Chapter 205 - 204

Midway Station

Twenty hours earlier, the Athena class vessels Perseus, Atlas, and Reprisal had exited hyperspace. In tow with them and safeguarded by each vessels powerful defensive shield, the three vessels carried with them the makings of a new facility. Constructed within Arkos, the three station sections would form a structure identical to a capital letter H when interlocked. On release from the towing vessels, an automated set up protocol had initiated.

The outer legs of the 'H' were nine hundred meters in length, and one hundred meters in height. Comprised of a bottommost flight level, this deck was designed to house, launch, and recover F-302's for defense, as well as Puddle Jumpers in the event one was needed. Levels above this contained crew and quest quarters, automated medical fixtures, and a bevy of other necessary systems. The center section of this largest of letter shaped structures measured four hundred meters in length, and again one hundred meters in height.

On the uppermost level of the center section sat the area meant for both gates required for the link to the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies gate networks. The control center, power generation, and other vital systems rested below. Unlike the outer legs, the center section lacked the docking facilities found on the outer legs. These docking ports would allow in the future docking between four and six Athena and Daedalus class vessels at one time.

Along the outer skin on the upper and lower station, every fifty meters sat Destiny style anti fighter energy weapon turrets. Top and bottom of the center section sat single turrets of a different type. These were equipped with dual Asgard plasma beam arrays. Protecting Midway from now on was a conformal shield array originally designed by the Ancients for use on the Aurora class of vessels.

In the nerve center of Midway sat Colonel Telford and Doctor Kavanaugh. Any change from the day-to-day tasks in this outpost between two galaxies was welcome, if not hoped for. For the first time in weeks, the two men actually engaged in conversation.

"Finally getting some new digs." Telford said dryly.

"That's not all we're getting." Kavanaugh hinted.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Telford demanded.

"You mean you don't know?" Kavanaugh asked in disbelief.

"Let's pretend I don't. Explain. Now. That's an order." Telford hissed.

"We've been assigned a third member to join us in exile." Kavanaugh stated.

At that moment, Doctor Jay Felger entered the command center, with his customary goofy grin in full attendance.

"Colonel! I'm here with your orders." Felger began.

"Orders? What orders?" Telford demanded in an annoyed tone.

"The ones giving you command of the new city ship being built." Felger replied.

"Finally someone saw the light! I knew General O'Neill wouldn't just leave me here to rot." Telford said while cracking his first smile in weeks.

"Yeah right! We are only here because they do not have a worse place to send us. That's funny, you thought I was series." Felger laughed.

"Get away from me Felger. That means now." Telford ordered before quickly exiting the room.

Emotions churning like a hurricane, Telford stormed down the passageway. Despite the upgrade in surroundings, it still felt like a career ending jail cell. Albeit, a cell with a nicer coat of paint.

"Worst comes to worst, I'll toss them both out an airlock." Telford muttered to himself.

Mars

Rarely did the military or the United States government do anything with any speed. This was one of those ultra rare situations. Seven days after Elizabeth Weir had been notified of the President's decision to provide a home world for the human form replicators, things began to happen. The Aurora class vessel Frazier had been dispatched from Arkos. In her magazines, she carried the exogenesis device.

Once released, this device unleashed an incredible number of highly energetic nanites into the upper atmosphere. Drifting around the lifeless world, these nanites found their way to ground level in a matter of hours. Once on the ground, the process of conversion, molecular restructuring, and heat generation began to take place. Above ground and subterranean ice caps melted, seas took shape, and hundreds of millions of tons of once frozen carbon dioxide was released. This last release allowed an atmosphere to take hold.

The first of the human form replicators created after the resurrection of their kind had been transported to the planet from Earth once terraforming was complete. As new replicators were created for duties on Earth, an equal number of those already on the Tauri home world were transferred to Mars. Already numbering several thousand, these human form replicators were hard at work on the creation of their new home world. Repeated arrivals of material delivery vessels from the Ancient mining world provided the necessary raw material. On arrival, this material was either put to immediate use, or staged in an area where it would be required soon.

Similar to Shambhala and Asuras before it, similarities in Ancient architectural style and aesthetic were clear to see. In the center of the city taking shape sat a massive sapphire colored dome, called the Temple of Essence. Here, new human form replicators would be created when the required systems were brought online. Also in the Temple, sat the replicator core, where the master program regulating the race was stored. Despite the progress already made, much remained to be done before the capital was complete.

The chosen name bestowed on their new capital city was similar to the other Ancient styles mega city across the galaxy, Devaputra.