STARGATE SG-1 ATLANTIS: Homeworlds : Volume three of the Travelers' Tales (SGX Book 5)

by Sally Malcolm

Teal’c nodded. “The Hammond was constructed following the fall of the Goa’uld. The technology now in the Jaffa’s possession has been made available to the Tau’ri.”

  Rak’nor nodded appreciatively. “So this vessel combines Tau’ri, Asgard, and Goa’uld technology. Impressive.”

  A voice from one of the workstations said, “Goa’uld tech was always part of the design process, actually. But it was stuff we salvaged, not that we acquired legitimately like we can now.”

  Teal’c turned to see a short human with red hair. She wore a major’s clusters, and after a moment, Teal’c recognized her.

  “Major Hailey,” Teal’c said. “It is good to see you again.”

  She stood up and gave both Jaffa a quick nod. “Likewise. You must be Rak’nor. I’m Jennifer Hailey, the new chief science officer.”

  “Once again,” Teal’c said, “Colonel Carter has brought you under her command.”

  Hailey allowed herself a small smile. “I owe my career to the colonel. Always happy to serve under her.” At Rak’nor’s querying look, Hailey added, “Colonel Carter mentored me in the Academy, and helped me through a rough patch. She sponsored my entry into the SGC. I was on SG-9 for a while, then I served under the colonel when she ran Area 51 a few years back. Her last act before she left to rejoin SG-1 was to approve my transfer to the 304 project. I helped build the Apollo and the Sun-Tzu, and the Hammond.”

  Nodding, Rak’nor said, “So you are her apprentice.”

  “I guess?” Hailey tilted her head.

  Colonel Carter’s voice came from the entry to the lab. “More like protégée, really. And after all this time on Earth building ships, and after spending some time in Atlantis, I thought it was time she got back out in the field.”

  Rak’nor turned to eagerly face the colonel. “Were you able to obtain permission?”

  “Yes. Ostensibly, we’re there to investigate the flare star. Once we arrive in the system, Teal’c, you and Rak’nor will take the cargo ship and investigate the planet surface under cloak.” She pointed a finger at Rak’nor. “Only investigate, though. Do not engage the Alliance until after you’ve made a thorough scan of P7X-942. Once we know what we’re dealing with, then we can figure out our next move.”

  For a moment, Rak’nor tensed, and Teal’c sensed that his fellow Jaffa was bridling under Colonel Carter’s restrictions.

  Colonel Carter sensed it as well, it seemed, as she stared up at Rak’nor and said, “Those are the mission parameters, Rak’nor. If you want our help, this is how you’re getting it. The alternative is to go there on your own without us as backup.”

  Rak’nor relaxed. “Of course, Colonel. My apologies. It is just —” He hesitated. “When the flares forced us to abandon Armak, keeping the weapons cache safe was my responsibility. If the weapons fall into Alliance hands, I will have failed in that responsibility.”

  “I understand. If you do find those weapons, best to ring them up to your cargo ship. No sense in giving the Alliance a chance to grab them.”

  Bowing, Rak’nor said, “Thank you.”

  Colonel Carter then turned to Major Hailey. “Jennifer, you’ll be in charge of investigating the star. I want to know why a star that NASA’s telescopes still read as G-type has become a flare star.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Goa’uld mothership is on approach and hailing us.”

  Carter shook her head and smiled ruefully as she entered the bridge to those words from her executive officer. She had just left Teal’c and Rak’nor in the 302 bay, where they were preparing to take the cargo ship out. “That didn’t take long.”

  “No, ma’am,” the executive officer said as he vacated the center seat.

  Taking her seat between the weapons and helm consoles, Carter said, “Raise shields. And let’s see what they have to say.”

  “This is the Lucian Alliance. State your business.”

  Carter smiled. “Simple and to the point. Let’s respond.”

  “Channel open,” said the pilot, seated on Carter’s left.

  “This is Colonel Samantha Carter of the George Hammond. We’re here to —”

  “They’re powering weapons!” the pilot cried out.

