CAPRICA

The Fleet Anchorage was isolated from the rest of normal space traffic. But not enough for the civilian population to not notice the mass scrambling of thousands of vipers and ships literally breaking their docking connections as they sought to establish a defensive formation in anticipation of a possible attack. The Colonial fleet over Caprica had gone into over drive. Entire viper squadrons were being assigned sectors and quadrants to patrol. Weapons were loaded and thumbs were sitting on the safeties waiting to flip them to fire. Entire ships were scrambling to get battle ready. It was something unseen to the civilian population below who had grown accustomed to their safety and peace.

BATTLESTAR HADES

"Action stations, Action Stations, Set condition one, repeat set condition one this is not a drill. All gun batteries report status to central fire control. Launch attack squadrons, repeat launch all attack squadrons this is not a drill"

Pilots were sprinting to the hanger deck still putting on their flight suits as they ran.

"CAG what's our sitrep?" Said Lt Emett Jones as he ran towards his viper.

"No idea, just form up with your squadron and listen to your squadron leader"

"Roger" He said as he climbed the ladder to his viper and the deck gang put his helmet on and secured his canopy. In seconds he was activating his systems and running preflight checks before he was even in the launch tube. Once the tube was clear and he was given the green light he would have thirty seconds to form up with his squadron.

As the blast door opened he could see the tube ahead of him cleared and his viper slowly began moving forward. 'Lets do this' He thought to himself as the catapult locked onto his viper.

CIC HADES

"Dradis any enemy contact?" Asked Colonel Deaten Cromwell as he watched the whole CIC

"Negative sir. SAR teams have reached our ships and report successful docking with both cruisers. They report massive structural damage and decompressions on both cruisers"

"Bring us about two oh five. Engines ahead full. Let's get us some room to maneuver" Said Commander Thomas Arkten

The Colossal hull of the Battlestar Hades spun around and fired her engines at max thrust. Her commander wanted full and open fields of fire for the ships weapons.

The Fleet Admiral in charge of Caprican Space and the defense of the planet had not yet established a direct line of communication with Commander Staiuto on the Acropolis as his first priority was securing the planet. The Fourth fleet had two strike groups at Caprica currently, both now fell under his command as the combatant commander. Both Strike group Admirals were on a secure conference call with him and were reporting all five hundred ships in their combined fleets would be deployed and combat ready within thirty minutes. It was chaos in the military community as they scrambled to establish a fully-fledged defensive battle line.

"What the hell happened out there?" He asked his chief of staff Commander Marcus Atticus.

"We don't yet know sir. The reports were getting are somewhat unreliable at the moment. Battlestar Mercury reports all three ships appear heavily damaged. Only Acropolis is structurally intact and even then she's taken more damage than any battlestar I've ever seen."

"It's the Cylon's it has to be." Stated Admiral Pyros, Overall Commander of the third strike group of the Fourth fleet.

"We are not going to rush to conclusions Admiral. I want SAR assets from all available ships to assist those vessels immediately. Once we have Caprican space secure. Ill speak with Acropolis Actual myself."

DELPHI

It had been nearly forty years since the Alarm Klaxon and air raid sirens had gone off in the city for real. The Colonial Government tested the mass civil alert system twice a year. And the tests were usually announced weeks in advance. This time the message was followed by a phrase that chilled terrified everyone who heard it.

"Attention! This is an emergency government notification. Seek shelter now. Possible Cylon attack under way. This is not a drill. Repeat this is not a drill. This is a national emergency all citizens are advised to seek shelter now." A wavering tone then sounded that sent people into a near state of panic. The crowded market place was now a stampede of people running inside to take shelter inside the buildings bomb shelter. It was Colonial law that every building had to have one. At minimum it was required to be able to hold the buildings legal occupancy amount and be designed to sustain them for a minimum of forty eight hours. For many high rise building it meant their basements were quiet large. Many were built several dozen feet below the surface with reinforced roofs and steel encased stairways designed to prevent them from collapsing. It had become standard Colonial practice after the Cylon war.

In the streets cars were rushing to the interstates to get home but soon found themselves in a traffic jam as the entire world panicked.

The news reports only caused more chaos.

"We don't have much information yet besides the General Alert that was issued by the Colonial Military. We can confirm that the Delphi Air base wing has scrambled and is now flying a defensive perimeter around the city. Large scale deployments of military forces have been reported all over the planet but no actual enemy has been sighted yet"

"We are still trying to contact our sources at the Ministry of Defense and learn what exactly is going on. But obviously if they're dealing with a Cylon attack. They wont have much time to talk with us so we don't expect to have much information in the early moments here."

"Again we need to remind our viewers that no actual enemy has been sighted yet. We continue to monitor the situation and will update you as we learn more."

