Chapter 224

Manaria

Two thousand years before, the agrarian world of Manaria was a member of the then powerful Genii Confederation. Wraith efforts to first bring the Confederation to its knees, and then wipe it from existence, had extended to this world. Though agrarian in nature at that time, Manaria had not been without scientific minds. Two millennia later, Manaria was a shadow of its former self.

Despite that tragic history, this world had remained covertly allied to the Genii. That fact was unknown to the Atlantis expedition in their first year within the Pegasus galaxy. Later, that fact was brought home in the most certain of terms. Seeking shelter for expedition members from a hurricane like super storm on Lantea, Sheppard and Aiden Ford had traveled to Manaria. Reaching out to Smeardon, leader of the Manarian's, an accord was reached. Unknown to the expedition, Smeardon then contacted Cowan of the Genii, informing him that Atlantis was ripe for assault and open to strike.

As everyone knows, history is cyclical in nature. This lesson was once again playing itself out on a global scale. The Wraith had once again returned to Manaria. Several hundred kilometers above, a small Wraith fleet sat. Two Hives, and six cruisers minutes before had let loose an armada of Darts. These small craft quickly sped towards the ground below. As they traversed from space flight to atmospheric flight, the much larger warsh.i.p.s pounded the Manarian landscape with energetic weapons fire.

Meant to instill panic in the population below, this weapons fire was directed first at large buildings. As stone masonry shattered from the assault, fires sprang up. These fires spread viciously through the wood framed structures scattered throughout the settlements of Manaria. Panic was the result. Men, women, and children ran towards the fields surrounding the settlements. Further weapons fire from high above set ablaze these fields as well.

Screams reverberated through the air, as smoke billowed, and flames licked at buildings not yet engulfed. Those first out of the growing pyres that had been their homes counted themselves lucky to be alive. Lungs burned and legs ached from the sprint for their lives. As each of their feet pounded into the dirt paths carrying them away from the settlements, they began to believe that they would survive.

At that moment, the first of the Darts screamed overhead. Those not swift of foot were immediately caught in culling beams flashing past them. Above the inferno that would have been this growing seasons crop, formation after formation of Darts screeched past. Each pass reduced the numbers of those running. Unknown to the Manarian's, their life signs were being tracked from one of the Hives in orbit.

From one end of each burning settlement to the other, the Darts removed all human live. Running through the streets amidst fully aflame structures brought no salvation. Inside these structures, those unconscious from smoke inhalation were also detected and culled. No Manarian would be spared. The Harbinger had been very clear on that. Manaria was to be stripped of all human life.

Unusually, the Wraith were deviating from standard operating procedure during a culling. The gate, three kilometers outside of the Manarian capital, was not active. Normally, this was done to prevent any escape from Wraith forces. Free from orbital bombardment and Dart over flight, it was here that a group of two hundred men and women waited.

One of their number stood before the DHD. In sequence, he dialed the little known gate address of Atlantis. As his right hand input the seventh symbol, his left hand hit the center dial button. A handful of seconds later the gate activated. As the unstable vortex settled into a shimmering puddle, the mans eyes were fixated on the event horizon. From the waistband of his trousers, he removes a radio communications device of Genii origin, similar to those found on Earth.

Lifting the device to his face, Cato presses a side button and activates the communicator. Unsure of just who might answer his call, he readies himself for any eventuality.

"Help us." Cato pleads frantically.

"Please identify yourself." A nameless voice says in reply.

"I am Cato. Manaria is under siege from the Wraith. Deliver us to safety!" Cato bellows.

"Cato, I need you to calm down. You can call me Amelia. Is this attack a culling?" Amelia asks calmly.

"Yes! Everywhere people are being stolen away. We are all that is left!" Cato replies frantically.

"Understood. How many survivors are with you Cato?" Amelia asks.

"Two hundred of us are all that remains. Will you help us?" Cato demands.

"Cato, I have to ask these questions so I can determine the best way to help you. Are the Wraith currently near the gate?" Amelia asks patiently.

"No, their flying machines are over what is left of the settlements. If you don't help us quickly, we will be discovered." Cato pleads.

"Ok Cato, let me make sure I've got all the facts. You are with a group of two hundred survivors, and the Wraith are currently nowhere near the gate. Is that correct?" Amelia asked.

"Yes! Now help us! Deliver us to safety!" Cato nearly screamed.

"Cato, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Take your people and stay together. Remain hidden. I need to relay this information to those above me. The faster I do that, the faster I can get help to you. When help is on the way, you will receive a radio call. Keep your people safe for now." Amelia said.

