body had recovered well and his thoughts turned to other activities. Black reached out and caressed Roberts's cheek marvelling at how soft her skin was.

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She said softly, "What goes on between us here today is private between us only Roman. If you mention it out of these 3 walls, I will shoot you. And that’s a promise." Black raised his hands in mock surrender and said "scouts honor" holding up three fingers. She stood up and took his hand in hers and led him to the bed. *** Four hours later, Andrea woke and sat up looking at the sleeping male beside her. She smiled softly and then crept out the bed and padded across to the Jacuzzi and sank inside for a few minutes. Then she got out, dried herself and quietly got dressed. She needed to do a recon. A half hour later she nipped back inside the room and saw he was dressed. He looked at her and she colored. "I had to do a recon." It was a little awkward at first but Roman soon found his voice and asked Andrea what she had found out. She whispered, "We have to get out of here ASAP. Sett has plans to get moving and find the Tauri base that Loran told him was in the Andromeda System." "Damn, well the first thing we need to do is get to Loran and get him out of here. Where are they holding him?" She winced and replied, "He died trying to keep our secret Roman. The rest of the villagers left after you shooed most of them into the mountainside, are dead, excepting for the young men, they have been converted and are now new Jaffa. We have no time, very soon this Mothership will leave the planet and come looking for us. At least Loran bought us some time. We have to get back to the base and get both ships up and running, before Sett arrives. And the sooner we get the ship off the seabed the better, because, all of us are moving off that space station and into that ship inside the mountain. We will not be leaving anything behind for Sett to get his hands on. That includes the stargate inside the Starbase. I want that entire base cleaned out. We will transfer the mainframe to the planet below. But we have to get going now Major. This ship is getting ready to leave and I for one don't wish to be a passenger on it." "Neither do I. To bad we can't do anything on our own to slow them down, he said to her. They both left and made their way carefully to the entrance of the Mothership.

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Eventually Andrea called a halt. Getting in had been easier then getting out. Sizing up Black, she looked around for someone she knew would fit and staking a target, she took it out. Hastily the pair of them removed the Guard's uniform and Black put it on. It was a good fit. She rested her hand on his chest then reached up on tiptoes and kissed his nose softly. Turning away, she targeted her own and before long joined him in her own guard’s uniform. She pressed the hood trigger on both his and hers and the snake hood clanked over their heads. She activated their force field and picked up both staff weapons, handed him one. She then picked up her disguarded weapons and shoved them into the incinerator tube with their clothes and closed the chute. The hood was a little stifling but it gave them some time to make tracks. The pair stamped off down the passageway towards the door. Most guards were paired so she knew they would not stand out. As luck would have it, she saw a few marching towards the crater and tapping Roman she hurriedly joined the troupe. The entire squad left the Mothership and tramped down the stairs. They marched in dual file and joined Jaffa and headed back towards the mountain area. Andrea shook her head in despair. She knew what Black must be feeling when the Jaffa found the villagers that he had hidden away so carefully, and then had to pay the price for later. The women and children were herded away and the older men killed. The Jaffa took the youths. But there was nothing neither she nor the Major could do for the people. At least they wouldn't all die out. She still had the rebels hidden away on the Starbase. The pair snuck away and then made tracks for the village undercover of the canopy of the forest. Finally they arrived at the now deserted village and walked into the open. They walked across the expanse and towards the hidden shuttle. Removing her glove, Andrea placed her hand on the invisible door and then watched as it decloaked. The pair hurriedly entered it and she closed the door and cloaked the shuttle again. The shuttle lifted off and the pair left for the Starbase. Both had forgotten what they were wearing by the time they returned. So much for her three days R&R she thought miserably. Just as it was starting to get interesting. Opening the hatch she exited with Black behind her and then next minute there were shouts of alarm and stamping feet. She grinned in her suit and she knew Roman was enjoying catching the units out. In a few seconds as they walked out into the centre of the room, the doors swished open and 3 units of armed Marines were in the room and had their weapons levelled in their direction.

Sergeant Allen snapped out, "HALT RIGHT THERE, OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE." 136

She whispered to Black, "Have fun Major." Black gazed around the room confident that if they did fire the Jaffa shielding would hold. Of course there was always the chance of someone getting off a lucky shot. Roman touched his wristband and activated the suits serpent hood. The look on the eyes of the Marines surrounding them was priceless. "Gee Allan, I knew you were greedy for power but assassinating your superiors?" The looks became even more confusing when Roberts dropped her hood as well. Dr.Tighe stepped forth then and looked to Black. "I thought I said rest and relaxation Major?" Both Roman and Andrea looked to one another and smiled. "No time for explanations Doc. As you can see by our attire we have bigger fish to fry.” Replied Black. Mister.Allan,put the Base on red alert and charge all defense systems also recall all away teams". the Major ordered. As the team set to work Roman and Andrea went to change into fresh uniforms. Black could not shake the feeling that everyone that looked at him or Roberts knew what had happened between them on the planet. Of course it was his imagination at least he hoped that it was....

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CHAPTER 28 ==Andromeda Station==

Roman entered Main OPS and saw that all procedures were being followed. The Base was on alert and Lt.Bennett and his team had not checked in. They were still doing recon on the downed ship and Black sent word for them not to get caught with their pants down. "The last thing we need Rico is to have the Mothership find you guys down on the planet", Black had told him. Bennett and his team arrived back on the Starbase within the hour. As Rico stood against the OPS station he had been surprised to get a call from Major Black coming in on the ships system. He remembered the conversation. "Major Black this is Lieutenant Bennett. I'm reading you over this is ship's Com system. Work is proceeding well. Sergeant Cole and I have made it to the ship's bridge and have found that power is still possible on this big city ship. I have asked it to begin charging its power cells and I am about to pressurize the forward section in an attempt to get this ship to expel the water that has been in it for so long. That's it so far sir. We'll advise progress soonest. Rico Bennett, out." From the corner of his eye, Black could tell that Dr.Vargo was anxious to tell him something so he asked the Russian what was up. "Ve managed to bring the engines online for the vessel in the Bunker. Dr.Cade and his team also repaired the ships hull using materials manufactured by the Starships systems”. the Doctor stated.

Black dared to hope that the ship might be fully operational by the time their Go’auld friends arrived. Unfortunately Vargo nixed that idea partially at least. “If all else fails Ve could possibly be able to cloak this Base. Dr.Cade found hidden deep inside the Starships computer a code that we believe can unlock a program located inside Andromeda's computer system.” Roman turned to Roberts who had entered mission control during Vargo's statement. "What do you think Colonel? Should we give it a try?

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"NO!" came the surprising reply and the men in the room looked taken aback at the vehemence uttered. Black had not expected the force with which she had responded. He stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "Oh well, honeymoons over he thought". Roberts looked at them blankly for a second, her thoughts elsewhere and then frowned saying, "Sorry, didn't mean to snap. We don't have time on our side gentlemen. We are moving this entire base of operations, and I mean clearing out this entire Starbase, electronics, mainframe, stargate, I want everything out, I want a basic shell left of this base. I have plans for it. I hope the Ancients forgive me." Black looked at her shocked and asked her what she was planning to do. She didn't answer his query instead she turned to Bennett and said, "Take whomever you need and take down the Stargate to the ship in the mountainside. And start organizing a major evacuation of this base." She turned to Vargo and Tighe and snapped, "I want everything but one shuttle removed off this station, that includes medical and scientific equipment. Get to it gentlemen." Vargo growled, "And how much time have we got to do all this exactly?" She looked at him and replied, "Well given that the Go'auld Mothership was preparing to leave when we left, and since I don't know what exactly Loran told them before he died, I guesstimate that we have maybe 48 hours or less. So don't stand chatting about anything. We are abandoning this base now."

Black stepped up beside her and asked Roberts where she wanted him and what she wanted him to do. She turned to him and replied, "I need you to go oversee the raising of the ship on the seabed, I did hear from Cade to say that they have pumped all the water out and shored and repaired the basic leaks and they are ready almost to raise the ship off the seabed. They just need you or I there to take command. I already imputed your ID into the mainframe of the chair, so that either one of us can take command. You are going to go get it. I am sending a team of Marines down with you, so that you can remove the planets stargate and take the ship across to where Bennett is on the other world. I don't know exactly how we are going to remove that shuttle inside the 139

mountain as yet, but I want those stargates removed from both planets and filed aboard the starship." "Alright", he said and “where will you be during all of this Colonel? In case I need to reach you", he added. She sighed heavily and replied, I am going to place 25 Naquadah bombs throughout this base whilst you are all away. A little going away present for SETT when he gets here. We cannot cloak this base sufficiently that it will be undetected by the Mothership, therefore its only logical to at least damage the mothership as much as possible and get far enough away to escape detection. Knowing Sett.... don’t ask me where I know Sett from.... its bad enough I know him.....he will try and locate a stargate to get repairs for his ship. I don't want that." "An explosion of that magnitude will definitely destroy the Base. But I hope you're not planning a suicide mission, you're needed around here ya' know.” She replied, "I will get as far away as possible Major when I see the ship arrive. Hopefully it will be far enough away by the time I surprise Sett. I don't want to be caught in the blast either." Black told her that was good to hear. He started barking orders and he prepared to head down to the planet. The ship might have been repaired but they had to at least run a few dry runs before lifting off. As well as removing the Stargate from the planet. It was surely never dull on Starbase Andromeda. She turned away from him and ran up the stairs to Allan's desk. Tapping the Starbase communications she said, "BATTLESTATIONS. BATTLESTATIONS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE HAVE AN INCOMING GO'AULD MOTHERSHIP. ABANDON THIS BASE. I WANT EVERYTHING REMOVED NOW AND TAKEN BELOW. ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR DUTY STATIONS AND GET ASSIGNMENTS. THAT IS ALL." She looked up and saw the men looking at her - she frowned and said, "Goodbye gentlemen, you have your orders. Get moving. Time is wasting away."

Black walked through the Stargate followed by his Marine contingent. He realized that it would be the last time he stepped foot on Andromeda and felt that he would miss her. The words of the actor William Shatner echoed through his mind as he stepped out from the Gate and was planetside.

"To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before"

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Truly in less than two days they would do just that...............

"Aye Colonel, I read you." Bennett then turned to Cole, "Robert, get back there and start stripping everything down. The first order of business is the Stargate and its power systems, then food and a secure weapons locker. I'll tell the shuttle to take you there and return for me. I have a couple of things to do here first." Dr. Vargo stared at her and shook his head but he quickly walked away. She looked at Allan with a smile and said, "Right, you can help me by starting to download the mainframe into a portable carrier large enough to carry it to the surface. I am going to the armory to hotwire the bombs. That’s where you will find me if you need me." Allan nodded and replied, "Yes Sir." She turned on her heels and went below to the Weapons Bay. She was pleased to see personnel running to their assignments and undertaking the huge move off the Starbase. She hoped she had given them enough time because she hadn't really wanted to think about it being shorter then expected. Time wasn't on their side at all. But she didn't want to panic them too soon. They had their lives entrusted to her and she intended keeping all of them breathing if she could. She had to do it carefully or risk blowing herself into little bits along with everyone else. It would take her a day to hotwire the entire lot and set them with timers. She took out all the naquadah generators and removed from the cupboards and 25 bags of liquid symtex. Carefully she put the explosives down next to her alongside and also placed 25 detonator caps as well. She sat down on the floor and began opening each generator and pulling out various wires so that she could replace them with the explosives. The Naquadah was as powerful a substance already and she didn't really want anything to go wrong. It was painstaking work and took her 3 hours just to get 2 ready. She heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Watson who smiled and handed her a thermos and mug of coffee. She accepted it and he left her.

