Continuing Stargate

[Rasunda]

You was missed!

[s09119]

15x15 "Desperate Times"
Synopsis: SG-1 calls on a recovering group of adversaries-turned-allies to assist in the war effort as the Alliance and Aschen meet in their first major engagement.

Spoiler:

In orbit above P6C-922, a group of Aschen battleships, easily identified by their obvious flak cannons and notable design similarities to Conefederation "harvesters," are in full retreat from a battle with an Alliance flotilla consisting mostly of Free Jaffa and Tok'ra ships, though a single Nox cruiser can be seen in the background lending assistance. Obviously, this battle did not go as planned for the traitorous humans, and they are attempting to pull out as quickly as possible, lacing the space behind them with molten metal in an effort to discourage anyone from trying to hit them on the way out. Although it is certainly impressive that such a "peaceful" people could arm for full-scale war so quickly, it is equally clear that the Aschen know very little when it comes to tactical strikes, strategic planning, and other necessities of combat. They know how to build capable starships, but their inexperience with battle is their undoing.

On the command ship for this battle, Administrator Mollem, the longtime orchestrator of many efforts against other galactic races, is, as usual, showing no emotion as he conducts an orderly withdrawal. True to his peoples' trademark, his face is completely expressionless despite the obviously-disadvantageous position he finds himself in. He looks disinterestedly at a nearby hologram displaying the commander of the Alliance fleet pelting his ships, bored of the unending calls for surrender. Mollem coldly tells his crew to enter the coordinates of the nearest Confederation world that isn't under attack into the navigational systems, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. And when, a moment later, the hyperdrive finally engages, he noticeably relaxes.

On Aschae, the largely-urbanized homeworld of the Aschen, the Confederation's leaders are finding themselves increasingly squeezed into a tight spot. With their "allies," the Der'kal, moving the bulk of their forces to the other side of the galactic core to smash through the heavy Alliance defenses there, the Aschen have been left to defend the entire southern portion of the galaxy alone. With their repeated calls to the head of the alien armada for assistance being ever-ignored, they are realizing that perhaps they have cast their lot with the wrong side in this massive conflict, but it is far too late to pull out now, and everyone present realizes that. One of the Confederation leads in the chamber calmly extracts what looks like a flash drive and inserts it into a close-at-hand hologram projector, which immediately begins displaying an image of P6C-922. The officer explains that the fleet guarding the world, commanded by Administrator Mollem, has been forced to retreat, and this opens up a clear invasion corridor for the Alliance into Aschen space. This must be rectified.

Tapping a key on the projector, P6C-922 disappears, to be replaced with another planet; P2X-142, one of the largest refugee camps established by the Alliance thus far in the war. With an estimated migrant population of two billion, it has become home for displaced persons from as far away as Ankgor and Hebridan, and the Jaffa have labored to protect it at all costs. But with the Der'kal moving ever-closer to Heliopolis, the planet's defenses have been greatly diminished of late, and striking at it now would destroy the morale of the enemy while also killing billions of people and the soldiers guarding them. The Alliance's strange sense of morals will not allow for them to simply ignore this, and they will mobilize whatever they can to defend the planet, hopefully drawing off ships moving into the Confederation and forcing a stalemate along their border. At once, the other officials in the chamber agree, and preparations begin for the mass-murder of billions...

Meanwhile, SG-1 is preparing for a critical mission at the ISGC. Also aware that the Alliance's fleet is once-more being spread out far too much, Earth has decided to call on an old set of enemies-turned-allies for a saving grace of sorts. Safely hidden away in their own galaxy, the ex-Ori followers control a significant force of terribly-powerful warships that have just been sitting around since the end of the Ori Crusade ("The Ark of Truth"), and bringing them into the war against the alien armada could be just what they need to win. As the team gears up in the ready room, though, it's clear that not everyone is thrilled about this idea. Vala, for one, believes that they shouldn't be asking so much of the former crusaders when their society is still being put back together, but Mitchell argues that they're simply cashing in on a galactic I.O.U. for all the people that died during the holy war. Either way, it doesn't hurt to ask, and so they're going as soon as their transport finishes its pre-flight run-through.