"We are urging our viewers to stay calm and follow the instructions from government officials at this time, again please stay calm as this situation develops."

Erica Lynn was a university student at Delphi University, her class had been loudly interrupted by the campus PA system announcing a mandatory evacuation effective immediately. She was panicking as her entire class ran outside to get to the campus shelter. A loud piercing boom sounded directly over there heads as a squadron of vipers screeched overhead flying just bare meters over the tops of the buildings.

CYLON BASESHIP NEAR THE ARMISTICE LINE

Small remote probes were secretly deployed inside Colonial Space. Designed to report on Colonial fleet movements and monitor the Colonial space lanes for signs of a possible fleet deployment in preparation for an attack. The reports they were getting back from several near Caprica confused them

"What is happening?" Said four as he put his hand into the network.

"We don't know. The Kobol expedition seems to have sent a trio of ships back early." Responded a Three

"Remind me again why we didn't send a task force to shadow them again?" asked a one model

"Because we aren't interested in provoking a war with them. Its only been Thirty four years since the first war. We aren't prepared for another conflict yet" Responded a model Eight

"Not following that fleet is a mistake we should not have made" Said a number two near the One model that asked why

"It doesn't matter now. What happened to them" Asked a model six

"They were attacked and sustained heavy damage" Stated a number five.

"What? By who?" Asked a number six with confusion

"Unknown. But no pirate or terrorist group would have the capabilities to do that to a Mercury class Battlestar and two Cruisers" Said a number Three.

"You think people survived on Kobol and first contact with the Colonials didn't go so well." Said a number Four

"We can speculate for days. It doesn't matter in the end. We need information and we need it now. I propose we sent a task force to investigate at once" Said a Number one joining his fellow one at the table. One by one the other models nodded their agreement.

PICON FLEET HEADQUARTERS

Captain Paige Tellerson was the Communications OOD on the floor of Fleet Strategic Operations Center or FTOC. Her duties included monitoring all priority one communications and any urgent or flash messages and relaying them immediately to the on duty officer in charge of fleet ops, usually a vice admiral. Today it was Vice Admiral Jensen. A veteran of the Cylon war and multiple counter terror ops. She usually liked being on duty with him and had never once had a bad experience. He had even given her a four day pass to resolve some personal issues on Picon with her boyfriend the month prior, a law student at Picon Law center. He had reservations about her service in the military and was growing impatient with her fleet duties.

She however was at the start of the biggest forward momentum her career could have. She was serving directly under an admiral, actually five of them, and that got her noticed. She had had no comms traffic to relay for the last few hours as usual. She usually only relayed reports of ship malfunctions and accidents or requests for assistance from civil authoritys and today there had been none. The Colonial Binary systems were quiet. As such she was currently chatting with her boyfriend who had just helped his professor win a huge case on Picon.

"Im glad you guys won. You look really happy baby"

"Oh yeah babe, it was great. The look on her face when the judge read the verdict was priceless"

She was distracted by her thoughts as her comms center light up with flash messages and priority one alerts. Her mind snapped into overdrive completely forgetting her boyfriend was on a video call with her.

"Sir multiple flash priority one alerts from Caprica. No drill, repeat no drill. Fleet over Caprica reports they are under attack. Caprican defense units are moving to establish a battle line. Reports all over the place sir. I cant keep up with them. I have reports of one battlestar and two cruisers heavily damaged and multiple ships moving to engage the enemy."

"Send out a priority one alert to all colonial units, Message reads, Attention All Colonial Units, Cylon attack underway, all Colonial units respond immediately in accordance with local tactical situation. All units directed to report positions and tactical status to FTIC immediately. This is not a drill. Message ends"

As she relayed the message her blood ran cold, thinking the Cylon war had just gone hot again.

The fleet at Caprica had sent out automated tactical reports through the Joint Battlefield Tactical Data Network. A system of highly encrypted satellites and relays that sent dradis and tracking information directly to a receiving terminal. The system displayed only the local systems data and was capable of being shut down instantly if a hack or data breach was detected. Only three installations were capable of viewing data for the entire binary systems. Cyrannus Flight control center, FTIC and Fleet headquarters located on the surface of the planet.

BATTLESTAR ATLANTIA

Fleet Admiral Benton was hosting a delegation of political aides from the Quorum. They were enjoying a nice dinner in the ships VIP Galley.

"I sure do hope the fleet understands that Delegate Shaw underwent a lot of criticism for supporting the fleet in this round of budget proposals." Said a young woman who was Shaw's deputy chief of staff.