When he returned a few hours later with more she was grateful indeed. She asked him how the base was coping. He said that Dr. Tighe had insisted that everything being removed that was portable be sent via the stargate to the planet below and placed inside the ship in the mountain. They had removed most of the medical equipment and science equipment. The generators were leaving and so were beds, food supplies and electronic equipment. The weapons lockers and the stargate would be the last to leave. He also told her that Black had gotten the Starship off the seabed and had collected the stargate and gone across to the other planet. She nodded and told him to thank Tighe. She would thank Black later. 141

At the end of the day, Roberts was exhausted. She had been interrupted by Tighe twice and given reports on the base evacuation. She had 2 Naquadah bombs to finish and she was very tired. Finally Tighe entered the room and said, "Colonel. The base has been evacuated. Sgt Allan has left enough in the mainframe to keep the base open and functioning until tomorrow morning. He gave me this for you and said to tell you to input your code into the remaining power supply when you leave the base and it will send a virus code into the remainder of the mainframe data bank to wipe out any details." He handed her a data padd. He looked at her a said softly, "Do you want me to help you. You need a break." She shook her head and replied, "I have two left Tighe. But I do want the marines to remove everything out of this weapons room excepting for the bombs. They must be careful around me. I will move them to the corner. Then I want everyone to leave and then Watson will be taking the stargate. He says its been boxed and is ready waiting to be lifted by a shuttle on standby. There are 5 shuttles left. One for me, the rest for everyone else and one for Watson." Tighe nodded and replied, "I have left a hamper of food for you in what is left of the control room. Allan has already left with the mainframe downloads to the planet below. There is also a blanket and a pillow. When will you be leaving the base?" "As soon as Sett arrives. I will wait until the last minute before leaving the station." she replied. “What! Isn't that a little close Andrea?" he replied in shocked astonishment. "I need Sett to believe that he has found the Tauri and that the base is our base of operations, that’s why it must be left intact, lights on, he must believe we are all on the station. I will time it so that he gets really close and then I will leave via the shuttle and try and put as much distance as I can between the Mothership and the Starbase. Because when it explodes its going to be HUGE."

He shook his head and muttered, "Don't get yourself killed or else Major Black is going to kill me." She grinned tiredly and replied, "Never mind you, he will probably put all my atoms together and kill me again." Tighe bent down and placed a kiss on a surprised Roberts' forehead and said softly, "We need you in one piece." He walked out the door and allowed the marines in to clear out the weapons lockers and carefully manoeuvre around Roberts and her weapons of mass destruction. It was almost 3am in the morning when she finished and judging by the silence of the base, everyone had gone. She picked herself up off the deck floor and did a quick 142

recon of the entire base making sure everything was removed and gone. She was happy to note that the base looked like a shell excepting for the huge generators that nobody could have removed anyway. She went deck by deck. Then totally exhausted she went up to the control room and had her picnic that Tighe and left her. She took a short break and then went down to the weapons room and started taking out the Naquadah bombs and placing them strategically throughout the base itself and setting the timers to coincide with her timer button. When she had done the entire lot it was coming up 8am in the morning. She was finished. Taking her tired weary body back to the control room she collected her bedding and went down to the shuttle bay, and entering the last shuttle she piled them on a seat and then piloted the shuttle down to the centre of the bay. She could use her remote control to open the Bay doors from inside the shuttle. She then went to the back of the shuttle and lay her head down to sleep. A few hours later the shuttle screamed out a proximity alert waking her. She hurriedly rolled off the bench and snapping quickly to the pilot seat, and opened the Bay doors. She slid silently out into the darkness of space and hovered under cloak to one side as she watched the approach of the Mothership. Twenty minutes later as it started to slow down and come into view larger, she dropped out of the way and started flying away from the Starbase. As she flew towards the planet below when the Others had lived, she glanced over and saw the Mothership almost on top of the Starbase dwarfing it. She was afraid of that. Sett always loved everything big. She pressed the timer and put on speed. 10 minutes later a resounding echo of a huge explosion rippled through space towards her and she was caught in the aftermath. The shuttle's cloak was lost and so was an engine. She was coming in to high too fast and the engine was smoking. But she saw with satisfaction that the Mothership seemed to be listing badly. She grinned when she saw it seem to topple over and head for the planet that used to house the Starship. She hoped they enjoyed their stay.

Her radio was out and she came in hot, at a steep angle but there was nothing she could do about it. Her engine died and she braced herself for impact. She flew right over their alpha base camp and saw the beautiful old Starship on the ground, before they also vanished out of sight. The damaged shuttle just missed the top of the mountain and disappeared over the other side. She saw the ground coming up to meet her and scrambled out of the pilots seat and to the back of the shuttle. She strapped herself in and put her head down. The shuttle hit the ground and bounced a few times, rolled and then came to a stop, its nose buried deep into the gouged ground. Silence descended. 143

Everything in the shuttle had broken lose and when the shuttle rolled - Roberts was in the way. She lay under twisted wreckage unconscious but still breathing.

===Saggi Home World ===

45 minutes after crash-landing on the Saggi Home world, Andrea woke up inside the damaged shuttle. Blinking, she opened her eyes to darkness. Then she remembered what happened and began rolling over and pushing her way out of the debris that used to be a fairly decent shuttle before she mangled it. She was just pleased she had survived the crash. Eventually she made her way to the opposite end of the shuttle and was also pleased to find the ship wasn't totally gouging out the ground. However getting out could be a problem as nothing electronic worked. Everything was totally fried. Going out the windows were out of the question, they were buried under earth. She sat down on a jutting piece of metal and wondered to herself about leaving the tin box she sat in. It took her over an hour to make some kind of hole in the fuselage of the shuttle enough to wiggle her way out of the deck, which had now, become its roof and drop to the ground below. But she managed and also threw out all her gear first and then wriggled out the hole and dropped to the sandy grass below. Picking herself up and dusting herself down, she picked up her gear and her compass and after pinpointing the location she wanted to go to, she began walking. Just before she got to the mountains however - her attention was caught to something glinting in the sun and she walked away and headed towards the mysterious place. It seemed to be a temple of sorts. Entering it cautiously, she was surprised to find an overgrown observatory. A stand of some kind was in the centre of it and she couldn't understand what it was for until she put her palm on it. The room seemed to come alive and it rotated. The doorway she had entered was gone and in its place was a wall.

She waited and wasn't disappointed when the area all around her was suddenly filled with light and space and a winged holographic figure appeared in front of her. "Greetings to our bretheran. You have come to the heavenly doors on a pilgrimage to understand where it is you have come from. This world and its sister were created by our ancestors to hold our peoples and keep them safe from our ancient enemies. Of which we have many. Some have gone across the galaxies to plague other peoples. The Wraith, which we created by mistake, The Goram, beings similar to us, but warmongers all, The Go'auld, ancient and deadliest they need hosts to survive and will take other beings against their will, destroyer of worlds, the Saggi, ancient incorporeal beings that kill anything for food, inhabit other living beings to incubate 144

their young. All these beings we have seen, conquered and fled from. Until we formed an alliance with 5 other species. The Asgaard, The Gems, The Nox, The Kheb, and The Proculusans, the Asgaard foretold of a new race who might also become a part of the Alliance - The Tauri in the Sol System, but they were young yet. As it stands, we are all that remains of a once powerful peoples, now we are the Gatekeepers. In time it will come to pass where the entire galaxy will be at peace but as yet, there are those amongst us still who harbor ill to all. That is why we built this temple, for the devoted Gatekeepers and all their children and their children's children. Our quest is to guard the Gates from those who would destroy us and our allies. If you are here in this ancient place then you are welcome to listen and to learn and to observe and to document our histories and peoples. Only those who have the Ancient DNA can awaken the history of our planets. As a fledgling Gatekeeper we trust you will care for our Gate as we have done in your past. When you leave here to take up your post, you will have all the knowledge you will ever need." The hologram smiled and winked off. Roberts just stared at the empty place and frowned. Some of those species she had heard about and met, most of them she hadn't. And these people - whoever they were seemed to be extinct. As the being had spoken the names of the Alliance, it had shown pictures and none of those beings she had seen yet on this world. She wondered what had happened to the original gatekeepers then. Somehow the whole deal spelled trouble and the Saggi's were in the middle of it, she was sure of it. The door opened when she moved towards it and she found it was too late to go walking around out there after dark. It was dark. So she decided to just stay where she was and leave at first light. She hoped Black was not out there looking for her. He would never know where she had gone. She turned back and the wall replaced the door once again and she went and put her gear down and settled back for the night inside the observatory, which was sealed against everything outside for the moment. Keeping her safe. Over the next few hours she listened to what the hologram explained about everything. Finally too tired to continue, she put her head back and went to sleep.

** Roberts woke up earlier just before light the next morning and grabbing her gear she went out the Observatory and started walking back to base camp. Going around the mountain was not an option, she had observed yesterday, therefore she would have to go over it and find a way into it and see how her teams were coping with getting the Starships shuttle out of the mountain. She was pleased that she had begun her climb before light as it was, by the time the early morning sun peeked out of the clouds to light the rest of her way up, she was already tiring. She stripped off her vest and shirt and stuffed them into her backpack, leaving on her regulation grey vest. She slipped the rifle more over her shoulder towards the centre of her back and taking out her water canteen - took a sip. She leaned against one of the outcroppings of rock and surveyed the territory below and looked back towards

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where she had landed, seeing the stations shuttle still sticking out of the ground at an odd angle. She moved off the rocks, and prepared to climb the mountain again. On a few occasions she slipped and cut her hands. At those times she cursed and was glad nobody was around to hear her. About halfway up, she sank back against the rocks trying to find a little shade. A small bush gave her a little, but not by much and she sat under it regardless. She had chipped a few of her nails trying to grip the rock during her climb up. Looking down at her watch she could see she had been climbing and walking for almost 4 hours. She wondered where Black or Bennett were Her back a little sore and tired she stood up and looked back towards the crash site, only this time she could make out what could only be a rescue party heading towards it. She shook her head. None of them would hear her from up there anyhow and she wasn't about to go back down again. So she shrugged and hoped that whoever had gone towards the destroyed shuttle would find her boot prints and gone to see if they could find her. She knew they would be worried when they found her missing, and of course they would know by the blood inside the shuttle that she was injured, how badly none of them would know until they saw her. She grimaced and hoped they would not go into an undue panic. Her tracks would at least take them to the observatory so that was a good thing, hopefully they would see what she had seen. She continued on up the mountainside. Just before she got to the summit, she found a small hole cut into the rocks. It looked manmade and she stepped inside. Not having a torch she was startled and dismayed to find herself losing her footing and landing down hard on her backside. But her ride wasn't over and to her shock she slid fast down some kind of chute, in the dark, and then she saw light ahead and it was coming up fast. She couldn't slow down and she shot out into space. A natural cavern ahead and around her, natural lights sparkled everywhere and as she shot out of the chute, some kind of lighting lit up the cavern. It was a long drop and straight into a HUGE warm inner mountain spring lake.

She plunged into it and sank for a few minutes. It wasn't very deep, but she struggled to the surface anyhow. She swam towards the shore of the lakeside and with a laugh, tore off her gear and chucked them ashore. It had been absolutely ages since she had swum in anything and she took the opportunity to do so now. Kicking back from the shore she swam for a while and then lay on her back just being lazy. The water lapping all around her, lulling her senses. She had a chance to check out the area she was in and then understood why the shuttle had been hidden inside the mountain. It was obviously riddled with caverns, probably plenty of water as well in some of them. The mountain refuge must have been a godsend to people fleeing enemies. The previous owners must have used the place she was in pretty much as she was doing then. To swim and relax. They must have put the lights in. How they had built in the chute high above her was a mystery. Maybe it had been a natural air duct at one stage.