Pulling on a pair of combat boots, Eaton claps Vala on the shoulder and reminds her that these people have had almost six years to put things together now. Asking for a few of them to man their ships and come help make amends for what they did in the name of the Ori isn't really so morally wrong, is it? And besides, with the technology put into their cruisers, it's not like many of them will probably die. If anything, they'll have nearly zero casualties, so it's a win-win; no losses for them and they get to clear their name to the Milky Way's denizens. But for Vala, they aren't just "these people"; she lived with them for a year, walked among them, and saw the good men and women that they are. They shouldn't need to die in a war that has nothing to do with them, regardless of the power of the weapons they were forced to build and use.

Daniel chimes in that, personal feelings aside, this arguing is a moot point; they have their orders and that's really all there is to it. Surprised at this oddly-matter-of-fact tone, Vala asks where all the galaxy-famous Daniel Jackson compassion has gone, and her teammate replies that right now it hardly matters. Billions have died in the war against the Der'kal, and those numbers just keep climbing everyday. There's no harm in asking Tomin to organize a battle group to come and assist, and that's that.

Finished gearing up, the four of them exit the makeshift ready room and proceed down the hallways to the impromptu gate room, Vala seething the entire way. As they enter the chamber, they find Colonel Taylor dismissing SG-5, recently returned from an offworld exploration, and SG-7 waiting for the portal to dial so they can embark on their own mission. Taylor greets his flagship unit warmly, starting to get used to being on Earth for an extended period of time, and tells them that he wishes them good luck on their assignment, but then, having heard all the stories, he has a feeling that they'll do just fine. Putting a hand to his earpiece, he nods, informing Mitchell that the Phoenix is ready for them. He takes a step back and gives a small wave as an Asgard transporter beam engulfs the team and teleports them into orbit.

On the 304 itself, Colonel Sobol is rising from her command chair to greet SG-1 as they arrive. The bridge of the ship is unchanged, but the crew has been shuffled around a bit since it was last seen, with a few Chinese officers no doubt reassigned from the then-Mao Zedong in part of Samantha Carter's effort to better integrate them. Sobol remarks that the trip to the Supergate will take a few hours, but she's certainly glad that they'll only be in Der'kal space for a short part of it. Since the area surrounding Earth is still in enemy hands, it might be a little dangerous to leave the system, but then, the Phoenix wasn't built to sit around forever. It belongs among the stars, and that's just where it's going. Retaking her seat, she tells the team to make themselves at home, then gives the command to pull out of orbit and depart. The craft fires up its engines and breaks formation with the others nearby, then opens a hyperspace window and disappears.

On Heliopolis, a pair of Serrakin computer analysts are working in the main communications hub, monitoring subspace transmissions coming and going from all across their sector of the galaxy. It's just business as usual, with daily messages flying from peaceful worlds to one another, but suddenly a message flagged as URGENT comes through, and the two alien technicians scan its contents, their eyes widening in shock. Immediately, the one closest to a terminal punches in the communication code for the High Council chamber, shouting that they have a major enemy offensive underway. The target? The refugee world of Talya, designated P2X-142 by the ISGC and home to some two billion displaced civilians.

Roughly an hour later, Talbot is rushing into the temporary ISGC's control room, standing next to Colonel Taylor and watching as a Tok'ra official from Heliopolis arrives, wearing a look of determination and sadness. Danielle and David head downstairs to greet him, and the symbiote asks if they received the transmission sent in advance of him from the Alliance High Council. Talbot nods, saying that it was rushed directly to her office at the United Nations complex, but adds that it was vaguer than intelligence she's used to and asks for a recap. The Tok'ra apologizes, then does his best to fill in the gaps; a single Aschen vessel was spotted scouting the edges of the Talya system shortly before a massive war fleet emerged from hyperspace, beelining for the refugee world and blasting past the pitiful flotilla assigned to protect it. They've attempted to dial in via stargate and send reinforcements, but the portal has been blocked. Subspace messages managing to get offworld indicate that an army of captured beings is being used by the Confederation to occupy the planet, forced to serve the Aschen for fear that their homeworlds will be targeted for biological devastation if they disobey.