"I do" He replied "And…." He was interrupted when the Klaxon alarm went off and the PA announced "Action stations, action stations set condition one throughout the ship, this is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill. Weapons grid to full power, pilots man your fighters, scramble, scramble, scramble, all personnel set condition one throughout the ship, this is not a drill"

Before the political aides could ask him what was going on he was already out the door. It would be four hours before the Colonial fleet had the situation under control and all forces had stood down to condition three. Throughout the system as a result of the flash warning message, units had launched their entire air wings, Marines and Army units had deployed anti-air defenses to the major citys and began mobilizing for counter-attacks and defensive missions. The Fleet had literally scrambled all combat ready vessels to respond. It was only after Admiral Benton talked to Commander Staiuto and then to the president did the order to stand down come down through the comms channel. It caused a massive panic in every single city.

EARTH

WASHINGTON D.C.

Secretary of State Elizabeth McVey was shocked at how well the diplomatic meeting with the Colonial Envoy had gone.

The Colonials had been incredibly understanding of Earth's position to acquire defense systems. In fact they had dropped a bombshell on them and informed them the Battlestar Valkyrie was headed for earth to establish a permanent defense patrol along with her assigned escorts. However the Colonials were hopeful that the Tauri, who had a much better understanding of Alien technology, would be able to assist them in upgrading their ships to be able to go toe to toe with a Goa'uld Hatak. Something the US Military had instantly agreed to. The Galaxy was literally against them and the last thing they needed was an enemy on Earth.

"You know we're going to have to have a massive manpower increase for all the ships we are going to buy" Stated one of her aides.

"Yeah but the military can handle that. Not our department." She replied back to him.

SGC

A colonial delegation had dialed in an hour ago. A doctor Archibald Harryet had asked to see the Tauri cultural expert. Which happened to be Doctor Daniel Jackson.

Archibald was anxious to share what he had learned. They and the Tauri were cousins after all, and they shared a destiny. The book his young assistant had found had revealed to him that the Ancients on Kobol were in fact the Gods of Kobol as worshipped by the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. He had learned that after returning from the Pegasus Galaxy a small group of just under two hundred Lanteans had taken several hundred humans from around the world and left earth to return to the Kobolian System. The site of a former ancient civilization. The outpost left behind after the departure of Olympus had been left intact and it was here the ancients planned to rebuild. There they had attempted to recreate their society. But quickly realized that the human species was still far too primitive to aid them. So they had instead focused on teaching, guiding and leading the now twelve colonies of man as they came to call themselves. The Ancients knew eventually they would either ascend or die. Despite a limited numbers of new ancients born, their way of live, their civilization was at an end. Their last hope was that the People of the Twelve Colonies would one day unite with the people left behind on Terra and become their legacy. They would leave behind the means to defeat the Goa'uld and hope the Thirteen tribes would be become the Fifth race. The ancients had left gate addresses to their repositories of knowledge at the outpost on Kobol. Archibald had the location of three that he now hoped to secure with the aid of Earth. General Hammond had called a staff meeting in the level twenty two conference room, seven SG team leaders and all of the staff sections were there. Doctor Jackson had presented Doctor Harryet's findings and made a startling statement.

"These gate addresses, we've been to one before." Said Daniel Jackson as he looked at the gate symbols.

Jack knew it too.

"Those headsucker things?" He asked aloud.

"Yes, and now we know where two more of them are." Replied Daniel as he looked around the room excited. "If we can safely extract all of this information then we can find a way to defeat Anubis for good and revolutionize our technological base to be on par with or in excess of the Goa'uld"

"SG-1, 3,5,7 and 8 you have a go. Colonel Ehlers I want the rangers on standby in case anything goes south. In addition the president had authorized a scientific support package to be deployed to Kobol to aid the Colonies"

Over one hundred personnel were now preparing to deploy to Kobol which apparently did not have a Stargate. They were to aid the Colonials in studying the Ancient Database left behind. The Chairman of the joint chiefs had ordered the Prometheus to go out and find multiple Stargate's to acquire. One for Kobol and one to send to the Colonies.

SGC

SG-1 minus Carter and Jackson was preparing to return to Stavanna along with Captain Korrey and her escort of two Marines. She had learned a lot in the last few days within the SGC. Especially about Earth's lack of allies and global defense capabilities. The US was far better off than most with a fleet of F-302s and a single interstellar warship with another under construction. She had no doubt that in the event of an invasion the US would be better off than any other country on Earth. But the overall picture was bleak. The Presidential envoy had even offered the possibility of selling colonial warships in exchange for Naquadah and Trinium. To which Earth had agreed rather quickly. She had approved of it and was optimistic about their continued cooperation against the Goa'uld. Earth needed ships and needed them badly. Her people had thousands just sitting in mothballed shipyards. The only problem would be getting them here. To her surprise Earth would be able to upgrade those ships in a very short amount of time.