  “What? Alliance, we’re here on a mission of —”

  The Alliance commander sounded like he was sneering. “Your mission is of no interest Samantha Carter. You are an enemy of the Lucian Alliance and I will be amply rewarded when it is learned that I ended your miserable life.”

  “Dammit,” Carter muttered. Both as a member of SG-1 and as commander of the Hammond, she’d had plenty of run-ins with the Alliance. She should have realized that her presence — and Teal’c’s, for that matter — might be provocative.

  The mothership’s weapons fire struck the Hammond.

  “Shields are holding,” the pilot said.

  “Evasive maneuvers.” Carter didn’t want to have to get into a firefight. “Keep the channel open. Lucian Alliance, we are on a scientific mission and have no quarrel with you.”

  There was no response — but no new weapons fire, either.

  For several seconds, there was tense silence on the Hammond bridge.

  Then another voice came over the speakers. “Forgive my lieutenant, Colonel Carter. I am Kefflin. I command this vessel and all Alliance interests in this system.”

  Carter blinked. Kefflin was a very reclusive Alliance boss. Her SG-1 teammate Cameron Mitchell had gone undercover as Kefflin for an Alliance summit, which was only successful because very few had seen his face.

  So it was rather a surprise when the pilot said, “They’re requesting visual communication.”

  “O-o-okay. Bring it up.”

  The face of a craggy, blond-haired man appeared on the screen, standing in the pel’tak of a mothership. Next to him was a shorter man with darker hair and a very angry expression.

  “Vashin has a particular animus for you, Colonel,” said the blond-haired one, “as well as your erstwhile teammates. He used to be Netan’s lieutenant before SG-1’s actions led to his ousting. In fact, he was the one who put out the bounty on your team’s head on Netan’s behalf. He works for me, now.”

  “I would have expected some animus from you, too, Kefflin. And I’m surprised you’re showing your face to an entire ship full of people.”

  Kefflin’s lips curled up — Carter couldn’t bring herself to call it a smile. “Your comrade Colonel Mitchell’s impersonation forced me to take on a more public role — as did Netan’s fall. And to the contrary, I have nothing but respect for you, Colonel. You played your hand supremely well, and exposed many weaknesses in the Alliance in general and Netan in particular. Thanks to you and your teammates, those weaknesses have been eliminated.”

  Carter didn’t like the sound of that.

  “You say your mission is scientific?”

  Welcoming the chance to end this peacefully, Carter quickly said, “We’ve been sent here by Earth to investigate this system’s sun.”

  “Very well. You may do so. But I would ask that you remain proximate to the sun only. If you come within the orbital path of the innermost planet of the system, it will be considered an incursion into Alliance space. Likewise if any of your subsidiary vessels do so, or attempt to land on Armak. That is our world, and we will not have you invading it.”

  “No plans in that regard, Kefflin. You have my word, neither I nor any of my crew will come anywhere near the planet.”

  “Good. I hope your scans of the sun bear fruit.”

  With that, he closed the connection. Carter let out a breath.

  “That was weird,” the XO muttered.

  Doing her best impersonation of Teal’c, Carter smiled and said, “Indeed. Keep shields up — we’ll need their protection from solar radiation this close, and
besides, I don’t trust Kefflin not to leave a cloaked ship or three to keep an eye on us.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the pilot said.

  “And speaking of cloaked ships, tell Teal’c and Rak’nor to commence at their discretion under cloak.”

  The intercom sounded. “Hailey to Carter.”

  “Go ahead, Jennifer.”

  “Ma’am, the preliminary scans of the sun are confirming that it’s a red giant. We’re only a few thousand light-years from Earth, and there’s no way it would advance this far in its life cycle in so short a time frame.”

  Smirking, Carter said, “I’m guessing you have a theory, Major?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Hailey, as ever, was utterly serious. “I think someone — probably the Goa’uld, or the Alliance using Goa’uld tech — has been tampering with the sun.”