Thinking, Taylor asks what the Alliance plans to do about it, and it is here that the Tok'ra pauses. He admits that the High Council is still debating that issue, as they lack a reserve fleet to send. The closest battle group of significant size is currently protecting Dar Eshkalon, and given the hammering it received as the Der'kal attempted to conquer it, they can hardly pull those ships away now. The only option would be to recall vessels engaging the enemy or patrolling and defending crucial areas along the border between the two warring sides, and that could be disastrous with the Der'kal armada so close to Heliopolis as it is. Speaking plainly, he admits that it looks as though they will be forced to let the Aschen destroy the refugee colony, or else they risk taking massive losses elsewhere.

(First part of "Desperate Times," see next few posts for more.)

[s09119]

(More of "Desperate Times," see previous post and next posts for more.)

Spoiler:

Lowering his voice, the Tok'ra says that he has instructions to request Earth's assistance in this matter, as they are the closest planet outside of Dar Eshkalon with a sizeable fleet. If they were to attack the Confederation forces in orbit over P2X-142, Alliance transports could jump in with ground troops and land them in strategic positions around the colony. Combined with pinpoint bombardment from the human vessels, they could liberate the planet and deal a crippling blow to the Aschen military while preserving billions of lives. Frowning, Talbot says that she'll need to discuss the matter in detail with the ship captains, but promises to do what she can to assist those trapped on Talya. Knowing that she will do everything within her power, the Tok'ra ambassador inclines his head and requests that the stargate be redialed for Heliopolis so he may return to his duties. Taylor orders the coordinates locked in, and Danielle tells him to keep things under control here while she calls for an emergency meeting of the heads of the military. Before she leaves, though, David points out that if they send out the fleet, Earth will be defenseless. In response, Talbot only stares back, then slowly turns and departs.

On the Phoenix, everyone is on edge; they're still within Der'kal-controlled space, and should they cross paths with an enemy fleet with an interdictor, they'll be in trouble. Colonel Sobol has ordered the Asgard weapons charged at all times, and has already told her crew to divert as much power as possible to the shields immediately should the hyperdrive show any signs of interdiction effects. In the vessel's mess hall, Vala is sitting at a table beside a window, staring out at the swirling colors of hyperspace while she absently fingers a copy of the Book of Origin that Tomin gave her almost three years ago ("Blue Zone"). Standing in the doorway to the room, Mitchell startles her when he quietly mentions that holy books are best understood when read, not merely touched, and Vala gives a short laugh. She says that after Tomin tried to reason with her about the merits of Origin, she opened the volume and did just that, reading every single line with painstaking attention to detail.

Interested at this rare show of intellectualism, Cameron sits down across from her and asks what she learned. Sucking in a breath, Vala says that she isn't really sure. Having been tortured and beaten at the hands of those who proclaimed Origin to be "the guiding light" of the universe, forcing herself to see it differently has been hard. But she cannot deny that the wisdom and teachings contained within the Book are ones of justice and goodwill. But contrasted with the horrors that the Ori demanded their followers carry out and the pure evil she saw in the hearts of those ascended beings, it's almost enough of a contradiction to cancel out the good altogether.

Drawing on his own faith, Mitchell says that Christianity is a little like that, too. Reading the Bible can instill someone with the strength and belief in a higher purpose to carry on in even the darkest of times, but many terrible things were done in the name of the One True God, most-notably the Crusades that waged across the Holy Land on Earth for two hundred years. Millions of innocents as well as combatants died on both sides all for gods and angels and demons that none of them could ever prove really existed in the first place. But regardless, when it was all over, people returned to their books and their prayers, not because the wars had proven anything, but because through it all, in the chaos and bloodlust and slaughter, it was the omnipresent God that gave those trapped in the living Hell the courage to keep on living, and to them, that was all that really mattered. Rising, he says that faith isn't always right, and it certainly isn't always peaceful, but the one thing it has always done and done well is that it has given people that one extra push they need to survive, and he guesses that for Tomin's people, the wisdom of the Ori, gods or not, is just what they need to keep on striving for something better. Vala watches as he leaves the room, then glances down at the Book in her lap, deep in thought.

