4: Thundergate
by Chaos_eternus
The two ships dropped with a flash of light out of hyper into the Alpha Centauri system to find a lone warship already accelerating, weapons armed towards them. That had been expected, but what did seem odd was the identity of the warship in question.
With a frown, Penhall started to reach for the radio, wondering why a Prometheus was here and not the promised Dauntless prototype.
“USS Persephone to Goa'uld vessels, you are trespassing in a Tau'ri controlled system, surrender immediately or we will engage you.”
“Major Penhall, SG-2 responding, these two vessels are allied.”
“Authenticate Lima-Alpha-Sierra-four-Tango”
Penhall cursed, naturally they would chose an obscure code, he struggled for a moment to recall the appropriate countersign,
“Bravo-Hotel-Tango- err… Five-Foxtrot.”
“Roger that Colonel, we have been expecting you, what's your status?”
“Loaded to the gills with refugees, Jaffa and Tollen, we request immediate medical assistance.”
“Roger” came the startled reply, “did you say Tollen ?”
“They were on our route back; we have 78 survivors in need of priority medical assistance.”
“Roger that, an infirmary has been set up planet side, you'll have to send them there, the surviving RSS and SGC medical facilities in the Sol system have topped out”
Penhall stiffened, as if shot between the legs, “Did you say surviving ?”
“Roger, 5 hours ago a major Goa'uld incursion was repulsed with massive loss of life, all starfighter squadrons are combat ineffective, RSS Dauntless is gone, Iwo Jima is crippled, Eisenhower damaged, Thundersdawn is offline and the list is still getting longer, we're got our ears stuck right to the radios here and we'll let you know as more info comes through.”
Penhall looked with shocked eyes at his fellow SG team-members, this was not the welcome home they wanted, or expected. Enerina took the radio from Penhalls nerveless fingers, and flicked it on, carefully following Penhalls movements with the equipment;
“This is Enerina, we have a sarcophagus aboard, do you require it in the Sol system?”
“Negative, Sol system currently using a ‘shoot on sight' policy, it is inadvisable to attempt entry.”
Penhall shook himself back to the present, and turned to Enerina, “We had best get the Tollan planet side, and then…” Penhall sighed, “And then they will have one hell of a decision to make.”
Narim was happy, for the moment at least. For the first time in a year he, and his people were properly fed, the Tau'ri were treating them for numerous infections and injuries and whilst their methods were primitive in comparison to what the Tollan were used to, they would be enough to ensure their survival. Three individuals had been placed in Enerina's sarcophagus, having been critically malnourished, but thankfully no others were ill enough to require that. The Tollen knew all too well the effects of the sarcophagus and were eager to avoid the device if possible.
Now Penhall wished to speak with him on a critical matter. Narim half-smiled, well at least it wouldn't be an exchange of technologies he wanted for they had none left to share.
“Narim, I am told you are the senior surviving Tollen?”
“I am the only surviving Tollen who was directly involved with the government, yes” Narim replied, his hands resting in his lap, his face haggard and lean and permanently etched with a haunted expression.
“What do your people wish to do now?”
“Excuse me?”
“You cannot go to Tollana, or New Tollana, you have lost your technology base, there are only 78 of you left, and you will need help to rebuild.
We can, if you want, arrange contact with the Asgard or the Nox, both of whom are advanced enough for your technology sharing rules not to be an issue, and the Nox have already shown they are willing to help you if asked.
The Asgard have the technology to ensure your small surviving gene pool shouldn't be an issue, but have been weakened by the replicators, skirmishes with Anubis and their own internal genetic problems, something you might have the knowledge, if not the technology any more to help with.
You could decide to set-up on your own, we know of numerous worlds that are available for colonisation, but you have been a technological society for so long that you will undoubtedly have problems with the skills required. Farming, basic metallurgy, woodworking for example.
Your final option is to work with us, we, the RSS and the SGC will do our best to ensure your safety, I have been authorised to offer you a continent on this planet for you to colonise and expand across, and we will help you as much as we can. We may not be as advanced as you are used to but we can teach you the basic skills with few problems. The only caveat is you will be required to help us adapt Goa'uld technologies for our own use.
The decision is yours, and you have a month before the Doctors are likely to clear all of you to leave”