As Cato did not reply to this last set of instructions, no radio signals were flowing through the open wormhole. That caused the gate to shut down. Tremors coursed through the ground from weapons impacts in the distance. Acrid aromas of charred settlements and crops filled the nostrils of those waiting near the gate. In the distance, the sounds of Darts tearing through the skies could be heard.

Among weeds and scrub brush, the two hundred humans waited. Hearts thundered in their chests, and mouths went dry from tension. When would those from Atlantis arrive? At the ten-minute mark, they began to wonder if those from Atlantis had chosen not to come to their aide. By the fifteen-minute mark, those thoughts turned into anger. As the twentieth minute ticked by, the gate came to life.

"Cato, its Amelia. Are you there?" Amelia asked.

"What took you so long?" Cato demanded.

"It took time to arrange things here. Is the area and sky still free of Wraith?" Amelia asked patiently.

"Yes, they are still well away from us." Cato replied testily.

"Get your people ready now. Help is on the way." Amelia said.

Twenty seconds later, four jumpers one after the other, exited the gate. Clearing the ring of the ancestors, the four jumpers extended their drive pods and engaged their cloaks. On the ground, two hundred sets of eyes searched for the small and now invisible craft that hurtled into the sky above. One minute later, a steady stream of twenty jumpers exited the gate, again one after another.

In the clearing between the gate and the brush where those to be rescued waited, ten jumpers set down. Under cloak, the remaining ten circled several hundred feet above. Rear ramp doors opened, and copilots rushed to the door. The mad dash to evacuate these unfortunate souls began in earnest. Onboard one of the jumpers above, the now inactive gate was redialed for the return trip to safety.

As one writhing mass, the two hundred ran towards the jumpers. Each copilot standing at their crafts rear ramp door stopped the number entering their craft at ten. As they were loaded, each now full jumper closed its rear door and took to the air. Under cloak, their they would orbit until receiving word to enter the gate. As each loaded jumper took to the air, an empty jumper landed in its place to repeat the loading process. In the c.o.c.kpit, pilots sitting at their controls monitored Darts in the distance with their sensors.

Sitting in the pilot's seat of the lead jumper in the flight of four that first arrived, Lieutenant Colonel Evan Lorne surveyed the ground below. The settlements below his flight path were engulfed in a hellish firestorm. Climbing higher into the smoke marred Manarian atmosphere, Lorne took not of the steady stream of Darts racing back into orbit. On jumper two, the pilot confirmed that the ground below was entirely devoid of human life, except those currently boarding the other recently arrived Lantean shuttlecraft.

Traversing from atmospheric to orbital flight, the four-cloaked jumpers gained speed. In the distance, the small Wraith fleet came into view. Growing in size within the view screen, in less than a minute the river of Darts could be seen returning to their mothership's. Hives and cruisers were more than the four jumpers could handle on their own. Seeing that he was badly outgunned, Lorne activated his ship-to-ship communications array.

"Extraction flight, this is Look Out Actual. It is bad up here. For whatever reason, the Wraith are disinterested in the gate activity. Get the evacuees out of here. Look Out flight will provide cover." Lorne said.

One by one, the individual jumpers acknowledged the order. Seconds later, the first of twenty jumpers charged into the open wormhole. As this happened, Lorne gave instructions to the other craft in his flight.

"Look Out two, this is Lead. Follow me in on the nearest cruiser. Remain under cloak until passing the ventral drive units, then drop cloak and fire your drones. Once complete, reengage your cloak and all Look Out units will run for the gate." Lorne ordered into the communicator.

"Two copies." Came the reply.

"Three."

"Four."

Look Out three and four broke off, tracking Lead and two maneuver ever closer to their target on their sensor displays. One behind the other, the two craft speed towards the cruiser, and readied themselves for their attack run. Passing the rear exposed propulsion cells of the cruiser, the two jumpers dropped their cloaks. Simultaneously, six drone weapons emerged from the front of the extended drive pods. As the last drones cleared their launchers, cloaks were again powered up.

Turning away from their target, the jumpers nosed over and began their run away from the cruiser at an angle. Regrouping with the two attackers, the other two jumpers came into in line formation. Pouring on the speed, the four craft began a near ballistic descent towards the gate far below. On their sensors, they detected the explosions ripping the cruiser to their rear apart. Lorne expected weapons fire, but none came. Instead, the Wraith fleet charged away, leaping into hyperspace.