Above P2X-142, Mollem is once again at the head of an Aschen fleet, except this time he is victorious. Standing on the bridge of his cruiser, he coordinates his ships as they dispatch the last of the Alliance ha'tak attempting to escape. The massive flak cannons on the Confederation ships are notoriously inelegant compared to the colorful plasma of other races, but they can pack a terrible punch nonetheless, and the combined fire of several in unison are ripping apart the vestiges of the Jaffa ships quite nicely. One of Mollem's crewmembers emotionlessly informs him that a transmission has been intercepted from Heliopolis, and it appears that the Alliance has yet to send reinforcements to engage them, suggesting that they really are too thinly-spread to be able to continue defending targets along the border. This would mean that their assault on P6C-922 less than a day earlier (from the opening of the episode) was a desperate action, not at all one that could be repeated very often.

Gazing down at the planet's surface, covered as it is with refugee camps, Mollem frowns, as it contemplating the mass-murder he is preparing to undertake for no real reason at all. What did Earth really do to his people that they were not planning to do themselves? And are the Der'kal not just as much a threat to Aschae as they are to Heliopolis? But then the old look of determination returns, and he callously orders the army arriving through the stargate to begin the executions at will. All these thousands of people they have forced into servitude thus far will earn their lives or die, and after a few more assaults such as this, they will be hardened into a fighting force fully capable of going up against the trained armies of the Jaffa or Tau'ri with ease. And when it is all over, the Der'kal will find themselves alone with the Aschen, and then their time, too, will come.

At the United Nations, Dr. Talbot is discussing the crisis unfolding on P2X-142 with the various captains of the human fleet, minus Colonel Sobol, who is obviously away with the Phoenix. Assembled in the otherwise-empty General Assembly hall are the seven other Colonels, all of whom listen somewhat-apprehensively to Danielle's proposal to strike at the Aschen forces and liberate the refugee colony. Although they all want to help, none of them are certain if they should leave their own homeworld open to coutnerattack in the process. Leaning against a delegate's booth, Colonel Carter remarks that while she was more-than-willing to go on such missions when all that was at stake was herself and her crew, this is completely different. They're still trying to ferret out Der'kal all over the planet, and there are billions of people on Earth, a far cry from the mere 10,000 at the Beta Site. If someone were to come attack while they were away, it would really be the end of the Tau'ri.

Colonel Ellis crosses his arms, saying that while he doesn't approve of needlessly taking risks like this... Talbot is right. They learned the hard way what isolation gets you when it comes to the Der'kal, and it wasn't good for anyone in the long run. They may not have their Ancient defenses, their planetary satellite grid, or even their modified ion cannons anymore, but they have the good name of the Tau'ri and the courage and tenacity that made them known as the ones who would always stand up and fight when no one else would. They have an obligation not just to their allies, but to all those who died in the early years of Stargate Command to ensure that legacy. Giving him an appraising look, and perhaps reevaluating the often-hostile commander, Carter nods, agreeing with his sentiment and saying that she's siding with Talbot on this one. The fleet will depart within the hour for Talya, and whatever happens, happens.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix has successfully navigated its way to the Supergate, and it drops out of hyperspace in front of the gargantuan circle, still surrounded by floating debris from the opening battle of the Ori Crusade ("Camelot"). Checking the mission clock as SG-1 enters, Colonel Sobol remarks that their guests are expected to dial in any minute now, as worked out by ex-Ori and Tau'ri agents a few days before. Vala still looks a little unsure of this whole thing, but Daniel, Cameron, and Rebbecca all seem to be genuinely in anticipation of this meeting; after all, it's been almost three years since they last had a real face-to-face meeting with representatives from the Ori galaxy, and who knows what might have changed since then?