She had spent the last two days with the SGC's G-2 or director of Intelligence. A Colonel Rebecca Bane. She was impressed with the Colonel, deeply analytical and extremely thorough. After sharing some operational Intel with her Stacey regarded her as a master manipulator and an excellent intelligence operative. She had studied the enemy extensively and she knew the Admiralty would want her to come to Caprica and assist Colonial Intelligence with preparing for the war.

Captain Korrey was skeptical of Earth's claim that the Tokra were unlike the Goa'uld. She saw them all as the same: The Enemy. Colonel O'Neill had smiled at her after she had made that comment. While Teal'c remained as impassive as ever but had given her a slight nod.

"See now you're learning Captain. Never trust a snake" He said as they waited for the gate to complete its dialing.

"I think I already knew that one. My daddy may have taught me a thing or two" She said with a smirk. O'Neill chuckled. The young Intelligence officer was growing on him. She was a damn quick learner and a good shot. Her and Teal'c had gone through Jaffa weapons and tactics at the SGC's range. Teal'c was impressed with her shooting skills and even commended her ability. She had ate up his praise and returned the gesture commenting on his own abilities as well. O'Neill could tell she was also a highly effective operative as well. She had gained a vast amount of information in the little time she had been here.

"Then your father was most wise Captain Korrey" Stated Teal'c with a slight smile.

"I think he was more worried about a different kind of snake when he said it. But the message still works" She replied back with a laugh.

"Just remember once we go find this repository don't go near it. If you do, we may not be able to save you. The knowledge will literally overload your brain" Said O'Neill as he remember his ordeal several years before.

"Noted, I'll be sure to instruct the Marines of that as well" She replied as the gate finished dialing. SG-3, 5, 9 and 12 were going with them and were already assembled in the gate room. She smiled at seeing Lieutenant Cartwright. He nodded at her and gave a small smile back.

"Alright people let's go secure this repository" Said Colonel O'Neill as he lead the way through the gate.

STAVANNA

Fifty Marines waited for the last member of SG-12 to come through before Doctor Gaius Baltar dialed up the address to location provided by Doctor Harryet.

"Coming with us Doc?" Asked Captain Korrey as she noticed his attire. He was outfitted with standard Marine battle rattle but wasn't carrying a weapon.

"Yes, someone has to safely disconnect the device and bring it back here after all. Something a little beyond the skill level of Marines and simple intelligence officers like yourself" He snapped back. She guessed he didn't like the idea of going through the gate into what could turn into a combat situation.

"Just don't faint when the shooting starts." She replied back earning a chuckle from the many marines nearby.

"Excuse me, i.." He was interrupted by O'Neill "Okay children, lets skedaddle and get this over with" Said O'Neill as he walked through with Teal'c and Daniel. Followed closely by SG-3.

In five minutes the task force was through the gate.

"SG-5 and 7 and 8 establish a perimeter as you see fit with the Colonials. Captain Korrey, you and your squad and the good doctor over here are with us." He said as they moved out towards the large ruins in the distance.

BATTLESTAR ACROPOLIS

Ambassador Jeffery Bates was astonished at the sheer size of the Anchorage the Acropolis had docked at. It was truly a behemoth. With almost three hundred ships docked on its many different satellite facilities and the main structure itself. Including a full fifteen of their massive kilometer wide ships called battlestars. Their arrival had sparked an immediate response by the Colonial Military. Battlestars were the pride of the Colonial fleet and seeing one as damaged as the Acropolis had appeared to be had struck fear into the hearts of the Colonial people. Much less the now safely docked cruisers which were rumored to be being considered for scrapping.

The secret was too big to contain. The existence of Alien life had been leaked by chatter on unsecured comms by Viper squadrons after the stand down order had come down from the admiral. The President had spoken that night to address the Colonial people and call for calm. He asked for the people to trust in their government and to allow them to process the information the Acropolis had brought back. He had also held a moment of silence for those that had been lost. Allanna had expected mass panic but instead a vast majority of the people were curious. Angry at the death of Colonial warriors and screaming for blood. It wasn't what she had expected but the people were rallying behind the cause of liberating the Galaxy without any push from the Government. They had officially revealed no information about the Acropolis and the information she had brought back. However a surprising amount of information had been leaked to the press to surprisingly little negative effect.

"I understand our arrival has caused quite the headache Commander." He said as Allanna ate from a plate in front of her.

"Naturally ambassador. But I wouldn't concern yourself. It's only natural for people to be fearful after all. Everyone is afraid of the unknown until the shrouds of mystery are lifted and you step forward to face your fear"

"I didn't take you for the poetic type Commander" He teased her while understanding the sentiment she made. She chuckled and ate into an apple.