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The water was warm and she was tired from her strenuous climb and knowing she daren't fall asleep - though it was tempting, she rolled over and kicked for the shore. Climbing out and soaking wet, she gathered up her gear and made for the closest exit. She slipped her dry clothes on her wet body. Another Cavern took her towards where the ship was and she entered a cavern similar to the one she had just left and came to a complete stop. This one was just amazing. Also big, it seemed to have been turned into an orchard with artificial lighting. Fruit trees and vegetables were growing in rows - she could tell that the spring behind her obviously was used to water the orchard. She smiled in delight. Finally things were looking up. Walking towards a kind of peach tree, she plucked one of the fruits and using her scanner scanned it carefully. The scanner told her it was edible and she bit into it. It was like eating a piece of heaven. Sighing in bliss, she used her scanner to check the other fruits and vegetables and picking a variety of them, she sat back against a thick tree trunk and spread her find beside her, leaning back and had a picnic. Two caverns down was the starships shuttle and her crews. None of them had ventured into the mountainside yet, though they had seen tunnels leading into other caverns. Roberts had given them instructions to get the shuttle ready to go back into the ship which Black had brought back from the other world and which sat under the mountains as cover. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes. Her body finally feeling the effects of the strain and she fell asleep under the tree

CHAPTER 29 147

==Underground Cavern==

It had taken great effort but Dr.Vargo and his team managed to get the Starship below the surface just as Major Black had arrived. The scientist did not like the look on the Major's face and asked him what was wrong. Black told him of the wreckage that had been discovered on the surface and what they had seen through the telescope at the Observatory. "Then the Colonel escaped, why the long face?" ,the Russian asked. "Col.Roberts escaped the Bases explosion and the Mothership was severely damaged. The shuttle made it to the surface but once we checked inside we found blood everywhere but no sign of the Colonel", Black explained. "You think that the Go’auld captured her?", asked Vargo with a tremble in his voice. Black told the doctor that judging from the damage that the Mothership sustained it was highly unlikely that anyone survived up there. "I've got Lieutenant's Bennett and Barnes out now with two teams searching for her. Hopefully they'll come up with something before night fall", Black said ruefully. Major Black had managed to retrieve the other ancient vessel and secured it on the surface inside a mountain nearby. Fortunately for them the volcano they had found to house it had been dormant for centuries. Now all that remained were old lava tubes that intersected with one another. It would make a good place to hide and defend the ship if need be. Black then asked Vargo if they had explored the inside of the mountain they were inside.

"Not yet, we were waiting for you to arrive before we did anything like that. We've been primarily working to get the Starships systems on line". The Major told the Scientist to use whatever he could salvage from the water logged ship that they had managed to salvage. As the Doctor left to begin work, Black loaded a pack and set out to explore the Cavern.....hoping that for once Bennett would have good news when he returned.

==Several hours later==

Roman had walked for hours and had found nothing but more tunnels. There was one good thing about the new Base he had to admit. If an enemy ever tried to locate them, 148

they would have one hell of a hard time finding them. Pausing for a rest and a drink of water, Roman became aware of an unusual smell coming from a few meters down the nearest tunnel. "Nah, couldn’t be", he thought. He could have sworn that he smelled apples; it reminded him of the Orchard that was on his grandfather’s farm as a kid. Replacing his canteen, Black took another deep breath and said aloud, "those ARE apples I'm smelling". Rising from his seat he followed his nose until he reached the opening of a larger cavern. What Roman discovered as he entered took his breath away. It wasn't and Orchard but an underground lake. It seemed to be as long as a football field with a waterfall that flowed from the far wall. Roman released a low whistle and laughed as it echoed off the caverns walls. He stepped closer to the waters edge and squatted. With the back of his hand, Black swiped the surface of the lake and found the water to be cool to the touch. He removed a test kit from his pack and after determining that the water was safe. Cupped his hands and took a refreshing drink. Colonel Roberts had mentioned once that the crew needed some RnR and Black felt that this lake and its surrounding shore would be a perfect place for a little downtime. "What kind of XO would I be if I did not test it out first", he thought. Roman chucked his gear and dove into the cool mountain water. He travelled nearly all the way to the bottom and discovered that it was only about 18 or 20 feet deep.

As he broke through to the surface, Roman leisurely swam back to the shore and shivered when his bare legs touched the rocky surface. About ten feet away he saw something that should not be there. Picking it up, Roman read the name stitched into the garment. It belonged to Andrea, and the fact that it was there meant that she had been there. And recently. Roman walked around the shore until he reached his gear and once he had redressed pressed his mic and called out to her. The signal was choppy and he tried again, this time contacting Lt.Bennett. He told Rico of his discovery and for him to bring a team below and help search the tunnels. "Make sure you all bring scanners, it's easy to get lost down here", he said to him. Black closed the signal after trying to contact Roberts again but could not reach her. Now realizing that she had been there, Roman began to scour the shoreline for her foot tracks. After nearly half an hour he found two sets of tracks. One belonged to

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him and another smaller set he believed were the Colonel's. Following the tracks Roman discovered that the "apple smell" had returned. Roman gave called back and gave Bennett distance and barring and the entered the next Cave. What he found there literally took his breath away. A massive fruit orchard filled the Cavern, which was interlaced with a small stream. The footprints ended where the grassy knoll began. Black knew that if Roberts was in there it would take a much bigger search party than him to find her..... ** Andrea looked over a tree branch towards the cave entrance and saw her XO with the strangest look on his face and she laughed delightedly. A fellow conspirator indeed. She climbed up further until a branch gave her better views and yelled across the expanse, "Major Black.....don't stand there looking like an idiot, I know you are dying for some of these wonderful fruits. Indulge yourself; there is more then enough to cater to the entire base for the next 10 years. Oh you have to try the peaches. They are wonderful." Stunned and surprised, Black was pleased to see that Andrea was alive. He was even more pleased to see her partially dressed and soaked to the bone. "My, my we "are" enjoying ourselves aren't we?", Roman asked not bothering to hide his delight. Andrea cocked her head and replied, "The Tauri have a saying which I find appropriate indeed and applies to me right now...I feel like a kid in a candy store.....and its Christmas time and everything is free." Black just shook his head in disbelief.

Andrea chortled and replied, "So tuck in and indulge Major. Nothing here bites, the fruits are sweet, there are a few I don't have names for as I have never seen their like, and when we are sufficiently full we can go clean up in the underground river...which I see you have already found. Isn't this paradise...its going to be a shame leaving it all behind." Black had to agree with her in that regard. Stepping up to an apple tree he plucked the fruit from the limb and took a bite. The sweet taste was just as he remembered it. Black then set his gear down and took off his shirt and boots. He then rolled up his pants and placed his sore feet into the cool water of the spring.

"Oooh,this is the life”, he groaned and took another bite from his apple.

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In the distance the Major saw when Bennett and his team arrived. "Wonder what Rico will make of all of this", mused Black. She reached over and plucked another fruit off the tree and bit into it with obvious pleasure. She sat astride the branch and surveyed her "kingdom". And watched as Bennett arrived with his team and saw him stand and look at what was in the cavern. His _expression unreadable from where she sat. She smiled. She heard the major giving Bennett instructions and then the entire unit broke up and moved through the orchard sampling the wonderful wares on offer. She looked down her tree trunk a few minutes later and found both Black and Bennett looking up at her. She said, "I am not moving for a while gentlemen, I intend relaxing here - munching the fruit, then taking another swim in the next cavern and I am not working my butt off today, so you can forget orders and business and DON'T even ask me for any. I am taking some well-deserved R&R, so you can tell your teams to do the same. I will get back to work tomorrow, but today I play." Can I put my clothes back on first ma'am or should I just stay here and guard the fruit?" asked Black Roman just looked up at Roberts and said," And don't look at me lady I'm on vacation remember". Black then dove head first into the spring and began to practice his backstroke. The day passed leisurely for all of the team as they sampled fruit and swam and just did basically nothing. It was very welcome indeed from all the hard work they had put in over the past 2 months. Eventually Andrea left the area, and made her way back to the underground shuttle, basically to see how Vargo was doing. She found everyone busy and not particularly interested in conversation, so she took a shuttle across to the old Volcanic mountain housing the new ship they had brought off the seabed and landed there.

She was a little worried about the spiders however, and started thinking about what other things they would find in it. First off she needed quarters. She found a set near the Bridge and commandeered the entire floor as Officer quarters. Then dumped her gear inside. **

Over the next few weeks, the entire teams shuttled between ships, repairing and securing and getting to know the ship, eventually however it came the time when Vargo had to let her know. There was no way they would be able to unite the shuttle inside the mountain with its mothership outside. Over the 10,000 years inside the mountainside, the engines had corroded to such a point that it was little more then a 151

shell. Vargo found her inside the main hatch doing some repairs and knelt down beside her saying quietly, "Colonel we need to talk."

Andrea looked up at him, wiped her hands and smiling replied, "Go ahead." Vargo cleared his throat and replied, "We all agree in the lab, that there is no way we can unite both ships. We will have to remove everything we might need out of the ship inside the mountain and transfer it to the Battleship here. The engines have had it. The engineers agree that there will not be any place we can find spare parts to even replace the broken. Plus we have no way - even if we could get it off the ground, on getting it through the top of the mountain. We will have to abandon it."

She pursed her lips in annoyance-so many months wasted. Finally she nodded saying, "Okay, we abandon it. Get everyone clearing it out and transferring the lot here. We also will need a team to harvest all the vegetables and fruits inside the caverns and to collect fresh water out of the mountains. It should take no longer then a month I hope. In the meantime Bennett and Black are still-hunting those spiders and clearing out bugs etc, so I will leave you, Tighe and Kruger to organize the rest of the marines and scientists to transfer everything across." Vargo nodded and asked, "And Cade?" She replied, "I need him here with me, he and Allen are the resident computer experts and we need this base up and running perfectly before we can lift off." Vargo said quietly, "What about Sett?" She frowned and replied, "What about Sett?"

Vargo continued, "He isn't going to sit still over the next few weeks. He will want revenge." She smiled and replied, "His ship is badly damaged, it will take awhile for him to repair it. He has no stargate as I had it removed before he got there. He cannot come across just yet because he needs his deathgliders to ferry parts and by the time we are ready to leave - I suggest we don't delay, just in case he pre-empts us and decides to see whats on this side. So the quicker we can get things moving here - the better for all of us." Vargo nodded and said, "Thank you. I will set everything in motion when I get back." She nodded and went back to her repair job.

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She then paused and sent a message to Black and Bennett outlaying what she wanted and needed from both. ***

CHAPTER 30

"Blizpppt", came the sound from the electric harpoon. "Four hundred down, another umpteen million to go" Roman sighed. They had been crawling through the Starship for weeks trying to scavenge as much equipment from her as they could for transfer over to the Battlecruiser. The work had been difficult primarily because of those damned spiders. The harpoon seemed to be the quickest way to eliminate them so three had been issued to each team.

Lt.Bennett had been placed in charge of Beta shift, which meant he got to sleep all day. "Lucky bastard",Black chuckled. Andrea had been the one to make out the work schedule so he knew that if anyone was to blame it was her. They had managed to remove twelve cargo compartments from the Ancient ship and transferred it to the Battlecruiser City in the Volcano. Dr.Kincaid had managed to decipher some of the Ancient technology and had learned that the food replication system that the Ancient text had described was only in its infancy stage. They had managed to produce foodstuff but they were basically MRE's.