Outside, the frame of the massive spacegate begins to light up, indicating that a traveler is inbound. As always, those present for the first disastrous confrontation with the Ori followers tense reflexively, remembering the bloodbath that followed the first activation of the Supergate. But when the event horizon forms, there is no stream of warships Hell-bent on conquest that arrive, and there is no need to fear death at the hands of followers of insane ascended beings. After a moment, one of the well-remembered Ori motherships slowly glides through, dwarfing the Phoenix as it eases its way closer to the human vessel. Tapping her headset, Colonel Sobol welcomes the craft to Alliance space, passing on greetings from Danielle Talbot and the leaders of the Tau'ri people. The ex-Ori officer on the other end says that their representative is about to ring over to open talks, and cuts the transmission. Somewhat taken aback at the abruptness, Sobol tells SG-1 to go down and meet their visitor in the ring room, then orders her communications officer to relay a message back to Earth informing them that they've made contact.

As they make their way to the transport chamber, Vala begins to wring her hands, muttering that maybe she shouldn't have come along. Mitchell replies that there's a good chance that Tomin isn't the person sent to talk to them at all, but Daniel points out that he's essentially the leader of an entire galaxy, not to mention the husband, estranged though he is, of one of the people doubtless sent to negotiate. The odds are fairly good that he'll be here, and as SG-1 enters the ring room, they do indeed see that the man who has ringed over to speak with them is Tomin. He looks tired, and years of trying to untie a people not sure what their place is have aged him. Nevertheless, he retains the rugged handsomeness and sureness of spirit that so encapsulated him when he first ran across "the woman who fell from the sky," and he looks to be just as determined to repay the Milky Way for what he did for the Ori as ever.

As he turns to greet his hosts, he catches sight of Vala, who looks just as youthful, if not moreso, as she did years before, and he catches his breath despite himself. Not fully aware of their past history, Eaton leans close to Mitchell and asks what's up, to which her CO hurriedly sums up the state of affairs between the two. When he finishes, Jackson pulls on the arms of the two soldiers, saying that perhaps they should let Vala handle this for now. Cameron begins to protest that she's against the idea in the first place, but Daniel just shoves him and Rebbecca from the room, then follows himself, hitting the button to close the doors behind him.

[s09119]

(More of "Desperate Times," see previous posts and next post for more.)

Spoiler:

On the surface of Talya/P2X-142, the Aschen's army of captured slaves have commenced with their massacre, marching in a massive line into the refugee colony and opening fire, blasting apart everything in sight row by row. The huddled masses of sentients try and flee, but hundreds are gunned down, unable to resist. It would certainly be easier to just blast the entire surface from orbit, but the Confederation is counting on the images of Jaffa killing Jaffa and human disemboweling human to sicken and demoralize the Alliance, and just watching a few seconds of it is certainly sickening enough. When vids of this are broadcast all over Chulak, people will be horrified beyond belief; this time, they themselves are the enemy.

In orbit, Mollem has yet to take his eyes of the now-burning surface, intent on absorbing every aspect of the unfolding waves of death. Suddenly, though, he is forced to look away when one of his subordinates cautiously reports that they're picking up sensor readings that look like hyperspace windows. Confident as ever, Mollem replies that that's not possible; they're not expecting anymore help, and they know for a fact that the Alliance is not coming to these refugees' rescue. But sure enough, when he looks back out the window, he sees the windows forming, and his expression shifts from one of utter sureness to one of shock at the sight of a small fleet of Earth vessels, two of which are far larger than any he's seen before. On the bridge of the MBP-305 Jupiter, Samantha Carter allows herself a rare grin, cherishing this moment. Tapping her radio, she kindly informs Mollem that she's here to kick his ever-annoying behind from here to Aschae, then orders a full-strength barrage with everything they've got on the Confederation forces. As blue plasma, bullets, and missiles begin blasting out, Carter shakes her head, smiling ever-so-slightly to herself; it really is great to be back.

On the Phoenix, Vala and Tomin have been staring at one another for a few minutes now, not saying much of anything. Slowly, Tomin walks over and reaches out as if to embrace his one-time lover, but pauses before actually wrapping his arms around her. He asks if it's alright for him to do that, given how she said she felt about things the last time they were together, in almost this same position. Vala replies that she's had a long time to think about it, but so much has happened over the past year that she hardly knows where she belongs, let alone where she stands with him. The world that became her adopted home was blasted into ruins, her surrogate family was scattered across the galaxy, and she found herself once more running guns and slipping past blockades. How can she commit to anything when at any time something else could come and tear it all apart again?