"My report will be arriving at the Ministry of Defense in a few hours. Expect a lot to happen once it does." She said wondering about the shape of things to come.

"I overheard some chatter earlier. Apparently public outcry is demanding war on the colonies"

"It seems that way. We don't take the deaths of our service members lightly. And Slavery isn't something the Colonial Government will be willing to tolerate. The Theseus lost half of her crew as did the Odysseus. Over fifteen hundred Colonials died. One hundred and ten from my crew"

She turned as the phone nearby mounted on the wall rang. She grabbed and said "Commander" She listened as her coms officer spoke a few words. "Thank you. I'll meet him on the flight deck"

"Ambassador I'm afraid im going to have to cut our lunch short. Admiral Benton is coming aboard."

"I understand Commander. Thank you for your time" He replied as he gathered his things and left.

ATLANTIA RAPTOR 228

Admiral Benton stared at the hull of the Battlestar Acropolis and took note of the several holes in her armor belt and the massive gash on her portside. It worried him. He felt responsible and guilty looking at the ship before him. He was the one who had recommended Commander Staiuto to conduct the advance reconnaissance of the Kobol corridor. He had given her the order to survey every single system to identify Tylium supplies and new material deposits to be mined at a later date. He felt foolish for those orders now.

He had spent an entire hour on the phone with the President earlier that morning. The Colonial Government was in a state of panic and hysteria and he couldn't blame them. It had been twenty four hours since the three ships had returned. As a result the fleet was mobilizing on a level not seen since the Cylon war. Actual factual and verified information was relatively still classified but the basic facts had gotten out. Kobol had been found. Along with another world populated by Humans. That had come under attack by a race of hostile aliens apparently using humans as unwilling host. The Acropolis and Helios strike group had come to the defense of what they thought were Kobolian citizens left behind during the exodus. Admiral Brantley had viewed them as Colonial citizens. Something he agreed with. As such he had concluded that they were duty bound to come to their aid and defend them. In doing so the Acropolis and Helios strike group had essentially crippled an enemy vessel, boarded it and taken the surviving crewmembers as prisoners. While incurring heavy damage on three ships. Overall the tactical significance of the battle was irrelevant but the Strategic impacts were still being discovered. The civilian population also knew than an Ambassador from Earth was aboard the Acropolis. But they didn't know the overall strategic situation or how dire the military situation really was. After confirming the report he had received at Virgon he had ordered the Fourth fleet to deploy immediately for Kobol. Five entire strike groups were now en-route to Kobol and the world of Stavanna. The fifth strike group would also deploy to the two additional worlds discovered by the Acropolis and establish a garrison planet side and prepare for follow on mining operations. It would take them a long time to get their mines operational and until then they had to hope Earth could supply the needed Naquadah and Trinium necessary to revolutionize their fleet.

The fourth fleet was the Colonial Fleets rapid deployment unit. Mainly composed of Valkyrie Block twos and Poseidon class battlestars. They were essentially older Columbia class battlestars. But built ten to twenty years after the end of the war with all of the lessons learned from the first thirty built during the war. They carried additional Heavy Kinetic energy weapons on the topside of their bow and midsections and were covered in nearly twice the armor. They like the Valkyries were designed to hunt in pairs with little to no support and deploy deep into enemy space and conduct first strike missions.

Each strike group conducted annual readiness exercises and full blown deployments of fifteen to thirty days to train. Armistice line deployment was typically a six month long tour and at any given moment two entire groups were deployed along various locations. Ten battlestars and their four hundred escorts and support ships along with over two thousand frigates and patrol stars. Every single ship in the Colonial fleet was now being prepped for deployment as soon as possible. It was an unprecedented mobilization not seen since the end of the Cylon war. Maintenance was streamlined and ordnance stocks were being transferred to frontline units. Even the reserves were being called up to report for duty. All except for the crew of the Acropolis. They would spend a week writing after action reports, conducting combat review boards and award ceremonies and then be given a month long leave. Admiral Pyros had suggested transferring them to other ships but he had turned that idea down. They had been through a lot and deserved the time off. Breaking up the crew was the last thing he wanted to do.

The Civilian population was eager for more information, literally taking to the streets in protest over the lack of military disclosure. The president had told the media that he would be at the executive mansion later that day to brief them. Something he was not looking forward to. As the raptor docked he wondered how Commander Staiuto felt. She was technically under his command. He was the fleet admiral, and as such all sailors truly were.

As the Raptor was brought down to the hanger deck. He anxiously awaited the hatch to open. Once it did he was met with a ceremonial Marine guard. Stepping off the raptor he saluted the commander and looked over the assembled crew. He could see the pride underneath the fatigue and exhaustion they all showed. He cleared his throat and spoke with pride to the assembled group.