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Black had tried some and considered them okay. He had been relieved however when the underground caverns had been discovered. The teams Botanist had instructed Alpha Team to bring soil from the Cavern into the Battlecruiser and a hydroponics lab had been constructed in the centre of the huge city like ship. The dome would protect it from the coldness of space when they finally left the planet. Once the water tanks were completed, an irrigation system could be built to keep whatever food they chose to grow. The replication system could also be used to make water they had discovered. This would help them greatly over time to help restore their water supply. "Blizpppt, Blizpppt" "Two more spiders gone to spider heaven”, mused Roman. Checking his watch he saw that it was nearly time to break for lunch. Colonel Roberts had managed to commandeer an entire deck of the Battlecruiser for her quarters. Black's quarters were on the Deck below hers and not as enormous but they served him well. He had taken to eating there during his shift mainly due to the fact he could take a shower while there. It gave him the shivers thinking about the spiders and the fact they might at night be crawling on him. Roman knew that it was all in his mind but he just could not help himself. As he made his way to the airlock, Major Black saw that the rings for the ship board Stargate were being off loaded and transferred to the Cruiser. They only had another month at best to get things moved and installed.

Black had gone to the Observatory several times over the last few weeks. It appeared to him at least that Sett and his "flock" were making headway in their repairs. While Roberts was confident that they would be gone before the Go’auld would be able to come hunting for them. Roman knew that with the Go’auld you could never leave anything to chance. *** Andrea and her teams spent the next week either hunting the alien spiders or working at uploading everything from the shuttle inside the mountain to the battlecruiser. It had gotten to the stage where nobody was saying much to anyone else and just getting the work done as quick as possible. Roberts felt like she needed a massage on her back badly, she was stiff, sore in places and thoroughly peeved at how slow everything seemed to be taking. Eventually standing inside the mountain with Kruger 154

and Cade, a voice nearby said, "Colonel, we are done here, there isn't anything left to scavenge on this ship. Things that were bolted down have even been removed. We also took the Plexiglas off the dome and stored them on the battlecruiser. The shuttle is just an empty hulk." Andrea smiled tiredly at Vargo and then nodded saying, "I am pleased to hear it. What about all the fresh vegetables and fruits, have they been successfully transferred to the Battlecruiser hydroponics?" Allen looked across at her and grinned replying, "Yes, and I have set up a regulator via the onboard computer to keep them monitored and fed even if we run into any problems in space. They are hooked up onto a different system then everything else." She smiled and said happily, "great." Cade spoke up, "We didn't deplete the indoor springs here Colonel, but we have unloaded as much as possible onto the ship, if the Saggi ever return here, they won't find much left." Roberts frowned at the name of their new enemy and grimaced saying, "Hopefully the Go'auld will find them before we do." Allen chuckled and agreed. Dr. Kruger looked at her and said, "What next?" She looked at him and replied with a grimace, "Sorry Doc, but I really need everyone hunting those spiders now." Vargo eyed her for a second and then smiled saying, "Why don't we just close up the entire ship and find a decent toxin and empty it into the ships ventilator and kill them all?"

Andrea smiled and replied, "Good idea, you go find Major Black, get a live spider, and find out what will kill it and then I will organize a ship wide alert and we will vacate the Battlecruiser for the day whilst we gas the creatures.” Vargo beamed and grabbing Cade, he walked away. Andrea shook her head and looking at Allen said, "Lets just double check the shuttle and surrounding caverns, just in case we missed something." Two hours later, after a quick swim in the remaining pool, the pair went back to the empty shuttle and back out of the mountain. They climbed down to a waiting shuttle pod and went out towards their new home. Andrea got a proximity alarm and told the shuttle to cloak. Allen looked at her and asked, "Trouble?"

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Roberts wasn't sure but she wasn't taking any chances especially with the Go'auld on the other planet, which looked closer then usual that day. As the shuttle cloaked - something came flying past them and she paled. A deathglider! What was it doing there? Tapping her com she snapped out to Black, "Major, get everyone under cover, we have company. I don't want them to find any trace of us here." Black knew from the tone of her voice that the company in question belonged to Sett. "Will do Colonel. Where will you be if I need you?”, asked the Major. Andrea replied, "I am going to monitor the situation from up here Major, and find out what the Go'auld want here. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Do me a favor, speak to Vargo about a spider toxin whilst Allen and I are monitoring our visitors please." Black's eyebrow rose in a Spock like manner and he closed the signal. The Major set the teams to work taking cover and removing all external evidence of their whereabouts. As he waited for Lt.Barnes's team to check in, a very excited Dr's Vargo and Cade approached him. They outlined to the Major what they had discussed with the Colonel and Roman was intrigued. "So basically the two of you want to create a giant can of RAID and set it loose on the ship", stated Roman. "Exactly!", replied Vargo. "Alright you two set to work. I think the best way to distribute it throughout the Starship would be through the ventilation system",Cade said to him. Vargo agreed and Black told them to get to work.

The Major said that he would have all non-essential personnel evacuated to the Caverns for one last break once they had secured the area. "Remember you two, we have Go’auld flying around on the surface. We may have to cut and run at a moments notice so I want the most effective toxin you can make. However, you will be limited to a 10 hour saturation rate. If necessary we can jettison any spiders we find out an airlock once we get into Space. Understand me?”, he asked. "Yes Sir”, they both replied then ran off to do their jobs. Black only hoped that they had ten hours to do the job....... 156

*** Andrea watched under cloak as several deathgliders flew low over the planet, they seemed to be searching for something. She and Allen saw one of the gliders land near her smashed shuttle from the time she had blown up the space station. Bennett and his teams had emptied it of everything and just abandoned it. There was no way to repair it. From up high and keeping out the way, both she and Allen watched as the Go'auld inspected the crash site and then lift off. She grimaced, "Maybe we should have just destroyed the shuttle. They now know somebody is here. Which means as soon as that Mothership is able to fly again, Sett will come here looking for us." Allen sat looking out the window and then asked, "You think we should get moving sooner then expected?" Andrea growled, "Yes, the sooner the better, but first we get rid of the spiders and just sit tight for the moment. Hopefully Vargo and the others will come up with a decent toxin and get rid of the creatures. Or they will leave by themselves. In which case we can then ventilate the entire cruiser and then leave. I don't want to be here when the Mothership arrives." Allen agreed. The pair watched the deathgliders fly over various places and then take off towards the next planet. From their vantage point the other world loomed large like a big moon on the horizon. At night the other satellites or moons glowed eerily alongside the planet, marking this world as very alien indeed.

The pair continued watching until all the deathgliders had left and then made best possible speed back to the cruiser. Andrea flew the stations shuttle into the main hanger deck and positioned it in an available slot. Allen and his team had modernized the shuttle bay into smaller units when they had all been told that the shuttle in the mountain would not be able to be placed back into the shuttlebay. So now the Bay held all the space stations shuttles and equipment and because of its size - it was also the weapons Bay. Part of it had also been sealed off and made into the Hydroponics section as well. It was big enough to hold two farms if they needed. As soon as they landed, Allen went one way and Andrea went another. She headed for the Bridge and after entering it she sent a coded message through the data mainframe to alert her of the possible return of the Go'auld. She then went to help Bennett, Black and everyone else, clear the spiders out of their new home. 157

CHAPTER 31

=== Mothership ==

Sett was most anxious to get his ship up and operational again. The upset being the sudden destruction of the Starbase he was about to commandeer. Someone had known how to strategically place weapons to disable his mothership. His engineers had proved their worth when they told him what the bombs were that did the damage. They had sifted through the wreckages and discovered Namaqadah. Any thoughts that it could be anybody other then either Tok'ra or Tauri were dashed when the signatures came back that his enemy were in the vicinity. He rubbed his hands and his eyes glowed in anger.

Landing his mothership on the world below had been difficult. However once there, he had ordered the repairs. On the ground he and his Jaffa had scoured the planet, only to find a large sea on the other side of the planet, and many ancient ruins that had been abandoned. He did not find anyone inhabiting the world, however when his Jaffa had smashed down the main door of the oldest ruin they chanced to find the remains of one Tauri that looked like he had been devoured. Sett had the clothing sifted for information. One of his scientists came to see him with the information and saluted Sett saying, "My Lord, the clothing we retrieved off this planet belonged to a Tauri humanoid, his uniform indicated that he was from the enemy base Stargate Command. It would be prudent to suggest that we take the gliders across to the other world and see if we can find the rest." 158

Sett looked at him thoughtfully and replied, "What else did you find?" The male looked over at him and replied, "The remains of a Stargate My Lord. It has been removed and taken elsewhere. The pod where it stood is empty. No debris suggests that the Tauri probably took it with them when they left." Sett smiled coldly and replied, "My enemy obviously knew I would use it to gather re-enforcements and repairs for my ship don't you think? They are clever to have such thoughts." The man trembled at the way Sett looked sightlessly at him and spoke. He did not answer as he knew Sett hadn't required an answer. But he waited. Sett finally focused on him again and snapped, "When will my ship be ready to fly again?" Nervously the male replied, "With little material to repair with My Lord, it will be awhile. The engineers are removing the floors that are not in use, to repair the outer hull." Sett nodded and replied, "Good to use your brains every now and again isn't it." Sett flicked his finger and the male left. He looked over at his second and growled, "Let me know when the gliders are ready for flight and then go across to the other world and let me know what you find." The male slapped his chest in salute and left. **

22 days later Sett's gliders were ready to fly and had been moderated for long distance. They took off for the other world and began a search of the areas. Sett was in his Bridge when a call came in. "Speak." he snapped. "My Lord we have discovered a shuttle, it is damaged and the surrounding areas say it has been here since the explosion in space. We have found traces of a To'kra aboard, plus other traces of Tauri. What are your orders?" Sett's jaw twitched and he growled, "TO'KRA and TAURI.......interesting.........come back here. We are almost ready to relaunch and I want a detailed report of what you 159

found. If the enemy is still there - we will find them and I will make them pay for damaging my ship." "Yes, my Lord." Sett almost rubbed his hands in glee at the thoughts of getting his hands finally on the hated Tok'ra and the Tauri. They were so close he could almost feel them. ** Sett stood on the Bridge thinking about his first mate and wondering what had happened with her. For a 100 decades he had missed her -but she had vanished somewhere in this expanse. The pull to locate her whereabouts had been stronger since his arrival in this sector of space, especially as this is where it all began for him. And for her. When the original Go'auld had found themselves in this place many thousands of years back by accident, they had "recruited" both himself and his sister and his mate. Now he wandered this galaxy looking for his lost mate and finding others. The Tok'ra had taken his sister and mate and he knew she was not lost forever, but he hated the Tok'ra for it. Many Tok'ra had fallen to Sett whilst he searched the galaxies looking for his mate. He would not be complete without her by his side. He had encountered the Tauri and found them a formidable enemy, which he admired. But he had no time for them until now. Now he had discovered they were in his part of space, and they had brought a Tok'ra with them. He had analysed the DNA inside the downed shuttle on the other world and for the first time in so long he had hope. His beloved mate was close by. He would not rest til he retrieved her, even if he had to take the female Tok'ra in exchange. But he would get his mate back and that was more important than anything. ** Andrea was asleep finally inside her quarters, she was too tired to stay awake- it had been a long day and she was ordered by Tighe to go get some rest before they left. As she slept she thought about Sett. As she slept Ellandra awoke. Something had awoken her, what was it?

The symbiont tried to recall what was happening around her and her thoughts centred around the thoughts that her host was having and a deep longing entered her being. Sett! She knew Sett. Better then everyone else knew him, before they had become Go'auld even. She had loved him deeply. Was he here in this region because of her, did he know she was close by? She had to find out, without alerting these beings. Without waking Andrea, using Andrea’s body, she got off the bed and walked through the ship towards the bridge. She knew it would be quiet because everyone would be resting before they left the planet. And because Andrea was the commanding officer nobody would disturb her. She walked out onto the deck housing communications and walked across to an access point. With very little time she made contact with Sett's mothership. A voice she recognized filled her with intense longing as she said softly, "Sett, my beloved."

