(More of "Against the Night," see previous post for start and next post for end.)
Spoiler:
High above, Dr. Talbot is sitting in the co-pilot's chair of Vala's cargo ship, with one of the Aurora's crewmembers along to do the actual flying. The officer tells his passenger to hold on tight, then guns the hyperdrive as the vessel accelerates into hyperspace toward Heliopolis. As their window flickers out, the nearby MBP-305 Jupiter can be seen passing by, its mammoth hull obscuring much of the moon from this vantage point. Walking onto the bridge, Mitchell slides into the command chair, clearly uncertain as to how well he can do this. After all, he's a fighter pilot, not at all the tactician that Samantha Carter was forced to become while running hit-and-run operations against the Der'kal. Her year of experience turned her into one of the Alliance's most-brilliant admirals, but he hardly knows a thing about fleet logistics. But he plans on doing everything he can to fill her rather large shoes, and goes about asking for various updates on the ship's preparedness, wondering what he just signed up for. He brings up a set of video feeds from the surface, flips through a few, then freezes on one, frowning and reaching for his radio.
Down on the surface, Daniel and Vala are stepping into a makeshift command center in Times Square, a massive tented area filled with machinery brought over from the Beta Site and the nerve center of the ongoing "clean-up" effort planetwide. A young soldier walks up and escorts the two former SG-1 members up to a computer terminal displaying a rough 3D image of the planet's surface, where one of Makepeace's subordinates stands delegating tasks to various repair and reclamation crews. On the map, the seven continents can be seen, with areas now cleared of Der'kal hold marked in blue, regions still in enemy hands marked in red, and areas where the situation is unknown marked in purple. At present, there is far more purple and red than blue.
Upon noticing that he has guests, Makepeace's man turns, revealing a middle-aged officer of what appears to be Hispanic descent. He introduces himself as Lt. Col. Emmanuel Horatio, formerly of the Brazilian Army prior to Earth's defeat. He, seeming to be a kindly man compared to his superior, asks what Daniel and Vala want, as they lack the military qualifications necessary to actually participate in his operations. Vala interjects that they don't want to get in the way, but they would like to help somehow. Horatio starts to say something else, but he's cut off by a sudden BOOM! from outside. As the entire area shakes, he, Daniel, Vala, and everyone else run outside just in time to see a few green plasma bolts slam into the wreckage of New York, shattering some still-standing skyscrapers in the distance.
As the green energy blobs hurtle through the atmosphere, the camera backtracks them into orbit, where a small flotilla of Der'kal frigates and corvettes has emerged from hyperspace almost inside the stratosphere itself, getting in as many shots as they can at the undefended surface. But on the bridge of the Jupiter, Mitchell isn't about to let that go unpunished; turning to his weapons officers, he orders a full Asgard beam barrage, and it only takes a second for his ship and all the others in the area to let loose with a criss-cross of blue plasma, ripping the alien ships' shields apart and leaving gaping holes in their hulls. Cameron grinds his teeth as he watches, furious that he wasn't able to vaporize them before they managed to get within firing range of Earth. He prepares to give the command to annihilate the last few enemy craft, but before he can even speak, they open their own hyperspace windows and vanish, saving resources for future raids of this kind, no doubt. In all, three of the six Der'kal ships were taken out, but they were able to inflict a significant amount of damage before retreating.
Mitchell leans back into his chair, sighing heavily, and asks what they hit on the ground. It looks as though their main target was New York, though London and Vancouver received hits, as well. The damage wasn't as bad as it could have been, and it's clear that, at this point, the Der'kal are merely trying to slow repair efforts and crush what little morale their is. No main counterattack has come yet, and whatever the reason for that, they can only be thankful for it. Then a message comes in from the Phoenix, and Mitchell has Col. Sobol's transmission put onscreen. The more-experienced ship commander assures Cameron that they've all gotten used to the unending attacks by now, and not to put too much blame on himself for the strikes that get through. Smiling weakly at the attempt to make him feel better, Mitchell thanks Sobol, but points out that he really isn't cut out for this job. Regardless, though, he'll do what he can.
Meanwhile, Talbot's tel'tak is emerging from a hyperspace window of its own over Heliopolis, completing the hours-long journey in record time thanks to Vala's recent upgrades to the craft. Staring down at the Alliance's capital, Danielle sucks in a breath, struck by the beauty of the largely-unspoiled world; shimmering blue seas are accented by green and purple forests, a sight that has an alien wonder all its own, and only one region can be seen as the bastion of galactic civilization. For on the coast of the largest continent, a massive sprawl of silver can be seen gleaming even from orbit, the Citadel complex that houses the Alliance high council and the gigantic administrative city that has grown alongside it. A fleet of Allied ships hover in orbit, constantly on the watch for an enemy attack,especially considering Heliopolis's alarming proximity to the new frontline of the war. Despite this, though, it is a world at peace, with trading craft entering and exiting hyperspace constantly, bringing fresh supplies and information to the hub of the galaxy's most-powerful organization.