"Words cannot express the pride I have in all of you. You made history out there. While it may not have been the outcome any of us were expecting. You performed above and beyond anything that I could ask from you. Our realities have changed drastically but fate rarely gives us what we ask for. We are entering a dark and unknown chapter in our history. My only hope is that the Colonies can follow the examples of Bravery and selfless sacrifice that all of you have displayed over the last month. Gods knows we will need it. Thank you. Dismissed"

"So say we all" Said Commander Staiuto. The crew echoed her and then dispersed. Returning to their duties on the flight deck.

She stood there impassive as he looked around the hanger deck. In the corner a viper lay on the floor. Its landing gear destroyed. The right wing was gone, blown off by a staff blast. The Admiral inhaled sharply when he saw the blood still staining the cockpit window. He walked over to the shattered viper and ran his hand along the frame. His PAO which for some reason had accompanied him took a photo of him looking somberly at the viper.

"Did the pilot survive?" He asked her to which she lowered her head and replied.

"No sir. He succumbed to his injuries" Her reply filled his chest with sorrow. He remembered the feeling of losing troops under his command during the war with the Cylons and he knew it wasn't easy to deal with.

He turned to look at her. "You sure know how to cause one hell of a stir don't you Allanna"

"You said you picked me for this mission cause I was smart. I don't feel like I was the best choice after seeing all of the bodies in my morgue sir"

He knew what she was feeling. Guilt. He still remembered the names of every single one under his command that he had lost during the Cylon war.

"No. You were the right choice. If I had to do it again, I would still pick you. You have something most commanders don't. A connection to your crew forged in fire. You lead them into combat, defeated the enemy and brought them home. That's all I can ask of my battlestar commanders." He caught her off guard with his words as she took a deep breath.

"Losing people is never easy, and it never gets easier. But you learn to live with it." He said as he pointed to the stairs.

"Come on. Introduce me to the Ambassador. We have a lot to talk about. I want to know everything about our new enemy. But before we go I want you to know that I'm proud of you." He meant every word of what he said and he could tell she knew that he had.

Admiral Benton spent the next three hours talking with Ambassador Bates to which he asked him to accompany him to meet the president and appear beside him as he addressed the Colonies. To which he graciously accepted.

COLONIAL EXECUTIVE PLAZA

Reporters and Staff lined the walls of the press room as Admiral Benton took the podium. It was a large room as most media organizations in the colony had a representative here. He knew that most had run a story or editorial on him and Commander Staiuto prior to them coming here. He also knew that almost everyone in the Colonies was watching right now. Over fifty billion people. Schools had been cancelled as a result of the return of the Acropolis. Courts were closed, businesses had closed early just for this press conference and many people had stayed home or gone to public gathering areas where large screens now showed his face.

"Ladies and Gentleman, my fellow Colonial citizens. As you by now already know approximately twenty four hours ago the Battlestar Acropolis and the Cruisers Odysseus and Theseus returned from the expedition to find Kobol. They returned heavily damaged as a result of a battle over a world we now know the locals call Stavanna. Over the next several minutes I will outline the course of events that led to this and discuss our current situation. However before I do, I would like to take a moment and recognize the valiant and brave men and women of the Battlestar Acropolis, the MarineStar Hephaestus and the entirety of the First Strike group of the Colonial Fifth fleet group. As of two hours ago, One thousand eight hundred and ninety five Colonial service members gave their lives in the defense of democracy, freedom, and Liberty. I would ask all those watching to pray for their souls and to comfort the families of those that we have lost.

As you know the Acropolis was tasked to scout out the entirety of the Kobol corridor and to conduct detailed scans of every single system leading to the main Kobolian star. Commander Staiuto had several objectives in doing this. First and foremost was to ensure the safety of the Expedition fleet from any possibly unseen hostiles. Obviously what we originally envisioned was the possibility of the Cylons. Her second objective was to identify any new source of Tylium or major sources of resources which she did accomplish. Her third objective was to validate the claims of Doctor Harryet and determine if Kobol was in fact really where the doctor said it was. As of this moment I can confirm to the Colonial people that Kobol has been found and secured. The expeditionary fleet has landed on the surface and is now conducting detailed studies and excavations of the ruins of our home world." He paused allowing for the information he had just said to be fully absorbed