  Teal’c and Rak’nor moved swiftly through the caverns. They had left the cargo ship cloaked in orbit and used the rings to transport to a mine shaft that, according to Rak’nor, had suffered a cave-in. That cave-in had, in fact, been manufactured by Rak’nor himself to keep the Jaffa weapons hidden. His concern had been that the Alliance had dug the mine out.

  But while the Alliance appeared to have taken up residence in the primary base on a large mountain, the mines themselves were untouched. Scans had revealed no traces of naquadah, so whatever the Alliance had planned, mining was not a part of it.

  Teal’c carried a P90 with a flashlight attachment, enabling them to see where they were going, as the cavern was not illuminated. For his part, Rak’nor carried a ma’tok. Teal’c himself only eschewed a staff weapon due to the P90’s ability to light their way.

  Rak’nor approached a solid wall, then ran a hand over one particular stone.

  The wall shimmered and vanished, revealing a chamber filled with boxes, as well as another ring transporter.

  “The containers appear to be untouched,” Teal’c said.

  “Yes.” Rak’nor let out a long sigh of relief. “Let us move them to the rings. The false wall also kept the rings deactivated. With the wall down, we may transport the weapons to the cargo vessel.”

  Teal’c nodded. When this mission was complete, the weapons would be brought to the Jaffa Council, who would decide what to do with them.

  It did not take the two Jaffa long to maneuver the containers inside the ring assembly. Teal’c then programmed the rings to take them back to their cargo vessel on a delay, stepped onto the platform and waited.

  A moment later, the circular hatch slid aside and the rings rose from beneath the cavern floor. The two Jaffa were engulfed in light.

  But when the light dimmed, Teal’c saw that he and his comrade were not in Rak’nor’s cargo vessel, but instead in a large chamber surrounded by men and women holding zat’nik’tels.

  The one person who wasn’t armed stepped forward. “I was wondering why anyone would be poking around those dried-up mines. So we intercepted your matter stream, and look! You brought us gifts!”

  A man standing next to the leader pointed at Teal’c. “That is the Jaffa named Teal’c — he is a member of SG-1.”

  “Even more gifts. Contact Colonel Carter and inform her that I’ve lost some of my respect for her.”

  Suddenly, an alarm blared out. Teal’c looked past the weapons pointed at him to see a workstation against one of the walls. A woman was seated at the controls and she whirled toward the leader showing a panicked expression. “Kefflin, the latest run didn’t work. We’ve lost control of the device again!”

  The leader — who was apparently the legendary Kefflin of the Lucian Alliance — said, “Very well, we —”

  “There’s a massive flare heading straight for the planet. It will be here in an hour!”

  “Raise the shield,” Kefflin said calmly.

  “It may not survive another flare,” she said somewhat less calmly.

  “Raise it in any case. And why have I not been put through to the Tau’ri ship?”

  “Colonel Carter is not responding.”

  Next to Teal’c, Rak’nor muttered, “Sun-breaker.”

  Kefflin apparently had excellent hearing. “You know of the weapon Heru’ur left here?”

  Rak’nor said nothing.

  Kefflin sneered. “Typical Jaffa defiance. It matters little what you say. We have re-created Sun-breaker. Heru’ur wished to create a method of rapidly aging a sun — no doubt to use against rival Goa’uld systems. According to the database, he was never able to make it work. But I’m willing to bet my scientists are smarter than those of a dead false god.” He turned away and said, “Keep trying to raise Colonel Carter!”

  Once he turned away, Teal’c whispered to Rak’nor, “Does he speak the truth?”

  Rak’nor simply nodded.

  “Transporter down, beam weapons down, shields at ten percent.”

  Carter gritted her teeth at the damage-control report from the flare. “Move us away from the sun.”

  “Hailey to bridge,” said the major over the intercom.

  Hesitating only for a second — Hailey wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t urgent — Carter said, “Go ahead.”

  “Ma’am, that flare that hit us happened immediately after a beam of some sort struck the sun. I traced its source, and it came directly from P7X-942. Wavelength and frequency consistent with Goa’uld technology. Also, the flare is on course for the planet, ma’am.”