Talbot's pilot takes them in for a landing at the spaceport closest to the Citadel, skirting through traffic waiting to land via the high-profile passenger onboard. In the distance, the impressive structure itself is gleaming dimly in the sunlight as nightfall approaches, surrounded by the earliest add-ons to the Alliance headquarters that are now almost considered relics from when they were build ("Requiem, Part 1"). Outside, a small Goa'uld-era hovercraft has arrived, waiting to bring Talbot to the Citadel for her meeting. The Doctor thanks her pilot for the speedy arrival, grabs a small bag of hers from her seat, and exits the airlock, greeting her Jaffa driver with a smile and thanking him for the ride. The warrior-turned-chauffeur inclines his head in appreciation, then drives off the landing pad and onto one of the city's main avenues, heading towards the heart of the administrative district.
Back on Earth, Makepeace is looking over a computer monitor displaying the locations and activities of certain "dangerous" individuals, all of whom were part of the refugee group during the occupation of Earth. Persons on his watch list include Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, Samantha Carter, Danielle Talbot, Rebbecca Eaton, David Taylor, Via Sanders, Abraham Ellis, Tanya Sobol, and various others who were instrumental in the defense and operation of the Beta Site. The former Colonel's mistrust of the refugees ("Earthfall") has clearly gone beyond a mere loss of hope that they'll return, and his utter determination to ensure that they control nothing of this new Earth is clear.
Nearby, Makepeace's radio crackles, and the Colonel picks it up and asks what the latest update is. The person on the other end of the line informs him that they've moved men in to surround the wing of the United Nations complex where the FPE assembly is taking up residence, and they are prepared to go in for the kill. All of the soldiers who would take part in the attack have been armed with Der'kal plasma rifles, and heaps of alien corpses from various raids over the past year have been collected, to be strewn inside the room after the refugee diplomats have been killed. To any observer, the clear conclusion will be that enemy forces still on the planet infiltrated the UN and exacted revenge on the Tau'ri leadership. Makepeace and his resistance men will make a great show of public regret, despairing to have to take over the government themselves, and the people, too tired and desperate from occupation to care anymore, will be convinced. Smiling, he gives the go-ahead.
Back on Heliopolis, Talbot has arrived at the Citadel, walking up the front steps and entering through the main entrance. As soon as she comes into the central rotunda, what could be considered the "welcome room," an older Tok'ra dignitary approaches, asking the human representative to follow him into the secured sections of the facility. He leads her through various hallways until, at length, they arrive in front of the familiar chamber where the Alliance High Council meets to discuss matters of galactic importance. When the body first convened, it consisted of five persons; one Jaffa, one Tok'ra, one Nox, one Hebridanian, and one Tau'ri. But now, it has only three, the latter two having been near-exterminated and conquered, respectively.
Gulping down any last bit of anxiousness, Danielle thanks her guide for the assistance and palms open the door to the Council's deliberation room... and is immediately taken aback as a Venii diplomat ("The Station"/"Sojourn") appears in the portal, his facial feathers ruffling slightly at the surprise person waiting there. The avian makes makes a strange hand gesture which seems to be the equivalent of an "excuse me," then moves around Talbot and departs, allowing her to see the room itself. The large round table that dominates the center of the space still has five chairs, but, as expected, only three of the them are filled; Per'sus, the former Supreme High Councilor of the Tok'ra ("Divide and Conquer"), represents the symbiotic race, apparently having taken up the ambassadorship to the Alliance following his end of term as leader of his people. The Nox are represented by a youngish-looking one of their own, who goes by the name of Nefreyu, one of those who first encountered SG-1 when they visited his world ("The Nox"), now grown. And lastly, the Free Jaffa Nation has sent Ishta, the famed female freedom fighter ("Birthright") to speak for them. All three gaze somewhat cooly at Talbot as she enters and takes her place before them, none of the three having any past experience with her as commander of the ISGC.