"In addition to discovering Kobol, Raptors from the Acropolis discovered another nearby habitable world. Inhabited by a population of what we estimate to be around one hundred million or so. Commander Staiuto made the decision not to make contact, instead passing that decision onto the civilian expeditionary leadership. She relayed the discovery of Kobol and the world of Stavanna back to Admiral Brantley aboard the battlestar Helios which was at that time only two jumps away from Kobol. Admiral Brantley agreed with her decision. However only a few hours after the discovery of the human population of Stavanna a Raptor ordered by Commander Staiuto to observe and monitor the planet was attacked by an unknown and extremely hostile alien race known as the Goa'uld. Lieutenant Amelia Balist and her ECO Lt J.g Carl Edmon defended themselves from the attack and downed four hostile enemy fighters known as death gliders. Before FTL'ing out of the combat zone they observed the enemy vessel known as a Hatak begin firing indiscriminately on the civilian population on the surface. Commander Staiuto then ordered an attack to defend the people of Stavanna which she and Admiral Brantley had assumed were Colonial citizens left behind during the Exodus. The Acropolis jumped in just outside of weapons range and sent a hostile challenge and demanded that the, at the time unknown, vessel cease fire immediately and explain why they had fired unprovoked on colonial aircraft. The Hatak then vectored towards the Acropolis at an alarming rate of speed and was unresponsive to repeated hails. Under the articles of warfare, Commander Staiuto took that as a hostile act and ordered the Acropolis to engage the enemy. The Helios strike group arrived only moments later. In the ensuring ten minute battle the Cruisers Theseus and Odysseus were heavily damaged along with the Acropolis and the Battlestars Ares and Triton also sustained moderate damage. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit then conducted a forced entry planetary assault to aid the Civilians on the ground and defeat enemy ground forces that had landed. It is with great sadness we report that the people of Stavanna lost over three hundred thousand of their fellow citizens. The Marines that eventually boarded the enemy ship and defeated the enemy on the surface learned several things. The enemy we know now call themselves The Goa'uld. They are a parasitic race capable of taking control of the Human body and using it as they see fit. Independent medical forensics and autopsies will be allowed to verify those claims by reputable medical businesses and professionals. They have the ability of controlling the body and mind of the host to the point where there is no trace left of the individual. Our intelligence profile as well as from the Tauri of the Goa'uld is that they are a highly aggressive race, extremely territorial. Arrogant and lustful, they pose as gods to force the many billions of humans spread throughout the galaxy to worship them. The same with the Jaffa. Intelligence gained from both the ships data core and enemy prisoners as well as the people of Stavanna have taught us that the Goa'uld have forced the Jaffa into indentured servitude for centuries if not millennia. However there are rebel groups known to be in existence. In addition the Stavanna government has shared with us the existence of a device known as the Stargate. Created what we now know to be millions of years ago by a race of people known as the Lanteans. From what we have been able to ascertain the Lantean people were a highly advanced race that lived with us on Kobol before the great exodus. The Kobol expedition has found technology left behind by them far in advance of what we use now. It is now believed by us and our fellow brothers and sisters from Earth that the Lanteans evolved to a higher plane of existence and left our area of space long ago." He paused knowing the words he was going to say next were so important he could not even begin to state the importance.

"We are now only just beginning to discover the truth behind our origins. The sacred scrolls were not wrong, nor is our religion false. Nor are our gods. Instead they are things we could not comprehend nor understand at the time the sacred scrolls were written. We know who our gods are. They are real, and we believe they are watching us even now. Our destiny is to take up the mantle they have left us and to become the guardians of peace, freedom and justice throughout the Galaxy." He looked from camera to camera for a moment.

"That was the hope of the Lanteans when they created us. Or rather recreated us. They took people from Earth, brought them to Kobol and re-sequenced their DNA to allow for faster development. In a way Kobol is our home world. It is the birthplace of the Colonies. But not for mankind. Earth is the home world of Humanity. These are facts we have learned from the database left behind by the Lanteans on Kobol. I understand that this new reality is difficult to come to terms with. However now is not the time for us to debate over history and squabble over who is right or who is wrong. The threat we now face is grave and very real. The Goa'uld, if they were to learn of the location of the Colonies, would use the full force of their fleet to wipe us out. Unfortunately they have that capability. Their ships at full strength are vastly superior to ours. The technological gap we now face is not insurmountable as our brothers and sisters from Earth can attest to. They have promised to help us upgrade and revolutionize our ships and military forces. As of this moment our policy is one of aggression. To strike the enemy hard and swiftly on multiple fronts. It will not be a fight won in a year or even in a decade. But our ultimate goal is to defeat the Goa'uld System lords, liberate the Human slaves under their domain and free the Jaffa as well.

Earth has been fighting the Goa'uld for some time now with great success. They made contact with us three days after we secured the planet. They have already provided a great deal of information on our new enemy. With our assistance it is hoped that we can turn the tide of their war. Now more than ever, we must stand united or we will fade into dust at the hands of oppression and tyranny."