At first, Tomin doesn't answer. But then he notices the Book of Origin in Vala's hands, and he quietly asks if he can see the faded volume. When she hands it over, he flips through the pages to one passage in particular, and adds that after the Crusade was finished, his peoples' scholars heard a new tale, and inserted it on this page. It reads that there was once a pious man who came to doubt his faith, and a beautiful woman fell from the heavens, a gift from the Ori, perhaps, as if to answer his prayers. The two fell in love and married, though the woman was looked upon with great suspicion and mistrust by all the others, who believed her not to be of the Ori but the terrible Alterans, the evil demons who haunted their past. When war came to the people, the man was forced to lead soldiers in battle against servants of those demons, and he realizes that this beauty of his had been one of them all along, and loved them far more than he. For three two long years he tormented himself as his beloved joined the demon-followers and fought against him and the blessed Ori. But slowly, the woman in turn revealed a truth of her own; the Ori were not gods, but demons in their own right, using the man's people for their own selfish gains. With the wisdom of the wise woman and the strength of the pious man, the people overthrew their false gods and established a new era of peace and knowledge, one which no deity, right nor wrong, could destroy.

Unsure of how to respond, Vala stares at Tomin, understanding that she is the woman of the story and he the man. Still speaking softly, Tomin goes on to say that he had no part in any of this; people who heard of or saw his struggle to justify his actions and those who heard of or saw Vala herself pieced together the story and submitted it for canonization by what remained of the Priorhood on Celestis. It was universally accepted and written in, and though no names are ever given to the two characters, they have become symbols of newfound freedom to the people of the Ori galaxy. Taking Vala's hands in his, Tomin says that he would like to try one more time to win her back, so that, at the very least, their story can have an ending that is happy for themselves, not just all those around them. Forcing herself to look away, Vala mutters that this isn't the time for this. She explains that they came to discuss having the ex-Ori followers help in the war against the Der'kal, but Tomin hardly blinks. Still looking into Vala's eyes, he says that as long as it keeps him here with her for a few more hours, he'll gladly talk it over with the others. Handing back the copy of the Book of Origin, he goes to speak with the rest of the team.

Over P2X-142, the Confederation fleet is being devastated by the powerful weapons on the human ships. Finding that their more-primitive cannons are not nearly as effective against the cutting-edge Asgard shields as they are against the upgraded force fields of Free Jaffa ha'tak, the Aschen are being ripped apart, caught offguard and unprepared. For his part, Mollem is showing real anger, tired of being bested by SG-1 time and again. Unable to believe he has been in this position twice so soon, he orders his ships to prepare to retreat. Just before he gives the destination, though, his communications officer reports that they've intercepted another transmission. And as Mollem reads the communiqué, he smiles gleefully, ordering a new course to be set for all their ships at maximum speed and a message relayed to the Der'kal. They're about to be very pleased with him.

At the Supergate, SG-1 and Tomin have spent almost two hours going over the finer points of their request, and an agreement has finally been hammered out; the ex-Ori followers will prepare a modest war fleet and enter the conflict against the Der'kal on the side of the Alliance. They will coordinate with Heliopolis and assist in any and all missions requested of them, provided they are within reason. Thrilled at how this turned out, Mitchell leans back in his chair and says that this is the best day he's had in a while. Daniel nods, saying that despite his reservations, this looks like it really could turn things around for the better. The group stands and shakes hands all around, and Tomin announces that he should be getting back to his ship so he can break the news to his advisory council back on Celestis. Mitchell, Eaton, and Daniel leave the conference room they were talking in, respectfully giving the two others a last chance to talk. Outside, the Supergate can be seen dialing up as Tomin's crew prepares their ship for departure.