Nefreyu is the first to speak, smiling warmly and giving a traditional Nox greeting. He says that while he does not know her personally, he remembers her people speaking quite highly of her to his elders in private when last they came to Velieris ("Blue Zone"). Coloring slightly, Talbot thanks him, but explains that her mission is one of far more than personal interest; she has come to ask what, if any, position the Tau'ri still have in the Alliance. At that, all three alien representatives glance at one another, and Per'sus slowly mutters that the communiqué they received from Earth mentioned nothing of this. Danielle apologizes, but insists that she wanted to broach the subject in person, as she believes it to be one of great sensitivity. After all, Earth was a founding member of the organization itself, therefore should be given the respect befitting it.
Down on the surface, Daniel and Vala are stepping into a makeshift command center in Times Square, a massive tented area filled with machinery brought over from the Beta Site and the nerve center of the ongoing "clean-up" effort planetwide. A young soldier walks up and escorts the two former SG-1 members up to a computer terminal displaying a rough 3D image of the planet's surface, where one of Makepeace's subordinates stands delegating tasks to various repair and reclamation crews. On the map, the seven continents can be seen, with areas now cleared of Der'kal hold marked in blue, regions still in enemy hands marked in red, and areas where the situation is unknown marked in purple. At present, there is far more purple and red than blue.
Upon noticing that he has guests, Makepeace's man turns, revealing a middle-aged officer of what appears to be Hispanic descent. He introduces himself as Lt. Col. Emmanuel Horatio, formerly of the Brazilian Army prior to Earth's defeat. He, seeming to be a kindly man compared to his superior, asks what Daniel and Vala want, as they lack the military qualifications necessary to actually participate in his operations. Vala interjects that they don't want to get in the way, but they would like to help somehow. Horatio starts to say something else, but he's cut off by a sudden BOOM! from outside. As the entire area shakes, he, Daniel, Vala, and everyone else run outside just in time to see a few green plasma bolts slam into the wreckage of New York, shattering some still-standing skyscrapers in the distance.
As the green energy blobs hurtle through the atmosphere, the camera backtracks them into orbit, where a small flotilla of Der'kal frigates and corvettes has emerged from hyperspace almost inside the stratosphere itself, getting in as many shots as they can at the undefended surface. But on the bridge of the Jupiter, Mitchell isn't about to let that go unpunished; turning to his weapons officers, he orders a full Asgard beam barrage, and it only takes a second for his ship and all the others in the area to let loose with a criss-cross of blue plasma, ripping the alien ships' shields apart and leaving gaping holes in their hulls. Cameron grinds his teeth as he watches, furious that he wasn't able to vaporize them before they managed to get within firing range of Earth. He prepares to give the command to annihilate the last few enemy craft, but before he can even speak, they open their own hyperspace windows and vanish, saving resources for future raids of this kind, no doubt. In all, three of the six Der'kal ships were taken out, but they were able to inflict a significant amount of damage before retreating.
Mitchell leans back into his chair, sighing heavily, and asks what they hit on the ground. It looks as though their main target was New York, though London and Vancouver received hits, as well. The damage wasn't as bad as it could have been, and it's clear that, at this point, the Der'kal are merely trying to slow repair efforts and crush what little morale their is. No main counterattack has come yet, and whatever the reason for that, they can only be thankful for it. Then a message comes in from the Phoenix, and Mitchell has Col. Sobol's transmission put onscreen. The more-experienced ship commander assures Cameron that they've all gotten used to the unending attacks by now, and not to put too much blame on himself for the strikes that get through. Smiling weakly at the attempt to make him feel better, Mitchell thanks Sobol, but points out that he really isn't cut out for this job. Regardless, though, he'll do what he can.
Meanwhile, Talbot's tel'tak is emerging from a hyperspace window of its own over Heliopolis, completing the hours-long journey in record time thanks to Vala's recent upgrades to the craft. Staring down at the Alliance's capital, Danielle sucks in a breath, struck by the beauty of the largely-unspoiled world; shimmering blue seas are accented by green and purple forests, a sight that has an alien wonder all its own, and only one region can be seen as the bastion of galactic civilization. For on the coast of the largest continent, a massive sprawl of silver can be seen gleaming even from orbit, the Citadel complex that houses the Alliance high council and the gigantic administrative city that has grown alongside it. A fleet of Allied ships hover in orbit, constantly on the watch for an enemy attack,especially considering Heliopolis's alarming proximity to the new frontline of the war. Despite this, though, it is a world at peace, with trading craft entering and exiting hyperspace constantly, bringing fresh supplies and information to the hub of the galaxy's most-powerful organization.