  Everything Hailey told her made Carter more apprehensive. So did what the pilot said next: “We’re still being hailed by the Alliance on P7X-942.”

  She checked to make sure that they were a safe enough distance from the sun that, should there be any other flares, they’d at least have more warning than they’d received from this first flare, which had already trashed her ship before they even knew it was there. Once she was assured of that, she finally replied to the Alliance’s call.

  The screen lit up with Kefflin, surrounded by several Goa’uld workstations and several more Lucian Alliance members — and also Teal’c and Rak’nor, who had zats pointed at them.

  “I’m disappointed, Colonel. You gave me your word.”

  “Yes, I did,” Carter said without hesitating. “I gave you my word that I and my crew wouldn’t come near the planet. Neither Teal’c nor Rak’nor are on my crew.”

  “Such semantic trickery is unworthy of you, Colonel.”

  Someone at one of the Goa’uld control stations cried out, “Kefflin, I can’t get the shield up! The incoming flare’s going to reach us in fifty minutes.”

  “Having a little trouble?” Carter asked.

  “We will tame Heru’ur’s weapon, worry not.”

  “No you won’t,” Carter said. “Trust me, I’ve spent the last fifteen years of my life dealing with the technology used by the Goa’uld. And what you’ve got there is something that can only be operated by a Goa’uld.”

  “Colonel Carter is correct,” Rak’nor said. “Heru’ur’s scientists designed Sun-breaker in the same manner as the kara kesh — only one of the Goa’uld themselves can wield the weapon.”

  Carter said, “I can help you, Kefflin.”

  “Can you, now?”

  Teal’c spoke up. “I believe you said that your scientists were the equal of those of the Goa’uld. That statement was likely hyperbole. However, Colonel Carter may make a similar claim without it being exaggeration.”

  “Thanks, Teal’c,” Carter said. “But it’s not just that — I was blended with a Tok’ra named Jolinar a while back. I still have enough naquadah in my blood that I can operate technology like that. Unless you’ve got a Goa’uld or a Tok’ra hiding on your base, I’m the only chance you’ve got of avoiding that flare.”

  “And in exchange for this, I return your Jaffa to you?”

  Carter nodde
d. “Exactly.”

  The woman at the Sun-breaker console said, “It doesn’t matter, their ship can’t get here before the flare can.”

  “Yes we can. The Hammond will be in orbit of P7X-942 in five minutes. Once we’re in orbit, I’ll take a 302 down.”

  “What about your vaunted Asgard transporter?” Kefflin asked with a smile.

  “The flare took it out. Which, by the way, is how I can guarantee that I won’t just beam Teal’c and Rak’nor out and leave you to blow up.”

  “Very considerate. I await your arrival, Colonel.”

  The Sun-breaker operator crying out, “It’s not possible for her to get into orbit that fast!” was the last thing Carter heard before the communication cut off.

  “Uh, ma’am?” the pilot said slowly. “How is it possible to get from here to orbit in five minutes?”

  “Little trick I pulled a few years back with a cargo ship and a runaway asteroid. We open a hyperspace window just long enough to make a short jump.”

  “A cargo ship and an asteroid?” the pilot sounded understandably dubious.

  Carter nodded as she relieved the pilot and sat at the helm controls. There wasn’t time to explain this and it was easier for her to input the commands herself, especially since she had to rejigger her equations for the considerably larger mass of the Hammond, as well as the greater distance. That just needed to be a nine-thousand-mile jump. This was more like ninety million miles, but that worked in her favor, as it would be easier to jump the larger vessel across a greater distance.

  It was still risky, though, especially with them this close to a flare star.

  However, she suspected that the Alliance’s attempts to futz with this Sun-breaker would be disastrous without her aid.

  She wasn’t entirely sure it would be so great with her aid, but at least she’d get Teal’c and Rak’nor free.

  “Here goes,” she muttered. She addressed intership. “All hands, prepare for a micro-hyperdrive jump. Secure all stations. Transition in ten seconds.”