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** Sett was astonished when he received a communications from the other planet. He signalled for someone to trace it whilst he opened dialogue. He was even more shocked if that was possible to hear his mate. "Ellandra? Beloved? Where are you, do you know I have scoured the galaxies and beyond for you. I am not yet ready to be airborne as the Tauri have disabled my ship, but it is so good to hear from you, I have missed you beloved." Ellandra felt a rush of euphoria and intense longing. She said quietly, "And I you Sett, it has taken many years to get out here and I have had to make choices I did not want to take, and many sacrifices to finally arrive in this galaxy to back where I could find you. My current host is your sister Andrea. She is now Tok'ra. She is honourable and a very good warrior. She is a leader of these people. She will not understand my search for you nor will she wish to leave her people behind. She is sleeping and cannot hear or see what I am doing, so you do not have to worry. But Sett, they are readying to leave this system by using an Ancient Starship. Its hidden in an old mountain. I do not wish to go with them beloved." Sett was astonished again. His sister Andrea was here, she was the Tok’ra housing his beloved mate. Things couldn’t get any better then that. He surmised. Sett thought about it and replied, "I will hurry repairs Ellandra and will be with you soon, I will give them a choice if you think that will appease them?" Ellandra replied, "Andrea for their lives?" But he replied, "You have an alternate idea?" Ellandra replied, "You are one Mothership correct?" Sett replied, "It took me many years to leave Go'auld space behind Ellandra, my quest to retrieve you back by my side has been endless. Yes, I am one Mothership."

Ellandra smiled and replied, "Why stop at Andrea, when you can have many warriors. These Tauri will make fine soldiers beloved." Sett smiled and agreed saying, "Yes, they would. I look forwards to seeing you beloved. I shall be with you soon." Ellandra replied, "Yes." She cut the communications and walked back to Andrea's quarters and lay back on the cot to sleep. Her host oblivious of the entire episode. ** 161

Sett stood looking at nothing. To get Andrea back with him and his beloved. Yes it was worth any fight.

CHAPTER 33

Andrea woke to a splitting headache, what was wrong with her. Ellandra was sleeping. Getting up she changed and went onto her bridge and looked around. It was quiet. However someone sidled up to her as she checked each deck and said quietly, "We have a problem Colonel." She turned her head and looked at Tighe saying, "Well apart from a headache Tighe, what problem do we have exactly?" He sighed heavily and told the conversation he overheard in communications when he was up there rewiring the medical bay with coms. Andrea stared at him in shocked horror. "Oh my God, are you serious Tighe."

He nodded. "Oh my God, what am I going to do? I can't allow Ellandra to do this. I feel like a traitor in my own body. Tighe? What do you suggest and make it snappy. Ellandra is sleeping for the moment because she cannot occupy my mind whilst I still have this headache." Tighe looked at her and replied, "What would the Tok'ra do?" Her head pounding, Andrea swallowed and replied carefully, "You will have to kill me Tighe."

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"Kill you?" he stammered, "I will not kill you Colonel, its unethical and I am not a murderer." "You don't have a choice Tighe, if Ellandra takes over my body against my will, which she will more then likely do, this entire ship and its crew will be in jeopardy. As it is, I don't know everything. I did not even know she knew this galaxy let alone Sett so well. It just starts to make sense somewhat though as to why she insisted we come back to Andromeda Galaxy to explore where the ancients went. I don't know the whole of her story and I don't want to know. In order to save my life Tighe, you are going to have to kill me. Ellandra will leave my body because she will die if she doesn't. As soon as she leaves, I hope you will revive me. You are good enough aren't you." He nodded and replied, "I cannot kill you but I will speak to the Major. I don't think he has any misgivings." She grinned and replied, "Nope, he isn't particularly fond of the Tok'ra is he. Just make sure however that as soon as Ellandra leaves, he kills the symbiont. She knows all our plans and she knows everything about everybody. She must not survive Tighe." Tighe nodded and replied, "When do you want this to take place?" "The sooner the better Tighe. I want you to speak to Major Black and nobody else. This must not go back to anyone. We have to make this all look real so that Ellandra doesn't suspect anything. I will leave it to you and the Major how you want to play this out, but we have to do this within the next few hours because I want to leave this planet before Sett arrives to claim his mate and us." Tighe nodded and he said, "I suggest you go back and lie down." She nodded and did as he suggested. If she could reach in and strangle her symbiont she would do so, right then she had to wipe her mind of the conversation she had just had with Tighe, so as not to alarm Ellandra. It was a shame as she had enjoyed Ellandra's company from time to time.

She wondered if she would be able to use her Chak'ra attached to her hands - then remembered that Colonel Sam Carter had been able to work hers even though she had not been with her symbiont very long. At least Andrea had spent years with her symbiont. She couldn't remove the implanted Chak'ra anyway. They were a part of her body regardless. Neat permanent ornaments. She sighed and closed her eyes. **

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CHAPTER 34

==Location Deck 6== Black had looked over the contraption that Lt.Bennett and his team had constructed to kill the spiders. They had lain small sensors into the deck plating which when activated would send a high voltage charge into the spiders. It would not kill them but simply stun them into unconsciousness. Once this was completed the Colonel had given Bennett the go ahead to transport the whole lot to Sett’s Mothership. "Well,Tighe did say that it had to look like accident" lack thought thinking back on his conversation with Tighe about Roberts. He still wasn’t happy with the idea. Once he had inspected the work, lack contacted Tighe and told him where he was and to be ready. "I suggested to Dr.Cade that the Colonel might want to be here to see this "bug zapper" in action. Once she's here the trick will be to activate the plating with a powerful enough charge to take her out", Black said careful of nosy onlookers. Tighe looked at him thoughtfully and nodded saying, "It will have to be a large dosage major." "Right, 'ill be waiting”, Black said then closed the circuit.

===15 minutes later== Colonel Roberts and Lt.Bennett walked the corridor as Black viewed them from an observation port. Black had ordered one of the engineer's to reroute the grids controls to his location. Once Roberts and Bennett completed the inspection. The Major would have Mister Allan contact Roberts on the wall communicator and say that he needed to speak to 164

her privately. Once Bennett stepped away, Black would activate the grid and give the Colonel one hell of a shock. Roman just hoped the shock was strong enough to get the job done.... “Colonel Roberts this is Lt.Allan in OPS. May I speak to you for a moment?"” Andrea was quite satisfied that Bennett had done what she wanted and was about to ask him a question when the call came through. She stepped away from Rico and went to the communications relay. Black watched as Roberts approached the comm. unit and as Rico stepped off of the grid plating. As Andrea pressed the comm. button, Black flipped the switch and closed his eyes as Roberts released a blood-curdling scream. The Major counted off the seconds in his head and when he had reached ten he turned off the grid unit. The electrical jolt threw Roberts six feet down the corridor. She landed off of the plating and at Dr.Tighe feet...... Tighe - though expecting something was still horrified at the outcome and rushed towards Roberts. Bending down he knew she was not breathing. He also saw the symbiont leave her mouth and try and slither away. He nodded over at Black, who leapt after the Go’auld. Andon turned the corner and gaped at the scene. The Col. was laying on the floor with Tighe attending her. Major black had his knife out and was hunting for something in the shadows a short way down the hall. "What ha-" "HA." Black lunged at the floor. When he stood up there was a writhing snake like thing pierced by the knife. The Major grasp the head of the creature with both hands and twisted hard. There was a high squeal and blue blood ran down Major Black’s hands.

"Andon! I'll explain later." Black dropped the dead creature and ran to Andrea's side. "She's in cardiac arrest!" Tighe shouted fishing in his bag, and pulling out a defibrillator. "Major, check for a pulse!" Tighe ripped her shirt open and placed the pads on either side of her chest. Black stepped back while it was charging. " The Colonel was electrocuted “ he explained to Andon.

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The charge was full and Tighe discharged. Andrea's back arched dangerously and then fell again. Black rushed forward and pressed his fingers on her neck. "No pulse!" Muttered Black and he stepped back as the pads charged again. As Tighe discharged it into Roberts a second time - Andon had another burst of memory... Since he had been found on this Starship inside the mountain, he had spent months trying to figure out who he was and why he had been there and how come he had been in a stasis pod when Dr. Vargo had found him. ~~ "Ok, Kevar, start the sequence." Kevar tapped at his controls. The engines hummed to life. Then there was a large bang and part of the engines had blown off. Electricity was crackling from the machine's wound, and through a man that was near by. Kevar shut it off and flew down the steps to the man. Andon followed and a bright green box off the wall on the was. He knelt beside the man and opened the box. The box seemed important somehow. ~~ "No pulse!" Black growled, starting to look worried. "I don't know how many more times she can take this!" Tighe exclaimed as he charged the pads again. "Wait!" Shouted Andon. "I know how to revive her! " Andon took off down the hall. He could hear Tighe saying to Black, "Pads aren't going to work, I will start the CPR Major, you keep pumping at her."

Black leaned over her and began compressions. "Come on Andrea breath dammit!",he snapped. Tighe growled under his breath at Black, "Jesus Major, what voltage did you hit her with. I said try NOT to kill her permanently. If we can't get her breathing in the next two minutes, we might as well not bother." "I know Doc,I know”, replied Black as he continued CPR. Tighe replied, "In two minutes she will be brain dead. Then we will be both in shit. I doubt very much she left a confession anywhere to explain why we did this." 166

Black’s heart began to flutter, not at the prospect of facing a court-martial or a murder charge. He did not want to lose Andrea, not only was she a lover but also the two had become friends. For the first time in a long time Major Roman Black began to pray. Meanwhile elsewhere on the ship: Andon skidded into the transporter and jabbed at the red dot nearest engineering. He tore out of the room and barley missed colliding with a large pile of metal plates. He ran to the spot from his memory, and sure enough there was the green box. He ripped it off the wall and sprinted back to the transporter. When he reached the Colonel, both Black and Tighe looked extremely worried. They stepped back as he opened the box. Inside was a tripod and a large silver sphere. Andon positioned the tripod above her heart and set the sphere in it. At once it lit up and started to shine lights on the Col. They swept her body and then started to focus on her chest. Andrea gasped for breath and coughed. The light started to fade and blinked out. "Is that supposed to do that?" Tighe asked. "No, when the healing is complete the light shuts off quickly... I believe that its energy source is depleted." Andon threw the tripod aside. "We have to get her to a medical station.” Nobody told Black twice, he scooped up Roberts and he and Tighe ran.

**

Andrea was still unconscious, only this time - she was hooked up to a monitor and breathing on her own. Tighe looked down at her and shook his head saying quietly to Black, who was standing near her bed, "That was too close for comfort Major Black. Another minute more and we would have been burying her instead. I need to speak to that Andon and check out that alien monitor of his. Handy little device. You can stay here til she awakens if you like." Black thanked the Doc and pulled a chair over and took a seat. He reached out and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. To him, in his mind he and Roberts were alone and she was all that mattered. Tighe smiled at the Major and walked away, leaving him to his thoughts, whilst he almost stood guard over the Colonel. **

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Andrea's eyes fluttered for a second as she came to, her body ached everywhere and for a few seconds she was totally disorientated. She looked up at grey ceilings and then closed her eyes - her chest felt like someone had rolled a wagon over it. She then remembered what had happened to her and carefully she searched for Ellandra. But the Symbiont was no longer with her. She felt a deep sadness at her betrayal but felt relief at the same time. She would once again take a symbiont when she returned, but she would be very careful who it was next time. She opened her eyes and saw Black looking down at her. She smiled and said softly, "Thank you Major. The experience was very painful but worth the effort. I hope I didn't scare you too much?" Black just sighed heavily and told her not to ever scare him like that again. Looking back to make sure the coast was clear he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "You get some rest, I have to go and explain things to Lt.Bennett. Then get the ship ready for departure. It seems that Rico's idea worked concerning the spiders as well as killing Ellandra. I doubt SETT will appreciate the fact that we're about to drop nearly 5 thousand spiders into his lap”, Black whispered. Roberts smiled and replied, "I am looking forwards to leaving them as a going away present. Right now I have to get off this bed and get ready to get our ship airborne. Help me up." She grimaced and stood back up on her feet though she felt a little jelly like and was grateful he assisted her back to her quarters. She took a hot shower after he had left and stood still as it pounded her skin, draining away the pain and the stiffness. She hoped never to repeat the exercise she had just experienced. She knew her muscles would be sore for days. After she changed and grabbed a quick sandwich and some coffee, she went back to her Bridge. Tighe obviously had given her something to protect her against the loss of her symbiont. Which was a good idea. She didn’t know how long she would last without one until then. Tighe met Black in the corridor outside her quarters and looked at his serious face.