Talbot's pilot takes them in for a landing at the spaceport closest to the Citadel, skirting through traffic waiting to land via the high-profile passenger onboard. In the distance, the impressive structure itself is gleaming dimly in the sunlight as nightfall approaches, surrounded by the earliest add-ons to the Alliance headquarters that are now almost considered relics from when they were build ("Requiem, Part 1"). Outside, a small Goa'uld-era hovercraft has arrived, waiting to bring Talbot to the Citadel for her meeting. The Doctor thanks her pilot for the speedy arrival, grabs a small bag of hers from her seat, and exits the airlock, greeting her Jaffa driver with a smile and thanking him for the ride. The warrior-turned-chauffeur inclines his head in appreciation, then drives off the landing pad and onto one of the city's main avenues, heading towards the heart of the administrative district.
Back on Earth, Makepeace is looking over a computer monitor displaying the locations and activities of certain "dangerous" individuals, all of whom were part of the refugee group during the occupation of Earth. Persons on his watch list include Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, Samantha Carter, Danielle Talbot, Rebbecca Eaton, David Taylor, Via Sanders, Abraham Ellis, Tanya Sobol, and various others who were instrumental in the defense and operation of the Beta Site. The former Colonel's mistrust of the refugees ("Earthfall") has clearly gone beyond a mere loss of hope that they'll return, and his utter determination to ensure that they control nothing of this new Earth is clear.
Nearby, Makepeace's radio crackles, and the Colonel picks it up and asks what the latest update is. The person on the other end of the line informs him that they've moved men in to surround the wing of the United Nations complex where the FPE assembly is taking up residence, and they are prepared to go in for the kill. All of the soldiers who would take part in the attack have been armed with Der'kal plasma rifles, and heaps of alien corpses from various raids over the past year have been collected, to be strewn inside the room after the refugee diplomats have been killed. To any observer, the clear conclusion will be that enemy forces still on the planet infiltrated the UN and exacted revenge on the Tau'ri leadership. Makepeace and his resistance men will make a great show of public regret, despairing to have to take over the government themselves, and the people, too tired and desperate from occupation to care anymore, will be convinced. Smiling, he gives the go-ahead.
Back on Heliopolis, Talbot has arrived at the Citadel, walking up the front steps and entering through the main entrance. As soon as she comes into the central rotunda, what could be considered the "welcome room," an older Tok'ra dignitary approaches, asking the human representative to follow him into the secured sections of the facility. He leads her through various hallways until, at length, they arrive in front of the familiar chamber where the Alliance High Council meets to discuss matters of galactic importance. When the body first convened, it consisted of five persons; one Jaffa, one Tok'ra, one Nox, one Hebridanian, and one Tau'ri. But now, it has only three, the latter two having been near-exterminated and conquered, respectively.
Gulping down any last bit of anxiousness, Danielle thanks her guide for the assistance and palms open the door to the Council's deliberation room... and is immediately taken aback as a Venii diplomat ("The Station"/"Sojourn") appears in the portal, his facial feathers ruffling slightly at the surprise person waiting there. The avian makes makes a strange hand gesture which seems to be the equivalent of an "excuse me," then moves around Talbot and departs, allowing her to see the room itself. The large round table that dominates the center of the space still has five chairs, but, as expected, only three of the them are filled; Per'sus, the former Supreme High Councilor of the Tok'ra ("Divide and Conquer"), represents the symbiotic race, apparently having taken up the ambassadorship to the Alliance following his end of term as leader of his people. The Nox are represented by a youngish-looking one of their own, who goes by the name of Nefreyu, one of those who first encountered SG-1 when they visited his world ("The Nox"), now grown. And lastly, the Free Jaffa Nation has sent Ishta, the famed female freedom fighter ("Birthright") to speak for them. All three gaze somewhat cooly at Talbot as she enters and takes her place before them, none of the three having any past experience with her as commander of the ISGC.
Nefreyu is the first to speak, smiling warmly and giving a traditional Nox greeting. He says that while he does not know her personally, he remembers her people speaking quite highly of her to his elders in private when last they came to Velieris ("Blue Zone"). Coloring slightly, Talbot thanks him, but explains that her mission is one of far more than personal interest; she has come to ask what, if any, position the Tau'ri still have in the Alliance. At that, all three alien representatives glance at one another, and Per'sus slowly mutters that the communiqué they received from Earth mentioned nothing of this. Danielle apologizes, but insists that she wanted to broach the subject in person, as she believes it to be one of great sensitivity. After all, Earth was a founding member of the organization itself, therefore should be given the respect befitting it.
Glad to see more of the Venii
This isn't Atlantis?
I don't think so.
If this is not the Lost City…then where is it?
Comment