He silently bowed his head and paused.

"I know I have delivered a lot of shocking information. I understand there will be many conflicting emotions. But trust in your military and in your government. Right now there is no credible threat to Colonial Space but that could change rapidly. As of right now the entirety of the Colonial fleet is deployed and ready for any possible attack. We are at our highest readiness level. We will provide you with updates periodically and we promise to fully disclose the events that have transpired in full once we have fully debriefed the crew of the Acropolis and ascertained all of the facts. I now turn it over to Commander Staiuto who will make a brief statement"

Allanna was nervous to be in front of the media. She never liked the press, always thought of them as too nosey and undisciplined. But she knew she had to reassure the people.

"Thank you Admiral. I would like to take a moment to honor the incredibly brave men and women whom I have been privileged to lead for the last seven months. To my crew, you're bravery and courage in the face of the enemy has inspired me beyond words. You have made me the proudest commander in the fleet and I don't say that lightly. You have performed your duties above and beyond the call of duty and for that I thank you. Losing your friends and fellow crewmembers hurts. Their loss is a loss for us all. Cherish the memories you made together and take solace that they died in the line of duty, defending innocent lives. There is no greater meaning in life than to fight for a purpose higher than oneself. Remember the men and women you have served with on this mission. For one day soon you will tell your children and your children's children that you served with the finest men and women the universe has ever known. To the people of the Colonies, know this, we are the thin line of blue separating you from the darkness that is our enemy. I swear to you upon the memory of all those who have so gallantly and selflessly given their lives, that we will not fail you. We will not bend, we will not break nor will we ever surrender. The might of the Colonies is in you and we are your sword. So say we all"

The earth delegation watched with alarm at the press conference. Major Carter and General Hartfield were relieved to see how serious the Colonials were taking the Goa'uld threat. Ambassador Jeffery bates had no doubts he would be able to negotiate a mutual defense treaty, Trade agreement and Mutual alliance with the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. He smiled at the conclusion of the press conference as the many news organization began showing demonstrations in the streets of major cities. What made him more optimistic were the long lines now forming outside of the Colonial recruiting stations.

The actual formal treaty signing would still have to take place on earth but for all intents and purposes the Colonies were now fighting a war with earth as her one and only ally in a very hostile galaxy. A fact reinforced when the Colonial Government voted unanimously to declare war on the Goa'uld System lords that very same night.

"We just gained ourselves one hell of a major ally Ambassador." Stated General Hartfield

"Yes we did. Now let's make sure they're capable of winning this fight"

As the last member of the Quorum voted yes. Zeus standing among the most successful project he had ever been a part of smiled triumphantly.

ASCENDED PLANE

Twelve Ascended beings floated freely over the vast emptiness of space surrounding Kobol and watched as the fourth fleet jumped into orbit in its entirety.

It was an impressive sight even to them. It had taken the Colonials only two days to get a fleet of over six hundred ships to Kobol. The expedition members were discovering an unbelievable amount of knowledge and historical data. But the Colonial fleet didn't care for archeological finds. They were going to war. Earth and the Colonial Military had already agreed to conduct joint operations. In fact initial planning was already under way to strike at the heart of Anubis's kull warrior factory. In just days the Colonials and the Tauri had come together to form a strong military alliance.

"Do you think the Goa'uld stand a chance?" Asked one of the ascended beings.

"No. The humans of Earth will turn the Colonials into a force of unimaginable military might. They will suffer greatly at first. But all great victories bear great cost." Replied another.

"I never truly thought our plan would succeed. After the exodus from Kobol I had lost hope" Spoke Aphrodite for the first time.

"I have learned never to lose hope when it comes to the seed species. They are truly resilient" Responded Zeus

"They truly are the second evolution of our kind" Said Athena

"They will take their rightful place in the Galaxy together. I have no doubt of this" Said Ares

"Do you think they will journey to Pegasus?" Asked another

"It would not surpise me" Said Hermes as he watched the fleet disperse throughout the planets orbit.

"And if they encounter the Wraith?"

"Then they will defeat them. We lost because we were arrogant. The Tauri and Colonials are not."

"They truly are our legacy" Said Athena

"Do you think the rest of the Ancients have any idea what is happening now?" Asked Hera

"No we were careful and we have kept their existence a secret." Said Demeter

"Now that Earth knows the rest of the Ancients will as well" Responded Zeus

"It will not matter, they cannot interfere" Said Ares

Around them the Fourth Fleet spread out in a protective posture around the planet of kobol and the expeditionary fleet.

Figured I owed you guys an update, life has been hectic the last few months and I haven't really had the time or interest in writing but thatll change. Enjoy this update for now with a promise of more on the way.