Black looked over at him and asked, "Is the Colonel going to make it okay?" Tighe replied, "Yes the Colonel will survive. She is not one of the Jaffa - whereby if their symbiont dies so do they. The Tok'ra are conjoined and when the symbiont leaves the body - its only because the body was either dying or dead. They can exist in someone else. We have to ensure the Colonel survives without it. I will see to that Major. Of course you realize when the security Chief hears that you killed the CO, there is hell to pay" he grinned. Tighe could understand that Bennett was going to be pissed. It was not everyday that a commanding officer was killed by a first officer. Should have interesting repercussions. 168

===Bridge== As Black stepped out onto the bridge he saw that both Lt.Allan and Dr.Cade had been talking to Lt.Bennett. When the Security Chief looked his way he could see the suspicion in his eyes. "Wait a minute Rico,I can explain”, he began. Judging from the look he was getting from Bennett, the Major knew that he had better talk fast. Growling at Black, Bennett snapped, “Look Major, all I was told was to stay off the grid and away from the Com panel and that we now think that the Colonel's snake is a bad girl. So what the hell gives, sir? Did you just murder the Colonel? So tell me why I shouldn't just arrest your sorry ass . . . sir." Roberts arrived on the Bridge to some interesting exchange going on between Bennett and Black and yelled across to both, "You can finish whatever conversation you are having later gentlemen, lets get this bucket of bolts as a favorite engineer I know of keeps saying on Trek, airborne, and out of this system before Sett finds out what present I am leaving him with and comes after us. Mr. Bennett, please organize the spiders placed in the Bay transporter rings and ready to be deposited into Sett's ship as we fly past. That should keep him busy for awhile at least. Try and be as accurate as you can Mr. Bennett, dump the entire lot on his Bridge." Bennett looked at her –pleased that she was not as dead as everyone had him believing. Rico had gathered the five thousand spiders into makeshift cages but he needed a way to release the beasts just as the transporters materialize them on the Go’auld ship. So he used a tiny piece of plastic explosive on the Lock set of each cage and wired them all together.

Rico would activate the fuse and then quickly transport the beings to the Go’auld ship. At the time they arrived. the explosive would detonate and release all of the spiders. It should prove to be a very interesting sight Roberts smiled at him and went up to the top where her chair was waiting for her. Sitting down she adjusted her earmic and pressed a few buttons saying, "ATTENTION ALL DECKS, THIS IS COLONEL ROBERTS. PREPARE THE SHIP FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE. BATTEN DOWN HATCHES, SHUT ALL DOORS AND CLOSE DECKS NOT IN USE. SECURE FOR TAKEOFF. WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS AND NO TIME TO WASTE. THE GO'AULD WILL BE HERE SHORTLY AND I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM BEFORE THEY FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE GOING NEXT." 169

She put her head back and the chairs mechanisms moved around her face securing her to the chair. The data link upload and holographic link blinked on and she was attached to the computer mainframe. All ships functions were displayed for her, and she settled better into her chair. She had never flown anything like it before and was feeling nervous. The ship shuddered for a few seconds, and then lifted off the ground rising slowly into the air. The air underneath cushioning the balance of the huge ship as it rose up higher. Andrea could "see" the whole ship from the outside; including the gigantic see through dome that now covered the ship protecting everything inside it. Nothing could break that dome short of a nuclear explosion and in turn it would protect the people moving around inside its surface. It looked like a gigantic hovering city. The ship turned slowly and rose into the thinner atmosphere and into space. Andrea sent specific instructions to the ships core and engineering and like a fluid motion the ship responded to her commands. She would then later hand over command of the flight to the mainframe computer but for the moment she had it until she was satisfied she could fly the ship manually. The ship glided through space softly towards her intended target - the Go'auld Mothership that was still on the ground much to her surprise. She smiled thinly and instructed Bennett via Mic to offload the spiders in 5 minutes. "Aw, can't I send them now? Just kidding, Aye, Colonel, five minutes." As the ship flew over the Pyramid Mothership, Andrea sent a message to Sett, "Have a present Sett. Hope you enjoy them better then we did."

As soon as Bennett released the spiders into Sett's Bridge, just before communications was cut off she heard the screams and grinned cutting off the rest of it and the ship flew off into space, putting as much distance as could be allowed for such a large cruiser. Black sat back in his seat and watched the forward screen as the starscape spread before them. "To boldly go”, he thought to himself. Aptly renamed Stargate Andromeda....

.......AND THE ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING.......

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STARGATE INTRODUCTION What is Stargate? PRODUCTION Developed for television by Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright, Stargate SG-1 was produced by MGM and filmed at Bridge Studios in Vancouver. The first episode was broadcast on July 27, 1997 on Showtime in the US and December 3, 1997 on the Seven Network in Australia. Showtime produced and aired the show's first five seasons. Beginning with season six, it was produced and aired by the Sci Fi Channel. A spin-off series, Stargate Atlantis, began airing in 2004. The two shows ran in tandem for three years, with plots occasionally interconnected and simultaneous story timelines.

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Stargate SG-1 became the longest-running North American science fiction series on television, surpassing the nine seasons and 202 episodes of the The X-Files. It is also listed in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the "longest-running science fiction show. On August 21, 2006, the Sci Fi Channel announced that it would not be renewing the show for an eleventh season; however, executive producer Robert C. Cooper stated that Stargate SG-1's story will continue in a yet-to-be-announced form. MetroGoldwyn-Mayer announced that they are very keen to carry on the Stargate SG-1 story, and that they "intend to vigorously find a way to extend the franchise". Two Stargate films are currently planned, a continuation of the Stargate SG-1 story lines. The last day of shooting for season ten was on October 5, 2006. The final episode "Unending" was first broadcast by Sky One in the UK on March 13, 2007, and was later aired by the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on June 22, 2007. In December 2006, there were suggestions that the team behind Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis was developing a third Stargate series. End of the series On August 21, 2006, the Sci Fi Channel confirmed that Stargate SG-1 was not being renewed for an 11th season. However, Executive producer Robert C. Cooper told GateWorld that they are hard at work looking for a new outlet for the story to continue.

“

As far as the future, I can't comment yet because nothing has been confirmed", Cooper said. "What we want to emphasize is that the franchise is not dying. SG-1 will go on in some way. We're just not ready to announce how." Cooper also emphasizes that, though emotions are running high among Stargate fans who have just learned the news, it is important to keep the show's ratings strong throughout the remainder of its run on Sci Fi. "What's most important is that fans don't take out their frustration with Sci-Fi by not watching", he said. "In fact, what they need to do is watch both SG-1 and Atlantis LIVE and make sure the ratings stay strong. That helps prove to other outlets that might be interested in SG-1 that the show is still as strong as we think it is".[5]

”

Mark Stern, executive VP of original programming for the Sci Fi Channel stated that the decision "was not a ratings-based decision", adding that the production staff has been given enough time to tie up all the loose ends and to create a good ending for the show. Stern has also said that Sci-Fi plans to use some SG-1 members on the stillcontinuing spin-off Stargate Atlantis. MGM, the rights holder, has expressed a desire to continue SG-1 through another outlet, suggesting that another network may pick up the series. This means that the series has not actually finished, but is simply on hold. MGM announced that they wish to continue the SG-1 series, either as a movie, miniseries, or an eleventh season on some other network, suggesting that G4 and Showtime have presented interest in such an option. However, the Sci Fi Channel is attempting to block the action, citing their contract with MGM. On Tuesday, 172

September 26, 2006, IGN reported that there will not be an eleventh season, but rather that there will be a series of SG-1 TV movies. On December 20, 2006, verified reports from Gate World confirmed the production of two movies, with filming in late April of 2007. The regular cast of Stargate will be part of the cast. Executive producer Robert C. Cooper will both write and direct the first film, to be named Stargate: The Ark of Truth. The first movie "has to do with wrapping up the Ori storyline, which is the storyline that has taken prominence for the last two years of the show," said cast member Michael Shanks. The second movie, called Stargate: Continuum, started shooting June 1, 2007. Executive producer Brad Wright wrote the second film, with Martin Wood directing. That story is a time travel story taking SG-1 to the past. "It has something to do with our main villain Ba'al (Cliff Simon) doing something in the past," Shanks said. "He basically finds a way to lift the Stargate from Earth so the Stargate Program never happens, and I imagine the characters will have to go through some process to reset the clock and fix everything".

PLOT Stargate SG-1 follows and expands upon the Egyptian mythologies presented in Stargate. In the Stargate universe, the human race, known as the Tau'ri, were descendants of the Ancients, a race of highly evolved beings. Earth was believed to be the first planet where humans existed in this galaxy. Humans were enslaved and transported to other habitable planets by the Go’auld such as Ra and Apophis. For millennia, the Go’auld harvested humanity, heavily influencing and spreading human cultures. As a result, Earth cultures such as those of the Aztecs, Mayans, Britons, the Norse, Mongols, Greeks and Romans are found throughout the known habitable planets of the galaxy. Many well-known mythical locations such as Avalon, Camelot and Atlantis are found, or have at one time existed. Presently, the Earth Stargate (found at a dig site near Giza in 1928) is housed in a topsecret U.S. military base known as the SGC (Stargate Command) underneath Cheyenne Mountain. Col. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Cpt. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) compose the original SG-1 team. Along with 24 other SG teams, they venture to distant planets exploring the galaxy and searching for defences from the Go’auld, in the forms of technology and alliances with friendly advanced races. Later in the series, some members of SG-1 leave and new members join, such as Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec), Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) and Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) The parasitic Go’auld use advanced technology to cast themselves as gods and are bent on galactic conquest and eternal worship. Throughout the first eight seasons, the Go’auld are the primary antagonists. They are a race of highly intelligent, ruthless snake-like alien parasites capable of invading and controlling the bodies of other species, including humans. The original archenemy from this race is the System Lord Apophis (Peter Williams). Other System Lords, such as Ba'al and Anubis, play pivotal roles in the later seasons. In the third season, the Replicators are also introduced. The Replicators are mechanical bugs that feed on metals to "replicate" and create more bugs. Enemy of the Asgaard, they are the main reason why the Asgaard cannot 173