Tomin starts to say something, but Vala cuts him off, staring out into space at the activating Supergate. Then she sees something new, and her eyes widen as she shouts that something's happening. And indeed, through the window, a group of hyperspace windows can be seen opening, and suddenly, unbelievably, the Aschen fleet from P2X-142 appears, firing on the Ori mothership immediately. At the same time, more windows open on the opposite side of the area, and a group of Der'kal cruisers emerge, immediately targeting the two Allied ships floating directly in front of them. As plasma slams into the Phoenix's shields, Vala asks what's going on, but no one seems to know. Somehow the Aschen and Der'kal figured out that they were meeting at the Supergate, and they bypassed the Alliance forces in the surrounding sectors completely, beelining straight here. They have to have known how vital this was.

On the bridge, Colonel Sobol is doing her best to take evasive action and fight back, but with so many targets it's almost impossible to be strategic. The shields are taking a severe beating, but the Ori ship is doing a fantastic job; it's main gun is shredding Aschen vessels left and right as it turns to face the far-more-dangerous Der'kal. Downstairs, Tomin grabs Vala and says that he needs to go command his people, turning for the exit. But then he stops himself, turns back, and kisses her, closing his eyes and gripping her tightly. Caught in the moment, Vala kisses back, and when Tomin steps away again, he takes her breath with her. With a promise to come back and finish what they started today, Tomin smiles at her just as he did when they first met and dashes off for the ring room, determined to fend off these aliens. With nothing else to do, Vala recovers her composure and heads off to find the rest of her team.

The Der'kal ships continue to hammer at the Ori vessel as a ring transmission appears between it and the Phoenix—Tomin heading back—but their attacks don't seem to be having much of an effect on the equally-extragalactic warship. In return, it lets loose with its main gun, which slams the Der'kal shields with its signature beams of white plasma. One hit, two hits, three hits are all absorbed, but a fourth finally shatters the shield of one of the alien cruisers, and a follow-up blast rips a gaping hole through its center, causing a massive explosion that rips apart nearby decks. If just one Ori ship can dispatch the enemy's most-common attack ships, this war could be over far more quickly than anyone thought with a whole fleet of them!

But on the bridge of the lead Der'kal ship, the alien commander looks far too confident of things, even having just seen one of his craft torn apart. Turning to his weapons officer, he orders the "surprises" beamed into position, revealing that this is one of the Milky Way-built advanced cruisers the Der'kal have at their disposal, incorporating stolen beaming technology. And a moment later, small, barely-human-sized devices begin transporting in between the numerous links of the Supergate. At first, no one really noticies due to the battle raging, but it only takes the Phoenix's sensors a few seconds to register the very-obvious presence of many extraordinarily-powerful thermonuclear devices.

Confused as to why nukes are suddenly appearing near the Supergate, Colonel Sobol doesn't immediately see the significance, but Daniel does; when they needed to cut off the Ori's reinforcements during the Crusade, Samantha Carter devised a plan to place nukes all around the fame of the portal. That way, when it was dialed, the energy curtain that connects all the links would trigger the bombs and destroy the entire thing. It looks as though the Der'kal are planning to do the same thing, and if they do, that would prevent Tomin from ever returning home. Watching as more and more of the explosives are put into position, Eaton asks why the Ori ship isn't leaving while it still can, and Daniel glances at Vala, realizing the one thing that would keep Tomin from pulling out now.

[s09119]

(End of "Desperate Times," see next few posts for more.)

Spoiler:

Knowing that herself, Vala rushes to the communications terminal and hails the ship, watching as the image of Tomin flickers to life on the screen in front of her. She shouts for him to get through the event horizon now before it's too late, but he can't bring himself to do it; he remembers Samantha's plan, too, and he knows that if it goes through, he'll never see Vala again. Desperate, Vala argues that Tomin is the leader behind whom his people are rallying, and without him it may very well all fall apart. One for a trillion is illogical in every sense, and she's simply not worth the pain and chaos that would come to his people were he to vanish. Seeing that he still won't move, Vala finally manages to choke out an admission that she does love him, and that she always will, to which Tomin replies that he knows... and now that he's heard it, he believes he has the strength to let her go.

Blasting through one last Der'kal cruiser, the Ori mothership turns and begins to enter the event horizon of the Supergate, plasma and white-hot metal pelting at its shields as it does so. And up to the instant where its bridge is dematerialized, Tomin stares out of the Phoenix's viewscreen at his soon-to-be-forever-lost wife, a lone tear in his eye for the life they might have known, had fate not ripped them apart so often. Just before the image fizzles out, though, Vala moves as if to call him back, to tell him not to go after all, but manages to keep her mouth shut and her spirit strong, fighting back the emotion when the Supergate disengages its wormhole...

