Chapter 29

Wraith Hive

The Wraith fleet had begun to gather weeks before. Many sh.i.p.s were still due to arrive after their culling, but many were also present. The combined armies of the assorted queens numbered into the hundreds of thousands. The number would have been higher were it not for the humans and their new advanced beam weapons. As they had defeated the Lantean's the Wraith intended to defeat their current enemy; overwhelming numbers in the face of superior technology. But first they had the betrayer to deal with.

"The betrayer still gathers followers. He is a commander of some skill though. Before we proceed to eliminate him and these vermin he calls hybrids we must be prepared. All sh.i.p.s will devote all spare power to hull and systems regeneration. I demand not victory against the betrayer but an overwhelming defeat." demanded the Wraith Queen known as The First.

The assembled lower ranking Wraith queens and commanders bowed their heads in obedience to The First's wishes. It would be so because she commanded it. Several of the commanders present currently lacking a queen silently thought of their exit strategy from this situation, while blocking their thoughts from the assembled Wraith. In a very un-wraith like move, many in the throne room had their own concerns about the war to come. The betrayer was one of the oldest remaining of their kind, and vastly adaptable to any situation. The Wraith ego was often an unshakable thing, but Todd's history among the Wraith had done just that.

Those considering defection to Todd's faction in this fight knew nothing of the presence of others that shared their thoughts in the fleet. To think the thought aloud was a death sentence and each of them knew it. Quietly darts had been sent from nine hive sh.i.p.s to discuss their defection with Todd. In all cases they had been invited to join him.

Still unaware in her egomaniacal rant, The First's power over her people was beginning to slip. For the first time fear was their main driving factor in what they did instead of hunger. Politics within Wraith culture were a slippery slope during the best of times. In these times of change the political atmosphere was one of placation and underlying fear.

November Site

In orbit of the joint Tauri/Asgard moon base were four O'Neill class sh.i.p.s. These were the newest in the Asgard Fleet. Their destination was one they had not seen in many generations. These sh.i.p.s were directed to proceed to Atlantis. While there they would assist the Tauri fleet if needed, but their mission had other aims. These vessels were to track down and apprehend the Vanir for their crimes against the human populations in two galaxies. The Asgard High Council ordered that the Vanir stand in judgment before them.

Their secondary mission was to make contact with the one known as Todd. The Council of the Five Races was looking with an eye towards the future in this endeavor. A Wraith free Pegasus galaxy was in everyone's interests, as was a hybrid free galaxy.

The four Asgard ship commanders had been chosen by Thor with great care. These commanders had excelled in skirmishes against the Goa'uld over the generations. It was thought that their eons of protecting human populated worlds from oppression would trump the fact that they were being ordered to hunt down their own kind.

Nimbly the four O'Neill class vessels maneuvered away from the November Site. A short distance later, hyperspace windows opened and they were gone.

Hammond

The Daedalus class vessel had been in orbit of the Genii home world for several hours. Her mission was simple; minimize the potential for the release of Genii nuclear weapons. The Asgard designed sensors had been calibrated to search out all fissionable material. Although two hours remained before a complete planetary scan would be complete, several hot spots had already been pinpointed.

"Ma'am, initial sensor sweeps have pinpointed four material separation areas below ground in addition to two breeder reactors. The smaller points listed are believed to be the physics packages on complete or soon to be completed nuclear weapons." said the sensor analyst, pointing to the visual display of the readings.

"Proceed with the DHD lockout. No sense in letting them run." ordered Colonel Samantha Carter.

On the planet below the stargates dialing device received what it interpreted as a cognitive update to its dialing program. The signal received activated a subroutine that had been written by Colonel Carter. While in effect, this subroutine would prevent any dialing out of the gate.

"I confirm the lockout has taken effect Ma'am." said the helmsman.

"We'll do this in two phases. First lock on to the weapons and any stored nuclear material. Beaming point is on the surface of their moon. Phase two, we'll beam out the centrifuge's, reactors, and any piping or heavy water supplies to the same location as phase one. Commence beaming when ready." ordered Carter.

On the planet below in bunkers built generations before, brilliant white flashes of light materialized and left only emptiness in their wake. The work of the Genii nuclear weapons program vanished in less than forty seconds total time.

Several hundred thousand miles distant on the surface of the outer most moon, thousands of pounds of equipment, two completed nuclear weapons, and one partially completed weapon were deposited. In the lifeless void of the moon no need for concern over the radiation spewing forth was necessary.

"Lock onto the beaming destination and give me four five second sustained volleys of the Asgard beam weapons." ordered Carter.

The unimaginably hot white beams of superheated plasma leaped from the Hammond. Striking their targets all matter was reduced to molecules long before even the third shot was fired. Genii nuclear ambitions were brought to an end that simply.

Jumping to hyperspace the crew of the Hammond congratulated themselves on a bloodless victory. Their only hope was that no weapons had been removed from the planet before this step had been taken.