eliminate the Go’auld threat. In the ninth season a new villain emerges, the Ori. The Ori are advanced beings with unfathomable technology from another galaxy, also bent on galactic conquest and eternal worship. The introduction of the Ori accompanies a departure from the primary focus on Egyptian mythology into an exploration of the Arthurian mythology surrounding the Ori, their followers, and their enemies — the Ancients. Both Ancients and Ori are "Ascended Beings", meaning that they have 'ascended' to a higher plane of existence, giving them extraordinary powers. When Apophis attacks Earth at the beginning of the series (which is set one year after the events of the original film), the SGC military base is brought back into action. The SG teams are created—spearheaded by SG-1—to help defend Earth from the new threat. It is quickly revealed that Apophis is but one of many Go’auld System Lords who battle for power in the galaxy. The Stargate itself is also revealed to connect not only Earth and Abydos, but is one of many gates forming an enormous network connecting countless planets. The Go’auld are parasitic beings that take control of other races, usually humans, and use them as unwilling hosts. The System Lords possess interstellar pyramid-shaped warships and vast armies of foot soldiers. The bulk of these forces are modified humans known as Jaffa. In the first episode the lives of the SG-1 team are saved by a Jaffa, Teal'c, the First Prime of Apophis, who defects hoping the Tau'ri (Earth humans) can defeat the Go’auld, freeing the Jaffa. Earth becomes exposed as a threat to Go’auld power and comes under attack. SG-1 and the SGC forge several alliances with other races in the galaxy, among them the Tok'ra. The Tok'ra are the same species as the Go’auld, but opposed to the System Lords. They blend with their hosts voluntarily to share their bodies. Other races depicted include the Tollan, as well as other advanced human civilizations. They also encounter races that have been surviving in the galaxy for millennia, such as the Nox, the Asgaard, and the remnants of an extinct race that comes to be known as the Ancients. It is later discovered that the Ancients had been the most advanced race in history, and were the builders of the Stargates. It also revealed that Earth was the home world of the Ancients. There is a constant attempt by forces on Earth to take control of the Stargate. In particular, rogue NID agents, which eventually become the elite syndicate known as The Trust, constantly try to steal the Stargate or use alien technology for its own ends. The political powers on Earth are often at odds over the Stargate, once the program is revealed to ambassadors from the major powers of Earth. In season three, another threat arises—a race of non-sentient machines called Replicators. These Replicators have rarely posed a direct threat to the Milky Way galaxy, but are revealed as being on the verge of wiping out the Asgaard. Season four premieres focusing on the war against the Replicators. The show begins to move away from its Go’auld-orientated roots, instead focusing on stand-alone episodes and exploring alternative concepts for episodes. Throughout the season, SG1 encounters everything from genocide civilizations, to advanced strength-enhancing gauntlets, to a newly recurring species, the Unas. The season ends with a major battle against the Go’auld System Lord Apophis.

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After Apophis is defeated at the beginning of season five, another Go’auld System Lord takes his place as the main villain, Anubis. Anubis has much knowledge of the Ancients and their technology. The theme of Ascension is introduced fully, explaining that the Ancients survived extinction by Ascending to a higher plane of existence. Anubis tried to do this as well, to harvest the vast knowledge and power in that plane, but was cast down, leaving him in a dangerous, half-Ascended state. Anubis gains great power by using Ancient technology and stealing Asgaard technology. Daniel Jackson sacrifices his life to prevent disaster on another planet. With help from Oma Desala, an ascended Ancient, Daniel too ascends to the higher plane of existence. In season six, Jonas Quinn joins the team, filling Daniel's place, as he is now engaged in cosmic affairs on a higher plane. Occasionally, Daniel appears to his friends to help them out. He only appears to them individually, often causing them to think that they are hallucinating. In the season six finale, Anubis threatens to destroy Abydos, the planet dearest to Daniel apart from Earth, and Daniel promises to stop Anubis. Daniel is ultimately unable to use his Ascended powers to keep Anubis from destroying Abydos; he is stopped by the other Ascended beings, who have a rule against interference in the affairs of mortal beings. His transgression results in his return to the mortal plane of existence, where he rejoins SG-1. Soon after Daniel's return, Jonas Quinn is permitted by his world to return home, and he leaves the SGC. Throughout season seven, Anubis consolidates his power by wiping out other System Lords, while Daniel and the SGC search for the Lost City of the Ancients where powerful technology capable of defeating Anubis is believed to be located. In the season seven finale, an Ancient outpost is located in Antarctica, and O'Neill is able to use the weapons there to annihilate Anubis' entire fleet. In season eight, the System Lord Ba'al subsumes much of Anubis's power, but Anubis is discovered still alive, due to his half-Ascended state. He eventually comes to rule secretly over Ba'al as well. Alongside this, the Replicators escape and begin to conquer the System Lords. A human-form Replicator created in the image of Samantha Carter ("RepliCarter") becomes the most powerful force in the galaxy. Towards the end of season eight, Anubis seeks to destroy all life in the galaxy using the Dakara Super weapon, so he can remake it as he sees fit. However, SG-1 reaches the weapon first and adjusts it to destroy all Replicators throughout the galaxy. They achieve this end, but not before Daniel is killed by RepliCarter. He finds himself returned to the Ascended plane (again Oma has helped him). There he learns Oma assisted Anubis in his Ascension. Daniel is able to convince Oma of the danger posed by Anubis and she stops him once and for all by engaging him in an eternal battle neither one of the two can ever win (that way draining Anubis of the ability to act in another plane of existence). Daniel then returns to the mortal plane, arriving at the SGC. Ba'al is forced by the Jaffa Rebellion to flee. The System Lords have been decimated, the Replicators annihilated, and the Jaffa have won their freedom. In season nine, Jack O'Neill is promoted to the rank of Major General and leaves the SGC to replace Retired Major General Hammond as the new Commander for Department of Home world Security, to be replaced as base commander by Major General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges). Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) also joins the SGC as the commanding officer of SG-1. The SGC discovers that Ba'al

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has fled to Earth and is rebuilding his power from there, while the Go’auld have infiltrated The Trust. An accidental visit to a distant galaxy by Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran draws the attention of the Ori to the existence of sentient life in the Milky Way. The Ori influence the mortal plane through commanding Priors, mortals they evolved and enhanced with supernatural powers. The Priors spread and enforce a religion called Origin. Followers of the religion are promised Ascension (a promise later learned to be false), and unknowingly augment the power of the Ori through the act of worship. They begin to make incursions into the Milky Way, with the ultimate goal of converting all sentient species and destroying the Ancients. When SG-1 learns that Merlin, a formerly Ascended Ancient and founder of the Arthurian legends, had been secretly working on a weapon to incapacitate or destroy Ascended beings as a means of defense against the Ori, they travel to the planet where he is believed to have left it. There they find a village, Camelot, with a sword in a stone and discover the "weapon" is no less than the origin of the Holy Grail myth, and is long lost. The Ori attempt to establish a beachhead in the Milky Way galaxy by creating a giant Supergate through which they launch their crusade. Vala is accidentally transported to the Ori galaxy, where she finds herself pregnant with a child. The Ori manage to open a Supergate into the Milky Way and send four Ori battlecruiser to begin their evangelical crusade; they effortlessly wipe out the combined fleet of Asgaard, Earth, Jaffa, and Lucian Alliance ships. In season ten, Adria, the daughter of Vala, is born and ages rapidly. She is the Orici, leader of Ori forces in the Milky Way. SG-1 continues the search for Merlin's antiascended-being weapon, the Sangraal (Holy Grail). However, they must now contend with Ba'al and his clones, who are attempting to find and use the weapon for their own purposes. Following a visit to Atlantis, Daniel learns from Morgan Le Fay of two planets that may harbor the weapon. The Jaffa use the Dakara Superweapon to wipe out the crew of an Ori ship, allowing its capture. Adria survives the assault and destroys the weapon at Dakara. SG-1 travels to the planet where the Sangraal is possibly kept. There they must prove their worthiness to possess the Sangraal through a series of tests, culminating with a battle with a dragon. Upon passing the tests they are transported to Merlin's laboratory. Merlin transfers his consciousness into Daniel and he begins constructing the Sangraal. Adria interrupts and captures Daniel. Mitchell and Carter successfully transfer an entire village out-of-phase, protecting them from the Ori. Daniel becomes a Prior so he can send a ship with the Anti-Ori device through the Super-gate into the Ori galaxy. Langara, home world of Jonas Quinn falls to the Ori. Episode three of season ten marks the first visit of SG-1 to the Pegasus galaxy and Atlantis. Teal'c does not make the journey. Season ten also features the first joint mission between SG-1 and Atlantis. The 200th episode was aired during this season. There are still several story-arcs that were not concluded at the end of the series. The upcoming DVD movies will likely wrap these up. These storylines include the Ori, Ba'al, the Lucian Alliance, the Go’auld infiltration of the Trust, and the state of the Jaffa Nation.

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STARGATE ATLANTIS Stargate Atlantis follows the adventures of a human expedition to the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Stargate has brought humanity into contact with other cultures, including new and powerful enemies: the Wraith, the Genii, and later the Asuran, all while trying to uncover the secrets the Ancients left behind. Stargate Atlantis premiered on the US Sci Fi Channel on July 16, 2004 with "Rising", a movie-style two-part episode, that guest starred Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks from Stargate SG-1. The series is currently broadcast in several countries around the world; in some places, such as Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia, the series is broadcast in HD. Season 4 premiered in the US on September 28, and in the UK on October 9, 2007. As of October 3, 2007 new episodes of "Stargate Atlantis" were aired in HD in the USA on the SCIFI Channel's new HD network

PRODUCTION When Stargate SG-1 producers, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, thought the series was going to end after season five, due to Showtime's announcement that they were cancelling the show, they came up with the idea of making a new feature film. However, as the ratings on its new home at the Sci Fi Channel were quite good, the idea was pushed after season six and later, after season seven. Talk then began of a spin-off series and the producers were left with a serious dilemma, since the seventh season of Stargate SG-1 had been planned to lead up to the great discovery of the lost city of the Ancients, Atlantis. The Stargate SG-1 seventh season ending two part episode "Lost City," was supposed to be a bridge between Stargate SG-1 and a new spin-off, either a show or a movie, which was not planned to run at the same time as Stargate SG-1. Wright and Cooper rewrote the script as the two-part season seven finale, and moved the setting of the story. The city of Atlantis, originally planned to be on Earth under Antarctica in place of the SGC, was moved to the Pegasus Galaxy. The change was to prevent fans from wondering why Stargate Command would not come to help them, and also gave the producers the chance to start afresh and not be an identical copy of the original show. The series received the green light on November 17, 2003 and started shooting in February of 2004. It premiered on July 16 of the same year. From the start, Wright and Cooper ruled out casting "star names", on the basis of the financial pressures they were already experiencing with "star names" on Stargate SG1. The casting was made more complicated because Atlantis got the go-ahead in November, and had to compete with other networks during pilot season. The character most difficult to cast was the then-called Dr. Ingram, an unexcitable scientist expert in the Stargate. As the first day of shooting drew nearer and they were unable to find the right actor, they came to realize they had brought in the wrong character. Long-time Stargate director Martin Wood and Brad Wright thought it should be Dr. Rodney McKay, who had already appeared in a guest role in three episodes of Stargate SG-1. Actor David Hewlett was contacted and arrived at the set the day after filming had started. Dr Ingram had already been written in to the pilot 177

episode of the show and so the same script was used and the character's name simply changed to Dr McKay. Later scripts were written with Dr. McKay in mind. Season 2 brought casting changes. The creators found themselves with a problem with the character of Lt. Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks); a first season regular that the producers, and the actor himself, felt had not worked as intended and was highly underused as a result. Unwilling to write him out, the writers came with an idea to make the character more important, but that downgraded him to recurring. To replace him, they created Ronon Dex as a sidekick for Lt. Col. John Sheppard, but finding an actor with the physical presence and the acting ability necessary was not easy until they saw Jason Momoa's tape X-files veteran Mitch Pileggi was added to the cast in the recurring role of Col. Steven Caldwell, Paul McGillion's character, Dr. Carson Beckett, became a regular in season two. Season 3 changed the cast line-up again. Paul McGillion's Dr. Carson Beckett was killed in episode 17, "Sunday", (though only temporarily, it appears, as Joe Mallozzi stated on April 9, 2007 that he will be bringing Beckett back, alive and well, in a 2part episode in season 4). Amanda Tapping crossed from Stargate SG-1 for 14 episodes in Season 4, as the leader for the expedition,[4] while Torri Higginson will become a recurring character. Each season of Stargate: Atlantis features 20 episodes, and in the United States they are broadcast in two series of 10 episodes. The first 10 episodes air from mid-July to September in the United States, ending in the cliffhanger of a two-part episode. The second half airs first in Canada, from November to January, ending also with a cliffhanger. In the United States, the second half aired from January to March during seasons 1 and 2, but season 3 aired from April to June 2007. Stargate: Atlantis episodes feature a self-contained story that also contributes to the larger storyline of the war against the Wraith and their search for the means to destroy their enemy. Each season has also featured a two-part episode, and a few episodes that, while not technically two-parters, had continued directly the story of the previous episode (for example, season 3 "Progeny" and "The Real World"). Each show begins with a cold open, sometimes preceded with a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative. The opening credits feature an original theme by Joel Goldsmith. Though they were drastically cut at the start of season 2, the full credits were recovered after the mid-season part. The show blends different types of approaches to science fiction, from action to comedy. Stargate Atlantis is shot at Bridge studios in Vancouver and on location in several places in British Columbia. The Pemberton Glacier doubled for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence in series premiere "Rising". [6] Lynn Valley Canyon was, for example, where the episode "Instinct" was filmed. Stargate Atlantis inherited Blade Trinity's effects stage. The Blade Trinity production gave the set to Stargate Atlantis to save the high cost of dismantling the massive