...and then explodes as the Der'kal bombs detonate, vaporizing the links of the massive structure in an instant. The bridge crew is blinded momentarily by the intense burst, and the sensors register a release of energy rivaling a few dozen Mark IV nukes of Earth's own. Clearly, the alien menace hasn't slacked in their thermonuclear research over the centuries. With their mission negated and nothing but enemy ships left here, Colonel Sobol orders the coordinates for Earth punched in, and the 304 jumps into hyperspace for home.

Back at the ISGC, SG-1 is being debriefed, minus Vala, by Colonels Carter and Taylor. Sam explains that the Aschen seem to have intercepted the Phoenix's acknowledgement that negotiations to have the ex-Ori followers join the war on the side of the Alliance had begun at the Supergate, and backtracked the message to find the portal, alerting the Der'kal in the process. It's a stunning loss, particularly since they have no idea where the Ori galaxy is located, but at the very least, the retaking of P2X-142 was successful, and a Jaffa contingent was successfully able to round up the Confederation's slave army, promising to return them to their homeworlds as soon as possible. Satisfied, Taylor asks where the final member of the team went, and a somber Daniel explains that she took a personal leave to collect herself.

Blocks away, Vala is standing on the top of what is left of the Empire State Building, the tallest thing in the city at the moment, staring up at the stars of the night sky, trying to figure out which one marks the home of the man she realized she loved too late to make it count.

[s09119]

Funny, it seems like each season I get more and more detailed about what I write, taking longer (and more room) to describe scenes that only take three or four minutes than I should xD Apparently I need to learn how to write more succinctly again!

[Lt. Col. Mcoy]

Hmm. Nice, but sad.

Spoiler:

The only thing I disliked was the rather, if I do say so, flippant remark about religion. Apt to lead to misconstrued conceptions of history as well.

[ohnd]

amazing, just amazing, and as always the Ori ship powerful as ever.

[s09119]

Hmm. Nice, but sad.

Spoiler:

The only thing I disliked was the rather, if I do say so, flippant remark about religion. Apt to lead to misconstrued conceptions of history as well.

It's a valid point, though. Terrible things have been done in the name of religion, but as Mitchell pointed out, it does have its fair share of good, too. His argument was that you can't throw all the blame on the ex-Ori followers for what they did for their gods, but it does help to understand why they did it and why so many others would do the same.

[Dark lord me]

Couldnt they just send a new Supergate through. They still haver the priors who could dial the gate and send through the mini blocks

[Jeffala]

Well the ancient hyperdrive in thoose days maybe was about 2x faster then a Goa'uld hyperdrive.

Based on what information?

[janus 510]

excellent episode too bad the supergate was destroyed,looking forward to next episode

[EvilSpaceAlien]

Great episode

[Commander Thor]

yes. i ahve a felling the Ori will do that. preferably using the whole shields over a planet thing. do it to a massivly defended der'kal world and they would be crappin them selves. then lil blocks start flying up destroying their ships. oooh that would be funny to watch.

[Sector]

yes. i ahve a felling the Ori will do that. preferably using the whole shields over a planet thing. do it to a massivly defended der'kal world and they would be crappin them selves. then lil blocks start flying up destroying their ships. oooh that would be funny to watch.

Not such a bad idea, there's no reason to believe the machinery/generators for these constructs has been destroyed, and there are still priors left now...

On the flipside:

I quite liked the episode, lots of variety and action! Everyone seems to think this was a huge loss, and I guess that it was in a way, because the Ori followers could've pummeled the Der'kal into oblivion (it seems reasonable to assume from the battle in the episode that the Asgard beams we have are just extremely effective against Ori shields, and that the Der'kal have a much harder time with them). But... the Der'kal took a beating at the supergate, and the Asschen got their asses severely whooped over the refugee planet. Which means that in the next push into Asschen territory, the chances of failure are slim at worst.