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construct. The set has appeared several times. For example, the walkway Sheppard walks in "The Storm" is the topmost part of the Blade Trinity set

PLOT Stargate Atlantis is set in the city of Atlantis, on a planet called "Lantea" in the Pegasus galaxy, built millions of years ago by the most advanced race of the Stargate universe: the Ancients. Five to ten million years ago, due to a plague in the Milky Way Galaxy, they were forced to flee to a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy and there they seeded life on hundreds of worlds as they had done in the Milky Way. After encountering a powerful enemy known as the Wraith and going to war with them for more than one hundred years, the Ancients ultimately lost and were forced to submerge their city into the ocean (in order to hide from the Wraith), which, in the Stargate universe, is the source of the Greek myth of the Lost City of Atlantis. The city of Atlantis hosts much of the action in the series and is the source of much of the technology, which the characters employ. While trying to uncover the secrets the city still holds from her new human inhabitants, the Atlantis expedition also use the Stargate to explore the Pegasus galaxy, looking for energy sources and other technology that the Ancients may have left behind and that may help them defeat the Wraith. As of Season 4, the city of Atlantis has been moved by the expedition to a new planet, currently designated M35-117, to avoid destruction at the hands of the Asurans. The events of Stargate Atlantis follow the cliff-hanger Stargate SG-1 seventh season finale "Lost City", where SG-1 found an outpost made by the race known as the Ancients in Antarctica. After the events of Stargate SG-1 season eight premiere "New Order", the Stargate Command sends an international team to investigate the outpost. Soon, Dr. Jackson discovers the location of the greatest city created by the Ancients, Atlantis.

SPECIES Apart from the Terran (Tau'ri), humans from Earth who came to the Pegasus galaxy in search of the mythical city of Atlantis, where they now reside, the Pegasus galaxy is inhabited by several human civilizations. These civilizations are the result of the Ancients seeding several planets with human life upon their arrival in the Pegasus galaxy. Most of these planet's civilizations are pre-industrial, but a few have developed more advanced technology. A formerly advanced turned pre-industrial civilization, the Athosians were the first Pegasus natives the Atlantis expedition encountered, just after arriving to Pegasus[15]. Their planet was culled shortly thereafter, and they moved to Atlantis' mainland. Their leader, Teyla, stayed in Atlantis and became a member of Major Sheppard's team. In one of the team's first missions, they meet the Genii, an advanced, militaristic culture with a technology level similar to mid-20th century Earth, that hide under the

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mask of simple, Amish-like farmers[16]. They were at odds with the Atlantis expedition up until the "Coup D'etat", when they arrived at an uneasy truce. Stargate Atlantis also features a number of non-human races. The most important are the two main enemies of the Ancients: the Wraith and the Asurans, though an Asgaard and a Go’auld (main races in sister series Stargate SG-1) are also featured. Though long gone from this plane of existence, the influence of the Ancients (or Alterans) is felt deeply in the Stargate universe, for both good and bad. A highly technologically advanced race that once existed on Earth and other planets throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, the Ancients were the builders of the Stargates. Many million years ago, the Ancients travelled from Earth to a planet in the Pegasus Galaxy using their space faring city Atlantis. In Pegasus, after a long period of colonisation, they encountered an enemy, the Wraith (who had mutated as a result of some Ancients being attacked by a parasitic bug) who despite their inferior technology overwhelmed the Ancients with their strength of numbers. Besieged in Atlantis, the remaining Ancients submerged the city to prevent its technology from being exploited by the Wraith, before retreating to Earth, passing on not only the legend of Atlantis but also the gene that will be known as ATA gene to the humans of Earth.[ A hive-based species that once drove the Ancients off the Pegasus galaxy, the Wraith are the primary antagonists of the Atlantis expedition. They feed off the life force of humans following a regular feeding cycle. That cycle, however, was upset when Major John Sheppard accidentally awoke the entire Wraith from hibernation about 50 years ahead of schedule. Having learned of a new feeding ground, Earth, the Wraith's main purpose is to find the way there through Atlantis. First appearing in the episode "Progeny", the Asurans (Similar to the Milky-Way Replicators) are another powerful enemy of the Atlanteans (although created by the Lanteans as weapons). They are artificial life forms that evolved from an Ancient experiment to create powerful and aggressive nanites to attack the Wraith on a cellular level. However, the microscopic creatures came together to form increasingly larger and more complex organisms, eventually imitating their creators to become human in appearance. When the Ancients realized their experiment had gotten out of hand, they attacked this new race with their fleet of warships and nearly wiped them out. The Atlantis expedition became their enemies when they learned that the humans from Earth were descendants of the Ancients and living in Atlantis.

STARGATE ANDROMEDA In January 2005 a new series was born. SGA1 - the next unit of Stargate Command – is sent to the Andromeda System, after finding an Ancient Starbase orbiting two worlds. Upon arrival at the Starbase, SGA1 find themselves confronted by a new and hostile alien race. The Saggi. Beings that were created and genetically engineered by the Ancients themselves. But the Saggi turned on their creators and now rule the system. They are ruthless, and harvest humanoids as a food source. A Go'auld Mothership also in the system discovers 180

SGA1 and destroys the Starbase, forcing the Unit to abandon it. Unable to return to Earth, they go to one of the worlds and discover a partially submerged ancient starcity. With ingenuity borne of desperation SGA1 manage to eradicate the city's defences and bring it back online. The new series of Andromeda Gate chronicles the journeys of SGA1, the new Andromeda Team, of Stargate Command, as they explore the Galaxy and thwart the Saggi when they can. The Commanding Officer of the Andromeda is Colonel Andrea Roberts. Stargate Command's first To'kra Commander. To explore new civilizations and old, these are the continuing adventures of Starcity Andromeda.

SUMMARY The ship of choice is nicknamed Gate-shuttle" as it is designed to travel through the Stargate. In fact, the ship has a miniature-dialing device on the main console, allowing remote-access dialling of the Stargate. It is also equipped with stealth mode, allowing it to become invisible. The ship seems to operate in part by reading the pilot's thoughts. The jumper is large enough to seat at least two at the forward controls, and at least six in the rear. The team accesses the gate's control systems -- more like a computer than a D.H.D. -along with a new library of addresses, most of which are presumably for the Andromeda galaxy's gate network. After dialling another world, the tried-and-true system of M.A.L.P. probes and G.D.O. transmitters are still used. At the touch of a button, the gate may be protected by an iris-like energy shield. As hoped, the Starbase is a treasure trove of advanced technology, which includes such things as a universal translation device. Each team member travelling off world receives one, which is capable of instantly translating virtually any language encountered. Stargate Andromeda's powerful new enemy, the Saggi, surpass even the Go’auld in their evil. The best way to describe them is as Ancients with a mission for galaxy conquest," They make the Go’auld look like amateur hour. These "Saggi" are limited in what they can do but their goals are genuine. They have awoken to the fact that Andromeda has new Ancients and new peacekeepers. Colonel Roberts and her new team discover that the Saggi are “children” to a much older and more powerful enemy – the Baroque. The Baroque has created entire species as experiments. The Saggi, the Gems, Strykerbeasts. Of the three only one is the enemy. Allied alongside them are the Siobhan, Solaris, Belai’s, Jaffa, Asgaard, Zeenia, Helenian, Irritria, Ara’Nox, and Triaxia Three. Gems, and Strykerbeasts.

PLOT

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Travelling to the Andromeda Galaxy to take charge of an abandoned Starbase orbiting two worlds, the SG Andromeda team soon learn that a Go’auld Warlord is in the same area. One of the worlds has been abandoned and the other holds an enemy worse then any have met yet, during the ensuing fight, the Go’auld arrives and the fight is on both fronts. In a fit of pique Roberts destroys the Starbase to stop the Go’auld locating the Stargate for Earth and cripples their Mothership. The entire team abandons the Starbase and heads for one of the planets of their new enemy. Whilst there they make a startling discovery. An ancient Starship resembling Atlantis. It had been abandoned and half submerged. Escaping the wrath of the Go’auld, the team repair the damaged Starship. And leave the planet. On their new ship is a fully functional working stargate. The Go’auld pursue them and they unfortunately find themselves lost when the city is drawn into a black hole. It takes months before the ship and crew finally make their way back with help from several new worlds they find inside. Their new enemy is ruthless and unforgiving and pursue them at every opportunity. They are the Saggi. Tall, thin and hair of silver. Their entire life is formatted onto a disc situated in the middle of their chests. When they die – the body and disc is destroyed. They are a species that cannot survive in sub zero temperatures. Their survival is by withdrawing the life forces of beings and adding their knowledge to their own species. They normally hunt in the dark, but have been known to hunt in daylight. They thrive on volcanic planets. They resemble humanoids. The Gems are a derivative of the same species excepting they are winged humanoids without the instinct for killing others to survive. The Belai are the original Tok’ra. They vanished millennia ago and have only started to surface recently. They had been lost in the same black hole the Andromeda had passed through. They found sanctuary on the other side and never left. Recently the Ori started their new attack on earth and they had to pass through the Andromeda Galaxy to reach there. But they are about to encounter Roberts and her team first…… Regular characters Colonel Roberts - COCommander Bennett - chief securitySgt Cross -engineerLieutenant Emerson - medic Lt Mara- To’kra AncientColonel Cameron Mitchell-CO Fleet Com Blaine - Solaris Military Leader Dr. Kelso - MD Lt. Dave Anderson Dr. Helen Jones-Psychiatrist Artemis-Tiria Ambassador Commander Tighe - Chief Medical Officer Doctor Vargo - Science Team – deceased Gunny Allen - Tactical and Operations Chief

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Lt Colonel Black - XO Dr. Nicholas Dexter Major Pierce- security Major Sanchez - ascended Colonel Lionel Pendagast-Alliance Adm Audra - Solaris ambassador Pathos - unknown Major Christopher hill Commander Aecyln - Siobhan Arwyn- Daikin Ambassador Ba’al –Go’auld Warlord Doctor Kruger - German Scientist Doctor Cade - Canadian Scientist Sgt Rice - Beta Operations officer

Doctor Jack Fox – Biochemist T'Mar - Jaffa Lt Linda parker Brian Clark GerotKelly McGlennRyan BlankenshipLarkin Renner-Astrophysics

T'Kreel - Jaffa First Prime SSgt kaleb Walters SSgt Vijay Singh Britney kaleb Glen Farley Penelope- AI Kica-Gem

Races currently: Saggi Jaffa Tokra Sibohahn Go'auld Belai Helenians Triaxia Three Batoxin Daikin Cassiopia-Horus Elasians

Gems Human Solarians Asgaard Ishtar Zeenians Irritrians Nox Ori Tiria Baroque

Strykerbeast- unknown

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